> Fire and Steel
>  by shirotora
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: One Heck of a Blizzard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I sat in silence, centering myself. My mind was clear and my breathing was calm as I felt the world around me.

I was one with the universe.

I could only succeed.

My enemies would fall before me.

... Or they’d gank me from the grass and I’d have to wait to respawn... again.

I looked out the window into my neighbor's across our yards and sent the little bastard a one finger salute. “Fuck you, Zann.”

The ass hole just sent me a grin back.

I normally don’t play League of Legends, but it can be fun with friends, even ones I wasn’t that close to.

Really, our relationship was more of ‘friendly neighbors’ than actual friends. I mean, sure, we’d game together and I’d invite them over whenever I’d cook out, but I was a good decade older than them. Sure, I was the young-at-heart kinda guy, but I still felt old around them. I mean, I had a mullet when they were cool. They can’t really identify with that.

And, yes, mullets were cool once. Just google ‘MacGyver’ and you’ll see why.

Anyway, I was playing LoL, because my Monster Hunter group lost power already. It was day four of the worst blizzard I had ever seen, and, honestly, I was just trying to get as much time online while I had it.

The fact that I was getting my ass handed to me by a smug pincushion didn’t detract from the fun of it.

After losing two more matches and a few dozen deaths, Zann bid me goodnight.

I wasn’t really tired yet, though, so I decided to get a little exercise. I ran through a quick, basic set of the usual; stretches, sit ups, push ups, jumping jacks, and so on, ending with a little time on the wooden man.

I was a bit of a mold-breaking nerd. While I wasn’t ripped, I kept myself in good shape and could easily kick the crap out of any jock that tried to pick a fight with me. Almost two and a half decades dedicated to the martial arts does that to you.

As I was cooling down, though, I noticed something out my window. There was this strange, pulsing light coming from nextdoor.

I was about to just dismiss it as one of them playing a hand-held, when a wave of light silently burst from within.

My reaction was the reaction anyone would have in that situation.

I stared dumbly as my brain failed to comprehend the light before it slammed into me.





I had been sitting there, staring at the water for at least an hour. I was certainly doing better than I was when I first woke up. Details of that moment will never be shared with another living soul other than to say, ‘I freaked out’, so don’t ask.

Most people would, though, when they wake up in a strange forest and their hands were turned into weird black and blue paws with a steel spike jammed through the back.

After I calmed down, I decided to find anything reflective. Luckily, I found a spring after only an hour of searching. What I found looking back at me was, to say the very least, unexpected.

Apparently, I was Lucario.

“Why?” was the only thing I could say.

I mean, it’s weird that that was where my mind went, but I was still freaking out a little.

Still, it was a valid question. Why was I turned into a freaking pokemon? I hadn’t cared about pokemon since gen two. The only thing I know about Lucario was that he was in Super Smash Bros, a couple things I gleaned from fan art on the internet, and part of a movie Leo was watching one day when they asked if I could help install a new ceiling fan for them (guess how many nerds it took to screw in that lightbulb).

The only thing I could figure from that was that he’s a legendary psychic/fighting type.

I think.

Well, maybe the homebrew race for D&D Leo found, but I doubt that was a credible source.

Finally, I managed to tear my eyes from my reflection to look around. Birds flew above, and squirrels ran through the treetops, so I wasn't transported to the Pokemon universe, but at the same time it didn’t look like Earth. It was too colorful.

“Damn it,” I cursed. “This is just perfect.”

I got to my feet, because I’m not calling them paws, bouncing slightly, trying to get a feel for my new body. I figured pokemon were physically superior to humans, so it would be a good idea to get a better idea of what it could do.

I felt light. A simple hop launched me a good six feet up. I was tempted to try an actual leap, but I felt that was probably a bad idea. Instead, I hopped back and forth, left to right. 

Then, I stopped, took a breath, and pushed off my back foot, launching myself into a sprint. In the blink of an eye, I cleared thirty yards and slammed face first into a tree.

I couldn’t help but start laughing hysterically. It was amazing. I was so fast and agile, and even hitting that tree barely hurt. I had to admit, it was a pretty good consolation prize.

Staring up at the patches of blue I could manage to glimpse through the canopy, my mind wandered. I was still trying to come to grips with what happened.

Maybe this isn’t so bad. I mean, as long as I find a way home soon, this is just some crazy adventure. How often does things like this ever happen?

With a sigh, I got back up. 

“I’ll start heading East,” I thought out loud. “Hopefully, I’ll get out of these woods and find someone that can help me.”

Earth or not, I needed to find civilization as soon as possible. My only hope of finding out where I was and what happened would be where their were sentient beings or an ancient temple.

If my experience in Dungeons & Dragons taught me anything it’s that shit like this is the fault of some ancient artifact.

Or a mad god, but that one was pretty unlikely.





Arceus glared at Discord.

“Yeah... Sorry,” the chaos spirit said, defensively. “I didn’t mean for it to hit him, honest!”





Damn, I was fast. 

The trees blurred past. I had to be hitting thirty-five, at least.

I had been spending the last few hours just getting a feel for my new body’s abilities, and I had to admit, it was pretty sweet. 

I came skidding to a stop near a few boulders.

“Ah, let’s test my strength, shall we?” I said, sauntering over to one about the size of my head.

I reached down, grabbed hold, and lifted. It was as if it were made of styrofoam. I tosses from one hand to the other a few times before dropping it where I found it and moved on to another that was as big as my body.

I wrapped my arms around it and heaved. The thing came up rather easy. This thing had to weigh at least seven hundred pounds, but I was lifting it as easily as if it weighed seventy.

When I set it back down, another idea hit me. With a smirk, I dropped into a fighting stance and punched the boulder as hard as I can.

“Fuck!” I cried, clutching my hand.

Who would have thought punching a boulder would hurt my hand?

Of course, I quickly forgot the pain when I noticed a crack in the stone where I hit it.

“No freaking way,” I gasped.

“Hell yeaAAAHHH!” I yelled as I found myself sixty feet in the air, having forgotten I could jump like that, new. “Crap, crap, crap, crap!”

And then I landed perfectly on my feet without effort.

When I let that sink in, I grinned like the Cheshire Cat.

I crouched down, tensing my leg muscles and sprang straight up. The tree tops quickly fell away as I rocket through the canopy. I flew up to at least a hundred and thirty feet before gravity decided I went high enough.

A small tinge of fear shot through me at my decent, but I fought that down and let my body take over. I landed on all fours, only a slight bit of pain shaking my joints as they strained a little with the impact.

“Holy shit, this is awesome!” I cheered. “I’m like a-”

I froze as I suddenly realized something.

Lucario could use that psychic ball attack that Mewtwo uses.

I looked down at my hands, wincing at the still unfamiliar sight.

“Okay, but... how do I actually do it?”

I put my hands close together, palms facing each other and concentrated. I focused all my mind on willing a psi-ball thing into being.

Nothing.

I tried for twenty minutes before I decided to stop and think about it. I tried to summon up what little I knew about Lucario.

“Okay, so, he’s psychic, but he’s not like other psychics,” I mused, pacing with one hand scratching my chin. “He seems more like the guys that make Pokemon pointed at DBZ and said, ‘Make that a pokemon.’ So, maybe he uses his psychic powers more like DBZ? Couldn’t hurt to try.”

I stopped my pacing and relaxed my body. I took slow, deep breaths, calming my mind.

It was a familiar exercise. I was a long time practitioner of qigong, and was familiar with the techniques.

I reached into my core and channelled my qi. Between my palms, a glow started to form. It was so amazing and surprising, I lost focus and it vanished even faster.

Letting out a huff of frustration, I tried again. This time, I didn’t lose focus. I stayed calm and relaxed as the light returned. That light grew until it formed a sphere, floating between my palms.

I wanted to cheer. I wanted to jump around and proclaim how utterly amazing it was, but I reigned that in and looked toward the boulder.

I struck out at the boulder with a palm thrust, sending the ball rocketing... about forty feet to the left of my target.

But, hey, I blew a tree up, so there’s that.

I settled in to start practicing, in the hopes I might improve enough to at least have the accuracy of a Stormtrooper.

I hadn’t even been practicing for an hour when a sound drew my attention. It sounded like a deep buzzing.

Soon enough, its source burst through the trees, roaring and heading straight at me.

The thing was a monster. Like a grizzly bear with a panda’s color scheme and a few yellow markings, six legs, insect-like wings, and a stinger.

I didn’t stop to think, I screamed, blindly shot a psi-ball at the thing, somehow scoring a direct hit to its face, and hauled ass like ass has never been hauled before.

I ran for a good. Solid hour before my mind came down from the panic, but I didn’t stop running. My once again logical mind telling me that running is still very much logical. However, I was able to at least think.

What the hell was that? There’s no way that thing is natural... unless this isn’t Earth. It was like a bear... bug... Maybe it was the stress, or maybe I just went a little crazy for a bit, but I started laughing.

I was laughing so hard, I had to stop for a bit.

“A... A bear bug!” I laughed. “A bug... bear! Bugbear! I was attacked by a fucking pun?!”

As I came down from my adrenaline rush, the implications started to set in. There were monsters here. Yet another thing to worry about.

However, a more pressing matter revealed itself as I noticed the sun’s position. It was going to start getting dark in a few hours, and I needed to prepare.

First thing first, I would need a fire. Luckily, I remembered seeing some rocky outcroppings as I ran that looked like they might have had flint. It only took me around fifteen minutes to find the spot, and another five to get a nice piece.

As a nice bonus, the rocks formed a nice little alcove I could use for shelter.

With that taken care of, I went to gather some wood. Found some milkweed while I was looking, and figured I would harvest that to make into rope.

I always had an interest in survival techniques like making fire, rope, shelters, and so on. I never thought I would ever need it, though. I just found it fun. Sometimes I would go camping without anything but a knife, but I always knew if it got too rough, I could just go back home.

I didn’t have that option here, and I can admit, I was a little worried. Luckily, while I was running and goofing off, I noticed several edible plants and signs of plenty of game animals, so I didn’t think food was going to be too much of a struggle.

And so, I spent the next several hours scavenging for firewood, edibles, a bit more milkweed, and even found a decent amount of flax.

When I found what I would need for the night, I started gathering materials I might need to travel.

I had just enough daylight to make a simple flint hatchet, and the frame for a backpack. I figured in the morning, I could weave the flax around it so I could actually carry stuff with me. Then I could spend another day or two preparing things I might need and start heading East.

That night, I confirmed that this really wasn’t my world, but it obviously wasn’t just another planet. I recognized so many stars and constellations that it had to be Earth, but at the same time, the moon was huge and its face looked nothing like the one I knew.

The only thing I could think of was that, somehow, I got sent to a parallel dimension. With that realization came fear. I wasn’t even in my own universe. Was it even possible to get home?

It was strange. I wasn’t really leaving much behind, if I couldn’t. I had acquaintances, but no real friends. What family I had, I wasn’t on speaking terms with. I didn’t have a girlfriend. I liked my job alright, but losing that wasn’t a tragedy. Yet, despite that, the thought of never going back terrified me.

With a sigh, I laid on my side, watching my fire crackle and burn.

Hopefully, I’ll find civilization soon, I thought, as I closed my eyes. I’ll probably be able to find something within a few weeks. I’ll just keep heading East.
> Chapter 2: Kill Stealing B****
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Honestly, I’m still not sure where my mental state was after several months(?) of wandering the forest alone. I doubt it was good, though.

Admittedly, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I tried to keep myself busy with any task I could; foraging, hunting, crafting tools, training.

It didn’t take me long to realize I had arrived in fall and would have to prepare for winter. That meant stocking up on food, firewood, and getting something warm.

I found a nice cave, and decided that would be where I was going to spend the colder months. I set up a nice firepit and a drying rack nearby to dry fruits and meats.

I hunted some larger game for pelts I could use for bedding and to make a warm cloak. Of course, I held off on making the cloak just in case my new fur was enough.

Too soon, winter fell, and I found that I did in fact need a cloak. Food was a bit more common than I thought it would be, though still hard to find enough that I was thankful that I prepared ahead of time.

Eventually, the snow melted and spring came, allowing me to finally start on my journey.

Once again, my life became the constant dredge of; wake up, eat, take care of my fire, walk East, scavenging on the way, stop, build a fire, eat, maintain or replace tools, sleep, repeat. The only thing that ever changed was that every so often, I would hunt.

It was on one of those hunting days that something finally happened.

I had been stalking an elk through the forest for three days, and finally I was moments from the kill.

It wasn’t quite in sight, yet, but I could sense it. It was feeding not far from where I was.

I closed my eyes, focusing on my qi, gathering it into my hand. A glowing orb of spirit energy faded into existence, the light it shed being shielded by my other hand. Using my spirit sense, I took aim, and fired.

The sound of the orb alerted the elk, but not soon enough to completely avoid the attack. I scored a glancing blow across its haunches, but it wasn’t enough to bring it down.

Even though it was wounded and too slow to outrun me, it was still a large herbivore with dangerous antlers. I followed close by enough to keep it running, but not getting close enough for it to lash out at me.

It was starting to get tired as it entered a clearing, its breath obviously labored.

That was the time to strike. I leapt from the brush and rushed to make the kill.

Only for a blue blur to streak from the sky and plow into my prey.

“What the fuck?!” I growled.

“Oh, yeah!,” a voice cheered out. “Perfect ten point kill!”

“What the hell?!” I yelled. “That was my kill!”

“Huh?” the speaker stood up, looking in my direction.

It was a reptilian creature with a lithe build, covered in light blue scales with two horns curving down and forward and a pair of wings that didn’t look big enough to lift it. If its voice was any hint, it was likely female.

“I’ve been hunting that thing for days now,” I growled. “If you’re hungry, I’ll gladly share, but I did the work of bringing it down, so it’s my kill.”

The reptile creature just looked at me in confusion, one eyebrow raised. “Is that the only word you know?”

I looked at her, blinking in confusion for a few seconds before I realized.

God damn it. I forgot, Pokemon can only say their names, I thought to myself. But, wait, I’m a psychic type, right? That lucario from that movie could talk telepathically, so shouldn’t I be able to, too?

I focused on her, channeling my qi into my thoughts and directed them toward her.

”Can you hear me?”

The lizard chick jumped, scanning around. “Who said that?! Come out, and I’ll rip you apart!”

”Shouldn’t that be ‘or I’ll rip you apart?”

She twisted around, her eyes wide in shock as she took in my admittedly cocky smirk.

“W-was that... you?” she asked.

It took all my willpower not to leap for joy.

”Yes, and you stole my kill. I was hunting that elk. I injured it, and I chased it into this clearing.”

“Yeah, well, I took it down, so it’s mine, now,” she said, brushing me off.

I grit my teeth, taking deep, calming breaths. “Look, I’d rather not fight over this. Why don’t we split the kill? It’s more than either of us could eat, anyway.”

“I’m not sharing,” she said. “Go get your own. Maybe after I finish, I might let you have the scraps.”

I was starting to lose patience, quickly. “I’m trying to be reasonable, here, but I’m not going to let someone just show up after I did all the work and take what’s mine. So you can either be nice and we share, or I take it all and leave you however hurt you need to be to get the message.”

She looked at me, eyes narrowed. “Not many creatures have the guts to trash talk a dragon. You honestly think you’re a match for me?”

“You really want to find out?”

The dragon smirked. “Well, You really do have guts, then. Alright, how about-” Her eyes suddenly shot open. “Look out!”

I dove to the side before I even consciously comprehended her warning. I barely saw the form of a massive feline like monster covered in scales soar through where I was standing an eighth of a second before.

The dragon turned to fly away, but the thing pounced at her, it’s jaws clamping onto her wing and slamming her to the ground. She tried to scramble away, but a giant claw batted her body into a tree.

I scrambled to my feet and, without even thinking, fired on the monster. My psychic ball slammed into its side, throwing it to the ground.

Moving faster than I ever had before, I rushed to the dragon’s side, scooped her up, and ran.

The crashing behind me told me the creature was giving chase.

I don’t know if it was the adrenaline, or just pure will that not only pushed my body faster than ever, but also let me focus on my spirit senses to keep track of it, and watch where I was going at the same time, but I was glad I was.

I leapt to the side, changing direction just as the monster pounced, landing right where I would have been.

I was running faster than ever, probably doing fifty, yet this thing was just a little faster. If it wasn’t for my senses, both me and the dragon would have been lunch.

Another pounce. I barely managed to move, actually kicking off the side of its snout.

It was getting more and more accurate. If this kept up, my luck was going to run out.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted our salvation. To my left, a wide chasm streaked through the forest, nearly parallel to my path. When the thing pounced again, I shot toward it. I knew I wouldn’t be able to jump as far while carrying the dragon, and the gap was wider than I had ever jumped before, but I wasn’t exactly thinking.

Instead, I was acting on pure terror and adrenaline. So, I planted my foot on the edge of the cliff and jumped harder than I ever jumped before.

I chanced a quick glance back in hopes of seeing the monster give up. Instead, my blood chilled as the massive reptilian feline followed, leaping with far more force that I.

In desperation, I did the only thing I could. I twisted my body around and focused all the power I could into a psy-ball and launched it at the monster’s face. The force of firing it added to my momentum and the impact stole the creatures.

It let out a fearful howl as it fell into the deep dark of the fissure.We landed with all the grace one could expect from someone after all that. I lost my hold on the comatose dragoness, and we both went tumbling a good dozen feet.

I laid there for several seconds, just trying to catch my breath and make the world stop spinning. I would have laid there a little longer, but a groan reminded me of the dragon.

I got to my feet as quickly as I could and looked around. She was lying a few feet away from me, on her back.

Finally getting a good look at her, I feared all my effort saving her would have been in vain. One of her wings was a tattered mess, the bones broken and flesh shredded. The claw marks across her chest and belly were bleeding pretty bad, and it looked like she had lost a lot of blood.

I checked to make sure my belt was secure and its contents intact. It was a small first aid kit I put together and had come in handy multiple times, but it wasn’t meant for injuries like hers.

Still, it had a needle and thread as well as a few other things that could be useful. The needle was bone, and the thread flax, so it hurt like hell, but luckily for the dragon, she was unconscious.

I examined the wounds. They weren’t quite as deep as I feared, but still deep enough that if left untreated, she will either bleed out, or get infected.

I pulled my first aid kit off my belt and pulled out a poultice I made from yarrow, plantain, and comfrey to help stop the bleeding. Then, I threaded my needle and got to work.

It was extremely hard getting the needle in. Her scales were incredibly tough and forced me to search out the gaps in between.

After that, I had to get to work on doing what I could for her wing. All I could do was set the bones and splint it. I would have to find something to make an actual cast, later. Though, I doubted she would ever fly again.

After about two hours and exhausting my kit, I was done. It looked hopeful, but her survival was up to her.

She was still too injured to be moved, and I didn’t want to abandon her, so I gathered up some firewood, and set up camp.

With a fire to keep my patient warm and dissuade predators, I went to find a stream.

I was covered in blood, and wanted to at least wash that off before settling down for the night.

As I cleaned myself, it finally sank in. There was another person here. An actual, sapient being.

And she’s a dragon.

With that, I went back to camp, finding a small patch of plantain on the way. Using the extra leaves, I covered what bits of the dragon’s wounds I couldn’t before and put the rest in my kit. Replenishing it should be easy, considering how ridiculously bountiful this forest really is.

I sat down by the fire and looked down at the dragon. She didn’t look as pale as she did, but then that might have been the light. Her breathing was definitely easier, though. All in all, it really looked like she’d make a full recovery.

As I sat there, looking at her, though, I couldn’t help but think.

Why did she look familiar?
> Chapter 3: Ember
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning sun beamed through the forest canopy, stirring me from my sleep.

I sat up, stretching and yawning a little before tossing a few more logs onto the smouldering fire to fight off the early spring chill.

With that done, I decided to run down to the stream to refill my waterskins and look around for more yarrow. After about twenty minutes, I returned with the water, but not the herb, sadly.

I did find some more plantain, though, so I could at least change the bandaging.

I kneeled beside my patient, feeling her forehead to see if her temperature had changed. Just like yesterday, she was quite warm, but it felt the same as before, so I was hoping that was a dragon’s normal body temperature.

Slowly and carefully, I peeled the plantain leaves away.

I flinched at the sound of the dragon’s groaning voice. “Darn it, Garble, I said go away.”

Delicately, I reached out my thoughts, just like I did yesterday, “Miss, I need you to stay calm.”

Unfortunately, she decided to do the opposite. She jerked awake, took one look at me and tried to scramble away, only to hiss in pain, and clutch at her chest.

“Wh-what?” She stammered before her eyes locked onto mine, narrowed in hostile mistrust. “What happened?! What did you do to me?!”

“I treated your wounds,” I explained. “You were injured and would have likely died if I hadn’t.”

The dragon winced at the memory of the monster and looked down at the stitches going across her chest and belly.

She looked back up at me, this time more in suspicion. “Why? What do you get out of it?”

“The ‘why’ is simple; it was the right thing to do. You were injured, and I had the means and knowhow to help,” I explained. “As for what I get, honestly, I’m just happy to have someone to talk to after so long alone.”

She raised an eyebrow at that. “So, you saved me from that monster, just so you could talk? Speaking of which, where did that monster go, anyway?”

“It’s dead,” I answered.

Her eyes shot open, clearly not expecting that. “Wow,” she smirked. “I might have misjudged you. You’re tougher than you look. So... how bad was I? Was I out long?”

“The attack was just yesterday,” I explained. “As for your injuries, you lost a lot of blood, but it didn’t seem to hit anything vital, but... I’m no expert, but I think your wing might be a lost cause.”

“M-my wing?” She looked back, taking note of the splint and torn skin.

I continued to explain, “I set the bone, and that splint should hold until we get something better, but, well, I’m afraid I don’t know anything about fixing the flesh of the wing.”

“Th-that’s fine,” she said, choking up a bit. “I-it’ll heal... eventually.”

She was trying to put on a brave face, but I could not only see, but even sense her pain.

“My name’s Luke, by the way,” I said, as much to distract her as to properly introduce myself.

“Huh?” She turned back to me, having barely heard me. “O-oh... I’m Ember.”

“Well, Ember, happy to meet you,” I stuck out a hand, and she just looked at it in confusion.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“It’s a handshake, a traditional greeting among my people,” I explained. “Just stick out your hand.”

She hesitantly did so, and I grabbed it in my own and gently shook. “There you go. Now, why don’t I take a look at your wounds?”

Ember looked up. “Oh, uh, yeah, I guess.”

“Alright, go ahead and lay down.” 

She did as I asked, and I examined the injuries. I washed them with some of the water from my waterskin, trying to be as gentle as I could, though her twitches and barely restrained groans told me I wasn’t completely successful.

Then, I took several of the plantain leaves and applied them over the wounds.

“What’s that stuff?” Ember asked.

“Plantain. It’s a medicinal herb that makes for a good makeshift bandage. It’s also good for treating poisonous insect or spider bites and stings. It also helps relieve pain.”

When I finished with that, I stood up. “Alright. You’re healing incredibly fast. I’d even say you might be up for travel in another two or three days. For now, you need to stay here and rest. I’m going to retrace my steps to try and find my pack. I’ll be back in an hour or two, hopefully with food. What all can you eat?”

She thought for a moment before answering, “Uh... pretty much anything. Meat, fish, fruits, gems, vegetables, pretty much anything anyone else can eat.”

“Alright, I’ll see what I can find.” And with that, I was off.

I had just reached the chasm when her words caught up to me.

Did she say she eats gems?





It took me nearly half an hour to find a spot I was confident I could cross. After that, it was easy to retrace my steps and find where I set my pack. A quick check on that clearing showed what I thought it would. My elk was already taken by scavengers.

Still, I managed to bag a nice sized rabbit, so we had some meat, at least. I almost got a duck, but it managed to avoid my attack.

Other than that, I found a raspberry bush, a couple wild potatoes, and some edible mushrooms. That coupled with a few things I should still have in my pack, and we should have a nice little lunch. Then, I could look for more.

Ember was sleeping when I got back, so I just let her be and got to cooking.

While I was a man of many talents, cooking wasn’t really one of them. Granted I wasn’t a bad cook, I just wasn’t a good one. Combine that with a lack of readily available ingredients and what I was able to make was subpar at best.

Still roast rabbit with potatoes, carrots, and basil was one of the better meals I’ve had since coming to this world. That, and the raspberries would make for a fine dessert.

The smell of cooking must have been at least good enough to rouse Ember.

“Oh, hey,” she greeted, stretching gently so as to not aggravate her injuries. “You cook?”

“That depends on your definition of ‘cook’,” I replied.

Ember cocked an eyebrow, “Burning meat until it stops bleeding.”

I laughed. “Then, yes. I can cook.”

Ember looked at me, her curiosity apparent. “So... what are you, anyway?”

I closed my eyes and sighed. “I’ve been wondering that myself.”

“You don’t know what you are? How does that work?”

I flipped the rabbit before leaning back on my hands. “What I am isn’t what I was. What I am is a pokemon, specifically, a lucario... but, I’ve only been one for a few months.”

“Then... what were you?” Ember asked.

I replied, “Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t from this world?”

Ember shrugged and said, “I’d say it’s not the weirdest thing in the world.”

I looked up at my dragon companion, not sure how to take her easy acceptance.

“Well, then I guess I’m not as weird as I thought,” I said. “So, yeah. I’m pretty sure I’m an alien. I mean, where I’m from, dragons were only myth, but here... well." I gestured toward her.

“Yeah, I am pretty amazing,” She said, trying to strike a pose, only to aggravate her injuries. “Ah! Darn, that hurts.”

I chuckled, “Just try to keep your awesomeness from popping your stitches.”

I placed a few chunks of rabbit and two potatoes each on two broad pieces of bark and placed one in front of Ember before helping her sit up.

“That’s not a lot of meat,” Ember said, looking down at her food.

“Well, if you don’t want it...”

“N-no no! It’s fine,” she said, quickly. “I was just thinking... Why are you really sharing this with me? I mean, it’s really not a lot of food. Heck, both these plates together wouldn’t be much of a meal, so why would you go hungry?”

“Two reasons,” I began. “First, is the same reason I gave when you asked why I saved you. Second, this forest is unnaturally bountiful. I can’t take ten steps without finding something useful. I find more fruits and vegetables than I would ever need. Even small game animals are all over the place.

“The only thing that isn’t common is big game, and the only thing I get from them that I can’t really get from smaller animals are their pelts.”

“So... basically what you’re  saying is... there’s plenty of food here?”

I shrugged as I chewed my food, One benefit of being psychic is that I can talk with my mouth full “Yeah. The only reason I didn’t get more was because I was more worried about getting my stuff. I’m going to be getting a few small things for dinner. Any requests?”

“Something made of meat,” Ember answered.

I chuckled. “Sounds good. One last thing.”

I gave her half the raspberries I found. She looked down, wide eyes. “No way! How’d you know these are my favorite?!”

I smirked and said, “I think we’re going to be good friends.”





I stared in surprise at Ember’s wounds as I inspected them the next day.

“That’s impossible,” I said aloud. “There’s no way it’s healed this well.”

Ember raised an eyebrow, “You know I can’t understand you when you aren’t doing that freaky brain-speak.”

“Oh, right,” I said, shaking my head to clear it. “I’m just baffled by how fast you healed. Is this normal for dragons?”

Ember looked down at her chest. “Eh, maybe a little faster than normal.”

I looked back up. “I’m going to press slightly on you. Tell me if there’s any pain.”

And so, I examined the area of the injury. Obviously, she wasn’t fully healed. The wound still looked painful, and she didn’t have the full range of motion, but she was far better off than she had any right to be.

I sat back, leaning back on my hands. “Alright, you’re healing nice enough that I think we can start traveling at a slow, steady pace.”

“We?” Ember recoiled a bit. “What do you mean, ‘we’?”

I shrugged, “I figured we could travel together. We could both use the company. Besides, you’re still injured and can’t fly. If something like that monster finds you, you’re lunch.”

Ember looked at me, scowling in indignation. “Are you saying I’m not tough enough?”

“Oh, you’re plenty tough,” I replied. “You survived getting half eaten, for christ’s sake. But even as tough as you are, you’re injured."

She looked like she wanted to argue, but I could see the thoughts race through her mind.

She let out a growl. “Fine, but we’re only traveling together for the company. I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Whatever floats your boat,” I conceded. “I want the company more, anyway

And so, after spending that morning getting ready, we set off.

After walking for a good hour, Ember decided to break the silence. “So, where are you heading?”

“East.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “East?”

“East.”

“Okay... why?” Ember asked.

“Because I have no idea where civilization is, and I figure the only real way to find it is to choose a direction and start walking” I answered.

Ember looked at me like I was stupid. “Or you could just ask me.”

I stopped, dead in my tracks. I had been so used to just heading East it was just what I did.

“Are you telling me you’ve been heading East since the end of last Fall?”

“Uh... yeah.”

“‘Cause, uh... if that’s true, you probably would have gotten to a town in a few days if you went West.” She said, hesitantly. “In fact, the only way you didn’t pass through it would be if you’re really slow, or camped out in one spot for a while.”

Have you ever felt your mind snap? It’s an interesting feeling, but not one I’d recommend you ever try. 

Everything I’d been through.

Everything I’d endured.

All for nothing.

I could only start laughing.

“Uh... you okay?” Ember asked.

“I... I’ve been alone for months,” I said, out loud, as I laughed. “All this time... because I went left?!”

Ember, meanwhile, not able to understand poke-speak, could only watch on as I completely lost it.

At some point, my laughter turned into crying.

With that one revelation, the illusion I wove around myself shattered.

This wasn’t some grand adventure. Everything wasn’t just going to work itself out. I wasn’t just going to stumble into the one thing I needed.

And chances were, I would likely never see home again.
> Chapter 4: A New Destination
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been three days since my breakdown. I was still in kind of a funk, but at least Ember was feeling better.

It was strange. I had thought she would have been only well enough to travel for a couple hours a day, at most, by this time, but her wounds on her chest and belly were almost completely healed.

Ember was already on her feet, stretching. “Man, I feel great! I can’t wait to get moving again.” She looked to me and asked, “So, where to?”

I sighed, dousing the fire. “Where ever you want to go, I guess.”

“Oh, come on, Luke,” she growled. “So things didn’t go your way. It happens. Moping won’t do anything.”

I just continued making sure our fire wouldn’t cause problems when we left.

“Alright, how about this,” she stepped in front of me, hands on her hips. “Since you saved my life, I’ll do you a favor. We’ll go to my place, and I’ll ask my dad to take you to that village, the one you missed.”

I looked up at her. “How far is your place?”

“About a week or two,” Ember answered. “I don’t really walk long distances, so I’m not completely sure, but it shouldn’t be much longer than that if I’m wrong.”

I thought about it for a bit. “Why not. I honestly don’t have any idea where to go, now, anyway.”

I finished stowing everything and strapped my pack on, ready to get moving. It felt nice having an actual destination in mind.

“So, which way?” I asked.

“East,” she replied.

At my deadpan stare, she chuckled and said, “Your plan wasn’t completely useless. You would have reached the dragon lands eventually. Of course, you might have gotten eaten as soon as you got there.”

I rolled my eyes and started leading my dragon friend through the woods.

“How do you even know which was is East?” Ember asked after a few hours. “For that matter, how do you know what’s edible and what makes good medicine?”

Without looking back, I answered, “I’ve just always been interested in wilderness survival. I never thought I would need it, but I liked it and thought it couldn’t hurt to learn.”

“Good thing you did, huh,” Ember stated with a chuckle. “Think you can teach me?”

“Sure,” I replied.

As we walked, I began pointing out various plants, herbs, mushrooms, fruits, and even a couple minerals and their uses.

Not long after a light lunch, Ember saw something and let out a cheer. “Oh, heck yeah!”

I watched in confusion as she sprinted toward a tree.

“Dude! It’s a magnolia tree!” she said, happily.

I looked at it, then back to her. “Yes, it is. Congratulations.”

“Help me pick some flowers,” she said, furthering my confusion.

She had seemed like a bit of a tomboy the whole time I knew her, so it felt a bit out of character for her to suddenly want to pick flowers.

“Why? I asked. “You never struck me as the flower picking type.”

Ember rolled her eyes. “I’m not. I’ve never been a fan of most of them, but magnolia flowers are freaking delicious.”

“What?

“What?” she returned. “They’re tough and spicy.”

“You eat flowers?” I asked, quite surprised.

“I told you, dragons can eat pretty much anything,” she answered. “Now we just need some meat. Hey, how do you hunt, anyway?”

“With powers beyond your mortal comprehension,” I said in a mockingly ominous tone.

Ember laughed. “So, the same magic you use to talk? Sidekick magic, or whatever.”

I chuckled. “It’s ‘psychic’, not not sidekick. And it’s not magic.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said, ‘sidekick’,” Ember repeated. “And since you’re my sidekick, you clearly get your power from me. Now, show your master your power.”

“Your leaps in logic are mind boggling,” I said.

“Yeah, I’m great like that.” 

I could just chuckle and shake my head as I set off to find some small animal to eat.

Like I said, this forest is pretty much set to easy mode, so we found a pair of nice fat pheasants. I closed my eyes, focusing on my sixth sense. Both hands raised up, a glowing orb of psychic energy in each. They flew true, striking both birds down.

“Okay, I’ll admit, that was pretty awesome,” Ember said, a touch of admiration in her voice. “Don’t know what was with the whole closed eyes and wiggling head tentacle thing, but the lightshow was cool.”

“I close my eyes to better sense my target’s qi. The ‘head tentacles’, as you called them, I’m pretty sure help me sense it,” I explained. “What about you? I take you breathe fire? Or at least some other type of breath attack.”

“What other kind of breath would there be?” Ember asked.

I grabbed my kills and looked up at her. “How good is your breath at cooking meat?”

“Unless you like eating ash, not very,” she said. “Besides, my chest still hurts. I’d rather not use my fire if I don’t have to.”

“Fair enough,” I said. “So, where exactly are we going?”

“My cave is right on the border of the Dragon Lands,” Ember began. “I bet if you climb a tree, you can probably see the smoke from the mountain.”

I leapt up, easily clearing the canopy and gazed in the direction we were walking. Sure enough, there seemed to be a thick cloud of smoke and ash just visible on the horizon.

When I landed, Ember was looking at me with a cocked eyebrow. “Or, you can just jump. Seriously, what are you?”

I just laughed and said, “Lucario.”





And so, for the next several days, we traveled. As we went, I showed her some of the tricks I had learned. I showed her what kind of plants can be used for first aid. I showed her how to spot edible mushrooms. I even showed her how to make a couple simple traps. It was kind of cute seeing her reaction when she caught her first squirrel.

It was even cuter when she realized she was hopping around, cheering and tried to reassert her tough girl image.

It was only slightly less cute when she punched me in the face for saying as much.

At night, we usually sat in silence, sometimes talking about one thing or another we saw or did that day.

One night, the fourth of our journey, I asked, “So, what are dragons really like? Like, what can I expect when we get to the Dragon Lands?”

“Aww, you wanna know about me?” She said in a mocking tone. “You getting a crush on me, or something, dog-boy?”

I grinned, “Oh, absolutely. I dream of the day we have a litter of dragon-dog mutant babies.”

She let out a guffaw at that. “Keep dreaming, mutt.

“Anyway, I don’t know what to tell you, really,” she said. “I mean, dragons are dragons. We’re big, tough, and rude.”

I quirked an eyebrow at her. “Well, you're tough, sure, but you aren’t so big, and you aren’t really all that rude.”

She blushed and folded her arms in a huff. “I can be rude. I just don’t feel like it.”

I studied her for a moment before coming to the conclusion, “You aren’t like most dragons, are you?”

“What?!” she said, glaring at me. “I’m just as much a dragon as any other!”

“That goes without saying,” I said. “Maybe even better than most. That said, I still can’t help but think you’re different. I may not know much about dragons, but I think I can figure a few things out about them based on the things you’ve said.”

Ember sat there, quietly for several moments. “Most dragons are dumb as a brick. I mean, I get that being tough is a big deal, but... dragons used to be the most powerful, most dominant race on the planet, but now...” Ember sighed. “Now, we’re seen as vermin. The other races don’t fear us anymore, and why should they? I don’t care how tough you are, an enchanted ballista bolt will punch straight through scales.

“We’ve become a shadow of what we once were, and do you want to know why?”

“Because the other races use their brains,” I supplied.

“Because other races use their brains,” Ember confirmed. “Every other race in the world is inventing stuff and making new discoveries that make them stronger, while we just sit on our tails and get left behind.”

“Sounds like you want to change that, though,” I observed.

Ember Looked at me for a few moments, clearly in thought, before finally speaking again. “What I’m about to tell you stays a secret, you got that?”

“You have my word.”

“I’m planning on becoming the next Dragon Lord,” she said with conviction. “If I do, I can start encouraging dragons to start working out their brains, as well as their brawn. Then, maybe we’ll start to take back that glory we once held.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that. “Well, that’s a damn fine goal.”

“Yeah, but it isn’t an easy one,” Ember said. “Most dragons just laugh when I tell them. Even my father. He just tells me that I need to find a mate and wait until I’m bigger and stronger, because then I’d ‘understand why being smart is not the dragon way’.”

“So, your father wants you to be the good little daughter and marry someone so you don’t upset the status quo,” I summed up.

Ember scoffed. “Yeah, pretty much. He thinks I wouldn’t stand a chance in the Gauntlet of Fire, but I’m going to show him.”

“What’s the Gauntlet of Fire?” I asked.

“It’s how we choose the new Dragon Lord. It’s a contest of strength, usually a race to retrieve the Bloodstone Scepter.”

“And you want to do it so that you can lead the dragons down a path of intellectual growth.” I summed up. “Alright, count me in.”

“Huh?” Ember gave me a confused look. “‘In’ what?”

“In on your plan,” I stated. “I’ll do whatever I can to help you become Fire Lord.”

“That’s ‘Dragon Lord’,” Ember corrected. “But, why? You’re leaving aren’t you? You’re going to go find a way home. None of this will even affect you.”

“Well, what else are friends for?” I said with a smile.

“Yeah, dragons don’t really do ‘friends’,” Ember said, crossing her arms.

“They also don’t do ‘smart’,” I countered.

Ember gave me an appraising look. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe dragons could use friendship.” She gave me a cocky smile. “Alright then. I’ll do it. I’ll bring friendship to the Dragon Lands when I’m Dragon Lord.

“Now, I just need to find a way to convince my father to let me compete,” she said, her mood dropping a bit.

“Just ask him,” I said. “If he says no, just do it anyway.”

“It doesn’t work like that, Luke,” Ember said. “If my father forbids me from going, I won’t physically be able to go.”

My eyes widened in shock at that. “Your father has that kind of power over you?”

“He has that kind of power over every dragon,” Ember said. “He’s the Dragon Lord.”

“Oh... well, shit.”

That certainly complicated things.

“Well, hey, we have at least until after the Gathering, so several months at the least,” Ember assured.

“And what’s the Gathering?” I asked.

“It’s an ancient dragon tradition, every... hundred years...” Ember stopped talking, looking around. “Do you hear that?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Hear what?”

“It... It sounds like singing,” Ember said. 

“Singing?" I asked. “What kind of singing?"

"I don't know, but..." Ember looked around, trying to pinpoint the source. “It’s coming from this way. Come on, let’s go see who it is.”

“Uh... are you sure that’s a good idea, Ember?” I asked, cautiously.

Ember rushed off, away from our destination. “Why wouldn't it be? Besides, it sounds so... familiar.”

I followed as she led us through the forest to a large hill, covered in stones. As we approached, though, I saw the stones weren’t just random rocks. They were covered in some kind of writing. I couldn’t even come close to reading it, but something told me that this was a place one makes sure they don’t desecrate.

“Up here,” Ember said, leading us to the top of the hill. “Here... I hear it coming from... beneath us?”

We looked around, trying to find anything of significance.

“Ember, I don’t think there’s anything-” before I could even finish, the ground fell away, and we were swallowed up by darkness.
> Chapter 5: Dungeon Crawl
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The only sound besides the rushing wind was Ember’s yelling as we fell, somehow managing to grab hold of one another.

With a splash, we landed in an underground river and were instantly swept away. The world twisted and tumbled, slamming us against rocks and the riverbed, knocking what little air we had out of our lungs.

Somehow, through all that, we managed to hold onto each other.

I didn’t know how well dragons could hold their breath, but my lungs were starting to burn and my head was getting fuzzy when we were shot out into open space.

I barely had time to fear for my life when we once again hit the water, this time a calm, but deep, lake. We managed to struggle to the surface (Or, I struggled. Ember was apparently a pretty good swimmer) and suck in precious air.

“Th-th-this w-way!” Ember stuttered, her teeth clacking together.

I couldn’t see anything, but I trusted Ember. Dragons lived in caves, after all. So, I followed her, using my spirit sight.

Thankfully, we managed to find dry land and hoisted ourselves onto it. As soon as we did, Ember curled up, shivering.

I crawled to her and grabbed her, pulling her into me. I had expected her to resist, but instead, she clung to me like a lifeline. I focused on my qi, trying to will it to warm me, and through me, her.

It was a trick I picked up over the winter.

“I-i-if y-you tell a-anyone about th-this...” She tried to threaten me.

“Tell anyone about what? We’re on opposite sides of the cave.” I stated, as if it were obvious.

“Y-yeah... w-w-we are.”

We stayed like that for a while, until Ember could will a little fire from her breath. Once she could do that, her body warmed quickly to the point where she was warming me.

“Alright. I think we’re warm enough,” she said.

“But you’re so comfortable and warm.”

“You wanna be warm for the rest of your life?”

I let her go and got to my feet. As tempting as it was to keep messing with her, I wasn’t going to call her bluff.

Mostly because I wasn’t sure it was one.

I focused my qi into my hand, creating one of my psy-balls. The light wasn’t much, but with our enhanced night vision, it was enough.

“Where are we?” Ember asked, spouting a little fire on her hands.

“I don’t know. That river could have taken us miles away,” I replied.

Ember scoffed. “Great. So how do we get out of here?”

I squinted my eyes, looking at something on the other side of the shore. “What is that?”

I formed another ball, a smaller one, in my other hand and launched it. It flew to the anomaly, lighting it up.

“Is that... masonry?”

We gave each other a hopeful look before rushing toward it. Sure enough, when we arrived, we found a man made (or whatever other race made it) tunnel, lined with stone bricks and unlit torches.

“Someone built this. And that means it has to have a way out, right?” I asked, hopefully.

Ember looked at me, then back into the hallway. “There’s only one way to find out.”

With that, she walked in. I moved to stop her, but I was too slow. However, instead of the trap I half expected, the torches on the walls suddenly lit with a soft glow. What was strange, though, was that it wasn’t fire, but they didn’t seem like light bulbs, either. They seemed almost like a powerful bioluminescence.

Still, it got Ember to stop. Plus, it gave us plenty of light, so I could extinguish my light-ball.

“Okay, let’s take it slow.” I told her. “That could have easily been a trap.”

“Y-yeah,” Ember said. “You think your weird sight thing can spot and traps?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” I said.

I activated my sight, but all I really saw were the lights.

“I’m not seeing any traps, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.” I said, taking the lead as we took our first steps into the structure. “Still, keep your eyes open for anything on the floor or walls that stands out.”

“Right,” Ember complied.

We slowly made our way through the hallway. My sight was wide open, but I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. That just made me nervous. At least if I had seen traps I would know they were there.

We walked for at least half an hour before we came to a large stone door, covered in some kind of glowing red writing and symbols.

“Well, that isn’t ominous, at all,” Ember said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

As we approached though, she squinted her eyes. “Wait a minute. I think I recognize some of these words.”

“You can read this?” I asked, more than a little surprised.

“Not really, but I know a couple of the words,” Ember corrected. “Dad’s cave has a lot of writing on the walls, and these are the same letters.Heck, I know some of these words.” She pointed to one. “This one mean ‘dragon’. And this one over here... I think means ‘value’? Or maybe ‘treasure’? That one there, I don’t remember what it actually means, but I remember it has something to do with old legends.”

I pondered that for a moment. “So, it has something to do with dragons, something of value, and something else associated with old legends...”

“That doesn’t really tell us anything,” Ember grumbled.

“No, it tells us something very important. This place was likely built by, or for dragons.” I explained.

“Great, and that helps us, how?” Ember asked.

“Because you're a dragon, meaning it was made for your people,” I stated.

“I guess. So, what are we waiting for? The sooner we do this the sooner we can get out of here.”

“Agreed,” I said. “So... any clue how to open this thing?”

“How am I supposed to know?” Ember asked.

I shrugged, “You have a better chance of figuring it out than me.”

Ember looked back to the door and sighed. “Can’t argue with that. Let’s see...” She approached the door to get a better look and places a claw upon it.

Immediately, the door shuddered, the runes glowed brighter, and the door slowly slid up into the ceiling.

“Well... That was easy,” Ember said. “So... I guess we go inside?”

I looked past the opening.

Well, I tried to. It was so dark, I couldn’t even see the floor after less than two feet. Considering how much light was in the hall, I knew that couldn’t be natural.

“Might as well,” I said, hesitantly.

We walked in, and as soon as we did, the door slammed shut behind us.

“What the heck?!” Ember shouted, accompanied by the sound of a scalie fist pounding on stone. “Darn it, why’s it so dark?”

As soon as she asked, torches lit up the room. It was just like the hall outside, with polished marble floors, walls, and ceiling, however, in the center of this room was something I could only describe as an altar.

I was quite large, taking up the majority of the room, at least twenty feet wide. It was set like a curved wall, with a mural carved into it. It depicted what I could only assume were dragons. They were all decked out it armor, wielding rather impressive looking weapons.

Though, it was what was in the center that drew my attention, and apparently the reverence of the dragon warriors in the image. It was a dragon, floating above the rest, claws aflame and ringed in runed circles.

“No way...” Ember gasped. “That’s not possible. Th-that dragon... she’s using magic.”

“I take it dragons can’t normally use magic?” I asked, turning back to my companion.

“No,” Ember replied, moving closer to the image. “The only magic we have is our fire breath, but that, what she’s doing, is actual magic. Or, at least it looks like it is. Don't know what else it could be.”

As she neared, I felt the fur on the back of my neck stand on end.

“Ember!” I mind-shouted, rushing forward just as the eyes of the wizard dragon began to glow. “Look-”

Light flooded the room.

“Dren vor’kah torgol,” A voice rang out. “Na tema voltu kinasat, Meg’eela.”

“Wh-what?” I heard Ember say. “Who’s there? Luke is that you?”

“That isn’t me,” I said.

Again, the voice bellowed out into our minds, it was... loud, for lack of a better word, and ,more than a little suspicious, but it didn’t seem hostile. “Who are you, that intrude upon this temple? A fallen dragon and a creature not of this world? How did you get here? How did you find this place?”

“I-I heard singing,” Ember replied. “It lead me to a hill, and then the ground opened up and we fell.”

There was silence for a time before the voice responded. “You heard the song?”

“We apologize if we are intruding.” I tried to broadcast my thoughts, hoping the voice would hear. “The door opened when Ember touched it. We assumed it was an invitation.”

When the voice ‘spoke’ again, it was much softer. “You heard the song, and the door opened for you? interesting... Tell me, little one, why are you accompanying this creature?”

Ember’s tone became surprisingly angry. “Luke’s not a ‘creature’, he’s my friend, and I’m accompanying him because I’m trying to help him get home.”

Suddenly, the light faded and we found ourselves in a grand chamber, decorated in polished marble with ebony columns and fine red carpeting leading to a raised throne carved from the largest diamond I ever saw.

And upon that diamond throne sat a dragon.

She was only slightly taller than Ember, but she radiated power and wisdom. Her scales were like polished gold and the horns sprouting from her head like a crown looked like they were cast from platinum. Finally, she wore robes of the finest lavender silk.

Ember and I looked up in awe at the dragon that greeted us, neither of us knowing what to think.

“You surprise me,” The dragon began with a warm smile. “You truly became angry when I called this being a ‘creature’ and declared him to be your friend.”

“Y-yeah, what of it?” Ember said, trying to act like she wasn’t nervous.

The golden dragon stood as gracefully as a ballerina and descended from the dais. She flowed to us, circling around us as she studied us.

“You, young one - Ember, I believe your friend called you - are different than I expected,” the dragon stated. “You are not like most of the other brutes our kind has become, are you?”

“If you mean I actually use my head for stuff other than smashing rocks, yeah,” Ember said. “But I can still smash plenty with it.”

The gold dragon stopped and stared at Ember. “Yes... I see. Perhaps you are the one I’ve been hoping for. The one I need.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “What would you need her for?”

She looked back at me with a kind smile. “Why, for an heir, of course. My legacy must be passed on, and I refuse to pass it on to one who is unworthy.”

“And what is this ‘legacy’?” Ember asked. “Why’s it so important?”

Goldie smiled. “It is the key to returning dragon kind to greatness.”

Ember and I shared a look.

“But what is this key? How will it help dragon kind?” I asked. “Or, even better, if it can make dragons great again, why haven’t you used it to do just that?”

A sudden sadness fell over her as she answered, “Sadly, I cannot leave this place. Not until I pass on my legacy. My time has passed. It is time for someone new to take the throne.”

“And you think that should be me?” Ember asked, still a bit skeptical. “You just met me.”

“Yes, but I can see your soul,” the gold dragon said. “You have a pure heart, and a desire to see our people stand tall once more.

“Let me give you my gift, so that you may bring the dragon race back from the shadows.”

I looked to Ember, speaking only to her, “It’s your call.”

Ember thought for a bit before giving her answer. “Alright. If this will help me become Dragon Lord, then I’ll accept your legacy.”

The gold dragon smiled. “Then receive the blessing of your bloodline. Ascend, Ember, Archon of Fire. And you, Luke, I offer you a blessing as well. You shall be her guardian, her companion, her right claw. Take your place at her side, Luke, the Steel Soul.”

Her eyes began to glow bright white and I felt a warmth flow through me. My spirit sight was flooded with the energy flowing around us. The power swirled like a storm, lifting us off our feet as it infused out bodies.

"Oh, and do be careful on your way out," Goldie said. "Some rather nasty things have moved in to my old home."

Then the energy burst and all I saw was white.
> Chapter 6: Awakening
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Slowly, the world returned as my mind groggily tried to piece together why I was sleeping on stone.

The memory of the last hour came back to me, and I jolted upright, Ember mirroring me.

“What? What the hell?” I asked. “Where are we?”

It didn’t take long to see we were back in the room with the strange altar.

“What the heck happened?” Ember asked. “Was that a dream?”

“No,” I said with utmost certainty. “I’m not sure how I know, but that was no dream. She called you the ‘Archon of Fire’.”

Ember’s eyes widened in shock at that. “How did you... it was real?”

I nodded my head. “At least I believe so. The only other explanation is that somehow I may have linked our minds psychically.”

Ember looked up at the altar, confusion on her face. “If that’s true, though, what the heck is this legacy she gave me?”

“I don’t know. Do you feel any different?” I asked.

“Honestly, yeah,” Ember admitted. “I feel like there’s... something inside me. Like... the feeling I get when I’m about to breathe fire, but it’s different. This feels... more.”

“More?”

“Yeah, I don’t really know how to explain it,” Ember admitted.

I sighed. I was worried about what that dragon might have done to us. A part of me feels she was up to no good. I mean, she didn’t even give us her name. “Well, we won’t find any answers just sitting around here. Let’s get going. There has to be an exit somewhere.”

“Yeah, let’s just get home,” Ember agreed. “We can figure out what happened there.”

And so, we got to our feet. It didn’t feel like we’d been laying there for too long, but we couldn’t be sure. After all, we still didn’t know if we were sleeping and just had a vision or if we had been transported.

Regardless, we found a door on the opposite side of the room from where we entered. Like the previous door, it opened at Ember’s touch.

We crossed through into another short passage, this one was short, with only two other doors, one in the middle of the hall and the other at the opposite end.

Like the previous doors the one in the center had to be opened by Ember. This one, though, guarded what we could only call a ritual chamber. It had six stones arranged around a circle carved into the floor, both stones and circle adorned with unknown writing, all still glowing with power.

And in the middle of the circle laid the bones of a dragon.

A dragon with very familiar horns.

“She couldn’t leave,” Ember said, so quietly I barely heard.

I looked solemnly at the remains. I couldn’t help but wonder why she died here. Was this the reason she was able to speak to us?

Regardless of the answers, I didn’t feel right leaving her there.

“How do dragons handle their dead?” I asked.

Ember looked at me in surprise. “Uh... Well, usually we just throw them into a volcano. You know, return them to the fire of the earth.”

“Is there anything we can do here and now?”

Ember looked down at the dragon’s remains and shook her head. “No. Not here.”

If I hadn’t lost my pack in the water, I could have bundled her up in one of my skins, but we had nothing to carry her in.

“We’re coming back for her,” it wasn’t a request or suggestion. I couldn’t leave her like that. “If we don’t find something in this place to carry her, I’ll get something after we leave and come back.”

“I’ll come with you,” Ember said.

“Thank you.”

We left the chamber, making sure it was sealed behind us.

The next door wasn’t locked like the others, and I was able to open it myself. Of course, by ‘open’, I mean try to open it only for the hinges to crumble into dust and the door to fall into the next room with a loud thud.

That was when I remembered something else the unnamed dragon told us. Some rather nasty things had moved in. And I pretty much just rang the dinner bell.

The first sign had been the sound of scuttling. The moment I heard it, I readied a psi-ball, ready to blast anything that even seems like it might be hostile.

“I think we should run,” Ember said.

“Not until we can figure out where it’s coming from,” I said. “If we run now, we risk running right into whatever’s coming.”

We stood near the door I knocked down, listening and watching. I had my spirit sense running as hard as it could, hoping to sense it before it can possibly see us.

There were three doors leading out of the room, and I felt creatures just past all of them.

“Shit, we’re surrounded,” I warned. “Get ready for a fight.”

“Darn it, we should have run!” Ember growled.

“If we ran, we would have definitely run into them,” I countered.

“Yeah, the ones through one of the doors, not all three!”

“Both options were risks, okay. Besides, now I can pick them off from a range.”

Which I showed her as I loosed a blast right at one of the doors just as I sensed one of them getting ready to peek through. I didn’t even see the thing before it was blown to pieces.

My cocky smile was wiped away as, like a kicked hornet’s nest, a hoard of giant cricket looking things with unfairly big mandibles exploded into the room.

I fired ball after ball, not even charging them very much just so I could fire quicker. I was certainly doing damage, but not every hit was a kill. 

“I don’t think your magic ball things are going to be enough,” Ember said.

“Can you use your fire?”

Ember took a deep breath and exhaled hard. A few sparks flew, but no flame.

“Darn it!” Ember roared. “We’re going to die. None of this would have happened if I didn’t get hurt. Stupid wing! Stupid breath! Stupid freaking bug monsters need to just die!”

As Ember roared her frustration, I felt a sudden spike of energy with my spirit sense. I turned to see Ember slash at the air with her claws, only for a wave of ice shards to blast out through the air. 

It was only my supernatural reflexes that saved me from being impaled. The bug monsters, though, had no such ability. Both of us could only gape at the destruction Ember had somehow caused as every bug in the room was shredded.

Ember finally found her voice, “Wh-what... What was-”

I interrupted, grabbing her hand and running through the door that looked like it had the least monsters still in there.

The sudden forced movement and the sound of scuttling behind us snapped Ember out of it quickly enough, and she ran under her own power. 

We hauled ass as fast as we could, only slowing slightly so I could blast one of the monsters in our path.

“Any chance you can do that again?” I asked as we ran.

“I don’t even know what that was!” Ember shouted, on the brink of panic.

“I’m still not a hundred percent sure what it is that I do either, but I do it. Now, can you?”

“I don’t know,” Ember replied as we rounded a corner into another room. “I just... did it.”

“Try to figure it out, if you can.”

“Easier said than done!” Ember shouted.

We kept running, me blasting the big ass bugs and Ember putting her claws to good use against any that leapt at us from behind.

Luckily, it seemed that most of them were behind us, and we were a bit faster. 

Suddenly, a trio of bugs leapt at us from a door to our right. I tried to form a psi-ball, but they were too close, so I just swung at them, forgetting the ball was still in my hand.

The psi-ball elongated, forming a glowing staff of qi that pulverized the little monsters like the insects they were.

“That’s new,” Ember commented.

I faltered for an instant before getting back to running. With my new weapon, I plowed through the bugs, seeing something ahead that nearly brought a tear to my eyes.

“Light!”

With only a couple bugs between us and freedom, we poured everything we had into speed, no longer worrying about the monsters.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we burst through some hanging vines and into the sun.

The few creatures that followed us, didn’t follow far before retreating to the safety of the underground. And when we felt we were far enough away, we collapsed, gasping for air.

We laid there for at least an hour and just relished in the sun.

“So...” Ember finally began. “You got some weird new power, too, huh?”

“Kinda, but not really,” I stated. “I’m pretty sure that was Bone Rush. It’s something I technically could already do, I just didn’t know how.”

“Oh... So then...” Ember sat up and looked at me in thought. “What the heck did I do?”

I sat up, too, before I answered. “Considering what we saw in that altar carving, I’m guessing that was the ‘legacy’ that gold dragon mentioned.”

“So... what, I can do magic, now?” she asked, almost sarcastically.

“Maybe.”

“But... Dragons don’t use magic like that,” Ember said. “All we have is our fire breath.”

“The way Goldie spoke, I think maybe dragons did have magic a long time ago.”

Ember was silent for a while, a thoughtful expression on her face. “I don’t know. If this was her legacy, then wouldn’t that make it a rare gift only a few dragons had?”

I sighed. “I don’t know, but I think we should get moving. Those bugs retreated back underground when they came outside, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay there come night.”

“Yeah, we can figure out what the heck happened when we get to my place,” Ember agreed. “Can you jump up and see if you can see the volcano?”

I got to my feet and looked up. “Yeah, give me a second.”

My muscles were already getting stiff, so I had to stretch them out a little before jumping up.

When I landed, I said with a smile, “Well, good news. Our little river ride didn’t take us too far off course. In fact, I’d guess, we’re only about three days walk from it.”

“Then let’s get going,” Ember said, standing up. “The sooner I’m home, the better.”





We set a pretty tough pace, and by the middle of the third day, we finally arrived at our destination.

“Welcome to my home,” Ember said, waving at a very plain, ordinary cave entrance with absolutely no adorments whatsoever.

I didn’t really know what to expect, but it sure wasn’t that.

When we went inside, however, my opinion of the place changed. It was like stepping into a cave claimed by a Viking princess. There were animal pelts and skull trophies adorning the walls. There was a massive fire pit in the center of the cave that Ember was in the process of lighting.

She got a blaze going pretty fast and filled the space with light, allowing me to see the back. Not only was there a massive bed, covered with furs and silks, but beside the bed was the biggest pile of treasure I had ever seen.

Gold, silver, jewels, ivory, and things I couldn’t readily identify, all piled as tall as me and three times as wide.

“Piece of advice,” Ember spoke up beside me, startling me. “Staring at a dragon’s hoard is fine, but touch it and you probably won’t live much longer. That includes mine, friend or not.”

I could only nod.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m beat, and I want to sleep in my actual bed for once,” Ember said, stretching as she made her way toward the back. “We’ll talk to my dad in the morning and see if we can get you a ride.”

“So, where am I sleeping?” I asked.

She stopped for a second, as if in thought. “I guess, you can sleep on the other side of the bed. B-but you better not get any ideas. Keep your paws to yourself if you want to keep them.”

“I shall be a perfect gentleman,” I said, giving an exaggerated bow.

She gave a little chuckle at that as she climbed into bed, right beside her treasure pile. “Whatever, as long as you behave.”

I climbed in on the opposite side from her. “Oh, god, this is heaven. It’s been far, far too long.”

Ember chortled. “Whatever, dweeb. Just go to sleep.”
> Chapter 7: Wisdom of the Elders
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh, Luke,” the sexy redhead moaned. “You’re so big.”

“That I am,” I replied as her hands slid across my back.

I closed my eyes, to bury my muzzle into her neck as I squeezed her tight ass.

Which, for some reason felt... scaly?

I opened my eyes, fighting off sleep, to find out why, only to see cyan scales.

“Ah!” Ember screamed in my ear and threw me off the bed.

I landed with a painful thud.

“Dafuq? What happened?”

Ember yelled. “I thought I said no funny business.”

I looked up to see Ember glaring down at me, face bright red. “Wait, were we on my side of the bed?”

Ember looked around, the realization sinking in. “Yeah, well... first of all, it’s my bed, so every side is my side. And second, you were grabbing my butt!”

I felt my own face heat up. “I didn’t mean to. I was... having a dream.”

“I can see that,” she replied, her gaze flicking down to my groin.

I quickly shifted to hide indecency. “I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to, I swear.”

Her eyes softened slightly, but the blush remained, if not quite as bad. “Fine, it was an accident. But your sleeping somewhere else from now on.”

I let out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah, well, obviously. I’m going to that town you mentioned before today, right?”

“Oh... yeah... right.” I didn’t need my spirit senses to tell that she was feeling down all the sudden. And it didn’t take a genius to figure out why.

“Of course, there’s really no rush,” I said. “I mean, that town will be there next week, right? Maybe I can hang out here, with you for a bit?”

Ember looked up at me with stars in her eyes. “Really?!”

And then quickly forced her ‘tough girl’ mask back on. “I mean, yeah, sure. That might be cool.”

I smiled. “Yeah, besides, I want to help you figure out what this ‘legacy’ is.”

“Oh, right,” Ember said.

“First things first, though,” I said. “Shouldn’t you introduce me to your father? I’m not sure how it is with dragons, but among my kind, a father might get a little... protective if he finds some strange male in his daughter’s home.”

Ember waved it off. “Nah, dad’s just as likely to squish you if I introduce you to him as if he found you in my cave when I’m not here.”

“Oh, well that makes me feel safe and secure,” I said, injecting as much sarcasm into my mind-voice as I could. “Whatever, I’m going to go find me some food. You want anything?”

“Nah, I’m good,” Ember said.

“Alright, be back in a bit.”

And with that, I leaped down the mountain and ran back into the woods.

The whole time, I couldn't get the feel of Ember's ass out of my mind.





Ember waited until Luke was out of sight before she started to climb further up the volcano. 

There were no paths, much to her frustration, but her claws were good for clinging to the volcanic stone of the mountain. As such, it wasn’t too difficult to make it to another cave entrance near the top.

She took a deep breath and stepped inside.

“Hello?” she called. “It’s me, Ember. Are you here, Star?”

“Ah,” a powerful, yet motherly voice echoed out. “I was starting to worry, young one.”

Another dragon stepped out. She was, in a word, ancient. Her pale white scales seemed dry and cracked in places, and her horns were worn to mere nubs. Her eyes, however, still held that spark of life.

“I was worried something...” The dragon’s smile vanished when she got a good look at Ember, seeing the scars across her body and tattered wing. “Something did happen.”

Ember’s eyes went to the floor. “Yeah, I was attacked by this big thing that looked like a cat, but with scales.”

“A dingonek?!” Star exclaimed, surprise evident in her tone. “However did you survive? Those beasts are relentless, powerful, and fireproof. Forgive me, but I can’t imagine you defeating one.”

Ember grumbled a little at that. She wanted to say that she only got beat because it snuck up on her, but she learned long ago that if Star said something it was likely true.

“I didn’t,” Ember admitted. “I was saved.”

Hearing that, the ancient dragon not only calmed down, but found herself quite intrigued. “By who?”

“That’s where things get a little weird,” And so, Ember told the elder dragon about everything that transpired in and beneath the forest, skimming over most of the boring stuff.

“... but, I guess they didn’t like the sun, because they didn’t chase us far after we got outside. After that, it was an easy trip back here.”

Star lounged on the floor, eyes closed as she absorbed what Ember told her.

“So, I figured if any dragon knows anything about this ‘legacy’ and that dragon in those ruins, it would be you,” Ember explained.

Star, however, started laughing, much to Ember’s surprise and irritation. 

“I fail to see what’s so funny?” Ember growled.

Star wiped a tear from her eye and answered, “Congratulations, girl, you’ve found the one story older than me.”

“But, nothing’s older than you!” Ember said before she realized it and clamped her claes over her mouth.

Star just laughed harder. “That’s only mostly true, little Ember. This is one of the few that are. It was a story my mother used to tell me about the great dragon kingdom, Wyr, and the dragon sorcerers that ruled.”

“The diamond throne,” Ember muttered. “That wasn’t just some crazy dragon I met, was it?”

Star smiled. “No, I don’t believe so. I believe you met the last dragon empress, Empress Aurora.”

“Empress? But, she was so small, barely taller than me.” Ember’s brow furrowed in confusion. “There’s no way she could have been an empress. She was tiny. Some other dragon would have took it from her.”

Star replied, “Did you ever wonder why the Bloodstone Scepter is so small, when it’s held by the biggest and strongest?”

Ember had to admit, she had found it strange. It was actually rather comical seeing her father holding something so important that looked like a toothpick in his claws.

“That is because it was forged by the dragon sorcerers of old to be used not by the biggest, but the most magically powerful. As dragons age, we grow. However, the way we grow depends on the path we take. Those who follow the path of the body, grow in body. Those who follow the path of the sorcerer, grow in magic

“If you wish to follow the sorcerer’s path, you will not grow much larger than you are now, if at all, yet even a dragon as mighty as your father would be nothing but an irritating fly next to your power.”

Ember let that soak in for a while. “We were really that powerful?”

Star chuckled. “Who do you think moved the sun and moon before ponies came into their own magic?”

“So... I can learn magic? Like the ponies?” Ember asked.

“Not quite like the ponies, no,” Star said. “What you can do with it are the same, but how it is used is quite different.

“Where ponies use spells using formulae and books, dragon magic is pure will. However, you will have to understand how something works if you wish to affect it. That is something I can teach, if you wish.”

Ember sat and thought for a bit, before she asked, “Mind if I sleep on it?”

“Take all the time you need.” Star assured. “Besides, I want to talk about this Luke.”

“Wh-what about him?” Ember asked, dreading that she knew the answer already.

Star gave Ember an evil grin. “Well, you have a male staying in your cave, a moon from the Gathering.”

Ember growled, even as she blushed. “Why did I know your mind was going to go there? I swear, you’re such a perv! He’s not even a dragon!”

“First I’m not a perv, I’m old and living vicariously through you,” Star corrected, “and second, who cares what he is. He’s strong and cares for you. Plus with how much magic he seems to have, you might even be able to have an egg together, regardless.”

Ember brushed a claw down her face. “I Swear, first Luke grabs my butt, now this. This day couldn't-”

“Oh, he did, did he?” Star asked with a huge grin.





I was humming a jaunty tune, happy that I had found a nice size boar so soon into my trip. Add onto that the mint I spotted during the chase and I was looking forward to-

My ears perked up and birds scattered as a roar echoed down through the forest.

That almost sounded like Ember, I thought to myself. Nah, even she’s not that loud.





Star blinked from behind a wall of earthen spears. “Perhaps I should refrain from so much teasing until you get a better handle on your magic.”

Ember, meanwhile was looking on in horror. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t mean to!”

“It’s find, child,” Star assured as she broke the spikes and tossed them over her shoulder. “I may be old, but I’m still spry enough to dodge a few sharp rocks.”

“But... what if you don’t next time?” Ember asked in a near panic. “What if I do something worse?”

“Calm yourself, Ember,” Star said. “Everything will be fine.”

Ember took a deep breath. “You’re right. Everything will be fine, because I’m not sleeping on this. I need to learn how to control this before I hurt someone I don’t want to.”

“That’s a shame,” Star said. “When Garble inevitably tries to get you in his cave come time for the Gathering, you could do unspeakable things to him and still have the excuse that you can't control it.”

Ember stopped and thought about that for a moment. “That is a good point, and certainly tempting, but you and Luke tend to annoy me, too, and I’d rather not hurt you.”

“Are you absolutely certain you wish to learn?” Star asked, her voice becoming very serious.

“Yes,” Ember replied. “But, I have to wonder, how do you know how to teach me? You don’t have magic, do you?”

“No, child,” Star answered. “At least not like you. I do have a form of magic, but it is turned within. It’s how I’ve lived longer even that a dragon’s natural lifespan by many centuries. My mother was the last of the dragon sorcerers, and it is thanks to her that I know how it works.

“We’ll start now, with a lesson on how to keep from using your magic accidently,” Star said. “After that, I would like to meet this Luke.”





I walked up towards Ember’s cave with my boar slung over my shoulder.

“I thought I heard you talking to someone,” I broadcast my voice to both Ember and her other guest.

“Ah, you must be Luke,” the other dragon greeted.

She was much bigger than Ember, but not as big as I imagines a full grown dragon to be. At least, I figured she was full grown. She did look rather old, though again, just a guess.

“I am,” I greeted. “And to whom do I have the pleasure?”

The older dragon gave Ember a mischievous grin, “My, he’s a polite one. You can call me Star. I’m something of a... what’s the term? Godmother to little Ember here.”

“Ah,” I gave a little bow. “I’m glad to make your acquaintance.”

“Really, Luke?” Ember gave me a flat stare. “Where was all that polite junk when we were traveling together?”

“We’re friends, we don’t have to be polite to each other,” I stated.

Star just laughed. “Oh, my. You two really are just adorable together.”

Ember facepalmed. “Darn it, Star, can you lay off it, already?”

“Oh, fine. You’re just so cute when your angry,” Star said to Ember before turning to me. “Isn’t she cute when she’s angry.”

I grinned. “Absolutely adorable.”

“I will hurt you,” Eber said, plainly.

Star chuckled and said to me, “I would like to thank you for saving her life and healing her. There aren’t many that can face a dingonek and survive. You must be very powerful.”

“Well, I just used my head and managed to knock it into a ravine.”, I explained. “I’m not even sure it’s dead.”

“Well, regardless, you saved her. However, something Ember told me has me curious. Tell me, what was the gift that you were granted?” Star asked.

I had to stop and think for a few seconds to know what she meant. “Ah, she already told you about our little adventure. I’m not sure what it was. She said something of a ‘Steel Soul’, but I don’t know what that means.”

Star gave a little snort of amusement. “Yes, my mother always said the Empress loved being dramatic. That’s just a title, and I doubt it has much, if any, relation to your gift.”

Well, that was one clue as to what she did to me gone.

“Ember said you suddenly gained an ability that you claim you were already able to do but did not know how.”

“Yes, I did,” I focused on my power and drew it out into a staff of energy. “It’s called ‘bone rush’.”

The elder dragon hummed in thought as she examined the glowing staff. “And here Ember said you used psychic abilities.”

I blinked in surprise. “But... I do... don’t I?”

Star laughed. “You really are a stranger to your own body, aren’t you? No, this is not psychic power. This is Aura.”

“Aura?” I had to admit, the name did sound familiar. Did they call it that in that movie Leo was watching? And when I thought about it, I think Smash called that psi-ball thing something like Aura Ball or Aura Sphere.

“Yes, Aura,” Star confirmed. “It is the power of the soul. I can understand your mistake. Many of the traits of Aura can be similar to psychic abilities. For example, your ability to speak without speaking. Normally, when one thinks of telepathy, they think of a psychic linking their mind to another. With Aura, however, you link your soul.”

I stood there, stunned by this. It made sense, to be honest. I always used it the same as I would qi. Qi is from the spirit, not the mind. I felt rather stupid for not realizing it before.

“How do you know all this?” I asked.

She just looked at me with a knowing smile as a voice echoed in my head, “Did you think you’re the only one?”
> Chapter 8: Secret of Aura
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was, in a word, surprised.

Ember, however, was so far beyond that.

“Wh-what the heck, Star?!” Ember shouted. “Are you telling me you have freaky powers like Luke and never once did you think to tell me?”

“Like Luke?” Star guffawed. “Hardly. I can’t do much with it, I’m afraid. You’ve just seen almost the full extent of my ability to actually use Aura. Even that much is not easy for me.”

“Still, that would have been something I might have wanted to know,” Ember said, crossing her arms in a huff. “Maybe I would have wanted to learn it. Did you ever think about that?”

“I did, in fact,” Star declared. “Do you remember when we used to play that game where I’d blindfold you and tell you to find me?”

Ember thought for a moment before replying, “Yeah, I remember?”

“That was to see if you had any gift for Aura. I’m sorry to say, you don’t.”

“So, are there dragons that can use the same powers I have?” I asked, finally getting over my surprise.

“Not for over a thousand years,” Star replied.

“What happened to them?” Ember asked.

“Let’s not concern ourselves with such things,” Star said, though I could see, for the briefest moments, a glint of sorrow in her eye. “Instead, why don’t we take a look at your friend, here. Show me what you can do.”

And so, I gave her a demonstration of what I could do. I ran sprints, jumped as high as I could (Both of which I swore were faster and higher than before), I punched a rock and broke it in half, then I fired off my... I’m going to just call it aura sphere. I’m pretty sure that’s what it was called in Smash, and even if it’s not it sounds better than aura ball. Finally, I ended with bone rush, smashing another boulder to pieces.

Star watched me the whole time, her face serious. By the look in her eyes, I was quite sure she was watching more than just what one could see. She was watching my Aura.

“Very good,” Star said. “And you say this ‘bone rush’ ability is something you just figured out how to do?” I nodded. “I see. I believe I may know what your gift is, but I’m not certain. Even then, I can’t help but feel it’s only part of it.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“She may have given you some kind of instinctive knowledge of your abilities,” Star explained. “Of course, this meant her gift would be little more than a shortcut. I can’t help but feel there’s more to it than that.”

“What do you think it might be?” I asked.

Star chuckled at that. “Child, it’s nothing more than a gut feeling. I can’t even so much as speculate what it could be.

“Regardless, you may have been granted knowledge, but you still need to learn how to actually use what you know. That, unfortunately, isn’t really something I can teach.”

I nodded. “I understand. Thank you. You’ve been more than helpful.” I looked over at my lunch. “You want some boar?”

Star laughed. “I think if I did, there wouldn’t be enough left for you. I saw some rather fat looking deer in the forest yesterday. Keep your kill. Maybe share it with Ember? I’m sure she’d love to dine with you.”

“Star,” Ember groaned, rubbing her snout in frustration.

“Fine, fine,” Star relented. “I’ll be going and giving you two some privacy. Have fun.”

With that, she spread her wings and took to the sky, circling toward the forest.

“Well... she’s an interesting one,” I observed.

Ember sighed. “She’s a pain in the scales... but yeah, she’s cool.”

“So, you want some boar?” I asked. “I doubt I can eat the whole thing.”

“Yeah, sure,” Ember replied.

And so, we both made our way back inside, pig in tow.





The next day saw the two of us on top of the mountain, trying to get a handle on our powers. Mostly, it was Ember, seeing as I already knew the basics of mine.

“Alright,” Ember began. “I can do this.”

Ember held out her hands, face scrunched up in concentration. Slowly, like an old neon light, they started to flicker. Eventually, the glowing stabilized and she had a lovely red glow.

She held it for several seconds before focusing on a nice sized boulder about the size of my head.

“Good, now, will the rock to fly into the lava,” Star instructed.

Slowly, the same red light started to envelop the boulder. It was unstable, but it was holding. Then, she willed it to fly...

And instead it melted.

“Dang it!” Ember shouted. “I had it! It was this close to doing what I wanted.”

“Hey, don’t feel down,” I said. “You melted it. That at least means your magic is working on it.”

“He’s right,” Star said. “The fact that you’ve come so far as to already be able to channel your magic and affect objects hints that either you’re a natural or Aurora gave you knowledge, too.”

Suddenly, I had an idea. “Try it again. I want to see what this really looks like.”

Ember understood the moment I closed my eyes and my dreadlocks started twitching.

She repeated the process and summoned up her magic, willing another boulder to throw itself into the lava.

Instead, there was a loud crack and the boulder split in two.

“Ah, I think I see the problem,” I said. “You’re coming at it too aggressively. Strong doesn’t mean forceful. You need to be strong, but gentle.”

“‘Strong but gentle’? What the heck does that even mean?” Ember asked.

