The God Particle

Chapter 28: Firewing

They'll be slaughtered! he thought to himself as he watched the Pegasus Guards descend toward the dragon, preparing for aerial battle. Maybe it's a peaceful dragon? A peaceful dragon … he thought dubiously. Granted, the only dragon he knew was Spike. He seemed easy going enough. But Spike was also young and had been raised with ponies.

He got his answer in a terrifying jet of flame striking the ground at the other side of the damaged area. A roar accompanied it, like that of a jet aircraft taking off. The ground scorched and smoldered under the flame that spread out like waves from a stone thrown into a pond. Black smoke billowed from the spot where the jet of flame had hit the ground. If one of the pegasi had been in the path of that flame …

Another jet of flame shot to the ground, this one closer to the chariot than the last. "We're sitting ducks in this chariot!" he called out to Theory Point without turning his head away from the window. His eyes were transfixed on the awesomely fearful events unfolding in the air above them, as one might be transfixed by an approaching tornado.

"No we aren't. These armored chariots are flame proof. Even against dragon fire," Theory Point assured him, although she still sounded very nervous herself. "We're safe … at least from the flames themselves."

How are they possibly going to fight a dragon? He got his answer when he saw a guard in front of the dragon suddenly dart out of the way as another one dived from above, attacking the dragon from behind.

The Pegasus Guards attacked the dragon like a pack of wolves isolating and wearing down a bull moose. They kept pressure on the beast from all sides, including above and below. As soon as it turned its great head to strike at one of them, another would attack its unprotected side from behind. Before it could turn its head to strike back at the one that had attacked it, they had already darted out of the way.

The chariot may be flame proof, but he doubted it was crush proof. And the dragon was truly enormous. He estimated its wing span to be at least four hundred feet. If the Pegasus Guard were like aircraft, the dragon was like an aircraft carrier. Such was the size difference. If it were able to get a hold of the chariot …

It seemed that's exactly what the pegasi were trying to prevent. Again the dragon banked sharply, turning towards the chariot, one of its burning golden eyes looking down on them like the eye of a hurricane bearing down on a city. But as it approached, an entire line of Pegasus Guards dove in front of it, blocking its path and driving it backwards.

A blast of orange and red traveled towards the chariot, almost appearing to be in slow motion. The leading edge of the blast rolled and churned like a lake of lava, alternating colors of red, yellow, orange, and searing white. James was mesmerized, watching it move closer. It was as if a star had been thrown from the sky from some cosmic sling shot, and was now on a collision course with them. Finally, the reality of what was about to happen hit him, He dove for the floor, grabbing Theory Point and pulling her down with him. A loud bang, like a bomb had gone off. The chariot shook and rocked, the inside lit up as if the star had opened up and swallowed them. A strong, putrid smell resembling that of burning oil filled the air. Even through the armor, the heat inside the chariot was intense, like the heat wave that comes with opening the door of a hot oven.

The flames burned around the chariot, then slowly started to dim before going out completely. Black smoke mixed with steam rose from the area where they had been. Flame proof or not, this chariot will roast us like a broiler if we keep getting hit with those! he thought in a panic.

He slowly stood up, helping Theory Point up as well. The dragon shrieked again. If pure rage had a sound, James thought that must be what it was. It opened its great mouth preparing to unleash another blast of flame and incinerate the pegasi flying in front of its face. Just as James was about to look away, a line of pegasi dove from the sky behind the dragon, flaring up and slamming their armored back hooves into the back of the dragon's head. The pegasi in the line of fire broke left and right, again darting out of harm's way.

The dragon turned its great head in an attempt to catch one of the pegasi that had attacked it from behind. Suddenly, four more pegasi guards seemed to appear from nowhere underneath the dragon, flying upwards rapidly. Their armored hooves slammed into the exposed underside of the dragon's throat.

The dragon attempted to let out another screech but it was cut off by choking as it gasped for breath. It attempted to let loose a blast of flame at the pegasi that had attacked its throat, but only smoke came from its mouth, the attack seeming to have rendered it unable to use its primary weapon.

