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After a snack of sandwiches, Nightmare Moon and I suited up once more and stepped outside our portable cottage. And I still cracked a bemused smirk as it shrunk in magical light before being stuffed back into its carrying case. It was still the middle of the afternoon where we were, so still plenty of time to cover more ground before having to settle down for the night. Even so, I still had to turn to my royal friend and ask, "I take it stuff like this doesn't come cheap."

"It's not so bad when you look at the price tag. Although I will say there are portable mansions available for the obscenely rich, the materialistic louts." Nightmare Moon retorted as she placed our home back into one of her saddlebags. She was suited up for battle in full barding, but we were likely a long ways off from enemy territory.

"Mansions... Really, why would you need that when traveling out in the wilds? Doesn't that just make for more work for yourself with their size?" I asked while still being unable to fathom the mindsets of the rich.

"Yes, I assure you they do exist..." Nightmare Moon grimaced as she spoke to me. She then brought her mind back to the situation at hand and asked, "But back to more pressing matters... Would you care for my company for a spell? Or shall I resume foraging out here?"

I did not want to deny her company, but I was in the mood to be alone with my thoughts. While still in better spirits after such a disappointing morning and being unable to stop worrying about Gallus out to the west, I just wanted some time to myself. "Well... I... I guess you can get back to foraging. It'll help keep our food supplies going, right?"

"That it will. Just remember. Strike your shield should you need me for anything." She replied before spreading her sable wings. The Princess of Dreams then cast me a reassuring smile as she said, "Take care out there, my dear."

"You too. See you in a little while." I retorted before watching the beautiful princess take to the sky and heading north. Now alone, I turned to the east and continued on my way on foot for the time being.

At least I did for maybe ten minutes. Having become too accustomed to flight and knowing that time was vital, I soon took to the air and soared over the Empty Plains as I surveyed the vast majesty of the landscape. I kept my altitude low, not even a hundred feet off the ground, as I glided on my armor's wings. I did all I could to try and keep my spirits up and to not think about the peril I was walking into.

I got to see quite a few interesting sights along the way when it came to the wildlife of the Empty Plains. I saw a pack of wolves and even a herd of bison. Probably not exactly trusting of people after likely having spent generations isolated from society. But what stands out in my mind most was a few deer I saw out on the plains. I am not sure they saw me, but the way they moved... It was not like the movements of a wild beast. They seemed too...self-aware. At least from that distance. I decided to not go back and check. If there was some sort of deer society out on the Empty Plains, I surely would have been informed about it by now.

Eventually, I started to ascend higher and higher. Trying to isolate myself in the silence of the upper altitudes. The air became quieter the higher up I went, granting me an almost surreal feeling of separation from earthly concerns. With how the world shrank beneath me the higher I went, it made me realize how long it had been since I last rode a proper airliner. I know I have ridden airships like the Olympia before, but that thing's cruising altitude seems to be much lower than the airliners back on Earth.

I seldom even spoke to myself as I glided along in the heavens. Maybe I could take the time to set myself on a cloud and take a nap. It was certainly tempting with only the occasional whisper of a high breeze breaking the silence. But just as I started to look around for a thick cloud to rest upon, my gaze turned south. And with my vision from so high up being able to cover a much greater distance, I came to a stop.

There was something not quite right about the edge of the horizon. The vast verdant plains and forests began to give way to a...rockier environment. Not exactly mountainous, but craggy. And the sky... Was that region volcanic? It certainly did not look inviting... And yet, what was it? I desperately tried to think back to that globe where I first saw the name of the Empty Plains being mentioned, but I was too occupied on examining that spot on the globe to bother taking in what was around it. And I could not remember if such a location was even technically part of it.

"Hm... Oh, why not?" I grumbled to myself. I could spare enough time to do a little sightseeing. And I certainly could afford buying myself a little time before meeting my untimely end at the hands of the emperor's soldiers. With my curiosity piqued, I began to fly south while on a descending altitude.

The edge of the meadows faded from my vision once I dropped to a low enough altitude while I glided over the fields and forests. But I did eventually noticed a gradual change in scenery. The lush greens started to make way for forests or yellows and reds. The brown bark of trees was soon replaced with the telltale pale and thin bark of beautiful birches. The air was given a certain autumn vibe, even though it was still in late summer. Although this did suddenly remind me that the seasons would start to become cooler before long. I could only hope that this mess would be resolved before winter could arrive.

Maybe it was due to the proximity to that rocky region and changes in the composition of the soil, but the trees seemed to be in their autumn phases without actually having dying leaves. Whether or not such a phenomenon is possible, I do not know, but I appreciated the change in scenery. I was especially surprised by the wildlife nesting in the trees. The bright red and orange forms of phoenix passed me and I was soon able to spot many more. "Philomena...?! Oh, these are all wild birds... Hey there!"

I casually spoke to and greeted the birds as I passed over the forests. They even seemed intelligent enough to comprehend speech since they tweeted and even raised their wings in a passing greeting at times. Perhaps Celestia found Philomena out there in the distant past. Regardless of my thoughts, I carried on. I could already see the fiery orange crags peeking over the canopies.

The forests started to become spotty as the terrain became rockier and drier. And before long, the forest ended entirely as I was greeted by an environment I had never laid eyes on before. A craggy uneven field laid sprawled out before me with many rocky peaks dotting the skyline. Definitely not an easy place to be without the power of flight. Even the air carried a faint hint of sulfur and brimstone at times. Clearly a location with active volcanic activity. Dangerous as such a location most likely was, I never had the opportunity to visit such a place before. "Volcanoes... Well, might as well knock this off the bucket list."

It was not nothing but mountains. There were rocky valleys and pits of more even ground. There was even a hill leading into the volcanic wasteland that I could have crossed on foot if I needed to. I saw nothing alive out there. Not that I was surprised. Only the hardiest of creatures could thrive in such a hostile environment. Even so, the air was at least calm and it was quiet. Maybe...too quiet.

I was soon greeted by signs of volcanic activity. Craters filled with fresh lava. Even lakes and rivers of fresh magma were flowing. I suppose that would help keep the eruptions down since the surface lava coming from underground would ease the pressure under the planet's tectonic plates, but it still reeked of danger and I have seen too many horrifying volcano disasters films in my youth to be entirely comfortable around them. Stuff I would rather forget about.

I finally set down on a long winding strip of land that split a lake of lava in two. I was starting to wonder if I would even find anything or anyone there. No one on the ground. Nothing flying in the sky. Either there was no one there.....or I had already been detected and everyone around me was in hiding. Waiting... Ready to pounce.

"Man, I need to stop this... I'm getting way too paranoid out here." I grumbled to myself in irritation. I was stressing myself out more than my own surroundings were. What was I so worried about? My armor granted me all manner of protection from many different threats. And I knew how to defend myself. If anything, I was quite possibly the most dangerous individual there. Not that anyone could know that by looking at me...

The faint indescribable sound of the bubbling lava bordering the path I was taking was the only sound to reach my ears along with the clanking of my sabatons. At least for a minute longer. Just when I was starting to think I really was all alone in that desolate wasteland, my ears detected a very sudden loud clunk. As a rock slammed into the back of my head.

"Geh?! Wha?! Who's that?!" I yelped before suddenly looking around with my right arm held out before me as I prepared to launch a spell. I was not in pain. My helmet took the blow well enough, but I was still rattled. There was not an eruption happening nearby, which ruled out the possibility that I had been struck by falling debris. I even found the rock that I had been struck by at my feet. No smaller than my armored fist.

I used levitation magic to bring the rock to my hand and grasped it firmly. Yeah, someone had decided to be a wise guy and hit me in the back of the head with it for some cheap laughs. I was convinced of it. Thank goodness I was wearing my helmet, or that blow could have killed me. Now rightfully annoyed, I turned my gaze to the path I had just come from. One large rock formation was the only thing that could have provided some degree of cover. Even though I saw nothing odd about it when I passed it, I had to assume someone had been on the other side of it before stepping around it to remain hidden. Now that I was convinced I had found my assailant's hiding spot, I dropped the rock and smirked while conjuring up an orb of volatile fiery magic in the palm of my armored hand. "Two can play at this game."

Not really caring how much harm a fiery explosion might do to whatever had attacked me, I levitated the orb of magic fire high into the air without once taking my eye off the rock. Whoever was back there was probably waiting for the sound of my armored feet as a sign that I was walking away. So I stood perfectly still while moving the orb of fire to right over the spot behind the rock formation. With it in place, I let it fall and watched patiently for the results.

A second after the orb of fire fell out of sight behind the rock, there was an impressive flash of fire before....several individuals were sent flying a short distance from behind the rock while all letting out startled yells. One was even catapulted right into the lava lake to the right. But I was quick to see that there was a good reason to assume my assailants had not been harmed. Because they were all obviously impervious to heat damage. "Dragons..."

"Ugh! Who threw that?!" One of them yelled while they started to clamor to their feet. The one that ended up taking a dip in the lava lake popped his head back up and spewed the molten rock from his maw as if it were water. Must have been a very thin type of lava for that. My eyes scanned the dragons before me, but was rather surprised by their lack of stature without necessarily being lacking in bulk. Most of them were rather slender and lanky, though not all of them, and they were of varying colors and shapes. Very diverse in their anatomy in ways you would not ever see in ponies. They all must have been juveniles at most. Even there voices were not quite those of men.

Only one of them really stands out in my mind. One who had a mean looking jaw with hues of a brilliant crimson and a creamier white underside while a fiery orange fin and spines were present atop his head and along his tail. The way the other dragon youths positioned themselves around him gave me the impression he was the ringleader of this little posse of troublemakers. He glared at me with a conniving smirk while sounding like any young punk you can imagine. "So...you can give as much as you can take, huh?"

Taking that as an admission that he was the one who pelted me in the back of the head with that rock, I rolled my eyes and turned around before continuing on my way. I already made my point with that bit of fiery retaliation. But I did not get far before I heard the flapping of wings reaching my ears. "Hey, did we say you could get away?!"

I came to a stop as I glanced up out of the corner of my eye. The entire lot of six dragon punks had taken to the air to cover the distance between us quickly. They did outright attack. Instead, they set themselves down around me. I stood there silently, waiting for any signs of immediate trouble. I was already annoyed, so I was more than ready and willing to lash out with a blow to a face.

"What's with this guy's getup?" The red ringleader asked as if he was tempted to laugh. "All this blue, gold, and white... And that moon on the shield. Everything about this stuff just screams pony!"

"And just look at this guy's hair! It looks just like the ones those namby pamby princesses ha... Huh?" The skinny purple one said from behind me. "Hey! I can't touch this thing! It's like it's not even there!"

I took some amusement in the guy only just then noticing the intangible nature of my helmet plume. But that didn't stop the red one from trying to get a rise out of me as he tugged on my left wing. "Where'd you even get this junk?! You think you're gonna scare anyone with that? Throw some spikes onto it! Make it red! Just...anything but this stupid pony stuff!"

Spike and Smolder certainly were not lying. If this kind of behavior was to be expected from their kind, then it was no wonder that they had nothing nice to say about the dragon lands... Which I seemed to have stumbled into entirely by chance. But was I in the outlying wild sectors? Or was I in the Dragon Lord's realm?

It was around that point that the red one started to hover before me with wings flapping, getting his face parallel to mine as he started to look rather annoyed. "Hey! We're talking to you here, weirdo! Got anything to say?"

I decided to try and get my irritation with him across without being overly abrasive. "Outta my face, buttmunch."

They all took a step back as I showed that they had failed to intimidate me. I was not afraid. I was getting mad. One of the dragon youths to my right, a brown stocky one, spoke with a deeper voice than the rest. "Whoa, check out this guy! No one talks back to a dragon like that."

"Yeah. They don't. And you know why, weirdo?" The red dragon right in front of me asked with a sneer set into his face. I noticed a few ember starting to leak out with each breath, which gave me an idea of where this was going.

"Because of this?" I retorted as I decided to make a move before he could blast me in the face with fire. I lashed out with a kick, slamming the underside of my boot right into his gut and sending him flying far back at impressive speed. It really is easy to forget just how hard an earth pony can kick with both hind legs. The red one went tumbling over backwards along the ground until he came to a sliding stop while gripping at his belly.

"Whoa, Garble! That looks like it hurt, man!" The dark gray dragon behind me shouted while revealing the guy's name to me. Garble, huh? Not exactly a flattering name to give someone, but fitting for such an unappealing brute.

"Ya think?! Ooooowwww....." Garble groaned surprisingly shrilly as he writhed on the ground. His companions were quick to swoop over to their friend and at least help him up to his knees. While I really did not intend to hit him quite that hard, I felt my point had been made and turned around to head back down the path I had come from. I had seen enough to know that the dragon lands were not worth my time.

"Hey... Hey! We're... Argh... We're not done yet!" I heard Garble yell from behind me. Sensing danger, I turned to my left to insure that the Lunar Shield would stand between us should he try anything. All of the dragon youths looked frustrated, but Garble looked furious as if suffering from a wound pride. "You think you can just wander right into our home turf and... Urgh... And...actually fight back?!"

I gave the brute a very dry stare as I started to feel my irritation rising all over again. I was not in the mood for a fight when I already had other problems to deal with. "You wanna play? Find someone else. I'm not in the mood."

"That's too bad." One of the stockier dragons who looked like he might have been an albino said before suddenly swooping at me with wings spread. "Because you're as good as roasted!"

I was not about to entertain these losers. With my left hand concealed behind the Lunar Shield, I tapped into the frigid magical energies within my gauntlet and conjured up a thick pillar of magic ice right in front of the guy. Sure enough, he slammed into it at full speed. After waiting a few seconds to see if he would step around it, I dispelled the pillar of magic ice in a burst of frigid mist to find the albino dragon brute lying on his belly while looking completely dazed. Garble then pointed at me and yelled, "What the... How?! How'd you do that?!"

