Chapter One: The Draconians

Fire and Ice

Story By: CrazyRabidPony

Written By: CrazyRabidPony
Drakengarde AKA Mr. Ben

“Love can melt the hardest heart, heal the wounds of the broken heart, and quiet the fears of the anxious heart.”

- Joyce Meyer

Chapter One: The Draconians

The royal castle of Canterlot stood tall and proud against the backdrop of the steadily darkening sky. It was late afternoon to early evening, with the moon just beginning to creep over the horizon while the sun sank descended, but not so that the residents would start heading into their homes for the night. Then again, the Equestrian princess had no foreknowledge that her expected guests had arrived. Sitting on the balcony that lead into her personal chambers, she oversaw the rising moon--her sister’s moon, that had currently served as her prison for a little over three hundred years.

Though, the imprisonment happened three centuries ago, every time Princess Celestia saw the moon, adorned with the dark spots and craters that made up the dark Mare in the Moon, she shed a tear and her heart went out to her lost sibling, Princess Luna… consumed by her rage and envy as the evil Nightmare Moon.

‘One day, Sister… one day,’ she mentally whispered to herself. ‘One day, you shall be free, and we will rule Equestria together, like we used to… As it should be…’

Even now, she had her plans in motion to free her sister. However, they would not come into fruition for some time. Until that day, she would bide her time.

“Your Majesty?” one of her loyal royal guards spoke up, stepping out onto the balcony.

“Yes?” she responded in a businesslike tone, her prismatic mane flowing over one of her eyes.

“We’ve just received word the representatives of Draconia have been spotted arriving in Canterlot.”

“Dispatch a regiment to meet them halfway and escort them here,” she commanded without any hesitation, not even turning around. “I shall meet them in the throne room.”

“At once, Your Highness!” He saluted and turned around to walk away, hoof beats echoing in the room as he left.

Once the sound had dispersed, the princess rose to her hooves, taking one last look at the large silver celestial body as it slowly inched its way heavenward.

‘I miss you so much, Sister. You have no idea how badly I want you by my side again.’

A tear formed at the edge of her eye, but it was blinked away. Turning away from the moon, she strode back into her quarters to meet her guests.

It was time to put the queenly mask back on.

***

Two draconic beings lumbered down the main cobblestone path en route to the castle, threatening to create cracks in the road with each step from the sheer bulk and weight of their full body armor. Many of the citizens in the vicinity displayed a sheer amount of terror. Some fled into their homes and barricaded the doors, others remained at a safe distance and observed with frightened eyes, and there were even those who ran amok in blind fear.

The dragons were quadrupeds, and unlike the giants one might think of when they hear the name of the species. The larger one of the two’s scales were touched with an olive green with a light green lower jaw, throat and underbelly--from what wasn’t covered in his diamond encrusted steel armor plated with platinum along the top and sides of the helmet and body armor--, small spikes jutting from his jaw line, two long and smooth horns black tipped horns spearing from the back of his skull, and cruel smoke grey eyes.

The smaller counterpart possessed a light red hide with a rather pinkish belly. His earthy brown horns growing from his head were short in comparison. His own eyes were dyed a fiery yellow-orange and his armor was dotted with rubies instead of diamonds.

The pair were expected by the solar monarch, for a meeting had been arranged a few weeks prior. The large Draconian cast a dark glare at anyone who dared to meet his eyes. To him, the equine race were inferior. The vibes that radiated from his very form inspired fear--unease at the very least in the guard sentries.

Not much was known about the Draconians, even their king’s name was a mystery. For as long as the Equestrian rulers, historians, and scholars, the boarders have always been closed from the rest of the world. All that was known was that Draconia was a country consisting of a breed of dragons located in the deep south in the tropic regions. But this was how the king wanted it. Throughout history, he refused to allow information regarding his culture, their nature, and how his soldiers were raised and trained.

As the dragon monarch paraded down the city’s streets with the very mask of malignancy--soon to be met with guards who insisted on escorting them the rest of the way--, the smaller reptile had become so absorbed with taking stock in their surroundings. His eyes were wide with an almost childlike wonder twinkling within them. Even as he and his king were brought into the throne room, he drank in the beautiful interior, thoroughly impressed.

The princess of the sun was present on her throne when the two Draconians entered into the room, sitting grand and regal among the ornate and lavish furnishings. Tapestries and stained glass windows showed the history of the Equestrian forces--the imprisonment of Tirek, the chaos that was Discord and his petrifaction, the fall of King Sombra, the corruption of Princess Luna and her subsequent banishment, and their recent conflicts with the griffons. Marble busts of Star Swirl the Bearded, Princess Luna, and other notable figures for their contributions to society were between the windows.

Princess Celestia gazed dispassionately down at the Draconians. Her long mane cascaded down her head and back, her tail draped over the last stair heading up to her throne. Her hair covered half of her face, with only her left eye exposed. Half shut, her single pupil scoured over her two guests.

The alicorn paid no attention to the smaller dragon any further, her only focus being on the larger--and admittedly rather intimidating--king before her. She did not express her inner concern, her face a cold, expressionless mask.

“Greetings, honored guests,” she welcomed, her tone suggesting no real feeling to discern. Despite her soft intonation, her voice projected quite soundly across the entire room. “To what do I owe this esteemed pleasure?”

The dark green dragon took in a breath before speaking, his voice calm, yet icy and husky.

“I am King Talonblaze of Draconia,” he declared, puffing out his chest with pride. Shifting his attention to the younger beast at his side--who now had his eyes on the princess--, he lifted a clawed hand to gesture at him. “And this is my prized warrior, General Rhem. Perhaps the best I ever had.”

The guards present were in a state of bewilderment as the general was introduced. From what little they could see, he appeared far too young to be a high ranking soldier, let alone a general. Also, the best the king ever had? They were quite skeptical of this.

While King Talonblaze held his claims in high regard, the general knew this was a blatant lie. He may have been excessively skilled for his age, but he had been bested many times throughout his life.

Turning to the red-scaled beast, the princess let her surprise light up her features--but only for a second as she quickly reverted back to her standard poker face. This male was a general? That simply couldn’t be possible. He was young. Too young. Even among her forces, her youngest general was a healthy forty-six years old.

“Well met, King Talonblaze.” A pause. “General Rhem.” Turning back to King Talonblaze, she met his gaze. “For what purpose have you sought an audience with me? When your messenger requested a meeting, he did not specify.”

The Draconian king nodded with a grunt.

“I have traveled all the way from my country to form an alliance.”

His voice was composed, utilizing his self-control to prevent it from sounding malicious.

The general gazed upon the princess, completely awestruck at her presence--especially her billowing mane and tail. It waved as if caressed by the wind, but there was no breeze. His curious mind couldn’t help but wonder how it did so.

“An alliance…?” Princess Celestia repeated, raising her visible eyebrow, a hint of suspicion and intrigue. She knew very little about dragons, Draconians in particular, but dragonkind were not especially friendly towards ponies. At best, they tended to be fairly neutral parties to one another. To change this was something that took her slightly by surprise.

“Yes. Perhaps an alliance between our nations can be beneficial. We can start up a trading system. My country just might have something you would be interested in,” he stated. “We have much to offer.”

“Indeed?” the princess ventured, sounding flat as ever. “And what exactly do you wish to offer us, King Talonblaze? What could we offer you in return?”

“Why don’t we discuss it over a meal?” he suggested. He and his general had traveled for many hours without stopping for food--they briefly stopped for water and a little rest though. They were exhausted and in need of nourishment to refuel their bodies.

Rhem smacked his lips a couple of times and suckled on his tongue before attempting to swallow, ending up with getting nothing down his parched throat.

The equine allowed herself a small smile and nodded once.

“Of course. I apologize. To have traveled all this way and for me to not offer refreshments…” Standing, she moved down the steps and cantered between and past the dragons. Now that a size comparison could be made, it could be seen that the top of King Talonblaze’s head reached the tip of her horn while Rhem was able to look her straight in the eye. “If you’ll follow me.”

She came to a stop, turning to one of the guards.

“Send word to the kitchen to have a full course banquet and refreshments waiting for us.”

They dark grey unicorn saluted and immediately disappeared down one of the hallways.

“Lead the way,” King Talonblaze urged, sounding impatient.

Princess Celestia was silent and remained so as she began to walk, her wings flaring out for a second to stretch them and flap them once before folding back against her sides. She lead the way down the hall, past tapestries of red and blue embroidered with ropes of golden and silver silk respectively, and also, respectively, emblazoned with the cutie marks of the two royal sisters.

The marble floor was polished to a brilliant sheen, giving a light reflection of Princess Celestia and the two dragons on its surface. Marble columns held up the large and vast ceiling far above ahead, where elaborate paintings of the two sisters’ climatic clashes with their enemies were depicted. Ignoring the artwork, and declining on giving her guests the grand tour and history for now, she escorted them into the dining hall. The room was massive, with several long tables, complete with a fountain at one of the far ends of the hall and with the second lined with massive windows that held a grand view of the countryside down Mount Perennial.

Stepping in from the corridor, Princess Celestia made her way to the table that was closest to the kitchen, taking the first seat and offering King Talonblaze and Rhem to take their own.

The young dragon became very fascinated by the art and décor, especially the paintings. As soon as they arrived, he halted at the entrance and sat down upon his haunches. King Talonblaze paid him no heed to his general, though, and seated himself at the table.

The princess, located at the head of the table, glanced over at the king on her left, then to her right at the empty chair where she expected to find Rhem. Bemused, but still expressionless, she cast her eyes to the entrance.

“General Rhem, are you not hungry?” she queried, arching a brow.

“He’s just used to not being permitted to dine with royalty,” the Draconian king explained in a huff, not bothering to look back at his general. In fact, he didn’t even look at Princess Celestia. He merely sat there examining his sharp curved talons.

The younger Draconian just gazed back with wide eyes that conveyed that he was very hungry, that and his large ear frills flaring out on both sides of his head made him appear less intimidating.

“I see. Well, I don’t usually allow just anypony this rare opportunity.”

She offered the general an encouraging nod.

King Talonblaze arched a scaly brow as he finally permitted his eyes to swivel to Princess Celestia.

“You are… going to allow him to dine here… with us?”

The dragon tried to hide it, but there was some belying disgust in his tonality.

Rhem’s fiery orange orbs lit up and he slowly rose off of his rear. He lifted a foot to take a step, but it hung in the air in hesitation.

“I’ll allow it,” she said. “You two have been through an arduous journey as it is.”

It did not entirely surprise her that Rhem wasn’t allowed to eat with royalty. The guards ate in their own barracks, and most heads of state didn’t dine with their troops.

“I could send him to the barracks and have him eat there,” she began, glancing over her shoulder and meeting Rhem’s eyes. It was obvious the poor boy was starving, and she wasn’t about to make him walk all the way to the barracks on the other side of the castle. “But you are both my guests tonight. I insist.”

King Talonblaze didn’t say anything, but leered at Rhem as he took deliberate and cautious steps into the dining hall. The red reptile kept his eyes on Princess Celestia, searching for any indication that she would change her mind.

The royal pony matched Rhem’s gaze with her own, her face the cold, expressionless mask it had been.

However, for one moment, just one, brief moment… the princess had given him a disarming, but warm, smile. It wasn’t much--a tug on the edges of her lips, but enough to where it showed she cared.

She had done it a number of times… mainly, to new recruits of her guard. There had been rumors among her soldiers that she did not tolerate failure or disobedience of any sort--and that one hoof out of line and they’d be sent straight to keep Nightmare Moon company. It was hogwash, of course, but there were still the occasional new sign-up that practically quaked in his armor when the guards lined up before her for inspection.

She found that the smile was usually enough to communicate she wasn’t a tyrant at all, and was proud of her little ponies standing forth to serve and protect her.

It was either that or they got the impression she was drinking in their fear. She hoped it wasn’t the latter.

The young Draconian felt a wave of unease at that smile, unsure of how to react to it--or what it even meant--and he ended up taking a couple of diagonal steps away from her. Though, one hard glare from his king told him to comply. After all, he didn’t want to appear afraid or weak.

His feet came down to the floor more frequently, but there was still belying caution. Just as he sat himself down on the equine’s other side, across from King Talonblaze, the dragon monarch’s chair gave away, legs snapping underneath the weight of his hulking form and his thick armor.

Princess Celestia was immediately on her hooves and right at the dragon’s side. Her stoic visage had dropped, expression morphing into one of shock and concern.

“My goodness! King Talonblaze, are you all right? Are you hurt?”

With an enraged snarl, he pulled himself up and swiped angrily at the seat, sending it flying at the closest wall where it smashed into pieces. He then picked up one of the legs and curled it across the room, a guard ducking in order to avoid getting hit in the face with it. Before he went for the remains, the dragon checked himself, taking a deep breath to becalm himself.

Princess Celestia gasped, jumping back to avoid getting hit, just in case. Though, as he calmed down, the judgmental look she presented him with stated that she did not approve of this violent outburst. She wasn’t going to say anything about it, but she was noticeably shaken. The mare recovered quickly, trying not to show she’d been fazed.

“Guard,” the mare addressed one of the snow-pelted pegasus stallions in a low, tranquil note and forced a smile. “Bring out our largest pillow. It’s become apparent to me I didn’t properly prepare to accommodate our guests.”

King Talonblaze cast a fiery glare at Princess Celestia for not providing sturdy enough seating for him beforehand. With a growl rumbling in his throat, he reached up to remove his helmet and set it aside upon the table. His stormy grey eyes were now fully distinguished, as was the large jagged scar that began from his left eyebrow, ran over his eye and stopped midway down his cheek.

The general across from the Draconian king followed his example, removing his helmet. His own eyes weren’t very menacing. In fact, they appeared far more curious in contrast to his ruler’s. He also wasn’t the only one with an unmarked face. He, too, possessed scars--multiple ones in different areas and notches in his ear frills.

The alicorn did not look at all intimidated. At least, her face did not show. She had faced down monsters that had threatened her subjects. She had confronted and banished King Sombra. She had faced and imprisoned Discord.

… Though, she recalled all those times, Princess Luna had been with her.

This time, she was all alone.

The princess briefly considered cracking a joke to relieve the tension to King Talonblaze about perhaps losing a few pounds, but she got the overwhelming impression that he was more than a little humorless. In addition, she knew that would have been in extremely poor taste. She had already failed to accommodate for him and his general--she did not need to compound the issue by insulting him, too.

Keeping her mouth shut, she continued to just politely smile with a non-verbal apology as the guard brought in a massive pillow that would easily provide comfort to the dragon king.

It took all of the guard’s self-control to keep himself from shaking in his armor as he neared the Draconian. As the reptilian turned his head to lock eyes with him, growling softly, he stopped in his tracks.

“Well? Are you going to set it down or just stand there?” the dragon gruffed rather rudely.

The stallion snapped out of his abeyance and placed the pillow down on the floor where the now destroyed chair used to be, quickly returning to his post after doing so. Princess Celestia suppressed giving a snort--as she did not appreciate this… barbarian being rude to her ponies, though, again, said nothing.

Perhaps she was being to hard on him. He was tired and hungry, and heavens knew anyone could be short without rest and food. Almost as if on cue, the servants emerged from the kitchen with goblets of water, juice, and wine on top of cooks coming out with dishes of various greens, fruits, and grain based meals.

King Talonblaze rested his rump upon the fluffy pillow and sat up straight in a dignified and haughty pose. Both dragons directed their attention to the waiters, their keen senses of smell detecting food and aggravated their empty bellies. As the older Draconian scanned the array of dishes, a dissatisfied scowl overtook his features.

“No meat?” he started as his vision returned to Princess Celestia. “Dragons are carnivores. Did you not know that?”

Rhem, however, didn’t care if there was meat or not. Lowering his head to the plate of salad served to him by a nervous waiter, he sniffed experimentally before opening his jaws and biting down. That one bite managed to take in every single leaf off the plate. Even though there was carefully assorted silverware on both sides, he had never seen eating utensils before and, therefore, didn’t know what they were used for.

The Equestrian princess tried not to let any emotion show and she mentally kicked herself for overlooking something so huge.

“I sincerely apologize, King Talonblaze,” she said, genuinely sorry--and bowed her head to him. “However, we Equestrians are not. We can’t consume meat--our bodies are not built for it.”

A raging beast churned within the Draconian king., but he didn’t display it. He didn’t want to compromise any chances of forming the alliance.

“Our bodies were designed to consume meat,” he countered, glowering at Rhem and causing him to immediately stop taking in more food, the young dragon’s cheeks puffing out from the amount he had in his mouth.

This, she decided, would be a minor problem.

“Again, I apologize.” The image of Rhem willingly accepting the proffered food did not escape her notice. “It it is meat that you’re searching for, I could direct you to the Everfree Forest. There is many species of wild game available for you there. Though, it is late, and I’m sure you’re tired. You’re more than welcome to partake in what I’ve prepared for you, just for tonight.”

The elder dragon stared at the food laid out before him in disdain. As Rhem went back to eating, he sniffed at a few of the dishes, looking very unhappy. Sighing, he opened his mouth to take a tiny bite of salad. As he chewed, his face clearly showed he wasn’t enjoying it. He even gagged a couple of times.

Princess Celestia watched King Talonblaze’s expression as she herself took a few small bites of her own meal. While part of her was slightly irked that he clearly did not enjoy what had been offered, she had to admit that he was, at least, being as gracious as he could and choking it down.

The king only took one more bite before pushing the plate of greens away and set his sight on something else. Curling his clawed hand around a bowl of oatmeal, he drew it closer. He scooped up a small amount and the instant the gooey substance touched his taste buds, he gagged and heaved as if he was about to vomit. Unable to even swallow, he spat what was in his mouth right back into the bowl and downed his goblet of water to be rid of the taste.

This brought a somewhat disapproving frown from the Equestrian monarch. She inwardly sighed, closing her eyes, and deliberately took a long drink of her wine. It was clear that she was a bit affronted at this reaction of disgust, but she was not going to isolate it or call him out on it.

King Talonblaze did not care how Princess Celestia felt about it. He absolutely hated it.

“What… is this gruel called and what have I done to receive such a bland and disgusting dish?”

The mare lowered her goblet.

“That bland and disgusting dish that you tasted there, King Talonblaze, is, appropriately enough, just known as plain gruel. I have heard others refer to it as oatmeal. You have done nothing--except be recipient to my offer of a meal. Yet you act as if I am punishing you for something.”

“A meal for herbivores…” he growled, then moved onto a plate of fruit.

Curious, the general licked up a glob of his own bowl of oatmeal and his face scrunched up from the taste. Unlike his king, he actually swallowed, but his gestures made it distinguishable that he was having trouble doing so. Sighing once it finally slid down his gullet, he messily lapped up his water like a common animal.

“Hmmm. Again, King Talonblaze, I do apologize if the meal I have provided are not to your tastes. If you do not wish to partake of my offering, you are free not to. I just thought Your Highness would have been more appreciative of my humble efforts to be a providing host.”

“A good host would have provided the appropriate type of food for their guest,” he said, taking a bite out of a mango slice and practically hissed at the flavor.

“Really?” she deadpanned. “Because from what I recall, it is merely the host’s job to provide food. In most societies, it’s generally considered rude--insulting even--to refuse an offered meal.”

The dragon sent the alicorn a sharp leer, holding back the urge to growl. If he was going to get anywhere and form this alliance with the Equestrians, he might as well try to eat something. Huffing, he pulled a plate of pancakes closer, finding these at least edible to him.

Chapter Two: Wrath

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Chapter Two: Wrath

Princess Celestia recognized the anger in King Talonblaze’s eyes, and actively fought to resist the attempt to smile at him.

She also made a mental note that, should he ever been so gracious as to extend an invitation into Draconia to conduct business--unlikely as that ever would be--she would have to politely decline. The mare didn’t stomach the thought of being forced to eat meat.

The alicorn would also make sure to learn from this, remember to take his advice and have a more reasonably wider selection of cuisine if she were to ever make alliances with more carnivorous races again. The griffon delegates, she surmised, would at least be more receptive to them.

Rhem was at work devouring food left and right as if it were his last meal, creating messes on the fine tablecloth. The general licked his chops and released a loud belch that knocked over his goblet of wine, splashing the deep red substance to complete his mess.

“Goodness!” The princess’ eyes slightly widened and she allowed herself to drop her mask for the moment, scanning the stains and bits of food the young dragon was currently licking up. While part of her was a little surprised, she did let herself to smile. “… Hmmm.”

She was glad at least somebody appreciated the meal.

The olive green Draconian wrinkled the bridge of his snout in revulsion.

“Hmph. This is one reason why I don’t dine with non-royalty.”

Rhem glanced off in mild embarrassment, running his snakelike tongue over his lips again.

“It is all right, King Talonblaze.” Princess Celestia allowed a slightly larger smile. “It is just a tablecloth--it can be cleaned… or replaced. Such a matter is trivial.”

Plus, she realized, it was kind of refreshing to see such a display. It had reminded her of Princess Luna, during simpler, more carefree times.

“Such behavior is NOT all right,” he huffed, pinning the general with a sneer.

He did have a point, as much as she was reluctant to admit it.

“Hmm. I will concede to that. Though, I am willing to overlook this… one instance.”

She gave Rhem an expression--though her slight grin suggested she didn’t hold it against him.

The dragon reacted by leaning back a small degree, arching his scaly brow at the pony. Still, he wasn’t sure what to make of those smiles of hers. He just wasn’t used to those kinds of smiles.

“Still… do try and keep it to a minimum in the future,” she admonished, attempting not to come across as intimidating. Sighing, she turned to King Talonblaze. “It is quite late in the evening. Do you perhaps wish to discuss matters tonight, or start first thing in the morning?”

“The morning.”

King Talonblaze tore his glare off of Rhem and surveyed what was left of the food, supremely unsatisfied. He intended on taking himself and his general out to hunt in the forests soon.

Princess Celestia nodded, finishing up her meal.

“Very well then. In that case, shall I show you both to your guest rooms?”

The still hungry beast nodded, rising up from his sitting position and setting his helmet back to its primary place on his head. Rhem--still only slightly hungry--took the cue and got up himself, waiting for the two royals to head out first before slipping his own helmet back on and following them.

As Princess Celestia did so, she was tempted to apologize again, but figured she had already done that enough already. She turned a corner to lead them down the polished marble hallways, a thick red carpet laid in the middle and the walls adorned with several banners, tapestries, and paintings.

Once they reached the guest wing, she paused in front of the line of doors.

“King Talonblaze, General, you will be staying here in this wing. You may use any of these rooms in this hall for your perusal.”

Without another word to the alicorn, King Talonblaze strode past her and entered one of the luxury suites, slamming the door behind him with his tail. Rhem, however, was disinclined to pass her--or more accurately, going near her--and remained rooted in a defensive crouch.

Princess Celestia watched him enter the room, before heaving a heavy sigh. Turning, she was lightly bemused to see the red-scaled reptilian still standing there.

“…? … Is something wrong, General?” she asked.

The dragon gave the mare an intense stare, his fiery eyes flashing. Yellow-orange pools still on her, he lowered his head further as if to protect his armored throat, flexing his claws.

She gazed into his eyes, looking still somewhat confused--until understanding overcame her features.

“You may relax, General. I am not going to harm you.”

The look in his sun-like orbs clearly stated that he didn’t trust her at all. Readying his muscles to spring away at any sudden movements, he stalked past her, his eyes not leaving her once.

Princess Celestia merely arched her eyebrow, attempting to appear as completely non-threatening as possible--but still standing her ground in a way to make it clear he shouldn’t try anything, either.

Truth of the matter was she, too, didn’t trust him.

Once he was past her, he swiftly spun his body around so that he was facing her. He was not willing to have his back turned to her. He directed himself into one of the open chambers and backed in, also slamming the door.

She just continued to watch him, until he had disappeared inside one of her guest quarters as well. The instant the door was closed, she let out another sigh, before turning around and cantering off.

***

A few hours rolled into the night before the farmlands bordering Canterlot were filled with horrified screams that gained the attention of patrolling royal guards. They made haste to the palace, not bothering to stop and explain to any more fellow soldiers and precipitated to the chambered door of the solar princess’ private quarters, throwing it open.

“Your Highness! There is an uproar in the farmlands! We believe there has been an attack! We eagerly await your orders!” came the panicked voice of one of the pegasi.

Princess Celestia was laying down on her stomach, her accessories removed and set off to the side. She was looking over a document that had been submitted to her when the guards burst into her room. Snapping her head up, about to reprimand the trio of stallions for disturbing her without knocking, but gave pause upon receiving the news. Breathing a gasp, she instantly rose to her hooves.

“Scramble the pegasus guards to secure the perimeter. I shall investigate this personally.”

Saluting, the stallions galloped off to do just that.

***

A herd of cattle, petrified at a distance, stared in terror at what their eyes beheld. On the ground, was the mutilated corpse of their largest and fattest calf with King Talonblaze voraciously eating out of the slashed gut.

Nearby, the young general stood over the trembling form of a fallen calf, his clawed hand raised, about to strike a killing blow to the skull.

Both dragons were now without their armor, their full muscular bodies completely visible--Rhem’s sporting multiple scars over his own while the monarch only had a few on his neck, shoulder, and across his chest.

The princess had taken to the sky from her castle, her wings spread majestically as she scanned the expanse of the farmlands below in the bright moonlit night. Thanks to the clear, cloudless sky, and the sounds of the screams, it did not take long for her to determine the source.

As she flew lower and landed, her eyes widened in shock at the presence of the two Draconians terrorizing her populace--the elder one devouring the remains of one, the younger poised to attack. Her eyes flashing with rage, her anger consumed her as she opened her mouth to bellow out with all her fury in the traditional Royal Voice.

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!”

Both dragons froze and shifted their attention to the alicorn. The blood-soaked maw of King Talonblaze curled in a frown, his forked tongue snaking out to lick his upper lip.

“You call crocodiles made of stone and wolves of branches edible game?” he snarled, his brows compressing.

Princess Celestia shuddered in barely containable anger. Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated to pinpricks, and her mane and tail glowing.

“I SAID--” she began, before stopping herself and closing her eyes, shaking her head and reducing her volume. “I said that you were permitted to hunt in the forest for your food. And you--and you--you!”

It was absolutely clear that the expression on her face was one of being utterly livid.

“I GIVE you food, I tell you where to procure more, and yet you… you DARE to attack MY SUBJECTS, on MY SOIL?!”

“We found NOTHING edible! We DO NOT eat stone or branches! You expect your GUESTS to go hungry when we cannot find anything?!” King Talonblaze growled, digging his muzzle back into the calf and tearing out a chunk of muscle.

Rhem, while he did have his craving for meat, lowered his paw to the ground and stepped away from the calf. He was going to play it safe and not incur the princess’ wrath upon himself.

Princess Celestia shook very hard--the look on her face telling him she did not believe him for a single instance.

She knew there were animals in the woods. She could even spot the forest not very far away, just on the horizon.

No, it had seemed very clear to her that he hadn’t even bothered looking--and simply saw cattle that were ripe and apparently free for the taking.

“King Talonblaze,” she hissed. “I will give you one chance--ONE--to give me a very good reason why I should not expel you from my country this very instant.”

The dragon swallowed the strip of flesh in his jaws.

“How was I supposed to know that you consider cattle as your subjects? You did not tell me your citizens are not limited to just ponies!”

He… did have a point. She groaned, sighing and rubbing her temple.

“I did not inform you because I was under the obviously mistaken assumption that I would not have to.” She snorted, nostrils flaring. “I value ALL lives in my country, equine and non-equine alike, and ALL creatures, great and small, under my jurisdiction receive my protection.

“You have committed a great personal offense to me by assaulting my citizens. And you continue to insult me by consuming his remains in my presence!!”

As much as the dragon wanted to continue eating and satisfy his appetite, he ceased and backed away from the carcass.

“I was not aware of this. Still, it was your own fault you didn’t inform me.”

Princess Celestia’s anger was only fanned by his words, though she restrained it. But only just.

“Trust me, that is not a mistake I will make in the future. I will… overlook this offense tonight since you were unaware.

“You have my sympathies that you were unable to procure a meal tonight,” she pressed him. “But that failure is nothing more than the result of your own shortcoming. There is food for you there to eat, I know that for a fact. I would not have sent you there if I had known there wasn’t.

“You will limit your hunts to the forest--and ONLY the forest--the duration of your stay. If I receive word that you attack ANY of my citizens again, be they pony, donkey, mule, cattle, sheep, or pig, you can consider our business concluded. Do I make myself clear?”

The Draconian was seething on the inside, but he retained control of his facial muscles and nodded once.

“… Yes.”

Rhem couldn’t believe it. All Draconian soldiers had the idea of their king being an all powerful and invincible ruler hammered into their brains and he was no exception.

And yet… here he was, witnessing King Talonblaze submitting to the regal mare.

“Good,” Princess Celestia replied tersely, before dismissively turning away. Biting her lip, she trotted over to the herd. Spotting the grieving mother, she felt a horrid pang of sadness in her heart. She glanced back at the remains of the young calf, before squeezing her eyes shut. Wrapping a foreleg around the childless bovine, she forced back a sob--mentally kicking herself as King Talonblaze’s words ran through her mind.

Gazing down at the poor cow, the alicorn’s eyes shimmered with the utmost sorrow, and leaned in to press her head against hers.

“I’m sorry,” the princess whispered. “I’m so, very sorry.”

While King Talonblaze about faced and sat down, licking his paw and grooming his face, Rhem watched the princess and cow with intrigue.

The bovine clenched her eyes shut, her cheeks soaked with tears.

“M… m-my b-baby…” she moaned miserably.

“Shhhh. Shhh.” Princess Celestia tried to comfort her, stroking her hoof down the cow’s back as she pulled herself closer to the poor mother. “It’ll--”

She stopped herself. No. No, it most certainly would not be all right.

“I’m truly sorry,” she said quietly to her. “This was my fault… I cannot ask for your forgiveness, but I will personally see that your child is properly buried and that you will be compensated.”

Despite her bitter feelings towards the princess, the cow nodded, lifting a leg to wipe away her tears. She at least appreciated the promise of a funeral and compensation But that did not sooth the aching hole in her heart.

“Th-th-thank… y-you…”

Princess Celestia was silent for a moment, before whispering into the cow’s ear, “I’m sorry--I know there is nothing I can offer that will ever adequately compensate for the loss of a loved one… but rest assured I will not forget this transgression against you.”

Hugging the cow once more, she let her go and turned to face King Talonblaze and Rhem.

Saying nothing else, she spread her wings and lifted off the ground to make her way back to the castle.

The former mother, too said nothing more, but broke into fresh tears at the sight of her son’s partially eaten body.

Face now cleaned, the Draconian king snorted, pissed that he had to leave his kill alone. Snarling, he spun around to his general, his eyes flickering with wrath.

Rhem knew that look in his eyes. King Talonblaze wanted to vent out his anger… on him. He lowered himself onto his stomach to take the punishment. He released a loud yelp that shook the air as he was given the first slam into the side below his rib cage, which goaded his assailant even more. Crying out was a sign of weakness and punishable. And so, he kept his jaws shut as heavy blows rained upon his body.

Princess Celestia came to a cessation as the yelp coming from behind her reached her ears. Looking behind her, she noticed her guests were not following her--and she gasped out when she saw King Talonblaze beating his general. Immediately, she glided back to where they were.

“Excuse me,” she hollered. “What is going on here?!”

Attention grasped and settling on the royal alicorn, the dark green dragon huffed with a glare, utilizing his self-control to prevent himself from raising his voice.

“How I punish my retainers doesn’t concern you, Princess Celestia.”

He then resumed the beating Rhem, who was now laying on his side, too dazed to summon the strength to pick himself up.

Princess Celestia narrowed her eyes, her horn glowing to envelop the dragon king in a temporary magical bubble to get him to halt. Not to stop him from beating his general, but rather to get his attention long enough to listen to her.

“… No. What you do to your troops is something I have no bearing on.” Her eyes narrowed again. “At least, so long as I am not present. And believe me, had I caught you beating any one of my guards I would have no qualms with summoning a solar flare to strike you dead where you stand. I will warn you just this one last time.

“I do not tolerate violent outbursts in my country, King Talonblaze. Whether it be to one’s own men or to my own. This is the third time now tonight that you have tried my patience. I am honestly, seriously thinking it was a mistake to allow you to come here to conduct any sort of business.”

He was more than tempted to leap right in and tear the princess’ throat out for speaking that way to him, but… they were in her country.

With a snort, he nodded in acknowledgement.

“Fine,” he finally said. “He is not through with his punishment. He is to have no food until we return to Draconia.”

If he couldn’t punish his general by beating him, he would do it some other way.

Like HELL he’ll go hungry!

… Was what Princess Celestia wanted to say.

Due to the events of the night, and still being rather frazzled, she did not deem it wise, or healthy for anyone in the vicinity, to further undermine the king’s authority in front of his own general.

“… Very well. As you wish.”

Fixating back onto the slaughtered calf, she sighed and shook her head. Seeing her guards approach her, she cantered up to Rhem to examine him.

King Talonblaze didn’t even give Rhem a second glance. Having his hunger partially satiated, he unfolded his leathery wings and took off. Right now, he wanted to get away from the alicorn and fall asleep in the comfortable bed in his room.

Rhem laid on his side, half conscious. His scales held hairline cracks from the reptilian monarch’s tremendous power and small amounts of blood streaked from both nostrils and the side of his mouth where a fang had pierced his gums. The beating he received had been brutal--a normal sized pony would have died under the first hit.

Groaning, he partially tilted his head in order to gaze up at the blurred patch of white that made up the princess--though, he wasn’t able to recognize her in his current state.

Frowning lightly, she focused on the speck in the sky that was King Talonblaze. She wished to keep an eye on him, but at the same time, she couldn’t leave the general.

Reaching to very gingerly smooth a hoof down his face, she turned her head to the nearest guard.

“Summon a medical team and get him to the infirmary at once.”

She paused, directing back to the mutilated corpse again.

“And,” she continued, her voice, her voice sounding completely weary and heavy. “See to it that this poor boy is readied for a proper burial.”

“Of course, Your Highness…” one of the stallions said, his voice also carrying a heavy note. Bowing, he departed in a hurried trot.

A trio of armored ponies cautiously approached Rhem to look him over. One of the pegasus soldiers took his spear into his mouth and prodded the dragon curiously.

“He’s definitely going to be tender in the morning,” stated one, shaking his head after analyzing the Draconian.

“No, I think he’s pretty tender now,” remarked the third.

Princess Celestia sighed, frowning at the poor young male regarding his injuries. He was indeed pretty beaten up--and hoped that he would recover quickly. Suppressing a yawn, as she was quite tired, she decided to turn in for the night.

Leaving the scene, she made her way back to the castle, intent on getting to bed.

Chapter Three: The Agreement

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Chapter Three: The Agreement

It tore Princess Celestia apart. It honestly and truly did. King Talonblaze’s words swam through her mind the entire evening, causing her to barely get any rest. She knew that the calf’s mother was free to think less of her, if she so wished, for not informing the Draconian monarch ahead of time. If she did not forgive the princess… she would understand, and she did not expect as such. The alicorn had promised the mother bovine that she would do anything and everything within her power to make sure she was duly and appropriately compensated for her loss, and she had spent the next morning making good on said promise.

Once that was out of the way, Princess Celestia turned to a more pressing duty--one she had been dreading since getting up that morning… Meeting King Talonblaze in one of her conference rooms to discuss the alliance.

Hopefully the rest would have served him well. He had all morning to hunt, and she hoped he would be far more… tolerable to deal with.

King Talonblaze’s attitude remained relatively the same, only more reserved and calm--outwardly, anyway. Not bothering with an afternoon greeting when he met her in the room, he sat himself down at the table in the seat across from her. He idly wondered about his general considering he had not seen or heard of him all morning.

“Any word on my general’s whereabouts?”

“Currently in the infirmary,” came the curt reply. “I must say, you did quite the number on him. I haven’t been in to see him just yet, but I got a report that he’s stable--if asleep.

“In any case. Shall we get right down to business?”

“Asleep now? I highly doubt that. He’s usually up before dawn, even with broken bones.”

The Draconian nodded once, giving the mare the physical signal that he was ready.

Princess Celestia thought it best not to ask about that particular quirk. Then again, perhaps it was possible that the younger dragon had gotten up since she had received her report on his condition. She had not actually gone to check on him since she left him in the care of the medical crew last evening, and made a mental note to go do just that once she and King Talonblaze were done here.

“Well, in any case, you mentioned you had… much to offer?”

Right when the Draconian opened his mouth to respond, Rhem--having followed the scents of both monarchs--entered the room with an unusual spring in his step, his catlike pupils inflated twice their normal width.

Right behind the dragon, a doctor and nurse came running in and halted at the doorway, panting heavily from chasing after him.

“What… have you done to my general?!”

King Talonblaze stared with his mouth agape, completely baffled at his general’s behavior.

His surge of energy could have had something to do with the mountain high pile of pancakes drenched in sugary maple syrup the nurse had fed him not too long ago. After all, with his lifelong protein strict diet, his body wasn’t accustomed to absorbing so much sugar--or even a little sugar.

Princess Celestia opened her mouth in bewilderment as Rhem burst into the room loopier than a swizzle straw.

“Oh, dear,” she mumbled, realization as to what was going on not hitting her until a moment later. It was then she pressed a hoof to her face with a groan. In her haste to go to bed the previous night, she had failed to forward a message to the medical staff of the dragon’s ongoing punishment that he wasn’t to be fed.