The Pegasus Guards wasted no time exploiting the current crippled state of the dragon, diving from all sides and attacking viciously. The dragon wasn't even trying to strike now. It was too busy focusing its efforts on protecting itself against the attacking ponies. It wasn't long though, before the dragon recovered from the attack on its throat, letting out another ear shattering shriek that James thought was more anger, rage, and frustration, then it was pain.

Again, the dragon let loose a stream of flame. And again, the pegasi darted out of the way just before being struck. As the battle continued, James began to think the Pegasus Guard might actually do the impossible. They might actually defeat the dragon!

The ground smoldered and smoked where the dragon's blasts of flame had scorched it—large blackened areas that resembled smoldering tar pits. As the battle continued to rage overhead it became clear it was the ponies that actually had the advantage. They were simply too quick, too maneuverable for the huge lumbering dragon. The dragon's attacks would have been devastating, and instantly fatal, if it had been able to hit them. But not only was the dragon too slow to hit them, it was also too cumbersome to avoid their attacks.

The huge beast was moving slower now, he could tell. It was getting tired. The Pegasus Guard, however, seemed to have lost none of their speed or stamina. It was only a matter of time now, he thought. Like a pack of wolves, they would wear their much larger opponent down a little bit more, then move in for the kill.

As the dragon grew more fatigued, it appeared to know it was defeated. It quickly turned—as quickly as a dragon with a four hundred foot wing span can turn at least, then began to retreat. But instead of letting it go, the pegasi formed up and gave chase as it fled. It wasn't long before they had passed from sight, the trees blocking his view. Only one flight of pegasi had stayed behind to guard the area. The rest, had gone in pursuit of the dragon.

Are they intent on killing it? he thought to himself. Surely, they couldn't be planning to capture it. They had nothing with which to hold it, and he doubted the dragon would submit to voluntary capture. Granted, he didn't know very much about dragon behavior. But he suspected such a large, powerful, and proud creature as a dragon would probably rather fight to the death than surrender to a bunch of ponies that were as birds compared to its enormous size.

Minutes seemed like hours as he and Theory Point waited for any signs of the Pegasus Guards' return. They said nothing to each other, still in a form of shock over the events that had just transpired. The one flight of guards that had stayed behind to guard the area were silent, offering no information about what was going on.

Eventually, they returned, coming in for steep landings in groups. Captain Swordstorm stalked to his guards occasionally pointing with his forehoof in the direction the dragon had gone, and occasionally looking back toward the chariot he and Theory Point were in. James could hear nothing of the conversation though.

Finally, Swordstorm motioned with his forehoof, indicating for him to come out of the chariot. The Captain had a look on his face that seemed a combination of both anger and disappointment. James reached for the door handle, grabbed on it. Immediately, he let go as a burning pain spread through his hand, he shook his hand and gasped out. "Damn it! Still hot!" he said loudly.

"Are you alright?" Theory Point looked at him, then at his hand.

He looked at his hand. Other than some redness, there didn't seem to be any serious damage. "Yes. It looks like it will be fine."

This time, he leaned backward, putting his boot on the latch and pushing upward, then pushing the door outward with the bottom of his boot. Theory Point didn't move an inch.

"Coming?" he asked in a still shaky voice.

"I think … I'll stay here actually." Her voice was just as shaky as his was.

He nodded and stepped out the door. He could hardly blame her for not wanting to leave the chariot.

As his feet hit the ground, his legs almost fell out from under him, feeling like they were made out of rubber from adrenaline overload. The ground crunched and crackled beneath him as the charred remnants of the vegetation that had been there gave way, gray clouds of soot rising as he stepped. He caught his balance, closed the door, and walked towards the Captain. Small fires still burned in various spots around the area, thick smoke rose from several parts of the ground, and the strong smell of burning oil and wood still filled the air.

"We were able to drive it away," Captain Swordstorm explained. "But we failed to capture it," he said in a tone of annoyance.

"The guards … are they all—"

"We had no casualties and no injuries," the Captain responded.

He successfully drove away an adult dragon without so much as even an injury to any of his guards … and he thinks they failed? James thought to himself. "You were trying to capture it, sir? What would you have done with …"

"Taken him back to Canterlot for questioning. Her Majesty probably would have done the questioning herself. She would be very interested to know why he decided to attack one of her scientific expeditions and two squadrons of Royal Guards."

