Despite my misgivings for how events turned out, the community was very supportive back home. Everypony was in agreement that I couldn't have known what was in the gift, that it was pure luck and genius to have brought it and bartered for the search party's release. They practically regarded me as the town hero after hearing I stayed behind and took on an entire dragon colony to buy time for the rescue, remarking that my changed cutie-mark underscored what I was meant to do in the first place. I couldn't help still feeling dread over what might come, the ridge cat's words speaking of war. I also couldn't help thinking a war with dragons was very one-sided, given their penchant for fire.

I was so tired after our ordeal it took me a few days before I found myself in the dream world again. This time we were in a traditional martial arts studio, complete with rice paper walls and bamboo matted floor. Nightmare Moon stood before me wearing a black pajama-like garment and a wide cloth belt tied around her waist, also in black. I was wearing white pajamas with a white belt. I had heard in class this was the attire of those that practiced hoof-to-hoof combat in a far off empire. It must have been Nightmare Moon's direct manipulation of the dream that fixed the clothing and room in place.

"It would appear that you are ready to learn how to fight."

I reflexively looked back at my flank, though it was covered by the outfit. I responded, "It changed...how can I get a cutie-mark on top of a cutie-mark?" Nightmare Moon stepped forward and walked around me, similar to when we first met.

"It is indeed a mystery. You were born with the first mark, making it a further mystery as all other ponies must find their way through life. Something still nags my curiosity, an incompleteness one might call it, yet I cannot see it and I doubt we will discern it anytime soon. For now we shall get to the matter at hoof." She completed her circle and was before me again. "You have speed and you have agility. However, you lack discipline and technique. These I will teach you. Before I was imprisoned, I was in charge of the warriors of Equestria, a position that demanded absolute skill in combat. Combined with magic, I was unstoppable...until I faced Celestia, my rival. You may very well face her too, or her subordinates. They will have magic at their disposal. You will not, so you will need other means to get your point across." With that a dagger appeared in the air, which Nightmare Moon grasped with a hoof and spun around, planting the point just a hair from puncturing my throat. I kept still as she slowly pressed forward. I could feel the pressure, but no pain. The dagger disappeared. "In this place we may practice without the fear of hurting you. I will teach you how to move, how to add attacks, how to eventually add weapons to your attacks. In the real world you should practice to train your body. Here, I have your mind. Here, you will BE a weapon."

And so my days progressed during the sleeping hours. It started with little more than moving through motions I could only describe as types of dancing. She called them forms. They had other names, but she was in no mood to teach foreign languages. They started off as slow and flowing, directing moves into continuous movement instead of ending abruptly. Spins and strikes became reversals, followed up by multiple strikes. This went on the entire dream until I woke up drenched in sweat.

Over the weeks I became very adept in how I moved. I didn't know if it was from my interactions with the other thestrals that prepared me for this or a natural ability, yet it was a joy knowing what my capabilities were. Eventually during one session Nightmare Moon demanded I choose a weapon. Naturally I picked the dagger and held it before me. She sneered and two daggers appeared before her. She reared up on her hind legs, grasped them both in her hooves and lunged forward, incorporating the daggers into the same forms we had been practicing. I found myself backing up as I fended off the attacks. When I was able to get a thought together I made a second dagger appear before me and held one in each hoof, the same as her and pushed back. What concerned me was she had a bored look when I glanced up at her face.

Another dagger appeared and she gripped it in her mouth, slipping into a very aggressive stance and pressed again, this time whipping her head in close. I had to duck several times or risk losing an eye, which in hindsight I knew that would not have happened in this place. I also knew I had to think ahead of her in order to beat her, rather than answering each new level of threat as an equal. I willed a double bladed knife to appear and grasped it with my teeth, a blade sticking out of each side, then I charged and dove for her legs. She hopped over me and laughed haughtily. "Very good, little one. It is not enough to meet force with force. One must overcome it, surpass it to win the fight, lest you are tired before the OTHER opponents are defeated." Her daggers disappeared and five swords appeared, floating in a circle around her. Without pause they began to fly around and twist amongst each other, forming a bladed barrier before her as she walked forward. I backed up, wracking my brain on how to overcome....that! Occasionally a sword would leave the blob of death and fly at me, which I slapped away. I circled backwards, glancing around quickly to see what options I had. I noticed the martial arts room was lit by four lantern stands, one at each corner. They appeared to be oil pots placed in water, so if they were knocked over they would douse themselves out. A very inventive design, but I didn't have time to admire them.