I smirked. “So glad you asked.”

I walked over to an area that was clear from debris and created my staff. With it, I carved two parallel lines, about ten feet long and five feet apart, and stood at one end.

“Come here,” I requested. “I want to show you something.”

Ember gave me a suspicious look as she slowly approached.

“Try to get past me.”

Her expression was deadpanned as she replied, “Do what?”

“Without crossing these lines, I want you to get past me. You can use whatever means you can, save your magic or fire breath. You can punch me, kick me, claw me, whatever you want. I, meanwhile, can’t strike you at all. I can only gently move and push you.”

Ember burst out laughing. “What? Really?! Alright. This’ll be easy.”

As I expected, she charged me, intent on running me down. 

I just used my body to turn her momentum around and she stumbled back the way she came.

“Wh-what? What the heck just happened?” Ember asked.

“Certainly not you getting past me,” I taunted.

“Oh, you got jokes, huh,” she snarled. “Joke this!”

She came at me again, this time with her fist drawn back. Once again, she found herself twisted around and off balance. A light push between the wings sent her stumbling right back where she started.

She got her feet back under her and turned to glare at me. “Alright, how the heck are you doing that?”

“I’m being powerfully gentle,” I answered.

“I’ll claw your eyes out in your sleep.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, fine. It’s like a warrior philosopher from my world once said, ‘Be like water.’”

“Water?” Ember asked, confused.

I waved her over as I began explaining. “Water is the most destructive element. It tears down mountains and pulverized boulders into sand, yet it’s also gentle. It doesn’t crush those boulders through force, but with a gentle caress.

“When you tried moving that boulder, you slammed your will into it, trying to move it through brute force. Instead, try moving it the way I moved you.”

“The way you moved me...”

Ember turned to face another boulder and closed her eyes. I ‘saw’ her power flow, not in a rushing torrent of power, but a gentle river. It didn’t strike the boulder head on, but swirled around it.

The boulder started wobbling, faster and faster until it launched through the air and splashed down into the lava.

"Yes!," Ember cheered. "I did it!"

"That you did," I gave her a little applause. "I knew you were a bad ass."

She looked away, trying to hide a blush. "Well, I am, but you helped... a little."

That warmed my heart, a little, to be honest.

"So, who was that warrior philosopher you mentioned, anyway?" Ember asked.

I smiled as I let myself fall back on nostalgia. "Bruce Lee. He was a master of martial arts and a philosopher. His style of Jeet Kune Do is one of the styles I learned."

"He sounds like he would have made a great dragon." Ember said.

"Well, I mean, that was one of his titles..." it was then I realized something. "Where's Star?"

"Ember!" a thunderous voice boomed.

Ember's face dropped. "Oh no. Act cool! Be tough! Don't-"

She was cut off as the biggest dragon I ever imagined landed behind her with enough force to shake the mountain. 

Ember turned back to face the mountain of a dragon and forced a smile. "Hi dad, it's good to see you."

My jaw dropped. I suddenly found myself wishing I could disappear. 

"Where have you been?!" Ember's father demanded. "You have been missing for weeks." Then his eyes locked onto me, and it took every ounce of willpower not to show fear. "And what is that?"

Ember's demeanor shifted to a firm protectiveness. "'That' is Luke, and he saved my life. I was attacked by a dingonek. Luke killed it and treated my wounds."

The enormous death lizard actually looked worried the moment Ember mentioned the monster.

He looked at me and asked. "You expect me to believe this tiny mammal vanquished a creature that hunts dragons?"

"I threw it down a chasm in the forest," I stated.

He looked at me in disgust. "Do not do that! Speak like a normal creature!"

"He can't," Ember came to my defense. "He can only speak with Aura."

"Then he will not speak!"

"Hey!" Ember roared. "I'd be dead if not for him! You will show him respect!"

I could only look at Ember as if she had lost her mind. It was an expression mirrored on her father.

"I see..." her father said in a much calmer tone. "Very well." He turned to me. "Strike me."

"Wh-what?!"

"My daughter says you defeated a dingonek. I find this hard to believe," he said plainly. "Show me this strength she claims you have. Strike me as hard as you can."

I looked to Ember who just nodded.

I just sighed and dropped into a fighting stance. I focused my Aura into my first and struck him as hard as I could with a loud crash.

His head shifted away so he could look down at me in surprise. 

"Do that again!"

I looked to Ember again, but she was struck dumb.

Without much other options, I did as I was asked and hit him again.

Then he started laughing. 

"I can't believe it," he said as tried to catch his breath. "I actually felt a tiny bit of pain from that!"

He stood back up to his full, imposing height. "I approve."

With that, he turned around and flew off, still laughing.

"What the hell just happened?" I asked.

Ember's only answer was was a groan.





"And just where did you run off to?" Ember demanded when she finally found Star near the bottom of the mountain.

"What? I wasn't going anywhere near that," Star defended. "I wouldn't have been able to help, anyway. "

"So you just disappear. A little heads up at least would have been appreciated," Ember admonished.

"But if I did that, I wouldn't have gotten such a fantastic show."

Ember faceclawed. "Of course you were watching."

"From a safe distance, of course. So..." Star's expression shifted to her snarky smirk. "Your father approves."

Ember growled. "I told you, it's not like that!"

"Hmm, that's a shame," Star pretended to study her claws. "Garble would be more likely to leave you be if you already had a mate."

Star gave one last smirk as she took off. 

Ember skulked away, her thoughts storming.

"Darn it, Star," she growled as she squeezed into a little cave hidden away in the shadows. "Why can't she just drop it."

Ember found her way to the back of the little cave where she leaned her back to the stone. "It's not like it could work, anyway. He's going home the first chance he gets."

She slid to the ground, holding her knees to her chest, eyes shimmering with held back tears.
> Chapter 9: Getting Ready for the Gathering
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ember wandered around the volcano, munching on a few rubies. Her mind wandered about, mostly to Luke. 

More specifically, she pondered her feelings toward him. She wasn’t going to lie to herself, she wanted him to stay with her. He was the first male she really liked, and she didn’t want to lose him.

She sighed, throwing a rock with her magic. “Of course, I finally find a guy that’s strong and smart, and he’s an alien. I should just admit that I’m not going to do better than Garble.” Ember shuddered at the thought of it. 

She was not looking forward to putting up with him. “Maybe I should just not go to the gathering.”

She hated thinking that. She had been looking forward to the Gathering for several years and didn’t want to have to wait another hundred for the next.

Her thoughts drifted back to what Star said and an idea started to form. Maybe she could go after all.

And maybe she might get at least a taste of what she wanted while she was at it.

Ember turned toward her cave and picked up her pace. She had a plan forming and she wanted to get started on making it a reality.





I let out a loud yawn as I stretched out my muscles.

Ember and I were laid out in a clearing in the forest, the remains of our lunch encased in a block of ice.

As Ember improved, she found she had a particular affinity for fire and ice magic. That came in handy for picnics in the forest so we can relax right after eating without worrying about attracting anything.

We had been growing rather close the past few weeks. We would hang out, practice our abilities, shoot the shit with Star, go hunting, and tell stories.

"Man, that was good," Ember complemented. "You're getting better at cooking."

"Thanks," I replied. "Star actually told me about that weird looking root thing."

"Oh, the all knowing Luke didn't know something?" Ember teased.

"Hey, I'm pretty sure those don't exist on Earth," I replied. "Besides, now I do know about them, so I'm back to being all knowing. "

"I guess you are," Ember chuckled. 

We laid there for a while before Ember finally spoke again.

"So... the Gathering is next week."

I peeked an eye open and asked, "And what exactly is the Gathering? I've heard you and Star mention it, but not what it is."

"So much for all knowing," Ember joked. "The Gathering is an old tradition. These days it's just a big party where dragons migrate from all over to get together and compete with other dragons and brag about their hoards. The older dragons share gossip about what's happening in other parts of the world and talk about whatever might affect them."

"Sounds like a big, extended family reunion," I said.

"Yeah, except it started as a means to find a mate," Ember added.

I looked at her and chuckled. "An Arkansas family reunion, then."

"Anyway," Ember said, quickly, cutting off anything else I might have tried to say. "It was started way back when dragons were... well, an endangered species. Because we tend to roam and spread out, the Gathering was started to make sure a dragon could find a mate. Otherwise, it would be nearly impossible.

"Anyway, while that's not the main reason for it anymore, a lot of dragons still go for that reason."

"Okay, so it's a party that people have a tendency to hook up," I summarized.

"Pretty much," Ember confirmed. "Anyway, so there's this guy..."

"Oh, you're sweet on him, huh? Need me to not be around?"

"No!" Ember said in a near panic. "The complete opposite. The guy's a total creep and... well," she started twiddling her thumbs. "I was hoping you would go with me."

I was absolutely floored. I couldn't believe what I heard.

"I figure if you pretend to be my mate, he'll buzz off."

"Oh."

"We don't have to do anything lovey-dovey," she quickly tacked on. "We can just say we're mates, sit close to each other, hang out together, and punch anyone that tries to put the moves on the other."

"I see." I thought about it for a moment. "Are you sure that’s what you want?"

“Of course it is?” Ember said, defensively. “I said that was the reason, didn’t I?”

I gave her a sceptical look before just shrugging and saying, "Sure. Let’s do it."

“Really?” she sat up in mild surprise. “You don’t mind? I mean, I know I said we don’t have to do lovey-dovey stuff, but we’ll still have to pretend to be mates and that involves, you know, being close and maybe being a little touchy-feely.”

I pushed myself up to sit beside her. "Fine by me."

“Thank you!” Ember threw her arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug before realizing what she was doing and let go. “I-I mean, thanks. This is pretty cool of you.”

I gave her a shit eating grin. "Aww, you’re so adorable when you blush like that."

She growled and swung a fist at the back of my head.

In the blink of an eye, I moved around her to her opposite side, grinning at her like a madman.

She just blinked in confusion. “Wh-what? How?”

"I learned a new ability," I said smugly. "I’m pretty sure that one’s called ‘quick attack’, but I’m not completely sure seeing as I can use it when not attacking."

“Awesome,” Ember said with a smirk. “I learned a new one, too.”

My smile vanished just before the ground opened up and swollowed my up to my neck.

“Now, what was that you said about me?” she asked wearing a cruel smile.

"Uh... I said you’re awesome and totally not adorable, even when you blush?"

“That’s what I thought.”





"This is going to be awkward."

I decided to go for a little walk to try and clear my head. 

I was wrapped up in a sitcom cliche, except instead of a high school reunion, it was an ancient dragon sex party.

Okay, so the sex part isn’t what it’s all about anymore, but that didn’t change that I had to pretend to be Ember’s mate.

“You seem like you’re having a bit of trouble,” came a voice from above. I looked up to see the ancient smiling face of Star.

"Hello, Star," I gretted. "And, yeah, you can say that."

“Ember?”

"Ember."

Star hopped down and laid near me. “So...”

I hopped up on a rock that let me look at her at eye level. "Ember wants us to pretend we’re mates at the Gathering so the males leave her alone."

Star cocked an eyebrow. “That... could work. I fail to see the problem.”

I took a deep breath and sighed. "It’s a problem because... I like her."

Star’s eyes widened in surprise. “You don’t say.”

"And to make it worse, she likes me, too."

Her expression shifted to confusion. “Okay, I say again, I fail to see the problem.”

"The problem is I don’t belong here!" I shouted before wincing at my outburst. "I’m sorry. It’s just, I don’t belong here, not in the dragon lands and not in this world. All this is going to do is make it hurt worse when I have to leave."

Star reached out toward me with a claw.

And flicked me hard in the head.

"What the fuck was that for?!"

“Did it knock any sense into you?” She asked.

"Huh?" I eloquently replied.

“First, who says you don’t belong here?” Star asked. “The dragon lands are for the strong, and you’re strong. You say you don’t belong in this world, yet here you are. Tell me, what did you leave behind?”

I thought about that for a moment. I didn’t really have anything back on Earth. The only relationships I really had was with my neighbors, and even then we weren’t exactly close. 

"It doesn’t matter. I’m not from this world. I’m a freaking alien." I said with a dejected slump. "It’s time E.T. went home."

Star sighed. “Fine, say for whatever ridiculous reason you actually did have to go home. Why can’t you spend the time you have here making the most of it? Yes, it will hurt more when you say goodbye, but after it will only make the memories all the sweeter.”





I spent the rest of the day in the forest, thinking about what Star said. It was ridiculous to me. Those kinds of whirlwind romances only happened in cheesy romance stories. 

But at the same time, Ember said that when Star gave advice, even her father listened.

“Damn it, why can’t things like this ever be easy?!” I growled out loud.

I wandered aimlessly for another few hours, just trying to get my head together.

“There you are,” came Ember’s voice. “I thought I heard you. You alright? I don’t usually hear you actually speaking. Or... whatever that is.”

I froze. I had apparently wandered back to Ember’s cave without even realizing it. "I... was hunting. And... some bird crapped on me."

“Oh,” Ember snortled. “Yeah, I’d be mad, too.”

I really had intended to hunt while I was out, but I was just too distracted.

“Come on,” Ember waved me on. “I still have some meat from last time I went.”

As Ember walked into her cave, my gaze drifted downward. I could have sworn she was swaying her hips more than usual.

And I knew her tail never moved like that.

Damn it, Ember. Why do you have to make this so hard?

A little Steve Carell spoke up in the back of my mind and I had to force back a groan.

Ember lit the firepit with a puff of her breath and went to the back of the cave where a big stone box sat. She closed her eyes and her hand lit up with her magic. The side of the stone box slid open and she grabbed a large, frozen deer leg. Another glow of magic and the leg thawed.

“Here you go,” she tossed the meat to me so I could get started.

A little over an hour later, and we were sitting by the fire with full bellies.

"So, when do dragons usually start arriving for the Gathering?"

“Most will be coming all at once, in about five days,” Ember said. “But a few will be arriving in a day or two. Maybe even tomorrow.”

"Ah, so I might finally get to meet a normal dragon?" I said with a smirk.

Ember opened her mouth to reply but paused. “Huh... I guess you really haven’t met any normal dragons? Or, typical ones, anyway.”

"Any advice?" I asked.

“Yeah, beat the crap out of the fist one that tries to mess with you,” she stated.

"Really? Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I’m not going to like it, though."

“Yeah, yeah,” Ember said standing up and stretching. “Well, I think I’m going to lay down.”

"That sounds like a good idea," I said, mimicking Ember.

I was making my way toward my bed of furs when Ember stopped me as she climbed into her own bed. “Y-you know, you don’t have to sleep on those if you don’t want to.”

I froze for an instant. "Aren’t you worried I’ll grab you again?"

Ember quickly turned away from me. “Well... I mean, I trust you.”

I felt myself move, as if I wasn't in control. As I climbed onto the soft bed, my mind raced. Warring thoughts clashed for dominance.

“So...” Ember started as I settled in on the side opposite her. “I was wondering. What if the others don’t believe us? That we’re mates, I mean.”

"We tell them to fuck off."

“You do realize I’m probably the least stubborn dragon in the world, right?” she reminded. "Seriously, though. What if they find out we aren't mates?"

"What if we were?"

Ember turned to me, eyes wide. "Wh... what?"

I took a deep breath, trying steel my nerves. "They can't find out we're not mates... if we are."

Ember looked at me like a man dying of thirst being offered a glass of water. "You... you mean... you actually want to be my mate? But... what about when you leave?"

It was then that I sealed my fate. I made the one declaration I knew I couldn't come back from.

I crawled across the bed to sit beside Ember and took her hands in mine.

"I'm not leaving."

Ember gasped. “B-but... what about everything you left behind? What about your home?”

"There’s nothing there that I’ll really miss. As for home... well, this can be my home just as easily as the place I left behind.

“Look, I like you, Ember. And I know you like me. So... Ember... will you be my mate?"

Ember didn’t answer me with words. Instead, she threw her arms around me and tackled me to the bed, pressing her lips to mine. It didn’t take me long reciprocate, my own hands on her sides.

After who knows how long, she pulled away. Biting her lip She reached down, grabbed my hand and slid it down to her rear.

We looked into each other's eyes and saw our desires reflected back at us.

That night, Ember and I became mates.
> Chapter 10: The Gathering
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As wakefulness slowly returned, I felt a smile cross my face.

It was the second time I woke up grabbing a blue scaled ass. This time, though, I gave it a little squeeze.

Ember stirred awake. “Mmm, good morning to you, too.” She returned the favor. “As much as I would love another round, we might want to bathe before any dragon arrives. I’d rather not smell like sex.”

"Oh, so you don’t want the others to know you’re mine?" I teased.

Ember giggled. “Silly dog. I’m not yours. You’re mine.”

I pretended to think that over. "Uh... nope, I’m pretty sure I’m the alpha of this relationship."

“Oh, really?” She gave me a playful glare before forcing herself on top of me. “Who’s the alpha?”

"Seeing as I got you exactly where I want you, I still say me."

“What’s that supposed to-Ah!”

So much for not having time for another round.





After washing each other off in a stream in the forest (and another quickie), we decided to go to the top of the volcano and see if we could see anyone approaching.

“See anything? Ember asked.

"Not yet, but who knows. We might see someone by the end of the day."

“I just hope it’ll be a dragon I know and actually like,” Ember mumbled. “Oh, hold on. I just had an idea.”

I looked at her, curiously. She lifted her hands as they started to glow. She closed her eyes in concentration, the glow increasing until it burst. Motes of light swirled around us for several seconds until they gathered to the west and slightly north.

“Ha! It worked!” Ember chered.

"What worked?" I asked.

Ember smirked. “A small group of five will be here by a little after noon.”

I raised an eyebrow at that, looking at the motes of light. They were gathered in five little bunches and glowed a bright yellow.

"You’re getting good with your magic," I commented.

“I told you she was given knowledge.”

Me and Ember jumped in surprise, twisting around to find Star laying on a large rock right behind us.

"How is someone as large as you so quiet?"

“How is someone as small as little Ember so loud?” Star rebutted. “‘Oh, Luke! Yes, yes, luke! Breed me!’”

Both me and Ember blushed brightly.

“Wh-what were you doing listening in on us?” Ember demanded.

“I wasn’t intending to,” Star defended. “I was just going down to the stream for a drink. You were the ones to decide to use such a commonly used watering hole for your fun.”

Ember groaned and hid her face in her hands.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Star said, waving off Ember’s embarrassment. “I’m actually happy for you two. Though, I am a little saddened by the fact that an egg can’t come from this.”

Ember looked back up in surprise. “What? But I thought you said that Luke had enough magic that we could?”

“That was when I thought he had magic,” Star explained. “His powers aren’t magic, though, and your magic isn’t powerful enough to alter his seed. I’m sorry, but an egg isn’t possible.”

"Actually, that might not be true," I stated. "Pokemon are, by their nature, genetically flexible. Because of that, they can breed with pokemon of completely different species."

“You don’t say?” Star said, scratching her chin in thought. “Then, come time, I would recommend caution unless you wish to have an egg.”

“That’s still a while from now,” Ember said. “We don’t have to worry about that yet. Also, can we please change the subject?”

"Any idea who would be coming so soon?" I asked, nodding toward where the dragons were going to be coming from.

“Other than you two?” Star asked with an evil smirk. “No, I have no idea who it could be. Probably just some drake that was nearby and bored.”

Ember groaned. “If I could, I’d fly over and see, but, well...” She flexed her still torn wing.

I winced. "It looks better, at least. The smaller holes are all closed up."

Ember sighed, “I know. I just can’t wait to be able to fly again. It sucks being grounded.”

I shrugged. "It doesn’t bother me."

“Yes, well, you aren’t a being that’s meant to fly,” Star pointed out. “Well, I think I’ll go let Torch know the first guests will be arriving today. You two might want to use this time to get the hormones out of your system. Once they arrive, you’ll likely be expected to be around, being the dragon lord’s daughter, and all.”

With that, Star took to the air, using the heat from the volcano to rise up high before turning and lazily gliding toward the next peak over, where I assumed Torch’s cave was.

I turned back to see Ember bent over a rock with her tail waving in the air. “You heard her. Best get to it.”

I grinned. "Yes ma’am."





The few days following Ember and I getting together were busy days. Mostly, it was her showing the dragons that arrived early where to stay and most of that was in her father’s mountain, so we didn’t get a whole lot of time together. Though, at night when we went to bed we more than made up for it.

I was just glad Ember wouldn’t be fertile for another few months. Otherwise, I was pretty sure we would have been expecting before things even officially started.

The Gathering was divided into two main sections. Her father’s mountain held the elder dragons while Ember’s had the younger ones. Of course, there were exceptions. Star, for example, stayed on Ember’s mountain, but that might have been because she lived there.

Then, finally, they arrived. Ember called me to the top of the volcano where I was greeted with an amazing sight.

The sky was filled with the colorful shapes of dragons. It had to be thousands of them, ranging from Ember’s size to some that looked like they were almost as big as Torch.

"Beautiful."

Ember smirked. “Yeah, it’s an impressive sight. It makes me wonder how we’re so low on the world’s totem pole.”

I managed to tear my sight from the spectacled flying toward us and looked to my mate. "Because they lost their way. But that which is lost can find its way. They just need someone to guide them."

Ember gave the incoming dragons a fierce look. “And this is where I start making a name for myself.”

"And I’ll be by your side the whole time."

“And I’ll be by yours,” Ember said with a smile as she leaned to to give me one more kiss before things got crazy. “You mind being a guinea pig one more time?”

"What kind of spell?"

“Hopefully one that’ll keep you from being instantly incinerated if one of them decide to play rough.”

"Hmm," I pretended to think it over. “Risk incineration now from you, or risk it later from someone else?”

“Oh, fuck you,” Ember chuckled.

"Finally picking up some of my lingo, eh?" I teased. "Fine, let’s do it."

“Alright, let’s hope you don’t blow up,” she said.

I laughed. 

Then I realized she was serious.

"Wait-"

Too late, I tried to stop it as a beam of pale blue shot out and struck me right on the chest.

I flinched, half expecting pain, but instead, all I felt was a coolness flowing through me. I suddenly felt less like I was hanging out in an active volcano and more like I was back in the forest in spring.

“There,” Ember said with a nod of approval. “How do you feel?”

I checked myself over real quick. "I feel great, actually. I think it worked."

“Wanna test it out?” she said with a teasing grin.

"I might be, regardless," I said, pointing at the sky.

The dragon flock had arrived, the first dragons landing in the crater and staking their claim. A few fights broke out almost immediately for the best spots.

One large dragon, about the size of Star, landed, looming over us on our perch. He glared down at us and roared, “Move it runts! This is my spot!”

Ember looked at me with a bored expression. “Would you like to handle this or should I?”

I gave a bow and gestured for her to go ahead.

“Why, thank you, Luke,” Ember said, playfully.

The big dragon just looked at in and laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking about-”

That was as far as he got before getting slammed into the side of the crater by an invisible force.

“What was that?” Ember asked, sweetly.

“N-nothing!” the dragon quivered.

“That’s what I thought, now get off my perch,” Ember glared death at him.

She didn’t even wait for an answer before turning around and walking back to where I waited.

As expected, the dragon decided to take advantage of her dropped guard and tried to pounce at her.

Unfortunately, all he got was a high speed fuzzy foot to the face, courtesy of yours truly.

"She told you to get off her perch," I said, calmly. “I would suggest you do what she asks.”

The dragon slowly got to his feet and with a beat of his wings, took to the sky. “You little worm! I’ll burn you to ashes for that!”

He inhaled a deep breath and spit out a massive fireball that slammed into the mountain and exploded in a deadly inferno.

When the flame cleared, and all he saw was Ember, he grinned. Ember, though, just pointed above him.

Confused, he looked up, only to see me with a fully charged Aura Sphere above him.

I launched my attack at point blank range, giving him no time to dodge. It slammed into him with the force of a meteor, blasting him back down into the volcano.

I landed just as he struggled to get to his feet. “You little...”

He trailed off at the sight of Ember, floating three feet off the ground, and eyes glowing white.

Her voice reverberated through the crater. “I said off!” 

The dragon’s eyes widened in fear as he scrambled as fast he could to get as far away from us as he could. A few seconds later, we saw him take to the air, flying away from the Gathering.

As he fled in terror, three more dragons landed behind us.

Ember and I turned, ready to face the newcomers if needed.

Instead, the lead one, a female, smiled. “That was pretty awesome. You two are pretty tough, for small fry. What are your names? And what are you?” The last question was directed to me, obviously.

“I’m Ember, and this is Luke,” Ember introduced us.

“I’m Ivory, these are my flunkies, Obsidian, and Blaze,” the dragon replied.

"As for what I am, I am a warrior from a far away land," I said. 

Ivory looked at me in surprise.

"I apologize, I can’t speak any other way."

“You talk like a pansy, but you fight like a dragon.” Ivory said, as if conflicted. “Meh, I guess you’re cool.” She turned back to Ember. “I just want to know how you did that? The whole glowy, floaty thing was pretty hard core.”

Ember shrugged and said, “You just gotta get a blessing from the spirit of an ancient dragon empress.”

Ivory blinked in confusion before laughing. “Oh, is that all? I like you. You should totally hook up with my little brother. He’s a tough little dweeb.”

“I already have a mate, thanks,” Ember said with a dismissive wave.

Ivory looked at her, then to me, then back to her. “I see. Well, I can’t fault you for that. I guess I’ll see you around, then.”

“Yeah, take it easy,” Ember waved as the trio walked off, talking amongst themselves.

"Well," I said with a grin. "I think you’re off to a great start."

Ember mirrored my expression. “Yeah, I’d say we are.”

“Well, well, well,” came a particularly irritating voice from behind us. “If it isn’t my soon to be mate. I didn’t know you were bringing a pet.”

I didn’t need spirit senses to feel Ember’s irritation.

“Garble,” Ember spat. “I thought I smelled stupid.”

"So, this is the guy that can’t take a hint?" I broadcasted.

Garble, showing himself to be exactly as Ember described him, started looking around. “Who said that? Come out so I can pound you!”

I smiled as I said only to Ember, "Oh, I’m going to have fun with this guy."

Garble shook his head. “Who cares. So, Ember, you wanna do it in your cave, or would you rather just do it out here?”

Ember groaned. “Sorry to break it to you, but I already have a mate. And we’ve already ‘done it’ many, many times.”

Garble scoffed at that. “Oh, yeah? Where is he?”

"I’m right here, dumbass," I said, stepping between him and Ember.

Garble looked at me, confused for a second before he busted out laughing. “You’re kidding, right? There’s no way Ember would choose some mutant diamond dog over me. Come on, Ember, no need to play hard to get. We both know you want me, now stop the act and let’s go.”

I was starting to get pissed. The way he was speaking to my girlfriend was inexcusable, and I was very close to breaking his jaw.

Luckily, Ember stepped in before I could lose my temper. “Listen, you little turd. I don’t like you. I’ve never liked you. The only way you’re touching me will be when my fist is breaking your nose. Now go crawl back under a rock and leave me alone, because if not, my mate here is probably going to tear your arms off.”

I wondered if she thought she was bluffing. Granted, I might not have torn them completely off, but they would have definitely been broken.

Garble scoffed. “Whatever, you know where I’ll be. Come on by when you want a real dragon to show you a good time.”

"That’s it, his arms are coming off."

Ember stopped me, pushing me back before I took more than one step toward the walking corpse.

“Luke, don’t. He’s not worth it.”

“Oh, the doggy’s got teeth?” Garble taunted.

Ember growled, but instead of hitting him like I expected - and wanted - her to do, she instead pulled me in for an incredibly passionate kiss.

Seeing where she was going with that, I reached down and grabbed her ass, pulling her tightly against me.

I could sense the indignation coming from Garble. I had to admit, I was loving it.

Garble let out a growl. “That’s just gross. Whatever, I can have any female I want. I don’t need some disgusting dog banger like you. Come on.” He commanded his toadies and skulked away.

Ember and I broke apart. "You know this isn’t the last we’ll have to deal with him."

Ember shrugged. “Who cares. He’s an idiot, and either one of us could take him without breaking a sweat.”

I just felt bad for anyone he decides to let out his frustrations on. Knowing his type, it would someone smaller than him that can’t defend themselves.

I think I should keep an eye on him.
> Chapter 11: Apprentice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, Ember and I decided to spend a bit longer in her cave. Every dragon there knew to stay away from it, as it was technically a part of Torch’s hoard. That, and he made it a command on the Bloodstone Scepter that no dragon is to approach unless he or Ember gave them express permission.

Surprisingly, we only spent most of the morning having sex. There was, like, a whole hour we weren’t going at it like bunnies.

Not all at once, but one total hour. Did I mention that I was never a furry or scaly back on Earth? I think that’s important to mention.

Anyway, after a while we decided to actually see the sun.

"So, what’s first on the agenda?" I asked.

“Well, I want to go to dad’s volcano real quick to see if some dragon came,” Ember explained. “She’s a little young, and her mother's kinda over protective, so she’ll be with the hatchlings.”

"Oh? A little sister you never told me about?"

“More of a... I don’t know, what do you call a student that’s not really a student?”

"A protege?"

“Sure, we’ll go with that,” Ember replied with a shrug.

"Alright, let’s go meet her, then," I said.

We headed out of her cave and across the crater to the opposite side. As we left, I noticed a stubby legged, derp-faced reptile.

"What the hell kind of dragon is that?" I asked.

Ember looks over and shrugs, “Probably one of Crackle’s cousins, or something.”





It took about two hours to get to the other mountain, and we arrived just before noon. Torch’s mountain wasn’t quite as active as Ember’s, so it was a little cooler.

Like Ember had said, most of the dragons here were much older, or too young to find a mate. One group of younger dragons were wrestling across a pile of rocks stacked up high. 

One of them, a cute little orange dragon with darker spines and rather thick horns threw the last of the youths off the pile and stood triumphantly to proclaim, “I’m queen of the hoard!”

Ember applauded as we approached. “Not bad, squirt. Still the toughest one here.”

“Ember!” the young one exclaimed as she flew over to give her a fist bump. “What’s up? Come to convince mom to let me go to the cool side?”

Ember chuckled. “We’ll see. Anyway, I want to introduce you to someone.” Ember waved me up. “Luke, this is Smolder. Smolder, this is Luke. He’s my mate.”

“Your mate?!” Smolder shouted in shock. “But, what about my big bro?”

Ember winced and looked at me. “You mind giving us a minute?”

"Of course. I’ll be nearby." And with that, I left them to their privacy.





Smolder huffed, crossing her arms. “You chose... whatever that thing is for a mate over my brother?”

Ember sighed. “Smolder, I’ve told you before, I’m not interested in your brother.”

“So, what, you came over here to rub it in, or something?” Smolder grumbled.

“Of course not,” Ember said. “I actually wanted to show you something awesome. Hopefully, you’ll be able to help me with something even more awesome.”

Smolder shrugged. “Fine, I guess.”

“Come on,” Ember turned to lead her away.

“Holy cow!” Smolder's eyes shot open. “What happened to your wing?!”

Ember sighed. “I’ll tell you later.”





I got strange looks from several of the dragons present. Most of them had seen me arrive with Ember, though, so they weren’t giving me any trouble. Or, at least, I assumed that was why they weren’t.

Ember went off somewhere with that Smolder girl. I kinda wondered who her brother was. Ember did say a few dragons wanted to be her mate, but the only one I met was that Garble guy and there was no way a cute girl like that was related to that douche.

I would have to ask later.

“Ah, Luke,” came a booming voice that was impossible to forget.

I turned to see Torch approaching me, and gave him a respectful bow.

“You have my permission to speak in my head,” he said. “If you do anything else in there, though, I will squish you.”

"Of course, my Lord," I replied.

He raised a massive eyebrow. “Since when am I your lord?”

I suddenly felt a chill of fear shoot through me as I prepared myself to say what was needed.

I swallowed thickly and said, "Since... Your daughter and I are... mates."

“Ah, yes, I suppose that would make sense, then,” he said, not at all reacting how I thought he would. “So then you have decided to become one of my subjects, then?”

"Y-you don’t mind that your daughter and I are together?" I asked.

“Why would I mind? You are strong and will sire strong offspring,” he said, matter-of-factly. “Did I not already say you had my blessing?”

Ah, that’s what he meant, I thought to myself.

“So, why are you here and not with Ember?” Torch asked. “There are many other males that wish to be my daughter’s mate. Should you not be protecting her from them?”

"I think it would be more accurate to say I would be protecting them from her," I said.

“Yes, I heard she did something strange to a dragon that tried to challenge her,” Torch said. “I think she may have left out something when she told me what you and her went through getting here.”

"Yes."

Torch gave me a calculating look. It wasn’t a look I often saw from dragons. It certainly told me that Torch wasn’t just a brute.

“My father told me that once, long ago, dragons were the masters of this world, with the power to move the very heavens,” Torch said, proudly. “But we lost that power.

“Tell me... did my Ember find it again?”

"Yes. We found the spirit of the last dragon Empress, Aurora, and she granted Ember the power."

Torch let out a thoughtful hum. “Then, as my subject, I have an order for you.” His massive head swung down to gaze into my eyes with an unrivaled fierceness. “Help my daughter become strong. I will not have my successor as Dragon Lord be weak, magic or not. I expect her to win the Bloodstone Scepter when my time as Dragon Lord comes to an end.”

I gave a small smile and a bow, "It would be my honor, my Lord."





I found Ember near where we parted, along with Smolder.

“There you are. I was worried you got eaten, or something,” Ember greeted.

"Actually, I was talking to your father," I said.

That got Ember’s attention. “About what?”

"About you and I, and what he expects of me as your mate," I said. 

After we talked for a bit, Torch had asked me not to mention our talks about her magic or his intention to let her compete in the Gauntlet of Fire when it comes around.

“Oh, yeah? Like what?” Ember asked.

"Like how he expects strong offspring from us," I said.

Ember chuckled. “Well, of course our babies will be strong. We’re us. I don’t know why he thought he had to say anything about that.”

“Are you really that strong?” Smolder asked. “You don’t look that tough.”

“Oh, he is,” Ember assured. “Even my dad said his punch stung a little.”

Smolder's eyes shot wide open in surprise. “No way?! Dragon Lord Torch actually felt your punch?! You gotta show me!”

“Later,” Ember interrupted. “I want to get back.”

"Alright, then. It was nice to meet you, Smolder. Maybe we can hang out before the Gathering ends." I gave her a wave as we started heading back.

Ember chuckled at that. “Yeah, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to. She’s coming with us.”

I turned around, and sure enough, there she was, following us. "Aren’t you worried some of the older dragons might bully her?"

“Nope,” Ember said with a smirk. “Because she’s staying with us.”

I looked at Ember and asked, "Are you sure? I mean, what if we want to do... you know... mate stuff?"

Ember snorted in amusement. “‘Mate stuff’? Really? What about it? You’ve seen how big my bed is.”

I groaned. "I’m not talking about sleeping arrangements. I’m saying it’ll be hard to have any fun with her staying there."

Ember blinked in confusion. “Why would it be hard? How would mating be any different with her on the other side of the bed? Wait, you don’t think you have to mate with her, too, do you?”

I stumbled, nearly faceplanting. "Wh-what?!"

“I’m just saying, you don’t have to if you want to. I don’t think she’s interested, anyway,” Ember continued. “Hey, Smolder, are you even interested in mating?”

I turned back to the younger dragon, praying the answer was a very resolute ‘no’.

Instead she shrugged. “Meh, I didn’t really come here for that, but I might not say no if the right male asks.”

"Uh... Ember... How old is Smolder?" I asked, again, fearing the answer.

Ember slowed, trying to think. “Smolder, how old are you, now?”

“Twenty, why?” Smolder replied.

I let out a sigh. "Oh, thank god. I thought you were, like, twelve or something."

“Wait, is that why you were weirded out by her being in our bed?” Ember asked.

"Well, that was part-"

“Dude, you thought I was a hatchling? Really?” Smolder asked, incredulously. She flared her wings. “Do I look like a hatchling to you?”

I gave her a flat look. "If I knew what a hatchling looked like, I’d be able to answer."

Ember chuckled at that. “Hatchlings don’t have wings.”

"Oh... Well, then no, you don’t look like a hatchling," I said. "I’m sorry for that. I’m still learning about dragons. In fact, I still don’t know how old Ember is."

Ember just chuckled. “Thirty-one.”

After that, we fell into pleasant conversation. Mostly, it was Ember and Smolder telling stories of things that happened since they had last seen each other.

“... And then, Luke just said, ‘Hey, forget pretending. I’m hot, you're hot, let’s just be mates.’”

Ember finally finished telling the story of how we met and our journey here. She went into a bit more detail then she did with her father, but not quite as much as when she told Star.

"She’s paraphrasing, of course," I added.

Ember rolled her eyes. “Well, excuse me for not talking like a dweeb,” she teased.

I just laughed.

The mirth was cut off, though, by a strange feeling. I glanced around, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

“Hey, Luke, what’s up?” Smolder asked.

"I don’t know," I replied. "I’m getting the strangest feeling that something’s wrong, though."

“It’s probably nothing,” Ember said, though I could sense her worry.

I tried to ignore it, but the feeling just kept getting stronger and stronger. Finally, I couldn’t resist it any longer. I turned and ran off, heading toward the forest.

“Wait up!” Ember called.

I tried to hold myself back as to not lose her. I wasn’t sure what I was feeling, but if it was bad, I might need her to back me up.

And I had a feeling it was bad.
> Chapter 12: An Unexpected Encounter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We rushed through the crater, over the lip, and into the forest. The whole time, that feeling was only getting worse.

“Luke, slow down!” Ember called behind me.

I couldn’t, though. I couldn’t explain why, but I just couldn’t slow down. I just knew if I did something terrible was going to happen.

Then, I heard a voice through the forest. “-but you just pissed me off. You take a single step towards my dragon, and you'll be in for a bad time.”

It was answered by another, more familiar voice. "Right, now I'm mad!"

I came through a line of trees saw Garble facing down a small group of animals.

Or, at least I thought they were animals, until one of them spoke. “You don't know how much you're gonna regret that.”

I staggered, slightly, shocked at what I was seeing. It looked like a an eevee standing in front of a vaporeon and a group of... Oh, hell no.

My thoughts were put on pause as the eevee began to glow and Fume growled, “Screw that!”

He took in a deep breath, fire building in his throat.

I focused my aura into my legs, giving me a burst of speed

The world seemed to slow down as I rushed toward the endangered pokemon. It was already too late to stop Fume from unleashing a torrent of flames. Already the blaze was leaving his maw, so instead, I aimed for the little eevee.

I could feel my fur singe as I scooped up the little animal just before it was roasted.

I skidded to a stop a dozen yards away.

<<Wh-what?>> The little eevee in my arms said, looking up at me in surprise.

“Are you alright, little guy?” I said, focusing on the eevee alone.

He shook his head. <<I’m fine, but, my friend->>

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this bully,” I assured. “See to your friends.”

I set the eevee down and turned to face Garble and his toadies. <<Yeah, they can take care of themselves just fine.>> He stated, stepping up beside me. 

The Vaporeon stepped up to my other side. <<You’ll need all the help we can give.>>

I glanced back to see Twilight had raised a shield spell around Rarity and Spike. Rainbow seemed to be missing. ”Fair enough,” I nodded at the pokemon. I broadcasted to everyone present. “I knew you were a coward and a weakling, Garble, but are you really so pathetic that you have to pick fights with cute, fuzzy, little woodland critters?

“Well, I’m cute and fuzzy,” I said before injecting all my disgust at him in my ‘voice’ and adding, “Come pick on me.”

<<So you’ve got the red fuck?>> The grey Eevee confirmed. <<We’ll keep the others off you. Try to stick to psychic or fighting moves, I don’t think ground types will work on them.>>

Garble scoffed. “Are you stupid, or something? There’s a bunch of us and only one you.”

“Then why are you hesitating?”

Garble growled. “Alright, you want a piece of me?”

He charged at me, fist cocked back. I let out a chuckle. Even when I was human an attack like that would have been easy to counter.

I waited for him to get close and throw his criminally telegraphed punch before barely shifting to the side and letting the punch and the idiot it was attached to soar past me with a slight push to the back of his head to send him face first into a tree.

“Well, that was more embarrassing than I thought it would be.”

Garble snarled as he regained his bearings and turned to face me again.

“That’s it!” Garble took a deep breath.

In a flash, I drove my elbow into his gut, forcing all that air back out over my head in a cloud of noxious smoke.

“Hey, nobody messes with us and gets away with it!” one of the forgettable flunkies spouted, clearly well versed in the ‘cliche bad guy lines handbook’. Whatever he was going to say next was drowned by a torrent of water the Vaporeon sprayed at him.

I saw the grey one blur into the brown lackey’s gut, causing him to double over. “Not again.” He groaned out. I couldn’t focus too much on them as Garble had regained his wits.

He charged, swinging wildly in an attempt to hit me. I formed my bone shaped staff to better deflect his assault. Whenever I saw an opportunity, I would lash out with my staff, though it didn’t seem to do much through his scales. He managed to get a headbutt through my defense, both of us using the chance to gain some distance.

I quickly checked up on the rest of the fight. The Vaporeon had a band of water flowing around her, and water was constantly streaming from her mouth onto the purple dragon. It was all he could do to stay upright on the soaked and muddy ground.

The Eevee looked like he was dancing around the larger Clump, darting in and out of reach. It almost seemed like he knew what Clump would do before he’d do it. Clump, for his part, was slowing down, exhaustion starting to kick in.

Where are you, Ember? I thought, refocusing on Garble. He glared at me before breathing deep. Realizing what he was about to do, I dismissed my staff, and quickly created and threw an Aura Sphere at him. The attack threw his aim off, but I still felt searing pain in my shoulder, causing me to cry out.

Garble’s glare transformed into a cruel smirk as he gathered more flame. Just before he could breathe out, though, everyone paused as something yelled out from the bushes.

<<All friendlies, clear the area!>> I looked towards the sound of the voice, only to quickly jump straight up as a bright ball sailed underneath me. I saw the other pokemon rush under Twilight’s shield.

I watched the ball land in the midst of the dragons, and a large explosion blossomed from the impact point. What the hell was that?!

I landed in a crouch in the crater it left behind, I glanced back to the attack’s origin to see Rainbow Dash carrying over another Eevee. It tiredly waved at me. <<So yeah, hi. I don’t think I can do that again for a little bit. How’s everyone else?>>

<<Running dry, darling.>> The Vaporeon admitted.

The gray Eevee nodded. <<I’m down to my status moves.>>

I gingerly touched my shoulder. ”Yeah, Don’t want to do that again.” I hissed.

“Hah!” Garble’s shout caused us all to look back at him. Although he was bruised, and was the better looking of the trio, he was clearly walking with a limp. “I knew Ember’s pet was weak! We’re still going strong!”

“Really?” Ember said, having finally caught back up with me. “That’s funny, ‘cause-”

She reached out toward them, as if trying to grab them, and a giant spectral hand materialized and flew at them, grabbing them all as if they were a bouquet of daisies.

“-it looks like you were all leaving.”

And with a flick of her wrist, the lot of them were sent flying into the nearby trees.

“Well, that was kinda fun,” I said. “Now... Garble. You still want to push your luck?”

Garble struggled to his feet, glaring daggers at me and Ember. “Y-you... I’m gonna get you for this.” He coughed a bit and took to the air, flying away from the gathering as he called back. “Just you wait, Ember. I’ll get you! You and your little dog, too!”

I turned to look back at the group I saved. The eevee and vaporeon were helping The other Eevee that was knocked out before. The poor thing was staggering.

As for the others, one of the ponies approached us.

Ponies.

As in, ‘My Little Ponies’.

As in Twilight freaking Sparkle.

I recognized her from the moment I saw her, but only then did it really hit me. I was in the My Little Pony world. Was that why I recognized Ember? Was she in the show at some point? I had only seen up to the third episode of the second season, so I didn’t know.

“That was incredible,” Twilight said. “Thank you for your help. My name is Twilight Sparkle. These are my friends, Rarity and Rainbow Dash.”

“Pleasure.”

“S’up.”

She gestured to the little dragon behind her. “This is Spike, my number one assisstant.”

“Dude, that was awesome!” he exclaimed. “You showed that jerk who’s boss!”

Twilight giggled and gestured to the eevees and the vaporeon. “And those are Yomega, Leo, and Lulu.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What did you say their names are?”

Twilight flinched in surprise, glancing around in confusion before looking back at me.

“Uh... Yomega, the one you saved, Leo, the one that’s barely conscious, and Lulu, the bigger, blue one... why?”

I could only stare at the trio of pokemon for several seconds before I was moving. I wasn’t sure when I started to move, or even if it was voluntary. I just moved.

I approached the pokemon timidly, as if one wrong step could break the illusion.

I spoke out loud, “Y-yomega?”

<<Y-yeah?>> The grey- Yomega asked, glanced at the others.

<<You okay, man?>> Leo asked.

Why does he sound so off? Part of my mind thought. Maybe he’s just so tired? The hell did Garble do before I got here? Blinking away a tear, I reached out and grabbed the Eevees into a crushing hug.

<<And now we’re hugging?>> I heard Lulu awkwardly ask.

<<... Oh.>> Yomega leaned into the hug to get closer to my ear. <<Barely any time, hold the hug. Ponies don’t know we’re from earth, thinking we’re native to Equis, pokemon are summons, they don’t know we are pokemon, and some rules of pokemon don’t apply. I can try to get Spike to send messages to you if you need more.>>

“What?” I thought at him.

<<We’ll explain fully later.>> Yomega promised. <<Good to see you again, Skywalker.>>

<<Wait…>> Lulu paused.

<<... Oh, Arceus. You got dragged into this, too?>>

“Luke,” Ember tentatively approached, “You okay? You’re acting a little… weird.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I gently set my displaced friends down. “Just meeting some old friends I never thought I’d see again.”

<<Yeah. He’s from our old range!>> Leo squeaked out to the ponies. Only Rainbow seemed to understand him, though.

Rarity gave the little Eevee a small smile. “Very sorry, dear, but we can’t really understand you without Fluttershy here.”

“Not really?” Rainbow coughed into her hoof.

Twilight turned an arched eyebrow to the pegasis. “What do mean, Rainbow?”

“I~ may have created a Soul Bond with Leo a while back, and that lets me understand her…” She blushed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Didn’t really want to bring it up and step on Fluttershy’s hooves. She already knows about this and has been helping me understand her better.”

I directed my thoughts to Yomega. “Uh... Did Rainbow just say ‘her’?”

<<Long story.>> Yomega answered as Leo cringed. <<She’s a chick now.>>

I nodded, directing my thoughts to everyone. “Yeah, we used to share the same territory. What happened to the rest of your… Pack?” Thinking quickly, I fired a quick thought to Ember. “Play along with this, please. They don’t want the ponies to know we’re from another world.”

Ember gave me a confused look, but nodded.

Twilight smiled. “The rest of them that came here are back in Ponyville. I don’t know where the larger pack they came from went to, although they are most likely deep in the Everfree.” Twilight went into scholar mode and began musing.

“Okay, so they’re friends of yours.” Ember shrugged. “That explains how they could hold themselves against Garble. Do you want some time to catch up with them?”

Before I could answer, everyone’s attention was drawn to the bushes, the Eevee’s tenseing for a fight. From the rustling, Smolder emerged.

“Whew.” She panted, pointing at Ember and I. “Thanks for leaving me behind, jerks. Good thing I just ran towards the explosion, or I don’t think I would’ve found you.” She glanced at the ponies. “Oh, hey. What’re ponies doing here?”

<<We were following->> Yomega started.

“Oh, shut up, I don’t what to play.” Smolder snapped.

“Hey, I know what they look like,.” I glared at her. “But these are my friends. They aren’t just animals, they’re smarter than you think.”

“Okay, sorry.” She pointed at the ponies. “Doesn’t answer my question, though.”

Ember crossed her arms. “I’m kinda curious now, myself.”

“We were following Spike.” Rainbow stated.

The little drake whipped around to stare at the mares. “You followed me?!” I could hear the tears in his eyes. “Why?”

“<<We just wanted to make sure you were safe.>>” Twilight and Yomega said at the same time.

<<I- we were worried about you>> Yomega continued.

“We didn’t want to impose,” Twilight sighed, “and we didn’t want to influence your quest of self discovery.”

“And you’re here, because…?” Smolder insisted.

Spike seemed to deflate. “I just wanted to know more about my kind.” I saw Ember and Smolder share a confused look. Spike apparently caught it, too. “Twilight hatched me, and I grew up amongst ponies. I don’t know anything about my own kind.” He sniffed. “I was hoping to learn more about us... You...  Our kind on this migration. And then Garble ruined that for me.”

Smolder drew in a deep breath as she rolled her eyes, closing them mid way. “Right, I gotta tell mom about this. Big Brother is in so much trouble…”

I blinked. “Garble’s your brother?” I quickly shook my head. “ Wait no, we can focus on that later. Spike!” I addressed the drake. “Trust me when I say that, while most dragons are aggressive, they aren’t as bad as that group. I think it might do you some good to stay for a bit. Unless you would rather just go home.”

“I...” He looked back at the ponies, then back to us. “I… Think I want to go home. I think I’ve learned enough…”

“Well, I might have another solution.” I glanced back at Ember. “Yomega mentioned that you can send messages? How do you do that?” Of course, I already knew, but I didn’t want them to know that.

“Magic infused fire breath.” Spike shrugged while Ember jolted. “I burn up the letter while thinking of its recipient and infuse my fire with mana.”

“I think I see where this is going. Can you teach it?” Ember asked, with that twinkle in her eye she gets when she gets excited about something.

“Yeah, I think so,” Spike said, scratching his chin in thought. “Though it’s mostly intuitive.”

“Great. Then you can teach me,” Ember said with a smile. “And I can show you what a real dragon is like.”

“Great! I exclaimed, clapping my hands together. “Why don’t we all come to our cave and I’ll make us some lunch?”
> Chapter 13: Lunch With Friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I rummaged through our ice box, grabbing a couple things as I asked, “Who eats meat and what kind?” I looked back at the ponies. “Am I right to assume you ponies are all vegetarian?”

Twilight nodded as Yomega came up to me. <<When you get a chance,>> he murmured as he looked over my shoulder, <<let’s try to get a bit of privacy. There’s things we need to talk about. How’s your arm?>>

<<It’s sore, but healing fast.>> I said. <<Ember learned a nice healing spell, so I’ll be back at one hundred percent by morning.>> I chuckled and added, <<It’s kinda weird actually talking to someone out loud after so long.>>

“Alright, we don’t have a ton of veggies, but I can at least get you guys a light lunch.” 

Rarity gave me a warm smile and offered, “Dear, why don’t I handle the food. I’m sure you have a lot to catch up on with your friends?”

“That’s true,” Twilight said. “I mean, Lulu must be unrecognizable to you.”

You have no idea, I thought to myself.

“Thank you,” I said before turning back to Yomega. <<Shall we?>>

I led my old neighbors back outside to the cliff face overlooking the forest.

<<So, first things first,>> I began, looking at Yomega, <<how the heck did you know it was me? I don’t exactly look the same.>>

He shrugged. <<Some intuition, some logic.>> He admitted. <<You seemed to recognize our names, and us by extension, not to mention the fact you got too emotional for someone who’s never met us before. We’ve never met a Lucario before, so you’d have to be either a time traveling summon, which is unlikely, or you used to be human, too.>>

Leo stared at the grey Eevee. <<You got all of that just from his reaction?>>

<<No.>> Yomega sighed. <<I’m just very good at rationalizing my gut feelings…>>

<<How have you been finding Equis so far, Luke?>> Lulu asked.

<<Is that what this world's called?>> I shook my head. That wasn't really important, anyway. <<Well, if you asked me that last winter, I would have said it sucked, but that was only because I was completely alone until I ran into Ember about... a couple months ago, I think?>>

I told them a slightly abridged version of my time here, and meeting Ember.

<<I'll tell you all about our stint as Laura Croft and Indiana Jones another time. Suffice it to say, Ember came out of it with magic powers.

So, I guess, that's just a long way to say, I love it here. I have awesome powers, my friends are here, and I got a badass girlfriend. What's not to love?>>

<<Missing legs.>> Leo groused. Noting my arched eyebrow, he- she elaborated. <<Zann’s here, too, and lost a leg to a timberwolf our first day. Other bullshit that’s happened so far are my genderswap, some evolutions, and several broken bones and eggs later, here we are.>>

<<Eggs?>> I looked at Leo in surprise. <<Leo... are you a mommy?>> I couldn't keep the shit-eating grin off my face.

Leo's blush was all I needed. <<Oh, god, you are! Who's the daddy? Yomega, is it you?>>

<<One of them…>>

Lulu cackled. <<Conner and the Duo are the others!>>

<<Speak for yourself!>> Leo snapped. <<You’ve mated with Conner and Zann!>>

I was rolling with laughter at this point. <<oh god! I mean, I knew you weren't exactly straight, Leo, but not even a year as a chick and you got three boyfriends?!>>

<<Moon.>> Yomega stated as if by rote.

<<Spring was an awkward time of year.>> Leo shook herself. <<But, hey! Enough of that. There’s other things that you need to know!>>

I reigned in my laughter and sat back up. <<Yeah, I figured. Go on, then.>>

<<Oh, boy. Where to start?>> Leo asked.

<<Summons.>> Yomega stated. <<Basically, Pokemon are summonable creatures that most races use. There’s rules for summoning, but we can go over those later. You can tell if you’re facing a summon because they will be Poke-speaking in their non-English names, and you won’t be able to understand what they’re saying.>>

<<You may want to check in with Ember to see if dragons summon at all.>> Lulu interjected.

Leo nodded. <<We’ll check in with the Crusaders to see if Lucario is a summon. If they are, you may be in for some trouble…>>

I blinked, confused by something. <<They? Wait, Lucario isn't a legendary? But... he had a movie?>>

The three stared at me as if I had grown another head. Eventually, Leo smacked a paw over her muzzle. <<Fuck, right.>> She sighed. <<You weren’t a Pokemon buff like us. No, Lucario isn’t a legendary, you evolve from a fighting type called Riolu. Your best stats are attack, special attack and speed.>>

<<You can even Mega evolve if you and Ember have a special stone that I don’t think naturally exists in this world.>> Lulu added. <<Figured you might want to know if you ever find an odd looking pair of stones.>>

<<If you do, you’ll gain a substantial stat boost, but it won’t change your types.>> Yomega finished.

<<Speaking of,>> Leo smirked, <<How’s life with a fire type?>>

I raised an eyebrow. <<Ember's not a pokemon. But, if you mean a fire breather, it's pretty nice.>>

<<Don’t matter if she’s a Pokemon or not.>> Leo stressed. <<Twilight could barely levitate Abes after he evolved into an Umbreon. He’s dark type, which psychic type isn’t effective against. And unicorn magic appears to match up with psychic typing.>>

<<Ah, I guess that makes sense. Still, it's great. Living in a volcano kinda sucks, but Ember has a spell to help me feel more comfortable in the heat.>>

Leo whistled. <<Playing pretty risky there, Luke.>>

<<How's that? I stay away from the lava.>>

<<You’re a fighting and steel type.>> Yomega answered. <<Fire is super effective against you. You’re lucky you’ve not had more burns.>>

"First off, steel? I thought I was fighting psychic! I even have Mewtwo's move from the movie. I mean, sure, I use it with this aura stuff Star mentioned, but... It's something totally different isn't it?>> I finished, resigning myself to the fact that I knew squat about Pokemon. 

<<Whatever! It's not important. What is, is that if fire is super effective, why doesn't it hurt more? I mean, Garble blasted my shoulder, and it hurt, but it was pretty minor.>>

<<Don’t know.>> Leo shrugged. <<We only know the mechanics and theory.>>

<<If I had to guess…>> Yomega paused to gather his thoughts. <<It might be because he wasn’t using a proper move? That’s assuming that it was a fire type move and not a dragon type move, or that it was a move in the first place.>> He waved a paw. <<Irrelevant right now. If it wasn’t a proper move, then it might not properly fully follow the Pokemon mechanics. This is, sorta, backed up by the levitating example Leo gave earlier: if Twilight’s magic was truly psychic type, as per the games, then she wouldn’t have been able to lift Abes at all.>> He got up to pace. <<But dragon type is weak to steel, as in, they deal half damage. Which might explain the lesser wounding?>>

Leo sighed as Yomega began to mumble. <<And there he goes. He’ll be at this for a while.>>

I suddenly had an idea. <<Couldn't moves have two types? I mean, this isn't the game, so maybe his breath is fire and dragon type. And since Twilight used magic, maybe it was more like psychic and... what's that new one? Pixie... fairy... something?>>

<<You had it right with fairy.>> Lulu tapped her chin. <<With the dual typing attacks, well, going from game mechanics, they would cancel each other out? I mean, one deals half damage, and the other doubles it, so it’s like multiplying by two then dividing by two?>> She squinted at Yomega, before splashing him out of his muttering.

<<Hmm, what?!>> He blinked at us. <<Uh, yeah, something like that.>>

I gave him a deadpanned stare. <<You didn't hear a thing we said, did you?>>





Back inside the cave, Rarity hummed a little tune as she prepared a nice, light lunch. Meanwhile, Spike and Smoulder talked together in the corner and Rainbow caught a quick nap on the enormous bed.

“So...” Twilight began, trying to put her thoughts into words. “I’m curious. What was that magic you used? I’ve never seen anything like it?”

Ember looked at the pony with a suspicious gaze. “You mean my sorcery? Yeah, long story, but this old ghost dragon empress gave it to me. Why?”

“Oh, nothing, really,” Twilight replied. “I’m a student of magic and I just enjoy learning about it. I’m kind of curious how it works. Is is runic based? Or maybe it uses circles or matrices?”

Ember cocked an eyebrow. “I have no idea what any of that is. I just kinda look at reality and say, ‘Hey! Do what I want, or else!’ and it does it.”

Twilight’s face scrunched up in confusion. “So... you... intimidate reality into changing for you? I... don’t think that’s possible.”

“Neither is Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash commented, nonchalauntly from the bed.

“Fair enough,” Twilight conceded. “And, you say a ghost gave you this power?”

“That’s right,” Ember said. “Star said it was the last dragon Empress, Empress Aurora.”

“I wasn’t aware dragons ever had an empress,” Twilight admitted.

Ember waved her off, “You’d have to ask Star. I don’t know much about it.”

“I might do that,” Twilight said. “You know, I have to admit, I’m learning quite a bit about dragons here. You’re culture is a lot more nuanced than I thought it would be.”

Ember snorted in amusement. “Nuanced? Pony, are you sure you’ve been paying attention? We dragons are far from nuanced. We’re straightforward and blunt.”

“You aren’t.”

Ember grunted, folded her arms and scowled. “Yeah, well, I’m different than other dragons.”

“Still, I wouldn’t mind getting to know a bit more about you, your people, and your magic,” Twilight continued. “Perhaps I can convince you to visit Canterlot sometime?”

“What the heck is a Canterlot?” Ember asked.

“It’s the capital city of Equestria, and the home of the Royal Sisters,” Twilight explained. “I would have to speak to the princess and arrange something, but I’m sure she would love to host you.”

“I’ll think about it,” Ember said, though she didn’t think she would want to actually go.

Twilight continued with, “Plus, the princess is the most gifted magic user on Equus, so she might be able to help you learn a little more about your magic. She might even know something about Luke’s magic.”

That did get Ember’s attention. Maybe it would be worth seeing this pony city. “Luke doesn’t use magic. He uses Aura. It’s kinda like spirit energy, or something. I don’t understand it very much.”

“Well, I’m just glad to learn that not all dragons are like that brute and his friends,” Rarity added.

“Hey!” Smoulder growled, glaring at Rarity. “My brother isn’t a brute! He’s just being stupid because he wants to impress those losers he calls friends. He’s a very nice, sensitive dragon!”

“I apologize... Smoulder, wasn’t it?” Rarity gave the younger dragon a sad smile. “But even if that is the case, the side he showed us today was far from that.”

Smoulder harumphed. “Yeah, well, mom’s going to tan his scales when I tell her. Don’t you worry about that.”

“Hey, if he was just acting like that to impress his jerk friends, maybe he just needs new friends,” Spike offered.

Smoulder rolled her eyes. “Don’t you think I tried telling him that? I love my big bro, but his head’s thicker than than cold lava.”

“Cold lava is just rock,” Twilight stated.

Everyone else just gave her a flat look.





After explaining everything we had just said to Yomega, he went back to thinking, while me, Leo, and Lulu let him to it.

We talked a bit more, telling each other about everything that happened to us while we were here. Obviously, they had a lot more to talk about, seeing as most of my time in this world was spent just surviving.

According to them, we were still in the season two timeframe, a ways past where I left off in the show. That meant I knew absolutely nothing about coming events. Of course, Leo and the rest weren’t much better off, considering how much our being here had changed things.

I also found out why Ember looked familiar. She’s in the show, apparently, though she didn’t meet the ponies until much later. I must have seen fanart of her, somewhere.

Eventually, we came back to their living arrangements and the fact that the ponies didn’t know who or what we were and where we came from.

<<You guys know, you’re going to have to tell them the truth eventually,>> I said. <<I really don’t understand why you haven’t already. You’ve already shown you’re not a threat, so I doubt they’ll treat you any different. If it’s a question of communication, I could always explain it for you.>>

<<It’s not about a lack of communication.>> Leo shrugged. <<Three ponies can understand us well enough. It’s Twilight and Moon Dancer that are the problem.>>

Lulu nodded. <<Darling, you don’t live in Ponyville. They’ve already filled a room with everything they think know about us. The information they could gain from Earth would need its own castle!>>

<<Nevermind what having them have knowledge of the future would do to the timeline.>> Leo cut back in. <<We want things to conform as close to what we can expect as much as possible. And that’s if they can get past the existential dread. And if you doubt Twilight’s manic need to know, you can ask Ember what Twilight got up to while we were out.>>

<<Seriously? The timeline? That's what you guys are worried about?>> I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. <<You guys watch too much TV. Alright, look, I may not have gotten far in the show, but I think it's safe to assume that Pokemon were never a part of it, yes? Don’t you think that would be a pretty big deal? 

I hate to break it to you, but this isn't the show. The timeline you're trying to protect doesn't exist here. There may be similarities, but it's not the same. The only thing you can really do is warn of possible threats. Even then, though, those threats may not take the same form. One of the big bads may have a host of summoned Pokemon, or maybe a Pokemon will be one of the major villains. 

Besides, if you're really worried about the timeline, just don't tell her about the show. Tell her how we're from another world and we used to be human. Trust me, it’s better than lying to them. The longer you lie, the more hurt and betrayed they’re going to feel when you tell them. Right now, you at least have the excuse that you didn’t think you could properly communicate what you are, but you won’t have that for long, especially with me here.>>

<<I tried, once.>> Yomega admitted. Leo and Lulu turned to him in shock. <<I can write Equish, and I wanted to write a book about earth, and us, and the show. Everything would’ve been laid bare! But I just couldn’t get the words out onto the paper.

So I wrote a different book, just about Earth. I was able to get the prehistory mostly written, but the damn thing disappeared shortly after the zapp apple harvest. Every other attempt has either vanished, or I would get pulled away before I could write anything.>> He shrugged. <<So I gave up trying. I mean, we can try again later, but right now just doesn’t seem to be the time…>>

<<Another gut feeling, dear?>> Lulu asked. Yomega sighed and nodded.

Leo spoke up. <<When we first arrived, we didn’t know about the summoning. We kept quiet because we didn’t want to be barraged with questions and experiments before we had a chance to settle. Get used to our new home, y’know? I’m not sure about the others, but I like it here. If the Princesses can send us back to earth, I wouldn’t be going home. I love living here, helping with the weather, training with my pony, helping out around Ponyville...>>

Lulu nodded. <<Dress making with my Rarity, trying to keep Sweetie out of trouble...>>

<<Going on adventures with Spike!>> Yomega added. <<Helping him organize the library and making sure Twilight gets enough sleep!>>

Leo smiled. <<We’ve built up a life here. If they find out, we will give them our reasonings, and go from there. But I highly doubt that it will ever come up.>>

I sighed. <<I still think it's better to tell them, but I can't make you. If you don't want them to know, I won't tell them, but I will say that I doubt the princesses would be so cruel as to force you away from your new lives. Especially since they would have to separate you from your... eggs? Or did they hatch?>> I shook my head. <<Whichever. I doubt Pokemon can exist in our world, so they wouldn't be able to return with us. That's even if they know anything about other worlds. Well, other than maybe that weird Equestria Girls world. Is that even a thing?>>

Leo shook her head.

<<Then, yeah. There's obviously multiple universes out there. They'd have to find ours. I mean, maybe that Discord guy could...>> I paused for a moment, thinking.

Nah, he's stone. I dismissed the idea before it even fully formed.

<<Whatever.>>

Our conversation was put on pause by Smoulder coming out and calling, "Hey! Come get your food before I eat it!"

I looked back at my old neighbors. <<Well, who's hungry?>>

Leo seemed to vanish, before what sounded like Rainbow gave out a squawk of surprise. Lulu chuckled. <<Come on, let’s go before she eats it all.>>

We returned to the cave in time to hear Ember asking, “So, how long do you think you’ll be staying.”

“As much as I’d like to meet with Star and explore your people’s history, we really should be heading home soon.” Twilight sighed. “So not for very long.”

“Hey, we still have some time!” Spike spoke up. “I still need to teach Ember the Mail Breath, remember?”

"The offer to keep Spike for a day or two is still open. We can even escort him back ourselves. I said.

"We can bring him when we visit that Canterlot place," Ember added.

“Well...” Twilight dragged to word out. 

I decided to step in. "How about this. It's getting kinda late, and the sun should be setting in a few hours. Why don't you stay the night and sleep on it. We can arrange a ride for you in the morning."

The mares all shared a look, before Twilight turned back to Spike and his pleading eyes. “We can stay that long at the least.” She relented with a smile.

While we had been eating, Yomega had been sniffing the air. Finally, he turned to look at me with a twinkle in his eye. <<Just so long as you avoid fucking somedrake in the night, we should be good.>>

I grinned. <<No promises.>>
> Chapter 14: Yet Another Roommate
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning found all of us bidding our farewells.

<<You better come visit, soon,>> Leo said as we released our hug.

I smiled at her. <<Only if I can play with the kids when they hatch.>>

<<Deal, but the same goes in reverse,>> Leo agreed. <<I want to see what kind of dragon comes from a Lucario.>>

<<And don't forget to try to unlock a couple of those moves. Seriously, what self respecting Pokemon only knows three moves?>> added Yomega.

They had spent a couple hours just telling me about all the moves I could learn. I had to say, a lot of them sounded useful. 

Plus, discovering that I could learn the move psychic made me think that Pokemon, in reality, are probably not restricted to just two types. More likely, one could list a Pokemon's types as percentages.

We guessed that Lucario really was psychic type, though only about fifteen percent. The others were fifty-five percent fighting, thirty steel.

Of course, those were just theories, but we were going to try to figure out how to test it some time.

Not far from us, a much more tearfilled goodbye was taking place. 

"... and don't forget to brush your teeth every night. Don't go anywhere without Luke or Ember, maybe Smoulder."

"Geeze, Twilight, come on," Spike said, both annoyed and touched by how much Twilight was fretting. "I'm not going to be gone long. And when I get back, I'll be able to teach you all about dragons."

Twilight wiped a tear from her eye with a small smile. "I know. It's just... you're growing up so fast. I'm so proud of you."

"He's in good hands," I said. "We'll have your son back to you unharmed and a better dragon."

Twilight blushed and looked away. "Oh, he's not my son..."

Rainbow cut in, "Well, he kinda is. I mean, you hatched him, you raised him, fed him, taught him..."

"You do fill the role quite nicely," Rarity added. "Much like how Rainbow Dash fills the role of sister for little Scootaloo."

"Anyway," Ember interrupted. "Let's go ahead and get you that ride."

"Oh, right. I am curious who would be willing to take us back to Equestria," Twilight pondered.

Ember chuckled. "'Willing' has nothing to do with it."

She looked up and spotted a certain dragon, the one that tried starting trouble on the first day of the Gathering.

She raised her claw and the same spectral hand that she used the day before against Garble and his friends shot into the sky, snatching the poor dragon up.

<<Hey, doesn't that almost seem like Bigsby's Grasping Hand?>> Yomega asked.

<<Oh yeah, it does,>> Leo agreed.

<<And she did say her magic works by imposing her will onto reality,>> Lulu added.

I looked back at them, brows furrowed in thought. <<You saying her magic comes out of D&D?>>

<<She did call it sorcery,>> Yomega finished.

The dragon was slammed down in front of Ember.

She snarled and said, "Hey, jerkwad! You're gonna take my friends here back to their town. Got it?!"

The sad little dragon just stuttered a, "Y-y-yes, ma'am!" As the ponies watched on, jaws slack in shock.

I intercepted any possible issues by saying to the ponies, "Dragons respect strength and ferocity. It drives them to better themselves and become strong so they can protect what's theirs from the dangers of the greater world. This dragon tried to start trouble with us and was beaten, thus he owes Ember a favor. However, out here, one cannot simply ask for what is theirs, one must show they deserve to keep it.

"Don't worry, though, we will show Spike that this is only something that applies to the Dragon Lands. We won't send him back jerk."

"I-I suppose," Twilight said, approaching the dragon. "Thank you, sir, for giving us a ride."

The dragon just grumbled.

The ponies carefully climbed up onto the dragon’s back, even Rainbow settling in in front of the wings. Twilight’s horn began to glow as she anchored her friends to the dragon.

“H-hey, Yomega?” Spike called as the Eevees began to climb up. “Can I ask you to do something for me?”

Yomega paused, hopping back down off the dragon’s tail. <<Sure, what’s up?>>

Spike pulled a red and yellow egg from behind his back. “Could you take care of Peewee for me? I want him to be somewheres safe. A-and I’m not saying it’s not safe here, I just don’t want Garble to come and find it here, and-”

Yomega reached up and placed a paw on his mouth. <<Sshh. I get it. Peewee’s gonna be safe with me. I’ll raise him like my own.>> Yomega sighed, his ears drooping.

“And take care of Twilight for me.” Spike knelt down, placing the egg to the side. “... I’ll miss you.”

Yomega leaned up to hug Spike. <<I’ll miss you, too.>> The Eevee began to glow.

I look at my tiny friend glow, a proud smile on my face. <<Ten bucks he's an Espeon.>>

”Suckers bet.” Yomega’s voice echoed in my head. The light faded to reveal a lime green cat-like creature sitting on its haunches while still holding Spike. It’s twined tip tail flicked from side to side, large tufts of fur sprouting from under its ears rubbing against Spike’s cheek.

Yomega opened his almost pure lavender eyes. ”you have my word, Spike. I will do everything in my power to keep them both safe.” He smiled. ”I look forward to talking with you again when you finally come home.”

Spike waved as Yomega joined the others on the dragon’s back, the Espeon floating the egg up to him. “I’ll write whenever I find the time.”

“We look forward to them.” Twilight said, love clear in her voice.

"You guys must be used to this, I said to the ponies. "Not even a reaction?"

“Darling, I think half the pack have spontaneously changed by now.” Rarity tittered.

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, it’s like they insta grow or something.”

Twilight sighed. “If only they would all change the same way.” She tried to throw her hooves up, but was thwarted by her own spell. “Each one has been completely unique! Just how much redundant DNA do you things have!” She directed the last bit at Yomega.

"Do you want to know about the known evolutions, or the potential ones?" I asked with a smirk. I knew I was poking the bear, but I just couldn't help it.

“P-potential ones?!” Twilight gasped.

With a roll of his eyes, the dragon got tired of waiting, and took off.

“Wait, I have so much to ask you!” Twilight’s shout faded into the distance.

Yomega was going to put me through a wall for that... but, it was worth it.

I turned back to Spike and said, "Come on, kid. Why don't we first take you to see some dragons your own age."

The young drake looked at me, a bit of melancholy in his eyes. "Yeah... I guess."

"Don't worry, Spike," Ember said. "You'll be back in Ponytown before you know it."

"Ponyville."

"Whatever."





As Smoulder introduced Spike to some hatchlings his own age, Ember and I sat on a rock nearby, watching.

"So... those were your friends."

I chuckled. "Yeah. I really shouldn't have been surprised that they're here. I mean, the light that sent me here came from their house."

"I'm glad you got your friends back," Ember said. "They seem pretty cool. They're tough for their size. I swear, they gotta be part breezie."

"Breezie?" I asked.

"Little, butterfly winged creatures that pack a mean punch," Ember explained. "So, you and thet Leo girl seem pretty close."

She was good at hiding it, but I was getting good at sensing emotions. She was worried.

"Leo was the one I was closest to," I explained. Predictably, her worry got stronger. "Of course, Leo was a male then."

The worry vanished, replaced by confusion. "Male?"

I leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "That's right. No need to worry that she's going to steal me away. Besides, she's with Yomega."

"Well, well, if it isn't the love birds," came a familiar, aged voice.

We turned back to see Star approach.

"Hey, you missed an interesting visit," Ember said.

"Oh? I was wondering why I was smelling pony."

We told Star all that happened. She seemed especially interested in Spike. I supposed that made sense, him being a dragon raised by ponies.

She found Yomega's evolution to be interesting as well, but who wouldn't. It's not everyday you see something transform so suddenly.

"So, that's the hatchling?" Star asked, gesturing towards Spike.

The young dragon, as if on cue, let out an impressive stream of flame, showing off for the others. Ember let out an impressed whistle.

"That's him. Hatched by Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia." I said.

Star looked thoughtfully at Spike. "Interesting... that was certainly an unusually impressive display for one so young."

"So, me and Luke were invited to some place called Canterlot to meet their princesses," Ember said. "I bet they wouldn't mind meeting you to."

Star laughed, "Oh, absolutely not. I don't feel like dying."

"They wouldn't just try to attack you just because you're a dragon," I said. Especially if they know we're coming. "

"Oh, no, dear," Star said. "They'd try to kill me because I'm me."

"Oh, so they met you," Ember stated nonchalantly.





Evening came and found us back home, as Spike gushed about finally meeting dragons his age as I made supper.

"... and then, Barb tried and fell off, but luckily, I swooped in to save the day! She was all like, 'Oh, thanks, Spike, you're so awesome!'"

I wondered if I should tell him that his heroics earned him an admirer. If he was going to visit regularly - and I think he'd be quite welcome to, if he does - he might be seeing her often. I hadn’t really met this Barb before today, but she was a cute kid, and I definitely like his chances with her more than Rarity.

"Well, I gotta admit, you are impressive for your age," Ember said. "You're a lot stronger and faster than a hatchling should be."

"It's probably because he was hatched with magic," I said. "It probably infused his body with it, almost as if he were part pony. Considering how strong ponies are for their sizes, it would make sense."

Spike looked at me with a confused expression. "Yeah, Princess Celestia said something like that... but how did you know I was hatched by magic?"

I barely kept myself from faltering. 

"Well, how else would a pony hatch you? They don't exactly have volcanoes to warm the egg," Ember said, saving my bacon.

"Oh, right," Spike blushed in embarrassment.

"So, Spike," I started as I started plating the food. "Does Twilight feed you meat?"

Spike looked at me like I had just asked if the sky really was blue. “Yeah, I’m a dragon. You don’t think she’d actually starve me of something I need, do you?”

"No, I doubt she would ever do something to harm you," I said as I passed out the plates. "I just don’t know how ponies typically see eating meat."

“Oh,” Spike said, relieved that I wasn’t trying to suggest anything by that. “Well, most ponies don’t really eat meat, other than occasionally fish or chicken. Even then, not all ponies do. Like, Pinkie and Fluttershy are completely vegetarian, but Rainbow Dash really likes fish, like, a lot. Me, though, Twilight usually gets me chicken or pork, but she hates the smell of it cooking, so I do it myself.

“What’s funny, is that we actually found out that the meat she got me while we lived in Canterlot actually came from Sweet Apple Acres, the farm run by our friend Applejack.”

"Have you ever had venison?" I asked. At his clueless expression, I clarified. "Deer meat."

