Acrid was insistent on coming with Fear to see Drax. No matter what logic Fear used, no matter what he told him, Acrid just said he was overthinking it and being too paranoid, and even had the gall to insinuate he'd gotten it from his mother after something Fear had revealed to him in the past. Suffice to say, Fear was a little pissed by that, but on further consideration, decided that it'd probably be fine, and he was just going to be talking with Drax. Acrid pat him on the back, blurting out 'that's the spirit!' further explaining to him that he just wanted to see everything Fear was capable of, ever since seeing him survive plunging into the lava earlier.

The older stallion was impressed with Fear, and slowly was gaining confidence in the younger stallion that stirred a fire inside of him. A fire made up of admiration and jealousy at the same time.

Fear saw the Single Pegasus Project tower in the distance as the two of them closed the distance on Drax's presence, his head occasionally swaying from side to side, feeling the Alicorsair fluttering around him. He was being watched still. Had been since late last night. Drax was keeping an eye on him all the time. The pair's saddlebags were left with the dragons, and Fear had his gun and sword with him, laying on his back, perfectly balanced on his shoulder blades no matter how much he moved.

Acrid asked him how he was doing it awhile ago.

Fear told him it was a trick his uncle Chirp had taught him, a subtle application of magic that earth ponies were most commonly familiar with. A type of magnetic balance that kept things in place as long as it was connected to the body, the same principle behind sticky hooves. It took focus, but overall much less effort than constantly expending emotional energy to use telekinesis, no matter how faint.

Acrid told him he'd never figured out how to do it to that degree, the point that things which would normally be off balance, could still stay on.

Fear just shrugged. He'd put a lot of effort into learning everything his family had to teach him over the three plus years.

As they drew closer they saw Drax ahead of them, and soon after saw what he was doing out here. He was speaking to a dragon whelp privately, the same dragon whelp that had asked Fear last night if his story had been true. A sense of concern etched in him, the colt having started to care about the whelp immediately from that question, showing the depth of his love. He was uncertain, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden, a bubbling sensation forming in his gut, at the idea of confronting Drax in front of him.

Fear caught the tail end of the conversation, a gentle tutorial on how to breathe flames for maximum effect. Drax then stood up, having been crouching down with hands on his knees to be on level with the whelp, and glared at Fear.

Drax knew why the equine was here. He summoned himself up to his full height, crossing his arms over his chest. The whelp next to him felt the change in atmosphere, felt his leader go from calm teacher to visceral beast in a matter of seconds.

Acrid whistled, feeling the change in pressure immediately. “Is he exuding emotion?” Acrid leaned past Fear, looking at the dragon.

Fear nodded. “Yep. I can feel it growing stronger. He's impressing his will upon the world.” Fear's voice was quiet, his eyes narrowed as they trot up to the dragon.

Drax had that incorrigible grin that Faith had spoken of plastered across his face, in keen detail. His eyes were sharp. He wasn't quite glaring, just a sort of haughty confidence, but not one that was inherently full of underestimation. He could see Fear's soul, had been analyzing him since minute one.

“Drax Novus,” Fear stated out loud, from the gut, holding himself high, head tilted down slightly in a show of deference.

Drax's lips twitched downward for a moment at the gravitas in Fear's tone, and his show of passivity.

“I've come here to speak with you...”

Drax interrupted. “To help me? To show fealty? Or to stop me? Choose your words carefully, whelp.”

Fear got the sensation Drax was at least seventy years older than him, could feel the weight and experience in his words. The young stallion stiffened, lips tightening, tugging downward slightly. He kept his wits about him, even while his heart hammered knowing that Drax had been listening to him speak with and comfort Faith. “To talk. Nothing more. I don't want a fight. I respect your position, and I respect your wishes.”

“And?” Drax huffed. “You think you can somehow talk me down from my decision?”

The whelp looked between the pony and leader, taking a few steps back in concern, able to feel the heightened tension.

Fear kept calm. “I don't know.” The uncertainty Nyx had shown him to guide creatures into changing their minds. Always give a little wiggle room. Be firm when needed, but always give up ground when someone's right. “I just want to talk. Get to know you. Feel where you're coming from.”

Drax growled out, getting low to the ground. “I know those tactics. It's the tactics of an ambassador. I heard you talking to Faith. I know what your purpose is. You're lying to me. I don't need to sense your deceit to know.” Drax rested his paws on the ground, his claws gouging marks into the earth with the same natural ease that dry ice gave off smoke.

Fear refrained from swallowing, his eyes twitching down to look at those claws. Fear could tell Drax was getting ready to lunge, could feel the intent building. He tried to choose his words carefully as his eyes darted from side to side. “Yes. That's true. But...” Fear's voice was curt and short, but from frayed nerves and concern, not from frustration. He chided himself internally for not being more genuine. That had been Nyx's first lesson in befriending creatures: sincerity. “The only way for anything to change is for us to converse, get to know each other?” Fear's confidence failed him, questioning both Drax and himself.

Drax grumbled, sensing the first moment of sincerity from Fear in that question, but it wasn't the right kind of sincerity. It was the sincerity born of lacking confidence, not born of keeping an open mind. Drax's claws raked through the earth, the claws on his feet digging in, as if to get ready to launch himself. “I suggest you get out of my sight before I cleave through you, Fearei Shatter.” There was a tone of respect in Drax's voice, and a hefty amount of intimidation.

Fear felt it.

And shuddered.

“Look.”

Drax stomped a foot. “No. You look, you insignificant little whelp. Your tricks won't work on me. Your bravado, your calm, your attempts at befriending me are hollow. There's nothing you can do to help me and if you don't leave right now this will turn into a fight.” Drax paused.

“And you will lose.” Drax finished after a moment, as if seeing the future. “The difference in experience is vast. Comparing our endurance levels, our physical condition is like comparing steam to ice.” A strange simile.

