A/N: Clopish scene ahead as before just watch out for this color and bypass it if you wish (but then again M rated...)

“Hey Charcoal…” I greeted Charcoal softly as I approached. He was busy with sketching something, and I didn’t want to ruin his work, nor did I want to ruin his concentration. I learned why not to the hard way, as did the rest of the clan, minus Dragon FireWyrm and She of Hourglass.

“Firstclaw, must you call me that!?” Charcoal bemoaned as he continued sketching, without pausing. “I mean, I get that my claws get messy, but really?”

"Hey, its better then Wanderer's and Scorpion’s..."

"Don't. You. Dare!" Charcoal growled out angrily before sighing. I don't blame him; it was not a very flattering 'nickname.' But I also knew that in reality, he truly liked the Charcoal title, but he just didn't want to give those two any more ammo, though he did not want to hurt them, either...

I glanced over Charcoal’s shoulder to see that he was sketching, which was the sleeping family, below. Magic Dowser was snuggling his colt son on the side of She of Hourglass’ curled form, her head facing the sleeping father and son. Dragon FireWyrm, in normal wyrm fashion, was spooning them all, his head looking outward, most likely guard sleeping. I swear that that dragon never sleeps normally. Interestingly, Minty Herb was not in the sketching, although, given that Charcoal was sketching what he was seeing, it didn’t surprise me, as Minty was not really noticeable. Only a few tufts of her mane could be seen.

"You should give that to DragonBrother, when you are done.”

Charcoal stopped and turned to face me, his eyes narrowing. "This wouldn’t be some sort of appeasement gift for your mistakes, now would it?"

“That might have been true five years ago, but not now..." I sighed as Charcoal went back to his work. “DragonBrother is struggling without his siblings, and I think that maybe having something to remember this day would help.”

“So you're trying to bribe him into friendship?“

“Bribe!? To become friends? No…” I chuckled as I looked down at Magic Dowser. I doubted I would ever get him to move past begrudged acceptance. I suspected that Magic Dowser would end up making the same accusation laid on me by Charcoal, if not worse. “Though I would be lying if I were to say that I don't wish for it. I don't expect to ever have him as a friend…”

“Everyone's a critic…”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” I eyed Charcoal thoughtfully.

“It means that not everyone will be won over, no matter how good you are.”

I could hear Twi in my head screaming that that is not the definition of that phrase, but I knew what Charcoal was saying. There was a chance that Magic Dowser would have never been my friend, even if I had made all the right moves…

“That’s odd…”

“What?“ Charcoal questioned.

“Look.” I pointed off to the left. Off in the distance were Thirdclaw and some dragons, along with nearly 30 heavily armored ponies. A platoon of heavily armored guardponies? That is extremely unusual. I would have maybe thought Princess Cadence was coming, but that was way more than I knew her to use, and there was no sign of her, or a carriage. Plus, she would have let us know. “Something isn't right… Stay here.”

As I slowly glided over, I become more and more concerned. The way the platoon and Thirdclaw were looking at each other was not good. I could see just a bit of Thirdclaw’s pink flame leaking out, and several of the ponies had their horns charged and ready. I could see a couple of Migration dragons watching the scene intently.

“Thirdclaw, what is going on?” I ordered as I landed next to him, letting my wings dissipate. I didn't want my wings to add any more tension to what was clearly a critically tense situation. I could easily hold my own without the use of my wings, but I knew how ponies could react in situations like this, and I wanted to end whatever caused this as amicably as possible.

“These guardponies,” Wanderer spat out in anger, with enough venom in his voice to surprise and concern me, as he really liked ponies, “have the audacity to think that one of my ‘dragons’ would dare to violate our treaty!”

“Well, have they?” I asked, keeping my voice flat, though I was beginning to get angry, as well, knowing very well what the answer was going to be. Wanderer, though a free spirit, ran a very tight ship when it came to the Migration, especially when it was in locations like the Crystal Empire.

“You know that answer, Firstclaw.” Wanderer spat, looking like he wanted to bite me in two.