The wall of swords swirled closer and closer, I purposefully backed to one of the corners, mindful of where the lantern stand was. As one of the blades floated close I extended and slapped the blade into the corner, knocking over the stand as I spun away. The stand crashed to the floor, spilling water and knocking out the flame. I jumped and rolled, acting like I was dodging the stand while moving to the next corner. I paused to 'fight back' before continuing on away from her. Nightmare Moon shook her head and followed, "All actions have consequences. You need to plan ahead, think about what you are doing." At the next stand I bumped into it and desperately grabbed it, flinging the stand at the black alicorn's direction. She laughed and knocked it away with her swords. "What absurdity is this? You can create better weapons in this place. Do not lose yourself in the fight to the point you cannot think clearly!" Several of the blades came at me at once. I held both of my daggers up and swept aside some of them. One got through and hit my left foreleg. The dagger in my hoof disappeared and I could not will it back into existence. She continued her auditory lesson, "You will find you are stripped of power, brought down by circumstances outside your control. Adapt, or die." With her swords momentarily out of the way I ran in her direction, the double blade in my mouth and one dagger in my right hoof. She snorted and stepped out of the way, expecting me to wheel around for an attack. I galloped to the far corner and kicked the stand over, dousing the third flame.

The alicorn's swords surrounded her instead of following me. Her eyes narrowed, "What are you doing?" I stood up, flipped the dagger in my hoof and tossed it at the final lantern. It tumbled end over end before it crashed into the lantern housing, spilling the pot and water. The last source of light vanished, aside from the soft blue glow of Nightmare Moon's horn. She hissed softly, her blades tightening up. "Clever filly....very clever. Now I am at the disadvantage, with all my magic, in the dream realm where I have complete control. I could play this out, allow you your chance. Then again, we do not care how we win, so long as we are the victor." Her horn blazed blue and the floor itself glowed, shedding light everywhere. She whipped her head around, looking for me, but she could not see me. I crept along slowly, knowing that sudden movement would draw her attention. "I can feel you are still here...you are a tricky one. Show yourself so we may end this lesson. I believe the term is coup de gras, as spoken by your ancestors so many generations before you." She slowly made her way from one side of the room to the other. Just a few more paces and she would be directly under me. I don't know if she read my mind or heard my breathing, but she chose then to look up, her whirling blades slowing to a crawl in surprise. I was clinging to the rafters high above her head. I chose that moment to let go. I dropped, the double blade still in my mouth. As I fell I grabbed two of the blades on the way down and swung them both in for her neck.

She hunched down and caused her three remaining blades to catch each of mine in opposition. The ordeal ended with me held up above her, blade for blade with my tail in the air while I was suspended above her mere inches from her face. My muscles quivered while I held the handstand, balanced on each other's swords. A blue glow wrapped around me and all the weapons disappeared while I was deposited in front of her. She stood up and threw her head back in laughter. "Such nerve! Dream or not, your mind is far sharper than any blade that can be forged. I underestimated you and it is something I rarely allow. That is all for this lesson. I believe we have both learned something, the folly of underestimation. From this point on I shall continue training you in your blade work and testing your progress." The room faded into darkness and we floated in space. "Just remember, a long fight is a losing fight."

-----------------ooooooooooooo---------------------

My dreams were not the only place my skills were challenged in. Lance and I had grown closer, spending more time together than I can remember us doing before. I knew he wanted to kiss me on several occasions, getting that dreamy look of his before I would turn away with some excuse to head somewhere. If I were to be truly honest with myself, I was afraid. The other thestrals my age had stopped teasing me since our return from the jungle and the way was paved for Lance and I to explore our feelings, and yet I was hesitant. Was he the only one that showed interest in me? Were we meant to be together? How does one kiss? Is it like using a straw or do you have to lick everything you can? I hadn't even ventured out into the world beyond the swamps and jungle, or met any other thestral communities, let alone thought of dating other species. Dating. Just the word brought a whole different level of conflicting feelings and questions. I spoke to Mother and asked her for advice. She spoke very pragmatically, asked me how I felt, what kind of colt Lance was, whether we had been intimate. My answers were guarded and I was embarrassed to even think about intimacy. Father told me not get pregnant, which is why I stuck to Mother for advice.

