I forced my face to remain blank as Lucky looked over at me, “Not funny Silver. I know it’s you throwing your voice.”

I looked at her with a confused expression, keeping up the ploy of not knowing what was happening, “What are you talking about? I never learned to throw my voice. If I could then you’d be hearing me in your flowerpot or your closet.” I rolled onto my other side to face away from her, pretending to go back to sleep, “Now quit bugging me and go to sleep.”

I could imagine her opening her mouth to spit back a barbed retort, but Mel interrupted, It’s not Silver speaking to you, it’s me, Melinda.

I couldn’t see them because my back was turned, but I could imagine Lucky looking down at Mel with confusion, “You can talk? Why didn’t you say anything before?”

Because she was unable to until now, Nilak added in with his two bits. You might want to speak in your mind, or else Ivy might think you’ve gone crazy and are talking to yourself.

I couldn’t take not being able to see, so I faked stretching and rolled back over so I could spy on Lucky and Mel with narrowed eyes. Lucky’s head was turning from side to side, apparently trying to pinpoint the second voice that had spoken in her mind.

Who’s that? Her mind voice sounded more pure and less emotional than her real one, but the twinge of fear could still be heard in her tone. Where are you?

Lying down with my head on Silver’s hip, was the simple reply.

Lucky looked over at us and her eyes widened as she put two and two together. Nilak? You’re the one in my head? What, how, what’s going on?!

I figured now was as good a time as any to join in and give Lucky some help. I opened my eyes and caught her gaze, it’s a very long story Lucky, but you should really listen to what the dragons have to say. The truth is going to be very new to you and very hard to believe. If I wasn’t speaking to your mind through them right now I wouldn’t have believed it either.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at me, only to widen again in shock as I nodded slightly. “Holy Celestia! Silver, you’re – Get out of my head!” She grabbed the sides of her head and closed her eyes tight, “This is all just a dream. It’s all just a dream. A really, really bad dream.”

Mel nudged Lucky in the foreleg with her muzzle to get her attention, this is not a dream Lucky. It is real and you don’t know how happy I am to be able to speak with you at last. You see, I was not myself until tonight. I was unable to express my emotions and unable to connect with you. She moved her front foot to rest gently on Lucky’s leg, I want to truly be your friend, and if you reject the truth I can’t do that. Will you listen? Will you let me explain?

Lucky slowly opened her eyes and locked gazes with Mel. She seemed to see the plea in her lavender eyes and slowly nodded. Alright, I’ll listen. She looked at Nilak and I with a sharp gaze, but if either of you butt into my head again without permission I’m going to bean both of you with a tree branch.

Mel chuckled over the mental link, don’t worry, I’ll let them listen but they won’t be able to comment without my say so. She turned her head to look at us, right boys?

Nilak and I nodded, knowing that too much at one time could drive Lucky off the cliff. Mel nodded and turned her head back around to rest in front of Lucky’s hooves. I guess I’ll just start at the beginning, it’s as good a place as any. You see Lucky, dragons and ponies lived in peace in the very distant past. We respected one another and worked together in many ways. However, that all came crashing down when a small group of ponies started spreading lies and myths about our beastly nature and our hunger for death. Out of fear the ponies attacked us and that began the Great War. You know the stories of dragons killing whole villages of innocent stallions, mares and foals, and I won’t deny that it happened. However, it was only a select few who went mad with the rage of battle. Most dragons wanted to end the fighting but were never given the chance. Then, along came the wizard Mythic Song. Using magic that we taught him, he created the collars and began enslaving dragons. The magic within the collars suppressed our will and emotions to the point that we were no longer true dragons. I wouldn’t even call it truly being alive to have your mind stripped down to the very basic understanding of orders and obedience. Ponies took their new power over us and worked tirelessly to enslave every last one of our kind, but they did not succeed. A few dragons here and there escaped the clutches of the hunters, and together we formed The Dragon Coalition, a small community with the sole purpose of staying free and finding a way to do the same for our fellow dragons.

My eyes widened slightly, given this was the first time I had heard about this Dragon Coalition. I didn’t interrupt even though I badly wanted to, and tried to listen to the rest of the story without blurting something out.

Several years ago, not too long before I came to be your partner, I was one of those free dragons, and I was sent here to find and free my fellow dragons. However, I was captured and collared before I could do anything, and had it not been for Silver I would still be under Mythic’s control.