“Oh!” he said looking down at the food. “No, I haven’t. So... you actually hunt and gather all this yourselves?”

“Yeah, dragons don’t exactly do farming,” Ember said. “Of course, I don’t really know as much as Luke does about the gathering part, but I’m figuring it out.”

Spike took a bite of the venison. “Mm, dish ish gud!” he said with his mouth full.

“So, what do you do for fun, living with ponies?” Smoulder asked.

Spike swallowed his mouthful and replied, “Well, mostly I hang out with Yomega, play O and O with Big Mac, and help Rarity in her boutique.”

“O and O?” Ember asked.

“Well, O and O is a game where you make a character and pretend to fight bad guys,” Spike answered.

“That sounds kinda lame,” Ember said. “Why pretend when you can actually go out and kick something’s butt?”

Spike shrugged, “Well, usually it’s more than just beating some bad guy up, it’s saving the world and stuff.”

“What the heck is a Boutique?” was Smoulder’s inquiry.

“Oh, a boutique is a shop that specializes in pretty dresses for special occasions,” Spike explained.

“O-oh? Pretty dresses? Heh, that sounds lame,” Smoulder said, but I felt both intrigue and embarrassment from her.

"There’s nothing wrong with pretty dresses," I said. "They can help accentuate a female’s appeal. Plus, there’s something undeniably sexy about a woman that can kick ass in a dress. If you come with us to visit Canterlot, maybe you should take a look at some? You’re already an attractive female. A nice dress would only make you moreso."

Smoulder blushed. “Yeah, well, I don’t care about being attractive. I already told you I’m not looking for a mate right now.”

“It doesn’t have to be for a mate,” Spike said. “Rarity always says that a mare always feels more confident when they dress up.”

"Well then, maybe we should get one for Barb, then?" I said, teasingly. "I’m sure you’d love that."

“Wh-what?!” Spike stammered. “No way! I already have my eye on somep... one.”

“Aw, but she’s so adorable,” Ember added. “I bet if we get her in a nice dress you’re eyes will be on her.”

Spike could only blush and shovel a mouthful of food in his face.
> Chapter 15: New Friends and Old
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey Spike!”

Spike smiled at the sight of his new friend. “Hey Barb!”

The young dragoness waved him over. As Spike ran over, Luke and Ember’s teasing came back to him. Barb’s pale jade scales certainly were quite nice, and her long, pointy, pink spines and quartet of tiny horns framed her face quite nice.

He shook his head. Yeah, she was pretty, but his heart was Rarity’s and Rarity’s alone. Besides, she was his new friend, and he didn’t want to mess that up.

“We’re getting ready to play King of the Hoard. You wanna play?” Barb asked.

"Uh, sure," Spike said. "But I don't really know what that is. How do you play?"

"It's simple," Barb explained. "You just have to get to the top of the hoard and knock everydrake else off."

"Oh, okay," Spike said. "I can do that."

"Alright, come on!" Barb said, waving him on as she went toward a big pile of pebbles and small rocks.

"Wait, that's not a hoard," Spike said, looking confused.

Barb rolled her eyes. "Well, no duh. We can't have a hoard, we haven't molted yet. You wanna go feral?"

"Wait, are you talking about greed growth?" Spike asked.

"Greed growth?" Barb giggled. "Never heard it called that before, but it sounds about right. You get really mean and greedy, taking everything you can, getting bigger and bigger."

Spike shuddered. "Yeah, I learned about that the hard way. I went totally crazy and wrecked half the town."

Barb scoffed. "Yeah, right. That's impossible. Once you go feral, there's no going back."

"Well, I did," Spike said. "I don't remember it very well, but I remember seeing somepony very special to me. She said something that kinda just, snapped me out of it. I gave her a fire ruby I was keeping and turned back."

Barb stared at him as if he had just said he had saved the world one afternoon.

"You're serious?" she asked. "That's... Woah. You know, you're pretty awesome."

Spike blushed, feeling his heart flutter, just like it did whenever Rarity was around.

He shook his head. No! Rarity is my one and only!

"Well, come on, before they start without us!" Barb called as she ran toward the pile of rocks. "I'm queen of the hoard!"





A trio of dragons talked amongst themselves as they watched the hatchlings play. Ember had need of Star’s wisdom, and hoped to find the answer she hoped for.

Star pondered for a moment. “Theoretically, it is possible. However, I’m afraid I’m not entirely sure how to do it.”

“Really?” Smoulder said, excitedly. “So, Ember just has to figure out how it works, and she can do it? She can actually give me magic powers?”

Ember asked, “But how am I supposed to figure it out?”

“I’m not sure,” Star said. “I will have to ponder this. Perhaps I should meditate on it. If I search my memories, I may find some hint.”

“Alright,” Ember said. “I would like to give Smoulder magic before we go to Canterlot, but if we can’t figure it out before then it won’t be the end of the world.”

“Yeah, I want to be able to practice while you’re gone,” Smoulder said.

Ember chuckled. “Oh, you’re coming with us.”

“I am?” Smoulder asked, surprised.

“Of course,” Ember said. “If I give you magic before we leave, they can help you learn, and if I don’t then might be able to figure out how I can.”

Star smiled. “A wise plan.”

“So, I gotta go with you to namby pamby pony land?” Smoulder complained.

Ember shrugged. “It comes with being my protege. If I have to suffer them, so do you.”





I sat on the edge of the cliff in front of our cave meditating, focusing on my power. I was going to unlock my abilities, and I knew the first one I wanted to work on.

I was going to live up to Yomega's nickname for me.

Using my aura as a guide, I focused my will onto a rock, commanding it to move.

But, like rocks tend to be, it was too stubborn to give in and just laid there.

With a sigh, I decided to take a break. 

Ember and Smoulder were with Spike on the other mountain so he could play with his little girlfriend. Seeing as I didn’t exactly know how to be a dragon, I wasn’t essential to his education. So, instead, I was trying to make our cave a little more comfortable for four.

Ember had gotten a second bed and separated the cave into three parts with stone walls, two bedrooms and an ‘everything else’ room.

Ember gave me permission to sift through her hoard to find things to decorate the rooms with. She had some pretty great stuff. Including an old set of armor that I thought could probably be adjusted to fit her. I had no idea why she would need it, but it might be cool.

There were some dinnerware, candelabras, sculptures, a few paintings, some old weaponry, and quite a lot of other stuff.

I was in the middle of hanging up a pair of cutlasses when I heard Smoulder’s voice call out.

“Hey, Luke, you here?” she asked.

“In your room,” I replied.

Smoulder walked into the room and took a look around. “Oh, cool. It’s starting to look pretty awesome. Love the swords.”

I smirked and took one in hand, swinging it and falling into a fighting stance. “Yeah, they’re pretty good quality, too.” I ran through a few moves, swinging the sword around a little.

“You actually know how to use those?” Smoulder asked.

I shrugged and went back to hammering in a hook for it. “Kind of. I trained with a Chinese broadsword, which isn’t too different. So, what brings you back here?”

Smoulder shrugged, “Ember wanted Spike to talk to a dragon that was actually a mother, so they went to meet Barb’s mom. I wasn’t really interested. My mom is enough. So... think you can teach me how to use one of those?”

I chuckled. “We’d have to ask Ember. They’re her swords.”

“Well... can you teach me how to do some of the other stuff you do? Like, the punching and the kicking?” she pleaded.

I laughed. “Yeah, that I can teach, but right now, I want to make this place a little nicer. You want to help?”

Smoulder shrugged. “Yeah, sure. Might as well. Ember wont get mad I touched her stuff, will she?”

“If she does, I’ll tell her I told you to,” I assured her. “There’s a hammer and nail by the door. Go ahead and hang up that painting over there. Star traded for those nails. They have some kind of pony magic that let them penetrate stone.”

“Oh, cool,” She said as she grabbed the tools. “So. Ember wants me to go with you guys to that Canterlot place.”

“Oh? By the sound of it, you aren’t too thrilled about that,” I observed.

“It’s not that I don’t want to go with you guys,” she said, hesitantly. “I just... I’ve never really been around ponies, before. I always heard they’re wussy and weak, but after meeting those three I’m not sure. I mean, I like Rainbow Dash. She’s the complete opposite of what everydrake says. The other two seemed cool, too... but... do you really think dragons and ponies can get along?”

I turned back around to look at her before setting down my tools and taking a seat on the bed. “Come here. Sit down and tell me what’s really bothering you.”

She tensed up, slightly. “Wh-what makes you think something else is bothering me?” I just flexed my dreadlocks.

"Oh... right," Smoulder winced.

She hesitated for a moment before she sighed and said, "it's just... I'm not sure how well I'm going to fit in there. Ponies are kinda wussy, but they're also friendly and smart and pretty and... dragons aren't. We're mean, barbaric and scary."

I couldn't hold back a laugh. “That doesn't describe you or Ember, at all. I mean, sure, you're both rough and tough, and you aren't afraid to get rough, but from what I've seen, you're both plenty friendly, smart, and pretty.”

Smoulder blushed a little at that. "You really think so? I mean, I guess I can see the friendly part, but smart and pretty?"

I nodded. "Sure, you may not have book smarts, but you have a good head on your shoulders. You're clever and learn fast. I bet if you went to any school, the book smarts would come easy.

"And of course you're pretty. You're strong, have a great figure, what's not pretty about you?"

I knew that was going to bring out some romantic feelings from her, but I felt she needed to feel good about herself.

I was surprised, though, when I didn't really feel that. I felt a ton of platonic love but not romantic.

What else I wasn't expecting was how much desire I felt.

Feeling that, though, it was less of a surprise when Smoulder said, "So... since we got the place to ourselves... you wanna have some fun?"

“uh... I, uh... I don't know...”

"Ember already said she's cool with it," Smoulder said.

I knew casual sex was normal in Dragon society, but it was still strange to me. 

“Maybe another time,” I said. “I'm still not sure I'm cool with it. My people only ever do that with their mate.”

"Really? That's weird. Even when it’s not mating season?"

I chuckled. “It’s always mating season. That’s the main reason for the way my people treat sex. There’s almost always a risk of pregnancy.”

“Well, whatever,” Smoulder said, getting to her feet. “I’ll help you finish decorating, kay?”

I smiled, following suit. “Sounds like a plan.”





Star entered her cave, smiling to herself. She had to admit, that little hatchling Spike was quite the treat. He was so different from other dragons. Perhaps he would stay and that attitude will spread.

She chuckled to herself. That was quite unlikely, unfortunately. Still, if even some of him rubs off on the other hatchlings, it could only do them good.

There was time enough to ponder the fate of the next generation. She told Ember she would look into a way for her to awaken another dragon’s magic.

Star made her way to the back of her cave to a shelf filled with clear crystals. Her gaze slid along the labels, looking for one that may hold the answers.

She placed a claw against one and it began to glow. After a moment, Star grunted and did the same to another.

She repeated the motion a dozen times before she huffed. “Well, those are all useless. I guess I have no choice.”

Star went to the back wall and placed her claw against the stone. She felt the familiar pulse of psychic energy that would keep any from becoming too curious With a rumble, the rock face slid down, revealing a chamber beyond.

Star stepped inside, the chamber lighting with braziers holding glowing crystals, all surrounding a pedestal that held an ornate mirror.

Star approached and bowed. “Aki tor, volish ka do myra.”

The light dimmed and the reflections in the mirror swirled. The image was replaced with that of an ancient throne room.

“Rise, dear Star,” came a voice. “It is good to see you again.”

Star stood back up, a warm smile on her face. “And you, master.”

“Something tells me this is not a social call.”

Star sighed. “No... not this time, my Empress.”
> Chapter 16: Ways to a Dragon's Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ember and I sat on the lip of the Volcano watching Smoulder teach Spike how to lava surf.

It was pretty cool watching them. It also got me wondering about some of what Yomega, Leo, and I talked about. Namely, how dragons and ponies seem to display pokemon-like qualities, at least in their abilities.

If that were true, though, it would stand to reason that dragons are dragon type, maybe dragon/fire. However, equestrian dragons are immune to fire, and I know fire works on dragon types, and even fire types.

Then there’s the fact that I’m supposed to be weak against fire, yet Garble’s breath attack was only a little painful. It could have been the way I dodged with a rather uncanny quickness, but could that be all?

“You’re thinking again,” Ember noted.

I smiled and replied, “I do have a nasty habit of doing that, don’t I?”

“What are you thinking about this time?” Ember asked. “You thinking about how that eevee friend of yours was looking at your butt? She totally wants you, you know?”

I gave her a questioning look. “I’m four times her size.”

Ember smirked. “Lucky girl.”

I just rolled my eyes. “I was thinking about my abilities.”

“Still trying to figure out how to use one of those moves your friend told you about?” Ember asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, but not just that. I was wondering about the abilities of native races, like dragons and ponies, and how they compare to pokemon abilities.”

“Ah, yeah, I guess that is something to wonder about,” Ember agreed.

“What a coincidence.” Ember and I jumped with a start as Star spoke. “I was just coming down here to talk about something along those lines.”

“I swear to god, I’m putting a bell on you,” I said with a groan.

The ancient dragon chuckled. “Aw, that’s adorable. You think a bell will do anything.”

Ember sighed. “Hello, Star.”

“Well, if you’re so unhappy to see me, I’ll just leave,” Star said, turning her nose up.

“No, Star, we’re glad to see you, please, stay.”

Star smiled, “Thank you. Besides, I have some information you might like. Specifically, how to possibly give Smolder magic.”

Ember jumped up, wide eyed. “Really?! How?!”

Star took a seat beside Ember. “You must immerse her in the Weave.”

Ember looked on for several long seconds, as if waiting for Star to continue. “Uh... okay... Can I get a little more?”

Star rolled her eyes. “No appreciation for the dramatic, I swear. First, let me explain what the Weave is. The Weave is a field of raw, primal energies left over from the creation of the world. With ponies and most other magic wielding races, this energy is converted via something our ancestors called a ‘soul stone’. I believe ponies call it... corn or... something. Who cares. 

“The point is, for these creatures, their soul stone connects them to the Weave. Dragons, however, are the original race, borne of the Weave directly. Thus, we are already a part of it. This is what allows a dragon to grow so mighty.

“That said, we cannot consciously control it without awakening to it. There are two ways one can do this. The first is by drawing the Weave into our spirit. This is what Aura is. The other is to immerse oneself into these primal energies, as you did."

"And how exactly do I do that?" Ember asked. "Empress Aurora did it for me."

"And you'll have to do it for Smolder," Star stated. "As for how, all I know is that it involves taking her into the weave.”

Ember groaned. “Great, and how do I get there?”

Star shrugged. “How should I know? I’ve never been there. Perhaps you can find someone who knows the way. Maybe the pony princess, Celestia, knows something about this.”

I was going to have to ask Leo if the show had anything like that in it if I saw him before going to Canterlot.





Spike’s rock slab skidded to a stop among the cheers of his friends.

“Not bad, kid,” Smolder said with a proud smirk. “You learn quick.”

Spike just chuckled and said, “Yeah, when Twilight Sparkle’s your sister, you learn how to pick up on new things fast.”

“I wish I could have met your sister,” Barb said. “I never met a pony before. Is she strong?”

“Strong?” Spike repeated with a cocky smirk. “She lifted an ursa minor and carried it out of town.”

“Woah!” the other dragon’s echoed. 

Even Smolder was surprised. “You mean that purple one that uses all the big words picked up the biggest creature in the world?”

Spike shrugged, “Well, it was a baby, so it was only as big as... that dragon over there.”

Smolder looked back at who he was pointing at. “Dude, that’s Brimstone. He’s the third biggest dragon alive.”

One of his new friends, Emerald, turned to her brother, Onyx, and punched him in the shoulder. “I thought you said ponies were pansies? They sound awesome!”

“Hey, Blaze told me they were! Go punch him!” Onyx complained.

“Well, in his defense, they might seem that way to dragons,” Spike admitted. “Ponies care a lot about feelings, friendship, and harmony. But that doesn’t mean they can’t kick butt. Another friend of mine, Rainbow Dash, can fly faster than the speed of sound. Applejack is stronger than a dragon five times her size. So, yeah, I guess it’s just that they seem weak at first glance.”

“Rainbow Dash was the blue one, right?” Smolder asked to which Spike confirmed. “Yeah, she was actually pretty cool. I could see myself hanging out with her.”

“Yeah, and if they raised you, they have to be pretty awesome,” Barb said with a slight blush.

“Daww,” Smolder cood, teasingly, “You two make such a cute couple.”

“Hey, I’m not cute!” Barb growled.

“Hey, Spike, isn’t she cute?” Smolder asked.

Spike felt his face heat up. “U-uh... yes... I mean, in a good way!”

“R-really?” Barb stammered. She shook her head, forcing those thoughts out. “W-well, I’m not!”

“What’s wrong with being cute?” Spike asked.

“Dragons aren’t cute,” Barb said, crossing her arms and pouting.

“But... why not?” Spike repeated. “Just because something’s cute doesn’t mean it’s not tough. Leo’s adorable, and she’s tough enough to take down monsters twenty times her size. She blew up three dragons the other day, and she’s smaller than me and looks like a super fluffy rabbit-fox.”

Smolder, Barb, and Emerald looked like they were really considering his words, especially Smolder. 

Onyx just shrugged. “Meh, I still don’t care about cute, but I don’t hate it. As long as you’re awesome, too, who cares.”

“Enough about that,” Emerald said. “Let’s go play hoard rush!”

As the others ran ahead, Barb asked Spike, “Hey... do you really think you can be cute and awesome?”

“Yeah, of course you can,” Spike said. “I see plenty of cute things that are awesome.”

Barb blushed as she asked, “Am... I really cute and awesome?”

Spike’s face warmed. “Oh... uh... yeah, I guess.”

Spike froze as Barb quickly darted in, her lips pecking his in a quick kiss.

“You tell anydrake and I’ll beat you up... and thanks.”

Spike watched Barb run after the others, still frozen in surprise.

His claw brushed against his lips. She kissed me... my first kiss...





The entire way back home, I could feel the maelstrom of emotions coming from Spike. So, when we got close, I told everyone else to go on ahead.

“Hey, Spike. Come. Sit with me.”

“Y-yeah,” he replied, almost automatically.

I sat down, Spike sitting beside me. “So, what’s on your mind? You seem distracted.”

“Oh...” Spike winced. “Luke... How did you know Ember was the one for you?”

I chuckled. “I didn’t.” He looked at me with confusion. “The truth is, you can never really know someone is for you until you take the plunge. You may think they are, or hope so, but you can’t know.”

Spike sat there, silently pondering my words.

“So, who’s the other girl?” I asked. “I’m guessing it’s a pony.”

Truth be told, I already knew about his crush on Rarity, having watched the show, but I didn't want to freak him out. Plus, there was a chance it was for someone else, being an alternate Equestria and all.

“Y-yeah...” Spike said, hesitantly. “Okay, what I'm about to say stays between us, okay?”

“You have my word.”

“Okay...” He began, steeling his nerves. “You remember the white pony, Rarity?”

I gave Spike a smile. “Ah, you have fine taste. She is a beautiful pony.”

“I know, right?!” Spike exclaimed. “But she's so much more than that. She's creative, generous, smart, caring... everything a dragon could want. Except...”

“Except you feel maybe she isn't the one for you, after all,” I finished.

Spike looked downcast. “Yeah.”

I put my arm around him. “That's not a bad thing. It just means you're moving on and learning.”

Spike sat in thought for a bit. I could feel his emotions working around the problem before slowly starting to settle.

“You know what?” he said. “You're right. I can't hold out for a possibility when a sure thing is right in front of me. Thanks Luke. You're a pretty smart guy.”

I gave a chuckle as I stood up. “Well, I'm glad you approve. Now, why don't we get some food. I snagged a couple rabbits for us.”

“I've never had rabbit before,” Spike said.

“Oh, you're going to love it.”





Meanwhile, in the forest, an angry dragon stormed through the brush.

“Stupid mutt,” Garble said. “Who does he think he is?”

He picked up a fallen branch and swung it at a tree, imagining it was his new rival. “Take that, dweeb!”

The dragon growled. It just wasn't the same.

He continued to grumble and complain, beating whatever foliage he could.

“Now my sister's hanging out with him, too?!” he growled. “He better not think he could be her mate.”

He kicked a rock, watching it bounce into a cavern.

It was greeted with a deep growl.

Garble jolted back in surprise before taking an aggressive stance, legs and wings spread wide. “Who's there? Just so you know, I'm a ticked off dragon, so try something at your own risk.”

From the shadows of the cavern, a pair of glowing yellow eyes stalked out, followed by a scale covered feline face.

Garble took a step back, eyes wide in fear. “Screw this!”

He spread his wings and leapt into the air, only to be struck in the back and knocked to the ground by the creature. It moved so fast, Garble couldn’t believe it cleared the distance between them.

He rolled away and leaped to his feet, wincing at the pain that shot across his back. He could feel the tear in his wing.

“Oh, now I’m really mad,” he growled.

He took a deep breath, and released a stream of fire right in the creature’s face. The creature, unfazed by the fire, swung its massive paw, raking Garble across the chest and throwing him into a tree.

Garble tried to scream, but the impact forced all the air from his lungs.

As he struggled to rise, a part of him realized it was no use.

Darn it, he thought to himself as his strength gave out. You better take care of my sister, you dumb mutt.

He felt himself lifted off the ground in the beast’s jaws and carried off before consciousness finally left him.
> Chapter 17: History Lesson
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Good. Remember, it’s all in the hips. The hips is where your power comes from,” I instructed Ember and Smolder. 

I was teaching them some of the basics of martial arts, namely how to move. We were running through the basic movements of the hips and legs.

“Whether you’re throwing a punch, a kick, or throwing someone over your shoulder, this movement is the basis of them all.”

“Come on,” Smolder said, impatiently. “Everydrake knows how to punch. Teach us something cool.”

“Everydrake may know how to punch, but they don’t know how to punch right,” I said. “The difference is like the difference between a simple club and a finely honed sword. Which would you rather be?”

“Uh...” Smolder thought for a second. “I guess I’d rather be a sword. They’re much more awesome.”

“Then you need to be forged,” I replied. “You have to be broken down, molded, and tempered before you can get your edge.”

“That’s... a surprisingly good analogy,” Ember commented.

Our practice was interrupted by powerful wingbeats. I turned to see an emerald scaled dragon touching down behind me.

“Smolder!” she boomed.

“Oh, no,” Smolder said. “What did I do?”

“You have done nothing, child,” the dragon said. “I seek your brother.”

Smolder looked surprised by that. “I thought he was with you?”

“He stormed off in a huff after his punishment yesterday and he did not return.” The dragoness looked from Smolder to me, with a raised eyebrow. “Girl, is this the one your brother spoke of? The one you wish to take as your mate?”

Smolder blushed, “What?! No! I mean, he’s the one Garble meant, but I don’t even want a mate right now!”

The great dragoness gave me an appraising glare. “And what of you? Are you seeking to make my daughter your mate?”

Ah, I should have guessed. This is Smolder’s mom.

I gave the dragon a courteous bow, “As strong and lovely as your daughter is, I am Ember’s mate. It is unusual for my people to take more than one. Perhaps one day that may change and I may seek her as a mate if she has not already found one, but not today.”

She leaned down, getting a closer look at me. “Hmm...” She stood back up without another word. “If you see my fool of a boy, send him to me. Don’t be afraid to give him a good thrashing if he gives you trouble. I will send others to seek him out, as well.”

“I was going to go hunting later, anyway, so I'll just keep an eye open for him,” I said.

"You have my thanks." And with a beat of her great wings, she was off.

“I guess we'll end the lesson here,” I said. “I'll be back with food, and with any luck, your brother.”

"Yeah, no," Smolder said, crossing her arms. "We'll be back. I'm going with you."

“What about you?” I asked Ember.

"I'm going to stay here, wait for Spike to finish his lesson with Star," Ember replied.

“Alright,” I said, giving her a quick kiss. “We'll be back.”





Spike tried to hide his nervousness. The cave Star was leading him through was a dark, dank place. Even the brightly glowing gem she held didn't help much.

"We're here," the ancient wyrm said.

Spike let out a sigh of relief. "S-so, where is 'here', exactly?"

Star gave him a sly grin. "'Here' is the history of dragon kind."

She placed the glowing crystal on a pedestal.

What was left of Spike's fear vanished as one by one crystals lit up along the walls, revealing a massive room lined with ancient murals of dragons.

"Woah," he said, breathlessly. "Twilight would give a hoof to see this."

"Many scholars would," Star said. "This is one of the only histories that survived the Age of Chaos. It has been protected by dragon kind for thousands of years."

Spike followed Star through the great hall, looking at the various images. He saw dragons casting great spells, fighting large cat-like beasts, interacting with ponies, griffins, minotaurs, and other races.

"Wait, is she raising the sun?" Spike asked.

Star smiled. "Who do you think did it before ponies?"

Spike shrugged. "I guess I just figured they always did it."

Star laughed. "Heavens, no. We were the custodians of the heavens when ponies were nothing but mindless animals, grazing in the grasslands."

"Woah, really?!"

"Of course," Star said. "We are the first. The children of the Weave."

Star waved a claw at the mural at the very back of the room. It was by far the most ancient in the room, covered in cracks and moss.

In it was what looked almost like an egg hatching open and releasing a strange creature and... stars?

"In the beginning, there was only an egg," Star began. "When the egg hatched, it birthed not only a new god, but all of existence."

She directed his attention to the next image, which showed fragments of something falling to what he supposed was Equis.

Star explained, "The shell of the egg fell to Krovas, their divinity infusing the world with their power and forming the Weave."

She pointed to the next image of dragons emerging from those eggshell fragments. "From the Weave came life, including the first dragons. Born of the Weave, we had a special connection to it. This connection allowed us to control it."

The next image showed two groups of dragons, both held their claws to the sky. One group reached toward the sun, the other the moon.

"After a time, tired of living in cold darkness, we created two great heavenly bodies, Sol and Mun, the sun and moon."

"Woah, woah, woah," Spike interrupted. "Dragons created the sun and moon?"

Star chuckled. "The first dragons were born of the Weave itself. There has never been and never will be greater mages as they. The feats of which they were capable... well, there's a reason the younger races worshiped them as gods.

"Anyway, all this time, the Creator had been absent from the world. However, one day our world was visited by his servants, the Nos'lia, the Unknown Ones."

She pointed to the next image. This one depicted some kind of portal with strange creatures pouring from it. They looked like a single large eye upon oddly shaped bodies that looked suspiciously like letters.

"The Nos'lia were drawn by the immense power that was released by the creation of Sol and Mun and were surprised by the life that had thrived despite the absence of the Creator."

The next mural showed the same creature that hatched from the egg standing before the dragons, surrounded by those weird creatures.

Not obstructed by the egg, Spike had to admit, it looked as if somepony had crossed a pony, a dragon, and... something. It was a quadruped, with pony like legs, but it's long neck and angular body was more dragon. The long crest on the back of its head didn't look like a mane, but like part of its head, and the weird ring thing around its body... well, there was nothing he could compare that too.

"When the Nos'lia returned to the Creator and told him of us, he became intrigued and decided to see for himself. Thus, after so long, he returned to the world he had forgotten.

"When he saw us and the power we possessed, he became curious. He told us that our world was not the only world that was birthed in the Hatching, and it was our sister world he had focused on all this time.

"He wanted to learn of our power and unlock its secrets and so asked for volunteers. Several younger dragons left with him, leaving Krovas forever."

The next scene had several of those Nos'lia things giving some kind of shining stone to various creatures, including one that looked quite a bit like a pony, if more primitive.

"After a time, some of the Nos'lia returned, bearing the fruit of the Creator's research; Soul stones. With these, other creatures could tap into the weave, as dragons do, even if not in the same manner."

Spike looked at them curiously. "Wait, so, is that what a kernel is?"

"Ah, that's it," Star said with a snap of her claws. "That's what ponies call them. Yes, the kernel, as you know it, is what lets ponies and other races tap into the weave."

The next showed all the new races bowing before the dragons, specifically, one sitting on a shining throne with a scepter in her claw.

"Afterward," Star continued the lesson, "the Nos'lia left, leaving the new races in the capable claws of the dragons. Thus was born the great Dragon Empire."

"Woah... I never knew we dragons were so important," Spike mused.

Star grumbled. "Yes, 'were', being past tense. As you can clearly see, our kind has fallen from the grand, noble race we once were."

"But, why?" Spike asked. "What happened to cause dragons to go from that," he pointed to the image of dragons before a grand palace, "to what we are now?"

Star smiled sadly at that. "That is a story for another time. Now, let us talk of the Empire and its rise to glory."





We walked through the forest, looking for any sign of prey.

"So...," Smolder started. "Did you mean what you said to my mom? About maybe wanting me as a mate some day?"

I flinched. “I, uh... thought I said that only to her.”

"Nope, you said it out loud... or, whatever you call it when you talk to everydrake," Smolder said. "But that doesn't answer my question."

I siged. “Honestly, yeah. You really are a strong and beautiful dragon. But more than that, you're clever, brave, fun to be around and you have a good heart. If it wasn't for my people's views on sex and relationships I would have taken you up on your offer the other day.

“What about you? Did you really mean it when you said you weren't looking for a mate?”

Smolder blushed. "I mean, I did, and still do... but... I don't know. Maybe if the right mate finds me, I'd be cool with it."

“I'm sorry I can't be that mate, yet. Maybe, if I'm ready, some day...” I trailed off as a scent caught my nose.

"Uh..." Smolder gave me a confused look. "What's up?"

“I smell blood.”

Smolder's eyes widened. "Maybe it's Garble! He must have went hunting to let off some steam! Come on, I want to hit him upside the head for worrying me and mom."

We followed my nose to a spot that had us both gaping.

"Wh-what happened here?" Smolder asked.

Splotches of old, dried blood covered the ground in a couple spots and a tree that looked like it had taken a hell of an impact.

"L-Luke..." Smolder said, her voice quavered and she radiated fear.

I looked to where she was looking. Beside the tree, a dark red scale rested in the dirt.

I approached the scale, picking it up and giving it a sniff. It was Garble's, alright. As was the blood.

Something else caught my eye. A large, familiar paw print in the dirt.

A dingonek.

"Luke..." Smolder's voice cracked. "Wh-where's my brother? What happened?"

I looked back at the blood. It was already dry. This must have happened the day before.

“Smolder...” I was glad I didn't need to speak vocally. I never would have been able to with how dry my throat had become. “I... I'm so sorry.”

I barely managed to catch he as she collapsed, tears flowing.

"N...no... no, we have to find him," she pleaded.

I wanted to. I really did, but this was a dingonek. Even if Garble were alive, which was unlikely, I wasn't sure I could take one. 

The last one I only got away from by outsmarting it. Hell, I wasn't even sure it was dead. For all I knew, this was the same one.

Looking down, seeing smoulder looking up at me, pleading eyes glistening with tears, I couldn't do nothing.

“We'll find him... and kill the monster that did this.” I promised.

If only for her, I would avenge Garble. I would find a way.
> Chapter 18: Hunted
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Twilight,

How are things in Ponyville? How's Peewee's egg? Is it being kept warm? Do you think it will hatch soon? I tried to find his parents, but the nest was abandoned.

I've been learning a lot about dragons and what it means to be a dragon. Luke and Ember were right, dragons are so much different than Garble and his friends. 

They do value strength and stuff more than kindness or friendship, but it isn't just being strong. It's about being strong enough to survive.

Dragons don't have the princesses' protection, or anyone else's. They have to protect themselves. That's why they need to be strong.

But there's so, so much more to dragons than that. You won't believe what I learned just today. 

Dragons are the first intelligent race on Equis. Seriously, like, so old, they actually created the sun and moon! Yeah, crazy, huh?

Apparently, the first dragons were born from the Weave, what dragons call the thing Equis' magic field comes from. So, because they were born from magic, they were ridiculously powerful. Like, outmatch-Discord-with-their-little-claw powerful.

I wish I could show you the murals. They're from way before the Age of Discord. I had to swear to keep where they are secret, but Star said I can sketch them. I have two already and I'll bring the rest back with me.

One is where dragons made the sun and moon and the other is the Creator and his servants, the Unknown Ones.

I'll tell you all about it when I get home.

Thanks again for letting me stay. It really means a lot to me.

Still, I miss all of you and can't wait to see you all again.

Your #1 assistant, 
Spike





After giving the letter a quick reread to make sure he didn’t make any mistakes, Spike rolled it up and sent it off to Twilight.

“Alright, that’s that, then,” Spike said, getting up from the stone desk. “Thanks again for the paper, quill, and ink.”

Star gave him a motherly smile. “I’m glad you had use of them. Too few dragons even know how to read and write. So then, shall we go meet Ember and Luke?”

“I’m ready if you are,” Spike replied. Star picked him up and placed him on the back of her neck before heading out of her cave. “Still, you really should reconsider letting Twilight see the murals. She would never do anything harmful and would keep it secret if you asked.”

“I will consider it,” Star said. “But only if she and I can sit down and talk before. I would have to get to know her a little before making a decision like that.”

“That makes sense,” Spike said. “Besides, I can already tell you, she would love to meet you. I mean, you’re like a living history book.”

Star grinned. “Why, are you calling me old?”

Spike froze in shock. “Wh-what?! No! I didn’t mean it-”

Star busted out laughing. “Relax, child. I am old. I’m literally the oldest sapient being on the planet. Heck, I remember when that little upstart Grogar decided to cause trouble. That’s how old I am.”

“Wait, that guy was real?” Spike asked, wide eyed.

“That’s right,” Star said. “He was a pain in the tail, too.”

Spike’s eyes went even wider. “Wait... Are... Are you the dragon from the old stories? The one that helped bring him down?”

Star gave a smug smile. “Oh, they still talk about us, do they? Oh, yes, Gusty, Yonnie, Amber Wave, and I showed that goat what for. I’m surprised the ponies remember that.”

“Why wouldn’t they?” Spike asked. “It was one of the greatest victories of pony kind.”

“Oh? A victory of ‘pony kind’ is it?” Star asked, slightly irritated.

“Well, I mean, of course they give credit to you and the Yak - I’m guessing that’s Yonnie - but two of the four were ponies,” Spike explained.

Star grinned. “Except that none of us were ponies. Amber Wave was a kirin, and Gusty was a changeling.”

“A what and a what?” Spike asked.

Star laughed. “A lesson for another time. We’ve arrived.”

“Welcome back,” Ember said as she approached the duo. “Did you like the murals? Pretty awesome, weren’t they?”

“Heck, yeah they were!” Spike said. “I never knew how awesome we dragon’s are.”

“Where is Luke and Smolder?” Star asked.

“They went hunting,” Ember replied.

“Oh?” Star said with a grin and a glint in her eye. “Are they finally going to bang?”

“Doubtful,” Ember replied. “Smolder went because Garble’s missing. According to Haze he threw a tantrum and stormed off into the woods yesterday and never came back.”

“Is that unusual for him?” Star asked.

Ember cocked an eyebrow at Star. “It’s unusual for any dragon to not listen to Haze.”

Star paused for a moment. “Good point. Why don’t you go help them look. I can take Spike to the other side to play with his friends. This will be the last full day he has to spend with them, so he should make the most of it.”

“Wait, what do you mean?” Spike asked.

“The Gathering ends tomorrow,” Ember explained. “Most of them will be heading back to their own lairs.”

“Oh...” Spike’s face fell. “Then, I guess I’ll have to say goodbye.”

“Hey, don’t worry, Spike,” Star said. “I’ll find out where your friends are staying and let you know. Maybe you can send letters or visit each other?”

Spike seemed to perk up. “Yeah, that’s a great idea. Maybe they can... actually, their parents visiting Ponyville might be a bad idea... But maybe I can visit them?”

“I’m sure they would like that,” Star said.

“Alright, well, I’ll see you two later,” Ember raised her claw and in a flash, a bird of pale blue light burst into being and started flying off, leading Ember in the direction of Luke.

“Man, I wish I could learn magic,” Spike said. “I would love a spell like that.”

Star just gave him a curious look.





“Damnit, no,” I said, glaring at Smolder. “You are not coming. Dingoneks specialize in hunting dragons and you have no experience or training in fighting.”

"I don't care!" Smolder shouted. "That's my brother out there! I'm not going to just do nothing!"

“The only thing you're going to do if you go is die. What will your brother think if you die trying to save him?”

"So, what? I should just sit here, worrying about not only my brother but my friend?" She was trying to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. 

“Yes,” I said, plainly. “I understand that it's hard, but sometimes we have to do what's hard. I'm sorry, I really am, but I won't be able to fight if I'm busy worrying about you. Please, I know it's hard, but I need you to go back to the volcano.”

Smolder grit her teeth. "But... I-"

I pulled her into a hug, holding her close. “Please, do this for me. I can't fight at my fullest if I'm worried about you. Please, go back. I'll bring your brother back.”

Smolder shivered in frustration. “Fine, but you better come back. I... don’t want to lose you, too.”

With that, she took off, flying as fast as she could back to the volcano. When she disappeared, I was able to breathe a little easier. 

I wasn’t sure how I was going to fight a dingonek. The last one was like an unstoppable killing machine. Of course, I had gotten much stronger than before, and I wasn’t protecting an injured dragon, so I figured I could probably take it down.

Still, I wasn’t looking forward to this. I said I would bring her brother back, but there was no doubt in my mind that there wouldn’t be much to return. Even if Garble was alive when he was taken, this happened the previous evening. It had been well over half a day since then.

Still, if there was any chance he was alive, I would take it. I had to.

With that, I took off in the direction the tracks of the dingonek went. With any luck, I would catch it while it napped.





“So... how are you able to use that sending spell?” Star asked Spike.

“Hmm?” Spike looked up at the elder dragon. “Oh! Well, Princess Celestia used a spell on me. She made it so I can send anypony I’m thinking of whatever I burn with my breath.”

“Oh, so it isn’t actually a spell you use?” Star followed up.

“Nope,” Spike said. “I know how the spell works, though. That’s why I thought I could teach Ember, but I think her magic works the same.”

“If Ember is able to connect Smolder to the Weave, would you like to as well?” Star asked.

“Really?! You could do that?” Spike asked, his eyes lighting up.

“I don’t see why not,” Star said. “Though there are a few things we will have to check first. Then of course, we would...” Star trailed off, looking off toward Ember’s cave.

“What is it?” Spike asked.

“I think something’s wrong,” she replied. “Come. Follow me.”

Star felt a strong sense of pain and loss coming from the forest, approaching the cave.

She hurried as quickly as she could without leaving Spike behind and soon enough, they entered the earthen abode. Coming from the back, the sounds of sobbing could be heard.

“Smolder? Is that you?” Spike asked. “What’s wrong? What happened? Where’s Luke?”

Smolder took a second to calm her tears before she replied. “He’s hunting a dingonek.”

“A dingonek?!” Star said, shocked. “Why would he do such a foolish thing as that?!”

“B-because... it... it killed Garble.” She couldn’t keep herself from wailing her despair.

Spike was immediately by her side, hoping to comfort her. Smolder accepted his embrace, crying into his shoulder.

“So, what, Luke ran off in a fool’s attempt to avenge him?” Star asked.

“And to bring back... back his...” Smolder couldn’t even finish it, but she really didn’t need to.

“Are you saying a dingonek carried Garble off?” Star asked.

Smolder only nodded.

Star turned toward the forest, looking out of the cave.

That can’t be right. Dingoneks never carry their prey off. They devour it on the spot.





I followed the tracks as far as I could, only to be brought up short not far from the site of the attack.

What the hell? Where did it go?

I searched around, looking at the nearby trees, searching for marks that would suggest it climbed any.

Nothing.

It was like it just disappeared.

“Luke!” called Ember’s voice.

I turned to see her approaching. An ethereal bird preceded her, flying right at me before disappearing in a puff.

“Nice to see the tracking spell worked.”

“You have a tracking spell?” I asked.

“Yeah, but I have to know who I’m looking for really well,” she explained. “So, what’s up? Did you find the missing idiot?”

“Kind of,” I said. “He was attacked by a dingonek.”

Ember’s mood shifted in an instant. I felt fear coming off her. She was still quite frightened by those monsters.

“I’m trying to track him, but it’s like the thing just vanished,” I said. “You learn any tricks that can help?”

Ember thought for a second. “Maybe, but I haven’t tested it. Where did the attack happen?”

“This way,” I waved her back the way I came. When we came to the clearing, I pointed to the blood stains and the scale. “We found this. The scale smells like Garble, and the prints look exactly like the ones the one that attacked you left. So, what are you going to do, anyway?”

“Well, I found some pretty cool stuff in a couple tomes Star has. One had a spell that might help.”

Ember closed her eyes and lit up her claws. She poured a massive amount of energy into the spell as a dome of pale blue light surrounded us.

“That was neat,” I said as I took a few steps away. “But what does it... do...” I trailed off as I turned around to see myself. Or, more accurately, a ghostly blue image of me as I was when she cast the spell. “That’s a lot more than neat.”

“This is only the start,” Ember said, her breath slightly labored from the effort of casting the spell.

She raised her claws and twisted her claws around as if turning a dial. When she did, it was like the images started going backwards. I saw the image of Ember and me leave the clearing backward, then myself return, Smolder un-fly away, and our exchange before I sent her off.

She sped it up and time went by quickly. Finally, we saw the blur of other beings and Ember stoped the flow.

“Gah!” Ember fell back at the sight of the dingonek leaping as if it were pouncing on her. She suppressed a shudder. “I hate those things.”

I, meanwhile was only staring at the monster. More specifically, the scar on its face.

“It’s the same one,” I said. “It’s the one I knocked into the fissure. That scar’s where I shot it.”

“No way,” Ember said. “You said that fissure didn’t have a bottom. Even if it survived the fall it would have been stuck down there.”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. Can you play it forward?”

“Yeah.”

Ember let it move forward in time. We watched as the thing viciously attacked Garble. There was no sound, thankfully.

When Garble was helpless, the thing picked him up and started into the forest.

“Can you follow it?” I asked.

“Uh... I think so,” Ember said. “It should follow me.”

We started to follow the reptilian cat. Thankfully, the dome of the spell kept centered on Ember. When we arrived at the place where I lost the trail, we saw exactly why it seemed to have disappeared.

A dark wave of magic shot from the creature and opened a portal through which it leapt, taking Garble with it.

“What the heck?” Ember said, rewinding it and watching it again and again. “Those things can use magic?”

“Go back,” I said. “To the exact moment it cast the portal spell.”

She went back and stopped it just as the beam of magic was let loose.

I stared. Trying to figure out what what I was seeing could mean.

“What is it?” Ember asked stepping up beside me.

She saw it immediately.

In that brief moment, as the spell was cast, the dingonek’s face was not its own.
> Chapter 19: Next Stop, Pony Land
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We all sat gathered around the firepit in Ember’s cave. We had just finished explaining what we found, and everyone had a contemplative look on their faces.

“So... if it wasn’t a dingonek that killed my brother, what was it?” Smolder asked.

“We don’t know,” I said. “My guess is it’s either something that possessed a dingonek or a shapeshifter of some kind.”

“It doesn't matter,” Smolder said, her face hardening in seething anger. “I’m going to find it, and I’m going to kill it. Slowly.”

“Before you can do that, you need the means to fight it,” Star said. “That means you will need to learn magic, and in order to do that, Ember needs help from the pony princesses to connect you to the weave.”

“But we still haven’t heard back from them,” Spike said. “We can’t just show up in Canterlot unannounced and demand to see them.”

“We can’t, but I bet Twilight can,” I said.

Spike looked at me with wide eyes. “W-well... yeah... I guess she could, but...”

“Spike, that thing killed my brother,” Smolder growled. “And it’ll probably kill somedrake else unless we stop it.”

“I...” Spike sighed. “I’ll send a letter to Twilight, let her know what’s going on and that we’ll be there in a few days.”

“Thank you, Spike,” I said.

As he went to compose his letter, the rest of us sat in silence for a while.

After a couple minutes, I finally asked Smolder, “Are you going to be okay?”

Smolder was silent for a bit before responding. “It was an act, you know. Him being a jerk. He just wanted to fit in. He... he liked poetry. We used to sit somewhere far away from anydrake else and he would recite some new poem he wrote.” She pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them tight and hid her face between them. “Now, I’m never going to hear his poetry again. We’re never going to sit at the edge of our cave, watching the clouds and telling jokes or funny stories.”

I moved to her side and put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned against me, letting me hold her close.

“I promise, we’ll get that monster. We’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt anyone else.”

We sat in silence for a time, the only sounds being the crackling of the fire and the soft sobs of Smolder.

Finally, after a few minutes, Spike came back. “Alright, Twilight’s going to send word to the Princess.”

“How long did it take you to get here from there, anyway?” Ember asked.

“About six days,” Spike said.

“You traveled for six days by yourself?” Ember asked.

Spike winced, “Yeah, I know that wasn’t the smartest thing to do.”

“Forget that, it only took you six days?” I asked. “Where the hell was I that it took me months to get out of there?”

“It sounds like you were probably closer to Hoofington, to the West,” Spike answered. “Ponyville is more North and a little west. We’ll only have to go through a small corner of the forest.”

“Why couldn’t I be zapped to the same place as Leo and the others?” I asked, rhetorically.

“Zapped?” Spike asked, confused.

Crap, they don’t want them to know that stuff.

“Yeah,” I started, coming up with an excuse. “We aren’t from around here. We’re from far, far away, and were transported here magically.”

“Oh... well, that would explain why nopony’s ever even heard of anything like you guys,” Spike said. “I would think a species of intelligent creatures would have been found.”

“Anyway, let’s get ready,” Ember said. “Do we need anything to meet the princess? Like, I don’t know, some kind of tribute or something?”

Spike gave her a confused look. “Why would you need tribute?”

“How should I know. I’ve only ever seen three ponies in my life,” Ember said. “I’m not exactly an expert, here.”

“Right, sorry,” Spike said. “I guess ‘common sense’ isn’t always universal. No, you don’t really need anything, but if you’re going to be trying to bring dragons and ponies closer, she’ll probably want to introduce you to the Canterlot elite. So, maybe you might want something to wear to meet them. But, I’m sure Rarity would be happy to make you something.”

Ember thought for a moment, scratching her chin. “Actually, I think I have something.”

She retreated into our room and came out a minute later carrying that set of bronze looking armor she had. “What about this?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Ponies seem a little too peaceful to appreciate a fully armored dragon walking into the capital.”

“Actually, that might not be a bad idea,” Spike said. “I mean, I wouldn’t wear that as it is, but... Bring the cuirass and vambraces. I have an idea.”

I gave Spike a curious look. “I didn’t expect you to know what those were called.”

Spike blushed, twiddling his thumbs. “I... kinda dream of being a knight.”

I chuckled. “I should have figured. A noble ambition.”

“Thanks,” Spike said. “So, what about you? Do you have anything to wear?”

“No, I’m afraid I don’t.”

“Great, then we can get you something, too,” Spike said. “Oh, and you might want to bring some gems or gold to pay for anything we might need.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ember said. “Then we’ll leave first thing in the morning. I’ll ask Star if she can take us close to Ponytown.”

“Ponyville,” Spike corrected.

“Whatever. Until then, I suggest we rest up.”





The next morning came bright and early.

We packed up whatever we thought we might need in my bag. I was pretty sure it was the lightest it had ever been, what without all the pelts I used for bedding, the makeshift tools, and all the other stuff we didn't need that I once did.

It did have a bit of food, though, as Star said she wasn't wanting to risk going all the way to Ponyville and risk the princesses being there.

She still refused to tell us why they apparently hate her.

Regardless, she was going to drop us off at the closest place she was willing to venture, the Castle of the Two Sisters.

While, I wasn't too fond of being left in the Everfree, Spike said he'd been there enough that he could guide us.

I had to admit, the little guy seemed more confident than when he first arrived in the dragon lands. I had to wonder if he just opened up more as he got to know us, or if he really was just more confident over all.

It wasn’t bravado that had him take the lead in the forest.

“So, the most dangerous threats in the forest are probably timberwolves,” the little dragon explained. “There’s a manticore, but he’s a big softy. There’s also a couple cockatrices, but Fluttershy keeps them from petrifying ponies. They’re smart enough to know that would extend to us. There are a couple carnivorous plants, too, but I know what to lookout for, so as long as you listen to me if I say stop, those won’t be an issue.”

I smirked at the way he took charge. I had a feeling he’d grow up to be something of a leader, one day.

We walked for a couple hours before we came to a shallow cave in a rock. It was lined with numerous wood carvings and vials of liquid.

“Alright, this is the halfway rest point,” Spike said. “See the wards? They’ll make you a little dizzy for a second, but they’ll keep out anything else.”

We took a quick break and ate quickly. Ten minutes later, we were off again.

Another hour and Spike turned back to us and grinned. “Watch this.” He let out a loud whistle and a couple minutes later a rustling could be heard, as if something was barrelling through the brush. Spike was the only one that didn’t leap back as a massive feline leaped out to greet us.

“Hey, buddy,” Spike said, scratching the manticore’s cheek. “Can you go tell Fluttershy we’re almost there?”

“Sure.”

I started, staring wide eyed as it bounded away.

“Did... did he just talk?” I asked.

The others gave me a funny look.

“I’ve been talking, dude,” Spike said.

I shook my head, “No, the manticore.”

Smolder and Ember gave each other a confused look. 

Spike just looked concerned. "Are you feeling alright, dude?"

I shook my head. “Stress must be getting to me. Let's just go.”

It didn't take much longer before we emerged from the forest. Not far from where we were, a quaint, vaguely familiar cottage stood out.

In front of said cottage, the manticore sat in the lawn. Behind the manticore, a curtain of pink hid what little yellow peaked out from around it.

"Okay, guys," Spike turned to face us, stopping our procession. "Fluttershy's a really sweet pony, but she's scared of dragons, so just take it slow."

“Perhaps Spike and I should take the lead?” I offered.

"Good idea," Spike agreed.

The girls fell back a little, as we approached the timid little pony. Fluttershy seemed to find enough courage to come out from behind the manticore and start toward us.

That was when I noticed the eevee at her side.

I gave a wave and greeted him out loud, <<"Hey, Conner.">> The facial hair gave his identity away, quite nicely. 

<<"Long time, no see, Luke,">> he returned. <<"I heard you got hitched.">>

I laughed. <<"It's not that official, yet.">>

Fluttershy relaxed a little at our obviously familiarity. Though, she still shot nervous glances at Ember.

"Fluttershy!" Spike ran up, giving the pony a hug. "How have things been? Twilight hasn't burned down the library without me, has she?"

Fluttershy giggled. "Nothing that severe. Welcome home... you are here to stay, aren't you?"

"Of course," Spike said. "Come on, I want you to meet my friends."

Fluttershy hesitated, but forced herself to move toward her fear.

"This is Luke," he introduced me, first. "He's an old friend of the eevees."

“It's a pleasure to meet you,” I said, with a small smile and a nod.

She blinked. "Oh, my... did you...?"

"Yeah, he talks in your head," Spike explained. "It's freaky at first, but you get used to it. 

"Anyway, this is his girlfriend, Ember," he continued on. "She's technically a princess, but that doesn't really mean anything in the Dragon Lands. She's also a really powerful mage."

Ember polished her knuckles on her chest. "It's true. I'm pretty awesome."

Spike moved to the last member of our party. "And this Smolder. She's Ember's protege."

"Sup."

Spike turned to us to finish things off. "Guys, this is Fluttershy, another of my pony friends."

By the end of the introductions, Fluttershy was almost completely relaxed. "It's a pleasure to meet you.Twilight said you were coming, but we weren't expecting you for a few days."

"Yeah, we got a ride," Spike said.

"Oh, my, I hope you didn't have to bully another dragon," she said, worried.

“Actually, a friend gave us a ride,” I said.

"Oh, good," she sighed in relief. "I know Twilight said things like that are normal for dragons, to toughen them up, but I still can't bring myself to like it."

“I understand how you feel, Miss Fluttershy. If we have our way, that way of life will be wholly unnecessary one day.” I said, reassuringly.

"I'm glad," Fluttershy said. "Well, I'm guessing you're looking to take the train the rest of the way?"

"That's right," Ember said. "I'm kinda curious about this 'train', anyway."

"Why don't I take you all to see Twilight," Fluttershy suggested. "She'll be able to help."

“Why don't you go on ahead,” I said. “I'm going to catch up.”

Ember gave me a lazy wave as she headed off. "Alright, have fun playing with your friends."

I chuckle before looking back at Conner, speaking aloud. “So, I hear Leo's a mommy.”

Conner winced. "Yeah... kinda."

I could feel the concern wafting from him. "What is it?"

"Well..." he thought for a bit. "We're just a little worried since they haven't hatched, yet."

"How long ago were they laid?" I asked, concerned for the poor baby eevees.

"About a month ago," Conner replied, somberly.

"Oh, that's not that..." I paused, thinking about something. "Wait, Equestria month, or Earth month?"

"Uh..." Conner blinked. "Oh, right. Equestrian month."

"So, about an Earth year?" I said. "Damn. That's not good." I thought for a moment. "Let me see them. I can sense aura, life force. I can at least tell you if their aura is okay."

Conner perked up, though his worry was still there. "Y-yeah. You could. Maybe you'll notice something we can't?"

“You may come around.” Yomega’s mental voice echoed out. “Leo and I are here. Mind you head, the Daycare may not be big enough for you to fit in”

I smiled. "I see Yomega's getting a handle on his powers." 

Conner gave me a confused look for a moment before realization dawned on him. "Yeah. He and Leo are at the Daycare. I can show you where it is."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," I said. "Yomega psychic'd me directions."

"Oh, that's good. I still have some things to do around here, so I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, we'll have to get the gang together sometime," I said. "Are movies a thing here?"

"Um... I think so," Conner replied. "There's a theater, but I've actually never asked what kind."

"Well, we'll have to find out. Catch you later."

With that, I made my way to the Daycare, following Yomega's mental instructions.

Eventually, I came upon the place. It actually wasn't bad. Still, I was going to have to make time to build them something better.

"Hello!" I called.

"Come on in," I heard Leo call back. "Or... as much as you can, anyway."

The door was wide enough that I could have fit through, but it would have been cramped inside, so I just stuck my head and shoulders in.

It was nice and cozy, with several 'beds' for the eggs. 

Leo and Yomega were laying beside each other, with one of the eggs cradled by Leo. If I had to guess, it was their's.

Leo's and Yomega's child. That was a weird thought. 

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" I asked.

"No, we're actually glad you're here," Leo said, though I could feel her trepidation.

"Jeeze, and I thought Ember and I were 'active'," I teazed.

Leo blushed. I grinned. "Well, aren't  you adorable when you blush."

That was when I felt a feeling I knew well from Ember and to a lesser degree, Smolder. 

Desire.

Sexual desire.

"So, the eggs," I said a little too quickly.

I really didn't need to think about my old friend that I still had trouble not thinking about as male being into me.

I didn't need to sense emotions to feel Yomega's amusement as he spoke up. "We would really appreciate it if you could tell us what you feel from them."

I held out my hand. "May I? It's easier when I'm touching."

And apparently Leo's mind went right to the gutter.

I was going to have to watch what I said.

Or just scratch her itch.

No! Bad thoughts!

I glared at Yomega, who was trying to stifle a laugh while Leo's emotions shifted toward embarrassment. 

Thankfully, he had enough tact to move things along. "You may. We just really need to know if anything's wrong."

I shifted my focus entirely onto the task at hand. With one paw resting on the shell of the egg, I let my senses flow into it.

I felt his life force. It was strong, energetic, and eager to hatch.

So why isn't it?

That was when I felt something else.

"There's something else here," I said. "Something is keeping it from hatching."

"Wh-what?" Leo's voice wavered, fear building up quickly.

"As far as I can see, it's not only not harming the egg, it's actually keeping it healthy," I explained, quickly.

I looked deeper, focusing on the foriegn presence.

Suddenly, something lashed out at me. Dark energy coursed through me, wracking my body with pain.

It only lasted a moment, though, before it receded.

Leo was beside me, a paw on my side as she gave me a worried look. "Luke, talk to me. Are you okay? What happened?"

"I... I'm fine, just... numb," I assured. "I saw something, though. I'm not sure where it came from, but I think it was trying to stop me from seeing what was in the eggs. It looked like some kind of... dark claw thing."

Leo's fear spiked, the color seemingly drained from her face.

"D-did you say... claw?" she asked, shakily.

"Are you sure that's what you saw?" Yomega looked worried, too.

I looked at them, confused. "Yeah, why? Do you know something about that?"
> Chapter 20: Discovering Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most Ponyville residents were used to the strange and bizarre. After all, not only did they live near the Everfree Forest, they were also host to a pack of randomly transforming fox things and the Cutiemark Crusaders. 

Still, a pair of dragons being led through town by Spike, who many had just realized they hadn't seen in a week, and Fluttershy of all ponies was enough to stop and gawk at.

"Are ponies always so... stare-y?" Smolder asked.

Spike waved a claw, dismissively, "Nah, they just aren't used to seeing dragons, other than me. The last one that was around just smogged up the sky until Fluttershy here sent it packing."

"Wait..." Ember said, thinking. "Was this dragon a big red one, snores like a volcano erupting?"

"Um... I guess?" Fluttershy said.

Ember and Smolder burst out in laughter.

"You," Smolder tried to speak through her mirth, "You're the terrifying beast from the depths of Tartarus?"

Ember added, "The one he was locked in mortal combat with for a week straight?"

Several ponies within earshot snickered at that. The thought of Fluttershy battling a massive fire breathing dragon was just far too ridiculous a thought.

"Oh, I am so blackmailing him when we get back" Ember said, wiping a tear from her eye.

Fluttershy didn't really like the idea, but she figured it must have been another dragon thing.

"Why don't we just get to the library," Fluttershy said, leading their guests.

Word had spread much faster than they walked, apparently, as before the library even came into view, a purple pony popped into being before them.

"Spike!" Twilight cried as she practically threw herself at him, glomping him. "I missed you, so much! How was it? Did you find the answers you were looking for?"

Spike smiled, returning the hug. "Yeah, I think I did."





I sat there, having moved outside the Daycare, thinking on what I had been told. Apparently, Leo had been having dreams about a claw, much like the one I saw, and let's just say they were a bit on the apocalyptic side.

This had me worried, to say the least. Whatever this claw was... I had to wonder.

I asked, "In the show, were there ever any creatures that could possess animals? Like a monster made of shadow?"

Leo gave me a confused look. "Not that was in the show. Why?"

"Because the monster that took Smolder's brother..." I said, considering my words carefully. "Ember used a spell to show us what actually happened. The monster opened some kind of portal to escape, which was strange because Star never mentioned that dingoneks could use magic.

"Anyway, Ember paused the scene, and I got a good look at its face. In the moment before it opened the portal, it looked like it was wearing a mask made of smoke."

"What did the mask look like? A pony?" Yomega asked.

I thought for a second.  "Maybe? I thought it looked like a dragon, but I suppose it could have been a pony. It was pretty featureless. Hell, it could have been a dog."

Leo shook her head. "I don't know what else to say, other than maybe it was a changeling. Maybe what you saw was it's true form shining through because of Ember's spell?"

"Maybe," I agreed, "but then why would they take Garble? And does that mean he really is alive?"

"Hey," a voice called. "Fluttershy said Twilight wants to see your friend." 

I turned around, looking for the speaker. All I saw was a squirrel.

“Hello?” I asked, broadcasting my query.

"Woah, that's freaky," the squirrel said...

The squirrel...

I leapt back, thoroughly freaked out. "Holy Monkey Jesus, that squirrel just talked!"

"We got a genius, here, don't we?" the squirrel said.

"Don't they talk in the dragon lands?" Leo asked.

"Hell no, they don't talk!" I said. "You think I would be able to eat them if they did?"

"Oh, you're from beyond pony lands?" the squirrel once again did the thing it shouldn't be able to do. "Yeah, those guys out there are dumb as bricks. I think it's something about ponies that makes us smart."

"Y-yeah... we'll go with that..." I said, still rather freaked. "Pony magic... yeah..."

I really, really hoped I didn't eat anything that could talk.

"Whatever, Twilight wants to talk to you," he said again. "Message delivered. I'm going to get me a snack."

And then he scampered off. Like a normal squirrel should.

"Were all your kills clean?" Yomega asked.

"N-no, of course not," I replied. "At first, I never made a clean kill."

"So they survived your initial attack?" He clarified. "If ponies make them smart and you never made a clean kill when you were closest to ponies but none of them spoke or begged for their life, I think it's safe to assume none of the ones you killed could speak."

That was true. In fact, having calmed down, I could sense that the animals auras were brighter here than elsewhere. 

My freakout subsided and I took a deep breath.

"You okay, now?" Yomega asked. I gave a nod. "Great, now let's go see what Twilight wants. You coming, Leo? Conner'll watch the eggs. I just asked."

Leo gave him a dirty look. "Damn psychics," she mumbled, not quite quiet enough to escape my keen ears. "Sure. I'm kind of curious about what Twilight wants, anyway."

As we headed into town, I felt the need to mention something. "So, I almost let slip where we're from to Spike. Don't worry, I covered it. I told him we're from far away and were magically teleported here."

"That's... actually good," Yomega said. "It's not a lie, and it tests the waters just enough to gauge what they will do."

As we walked on, I told them about what all we did with Spike. Soon enough, we were at the library. 

"This is amazing Spike," Twilight's voice reached us as we entered. "If this is true, and I have a feeling it is, it would answer so many questions."

She was looking through the sketches Spike made of the murals Star showed him.

Meanwhile, Ember was standing to one side with her arms spread while Rarity took her measurements.

Smolder, was sitting nearby, giving sidelong glances to a fashion magazine on a nearby table.

Was she interested in fashion? That seemed... actually, no, that made sense.

“If you're interested in fashion, just look at it,” I said.

Smolder flinched in surprise. "Wh-what? I'm not interested in that! I'm just-"

“You know I can sense when you're lying.”

"You... but... I'm not..." Smolder stammered around for a response before signing. "Fine, I think it's kinda cool, but if ever so much as think of telling anydrake, I'll..."

I grinned, "You'll what?"

Smolder growled, but didn't respond, instead, she just grabbed one of the magazines and turned away to read.

Yomega smirked at me. <<"That sounded like a lover's spat. You getting twice the dragon tail?">>

<<"What? No. I'm still with Ember,">> I replied.

Leo said, <<"So does that mean dragons are monogamous, or just you?">>

<<"Yeah. They approach it a little differently,  but they are monogamous,">> I explained. 

"Luke, darling," Rarity called. "Could come here so I can take your measurements?"

“Do we have time for me to get an outfit, too?” I asked.

"The train doesn't come until late tonight," Ember informed. "So, we have time."

Twilight, apparently done with Spike's sketches for the time being, came over. "So, Luke, when we last spoke you said something about the eevees' 'potential evolutions'."

I shot a glance at Yomega and his cocky little smirk.

“Well, there's not much I could tell you about that, other than it's unknown how many forms they can evolve into,” I explained. 

"What about the 'known evolutions' you mentioned?" She asked.

“Other than the ones you've seen, there's glaceon, an ice type, and sylveon, a fairy type.”

"Fairy type?" Twilight asked, confused by the term.

"It's hard to describe," I said. Sending a quick plea for help to Yomega, he psychically fed me the information I needed. "It's a type of creature that, for lack of a better term, is more in tune with nature and its magic. Think the Everfree Forest if it were friendly."

"A friendly Everfree..." Twilight pondered. "That actually sounds amazing.

"You wouldn't happen to know what triggers these transformations, would you?"

“Several factors are believed to cause it. For flareon, jolteon, and vaporeon, it's gems charged with elemental energy. Umbreon come from eevee that are mostly nocturnal. Lefeon and glaceon have to do with their environments. Sylveon comes from forming a strong bond with another. Espeon, I'm not too sure but it could have to do with magic. That one's just a guess, though.”

Yomega gave me a smirk. <<"I didn't tell you anything about how eevees evolve.">>

<<"I may not know much about pokemon as a whole, but I know plenty about eevees. They were my favorite,">> I replied.

<<"Really?">> he asked.

I chuckled.  <<"Hell yeah. They're such little potential badasses and adorable as hell. You can keep your pikachus and charizards, I'd take an eevee anyday.">>

And once again, Leo's mind went into the gutter, if what I felt was any indication. 

We were going to need to have a talk.





I shouldn't have been surprised.

Even though I had barely gotten into season two, it was enough to know Twilight's character enough.

“Wouldn't it be better to do this in Canterlot?” I asked. “Surely they have better equipment.”

"Hey, I take offense to that," Twilight said, though I could sense she didn't.

Rarity had gone to her boutique to make our clothes, Spike took the dragonesses to Sugarcube Corner, and Yomega said all the 'voices' were giving him a headache.

That left me, Twilight, and Leo - who was enjoying this far more than she should have - in the library's dungeon with me strapped to the torture device.

"This will give me a baseline that I can send to Moondancer," Twilight explained. "This, along with the blood samples should be enough to get her started. Now just relax. When I tell you, focus your aura into your right paw."

Thankfully, the tests were few and brief. Still, I was glad to get out of there.

As Leo and I stepped outside, I took a moment to stretch, basking in the warm sun and cool breeze of autumn. 

"So," I began. "Wanna race?"

Leo quirked an eyebrow. "That was rather sudden."

I chuckled. "Nah, I've been wanting to race you since the Gathering."

Leo laughed, "You really haven't changed."

I smiled. "You have. You're a lot more confident. It's a good look for you." That got a blush out of her. "So, how about to that hill?"

Leo looked where I was pointing. It was a nice, tall hill a bit outside of town, about two miles.

"Sounds good," Leo replied.

I pointed to a bird eating from a bird feeder. "When that bird flies away."

We readied ourselves, watching the bird.

The moment its feet left the perch, we turned into brown, white, black, and blue blurs.

The world around us seemed to slow as our perception sped up to match our speed.

Even at that speed, I was already impressed with Leo. Her legs may not have had as long of a stride as me, but she easily took three for each of mine.

We tore down the road, dodging ponies, animals, and even an apple cart, me hopping over while Leo went under.

We were neck and neck, neither of us giving more than an inch before taking it back.

A hundred yards away, Leo looked over at me with a smirk.

And then she exploded.

Or, she might as well have. The crazy little furball broke the sound barrier, the shockwave sending me tumbling in the grass.

"Holy crap, are you okay?!" Leo said, rushing to my side where I came to a painful halt, lying on my back on the side of the hill. "I'm so sorry."

"Are you kidding?!" I said with a laugh. "That was amazing! That's gotta be a land-speed record!"

Leo seemed to relax, seeing I wasn't really hurt. After a moment, she laid down beside me, a short distance away.

"That was fun," she said. "I haven't had to go all out in a while."

We laid there in comfortable silence for several minutes, watching the sky and occasional pegasus before I asked something I hadn't really intended to, but had been thinking.

"Leo... do you ever feel that you're losing what's left of your humanity?"

Leo gave me a surprised look. "Uh... I don't know. I don't really think about it."

"I do... and it scares me," I admitted. "I may have decided to stay here, but that doesn't mean I want to forget who I was or where I came from."

I lifted my arms and stared at my...

I sighed. "I even refuse to call these paws. I still call them hands, as if that actually matters. I just feel that if I call them paws, I'll just lose one more bit of my humanity."

I dropped my arms and scoffed at myself. "Am I just fighting the inevitable?"

"Well," Leo dragged the word out, "like I said, I never really thought about it. But, there was a moment where I had those same worries. I was having a bad day, and lashed out at Thunderlane.

"And I bit him. Using the move. And I felt horrible afterwards, but not about the bite itself." Leo slashed a paw at me. "That I felt completely justified in." Leo sighed. "Without bogging you down with the details, I came to the same worries you're having."

"What did you do?" I asked.

Leo snorted. "They quickly became buried under something else. But I did get a promise from the others that they would stop me from going too far. And, besides." Leo paused to scratch behind an ear. Using a back paw. "I was always a little fluid. Most of why it took me a while to get used to this was that I had no choice in my changes.

"But, I've become comfortable with myself now. And I also think we have it easier adjusting to our new forms because of how different they are to our human forms.

"We were forced to change how we did things without hands, learn how to move around on four legs. Everything was bigger for us. 

"But for you..." Leo led.

"I still have the luxury of deluding myself," I finished, flexing my hand... paw.

"You mind me asking; what brought this on?" Leo asked. "You're usually not this... unsure."

I took a breath, sighing. "First, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"These feelings you have for me," I began, immediately getting a blush from Leo. "Are they romantic or is it just a physical attraction?"

"S-sorry," Leo said, squirming a bit. "It's just hormones. I'm not going to try to steal you from Ember."

"So, just physical, then?" I asked, to clarify. Leo nodded. "Good. I ask because... remember how I said dragons are monogamous?" Leo nodded again. "Well, that's true, however, they don't associate sex with romance. It's still considered intimate, but not romantically intimate, as long as actual breeding isn't involved. It's common for two dragons that are just close friends to have sex just to blow off steam.

"I'm probably going to sleep with Smolder in Canterlot," I said, "and... a part of me wants to sleep with you."

Leo shot up in shock. "Wh-what? You... you really want to? Is..." She looked around, as if finally noticing her surroundings. "Is that why we're out here?"

My eyes widened. "No! No, ah, damnit. I just wanted a private conversation. Honestly, I'm pretty sure I'd hurt you if I did. I only brought it up because it's part of why I'm having this little existential crisis."

Leo giggled. "Seriously? This all because you and Ember might be having an open relationship? Do you realize how common that is?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it is a thing on Earth."

Leo blushed again. "So... you really do want to try, you know... sex?"

I looked at her and smiled. "Maybe when you evolve. Seriously, women talk about how 'bigger is better' but this would be like a virgin getting mounted by a horse."

Leo flinched at the thought. "Oh... yeah, that doesn't sound as nice as Rainbow Dash made it out to be."

"Although..." I sat up, giving Leo an eyebrow wiggle. "We could do other stuff."

Leo's eyes widened. "Oh... yeah, I guess we could."

I got to my feet. "You wanna go somewhere a bit less... visible?"

Leo nodded dumbly and followed me into the nearby woods and found a nice tree to lay beneath.
> Chapter 21: Meeting Royalty... Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leo and I made our way back to Ponyville proper, still a little damp from washing in the stream after our... activities. 

As expected, the size difference between us prevented us from going all the way, but we found other ways to scratch each other's itch.

And, damn, did Leo need it.

"You know, you really don't need to go so long without," I said. "I'm sure Yomega will help if you ask."

Of course, Leo blushed. "Yeah, new topic; you guys got plans when you get to Canterlot?"

I considered teasing her, specifically with mine and Ember's plans once we get some alone time, but I figured I'd give her a break. "We're probably going to hit up whatever research place specializes in unusual creatures. I want to know more about my body."

"What if Celestia finds it weird that you don't know anything about it?" Leo asked.

"Do you really think she hasn't figured at least most of it out by now?" I asked, seriously. "I'd bet my right arm she at least knows what we are is related to those summons you mentioned."

Leo winced at that. "Yeah, she probably suspects that we're not from this world, but she can't have figured out that we weren't always what we are."

"I suppose." I couldn't help but wonder why they were so adamant about not letting the ponies know. It was a strange, almost unnatural fear.

I sighed. "I'll just tell them that I've never had the kinds of scans done that they can do."

"Thanks," Leo said. "I know you don't like lying to them. We just... we want to tell them ourselves, our way."

"There you guys are," came a familiar voice.

I turned to see a flareon coming our way. His metal leg immediately catching my attention.

I gave him a smirk. "Okay, I think we need an intervention. The piercings were bad enough, but your body modification has gone too far."

Zann smiled at me and said, "Just wait until I get the glowing red robot eye and tank tread back legs."

I gave a sad chuckle. "I just wish I was poofed with you guys. I might have been able to do something."

Zann shrugged. "Maybe, but then you never would have met Ember and your dragon friends. Plus you might have become an eevee, too."

Leo looked at Zann with a curious expression. "Actually, why weren't you zapped with us? You said you were transported here by a light that came from our house. That was probably what sent us here, too, so why were put so far away as a completely different pokemon?"

"Maybe it was an accident?" Zann reasoned. "Like, it was only meant for us, but it had too much juice and reached too far, but not enough juice to do it the same way, so it just threw him wherever it could and turned him into whatever Pokemon he was most compatible with and seeing as he was into all that chi stuff with taichi and qigong it decided lucario was the closest."

I stared, slack jawed for a moment. "I thought fire needs oxygen."

"I'm pretty sure he's learned to absorb oxygen through his skin," Leo replied. "Pinkie probably taught him."

Either Zann didn't hear us or didn't care, because he just continued on with, "Anyway, Lulu said you're needed at the boutique for adjustments to your new outfit. Ember and Smolder are both done."

"Already? How?" I asked.

"Magic," Leo and Zann said at the same time.

"Of course," I rolled my eyes. "I forgot magic is everywhere here. Back home, Ember's the only one with it."

We started towards Carousel Boutique, making a bit of small talk.

"So, how many new moves have you learned?" Leo asked.

"From the list, not one," I said. "I've been trying to learn psychic, but all I can do is make things wiggle a little. I've figured out a few new ways to use my aura sphere and bone rush, though."

"Oh?" Leo was intrigued. "Show, don't tell."

I smirked. "Well, there's this one..."

I formed aura in my ha- paw, stretching it as I would with bone rush, however, instead of a long, straight shaft, I flattened it, curving it backward and sharpening the edge.

"I call it, 'blade rush'."

"Woah," Zann looked on with a huge smile. "That's why you're trying to learn psychic! Because you already have a lightsaber!"

"N-no!" I said.

"Oh my god, it is," Leo realized and started laughing. "Seriously?"

"Not entirely," I said, a little more convincingly. "Okay, yeah, part of the reason is because I want to pretend to be a Jedi. But that's only a consolation prize. Mostly I want to learn it because it's the most useful ability on the list."

"Yeah, okay. I can believe that," Leo said.

We reached the boutique shortly after. I vaguely remembered it from the show. God, had it really been a year? Or, month.

Equestrian time really makes things weird. Days and weeks are the same, but a month is a moon, a year is a month, and four years is a year.

That meant by Equestrian time, I was only eight years old. 

We walked in to see Ember folding some cloth and putting it into her armor and Smolder looking at a couple dresses, trying to be discreet.

"Ah, there you are," Rarity greeted with a smile. "We have very little time. The princess sent word, she's sending a chariot to pick you up."

Well, that was certainly nice of her.

"Come, stand here," she ordered, pointing to a short pedestal surrounded by mirrors.

As I made my way up, Ember leaned in and sniffed me. She shot a knowing smirk to Leo, who blushed fiercely.

"I really would like more opportunities to work on your wardrobe," Rarity said as two dozen different objects flew with a supernatural precision. "I so rarely have an opportunity to work on non-ponies and can give quite the discount. You would only have to pay for or provide materials."

She was speaking to all of us, but her eyes wandered to Smolder. "I'm sure I can come up with something both elegant and fierce."

Rarity worked quickly, but not at the expense of quality. Even then, the chariot arrived before she was finished. Luckily, the pegasi that would be pulling us were patient.

Not much longer and my suit was finished and safe in a complimentary garment bag.

I couldn't help but notice Smolder's bag was quite a bit thicker than mine.

I smirked. Maybe I could convince her to model her dresses for me.

I said goodbye to Leo, Zann, and Lulu, who were talking amongst themselves, and followed the ladies onto the chariot. 

I eyed up the open air transport nervously. "I take it there's some kind of enchantment to keep us in?"

One of the pegasi's ears twitched, probably surprised by my method of speaking, but took it in stride. "Yes, sir. You don't have to worry about falling."

As we took off, Ember sighed. "I'm really getting tired of being carried everywhere. I wonder if I can heal my wing with magic?"

"I would speak to the ponies in Canterlot about that," I recommended. "You wouldn't want to accidentally make it worse."

Ember laughed, "Yeah, try to heal it but instead I, like, make it like a fledgling wing."

Smolder and I laughed at that, too. There was something funny about the image of Ember with one regular size wing and one tiny one.





