The sun made an unwelcome appearance as I struggled to pull myself into wakefulness. It had seemed to be only a few minutes since we had hit the hay, but given a quick glance at the horizon proved that false. The sun was almost a quarter the way to high noon, the light shining just under the branches of the ancient oak and just above Mel’s curved back. I rolled to the side and stood up, grunting as stiff muscles protested the movement and popped in multiple places.

“Boy I need to find a better pillow.” I glanced down at Nilak as he opened his eyes, “You need to soften some of those bricks you call muscles. It was like sleeping on a feathered boulder.”

Says the colt who snores like a buzz saw, he retorted, I only fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion. Had I not been so tired I wouldn’t have been able to sleep at all.

Now listen you overgrown skink, I growled through our link, if I have to listen to you complain for a moment longer I’m going to knock your teeth in.

Try it featherhead. I’d like to see how far you get with three legs.

Both of you shut up, Mel muttered irritably, you were thinking so loud you woke me and Lucky up. Now if you’re going to try and prove who’s got the bigger set of balls, kindly take it someplace else so we can get some rest.

Yeah, Lucky added, you two are worse than a pair of turkeys in mating season. All fluff and bluster.

Mel chuckled under her breath, good one Lucky. I swear that made one hell of a mental image.

While they shared a laugh Nilak and I shared a knowing look of our own. Females, we thought at the same time.

I had a feeling the banter would have gone on longer, but at that moment Ivy and Winx decided to wake up. Ivy arched her back like a cat and yawned widely, “Morning everyone. Did you sleep well?”

We shared a look between us and came to a silent agreement. Lucky walked up and knelt down in front of Ivy, her back muscles tense in anticipation, “Hey Ivy, would you like to know a little secret?”

At the mention of a secret Ivy bolted upright, all traces of sleep gone at the prospect of gossip, “What is it? What’s the scoop?” Her voice practically dripped with curiosity and I knew Lucky had her hooked. Now the only question would be if we could keep her on the line long enough to get the job done.

“Well, you have to come over here for me to tell you.” Lucky turned and walked over to stand next to Nilak and Mel, “You see it’s something that has to do with our dragons.”

Ivy didn’t hesitate in following Lucky, her gaze shifting from Nilak to Mel and then back to the blue mare, “What? Tell me before I explode from the suspense.”

I made my way around Nilak and past Ivy so I could sit beside Winx. The Pixie Glider was awake but not really paying attention to anything. She rolled over without any resistance at my gentle nudge so I could access the collar. I made a quick check to make sure Ivy wasn’t looking, and then got to work. I could hear the girls talking, though their words were too soft to make out.

As I popped the panel on the front of the collar I picked up Mel’s mental words as she spoke to Ivy, it’s nice to meet you Ivy Charm. We’ve never had the chance to talk before.

I didn’t have to listen very hard to pick up Ivy’s shocked statement, “You can talk! Since when?”

As I cut through the first wire I listened to Mel and Nilak talk with Ivy about this, that and the other, attempting to answer her questions without saying too much. In thirty seconds the first two wires were cut, but that still left the massive white one to deal with. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure Ivy still wasn’t looking, and began cutting the last wire in earnest. I knew the idea of talking to Winx in her head would hit my excitable friend at some point, and I needed to be finished before that happened. Sweat trickled down my face as I cut through the wire bit by bit, knowing that every second was precious and I couldn’t afford to look back for lack of time.

I was just about to cut the last filament when Ivy called out to me, “Hey Silver, what are you doing with Winx?”

I knew it was now or never so I cut the last wire and placed the panel back where it belonged. I sighed in relief as Ivy walked up, her hazel eyes filled with interest as she looked over my shoulder at Winx’s collar, “What were you doing over here?”

I looked up at her and shrugged, “I was wondering if maybe Winx could use some ointment, the collar is making a rub mark around her neck.” I pointed to a thin line of discoloration along the edge of the collar, hoping she would buy my fib.

She leaned close and snickered, “That’s just a darker patch on Winx’s skin.” She smacked me lightly over the back of the head, “You need to have your eyes checked.”

I took the hit as a sign she believed me, and then looked over at Winx’s head to see if she was truly free. Her eyes seemed to be conflicted, which I took to be good because they had been blank before, though when I nudged her mentally she seemed to not understand what was happening. She lifted her head and looked around, confusion evident on her face as she seemed to not understand where the
nudge had come from.

I leaned over and touched her neck, her head swinging around to look at me with interest, her frills erect and twitching in her nervous state, hello Winx. Can you hear me? Can you understand me?

I tried to make it a soft voice so as not to scare her, and after a moment or two I received a faint reply, who – who are you? She looked around and took in the others, what am I doing here? Her voice was soft and unsure, sounding more like the voice of a young girl rather than that of an over-confident teenager.