“Well…” the nurse heaved. “The causation of… his sudden burst of energy could… very well be the… pancakes and… syrup we… gave him…”

“You fed him?!” the Draconian king snarled, his face contorting with rage, causing the nurse and doctor to recoil and tremble in fear.

“Y-yes, o-of course! H-he w-was h-hungry!”

The alicorn raised a hoof, placing it on the table.

“King Talonblaze, allow me to offer my sincerest apologies for this mistake. That was my fault--I did not inform the medical staff he was not to be fed, though I assure you I had every intention of doing so. I was, unfortunately, distracted last night and never got around to it. I’m afraid it must have slipped my mind.”

She stole a quick glance at the doctor and nurse.

‘I have to make sure those two are properly rewarded…’

King Talonblaze huffed with a snort as he dismissed the doctor. His eyes circled the room in search of his general. He was overcome with confusion as he was unable to spot him. Seconds later, the light red dragon emerged from under the far table with a mischievous glint in his fiery orange eyes.

“W… what do we… do about him, Your Majesty?” the nurse asked as she gestured at the jittery dragon.

Princess Celestia inwardly smiled, finding him rather… cute, in a matter of speaking--though, more silly than anything else.

“Take him outside to the courtyard and labyrinth. Maybe some fresh air will do him good.”

‘Maybe a good frolic among the flowers will help get his sugar rush down,’ she thought, having to suppress breaking out in laughter at the mental image of Rhem bouncing through the flowers.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Bowing deeply to the alicorn, the nurse attempted to approach Rhem to escort him, but the large reptile leaped out of reach. As she ambled towards him again, he only jumped away a second time, his eyes challenging her to catch him. “Please, General Rhem. Hold still and let me--”

Once she reached to place a hoof on his upper arm, he sprung right over her and pranced several feet away.

The dragon king was embarrassed at his general’s mannerisms. It was absolutely ridiculous, and in no way was a Draconian supposed to perform such tomfoolery!

The princess had half of her face covered by her mane and hoof, creating an odd coughing noise. Truthfully, she had actually begun laughing and attempted to cover it up so that King Talonblaze wouldn’t get any more enraged than he already was.

“General Rhem?” She removed her hoof from her face and distributed a smile. “Could you please go with the kind nurse? She is not going to harm you.”

“Yes, and have someone keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t get anything to eat!” added the draconic monarch with a piercing glare.

Meeting the princess of the sun’s warm face, Rhem considered it, but he still distanced himself from the nurse.

“Please, General,” the small mare practically begged.

“Hmmm. You know, this room is a little stuffy. Why don’t we all head outdoors? It is a rather lovely day,” she ventured upon noticing Rhem‘s reluctance, speaking aloud to nobody in particular.

“I would rather stay inside,” the dragon king said before tossing a glare at the younger dragon. “Get out. Now.”

Rhem didn’t hesitate. Nodding wordlessly, he followed the medic out with a springy gait.

‘Well, THAT worked. Not what I would have done.’

“Now that we have gotten that settled,” the mare began, returning her attention back to King Talonblaze. “What do you have to offer?”

“We have many kinds of large fruit that go uneaten that you might be interested in,” he presented, arching a brow. “We also have frequent rainfall. Would you happen to need extra water?”

She paused at this. Extra water would definitely be useful, either for irrigation or colonization efforts. There had been several explorers who expressed interest in expanding out west beyond the Palomino Desert, but lacked the necessary water supplies.

“Extra water is always appreciated… Though, you said large fruits?” she pressed, looking somewhat intrigued. “What kind? How large are we talking?”

“Larger than my head at the smallest when they are ripe,” he responded. “The melon-like fruit I have seen grow over three times the size of your ponies… on average.”

Three TIMES?? Something like that could potentially feed entire families for a week!

“That would certainly help out a lot with some of the hunger issues we’ve been having in the outlying cities…”

“Hunger issues?” This was the opportunity King Talonblaze had been waiting for. “My country is battling hunger as well.”

“Are you now?” the mare questioned, gaining a sympathetic expression. “I’m… sorry to hear that, King Talonblaze.”

The Draconian nodded with a grunt, his stoic visage never changing.

“I mentioned the frequent rainfall. It causes flooding and we lose grazing grounds for our livestock until the water disperses.

“Perhaps you can help us out by allowing us to move livestock to some of your land.”

This actually relieved Princess Celestia somewhat--she had half expected him to request that he and his dragons to feast on her citizens. The fact that he said livestock…

“Livestock…” she repeated. “As in… cows, and sheep?”

“Cattle, boars, sheep, goats, deer, and birds,” King Talonblaze listed, drumming his curved claws on the table a few times in boredom. “Only they will be touched. I can see to it that any Draconian who tries to eat anything else will be severely punished.”

‘At least the lesson I imparted on him won’t be lost,’ she mused, silent for a couple of moments as she mulled things over.

“This… could work to our mutual benefit,” she said at last. “We recently returned from a war from the griffons, and part of the conflict was over this bordering territory. Their forces had been assailing what few citizens that had tried to settle in these parts--and we had to pull out because the griffons would not stop capturing our cattle and using them as food.

“If we annexed it to YOUR territory, then maybe they might think twice before trying to invade Equestria again…”

It was a bit of a risky gambit, Princess Celestia knew. While an alliance with the Draconians would mean protection from the griffons--if King Talonblaze ever turned HIS forces on HER…

King Talonblaze was not at all worried, even at the thought of griffons attacking his own troops. They would be no match for his sturdy dragon soldiers.

“Hmph! What ever attempts to attack us will be gravely sorry,” he stated, a glint of bloodlust glimmering in his stone eyes.

“Which is why I felt it would be appropriate to offer this piece of land. It’s quite large, plenty of room for livestock to graze… and, well, if any of the neighbors don’t particularly agree, then… I have the best confidence you would be able to handle them. I’m sure a good show of your might and they would never bother you again.

“There are even quite a number of mountains. Plenty of gemstones and chances to carve out barracks, training bases… I understand dragons are mostly a subterranean species anyway?”

“My soldiers have been trained to handle a variety of terrains.” The dragon’s eyes flashed once again, his face contorting with fierce seriousness. “They are also trained to kill anything that doesn’t belong on our territory. If any of your own wander on the land and disappear, it’s not my problem.”

“Duly noted,” Princess Celestia deadpanned, making a mental note to be sure Draconian borders were to be heavily watched at all times.

She got the feeling she was possibly making a mistake.

“Are we in agreement then?” she queried.

The Draconian monarch nodded, internally pleased with how things were turning out.

“Any more land you feel serves no purpose to you?”

Princess Celestia shook her head.

“No, this is really the only territory that me and my little ponies have no use for.”

If anything else, she surmised, they would likely be better off expanding westwards and beyond the Palomino Desert. There might be some fertile lands off in that direction that had yet to be explored--wild and untamed by ponykind.

“I suppose that settles that. It was a pleasure doing business,” he stated with no hint of friendliness. As smoothly as conversing went, his bitterness towards the princess did not subside in the least. “Have someone fetch my general and have him train with some of your soldiers. Just because we’re not in our land, it doesn’t mean he’s not going to slack off with his work.”

The alicorn nodded, getting to her hooves, and making no effort to even extend a hoof to King Talonblaze. Having assumed that they once reached an agreement, he would probably be leaving. As she opened her mouth to offer him a grand tour of the castle, he got up and left the room. Closing her mouth and pursing her lips, she sighed.

This seemed to be far too easy. King Talonblaze appeared to be too readily agreeable to this… The Equestrian princess felt a cold chill course her spine. Could he have been planning on taking the land anyway in the future?

Something told her to keep an eye and ear out for him. She didn’t trust the draconic king as far as she could have physically thrown him.

Meanwhile, at the hedge maze, the hyperactive dragon had hidden himself away within one of the bushy walls and out of sight of the pegasi who were looking for him. Since he was here, he might as well test their abilities in any way he could.

One of the guards gave up the search and took it upon himself to report to the princess of Rhem’s disappearance in the labyrinth. Streaking into the castle and locating the alicorn in the hall, he skidded to a halt before her and slapped a hoof to his forehead in a salute.

“Your Highness! General Rhem has gone missing in the maze. A number of us have searched every inch above, but none have been able to find him.”

Princess Celestia had been walking down the hall to head outside and get some air when she received the news from her guard. Blinking in bewilderment, she nodded in understanding.

“Thank you, soldier… I shall go there myself to conduct a search there, then.”

It had been far too long since she had gotten lost in her own shrubberies, and had no further scheduled business planned for that day. Smiling lightly at her sentry to dismiss him, the princess made her way outside--pausing only long enough to catch a deep breath of the sweet aromas of the garden’s abundance of flowers.

“Now…” she said softly to herself, her prismatic mane billowing in front of her left eye. “… If I were a half-ton dragon, where would I hide in the maze…?”

The pegasi decided to join a group of three unicorns on the ground in hopes of finding any footprints embedded in the grassy earth that might lead them to their missing dragon.

Rhem spotted one of the unicorns nearing his position. Remaining silently still, he waited for him to pass before reaching out with his head, teeth closing down on the end of his tail and giving it a tug to alert him.

Startled, the guard released a loud yelp that carried over the labyrinth. Mechanically, the soldier whirled around and whacked Rhem on the snout with the flat of the blade on his spear. Realizing what he had just done to a dragon, he froze with terror. The Draconian lunged at the pony, jaws wide open. The equine clenched his eyes shut and braced for an attack, but he only felt his weapon yanked from his grip. Opening his eyes, he met the dragon, his face scrunched up in a challenging expression, with the spear held firmly between his fangs.

Rhem then turned tail and fled deeper within the maze.

“H… HEY!”

Princess Celestia entered the maze on her own, though she knew there were guards further on ahead and was planning to rendezvous with them.

Hearing the yelp from one of them, she gasped and followed the sound, emerging from a corner on time to see the tip of a scaled red tail disappear from around another turn. Worried, she came up to the guard and lowered her head to his eye level.

“Are you all right?” she queried, more concerned for her soldiers than of the dragon.

The baffled stallion nodded, looking around the alicorn and into the direction where the winged reptile took off.

“The boy just ran off with my spear!”

As Rhem reappeared from the corner to wait, the unicorn rolled his eyes and gave chase. Disappearing around the corner again, the Draconian buried himself into the hedge wall a second time. As the guard rounded the turn, his eyes widened to see no sign of the dragon down the long hall of shrubbery.

“What the--Where the heck did he go?!”

While Princess Celestia was relieved he was unharmed, she was confused. Why would the dragon want to steal his spear? She assumed he was still probably acting a little childish, and briefly wondered if his metabolism didn’t quite break down the sugars like ponies did. It didn’t occur to her that his diet never allowed for him to have such energy from pancakes and syrup in the first place--simply because he had never ATE them before.

Regardless, she dismissed the idea as she followed the soldier--eyes opening wide in surprise as she saw the dragon had vanished again. Narrowing her eyes, she stepped forward and down the path, her eyes constantly shifting from left to right for anything unusual.

Chapter Four: The Chase

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Chapter Four: The Chase

Sticking his head out of the hedge, Rhem whistled to the guard to grab his attention, pulling back the instant the unicorn saw him. The dragon burrowed his way further up the hedge from the inside, stopping just beneath the surface of the top. The guard precipitated himself to the exact spot the Draconian’s head retreated and he prodded the shrubbery for him, the alicorn princess supervising him.

As the unicorn busied himself with that, Rhem popped his head out of the top and gathered himself out to stand directly on top of the hedge. Spear still in his mouth, he whistled to the stallion again before utilizing the powerful muscles in his hind legs to leap, clearing the distance between the walls and disappearing on the other side.

The guard’s jaw dropped wide open while the solar monarch stared for a couple of seconds before snorting and flapping her wings to take to the air long enough to glide over the wall to pursue the dragon.

Rhem would have proved difficult to catch even with his armor on--but since he didn’t have it on, he was even swifter on his feet. A pair of pegasi joined Princess Celestia, accompanying her on both sides. The dragon weaved through the twists and turns without having to slow down. The stallions had to admit they were impressed with his footwork.

Princess Celestia, too, was rather impressed with his speed. Even at a full gallop, they could barely keep up with him. She had originally thought that it was her larger size acting against her, but quickly disregarded that. Rhem was just as big as she was in terms of physical size, and he was alarmingly nimble. However, as they chased him, she smiled--they were gaining! He would have no choice but to surrender!

Glancing behind him to find the winged equines gaining ground on him, he careened, jumping at the hedge wall on his left, meeting the surface with the flats of his feet. Using the built up momentum, he spring off and sailed over the ponies as they passed and onto the other side of the right wall.

Now it was the mare’s turn to drop her jaw at the display of agility, again coming to a stop. This was turning out to be a wild goose chase! He was simply too swift to chase down!

An idea suddenly spawned in her mind. Lifting a hoof, she motioned for the guards to come closer to her.

“I have an idea. Get some of the other guards, and see if we can’t swing around the long way and head him off.”

With resolved grins, the soldiers saluted and took flight to gather more guards.

Now this was going to be interesting, the Draconian thought, having overheard. He pushed himself back through the wall of shrub, emerging a few feet behind the alicorn. The reptilian cleared his throat to get her attention then took off back from where they came.

Princess Celestia watched as her guards flew off. Hopefully, this would work. A classic pincer maneuver…

Upon hearing the dragon, she tilted her head behind her, wings flaring out lightly in surprise. Whirling around, she broke into a gallop, her head bowed low as she charged after him as quickly as she could.

As he rounded another turn, he saw that this particular path led to a dead end, but he continued to run. As he neared the end, he slowed, mentally calculating his speed and mass, and leaped at the wall. Springing off with a back flip, he flew over Princess Celestia and landed gracefully behind her.

Princess Celestia did not even bother to slow down, her full attention on the Draconian. Her eyes pinned on him as he flipped over her, her neck craned up and back as she dashed under him…

… and caused her to run right into the dead end with a comedic thudding SPLAT. Feathers were jarred loose and span in the breeze as she peeled herself off. Stumbling with her vision swimming, she shook her head to clear it… before turning with a soft growl and a notable scowl.

This was getting ridiculous now. At first, it had been cute. NOW it was beginning to become a bit of an insult. Who did this young upstart think he was?

Analyzing and acknowledging the look on the mare’s face, the general dropped the spear. He then sat down upon his haunches and lowered his head slightly with his ear frills drooping in submission, hoping that would appease her enough not to punish him too badly.

Princess Celestia had been taken a bit off guard at the voluntary capitulation. She ceased growling, eyebrows raising and glower wiping clean from her visage. The pony appeared bemused, but she was not complaining.

“Now, what was that all about, General?” she inquired, taking a step towards him.

The scaly creature remained silent for a moment before he actually opened his mouth to reply.

“I was testing the abilities of your warriors.”

The mare’s expression brightened, her face melting into an expression of warmth.

“Oh? Well, isn’t that coincidental? That was actually the very reason we were chasing you. Your king requested to inform you to train with our guards.”

Her smile widened, a soft giggle emerging.

“Although, I think it would be more accurate to say you were training us!”

Rhem shifted his weight uneasily on his feet at the equine’s conviviality. Wasn’t she supposed to be angry with him?

“… You are not going to beat me?”

The princess was rather baffled at this suggestion.

“Heavens, no! Why would I do such a thing? You’re not even part of my army!”

“Because I deserve to be punished for my behavior,” he answered as he shuffled closer and brought himself down onto his belly as if her were to about to receive an actual beating.

“I will admit I didn’t appreciate getting slammed into a wall. But, you know what? I have nopony to blame but myself for that. I didn’t watch where I was going.

“Though, you were showing off… I suppose…”

She raised her hoof, holding it in the air for a few seconds as if to strike, then lowered it and softly tapped the dragon on the nose.

“Honk.”

Princess Celestia wasn’t intimidating, aggressive, or loud and therefore, he showed no fear of her as he eyed her hoof, not flinching nor shutting his eyes as it came down. But, the instant it poked his hose, his face scrunched up into the very image of bewilderment.

“Honk?”

“Consider that your beating.”

Cracking a smirk, the mare proceeded to walk past the Draconian.

Still thoroughly confused, Rhem shook his head and rejected it. Rising up onto his feet, his attention drifted skyward to the fresh group of pegasi.

“What do we do about them?”

Following his gaze, the princess stared at the guards that were descending to meet them. Her grin morphed into a small frown, feeling a bit upset. They had gone the whole length of rounding up more soldiers, only to find they weren’t needed after all. This was actually kind of embarrassing, Had this been an actual capture, she would dismiss them. But Rhem was just messing with them. He had just… been having fun.

‘… Or had he?’ the tall mare asked herself. Fun, entertainment, amusement… Something told her that those concepts weren’t widely practiced in Draconia. Deciding she would find out, she turned to Rhem.

“Tell me, General… are you familiar with the concept of fun? … Humor?” she questioned, the gears in her head already rotating.

Tearing his eyes away from the fast approaching guards, he arched his brow at the alicorn.

“… No,” he responded, though his tonality heavily suggested that he was curious.

She nodded in understanding. Her suspicious have been correct.

“Fun is the enjoyment of pleasure, particularly leisure. An enjoyable distraction, diverting mind and body from any serious task… or compounding it, anyway,” she explained.

Tilting his head, the Draconian furrowed his eyebrows.

“What would be the point of that?”

“When an individual is challenged to think consciously and overcome obstacles, they are more likely to have an easier time with it if they change their perspective and view it as fun. Fun helps others to relax. Fun is… a sort of a social lubricant, important in adding to one’s pleasure in life and helping to act as a buffer against stress.

“I have ruled Equestria for many, many years, General,” she informed, suddenly overcome with a wash of melancholy. “Over three hundred doing so alone… But… it never used to be that way. I… used to rule alongside my little sister. I was forced to banish her… and everyday I have felt the hardship and pain, both emotional and mental, at having to deal with the burden of being a monarch.”

‘There are days where all I want to do is just lay down and cry… but I cannot,’ she thought to herself. ‘I must remain strong.’

“Having fun… helps to relieve that burden. If only for a short time.”

The dragon was completely blown away by this information. Not to mention astonished that she shared with him something so personal. Turning his head and noting that the stallions were almost at their location, he dug his claws into the ground and tensed up.

“What do you suggest?”

“What do I suggest?” the mare parroted. “I suggest we have a little fun. What say you?”

“I got that, but… how so?” he queried, shifting his full attention back to the solar pony.

A small, mischievous smirk crept up onto her face, doing nothing for a good moment. Then, without warning, she quickly reached out to prod his snout again.

“Tag! You’re it!” Princess Celestia cried out, immediately dashing off, not caring if her royal guard did see her.

“Tag…? I’m… it…?”

More perplexed as he witnessed the alicorn retreat into the maze, he momentarily glanced skyward as the troops closed in. Snorting, he pursued the princess, wondering what she had in mind.

The guards were in a fair amount of shock caused by their ruler’s very un-regal behavior. Some of them snapped out of it more quickly than others, but eventually, their collective minds returned to reality and gave chase.

Rhem sped around the corner, pumping his legs vigorously to catch up with the snow-coated pony.

“What are we doing?” he asked once he was running right behind her.

Truth be told, the princess knew she would start rumors about breaking her sophisticated and cultured air, even if for a few seconds--but at that point, she didn’t care.

She was old, damn it. She was allowed to be a little eccentric from time to time. Besides, being capricious kept the royal guard on their hooftips. Bolting ahead at full speed, the equine couldn’t help but feel long buried laughter burble up in peels from her throat. Hearing the general’s question, she threw her head back to give him a full-on grin.

“Having fun!” she called back.

It had been far too long since she had truly enjoyed herself.

Rhem accelerated, slowly gaining ground on the pony. His ear frills perked forth as the princess’ laughter rang through the air. It sounded light, heavenly… almost angelic, with a bell-like quality to it. The last time she laughed like this was when Princess Luna was still free, before she had been consumed by her jealousy and anger.

She did not yet realize this, being so thrilled at having so much fun that she didn’t care. Nothing could bring her down. Even seeing Rhem’s look of uncertainty as he ran alongside her was almost amusing to her.

The Draconian shifted his attention to the path behind him to find the guards steadily catching up. As one closed in, about to make a grab for his tail, he jumped at the wall, his claws gripping onto the hedge and continuing to run. Extending his wing, he swept it back at the stallion and sent him flying into the group behind him where they ended up in a crumpled heap.

Returning his eyes ahead of him, he transferred himself back onto the ground just in time to make another turn.

Princess Celestia easily shifted her weight into the turn to keep up with the dragon. While she was tempted to try and perform the same trick he had done, she was content to just stretch her legs and wings and just sprint.

She often didn’t get the chance to do any strenuous exercise--the burning she was beginning to experience through her legs, her lungs pumping as she charged full on, her nostrils flaring with heated exhaled breath, the feel of the breeze through her mane and against her face, the blood coursing through her veins, the rush of adrenaline!

It felt revitalizing, in an odd sense. It made her feel alive.

She suddenly had the idea of showing up tomorrow morning to run with her guards for their daily constitutional. She could already imagine the looks on the faces of her soldiers and drill sergeant. How shocked they would be!

Sharply turning, Rhem focused ahead and saw that there was yet another dead end ahead, and both he and Princess Celestia were moving too quickly to slow to a stop on time to avoid crashing into it. With a burst of speed, he outran her and leaped at the wall, all four paws meeting the hedge in order to use his body to prevent the royal equine from crashing a second time.

Princess Celestia herself, too mentally distracted, also came to the belated realization that she needed to slow down a few seconds too late. Digging her hooves into the ground to attempt to skid to a halt, she was ultimately unsuccessful and plowed right into Rhem with enough force to send the two of them through the hedge itself.

He was used to landing on his feet whenever something sent him flying or tumbling. Unfolding his wings only to press them back down, on the princess, to keep her against his back, he prepared his feet for a landing. Sliding sideways as they touched the earth, tearing into the grass and dirt, the buildup of soil underneath his paws assisted him in slowing down and eventually stopping.

Straightening himself up with the equine on his back, the general stretched out his wings, enabling her to climb off when she wanted to.

The alabaster alicorn laid sprawled out, eyes spinning in her head for a few seconds. Clearing her head by swinging it from side to side, she let out a chuckle and hopped off of Rhem.

“… Thank you, General Rhem.”

She graciously gave a short bow, her face stained a light pink. That could have turned out far worse than it had. She could only imagine how it would have looked if she had somehow ended up under the poor dragon.

… Or worse, wound up under the poor dragon… right in front of King Talonblaze.

The Draconian nodded and spun around. The guards poured out of the hole he made in the wall, rocketing towards him. Growling lowly, he readied himself for action.

The troops rained down to catch him, but the young general leaped out of the way. As more dove down, he kicked into overdrive, twisting away, slipping right underneath one to escape another and causing two to collide--thankfully, nothing he did resulted in any injuries. With lightning speed and catlike reflexes and flexibility with more jumps, performing flips and twists, he escaped every single attempt at him.

In the end, the stallions were reduced to a massive pile of ponies with Rhem as the triumphant victor.

Princess Celestia, still mildly dazed, merely sat down as she observed. Every time her ponies came close, Rhem would just get out of the way and elude capture again at the last second. It was a complete gong show, an absolute wreck of a demonstration. She was initially disappointed in her guard… but as their persistence lead to failure after inevitable failure, she began to find the whole ordeal very humorous.

Smiling over at the victorious dragon, she couldn’t help but shake her head.

“Very good, General! Impressive! Most impressive.”

“It… was?” he inquired, arching a brow, astounded. He had NEVER received praise from anyone back in his homeland.

Princess Celestia nodded.

“Not many individuals can outmaneuver my guards with such grace and agility… or for as long. You deftly evaded my best, and you made it look like mere child’s play!”

“Your Highness…” a guard groaned as he pulled himself to his hooves. “Didn’t you want us to capture him?”

“Actually, King Talonblaze requested us to train the general.”

“This is so embarrassing… Going down like this… at the claws of somepony so young,” mumbled another guard as he helped up a comrade.

“Should we continue to train with him?” asked a third stallion.

“I don’t see why not.” Princess Celestia smiled gently. “I’m sure that there are some things you all and he will be bound to learn from one another.”

Rhem stood his ground with a soft growl, his brows knitting together as he delivered an intense stare that dared the guards to come at him.

Chapter Five: A Glaring Weakness

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Chapter Five: A Glaring Weakness

Two guards, a unicorn and a pegasus, shared a glance between each other. The winged equine immediately launched himself into the air as the horned pony began to jump towards Rhem in a zig-zag fashion to distract. The pegasus, meanwhile, flew up to utilize the solar monarch’s sun to his advantage to dive-bomb the dragon from behind.

Positioning his body so that his side was facing the unicorn the dragon unfolded his wings a tiny bit. He couldn’t detect the pegasus thanks to the glare of the sun, and was struck in the back. The force brought him down onto his stomach, but he swiftly recovered. Clamoring to his feet, his wing snapped full sail at the unicorn almost like a snake, then shook his body to remove the pony on his back.

The unicorn leaped aside to evade the wing. However, the pegasus was thrown off. The feathered pony shook his head, feeling a little dizzy. Pulling himself up, he took to the air again to circle the dragon as the unicorn charged around in the opposite direction to try and work in tandem to confuse the beast.

With lightning-quick reflexes, the Draconian spun around and flung his tail at the unicorn to lasso his foreleg. With the stallion in his grip, he flung him aside and flapped his wings to take too the sky, his eyes fixated on his next target.

The unicorn yelped as he was thrown. The pegasus swung himself around in another arc and dove to catch his friend. Their hooves attaching to each other’s in a sort of magnetic-like grip between each other, the pegasus pumped his wings harder to raise them higher as the unicorn’s horn illuminated--both of them focusing on Rhem to take him on together.

Rhem bared his teeth with another growl and sped towards his opponents, aiming to head butt them out of the air and pin them to the ground. That glowing horn appeared awfully suspicious; and he mentally prepared himself to dodge if anything out of the ordinary happened.

The stallions both seemed to figure out his plan. As the pegasus darted towards the scaly creature, the unicorn summoned a bubble of a protective silver light that encompassed them.

Not willing to touch the bubble, Rhem flew around it and swerved. The dragon slowed to a stop, flapping his wings to remain aloft as he stared in bafflement. He had never seen magic before.

The pegasus banked hard to swing around. The duo hovered for a moment, before he charged in again in an effort to ram Rhem--the unicorn firing a few bursts of paralyzing magic.

Rhem was freaking out on the inside, but he would not display it. He wasn’t going to show any weakness to anyone. He maneuvered his body out of the way with the same agility he had shown earlier. As he dodged the darts of magic, he wondered to himself how long that bubble was going to stay up.

The horned stallion growled lightly as he attempted to keep up the barrier--though, on the same instance, it seemed like the pegasus was having trouble remaining in the air. As they whooshed by a second time, the flying pony came to a land, setting his partner down.

The unicorn thus allowed the pegasus to rest, all the while launching several more surface-to-air shots up at the reptilian, now able to take better aim from a stationary position.

Finding avoiding the shots easier now that the equines were located on the ground and were in one spot, Rhem adroitly dodged. He had noticed the unicorn was appearing to show some signs of wear and was determined to wait until he succumbed to exhaustion.

A few minutes elapsed, the unicorn heaved, his face scrunching up. An idea sprung to mind and he willingly dropped the barrier.

There was that opening he had been waiting for! Without wasting a second, the Draconian general swooped down. He was looking forward to finishing the bout and moving onto other ponies. This had gone on long enough.

The unicorn guard grinned--he had deliberately planned this. Waiting for the right moment, he stood his ground… then threw the barrier right back up with his magic at the very last possible second.

Eyes widening, Rhem collided into the shield and bounced right off, his body tumbling back a few times before he gave a mighty flap of his wings and touched the ground. Face tightening and lips curling back into a snarl, he lunged forth, hurling a closed fist right at the barrier. Rising up on his hind legs, he relentlessly pounded onto it furiously.

The unicorn smirked, his barrier hardening and doubling up at the first punch, and holding fast against repeated blows. After several more, he began to struggle to keep the shield up, a crack forming and spreading. Gritting his teeth, he summoned his power, drawing his magic inwardly and letting his protection drop just for a second--long enough to aim a paralyzing spell point-blank into the general.

Numbing currents of energy coursed through Rhem’s nervous system, rendering him unable to move. Falling over onto his side, his brain screamed at his limbs, but try as he might, they would not budge. Now rendered helpless before his opponents, he was filled to the brim with anxiety and shame.

The unicorn heaved, drained of power and strength from the attack. Closing his eyes, he dropped onto his stomach next to his spent partner.

Princess Celestia’s eyes widened as she was presented with shock. The match had turned out to be a draw. Interestingly enough, Rhem appeared to be particularly vulnerable to magic…

And indeed as the mare had concluded, the Draconian general was especially weak to magic. The spell should have had a minor effect, but instead left him completely limp for several minutes. All he could do was breathe…

“General?” she ventured, approaching him. “Are you all right?”

His side rose and fell as he slowly inhaled and exhaled. A couple more minutes passed until his eyes finally swiveled and his toes twitched.

While the two guards were seen to by the others, Princess Celestia shifted closer to his side, lowering her head to nose him, physically rolling him over onto his belly.

Rhem grew nervous all over again as the alicorn touched him. He felt the instinctual urge to leap away… but he couldn’t…

Though, he did start to calm down a tiny dosage as he felt her push his body onto his stomach. What was she doing? Was she helping him? Why was she helping him?

“There… I’m curious… That spell should have worn off by now…”

Narrowing her eyes, she focused the power in her horn to encompass Rhem in a bath of yellow light, dispelling the paralytic energies.

The dragon’s anxiety skyrocketed as her magic enveloped him. Panicking, he mentally yelled at his muscles to move again, and he was up on his feet, scrambling away from the equine the instant he regained mobility.

Standing a dozen feet away, he ducked into a defensive stance, staring at her with wide eyes.

The alicorn didn’t seem to be at all offended, merely dispensing a small, yet somewhat nervous, smile.

“That’s better. At least you’re able to move again.”

‘So the Draconians are weak to magic. I have to remember this…’

“Are… we finished here, Your Highness?” queried a soldier, eyeing the Draconian closely. He didn’t seem very eager to continue fighting.

“Yes. We’re done for today,” she answered as she turned to her troops, her attention predominately on the unicorn and pegasus who fought against Rhem. “Wonderful job.”

Rhem kept his bewildered eyes on the Equestrian monarch. It wasn’t until after the soldiers departed when he decided to speak to her.

“Why did you help me?”

“Why shouldn’t I have?” the princess countered with a warm grin directed at the winged reptilian. “By the way, you did very well yourself.”

“I am supposed to take care of myself,” he replied, becoming more visibly relaxed.

“Hmmm. I suppose that is true. Most fully-grown beings are expected to do that.” She nodded once, her tranquil expression never leaving. “Though, you are among friends, General. There’s no reason not to be altruistic.”

“… Friends?” the dragon pressed, knitting his scaly eyebrows together in confusion all over again.

The pony nodded again in confirmation.

“Yes. Friends. Acquaintances, individuals you trust and enjoy spending time with,” she relayed as she gazed at him, looking a little worried that he was unfamiliar with even this.

“… I… have not been introduced to that concept,” the young general revealed, taking a step closer.

“I… see…” The corners of Princess Celestia’s lips drooped into a frown. “Well… Friendship is a distinctively personal relationship that is grounded in a concern on the part of each friend for the welfare of the other, for the other’s sake, and that involves some degree of intimacy. A mutual state of affection between the two or more individuals.”

“Intimacy? Affection? I do not understand. Why would… anyone be like that?”

The young dragon was more puzzled than before, and the look on his face displayed it prominently.

“Let me turn this question around. Why would anypony NOT want to be like that? … I’m curious, really. Most your age would have developed significant camaraderie with others--perhaps even found love.”

The Draconian didn’t know how to answer. Instead, he asked another question.

“What is love?”

“Love? Well, love is… rather complicated to explain. I’m not sure I can adequately describe it in mere words. It’s a deep, powerful emotion. An immense form of attachment or attraction, or tender feeling for another individual, such as friends, loved ones, offspring, or even just… others in general.”

The dragon nodded slowly as he processed the information.

“How does one feel it? How does it develop in someone?”

Princess Celestia pursed her lips, going silent for a moment.

“I’m not certain how to answer that, General. Love is such a basic, natural emotion. I really can’t explain how one goes about feeling it… However, I suppose it develops by allowing an attachment to form. A desire to… nurture something. See it grow. Protect it.”

“So… if I formed an attachment to you, love would develop?” he queried. The draconic being didn’t know this, but he already had fashioned a sort of attachment to the equine princess after the chase around the labyrinth and again after she had helped him.

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” she said, smile returning to her features. “Love takes many forms, General. Platonic love, such as friendship, is very, very common--and it would please me greatly to be able to call you my friend.”

Again, the mare surprised him, but said nothing further on the matter and decided to change the subject.

“Why did you open up to me earlier?”

“About my sister, you mean?” The alicorn sighed lightly through her nose as her smile disappeared again. “… I’m sorry for dumping that on you, General, it’s… Well, it’s been over three-hundred years. Every single day since that, I have always thought of my sister. I love her so much… and, even now, to know that… that she’s not here, with me, where she should be… … it hurts.”

“It sounds like love has a bad side to it,” he commented, coming even closer.

“No. No, it doesn’t. Yes, love can hurt… It can leave us feeling pained, weak, or even sick… but it’s said it’s always better to have loved and lost than to have never loved in the first place.”

“You said being away from your sister hurts you… Can being away from someone cause weakness or sickness? Or are there other ways?” the general inquired, resting upon his rump a couple of feet away from her.

“Yes, and no. Emotions are… a tricky thing to explain,” Princess Celestia stated, turning partially away to direct her eyes towards a tree where a couple of birds were happily roosting against each other. “I have noticed that there are animals who stay with their partner their entire lives. Should one die… it’s not uncommon for the other to shortly join it.”

“Join it?” the reptile mimicked as he followed her gaze and observed the birds. “You mean die itself?”

She nodded.

“Yes. Some animals’ bonds of love to each other are so strong that nothing will separate them… Not even death.”

“That is strange. No one is like that in Draconia.” He paused, returning his sight to the regal pony. “… You probably already figured that out.”

“I’ve… come to that conclusion, yes,” she said after a moment elapsed, glancing over at him. “I’m beginning to suspect that Equestria and Draconia have… diametrically opposing cultures.”

“Likely… I will need to learn more about Equestrian culture. I have not seen much.”

With a smile tipping her lips, she turned fully to the dragon.

“I can teach you. Or rather, I can show you.”

Once again, she astounded him.

“You… will?”

“Of course,” the princess affirmed. “You’re young… You have a lot to learn. What would you like to know about first?”

The dragon scanned the mare’s flowing mane, a certain question burning inside of him.

“Since your mane and tail move on their own… are they alive?” he asked, his eyes rounded, showing that he was eager for a response.

Princess Celestia wasn’t surprised--she had received that question quite often, from foals both in Canterlot and in other villages that she sometimes visited.

“No, they’re not alive. I know it may appear as such. No, it’s because of my magic. Because I am an alicorn, I have far more innate power than any of my little ponies--even the unicorns, whose specialty is magic. I am capable of raising the sun and moon, and my celestial power manifests itself through my body… specifically, through my hair.”

Rhem’s fiery yellow-orange eyes inflated even wider.

“You… can actually… move the sun and moon?!”

The dragon gazed upon the alicorn with pronounced awe and admiration. Even King Talonblaze was unable to perform such a feat.

“It is a power I inherited. A deep, ancient power I was infused with long ago. Of course, I didn’t always have it--I only controlled the sun, my sister the moon. And, yet, even with those the two of us together wielded and commanded an even greater magic… the Elements of Harmony.” She offered him a strained, slightly sad, smile. “I never told you about our history, did I? About my younger sister… and how… she is no longer present?”

Rhem shook his head, obviously very interested in learning more.

“No, you did not. Where is your sister?”

Princess Celestia inhaled a small breath, looking up and over the horizon, where she would be raising the moon later.

“Imprisoned. In the moon. She was… corrupted. Consumed, by a dark presence. She proved to be a… a threat, to my subjects, that I had to stop at any cost.”

“You tore someone you love away from you… for your subjects?” he asked incredulously.

“I had no choice. Luna was… not herself. And she refused to lower the moon to make way for the sun. If she had prevailed in eternal night…” She shook her head. “… It was a painful decision, but I had to act quickly… I just…”

The mare exhaled on a forlorn sigh.

“I wish I could have saved my sister…”

The dragon wavered on whether or not to release this bit of information to the princess. He still didn’t trust her fully, but ultimately figured since she was opening up to him, it would be all right for him to do the same.

“I had to kill my siblings for my own survival.”

Princess Celestia was overcome with a pang of shock and sorrow.

“What…?” she softly said, unable to believe it at first. “… That’s… that’s…”

That was… inequine, she realized. Beyond cruel. Twisted, even.

“It’s… what?” he solicited, wanting to know what she thought of it.

“Horrible,” the pony replied. “Outrageous. Sick beyond words!”

“I suppose to you it is. It is normal in Draconia. All soldiers have to go through with it,” he began, glancing off slightly. “In order to pick the strongest out of a clutch… the entire group is trained until they reach age seven and… they are… we are… we… we have to kill each other.”

Princess Celestia looked as if she would be ill.

