Von's Equestrian Travels

A young dragon sat up on a cliff on Dragon Mountain. He rubbed his gold-tinted underbelly and rubbed at his teal scales. He decided to go up there on his own and watched the other dragons play or horse around. His name is Von. Von was happy to be around other dragons after coming to a part of Equestria that he has never been to. He's the kind of dragon that loves to keep moving and have excitement in his life. With the other dragons, there was never a dull moment and it made him happy to entertain his friends. However, he knew that his happiness was short lived.

After a while, they began to do the same thing everyday: horde gems, tail wrestle, fly around, party and have belching contests. It was entirely different from how it was before and this upset Von. He sat up there, deep in thought. Finally, his eyes widened when he realized what was missing. "Adventure!" He went back down the path he went up and went over to the teenage dragons. He had a few friends there. There was Axel, a dragon with yellow scales and a bad attitude. He seemed like a 'party hard' kind of dragon, but he always treated Von good. Then there was Arcius, a snow-white scaled dragon. He's considered the level headed one of the bunch.

Arcius looked at Von's face and knew instantly that something was up. "Is something troubling you, Von?" Von tried not to answer, but Arcius always had a way of getting answers from Von. Von looked up at Arcius and looked away. "I was just wondering...Doesn't this seem repetitive to you guys?" Von reluctantly asked. Arcius and Axel looked at him in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean? Ain't nothing repetitive about all this." Axel said. Von started pacing back and forth, looking at Axel all the while. "Yes it is. Just look at us! Hording gems just to feel better about ourselves and tail wrestling to make it seem like we're tough?! We shouldn't limit ourselves to that." Arcius scratched his belly and looked down at Von. "Well...I suppose he has a point. This does seem a tad...repetitive."

Axel laughed. "Hey. I don't know about you guys, but i love hording gems. Plus, you can find some pretty rare ones, too." Von sighed and looked at him. "Can you really say that you feel better just because you're getting more gems?" Axel stayed silent. There's no way that Von,of all dragons could be getting to me, he thought. As he thought more about, tears formed in his eyes. "Ok! I don't feel better at all. I still feel lousy no matter how many gems I can get!" He sniffed and wiped his nose with his arm. "But what can we do? We're bound to the mountain. The elder said so."

Von thought for a moment. The elder was well respected by all the dragons, even the teenagers and especially Von. He was like a father to him, but he knew he couldn't disobey him. However, the elder wished for happiness for all the dragons on the mountain. "...I'm going to try and be happy like he wants us to. And i know just how to do it." They looked at him puzzled. He laughed to himself and looked at them. "Adventure." He boldly stated. Axel just looked at him. "What?" "ADVENTURE! You know, going around and seeing the world. Meeting new people. Stuff like that." Arcius stopped Von before he could go on. "I know you want to have more excitement, but that's too risky. You don't wrestle with us, you overreact to things and plus, you can't even breathe fire. The elder would be upset if you left." Von turned away from his friends. "I know i shouldn't...but i want to see more of Equestria. Maybe I can start in that...Everfree forest you guys were raving about." He spread his wings and looked back at them. "I'll tell you all about it when I come home!" With those words, he took flight.

Now, Von was not the best flier among the dragons, but he tried his hardest and practiced everyday. He flew in the direction of the Everfree Forest. Along the way, he took in the sights around him. The mountain tops, the birds flying around and the animals wandering around made him feel warm inside, warmer than normal for a dragon. But for a moment, he caught a glimpse of a rainbow streak by him at fast speed.

He spun around and got dizzy and tried to shake it off so he could regain his bearings. "What was that?" he asked himself. Looking around, all he could see were the clouds in the sky. Believing that he imagined it, he kept flying. However, he did not imagine it at all. Immediately, before he could get much farther, he heard a female voice shout "Look out below!" before the rainbow crashed into him and sent him hurdling down into the forest below.

Von moaned in pain as he started to wake up. His vision was blurry, but he was definitely looking up at trees. He could see the sky above, but it was murky and dark. His vision cleared and when he looked around, he saw a cyan pegasus laying on top of him in a daze. She had a rainbow mane and tail.

The pegasus looked at him and when her vision cleared, she had seen Von's face, yelped and flew up in surprise. "Who are you?" She asked him. "Wait a minute. You're a dragon! What are you doing here? Where were you headed?" She kept asking him, not letting him get a word in, edgewise. Von managed to get out a single "Um..." before the pegasus kept shooting him with questions. "Well? You gonna answer or what?" She asked him.

Von sighed and smiled a bit, happy that he could now answer her. "My name is Von. And yes, i am a dragon. As for where i am going, i'm not sure. I'm just flying around. What's your name?" The pegasus was surprised to seem him answer her so honestly. But she didn't trust him. Dragons and ponies did not get along.

I don't believe him. A dragon, just wandering away from the mountain just to fly? No way! He's probably on his way to Canterlot. *Gasp* What if he's going to attack the princess?!, She thought. Von saw that she was deep in thought, but as to what she was thinking about, he had no clue. "Um...miss?" He called out to her and this snapped her out of her thoughts. "What is it?" She asked him.

Von smiled and laughed a bit. "Sorry to interrupt you from whatever you were thinking about...but you didn't answer my question." The pegasus felt embarassed for neglecting to answer his question. "Rainbow Dash." She answered. "Nice to meet you...Von, was it?" Von gave her a friendly smile.

"Yes." Rainbow Dash gave him a confused look. "So why are you out here anyway? Shouldn't you be back on the mountain?" He sighed and looked away. He finally gained enough confidence to tell this stranger, this pegasus called Rainbow Dash, how he felt. "I got bored with being up on the mountain. I wanted to be around dragons like me, but it wasn't like what i hoped. So, i left. I thought it'd be fun to see more of Equestria. I heard from some dragon teens that there was a place nearby called the Everfree Forest. So I left to come check it out, but while I was on my way, a rainbow hit me and i woke up here."

Rainbow Dash blushed and laughed a little. She looked away, clearing her throat before looking him in the eyes once more. "Yeah...sorry about that. But listen. You shouldn't be here. This place is dangerous, even for a dragon." Rainbow Dash stood still, thinking for a moment. She knew Von didn't want to go back to the mountain, but she couldn't leave him by himself.
She sighed and smiled a little before she resumed speaking. " ...Tell you what. You can come back with me to Ponyville." Von's eyes widened in surprise, having heard her say this to him. Why is she being so nice to me? We just met, he thought. But he didn't care. "Are you sure?" He asked her.

He wanted to make sure that she was serious and wouldn't change her mind. But at the same time, he wasn't all that confident that this pegasus could help him out. From his point of view, she seemed...weak. But he couldn't say that out loud, however, she could see it written on his face and gave him a smug grin. "Don't sweat it. I can get you there with no trouble." She assured him. He wasn't that sure, but he felt he could trust her. He nodded his head in agreement and she flew ahead, with Von following behind. He didn't say it out loud, but Von felt something. Somehow or another, Von thought that Rainbow Dash seemed a bit...cute.

Bonding

Chapter 2: Bonding

Rainbow Dash kept looking back, making sure that Von was following her, as she was leading him out of the Everfree Forest and to her hometown, Ponyville. Von could only watch in awe as she was flying with such ease. My flying was nothing compared to hers, he thought. But maybe with a little more practice he could fly just like her. While they were going through the forest, the two of them chatted, sharing their own little stories about what they do everyday and started to grow closer. Not that much closer but it was better than nothing to him.

However Rainbow Dash's stories amazed Von. She told him all about how she first learned how to do her signature Sonic Rainboom, how she and her friends defeated the dreaded Nightmare Moon, when they attended the Grand Galloping Gala, used the Elements of Harmony to defeat the draconequus spirit of chaos, Discord and managing to defeat the Changeling Queen, Chrysalis. Rainbow Dash, however, corrected herself and told him that they themselves didn't beat Queen Chrysalis, but helped her friend's brother Shining Armor and his mare-to-be, Princess Cadence defeated her. Von just smiled in delight after hearing such riveting tales from her, but he couldn't help but notice something. He stopped looking at her and his eyes started wandering down to her flank as he noticed a strange marking.

He kept staring at it intently, hoping Rainbow Dash wouldn't noticed, but he jinxed himself and she looked back at him and blushed with anger. "Hey! Quit staring at my flank! My eyes aren't back there." She yelled back at him. He blushed and looked away, but the marking brought some curious thoughts to his mind.

He didn't want her to think that he was some kind of pervert for looking at the marking, even if it WAS on her flank. Von looked at her. "What is that?" She looked back at him and noticed him pointing one of his claws to the side of her flank, angering her for a moment, but she calmed down when she noticed what he was talking about. "Oh, that? That's just my cutie mark. Impressive, don'tcha think?" She smiled at him, as if she was gloating over the fact she had it, but he just stared at her and glanced at it. "Cutie...mark?" He said, confused.

Rainbow Dash wasn't prepared for what happened next. Von merely fell onto his back and laughed. Rainbow Dash felt extremely insulted, as this dragon that she just met started laughing at her Cutie mark. "Hahaha...ha...s-so...what does a cutie mark do, huh?" He managed to get out, trying to calm down. Rainbow Dash looked as though she wanted to pummel Von's scaly hide into the ground, but she started to calm down a bit so she could satisfy his curiosity.

"A cutie mark..." She started, "is a special mark that we ponies get when we discover our special talent. It represents who we are and what we can do, i guess you could say." Von looked confused. "How do you guys find your special talents?" He asked. "Well...you have to figure it out on your own. Our flanks are blank until we find that special something that makes us who we are. But having blank flanks means we're full of potential, too." She declared.

Von was surprised at her explanation. That was so...flawless, He thought. He smiled at her and looked at her in a love-struck daze, but of course, Rainbow Dash didn't notice. "That was a pretty detailed explanation." He finally said as he was getting up. She turned around and laughed nervously and scratched her head with her hoof. "Actually...I had forgotten all about how someone gets their Cutie marks since i got mine, but my friend Twilight told me. She's a real egghead. Wait 'til you meet her. She might be excited to see another dragon or she'll freak out." She said to him.

Von just stared at her with a questioning gaze. He had just heard one of the most detailed explanations in his life, only to find out that the one who told him heard it from somepony else. Just how smart is she? He thought. He could never say something like that outloud, so he kept quiet as they continued on.

Rainbow Dash looked around and saw the hut of another one of her friends. Von saw where she was looking and saw it. He looked at all the decor, inside and out, as it was all so new and strange to him. He wondered who lived there, when Rainbow Dash answered him before he could ask. "This hut belongs to Zecora. She's a zebra that makes potions and other stuff." She said. Von got confused. "A zebra?" Rainbow Dash looked back at him. "Yeah. She's like us ponies, but totally different. I would introduce you but she seems busy right now, so let's keep moving." And just as she said that, Von could hear rhythmic chanting coming from inside the hut. It freaked him out a little, so he followed behind Rainbow Dash as quickly as he could.

After about an hour, they finally make it out of the Everfree forest and into the sunlit town of Ponyville. "Here we are." Rainbow Dash said, proudly. Von looked around in awe at the beauty of it all. He had never seen such a wonderful place before, not anywhere a dragon has been to. "Come on." Rainbow Dash continued. "We need to talk to Twilight. She might be able to try and convince Celestia to let you stay here for awhile. This way!" She flew off in the direction that she pointed in. He was amazed at how fast she was at flying. However, he was more concerned with not trying to draw any attention to himself. With that, he spread his wings and took flight after Rainbow Dash, who kindly but impatiently, waited for him and together, they went off to Twilight's.

New Friends pt.1

Chapter 3: New friends pt.1

After a few minutes passed, Rainbow Dash and Von landed in front of a treehouse. Von looked up and saw a unicorn with lavender fur through one of the windows. "Here we are!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "My friend, Twilight should be able to help us out. Wait here." She walked up to the door and knocked on it a couple times. A female voice yelled out from within. "Just a minute." About 15 seconds went by when the voice answered until the door finally opened, revealing the lavender unicorn Von had seen earlier. Rainbow Dash smiled. "Hey Twi." The unicorn, Twilight, returned a smile. "Oh. Hi, Rainbow Dash. Did you need..." She cut her sentence short when her gaze averted towards Von and her friendly look turned into a nervous one.

Twilight wrapped her hoof around Rainbow Dash and snatched her into her house and popped her head back out to speak with Von. "Could you excuse us for just one moment?" She asked before shutting the door. Inside her home, she quickly turned to Rainbow Dash. "Why is there a dragon in Ponyville?!" Twilight asked. Rainbow Dash chuckled and began scratching her mane. "Well...he said he wanted to explore a little and i...um...found him in the Everfree forest while i was flying. Yeah, that's it. I found him. I couldn't leave him by himself, so i brought him here." Twilight looked at her friend with distrusting look on her face. She's totally lying. If anything, she probably crashed into him while performing one of her tricks. But i'll ask her about that some other time, Twilight thought. She had no idea how accurate that guess of hers was.

Von spent a good ten minutes outside and he was beginning to grow impatient. He paced back and forth in front of the tree house before he finally sat down and groaned. "What's taking them so long? I'm so bored." He said to himself. While he was waiting, he began thinking about what he'd do if he was allowed to stay. Where would he go? Who would he hang out with? Where would he live? All these questions kept popping into his head. "Will this princess of theirs actually let me stay here?" he asked. At that moment, the door opened back up and both Rainbow Dash and Twilight looked out at him. Von gulped, hoping that she would help him out, but he tried not to think about it too much because he didn't want to jinx it.

Twilight approached Von and began examining him. As expected, Von immediately backed away, feeling his personal space being invaded. Twilight giggled in response. "Sorry. I didn't mean to invade your personal space, if that's what you're thinking." Twilight said to him. She came a bit closer to him and extended her hoof. Von gave her a questioning look before realizing that she was trying to be friendly. He reached out with his claws and grasped her hoof gently, without harming her and shook it. "It's nice to meet you." Twilight continued, "My name is Twilight Sparkle. I see you've already met Rainbow Dash. Welcome to Ponyville." Von let go of her hoof and smiled. "Nice to meet you, too. I'm Von. Thank you for welcoming me." Twilight moved aside, allowing Von enough room to go inside.

When he entered, he was amazed at all the book that were around him. "Are these all yours?" he asked in amazement. Twilight giggled. "Yes. These books are the archives, encyclopedias, reference guides and alot more that were brought with me. I guess you could say that my home is also a library." She looked down and blushed with embarrassment. "Ahem. A-anyway, you want to see more of Equestria, right? Well...I could write a letter to Princess Celestia telling her about you and see if I can convince her to give you a place of your own to live here in Ponyville." Von smiled at her with delight. "Thank you, er...Twilight, right? Thank you so much."

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but snicker, seeing Von putting on such a display. But deep down she thought it was kinda cute. Twilight smiled, feeling happy that she could make a new friend and make that friend feel such joy. "But until we get a response, we have to keep you hidden somewhere. I'll let you stay here for now. But you won't be too lonely. I have a dragon staying here with me. Spike!"

The sound of small footsteps was heard from upstairs and a small purple and green dragon came running downstairs. He was smaller than Von, his head coming up to his haunches and he was a bit chubby. "Yes, Twilight?" Spike said before looking over at Von. "Whoa. Another dragon? Wait. What's he doing in Ponyville?" "Well, he's--" Twilight started, until Rainbow Dash cut her off. "He wants to travel Equestria and he needs a place to stay, but he doesn't have a home. So he's staying with you guys." Spike looked a little shock and he looked at Twilight and she nodded her head to him. "I'm going to write a letter to Princess Celestia explaining the situation. Don't worry, Spike. We'll make sure nopony else sees him. We don't need a catastrophe on our hooves." She told him.

Spike nodded his head and Twilight went back upstairs. "Well, i'm gonna go. I need to practice my flying. Just you wait, Von. You'll see things that you could never dream possible in flying." Rainbow Dash said with a confident smile. Von looked at her and gave her a smug grin. "I hope you can impress me." He said. Rainbow Dash smiled, seemingly interested by his little challenge and took off out of one of Twilight's open windows.

The rest of the day went by smoothly. Twilight had finished her letter and had Spike send it to her using his flame. As it hit nightfall, Twilight tucked Spike into bed and Von stayed downstairs. "Sorry I don't have an extra bed or mattress for you to sleep on." Twilight said apologetically. Von shook his head and smiled. "It's ok. I'm just glad to be staying somewhere other than the mountain." He walked over to the base of the stairs, laid down, curled up and covered himself with his wings. With his eyes closed, he could finally have happy dreams.

After leaving the mountain, he met two Ponies and another dragon, all three of which are now his friends. He wondered what could possibly go wrong for him. The next day, there was a knock on Twilight's front door and it jolted him awake. Twilight came downstairs to answer the door, her mane looking messy and he stood up and yawned. When Twilight opened the door, four ponies, a white unicorn, one pink pony and one orange pony and a yellow Pegasus popped in and yelled "Surprise!" But they didn't seem all that surprised to see Von there and both Von and Twilight's jaws dropped when they entered. All Von could manage to utter was, "Just my luck..."

New friends pt.2

Chapter 4: New friends pt.2

Von was more than surprised to see these four ponies just waltz into Twilight's house. He had absolutely no idea how to react. But the four ponies were even more surprised to see him, mostly the yellow pegasus pony who was cowering in fear behind the orange earth pony. Twilight was at a loss for words. She was hoping that nopony else, not even her friends, would find out about Von, a dragon, coming into Ponyville, but here they were. Out of all of them the white unicorn was the first to break the silence.

"Twilight...darling...why is there a dragon here in your home?" She asked. The unicorn had a purple mane and white fur and it seemed as though she carried herself like a true lady. Von looked at her flank and noticed that she had three blue diamonds on it. He quickly averted his eyes before he got caught like he did with Rainbow Dash. Just like Rainbow Dash. She has a Cutie mark, he thought. Twilight's horn glowed a magenta color and a brush emitted with the same glow and levitated over to her and began to brush her mane. As she was brushing her mane, she explained Von's situation to her friends.

The orange earth pony smiled. "Ah understand what yer doin', Twilight. It's awful kind of ya to do somethin' like this, even fer a dragon. " She spoke with a southern accent which Von thought was unique. She had three apples for a Cutie mark and a cowboy hat on her head. Spike crossed his arms after hearing the earth pony's comment and she nudged his shoulder with her hoof. "Aw shucks, Spike. Y'all know i was jus' foolin'. What i meant was a big ol' dragon like him." She said. Von gave her an amused glance. "I appreciate the compliment, but i'm not that big. I'm bigger than Spike, but no bigger than you ponies. Speaking of which..." He paused. "...Who are all of you?" The white unicorn giggled into her hoof and look at him with a warm smile. "How rude. We had forgotten to introduce ourselves. My name is Rarity." She said holding her head high before the orange earth pony came over and extended her hoof to him. "Mah name's Applejack. Pleased to meet ya." She said with Von shaking her hoof in response.

The moment he stopped, the pink earth pony popped up in front of him, startling him and she gave him a big smile. "Hi. I'm Pinkie Pie. Nice to meet you. So, you're a dragon? Of course you are. Duh, Pinkie. Oh my gosh, you look so cool. Not cute like Spike though. Not to say that dragons aren't cute. I mean, some aren't. But you and Spike are. I mean, you look cute, but Spike is adorable. But, that's ok. So, can you fly? Sorry. Of course you can fly. That's why you have wings. If you couldn't fly, why would you have wings? What if they were fins? *Gasp* Then you could swim! And..." The entire time that this pony who called herself Pinkie was talking, Von's mind began to border between confusion and irritation. She had a poofy pink mane with three balloons for her Cutie mark. The most noticable thing about her was that she really knew how to talk. But luckily, Applejack put her hoof over Pinkie's mouth to cease her chatter.

"Sorry about that, sugarcube. You get used to it." She said. Von let out a sigh of relief. "Not anytime soon it seems." His attention darted to the yellow pegasus pony behind the rest. She had a long pink mane and three butterflies for her Cutie mark. When Von stepped closer to speak with her, she hid her face behind her mane. She must be shy, Von thought. "Excuse me. I'm not going to hurt you or anything. What's your name?" The pegasus looked at him with fright-filled eyes, but she managed to utter something from her lips. However, Von couldn't hear her. "Could you repeat that please?" He asked her. "My name is Flutter..." the pegasus mumbled.

The other ponies smiled and then Rarity spoke up. "It's alright, darling. He's a good dragon, just like Spike. ...I think." She said, unsure. Von snorted with irritation, but he cracked a smile. "This is Fluttershy." Rarity continued. "Please forgive her, Von. She is actually quite scared of dragons. Well, dragons bigger than Spike, of course. But i'm sure you will get along just fine." Von smiled at all of them. Just then, Pinkie Pie started bouncing up and down. "Ooh. Ooh. Since Von is new to Ponyville, we have to welcome him. And you girls know what that means." All the ponies smiled, but Von looked at them confused. "It means..." Pinkie continued. "...A party!!"

Hours later, Pinkie Pie had decorated Twilight's house to look as festive as she could make it, all for Von. However, because Von's presence couldn't be revealed to the residents of Ponyville, the guest that attended were only the five ponies already there, Spike and Von himself. While the party was going on, Von couldn't help but ask them all. "Where's Rainbow Dash?" Twilight and the others looked around, wondering the same thing, before Twilight spoke up. "I think she's flying around somewhere. Don't worry. I'm sure she'll make it." The smile she gave Von reassured him, but that didn't change the fact that he was worried. He wondered why he was so worried about her. They just met, but they already seem like really good friends. Is that it? Because she's my friend? It makes sense, but is that the reason i'm so worried?, he thought. At that moment, there was a knock on Twilight's door and everypony stood still, even Pinkie Pie.

Everypony kept quiet, startled by the knock that was at the door. Von crept back towards the stairs, scared that someone else was going to discover him. If it was anyone else, then Von would be forced to leave. That was something he didn't want more than anything. He just made some friends and his heart pounded at the thought of losing them already. Another knock occured, a bit firmer than before. Everypony gulped, but Twilight worked up the nerve to answer the door. All the girls felt the same as Von, including Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, who were about to burst into tears. Twilight opened the door and everypony held their breathes. At the door was standing a cyan pony with a rainbow mane and immediately, Von jumped up with joy after realizing who it was. "Rainbow Dash!!" Rainbow Dash walked in and smiled at them.

"Sorry i'm late guys. I was practicing some AMAZING stunts and I guess I lost track of time. What's wrong with those two?" She asked, pointing to Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Applejack smiled. "Nothin', sugarcube. We was just worried that we was about to lose our new friend." Von looked over at her with surprise. "Friend? You all...think of me as your friend?" Rarity looked at him. "Why, of course. We wouldn't think any less of you." Pinkie Pie smiled. "Yeah. You may be a bigger, older dragon than Spike, but you're really really nice." Fluttershy kicked her hoof on the floor and look up at Von. "I think...um...well...I don't think you're a mean dragon...well...what i mean is...you're very kind...and gentle. Oh...sorry." Everypony smiled.

Rainbow Dash then put her hoof on Von's shoulder and smiled. "Hey. We're all your friends. If anypony finds out about you, we won't leave you hanging. I'd never do that to my friends, pony AND dragon." Von smiled at her and wiped away a tear that was trailing down his cheek. All of a sudden, Spike covered his mouth and let out a burp. As he did, magical green flames shot out of his mouth and from it, a scroll. Twilight used her magic to pick it up. It had a royal insignia attatched to it. "It's from Princess Celestia." Von let out a sigh of relief, as did the others.

"What's it say, Twilight?" Applejack asked. Twilight opened the scroll and read it out loud. "Dear Twilight Sparkle, I read the letter you sent me last night. I would like for you and your friends to come to my castle in Canterlot first thing in the morning. This is a...mandatory summons. And I want you to bring the dragon with you..." She closed the scroll and looked back at her friends with a solemn look. Everypony believed that their fear was about to become reality, but they were not as scared as Von was. Von felt more happiness than he's ever felt in his lifetime. He had high hopes that he would be able to make more friends in Ponyville if the princess helped him. And in that instant, Von's heart sank...

Summons and Confession

Chapter 5: Summons and Confession

Not too long after recieving the response from Princess Celestia, an escort from her royal guards awaited Von and the gang outside. Pinkie Pie continued crying, as did Fluttershy, while the rest hung their heads low realizing that they were going to lose their friend. "It'll be alright, girls." Von said, trying to reassure them. "This was bound to happen eventually. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay here. So...I guess it's time to face the music." All the ponies looked at him with surprise. They couldn't believe that he had said something like that to them. "Now wait just a apple-pickin' minute!" Applejack declared. "Now, I don't know anythin' about Dragons and ponies not gettin' along and whatnot, but just from bein' around you, I can tell that you got a kind heart. You may be willin' to give up, but I ain't lettin' mahself lose a new friend. And that's the honest truth." Von stood there in amazement at Applejack's protest. This earth pony, that he just met, already thought of him as friend. And what's more, she didn't want to lose him.

He could tell that the others felt the exact same way, much to his surprise. Von believed that there was no chance in hell that he would ever make any friends. But here were six ponies, creatures that he believed could never get along with dragons, and a baby dragon that didn't want to lose their new friend. Von lowered his head and smiled. "Thanks guys. For what it's worth, i'm glad that you guys are my friends. Twilight. Rarity. Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy. Applejack. ..." He stopped before turning to Rainbow Dash and blushed. "And Rainbow Dash..." Spike looked at Von with sadness in his eyes. "Hey. What about me?" Von laughed. "And of course you, too, Spike. Thank you all so much. Well then...let's get going." All seven of them went outside to meet the escort. They were two pegasus colts, attached to a royal chariot. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie stepped into the chariot while Von, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy took flight. The colts took to the skies while the three fliers followed behind them.

