The sun’s morning rays gently fall upon the mountains of the Crystal Empire, causing Kazara to stir and opens his eyes. He yawns softly, blinking a few times to focus on his uncle’s cloak. He lays a claw on the tattered fabric, then slowly slides off his uncle’s back. His gaze sweeps around the cave, then over to the cave entrance. He notices the light and takes a step back when he feels slightly overwhelmed by how bright it is. Instinctively, he starts to run over to his dad, only making it around halfway before a paw strikes a rock. The hatchling hits the ground, starting to cry when he realizes that he can’t get to safety.
Slowly, the sounds of a hatchling in distress lifts Frostwing from his slumber. He lifts his head with an unhappy purr to look at Kazara. Frostwing shifts closer to Kazara and scoots the hatchling closer to him using his tail. Kazara latches onto his dad’s side, immediately burying his face into it and calming down. Kaz sniffles and looks up at his father, all his worries melting away. His watery gaze fades into a happier one when he breaks free from his dad. Knowing that he is being watched, Kaz carefully makes his way deeper into the cave.
The air around Kaz chills the further he goes down into the cave. His slowly adjusting vision picks out flecks of ice embedded on the smoothed out cave wall. He slowly walks over to the wall and places a claw on it. He yanks his claw away from the wall and stumbles back when a sharp feeling of coldness runs through his paw. He tears up when the shock turns to fear, so he immediately runs for the safest place he knows. Finding his way back was easy, yet getting there was rough. He stumbles multiple times on things that would not faze his family, even falling if it caught him off guard, which it often did. Seeing the light at the entrance of the cave only spurred him to get to safety harder.
Kazara hugs at one of Frostwing’s forepaws and buries his face in it. Frostwing gently wraps his second forepaw around Kaz and brings him close to his snout. The quivering hatchling latches onto the snout and nuzzles it softly. Frostwing snorts, giving Kaz’s chin a lick. He speaks with the rumble of an aged male dragon.
“There there. What happened, my child? Did the cave hurt you? Did the monsters get you?” He clears his throat, turns his head slightly, then coughs. Kazara blinks, his father’s words completely going over his head. Frostwing merely chuckles after giving Kazara’s forehead a lick. “Don’t worry, you’ll grow up fast.” He sets the hatchling down and looks back towards Gladys. He glances back towards Kaz when he notices that the feeling of a hatchling hugging him doesn’t go away. The dragon has his face buried in his paw. Frostwing’s gaze softens, scooping the dragon back up and holding him close. He closes his eyes and nuzzles at Kazara’s cheek.
Frostwing’s gentle purring elicits a soft groan from Mercury. He shifts onto his side and opens his eyes. “I hear a happy male,” He says groggily. “That’s good, I guess.” Mercury sighs softly and rolls to a stand. He stretches his legs out, groaning when the bones crack. HIs mind turns to his mental to-do list, and he sighs at the first item or so on it. He wasn’t planning to go anywhere until his god came and ruined it for him.
Perhaps I’ll see the princess again, He thinks. Provided she isn’t away from her throne. His tail flicks in amusement. Mercury puts on his bag, nodding at Frostwing. “Keep him safe for me, okay?” He asks. The stallion turns around, and just before he can take a step, he hears the light sound of footsteps. Kaz gently hugs his foreleg and leans into it. Mercury lifts the leg the dragon is holding, only to see that he is still holding onto it.
“Uh,” Mercury says. He levitates Kaz off of his leg and sets him next to his father, only to see the hatchling come right back. Mercury moves to take a step, then shakes his head. Okay fuck… now what? He sits on the ground, his mind mulling over a number of possibilities. He opens his bag and digs through it, soon dragging out a piece of parchment, a sealed ink bottle, and a black feathered quill. With a sigh, he dips the quill into the ink and starts to write.
Dear Princess Melody,
Wherever you may be, I hope this message gets to you. I am merely inquiring about my status of citizenship in the empire. If I am to stay for any long length of time, I need to be guaranteed protection from anypony that would hurt Kazara. Write your response on the back, please.