“That’s… that’s barbaric. How can… how?”

Her eyes went wide in aghast belief, part of her outraged--furious.

“That is just the way it is. That is the way it has always been…” Rhem huffed.

Princess Celestia paused. Studying him, she got the feeling he felt guilt and remorse for his actions… and, she had to gently tell herself that he wasn’t entirely responsible. Had he refused, she came to the conclusion that he would’ve been killed himself.

He was a strong dragon. Very strong. Very swift. Cunning. He had to be--he wouldn’t have otherwise been a general at such a young age. And he seemed to hold quite a number of regrets, though he was so naive to the ways of the world.

She carefully weighed her options. She wanted to ask him something, but she held an odd feeling she could be risking too much. The fate of Equestria could rest on that one question.

Hell, she had already taken a risk giving land to King Talonblaze. She didn’t trust him at all. The king was planning something. She could feel it.

Chapter Six: Culture Shock

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Chapter Six: Culture Shock

“… Rhem… Tell me something. Just how… far… would you go for King Talonblaze?”

The addressed Draconian had to think about this… It really mattered on the circumstances. He held no loyalty for his ruler.

“It depends… I do not aim to please him, I aim to survive.” The young dragon closed his eyes just for a moment, taking in a deep breath as he contemplated heavily on the next bits of information he would be spouting. “Did… you give him any land?”

Princess Celestia was pleased by this. She hadn’t fully expected Rhem to say that he would do absolutely anything for his king, but that told her that she could likely trust him.

“Yes, I did. We agreed he could have the lands of Gaitland to the east along the borders, and there are none of our ponykind out there using it.”

Rhem shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing as his facial features morphed into a look of absolute seriousness.

“Do not give him anything. There is no shortage of land for our livestock. He lied to you so he would have more room to raise a bigger army and eventually invade your country.”

The alicorn felt her heart stop for a second, her brows sinking. So, she had been right all along. She was right to believe she could not trust King Talonblaze. Part of her was suspicious that this was a ruse as well. Though, as she stared into the reptilian’s eyes, with how serious he appeared, she got the feeling that he wasn’t lying.

‘Why would he? … He has nothing to lose… Nothing to hide.’

“I see,” she said after a short abeyance. “I suspected King Talonblaze was planning something, I just wasn’t sure what.”

She stole a cursory glance, to check if the Draconian monarch was around. For some reason, she was struck with a deep seated sense of paranoia.

“… Rhem… how would you feel if I were to offer you a chance to escape from everything you know? If I offered you a chance to learn the ways of the world? It’s clear to me you have no love, or loyalty to your king… and my forces are severely unequipped to deal with a Draconian invasion. I could use… an ally.”

“You… are offering me to… stay here?” he asked, wanting to be certain. It just seemed too good to be true.

The mare nodded with a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“Nopony should have to suffer through what you did. And I also have the sick feeling there’s more to it than what you’ve told me.”

His entire face glowed at the idea of leaving King Talonblaze’s forces forever and serving Princess Celestia. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was unable to form any words due to the flood of emotion. His eyes even began to tear up.

Suddenly, a thought came to mind, and the bliss that had bloomed within him died. King Talonblaze would be livid beyond measure if the princess were to take him, his prized general--the one he had been waiting for many centuries after careful selective breeding. He would want to take his anger out on Equestria with double--maybe triple--vengeance.

“No. That would be a foolish thing to do. If you take me, King Talonblaze would be furious.”

The solar princess paused, mulling this over.

Yes, that actually did seem quite likely. Something told her that King Talonblaze would be more than a little upset at such a betrayal. There was also the fact that, while she would be glad to have the general serving in her armed forces, she wasn’t sure the rest of her guards would feel the same way.

As it was, if Rhem defected to Equestria, then she assumed that the dragon king would indeed waste no effort in… wasting them.

“I doubt you want the full force of his wrath on your kingdom.”

“King Talonblaze is planning an invasion anyway,” she said. “I would most likely receive the full force of his wrath regardless.”

The dragon was silenced as his eyes clouded over, drifting into deep thought.

“Maybe… there is a way to convince him to leave your country alone…”

“And… that would be?” she ventured, arching her eyebrow.

His fiery eyes lit up with resolve, flashing with a devious glint.

“From what you have observed from training, I went down quite easily from that sorcery that unicorn used. King Talonblaze really prides himself in his army’s power and he would enjoy watching me fight one of your own soldiers. If you invite him to a sparring match and pit me up against one of your unicorns, he can give me one blast of his magic and I will go down. Then maybe you can say something about boosting your unicorn troops to him? Seeing me go down would make him think about how the rest of his warriors would fare against your unicorns.”

Princess Celestia went over the idea in her head. The idea… actually had merit. Put on a good show, make it look like a struggle, and Rhem would take the fall. The young reptilian had a point, King Talonblaze seeing his most prized general go down would possibly intimidate him to a potential standoff…

“That actually sounds quite feasible,” she admitted, considering it. “It might give King Talonblaze pause to think twice before on an invasion as well.”

The young general felt quite proud of himself for concocting such a scheme.

“… Are you going to pick out a guard?”

“I shall.” The tall mare nodded. “In fact, I’ll pass the mention to King Talonblaze myself, get his opinion. I think it would be interesting to see how you fare against them… even if you plan on throwing the fight to my champion.”

Rhem was intrigued over the armed forces’ other abilities. Since things were so different in this country, he was curious to know more about them.

“How long have they been training and serving you?”

“I’ve had the royal guard around for as long as my sister and I have been in power. But, if you mean how long each individual has served… at no point do I ever require any sort of mandatory service. All of my guards were those who volunteered. We’ve got soldiers here who have only been in the royal guard for a couple of months, and we’ve got those who have been here for decades. On the average, my ponies usually serve a couple of years before they’re relieved from duty, unless they decide to continue service.”

Another pause quieted the dragon as he attempted to imagine what it would be like to be able to have the choice to serve in an army or not. He would have enjoyed the training he received if the Draconian customs had been taken out of it.

“We do not have a choice. We have to abide by the king’s wishes whether we want to or not. If someone is considered weak in his eyes, or not developing fast enough… he believes they are better off dead. He does not want to… waste resources and space on dragons he considers unworthy…”

Princess Celestia shook her head slowly in disapproval.

“I don’t believe in that. I will admit, there is a certain quality to that line of thinking--after all, I want my guards to be the best of the best, too--but, I’m certainly not going to kill somepony for simply not doing a good job.

“No… if he or she is not developing fast enough, we’ll do everything we can to make sure they’re up to speed. And if he or she still doesn’t reach that level… well, we’re sure to find an area they would be more properly suited in. We all have our place to serve, and some are just better than others in areas.

“… And… if it turns out that he or she’s not suited to being in the royal guard, then we discharge them. We’ve had more than a few who were unable to serve for a myriad of reasons. Physical disabilities, chronic illness… insubordination, among others.”

Rhem was amazed to say the least, more drawn into the Equestrian culture. The instant the word “she” emanated from the alicorn, he looked… shocked.

“You… allow… females to become soldiers?”

Smile widening a tiny bit, she gave another nod.

“Of course. We value gender equality as much as we do skill. We tend to keep stallions and mares in designated branches, but we’ve got plenty of female soldiers. One of my top lieutenants is a mare who’s served nearly two decades.”

“King Talonblaze thinks all females are good for is producing eggs. And that… they are not strong enough to be warriors…” Rhem informed. “I would not know that though… Females are kept in the far south of our country and separated from the rest of us. So… I have never seen a female dragon.”

“Well… again, to a certain extent, I can see how that can be. But, still, I don’t agree with it. We don’t have our entire populace in the military, and the civilians that don’t serve often handle day-to-day tasks. We contract a lot of citizens for things such as produce and other supplies like our weapons and armor.

“While we keep our male and female forces separate, that doesn’t mean they can’t interact. We do tend to discourage military romances in the same branch, especially if it happens to involve chain of command, but we’ve got a number of those who serve that are… together.”

“Together? You mean… as… mates?” he asked.

The mare nodded once again.

“You would be surprised how many ponies have significant others in my royal guard. In fact, my female lieutenant, Ruby Spears--her husband, both of their sons, and daughter are also in the royal guard… As far as I’m aware, they’re the only family who’s members have all willingly served in such a capacity.”

He dropped his vision to the ground to replay her words before lifting his eyes back to her again.

“Will you explain in further detail how families are formed?”

The alicorn’s eyes twinkled.

“Family forming, hmm? … Alright, I’ll use this as an example. Say we have a male and a female. The male finds the female particularly attractive, as she does him. The two of them don’t know each other, and introduce themselves. As they get to know one another, they build a relationship and become friends by sharing mutual interests and finding things in common.

“The male can show affection by giving the female a gift she would enjoy. The female can, in return, maybe give him a nuzzle or a hug, or possibly a gift in return. This isn’t necessary. Sometimes enjoying each other’s company can be affection all by itself.

“As time passes, this feeling can grow. If it does, the two may want to spend more time together. They may want to make the other happy, as it pleases them. In time, the two might fall in love. If they love each other enough, they may want to spend the rest of their lives together… and perhaps procreate, producing offspring. The male, female, and the child or children they create is called a family.

“The children are then nurtured by the parents. They raise their children, help them to grow, guiding them, and teaching them. As those children grow and mature, they eventually seek out mates of their own, and the cycle begins anew.”

Rhem was quiet for a few seconds before he parted his jaws to speak.

“Eggs are taken away as soon as they are laid and transferred to a hatchery. When we hatch… we are given our basic needs… except for… affection. We are taught what we are supposed to be, how to act, and how we should think. If we stray from our teachings or ask questions that does not have to do with our future… we are beaten… I have… seen a few of my brothers die under beatings…”

The Equestrian princess closed her eyes and shuddered, her heart breaking.

“That’s horrible…” she sighed, opening her eyes again. “No child should ever have to endure such a thing. And your society actively encourages this…?”

“Our society at large knows only our own customs and they believe it is normal… Even I did. Now that I know of another nation to compare ours to.” The Draconian once again replayed his newly acquired knowledge, and prepared to ask about a few words he didn’t recognize. “There are some things you said I do not know about… Like… what is a nuzzle? Or a hug?”

The pony couldn’t help but smile.

“You’ve got a lot to learn.” She chuckled, moving closer to throw a foreleg around his shoulders and draw him into an embrace and rub her muzzle against his. “That… was a hug, followed by a nuzzle.”

Rhem tensed up as he was pulled in and he scrunched up his muzzle lightly at the nuzzle, finding it strange. He wasn’t sure what to think of it or if he liked it or not. The soft fur was pleasant though…

Princess Celestia held him close, sighing. Several moments elapsed and she abruptly let him go.

“I’m sorry, General. I got a little carried away. I… haven’t really hugged anypony like that since… since before Luna…”

He appeared uncomfortable, but he remained pressed up against her, the starch tension steadily fading.

“Why have you not hugged anyone else like that since?”

“Predominately, because of customs,” she explained. “I’m expected to maintain appearances. I’m supposed to be this high-and-mighty monarch of the entire kingdom… To let my public see me giving hugs, or nuzzling others supposedly below my station… or just merely frolicking in the fields…

“I risk losing respect. I shouldn’t have rumors started.”

Scanning their environment, Rhem scooted closer and pressed more of his body against hers.

“Hrm… You may hug me…”

Princess Celestia smiled. Sighing lightly, she pulled Rhem into another hug.

“… Thank you, General.”

“King Talonblaze does not care what his public thinks of him. As long as he is obeyed, he is happy… or satisfied at least.”

Body sinking slightly against the alicorn, the winged reptilian sighed and tucked his head underneath hers.

Princess Celestia chuckled softly.

“Well, you know what? … I think I shouldn’t really care what my ponies think of me, too, at times. I think I have a right to be a little aberrant once in a while. Besides,” she halted to take a look around, “I don’t see anypony around.”

Giving the mare’s neck fur a nuzzle of his own, he sighed again. Feeling an emotional dam beginning to break, tears subsequently pooled in his eyes.

The Equestrian monarch didn’t see him crying, and simply hugged him a little closer while running her other foreleg down his side and back to comfort him. He needed this… and she was only too happy to give. She couldn’t help but smile warmly, feeling good that she was indulging him, and knowing that he wouldn’t get this treatment back in his homeland.

As she did so, she momentarily lapsed her vigilance in keeping a watch for King Talonblaze, figuring he wouldn’t by coming by anyway. They were still in the center of the labyrinth.

The dragon lifted a paw to wipe his eyes, not wanting Princess Celestia to see him crying. Reveling in the warmth and comfort, the moment was soon interrupted by an enraged yell that belonged to King Talonblaze.

Princess Celestia instantly jumped away from Rhem, eyes widening and searching. While she didn’t want to just jerk away from him in such a manner, she also didn’t want him getting in trouble.

Her eyes darted around vainly in search for the dragon king, wondering if he had seen them. That roar had been so loud and carried so easily, she assumed he had…

Rhem took to the skies to locate his king, eventually finding him in the gardens and was currently being escorted into the palace by a guard. Unbeknownst to him, a bee had flown up one of King Talonblaze’s nostrils and stung the flesh inside. While the monarch had insisted he was fine, the nostril was beginning to swell. A nurse would meet him in his room.

The general rejoined Princess Celestia on the ground with a look of worry in his eyes. Even though he didn’t like his king, he was still concerned over what happened.

“King Talonblaze is being led inside the castle.”

Princess Celestia gave a significant sigh, feeling a little foolish that they may have been caught. Chuckling, she smiled--though it was really more to dismiss what ever anxiety she still possessed. She quickly got serious.

“What’s wrong? Did he do something?”

“I do not know. No one around him appeared hurt. Sometimes he yells for no reason other than to let out anger or frustration.” He closed the distance between them again, this time, sliding his own foreleg around her. “You are really soft and warm…”

The princess smirked, settling back down onto her haunches and allowing herself to shift closer to him.

“I almost wonder what he was yelling about… Almost. I probably would rather not know.”

Chapter Seven: An Accidental Knockout

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Chapter Seven: An Accidental Knockout

King Talonblaze sat impatiently upon the bed in his designated guest quarters. He apparently had a mild allergic reaction to the bee sting, and was currently waiting for a nurse to tend to him. A young mare soon entered, tossing a single look at him. Surprisingly she wasn’t frightened, or even intimidated, to be in the same room with him. Her pelt was rose in color, with a mostly blue mane and tail with a yellow stripe running trough the wavy locks. She wore a nurse’s cap, with her flanks emblazoned by two red hearts with a band-aid crossed over them.

“So. Bee got you huh?” she asked, allowing herself a small smirk. “That had to be embarrassing.”

The Draconian arched his brow, astounded that this small pony showed no hint of fear towards him. The guards and servants were afraid of him--even dragons back at home were terrified of him!

Quickly brushing off his bewilderment, he huffed indignantly to be seen in such a state.

“Uh-huh. Let’s get it over with,” he grumbled as he eyed the mare. He was eager to get this taken care of. Not only was the swelling in one of his nostrils humiliating, but the throbbing in the area where the bee had stung him was annoying. He could still feel the little insect’s stinger inside of his nose.

She chuckled, plodding over and dropping her back onto the floor--bumping it lightly with her bottom.

“Of course, of course.”

Reaching into her bag physically with her mouth, she pulled out a long candlestick and match and quickly lit it. Holding up the candle in one hoof and gazing up his nose, she searched.

“Ha, ha! There’s the little bugger. Though, hrrm…” She paused, appearing a bit flustered as she sat down upon her rump and tugged her bag closer for better access for the contents inside, sticking her other hoof in to pull out a set of tweezers. “It’s a mighty small one. Tiny little thing. Not sure if I’ll be able to get it out, but I’m damn well gonna try.”

King Talonblaze felt a flash of anger and irritation as the nurse moved the tweezers around inside his nostril, repeatedly failing to get a grip on the stinger. Growling softly, he shifted his head as her actions caused a tickling sensation.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, trying to get at the stinger--however, each time she got a bit closer or was about to get it, the winged reptile would jerk a certain way and cause her to miss and slightly scrape against the swollen inner walls of his nostril. She grunted after the fourth time she had failed.

“Now, dammit, stop squirming and hold still!” she said, bopping the dragon on the snout with the bottom of the candlestick. “Do you want me to get that stinger out or not?”

The Draconian king growled a little louder.

“Well, you were tickling my nose!”

She hastily mumbled a sincere apology for the discomfort, before immediately going back to her work. This time, she was able to actually clamp down on the small part of the stinger still sticking out and squeeze it out.

“There we go! Finally.”

The mare sighed, blowing out the candle and putting it and the tweezers back in the bag--keeping the hot end out of the bag. Retrieving a small bronze glass bottle and a cotton swab, she dabbled the swab with the liquid and rubbed it against where the swelling had originated.

“This will help reduce the pain and possibly stop swelling,” she breathed, removing the swab and disposing of it in a nearby trash basket. Trotting back over to her bag, she picked up in her teeth and set it down on her back. “Let me know if it still hurts later, and we can get you some ice or additional medicine.”

“Yes, yes. Will do,” he gruffed with a roll of his eyes and watched the mare exit the room.

***

Rhem wandered out of the labyrinth with Princess Celestia in tow, bounding actively in the garden and unwittingly scaring the exotic animals that resided there. Curious about the various species of flora, he zipped from blossom to blossom, asking the princess questions about them.

The alicorn found his near limitless and childish energy amusing. The animals weren’t much used to other individuals being in the garden aside from the caretaker and herself, and they generally tended to flee whenever someone else was there.

She had a mental image of one day introducing some additional ponies to her garden. In the meantime, she followed the dragon to answer his queries and educate him on the numerous plants that decorated the landscape.

He breathed in the plethora of aromas as he touched his nose gently to each type of flower he came across. One specific flower caught his attention. Padding up to it, he marveled at it as his vision drank in its unique physique. He lowered his nose to it and took a whiff. He really liked the scent of this one.

“Hm. This one smells really nice,” he remarked as he turned to Princess Celestia expectantly.

The princess trotted up to his side, the grass beneath her hooves giving a crisp crunching sound.

“That, my friend, is a very well-known flower: the rose.” Smiling, she brought down her head to smell one of them. “They’re very popular in perfumes, and they are often given as gifts to express emotions… commonly, love, such as the red ones here.”

She turned her body to her right where other colors of roses were growing further down.

“Red is not the only color. Roses come in quite a number. White, yellow, pink… In fact, the rose has come to be symbolic, and is often portrayed in art.”

That was very interesting! The flower was symbolic and given as a gift? That gave Rhem an idea… Opening his jaws, he clamped them down on one of the thorny stems and yanked off a rose, managing to tear a few branches off in the process. Bouncing in front of the alicorn, he presented her with the rose and a small chunk of the bush.

She wondered what he was doing behind her when she heard the rustling of leaves and the snap of branches. Eyes widening, she stared at him in surprised… then smiled with a hearty chuckle.

“… Thank you, Rhem. That’s… sweet of you.”

The mare felt flattered--tactfully choosing not to point out the fact that he had inadvertently torn up her bush, accepted his gift graciously.

Parting his jaws, he let the rose and thin branches to exit his mouth, revealing the nicks on his tongue from the thorns. He was used to cuts, so he hardly noticed them.

“Sweet?”

He tilted his head with wide, questioning eyes.

Holding them in her cloud of magic, she removed the branches and thorns from the stem of her rose, allowing them to drop to the ground.

“I mean to say it was very kind of you,” she explained as she tucked the stem into her mane, extrapolating on her words.

“Oh.”

Satisfied that she appreciated his gesture, he turned around to search for any flowers he might have missed. That was when his attention was stolen by a single monarch butterfly. He had seen many kinds of butterflies before, but none of this variety. Turning back around, he watched the vibrant winged insect flutter around his head a couple of times before it settled upon his nose.

Princess Celestia had been about to ask the Draconian general if his tongue hurt when she, too, became distracted by the butterfly. Following his gaze, she broke out into a smile when it landed on his snout.

“How cute!” she chuckled.

“I do not know what cute means either.”

Eyes crossing as he peered down at the creature perched on his nose, he observed it inspect the scaly surface of his muzzle for a few moments. Spotting another butterfly, it promptly took to the air to give chase.

“It means finding something pleasing, pretty, or delightful by virtue of eliciting affection towards it… predominately because it looks especially dainty, or charming.”

Rhem nodded as his brain processed the mare’s words.

“I suppose the butterfly is cute then. And you, as well.”

A light shade of pink dusted over her cheeks as she stared at him. Blush disappearing, she smiled, mentally brushing it off. He was just ignorant of his words.

“Um, thank you, General. That’s very kind of you to say.”

He nodded.

“Princess Celestia? Do you think I could… explore your land? I would like to see how your subjects live, and what they do.”

The princess’ small smile spread wider.

“I don’t see why not. If you don’t mind me accompanying you.”

Normally, she would have let him head out on his own, but recalling the reports that ponies were rather frightened of him and King Talonblaze…

It would be best if she went with him to allay suspicion and the fears from her subjects.

“I do not mind at all.”

Eager to see the monarch’s people, he unfolded his wings and pushed off the ground. Remaining suspended in one place, he waited for the princess to do the same.

Princess Celestia had been about to call for an attendant to procure a carriage, but decided against it and spread her wings to lift herself into the air. Despite the romp through the labyrinth, she came to the conclusion that she wasn’t going to get this much exercise in a while, and was grateful for the opportunity.

“Why don’t we start in Canterlot proper?”

The excited dragon nodded eagerly, powerful muscles gliding under his scales as he flapped his wings. He flew alongside the alicorn, his eyes exploring the scenery below.

The mare’s smile grew further, feeling the wind beneath her feathery extremities as she pumped them to provide her with additional altitude. Soaring past the castle and out over the lands of Canterlot, the princess gazed out at the stretches of farm land going out for miles. There were quite a number of mills, ponies working out in the fields, with only one particular building appearing a bit different from the rest. A sole winery could be spotted on top of the rolling hills down from the city.

That was outside the walled borders. Inside the large stone walls was the city proper. Cobblestone streets were paved with buildings on both sides of them, alleyways leading to other areas with major roads connected to a central hub. The city was home to mostly nobility, with only the southern end open predominately to the merchant and the upper middle class.

Excited and unable to hold himself back, Rhem made an earthbound dive, swooping over the buildings and landing heavily upon one of the cobblestone paths. His actions unintentionally frightened a large amount of civilians, causing them to scream and run amok. The Draconian was confused by this. He didn’t see anything dangerous around. Why were they running away?

Princess Celestia gasped, diving after him.

“Rhem!” she called out to him, landing next to him. Flaring her wings out, she cried out to her citizens, “Fear not, my little ponies! Rhem is a friend! He will not harm you!”

“Why would they think I would hurt them? I never acted hostile towards them,” Rhem asked the equine beside him with a confused askew glance.

A multitude of the ponies remained indoors despite their princess’ reassurance. The thought of a dragon wandering the streets was too much for them to handle at the moment. Those who did venture out rooted themselves at a safe distance, observing the dragon.

“Xenophobia, I’m afraid.” She sighed, and brought her lips close to his ear frill to whisper to him. “A fear of foreigners. You’re an outsider, General Rhem… and, I hate to say it, but even though you’re sweet… you don’t exactly look… non-threatening.”

She loathed to admit it, but the sheer presence of Rhem did seem as such. She had hoped that by being in close proximity to him, the princess could demonstrate that he was nothing to fear.

“… None of them will… want anything to do with me?” he queried. The general couldn’t help but feel a little bit hurt.

“Give it time,” she gently assured. “You’ll win them over, I’m sure. Just stay close to me… and remember to smile.”

Almost as if on cue, a slightly tattered leather ball rolled to a stop directly in front of Rhem. A small child, chasing after it--came to a skidding halt several feet in front of the dragon and princess upon noticing the scaled beast. Frightened, he reared back and slowly stepped backwards with wide eyes.

Rhem stared at the rounded object. Never before had he seen a ball before. When he was about to lower his head to give it an experimental sniff, the poppy red unicorn colt caught his attention. Blinking over at the little one, he forced an awkward toothy grin.

Princess Celestia dispensed a warm and disarming grin, as the boy who had been chasing the ball gave a squeak at the dragon’s smile and took another few steps away.

“It’s all right, little one,” she softly said. “Rhem’s a nice dragon. He won’t hurt you, we promise.”

Glancing at Rhem, she nodded once.

“Uh… hello,” the Draconian greeted, unsure of what to even say to the unicorn.

The colt didn’t even live in this area of Canterlot, but had been playing with one of the fillies his age that did belong in the proper. He was from the farmlands. His light pink playmate swallowed hard and trotted up to his side with intentions on helping him if he needed it, regarding the dragon with horror.

The colt was terrified, but he stood his ground. Glancing around, the princess didn’t see any concerned parents rushing up to snatch the foals and drag them to safety, and began to wonder what would happen…

“Try rolling the ball back to them,” she whispered to Rhem as she gestured at the spherical object with a hoof, curious to see what the children would do.

Rhem dropped his head and gave the ball a nudge with his snout… with too much force, sending it flying over the children’s heads and smacking a stallion in the face hard enough to knock him out cold.

“… Oops…”

Oops indeed. The colt and filly sprang back, slinking away further before turning and fleeing outright. Princess Celestia’s eyes practically popped out of her head, not having expected that to happen at all.

The reptilian ducked his head in anticipation for a punishment from the monarch for his carelessness, but none came.

She hadn’t even bothered to admonish Rhem, instead running up to the fallen stallion to check if he was all right. The stallion was--like almost every other pony in Canterlot--a unicorn silver in color, with a thinning mane of brown hair and red highlights. He wore a fairly sharp red overcoat, black pants, and a cravat, and was laying on his side with spirals in his eyes. A set of thick-rimmed gold trim glasses were off to the side, one lens with thick spider-web cracks, the other missing entirely.

The alicorn tried to rouse him, nudging him with her muzzle, only to receive a groan in response.

Rhem followed the princess and planted himself at her side. He watched anxiously as she nosed the stallion, hoping that he would get up.

He didn’t.

Shifting his attention to her, he offered an apologetic frown.

“… Sorry.”

The mare shook her head.

“It was an accident, General. These things happen.” Exhaling a sigh, she utilized her magic to levitate the unconscious unicorn up. “We can get him to an infirmary and see that he’s tended to, and then perhaps we can continue to… see the countryside.”

The countryside sounded like a safe place to go. No ponies out there to unwittingly frighten or injure.

Just as Rhem was about to head off with Princess Celestia, a good sized rock struck him in the back of the head.

“Hey!”

He whipped around to get a look at the perpetrator. A pair of teenage colts continued their assault with more rocks.

Princess Celestia stepped in front. The rocks were deflected by magic, bouncing off by a shimmering wall of mana, while at least one was caught in mid-air and subsequently disintegrated.

She was clearly displeased.

“Enough! Go about your business, citizens.”

Rhem was once again bewildered by the mare as she protected him--even though he didn’t really need it. His respect and admiration for her only increased at this. Though, an insulting statement pulled his attention away from her and evoked a soft growl from the depths of his throat.

“But, Princess! That monster hurt our father!” the older proclaimed in their defense.

An expression of shock drew itself upon the alicorn’s face. Of course, how could she not have realized that the poor stallion was the father of these young ponies? Coming forward, she lowered her head to meet the older colt at eye level, looking a little upset.

“I understand, but it was an accident. Rhem didn’t mean to hurt your father.” She gazed over her shoulder to regard the dragon’s miserable expression. “Tell me, does that look like somepony who deliberately meant to cause any harm?”

The colt took a look at Rhem then exchanged a silent glance with his brother.

“But… he’s a dragon! Dragons are evil, heartless beasts that like to kill ponies!”

Princess Celestia shook her head.

“It’s true that Rhem is a dragon, but it should be common knowledge you should never judge a book by its cover. You should also know that one particular individual is not representative of a group at large.”

“B… but…! He has sharp teeth and claws and a bunch of scars! He must have gotten in a bunch of fights and killed things!” the youngest attempted to contribute.

“That very well may be possible,” Princess Celestia mused, but smiled. “However, you should really get to know somepony first before making accusations based just off their physical appearance.”

As it was, standing there and arguing with these colts really wasn’t getting their father the medical treatment he needed.

“In any case, your father isn’t getting the medical attention he needs. Let us see him be given proper care.”

With that, she turned to leave.

Chapter Eight: History Lesson

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Chapter Eight: History Lesson

The teenagers were hesitant at first, but they followed the alicorn while keeping themselves away from the dragon. The Draconian himself wasn’t doing so well. He was used to taking verbal abuse from his own kind, but receiving it from ponies--a far more benevolent race--brought him down further.

Princess Celestia continued down the cobblestone path that would lead the way to the infirmary. As they entered the central hub, several ponies turned to flee, or at least get out of the way. One pony in particular, however, did not. She was an earth pony mare from the farmlands, with a dusty orange coat, and her cutie mark was obscured by the harness attaching her to the cart she was hauling. Her light brown mane was done up in a braid, underneath a wide-brimmed straw hat. She passed by the princess, giving a lighthearted bow and a smile. Surprisingly, she didn’t seem to even notice the significantly large dragon right next to her.

Rhem kept his head low and forced a smile, only managing little success. He was still feeling sad, and the fleeing equines and expressions of horror of those who did not run didn’t do any good to lift his spirits. He was surprised that the earth pony didn’t take notice to him, being the brightly colored and sizable creature. The sound of a foal crying upon spotting him from the other side of the road brought him back down again. The mother of the foal shushed her gently, her voice belying her own fear.

The princess couldn’t help but sigh heavily as they reached the infirmary. Her little ponies getting used to Rhem was going to be far more difficult than she thought it was going to be.

A few inhabitants in the lobby turned their heads to the new arrivals, mildly curious as to who it was. A couple of the select few gasped--first in delight upon seeing their princess, then terror at the dragon accompanying her. Hearing the gasps, the rest of the ponies shifted their attention, only to repeat the reaction.

The general forced another tiny smile as he and the princess passed the visitors with the stallion still suspended by magic and the colts in tow.

Princess Celestia stopped at the front desk with a calm smile and gently set the stallion down on the floor. She ignored Rhem for the time being, certain he would behave himself.

“I’m here to drop off a patient,” she informed the nervous receptionist. “There’s been an accident. He was hit in the head with a ball, you see. I suspect a minor concussion, but he’s been unconscious for the past several minutes. I fear there may be more serious damage.” The tall mare emitted a short sigh. “Would you please take a look at him? His two sons are behind us. I’ve no idea on the whereabouts of his wife.”

A brief pause.

“Don’t mind my dragon companion. He’s… relatively harmless.”

The oldest colt was tempted to rebuke Princess Celestia’s last statement, but figured it was best to just keep his mouth shut about the dragon. He stepped forth, his eyes meeting the princess.

“We’ll take it from here, Your Majesty. Thank you very much.”

The alicorn had noted the child looked like he wanted to speak, yet said nothing regarding the situation outside of showing gratitude. She understood his desire to object, which was the reason she had said relatively harmless.

Rhem hadn’t meant to cause any harm, but she acquired the distinct feeling the general just didn’t know his own strength. Accidents were just that, accidents. Regardless, it would be a long while before he would find any sort of acceptance in her country at large.

The expression of depression on her visage was obvious, but she foraged a smile at the colt.

“Very well. Take care of yourselves,” she said, before nodding to Rhem and walking out without a further word.

Rhem took one last look at the brothers and their father then followed Princess Celestia back outside. Catching up to her, he lowered his head and pressed it against her shoulder as she strode alongside her.

Princess Celestia brought her muzzle to the top of the dragon’s head to nuzzle him in concern and draped a wing over him.

“Don’t get discouraged, General. These ponies need to build up trust in you, and building trust is like building… a city. Roam wasn’t built in a day.”

With the soft nuzzle combined with the comfort of the embracing wing, Rhem felt some of his depression subside. He nuzzled her back along her neck, keeping his head pressed against her soft coat.

“Hm… Where to now?”

She smiled lightly, withdrawing her wing.

“I was thinking we could fly out among the countryside. Perhaps take in a good view from the ‘bove. Less ponies out there.”

Rhem gazed up at the sun princess with a hopeful glint dawning in his eyes. Less ponies… The less there were, the less he would end up scaring. That aside, the countryside sounded pleasant.

“Okay.”

The mare grinned and extended her wings. Galloping a few feet away, she flapped them and took to the skies, glancing down at the dragon as she arced around towards the direction of the farmlands.

Unfolding his leathery wings, Rhem leaped into the air. Already he was beginning to feel better. The sensation of soaring with the princess proved to be what he needed to combat his funk.

The princess flapped her feathery extremities to climb higher. As she did so, she kicked her legs as if she were galloping on thin air. It didn’t really do her any real good, unless she were on a cloud, but it gave the impression she was strutting in the sky. Surveying the land, she picked up a few of the farmers tilling the fields, paying more attention to their work than to the sky.

Rhem watched curiously as he glided beside his friend.

“What are they doing, Princess Celestia?” he queried. Growing crops wasn’t part of Draconia’s culture. The only farming ever done by his race was raising their livestock.

“They’re plowing fields,” she answered. “Getting ready to sow their seeds in preparation for growing their crops for the next year. You see, we grow our own food here. We plant seeds, we water them, and make sure they get enough sunshine through our weather ponies so they will grow to their largest size and abundance. Almost all of the food you ate last night came from our farms.”

“Oooh.”

The mountain of pancakes he consumed that afternoon was only enough to moderately fill his belly. He was a large creature and he required more than that. Plus, with all of that activity in the labyrinth, he had burned a lot of calories. Now that it was drawing in to dinnertime, the mentioning of food reminded him how hungry he was.

“In fact,” Princess Celestia continued. “The pancakes you had were processed from wheat that was grown in the grain fields!”

The equine’s smile faltered, recalling Rhem’s punishment. She certainly didn’t agree with the king starving his own sentry, but at the same time she didn’t want to undermine his authority. Even if he was in her own land, she wasn’t sure whether or not to stick to it… or mentally spit in the tyrant’s face and sneak the general a meal.

“I hope I’m not making you hungry, talking about food.”

“I will be fine…”

The young dragon flew lower to get a better look at the ponies toiling in the fields.

Princess Celestia nodded, bending her wings to follow him. As she turned her eyes downward, she observed some of the ponies tilling the earth, tending to grown crops, and gathering water. Fillies and colts played with each other, as some of the adults conversed, significant others nuzzled and loved each other, with a few of the mothers calling their families in for dinner.

“I would like to learn as much as I can before going back to Draconia.” The dragon paused, removing his attention from the world below and directed it to the solar monarch. “And have more fun.”

“I would be more than happy to teach you as much as I can.” Princess Celestia beamed with a sense of pride. “What would you like to know?”

“Where do I even start?”

All remnants of the Draconian’s depression were wiped away by the sheer excitement of learning.

“Why not from the beginning? Equestria’s history!” he suggested, eyes blazing almost as brightly as the sun itself.

She went quiet and her smile dropped, but only for a moment. Fluttering her wings, she directed her body towards a rolling hill in the distance. She didn’t say much of anything, save for trying to drudge up her thoughts and long suppressed emotions about Equestria’s darkest days.

Tailing the princess, the dragon landed gracefully upon the grassy knoll, and sat himself down upon his rump at her side. He could sense something was heavily troubling her.

“If it bothers you, you do not have to talk about it. You can always refer me to someone else who is also knowledgeable on Equestria’s history.”

Princess Celestia shook her head, offering a small, sad smile.

“No, no, it’s all right. It would be better if I told it. Recorded history, even from our best scholars, has a way of losing information passed down from generations. I might as well relate the events from my own memory.

“As it stands…” She looked up into Rhem’s eyes, while laying down on her stomach. “There is truly no substitute for personal firsthoof experience.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“A long time ago… Canterlot as you see it did not exist. Even the ponies you see here did not live in true harmony. The unicorns, the pegusi, and the earth ponies were all in single tribes of their own kind, and only interacted with each other out of sheer necessity for survival, and barely tolerated each other otherwise.

“Eventually, a strange and enigmatic blizzard over-swept the land, which lead to a nationwide famine. The leaders of the tribes came together to a summit to try and figure out a solution to the problem, but it only lead to arguing and blaming one another. Unable to come to a mutual agreement, they went their separate ways and set out to find a new land--which led them here.

“However, when each tribe discovered Equestria, the other two had arrived at the same place as they did. They began to fight, and soon the blizzard followed them. It was the assistants of the tribe leaders that found out the blizzard was due to malevolent spirits called windigos, which created the storm by feeding off of feelings of hatred. Upon realizing this, the three tribes united as one, dispelling it. As the storm dispersed, the three tribes decided to remain as one nation to equally share the land between them… And that is how Equestria was formed.”

Rhem nodded in acknowledgement.

“What happened after that?”

She opened her eyes.

“That was… years before my time. Peace did not last.” She turned to Rhem. “There rose a powerful being, a draconequus by the name of Discord. He was everything his name implied--a disorganized creature made up of mismatched parts of other animals. The head of a pony, the horn of a goat, the antler of a deer, the arms of an eagle and a lion, the legs of a lizard and a goat, the wings of a bat and a pegasus, and the tail of a snake.

“Discord was as every bit as discombobulated as he looked. He delighted in disorder, pleased by pandemonium. Every day was nothing short of unadulterated bedlam. You see, Discord was a trickster in every sense of the word, capable of illusions and appearing to alter reality at whim. Fish swam through the air, birds flew in the water, cats barked, dogs meowed. Day and night may as well have been the same. All there was… was chaos.”

