"How did Hangnail get his name? He never got around to telling me." The trek across the badlands and over the lower hills was uneventful. Sticking to our travel by night and sleep by day plan, we were able to avoid any daytime creatures that would want to do us harm, including dragons. As we entered the jungles I started to get some flashbacks of my previous trip and needed some light conversation to take my mind off of them. Velvet chuckled at my topic of choice.

"His would-be wife came across him hanging from a cliff while they were out in the west. A sinkhole had opened up as he was initially traveling alone and left him, well, hanging. She had miraculously come across him and thought he was so cute. Personally, I think she was stalking him long before he fell in the hole. In any case, she put her favorite bow on his head and refused to help him up, lest the bow would fall. "

"That's horrible!"

Velvet pushed aside a vine and glanced up into the canopy of the trees. It was harder to measure what time of the night it was now with the thicker foliage. "Not so much as the part where he thought he heard water below and let go. He landed in an underground lake. The bow landed on the embankment and cracked in two. When he finally found a way out and made it back to the village, she took the broken bow back and never spoke to him again. "

"Probably why he decided to adopt. Less dangerous."

Velvet laughed louder than I ever heard him before. "I need to remember that and tell him."

A few more hours and the air took on a briny scent. Our idle chat had gotten less and less wordy. Now we were very quiet, and very tense. The jungle thinned and the dirt gave way to bits of shell and sand in between tufts of long grasses. Crashing waves could be heard in the distance. We stepped out of the trees and saw it. There it was, the mount of rock out in the open with its dark portal yawning into the night. Not a wisp of smoke coming out of it, belying the danger inside. I eyed the mound, remembering the last time I saw it, the red scales so vivid as the massive red exploded out of the tunnel in a rage a few years ago. Tonight was to be chaotic and deadly. I hoped I was up to the task.

Cautiously we both left the tree line and crept our way across the terrain until we were pressed up against the rock face a short distance to the side of the opening. I had considered our entire journey lucky until a massive gust of steam spewed down on us from above. I rolled to the side and came up with my blade in hoof as Velvet drew his bow taught and aimed up. When the cloud of steam cleared, the shadowed silhouette of a dark blue dragon's head and neck hovered above us.

"You are lucky I volunteered to watch the cave mouth and patrol the skies so I could anticipate your arrival. A very last minute arrival, for this is the eve of High Summer. My fellow drakes will soon begin their revelry, the window will close soon."

The blue dragon moved slowly down the side of the rocks as it descended to us. I put my blade away, recognizing the dragon, but Velvet still held his weapon at the ready. Moving to his side, I whispered, "That is the one we were supposed to meet. You saw him back in the Badlands." A low growl thrummed from Velvet's chest, yet he relented and lowered his bow. The dragon stopped in front of the cave mouth and waited for us.

"The path is clear all the way down. Once you reach the pools of fire, turn left and follow the wall until it dips into the shadows. There is a tunnel that extends out towards the sea." The blue then extended his neck, indicating for us to go down the spiraling ramp. Despite the fact that this was our ally, we still moved forward tentatively. The blue dragon lingered behind, swishing the cave floor with his long tail as we progressed down. I eyed his behavior until he whispered in a dull rumble, "You scents linger on the stones. This should mask your passage so as not to distract them when it is time to flee." We continued down the winding tunnel until we entered the large cavern, the eerie fires burning on the pools of liquid. A few seconds of waiting showed no other occupants in the cavern. I picked my way around to the left while Velvet scanned the center of the area for any unexpected greeting parties. Occasionally sounds of celebration wafted up from the far side of the cavern, most likely coming from lower chambers.

As we reached the alcove, there was indeed a recently melted tunnel cleverly hidden in the lay of the shadows. The blue dragon reached the bottom of the ramp and continued along our path covering up all traces of passage. I stuck my head into the side tunnel, my eyes adjusting very well in the dark. I clicked once and listened for the return sound, then stepped quietly over to Velvet as he watched the other side. "V, this tunnel goes very deep towards the ocean."