“So you are the leader of these dragons, not him?”

“Yes, I am." I narrowed my eyes at the leader, a lieutenant, if I recalled the rankings correctly. I did not like the his attitude, nor his interruption. Also, the way he said ‘dragons’ and ‘him’ were clear indications that he wanted to say something a lot less flattering. Probably for the best. Wanderer’s rage was very close to boiling over.

“Then by order of the Crystal Princess, you are under arrest.”

"No." I flatly stated, falling back on my haunches and crossing my forelegs. I resisted the urge to laugh at their increased show of aggression.

"I knew it, dragons have no honor..." One of the guardponies growled out under his breath. Though it was not loud enough for the other ponies to hear, the dragons and I could hear it quite plainly.

I resisted the urge to growl, narrow my eyes, or do anything to indicate my extreme hatred for that remark. I knew exactly what it was it was: bait. A quick glance at the offending pony made it clear that this pony not only had a chip on his shoulder, but was a greenhoof guardpony. A rank and file guardpony would keep his comments silent in public. If I were to give a haphazard guess, I would say that his animosity towards dragons has more to do with that irritating Cult of the Scale than some wrong that a dragon might have committed against him, or the Empire. Luckily, a raised claw from me stopped the gathered dragons, who immediately backed off. With that, I could see the tension ease ever so slightly. I was impressed that Wanderer managed to remain ‘civil’ after that remark.

“Contrary to the fantastical tales that refuse to fade away, we are not beasts that kill and take with impunity. Dragons take oaths and agreements very seriously…which apparently you ponies do not. So, come with you? Again, no.” I could see the same pony who made his grumblings known narrow his eyes in further hatred, but I was not going to be influenced by it. “Thirdclaw, gather your Migration…”

“If you mean to start a war the Crystal Heart, our Princess will stop you!” The lieutenant declared.

“War?” I laughed a forced laugh. This pony was an idiot to think he had anything to threaten me with, much less thinking to do so with an artifact of a Keeper of Harmony. “With you!? It would be a slaughter, and I’m fully aware of the Crystal Heart and its powers, along with its limitations. Its loyalty has never been with you crystal ponies...”

“Lies won't save you…”

“ENOUGH!” I roared. With a practiced move of my claw, I lifted the entire platoon and slammed them to the ground, knocking several of them out and dazing the rest. I once again picked up the dazed ponies in my magic and spun them around at high speeds, like a tornado, before dropping them suddenly. The sudden stop knocked out the rest, though they would recover in a few minutes. They would just be out long enough for Wanderer to do what I needed him to do.

“Firstclaw?”

“Just gather the dragons and defend yourselves. Nothing lethal, and no dragon is to engage them, under any circumstances. I shall find out what the fuck has gotten into the Crystal Princess, to send guards… She knows my abilities far outstrip hers, and a small paltoon like this is suicide against all but the most inexperienced dragons, much less the Migration itself…”

“You thinking something happened to her?”

“No idea... “ I clenched my paws in anger. “But I intend to find out.”

As I approached the city from high above, I could see a large gathering at the base of the Crystal Spire. Not an uncommon sight, as it could be a Crystalling, though one of that size was a bit unusual. Plus, Crystal Faire was not for another four months. Maybe a royal proclamation of some type… then again, the platoon of guards...

I quickly dove down under the tower and into the middle of the mainly open court, under the spire. A couple of the guardponies broke off from crowd control and confronted me, with their spears lowered at me. I ignored the guards and looked around to see that this crowd was on the verge of a riot. A glance towards the Crystal Heart told me why. A deep purple and sky blue dragoness was huddled around the Heart. I eyed her for a moment before my mood soured even further.

“Princess of the Crystal Empire, there had better be a good reason for you to send guards to the Migration in such an dishonorable way…” I could see Princess Cadence’s eyes widen ever so slightly. But what I also saw under that surprise was a flash of confusion. She doesn’t know what is going on? It seems she has rogue elements in her guard, then… Great! This could be the start of an insurrection!