Mercury.
With a whisper, the parchment disappears, it’s destination the Crystal Empire castle. The princess is pacing by her bed when the letter pops into existence. She stops, her gaze falling on it. The hoofwriting is neat and she recognizes it almost instantly from yesterday. Seeing the directive, she turns over the parchment and writes a message confirming his citizenship. The message Mercury sent her quickly fades away. Melody skims her message for accuracy, takes a step back, and watches it disappear. Half expecting company, she trots out of the room and takes a left. As it often does, her gaze falls on paintings hanging on the walls as she passes by them. She has the images of her extended family, the kingdom both new and old, and the snow covered mountains in her head, but she still finds herself eyeing the paintings.
I like this place, she thinks. That thought was not uncommon for her either. It’s… nice. Her tail flicks as she passes by a number of empty side rooms. The silence was occasionally haunting to her. She didn’t want to speak and hear her voice echoing off the walls as it did in the throne room. Melody wanted to hear lively discussion in the halls. It’s nice except for the silence, her mind continues. I need to fix that. Melody sighs softly as she trots through the doorway to the throne room, then sits on the throne. Her gaze falls on the large set of double doors at the end of the hallway as she settles back to wait on visitors.
Back at the cave, Mercury skims over Melody’s response. He looks at Kaz and levitates him onto his back. “Now hold on, dear Lightfoot,” He says. “Hold onto your dear life… dearest ka.” He trots into the cold wind and blowing snow, gritting his teeth as sharp dragon claws dig into his back.
Good… good, my little light. You listen. The thought warms him up a bit inside, and a small feeling of pride seeps into the warmth. “I love you, you know?” The hatchling does not respond. Kazara emits a soft growl when snow blows into his face. Mercury halts and glances back. Will… will he be okay? He closes his eyes and sighs shakily. A shadowed rope materializes around his body and ties Kazara down onto his back. The dragon squirms and cries out in protest as he feels pressure between his back spikes. Mercury sighs gently, the rope fading away.
“Bad idea. I apologize,” Mercury says. “I have to… believe. It will get better.” He continues trotting down the mountain, all while keeping aware of the weight on his back. Kaz buries his face in Mercury’s cloak, the rhythmic movements quieting him down and relaxing him. Soon, the wind does not bother him.
Mercury emerges from the storm after what feels like an eternity. He shakes the snow off of his head, then glances back to check on Kazara. To his surprise, the hatchling is sitting down. He’s looking straight at the kingdom, his mouth slightly agape. Kaz scampers onto Mercury’s head, laying down on it and looking ahead. To him, the city looks massive, and there’s an air of mysteriousness to it.
“This is the Crystal Empire, dear Lightfoot,” He says. “Our home empire.” Kaz’s gaze follows his hoof when he points it to the castle. Kaz’s eyes widen as he takes in the grand structure. His gaze falls on the light reflecting from the purple crystal that is embedded in the two main towers. Desire wells up within him, so he can’t help but hop off of Mercury. Shadows pool around the space below Kaz as he falls, shooting up to intercept him. When Kaz gently touches the ground, he starts to walk toward the city. Mercury scoops him up before he could get too far, then levitates him back onto Merc’s back. “Stay,” He says. Kaz stays. Mercury then resumes trotting.
The dragon stays surprisingly still when he nears the city. Upon entering it, ponies take notice of the dragon on his back. Mercury ignores the stares. He knows that some gazes are frightful, some gazes are in awe, and still some are in anger. He hears the whispers as clear as day, and his mind whirls with them. A dragon here? A baby dragon? Who are they? Is that the father? Will he kill this empire? Mercury shuts off his mind when the more hateful whispers come to him. Death threats usually did not bother him, but all of this is different. He has a dragon that filled the hole in his heart. Any hate towards Kazara will be hate towards him. He glares at the ponies who whispered hateful things.
