Between friends
Rainbow Dash beat her wings furiously in the air, pushing herself to her limit to reach the new castle in time. Once in a while she would look over her shoulder to see the distant object, “Twilight! TWILIGHT!!”
“What is it Rainbow?” Twilight asked, standing to the side of the balcony, glad for the new landing pad that the castle provided.
“”We’ve got problems, BIG problems,” Dash said, panting.
“What big problem?” Asked Twilight.
“DRAGON!” Dash said, looking behind her, “I was doing some tricks outside of Ponyville when I saw this big dot coming closer. Well, I was kind of curious as to what it was and when I got close, I saw this big freaking silver dragon coming at me! I had to get here to warn you.”
The violet unicorn looked behind her friend, opening her eyes wide in shock as she saw the silver spot coming closer, “Oh my Celestia! Ok, I want you go and get the others. Have Pinkie and Applejack warn everypony they can. Then Tell Rarity and Fluttershy to ind someplace to hide. I don’t know what this dragon wants, but I want to keep them in check just in case.” the unicorn ordered, still unsure of how their new rainbow power worked, “It wa just so much easier when we could use the ultimate power with amulets!”
With a quick nod, Rainbow Dash flew off into the distance, leaving Twilight to stand at the castle door and wait. Within a few moments, the silver dragon landed with a thud in front of the purple alicorn. With a growl, he raised his head and began to look around “Where is Twilight Sparkle?”
“I am here,” Twilight asked, feeling a little nervous around a dragon. Taking a deep breath, she stared the large lizard in the eyes.
“AH! Good, I have been traveling for far too long to end my journey here in this small town,” the silver dragon said, bowing to Twilight. “I bid thee greetings, Princess Twilight Sparkle. It is my pleasure to greet Equestria’s newest princess.”
Twilight backed up in surprise, “Um, the pleasure is all mine, mr...”
“My name is Arcaniss Laraek,” the silver dragon said, bowing.
“Um, I am sorry, but I never studied draconic,” Twilight said, blushing.
“You may call me, Arc for short,” the dragon smiled.
“OH, ok...Arc,” Twilight smiled. “Um, what brings you here?”
“Only one thing, a thing that only give me,” Arc said, looking into Twilight’s castle.
“What would that be?” Twilight said, arching an eyebrow.
“The dissertation on the mixture of white and black mana in use of healing magic,” Arc said, letting loos a sigh. “I am afriad to say that...my old copy was destroyed by spilt tea before I could finish it.”
Twilight shot up and smiled, “Oh, I have that one! Celestia just sent it over to me when I was restocking the library. Hang on,” within seconds, she teleports away and comes back with the book in her magic.
The dragon smiles as he takes the book in his claw, “Thank you, mind if I have some tea? It has been a long journey you see.”
“Tea?! Oh, sure, give a few seconds,” Twilight said, running back into the castle.
“Psst, Applejack, what are they doing?” Rainbow Dash wispered.
Applejack turned to look at her four other companions, “It looks like the dragon wanted something rom Twilight and she went to get it. Now they are just sitting around and, talking.”
“What?!” Dash exclaimed, ling above her friend’s head to look at Twilight and her new companion.
“Forgive me for noticing, but you and your citizens seem to be quite...neverous at my presence,” Arc noted, drinking the tea with a flick of his tounge.
Twilight let out a chuckle as she sipped her own tea, a book by her side, “Well, Arc, its just that we aren’t used to seeing dragons here and the ones that we do see either ignore us or aren’t nearly...friendly.”
“Yes, I can understand,” Arc sighed. “It is a shame that your people are right in the middle of chromatic territory or dragons like me would spend more time traveling to your fair land.”
“C-chromatic? As in colors?” Twilight asked, flipping another page of her book and read some more as her dragon friend did the same.
The ragon let out a snort and shook his head, “I forget, you ponies do not know much of us dragons and thus, do not know about the two breeds. Much like there are breeds of ponies, there are for dragons. I, myself, is among the metallic variety. The ones you mostly encounter are chromatics, evil dragons.”
“But, surely,” Twilight arched an eyebrow at this news. “You can’t be telling me that all chromatics are pure evil, right? There has to be a variety, much like in ponies. A pony can be bad or good, depending on a myraid of factors.”
“You are princes-I am sorry- Twilight,” Arc said, smiling. “Though there are good chromatics, I have yet to meet one. But, I am sure there are, much like good metalliacs exsist.”