“He’s with her!”

“Yeah!”

“Trying to steal our Heart and eat it!”

“Yeah!”

“She’ll burn us all!”

“Crystal Princess save us!”

I ran a paw slowly down my face in exasperation. How did this get out of hand so damn quickly?! Everything seemed fine yesterday, when I flew over the Empire to take in the sights and see how much had changed in the past two thousand years. Shockingly, it didn't appear to be all that different, except there was that modest, at least when it came to size, statue depicting my 'fight' against Starlight Glimmer. Personally, I think it looked much better than the one of me holding the Crystal Heart. I mean, I looked fine and all, but the details were not there... like it was a rush job, which I knew it had to be.

I looked over to see that there was a slightly shimmering dome around the dragoness and the Crystal Heart. I could see why a pony might mistake that to be coming from the dragon, but I recognized it immediately as harmony magic, not draconic magic. The Heart, for whatever reason, was protecting her. No wonder the crystal ponies were in an uproar. Still, this did not excuse their behavior, particularly the ones that had just shouted at me. Actually, I could pick out three voices that seemed to be the main instigators of the waves of insults and curses. If I didn’t stop this, it would end up with bloodshed.

I concentrated hard, as I knew I only had one chance to pull those three out of the crowd. It would not be easy, with dragon magic being less precise than pony magic. Where is Twi when you need her…? I took one more deep breath and pulled. With yelps, the three ponies I wanted came careening right at me, and stopped in a pile at my feet.

“I suggest you tell your guardponies to back off, Crystal Princess. If I wanted them dead, I would have already done so.” I growled out as several guardponies once again approached me with their spears lowered. “I merely wish to have words with these Sombras.”

I could hear gasps from the crowd, followed by a renewal in the calls for dragon blood. No surprise from that, as calling somepony a Sombra was one of the highest insults one could give in the Crystal Empire, even two thousand years removed from his final defeat. But my anger for what these ponies were doing was too great to ‘be nice.’ I could tell that Princess Cadence was momentarily confilcted on how to proceed. She was fully aware that I wasn't going to hurt them. Their comments meant nothing to me... but her ponies were in a state of near riot. She had to walk a very thin line. I just hoped that she was up to the task.

“Your word is no good!” A random pony shouted.

“Is it now?” I called out. I smiled; this crowd was about to get a hard and rude awaking on Draconic, and the inescapable truth that comes from using it, and hearing it. “Words, not death is what I seek; Vārti thav thāve ir tas, üo es leülēju.”

As my words echoed out, the crowd stood in stunned silence. Princess Cadance’s lips remained in a slight frown, but her eyes were smiling. Sneaky, sneaky and a cheater, too, with that veil…

“Now, about you three.” I looked down at the three offending ponies. “I want you to look at the dragoness, and tell me what you see.”

The two mares shrunk back, but the stallion managed to look at me with continued defiance. None of them even attempted to do more than look at the dragoness with fleeting, hateful glances. I sighed at this. If they didn’t take a good enough look, they would not see what a vile thing they had done.

“Go on, take a closer look…” I said with a softer, yet still forceful tone, using my magic to make sure they took the look I told them to.

At first, the ponies resisted, but slowly, and begrudgingly, they complied to my satisfaction, so that I let go of my magic holding them fast. The silence was beginning to become deafening when finally, one by one, the three ponies I had singled out gasped and looked away in shame.

“So, you do see.” I said bitterly, crossing my forelegs. “You verbally attacked and tried to incite this crowd to hurt and possibly kill a scared and blind dragon! Whom, I might add, is a child! All because you think she might eat or steal the Crystal Heart! Are you so daft as to not know what the Crystal Heart really is!? I find that hard to believe, given that understanding what the Crystal Heart is, its role, and power, is part of the standard knowledge taught to every foal in the Crystal Empire. So it should be of no surprise to a school aged foal that the Heart is protecting her from you all... Ain’t that right, Crystal Princess?”