Figures… they’re all from Celestia’s kingdom, He thinks bitterly. The ponies meet his gaze and step toward him. Mercury stops in his tracks. “Oh I’m sorry, I thought dragons were free in the Crystal Empire. You want all of his kind to die? Well guess what? What if I want the same for your kind?” He narrows his eyes, stepping towards the largest of his detractors. “You kill this child and you won’t just incur my wrath… now fuck off.” Mercury hisses, telepathically drawing a knife from a scabbard on his hind leg. He moves to brandish it, but the stallion steps back. He turns and gallops away. The other detractors fall into silence. Part of Mercury’s words instilled a sense of fear into them. Mercury whirls to face them, venom in his gaze. The ponies flinch, galloping away.
“Does anyone else have issues with this child?” He calls out. “Anyone at all? Huh?” He slowly looks around at the crowd that has slowly gathered. “No? None?” He puts away the hidden dagger. “Thank god.” Mercury shakes his head softly, then resumes trotting.
When they neared the main commercial district, the smell of food made Kaz perk up He gently scratches at Mercury’s cloak, tearing through the fabric and indicating a food shop. Mercury grimaces, then sniffs the air. Something sweet permeates the air, coming from a local bakery. It appears quite busy with ponies frequently coming in and out carrying a variety of baked goods. Mercury eyes one crystal pony that emerges with a loaf of fresh bread. He licks his lips, then enters the shop.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
A green coated shopkeep stands behind a counter with a number of breads, rolls, bagels, pastries, and cupcakes behind him and to either side. Mercury stands away from the doorway, browsing the selection. He then heads to the back of the line. As before, the crystal ponies were more impressed with the dragon on his back than the normal ponies were. The excitement was more subdued but still sensed in the shop. The crystal pony Mercury stops behind glances back at him.
“Is that a dragon?” She asks.
“Yes, yes he is,” Mercury sighs. “Shouldn’t that be obvious?” His abrasive tone causes her to frown a bit.
“Apologies,” The mare says. “How’d you come across it… him?”
“I’m his uncle.”
The mare’s eyes widen. “O-oh wow! How is being an uncle to a baby dragon?”
Mercury chuckles. “Oh it’s… nice. He’s a cutie, and I won’t let anyone harm him. He’s a day old.”
The mare nods, turning her gaze back to the line. She closes the gap in the line that was made from concentrating on their discussions. Kaz sniffs the air, staring at the treats. His interest and need for them spikes when Mercury approaches the counter.
“What would you have?” The baker asks with a smile.
“I would like a loaf of your bread, and I think this little guy wants a…” Kazara points at a pastry. “A pastry, please? Just one.” He places twelve bits on the counter. The baker grabs the loaf and the pastry, places it on the counter, then nods and takes the bits.
“Thank you, and have a wonderful day,” The shopkeep says. Mercury takes everything and trots out, taking a right and heading for the castle. He levitates the pastry to Kaz. The hatchling sniffs it, gives it a gentle lick, then eats it all in one bite. The hatchling then lays down and curls up. He bites at the tip of his tail gently. Shadows coat the bread, then start to break it down. Slowly, the energies that make up the bread sink into the stallion. A warmth fills his body, and he feels some lost energy come back to him.
No time to eat. Not here, not now, He thinks. Like before, the stallion stops at the gates and he is let in without much fuss. The guards eye the hatchling warily. Mercury nods in thanks and heads right for the throne room. Upon opening the set of double doors, Melody snaps out of her thoughts and trots down to greet him.
“Mercury,” She nods.
“Princess,” Mercury gently bows, only for her to sigh, then gasp and take a step back.
“A d-dr-” She stammers. “H-here? Mercury, what are you doing?”
“He wasn’t going to let me go without him,” Mercury shrugs. “Plus, I just assumed that you wanted to see the hatchling.”
“B-but the crystal-”
“They’re fine with him. They really are cool with him being here. Celestia’s Empire, however…” He shakes his head. “Not good.” Melody visibly relaxes. “If they would have attacked, I would have shown no mercy, Princess.”