Now that I remembered exactly what magnitude of magic I as packing in that suit of enchanted armor, I started to feel a bit devious. I may have been outnumbered, but I had this posse of dragons completely outgunned. And I was not at their mercy. "You know what? Sure, I can play with you idiots for a little while. Could use a break from recent events anyway."

I held out my right hand towards them as my gauntlet's golden yellow magic aura billowed around it. They all stared at me with a fitting look of shock. "Let's see you dance!"

I started small, firing off bursts of yellow magic from my palm that knocked one of the dragons right off his feet. I doubt it hurt much, but they all scattered by taking to the air. The slender purple one with a mop top of yellow hair over his eyes shouted, "Garble! You never said this guy was packing!"

"How was I supposed to know?!" Garble shouted back as they desperately weaved through the air to try and get away. I was rather surprised how quickly I turned the tables on this pack of brutes. Perhaps juvenile dragons are cowards at heart. Maintaining your nerve in a confrontation really does give you an edge.

"You know what?! This is pretty fun!" I called out as I raised my left hand as well to bombard them with bolts of blue and yellow magic. They could have tried to counter with blasts of fire, but I guess I had them too intimidated to even try mounting a counterattack. Then again, I was not really trying to fight them. I was just messing around.

Eventually, the lot of them started to hover quite a ways out over the lava lake and on a higher altitude. They were probably trying to keep some distance so I would be much less likely to land a shot. Garble even shouted with his voice echoing around the valley, "Ha! No way you'll get us out here! Unless you wanna see how you can keep up in the air!"

Figures. They were trying to lure me into taking flight so they could likely gang up on me from all directions. But I had a way to counter that. "Really, guys?"

I began to charge up a considerable amount of magical energy in my right hand. Before they even knew what I was doing, I launched a pulsing orb of golden magic right at them. They probably expected it to go right by them, but it instead detonated with a massive flash and bang of a magical explosion. I saw them drop right out of the air and into the lava lake. I doubt that hurt them much, but I walked to the edge to wait for them to climb out regardless.

Moments later, the six of them did indeed crawl out of the lava lake while looking and sounding like they had almost drowned out there. No matter how thin lava is, that stuff is still rock and far thicker and heavier than water. It has to be difficult and tiring to move around in. They coughed and wheezed before they all were looking up at me while on their hands and knees. I cracked a smirk as I then asked, "So, we done here?"

As if to answer that, all of them looked up with gazes of shock. As if...there was something right behind me. And I did hear something... I turned around just in time to see a massive fireball coming right down at me from the sky! One of a brilliant fuchsia hue. "What the...?!"

I only barely had enough time to brace myself with shield raised. It exploded into me with a flash of flames that quickly flickered away to nothing. Had I not been ready, it probably would have swept me right off my feet and sent me right into the lava lake. I ran up the shallow slope and back into the middle of the stone path separating the two lakes while my eyes scanned the sky. Something swiftly darted through the air before swooping down and making a quick and dynamic landing to my right. Something about its movements felt...very aggressive. And I quickly saw why. "Oh, I really don't need this right now..."

My magical theatrics must have caught the attention of someone else from beyond the valley. The creature before me was dressed for battle despite being yet another dragon. Although I was momentarily dazzled by just how sophisticated its attire was. Its body was coated in a leather suit that was studded with gilded armor. The feet were clad in golden sabatons with tiny dragon wing motifs, gilded plates affixed to the thighs, a breastplate protecting the front of the torso, bracers and spaulders on the forearms and shoulders... But easily the most impressive piece was the helmet. It completely encased the head with a pair of false fangs jutting down from the front with winglike fins off the sides towards the rear. A pair of small false horns were set on the top with a crest resembling a pair of shears affixed to the forehead. Whatever parts of its body were not covered in gilded armor consisted of bright shades of blue, including an impressive pair of wings on the backside. I could see the scarlet eyes of the armored dragon warrior glaring at me from inside the helmet without a word being spoken.

"You're not like the others..." I muttered as I detected a great deal of restraint and discipline from this warrior. No trash talk or arrogance. Just a silent stare with spear in hand as if evaluating a potential threat. Speaking of which, the spear's shaft looked crude as it was made up of stone while being taller than its wielder, but the spearhead appeared to be composed of very efficiently tempered steel. Although its size... I am sure that dragon warrior did not even reach four feet in height. Although that only made me more cautious as it likely would compensate with sheer ferocity.

The last thing I wanted was to get stuck in a fight with someone who was clearly not my enemy. Not when I already had an invasion to face elsewhere. But just before I could even try to diffuse the situation, Garble suddenly ran up the slope and pointed at me. "Ohohoho, you're in for it now! Hey, this guy showed up and started blasting us with magic and stuff! Get rid of him!"

"Hey, you shot first! I didn't even..." I started to shout back before I noticed the dragon warrior take its spear into both hands with the tip pointing at me. And just to help confirm what kind of situation I had found myself in, a growing murmur began to resonate around the valley. I turned my gaze to the rocky cliffs lining the perimeter and saw them starting to perch upon them. Dragons. Dozens... Maybe hundreds of them of many shapes, sizes, and colors. All clamoring for a view of the confrontation that was unfolding as they started to roar and cheer. I felt like I was now trapped in some sort of gladiatorial match with the audience screaming for blood. If they knew what was happening like this...

I took a step back. The gilded armor of this warrior was not merely to look nice. I was convinced that the armored dragon before me was a local champion. Convinced that there was no running away now, I slowly drew the Celestial Sword from its scabbard as its blade shone forth with white light. "I take it there's no way around this..."

With shield raised, I faced down the champion as he pointed his spear at me. I quickly tried to consider my options. The Celestial Sword could easily counter that spear, but such weapons have an inherent advantage over swords due to their reach and are easier to wield. And considering the experience this hardened warrior likely possessed, he would be going for my exposed face. And that is exactly what he did. With a sudden jab of his spear, the dragon champion went for my head. I easily pushed it aside with my shield, but did not attack. I was still trying to test the capabilities of this warrior before going on the offensive.

The champion began to try and circle me, making quick thrusts with his spear and even trying to fake me out with a few sudden false stabs. The clinks and clanks of metal striking my shield filled the air as our audience roared for more action. But just as the champion made a harder stab into my shield I noticed out of the corner of my eye something else. He turned his body towards me and swung his tail as I realized all too late what was lining the tip. A leather sleeve lined with two sets of metal spikes on each side and a spear point right at the tip. And it was going for my right leg, where my shield could not cover!

"Dang it!" I yelped in fright as I managed to lift my leg enough to have the spikes strike the metal wrapped around my shin before kicking it away. His assault foiled, the dragon champion jumped back with a flap of his cerulean wings to create some distance. The audience lining the edges of the valley cheered with roars and whistles in applause for the warrior's cunning. I took a moment to catch my breath as I processed what a close call that was. He had been targeting one of the inherent weaknesses of my plate armor. The areas on the insides of my joints. Even if those tail spikes failed to penetrate the soft underlying bodysuit beneath my armor, they still could have caused heavy damage through the piercing force of the impact. I could not afford to suffer any kind of significant injury before I had even reached the invading forces of the emperor. I had to wrap this up quickly. "Fine. You want some of this?!"

I went on the offensive by conjuring up an orb of fire above me and sending it falling towards my opponent. Before it could even finish falling, I was already on the move as I swooped forward on my armor's wings to close the gap while the champion was distracted by the fiery spectacle. He jumped back before the fireball could explode into the ground where he had been standing, but I was quick to swoop through the lingering embers with sword raised to my left. The champion barely managed to fly to my left with impressive speed to evade my swing, by the Celestial Sword still cleaved right through a large rock that had been right next to the guy.

I heard the crumbling sound of rock to my right and looked to see the top of it slide right off. I then turned around to see the champion staring me down, but I could also see a look of shock in his eyes. He had witnessed what would have happened had that slash connected. And I too was only then reminded of the lethality of my own weapon. No matter how tough that armor may have been, it would never stand up to a direct strike from the Celestial Sword.

I only then considered the potential outcome. Did I really want to kill my opponent? My eyes scanned the cheering audience around us. If I were to slay their champion, they would most likely come after me. And I was not in the mood to have to deal with an army of dragons. I had to find a less lethal alternative. And thus, inspiration struck.

With the use of the levitation spell, I released my grip on the Celestial Sword and rotated it until it had bee completely turned around. I then grasped the sword by the middle of its blade, holding it in the manner one would while wielding a club. Half-swording would be the best means of dealing with this opponent. Granted, the many pointed arms of the sun motif that made up the Celestial Sword's crossguard could still wreak havoc on plate armor, but at least it would not be a guaranteed kill if I landed an attack.

Now more concerned with incapacitating my opponent instead of opting for lethal forcing, I approached my foe at a cautious pace with shield raised. Once again, my opponent lunged with me with spear raised. He went for my head yet again with my shield blocking his spear and immediately followed with another tail swipe. This time, I lowered my sword to snag the incoming spike on my crossguard and swung it outward to try and drag my foe around. I heard a surprisingly high-pitched grunt of surprise come from inside that helmet as his left foot slid along the rocky ground from his tail getting yanked around. With the brief opening I had received, I took a step forward and used my momentum to slam the Lunar Shield across his armored face.

I heard another grunt as the champion was left momentarily dazed from the staggering blow to his face. With another opportunity at hand, I thrust my sword forward and jammed the pommel right into his armored chest. A loud clank reached my ears as I saw a noticeable dent left in the breastplate. Once again, the champion flapped his wings to create some distance between us to get his bearings. I had to be especially mindful to avoid landing any blows on the champion's exposed backside. The damage my sword's crossguard would do against leather padding would be almost no different that striking exposed flesh. I took the opportunity to at least try and reason with my opponent while keeping my shield ready. "I can promise you this won't end well if we keep this up! Can't we just stop?!"

The champion said nothing, but I did notice some hesitation. As if he was considering my plea. But as if to launch an argument against my words, the valley was suddenly filled with demanding roars and cheers as our audience begged for more action. I saw the champion grasp the shaft of his spear more tightly, his eyes momentarily closing inside his helmet. He then looked ahead at me and, almost reluctantly, came swooping in with spear ready.

My opponent was no longer staying on the ground. He maintained some impressive aerial control over himself while trying to strike me from above with spear stabs and stinging stabs with the spike at the tip of his tail. All I could do was keep my shield up and try to block his tail with the vambrace on my right gauntlet. By this point, it did not even seem like he really wanted me dead. It felt like he was convinced he had to take me down. As if the audience was driving him on. Eventually, I grew weary of this relentless barrage and generated a barrier around myself to keep him out. The champion again retreat when it became clear brute force was not going to get around that magic barrier. I was quite impressed with this warrior's combat prowess. Easily being on par with the likes of any royal guardsman I had seen thus far, if not better. I let out a harsh sigh as I caught my breath while looking right ahead at my opponent. "Man... You're good!"

The champion nodded in response, almost as if returning the compliment. By this point, I dearly wanted to end this scuffle without bloodshed. And so I attempted to do everything I could to try and intimidate this warrior into backing out of this fight. I turned the Celestial Sword around once again until I was properly holding it by the hilt and pointed the blade at my opponent as I channeled my right gauntlet's magical energies through it. I shot off a simple bolt of magical energy, catching the champion entirely by surprise as it slammed right into his face. The guy really did not see that coming. He was nearly thrown off his feet and shook his head to restore his senses. I then started firing off a volley of more magic bolts, but he then took to the sky at impressive speed and soared over the lava lakes while I tried to shoot him down. I dare not try to pursue him. All he would have to do would be to knock me out of the sky or even drag me right into the lava. He would be just fine, but... I would not survive. And that would be a hellish way for me to die.

Remembering that the magic energies in my right gauntlet have an affinity for heat, I got an idea. I tried focusing on the lava lake before me to try something new. And it worked. One by one, I triggered miniature eruptions from the lake as pillars of lava shot up around the dragon champion. Much to my surprise, he quickly wove around each of them and started coming back for me. He went diving right at me with spear ready and slammed into me hard. I was expecting a much harder impact, but the dragon warrior was surprisingly light. With a growl, I shoved him back and finally got the opportunity I was looking for. With one stroke of my sword, I cleaved the spearhead from its shaft.

And yet, that was not the end. The dragon champion clubbed me across my armored head with the nearly useless stone staff in his hands before diving for the spearhead. When I had him in my sights again, I recoiled in unease. He was now holding the spearhead in a reverse grip like a dagger by gripping what remained of the shaft that was still attached to it. His left hand was outstretched while looking ready to grab something. I knew where this was going. He as going to try to grapple with my shield. Or at least he would if he was holding that improvised dagger in his left hand. He would have a hard time getting the Lunar Shield out of his way without blocking his own right hand. What was he planning?

He tried to create a diversion at first. With a sweep of his tail, the champion flung a few small rocks at me. I held my shield low to instinctively protect my legs, but the champion then lunged for my armor's left wing! Did he really assume that my wings were part of my actual body? Regardless, he tried to stay outside my sword's reach while beginning to stab away at the wing's frame.

That might have been a good idea had it been anyone else, but I felt no pain at all. And with the dragon champion gripping my wing so tightly in his left hand, I had just the opportunity I needed. I suddenly stretched my left wing as far back as I could while dragging the startled champion along for the ride and then swinging it forward at full speed to slam him right into the ground. That impact was more than enough to stun him as he went rolling along the ground a ways with the spearhead still being The audience let out a collective gasp as their champion lay upon the rocky ground without moving much.

I stood there in waiting. Was it over? Was the champion down for the count? Much to my surprise, he still had a trick up his sleeve. He suddenly hurled the makeshift dagger at me while forcing me to raise my shield to protect my face. But in that moment of confusion, the champion climbed to his knees while I noticed over the top of the Lunar Shield that he was...taking his helmet off?