Canterlot Palace was, as one could guess, so much more splendid in person. I mean, there's only so much a cartoon can do to capture the beauty of a place like that.

Our ride landed on a large balcony that catered specifically to air chariots. As we did, we all disembarked and palace servants quickly saw to our bags.

Something Ember misinterpreted. 

She grabbed one of the ponies by the collar of their uniform and growled, "Are you stupid? Trying to steal from a dragon right in front of them?"

I quickly interposed myself. "They're palace servants. They're taking our bags to our rooms for us."

Ember blinked slowly as it set in. "Oh..." She set the pony down, straightening out his collar. "Sorry about that. I'm new here."

"O-of course, your highness," he stammered. 

"'Highness'?" Ember questioned.

"Y-you're Princess Ember, of the Dragon lands, aren't you?"

She sighed. "Yeah, I guess, but drop the formal stuff. Just call me Ember."

"As you wish, Lady Ember," he gave a quick bow and scurried back to his duties. 

Ember groaned, brushing her claw across her face. "Not even here a whole minute and I'm messing it up."

A rather large white unicorn stallion with a blue mane in purple and gold armor approached us, smiling as he said, "Don't worry about it, Miss Ember. We won't hold it against you." He extended a hoof, "I'm Captain Armor of the Royal Canterlot Guard. I'll be your escort."

"Escort?" Smolder asked, sounding a little indignant. "Why do we need an escort?"

"I don't know about you, but I don't know where our rooms are, much less anything else," I said.

"That is my primary duty, as well as to ensure ponies don't react poorly to your presence," the Captain said. "Sadly, many ponies here believe certain stereotypes about your people."

Ember shrugged. "It's not like most dragons have done anything to make friends with ponies."

"But you are, and you're an important dragon," he replied as we left the 'hangar', for lack of a better term. "But, we can talk about that later. Let me show you to your rooms so you can freshen up. The Princess would like you to join her for a private dinner. She'd like to get to know you better before introducing you to the other ambassadors."

"Woah, woah, woah," Ember stopped, holding out her claws. "We're just here so I can learn how to better use my magic and how to give it to others, not play politics."

"And we will do everything we can to make sure you can focus on that," the Captain assured. "But the fact that you're here means you are your people's representatives. Trust me, it'll be better this way. That won't  be until tomorrow, anyway. Today, she just wants to get to know you.

"Anyway, these are your rooms. Miss Smolder, you're here," he gestured toward one door, "and we were told you two would be sharing a room." He looked to Ember and I for confirmation. We both nodded. "Then you'll be in this one. There's a door connecting the rooms that can be locked from either side. Your bags should be on the beds. You don't need to dress up if you don't want to."

"Thank you for the hospitality," I said with a smile. "Will you be escorting us for the entirety of our stay?"

"Just today," he replied. "I'm afraid my other duties are too important to delegate any more than that."

"So, you're a pretty big deal, then, huh?" Smolder asked. 

Armor tried to keep a modest expression but I could feel the pride radiating from him as he said, "You could say that. I'm in charge of the entire royal guard."

"Well, I think I'm going to take a bath," Ember said. "You coming, Luke?"

"As if you have to ask," I replied.

"I would recommend not taking too long," Armor said. "The chefs are already preparing the meal."

"So, no sex, got it," Ember said. I could feel her mischievousness peaking.

The captain, though, didn't get flustered like she was clearly hoping he would. Instead he just said, "Well, you could, but then you wouldn't have time to wash. I doubt you'd want to smell like sex in front of the princess."

Ember narrowed her eyes at him, disappointed by his lack of reaction. "You're not like other ponies."

He just shrugged. "Blame my fiance."





After a quick wash, we were led to one of the smaller dining rooms. Of course, 'smaller' is a bit misleading. It was as big as my old house, but in a palace that was small.

The captain opened the door and stepped in.

"Ah, there you are," came a kind, maternal voice. "We were getting worried."

I walked in to see a rather intimidating sight.

Shining stepped before us and said, "Princesses, may I introduce Ember, dragon princess, her mate Luke, and her protege Smolder." He turned to us and continued, "These are the princesses, Celestia, Luna, and Cadence."

"Wait, there are three now?" Smolder asked.

Celestia laughed politely. "Cadence tries to stay out of the spotlight and my sister has been... away until not too long ago. Come, sit."

We all made our way to find our seats. We were a little surprised to see our escort also take a seat beside the smaller pink one, taking off his helmet and setting it on a rack on the wall.

'Smaller' being misleading here, as well. She was still bigger than me, though I was used to that. 

"Ah, this must be the fiance you mentioned," I said.

Cadence and Armor looked at me surprised. "How did you know?" Armor asked.

"I can sense the love coming from the both of you. It's strong," I explained.

"You're an empath," Cadence noted.

I nodded. "I apologize if it's intrusive. It isn't something I can turn off."

"We understand," Celestia said, a bit of confidence coming from her.

Celestia was certainly an interesting one. She had a mix of emotions coming off of her that it was a wonder she could keep such a calm mask.

Curiosity, excitement, joy, a bit of mischievousness, but also worry and even a little fear.

That last one was surprising.

"We have heard a bit about you three," Celestia said. "Spike speaks quite highly of you."

"Yeah, he's a great kid," Ember said. "More dragons need to be like him."

"Thank you, by the way, for taking care of him and helping him find himself, " the captain said. "That little guy is like a brother to me."

"It was a pleasure," I said.

"Seeing as you've done such a great service for one of my own subjects, we would be happy to assist you with your own endeavors," Celestia continued. "We understand you wish to better understand your abilities and how you can give them to others."

"Yeah," Ember confirmed. "I'm still new to the whole magic thing. I mean, I've learned a few neat tricks on my own, but you guys have been doing it forever. Plus, you guys just know more about magic, in general."

"And you wish to understand how your magic works," Luna deduced.

Ember nodded. "Pretty much. So far, I've just been trying things at random, seeing what works."

"That is certainly something we can help with," Celestia said. "However, as for the subject of helping you give magic to other dragons... we have some concerns."

Ember preempted her. "If you're worried about me giving magic to somedrake and they use it to be jerks, don't. I've already decided that no dragon currently with wings, except Smolder, will get it. I'm going to make sure only dragons raised to understand how to be good ever will. Like Spike. I would love to give him magic, one day."

"That is certainly our greatest concern," Luna said. "It gladdens us to know you have given this thought. You may yet make a fine ruler."

The wait staff chose that moment to emerge, trays in tow. They placed a tray before each of us, lifting the lids with a florish.

I was presented with a delicious looking roast chicked with some kind of berry sauce, and a side of rosemary rice and steamed greens. Ember and Smolder had a similar chicken dish, but theirs sparkled with gems. 

Celestia, Cadence, and the captain had some kind of pasta with white sauce and flowers, while Luna had, strangely enough, pancakes and what looked like sausage links.

She caught my curious glance and said, "What you call 'dinner' I call 'breakfast'."

"Fair enough."

As we ate, Celestia and Ember began talking, mostly about the advancements in magical technology, put a bit about running a nation and dealing with the issues that come from that.

I, meanwhile, was busy pondering how to go about two things. 

First, how to actually ask for help understanding my body without sounding weird.

Second, how to get the recipe for that chicken.
> Chapter 22: Examinations: Lucario
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, we all woke up bright and early.

Well, by dragon standards, anyway. 

After a quickie and a shower, we met up with Smolder and our escort for the day; a guard pony named Kite Shield, and an ambassadorial assistant named Sunflower.

The guard looked like every other pegasus guard. It had to be magic.

Sunflower, though, was a bright, cheerful earth pony mare with a sunny yellow coat, a bright blue mane and green eyes with a daisy growing in front of a rising sun for a cutie mark.

"Good morning, Miss Ember, Mister Luke," she greeted. "How was your sleep?"

"Pretty good," Ember said. "The pillows are a little soft for me, but I just used Luke, instead."

Sunflower chuckled. "I'll make a note to have a few firmer pillows sent up. In the meantime, we have a couple hours before your meeting at the University. If you'd like, we can get breakfast here or we can go out into the city."

"Spike told us about a place called 'Pony Joe's'," I said.

Sunflower smiled. "I was actually hoping for that. Some of our visitors have 'refined palates', but for normal folks..."

"Nothing beats doughnuts and coffee," I finished.

Sunflower grinned, "I think we're going to get along fantastically."





She wasn't lying.

She told us how she was usually the one that was called in to deal with the more roudy races, like griffins and yaks; the races that sometimes required a heavy hand- er hoof.

At first, we thought that she was assigned to us because the ponies expected us to be difficult, but after getting to know her a bit, we could see the real reason.

"I swear, you're a dragon in a pony body," Ember laughed, drawing a couple stares from some of the passing ponies.

After getting a couple doughnuts and some coffee, we started meandering toward the university.

"I have to admit, I didn't think ponies could even be aggressive, much less to that degree," I said, wincing even as I laughed.

"Oh, you might be surprised what a pony can do when pushed," Sunflower said. "Still, after that, I was declared an honorary yak."

"Wait, so, you threw the prince's bodyguard through a wall, and they made you one of them?" Smolder asked.

"Yeah, yaks are weird, and standoffish, but if you can get through their thick hide, they're pretty cool," Sunflower finished.

Eventually, we made it to Canterlot University. It reminded me of some Earth's ivy league schools, with several buildings spread out across beautiful, well tended grounds. 

We were heading to the thaumic research department to meet up with an expert in magic, as well as one of the ponies that was helping Twilight study the others.

The mare that met us was... well, if I was honest, she could have passed for Twilight's twin. 

It was like someone cloned her, died her mane and coat, put her mane up in a messy bun, gave her a very unflattering turtleneck, and date-repellant glasses.

"Hello, you must be Ember, Luke, and Smolder," she said, examining us as if we were specimens is a jar. "My name's Moondancer. I'll be leading the research today." 

We gave our hellos in return. 

The mare then turned to another pony behind her, an older mare with a light pink coat and graying yellow mane. "This is Doctor Rose, xenobiology. She specializes in unknown species."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all, especially you, Mister Luke," she said, offering a hoof.

I accepted it as I replied, "Please, just call me Luke."

"Oh my, that really isn't telepathy," she noted, though how she knew, I had no idea. "I can't wait to learn more about you."

"I think we'll both be learning something new," I said. "Your people have machines and tools that simply don't exist in my birth land."

Moondancer said, "Mister Luke, if you could follow Doctor Rose, you'll be heading to the biology department. Miss Ember, Miss Smolder, if you'll follow me."

I waved as I said, "I'll see you girls in a few hours, I guess. Don't break anything unless they ask you too."

"You, too," Ember returned as they were inside.

As we walked away from the building, the mare said, "Such a lovely pair, those two. Are they both your females, or only Miss Ember?"

"Only Ember. Dragons are monogamous. Smolder's a really good friend, though," I answered.

"Ha! I knew it! Doctor Scale owes me ten bits," she cheered. "He insisted dragons would hoard mates the same as gems, but I just knew they didn't.

"So, am I also right that the dragon migration has something to do with finding a mate?"

I chuckled. We talked about dragon culture and society. Mostly it was her asking questions or making guesses, and me answering. Of course, more often than not that answer was, 'you'd have to ask Ember, but I answered what I could.

Eventually we arrived at another building.

"So, I'm guessing this is the biology department?" I asked. I figured the scrawling text above the door would have told me, but...

"You can't read Equish," Doctor Rose deduced. "We'll have to fix that. Anyway, you're right. This is the biology department. We'll be using xenobiology lab one." 

She opened the door and led me through the halls. Surprisingly, we went down stairs.

"The xenobiology lab sometimes houses potentially dangerous lifeforms, so we're down here in case a lockdown needs to be initiated," she explained, as if she read my mind. "The first level is usually pretty tame stuff, though."

We went into a room where the doc floated a folder to her, opened it, and started reading.

"The preliminary tests Miss Sparkle ran have  been a real help." She motioned for me to follow. "It allowed us to get some data and formulate a plan for how best to tackle the tests.

"Before anything, we need to identify these," she pointed at the spike on my chest. "You told Twilight these are not a form of body modification. Does that mean they're naturally occurring?"

"That's correct," I replied.

"Then I'd like to run some scans on them, if you don't mind," she requested.

"That's why we're here," I said.

"Alright, first, I'd like to take an xray..."





I have metal bones.

Yeah. I had wondered why lucario was steel type. I mean, a couple little spikes couldn't have been enough.

Of course, calling them 'metal' was a bit misleading. They weren't really metal, but an organic structure that uses iron in place of calcium.

Yeah, the doctor was baffled by that, too.

At least it explained why everyone said I was heavier than I looked. 

After she took something to quell the headache, we moved on to testing my physical capabilities. Thus, we moved outside to one of the courtyards. 

"Alright, without using aura, jump as high as you can," she asked, typing away at some monitor.

I was so used to using aura, I actually had to concentrate on not using it. Still, even without aura, I jumped a good fifty feet in the air.

"I said 'without aura', Mister Luke," she scolded, anyway.

"That was without aura," I said.

We were already drawing a crowd. The unusual, unknown creature having tests done out in the open with nothing to keep it from running amok was new to most of them.

"Hey, professor, what is that?" one student asked.

"Is it safe?" asked another.

I answered, in her place, "My name is Luke. I'm a lucario in service to the representative of the dragon lands. And no, I'm not dangerous unless someone tries to harm me or my loved ones."

Needless to say, that got the murmuring revved up.

Rose didn't seem to care, though, and continued on. "Now, using aura, jump as high as you can."

I grinned. It had been a while since I did that.

I focused my aura into my legs, already feeling how much sharper it was. Then, releasing it all at once, I sprang up.

I felt the earth give way slightly just before rocketing through the air. I didn't need any equipment to tell me I blasted past my old record. It wasn't until I busted a hole in a cloud, startling a pegasus mare having her lunch that I finally stopped my ascent.

"Lovely day, isn't it, ma'am?" I greeted with a wave before gravity took hold again.

I fell back through the cloud. I held myself spread-eagle, as if skydiving.

Looking down, I noticed a problem. I had no clear landing area.

I really hoped this worked.

"If you can hear me, I suggest moving to the side of the courtyard with the statue," I broadcast, hoping it could travel that far. "I'm coming in at terminal velocity and would rather not find out what would happen if I hit someone."

I wasn't sure if it was because they heard me or because they realized where I was heading, but they started moving away from my landing area.

The ground was coming up fast, and I could already feel the worry and panic from the crowd.

A hundred feet up, I aimed my ha- paws at the ground and formed a small aura ball. However, instead of firing it, I burst it, focusing the blast outward in a cone of concussive force.

It was small, but enough to bleed off some of my speed. I didn't want to stop suddenly, after all. I did it again and again in rapid succession until I was falling at a manageable speed. I hit the ground feet first before tucking and rolling to prevent a jarring stop.

I popped to my feet to be greeted with cheers and whistles, as well as calls for an encore. I just took a bow and gave my thanks.

"Well, that was certainly quite the performance," Doctor Rose said. "Not to mention we got some great data.

"For the next part, I'd like to test the capabilities of your aura," she continued. "For that, we have permission to use the military academy's battle mage training facilities."

"Is it far?" I asked.

Rose shook her head. "No. It's actually a part of CU. Did you see a part of the campus that looked very different from the rest while you were up there?"

I thought for a moment. "I think so."

"Alright then, let's go," Doctor Rose said, her excitement building.





Half an hour later, we were at what I could only describe as the love child of a rifle range and Final Fantasy.

Each shooting post was surrounded by a ring of silvery metal with crystals lining them. About twenty feet away was a translucent plain of what I guessed was magic, and another fourty feet from that were crystal obelisks.

"So, before we begin, we need to deduce what exactly 'aura' is," Rose said as she finished setting up the last of more than two dozen sensors. "I have a couple theories, but just to cover my bases, I have one of every kind of sensor CU has, even the hokey ones."

"Hokey ones?" I inquired.

Rose snickered, "Yeah. Like this one," she pointed to a dusty looking camera with a green crystal on top, "is supposed to be able to photograph aliens through their stealth technology," next she pointed to one with two antennas waving on top, "this one ghosts," she pointed to another that looked like a TV, "and this one, the invisible creatures that watch our daily lives for entertainment on a magic box."

That one... yeah... I was going to have to borrow that one when I go back to Ponyville.

Rose just laughed, "I know, they're ridiculous, but they've all captured some kind of unidentified reading or image, so who knows."

She moved to a cluster of devices that were set aside. "These are the ones most likely to find what we're looking for, and thaumic resonator, a psychic field recorder, and a lunameter. I know you probably don't know what these are, but explaining will take hours, so if it's okay with you, I'd like to get on with it."

At my nod, she turned to the table and flipped a master switch, turning them all on.

"Okay, now, I want you to form a ball of aura," she requested.

I did as she asked, forming an aura sphere. I held it for several seconds before she told me to fire it at one of the targets downrange. It slammed into the target, cracking the crystal.

Rose flinched. "Oh, wow, yeah. It's definitely not made of thaumic energy. I did tell them that might happen, so... let's just move on. I'm told you can form a solid shaft of aura, like a pole."

"That's right," I confirmed.

"Great, show me your shaft," she said.

I just gave her a grin. "You can at least take me to dinner first."

She let out a loud guffaw, "You're a little young for me, plus, I'm married. I mean your other shaft."

I chuckled as I formed my aura staff and held it in a ready position.

"Good... now, swing your shaft around a little," she said with a hint of a smile.

I snorted in amusement and swung the staff around in some simple movements. I started slow, and swung faster and faster until she told me to stop.

"Good idea with the various speeds. We could get some good data with that," she said as she went to a monitor and started examining the results. "Nothing on the thaumic resonator. That's surprising. The PFR looks like it picked something up, but it looks like it's just cross field echoes. The lunameter actually detected the most, but not very much. Strange."

She flicked through the other devices, laughing when she saw one in particular. "Hey, the ghost camera actually caught a little something." She continued on until she stopped, her smile replaced by a look of pure disbelief. "No way..."

"What is it?" I asked, moving around to see.

It was a picture of me, but overlaid over me was what looked like a blue-silver fire-like substance moving in swirls, concentrating into the aura sphere.

"Which sensor is this one?" I asked.

"The one just beneath the one to the right of the alien one," she said. "It's taken images before, it's only ever been a faint glow from living things. It's always been believed it photographed a pony's mana, but this... this is something completely different."

"What is it supposed to photograph?" I asked.

"The soul." She studied the image a little more before she said, "I think we'll have to to call it here for today. I'm going to have to track down Doctor Glow, the pony that made this."

Rose turned back to me and said, "For now, why don't I take you back to Miss Ember. They're probably done, or close to it, by now."
> Chapter 23: Examinations: Dragon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ember followed the pony through the halls and up the stairs, Smolder at her side.

"Miss Smolder," the pony, Moondancer, began, "if it's alright with you, we'd like to run a few preliminary tests on you first, to get a baseline for non-thaumic aware dragons."

"Huh?" Smolder replied.

"They want to know how normal dragons are so we can compare it to me," Ember translated

"Yes, that."

"Oh." Smolder shrugged. "Meh, sure. Why not?"

Moondancer continued, "To be honest, I'm rather curious about dragon physiology. We know so little about your race, so this is a good opportunity to get some answers."

"Wait, what about Spike?" Ember asked. "Haven't you ever tested him?"

"Spike's still a minor, so we can't perform many tests outside of a basic physical," Moondancer explained.

They finally arrived at a room on the top floor. Inside they were greeted with more gadgets and gizmos than either of them had ever seen. Some resembled the stuff they saw in Twilight's basement, though obviously better quality. There were also lots of machines that were totally new to them.

"Lemon Drops, Lyra! We're here!" Moondancer called out. 

There was a commotion from the corner and a light green unicorn mare came stumbling into view.

Her eyes landed on the dragons, sparkling with excitement. "Oh, my gosh, I'm so happy to finally meet you!" She took Ember's claw, despite it not even being offered, and shook vigorously before repeating with Smolder.

"Forgive her, she's... excitable," Moondancer said. "Where's Lemon?"

"She went to get us some refreshments," Lyra replied.

Moondancer nodded. "That's a good idea. We'll probably need it. Well, we don't really need to wait for her. Let's get started.

"Lyra, could you prep the two-dee-pee?" Moondancer requested. 

Lyra gave a salute, "Aye aye, captain!"

Moondancer turned back to the dragons. "This first one is a two-dimensional photographer. It views and photographs three dimensional things in two dimensions. In short, we can take a picture of your insides without cutting you open. Is there any objection to this?"

"Objection?" Smolder beamed. "That sounds awesome. Let's do it!"

Admittedly, it wasn't as awesome as she thought it would be, though it was still pretty cool. Seeing her insides as if she were sliced into sheets was freaky, but in a cool way.

Moondancer hummed in thought as she examined the images. "One heart, liver, spleen, stomach, two kidneys... three lungs?"

Ember chuckled. "Nah, that's two lungs and one firelung. That's where our firebreath comes from."

"Fascinating," Moondancer whispered as she peared closer, changing to another image showing deeper inside Smolder. "Yes, I see. The interior is structured differently."

After a few more moments studying Smolder's images, she said, "Alright, Miss Ember, your turn."

Ember took her place in front of the machine. A few seconds later, she was looking at her own insides.

"Yes, it seems to be mostly the same..." Moondancer studied the image, her keen eye trailing down until her eyes alighted on something. "Oh, that's interesting."

"What?" Ember asked.

"This," Moondancer pointed to a spot just below her stomach. 

"I-is that...?" Ember stumbled, wide eyed.

"I think it is," Smolder replied.

Moondancer looked at Ember. "Am I right to assume that is an egg?"

Ember nodded dumbly.

"And I take it by your expression it shouldn't be there?"

Ember shook her head, "I-it's not a huge surprise, but it's almost a moon early. I've heard of it starting early for some dragons when they first get a mate, but..." she turned to Moondancer, grabbing the mare by the withers, panic in her eyes, "you have to tell me, is it... i-is it... fertilized?"

Moondancer focused to get her heart back under control. "I-I can take a look. Just calm down, please."

"Yeah... calm down," Ember said, stiffly backing away and forcing a smile.

Moondancer moved closer to the image, keeping one eye on the panicked dragon as she studied it.

After a moment, she said, "It hasn't quite finished moving into position. Though it likely will by this evening. In other words it isn't fertilized yet, but if you engage in intercourse with a compatible partner at this point there will be a possibility."

Ember sighed, both in relief and resignation. "I guess I can't put it off anymore. I'm going to have to talk to Luke."

"Are you alright to continue, or do you need a break?" Lyra asked. "I can get you a lemonade."

"That sounds nice," said Ember.





An hour, one missing pony, and several snacks, and tests later, Ember and Smolder sat in lounge chairs, cold drinks in claw, listening to the ponies talking.

Eventually, the door opened, and in walked a couple older ponies, an evil looking one, and Celestia herself.

"Ah, princess, thank you for coming. Your timing couldn't be better," Moondancer greeted with a bow. 

"I take it you've found something interesting," Celestia guessed. 

"Interesting? Try 'world shaking'!" Lyra said, excitedly.

"Lyra!" Lemon Drop scolded. "Have some respect."

Moondancer continued, "Her excitement isn't misplaced, your highness. What we've discovered here will change how we look at magic."

The evil looking pony spoke, "I find it highly unlikely that we could learn much about magic from a dragon. Even if they did learn a few parlor tricks."

Ember snarled, "Parlor tricks?! I'll show you parlor tricks!"

"Chancellor, let us see what they've found before deciding its importance," Celestia said.

"Of course, my apologies," the chancellor replied.

Moondancer gave the chancellor a dirty look before continuing. "First off, the report we received from Spike during his time in the Dragon Lands is right about at least one thing; dragons don't have kernals."

"Well, it can't be more decisive than that," the Chancellor said. "No kernal, no magic."

Moondancer gave him a flat look. "They don't have a kernal because their bodies are directly connected to the magic field."

Moondancer's horn lit and a projector brought up an image. The image showed a bundle of white shaped like a pony.

"This is a pony's magic well," Moondancer explained. "Notice the two points where it's brightest? These are their kernals, the metaphysical organ that produces mana." 

The next image is of a much brighter pony, this one with wisps of white leaking from it. "This is a pony with fonts, kernals that produce an excess of magic."

The next was obviously draconic in shapt, but unlike the ponies, there was no difference in brightness.

"This is Smolder. Notice the uniformity of her mana? There is no single point that her mana comes from. This suggests she is her kernal.

"And this... is Ember."

The image that came up next had the gathered ponies jaws floored.

It was like some mass of tendrils and vines, like an explosion of white.

"Wh-what is this?" One of the older ponies asked.

Moondancer levitated a pointer and gestured, "Head...arm... leg... leg... I think that's her tail..."

"This is... incredible," Celestia said, wide eyed. "Never, in all my years, have I imagined such a thing. It is like she is... part of the magic field. It's almost like-" Celestia's eyes shot even wider. "May I have a copy of this data? I need to cross reference something."

"Of course, your highness," Moondancer said. "Lyra!"

"Already got it," Lyra said, floating a box over. "I figured you would want a copy, princess. I mean, you're as big a nerd as Mooney and Twilight."

"How dare you speak-" the old pony was cut off by a giggle from the princess.

"Says the pony that introduced me to O&O," the princess shot back.

"Hey, I didn't say it was a bad thing," Lyra said. "Nerds rule."

"Darn right we do," the princess agreed. She quickly turned her attention back to the data before her. "I must admit, I'm quite baffled by this. All we know suggests this should be impossible. Though, that was before the information sent by Spike."

"What information?" The chancellor asked. "I've not heard of any new, important information."

"I've only been made aware myself a few days ago," Celestia said. "According to this information, dragons may have been the original race on our world, as well as the greatest spell casters ever known."

"That sounds quite unlikely," the chancellor scoffed. "What is the source of this information?"

"A dragon elder," Ember said. "The eldest, in fact, probably the oldest being alive, Star."

Celestia twitched. "Star? Ancient silver dragon?"

Ember gave her a confused look. "Uh... yeah?"

The temperature in the room jumped several degrees. "She's still alive?"

"Yes..."

"Oh... that's..." Celestia said, the tips of her mane turning red. "Interesting. Excuse me."

She vanished in a flash of light.

Lyra stared at the place the princess just was. "What just happened?"





"Hey, babe," I said as I finally caught up to Ember and the others. "Learn anything useful?"

Ember leaned in for a quick kiss. "Lots. What about you?"

"I got my soul photographed," I said. "You learn how to unlock dragon magic?"

"Not yet," Ember said. "Though I did learn something else, though. Something pretty important. We'll talk about that later, though."

"See, now I'm curious," I said, teasingly. "Is it a good something or a bad something?"

"That depends on you," she replied. 

"I'm afraid that will have to wait," Sunflower said. "Right now, you need to get ready for dinner. I'm told you brought formal wear? Will you need a hoof getting dressed?"

"Maybe," Smolder answered. "I've never worn clothes before, much less a fancy dress."

"Ember and I should be able to handle it," I said. 





We were escorted back to the palace and to our rooms.

As soon as we got inside, I felt Ember's nervousness spike.

"Give me a claw with this," she requested. 

"Sure."

As I helped her don her armored dress, she finally spoke, "So... I found out something. Um... how can I put this? I guess... my season started early."

I paused, my mind processing that.

"You're season? You mean... are you... pregnant?" I asked. 

"What? No. Dragons don't get pregnant," Ember stated. "If you meant to ask if my egg is fertilized, no. It only just set. But... if we have sex and we're compatible, it will be."

"Oh..."

"So..." Ember said. "I guess that just leaves one question. Do you want to have an egg with me?"

I had to sit down. This was pretty heavy. I mean, it was easy to see us starting a family together, but was it too soon?

"Do you?"

"I mean, I had thought about it, and I wouldn't mind giving it a try," she answered. "I figured I'd leave it up to you."

"Honestly, I do want to, someday, but I'm not sure if we're ready," I  replied. "Can I think about it?"

"Oh! Yeah! Take your time. We have a week," she assured. "But... until you decide, it might be best if we don't share a bed. I'm not sure I can control myself enough to not just jump you."

I nodded as I fastened the last buckle. "I suppose that's the responsible thing to do."

She gave my a coy smile. "Maybe you can keep Smolder company."

I chuckled. "Maybe I will."





I checked myself out in the mirror. If Conan the Barbarian had to attend a formal dinner, this was what he would wear.

It was a nice, black suit, but with an open chest. Obviously, my spike would have torn any fabric covering it. Along the collar, going all the way down the hem was deer fur.

"Looking good," came Ember's voice. 

"Not as good as you," I replied. 

Her cuirass was altered to be more form fitting with intricate engravings that almost looked like fire. Attached to it was a burgundy skirt, open in front and lined with similar fur as my suit. The bracers finished off the ensemble, also having been refitted and decorated with gems to make them look more like jewelry. 

"I feel weird, wearing a skirt with armor," she admitted. "I mean, I can't fight with this. Plus, the engravings just weaken the armor."

I chuckled. "Think of it as ceremonial armor. It's not for fighting anymore, it's for looking good.

"But I always look good," Ember said with a smirk.

"This is true," I said, punctuating it with a kiss. "Now, why don't we get this over with."

"This is going to suck," Ember grumbled as we left our room.

We only had to wait a couple minutes for Smolder's door to open.

"So... what do you think?" Smolder asked as she stepped out.

Her's was an actual dress, no armor involved. It was the same purple as her spines, falling down to her feet. It was open backed, of course, to let her wings out and the front came up to a v-neck that was tied off behind her neck.

Ember gave a whistle. "Dang, Smolder. You look great. There might be something to this whole fashion thing."

"I agree, you look amazing," I said before giving her a sly grin. "Though, I must say, your bag looked far too thick and heavy for just this."

Smolder blushed, looking away. "Yeah, well... I got more than one. You know, just in case."

"Don't be ashamed to like fashion. Who knows, maybe you'll be the first dragon fashionista," I said.

"You really think so? It's not lame or anything?" Smolder asked.

"Yeah, right. If making stuff like this is lame, everything is," Ember replied.

A pony clearing her throat interrupted us.

Sunflower smiled apologetically. "Sorry to interrupt, but everypony's waiting."

"Right," Ember said, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. "Well, time to enter the world of politicking."

Sunflower laughed, "Try not to kill anypony."
> Chapter 24: Dragons and Nobles
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The attendant cleared his throat and announced, "Presenting her majesty, Princess Ember, Prince Consort Luke, and royal apprentice, Smolder of the Dragon Lands."

All eyes turned toward us. A mix of emotions from curiosity and excitement, to fear and disgust wafted from the crowd. It was actually rather surprising how much positive emotions I felt. I thought it would be overwhelmingly negative, but it was a pretty even spread.

As we made our way down the stairs, Celestia met us. “Ember, Luke, Smolder, I’m so happy you could join us.”

“I thought this was for us,” Ember said.

Celestia leaned in and said quietly, “Yes, but it’s best to put on a little show. Most of the nobles are at least somewhat reasonable, but the unreasonable ones are the most vocal. Just play along and try to be as polite and ‘regal’ as possible.”

“I’ll try,” Ember said.

"I’ll help her in case she needs it," I assured.

“Princess Celestia,” Ember said, loudly enough that those nearby could hear. “Thank you for inviting us. I look forward to furthering relations between ponies and dragons.”

“Nicely done,” Celestia whispered before speaking a bit louder. “As do I. Come, let me introduce you to a few important ponies.”

As we made our way through the crowd, I took note of those with strong negative emotions toward us. There were a few that I decided we would be better off avoiding, and some I thought we might be able to sway.

“Good morning, gentlecolts,” Celestia said as we approached a small group of ponies. “Princess Ember, may I introduce Lord Fancy Pants, Lord Bullion, and Lady Diamond Cut. My little ponies, this is Princess Ember, her mate, Luke, and her apprentice, Smolder. Luke’s only means of speech is via a form of telepathy. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Really? Fascinating,” Fancy Pants said. He was oozing with curiosity and hopefulness.

“He won’t be scanning my thoughts, will he?” Diamond Cut asked. She had a mix of reserved hopefulness and mistrust, as if she wanted to like us but was wary of doing so.

“Oh no,” Celestia assured. “It’s not a direct link, but him sending his thoughts out to be received by those he speaks to.”

“As long as there’s no mind reading, I’m fine with it,” Bullion stated.

"Thank you for your understanding," I said. I decided to keep my empathy to myself. I felt it may not have been well received despite being something I couldn’t help.

“I trust I can leave them in your care?” Celestia requested. “I have others I must attend to, I’m afraid.”

“Of course, your majesty,” Fancy Pants said. “I’ve actually been looking forward to finally meeting the dragon princess. Is it true you can use magic?”

With a smile, she used her little mage hand to pluck a pastry from a tray being carried by a palace servant.

“Well, that changes quite a bit of how your people are seen, I would say,” Fancy Pants said with a chuckle. “Incredible.”

“Yes,” Lord Bullion said, his emotions going from mostly indifferent to mildly curious. “If you’ll forgive me, I had always thought dragons were too brutish to learn such things.”

“Most of us are,” Ember admitted. “When I’m Empress, though, that’ll be the first thing I’m going to change.”

Even Lady Diamond Cut’s emotions toward us seemed to become slightly more positive from that.

“I have to wonder, who are you wearing,” Lady Diamond asked.

“Uh... some deer Luke took down in the forest near my home,” Ember said. “They weren’t intelligent, though.”

The mare looked a little green in the face at that. “N-no, I mean who designed it. Normally I would be appalled by someone coming here dressed for war, but I must admit this fits you marvelously. It’s regal, but still hints at the ferocious power of the dragon race.”

“It was made by Rarity, in Ponyville,” Smolder said. “She made mine and Luke’s, too. Well, I actually helped with Ember’s.”

“Ah, I think I remember Miss Rarity,” Lord Bullion said. “I believe she was Blueblood’s victim at the last Gala.”

“Ah, yes, I remember, the poor mare didn’t know what she was getting herself into,” Diamond said with a hint of pity, though there was a touch of amusement in there as well. “Though now I’m curious if she designed her own dress.”

"Her’s and her friends," I said.

“Well, I do believe I know who I’m commissioning for my next gala dress,” Diamond said.

“Princess Ember,” came another voice. I turned to see... Anton LaVey in pony form.

“Oh yeah, Chancellor... actually, I never got your name,” Ember said.

“Neighsay, your highness,” her said. “I would like to formally apologize. I hold no hatred for dragons, only caution. You yourself admitted that dragons have earned their reputation. I simply wanted to ensure that this wasn’t a scam.”

“Yeah, well, somepony had to play Grogar’s Advocate,” Ember said. “You ponies are way too trusting.”

“That is something you and I can both agree on,” Neighsay said. “Perhaps another time we can discuss your plans for the future. I have some concerns I would like to clear up, if that’s okay with you.”

“Sure,” Ember said. “I might not take the advice, but I’d be a fool if I didn’t at least hear it first.”

“Well said,” Neighsay said. “I look forward to speaking with you.”

As he left, I said to the others, "Does he mean to dress like the villain of a children’s story."

Lady Diamond couldn’t hold back a snicker. “I’m glad I’m not the only one.”

“Far from it, my dear,” Fancy Pants said. “I think he does it on purpose, to intimidate others.”

“Wait, that’s what ponies considered intimidating?” Smolder asked.

“Do remember that few ponies ever see true dangers,” Lord Bullion said. “Some of the smaller towns, like Hoofington or Ponyville would be unlikely to be intimidated by the likes of him.”

“Well, concidering we met one that sent a giant dragon crying home to mama in Ponyville, he’d be stupid to even try,” Smolder said, snickering.





We continued to mingle for quite some time. Fancy Pants introduced us to quite a few of the more reasonable nobles. A couple were a bit more standoffish, but Fancy insisted they were merely cautious and once we showed them that dragons weren’t all bad they would come around.

“I wasn’t aware we were hosting diamond dogs as well,” said a rather pompous voice.

I turned to see a pony that I actually recognised. Prince Blueblood himself. I had a feeling this was going to be... interesting.

"There must be a misunderstanding. I’m not a diamond dog," I said.

“Who... Who said that?” Blueblood said.

"Forgive me, this is the only means I have of speaking," I explained, giving a short bow. "I assure you, I can not read your mind, only broadcast my own thoughts."

He looked me up and down with a curious eye. “Yes... well... If you aren’t a diamond dog, what are you?”

"I am a lucario, from a land far outside Equestria’s borders," I explained.

“I see... Well, I suppose if we’re hosting creatures as barbaric as dragons, you couldn’t be worse,” he said with a guffaw.

"I am also the prince-consort of the dragon lands. Princess Ember is my mate," I said, letting a bit of venom into my voice.

Blueblood’s eyes shot open, “Ah... well... I only mean by reputation. I’m sure the princess is a cut above others of her kind.”

"You may be surprised," I said.

“W-where did you say you were from?” Blueblood asked. “Getting a better look at you, I feel foolish for ever mistaking you for a diamond dog. In fact, I can’t say I’ve ever seen any creature like you.”

"Much farther than any pony has ever traveled," I said.

“You may be surprised,” he replied.

I gave the prince a calculating look. He still had the look of a pompous ass, but I could feel uncertainty and even disgust at himself coming from him.

"So, your highness, may I ask how you are a prince?" I asked. "I was under the impression that the princesses are without heirs and no other royalty exists."

He cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I am a descendant of Princess Platinum.”

"Wasn’t she one of the deposed rulers of old?" I asked.

“Deposed? Harmony no!” he insisted. “What ever gave you that idea?”

"Forgive me, as I said, I’m from very far away," I said. "I had heard that she nearly led the world to disaster and an eternal winter."

He nodded sadly. “Yes, she and the others made a grave mistake, and nearly doomed pony-kind, but they saw the error of their ways and worked to build a new nation alongside Chancellor Puddinghead, and Commander Hurricane. After the sisters defeated Discord, it was decided that the old rulers would step down to allow Aunt Celestia and Luna to rule. In exchange, Celestia and Luna agreed to adopt their entire family lines as nieces and nephews. Sadly, both the chancellor's and commander's lines ended."

"You don't like this, do you?" I asked. 

"W-what? Whatever do you mean?" he stammered. 

"This whole, 'playing the noble' thing," I specified. 

"I am noble," he insisted. 

"But you don't like playing the role," I replied. "I'm an empath. I can sense your emotions, and yours have been confusing me. You act as if you're just another pompous oaf, but you're full of nervousness and self loathing.  Talking to you about your ancestors, though, that vanished. You love your heritage, but hate the obligations that come with it."

"I do not hate the obligations that come with it," he insisted before letting out a sigh. "I'm just unsure how to approach it. I don't know how to deal with high society, I'm a sailor. The last party I attended I treated a lovely mare so horridly. I thought that was how I was supposed to act, but Aunty made sure I understood how wrong I was."

"Then why act that way? Who says you have to be a part of this."

"The title of 'prince'," Blueblood said.

"Okay, I'll give you that. Being a prince means you'll always be a part of it, but it doesn't have to define you." I nodded toward Ember. "Look at her. She's willingly putting herself into this, and she's over there telling a bunch of nobles a story about kicking the crap out of another dragon for irritating her. Look at her audience. They love it."

"Lady Scarlett doesn't," Blueblood said, indicating a red unicorn mare.

"Oh, she does. She's just keeping up appearances," I gave him a smirk. "Empath."

He sighed. "I'm afraid it isn't that simple for me. Ember is a dragon, so it's expected for her to be a bit more brutish, or at least to require brutish tactics when dealing with her subjects and so it's accepted when she speaks of being such. I am expected to be the fine, young prince, a prime example of old blood unicorn nobility."

I sighed. "Well, if nothing else, you should get out more. Is there anywhere you can be yourself?"

He smiled. "There is. Thank you for your concern, truly. Sadly, I must cut our time short. I must speak with Lord Landgrab before he does something that will leave his children destitute with a father in chains."

"Perhaps we can meet under better circumstances," I said. "Maybe you can show me where you can be yourself."

He smiled back and gave a little bow. "I would like that. Farewell, Prince Luke."

I returned the bow. "And you, Prince Blueblood. "





We made our way back up to our suites after a long night, Ember and I hung back to talk among ourselves.

"Are you sure you’re going to be okay, sleeping by yourself?" I asked.

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I slept by myself every night before we met.”

"I know. I just don’t like the idea of making you sleep alone," I replied.

She chuckled. “You’ll just have to make it up to me when we do sleep together again.”

"Even if that’s not for another week?"

“Even if it’s not for another week.”

We eventually made it to our rooms, Smolder going right into hers while we lingered.

“I’ll be fine,” Ember said. “Go give Smolder the night of her life.”

I gave Ember a quick kiss and said, "Next time we do it, I’ll make sure you can’t even walk the next morning."

“You better.” And with that, Ember went into our room, closing the door behind her.

As for me, I opened Smolder’s door and stepped inside.

Smolder hadn’t noticed me yet, she was busy looking at her other dresses while running a claw across the one she was wearing. It was funny how into fashion she had become in such a short time. Still, it was something I really hoped she would embrace.

With her distracted, I decided to surprise her. I came up behind her and put my arms around her, eliciting a yelp.

“L-Luke?” she ventured. "What are you-"

I cut her off with a kiss. It wasn’t long, but it got my intentions across.

“So, you finally over that weird hang up about sex?” she asked with a smirk.

"I’m more open to the concept," I replied.

Smolder’s smile was replaced by a slightly disappointed look. “So I take it this means you and Ember aren’t having an egg this season?”

I sighed. "I don’t know, yet. A part of me wants to, but another part feels it might be too early. With everything going on, I’m just not sure it’s the right time."

“If it makes any difference, I think you’d make a great father, even if you are super busy,” Smolder assured.

"I just need a day or two to think about it, make sure it’s what I really want," I said. "But, in the meantime, I can finally give you the banging you deserve."

She gave me a sultry smile, “‘Bout time,” and pulled me back into a kiss.
> Chapter 25: Shopping With Smolder
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How are you feeling?" I asked as I gave Ember a good morning kiss.

She gave my ass a little pinch. "Good. Sunflower introduced me to something called a 'cooler'. Apparently ponies use them when they're in season to help curb the urges. It's still not as good as the real deal, but I can wait. Of course, hearing you two going at it all night didn't help."

I gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah, sorry. I guess I'm just a pleasure machine."

"Oh, did you not want a choice in whether or not we have an egg?" Ember warned. "Then don't tempt me."

"Well, threaten me with a good time," I teased.

Ember rolled her eyes. "Let's just get some breakfast. Where is Smolder, anyway?"

Smolder stepped out with a slight limp. "I thought the whole 'giving a female a limp' thing was just talk."

Ember laughed. "It's worth it, though, right?"

Smolder laughed, "Heck yeah it is!"

"Good morning," Sunflower greeted as she came around the corner.

"Morning," Ember and Smolder said simultaneously.

"Good morning, Sunflower," I greeted. "What's on the agenda today?"

"Not much," she said. "Ember is needed for a few follow up tests to try to ascertain the nature of her connection to the magic field. The two of you, however, are free for today."

"Has Doctor Rose not contacted the pony she needed to in order to go forward with my own tests?" I asked.

Sunflower gave me an apologetic smile. "She has located him, but he no longer lives in Canterlot, so she had to leave town. Hopefully they will both be returning by tomorrow."

"Then perhaps we can tour more of the city?" I offered.

"That can be arranged," Sunflower said. "I hope you don't mind if I arrange for somepony else to escort you."

"As much as we would love your company,  we understand," I said. "You're an ambassadorial aide, and Ember's the ambassador."

"Exactly," Sunflower said. "Don't worry. You'll like who I have in mind."





Smolder and I waited by the entrance for our escort, though it wasn't for long.

Soon enough, we were approached by none other than the possible anthropologist enthusiast, Lyra Heartstrings.

Yeah, even I knew her reputation in the fandom. I found something endearing about a pony in a children's show having an interest in a mythical race, that happened to be the audience.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "I was caught up at the lab."

"Understood," I said. "We aren't exactly in a rush."

"Oh, that is so cool~" she sang. "Sorry, I just never met a creature that talked telepathically without using the psychic field.

"Anyway, I'm Lyra Heartstrings, you can call me Lyra, and I'll be your escort for today."

"Thank you Lyra," I replied, with a nod. "You may call me Luke."

"Alright, Luke," Lyra said with a smile. "So, where to first?"

"We got those bit things, right?" Smolder asked. 

Lyra nodded, "Yup! Quite a bit. Those gems Ember brought were pretty good. Plus there was two sea sapphires and a fire ruby, which are all quite valuable."

"I did want to get something for the guys," I said. 

Smolder scratched her chin in thought. "I like stuff as much as any dragon, but is there anything more, I don't know... I heard you guys have, like, stories that ponies actually act out. That sounds pretty cool."

Lyra's grin grew. "Oh! Canterlot has a bunch of plays, and even two movie theaters with four screens each! That's eight movie screens! Only Manehattan has more."

I had to suppress a laugh.

"What the heck is a movie?" Smolder asked. 

"Well, it's like a play, but it's all done beforehoof and recorded on film," Lyra explained. "Because of that, they can do crazy stuff, like make a normal mare look like she's a hundred hooves tall."

"That sounds pretty cool," Smolder said. "Let's do that."

I thought for a moment. "That sounds like something Ember would enjoy, too. Maybe we should hold off on that until she can join us."

"Yeah, I guess," Smolder hesitantly agreed.

I looked at Smolder and had an idea. "Maybe we can go somewhere where we can see more fashion. I do like my suit and wouldn't mind seeing what else ponies can do with clothing."

I felt Smolder's excitement spike, even as she scoffed, "Fine, if you really want to do something so lame."

I was going to get her to embrace her interest. That was a promise. 





The first store we stopped at was a casual wear shop.

In true tour guide fashion, Lyra lectured as she lead us inside. "Casual wear isn't very common in smaller towns, like Ponyville, but in cities it's quite common. After all, with so many ponies in one place, you need something to help you stand out."

There were a lot of hats. About half the store was hats, in fact. There was other stuff, too, of course. Shirts, ties, neckerchiefs, and shoes, among other things, filled the other half.

Smolder looked around, a bit confused. "So, where are the dresses?"

The shop keeper, obviously a bit nervous,  replied, "W-well... miss, we, uh, don't have formal wear. We do casual clothing, like one would wear in everyday situations."

Smolder turned to him, eyes wide and excited. "Wait, you mean you can wear clothes just doing whatever? That's awesome! You got anything that'll fit me?"

"N-not in stock," he admitted. "We don't get enough bipeds to keep stock for them, but I do occasionally do custom work."

Meanwhile, I was looking at the jewelry. In particular, a very beautiful necklace with a large, dark blue and black gemstone pendant.

"Sir," I asked. "Sorry to interrupt, but how much is that necklace?"

The shopkeeper looked over. "Ah, that one is... two hundred and thirty bits."

I looked at Lyra, who nodded, confirming it was a fair price.

"I'll take it."

I eyed a couple other pieces.

Well, I did say I would get presents, I thought to myself.





The next place we found was, surprisingly, an electronics store.

I mean, I knew there was electricity. Twilight had it in the library, and most shops use electric lighting, but I didn't think it was something that had entire shops for it.

Maybe Ponyville was just a slow adopter?

"Let me get this straight," Smolder said, trying to wrap her head around the concept. "They basically make lightning, shoot it through wires and that's what makes this stuff work?"

"That's a gross oversimplification, but close enough," I said.

"I call minotaur crap," she replied.

"No, he's actually right," the storekeeper confirmed, a middle aged earth pony stallion. "There's two whole plants - industrial plant, not grow-from-the-ground plant - that make the electricity. One in the industrial section and one near Ponyville."

"And we could easily build geothermal plants to bring electricity to the dragon lands," I pointed out. "That's why I want to see what kind of devices Equestria has, so I know what to introduce."

"Geothermal?" the pony questioned. "Like, using the heat from a volcano? That's... pretty smart, actually. Are you an expert on electric power, or something?"

"Nah, I just know enough to get the actual experts thinking," I said with a smile.

We looked around for a bit. There were radios, record players, and even a TV that boasted six whole channels. There was even a couple arcade cabinets.

And then, I saw it. The perfect gift for Zann.

"How much for that?"





Meanwhile...

Celestia studied the readouts coming from the scanners. “This looks promising.”

“Can I stop now?” Ember asked.

“Yes, I believe we have enough,” replied the princess.

Ember let her magic go, releasing everything she was holding. “So, what’s up? What did you figure out?”

“Well, your magic seems to affect the very fabric of reality,” she explained. “Because of this, it takes much more power to do things that are considered so simple with unicorn magic. Simple levitation, for example, takes twenty-one times the amount of mana. This is mitigated by the simple fact that you have access to more raw mana than has ever been recorded, even more than my sister and myself put together.”

She studied the readouts a little more. “It seems like your magic is more suited to making slight adjustments to the laws of nature. This is likely why your ‘mage hand’, as you call it, is easier for you to use. It is simply a magical construct that still abides the laws of physics. In fact, your ‘mage hand’ only uses eight times the magic a unicorn would use casting a similar spell.”

“So... what does that mean for me?” Ember asked.

Celestia smiled and said, levitating a book to Ember, “It means this would make a better spellbook for you than anything else.”

Ember took the book, reading the name in confusion. “Physics one-oh-one. So, basically, my magic breaks physics, but the more I break the harder it is. That about right?”

“I would say it’s more accurate to say your magic rewrites physics,” Moondancer amended. “Like if you wanted to make something float, you don’t make the thing defy gravity, you make gravity ignore the the thing.”

Princess Celestia added, “Likewise, if you were to set something on fire, you don’t create fire and apply it to the thing. You simply make it so the laws of physics demand the thing burn.”

Ember grinned. “So, basically, my way can burn water.”

“Precisely,” agreed Celestia.

“Okay, that’s just obscenely awesome,” Ember said said. “When will I be able to Teach Smolder?”

Celestia looked up and grinned. “Well... let’s find out.”





"Oh, my god," I said as I walked in. "You are absolutely adorable, with the lab coat and ponytail and glasses."

Celestia giggled. “Well, thank you. It’s nice to know I can still pull off the scientist look.”

“Hitting on the princess, too, huh?” Ember asked with a smirk.

I crossed my arms, turning my nose up in mock indignation. "It’s not flirting. Ponies are just cute. Like puppies."

“Like the puppy you diddled in Ponyville?” Ember countered.

"Leo isn’t a puppy. She’s more vulpine than canine, so she’d be a kit."

Celestia just raised an eyebrow. “You two have strange conversations.”

"We’re strange creatures," I stated, with a shit-eating-grin.

"Anyway, I'm actually glad you're here," Celestia said. "I was hoping you would let me run a scan on you."

I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of scan?"

"Ember told me a more detailed account of your meeting with this spirit dragon," Celestia explained. "Specifically the part about some kind of blessing. With your permission, I would like to see if we can't pick this blessing up and maybe learn more about it. I would look for Ember's, but she overwhelms every scanner we use."

Ember grinned, smugly at that. 

"Alright, which machine are we using for it?" I asked. 

"Right over here," Celestia replied, leading me toward what I could only call Merlin's CAT scanner. "You aren't claustrophobic, are you?"

I could help being a little nervous. "I wasn't before."

"I assure you, it's safe," Celestia said.

"It won't be affected by my metal bones, will it?" I asked.

Celestia blinked. "My apologies, I haven't had an opportunity to read your test results. You have... metal bones?

I nodded. "Basically. They use iron in place of calcium."

The princess closed her eyes and rubbed her temple with one hoof. "That... makes no sense. In no way could iron ever take the place of calcium. It just doesn't work that way." She groaned. "No! No. That's a problem for another time. It shouldn't affect the machine, so if you would please, just lay down on your back as flat as possible."





After dinner, I decided to go for a walk in the gardens. I told the girls I needed to think about some things, so they said they were going to hang out in mine and Ember's rooms.

Like so many things, the show failed to capture the splendor of the gardens. I mean, I only saw them in the show once, at night, but still. 

There were all kinds of amazing things there. There was a shrub that had these growths on them that seemed to sing with every breeze. There was vines with glowing bulbs. There were birds that had feathers that changed colors.

And I barely noticed any of it.

My thoughts were occupied by a single question: am I ready to be a father?

I had been trying to focus on other, more immediate things, but now I could really consider it.

"You look like you have the world on your shoulders," came a light, playful voice.

I looked around, trying to see who spoke.

All I could see was a couple sleeping birds, a squirrel running around, and a cat... a light pink cat looking down at me from a tree branch with a friendly smile.

"Was that you?" I asked out loud.

The cat giggled. "I didn't startle you, did I?"

"A little," I admitted. "I can usually sense every creature around me."

"Oh? I guess I'm just really sneaky. So, why the long face?" she giggled

I sighed and took a seat on a rock. "My mate is... actually, I'm not sure what it's called when a reptile is fertile."

The cat jumped down, "So you're upset because you can't have any fun without getting stuck with a youngster?"

I gave the cat a little glare. "Actually, I'm wondering if I'm ready to be a father, yet."

"Yet?"

"Yeah," I said. "I know I want to be a father someday. I'm just not sure I'm ready for that just yet."

"Why not?" the cat asked. "What will you have later you don't have now?"

I leaned back on my paws. "I don't know. Probably nothing.

"But that's just it. I'm pretty sure I have everything I need to be a good dad, but at the same time, what if I'm wrong? What if I'm missing something crucial to being a good father? If I have a baby, I can't just take it back afterward."

The cat's gaze lingered on me, as if boring into my soul, for several seconds. "So, you really love your mate."

I looked up at the stars as I let my mind drift to thoughts of Ember. "I really do. She's amazing. She's smart, but strong, kind, but tough. She can be gentle and caring when she needs to be but knows when a firmer hand is needed."

"Then you don't have anything to worry about," the cat claimed. "I don't think anyone ever has everything they need to raise a baby. It's just something you have to learn. But if you love your mate and she loves you back, you'll figure it out. Besides, I'm sure you have friends you can rely on when you need them."

My mind filled with thoughts of me and Ember, playing with an adorable little tyke, laughing as we ran around, his little voice calling out 'I'm gonna get you, daddy.'

I smiled. "You know... I think you might be..."

I looked down again, but I was all alone.





I flung open the door to our room, stepping inside with a purpose, slamming the door behind me. Ember and Smolder jumping to their feet from where they were sitting on the bed. 

"L-luke?" Ember began, uncertainty in her aura and voice.

"Smolder," I said. "You should probably go to your room... or watch. It makes no difference to me."

"Watch what?" Ember asked, a little fearful. "What are you doing?"

I strode over to her, gently cupping her cheek.

"Making you a mommy."

Ember's eye practically lit up.

"Yeah, I'll just be going," Smolder said, hurrying to the adjacent rooms as Ember and I fell to the bed in a passionate embrace.
> Chapter 26: Proper Education
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A knock at the door roused me from my slumber.

"Enter!" I said without thought.

The sound of the door opening preceded a gasp. "Sweet Celestia! It smells like a brothel in here!"

Ember waved a claw dismissively. "You're just jealous."

Sunflower guffawed, "Sure, maybe a little. Oh, wow. I can't even get close, the smell... Jeez did you even get any sleep?"

"Not enough," I said. "Come back at eleven."

"It's noon," Sunflower replied, flatly.

"I didn't say 'am'."

I could literally feel the eye roll. "You didn't say 'pm' either, so get up or I'll get the hose."

Ember smiled, stretching out, "Did I ever mention how much I love this pony?"

I leaned over and gave Ember a quick kiss. "Maybe Celestia will let us keep her."

"Oh, I am way too high maintenance for you two," Sunflower retorted. "Might I suggest a puppy?"

We laughed.

But then, I had a thought.

"Hey... we should get a puppy."

Ember laughed. "Yeah, let's get a little furry animal to run around lava pits."





That afternoon was spent with me in the arcane science lab, getting tests done.

In other words, I stood still in a machine while the nerds spoke Klingon to each other then went to stand in another machine. Rinse, repeat.

"So, can you explain in words normal people can understand?" I asked.

"She's saying that you're magic isn't normal magic," Lyra explained. 

"See, why can't all eggheads talk like that?" Smolder asked, throwing her hands up.

"Because it isn't exactly accurate," Moondancer explained.

Lyra rolled her eyes. "It doesn't have to be. They aren't scientists, they aren't a review board, they're just normal creatures."

Moondancer sighed. "Fine. Would you care to take over the explanation?"

"Sure," Lyra said, pulling up one of my images. "Alright, you know how we said that ponies have a kernel, and that allows them to use magic?" 

I nodded. 

"Well, you have four. Now, we actually kind of expected this. You said you knew the eevees before from before you came here and they have four, so we figured you might as well."

She brought up a trio of graphs. "Alright, this shows three different magical signatures from two different ponies and a griffin. You see how most of the wave is similar? The only differences are here, in what we call the 'personal wave', the part that changes from individual to individual, and here in the case of the griffin in what we call the 'species wave', the part that differs based on species. You following me so far?"

We all nodded.

"Good," Lyra brought up a different graph. "This is yours."

It was immediately apparent that it didn't share much in common at all with any of the other waves.

"As you can see, it's completely different from normal magic. However, it's still magic. If it wasn't, it wouldn't have been picked up at all."

Moondancer finally spoke up again. "Which begs the question, what kind of magic is it and why is it so different?"

"I have my bits on aliens," Lyra said.

Moondancer scoffed, "They aren't aliens."

"You can't prove they aren't," Lyra said.

"I also can't prove they aren't sentient seaweed that only mimics an animal. That doesn't mean it's true," Moondancer countered.

"No, but it does mean there's still the possibility," Lyra pointed out.

"Lyra isn't wrong," I said. "After all, timberwolves are a thing. Sentient seaweed isn't outside the realm of possibility. "

"Timberwolves aren't sentient," Moondancer said.

"But who's to say they couldn't be?" I asked.

"Every law of magic ever made," Moondancer said.

"The same laws that say you need a kernel to use magic?" Ember asked.

Moondancer's mouth opened, as if to respond, but she froze. After a moment, she closed her mouth. "Fair point. Fine, I will acknowledge that there is an infinitesimal possibility that he and the eevee's could possibly be aliens, but I will also state that the chances of that are about a trillion to one."

I had to hold back a laugh. I made a note to make sure I was there when she found out Lyra was right. I really wanted to see that.

"Anyway, I think we're about done here," Moondancer said, turning to the girls. "Princess Celestia was wanting you to come to her study. She was hoping to get started on actually figuring out how to connect Smolder to the magic field."

She looked at me. "As for you, Captain Armor asked if you would be willing to go to the training ground."

I raised a curious eyebrow. "Why?"

"He didn't say."

Maybe not, but I could have guessed.





"Ember, Smolder, I'm glad you are here," Celestia said as the two dragonesses entered.

"Glad to be so welcome," Ember said.

"So, they said you know how to give me magic powers," Smolder said, trying to hide her excitement.

Celestia smiled apologetically. "Unfortunately, not quite yet. However, I do have a few ideas that may help get us moving in the right direction."

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Ember asked. “Let’s do this.”

Celestia smiled. She certainly admired the dragons’ enthusiasm. “Alright, first, I want you to describe to me, in detail, the place you went when you met Aurora. Don’t so much tell me about Aurora, but the place itself. Focus on things that stood out as different from, say, this room.”

Ember took a seat in one of the chairs as she thought.

“Was a while ago, so I might not remember perfectly, but I do remember a few things that I thought were strange,” Ember said. “One thing was that there was light everywhere, but it wasn’t coming from anywhere. Another thing was... how can I put this... everything felt weird. It was almost like... like I wasn’t actually there. It was as if I was, I don’t know, a ghost, or something.”

“Like a dream?” Celestia ventured.

“Yes! That!” Ember said. “That’s exactly how it felt.”

Celestia hummed to herself. “I believe I may have an idea where you went.”

“Where?” Smolder asked.

“I believe what you call the weave, we call the Ethereal Plane,” Celestia said. “I’ve only been there once before, myself, when I first ascended to become an alicorn.”

"Ascended?" Smolder queried. "Does that mean you weren't born an alicorn?"

Celestia chuckled. "Heavens, no. Alicorns are never born such. No, we ascend, after performing some grand feat. For myself, it was when I first raised the sun on my own, when the others of the circle were... indisposed.

"Luna ascended at the same time, as she did the same for the moon the same day."

"Whoa," Ember said. "Okay, so we know what that place is now, but how does that help?"

"It helps because now I know what we need to connect to," Celestia said, a determined look on her face.





I was led through town toward the outskirts and what I was told was the Canterlot Guard Training Command.

It looked like any military base one could find on Earth. Of course, I hadn't really spent much time on military bases, other than going to an air show when I was a kid, so what would I know?

Shining armor was waiting for us when we arrived. "Good to see you again, Luke." He looked at my escort. "Dismissed."

My escort saluted and left.

"How have you been, Captain?" I asked. 

"Fantastic," he replied. "So, I'm sure you can guess why you're here."

"Either you want to share tactics or you want me to assist with some kind of training exercise," I guessed. 

Shining Armor smirked. "Right on the second, though I wouldn't mind touching on the first. I want to give my soldiers experience in dealing with the unknown."

"Let me guess," I said with a grin. "You want me to be the 'unknown'?"

"Bingo,"  Shining Armor confirmed. "These guys are part of a special unit that are meant to go into the wilderness to combat threats and rescue innocents, so they need to be ready for anything. 

"So, what do you say? Wanna try beating some knowledge into my best and brightest."

My smile turned wicked. "I would be honored."





"Alright, stallions," Shining armor said after his soldiers came to attention. "Today, you're going to have a special instructor. This is Luke. He comes to us from a distant land and has agreed to help me teach all of you an important lesson. He speaks psychically, so don't be surprised when you start hearing a voice in your head. Luke, if you may."

I took my cue and stepped up. "Good afternoon, gentlemen,  or whatever equivalent term you use here. I understand you fight in teams of three, one unicorn,  one pegasus, and one earth pony, correct?"

"Sir, yes sir!" they sounded off.

"Excellent," I said, letting my excitement bleed into my 'voice'. "Now, this is how today's lesson will play out. You will divide into your teams, I'm going to beat you senseless while you desperately try and fail to find a way to beat me, and then you're going to think about what you could have done to prepare yourself."

I felt everyone's anger and indignation spike. Well, almost everyone's. There was one group that only seemed to feel curiosity and caution. I made note of them.

"Any volunteers to go first?" I asked.

"Sir, we'll go first," a burly earth pony said, stepping forward with his team. He seethed confidence and pride, as did his two teammates.

I nodded. "Very well. Step into my parlor."

My first victims strode willingly to their own flogging. I stood still, paws behind my back. "Whenever you're ready."

"You know, you shouldn't underestimate your enemy!" The earth pony charged straight at me.

They thought they were clever.

How adorable.

I reached back, grabbing the hoof of the pegasus that tried to dive bomb me from behind and flung him into the charging earth pony, knocking the former out and the latter down.

I ducked under a beam of magic, grabbing a rock and flinging it at the unicorn, getting my second KO.

Just as the earth pony got to his hooves, he was put down by a roundhouse kick to the face.

The others just gaped. I had just dispatched an entire team in four seconds.

I looked at them and said, "Overconfidence is a weakness. Making your opponent think you're overconfident is not. Never let yourself be goaded into attacking recklessly. If your opponent is goading you, that's what they want."

"Sir, we'd like to have a go at you," said a unicorn mare.

She and her team stepped up, they felt both confidence and caution. Already, they were doing better than the last group. Plus, they actually took the time to arm themselves.

"The Captain said weapons were allowed. We hope you don't mind," she said.

"I want you to treat this as if it was an encounter in the field with a hostile. If you use them in the field, you can use them here," I said.

The unicorn had a strange weapon floating in her magic. It was all blade with no grip whatsoever, pointed at both ends. It was clearly meant for unicorns. The pegasus had a bow with arrows, whose tips looked like a copper fork. The earth pony wore a pair of... gauntlets? Whatever the pony equivalent was.

Shining Armor told me there were enchantments on the field and weapons that prevented fatal injuries, but I still eyed the weapons warily.

"Whenever you're ready."

Their attack was much more coordinated and less obvious than the last group.

An arrow zipped by as I nimbly shift to the left. As it passed, I could feel the electrical charge stored within.

The unicorn blade swung at my side. I deflected it using the spikes on my hands, just as the earth pony reached me. He punched at my knee, trying to take me down, but I parried with a shin.

"Excellent team work," I complemented.

With lightning fast reflexes, I snatched the second arrow fired at me out of the air, jabbing it into the earth pony's neck. The electrical charge shot through his body, taking him out.

I rushed the unicorn, deflecting another blow. That was apparently a distraction, though, as the blade went flying and the unicorn was gone.

I turned around, firing off a one handed aura sphere. The aura sphere plowed through the spell bolt the unicorn cast and slammed into her head, taking her down.

I turned just in time to snatch another arrow out of the air, only for the arrow to burst in a cloud of irritating smoke. I reached out with my aura senses, feeling for his attack. Instead, I felt him fly past me to his fallen teammates, pick them up, and call, “Pulling out!”

The others  started heckling the pegasus, calling him, “Scaredy cat!” “Whimp!” and “Sissy!”

I held out a paw to silence them. "Tell me, why did you retreat? I didn’t even realize that was an option."

The pegasus landed and said, “You said to treat this like an encounter in the field. If this were in the field, and we encountered something as powerful as you, it would be better to retreat and report what we learned about you.”

Shining Armor stepped up. “An excellent call. Remember, when dealing with an unknown, information is your most valuable resource. If you engage but find yourself overwhelmed, retreat. The intel you would have gathered on your foe, even in a brief encounter, is too valuable to lose.”

"Now, why don’t we let you and your team share what you learned fighting me, that way the next team will have an edge."
> Chapter 27: Story Time
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke up sore.

Not because of the sparing. No, that was easy.

No, it was what Ember did to me.

I was pretty sure she was set on testing how durable an iron pelvis actually is.

Still, I couldn’t fault her logic. If we do it as much as possible, it will only help our chances of fertilizing her egg.

I had only just got out of the shower when I was tackled by a squeeing blue bullet.

"Ember, come on. I’m still sore and we have places to be. We don’t have time for another round," I pleaded.

She snorted in amusement. “That’s not it... though I wouldn’t say no to being a little late.”

I looked up at her, eyebrow cocked. "Okay... What is it, then?"

Her smile grew to near Pinkie levels. “I’m not horny!”

"Uh..."

She rolled her eyes. “Think about it. There’s only two reasons I wouldn’t be horny right now, and we one of them doesn’t last this long.”

My morning brain struggled to work without breakfast to fuel it.

Then, it hit me. "Wait... you mean..?"

Ember just nodded.

I jumped to my feet, letting out a howl of joy as I twirled Ember around.

"I’m going to be a daddy!"

The door between the rooms slammed open.

Smolder rushed in. “What?! Really?! Are you sure?!”

Ember blushed. “W-well, not completely, but I’m not horny and I haven’t laid it, so I’m pretty sure.”

"Wait, I said, pulling her close. I kneeled down, resting my paw on her belly and closing my eyes.

I reached out with my senses. Ember's life force was strong, almost blindingly bright. Still, I pushed through, searching.

There, hidden in the brilliance of Ember's soul, a spark, small and fragile.

I felt a tear trail through my fur.

"I... I'm a daddy... I'm a daddy!" I cheered

"You can feel it? Already?" Ember said, breathlessly. 

I looked up, meeting the eyes of the most beautiful mother in the world and nodded.

She let out a cheer, picking me up and spinning me around.

We barely heard the knock on the door. 

We did hear the yelp as Smolder opened it and pulled Sunflower into a hug.

"I'm gonna be an auntie!" she cheered. "Well, kinda. Who cares!"

Sunflower quickly joined the celebration. 





We practically danced into the dinning room.

Celestia was already there, giving us a warm smile. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you both."

Ember looked shocked. "Y-you know? How?"

Celestia giggled. "Everyone in the palace knows. Apparently Luke's telepathy becomes quite strong when he's so excited. You were even heard in the city. I have fliers out checking how far it actually reached and to prevent any possible panic, though I doubt any pony will panic at that message."

I blushed slightly, but my grin remained. "Can you blame me? I'm going to be a father."

"Well, then I do believe a celebration is in order," Celestia said. "It's a shame we don't have a premier party pony in Canterlot..."

She and a couple others that were eating glanced around, as if expecting something.

"Well shoot," Celestia pouted. "I was hoping that would work. Oh well. I'll make some arrangements for this afternoon. For now, why don't you come eat."

"Good idea. I could go for a gem omelet, extra gems," Ember said, giddily. "Need to build up that shell."

We all sat down and placed our orders. Gustav even brought them out personally to give his congratulations.

As we ate, Celestia asked, “So, Luke, I heard you and the eevee pack aren’t actually from the Everfree.”

I winced at that. "Yeah, that’s true."

“I have to wonder, then, where are you from?” she asked. “Surely it must be quite far away.”

Curiosity, suspicion, and mirth poured from her, with touches of concern and pity.

I sighed. "Yeah... but you already know how far, don’t you?"

Celestia took a sip of her morning coffee. “I know Lyra will be happy when she finds out.”

"I would prefer it if you kept this to yourself," I asked.

“Yes, I can understand your concern-”

"Oh, I’m not concerned for myself," I corrected. "It’s Leo and the others that are. I can always leave and go back to the dragon lands if I felt I would be... mistreated. They, however, can’t just leave so easily."

Celestia gave me a reassuring smile. “Well, you may be happy to know I have no intention of sharing this information until they are comfortable.”

"Thank you, your highness," I said.

“Though, I am curious,” Celestia said, giving me a quizzical look. “How did you guess I knew?”

I chuckled, "I’m an empath, remember?"

Celestia was shocked at that. “You can sense my emotions?”

"Yeah," I replied, honestly. "It’s actually easier than most."

That left her more confused, though that quickly gave way to comprehension. “Right. You use this ‘aura’, not psychic abilities. I suppose I’m too confident in my abilities to hide my emotions. I’ll have to be careful around you.”

"You don’t need to worry about me abusing that ability against you, your highness," I assured.

Celestia laughed. “So long as you are honest with me, I will have no need to hide my emotions from you.”

“Well, you’re lucky, then,” Ember said. “Luke couldn’t hide his feelings if he wore a mask wherever he went.”

I rolled my eyes. "That’s a bit of an exaggeration, don’t you think?"

Ember shrugged. “Meh, maybe a little.”

Celestia stood with a giggle. “Well, as much as I am enjoying myself, I am afraid I must prepare for court. Perhaps we shall dine together this evening.”

"You as well," I said.

“Yeah, don’t take crap from those stuffy nobles,” Smolder said.

Celestia looked back, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Oh, they know better.”





While Ember went off to try to learn some more magic with Smolder, I went to see if they made any progress with my biology.

As I made my way across the courtyard, I was approached by Ponton LaVey.

"Ah, Mister Luke," he said.

"Please, just Luke is fine," I said.

"Very well, Luke," he said. "I was hoping to speak with you."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? I suppose I have time. How can I help you?"

He gave me a friendly smile, despite his aura telling me it wasn't genuine. "It's nothing serious. I had just realized that I've never heard of your people before.

"Now, I like to consider myself a stallion of culture. Thus, I find myself more and more curious about your culture."

I smiled. "Wondering if I'm actually sapient or just a really smart creature?"

His eyes widened in shock briefly, but he quickly composed himself. "Yes... forgive me for the deception. I felt it would be better to ask about culture than to insinuate you are a lesser animal. As one indisputable part of being sapient is culture, I felt asking about that would be the best way to determine once and for all."

"I suppose there is no proper way to ask something like that," I admitted. "Alright, how about I tell you one of the stories of myth from my people."

"Folklore? You have my attention," he said.

I paused for a moment. "Actually, before we start, are classes in session, yet?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You wish to invite others to hear?"

I gave a smirk. "A story like the one I have in mind needs an audience."

He nodded. "Fair enough. No, classes are not in session."

"Excellent." I focused on my 'voice and projected it out wide. "Attention, there will be a guest speaker sharing folklore of a far away land in the courtyard in front of the biology department in twenty minutes. All are welcome to come and listen."

Immediately, Lyra appeared in a flash of light with a bucket of popcorn and a lawn chair.

It didn't take long for a crowd to start to form. There were many a murmur, most inquiring as to the manner of being I was. A couple seemed to have heard of me, mentioning that was the escort of the visiting dragon princess. 

Anyway, after the allotted time, I looked out across the yard. "Greetings, and welcome. Yes, I am the incredibly handsome bipedal canine standing before you. Yes, I am speaking in your head. Sadly, no, I cannot speak any other way.

"My name is Luke, and I hail from a land far outside Equestria. As such, the good chancellor here found himself curious about my culture, and so I decided to share with all of you one of the most popular stories from my people's folklore.

"This is the story of my namesake, the farm boy turned hero; Luke Skywalker. It all begins a long time ago, on a star far, far away..."





I had to change quite a few things around. For one, every character was a pokemon. Luke, Leah, and Ben were, of course, lucario, while most other characters were either lucario or eevees of some type.

Other than that, instead of spaceships, they traveled in massive airships, and instead of fighters, they rode flying pokemon.

I described the galaxy as a place where magic was lost. Only a shadow of it remained and that was the force. Of the force, there was the Aura side, and the Shadow side, again, taking some liberties to make it better fit.

Everyone was riveted. Even Chancellor LaVey was enthralled.

I only finished A New Hope, making sure to leave them wanting more.

Always leave them wanting more.





After dinner, I went out to the gardens to find a nice quiet place. Finding a place, I sat down, cross-legged and placed a fist sized rock in front of me.

“Alright,” I said to myself. “I can do this.”

I held out my paw and focused on the rocks.

“Move,” I commanded. “Move. Move. Move.”

“That’s not how you do it,” came a voice behind me.

I jumped, damn near launching an aura sphere behind me. “Why do things keep sneaking up on me out here?!”

The voice chuckled as it resolved into a black dog/cat creature with faintly glowing gold rings. “Sorry, I can’t really help it. How’ve you been, Luke?”

I calmed down, chuckling to myself. “If it isn’t Abes. Of course you’d become an Emovee.”

He chuckled. “Surprisingly, I haven’t actually heard that one yet.”

I gave a gasp of mock indignation. “What a crime. That should have been at least the ninth time someone said that.”

“So, I take it you’re trying to learn psychic?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I replied. “I thought it would be easy. I mean, I use aura to talk telepathically, so I figured I’d use aura for this too, but it doesn’t work. So now, I have to figure out a power I have no experience in.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure the rock wiggled, so you’re on the right path,” he observed. "You know... I could help teach you."

I gave him a hopeful look. "You know psychic?"

"Not psychic, but if the show is to be believed, it can work the same as telekinesis, so I believe the principle is the same," he said before giving a wicked grin. "Of course, what I have in mind, it won't really matter what kind of psychic power you're trying to use."

I chuckled. "If you think you're going to scare me off, think again. Let's do this," I accepted.

"As you wish."

Suddenly, Abes' eyes glowed red and I felt my whole body freeze up and raise several feet into the air.

"Fighting types are weak against psychic, so your aura won't help you," Abes said. "That means your only hope of escaping my grip is to overpower my telekinesis with your own psychic."

I smirked down at him. "Challenge accepted."





Challenge failed.

I laid there, panting for air.

"You did good," Abes said. "I felt your mind pressing against my telekinesis. Give it a couple more sessions and you'll have it."

"So, I take it we'll do this again?" I asked.

"Tomorrow night," Abes said. "I think we both need a bit of a rest."

"Yeah."

"Congratulations, by the way," Abes said.

"Huh? Oh!" It took me a second to realize what he meant. "You heard, huh?"

"All of Canterlot heard," he replied with a laugh. "Seriously, if it wasn't for the fact that so many powerful unicorns live here and what you actually said, there would have been a panic."

I laughed, "Yeah, sorry. I was just... happy." I turned to look at my creepy-in-the-moonlight friend. "What about you? Who's the lucky lady?"

He froze up. "What do you mean?"

"This doesn't just look like a dog nose," I said. "I can still smell her on you. It's a pony."

Abes grumbled something about dogs. "Fine, but you have to swear never to tell a living soul. Ever."