“That is correct, He of Hourglass.” I blinked at her use of that title. I knew she knew my name. Could it be that she was using a title I have not used since becoming a DragonWyrm to let those gathered know that I was the dragon that once saved the empire from Starlight Glimmer’s hatred?

“I’m sorry… I…” The mare on the right squeaked out a barely audible apology.

“Can it, pony,” I sneered at her, not caring that she tried to shrink even further, “you are not sorry, you are merely trying to save face. Now get out of my sight.”

The three offending ponies couldn't move fast enough as they scrambled to get away from me. I turned back to the dragoness after they pushed their way through the shocked crowd and out of sight. With them gone, the crowd would hopefully ease up their hostility enough for me to help the dragoness. I slowly walked up to the edge of the magic dome and sat down. I knew that it might be a slow process to open her up enough to help her, so there was no reason to not get comfortable.

“Greetings, dragoness…” I greeted the dragoness whelp with a soft voice.

If it hadn’t been for a subtle movement of her ear fins, I would have assumed that she didn’t hear me. I waited with baited breath to see whether or not she would greet me. After a few minutes of silence, I sighed, though I was not terribly surprised. She was still way too frightened. I took this time to closely examine her, in hopes of getting a better idea of her state of mind.

Her sky blue spines were out of the ordinary for even hair like spines, as they hugged flat on her head, unlike the usual airy or spiky nature that is more typical of hair spines, though they could be matted down because of how disheveled she was. They were long enough to fall over a pair of tusk-like horns that came out from behind her head and curled forward. Her tail weapon was a spade, just like mine used to be.

I could only guess as to why she was out here and all alone, especially given her handicap. It could have been that her parents were dead, or that she, in a moment of rebelliousness, decided to go on an adventure, and got lost. It was clear that she had been on her own for a bit, and had been struggling, if her disheveled look and her dangerously thin body were any indication. My guess was that she had not had much food for somewhere between three and six months.

“It’s okay if you are unsure of me... I mean, I understand the whole stranger danger deal. My sister was a bit OCD, and, until I could recite by heart her ten page speech on it both forward and backwards, and by backwards I mean backwards, I was not allowed out and about alone.”

“I know we have only met… and we don’t know each other's name, yet, but I would like to be your friend, if you will let me…”

Here would come the tricky part. I didn’t want to let on that I was a dragon just yet, as that could spook her. She was not in the wrong here, but instead, the Crystal Ponies were. Why else would the protection of the Heart be on her?

“I suppose, though, that being a friend would require a name, would it not? I have several, actually.” I leaned in and looked about conspiratorially, even though I knew she couldn’t see me. I was told to act normally, so normally was how I was going to act, even if it did make me look ridiculous. “I even have a secret one that I only allow my friends to call me… Do you want me to tell you that name?”

“It’s Spike. I know it is nothing spectacular, but it was given to me with love…” I smiled, remembering the story of how Twi named me. “Mind if you tell me your name?”

Given the continued silence, I kept going, pausing every so often to see if she would respond back. I knew that it was important to not stop talking for too long. I didn’t want her to think that I might have left. That, and I figured that the more I told her of myself, the more likely it would be that she would open up to me and let me help.

"Azura..." She suddenly spoke up.

"I...uh..." I stuttered to a stop as the dragoness finally spoke her first word. "Come again?"

"My name...It’s Azura."

“Azura… that is a beautiful name… You know, it takes someone truly special for the Crystal Heart to personally protect them.”

“Great, more pity…” Azura bitterly retorted.

“More pity!?” I repeated with fake curiosity. I was not surprised over the reaction. This was, sadly, a typical response; hell, I had, myself, spoken this same snarky offhanded accusation bitterly, when I was subject to yet another cliched ‘I pity you’ line. “I won’t pretend to know the exact details of what brought you here, but what I do know is that we are defined by who we are, not by what limits us... A lesson that I sometimes forget with my own disability... Man, I am really corny today... Maybe my clan is right, and I really shouldn't sulk in the philosophy section…”

"You're funny…” Aurza snickered. “A bit cocky too…”

“You remind me of my sister…” I rolled my eyes, smirking. “But, in all seriousness, the Heart is not protecting you out of pity.”