Rhem arched a brow and his snout scrunched up as he tried to imagine such a creature with the description Princess Celestia provided.

“Strange. What became of him?”

She directed her eyes skyward.

“My sister, Luna, and I… we rose up. We couldn’t stand the unrest and chaos any longer. Discord’s torture over the earth ponies, pegusi, and unicorns caused us to seek out a way to put a stop to him. We combined our strengths, and working together, we used the Elements of Harmony to seal Discord in a stone prison.

“Even now, to this day he remains in the royal gardens, as a constant reminder to myself… and to my subjects everywhere of his insanity.”

The Draconian’s admiration for the princess only increased as the tale came to an end. It was quite inspiring to him.

“Maybe… that is what I need to do… Gain allies in Draconia and begin a revolt… It will have to be in secret though.”

A smile tipped the equine’s lips.

“That’s what Luna and I did. We had to meet in secret, the two of us, to think of methods on how to consolidate our power and strike Discord when his guard was down. It turns out, we didn’t really need to. Discord was… arrogant. Overconfident. He never used any flunkies. Never felt he needed to. Luna and I were more than a match for him.

“King Talonblaze, on the other hoof… is a different story.”

“Yes. He is cautious, but he can be very arrogant, especially when it comes to the strength of his warriors.” Dismissing the subject of his king, he dropped down onto his stomach. “Care to tell me about the more pleasant days in Equestria’s history?”

Princess Celestia was more than happy to.

***

King Talonblaze awoke to an uncomfortable throbbing. Apparently, the medicine only made the swelling worse, spreading to his other nostril and plugging it halfway. Groaning, he crawled out of bed and pulled open the door to summon a nearby guard.

“Fedge the nurse dad was ‘ere earlier,” he ordered with a half-growl, then returned to bed.

It did not take long for the nurse that had tended to him earlier to come sauntering in, her hips lightly swaying from side to side with a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“You called for me, sir? What seems to be the trouble?” she asked, coming forward to examine him.

The Draconian’s rigidness tightened with a snort.

“Whad does id loog lieg?! Da swelling god worse!”

“What?” The nurse focused on his nose. “Oh, my, my, my. Wonderful. The medicinal juice from the garden plants didn’t work… And this looks far more serious than I thought it would.”

She narrowed her eyes in concentration. This was definitely going to be an issue. How was she to know that the allergy would worsen? She sighed, shaking her head. Perhaps Draconian systems were more different than equines than she had originally anticipated.

“Well! This is going to require a bit more concentrated effort.” She then turned around. “I’ll be right back. I just need to gather some things.”

The mare threw him a smirk and a wink as she trotted towards the door.

“Don’t you go anywhere, now.”

“Lieg I’m really going do do dad…” he said with a roll of his eyes.

The nurse just chuckled, shaking her head as she left. She returned a short while later, carrying a small bag on her back. Instantly approaching the dragon, she narrowed her eyes at the swelling tissue.

“Right. So. What I originally did was I applied an ointment from various plants said to combat swelling,” the nurse relayed, going through her bag. “Now, obviously that didn’t work. Apparently, you might be allergic to some of the plants we used. Though, I’ve no idea.”

She pulled out a syringe.

“In any case, what I have here is something that’s… still experimental. Our doctors and physicians are still developing this. It’s theorized that this may be used to treat life-threatening allergies… but your constitution is tougher than my kind. This might be better for you… but, seeing how we haven’t even perfected it, and we’re still in the process of seeing how it still affects ponies, I’m actually legitimately concerned about what it may cause or do for you.

“Alternatively, I can offer an ice pack, but other than that I’m at a loss for treatment. I’d have to discuss any other treatments with my boss, but this is the only thing I can think of on such short notice.”

“Just gib id do me…” he sighed in a growling tone, anxious to get the swelling down. He hated looking ridiculous, especially in front of others.

The nurse appeared a little surprised, but nodded. She could understand why he wanted it--she really wasn’t sure how she was going to be able to figure anything else out other wise. Dabbing a cotton swab, she rubbed it against one of his arms then held up the syringe to stick him.

The needle snapped in half like a twig upon attempting to pierce his scales. Drawing it back with a blank expression, the earth pony stared in slight bafflement.

Huffing irritably, he grasped onto the scale that had been swabbed and tore it right off. There was a burning pain that followed, but he was tough enough to endure broken bones.

“Dere… Now you gan penedrade my sgin.”

This time, the nurse really did look a little shocked. Sticking him again, even with the shorter needle, she injected the liquid, and removed it practically in one swift motion.

“There.”

“Good. Now les see if dis does da drig. I don’d wand do walg around looging lieg dis. Id’s hideous!”

The scaly beast lowered his head closer to the nurse’s eye level, his muzzle tilted away as he glanced off, looking slightly pouty.

“I have an ice pack,” the nurse offered. “It will at least help with the swelling, though you may have to hold it against your muzzle.”

Turning his head back to her, he stretched out his neck. Their faces were much closer now, only inches apart, but the dragon king only meant to gesture to the pony to put the ice pack on his snout.

The nurse smiled, retrieving an ice pack from her bag and placing it upon his muzzle.

“There you are,” she giggled. “Don’t you look cute with that on your nose!”

Now this befuddled the Draconian. Eyes widening, he stared at the mare in bemusement.

“E… exguse me?”

“I said you looked cute. You know, darling, delightful, endearing. That tiny ice pack on that big snout of yours just looks kind of silly with that baffled expression of yours.” She made a small snorting noise. “It’s actually kind of adorable!”

King Talonblaze was uncertain how to respond to this. He had never been treated this way before…

She must want something from him, he surmised.

“Uh… Alrighd. Whad do you wand?”

“I’m sorry?” she inquired, arching an eyebrow. “I don’t want anything. I was just saying you looked cute… For a dragon, anyway.”

The dour expression made it clear he didn’t believe her.

“No one comblimends a king lieg me unless dey wand someding, or are sugging up!”

The nurse lowered her eyes halfway, chuckling and shaking her head.

“Now what exactly would the king of the Draconians have that I, a mere pony commoner, could possibly want? Though, if I’ve offended my liege, I apologize--‘twas not my intention.”

“I hab much a gommoner gould wand,” he replied with a snort.

“Oh?” She smirked with a slightly teasing expression. “Such as… what?”

“Bower, for one ding,” he said, sinking his scaly brows further.

“Bower…?” the mare repeated, before realization dawned upon her. “Oh, power. What use would power benefit me? I’m a nurse. My job is to help others.”

“Blease. Ebryone wands bower.”

“… I don’t,” she stated softly with a frown.

Lifting his brows, he focused his full attention on the mare curiously.

“Seriously?”

She nodded.

“Ever since I was a young filly, I’ve always loved making ponies feel better. Whether it was nursing wounds, bruises, or sores. Nothing gave me greater pleasure than being able to care for the sick and the weak. It’s… my passion. My calling in life, if you will.”

“Hrmmm…”

King Talonblaze sighed, quite perplexed that she was even sharing something like this with him.

She nodded again, turning her side to him and raising her foreleg to point at her cutie mark.

“This mark here proves it. This is my cutie mark--nearly everypony has one, and it demonstrates my unique special talent--what sets me apart from everypony else. This symbol explains who I am… What I’m meant to be.”

“I see…”

The large male gave a single nod as his eyes traveled to the mark on her flank… then further back to stare at her behind.

She glanced over her shoulder at him with a smile. As she noticed him staring, she narrowed her eyes and gently shook her rear.

“You like what you see?”

Growling softly, he tore his eyes away. He mentally admitted that for a pony, she was quite attractive.

“I mighd.”

The nurse giggled, blushing.

“Oooh? I’m flattered, sir.” She turned to him fully. “Is there anything else you need?”

Exhaling deeply, he returned his vision to the mare.

“An egsdra blanged.”

“An extra blanket? Of course, my liege. I’ll fetch you one right away.” She gathered her things in her bag and left, returning a few minutes later with another blanket, draping it over his body. “There you are.”

Shifting in position slightly to get more comfortable, he nodded once more.

“I don’d wand any oder medig bud you chegging in on me.”

“Any other…?” she parroted, a little surprised. “Very well, I shall inform the doctor, and I’ll be in to check on you in the morning.”

“You bedder. I will be angry if you don’d redurn,” he stated with a mild glare.

The nurse smiled, apparently not believing him, but nodded nevertheless.

“Well, we certainly don’t want that, now do we? What sort of a nurse would I be?” Reaching up, she rubbed his chin. “You just rest that regal head of yours and get some sleep. I’ll be by tomorrow morning.”

The dragon’s eyes went round at the physical contact, having not expected it.

“W… whad was dad aboud?”

She blushed and gazed off aimlessly.

“… Sorry. Force of habit. It’s nothing, don’t… don’t worry about it, Your Highness.” Another smile spread itself across her face and she headed off. “Have a good night.”

Grunting and pressing the ice pack to his nose, the reptile rolled over so his back was facing her. Right now, he was feeling confused, a strange emotion beginning to stir within him.

Chapter Nine: Someone to Lean On

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Chapter Nine: Someone to Lean On

The Draconian general scooted closer to the solar princess until every inch of his side was pressed against hers. Leaning into her, he heaved a content sigh as he gazed over the countryside.

“You truly do have a beautiful country…”

Princess Celestia’s smile was still present as her eyes followed his line of vision.

“Thank you, General. I feel the same way… Sometimes I just like to come out and look over my kingdom, watching my little ponies go about their lives.

“I envy them, sometimes. They have it easy…”

“It looks like it.” Rhem peered down at a small group of colts and fillies at the bottom of the tall knoll playing with a familiar ball--soon recognizing the poppy red colt and pink filly from earlier. The little ones hadn’t even noticed the alicorn and dragon perched upon the hilltop, as they were too occupied in their game, laughing and frolicking among each other. The sight certainly looked like fun. He found himself wanting to join in, but he didn’t want a repeat of what happened in town. “Princess Celestia? Do you ever feel the want to join your subjects in what ever they are doing?”

“Almost all the time,” she replied, a twinge of sadness permeating her voice. “I may be a princess, but I am a pony, too. There are times where I would love nothing more than to shrug off my duties for the day and spend time with my subjects. However…”

She turned to Rhem.

“None of my subjects would ever treat me like a normal pony. I get looked at and all they see is the princess, deserving only special treatment. If I play a game, my subjects will go out of their way to make sure I win… It’s… actually quite tiring. I ever so rarely get a chance to relax a bit ANYWAY, and even if I do, my duties usually will come up with something urgent again.” A brief pause elapsed. “Which, I will admit, is half the reason I decided to stay around you as long as I have today. I really don’t want to stay in my throne room looking over parchment after parchment of tax increase this or potential law that or something regarding the upcoming budget for next year…”

The mare sighed, a small frown tugging at her lips.

“Sometimes I’d like to play a nice game of hoofball. Get sweaty and dirty. Maybe even a scrape. Give my all without having to resort to using my wings or any magic… and be proud of the game. But…” She raised her head. “My kingdom has, and always will, come first.”

Rhem cast his gaze back at the children. A pair of the foals jumped each other and proceeded to wrestle each other to the grass before the rest followed suit, creating one squirming pony pile.

He observed the scene, an idea spawning in his mind before the all too familiar gleam of mischief reappeared in his eyes. Rising up onto his feet, he pounced the royal alicorn, sending them both tumbling down the hill in the opposite direction of the children.

The princess had been about to open her mouth to ask Rhem a question when she was unexpectedly tackled. What ever words she had died in her throat.

As the dragon rolled down the grassy slope with the equine, he prepared himself for the landing. Once they reached the bottom, he pinned Princess Celestia on her back with a triumphant glimmer in his fiery yellow-orange eyes.

“Then I will treat you like everyone else… Celestia.”

The princess let out a grunt and stared up at Rhem in astonishment.

“Rhem! What--” she began, her words catching. Treat her like everyone else? What did THAT mean? “What… do you mean… by that?”

It hadn’t escaped her notice that he had failed to use her title, simply calling her by her name.

“It means I will not treat you like a princess. You will be just a regular pony to me,” he clarified.

She blinked… before narrowing her eyes lightly and breaking into a grin.

“Well, then, Rhem. I suppose I shall do the same to you.”

“I would like that…”

The tiniest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, he lowered his head to nuzzle his nose against her cheek.

Princess Celestia chuckled, nuzzling back. As she did so, a playful glint sparked in her eyes. Raising her front hooves against the dragon’s sides, she began to lightly tickle along his scales.

Squeaking in a very un-Draconian manner, Rhem leaped off of the mare, landing on his paws a few feet away. The dragon crouched low with his haunches raised in the air and tail swishing back and forth, expressing his own sign to play. Hoping she would chase him around like he had seen the colts and fillies do with each other, he bounced from side-to-side, encouraging her to try to catch him.

Beaming, she rolled over onto her stomach to take a leap at him--wings flaring to catch herself so she didn’t crash upon landing in case she missed.

Rhem was ready. With his lightning-quick reflexes, he bounced out of the way and bounded behind her. Grasping the tip of her ethereal tail in his mouth, he gave it a playful, yet gentle, tug. As he let go, he whipped right back around her with illimitable energy.

Princess Celestia gasped softly at the yank on her tail. A hot flush raced across her face and a tingle went up her spine--though, as she turned to face him, she found he had already made his way around her and she spun back to meet him.

“You’re pretty fast for somepony your size,” she quipped with a smirk.

“We have to be fast,” Rhem stated, running back around to give the mare’s tail another tug. This time, he remained behind her, leaping back a few feet to prepare for what she would do next.

That made sense. Speed and agility were top qualities in sentries. The faster and stronger, the better. All in the name of better and more efficient machines to handle the job better--only one of the reasons why Princess Celestia detested war, but incorporated into her army’s regimen on the off-chance Equestria would need her forces. After the war with the griffons, it seemed fairly evident that was indeed the case. Though, she figured the soldiers deserved the peaceful rest that had been obtained.

She gasped again, feeling another rush of heat come to her face. That felt… rather awkward, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. It just made her feel a little embarrassed that her tail was being played with.

He was quick, that was for sure, and there was no way she could match him in speed…

… Unless…

She gave a smirk, glancing over her shoulder to stick her tongue out at Rhem before her horn glowed and she suddenly vanished with a flash. She almost immediately re-materialized behind the draconic being, swooping down with her mouth to grab his tail and return the favor.

Rhem’s eyes went round in shock when Princess Celestia disappeared, a look of worry gracing his facial features, only to be surprised and relieved when he felt the pull on his own tail. Yanking it free, he spun around to face the mare before heading around her once more. This time, he slipped right underneath her, crouching. Poking his head through her front legs, he tilted it back to meet her eyes. Straightening his legs again, he ended up lifting the princess right off her hooves.

The mare planned on using her teleportation spell again when her companion disappeared from sight, only to feel something slide underneath her. She blinked as she stared down right into his smiling face. As the dragon stood up, she faltered as she was lifted up--laying on her stomach on his back.

With the alicorn on his back, the winged reptilian broke into a fast gallop. He raced along the wide open field with nothing ahead of him but rolling hills and the hairline that made up the border of the Everfree Forest. He ran and ran, making sure he had the equine perfectly balanced. Occasionally, he leaped into the air just for fun--especially when he reached the top of the knolls he cleared. He was in a state of happiness he had never felt before! Streaking down the countryside with Princess Celestia on his back with nothing to stop him…

He felt so free…

Princess Celestia released a cry of surprise when Rhem took off. Her eyes wide, she clamped her hooves down on his shoulders as best as she could. Laying there in shock for a good moment, the princess found herself taken completely off guard. She had never once expected she would experience something like this.

After a few minutes, and the second jump, she began laughing--even going so far as to outright cheer and whoop.

The equine’s laughter was infectious and encouraging. Awkward huffs that resembled laughs rolled out of him with every leap he made. There was no hint of exhaustion in his breath--his endurance and stamina had been brutally crafted so masterfully by the instruction and guidance of his superiors. His heart soared with them, feeling as light-weighted as he did when suspended in mid-jump.

He eventually slowed to a stop, spinning his body in continuous circles, but not fast enough to send the pony on his back flying. As dizziness overpowered him, he stumbled sideways and collapsed onto the soft grassy earth with more full and mirthful laughter.

The Equestrian monarch hollered. Even as they came to a cessation, she continued giggling--feeling her stomach rise up in her body as they span. Keeping her wits about her--at least long enough to jump off of Rhem’s back before he crashed onto his side--she realized she had never felt more alive than she had in the past few centuries. Peals of laughter echoing into the early evening, she laid down on her back against the dragon.

“Heh… You know, it’s almost too bad you’re not a pony, Rhem. I’d almost say you were a good candidate for the Element of Laughter!”

Rhem’s laughter diminished as the adrenaline died down to a moderately low level. With a satisfied sigh, he glanced over at the alicorn, his face alight with bliss.

“I… never thought such fun like that… could even exist! That was incredible! And I hope that was enough to last you until next time you get the chance to have fun.” He nuzzled against the princess, his rib cage heaving as he regulated his breathing. “Think… we can do it again?”

Princess Celestia’s sides were hurting somewhat from all the laughter she and Rhem had shared for the past several minutes. Smiling, she nuzzled him back as she rolled over onto her belly.

“We could, I suppose. But, give me a brief moment, young Rhem.”

She got to her hooves as she reached out with her magic. Closing her eyes, the mare felt the power of the sun fill her and she guided it down from the heavens to let it sink below the horizon far off into the distance. At the same time, she branched out with another tendril of magic to summon the moon, pulling it up over the opposite edge of the view, it slowly creeping skyward at the same time the sun was setting. Now with the celestial bodies on their proper course for the night, she turned back to the Draconian.

Sitting upon his haunches, the general watched in amazement as the sun sank and bathed the surrounding land in an artful display of warm colors. As the moon was brought out, everything was coated with various blues and violets and highlighted with white. Rhem’s eyes flickered brilliantly and pierced the night, fiery yellow-orange orbs flashing like the sun. He took a few moments to admire the glowing ball in the sky and the stars.

“It is a beautiful night…”

The princess’ eyes were wide with a sort of sad pride. While the night was indeed beauteous, she felt as if she could never match her sister’s splendor in that regard.

“Luna always made her nights so much more prettier than I ever could. You could see the stars for miles upon miles.” She shook her head, turning back to her companion. “But, I can honestly say I try my best.”

She went silent again, looking up at the night sky.

Sensing her sadness, Rhem nuzzled Princess Celestia’s cheek in an attempt to comfort her.

“Perhaps you two can reach an agreement once she returns?”

“I doubt Nightmare Moon and I will ever reach an agreement, Rhem. It wasn’t entirely her fault she ended up the way she did. I feel there is an outside force controlling her. To do so, I need to break through to her… And I believe that only the Elements of Harmony would be able to do that.”

The dragon sighed deeply, a pang of sympathy dwelling within him as he offered her another nuzzle.

“Is there… anything I can do…? You already did so much for me…”

Lifting a foreleg, he furled it around the regal pony’s shoulders and held her close.

She forced a cheerless smile, nuzzling him back.

“I’ll be fine. I’ve already lived through it for over three-hundred years. I’m sure I can push through seven-hundred more.” Leaning in closer to the dragon, she shut her eyes. “You’re doing more than you think, Rhem… I haven’t…” The mare sniffed, tears brimming and her sorrow building. “… had a chance to really… lean on… some… pony…”

Her jaw clenched as her eyelids squeezed together tighter, tears streaming down her face, allowing herself to bring her depression forward. She wanted to hold it down, but she knew bottling her emotions was unhealthy.

To have a shoulder to cry on after going so long of crying into a pillow late at night… Just by being present, Rhem provided so much more for Princess Celestia that she did not have for centuries.

“You… can lean on me all you want… And you do not have to… hold back anything with me… If you… need to cry, you can. I will not tell anyone…” Rhem offered, his own sadness increasing. The young dragon hardly knew anything about comforting other than what Princess Celestia had shown him. Though, as he felt an unexpected impulse, he obeyed it and leaned in to lick the rivulet of tears from one of the equine’s cheeks.

Princess Celestia took his suggestion and did so--letting it all hang freely, she poured her heart out onto his shoulder. Eyes that she had sworn had long ago dried up and had no more tears to shed suddenly found themselves in a veritable deluge. Choking and sobbing, she cried for a good, long while.

“… I… I’ll be all right… Thank you, Rhem…”

Rhem held her tighter in his one-armed embrace and placed his head upon the crest of her neck, the equine’s billowing mane tingling the nerves beneath the scales it touched. He remained that way as she openly cried and released the emotional pain weighing upon her.

As she settled down, he removed his head from her neck. Touching his nose to her cheek, he lapped up the fresh tears. He didn’t say anything. He figured his actions would do all the talking for him.

The mare chuckled a bit, finding his actions touching. Nuzzling him softly, she blinked once to clear her eyes, though her face was still tear-stained.

“Thank you, again, Rhem… For everything…. I needed this. For a long time. Too long a time.”

Rhem drew his head back to smile at her, his eyes burning in the darkness like live embers. Leaning in again, he resumed licking the tears off of her face.

The mare giggled at the dragon lapping up what few tears she had. Shaking her head, she smiled.

“Do my tears taste good to you? That tickles!”

It did feel a little ticklish. She had never been licked by a sentient being before, let alone by a dragon.

“Kind of. They probably taste better than they should since I am hungry.”

Her own laughter inspired the playful spark back in him. Unfurling his arm from her, he pinned her to the ground, still licking her face.

A pang of guilt hit the mare’s bosom as the draconic being mentioned he was hungry. Biting her lip, she decided that maybe she should go behind King Talonblaze’s back--after all, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

She was somewhat surprised when Rhem pinned her. Letting out a yelp, she followed it with laughter, and tried to move her face out of the way.

“Now, Rhem! Knock it off!”

Her tone and laughter, however, suggested that… no, she actually didn’t want him to stop.

Despite his growling stomach, the dragon relented to the surge of playfulness. Noting the princess of the sun’s intonation, he shook his head.

“No.”

With a wicked twinkle in his eyes, he continued licking her face; running his tongue over her cheeks, nose, and the bridge of her muzzle.

Princess Celestia giggled as she twisted her face back and forth from Rhem’s tongue while squirming underneath his legs. This tickled so much! He was kind of like a dog, she decided. A big, red, scaly dog. Her eyes suddenly brightened, coming to an amusing mental image. Maybe if she threw a stick, he would run off and fetch it for her. It actually made her laugh even harder.

Rhem kept this up for a few minutes before permitting the equine a break. Ceasing his licking, he began nuzzling her again, the look of bliss painted across his visage. Despite its low points, it turned out to be the best day of his life. After a few nuzzles, the dragon sighed contentedly and touched his nose to hers in an affectionate gesture. It was an entirely innocent and chaste gesture, but affectionate nonetheless.

The princess sighed, giggling again as she opened her eyes to meet his. A bit surprised from the affectionate display, she returned it with gusto. Today was a wonderful day for her--the afternoon meeting with King Talonblaze could have gone a tiny bit better, and the situation in town could have definitely been handled differently, but all in all, it could have been worse.

Chapter Ten: The Manticore Attack

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Chapter Ten: The Manticore Attack

Chuckling, Rhem rubbed his nose against Princess Celestia’s and followed with a quick lick. Standing up, he removed himself from the mare, enabling her the freedom to move to get up if she desired.

“Perhaps we should go back. I bet your servants and guards are wondering where you are.”

Princess Celestia smiled, rolling over and getting to her hooves.

“That sounds like a good idea. Though, I’m sure they’re fine. They can last a few hours without me.”

***

“WHERE IS THE PRINCESS?!” The frightened majordomo of Princess Celestia’s court was practically falling apart, his mane disheveled, his starch tuxedo shirt front popping up out of his trousers, his coat wrinkled, and his monocle dangling from his breast pocket. He was shaking the guard captain, doing his best to keep himself together, with his helmet having toppled off and the rest of his armor looking like it would just fall off the rest of his body through the vibration alone. “WE CAN’T LAST FIVE MINUTES WITHOUT HER! Groups have yet to meet with the princess! Bills need to be signed! Today’s schedule has been completely thrown off!”

He finally released the poor guard, turning and wailing off.

“Oh, this is awful! A disaster! A horrible, horrible disaster!”

The sentry captain really never got a chance to explain that Princess Celestia had been frolicking in the garden and spotted flying off towards town a few hours ago. Not envying the majordomo for his position, the stallion snorted and followed, trying to get a word in edgewise.

***

Rhem nodded as the situation concerning King Talonblaze’s so-called need for land popped back into his head again.

“How much land did you give King Talonblaze?”

Princess Celestia bit her lip, her facial features twisting into a frown.

“Approximately four-hundred miles. I gave him the entire range of the Gaitland mountain area. We originally had at least three major towns there, though all of them were abandoned due to the war with the griffons.”

Blinking, the young general rolled his eyes skyward as he began doing some mental calculations. After coming to a realization, his eyes sprang open.

“He will definitely raise a larger army with that amount of land.”

The alicorn arched an eyebrow.

“I understand. I already came to an agreement with him. How can I renegotiate without reneging on my promise? What should I tell him? I don’t want to go back on my word. What sort of compromise would you suggest, Rhem?”

He mulled it over before his eyes lit up with resolve.

“We wager the land on the spar match I am supposed to lose, but make the deal better. Offer more land and he will agree to it for sure.”

A smile dawned upon her face. That sounded… actually quite devious! A classic “double-or-nothing” scheme. Yes, that could potentially work. If she were to offer some of the lands west of Equestria, where they had to explore firsthoof…

“Alright, we’ll try that,” she finalized. This would definitely be worth it. Anything to keep her ponies safe.

The winged reptilian was pleased just at the fact Princess Celestia herself seemed to like his option. He was confident that this would work, though he had learned that nothing can be one-hundred percent foolproof.

“He will lose the land you offered him and see how defenseless his prized general is against one of your unicorn guards.”

The mare turned around and began to trot back towards Canterlot. She was in decidedly no hurry, mainly because she wanted to spend more time outside and away from her duties, and because she didn’t see scores of pegasus guards scouring the skies for her just yet.

She felt fairly confident in the plan. Yet she still possessed a healthy nag in the back of her head to create a backup. Something about this didn’t sit right with her.

The draconic being bounded ahead in a series of playful springs. As he did, he spun back around into her direction again, running around her as she trotted back to their destination.

As the two of them continued on, the alicorn glanced up to spot armed guards flying in formation away from the castle and heading towards town. The princess’ smile widened. She had been wondering when a search party was going to be sent. Spreading her wings, she flapped them, and with a quick glance at Rhem, took off to take to the skies to meet them halfway.

Utilizing his wings to lift his body from the ground, the Draconian general followed. The guards ahead were difficult to make out in the darkness, but the alicorn and dragon’s adjusted eyes--with the assistance of the full moon’s beams--enabled them to distinguish them.

The captain of the royal guard raced up to the princess, appearing positively vexed from the encounter with the majordomo.

“Your Majesty! There you are! You had us worried… especially your majordomo.”

The solar monarch gave a light giggle.

“I apologize, Captain. I didn’t mean to raise an alarm. I assure you I was in good company.” She flashed a smile to Rhem and followed it with a nod, before returning her attention back to the stallion before her. “Will you escort us back to the castle, Captain? I’m sure everypony will be relieved to see me back safely.”

She would need to have a chat with her majordomo. He was too much of a worrier.

“Of course, Princess!”

With a salute, the captain whipped around and lead the way back to the palace with the royal equine and dragon in tow. Once they made it to the doors that lead to the throne room, he stopped and gestured for the pair to go on. He didn’t want to deal with the majordomo any more than he had to.

Grateful for the guard, Princess Celestia gave him a warm smile and a brief bow to thank him for his duty, before proceeding inside. Upon doing so, the majordomo was practically on top of her.

“Princess! Oh, thank the stars you’re back safely! I was so worried you were--”

“Quite safe with General Rhem, I assure you,” she cut him off, glancing over at the dragon at her side. “I was with a guard the entire time, Chambers. Even if he is not one of our own.”

The majordomo squeaked a bit at the dragon’s presence and backed away a few steps.

“Of course, Your Majesty. I was… sure you were safe, but you see there were ponies who were hoping to meet with you today and--”

“Are they still here?”

“A few,” Chambers said. “Some ever since this morning, waiting for you after your meeting with King Talonblaze.”

“I see. I shall extend a personal apology to those still available. Gather them here, I’ll speak to them all at once to deal with the issues forthwith. Oh, and send a quick message to King Talonblaze to meet me at his earliest convenience.”

Rhem offered a nod to the princess’ majordomo in a peaceful gesture. The young Draconian then looked to Princess Celestia, opening his mouth to speak when she was finished talking.

“Yes. I was her bodyguard for today. If anyone had tried to attack Celestia, I would have torn them apart… Or at least apprehended them.”

Chambers seemed to be quite taken aback when the dragon spoke, his eyes widening. Shaking, obviously frightened at the beast, he blinked, before narrowing his eyes.

“That’s Princess Celestia,” he corrected. “How dare you so callously and so casually address Her Majesty in that way!”

“Chambers, please, don’t mind him. He’s still a guest,” said Princess Celestia with a calm smile.

“But--”

“No buts. It’s quite all right. Rhem here is a friend.”

“… Very well. If Her Majesty insists,” he stated, though he clearly did not look happy about this. “I’ll just… just go get the parties that chose to stay.”

With that, he turned and all but fled out the door, wanting very much to get away from the dragon.

With a small smile, the dragon moved in, touching his shoulder to the large mare’s and nuzzling her cheek right in front of the present ponies.

“I apologize for Chambers.” The mare made her way to her throne to take a seat. “He can be a little jittery at times, yes, but he’s a fine steward. He does good work.”

It didn't take long before several groups of ponies arrived in a single file in the order they came. None of them appeared very happy with having to wait for so long.

“My subjects, I do deeply apologize for the extended delay,” she admitted. “I hope you’ll forgive me for not seeing you at your appointed hours, and I will move on to hearing your issues. Please, calmly, and one at a time, state the issue you have come for me today.”

The first pony inched forward, his terrified eyes were upon the dragon who had settled himself beside Princess Celestia’s throne. Swallowing hard, the middle-aged stallion presented himself.

“G-good e-evening, Y-Your Majesty. I-I’m Sir V-Vladimir from the v-villiage n-near the E-Everfree F-Forest a-and w-we’ve had a s-serious p-problem w-with a p-pack of m-manticores a-attacking our c-cattle, sh-sheep, a-and p-pigs. E-even p-ponies h-have been a-attacked. I a-arrived this m-morning h-hoping y-you would c-come u-up w-with a s-solution before t-tonight since the a-attacks have b-been h-happening a-at night.”

“A pack of manticore?” the princess questioned. She had heard of the manticore living in the forest, but she had never heard of them attacking in packs. This did not bode well--the village was a fringe settlement; with a small couple of hoof-fulls of residents. If these creatures were attacking at night then…

“Horse apples,” she breathed, looking out the window where the moon was visible over the edges of the Everfree Forest. She would have to work quickly. “Captain!” she called out to the pony at the door. “Gather up a squadron of some of your finest stallions. Have them dispatched to Sir Vladimir’s village immediately. Be on the lookout for a pack of manticore. Subdue them if you can, terminate them if you must!”

She felt guilty. They hadn’t been that far from the forest when she and Rhem were out. If she had only knew, then she would have already done something about it…

“Shall I accompany them?” the young Draconian asked as he rose up off his haunches.

Turning to Rhem as he asked his question, she issued a small smile and a nod, feeling better.

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea,” she stated, glad he was already on top of it. She hadn’t even thought of asking the dragon if he wouldn’t mind providing assistance. She then turned to her captain. “Oh, Captain! You might want to bring along some additional backup, as well! I’m sending General Rhem with you.”

She smiled at the equine.

“Worry not. The problem will be taken care of posthaste.”

With that, she turned to the next pony in line for the next problem to be addressed.

The equine nodded and threw himself at Princess Celestia’s feet with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“Oh, thank you, Princess! Thank you!” he thanked her graciously, the stammer exiting his voice.

Rhem turned to Princess Celestia with a powerful gaze that made it apparent that he was going to do everything he could to protect the ponies under attack.

“We will not let you down.”

The princess smiled warmly with a nod directed at him. This might be the chance Rhem was waiting for, she realized. If he went out and protected the ponies from an attack, then instead of being seen as a monster, he could probably be seen as a hero! Either that, or the equines would just think of him as an even bigger threat…

… Well, hopefully the royal guard aside him, the citizens would think the former.

“I know you won’t, Rhem. Godspeed.”

The dragon didn’t know what “Godspeed” meant, but that wasn’t relevant at this point. Right now, he had some ponies to protect! With a single nod, he signaled non-verbally to the captain that he was ready to go. Racing out of the castle, he was lead away into the night.

The large mare watched them leave, stretching out her wings and folding them back up again. Turning back to the group at large, she shifted her focus on seeing what was next on the agenda.

The next pony came forth, she, along with the rest of the equines, were settling down now that the dragon was gone. The bright green and regally dressed pegasus cleared her throat before opening her mouth to speak.

“I… didn’t know you had a pet dragon, Your Highness.”

Princess Celestia chuckled, shaking her head.

“Rhem is not a pet, my dear. He’s the general from--” She hesitated to explicitly say Draconia. “--a far off land. He is here with his king as my guests… Though King Talonblaze is currently elsewhere. Now, what can I do for you, my little pony?”

***

The royal guard and dragon swooped down and landed at the borderline between the village and the Everfree Forest. There were a couple of freshly killed bodies of ponies laying with open lacerations. Apparently, they had arrived too late…

Rhem rushed over to one of the corpses, the scent of blood and death wafting in the air. The Draconian also caught the smell of another creature… There was something about the scent that told him the animal wasn’t friendly. It must be what they were looking for…

Suddenly, a faint snarling snagged his attention. There, in the trees, were several sets of eyes piercing the inky blackness. Rhem snarled back, readying himself for a fight.

Screams of horror could be distinguished from some distance off, and a couple of the guards broke off from the main group to investigate and secure the village. In addition to the chaos caused by the feline terrors, several indirect counts of mayhem were occurring at the same time. A sunshine yellow mare with a black mane and tail could be seen galloping through the square, with hundreds of similarly colored, winged insects crawling all over her sticky golden syrupy body.

“I’M COVERED IN BEEEEEEEES!!” she wailed.

Rhem’s full attention was on the scorpion-tailed felines who were now growing bold enough to emerge from the shelter of the trees. Soon, an entire pack the large beasts were present. He didn’t count them all, but there were more than fifteen. The largest one stalked forth, appearing more menacing than the rest. This one was obviously the alpha.

The young Draconian automatically went into his general persona, temporarily forgetting this was someone else’s army, and that they already had a commander. Keeping his cautious eyes on the pack, he addressed the royal guard in a commanding tone.

“Create a single file line and block the path to the village!”

The captain didn’t appreciate his company being ordered, and had turned to Rhem to give him a piece of his mind when he saw exactly how many of the beasts there were. Remembering this dragon’s rank as a general, the sentry was willing to let this particular instance slide--for the time being.

“Well?!” he shouted to the others, who had hesitated. “You heard him! Get your flanks in gear, soldiers! We’ve got a village to defend!”

“Keep your heads low to protect your throats! Aim for the eyes, throat, and open mouths, and do not let your guard down on the jaws, claws, and tail! Attack then jump away to avoid a counterattack!” he added, sprinting forward to meet the alpha--who charged, too.

A number of the guards were surprised to hear this, but with a nod of confirmation from their captain, rushed their enemy. Spears in mouths, they lowered their heads, proceeding to imitate their scaly ally.

However, a single pony couldn’t possibly hope to flip the creatures over--instead, the pegusi guards teamed up to utilize their weapons to attack--a few of them going right for the throats with a couple of them acting as a distraction, others, going in for the assault.

Swift on his feet, the dragon slipped underneath the leader before it could snap its teeth at him. The reptile parted his jaws and slashed at the soft belly, slicing it right open. Blood and entrails dropping on top of him, he applied his strength to flip the beast right over before whirling around and springing at the jugular. The inflicted manticore’s energy quickly depleted as blood sprayed from its torn throat, making it far easier to finish off.

Rhem leaped away to allow the manticore to bleed to death and shook the entrails from his back. He then zipped from manticore to manticore, slashing open throats as he passed--even as ponies were fighting them. He was determined to finish the fight before anyone got hurt.

Thanks to Rhem’s assistance, the battle went much easier. As an almost fully grown dragon, he was more than capable of being a match for a manticore… but it took no less than four pegasi guards to bring down one of them.

One of the sentries, however, had a fairly novel idea. Positioning himself by an unused clothesline tied between two houses, he utilized it to launch his spear to shoot one of the manticores just below one a knee joint. From there, he snagged the clothesline and flew in tight circles around the creature, tying its legs together and causing it to crash to the ground on its side. This merely incapacitated it, and took another couple of ponies to actually slay it.

Rhem was satisfied with the outcome of the bout. Never, had he seen teamwork used in battle. Draconian soldiers were trained to fight for themselves, for their own survival, so this was a change of pace.

The last of the standing manticore fell over, energy drained from blood loss like the rest of its packmates. The dragon panted lightly, his body coated heavily with blood. Taking a look around, he released a relieved sigh. None of the royal guard had sustained any injuries.

“HOO-HA!” the stallions cried, lifting their hooves and spears at a successful aversion of catastrophe. Well, about as successful as could reasonably be expected, at any rate.