Fear perked up, standing his ground, ears standing erect. “Look. I came here to talk sense into you. For Faith's sake. She cares about you a lot.”

Drax smirked slightly. “At least you're being honest now. Unfortunately I gave you a chance. If you truly cared about Faith's feelings for you, you would have stood down. But it's too late.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a727SZcZieE

Fear's mind buzzed. There was an instant that Drax was there, then the next second he was gone. Fear's horn lit up, a pulse of telekinesis slamming against his chest and sending him skidding backwards.

Just as Drax's claw came down where Fear had just been, stabbing into the earth.

Time stood still.

Drax's head lifted up, going from looking at the ground where he'd struck, to looking at Fear.

Fear's eyes were quivering, a chill like that of ice water dribbled down his spine. He was still hanging in the air from his pulse backwards. Fear saw the next attack coming.

Drax was gone in an instant.

Fear shoved himself down with telekinesis, flattening against the floor. It was dangerous to stay in the air no matter how proficient he was at maneuvering with telekinesis. Basic lessons from a unicorn who'd fought pegasi in training.

Drax's claws sweeped over Fear's head.

Fear was glad for a single moment that his horn was so stubby, otherwise it would have been clipped. The young stallion's breath hitched in his throat, feeling the next burst of intent. Fear rolled to the side.

Drax's left hand came crashing down into the ground, dragging backwards. Drax then lashed out in a roundhouse, intending to stab Fear's torso with his claws as it swept across the floor.

Fear jumped into the air. He needed to start fighting back! But Drax was moving so swiftly, in the middle of spinning around in a full 360, all he could do was dodge and defend. Fear's horn lit up and his gun and sword, having fallen to the ground, pulled up and into the air. Positive emotion thrummed into the blade and it came to Fear's defense at the next attack.

Drax couldn't feel the sword's movements as it slipped down under his arm, which was reaching out to grab Fear's throat while he hung in the air, and slid it up and out of the way.

Fear felt the double intent blast against his brain and he reacted on instinct, no longer able to think about his moves and make sure he didn't get trapped in a corner.

A blast of lightning shot out from the Alicorsair that had been staring at Fear all this time. It coursed through the air as it crackled, hurtling toward Fear who submerged himself in the shadows with his weapons.

There was a scream as the light from the thunder slammed into the shadow. It was Fear's scream. He didn't feel the electricity but he felt the light.

The mass of shadow slipped past the continually spinning dragon, hesitated as the tail swept over where he was going to come up, and hopped out of the ground. There was a scorch mark blackening his fur on the spine, the furs singed. Fear didn't feel the intent from the leader’s next attack, showing off the difference in skill, showing that he could not only fight but he could follow through with attacks without intending them.

Fear's sword came up on its own, held vertically with the tip pointed down, catching Drax's palm as it reached out to latch onto Fear's muzzle like a facehugger.

The sword bashed into Fear's muzzle, sending him flying backwards, the blade careening off to the side. Blood flowed liberally from the cracked snout as he skidded along the dirt and rock, flipping into the air, nearly breaking his legs and snapping his neck from the force.

Drax was back on him again. Fear started trying to siphon love while submerging his gun into the shadows against his body. He knew he couldn't use Nightmare Pressure. Drax would just be furious by it – his instincts told him so.

As Drax reached out to carve a claw mark deep into Fear's skull, in order to rake off his muzzle, he felt a bubbling in his soul, able to feel his emotions flood and burble before funneling away from him, making him twitch.

Fear's sword came to his defense and shoved the claw off to the side as he finally hit the ground for good, stumbling backwards, hooves nearly crossing over each other. The young stallion felt the next move coming from the Alicorsair. A high pressurized jet of water slamming into where he just was, arcing through the floor and tearing up rock. Fear was in the shadows.

Drax reared back, flames surging up his throat, then jerked forward, letting out a gout of purple glowing flames that washed over where Fear was.

Fear felt the heat and groaned in pain. Raced past and hopped up from behind Drax.

Drax felt it coming and flicked his tail up, catching Fear in the belly and sending him plummeting into the sky by more than thrice his height.

Fear oofed, spittle flew from his mouth.

Drax jumped into the air, doing a backflip, pushing himself up with his wings, and tried to bring his finned tail down onto Fear's spine and send him plummeting into the ground.

Fear felt it coming and turned himself into shadows, latching onto Drax's tail.

Drax hovered for a moment.

A photokinetic ray of light burst from the Alicorsair in a beam, slashing over Drax's tail and not even burning it, but nearly cutting Fear's shadow form in half.

The only thing that saved him was instinct. Fear pulled the gun out from him for a meager moment and shot with a primal feeling on where he felt Drax's extra, albeit faint presence.

The bullet missed because Drax pulled the Alicorsair out of the way just in time.

Seven rounds left.

At least Fear's shadow was safe.

Acrid was panicking as he watched the fight, which felt like it took mere seconds to pass.

Fear's heart was thundering in his chest as he pulled off of his opponent, realizing what he needed to do to hit the Alicorsair and send it out of commission. His eyes contracted as he took a page from Solanum's book, pumping illusion into the air around him, using everything he could to hide his intent in a mask of so many other intentions that blinded the leader. Even while he still kept trying to pull love from his being. Drax's love for his people and his hatred for the world so immense, so powerful, there was so much. The young stallion realized the dragon was just as sensitive as him to it all, if not more-so, far beyond what Faith had told them. But even so, Fear knew anyone would become emotionally exhausted after long enough.

Drax felt Fear falling through the air just as the intent to blind him came up, and soon enough he coudn't tell what Fear was going to do, where he was going to move. But still he pulled up a huge gust of air into his lungs, leaning back as he hung in the air, and released an inferno of violet down on Fear from above, flames raining down, licking at the air.

Fear felt it coming and brought his weapons against his body in the shadows, using a pulse of telekinesis to send him violently careening away from the gout of flames just as it passed over where he just was.