"Taken him back? A dragon in Canterlot?" he raised an eyebrow.

"There are two chambers in the castle dungeon specifically designed for holding dragons. And a secret way into the dungeon large enough to get them down there … although the dragon chambers are rarely used. They've never been used in my time as Captain of the Pegasus Guard. We just don't have problems with dragons very often. All the more reason Her Majesty would probably want to question this one herself."

He nodded slightly, imagining that it must be very uncomfortable for a dragon down in that dungeon. Such a large creature who needs wide open spaces, confined to a small underground chamber, almost certainly chained heavily to the point that it could barely move, for the safety of the guards and the princesses that came to question it. He could almost feel bad for any poor dragon that did end up in the Canterlot Castle dungeon … almost … if it were not for the fact that one had just attacked them.

"Doctor Peterson, pack anything you and Theory took out of the chariots. And be quick about it. We're leaving. I sent scouts out ahead of us to make sure there are no surprises waiting for us along the route. They will arrive at Canterlot before we do and inform Her Majesty of the situation."

"We're leaving without the object, sir?"

"Her Majesty would have my hide if anything happened to you or Theory Point. It was a Celestia damned miracle we were able to drive that one away. I'm not going to stick around here hoping for another one if he comes back with friends. If we come back, it will be with a detachment of Unicorn Guards to ward the area against dragon attacks. Now get going," Captain Swordstorm barked at him, almost as if James were one the guards under his command.

The Pegasus Guard Captain turned and trotted back towards his squadrons. "Prepare to leave! We fly to Canterlot!"

Technically, Captain Swordstorm couldn't give him orders, despite the fact that he had barked out the command to get ready to leave as if it were an order. The Academy might have a military level of discipline, and a military like structure. But it was not part of the Royal Guard. Guard officers didn't have the authority to give orders to Academy faculty. He was hardly about to argue with the Captain in this case though. He didn't want to stick around either waiting for the dragon to come back with friends. That and he figured Captain Swordstorm was in charge of this mission, and he was just along as a specialist.

James turned and started back towards the chariot where Theory Point had dropped the things she'd been carrying as she was herded back inside. As he turned, he stopped in surprise, getting his first view of the outside of the chariot.

The entire surface was blackened with carbon and soot, as if it had just been removed from a burning building. The surface bubbled and blistered where the paint had melted and peeled off. The royal insignias on the doors were barely visible. Celestia's golden, blazing sun insignia looked dim, as if it were covered by a layer of dark gray cloud. The harnesses attached to the chariot had not survived the intense blast of dragon fire. But since broken harnesses were a fairly common problem, extra ones were carried in the chariot's small cargo area. Despite the fact that the chariot looked like it had just been removed from a volcano, it seemed structurally intact and undamaged—a testament to the workmanship of whatever ponies had built it. He was so relieved, he thought he might find out who they were, track them down, and kiss them while thanking them personally.

He leaned down, picked up a radiation detector and a few other things she had dropped. Scanning the ground, he came across a few more items, but they had been burnt beyond recognition. Salvaging all he could, he started back toward the chariot. There were two pegasi inspecting it now, presumably making sure it was still structurally sound and safe for flight, at the same time, marveling, as he had been, at how well the chariot had withstood the blast of dragon fire, losing nothing but the paint.

He stopped near Captain Swordstorm. "I salvaged everything I could, Captain. We're ready."

"Good," the pegasus turned to the rest of his guards. "Lets fly!" he barked at them, then turned back to James. "I'm leaving one wing here to guard the area. But if the dragon returns, their orders are to retreat. One wing will not be able to defeat a dragon."

James simply nodded before opening the door and climbing in the chariot. One of the guards outside closed it, making sure the door was secure.

"We're going back to Canterlot," he informed Theory Point, looking down at his hands and finding them covered with dark gray carbon from the door handle. He looked around for something to wipe them on. Finding nothing, he ended up using his pants, which were already covered with soot anyway from the short time outside.

"We're not going to try to recover the object?"