Father was recovering from his burns. Four unicorns were able to travel from the north and tend to the adults' injuries, including my father's. They said he would fly again eventually, but his muscles were damaged and it would take a lot of therapy to get his wing working right. His attitude was more like, "As long as I am alive, I don't care about flying. Seeing my wife and daughter are all I need to defy gravity." As blunt as he might be in affairs of the heart, he did know how to melt mine and Mother's. Mother took that occasion to point out that is what I should look for in a colt, that special charm. Now if Lance could be as deft in courtship, I could dare say I'd finally be happy.

Hearts and Hooves day was fast approaching and Lance was fit to burst over plans he had made for us.

We sat high up on Heartmelt Cliff overlooking the town on the slopes. It was a little chilly late into the early morning hours and Lance had brought a blanket for us to wrap ourselves in. It also allowed us to be very close together under that blanket. While most of the community was preparing to go to sleep by sunup, Lance's romantic vision was to stay up to watch the sun rise. Even now the horizon was starting to glow. Normally the light would hurt our eyes to stare at but he had this notion that it equated to his burning love for me. I told him he should get that checked by a dermatologist.

He scoffed. "And here I was going to give you this very hard to find and expensive present. Huh, I guess my mother will enjoy it."

I playfully punched him in his foreleg, "Oh come on, don't be like that! I'm sure whatever it is can be cured, by either a topical steroid or a good brillo pad..." I broke down into giggling fits.

Lance grinned and growled softly, "You are positively evil, you know that? Well so am I!" He launched into a series of tickle attacks which made me jump up, causing him to grab me by the waist and we fell over, entangled in the blanket. I yelled, laughing and out of breath.

"Stop it! Knock it off! I am going to knee you!" As I struggled to knock away his hooves, we rolled very close to the edge with my head dropping off, looking at the town upside down, Lance on top and breathing heavily. I yelled, "Stop! If I fall, who will catch me?!"

He calmed down, staring into my eyes, the whole town dropping away behind me while he slowed his breath, "I will of course."

"Then who will catch you?"

He got a pinched look, "Anypony ever tell you you talk too much?" I poked him in the ribs for good measure, earning a grunt.

"Yes, you on several occasions." He chuckled and reached up to caress my cheek. I shivered at his touch, though I felt we were going a little fast. I murmured softly, "I am sure this is not the present you had in mind for me..." I glanced at his backpack.

With a wistful look he replied, "I was kinda thinking about my present- OOF!" That time I really did punch him and he got off. We sat up.

I shook my head and smirked, "You are such a pig. You're lucky I put up with you." He grumbled with an overly dramatic hurt look. To make amends I rewrapped the blanket around us and gently rubbed the lower rib I had hit. He stretched gently to make sure there was only bruising to that and his ego, then he reached over to open his pack on the ground and pulled out a red metallic paper wrapped box, shaped in a large heart. As he opened it I was stunned at what lay inside. It was a massive flat slab of chocolate in the shape of a heart, easily several hooves across. Blue colored chocolate wings were at the center with a silver icing dagger. I exclaimed, "Lance, where...HOW did you get this?! The chocolate shortage...." My voice trailed off, I couldn't fathom the cost. Since our return from the jungle, our community had to rely on the dwindling reserves of the cocoa powder that was left in the storehouse. No thestrals would venture out to harvest the pods for fear of being attacked. That caused the prices of all chocolate products made locally to go up as the supply and demand paradigm shifted. Imports were few and far between, which made what I was looking at a fortune.

Lance regained his suave composure and shrugged, "My mother once told me, 'A thing has reached its true value when it is most cherished.' Besides, I had already put in the request before Hearth's Warming Day. Chaw Ko runs his candy store fairly and he wasn't about to run up the price on a desperate lovesick thestrel." I moved closer and lightly placed my hooves around his sides.

"Desperate? Desperate enough to chase me into a jungle and get stuck in a ravine?" The sun was starting to peek over the horizon. I stared into his eyes to avoid the sun's rays, his face getting brighter from the sun, and also my closeness.

Lance nodded, moving his muzzle closer to mine as I felt his hooves caressing my back, "Desperate enough to follow you into a den of fire-breathing reptiles." I could feel his hot breath on me, see the reflection of the sun in his eyes as it rose. It was a blazing orb even if only mirrored. His eyes watered to keep me in focus.

I started to reply, "Desperate enough to-" I cut off as I noticed curious moving objects, like birds black across the face of the sun's image in the reflection in his eyes and I turned to look, shielding my eyesight with a hoof.