Mythic’s control? Lucky’s confusion was plain to hear in her thoughts, how can one pony control the dragons? You followed my orders when you wouldn’t follow those of other ponies.

That was because Mythic Song has not yet activated the full power of the collars. Who else but the creator of the collars could truly be in control? I was sent here to find him and break the spell that controls the collars before he can put his plan into action.

I could tell Lucky was confused again. It was written all over her face, his plan? What could he possibly be planning?

Mel sighed, He plans on using the true power of the collars to take control of every dragon in the world. With that much power at his command, nopony, not even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, would be able to stop him in his quest to take over the planet. I know it sounds crazy, but Mythic Song made it very clear to the free dragons that once he found us, he would turn us into his most prized generals. She scoffed, he made it sound like we would become gems in his crown or medals on his coat. Now what would you need generals for if you didn’t have an army for them to command? I would have done anything to free my fellow dragons if it meant stopping Mythic Song.

Lucky seemed to be deeply struck by what Mel had been saying. Her eyes were conflicted and her hooves kept tracing circles in the grass. I knew she only fiddled with her hooves like that when she was very troubled, so I sent a quick mental nudge to Mel, hoping she would let me in to speak with Lucky.

I let out a silent sigh of relief when she opened the connection, and I hesitantly sent a calming thought to my friend, I know it’s a lot to take in, but I believe what Mel and Nilak have told me, and I’ve agreed to help them in their mission to free the other dragons. It would be a huge help if you would join our cause. We could really use someone with your skills in the coming challenges. I paused to let her think a bit, glad she hadn’t reacted badly to my thoughts in her head like before, we need you Lucky. What do you say?

She looked up at me and then over at Nilak. He lifted his head off of my hip and nodded once, letting her know he felt the same. Lucky looked down at Mel in front of her and then at the moon over above the horizon. Her hoof lazily rubbed over the top of Mel’s muzzle, and I heard the soft purr that told us she liked the attention.

After staring out at the moon for several minutes, apparently getting her thoughts in line and weighing her options, she looked down at Mel once again with determination in her eyes, I’ll help you. If what you’ve told me is true then I agree that the dragons should be free. We have no right to take away a sentient creature’s free will and use them for our own purposes. She looked over at Nilak and me, her gaze softening, sorry for biting your heads off boys, it was just too much to take with all three of you in my head.

We understand. Nilak lifted his head and smirked comically, believe me, getting Silver to listen was like pulling teeth.

As Lucky laughed into her hoof I smacked Nilak across the cheek, hey! Give a guy a break! You nearly scared me to death when you came out of the alley with no collar on and roaring your head off! Not to mention the things you did to those Blood Claw guys!

Blood Claw? Lucky asked, who said anything about Blood Claw?

I mentally facehoofed for my big mouth, umm, you see Lucky, I had a run-in with a group of them the night I found Nilak, and had he not been there I’m certain I’d be dead.

You were attacked and you didn’t tell me! She pushed Mel’s head out of the way and leapt onto me, pushing me over and rolling across the ground as Nilak jumped out of the way.

We rolled for several feet before coming to a stop with Lucky sitting on my chest. She then began shaking me by the shoulders and spouting verbal abuse at me, and had I not been scared for my life I might have been able to enjoy the very nice view between her legs. Her marehood was out in the open thanks to her position on top of me, although I was forced to remember my priorities as she pushed me back to bang my head on the ground. Stars exploded in my vision and half of the sky turned jet black. I thought for a second that she was going to kill me, but Mel decided to get involved and break up the fight. She had walked over to us and reached down to bite Lucky’s mane gently, lifting her off of me and holding her about eight feet off the ground. Nilak used his front paw to help me sit up as I held my aching head, and as my mind cleared I could hear Lucky pissing a fit as she struggled in Mel’s grip.

“Put me down you overgrown Iguana!” She tried reaching above her to pry open Mel’s jaws but couldn’t get a grip, “Put me on the ground now or I’ll scream!”

You’re already screaming, Mel said calmly, and if I put you down now you’d just go back to beating the poor colt’s brains out. Now calm down so we can talk about this like rational beings instead of hormone-crazed teenagers. She held Lucky aloft until she stopped struggling, and then gently lowered her to the ground, there, now we can talk calmly and quietly, or did you forget that Ivy and Winx are right over there?