He shook his head. "Captain Swordstorm doesn't want to risk the dragon coming back … possibly with friends. They wouldn't be able to drive him off if there were more than one."

She breathed a sigh of relief, as the chariot jerked forward, briefly, then pitched up sharply, making another short takeoff and rapid climb similar to the one they made when leaving Canterlot. No sooner had they left the ground, and the squadron had already formed up around the chariot like a protective shell. Even with the steep climb, the tops of the trees passed a little closer to the bottom of the chariot than he would have liked. The Pegasus Guards are highly trained fliers. They know what they are doing, he reminded himself. They cleared the tree tops, then reduced their angle of climb, and turned East.

At first, he wondered why they were flying such an easterly coast. It was clearly the wrong direction if they were going back to Canterlot. Then it occurred to him. They were taking an indirect route back to throw off any potential ambushes that might be waiting for them along the most direct route.

The flight back was tense. Despite the cold outside air, James felt hot—almost sweaty. Neither he or Theory Point said anything, but he was sure she was absorbed in her own fears just as he was.

He stared out the window again, scanning all parts of the sky that he could see for any sign of a dragon. Even with all of the Pegasus Guard escort, he didn't feel safe right now.

He tried to recall everything Twilight had taught him about dragons. There were quite a few dragons living in Equestria. Technically, they were under Celestia and Luna's rule. But the princesses let the dragons govern themselves for the most part, as long as they didn't cause problems. That governing, was carried out by the Elder Dragon Council—otherwise known as the Council of Nine. It was made up of nine of the oldest and wisest dragons, one of whom was the ambassador to Canterlot. Ambassador Firewing, he thought Twilight had said his name was? The decisions of the Elder Dragon Council were final and binding in dragon society. Even some of the younger dragons, who would just as soon incinerate any pony they came across, would refrain from doing so. They respected the Elder Dragon Council too much, and they had forbade attacking ponies. It was a bold dragon indeed that would go against the directives of the Elder Dragon Council … bold or foalish.

The chariot continued its eastern course for about thirty minutes, then banked right in a standard shallow turn, as did the guards escorting it. It leveled off again on what James assumed must be a south heading. He briefly looked down at the ground. It seemed to be moving by very quickly under them. The pegasi were flying faster than normal, he realized. In the distance, smoke rose from a chimney in some small town. A bakery perhaps. The smoke rose lazily into the sky, then fanned out towards the South in the same direction they were flying. If the winds up here were the same as they were near the ground, it meant they had a strong tailwind that was also helping them along. He was grateful for that. The sooner they were back in Canterlot, the safer he would feel.

He quickly looked back up towards the sky, resuming his scan for dragons, as if they might suddenly appear out of some invisible hole. Was he being paranoid? He glanced over at Theory Point quickly, to see her doing the same thing through the window on the other side of the chariot. Well, if I am paranoid. I'm not the only one.

The flight droned on for hours. To him, it seemed like days. His heart raced the entire time, adrenaline keeping him on edge. Eventually, the squadron banked again, turning towards the west, correcting their course so they wouldn't fly past Canterlot to far to the East. The turn probably meant they were close to Canterlot now. That gave him a small amount of relief. But he wouldn't truly feel relieved until they were safely on the ground inside the castle walls.

Eventually, the banners of Canterlot castle became visible in the distance, flapping in the wind atop their tall spires. The chariot and its escort started their descent. Beneath them, the wilderness became dotted with small houses, farm fields, and dirt roads. Gradually, dirt roads gave way to paved roads and the Romanesque stone construction of the city of Canterlot proper. He could feel his heart rate slowing, his anxiety decreasing once they were over the city. No dragon would dare try to attack them inside the well defended airspace of Canterlot, would they?

The formation circled around the great towers towards the back of the castle, continuing to descend. He looked toward the ground, watching it rise up to meet them. A gentle bump as the wheels contacted stone pavement. The chariot gradually came to a stop and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking out the window, Princess Celestia was already coming down the castle steps to meet them, moving at a fast trot and flanked by four of her Celestial Guard. He opened the door, stepping out and holding it for Theory Point. The Pegasus Guard quickly gathered into formation, the ones pulling the chariots unhitching and joining the formation as well.