Lance leaned closer, blinded by the sun, "Desperate enough to mmmffff." He found his muzzle buried in the side of my head and pulled back. "Great. My first non-mommy kiss, The Ear Kiss. That will go down in the history books of memory lane." His annoyance dissipated when he raised his foreleg and used his fur to filter some of the light, squinting. He gasped and grabbed my shoulder, "Jen, run!"

I turned to look at him, blinking aware the glare spots, "What are they? The sun is too bright, I can't tell."

He yelled quickly as he pulled both of us up. "RUN! Those are dragons approaching!" The heart box slipped from our laps and fell over the edge. I made to grab it but Lance pulled me back, "Leave it! We need to warn the town, we still have a few minutes before they get there. You make your way down to the cave entrance and warn anypony you see on the way. I will try to alert the outlying businesses still open this late. The farmers, damn, they will be in the fields already. Go!" I nodded and began to gallop before skidding to a halt.

"Lance! The unicorn healers, they are staying at the town hall, not in the tunnels!"

He nodded as he took to the sky, "I didn't forget them, they might even be able to shield us. Now run those pretty legs off!" He dove down below the cliff edge heading for town. I ran.

It was a few minutes before I reached the first building, the school, but I passed it without pause. Obviously with our night schedule it would be closed at this morning hour, so I continued on. Rounding the corner I headed down the road that cut it's way into the slope. Before I could reach any of the other scattered buildings at this level, a sizzling sound crackled overhead. I glanced up to see a fireball rip by and a resultant explosion followed, debris from the school building showering from above. As bad as my school life was up to this point, it didn't have to get blown up like that. The dragons had to know nopony would be in there now. Torching it was just vindictiveness and I burned with rage, but I couldn't do anything about that just yet. I had to reach the few thestrals still up and about.

I ducked into the nearest pub, which had a couple patrons in it. The barkeep Jammy Spirits was wiping down the countertop and never looked up, "You know you kids are not supposed to be in here. I don't care what special love day it is or how far along in puberty you are and yes I am aware mares mature quicker than stallions, I was in high school too once upon a-"

I cut him off by yelling, "Mr. Spirits, dragons are attacking us!"

There was a crash in the back room and one of the waitresses poked her head out, wide-eyed. Jammy looked up at me, did a once over and nodded. He yelled, "Bar's closed! Wife Alert, get to the cave now!" The normally lethargic customers were on their hooves and out the door before I could get out of the way, jostling me aside as they passed. Jammy waved the waitress to go as he ran into the kitchen. A cook and another server came out, followed by Jammy. He dragged me with him as we left the building without locking up. He said, "I told them to pass the word as they make their way down to the caves, that should help move things along." There was a wooshing sound as a younger dragon flew overhead, a stream of fire torching some buildings lower on the slopes. "If there are any buildings left by then. At least they are daytime creatures." Jammy had an entirely calm exterior considering the danger surrounding us, which I commented on. He nodded his head and replied, "The town council was expecting this ever since you helped get our folks back. Most of 'em should be heading to the cave as soon as they see what is happening."

Some of the other thestrals were flying in different directions to spread the word. A thought occurred to me and I asked as I slowed, "Wait, why are you not flying?"

He trotted to a halt and grinned sheepishly, "In the bar I'm a jerk. Outside, I am polite. Figured you might need an escort." I snorted and he nodded, "Yeah, what do I know, you youngins fight dragons every other night. Just make sure you reach the cave." He turned and galloped to the road edge and launched off the cliff edge to glide to the lower levels, zigzagging to avoid dragon strafes.

As I wound my way down the twisting roads and found most of the buildings empty or on fire, I noticed the younger dragons were readily avoiding contact with thestrals, holding their fire until the way was clear to spew flames. Only the large red dragon was flying about recklessly.

I had nearly reached the ground level when I came across the flower shop which was on fire. I started to move past it when the burning structure fell forward, timbers splintering under the compromised roof. I tried to dodge most of it, but much of the debris blew outward, one brick shard cutting across my hind quarter muscle. I nearly collapsed from the pain and damaged muscle. I knelt down to inspect the injury and noticed some tracks in the dirt, clearly a juvenile dragon's prints. They wound their way behind the wreckage of the burning flower shop. Against my better judgement I followed them, limping slightly. Quietly creeping forward I turned the corner and met up with a dark blue dragon's head sitting directly in front of me. Several pots lay scattered about, their soil dumped out and petals from flowers were everywhere. The male dragon's ice blue eyes stared at me, unwavering. I was so shaken by the surprise encounter, I blurted out, "Alright, spits or swallows?" As the dragon's eyes widened I groaned and covered my muzzle with my hoof, looking away.