“I know.” Azura sighed. “It’s just that I’m so tired of being treated so differently when they find out that I'm blind. It's like, suddenly I’m a dainty little flower. I can handle myself… most of the time…”

“I understand more then you may realize, but… between you and me, sight is overrated.” I chuckled offhandedly, which got Azura to giggle.

Azura suddenly walked forward. I was tempted to back up, as I still wasn’t sure what her reaction would be if she found out my race. I noticed that there was a confidence to her steps. She had to have been blind a long time to have that sort of assurance in her movements. She even managed to stop right in front of me before she reached out with her hands and started to examine my face.

“Azura?” I questioned. She didn’t even flinch when she had begun to feel my face. She just slowly went around my head, slowly capturing all my features with a soft touch. If I hadn’t had this happen to me a long time ago, by a blind filly, I would have been uncomfortable. The burning question I had during this, which I failed to get out, was how did she know that I was a dragon? How else would she not flinch? Of course, there was a chance that she was just that good at masking her surprise.

“I may be blind, but I do have an excellent sense of smell…” Azura answered my unspoken question. “Every time you talked, I smelled just the slightest hint of sulfur; that, and the draconic cinched it.”

I breathed a bit of breath into my paw and smelled it. Darn dragon breath… Twi is always getting after me about it. This of course elicited another giggle from Azura. She does have a pretty giggle...

As I thought that, something... weird came over me... something oddly familiar, but I could not place what it was. It was similar to with Charcoal, when I determined that he was going to join our clan. But this felt different, as well as deeper, purer somehow… What in The Voice is going on!? I knew it was possible, as a firstclaw, to tell a possible candidate for clanship, but only when the secondclaw is incapacitated in some way... Like when the clan first began, though, technically, Dragon FireWyrm did choose them, even if no one knew then that he was the Secondclaw...

Suddenly, I could see a heart shaped ball of magic float in front of me, popping as it touched the bridge of my snout. I growled in irritation; Princess Cadance knew better than to interfere with a mating... A mating!? I realized, stunned, for now I knew what the feeling was. So it was that some part of me was letting me know that Azura was my destined mate, just like I knew about Charcoal… whether or not this was related, as well, to the friendship wave, I didn’t know. Either way, I would have to deal with with this all later… after I finished berating Princess Cadence for doing something so foolish.

"Are… are you okay?" Azura hesitantly asked, clearly concerned over my sudden and probably awkward silence.

"Azura..." I forced my voice to be flat, as I didn’t want to give way my excitement. I pulled out from my hidden pouch behind my necktie the two wedding horn rings that Rarity and her mate Spotlight wore, converted into earrings, and her fire ruby necklace. All three had been given to me to give to the right dragon, which I was sure was Azura. "There is something I wish to give to you…”

I put the wedding earrings and the fire ruby necklace into her hands, and closed them. Azura scrunched her eyebrows in confusion as she opened her hands to examine what I gave her. She slowly traced the details in the gold work and sniffed the gems. I was a bit worried that her hunger would overpower her, but she never made a move to eat them. If anything, she had no idea what to do with them.

“I don't understand... Why would…”

I made my move and grabbed her face and kissed her open maw, allowing my green flames to enter her mouth. Though her eyes were sightless, I could see her pupils quickly become slitted. I nearly hiccuped in delight when I saw that, tears welling up. My soul was about to be joined with another dragon’s. Though I had remained hopeful, I honestly had figured that this day could never come. Well at least, not like this. I figured that maybe the only way I would ever get a mate was with the Cktrieüs Šüitruls Ezustācija Ceremony.