“I get it,” Melody says. “You’re protective of him. May I get close to him?”
Mercury nods and lays down, fully bringing Kazara into her sights. She trots to his back and sits down. Her gaze softens at the sight of the sleepy lizard. She extends a hoof out and gently touches his side. He shifts to hug at her forehoof.
“A-aw,” She says. She pulls her hoof away.
Mercury nods, chuckling softly. Yeah, he is a good one, He thinks.
“So, what are you here for?” Melody looks at him and smiles. Mercury fishes out the key he was given and shows Melody.
“I was given this by my god. Long story. Anyway, he said that I should give it to you and you’ll know what to do with it.”
Melody tilts her head, tilting the key to either side and inspecting it closely. The gems embedded within the silver metal, and the teeth of the key itself, remind her of the stash of keys she already has. She rubs her chin and nods. The key certainly belonged to the castle, that much she knew. The width of the key also tells her that it looks like it can fit in a door somewhere.
“What am I supposed to do with this besides wait?” She asks. Melody shuts her eyes, thinking harder. “Other than… wait a minute... what if this doesn’t go to a door?”
Mercury nods, chuckling. “Bingo. For more specifics, you should wait until Kaz grows older. A lot older. Save the key until then. When your successor comes to age and takes the throne, you should give the key to them, and they should do it to their successor, and so on.”
“What you’re asking me to do is odd,” Melody sighs. “What would I have expected though? A dragon family in my empire is already an oddity, and you seem like an oddity yourself. I already know you mean no harm, but that still leaves open all sorts of questions. Questions upon questions, even. Yet, I do not wish to… to ask them.” Her ears flatten. “I fear the answers.”
“Understandable,” Mercury says. “There are things that I do not wish to disclose, and I do admit that I tire of people questioning me. There wouldn’t be much that I will answer.”
“Pointless to try? Fair enough. The mysterious will remain mysterious,” She flashes Mercury a smile. “What I like. Anyway, I shall put away the key. Would you like anything to drink or eat?”
Mercury hesitates, tilting his head a bit. Will it be rude if I refused? I don’t want to lie either. He thinks. He sighs gently, shaking his head. “I had a little something on the way. Stopped by the baker’s place to get baked goods.”
“Fair enough!” Melody smiles. “I shall see you whenever?” She hugs Mercury gently, giving his cheek a nuzzle before leaving the room.
“H-heh,” Mercury’s tail flicks at the nuzzle. He expected the hug, but the nuzzle threw him for a loop. That form of affection was a rarity for him. He checks for Kaz on his back, then heads out of the castle.
Melody makes her way toward her room, levitating the key in front of her. She hums softly, her gaze passing over everything she looked at on the way to the throne room as usual. Upon entering her room, she stores the key in a safe and locks it with a magical seal. She feels a link being established between the seal, herself, and her filly in a nearby nursery room. After a moment, she heads down the hall a few doors and trots into the nursery.
Upon stepping in, the nursery’s painted walls impart a sense of calmness into Melody. She always liked the decision of painting the Equestrian sky on the walls. Throughout the room are a number of cribs, and the only occupied one has a pink coated filly, giggling and staring at the sky. Melody smiles softly and trots over to the crib. She scoops up the filly into her arms and nuzzles her.
“Oh Cadence,” She giggles, kissing her forehead. “You’re gonna grow up and make me proud.” She relaxes further, the presence of her kid putting her mind at ease. Somehow, she knew that everything was going to be alright.
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The sound of gentle rain patters on the roof of a mansion bordering on an expansive forest and an equally expansive jungle, where the sounds of all sorts of creatures fill the air. Squirrels and other small critters are scampering around the moss-caked roof. Hanging off the roof are a number of thick vines that extend all the way down the side of the house to the ground. Some parts of the vine are unnaturally thick, being reinforced over the years from animals scampering up and down it. Peppered along the sides of the house are small holes with nests inside of them.