The dragon clacked his jaws and pulled away from me with disgust, "You night ponies are sick."

I blushed with embarrassment and the insides of my ears turned red. "I meant...ah... are you using fire on me or teeth? Not that those are the only options!"

Growling softly, the blue turned its head using one eye to watch me, "Perhaps I was eating and the fire throws off my palette."

I slowly turn around as I said, "Then I will leave you to your flowers and torching our town." Before I could move, a scaly leg descended in front of me as the dragon shifted to sit in my path.

It growled, "I did not torch any part of your town. The others only do it out of fear for the Great One."

That got me to reviewing what I saw earlier, how the younger ones were not very enthusiastic. I pleaded, "If they do not like it then you can get them to stop. You all can stop your Great One!" The dragon laughed, wet petals flinging everywhere, including my face.

"They will not listen to me. I eat flowers. I do not sue for leadership and neither will the others. The Great One would have to be challenged by a worthy opponent of strength. That is why the brood are all young, to solidify his rule and ensure no challenge."

I tried to think through this. I wasn't fighting at the moment, but it felt like when I sparred Nightmare Moon. Except there were no lanterns of fire to douse in water, no rafters in darkness to hide and spring a counterattack from.

Douse the fire.

It was the pools of burning water that kept bubbling up in my mind, the fire water. I asked the dragon, "What would your Great One do if something happened to the fire water. Let's say, if they were emptied or destroyed?"

The dragon curled its maw in amusement and chortled, "The prickly kitties wish to take the pools, the batty ponies wish to take leave of their senses and destroy the pools?"

I got closer and stamped my hoof, looking straight up at it and demanded, "Yes! So? What would happen?" The dragon sobered and lowered its head to my eye level.

It replied, "After much rage and revenge, the Great One would take us back across the sea." It eyed me thoughtfully, then added, "You already know how to do this, don't you?" Under that gaze I nodded truthfully, biting my lip. The dragon tilted its head, waiting. I gave my proposal. The scheme involved digging a hole directly from under the seabed off the coast to have it empty directly into the large cavern, thereby filling the cavern and mixing with the pools, not to mention filling up the lower tunnels. The dragon sat back and rumbled, "No tiny bat pony could accomplish this."

I nodded and said, "Of course it requires dragon fire to melt a tunnel. Willing dragon fire." The dragon growled in irritation and moved past me to rummage through some more planters.

"It is not enough to say 'because it is the right thing to do' for me to risk the Great One's wrath and destroy our new home."

I followed behind it and said, "But I didn't say it was the right thing to do. You did." The dragon turned its head and growled at me dangerously. I raised my hoof and ducked my head, "Fine, fine. Last time I played at words with you dragons I nearly got killed. What is it you want?"

The dragon regarded me before answering, "Power. Wealth. Support of the other drakes."

I shook my head, "Why can't you get that now? You seem independent, more like a leader than a follower."

The dragon chuckled and looked away, as if listening, then focused back to me. "I eat flowers. The others see me as weak if I do not eat flesh. My dark blue scales also invite ridicule. A nightflyer, I have been called." Its...HIS words rang true with the years of similar treatment I had endured.

I stepped close to him and put my hoof on his leg, stating, "I know what you are talking about all too well. I got through it by standing up to my bullies...now I am in love with the worst one."

The dragon regarded my hoof and snorted, "We have heard of the strange ways of the ponies in these lands. I will not mate with the Great One."

I exhaled with exasperation and retorted, "That's not what I meant! Let's say you destroy the pools. The red makes all of you leave. Later on you whisper to the others it was you who manipulated 'the Great One' proving you have power. And as the others become convinced of removing the red as leader, they will support you and you all can share the leadership. A group's greatest power is to rule as a group."

The dragon appeared to consider my words before he suddenly became alert. "The firing of your buildings has slowed. The others will consider the task done, but I fear the Great One will attack your underground tunnel before leaving." He proceeded to exit the yard before he paused and added, "I shall consider your words. Though they are meant to manipulate me as well, the end result is beneficial to us both. These conflicts expend too much energy, regardless of what celestial body we sleep under. It is difficult enough to find good flowers without having to replenish a bellyful."