Von had never been to castle before. He wondered what it would be like when he got there. He knew that this Princess Celestia was going to have an important discussion with them, but his mind couldn't help but wander. Other than going to see Celestia, Twilight and her friends were not all that curious about going to Canterlot like Von was. He wondered what everypony was thinking, but he knew that it must've been the same thing he was thinking about: What is Princess Celestia going to do?

Moments later, a beautiful image came into view. It wasn't just a castle. It was an entire city; The city of Canterlot. The girls had already been here before, however they were still amazed at the wonderful sight. But their amazement couldn't compare to Von's. In his entire time of wanting to travel, he didn't imagine a place like Canterlot existed. "Oh my gosh! Look at this place!!! It's so amazing! Is that the castle? Ooh! I can't wait to go there." Von squealed like a child. He blushed with embarassment when he noticed his friends staring at him, but they expected this from him. In that instant, he put on a serious face, ready to confront the princess that awaited him.The chariot landed in front of the castle stairs and the four ponies riding it dismounted from it. Von, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy landed beside their friends. They all looked at each other and stared up at the castle, bracing for the inevitable. "This is it. Canterlot Castle." Twilight stated calmly.

Von and the gang walked up the stairs until they reached the front doors. Behind those doors waited the princess that asked for them to come. Once they met, Von's fate would be decided. "I hope that her majesty lets Von stay. I have so many ideas for dragon clothes that I want him to try." Rarity said. Von merely laughed at what she said. "I appreciate that, Rarity. Thanks. Alright. Let's do this. But...um...before we go in..." He said, while turning to Rainbow Dash. "I have something I want to say to Dash here." The ponies looked at Von, especially Rainbow Dash, in confusion. "Ooh ooh ooh. What are you guys gonna talk about? Pranks? Sports? Flying? Candy? Gasp! Flying candy?!" Pinkie Pie started shouting, bouncing up and down. The group could only stare at her until Twilight began pulling her away. "Sorry. You guys go ahead and talk. We'll wait inside." Von nodded as the last of his friends went into the castle and he turned to face Rainbow Dash.

Von gulped and blushed while Rainbow Dash stood there, curious about what he had to say, but at the same time, she felt a little uncomfortable. "Rainbow Dash..." Von started. "I know that we haven't known each other that long. But...i feel really close to you. I mean...you're fun to be around, you're funny and talented...and kinda cute, too." Rainbow Dash was taken aback at his last comment. Never before had she been called cute by anyone. "Well...I guess what i'm saying is...I like...no. I mean, I love you, Rainbow Dash." Rainbow Dash's face became red with embarassment, but she calmed herself and stared him straight in the face. "Thanks for that, Von. But the truth is, I just don't think of you that way. I'm sure that you'll find your very special somepony...but it won't be me. Sorry. I hope we can still be friends." Von felt his heart shatter after hearing Rainbow dash reject her. But deep down, he predicted it. But that made it all the more painful to know that he was correct.

He sighed and tried not to look upset. "Yeah. ...We can still be friends." Rainbow Dash smiled nervously. "Great. Right, so...let's get inside." Rainbow Dash went on ahead of him and went into the castle, Von following behind.
They met up with the rest of the group and continued into the castle. The decor was breathtaking, but there was no time to take in the sights. They soon entered the throne room. Inside, there were two guards and in the center of the room sat a white alicorn. She was wearing a crown and had a mixed colored mane like Rainbow Dash, she had a sun-shaped Cutie mark and she had a dignified appearance. Von could tell right away; this alicorn was Princess Celestia. Celestia looked down at the group until her eyes met with Von. "Princess Celestia? You wanted to see us?" Twilight asked.

Celestia looked at Twilight and gave her a friendly smile. "Twilight, my faithful student. I'm glad that you came. And I see you got the young dragon to come, too." Von looked down and looked back at the princess. As he was about to speak, the other ponies stepped in front of him. "Excuse us, princess. We understand how ya'll must feel..." Applejack started. "...But we think that Von should stay." Rarity nodded her head. "Indeed. We may not have known him long, but we can feel a real connection with him." Von looked at the both of them. "Rarity...Applejack..." Fluttershy looked at her friends and at the princess. "Um...Princess Celestia...if you wouldn't mind...I mean, you don't have to...but perhaps you could let Von stay in Ponyville? I mean...he's a really nice person...I was scared of him at first, but it turns out he isn't so bad."

Pinkie nodded her head along with Fluttershy's words. Twilight got ready to speak, but Celestia stopped her before she could. "My little ponies...I never said that Von would be sent away. In fact, I would be more than welcome to let him live in Ponyville." All of their mouths dropped when they heard her say that. Everypony was speechless until Von let out a loud "What?!" as nopony else knew what to say but that.

Twilight stood, shocked. "Princess Celestia, I don't understand. In your scroll, you said that this was a mandatory summons. You wouldn't say anything like that unless you were upset." Celestia giggled. "Oh, Twilight. When I said that it was mandatory, it was because we had to get him to me to discuss his living arrangements." Von's eyes widened. "Living arrangements? So does that mean..." Celestia smiled at him in response. "Yes. You are free to live amongst Ponyville with the rest of us ponyfolk." Immediately, all of Von's friends leapt for joy and surrounded their new friend and hugged him tightly. Von was just as happy as they all were. He made new friends and now he could see them all the time. He wanted to travel, but the situation just made everything better for him. He could travel AND spend time with his friends. Friend...That word echoed in his mind as he looked towards Rainbow Dash. He had finally worked up the nerve to tell her how he felt, but she didn't see him that way.

He still felt for her, knowing she rejected him. He was determined to remain by her side, regardless of what she thought of him. With the issue resolved, everypony began to make their way back outside until Celestia stopped Von. "Von? Could I ask you a question?" Von looked at her. "Sure. What is it, your majesty?" Celestia giggled. "Just call me Celestia. I wish to know...who is looking after you? Your father? Your mother?" Von looked away, thinking for a moment. He hadn't thought about it for awhile. He turned back to face Celestia. "My elder. He is caring for me. I don't know my father...or my mother. I can't remember a thing except my time on the mountain to now."

Celestia looked at him nervously, but shook it off. "I see. Very well then. Take care of yourself. I will formally introduce you to the rest of Ponyville and will help you find a place to call home." Von smiled and tried to speak, but he was interrupted with Applejack and Rainbow Dash calling to him. "C'mon, sugarcube. Let's get a move on." "Yeah. Get moving, slowpoke." Von smiled at Celestia. "Just being with my friends makes me feel like i'm home." He turned away and caught up with his friends and they left.

As the doors shut, Celestia looked towards the stained-glass windows with a grim look on her face. Soon after, a dark blue alicorn with a moon-shaped Cutie mark came into the throne room. She walked over to Princess Celestia and saw her face. "Is something wrong, sister?" Celestia faced the blue alicorn. "Luna, my sister...I feel as those a remnant of the past has come into our life. A remnant from that time." Luna's eyes widened. "What do we do? Shall I summon the guard?" Celestia shook her head. "No. Whether this is good or bad, I cannot say immediately. All we can do is observe...and hope that all will be well for everypony..."

New Resident

Chapter 6: New Resident

The next day, as Celestia promised, she had the entire town of Ponyville gather in the center. Everypony was curious as to why their loving princess would call them out so suddenly. The stage was all set as everypony stood and watched, waiting for the one who called for them. Twilight and her friends stood on stage, all of them nervous about the outcome of Celestia's announcement. At last, their moment of waiting was over as Princess Celestia came onto the stage and turned to address her subjects.

Princess Celestia looked at all her fellow ponies and just her very presence left everyone silent as she began to speak. "I'm glad that you are all here, my fellow ponies. A few days ago, everything was still the same everyday. All of you were working hard, some were having fun, eating treats together or just spending time with your friends. But now, we will be having somepony new joining us in our daily lives." Everypony started talking amongst themselves, confused and curious about the new person joining them. Twilight and the others gulped in response to this. Princess Celestia, understanding their concern, smiled at them to assure them that everything would be alright. They smiled back, but they were all still worried that things would get out of hoof, especially Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. Applejack felt a bit nervous, but she tried her hardest to stay calm.

Princess Celestia looked towards her subjects once more. "Though it may take time for you to get used to him because of what he is, I would like for you all to help make him feel at home. Thus, I would like to introduce you all..." She paused and stepped aside, cueing Applejack and Rainbow Dash to open the curtain, revealing Von standing behind it. "Von." Loud gasps filled the air of the town. All was silent, everypony staring at Von and him staring back at the ponies. He had no idea what was going to happen. Would he be accepted? Or would they run away from him?

Finally, something broke the silence. A yellow filly, about seven years old wearing a pouch on the side of her flank, started to walk up to the stage. A pony, possibly her mother or big sister, tried to grab her until Von stepped down from the stage, causing all the other ponies to step back, except for the filly. Everypony in the crowd watched with fear as the filly and Von were right in front of each other. Von looked down at the filly, who smiled at him in response. All of the ponies continued to stay silent.

The filly reached into the pouch she was carrying and took out a cupcake and held it up to him. Von looked at it in confusion. "What is that?" The filly smiled. "It's a cupcake. You've never had one before?" She looked at him, feeling a bit sorry for him. Von shook his head and sniffed the cupcake. Just the smell was enough to send Von's mind running wildly. It smelled delicious. He never smelled anything like that before. He wondered if it tasted just as good as it smelled. The filly smile grew bigger seeing his reaction. "Want it? I have more back home." Von happily smiled and wrapped his tongue around the cupcake and pulled it into his mouth and began munching on it. This tastes so wonderful, he thought. Never before had he eaten something like this before. This is better than all those gems I ate, he thought. When he finished, he smiled at the filly and thanked her for the treat.

The crowd stared at him with wonder. The only dragon they knew that loved cupcakes was Spike, but now they were confronted by this new dragon. Yet, just like Spike, he was very friendly. He seemed to be more interested in making friends and eating cupcakes than harming or scaring anyone. The fear that the ponies felt subsided and soon, they all began to gather around Von and asked him many questions. His likes, his dreams, what he likes to do and more. Von was happy, but he felt overwhelmed by the barrage of questions so much, he fell down and passed out in a daze, smiling all the while.
Von woke up moments later, inside a bakery in Ponyville.

All around him, there were cakes, pies, cupcakes and all sorts of treats that he never imagined. The smell was driving him wild, as he wanted to eat his fill of all the baked goods. His mouth hung open, tongue out and was drooling. Pinkie Pie came bouncing over beside him and smiled. "Like it? This is Mr. and Mrs.Cake's bakery, Sugarcube corner. They leave me in charge while they are out doing important stuff, like taking care of the babies."

Von wanted to meet these ponies. They sounded friendly, but his mind was elsewhere as he gazed upon the treats. Pinkie Pie was delighted to have a friend that liked sweets as much as, if not more, than her. Von looked around and saw the crowd. They were coming into the bakery one by one, each of them wanting to get a treat but at the same time, they wanted to come and meet their newest resident in Ponyville. Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash came in and Rarity went over to Von. "There you are, darling. Princess Celestia asked us to find you. She went back to Canterlot, so Twilight will give you her message." Von nodded his head. "Alright. I'll head there so--" Before he could finish talking, three fillies, a yellow one with a red mane, a white one with a purple/white striped mane and an orange pegasus, jumped him and shouted "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS DRAGON CATCHERS!!!"

Von started struggling as the three fillies were attempting to tie him up. At that moment, Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash snapped in anger. "Applebloom/Sweetie Belle/Scootaloo!!!" The girls shouted. The fillies stopped and looked at the ponies who called their names and got off of Von and walked over to them with their heads hung low. "Applebloom! Just what in tarnation do you think you're doin' to our friend?" Applejack said. Applebloom looked her in the eyes. "But Applejack! He's a bloodthirsty dragon." "Don'tchu talk about yer big sister's friend like that, ya hear?!" She yelled. "How can you be friends with a big dragon like him?" Sweetie Belle said. Rarity glared at her. "I'll have you know, Sweetie Belle, that Von is a sweet, gentle and friendly dragon. Furthermore, you should not say anything like that when we are all friends with Spike, who is a dragon." Over to the side, Rainbow Dash was scolding Scootaloo. Von was staring at her the whole time, questioning whether or not to think she looked cute scolding someone or scary.

All three fillies apologized to Von, who forgave them and laughed. After the fillies left, Von and the girls began walking to Twilight's house and he turned to his friends. "So...who were they?" "The 'Cutie Mark Crusaders', as they call themselves." Rarity said. Applejack continued for her. "They mean well, but they cause alot of trouble for us ponies." Von blinked. "For what?" "Trying to get their Cutie marks." Rainbow Dash said, bluntly. By the time they finished, they arrived at Twilight's and went inside.

Twilight looked towards the door and came downstairs to greet them. "Hey girls. Hi Von." Von smiled. "Hello, Twilight. So, I was told that you had a message from Princess Celestia for me?" Twilight nodded. "Yes. Though, this is quite embarassing for me. Um...she said that since I am more familiar dealing with dragons than any other pony...it would be best that you stay here with me." She said, blushing. Von's jaw dropped and all of Ponyville stopped and looked back to Twilight's the moment they heard a loud "WHAT?!" fill the air.

Planning

Chapter 7: Living arrangements

The next morning marked Von's first day of living with Twilight and Spike. Von uncurled and yawned as he was stretching. Twilight as already wide awake and tidying up around her house. "Up pretty early, aren't you?" He asked, grinning. She jumped when she heard him speak, but she calmed down when she saw him. "Oh. Good morning, Von. Did you sleep well?" Von shook his head. "Barely. I keep having this weird dream." Von thought about the dream he had last night. The dream he had was a mysterious one indeed. The dream he had involved when he was back up on the mountains. When he was a young dragon, he saw something miraculous. It was faint, but he thought he saw a light of some kind. He felt so happy seeing it and wanted to find out what it was, but the dream ended there. He wanted to know what that light was and why it was so important to him.

Von didn't decide to go anywhere for the moment, so he chose to help Twilight with her cleaning and reorganizing. The sounds of their feet moving around awoke Spike from his nap. Spike yawned and looked downstairs and saw Von and Twilight cleaning up. "Twilight? What's going on?" He asked. Twilight looked up at him. "Good morning, Spike. Sorry for waking you up. Von and I were just cleaning up." Spike looked confused. "But I thought that was my job." Von looked over at him, placing books back on Twilight's bookshelves. "Well, you're probably working too hard. Think of it as a break. Don't worry. I can handle all of this." He smiled at Spike. Spike felt a bit saddened that he wasn't helping Twilight out, but he also felt angry that Von was doing his job. He sighed and went outside.

Twilight looked back towards the door and looked down at her hooves. "I'm sorry. Normally, Spike is the one that helps me with cleaning. It feels so different when someone else is helping me with this. He must be upset with me." Von finished cleaning and went over to Twilight and put one of his claw on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Besides, if i'm going to be living here, I'll need to pick up my own messes. It's the least I could do." He smiled at her before he resumed speaking. "I'm done now, so i'm going to go to Sweet Apple Acres to see if Applejack will let me have some apples." He licked his lips and began drooling when he said that, but he calmed down and went outside.

Twilight giggled and continued cleaning, but she began to blush when she thought about Von. She thought he was the second nicest dragon she ever met. She had only met one dragon that was nice to her and that was Spike. Perhaps Von living with us was a good decision Princess Celestia made. Maybe things will turn out well for him and everypony else, Twilight thought as she went back to cleaning. "Maybe...just maybe. A pony can only hope that nothing goes wrong."

Von was just over Sweet Apple Acres, his stomach beginning to growl. His flying has not improved much, but he felt he'd gotten better. He landed by the barn and knocked, but nopony answered. Von was hoping Applejack would be there because he really wanted those apples. Of course, he wanted to spend time with her, too, but his hunger needed to be tended to first. He knocked again, but still nopony answered. "What's a dragon got to do to get something to eat around here?!" He yelled. At that moment, he felt a thud against the back of his head. He looked around only to find Applejack standing behind him, grinning as she picked up the apple she threw at him and shoved it in his mouth. "If y'all was just hungry, ya shoulda came by earlier." She said.

"Ah woulda made a whole meal for ya if ya asked." Von smiled and munched on the apple she gave him and swallowed. "Hey Applejack. I was wondering. Do you know any places in Equestria that we could go to? I wanna see everything." Applejack thought for a moment. There plenty of places in Equestria that he could go to, places that she's been to. Now that ah think about it, me and my friends haven't gone anywhere since we defeated Chrysalis, she thought.

"Alrighty. We'll go somewhere and have some fun. But where do you wanna go?" Von looked at her. "Where could we go?" "Well, there's Cloudsdale. That's a place that's up in the sky. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy live there...well, just Rainbow Dash anyway. Fluttershy lives here in Ponyville. Then there's Manehatten. A high society kinda place for some ponies. Ah know Rarity would want to go there. Everypony there is as stuck-up as her." She said. Von laughed until she continued. "We done already been to Canterlot. Ya'll seen what that was like. Lastly, there's Appleloosa." Von smiled. "What's that place like?" "Appleloosa was said to have been built in less than a year. Mah cousin, Braeburn, lives over there, as does a tribe of buffalo." She told him."Let's go there. I wanna see this Appleloosa place." Von said.

Von wanted to learn a little more about Equestrian history and going to Appleloosa was a good way for him to learn more. "Alrighty then. Let's go and get the others. 'Sides, Ah ain't seen Braeburn in a long time. Boy howdy! Won't he be glad to see me." She said, smiling. As they were walking back, Applejack sniffed the air around Von. "Von, are you wearin' some fancy-schmancy perfume?" Von looked at her in confusion. "No. I've never worn anything like that before." He said, looking away. Applejack was happy about going back to Appleloosa with her friends, but she was fixated on the strange smell coming from Von. It smelled sweet, but he didn't notice it. Von didn't notice, but Applejack's face was bright red the whole way back to Ponyville. The reason, only Applejack knows...

To Appleloosa

Chapter 8: To Appleloosa

Applejack and Von went back into Ponyville and gathered their friends together in order to inform them of the idea of going to Appleloosa. Pinkie squealed in delight. "Ooo. I wanna go there again. I wanna see all the ponies again. Oh, and the buffalo. I wonder how they're doing. Well, we don't know because we haven't left yet." She said, giggling. "Oh hey! Maybe I can do my show again. Would you like to see it, Von? I can give you a peek." Von laughed nervously. "No no. That's quite al..." Von was quickly interrupted by Pinkie as she started to sing. "You gotta share. You gotta..." Immediately, everypony shouted "No!" causing Pinkie to stop singing her song and she looked a little sad. "Sorry, Pinkie. But don't forget, your song caused a big fight last time we went to Appleloosa." Twilight said to her.

Von looked at them. "So we're going?" "Yeah! You're gonna like it. It's really cool." Rainbow Dash boasted. Von smiled and straightened his face. "That's right. I'll need to ask Celestia if I can leave. Excuse me!" Before anypony could stop him, Von spread his wings and took off towards Canterlot. Rainbow Dash was about to fly after him, but Twilight stopped her. "It'll be ok. I'm sure he'll be fine." She looked towards Von, who faded in the distance. "I hope..."

Von soon arrived at Canterlot Castle and landed in front of the doors. The royal guard were not to be seen, which confused him. "I thought they'd be here at their posts. Guess they're on break." He told himself. With the royal guard gone, Von walked into the castle and shut the door behind him. Von walked through the hall and began looking around. Though he had been here before, he could not remember the way to the throne room. He kept wondering around and stopped in one of the halls and sat down, pouting. "Ugh. I can't find the throne room. Just how big IS this castle?"

Von continued talking to himself until Princess Luna, the princess of the moon, came into the hall and saw him sitting there. Von stopped talking and looked at her and smiled a bit. "Oh good. Someone I can talk to. Excuse me. Do you know the way too..." His sentence was cut short as Luna began yelling at him. "YOU DISGUSTING VILE CREATURE!!! HOW DARE YOU INVADE CANTERLOT CASTLE!!! THIS ANGERS US GREATLY!!!" Von covered his ears, reeling back at the pain the yelling was causing him. "Excuse me. Could you please not yell? You don't have to..." "WE ARE NOT YELLING!!! WE ARE SPEAKING IN THE ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE!!! SOMETHING THAT A FILTHY BEAST LIKE YOU COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND!!!" She yelled.

Von backed further away from her, wanting to escape this. But he needed to talk to Princess Celestia so he could go to Appleloosa. "Listen. I just want to see Princess Celestia and..." She cut him off once more. "HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF MY SISTER IN SUCH A FAMILIAR MANNER!!! THIS DOES NOT PLEASE US!!! WE MUST TEACH YOU A LESSON, YOU DISGUSTING CREATURE!!!" Von's body was covered by a dark royal navy blue aura and Luna's horn glowed the same color. Von realized that Luna was using her magic on him as he levitated and was carried down the hall. Von struggled his hardest to escape, but he couldn't. He uttered a low growl, but Luna continued to ignore him as she carried him to the throne room.

Luna lowered Von to the ground and held him there with her magic. In that minute, Princess Celestia magically appeared in the throne room and looked down at her sister and Von. "Luna, what is this?" "LOOK SISTER!!! WE HAVE FOUND THIS DRAGON ROAMING THE CASTLE GROUNDS!!! HE SPEAKS OF THEE IN A FAMILIAR TONE!!! SHALL WE IMPRISON HIM FOR TRESPASSING?!" Luna yelled. Von growled again, causing Celestia to giggle. "My precious sister. This dragon means no harm. He is our honored guest." Luna's eyes went wide upon hearing her sister's words. Immediately, her magic faded and Von was released from her power. "But sister...he's a dragon! He isn't like Spike. He..." "...Is friends with the ponies in Ponyville." Celestia said, finishing her sister's sentence.
Von went over to Celestia and bowed before looking her in the eyes. "Princess Celestia. I'd like to ask you something." Princess Celestia looked at him with a smile. "What is it, Von?"

He breathed calmly. "The girls and I wish to go to Appleloosa. But I thought that I couldn't go without asking you, so..." Celestia stopped him before he could finish. "You are a resident of Ponyville. If you wish to go, you can. Have fun with your friends." Von smiled big and jumped for joy. "Thank you, Princess. See you soon!" He yelled as he was flying out of the castle.

After he left, silence filled the room. Celestia looked at her sister. "I'm very sorry, sister. I didn't mean to attack a guest. I..." Celestia stopped her sister from finishing. "You did not know. It is alright. Furthermore..." Celestia turned back to the doors. "...He looks quite similar to his father. Just like before..." Luna's eyes went wide and looked back towards the door. "That's was HIM?! Sister, we have to..." "No!" Celestia yelled, causing her sister to go silent. "All we can do is observe...and pray that things will be different this time..."

Von was flying back to Twilight's, hoping to find his friends still waiting. Upon his return, he saw that they were gone. "Where are they?" He asked himself. He looked around when suddenly he noticed a note on the door. He flew over to it and saw words on it. Dear Von, We have gone to the train station. The train should be leaving soon. Please hurry. This trip is supposed to be for all of us. We will wait as long as we can. See you soon, hopefully. Twilight Sparkle. Von began to panicking as he did not know where the train station was. He started flying around Ponyville, asking how he could get to the train station. Eventually, one pony that was shopping at Sugarcube Corner gave him directions and he took off as fast as he could. He felt his wings were going to fail him because he was going beyond his normal speed. But he didn't care. He wanted to go on this trip and he wanted to have his friends there with him.

Meanwhile at the station, Twilight and Applejack were waiting by the train, the conductor beginning to grow impatient. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy kept an eye out in the air, looking around for any sign of Von. At last, the conductor reached his limit. "All aboard for Appleloosa!" He shouted. Twilight panicked. "Please wait! I'm sure he'll be here soon." The conductor shook his head and went into the train. "Sorry, sugarcube. Guess he'll have to come next time." Applejack said, getting onto the train. Twilight kept looking, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy giving up and going back into the train. "Come on, Twilight! If he didn't make it, we can understand. Come one already!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Twilight sighed and went onto the train. She felt sad, knowing that they were leaving a friend behind. The doors closed and the train began to start moving. Rarity went to Twilight's side and put her hoof on her back. "There will always be a next time, darling. It was just a stroke of bad luck for him to miss the train, I guess." Twilight looked down and nodded her head. She looked towards the back of the train. At that moment, she saw a figure in the distance. "What's that?" The other girls looked at her and looked in the direction she was facing. She went to the back cart and looked outside, the figure getting closer. All of them went to the back with her, wondering what the figure was. As the figure got closer and closer, it finally came into view. Rainbow Dash smiled and called to the figure. "Von!"

Von smiled, hearing Rainbow Dash call his name and started flapping harder. The girls looked at Rainbow Dash with surprise. She blushed and quickly looked away. "Heh. I knew he'd show up. I-I was just testing you guys." They laughed and looked back at Von, cheering him on. Von flapped harder and harder and tried reaching out for one of them. Applejack held out her hoof to him. "C'mon, Von. Almost there." When Von got a bit closer, the train picked up speed, Applejack going out of his reach. Von snorted and started to flap harder in an attempt to get closer. The girls kept cheering him on, causing him to fly faster. He got closer enough and reached for Applejack's hoof. All of a sudden, he reeled back somewhat in pain. His wing had cramped up. He was starting to lag behind, only flying with one wing. They kept cheering for him, but it wasn't enough for him to get on board. "That's it! Hold on, Von!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she was about to take flight. "No! Don't!" He yelled at her. She was shocked and got back on the floor.