"Cross my heart," I said.

He took a deep breath. "It's... Luna."

I smirked. "Oh ho ho. So I'm not the only one looking at a royal title in the near future, am I?"

"Wait, what?" Abes said in surprise.

"Ember's technically a princess," I explained. "While that doesn't really mean anything to dragons, the title of dragon lord goes to the strongest, whoever completes the Gauntlet of Fire. Seeing as Ember's the only dragon with magic and that magic is alicorn-tier, she will win it. And when she does, she's going to revive the dragon empire."

"And with Ember as Empress and you as her mate, you're going to be an Emperor," Abes finished.

"Yeah... Emperor Luke..." I said, a touch of nervousness in my voice. I was going to be an Emperor. I was going to have a hand in ruling an entire nation.

Abes suddenly busted out laughing. "Holy shit, I just realized. Luke Skywalker is going to be an emperor!"

I blinked as that thought settled in before joining him in his mirth.

Suddenly, he got back to his feet, and, speaking with the odd inflections and tone of Palpatine, said, "Come my apprentice. Let me teach you the power of the dark side."

"Yes, my master," I said with my best Vader impression.

"Tomorrow, though," Abes said. "I have some things to take care of."

"Alright," I said. "See you tomorrow night. Oh, and don't tell the others about the egg. I want to surprise them."
> Chapter 28: Wakey Wakey
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next two days passed without incident. In the mornings, we would get up, eat breakfast, and go to the university. Then, in the afternoon, we would meet up, talk about our day, hang out around town, and then head back for dinner.

We went to see a couple movies, too. They were pretty cool. Technicolor is a thing here, so there was that, but it certainly wasn't a big budget Hollywood blockbuster.

In the evenings, I would meet up with Abes and try to figure out psychic. It was... slow going. Still, Abes said it felt like I was resisting more, so there was that.

One other thing that happened was that I was approached by a book publisher about making my version of Star Wars into a book series. I told them I couldn't read or write Equish, and I wasn't going to be in Canterlot for too much longer to learn. They said that was fine and that they would have someone write while I dictate.

The university even let them follow me while I took my tests so I could continue to dictate while taking tests I could speak during.

Thus, Equestria was going to be introduced to the greatest space opera ever told.

Though, of course, I made sure Mister Lucas was credited as being the original creator, even if I was credited as the author of the Equestrian Edition. They insisted, seeing as I did say that I had to alter it to better fit with the culture in Equestria.

Other than that, nothing particularly interesting really happened.

At least, not until the day after.





I didn’t have much to do, so I decided to sit in on Ember’s training/research. At the moment, Lyra was trying to teach Ember how to enchant objects. Or, rather, they were trying to figure out how Ember could, using how ponies do it as a starting point.

Smolder was equally invested. She had said she was quite interested in enchanting, and wanted to see how it worked.

“Alright, now try to weave the spell into the cloak’s essence,” Lyra instructed.

The glow around Ember’s hands seeped into the garment.

“Good,” Lyra said, grinning. “You’re doing it. Keep it up.”

The cloak flashed one last time before the light was sucked in.

“You did it!” Lyra cheered. “Now, you just need to test it out.”

Ember smiled, taking the cloak in her claw and tossing it to me.

"Wait, you want me to try it?" I asked.

“Of course,” she replied. “I’ll only need it for about a moon. After that, I want you to have it, so I want to make sure you can use it.”

"Alright. Let’s hope they respond to my voice," I pulled the cloak on and spoke the command work, <<"Volito.">>

The cloak shifted, parting in the back. Both halves raised to my sides like wings as instinctive knowledge flowed into my mind.

I flexed my new wings a little, getting used to the extra limbs. "They feel weird."

“Give them a flap. Try to get off the ground a little,” Ember said.

I complied and gave a flap, lifting about a foot off the ground... and then immediately lost control, pitched sideways, and headbutted a table.

“It works!” Ember cheered. “You just need practice, and you’ll be able to fly around with us!”

<<"Nix,">> I said, issuing the command to deactivate the cloak’s enchantment.

“I can’t wait to finally fly again!” Ember squeed, taking the cloak back.

Lyra added, “Just remember that it’ll only last for around an hour at a time and will need at least ten to recharge.”

“Still, an hour to actually fly is more than worth it,” Ember said.

We were all startled by a sudden flash of light as Princess Celestia teleported in.

“My apologies, I don’t have too long,” she said. “Court is on break for an hour for lunch and I think I may have an idea to solve our problem.”

She held aloft a milky white potion in her magic. “This is a very special potion crafted by a gifted zebra shaman. It will give you visions of the past, specifically what you most need to see.”

Ember looked at the potion with a questioning look. “Okay... how does that help me?”

Celestia answered, “Well, with any luck, it’ll show you a vision of a time and place that will help you figure out how to connect Smolder to the weave.”

Ember took the flask, studying the fluid inside. “So, basically, I drink this and hope I see a lesson about connecting dragons to the weave?”

“Or something equally helpful,” Celestia added.

“So... all I do is drink it?” Ember asked. “Luke, if this is poison and I die, avenge me, got it?”

"Maybe after dinner," I replied.

Ember laughed. “Well, hopefully it doesn’t taste like crap.” 

She knocked it back like a champ, and immediately her eyes flashed white.





As Ember’s sight cleared, she found herself somewhere familiar. It was a place she had only been to once, but it changed her life forever.

The ethereal throne room of Empress Aurora.

Sure enough, the Empress herself was sat on her throne, looking at a strange... window?

Ember watched as the old empress sighed and, with a wave of her claw, dismissed the window.

“Who’s there?” she asked, almost sounding annoyed. “I can feel your presence, so come out.”

Ember looked around. “Uh... you mean me?”

Aurora’s eyes squinted as she gazed around the throne room. “Wait... Oh, I see. You aren’t actually here, are you?”

“Wait, are you actually talking to me?” Ember asked. “I thought that potion was just supposed to give me a vision.”

“I’m sensing confusion,” Aurora said. “Give me a moment.” Aurora’s claws glowed and a pulse of magic filled the space. “Ah, there you are. I thought you felt familiar. How have you been, Ember?”

“What? How...” Ember asked.

“How am I seeing and speaking to you?” Aurora asked, a knowing smile on her face. “Spells like this one, spells that let you scry, view, or track another creates a link between you and them. A talented enough spellcaster that is aware of this link can use it in various ways, for example making the link move both ways. If I wanted to, I could even use this link to teleport you to me.”

“Wow... I didn’t even know that was possible,” Ember said.

“So, to what do I owe the honor?” Aurora asked.

“Well... I need to know how to connect other dragons to the weave,” Ember said. “I haven’t been able to figure it out.”

Aurora laughed. “Oh, is that all?”

Ember growled, “Hey, you aren’t making fun of me, are you? I’ve been trying to figure this out on my own, you know!”

Aurora gave her a kind smile. “No, Ember. In fact, you’ve shown amazing potential. I was just afraid it was something far worse.”

“Oh... yeah,” Ember said, blushing slightly. “Sorry for getting angry, there.”

“It’s fine,” Aurora said. “So, you want me to teach you to awaken others. That’s a simple matter, though it isn’t something I can just tell you.”

“How is it simple, then?” Ember asked.

“Well, is the one you wish to awaken in the room with you?” Aurora asked.

“Uh... yeah, why?” Ember asked.

“Because the best way to show you will be to guide you, personally,” Aurora said. “Allow me to guide you.”





All I could do was sit and watch as my mate floated a few inches off the ground, staring off into space with glowing white eyes.

"Are you-"

“Yes, it’s normal,” Celestia said, her patience obviously wearing thin.

"For this long, though?" I continued.

Celestia sighed. “I understand that you’re nervous, but it’s only been two minutes.

"Two minutes? Are you-" I froze as I felt another, powerful presence in the room.

A familiar presence.

Ember, still floating with glowing white eyes turned toward Smolder and raised a claw.

Smolder started to panic as she was lifted into the air. “Wh-what’s going on?”

“Peace, child.” The voice coming from Ember’s mouth was not her own. “I am merely showing Ember the way.”

And then Smolder began to glow.

"Wh-whatl?" Smolder said, a touch of panic in her voice. "Is this supposed to happen?"

"Who are you, and what are you doing?!" Celestia demanded.

"Oh, hush, child," Not-Ember said, mildly annoyed. "I'm showing Ember how to awaken a dragon's magic."

"Child?!" Celestia said, indignant. "I am over a thousand-" She was cut off as her mouth slammed shut and the rest of us found ourselves unable to move.

"And I am fifty thousand," Not-Ember said, as if scolding a child. "Now if you will let me concentrate, and can guide my heir in how to do what you've been trying to do for so long."

It only took a few seconds before Smolder faded back to normal.

"There." Not-Ember looked toward Celestia and said, "You're welcome."

Then, in a flash of light, Ember fell to the ground. I was at her side before I even realized what happened.

"Luke, move," Celestia ordered. "She might not be herself."

"Would you stop," Ember said as she got to her feet. "That was just Aurora. She was showing how to give a dragon magic. She told me to tell you that she's sorry for being rude, but she was in a hurry. She only had until the potion wore off and you were making things hard."

Celestia still lit her horn, magical light washing over Ember. "I just need to make sure."

"What happened?" I asked.

"The potion showed me Empress Aurora, and she used that link to show me how to awaken Smolder's magic," Ember answered.

Celestia's brow furrowed in thought. "I wasn't aware that was possible."

"Hey, you can figure that out later," Smolder interrupted. "Look!" Smolder was grinning like a maniac, as she held up her claw, glowing with a cyan light. "It worked! I can do magic! Now I can learn that tracking spell and find the monster that killed my brother, and make a fucking coat out of it."

"Damn right," Ember said. "And when we do..."

The rest of the conversation faded to me. My attention was drawn toward a mare that was working with some of the data in the back that quietly excused herself and walked out the door.

That wasn't what was odd, though. There were a few ponies back there.

No, what was odd was the fact that I couldn't feel anything from her.

"I'll be right back," I said.

I left the room, trying to follow after the mare. I didn't know why, but not being able to feel her set my nerves on end.

When she turned the corner, there was a flash of green.

By the time I got there, she was gone.





Vee let out a sigh of relief as the door closed behind her.

That was too close, she thought to herself. I shouldn't have passed him so close. I should have waited until he and the others left. Too late now. I might as well make my report. 

Her horn lit up, first casting a spell on the door to lock it and another on the room, ensuring privacy.

Then, she walked to her shelf and took down a Hearthswarming snow globe. Another quick spell and the illusion fell away, revealing a large, polished black onyx.

A cloud of green magic swirled within the stone orb and a voice issued forth from within.

"What is your report?" demanded the voice.

Vee answered quickly. "They have succeeded in awakening the younger dragon's magic. She then mentioned something about a tracking spell to locate her brother. I believe she speaks of the red one. If she can track him, it will lead her and her companions to you."

"A tracking spell, eh?" the voice pondered. "That could prove problematic."

Vee took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. "Also, Daisy Chain may be comprised. The canine noticed me and followed me out of the lab."

"Does he know anything?" the voice asked.

"No. I believe he noticed he couldn't sense any emotions from me and became curious," Vee assured. "However, he may attempt to speak to me if he sees me again. I fear he may become suspicious if he does."

The voice was silent for a moment. "Daisy Chain is too valuable to retire. It would take months to get another in her position. If you are certain he doesn't yet suspect you, I will arrange an emergency that will remove her from Canterlot for a couple days."

"Of course," Vee replied.

"You've done well," the voice said. "Take the next couple days off,  come up with a new form, find a brothel, and feed. You've earned it."

"I... I have?" Vee asked.

"Yes," the voice confirmed. "You don't even realize how valuable the information you gave really is. You have just ensured the future of the hive."
> Chapter 29: Egg and Bakie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning dawned with an air of excitement.

Did I say 'air'? I meant dragon. 

It dawned with a dragon of excitement.

Named Smolder.

"Come on, lazy butts, get up already!" Smolder said, hopping around.

It would have been cute if I wasn't so homicidal. 

"She's not going to stop," Ember said.

"She will if I knock her out," I countered.

Ember thought about it for a moment. "Nah. I'm already awake. Might as well get up."

"Finally, let's get going!" Smolder cheered.

So we got up, took a quick shower and followed Smolder, who was excitedly talking about everything she was going to do with her newfound magic, like make a cave out of solid gold and turn any other dragon that tried to get too close into a bunny.

By then, though, I had enough time to wake up, so I could appreciate it for the adorable spectacle it was.

Throughout the entirety of breakfast, her energy never wavered. She even yapped Celestia's ear off. I would have said something, but I realized I had never felt so much pure joy coming from the princess as she engaged Smolder.

Finally, it was off to the university. This time, though, we were all going to the officer school's training ground.

I decided to stay and watch. I wasn't going to miss this for the world.

"So, what am I going to learn first?" Smolder asked, bouncing excitedly. "How to freeze things? How to bend the earth to my will?"

Ember stopped any further rambling. "Before you can do anything, you have to learn how to channel your magic."

Smolder stopped, blushing sheepishly. "Oh... yeah."

"Of course, before we can do that, you need to calm down," Ember chided.

"Yeah, alright," Smolder said, taking a deep breath. "Alright, I'm calm."

"Alright, first, you need to know what to look for," Ember began. "Luckily, this part is easy. You know that feeling you get right before you breathe fire? The one that starts in your belly and rises into your chest? That's your magic. Now, aim that way and breathe a little jet of fire, the kind you'd use just to intimidate."

Smolder nodded and turned to face down the target range. She took a deep breath and hesitated for a second, her eyes widening in shock. Then, she let it out in a massive torrent of flame at least thirty feet long.

"What the hell?" Smolder said "That was way bigger than it should have been!"

Ember chuckled. "Yeah, you're going to have to relearn control. Anyway, you notice how much stronger that feeling was?"

Smolder replied, "Yeah, it was super strong. I thought something was wrong at first."

"That's because your magic was awakened," Ember explained. "Think of your magic as a volcano. Before, it was just bubbling up a bit of lava, but now it's erupting. I really should have pointed that out yesterday, but I guess I was too excited.

"Anyway, I wanted you to feel how different it felt. Now, I want you to take a deep breath, as if you're going to breathe fire, but then let it out slow and easy. Don't breathe fire."

Smolder nodded and faced down range. She took a deep breath, feeling that feeling form in her belly and rise into her chest. She slowly released the breath, noticing how the feeling didn’t leave with her breath like when she breathed fire, but sank back down.

"Did you feel how it goes up and down?" Ember asked. "Now, I want you to do it again, only this time, when you breathe out, try to keep that feeling in your chest. Don't let it sink back down."

"Right," Smolder said. She took in another deep breath and held it for a second before letting it out slowly, a look of concentration on her face.

"Damn it, I had it," Smolder cursed.

She tried again and again, until finally, "I... think I got it."

Ember smiled. "Good, now I want you to do it again, but this time when you breathe out, draw it into your claw."





After an hour of that, I excused myself. I couldn’t really contribute anything, anyway.

I didn’t go far, though. Just enough out of the way that I could have some peace and quiet.

My mind wandered to my future child. I was scared, to be honest. Would it be a dragon? Would it be whatever a baby lucario is? Would it be some hybrid? If it was a hybrid, would it have similar issues as hybrid animals on Earth?

And those were just the medical questions. There were the social questions, too. How would society see them? Would they be shunned? If they were a pokemon, how would they even communicate? Would they be able to use aura like me?

There was something I had to try. I wasn't sure if the games or the cartoon were closer to the truth, but in this case, I really hoped it was the latter.

I took a seat in front of a reflecting crystal and focused on my mouth and the sounds coming from them. 

"Car-cario. Car luc lucario..."





"Look! Look, I did it!" Smolder cheered as she lifted the training weight in a spectral hand.

Ember felt a swell of pride in her chest. Her student had taken her first step to becoming the second dragon sorceress.

"So, are you going to teach me some cool spells, now?" Smolder asked. "I wanna shoot lightning from my claw tips, like that evil emperor guy in Luke's story."

"That should be doable," Ember said. "You just have to figure it out. I find some spells work better if you say something, kinda like you're invoking the power of nature."

Lyra spoke up from her place by the equipment they were using to monitor the magic being used, "You mean like an incantation?"

Ember scratched her chin in thought. "Kinda, but not really. It doesn't really matter what you say, as long as it relates to the spell somehow."

"Can you give an example?" Moondancer asked.

"Well, if I was going to, say, throw a fireball, I could say something like, 'Burn to a crisp!' or 'Inferno!'," Ember explained. "I don't have to say that stuff, but it makes it a lot easier. Same with some claw gestures."

"She did describe her magic as demanding reality to bend to her will," Lyra said. "Maybe it channels that will more effectively?"

"It wouldn't be the only kind of magic that uses a verbal or somatic component," Moondancer agreed.

"What the heck does 'somatic' mean?" Smolder asked.

Lyra chuckled, "In magic, it usually refers to hoof, hand, paw, or claw motions, but it can also refer to body motions or positions."

"Wow, an egghead word that's easier than just talking normal," Ember said with a chuckle.

"I know, right," Lyra said. "Don't get used to it."

"So, basically, I just have to demand that lightning shoots from my claw tips, right?" Smolder asked.

"Pretty much," Ember confirmed. 

Smolder took a deep breath, pulled her magic into her claw and commanded, "Strike!"

A crack of thunder sounded as a jagged bolt of lightning streaked across the field and struck one of the target crystals.

"Yes!" Smolder cheered.

"Nice," Ember said with a grin. "I think I felt that one in my gut."

Moondancer tilted her head. "You could feel the spell she used?"

"I think so," Ember answered. "Heck, I still feel it..." Ember groaned, clutching her belly. "Nope, that wasn't the spell. Luke!"





I ran as fast as I could when I heard Ember call my name.

When I got back to the others, Ember was sitting on the ground, legs spread, groaning with Smolder beside her. Moondancer was a short distance away trying to calm a panicking Lyra.

"Just go into town and buy a baby stroller," Moondancer said. "I'll take care of things here."

I wasn't dumb. Ember on the ground and demands for a stroller? She was laying.

"Ember! I'm here," I said as I slid to a stop by her side on my knees.

"Glad you could make it," Ember joked. "Laying eggs sucks when they're unfertilized. Fertilized eggs are even bigger, so... good thing you have metal bones, huh?"

"Yeah, but I would still be here if I didn't," I said, taking her claw in my hand. "I'll take a broken bone or two for you, anyday."

Ember took one more deep breath and pushed.

She grunted as the slick, round egg slid out of her. "Oh, wow that hurt."

I blinked dumbly. "Was... was that it?"

Ember raised an eyebrow. "What? That kinda hurt."

I shook my head and looked down at the egg between her legs.

My egg.

I reached down to touch it. I could hardly believe it was real.

"Careful, it's slippery," Ember said.

Moondancer had apparently gone off to get towels and warm water and had only just returned.

"I already missed it?" she said in mild surprise. “That was a little quicker than expected.”

Ember looked up and smiled. “Oh, awesome. Can I get a couple of those towels?”

Moondancer passed the towels and water over, “Of course. I got them for you.”

I took one of the towels, moistened it with the water and began cleaning the egg while Ember cleaned herself.

It was about half the size of my head, and mostly blue with a black ring around the middle and sparkled in the light.

"Ember... our baby..." I said, still stunned by it all.

“Give it here,” Ember said.

I held it out, and Ember took it with all the love and care she had. “Come here to momma.”

She took a light breath and breathed a little jet of fire on it. I nearly jumped out of my skin before I felt that the flame was barely giving off any heat. It was more like the air in a sauna than actual fire.

“Luke, can you check, just to make sure?” she asked.

I leaned in, placing my hand on the egg again and reaching out with my senses.

"I feel it," I said, grinning like an idiot. "I can feel our baby."





Upon hearing the happy news, Celestia personally enchanted a blanket that would warm whatever was wrapped in it to the levels needed for an egg.

Lyra had the presence of mind to get an egg stroller. It was meant for griffin eggs, but ours was about the same size, so it worked perfectly.

We walked down the street, side by side with our egg. A couple ponies stopped to congratulate us on our little bundle of joy. I was just surprised to learn how famous we apparently were. 

In hindsight, though, I should have known we would be a popular topic of gossip. It wasn't every day a dragon sorceress and alien laser dog show up in town.

Still, it was nice to see that ponies were so accepting of us. I heard it was a common fan theory that they were kinda xenophobic. Maybe they are, but if so they warmed up to us quickly enough.

Smolder stayed behind at the university to practice her magic more. Mostly her offensive spells. She was making sure she was ready to face the dingonek.

"So, where do you want to eat?" Ember asked.

"There's that one place run by that Saffron pony," I said. "There was a couple things I was still wanting to try."

Ember hummed. "She does make some pretty good curry chicken. I didn't even think a pony could cook meat like that. But that's on the other side of town. I don't really want to go that far. I'm still a little sore from pushing this thing out."

I chuckled. "Hey, be glad you aren't a mammal. You wouldn't even be walking right now."

"Is it really that bad?" Ember asked.

I smirked, "I couldn't tell you from experience, but yes, it's much harder for a mammal. For mammals, it's an ordeal that is harsh enough that females have been known to die from it."

Ember winced. "Oh... wow. That sounds rough."

"So, palace?" I asked, getting back on something more positive.

"Yeah, sure," Ember said.

We made our way back toward Canterlot Palace at a gentle pace. We still had time, so we weren't in a hurry. We arrived with an hour to spare, so we took a detour through the gardens.

When we got there, we were met with an unexpected surprise. There was apparently some event going on, if the decorations and pastry ladened tables were any indication.

Ember turned to a nearby guard and asked, "What's with all this?"

The guard, remaining stone-faced and stoic, said, "It's a baking competition. The best bakers from across Equestria have come here to compete to see who's number one. As representatives of the dragon lands, you are permitted to join in the post judging sampling."

"Oh," Ember looked back at me with a grin. "I think our dinner plans have been decided for us."
> Chapter 30: Enter Cakenstein
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Princess Ember, Prince Luke, so nice that you could join us," Celestia greeted as she noticed us.

Ember and I winced internally. We weren't exactly fond of the titles, but Celestia assured us she would only use them in public and only for the time being. 

The nobles needed regular reminding of our station, even if Ember's had no real meaning to dragons and mine wasn't technically true.

"Hey, Princess Celestia," Ember said casually, much to the indignation, and in some cases amusement, of the nearby nobles. "Kinda wish you mentioned this was happening earlier. We wouldn't have left Smolder at the training ground."

"And how is her progress?" Celestia asked. "Goodness, it's hard to believe it was just this morning you succeeded in awakening her magic."

"Yeah, a lot's happened today," Ember said with a laugh. "Magic, my egg, training, now cake. It's still so weird saying 'my egg'."

"No kidding," I agreed. "But it's a good weird. So, we were told there would be cake. Did you already eat it all?"

Celestia chuckled. "They haven't quite arrived yet. Their train was delayed due to a rockslide, but they should be arriving soon. Mingle if you wish. There is some more proper food being served, if you don't want to wait."

"That sounds great," Ember said. "I'm starving."

"The chefs have gem flakes they can add to anything, if you so wish," Celestia said.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to eat until I'm stuffed," I said. "We won't really have another chance for a while, and as decent of a cook as I am, I can't hold a candle to this stuff."

"Well, might I recommend the apple pork sausages?" Celestia said. "They are a favorite amongst the hippogriffs."

"Hippogriffs?" I asked. I hadn't remembered hearing about any in the show, and wasn't even aware they existed here.

"Yes, old allies of ours," Celestia replied, a hint of sadness coming from her.

I decided not to pry. It felt like it was probably a delicate subject.

"Well, then I shall take my leave. I have to see if these sausages live up to the hype," I said with a bow.

I made my way to the tables, taking note of the other guests. It wasn't the same type of nobles as was at the party before. These seemed more like the 'lesser' nobility.

The term 'less is more' certainly applied when it came to them. For one, there was very little disgust or indignation at my presence. In fact, it was mostly curiosity and even excitement I felt.

There was one, though, who stood out more than the other.

"-it turns out, no matter how bird-like they look, harpies can't actually fly." Blueblood spotted me and smiled. "Ah, you were curious who was responsible for pulling my head out of the hay. Luke, so glad you could join us."

"How have you been, Blue?" I asked, shaking his hoof. "Finally given up on trying to lodge a stick up your rear?"

He raised an eyebrow at that. "Quite the colorful term, but surprisingly fitting."

He turned to the other two ponies he was talking to. "Allow me to introduce my new acquaintances, Nightlight and Twilight Velvet. This is my friend, Luke. He speaks telepathically, so do be aware."

"Twilight Velvet? You wouldn't happen to be related to Twilight Sparkle, would you?" The resemblance was pretty uncanny. Plus, I'm pretty sure I saw her in the show.

The mare smiled, offering her hoof, "I am."

I shook it gently. "She never mentioned a sister."

She guffawed, "Ha! Good one. No, I think you know exactly who I am."

"To be honest, I wasn't sure," I said, truthfully. "You ponies always seem to age so gracefully, and I didn't want to assume."

"Princess Ember, so glad you could join us." Blueblood said with a smile as Ember joined us.

"Glad to be here... uh..."

"Blueblood."

"Blueblood!" Ember's smile wasn't fooling anyone.

Surprisingly, the mare, Twilight Velvet, went right up to Ember and stuck out a hoof. "I must say, it is an honor to meet you, princess."

"Just call me Ember," Ember said. "Until I'm dragon lord, titles don't really matter to dragons."

As the ladies drifted off to chat amongst themselves, Nightlight Turned to me.

"I want to thank you," he said. "I heard what you did for Twilight and her friends in the dragon lands."

"Ah," I nodded. "Yes, that was a surprising day, to be sure. I never thought I would see my friends again, yet there they were."

"Yes, I'll admit, I was surprised to hear that those little pups were actually a sapient species," Blueblood added. "I had seen photographs of them, and I've  seen Luna's hound around the palace. Admittedly, I always felt that hound was smarter than he was letting on.

"Though, I must wonder where you came from," he continued. "I've traveled all over the world, further than any Equestrian alive today, perhaps even the princesses, yet I've never encountered creatures like you or those eevees."

I debated whether or not to say anything. The princesses have already guessed we're from another world, but outside of them and my dragon friends, I didn't think anyone else knew.

"That's a good question," I answered. "In truth, I don't know how to really answer that. If I just said we're from the nation of America, would that have any meaning to you?"

"No, I can't say it rings any bells," Blueblood replied. "I could ask some of my contacts beyond Equestria."

"That's assuming they call the place the same thing," Nightlight chimed in. "Remember, we used to call Minos Blood Rock Island until we made contact with the minotaurs."

"Even so, there are few places that haven't been explored this side of Gaia's Wall," Blueblood stated.

"Gaia's Wall?" I inquired. 

"An impenetrable storm that covers nearly an eighth of the planet," Nightlight explained. "Legends say the storm was created to protect Gaia's Garden, a paradise of endless beauty, unusual creatures, and strange magic."

"I must say, the 'unusual creatures and strange magic' bit certainly fits," Blueblood said. "But the storm is entirely impenetrable. Even magic fails to work too close. How would they have come here?"

"A mystery for the eggheads," I declared. "Right now, I'm wanting to try some of these hippogriff sausages I was told about."

Blueblood smiled. "Ah, yes, quite the rare treat. Follow me. I'll show you where they are."





"... And he just looked up at me, all teary eyed, and said, 'I sowy, momma,' and I just couldn't stay mad," Velvet finished her story, as Ember laughed.

"Oh, wow," Ember said, getting herself under control. "You know, I gotta admit, you did a pretty good job raising the little guy."

"Oh, it wasn't easy," Velvet assured. "Let's just say, I got real good at fire extinguishing and fire proofing spells."

Velvet looked at the dragon princess and smiled as she asked, "So, what's bothering you?"

"Wh-what makes you think something's bothering me?" Ember asked, trying to play it off.

"I'm a mother," Velvet said with a serene smile.

Ember groaned. "It's just... I have no idea how to be a mother. I'm going to mess it up."

Velvet nodded. "Neither did I."

Ember looked at the mare in shock. "Wait, what? No way. Your hatchlings are, like, super important and awesome!"

Velvet laughed. "And I still don't know what I did so right. All I did was the best I could."

"But... you had to have help, right?" Ember asked.

"And you won't?" Velvet countered. "Even if there aren't any dragons that are willing to help, I am. I'm sure other ponies would help, too. Besides, your mate seems like he'll be an amazing father."

Ember chuckled. "Oh, he's not the one I'm worried about. Dragons tend to raise our hatchlings to be fierce, tough, and mean. Heck, I was raised like that. It was Star teaching me what dragons used to be that changed my mind."

"Well, there you go," Velvet said. "It sounds like there's at least one dragon that'll help you raise your child."

"No!" Ember shouted, startling the ponies around her. "She is not helping raise my hatchling. No way. I like Star and all, but she's not exactly 'hatchling friendly'."





Celestia wasn't kidding. Those were some damn good sausages. Nice and sweet from the apples and just a touch spicy.

I had to request a few to take home when we left. The chef was quite pleased by my praise.

"You know," Blueblood said as I polished off my sixth. "If you keep on, you won't have room to sample the contest entries. Trust me when I say, these will be the finest desserts you will ever taste."

I looked at the platter, struggling with indecision. "Oh, fine. I'll stop for now."

And just in time, too.

"Attention, guests," Princess Celestia said. "The contestants have arrived and we will begin the sampling soon, so prepare your tastebuds for some truly delectable desserts."

Sure enough, the scent drifting on the air had my mouth watering. It smelled like heaven approaching.

When the first of the desserts were brought out, I was immediately drawn to a berry cream cake. I already decided that would be my first target.

Then, I saw the most bizarre, unusual, random looking dessert I could ever imagine.

Then I saw Pinkie Pie and it made sense.

I also saw a griffin, a donkey, and Donut Joe, and it made even more sense. At least, considering the donuts on the thing. They must have decided to team up.

The rest of the group was following close behind. I saw Rarity and Fluttershy talking while Zann and Leo brought up the rear.

I gave a wave in their direction, which they returned.

"I'll talk to you guys after the competition. I have something to show you guys," I said, focusing on them. "Also, you wouldn't believe the range I get with this."

I could see the surprise on Leo's face, even from that distance, so I knew she heard.

Zann, just got this big smile that told me he already knew, somehow.

I suddenly felt a wave of dread from my noble friend.

"You okay, blue?" I asked. 

"Th-that mare... the white unicorn," he said.

I looked at the mentioned pony and back. "Miss Rarity?"

He nodded. I had a feeling I knew what the problem was. "She and I, well..."

"You had an encounter when you were trying to fit in with Gilded Anus Club?" I pretended to guess.

"That's one way to put it," he replied. "Another way would be to say I treated her like utter garbage."

"Well, sounds like the perfect opportunity to right a past wrong. Go talk to her. Explain yourself and apologize," I said.

A soupy mixture of emotions poured off him; dread, hopefulness, fear, and even admiration. Unfortunately, the dread and fear were too strong.

"I... can't," he said, hesitantly. "Not yet. I will. I just need to get to a point where I'm more comfortable talking to others."

I sighed, but relented. I knew that trying to force it would be a bad idea. "Fine, but you need to talk to her, eventually."

"I will," he said, hanging his head. "For now, I believe it would be best for me to leave. I wouldn't want my presence to spoil her day."

I wanted to stop him, but I could understand. He wasn't ready to speak to her and staying might have just caused a scene.

So he left, just as the judging began. Celestia and a few other ponies, one that looked suspiciously like Gordon Ramsay, went around examining the different desserts, looking at presentation and appearance, and encouraging us to do the same.

Then, they started passing out samples. There were several that were making it hard not to drool. The ones I most wanted to try were these honey cakes a mare from Stalliongrad made, some berry tarts from Manehattan, and of course the cakenstein that Pinkie and the other chefs I didn't recognize made.

Honestly, though, I only wanted to try that one because how much I hear Pinkie and her bosses are the best bakers in Equestria. It looks a little too rich for my usual fare.

Finally, Celestia announced it was time to eat, as Pinkie expertly cut a ridiculously huge piece from the cakenstein for herself and skipped off.

Considering most of the guests were heading to that, I decided I'd try the other two, first. That thing was so big even this crowd wouldn't eat it all before I got a piece.
> Chapter 31: Look What I Made
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As much as I liked Pinkie's thing, it was way too rich for my taste. Thus, I had to cast my vote for the honey cakes.

Not that I actually had a vote.

Still, they were all good. Those berry tarts were actually not even in my top five, surprisingly.

"I've never eaten so many sweets at once," Ember said, rubbing her belly as we sat on a bench. "We're probably going to regret it later."

I leaned my head on her shoulder. "It was worth it."

"So..." Ember said, after a few moments of silence. "You and your friend gonna bang again?"

I laughed. Leave it to a dragon to be so blunt. "First of all, we didn't 'bang' last time.  We just fooled around."

"Yeah, well, I don't really know what that means," Ember said.

I rolled my eyes. "The stuff I do to you before we bang."

"Oh, that first play stuff," Ember realized.

"Foreplay, but close enough," I said. "Anyway, second, that's not really up to me."

"Well, bang or don't," Ember shrugged. "What you do is your business. I can't understand what you guys say, anyway, so I'll probably go talk to that Velvet pony. She's kinda cool."

"Aw, you sure you don't want to come with?" I asked. "We could have a threesome."

"The heck is a 'threesome'?" she asked. 

I looked at her with wide eyes as the possibilities of what I could do with that flooded my mind. "I'll teach you about it when we get home."

Maybe she and Smolder would be willing to learn together.

"Anyway, have fun, and try not to hurt her," Ember said as she got up and walked off.

I forced my fat ass up, and waddled toward my friends.

Okay, that's an exaggeration, but I felt like I just gained thirty pounds.

Anyway, I focused on my aura sense, trying to feel out where they were. As soon as I got a lock, I started toward the garden gate.

“But, anyways, that doesn’t matter right now.” Zann was saying. An ear swiveled towards me, before the fire type twisted around to look at me. “So… Ya said you had something to share?”

I gave them a smile. "Oh, I have a lot to tell you, but first, come with me. I have something you gotta see."

I led them into the palace, guiding them through the twisting hallways. "So, how have things been in Crazyville?"

As we walked, they told me about all kinds of crazy stuff that they had gotten up to in the past week and a half.

Abes already told me about the Running of the Leaves, but it was nice hearing about it from Leo's perspective. Leo was apparently still a little salty about losing.

It was also kinda bittersweet hearing that they found Peewee's parents. Sad that they had to say goodbye to Peewee for a while, but nice that Peewee and his parents were together again.

"So, Eros and I came to an understanding. I apologized for being a jerk and promised I wouldn't hurt Sweetie Belle or the other Crusaders. In return, she'd stop being so suspicious of us," Leo finished.

"That's good," I said. "I wouldn't mind meeting her. She might help me with a theory of mine."

I opened the door to my room and invited the pair inside.

"Wait here," I said and went back to the bedroom. I gently lifted my egg from the crib, still swaddled in the warming blankets and went back into the living room.

Leo looked confused, while Zann just looked excited.

"What is that?" Leo asked.

I sat down and carefully pulled a bit of the cloth down, revealing what lay beneath.

Leo went wide eyed. "Is that..."

I nodded, excitedly. "I'm going to be a father!"

Leo smiled and began cooing over the egg. Zann stepped to the side to give her more room. “Have you or Ember thought of names yet? And are you hoping for a boy or a girl?”

I laughed. "We don't even know what species it is."

I felt my smile fade. "To be honest, I'm kinda scared. Ember isn't a pokemon. Do you guys know the kind of complications hybrids have on Earth? That's if it even hatches at all."

I saw Leo flench at that. 

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to rain on the good feels," I said. "I'm just... so excited and terrified at the same time. I never thought it was possible to feel both those feelings so strong."

“Heh.” Leo chuckled, her ears and tail drooping. “Preaching to the choir, there. If you think this is bad now, you should wait a few moons.”

“Leo…” Zann placed a paw onto the Eevee’s shoulder.

“Then you’ll be worrying about every little thing.” She steamrolled on. “And- And scrutinizing everything you do, wondering if this is what you’ve been fucking up on. After a while, you start worrying if-!”

Zann shoved a paw into Leo’s mouth. He gave me a sad look. “She’s been like this for a while now. I actually brought her up here to distract her from her eggs.”

I winced. "Oh... sorry. I didn't even really mean to vent like that... anyway..." I wrapped the egg back up. "We figured out how to give Smolder magic. So, we're probably going back to Ponyville with you guys. I got everyone gifts, too."

Leo perked up at that.

"No, you can't have it now, nor will I give you any hints," I said, cutting off anything she might have asked.

I could feel the gratitude coming from Zann. "Anything else interesting happen?"

"Well..." I thought for a moment. "I found out I have metal bones."

"Called it!" Zann snickered.

"And Abes has been teaching me how to use psychic abilities," I added. "I made a couple new friends, including Blueblood. He's actually not a bad guy, just socially awkward. I was actually talking to him when you guys got here. He left when he saw Rarity.

"Oh, and one important thing." I stood up and went back into the room, putting my egg back in its crib. As I came back out, I finished, "Celestia knows we aren't from this world, but doesn't know we weren't always what we are."

I sat back down beside Leo and absentmindedly started scratching her behind the ear. "She promised not to tell Twilight and the others so long as you tell them when you're able."

“Oh, good. Great.” Zann sighed, rubbing his snout. “Anything else you want us to know?”

Leo flopped over onto her back, pulling my paw down with her. I took the obvious invitation with a chuckle. Zann could only shake his head.

“Leo, stop it. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

“Yer just jealous.”

I grinned, mischievously. "Zann, you might have to leave the room."

His metal paw latched onto my other arm. “Nu-huh. You owe me some ear scritches.”

I shrugged, "I mean, I don't mind if you want to join in, but Leo might."

“It’s good…” Leo groaned out from the floor.

“No, Leo.” Zann chuckled. “We were going to see the town, remember?” He looked back up at me. “Got any recommendations?”

I sighed at the ineffectiveness of my innuendos. 

"Yeah, there's this great place we found," I replied. "It's like Mediterranean food, but pony. They do meat dishes, too. There's also a couple shops that specialize in casual clothing like hats, scarfs, shirts, and whatever. You guys might like to personalize your look."

“We’ll look into those,” Zann nodded, “but I meant places we could check out without having to have a chaperone around. Ponies’ll just assume we’re strays, and we don’t want to be hassled while we try to relax.”

"Ah, yeah, that might be hard," I said. "Outside the palace, there really isn't anywhere that isn't a possibility. Hell, there were a couple times I had ponies asking where my owner was. Though, in my case it just ended up being funny after they found out I could communicate. Can either of you write Equestrian?"

“Nope.” Leo sighed out from under my paw, squirming around while pulling on my wrist.

Zann just shook his head. “We could always wait until Abes shows up. Then he could give us a tour.” A sly smirk stole across his muzzle. “Unless Luna decides to monopolize him tonight.”

I laughed. "Considering how thoroughly her scent covers him, I'm sure they spend plenty of time together, but he still found time to help me out.

"How about this. I'll have a friend write you couple notes. One explaining you're intelligent beings that can't speak the language, and another for anything you think you might need. Also, we can inform the guards and they'll spread word of who you are. We could also talk to Moondancer, see if she might have a magical solution."

“Eh.” Zann shrugged. “You can bring it up, but she won’t be able to do anything with us until she gets back to Ponyville.”

"But she's here now, so I can at least talk to her about it," I said. "For now, why don't I introduce you to a friend of mine. She should be able to help you."





"I thought I was going to die. It was amazing!" Velvet said, excitedly. 

Ember laughed. "You know, I was wrong. You aren't a dragon in a pony body, you got way more guts."

"Aw, thanks," Velvet said with a slight blush. "Hey, how would you and your hus- er, mate like to attend one of the biggest events of the century?"

Ember raised an eyebrow. "I would say it sounds tempting. What is it?"

Velvet leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "I can't actually say. I promised not to, but let's just say it'll be news that travels to every corner of Equestria and beyond. You showing up would help endear dragons to ponies and help with any future dealings after you take over as ruler of the dragons."

Ember thought about it for a moment. "When is it?"

"Well, the date hasn't been set yet, but it'll probably be sometime in spring," Velvet said.

"If it's as big as you say, I'm guessing Celestia has a hoof in it?" Ember asked, to which Velvet nodded. "Cool. Just have her burn me a letter when you got a date. I'll let you know if we can show up."

Velvet clapped her hooves. "Excellent! I hope to see you then. We can talk about going lava surfing. I should be able to find a fireproofing spell that works on ponies by then."

"Can't wait."
> Chapter 32: Christmas Comes Early
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

That afternoon, Ember, Smolder, and I were on the train bound for Ponyville. We weren't going to be able to stay long, though. We'd only be there long enough to give out gifts, find the two ponies we would need to find to ask about translation devices, and leave to meet Star.

It was a bit of a celebration on the train. Apparently, Silver Spoon, who was a friend of the Crusaders, has started learning about summoning a pokemon of her own. 

I was kinda surprised, considering she and Diamond Tiara apparently had summoned a fire type that burned down Sugarcube Corner, got both of them in legal trouble, and ended their friendship. 

I would have thought she would have wanted to stay as far from summoning as possible. Apparently it was part of her parole. The courts felt she wouldn't botch a summon so badly if she actually learned how.

That, and Ember’s and my egg had everyone in good spirits. Pinkie was rambling on about throwing a party, though she was sad when we said we wouldn't be able to stay for it.

Still, we were all in a good mood, so I decided that it would be a good time to ask to talk to Eros in private.

"Sweetie Belle, may I speak to you?" I asked.

She looked up at me and smiled. "Sure."

"I was wondering if I could speak to Eros for a moment?" I asked. "I would like to ask her for her help with something."

Sweetie looked back at her little ralts, thoughtfully. "I guess you can ask her, but if she says no, don't push her. She's very shy around creatures she doesn't know."

"Of course," I said with a friendly smile.

Sweetie looked back to the ralts and called, "Eros, could you come here, please?"

In a flash, the little pokemon teleported to Sweetie's side, radiating caution and wariness toward me, and love and protectiveness toward Sweetie.

"Eros, this is Luke," Sweetie introduced. "He's one of Leo's friends, and he was hoping you could help him with something."

As soon as Sweetie mentioned that I was Leo's friend, a touch of anger and fear tainted her aura.

"Please, I mean no harm to any pony or pokemon," I said to Eros, alone.

"We'll see," she said in my head. "What do you want?"

"Leo told me you didn't like her or the other eevees, even though you got along with the other Crusaders' summons. May I ask why? I feel it may be important."

Eros studied me for several seconds. Her mistrust was thick. It made me wonder where it came from. Did someone hurt her? I couldn't imagine someone harboring that much mistrust without a reason.

Eros recoiled, suddenly, as if something shocked her. In a bright flash, we were in the luggage car, me pinned to one wall while she stood on a shelf near the other end.

"Who are you?! Why are you different?!" she demanded.

After a second to get my bearings, I asked, "How am I different?"

"When I listened to those 'eevees'' thoughts, what I heard wasn't theirs. It was as if another creature was speaking in their head, sometimes singing, sometimes talking of weather forcasts and something called a 'traffic report'."

I blinked in confusion. Did they have a radio in their heads?

"But with you," Eros continued. "With you, it's just... noise. Noise like... like millions of tiny leaves rustling. Beneath that sound, though, I could hear something. It was too hard to make anything out, but it was there."

I nodded. "I was afraid of that. How much do you know about us?"

"I know you aren't what you seem," Eros said. "You're from a world separate from both this one and my own and that you were something other than what you are now."

I nodded. "Yes, but something I think you should know is that we were likely sent here on purpose."

I paced a bit, trying to gather the words I needed. "You know how their eggs refuse to hatch? They were laid in early spring."

I felt Eros' surprise. "If they were laid in spring, they should have hatched by now."

I nodded. "Yeah, but something's keeping them from hatching, even while keeping them alive. Whatever it is, I think it brought us here and transformed us into what we are."

"That doesn't explain why you're different," Eros stated.

"I think I'm different because I wasn't supposed to be here," I said. "Not only am I the only one that isn't an eevee, but I wasn't even brought to the same place as them. Then there's the fact that I told Ember about who I really am not long after we met. However, they are uncharacteristically resistant to the idea of telling the ponies, even Yomega who would have told them the moment an opportunity presented itself when they could properly communicate.

"I think that whatever brought us here doesn't want us to tell, but since I wasn't supposed to be included, I wasn't as affected. But, even then, I can't really bring myself to tell the ponies, either. I was able to talk to Princess Celestia about it, but that was only because she figured out most of it herself."

"What are you getting at? Are you saying you were brought here for a reason?" Eros asked.

"Yes, and I don't know why," I admitted.

I sighed. "Just, do me a favor. Keep an eye on them. They're good people, but I'm afraid someone or something might be using them, and I don't know if they have everyone's best interests in mind."





It wasn't a long trip before we arrived in Ponyville. It was only a couple hours by train.

We stepped off and were immediately greeted by a group of ponies. Or, rather, those we were accompanying had a group waiting.

I waited for the reunion to die down before telling the pack I had a couple ponies to see before joining up with them.

"So, Leo says you need help finding a couple ponies?" Rainbow asked as she and Leo approached, 

"Yes, two experts that may be able to help with something. The first is Lyra. Apparently she's an expert in linguistics. The second is one of the top arcane engineers in Equestria, Doctor Vinyl Scratch."

"Doctor?!" Leo and Rainbow echoed the other.

"Vinyl's a doctor?" Rainbow asked.

"That's what I was told."

Leo shook her head. <<"Yeah, I'm going to go check the eggs. I've had enough crazy for now.">>

Rainbow laughed. "Too bad. This is Ponyville."

Leo chuckled. <<"True, but I can at least put it off for a little bit. I'll see you at the library after you finish.">>

"Alright, Lyra's place is closer, and you probably met her in Canterlot already, so let's go see her first," Rainbow offered.

 It didn't take long before Rainbow pointed out a nice little cottage. "That's Lyra's place. Why don't you knock and say hi while I go get Vinyl."

"Sounds like a plan," I said.

So, as Rainbow sped off, I walked over and knocked on the door.

It wasn't long before the door was opened by a cream coated mare with a blue and pink mane.

She looked at me suspiciously and asked, "Can I help you?"

"Forgive the intrusion, but I need to speak to Miss Heartstrings about a project," I said. 

"Luke, hi," I heard Lyra say from behind the mare. "Bons, that's Luke. Let him in."

The suspicion vanished as she smiled. "Oh, right. I should have known. Come on in. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Bonbon."

"Luke, as you've already heard." I accepted the invitation and the offered hoofshake. "I hope you don't mind, Rainbow Dash is fetching the other pony I need to speak to. Would it be okay to invite her inside as well? It's a mare named Vinyl Scratch."

"So," Bonbon said, giving me a mischievous grin. "A project that requires both Lyra and Vinyl... Let me guess, a translation device for your friends so they can speak to ponies?"

I laughed. "You're good. That's right on the money."





The conversation between Lyra, Vinyl and I went smoothly. I explained what I was wanting, gave them a letter Celestia gave me with compensation details, and they agreed to help.

Apparently, Lyra was already studying the eevee 'language', so she was already on the right path.

With the details hashed out, I made my way to the library. I entered to find Ember and Twilight talking.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Twilight asked, nervously. 

Ember rolled her eyes. "I already said it is. Don't worry."

She noticed me and smiled. "So, how'd it go?"

"They agreed," I said. "With any luck, we'll see a prototype by spring."

Twilight perked up at 'prototype'. "Oh, are you working on something?"

I chuckled. "Oh, just a translator for the eevees... and possibly our child."

"You're worried they'll inherit your inability to speak Equish but not your aura ability," she realized.

I just nodded. "Anyway, there's one more thing we have to do before we leave. Is Spike here or is he out, somewhere?"

Twilight grimaced. "He's outside, somewhere."

I nodded and closed my eyes. I concentrated on the pack and Spike, focusing my aura as I projected my voice. "Come to the library. I have something for everyone."

"Uh... what was that?" Twilight asked. "I felt... something."

I just smiled, knowingly.

A few minutes later the door opened to admit Spike, Yomega, Lulu, and Zann.

"Did... did you call us?" Spike asked.

I smiled, smugly. "I did. Pretty nifty, huh?"

About fifteen minutes later, the pack was all gathered, along with Twilight, Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. The latter two came mostly out of curiosity.

"Alright," I started, "So, while I was in Canterlot, taking in the culture and sophistication of Equestria's snob society, I decided to get everyone presents... well, everyone with the tendency to spontaneously transform. Sorry ponies."

That got a few chuckles and an, "Oh, you needn't worry about us, darling."

"Alright, first up, Leo," I said, pulling a small shoebox shaped present. "I know you dream about flying with Rainbow Dash, and, while I make no promises that it'll work, I think I may have found a stone that might help you evolve into a form that will allow just that."

Leo's eyes widened in surprise and excitement. She tore into the package with reckless abandon.

And pulled out a nice, new red brick.

Leo gave me a flat look. <<"You're an asshole, Luke.">>

Most of the pack laughed, while Spike just shrugged and said, "I don't get it."

"It's something of an inside joke," I explained before looking back at Leo and tossing her another box, this one much smaller. "Seriously, though, this might help."

Leo caught it in the air and gave a sceptical look before opening it to find a pair of beautiful, pale blue gemstone earrings. 

"Oh, my!" Rarity gasped. "Is that sky quartz?"

"Yes. I understand they are similar in nature to fire rubies and water sapphires, but infused with air magic," I explained. "Since those two can help eevee evolve, I figured this might help Leo evolve into a flying type. Even if it doesn't, I would assume it would have some effect."

<<"Like held items,">> Zann said.

"Exactly," I said. "Zann, your turn. Don't worry, the brick was the only gag gift."

I tossed Zann his gift which was opened even faster than Leo's first.

<<"Holy cow, a JoyBoy! I didn't even know they were real!">> he exclaimed as he gaped at the little handheld... hoofheld... pawheld... the little portable game.

"I got a couple games I thought you might like, but there's dozens more on the market," I said.

"Why don't I get you some batteries," Twilight offered. "I should have the right size."

"Next, Lulu." She was far cleaner with her unwrapping, even though her box was much bigger. "I know you haven't had a lot of opportunity to paint, and I remember you were amazing with it. Kind of funny how you used watercolor, and now..."

<<"Oh, Luke. Thank you. I'll paint something just for you first, and have it sent to you right away,">> Lulu said.

Next was Yomega. "You read my mind, yet?"

He grinned, <<"I'm trying to keep it under control.">>

"Well, these might help," I tossed him a small long box that he quickly opened. "Those are special practice balls. They're similar to the ones unicorns use to practice magic, but they're made of a magic resistant metal. That way a psychic practicing telekinesis can't cheat using magic."

<<"Practice balls meant especially for psychics? I like it. Thanks.">>

Then came Villhiem. He was just as delicate as Lulu with opening his. "This one is as much for everyone as it is for you. It's an Abyssinian tea set."

<<"Oh, this is really nice,">> he said. <<"It reminds me of a Japanese style set.">>

"Next is a pair of gifts everyone's going to hate me for, Cy and Vincent," 

The duo tore into their gifts, but it was Rainbow that seemed the most excited. "No way! That’s the Super Mischievous Prankster Workshop XXL! That's the greatest prank kit ever made, banned in four cities."

The glares I got were delicious.

"And now, for Conner," I handed him an envelope. "Tickets for the upcoming celestial butterfly migration. Two of them. One for you, and one for a... special someone."

Conner blushed. <<"Oh... well, seeing as I don't exactly have a special someone, I guess I could take Fluttershy. She would like it.">>

Even the ponies and dragons that couldn't understand him gave him a knowing smirk. He was worse than Spike.

Then it was Ember's turn to offer a gift. "I have a gift to give, too, as long as it's wanted."

She turned to Spike. "Spike, how would you like to have magic?"

Everyone but me, Smolder, and Twilight gasped. 

Spike looked around as the faces turned from surprise to encouragement.

He looked to Twilight, wordlessly seeking her advice. She gave him a proud smile and a nod.

Spike turned back to Ember and stood proud as he declared, "I accept."

Smolder chuckled. "You better hold on tight. It's a hell of a rush."

"Wha-" he couldn't even finish a single word before he was enveloped in a blinding glow. Wind swirled around us as the very air filled with power.

When the stars in our eyes faded, Spike was standing in the same place, looking around in confusion. 

"Did... did it work?" he asked.

Ember smiled. "Let's find out. Try willing your fire into your claw. Don't breathe it, just will it to appear. Don't ask it, command it."

Spike nodded and held his claw out, palm up. In a flash, his claw burst into flame, making him yelp and jump back.

"Woah, dude!" Rainbow Dash cheered, swooping down. "You got magic! Do something awesome with it!"

"Hold on, now," Twilight said. "Magic can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing with it. That means no unsupervised magic use until you learn how to control it."

"Aww," Rainbow Dash pouted. "Come on, Twi, let him cut loose."

"Nah, she's right," Ember said. "I live in a cave, so when I messed up, it just made my place bigger. Unless you want to blow up a wall, you're gonna want to be careful."

"When a dragon tells you to be careful, you should probably listen," I said.

"Anyway, there is one last gift I have, though it isn't so much for any individual as much as for the library, itself," I continued. "Not only is it first edition, but it isn't even going on sale for another week. Though I did change a few things around to better fit in with the local cultures, the story remained mostly the same."

I could practically feel lust pouring off Twilight.

I pulled out a book from my bag. On the cover was me, or at least I was the model. At 'my' feet was another lucario, but with more feminine features while 'I' held aloft a sword of glowing light.

"I present to you a story of our homeland; part one of the greatest trilogy of all time; Star Wars!"
> Chapter 33: The Hunt Begins
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stretched as consciousness found me, my bones popping. It was nice being home again. I didn't realize how much I loved our bed until we got back.

We had left Ponyville shortly after the last of the gifts were given. Star had been napping in the Castle of the Two Sisters the whole time, waiting for us to wake her.

Of course, she wanted to know everything that happened, so we told her. She was actually least surprised by the fact that Ember and I had an egg.

As soon as we got home, we fell onto the bed and made good use of it. Oh, we also slept a bit.

"Unless we're banging again, go back to sleep," complained the dragoness cuddled up beside me.

"Mm... yeah, let's do the first one," said the other dragoness cuddled up on my other side.

Ember peaked one eye open. "Hey, as fun as that was, don't think it'll happen all the time. Besides, that'll be the last time you do it at all until after you lay. Unless you want to be a mother."

Smolder chuckled as she rolled over and sat up, stretching herself. "Nah, I'm good. Besides, I think I'll want to find a mate of my own for that. I'm not raising a little pebble biter by myself."

"Hey, we'd still help you out," Ember said.

"Really? Why?" Smolder asked.

Ember shrugged. "I don't know. It seems to work for Luke's friends. I mean, there's two females and both have eggs, but they both act like all the eggs are both of theirs. Same with the males, even the ones that don't have eggs at all act like the eggs are kinda theirs."

"So... you're saying you want Luke to be both of our mate?" Smolder asked, confused.

Ember growled, glaring at Smolder. "No, he's my mate!" She calmed down a bit, taking a slow breath. "I'm just saying, even though he's my mate, we'll still help you out if he sires your whelp. Or, heck, even if some other male does but skips out. 

"We need to start helping each other out, anyway. There's far more strength in unity than with us always fighting."

"Okay, I think there's still some rules to dragon courtship I'm still missing," I said. "So, you would be okay if I had an egg with another dragon?"

Ember gave me a shocked look. "What?! No! I mean, if you wanted to sire an egg, fine, but you aren't having an egg with anydrake else."

"What's the difference?" I asked. 

Ember facepalmed in reserved realization. "Right... not a dragon. The difference is if you sire an egg, you just fertilize the female and that's it. Having an egg with a female means actually being a father."

"So... what are we talking about happening with Smolder?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm kind of confused, too," Smolder agreed.

Ember explained, "Well, I was talking to Velvet, that pony that actually knows what fun is, and she said she used to do fun stuff with something she called an 'uncle'."

"Wait, dragons don't have a concept of uncles?" I asked, completely caught off guard. "But, how do you have siblings but not uncles?"

"What's an uncle?" Smolder asked, her confusion confusing me.

"It's what ponies call their parents' siblings," Ember explained. "Apparently, they help care for the young."

"But, you aren't my sister," Smolder said.

"No, but it got me thinking," Ember said. "If a sibling can help care for your young, why can't a friend?"

"So, kinda like mates, but not really?" Smolder ventured.

"Yeah," Ember said with a nod.

"I like it. You guys can be my whelp's uncles and I'll be your whelp's uncle," Smolder said, excitedly.

I laughed. "You mean 'aunt'. An uncle is a male, a female is an aunt."

"Jeeze, how many words are there for creatures you're related to?" Smolder asked.

"I'll tell you later. Right now, I want some breakfast," I said as I got out of bed.

"Great, we can scrounge something up on the way," Smolder said.

I was about to ask what she meant when I felt a familiar anger bubble up from her.

"You're right. We've put this off far too long," I said. "Let's get ready to go."

Ember nodded. "Yeah. You get everything ready. I'll get ready to seal the cave."

Smolder and I went about gathering up a few things; a pot, some furs, salt, some harder to find seasonings, a tarp, a compass, and a few other things.

With everything split into three packs, we had a quick meal of sausages we brought from Canterlot.

After we finished, we stepped out of the cave and with a wave of magic from Ember the cave entrance was sealed up by a massive stone.

Then, we were ready.

"Finally," Smolder said. "Let's get going."

I couldn't help but look back in worry. I didn't like leaving our egg behind, but with the cave sealed and the magic blanket keeping it warm, it was safe.

"Alright, Smolder," Ember said. "Remember what I showed you."

Smolder nodded. "Right."

She closed her eyes, picturing her brother. I didn't know exactly what she was picturing, but sensing the mix of joy, sorrow, and longing, I felt for her.

Then, she opened her eyes and raised her claw. In a flash, a ball of fire shot out, flying west.

"It worked!" Smolder said. "Don't worry, Garble, I'll get that monster for you. It won't hurt anydrake ever again."

Ember and I threw on our cloaks and spoke the command word. The cloaks morphed into wings and the three of us took off into the sky.





Even just an hour of flying a day helped eat up the distance. That first hour we traveled further than we could have the entire day on foot.

Of course, when the flight cut out, it was a little scary. But then the feather fall enchantment kicked in.

We kept the cloaks on, though, as the weather was starting to turn. Soon enough, it would be winter.

The thought made me shiver. I wasn't looking forward to it. I was usually fine with it, but last winter kind of spoiled it for me. I was glad I lived in a volcano.

"Does that spell say about how far we have to go?" I asked as we settled down for the day.

"Not exactly," Ember said. "It kinda gives you an idea of when you're getting close, though. It gets brighter the closer you are."

"And about how much closer do you think we are?" I asked.

Ember looked at Smolder who cast the tracking spell again.

"Uh, I'd guess we have another three or four days' travel," Ember ventured. "So long as we keep the same pace."

"Are you sure you can't fly?" Smolder asked. "Then you could give Luke both those cloaks and we can fly two hours. I bet we'd get there at least a day early, then."

"I told you, my wing may look fine, now, but the muscles are still weak," Ember said. "It'll be at least another moon before I'll be able to fly."

"There's nothing we can do about that now," I said. "We only have an hour before sunset, so lets get set up. Smolder, can you fill our water skins?"

I emptied one of the skins into the pot that Ember conjured a magic flame beneath for dinner and put it with the other four before Smolder grabbed the empties and flew off.

I took a sip from the last skin and handed it to Ember so she could have some as well.

I started chopping up some potatoes while Ember started cleaning a pair of rabbits we found along the way. It wasn't going to be a very fancy meal, but it was a meal.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Ember asked.

I laughed. "Yeah. Maybe we can send Smolder on ahead and find an animal to maul you up a little."

"Ha! I don't think so," Ember countered. "It's hard to believe it's only been two seasons."

"Yeah..." I thought back through everything that I went through over the past year. Or 'month' by the local calendar. I still wasn't used to that.

"Funny how things work out," Ember said with a slight smile. "When we first met, I thought you were a whiny, whimpy loser."

"And I thought you were a narcissistic bitch," I added. "At least one of us was right."

"Oh?! You wanna go there, do you?" Ember said in mock indignation, making a show of her claws slicing through the meat.

We laughed together for a bit before going silent.

"How much will things change in another two seasons?" she asked.

I paused for a moment before tossing the potatoes into the pot. "I don't know. But isn't that what we want? You've been saying since we first met that you want to bring change to the dragon lands."

"I know, but not all change is good." She cleaned her hands with a jet of fire and slid the bunny chunks to me.

With one paw I directed my psychic power to levitate and rotate the meat into a mix of seasonings.

"You're getting better at that," she said.

"Abes is a good teacher," I said.

After a bit, I tossed the meat in with the potatoes as I continued, "So long as we try to make the right changes for the right reasons, I think we'll be alright."

"But how do we know the changes we're making are the right ones?" Ember asked as she leaned against me.

I put an arm around her waist. "I suppose we can't. All we can do is what we think is right and hope it actually is."

"Smolder's been gone for a while," Ember said, looking around. "You think we should make sure she's okay?"

I smiled. "She's just over there, by that tree. She's giving us space."

"Aww, thanks, Smolder," Ember called.

An orange claw peeked out to give us a thumbs up.





The next morning dawned much like the previous one, with me sandwiched between two dragonesses.

Unlike the previous, though, we weren't cuddled up in post coital bliss but in a warming ball to keep the cold away.

Winter was fast approaching.

We ate a bit of leftover rabbit and potato stew before Ember blasted the pot clean with her breath.

Meanwhile Smolder once again filled up the empty water skins we drank last night and I rolled up the furs we slept on and under.

"So," Smolder said when she came back. "How are we going to be doing this? When we find the dingonek, how are we taking it down?"

I thought for a moment. "It'll depend on what kind of terrain it calls home. If it uses a den, as is most likely, we'll want to lure it out. Outside, we'll have the advantage if we can use our cloaks. We lure it out, cut off its retreat, and take it out."

"We'll try to make sure you get to finish it off," Ember said.

"I don't care about that," Smolder insisted. "I just don't want anydrake else to die. I just want to bring home whatever remains of my brother. He deserves better than to be some animal's chew toy."

"I'm very proud of you," I said. "Your priorities are in the right place, I think."

Smolder nodded. "Alright. Let's get our heading and move out."

She held out her claw and her homing fireball shot out.

It moved a few feet west before stopping.

"Uh... what's going on with this thing?" Smolder asked.

The ball of fire suddenly shifted to green and shot back. In the blink of an eye, the fire expanded, forming a ring of fire. A black claw shot out, grabbed Smolder and yanked her through with barely enough time for her to scream.

It all happened too fast for even my reflexes to kick in before the ring of fire collapsed, leaving me and Ember in stunned shock, staring at where our friend was just two seconds before.

<<"Wh-what?">> I asked aloud, my brain still trying to make sense of what it saw.

"S-smolder? Smolder?!" Ember panicked, looking around, frantically. "Smolder, where are you? This isn't funny!"

I calmed myself as best I could and focused, trying to sense her.

"I can't feel her aura," I said.

"I... I'm going to find her," Ember said.

"Wait! What if it takes you, too?" I said, my fear of losing Ember, too, overwhelming me.

"Then get ready," Ember said. "If it happens again, we grab whatever that claw is, rip it out and beat it until it gives us Smolder back."

Ember lit her claw and cast the spell. Her tracking spell, taking the form of a falcon, took off.

Ember and I watched the spell, both of us seeing the same thing.

"It's going in the same direction as Garble."





Smolder yelped as she was slammed into the wall of a cave, green magic pinned her arms and legs.

She was surrounded by strange creatures that looked like some kind of cross between insect and pony with blue eyes.

"What the heck are you?!" she demanded. "Where am I? Where's my brother?"

The creatures parted as the sound of clawsteps approached. Into the dim light, she saw familiar red clawed feet, followed by an equally familiar red scaled body.

"B-bro?" Smolder said, watching the even more familiar face come into view.

A deep voice chuckled. "Close... but not quite."

As the figure stepped into the light, Smolder looked into his eyes.

And the void stared back.
> Chapter 34: Nergal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wh-who are you?," Smolder demanded as two of the bug horse things chained her to a stone slab. "You aren't Garble. What did you do to my brother?"

The monster laughed. "Oh, don't worry. Technically speaking, he's still alive."

"Sir," one of the weird pony things said as it walked in. "It's allies are still approaching. They will arrive in three days at the pace they're moving."

Smolder huffed. "You better let me go. If you don't, Ember and Luke are going to rip you all apart."

The monster laughed again. "Oh, we will be quite finished with you by the time they arrive."

The creature looked to the not-pony and ordered, "Delay them, if you can, regardless. Better safe than sorry."

"What are you going to do to me?" Smolder asked, trying to keep her fear in check.

The monster looked to her with a sickly sweet smile and said, "Why, it isn't what I'm going to do to you, but what I'm going to do for you. You will be remembered throughout history as one of the few of your kind that ever contributed anything of worth to the world."

The monster turned to another of those strange pony things. "Ah, good morning, my lord. Come to witness the beginnings of your greatness?"

The pony thing looked up at him and sneered. "Just ensuring my investment will be bearing the fruit I was promised."

"Of course," the monster said with a grin. "Though, I will need one of yours to ensure it remains healthy. It needs to survive the process."

"My daughter will care for it," the not-pony said. "Prepare your part and we'll have it ready by this afternoon."

As they left, what they said sank in. Whatever they were going to do to her was going to happen that day, and the others were still three days away.

"N-no," she told herself. "They'll be here soon. They'll save me."





We pushed ourselves to our limit. We couldn't let ourselves slow, even for a moment. Smolder was in danger and every second mattered.

We didn't even stop when we ate. We just ate as we walked.

Eventually, I had to force both of us to stop for a rest by a stream.

"Why are we stopping?" Ember demanded. "We don't have time for this!"

"We're tired. We've been slowing down for hours," I explained. "An hour rest now and we'll be moving at full speed again. We'll get there faster by resting now. Also, tomorrow, we should save our cloaks until the afternoon. That way we can push ourselves before and then rest in the air while the cloaks do the work and then push ourselves again before stopping for the night."

Ember growled. "Fine."

I didn't like it, either, but now that I wasn't panicking and I was thinking clearly I saw how foolish we had been. We would have made better time if I had thought about it.

We drank from the stream and filled our skins before eating some of our dried rations.

We were eating more of those than we should have, but we didn't have time to hunt. I was just going to have to keep an eye open for game and take it quickly.

As we got to our feet and gathered up the skins and ration pack, I felt a tingle shoot up my spine. I shoved Ember away and leaped back as a green bolt of magic tore past us.

I focused on my aura sense, trying to locate our attacker.

"Alright, who's got a death wish?" Ember snarled.

From a space that I felt nothing, a bolt of magic suddenly came into existence and flew toward Ember.

I barely had time to fire off an aura sphere to intercept the bolt. They impacted not even two feet from Ember, the blast pushing her back a couple feet.

"Where the heck is it?" Ember asked as I rushed to her side.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I can't sense it."

"What do you-" she was interrupted by the need to duck another magic blast.

I returned fire with an explosive aura sphere. The ball hit a tree and detonated in a large blast that uprooted a half dozen trees.

"What do you mean you can't sense it?" Ember asked.

"I mean, I can't sense it. It's not giving off aura," I clarified. 

"But I thought everything gives off aura," Ember said.

We dodged another bolt and Ember fired a fireball back. 

"Everything has aura, sure, but this thing must be able to hide it, somehow," I deduced.

We stood back to back, watching for the faintest hint of our attacker.

A shimmer of green caught my attention and I fired a small aura sphere before our attacker could finish his own, forcing it to abandon the attack and leap away, but by then it was too late.

Ember loosed a swarm of little purple magic darts. The darts homed in on our attacker, no matter how quick he tried to dodge. They slammed into its side, sending it crashing into a tree.

In the blink of an eye, I slammed my own paw into it, pinning it to the tree.

The creature was something I actually recognized. The smooth, black, chitin carapace, the solid blue eyes, and the turquoise shell.

"What is a changeling doing attacking us?" I demanded.

"I-I was ordered to," it replied.

"By who?" Ember growled.

Before we could get an answer, another bolt of magic flew right in between us and erupted in a blinding light. Ember and I recoiled, trying to shield our eyes.

"Son of a diamond dog!" Ember yelled.

I felt something slam into my side, knocking me down and causing me to drop our captive.

By the time my sight returned, both our captive and whatever freed it were gone.





Smolder laid there with only her thoughts for quite some time. She wasn't sure how long it had been, but she was sure whatever they were going to do to her was going to happen soon.

Sure enough, the buzz of insect-like wings announced the arrival of one of her captors.

The creature paused as it entered, wilting under Smolder's glare.

It was smaller than the others. Not a whole lot, but enough that Smolder could safely assume it was rather young. That fact, alone, made Smolder relax her ire toward it a little, but it did not disappear.

"What do you want?" Smolder snapped.

The little pony thing came closer, enough that Smolder could see what was in the one of the bowls she carried.

The sight of the meat and gems made her mouth water and her stomach grumble. It looked like a veritable feast. It was certainly far more and far better than she expected to be fed.

"I-I'm here to feed you," the creature said, her voice soft and sweet, almost innocent. "I'm sorry we have to do this, but mister Nergal promised you'd be free to go as soon as you helped him."

"And how am I supposed to help him?" Smolder asked.

"Um... I don't know," the creature said. "But he said you have to keep your strength up or you might not survive. So, please, eat."

Smolder eyed the amethyst that floated to her face. She tried to think of what kind of trick they could be pulling, but couldn't think of anything. They already had her chained to a rock. Why would they need to trick her?

So, she opened her mouth and accepted the food. As she chewed, she studied the creature before her. It looked the same as the others, but it sure didn't act the same.

"So, what's your name, anyway?" Smolder asked. "For that matter, what are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," the creature said. "My name is Occelus. We're changelings."

"And what about that 'mister Nergal guy?" Smolder asked as she chewed another mouthful of rubies.

Occelus paled. "He's a monster."

Smolder gave Occelus a curious look. "If he's a monster, why are you serving him?"

"We aren't serving him. It's an alliance of necessity," Occelus said as she hovered a piece of meat to the dragon. "Our queen is getting ready to do something very bad. Something so bad, it could lead to the destruction of my entire species. Mister Nergal is going to help us stop her."

Smolder bared her teeth. "You think that guy wearing my brother's body is going to help you? Why?"

"Because he needs our help," Occelus replied.

"With what?" Smolder asked. 

"You will see when the time comes," came the deep voice of the monster as he stepped into the room.

"Wh-what?" Smolder asked, the creature's return bringing her fear back with it.

Nergal smiled a smile that was far too sweet. "You see, I suffer a terrible curse. It is a curse that you will help cure me of.

"I would have taken that pretty little blue one, had the dog not intervened and sent me down a chasm. So blame them for your predicament. If the dog had just let me take her, you and your brother would be safe and sound."

The monster placed a claw on Smolder's belly as he leaned in and sniffed her. "Hm... almost ready."

"R-ready for what?" Smolder said, reluctantly, a feeling of revulsion sending shivers throughout her body.

Nergal clicked his tongue derisively. "Telling would ruin the surprise."

The changeling in charge walked in, giving a barely veiled look of disgust to either Smolder or Nergal, she couldn't tell. Both of them, most likely.

"Occelus," the changeling in charge said as he stepped in. "Go help Pupae in the garden."

"Y-yes, father," Occelus said as she hung her head and left, shooting Smolder an apologetic look.

"Aww, you made a friend," Nergal mocked. "That's good. It will ensure she will take good care of you for the next couple days."

Nergal turned away and walked over to another stone slab and laid down. As he did, the changeling in charge shackled him down.

"Good. Now, I'm trusting you to keep that dragon and her pet at bay," Nergal reminded.

"Of course," the changeling said. "He will not interfere."

Nergal grinned. "Oh, I left you a little present in my chambers that should be of some assistance. Use it well."

With that, Nergal looked up and opened his mouth as wide as he could. With what sounded like a wailing scream, a black cloud billowed out of his mouth like some fell factory.

The air grew thick and sour, as if spoiling by the mere presence of such vileness.

Garble's body fell limp as the last of the cloud left him.

As for the cloud, itself, a pair of eyes, somehow glowing black, peered from the depths. They looked down at Smolder, and she felt as if her very soul was being suffocated.

It surged forward. Smolder tried to scream, but that only made it easier for it to flood into her mouth and down her throat.

Smolder felt the filth worm through her body before everything faded into unconsciousness.
> Chapter 35: Battle in the Forest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Smolder was gently stirred awake by the feeling of a wet cloth dabbing on her brow.

"Mom?" she ventured.

"It's me, Occelus."

Smolder opened her eyes and looked at the changeling. "Damn. It wasn't just some nightmare."

"I'm sorry," Occelus said. "I wish it was, too."

Smolder looked to her other side, to the still form of her brother. "Is... is he..."

"He's alive," Occelus said. "But I'm not sure for how long. He's been almost completely drained of his magic. He needs a hospital, but father won't let me take him."

"Then let me go," Smolder said. "Let me take him."

Occelus looked away. "I can't."

Smolder didn't need Luke's feelings sense to tell Occelus was conflicted. It was clear the changeling wanted to do as she asked, but couldn't.

Smolder wanted to demand she be let loose, but she didn't want to scare away the only friendly one there.

"What happened, anyway?" Smolder asked. "I remember that thing laying down and throwing up a crazy storm cloud looking thing, but... did it really..."

Occelus nodded. "Yes. Nergal is inside you, as we speak."

"Wh-what?" Smolder said, panic rising as she pulled and yanked at her bindings. "What do you mean he's inside me?! What's he doing to me?!"

"Please, calm down," Occelus pleaded. "You're only going to hurt yourself."

"I don't care!" Smolder yelled. "I need to save my brother! I need to rip this thing out of me! Why are you just letting this happen?!"

"Because I have to!" Occelus yelled back, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, but my entire species will be wiped out if we don't do this. Can you really say I'm wrong for risking you and your brother to save thousands? I don't like this, either, but what else can I do? I want you two to survive this, and am doing everything I can to make sure you get to go home with your brother."

Smolder had to take a few breaths to calm herself down and actually think about what she said.

Use your brain, not your skull, Ember had told her, once.

"What's this queen doing that's so bad, anyway?" Smolder asked.

Occelus released a breath and let herself relax. "She's planning on attacking Canterlot."

Smolder's eyes widened in surprise. "Okay, wow. Yeah, that's stupid... but how's that translate to your species being wiped out?"

"My species can't produce magic on our own," Occelus explained. "We have to draw it from others. We do this by feeding on the excess magic ponies release when feeling strong emotions, especially love. We do this by taking the place of a pony and spending time with their loved ones.

"This means we need to make the ponies think we are the pony we're replacing. That only works because ponies don't know we exist. If they did, they would become more and more suspicious. The more suspicious ponies are, the more often we get found out. The more often we get found out, the less love magic we can harvest. Eventually, we won't be able to get any magic and we'll die."

Smolder had to admit, that sounded... complicated. "Why don't you just make friends with ponies? If you feed off love, then making friends with them as yourselves would mean you'd never have to worry about things like that."

"It's been tried before," Occelus said. "A few centuries ago, three changelings tried to make friends without a disguise. They were killed before they could even say 'hello'."

"Killed? By ponies?" Smolder asked, incredulously.

"It's true!" Occelus insisted.

"I just find it hard to believe that ponies could kill any creature," Smolder said. "I mean, ponies and dragons have been at each other's throats for centuries, but they accepted - argh!"

A sharp pain stabbed at Smolder's abdomen, ending the conversation as she curled up, pulling at the chains binding her.

Occelus gave Smolder her hoof. "It's okay, I'm here. It'll pass soon, just bear with it. I won't leave you."

Smolder squeezed the hoof, desperate for the pain to pass. After what felt like hours, it finally did, leaving Smolder gasping for air.

"Wh-what... was... that?" she said between gasps.