Once the dragon had left, I made my way to the cave mouth as best I could given my hurt leg. Everypony was there except Lance and the farmers. One of the unicorns, a teal mare, was chanting quietly while the other three were arguing. I drew near them and overheard what they were saying, "...was never our fight to begin with. We had strict edicts in place. 'Peace through Parlay'. Given this area's history, they can appreciate the irony of the word 'parlay'." That was the white unicorn. I asked why the shield was not up yet. He scowled and replied, "This is not just some personal force field we can pop out. It has to repel dragonfire, AND cover the splash radius which includes the rocks. Does no good to protect the cave hole while the whole cave melts around you. The spell requires time to set up." He walked over to the teal unicorn, grumbling about night ponies and their ignorance of magic. I let it slide since they were trying to protect us and stepped over to the entrance, searching for any sign of Lance.

Before long a stream of thestrals from the fields came galloping in. I asked about Lance and they said he was supposed to be right behind them. A minute later Lance swooped in and alighted in front of me, holding a slightly charred heart shaped box. I shook my head at his daring as he offered it to me. I told him, "You bonehead, only you would risk your life to find a box of chocolate." I opened it to find it was mushy. It must have landed near a burning building. Still, it was thoughtful, even if it was stupid and risky.

The thestral grinned and said, "Hey, I couldn't let all that chocolate go to waste, it was expensive even before the shortage." I went to playfully hit him when we heard a loud roar from outside. We could see movement among the rocks and boulders a few hundred yards from the entrance, a glimpse of red scales. I looked to the unicorns and alerted them to the dragon's proximity.

The white unicorn shook his head, "We need a few more minutes. She's almost complete but we can't hurry it or it could drop the ceiling on our heads." Lance stepped over and asked me to open the box, which I did. He stuck his front hooves in the soft chocolate and smeared it on his chest in the shape of a heart.

I frowned and asked him, "What are you doing? Nothing stupid I hope." He gave me a lopsided smile and cautiously stepped back to the entrance. I hurried after him and grabbed his shoulder, "No, no no don't even think about it! I'll go."

He turned to me and said, "Don't think I didn't notice the cut on your leg. You'd never be able to keep. Somepony else has to divert its attention long enough to save us, it's already too close as it is." He started to edge out and I grabbed him by the mane, twisting his head back to me. As he opened his mouth to argue I mashed my muzzle against his, giving him the angriest, most forceful, passionate, and terrible kiss any thestral had known in generations. When I finally released him, he had to breathe quickly to catch his breath.

I told him, "How is that for the history books?" All he could do was nod. Looking past him, I could see the dragon emerging into the open and spotting the cavern opening. A few more workers from the fields were also headed to the entrance and the dragon started moving towards them. The other thestrals in the cave started to yell and point. I looked to the white unicorn who shook his head, indicating at least a minute to go. Without a word Lance became steely-eyed and flew out, a Dark Lance heading straight for the dragon.

Lance stopped to within several yards in front of the dragon. The red growled and opened its mouth, tongue quivering with anticipation. Lance yelled at it, "Nuh uh, big boy! This will be the last chocolate covered thestral you ever chow down on." He made a show of his covered hooves and chest. "Eat my heart out!" The dragon roared and swiped at the thestral with its claws. Lance ducked low and swooped around behind the dragon, redirecting it as the farmers ran full speed to the rest of us.

The last of the farmers ran into the cave mouth as Lance flew around the dragon, dodging swipes from its claws and tail. The teal unicorn's chanting started to resonate and her horn began to glow. It was a hundred yards out from the cave mouth where the air shimmered, well past the dragon and Lance, placing them between us and the shield. I yelled that the shield was too far away to do any good. Lance noticed and started heading back, flying as fast as he could to us with the large red dragon in pursuit. The dragon began inhaling.

The white unicorn yelled, "We haven't had time to acclimate this geopositional locale! Flowerflux, minus eighty yards to you. Reposition it, now!" There was a delay as the teal's chanting tweaked the air itself. Finally the entrance glowed a brilliant rainbow hue, along with the surrounding rock and ground. Lance skidded to a halt just before running into the shield on the other side from me. He hovered there, staring at me. I screamed and threw myself against the shield, beating against it with my hooves. We heard the dragon approaching, the ground shaking from the behemoth's quick strides, the pitch in the air getting higher as it inhaled. In Lance's eyes I saw no fear, no dread of his impending mortality. I only saw his love, and it did burn for me like a rising sun. I yelled at the unicorns to let him through. I turned my head to spit epithets at them, anything to get him on the other side with me. Alongside the teal unicorn, the lime green and light blue unicorns had also joined in powering the shield, their horns glowing brightly as all three colors of their fur poured into one stream of light linking to the shield. The white unicorn replied harshly, "There's not enough time to move it again. He chose his fight, as did all of you when you angered that dragon's nest. Pray to the heavens that the shield holds!"