James and Theory Point both knelt and bowed as Princess Celestia approached, as did all of the Pegasus Guards. She shook her head.

"Please, no need for such formalities right now," she spoke in a concerned tone of voice. "As you were. All of you are okay?"

"We are, Your Majesty," Captain Swordstorm spoke as they all stood back up. "We have no casualties or injuries."

She nodded and James thought he could detect a look of relief on her muzzle now that they were safely back in Canterlot. Then she turned to one of her Celestial guards. "See to Captain Swordstorm's guards. Make sure they are well taken care of."

Two of the Celestial Guards with her nodded, then left her side to tend to the Pegasus Guards. James glanced at the guards that had flown back with them. All of them looked battle fatigued, as well as exhausted from the hard flying they had done to get back to Canterlot so quickly.

Celestia turned and looked back towards the chariot. "Captain, James, Theory. With me," she said, turning and trotting back up the stairs to the castle entrance, the remaining Celestial Guards flanking her on either side, the three of them following behind.

She led them into the castle, down several long corridors and up a staircase, arriving at a featureless iron door. It started to glow with a golden aura as she magically opened it. Inside, the Royal Council members had gathered. They quickly bowed as she entered.

"Please, you may all rise," she said, magically closing the door again, walking to an unoccupied spot at the round table in the room. It was made of stone, and looked similar to the one James had seen before, except that it was missing the large crack down the middle. He also found a spot at the table, as did Captain Swordstorm. Theory Point hesitated, looking nervous. He put a hand on her whithers to reassure her, assuming it was the first Council meeting she had been at, just as the one two nights ago had been his first. That seemed to calm her, and she found a spot at the table as well.

Celestia's eyes narrowed, almost blazing with the solar flame itself. When she spoke, it was in a stern tone of voice laced with anger. "Somepony find me a parchment, and a quill."

One of the robed unicorn Council members quickly trotted to a set of cupboards in the wall at the back of the room, returning shortly with a parchment and quill that he floated over to Celestia. It occurred to James that this was the first time he had ever seen Celestia truly angry. He felt a twinge of fear go through him, even though her anger was not directed at him. Oh how thankful he was it was not directed at him.

The alicorn took hold of the parchment and quill with her magic, then began to write on it, the angry look in her eyes remaining the whole time. When she had finished, she magically floated it over to the Council member who happened to be seated at her right. "Read this out loud to the rest of the Council," she said, the sternness still prevalent in her voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the Council member responded, then started to read:

    Ambassador Firewing:

    Approximately eight hours ago, one of my scientific expeditions in the North, along with two squadrons of my Royal Guards, was attacked by a fire dragon. This attack was sudden, unprovoked, and in direct violation of the agreement between us that allows dragon self-governance. We do not yet know if this was a rogue dragon, or something more insidious. But be assured that if we find this attack was authorized, consequences for the Elder Dragon Council will be very severe. I expect an expeditious and full accounting from you.

    Her Grand Royal Highness,

    Princess Celestia

When he had finished reading, all of the Council members nodded in agreement.

"Consent is unanimous, Your Majesty," the Council member that had read the drafted letter stated.

She nodded. "Prepare it for sending."

He rolled up the parchment into a scroll and tied it with a string. A golden aura surrounded it as Celestia took hold of it with her magic. A small flash of light in the middle of it, and the Royal Seal of the Sun Princess was attached to it, leaving no doubt to anyone who saw the parchment that it was an authentic communication, authorized by Princess Celestia herself. Then, the scroll erupted into a small golden flame, and was gone.

It wasn't long, less than a minute, before the air crackled slightly. A small green flame appeared and a rolled up scroll materialized out of it, falling onto the table.

"That was a little too fast," one of the Council members commented.

"Read it," Celestia ordered the Council member on her right—the same one that had read the letter she had written.

"Yes, Your Majesty," he responded, removing the seal from the scroll with magic and unrolling it. Then he started to read:

    Your Most Gracious Majesty,

    On behalf of myself and the entire Council of Nine, please accept my deepest apologies for this attack. I sincerely hope none of your expedition or guards were injured. You must believe me when I say that the Council of Nine did not authorize this attack, nor did we have any advanced knowledge that it was to occur. Rest assured, we will find the dragon responsible and he will be dealt with most severely.