You are free of the collar young one, Mel said softly as she lay down next to the smaller dragon, we are your friends and wish to help you now that you are able to communicate.

Winx looked up at the larger dragon with a twinge of fear in her eyes, I want Ivy. She looked around with need in her eyes, where’s Ivy?

Ivy walked up and held the dragon’s head to her chest, “It’s alright Winx, I’m here.” She looked up at Mel and asked, “What do you mean, ‘free from the collar’? Did something happen to make her unable to talk?”

Mel, Nilak, Lucky and I shared a look, and, in seeing agreement all around, decided to tell her.

I sat down next to her in the grass and captured her gaze with mine. The intensity in my eyes must have grabbed her attention, because she didn’t look away as she gently rubbed the side of Winx’s muzzle. “You might want to sit down. This is going to take a while.” She sat on the grass and Winx lowered her head to rest on the ground next to her, though her eyes were locked to mine as well. I took a deep breath and said, “Well, you see it started long ago when dragons worked side by side with ponies……”

It took several hours to tell the whole story, mainly because Mel and Nilak would add in bits and pieces here and there, not to mention Ivy’s million and one questions. Winx never said a word, given this was all new to her as well, but as the tale was told, her eyes began to well up with tears, and by the time I had finished she was crying silently into Ivy’s chest. I waited for a bit for all of it to sink in, but it was not Ivy who spoke first.

Winx lifted her head and sniffed loudly, her yellow eyes glistening with tears as they ran down the sides of her face, all this time I was a slave, unable to think or speak for myself. I never knew my mother. I never knew any of my family. And you’re saying almost all of the dragons have to live like that their entire lives?!

She broke down into silent sobs and Ivy held her head to her chest, “There, there Winx. I still love you. In fact, I love you even more than I ever did before.” She lifted Winx’s head so she could look into her eyes, wiping away the tears with her hoof, “You will always be family to me, and nothing will ever change that. You are everything to me, and I would rather die than see you suppressed once more.” She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to Winx’s, holding the dragon to her as Winx shook with sobs. A single tear ran down the green mare’s cheek to join Winx’s in the grass and I looked away to give them some privacy.

Lucky and the other dragons did the same as we walked a short distance away to let them have their moment alone. After a minute or two Ivy walked up with a much more comforted Winx. Both sets of eyes were red-rimmed from crying, but within those eyes were twin flames of determination that flared and roared like a set of stars.

Winx held her head high and her whole body radiated courage like a furnace. She met Mel and Nilak’s eyes and smiled, I want to help you free the other dragons. I don’t want anydragon to ever be held captive in their own minds ever again.

“That goes double for me,” Ivy added with a hoof against her heart, “there’s no way I’m letting that slime ball Mythic get away with this.”

Nilak and Mel smiled as Lucky and I hoof-bumped. Nilak looked between Winx and Ivy, his eyes betraying his joy where his face would not, welcome to the group. It is an honor to have you with us, and I believe that we now have the chance to break the spell over the other dragons. Alone we would have fallen, but together, we will triumph. He placed his left paw in the air at chest level, one cannot stand,

Mel placed her left paw on top of Nilak’s, but two can support each other,

They both looked at Winx, and she placed her left paw on top of theirs, and three will never be broken.

I walked up and placed my left hoof on top of theirs, “United we stand,”

Lucky placed hers next to mine, “united we fall,”

Ivy put hers between Lucky and me, smiling as she glanced at us both, “dragons and ponies, fighting for all.”

There was a brief flash of light where our flesh touched, and I felt warmth spread into my body until it settled in my chest over my heart. I pulled my hoof back as the others did the same, “What was that?”

That was a bit of dragon magic that sealed our bond as a group, Nilak explained, it does nothing more than connect us all in mind and spirit, but that connection will now be stronger than it ever could have been before. For instance, he looked between Lucky, Ivy and I, you three will now be able to speak to each other in your minds without using one of us as a conduit. Also, your natural speed, strength and agility have been boosted by sharing our strength with you. That warmth you felt was a bit of our power joining with your bodies. You are now stronger, faster, and more powerful than any dragon rider before you. You will learn in time that you can do things most would believe to be impossible, and that your true power will only grow the more you bond with us.

Ivy looked at Winx with a wide smile on her face, “This is awesome! I never thought I could get to know you all over again!” She hugged Winx around the base of her neck, “This is going to be great!”

Mel chuckled, it’s not over yet. First we have to get into the Dagon Circuit if we even stand a chance of getting close to Mythic.

Nilak nodded, that’s right, unless we get strong enough to go toe to toe with the most powerful dragons in the world, we won’t stand a chance.

“So it’s settled then,” I said as I draped my legs over the girls’ shoulders, “we’ve got training to do. Try and keep up ladies. I wouldn’t want you to get left behind.”