I turned back to watch Lance, placing my hoof where the chocolate heart was smeared. He pressed his chest to the shield as though I were touching him. Then everything became bright red and then white. The heat emanating from the shield forced me to pull back and turn away. A dark shape of a thestral surrounded by white burned into an afterimage floated in my eyes. The shield pulsed and lessened. The teal unicorn screamed, "I can't hold it! It's faltering!"

The white unicorn stepped up, muttering, "I'll be damned if anypony else dies today." His horn flared, easily lending twice as much power as the other three were providing. The stream of fire poured into the shield and surrounding rock. I could see the edges of the rock not protected starting to turn red. The white unicorn yelled incoherently and pointed his horn, pouring pure white energy directly at the point where the fire was splashing the shield. The coverage of the shield widened out past where we could see the rock cooking from the fire. There was a flicker and when I looked back, the white unicorn's horn was giving off sparks, starting to smoke. A few seconds later, the horn exploded. The shield sent out a pulse of energy, knocking everyone back, including the dragon. The unicorns still powering the shield were able to maintain their positions as the white unicorn fell over, a charred stump which used to be his horn trailing wisps of smoke as he hit the ground.

The dragon circled away from us, its fire expended for now. As it eyed the entrance, the teal unicorn whispered, "If it hits us again, the shield will fail." One of the adult thestrals overheard and began ushering the other thestrals deeper into the tunnel. Lance's parents were slow to move, still in shock at the loss of their son. I went back to the shield and saw a pile of ash on the other side. I slumped against the shield and started crying. After a few minutes I noticed movement. A large eye moved just near me on the other side, not a hoof's distance from me.

It noticed me watching it and it spoke quietly, "Now you know what it is to lose one of your own. A war is won when the weak has willfully withered. Continuance of this conflict will culminate in your community's calamity. Day and Night will never see eye to eye."

I picked up my head and leveled my gaze, eye to eye with the red. "We never killed any of you. But you have taken from us, now. Our town, our livelihood, and a loved one." I stood up, anger building in me, "And I will see you, an eye FOR an eye." The dragon's gaze narrowed into slits, grunted and moved away slowly. Several of the other young dragons watched with neutral expressions, following the big red as it passed. The dark blue dragon lingered. It must have witnessed the heroic act of Lance because it scratched a thin red line in the shape of a heart on its soft underside and nodded to me before catching up with the others. As much as I hated the red dragon, it was correct. We would never see each other as equals unless it was under one sky.

The unicorns held the shield long after the dragons left before letting it drop. I could not bring myself to go near where Lance had been. One of the exhausted unicorns tended to the white one, making sure he was still alive. I asked if the destruction of his horn was permanent and they said no. The teal mare answered, "It will eventually grow back and he will have to relearn spell casting. He was the strongest of us, as healers go." I was still numb from witnessing Lance's death, but I harbored a small dash of gratefulness that the white unicorn was not permanently injured. Despite his clinical position on our predicament, he and his friends had risked their lives to save us. Most of us. The selfish side of me said it was not enough, over and over.

Once it was clear the dragons were not returning, the adult thestrals made their way back to the town and put out what flames were still there. More buildings had survived than were destroyed or even damaged. I knew that the younger dragons had done that on purpose. My war was not with them. It was the one red terror, a terror to them and to my community. It had burned away a part of my life before I could even explore my new feelings with him, burned away a part of me inside.

There was a ceremony as Lance's parents collected his ashes. The community erected a small shrine in his honor, a box with his ashes sealed inside it exactly on the spot where he gave his life so that all who entered our cave home would see the life that was given to preserve it.

The school was rebuilt in the following months, but I refused to attend. There was nothing left for me to learn, and very little to live for, except the smoldering anger I stoked inside myself. I was ready to continue in that state until my parents were talking over dinner one night and mentioned a traveling group of ridge cats had just arrived to stay at the town hall and speak with the council. I jumped out of my chair and quickly ran, my parents calling after me. I did not stop until I reached the building, still showing signs of damage from the attacks earlier in the year. As I made my way in I heard a low purr from the shadows as Velvet stepped out from near a corner window where he had been watching my approach. He murred in a velvety voice, "I had wondered when you would be dropping by. Word is you have a fish to fry with some lizards that fly."