Before I could even get a good look at his face, the champion roared at me as a plume of fuchsia fire was ejected from his exposed jaws. I narrowly got my shield up in time to stand my ground against the gout of flames. But seconds into the attack, I noticed swirling storm clouds gathering overhead. And just then, a bolt of magic lighting shot down from the heavens and exploded into the ground between the two of us, blowing each of us backwards as a familiar voice called out from above. "Enough of this!"

The two of us gazed skyward as the valley became silent. Descending on sable wings was none other than Nightmare Moon. At first, I was bewildered as to how she knew exactly where to find me. At least until I remembered that she could detect harsh strikes against the Lunar Shield. And that thing took many hard blows in such a short time. Once she stood before me, the Princess of Dreams cast a most annoyed glare. "Honestly, James. How did you even find your way into the land of the dragons?"

"I got curious, all right? Thought I saw some unusual to the south, so I decided to give myself some time to explore. I wasn't expecting to literally wander into a dragon's den." I explained while knowing I had no real reason to be there.

"So I see... I suppose you do have the right to buy yourself time, but still..." Nightmare Moon replied before she and I turned to the unmasked champion as he remained on his knees. Or so I had assumed. But when I saw his face...

"Wait... He's...not a..." I muttered to myself as I got a good look at the champion. With a long and narrow jaw structure and narrow flexible navy blue spines along the skull, I was quick to notice the pronounced thick horns reaching down from the sides of his head that had most likely been hidden behind the metal fins on the sides of the helmet. But those scarlet eyes... The general way they looked and the long lashes at the corners... "A woman?"

"Explain yourself. What business do you have in doing battle with one of Equestria's mightiest champions?" Nightmare Moon demanded while maintaining a menacing and stern presence with head held high, even as she stood in full armor. "And more importantly... Who are you? This gilded armor does not bear the look of the common rabble, even among your kind."

"I think he... I mean she is the champion of her people." I spoke up while my opponent hesitated in speaking. She had a look of conflicting emotions in those eyes. Irritation? Frustration? Confusion?

Finally, the dragon champion rose to her feet while letting out a long sigh. And her response was not at all what I expected. And with such a beautiful voice too. "I am Ember. The Dragon Lord of these lands."

"You?!" I yelped as I had heard of that title before from Smolder herself. I had just clashed with the dragon queen herself and lived? No wonder she put up such a good fight. "I... Uh... I didn't expect the Dragon Lord to be...um..."

Ember glared at me with a gaze of annoyance as she crossed her arms. "What? You expected me to be a male?"

"No, I already knew that much... I just expected the Dragon Lord to be...bigger than this." I explained while still astounded that she was significantly shorter than me. Again, she could not have even been four feet in height if you did not include the spines on her head.

"Give me time. Dragons can take centuries to reach that size." She replied bluntly before turning her attention towards Nightmare Moon. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the armored form of my royal friend. "You... You're not Celestia or Luna... Who are you?"

"Ember, was it? Yes... Yes, that name does ring a few bells... Daughter of Torch, yes?" Nightmare Moon said contemplatively as she looked over the Dragon Lord before us. "You are likely not familiar with any of the legends that precede me, but I am Nightmare Moon. Sister of Celestia and Luna. Princess of Dreams."

Ember's eyes went wide. She then promptly dropped to one knee and bowed before the princess before her. "I... I see! Then...it's an honor to meet you, your highness. Father always spoke highly of you and your sisters. Although he...never brought you up."

"That is because I only rose to the throne fairly recently. I suppose much of this world is still in the dark when it comes to my presence." Nightmare Moon retorted before a clamor echoed around the valley as our audience voiced their disapproval. The sight of the mighty Dragon Lord kneeling before one of Equestria's eternal sovereigns must not have sat well with their pride. It was starting to feel like they might rush down and attack us at any time.

"Oh come on! Why're you bowing to this namby pamby pony princess?!" I heard Garble call out as he stepped out from behind a nearby rock. He probably watched the entire duel from up close. He laughed while pointing at us while he said, "You really expect me to think this prissy royal loser reigns over you?!"

The roars of disapproval only grew louder. And I could see the silhouettes atop the cliffs become increasingly aggressive in their body language. They would surely swoop down on us at any time. However, Nightmare Moon remained eerily calm and even began to smirk. "James. Step aside for a moment. I have an announcement to make."

"Uh oh..." I mumbled before stepping over towards Ember while she too backed away. This was about to get...interesting.

"You truly think so little of me?" Nightmare Moon asked softly as she closed her eyes. But as she opened them with her voice rising in volume, they were filled with a bright and menacing white glow. "Must I remind you all of who reigns over this world?!"

At her words, the swirling storm clouds overhead began to bombard the valley with bolts of lightning as every dragon that lined the cliffs jumped back. Even Garble went ducking for cover as this display of Nightmare Moon's magical might kept everyone at bay. All the while, her voice bellowed with the Royal Canterlot Voice. "Allow us to remind you all! Equestria's royal family has overseen this world and its people for eons! And that is because we possess the wisdom and power to do so! As you all can see!"

"Ooh, I like this princess." Ember mumbled with a smug smirk while holding a fist to her chin. I too smirked while watching my friend's display of power.

"We have always reigned with wisdom and compassion! War is not in our nature! We do not seek conflict... But be warned! You would be wise to not incur our wrath! Now, begone!" Nightmare Moon roared as the dragons finally fled in terror from the cliffs. Only then did the storm clear as the skies became significantly less cloudy. She then turned to face us again with quite a smirk on her lips. "Do you suppose they understood the message?"

"Clear as a bell, to be honest." Ember replied while looking quite satisfied with Nightmare Moon's performance. "Really, the only way you'll get through to most of those boulderheads is if you beat them over the head about it."

"Yeah, I haven't exactly heard the best things about your kind." I added while Ember cast me an aside glance. Before she could even have the chance to take offense to it, I offered her my hand. "Glad to see I didn't have to search far to find a respectable dragon. You fought well."

Ember's eyes fell upon my hand before looking up at me. Almost reluctantly, she placed her hand in mine and gripped it firmly for a shake. "So did you. I wasn't expecting an intruder to give me that hard a time."

"To be fair, you were at a bit of a tactical disadvantage. Spears might be light and quick, but they're not the best choice for opponents in full plate armor. Especially those with large shields." I retorted before casting a look at the remains of her weapon at our feet. "Still, you're good. You really knew what you were doing. I've faced off against a spear specialist of your caliber."

"Comes with the territory. The Dragon Lord must be able to lead her people into battle should the need arise." She said before casting a sharp glance at Garble, who was peeking out from behind a large rock nearby. Not doubt humbled by Nightmare Moon's show of magical might. Ember then looked at me out of the corner of her eye and asked, "Tell me. Did you really make the first move when you got here? Or is there something I don't know?"

I was impressed to see that Ember was wise enough to not entirely take the words of some punk among her people at face value. And so I said, "Of course not. That guy and his pals pelted me in the back of a head with a rock before I even knew they were there. I tried to carry on, but they insisted on harassing me. So I messed with them right back."

"Excuse me for a minute." Ember spoke coolly before she stepped away from me and past a curious Nightmare Moon. She then pointed at Garble and shouted, "You! Get over here!"

Garble appeared to be far less intimidated by Ember than Nightmare Moon as he casually approached with that smug swagger of his. "Yeah? What? You gonna toss him into the lava lake or OW!!!"

With one swift motion, Ember grabbed Garble by the wrist, tripped him up, and pinned him to the ground on his face with a foot planted against his back while restraining his arm behind him. All the while, he squirmed in extreme discomfort while Ember continued to mildly torment him. "What did I say...about...harassing foreigners?!"

"Aaaaaagh!!! Uncle! Uncle, uncle!" Garble shrieked in hilarious fashion while Nightmare Moon showed a calm smirk at Ember's complete lack of tolerance for Garble's shenanigans. I could only laugh as I saw that punk getting exactly what he asked for. "OK, I'm sorry! I won't mess with that guy again!"

"Just him?!" Ember asked while only pulling harder on his arm. Anymore of a sharp angle and she might break it.

"AAAAGHH!!! OK, NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE!!! I'LL BE GOOD!!!" Garble screamed with a ridiculously high-pitched howl as he clawed desperately at the ground with his free hand. I do not care how much pain he was in. That was way too satisfying to not laugh at.

Convinced with his response, Ember finally released her grasp on Garble and stepped off him. "Don't forget that. Now, beat it!"

Garble did not have to be told twice. With a flap of his wings, he flew out of the valley as quick as they would carry him. Ember then walked our way again with a smirk on her lips. "I don't think he'll be bothering you again after that. Or anyone, really. But let me know if he does."

"Can I kill him next time?" I asked in a joking manner while Nightmare Moon snickered under her breath. However, Ember brought a fist to her chin while her other hand supported her arm's elbow. Her eyes wandered in thought. "Um... What?"

"I'm thinking about it..." She muttered with sincerity as I suddenly realized she was taking my request completely seriously. "Are there any potential drawbacks...?"

"Huh?! Whoa, I was just joking! Really! I was never gonna kill the guy!" I yelped with hand raised while Nightmare Moon just howled with laughter.

"You were? That's too bad. I was seriously considering it just now." Ember said with a smirk while not showing any sign of messing with me. "That idiot's been a throne in my side for a while. Would've been nice for him to...disappear someday."

Sheesh, I could not even try to find a response to that. Although Nightmare Moon laughed while stepping towards Ember. "A sovereign who is not afraid to take action, hm? Well met, Ember."

"Likewise, your highness. I can respect a princess with the gall to put her hoof down for a bunch of idiots." Ember retorted while the two of them shared a smile. I could tell that they were getting along quite well. Although Ember then asked, "So, what brings you to the dragon lands? I get the impression this isn't a diplomatic visit?"

"I am only here because I detected a clash against my friend's shield. Many strong strikes, to be honest. And then I found the two of you locked in combat." Nightmare Moon explained while not looking too displeased at our host by then. "I trust you had no intention of spilling his blood?"

Ember crossed her arms while averting her gaze for a moment. "I admit I gave that idiot's words more credit than they deserved. When I saw your friend here armed and dressed for war, I was under the impression we were being invaded and had to take action. I started to get the impression that wasn't the case after a moment, but..."

I assumed that the cheers and jeering of her people may have played off of Ember's draconic pride. I recalled seeing her hesitate at times during our duel. I then said, "In all honesty, I never intended to kill anyone. Not even you?"

Ember gritted her teeth as she let out a sigh. "I... I was a bit unsure if I should use lethal force or not. Sorry if I ever got carried away."

"It's cool." I explained while using the levitation spell to retrieve her helmet and take it in hand. I would only pass it back to her if she requested it.

Ember then cast her gaze towards the Celestial Sword's hilt sticking up over the top of the Lunar Shield on my arm. Her eyes then wandered towards the rock that had its top cleaved right off by my sword. "Still scares me thinking about what that sword of yours would've done to me... Can that really cut through anything?"

"The Celestial Sword? Yeah, it'll cut through most things without trouble. Even stone." I explained as I drew the sword from its scabbard. "You wanna take a look?"

"Really? Sure!" Ember spoke as her eyes lit up. I held the sword out to her before she took it into both hands. I was again reminded of her rather petite build when I saw that the Celestial Sword was well over half her height. "The blade actually glows... And its a bit warm to the touch..."

"Yeah, that's a nifty little feature. It only does that when the sun isn't out." I explained while Nightmare Moon watched in respectful silence. I then used the levitation spell to lift up the very same rock that Garble and his buddies tossed at my head. "Wanna try a swing?"

"Don't mind if I do." Ember said as she adjusted her stance. She gripped the Celestial Sword properly with one hand grasping the pommel. I heard her mutter to herself while she lined up the blade with her target. "Check stance... Edge alignment..."

Ember soon lifted the blade higher before performing a quick chop. The Celestial Sword cleaved right through the rock with no effort and was reduced to two even halves. She then let out a quiet whistle while quite pleased with the results. "Ooh, it really does cut through rock like it's nothing. Where can I get one of these?"

"I don't think you can. Celestia herself made it and there's only one of it in the world. At least that's what I know." I replied while taking the sword back into my hand and returning it to its scabbard. "You look like you know your way around weapons. I guess that's kind of needed with people like yours?"

"Yeah, more or less. I have more experience with spears, but I still know how to swing a sword." Ember replied while crossing her arms. Her gaze wandered while she frowned. She did not seem pleased to be reminded of how unruly the dragons under her rule tend to be. And I doubt that was even taking the ones who reside in the outlying wild sectors into account. "Anyway... What brings you here?"

"I wandered into here out of sheer curiosity. That's it. Really." I explained while trying to not hide anything. Ember had successfully endeared herself to me and I did not want to betray what little trust had been built.

"That's it? No ulterior motive? Huh... And then those morons messed with you for kicks." Ember groaned while shaking her head. She then looked up at me and said, "I apologize for the poor first impression you received. It's not easy keeping these boulderheads in line and I can't be everywhere at once."

"You honor your father's legacy, Ember. Torch was always a sensible man and he knew how to keep his people's egos in check." Nightmare Moon declared while showing more insight into he dragon lands that I did not possess. I barely knew of Torch, but it sounded like relations between him and the Equestrian royal family were consistently warm.

"Well, I try... He left the throne to me and I've been doing my best..." Ember replied rather quietly while she turned away from us. She seemed troubled, but I knew better than to pry with someone I had only just met. Eventually, she turned to us while having shaken off that frown. "So, what now?"

Nightmare Moon and I stared in silence for a few seconds. We were not even sure what to say to that. I had wandered there by chance, but beyond just surveying this new area, I had no plans. I then muttered, "Um... I didn't exactly come here with much of an idea of what to do besides just looking around for exploration's sake. Should we just go?"

"A tourist, huh? Well then..." Ember mumbled before trailing off in thought. Her eyes then brightened up as she extended a hand to me. "How about I show you around a bit?"