He squinted into the darkness. After a minute he thrummed softly and answered, "It can't be helped. The bones are cast, so let's see what we are dealing with." Thus we began a light jog down the long tunnel, the dragon easily keeping up with us. Without pushing very hard it took us a little over fifteen minutes to reach the end. The ceiling was still high enough for the dragon to stand upright. There was a definite change in temperature, a drop by several degrees from the cavern at the starting end. I could literally feel the weight of the ocean pressing down from above, making me want to get this over with as quickly as possible. We unshouldered our cargo and tied the barrels together with rope provided by the shaman, rigging a line to hang the ensemble from the ceiling. With help from the dragon, the barrels were held by him while Velvet was hoisted up on the dragon's head to tap the spike and rope into the rock above. Once the line was secure, the barrels were let go while I stood underneath to catch them in case they slipped. They held. Velvet was let down and we surveyed our work.

I tapped my chin with my hoof and stared at the barrels hanging by the thin rope. Velvet stood next to me, eyeing the setup, then looked down the tunnel to the very distant glow of the fire pools. It was at least a good mile or more. The dragon loomed over us. At length it finally rumbled, "I take it there is a problem."

All I could do was mutter irritably to myself. Velvet was the one willing to answer while I kept running alternate plans in my head. "The rope our shaman provided looks to be a bit thin. Ten minutes to burn through, tops. That is just enough time to get back to the main cavern at a dead run." The dragon twisted his neck around to gauge the distance to the cavern and reluctantly nodded. Crossing the cavern would take another five minutes, then the trek up to the surface, all while the ocean was rapidly filling every crevice behind us.

"Not enough time to coax the others to escape. They are good swimmers, but they can only harbor fire in their gullets, not water," the dragon concluded.

I sat down, a mental feud going on in my head. I had to risk my life to ensure those horrid dragons made it out alive. Well, I wanted most of them alive, since they were little more than slaves, according to the blue's word. Why was I doing this? For revenge? Did I want to kill the big red over Lance's death? The time spent with the cats had done much to heal me inside, and yet I wavered now between what was right. When all was said and done, Lance was arguably just a casualty in a blood feud we accidentally got dragged into. And all of it because we happened to worship the night, so we were lumped into the same crowd as the cats. I was so sick of the day versus night struggle, I wanted it to end, one way or another. It still hurt to remember those last moments of Lance, the red dragon juxtaposing its loss next to mine. As I healed these last few years, I had to shun the light of day for fear of being hunted down by these creatures. Velvet and his kin had to endure it even longer before that. And yet, the shaman had implored me to do what I could to minimize casualties. There was always an aftermath to my decisions, it seemed. Not just to others' circumstances, but to my own mental health. I knew that. I just didn't like it. Once again the whole purpose of this venture was brought into question.

At length, I was on the verge of just walking out. "My home is already no more. You cats have your alternative trade good. Why are we even bothering with this?"

The dragon shifted his bulk uncomfortably. Whether from guilt in helping us, or some other unfathomable notion in his head, he chose to remain silent. I looked to Velvet, hoping he could help me with the warring emotions I held inside. Was this selfish or was I dealing with bullies that needed to be vacated? Anger, grief and uncertainty threatened to unhinge my moral compass. I needed assurance that I wasn't going to make another horrible decision. I needed guidance in a way that only Velvet, and in the past, Lance, could provide. Not the imperialistic decrees of my lunar mentor, nor the earthly wisdom the shaman provided in his perverted way. What I needed was more fundamental, more intimate. I needed a partner.

The cat, occasionally aloof or stoic when times were serious, had an air of pontification about him now. If he kept his humorous side, I could see him being the next shaman. He sensed my weakness beyond just my thin excuses to halt the deed. His paw squeezed the back of my neck reassuringly and he leaned his head near mine, responding with his warrior side. "Neither of our peoples have had a direct conflict with them since your loss, yet they continue to patrol the Badlands. I suspect they will never change. Sooner or later they will detect one of our settlements and torch it." He left the rest unsaid.

The dragon rumbled the word 'territoriality' and left it at that. I imagined Velvet's words into reality and saw this war continuing, trading deaths into mutual annihilation. I felt a warmth radiate in my chest I had thought doused permanently these past two years, a warmth Velvet helped nurture. I looked at Velvet and then the dragon, "You are right, it has to be done. Damn the mistakes made, damn whatever caused your dragons to come here, this has to end or it never will." I was now focused. I nudged Velvet with my hip in thanks.