I stepped up to him with my eyes flashing in anger, "Drop the word games, that is what THAT thing does! I am here to get revenge. Can you help me or not?"

The cat looked over where several others were setting up their sleeping rolls on the floor. The town mayor who had been trying to talk the leader of the group into using beds instead of the floor stopped talking and looked at me, sympathy in his eyes. The leader of the cats patted his forehead with a furry paw and said, "We are a hard people. It is the floor that you should make accommodations for." The leader than padded softly over to me on all fours before standing up, offering a paw, "Velvet has told us much about the Slicer of Dragons. I am Hangnail, the leader of this rag tattered bunch of furballs." The other ridge cats chuckled and went about their sleeping arrangements. They did not look ragged, or tattered. I took Hangnail's paw and shook it, wrinkling my face as I looked at the paw. He huffed and replied, "That is not why I got the name. Another story for the road perhaps. Velvet has made a case to bring you back with us and train you in our ways. Can you survive the trip, or our training? Is you heart strong?"

I looked at Velvet, then back at Hangnail. "That vile beast melted three hearts when it came here. I swear to you one has been reforged into a weapon not of this earth. I will take all you can give me, and I will have that beast's heart, strong or not." Hangnail looked at Velvet in surprise.

Velvet glanced back at me and said, "She was a spirit of the jungle when we first met. Now she is a fury on fire, furry, ferocious and furious." My face heated in anger and he grinned, "Good. You will need that when we fight the serpent brood. Words may stay a blade or move a heart, but a blade stays a heart every time."

I nodded and said, "That is word play I can appreciate." The two cats nodded and welcomed me as if I were one of them. My parents eventually came to the town hall after I did not return to our abode. They became upset when I told them I was leaving for the Badlands, so it was not the best of goodbyes. Even the mayor had misgivings about it and was afraid I would enrage the dragons further. Hangnail told him that the dragons saw all night creatures, including thestrals and ridge cats, as the same, so our town was likely to be attacked no matter who went. I did speak to my parents before leaving, telling them I loved them. They said there was a good possibility my community would have to abandon the area altogether and move somewhere else to escape retaliation. As it was, we had lost the agriculture fields and most of the food stores. If I returned and they had indeed left, I was to find them to the north, possibly one of the other thestral communities. I wasn't just leaving for a while. I had an idea that it was permanent. Velvet offered for me to visit the Badlands at a later time when we were settled into a new home. I said no, that I was ready for this. I needed this. Hangnail, the more grizzled of the two warned about needing something too much, but I had no idea what he was talking about. He said it was a malady of the young.

After a few days, the cats were ready to journey back after having delivered their condolences and warning for our thestrals to seek a new home. I stood at the mouth of the tunnel, in front of the shrine. I had placed the heart box on the stone pedestal, my final gift to Lance. I hadn't had the strength to eat the chocolate, so the most costly thing prior to that day was the most trivial thing today. I held up the dagger he had given me, staring at my reflection in its blade. I stabbed it down on the heart box and pulled it back out. It was warm early in the night after the sun had gone down and some of the chocolate had stuck to the blade. I whispered, "Now that I know what is worth fighting for, this dagger also knows. It knows revenge. You will be avenged, Dark Lance. All those of the night will." The cats waited solemnly until I slipped the blade back into my pack, unclean.

Velvet padded softly up to me and said, "Welcome to the war."

Author's Notes:

Slicer Jen was originally introduced with a bit of a French accent in Burning Embers. Since then, both bobbybrony and I have not really played up that angle, assuming that the reader can hear her words in that accent. I'll go ahead and admit it is hard to do any accent in writing unless you sub in coloquial touristy words and I feel like it is too cliche or stereotypical to resort to that. Bobbybrony has used actual language and background to supply those elements of culture. I am not a language expert and I would assume the timeline of cultures differs greatly than present day Earth, so my approach is to similarly dash the story with background to explain the accent. In this case, she has an accent from living in a community that is self sufficient and it does not mix with other communities that much. There was a French-like language spoken by early thestrals a long time ago in the community I have created, however over the years the language has died out, much like bobbybrony's Imperial Griffonian. In the case of the thestral community, the smaller population concentration caused it to disappear, leaving behind only a few terms, such as mon ami, coup de gras, oui and so forth. Fragments of an older society is more believable than a heavy handed approach like, 'they speak French and I call it Local Thestral'. I leave it to the reader to use their imagination.