"Huh? Me?" I asked in confusion over where this offer could ever come from when it comes to the Dragon Lord.

"Yes. You. You held your own against me in a proper duel. Is that not enough reason for respect?" Ember explained while she retrieved the head of her ruined spear from the ground nearby. She examined the edges as she added, "I need to head back and get this a new shaft anyway. Why not come along?"

A royal invitation from the Dragon Lord herself. I had no idea of what to even say to that. I looked to Nightmare Moon to try and get a second opinion, but she just nodded at me as if to spur me on. I then turned back to Ember and shrugged my shoulders. "Um... Sure. I've got nothing else to do right now."

"All right then. And what about you, your highness?" Ember asked while she turned to Nightmare Moon.

"I suppose I shall do some exploring myself. This is my first time in the dragon lands and I suppose I should broaden my horizons while I have the opportunity." The Princess of Dreams replied as she began to spread her sable wings. "I shall be around. You know how to reach me should you need me."

Before I could even get a word out as she took to the air, Ember called up to her. "If any of the locals give you trouble, feel free to rough them up a bit. You have official permission from the Dragon Lord herself."

"Ha! I'll be certain to take you up on your offer should the need arise. Take care, you two." Nightmare Moon retorted as I waved goodbye. I knew she would be fine with the power she was packing.

"Tell me all about it if you do!" Ember called more loudly as the Princess of Dreams flew beyond the edges of the valley and out of sight. She then turned to me as she spread her own wings and took to the air. "Shall we?"

I was momentarily transfixed by Ember's aerial form as she hovered in place. Unlike Smolder, her wings were too large to be folded against her back. It was an impressive wingspan for a dragon of her size. Remembering that I was carrying her helmet, I nodded and took to the air myself. I then followed my host through the sky and over the craggy land of the dragons.

There really was not much worth talking about. As far as I could see, all there was to see were craggy valleys, lava lakes and even rivers of molten rock, and generally mountainous terrain with virtually no vegetation. It is certainly not a place someone like me could survive very long in. Even sources of water were in short supply with only a few lakes to be seen. And when considering the volcanic activity of the area, the quality of the water was cause for concern. No matter how I looked at it, it was not a place I would be keen on revisiting.

Eventually, I noticed a particularly large mountain coming up on the horizon set in the middle of a vast barren valley. But as we approached, I could see that a massive tunnel carved right out of the side. Was that the home of the Dragon Lord?

Sure enough, Ember led me to the mouth of that tunnel and landed just inside it. A pair of rather burly dragons that likely served as guards while clad in craggy iron armor were all but ready to torch me, but Ember was quick to throw up a hand at them. "He's with me! A guest."

The two guards looked at each other in utter confusion, but offered no words. The returned to their positions at the edge of the cliff right at the edge of the tunnel once I landed, but my gaze was directed at the ceiling. It was so high up... Like something out of one of Earth's most massive cathedrals. "Um... How big was your father again?"

"About as big as dragons gets. You saw some of them along the cliffs when we were going at it back there." Ember replied while she began to lead me through the massive hall. It was ridiculous how she was smaller than me, yet this home carved out of a mountain was designed for someone at least dozens of times her size.

"Talk about having big shoes to fill..." I muttered as I could not help trying to crack a pun. I noticed Ember start to slow down as I began to wonder if I had annoyed her, but she then brought her spare hand to her mouth as she snickered loudly in a failed attempt to contain a laugh.

"OK... OK, that was a good one." Ember chuckled while barely casting me a backward glance. We then continued on while she spoke up with her voice faintly echoing around the hallway. "Although yes, my father was massive for his kind. As was his grandfather before him. I'm not exactly sure what causes dragons to get that big, but I've been like this for a very long time. Not sure when or if I'll have that kind of growth spurt."

It was only then that I began to wonder about the average dragon's lifespan. Had I been told that at some point? I cannot recall... Regardless, I tried to ease myself into that topic. "Really? How long have you been around?"

I knew it would be rude to ask a woman her age, so I was hoping asking the same question in a different way might get around that taboo. Ember took no issue with my question and said, "A hundred and twenty-five years so far. It's really not very long by dragon standards."

I almost stumbled over my feet when I heard that. Ember had the look and feel of a woman in her late 20s, but she was almost six times my age?! I know dragons are not immortal exactly, but just how long do they live? Did Smolder tell me? I could not recall... Only one way to find out. "Wow... Um... I'd never guess by looking at you... What's the average lifespan of a dragon anyway?"

"Around twenty-five hundred years." She replied without pause. Although she did bring her fist to her chin while tilting her head down in thought. "Although I think my grandfather went past three thousand... Or was it thirty-five hundred? Can't remember..."

I decided to not inquire any further on potentially sensitive topics. I followed in silence with the clanking of my sabatons echoing much more profoundly through the vast hall while I barely noticed the faint shaking of Ember's armor and much softer footsteps as her lighter body walked along despite her armored feet. Eventually, she looked back at me and spoke with a crooked smile. "Come to think of it, it'll take way too long to get anywhere on foot in here. How about we fly?"

"Indoor flying? Um... That's new. Sure, lead on." I replied while noticing how much longer it seems to take to traverse such massive chambers. With the two of us spreading our wings, we soared through the colossal halls at much more useful speeds. Definitely a different experience than when flying outdoors without being surrounded by walls. After a few detours, we entered what I was quick to assume was an audience chamber. Until I saw what stood at the far end.

"Whoa..." I muttered as Ember guided me down for a landing. At the far end of the chamber was what seemed to be a massive bench carved entirely out of stone. Until I assumed that it was actually the throne that Torch himself had used. Novo uses a similar type of throne, being one she can comfortably lounge on. But situated right in front of it was a much more practically sized stone throne, although it was not particularly elegant in design and even had a craggy look to it. I suppose the dragons are not particularly interested in the arts when it comes to most forms of craftsmanship.

As we approached, Ember suddenly came to a stop. And I saw why. Lounging on her throne was some other juvenile dragon punk munching on a very large red gemstone affixed to the end of a craggy rocky staff. He seemed to just be licking it like a massive lollipop or some other type of hard candy. But upon seeing Ember standing before him, he froze in place with a look of unease. Ember then pointed her thumb over her shoulder and shouted with her voice echoing around the throne room. "Out!"

Without a word, the dragon youth dropped the staff and took to the air on spread wings before swooping right over us without a word and down the halls. I then glanced down at Ember and asked, "I take it this happens often?"

"If I leave that thing unattended at all, I swear I find someone gnawing on it almost every time I get back." Ember grumbled while sounding about as annoyed as she sounded resigned. We then approached her throne before she took the staff in hand and looked over the gemstone set into its stone housing after setting aside that useless spearhead. Now that I was much closer, I could see the stone staff was lined with all manner of color imperfections while being mostly of a dull purple hue. I would not be surprised if that stone housing has been broken and replaced many times. The gemstone, which might have taken up a quarter of the artifact's entire height, was taller than it was wide and was of an impressive shade of red that almost matched the usual red of freshly drawn blood. The staff ended in three prongs that curved inward to hold the gemstone in place. Ember looked pleased as she ran her hand over the gemstone, the entire thing probably being equal to her own height. "Yeah, this is one gemstone no dragon will ever crack. Tastes great though."

"Is this some sort of local treasure?" I asked while stepping around her to examine it. The luster was absolutely brilliant, though I pulled my head back as my reflection on its surface was dulled by a sudden glow coming from within it. "Or...is it a weapon?"

"Huh? The glowing? Oh yeah, it does that sometimes." Ember replied nonchalantly while holding the staff higher so I would not have to lean too low. "This is the symbol of the Dragon Lord's reign. The Bloodstone Scepter. While your princesses of Equestria might wear crowns, this scepter is the only symbol I need."

"I see... What's so special about it? Some sort of magical energy in it?" I asked as the glow dimmed away to nothing.

"If there is, we never figured out how to harness it. We dragons aren't big on magic." Ember explained while taking a closer look at the Bloodstone. She then made me crack an amused smirk while she dragged her tongue over it for a big lick. "Mmmm, tastes great too."

"Then why hasn't anyone eaten it? Or even that guy who was just here? You dragons can eat just about anything, right? Even diamonds?" I asked while I finally had the presence of mind to set Ember's helmet upon the armrest of her rocky throne.

Ember just laughed at my observation. "Not this one! The Bloodstone is noteworthy since it is the one gemstone ever unearthed that is too hard for us dragons to eat. We can't even scratch it. I don't really remember how long ago it was discovered, but I think it did coincide with the establishment of a leader for my people. It just felt...special, you know? So if it can't be eaten, it'll serve as the symbol of the Dragon Lord."

I cocked my head to one side as I took note of the Bloodstone's almost supernatural hardness. So hard that even the jaws and fangs of a dragon cannot even crack it? Impressive stuff indeed. "That must be hard... You think it'll stand up to the Celestial Sword?"

"Um... Well... I'd really rather not take that chance. You'd only get one chance to find out, right? And if that thing does cleave right through the Bloodstone, there's no putting it back together." Ember said with some apprehension.

"Heh, right. Sorry I brought that up." I retorted before Ember propped up her scepter against the throne. She then started to finally remove the armor that coated her body. Taking note of my own armor, I took the time to pull off my own helmet before cradling it in my shielded left arm. I looked away from Ember for a moment to survey the vast empty stone room.

"Hm? Oh, I almost thought that fancy hair coming out of your helmet was actually your hair. That just some sort of helmet plume?" Ember asked from behind me. I turned just as she was starting to pull off the spike-studded leather sleeve that lined her tail. When it came off, I saw that her tail ended in a dark blue spade made up of soft hairy fibers much like Smolder's. I was expecting a capable warrior like her to be lined with bulky muscles under that armor. Instead, I was beholding easily the most delicate and feminine dragoness I had ever laid eyes on. Where all the dragons I had seen that day were fearsome, ugly, or just brutish, Ember was truly easy on the eyes and looked as approachable as she sounded. I was quite taken with her beautiful blue body. To the point where Ember eventually noticed that I was looking at her for much too long without saying anything. "What...? Something wrong?"

"Oh, uh... No, nothing's wrong. It's just that..." I mumbled before Ember turned away from me while setting her armor aside into a neat pile beside her throne. "I just never expected the Dragon Lord to be so.....beautiful."

Ember's head jerked up as her entire body went rigidly stiff. And the response I got was...not what I expected. She suddenly turned around while looking so...aghast at me. Almost as if she was not sure if I had insulted or complimented her. "What is wrong with you?! Dragons aren't creatures of beauty! It's not in our nature!"

Her bombastic retort only caused me to burst into laughter. Where did that kind of response come from?! "Pahahaha, sorry! I've never gotten a reply like that for a compliment."

Ember grunted before looking away from me with her arms crossed and eyes closed. She really did not appreciate what I had said. Or maybe she really was not used to it. Wanting to reinforce the sincerity of my observation, I again spoke to her. "But really, you are beautiful. I haven't seen many dragons before, certainly not many females, but you're the most beautiful thus far."

She only turned further away from me without a word, arms still crossed. Almost like she was actively trying to put up a wall between us or completely blow me of. Ember is...a bit of an odd person. Not at all like any other woman I have met. But I was finding myself liking her a lot more than I would have expected myself to feel towards the leader of a barbarian nation. "Really. You are. I've always had an eye for beauty."

"Just...stop... No more. I don't want to hear it." Ember grumbled quietly without even looking at me. "I don't even know how to feel about what you said... No one's...ever said that to me before."

"OK, sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I won't say it anymore." I said softly while feeling like I had done something wrong. I was her guest. I should not be antagonizing her. I was not afraid of her, but I had been endeared to her by then.

"No, I'm not upset. I just... I don't want to talk about my feelings. Because I don't even know what I'm feeling right now." Ember grumbled before seating herself upon the smooth flat seat of her throne. I doubt it would be uncomfortable against the scales of a dragon. But as she looked at me, Ember cast me a cockeyed glance. "Hold on... Now that I've got a good look of you with your helmet off... What even are you?"

I felt it would be a bad idea to try and hide anything from Ember now that I was basically having a private audience with her, so I decided to not beat around the bush. "I'm what you call a human."

Ember rolled her eyes in amusement. "No, seriously. The humans of the Empty Plains disappeared long before my time. They can't...be..."

She stopped speaking as her eyes narrowed. Her gaze scanned my face closely from where she was seated. "Wait... The details of your form and your face... No, you can't be... But...it matches up with what my father told me..."

"If it helps, I'm not even from this world. I come from a world called Earth. I was brought o Equestria by the royal family." I explained further in the fear that the human population of Equestria may have wronged the dragon lands in the past and that there was bad blood between them. "Your people don't hold some kind of grudge against humans, do they?"

"Huh?! No, nothing like that! It's just that... Well..." Ember spoke up before her gaze wandered for a brief moment. "From what I was told, the humans of the plains to the north never bothered us... But...my father..."

"What about him?" I asked as my curiosity was piqued.

"There was one thing my father came closest to fearing in this world. And it was our human neighbors." Ember replied with a most serious tone. "He was pretty vague about it... I think it had something to do with what my grandfather must have told him. Something about them...having the capability to conquer anything... That they could even conquer us, if they tried."

I understood Torch's concerns. Especially after what he must have observed during that dark time so long ago. "To be fair, it's not exactly an unfounded fear to have... It would be most unwise to underestimate the cunning of human nature."

"I suppose you would know all about that, huh? Well, if you have nothing to do with the humans who were here before, I guess I have nothing to worry about, right?" Ember replied with a bit of a relieved smile on her lips.

I nodded while not hiding my loyalties. "You have nothing to worry about when it comes to me. I love this world. I would never want to see any harm befall it. Or you."

"That's sweet of you to say." Ember said calmly while constantly sounding like she was in a good mood. It really was a contrast to what I would expect from her kind after all I had heard. I expected the Dragon Lord to be an utter brute, but Ember was quite sociable and pleasant when she is feeling happy. She only further surprised me as she said, "You're good company too... It's nice to have someone around who knows how to listen."