The dragon clacked his jaws in agreement. He started walking back toward the direction of the main cavern and paused to state without looking back, "Once I clear the mouth of this tunnel, start the fire. As you reach the mouth, my brethren should be past you and headed up the ramp to the outside. If you go ahead of them they will smell you and realize something is amiss." He looked at me and said, "Then they will search for you and be caught when this cave system floods. There is already enough that can go wrong without risking more, and I owe them much." The last few words were very low, as though said to himself. He proceeded down the tunnel again. Velvet sat down and started lashing some arrows end to end with sinew to create a long firebrand in order to light the rope.

It would take a while for the dragon to get to the other end, so I spoke idly, "Once we are done with this whole dragon business, I have no other obligations. I imagine my parents have found another thestral settlement, would be good to see them again. After that...you could show me what lies west of the Badlands."

The cat slowed his work and raised his head. His look was a forlorn one, "Were it so simple to let go. Your Mare in the Moon may demand more than what you may allow for yourself."

I scowled. He knew just what to derail a perfectly good dream. "I haven't heard from Her in a long time. I know the shaman has discussed my dreams with you, he had my permission. But She can't expect me to go on a crusade if She isn't even here. Besides, if She did finally return...maybe She won't need me."

The cat let out a soft chuckle. "You learn all these skills and suffer plants galore to find you are finally tired of fighting."

I shook my head, "That's not it at all. I am tired of the injustices I see, how some races have been favored over others. And then to find good and evil are determined not by intent, but a lack of understanding or bad luck? This war started on a misunderstanding, instinctual territoriality on one side and misplaced fear on the other. There was no mediation from our supposed ruler, and death had to occur for problems to get resolved. Where is the justice in that? I just..." My words faltered and I tried to frame what I was saying. "I will fight, and on my own terms...but I can fight only so many bullies before getting tired of it all."

"That is life, oh great crusader." Velvet had an infuriating way of being correct. I grumbled and sat down next to him.

"Whatever. On my way to find my parents, the first thing I am doing is stopping by Canterlot and demanding why Celestia felt only a few unicorns were needed to help us instead of coming herself. The shaman mentioned she used to talk to dragons a long time ago, before my ancestors settled in the mountains. As for Nightmare Moon...if She returns, She can handle Celestia. They can wage their day/night war without me. I'm tired of fighting bullies"

There was a grunt in response. My stare prompted him to speak with little enthusiasm, "I know you, even if you refuse to know yourself. Perhaps you are tired of climbing mountains. Go back to molehills." I stared at him. A smile crept onto his lips until I elbowed him. He coughed out, "Case in point."

"Quit being a fool and tell me!"

"You fight the big fights, I admire that about you. Yet often I feel you bite off more than you can chew. Not all wars are fought with whole scale battles, going after the largest opponent. Some conflicts are fought with the smallest of weapons," he spoke as he held up a pebble and touched it to his head, "paired with the most powerful weapon. You buck authority and challenge those you have issues with directly. Try fighting indirectly, from the side. Use your stealth and your wit. Try not to outright kill them so much as...prank them." I leaned back from my sitting position, my forelegs supporting me.

"Hm. Sounds like what I used to do back home. I always chalked that up to a childhood thing. You make it sound like a valid battlefield tactic."

Velvet chuckled and nodded, "Why not? All things in life are a conflict, a fight to better oneself or position. You can maintain your crusade for justice in the world and not feel quite so worn out. You might even enjoy it." His smile became neutral, "As to Celestia and your mentor, we cats have learned to fend for ourselves in the Badlands. Whichever of them wins, we will still fend for ourselves, despite your day versus night conflict." Velvet glanced at me and added, "But it would be nice to know what that hair-blowing-in-the-wind pony has to say to your FORMAL request for an apology. Do not forget, she IS powerful, if seemingly insensitive to our plights." He glanced down the tunnel in time to see the dragon moving out of the mouth and to the side, disappearing. "It is time."

The cat took some flint and steel to light the end of his make-shift firebrand and touched the small flame to the cord. As the flame began to engulf the rope, we started running toward the opening in the distance. It was several minutes before we saw lots of movement ahead, a multitude of young dragons stampeding by the opening, presumably to escape whatever fate the blue dragon had concocted. We had made impressive time so we slowed down, just to make sure all the dragons had left before we could emerge into the large cavern. I almost stepped out into the open before Velvet grabbed my tail and yanked me back. I was about to give him an earful when he clamped my muzzle shut and pointed.