He was starting to lose his breath. "I...I need to do this myself. I know I can do it." Von was at a loss. He felt he can do it, but he wasn't truly sure he could do it. One cramped wing, one working wing and poor flying skills. But regardless of those problems, he kept trying. The train was now going at full speed and was beginning to pull even further away from him. The girls looked sad, seeing that their friend wouldn't make it. Von flapped harder, dust hitting up his nose as he was. Von was about to sneeze, but he tried to shake it off. His attempt failed as he sneezed at the ground, but when he did, a large gust of wind shot from his mouth causing him to shoot up into the air. All of the girls' mouths dropped open after seeing that display. They looked up into the sky, hoping to see Von, but all they could see were clouds. A few moments later, Von came crashing back down through the roof of the back cart.

His friends looked at him and began laughing, Von managing to smile while he lay there in a daze. Applejack smiled at him. "Nice job, sugarcube. Glad ya'll could make it."

Passing

Chapter 9: Passing

After Von recovered from his 'landing', he began talking with the girls, about how he was feeling while he
flew after the train and when he met Princess Luna. "You got to meet Princess Luna? Oh my. She didn't hurt you, did
she darling?" Rarity asked. Von shook his head. "No. But she did keep yelling at me." "Yelling?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah. It went like this." Von said, beginning to stare down Fluttershy with anger. "YOU FOUL BEAST!!! HOW DARE
YOU SHOW YOUR FACE BEFORE US!!! WE ARE NOT AMUSED!!!" Fluttershy reeled back in fright, covering her head
and hiding in the corner of the car. Von looked at everyone sheepishly, knowing that he shouldn't have done that in
Fluttershy's presence. He walked over to her, noticing that she was letting out small whimpers. He smiled, thinking
of how cute they sounded, but he knew he needed to aplogize for scaring her.

He placed his claw on her shoulder, causing her to flinch. He reached down to her forehoof and pulled it
towards him, causing her to turn towards him slightly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that, Fluttershy. It was
just..." She smiled a bit. "Oh no. I-it's alright. I'm easily frightened. I know you were just showing us. Thank you."

Von blushed and smiled, helping his friend back onto her hooves and let go of her. The girls all giggled, but Rainbow
Dash just smiled. "So, she was yelling at you like that?" She asked. "Yeah. She kept referring to herself as 'we' or 'us'.
It was really weird." He said. Twilight smiled. "She wasn't yelling...well, she was. But not the kind of yelling you're
thinking of. That was the Royal Canterlot voice she used. It's a manner of speech that was used by royals in
Canterlot a long time ago." Von snorted and grinned. If that's how they spoke, then there must've been earaches
all over Canterlot, He thought.

Von continued to exchange words with his friends about many things. When it got to the topic of Von's
family, he stayed silent for a few moments. "...The only family I've ever known was the elder. I never learned his
name, even while growing up in the mountains. Since he's older than me, I have to call him Elder, out of respect for
him."

They all smiled at him. "Well don't leave us in the dark, sugarcube. What was this elder of yers like?"
Applejack asked. Von smiled and looked at all of them proudly. "The Elder is a very benevolent dragon. He's wise,
kind and powerful. He always looks after us young dragons, even me. He said he didn't know where I came from,
but when he found me..." Von paused. The girls looked at him worried. Von didn't wish to finish what he was
saying, but he didn't want to keep anything from his friends. Von breathed in and out slowly. "Alright. When the
elder found me, he said that I was..."

Up on Dragon Mountain, the elder that cared for Von was watching over the edge, looking towards the
clouds. "He has been gone for quite a long time. But he has grown to that age where he wishes to venture out on
his own. I am quite confident in him that he will lead a glorious life." The elder sighed and began coughing. The
other dragons, old and young, looked in his direction. They were filled with great concern as they knew the reason
for that. The elder walked over to a single spot that was near a small gem pile. There were rocks formed in a circle
next to the pile. "He truly has grown. But I wonder...Will he be able to learn of his origins before my passing? I do
not wish for this to be kept from him for the rest of his life." He said to himself before coughing again. "I still
remember the day I found him. His small body...covered in blood."

On the train, the girls gasped when they heard what Von had told them. "Covered? In blood?!" Rarity
asked. Von nodded his head. "Yes. That's how he found me." Rarity's heart couldn't bear hearing about such a
dreadful thing, fainting upon Von's confirmation. "But why were you covered in something so icky anyway?" Pinkie
asked. "I'm not sure. Not even the elder knew." Von said, looking down. "Well, whatever the reason, at least you're
here with us." Twilight said, smiling. Von returned her smile. "Right." They suddenly heard the train whistle and
Spike, who was sleeping in one of the cars, woke up from his nap. "Huh? What'd I miss?"

The train finally came to a halt at the station. The doors opened and the girls trotted off the train and
Von followed behind them. He looked up in amazement and his mouth opened wide. "Wow." In his mind, he knew
that he'd never been to such a place before. It was like an old southern town, complete with a saloon, cowboy
hat-wearing colts and a sherrif's office. Applejack patted his back and smiled. "Yup. Welcome to Appleloosa." She
started walking over towards one of the buildings. "So, whatcha think, Von? ...Von?" She looked back to see that
Von was gone, but she could hear his cheers and excitement as he was prancing all around, taking in the sites. She
just laughed and went on her way to see Braeburn.

The others decided to go their own ways and explored Appleloosa, wondering if anything had changed
since they were last there. Rainbow Dash and Spike went to see Little Strongheart, the buffalo they met last time
and Pinkie accompanied her. Rarity, Twilight and Fluttershy went for a walk through the town. While they were off
doing their own things, Von was happily exploring the town. Von stopped for a moment and felt a bit sad.

He looked into the sky, feeling a tad homesick. He missed his elder, but he knew the elder would rather
him be happy living his life then keep living a sheltered one. "Elder...I hope you're alright. I just wish there was
some way I could..." In that moment, a bolt of inspiration hit him. "There is a way I can tell him." And with that, he
flew off, calling for Spike and Twilight.

Later in the day, the gang got onto the train that was departing back to Ponyville. Everypony spoke about
what they had done for the day, but Von, Twilight and Spike were in the back car. "Are you ready, Spike?" Twilight
asked. Spike held up a pen and scroll and smiled at Twilight. "Ready!" Twilight smiled at him and looked at Von and
nodded her head. He smiled at her and then began to speak.

"Dear Princess Celestia, I don't have much experience with giving you a friendship report, so I'm writing a
letter describing my time with the ponies. I had a wonderful time. Appleloosa was nothing like I had expected. It
was wide and I felt like I was truly part of the pony culture. I've always wanted to to learn more about Equestria
and being around all of you is helping me learn more about it and about making friends. I hope you can pass this
on to the elder. I want him to know how much fun I'm having. We'll be back at Ponyville soon. Yours truly, Von."
When the letter was finished, Spike breathed his fire on it and it magically traveled through the air.

Back in Canterlot, Princess Celestia looked up to see the letter sent by Von and read it. "...Seems like he
really likes being here. He truly is like his father. Let's hope his elder approves of him being here with us. We do not
need another tragedy on our hooves." She told herself. She closed her eyes and concentrated and her horn began to
glow. Her horn zapped the letter and it vanished into thin air and she smiled.

Meanwhile at Dragon mountain, all the dragons had gathered around in a circle. Each and every single
one had tear filled eyes. They didn't want to, but they had to embrace the truth: the elder had died. "He was one
of the greatest dragons I've ever known. I really looked up to him." One of the teenage dragons said. All the
dragons nodded in agreement. "Poor Von. Just think about how heartbroken he'll be when he finds out about this."
A female dragon said, sorrowfully. Another of the teens looked at her in surprise. "Von? What about us?! Who's
going to lead us now that the Elder's gone?"

At that moment, the letter arrived and fell to the ground, close to the dragons. The crowd looked and saw
a single dragon pick the letter up in his claws. He was an adult dragon with red scales and a dark blue underbelly.
He had sharp horns pointing forward, humongous wings and a spiked tailed. He was wearing a breast plate and a
helmet similar to that of Celestia's royal guard. He opened the letter and read it thouroughly. "...Ponyville, eh? So
that's where he's been..." The red dragon said. He held the letter up and burned it until not even ashes remained.
"Fraternizing with those lousy hooved beasts!!! How shameful. I should've expected as much, given what he is. But,
that makes everything easier on me. I haven't seen Ponyville in sixteen years. Time to pay them all a little visit..."
The red dragon then flew up into the air, fading into the sky as he headed towards Ponyville...

Tied Together

Chapter 10: Tied Together

Von and the girls continued to talk on their train ride back from Appleloosa. "Hopefully the elder got my letter." Von said. Twilight smiled. "I'm sure it did. I'm sure Princess Celestia sent it to Dragon Mountain, so don't worry." With that out of the way, an interesting question was brought to Von's attention. "So what was with that giant sneeze y'all did earlier? When y'all came onto the train." Applejack asked. Everypony looked at him expectantly. "...I'm not sure. I've never done anything like that before. It felt like some strange power welled up in me as I prepared to sneeze." Von answered.
Twilight looked at him and smiled. "Looks like you have a breath that's different from other dragons, just like Spike does. Except rather than using fire, you're using wind." Von's eyes widened and the girls nodded in agreement. "I agree. It felt like a tornado appeared briefly. It was so scary...oh! I'm sorry...I didn't mean it like that. Please don't be mad..." Fluttershy mumbled. Von just smiled and patted Fluttershy's mane. She squeaked a little and began blushing. The girls just looked at them and laughed. "But I agree, darling. That was a very strong gust of wind. Perhaps it's a sign that you're maturing." Rarity said.

Von didn't actually consider that. Maturing...I'm getting stronger...I wonder what the elder would say, Von thought. Just thinking about it filled him with confidence. In that moment, Rainbow Dash patted his back and laughed. "Don't let it go to your head. It looks good, but I think it can get stronger. You'll just have to make it stronger." He smiled and nodded his head. Pinkie Pie looked over at her. "Don't let it go to his head? DIdn't Twilight say something like that before we dressed up as Mare Do Well?" That stung her pretty badly as she recalled the events that transpired then, causing everypony to laugh but Von was the only one that didn't understand. "Who's Mare Do Well?" He asked.

The girls giggled and looked at him. He stared in confusion until Twilight was the first to answer. "Mare Do Well is a hero that we came up with after Rainbow Dash let her fame get to her head." Von blinked. "Fame? How did she get famous?" Applejack grinned. "She saved a baby in a carriage from going off a cliff. After that, she started tryin' to save everypony. But after a while, she started lettin' it go to her head and was too stubborn to listen to us." Rainbow Dash sighed and glared at her. "Alright alright. No need to bring up anymore. He doesn't need to know..." Before she could finish, Pinkie cut her off. "It was so much fun dressing up like that. We got to do some really neat things. I got to save a pony that was in a hot air balloon." She said happily. Fluttershy blushed and smiled a bit. "Oh yes. It was actually kind of fun. Plus, the costume felt pretty comfortable. It was so soft."

In an instant Von knew who to turn to next and he looked at Rarity, who appeared to be smiling confidently. "Well, I AM one of the best fashion designers in Ponyville. If you wouldn't mind Von, I still wish to try making clothes for dragons and I'd like you to be the one to try them." She said. Von smiled and nodded in agreement. "Sure. I'd like to do that once we get back to Ponyville. I'll come over to..." Von quickly stopped himself from finishing and remained frozen. The girls looked at him with deep concern. "I-is something wrong, Von?" Fluttershy timidly asked. "...I'm not sure. I just felt a chill run up my spine. It feels like something's wrong." He said. Fluttershy hid her face in her mane, Rarity comforting her all the while. Twilight looked at him and looked down at the floor. "I can feel it, too. Something's wrong in Ponyville."

The train stopped at the station and everypony got off and looked up at the sky. The sun was setting, but the sky looked as though it were painted red with blood. The ponies hadn't felt this nervous since Discord's awakening. Rainbow Dash flew up into the air and looked down at the gang. "What are we waiting for?! Let's go!" They all nodded and went off to the center of Ponyville. If anything, they knew that something would be happening there. Von flew behind Rainbow Dash, just barely keeping up with her. To him, it was quite an improvement but he didn't have time to think about that now. The chill he felt earlier came back but now it was worse than ever. I don't know what this is, but I'll help to the best of my abilities, he thought. He smiled and continued flying towards the center.

Upon arrival, they noticed everypony in Ponyville was starting to gather around. They also felt the ominous presence that Von and the girls felt. They were in a bit of a panic, trying to find out what they were going to do or what was coming into Ponyville. Twilight was about to speak up, but a flash of light shined in front of the crowd and at the same time, a blue mist began swirling around. When the light vanished, Princess Celestia stood in its place and Princess Luna formed out of the mist. Everypony lowered their heads in respect, Von included. "Princess Celestia. Do you know what this feeling is?" Twilight asked. Celestia looked down at her. "I wish I knew, Twilight Sparkle. Not even I know of this presence." Rarity looked up at the princesses. "Discord didn't feel like ANYTHING compared to this." She looked scared and the other ponies nodded their heads.

"Whatever this is, my sister and I can be able to handle it." Luna said. "I'm quite certain that..." Celestia cut her off and looked at her sister. "No, Luna. Though our magic is strong, we can no longer wield the Elements of Harmony. That kind of power was passed on to Twilight and her friends. And it was given to them for a reason." Luna looked over at Celestia. "But sister!" Celestia looked at Luna and gave her a sharp glare, letting her sister know that she had heard enough and Luna kept quiet.

Everything went silent. Nopony knew what was about to happen next. Von looked at Celestia and as he was about to speak, the flapping of giant wings was heard. Von had heard this kind of flapping before. "A dragon..." he said outloud. Fluttershy squeaked and curled up, hiding behind Pinkie Pie. The flapping of the wings grew louder, meaning that the dragon was getting closer. Nopony could see where in the sky it was coming from. They felt like it could appear at any moment. Rainbow Dash started yelling into the sky. "I ain't scared of you! Show yourself!" Von looked around, the chill growing worse and worse. Everything fell silent once more. Von then looked up into the air and saw a black figure come diving down and it landed in the center of the crowd. Its landing caused dust to fly up and the ground beneathe them to shake. When the dust cleared, they all looked at the figure and saw the black dragon.

"Well well well. Doesn't seem like Ponyville has changed at all. Heh. And here, I thought that you would have changed at least one piece of this pathetic place." the dragon said. Rainbow Dash was on the verge of rushing at the dragon, but Applejack held her back. The black dragon then looked over in Celestia's direction. "Ah. If it isn't the tyrant princesses of the sun and moon. Long time, no see. How have you been, Celes?" The dragon asked.

Luna was aggravated by the fact that this mysterious dragon was speaking to her sister with such familiarity, in addition to not calling her by her proper name. "THOU SHALT SPEAK TO OUR SISTER WITH RESPECT, YOU WORM!!!" She said, going back into the Royal Canterlot voice. She attempted to attack them dragon, but before she could get much closer he whipped her with her tail and sent her rolling across the ground. The ponies gasped and Celestia looked at her sister in shock. She was bleeding. This was the first time anypony had ever seen somepony bleed and it frightened them greatly.

Von reeled back in fear, but he knew he had to do something. The black dragon looked around. "So this is what Ponyville is reduced to. A bunch of fucking foals that can barely even protect themselves. Just look at your princess!!! She didn't stand a chance against me and those two are supposed to be the strongest of you all?! Don't make me laugh. You ponies could never stand a chance in hell against me!!!" He spit on the ground after finishing his sentence. Celestia looked at the dragon. "Who are you?" The black dragon grinned smugly and looked at her. "You really don't remember me? Well then. Allow me to refresh your memory." he said before getting closer to her. For the first time ever, Celestia began to back away from the dragon. None of the ponies, even Twilight, has ever seen Celestia back away from an enemy in fear. "I was the one who ran away." Celestia's eyes widened when she realized who he was and he smiled. "My name is Nova. I am the new elder...sorry...LEADER of the dragons now."

Von looked at him with anger and stepped forward. "Stop lying!" Nova looked down at Von. "Von...so you really are here. Regardless, you can deny it all you want. Your precious 'elder' is gone now. He's dead and now I've taken his place. I even have the letter that he..." "Stop lying!!!" Von shouted, interrupting Nova.Twilight, Rainbow Dash and the other ponies looked at him in shock. Tears were running down his cheeks, but they could tell he was trying his hardest not to lose control.

Spike peeked out from the crowd and looked at Von. "Von? Are you ok?" Nova looked at Spike. "Another dragon living amongst the ponies?! Have you no shame?! We do not belong here with these grass eating beasts! Are you two fucking idiots or something?!" Applejack glared at him. "Now you listen here, ya lousy varmint. Now ah ain't interested in fightin', but I will kick your flank for my friend. You got no right to..." Before she could finish, Nova whipped her with his tail and she rolled on the ground and laid there in the same condition as Luna. Rarity screamed at the top of her lungs seeing her friend like that and she ran to her side. Pinkie and Fluttershy joined her, while Twilight and Rainbow Dash stayed by Von. Spike ducked back into the crowd, frightened of Nova and his power. "Believe what you want, Von. It is the truth. As is this." Nova said, lowering his head to Von's eye level. Von was shaken up. Nova was much bigger than him, bigger than his elder. He was used to adult dragons but not one like Nova. "I am here to take you back to Dragon Mountain where you belong."

The girls' eyes opened wide, as did the rest of Ponyville and Von. "No way. You can't make me! You're not..." "I am your leader now!!! You seriously wanna stay here with ponies? Are you sick in the head or something?!" Nova asked angrily. "Listen. Did the elder tell you anything before he died? Before you left the mountain?" Von shook his head. "I thought not. Then how about this? Why do you think I'm so concerned about you? Why do you think I want to take you back to the mountain, other than the obvious?" Von sat and thought for a moment. He didn't know why Nova was so concerned. The only dragon that was so concerned was his elder. "You idiot. Let me break it down for you. You and I are connected. That's why I knew who you were so easily." Nova said. "What do you mean? How do you know me so well?" Nova laughed at him and stepped closer. "Nice to see you again, little brother."

Loud gasps filled the air. Von backed further away from him. A brother?! No way. That can't be true, he thought. Rainbow Dash looked at Von. "You have a brother?!" "...No. There's no way! I don't have any family except for the elder and my new friends!" The girls and the rest of the ponies smiled at him. Nova made a gagging sound. "Oh please! You make me sick, befriending these ponies. It seems that you won't come back willingly. If that's the case..." He stopped suddenly as flames started to seep from his mouth. "...I'll FORCE YOU TO COME BACK!!!" He opened his mouth and let out a stream of black fire. Von closed his eyes and braced for impact. But the fire didn't come. He opened his eyes to see Celestia and Twilight standing in front of him using their magic to put up a barrier. "Celestia! Twilight!" he exclaimed. Nova laughed as the fire was still coming out of his mouth and he breathed in through his nose and out his mouth and the fire pushed against the barrier more and it started to crack until it broke.

The flames dispersed and the force of the barrier breaking caused both Celestia and Twilight to be sent flying onto their backs and they went outcold. "Are you really that fucking stupid?! Is this someone's idea of a joke?! I told you. You don't stand a chance against me." Nova gloated. Rainbow Dash glared at him. "Alright! That's it! I can't take this anymore. I'm gonna buck you up big time for this!" She said as she flew at him and bucked the bottom of his jaw. He reached up with his claw and rubbed it. He glared at her and Von knew what was coming next. "Dash!!! Look out!!!" But it was too late. Nova swung his tail down on Rainbow Dash's back and sent her into the ground. His spikes dug into her back and she was bleeding badly as he held her in place.

Von growled and his eyes flared. Nova laughed but he stopped and looked at Von in surprise as Von charged at him and leaped up and bit into his neck. Nova winced just a bit and grabbed Von and tried to pull him off, but Von didn't let go. He kept digging his teeth in more and more as blood was starting to draw from Nova's neck. Nova growled. "You're beginning to piss me off, 'brother'." He raised his right claw up and he jabbed Von in the back, all four of his claws digging and grinding in his back. Von yelled in pain, tears falling from his eyes and the moment he lost his grip Nova threw him to the ground. Nova lifted his tail off of Rainbow Dash, who laid there moaning in pain and walked over to Von. "This could've been worked out easier if you had just obeyed. But now I have to teach you where your place is." Flames began to seep from his mouth again. Von struggled and got up but he was off balance as he was losing alot of blood. Von breathed in and out and looked at Nova.

Nova glared down at him and let his fire breath loose and as he did, Von let out his wind breath and it collided with the fire but it was barely holding it back. Von kept breathing as long as he could but he was struggling as he was using his new found power while Nova wasn't even breaking a sweat. Von's energy was starting to give out and Nova grinned. All of a sudden, the wind Von let out of his mouth began to die down and the flames Nova breathed out shot at Von and he was consumed in the fire.

Ponyville was quiet. Only the wind blew as the flames died down and Von lay on the ground unconscious. "Hmph." Nova grunted. As he began to walk over to Von's passed out body, several ponies stepped in front of him and impeded his advance. Not even a second later, other ponies began to form a live shield in front of Von. Nova glared at them. "Move aside." The ponies didn't move. They just stood in place, glaring at him. "Are you serious?! Why are you defending him?! We are dragons! We're your enemies!!! What, do you think you ponies can really make a difference? If you do, then you're even bigger dumbasses then I thought. We dragons will never forget the scars you left in our hearts that day." Nova growled and shook his head. He looked like he was about to panic as he saw all the ponies in front of him. He looked down at Von. "You got lucky today. But i'll come get you again and when I do, I will burn Ponyville to the ground. Punishment for what you did to..." He remained silent, but had a mixed look of sadness and anger on his face.

Rainbow Dash mustered up enough strength to stand up a bit. "What...what do you mean 'punishment'? What do you mean 'that day'?" Nova looked at her and looked at Celestia and Luna, who had recovered from their injuries and glared. "Maybe you should ask your precious princesses." With that, Nova spread his wings and the wind created when he flapped blew a few ponies back and he took off into the sky.

When he faded from view, Applejack and Twilight recovered as they along with Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie ran over to Von's side. Spike ran over to him as well and looked at him. He suddenly gasped. "He's not moving!" This grabbed Rainbow Dash's attention as she went over to Von and nudged his head. "Hey! Von!" He didn't respond. "Von, you better not be joking with me! I'll buck you up if you are!" She said, starting to burst into tears. Twilight and the others looked down. "Von! Wake up!" They all cried out. He still didn't respond. "Von! Please! Wake up..." Rainbow Dash cried. "VON!!!"

Dragon's Heat

Chapter 11: Dragon's heat

Von slowly opened his eyes. He could barely see a thing as his vision was blurry, but he blinked a few times to get his bearings. The area looked glamorous and and well-sculpted. He closed his eyes and opened them again and he smiled when he noticed where he was. "Canterlot Castle? But how did I..." He said to himself. He tried to get up, but he collapsed on the bed he slept in. His body was still scorched and bruised from the injuries he received from Nova the other day.

Von moaned in pain as he kept trying to move. He stopped and laid his head down. "Guess I'll just..." He paused for a moment and looked down at his pillow. It was a cyan color, but the softness was different from normal pillows. It felt almost like fur. Fur..., he thought. At that moment, he backed away and looked at it realizing that the pillow was actually Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash? What are you doing here?!" He cried. She opened her eyes , yawning and stretching on the bed. "How long was I out?" She asked herself. She looked around and her eyes immediately locked with Von's and she blushed with embarrassment. "Oh...Von. You're awake." "Yea..." He said looking at his paws. They stayed silent for a few moments before Rainbow Dash looked at him. "Listen, Von. I need to tell you that i was only--" Before she could finish, Pinkie Pie burst into the room yelling "Surprise!!!"

Von reeled back and fell off the bed in fright and Rainbow Dash leapt into the air in shock. Pinkie giggled and snorted, looking up at Rainbow Dash. "Oops. Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. But were you surprised? Huh? Were you? Were you?" Rainbow Dash sighed and landed on her hooves. "Heh. Yeah. You really surprised me, Pinkie. Oh. Von! You ok?" They turned to where Von fell. Von got up and walked around the bed, limping the whole time. "Yeah...i'm ok." He said.

He looked up at them and as he did, he saw the rest of his friends come into the room. "Twilight. Applejack. Rarity. Fluttershy. Spike. What are you guys doing here?" Twilight was the first to speak. "We've been coming to check on you all night and all day. We were really worried about you." Applejack nodded her head. "Twilight's right about that. We were all worried about ya, sugarcube. We was wondering when y'all would wake up." Fluttershy looked away, blushing and nodded her head. "Um...we...really missed you, Von. We felt like you were going to go away...after what that big mean dragon did to you." Von smiled at Fluttershy. Rarity looked at Von. "We've been meaning to ask you, darling. That Nova character said that he was your brother, but he doesn't act anything like you. Just who is he anyway?"