"I don't know, exactly, but I think it has something to do with Mister Nergal," Occelus said. 

"What's he doing to me?" Smolder pleaded. 

Occelus sighed. "I don't know."





We tried to make good time, but we were slowed by our attackers launching random surprise attacks.

It was only ever a few shots, sometimes three, sometimes four or five, but they never kept it up enough for us to locate them again.

At night, Ember erected a magic dome of force that kept us safe so we could sleep. Still, sleep was difficult. Not just because of the fear of attack, but concern for Smolder.

At least, knowing it was changelings, I was pretty sure she was alive. From what I remember Leo saying, changelings feed off emotions, so they would keep their captives alive.

That eased our minds, but it didn't alleviate our fears. I didn't know what changelings feeding did to someone. I didn't know if it could cause long term damage.

That spurred us on ever harder. Despite our harassers, we were still making good time. 

After two days, I picked up a scent. It was a familiar scent, too. It was the same scent as that mare in Canterlot whose aura I couldn't sense.

So, we followed my nose the rest of the way, to a cave entrance.

"Smolder's in there. I can sense her," I said.

"Well, then what are we waiting for? Let's go get her." Ember started for the cave entrance.

I put a paw on her shoulder, stopping her. "Wait. They've known we were coming for a few days. They have a trap waiting for us."

Ember looked at me then back to the cave. "Yeah, I guess they would have one ready."

"And considering they probably know we're aware of their trap, it's the kind that doesn't matter if we know about it or not," I said. "We're going to take this slow. Be ready for anything, keep your magic at the ready."

"Right," Ember agreed. "Let's go get Smolder back and kick the ass of whoever took her."

"Hell yeah!" I cried and leaped from the bush, only for a flash of light to blind me.





Ember stared, dumbfounded, at the spot Luke had vanished. Did he learn a new power? No, he would have at least hinted at it. 

There was no 'hey, watch this,' or 'look what I can do,' or anything even close. He was just there one moment and gone the next.

"Foodin," someone said, nearby.

Ember looked and saw a strange creature. It was like a hairless cat, or maybe a fox. Its skin was a mix of sandy and brown with the only hair being a long mustache and held a pair of spoons in both paws.

"Who and what the heck are you?" Ember demanded.

"Foodin din," it replied.

"Huh?" Ember began, but before she could say anything further, she felt a force slam into her chest and throw her back.

She slammed into a tree, right on her bad wing. She cried out in pain, feeling one of the bones snap.

She focused on her magic, numbing the pain as she struggled to her feet.

"Damnit! That was almost healed!" she roared. "I'm going to rip you apart!"





When my vision cleared, the cavern was gone.

"What happened? Where's the cave?" I asked as I turned back. "Ember? You disappear, too? Oh... I disappeared. Damn."

I focused on my aura sense to try and see if I can sense Ember. It was the only thing that saved me.

Something charged me with incredible speed. I barely had time to leap to the side, a green blur slashing where my neck had just been.

I looked up at my attacker in surprise. Its mantis-like form with large, broad bladed arms was familiar. I would have been excited if not for the fact that it just tried to kill me.

It was a real, honest to God scyther. It was always my favorite pokemon back when I used to play the games.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to talk things out?" I asked.

It responded in, I'm guessing, Japanese.

"I take that as a 'no'," I said as I formed my blade rush swords.

Suddenly, another aura flashed toward me. I leaped just as a little black cat with massive claws tried to sever my Achilles tendon.

I groaned, glancing between the scyther and the... what was it called? Sneezy? Whatever. It was two against one.

"Well, this just isn't fair."





Smolder felt like her stomach was going to tear open. It was unlike anything she had ever felt.

"Smolder, what's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Occelus asked, fearful for her new friend's wellbeing.

"S-stomach," Smolder cried.

Occelus' father arrived, followed closely by another changeling.

"Father? Pupae? Something's wrong with her," Occelus said. "You said she wouldn't be hurt."

"I said it will probably survive," he replied. "I never said there wouldn't be pain. Pupae, make sure it doesn't die before we're finished with it."

"Yes, sir," Pupae replied, hesitantly. "Occelus, why don't you go to the nursery and take over for me?"

Occelus shook her head. "I promised Smolder I wouldn't leave her."

"Occelus, it's just a dragon," her father scolded. "It's a savage beast. Don't treat it like an equal."

"She's not a savage beast," Occelus said, quietly.

Pupae cast a spell on Smolder, the green flame washing over her body.

"It's growing too fast for the dragon's body to keep up," Pupae said. "At this rate, both will die."

"Well, then you'd better do something," the boss said. "I couldn't care less about the dragon, but Nergal must survive."

Pupae nodded and got to work. She began casting spell after spell, Occelus' father even calling for a dozen magic storage crystals for Pupae to drain so she could continue to cast.

As she worked, Smolder's pain lessened but never vanished.

Then the cramps came. It was a familiar feeling. She had felt them every fall since her first molt.

But, that couldn't be right. It was still much too early.

Any doubts vanished when she felt that familiar pressure. She was laying. It felt different this time, though. It felt bigger.

"It's time," Pupae said.

Smolder wasn't listening to them, though. She was only thinking one thing; it's bigger. But, that couldn't be true. It would only be bigger if it was fertilized, but she wasn't fertile when she banged. She couldn't have been. She couldn't be fertile for another week.

All other thought vanished as her muscles instinctively pushed and an unreal pain shot through her.

Smolder cried out as she desperately tried to expel whatever was trying to leave her body.

It's not an egg, she told herself. It can't be.

But as she pushed, she could tell it was. She was laying two weeks early.

A part of her knew what it meant, but she had to deny it. She couldn't accept it.

Another wave of pain forced her to push. A sharp, unimaginable pain wracked her body and the pressure vanished.

"There!" Pupae exclaimed. "It's out."

"Excellent. Prepare to retreat," the boss said.

Smolder's senses seemed to fade.

The last thing she saw was an egg, black as the void and seeming to drip with wrongness.
> Chapter 36: Blades and Brains
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The scyther charged, bladed arms moving with incredible speed. I parried and countered, slashing at its legs. It flew up just as the sneezy leaped at me from beneath it.

I reversed direction, trying to strike the little feline with the pommel, but it flipped and kicked off my paw, dodging to the side.

Either one of them alone would have been an annoyance but not really a threat. Together, though, they were quite dangerous. They understood teamwork quite well.

I tried to remember what Leo said about pokemon in this world. She said they were summoned using special rituals and that they used their Japanese names.

That didn't exactly help me, though.

I was forced to dodge a quick double slash. I leaped to the left, right into the sneezy's lunge. Its claws tore into my thigh. Luckily, it wasn't too deep, but it was painful and bled more than I liked.

I kicked out with my other leg. It brought its arms up in a guard and was forced to take it.

I tried to remember what else Leo said while fending off the scyther. 

Right, she said if they take too much damage, they disappear, I recalled. So, I just need to wound them.

I decided to take out the sneezy, first. Its hit and run tactics were making it hard to deal with the scyther. Plus, it was probably the squishier of the two.

I decided to leave a trap. I purposely left myself slightly open on my rear left, making it seem as if my injury was causing more trouble than it was.

The scyther struck at me with a powerful over head chop. As soon as I moved to defend, the sneezy attacked exactly as I wanted it to.

I parried the scyther, spun on my heels, put my blades together and formed the classic bone rush staff, and struck the sneezy with a powerful upward swing, launching the cat-thing into the air.

I struck the scyther in the knee with a quick kick to keep him off balance and charged a compressed aura sphere.

With no way to dodge, the sneezy had no chance of dodging the attack, and the look in its face as I launched it told me it knew that, too.

To my surprise, though, the scyther flew up at surprising speed, grabbing the sneezy and knocking them out of the way.

Still, that wasn't a normal aura sphere, but a compressed aura sphere. As it passed them, I squeezed on the connection I had with the sphere, detonating it. The blast sent both the scyther and sneezy slamming into the ground.

"Now we're even," I said as the pair painfully got to their feet, ready for more.





Ember was starting to get pissed. This annoying creature just wouldn't stay still long enough for Ember to shove its own spoons down its throat.

With every shot, spell, and punch sent its way the thing would vanish and reappear somewhere else, all the while hitting her with weird attacks she couldn't see.

The earth erupted beneath the annoying creature in a burst of stone spears, but the creature just teleported away. Ember grunted as an invisible force slammed into her gut.

Damnit! I need to find a way to keep it from disappearing, Ember thought. I just need to keep him from dodging, but how?

Another attack struck her as she thought, knocking her back. 

"Damnit," she wheezed. "Stupid invisible attacks. How the heck am I supposed to defend against something I can't..."

She trailed off as the idea came to her. If she couldn't defend against something she couldn't see, then that teleporting asshole probably couldn't, either.

Except, she didn't know how to make an unseen attack. The closest she had was shooting something from the ground beneath it, but it had already proven it could avoid those.

"Where is Luke when I need him?"





I could have really used Ember’s help right then.

The duo had shifted tactics, a bit. The sneezy still came at me from a blind side, making me have to stretch my aura sense, but it also started creating strong, icy winds that cut through to the bone whenever its partner wouldn't be caught by it.

Those attacks had a major effect on me. Maybe it was the metal bones, but it chilled me through so thoroughly that I became sluggish, allowing the scyther to land a few hits. Thankfully, none of them were deep, but they were still painful.

After taking a few hits, I began to notice something. I wasn't sure why but it felt like I was getting quicker despite the chill. Not only that, but my blows felt like they were getting stronger.

That was something to ask Leo or one of her friends, later. At the moment, I had to focus on the fight.

I had to take out one of these guys. I knew if I could do that, the other would fall easily.

Suddenly, an idea came to me. I smirked, as once again, I found myself turning to the Jedi for the answer. I just hoped it would work.

The scyther blitzed, coming from my left. I pivoted, bringing my swords up to meet his.

As soon as they touched, though, I retracted them. With no resistance, the scyther's blades fell forward. The unexpected lack of opposition made the scyther stumble forward. 

I resummoned my swords, one piercing its neck, the other its torso.

In a flash of light, the scyther vanished, and a cry of rage sounded behind me.

The sneezy pounced, large claws poised to strike, but I didn't let it get close. I channeled my aura into a large aura sphere and fired.

The sphere slammed the sneezy into a tree, and I followed up with my swords, severing its head before it, too, vanished.

With my battle over, I let my swords disappear, and collapsed onto my knees.

"Fuck!" I hissed as I finally realized the pain I was in. I had several cuts all over, two of them deep enough to be concerning. 

I took a deep breath, trying to will the pain away. I needed to fight past it and get to Ember. I could deal with the cuts later. 

I felt a tingling warmth spread through me. The feeling pulsed with my heartbeat, my wounds glowing faintly with each pulse. Each time it did, I saw my wounds close a little more until after a couple minutes only the gashes remained, but even then they had stopped bleeding. 

"Well... that's handy," I said as I rose. I swooned, suddenly light headed. "Okay, not an ablility to abuse, then. Holy shit."

I grabbed a tree to catch my breath. I needed a minute to rest. I just hoped Ember wasn't in trouble.





Ember was in trouble. She wasn't really hurt, as the thing's attacks weren't very strong, but it was persistent. 

She threw fireballs, lightning bolts, acid arrows, and ice knives, just to name a few. Even those magic homing missile things that never missed before just hit the thing's shield.

No matter what she threw at it, it either teleported away or blocked it with a shield. It's counter attacks weren't very strong, but they knocked her back and pissed her off.

Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way, she thought and promptly rolled her eyes. Obviously I am. If I wasn't, I would have beaten this guy already. Time for a new approach. None of my attacks are working, so maybe I shouldn't be attacking. Magic can do a lot more than attack, after all.

But what could she do? Most of the spells she learned were attacking spells, or what Luke referred to as 'utility spells'. She only had a couple of what he called 'buff spells' and none that would be of much use.

Welp, looks like it's experiment time, Ember thought.

She really didn't like the idea of having to experiment in the middle of a fight, but she didn't exactly have a lot of options.

Another invisible punch to the gut forced her out of her planning.

"Fucking psychic bastard!" Ember growled. "Wait..."

She grinned. Lyra had told her once that there were spells that could imitate some psychic abilities. That meant she should be able to do the same.

She molded her magic, forming it into something she hoped was close to psychic energy. She molded it into an invisible spike and as soon as her opponent appeared she jammed the spike in its mind.

It recoiled slightly from the invisible attack and glared at Ember.

"Ha! How's that feel, ass hole?!" she yelled. It wasn't a powerful attack, but it was the first she landed.

Besides, the damage was only a cover for its real purpose. 

The creature teleported again, but this time, as soon as it materialized an icicle was already flying toward it.

It had to hurriedly teleport again, only to once again find an attack already flying toward it.

It teleported again, only to find a blue fist already waiting to slam into his cheek, sending him crashing to the ground. 

It teleported again, but it didn't matter. Ember had marked him. The psychic spell she hit him with was still there, buried in his mind like a beacon, showing her exactly where he was.

Thus, as he materialized again, he didn't have time to even notice the earthen spikes before they impaled him.

To Ember's surprise, though, the thing just smiled at her.

"Well played."

And then it vanished in motes of light.





It didn't take me too long to find where Ember was. I had heard distant explosions during my fight and figured that was where Ember was. Soon enough, I was in range to sense her.

I had just felt something else vanish a couple minutes before I arrived. I figured she must have had her own fight, probably with whatever teleported me.

"Ember!" I called out. "You okay?"

"Oh, now you show up?" she complained as I came around a tree to find her sitting on a fallen tree, catching her breath. "I could've used your help a few minutes ago. I was fighting some psychic cat thing with spoons."

I snorted in amusement. "Oh yeah? Well, I could've used your help. I had to fight a giant praying mantis with sword arms and a cat with giant claws and ice powers."

"I take it those were those summon things?" Ember guessed. 

I just nodded.

Ember got to her feet and started toward the cave. "Alright. Let's go get Smolder back and beat the tar out of whatever took her."

"Agreed. Just remember, I can't sense them, so keep your eyes open."

We cautiously made our way through the cave. It was slow going. We were expecting a trap of some kind.

Instead, all we found was nothing. Either they were already gone, or they were waiting for us further in. The few rooms we peeked into looked like they were recently abandoned, making me think they might be gone. That thought made me worried we were too late, until I felt something. 

"I feel two auras, both together," I said. "Be ready for a fight."

"I'm a dragon. I'm always ready for a fight," Ember replied, claws glowing with a readied spell.

I readied my swords and we burst into the room, prepared for an ambush. Instead, we were met with more nothing.

At least, nothing other than the two unconscious dragons.

"Garble?"

"Smolder? Smolder, wake up!" Ember said, worry thick in her voice.

I turned to the females and felt a pit form in my gut. Smolder's aura was more faint than it was just moments ago.

"Luke, something's wrong," Ember said, tears forming in her eyes.

"She's... dying," I said.

Ember looked at me, horror and denial written all over her face. "Wh-what?"

"Her aura's fading."

I forced myself to move, placing my paws on her and drawing up that power I used before, hoping it was something I could use on others. I felt my power flow, the pulses of healing energy flowing into Smolder, slowing her aura's decay.

Even with that, though, we were losing her.

"I don't think I can save her," I cried.

"N-no... no!" Ember screamed.

I felt power flood the room as Ember's claws glowed like the sun. She reached out, grabbing the very fabric of reality and tearing it asunder.

Panicked screams filled the chamber and distorted voices filtered through.

"Ember? Wh-what is this?" I recognized the voice.

"Please... help us," Ember pleaded.

I looked up to see the distorted visage of Princess Celestia, looking past Ember at me and Smolder, eyes widening in shock.

Her horn lit up. "I'll hold the rift. Come through, quickly!"

I picked Smolder up, passing her to Ember before going back for Garble. We passed through the rift and Celestia shouted orders.

"Sergeant, get them to the hospital ward and summon my sister," she shouted.

The sergeant motioned for another to guide us as he ran off, presumably to retrieve Luna.

I looked back at Celestia, still holding the rift with her magic.

"Don't worry about this," she said, giving me a smile. "I can get this closed. You see to your friends."

I nodded and followed after the guard, praying we weren't too late.
> Chapter 37: Recovery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ember paced back and forth while I fidgeted in my seat. We were both scared. Our best friend was at death's door and we could do nothing.

Our wounds had already been tended. I had to get a few stitches and Ember had to get her broken wing set and put in a cast, but neither took long.

"When I find whatever did this to her, I'm going to skin them alive," Ember growled. "I'm not going to do it all at once, though. No, I'm going to draw it out, use magic to keep them alive."

I didn't need my aura sense to see how scared she was. I was scared too. Though, where her fear came out as anger, mine just stayed fear.

I kept trying to extend my aura sense, but the room was warded against any kind of outside magical interference, even aura.

That just made things worse. I hated not knowing.

I was about to start pestering the nurses for information they had no way of knowing or getting when a doctor came through the doors.

"Your highnesses, I'm Doctor Scalpel. I have good news," he said and I felt like the world fell from my shoulders. "Your friends will make a full recovery."

Ember must have felt the same as she just collapsed into a cushion.

"I must say, whatever healing spell you used really saved her. If not for that there might have been some permanent damage," he said. "Though the damage to her reproductive organs is extensive. I would recommend any plans of having offspring with her be delayed for a while."

I didn't have the energy to correct whatever misconception he had about the nature of our relationship. "What about the male?"

"The male is a little worse off, over all. He's suffering from severe mana deprivation," he explained. "Several organs have begun to fail. Luckily, you dragons are a resilient lot. We're maintaining his organs until his magic can recover, but unfortunately we're estimating several moons before he recovers enough to be able to survive on his own and another month or two before he recovers fully."

Meaning about two years, Earth time. I sighed. "He won't be happy about that."

"Tough. He's alive and that's what matters," Ember said. "When can we see Smolder?"

"That's up to her."





We were guided by a guard to a room near the throne room, one most likely used for diplomatic meetings.

Celestia and Luna were awaiting us inside, alone with Shining Armor.

"Thank you for coming," Celestia began. "First off, I would like to extend my condolences. I had hoped our next meeting would have been under better circumstances."

"They're alive, and your doctors say they'll recover. That's all that matters," Ember replied. 

Celestia gave a soft sigh and nodded. "Still, I wish to discuss what happened. I understand you were set to hunt a dingonek that had been causing problems, but that couldn't be the cause of the kind of injuries your friends sustained."

"Because it wasn't a dingonek," I said. "I'm not sure what happened to the dingonek, but we were attacked by strange pony-like creatures and what I believe were summons, based on what Leo told me about them."

"What do you mean, 'pony-like'?" Luna inquired. 

"I mean, they were like some kind of mutant pony, maybe altered by magic."

Ember and I talked about this. While I was fairly certain that they were changelings, I wasn't sure. I only ever saw fan art and OCs of changelings, so I didn't want to assume. After all, they never shapeshifted, so they could just be something similar.

"The most notable thing I could say about them is that I can't sense them."

"So, we're dealing with pony-like creatures or ponies that have been changed," Shining Armor summed up. "What about the summons? What were they?"

"I don't know the names, but one was a giant praying mantis with blades for forearms and the other was a black cat with large claws and ice powers," I said.

"Sounds like Sutoraiku and Nyula," Celestia said, thoughtfully. 

"The one I fought kept just saying something about food," Ember said.

"Foodin?" Celestia guessed.

Ember nodded. "Yeah, that's it."

"And you defeated it?" Luna said, impressed. "Quite the accomplishment."

"As is summoning one," Celestia added, a bit more worried than her sister.

"Is there anything else you can tell us about these pony creatures?" Shining Armor asked.

"Not really," Ember said. "We only actually saw one. After that they stayed hidden and only attacked from out of sight. We never saw any at the cave."

Celestia sighed. "We shall have to wait for Smolder to wake, it seems."

Ember glared at the princess. "You aren't going to interrogate her as soon as she wakes up. I don't care who you are, you'll wait until she's ready to talk."

Shining Armor looked like he was about to say something he might have regretted, but lucky for him, Celestia spoke first.

"Of course. We would never cause her more stress than she has already endured," she said. "But it is still important that we speak to her. We shall let you broach the topic and let her know that we would like to speak of her experiences. Then we shall await her convenience."

"There is one other topic, we must discuss," Luna said, irritation coloring her aura. "That rift you tore open took my sister and I three hours to stabilize. Were you both not told of the dangers of dimensional magic?"

Ember looked a little abashed. "Uh... maybe? Look, I panicked, okay! My best friend was dying, and I remembered what Moon Dancer said about the types of magical movement. I needed a gate, but I wasn't sure how. That's why I opened it in the throne room. Because I knew you'd be able to fix anything I broke."

"And what if we weren't there?" Luna asked, sternly.

"Would you not do the same for Abes, if he were dying and you didn't know how to safely open a gate?" I asked, directing it only to Luna.

Luna sighed and replied. "Yes... I suppose I would."

Shining and Ember looked confused, but Celestia just had a knowing smirk. Of course she would know about their relationship.

"What did you say?" Ember inquired.

"Sorry, it involves a secret that isn't mine to tell," I said to everyone.

Celestia chuckled. "Speaking with one's mind certainly has its perks, wouldn't you agree, sister?"

"Back to the matter at hoof," Luna said, pointedly. "Seeing as you still don't understand the dangers of the higher levels of magic, while you await your friend's recovery, I shall be instructing you in magic safety."

Celestia quickly added, "Before you feel as if this is some punishment, please understand that this is for your own benefit. Magic can be incredibly dangerous, and there are some universal rules that one must understand, unless you want to destroy an entire mountain and the city on it when a rift collapses."

Ember's eyes widened in shock. "That could have happened?"

"If I wasn't there? Yes," Celestia said, plainly. 

"And that is why you will have lessons with me," Luna said.

"For now, I'm sure you're tired," Celestia said, moving things along. "You shall be staying in the same room. We've enchanted the linens just for you."

"Yes, we don't want our housekeepers to be driven off by you," Luna said.

"I don't know," Shining added. "Cadence was actually rather impressed."





The next couple days were slow and uninteresting. We didn't much feel like doing anything, so I just trained with the guard while Ember had her own lessons.

Abes stopped by every night, at least for a few minutes. We didn't talk about much, though. It had only been about four days, after all.

He did start teaching me to read the pony language, though. I had to admit, it wasn't quite as hard as I thought. They had more letters, but they didn't have a dozen different sounds for each like English. That meant no stupid, pointless rules or exceptions to rules. I just learned what symbol made what sound and that was it.

I was in the middle of practicing some exercises Abes made for me when Ember barged in.

"She's awake!" was all she said before we were both rushing down the hall.

We had to dodge a few maids along the way, but I couldn't bring myself to care. A couple guards yelled at us, too, but like the maids, they were ignored. 

We skidded to a halt in front of the infirmary. Even we had enough sense to walk there.

We approached Celestia where she waited for us.

"Ah, I'm glad you got here so quickly," Celestia said. "The doctor said Smolder has been asking for all three of us."

"She asked for you, as well?" I asked.

"She did," Celestia replied.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ember said, hurrying through the door.

Celestia and I followed, quickly being met by the doctor.

"Your highnesses," he said, bowing to us. "The patient requested the presence of Princess Ember and Prince Luke, first."

Celestia nodded. "Then I shall wait here. Go, speak to your friend."

We nodded and entered the room.

Smolder was hooked up to numerous machines I didn't even know existed in this world. There was even an IV in her arm.

She looked at us, as if she just woke up before she was ready to.

"Hey," she said, her voice rough.

"How are you feeling?" Ember asked as we came up beside the bed.

"I honestly don't know any words that can describe how bad I feel," she replied. 

"Crap-tastic?"

"That'll work." Smolder laughed, weakly. "Thanks for coming for me."

"Was there any doubt?" I said with a chuckle.

Smolder didn't laugh.

"I'm just glad we got there in time to save both you and Garble," Ember said.

Smolder did laugh at that. "He's not going to feel the same when he wakes up. Doc said he's gonna have to stay in Canterlot for at least six moons, maybe a month."

"It might do him some good to live with ponies," I said. "He might even grow to like them."

Smolder laughed. "'Like' might be asking too much. I think 'tolerate' is more reasonable."

"I don't know, for all we know, he'll come home with a pony and be like, 'this is... Twinkle Sprinkle, my wife'."

"'Twinkle Sprinkle'?" Ember joked, to which I just shrugged.

We shared another laugh before Smolder got a serious look in her eye. "As much as I want to do this all day, I need to talk to you and the princess."

I nodded and 'shouted' "You can come in, now."

The door opened and Celestia walked in. "I am glad to see you are recovering."

"Thanks," Smolder said. She took a breath to steel her nerves. "Okay, so while those guys were mostly jerks, I actually managed to make a friend. I know, it's dumb, but Occelus was actually really cool. She was only there because, apparently, their queen is going to do something that'll hurt them in the long run.

"See, these guys are changelings, and they kinda feed off happy feelings and stuff, but they're ugly as all tartarus... anyway, their queen is planning on attacking Equestria.

"I don't know how or when, only that if they do, all the happy feelings they need to survive will dry up and they'll die.

"That's why some of them decided to stop her. But to do that, they went to some guy named Nergal."

I felt a sense of recognition from Celestia.

"So, this guy doesn't have a body of his own, so he's got to possess others. He was the dingonek, and has been since it attacked you guys. He took my brother because he needed another body. I think the dingonek died or something.

"He took me because he needed a body made just for him... he...." she faltered. "I think he possessed my egg. I think he thinks that if he possesses an egg, it'll make him a body, or something." She finally finished, panting for breath after her long rant as the rest of us processing what we heard.

"Princess, you recognize the name Nergal," I stated.

Ceelestia thought for a moment. "Yes, but I'm not entirely sure from where. I shall look into it, though."

"Any other insight on what she said?" I asked.

"Nothing at the moment. I will have to research this. Both 'Nergal' and 'changelings' are familiar, though I cannot say from where," she replied. "For now, I must bring this information to my sister. Perhaps she knows something I do not."

Smolder let out a yawn. "You guys do that. I'm gonna rest my eyes."

Celestia smiled. "Yes, get as much rest as possible. You need to regain your strength."

"Me and Luke aren't going anywhere until you can, too," Ember said. "And we'll visit every day."

"Sounds good," Smolder said as she drifted off.

As we left, Celestia said, "I will speak with my sister as soon as possible, and let you know if we find anything. Until then, try to enjoy your stay."

"We will try, your highness," I said with a short bow.
> Chapter 38: Back Home, Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As soon as our cave was unsealed, I ran to check on our egg.

"I told you, it's fine," Ember said as she helped Smolder to the bed. "It's an egg. It can't exactly run off or get into anything."

"Yeah, well, I guess I'm just a better parent than you," I said, turning my nose up in mock indignation.

We had only spent another two days in Canterlot after Smolder woke up. After the doctors said Smolder was free to go, Celestia arranged for a chariot to fly us home.

She also gave us a magic crystal that we could use to contact each other, which Celestia said she would use to contact us as soon as Garble was awake.

We considered letting Smolder stay in Canterlot, but she would have just spent all her time moping and being miserable. Surprisingly, it didn't take quite as much convincing to get her to leave as I thought it would.

I think the cooling weather played a role in that. Dragons don't exactly like the cold.

"So, what's winter like around here?" I asked. 

"On the mountain? Pretty much the same as summer. The magma keeps everything warm," Ember said. "The forest, though, stays white almost the whole time."

I shuddered, sitting down on the bed, holding my egg close. "That part, I'm aware of. I don't know about you, but I'm not planning on going anywhere near the forest until color returns."

Smolder put a claw on my shoulder. "Hey, don't worry. You're with us, now. You don't have to face the cold."

"Was it really that bad?" Ember asked.

"Every day, I was certain, was going to be my last. Every morning I woke up, I was genuinely surprised... and not necessarily pleasantly surprised. Some days I found myself actually hoping I wouldn't."

Those memories of my time on my own in the wilderness were all unpleasant, but winter was the worst. I wasn't suicidal, but I had to struggle to maintain my will to live. It was a struggle I didn't always win, yet somehow I managed to survive, anyway.

I took a deep breath and gave the ladies a smile. "That was before, though. I don't have anything to fear, now. I have a beautiful mate, an awesome best friend, and come spring, I'll be a father. Life is looking up for me."

"Aww, I know I'm awesome," Smolder said before getting a confused look. "Wait... did you mean me or Leo?"

I grinned. "Yes."

"Knock, knock," came a familiar, aged voice.

"Come on in, Star," Ember invited the elder in.

"I thought I felt Luke's aura," Star said. "I take it the beast has been dealt with?"

I looked at Ember and gestured for her to go ahead.

Ember groaned and began. "Yeah, things are a bit more complicated than we thought.





I may not have known Star for that long, but even I knew enough about her to know she didn't really fear anything. She was at that age where not even death concerned her. 

Thus, when I felt pure terror coming from her when Ember told her what Nergal did to Smolder, I found myself feeling more than a little bit afraid.

"Star, what do you know about this?" I asked. "I can tell you know something."

Star closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Yes, but not enough. Please, give me some time. I will tell you everything I know, but first I need to... consult my books."

We were silent for a moment before Ember said, "Fine, but promise us you'll tell us everything you know."

Star nodded. "I swear, I'll tell you everything as soon as I can."

And then, she left in a rush.

"She knows a lot more about what's going on than she's letting on," I said. 

Ember sat at the edge of the bed. I could sense a touch of betrayal and worry as she said, "She... she wouldn't keep a secret like this without a good reason."

"Then for now, we'll assume she has a good reason. She said she'll tell us, and unless you feel we have reason to think she won't, there's no reason to dwell on it," I said. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm starving." I tried to put on a carefree face, hoping we could forget about everything for a time.

I prepared a simple meal. I didn't really have the energy to try doing anything special, so I just made a squirrel stew. Plus, we didn't have a whole lot. I was going to have to go hunting before the cold really set in. We needed enough food to last through the winter, after all.

Luckily, Ember assured me she and Smolder could survive off their gems alone until spring, so that made it a little easier. Of course, I was still going to try to get enough that they could share.

Anyway, after we ate, we all decided to turn in. We had a long week and we just wanted it to be over.





I whistled happily as I made my way back home. Not only did I have a good day foraging the day before, having found quite a few nice fruits and vegetables, but today I managed to bag a bear.

I was only going after a nice group of rabbits when the thing attacked me. Normally, I wouldn't go after something like a bear, but it managed to surprise me and I didn't have time to run.

Dragging the massive thing was no easy task, more because of its bulk than its weight, so it took me a while to get it back.

"Ember, a little help!" I called as I entered the cave.

"Allow me." Star said as she relieved me of my burden. "Quite the success. This will go a long way in keeping you fed."

"Hello, Star. I wasn't expecting to see you today," I greeted. "I'm guessing this is about Nergal."

"Not exactly," Star said. "I was awaiting your return because what I'm about to tell you is going to affect you nearly as much as it does Ember."

That got my attention. "Oh? Now I'm just curious."

"Yeah, spill already," Smolder said from her cushion in the corner. "We've been waiting for, like, four hours."

Ember chuckled. "It hasn't even been an hour."

"Well, it feels like four," Smolder insisted.

Star chuckled. "Very well." She turned toward Ember, addressing her but talking to all of us. "Your father has decided that he is to retire sooner than anticipated. The Gauntlet of Fire shall be held in three days time."

All three of us were stunned. We all knew Dragon Lord Torch was going to retire, but it was supposed  to be in a couple years... Earth years, not Equestrian.

"Father's retiring already?" Ember nearly collapsed onto the floor.

"Yes," Star said. "He will be putting out the summons in about another hour or two. You may want to send a message to your Equestrian friends so they will know what is happening with Spike. The poor dear is going to be confused as well as itchy, otherwise."

"Yeah, good idea," Ember said. "Smolder, you feel like writing it?"

Smolder shrugged. "Sure."

She gestured toward the writing desk and levitated it to her, pulled out a quill, ink, and parchment and got to writing.

"You're advancing quite quickly," Star observed.

Smolder shrugged. "Well, it still hurts to move too much, so I've had to practice."

"So, do you know the form the Gauntlet of Fire will take?" Ember asked Star.

Star shook her head. "Unfortunately, no, but I have no doubt you will be victorious."

I raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me if this is a silly question, but if it's the Gauntlet of Fire, wouldn't it be a... you know, gauntlet?"

Star chuckled. "Originally, yes. However, there have been occasions where a different contest was used. My personal favorite was Dragon Lord Obsidian's 'Do something and if I like it, you win'."

Ember snorted. "Dad told me about that one. The winner actually stole the scepter not long after the contest started and replaced it with a fake. No dragon even noticed for three days. Obsidian liked his audacity so much, he declared him the winner."

"So, the name is more just a 'that's how it's always been' kinda things?" I summed up. 

Ember shrugged. "Pretty much."

"Done," Smolder announced, lightly blowing the ink dry before sealing it with wax. "Here you go. I don't know how to send letters, yet."

Ember took the letter and, instead of burning it the way Spike did, it just dissolved and flew out the cave as sparkly smoke.

"Oh, I told him to send us something back if he's coming," Smolder said.

Ember just nodded. "So, Star, since you're here, are you ready to talk?"

Star gave an apologetic smile. "I would rather wait until you are Dragon Lord. When you are the new Empress, all my secrets shall be yours, secrets even your father is not privy to."

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "How many secrets are we talking?"

Star laughed. "I'm the oldest living thing on this planet. Even I don't know how many secrets I have. I've probably forgotten most of them."

I just sighed and shook my head. This dragon was impossible to get a read on.

"Star... exactly how versed are you in the use of aura?" I asked.

She laughed. "Oh, not very. My teacher was killed before I learned much. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious how a dragon even learns to use aura and why. After all, magic seems so much more powerful."

She nodded, sagely. "It seems that way, yes. However, that isn't necessarily true. Magic is more versatile, by far, but it isn't always more powerful in a fight. Aura is easier to learn and more specialized for fighting than magic. That was why the paladins learned to use aura instead."

"Can any dragon learn to use aura?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, those connected to the weave cannot use aura, and it requires one's soul to be 'awakened'. Sadly, I never learned how to do this."

There went that idea. I was hoping I could teach others.

"Hey, maybe you'll figure out how to do it," Smolder said. "Then you could teach whoever you want."

I smiled. "Perhaps, but not today."

A trail of green, sparkly smoke drifted in and coalesced into a rolled scroll before Ember. She quickly snatched it out of the air and looked it over.

"Thank you for the warning. Unfortunately, we won't be able to make it. There's just too much going, with winter starting and everything.

"Twilight wants me to ask if somedrake can take notes for her. She said she can compensate them for their time, if needed.

"Anyway, good luck and kick some tail.

Your friend, Spike."

I scratched my chin in thought as I said. "I suppose I could take the notes, but I'd have to send it to Yomega to translate. Unless you want to take the notes, Smolder?"

She snorted in amusement. "And spend the whole thing writing stuff down? No thanks."

"Well, then, I hope Yomega feels like translating," I said with a shrug. "Unless one of the others can write, too."
> Chapter 39: Teach Me, Sifu
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Next day, Ember started preparing for the Gauntlet. We didn't know what it would involve, so we focused on versatility.

She practiced with her giant hand spell a lot, the one that was like Bigsby's Hand. She came up with a lot of neat tricks with it.

She also worked on a few other spells, with my help, including a haste spell, a flight spell, and an enlarging/shrinking spell to name a few.

The last one was interesting because it was basically a growth spell that she found could be used to shrink if she 'turns the spell upside down'. I had no idea what that meant, but Smolder apparently did.

Damn mages and their magical mumbo jumbo.

Smolder was trying to train with us, but she was hindered by her injuries as well as her lack of good sleep. She had nightmares that kept her awake. 

We wrote to Luna to see if she could help. She said she would try, but her powers were weaker when dealing with non-ponies. Still, she would try.

I was worried for Smolder. She tried to smile and act friendly, but I felt her anger and fear.

I continued my Equestrian language studies. I was starting to figure some of it out, mostly with Smolder's help.

"So, why are you so good at writing? I've seen Ember's writing. Her's is terrible, but even that is better than the abomination that other dragons call writing," I asked Smolder when we decided to take a break.

"Mom insisted I know how to write," Smolder said. "She's a lot like Ember. She hates that dragons are just seen as big, dumb brutes, so she made sure me and Garble knew how to write, and exposed us to all kinds of stuff from all over.

"Like, Garble's poetry is actually an Abyssinian style, and I got into fashion from Manehattan fashion magazines mom got."

"What's an 'Abyssinian'?" I asked. 

"They're some feline race that lives far to the northeast," she explained. "They don't usually come this far, but Equestrian traders sometimes stop by on their way back from Abyssinia."

"They aren't worried about being robbed?" I asked.

Smolder waved a claw. "Nah, no dragon's dumb enough. Everydrake knows if they rob them, they'll never come by again, and no drake wants that. Why do you think dragons hoard gold? No dragon actually cares about that stuff. We just use it to trade for stuff we actually want."

That actually did make sense. It would explain why Ember kept her gold and jewels just piled in a corner and her trinkets, weapons, and armor on shelves, pedestals, and displays.

I scratched my chin as I realized something. "What do you hoard?"

Smolder was silent for a moment as she thought. "You know what? You're a pretty cool guy. I'll show you."

"Really? You're okay with showing me your hoard?" That was a huge deal in dragon society. Showing someone your hoard meant you trusted them not to steal it, and trust among dragons was a premium.

"Sure, come on," she said as she stood up.

I put on my cloak, spoke the command word, and took off into the air after her. It was a short flight, only around five minutes, before touching down on another mountain.

I had actually never been on this one. Of course, I never had reason to before now.

"Mine's this one over here," Smolder said as she walked toward one of three caves nearby.

"Smolder?" Came a deep, yet feminine voice.

Smolder looked toward the larger cave, wide eyed. "Mom? I thought you were going to the winter cave?"

Smolder's mother came lumbering out, looking at both of us. "I couldn't just leave my little girl. Not after losing your brother."

"Oh, right! This is great!" Smolder cheered. "Mom, Garble's alive! He was being held captive by these weird creatures."

Her mom's eyes widened. "Wh-what? He's alive? Where is he?"

"They're taking care of him in Canterlot," Smolder replied. "He's in rough shape, and the ponies have ways to take care of him, so-"

Smolder didn't get a chance to finish before nearly getting knocked over by the air pressure from her mother's wings as she took to the sky, heading west.

"Um... should we send a warning to Canterlot?" I asked. 

Smolder snorted. "Nah, it's funnier if it's a surprise."

I shook my hand, chuckling to myself. "Shall we?"

She led me into her cave. It was a lot smaller than Ember's, but it still wasn't small.

Just like Ember, she had a large bed with a pile of gold and gems stuffed in a corner. Unlike Ember, though, the walls were completely hidden by tapestries, and instead of trinkets, weapons and armor, Smolder had paintings, porcelain figurines, musical instruments, dresses, and other art pieces.

"Wow... these are beautiful," I said in awe as I looked at a marble bust of some... griffin?

"That's Admiral Delphine. She led the harpy air fleet during the Great Feather War," she explained. "That was a war about a hundred years ago between the harpies, griffins, and hippogriffs."

She pointed to a picture of a creature that I thought was a pegasus at first, until I noticed the small beak and talons. "That's Princess Novo. Mom knew her, personally. She's how mom and dad met.

"And this... Is an electric guitar," she picked up the instrument and played a few riffs. It must have had a built in amp, or something. "It's a pony invention. Garble says it isn't, that no lame pony can make something so cool, but he's wrong. Some pony named Sweet Riff invented it."

Smolder chuckled. "You know, Ember's the only other creature I've ever shown my hoard to. Most dragons don't get art."

I chuckled. "They would if they knew some of the art from my world."

Smolder raised an eyebrow. "Really? How do you figure?"

"You've seen how I fight," I stated, only for Smolder to shake her head.

"No I haven't," she said. "I was still trying to catch up when you fought Garble and those idiots he was hanging out with, I was on the other mountain when you fought that other dragon during the Gathering, and I was bleeding out, chained to a rock when you fought those summons."

I had to pause for a moment to think back. "Oh... damn. You really haven't seen me fight. Well, anyway, where I come from, we call how I fight 'martial arts'."

"So... you fight with art?" Smolder said, gripping her guitar a little tighter.

I laughed, "No, we turned fighting into art."

"How do you turn fighting into an art?" Smolder asked. "It's just punching jerks, isn't it?"

I lowered into a fighting stance and started running through some forms I learned so long ago.

"Art is the expression of your soul," I said as I punched, kicked, and parried imaginary foes. "Anything that you put your soul into can be art. Not only painting or music, but even something like cooking, fighting, hell, even politics can be an art."

Smolder watched in wonder. "Awesome. Can you teach me?"

I stopped, taking a breath as I said, "It's not easy, and takes time. You won't be a master after only a few days."

In response, Smolder took up her guitar and played a few more riffs. "You think I learned this overnight?"

"It takes years to master. Decades, even."

"I have thousands."

"It's painful at times."

"I've been through worse."

"I won't take it easy on you, just because we're friends."

"Bring it on."

I gave her a half smirk. "We'll see how long that lasts. Stand up."

Smolder jumped up. "So, what's first? Punching or kicking?"

I chuckled. "Standing."

Smolder's smile dropped. "Standing? I already know how to stand."

"Do you, now?" I didn't give her a chance to answer before shoulder checking her and knocking her to the ground. "Then why aren't you?"

She glared up at me. "Because you knocked me down."

I stepped back and said, "Knock me down."

She got to her feet and smirked. "You asked for it."

Her claw glowed with magic as she thrust her palm forward. A powerful shockwave shot through the cave, slamming into me.

Smolder's grin fell again as, despite the blow being powerful enough to rattle the walls, I remained standing, smirking.

Smolder snickered after a few seconds of gawking. "Alright, then. Standing it is."

"First thing, first, you will address me as 'sifu'," I said.

"Alright," Smolder nodded. "Teach me to stand, sifu."





Smolder collapsed onto the bed. "You weren't kidding. How is standing so hard?"

I chuckled as I started massaging her legs. "Because you aren't used to it. It's not how one would normally stand, so you have to teach your body otherwise."

Smolder groaned. "At least I get a massage for it."

"Glad to be of service," I said.

"So, who taught you, anyway?" Smolder asked.

"My grandfather," I answered. "He was a very well known teacher in China, before he took his family and moved to the US."

Smolder sighed, happily as I hit a particularly tight spot. "Wish I could've met him. He sounds cool."

"He was." I said. "His style was seen as 'inferior' by his peers, because he used aspects of martial arts that didn't originate in China. He used bits of Jujitsu, karate, kickboxing, boxing, and Greek wrestling on top of kung fu."

"I don't know what any of those things are," Smolder stated plainly.

I chuckled. "It's well rounded and borrows from many other cultures."

"Well, why didn't you just say that?" Smolder teased.

I pinched her thigh, getting a yelp. "I just did."

"Picking on a wounded little girl? You're a monster," she said, mockingly.

I rolled my eyes and sent a pulse of healing aura through her.

I was really going to have to ask Leo what that move was called. Until then, I just decided to call it healing pulse.

Smolder gasped. "Holy shit!" She shuddered. "What was that?"

I grinned as I went back to massaging her legs. "That's what saved your life. I have healing powers, apparently. Though, they aren't that strong, and it takes a lot out of me. Why, does it feel weird?"

"Yeah, it feels weird, but kinda nice, too," Smolder explained.

"Any pain?"

Smolder squirmed around a bit. "Nope. Not even a little. Why didn't you use that before?"

"Like I said, it takes a lot out of me. Even that little bit has me feeling like I just did an hour of training. Plus, I wasn't sure it would work. I only ever used it on fresh wounds. I didn't know if it would work on older injuries."

"Hey, this means you can use it on Ember's wing!" Smolder said.

I immediately facepalmed. "I can't believe I never thought about that. Stupid!"

Smolder shrugged. "I mean, she hasn't been able to fly since you met her, so you probably just forgot she's supposed to be able to."

"She's going to be training until sundown, so I guess I can surprise her at dinner," I said. "that gives us a few more hours."

Smolder smirked back at me. "What are we going to do until then now that I'm not hurting, sifu?"

I smirked back at her as I crawled up her back. "I can think of one thing."





"You know, I had something else in mind," Smolder complained as she struggled to move with weights strapped to her back and maintaining her stance.

"Less talking, more training."

"I'm already regretting this."
> Chapter 40: The Gauntlet of Fire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, the big day dawned; the day of the Gauntlet of Fire.

It was the day that we would finally take the first step toward creating a new nation and bring dragon kind out from the hole they buried themselves in.

First, I had to calm Ember's nerves.

"I told you, I'm not nervous!" she yelled as she paced back and forth in our cave.

"You do remember I can sense emotions, right?" I said, as lovingly as I could. "It's okay to be nervous. Hell, I'd be more concerned if you weren't."

Ember scoffed. "Sometimes I hate you and your weird powers."

She sighed as she sat down heavily on the bed. "Okay, fine. Yeah, I'm nervous. I mean, what if I fail? What if somedrake else gets the scepter?"

"I very much doubt that will happen," I assured. "And if, as unlikely as it is, someone else does get it, we'll figure something out. We're smart. Besides, your dad probably stacked it in your favor."

Ember chuckled. "If Star helped him set it up, yeah. Otherwise, no way."

"Good thing Star is his most trusted advisor that he consults about almost everything, then," I said with a grin.

Ember laughed. "Yeah, of course she helped. She's been grooming me for taking over for the longest time."

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go find out what you have to do." I stood, offering my paw.

She accepted it, pulling herself up and into my arms. "What would I do without you?"

I shrugged. "I really am the best thing to happen to you."

She let out a bark of laughter but didn't deny it. Instead, she just leaned in to get a quick kiss. "Let's go."

I gave our egg a quick kiss, assuring it of our swift return before grabbing my cloak and a satchel with some stuff to take notes for Twilight, and following Ember outside.

Ember flexed her wings, looking back at them nervously. "You think it's good?"

I had used my healing pulse on Ember's wing, and it seemed to be healed, but she hadn't wanted to risk it before. She didn't want to reinjure herself.

"Why don't you wear your cloak, just in case," I advised.

"Yeah, good idea." She ran back in, threw on her own cloak, and rejoined me. "Ready."

I spoke the command word while she spread her own wings.

"Nothing fancy. Just take it easy. You don't want to push yourself," I warned.

"Okay, doc," she teased. "Let's do this."

We lept into the air, our wings giving great flaps and pushing us higher.

"They're working! I'm flying, again!" Ember cheered. "I can't believe I'm healed!"

Her joy was infectious, and had me grinning like a fool right along with her.

I could tell she was wanting to let loose and see what she could do, but she wisely held herself back.

With our wings, the distance between our cave and the place where the Gauntlet was to take place wasn't far. It wasn't quite an hour, by wing.

The meeting place was a great caldera, and already it was full of dragons, great and small. 

It was a much wider variety of dragons than at the Gathering. Where the Gathering was mostly young dragons looking for mates and old dragons looking for news of the world, this was dominated by those in between. They weren't the gargantuan, ancient dragons, but nor were they the small, young ones. They were big, not huge.

I actually recognized a few faces from the Gathering, too. Barb's mom was there, as was that one dragon Ember beat the snot out of.

We came in for a landing near the front of the group, where Barb's mom was.

As soon as we landed, we heard a voice call out as a familiar little hatchling came jogging from under her mother. "Hey! Miss Ember, Mister Luke!"

I smiled. "Hey, kiddo. How've you been?"

"Great! What about you?" she asked.

"We've been awesome," Ember said. "We have an egg, now."

Barb gasped. "No way! That's awesome! I can't wait to see it!" Her tone took a slightly more bashful tone. "So... have you heard from Spike? I'm just curious."

Ember and I shared a knowing look, as Ember replied, "Yeah, we actually went to visit him."

"Funny, he actually asked about you, too," I added.

"Really?!" Barb's face lit up with the biggest smile I've ever seen on such a small being. She quickly switched gears, trying to put on a nonchalant tone. "I mean... cool, cool. Good to know."

"If you want, you can write him a letter and we can send it to him, for you," I said.

"Really?! Awesome!" she cheered. "I'll go find something to write on!"

"I can help with that." I opened my satchel and pulled out a piece of parchment and a spare quill and ink pot. "I'm going to need the quill and ink back."

"Okay, thanks, Mister Luke!" she cheered as she snatched them and ran off to write her letter.

"Those two are totally going to end up mates," Ember stated.

"Probably."

"Come on, let's find out where the competitors are waiting," Ember said. "I want to see my opponents."

We made our way deeper into the caldera until the crowd ended at a line of stones.

"Only those competing in the Gauntlet of Fire are allowed past this point," a massive yellow dragon said. "And only dragons can compete." He glared at me.

"He is an exception," came the familiar, booming voice of Lord Torch. "He shall be chronicling the competition, so future generations can look back on its glory. He will be accompanying my daughter, though he is forbidden from helping."

I gave my kinda father-in-law a bow. "You and I both know she won't need it, my lord."

Torch bellowed out a hearty laugh. "Yes, but we don't want these pitiful excuses for dragons thinking otherwise."

I felt a wave of anger come from the crowd. Apparently they didn't like that declaration. Well, too bad for them.

"Well, my daughter," Torch said, much softer. "Are you ready to take your destiny and lead the dragon race into a great, glorious future?"

Ember nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Good. We will begin, soon," Torch said before lumbering away.

As he left, Ember turned to look at me. "Remember what he said. No matter what, don't help me."

Part of me wanted to object, but Torch was right. If I helped Ember, the other dragons might try to claim she didn't truly win.

So, I nodded. "Okay. I won't help you, no matter what."

I just hoped there wouldn't be a reason for me to.

"Oh, you won't be able to, even if you wanted to." We both jumped at Star's sudden comment.

"I swear to God, I'm going to start punching you for that!" I growled as I gasped for breath.

Star just laughed. "It would be well worth it."

"What did you mean he wouldn't be able to? Did dad change his mind?" Ember asked.

Star grinned as she said, "Not at all. Luke will be chronicling the events, but he'll be doing it from here."

"How can I chronicle what I can't see?" I asked.

"With these." Star produced a simple, wooden box and lifted the lid. Inside was a necklace and a pair of what looked like goggles with emerald lenses. "This is a remote viewing set. One being wears the necklace and whoever wears the goggles can see what they see."

I gave an impressed whistle. "Nice. James Bond meets Harry Potter."

Star handed the box to Ember as she said, "It will only last an hour or two, but I have a feeling you will have finished the task well before then."

"You stacked the deck in her favor, didn't you?" I asked.

Star gave a gasp of mock indignation. "What? No, of course not. It's Lord Torch that decided on the task, not me."

Ember gave an amused snort. "Yeah, and I'm sure you totally didn't advise him what that should be."

"Oh, no, I absolutely did," Star said with a sly grin. "Can't leave the future of dragon kind completely to chance, can we? Now, come along, Luke. This area is for competitors."

I gave Ember one last kiss before saying, "Good luck. Not that you'll need it."

"Damn right, I won't," she replied with confidence.





I found a nice spot, perched right on top of Barb's mom's head, right next to the hatchling.

"Thank you again, for this, ma'am," I said.

"It's the least I can do for my soon to be emperor," she replied with more than a little mirth. "I'm just glad that I get to live to see the day the Dragon Empire rises again."

"Not too many dragons seem to know much about the old empire," I commented.

"Yes, but that, too, will change."

I could feel the pride coming from her in a torrent. 

"I don't know why other dragons don't," Barb said from beside me. "I love the stories of the empire. It was so awesome! I can't wait for the new one!"

Her excitement was infectious. That was what I loved about kids. It was hard not to get excited about something when they're excited about it.

I was going to sit with Smolder, but the little ass hole was nowhere to be seen. Knowing her, she was either still asleep, found some secret spot to watch from, or decided to participate without saying anything.

I couldn't ponder on that for long, though, as Torch stepped up and addressed the crowd.

"Shut up!" he bellowed. Everyone immediately obeyed. "I'm getting tired of keeping you lot in check, so I'm retiring. That means I need a successor. 

"Now, before we even begin, I got a few things to say. First, if any of you think all you need to be in charge is strength, just give up now and save yourself the embarrassment. You're never even going to come close. In fact, you won't even get through the first challenge.

"You will need cunning and intelligence if you even want to find the place you're going."

He let that soak in to the crowd of participants.

"Now, for any of you morons that don't even know the most commonly known history of our people, tens of thousands of years ago, the great dragon empire spanned these lands. The ruins of the capital city lie in the nearby forest. Within these ruins are said to be the remains of the last Empress, Aurora.

"Whoever brings me these remains shall be dragon lord."

I had to resist facepalming. This was so obviously Star's idea. I mean, who else even knows those ruins exist?

One dragon spoke up from the participants' area. "Those ruins are too small for most of us to even fit, and those who could would never survive the monsters that nest there!" There were murmurs of agreement. 

I blinked at that. I had thought those ruins weren't known.

Barb asked, "What ruins is he talking about, mom?"

Her mom replied, "Dangerous ruins that we try to keep from the young ones until they are too big to enter, lest foolish youths eager to prove themselves enter and are never seen again."

"But, if it's that dangerous, why is Lord Torch sending everydrake there?" Barb asked.

Her mom chuckled. "To ensure his daughter wins without just giving her the scepter. She is the only one that can enter with the power to survive the creatures within."

"But... what if she can't? What if whatever's in there eats her?" Barb asked.

"She'll be fine," I said. 

"How do you know?"

I grinned at the hatchling. "Because we've escaped from there before, and Ember has only become more powerful since then."

Barb's mom chuckled. "Torch always was more clever than he lets on."

"Ember had to get it from somewhere, I guess," I replied.

As the voices died down, Torch continued. "If any of you can't cut it, or are scared, leave now. If you stay, know this; I expect some of you to die."

I felt a wave of fear from the participant areas. A few dragons even left, bowing out.

"Smart," Torch said. "The rest of you... have at it!"

With that, a mass of dragons took to the sky.

The Gauntlet of fire had officially begun.
> Chapter 41: Back into the Depths
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ember didn't rush. She wasn't going to bother wasting energy trying to get to the ruins first.

She was rather surprised to hear that many dragons already knew about the ruins. None of the younger ones seemed to know, though. Probably to keep them from killing themselves.

She let the older dragons lead the way as she hung back with the other younger ones.

"So, this the same ruins you and Luke went to?"

Ember startled at the sudden voice. She glared at the dragon that pulled up beside her. "What are you doing here?!"

Smolder shrugged. "What, you think I'm going to miss out on this? I already missed the last fight because I was chained to a rock. Besides, I don't really want to win. I just want to have fun, maybe help you out."

Ember sighed. "Fine, but stay out of my way. I don't want to deal with dragons saying I cheated because we worked together."

Smolder raised an eyebrow. "Dragons cheat all the time. It's part of our culture."

"That's part of the culture I'm trying to change," Ember reminded.

"Ah, so you don't want to start your rule with something you're trying to get rid of," Smolder summed up.

"Exactly. Besides, I don’t want any losers thinking I couldn’t do it without your help," Ember said, watching the ground for anything she could recognize from their walk home. Ultimately, she gave up. Everything looked different from above.

Smolder shrugged. "Fine, but I'm still coming with you. I'll just watch, and not help."

Ember rolled her eyes. She knew that was as good as she was going to get. "Fine, but you better stay back."

“That’s the plan,” Smolder said.

The two flew on for some time. They searched in ever widening arcs, scanning the forest for any sign of the old ruins.

Eventually, Ember spotted something. An old, white marble pillar. Ember swooped down to land, studying the rest of the area.

She spotted another, and another soon after that, until she stumbled across a marble floor... or, rather, roof.

“Ah! Found it!” Ember cheered as she leaped down from the edge to the place she and Luke emerged.

“Woah,” Smolder said. “This place is definitely ancient.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Ember agreed. “It’s even older than Star.”

Smolder chuckled at that. “And that says a lot. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get going, already.”

Ember glared at the younger dragon. “This isn’t a game, you know.”

“I know. It’s a show, remember,” Smolder replied with a cocky grin.

Ember groaned and facepalmed. “Whatever. Just keep up. And remember, only kill things if they’re coming for you.”

Smolder chuckled. “I know.”

With that the pair walked into the ancient ruins. Ember was immediately hit with bits of nostalgia, seeing the signs of her and Luke’s harried escape. It was the moment she really started seeing Luke as she did. Heck, that might have been when she started falling for him.

“So, where to?” Smolder asked.

The question brought her up short as she realised something. “I... don’t know. When we were here, we were just running for our lives. I wasn’t really paying attention to where we were going.”

“So, I guess you just pick a path, then?” Smolder ventured.

Ember shrugged. “I guess so.”

Ember glanced at the side passages and shook her head. She remembered running straight to get to the exit, so she knew it wasn’t them. That left the two at the back of the room. She glanced down one, then the other, trying to see if anything stood out. Unfortunately, neither looked familiar, and both were in similar states. That meant she would have to just choose and hope it was the right way.

“Let’s try this one,” Ember said, starting down the right path.

They didn’t have to go far before Ember noticed a scorch mark on the wall. Now confident she chose the right way, she continued on.

“Hey, aren’t we going to check these doors?” Smolder asked, looking around.

“They’re all closed,” Ember pointed out. “We didn’t close any on our way out, and I very much doubt the bugs did.”

“Oh... right,” Smolder said, a bit embarrassed for not thinking about that. “Hey, maybe after we’re done, you, me, and Luke can come back here and explore!”

“Sure, maybe,” Ember said. “We’d have to make sure the bugs aren’t a problem, though.”

Smolder looked around, listening for any sounds. “Yeah, about that... Where are they? The bugs, I mean. Did you guys kill all of them last time you were here?”

Ember snorted in amusement. “Not even close. Heck, I doubt we even made a dent in their numbers. The only reason we survived was because so few were willing to go out into the sun.”

“Are they really that dangerous?” Smolder asked.

“Well, they were, but that was because I didn’t really know how to use my magic,” Ember explained. “I was just fumbling around, and Luke only knew his regular aura sphere, which isn’t very good against hordes like that. I can handle them this time, if they try anything.”

“But, where are they?” Smolder asked.

Ember thought back. “It took them awhile for them to find us last time, too, so they’ll probably be coming a bit later. Hopefully after we found Aurora’s remains.”

The trip had been fairly straight forward, mostly. They only came across one intersection with more than one way to go, but luck was on their side as Ember chose the right path, again.

Eventually, they came across a familiar chamber.

“This is where they attacked us last time,” Ember said, cautiously stepping into the room. “Be on guard, and remember, don’t help me. Only protect yourself.”

“I know, I know,” Smolder said, rolling her eyes. “Even though we could just say I didn’t help. Not like anydagon would know.”

“I would,” Ember said. “Now, be quiet, at least until we get the remains.”

“Or a horde of hungry insects is chasing us,” Smolder added.

“Or that.”

Luckily, this was a room she was able to see before running for her life. Therefore, it didn’t take too much to remember which way she and Luke had come from.

They were about halfway across when she heard an all too familiar chittering.

Ember groaned. “So much for gathering the remains in peace. Let’s hurry.”

The pair picked up the pace as the first of the bugs emerged. Ember noticed it even came from the same hallway as the last time.

That must be where their nest is, she noted. Now we know where to go if we want to wipe them out.

More importantly, Ember realized, that made it easier to delay them. She contemplated collapsing the ceiling in front of that hallway, but that could cause a bigger cave in. So, instead, she just waved a claw and called on her magic as she breathed a gout of flame. She weaved the flame into a wall, covering the hallway. The few that entered the room before were quickly dealt with. A single volley of magic missiles was all it took for them.

“Come on,” Ember urged. “That won’t last forever. I give it ten minutes before the spell fails.”

“Got it,” Smolder said, following Ember down the next hall.

Ember was relieved to actually know where to go. Sure, it wasn’t hard to find her way back to familiar territory, but she no longer had the nagging worry that she had taken a wrong turn and gotten them lost.

Soon enough, they came to a familiar room. Ember went inside first, wary of any surprises.

“Woah,” Smolder said as she walked in, looking at the large spell circle dominating the room. “So, this is where it started, huh?”

Ember nodded. “That’s right. And this is the one who started it.” She gestured to the dragon skeleton, still lying on the floor where they left her.

“This is the last Empress, huh?” Smolder asked.

Ember shook her head. “No. She won’t be.”

Smolder smirked. “Nice dramatic comeback, there, but I meant ‘last’ as in ‘previous’.”

Ember paused for a second, trying to come up with a retort, but failed and just said, “Shut up.”

She held out her claw as ribbons of magic extended. They snaked out, wrapping around the ancient bones and holding them gently in a cocoon that raised up to hover a few feet away from Ember.

“Alright. I’m pretty sure the fire wall is about to fail,” Ember said. “Let’s hurry.”

“Right!”

They started running back the way they came, hoping to reach the next room before the spell keeping the bugs away failed. Unfortunately, Ember felt her connection to the spell collapse long before they got there, and a surge of chittering filled the air.

“Here they come!” Ember announced.

Ember took a deep breath and spat out a condensed bead of fire that shot through the air like an arrow at the distant churning of figures. The mote blossomed into a massive fireball, consuming the vanguard. Another, and another mote of fire followed, but the tide of creepy crawlies kept on coming.

“We’re gonna have to rush them!” Ember shouted.

“Screw this, I got’em,” Smolder said, rushing ahead.

Before Ember could say anything, Smolder burst into flames. The younger dragon rushed down the hall, her flaming body engulfing anything and everything even remotely flammable, leaving a trail of fire in her wake.

Ember growled, running after her. “I said no helping!”

They burst into the next room just as Smolder’s spell ended. Ember leaped ahead of Smolder, unleashing a torrent of dragon fire.

“I wasn’t helping, I was having fun,” Smolder said.

“Just run,” Ember said as her flames opened a path.

As soon as they got into the next hallway, Ember wove her breath into another fire wall behind them.

“There,” Ember said, taking a moment to catch her breath. “That wasn’t so hard.”

“Nah, it was easy,” Smolder agreed.

Ember chuckled. “We aren’t out of this yet. Let’s go before the wall fails, again.”

“Good idea.”

The pair move through the ruins, toward the entrance. They didn’t run, but they did move quickly. Ember felt the fire wall fall a little more than halfway out and had to erect another, but other than that, they had no issues before finally coming to the exit.

“Well, that was faster than I thought,” Smolder said as they stepped into the light. “So, you ready to become the next Dragon Lord?”

“Why, yes I am,” said another voice.

Ember and Smolder looked around to see them surrounded by a trio of much larger dragons.

“I told you they knew where it was,” one of them said to another.

Ember rolled her eyes as she monotonously droned, “Oh, look. An ambush. Whatever will I do?”

“You’ll give us the bones or we’ll break yours,” the apparent leader said. “Two little pipsqueaks against three real dragons isn’t exactly a fair fight.”

Smolder looked at Ember and said, “She’s right. This isn’t a fair fight.”

With a flap of her wings, Smolder flew off to the side a ways and sat down. “There. Now it’s a little more fair.”

The three older dragons gave each other confused looks, each unsure what to make of that. 

“Wait, how is this more fair?” the leader asked.

Ember cracked her neck and fingers. “Because now you only have one dragon sorceress mopping the floor with you instead of two.”

“Dragon what now?” asked one of the flunkies.

“Let me show you,” Ember said with a sadistic grin as she threw a fist toward the one that just spoke. 

The others were stunned by the massive ethereal fist that slammed into their companion. They were too stunned to notice the crackling of electricity before it slammed into the other flunkie, launching them off their claws.

The lead dragon looked at Ember with wide eyed terror. “Wh-what are you?”

Ember grinned, raising a claw, crackling with arcane energy. “Your new Empress.”





The spectating dragons looked on in awe as Ember landed before her father. A floating bundle followed before vanishing and depositing the bones of a long dead dragon before him.

“Well, well, well,” Torch said. “What took you so long?”

Ember shrugged. “A few idiots wanted to play.”

Torch let out a laugh before calling, “Star! Identify these bones. Are they those of the last Empress?”

Star stepped forward, taking up the skull and examining it. “Yes, this is most definitely the skull of Empress Aurora, last Empress of the dragons.”

“Then it seems we have a winner!” Torch announced as he lifted the Bloodstone Scepter and sent out a pulse of magic.

Within minutes, the other dragons started to arrive. In less than half an hour, the last stragglers limped through the air, three in particular giving Ember a wide berth.

“Dragons! Hear me!” Torch shouted. “The Gauntlet of Fire is over! The remains of Empress Aurora have been delivered! All hail our new dragon lord, Ember!”

A great cheer rose up from the crowd, filling the air, as Torch presented his daughter with the Bloodstone Scepter.

Ember looked upon the ancient artifact with unfiltered awe. She had finally done it. She was finally taking the first step to achieving her dream.

She reached out, reverently placing her claw on the scepter. The moment she did, an eruption of energy washed over every dragon there. Ember could feel the scepter’s power flooding her body. In that moment, she realized the scepter was so much more that she had ever thought.

She took up the scepter and held it aloft, for all to see.

“Through me, a new dragon empire shall rise,” Ember shouted, magically amplifying her voice. “I am not dragon lord. I am Ember, Empress of New Dragonia!”
> Chapter 42: Mirror, Mirror
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everywhere I looked, dragons were celebrating. It wasn’t every day they got a new leader, after all, even rarer they heard a declaration like the one Ember made.

The knowledge of her magic was also spreading, with the three she beat up talking about how she used it to beat them. It was strange, at first. I figured they would be ashamed to mention it, but they talked about it with pride, saying how awesome it was to see their new Empress’ power first hand.

I still didn’t understand dragons.

Even I was approached by a few dragons, asking if I was really Ember’s mate. They were always surprised to learn I was, and always wanted a demonstration of my strength. Thankfully, most of them were fine with me smashing a boulder or something. One that was much bigger than me but still small by dragon standards, about fifteen feet tall, asked to ‘claw wrestle’ me. That was their name for arm wrestling.

I beat him handily, only for him to laugh, saying, “You’re crazy strong for such a little guy. No wonder the Empress likes you.”

And then he bowed to me.

I was so surprised, I barely even noticed when he said, “Thanks, Emperor Luke. I’ll tell every dragon I meet how awesome you are.” And then he left.

“You look like you either saw a ghost or some dragon said something weird.” I turned to look at the speaker to see Smolder standing there, smirking at me.

“Oh, right. Sorry, it’s just... I guess I wasn’t really ready for that,” I said.

“The whole bowing and ‘Emperor Luke’ thing?” she ventured.

“Yeah.”

Smolder chuckled. “Yeah, I can’t imagine ever being ready for something like that.”

I looked up to the top of the mountain where Ember was talking with a few dragons. “I don’t know, Ember’s taking it pretty well.”

“Well, that’s Ember,” Smolder waved a claw dismissively. “She’s always been good with stuff like this.”

“I wish I was that good,” I said.

“I’m just glad I don’t need to be,” Smolder said. “I’ll admit, I envy you and Ember about a lot of things, but that isn’t one of them. I mean, you two have a whole empire to run, now. Worse, an empire of rowdy, aggressive jerks.”

That did nothing to ease my nerves.

Suddenly, I heard a voice in my head. “Ember, Luke, Smolder, when you get a chance, meet me near the entrance to my cave.”

Smolder looked up towards Star as she looked down at us. “I actually forgot she could do that.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, same here.”





We all made our way to Star’s cave, Smolder and I meeting Ember on the way.

“Any idea what’s going on?” I asked.

Ember kept looking forward, a serious expression on her face as she replied simply with, “Answers.”

“Enter,” Star’s voice echoed from within.

We made our way inside, finding Star in her library of a cave.

“I’m glad you’ve all come, and I thank you all for your patience,” Star said. “It’s time for me to finally share all I know with you.”

Ember crossed her arms, still a little irritated at having to wait, even if she understood why.

“The truth is, all my secrets stem from one, single secret,” Star said as she reached up and moved a few books off a shelf. “That secret is that none of them are my secrets, but those of my master.”

All three of us were caught completely off guard by that.

“Your master?” Smolder asked, stunned.

Star’s answer was to reach into the book case where she removed the books and fiddle with something. The book case gave a loud click and Star pulled the case out like a door.

It opened into another room, dominated by even more bookshelves, a large mirror, and a table with something under a white cloth.

As we entered, I couldn’t help but imagine Star revealing to us that she was evil the whole time, and betraying us... for some reason. It was dumb, but then again, our lives had become crazy enough.

“Who is this master of yours?” Ember asked. “You didn’t even call dad your master, so who could possibly be so great the oldest living thing would call them ‘master’?”

“Someone that isn’t living, of course,” came a voice that, despite only hearing a couple times, I could never forget.

We turned toward the mirror to see the familiar gold dragoness.

“Empress Aurora!” Ember said in surprise. “You’re... but...”

“Please, forgive Star for not telling you of me. I swore her to secrecy,” Aurora said.

We were all shocked to see the old Empress, looking out at us from within the mirror.

“Wait,” Ember turned to Star. “How long have you had this? How long have you been talking to Aurora?”

“Since I was little older than you,” Star admitted.

Ember took a breath. I could feel anger and confusion bubbling up, but she wanted to give Star the benefit of the doubt and at least wait for an explanation. “Okay... I’m calm, so let’s hear it.”

It was Aurora who began. “Star’s mother was my closest friend. She and I grew up together, and when I became Empress, she was by my side as my most trusted advisor. When our empire fell, I entrusted her with the Bloodstone Scepter and this mirror in the hopes that one day we could rebuild our empire.

“However, our people were scattered, and many saw magic as the source of our fall. And so, after a couple millennia, our people slowly became the savage brutes they are known as today, and few remember what we once were.

“Since that time, I strived to help bring our people back to what we once were. However, I could not simply groom some dragon to be a ruler. When one is raised and groomed to be ruler, they all too often become arrogant and selfish. Instead, we would watch and teach of the old ways to any who showed interest in the hopes that one would seek to restore our people to their glory.

“There have been many that grew fond of the old ways, but few desired to lead.”

“Like mom?” Smolder asked.

“Yes,” Star replied. “Your mother adored the old ways, but sadly she saw dragon kind as a whole as a lost cause.”

“But when I decided I wanted to become dragon lord so I could do just that...” Ember started, the rest not needing to be said.

“That’s right,” Aurora said. “Originally, our plan was to guide you to become dragon lord, first. Then, when we felt you were ready, unlock your magic. However, something unforeseeable happened.

“A group of beings were pulled to this world from another. While most of them entered smoothly, one did not. One trailed behind, caught up in the wake of the others. His entrance was so clumsy and hectic, it damaged the weave.”

“Me.”

Aurora nodded. “Yes. Whatever force brought your friends to this world was only meant for them. Unfortunately, it brought three others, who’s entry has caused unknowable damage.”

“Wait, three?” I asked.

“That is not important,” Aurora said. “What is important is addressing the damage caused by your arrival. It was your arrival, crashing through the boundaries of the world, that tore the weave and allowed Nergal to escape his prison.”

I couldn’t breathe. My legs grew unsteady. The world grew hazy.

“Luke!” Ember was by my side in an instant, holding me up as I started to collapse.

“I... I released him?” I barely managed the focus to project my thoughts. “I’m the reason Smolder went through that horrible ordeal? The reason her brother was hurt?”

“Don’t be a fool,” Aurora scolded. “Of course you aren’t. You were brought here unwillingly. The fault lies with whoever brought you here. I only wish I knew who it was, but they covered their tracks too well. That’s a problem for another time, though.

“Right now, you need to know about Nergal and his kind. So powerful were the first dragons that their very birth from the weave caused the creation of creatures that were their equal and opposite. We called these creatures ‘shadows’. Where dragons are powerful fonts of magic, capable of great acts of creation, shadows were magicless spirit parasites that could only destroy.

“Though the shadows themselves are magicless spirits, they can steal magic from others, usually by possession. They steal the body of another and use their magic for themselves until that body withers away into dust.

“It was Nergal in the body of the dingonek that attacked you last spring. He sought to take your body for his own. That was why he pursued you so. However, when you eluded him, he was forced to take another.”

“My brother,” Smolder deduced.

Aurora nodded. “Yes. Though ultimately he needed a female. You see, a little over a thousand years ago, one of Nergal’s sons not only managed to escape his prison, but also discovered a way to get a body of his own that would not decay and die.

“He found a small cult in a pony kingdom to the north that worshiped the Shadows, and possessed not a pony, but her womb, seeding her with his very essence. The child that was born from this was not a shadow, but a living being of flesh and blood with a shadow for a soul.

“Thankfully, the pony princesses managed to vanquish him, but knowledge of his deeds reached Nergal, somehow. That is why he took Smolder. He needed a female to seed with his essence so that he may be born anew in a body of his own.”

“Wait, how many shadow things are there?” Smolder asked. “Are we going to have to fight more of them?”

“Even with a body, it would be years before he would be able to breach the Weave to free the others,” Aurora said. “I also doubt he would be able to free the one in the north. Of course, there is another that escaped, as well, but he is trapped in limbo with his captors. Still, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of his changeling allies having some way to free any of them.”

“So, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst,” I summed up.

“Yes, and prepare you for the worst, I shall,” Aurora said. “I shall teach you all I know. Of course, all I know of aura is sadly lacking, but I should at least be able to help you realize what is possible and hope you can figure it out. Magic, though, is something I know quite a lot about.”

Ember and I shared a look. She was as excited by that idea as I was. I didn’t care if she couldn’t actually teach me anything. Just having guidance of any kind would be amazing.

“That can come later, though,” Aurora continued. “First, there is one last thing that must be done. Ember, if you would, I would like you to summon the dragons to the caldera. Star, if you would bring everything we’ll need.”

The rest of us looked at them in confusion, as Ember asked what we were all wondering. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, you’ll see,” Aurora said with a mischievous smirk.





Soon enough, every dragon was gathered in the caldera, Ember, Smolder, Star and I standing on the raised platform Torch usually used when addressing the crowd, with the mirror, a cloth bundle, and several gems that seemed to radiate a strange energy.

“Okay, so now what?” Smolder asked.

As if to answer, Aurora said. “Star, if you would.”

“I would be honored,” she said with a bow.

She turned toward the crowd and spoke, her voice booming loud enough for all to hear, “Dragons, hear me! You have been gathered here to bear witness to something that has not happened in ten thousand years! I present to you Her Royal Majesty, Empress Aurora!”

All three of our eyes shot wide at that, but before we could ask what she was doing, the gems started to glow and the bundle of cloth rose into the air. The cloth dropped away to reveal the bones of the ancient empress before beams of light shot from the gems to the bones.

The light twisted and danced around Aurora’s remains, weaving around them and pulling them together. The magic engulfed the bones, slowly coming together until in a bright flash of light the bones were gone, and in their place was a living, breathing Aurora.

She looked just as she has in the Weave, with lustrous gold scales and platinum horns that shimmered in the sunlight.

She looked out at the crowd and spoke, her voice resonating with an ethereal quality. “Sons and daughters of the First. It does my heart good to see you, again. However, it saddens me to see how far you have fallen.

“Ours was the greatest nation this world has ever seen, yet now you are little more than beasts that can speak. You hide away in caves, bullying those smaller and weaker than yourselves. You shun knowledge and embrace barbarism. Where is your pride?!”

She paused for a moment to let her words sink in. “We went from the greatest of the races of Eden to the least! Even the griffins and diamond dogs have nations grander than ours! You shame yourselves and your ancestors!

“But there is hope.” Her tone changed. No longer was she admonishing the crowd, but instead spoke with a small smile. “You can reclaim what we once had. You can reclaim our greatness. You can reclaim what you have abandoned. You can reclaim what it means to be a dragon.”

She turned around, facing us. “Ember, step forward.” Ember did as Aurora requested. “Ember, daughter of Torch, do you swear to lead our people with wisdom and strength?”

“I do.”

“Do you swear to always put the good of your subjects before your own needs?”

“I do.”

“Do you swear to fight and die to protect your people?”

“I do.”

Aurora smiled. “Then I name you, Ember, my heir. Accept this, the Platinum Crown, and let it shine as a beacon so that all dragon kind may follow.”