The red dragon lumbered into view at a reluctant pace. Had I taken a few more steps I would have been directly in its path. I mouthed a word of thanks as the cat and I merged with the shadows to the side of the smaller tunnel, dips in the rock partially obscuring us from view. Velvet made a dismissive wave with is paw and nodded to the dragon, so we resumed watching. A sense of urgency was starting to make my back itch. Unlike the younger drakes in their panicked exodus, the giant red dragon moved with annoyance, growling about the inconveniences of dealing with lesser species. It was in the middle of a particularly scathing epithet of night dwellers when it stopped, the head and neck snapping around like a snake to stare into our tunnel from several feet away. My blood ran cold and my breath caught in my throat.

Its eyes seemed to look above and past us, peering down the tunnel at the distant flame. No no no no, please keep going. Dragons were not very cooperative in most audible conversations, why would they in mental ones? It took a step closer. I pulled back further into the recesses of the tunnel and turned to Velvet, whispering, "Great, it sees the fire. That thing is going to blow any minute now and we're all going to drown."

Velvet moved his paws in opposite directions, "Then we change the plan. When the barrels explode, we will have a few minutes. You run for the exit ramp, I will head in the other direction and distract him with my bow." I started shaking my head but he was already grinning, patting me in reassurance. "Don't worry, my little night terror, I am good at hide and seek. The pools of flame will wash out his ability to see me in the dark. And I am faster than you, so I'll be right behind you with that big goliath not so right behind me-"

Several drops of heated spittle fell between us, splattering on the stone floor. Along with a small gust of fetid air, a guttural voice intoned, "Ignorance is a common quality among you callous counter-quintessential creatures. This big goliath's ability to see you in the dark is not based on light. It is based on heat." To emphasize the point, hot breath washed over us. We slowly looked up and saw two eyes glowing a malevolent red in the dark. The dragon's teeth were very close and I had to move my head to look between them and the eyes. "Or shall I kill you now and skip the zoology lesson?" This close, at this kind of disadvantage, I froze with dragonfear. I had faced this dragon before, when there were options. I saw none now. Velvet held still, though I felt no fear from him, only his warrior resolve. In that moment of sickening terror, he was my center of peace.

A distant thump followed by a shockwave distracted all three of us. The dragon clacked its jaws shut and looked up, searching for the flame that was no longer there, only cold darkness. The rock rumbled and vibrated as the dragon's eyes flitted back and forth. With the revelation of how dragon eyes worked, it occurred to me that it was searching for heat that was no longer there, or possibly it now saw a growing blackness of cold that was approaching. The air in the tunnel started to whip by us, thick from pressure. The dragon uttered words in a voice I thought I would never hear from it. Fear. "What have you done...?" A shove from Velvet broke my dragonfear and we both split off in opposite directions, running for our lives. The dragon spun around, whipping its tail and screamed, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!"

Velvet was unlucky enough to catch the tail's tip and he went soaring over one of the fire pools. I screamed his name and altered course, heading for him, the plan be damned. My hooves clattering and scrambling across the stone floor alerted the dragon and it turned to me, inhaling deeply. An arrow streaked out from behind the fire pool flames and glanced off the side of the dragon's head, interrupting its inhalation. It must have still been afraid of those specially made arrows the cats employed against dragons, otherwise I would have been smoldering by now. Remembering my training, I moved more quietly, giving the dragon a wide berth and approached the area where Velvet had landed. A paw whipped out and covered my muzzle, yanking me behind a natural stone pillar that reached to the ceiling. I ripped his paw away and exclaimed, "Arg, would you quit pulling me behind stuff?!"

"You were supposed to follow the plan, Smudge." His fur looked a little singed, but he showed no signs of pain.

"Well you didn't say anything about the tail tip, did you?"

He peeked out around the rock formation, muttering, "Figured I would mention that on our third date."

For a moment I forgot about the raging dragon about to spit fire in our direction and the raging ocean about to crush us. "You idiot! Now is not the time to be joking like that pervy shaman of yours." The cat turned his head to me and grinned.

"It got you to forget about a certain raging dragon, didn't it?" I blinked and was stunned into silence. He nodded and looked around the column again in search of our adversary. "And no, I cannot read minds. We simply have two major obstacles to deal with and I need you loose in the caboose, not stiff with fear." He glanced at me and I nodded in acquiescence.

"Point taken. What now?"