The girls looked at Von expectantly. Von looked down and shook his head. "I'm not really sure. To be honest, I don't even know if i even have a brother. But he said that he was. Agh! I'm not sure what to think." He stamped his paw as he said that and he lifted it back up as pain surged through it. "Ow...So, how long was i out for?" He asked. Just then, Princess Celestia walked into the room and the girls and Von bowed their heads in respect. "You have been asleep for the whole night." She said. Pinkie bounced over to him and smiled. "Yeah. We were all really worried. But not as worried as Rainbow Dash. She stayed up all night looking after you, saying stuff like 'I'm sorry. It's my fault' and I think she said something like, If you wake up, I'll tell you how--"

Rainbow Dash put her hoof over Pinkie's muzzle and her face was flushed with red. "O-ok Pinkie. I think he gets the point. No need to say anymore." She said, laughing nervously. Von gave her a confused stare. "Rainbow Dash? Is there something you want to tell me?" He asked. She darted her eyes left and right. "No. It's nothing. We're just...glad you're awake, Von." He kept staring at her and finally smiled. "I know. I'm glad i'm alright, too. But wow...Nova can really fight. He must've had alot of training using his abilities." He said in awe. Rarity looked at him. "Indeed. He gave us all quite a beating. I wonder just how old he is." Spike crossed his arms and thought for a minute. "Well, he IS a full grown dragon. So maybe he's about--" "He is 32, the same age your father was when I met him, Von." Celestia said, interrupting Spike.

They all turned and looked at Celestia. "Wow, Princess. You know him?" Spike asked. Celestia looked away with a look of worry on her face and sighed. She turned back to them. "Yes. Von's father and Nova met me and my sister on this day, years ago. And to confirm your suspicions, Von...Nova is indeed your brother. Or rather, he is your half brother." Fluttershy looked confused. "Half...brother? So, they aren't really related?" "No, Fluttershy. They are, but that means that they got different parents. Ya mean to say that Von here has a different father than that Nova feller?" Applejack asked. Celestia looked at her. "They share the same father, but they have a different mother."

The girls and Spike looked at Princess Celestia. She met Nova years ago? Von and Nova are half brothers? Who was his mother?!, they all thought. Von looked at Princess Celestia with a determined stare. He wanted to hear more. "You said you and my father met on this day. What happened years ago?" Celestia stared at him for a good minute. I know he has the right to hear, but i should not say until the right time. When the truth of his origin reveals itself..., she thought. Von noticed that she wasn't going to answer, so he let her be. "I'm sorry, Princess Celestia. I didn't mean to be rude. Forgive me."

Celestia smiled at him and rest her horn against his forehead. "It is quite alright. At any rate, how do you feel?" Von looked at himself and moved his legs and wings a bit. They no longer were as sore as they were earlier. "Hey! I feel better. Sweet. Hey, let's go back to Ponyville. I still have to keep my promise to you, Rarity." He smiled at her and she smiled back. "But of course, darling. I have so many wonderful ideas in mind. We must definitely try them once we get back." Everypony laughed and they started to leave, but Von stopped. "Hey. You guys head back without me. I need to go somewhere." Fluttershy looked at him. "Oh? Where are you going?" Von smiled. "I'm going back to the mountain. Since i'm going to live in Ponyville, I might as well see my home one more time." Rainbow Dash smiled at him. "Alright. Just be safe, ok? I can't show you my stunts if you don't come back." She said. "Heh. I hope to see them soon." With that, the girls went back ahead of Von.

Von stood there for a few moments before he glanced back at Celestia. "Celestia? Is there something about me that you know? If there is, then I--" Celestia held up her hoof and he ceased talking. "There is something, but I will tell you one day. I promise." Von smiled and nodded his head and ran outside and took off into the air. Celestia looked up at him and smiled. "He truly is their hope. Maybe he will finally bring dragons and ponies together once more in harmony. After all, he is the fruit of their union..." Celestia looked down and a small tear fell from her cheek.

Von flapped harder as he was flying back to the mountain. "Heh. Looks like my flying has gotten better. If I keep this up, i might be able to keep up with Rainbow Dash." He started laughing. He was kidding himself. There was no way he'd be able to keep up with Rainbow Dash. But it seemed fun to think of something like that. He looked down and saw the mountain below and soared down through the clouds. He landed on the mountain top and puffed out his chest. "Hey guys. Guess who's back?" There was no answer. "Huh?" He looked around and didn't see a dragon in sight. "Hello?! Axel? Arcius? You there?" He called out. There was still no response. "I guess they left. Probably following orders from the 'high and mighty' Nova himself."

He sighed and walked over to his old nest. There was a small pile of gems and rocks surrounded it. Von went and munched on the last of the gems that were there, but he stopped when he saw one in particular that interested him most. He could not remember much, but he knew that he did not get this gem. It was a yellow diamond, fixed in a crescent shape and attached to a necklace chain. He clenched it in two of his claws and lifted it up to his face. "It's so beautiful. But where did it come from?" He sat down and put the necklace on himself. He got back on his paws and smiled at it. He looked back at the site where he and his friends hung out.

All the memories he made with them and the time he spent with his elder passed through his mind. "See ya, guys. I'm off to start a new life." He smiled and took off into the air again.

Rarity worked diligently in the Carousel Boutique, fixing up new outfits that would fit Von's shape and size. "Hmm...this needs a little more color. Or perhaps less? Oooo. I've never made clothes for a dragon before. This is quite difficult." She said to herself. Meanwhile, Von was making his way back to Ponyville. However, his concentration was halted. His body began to feel strange. "Huh? What's going on?" He landed in Ponyville, just minutes away from the Carousel Boutique. He hid behind one of the buildings and started breathing hard. He started to sweat and his breath got hotter. He was unaware of it, but it was that time for dragons his age. Von had gone into heat.

Rarity was still making the outfits when her door suddenly rang and Von had stepped in. "Ah! Von, darling. I was waiting for you. I've come up with a few designs, but they are absolutely gorgeous." She said, happily clapping her hooves together. Von smiled and shut the door behind him. He walked over to Rarity and she moved out of his way. Her eyes widened for a brief moment as she sniffed the air around Von. "Von, are you wearing some kind of cologne?"

Von looked at her confused. "No. I'm not wearing anything." He assured her. Applejack had asked him the same thing when they were getting ready to go to Appleloosa and now Rarity was asking him. Do I smell that good?, he thought. He wanted to think more about me, but Rarity started pushing him towards a curtain. "Come now. We have no time to dilly-dally. I have many outfits for you to try." Rarity said. She giggled and pulled him behind a folding screen and grabbed one of the outfits and started dressing him. "H-hey! Let go!" Von yelled. He started struggling, but Rarity managed to get his outfit on and she backed away and moved the folding screen away with her magic. The outfit she put him in was similar to that of a high society pony, complete with a bow tie and she smoothed his hair out.

Von looked at her with frustration. "Ok...I really don't like this one." Rarity sighed. "Agreed. It's much too high class for you. But not to worry. There are many more for you to try." She smiled and pulled the folding screen open again. It seemed like hours went by as Rarity had Von try many different outfits. The entire time Rarity couldn't shake the smell that was coming from Von, while Von was trying his best to ignore his condition and hide it from Rarity. Finally, both Rarity and Von settled on an outfit and she took it off him and put it away. "Well...that certainly took quite some time" She said. "But i'm glad to see that you found one that suited you most." Von smiled. "Yeah. It especially goes great with my necklace." "Necklace?" She gave him a confused glance and she looked down at his neck. The minute she saw the diamond that was embedded, she squealed with joy.

"Oh my! That's the rarest diamond i've ever seen. Or rather, nopony has seen in so long." She said. "Where in Equestria did you get it?" He looked down at it and back at her. "Not sure. I just found it when i got back to the mountain." Rarity fluttered her eyes and she smiled at Von as she got closer to him. "Ooo. I would be ever so grateful if i had something like that to use for my designs." She cooed. Von stared at her in confusion and backed away. "Um...I'm sorry, Rarity. But I--" She got closer and kept fluttering her eyes. "You know, I never noticed how cute you are, Von. I would be willing to do anything for you if you let me have it." She said, in a flirty tone. Von blushed and questioned why she was doing this. "I'm flattered", he said. "But my answer is still no." Rarity pouted in response. "Oh very well. But in the meantime", She said. "We must make sure that it truly matches. Can you try the outfit on again, darling?" He nodded and began to walk to where the outfit was put up. But the moment he turned his back, Rarity jumped him and tackled him to the ground.

"Rarity! What are you..." He rolled onto his back and looked at her in shock as she was reaching for his necklace. "I want that diamond! It's mine!" She screeched. He started to struggle under her weight and Von started breathing hard. "S-stop..." He moaned and that stopped Rarity in her tracks. She stood up, looking at him in confusion and her eyes trailed down to the reason for him moaning. One of her hooves was against his member. It was fully erect and when Rarity put a little pressure on it, he moaned again. "Oooh. Does that hurt?" She asked. Von shook his head and breathed harder. I've read plenty of books and have seen a colt's penis before, but this is different. It's not as big, but...oh my, Rarity thought. She glanced back at her flank, realizing that her marehood was dripping wet from just the thought. Just then, she had an idea and smiled at Von. "Would you like me to help you with this?" She asked, rubbing her hoof against his penis gently. He moaned again and started drooling. Rarity giggled and got down on her forehooves. "I'll take that as a yes."

Rarity rubbed his penis gently, getting small moans from Von in response. Von had a bit of common sense left over, though most of his mind was being washed away by pleasure. He knew that he only wanted Rainbow Dash to do something like this to him, but he thought for a moment. Rainbow Dash isn't my marefriend. She said that she just wanted to be friends. So...this isn't so bad...right? Rarity giggled at Von thinking the noises he was making was cute, but a tad lewd for her tastes. However, she wanted that diamond. She lowered her head down to his penis and smiled, looking him in the eyes. She started by caressing the head of his penis with her soft face. After five seconds, she put her lips on it and gave it a small kiss. She then placed her pursed lips onto the tip of his penis and enveloped her warm wet mouth around his whole member. The warmth and wetness of her mouth started getting him harder very easily.

Rarity, remembering the books she read, got the bright idea of lightly gnawing his shaft with her teeth. As the pressure in his cock increased so did the pressure of her mouth. The feeling was indescribable as it drove Von insane with pleasure. He moaned loudly and more drool seeped from his mouth. Rarity started moving her head up and down slowly. She ran her tongue around the head, causing Von to moan more. She smiled and bobbed her head up and down faster. Von couldn't take much more, feeling more pressure build up in his cock. He started moving his hips, matching Rarity's piston-like movement. This caught Rarity by surprise, but she needed to focus on the task at hand. She moved faster, her marehood's wetness beginning to soak the spot beneath her, causing Von to move faster as well. At long last, Von reached his climax and his seed shot into Rarity's mouth. She didn't want to, but she let every last drop go in and she swallowed and stood up. She smiled and looked down at Von, who had become so overwhelmed by the pleasure that he passed out. Seeing her chance, she used her magic and separated the necklace from Von. "Be grateful that a lady such as myself did such a dirty thing for you. But I suppose that it was worth it in the end for both of us, was it not?" She giggled and went back to work.

Fifteen minutes later, Von woke up in the Carousel Boutique. "Huh? What happened?" He looked around and saw Rarity working on new outfits. She looked at him and smiled. "Oh. You're finally awake. You must've been so tired, darling. You fell asleep while you were trying my new designs." Von blinked. "I passed out?" "Of course", she said. "Don't you remember?" Von scratched his hair and looked at her. "Oh...I guess so. Well...I should probably go back to Twilight's now." He went to the door and looked back at her. "Oh. And Rarity?" She glanced back at him nervously. "Y-yes?" "You might want to get a mop and clean up over there", he said pointing to a wet spot. "It smells kinda funny." Rarity's face turned bright red with embarrassment. "Um...I'll get right on that. Thank you..." She said. He smiled and went out the door and went on his way back to Twilight's. He knew something had happened, but he couldn't remember a thing. He laughed to himself and ignored it and went back home, unaware that Spike had seen everything...

A stronger bond

Chapter 12: A queen's plan, an old friend and a stronger bond

Von made his way back to Twilight's, utterly exhausted from trying on so many outfits as told by Rarity. He opened the door and saw Twilight reading one of her books. "Hey Twilight", he said. "What are you reading?" She paused and looked at him. "Oh. Welcome back, Von. I was just reading an old book I found in the Canterlot archives." She said. Von smiled and went to her side. "Ooh. What's it about?" He asked. "Well", she said. "It's about the Elements of Harmony. Oh...you probably don't know much about the Elements of Harmony, do you?" She asked.

Von blinked and shook his head, laughing. "Rainbow Dash told me about the Elements of Harmony, but not everything", He asked. "Just what are they?" Twilight smiled. She turned all the way back to the beginning of the book and Von read it thoroughly. "Let's see...The Elements of Harmony are six supernatural artifacts that...the most powerful force in Equestria..." He started mumbling the rest to himself and Twilight just giggled.

They barely noticed, but the door opened up and Spike came into the treehouse. He closed the door and Twilight looked up and saw him. "Oh. Hi, Spike. Where have you been?" Von stopped reading and lookd over at Spike and smiled. But Spike didn't return a smile to him. "Oh...um...I went out for a walk. That's all..." He said, nervously. Twilight stared in disbelief. "Right..." Von tapped the back of her head with his paw. "So, are the Elements really THAT powerful?" He asked. She tapped her muzzle and looked at him. "Well, the book says they are. Plus, me and my friends have used them a few times, so I'm pretty sure that they are. But what I'm more interested in knowing is if they can be used for anything else. Hmmm..." Twilight went upstairs, talking to herself the whole time about the mystery element, leaving Von and Spike alone.

Von smiled and laughed. "Guess I know now who thinks about things the most in our little group. Huh, Spike?" Spike didn't answer him. When Von looked down at him, he noticed Spike was glaring at him and a chill ran up his spine. Almost as bad as the chill that Nova gave him, but not close enough. "Um...is something wrong, buddy?" Spike came over to him and did something that was never expected. Spike punched Von in the face, bewildering him immensely. "Don't call me 'buddy'." Spike hissed. "Especially after what you and Rarity did." Von looked at the purple dragon. "What me and Rarity did? Didn't we just--" "Don't play dumb! I saw you guys in her boutique." Spike interrupted. "Look. I don't care what else you do, but stay away from Rarity. Got it?!"

Von just stared at Spike in confusion. Stay away from her? What did we do? Was it something bad? But we were trying outfits. And why am I getting lectured by a dragon who's younger than me?, he thought. Von laughed and patted his head. "Fine fine. I'll 'stay away from Rarity'. I wouldn't want you to do anything painful to me. It would be so embarrasing if I got beat up by a kid." Von laughed and let the treehouse. He thought about it for a moment and realized that he shouldn't have acted like that. That was rather childish of him. But Spike should have at least explained what he meant and gave Von a chance to explain himself as well. But he decided not to think about it and went for a stroll.

He held up his promise to Rarity, so he was free for the day. But he didn't know how to spend it. He thought that he could possibly spend time with Applejack, but she was probably busy apple-bucking. Twilight was deep in thought and Fluttershy was possibly too shy to hang out with him on her own. The next on his mind was Pinkie, but the minute she popped into his mind, he realized that he would never get a moments rest if they hung out. I think I'll go see Pinkie some other time, he thought. But then again, he wanted to try some more of some of her baked goods. The thought of having those delicious treats got his mouth watering and he started panting. "Maybe I'll pop in to say hi." He told himself and he went off to Sugarcube Corner.

Von opened the door to Sugarcube Corner and went inside and noticed two ponies other than Pinkie. A colt with an amber coat and a Cutie mark of three carrot cakes. The other was a mare with a cerulean coat and a Cutie mark of three cupcakes. They were Mr. and Mrs.Cake, the owners of Sugarcube Corner. "Pinkie told me about them. The ones who run this shop and let her live here." He said to himself. He walked up to the counter and Mr.Cake looked at him and smiled. "Look dear. We have a customer." Mrs.Cake stopped what she was doing and smiled at Von. "Oh my. If it isn't Von. Are you here to see Pinkie Pie?" She asked. "Yes", He asked. "Is she here?" Before Mrs.Cake could answer, Pinkie Pie came downstairs and pounced on Von. "Von! You came to see me. I'm so happy. Are you happy about it? 'cuz I'm happy about it. I never felt this excited before in my life." She said all at once. Von got dizzy for a moment, trying to regain his composure because of Pinkie's hyperactivity. "Ok, Pinkie. Now...get off please." Pinkie was happy to oblige and she got off of poor Von, allowing him to get back on all fours.

Pinkie and Von bid Mr. and Mrs.Cake goodbye as the two of them left and went for a walk, but not before Von could get a cupcake out of them. Pinkie stood by a stack of hay by one of the houses and looked at Von. "So whatcha up to? How was it at Rarity's?" She asked. Von munched on the cupcake that she had given him and downed it in one gulp. He sighed happily and looked at her to give his response. "It was alright. The strangest thing is that I can barely remember a thing. Spike said we did something, but I don't know what. As for what I'm doing now...well I guess you can say I'm trying to find something to do. Hey", He said. "Where's Rainbow Dash? I haven't see her all day." Pinkie smiled. "Oh. She said she was gonna head back to Cloudsdale for awhile. She said someone wanted to race her."

Pinkie let out a loud gasp and smiled at Von and hopped up and down. "I know! Why don't we go to Cloudsdale to see her?!" Von smiled. "I heard about Cloudsdale. It's a city in the sky, right?" Pinkie nodded. "Ooh. We should get the others. The rest of us won't be able to go unless Twilight helps us with her magic. Come on!" She yelled, pushing Von with her head. "H-hey! Stop pushing!" He yelled as he started to laugh.

Once Pinkie told the others, everypony gathered in front of Twilight's house. "Ok. I'm going to try the spell. Once I use it, we'll be able to walk on clouds again. And this time, I'm using it on you too, Rarity." Twilight said, staring at Rarity. Rarity gasped in response. "Honestly, Twilight. You don't believe that I would make that mistake again, do you?" She asked. "Yes." Twilight responded quickly. Von tilted his head to the side and looked at them. "Mistake?" "When Twi here took us to Cloudsdale, she gave Rarity a fancy pair o' wings" Applejack said. "And she kept showin' em off during the Best Flier Competition when we was supposed to be supportin' Rainbow Dash. But she learned her lesson when her wings burned up." Applejack started to laugh a bit, getting a glare from Rarity in response. "Aw shucks, Rarity. It was all in good fun. But it is the truth." Rarity sighed. "I suppose you're right, Applejack. I was being a showoff when it was Rainbow's time to be in the spotlight." She said.

Von smiled and when he looked at Rarity, she turned away with her face redder than a tomato. Twilight's horn started to glow brighter and brighter until she and her friends were surrounded by a strange light and it went away. "There. All done." She said. Von smiled at Twilight. "That was pretty cool. Can you teach me how to do stuff like that?" He asked. Twilight blushed and looked at him as she got into her hot air balloon. "I'm not good at teaching really. But I suppose I could try it one day." She assured him and he smiled. "Ok." The rest of the ponies hopped into the balloon and Twilight lit the fire and it took to the skies with Von and Fluttershy following behind them. He was finally going to see Cloudsdale with his own eyes, but little did he know that he was being watched...

Meanwhile in the depths of some unknown ruins, an odd creature that was much like a pony was pacing about. She had wings like an insect and a jagged horn and sharp fangs. Her eyes were green and her entire body was as black as night. The figure that was there was none other than the changeling queen, Queen Chrysalis. "My power is beginning to fade. Without more love, I won't be able to do anything. Curse those ponies" She hissed. "If they hadn't defeated me, my changeling army would have been full. But now, more than half of my changelings have perished. If I do not find food for them soon--" She was interrupted as another, smaller changeling came before her. "What is it? It had better be important." She said, glaring at it. It started to make chattering noises until her eyes widened. "What? A dragon?! In Ponyville?" She asked. She rubbed her muzzle with her hoof and smiled. "If I cannot increase my changeling army, then I shall strengthen it. And what better way then by bringing a dragon to my side?" She laughed evilly and spread her wings. "Excellent work. With that dragon on our side, we will take Equestria and turn it into my new domain!" She said proudly as she and her changelings flew off.

The balloon Twilight and her friends got in surfaced through the clouds and the girls got out. Just as they did, Rainbow Dash had showed up and smiled at them. "Hey, girls. What are you guys doing here?" "Um...Von...wanted to come see you, Dash. And, um...I guess...we wanted to...as well. Oh, um...if that's ok with you?" Fluttershy said quietly. Rainbow Dash smiled and looked in Von's direction causing him to blush with embarrasment. He calmed himself and looked at her. "So, I heard you're racing somepony?" He asked. "Yeah" She said nodding. "But I can't find him." Just then, a streak of yellow and blue flew over them at high speed. It circled around and when it slowed down, a Pegasus with yellow hair and a blue coat was revealed. He wore a bolt necklace and had a banana for a Cutie mark, which confused Von and the other ponies. He landed in front of them and smiled. "Hey Dash. Ready to race?" He asked. "In a minute, Runner" She said. "I'd like you to meet my friends. Guys, this is Runner. He's an old friend from Flight School and--" "And I'm the fastest flier in Cloudsdale." Runner said, interrupting her.

Rainbow Dash gave him a smug look. "You're only the fastest now because I don't come here that much anymore." She said. Runner laughed and patted her back with his hoof. "Right. But just so you know, I'm able to keep up with you now. And whether you left or not, I'm sure that I'd still be faster than you." He boasted. She smiled and looked at him. "Alright. Then prove it. Let's get our race started then." Von looked back and forth between the two of them, but he was studying Runner more. He seemed familiar to him somehow, but Von knew he only hung out with other dragons. He thought for a moment until something sparked in his brain. He knew this Pegasus. "Kamen?!" Runner looked at Von having heard him say that name. "How do you know my name?" He asked.

Von smiled and went over to him. "It's me, Von. Remember me?" Kamen's eyes grew wide and he hugged Von tightly. "Von!!! I was wondering if I'd see you again. How's everything been?" He asked. Von smiled and got out of his grip. "Fine, I guess. I kept looking for gems here and there, but I've stopped doing that. I am now a full-fledged resident of Ponyville." Von assured him, puffing out his chest. Kamen grabbed Von and rubbed his head with his hoof. "Moving up in Equestria, huh? Heh. Nice job. I'm glad you're happy." The girls smiled at Von, seeing how much fun he was having catching up with his old friend. "I wish I could keep chatting" Kamen said. "But I have to show Dash here just how fast I am. Why don't you join in?" Von scratched the back of his head with one of his claws. "I don't know...I'm not good of a flier." He looked at all the girls and his eyes met Rainbow Dash's. He looked down at the clouds and smiled before he looked back at them. "Alright. I'll race." The girls cheered and Kamen and Rainbow Dash led them to the stadium.

Not many ponies were there to see them race. Rainbow Dash, Kamen and Von lined up at the starting line. "Fluttershy! Can you be referee?" Rainbow Dash asked. Fluttershy blushed, but she smiled and flew up onto one of the clouds above. "Ok...R-ready...set..." The fliers opened their wings and got ready. "Go!" Fluttershy yelled softly and they took off. Fluttershy was nearly knocked off the cloud, but she managed to hang on. Rainbow Dash and Kamen were neck and neck while Von was flying behind them, just barely keeping up. He flapped harder and started to gain some speed, closely behind the both of them. Kamen smiled at Rainbow Dash and flapped harder and he took the lead. Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and did the same and they were both in first once again. Von's jaw dropped seeing how fast they were going, but that gave him the motivation to try harder and he flapped his wings as hard as he could and started to catch up. He didn't care about winning or losing, but he wanted everypony to see just how hard he tries.

They were nearing the final stretch as Kamen and Rainbow Dash were still competing for first place. They both started flying faster and faster, their friends cheering them on the whole way. Von frowned because of how far he was lagging behind. He breathed in and out calmly and started to fly faster. With each passing second, he flapped his wings even harder, going beyond his normal limit. Applejack blinked and looked at him. "Girls! Look at that." She said, pointing to Von. They looked at him and noticed the air around him beginning to swirl around his body slowly. "Is he going to do a Sonic Rainboom?" Rarity asked in surprise. Twilight shook her head. "No. It looks like something else..." Von didn't hear them and he didn't notice the air around him. It began to swirl faster and faster until Von's entire body was covered by the wind in the form of a tornado. He started to pick up speed and closed the gap between the three of them.

The moment he caught up, both Kamen and Rainbow Dash looked at him in confusion. They looked at each other and started flapping harder until they dashed across the finish line and Von crashed into Applejack. Kamen and Rainbow Dash landed and all of them looked at Von and Applejack with worry. Applejack rubbed her head and moaned in pain. "That there was painful. How ya holdin' up, Von?" Von managed to get off of Applejack and back onto his paws, stumbling around in a daze. "Yeah...I'm..fine...I just...need to lay down for a bit." He said before collapsing on the clouds. Everypony laughed, but Kamen and Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight. "So, who won?" Kamen asked. Twilight smiled and looked at them both. "Well...it was a three-way tie." She said. Their eyes widened. "A TIE?!" They shouted. Pinkie Pie smiled and looked at them. "Don't feel so bad", She said. "That just means you guys are super duper fast! Congratulations." They stood there in silence, unable to find a way to respond to Pinkie's accurate comment.

Minutes later, Twilight gathered everypony back into the balloon. "Ok. Is that everypony?" She asked Von. He looked around and noticed something. "Rainbow Dash isn't here." He said. "Don't worry, darling. I'm sure that she'll come back on her own." Rarity told him. He wasn't all that confident she would. She seemed pretty steamed about the tie with him and Kamen. With that worry in his heart, he spread his wings and took off in search of Rainbow Dash. While he was flying, he thought about what he did earlier. His entire body was covered in wind and it swirled around like a tornado. He thought it was cool, so he started thinking of a name for it. Wind Surge? Nah. Sonic Boom? No. It didn't even make a booming sound anyway, He thought. Just then, he thought of the perfect name for it: Typhoon Burst. He smiled and decided to keep that name, but he focused on his task as he landed by the stadium again.