Lucky seemed to have forgotten about the other girls, her head whipping around to spot the two under the tree in the fear of being caught talking to herself. Luckily both Winx and Ivy were very heavy sleepers. I would have been surprised if setting a firecracker off next to their ear would wake them up. Ivy was still against the trunk of the tree with Winx’s head resting at her left side, the dragon’s body curled around to make the general shape of a crescent moon. Neither of them seemed to have moved an inch the entire night, and I imagined they wouldn’t wake up until the sun started shining in a few hours.

Lucky sighed in relief and looked up at Mel, alright miss calm and collected, but next time that idiot does something stupid, she indicated me with a wave of her hoof, I’m going to knock his head in for making me worry so much.

On that you don’t have to worry, Nilak added, I’ll hold him down while you punch so he can’t get away.

You know I can hear every word you’re saying, right? I tried not to let my annoyance show in my mental voice, now, if you three are done planning my demise, we have another dilemma to ponder. I looked over at Winx and Ivy, do we include those two in our group and tell them our secret?

Of course we should tell them! Lucky practically screamed in my head, I’m not going to keep my friend in the dark while we go off saving the world. What do you think we’re going to do about her, tie her up and leave them at home to worry? I don’t think so!

You must remember, Nilak interjected, Winx was fitted with the collar from birth, while Mel and I were born wild. It is possible that because she was taken over at such a young age that she might not have much of a mind to use. If we are going to include Winx and Ivy in our plans and have them work with us, we need to know first if Winx will even be of any help.

And how do you plan on doing that? Lucky asked, in case you haven’t noticed, both of them are going to be out cold until past sunrise. If you plan on freeing Winx from the collar, you’re going to have to do it in front of Ivy. I don’t know about you, but seeing someone cut the power to what I think is the only thing keeping me alive might be a bit of a shock.

Nilak and Mel shared a glance and then looked at me, well mister engineer, Nilak said expectantly, you’re the one who freed Mel. How do we get Ivy to go along with this without freaking her out or scaring her to death?

I scratched my head, give me a minute to think. I’m sure I’ll come up with something. I lowered my gaze to the ground and started to pace. For some reason it always helped me think to be in motion. I moved back and forth between the dragons, walking first around and behind Nilak and then around Mel in a figure eight. Then I went back to pacing between them.

Does he always do this to come up with something? Mel asked.

Pretty much every time, was Lucky’s answer, I’ve got a permanent bald spot in the carpet where he spent three hours walking back and forth trying to come up with ways to earn money.

I growled over the mental link, if you guys would be quiet I could concentrate much better. I took a few more steps when all of a sudden it hit me, wait a minute, concentrate! I’ve got it! I spun around to look at the three expectant faces before me, all we have to do is introduce Mel and Nilak to Ivy in her head. If she gets to talk to you three in her mind it might distract her long enough for me to free Winx. Think about it, when Lucky first made mental contact with Mel, she was so confused she couldn’t think straight. Now imagine if Lucky could speak with Ivy while you two add in things as you see fit. It should be enough of a thrill to keep her attention away from Winx while I work on the wiring. Once Winx is free and we find out if she has enough of a brain to be of any help, then we can make the choice of whether or not to fill Ivy in on the truth.

I dare say that might be crazy enough to work, Lucky smiled as she walked up and slapped me on the shoulder, “Make sure you work fast. There’s only so much we can gossip about before she thinks something is up.”

I nodded, “Don’t worry. Now that I know what wires to cut it shouldn’t take more than a minute or two.”

Well we’d better get some sleep before then, Nilak said, looking to the east, if we pull an all-nighter we’re not going to have a prayer in the morning.

Good point Nilak, Mel said, turning back to the tree and lying down next to Winx, you three chattering all night has given me a headache. She yawned hugely and laid her head on her front paws, goodnight.

Nilak followed me as Lucky lay against Mel’s flank, her eyes fluttering shut almost immediately. Nilak curled up close enough to Mel to twine his tail with hers, though far enough so that I could rest against his side facing Lucky. His feathers were as soft as I remembered, and before long my eyes were having trouble staying open. I didn’t fight it and let them close, my imagination turning Nilak’s feathers into a cloud as I drifted off to sleep. My last thought was a quick prayer to the Royal Sisters, please let this go right. I don’t want all of this trouble to have been for nothing. With that I slipped into deep sleep and sailed on my wings up and into the night sky.

Author's Notes:

Well, here's chapter four as promised. I should be able to get chapter five and maybe even six up by tonight, so keep a look out for that. Anyways, how do you like the story so far? Anypony got a fav character yet?
Anyway, I'll see you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.