The captain hovered up to Rhem, removing his helmet and giving a light bow.

“I must say, General Rhem… Thank you, for your assistance. I… I’m not sure how well we could have done this without you.”

The Draconian offered a nod in return. He was pleased he was receiving gratitude for his work, never having gotten this sort of treatment back at home.

“Hm,” he grunted softly in acknowledgement. “You and the others did not do badly.”

The captain nodded, feeling an odd camaraderie with the dragon. While he was grateful his own forces weren’t harmed… he swallowed hard as he turned into the direction of the village. What of them, he wondered. There were a few that, unfortunately, they couldn’t save in time.

The pony covered in bees ran by again, sobbing in sheer, unadulterated horror.

“We’ll gather the dead civilians here,” he said, more to his own soldiers than to Rhem. “And see to the wounded, if any.” He turned back to the dragon, unsure of what he could do. “We can take things from here, General Rhem.”

“Do keep your eyes pealed for any more of those beasts that might be lurking. If more show up, let me know.”

With another nod, Rhem unfurled his wings and took to the skies en route to the castle.

Chapter Eleven: We Found a Witch!

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Chapter Eleven: We Found a Witch!

Having come to a resolution with their issue, the second group of ponies bowed to their princess and departed, so that the third may present their predicament. An earth pony mare--with her pasterns bound in shackles, a black, lightly tattered cloak, a similar-colored pointed hat sitting atop of a dirty purple bed of mane, and a prominent wart sitting between her nostrils--was pulled forth by the group leader, a spark of excited keenness in his eyes.

“We found a witch! May we burn her?” the unicorn requested.

“She turned me into a newt!” another stallion proclaimed… who was obviously not the mentioned amphibian.

Absolutely flabbergasted, Princess Celestia’s eyes sprang open and her eyebrows arched up.

“A newt?” she repeated in disbelief.

There was an awkward pause before the stallion spoke again.

“… I got better…”

“BURN HER ANYWAY!” voices from the crowd rose up.

“I’m not! I’m not a witch!” the mare protested.

“… But you are dressed up as one,” said Princess Celestia, cocking a brow.

“They dressed me up like this,” she cried, exasperated.

“We didn’t!” the small gaggle declared. “We didn’t--”

“And this isn’t my mane!” the mare interrupted. “This is a false one!”

The alicorn’s horn illuminated, and indeed, the pointed hat and wig lifted off her head, revealing a different, more natural texture underneath. Furrowing her eyebrows, the princess gave a soft glare at the crowd to dare them to explain themselves.

“Well?”

“… Well, we did do the mane,” one admitted.

“And another,” chimed another. “But she’s a witch!”

“Yeah! Burn her! Burn her!” they began chanting in earnest.

Princess Celestia sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Did you dress her up like this?”

“No!” the crowd replied, each taking their turn. “No, no! No! No!”

A brief pause elapsed.

“… Yes.”

Another passed.

“Yeah, a bit. A bit.”

“But she has a wart!” one interjected.

The royal mare closed her eyes, slapping a hoof to her face.

“So, Your Highness, may we burn her?” asked the leader of the current group. He, along with his fellowship, leaned forward in anticipation for the regal equine’s answer.

Princess Celestia sighed lightly. This was getting ridiculous.

“Come now,” she began. “This is silly. You take a pony without actually confirming her to be a witch and demand to execute her. There are ways of telling whether she is a witch or not.”

“There are?” one of the ponies queried.

“Do they hurt?” a second questioned, but he was ignored entirely.

“Tell me, what do you do with witches?”

“You burn them!” the first stallion responded.

“What do you burn, apart from witches?” Princess Celestia inquired.

“MORE witches!” another pony cried out.

“Wood,” one of the others said.

“Very good!” A smile spread across Princess Celestia’s lips. “Now, why do witches burn?”

“Because… they’re made of wood?” an equine answered tentatively.

“Precisely! How can you tell if she’s made of wood?”

“Build a bridge out of her!” the first stallion called out.

“Ah, but can you also not build bridges made of stone?”

“Oh, yeah…”

“Does wood sink in water?” the tall mare inquired.

There was murmuring being shared among the crowd for a few moments.

“… No, no, it floats,” one of them started, the rest following. “It floats! Throw her into the pond!”

“Wait a moment.” The princess lifted a hoof to gesture for her little ponies to stay put. “What else floats in water?”

“Bread!” answered a stallion.

“Apples!” said a mare.

“Very small rocks!”

“Cider!”

“Great gravy!”

“Cherries!”

“Mud!”

“Churches--churches!”

“Lead--lead!”

“A duck,” came the voice of Chambers with a roll of his eyes.

“Exactly!” The princess beamed. “So, logically…”

"If she weighs the same as a duck…” the lead stallion ventured. “… then she’s made of wood.”

“And therefore…” Princess Celestia prompted.

“A WITCH!” the now enthused crowd shouted.

Princess Celestia nodded over to Chambers, ordering for him to bring out the large scales. Within moments, a set of scales… and a white duck were wheeled in. The accountants, who had arrived earlier amidst the confusion, looked up from their ledgers in bafflement as Chambers levitated the duck onto one end of the scales. The accused witch was urged to climb onto the bare end and she and the duck were promptly weighted. Much to the dismay of the group, the mare’s end of the scale went straight down, outweighing the waterfowl.

Of course, Princess Celestia had known this would happen all along--and had decided to play along and humor her little ponies mainly for the sake of seeing this through rather than causing an outright riot. Now that the situation had been definitely proved, she turned to the crowd with a significant loss of humor.

“You see there? The duck is clearly outclassed by her. Now get her out of those chains and that ridiculous costume, and bother me not with this nonsense again!”

It had taken a significant amount of self-control to prevent the leader of the previously restless group from wetting himself. They gazed up at the princess, bodies trembling and prostrating in appeasement. Nodding in unison, two unicorns released the earth pony from her binds, and bolted towards the throne room’s exit in time to see Rhem covered in blood.

Eyes wide with horror at the side, they released blood-curdling screams--some of the ponies in the room fainted. Rhem only stared back at them, blinking.

Princess Celestia, about to ask for the next group of ponies to present their matter, ears perked and snapped her head to the doorframe, spotting the dragon. Immediately getting to her hooves, her jaw dropped at the view of his blood-splattered body.

“What happened?” she asked, concern etched on her visage. “Stars above, are you hurt? Is the village safe? Somepony get a doctor in here!”

“I am fine, Celestia! It is manticore blood,” Rhem hurriedly reassured the princess of the sun. His small smile then faltered as his mind shifted to the ponies that had fallen victim to the manticore before he and the royal guard showed up. “We… did arrive too late. There were a few dead when we got there, but… no more were hurt.”

She relaxed visibly upon hearing he was not injured and the blood was not his. Heaving a sigh, she gave him a small smile, though her stomach clenched knowing three ponies were dead.

“Good. I’m glad you were able to save the village and prevent any further casualties. Did you see how many were there? … Or should I wait to conference with the captain? I see you came back alone, so I can only assume they’ve got the village secured…”

“There were over fifteen manticore,” Rhem replied as he eyed the dark red blood that tainted his body.

“Your warriors did well for non-Draconians,” he added, gazing back at the mare.

The Equestrian princes felt a twinge of pride at that--though she felt that the captain would have probably taken the praise a little better.

“Well, they’ve got to. They’re our best forces Equestria has to offer. Though, really, it’s them you should be telling that to, not I. I don’t train my guards. They’ve done a fine job of doing that themselves.”

A small lapse passed, realizing the dragon was still blood-soaked.

“Ahhh… Rhem, not meaning to be rude, but perhaps… would you mind… washing up?”

Her nostrils twitched. The stench of death was just now beginning to slightly discomfort her, and Heaven only knew how the rest of the nobles amassed were taking it.

“Oh, okay… Um, where do I wash up?”

“Down the hall, forth hallway to your left, second door on the right. That’s the closest bathroom, at least for somepony that would be relatively comfortable for your size.”

Smiling, she took another seat on her throne.

The young Draconian bounded right up to the princess and touched his blood-free nose to hers in an affectionate and thankful gesture, then dashed off.

The guards, attendants, and visitors alike hung their mouths wide open at what the general had just done. Never, had they seen--or even heard--of anyone doing something like that to the princess of Equestria.

Even Princess Celestia appeared somewhat shocked, a pink blush tinting her cheeks. Although while she wasn’t embarrassed at Rhem’s overtly public display of affection, she WAS surprised he had done it while still covered in blood.

“O… kay then…” She shook her head, and directed her attention back at the ponies lined before her. “… Moving right along here…”

Rhem took the time to marvel at the ornate bathroom, very impressed with the artistic décor. When he first espied his reflection in the mirror, he jumped in the air several feet, never having seen a mirror before. At first, he thought it was some sort of magic trick, but on further observation, he realized it was nothing more than reflective glass.

After inspecting every drawer, cabinet and its inventory, and peeked into the toilet--quickly regretting the last one--, he hopped into the bathtub. Spotting the pump and faucet, he brought his paws up to fiddle with them curiously. He had never used a pump--or even a tub, used to bathing mostly in collections of water that held enough to soak in.

By the time he figured almost everything out--how to use the pump and what soap was used for, and that it wasn’t edible--and returned to the throne room still, the equines were wrapping up a discussion on a food crisis. The mentioning of food reminded his beyond empty belly to snarl and churn in complaint, creating a series of painful cramps. The dragon placed a clawed hand upon the scales covering his abdomen.

As Princess Celestia was dismissing the others, she sat back and turned to Rhem with a small smile. A frown pulled at her lips as she overheard his grumbling stomach and came to a decision.

“You know,” she started. “While I’m respectful of other nations and their customs, I simply cannot stand back while this goes on.”

She got up and descended down the steps.

“Come, let’s get you a little snack or something.”

His entire demeanor brightened up at the thought of finally receiving some nourishment to becalm his roaring belly. Judging by the pony’s intonation when she said “little”, he came to the conclusion he would be given plenty to eat.

“I will eat what ever your chefs make. They do not even have to kill anything.”

“I had the feeling that you might be more willing to eat something more… herbivorous during your stay here. I think I’ll order sandwiches for you. Besides, King Talonblaze doesn’t need to know.”

“I do not know what sandwiches are, but I would like to try them.”

With a new burst of energy spurred by the promise of food, he whirled around and sprinted into the hallway behind him.

“I’ll be more than--” the alicorn began, only to cut herself off as Rhem ran off. Laughing lightly, her smile drooped into a frown at the revelation as to how hungry he must be. Forcing her smile back into its original state, she calmly trotted after him.

Rhem halted in the middle of the hall on their route to the dining room in order to wait for Princess Celestia to catch up. Swishing his tail left and right and crouching into a playful pose as she approached, he leaped to the side and made another dash several more yards away and repeated the gesture.

Princess Celestia smirked, unable to figure out if Rhem was just playing or if his hunger was just making him delirious. She decided it was likely safe to assume the former. Her slow gait sped up into a faster one, though she didn’t break out into a full gallop.

Rhem smiled seeing he got a reaction from the princess and lunged at her. Right before he could crash into her, he arced around her and put on the breaks as he nabbed her tail as he had done in the garden. After one more gentle yank--causing a couple of watchful guards to snap their eyes wide open--, he let it go and darted in front of her again to perform another playful crouch, his tail swishing in excitement.

Raising her tail up, the mare grunted and narrowed her eyes with a lighthearted glint.

“Oh-ho. So you want to play again, do you…?” she said, leaping at him in an attempt to tackle him to the floor.

Scrunching the bridge of his nose in amusement, the swift-footed dragon sprang aback and out of the mare’s reach. As Princess Celestia missed him, he lurched forward to position himself right in front of her. Half-rearing, he wrapped his forelegs around her neck and gently closed his teeth onto her delicate ear with a friendly growl.

By that time, the sentries were growing quite nervous observing the Draconian’s fangs on their princess and his talons lightly poking into her soft fur. They were expecting him to turn vicious at any moment.

The nibbling felt rather good, and somewhat sleep, but the alicorn wasn’t quite done. Throwing her hooves around him, she leaned off to one side to try and roll-toss him and pin him underneath her body.

Rhem hadn’t been expected her next move. As he was lifted off the floor, he parted his jaws to let out a short, surprised yip. He landed upon his back with a ‘thud’, the pony’s hooves pressing into his chest. He gazed up at her with amazement dawning in his eyes.

“Wow… You are quite strong for a pony,” he stated. The reptilian wasn’t going to relinquish himself yet. Mind trailing back to the tickling he had received back in the garden, a devious smirk spread across his face as his claws reached for her ribs to unleash his own tickle attack.

“Earth pony magic. Makes us strong as--ACK!” the prismatic-maned alicorn squealed, flinching and twisting away from him. “Hahahaha! Hey, no fair!”

“No fair? I suppose the tickling you gave me earlier was not fair?” Rhem chuckled. Grasping onto one of her forelegs with one hand, still tickling her with the other, he rolled them over and pinned her. “Now who is the one on top?”

Princess Celestia giggled, shaking her head.

“Oh--hahahah!! Alright, alright! Turnabout--ahahaha!--is fair play!” she howled, trying to reach up to tickle him back.

Placing his hind feet at both of her sides, he stood up and grasped her opposite foreleg, turning her onto her side to pin both of her front legs.

“What are you going to do now?”

Princess Celestia said nothing, looking up at him before gazing over at her guards standing attention.

“I could called my guards,” she said, in an off-hoof manner--however, a quick wink to them said she had everything all under control. A quick scan the area and she noticed that one of her maids had carelessly left a feather duster laying on one of the plant tables behind the general. While she normally would have lightly admonished such sloppiness from her staff, she was actually thankful.

Her horn glowed as she levitated the feather duster, hovering it towards Rhem to tease his flank with a couple of titillating sweeps before raising it up and out of sight.

The nerves in his flank tingled at the touch of the feather duster. Slightly startled, he turned his head to look at what had tickled him. He blinked in bemusement, seeing nothing or no one behind him. At that, he returned his attention back to Princess Celestia.

“Where were we? Oh, right--here!”

The dragon smirked deviously and resumed tickling her.

The mare laughed as she lowered the feather duster again, and she was able to brush it along his spine--however, his tickling led to her losing her concentration, and it fell from her magical hold and onto his back, bouncing off to one side and clattering to the floor as she lost herself in her laughter.

Leathery wings reflexively unfolding as the feather duster coasted up his spine with shivers and ear frills perking at the clattering of the wooden handle hitting the marble floor, Rhem yet again stopped to investigate the noise. Eyes absorbing the object, he then tossed a knowing grin at the giggling equine.

“You sneak.”

Giving up on tickling, he went for her ear again.

Princess Celestia chortled, bringing up a hoof to stroke his chin and down the side of his neck.

“Heh. I tried to distract you long enough, but I couldn’t hold my concentration.” She giggled. “Couldn’t get it to where I could get a long enough opening…

“So. Now that you’ve taken me prisoner, what are you going to do to me?”

She smirked, glancing over at her guards.

The guards watched suspiciously with narrowed eyes. They didn’t trust him. He was a dragon. It didn’t matter if he was acting friendly now. Deep down, his kind were killers.

“What am I going to do? Why should I just tell you?” he asked with a tilt of his head upon releasing her ear. Lowering his head, he began to continuously lick her cheek.

Chapter Twelve: Rhem's Promise

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Chapter Twelve: Rhem’s Promise

Princess Celestia made an odd noise, as if she was slightly disgruntled at this… but she gave another smirk and rolled her eyes a the dragon’s playful mannerisms. Glancing over at her guards, she chuckled and shook her head, still giving the signal that everything was fine.

She knew she didn’t have to worry. Should Rhem try anything deceitful, they would be all over him… despite the fact that they were quite thoroughly embarrassed over earlier. On top of that, she knew he was weak to magic, and she had him right at point blank range.

The draconic being’s growling stomach reminded him how hungry he was. Sliding his tongue back into his mouth, he stepped away from the princess to allow her the freedom to get back onto her hooves.

“I suppose I better get some food before King Talonblaze comes around.”

Moving to get up, a couple of pops originated from her back as she stretched out. Her horn glowed to levitate the feather duster back where she had found it, and nodded once.

“Good idea.”

Ear frills jerking at each pop, the young dragon’s facial expression morphed into one of concern.

“Did I hurt you, Celestia?” he asked, taking a step into her direction.

“I’m fine, Rhem,” she replied, shaking her head. “Just had a few cricks in my back. I’m not used to rolling around on the floor.”

He softly sighed with relief, glad that the princess had not hurt herself.

“Hm. I suppose not since you would be so busy. Do you schedule days to get exercise?”

“I try to. I do like to get flying in whenever possible. However, when I try to schedule something fun, no matter what, something always comes up. I can’t even take a personal day without anypony knowing. The last time I tried that, half the kingdom thought I had disappeared forever. It was all but complete chaos.”

“Chaos? What would chaos be in Equestrian terms?” Rhem queried with a dose of curiosity, giving a tilt of his head into the direction where they should be going as a gesture for her to join his side.

“A complete lack of order. Pandemonium. Fear and terror running rampart without any sense of control at all,” the Equestrian monarch relayed, walking at the dragon’s side. “Some would say an absolute state of insanity. Confusion. Bedlam…”

There was a pause as the mare’s eyes narrowed with a glare at the floor.

“… Discord.”

The dragon stared at the alicorn, noting the hateful glint in her eyes and he was reminded of the story of Discord.

“I apologize for angering you.”

Princess Celestia closed her eyes, shaking her head. Opening them after a second, her purple orbs slid over to Rhem with a sorrowful expression.

“You did not anger me at all, Rhem.” She sighed. “Those dark times should probably best be left forgotten. Thinking about them reopens old wounds.”

The winged beast frowned, his heart going out to her.

“If it hurts you to talk about it, then perhaps we should not discuss it.” In an effort to change the subject, Rhem’s mind reeled for a topic. “Um… What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?”

Another pause, and a deep sigh. The mare seemed distressed, but her expression did an alarming one-hundred eighty degree turn and she grinned at the dragon.

“I like reading, taking walks, flying, various games, the occasional prank every once in a blue moon, sampling new foods, sometimes just simply talking… listening to music, watching plays… among other things.”

Rhem listened intently as he traversed down the hallway with the princess, absorbing the information with the eagerness of a learning student.

“I do not know what a prank or music is. Nor do I understand what you mean by ‘watching plays’. Do you mean you like to watch others play?”

Princess Celestia chuckled.

“Actually, no. A play is a performance. Basically, ponies go up on stage and… well, they pretend to be other ponies. They act out scenes in the life of another for the entertainment of the crowd. We call it a play because the actors and actresses on stage are playing the roles of those other ponies.

“For example, there might be a pageant about how I came to power. They’ll select a pony to represent me during the play.” She giggled. “It’s… actually quite amusing. And a little surreal.”

“Oh… okay…”

Rhem furrowed a brow and cocked the other as he attempted to imagine the concept. He could understand pretending. It was the basic element in the art of deception.

“I kind of understand a little…” The dragon then went on to the next subject. “What about a prank or music?”

“A prank is essentially a joke on another,” the mare explained. “Generally harmless, and designed to cause fun… at the expense of the other. Like… placing clear glass over a doorway, calling somepony inside, and watching them bump into it in confusion.”

She giggled.

“As for music… well… it’s sounds that can be described as a harmonic melody. It is a series of noises that can sound pleasing to one’s ears, and it can be created by playing an instrument, or singing, or… even ambient sounds in tune with one another.”

Rhem smiled with a mischievous glint in his eyes, seeming to like the idea of a prank. He automatically knew something like that wouldn’t be permitted back in his homeland.

“I do not know what singing is… Celestia? Would you… mind showing me later?”

The princess closed her eyes with a warm smile, and nodded, continuing to walk alongside him.

“Of course. I would be more than happy to.”

His smile widened as he felt appreciation for her agreeing to his request. She truly was a wonderful ruler…

“I wish King Talonblaze was just like you. Though… it would probably be kind of creepy hearing his voice coming out of a female winged and horned pony version of himself.”

Opening her eyes, the alicorn chuckled.

“Yes, I bet that would be rather… disturbing, if amusing.” The mare paused in contemplation. “I wonder how I would sound if I deliberately lowered my voice?”

“Let us hear it then.”

The Draconian general had to admit he was rather curious as to how the princess would sound with a deep, masculine voice.

Princess Celestia grinned, utilizing her magic to deepen her voice. Unbeknownst to her, a pale yellow pegasus would experience same exact voice involuntarily seven centuries later.

“I’ve been a singer, actor, writer, director,” Princess Celestia’s deep voice rumbled from her throat, lowering her eyelids with a sigh. “I’ve been in the business ever since the dawn of time. Backstage, we do a lot of sitting around. In my case… I drink coffee. A loooot of coffee.”

As they entered the dining hall, the young male chuckled at the short performance Princess Celestia put on for him.

“Well done, but I prefer your normal voice.”

Wanting to try altering his voice himself, he cleared his throat and lowered his voice in order to put on his best impersonation of the Draconian king.

“I am King Talonblaze. I am an old, grumpy, overgrown lizard with bat wings. I throw a tantrum at every little detail. I am so great and powerful.”

The mare at his side couldn’t help herself, and she began belting out a laugh, throwing a foreleg over her chest. Crossing over to one of the tables near the kitchen, she wiped a tear from her eye.

“That’s… that’s actually really good! You sound somewhat like him! You might be able to pull of a convincing impersonation!”

Rhem’s tail swished back and forth, his smile stretching wider at the encouraging sound of Princess Celestia’s laughter. She liked it! Sitting himself in the chair right beside her, he kept going.

“Impersonation? What are you talking about? I am King Talonblaze, ruler of Draconia, and you shall respect my authority.”

The royal equine responded by laughing even harder, covering her eyes with one hoof and slapping the floor with her tail. Removing her hoof and shaking her head, she grinned over at the dragon.

“Very well. And what would His Majesty care to eat?”

Rhem was tempted to say “you” then pounce on her, but he figured that would be a good way to get himself into trouble, even if he wouldn’t be serious.

“I would like to try those sandwiches you mentioned,” he answered.

Nodding at him, she got up and stepped around the table and plodded over to the kitchen. Calling to the staff inside, she requested a meal for her friend and herself.

The dragon twisted his neck, his eyes following the alicorn as she left the table to order their food.

“Celestia? While you are at it, can you tell them the food they make is the best I ever had?” he asked, his voice now back to normal.

“Oh! Yes.” Ducking her head back into the kitchen, she flashed an award-winning smile at her chefs. “Excuse me. Our exalted guest wishes to commend you all on a job very well done. Your cuisine is excellent--the best he’s ever had.”

The chefs and servants blinked, dumbstruck as they stared with frozen eyes. Comprehension slowly worked its way into their minds, but only half-processed it. Nodding their thanks, they went back to work.

Princess Celestia stifled a giggle as she pulled her head away from the doorway and sashayed back to Rhem’s side. Sitting down, her repressed giggle was released.

“I quite say you dumbfounded them, Rhem. They were all quite shocked stiff.”

“Really? Did they find it that shocking coming from a Draconian?” The dragon was swiftly struck with realization. “I suppose they would since we are meat eaters.”

“Actually, I’d say recent events have suggested you’re omnivorous, rather than exclusively carnivorous…” the princess mused. “I can see why you’re more naturally inclined to eat meat. It’s just how your biology works.

“Though, yes, you should have seen the looks on their faces,” she chuckled. “I could have sworn I’d seen more than a few jaws drop.”

“That shocked? I guess it will not be as shocking once they see me eat what they make,” he said, one corner of his mouth curling back into an amused half-smirk.

“I daresay they’d be even more shocked.” The equine lifted a hoof to tap her chin. “Most of the chefs and servants looked… disbelieving. Maybe we should call them out here and let them see for themselves?”

“Yes. When they are finished making our food. Should I feel bad that they have to make more since my body requires more?”

Rhem averted his gaze for a moment. At his size, the dragon himself needed at the very least three times the amount an average stallion consumed. With his metabolism and all the calories he burned daily through his brutal training, he had been encouraged to eat as much as he could.

“Don’t.” She smiled, sliding a hoof over his clawed hand. “You can’t help it--you’re a dragon… and you’re still very much a growing boy. Besides…”

She turned back towards the kitchen.

“It’s not just the staff’s job to cook. It’s also their passion -- their special skills. Some of the cooks I’ve had here practically made it their life’s mission.” She returned her attention to her scaly friend. “I remember back… nearly a century ago, I had a chef… one of the best in Equestria working for me. Went by the name of Cookie Crumble. I swear, the mare never lived for anything else. She treated everypony--even me--as if we were all starving at times, even though we always had more than enough.”

Princess Celestia neglected to share the fact that she had weighed a few more pounds while Cookie Crumble was on her staff.

The Draconian was washed over with warm comfort as the alicorn’s hoof passed over his hand. It made him feel more at ease and at home despite the treatment he had been given by the more xenophobic ponies.

“The only dragons back at home who enjoy their work are the ones who deliver punishment…”

The princess exhaled a deep-seated sigh.

“There are ponies here who enjoy their work that… are rather twisted in their heads. Some motivated by greed. Or cruel desire. It’s a rare occurrence, mind you, but it DOES happen. It’s especially tragic when it does…” She bit her lower lip as a thought crossed her mind. “Rhem… I know I probably shouldn’t have to worry, but… take care if you happen to be wandering the halls here by yourself. I… have a sick feeling somepony might try something. Not because of an attempt to act out of malice, perhaps, but I think a misguided sense of self-preservation.

“They may still see you as a threat to me. To them. I urge caution… especially if you intend to show them you mean no harm.”

“Try something?” he mirrored with a tilt of his head. “Do you think a pony could actually take down a Draconian?” he questioned with a heavy dose of certainty that such a feat wasn’t possible. A fragile creature like a pony possessing the physical prowess of killing a highly trained and powerful tank of a beast like a Draconian? Ridiculous!

Well, he had to remember the newly discovered weakness to magic, but still… magical assaults could be dodged via agility and high speed. He would not make the same mistake the last time he went up against those stallions.

“You would be surprised by the stories of great and mighty beasts being taken down by creatures less than a tenth of their size and strength. And though you demonstrated quite an amount of agility and strength earlier today, all it takes is a little rotten luck and somepony with enough ingenuity.

“Though… I suppose you’re right.” A serious mask painted itself across her face. If nothing else, she didn’t want to find out her subjects inadvertently start a war by slaying Rhem in an effort to somehow drive off King Talonblaze. “If anypony tried something, that would just be the spark needed to start a war.”

She lowered her voice down to a whisper.

“If King Talonblaze really wishes to start a war, the last thing we need to do is actually give him justification to start one.”

“… I will not let that happen…” Now it was Rhem’s turn, his hand settling upon her hoof this time. His eyes bore the image of sincere determination. He may not have been accepted by the mare’s subjects at large, but this kind creature’s existence was enough to give him a reason to protect her country. “I cannot allow anything to hurt you… or your subjects.”

The alicorn gave him a warm smile. She wished to say she could believe him--having lived long enough as was to say she could honestly doubt him…

But, there was something in his words--his tone, his poise, that made her think she could trust him.

“Thank you, Rhem.” She leaned in to nuzzle him. “That’s… very noble of you.”

Returning the nuzzle with a gentle smile, he removed his hand from her pastern, but paused his actions and his ear frills flared upon hearing a gasp. One of the servants, a unicorn who had dropped a bowl of salad upon witnessing the princess and dragon exchanging nuzzles, stared wide-eyed.

Princess Celestia drew back at the gasp, confused. Blinking, she turned her head and spotted the servant… and the dropped salad bowl. She gazed at him, then at the bowl, back to him, and delivered a disapproving stare. She said nothing, merely arching an eyebrow, as if to question what he thought he saw. However, she smiled a second later.

“Is there a problem?”

The servant shook his head to snap himself out of it and recollect his thoughts.

“Erm… No, of course not, Your Highness!”

Utilizing his magic, he summoned the bowl and stray bits of salad scattered upon the polished floor. Once the floor was clear of any traces of food, he scrambled back into the kitchen to make another.

“What is wrong with him?” Rhem wondered.

The alicorn shrugged her wings.

“No idea,” she replied, though in truth she believed she knew. The servant had saw them nuzzling, she figured, and surmised rumors of the two of them would be spreading. She decided to make it a priority to pull him aside to have a chat with him. “He probably saw something that surprised him.”

The dragon tilted his head again, this time in the opposite direction. Something surprised him? What could have possibly done that? He didn’t see anything surprising around him. The matter befuddled him, but he paid it no further heed.

Shortly, a different servant emerged from the kitchen with a bottle of wine to pour the liquid contents into the golden jewel encrusted goblets sitting in front of the princess and her reptilian friend. She was quick with the task, wishing not to spend a second longer around the beast.

Pulling the goblet closer, Rhem peered inside, his nose barely touching the lip as he inhaled the strange smell.

“What is this?”

“That,” Princess Celestia began, lifting up her goblet with her magic and brought it to her lips to take a sip, “is wine. Brambleberry, I believe! Quite lovely, if a bit bitter.”

She lowered the goblet.

“You should try some. It’s fairly decent!”

“Oooh.” Bringing the cup even closer, Rhem lined his head with the mouth of it and proceeded to lap up the wine. After having an experimental taste, he raised his head with a lick of his lips. “It is good.”

Princess Celestia watched him. She seemed a little surprised, but then recalled he would have no formal training in any sort of etiquette. To be fair, she actually seemed a little more astonished that he didn’t just start chugging the drink down.

Smiling lightly, she nodded.

“We have many types of wine. Brambleberry, snozzberry, blueberry, blackberry…” Her face contorted and she stuck her tongue out. “Raspberry…”

“I have never heard of those. Snozzberry sounds like it comes from someone’s nose,” he commented, scaly features scrunching up in disgust at the mental imagery.

“Well, snozzberry is really just a flavor. It’s not an actual berry. Kind of like blue raspberry. Raspberries are real, but blue raspberry is a flavor. It’s the same thing. There is a popular myth about how snozzberry came to be.

“I don’t know it in full details, but from what I understand, there was a pony who owned a winery looking to find a way to distill and ferment a type of wine made from a certain fruit. The process was that it had to be done in a certain manner or it wouldn’t turn out just right. One day, the winery owner and his family were in the process of extracting the juices and setting them up to be fermented when the youngest daughter made a mistake and put in a different kind of sugar than what was supposed to be used.

“This happy little mistake changed the process dramatically. The owner originally thought this batch was ruined--when he noticed the juice had a distinctively different smell to it. He happened to like it… and tasted it -- which he found he enjoyed. So, he went on to ferment it anyway and tested it out around with the rest of his family and friends. And thus a new flavor was born.”

She shrugged.

“That’s the story from how I heard it. It actually could be a completely different truth.”

Rhem smiled as he quietly listened intently to the story, absorbing every single word. As it came to a close, the dragon took another taste of his wine, never taking his eyes off of the alicorn.

“That is interesting. It is a good thing the pony’s daughter made the mistake.”

“Sometimes the greatest of things that came about was because of a mistake. You never know what discoveries you’ll make! It’s one of the reasons I love seeing the results of my scientists… It’s always exciting seeing what they discover, regardless of whether or not what they find was what they intended.”

“Our superiors do not permit mistakes. If any are made, then punishment follows. Our soldiers are afraid to make any because of that.”

Rhem went back to his wine, slurping it up, accidentally sending a few drops flying across the tablecloth.

“Even if those mistakes create something that happened to yield more positive results and would be more beneficial in the long run?” Princess Celestia asked, even though she knew what the answer was. Arching an eyebrow, she bit her lip. “I ought to already know the answer to this by now, but morbid curiosity leads me to ask anyway. Does King Talonblaze support… any independent research at all? Even if it’s for the sake of the Draconian Empire?”

The dragon nodded, his stomach clenching at what he was about to relay.

“Yes… Most of it goes to testing out our weapons and combative maneuvers. A lot of dragons that have been rejected as breeders are used as test subjects. That is all I know of that. No one will tell me anything more.”

Princess Celestia was in the middle of taking another sip when she nearly spat her drink back out. Swallowing the wine, she coughed--some of it having slipped down her windpipe. Setting the goblet down, she spent the next few minutes trying to clear her trachea of the liquid she accidentally inhaled.

Settling down, she stared at Rhem, her eyes wide in horror.

He watched, body frozen in anticipation, waiting for her to respond. As the silence remained, he decided to be the one to break it.

“I… Yes, that is what happens.”

The shocked equine slowly shifted her attention from the dragon at her side down to the table. Her eyes still wide, she was quiet and still for a good long moment longer before she squeezed her eyes shut. She appeared to be whispering something. She rose a hoof to her eyes, then finally rose her head and opened her eyes.

“May the souls of those poor individuals be watched over in the afterlife… They don’t deserve such cruelty…”

“Afterlife? There is an afterlife?” Rhem inquired with incentive interest. No one had ever told him about the existence of a Heaven or any sort of life after death. He had always assumed that once one was dead, that was it.

“Yes.” Princess Celestia nodded. “Well… that’s what most ponies believe, at any rate. The vast majority of the ponies here believe that there is a world after this one that their spirits move on to when they die. Some say it is a world almost exactly like this one. Others say it is a paradise free from pain, disease, and suffering--but almost all believe that it is a realm of peace where they are reunited with their deceased loved ones.”

“A paradise free from pain, disease, and suffering…” Rhem repeated in a distant voice, his mind going numb at the sheer concept of such a thing. “That is what we need…”

She smiled, her eyes closing halfway. Sighing and leaving her drink on the table, she turned around and headed towards one of the windows.

“Yes, a paradise. That would be wonderful, wouldn’t it? To live and not experience such things… To know such delights that the dead know they no longer have to suffer.” She paused to sigh. “I’ve often wondered. If the day ever comes if… I were to die… where would I pass on to? Would I make it to such a paradise? Or… would my spirit go elsewhere? Would it become one again with the natural aether that alicorns are said to emerge from…? … Or would I just… cease to be…?”

Rhem watched as Princess Celestia left the table, her musings stimulating new thoughts.

“Celestia? Can… dragons go to this paradise after dying, too?”

The mare was silent for a moment, lost in her thoughts. She turned to Rhem after what seemed like a few minutes after he asked his question.

“I don’t… see why they couldn’t. Personally… I don’t believe that this paradise denies anypony from entering. Pony. Zebra. Griffon. Dragon… I am sure that everypony meets back in the realm beyond.”

“Will… your deceased subjects be afraid of me there?” he asked immediately after his first question had been answered. The Draconian didn’t want to go to an afterlife where he wouldn’t be welcome… But, he wanted an honest answer.

“I don’t see why they would,” she said. “I would assume they would not. It would be a peaceful place. A warm place, a joyful place. So, I see very little reason why anypony there would ever fear you… Or fear anything, for that matter.”

Rhem felt immensely relieved to hear this. Exhaling a sigh, his ear frills twitched at the sound of hoof beats upon the marble floor. He turned to see a pair of waiters with salads in their magic hold. Cautiously approaching the table, they placed them down and zipped back into the kitchen.

“Good… It would not be much of a paradise if everyone was afraid of me.”

“I can imagine.” Princess Celestia slowly walked back to the table, having seen the two servants run away. Taking her seat, she smiled. “… And… don’t worry about them. They’ll come around, I’m certain of it.”

Maybe, if some of the ponies were introduced to him as foals… perhaps they wouldn’t fear him.

“Yes… You cannot be afraid of something forever, right?” came the reassured note in the dragon’s voice as he issued a gentle grin. Exhaling on another sigh, he re-positioned his eyes upon the salad in front of him. “This looks good.”

The princess of the sun lowered her head to eat the salad off of the plate, not even bothering to actually pick up a fork with her magic. Munching on her mouthful, she nodded.

“Fear is a basic emotion, but it is unhealthy to remain terrified of something. Like I said, my ponies may be afraid of you now… but, so long as you give them no reason to be so, they’ll come to accept you with time.”

The winged reptilian’s ear frills fell upon remembering something as he stared down at his salad.

“Yes… but I am not… really going to have much time to stay here in order for them to get used to me, am I?”.

“… No… No, I suppose not.” She lifted her head, her eyes upon him. “You’re not exactly here to stay, are you…”

“I wish I was… But I have a country and a princess to protect from King Talonblaze, don’t I?” he responded with a small forced smile as he lifted his eyes to meet her gaze. “From my place in Draconia, I shall sabotage all plans he has in order to prevent him from invading Equestria. I will be punished severely, but… anything for you.”

Princess Celestia smiled warmly, her eyes misting over. Scooting her chair closer, she slid a foreleg around him to pull him into a hug.

“Oh, Rhem. You’re very brave… And very noble. Are you absolutely sure about this? There must be some other way.”

Swept with bliss at receiving more affection, Rhem sank into the hug.

“Yes, I am sure. You are the first to show me kindness and happiness… I will willingly give myself to protect you and your kingdom.”

The mare felt an odd swell of pride at this information. A relatively unknown dragon vowing to protect her and her country, even though he was not part of it? To an extent, she had a thought that, were it not for the regulations and red tape, she would induct him into her own forces…

If nothing else, at least an honorary member. Though, that would still probably cause some ponies to question her. Moreso if she decided to knight him outright.

“Thank you, Rhem,” she said again, squeezing him lightly and slowly letting him go. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

Chapter Thirteen: Eternity

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Chapter Thirteen: Eternity

Rhem was reluctant when he pulled away from the princess, sitting up straight in his seat.