He wandered around until he saw Kamen, but he was alone. It looked like he was waiting. Just then, Rainbow Dash stepped out and walked up to him. Rainbow Dash? What's she doing here with Kamen?, he thought. Kamen looked at Rainbow Dash. "You wanted to talk to me, Dash?" He asked. Von examined her face closely and saw that she was blushing. He wanted to know more, so he kept listening. "Runner...um...Wow. I've never been good at this kind of thing." She stuttered. "But...we've known each other for a long while. We've always had good laughs, hung out and had fun. Whenever I got picked on, you used to stick up for me. And I did the same when other colts and mares picked on you. So..." She stopped talking and started to blush more. Von thought for a moment and his eyes widened when he realized where this was going. "Please...Dash..." He whispered to himself. Rainbow Dash looked at Kamen. "I think...that I love you...and I was wondering...if you'd be my coltfriend." She finally said.

Von's heart shattered hearing her say those words. He loved Rainbow Dash, even knowing that she rejected him before but he didn't expect anything like this to happen. He wanted to cry, but he tried his best not to. He turned and started to walk away. But at that moment, he bumped into Applejack and she gave him a stern look. "I know. I shouldn't have eavesdropped. But still...I just..." She covered his mouth with her hoof and smiled. "You may think it's over, but things aren't always what they seem, sugarcube. Take a look." She said, pointing back to Rainbow Dash and Kamen. He looked at them and listened to their conversation. "I'm flattered, Dash. Really, I am. However..." The way he said that word shook Dash and her head lowered a bit. "I already have a marefriend. Sorry. If you had told me before, I might've considered it, but...you know. Sorry, Dash." He said. "But hey! Now that I got to see you and Von again, I might stop by Ponyville. I'll come see you guys tomorrow if you'd like. Later." And with that, he took off.

Rainbow Dash stood there in the stadium by herself. She didn't move or make a single sound. Von got worried. Applejack smiled and nudged him forward. He looked at her in confusion, but she just nodded her head. He sat there for a few seconds until he nodded back and flew into the stadium besides Rainbow Dash. He got closer to her and she glanced at him. "Oh...Von. H-hey." She said, averting her eyes from his gaze. He frowned. "Rainbow...are you ok?" He asked. She smiled nervously. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be? I mean, I'm always fine. Nothing ever gets to me. Never..." She lied. He shook his head and got closer to her and noticed tears falling down her cheeks. "Rainbow...I'm here if you need me." He said. Hearing that, Rainbow Dash didn't hold back. She wrapped her hooves around Von and started crying. Her tears were soaking his scales, but he didn't care. He put his paw around her and held her close. Applejack smiled and left them alone.

Applejack went back to the balloon and got back inside. "Well? Did you find them?" Twilight asked. "I hope they're ok." Fluttershy said. Applejack smiled. "Don'tchu worry none, girls. They told us to go back ahead of them and they'd follow soon." She said. Twilight knew immediately that Applejack was lying, but she knew there was a good reason. Trusting her friend, she lit the balloon and they went back to Ponyville, Von and Rainbow Dash coming back together minutes later. Von and Rainbow Dash might not have an intimate relationship, but they felt that their bond had gotten stronger.

A fated friendship

Chapter 13: A fated friendship

The next day after they returned from Cloudsdale, Von woke up and decided to spend some time in Canterlot, learning more about Equestria from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. It was a wondrous experience for him and he was even luckier to have the rulers of Equestria themselves tell him what he wanted to know. "Nightmare Night? What's that?" He asked. Celestia smiled. "Nightmare Night", she said. "Is a festival we hold, where foals dress up and go to each ponies homes and receive treats. It is also a time where scary stories are told to rattle the bones of the young ones. Also..." She looked in Luna's direction. "It is a time when young fillies and colts hear the legend of Nightmare Moon's return on Nightmare Night. Would you like to tell him, Luna?" Luna blinked. "But sister..." She looked at Von, nervously. "I...have no experience with such things. Must I?" Celestia nodded. "It will give you an opportunity to get along with him and him an oppurtunity for him to know you better, especially after what happened when he came here to see me."

Luna sighed and looked at Von. "The legend goes...Every year we put on a disguise. To save ourselves from her searching eyes. But Nightmare Moon just wants only one thing; To gobble. up ponies in one quick swing. Hungrily, she soars the skies. If she sees nopony, she passes by. So if she comes and all is clear. Equestria is safe for another year. Fill up her belly with a treat or two so she won't return to come eat you." When she finished speaking, she looked at Von to find him shivering in place. He saw the way she looked at him and he shook his head. "Wow. That was...um...interesting. Not scary in the least..."

Luna and Celestia giggled, getting Von to laugh in response. Von got back onto his paws and smiled at them. "Thank you for your time, Princess Celestia. Princess Luna." He said, nodding his head in respect to both of them. Celestia smiled. "I told you before. You may just call me Celestia. And you're very welcome." Luna tapped him gently with one of her hooves and he looked in her direction. "Um...If it is ok with you...I give you permission to...No. You MAY call me Luna instead." She said, blushing. Von laughed to himself and smiled at her. "Of course...Luna."

They smiled at one another, but Von looked away in shame. "I'm sorry", he said. "It was my fault that you got hurt by Nova. If I wasn't here--" Luna stopped him from finishing and pulled him in close to her and she gave him a hug. Von froze. He had no idea how to respond to this. Somepony else, other than his elder was giving him a HUG? He felt nervous and started to squirm a bit, but he looked up at Luna and saw how affectionate her face looked. She had a warm smile on her face, a smile that could make anypony feel safe. Without an elder and with a brother that hates his new friends, Von felt that the only ones that could make him feel happy, could make him smile and feel safe were his friends, Princess Celestia and now, Princess Luna. Von smiled and returned Luna's hug with one of his own.

When they said their goodbyes, Von spread his wings and took off back to Ponyville. Once he was out of sight, Celestia turned and smiled at her younger sister. "You actually wanted to go for a hug, Luna?", she asked. "Did you not say that you were inexperienced with this sort of thing?" Luna blushed and looked away. "W-well, I did not expect him to act that way. He was upset that I got hurt by his brother and blamed himself. What else could I do? I mean-" Celestia held her hoof over her sister's muzzle and smiled. "I know. It's been 1000 years. You would not know how to handle this so easily." Luna smiled at Celestia, but it soon turned back into a frown. "How do you think he'll feel? When he finds out?" Celestia sighed and looked toward the ceiling. "I'm not certain. But for his sake and the sake of Ignus, he will accept it. But the matter that must be discussed...is how to deal with Nova."

Von landed back in front of Twilight's house and opened the door. "Hello! I'm home." He announced. But there was no answer. He looked around, but he couldn't find a trace of either Twilight or Spike. But then again, he'd best stay away from Spike. He must still be mad at him for this 'something' he and Rarity did. He left Twilight's house, feeling a bit lonely. "I wonder how the others are doing?" He asked himself. With that in mind, he flapped his wings and took off to see the other ponies. First stop, Fluttershy's cottage. Von hadn't actually been to Fluttershy's home before, so he asked around Ponyville for directions until one pony told him. He arrived and was amazed at how peaceful it looked. He landed in front of the door and knocked gently. When Fluttershy opened the door, Von could see everything inside. Her house was so neat and tidy, but there were a bunch of animals inside. "Oh...hello, Von. Um...did you need anything?" She asked, nervously. "Yeah. Do you know where Twilight is?" He asked.

"Oh yes. Um...I think she said she was going to the Everfree Forest to help Zecora with something important. I think she took Spike with her, too. Um...Is something wrong?" She asked, looking at him with concern. Von laughed. "No. I was just wondering where she went. I thought it was a little weird for me to come back and she wasn't there. But thanks for telling me, Fluttershy." He turned away and waved goodbye before he took off into the air again. Hmm. Fluttershy is busy and I already went to see Pinkie. Applejack's probably working on the farm. Oh! I know! I'll go see Rainbow Dash, He thought. Just then, a streak of blue flew past him. Von blinked for a moment before he recognized the yellow hair. "Kamen!" He called out.

Immediately, the Pegasus turned around and flew over to Von. "Hey, Von. What's up?" He asked. Von smiled. "I was getting ready to go visit Dash. What about you?" "I'm going to see my marefriend." Kamen told him. Von heard him mention he had a marefriend when he rejected Rainbow Dash, so he felt that he had to ask. "Who is it?" Kamen laughed nervously and turned away. "Sorry. Can't say. I don't want to keep her waiting. Later!" With that, he took off into town. Von felt a little suspicious. He really wanted to go see Rainbow Dash, but now he was curious about Kamen's marefriend. "Well...I guess I could go take a look. I really want to see who it is." He said to himself as he flew after Kamen.

Von started sneaking as quietly as he could, making sure that Kamen wouldn't notice him. After tailing him for a bit, he saw him go inside Sugarcube Corner. It confused Von, so he got closer and peeked into the window. There he saw Kamen and Pinkie Pie putting on aprons. "Are you ready to make some cupcakes, sweetie?" Pinkie asked, smiling widely. Kamen smiled back in response. "Of course. So...do I really have to sing the song, too?" He scratched his mane and gave her a nervous look. Pinkie giggled and gave Kamen a small kiss on his muzzle. "I'm sure you'll do fine. Besides, it'd be boring trying to make them if you didn't sing the song. Come on. Give it a try." She started bouncing up and down happily, looking at Kamen all the while. He finally gave in and gathered the ingredients together. "Alright. I'l do it for you, Pinkie." He said. Von blinked and listened as Kamen began singing. "All you have to do is take a cup of flour. Add it to the mix. Now just take a little something sweet, not sour. A bit of salt, just a pinch. Baking these treats is such a cinch, add a teaspoon of vanilla. Add a little more and you count to four and you never get your fill of...Cupcakes! So sweet and tasty. Cupcakes! Don't be too hasty. Cupcakes. Cupcake. Cupcakes! Cupcakes!!!"

Von couldn't help but laugh to himself, but he didn't want to be caught spying on his friends. So, he spread his wings and left. "Pinkie and Kamen, huh?" Von thought about the compatibility between the two and came to the solid conclusion that they were right for each other. Kamen used to brighten Von's day all the time and he always appreciated a good joke and Pinkie...was Pinkie. He made his way outside of Ponyville, looking around for any trace of Rainbow Dash he could find. Just then, Rainbow Dash appeared behind him on a thundercloud. She stomped her front hooves on it, causing lightning to strike behind him and thunder to rumble. Scared, he flew into a bush and hid but he popped his head out when he heard the Pegasus laughing loudly. He laughed a little and came out from hiding. "Ok. I'll admit. You got me, Rainbow." He said. She smiled and came down to him. "Hehehe. I did, huh? But it's all in good fun. You weren't too scared, were ya?" She asked. Von looked away and blushed. "N-no. Of course not. You just caught me by surprise. That's all..." They looked each other in the eyes and burst into laughter.

They walked side by side through the park, sharing things with one another like they did when they met. But rather than stories, they talked about trivial things such as, their favorite foods, activities and more. "Wow. I never knew dragons ate all that stuff." She exclaimed. He laughed. "Not all of them. Just me. So Rainbow Dash...how are you feeling? You know..." Von didn't feel comfortable bringing up what happened in Cloudsdale, but he was worried about her. "Oh, that! Don't worry. I'm OK now. Thanks for worrying.." She assured him. They smiled and talked more until something occured to Von. Rainbow Dash told him she show him some tricks. He asked and she gave him a smug grin. "Heh. Get ready to be amazed. Sit here and watch closely." She said as she took off into the air at high speed. She started out with some somersaults and worked her way into a few barrel rolls. Von watch her perform so flawlessly. I wonder if she's ever...whoa! I shouldn't think that. I might jinx her, he thought.

"Get ready to have your mind blown!" She yelled down to him. Rainbow Dash then flew high up into the skies to the point where Von could no longer see her. "Dash?" He called out. There was no response. He kept staring into the sky until he saw a figure start coming down at extreme velocity. Rainbow Dash felt like the air could tear her face off, but she was enjoying every second of flying so fast. The air around her began to compress as she flew faster. And then, Von saw something amazing. Rainbow Dash let loose a rainbow colored shockwave and she flew over Von's head, leaving a rainbow trail behind her. Von couldn't believe his eyes as he was watching her do this. To him, it seemed as though she became the rainbow itself. The force of the shockwave echoed across Ponyville and a rainbow formed overhead. Rainbow Dash slowed down and made a U-turn and landed by Von's side. "So? What do you think of my Sonic Rainboom?" She said with a boastful tone. She didn't get a response.

Von was at a loss for words. But as he examined the Sonic Rainboom, something popped into his head. He felt like he had seen it somewhere before. "I...I remember." He muttered. Rainbow Dash gave him a confused look. "Huh? Remember what? My Sonic Rainboom? This is the first time I've shown it to you. I've only done it two other times." She told him. He looked at her. "When did you do it?" She thought for a moment. "Well...My friends saw it during the Best Flier Competition, but the first time I did it was when I was a filly. That's how I got my Cutie Mark. Why do you ask?" Von closed his eyes, slowly gathering his thoughts. "I told Twilight about a dream I had. I saw some kind of light spread over the sky. It looked like a rainbow. And seeing this...it made me think of that dream again. But it wasn't just a dream. It was a memory that I forgot a long time ago. ...The first time I had seen your Sonic Rainboom was when I was a pup."

Rainbow Dash's eyes opened wide at Von's statement. She didn't know what to say, but she had to say something. "But...My friends told me that the first time they saw it was when they were fillies, too. And now you're telling me that you saw it?! H-how?!" He scratched the back of his head and looked at her. "When I was a pup, the only family I had was the elder. I didn't know anything about Nova then. I was alone alot whenever the elder and the others left. I talked to Kamen here and there when they were gone. Sometimes I would have to go with them so nopony would know that I was friends with him. Most of the time, I didn't like going out much. But one day, when I was alone on the mountain, I saw your Sonic Rainboom. It was...too beautiful for me to even describe." As he said that, Rainbow Dash blushed and smiled. Knowing that she was the one who made it, she felt flattered. "I wanted to know where it came from", he continued. "So I climbed down the mountain to find it. But as I was climbing, I lost my grip and fell. I hit my head and after that...everything was a blur." Rainbow Dash looked at him in wonder. So he really saw it, She thought. The girls saw it, too and that meant we were connected somehow. So I guess this means...we were meant to meet Von, too.

True Feelings

Chapter 14: True Feelings

Von and Rainbow Dash walked back into Ponyville together, an awkward feeling hanging over there heads. But nopony would be able to blame them after what Von said. He, like the rest of the girls, were fated to meet and form a bond. And this was all thanks to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash and Von stopped in front of Twilight's house and Von opened the door slightly. "I had fun spending time with you today", He told her. "I hope we can hang out more." Rainbow Dash smiled nervously, scratching her mane with her hoof. "Um...sure. I'd love to hang out again. I...uh...may need to check to see if I have anything to do." Von's smile faded a bit. "Oh. OK...I'll see you tomorrow then. Later." "Yeah. See ya later, dude." Rainbow Dash said as she flew back home.

Von went inside and closed the door behind him. "Von? Is that you?" A voice called to him. He looked up and he saw Twilight, who looked as though she had just woken up. Von laughed nervously and scratched his head. "Sorry, Twilight. I didn't mean to wake you. I just got back from hanging with Rainbow Dash." He said. Twilight smiled. "Oh? What did you guys do?" Von laughed a bit. "I'll tell you in the morning", he told her. "It's late right now and we both need our rest." He laid down by the stairs in his bed and curled up. "OK. Good night, Von." Twilight said, as she yawned and they both went to sleep.

The following morning, Von asked for Twilight to gather the rest of the girls and they all showed, except for Rainbow Dash. "I guess Rainbow Dash couldn't show. Sorry we couldn't ALL be here, darling." Rarity said, hoping to cheer Von up. Von just shook his head. "No. It's ok. She already knows anyway." The girls looked at him as he breathed in and out steadily. Von was sure how they'd react, but he knew that they had the right to know. Once he calmed down enough, he told them what he remembered and as he expected, they were quite shocked.

"What in tarnation?! So...yer sayin' that we were all meant to meet you?!" Applejack asked. It seemed like she wasn't going to back down until she got an answer. And judging by how it seemed, neither would the others. Von nodded his head. "Yes. I suppose that somehow, based on the story Rainbow Dash told me about how you guys got your Cutie marks, that I was meant to meet you guys one day. But still...it seems like just a coincidence." Twilight lightly jabbed Von in the shoulder with her hoof and smiled. "If it's just a coincidence, then how would you know about Rainbow's signature trick? If this friendship between us and you was meant to be, then we should embrace it. Right, girls?" They smiled at him and he smiled back. "Thanks. That means alot."

Just then, Spike came outside and looked at Twilight, but glared when he saw Von. "Oh. Is there something wrong, Spike?" Twilight asked, giving him a suspicious glance. He shook his head and looked back at her. "Huh? Oh right. There's a letter for you from Princess Celestia. It seems important. She wants us to come to Canterlot." Twilight's face became serious upon hearing this and proceeded to go back into her house. "Sorry, girls. But I have to go see the princess. I'm quite worried. But don't worry. I'll be back soon." Twilight said as she ran outside and past her friends. Everypony laughed. "Well, I have to go and design some new dresses. I have some new gems that I'm just DYING to add to my wardrobe. Excuse me." Rarity said. She flipped the front of her mane and walked off. "And Ah gotta git on back to the barn and help Big Macintosh with his applebucking. See y'all later." Applejack said and she went her own way.

A whistle was heard from up in the air. Von looked and saw Kamen waving at them. He flew down and landed by Pinkie's side, smiling. "Hey guys. What's goin' on?" He asked. Von laughed. "We were just discussing something. You're a little late because you deserve to know, too."Von told him. Kamen laughed. "No thanks. I'm not into--" "Aww come on, Kammy. It's a really interesting story." Pinkie said, cutting him off. Kamen blushed and Von laughed to himself. "Kammy?" "S-shut up." Kamen said, blushing. Fluttershy giggled. "Oh my. I never knew that you two were so close. Is he your coltfriend, Pinkie?" "Yup. He's a really good coltfriend, too. You won't believe the kind of things he can do. Especially when we're--" "That's enough, Pinkie...sweetie." Kamen interrupted.

Fluttershy blinked. "Hmm? Um...when you're what, Pinkie? Oh...you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Pinkie giggled. "Well, since Kammy-whammy doesn't want me to say it outloud..." She bounded over to Fluttershy and whispered in her ear. Kamen blushed, but Fluttershy's face was completely flushed with red. "Oh...my...." She said. Von had an idea of what it was, but he didn't want to think about it. "Well, I'll tell you what I told the girls. I just remembered a piece of my past. You see..."

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Over in Canterlot, Twilight and Spike made their way into the audience chamber to find Princess Celestia and Princess Luna waiting for them. Twilight bowed her head in respect, as did Spike. "You wanted to see us, princess?" She asked. Princess Celestia rose from her throne and walked over to Twilight. "Yes. It is a matter of grave importance. Twilight Sparkle, it has come to our attention that there is a dark presence located near Ponyville." Twilight gasped in shock. "Is it Nova again?" "Nova?!" Spike cried out as he hid behind Twilight, clinging to one of her hind hooves. Luna then rose from her throne and came down to her sister's side. "No. It is not Nova. At least, I pray it is not. For both the sake of us ponies and Von as well. But no, it is a different presence." Celestia looked at Luna and back to Twilight. "I believe that it is a presence we have felt before. Twilight Sparkle, I would ask that you and your friends be wary. Take any precautions necessary to defend yourselves." Twilight bowed. "I will, princess." And with that, she left.

Celestia looked at Luna after Twilight departed. "Even if it was Nova, Von is still in danger." Luna looked at her sister with worry in her eyes. "If that is the case, then we must--" "No, Luna. Twilight and her friends can handle her. They have done it before, dear sister. Though...it may be quite difficult now that Chrysalis has grown in power since last we saw her."

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Back in Ponyville, Von kept wandering the streets. "Ugh. This is boring. Fluttershy is tending to her animals, Applejack's applebucking, Pinkie and Kamen are baking or doing other stuff, Rarity is making dresses, Rainbow Dash...i'm not quite sure and Twilight's--" "Von! There you are." The voice said interrupting him. Von turned to look and saw Twilight running towards him. "Twilight! That was fast. What did the princess want?" He asked. "Huh? Oh. She just wanted to tell me that she thinks somepony is going to invade Ponyville, but I told her I'd keep an eye out. Anyway, I need to go get some supplies from Zecora." She told him. Von tilted his head. "Did you need me to come with you?" Twilight smiled. "Of course. Now come on. Her hut is this way." She said, leading him out of Ponyville. But at that moment, Twilight and Spike had made it back home.

"Von! We're back. ...Von?" She called out to him. Spike looked at her. "Maybe he went flying or something." He said. Twilight sighed and went upstairs but she heard a sudden knock on her door. Twilight went back downstairs to open it and when she did, Rainbow Dash was standing there. "Oh! Twilight. I'm glad you're home', she said. "Um...there's something I need to talk about." She was kicking the floor with her hoof and Twilight noticed a hint of red on her cheeks. "It's about Von. Can we...um...get the others, too? I want to know what they think." Twilight giggled. "I can get them, but I think Pinkie is busy right now. Come on. Let's go." Twilight said and they left together.

In the Everfree forest, Von and Twilight kept walking together. A question came to mind and he looked at her. "Where's Spike?" Twilight looked at him nervously. "Oh. Um...he...went off to Rarity's. Yes. That's it. He went to go see Rarity for awhile." Von blinked. "What for?" "Look, forget about that runt for a minute and let's get this done, ok?!" Twilight snapped. Von gave her a suspicious look and backed away from her. "You...you aren't Twilight!" The fake Twilight smiled at him. "It took you quite some time to realize it. And here I thought dragons were supposed to be smart." She said. Her horn began to glow a brilliant green as flames rose up around her and when they dispersed, Queen Chrysalis stood in place.

"I am Chrysalis, Queen of the changelings." She said, smiling evilly. Von backed away more until he backed into a tree, unable to go anywhere else. Chrysalis walked foward and looked down at him. "Hmph. You aren't even full grown. Why would my changelings inform me of such a child?" She sneered. Von growled and stepped forward. "I am not a child! I don't know what you are, but I'm taking you down!" Chrysalis laughed. "What an absolutely ridiculous sentiment. Let us put that to the test, shall we?" When she finished, she fired a magical blast at him and he dodged. Von never fought against somepony like Chrysalis before, let alone anything that was different from Nova, but he knew he couldn't back down.

Von charged at Chrysalis, but she moved aside. When he turned around, she fired another magic blast. He dodged it, but she started firing volleys of magic at him and he kept dodging. Suddenly, one of his legs fell into a hole created by her blast. Seeing her chance, Chrysalis fired a more concentrated blast at him. His eyes widened, realizing that this time he couldn't avoid it. He closed his eyes and braced himself as the blast hit him dead on. The force knocked him into one of the trees and his back hit against it hard. Von moaned in pain as he tried to get up, but he stopped when he saw Chrysalis standing over him. "Your courage and determination is admirable, but you are still a youngling. ...But younglings must know when to give up. Aren't there ponies who love you? Or...is there somepony you love?" She asked. Von blushed, with Chrysalis smiling in response now that she knew she hit the mark.

She looked at him and got closer. "Does that pony love you? Or..." Von looked away. Chrysalis knew instantly what was going on. "I see. So your love is one-sided. So tell me. Who is it?" She changed forms as she continued speaking, starting with Twilight and spoke with her voice. "As a changeling...I can become anypony I choose..." She then changed into Pinkie, then Applejack. "I could even become the pony you heart desires. I'll do whatever you like." She kept changing until she reached Rainbow Dash and the moment she did, Von's heart started racing. She smiled at him and got closer. "Oh. So it's THIS pony that has you smitten. And she won't love you back?" Chrysalis asked. Von knew that this was fake, but she was speaking in Rainbow Dash's voice. To him, it was as though he was talking to the real Rainbow Dash...despite her colorful way of speaking. "If she can't love you, then I can love you in ways she never could." She said. She stuck her tongue out and started to trail it up his neck, causing him to blush and she just giggled.

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Back in Ponyville, Twilight had gathered her friends together in her home. "Alright. Is everypony here?" "Present and accounted for darling", Rarity said. "But why in Equestria did you call us?" "Because I asked her to." The girls looked and saw Rainbow Dash come downstairs. "Is something wrong, Rainbow Dash?" Asked Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash blushed and looked at her. "Well...it's about Von." They gasped. Rarity was the first to ask. "Is he hurt?" "Well...no." Rainbow Dash answered. "Did he run away?" Fluttershy asked. "Well...no. Not that either, but--" "For clamsakes, Rainbow. Why don'tchu just tell us what's the matter already!" Applejack said, growing impatient. Rainbow Dash sighed and looked at all her friends. Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack stared at her, waiting for an answer.