    Ambassador and High Elder of the Elder Dragon Council,

    Firewing

"The response came too quickly," another Council member commented. "He wrote it in advance. He must have. He knew about the attack already."

Princess Celestia nodded. "I agree. But we mustn't be hasty. That does not necessarily mean that he authorized it, or had advanced knowledge of the attack before it happened."

She picked up another piece of parchment and the quill, a golden glow surrounding them as she started to write again. The anger was still clearly visible in her eyes. When she finished writing, she gave it back to the same unicorn Council members sitting at her right. This time, she said nothing to him. He knew what to do. He held it in front of him and began to read:

    Ambassador Firewing,

    I thank you for your concern and your apologies. However, given the serious nature of what has happened, you will surely understand that I will not allow this matter to be handled by the Elder Dragon Council. I must demand that when the dragon responsible for this is caught, he be brought to Canterlot where I will question him myself, and then decide his punishment under Equestrian law. I know you will give me your full cooperation in this matter, and I thank you in advance.

    Her Grand Royal Highness,

    Princess Celestia

Once again, all of the Council members nodded in agreement when he had finished reading it.

"Consent is unanimous, Your Majesty," he stated again.

She nodded. "Prepare it for sending."

Again, he rolled it up into a scroll, tied it, and gave it back to Princess Celestia. She magically affixed her royal seal on it, then sent it off in a small burst of golden flame.

This time, there was a much longer pause. James estimated at least five minutes went by. Then, another small green flame in the air, and a scroll fell onto the table. Celestia nodded to it, and the unicorn at her right floated it in front of him, unrolled it, and began to read:

   It will be as you require, Your Majesty.

"That's all it says, Your Majesty. Just the one line. No greeting, no closing," he said as he rolled it back up and tied it again.

"He's not gonna do it," a pegasus Council member said. "The Dragon Council will protect whatever dragon did this. He just said that to get you off his back … Your Majesty."

"I'm not so sure," an earth pony commented. "His first letter sounded like he was pretty nervous. I think he's pretty scared there's going to be a crackdown from Canterlot."

"And there very well might be," Celestia stated firmly. "If I don't get full cooperation from him. I can revoke their right to self-governance anytime I want. I can dissolve the Elder Dragon Council and place them completely under Canterlot rule. He knows this perfectly well."

The unicorn to Celestia's right spoke up. "Perhaps fear of losing his own power will make him think twice before sheltering the one responsible for this."

"Let us hope so," Celestia responded, pausing for a few moments before continuing. "Thank you for all for coming. I think we've done everything that needs to be done for now. You may all return to your normal duties."

All of the Council members bowed, as did Captain Swordstorm, James, and Theory Point, then began to file out of the room.

"James," Celestia spoke. "If you would remain here. I wish to speak with you in private."

He stopped. "Yes, Your Majesty."

The two of them waited until everypony had left the room except for the two Celestial Guards who were The Princess's escort. Celestia looked at the door and magically closed it. Then she turned back to him. Her expression had softened now to the caring, wise, motherly one he was more used to.

"I am very sorry about the dragon … We almost never have problems with dragons. And a fire dragon that far North where it is so cold … It's unheard of."

"It's not your fault, Your Majesty. Not something you could have predicted." Or could she have? He didn't know where the limits of her power were … or even if there were any limits.

"Something else bothers you, James. Besides the dragon."

She did it again! He hated how she could read him like that. Read him like he was an open book. Part of the reason he hated it, is because he didn't know how she did it. And that unnerved him. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell her about this dream—especially not the part where it told him he could save Twilight Sparkle by serving it. If Celestia knew about that part, she might decide that he was a betrayal risk and … No. He had trusted her this far. He would continue to trust her.

He shifted his eyes sideways slightly, glancing at one of the Celestial Guards, then shifted them back to her. She nodded her head once, apparently getting his hint.

"Leave us," she said, looking at the guards. The two of them bowed to her, then left the room, closing the door behind them. Celestia's horn glowed with a golden radiance for a few seconds before returning to its normal appearance.