Velvet studied the side of the cavern where there was now a gale force of wind spewing from it. "Any minute there is going to be a waterspout of ocean coming in. The fire pools are static heat sources. If our big red sees heat, he will notice our moving blobs of heat, like any predator focusing on motion. Far enough apart, he will only stay on me and be blind to you." He turned and stared at me intently, "Follow these orders. Stay behind me twenty seconds when we start moving. I will line him up with the tunnel and hopefully he gets hit. The tunnel mouth is a good stride off the cavern floor, you should be able to crawl underneath the water. Do NOT let any of it hit you." I nodded, swearing to do as he said. The wind had reached a high enough pitch that I wondered if we were not too late. Velvet must have felt the same way because he tore off quicker than I expected. It was excruciating to wait those final seconds before moving. Just as well I had waited. A gout of flame seared between me and Velvet up ahead between two of the fire pools, followed by a roar of frustration when the dragon realized he had missed. I kept the spacing per Velvet's orders.

The cat slowed when he reached the tunnel mouth and sprinted through the column of wind. He nearly lost his footing due to the hurricane speed of the air. The dragon was a short distance away and could clearly see Velvet now. It inhaled and spit a stream of fire. As soon as the fire reached the torrent of air, it deflected! Velvet chuckled and started to do some silent dance! The dragon roared and charged, plunging through the air with better control since it was larger. Then the water came.

The roar of the air was nothing compared to the blanketing noise of the water, like a thousand pages of parchment tearing at the same time. The spear of water clipped the dragon as it almost made it to the other side of the air column in its effort to reach the taunting cat. The water barely hit the shoulder, but the force was enough to throw the dragon a good distance, nearly to the far wall. It landed with a sickening crunch, breaking several stalagmites. That gave me enough pause to respect what was spewing from the tunnel mouth. Already water was starting to build up on the floor, drowning out some of the shallower fire pools. Despite the fact that the water had to go down and fill up the lower chambers, there was enough to warrant haste. I got on my belly and crawled, inching my way forward as the sheer force of the water whipped my mane and tail about. I nearly jumped when I felt something grab my front hooves and sighed when I saw Velvet pulling me forward and up. He yelled over the noise, "I thought you were going to crawl all the way to the top!" I looked back and realized I had been crawling for several hoofsteps past the rush of water, so scared was I of not getting touched by the water. Which reminded me, the dragon! I saw it was charging again and pointed, screaming. Velvet's calm composure dropped as he pulled out his bow, grasping for an arrow, but there wasn't enough time. This was it.

A blur of blue flashed by us and crashed into the red dragon. It was the blue dragon! He grappled with the red, growling in the dragon tongue trying to convince the red to give up its vendetta. The red was not having it and threw off the blue like he was a feather. It gurgled out, "I shall have them, for they have doomed my kin!" It inhaled and spit.

Steam and ocean water was vomited at us. At length the dragon choked and nearly collapsed. The blue, despite his need to unseat the red's authority, got up under one of the red's wings and helped it up. "Go, now! This cave is filling up fast!" He was right, the water had been filling up the cavern. It was up to our knees. The cat and I trudged to the ramp and began climbing up, pulling ourselves up from the waist-deep water level, the dragons slowly trudging behind us. The trek up the spiraling tunnel to the top was harrowing. The much more powerful dragons with their longer strides started passing us, the water threatening to over take the smaller Velvet and I. After an eternity of running, we made it out of the cave mouth at the top. The water washed out of the mouth across the sands and grasses, the force of it not so much now that it was equalizing with the sea level. The blue dragon dropped the red and staggered away, his muscles likely burning as much as ours. The red dragon wheezed, still trying to spit up whatever water it had swallowed when the column had slammed into it. The younger dragons stood at a farther distance, unsure of what was happening. Now was my chance. I strode forward and with the last bit of strength in my legs I jumped up onto the red dragon's head, drawing my blade.

I stood there on the dragon's head, my knife, Lance's knife, hovered just above the red's eye. The fierce haughtiness was gone from his gaze. There was no fear either, though it stared at its own impending death. I wanted some kind of reaction, an acknowledgement that its actions brought this upon itself. I got nothing and it only fueled my anger. "Say something you insolent lizard! Before you die I want to hear the word 'sorry' pass your lips before my blade enters your brain!"

"Indeed. I am sorry for accepting Celestia's promise that we could ever live in peace here, her 'Treaty of Friendship.' "

My hoof almost dropped the blade as I mentally recoiled from his words. "I don't believe you...."