“Your generosity means a lot to me… I… never experienced anything like it before…” The young male’s fiery yellow-orange eyes quivered, conveying his utmost appreciation for her. “I never had a friend before… My promise to you does not even feel like enough.”

“Oh, it’s enough,” Princess Celestia assured him. “It’s more than enough, Rhem.

“A Draconian, feared and hated by members of a community that would have been seen as prey to his kind, and he willingly decided to protect the weaker species despite suffering the slings and arrows lobbied against him--not just by his own countrymen, but also those he swore to protect? That takes no small amount of courage.”

The dragon’s ear frills drooped from flattery.

“How could I not do it after all you have done for me?” he asked gently before lowering his head to his plate, devouring his entire salad in a single bite.

Princess Celestia chuckled, taking a couple of bites.

“I’m honored, my friend. I haven’t really done anything other than offer you some kind words and compassion.”

And yet, she knew, even though it was so little, it meant so much. Even the smallest of gestures can have the greatest of repercussions, for good or for ill. Her small kindness probably ignited a light in the utter darkness that was Rhem’s world.

“I never received kind words… The only compassion my superiors offered was withholding a beating.” He closed his eyes for a moment, a smile still adorning his visage. “It… means so much to me… So… so much…”

The alicorn said nothing, just leaning in again to draw him into another hug with a soft nuzzle.

Sinking into the warmth of her soft fur, he rested his head against her neck and tucked it under her chin and throat. He soaked in the affection, savoring every second of it until the princess drew back.

“Would you like some more salad, or would you like to move onto the main course?”

“The main course.”

The mare chuckled, spreading her wings lightly as she turned towards the kitchens with a smile.

“Bring in the sandwiches and additional sustenance for our guest, please! He’s quite hungry!” she requested, almost wishing there were more ponies here so she could throw a grand feast.

“Of course, Your Majesty!” came the reply from one of the jittery members of the kitchen staff. Most of the chefs were quite baffled that the reptilian creature was still hungry after that generous portion of salad. The collective thought on how much the boy would actually need buzzed around the kitchen as they got to work making more food for him.

An entrée of sandwiches and pasta in marinara sauce was brought out and eaten by the dragon in a few bites. The servant who had witnessed the devouring was astonished at how fast the food had been put away and immediately fetched more. Five more plates were polished off before his hunger was finally satisfied, but he was still interested in dessert.

“Um… Your Majesty? Are you interested in anything for dessert?” the waiter questioned humbly, head dipping into a bow.

Even Princess Celestia had to admit she was a little… surprised at Rhem’s ravenous appetite. Though, she attributed this particular instance to the fact that King Talonblaze had more-or-less been deliberately starving him… Not just as a punishment, but also recalling that the Draconians were supposed to be self-reliant for their own sustenance as a brutal training method.

Smiling at the servant, she nodded once.

“I think I’ll have a slice of strawberry shortcake,” she decided. “… And we might want to bring out the rest of the cake for Rhem.”

“Er… Right away.”

Bowing deeply, the waiter hurried into the kitchen.

Rhem licked his chops clean, thoroughly satisfied with the meal. How many wonderful foods did these ponies have? Curious to know, he turned to Princess Celestia to voice his question.

“Celestia? How many foods are there in Equestria?”

“Oh, there are many! I would be here for hours just trying to list everything available. We have Prench, Germain, Japonies, Italrein… So many from several parts of Equestria!”

“Wow… All we eat are cattle, sheep, boars, deer, large birds, and what ever we can catch,” Rhem responded as the image of pure amazement at the sheer amount of different foods available to the equine race. “I like them, but I really like the food made by your kind.”

The monarch nodded, taking a sip of her drink -- by bending down and actually lapping it up, imitating the dragon in his own habits.

“Yes, and it’s not entirely healthy. That is why we try to provide a variety of different cuisines from different cultures. Of course, not everypony can truly afford such a thing, ant it is sad when lower classes cannot…” A pause. “Which reminds me. I need to get around to handling this budget problem. If I don’t take any action soon, it may become a crisis…”

The arriving waiter halted in his steps, witnessing the princess’ rather un-regal mannerism. Shaking his head, he continued his trip to the table, lowering a plate with a large slice of strawberry shortcake for her with a complimenting bow.

“Here you are, Your Highness.”

After that, he levitated the platter holding the remaining cake. Before Rhem could thank him, he whirled around and cantered back into the kitchen.

The Draconian general’s eyes drank in the treat before him, his mouth salivating.

“Wow…”

She had noticed the waiter, and gave him an impassive gaze. She seemed mildly disappointed that he did not even wish to remain behind to accept Rhem’s statement of gratitude.

She sighed. She would speak to her staff later.

“It’s very good,” she said with a smile, levitating her fork to dig into her cake and eat in a delicate manner.

The scaly beast parted his jaws and buried his snout into the cake as he took a large bite. His nose, lips, and chin were coated with a thick layer of white frosting when he removed his muzzle from the cake to chew. The movements of his jaw slowed, his pupils inflating as he savored the flavors.

Princess Celestia glanced over. While she had expected him to wolf down the cake, she found the image of his face covered in frosting far too amusing and began laughing out in birth. Bringing a hoof to her mouth, she closed her eyes and shook her head.

Swallowing his bite, the dragon’s forked tongue snaked out to lick up the frosting covering his face. After that was accomplished, he lifted his eyes to the alicorn.

“I have also been thinking about this budget problem. Would it be possible to loan areas of the castle for usage in exchange for funds?”

“I’m not entirely sure some of the nobles would like that, especially if it was offered to the lower classes, but I’ll talk it over. We’ve got plenty of space, and everypony likes a gala every… now and… then…

“A gala… A gala! That’s it!” She shifted her full attention to him with a large grin. “That’s it! Rhem, you’re brilliant! The Grand Galloping Gala! We hold that every year, and I completely forgot it’s coming up!”

“Hm?”

He had never heard of the word “gala” before, but he quickly assumed it was another word for a gathering or a celebration. Those were rare occasions in Draconia and reserved for King Talonblaze, his council, and whomever he saw worthy enough to be part of it.

“We have a ball…” she explained. “A great, big social gathering for everypony who can attend. Tickets are provided for a cost, and I can pull a few favors for the food, refreshments, and entertainment. It’s a rather grand event!

“It used to be a celebration of the completion of the construction of Canterlot--the unicorns invited the earth ponies and pegusi to a huge party, which was enjoyed by all. The party was therefore organized once every year since then.

“It’s a predominately very high-class event, but maybe if we can spread the word even more all around Equestria to encourage others to come… and perhaps add their own flair to it…” She calmed down a bit once she realized she was giggling like a school filly. “I’m… not sure if this will entirely solve the problem, but it’s certainly worth a shot!”

“That sounds like a good idea. A ball seems like fun,” he stated as he took another big bite of his cake, managing to get frosting up one of his nostrils. The bridge of his snout wrinkled lightly at the feeling of having the soft, sweet smelling icing up his nose.

The princess giggled again as she finished eating the rest of her slice of cake and wiped at her mouth with her napkin.

“Well, then! It’s settled! I shall gather my advisers later on to see about adjusting the Grand Galloping Gala to help account for the budget.”

Removing the icing from his nose and finishing the cake, he licked the plate and his chops clean, the flavors of the cake, frosting, and strawberry filling greatly appealing to his tastes. As he turned to the princess, he noticed that she had missed a spot on her lower lip. Without even thinking, the dragon leaned in, his tongue lapping at her lip in a few quick strokes, the sweet frosting mingling with his taste buds.

The mare’s eyes went wide. Her wings unfurled and she merely sat there just staring at him for a few minutes with a perplexed expression.

He pulled back into his seat licking his lips with a satisfied smile. Noting her expression, he have a tilt of his head.

“Did I do something inappropriate?”

“You licked… my lips,” she replied, arching an eyebrow in confusion. Delivering a small smile, she chuckled. “I… have to admit, most of the suitors that try to woo me aren’t quite so direct. You surprised me there.”

She emitted a laugh, not offended at all.

“Suitors?” Now it was Rhem’s turn to be confused. “What do you mean by suitors?”

Princess Celestia’s good humor wasn’t abated.

“Quite some time ago, when I first came to power… and, even now on very rare occasions, I have a stallion or two hoping to get into my good graces to possibly take my hoof in marriage and ascend to the throne beside me to share power as my prince. A few of them only have the eye on the prestige, or the power… but a couple of notable nobles have truly cared for me--and they were some of my closest friends.” Her smile faltered. “However, I’ve never accepted any requests. Being immortal tends to have the downside of outliving any significant others.”

Rhem actually experienced a tinge of jealousy at this. Why, he did not know.

“… I am one friend who will never die of old age. I am immortal,” he revealed in an attempt to put that smile back on her face.

At this, Princess Celestia smiled warmly and gave a light nod.

“And that is a relief to know,” she said, recalling how he had told her about his immortality…

… She paused. Wait… No, he did not.

“Wait, come again?” she pressed with a surprised stare.

The dragon continued to smile.

“I am immortal. I was bred to be. Or so I am told.”

“I… did not know that.”

“I am. And so is King Talonblaze,” he informed.

The alicorn nodded, pursing her lips.

“Is there… is there anypony ELSE I should be aware of that has everlasting life?”

“Every single Draconian with royal blood in their pedigrees,” he relayed. “I only have a couple of strains, but it is still in me.”

“I see,” the equine said, glancing out the window.

“If nothing else,” she began after several silent moments. “I can go through life a little easier knowing I have somepony as timeless as me I can talk to and enjoy life with…”

She had often wondered if she would ever find somebody ageless like herself she could spend eternity with. She had dreamed of making such friends--romance notwithstanding. She did not wish to pursue any sort of romantic relationship… What was the point? She wished not to suffer such heartache knowing any stallion she chose as her husband would eventually die… and her unable to move on and join him. Even if when she recovered from the emotional blow and moved on… would she have been able to take on another? Even if she did… how many would she have. She didn’t want to risk tainting her image with her taking on multiple partners throughout history…

Rhem felt sweet relief the instant the royal mare’s smile returned.

“Once… the ordeal in Draconia is over--it has to end someday--I will… come back. Then, I can serve you for the rest of eternity.”

She gave a soft laugh with a minor blush.

“You might want to watch what you say… and how you say it. Some ponies might get the wrong idea.” She winked at him, shifting closer and sliding a hoof over a clawed hand. “… I know what you mean. And I would be glad to have you.

“I will make sure Equestria realizes… and never forgets that it has a dear friend looking out for her and her best interests. Even if I can’t be outright with my ponies.”

The reptile rotated his hand and closed his fingers around her hoof while a blush of his own crept upon his face. He had to admit, the princess appeared visually endearing when she blushed, especially like this.

“Get the wrong idea?”

“Don’t worry about it, Rhem.” She winked again. “It’s nothing.”

Getting to her hooves, she glanced over her shoulder at her companion.

“Are you full? Shall I escort you back to your quarters for the night?”

Still feeling confused, but dismissing it, Rhem shook his head.

“Can we spend more time together? Even if it is attending to political matters? I am actually curious to learn about how you rule your kingdom.”

Prrincess Celestia gave pause, looking unsure for a moment.

“Oh… very well,” she caved in. “Give me one moment, and we’ll head to the throne room together. Just… let me consult my kitchen staff about something first.”

Breaking away from him, she clopped into the kitchen. Clearing her throat, she gained the attention of her staff.

“Excuse me… everypony, if I may please have your attention momentarily. I just want to thank everypony here for their hard work, and their courage in facing their fear. I understand you’re all probably terrified about Draconians in our presence… but I must stress that Rhem is not one to be feared. He is quite harmless, I assure you.

“… King Talonblaze, on the other hoof, yes, I will warn not to cross him, but I will vouch for Rhem. I also must stress that his customs and culture are very… very different from ours, and that he has lead a very, very sheltered life. He does not understand most table manners as we do… and for the time being, we must learn to adapt.

“I must give a gentle reminder to all present here, though,” she warned, her voice lowering. “I have not forgotten what happened with the near fiasco we had the last time with our honored guests from the griffon lands. I wish to avoid repeating any sort of performance with those from Draconia. Be strong. Be brave, and… try not to upset our guests too much. Rhem is actively trying to make a good impression, unlike King Talonblaze. And, again, I wish to pass along his commendations. He’s loved the meals, and though he wishes to tell you himself… I did not want to risk causing a panic, so I am here delivering his words on his behalf.

“If you would pass this information to the other shifts, I would be most appreciative. Keep up the good work, everypony.”

With that, she exited the kitchen, feeling a little conflicted and yet proud of herself. She had wanted to go in to reprimand those with a lesson about not showing proper respect to not just her but her guests… but she didn’t want to intimidate her ponies and fester unrest. Smiling warmly at the dragon, she sauntered past him.

“Alright, let’s go.”

The general didn’t need to be told twice. Instantly, he leaped out of his chair and loped after the alicorn with exited energy fueled by his eagerness to learned more about Equestrian politics.

“I think this will be very helpful. I can learn how affairs should be done and pass them on in the future.”

“That’s a very good idea!” Princess Celestia praised, trotting calmly down the hall. “I didn’t think of that. But, yes, that would be a wonderful idea. Are you sure King Talonblaze didn’t pick you to be a general for just your physical skills alone?”

“Soldiers are allowed to live for more reasons than just physical abilities and appearance. Willpower and mental capabilities are desired,” Rhem answered with a flattered grin. “How much combat training have you had?”

“Combat training? Me?” she asked, blinking. “I was never… taught. Professionally. I basically had to learn to fight for survival on my own during Discord’s brief reign.”

Her wide eyes stared off down the hall as she continued walking.

“I haven’t had to physically fight since my sister and I had to battle King Sombra nearly three-hundred years ago.”

“Oh… Don’t you think you should learn in case any enemies break into your castle and attempt to assassinate you at some point?” Rhem asked with a heavy dosage of concern. “I have a proposition. Since you have already taught me a lot, why don’t I give you a few lessons?”

“Well, this is primarily why I have my guards. To make sure that such a thing isn’t possible. That, and I can handle myself fairly well, I would say…

“But, as times change, so does everything else. I suppose it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep abreast of new maneuvers should I ever find myself in that situation.” She grinned, turning her head to him, recalling that she had been pinned by him easily. “I would love to see what you can show me.”

“What do you know about nerve points?” he queried, quite curious to see what she already knew before he would attempt to teach her anything new.

“Nerve points? Nothing, really. They are points of nerves in the body… That sounds self-explanatory.”

“They are useful in and out of combat. Some help you sleep, render an enemy unconscious, some relieve pain, some cause a lot of pain. It is good to know your body and the body of a foe.”

As he walked, he lifted a paw, digging a finger into her shoulder.

Princess Celestia raised a brow, finding this information interesting. Some help with sleep? Relieve pain? This would be of use as an alternate medical treatment! The idea had merit. She had been about to request Rhem to go into further detail…

… When she suddenly found herself involuntarily craning her neck with her head held high.

“… What did you just do?” she asked flatly, rolling her eye to him.

“I poked one of your nerve points. Be careful. If someone did that to you, you could easily wind up with a slashed throat. During combat, we usually hold our heads in line with our bodies to protect our throat and belly,” he explained.

The royal equine’s eyes went wide and she stared at Rhem with a sense of amazement. Never before had she realized something so… simple could be so devastating…

Come to think of it, couldn’t this very same technique hold the same promise to unlock great therapeutic healing in the body? She recalled rumors that the Eastern ponies in the Neighpon region have his same system, and had been using it for a couple thousand years. Perhaps a political vacation was in order… provided their national borders weren’t still closed to foreigners.

“This is amazing,” she said, her eyes large with wonder and intrigue. “Tell me more.”

Rhem’s tail wagged a couple of times, feeling a sense of gratification at actually being able to teach this ancient mare something new. Knowing that he possessed knowledge that she didn’t have felt exciting.

“I will teach you about more than just nerve and pressure points. I will teach you battle posture, relaxation and focus techniques, how to improve your reflexes. All of that comes before learning how to utilize your body in combat.”

Princess Celestia’s smile stretched wider, her wings spreading in excitement. She was always looking to gain new knowledge.

“Incredible! I don’t… I don’t suppose… you would be willing to instruct my troops as well, would you? Of course, we’ll need to keep this all discreet. We don’t wish to risk King Talonblaze finding out at all…”

Now it was Rhem’s turn to unfold his wings in excitement.

“Celestia, I would be honored to teach your soldiers. Maybe we should do the lessons in the evening when King Talonblaze is asleep.”

Princess Celestia couldn’t help but smile. This could potentially work out in her favor. Not only would she expose her guards to foreign training, but would such a thing also help Equestrian-Draconian relations?

… No, probably not, she mused. She didn’t quite know what the general populace under King Talonblaze was like, with the only two examples from there being King Talonblaze and Rhem--who were as different from each other as night and day--and Rhem was only very much different because he very much resented his king’s outlandishly brutal methods. Not to mention that there was still the problem of rumors--none of which were helped to be dispelled due to King Talonblaze’s actions and personality.

That wasn’t to say he was the only one… but still. Perhaps if King Talonblaze wasn’t in power…

“The stress points I will teach you hopefully should tone down your stress. No one can run a country without getting any.”

“Hahaha, ohhh, yes, I’m definitely looking forward to that. I’ve had plenty of stress… and I need a good massage every now and again. Usually, I can never find the time to have one due to all of the work I have to do.

“Maybe I should schedule it near my bedtime so when I invariably fall asleep, I don’t have to bother waking up right away…”

“Soldiers are never given massages. Those are only reserved for King Talonblaze and his counsel,” the dragon revealed with mild disappointment. He really could use one himself. His muscles were almost harder than his own scales.

“Really now?” Princess Celestia reached up to prod his side and shoulder, palpating. Eyes widening, she leaned her neck back slightly. “I’ll say! I’ve never felt such tension! My goodness…”

She went quiet for a second.

“Tell you what, if you’d like, I’ll call for a selection of my best to work on us both--as a sign of goodwill, of course. I’d daresay you really need one…”

The question was, would they even be willing to work on him…?

The winged reptile lifted his brows in befuddlement. He hadn’t been expecting the princess to offer him a massage by her own staff. Facial features softening to an expression that conveyed his internal gratitude, he leaned in to press his head against hers.

“I really appreciate this.”

The alicorn smiled, nuzzling him.

“It’s not a problem for me, Rhem. You are my friend… and, don’t forget, a guest in my castle. I like making sure my guests are provided the best service available to them.” Pulling her head away as she entered into her throne room, she trotted up the steps towards her throne. “I hope I won’t be TOO busy with issues tonight…”

“If so, there is always tomorrow.”

“Shall we send in our guests, Your Highness?” inquired one of the approaching guards.

“Yes, please do.” The mare smiled, taking a seat upon her throne and sitting up in a regal fashion. Folding her wings to her sides, she glanced over at him as he sat down upon his haunches beside her, hoping none of those coming in to see her would get the wrong impression about him.

Chapter Fourteen: Regret

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Chapter Fourteen: Regret

The hours rolled by lethargically, ponies greeting their beloved princess with kind words--some of them screaming at the sight of Rhem, which prolonged a few meetings, but they eventually got through them without any further issues.

As the final equine exited the throne room, the guards precipitated themselves before the alicorn, throwing a hoof to their foreheads.

“That is all, Your Highness,” stated one of them.

The solar monarch found herself somewhat surprised at the relative ease of how the meetings went. True, there were a few that could have gone better than she had hoped, especially with those that had screamed at the sight of the dragon. But, a few words and some gentle persuasion usually calmed them down. The issues were generally fairly minor--a couple of complaints, a few requests, a question here and there, and one particular pony who had wanted to demand an explanation to a problem only to completely forget what he was there to demand an explanation for upon nearly fainting dead away as he got an eyeful of the Draconian.

Thankful that no one had ran off like headless chickens, she nodded at her sentries.

“Thank you, sirs,” she said, rising to her hooves and glancing at the Draconian at her side. “… Well? Did you wish to show me here? … Or should we take this outside?”

“Outside in the fresh air is usually the best place to be.”

Rising up from his haunches, Rhem gestured for the alicorn to lead him away to an outside area of her choice.

She nodded, stepping out of the throne room and leading the way down the hall towards one of the larger courtyards outside of the castle. If she was going to learn to fight, she figured the best place to do so would be out in the open. Less chance for injury.

The mare cast a glance up at the sky. Her eyes lingering on the sealed form of her younger sister, she sighed.

Gazing up at the jeweled night as he followed her, he emitted a sigh of his own. It was truly a beautiful sight. Viewing a clear sky was a rarity back in Draconia. After a few more strides, he pried his eyes from the heavens and fixated his attention on the monarch.

“Alright. First, I am going to try something.” Walking around her and placing himself behind her, he gently took a thick lock of the ethereal tail into his mouth. “A’ter I ‘ull you tail, I ‘ant you to shtre’ch ou’ your neck ‘an low’r your head.”

After his instruction, he firmly pulled on the princess’ tail and held it out in place. Princess Celestia seemed confused, especially as he grasped her tail, but did as she was told. As she did so, she felt the long muscle running from the back of her head to her tail stretch out rather nicely.

“Ohhh…” she sighed. “Is this a warm-up?”

“Mhmm.”

Rhem retained the firm tug on her tail for a few more minutes until he released it. He then went into a detailed discussion on nerve and stress points, activating the ones that relaxed muscles and relieved tension to serve as a live demonstration--and to relieve stress from the alicorn.

For an hour, he used several techniques with his hands to dig into and massage deep tissues. By the time he was done, he had covered the nervous and circulatory system explicitly to his knowledge, having used every relaxing technique he knew.

“How do you feel?”

Princess Celestia allowed herself to relax and let the stress and tension roll off of her as the dragon worked on her. She felt herself breathe deeper and longer, her wings unfurled and spread out, as she laid down on her stomach with her neck stretched out.

As Rhem asked her how she felt, she responded with a half-snore, nearly nodding off. She blinked, snapping more to alertness.

“Awww… You’re done? I was about ready to fall asleep.”

He smiled softly, placing his hands on her shoulder to work on her muscles again.

“Did you hear anything I was telling you or do I have to repeat everything?” His fingers made their way down her shoulder blade and onto her wing, taking great care not to scratch her with his sharp talons. “How does this feel?”

“I think… I might need a refresher,” she chuckled. “I’ll have to write them down and create a chart on this with you later.”

Lifting her wing to allow him better access, she practically melted onto the ground again.

“Feels good…” she breathed. “Feels very good. I don’t suppose you know how to preen feathers, do you?”

“Preen feathers?” he repeated. “No. We never had the need to know how to preen feathers before. I guess I should leave your wing alone before I mess up your feathers.”

At that, he removed his clawed hands from her wing.

“No, no, no.” The mare shook her head. “It’s not a problem. Here, I’ll direct you. Start from the top and work your way across and down. Take each feather in your teeth and give it a gentle tug. Some of them may come out, and that’s fine. If they do, let them…”

Rhem nodded and brought his head down to the outstretched wing. Parting his lips, he took one of the small feathers that lined the top of the wing between his teeth. The jerk was a little too strong, yanking out the feather.

“OW!” Princess Celestia winced, lifting and turning her head to lightly glare at the dragon. “Gently, please!”

She pulled up her wing to examine it. Outside of the sharp sting, there did not seem to be any real damage. It wasn’t a primary and the tiny feather would grow back. Satisfied, she settled back down, her expression softening.

The Draconian general, too, flinched--though, in shock at the princess’ pained response and brief lash.

“I am not used to being gentle. I will try again.”

Drawing his head back to Princess Celestia’s wing, his lips closed down on another tiny feather. Before making any sort of movement, he inhaled a deep breath to assist becalming his body and focus on controlling his strength.

Giving the slightest tug, managing not to pull out the feather, he let it go, a smile tipping his lips upon realizing his success.

“Better?”

His second attempt feeling much better, she nodded and directed a smile at him, relaxing and closing her eyes partially.

“Yes. That’s much better. Also, try smoothing the feathers down with your muzzle after you tug each one. That’ll also help jostle and loosen up a few that would fall out naturally. I’m nearing my molting phase anyway…”

The winged reptilian nodded in acknowledgement, focusing on retaining gentleness as he shifted to the next feather. Then the next, and the next. A few came out just as the mare had foretold. The first couple times a feather came loose, he turned to the alicorn’s face with eyes asking if he had hurt her. Upon reassurance, he continued.

Lowering himself onto his belly in a more comfortable position, Rhem proceeded to the next row of slightly larger feathers. A couple lodged loose and stuck to his lips, then his tongue when he tried to blow them away.

Giggling, the mare utilized her magic to levitate the feathers from Rhem’s lips and release them to flutter off with the breeze.

Flashing her a sweet, almost childish smile, he resumed preening. Covering the rows of smaller feathers, he took care of the primaries, finding them very stiff compared to the soft and downy ones.

“You have very pretty feathers.”

“Thank you, Rhem. I appreciate that. I’m quite proud of my wings, but feathers can be a hassle at times. Having to clean and sift through each one manually can be a real pain. I suspect leathery wings like yours would be far easier to manage.”

“I would not think so. Once they receive a tear in them, the skin will not grow back. We can be rendered flightless that way.” After saying that, Rhem went back to his preening job. One of the snowy white primaries came loose halfway down the wing and dropped it right in front of him. These ones were not difficult to get rid of as the downy variety. Once he finished with that wing, he nudged the princess in the shoulder with his nose. “Shall I move onto the other wing?”

Princess Celestia nodded. Yes, that made sense. At least pegusi feathers would grow back eventually, provided the wings weren’t removed directly from their bodies. Once detached, not even magic would heal them, and they would have to live like earth ponies the rest of their lives.

Glancing up at the dragon, she folded her wing against her side and rolled over to extend the other to him.

Shuffling closer until his body was pressed against hers, he scanned her wing and began. The moon was high in the sky, bathing the land below in its silver beams. Truly, it was beautiful. Everything around them was beautiful. The dragon noticed this, taking admiration of the visually stunning displays as he worked his way along the alicorn’s wing.

Princess Celestia also kept her gaze open and around the area. The moonlight shone down into the courtyard to illuminate the trees, the flowers, and the stone path in silver light. Her eyes rolling upward, she took in the moon and the dark craters etched into it that engraved the Mare in the Moon.

“Luna…” she whispered, wondering if her beloved sister could see them from her prison.

Rising his head and ear frills perking at the yearning note in her voice, his heart went out to her, wishing to bring her comfort. Since he was on his belly with his body pointed towards her backside and his head at her wing, he was unable to reach her head to nuzzle her. Instead, he rested his chin upon her stomach, gazing upon her with sympathetic eyes.

The monarch smiled lightly at the dragon with sorrow in her eyes, then turned her attention back up to stare at the moon. Part of her wondered if there was a way to end the spell prematurely, to bring Princess Luna back… but she had no knowledge of how to use the Elements of Harmony without her connection to them.

“I wish I could make your pain go away… It pains even me to see you like this…”

The young dragon exhaled deeply through his nostrils. Removing his head from Princess Celestia’s belly, he went back to her wing, his soft scaled lips working the middle section of feathers.

“I will be fine, Rhem,” she said sadly, closing her eyes and allowing her body to relax. “I… dearly miss my sister. It’s been three centuries since I last saw her… and… it will be at least seven more until I get that chance to do so again.”

She opened her eyes, dropping her eyes to a pebble and kicked at it with a front hoof.

“At least you will get to see your sibling again.”

Before coming to Equestria, he had never thought of the possibility that killing others was wrong. That was how he was raised. But now that he did know, and that the mare he admired despised the concept of everything he had told her about Draconia, he was beginning to feel remorse.

Princess Celestia’s eyes went wide.

“Oh… that’s right… You…”

Her eyes watered up as she rolled over onto her stomach and moved her body around to nuzzle him. Folding both her wings against her sides, she rested her head against his neck in an attempt to comfort him, not desiring for him to experience the same emotional pain she was going through.

Expelling a sigh, Rhem pressed his head against her shoulder in a nuzzle.

“Sometimes… I dream about their last moments… Looking up at me… Dying… Their blood covered on my claws…”

“Oh, Rhem…”

Princess Celestia furled a foreleg around his neck to hold him close. Letting him cry on her shoulder, she stroked his back while she rested her chin on the crest of his neck.

“… Rhem,” she piped up after a short while. “Do you recall what I said about that paradise? Where there is no pain, misery, or sadness?” She pulled away with a small smile. “Your brothers will be there, waiting for you. I’m sure of it. You’ll see them again. I’m certain they’ll understand you needed to survive and won’t think any less of you for it.”

The dragon sighed again as he lifted his head, dragging his bottom jaw over the bridge of the mare’s nose tenderly.

“I hope… your sister breaks free of her possession… You need her… I can feel it.”

“I know she will, one day,” she said, nosing her muzzle up to nuzzle the side of his head. “I miss her terribly…

“We were meant to rule together. Side-by-side, as eternal avatars of our kingdom. Me over the day, her over the night in constant balance. I just… I just wish I had seen my sister’s pain and jealousy… I could have done more to prevent it…”

“I look forward to meeting her… When I come back.” Soaking in the comfort, Rhem pressed against the alicorn’s body, enjoying the warm softness of her fur. It had such a calming effect on the reptile. “What is your schedule like tomorrow?”

“I hold morning court, but unless something pops up in the afternoon, I should be free…” the monarch mused. “It’s getting quite late. Perhaps we should retire for the night.”

A small smile breaking out on his face, Rhem nuzzled the mare once more before rising up onto his feet.

“Okay. Maybe… I can re-teach you those pressure and nerve points in the afternoon. Followed by a few reflex exercises.”

“I’ll be sure to have some parchment and ink to mark this down. And have a scribe or two to help as well. I want this information recorded for posterity.” She smiled, getting to her hooves. “I’m sorry we couldn’t move into combat tonight.”

“I learned something new out of it and you were relieved of stress.” The young general arched his back and unfurled his wings to stretch out his muscles. Folding his wings back up, he rolled his shoulders with a resounding crack. “I remember where my room is.”

Princess Celestia arched her eyebrows and her ears twitched at the cracks originating from his shoulders.

“Hmmm. You sound like you might need some stress relief yourself.” Giggling, she leaned forward to nuzzle him once more. “After all, you are my friend as well as my guest, and one I wish to make sure is comfortable. If you need anything--anything at all, just tug the rope next to the bed. It will sound a bell that will summon a servant.

“And… should you need me, don’t hesitate to have somepony come by to wake me up.”

“I… am glad to have a friend like you…” he stated, meeting her nuzzle with one of his own. Drawing back a little, he touched his nose to hers, gazing into her eyes. “… Goodnight.”

“Pleasant dreams, Rhem.”

The princess left the courtyard. Just before she stepped back inside the castle proper, she took one last look up at the moon.

I’ll free you one day, my dear sister,” she whispered.

She clopped inside to make a beeline straight to her own chambers, intending to retire to her bed as soon as possible. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

***

For the second time, the red-scaled dragon’s dreams were free from horrifying visions of the atrocities that happened back in his homeland. Before visiting Equestria, he couldn’t even recall any nights that had bestowed any peaceful sleep. The atmosphere in the dragon lands were haunted with a dark presence that managed to prove unsettling to anyone. But, here in the equine country, the air was serene… Warm… Inviting…

That didn’t impede Rhem’s internal clock. He was wide awake a few hours behind the set time for the sun to rise for morning exercises.

Princess Celestia rose about an hour before she was supposed to raise the sun. Having a light breakfast delivered to her room, she ate and decided to take a short walk in the garden.

Being alone, she let her mind wander. She wondered if peace would truly ever reign in Equestria. If it wasn’t border conflicts with the dragons or the griffons, it was internal disputes within her own country. Not to mention that one day, Nightmare Moon would return. And, if she would be unable to stop her, then what?

After completing a series of exercises, the dragon prowled up and down the palace halls in a feeble attempt to learn his way around. It didn’t do much good--there were too many halls and doors.

A large open window had been spotted, beckoning Rhem to come closer. Peering outside, a speck of familiar white in the garden below grasped his attention. Mischievous glint sparking in his eyes, he crawled out the window and scaled down the exterior of the castle with the use of his sharp claws. Dropping onto the soft grass-carpeted earth, the dragon stalked forth like a predator.

The alicorn continued to move through her garden, wandering past the bushes and topiary, and some of the stone statues that had been sculpted by gifted hooves and horns. A few faces of history she remembered, and had immortalized in stone form. Not to say that she actually turned ponies to stone. No, there had been only one that had been transformed into a petrified state by her.

She often didn’t deliberately come to see him… She had, once, after she had sealed Nightmare Moon away in the moon -- thinking that, perhaps, somehow, he had something to do with it. That he had escaped and corrupted her… But, no… No, he was still locked firmly away. The seal upon his stone prison still held…

She sighed, shaking her head. It wouldn’t do to dwell on past events. It was nearing sunrise. As she reached the center of a clearing, she paid no attention at all to the light scarlet form of the Draconian sneaking up behind her--not even realizing he was there.

Princess Celestia closed her eyes. Sighing, she held her head high, wings unfurling and spreading out. Her horn glowed as she felt the solar strength filling her up from deep inside. She flapped her wings once, lifting herself a few inches to prepare to rise with the sun.

The highly trained general moved swiftly and silently through the garden, only to slow down once he as close to springing distance. He didn’t pay any heed to the statue the mare had previously been distracted by, his attention strictly absorbed by her. Suppressing a snicker, he advanced several more feet then gathered up his body weight upon his hind legs. Folding them to prepare for launch, the dragon mentally calculated how much power he should use.

Utilizing the strong muscles in his legs, he pounced the alicorn and pinned her.

“Got you!”

The alicorn felt a large body tackle her from behind and drag her down. Her concentration broken, her horn stopped glowing and her eyes snapped wide open right before she came down with a mouthful of grass.

Rhem didn’t even realize the mare as in the process of raising the sun. Had he known that, he would have waited.

“Hello, Celestia,” he greeted. Never before had he felt so chipper (without any help from any sugary food). With a sweet purr, he applied a lick to her ear before getting off of her.

She had been about to buck him off, when she realized precisely who it was. Her licked ear twitched, and she got to her hooves, her mane somewhat wild from the frazzled shock she received.

She turned to him to narrow her eyes a bit at him, then shook her head.

“… Good morning, Rhem. You… startled me.”

The alicorn dropped her glare to smile at him, stretching her neck and wings to make sure nothing had been pulled.

“You actually interrupted me. I was just about to raise the sun.” Glad she wasn’t injured, she gave him another slightly disapproving gaze, only for it to dissolve into another smile after a moment. “Would you care to stay and watch?”

Rhem’s cheer diminished to regret and shame after learning he had unwittingly interrupted her. However, as she smiled at him, he couldn’t remain in a damp mood. Mirroring her grin, he nodded and brushed his snout over her cheek.

“Yes, I would. And… I, erm, apologize for the interruption. I did not realize you were raising the sun.”

“It’s fine, Rhem,” she reassured, breaking into a wider grin. Closing her eyes, she spread her wings once again and slowly ascended into the sky. Horn glowing anew, she rose with the sun, bringing it up over the horizon as the moon sank beyond the opposite hills and coating the land in the bright morning light.

Princess Celestia’s body was illuminated against the celestial body, her form glowing a bright yellow abreast the reddish-orange background.

Rhem stood back and observed in amazement as the fiery ball arose and saturated everything below it in a wide array of colors. The princess was a stunning sight herself! Her white coat ablaze in the same manner as the sun itself. He was left breathless…

The mare held her position in the sky for a few minutes, her white color quickly returning as she slipped out of the disc that made up the sun. She released a deep, blissful sigh, now feeling charged. While she could raise the sun with merely her horn and some concentration, she preferred to raise it with all of her being. It always gave her a boost of energy--a sense of life that always refilled her.

Her inner fire re-sparked, she lowered herself to the ground to give the dragon a vibrant smile.

“… Like what you seen?” she chuckled playfully.

Fiery yellow-orange eyes sparkling with awe and admiration with a cute adoring smile accompanying them, he nodded.

“Yes, it was… incredible, Celestia!”

The male took a moment to cast his eyes upon the colors in the sky before returning them back to the princess. As he opened his mouth to say something, he was cut off by a rumble in his stomach. No servants had brought any food to him, nor did he make it all the way to the dining hall.

Princess Celestia felt a surge of pride. It was a somewhat hidden quality, but she actually liked to show off every now and again. Not that she was ruler of a country, or that she was powerful, and had many servants, and she certainly didn’t like to brag…

But to use herself as a conduit for a light show? Part of her almost wished more ponies were up to watch her raise the sun. She had done it once or twice when raising the moon, but… each time, it just didn’t feel the same. In fact… it actually felt… sort of wrong.

Hearing the grumbling of Rhem’s stomach, Princess Celestia allowed her multi-chromatic mane to flow over her eye and obscure half of her face. Closing her eyes halfway, she gave a knowing grin.

“Oooh. Sounds like somepony’s a little hungry,” she teased in singsong.

“I can fix that,” she said, turning around. “Let’s get something to eat.”

The melodic intonation in her voice inspired a soft huff of a laugh out of him. He was really looking forward to what her chefs would be making. His keen sense of smell detected food on her and brought him to the conclusion that she had already eaten.

“What did you eat for breakfast?” he queried, joining the alicorn’s side as they exited the garden.

“I had a small bowl of oats and some toast, with an apple,” she replied. “Nothing particularly large, but filling and enough to at least start me off. Maybe some pancakes would be good.”