"I've warded the room so that nopony outside these walls will be able to hear us talk," she said, answering his unasked question.

He hesitated one more moment, then spoke.

"I had another dream, Your Majesty."

"With the aisling?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She nodded slightly. "I want Luna to hear it. Please, sit down. I will have one of my guards go get her."

He sat down and waited as Celestia went to the door, opening it and saying something quietly to one of the guards outside. She closed the door and walked back to the table. As they waited for Luna, he thought about the Council meeting that had just ended.

The way Celestia had spoken of simply forcing the dragons fully under her rule … he wondered if perhaps she was a bit too sure of herself? Did she really have the power to simply order dragons around like that? It seemed somewhat lofty to him. But Firewing had seemed rather nervous in the first letter of apology he'd sent. And she did control the sun. That alone was something that James still couldn't fully grasp. The full extent of her power was beyond his comprehension. Maybe she really could expect even the mighty dragons to bow to her will?

The sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts as the Princess of the Night entered the room. He rose to his feet to bow, but she raised a forehoof to stop him.

"No need for those formalities. Not now." Then she turned her attention to Celestia. "I should not be up for another three hours yet," she said with a tone of annoyance in her voice.

"James had another dream, sister," Celestia responded.

"And you cannot listen to his dream, Tia?"

"You're better at dream interpretation than I am, Luna. You always have been. It's one of your gifts as the Ruler of the Night."

"Very well … Tell me of your dream, James."

"Well, it was similar to the last one, Your Majesty … But this time … Twilight was brought back to life." He hesitated now, getting to the part he was afraid to tell them. Gathering his courage, he continued. "It told me … It told me that I could save Twilight … if I agreed to serve it." He shuddered, recalling the dream again.

"What did you tell it?" Luna demanded.

"Nothing, Your Majesty … I told it that it was lying. That it was incapable of telling the truth."

"Good," she nodded approvingly. "Was there anything else?"

"It told me … that I would serve it whether I wanted to or not. That the only real choice I had was whether I wanted to doom Twilight or not. Then later … It told me to die. Nightmar … the thing that pretended to be Nightmare Moon that is, stomped her hoof, and there was an earthquake. It buried Twilight, and I ended up back in the lab in Chicago … with the lab falling apart around me."

Luna nodded again. "It sounds as if you did well then … Did everything right." It was rare that Luna complimented him. In some small way, the fact that she had made him feel a little better. But there was one thing that was still gnawing at him.

"Your Majesty … You said it couldn't read my mind … How did it know that I care about Twilight Sparkle?"

Luna shook her head. "It didn't, James. It's like I told you before. Your mind inserts the values. It needed someone you cared about to try to manipulate you with. Your mind chose Twilight Sparkle."

He nodded slightly, shuddering a bit at recalling the details of the dream. "Yes, Your Majesty … If Twilight's fate is intertwined in this along with mine … how come she's not having nightmares? How come it's leaving her alone?" This time, it was Celestia that answered.

"I don't know for a fact that she isn't. Though if she has been, she probably would have told me. But to answer your question … If she isn't, it's because she's not attracting the same kind of attention you are. She's not actively involved in the situation right now as you are."

"So you threw me to the wolves …" He said it with a hint of anger in his voice. He said it before he had even realized how accusing it sounded. Definitely not something he should have said to The Princess. He winced internally, waiting for a harsh rebuke he was sure to come.

Celestia narrowed her eyes at him. "One of you had to do it. Would you rather that it was her?" she asked sternly.

"No …" he looked down now, "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I spoke hastily." And the truth was, even if she had thrown him to the wolves, he thought he would face a thousand wolves bare handed if it would protect Twilight from having to endure the types of nightmares he was experiencing.

Her angered expression was gone almost instantly, replaced by her usual kind, caring one. "There is nothing to forgive, James. I am sorry you have been experiencing these nightmares. But it is vital now that you remain firm and steadfast."

He looked back up at her now. "There's something else, Your Majesty … It told me that Equestria was doomed … that you know this, and had already foreseen the end. Please, Your Majesty … I must know."