"Yeah, I'm pretty good at that." I retorted while cracking a bit of a smirk. Ember returned my smirk with one of her own. "I guess your subjects aren't the best guests?"

"Nothing but a bunch of idiots full of brawn and bravado. Even the wisest dragons in these lands aren't all that wise." Ember replied with a frown before showing me a rather prideful smile. "But look at you. Nothing like that, but you still held your own against me. They could learn something from a guy like you if they took the time to watch and listen."

Surprisingly humble for her kind too. If there was one thing I could never say about Ember, it is that she has an ego. I felt compelled to show her an unambiguous display of respect. And so I stepped forward and dropped to one knee while she looked on in surprise. "Thank you, m'lady. You're a wise ruler of your people."

"That...means a lot to me. Thank you." I heard her mutter before I looked up at saw her frown as she lifted her hand into he air. "Hey... Come on, get up. You're not one of my subjects. Don't bow to me. It's enough that you actually listen to what I have to say."

I rose to my feet again, almost finding it amusing that she insist that I show no formalities towards her. Although her words got me thinking. "I guess the locals don't listen to you much?"

"Not unless I'm yelling at them. I swear, too many of them still think I'm just a little princess." Ember explained with a huff as she leaned on one of her throne's armrests. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised though... I have big shoes to fill."

"Considering the size of your dad's feet... Actually, I'm not going to go for that punchline... Sorry." I said while backing out of an opportunity to crack a joke.

Ember rolled her eyes while letting out a loud sigh. "Yeah, that would've been a lame pun... Anyway."

She then stood up from her throne with the Bloodstone Scepter in hand. "Yeah... Being the Dragon Lord is a lot more trouble than I'm letting on. But someone has to keep these brutes in line. Though I swear some say I don't even sound like a Dragon Lord..."

"You mean...your voice?" I asked while kind of understanding where they might be coming from. She certainly did not sound imposing or threatening with her usual tone and pitch. "But you... You have a lovely voice."

"You... You're too nice, you know that?" Ember groaned lightly before she began to walk to my left while I followed along. She looked back at me and said, "I just want some fresh air. There's a way out over here."

I followed along and found a tunnel leading out of the side of the throne room. Only this one was much more reasonably sized. Probably a new addition after Ember claimed the throne. As I followed her up the gentle incline in the ground that was used in place of stairs, we passed a number of chambers along the way. My eyes scanned Ember while we continued up the slope. While certainly the most beautiful dragon I had seen thus far, I was surprised how her general anatomy differed from Spike and even Smolder. The manner in which the joints in her legs worked were much more like a typical reptile than those on my much younger dragon friends. And her jaw structure was much longer too. Then again, all those other dragons I saw looked nothing like each other. Ember eventually did happen to glance over her shoulder and catch my wandering gaze. "Hm? What? Something on me?"

"Huh? Oh, no, nothing like that. I just... I've noticed that the way you look is...a lot different in general anatomy compared to dragon kids. Do the younger ones all look the same?" I asked now that I was talking to someone who knows what it is like living with dragons.

"The hatchlings? Yeah, they do generally look the same. It's not until they pass adolescence that their bodies start to settle into how they'll look for the rest of their lives." Ember replied while looking left and right as she flexed her beautiful wings. "Just don't ask me what exactly determines how they look in the end. I don't think even we dragons know how that works..."

"Sort of a randomness factor, huh?" I retorted before I began to reach out for her wing as she flexed it. Ember stepped back as I did, reminding me that I was approaching her in a way that I had not done before. "Oh, uh... May I?"

Ember crossed her arms in indifference, but then extended her wing to me to feel. Very gingerly, I slid my gloved hand over the frame. Unlike those on Smolder, a tiny claw extension was located at the top of the first joint. As I slid my hand over her wing's frame, I heard Ember let out a sigh before she cast me a more melancholy gaze. "I get the feeling you're too nice a guy to be wearing that armor... You could break my wing right now if you wanted to."

"I'd never do that..." I said softly, almost convinced that Ember has listening to her survival instincts more than anything else.

"I know... I can just...tell that you won't..." Ember almost mumbled while I slid my fingers over the frame and right to the tip. She then let out a sigh with her eyes closed before uncrossing her arms and looking at me with a solemn gaze. "I almost never have days like this... It's been...nice having you over... And I don't even know your name."

"You...don't? Oh... I... I never did say it." I quietly stuttered as I realized that I never actually introduced myself to her. I took my hand off her and said, "It's James. Just...James."

"James, huh? Not the kind of name I'm used to... That a human name?" Ember asked before she started to lead me up the winding hall again. We continued on for quite a ways until we finally stepped out onto a cliffside that seemed to be right at the mountain summit. And it provided an impressive view of the dragon lands that laid spread out before us. "Phew... Always a long walk up here. At least it's quiet."

I was all too quickly reminded of just how inhospitable the dragon lands are. Even though the view was impressive, it was not exactly a pretty picture. I still could not comprehend how even a race as hardy as the dragons could enjoy such an environment. I get that they are rather low maintenance, but what actual joy could be found in such a wasteland? I decided to hold my tongue on that subject for the time being. Instead, I decided to inquire about something else. "When did you inherit the title of Dragon Lord?"

"Just five years ago. My father wasn't doing so good and..." Ember breathed a heavy sigh as she went silent for a moment. I looked her way while she seemed to be gazing into the brilliant crimson sheen of the Bloodstone atop its scepter.

"If you're not comfortable with talking about it..." I muttered quietly while not wanting to dig up bad memories.

"No, I can talk about it... It's good enough that you're willing to listen." She retorted at the first chance that she got while looking out of the corner of her eye at me. She then cast her gaze at the horizon while she said, "There was a bit of a power struggle at the time. Plenty of dragons trying to win his favor. But he knew better than to give the title to just anyone. He bestowed the title of Dragon Lord onto me not because I was his daughter, but because he had the most faith in me. He trusted me with overseeing the dragon lands. Even if he...wasn't big on exactly telling how or what to do once I was in charge... So...that's what I've been doing. Even if there's been a lot of trial and error to the whole thing..."

"It sounds like your father was much wiser than most other dragons. He sounded like a good man, for the most part." I said while having a difficult time imagining the guy. Nightmare Moon certainly had a high opinion of him, so the respect must have been mutual. "Must've done a good job keeping the common rabble in line."

"Yeah, he made sure no one got the idea to invade our neighbors. I get that dragons are much more dangerous than ponies and just about everything else in Equestria, but... Well, not everyone knows exactly what kind of magical prowess the Equestrian royal family is packing. There's a reason they've been in charge over most of the world for so long. And it's not be being weaklings. And unfortunately, too many of my subjects are too prideful to comprehend that." Ember explained while starting to smile a bit. Although that smile did not last long. "Still, I've got a lot to live up to... My father did everything in his power to make sure the dragon lands would thrive. And I'm doing my best to make sure his work wasn't for nothing."

Thrive... I was starting to wonder if Ember was seeing what I was seeing. How could anyone thrive in a volcanic wasteland? I am certain that everything in the dragon lands had been that way for the past several thousand years without change. I turned my gaze out towards the horizon as I felt a twinge of disappointment for the apparent shortsightedness of Ember's forbearers. "You call this thriving...?"

"I...beg your pardon?" Ember asked with a hint of surprise to her tone. I barely even glanced at her. I was all but certain what I was about to say was going to strike a nerve, but it needed to be said.

I steeled my nerves as I began to speak. "All I see is a volcanic wasteland that serves as home to a race of uncultured barbarians with a complete lack of respect for the rest of the people of the world. No agriculture. No infrastructure. Not even the real makings of society. I haven't seen that much of Equestria, but what I have seen can likely be found all over the world. And they are light-years ahead of whatever this is."

I held out my right hand towards the horizon, thoroughly disappointed at the ghastly lack of progress the dragons have made for themselves over...lord knows how many millennia they have called that wasteland home. "This...? This isn't thriving. I not sure I can even call this merely existing. This is nothing."

Having said my piece, I stood there in silence. I expected Ember to have some sort of comeback to make for that. And yet, she said nothing. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw her turn away. She said nothing, but I noticed her left hand clenched into a fist while the other gripped the Bloodstone Scepter tightly. I waited and soon got a response. "Go..."

I was unsure of what she meant by that. Was she commanding me to depart? "Go? But...we were just..."

"Don't make me say it again." She said firmly without once looking at me. "Just...go."

It would be a mistake to defy her at that time. Maybe I said something I should not have. Maybe I said something she simply did not want to hear. But either way, I was clearly no longer welcome. I felt a sting in my heart as I processed Ember's words. And just when I thought I had made a friend out there...

With a heavy heart and my nerves trembling with the anxiety that comes with wondering if you just made a mistake there is no coming back from, I silently placed my helmet upon my head and turned to face the cliff. Ember and I said nothing while I spread my wings and took to the sky. It took me a moment to figure out which way was north before I began to make my way back towards the Empty Plains while also veering to the east to try and make some progress towards my original intended destination. Hopefully I would not be bothered by any other dragons on my way out.

Mere minutes after my departure, I noticed someone coming up on my right. Nightmare Moon had detected my presence in the sky and had decided to join me. "Time to leave?"

"Let's just say I don't think I'm welcome here anymore..." I replied while barely casting her a glance. I was not sure what to think, but I was feeling mildly upset.

My words did little to satisfy her curiosity. Nightmare Moon then asked, "Did...something happen while you were in the company of the Dragon Lord?"

I paused in my speaking as I remembered the venomous tone of Ember's final words. "I think I said something she did not want to hear..."

Before long, the barren and craggy land of the dragons made way for the lush verdant expanses of meadows and forests of the Empty Plains. The air was already smelling cleaner, though it did little to help my mood. The two of us continued to fly east. Nightmare Moon said little, but remained near me instead of heading off to do some more foraging. I think she could detect my sour mood.

Eventually, I could fly for no longer. I noticed a sizeable cloud hanging on a lower altitude than most and brought myself over it before setting down on it to just sit and rest for a moment. Nightmare Moon soon joined me while I lied on my back and looked at the sky. She soon asked, "What is troubling you, my dear?"

"I thought I made a friend out there... And I really liked her too... And then...she ordered me to leave like that... I don't know what I did wrong..." I mumbled in bitterness. "Ember's not like most dragons... I thought she was something special, but...I guess all dragons in that place are plagued with pride..."

Nightmare Moon rested beside me upon our cloudy cushion. The sun was starting to get lower in the sky as the night was probably barely more than an hour away. "I must admit I am not familiar with Ember... Communications with the dragon lands have always been sparse and sporadic. I cannot offer much insight into the workings of her mind. What happened after we parted ways?"

"She invited me into the mountain that...serves as her castle, I guess? She really appreciated how much I actually listened to her... I think she liked me. And I liked her. She was a very accommodating host. I thought we were becoming friends... Then... I guess I said just the wrong thing. I don't think she wants to see me again..." I explained while feeling like I might have been in some degree of mourning.

Nightmare Moon gently removed my helmet from my head and tenderly caressed my face with the tip of her wing. "I see... Perhaps it was just not meant to be. Sad as it is to say, the most fledgling of friendships are the most fragile. And...there is a reason diplomatic relations with the dragon lands have never come to pass. Which I am sure you can ascertain by now."

"Yeah... I can see why..." I muttered before just looking up at the vast sky above us. I reached up at nothing in general, longing for something to hold. A hand. As my thoughts went back to the Dragon Lord herself, the face of another precious dragon entered my mind. "I miss Smolder..."

"I am sure she longs for you too." Nightmare Moon said softly while continuing to caress my brow with her wingtip. She must have had some sort of knowledge over our connections with each other. Most likely from peering into our dreams on occasion. She then whispered to me, "Then let us continue on. The sooner we are done here, the sooner we can return home and you can hold her in your arms again."

She had a point. The longer we delayed, the longer it would be before I could see everyone again. Finding the drive to press on and get this ordeal over and done with, I sat up and placed my helmet upon my head once more. "Yeah, good point... Let's get as far as we can before we have to set up shop for the night."

"Well said. Lead on, my friend." My royal friend replied while we both rose to our feet. With a flap of our wings, we soared east. We had work to do.

I tried to keep my thoughts off of Ember and on the precious little dragon lady waiting for me back home. Even if Ember and I had to part ways on bitter terms, I knew Smolder and I would not be turned away from each other so easily. I was so eager to hold her in my arms and to feel me in hers. Even if we could not say those precious words to each other, I know where our hearts lie. The only other hand I have ever held in Ponyville. How I want to see her again...

We continued on until the sun had disappeared over the western horizon and the sky and earth below us started to become frightfully black. Walking along such a landscape is one thing, but soaring over that blackness is even more chilling. Like...we were drifting alone in a vast void of emptiness. My nerves finally starting to betray me, I turned to the Princess of Dreams. "OK, how about we stop here?!"

"Yes, that may be wise. Let us descend." She replied while I drew the Celestial Sword into my right hand. It's enchanted blade glowed brilliantly as we began to drift down to the ground below in a meadow. Upon landing, Nightmare Moon began to start prodding the ground with her hoof to try and locate a suitably flat patch of ground to set our cottage out upon. She soon did and summoned that portable dwelling from her saddlebag before it rapidly grew to full size. I all too readily stepped inside and flipped on the light switch, glad to find myself tucked away somewhere familiar and safe.

Piece by piece, we helped each other remove our armor and set the components in piles in the living room. I immediately sprawled myself out on the couch as I had experienced quite a long day. I then looked over at the edge of the room to see Nightmare Moon peeking at me from around the corner. "I shall start on dinner. And...perhaps put some of these berries to good use."

"Yeah, sounds good. I'll just...be over here." I replied as I began to sit up. I felt then was as good a time as any to start chronicling the events that had occurred since my last entry. And so I have been sitting here at the typewriter with the phonograph playing in the corner. Although...the smell in the air. It is not just the scent of savory sauces. Is Nightmare Moon...baking something? Something sweet.