“Nature versus nuture and all that,” Twilight said, lookig at her tea. “It was something I had talked to Spike about a few years ago.”
“Spike, your familar?” Arc asked.
“No, I would never say that. That’s what Owlyisous is. Spike is, well, he’s-”
“What you are saying is that it is impossible to put into words what you feel or the whelp. Son or brother, what does it matter to you. You are as close as either,” Arc chuckled. A soft sigh came from his lips as he watched Twilight look behind her to where Spike was, “There is an old draconic saying ‘family is more than blood.’”
“My word, now it almost seems like the poor dear is tearing up,” Rarity said, looking over the shoulder of Applejack.
The cyan pegasus let out a small growl, “So this dragon is nothing more than talk?”
“But to be able to raise dragon whelp like you have, is nothing more than extradorinary,” Arc smiled.
“If you don’t mind my asking, why the interest in Spike?” Twilight asked, looking up at the dragon with an air of curiosity.
“Because of his breed,” the dragon stated, looking down at Twilight. “Purple dragons like him, are quite rare. They pocess great psychic abilities and a quite unique bonding ability.”
“Bonding ability?” Twilight asked.
“The ability to bond with whatever species that he is born into,” the silver dragon smiled. “Some dragons can live with their adopted species for until they are old enough to make their caves, but purple dragons are a rare breed. They will stay until they are dead in the home they are born into.”
“I never knew,” Twilight smiled.
“Your world is bigger than you could ever know, Twilight,” Arc smiled.
“I know,” Twilight sighed softly. “Just a few years ago, I was just an unicorn hoping to get my latest paper in for Princess Celestia and now-” she looked up at the castle and then to her five friends.
“Life can change quickly for those of us who put the effort into the change,” Arc said, drinking.
“Sometimes I wonder I deserve it. I mean Celestia pushed me in the right direction a lot,” Twilight sighed.
“Did Celestia tell you to study that book on Nightmare moon? Did Celestia tell you, as a young filly, to want to study magic?” Arc asked.
“Well, no, not really,” Twilight shook her head.
“Now tell me, and look me in the eye about this, if you never heard of the legend, and you had found out Celestia was in trouble, would you have done nothing?” Arc asked.
Twilight looked up at the dragon and began to think, her mind racing to every encounter that she ever had, all of her adventures that she had over the time. With a smile, she took a deep breath and said, “No, I wouldn’t have. I may be a student and love to read but...I don’t think I would ever be able to stand by while there was somepony who needed me. I really think that if I wasn’t in Ponyville at the time and I heard Celestia had gone missing? I would’ve been looking up every book and subject on how to save her.”
Arc let out a billowing laugh, “Such wonderful devotion! Admirable. Never doubt your worth, Twilight Sparkle. Celestia may have opened the door for you, but you and only you, chose to step through it. The same way your friends did.”
Twilight Sparkle smiled, looking back to her friends, “Yes, you’re right. I don’t think I would be anywhere without them.”
“There is a word for that, one that I had heard seaponies say, its nakama. It traitionally means crew, but it also means friends who would never leave you. Ones who would stand by you no matter what,” the silver dragon smiled, flipping the last page of his book. “You are quite lucky to have such companions with you.”
“I wouldn’t imagine it any other way,” Twilight said with a sigh.
The silver dragon looked up at the sky and sighed, “Well, the hour is late. I must leave.”
“Wait, stay a while. There is so much I can learn about dragons if you-” her retort was cut short by the appearence of a book in front of her.
“The second reason for my visit, dear Twilight,” Arc said with a curt nod. “It was to my understanding that your kind lack knowledge of the draconic species. This is a book written by one of the few of your kind that was willing to spend his life with us. Sadly, he died before he could bring the book to your people and it was left in my horde. I had just recently found it and decided to bring it to you, seeing that you are one who enjoys exploration of knowledge.”
“‘The dragonmonicon, by Gore Peter,” Twilight Sparkle read aloud. “Thank you, sir.”
“I should warn you Twilight,” the dragon then leaned in close to his pony friend and wispered, “You may find you need that book sooner than you think.” and with that, he flew off.”
“Wait, wha-” Twilight yelled, finding herself talking to the passing air as the dragon flew off. The purple alicorn then looked at the book that was held in her magic, a smile on her face.
“Just was that all about?” Dash asked, landing next to Twilight.
“Oh that?” Twilihgt smiled, “Just a talk.”