The young stallion's body plummeted toward the ground at a rate that was going to break his legs if he landed on them.

Instead of letting himself land on them, Fear dove into the shadows as soon as he got close enough, popping up a second later like a spring.

He saw Drax soaring down to him. He'd be here in less than two seconds.

Fear braced himself.

Drax, feeling all the intentions coming from Fear, even the one to sap his love, crashed into the ground just as Fear turned into shadows and fused to Drax's chest, before sliding around. He could tell the difference between intentions. He knew Fear was going to pop up behind him. Felt it coming.

It was a feint. One of the possibilities Drax had sensed. Fear popped up from the same place he latched onto him from and rolled to the side, bringing his gun to bare.

Just as the Alicorsair lined up to hit him with a burst of fireballs, Drax still flowing into a moveset behind him, so blinded he was reacting only on what he thought he saw, Fear lined up the rifle.

And fired.

A host of intentions, from hurting Drax to shooting where the Alicorsair was going to be, popped into Drax's mind. He realized he couldn't save his precious drone.

The bullet sailed through the air.

Six bullets left.

The bismuth-covered drone nearly shattered on impact, bullet crashing home into the turret and turned it into mere splinters of trashed technology. The Alicorsair fluttered from side to side, struggling to stay in the air from the sudden balance issues.

One fireball managed to get unleashed before the bullet hit.

It shot straight for Fear.

Fear pulsed himself to the side just as Drax's combo followed up to spear into where Fear just was.

Drax whiffed at nothing but air.

The two of them got distance from each other.

Fear was panting by that point. His legs felt weak. The only thing keeping him in the fight was feeding on what felt like a near limitless source of love within Drax. His eyes were a little glassy. He shook his head a few times to get the fugue out of his system.

Drax slowly drew closer to Fear, walking at a leisurely pace. “You're a really frustrating runt. No one's ever been able to take down the Alicorsair before, however temporarily.” The implication was clear to Fear – it could repair itself given enough time. “Still, I suppose since you've lasted this long by sheer luck you deserve to know where I'm coming from.” Drax pounded a fist into his chest as Fear looked on in abject terror, still putting out illusions, still sapping Drax's love. “Dragons were once a proud species who dominated the lands. It was their learned compassion that kept them from taking out the ponies of Equestria after they settled.”

Fear stayed silent, unable to bring up the energy to glare. Just taking a moment to catch his breath.

“It was their mercy that allowed them to grow and prosper, that kept them from being annihilated and conquered during their division caused solely by race.” Drax cut a hand through the air, as if equine struggle was meaningless compared to what the dragons had been through. “Dragons had learned long ago how to defeat the wendigos with the power of harmony. Equines are third rate creatures, always behind, always taking advantage of others. Never being wise enough to know when enough's enough. Their only saving grace being their innovation. Their nobles took advantage of those lower than them.” Drax was glowering at Fear.

Fear stayed silent, backing up from Drax a few times, uncomfortable and exhausted from all the close calls. His brain tingled from sensory input.

“They have a history of discord. A history of looking down on those they determine unworthy, and thus earned that judgment themselves. They scavenge for what they haven't earned with hard work, making use of the labors of others, the nobles especially. Trying to survive like parasites, feeding on each other even when the wendigos threaten to return.”

Drax smirked. “Your species needed a makers damned holiday just to learn to treat each other well.” His voice was gruff. “The dragons were victims, not meant to be part of any war, not meant to be influenced into taking part. They were supposed to be neutral! An ambassador tried to warn Princess Luna of her position as leader, knowing both the vision of the zebra and the position of the ponies. Tried to alert everyone of the upcoming trials.”

There was a pause before Drax continued. “I have spent my life serving my kind, trying to find what I can for them, taking from the land and trying to return what I can. I've struggled, I've hurt, the world doesn't stop hurting either, Equestria is in pain, my people are in agony, and there's nothing I can do, Fearei Shatter.” Drax spat out Fear's name. “They call me powerful, they give me the name Novus, they claim I am their new dragon lord and look up to me, even the elders, yet I am powerless to do anything as the Enclave and Steel Rangers both converge. Both seeking different things, intending to exterminate us in the end. You can not imagine, nor empathize, with the level of pressure I am under. I can do nothing but fight, end their lives before they end ours. Tear them asunder.”

Drax got low to the ground, readying to attack Fear again, who was intently listening, too distracted to come up with a response. “You can't stop me. There is no place that will accept us, allow us to merely exist.” Drax reached up with a claw for the cloud cover, clenching it into a fist. “Our eggs need the heat of being near lava in order to stay healthy and hatch, and if we are pushed from our lands then we have nothing left! I have to make the decision to move from here, to defend ourselves. I have no choice but to become like your species and scavenge from lands not our own and take technology and resources. To find something that can keep us alive, especially when the time of breeding comes around. That's even assuming I can find anything!”

The dragon's arms crossed over his chest, holding himself. “Alongside that I need to provide gems for my kind to eat.” He paused. “Or meat.” The implication was clear. The pressure Drax was under made Fear tremble in his hooves.

Acrid listened intently, watching Fear, the amount of danger making his brain tingle and memories slowly spurt inside his mind.

“I am a leader, their leader, and they are believing in me to lead them to victory. And you. Can't. Stop. Me. Fear.” Drax let out a roar, getting low to the ground again and splaying his arms out in a bestial fighting stance. “You couldn't even win the lavaboarding race! I can feel it in you right now! The desire to heal my pain! The desire to give me another way out of this mess! You can't kill me, and you can't beat me either. Nothing you do can change my mind! I will take my kind's existence into my own hands and either render us extinct or lead us to a new age of glory where dragons rule. I alone hold the power, and I alone will choose our fate. I am capable of winning this war. I am capable of beating you. Now stand down, or I will kill you. I've lost faith in a peaceful outcome, and I can't possibly have faith in a whelp like you!”