Before long, I heard the voice of my royal friend speak from the other side of the house. "Dinner is served, James."

I rose from my seat and noticed that the house had become noticeably warmer. As if the oven had been left on for a while. I went to the phonograph to turn over the record since all I was hearing was a faint scratching sound from it by then. After resetting the needle, soft classical music began to fill the house while I stepped into the kitchen. I was quick to notice something else besides the pot of pasta coated in a white cream sauce and another bowl of salad. A freshly baked pie with a crispy golden crust joined our meal. "Whoa, you made that yourself?"

"I did. Using nothing but the berries I procured from the plains themselves." Nightmare Moon spoke with a proud smile. She looked quite pleased with her work. While I have never been big on pie, I was more than willing to try one as pure and simple as one using nothing but wild berries.

"Man, it all looks amazing... Thank you." I said while taking a seat with Nightmare Moon across from me. She began to line out plates and bowls with the real met of our meal and salads on the side, but refrained from cutting slices of pie for us just yet. It was probably still too hot to eat anyway.

Once again, Nightmare Moon had proved herself most capable in the kitchen. Everything was delectable. Although I made certain to not go for seconds when there was some fresh pie to try. Nightmare Moon carefully used levitation to cut a triangular slice out of the pie and served it to me on a saucer. The filling was ripe with berries of varying colors, the resulting mishmash turning the contents a shade of purple.

It was messy and very easily fell apart as I tried to serve a morsel of it on a spoon. Pies are not really meant to be eaten in the same manner you might eat a pizza. With the sound of soft classical music reaching my ears and providing such a delightful ambience, I took a bite. And there really is no way to describe the simple joy of that deliciously fruity flavor. So simple and wholesome, yet so very rich. "Oh my goodness..."

"Fantastic, no?" Nightmare Moon asked while she served herself a slice and brought a spoonful of the pie to her lips. "Mmmm... Most definitely something I must share with Celestia when we return."

Bite by bite, I helped myself to that slice of pie without even a helping of cream. It was so good on its own. And while the flavor was one I could not recall ever having before from a slice of pie, the way it all came together felt so...familiar somehow...

I closed my eyes to try and savor the flavor more. And it...brought to mind memories. Those wonderful fresh pies that Applejack would bake at times... Or even those served up by Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner. Before I knew it, my senses were less focused on what was happening right then and more on what had happen and may not ever happen again.

My thoughts betrayed me as the simple joys of that moment faded to somber desire of something familiar. I stopped eating and just looked down at the partially eaten slice of pie. All I could think of at that moment were the good times I have had with those wonderful friends of mine in Ponyville. And how dreadfully sad I felt as I wondered if we would ever indulge in them again.

"James...? Is...something wrong? Did I not bake it long enough?" Nightmare Moon asked with her slice all but gone by then.

"Huh? No, this is fantastic. I mean I'm not even the biggest pie enthusiast, but this is still amazing. It's just that..." I retorted while momentarily uncertain of how to explain what I was feeling. "I... This pie makes me think of those that Applejack bakes... Or maybe those tarts that Pinkie Pie whips up. I guess the flavor...reminds me of how much I miss them. And...it just makes me so sad, wondering if we'll really make it back just fine..."

"Dear, you're truly overthinking this. We have not even seen what the emperor is sending our way. It's too soon to..." She said with a look of such concern in her eyes.

"I know, but I can't help it... It's the anxiety of not knowing that's the worst right now. We don't know what to expect, but I'm also not ruling out anything. I'm not like that..." I mumbled while propping my head up in one hand. "I just wanna go home..."

"As do I..." Nightmare Moon muttered before managing to finish off her slice of pie. "And we will. We will return home as heroes of Equestria. Just think how much happier all will be to see you return triumphant after eliminating a grave threat to our world. There will be celebrations..."

"Not helping, your highness. I just want to go back home to a simple and quiet life with my friends and family." I replied while finding my appetite thoroughly diminished. I stood up from the table as I only wanted to relax for the night. "I'm gonna go wash up..."

"Leave your clothes outside the door and I will do the laundry. Enjoy yourself, my dear." She said softly without trying to boost my morale further. Now was not the time for that. It was time to settle down and unwind for the sake of a restless sleep for the night.

I went down the hall in the middle of the cottage and made my way into the bathroom on the left. I dropped my clothes right outside the door and soon stood in the shower with fresh warm water washing over me. I made little attempt to wash up at first. Instead just opting to sit down and relax for a few minutes. Just to be alone with my thoughts.

At least I tried to be. A few minutes into my shower, I heard the toilet flush. "Huh? Wait, there's no one... Hot! Ow!"

Sure enough, that old trick went into effect. With some of the house's cold water supply going into he toilet, the temperature in the shower's water suddenly rose to very uncomfortable levels. As I scrambled to turn the lever to a lower setting, I heard laughter from right outside the bathroom door. "Hahaha, revenge is mine!"

"Wha... Nightmare Moon, you...!" I started to yell, but soon burst into laughter as I suddenly remembered her warning. I suppose I did deserve that after getting her knocked out of the sky by an impromptu hail of cheese in that shared dream of ours. With that little interruption having provided a needed distraction from my mood, I started to wash up in earnest.

I eventually stepped out of the shower with a towel around my waist and took a moment to tidy my wet hair. While making certain the towel was secured around my waist, I stepped out into the hall and made my way back to the front of the house. To my surprise, I found Nightmare Moon washing out my helmet's interior in the kitchen sink. "Um... What're you doing that for?"

"Just thought I would give it a cleansing rinse. I noticed a bit of an odor coming from it by now." Nightmare Moon replied while lots of suds rose from inside the helmet as she rolled it back and forth in the air. "The rest of your armor does not make contact with you through your clothes, but now so much with your helmet."

"Heh... I guess not even that stuff is self-cleaning." I mumbled in simple observation. I could hear the clothes dryer at work nearby, so I would soon have a clean pair of boxers to wear to bed. With nothing else to do, I helped myself to a kettle of warm chamomile tea Nightmare Moon had brewed while I sat myself down at the typewriter to pass the time with more writing. I eventually heard the shower going again as my royal friend began to wash up for the night. And a while later, the house became entirely silent aside from the sounds of the night just outside our walls.

I looked around. The cottage was dimly lit by only a lamp on a table nearby. It felt like there was really nothing else to do but go to sleep for the night. I stood up from my seat and approached the nearest window. I peeked out through the drapes, seeing almost nothing but complete blackness out there. At least until a saw a pair of gleaming lights somewhere in the distance.

My eyes went wide. Something was out there. Something alive. And the light I saw was possibly the moonlight reflecting off of its own irises. Some sort of wild beast? Whatever it was, it was looking right at me.

I dare not go outside by then. I quickly secured the lock on the front door to insure we would not be having any interruptions that night. And just to further reinforce my concerns about traveling the Empty Plains under the cover of darkness, I heard the muffled howls of wolves for a moment. We were not alone out there.

I retrieved my clean boxers from the laundry room and soon peeked into the bedroom. Nightmare Moon was relaxing upon the bed with the sheets pulled down for the two of us. A magazine lay open before her as her eyes scanned it before glancing up at me, the lamp on the right nightstand casting a soft glow over the chamber. "Is all well?"

"Um... Maybe? I mean the door is locked." I said softly before stepping inside and locking the door for additional security. I looked at the windows around us, seeing that the drapes were closed for privacy. "I saw something out there... It was looking at me through the window. Probably a wandering wolf."

"Hmm...Then it is wise that we rest for now until my sister raises the sun in the morning." She spoke before setting her magazine aside while casting me a more tender gaze. "Come. You've had a long day. Let me hold you."

I all too willfully did just that. I climbed into bed with Nightmare Moon draping her wing over me in an embrace. She reminded me that I was not alone out there on the Empty Plains. There was no one I would rather had by my side. While her wing held me, my hand caressed her jaw. We gazed into each other's eyes without a word for a moment as we savored the respite we had earned that night. And once again, our lips joined for a kiss. I do not know why I was so compelled to do so. I felt my heart flutter when I felt her lips upon mine. But I did not care. I was grateful for her.

Once our lips pulled away, Nightmare Moon whispered to me as the room went dark. "Shall I weave for you another dreamscape to lose yourself in?"

"Um... Hm..." I mumbled as my thoughts wandered. Was there a realm of fiction I wanted to visit? Or perhaps...someone I wanted to see?

My thoughts went to those back home. Friends and family I had to leave behind for this mission. I wanted to see them. Any of them. But who? My dear wife, Fluttershy? My beloved Rarity? Precious little Smolder? Or even Scootaloo? I had to consider my choices carefully. They would likely have questions over where I have been and what was happening over the past couple of days. I had to be careful to avoid anyone who might tempt me into abandoning this mission and return home. But after some thought, a familiar mare came to mind. Someone I could always depend on. "Yeah... I think there's someone I want to see tonight. To visit..."

"A visit to another dreamer's mind? Yes, I can make that happen. Now then..." Nightmare Moon whispered sweetly before touching her horn to my head. I felt tired before, but now I was suddenly having a hard time keeping my eyes open. A spell that induces sleep? "Sleep now, my dear. I will be there for you soon."

Moments later, I found myself standing in a vast cloudy nexus of sorts with the night sky looming overhead. A beautiful nebula billowed in the expanses of space. If I had seen such a place before, it had been quite some time since my last visit. Before I could even think about it, a flash engulfed my body as I found myself fully clothed in some familiar attire out of my wardrobe back home. Just for the sake of comfort and modesty. A familiar voice spoke from behind me as she said, "Welcome to the realm of dreams, my friend."

I turned around and found her. Nightmare Moon, but now clad in her usual shimmering blue regalia. She smiled at me while I stepped over to her for a reassuring embrace. She all too happily responded in kind as her left wing reached out and held me against her. "Now then, there is someone you wish to see?"

I nodded while my arms held the beautiful dark princess in my grasp. "Yeah... Can you take me to Twilight Sparkle?"

Nightmare Moon pulled her head away from mine while showing me a gaze of confusion. "Her...? My sister's pupil? But...did you not choose to not see her before setting out?"

"Yeah, I did..." I muttered before releasing her from my embrace. "But...Twilight's always been a dear friend. She's someone who understands me and I understand her. I think she would be sensible enough to not jump to conclusions over my absence and just...let us be together for a bit."

"Ah, I see... Yes, the two of you do give off a similar presence. Not identical, but enough that I can see the two of you in each other." Nightmare Moon replied with a knowing smile. She then turned to her left as her magic aura engulfed her horn. "Very well then. Let me just see if she... Ah, there she is. One moment..."

I watched as a portal of sorts was conjured before us while surrounded by ephermal mist. Like a tall oval mirror without a frame. However, Nightmare Moon cracked a most peculiar gaze while tiltng her head to he side. "Hm... Well... This is her dream... But..."

"Is something wrong? Is she OK?" I asked while starting to wonder if something had happened back home. Did she know I had not come home after passing me the summons for my presence in Canterlot?

Nightmare Moon soon cast me a look that showed...amusement, of all things. "Are you certain tonight is a good night to see her? Something is...off about her mind right now. Addled, but not from...stress or any other psychological factors."

"Huh? She's...feeling weird? Now I'm really curious. Sure, I'll step on through and see what's up." I said while now more curious than concerned. Nightmare Moon just rolled her eyes while starting to smirk. What did she see in there?

As soon as I stepped through the portal, I found myself in what seemed to be the library's basement. Only....much more vast and spread out before. It felt less like a basement and more like a private lab. I then looked back as Nightmare Moon stuck her head through the portal after me. "Are you certain you wish to stay here? I can't make any promises on what might transpire here."

"I don't think I'm in any danger. Just...keep an eye on things in case something goes wrong." I replied while having no idea what to expect.

"Very well then. I shall be watching." She spoke before pulling her head back through the portal just before it vanished. Now along, I started to wander the lab and around its many large and bizarre contraptions. Twilight must have read a bizarre science fiction novel right before going to sleep.

Just when I was starting to wonder if I was going to see Twilight at all, I rounded a corner and saw her draped in a white lab coat while standing over a chemistry set with many dubious bubbling fluids gurgling in the tubes. I felt the need to approach with caution and spoke out quietly, "Uh...Twilight? You OK?"

"Oh, I'm more than just OK..." She said softly before suddenly turning around to face with a look of demented glee on her face. "I've made a breakthrough! Check this out!"

Before I could say anything, I watched in bewilderment as she chugged the contents of a vial. She then sat down and looked at her upturned hooves while I noticed that her mane and tail were a bit unkempt. But I barely hand time to think about it before I jumped back in shock as her hooves twisted and morphed into something I am all too familiar with. "Hands! It will revolutionize Equestria!"

"What the... Huh?" I muttered before her newly formed hands twisted back into hooves after only five seconds. I know Twilight can really lose herself in her chemistry set, but this seemed a bit...too much. That was when I started to wonder. "Twi... How much did you drink last night?"

"Half a bottle of gin. And I skipped dinner. But so what?! This is a step in the right direction!" She squealed in glee instead of disappointment. She quickly jotted down something on a notepad while I could only stare as I began to understand the situation. Twilight was not simply asleep. She was passed out from being drunk. And the alcohol in her body was probably heavily influencing her dreaming mind.

"Now I see what Nightmare Moon meant... Gonna be an interesting night for sure." I mumbled to myself as I wondered what I had just gotten myself into. But right as I turned around, I was met with a familiar face. "Huh? Oh, hey there, Spike. What are oh my god, where's the rest of him?!"

Spike was passed out in front of me. Or was he dead?! All I saw was his lifeless head set on a table with a number of wires attached to him that were hooked up to some weird machine. But really, where was his body?! "Twilight, is he dead?!"