Yes, some light, fluffy golden buttermilk pancakes with some maple syrup. Maybe with some strawberries or blueberries. A few of those and a glass of milk would be great. Hips swaying lightly as she trotted, she lead the way back to the dining hall.

Perhaps the morning staff would be a little more receptive to him.

Chapter Fifteen: What's Missing

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Chapter Fifteen: What’s Missing

Rhem’s mind trailed back to the syrup-coated flat cakes he had devoured yesterday, the combination of its memory and his hunger caused him to salivate. Licking the drool from his chops, he snapped out of his daze and turned to Princess Celestia.

“Is there anything else I could try?”

“We can have a menu brought out for you,” she replied. “Or maybe even have a buffet brought out. We certainly have plenty of dishes for you to choose from.”

“I do not know what good a menu would do. I cannot read,” the young dragon relayed with a smile. “I do know that I want pancakes. Anything else you would recommend with them?”

Princess Celestia blinked with an expression of surprise, not having expected that.

“You… can’t read?

“Well, that’s not a problem. We’ll just bring out the buffet, then!” A smile tipped her lips. “As for the pancakes, I would suggest fruit. We have different kinds of pancakes, too. Blueberry pancakes, buttermilk pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes. We can even mix and match! Blueberry and buttermilk is quite good!”

He licked his jaws again in hungry anticipation as he and the alicorn traversed into the castle and made their way into the dining hall. Ear frills twitching, his attention was stolen at the sound of the clopping of hooves upon the marble floor. Turning his head into their direction, he smiled gently at the nervous servant. This pony’s fear appeared to be at a lesser extent compared to the other servants he came across. As the dragon showed no signs of hostility, the rest of the staff was beginning to settle down in small dosages.

“E-erm… Anything you want, Your Majesty?”

The princess turned to the servant. Gazing him up and down, her smile widened as she felt herself grow hungry again, even after consuming the light breakfast she had earlier.

“Yes, we would like pancakes,” she answered, then turned to Rhem and recalled how much he needed to eat. “Lots and lots of pancakes.”

“Um… Right away, Your Highness.”

The pony dipped his head as a sign of respect and made a full turn back into the kitchen. He even spared Rhem an acknowledging glance before taking his leave, which made the dragon feel even happier.

Rewarding the servant’s glance with a smile, he shifted to the princess, his eyes displaying his satisfaction at receiving attention from the stallion.

“This one actually looked at me.”

“I’ve always noticed the morning crew to be a little more upbeat, compared to the other shifts. I suppose it helps to be a morning pony. Gives you a better appreciation for life and others in general.

“… That, or they’re just beginning to get a bit more used to you,” she admitted, giving a sigh. “It’s too bad you’re not staying. If you were, I would say the rest of the employees would eventually get used to you by the end of the month.” She stretched her wings and folded them back up again. “And possibly after a few years, the rest of the populace.”

Rhem was washed over with bliss to hear that from her. He knew he couldn’t stay, but he was determined to return someday. Perhaps then, the equine people would get used to him then. He would be accepted… He would have a real home…

The Draconian was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the tears of joy dawning in his eyes.

Princess Celestia did not wish for Rhem to leave. He was still a young and idealistic male. Perhaps that sort of bright light she needed to keep her happy, and to help further guide and comfort her without Princess Luna being there for her.

And, in turn, when he inevitably DID go back… she could provide him with the same--a source of inspiration and power. A light in the overwhelming darkness. Though, as she looked into his eyes, she got the feeling she already was.

“Rhem…?” she began, arching an eyebrow upon noticing his tears. “Are you… crying?”

“Huh?” He blinked, tears falling from the corners of his eyes. The wet movement on his cheeks brought him to the realization that he was indeed crying. “Do not tell King Talonblaze. We are not allowed to cry. It is a sign of weakness and we get beaten for it.”

“Don’t worry.” The mare giggled lightly as she shifted closer, leaning in to lap his cheek while levitating a napkin to him. “I won’t tell a single soul.”

Giving him a nuzzle, she moved back to her original position.

Accepting the napkin and wiping one of his eyes, the dragon smiled with a soft purr, a light shade of pink tingeing his cheeks at the touch of the warm tongue.

“Y-you are a wonderful friend… I must be the luckiest dragon that ever lived to have made a friend like you.”

Of course, it was natural for him to say something like that with the life he had led. Dark, cold, hostile, painful, and void of any form of comfort or positive social interaction. It was a miracle all the innocence in him hadn’t been snuffed out of him.

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that. You know, Rhem, you astonish me. I’m actually really surprised--even after all you’ve been through, you still hold onto your idealism. There have been ponies who have been through much less than you have, but they allowed their hope to be completely crushed.

“You have the strongest sense of character I have ever seen in somepony. Promise me you’ll never lose that.”

Wiping at his other eye, Rhem stared at the mare with a fair amount of surprise.

“I do? … I will try not to lose it.”

He never would have expected her to say anything like that about him. In fact, the strength of his character never really crossed his mind, hence being so occupied with surviving and focusing on his training to strengthen his physical body and mind.

“I don’t think I would have been able to hold onto mine were I in your position,” she admitted, dropping her eyes to the table and staring at her reflection on the polished plate before her. “Banishing Luna was one thing… but to force myself to… to outright kill my own flesh and blood? With my own hooves?

“I… c-ca… I couldn’t do it. Even now, I don’t think I would be able to.” She sighed, returning her gaze to her companion. “Or even follow along with King Talonblaze’s tyranny--at least, not without taking my chances at taking him down first.”

“I remind myself that I would not be able to defeat him on my own… There are too many protecting him.” Suddenly, an idea sparked in his brain, his eyes lighting up. What if he secretly put together a rebellion? No… That wouldn’t work… They would have to have a place to plan in secrecy. No secrets were kept long considering how tight security was in Draconia. “I will think of something.”

“I’m sure you will. You’re a bright dragon.” Smiling, the alicorn reached over to nuzzle him. “You’d have to be to make it to the top of King Talonblaze’s guard at such a young age. I have no doubt in my mind you’ll be able to think of something.”

She leaned back before another waiter emerged from the kitchen, levitating pitchers of milk, juice, and water, the first couple of platters of pancakes already drizzled in a small amount of syrup, along with a dispenser of additional syrup, and bowls of strawberries, blueberries, and sliced bananas.

Another blush bloomed upon his face at the compliment. Nostrils flaring at the strong scent of food approaching, his stomach reminded him of his hunger. Eyeing the tantalizing spread set down upon the table, he began salivating all over again. Before digging in, he addressed the servant and thanked him. Smiling as he responded with a nod, the general opened his jaws wide and proceeded to devour the pancakes right off of one of the platters.

Princess Celestia found herself a bit surprised, yet happy, that the servant stuck around long enough to accept Rhem’s thanks. Heart a bit aflutter, she levitated a stack of three pancakes upon her plate, topped them with strawberries, and cut them apart. Perhaps today would turn out to be an incredibly good day…

Rhem went through stack after stack, having developed a well-defined taste for each kind available. He was especially fond of the blueberry cakes topped with strawberries and bananas. There was absolutely no way he could get through breakfast without a messy face, even if he licked his lips. By the time his hunger had been satisfied, his lips, chin, and nose were sticky with syrup and smeared with bits of all three kinds of available fruit here and there.

For the entire time she calmly ate her breakfast, she watched him eat--only to burst out in giggles at the sight of the dragon’s messy face. With a final chuckle, she magicked another cloth napkin to begin wiping his face off.

“Like a child,” she mused, wondering if she should have wet the napkin first.

The dragon clenched his eyes shut for a few fleeting moments, chuckling in delight as the princess wiped off his face. The fabric only managed to do half of the job, unable to remove the stickiness of the syrup. Opening his eyes, the reptilian licked his lips again.

“That syrup is really sticky.”

“Yes, I know. I should have wet this first…” she sighed, then called out for one of her servants. As a young stallion trotted up, she requested a wet cloth napkin. As the stallion bowed and ran off to fetch one, she reached over to lap up some of the syrup from Rhem’s cheek before the servant returned. Thanking him, she promptly wiped off the dragon’s face off in a more proper fashion.

The napkin, warm from the water it had been soaked in, worked at his scales in circular motions and short hard rubs, leaving nothing behind but a clean hide. Rhem wore a wide grin, chuckling every now and again as Princess Celestia cleaned his face, closing his eyes when the cloth neared them. After it left him, the Draconian gazed upon the royal mare, his fiery yellow-orange orbs glistening.

It was a ridiculous notion: a ruler of an entire country subjecting herself to cleaning off the face of a general--a foreign general, to be exact. He knew King Talonblaze would never do such a thing. None of the dragons in power would--or anyone else in Draconia. Everyone looked out for themselves. This only amplified Princess Celestia’s image in Rhem’s eyes.

It was indeed a silly sight, but the princess of the sun cared not. Rhem was quite young that he may as well been like a child to her. She thought of her ponies as such anyway, even the ones that were elderly in their years. The ponies she considered dear friends were long gone. Even Star Swirl the Bearded, one of the best friends she ever had…

She forced a smile on her face before her train of thought could go any further. It was no use dwelling on the past.

The mare gazed at Rhem with a sort of unfocused, far-off expression.

He brushed the moisture from his face with the back of his scaly hand as he continued to look upon the Equestrian monarch with admiration. He noticed her dazed eyes, realizing them to belong to someone with a wandering mind. He really couldn’t help but wonder what she could possibly be thinking about. He had a few ideas, but decided to ask.

“What is on your mind?”

“Hmmm?” Princess Celestia raised her head a tiny bit, snapping out of her reverie. “… I’m sorry, Rhem. I… had this image of a mother pampering her son… and I just… got to thinking what it would have been like if I ever had a colt.”

“Oh…” Rhem lowered his eyes for a few seconds before returning them to the mare, brimming with sympathy for her. From what he had learned, it took a mate to create a baby, and Princess Celestia didn’t see any point in having one. “You… do not have one because you do not see any reason to have a male due to your immortality… Or is there another reason?”

“No,” she said simply, a twinge of melancholy in her voice. “It’s precisely the same… If I take on any stallion, then whosoever becomes my husband will eventually pass on before me. If I have a child or children… even they will not inherit an eternal life.

“Of course, that’s not to say their lifespans wouldn’t be unusually long. If I were to have a son or daughter with a mortal stallion… I surmise my child would potentially live to see at least a couple hundred years. Possibly even half a millennium. Even so, my child would still…”

She closed her eyes and went silent for a couple of moments.

“It’s hard enough at times with my public. I view them all as my children collectively. You sort of begin to see it that way after a few hundred years.”

“Oh… right… I suppose the odds of the baby inheriting immortality would be slim.”

Rhem frowned as he lowered his vision to the empty platter, his heart aching for Princess Celestia’s predicament.

“Unless you found another immortal male,” he added idly, only half aware of what he actually said.

He had a point, but… there weren’t many immortal males she knew of. There was Tirek and Scorpan, but Tirek was… a monster, and Scorpan was located in his homeland.

Then there’s Discord, but there was nothing appealing about his character, and she couldn’t possibly begin to even think of her enemy as a friend, let alone a mate. The fact he was currently stoned in the most literal fashion further cemented the absurdity of it--even if she were the least bit attracted to him.

Rhem was… cute, she decided after a bit of deliberation. While she could conceive the idea of having a child through him, she had to admit that he was… quite young. Compared to her, he was practically out of diapers.

That left King Talonblaze, and she physically shuddered at the thought of bedding with him.

As a pair of servants exited the kitchen to take the used dishes and Princess Celestia’s leftovers, Rhem nodded his thanks to them and looked to the alicorn.

“Celestia? What is it like for a mother to pamper her child? What usually happens?” he asked, wanting to get a better understanding of the mother-child relationship--a healthy one, to be more accurate.

“Well…” Princess Celestia, glanced off to one of the stained glass windows with a smile. “I don’t personally know myself. I’m not a mother, I never have been. Even though I like to think of my subjects as my children… it’s not the same.

“From my observations of seeing mothers with their foals, I see that mothers provide their children everything they need or want to the best of their ability. A lot of ponies will go to great lengths to provide for their foal’s happiness, sometimes even sacrificing their own desires, even needs, above that of their babies.”

“Oh… That answers my question good enough.” Rhem turned his gaze away, eyes skimming the windows across the dining hall. There was a lot more to life than he had been anticipating. A lot more than he had been missing--that the citizens of Draconia had been missing. “I guess… everyone in Draconia never experienced what it is like to have a mother.”

“No, I suppose not. But, even here it’s not all rainbows and roses. There are a surprising number of children who don’t know what it’s like to have a mother.” Princess Celestia followed Rhem’s gaze to one of the windows. “There are foals in Equestria who don’t know what it’s like to even have parents. Of course, we try to care for them in orphanages across the country, but… still. There are stories of those lost and homeless and without families. It breaks my heart knowing that there are ponies out there like that.”

“At least… they have each other to go to… We are on our own… Everyone in Draconia looks after themselves… They are not allowed to look out for anyone else. King Talonblaze does not want any weaklings to survive…” With a heavy sigh, Rhem returned his gaze to Princess Celestia. “I… am almost tempted not to tell anyone back at home about families. They might feel bad about what they have been missing.”

“That’s up to you,” said Princess Celestia, looking over at him and bringing up a hoof to rest it upon his shoulder. “Though, maybe you should use this information as a sort of… inspiration. Once King Talonblaze is gone, then you can begin pursuing things that were denied to you. You, and the rest of the Draconians… you can abolish King Talonblaze’s cruel laws, start families… and rebuild Draconia into a proper society.”

The dragon smiled softly, his head giving the tiniest of nods.

“Yes. Once King Talonblaze is overthrown… more competent and benevolent dragons will take his place. That should set things right… Then I can come back here.”

Princess Celestia smiled warmly, her eyes shutting halfway.

“… I would like that. I can only hope that it won’t take too long.”

Of course, the immortal alicorn knew it would take years. Decades, even. So long as King Talonblaze was defeated in the end.

“Yes, I am hoping that, too.” The dragon placed his clawed hand upon the mare’s foreleg, as her hoof was still resting upon his shoulder. “I would really like to serve you, Celestia. You are the greatest ruler to ever live.”

“And I would very much like to have you as part of my court,” Princess Celestia replied with a wide grin. “I have to admit. It’s not often I get anypony from foreign lands wishing to swear allegiance to my throne. Allies, yes, but outright fealty? It’s almost unheard of.”

“It is the least I can do for you.” Rhem removed his palm from her leg and pushed himself out of his chair, stretching out his wings after doing so. He was anxious to get started with Princess Celestia’s lessons, but duties came first. “Now, shall we head to morning court?”

“Sounds like a good idea.” She nodded, sliding from her seat. “Some more exposure to the other ponies might help them get used to you.”

The dragon general nodded and delivered a quick nuzzle to her cheek as he allowed her to lead him off.

Chapter Sixteen: Deadly Attraction

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Chapter Sixteen: Deadly Attraction

King Talonblaze hadn’t been able to sleep at all. His entire body itched to the point of driving him mad. He had spent the night tossing around, rubbing his hide against the bed and biting and scratching in a vain attempt to be rid of the itching.

Ear frills perking, the dragon averted his attention as the door swung open, grinding his back against the mattress, the skin beneath his scales burning from the friction. The nurse smiled as she sauntered into his quarters, her tail swishing from side to side as she crossed the room.

“Good morning, my liege,” she greeted in singsong. “Did--oh my stars!”

“My body is severely itchy all over! Do something!” he demanded before tearing off a patch of scales from a prominently itchy spot on his bicep with his teeth. Spitting out the scales, he subsequently scratched at the lump on his flesh feverishly with his upper fangs, the irritation biting at him like a swarm of fleas.

The mare rushed over to his side to look him over.

“Goodness! You broke out in hives!” she noted. Turning to gallop out of the room, she returned a few minutes later with her bag of medical supplies. Putting it down, she pulled out what appeared to be a jar of gel. Untwisting the lid, she slid her hoof inside to scoop out a glob and apply it to his skin and scales. “This is aloe. It should stop the itching and bring relief. And for goodness sakes, don’t scratch, you’ll just make it worse!”

The Draconian monarch snarled. Even though the urge to scratch was maddening, he held still as he allowed her to rub the aloe into his scales.

“I better not be allergic to this, too.”

“Well, if this doesn’t work, I honestly wouldn’t know what to say,” the earth pony spoke. “I’m not an expert on dragon physiology. If I was, this wouldn’t be a problem!”

She chuckled.

“Heh. If it weren’t for that little insect, I suppose there wouldn’t bee a problem in the first place.”

The mare gave him a wink.

A deeper scowl formed upon the dragon king’s scaly features as he stared hard at her.

“Not funny,” he deadpanned, clearly not amused. Snorting, he rolled over onto his back in order to grant access to the underside of his body.

Rolling her eyes, she delivered a playful smack to his upper foreleg.

“Oh, lighten up! Life’s too short to be all stone-faced and serious. You should laugh every once in a while. It’ll do you good,” she stated, climbing onto the bed and on top of him to get at the scales on his belly. “After all, laughter is the best medicine!”

“My life is not short. I am immortal,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “And I fail to see how laughter could be any form of medicine besides increasing heart rate and blood flow.”

“Immortal?” she parroted, arching a brow in disbelief. “Well, I’ll be.”

The carnation-pelted equine let out another chuckle.

“Boy, do you know nothing of the body. Laughter relaxes you, darling! It relieves physical tension and stress! And boy are you ever tense! I can feel it in my hooves climbing all over you!” She crawled further down him, continuing with her speech. “And, yes, it increases heart rate and blood flow, but by doing so that helps prevent heart attacks and the like! In fact, it adds to a better overall quality of health. Laughter helps you from feeling physical pain, aids in overcoming fear, and it helps us with dealing with day to day problems by making them seem smaller and less daunting!

“I’ve been doing studies on my fellow ponies. I’ve noticed ponies who laugh don’t get as sick and heal much faster than those who don’t. My supervisor thinks it’s silly, but I’ve seen the results for myself--it really does work.”

The winged reptilian emitted a growl, his leg twitching as she rubbed aloe into his belly.

“I do know much about the body.”

To prove his point, he pressed a finger into her shoulder to trigger a nerve--the same one Rhem had triggered in Princess Celestia’s shoulder.

The nurse blinked as her head involuntarily shot straight up.

“… Oh, my…” she said in a rather surprised note, her eyes wide. “That’s… What are you doing…?”

“I triggered one of your nerve points,” he replied, removing his finger from her shoulder and letting if fall limp at his side. “I know all of the nerve points in your body.”

The mare actually looked somewhat impressed.

“I see…” Her mind was spinning with ideas. There appeared to be a shining hunger in her eyes as she came to realization of what she could possibly use with this knowledge. “… Tell me more.”

“Finish rubbing that aloe on me and I suppose I will tell you more about nerve points. Though, genetics is more my specialty. No Draconian knows more about genetics than I.”

“Genetics?” The pony went back to rubbing aloe over his stomach, her face displaying confusion. “What are those?”

The dragon arched a brow.

“The nurse does not know what genetics is? It is the study of a creature’s heredity. Their pedigree. For instance, my soldiers have been created by breeding dragons with desired traits, so they will be passed down to their offspring.”

The nurse blushed lightly, biting her lower lip.

“That makes sense, but I am a medical nurse--I’m not a scientist, my liege. I’m more concerned with making sure ponies and others heal from sickness and injury, not… traits.”

“My soldiers are taught to tend to their own injuries, so we do not really have the need for medics,” King Talonblaze claimed, squirming a little as her hooves passed over his ticklish abdomen.

“No?” she asked, frowning a bit. “And of those who can’t tend to their own injuries?”

“They can. Do not underestimate my warriors,” he gruffed with a scowl, then decided to change the subject. “What is your name, by the way?”

She gave him a slightly skeptical look, but continued to rub aloe around his stomach and down closer towards his legs.

“My name is Amara, my lord.”

“Hm. Amara,” he repeated, parting his legs to give the nurse better access to his inner thighs. “Watch where you put those hooves.”

Amara nodded. After all, she didn’t want to hurt him. Carefully stepping around on his body, trying not to plant her hooves on any soft or sensitive spots, she resumed applying the gel-like substance to his legs and upper thighs. As she was busied, she subconsciously lifted her tail, exposing herself to the large male.

The scaly beast was inwardly amused at this position, his eyes traveling to her rump.

“I’m not complaining about the view though.”

Nearly stumbling off of him, the mare blushed furiously. Craning her neck over her shoulder, she stared at him incredulously as she lowered her tail partially.

“Um… Well. Thank you… sire,” she said as she finished applying the aloe to each leg, sounding flustered.

The urge to scratch was eating at him, but he kept himself distracted as he studied the mare’s rear. As much as it astonished him, he was entertaining the idea of seducing her. She was quite attractive, and he was curious as to how ponies performed.

“You know… if we were in my land, I would consider making you my queen.”

This information surprised Amara so much, she really did stumble and almost toppled forward. Managing to catch herself, but inadvertently raised her rear higher to briefly expose herself again and whirled around with wide eyes.

“My lord?” she said, a blush saturating her cheeks--clearly taken aback at this.

“You heard me.”

The ruler of Draconia raised his brow, waiting for the mare’s response. While he was open to the idea of taking her back to his country as a mate, there was no way he was going to share his power with her.

“Me? … A… a queen? My… my lord, I’m just a simple nurse… Wouldn’t you prefer somepony more… worth your stature?”

King Talonblaze snorted with another roll of his eyes.

“I said you, so I choose you.”

Amara appeared scared and flummoxed… but the edges of her lips rose in an elated, silly-looking smile.

“My lord, I… I would be… honored,” she said, in a humble intonation.

The behemoth’s eyes opened wide in sincere bemusement.

“You seriously would agree to it willingly?”

The mare blushed again, glancing away with a bashful smile.

“Well, are you seriously considering taking me as your spouse? … Nopony has ever really expressed any interest in me before. And what you’re proposing is, well…”

She giggled, turning back to him to flutter her eyelashes in a teasing manner.

The dragon was honestly more bewildered than he had been in many, many years. This young female was actually being receptive to him. He couldn’t even remember the last time someone held any sort of willing attitude towards him.

Lifting a clawed hand, he kneaded the sharp tips over the fur on her back as he continued to stare at her, uncertain of what to say.

Amara gazed at him with half-lidded eyes, shivering as his claws ran through her soft coat. Humming softly, she sifted a little closer to his head, her tail sweeping over his fingers.

His hives bit at his skin, but now he was more focused on the mare, his stone grey eyes piercing into her own.

“Why don’t you finish rubbing that aloe on me and… we will see what happens after that.”

Blushing, Amara nodded and resumed.

***

Rhem loped ahead the instant he and Princess Celestia were released from morning court with a pair of scribes tailing behind them.

“Maybe we should bring a few guards, too, to study underneath you as well?” the alicorn questioned to herself. “I wonder if General Blueblade and Warden Red Pommel will be intrigued by this.”

She was looking forward to studying the tactics of combat--if for no reason than to increase her guards’ repertoire of skills, even though she knew Rhem was training her. She shivered lightly in excitement. When was the last time she had a direct teacher?

“I was actually about to suggest the same thing,” Rhem chuckled as he bounded several more strides and waited for the princess and scribes to catch up. Allowing Princess Celestia to walk ahead for a couple of moments, he took another leap and landed at her side to walk with her with an energetic spring in his step. “What are your general and warden like?”

“Well, the warden is a bit of a crusty old sort. He may SEEM gruff, but he’s a pleasant fellow. He just happens to be because he has to look over the ward where we keep what prisoners we have. He doesn’t… really much tolerate injustice. Do good by him and he’ll do good by you.

“General Blueblade on the other hoof… He’s, well, he’s a no-nonsense type of pony. Somewhat aloof. Almost all business. But he’s fairly open and trusting about most situations, and he’s usually willing to lend an ear to his junior officers to take their advice. He’s often regarded as a father to the ones serving under him. Though…

“Blueblade is a little…” She paused to nip her lower lip. “How to say… xenophobic. He really doesn’t like outsiders, so… I don’t think he’ll take much of a shine to you. I’m just hoping his willingness to learn new techniques for his guards are enough to counteract any sense of distrust he’ll have towards you.”

“Oh, okay. Well, I am looking forward to meeting them. I hope they do not mind learning from someone younger than them. I know in my homeland that older warriors can feel indignant and irritated whey they are bested by younger and less experienced Draconians.”

Indeed the dragon knew. He dealt with dragons in and out of the sparring arena all the time. A lot of them have gone into fits of rage after losing, but it was expected. King Talonblaze wouldn’t tolerate a loss out of his general, even though he had lost plenty of times throughout his life--and had been subsequently punished for those losses.

“I don’t think the warden will mind that much. He’s getting fairly up there with age, so I don’t think he’ll personally be one to fight himself if he doesn’t have to. It’s not to say he can’t win a fight, but I’m sure he will be happy for the experience. In fact… Pommel’s usually proud of his guards whenever they happen to best him in a fight. He’s not easily beaten, and to do so usually means they’ve earned their worth as soldiers in his eyes.

“General Blueblade’s a little more complicated. He… can suffer from warrior’s pride from time to time, but he is still relatively young, compared to Pommel. Blueblade’s only in his mid-forties. Pommel is somewhere in his seventies… and Pommel can still easily defeat ponies less than half his age.”

“How long have they been serving you, Celestia?” Rhem queried, jumping ahead again and cutting across the alicorn’s path before eventually joining her opposite side when she caught up to him.

“Ever since the two of them were old enough to sign up in our armed forces at seventeen, if I recall properly. At least Pommel did. I think General Blueblade didn’t until he was closer to his twenties, and even then that was mainly at the recommendation of his father and more of a sense of familial obligation at first. Blueblade’s really more of a strategist than an outright warrior.”

“That is good. An army can have all the muscle it wants, but it will not do them any good without strategists.” The young general grinned, now looking forward to meeting the pair even more. “I… I officially became the general of King Talonblaze’s army when I turned fifteen.”

“I have to ask. How, exactly, did you get to be such a top general at so young an age, anyway?” Princess Celestia turned her eyes to him. “Physical prowess? Strategic superiority?”

“That is what I was bred and trained to be. King Talonblaze created me and my siblings with the most selective bloodlines. The two small strains of royal blood in my pedigree… they were skilled warriors and that is all he cares about.” Rhem led his gaze away for a few moments, then shifted back to the mare at his side. Countless times he had wished he hadn’t been bred the way he was, forced to be the warrior on top. The pressure was overwhelming at times. “I was put under tougher training than most soldiers. More work, more beatings, more punishments, more pressure.”

Princess Celestia seemed intrigued.

“So… you’re of royal descent?” she asked, tilting her head. If he was of royal descent and had royal blood in him, then theoretically he would have valid claim to the throne, should he ever desire to take control of Draconia himself for whatever reason.

Not that she figured she would have to worry about that, but she found that interesting.

“And you were… specifically bred for that,” she repeated, sounding a little surprised. “I heard of survival of the fittest… but that’s just ridiculous.”

“No one is bred unless King Talonblaze says so, and he picks who is bred to who. Even my future mates will be picked for me, but I will not see them at all except when it will be time to make offspring. That will not be until I turn one thousand years old.” Rhem frowned as he directed his eyes to the path ahead, a sudden pang of loneliness flooding his being. “But… they will not be immortal like me. There is no immortal female in Draconia.”

“I can imagine why.” The alicorn rolled her eyes and gave pause. “I’m curious… Wouldn’t it be a bit more… beneficial? This… It might sound gruesome, barbaric even, but wouldn’t an… immortal mate potentially lead to a perfect breeding stock? To continuously be able to produce offspring to ensure a deathless army?

“Or would King Talonblaze be too afraid of said deathless army rising up and overthrowing him? Yes, you’re immortal, but… you were specifically bred for that purpose, to be a loyal killing machine to him and nopony else.”

“I do not think so. We have too many superiors keeping the soldiers in line. And… having an immortal female I guess could lead to too many of one bloodline and too much inbreeding. And that will cause a lot of issues in offspring.”

“I suppose that would make sense. Diversity is they key for a healthy species…” the monarch mused. “Unless you were to have the immortal males share the immortal female, although that would very likely be a really good way to spread venereal diseases…”

The dragon went silent for a few minutes as he drifted into his thoughts.

“You know… we may have come from two very different environments, but we have a lot of similarities.”

She chuckled, nodding her head as the two of them plus the scribes entered the courtyard.

“Yes, you’re right. A world of differences apart, and yet, we share a lot of common points… I suppose this is what they mean by finding a common ground.”

“Yes. It is--hm?”

The sudden gasping of guards readying themselves to spar grabbed his attention. The armored unicorns stood in the center of the courtyard with wide, frightened eyes, too stunned at the moment to say or do anything. Along the sidelines were two older stallions. One of them was very old. Old enough for Rhem to guess that he might be the warden Princess Celestia had told him about.

Chapter Seventeen: Clash of the Generals

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Chapter Seventeen: Clash of the Generals

With a smile adorning her features that prominently displayed her amicability, Princess Celestia stepped forward to accost the two oldest militants.

“General. Warden.”

“Oh!” The younger of the two stallions immediately focused his attention on the alicorn. He was a larger than average unicorn with wavy locks of blonde with a pristine white coat and green eyes sharp and calculating, his cutie mark and most of his body covered with chain mail armor. “Good morning, Your Majesty.”

He didn’t even look at the dragon, pretending that he wasn’t even there.

The other stallion, also a unicorn, tipped his head to the solar monarch before his amber eyes caught the dragon at her side where they subsequently went wide in shock. His wrinkly coat was a dark rust coloration with a salt and pepper mane cut short in one inch in length and cropped tail, clean white uniform obscuring his cutie mark and body much like his comrade.

“G… good… morning, Your Highness… Who might I ask is this?”

Rhem smiled awkwardly as he waited for Princess Celestia to answer for him, his round eyes and large smile making him appear far less intimidating than usual--but he still managed to unintentionally overawe most thronging the courtyard.

“This is General Rhem of Draconia,” Princess Celestia relayed as she met the flaxen-maned stallion’s gaze. “He’s agreed to show us some information I feel would be most beneficial to our armed forces. His knowledge of advanced techniques, strategies, and other statistical data should be a great asset to us.”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty… but we are the epitome of our strength,” Blueblade objected. “We beat back the griffons when our forces came to a clash.”

“Yes, we did. But only just. And I’m afraid you weren’t there yesterday during our little… impromptu exercise in the garden, General. Rhem ran circles around your elite pegusi as if they were foals, and he’s barely half your age.”

“Half his age?” Red Pommel coughed and cleared his throat. He had been getting sick more frequently lately. He hoped he wasn’t coming down with another cold. “Erm… How old is he? He looks far too young to be in the armed forces.”

“I am nineteen,” the reptilian replied nonchalantly, still keeping the sweet smile upon his scaly visage.

“You? The Draconian general at nineteen?! Preposterous! Unheard of!” the old stallion scoffed and coughed again.

“Indeed, he is. I was rather surprised myself, Warden. And I daresay if I had any doubts to his abilities, he certainly disproved them yesterday… In fact…” She threw a warm smile to the elderly equine. “How would you like to test your abilities against his own to see for yourself?”

“Pah. Let me handle him,” Blueblade volunteered, taking a step forth. “No sense getting the old man involved. Don’t want him breaking his fragile hip or something.”

Turning to deliver a smug smirk at the warden, he then narrowed his gaze at Rhem.

Red Pommel snorted with indignation.

“You’ll never change, will you, you insolent pup?”

Shaking his head, the ruddy-coated unicorn stood back, inwardly hoping that the Draconian would knock Blueblade down a few notches.

Rhem had to frown at the contemptuous attitude Blueblade had shown. He knew if any Draconian soldiers spoke that way to their superiors, there would be a heavy punishment in the very short future.

The Equestrian general continued to smirk as he and his opponent positioned themselves at the center of the courtyard and placing a gap of several yards between them.

“Not if you never change being such a crusty old gas!”

Even though he was middle-aged, he had an attitude and sort of energy about him to match those nearly half his aged, and he did respect his superior officer, privately holding him in a fairly high regard--though, he would never admit it. To that end, he sounded just as disrespectful as they came--the only one he ever really seemingly submitted to out of actual respect being Princess Celestia herself.

Blueblade pawed at the ground, snorting once, bending his head down, and charging forward, pointing his horn at the dragon as he did so.

Rhem waited, his first move already planned out in his brain. Once Blueblade was within a couple of feet, the dragon put his planned maneuver into action. His clawed hands struck out, one grasping onto a foreleg, the other his horn. Rolling his body aback, he pulled the equine on top of him as his hind foot came up to press against his belly. As he let go, he sent the stallion flying with a powerful kick and rolled back onto his feet again.

The unicorn had been planning on stopping and swinging his lower body around to deliver a double-barreling buck straight at the dragon’s jaw. Finding himself yanked off his hooves, the general could only gasp and let out a yelp as he flew. He tumbled through the air for a few seconds before crashing into a crumpled mess several yards away.

Getting to his hooves, he snorted, his coat and armor somewhat dusty.

“Pah! Tricky little devil, are you?” he growled, sliding the sword attached to his back out of its scabbard with his magic. Swinging it in a cross fashion in front of him, he charged again with the intention of engaging in melee combat.

The young dragon waited again for the stallion to close in, before throwing his weight forth and somersaulting. As his tail came down, it pinned the blade of the sword to the ground while his head followed. Rhem headbutted Blueblade in the chest, sending him flying once again. Jumping back to his feet, the end of his tail coiled around the sword’s handle. Tossing it up into the air, he reared to catch it between his teeth.

He could have just pounced on the unicorn and point the sword at his throat, but where would the fun in just ending it be? So, he waited for the opposing general to recover.

The next thing Blueblade realized, he was staring up at the sky and in the process of focusing his eyes. His chest was a flurry of pain, rolling over to stumble to his hooves again. Growling, the pony’s horn flashed as he attempted a different tactic…

… and teleported above Rhem to literally get the drop on him, landing on his back and flinging his forelegs around his neck to try and wrestle him to the ground--despite being smaller.

Rhem’s body hit the ground as the full weight of the stallion came down upon him, but he pushed himself right back up. He held his neck in place and resisted Blueblade’s strength. The dragon wouldn’t move as much effort the unicorn put out. Feeling some of his opponent’s power ebbing, he rolled right over to pin him with his hulking frame. He remained there for a few moments and got back up, letting the pony lay there with dizzy spirals in his eyes.

The warden standing along the sidelines barked a laugh, thoroughly satisfied with the outcome of the match.

“HA! Hasn’t been ten minutes and the boy beat you over, Blueblade!”

He went on laughing, shortly succumbing to a brief coughing fit.

Rhem dropped the sword beside Blueblade’s prone form and sat down upon his haunches with a look of concern.

“I have been… beaten,” Blueblade mumbled in disbelief. Getting to his hooves, he gazed upon the dragon with a confused expression. “And you’re… showing concern? I thought…”

“That he would have eaten you by now?” Princess Celestia ventured, now wearing a pair of shades and sipping a mimosa that had been graciously offered to her by a servant. “Come now. General Rhem would never do such a thing.”

Blueblade blinked… and bowed before the scaled general.

“Your skills are admirable,” he stated, rather humbly, though with an intonation that suggested some bitterness. “I admit defeat.”

Rhem nodded with a soft smile.

“Admitting defeat is admirable, too. Most soldiers in Draconia would just keep fighting until they… well… are unable to fight.” The dragon general’s smile had faded as the second half of his sentence left his mouth, but it returned. “Celestia and I came to teach her some information on combat. You are welcome to observe.”

The warden was immensely interested, and amused, at this idea.

“Teaching the princess about combat?” A chuckle escaped his throat. “I would not wish to miss this.”

Arching his eyebrow, Blueblade cocked his head with a look of surprise--not having heard any of the horror stories that Princess Celestia had learned from her Draconian friend. The princess, who was now underneath a sun umbrella that someone was hefting up and being fanned by another, rose to her hooves and dismissed her servants.

“Indeed. That battle, while short, did intrigue me.” The tall mare smiled and approached. “And I would like to learn from Rhem, should I ever find the need to have to personally defend myself. It has been too long since I exercised those skills.”

“… Your Majesty? You’ve… been in a fight before?”

“I have fought against King Sombra three hundred years ago. And I had to fight for my survival several times. Skills, much like unused muscles and equipment not properly maintained, will atrophy or fall into disrepair over time.”

“She does need to stay alive to take care of her kingdom. What would happen if someone broke into the castle, got past the guards, and tried to hurt her?”

Rhem rose up from his sitting position to pick up the sword he had dropped and offered it back to Blueblade.

The warden nodded deeply.

“Equestria would possibly fall into disarray and destroy our harmonious civilization. Best to keep our princess in fighting fit condition.”

With a snort, Blueblade accepted the blade and slid it back into the sheath.

“Preposterous.”

“It can happen, General. Don’t be so complacent it couldn’t,” Princess Celestia warned.

“I’m not… but still. I just find the notion… surreal. Though, I agree it would likely be for the best--as a last measure, if nothing else.”

A smile pulled at the mare’s mouth.

“Glad we agree.” The royal equine turned to Rhem. “What shall be the first lesson?”

“Are your scribes ready?” Rhem asked. Just then, the two unicorn mares zipped over and came to a stoppage behind their ruler, quills, ink wells, and parchment floating in the grasps of their levitation spells. With a satisfied smile after acknowledging their presence, he turned back to the monarch. “I suppose they are. We will go over pressure points again.”