Lucky and Ivy shared a look, and then grabbed me by my ankles and flipped me backwards in a complete summersault. I landed on my back with a grunt as the wind was knocked out of me, and I looked up to see the girls standing over me with mirror grins on their faces.

“How about you worry about keeping up with us?” Ivy said as she walked back over to Winx.

“Yeah,” Lucky added as she jumped into Mel’s saddle, “we wouldn’t want to have to drag you along.” She laughed as Mel and Winx took off into the air, leaving Nilak and I to catch up.

As I climbed into the saddle he chuckled in the back of my head, those four are going to be quite the pawful.

Yeah, I agreed, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re the best and only choice for the job. I wouldn’t want anypony else beside me in battle.

Nilak grunted as he beat his wings and took off into the air after the girls, speaking to me quietly before we caught up to them, you know we’re going to have to tell them at some point that killing Mythic is the only way to break the spell.

Don’t remind me, I whispered back, Mel knows that too, but I think we can all agree that is a bit of info we’d better save for later. I think at some point Ivy and Lucky will think it is necessary to do whatever it takes to free the dragons, but right now it would be too much.

I agree, he glanced over his shoulder at me and nodded before flying up to glide next to the girls.

The trip back home was uneventful compared to what had just happened, but as Nilak and I landed next to the stable at home, I couldn’t help but feel something was wrong.

I slid off of Nilak’s back and he caught my gaze, I feel it too. It’s like something is waiting for us inside the house and knows we arrived.

I’ll check it out. Stay here and wait for my signal. If there’s trouble I’ll call out for you. I glanced at the door, until then we need to be careful.

I walked up to the back door and knocked once, but the door fell over off of its hinges. I hesitated before walking inside, feeling like something was going to jump out of the shadows at me. The lights were out and when I tried the switch nothing happened. Bits of broken pottery and overturned furniture littered the house, indicating there had been some kind of a struggle. I stepped slowly from the kitchen to the living room, my hooves crunching on broken glass as I spotted the shattered front window. I looked around what remained of our first floor and knew that this was an attack. Someone had broken in and trashed the place. The only question was, who, and why?

I walked up the stairs, the pictures that had been hanging on the wall torn to shreds and broken on the wooden steps. I hoped mom had been out during the attack, and I wanted to call out for her badly, but knew if anypony was still here it would be a bad idea. The bedroom at the top of the steps was in no better shape than the rest of the house, the covers torn to shreds and the mattress ripped into three tattered pieces. The drawers of the dresser and everything in them had been scattered across the room, scarves hanging off of the mirror and a blue dress clinging to the edge of the bed. I walked down the hall and pushed my door open, finding my own room had not been touched. I tilted my head in confusion and walked around, checking to make sure everything was still there. As it turned out, not a thing had been moved as far as I knew, and all of my valuables were still in plain sight. I turned to check the rest of the house when a piece of paper taped on my door caught my attention. I walked over and ripped it off, reading the colorful handwriting with some difficulty.

It said a total of ten words, but they sent a chill down my spine as I dropped it to the floor,

Check your closet. Your old friends, the Blood Claw Riders.

I knew now why my room had not been touched, they wanted me to come in and find the note. I walked over to the closet and swallowed thickly, knowing something horrid was going to be on the other side of the doors. I closed my eyes and pulled open the doors, the smell of blood hitting my nose even before I opened my eyes. My heart seemed to stop as I stared at what was before me, not believing my own eyes. I had to remember to breath as I tried not to fall over. My stomach heaved but I held it in with difficulty, trying not to add to the mess that already covered the inside of my closet. My mother, or what was left of her, was strung up on the wall like a prize deer or a trophy fish. Her limbs were arranged in an X and her body was upside down. Her eyes were wide open and her mouth was ajar in a death scream. Her throat had been cut so deeply that her head was barely attached to her body. Her chest no longer existed. It had been replaced by a gaping hole that was rimmed by markings that looked a lot like dragon teeth. Her body was a mess, and if the blood coming out of her privates was anything to go by, she had been used and abused before being killed. All along her legs where words cut with what looked like a thin knife. The simple sentence went down one leg and then up the other, spelling out why she had been killed in gruesome efficiency.

No one crosses the Blood Claw and lives.

I ran back out of the house and jumped directly into Nilak’s saddle without any help. He started to ask what was going on but I cut him off, “Just fly. We need to get Lucky and the others fast. Then we need to get out of here before they come back.”

Before who comes back? he asked as we took off into the air.

I looked back at my former house with fear in my heart and loss in my soul, “The Blood Claw.”

Author's Notes:

Well that got messy towards the end. Horseapples I feel like taking those Blood Claw and feeding them to their mounts for doing this to Silver. But that wouldn't leave anything for the plot to use as tension. So, I guess you'll have to wait for your sweet revenge on those Tartarus spawn.
Anyway, see you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.