"No, of course not! He's still alive! Kind of." Twilight retorted before she came over to the table and rubbed the head of her not entirely alive assistant. "Spike's just being a good boy right now. I'm keeping his head alive through electrical impulses. And that screen over there is translating his thoughts into text. What's it say?"

She sounded way too chipper for the morbid nature of Spike's condition. Creeped out like you would not believe, I stepped over to the screen. And...well... "Judging by what I'm seeing here, Spike is reeeeally pissed off at you right now. What even happened here?"

"Oh, funny story! I was setting up a black hole generator to study its effects on solid matter. But when it turned on, Spike just happened to be a little too close to it." Twilight explained with that demented smile on her face. Yeah, she was completely bonkers by then. "I managed to shut it off in time! See? He still has his head."

"You mean the rest of him is just gone?!" I yelled in exasperation while all but forgetting that this was just a freaky dream of hers. "And how're you gonna fix this?!"

"Oh, don't worry. Rainbow Dash is already on her way back. Nothing a little grave robbing won't... Oh hey, I think that's her now!" Twilight exclaimed before turning her attention to the far wall. I could hear and feel a faint rumbling that grew progressively louder. What the hell was even going on anymore?!

Sure enough, the source of that noise was revealed as the wall broke away to reveal a forklift carrying a freshly unearthed coffin inside a subterranean tunnel I never knew was outside the library's basement. And sitting at the helm was none other than Rainbow Dash. She peeked around the coffin from the pilot seat and said, "Hey, Twi! Where you want this?!"

This was the one point where Twilight was even close to being displeased. She trotted over to the forklift while calling out, "Did you take that thing through town?!"

"It's cool, I stayed on the shoulder the whole way!" Rainbow Dash replied while being even more lacking in self-awareness than she normally is. I get that Rainbow Dash is not the brightest mare in Ponyville, but come on!

"Well, fine. Now, let's just get..." Twilight started to say before the coffin slipped out of the forklift's grasp and popped open upon hitting the floor with a crash. And all that popped out of it was a pile of bones. Drunk as she was, Twilight was coherent enough to see what it was. "Rainbow, I already explained that the cadaver has to be as recently buried as three days ago at most! This one's been in the ground for three years!"

"And how was I supposed to know how long this stiff's been taking a dirt nap?!" Rainbow Dash asked loudly while throwing her arms up. I could only shake my head in disbelief at what I was saying.

"Anyway..." Twilight grumbled as she used levitation magic to stuff all the bones back into the coffin before setting it back on the forklift's...well...fork. "Take this coffin back. And not through town!"

"Ugh... Fine!" Rainbow Dash groaned while she backed the forklift out of the lab and back down through the tunnel. Just...wow.

Twilight then turned to me while regaining her dissonant cheery smile. "Oh well! Time for Plan B! But in the mean time, how about you look this over while I get it ready?"

I was left perplexed as Twilight levitated a folder of papers over to me. At first, I was expecting any text on the cover to be a jumbled mess since I could swear you cannot read in dreams. At least until I saw that the text on the folder was completely legible. "Huh... I guess you can read in drunk dreams... Wait a minute..."

Something about the title on the folder rubbed me the wrong way. "34 Shades of Black and White... What? I mean really, what?"

"Go ahead and give it a read! My latest literary masterpiece!" Twilight replied with excitement as if I was holding some sort of personal treasure of hers. She then began to trot away to a far corner of the lab as she said, "Give it a read while I put the on the finishing touches. I shouldn't be long!"

"If you say so..." I muttered before opening to the first page. And...well... Let me just say that whatever I read in that cluster of pages is something I will never reveal to any mortal reader. Some things are best left forgotten.

Minutes later, I stood aghast while cringing at what I was reading as Twilight came back over to me. "OK, it's all set! But how's that little masterpiece looking?"

I have no idea what Twilight thought she had written, but I was not going to sugarcoat what I was seeing. "This is a graphic gay porno. Starring your brother!"

"I know, right?! Doesn't he make a great sub for Big Macintosh?!" She squealed while doing a cute little dance with rapid tapping of her hooves.

I nearly gagged at the image those names and words put into my head. "That wouldn't be such a disgusting thought if I didn't personally know these guys! God, your mind goes weird places when you're wasted!"

"No appreciation for stallions, huh? Oh well. Besides, get over here! Spike's about ready to wake up!" Twilight exclaimed while I reluctantly followed her over to a corner of the lab with a...rather impressive silver robotic body standing taller than myself. And Spike's lifeless head was set upon the top of its torso. "Behold... The latest in technological hardware. Complete with dual flamethrowers, indestructible titanium exoskeleton, and motion-activated diamond dart launchers!"

Impressive... Even more impressive if such a thing would actually work once activated. But I was quick to point out an obvious issue. "You...do know that as soon as you wake him up, he's gonna kill us. Right?"

Twilight went silent for a full five seconds as she gave her walking war machine a cockeyed stare. "Huh. You're right. Wow, what was I even thinking? Oh well, time for Plan C! Now, where did I put that box of eyeballs?"

Right as she started to trot away from me, I felt the world quiver... No, quiver is not quite right. It felt more like...rippling queasily. The place began to distort as if I was seeing everything being reflected off of a funhouse mirror. I suddenly saw a portal open beside me with Nightmare Moon on the other side, but I was suddenly dragged through it and back into the nexus with her levitation spell before I could even get a word out. Barely a second after I stopped on my feet, the portal before me suddenly poofed away in a flash of light. "Um... I take it she just woke up?"

"Yes... Most likely because her body needed to vomit... What sort of madness did you see in there?" Nightmare Moon asked while looking most perplexed. If only she could have been there to witness it for herself.

I shrugged my shoulders while being hesitant to go into detail over what I saw. "Let's just say Twilight gets weird when she gets drunk. I knew she gets funny when tipsy, but I've never seen her utterly wasted before. Though maybe that was a good thing since she was too out of her head to even think about what I've been up to lately..."

"Yes, perhaps..." Nightmare Moon mumbled as her eyes looked elsewhere. I was not about to ask her how much of that weird fever dream she saw. "But as of right now, there's still quite a bit of time left before the sun rises. Would you care to visit someone else in the meantime?"

"Um... Hm... Good question. Twilight was the only one I could think of who would be rational about my absence..." I muttered while crossing my arms. I paced around the cloudy floor of the dream nexus, eyes aimed at the floor. But as I wandered and pondered, a very different name came to my mind. "Um... What about Ember?"

"Hm? The Dragon Lord? I thought you were banished from her lands. Why seek her out?" Nightmare Moon asked in some confusion while not really knowing much of what actually transpired after she and I parted ways when I was in Ember's company.

"No, not officially banished, per se... She just...told me to leave." I replied while not sure if seeing her again so soon was even a good idea. Especially in the sanctity of her dreams. "It's just... She made a good first impression on me. I like her. And...she might be the only friend I have out here in the Empty Plains."

The Princess of Dreams gazed at me in silence with a most thoughtful scowl. I could tell she was not entirely onboard with my request. "Well, if you insist... Though if she becomes belligerent, I will intervene. Now then..."

Her horn was coated in her dark blue magic aura. "She should be nearby... Relatively speaking. Perhaps... Ah, there..."

At her words, another rift formed in the air before us. But while I could not really see past it, the portal was quivering. The ring of mist bordering the edges writhed erratically in an ominous manner. Nightmare Moon herself even took a step back. Something was not right.

"I'm not getting a good feeling about this one... The portal doesn't give me the impression that the situation on the other side is a calm one..." I muttered as I too stepped back from the unstable portal. "Is she having a nightmare?"

"No, not exactly. Nightmares tend to be rare when my magic is shrouding the world to ease dreamers into sweet slumber. And even when they are, they tend to be more...violent than this." Nightmare Moon explained while she pondered the phenomenon before us. "This seems to be...a sort of stress-induced dream... Unpleasant, but not a nightmare."

Now I was even more hesitant to show myself to Ember. Was she still bitter over what I said? Was this stressful dream...my fault? Even so, I could not help but feel like I had nothing to lose by taking a peek. I looked to my royal friend as I said, "I think I'm ready. Please, stay close to me."

"I shall. Lead on." She retorted while I stepped through the quivering portal. Nightmare Moon was right behind me. And when we stood in the realm of Ember's dreaming mind... "Well... Perhaps 'nightmare' would be a fitting term for this."

The landscape around us was vast, rocky, lined with glowing veins of lava, and shrouded in darkness. Like a more nightmarish version of the dragon lands under the cover of night. And before I could even think about it, some came crashing by us and into a cavern beyond the cliff we stood on. It was large and draconian in form and was promptly followed by yet another matching entity that seemed to be pursuing it. Seconds later, they both rose from the chasm with a roar and began to grapple and bite at each other. Dragons...but something was off. They were shrouded in dark veils... Too stretchy and malleable as if composed of shadows. "Yeah... Maybe this isn't just a stressful dream..."

They were not the only ones. The entire dark canyon before us was filled with towering shadow dragons duking it out and generally engaging in wanton violent or rowdy behavior. And on a small plateau in the middle of it all was her. Ember stood with the Bloodstone Scepter raised high in her hand, the gemstone glowing brightly as she bellowed with her voice echoing around the canyon. "Enough of this! Stop! I command you as the Dragon Lord! Cease this at once!"

She looked so small in comparison to these towering shadows... So desperate to get some semblance of control over the chaos around her. I looked at Nightmare Moon while she looked at me. We nodded in understanding before she used the teleportation spell to transport us to the plateau that Ember stood atop. In frustration, the Dragon Lord unleashed a blast of fire from her jaws and into one of the brawling shadows. It barely phased him, but that was enough to get their attention. They finally stopped, but only because their attention was being focused on Ember.

We looked up at the towering shadowy dragons, their grinning maws and narrowing eyes glowing like torches in the night. They were all smirking with some even beginning to chuckle mockingly. "Well, if it isn't daddy's little girl!"

"Shut up! I may be lacking in the experience my father had, but I am still the Dragon Lord! And I command you all to stand down!" Ember roared with scepter held high as if desperately trying to invoke her authority. Instead of complying, her shadowy subjects only laughed.

Another one of the shadows pointed down at Ember while grinning cruelly at her. "Awww, the princess thinks she's a big girl now!"

Another one of the towering shadows cackled with a hand on his gut, "I think she's forgotten what it means to be a dragon. Maybe if she remembered, she would grow a few inches!"

I could see the wrath and confidence in Ember's eyes beginning to waver. She continued to bark demands at her subjects, commanding them to obey her. But they only continued to mock her. And as the moments went by... Either they were growing bigger, or Ember was shrinking before us. Just such a feeling of no control over the situation... Finally, tears streaming down her face, Ember let out a scream as she threw the Bloodstone Scepter to the ground and roared at the sky. "Why... Why won't you ever listen to me?! Listen! LISTEN TO MEEEEE!!!!!"

"I've seen enough." Nightmare Moon growled before her horn was coated by a fiercely billowing and glowing blue aura. Seconds later, the entire landscape before us was wiped away by a rapidly sweeping wall of white. The air became still. There was nothing to see or hear. As if the entire expanse of Ember's dreaming mind had been wiped clean. It was just an empty white canvas. And all that remained of that dream was Ember herself.

The Dragon Lord remained curled up upon the flat white floor, whimpering pathetically and bitterly with a hand over her eyes. Curled up into a ball, it was as if she was trying to hide from whatever had just been tormenting her. I was unsure of what to think or say. I never imagined I would see her in such a vulnerable position. But Nightmare Moon soon whispered into my ear, "Go to her. She needs a friend to turn to."

And so I did. I walked up behind Ember with only faint echoing footsteps reaching my ears. I dropped to a knee and gently stroked my fingers over her arm. "Hey... They're gone now. It's OK..."

Ever so slowly, Ember pulled her hand away from her eyes and turned to look at me. Though her look of pain became one of shock once she recognized me. She gasped before pushing herself up and jumping back with a flap of her wings. "You?! Why... How... Where...are...we?"

It was only then that Ember realized what had happened to where she was. Eyes opened wide, she glanced around at the immense white void around us. "Huh... Less oppressive...but still creepy... What happened here?"

"We still right where you were, Dragon Lord. We stand in the expanses our your dreaming mind." Nightmare Moon explained as she stepped forward. "Your mind was most troubled and I decided that you had suffered enough. So I returned your dreaming mind to a blank slate."

"You can do that? Oh, right... Princess of Dreams. Comes with the territory, I guess..." Ember mumbled as she crossed her arms with her eyes looking elsewhere. She then cast a glance at me while I said nothing. Ember pointed at me and asked, "Then...why is he here? Shouldn't he have been wiped away too?"

"Actually, I'm the real me. I'm visiting your dream thanks to Nightmare Moon. We're...uh...sharing a dream, if you will." I tried to explain while starting to think Ember still did not want to see me. She did not smile or reach out to me once since my arrival.

"You mean... You're here. Right now. Not just a figment of my imagination...but the same guy I met today?" Ember asked in utter confusion as she held her hands out and gestured with one and then the other before bringing them together. "So you're saying... You can take one person who is dreaming...and bring them to someone else's dream...and let them share a dream? Together? Am I getting this right?"

"When you can travel the dreamscape like I can, yes. I can pluck a dreamer from their dream and place them in another's dream so they may experience one together. And your dreams will become much more lucid as a result. You feel most aware, do you not?" Nightmare Moon explained to the much less enlightened Dragon Lord.

"Now that you mention it... I still feel myself breathing... I feel the floor under my feet. And I even feel kind of hungry..." Ember grumbled while looking herself over. "Are you sure I'm not awake right now? I'm really dreaming? Because I swear I can't tell the difference."

"Yeah, you are. I've done this enough times to know that we're both really asleep right now." I replied while experienced enough with the concept to know this was not some farce. "You'll wake up in a while. Don't worry."

"If you say so..." Ember muttered before pointing right at me. "Then...why are you here?"