Fear quaked in place, able to feel Drax on the verge of attacking again, waiting for his response. Fear puffed his chest out and grimaced. “I have a responsibility to stick around and help. It's what a hero would do.”

Drax smirked. “Some hero, meddling where he doesn't belong, going straight to his death. Fine. If that's how you want it, that's how you're going to get it!” Drax roared out. “A hero can't compare to a legendary leader!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PJCunpHedI

The darkness encroached. The hopelessness tore apart. Drax responded with violence. Fear responded with pacifism. Everything spun, revolved, spiraled around the two of them as they got ready to fight again, two focal points. One Fear, one Drax. The air seemed to swirl on the pair of vortices, the spirits of dragons that came before bearing witness to the contest of strength, Everyone present in that moment, from the whelp, to Acrid, to the one watching from the SPP tower and everything in between and beyond were looking for something to believe in. What mattered more, hope or action, endurance or lashing out, building or destroying, hiding or fighting, forgiveness or justice?

Fear noted Drax was a little slower as the dragon launched off his feet, tearing through the air to gouge into him. He danced to the side, then back, then around, occasionally spinning, moving with both aching physical prowess and mental bursts of telekinesis from his tired thaumic gland. Drax's claws swept and carved through the air, slicing, tearing, and engraving through dirt and air, cleaving into rock and putting Fear on the tips of his hooves, occasionally pushing himself up into the air, infrequently diving into the shadows and nearly being burned away with blazing white flames coming straight from Drax's stomach, combined with magical prowess. It was a waltz that, as Fear's snout finally stopped trickling blood, tainting his lips with the taste of iron, would end with a single swipe. A single motion would eviscerate Fear's stomach or slash through his skull and carve a chunk out of his brain.

Two empathies, one confused by an illusion of intentions, battled together. Warring for dominance. Fear didn't let up sucking out that love as much as he could, powering himself slowly but surely, keeping himself strong.

Acrid followed close behind, wanting to scream at them to stop this nonsense, Drax was going to kill his friend!

“Stop dodging! Stop avoiding me! Let me tear you apart and prove myself! Faith's wishes don't matter, no one's wishes matter if you don't have the power to bring them into reality!”

Fear scoffed. “That's not the moral of Terra's story!”

“Like you'd know!” Drax roared.

Fear felt one claw coming down from above and another coming from the side. He used his sword to push the upper one away, and leaned up and back out of the way.

“Stop moving, scum!”

Fear realized that dragons were incredibly powerful so... Fear brought his Garand around, shoving it into Drax's screaming mouth. Intending to fire.

Acrid saw it. Saw the muscles in Drax's jaw clench up, the sensation of training in the past burst into his mind.

Drax bit down.

Fear was one second away from firing, having waited too long from hesitation.

Acrid saw it coming. It was going to explode! Acrid screamed out Fear's name, stomping a hoof on the ground as things he'd never felt before, not for a very long time, rose up inside of him like a revolution. His emerald eyes blazed. Earth shot up from his hoof, trailing toward the two warring forces of nature.

Fear's eyes widened as he realized that pulling the trigger was going to make the gun explode, but it was too late, his telekinesis pulling down.

Earth came up in front of him as the round tried to exit the barrel, exploding against Drax's teeth.

The blowback was severe.

Fear saw light, felt heat.

Rock was coming up in front of his face.

Fear turned his head to the side as heat scorched the left side of his face, right over the eye, burning away fur and searing his eyelid. Second degree burns, permanent fixture on his face, completely red, the skin dead, the roots of fur incinerated, some of his hair catching alight.

The rock finished coming up as the shrapnel blew back in a large radius, metal going everywhere.

Fear's garand was a wreck, the bottom and top split apart, the sten-like bit shredded, and the barrel hanging by a thread of metal as Drax opened his mouth. Components were damaged permanently, The rest of the young stallion's body saved from pieces of metal and remaining bullets by the rock. The clip was completely shredded, no longer there.

Drax was shaken by Acrid's show of loyalty, so busy with Fear's illusions and the real self that he didn't sense Acrid coming. Even if traditionally no one should have interfered, the fact that he'd had the courage to intervene to save a friend in the face of paralyzing, overwhelming fright was admiration worthy. Drax was unharmed by the explosion, by the heat, by the shrapnel, by everything.

The collection of rock crumbled apart, pieces of stone holding pieces of metal and wood cutting into it.

Drax stopped hesitating and went to strangle Fear as his head twisted away, the gun falling to the ground, his left eye completely scarred, the lid having barely saved the eye itself. Fear was too busy reeling from the shock of his mother's rifle getting destroyed, that he didn't feel the claws coming to wrap around his neck. Drax flexed his muscles, intending to crush the entire throat in one deft movement.

Fear slipped into the shadows on instinct.

It took a moment for Drax to realize Fear was no longer there.

Fear slipped into Drax's maw, intending to collapse a lung with the strength of his manipulation, the only thing he could think of to do – hurt the insides and incapacitate him! Still trying to drain his love, able to feel Drax growing more sluggish. But so was he.

“Stop... stop moving!” Drax growled out as he realized what Fear was trying to do, knowing the shadows were in his throat. He responded by building up flames in his stomach, his body vibrating inside as the fire surged forth.

Fear receded, wrapping around Drax's body and popping off the back, trying to get some distance, his sword following after him, gun laying destroyed on the ground behind him. He could feel Drax getting panicked, tired. As Drax twisted around to come after the young stallion Fear could feel that he was just randomly flailing around by this point like a rabid animal, completely losing the sense of skill he used to have. His eye hurt so much! He could hardly focus on eating Drax's love. He was beginning to pant, his body exhausted, the love strengthening him barely as he realized, while dodging and contorting around Drax's movements, occasionally using the sword and shadows to defend himself and avoid him, that this was not only a battle to prove to Drax his ideals and get him to listen, but also to give Drax someone to vent to and struggle against who could handle him. One of Fear's eyes hung at half mast, the burned one fully open.