Aurora raised her claws to her head, a magical shine radiating from them. The platinum of her horns seemed to bleed away, being pulled up to her hands like liquid mercury, leaving her once shimmering horns as plain as any other dragons.

With a wave of her claws, Aurora sent the liquid platinum gliding through the air. The mass split in two, one flying to each of Ember’s horns. They rolled across her horns from tip to base, seeming to meld with them as they did, leaving them shimmering just as Aurora’s did moments ago.

“All hail Empress Ember!” Star shouted.

“Hail! Empress Ember! Hail! Empress Ember! Hail! Empress Ember!” the crowd chanted.

Aurora held up a claw to the crowd and silenced them in an instant.

“My time grows short, so I must hurry this along,” Aurora said. “Before I go, there is one last gift I have to offer you.”

Suddenly, I felt a wave of magical power so potent, it nearly made me faint. The ground started to tremble and rocks started to shift. The crowd panicked and flew away as stone shot out from the ground in columns and sheets in some places while the ground receded in others.

Stone formed walls. Walls came together. Higher and higher they rose until standing there where our mountain home used to be was an enormous palace.

Aurora smiled, panting. “There. What is a queen... without her castle? Unfortunately, We’ll have to wait for those lessons. I’m afraid that was more draining than I expected. Farewell for now, my heir. I expect great things from you.”

And with that, Aurora’s body scattered into dust, and slowly drifted away on the breeze.
> Chapter 43: Ominous Pink
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Smolder let out a grunt as she hit the ground, hard.

“Better,” I said. “Again.”

Smolder got back to her feet with a growl.”One of these days, I will knock you down.”

“I look forward to that day,” I replied.

Smolder cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Of course. It’ll mean that I was an even better teacher than my own, and my teacher was amazing,” I explained.

“Oh, right. Your grandpa, right?” Smolder asked as she stretched out her muscles.

“That’s right,” I said. “He taught me almost everything I know about martial arts.”

“Almost?” Smolder asked.

“Yeah, well, my dad taught me a lot, too,” I said.

“But wouldn’t your grandpa have taught him the same stuff as you?” she asked.

“Oh, no. My grandpa is my mom’s dad. My dad was American,” I explained.

Smolder rolled her eyes. “You know, for only having one race, your world is complicated.”

I laughed. “Oh, that’s nothing. His mom was Irish and his dad was French,.”

“Okay, just stop. Seriously, how many countries can one race need? Humans are so weird,” Smolder groaned. “So, what kind of martial arts did he teach you?”

I grinned. “Oh, how to actually win. You see, traditional martial arts don’t really work in the real world.”

“What?! Then what have I been learning?!” Smolder demanded.

“Non-traditional martial arts,” I explained. “You see, my dad grew up in a rough neighborhood, so he had to learn how to fight. His teacher was the greatest teacher there is; experience. He got beat up so much, he eventually learned how not to.”

“So, your grandpa and you dad taught you how to fight?” Smolder ventured.

“Not exactly. My grandpa taught me. My dad mostly just inspired me. He would always point out the flaws and faults in martial arts, and tell me what a real fight was like. I noticed the main problem was that most of the times martial arts is taught in a nice, padded room with wide open, flat floors.”

“So... nothing like where you’d ever have to use it?” Smolder said with a grin.

“Exactly. So, I started practicing wherever I could; in the woods, alleys, stairwells, you name it. I started incorporating the environment into my training, as well. I taught myself to think on the fly, and use whatever’s around me to my advantage on instinct.”

“Huh... so that’s why we never train inside,” Smolder realized.

“Exactly. Now, break’s over, let’s get back to training,” I said.

“Luke, Smolder,” came Ember’s voice, carried by magic. “Hurry up and finish whatever you’re doing. It’s almost time to go.”

“Or maybe not.”

Smolder looked up toward the sun. “Geeze, have we really been out here that long, already?”

“Seems like it,” I said. “You know what they say. Time flies when you’re having fun.”

I grabbed my cloak from the tree branch I hung it on and fastened it around my neck. With a quick word, we were both off, soaring toward home.

We flew over what was quickly shaping up to be New Dragonia’s first trade town. Thanks to Blueblood, we had entire teams of beings helping out with construction. There weren’t many ponies willing to work for dragons, but he had contacts among the griffins and some cat folk from a place called Abyssinia that were more than willing to work for gold.

Celestia was more than happy to begin laying track for our first railway, too. Though, she was only going to go as far as this little town. Any tracks going deeper would be from our own treasury.

Luckily, lumber was plentiful in this area. That made the building so much faster. That, and Ember and Smolder using their magic to build stone foundations. Pretty soon, the first trains were going to begin to travel between Equestria and New Dragonia. 

Finally, we came to our home for the past few moons, Castle Drakenhiem.

Three guesses who named it.

Of course, it was more of a palace than a castle, but then the same can be said for Canterlot Castle, and the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. I think people just don’t realize a castle and a palace aren’t the same thing.

My thoughts were put aside as we landed on the balcony where Ember was waiting, along with Blueblood.

“How was training?” Ember asked.

“Good. She nearly got me a few times,” I said.

“Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to pick it up where you left off later. I’m on a tight schedule, and can’t afford to dawdle,” Blueblood said. “If you want a ride, we have to leave now.”

We followed Blue through the halls, shooting the breeze as he told us of his latest voyage.

“I swear, if Klugetown wasn’t the last port between here and Abyssinia, I would never return,” he finished.

“You could always take us next time,” Smolder said. “I bet you won’t have the same issue, then.”

Blueblood laughed. “I’m sure, but Percy dealt with him nicely, so no worries. Ah, speaking of which. Percy, my friend! Let's get underway as soon as possible, shall we?”

“We’re just waiting on your royal backsides,” Percy replied.

Percy, simply put, was like if Big Bird and Arnold Schwarzenegger had a child. He was a bright yellow bird person built like a linebacker dressed in an old fashioned sailor uniform. He said his people were called harpies, but they certainly weren’t the harpies from Earth mythology.

“We hear you’ve had an interesting trip,” I said, giving him a fist bump.

“Ay, that I have,” he replied. “I’ll tell you some of the spicier bits when we’re airborne.”





Over the past few moons, I found I really liked airships. I had only ridden once, and that was only to Kludgetown, a shit hole city on the other side of the Badlands. Still, it was amazing. And I got to meet one of Blueblood’s contacts, Percy’s cousin. She had her own ship and traveled far and wide enough that she could spread word that the dragons were looking for trade partners.

It was so different than flying with my cloak. With my cloak, I’m focusing on where I am, wing position, air currents, and a dozen other things. On an airship, though, I could just relax and take in the sights.

Smolder and Ember enjoyed it as well, but they liked flying with their own wings better and often flew alongside the ship. They couldn’t keep it up for too long, though, as the ship flew a bit faster than their cruising speed.

It wasn’t a long trip, only about a day and a half. Still, it was a day and a half of soaring through the skies and learning the ins and outs of sailing. I didn’t want to make a living out of it, but it was fun to learn, regardless.

“Still admiring the view, eh?” Ember said as she came up behind me, egg carriage in tow.

“You know you like it, too,” I said.

Ember looked out over the landscape. “Yeah, I’ll admit, there’s something nice about getting a view like this without having to do the work for it... Still prefer flying myself, though.”

“Naturally.”

As we stood there, admiring the scene, Ember narrowed her eyes as she gazed into the distance. “What is that?”

I looked, but my eyes weren’t as good as a dragon’s.

At least, not normally. But Aurora has been helping me learn some new techniques. She couldn’t teach much, considering she not only didn’t know how to use aura, herself, but also could only communicate through a mirror, but it was enough that I was able to piece together several new techniques.

I channeled my aura into my eyes and the world became sharper, clearer, and more vivid as colors not normally visible made themselves known to me.

With my eyesight enhanced, I could see what she was looking at. In the distance I could see Canterlot and the massive pink bubble surrounding it.

“Hey, Blue?” I focused my ‘voice’ on the prince. “Can you come to the bow real quick. Bring a spyglass.”

A few minutes later Blue arrived. “What’s the matter?”

“We were hoping you could tell us,” Ember said as she pointed toward the oddity.

Blue looked through his spyglass and hummed in thought. “That looks like a shield spell, but on a truly impressive scale. Captain Shining Armor’s work, no doubt. The only question is why?

“Gavin!” Blueblood called.

A young griffin came running and gave Blue a salute. “Yes, sir?”

He was obviously green, considering how stiff and formal he acted around Blue. He would loosen up with time, though. They all did.

“Scout ahead and find out why the city seems to be on lockdown, would you? And find out how we’re supposed to get in,” Blueblood asked.

“Yes, sir!” He snapped another salute and took off like a bolt.

I whistled. “He’s a fast one.”

“That’s why I hired him,” Blue said. “Do keep me abreast of his progress, will you?”

We watched the griffin’s progress as he grew smaller and smaller. Eventually four specks flew out to meet him. They hovered in place for a moment before our speck started heading back our way.

The young griffin came in for a landing, breathing heavily from the exertion, as he said, “They said... we have to... use the... auxiliary docks.”

“The auxiliaries? Did you mention who you’re sailing with?” Blue asked.

“Yes, sir,” the griffin replied. “They said no exceptions.”

“Well, now I’m a tad concerned,” Blue said before turning around and shouting with an impressive set of lungs. “Alright, sailors! We’re making for the auxiliaries! Twenty degrees to starboard! Take us around back!”

The ship swayed to the side as the crew worked to change course. By then the city was close enough to see without enhancing my eyes. It was a good thing, too. That ability irritated my eyes something fierce if I used it too long.

“You would think Celestia would have sent us a message letting us know something was up,” Ember said, a little bit irritated.

“Considering the wedding and whatever calls for such measures, it likely just slipped her mind,” Blueblood said.

“I’m sure that’s it,” I agreed. “Anyway, who cares? It’s a minor inconvenience.”

Blueblood huffed. “Speak for yourself. I have cargo that needs unloading and the auxiliary docks are much further from the warehouse. We’ll have to lug the cargo nearly two kilometers and who knows how many trips.”

As we rounded the mountain, I couldn’t help but notice the dozen and a half ballistae that were trained on us, following us in.

“Well... those are new,” Blueblood commented. “Last we came through here there were only two. What could be the threat that would require this manner of welcome?”

I had a theory, but I wasn’t a hundred percent. I was pretty sure something was going to happen during the wedding, but I wanted to double check with Leo first.

I really should have watched the show sooner, I berated myself, not for the first time.

“You think it might have something to do with what Occelus told me?” Smolder asked, her apprehensiveness seeping into her voice.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Ember said. “You going to be alright if it is?”

Smolder nodded, but I could feel her uncertainty. She pretended her time as their captive didn’t affect her, but I knew better. Any time anyone mentioned changelings around her I could feel a sliver of fear. 

Then there were the nightmares. Luna was trying to help with those, but she didn’t have the same level of influence over non-pony dreams. Still, it helped.

Our ship docked under the watchful eyes of about four dozen royal guards, ballistae and crossbows at the ready.

As we disembarked, luggage in tow, a guard pony approached. “I’m sorry, your majesties, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave your luggage and come with us. We’ll have somepony bring your bags to your room after a quick scan.”

Ember was about to protest but I interrupted her. “Ember, it’s fine. I doubt they’re stupid enough to steal from a dragon. Especially when that dragon is an empress and sorceress.”

Ember calmed down and gave the pony a glare. “Everything better be in there when we get to our rooms.”

The guard bowed. “Of course. If you’ll follow me, the princess wishes to speak with you as soon as possible.”

A city wide shield, guards everywhere, and crossbows and siege weapons greeting guests? A real fairytale wedding... if it was written by George R.R. Martin.

This was going to be interesting.
> Chapter 44: Hi Ho
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Within the barrier, one could almost think everything was normal... if not for the fact that everything had a pink hue to it from the shield and the slight feeling of worry from the ponies. That feeling, though, wasn’t very strong. It was obvious they trusted their princesses to keep them safe.

That made sense, though. I mean, she was a super powerful alicorn that could throw the sun around. She had to be a bad ass in a fight, right? Heck, after four seasons, I’m sure she kicked her fair share of ass in the show. Especially when the changelings attacked.

Man, I really wish I had at least finished season two.

Anyway, soon enough we arrived at the castle. The guard presence was higher here, too, but not as high as at the barrier. 

As we finally entered the palace, we were greeted by quite the welcoming committee. Not only was Celestia waiting to greet up, but so, too, was Luna, Abes, and Shining Armor.

“Welcome back to Canterlot, Empress Ember, Emperor Luke,” Celestia said, that twinkle in her eye told me she had been looking forward to greeting us like that.

“Yes, we have been looking forward to opening diplomatic ties with the newest empire,” Luna added, doing a good job of hiding her tiredness.

“We’ve been looking forward to it, too,” Ember said. “Plus, I’m kind of curious about what a ‘wedding’ actually is. Luke tried to explain it, but it just sounds weird to me. Why have some big ceremony to be mates? Just find somewhere secluded and get to banging.”

Even the ever unflappable Celestia blushed a little at that as she tried to explain, “There is a bit more to it than that. Think of it as going a step beyond mere mates. It is an oath of loyalty to one another, to love, cherish, and protect each other.”

Ember raised a brow at that. “You need a ceremony for that?”

“The ceremony is more of a celebration of the oath than a requirement for it,” Luna clarified.

“Huh...” Ember said before nudging me in the side with an elbow. “Why couldn’t you explain it like that?”

“I don’t have over a thousand years of experience in talking to folks?” I ventured.

“Fair enough,” Ember shrugged.

I gave Shining a deadpan look. “This is what you’re signing up for.”

He chuckled. “I look forward to it.”

“So, when’s the mad scientist you call your sister and her cronies supposed to arrive, anyway?” I asked. “Or are they already here, and they’re just too good to say, hello?”

Shining chuckled. “Nah, they haven’t gotten here yet. I’m not actually sure when they will, either. Twillie hasn’t gotten back to me, yet.”

That was unlike her. “When did you send the invitation?”

“It was... um... It... was...” His eyes shot wide. “Oh no.”

He suddenly turned and ran off repeating, “Crud, crud, crud!”

We watched the stallion run down the hall until he turned a corner.

“So, I take it the reception will be moved to the infirmary?” I said with a smirk.

Celestia shook her head. “Let’s hope it’s not ICU.”





After that amusing welcome, we all went our separate ways. Ember went with Celestia to talk trade agreements, while Smolder went to the infirmary to see how Garble was recovering. 

While they did that, Abes and I walked around the palace grounds. He said he had something he wanted to talk to me about.

“So... ‘Emperor’ Luke?” Abes said with a snortle. “Man, I never thought one of us would ever become royalty.”

“Like you?” I returned. “Or did you forget that I’m not the only one here to bed a princess?”

“Yeah, well... We aren’t going to be announcing our relationship any time soon,” Abes said, clearly upset even without my aura sense. “Remember, we’re still seen as animals. Intelligent animals, but still animals. Luna can’t be seen debasing herself with a beast.”

“Hey, that’s just because you can’t communicate with anyone, yet,” I reminded. “Once Lyra and Vinyl figure out that translator device, you’ll be good.”

He sighed. “Here’s to hoping. Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“I figured as much,” I said. “I was just waiting for you to get to the point.”

Abes took a breath before speaking. “I will, but I need to see something, first.”

He gestured toward a path around the mountain. I hadn’t even realized we had left the palace grounds. At the end of that path was what looked like a mine entrance.

“Am I being put to work?” I said in jest.

“No, just something I want to test. Come on, follow me,” he said, cryptically.

I looked around as we approached. It was obvious this mine hadn’t been used in a very, very long time. I had to wonder what they mined here and why it was abandoned.

“Come on,” Abes said, walking through the threshold, into the mine.

I sighed, following after. The tunnel was just like any other mine shaft. It was cramped, even I had to hunch, as short as I was. Even ponies would have had trouble standing up straight, unicorns especially.

Regardless, the tunnel didn’t go very far. After maybe a hundred feet the tunnel suddenly opened up into a large, crystal lined chamber.

“Holy... this place is amazing,” I whispered to myself.

My eyes darted from crystal to crystal. Most looked like quartz, but there were a few other types. Of course, I wasn’t a geologist, but I could see light purple, and a couple pale green ones, too.

“Come on, it’s a little deeper,” Abes said.

I walked in deeper until I was suddenly hit with a strange sense of vertigo. “Whoa.” I stumbled and fell to my knees. It felt like the time Ember grabbed one of my head thingies, only without the pain.

“Hey, you okay?” Abes asked.

“I’m not sure. It’s like I was hit by a flashbang, but to my aura sense,” I explained.

Abes looked around at the various crystals, humming in thought. “That might have just confirmed one of my theories. Here, climb on.”

He offered his back to me. He was probably slightly larger than me, though that would only really be noticeable if I were on all fours or if he was upright, but my bones made me quite a bit heavier.

“Can you even carry me?” I asked. “I’m not light.”

He thought about it. “Put a paw around me, then.”

I did so and he led me out of the mine. By the time we came back out into the light I had recovered.

“What was that?” I asked.

“I didn’t think that would happen so early,” Abes said. “It didn’t mess with me until I went a lot further.”

“You knew that would happen?” I asked, a little irritated.

“I didn’t know, and I figured if it happened it would have been further in,” Abes explained. “Those crystals give off energy of some kind, and I think they interact with us the same way type energy does. I didn’t feel anything until I got deeper and came across some pale blue ones.”

“So, why even go down there in the first place?” I asked.

Abes was silent for a moment. I could feel his uncertainty as he debated with himself. “I’m going to tell you something, but you need to swear to listen to everything I say before you do anything.”

I gave him a suspicious look. “It’s something I’m not going to like.”

“No, it isn’t, but it’s something that has to happen,” Abes said.

“This is about ‘preserving the timeline’, isn’t it?” I said, irritated.

“I know you disagree with it but this time it has to happen just as it did in the show,” Abes said.

“Oh, and where were you in the show? Where were any pokemon? Why can’t you get that this isn’t the show. That timeline doesn’t apply here.” I said, trying to be patient.

“Because this time, if it doesn’t, Cadence will likely die,” he said.

“Explain,” I demanded.

“The changeling queen has replaced her and imprisoned her in those mines,” he said, pointing to the shaft behind us. “Those mines are a maze spanning hundreds of miles. Not only that, but if it happens as it did in the show, she’s being kept in a sealed off chamber. Searching for her, even with hundreds of us, would take weeks. She would be dead by then. If things progress as they did in the show, though, Twilight will be sent down there and together they’ll find a way out.”

He took a deep breath and sat down heavily. “I took you down there in the hopes that the crystals wouldn’t affect you like they did me. Then, if things didn’t go as they were supposed to, you could find her.”

“But I can’t,” I said, my anger withering away.

“Which means Cadence’s only hope is that things go exactly as it did in the show,” Abes said, solemnly.

I tried to think of some other way. My first thought was to organize a search party, claiming some foals wandered in. Then I realized that if the changeling queen was here others would have been replaced as well. Any search party would probably be infiltrated by them and they would ensure she wasn’t found.

My second thought was to just out her, but how? If those that know her don’t think anything is wrong why would they believe someone that barely knows her?

I growled. “Fine, I guess we’ll have to let things progress like the show, but once it’s past that, I’m squishing that bug.”

“Actually, I was hoping you would stay in the city,” Abes said.

“Why?” I asked, a little irritated.

“Because we’re sure we can keep things in the palace on track, and if not we can help there,” Abes explained. “However, the city will need protecting, and you, Ember, and Smolder can do more good there.”

“You just don’t want me interrupting your timeline,” I said with a flat look.

“Yes and no,” Abes said. “Look, I agree with you that preserving the timeline is probably doomed, but we have contingencies.”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to argue about this. “Fine. So, if their queen is Cadence, I’ll probably be able to tell. Changelings are a void of aura to me.”

“That makes sense,” Abes said. “Aura is tied to emotions and they feed on emotions. That means they likely feed on aura, so they’d absorb it.”

“Which would explain why I can’t sense them,” I continued his train of thought. “They have aura, like every living thing, but since they absorb it, they don’t radiate it for me to sense.”

“That means you have to stay away from Cadence,” Abes said. “You said you encountered one here in disguise. That means they probably know about your aura sense and that you can’t sense them. It would be suspicious if you were near Cadence and pretended you didn’t notice.”

I nodded. “Yeah. If I do run into her, I’ll improvise something. If she’s as clever as one would think a shapeshifter would be she would already have an explanation as to why I can’t sense her.”

“Most likely,” Abes said before yawning. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I'm going to bed. It’s late for me, and I have to go to Ponyville. I want to be there when Twilight gets her invitation.”

“Alright. I’ll see you this evening, then,” I said.

“Remember, let things happen as they do, for now,” Abes reminded.

I grunted. “I will, but I want to know exactly how the episode plays out. The moment it starts going differently, I’m stepping in.”

“Only if it goes differently enough that things can’t play out,” Abes said.

I reluctantly nodded and Abes melted into the shadows and shot away.





I was let into the meeting room that Ember and Celestia were talking in. Blueblood was already there, too.

“Ah, there he is,” the prince said as I came in. “I hope you enjoyed catching up with your friend.”

“I did. So, what did I miss?” I asked.

“We were discussing the trade and acquisition of building materials and skilled workers,” Celestia said.

“A few ponies that know how to do stuff are going to teach some dragons how to do it,” Ember continued. “That way we won’t be a bunch of useless idiots anymore.”

“And what are you getting out of it?” I asked. “I apologize if that sounds rude, but we don’t exactly have much to trade, as of yet.”

Celestia smiled. “It isn’t rude at all. Think of this as an investment for the future. We help you now and when you are a self sufficient nation with a working economy of your own we shall have yet another ally with whom to trade. A small investment now for long term gains.”

“Now that Luke’s here, he had an idea that I think might help us dragons become less jerky,” Ember said.

“Oh? Something you would need our help with, I take it,” Celestia asked.

I smirked. “Tell me, have you ever heard of something called a ‘foreign exchange program’?”
> Chapter 45: The Wedding Party Starts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apparently, the pack was going to be arriving that afternoon. I was actually glad for that, as I had purposely kept my royal title from them. I couldn’t wait to see the looks on their faces.

“Where the heck are the crowns?” I asked Ember.

“How should I know? You packed them, didn’t you?” Ember asked.

“Yeah, but... I forget which bag,” I grumbled.

Ember rolled her eyes. “I thought you marked them.”

I blinked, dumbly. “Oh... right.”

Another neat little trick I learned I could do was to ‘mark’ something with my aura. Then, I could just feel it out. It was rather faint, though, so its range was very limited, but it could be helpful when, say, searching bags for something essential.

I felt a few marks. Two were coming from one bag so I quickly opened it. “Nope, those are the swords.” I chucked the sheathed blades onto the bed. They were part of our wedding outfits. They were only for looks, but they added something quite regal, in my opinion.

“Ah, here they are,” I pulled two circlets from another bag, one gold with a large sapphire set on the brow that I tossed to Ember, and one silver with a matching ruby that I set on my head. “Are we wearing anything else?”

“Do you want to?” Ember asked.

“Not really.”

“Then no.”

“Alright, then. Shall we?” I asked, offering my arm.

Ember chuckled, but stood and accepted. “We shall.”

We stopped beside the crib with our egg and gave it a quick kiss.

“No hatching while we’re gone.”

We stepped into the hallway and Ember turned to the guard. “If anything happens to our egg while we’re gone, I’ll hang you from the castle walls... all of them.”

The guard swallowed, hard, but saluted.

We still had a little while before we were to meet the princesses, so we decided to see how Smolder and Garble were doing. We started for the lower suites, where we were told Garble was staying.

We finally made it to the right room and gave a quick knock.

“Buzz off!” came a familiar voice.

Me and Ember grinned at each other and we both knocked incessantly.

“Unless you have a tray full of gems, I swear I’ll burn your mane!” his voice came again as an angry aura came closer.

The door was flung open to reveal Garble in a wheelchair looking around at pony height. His eyes widened when he realized it wasn’t ponies at his door.

“Too bad we don’t have manes,” Ember quipped.

“Oh, great. It’s you two,” Garble grumbled as he wheeled back to let us in.

“Is that any way to talk to your rulers,” Ember mock-scolded.

Garble scoffed. “Yeah, well, we aren’t in Drago-topia, or whatever.”

“How are you feeling?” I asked as we stepped inside. “You recovering alright?”

Garble gave me a sidelong glare but sighed. “Yeah, I’m getting stronger every day. Pretty soon I’ll be ready to kick your tail.”

“You know that’ll never happen, right?” came a voice I wasn’t expecting.

“Sunflower!” Ember greeted our pony friend with a smile. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“This is my apartment,” she said.

I cocked an eyebrow. “We were told it was Garble’s apartment.”

She grinned. “It is.”

Smolder jumped up from the couch and walked over to stand beside Garble, giggling. “Go ahead, Gargar, tell them.”

Sunflower walked up to his other side. “Yeah, Gargar, tell them.”

I felt my jaw drop. The emotions I felt... Embarrassment, anger, shame, but also...

“Holy shit... Garble... You’re dating a pony?!” I barely managed the focus to say it.

“N-no!” Garble said, quickly. “I mean... Sunflower isn’t just some namby pamby pony, okay! She’s practically a dragon, just in a pony body!”

“Wait, Sunflower, you actually like this guy?” Ember asked.

Sunflower shrugged. “After smacking him around a little to make him stop being a whiny little foal, he’s actually really sweet.”

“Told ya,” Smolder said with a triumphant smirk.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hey, don’t laugh, mutt,” Garble growled.

“No, no. I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because it makes sense,” I said. “Of course you’d like Sunflower. She’s awesome, and not afraid to get her hooves dirty.”

“Darn right she is,” Garble said. “Besides, she’s been showing me that ponies aren’t as sissy as I thought. Well, some of them, anyway. Most of them are totally sissy, but some are actually alright.”

“Well,” Ember said, giving him a firm slap on the back. “I’m proud of you. You’re starting to see that ponies have plenty to offer, I take it.”

Garble goaned. “Yeah, sure. Ponies have some cool stuff. Especially the gems.”

Ember sighed with a small smile. “Yeah... especially the emeralds. They’re the best I’ve ever had.”

“Nah, the aquamarines are the best,” Garble insisted.

Ember smirked. “Ah, a sweet tooth, huh? Well, I’m glad you’re doing better, but we have to get going. The princesses are expecting us.”

“I’m going to stay here,” Smolder said.

“Of course,” Ember replied.

“I’m glad you’re doing better, Garble,” I said.

Garble scoffed. “Yeah, well, thanks for saving me. I guess I owe you one. I’m still not calling you ‘your highness’ or anything.” I could tell that he was putting on a show of it. I could feel his gratitude.

As we headed out the door, I called back, “That’s cool. I banged your sister.”

“Wait, what?!”





We found Celestia in the throne room, talking to one of her aides. When she saw us, she dismissed them and greeted us. “So glad you could make it. The political guests have arrived and will be welcomed soon. Seeing as you are not only the only foreign delegates here for the wedding, but also of a newly refounded nation, I would like you to be present.”

“Uh... sure,” Ember said. “Where should we stand?”

Celestia smiled serenely, but I felt a bit of mischief. “Actually, seeing as you are royalty, you would be sitting on wooden thrones at the base of the dias.”

As she said that, a pair of unicorns brought in two very ornate wooden chairs and set them on the floor, one to the right, the other to the left.

“You’re kidding me?” Ember said, flatly.

“Trust me, it’s best you get used to it,” Celestia said. “No matter how you choose to rule, you will find yourself in situations in which you will be uncomfortable. Besides, this will help your legitimacy. If the nobles see that I accept you as fellow rulers of an allied land, they will more readily accept you. You will need that for your ‘exchange program’ idea.”

“She has a point,” I said, and with great reluctance, I sat down.

Ember and Celestia followed suit, Celestia remarking, “Normally it’s considered proper to wait for the local ruler to sit, first.”

“Ah, sorry,” I said with an apologetic smile.

I knew she wasn’t offended. Her comment was for the future, in more public settings.

The court herald took his place beside the doors. “Now announcing Prince Blueblood, Regent of Canterlot.”

Blue walked in. “Good afternoon, Auntie,” he said. “I’m glad I could make it.”

“Hello, my dear nephew,” Celestia greeted. “How have the trade routes to Abyssinia been coming along?”

“Fantastic,” he replied. “We stand to come out on top, for certain.”

This was more of a formality than anything. It was customary for each pony of nobility to be personally greeted by the princess, but Blue Blood lived there, so it was just a show. Those waiting outside couldn’t hear, thanks to a spell, so as long as they saw that he was being greeted, that was enough.

“You know, miss Rarity will be coming,” I said. “Are you finally going to actually summon up the courage to speak to her and apologize for how you acted at the gala? I have a feeling you two might actually hit it off if you can get past that.”

“I have to agree,” Celestia said.

“I...” he winced, his nervousness almost making me queasy. “We shall see.”

Celestia sighed. “Very well. I will see you at dinner.”

“Thank you, auntie.” He gave a quick bow and exited through a side door.

“Now announcing Lord Wall Street, Regent of Manehattan,” announced the herald.

Lord Wall Street? I hate him already.

As he entered, he looked surprised to see us, but Celestia quickly introduced us. “May I formally present you to Empress Ember and Emperor Luke of New Dragonia.”

Turned out he wasn’t so bad.

The mayor of Bitsburg, on the other hand, was put on my hit list within seconds.

Most of the nobility was actually rather nice. They were genuinely curious about these creatures sitting on thrones at the base of the dias, such a prestigious position. Most were interested in the new trade possibilities, especially when they found out how rich the dragon lands were in metals. 

Metal grew in the dragon lands the way gems grew in Equestria. Metals like copper, aluminum and silver that were rare in Equestria were plentiful back home, and many were excited about that. Even iron, the most common type of metal in Equestria wasn’t common enough to meet the demand.

Finally, I saw a rabble of decidedly non-noble ponies walking into the throne room.

"Now announcing Ladies Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie!" the herald announced.

I could already see the looks of confusion on most of the pack’s faces... except for Zann and surprisingly Lulu. Lulu was surprised for a second, but that quickly gave way to excitement. Zann, on the other hand, was just excited.

"May I formally present you to Empress Ember and Emperor Luke of New Dragonia.”

Leo had that face she got when she wanted to make a joke but knew it was a bad time. I loved it.

"They will be attending the wedding as royal guests," Celestia continued. "While this doesn't affect most of your duties, I must inform two of you of necessary changes. Applejack, you will be working alongside the castle staff and will be required to supply a more varied selection of dishes to accommodate our guests. Rarity, I trust that you will be up to the task of supplying our guests with formal attire for the event?"

"I would be honored, your highnesses!" Rarity gave a bow, radiating giddiness.

"If it's all the same," Ember spoke up, "we can make do with our current selection."

"Very well. If you change your mind, please know that the offer remains open?" Celestia said, questioningly, glancing at Rarity, who was practically vibrating with excitement. "As much as I'm sure you would all love to catch up with each other, I'm afraid that there is much yet to do before the rehearsal tomorrow."

"We'll talk later tonight?" I said, focusing on the pack.

<<Absolutely.>> Lulu accepted. <<Where are you staying?>>

"We have our own royal suite. I'm sure Abes already knows where it is."

<<I do.>> he said.

<<Until later, then.>> Cy said as he bowed, prompting the rest to do the same.

And with that, they left to attend their duties.

When we were alone again, Celestia spoke up, with that smile that screamed ‘troll’. “So, how was it?”

“Not as bad as I was expecting,” Ember said.

“Yeah, most of them were actually rather pleasant,” I added.

Celestia chuckled. “Yes, most ponies believe the nobility are all a bunch of stuffy, humorless jerks. While the first two are quite accurate, most are good ponies.”

“Except that guy from Bitsburg,” Ember said. “I wouldn’t mind singing his fur off.”

God, I love her.





“Are you serious?” Lemon Meringue asked, surprised.

“My sister told me,” Two Step replied. “The dragons’ Empress is here for the wedding. I have to admit, I never thought the dragons would civilize, but I’m glad she’s here.”

“What about that dog that was with her? Her... bodyguard?” Lemon asked.

“Husband, actually. He’s the Emperor. He’s here, too, as well as the other dragon, the orange one,” Two Step corrected. 

“The orange one?” Lemon asked.

“Yeah, the one with the horns that go up and the cute laugh,” Two said. “Anyway, I have to get going. I’ll talk to you next week.”

“Alright, I’ll see you then,” Lemon said as she walked her friend to the door, locking the door behind her and flipping the open sign to ‘closed’.

She whistled as she headed for the back. As soon as she was out of sight of any possible passers by, she slumped to the ground, a tear falling down her cheek.

“Smolder, you’re alive... thank goodness.”
> Chapter 46: Making Plans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ember walked through the hallways of the palace. She still got confused about where she was in the twisting, winding corridors, but the palace staff were more than willing to point her in the right direction.

After a bit of walking, she saw Cadence coming from the other way, looking far more irritated than Ember had even thought her capable.

“Hey, Cadence, you okay?” Ember asked.

Cadence stumbled to a stop, looking at Ember in surprise. “Oh... hi... Uh, sorry, I can’t talk, I’m far too busy. We’ll catch up later, ‘kay, bye!”

Ember just stared after her, confused. “That was weird.”

She shook her head. She’d figure out what that was about later. She had other stuff to deal with.

At least she figured that if Cadence had come from the opposite direction she was probably going the right way.

After walking a very short distance further, she saw yet another irritated pony. Twilight Sparkle came storming down the hall, mumbling under her breath and Ember had to wonder if it might have been better to come back later.

Twilight didn’t even seem to notice her, but Ember did hear her mumbling something about Cadence, so Ember figured the issue must have been between them.

If this is how these ‘weddings’ usually go, the ponies can keep them.

Ember tried to push that from her mind and focus on the task ahead of her. She continued on, wary of any other sour ponies she might come across, but thankfully found none.

She finally found what she was looking for, the royal kitchens.

She opened the door and peeked inside. “Hey, Applejack? You in here?”

“Oh, why howdy, your highness. What can Ah do ya for?” Applejack asked as she worked over a mixing bowl. “Come to check on the menu?”

“Nah, not that. I’m sure whatever you cook will be fine,” Ember said. “I was actually wanting to talk to you about something else entirely.”

“You mind talkin’ while Ah work?” AJ asked. “Ah got a lot to do, but Ah can do both.”

“Sure. So, Luke and I had an idea that might help dragons and ponies become closer, while also helping dragons learn to be nicer,” Ember said.

“That sounds great. What’s the plan?” Applejack asked.

“Well, we were hoping we could find pony families that would be willing to take in young dragons, around Spike’s age, to help teach them all about friendship and stuff. It would be temporary, about a season to a month, at most, and we were hoping you would be willing to volunteer.”

“You want me to take in a dragon young’un?” Applejack paused in her work, giving the dragon empress her full attention.

Ember nodded. “Spike said you’re a kind, caring pony, but you also know how to be tough and firm. That’s exactly what we’re looking for. We were going to ask Sunflower, but she’s already taken in a baby dragon.”

“That sounds like a mighty fine plan,” Applejack said, getting back to work. “Ah’ll admit, Ah like the idea of helpin’ a young dragon grow up to be a fine, upstandin’ creature. Ah’m in. After the weddin’ come find me and we’ll hash out the details. ‘Bout when can we be expectin’ the tyke?”

“It won’t be for several moons,” Ember admitted. “We’re only just starting to set things up. Celestia just felt it was a good idea to make sure we can get ponies to agree to it, first. You know how some ponies see us, and for good reason, I admit.”

Applejack scoffed. “Nonsense. Sure, there may be a few more rotten apples in your bushel, but Ah’ve already met plenty of fine dragons and heard ‘bout plenty more.”

“Thanks Applejack,” Ember said.





As fun as it was to see everyone’s reaction to me wearing a crown, sitting on a throne, I was glad to be able to toss that damn thing back in a bag. Wearing a large ring of metal is just as uncomfortable as it sounds.

I was about to leave when I noticed a note on the table written in English.

Luke, we need to discuss our strategy for the upcoming invasion. Come to our suite as soon as possible.

Yomega

I sighed. “No rest for the weary, I suppose.”

I headed out, quickly found their rooms, and knocked on the door.

Yomega answered and smiled up at me.

"Ah, Luke!" He said as he stepped back into the room, bowing. "We are honored you could find the time to meet with us, your highness." The rest followed his example, bowing to me.

I held back a groan. "I’m really hoping you guys are just making a well rehearsed joke. You guys don't need to do that stuff with me, we're all friends. Right?"

"Absolutely, your majesty!" Zann said, cheerfully bouncing.

I felt the amusement coming from him, Leo, Yomega, and Lulu. At least those four were just teasing me.

"You certainly rose through the ranks quickly," Leo said, quickly moving things along.

"Well," I cleared my throat, "that was kinda our plan. Ember's and mine, I mean."

"Speaking of plans," Yomega gestured for us to follow into the living room, "we need to go over our own for tomorrow."

Abes floated a table and tea set over to the largest couch in the suite, practically teasing me with his mastery of a technique I was still not very good with. While Lulu and Villhiem made tea, the others moved onto the couch, while Yomega practically shoved me into a chair. 

Villhiem served the tea and I got the impression they were waiting for me to drink first. I groaned internally, again, and took a sip, hoping it was because of the tea and not my title.

Now with our refreshments, Yomega began. "So, firstly, you should know that we are going to be fighting tomorrow. Not with Twilight and the others, but out in the city."

"Finally abandoning protecting the timeline?" I asked, not really expecting it to be true.

"Nope,” Leo said.

"We only know what happens in the show, so we know that the Element Bearers will be fine," Abes said. "So we are planning on lending our aid out in the city itself."

"Basically, we're going to rescue and protect as many ponies as we can until the 'ling's are kicked out of town," Vince explained.

"If anything, we're going to maintain what we can until Twilight ascends. After that, we promise we'll come clean," Cy added.

I sighed. "You'd better. I don't know if you'll even make it that far, though. All it takes is for one summoner to summon in one of you guys, and it's all over."

"Got that covered!" Zann chirped. "See if you can get a copy of Moon Dancer's reports on us, it'll explain it in better detail, but they believe us to be naturalized summons."

"To be fair, we were planning on mucking with this one anyways,” Yomega admitted. “This ‘fighting in the streets’ plan is the only one we have left. Anything else ran the risk of the Queen slinking away and coming back with a better strategy, or couldn't be completed due to outside circumstances." He gestured to Abes. "His personal project was the closest we had to resolving this early, but..."

Abes sighed. "You couldn't make it past those crystals in the cave. I was going to rescue Cadence, then have Luna quietly capture the Queen, but I couldn't make it past a different cluster of crystals that were further in than yours." Abes turned to address the rest of us. "So, I got Luke to go in and see if he could rescue her instead."

I sighed, taking another sip of his tea to keep myself from shuddering at the memory. "I couldn't even get as far as you did. What's stopping Lulu or Villhiem from going in?"

Yomega grimaced. "Not enough time. The Queen's army is in place, all she'd have to do is drop the shield in the middle of the night and the city will be taken in its sleep. The ponies will have a better chance to fight back during the day. So!" He set his cup back down and poured himself another cup before he continued. "Is there somewhere in the city, or castle that you feel is important for you to protect?"

I thought about it for a moment. Obviously, there’s my egg, but what other places were there that could hold a lot of ponies, can be easily protected, and would have supplies for any wounded? "If I can convince Garble to look after our egg while we're at the ceremony, then we can help protect either that wing of the castle, or the hospital. Where will you be going?"

Abes unfolded a map of the city while Luu started explaining. "We'll be pairing up and helping anywhere we can. We'll focus on guiding ponies to the more well defended areas, like the university and the hospital. It's not a perfect plan..." Lulu finished uncertainly.

"But it's the best we got,” Yomega finished. “Conner and Abes will be going here, Zann and Lulu here, Villhiem and the Duo here, and Leo and I over here." He pointed out different districts of the city as he spoke. "We're going to be focusing on helping ponies, not fighting 'lings."

"That's a lot of city for you guys to cover," I said with a sigh. So much for not focusing on fighting. “If Ember, Smolder and I split up, we can hold the suites around Garble, the hospital, and the University. Could you guys try to guide ponies there?” I slumped back in my chair slightly, brushing a paw down my face in frustration. “I don’t know how many ponies we’ll be able to shelter and protect, though.”

This was far from a good plan, but I couldn’t think of a better one.

Some Emperor I am. Can’t even think of a plan.

"I don't expect us to make a significant difference in the battle." Yomega sighed, clearly thinking along the same lines as me. "But, if we can help save even one innocent pony who wouldn't have otherwise survived, then that'll be enough."

The group fell into silence, frustration, anger, and even helplessness started filling the room.

Leo, apparently, had enough of that and topped off our cups and raised hers in a toast. "To the wedding of our time, and one hell of a bachelor party."

We all clinked our glasses in toast and drank.

I had to admit, I had been trying to figure out what kind of tea this was the whole time. I’ve tried dozens upon dozens of teas, but this one was new. 

“This is really good tea," I said, wondering where they got it.
> Chapter 47: Defecation Meets Oscillation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Smolder was happier than she’d been in a long time. Not only was her brother recovering, but he found a mate. Even better, that mate was Sunflower, and she got to spend the whole night with them both.

They talked and laughed the whole time. She shared what had been going on in the dragon lands. Of course, Garble huffed, claiming he’d be a better emperor, but a hoof to the back of the head courtesy of Sunflower ended that line of stupidity.

Then Garble recited some of his poetry. In front of someone other than Smolder, no less. Yeah, he was definitely in love.

She was so lost in her happy thoughts, she almost didn’t notice the pony standing in front of her door.

“M-miss Smolder?” the mare said, turning to face her.

Smolder looked at her, brow furrowed. “Yeah? That’s me.”

“May we speak in private?” the pony asked. “It’s very important.”

Smolder hesitated. This was rather strange, even for a pony. “Sure. I guess. But make it quick. I have to meet my friends.”

Smolder opened the door and stepped inside her suite, leaving the door open for the pony to follow.

The moment the door clicked shut, there was a flash of green and a black chitinous form latched onto her from behind, hooves wrapping around her, pinning her arms to her side and her wings to her back.

Smolder reacted immediately. Her legs tensed, channeling magic into them, ready to leap up and-

“I’m so, so sorry.”

Smolder froze. She knew that voice. “Occelus?”

“I thought you were dead, and it was all my fault.”

Smolder felt tears on her back.

“I tried to stop them. I tried to convince father to heal you, but he said... he said it would be better if you died.”

Smolder relaxed, letting out a breath. “It wasn’t your fault. Your father and Nergal are the ones that did that to me. You did everything you could.”

Occelus loosened her grip. “But it wasn’t enough.”

Smolder twisted around in Occelus’ grip to face the changeling. “What do you mean ‘it wasn’t enough’? What the heck else could you have possibly done? Fought your father, all his minions, and a shadow monster?”

Smolder sighed. “Look. You took care of me while I was being held prisoner. That was as much as you could have done.”

Occelus pulled away. “I still wish I could have done more, but at least I can do something now. The queen is invading today, right after the wedding, and father is planning to kill you and your friends during the chaos. Nergal left him a book with all kinds of weird spells and stuff. He plans on using it to summon something to kill you. He thinks you’re a threat.”

Smolder nodded. “Alright. Let’s go find Ember and Luke. They need to know, too.”

Occelus swallowed her nerves and nodded before green flame washed across her body, once again putting her in the guise of a pony.

“Alright. Let’s go.”





When I left the meeting, I went to look for Ember. I needed to tell her what was happening.

A part of me wanted to go find ‘Cadence’ and cave her face in, but I wasn’t sure these changelings actually reverted back when knocked out. It was likely they didn’t. After all, if they ever had to sleep beside a replaced pony’s lover, it wouldn’t do to suddenly turn ugly.

It had to wait until Twilight returned with the real Cadence.

Damn it, I hate this.

After a bit, I found my way to our suite, where I felt Ember and Smolder waiting inside.

I opened the door and walked inside. “Honey, I’m... home.”

I stared at the couch where a third occupant sat. An occupant whose aura I couldn’t sense.

“Luke, it’s okay,” Smolder assured me. “She’s a friend. This is Occelus.”

I looked at the changeling on the couch. I could see the fear written on her face. I walked over to her and knelt down.

“So... you’re the one that took care of Smolder?”

The changeling nodded.

I sighed, and leaned forward to pull her into a hug. “Thank you.”

That close, I could actually feel her aura, faintly. She felt like shock and relief.

I pulled away and looked her in the eyes. “So, I guess it this means they already know about the impending invasion?”

She blinked. “H-how...”

“My friend is psychic,” I said.

“Your friend? The dragon that’s recovering in the servants’ quarters? The one that’s dating a pony?” Occelus asked.

I chuckled. “No, the one that looks like a green cat with two tails.”

“You mean one of those weird animals the Element Bearers brought? I am so confused,” Occelus admitted.

“Yeah, they aren’t any more animals than Luke, here,” Ember explained. “So, I take it that’s what you guys were talking about?”

I nodded. “Yeah. We have a plan. When the fighting starts, Leo and the others are going to lead ponies to safety. Ember, you’re going to stay here and protect the residential wing. Smolder, you get to the hospital and keep it safe. I’m going to be going to the university.”

I looked at Occelus, wondering what to do about her. “What about you? I won’t expect you to help us, but if you help your... uh... pack? Hive? Whatever, if you help them, you’ll be the enemy.”

Occelus bit her lip, thinking. “I... I can’t help them, but I can’t fight them, either. I don’t know what to do.”

“Come with us,” Smolder offered. “I get that you don’t want to fight them, but if you come back to New Dragonia with us you won’t have to help them, either.”

Occelus looked torn by that. “I... I can’t just abandon my family. They need me. They need someling to try to get them off this path they’re on.”

I sighed. “Then you better find somewhere to hunker down. Leave the city if you can.”

Occelus nodded. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. My father wouldn’t listen to reason. I just hope he realizes Nergal isn’t the ally we need.”

“I hope so, too. Good luck, kid. And remember, you can always come visit,” I said.

Smolder giggled. “Yeah, our place is hard to miss. It’s a massive castle on top of a volcano.”

Occelus blinked, dumbly. “You... you have a castle, now?”

Ember gave a smug grin. “Darn right, we do.”





At last, it was time for the wedding to begin.

As soon as we entered, I nearly laughed. Leo and the others were all tucked away throughout the room, hidden behind curtains, pedestals, and even in the rafters. I didn’t even need my aura sense to see Zann’s tail poking out. How did no one see them?

Smolder was already heading to the Hospital, being slightly slower than me and having three times as far to go. Plus, she was under no obligation to attend the ceremony.

As for Ember and I, we were beside an open window, ready to leave at a moment’s notice. The ceremony had only just begun when the doors slammed open and a bedraggled Twilight Sparkle stormed in.

She was followed shortly by a second Cadence. Then, as the fake decided to shed her disguise - something I felt the urge to berate her for, the dumbass - Ember and I leaned back and toppled out the window.

Ember spread her wings and banked around to head to the servant’s entrance while I landed, much to the shock of the guard.

“Sound the alarm, we’re under attack,”I shouted, pointing up at the dome where a cloud of changelings were now hammering.

I didn’t wait to see what they would do. I took off, running into the city just as the shield shattered.

Changelings started to dive into the city, enveloped incocoons of green flame. I formed a couple aura spheres and threw them into the air. The changelings would have been able to dodge them easily enough, but they exploded in a burst of smaller spheres, each about the size of a gumball, when they got near.

I called that one my ‘flak sphere’.

I threw a few more, drawing the attention of several of the descending changelings. They charged me, straight on. I laughed. That was a very bad strategy, as they learned when I leaped up and swatted them from the sky.

Several were already on the ground and chasing down ponies. I rounded a corner and saw a mare that hadn’t even realized what was going on until a pony got hit by what I was hoping was a stun spell.

When I saw a changeling charging the hapless mare, I tried to get to her, but I could already tell I wouldn’t get there in time. I tried to call out for her to move, but she just stared blankly up at the changeling.

And then pressed the edge of the table down, causing the other end to shoot up and uppercut the bug right on the chin before twisting around and bucking the table right at him and proceeding to kick the ever loving shit out of it.

I think she’s got this, I thought to myself as I took off toward the university.





Ember landed in front of the servant’s entrance and started barking orders at the guards. “You two, Canterlot is being attacked. Get your buddies and barricade every way in but this one.”

They looked at her skeptically. One was about to speak, but the massive, impenetrable shield suddenly shattering quieted any argument as he rushed off to get reinforcements. Ember, meanwhile, started laying an enchantment into the doorway.

“This will strip away any illusion or transformation spells,” she explained. “Anything that comes through that looks like an ugly bug pony, kill it.”

“Y-yes ma’am,” the guard said.

“Good. Now, I’ll make sure they have someone to play with,” Ember said with a vicious grin before shooting off into the sky.

“Hey, cockroaches!” she shouted. “Who want’s to play catch?”

She formed a ball of fire in her hands and threw it at the nearest changeling. It struck him on the side, burning his wing, before zipping toward the next.

While her little fireball bounced from changeling to changeling, Ember held out a claw and loosed a bolt of lightning into the swarm.

“Come get some!”





Smolder fished around in her bag. “Come on. Where is it?”

Nearby ponies wouldn’t have even noticed if not for that fact that her arm was buried up to her shoulder in a bag that shouldn’t have even been able to go to her elbow.

She groaned as she pulled her arm out and set the bag down before climbing head first into it until only her legs and tail were sticking out. “Oh, might need that.” a large box, easily four times bigger than the bag, came flying out. “And that.” Some kind of rod came next. “Ah! There you are!”

She pulled herself out of the bag, holding a pair of goggles. “Alright. Let’s see if these bad boys work.”

She put them on and looked around. Everyone around had a pale blue glow to them.

Rather, almost everyone.

She held out a claw to one pony that wasn’t glowing and she was suddenly enveloped in green fire, leaving a changeling behind.

Somepony screamed, “She just mutated that poor mare!”

Smolder rolled her eyes. “No I didn’t. She’s a changeling. I just took her disguise away.”

“Oh... That makes sense,” The mare said before screaming again. “It’s a changeling! Wait, what’s a changeling?”

Smolder was actually glad that the shield chose that time to shatter.





Occelus made her way back to where her father was staying. She had to convince him to stop this.

As she made her way through the shop they had commandeered, she nodded to the changeling at the counter and made her way into the basement.

“Father?” Occelus called.

“Ah, welcome back,” her father greeted. “Anything to report?”

Occelus shook her head. “No, sir. The ponies are still unaware, as is the queen.”

“Good, good... and the dragons?” her father gave her a pointed stare. “I take it you went to see them?”

“I... yes sir,” she admitted, hanging her head. “I’m sorry. I just... I hate what we’re having to do.”

Her father sighed. “I know, but it must be done.”

“Does it, though?” Occelus asked. “The dragons have been accepted, and even invited to the wedding. Surely if we step in and stop the invasion we can convince the ponies we’re good and they’d feed us willingly.”

“We can’t do that,” he said. 

“Why not?!” she demanded. “I’ve offered so many alternatives, why can’t we do any of them.”

Her father turned to look at her, a dark look in his eyes. “Because I need this invasion to happen. The queen needs to be seen to fail and die at the hooves of the ponies.”

Occelus gasped. “Die?! When did we decide she needed to die?”

Her father turned away. “Before I even suggested she invade Equestria.”
> Chapter 48: Why Do I Hear Boss Music?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Occelus stared, mouth agape, at her father. “Wh... what do you mean when you suggested it?”

Her father sighed. “My daughter, you are so smart, yet still so naive. I am the queen’s adviser. Do you think she wouldn’t listen to me if I told her the invasion was a bad idea? She may be vain and egotistical, but even she would be able to see this invasion was doomed to fail if I explained it to her.”

“But... you...” Occelus tried to speak, but her mind was struggling to process everything. “You said we were doing this because the queen was a danger to the hive. You said she was going to lead us to ruin and starvation.”

“And that was the truth,” he replied. “She is a selfish queen who leads to satisfy her own ego. She has to be removed.”

“But with a war?!” Occelus shouted. “How many of our people are going to die because of what you did?! How many innocent ponies?!”

“A small sacrifice for the greater good.”

Occelus couldn’t believe her ears. She followed her father into treason because she thought the queen had gone so mad with power that she was putting her entire people at risk, but the whole time it was her father that led her down that path.

“Occelus, why don’t you go rest. Let me handle the rest,” her father suggested.

She obeyed without really thinking, heading deeper into the cave. Her mind was reeling, still, and she could use the time to think.

She went down the hall, her body moving on autopilot, until she heard some strange chanting. Her mind latched onto the distraction and followed the sound. 

She had heard that kind of chanting before, in a different cave. It was the chanting they used for that strange summoning ritual they used to bring those three monsters to attack Luke and Ember when they were coming to save Smolder. Were they summoning again?

Occelus was familiar with the theory of summoning, if not the practice. One would draw a special circle, include ingredients that apply to the creature being summoned, and command the summon to appear. Her father had taken a liking to the practice as a way to bolster their numbers.

Occelus approached the door to the summoning room.

“Good. Now the last reagent,” came a tiny voice. It sounded extremely young, like a foal that had only just learned to speak their first words.

Occelus peaked in and saw Lemon Meringue, the real one, standing perfectly still, eyes glowing green and holding a hoof over one of the summoning circles. A changeling walked over with a knife is her magic and slashed the hoof.

Occelus had to hold back a scream as she watched the mare bleed over part of the circle, where one of the reagents should be.

Wh-what kind of summoning needs blood as a reagent?





Smolder drove one end of her short bronze staff into another changeling, pushing her magic into it which exploded out of it in a wave of fire that washed over a second. She twisted around and threw the weapon like a javelin into a small group of the bug ponies. The staff turned into a bolt of lightning as it flew, leaving a row of falling, convulsing ‘lings before reappearing in her claws in a flash.

“It’s clear!” she shouted.

From a nearby alley, a pair of guards rushed out, leading a bunch of civilians toward the hospital.

“Where’re the others?” Smolder asked.

“Captured,” one of the guards replied.

Smolder growled. That group had six when they left.

“There’s more!” one of the ponies shouted, pointing to Smolder’s left.

Smolder turned to face another group of changelings charging toward them.

“Get everyone inside! I’ll handle these guys!” Smolder ordered before running toward the enemy.

She wreathed her body in fire and burst forward at blinding speed. She crashed into the changelings in a burst of fire, sending many sprawling to the ground. She followed up by slamming her staff into the skull of the nearest changeling that was still on his hooves.

She spun around, driving the tip into another's side, cracking the natural armor. Two more swooped down and grabbed their comrade, carrying him off.

At least they aren’t heartless monsters, she thought to herself.

As another wave charged her, her own strikes and spells were joined by spells from one of the guards. The earth pony charged into them to fight alongside Smolder. Smolder had to admit, she was impressed. His kicks were powerful, throwing ‘lings flying and slamming into others.

She was glad to fight alongside these two ponies. They were tough and showed no fear, even if they were probably feeling it as much as she was. Together, they defeated the changelings coming as them.

“We’re clear,” the unicorn said.

The earth pony continued scanning the area. “Come on. Let’s go while we have the breathing space.”

“What?!” Smolder said, wide eyed. “There’s only two of you! You lost four last time you went out!”

The unicorn had a steely look in his eyes as he said, “We’re Royal Guard. If our lives can save even a single pony, it’s a life well given.”

Smolder reluctantly nodded. “Okay, then. But after this, I’m buying you and your squad a drink.”

“We’ll hold you to that, ma’am,” the earth pony said with a smirk. “Come on.”

She watched them go. Dragons could learn a thing or two from these guards. Equestria should be honored to have them.

As they turned a corner, she heard a strange rattling.

“What the tartarus is that?” she barely heard one of them say.

“Doesn’t matter. Take it out!” the other shouted.

Smolder had only just started toward them when the unicorn went flying past, slamming into a wall with a sickening crunch.

A figure appeared around the corner.

Smolder studied the creature. “A... dragon?”

It certainly looked like one. It was tall, though it didn’t walk entirely upright. Maybe it was because of the armor it was wearing. At least, it looked like armor... if somedrake made armor and gauntlets out of serving platters.

The ‘dragon’ glared at her. The platters rattled as it roared, “Jararanga!”





Ember defended her territory with the ferocious fervor of a mother protecting her child. As much as she trusted Garble and Sunflower to protect her egg if any changelings managed to get past her, she wasn’t going to risk it.

Around her was an assortment of changelings in various states. Most were unconscious, but some were frozen, petrified, asleep, or babbling madness. A few were even dead. 

She tried not to kill any of them, as per Smolder’s and Occelus’ request. Occelus insisted that the changelings were just mislead, and weren’t bad creatures. All she could promise was that she would try, but also that she would not allow any changelings inside by any means, even if she has to kill.

Occelus didn’t like it, but agreed. That was the main reason she was trying not to kill. If Occelus could understand and forgive the need for Ember to kill her brothers and sisters, there has to be something worth saving in the rest.

She looked at the bodies and sighed. She really did try not to kill them. They had come with a large group, four dozen strong, at least. She couldn’t afford to be careful. She launched a trio of fireballs that exploded in a powerful blast. Most had survived, but the dozen that had been near the center of the blasts hadn’t been so lucky.

She scoffed. It couldn’t have been helped. She could regret it later. For now, another group of ponies was heading her way, a group of changelings firing at them from above. She took to the air and flew to assist.

The changelings looked up and spotted her. A couple did the smart thing and retreated, shouting for their fellows to follow suit. Unfortunately, most didn’t listen to reason and attacked.

Ember inhaled a deep breath and released not a torrent of flame, but an icy wind that froze all moisture in the air. The changelings that weren’t quick enough to get out of the way found themselves falling with frozen wings.

The rest charged her, but bolts of lightning, lances of fire, and icy winds felled them all before they even got within striking distance. What few magic bolts they fired were weak and merely tingled, leaving her a little numb for a bit. 

She had heard from one of the guards that the magic they were using only rendered one unconscious, so she had cast a spell to help keep her awake. It wasn’t perfect, though. She could tell if she got hit by enough of them, it would overwhelm her spell. Worse, each one she got hit by made it harder to avoid others for a while.

A scream drew her attention. Ember looked down in time to see the ponies panic and scatter. She flew down to see what was happening when she saw a shadow move. Three dark heads loomed in an alley above the shredded corpse of a young mare, like a cross between a hydra and a fern.

The creature roared and charged.





I was an adult. A man. A ruler of a nation and a mature, responsible, soon-to-be father.

So I can be forgiven if I was pretending to be an AA gunner in World War II.

“Boom boom boom! Nazi bombers incoming!” I said out loud as I fired volleys of flak spheres at the incoming changelings. “Present from Uncle Sam! Hail this!”

The changelings were coming in steady waves, but rarely were those waves very big. It was just a half dozen here, a dozen there. I had a feeling there were more attacking the palace, and worried for Ember, but that was why she was there and not me. 

She was more powerful than me, and could handle it much more easily. Hell, Smolder was more powerful than me. Sure, when we sparred, I won easily, but that was because she wasn’t allowed to use her magic. If she was, I wouldn’t have lasted more than a minute against her.

Still, I wasn’t complaining. My powers let me do all kinds of awesome things.

Like swat aura vampire flies out of the air with ease.

Then, I laughed. “Holy crap! I just realized, I’m beating you with your food!” I threw a small aura sphere at one. “Have a sandwich... from hell!”

I might have been enjoying myself a little more than was appropriate.

Regardless, I was keeping them away, and ponies were making their way to the university. A few groups of guards were bringing civilians, though they’ve only managed to bring a few. That one mare I saw beating a changeling had actually joined one of those groups, as did that one pony with the crossed eyes everyone loved so much.

For some reason a couple of the guards were a little scared of her. I couldn’t figure out why. She was as friendly as they come.

I waved as they brought another group back. 

“Any problems?” I asked one of the guards.

He shook his head. “Other than a couple that managed to capture a few of us, not really. Though, I’d feel better if I knew where they were taking the ponies they got.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll get them back. I’ll help track them down as soon as we kick these guys out.”

“Good, then be ready, because we’ll be sending them packing soon,” he said.

“Good luck out there,” I said.

“Oh, we don’t need luck. We have a monster of our own,” he said, looking at Derpy who was grinning sweetly.

Seriously, what did I miss?

I watched over them as they left back into the city to find more ponies.

When they left, I closed my eyes and focused on my aura senses, feeling for any more changelings. I had found I could kind of feel where they were by feeling for the void they left. It was hard and would be impossible in a crowd, but seeing as they were the only things in the air, it was a little easier.

I only did this for a moment at a time, as often times they came on foot - or hoof, whatever - and it didn’t work then. 

Still, when I did it that time, I felt something different. I didn’t have time to think about it, though, as in a matter of seconds it flashed half a mile right at me. I barely had time to turn to see a yellow fist slam into my cheek, sending me tumbling while I convulsed from electricity.

I groaned as I jumped to my feet and faced my attacker, a strange yellow cat thing with blue whiskers, standing about as tall as me.

I glared at me and started speaking Japanese. I held up a finger and said, “Hold up.”

I focused some aura into my ears and throat. “Okay, what was that?”

“Don’t you bloody shush me, ya wanka,” he said with a cockney accent.

Well... that’s a thing.
> Chapter 49: Electric Boogaloo
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Jararanga!” the ‘dragon’ roared.

Smolder narrowed her eyes at the beast. “I don’t know what you are, or what you’re saying, but you’re gonna pay for what you did.”

Smolder readied her staff. The monster almost seemed pleased, as if it was hoping she would stand and fight. Well, if it wanted a fight, she would give it its last request.

The monster moved much faster than its size suggested and lashed out with a powerful uppercut. Smolder responded with a shielding spell. The monster’s devastating blow shattered the shield, but lost much of its power when it collided with her chin.

Smolder’s vision danced with stars as she was sent flying through the air. It hurt, but if there was one thing she learned in her training with Luke, it was how to take a hit. Her wings flared and her flight was arrested.

She landed and held up a hand, telling the monster to wait. To her mild surprise it did. She set down her bag and dropped her staff inside before leaning into it and searching around. She found what she needed and pulled them out. 

The monster looked confused at first but when it saw the gauntlets she was putting on it seemed to grow more excited.

“So, you’re a real warrior, huh? Good.” Smolder slammed her bronze fists together. “Now, let’s see if my lessons paid off.”

Smolder charged, channeling magic into her gauntlets as she drove it into the creature. The creature’s massive fist rose to block the blow, but the magical energy flowed into it and Smolder quickly ducked away. 

The monster ignored the energy reverberating inside it and moved to pursue. The second it tried, the energy burst, making it stumble and leaving it open for a followup attack. 

Smolder leaped forward and threw a roundhouse kick at its head. Unable to get its guard up in time, the monster rolled with the kick, though it still took a fair amount of the force.

Not giving it a chance to find its footing, Smolder pressed the attack. She punched and kicked at the monster, her gauntlets channeling every element she could with each strike.

Even when put on the back foot, the monster was skilled. Its arms swung and moved, blocking blow after blow.

Then, just as Smolder came in for another strike, the monster struck with another of its powerful uppercuts. Not wanting to be on the receiving end of another one of those, Smolder leaped back. That gave the monster enough space to recover and launch an offensive of its own.





Ember could smell the blood on this thing. Whatever it was, it had killed on its way to her. Not that she needed to smell the blood to know. The thing was... ‘aggressive’ wasn’t a strong enough word. It was like someone took pure bloodlust and molded it into a monster.

It attacked relentlessly, barely giving Ember a chance to cast even simple spells. Those she did cast seemed to not be as effective as they should have been. She fired magic bolts, bombs, and blades to little effect. Even her old trusty magic claw wasn’t very effective. The monster just raged right through it.

“Oh, come on!” Ember shouted as another spell slammed into it with little to show for it. At least it was doing something. All the attacks had left a clawful of shallow cuts and faint bruises. That meant it could be hurt. She just had to figure out what would hurt it enough to matter.

“My magic is useless!” Ember exclaimed. If magic won’t cut it, maybe I need to get up close and personal.

Unfortunately,Ember wasn’t exactly a strong fighter. Why didn’t I take Luke up on his offer to train me like Smolder?

What she needed was to either find a spell that could hurt this thing or some way to use her magic to make up for her weaknesses. She knew a couple spells that would help improve her physical abilities, but they weren’t going to be enough against this guy. She mostly only learned those spells to cast on Luke.

She could make herself bigger, but it didn’t improve her strength that much, and she was pretty sure this monster would still be stronger. She could just make herself stronger, but, again, she wasn’t confident she would be stronger than her enemy. Finally, with her best spell that boosted physical ability, she could make herself quicker so the world seemed to slow down. That one was powerful, but had the side effect of leaving her woozy and light-headed for a few seconds after it wore off.

Luckily, she was already a little faster than it. That was the only reason she wasn’t already this thing’s dinner. Even then, though, she didn’t know if she could keep it up. The thing didn’t seem to tire, while she was starting to feel fatigued.

She fired another spell, a lightning bolt, back at it. Just like last time she cast that, it only left minor singes. Another ice spear left a scrape on its side while a fire blast didn’t seem to do anything.

Darn it, think! she demanded of herself. Come on, crown thingy, help me out.

Aurora had said the Platinum Crown was more than just a fancy horn coating, but that it retained the wisdom of every emperor of Dragonia. Unfortunately, after thousands of years wasting away on a corpse, it had lost some of its potency. Aurora assured Ember it would eventually restore itself, but she had yet to get much from it.

She ducked out of the way of another of those weird blasts the monster shot from its mouth.

“Stupid, worthless piece of crap!” she growled. “I’m going to melt you down to scrap!”

Suddenly, she gasped. “Oh... okay. That was weird.”





I groaned as what was left of the wall I was just thrown through collapsed around me.

Yeah, things weren’t going how I imagined. This guy was fast. He was probably faster than Leo. And worse, my metal bones attracted his electricity like lightning rods. All he had to do was get close and zap. Extra crispy jackal ‘mon.

“Oi! You gonna start fighting back?” the British fuck taunted. He was good at that.

I had gotten a few decent hits in, of course, so it wasn’t a one-sided fight, but I was still clearly outmatched. Still, I wasn’t going to give up.

I fired a quick aura sphere. It wasn’t powerful, but it was fast enough to catch my opponent off guard. It slammed into his face, leaving him open for a split second. I took advantage, forming my staff and charging.

I slammed it into his gut, sending him flying, but not before an electric charge shot through my staff and into me.

I grunted in pain as my body locked up. I had to force aura through my muscles to break free of the effect.

There’s that theory confirmed.

I had figured that, despite bone rush being a ground type move in the game, mine would be fighting type. I had theorized that what really made normal and fighting types different was that fighting types use aura, even if not in the same way as me. The fact that my bone rush is made of aura and isn’t ground type supported that.

Though, that wasn’t really important. No, what was important was the fact that the electric cat moved so fast he seemed to teleport right in front of me.

I tried to dodge, but the electricity shot right into my chest spike.

“I gotta say, you’re a lot more fun than all the other lucario I fought,” the zeraora said. “You actually fight like a real bloke. None of that ridiculous honor that they got. Makes’em more like machines than ‘mon.”

“Yeah, well, there’s a lot about me that’s different than others,” I said.

“Like how you can’t speak our language?” he deduced. “Yeah, I noticed you only speak with that weird psychic talk, and the few words you have said sound more like how those ponyta wannabe’s talk.”

“Smart and powerful,” I said with a smirk.

The zeraora scoffed with a proud grin. “Yeah, I’m a right genius.”

“It’s a shame you’re an insufferable prick,” I replied, out loud.

He blinked, dumbly before scowling. “Okay, see, that right there. That’s that not-ponyta speak... and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t very nice.”

I started rapidly firing a steady stream of aura blasts at him, spreading them out a bit to force him where I wanted him. He moved with the speed electric types were known for, dodging and weaving around them. I only scored a few hits, but that was fine. I didn’t need them to hit him just yet.

“Wow,” he said with a laugh. “I think you’ve actually gotten worse. Did I fry your brain?”

“Nah. I’m just branching out to different anime,” I said, mockingly. “Does the name ‘Hellzone Grenade' mean anything to you?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Hellzone wh-”

He was cut off by the numerous aura spheres that missed him earlier coming back and slamming into him in a barrage of pain.

I took advantage and pressed my attack, firing a stream of aura spheres at his front. I smirked, proud of my cleverness. Honestly, I hadn’t even known I could draw them back in like that until I tried just then.

I stood there, panting from the exertion, my paws burning from channeling so much aura, waiting for the smoke to clear. I knew he was still there, but I needed to catch my breath. I doubted he was in any shape to attack right away, so I had a few moments.

When the smoke dissipated, he was just getting to his feet, also panting. “That... was clever.” He stumbled over to a lamppost to use it for support. “Unfortunately for you, I’m done playing.”

I was surprised when he dug his claws into the post and tore off a chunk of it. I was even more surprised when he reached in and pulled out the wire connecting it to the city’s grid and bit into it.

Electricity visibly flowed into his body and his aura intensified. He stood up straighter, as if he hadn’t been fighting for several minutes, and grinned at me.

“Now, let’s try this again, shall we, mate?”

His fist slammed into my face before I could even register that he had moved. A foot to my back sent me tumbling forward before being punted into the air and spiked back into the street.

Pain erupted across my entire body as a bolt of lightning coursed through my body, using my metal bones as a highway to my internals.

I learned how it felt to be a pinball as I was attacked from every direction, slammed into walls, the ground, posts, and anything else in sight. With every blow, I felt myself becoming stronger, tougher, and faster, just like I did in my fight against the scyther and sneezy, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with something that makes Leo’s fastest look like a casual stroll.

I was left in a daze. I barely even registered that I was being lifted into the air by the spikes on my paws by my foe’s magnetic powers. The zeraora scowled at me as I was pulled up to stand before him.

“You know, I actually like you,” he said. “You’re loads more fun than any other lucario I’ve met, but I got a job to do. Nothing personal.”

I tried to look, but his paw started to glow with so much electricity, it burned.

He drove it into my chest with so much force, I felt my ribs bend and the world flashed away as I was slammed into a building, energy erupting through me.

And then... it all fell away.

The pain.

The world.

Everything faded.

Everything except one.

I pushed away the rubble and glared up at my enemy. All thoughts had fled my mind except one; Win. No matter what.

I barely even noticed a concerned look on my enemy’s face as he simply muttered, “Oh, bollocks.”
> Chapter 50: Rebel-ception
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bolt never really had any regrets in his life. He was powerful, feared, and took whatever he wanted and no one could challenge him. Now, however, as he ran for his life from an insane lucario, or whatever it had become, he was starting to regret a lot. He regretted getting sucked into this weird world. He regretted not just fucking off and doing whatever he wanted instead of what that creepy little mon told him. Most of all, though, he regretted toying with that damn lucario instead of just killing him.

Maybe mum was right. Maybe I should have taken after Ion more. She never has to deal with crap like this.

That was quickly becoming another regret. His sister barely had to do much and the humans of the town she protected just gave her stuff.

Another of those glowy ball things zipped at him so fast he was barely able to dodge.

Arceus, if I get out of this alive, I swear I’ll change my ways. No more bullying weaker mon, no more torturing my food. I’ll be good, I swear!





Smolder found herself learning a valuable lesson; that despite knowing what your opponent’s best move is, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can easily defend against it. Her arm hanging limp and useless at her side was testament to that.

Not only was this ‘dragon’s’ uppercut powerful, but it was really good at landing it. It seemed no matter what, any idea she had to avoid the punch only seemed to play into it.

She barely had time to think as another blow came, a left hook aimed at her head. She stepped into it and countered with a right cross, throwing the strike off. 

The creature lifted its chin, causing the blow to pass under his head. Before she could recover, another uppercut caught her just in front of the elbow, forcing her arm up. However, her arm couldn’t go up, as the creature’s chin was in the way. Still, the power of its strike didn’t care if something was stopping her arm from moving, it went anyway until the arm gave way and bent where it was never meant to.

Smolder let out an agonizing scream as the bones in her forearm snapped like dry twigs. She scrambled away, clutching her arm to her chest as panic started to settle in.

“Ranga, Ja Jara,” the creature said, almost sadly. 

Smolder didn’t need to speak whatever language they did to understand what they were saying. It was going to kill her, and she could no longer defend herself.

Smolder always thought she was tough, that she could stand up to anything and not be afraid. As she stood there, though, her death looking at her with pitying eyes, she was terrified.

I... I don’t want to die. Ember... Luke... Mom... anyone...

The monster loomed over her, its size never really mattered before then. Its massive, armored fist raised to deliver the killing blow. Smolder could only close her eyes and wait for the inevitable.

The sound of the blow echoed out throughout the street.

Still, Smolder waited.

“Smolder?!” a familiar voice rang out, full of worry.

Smolder finally found the courage to peek one eye open to be met with a black, chitinous face, looking at her in concern.

Smolder gasped and scooted away before recognition set in. “O... Occelus?”

“Yeah, we’re here to help,” the young changeling replied.

Smolder gave her a confused look. “We?”

Occelus stood proud as a dozen other changelings landed nearby, one wielding a strange looking, clay red spear. “That’s right. We.”





Earlier

Occelus couldn’t believe it. Her father lied to her. About all of it. He was responsible for all of the fighting and death.

And she helped him.

“No!” she berated herself. “The only thing I’m guilty of was believing my father.” She let out a sigh. Still, he needs to be stopped. I still believe in what he told me, even if he didn’t, himself, and I know others do, too.

Occelus took a breath and steeled her nerves. “I can’t let the queen or my father win.”

She took off toward the workers’ rest chamber. It wasn’t far, and thankfully when she arrived, she found only a few changelings that she knew she could trust.

“We need to talk,” she said. “There’s been a development you all need to know about.”

She cast a quick ward spell that would ensure they wouldn’t be overheard and explained what her father told her. Their expressions followed pretty much the same progression as her own when she learned what she was saying. Confusion, denial, realisation, disgust, and anger.

“That... that bastard,” Cobalt growled. “I’m sorry, O, but your dad just hit the top of my least favorite lings list.”

“I understand,” Occelus said.

“So... everything we’ve done...” Shadow had stopped at ‘disgust’, and Occelus could tell who she was disgusted with. “All the horrible things... we tortured that dragon to bring a monster into the world... we started a war... for a power grab?”

“No!” Occelus said. “We did it to stop a demented, misguided ruler from leading us into ruin, and that’s still our goal. Only now...” Occelus swallowed, feeling like she was gargling with sand just at the thought of what she was going to say. “Now... we have two. Spread the word. Gather as many changelings as you can that still believe in what we were supposed to be doing and meet me at Six Pillars Park. We’re going to fix this, starting with stopping those other monsters we brought.”





“Oh, w-OW... so... your dad really is a bad guy, huh?” Smolder asked, wincing in pain as the changeling medic set her forearm.

Occelus couldn’t even look Smolder in the eye as she nodded. “Yeah. I’m so, so sorry. I thought everything we did to you was worth it because it was for a greater good... but... it was just to replace one tyrant with another. Can you ever forgive me?”

“You know, I’ve had a long time to think about it, and I gotta say, I’m not sure I would have done any different if I were you.” Smoulder admitted. “I mean, if hurting one pony could save the entire dragon race... I don’t know if I could say no to that.”

“Trust me, it isn’t worth it,” Occelus said with a ghost of a smile.

“Besides, you saved my butt. That thing was... it was about too...” Smoulder couldn’t even finish that thought. “How did you kill that thing, anyway? It was ridiculously tough.”

Occelus pointed to the changeling wielding the strange spear. “Magic disrupting spear. They’re very rare and very old, but... we kind of stole one from a dragon’s hoard. That's the only one we have, though.”

“Damn. How many more of those monsters are there?” Smolder asked as the medic started to apply some weird green stuff to her arm.

“Of that type specifically? None,” Occelus replied. “However, father summoned two other monsters that are even worse.”

Smolder’s breath hitched at that. “W-worse? Than that?! How?!”

“One is a three headed beast of pure rage and hunger and the other is like lightning made flesh. To make things worse, both were given magical items that make them even more dangerous. The first was given a collar that makes magic slide off of it, and the second was given one that forces it to remain summoned even when it takes heavy damage.”