Giving the mares a grateful smile, Princess Celestia nodded once and turned back to Rhem.

“I’m ready whenever you are.”

The Draconian stepped closer to her, sitting down in order to utilize both of his hands to trigger her pressure points. He didn’t press down long enough on the areas that would knock her out cold or cause her pain, but explained them. The warden knew about some of these points, but he never thought there were so many of them to memorize. The scribes scribbled away feverishly as they printed the dragon’s words into text.

While he did not press down very hard or long enough to straight up knock her out, the alicorn did settle down quickly due to the acupressure. She went from standing strong and tall to laying down on her stomach, then sprawled out onto her side.

She allowed Rhem to use her body as a living model… and puppet, especially when showing off some of the more amusing reactions. She still didn’t understand how she involuntarily happened to look up whenever the nerve in her shoulder was touched. The mare was about to drift off into a slumber as the session came to a close. This time, his teachings wouldn’t be forgotten thanks to the scribes.

“Hmm?” She drowsily lifted her head. “… Over already?”

The princess yawned, brushing her prismatic mane aside and out of her face.

“Yes. Sorry, but we need to move on.” Rhem let out a small chuckle, rising to his feet and taking a step back. “Can you show me your view of a proper battle stance?”

Nodding, she yawned a second time. Shaking her self out to be rid of dirt and blades of grass that clung to her body, she spread her legs somewhat, bending them. Dropping her front half, she spread her wings as she pawed the ground with a hoof. She snorted once, as if in warning that she was about to start charging any moment.

Circling the princess, Rhem examined her stance with care. Occasionally, he stopped to feel her muscles, searching for any tension or locking. So far, she was pretty loose. That was good. Yet, as he looked her over, he couldn’t help but admire her body. She was so delicate and sleek… So beautiful… And her fur so incredible soft. And that mane and tail!

The way the dragon stared at the mare with a far-off look on his face didn’t fail to escape the warden’s notice.

“Like what you see there, boy?”

This snapped Rhem back to reality. Blushing softly in embarrassment, he positioned himself in front of the royal pony.

“Very good. Joints bent, muscles ready but loose. Head low to protect your throat and belly.”

Princess Celestia had felt somewhat self-conscious as Rhem examined her, having went pink in the face. Though, when she heard the warden call out, her cheeks deepened to a shade of scarlet.

Her tail noticeably drooped over her flank even more so, as if masking the view of something that she suddenly felt was likely exposed. As Rhem settled down in front of her, she gave him a smile.

“Thank you. It’s a natural form. Most of us drop into this stance as a reaction if we must fight…”

“That is good.” Rhem found himself staring again; this time his eyes were strictly glued to her face. That warm smile and those kind eyes… They only enticed the innocent schoolboy crush he had developed. Shaking his head to pull himself out of his transfixed state, he stepped back, the adorable pink blush returning to his face. “Erm… Let us move on to pain spots.”

At this point, even Blueblade seemed to notice something--as he hadn’t moved from where he was sitting since Rhem had defeated him in their duel. He arched an eyebrow with a disapproving glower, but said nothing.

“Yes, let’s.” Princess Celestia gave pause, relaxing into a more natural state and gazed at Rhem with a slightly worried expression. “You… I should feel silly for asking this, but you’ll… be careful, yes?”

Even the scribes noticed the look of affection upon Rhem’s face, but they, too, decided to remain silent. The Draconian nodded with an even wider grin.

“I am not going to hit you. I am just going to point them out. No need to worry, Celestia.”

Rhem immediately went away pointing out several areas on Princess Celestia’s body that caused the most pain when hit, including under the front legs, a few in the abdomen, and, of course, in the groin--but, he didn’t go near that final one. He even explained that striking certain nerves can increase pain.

Princess Celestia smiled, nodding once. She knew he wasn’t going to hit her, she just wanted to make sure he didn’t press down on any points to cause her pain. She felt a little foolish, but she had asked just to make sure the ponies around her would be placated he wouldn’t do anything untoward.

Blueblade absorbed this information. He hadn’t really been paying much attention to the nerve points that induced relaxation… but he seemed almost captivated at these points, trying to commit them to memory.

Red Pommel knew most of these spots well, but there were a couple that were new to him. The boy certainly was knowledgeable, he thought. It was quite commendable. Of course, Rhem had been forced to memorize them all.

The old pony was silent throughout the duration of the lesson. Moving on, Rhem tutored the princess in several basic--yet effective--combat maneuvers. Some of them were locks used by the forelegs. He went on demonstrating them, putting Princess Celestia in said locks. As for other maneuvers, he started by placing his hands on the mare where they should be when about to perform a certain attack, then went into very detailed descriptions, sparing her from an actual demonstration of the rest of the steps.

The alicorn felt a little embarrassed that Rhem was so close to her, but was thankful for the descriptions as opposed to a live demonstration of an actual attack. She wouldn’t have minded as much if it was just the two of them. However, since they had an audience, she wished for things to go as smoothly as possible.

Blueblade was very intrigued by the physical display, studying the locks and paying utterly rapt attention to Rhem’s explanations. He did not wish to be taken off guard again.

The dragon went into a monologue on strength, body weight ratios, and attack calculations, which were starting to confuse Red Pommel. He hadn’t been exposed to such math since his days as a school colt. Even the scribes paused to question the winged reptilian to repeat himself, which he gladly did. Rhem may have been illiterate, but he was no stranger to mass and velocity and the math that went along with it.

Even Princess Celestia seemed to be quite amazed. Her eyes went a little wide, surprised at the amount of knowledge Rhem possessed--but admitted he would still need a practical working knowledge of physics and mathematics that he would need to utilize his battle strategies… even if they weren’t written down on parchment.

He was amazing! She never would have admitted it, but she hadn’t anticipated that he was like this at first glance. He was brilliant. No wonder he was a general at such a young age.

Chapter Eighteen: Monster

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Chapter Eighteen: Monster

“Didn’t take you to be the type to know such things like that, boy,” Red Pommel chuckled with a smile that displayed approval. He was definitely impressed with the dragon’s intelligence. Now, the prospect of Rhem actually being a general didn’t seem so outlandish.

“King Talonblaze knows intelligence is just as important as strength. He bred his soldiers for it.”

Rhem smiled, feeling quite pleased that another pony was actually being friendly with him.

“Bred?” the warden parroted, frowning with an arched brow.

Princess Celestia’s smile faltered, then dispersed altogether as she turned her head to avert her gaze.

“King Talonblaze… breeds his soldiers,” she proceeded to explain. “He selects the best, most physically and mentally able dragons and actively breeds them to create better warriors.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” Blueblade questioned. “If you ask me, that actually sounds like a rather smart, viable motive.”

“Because you don’t know what he does with them.” The alicorn shot the equine general a glare. “And they don’t have any choice in the matter.”

“Wait… what?”

“No one gets a choice. If King Talonblaze decides someone isn’t fit to be bred, they are… used for something else like being used for testing new weapons,” the Draconian stated as he dropped his eyes to the ground.

“They test weapons on their own soldiers!?” the warden exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock. The old stallion became more agitated when he was given a nod from the dragon.

“King Talonblaze does a lot of terrible things to his own dragons,” Princess Celestia affirmed. “Punishments are brutal, even for the most minor and innocuous of offenses. Soldiers are deliberately starved, as to fight for their own meals rather than being fed by their superiors. Only one child is born per couple, and that’s only because one child is allowed to live since they must fight their siblings to even survive.”

“That’s sick!” Blueblade gasped in horror. “… And more than a little backwards…”

“That barbaric monster!” Red Pommel spat, rage simmering in his eyes. “I hope he dies a slow and horrible death for his crimes against his own people!”

“The things he does are not crimes in Draconia. It is normal,” said Rhem, his voice dithering. “Even I… killed my siblings…”

The elderly unicorn was once again cast into a state of shock, then his entire being was consumed by fury, this time concentrated on the winged reptilian. It didn’t matter to him whether one was ordered to slay another being, if one did it, they were a murderer in his eyes. Especially if the individual killed their own family. In his vehemence, he delivered an exceedingly hard slap across Rhem’s face--one that actually left a print of his hoof.

“And here I thought you were actually a good fellow! But you are just like the rest of your kind, aren’t you?! Killing your flesh and blood!! You’re a monster!! A cold-blooded murderer!!”

Rhem automatically recoiled from the assault, rooting himself to the ground in his own state of shock. Though his surprise was soon replaced with grave remorse and guilt so tremendous, it grabbed at his heart and clenched at his insides and turn them cold. The young general just stared, tears brimming in his yellow-orange eyes.

“Now, Pommel,” the astonished princess began, but was cut off.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty,” Blueblade snarled, joining Red Pommel at his side. “But I have to side with the old man on this! I will not condone such barbaric measures!”

“Even if you realize that Rhem had absolutely no choice?” the regal mare calmly countered. As Blueblade opened his mouth again, she raised a hoof to silence him. “General Blueblade, please listen. That goes for you, too, Pommel.”

The general and warden reluctantly settled and listened.

“General Rhem slew his own family, yes. But only at great reluctance, and at dire threat to his own life. If I gave you a sword and ordered you to kill your family or risk dying yourself, what would you do?”

“Again, Your Majesty, with all due respect…” Blueblade responded with a tightened scowl. “If you did that, I’d tell you to buck off and fall on my own sword. I would rather die than face my own family. Not even you could force me to do otherwise.”

“I would have to agree with them, Your Highness,” came the voice of another guard, casting a hateful glare at Rhem.

“As do I,” piped up another. Murmurs of agreement followed until the entire fleet sided with their general and warden, pressing the dragon with righteous fury inscribed upon their features. Even the scribes voiced their concurrence.

Rhem was pinned underneath the multitude of odious eyes and harsh accusations of “murderer”, “beast”, “monster”, and more. His tearful eyes darted from one pony to the next, the guilt and hurt brimming in him overwhelming him until he broke down and whirled around to flee.

Princess Celestia raised her hoof again to stop Rhem from leaving, but he was gone before she could say anything. Slowly connecting her hoof to the ground, she turned to her guards with an upset expression.

“Please!” she said, raising her voice. “Calm yourselves! After he went to great lengths to give us this information--”

“That could very well be worthless!” Blueblade huffed.

The mare furrowed her brows with a stamp of her hoof.

“General, you dare to interrupt me?”

“Actually, yes!” he challenged. “Yes, I do! You just allowed a murderer here to tell us information that we could have possibly found out ourselves, that could be intentionally misleading. And we spent an entire morning wasting away with this bunk!?”

“I--”

“And you actually expect us to trust a beast over your own stallions who pledged their lives to you? Who died honorably for you!?”

Princess Celestia was thunderstruck… and outraged.

“General Blueblade, you will stand down this instant or I--”

“Or you’ll what? You’ll send me to die, too? Order me from my forces? Go right ahead! Take my blade! Take my badge! You won’t take my pride, nor my honor!” Blueblade spat.

“If I were in charge, I would hang that monster before he does any more damage!” the warden growled, then added bitterly, “Especially to our princess.”

One of the stallions, eyes wild with vengeance, unsheathed his sword.

“That demon needs to be brought to justice!”

“All of you!” the mare shouted, her eyes ablaze with anger. “Disarm yourselves this instant!”

The princess allowed herself to glower at them for a couple of moments, before forcing herself calm. Taking a breath, she shook her head.

“All of you calm yourselves. And let me explain something. If you go out there NOW to take Rhem into custody, then we risk enraging our ‘honorable guest’. If we do this, then we may have well just cosigned ourselves to another war.

“We barely secured victory over the griffons, and we are still recovering from our losses during the war. We can’t afford to go gallivanting off into it AGAIN with our resources and horsepower lowered!

“If we face the Draconians, we will die. Simple as that. They outgun us, they can outmaneuver us, and most importantly, they outnumber us. If we risk open war with them, King Talonblaze could have his entire army overrun us within a week. Do you seriously want to risk that??”

“Can’t we bring King Talonblaze to justice as well? Your Highness, you are the most powerful pony in Equestria! Can’t you kill them?” a female guard questioned as she sheathed her own sword as she was commanded to.

“Yes, killing those monsters should be a simple task for you, Princess,” stated Red Pommel, eyes glittering with desire for dragon blood. “Though, I certainly would love to stick my sword into that boy beforehoof.”

Princess Celestia closed her eyes and exhumed a heavy sigh.

“Theoretically, yes. But I will not stoop to his level.” Eyes opening, she glared at all present. “Because I am not a murderer. I am not a monster.

“And before you get outraged and call me a fool for not taking this initiative, then riddle me this. If we are so quick to resort to hatred, to bigotry, to violence… are you any better than the so called monsters you claim to despise? Rhem has done absolutely nothing to garner your hatred. Rhem has not harmed anypony. Rhem has not threatened anypony.

“And yet here you are, wishing death and harm upon him in your blind fear and your hatred.

“In fact, the only monsters I see are the ones standing before me right now! You should all be ashamed of yourselves!”

“But, Your Majesty, you know what they do!” Blueblade attempted to appeal. “They’re RIGHT HERE! We can STOP this foolishness! You have the power! You just need to give the word!”

Princess Celestia gave Blueblade a long, sorrowful gaze.

“The Draconians… will deal with their own problems. We are not Draconians. As such, we will not resort to their methods, and so we shall not interfere with said methods.

“You may feel I am going to do nothing. Do not think I would be so foolish as to do such a thing. Rest assured, the moment they lift a hand, or claw, or a tail to strike anypony--anyone--in Equestrian lands, protected under Equestrian law, they will have committed an act of war upon Our Crown. And we will bring swift justice to any who defies Our Law.

“But we will not take any steps to instigate any such action on OUR end. To taunt or to antagonize our guest into violating said agreement will also be found guilty of said violation. Do I make myself clear?”

The guards fell into a silence, looking at one another questioningly. With heavy reluctance, they agreed. The warden, the most reluctant, grunted and nodded with a cough.

“Yes, but if either of them harm anypony, their blood will be on your hooves as well for not stopping them.”

“That won’t be a problem,” she stated as she turned her attention to the direction where Rhem had left. “I can guarantee you Rhem won’t be an issue. You have it on my authority that he would never deliberately hurt anypony.

“As for King Talonblaze…” she continued, lifting her eyes to the tower that contained the guest quarters. “I’m already cooking up a contingency plan for him.”

“I see…” Blueblade glanced over at the warden. “Very well, Her Majesty’s word is law.”

“Trust me. I will personally see to it I will not let you down.” Turning to the scribes, she nodded once. “Bring the notes to my chambers and leave them there. I shall see to it they are organized and bound together for later perusal. For now, I must see to my friend.”

She emphasized the words “my friend”, and turned around to leave the courtyard, wondering where he could have gone.

With a deep bow, the scribes complied to their ruler’s order and left the scene. A portion of the guards looked to one another, a few possessing a look of maliciousness in their eyes as if they were planning something devious.

***

The dragon had fled to the palace garden, every fiber within his body releasing the rage he had pent up for so long. The suffering he endured… The suffering of others he witnessed… He needed to strike out at something. He needed to destroy something. As he came across a tree, he stopped and stared at it, the image of the Draconian king replacing the tree in his mind. In his wrath, he lunged at it with an enraged roar, claw slashing at the trunk and leaving deep marks.

He didn’t stop there. He smashed his weight against it, tore out pieces with his teeth. All the creatures inhabiting the tree fled as the dragon’s abuse ripped it out of the earth. He continued to unleash his rage upon the thing, managing to break it apart.

The Draconian general’s roars echoed throughout the castle grounds, attracting quite an amount of attention. A select few who were brave and curious enough to check it out immediately left. One of them, a pegusus, streaked through the surrounding grounds of the palace in hopes of locating the princess. His search was soon rewarded, spotting her not far from the courtyard’s perimeter.

“Princess!” he shouted, his voice heavily laced with terror. “General Rhem has been sighted in the garden! He’s gone mad!”

“Mad?” she inquired, her eyes spreading open wide as concern and fear suddenly gripped her. What if she had inadvertently misinformed her ponies? What if Rhem had harmed someone? She would never be able to forgive herself! Wings beating harshly, she stormed to the garden. “Rhem! RHEM!”

Spotting him, she let out a gasp before gliding over to his side. Landing next to him, she tossed her forelegs around his neck in an attempt to becalm him.

“Rhem! Calm yourself! Rhem!”

He was so far thrown into the blind destruction of the tree, he didn’t even realize Princess Celestia’s arrival. All his mind was set on was biting, clawing, and smashing, reducing the tree to firewood and over-sized splinters. On automatic reflex, as soon as the mare embraced him, he whirled his head into her direction and sank his teeth into her right foreleg. A second later, his brain processed her presence… and his error.

Instantaneously releasing the equine’s leg, he jumped back, crouching with his shoulders hunched over. The dragon’s rib cage heaved with each heavy breath. He tasted blood, he realized, and his wide eyes examined the bleeding wound he had inflicted. Whimpering, too ashamed to even meet her eyes, he broke down sobbing.

Princess Celestia was distantly aware of someone screaming in pain. A few seconds later, it dawned upon her that someone was her. Collapsing onto her side, she clutched her foreleg to her chest. Blood oozing from her torn skin, she clenched her eyes shut, tears streaming down her cheeks. The pain was excruciating--too powerful to even think of.

Her scream only intensified the reptilian’s emotional trauma. He had hurt the person who had shown him kindness, compassion, and happiness. He had hurt her badly. He whimpered and sobbed, his eyes flowing with fresh tears. He didn’t mean to… It was the reflexes that had been trained into him…

Noting the mare’s pain, his desire to help her allowed him to temporarily bring himself together in order to check on her. Wiping his eyes, he crawled over to her and gently nudged her head with his nose. He stared down at her, his yellow-orange orbs overflowing with remorse… Pain… Anger… They were the miserable eyes of someone who had been brought up from a loveless childhood; to someone who was in desperate need for comfort… Who needed to be reassured that he wasn’t a monster… Who needed to be loved…

Princess Celestia’s sobs were heavy--the pain searing and the blood thick and oozing out from the puncture wounds. Grunting, she tried to get up--though, she found she was barely able to put any weight on her foreleg.

Feeling the nudge, the princess’ eyes snapped open. A flush of anger surged through her, but upon seeing Rhem’s sorrowful repentance, her lip quivered. He’d been hurt dearly, and she knew he didn’t mean to lash out. His rage had blinded him.

“Rhem…” she whispered as she rested upon her haunches and brought the hoof attached to her good foreleg up to his face. “Rhem, are you all right…?”

“N… n-no… I h-hurt y-you…” he whimpered, raw tears pooling. He fought back the urge to cry again. Right now, Princess Celestia needed medical attention. Sniffling with another whimper, he scooted closer, sliding his body underneath hers. Balancing her on his back, he hurried back to the palace.

Of course, this didn’t go unnoticed. The trickles of blood trailing behind them alarmed the guards they passed. Breaking into a run, they followed.

“STOP!!” a single one commanded, but the dragon did not heed. He wasn’t going to stop until he reached the medical ward.

As they burst into the infirmary, one of the doctors shifted his attention from the receptionist he had been speaking to.

“What in the world…?”

“H-help her! Please!” Rhem begged in distress, sniffling and heaving as he restrained sobs.

The receptionist immediately called back the staff, informing them that they had an emergency on their hooves with the princess. That sent the medics to the lobby in a frenzied panic.

Even though the alicorn had attempted to non-verbally communicate to the guards they passed that everything was under control, they summoned more guards and followed the blood trail to the infirmary.

“What in Tartarus happened!?” a guard demanded as he and the rest of the fleet eyed the bloodied foreleg.

“My stars…! The Princess has bite marks on her leg!” another guard declared, pointing the spear in his magical grasp at the puncture wounds on their monarch’s leg.

“That monster bit her!” another accused, rage instantly filling him and his comrades.

“Be calm.” Princess Celestia winced and slid off of Rhem‘s back, as one of the more level-headed doctors forced his way to her to examine her right there on the spot. “It was an accident!”

“An accident?” a guard cried out.

“Yes.” The mare grit her teeth as the doctor galloped off, yelling for medical supplies. “He did not mean it!”

“I don’t believe it!” A different stallion stepped forward. “He must be deceiving you, Princess! His kind cannot be trusted!”

“Yes! Playing the innocent card until he can get another shot at you!” Another turned to the mare with a serious expression. “I highly suggest keeping him in the dungeon so something like this doesn’t happen again. His next bite might be fatal.”

Rhem flinched from the emotional blow to his heart. Not even her own guards believed her… He was sure the word would spread and all who had been friendly to him would despise him… Princess Celestia was his only friend…

In need to be near her, he crawled closer…

Only to receive a swift slash across the cheek from one of the spears, actually managing to inflict a gash.

“YOU STAY AWAY FROM OUR PRINCESS, YOU VILE BEAST!!”

The doctor returned, dipping a cloth into a bowl of water enveloped in his magic and subsequently began cleaning the wound. The princess winced again. Opening her mouth, she was about to explain the situation when she saw the stallion assault Rhem.

“STOP THAT!!” she screamed, her horn flashing. She unleashed a blast of explosive rage, boundless and immeasurable. Her entire mane and tail suddenly caught fire, her eyes glowing white and shining with near divine levels of power. Her fur color, once a milky white, was now a bright, angry blood. Focusing her glare on her guards, she boomed out with all the force her Royal Canterlot Voice could muster. “DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND STEP AWAY FROM HIM!!!”

She growled, her eyes shimmering as she emanated with power. Everything happened so quickly, she herself wasn’t even fully aware of what happened at first.

Chapter Nineteen: A Bond Formed

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Chapter Nineteen: A Bond Formed

The guards backed away in sheer, unadulterated horror, the sight of the princess combined with the booming rage in her voice causing them to crouch into submission and quake in their armor. Even the medical staff present were stunned at what their eyes beheld.

Rubbing at the cut he had received, Rhem stared at Princess Celestia, shock piling on top of his previous emotions. He could hardly believe it… He never anticipated that this gentle and compassionate alicorn was capable of such… fury.

She sat there, her mane and tail glowing with flaming heat. The fuel of her wrath was so powerful it was as if she was seething with the full furious force of the sun itself. She heaved several deep breaths as she surveyed all present.

She was met with looks of terror.

The mare turned to face Rhem… pausing at the shock on his face, confused. Her pupils returned--the irises a deep, crimson blood red among a stark white slowly shifted back at the fool who dared to strike her dragon friend.

She was greeted with the image of a cowering stallion guard trembling before her.

Steadily calming down, the fires in her mane and tail went out, the red coloration of her fur bleeding to a more neutral pink. The scarlet of her eyes reverted to the soft magenta upon realizing what happened.

“… W… what have I done…?” she whispered in horror.

The equines were too terrified to even say anything. Rhem, however, broke through his astonishment, needing to comfort her. Lifting himself out of his defensive crouch, he approached her. This time, no one tried to stop him. Gently, he touched his nose to the side of her muzzle.

Princess Celestia lurched away from him at first, trying to drag herself away. Collapsing on the floor due to her injured foreleg, she broke down in hysterical sobs.

She didn’t even seem to be aware of Rhem’s presence--only her words, her promises, had been shattered. All she felt was her own world crumbling down. Her guards, the very ponies she had promised she would never turn against now recoiling from her.

An amplified pang tugged at Rhem as the mare drew away from him. In another attempt to becalm and comfort her, he followed, sitting himself at her side. The sympathetic Draconian lowered his head to hers, nuzzling her and following the gesture with a lick to her cheek. His own pain could wait--he didn’t want her to remain miserable.

The alicorn shivered, suddenly feeling cold. Curling up, she choked and wept openly regarding her actions… As she felt the nuzzle and lick, she lifted her head and turned to her scaly friend.

“… What… what are you doing…?” she rasped. “Aren’t you… terrified of me?”

Rhem shook his head.

“I understand how you are feeling…” he said gently. The dragon leaned in to nuzzle her again. He wanted so much to console her… It hurt him immensely to see her this way. “Trust me… Even other dragons back at home fear me…”

The royal mare blinked in surprise. She hadn’t known this about him. Commiseration coursing through her, she attempted to embrace him, but as she tried to push herself up, she had forgotten about her leg again. Crying out as she put weight on it, she fell onto her stomach a second time.

“Your Majesty!” The doctor intervened, having snapped mostly out of the confines of his fear. “Your leg still needs to be treated!”

Rhem kept his side glued to Princess Celestia’s, refusing to leave her. She needed to have that leg appropriately mended. The mare couldn’t walk with it mangled like that. Who knows? It could possibly start bleeding again.

“Celestia…”

Princess Celestia paused, narrowing her eyes partially at Rhem. Sighing, she turned her attention to the doctor, then dropped her vision to her lacerated leg, which was now folded against her chest. She had considered using magic to try and stabilize it, but the thought of using that much magic after her outburst left her feeling weary. She was already quite drained from both that and what she surmised to be blood loss.

“Very well,” she sighed resignedly, stretching her injured leg out for the doctor.

“I… I do not… want your injury to worsen…”

The Draconian remained in physical contact with her at all times, keeping his side pressed against the opposite side of her leg for the medical staff to resume work. His intentions were soothing--or attempting to be soothing. The remaining equines were astonished the princess was allowing such closeness from the one who had caused her injury.

Rhem, once again, nuzzled her cheek, pushing aside his pain to concentrate on her. He cared so much for her, more than he ever thought was possible… and the look in his eyes conveyed it.

The solar monarch kept her eyes closed, pursing her lips and leaning against Rhem as the doctor and nurses cleaned her leg and applied antibacterial herbs. Thankful for his presence, part of her wished to dismiss the guards medics, but she was afraid she would blow up again. Choking, she resumed silently weeping all over again.

As much as Rhem wanted to let out his own misery, he remained strong for her. His warm tongue brushed the tears off her cheek in gentle strokes, fitting in nuzzles every few rasps. In further effort to comfort the mare, he lifted a foreleg and draped it over her back, his clawed hand slowly smoothing over the far wing.

“You will be all right…” he breathed. “I am here for you…”

The alicorn lifted her head, opening her misting eyes.

“… Thank you, Rhem. You’re sweet.” She shut her eyes again, and not caring who saw, gave him a peck on the side of his face. “… I don’t care what anypony says about you. You are a good dragon. This I believe.”

Now it was the young general’s turn, his eyes pooling as a flood of emotion washed over him. Heaving a couple of times before he got a grip on himself again, he returned the kiss upon her cheek, thinking of it as a consoling gesture. It made him feel warm… Pleasant…

“E-even… after I… I… b-bit you?”

The alicorn princes blushed lightly, giving a single nod.

“Of course. It was an accident, Rhem. If you truly wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be here, would I? In fact, if I had kept a level head and my distance while trying to calm you down… we… wouldn’t have gotten into this situation.” She expelled a deep sigh. “… This is all my fault…”

“No, it is not… You… were just trying to calm me down… You saw something was wrong with me and you wanted to help me…” The dragon’s tears spilled down his cheeks, moved that she cared that much about him. “No one has… ever cared about me before…”

His voice cracked and a sob managed to find its way out of him despite the fact he was holding back.

“I am a princess of Equestria. And I care about all creatures, great OR small… And, everypony deserves… to be loved,” she stated, furling her uninjured foreleg around his shoulders to draw him into a hug. “… And everypony deserves a friend. Besides, even the best of friends fight… It’s what makes them so close when they forgive each other.

“I forgive you.” A smile pulled at the corners of her lips. “I never once blamed you.”

Rhem could hardly believe his ears. She actually forgave him? And she never blamed him? How could this be? No one was ever forgiven in Draconia. Once someone was wronged, a grudge was held until death. The dragon found his emotional dam bursting in a torrent of emotion. Pressing into the embrace, he cried openly to her.

Princess Celestia smiled warmly, rubbing his back with her hoof. Even though he was only nineteen, he held so much emotional baggage for someone as young as he was. He had seen so many horrors and felt so much trauma in many forms in his nineteen years…

Sighing, she suppressed a shudder… Everything that happened recently seemed to be gruesome. First, that poor calf… Now this. She was almost tempted to ask “what next?”.

Sobbing and sniffling, the winged reptile soaked in the comfort the royal equine offered to him. It was incredible that something as simple as an embrace and a few kind words could be so healing.

“… Y-you are… the g-greatest… C-Celestia…”

Wrapping his arm further around her girth, Rhem shuffled closer and held her tighter, nuzzling into her warm fur as he continued to pour out his tormented soul.

“Thank you for your kind words…” Princess Celestia whispered, though she certainly didn’t really believe him at this particular moment. “And don’t be afraid to cry… Let it out. Let it all out…”

Nuzzling him back, she held him close, wincing a bit as the doctor passed the soaked cloth over one of the pinprick wounds. She went silent aside from still whispering comforting words into her friend’s ear from time to time.

Princess Celestia’s angelic voice coaxed the young dragon to release his emotions. All the pain he endured… The tortures inflicted upon his body, mind, soul, and heart that had been stored up all those years were set free in the forms of sobs, whimpers, and tears. The guards and medics were beyond bewildered to witness such a strong creature cry like that… It almost made them feel empathy for him… Almost. He still bit the princess.

Some of the ponies wondered how much pain he had gone through to reduce him into such a pathetic mess. The tone of his voice began to yank at the heartstrings of a select few.

“Everything will be fine, Rhem… Everything will be fine…”

She began to wonder if Blueblade and Red Pommel hadn’t been wrong in suggesting King Talonblaze needed to be captured and confined--especially hearing how powerful Rhem’s sobbing was.

They had a point. King Talonblaze was here… Perhaps, if they gathered their forces, they could descend upon him in the dead of night…

… No, Princess Celestia thought, after a moment. She couldn’t risk it. If they were to fail, they were certain to doom Equestria to war and destruction. She wasn’t certain if she could even bring herself to order the death of another creature, no matter how severe the atrocities were. There had to be a better way.

What were they to do?

Rhem moved in to be as close to her as possible. It was clear to those in the room--or more accurately, those who were familiar with basic psychological behavior--that he needed the physical contact and kind words. By now, the fur in the proximity of his face was drenched in his tears.

One of the nurses who had been paying close attention to their interaction decided to speak up.

“He… has certainly bonded with you, Your Highness…”

Another soft blush bloomed on Princess Celestia’s cheeks.

“… He certainly has, hasn’t he?”

She turned her gaze to him, her eyes clouding over again… She wondered if she was bonding with him, too. Even now it hurt her to see him this pained…

“How does my leg look?” she asked, dropping her eyes to the wounds to notice it had been fully cleaned. She had completely forgotten about it, the pain having dulled from the distraction. Now that she was focusing on it, the pain returned.

“Well… fortunately nothing is broken, but… the punctures are deep. We’ve stopped the bleeding, but we’ll need to stitch you up pretty soon.”

The unicorn stallion nodded at his team to retrieve the supplies needed for stitching.

Rhem sniffled and rubbed at his eyes with his free paw. His normally fiery yellow-orange orbs were red and puffy from the amount of crying he had done. He was also getting a headache. Sobs diminishing to whimpers, he still held on tightly to the alicorn.

“Hm. Yes, he most definitely has developed an attachment,” the single nurse surmised.

“That would explain why I felt my leg was torn…” She let out a chuckle, shaking Rhem lightly in her foreleg. “You got yourself a powerful set of jaws there, son!”

She gave a lighthearted, almost mirthful laugh, smirking at the wild informality she displayed. Although something hit her and she sat there with a blank expression for a second.

Son…

Rhem never had any loving parents. Never had a true role model. Never had… any sort of a maternal figure to look up to. It was with this realization, coupled with the fact that the dragon was clutching onto her not much unlike a child, caused her to gear to this mindset.

He truly was a child. Yes, he was in his teenage years, but he was only nineteen. Dragons lived for thousands of years, and Rhem was immortal, but compared to her, he was still practically a baby!

“… You poor dear…” she crooned, caressing the scales on his back, between his wings. “Are you feeling any better?”

Meeting Princess Celestia’s eyes with a sniffle, a soft smile pulled at his mouth and nodded. Letting it out, along with the comforting he received from her, really did wonders for him. Though… there was one word that threw him off.

Son??

Had he heard right? Did she really call him “son”?

“Um… Celestia? What… what did… you just… call me?” he ventured, eyes wide with hopeful anticipation.

The alicorn smiled.

“I called you ‘son’, there.” She chuckled, supposing it did sound a little out of character for her. “A general term of endearment… but, I almost forgot. You… never actually knew your birth mother, did you.”

It wasn’t really a question as it was a statement.

‘I’ve always wanted a son…’ she mentally mused. ‘A daughter, too. I would have loved several children.’

She suddenly burst into giggles, her eyes partially rolling.

‘I doubt King Talonblaze would be happy with me if I told him I wanted to adopt his general…’ She tried stifling her giggles as she glanced over at the returning medics, who were giving her odd looks. ‘I doubt anypony would be happy with me if I formally made Rhem a Crown Prince to the Equestrian throne!’

The mental imagery of shock on the expressions of noble ponies’ faces nearly sent her rolling.

Rhem just stared, dumbfounded. Slowly, as he comprehended the fact that she had called him “son”, the largest smile that he had ever worn crept onto his visage. In his unrestrained bliss, he leaned in to continuously apply affectionate licks all over the mare’s face.

Princess Celestia burst out into louder giggles--though, not in true mirth, but due to the fact it tickled. She was still a little distraught over the situation, however as she laughed and felt herself relax. Even the dull throbbing in her injured leg began to ebb.

“I… I suppose we’re no longer needed,” one of the still frightened guards spoke up. Without another word, he and the few members of the royal guard exited.

The medics approached Princess Celestia with the needed provisions to stitch up the punctured wounds. Opening a bottle of disinfectant, the needle was sanitized and threaded.

Rhem knew the needle that was going to be stuck into her flesh was to help her, but he eyed it nonetheless, his protective instincts taking over.

“Be careful.”

“Of course we will. We’re not going to deliberately cause our princess harm,” scoffed the doctor.

“I’ll be fine.” She directed a smile at Rhem. “It might sting a little bit, but I’ll live.”

With that, she turned her attention back to her foreleg and the doctor, watching openly and without any fear. She trusted her medical staff completely.

The dragon still had his foreleg wrapped around her and his body pressed against hers. Nuzzling her softly, he observed the doctor work, stitching together the flesh his very own teeth had torn. Though he had been forgiven, he still felt terrible.

“I am sorry for biting you…”

“Things happen, Rhem. I didn’t expect you to react like that. Had I known what was going to happen, I’d have never even considered it.” She turned her head to return the nuzzle. “I would use my healing magic on myself if I didn’t feel too tired.”

“Maybe when you feel more rested…”

Rhem was incredibly grateful to have such an understanding and caring friend. He wanted to do something for her… But what?

Since there were only fang punctures in Princess Celestia’s leg, it didn’t take long to stitch them closed. Once the doctor finished, he and the nurses stepped back to grant the princess and her Draconian companion their space.

“There you are, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Princess Celestia allowed a smile, before turning to Rhem with a heavy sigh. “It’s been a long day. Could you… carry me back to my quarters, Rhem? I’m not sure if I can still walk with my leg in this state.”

She released a yawn.

“Or maybe we can just lay down right here. The floor’s nice and cool.”

Rhem immediately slipped his body underneath hers and lifted her right off the floor.

“I will carry you,” he insisted as he gazed at the pony on his back. “Just give me directions.”

Curling her forelegs around his neck, the mare yawned again and sprawled out and relaxed on his back.

“Head out from here and make the first right. Continue down there until you reach the central hall and make a left. Take another right at the next intersection and go up the stairs until you come upon the landing. My chambers are down the hall, above the courtyard, and in the tower connected by the bridge.”

Exiting the medical wing, the dragon followed Princess Celestia’s directions. As he descended down the halls, climbed stairs, and crossed the bridge, he occasionally glanced back at her to check on her. When he finally reached the door belonging to her private quarters, he pushed it open with his nose and closed it behind him with his tail. He didn’t bother to absorb his surroundings until he was sure the princess was comfortable on her bed. Padding over to the bed, he aligned his body at the edge to enable the mare to easily climb onto it.

“Do you wish for me to stay here with you in case you need me to carry you anywhere? Like… when you need to raise the sun or use your bathroom and such?”

The alicorn had actually drifted off into a light slumber until she heard the massive door to her chambers close. Her eyelids sliding open, she pressed a kiss on the Draconian’s head before crawling off of his back and transferring herself onto her bed.

“I should be okay. I just need a good long nap, and afterwards I should be able to cast a spell to heal my leg… You’re welcome to stay if you want to take a nap yourself.”

Rhem felt a purr vibrating in his throat the instant Princess Celestia kissed him, a warm fondness for her beating within him. After she climbed into bed, he imitated her gesture and kissed her on the cheek. He didn’t know the meaning behind it, or that it could be connected to intimacy or courtship, he just thought it was a simple way to show friendship.

“I think I will stay with you.”

She blushed for the third time, moving over to give Rhem room to join her if he so wished. Spreading her wings out, she stretched out on her stomach and relaxed. There were a number of pillows nearby that could accommodate his size and used to sleep on if he didn’t want to join her at her side.

Rhem was stunned when Princess Celestia made room for him on her bed. She was actually going to allow him to sleep with her on her own bed? Did her kindness have any limits? Taking up on her non-verbal offer, he climbed onto the bed and scooted up to her, wanting to be close to her. Sighing, he rested his head upon the crest of the alicorn’s neck and almost instantly fell asleep.