But Drax couldn't keep up with Fear's illusions as he was finally panting incredibly hard, his throat sore and raw from releasing flames constantly. The more broken he became from overexertion, the more he started reacting to his instincts and following illusory Fears and failing to follow the real one.

The air around them smelled heavily of a thunderstorm. Acrid could tell Fear was slowly enduring to the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DomvyU-rkw4

Eventually drax gave up, falling to hands and knees, before collapsing onto his chest with a loud thud, breathing hard, unable to keep up. His eyes closed. Green and blue flames overflowed from the dragon's mouth with every breath like an uncontrollable lighter.

Fear tried to catch his breath and spoke, his burned eye holding shut, the injury oozing blood that cascaded down his face. “Drax. I don't, haah, know what to tell you. I, haah, don't know... how to save your kind. Hooh, haah, haah. I don't know if they can be saved. I don't, hooh, know if there's any hope for the future, haah, the wasteland, or if equines even deserve, hooh, hope. And I don't know how to, haah, heal yours or anyone else's woes. Hooh, haah, hooh, haah, haah...” Fear slowly caught his breath, head tilted down in exhaustion, but not closing his remaining eye. “But I do know that by wreaking destruction, haah, willy nilly, hooh, assaulting others first, haah, talking last will bring nothing good. Whoof. Haah... Harmony can't reign in such a world. Ponies proved that with the zebras.”

The young stallion finally caught his breath, standing up tall as Drax just pounded at the ground with a fist in frustration, eyes clenched shut. Fear continued. “They didn't try hard enough to reach a compromise, superstition and assumptions led to self fulfilling prophecies, and we all paid for it with our lives and well-being.” The words tumbled out of Fear's mouth like vomit. “Dragons aren't the only ones suffering. Dragons tried their best, and got the short end of the stick, but we're all in this together in the end. All I can do is offer you a place to hide in Dryfield.”

Drax's head perked up slightly at the proposition, looking up tentatively at the stallion who seemed to be on his last legs, kept up by solely love.

“I can contact my family there through dreams. There are rock farms around there that might be able to sustain you until you can return to the dragon lands. I may not know much Drax, but I know that this isn't the end, and that acting hastily will bring about the end faster than if we bide. Our. Time. And. Wait. You have to take care of your people first and foremost, do not give up hope, do not abandon Faith.” Fear didn't dare collapse.

Drax looked up to him with tired, spent, dilated slit eyes. He looked like he was about to say something.

Fear could easily feel the conflict, the hesitant hope inside of the dragon. The roar for justice, the cry for salvation, and the impact Fear's words were leaving on him. It was a wound that would never heal, but instead of hurting, it felt good. It relieved the pain of his overexertion, forcing him to take a moment and relax. For a second, Fear could feel Drax unloading every single one of his problems on the young stallion's shoulders.

Acrid gazed at the two, a hoof raised, his eyes teary, not sure what to say, or if to intervene.

Fear oomphed from the weight of Drax's belief.

Just as everything seemed to be calming down, Fear's wound still draining gunk completely marring the side of his face, trying to heal, the young stallion felt another presence whip by him, gliding over the ground. Intent blasted against his brain. He reacted on something deep and primal, throwing out his sword at Drax to pierce the new arrival who...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZjGBuNgLjM

Intended to kill Drax.

The figure halted immediately before the sword could shank through him, watching it vibrate in front of him, and turned to look at Fear. It was an emaciated turquoise equine with fairy wings, with wrinkles and bones showing here and there, though not actually bones. It seemed to be made of light, with wavering, shredded aurora-like mane and tail and blazing white eyes that filtered wisps of light. There was a sense of 'this is undead' from its gaunt features and stringy cheeks. It had visceral sharply edged teeth rimming its mouth, and the first thing Fear thought upon seeing it was, 'is this a sketchbook?' The creature's body worbled, taking a step toward Fear.

“Talented little pony, not only sensing me at the last moment but managing to counter me.”

Fear pulled his sword free. “Who are you!? What are you doing here!?”

The creature bared its fangs. “You should know. You've heard all about us. Luna's been talking.” The creature dipped its head. Fear took a few steps back, holding the sword away from him, keeping the creature from attacking Drax, but leaving himself wide open. He dared not collapse, even as his body shook from strain. “My name is Petta, and I know exactly who you are Fearei Shatter. Been hearing about you on the grapevine.”

Fear plopped down on his haunches, breathing heavily again, able to feel nightmare pressure leaking out from around the creature. It was an umbran! Drax was too tired to fight it, to be angry. Emotionally kaput. “What are you doing here!? Why'd you attack us!?”

The umbran smiled sinisterly, its teeth exposed. “That's a silly question. You should know by now how it works. Umbrans are psychic, drawn to destructive intent and conspiracy to eliminate so they can more easily feed on despair.” The umbran sat back, raising his hooves into the air. “An evolution in foretelling. We are supreme creatures, ready for our day to shine once more. I have been following Drax for awhile, watching him. But he's outlived his usefulness. I think I'll just take you over and force you to kill the dragons.”

The whelp was terrified, hiding behind a rock.

Acrid was equally horrified, paralyzed in place, his body shivering.

Fear watched as an unearthly white and turquoise glow radiated from the umbran, shrouding the world in a thick cloud of diseased-looking light. Almost like sickly water. He could feel the enemy growing more powerful from their despair, from Acrid, Drax, the young dragon, and him. Fear steeled himself, forcing his emotions to uprise. “You think you can do any of that!? You think you can just come in here and wreck their home!? Well I got news for you!” Fear stomped on the ground, getting into a fighting stance even as his body screamed at him to stop. “You're. Not. Getting. Anything you want!” Fear ground the words out like coffee beans.