She breathed in slowly and looked at them. "When I first met Von, he seemed like just a kid. Until I realized that he's just like us: he loves making friends, he loves helping others, he's honest and kind. He always knows how to make us laugh. He even loves a good challenge. But back at Canterlot, when the princess summoned us...he confessed to me." They all gasped and looked at her. "You mean he wanted to be your special somepony? Oh Rainbow Dash, you must simply tell us how he did it! Don't hide anything from us." Rarity said, giggling. Rainbow Dash smiled, but it quickly turned into a frown. "I didn't like thinking about it, but I have been now. When he confessed, I rejected him. I just didn't see him that way. Plus...I had feelings for Kamen. So I told him that I just wanted to stay friends." "Well...I reckon that makes sense. If y'all wasn't feelin' it, then it's right that you say no. At least you let him down easy." Applejack said, putting her hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. She smiled and continued with her story.

"Then when we went to Cloudsdale, I got Kamen alone when we were about to go home. I confessed...and then he turned me down. Turns out, he already had a marefriend. I just wish I knew who it was." The girls looked at each other and back at her. "Um...it's Pinkie Pie." Fluttershy said meekly. Rainbow's eyes widened. "Pinkie?!" She calmed herself down and laughed a bit. "Well, I can see that. She does seem like more of his type than me..." She looked down and Fluttershy frowned. "Oh! Don't worry, Fluttershy. I'm over it. Now where was I? ...Oh yeah. After Kamen left, Von showed up. And...I let him comfort me. I cried and cried until no tears came out. While we were together...he told me that no matter what, he'd always stick by my side. Even after I rejected him, he still wanted to be around me. Since then...I've started to feel...weird. My heart races and my mouth starts to dry, too. And sometimes when I'm around him...my wings kinda...um..." Rainbow Dash stopped talking and her face was flushed with red.

She stayed silent the whole time, leaving the girls concerned. Suddenly, Twilight and Applejack smiled and went to her side. "Aw shucks, Rainbow. That just means you're in love with him." Rainbow Dash looked at her friend with shock. "What?" Twilight giggled. "Well I don't know much about it, but that seems to be the case. If it is true, then you should go tell him. I'm sure he'll be happy." Rainbow Dash looked around at her friends and they all smiled at her. "Aw girls." She said as they all got together and hugged. Once they broke the hug, Rainbow Dash went outside and took off. She hadn't felt this happy in quite some time. But it made her smile knowing that this happiness was brought on by one of her friends.

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In the Everfree Forest, Chrysalis continued to have her way with Von. She licked one of his fins and looked him in the eyes. "These are the kind of things you want done to you by this Pegasus, correct? You can't hide it. You love having these thoughts about her. Am I right?" Von looked away and knocked her off of him. "That's not it at all! I mean...I have thought it every now and then, but..." Von started to blush and closed his eyes and whispered Rainbow Dash's name. Chrysalis gave him a stern glance, but her eyes trailed down to Von's legs and she noticed his member. She smiled and went over to him. "Well, it seems you quite enjoy having those thoughts. You enjoy it VERY much..." She nudged his penis with her hoof and he flinched. "What are you doing?!" He yelled. He backed away from her and fell in a bush.

Chrysalis laughed and got closer and looked down between his legs. "Oh my. You're quite a big one for such a child. Allow me to hel--" Just then, a female voice from above shouted, "Get away from him!!!" In that moment, a rainbow blur swooped down and crashed into Chrysalis and sent her flying through two trees. Von smiled and got up. "Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow Dash looked over at Von and smiled. But she quickly glared at him and punched him with her hoof. "Ow! What was that for?" "Well for one, I can't believe you actually fell for such a trap! And two, were you actually going to let her do something to you?!" She screamed. Her face was red with not only anger, but embarrassment as well. She kicked one of her hooves against the ground and looked at Von, who was eyeing her with confusion. "You told me that you wanted to just be friends. What are you getting jealous over?"

Rainbow Dash felt a stab in her back as she quickly blushed and looked away. Von opened his eyes wide, noticing her reaction. "Wait. You're....jealous?" Rainbow Dash nodded her head, baffling Von even more. Rainbow Dash is jealous? But she wanted to be friends only! She even confessed to Kamen, my old friend. Wait...could it be that-- Von's thoughts were interrupted as Rainbow Dash stepped closer to him and looked him in the eyes. Her cerise eyes sparkled and Von thought she looked cuter than before. Von stepped closer and looked at her. The way he looked to her with his magenta eyes, made him look cuter, maybe even more handsome, than she thought he was. As their mouths got closer, Chrysalis burst out from the rubble and looked at them. She reverted back to her true form and smiled. "You could have chosen to go with me. I would've done anything you desired." She said, her tongue hanging out seductively.

Von shivered and she quickly regained her regal stature. "But your love is more valuable than what you want. If not for this Pegasus..." She hissed, scowling at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash glared at her and steo forward. "Hey! There's no way you're taking anything from him. He's MY stallion, got it?!" She yelled. Von's face turned completely red hearing what Rainbow Dash said, and she had the same reaction when she noticed what escaped from her lips. Chrysalis hissed and took flight. "Whatever. I drained enough from him to feed myself anyway. But I will be back next time, once my changelings are well-fed." She declared and she flew off. Everything fell silent, an awkward air lingering around Rainbow Dash and Von.

Von and Rainbow Dash cleared their throats before they looked back at each other. "So about...oh." They both said. They laughed and smiled at one another. "You go first, Dash." Von said. She smiled and blushed again. They stepped closer to each other. "You called me 'your stallion'. Does that mean..." Her eyes started to wander as he questioned her. She looked him in the eyes as she answered. "Y-yeah. I mean...well, even after I said no before, you still wanted to be by my side. You still wanted to be friends, you still wanted to support me. You even comforted me at a time when I was really hurt. And...I realized that I..." She stopped and started to sweat. Von got nervous and got closer. "Do you...really feel that way?" He asked. She looked at him and smiled. "Well, yeah. I want you...to be my coltfriend. I mean...unless you don't--" Her sentence was cut off as Von kissed Rainbow Dash's lips. Her eyes widened in surprise by his sudden action. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and started to lean more into the kiss. It was embarrassing, but Dash could feel Von's tongue running against hers, but she enjoyed every second of it.

They finally broke the kiss, their faces turning red and they laughed a bit. They stayed silent for a bit until Von was the first to break the ice. "Hey Dash?" "Yeah?" She asked. "...I love you." He said. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened and her wings shot straight out from her sides. Von gave her a confused looked, managing to keep himself from laughing. But Rainbow Dash could see it on his face and she playfully stuck her tongue out at him and nuzzled her head against his neck."I love you too." Once the two of them calmed down, they spread their wings and flew back to Ponyville.

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Queen Chrysalis continued to flee, working her way through Froggy Bottom Bog. "To think that I would have to flee. Have I grown weak?" She hissed to herself. As she continued her brooding, she happened to notice something. She saw reptilian footprints in the damp ground. She examined them more and realized that they were dragon footprints. But there wasn't just one set. There were multiple sets of footprints leading further into the bog. She followed them for a short while and came across a group of dragons. There were many teens and only a few adults. But the one that stood out the most was their leader, a black dragon. "Nova, how long are we gonna keep this up? I'm sure we've trained enough." A yellow teen dragon said. Nova glared at him. "Are you serious?! Axel. Out of all of us, I had expected YOU not to complain. But then again, Arcius does a better job of that than you." He declared angrily. "Oh well. At least Crackle doesn't complain." Nova said, sighing. He looked in Crackle's direction to find him scratching himself with one of his legs.

Nova looked at the rest of the dragons and saw that they were all tired. It irritated him, but he knew that he would not be a true leader if he didn't tend to them. "Very well. That is enough for today. All of you head back to the mountains. ...And somebody help Crackle get back." The dragons cheered as they opened their wings and flew back, Axel and Arcius carrying Crackle back with them. Nova stood still as the silence surrounded him. He suddenly grinned and glanced back. "You know, sneaking up on a dragon such as myself can often get one killed." He said, addressing Chrysalis. She gasped silently, but she smiled and revealed herself to Nova. Nova turned to her and looked her up and down. "You look like one of those accursed ponies. Yet, there is an evil air about you. It intrigues me. Identify yourself." He demanded.

Chrysalis smiled, admiring his attitude. "I am Chrysalis, queen of the changelings. At the moment, I am in need of finding more love for my changelings. But in addition, I am looking for additional aid for my army." She declared. Nova laughed. "Good luck finding one. What do you need aid for anyway?" "I am going to exact my revenge on Celestia and take Equestria for me and the rest of my kingdom." She said. Nova laughed harder. "That seems foolish. Trying to take Equestria over. Only us dragons have the strength to do something like that. And I have no intentions of aiding anyone. Now leave my presence!" He hissed. Chrysalis knew that trying to win him over wouldn't be easy. An idea came to mind and she smiled at him. "What if I offer anything that you desire in exchange for helping me?" She asked. Nova's tail swished softly against the ground. The black dragon grinned, turning to face her and smiled. "NOW you're speaking my language..."

Mark of the changeling

Chapter 15: Mark of the halfling

This gift shall remain yours and in exchange, you help me.
I will help, so you better be grateful.
I am, thanks to one as powerful as yourself.
Heh. Let's see what those lousy ponies think of me now. I'm coming for you, Von...

Von felt a shiver run up his back the following morning, causing the girls to look at him with concern. "Is everything alright, darling?" Rarity asked. Von shook his head. "Huh?" Applejack giggled. "You were kinda out of it. Probably because you were thinkin' of Rainbow, weren't ya, lover boy?" Von and Rainbow Dash blushed and looked at each other. Fluttershy came up to them and smiled. "I'm so happy for you two. You guys make a cute couple." Rainbow Dash scratched her mane and smiled. "Aw c'mon. You don't really mean that." "But it is true, Rainbow Dash. You and Von look perfect for each other." Twilight said. Rarity flipped her mane to the side. "Though it took ONE of you quite some time to realize how they really felt." She teased.

"Oh whatever. At least I--" Von stopped her before she could finish and turned to give his attention to Rarity. "Even if it took her awhile, it was worth it in the end." He turned back to face Rainbow Dash. "And I'm happy to know that she feels the same as I." Rainbow Dash's face turned completely red and she hid her face in her tail, causing her friends to laugh. "Hey! What's going on here?" A voice shouted from above. Von smiled and looked up to see a familiar looking pegasus. "Hey Kamen! Come on down here." Kamen nodded and landed beside his friend and looked behind him, noticing Pinkie bounding toward her friends. "Hey! What's this big crowd for? Are we going somewhere? Are we playing a game?" She asked.

Kamen leaned towards Von. "She can be a handful at times, but I love being with her." He whispered. Von laughed. "I'm quite certain that she is, Kammy." He teased. Kamen blushed." Heh...Well I must say this. For somepony with such an innocent personality...she's quite the expert." Von blinked and looked at him. "What do you mean 'expert'?" Kamen laughed. "Listen. When you get a marefriend, I'll tell you." He said. Von gave him a smug smile and looked towards Rainbow Dash. "I already do. It's Dash." He told him, eliciting a 'What?!' from Kamen. Everypony stopped and stared at him. He smiled sheepishly and pulled Von away for a moment. "When did this happen?" He whispered. Von smiled and looked at Rainbow Dash, who smiled back when she saw him staring. "Yesterday. But it felt like I was waiting forever for her to return my feelings. It was worth it." He answered.

Kamen looked at him and sighed. But he smiled, seeing his friend so happy. "Alright. Well, I wish you two a happy life. ...And Von?" Von looked at him. "Yes?" "Make sure ya don't knock her up, alright? I already got to be careful with that with Pinkie." He said, smiling before he went back into the crowd. Von had no idea what he meant and thought about his words for a good minute. His eyes widened in shock and his face turned red when he realized what he meant. "H-hey! We've never gone that far!" Von yelled. "Who hasn't gone that far?" Twilight asked.

Everypony looked at Von, causing him to blush more. He went over by Rainbow Dash's side and looked at the ground. She stared him for a few seconds before she spoke. "Is everything alright, dude? You don't look so good." Von smiled nervously. "Don't worry. I'm alright. Thanks for asking though." He said. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

They all spent some quality time together, telling stories or jokes to one another as they were walking though the streets of Ponyville. "And then Chrysalis started licked her lips while she was looking at me. It was so creepy!" Von declared. "But it would've been worse if it wasn't for Rainbow Dash jumping in to help me." "Wow. You rock, Rainbow Dash. whoohoo." Fluttershy said. Everypony smiled and nodded in agreement. "Ah have to admit.That sounds pretty interesting. But why would that Chrysalis want to do that stuff to you fer?" Applejack asked. Von hung his head low. "I'm not sure, but I was pretty scared. You guys have met her before, right? Just what does she do?" Twilight smiled and looked at him. "She's a changeling. Changelings hunt for love. So they came to Canterlot last time to drain us of our love. Chrysalis is their queen, so she lead assault. But we didn't know she was among us, so we didn't know what she wanted until she revealed herself."

"That's right. She's able to transform into different ponies, right?" Von asked. Pinkie nodded her head to him. "Yup. She can become anypony she wants to. That's how we met her before. She was disguised as Princess Cadence, Shining Armor's mare-to-be." Von blinked. "Shining Armor? Princess Cadence?" "Princess Cadence is Princess Celestia's niece. While Shining Armor is Twilight's big brother." Rainbow Dash told him. He nodded to let them know that he understood and they all stopped walking when they were in the town square. "I see. Well everything was already weird when I met her until she started changing into all of you guys, especially when she became Rainbow Dash." He said. Rainbow Dash cocked her head. "And just what does that mean?" Everypony looked at him and he smiled nervously. "Could you excuse us?" He said.

He grabbed Rainbow Dash and dragged her away from the group so they could talk. "Rainbow, remember what she was doing when you found me?" Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "Oh...right. Wait! So are you saying that it was weird that she was doing because she looked like me? Because I could do that stuff too, ya know!" She asked. Her eyes were beaming with anger, but Von shook his head. "No. Well, yes because I didn't know her or felt anything towards her, but it was weird because it WASN'T you." Rainbow Dash blushed and looked away. "O-oh. So...you wouldn't mind if..." "Well, I wouldn't if you didn't mind...The whole time she was doing that, I was thinking of you anyway." The minute he said that, her wings shot straight out and her face became redder. "Oh no. Not again!" She said, covering her face. Von laughed and kissed her cheek. "It's ok. You have pretty wings anyway."

The two of them stared and smiled at each other for a moment and before anymore could be said, Pinkie quickly jumped in front of them. "Ooo! Because you guys are dating, do you know what this calls for?!" "Here we go..." They both said, causing them to laugh. "This calls for a big party!" Pinkie exclaimed. "In celebration of your relationship. Don't worry. I'll make sure everypony in Ponyville knows about it." She smiled big and ran off. "I think we should let her be for now. I'm going back home so I can get everything ready. Knowing Pinkie, she might have the party there again." Twilight said, giggling as she trotted off. "I'm gonna go help Pinkie. Plus, who knows what she could have in store for you guys." Kamen said as he took off after Pinkie. "I need to go and complete and order that was filled out by one of my customers. I will see you all later." Rarity said as she left.

Fluttershy walked over to Rainbow Dash and smiled. "Rainbow Dash. Would you like to come help me feed the animals? I could use the extra help." Rainbow Dash smiled. "Sure. Think you can handle being by yourself for a while, Von?" She asked. Von looked down. "Well, I could hang out with Applejack for awhile." "Actually, I gotta go harvest the apples in Sweet Apple Acres. Applebuck Season is right around the corner and I ain't got time to dilly-dally. But I'll sure as sugar be able to make it to the party." Applejack declared. Von sighed. "I'll just walk around for a bit then." He said. "Well...alright. Don't get yourself into trouble, got it?" Rainbow Dash teased. They smiled and kissed before they parted ways. Even though he knew they all had things to do, Von still wanted to spend time with somepony. As he was wallowing in boredom, he noticed something on the outskirts of Ponyville. It was a tall figure with wings and a long tail. As he got closer, it came into full view and revealed an old red dragon. Von's eyes widened and tears fell when he recognized the dragon. "Elder?!"

Von ran at full speed towards the dragon and stopped to look at him. "This isn't a dream, right? Are you really here?" He asked. Von's heart was shattered before when Nova told him of the elder's death, so having doubts about his presence now was to be expected. The elder smiled and placed one of his claws on Von's head. "I am here, young one. This is no dream." He assured him. Von smiled and burst into tears as he stood on his back legs and hugged the elder. "I'm so glad you're alive. Nova told me you were dead. Wait. Where is Nova?" "Nova shall be dealt with in due time. But for now, I am here to take care of you." The elder said. Von shot him a confused glance. "What do you mean?" The elder chuckled. "What I mean is...it is time for you to come home."

Meanwhile in Canterlot, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna began to prepare for their trip into Ponyville upon receiving an invitation to Pinkie's party from Twilight. "It makes you happy, right Luna? Von and Rainbow Dash have formed a relationship. I have not seen a dragon and a pony together since he died." Luna sighed and looked at her sister. "Yes. Though I am quite worried. I wonder if their relationship will turn out different than that of he and--" Just then, Luna's eyes widened and shiver ran up her spine. Celestia looked at her. "Is something wro--" The same feeling Luna felt suddenly ran through Celestia. She got worried and looked at her sister with concern. "Somepony powerful has him right now. Von's in danger, isn't he?" Luna nodded her head. "Yes. And I may know who has him." Wasting no time, Luna galloped out of the castle and took flight. This was the first time Luna went into Ponyville without her royal escort. This worried Celestia and she followed behind her sister as the sky began to turning dark and murky.

At the same time, Rainbow Dash stopped what she was doing and looked back towards Ponyville. "Something's wrong with Von. I'm not sure how...but I can feel it." Fluttershy hid behind her mane. "Should we go back?" She timidly asked. Rainbow Dash nodded. "Go get Twilight and the others. We'll meet up later." She commanded as they flew off in seperate directions. "Please be ok, Von..."

"Come home? But elder...I like it here. I don't want to leave." Von pleaded. "All my friends are here. And so is..." Von stopped and looked down. If he left, he knew that he'd be leaving Rainbow Dash behind. And he didn't want that. "Do you love your friends, young one?" The elder asked. Von nodded his head. "I love them all. ...Especially one in particular." The elder's eye twitched upon hearing this, but Von did not notice. "Then if you love them, then you must let them go. Dragons do not belong here, Von. We must return home, to our kind. They will understand." He said. Von closed his eyes, but then he started to wobble a bit. He felt like his strength was being drained. "W-what? I feel...weird. I feel weak..." He said as he fell onto his forelegs. The elder simply smiled and began to open his jaw until he was blasted by a magical light.

Von looked around to see where it came from and saw Twilight and the others rushing over to him. "Girls? Why are you here?" He asked. Rainbow Dash stepped forward and pressed her forehead against his. "Idiot. I said not to get yourself into trouble." She said, smiling. Kamen helped Von back onto his feet and looked at the elder. "Hey! I thought the elder kicked the bucket. Why is he here?" He asked. Von looked at him. "How do you know?" "I was flying overhead a couple days ago and saw the dragons gather around to bury the body. But he looks a little too clean to have been taking a dirt nap like I saw him doing." Kamen explained. "That is because it is not his real elder." A female voice proclaimed. They looked behind them and saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna land. "Celestia? Luna? What do you mean he's--" "Stop playing with his heart and reveal your face, you fake. OR THOU SHALT FACE OUR WRATH!!!" Luna shouted, going back into the royal canterlot voice.

The false elder smiled and revealed his sharp fangs and looked at them with glowing green eyes. "Well well. I knew their royal highn-asses would be able to see through my disguise." He said. He covered himself with his giant wings and green flames shot up around him. Fluttershy and Pinkie started shaking in fear, while the others held their ground. When the flames dispersed, a black giant stood over them. It opened its wings, revealing an entirely black dragon with holes in its legs and arms, its eyes were green and its fangs more jagged. "Nice to see you again, little brother." The dragon said, smiling. Von gasped. "Nova? How..." "I'm glad you're asking. I'll be more than happy to tell you." Nova said.

The day before Nova came to Ponyville, Nova had come face to face with Queen Chrysalis. She was not scared of him, nor him of her but they seemed to share a common disliking for Von and the ponies. At that time, she made him a deal.

"I will give you the power of the changelings, the ability to drain the love from the ponies in order to strengthen yourself, as well as the ability to change your shape into any creature you choose." Chrysalis told him. Nova grinned. "New power, eh? Heh. I'm already strong enough, I don't need any help. Especially help from a sex-driven bitch like you!" He exclaimed as he turned away. Those words stung Chrysalis, but she needed his strength more than anything. She thought for a moment. An idea came to mind and she smiled at him, her eyes narrowing. "But if you have this power, you can defeat that young dragon, his friends...AND his lover." Nova's tail twitched. "...Lover, you say?" "Yes. He has fallen in love with a pegasus...from Ponyville." She said. He didn't respond, but she noticed a low growl coming from his mouth and smiled.

He thought for a minute before deciding. He grinned, flashing his sharp fangs and turned back to her. "How will you give me this power?" He asked. Chrysalis gave a sly grin. "A single bite is all that I need to give you. The power shall be yours and in exchange..." "I will help you attempt to take Equestria. Haha! You got yourself a deal!" He said as he lowered his neck and allowed her to bite him. Her sharp teeth sank deep into his neck, causing him to moan softly in pain. Blood seeped out until she released her grip and backed away. At that moment, Nova's body began to convulse. His eyes widened and his body began to change. Once all was said and done, a draconic changeling stood in place. He looked at himself and started to laugh. "I love this! This is the kind of power I like!"

"And once I saw my new form, I felt excited. I knew that with this power, I could finally make good on my promise from before. And this time, I will burn you Ponyvillians to the ground!!!" He hissed. "Giving up your true self to obtain power was a foolish thing indeed, Nova. You may have changed, but you are still the same dragon from all those years ago." Celestia declared. Nova glared at her, but his glare soon turned into a sinister smile. "No. That was not foolish. What WAS foolish was that these two decided to get mixed up in my plans." Just then, he reached behind a tree and threw two figures onto the ground. They were dragons, somewhere in their teens and they weren't moving at all. Just then, a sorrow-filled yell came from Von. "Axel!!! Arcius!!!"

Von ran to the bodies of his friends and examined them. "Axel...no. Come on. Get up! You're supposed to be the toughest dragon I know. I told you guys I would tell you about my time here when I came home! Stop playing around!" The yellow dragon didn't move. He then went to the corpse of the white dragon. "Arcius. Come on! Get up and tell Axel to stop pulling stupid pranks, like you always do!" He exclaimed. Tears came to his eyes and he sat down between them both. "Guys...please..." The girls were on the verge of crying, Celestia and Luna included but their sorrow quickly turned into anger as Nova started laughing. "Those fucktards! They had the potential to be powerful dragons. But then they decided to stick their noses where it didn't belong. They said they were going to warn you, even though they didn't know where you were. When I caught them, I told them to keep their mouths shut or there would be consequences. Naturally, they listened like obedient pets. I can't trust their words. The minute I would turn my back, those bastards would've come looking for you. So I put them down." He said, grinning.

Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Rarity were about to flip their lids, but Twilight stood in front of them and kept them at bay. Nova lowered his head to Von's level, grinning all the while. "How does it feel to be filled with agonizing sorrow? It hurts, right? Losing the ones you hold so dear. Guess what? These ponies are the reason our father died. He died before you hatched. And it's all because of--" "Stop talking, Nova!!!" Luna shouted. Everypony except Von looked at her. She was tearing up just as much as Von was. Twilight looked confused, wondering why the princess was so worked up. Nova smiled, but something happened that was unexpected: Von started laughing.

They looked at him in shock. His friends were killed for trying to help him and he was laughing. "Von! What's wrong with you?" Rainbow Dash shouted. Von got back on all fours and smiled at her. "Nothing. I'm just happy." Nova blinked, frustration appearing in his eyes. "Happy?! About what?! Your friends are dead, your elder is dead and you laugh?! You should be sad. You should be angry! You should want vegeance!!! Why don't you get it?!?!" He screamed. Von shook his head. "I am sad. I am angry and yes, I do hate you enough to want revenge. But doing those will get me nothing. Axel and Arcius will always be my friends. But I learned something from them and my friends in Ponyville. No matter what horrible thing may happen, there will always be a beacon of hope that shines through towards a better day. And my friends, my life here is my beacon. So I will always have hope, no matter what you put me through!" Von declared.

The ponies smiled, Nova glaring at all of them. Then, something strange happened. A light began to shine on Von's flank. Everypony stared in wonder and Nova's glare became a wicked grin. When the light was gone, everypony gasped in surprise. The town was silent. They were all staring at Von, while Von himself was staring at his flank. On his flank, where the light hit was the very first thing he noticed most about Rainbow Dash: A Cutie mark.

Truth

Chapter 16: Truth

A Cutie mark?! How is this possible?, Von thought. Everypony was just as confused as he was. A dragon, one of the most powerful creatures in Equestria had a Cutie mark, something that only ponies could acquire. They watched in silence until Nova began laughing. "That's exactly what I was waiting for. So, how does it feel to have earned your Cutie mark, Von?!" He hissed.

Von glared at him. "I...I don't know what to feel. But this doesn't make any sense. Just...how..." Von stopped talking and looked back at his Cutie mark in disbelief. His friends kept staring at him, both in shock and worry. Twilight Sparkle then stepped forward and stared at Nova. "Just what kind of trick are you trying to pull? There is no possible way that Von could have a Cutie mark because he isn't--" "A pony?" Nova interrupted. He stepped forward and lowered his head to Twilight's eye level and she backed away. "Allow me to confirm your suspicions with visual proof. But first...you need to be punished, Von."