“Holy shit,” Smolder said. “Where are they?”

“The first was sent after the dragon Empress and the second her mate,” Occelus said.

“You mean Ember and Luke are fighting things even worse than that one?” Smolder exclaimed as she jumped to her feet. “We gotta go!”

“You’re injured,” Occelus said.

“And they might be dead!” Smolder countered. “I still have one arm. That’s all I need for magic.”

Occelus wanted to argue, to convince her to stay put. Occelus was also smart enough to know not to waste her breath when a dragon’s already made her decision. “Fine, but you are to stay back and not strain yourself.

“Great! Where to?” Smolder asked.

“The palace. Ember’s still fighting the monster sent for her over there,”Occelus explained.

“What about Luke?” Smolder asked, worried.

“We... aren’t sure,” Occelus admitted.

Smolder rounded on her, “What do you mean you aren’t sure?”

“They were fighting by the university, but something happened to the... to Luke,” Occelus said. “He changed and then... Well, our watchers couldn’t keep up.”

“He... woah, did he evolve?” Smolder asked.

Occelus raised an eyebrow. “Um... no. Evolution happens over thousands of generations. It isn’t-”

“Nevermind. I’ll explain later,” Smolder cut her off. “Let’s go! We don’t have time to sit around any more!”

Occelus placed a hoof on Smolder’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. There’s a lot more of us. We have larger groups going to help whoever they can help. A few are keeping an eye on Ember, and Luke seemed to have the upper hand before we lost sight of him.”

Smolder relaxed slightly at that. “Still, I want to make sure they’re okay.”





The trek through the city was difficult. They had to avoid both changeling and Royal Guard patrols whenever possible. The few times they came across skirmishes between the two, they intervened when they could, helping out the Royal Guard while taking the changelings down as harmlessly as possible. 

Their numbers made that part easy, as most patrols were only a half dozen or so and they never suspected their own would turn on them. At least, the physical part of it was easy.

"Why?" One of the gold clad guards asked.

"Because we aren't bad creatures," Occelus explained. "We're just led by a bad queen. Enough blood has been shed."

"I mean, why would you attack your own?" He clarified.

Occelus winced. "Because… it's the right thing to do... even if it hurts."

After that, the guards didn't even try to stop them from leaving. Even if they could, what would be the point?

Eventually, the palace side gates came into view, as well as a grisly sight. Royal Guard and changeling alike laid scattered across the path, ripped apart by something monstrous.

"Holy shit…" Smolder muttered. "Is… is this the monster? The one Ember's fighting?"

"Y-yes… it has to be," Occelus said, a touch of green coloring her black chitin.

They heard a roar come from around the corner just before a large chunk of marble slammed down nearby.

No one needed to say anything. They headed straight for the origin and found Ember flying around, giving the monster a chase. Ember was clearly faster, but she looked like she was exhausted and slowing while the monster had energy to spare.

"Quick, gimme the spear!" Smolder demanded.

Without thinking, the spear toting changeling obeyed, too stunned to object. 

Smolder took the spear and yelled out, "Ember! Magic spear!" and threw it with her magic. Ember barely noticed them in time to catch it. 

"It's got a magic collar!" Occelus called. "Hit it in the neck and then use ice magic!"

Ember nodded before having to duck beams of energy the monster projected from each of its mouths. The monster lunged, snapping at her as she flew up and thrust with the spear. She hit it right behind the neck. Something flashed before one of the mouths grabbed hold of the spear and yanked it out of Ember's claw before snapping it in half.

Ember responded by unleashing a ray of frosty blue energy, hitting it right in the other side mouth. Unlike every spell she tried before, this one finally seemed to do something. 

The monster roared in pain and attacked again, but Ember, emboldened by the turn in fortune, pressed an attack of her own. She threw a knife of ice, hitting it square in the chest before the knife exploded, covering the beast in frost.

Ember gave a vicious smirk as she growled. "Chill out!"

She unleashed a torrent of ice in a cone of cold magic that surrounded the monster like a tornado. When the storm settled, the monster was struggling to move.

Ember thrust out her claws and a pair of her magic hands shot out, each grabbing the opposite head and yanking. The center head roared in pain before the others were ripped from its body.

Its body didn't even hit the ground before dissolving back into the ether.

With the fight over and the adrenaline fading, Ember found her strength wasn't even enough to keep her aloft.

Occelus shot forward to catch the falling Empress and brought her safely to the ground.

Ember looked at her curiously. "Uh… thanks, but aren't we enemies?"

"This is Occelus," Smolder said.

Understanding filled Ember's expression. "Ah, that makes more sense. Finally realized your dad's plan sucked?"

Occelus winced. "More like I found out what his plan actually was."

"Oh," Ember grimaced. "I take it it's bad?"

Occelus just nodded.

"Now we just have to find Luke and help him with his monster," Smolder said.

"Wait, Luke's fighting one of those, too?" Ember asked, jumping to her feet.

"Not the same kind but something equally dangerous," Occelus clarified. "But how would we even help? That thing broke the spear. That's if we could even find him. Remember, they both disappeared."

As if fate was waiting for just that, the palace wall exploded and a yellow blur skidded across the lawn.

Occelus could only stare in awe. This monster, arguably more powerful than the other two, was laying in a tangled mess of limbs. Three limbs, to be specific. Two arms and a leg. She could see the collar still on the summon, and it looked intact.

It should have been nearly indestructible without high level magic, yet it looked like it went toe to toe with the entire Circle of the Sun.

"Luke?" Ember gasped in disbelief.

Occelus looked up to see a creature that resembled the strange bipedal jackal, but at the same time he was totally different. Not only was he larger, with longer head tendrils, more spikes and blood red fur in places, but he felt cold, heartless. As if emotion had been completely removed from him. That along with his razor focus on the wounded summon gave the impression of a machine, with a singular purpose.

"Luke!" Ember hobbled toward him.

Occelus was about to stop her when she felt a sliver of emotion from him. He locked eyes with her and that emotion bloomed, as did a light surrounding him.

When it faded, he seemed to be back to normal. He blinked at Ember, as if he was having trouble figuring out where he was.

“Ember? When did you get here?”
> Chapter 51: Impossible Choices
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stared at the dissolving form of the electric cat, trying to wrap my head around what happened. It was all a blur. I remembered feeling myself flood with power, and then it was like a dream. I kinda remembered stuff, but when I tried to think about it, it just slipped away.

I looked around, seeing Smolder, Ember and a bunch of changelings looking at me. 

“Did I miss something?” I asked. “Are we not fighting them anymore? Occelus? And you brought friends. Can we trust them?”

“We were all tricked by my father,” Occelus stated. “We want what’s best for our people, and the only way to salvage anything about this mess is to help stop him and the queen.”

I walked through the group, leaning close to each of the changelings where I could feel their aura. They were all nervous, but they were also all determined. Not one of them felt deceitful, but they were a race that specialized in deception.

“Okay, I’ll give you all the benefit of the doubt, but you’ll have to earn my trust,” I told them. “If you betray us, I will not give you a second chance. Am I clear?”

The group nodded without hesitation.

I turned back to Ember and Smolder. “So, what’s the situation?”

Occelus answered for them. “Smolder has a broken arm and needs a doctor, and Ember is exhausted.”

I nodded. “Alright, come on, we’ll take them to our rooms.”

“A lot of changelings got in,” Ember said, her speech slow and labored. “I couldn’t protect the palace.”

Fear threatened to overwhelm me as thoughts of our egg hit me.

Smolder seemed to sense it and said, “Go on. We’ll be right behind you.”

I rushed inside the palace, running down the hallways of the residential wing. There weren’t many changelings at first, only ponies in pods, but those I did come across didn’t even have time to respond before being knocked out.

I turned a corner toward our room to see a large group of them standing just outside. Fear and anger pushed me even faster.

Then, surprise drew me to a stop as two changelings flew out of the room and slammed into the wall.

“Come on, ya wimps! Is that all you got?!” yelled a familiar voice. Only then did I notice about half of their number was injured in some way.

One of them turned and noticed me. “It’s the dragons and their dog! Retreat!”

A couple grabbed whatever wounded they could, but the majority just ran, leaving their comrades behind.

I glared at the wounded that couldn’t flee. “Move and I hurt you.” I warned them and then sent a message to Smolder, asking her to get the changelings to restrain these guys.

I entered the room to see Sunflower pummeling some poor, unfortunate changeling that had the bad sense to try and fight her while Garble sat near the crib with a dreamy smile on his face.

Around the room were another half dozen or so changelings, most of which were unconscious. One was shaking in terror in the corner.

“Nice work,” I said before ducking another involuntarily flying changeling as it soared out the door.

“Oh, hey,” Sunflower greeted. “You’re done already?”

“Not by choice,” Ember said as I guided her to the bed.

“They sent powerful summons after us and they took their toll,” I said. “Ember and I are spent, she more than I, and Smolder was injured.”

“Smolder’s hurt?!” Garble said, leaping from his chair and face planting. “What the heck, dog boy?! You’re supposed to protect her!”

“Hey, I can look after myself,” Smolder scolded. “Besides, he doesn’t have to protect me, anyway. We aren’t mates, just friends.”

“Yeah, but...” Garble tried to find something to say.

“Garble, look. I get it. I’m pissed that she got hurt, too,” I said. “But we can’t dwell on whose fault it is right now. We still have an army of invaders to deal with.”

“Then why are you in here instead of kicking bug butt?” Garble demanded.

“Because we all just went through tartarus and need a break,” Ember said.

“It’s okay,” Occelus said. “We’ll do what we can to help the ponies and maybe convince others to join us.”

Garble narrowed his eyes at the changeling. She had donned a disguise of a young, unassuming mare with plain light brown fur and light green hair. “Who the heck are you?”

Occelus froze. “I-I... Um... I’m-”

“This is Occelus,” Smolder answered for her, getting a horrified and betrayed look from the changeling. “She and a few other changelings are helping us.”

“Oh, you’re the one that tried to help her when she was captured,” Sunflower said with a smile. “Smolder told me all about you. Are... you still with your father?”

Occelus flinched. “N-no... Turns out, he wasn’t trying to protect us from the Queen, he was just trying to grab power.”

Sunflower sighed. “Yeah, if someone is willing to hurt some creature like he hurt Smolder, they probably aren’t looking out for the greater good.”

“I wish I knew that moons ago,” Occelus said, regretfully.

“I don’t,” Smolder chuckled. “If you did, you wouldn’t have been there, and I would’ve been a goner.”

“How’s the egg?” Ember asked.

“None of these dweebs even got close,” Garble said, proudly.

“The fact they were trying so hard to get in here concerns me,” I said. “I would have just sealed the door and left you in here, if I were them. It’s not like either of you are key to taking over.”

I felt a slight... bulge, for lack of a better term, in the strand of energy coming from Occelus just before she gasped.

“Th-they were with my father,” Occelus said.

Sunflower gave her a confused look. “Now, we can’t be-”

“One of the ones you knocked out woke up,” Occelus cut her off. “He told us everything.”

“How do you know that?” Sunflower asked.

“A communication spell,” I said. “That’s what that connection between you guys is. I wondered about that. Yours is different from the other two, though.”

“You can sense spells, too?” Occelus asked. “How... never mind. Yes, there’s a spell that we use to create a psychic link. The Queen and her changelings share one, as do my father and his cohorts. We set one up among us before we left. It’s how I’ve been keeping track of what’s going on.”

“What else did the guy say?” Ember asked.

“H-he said-” Occelus was cut off as a flash of green filled the room.

“I told them to get the egg.”

Every eye in the room shot toward the other side of the room where, as if appearing from the ether, a changeling had appeared right beside the crib, already holding our egg in his hooves.

“They were supposed to retrieve your egg to use as leverage in the unlikely case that you managed to defeat my summons,” he said as he gently stroked our egg, looking at it as if it were his own. He looked back to us with disgust. “Well, not quite as ‘unlikely’ as I had hoped. If not for my dear daughter’s betrayal, I would only be speaking to one of you, right now.”

I could feel the same emotions coming from everyone in the room that I could feel. We all wanted to rush this bastard and tear him limb from limb, but our egg...

“How did you get inside?! Sunflower demanded.

“Father is a master shape shifter,” Occelus explained. “He can turn into just about anything, from a dragon to a mouse.”

“Or even a fly,” Occelus’ father added.

“What the heck do you want?” Emder growled.

He hummed, theatrically. “What I want is to see how loving of parents dragons truly are.”

A chill went down my spine. Even though I couldn’t sense him, I could still feel the malevolence coming from him. I didn’t need aura sense. 

It terrified me.

He glared at Ember. “On the floor, outside, there are a set of manacles that will block your magic. You will put them on and come with me. Do that, and I will leave your egg here with your... mate.”

“And what happens to her?” I demanded.

“Why, I take her far away,” He said with an oily smile. “And then execute her.”

“No!” I snarled, stepping forward.

“Easy, now,” he said, his forehoof turning into a claw, poised above the egg. “You wouldn’t want me to do something unfortunate. It’s a simple trade, your life or your offspring’s.”

“How do we know you won’t just hurt the egg as soon as Ember gives herself over to you?” Smolder asked.

“I suppose you don’t,” he said. 

Damnit! I thought to myself. Even if I had the speed I had when I fought that cat thing, I still wouldn’t be able to make it in time before he hurts the egg.

“Ember, you got any magic that can help?” I asked her, only sending her my thoughts.

She didn’t need to reply, her fear and desperation were enough.

“Why do you want to kill Ember so bad?” Smolder asked.

“Oh, I want to kill all three of you. That’s why we sent the summons that we did. Those were very powerful, long forgotten summons, after all. It was part of the deal I struck with Nergal. He helps us, and I kill you and the dear empress,” he explained. “Once we learned you, too, have magic, it was extended to you, too. But, seeing as I can’t kill all of you, I’ll settle for one of you.”

“So, we’re a threat, then,” I deduced. “Why else would he want us dead?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he said. “You’re merely an inconvenience that could prove troublesome. That doesn’t make you a threat. Now, no more delays. Bind yourself and come with me, or I destroy your egg.”

He flexed his claw, closing it around the egg.

“Okay!” Ember shouted. “Okay, I’ll do it, just... don’t hurt my egg.”

“Ember,” I started, but she stopped me with a hand on the shoulder.

“It’ll be fine,” she assured me. “I can take care of myself. Just look after our egg.”

“Good,” the changeling said. “Now, go put on the manacles.”

Ember went out into the hallway and returned with a set of clay red manacles.

“Good. Now, put them on,” the changeling ordered.

“Luke...” Ember held out the manacles to me.

My paws shook as I reached for them. There had to be a way out of this, but I just couldn’t think of one. If I didn’t giftwrap my wife to be murdered, I would lose my child.

I stared down at the manacles for what felt like hours, unable to calm my raging mind enough to do anything with them.

“Luke,” Ember said, pulling me from the storm of my thoughts. “I’ll be fine. Just do it.”

“Ember... I-”

“Put them on her, or I-” His threat was cut off as a flash of green erupted from between his forelegs. 

Ocellus materialized between him and the egg, one hind leg kicking him in the face while her forelegs snatched the egg from his grasp and started to buzz away to us.

He wasn’t stunned by the kick for long. With a growl, he turned back and aimed his horn at his own daughter, charging up a bolt of magic.

While his daughter’s kick may not have been powerful, mine was. My heel came down on his head so hard his horn shattered, exploding with stored magic and sending both of us to opposite ends of the room.

Occelus curled her body around our egg to shield it as she was flung against the wall, as well. Ember and Smolder were at her side a moment later, while I was between them and the bastard that tried to hurt my baby.

“Are they okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine. Is the egg?” Occelus groaned.

Ember sighed in relief. “It’s okay.”

I had always heard people say ‘it’s like a weight was taken off my shoulders’, but I never realized how literal that was.

I stomped up to the still dazed piece of shit and picked him up by the throat. “Give me one reason I shouldn’t rip your head off.”

“Luke... please,” Occelus said, pleadingly. “I know he deserves it, and... I wouldn’t blame you if you did, but please don’t. Let him stand trial for his crimes.”

I wanted to ignore her. I wanted to just pretend she wasn’t there and make him suffer.

But she was the reason I still had both my child and mate.

I threw him against a wall with a growl. “Try to run, and I’ll make sure you suffer.”

“Th-thank you,” Occelus said, nearly breaking down into sobs.

“D-daughter... why?” he asked, genuinely surprised.

Occelus looked away as she answered, “You may be a lying monster, but you still opened my eyes to what our queen was doing. I still believe in what you told me, even if you were just using me. Maybe, just maybe, because of that, we might have a future where changelings and ponies might live in peace.”

Her words cooled my anger a little. I was still feeling quite homicidal, but I wasn’t shaking trying to hold it back. Maybe he really did inadvertently do something good. He still didn’t deserve any credit for it, but I guessed that was enough to let the ponies deal with him.

I wondered if the ponies had the death penalty.

“Thank you, my dear daughter,” the bastard said.

“I’m not your daughter,” Occelus said with more venom than I thought she possessed.

I was almost ashamed to say I found pleasure in the heart crushing pain I felt from the bastard.

“So, what now?” Smolder asked.

“I guess I’ll go back out there and see what I can do to help,” I replied.

“Why not see what you can do here in the palace?” Ember asked.

I wondered if I should. I still had no idea what actually happened in this episode. Was the real Cadence alright? Has she been rescued already?

Before I could decide what to do, I felt something... big. It felt like magic, but it was something more... something powerful.

And it was heading right for us.

Before I could even speak, we were hit by a massive wall of pure, concentrated emotion. It flooded my senses, overwhelming them.

The last thing I heard before I passed out was the sound of screaming.
> Chapter 52: Ju-Long
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Smolder panted, as she flew in the direction her friend was thrown. Tears trickled down her face, in part because of the throbbing pain in her arm and body, but mostly out of fear of what might have happened to Occelus.

She tried to keep up with her, she really did. As soon as that wave threw Occelus out the window, she flew after. However, she was still exhausted from the fighting and she soon lost track of her.

Why? she thought to herself. Why would they do that to her? After everything she did for them.

Of course, the logical side of her mind knew that the ponies didn’t know what she did, but logic wasn’t exactly in control at the moment.

Suddenly, her battered and weary body decided it had enough, and sent a sharp pain through her wings. It took every ounce of willpower to control her fall and not crash. She still landed hard, but the pain was minimal.

Well, the pain of the fall, anyway.

Her fear for her friend was excruciating.

Her mind kept showing her images of a broken, twisted body. Or a body impaled on a tree branch. Or some ravenous creature devouring Occelus’ helpless form.

She couldn’t stop the tears from falling as she curled up, hugging herself. “Please... be okay...”





I came too with what felt like the worst hangover of my life. 

“What the hell happened?” I asked whoever might have been around.

“Luke!” Ember threw her arms around me. “You’re okay! Don’t you ever scare me like that.”

“How long was I out?” I asked.

“Only a couple minutes,” she replied.

I looked around and noticed the only other one in the room was Garble on the other side of the room where he sat still guarding the egg.

“Okay, but what happened? What actually was that?” I asked again.

“We’re not entirely sure, but it threw the invaders out of the city,” Ember said. “Sunflower left to try to find out what’s going on.”

“Wait, it threw the changelings out? What about Occelus?” I asked.

Ember grimaced. “They were thrown, too. Smolder went after them, but they were flying pretty fast. It was strange, though. When the wave hit them, they weren’t just thrown, they were pushed out windows and doors, even if they had to be pulled a little, first. It was like whatever it was purposely made sure they weren’t hurt before throwing them.”

“Except the jerk,” Garble interjected. “He was slammed into the wall a couple times before being flung out. Serves him right, threatening the egg.”

A part of me wondered how much of his protectiveness over the egg was just his instincts and how much was him. I could sense a little bit of self loathing and shame. Did he blame himself for the egg being in danger?

“I won’t let it happen again,” Garble declared. “As long as I’m breathing, this egg won’t even get a scratch.”

As soon as he said that, a faint ‘crack’ was heard.





Smolder didn’t know how long she had laid there, crying and praying her friend was safe. It had to have been at least a half hour.

Eventually, she managed to pull herself together. She knew she couldn’t just lay there, wallowing in self pity. She had to find her friend, no matter what she’ll find when she does.

She stood and stretched her wings. They were still too stiff to fly, but that wouldn’t stop her. She would run if she had to.

But why would she run when she had magic. 

She had tried to use Ember’s magic claw spell and wasn’t that good at it, but that didn’t mean she didn’t learn from it. She focused her magic, just like Ember would when casting her claw spell, but instead of making a claw, she flattened it into a big, floating disk.

She slowly crawled up onto it, testing it to make sure it would carry her. When it held, she settled into the center and slowly tried commanding it. It jerked and jolted as she tried to get used to controlling it.

After a few bumps and nearly falling off once or twice, she got used to it enough to rise above the surrounding buildings. Without the obstacles of the buildings around her, she could clumsily fly off in the direction she last saw her friend flying.

As she flew, she noticed a single figure heading toward the city.

Huh... who would be coming here, now of all times? I might as well make sure they know what happened so they don’t freak out..





Sergeant Shine’s horn faded as the last of the magic soaked into the wards. They might not have had the resources to create a barrier like they had before, but at least they would be able to detect any creatures using illusion or transformation spells.

He looked over to see the other wards flaring to life, one after another, creating a ring of detection magic around the city.

“Let’s see those bugs get past us, now,” Corporal Bulwark said.

“This won’t stop them,” Shine said. “It’ll just detect them and, hopefully, strip their disguise.”

“Hopefully? You don’t know?” Corporal Crosshair asked.

“We don’t really know how their disguises work, so no. Not completely, anyway,” Shine said. “That means stay vigilant. If a crowd approaches, we have to make sure they pass one at a time.”

“Well, we’re going to get to test it out, already.” Crosshair said. “We got somepony coming.”

“If they’re a pony it won’t be much of a test,” Shine said.

As the pony approached, Crosshair called out, jokingly, “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be a changeling, would you?”

The three Guards chuckled.

“Actually... yes. I am.”

They stopped laughing. “What was that?”

The ‘pony’ sighed. “I am a changeling, and I’m here to surrender.”

Crosshair lifted his crossbow while Bulwark readied his spear.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Shine said, accusingly.

“No sir,” the supposed changeling said. “I’m a changeling.”

“Step through the ward,” Shine commanded.

The changeling did as he was told and sure enough, the ward flared red, but his disguise didn’t fall.

“Drop the disguise,” Shine ordered.

The changeling did as he was told. His fur burned away in green flame, leaving a black carapace.

“So much for taking away their disguise,” Bulwark said.

“I can help you fix that,” the changeling said. “As a show of good will.”

“Not a chance,” Shine said.

“What the heck’s going on here?”

The ponies and changeling looked up to see a dragon on a disk floating toward them.

Smolder looked on in confusion at the small group, confused as to what was going on.

“Miss Smolder,” the changeling said, looking at her with a smile. “I’m glad to see you. I have a message from Occelus.”

Smolder lept from the disk and ran over to them. “Is she okay?! Where is she?!”

“She’s fine. Most of us are,” the changeling said. “For some reason those of us that followed her weren’t thrown as far as the others.”

“Aren’t you the dragon empress’ aide?” Shine asked. “How do you know this changeling?”

“Well, I don’t really know him, personally,” Smolder said. “But Occelus is a friend of mine.”

“Quarter Staff said a bunch of changelings saved him and his squad,” Crosshair said. “I didn’t believe him, though.”

Shine groaned. “This is above my paygrade. We’ll take you to the upper dungeons and let someone else figure it out.”

Smolder growled. “What do you mean you’re throwing him in the dungeon?! I just told you, he helped save a lot of you ponies.”

“We’re taking him to the upper dungeon,” Shine said. “Those cells are actually rather nice. They’re used for ponies that need protection more than potential criminals.”

“It’s okay, Miss Smolder,” the changeling said. “I figured this would happen. Though, I was expecting the regular dungeon.”

“Yeah, well, thank Smolder for that,” Shine said. “Put your disguise back on. I don’t want ponies freaking out. If you try anything funny, we’ll put you down. Bulwark, stay here. I’ll send a squad to relieve you soon. Let’s move. Miss Smolder, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to ask that you not accompany us. Your familiarity with this changeling could cause complications.”

Smolder knew what he meant. They couldn’t know she hadn't been brainwashed.

“That’s fine. I could use a nice long walk to clear my head,” Smolder said.

“Where will you be, in case we need to speak to you?” Shine asked.

Smolder thought for a moment. “I heard something about a mega spell being let off near the university. I might go check that out.”

“Alright. Stay safe,” Shine said.





We all froze, like deer caught in the headlights.

“W-was that...” I tried to say, my mind failed to grasp what we heard.

Then, as one, we all rushed to the crib.

I stared, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. I knew what it was, but I couldn’t believe it.

I stared as the crack in the egg grew. 

“Come on,” Ember encouraged. “You can do it.”

A part of me wanted to help, but I somehow knew that doing so would be bad.

Finally, a piece of egg fell away and we saw the first glimpse of our child. A little claw peeked through the shell before tearing away a larger chunk. The egg rolled a bit as a tinny form forced its way out.

My breath hitched as I took in the sight of my child for the first time.

Ember, more calmly and gentlely than I’ve ever seen her, reached into the crib and lifted the child. She pulled it to her chest as she started cooing. “There’s my strong boy. Momma’s so proud of you.”

“A... a boy? I have a son?” I asked. “How can you tell?”

Ember rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you’re daddy’s kinda dumb. Males are born with spines. Females aren’t.”

“Oh...” was all I could say.

“Here. Why don’t you meet your daddy,” Ember said, offering him to me.

I was terrified as I took the tiny thing in my arms. He was a dragon, alright, though he kinda looked like me. He had the same blue shade with a black stripe across his eyes and a cream colored belly.

He looked up at me and smiled.

<“My son,”> I said. <“My beautiful boy.”>

“What are we going to name him?” Ember asked?

“You want me to choose?” I asked.

Ember shrugged. “Unless you want him to be named Bone Shatter.”

I chuckled as I thought. What would be the perfect name? I smiled as I looked down at him. “Ju-Long. It was my grandfather's name. It means ‘powerful dragon’.”

Ember hummed as she tested the name. “Ju-long... Ju-long... Powerful Dragon.” She leaned over to nuzzle our son. “What do you think? Do you like Ju-Long?”

Our son laughed before hiccuping... and shooting a little aura blast at the ceiling.

Garble just laughed. “I think that’s a yes. Ju-Long, huh... Yeah, I gotta admit, I kinda like it, too.”

<“Welcome to the world, Ju-Long. I think you’re going to like it here.”>
> Chapter 53: Asylum
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh my goodness, he’s just so precious,” Fluttershy said with tears in her eyes.

Our room was full of eevees as the entire gang, minus Leo and Conner (who was recovering from evolving into a sylveon), plus Fluttershy, crowded in to see my son.

<“So, what’s wrong with Leo?”> I asked Yomega. <“She seemed... really depressed. I was hoping that showing her my son would cheer her up. Give her hope for her eggs.”>

Yomega sighed. <“It’s... not my place to say. Let’s just say she did something during the fighting and feels very guilty about it.”>

<“Oh... Yeah,”> I said. <“I... kinda know how that feels.”>

<“Oh? What happened?”> he asked.

I hesitated for a while. <“What do you know about Lucario’s mega evolution?”>

<“Mega Lucario has greatly increased attack, special attack”> he could see it in my face that that wasn’t what I was asking about. <“And has a fighting style that’s described as ‘heartless’... You mega evolved.”>

I nodded. <“Yeah.”>

<“Did you hurt anyone?”>

I took a seat, sighing. <“Thankfully, no... but it wasn’t because of any desire to protect. ‘Heartless’ is right. I felt nothing. No anger or hatred toward the enemy, and no love or care for the ponies I was supposed to protect. They were all just... part of my objectives.”>

<“I guess I never thought about how that would feel from the lucario’s perspective,”> Yomega said. <“Can I see your lucarionite? Maybe we can figure something out if we study it.”>

I stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he meant before remembering they mentioned something about a stone. <“I don’t have anything like that.”>

Yomega looked at me in confusion. <“You had to, though. You need a mega stone to mega evolve.”>

I pondered on that for a little longer. Then, it clicked. <“The blessing.”> at his curious expression, I explained. <“When Ember and I first met the old empress, she gave us both a blessing. Mine increases my strength, power, resilience, and agility the longer a fight goes on. Maybe when it reaches a certain threshold it triggers a mega evolution.”>

Yomega thought about it for a bit before replying, <“Perhaps. I don’t really know enough about this blessing of yours or how magic affects pokemon to say. However, you might want to search the place you evolved for anything that might be lucarionite, just to be sure.”>

I nodded. <“Yeah, I’ll do that.”>

I was really hoping I would find something.





After an hour, the only one left was Fluttershy, and I was pretty sure the only way I was getting her to leave was to either let her adopt Ju-Long or pry her off with a crowbar.

At least we knew we had a babysitter if we needed one.

I was pondering what material the crowbar would need to be made from when a knock came from the door.

“Enter,” I said.

The door opened for a guard who trotted in. “Her Highness, Princess Celestia requests the assistance of Emperor Luke for a rather delicate matter.”

“What kind of delicate matter?” Fluttershy asked, a slight touch of worry coming from her.

“Nothing to be concerned with, ma’am,” the guard said. “However it is of a sensitive nature, so the princess would like to keep it quiet for the time being. You and the other bearers will be notified of any developments.”

That certainly got my attention. “Alright. Let me say goodbye to my son.”

“Yes, I had heard your egg hatched. Congratulations,” the guard said with a genuine smile.

I could tell from his aura that he was a father, himself. “How old are yours?”

He looked surprised for a moment before smiling. “Six and eight, both fillies.”

“I’m sure they would love to see the world's cutest baby dragon,” I said with a grin.

The guard laughed. “You just want to show him off, huh?”

“Damn right.”





We didn't speak again until we entered a part of the castle I had never seen. It was lined with rooms that looked comfortable, but had heavy doors with locks on the outside.

“This is our ‘noble’s dungeon’,” the guard explained. “It’s where we keep those who are in need of protection or those who may be dangerous while we investigate.”

“And why are we here?” I asked.

“A few hours ago a pony approached one of the border checkpoints,” he began. “They quickly revealed themselves as a changeling. They immediately surrendered and claimed they were with the changeling Occelus.”

That certainly got my attention.

“As we took them into custody, they requested to speak with you, claiming that you are able to sense them when you are close enough.”

“That’s right. The only one that knew that other than Ember, Smolder and myself was Occelus,” I said.

“Well, that is certainly a point in their favor,” the guard said.

We approached the only closed door I had seen. The guard approached the guard at the door and said, “How has your day been?”

“A beautiful day of bluebirds and cherry pie,” the other guard responded.

“And two scoops of vanilla ice cream,” my guard added, obviously a code.

The door guard turned and cast some spell on the lock to unlock and open the door.

As we walked in, we were greeted by a changeling looking up from their book and giving us a warm smile. “Oh, Sergeant Trotter, I wasn’t expecting you to succeed so quickly.”

“Yes, well, the princess wants whatever this is figured out quickly,” the guard said as he took post inside the room. “Your majesty, You can go ahead.”

I took a seat on a cushion in front of the changeling and reached out a paw. The changeling placed his hoof in my paw, allowing me to better feel his aura.

“So, who are you?” I asked.

“My name is Deep Cavern, excavator of the Badlands hive,” he said before growing an interesting mix of remorseful and proud. “And, I guess traitor to the crown, now. Heh... It’s funny. We would talk about how the rest of the hive was being tricked by the queen while we were following an even worse tyrant.”

“So, you followed Occelus, then?” I inquired.

He nodded. “Yeah. When I learned what that bastard was doing, I actually cried. I couldn’t believe I had actually been a part of that.” I felt a spike of fury as he growled. “I hope that bastard is a smear somewhere... don’t tell Occelus I said that.”

“Where is she? Is she okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, it’s strange,” he said, confusion coloring his aura. “We saw so many lings flung so far, but those of us that followed Occelus were set down gently just outside Canterlot. Every ling that followed Occelus and none that didn’t.”

I heard about the ‘love bomb’ from the guys. Apparently Shining Armor and Cadence joined their magic and ‘their hearts’ - Zann’s words, not mine - to save the city. It was also what overloaded my aura sense and forced me to hard reboot. It was a spell reinforced by aura.

The question, though, was why would it have been more gentle with Occelus’ lings? I would have to speak with Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle about that one.

“So, what’s the verdict?” the guard said. “Is he telling the truth?”

“Yeah, he is,” I replied. “He’s with Occelus.”

The guard nodded, turned to the door, and opened it a crack. He spoke quietly and shut the door, returning to his position beside it.

I gave him a curious expression, but he just smiled and said nothing. Before I could ask anything, the door opened and Celestia walked in.

Deep gave a bow. “Your highness.”

Celestia stood tall and proud. “You may rise.”

Behind Celestia, a maid walked in with a tea cart. Deep looked surprised at that. “Your highness?”

Celestia smiled, warmly as she found a cushion by the coffee table. “Forgive the... harsh welcome. We needed to be sure you were who you said you were. Now, come. Sit.”

As Deep and I took a seat, Celestia poured three cups of tea.

“You will have to forgive me, but I’m afraid I am much too busy for pleasantries,” Celestia said without a hint of the weariness I felt from her.

“Then let us cut straight to the heart of the matter,” Deep Cavern suggested. “I would like to request that those of us that followed Occelus be pardoned for whatever crimes committed by our queen and those who followed her, as well as request asylum for the same.”

I felt a wave of satisfaction come from Celestia. “I suspected as much. For the first, that would be... tedious, but considering the assistance rendered by your group, I will see it done. As for the second,” she sighed, “I’m afraid that would be difficult. Your people were almost completely unknown to us, and the first interaction was a full scale attack on our capital. I'm afraid, even if I were to grant you and yours asylum, my ponies would hate and revile you.”

“How about safe passage?” I asked. Based on Celestia’s feelings of triumph, that was exactly what she was hoping I would say. “The dragons have no quarrel with changelings. We could offer asylum. Let the queen try to come after them in the dragon lands.”

Celestia smiled. “Well, would that be an acceptable arrangement?”

Deep sat in thought for a moment. “Would we be able to get enough food? Dragons aren’t exactly known for their loving attitudes. Sure, there are exceptions, but I’m not sure we could survive from dragons, alone.”

I had to think about that for a while. It was a valid point, their unique dietary needs. Thankfully, Celestia already had a few questions ready.

“Does your ‘feeding’ always require you leave your... ‘source’ in a state like Shining Armor?” the princess asked.

“Absolutely not,” Deep said, struggling to hold back a growl. “That kind of feeding is forbidden. Not only can it leave the victim unable to produce love for a long time, but it’s way too conspicuous. Normally, feeding involves gathering the love that just gathers in the air around loving ponies, or is directed at whomever we’re impersonating.”

Celestia took a sip of tea as she thought. “I will see if I can arrange something. When word of your deeds spreads, there will likely be some ponies that will be willing to help. I cannot condone impersonating a pony without their and their loved ones’ knowledge.”

I took a sip of my own tea as I said, “You could always open a brothel.”

So much for Celestia being unflappable.





Pain.

All his world was pain.

He couldn’t even scream or cry out in agony, though, with how broken his body was. All he could do was stare down from where he hung, impaled by a tree branch.

Was that his leg on the forest floor or just a gnarled piece of wood? He couldn’t think straight enough to decide. He gave up trying to figure it out hours ago.

The little, big eyed, sharp toothed rat thing snapping it up and devouring it answered that question, anyway.

Apparently, though, that wasn’t enough, as the creature looked up and hissed at him. Finally, the pain would end.

“Now now,” came a raspy, squeaky voice. “I’m not done with that.”

A black scaled claw  shot from a shadow and grabbed the creature by the throat. It scratched and clawed at its attacker, but soon the strength left it as it seemed to age in moments. In only a few seconds it went from young and strong, to old and feeble, to dead and mummified.

“Ah... delicious.” From the shadow stepped a small dragon hatchling. Or, something one could be forgiven for thinking it was a dragon. It looked more like a dragon hatchling skeleton had wrapped itself in tar soaked leather.

The tiny monster looked up at the dying changeling. “Are you trying to break our contract? That won’t do at all.” Shadows reached down and lifted the monster so he was looking the changeling in the eye. “What, did you think that just because you failed to achieve your goal means you don’t have to live up to your end? I gave you everything you could have possibly needed to succeed. Your failure is on you.”

The ‘hatchling’ looked at him, appraisingly. “Well, you aren’t really in any shape to fulfill your end... but that’s okay. I’ll fix that.”

The creature’s face split into a fang filled grin as shadows wove around his new toy.
> Chapter 54: Negotiations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Really!?” Smolder asked, wide eyed in surprise before throwing herself at me in a tight hug, despite only being able to use one arm. “You’re the best! I’m so doing that oral thing on you later!”

I chuckled. “I’ll gladly accept, but she saved you and Ember, so it was my pleasure to do it.”

Needless to say, Smolder took the news of Occelus and the others coming to live in New Dragonia quite well. She had come back a while after Deep Cavern was escorted from the palace to reconvene with Occelus and her group. 

I didn’t know how long it would take for them to get back, but Celestia was already spreading the news that a group of changelings that had helped fight off Chrysalis’ forces would be passing through on their way to New Dragonia where we could ‘ensure they aren’t a threat to Equestria.’

Of course, that wasn’t exactly true, though not entirely false, either. There was a concern that some of Chrysalis’ loyalists might try to infiltrate the group. That was why I would personally interview any ‘lings that would return to Equestria for any reasons.

Celestia and Ember were busy going over details. I may be Emperor, but I wouldn’t make a decision like this without involving my mate. Besides, she was better equipped to handle the details, as she still knew dragons better than I did.

That left Smolder and I with the afternoon to ourselves. Naturally, we decided to go to the dining room to get some dinner... which made Smolder’s offer for oral all the better.

Few things were funnier than the reactions of ‘high class’ ponies to things dragons considered normal.

“Well, I’m still doing it. I kinda like it,” Smolder said. “Anyway, when are they going to get here? I want to talk to Occelus when no one’s dying.”

“Patience, my padawan,” I said. “They only left half an hour ago. They’ve probably only just gotten back to Occelus and her group.”

I took another bite of my ginger pork. I was really going to miss this place. I was a decent cook, but I wasn’t really anything special. Heck, Zann could beat my best cooking with instant ramen. That’s not a joke. I still have no clue how he did it.

“You think we can find somepony that would cook for us to bring back home?” Smolder asked.

“I was thinking something along those lines,” I replied. “Maybe one of Occelus’ followers has some kitchen talent.”

“Why would they bring a chef to an invasion?” Smolder asked.

“Why did they bring a miner?” I countered.

Smolder shrugged. “Fair enough. Hey, let’s go meet them halfway!”

I chuckled. “You won’t give up on this, will you?”

“Nope.”

“Fine. Let’s finish eating and we’ll go meet them, but only as far as the shield,” I said. “And don’t think inhaling your food will encourage me to do the same. I’m enjoying this.”





“Is this normal for dragon hatchlings?” Celestia asked as she watched Ju-Long chase a butterfly through the garden. “My only experience is with Spike, I’m afraid, and his birth was unusual.

“Nah, it’s kinda unusual,” Ember replied. “He’s a lot leaner and more active than a hatchling usually is, but the doctor said he’s perfectly healthy. He probably gets it from his father. Luke said his species is like that. In fact, he said if Ju-Long had fur, dog ears, and metal on his claws he would be the spitting image of a riolu.”

“What’s a ‘riolu’?” Celestia asked.

“Oh, it’s the hatchling version of a lucario,” Ember explained.

Celestia cocked an eyebrow. “Oh? So his kind transform like the eevees?”

“Not exactly,” Ember said. “Luke said that most of their kind only transform along a single line. Riolu always transform into Lucario, for example. Eevees are just special, seeing as they can transform into a bunch of different things.”

Celestia chuckled. “You know, I feel you know more than you’re letting on.”

Ember laughed. “And you’re Miss Transparent?”

Celestia smiled. “Touche. I must say, it’s nice having someone to talk to as an equal that isn’t family.”

“Equal? Last I checked, ‘Empress’ is higher than ‘princess’,” Ember teased.

“Yes, but technically I’m a queen,” Celestia countered. “I just use the title of ‘princess’ so my subjects are more comfortable approaching me.”

Ember snortled at that. “If my subjects are scared away by a title, they don’t deserve to approach me.”





We lazily strolled down the street along the path the guard was supposed to escort Occelus’ ‘lings. Every so often we would stop and look at a shop display, marveling at how fast they had repaired most of it.

Ponies were remarkably industrious when they needed to be, that was for sure. The speed with which they built the train station and tracks to New Dragonia was testament to that. I remembered throwing that cat guy through that wall, yet there it was, whole again.

We tried to move quickly without looking like we were. Celestia wanted to get them secure and safe before ponies learned about them. It made sense, but it also made things kind of complicated.

After about half-an-hour of pretending to look at stores, we saw a small group of ponies, about a dozen. Yet, only three of them gave off a detectable aura. We were told that the changelings would be brought up in groups, so we expected a small group.

“Smolder, I think that’s them,” I said only to her.

One of the ‘ponies’ smiled and picked up the pace. “Smolder! So good to see you!” She hopped up to give Smolder a hug.

“I’m glad you’re okay, O,” Smolder said. “Are you hurt?”

Occelus shook her head. “No. The worst any of us got was a few bumps and bruises. One sprain, but nothing that can’t be fixed in a hurry. How’s the arm?”

Smolder regarded the arm in the cast and sling. “Doc said it can come off in a couple days, but Luke’s been using his healing thing on it every so often, so I might get it off later today.”

“I don’t want to over do it, because we don’t know what long term effects it could have,” I explained.

“I’m glad you’re going to be fine,” Occelus said, sounding a little depressed. “I’m really sorry. I should have stopped my father long before he summon-ow!”

Occelus was interrupted by Smolder’s very justified claw slapping her across the back of the head.

“And that’s where that line of thinking ends,” Smolder said. “Unless your father has been your puppet all along and you’re actually the big villain, then shut up about that.”

Occelus was quiet for a few seconds before speaking. “Thank you. I... still feel really guilty about helping him, but you’re right. My father is responsible for his own actions. I’ll try to remember that.”

“Just make sure you learn from this,” I said. “Never just trust someone. Ask questions, examine facts, and demand transparency. If anyone tries to stop you or discourage you from that they’re probably not on your side.”

Occulus smiled. “Oh, I won’t make that mistake again. I won’t just trust anycreature, only the ones that I know I can, like you and Smolder.”

I sighed. “And you’re already making the same mistake. I said ‘never just trust someone’. That means anyone. How do you really know we aren’t just using you, too?”

Occelus stumbled, her eyes darting this way and that as her mind raced. “A-are you?”

“I would say, ‘no’, but your father would have said the same, wouldn’t he have?”

Smolder stepped between us and said, “Chill out, Luke. She can trust us. You know we aren’t going to trick her or anything.”

“I know that, but she doesn’t,” I said. “I’m not saying you should be mistrustful, only that you should be careful with your trust. Do you really think we’re taking you in purely out of the kindness of our hearts?”

Occelus looked a little betrayed. “Y-you... you’re just doing this because you want something?”

“No, we’re doing this because it’s right,” I said. “However, that isn’t the only reason. We expect you to bring something to the table. We expect something in return, even if that isn’t the main reason we’re helping you. That’s why you need to ask questions. I can already tell your people are looking to you. You’re their leader, whether you like it or not, and that comes with a lot of responsibility.”

Occelus sighed. “I know. I don’t know why they’re looking to me for answers, but I guess that doesn’t matter, does it?”

I smiled, placing a paw on her shoulder. “You’ll have help with that. Just remember that no matter what help we give, you will be their leader, not us. Granted, they’ll still have to follow our laws, but that isn’t the same thing.”

“I understand,” Occelus said. “I’m just worried I’ll mess it up and let them all down.”

I laughed. “Now you know how I’ve felt for the last few seasons.”

“But you seem so confident,” Occelus said.

“Lesson number two, learn to project confidence even when you’re pants-wettingly terrified.”





Occelus and I were led to a room not far from the throne room after saying goodbye to Smolder and the other changelings that were with us. We entered to find Celestia and Blueblood already waiting.

“Ah, you must be Occelus,” Celestia greeted as she stood to greet us. “I must ask that, at least for the duration of this meeting, you remove your disguise.”

Occelus swallowed, nervously, and transformed into her natural form in a burst of green flame.

Surprisingly, I felt a tiny, brief flash of fear from Celestia. Considering what Yomega said happened between her and the queen, I couldn’t blame her. As powerful as she was, getting beaten by a single enemy and, in her mind, letting her subjects down was bound to leave a mark.

Still, more surprising was the feeling of hopefulness from her.

“Come, sit,” Celestia said, gesturing to the seats beside Blue Blood. “We are still awaiting two others.”

Before she could say who, exactly, we were waiting for, the door opened and Luna stepped in, followed by Shining Armor. It was certainly no surprise he was radiating hatred and mistrust, though there was a barely noticeable flicker of hope and gratitude beneath it.

“Thank you all for coming,” Celestia said. “I know this is-”

She was interrupted by a slight commotion coming from outside. The door opened and an irate Cadence stepped in. 

“I’ll be fine, thank you for your concern, nurse. I will return as soon as this extremely important meeting is over.” The pink alicorn slammed the door shut and turned to the rest of us. “I apologize for my lateness.”

“Cadence, honey, should you be here?” Shining Armor asked, worried for his soon-to-be bride.

“I’ll tell you the same thing I just told the nurse; I’m well enough and this meeting is too important for me to be laying in a hospital bed,” Cadence said. “I have just as much at stake here as you.”

I chuckled. “Trust me, Captain, arguing will only waste your breath. She’s here and you won’t be moving her any time soon. Any resistance will only tick her off.”

Cadence grinned. “Well, take notes, Shiny. This guy knows his stuff.”

“If you’d permit, I could use my healing technique. It’s different from magical healing as it simply stimulates natural healing to incredible levels,” I offered.

“Took a good two or three moons off my wing healing,” Ember said.

“Please, I would appreciate it,” Cadence said.

I used my healing pulse on her, which I learned was actually called healing pulse in the games. That little fact made me laugh.

“Oh, my,” Cadence said. “That’s... impressive. I feel much better, thank you.”

“My pleasure,” I said with a smile.

“Alright, shall we begin?” Celestia asked. “Good. First, let me introduce Occelus. She is the de facto leader of a group of changelings that rebelled against their queen during the invasion and assisted our forces in repelling the attackers.”

“How certain are we that this information is accurate?” Shining Armor asked. “Are we sure this isn’t part of some contingency to ingratiate them with us?”

“That has been considered, though the field reports seem to suggest their motives are honest,” Luna said. “They dispatched a great number of enemies, far more than would have been reasonable for any contingency. They left the changeling forces considerably weaker, as well as their assistance in dispatching those strange summons. Those summons were a tremendous asset, after all.”

“Fair enough,” Shining said. “Though that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a contingency for their group. We don’t know their motives.”

Celestia looked to Occelus. “Miss Occelus, would care to explain your motives?”

Occelus cringed a bit, not used to being the center of attention. “Um... y-yeah... So, um...”

Cadence cleared her throat. “You aren’t used to speaking, are you?” Occelus shook her head. “If you’d like, I could cast a spell I know that can help. It’s a spell that helps clear up turbulent emotions and let’s you think more clearly.”

When Occelus nodded Cadence lit her horn, and, I kid you not, an honest to god heart floated from Cadence’s horn and fluttered around before landing on Occelus. It was the strangest looking magic I’d ever seen, and based on Ember’s confused look and baffled emotions, I wasn’t alone.

“Oh... thank you. That’s much better. I wouldn’t mind learning that spell,” Occelus said before taking a breath and diving into her story. “We are a people that rely, or I guess used to rely on anonymity. We were able to survive because other creatures didn’t know we existed. We would show up at weddings, parties, birthdays, and any other event where emotions were high and feed on the ambient love in the air. If you’ve had clowns at your birthday parties as a foal, chances were at least one of them was a changeling.

“When the queen announced her plans to openly invade Canterlot, many of us saw it as an act of treason. She would surrender the one thing that has kept us alive for thousands of years. Equestria is so full of love, yet she would have destroyed all of that for a delusion. If she succeeded, Equestria would have become a place of fear and mistrust. It would have been no different than a farmer salting his own fields thinking it will make them more fertile.

“That was when my father gathered up several of us and told us that he planned on stopping her. He said that we would sabotage the invasion and make sure the ponies knew we helped. That was the only way we would have a chance of surviving. We had to make sure the ponies see that we aren’t evil. That way, we might have a chance of working with the ponies to come up with a way to ensure we can still get food.

“While it turns out everything was my father’s idea,” Occelus said, with bitterness in her voice, “including the invasion, most of us still believe in what he first told us. All that changed was that my father, too, was the enemy.”

Occelus took a deep breath as she finished her story. “So, now that the invasion is over, and we did what we could to try to convince you that we aren’t an evil species, I ask on behalf of my people, for your help.”

Shining Armor opened his mouth to speak and, based on his emotions, it wasn’t likely to be nice. However, Cadence beat him to the punch.

“You realize that this invasion is the only experience ponies have with your species?” she asked. “Do you realize how hard you will have to work to gain even the smallest amount of trust?”

“We do, and we’re ready to do whatever it takes,” Occelus affirmed. “I swear, I will work to earn that trust. Whatever it takes to ensure that my people have a future, I’ll gladly take it.”

Cadence nodded, a sense of relief filling her aura. “Very well then. I’m willing to give you that chance, but only this one. If you betray that, you’ll get no more from me.”

Celestia smiled at that. “Are we all in agreement?” After Luna, Ember, Blueblood, myself, and a very reluctant Shining Armor agreed, she continued. “Very well. Now, let us discuss the details.”
> Chapter 55: Return to Castle Drakenhiem
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Talks took the rest of that day, and the following, though Cadence didn’t join us for the second day. She did promise her doctor she would get plenty of rest, after all. We still kept her in the loop as we worked things out.

In the end, we came up with a rather lengthy plan to help ingratiate Occelus’ Changelings with Equestrians. The details were long, but could be summed up as basically being that a few Changelings would be allowed in Equestria, but would not be allowed to wear a disguise. They would be escorted by at least one Royal Guard for the duration.

They would go to small towns, known for being friendly and open to outsiders, make friends, have fun, gather love, and then return.

Also, apparently my joke about a brothel was a ‘good idea’ according to Occelus, as lust was a type of love and the easiest to get quickly. The only pony that wasn’t uncomfortable with that topic was Blueblood. Being the most well traveled of everyone there, he had encountered many cultures where brothels were commonplace.

When Cadence was told about that part, she laughed for a good minute straight. When she finally calmed down, she simply said, “Auntie Celestia’s going to get so much action, and won’t even get to enjoy it!”

That was the second time I saw Celestia’s composure slip.

The redo wedding happened the day after that. It went off without a hitch. The closest thing to an issue was that Ju-Long took a good chunk of the spotlight from the bride and groom. All the mares were gushing over him, as were many of the stallions.

I also learned that my son is a total narcissist. He ate up the attention with gusto. He posed and postured for the ponies like a pro. I was both proud and concerned.

At least he was able to distract Rainbow Dash. Something was going on with Leo, and it was messing with Rainbow. She nearly forgot that she was supposed to do a rainboom, which, by the way, was just as amazing as the show made it out to be.

Occelus and her changelings were, obviously, not allowed to attend, but they had an entire wing to themselves and were granted unlimited room service and had several staff members assigned to do everything they could to make their stay more comfortable.

There were even a couple reporters that came in to interview Occelus, a few of her followers, and even Smolder. That was an interesting event. The reporters weren’t told what they were there for, only that they weren’t allowed to speak about it or publish anything until after the wedding. When they were informed what they were there for, there was a lot of panicking. Well, other than one pony. She just felt... hungry.

I recommended Celestia keep an eye on that one.

The day after the wedding was the day we were scheduled to leave. Originally we were going to be flying back with Blueblood when he shipped back out, but since we were bringing back a little over two hundred guests, we decided to ride with them on the train.

As we loaded the train, I noticed most of the changeling workers, identified by the blue or red sashes they wore, were in pony forms while only four were in larger forms, two minotaurs, a dragon, and a bear, despite that those forms were clearly better suited for the work.

When it was finally loaded and Ember, Ju-long, Smolder, Occelus and I found our private car I decided to ask about that.

“Oh, most changelings can’t,” she answered. “There are two kinds of transformations. Type one transformations are mostly illusionary.” A flash of green fire washed over her and she was replaced with the spitting image of Rarity. “With this type of transformation, our bodies only change shape. I’m still, in every way, a changeling. The only physical changes are to my body’s general shape. Everything else is an illusion.”

To illustrate this, her horn glowed and a section on her side glowed green and seemed to spread the fur revealing black chitin, teal shell, and gossamer wing.

“It’s useful for blending in, but we can’t use the abilities of those we turn into like this. If we want to use the abilities of another creature, we use a type two transformation.”

This time, when the green flames receded, Occelus took the form of a light teal dragon with a pink crest. “A type two transformation is a physical transformation. Like this, I am, in almost every way, a dragon. I can even breathe fire.” She let out a little puff of fire to prove it, much to Ju-long’s delight.

“There’s also a kind of hybrid transformation, usually referred to as an advanced type one that changes the overall body shape before using illusions.” This time, when the fare faded, there were two of me in the car. “This kind of transformation is no different in function than a regular type one, but is a little harder.”

I looked at the others and asked, “Did you understand her, or is she speaking poke-speak?”

“She’s speaking normal,” Ember said.

Occleus nodded. “That’s expected. Like a normal type one, I’m still one hundred percent changeling. I only look like you. In order to use a type two to become a lucario, I would need to absorb lucario DNA.”

“DNA? That’s that stuff in splooge that makes it work, right?” Ember asked.

Occelus giggled. “Yes, but also in blood and even hair, skin, and scales. Hair or scales are the most common way we get it. My dragon form is courtesy of a scale from a large red dragon that was forced to abandon its lair.”

“So, why do you know this ‘type two’ transformation while most others don’t?” I asked.

“Well...” Occelus began, with a look of shame on her face as she dropped the lucario disguise. “Because I was an infiltrator.”

“So, what, that means you used to go out and gather love?” Smolder asked.

Occelus shook her head. “No, that’s a gatherer. Infiltrators, as the name suggests, infiltrate pony society and establish themselves. We create a persona and move into a town where we live like any other pony. We make friends, get a job, sometimes even develop real relationships.

“Our role is to act as a point of contact for the harvesters. When they come into town, we point them in the direction of ponies, events, or places where the most love can be found. Also, whenever there is a big event, we inform the hive to have gatherers sent in. Our most important role, though, is making sure we aren’t discovered. Usually we just have to smooth talk any inconsistencies, but sometimes we have to use a few muddling spells to fuzz up any memories that could hurt us.”

“So, you mess with people’s minds?” I asked, not bothering to hide my distaste.

“We did, but not any more,” Occelus said. “If I’m going to be in charge of the changelings in New Dragonia, we will never hide what we are, even if we’re wearing a disguise. That’s why we’re wearing the sashes.”

“Then how are you going to gather love?” Smolder asked.

“We’re going to take Luke’s advice and open a brothel,” Occelus replied. “Lust is the easiest type of love to gather, and there’s always a demand for it. Besides, ponies don’t trust us, yet, so other types of love will be nearly impossible to gather in sufficient quantities to sustain us. With lust, though, ponies don’t have to trust us. They know what we are and what we want. They give it to us, and they get to live out a fantasy. They don’t really need to trust us any more than to trust that we won’t drain them dry of emotions.”

“That’s part of the treaties we signed with Equestria,” I said. “We allow Equestrian agents to enter at any time to investigate. They can enter, scan the area for residual traces of mental domination, as well as scan patrons for signs of aura drain. In three years, that part of the treaty will be renegotiated.”

“So, you guys really did put a lot of work into this, huh?” Smolder asked.

“I’m just glad Celestia’s as cool as she is,” Ember said. “She could have taken advantage of the fact that we’re still inexperienced, but she actually gave us more than she got.”

“It’s an investment for the future,” I said. “Dragons in the past were a threat to Equestrian citizens. Now, she can help turn that threat into a great ally. If she helps build our nation, we’ll be more open to helping her in the future. So, she’s not getting nothing from it.”

“So, she’s just doing it because she wants us to owe her?” Smolder asked.

“I don’t think so,” Occelus said. “I think that’s just how she justified it to the nobles. She’s always seemed like the type who will help others just because it’s right.”

Ember nodded. “Yeah, she does come off as a softie, but not stupid. Of course she’s going to want to get something back, even if that isn’t the main reason.”





The train ride was quite long. It took a little more than two days to get back home. We pulled into the train station in New Dragonia slightly after noon, the sun still hanging high overhead. As we stepped off the train, we were met with a crowd of ponies, probably close to every pony working here.

News took a while to travel so far, but it did travel. Naturally, they wanted to know what happened and if everything was fine in their homeland. We explained what we knew and what we could, a few facts being withheld at Celestia’s request.

The ponies sent to work in New Dragonia were made of sterner stuff and weren’t as skittish as many could be, so when we introduced the changelings we brought with us, the ponies were willing to give them a chance. They were wary, and some were a bit angry with them, but they agreed to at least try.

“How long are these workers going to be here?” Occelus asked, speaking quietly as to not wake up the sleeping baby in my arms.

“A few more moons,” I said. “A few have been considering staying longer”

“That’s great. If we can make friends with them, we can likely have a surplus by the time they leave,” Occelus said. “That will give us time to get the brothel up and running and get a business flow going.”

“Why don’t we show you where you’ll be staying until your homes are built,” I offered.

Ember stepped up and said, “While you do that, I’ll take Ju-long to meet my dad. They’ll get a kick out of each other. What was it called, again? A great dad?”

“Granddad.”

“Right. Dad’ll like that title,” Ember said before gently taking the tyke.

Honestly, we didn’t need to be so quiet and gentle. The kid fell ten feet from where he was napping in a tree in the garden back in Canterlot and didn’t wake up. We could have tossed him around like a football and he’d still be asleep. He got that from his mother.

“I’ll see you this evening,” I said, giving both of them kisses before watching Ember’s ass as she walked away.

I finally managed to look away. Smolder and Occelus had stepped away to give us a bit of privacy... or not. I felt mischievousness from Smolder, and had to wonder if she was planning something. Occelus didn’t come off as a prankster, and her expression didn’t make me think they were planning something, but she was a trained infiltrator. I figured she was quite skilled at hiding her emotions when she needed to.

“How about the grand tour?” I offered. “This is going to be your home for the foreseeable future, so let’s make sure you don’t get lost.”

“That would be very nice, thank you,” Occelus said. “I’ll admit, I’ve been curious what kind of place would be called ‘Castle Drakenhiem’.” We broached the obsidian spires of our home. “It kind of looks like a villain’s lair.”

“It’s much like dragons, themselves. Intimidating and scary on the outside,” I said, watching her as we made our way inside. Her jaw dropped at the interior. The polished obsidian with gold filigree inlay into the walls, all illuminated by white magic crystals, in a gothic design that blew her away. “Inside, it’s still quite intimidating, but also quite beautiful.”

“I get to live here?” Occelus asked.

“For as long as you like,” I replied.

Occelus looked back at Smolder and just gave a nod, as if affirming something.

“Wait until you see the rest of it,” Smolder said, stepping out in front.

I let her take the lead, showing her friend around. We went to the throne room, ketchens, training rooms, library, and all the other important areas. She was especially excited by the library. The tour ended with the resident wing.

“That’s Luke and Ember’s room, that one’s mine, and this,” Smolder said, throwing open the door across from hers, “is yours.”

We followed the excited changeling into her new suite, right down the hall from the emperor and empress.

“Oh, my gosh! All these rooms are mine?!” Occelus asked. “I have two bedrooms? Why do I have two bedrooms? That isn’t a bathtub, it’s a pool!”

She jumped into her bed, snuggling into the soft sheets.

I had to admire the room, a bit, too. I rarely saw these rooms without the decorations Smolder, Ember, and I had. Even the view outside her window was something different. Where ours looked out over the kingdom, and Smolder’s looked over the lava flows, Occelus’ looked over the forest, toward where we had decided to alot them land to do with what they wish.

“Oh, hey Luke,” Smolder said as I admired the view. “I still owe you something.”

I turned back to look at Smolder... or rather, Smolders, as there were two of them on the bed, giving me very saucy looks.

“Why don't we both show you how grateful we are?”

“Why, Miss Occelus, are you trying to use Smolder’s face to seduce me?” I asked in my best ‘scandalized noble’ tone.

“I haven’t been laid in more than a month,” Occelus said, even sounding like Smolder. “Seriously, thirteen moons. I’m not exactly needy, but I enjoy sex as much as anyone else. Besides, I want to see if I can take lucario DNA.”

I meandered towards the bed, wearing a cocky smirk. “Oh? And how would you ‘take lucario DNA’?”

Occelus blinked, as if trying to understand something. “Oh, well, I was going to perform oral sex on you and absorb it from your semen.”

Smolder and I facepalmed.
> Chapter 56: Hail to the Queen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You seriously couldn’t wait an hour after getting home to bang the new girl, could you?” Ember asked as she walked in the room.

“In my defense, it was all Smolder’s idea,” I stated.

“Hey, don’t throw me under the boulder, here,” Smolder said. “You loved it.”

“You did like it, didn’t you?” Occelus asked, still wearing Smolder’s form, a little uncertain.

I chuckled. “I did. You were great.”

Occelus sighed in relief. “I’m glad. The last time I has sex was with some minotaur in an alley in Manehattan. And that was a month and two or three moons ago. I was worried I was out of practice.”

“Is that where you got that minotaur form you were using to help load the train?” Smolder asked.

“That’s right,” Occelus said.

“Okay, can you turn back to normal?” Ember asked. “It’s confusing trying to keep track of which one of you is which.”

I looked at my son in Ember’s arms, “You know which one’s Auntie Smolder, don’t you?”

Ju-Long jumped out of her arms and right into Smolder’s.

“Yeah, you know who’s who, huh,” Smolder said, hugging him close as he snuggled into her chest.

<”That’s my boy,”> I said, aloud, scritching his ear-fin.

“So, he probably has that aura sense thing you have. You think he’ll be able to understand you, too?” Ember asked.

“Maybe. We’ll find out one day,” I said. “I’m still worried he’ll only be able to speak in pokespeak.” I shook my head and sighed. “Well, we won’t know until he starts talking, so there’s no point getting worked up over it just yet.”

“So, did it work?” Smolder asked Occelus, changing the subject to something less stressful. “Can you turn into a lucario?”

Occelus closed her eyes, as if focusing on something. “I... should be able to. Yeah, let’s try this.”

Occelus was engulfed in green flame as her Smolder form was replaced with that of a rather beautiful black, blue, and cream jackal pokemon. 

“Hey! It worked!” Smolder cheered.

Occelus smiled as she looked herself over, before looking up at us and saying, <“Snorkel him duck!”>

Smolder and Ember looked at me as Ember asked, “What did she say?”

Occelus looked at them in confusion and said, <“Plus from racked will?”>

I looked at them and said, “I have no idea.”

Smolder looked upset at me. “What do you mean? She’s talking that pokespeak thing you do.”

“Yeah, but it’s complete gibberish... let me try something,” I said before speaking out loud. <“Do you understand me?”>

She looked at me in confusion before digging a claw into her ear and motioning for me to try again.

<“Do you understand me, now?”> I asked again.

In another flash of green, she was back to her normal self. “That was... an interesting experience.”

“What happened?” Ember asked.

“I don’t know,” Occelus replied. “I was speaking normally... or at least I was to myself. Then when Luke spoke... It was like he was speaking an entirely different language. I didn’t recognize a single word he said.”

“Really? Because you were speaking real words, they just all seemed random,” I said. “This... could be important. I’ll have to write a letter to Lyra and Vinyl, to let them know about this. It might help with their work on the translator.”

Occelus beamed as she said, “I gotta say, even with the communication issues, that form is incredible. My empathy is so much stronger and more precise. I could feel emotions from rocks!”

I chuckled at that. “That wasn’t emotions you were feeling, it was aura. Aura changes based on one’s emotions, but it isn’t actual emotion.”

“What exactly is aura?” Occelus asked. “I’ve heard you mention it, but I always thought it was just emotional energy. It's so much more, though, isn't it?”

I smiled. “Aura is what gives a Lucario his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.”

Occelus listened, enraptured by my wise words.

Ember just snickered.

“Does that mean we actually feed on aura, not emotion?” Occelus asked. “That actually makes sense. Your aura is much more tangible than something as esoteric as emotion. Further, does that mean we can learn how to use aura abilities like you do?”

“That’s a good question,” I said, pondering how much changelings could do. “Well, let’s find out, shall we. Take a lucario form. We’ll see if I can teach you aura-speak. Once you understand how it works in a lucario form, you can try to replicate it in your base form.”

Occelus took on the form of a lucario, again. I had to take a moment to admire her form. I had never actually seen a female lucario, and I found myself attracted to things that I never thought I would, like the narrowness of her snout, or the way her spikes shine.

“Do we need to give you some time?” Ember said with a smirk.

I cleared my throat. “S-sorry. Anyway...”





“Can... he... e?” Occelus struggled to say.

“Almost. Try again,” I encouraged.

Occelus stared at me, focusing intently. “Can you hear me, now?”

I let out a cheer. “You got it!”

“This isn’t ea... to do,” she said, slipping just a bit.

“It took me a bit before it became second nature for me, too, and I already had experience in using aura. You’ll get it,” I assured her. Granted, it wasn’t exactly aura I had experience with, but the fundamentals of chi were practically the same.

“Then I’ll ...ep this form unt... I can do it by in...inct,” Occelus struggled to say.

“It might be a good idea to change your coat color so others don’t mistake you for me,” I recommended.

“...od idea.” Fire washed over her, leaving the previously blue part of her fur a light pink. “No.” She tried a light teal. “Bet..., but still no.” Finally, she tried gold-blonde. “I like ....”

“Yeah, I do, too,” I said. “Now, go on about your day, only speaking with aura until you’re no longer cutting out.”

“Yes, sir,” Occelus said, far too formal for my taste. “I have s... things to take care .... I’ll talk to you ...er.”

“Actually, if you have important stuff to do, you shouldn’t use that form. Practice when you’re having casual conversations, not important ones.”

In a flash of green, she was back in her normal form. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Thanks!”





Ju-Long giggled as I blew raspberries on his tummy, arms and legs kicking wildly. “Who’s a silly baby?” I did it again, getting an even louder giggle. “You are, aren’t you?”

“Watch out he doesn’t grab your head thingies,” Ember said from the bed, where she watched us.

I looked at her and said, “I think I can handle anything he throws at-” I let out a yelp as one of my head things was yanked.

“Told you,” Ember said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, okay. Give daddy back his dreadlock,” I pleaded, only for the cheeky little guy to decide to give it a taste.

“Baby dragons often like to chew on their parents' horns,” Ember explained as she got up and walked toward us. “He probably thinks that’s what those are.” She leaned down and picked up our son, holding him at her shoulder like a human would to burp a baby, and he immediately latched onto her horn.

“But why, though?” I asked.

Ember shrugged. “Heck if I know. It’s just a thing baby dragons do. If they want to so bad, it’s probably for a reason, though.”

“True enough, I suppose,” I said. “You know, you’re a good mother.”

Ember rolled her eyes. “Uh, yeah, I’m awesome at everything.”

“I kinda want another,” I said.

Ember chuckled. “Not this month. Let’s make sure we can handle this one, first.”

“You know, Smolder’s considering asking if I can give her one, sometime,” I said.

“I know. We already talked about it,” Ember said. “I told her I’m fine with it, as long as you are.”

“I’m not sure,” I said. “Sex is one thing, fathering her child is something else. It feels wrong to have a kid with someone that isn’t my mate.”

“Well, you won’t have to worry about that for a while,” Ember said. “She won’t ask for a while. Probably not for a year, maybe even two.”

I reached over and gently took my now sleeping son from Ember. “I definitely want another.”

Ember watched us, obviously in thought about something. “I kinda wish I could give you a baby lucario. Maybe your friend in Ponyville can? I... would allow that, if she’s willing.”

I sighed as I got up and headed to the crib. “As nice as that would be, it would be an eevee. With pokemon, the offspring is always the same species as the mother. I’m pretty sure that’s why Ju-long is a dragon.”

I stroked his head as I laid him down and tucked him in.

“What about Occelus? She can turn into a lucario. Maybe it’s possible to for her?” Ember said.

I chuckled as I climbed back into bed, peppering her face and neck with kisses. “I doubt it’ll work, but I wouldn’t mind trying. She’s pretty sexy like that.”

Ember chuckled, “Of course you would. You’re my little horn dog.”

I leaned in to put my arms around her and laid her back, kissing her deeply as I said, “And you're my sexy dragon.”





After many long weeks of preparations and building, it was finally time to make it official. Representatives from all over were set to arrive soon to witness Occelus officially take the throne as queen of the New Dragonian Changelings and swear fealty to Ember and I.

Ember, Occelus and I, along with Ju-Long in my arms, watched as Blueblood’s private yacht pulled into the airship dock alongside Castle Drakenhiem.

A little further down the mountain, another Equestrian airship docked at the civilian dock. A part of me wished I could be there so I could see the reporters react to the changelings working down there.

“Welcome to New Dragonia,” Ember greeted our guests.

“Oh, my. This really is impressive,” Celestia said as she looked up at the imposing castle. “The entire place is completely unrecognizable. You really are elevating your people, Empress Ember. I am impressed.”

“Thanks, Princess,” Ember said. “It’s still a work in progress, but we’re getting there.”

Celestia turned to Occelus with a warm smile. “And here is the soon-to-be queen. Nervous?”

“There is no word for how terrified I am,” Occelus replied, doing a damn fine job hiding that fact, though I could feel it when I was close enough.

“Mayhaps we should ask Pinkie Pie for a word?” Luna offered. “She has quite the talent for such things. Luke, Abes sends his apologies that he could not come. He is, unfortunately, indisposed.”

“That's understandable,” I replied. “I’m honestly surprised that both of you were able to come.”

"Neither of us wanted to miss the opportunity to see this castle Ember spoke of," Celestia said. "Besides, it is our hope that by showing our support for the changelings here, not only will our ponies be more willing to accept them, but those changelings still loyal to Chrysalis, or even Chrysalis, herself, might consider pursuing harmony, as well."

"Huh, I didn't even think of that," Ember said. She turned to Occelus and asked. "You think your old queen would do that?"

"Oh, absolutely not. Not ever. She's way too spiteful and proud," Occelus said, without hesitation. "So long as she's out there, she'll be plotting against everyone she feels is responsible for her failure in Canterlot. I would guess the main focuses of her vengeance will be myself, Twilight Sparkle, and the eevee pack. Possibly Shining Armor and Cadence, too, but she'll likely consider them to be too much of a hassle to get to and focus her fury on the rest of us."

Celestia hid her sudden spike of fear as well as she always did. "I see. I shall have a message sent to warn Twilight immediately."

"Oh, there's no need to rush," Occelus said. "She'll wait until things calm down and everyone has had a chance to forget about her."

"So, she isn't as foolish as her poorly considered attack made her seem," Luna observed. "Strange then that she did not see the folly of her assault."

"Enough about such topics," Celestia said. "This is a joyous occasion. Have any other leaders arrived yet?"

"Gulliver, and Zandu," Ember said. "They're getting the tour, now, from one of my assistants."

“We aren't expecting many others, if any, so why don't I give you your own tour?” I offered.

"Are we expecting anyone from the East?" Celestia asked.

I shook my head. “No. Someone's been stirring up trouble and most of the leaders there have been busy dealing with that.”

Celestia felt worried. "Perhaps I should send a letter to my old friend. That can wait. We can't wait to see inside this… interesting castle."

"By 'interesting' she means it looks like the kind of place Grogar would have called home," Luna said with a chuckle.





There was a much bigger crowd than I anticipated. Of course, I expected the few hundred changelings that were sitting at the front, even if it did look like there were fifty more than there was yesterday.

I also expected the dozen or so griffins, zebras, horses, and even the pair of Abyssinians. 

The same could be said for the hundred or so dragons. Not just local dragons, but representatives of the eastern and southern kingdoms as well.

Where I was surprised was the number of ponies that were in attendance. Not only that, but the fact that there were surprisingly few that were outright hostile toward the changelings. There was fear and suspicion, sure, but it was outweighed by hopefulness, relief, and excitement.

There were a couple dozen protesting the acceptance of the changelings into New Dragonia, but they were mostly ignored. For some reason some ponies believed Celestia could order us to exile the changelings. Not that she would even if she did have that authority.

“Occelus,” Ember began, her voice being carried by magic to all present. “Ever since you led your fellow Changelings against your queen in defense of Canterlot and the ponies that call it home, your people have looked to you for leadership and guidance.

“Not only have you already proven to your people that you are a worthy leader, you have shown us, as well. You have taken charge and have guided your people as they rebuild here.

"Because of all of this, not only have your people recognized you as their ruler, but so have we." Ember turned to the gathered leaders. "Who here acknowledges Occelus?"

Celestia spoke up first, "Equestria acknowledges."

Gulliver was next. "Griffonia acknowledges."

Zandu was next. "Zebrica knows little of you and yours, though we trust our allies. As such, Zebrica acknowledges."

Next was the delegate from Saddle Arabia. "Saddle Arabia hesitantly acknowledges. Do not make us regret this."

Finally, the Abyssinians. "Abyssinia acknowledges."

Ember continued. "It's agreed. Occelus, kneel before the leaders of the world." Occelus did as she was told. "Occelus, do you swear to serve your people? Do you swear to watch after them and love them as if they were your own children? Will you protect them and fight for them until your last breath?"

Occelus didn't even hesitate to say, "I do swear."

"Then rise, and take your place at our side, as Occelus, Queen of the Changelings."

And rise she did. Quite literally. While glowing.

The crowd oo'd and ah'd and gasped and murmured and made every other amazed sound you can think of. We rulers, though, had been briefed.

When a new queen rises, she takes a new form, one that reflects who she is and her ideals, then those loyal to her take a form resembling that. For Chrysalis, it was something from a pony's nightmares, signifying her predatory nature and how she saw ponies as nothing but food to be exploited. For Occelus, however, we could only wait to see.

As the light faded, we could finally see the new and improved Occelus. The first, and most notable change was the fact that she didn't have a pony-like form at all, but something more… dragon-like. 

While she was still quadrupedal, Occelus said they always were, she no longer had hooves, but claws. Her body was covered in teal scales instead of black chitin and lacked the holes. Also, her muzzle was slightly longer and narrower, and she had a row of horns on her head that formed a crown and another pair curved straight forward from her temples. However, her tail and wings resembled those of a dragonfly.

As her transformation ended, the changelings in the crowd also began to glow. One by one, they took a form similar to Occelus, though smaller, with various muted colors and with only a single or pair of horns in various styles.

The astonishment from the spectators was palpable, even for those that couldn't literally feel it.

"Well, I gotta say, I approve of the new look, " Ember said, only loud enough for us to hear.

Gulliver rolled his eyes. "Of course you would. Still, it's better than the ugly bugs you were."

Celestia cleared her throat. "There's still one more step."

"Ah, right. Sorry," Ember said, getting back on track. "Queen Occelus. As a new queen, your people are weakened and divided, and are embarking on a new path. As such, I, Ember, Empress of New Dragonia, extend to you my protection. Swear to me, and you shall become my vassal. In return, you shall have the protection of New Dragonia and all her dragons. Any that would attack you, in turn attack me. Any that welcomes you as their friend, welcome me."

Occelus cleared her throat. "I, Queen Occelus, accept and swear allegiance to you, Empress Ember. Whatever need you have, call upon me."

"Then let us celebrate!" Ember declared. "Long live Queen Occelus!"

"Long live Queen Occelus!"