“Then you won't mind if I up the stakes a little.” The umbran said cooly, his eyes narrowed as that overwhelming aura reached out for Drax.

Fear felt it coming, the capability of that power, what Petta intended to do. He took a step forward and reached out with a hoof as his sword felt the violence laced in Fear's mind and lashed out at the source of that misery.

Petta leaned to the side as the sword came down, ducked as it sailed by him, and rolled as it stabbed into the ground where he was, and used a hoof to kick the sword as it tried to pull out of the ground, reaching out with shadow magic and wrapping the sword up in a sphere of sticky inky darkness, holding it in place with his will. “Tut tut. Got to be a little less predictable than that Fearei Shatter. You're going up against creatures with centuries more skill than you.”

Fear gaped, but refused to give in. That aura from the umbran reached out for Drax again.

Acrid finally pulled himself together and responded after seeing how Fear handled his terror, stomping a hoof onto the ground and sending earth shooting up from the ground, before a dome of rock encapsulated Drax, brimming with earth pony magic that pushed away the necrotic energy trying to slay him. “You... you stop that right now!” Acrid demanded, his voice cracking.

The umbran took a moment to feel out the earth pony magic as Fear contemplated his next move. After a moment he knew how to get his sword free from the shadows. As images floated through Petta's mind, Fear used the kenaz's spell he'd been practicing in the sword, and slowly modifying it in order to burn away the darkness with the bright light.

“Project Ace! So it is you!” Just as Petta came to the conclusion and decided to murder Acrid first, Fear brought the sword down, shooting it into the earth and sending another kenaz spell punching into it, making it bounce back and out of the ground. Scorching light pushed up out of the cracks in the basalt rock.

“For creatures of despair Acrid sure puts you through the wringer!” Fear quipped.

Petta jumped back, getting tired of Fear's meddling and reaching out with a dose of psychic energy to necrotize the tissue surrounding Fear's eye.

Fear realized in less than a second that it'd make his eye completely unusable and maybe even spread to his brain. If it happened there'd be no saving his eye nor... maybe, himself. Fear stumbled back as he felt the energy touch his scarred eye, but his horn lit up with a powerful burst of telekinesis and light, sending off a flashbang spell that cracked and bammed. It seared across the umbran's eyes and shattered his perceptions for a moment, stunning him. “Acrid! Corner the Umbran!” He swept out a hoof to punctuate the command. He could tell the umbran was now wary, and correctly determined it was because he couldn't go into the shadows with that flashbang spell around, just on the horizon.

The nightmare pressure increased to try and solve the gathering stalemate.

Fear resisted, having experienced it before and still experiencing an adrenaline rush from this and his fight with Drax, the only thing keeping his body awake right now.

Petta knew he needed to drain Fear's magical energy, but also knew he couldn't push him into using it at the wrong moments. Needed to be cautious about his attacks.

Acrid was firmly rooted to the spot, his body trembling, fused to the ground beneath him from the exceedingly potent psychic outlash.

Fear flowed into a dance as the umbran came at him, a series of punches and bucks filled with necrotizing magic that Fear tried to avoid to the best of his ability, using the sword to try and block blows, but it ended up getting pushed to the side by powerful telekinesis from the strength Petta had absorbed. It was a brutal macabre assault that would end as soon as the deadly necromantic energy surged into Fear's body and corrupted him into nothing but a corpse. Fear was breathing hard, trying to keep up as hooves flew around him, trying to drive him into a corner. Occasionally Fear let off a flashbang once cornered, stunning the umbran for the briefest of moments, before trying to skewer him, only it wasn't enough time because he needed to clear his mind right after doing it too!

Acrid finally built up the courage to act, seeing Fear nearly losing, on the cusp of giving up. Watching Fear struggle to beat Drax and Petta inspired him in a way he'd never felt before, his hooves tingling and pulling up. Acrid waited for the right moment, waiting for the next flashbang, able to tell Fear's spells were getting weaker after prolonged use.

As the next one hit, creating a cataclysm of sound and light, Acrid stomped his hoof on the ground while Petta was stunned. The earth trembled and upheaved, chasing after Petta, erupting around him, latching on, and then collapsing around him, yanking him down into the earth up to his neck. Acrid stomped a hoof again, healing the earth and its cracks, bringing it back down, solidifying it in one deft movement as the two were confused about what was going on.

The ground collapsed around Petta's body. Crushing his form made of pure magic potential.

Fear took advantage of the opportunity, letting out a war cry as the umbran gasped, his sword coming around to chop through Petta's neck.

Petta struggled to the end, sending off a burst of telekinesis to block the blade.

Fear feinted, pulling the sword back, up, around, and in one swift movement cleaved it across the air from the other direction through Petta's neck, severing it off at the top. Magic burbled out at the edges, blossoming and bubbling like the previous umbran's magic had done around the horn. Fear watched, with tired eyes, as a sketchy looking black and white orb, like some kind of drawing, popped out of the umbran's stub as the rest of its body faded away, and the orb of magic potential shunted into his blade.

Acrid let out a sigh.

Fear collapsed. Dead weight.

The dragon whelp ran to where Drax was kept in the earth. The leader had heard and felt it all.

Acrid rushed over to Fear, passively setting a stimulus of earth toward the dome housing Drax, releasing him. The genetically modified stallion lifted Fear's exhausted body up. Some of the ooze had dribbled down to the unmarred side of his face. Acrid pushed some of Fear's hair back, locks of it having gotten stuck to the scar. A thick trickle of blood still stained his muzzle. He pet through his mane, holding him, making sure he was alive and caring for him.

Drax could hardly stand, but eventually joined Acrid by Fear.

The whelp was tentative, speaking to Acrid. “Umm... Acrid sir? How'd you do that? Make the earth move like that? Like Terra?”