"Do you not want me here?" I asked while still feeling a sting from her tone of voice. She was not upset anymore, but that was a most commanding glare she was giving me.

"I didn't say that. But why are you here?" She asked again without losing her tone.

I thought out my response carefully before I said anything. "I... I was wondering if you were OK. So I decided to pay you a visit."

Ember just crossed her arms and looked away. She still appeared to be bitter over what I said last time. I then asked, "Did I say something that upset you?"

She let out a growl of a sigh before looking at me out of the corner of her eye. "Can we...just...not talk about that right now? If you drop the subject, you can stick around."

"But...do you even want me here?" I asked while trying to figure out what she even wanted from this.

Ember's body language became more...difficult to ascertain. She stopped crossing her arms and looked increasingly troubled as she fidgeted and even grasped her opposite arm with a hand. Her lack of words told me what I needed to know. She was not happy to see me. She was only tolerating my presence. Realizing that I was wasting my time, I turned to Nightmare Moon. "She doesn't want me here. We should go."

Nightmare Moon responded with a nod. But as we began to turn away, something grabbed my hand. "No! You can stay! Really!"

Still not entirely convinced, I began to pull away. But as I did, Ember began to plea with anxiety in her voice. "Aren't you listening?! I said... Why aren't you listening to me?! Please, listen...!"

I stopped. Those words... And what she said before the nightmare was wiped away. When I turned to look back at her, I received a shock. Ember was on her knees. Tears building at the edge of her eyes. As if on the verge of panic. Not even Smolder ever looked so fragile at such a moment. And so I turned to her as spoke softly. "All right... I'll listen. I'll stay."

I dropped to one knee since I could see Ember was not ready to stand. As I reached out to her, she reached out to me. And we held each other. Her brow against my chest, she whispered with a shakiness to her voice. "You really are the only one who listens..."

"Yeah... I'm good at that..." I said for what was likely the second time. Knowing that a creepy empty void like the one we were in would not be good for our sanity, I looked towards Nightmare Moon. "Could you please...set up some more pleasant scenery? Anything at all?"

She cast me a smirk as if she had the perfect idea. With a flash of her horn's magic, the world around us was painted to life. And the world that we were placed in was...beautiful and fitting. Towering hills kissed in the dark blue of the night with a full moon and countless stars providing just enough light over the landscape. Tall glowing mushrooms and bell flowers dotted the landscape while glistening gently flowing brooks trickled nearby. It was truly what many would think of if asked what would a dream land in the night would look like. "Is this to your liking?"

"I think you're very lucky Disney doesn't know about this." I said in a joking manner. "But yes, this is beautiful. Good place for a relaxing midnight stroll."

The Princess of Dreams smiled as she said, "This environment is a favorite of Luna and I. A little haven when we just want to get away from it all after sundown."

"I kinda got that feeling... And you both have good taste." I replied before stroking my hand over Ember's head. I found that the blue spines along her scalp and down the back of her head were much more flexible than they appeared and could even be pressed right down along her scalp. No wonder she was able to fit them inside her helmet. "Hey... You OK?"

"Mmhm... I'm...a bit better now." Ember mumbled before she finally lifted her head to look at me. It was then that she saw what had become of her surroundings and quickly turned her head to look around. And in doing so, she jammed one of her horns right into my cheek!

"Agh! What the?!" I yelled as the point pierced my flesh. Did it knock out one of my teeth in the process?! I completely did not see it coming and immediately released Ember from my grasp as my hand clutched at the side of my face.

"Wha...?! Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Ember shrieked as bits of my blood stained the tip of her horn. Already in a delicate emotional state, tears were quick to form at the edges of her eyes. "I didn't mean to! Are you OK?! Is it bad?!"

Thankfully, Nightmare Moon was quick to come to my aid. In a flash of ethereal light, I found that the pain was gone. I did not feel any blood on my fingers. I could no longer taste blood in my mouth. This was her dominion and she decided I was not to remain in pain. "That was most unexpected. Are you well?"

"Yeah... Yeah, there's nothing wrong now." I muttered with a sigh as the rush from the pain faded. No signs of damage at all, but I could still see a few drops of my own blood on the tip of Ember's horn. "I...didn't think those could be so dangerous."

Ember was breathing lightly while still rattled over the damage her horn did to me just from the act of sharply turning her head. It had probably never happened to anyone before. Even though I was the one who got hurt, she was much more rattled about it than I was. She held her hands low as if ready to hold them up to ward off a threat. "Really, I... I didn't mean to... Are you OK? I didn't... I wasn't trying to..."

"It's cool... Really, I'm fine... Thank goodness that didn't happen in the real world." I said quickly to reassure her while feeling so amazingly relieved that such a thing happened in a realm where there are no consequences. I guess it helped that there was no malice in that move and that I did not even see it. I barely even knew what hit me.

Ember calmed down as she brought a hand to her horn. She looked at it out of the corner of her eye before saying softly, "I'll be more careful..."

"Actually, I may have a solution for that." Nightmare Moon said before her horn cast another spell. And in a flash of light, both of Ember's horns were coated in...something that looked like a cross between socks and oven mitts coated in polka dots. All I could do was stare while tempted to laugh.

Ember glanced left and right at the simple yet unfitting padding Nightmare Moon had outfitted her horns with. She cast us both a very dry scowl as she asked, "Really?"

"That should provide sufficient padding in case such an accident happens again." The Princess of Dreams explained while failing to hide a smirk. She then stepped back and said, "Shall I leave you two alone for now?"

The scowl on Ember's face faded as she averted her gaze. This was her dream. Whatever happened was up to her. The Dragon Lord soon nodded gently as she said, "Yeah... Sure."

Without a word, Nightmare Moon took to the night sky and flew off over the vast beautiful landscape she had weaved for us. I then took a moment to survey our location. Ember and I were situated on a little peninsula that jutted out into the middle of a small pond the brooks fed into. I looked to Ember and asked, "So...what now?"

Ember scanned the moonlit horizon and the landscape nearest to us. She dragged her fingers through the gently flowing water and said, "I think I'll just take a look around."

I sat where I was and watched as Ember stood up and walked past me. A path was nearby that led through a forest path nearby. My intention was to allow her to do whatever she wished while I stayed where I was. But barely twenty paces away from me, Ember turned back to look at me. "You coming?"

"Huh? Oh, sure." I retorted while climbing to my feet. I then followed her into the path through the forest and was dazzled to find even more glowing giant flowers and mushrooms that shone in a rainbow of colors. Truly something that felt distinctly dreamlike despite the fact that this dreamscape was virtually indistinguishable from reality. I said nothing as we strolled along, just taking in the relaxing sights around us.

Ember led us along, her pace slow and steady while very quiet. I think she was still reeling from the very unpleasant dream she had been experiencing before I showed up. Eventually, she looked back at me and asked, "Are there really places like this outside the dragon lands?"

"Probably... I mean it's hard to say, but a world full of all sorts of magical properties like Equestria is bound to have some pretty fantastical sights like this somewhere." I replied while glancing at her. Ember never once smiled, but she seemed relaxed enough at the time. Although I eventually felt the need to ask an important question. "Those shadows back there... The ones you were yelling at... You wanna talk about it? I'll listen."

"You saw that, huh?" Ember asked before she looked away from me. "They almost never listen to me. No one does. I don't know if it's because I'm too small, too young, or even because I'm a female. They just...don't...respect me. And I don't know what I'm doing wrong that my father did right."

I could see her hands clench into fists. Frustration was taking hold. "I know what I'm doing. I know I'm smarter than every last one of those boulderheads. But they still just... Do you even know what that's like? Knowing that you know what's best for a bunch of idiots, but no one listens?"

I would have been lying if I had denied that, but her words brought up some unpleasant memories. "Yeah... I do. It's...really demoralizing."

Ember's fingers uncurled as she turned to look at me over her shoulder with only the faint glow of the moon above and the luminescent flora around us illuminating our forms. "You...do know?"

All I did was nod before looking away. "It sucks. Even when you know what you're saying is true, it's nothing short of demoralizing when no one listens to you. Maybe they just don't want to acknowledge your words. Maybe what you have to say is something they don't want to hear. But it gets so demoralizing after a while. Makes you wonder why you even bother if what you say won't make a difference..."

I said nothing else. And Ember said nothing as well. At lest for a moment. I noticed her look away from me with a hand clutching her arm before she said quietly, "I'm sorry..."

"For what?" I asked while not entirely certain where this coming from. She already apologized for accidentally puncturing my cheek with her horn.

"For not listening..." She muttered with a hint of shame to her voice. Ember did not even look at me. "You said something important... And I didn't listen... And I told you to leave..."

That... She regretted that? Even so, I knew she did not want to discuss that conversation. "We don't have to talk about that if you don't want to."

"Thanks..." Ember said before letting out a sigh. I decided not to say anything else for a while. I did not want to upset her on such a bad night.

We continued down the forest path while I kept my mouth shut. Ember was probably finding the experience relaxing. I was almost expecting some dancing fairies to cross our path at some point. We did eventually emerge from the forest and found ourselves walking along a brook with fireflies dancing in the silver rays of the moon.

I was very tempted to compliment Ember as she walked along. She just looked so beautiful in the moonlight. So graceful too, whether she was aware of it or not. Although I think she was starting to take notice of my prolonged silence. She looked back at me and said, "If you're mad at me, you don't have to stick around..."

"No, I'm not mad... I'm actually kind of worried about you." I replied while not exactly happy myself. We both had our fair share of troubles and neither of us had really forgotten about them.

Ember did not seem to expect my response and looked away as if embarrassed that she had made the wrong assumption. After a minute or so more of walking along, she once again looked back at me. "You make me worried when you don't talk for this long..."

"I do? Oh... Well... Um..." I muttered while trying to find something to say. My eyes scanned Ember as her blue scales almost glowed in the rays of the moon. "You...look lovely in the moonlight."

"Stop saying that..." She grumbled while crossing her arms and looking away. "You know that's not true... Dragons aren't supposed to be beautiful."

I decided to at least humor her and as well as try a bit of reverse psychology. "Oh... Well... In that case, you look absolutely repulsive in the moonlight."

That got about as much of a response as I was expecting. She suddenly glared at me while raising her voice. "Oh, come on! I wasn't telling you to go completely in the other direction!"

We shared a quiet stare for a moment before crooked grimaces lined our lips. We laughed. Somehow, that little exchange brought us a burst of much needed levity. Right after that, Ember took a seat at the water's edge. Although the way she sat down was more like a sitting canine due to the way her legs' joints worked. I took a seat beside her as well to just relax and watch the fireflies dance through the air. With her hands on the ground, I started to reach for one almost on instinct, but hesitated. I guess I just wanted a hand to hold. However, Ember noticed my gesture and said, "I almost expected your hands to be...bigger without your gauntlets."

"Oh, really? Yeah, those things do make the hands look bulky, huh?" I asked while not expecting that observation from her. She cracked an amused smirk with her mood having been boosted. Although when I once again brought my hand near hers, she returned the gesture and took my hand into hers.

Her touch was warmer than I expected. Even through her scales, I felt warmth that was comparable to my own. But I then noticed her start to frown. "So...soft... Tender... These...aren't the hands of a warrior."

"Yeah... I guess they're not." I said quietly. She was not the first to make that observation, but I was still not expecting her to notice.

"Then...why? Why were you wearing armor and carrying a sword when you're not...even...?" Ember asked while turning to me.

"I don't really have an answer for that." I replied while not wanting to have to think about the ordeal that would be waiting for me once I woke up. This dream world was a means of escaping my problems, not for recalling them.

Ember seemed to understand and dropped the subject. We did not speak for some time, but her grasp on my hand did not relent. Although in due time, a quiver ran through the world. Ember was quick to notice and asked, "Did you feel that?"

I nodded as I looked over at her. "Yeah... It's about time to wake up."

"Oh..." She muttered while a look of distress filled her eyes. I was hardly surprised. She probably had a lot of unpleasant crap to deal with after waking up. "Then...this is goodbye?"

"Yeah... Just because we're sharing a dream doesn't mean we'll be right next to each other when we wake up." I explained while feeling my mood drop. I too was reluctant to wake up just yet.

She let out a long sigh of disappointment. Without even looking at me, she spoke softly. "I enjoyed our time together..."

"Me too..." I muttered as the world quivered again. It would not be long now. As I felt the world beginning to unravel, I turned to Ember and asked, "I know you told me to leave, but...are you sure you don't want me to return?"

Ember said nothing at first. Her eyes wandered while she looked away as if trying to find an answer. Just as she looked at me and her lips began to part in order to speak, she was engulfed with a bright light. Next thing I knew, I was gazing at a familiar ceiling.

I felt so unfulfilled. Like I should have felt more rested than I was, but I wanted to go back to sleep and return to the dream I was having. Moments later, I felt a kiss upon my cheek. "Did you dream well, my dear?"

I weakly turned my head until I was looking at Nightmare Moon as she lay beside me in bed. I think she could tell I was not really in the best mood. I let out a sigh as I said, "I don't know... I think it might be best that I don't try to seek out Ember again... Not like there's anything I can do for her."

"I understand... Not every friendship lasts forever. The briefest friendships are the easiest to move on from when they falter, so take some comfort in that at the very least." She said to me while starting to rise from bed. "Take your time. I shall start on breakfast soon."

For much of the morning, I have been chronicling the rest of this entry. Just trying to get myself back up to speed after such an unfulfilling night. By this point, I really do not even know what to think of Ember anymore. Poor girl has a lot on her plate, but it is not like there is anything I can do about that blighted land. I certainly have no desire to return to such a hostile area. Probably best just to move on and forget that place.

I feel like things are only going to get bleaker from here on out. Here is hoping there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel as well as an easy return ticket for Ponyville. All I can do is keep heading east and hope for the best. At least Nightmare Moon is still with me.

I think that will be all for now. Time to suit up and head out.