The dragon stared off in the distance, unconcerned. It was as if the meaning of life meant nothing to it. I was so wrong, as I would be on so many things to come. "Kill me or get off me, but do not bore me with your pitiful ignorance. My species was wrought from the very rocks you mammalian maggots mingle amongst. The very same rocks that provide substances with healing properties that would rejuvenate my dying race, if not for you frustratingly fanatical furry felines pilfering the life water." His glare shifted to Velvet, who had also started to lower his bow. "You know nothing. We of longevity have long lived alongside you little lemmings as you dithered day to day, wheezing the whisper of life from your lifeless corpses after you so recently were born. To what purpose? You do more harm in your short lives than we ever could. Yes we have swarmed, yes we have expanded from time to time. It was to find the rejuvenating life blood of the earth. Without it, we are forced to fight for survival in the few volcanoes on this world. And my siblings and children grow fewer for it."

Something felt out of place, missing meaning. Lance's death, the rage the dragons had shown. Was this all some bizarre mixup? "I know Princess Celestia doesn't care about us, but even she is not evil enough to just let you move in and terrorize the area!"

The dragon laughed quietly, a rumbling like an earthquake under me as I kept my balance. "When we made the treaty, you did not exist to her. 'Open terrain to stretch our wings. Regularly scheduled visits by dignitaries to make sure our accommodations were satisfactory and beneficial to the region so that ALL could live in peace.' I spat on your peace after our first encounter with you cats, the death of our drakeling, and then you bat ponies with your paltry attempt to push us back into our cave or the sea. Then the willful use of biological weapons for which we have no defense." I shook my head in disbelief. All of this was some skewed interpretation of events that had unfolded, and yet I had no argument. From his point of view he was the victim. He had suffered more by our mistakes, the cats and thestrals combined. As much as I did not want to blame any given individual, my mind kept going back to the treaty the dragon mentioned. Had Celestia truly allowed this? I looked around, the other dragons watching me, accusing me. The blue stood nearby, watching mournfully. What was his part in all this? Surely he knew his actions would hurt his species. I looked at Velvet. His normal stalwart posture was slightly slumped. He had already slung his bow and stood without any semblance of readiness. He knew the score and was ready to accept his fate. I sheathed my dagger.

A large red wing swept up and knocked me off the dragon's head. I landed next to Velvet and he helped me up as the dragon raised its...his long neck and stood shakily. As I saw from the dragon's eyes, I understood him. And he loathed me with good cause. He choked and spat out more seawater and coughed for another minute. He gave us one more baleful glare before growling a series of syllables to the other dragons. As one they turned to the ocean and jumped into the sky, flying toward the smokey isles in the east. All except the great red dragon and the dark blue who was sitting on his hind legs. The red dragon made note of the blue's reluctance, then turned back to me and said in a low threatening voice, "Even in hate I prove superior. You live at my grace and you do not deserve it. That is a dragon's wisdom. When you see Her, tell that color confused alicorn the next time we swarm it will be out of pure survival, and we will take what we wish, then." With that he ran towards the ocean and pushed off, causing a small crater to be left in the sand as he pumped his wings to lift himself after his brood.

I walked up next to the dark blue who was watching them leave and said, "You are not going with them?"

He shook his head and twisted his neck around to me, replying, "Not this time. The one I convinced to dig that tunnel will be spreading the word that it was at my behest. And my interference down below...my living arrangements have been sorely compromised."

I blinked and asked, "Your behest? But I thought you were the one that had dug the tunnel, the only one that knew about it in the first place. You said you wanted them to return to the east and usurp the red dragon's authority."

The blue dragon turned and faced us fully and came down onto all fours. "Originally there was a possibility I could return and resume my lifestyle. The tunnel and seawater were the only way to accomplish my mission, which superseded all other considerations." His mission? I was about to ask what mission he spoke of when a green curtain of energy enveloped the dragon. In his place stood a creature that almost looked like a thestral, but with insect wings, holes in its limbs and blank insect eyes. Light reflected off a dark carapace covering its body. Velvet hissed behind me and drew an arrow, the shaft sliding up beside my head as he aimed at the creature.

I raised my hoof and slowly pressed the bow away while I stayed focused on the thing before me. "What are you?"

Before the creature could speak, Velvet answered curtly and pushed his bow back, keeping aim on the creature, "That is a changeling! Vile creatures that suck the love out of you. It has tricked us this entire time!"