Acrid hummed, taking it from Faith. He could hear what was bordering on hero worship in the whelp's voice. “I was gifted this power, and made it my own with hard work. I'm slowly remembering my mastery over it.” He shook his head, remembering all the long hours he put into testing himself to make sure he was ready to take on the umbrans if necessary. Back then the plan had been to fly Acrid in a raptor to where the Crystal Empire had once been in the Frozen North. Acrid frowned as he remembered what was supposed to happen after that. That had been the plan. The abilities were a just in case scenario, his benefactors having been incredibly intent on making sure that if the worst case scenario occurred, the stallion would be ready to make the journey there on his own. Able to make shelter out of rock and metal, able to endure severe cold. Acrid turned to the whelp and gave a gentle smile. “You know, the one you should be asking 'how did you do that' is Fear here. I don't know if you noticed, but he just took on your leader and came out on top.”

Drax's eyes lidded, grinning slightly, feeling a somewhat lighter heart in his chest, less pressure on his muscles. There was less tension. His breast no longer hurt.

The whelp looked at the damaged, softly breathing Fear, and thought about it. “I... I suppose. But Terra...”

Acrid shrugged. “Heroes come in many shapes and sizes, kid. Just 'cause Fear here can't manipulate earth like I can doesn't mean he's not a bonafide hero.”

The whelp grinned faintly, looking up at Drax. Drax nodded, and the whelp helped Drax gently carry Fear's body to make sure nothing was broken.

==========================================================================================

Fear had been asleep for a couple days, trying to recover. Throughout his dreams his body had been perfectly fine, unscarred, and probably would be for years until he got used to the new burn mark spreading across his left eye, tainting the flesh and leaving it wrinkled when not darkened to red. At least it brought out his eyes in waking, kind of like eyeliner. Fear spent time with his friends, getting information about what was happening in the world of the waking from Luna who interviewed everyone who went to sleep, starting with Faith.

Faith told Luna that Drax had come to her and apologized, and that he had a new plan of action, though he hoped that it would work out well enough. The two of them had hugged, and Faith had started crying in relief. Drax cried too, to the point of convulsing as he tremored from the release of pent up tension.

Gentler informed Luna that he'd met Drax in person and he seemed like a kind dragon. They'd tried a game involving getting high on something called laxweed that grew naturally in the dragonlands, and Gentler had easily lost. Apparently it was good for unicorns who overexerted their magic. Numbed the thaumic gland and horn, and sped up magic recovery. Had a few side effects like slurred speech, dull intelligence, repetitive thoughts, temporary memory loss. Fear wondered if he should take some with him when he woke up.

Acrid had been relatively silent for a long while, meeting with Fear in the dreams, having personally requested it. It was still weird to him that he could meet ponies while asleep, and wondered who else was around, maybe permanently sleeping. Acrid rubbed the back of his head.

“So. Fear. Um, ahem. Fearei Shatter. Sir.”

Fear shook his head. “Fucking stop that, Acrid.” It was weird listening to Fear's voice, without actually listening. It was more like telepathy. He was pretty sure he heard it, but it was just an illusion.

Acrid nodded. “Right. Uh. Fear. Good job beating Drax. I should have believed you when you said it was dangerous. Your paranoia was right. I got in the way.”

Fear barked out a bit of laughter. “You didn't get in the way at all!”

Acrid interrupted before Fear could continue speaking. “But I did! Petta tried to kill me! Because of who I am.”

The young stallion sighed. It was still weird to see Fear completely healthy when in waking he was gruesomely marred. “Look, Acrid. You helped me beat him. In the end that's all that matters. That you were there even though I told you to stay behind. I'm glad you didn't listen to me then, though... maybe listen to me next time.” Fear swiped a hoof over his snout. “However, I'm going to be keeping you with me a little more often. With that earth manipulation, and whenever you unlock your metal manipulation, I'm glad you're with me.” Something occurred to him. “By the way did you gather up my mother's rifle?”

Acrid had a small smile on his face, considering what he said. “I did. I figured you'd want to keep it even though it's completely destroyed.”

Fear sighed a little, rubbing his head with a hoof and gnawing on his lower lip. “Yeah... I have no idea what I'm going to do about that. But I'm not going to just abandon it.”

Acrid chuckled. “Isn't that how you ended up carrying your mother with you everywhere for a couple or few years?” The older stallion poked a hoof against Fear's chest. Everything worbled around them. It was almost time to awaken.

Fear couldn't help but smile a bit. “Yeah. But I can't just get rid of it solely because it's scrap metal now. I'm sure I'll find a way to repair it... or something.” He looked from side to side. “Anyways, it's good to have you Acrid. I used to think it'd've been better to leave you back at the farmhouse, but now I see I was wrong. Thanks for proving that to me.”

Acrid gave a wave of a hoof. “No problem Fear. I was starting to think that way too for awhile. It's nice to have your praise, and it's cool to see a hero in the making.”

The two shared a mutual smile with one another as Acrid's form dispersed and phased away.

==========================================================================================

Drax and Fear stood in front of each other, Fear coming up to his knee just barely, having to crane his neck upwards just to see him.

“I won't kneel down to your level,” Drax began, “because you are already taller than me and don't deserve to be coddled like that. You've done a glorious thing, Fearei Shatter. Given me a small bit of hope.” His arms were crossed over his chest, breathing slow, toe claws tapping on the basalt. “I won't lie I'm impressed you managed to take every single ounce of my violence and prevail. I was genuinely trying to kill you.”

Fear bat a hoof. “Attempted murder's not the biggest deal, especially when it turns out for the best. I knew you were just going through some issues.” Fear wouldn't hold the momentary lapse in reason condemn the dragon for life. Fear had many momentary lapses in reason throughout his life, and if he wasn't going to be condemned then he wasn't going to judge others. “I take it you've accepted my proposition to go to Dryfield?”

Drax nodded once, slowly. “Indeed.” There was a low growl. “I will put my faith in you, in your power.”