DragonWyrm Heart was momentarily caught unaware when Azura lunged forward, knocking him onto his back. With a gasp, all the air in his lungs left him before he was attacked with a full on open kiss from her, a rushing plume of fires flowing deep into his gullet. He managed to maintain just enough of his wits for just long enough to get the necklace around her neck, and the earrings pinned into her ear frills, before he was attacked with another full-on open kiss from her, a rushing plume of her flame flowing deep into his gullet.

Azura’s body began to shift and morph, though DragonWyrm Heart barely noticed as he moaned from the assault, her fire tasting like fully aged and roasted sapphires, his favorite gem prepared in his favorite way. The problem was that he couldn't get enough of it, fast enough. Something clicked within him, and he greedily pushed his own flame out to make room for Azura's. He could only think of her flame, and he wanted it all. It wasn't long before his flame was extinguished from his mouth, forever. Only Azura’s formerly blue flame remained, but he didn't care.

Puffing out a little of his new flame, his attention was drawn to his nether region. His adult penis was showing for the very first time. Like a lot of dragon features, each dragon’s penis was unique to the dragon. His had a pointed tip, with a series of long, sharp barbs that went from the tip to the base, near what appeared to be forming knots. Gah I knew I shouldn't have helped Twi with her phallic research. DragonWyrm Heart rolled his eyes as he returned his attention to his mate, who was growling in frustration at the lack of penetration.

DragonWyrm Heart, with an instinctive ease, pushed right into Azura, the barbs sending waves of pleasure through them both. DragonWyrm Heart himself struggled with the primal urges that were normally taken up by the wyrm half, but he pushed through, after taking a second to collect himself, beginning to thrust back and forth. As he did, he slowly became aware of not only his own body, but that of Azura. With every thrust, DragonWyrm Heart could feel himself, his very essence changing, morphing, becoming not just DragonWyrm Heart, but also the new She of Hourglass. Soon, this sensation of fucking and being fucked was almost too much for him to handle, and, for a moment, he slowed down, taking a moment to collect himself enough to ramp it up.

Suddenly, for an infinitesimal moment, there just a single dragon soul swirling and dancing together. There was no DragonWyrm Heart and no She of Hourglass, just a dragon flaring up in the raw flames of magic. DragonWyrm Heart thrusted one last time into She of Hourglass, and a rush of pleasure and power overcame them both, as he let out a roar before snapping his head forward in reflex and biting down on his mate’s shoulder.

As I came down and back, I could feel a soul crushing emptiness within myself, not unlike when I lost my wyrm half. But, when I gazed into my mate’s eyes, I saw the rest of myself reaching out to try and embrace me and become one again. For, in that moment, as I looked into those eyes, I was whole again. Crystal Heart… I smiled as I breathlessly caressed my mate’s cheek. How poetic and beautiful. Doubly so, as she was momentarily looking crystalline. Apparently, during our copulation, we had triggered the Heart.

I inwardly chuckled as I saw that she was lusting for some more sex. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to do more, myself, I didn’t want to make a bigger scene for Princess Cadence to clean up. We would have time later, anyway, all the time we wanted, now that we had found each other. With a groan, I gently pushed myself up off the ground.

My mate’s disappointment was evident only for a moment, before her features morphed to embarrassment. Apparently, she finally noticed the lack of sound. It was so quiet that I'm sure that a pin could have been dropped in the Canterlot ruins, and we would have heard it.

I smirked when I looked over to see Princess Cadence stunned and/or embarrassed; it was hard to tell which, though; maybe both, if the blush and slightly opened jaw were any indication. Of course, she wasn’t the only one stunned, as I took a glance around at the remaining gathered ponies, some of whom were passed out on the street. What worried me, though, was that there were ponies from the Cult of the Scale scattered about in the crowd, easily identifiable by their distinctive scale pattern cloaks. The way they looked at my mate and I sent shivers down my spine.

“We need to talk, Crystal Princess. Now.”

Author's Notes:

Comment, like, fav... please the first is really nice don't make me sic crazy pinkie on you

On a side note I had this one and the next one ready for over a week but my editor works for a very well known 'evil' corporation that slave drives their workers so editing has been slow...