Too many mistakes were already made these past years. I was not about to make another and prejudge, even if it looked evil and had admitted deceiving us. "Did you arrive here with the dragons and honestly wanted them to return, or were you sent to destroy their home. Did you use both of our races to start this whole war?"

It regarded us quietly, then addressed me, "I was living across the pond with them in the beginning. It is true we feed on love, something freely given away all the time. In a dragon brood where all are one family, the love shared is immense! The big red sought to come here, seeking the underground waters to rejuvenate his species. They are in fact a dwindling race. I had no part in the move here nor the interactions with both your species. My queen had other interests, however." The changeling glanced at the cave mouth and then east, a look of longing on its face. If it were telling the truth, it had lost a lot in vacating the dragons. It turned back to me and said, "She could not have a fledgling brood take foothold in these lands, they would have challenged our hives as they expanded, and their fire is indiscriminate, as you have found. She ordered me to act, and in so doing I sacrificed a fruitful line of sustenance to protect MY race. Now I must return and share with the hive what I have absorbed since my last visit there. Hopefully we can find another means of survival just as plentiful. Yours is not the only ones to have suffered these past few years." It looked up in the sky sharply. Despite our wariness of this creature, we followed its gaze.

The stars were rapidly shifting around the moon, and the face of the moon itself had changed. Its horse's head shadow was no longer there. The changeling beat its insect wings in nervousness, then hopped up, hovering. Velvet went back to aiming at it, but the changeling ignored him. "Bad tidings. Very bad. I must inform my queen. The heavens mark this as a time of great change." It started to fly away and then paused, turning back to me, its large glowing eyes shimmering, "For what it is worth, I am truly sorry for your friend and your home. There will always be forces far greater than us, moving about us. If we cannot learn to work with them, we become the grease used to work for them." With that it flew west.

We stood there for several minutes, listening to the distant crashing of the waves on the beach. The water had started to recede back to the cave, now a giant water hole. As we each thought about what had transpired and what truly was, we both spoke at the same time and stopped, chuckling at each other. Velvet raised his paw and said, "You first."

"You disapprove of my quest to help Her, I could tell in the cave. You must think me a fool after all that has happened, the deception of the changeling, my need to avenge my friend and township, my desire to go fight in the north now that She has surely returned." I gestured up at the moon. "At least you can roam the Badlands day or night now without having to worry about dragons attacking you. I still have the daytime races to face alongside Nightmare Moon."

"I would endure a thousand dragons were you to stay."

His words shook me to my core. I did not doubt he would thumb his nose at that many dragons just for me. My resolve was in question. For a minute I was unsure of what to do. I took a chance and said, "Ask it. I will shove everything I have endured into the deepest well of my soul if you ask me to stay, if you want me to stay."

He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed deeply. I didn't know which impending answer I was more afraid of. With calm certainty, his reply was able to set me on a course for the rest of my life. "I did let you get your dagger back, but not because of how you or even I felt about each other. I fight for my people. You fight for a concept that must be resolved or it will burn you inside out as surely as any dragonfire can. Your path was always aimed north. Your connection with Nightmare Moon heralded it, the stars have just made it clear. Until you resolve your place in the world, either by Nightmare Moon's side or on your own terms, we can never be together. The shaman warned me there was a darkness in you, an abyss you are close to falling into. I sensed it these last two years we traveled together, and I saw that darkness clearly as you held the red dragon's life in your hooves. A warrior must face it or be consumed. That is your true path...I hope it leaves you in peace and we meet again."

I mulled over his words and found it oddly heartening that a warrior wanted for peace. "Damn you for being so selfless." He laughed and hugged me, which I returned. I did not know how I could love or hate the same aspect about him. Maybe it was all the same.

A thought occurred to me and I looked up in the sky. It was past time that the moon and sun should have traded places, yet night persisted, not unlike the darkness Velvet spoke of. If the legend was to be believed and Nightmare Moon had indeed been released, then She had to already be on the move, preoccupying Celestia to the point that even the heavenly bodies were interrupted. It was time to meet my mentor in the flesh. I stood back from Velvet and placed my hoof on his chest, thanking him for everything he had done for me, and to pass on my thanks to his father and the shaman.

We were warriors, no more words were needed. I pulled out the vial of blue liquid, and with a final tearful glance at Velvet, I quaffed it and began to run.