“Great!” Fear chirped. “Then you want to look for a nice little farmhouse on the outskirts of the town proper. It's very quaint, has a lot of food. They'll take care of you. I'll let them know you're coming. They can direct you to the old rock farms that have been abandoned. The occasional desert heat might even soothe you.”

Drax just smiled. “You're very persistent in all of this. In everything you do. I thank you for showing me that personality trait, for not letting me go astray. You're a kind equine, Fear. If more were like you, there'd be less violence in the world.”

Fear scoffed. “Well I don't know about that! It takes all kinds, and besides I've made my fair share of mistakes. I'm imperfect just like everyone else. And I also get overwhelmed sometimes from sensory input and just go into a sort of trance.” He was looking to the side.

“Nonetheless,” Drax countered, “you've done a great deed. And I wanted to give you a couple things you might appreciate, in order to make up for what I put you through.” Drax reached behind him, out to his wings, and pulled something out from behind each of them. His wings had been folded in, holding the two objects. One was a book with Creation Myth scribbled on it in fancy cursive letters, and the other was a vinyl sleeve emblazoned with a metropolis surrounding an oasis of clean looking water.

https://fractaldreamers.bandcamp.com/album/everything-for-a-dream

Fear was surprised, eyebrows rising on his face. His left eye covered by a red scar that hadn't yet healed, and would take at least a couple weeks to fully recover. “W-wow. Really? You're giving these to me? I know how hard art is to come by in the wasteland so...” He looked up from the objects to Drax. “Are you sure? I don't want to impose.”

Drax reached out, setting both things on Fear's back. “Take them. You've earned them. The book inspired me years ago. It was made with equines in mind, but I was still easily able to put myself in the position and relate to the main protagonists.” He shrugged his shoulders. “And I feel it's only right for this rare record to be back in pony hooves. I know you'll take care of it well and make sure it gets to the appropriate ponies so it can be shared with everyone. It was made by Octavia and Vinyl Scratch before the war, when they still lived together.” He grumbled slightly. “Two ponies from different backgrounds, one classical the other electronic, in order to create a new genre. I've only listened to it once, and I loved it.”

Fear was in awe, just accepting it, holding them on his back. “Alright well if you're sure. I'll cherish them. How'd you find them?”

Drax gave a rumbling laugh. “Oh you know. Simple scavenging. They were housed in a superintendent's office at an old factory. I'll go back and grab the others before we leave for Dryfield.”

Fear's pupils were dilated a bit, impressed. “Alright. Thank you Drax. I appreciate the hospitality, and I'm more than happy to spend a couple more weeks with all of you, telling stories and having fun.”

Drax grinned from ear to ear. “I look forward to your presence, Fearei Shatter.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov5Nrd2NUV0

Sorry about the low quality of this chapter! And making intent no longer a word. Hope you enjoyed!

BR asks: What is your favorite sweet?

Acrid: I want to take this question first, because I've had a lot of favorite sweets over the years, especially at carnivals. I miss it so much and this wasteland sucks. My favorite sweet is a fruity sherbet cannoli with sprinkles. But I had a lot of favorite foods growing up. Equines subsisted on sweets a lot of the time. I think my favorite part about the cannolis though were the combination of crust and cream, the textures just fit so well together, and the fruitiness of the sherbet made my mouth tingle with glee. It was so sugary and fine. Dear Celestia I miss it so much. The vegetation and fruits on our farm couldn't compare to a well placed sugary treat.

Gentler: Favorite sweet huh? Chocolate pop rocks. They explode in your mouth a little like fire crackers when saliva mixes in with them, and they slowly melt away. They remind me of sparklers a little bit, in how they make everything tingle and slowly just recede. The chocolate is full of sugar, so it feels like a bomb is going off in your mouth. My siblings and I used to lace them with catnip sometimes. I don't know if you know but catnip does different things depending on whether it's ingested or huffed. When it's huffed it makes you wild and crazy because the pheromones summon something primal in you. When you eat it acts as a sedative and gets you high. So high you sometimes start daydreaming. I miss it a lot. That's probably going to be one of the things I indulge in when we get to Panthera.

Faith: Best sweet I ever found was an old jar filled with preserved peanut butter and chocolate ribbon swirls. It was delicious. I ate it within a day. Gave me a stomachache. I don't regret it though. I hope I'll be able to find something like that in Abyssinia since it's a place that still has production lines and such.

Fear: Hmm... I don't know. I haven't had many sweets! I think it's a toss up between buckcakes and that pack of fruity candies I had one day. The buckcakes are really tempting to go with because they're so easy to find and they're so delicious, like coffee and chocolate, sometimes banana! But the fruity candy was really tasty, and because it was warm they were soft to eat. They had a juicy interior. The label on it had faded away though. Maybe when I go to Abyssinia I'll be able to find more candies.

Edan asks: Acrid, why were you chosen to participate in Project Ace?

Acrid: That's a seriously good question! No one else has asked yet. Truth be told the benefactors of Project Ace were looking for someone young because they'd have the most time to harness and practice the abilities given through genetic manipulation and enhancement. So they put out a call through the schools in each area looking for ponies who fit certain physical requirements, were the offspring of farmers, and were earth ponies. There were a few other specific things they looked for too, like mental integrity and devotion to Equestria through tests. A few of us managed to be selected, but I was the one who ultimately took best to the manipulation being done on us. My parents had to fill out a form explaining that they were okay with my potential death if it meant serving Equestria. Thankfully the Ministry of Morale didn't force their hoof, but it was me who convinced them to let me do it. I wanted to serve my country. Not only that but it was a chance to move away from the farm and have it get taken over by somepony else. I'd always wanted to see Las Pegasus! I spent most of my days in the lab from then on, being experimented on and practicing. A couple of the others who'd been selected died, but I made it through the entire way! In this world it's all about how useful you are to the ponies around you that matters. That's my opinion at least. I wanted to be a hero!