Nova turned his attention back to Von and began to step closer to him. Von backed away, but he stopped and looked down. "If I run, then I'll have given up hope...I can't do that." He said as he charged at Nova and jumped at him. Nova smiled and opened his jaw and got ready to bite. Before he moved, Rainbow Dash noticed something green drip from one of his fangs. "Oh no...Von, look out! " She screamed as she spread her wings and darted towards Von. Von looked back at her and turned back to Nova and saw that he was about to bring his jaws down on him.

However, Rainbow Dash grabbed Von and snatched him away in time. Rainbow Dash set Von down and smiled at him. "Are you ok, dude?" She asked. Von smiled. "Yeah. I'm ok. But your tail..." Von pointed one of his claws at the end of Rainbow Dash's tail. She looked at it and noticed that it had been nicked a bit from Nova's bite. "Oh...don't worry about it. I was thinking about having it cut a bit shorter anyway..." She said. She laughed nervously and looked away from him, but Von crept closer and kissed her cheek and she smiled.

Nova growled and stood over them. "So this is the pegasus that you've become smitten with, huh?" He hissed. Nova's tail lifted high above his head, the end of his tail having changed to that of a morning star with his new appearance. Von was frozen in fear, but Rainbow Dash just glared at him and had her wings spread and got ready to attack. But Nova lowered his tail and grinned. This confused everypony. Why would he lower his tail like that? Just what is he up to? These questions ran through all of their minds. However before they could try to think of any reasons, Nova began chanting something. Celestia's eyes widened and she stared at Nova. "Nova! You aren't truly planning on using that spell, are you?!" She yelled. Nova grinned and a magic circle appeared underneath Von and it pushed Rainbow Dash away.

"Von!" Rainbow Dash cried out. She tried to run to him, but she crashed into a barrier and it bounced her back. Von's eyes widened. "Dash!" The girls glared at Nova, who continued his chanting and looked back to Von and Rainbow Dash. "C'mon, girls. We gotta get Von outta there." Applejack declared as she charged towards Von and started to buck the barrier. Twilight kept shooting magical blasts while Pinkie and Fluttershy kept jumping on it. Rainbow Dash kept pounding on the barrier as hard as she could. "Don't worry! We'll get you out of there." She declared. Nova laughed at their effort as the barrier did not budge and not a single scratch was on it.

Nova opened his eyes and opened his mouth, staring down at Von as he spoke. "O δράκους του παρελθόντος, ακούω λόγο μου. Από τους ζωντανούς με τους νεκρούς, καλώ σε σένα. Τέχνασμα ότι το παιδί του θα γίνει την πτώση του. Έτσι διαλύσει μεταμφίεση του, μια για πάντα!" He said. Just then, the barrier blew all of the girls away and compressed around Von. Von cried out in pain as the barrier started to shock him. The girls groaned as they were getting up and they gasped as they witnessed Von getting hurt. The barrier continued to shock him until it started to crack. Von closed his eyes and endured as the barrier burst and the resulting explosion blew towards the ponies, but Twilight and Celestia created magical shields to protect themselves and the rest.

They lowered their shields and looked towards the smoke. Nopony made a single move. All eyes were on the area from which the explosion came from. The tension rose as nopony knew what became of Von. "Von? You there?" Rainbow Dash called out. There was no response. "Von? Come on, buddy. You better say something!" Kamen said. There was a moment of silence until they heard a coughing sound. The ponies eyes widened in anticipation as they recognized the one it was coming from. "Von!" The girls cheered. He kept coughing and started to move out of the smoke. But the figure that came out was not that of Von himself. Rather, it didn't look like the Von they knew. Standing there was a teal pony, but their eyes didn't lie to them. This creature was their friend, Von. But his feet had become hooves, his two horns had become a single unicorn horn and his fins had turned into pony ears.

"Huh? Is something wrong, girls?" Von asked. They continued to stare at him, silent and frozen in shock. However, Celestia and Luna had stern looks on their faces. Von stepped closer to them and laughed. "Girls, stop looking at me like that. I'm al--" Von cut his sentence short and noticed something odd. He was taller, at full eye level with the girls compared to his former size. He looked down at his hooves and reeled back in shock. "W-what is this? What happened to me?!" He yelled. Nova started laughing and lowered his head to Von's level. "How does it feel? You're finally your true self. So, does it feel good? Does it feel...familiar?" He asked. Von looked at him. "What do you mean 'familiar'? You mean...I looked like this before? But...why did I change into this?" He asked. Nova grinned and laughed harder. "Changed into that?! You dumbass! You were BORN like this!" He hissed.

The ponies stared at him in silence, until Rarity spoke up. "Stop with your lies! You are clearly trying to deceive Von with your horrendous--" "I would ask that you hold thy tongue, you whore! I can still smell your scent on my brother!" Nova growled. Rarity gasped and her face turned bright red. "I..I have no idea what he's talking about. Hahaha...he's clearly delusional." The girls eyed her suspiciously and she just smiled. Nova lifted his head and started to walk around them. "Look at yourself. You are a halfling. You have dragon blood, but the fact you have a Cutie mark is because you are a pony as well. The reason why you are more willing to be here than the mountains, the reason you don't hunt for gems anymore and your unexplained reason for being able to fall in love with that pegasus is all because of your pony blood. You are more comfortable around them because you are one of them." He stopped walking and smiled down at Celestia. "Perhaps this is a good time to tell him the truth, Celes. Or do you want to keep hiding it?" He asked.

Celestia remained silent, averting her gaze from Nova's. "Oh, but where are my manners? Certainly...the bitch that deserves to tell him the truth is the one that left him behind." In that instance, he looked towards Luna, who was shaking like a leaf. She was starting to tear up and this image of her caused her to gain the girls' and Kamen's attention. "P-princess? What does he mean?" Fluttershy timidly asked. "Yes, Luna. What DO I mean? Please, tell us. I know Ignus would want you--" "DON'T EVER SAY HIS NAME IN OUR PRESENCE WITH THAT FORKED TONGUE OF THOUS!!!!!" Luna screamed in her royal canterlot voice. This got her Von's attention. He crept closer and Nova moved aside to let Von get near her. At least he did something nice for once, he thought. He looked up at Luna, who was just inches away from being at equal eye level with him and she looked down at him with her tear-filled eyes. "Luna...what's he talking about? Who's Ignus?" He asked.

Luna wiped her tears away with her wing and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. "Ignus was your father", Celestia said. "And my sister's lover..." Everyponies eyes widened in shock and a loud 'What?!' echoed through Ponyville. "S-so...that means that..." Twilight stuttered. "Princess Luna..." Applejack said, cutting herself short and staring in disbelief. "...Is Von's mother?!" Rainbow Dash asked. Von looked back at them and back towards Luna. Von had no idea what to say. The evidence was too clear for it to be a lie. Celestia wouldn't lie to him, nor would Princess Luna. Von stepped closer to her. "...Mom?" He managed to ask. Luna's eyes widened and more tears fell. But these tears were those of joy. She lowered her head and rested her forehead against his. "Hello...my son."

Everypony stared in awe. Princess Luna, the mare in the moon, co-ruler of Equestria and sister to Princess Celestia had a foal?! And with a dragon, as well. This thought baffled them completely as something like this was hard to absorb. Von couldn't believe what he heard either but then he began thinking about Luna's behavior before. She had yelled at him at first, but the second time around, she hugged him affectionately. That hug was full of love, the kind of love that only a mother could give. In addition, she had gotten angry with Nova when the mere mention of the name 'Ignus' escaped his jaws. There was no doubt about it. Everything made sense. The princess of the moon was Von's mother. Von burst into tears and rubbed his head against Luna's chest. "Mom! I can't believe it! I have a mom! Why didn't you tell me before?!" He said in a fit of joy and anger. Luna smiled and held him close with one of her hooves. "Don't you think I wanted to before? You really do take after your father." She said. The girls smiled at the tender moment that they shared, Pinkie and Fluttershy crying in the process and Rarity wiped away a tear. However, Nova was growing more irritated by the minute. "Excuse me! Have we forgotten something here?!?! Or is the only damn thing you ponies can fucking think about sugar and rainbows?!" Nova yelled.

Von took his head away from Luna and glared at Nova. "Why do you hate them so much? What have they done to you?!" Nova closed his eyes and started laughing. 'What did they do...gee, I wonder. Oh, I know! Maybe it was the fact that father DIED because of them!" He yelled. A small green liquid came from Nova's eye. He was crying. This was a first, seeing a 'powerful' dragon, such as him shed even a single tear. "Nova, that is not true. Ignus died a natural death. He was merely--" Celestia was quickly cut off as Nova breathed a deadly green flame at her, but she flew away from it in time. "He died because he fell for that piece of trash right there!!!" He yelled, pointing his claw to Luna. "If he didn't meet her...if he didn't love her...if he didn't make Von with her, he'd still be here!!!" "Are you saying that you would rather Von to have never existed, just so Ignus could still be here?" Luna asked. Nova glared at her, his venomous gaze piercing her soul. "Of course! If he was a full-blooded dragon, I wouldn't give two shits. But because of you..." His eyes widened in anger and he started to approach Luna. "Because of you...I lost my father. You ruined my life! So now I'll end yours." He said. He licked his teeth and raised his tail above his head. Before he could move, Von quickly moved in front of Luna.

Nova glared at him. "Get out of my way, Von! Or I'll end you first." He hissed. Von shook his head. "I won't. I just found my mother and I won't let you take her from me!" He proclaimed. The girls came by his side and smiled at him and turned to Nova and glared. "You all love her that much, huh? ...love...Ah. That reminds me. I still need to help Chrysalis with her feeding." He said. With that, he lowered his tail and his horns started to glow and seven green beams of light struck Von and his friends and they lowered themselves to the ground. 'What's...happening...?" Von asked, groaning in pain. "He's...draining our...love..." Twilight muttered. Von blinked and looked around at his friends and noticed that they were being drained as well. "that's...what them changelings do...just like that Chrysalis..." Applejack said. Von felt weaker and weaker by the second and looked up to find Nova smiling down at them, as though he was gloating. Von struggled and managed to get back onto his hooves and breathed in deep. He let out his wind breath, but it was too weak to do anything to him. Nova cackled. "Fool. There's nothing that you can do now. With this new power of mine, you can NEVER beat me!" He gloated.

Von started to fall back to the ground. He knew he had to do something, but he didn't know what. Then he had an idea: he had a unicorn horn and that meant that he could use magic. He closed his eyes and started to concentrate. A small spark came from his horn, Luna and Celestia smiling in response having seen him learning of a special trait he has due to his Alicorn blood. However, their smiles soon faded as they noticed him looking in Rainbow Dash's direction. She was in alot of pain as most of the love she possessed was not just her love for her friends, but also the love she deeply felt for Von. Seeing her like that, Von's anger began to rise and in that instance, Von's magical aura turned a dark purple and his eyes glowed a green color and a purple mist seeped from his eyes. Once his magic was fully concentrated, Von fired the dark blast at Nova and the impact was great as Nova lost his concentration and was sent hurdling across the ground. "Agh...what the hell?! What was that power?!" Nova asked. Von didn't respond. He merely looked at him with angry eyes.

With Nova's magic no longer affecting him, he stepped closer and his horn began to glow again. Nova got up and started to swipe his claws at Von, but he easily dodged them and blasted him with his magic again, this time he aimed for his face. Nova roared and breathed his venomous flames at Von. Von didn't flinch and he shot the dark magical blast once more and it collided with the flames. Neither Nova nor Von backed down, their attacks pushing against each other. Nova growled and breathed harder and the flames started to push Von's magic back. A bead of sweat rolled down Von's neck and Nova laughed. "Once I'm done with you, I'll take the rest of Ponyville. Starting with that precious pegasus of yours." He said. Von's eyes widened in anger. Electricity surged from his horn and the purple aura rose and his magic pushed Nova's flames back until they dispersed and Von's blast shot into Nova's mouth and he fell to the ground in pain.

Von stepped closer and his horn began to glow brighter, but it had a more menacing aura. Luna gasped and reached out to Von. "Von! Do not use that again!!!" Von blinked and the aura died down and his eyes turned normal once more. "Huh? What happened? What was I doing?" Von asked. Luna smiled and the girls laughed at his innocence. Nova got up, groaning in pain and rubbed his throat. "Little bastard...I'll get you for that...I've already done what I wanted today. Next time will be far worse. And don't you ponies worry. I'll make sure that your...bodies don't go to waste." He said. He licked his lips and a shiver went up everyponies spines and he spread his wings and flew away. "Yeah, that's right. Run ya coward!" Kamen said. Pinkie smiled and bounded over to him. "Wow, Kamen. You're really brave. You're like...one of the bravest pegasi I know." Kamen laughed and scratched his mane.

Everypony shared a hearty moment, happy to live to see another day but Von, Luna and Celestia were the only ones not laughing. "...How long have you known?" Von asked. Celestia sighed. "Since I first met you. But I knew that you weren't ready to know the truth yet. But you are now." The girls stopped laughing and looked in their direction. "Princess Celestia...can you tell us what you know...about Von?" Twilight asked. "I think we all deserve to know, sugarcube." Applejack said. "I want to know, too. By all means, I have the right." Rainbow Dash declared. Von laughed and smiled at her and she smiled back. It seemed like everypony was bent on learning the truth. "I will tell you all...but first, we must rest. Come the next day, you will all learn the truth." Celestia said. They nodded and proceeded to go their seperate ways, but Von didn't move. Rainbow Dash looked at Von. "Are you ok?" Von smiled. "Yeah. I'm ok, Dashie." Von said. Rainbow Dash blushed when that name escaped his mouth. "But...I feel like going with them to Canterlot. You can come with me, if you'd like. I mean...if that's ok with you, mom." He said, turning to Luna. Luna was baffled and looked to her sister for support. Celestia giggled and nodded her head. 'Alright. I'll come with you." Rainbow Dash said. She got closer to Von and the four of them spread their wings and took off.

As they were flying back, a question came to Von's mind. "Hey Cel....Aunt Celestia?" He called out. Celestia looked at him. "Yes, Von?" "My Cutie mark...it's supposed to symbolize my special talent. So...what is mine?" He asked. Celestia and Luna giggled and looked at his Cutie mark. It was a white dragon wing, connected to a waxing crescent moon. "Well, you figured it out somehow, so you should know yourself." Von thought for a moment. He received his Cutie mark not too long after the proclamation he made to Nova. His eyes widened and he looked at his Cutie mark. "That's right", Luna said. "Your special talent is that you never give up and you give hope to everypony." Von smiled. "Hope..."

The following morning, Von and Rainbow Dash woke up together. They had slept in the same bed, something they decided to get used to now that they were dating. Von yawned and smiled at her. "Morning, Rainbow Dash." Rainbow Dash smiled at him and her face turned red. "Good morning." They got off the bed and walked out the door. "Today's the day. You'll hear everything", She said. "Are you nervous?" Von sighed and his tail swayed slowly. "A bit...but I have to know. Who my father is, why Luna...why my mom hid what she is from me and why Nova hates them so much. I want to know it all." They kept walking down the hall until they reached the audience chamber and found the rest of their friends waiting for them: Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rarity and Kamen.

"Oh. Good morning, guys. I hope you slept well." Fluttershy said. "This is the second time that you two have slept together, isn't it?" Pinkie said. Von and Rainbow Dash blushed. "N-no! We haven't done anything! I mean...yeah, we slept together. But not like that!" Von said, panicking. Rainbow Dash quickly nodded in agreement. "I mean...we just thought that...maybe...we should get adjusted to sleeping in the same bed together." Everypony laughed, but their laughter was halted as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna came into the room. "Good. You're here. So you all wish to know the truth about Von's origins, correct?" Celestia asked. They nodded their heads. Rarity looked at Celestia. "Pardon me for asking. But if Von is Princess Luna's son, doesn't that make him..." "A prince? Yes, it does." Luna interrupted. Rarity gasped and smiled at Von. "Oh...well, i guess that makes what I did worthwhile." She said. Von blinked and cast a glance of confusion at her, but he quickly turned back to Luna. "Lu...mom. Could you please tell us?" All eyes were on Luna. Luna stayed silent for a moment before she looked at her sister. Celestia knew what Luna was thinking and she nodded. Luna sighed and looked at them. "Alright. I will tell you. How my love for Ignus came to be and how it resulted in Von's birth."

Von, Kamen and the girls stood still and listened to her story. Luna's smile became a confident one and she spoke calmly to them. "1000 years ago, before I was banished, my sister and I had started to put everything in order after Discord's reign. There was much work that needed to be done. But with our magic and the Elements of Harmony, we managed to set everything right. Celestia had become busy with affairs in Canterlot, so I decided to fly over Neighagra Falls. When I landed, I noticed something strange. There was a green dragon sleeping at the base of the falls. Naturally, I would've attacked. But I didn't...or rather, I couldn't. It was sleeping peacefully and I didn't want to disturb him. But I was curious as to why he was there. So, I flew down to him. However, he ended up awaking. When he rose, he was much bigger than I, but he did not seem vicious. I thought he was going to attack as I prepared to defend myself, but he merely looked at one of his wings. He was injured. As one of the rulers of Equestria, I could not simply overlook the injuries of one of its inhabitants. So...I used my magic to heal him. And as I expected, he was quite grateful. We sat and talked for quite some time until he told me his name. Turns out, he had injured his wing mid-flight and was stuck there. Ignus told me that he was the leader of the dragons and he had great leadership skills. We shared some laughs, but I had noticed that I had gone past the time I let my sister know that I would return. We said our goodbyes and parted ways. I wasn't sure, but I felt that Ignus and I had a connection. I wanted to know if he felt the same as I did."

"Oh my. This sounds like quite the love story, princess." Rarity said. Luna giggled and looked at her. "It's unintentional, but yes. I suppose it does sound like a love story. Ignus made me feel special. I couldn't let Celestia know that I was seeing him, so we met in secret day after day in Neighagra Falls. And then...one day..." Luna stopped talking and her cheeks flushed with red and the girls blushed as well when they knew what she was thinking, but Von and Kamen didn't want to think about it and kept their mouths shut. "Celestia found out about us eventually when I began to show that I was carrying my little beacon of hope...You, Von." Von smiled and continued to listen. "But as the weeks went by...well, you ponies know the legend. When I learned that all of Equestria had more fun playing in daylight rather than in the dark, I grew enraged...and became Nightmare Moon. I was still aware of myself, but my anger had gotten the best of me. The second day came and Celestia had yet to confront me. But in this time, I felt a pain in my stomach. Ignus was probably waiting for me at the falls, but I was in Canterlot. I knew what the pain was: It was your time to be born. Once the egg came out, I didn't know what to say. But as Nightmare Moon, I hadn't cared. So..." Luna began to choke on her next words. "I cast you aside and went on my way. As I am now, it pains me to think about that day. And not too long after I got rid of you, Celestia confronted me and banished me to the moon, where I stayed for 1000 years."

Everypony was silent. Von didn't know what to say or feel. His mother abandoned him, but he was finally happy to have his family by his side. His mother, Luna and his aunt, Celestia. He knew that it was all in the past. "I heard from Celestia that Ignus died, searching for me after he and Nova confronted my sister." Luna said. Celestia held her hoof up before she could continue. "Ignus demanded to know where Luna was. I told him that I had banished her. He grew enraged, but he did not attack me and I did not attack him. I peacefully asked that he'd leave, but the citizens of Canterlot found him and Nova together and believed that they were going to attack and began to assault him. I preached to them that he was not an enemy, but they did not listen. Ignus proceeded to hold the citizens back until he found an opening and escaped. He continued to come back for 300 years. A couple of years after, I received word that a green dragon was wandering around Neighagra Falls as though it were looking for something...or somepony." Celestia stopped talking and looked away from Von. "Years later, I flew around until I reached Neighagra Falls...and found his corpse. He was not murdered. Rather...he died a natural death, waiting for my sister to return, in the place where they first met." The girls' eyes widened in shock, as did Luna's and Von's. "Y-you mean...he still waited for me? Even after I was gone?" Luna asked. Celestia nodded her head and her confirmation resulted in Luna bursting into tears. "I-Ignus...I'm so sorry! Von, please forgive me! I didn't want to leave you behind. But if it wasn't for me...Ignus would--" Luna's sentence was interrupted as Von came up to Luna and rested his forehead against hers. Luna stopped crying and looked at her son in surprise. "I finally have a family...I have friends...and I know who I really am. I forgive you." Luna smiled and wrapped her wing around Von and held him close to her, crying tears of joy as Von's friends and Celestia watched them in silence.

Author's note: The spell Nova recited was in Greek. The literal translation for his spell is as follows: O dragons of the past, hear my plea. From the living to the dead, I call to thee. That child's ruse shall become his downfall. So dispel his disguise, once and for all!

Birth of Hope

No matter what darkness befalls your life, a light will always shine through.
Even if all seems lost, just one glimpse of hope can make a difference

Extra Chapter: Birth of Hope

1000 years ago, Celestia and Luna had ended Discord's chaotic reign over Equestria. Using the Elements of Harmony, they imprisoned him in stone and brought peace and happiness back into Equestria. Weeks went by after the imprisonment and all was put back into order. However during their visit to Ponyville, Celestia's aid was requested back at the castle.

"How long will thou be in Canterlot, sister? We do not wish to be kept waiting long." Luna declared. Celestia let out a small giggle and looked at her sister. "Cleaning up after Discord's mess has been a strenuous effort for the both of us. I must attend to our subjects and see if there are any problems left that must be fixed, in addition to supporting the troops and raising their morale.. That is the duty of a ruler. I will not be gone long. I trust that you will find some way to keep yourself occupied?" Luna sighed and nodded. "Of course, sister. We will find a way to keep ourselves entertained." She said. Celestia spread her wings and the solar alicorn took to the skies. Luna bid her sister goodbye and not too long after she left, boredom made its way into her mind.

She found herself flying all over, taking in the sights hoping to ease her boredom. "This is growing quite frustrating. Perhaps it would have been best if we had gone to Canterlot with Celestia instead. Taking care of royal affairs is the duty of a ruler after all." She told herself. She continued to fly until she reached the vicinity of Neighagra Falls and landed by the base of the falls. The sounds of rushing water, the smell of the air and the beautiful green grass was a sight to behold. She let out a sigh of relief. She not only found something to keep her busy, but she was also happy to have aided her sister in restoring such beauty to Equestria. However, her smile faded the moment she heard a loud snorting sound. She looked around and stopped when she saw the source of the noise: A dragon.

She had heard read about dragons in the Canterlot archives and saw plenty herself, but never before had she seen a dragon like this. It had green scales and a yellow-tinted underbelly. It had no horns, but its wings were folded to its sides. It was asleep. The fact that the dragon was sleeping seemed to amuse Luna, but it was nowhere near cute as it was snoring. It was a dreadful noise that irritated Luna, but she knew that it would be wrong to force the dragon awake as it would undoubtedly attack her. She thought of what to do and came to a conclusion. "Perhaps if we wake the dragon gently...it may listen to us when we ask it to leave." She said to herself. She crept towards the dragon slowly, hoping not to startle it. It snorted once and lifted his head and Luna froze in place. Neither she nor the dragon moved. The dragon licked its lips and laid its head back down and drifted off to sleep. Luna sighed, but the moment she did, the dragon's lavender eyes shot open and looked down at the reason it was disturbed. Luna backed away, but immediately took a defensive stance and readied her magic. The dragon rose up and yawned loudly and began to scratch itself and looked down at her. The words that escaped the dragons mouth shocked Luna and she quickly got out of her stance. "Oh...is it morning already?"

Luna stared at the dragon in awe, not just due to it being just a bit taller than her but also the fact that it didn't attempt to rip her limb from limb. The dragon was the same size as Celestia and was clearly male based on its voice when it spoke earlier, but Luna did not feel threatened by his presence. His eyes were fixated on her and he lowered his head to her level. "Good morning, miss. And what are you doing here on this fine day?" He asked politely. Luna heard that some dragons were rude and brash, but this dragon was nothing like that. She felt quite...comfortable around him. "We are here to...find a means to keep ourselves entertained while our sister is away. We just so happened to come across thou while we were." Luna said. The dragon blinked and began to laugh. "We? Thou? I didn't know there were creatures that spoke like that. You sound like you're a royal." Luna pouted and opened her mouth to speak. "Indeed, we are. We are Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria and raiser of the moon," She declared. "And who art thou?" The dragon smiled and playfully bowed. "My, my. I didn't expect to meet a princess all the way out here. My name is Ignus. And though I am not a royal, I AM commander of the dragon horde."

Luna was surprised to hear this. She didn't think that Ignus was a commander, but it was probably another word for 'leader' to them. Ignus chuckled and looked at her. "Well, you must be wondering why I am here in pony territory. See...I was actually one my way back to the mountains, getting finished with gem hunting. Of course, I was leading the group. I got tired for a moment and decided to rest, telling them all to go on ahead of me. They left and I fell asleep. When I woke up, I noticed that I slept for too long and was about to fly back, but..." Ignus stopped and laughed nervously. He began to scratch the back of his neck with his next sentence. "I kinda...pulled my wing and have been stuck here for 3 days. The only thing I had to eat was that gem horde I found. Speaking of which..." Ignus lifted one of his giant feet and noticed that there was one gem left.It was a sapphire and he picked it up and dropped it into his open jaw. "Much better. Now where was I? ...Ah, yes. My wing. It still hurts quite a bit and I can't fly home until it heals. So I must keep waiting, I suppose." He concluded. Luna frowned, feeling sorry for Ignus as she, too would feel upset if she could not return home to her sister. She stood there and concluded that she would help him.