Looking outside an open window on the second floor is Golden, but with a horn perching neatly on his forehead. Surrounding him is a pile of books, scrolls, and quills. The desk in front of him has parchment strewn everywhere without any sense of order. A few larger stacks of parchment take up space at the back of the table. Scrawled on the parchment are a number of notes and lists, along with dates on the top of the parchment. A number of candles near the parchment stacks burn brightly, giving the room a flowery scent. A humid breeze gently blows through, disturbing the flames and the parchment a little.
Golden levitates a painted light blue rock over and places it onto the most disturbed stack. He pushes away from the table and stands. The stallion gently licks at one of his forehooves, using it to smooth down his mane. He levitates the largest stack toward him, then trots toward a table in an adjacent corner. Golden sets the stack down on the table, sitting down in a chair and taking out leather, strands of vine, and a needle. Slowly, Golden begins to work on binding the pieces of parchment together.
The sound of a creaking door nearby snaps him out of his trance. He doesn’t need to look back, as he recognizes the hoofsteps as Solacia’s. The mare in question is a semi-tall alicorn with a green coat, black mane, and blue eyes. Her hoof gently pets at his mane and she smiles gently.
“Hey there, Sol,” Golden says softly. He turns and smiles at her. The god of space sits down next to Golden, looking at the progress he has made. He looks like he is around halfway done with sewing the pages together.
“Thank you for this,” Solacia says. “I know it isn’t… easy to figure out who is busy when, then asking them for information. Not to mention the… horn.”
Golden grimaces, reflecting on the emotions he felt as he was walking the Canterlot streets. He lasted around ten seconds before he had to head to a more private area before breaking down entirely. He was not expecting all the anger coming from the locals. The god didn’t even know what was causing it. Since then, he didn’t step foot in the city, electing for the smaller towns instead.
Normally, it wouldn’t have been this bad for him. Any other day, he wouldn’t have experienced the flood of emotions upon reaching the centers of cities. That day wasn’t normal, however. It was the day he finally got his horn. He figured the gods trusted him enough to give him the biological equivalent of an amplifier for magic. What he wasn’t prepared for was the onslaught of foreign memories.
Golden shivers, then shakes his head. He focuses back on threading the needle through the pieces of parchment. He’s silent throughout this process, causing Solacia to worry a bit.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” She says softly. “I didn’t mean to… bring it up.”
“It’s okay,” Golden says. “Don’t… worry about it.” He takes a deep breath, calming himself before he could mess up the stitching. He finishes up with the binding at a quicker than usual rate, then binds the leather to the front and back pages before sliding it over to Solacia. “Find a bookshelf to put this on. I’m going to go and at least try to relax.” He stands, hugs the goddess, then trots out of the room. Heading outside is a mere matter of heading down the adjacent staircase, then out the door on the ground floor.
The warm air hits him like a truck as soon as he steps out. He blinks, then shakes his head and trots out from under the overhang. The omnipresent drizzle takes the oppressive heat away a little bit. He trots down a well-maintained path, eyeing at the squirrels perching on nearby tree branches. Seeing them puts his mind at ease a little bit. The path soon gives way to a clearing with thick vegetation. He heads to the center and sits in some already flattened plants. There, he closes his eyes and hones in the sounds of the forest. The chittering and chirping of the realms smaller creatures give way to the rustling of bushes deeper in the forest, but not out of earshot. Guesses go through his mind, but he discards them as he feels they are encroaching on the sanctity of this area.
With deeper breaths, he focuses further into the forest. The growls and the purrs from the more exotic wildlife make him feel more at peace. I’m not alone here, He thinks. I have the tigers, the rabbits, and the manticores to keep me at peace. He thinks calmly. He opens his eyes, laying down and closing his eyes once more. Absent was the fear of being easy prey, the fear of being nipped by bugs, and the worry that he might not wake up in a few hours. He knew the predators here were kinder than Equestrian ones, and that thought filled his mind with peace. Clinging onto that thought, he drifts off to sleep, not even worrying about what the next day would bring.