Celestia turned her head away, and he could see her wince. It had definitely made her uncomfortable. It was several long moments before she turned back, looking straight at him. She paused another moment, and he thought she were choosing her words very carefully. Finally she answered.

"I did have a dream vision of the final destruction of Equestria, yes."

His shoulders sank and he let out an involuntary sigh of exasperation. She continued speaking.

"But you must remember, James. Everything it says is a lie intended to manipulate. And this outcome I saw in my dream is not certain. It would not be trying to bargain with you if it thought it could win without you."

"Yes, Your Majesty … There is one other thing."

"Go on."

"I'd like to put in a good word for Captain Swordstorm, Your Majesty. He and his guards performed flawlessly … even though he seems to think they failed because they were not able to capture the dragon."

Celestia nodded and smiled slightly. Then the smile turned into a small frown. "He is too hard on himself. His only flaw really. He's the best captain of the Pegasus Guard that has ever served me." The frown turned back into a smile. "I thank for your compliment of him and I will ensure that he knows he did better than anypony else could have under the circumstances."

James nodded, and there was a pause before Celestia spoke again.

"Is there anything else you need? Anything you need tended to?"

"No, Your Majesty. I'm just tired and could use some rest." After everything that had happened, he was exhausted and really just wanted to get back to his room in the dorm for now.

The alicorn stepped forward slightly, giving his cheek a comforting and reassuring rub with her muzzle, then stepped back again. "I understand. You may go. And rest well. We will speak more tomorrow."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." He took two steps backwards then knelt and bowed to the two alicorns before turning and leaving the room.

...

Luna turned to her sister once James had left the room. "The hour is later than we thought, sister."

Celestia nodded. "Maybe you were right in the beginning, Luna. Maybe we should find a way to send him home. After that dream … having him here may be far too dangerous."

Luna shook her head. "The hour for that has come and gone, sister, if it ever existed at all. We are fortunate in that the aisling made at least one, and possibly two mistakes in this dream. Your dream interpretation skills are lacking indeed if you did not pick up on them."

Celestia frowned at the barb Luna had thrown at her. But this was not the time to get into a petty argument over it. "What was it you picked up on, Luna?"

"The first one I can't be sure of. But I believe it knows about the intertwined fates of James and Twilight Sparkle. That's why it tried to manipulate James using images of Twilight."

"But it can't read his mind. You said James was the one who chose Twilight."

"It didn't have to read his mind, Tia. All it had to know was that the fates of Twilight and James are deeply connected. But that was the mistake it made. It didn't know that I was also aware of the connected fates. It wanted us to think that James inserted Twilight into the dream. And that is what we would have thought, if I didn't know about the connected fates of the two."

"And you can be sure of this, Luna?"

"Not completely. But the second mistake I am completely sure of. James managed to frustrate it enough that it threatened to kill him along with Twilight Sparkle. And it also allowed him to see a glimpse of his home back in Chicago. Both of those, were a huge mistake on its part … It doesn't need James to serve it in order for the beyond to win. All it needs to do, is separate him and Twilight." She paused, several long moments of uncomfortable silence before she continued. "Sending him home now, sister … could spell the end of Equestria."

Celestia was silent for several moments, letting everything Luna had told her sink in. When she didn't speak, Luna finally spoke up again.

"You were going to ask him anyway, sister."

"Yes, but not so soon."

"Fate does things in its own time. Even you cannot control that, Tia."

Celestia nodded. "It's more vital now then ever that he trust us completely."

"Perhaps, sister, almost getting him incinerated by dragon fire is not constructive in ensuring he trusts us completely," Luna sneered.

"That's not fair, Luna," Celestia frowned. "Neither one of us could have predicted there would be a fire dragon up there. That far North?" She shook her head. "It's unheard of."

"Very well … Will the binding spell even work on a human?"

"Yes. Magic affects him the same way it affects a pony."

"And what if he says no, Tia?"

"Then I'll not force him. It will do us no good to try to force him. We must tread very lightly, or he will run in every direction except the one we want him to."

There was silence for nearly a minute. Neither sister said anything. Finally Celestia spoke again.

"I'll ask him tomorrow, Luna … Let us hope he says yes …"