"We will help you with your injury." She said. Ignus blinked in confusion. "Um...and how are you going to do that?" He asked, his voice filled with doubt. Luna gave a smug smile and her horn began to glow. "Do not underestimate our power." She zapped his wing with her magic, causing him to flinch from the expected pain but it didn't hurt. In fact, there was no pain at all. The feeling from her magic was soothing, almost affectionate. He breathed through his nostrils softly and relaxed as Luna began healing him. But it was brief as the magical aura dissipated and she looked at him. "How does it feel?" He blinked and opened his wing. It didn't hurt at all. Actually, it felt like it got replaced with a wing that wasn't his own but joking aside, he was grateful. "Thank you, erm...Luna, was it?" He asked. Luna's smile turned sour and she stared at him. "How rude. You will address us as--" "Another thing. You don't have to talk like that. Just say 'I', ok?" Ignus said, interrupting her. Before Luna could speak, Ignus stood up and looked down at her. "I must return to the mountains now. But..." Ignus' next words perplexed Luna beyond all belief. "I wouldn't mind coming back to see you again. Maybe we can meet up some time tomorrow?" Luna blushed and looked away. She and her sister had received many confessions from suitors, but never before had she been asked to just 'meet up' with anypony. She felt very comfortable around him and thought he was interesting. Luna thought for a moment and he gave her a big smile with her answer. "Yes. We would...I...would like to see you again tomorrow."

The following morning, Luna raised from her chamber in Canterlot. Celestia had finished the business that she needed to take care of, so she finally had time with her sister. "Good morning, Luna. And how are you feeling this day?" She asked. Luna smiled sweetly at her elder sister. "Yes, Celestia. We slept soundly and are fully rested." Celestia smiled and once they both prepped themselves, they made their rounds through the Canterlot Gardens. "Things are much better now that Discord has been locked away. Equestria is finally in the state of peace that it deserves. Wouldn't you agree, Luna? Celestia asked. Luna nodded in agreement but when she looked into the sky, she saw a giant figure flying in the direction of Neighagra Falls and Luna recognized it immediately: It was Ignus. "Yes, well...I would like to hear more, but I must be off. I told myself that I would take in more of what Equestria has to offer us. Excuse me." She panicked. She quickly spread her wings and took to the skies. Celestia was left baffled, not only at her sister leaving so suddenly but also at the fact that she suddenly stopped talking in the old ways. "Could she possibly..." Celestia stopped questioning herself and simply giggled. If she does have a very special somepony, then I hope he makes her happy, she thought as she started to trek though the garden alone.

Ignus looked up in the sky and smiled as he saw the lunar pony flying overhead and she landed by his side. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be late. I--" "Hm? You're speaking with I's instead of We's. Why is that?" wondered Ignus. Luna quickly blushed and her expression elicited a loud hearty laughter from Ignus. "I'm only kidding, Luna. Besides..." He lowered his head to her eye level and his next words sent her embarrassment skyrocketing. "I think it's cute, whether you talk in the old ways or normally like I do." Luna looked away as her face was completely flushed with red. Cute? Me? Impossible. I may be often teased by my sister about my looks but never before has anypony, let alone a dragon, called me cute. I must discern his intentions, Luna thought. She looked him in the eyes and gave him a serious stare. "For what purpose do you have for saying such a thing to us?" She started. "Art thou trying to make a fool of us? Trying to sweet talk us into lowering our defenses?!" Ignus couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was merely trying to be nice, so this surprised him. "Huh? I'm just being nice. I thought you ponies always gave each other compliments and stuff." He told her.

Luna shook off her suspicions and looked up at him. "I apologize. It's just that...my sister and I--" "You have a sister? Why didn't you tell me?" Ignus interrupted. Immediately, Luna glared at him and a chill ran up his spine. "Sorry. Continue please." Luna smiled and continued with her story. "As I was saying, my sister and I have received many compliments, from both our subjects and from suitors. Celestia and I have received plenty of love confessions and one stallion in particular confessed to me in private. Of course, I felt quite flattered to hear this, but..." Luna trailed off. Ignus didn't seem to like where this was going, but he kept listening. "...The stallion only wanted to be with me because I'm a powerful influence, given my position. I was heartbroken, so I've turned down any other stallion that has tried to court me." She concluded. Ignus was shocked. He didn't think that there were ponies so cruel out there. He wasn't just angry now; he was furious. "If I ever meet the stallion that hurt you like that, I'd..." Ignus started growling and the slits in his eyes grew smaller in rage, but he quickly calmed down the moment he heard Luna giggle. He looked down at her in confusion and saw her smiling up at him. "It is quite alright. Though...I find it quite amusing to see that you would defend me like that. And perhaps...I find it quite...as you said, cute."

Ignus blushed and they both laughed. It was quite an experience that they both just had, something that warmed both their hearts. The two of them shared a lengthy conversation for hours, telling each other about themselves and the lives they lead and Ignus even told a couple of jokes to lighten the mood more. "And the minute I came to, their gems were gone and I was laying on a big pile of them. And when they all came to me, I said to them: I know what you're thinking and the answer is yes. I did horde more gems than you." Luna managed to giggle a little, but she didn't understand most of it. "Anyway...that's how I got exiled from my old home." Ignus said with a smile. Luna stopped smiling and looked at the sky. "It is getting late. I must return to Canterlot at once." She said. Ignus frowned. "Aw c'mon. Can't you stay a little longer?" The tone he used sounded as though he was begging, which caused Luna to giggle. "I would like to show you something." Luna said. Her eyes closed and she flapped her wings until they lifted her into the air. Her horn began to glow with a mystic aura and Ignus watched in awe, but his jaw dropped at what happened next. The sun started to set right in front of him at a steady pace, but it was not covered in the same color as her magic aura. Rather, it was the rising moon itself that had the same aura around it. He realized what she was doing and he looked at her. Is she...raising the moon?!, he thought.

Once the moon was placed into the now darkened sky, the aura around her horn faded and she looked at him with exhaustion. "You can raise the moon? That's...that's so cool! I didn't know you were this talented." He exclaimed. Luna smiled and turned away. "I must return to Canterlot. But...I had a wonderful time with you today. So...I should give you a gift for your kindness." She said. Ignus blinked, wondering what this reward was. He wondered if it was gems and he licked his lips. But before he could ask about it, Luna hovered over to him and kissed him on the cheek. Ignus' entire green-scaled body turned red from embarrassment and he smiled at Luna. "So...same time tomorrow?" Luna giggled and nodded in agreement. "Yes. I hope to see you again, Ignus. Good night." When they bid their farewells, they both flew away to their respective homes. They didn't say it to one another, but they felt a connection. To Ignus, Luna was the most kind and gentle...well, pony that he'd ever met. He wanted to make her happy, unlike the stallions that treated her wrongly. And Luna thought that Ignus was kinder and more respectful than any stallion that she had come across. They wanted to know if they could take their friendship further, but there was one significant problem: they were two completely different species.

Two weeks went by as Luna and Ignus kept seeing each other in secret, growing ever more closer. However, Celestia's suspicions were rising as well, wondering why her sister is leaving so often and not informing her of where she is traveling to. In addition, she has noticed that her younger sister is much more cheerful than normal. This is quite odd. If she has a special somepony that's making her feel this way, why does she not introduce me to him? What is she hiding?, she thought. Just as she was deep in thought, she caught a glimpse of the blue Alicorn flying away. "Where is she off to now?" She asked. Luna didn't seem to notice her, so Celestia spread her wings and quietly tailed her sister. She followed her until she reached Neighagra Falls and landed on a cliff and looked around. "Neighagra Falls...It truly is one of the most beautiful places in Equestria. I guess she came here to--" Celestia's sentence was quickly interrupted by the sound of her sister's giggling, but also by the laughter of another. She looked down below and saw Luna spending time with Ignus, her eyes widening in shock. My sister? With a dragon?! This cannot be. Why is she..., Celestia thought.

The sight of this baffled Celestia beyond all recognition, but she tried her hardest not to overreact. Knowing what her sister was really up to, she spread her wings and went down to confront her. "What shall we name our child?" Ignus asked, smiling. Luna's face flushed with red and she giggled. "It has yet to be born and thou art already thinking of names?" She asked. Ignus laughed hearing Luna revert back to the old way of speaking. "Heh. This child is our beacon of hope. We have a relationship that no one would ever think would work." Luna smiled and rubbed her hoof on her stomach. "Hope...We...I believe we have the perfect name." She said. Ignus smiled and stepped closer to her. "What is it?" "This child's name shall be--" "Luna!!!" Celestia screamed, interrupting Luna and earning both of their attention. They turned around to where the voice came from to see the angry white Alicorn glaring at them. She stepped forward and stomped her hoof. "What do you think you're doing?" She asked. Luna looked down in shame and back at her sister. "Tia...please. I was going to tell you--" "Tell me what?", Celestia interrupted. "That you were being courted by such a beast?!" "Hey! You shouldn't talk to your sister like that!" Ignus growled. Celestia returned a harsh glare to Ignus and Luna stepped between them. "Stop. Both of you. This is my fault, Ignus. Because I fell for you and hid it from my sister. I told you before. Dragons and ponies can't be together. It isn't right." She said. Tears began to form in her eyes and Ignus lifted her head up. "Listen. I don't care what's wrong and what's right. But what I KNOW is right is that I love you." He said. He pulled her in and his lips made contact with hers, shocking Celestia in the process. But she didn't care. Celestia's horn began to glow with a yellow aura and the same aura appeared around Luna as she was levitated away from Ignus. "I forbid you from seeing this dragon ever again!!!" Celestia declared as she spread her wings and carried her sister away.

Celestia and Luna's bond began to waver, but Luna was forgiving and she got over how her sister acted. But she missed Ignus terribly and what made matters worse, she was carrying his child. It upset her deeply, but she still had things to do. She was still co-ruler of Equestria and she had to set an example. Ignus attempted to appeal to Celestia about letting him see Luna, but she denied him all rights. And one day...the reign of Nightmare Moon came to be......

Nightmare Moon flew overhead and started laughing. "You little foals! As punishment for your transgression, you will suffer eternal night for the rest of your lives!" "No, you will not!" A female voice declared. Nightmare Moon looked around to see where the voice came from and saw her sister and her royal guard. She cracked a wicked smile. "If you think you can defeat me, then you thought wrong, sister." She declared. Suddenly, Nightmare Moon's body was covered by a sparkling mist and it flew off to the direction of Canterlot. Celestia, angered by her sister's taunt, gave chase with her royal guard following behind. Once she was far enough away from her sister, Nightmare Moon reverted to her normal form and looked back to Ponyville and smiled. "Hmph. As if she could beat me. But I must be cautious. If she gets the Elements, then--" At that moment, a sharp pain surged through Nightmare Moon's stomach. "What in Equestria is this?!" She yelled. She didn't know, but the inner Luna knew all too well what it was: The child she made with Ignus was about to be born. In her current condition, she knew that she wouldn't be able to fight and the royal guard was closing in. Sucking up her pride, she spread her wings and flew away.

After a half hour passed, Nightmare Moon finished giving birth. It took her quite some time, but she managed to bring a new life into the world. However, she was not pleased. She looked back and saw a green egg and glared. "An egg? What in Equestria would with this...hmm. A dragon egg? Ah, yes. The child I made with that dragon from before. I have no need to deal with something so pointless." She said. She turned away from the egg and flapped her wings and the resulting gust blew the egg away and she took to the skies. As she was flying back to Canterlot, she noticed a figure in the form of Celestia coming for her and she laughed. "Have you come to meet your demise, sister?" She asked. Celestia closed her eyes and looked at her sister. "I do not wish to do this, Luna. But you have left me with no choice. I must maintain order in Equestria. And as such..." As she was speaking, the Elements of Harmony that she had in possession began to glow. "I will banish you for 1000 years until you redeem yourself. Then I may forgive you for what you've done." Celestia proclaimed as her eyes glowed white. She shot a magical blast at her sister and a mystic glow appeared around Nightmare Moon. She started to struggle, but she couldn't break free. "Mark my words, Celestia. When I return, the night will last forever!" A tear fell down Celestia's cheek and with her spell, Nightmare Moon vanished and the visage of a mare appeared in the face of the moon. "Goodbye, Luna. I hope that you repent for your actions." Celestia said to herself. And with that, Nightmare Moon's reign came to an end.

~982 years later~

Since the banishment of Nightmare Moon, Celestia took it upon herself to maintain order in Equestria, as well as the duty of raising both the sun and moon. She suffered some hardships, such as dealing with Ignus continually coming to her about Luna, but she managed to pull through. One day, when she had no royal duties to attend to, Celestia decided to take a break...and traveled to Neighagra Falls. She flew down to the meadow below and stared at the falls. "I can see why Luna loved coming here. It truly is a breathtaking sight." She said to herself. She walked through the meadow, but she stopped suddenly when something caught her eye. It was a rather large figure, about her height and was covered in moss. But she could make out what it was clearly: It was a corpse. But the corpse was that of a dragon. She tilted her head and got closer to it. It then came to her exactly who it was. The corpse belonged to none other than Ignus, the dragon who courted Luna. "Ignus...were you...waiting here for Luna?" She asked his lifeless body. "I haven't seen you since..."

~300 years earlier~

"Dad, you shouldn't be doing this. Why should you care about these ponies?" A young black dragon asked. Ignus and the young dragon were on the steps of Canterlot Castle. Ignus had insisted on going there to confront Celestia on the whereabouts of Luna. "Nova, calm yourself. You are 903 years old. You are an adult now, so act like it!" Ignus hissed. They made their way to the front gates of the castle but Celestia's royal guard halted their advance. "Celestia is not seeing anypony at this time. I will have to ask you to leave." One guard said. Ignus growled and pushed past them. "I don't care! I have questions!" He yelled. The other guard got in front of him and tried to hold him back. More guards came and started to push back Ignus. "Out of my way! Luna!!! Luna, where are you?!?!" He cried out. Nova couldn't bear to see his father act the way he did, so he did the only thing he could. He turned away and flew off. As Ignus continued to call for Luna's name, Celestia lay inside the castle, peering out of the partially opened door. She could see how desperate he was, but she knew there was nothing that she could do anymore. Luna was banished...and it was all her fault.

Celestia began to tear up having now come face to face with Ignus' lifeless body. He truly did love my sister. I feel bad for separating them, but I did what I had to do, Celestia thought. She shed a small tear and turned to be on her way. She flew over the forest, not turning back to look at the draconic corpse but she noticed something from the corner of her eye. She flew down to see what it was. When she landed, the object came into full view: It was a green egg. And it was no ordinary egg. This egg belonged to a dragon. "An egg? How did it get here?" She thought aloud. Her horn began to glow and the egg glowed in response. But the glow it had was similar to that of Luna's, which surprised her. "This egg...this is..." Celestia stopped talking and knew what she had to do. She levitated the egg with her magic and took it with her into the air. "I know what to do with you, but I must give you something first. Something I believe you deserve, little one." Celestia said to the egg. Thus, she took it with her back to Canterlot.

Moments later, Celestia was levitating the egg once more but she was flying in the direction of Dragon Mountain. She landed on the mountain top, but she was suddenly stopped by an adult dragon. He had maroon scales which seemed to be faded, giving hint that he was elderly. He was much taller than Celestia, to the point where she could only speak directly to him by flying up to his eye level. "Princess Celestia. It has been quite some time." The dragon addressed her. "Yes...I have not seen you since the last Dragon Migration. I trust that the gem deposits you found were able to help sustain your tribe?" She asked. The elderly dragon nodded. "Yes. But I wish to ask...what is that you have there?" He asked, pointing to the green egg that was floating beside her. She lowered the egg to the ground in front of the elder and looked at him. "That egg...is the child of my sister...and the dragon who has recently passed." The elder's eyes widened. "Ignus' child?! But he knows that--" "Yes. I told my sister the same. But it appears neither of us could stop their love. And that egg is the result." Celestia said. The elder looked down at the egg and picked it up and placed it in a empty nest. "One more thing." She said. A necklace with a yellow diamond fixed into a crescent moon shape levitated into the elder's hand. "Give this to him. It was from Luna." "I will. So tell me. Does the child have a name?" He asked. Celestia smiled. "Yes. My sister told me before I banished her. The child's name is...."

Up on the moon, Nightmare Moon was lying down, staring down at Equestria. She knew her time would come. She remained as patient as she could, waiting for the right time. But deep down inside, Princess Luna's will still remained. Ignus...I hope you are alright. Our child was born. And I have a name for him now, She thought. A small tear ran down Nightmare Moon's cheek as the conversation she and Ignus had ran through her mind.

"What shall we name our child?" "It has yet to be born and thou art already thinking of names?" "Heh. This child is our beacon of hope. We have a relationship that no one would ever think would work." "Hope...We...I believe we have the perfect name." "What is it?" "This child's name shall be--"

"Von."

A pony who'll understand

"I thought that you were going to rid them for us. This is not--"
"Listen here. I will deal with them when I decide to and I'm going to do it MY WAY!!! Besides, I got that love you asked for. So be grateful."
"Mmm. You truly are a worthy addition to my forces. So tell me, what did you do to them?"
"It doesn't matter. All I will say is that Von will see how they will never accept him for what he is..."

Chapter 17: A pony who'll understand

"So let me get this straight. Chrysalis, the changeling that attacked me, is my mother?!" Von exclaimed. Celestia and Luna were hesitant, but they nodded their heads in confirmation. The girls had no idea what to say, but Von was the most confused out of all of them.

She's my mother? Wait. That's why she acted like she knew me. She knew who I was, he thought. Just then, another thought passed through his mind. Wait. She's my mother. That means it was my mom that was trying to....ugh! He shuddered at the memory of Chrysalis touching and licking him all over. He never wanted to experience that again. Pinkie looked at Celestia.

"You're not going to send Von away are you?" She frowned, as did the rest. Von was undoubtedly Chrysalis' child. The changelings were enemies of all the ponies in Ponyville and Canterlot. Von would be no exception. How long would it be until they, too, deemed him an enemy? Von opened his mouth to speak, but Rainbow Dash quickly interrupted.

"There's no way I'm going to let you send him away! He's our friend. He's always been nice to us so far and that hasn't changed." She proclaimed.

"She's right, princess", Twilight started. "I learned that no matter what, you should never judge your friends by their looks or what they are, but for WHO they are." Von stared in awe.

"Twilight..." Fluttershy got close to him and smiled.

We'll always be friends with you, Von. Um...that is...if you don't mind." Von laughed and smiled at Fluttershy's timidness and looked at all his friends. They were willing to stick by his side, even knowing what he was. But the ruling was all up to Princess Celestia. He wished that Celestia would not send him away , or worse, imprison him. If she did, he'd be heartbroken if he could not see his friends, or his marefriend ever again. And to his surprise, his wish came true. "My little ponies, you have no reason to be worried. I am not going to send Von away." She stated. Everypony looked at her and smiles spread across their faces.

"Von is still a resident of Ponyville. I trust that is fine by you?" She asked, looking towards Von. Von nodded his head.

"Definitely." Von hugged his friends and kissed Rainbow Dash before he looked back at Celestia and Luna. "So what do we do about Nova?" He asked. "And Chrysa....mom?" Celestia looked at him.

"Chrysalis can be dealt with given time. But Nova is the major threat. He is doing things that none of Equestria's past threats have ever bothered to do. I know not yet what to do. If anything, we may have to resort to using the Elements of Harmony. But I do not know yet." She said. Von's ears lowered and he looked down.

"Maybe....just give me a chance to talk to him. I'm sure I can--"

"No way, sugarcube. Y'all done tried talking to him plenty o' times and he ain't listened yet." Applejack declared.

"He's worse than anypony we've ever met." Rarity scoffed. "He's not as horrible as Prince Blueblood." Von looked at her.

"Who's Prince Blueblood?"

All eyes were on Rarity, including Von's and Rarity sighed.

"Very well. If you wish to know, I'll tell you." She took a deep breath and looked at them with a stern look. "Prince Blueblood is one of THE WORST stallions I have ever met before. He may be royalty, but he certainly does not know a thing about how to treat a lady." Kamen's eyes widened and he smiled at Rarity.

"Wait. You're a lady? All this time I thought you were a colt." He said. He burst out laughing and fell onto his back. The girls thought that it was quite rude for him to say that, but Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie couldn't help but laugh. Even Celestia and Luna started laughing and Von eventually joined in. Rarity cleared her throat and everypony settled down.

"As I was saying, Prince Blueblood was not at all like a gentlecolt should be. He was rude, cared more for himself than I and he always frets over just the smallest bit of dirt that touches him." Twilight looked at her.

"But don't you act the same way?" She asked. Rarity gasped and looked away.

"How dare you compare how I act about dirt to how HE acts. But I am not worried about that now. I have a whole new line of wardrobes to design using the new jewels I've obtained." She boasted.

Kamen yawned and looked at Pinkie.

"Hey. Aren't Mr. and Mrs.Cake supposed to be expecting us?" He asked. Pinkie gasped loudly and looked at him.

"You're right! How could I have forgotten? I mean, I forget alot of stuff normally. Like this one time, i forget to go help Applejack at the barn. Or that other time that I forgot to change the baby's diapers. Or--" Pinkie's chatter was ceased by Kamen's hoof.

"Ok, honey. I think they get it." He said. Luna looked down at Von.

"Ah. That reminds me. Von, where is your necklace?" Von blinked and Rarity's eyes widened with fear.

"Necklace?"

"The necklace you had. Spike had told me that you were wearing a necklace when you went to Rarity's." Luna said.

"...Oh yeah. I did, but when I woke up at Rarity's boutique, it was gone. I guess I lost it." He said. Luna's attention turned to Rarity.

"Was he wearing it when he went to your boutique?" Rarity's eyes started darting back and forth from Luna and Von to her friends.

"Um...well, I know that he HAD a necklace around his neck, but I don't recall what it looked like." She said, laughing nervously. Luna giggled and looked at Von and levitated something towards him. When he looked at it, he recognized it as the necklace that he found on Dragon Mountain.

"Where did you find this?" Von and Rarity asked.

Everypony looked towards Rarity. She quickly realized what she did and covered her mouth.

"Um...what I mean is...How in Equestria did you find it, princess? I thought that it was long gone by now." Luna used her magic and put the necklace onto Von before she looked at Rarity again.

"I thought you said that you didn't recall what it looked like." Luna said, raising her eyebrow. Rarity blushed and Kamen started to laugh.

"You done goofed, Rarity. Mr. and Mrs.Cake can wait. THIS I gotta hear." The girls started talking among themselves, each of them curious about the situation. Rarity tried to speak, but no words came.

"Von, do you remember anything when you went to the boutique?" Luna asked. Von closed his eyes and thought for a moment. The events were foggy, but he could tell there was something there. A small spark came from his horn and the foggy memory became clearer. He was looking at Rarity and he was pinned to the floor as she was rubbing her hoof against his colthood and Rarity had taken Von's necklace before the memory faded.

"That's right! Rarity took it from me!"

The girls looked at Rarity whose face was completely flushed with red. She didn't know what to say. She was cornered now that Von remembered what had happened back at the boutique. She sucked up her pride and looked at them.

"Alright. I admit it. I took Von's necklace from him." She confessed. "It was just so beautiful and I just had to make it MINE!!! That diamond is so rare. I knew it was wrong, so I asked nicely and he said no. So I.....seduced him and took it from him when it was all over. My hooves still have his scent on them...which is why Nova said he could smell him on me." Rarity blushed and looked away when she finished speaking, the girls remaining speechless and Von feeling embarrassed and angered at the same time.

"So...what did she do?" Rainbow Dash asked with a hint of irritation in her voice. Von wanted to keep it from her, but if he lied to her, he'd never hear the end of it.

"She...used her hooves and..." Von trailed off, but Rainbow Dash knew what he was about to say.

"You cheated on me?!" She screeched. Von shook his head.

"No! It was before we got together and it was against my will. I would never cheat on you, Dashie." He cooed. Rainbow Dash blushed, but she was still angry.

"...Promise?" She asked. He laughed and kissed her.

"I promise."

Luna and Celestia stared at Rarity, with her friends giving her the same look as them. They looked astonished and Rarity started to cry.

"I am deeply sorry, Princess Luna. Especially to you, Von. I should not have forced myself on you for such a simple...lovely...beautiful--"

"Rarity!" Twilight snapped. Rarity shook her head and smiled nervously.

"Sorry. But I should not have done that. Please. I hope that this does't ruin our friendship." She pleaded. Von laughed and gave her a warm smile.

"We're still friends." Von hugged Rarity and patted her head.

"Well I'm glad that's settled." Celestia said.

"Actually..." Everypony turned and looked at Applejack.

"Is something wrong, Applejack?" Fluttershy asked. Applejack started to blush and looked at Von.

"Since Rarity came clean...I guess I should to. I...actually took advantage of Von mahself. And I'm ashamed fer doin' it." She said. Von blinked.

"But you didn't do anything to me." He told her. Applejack shook her head.

"Actually I did. It was back after that run-in with that varmint, Nova."

~One week ago~

Everypony took turns going to check on Von after his near death experience with Nova. When night came, Rainbow Dash stayed by Von's side and eventually fell asleep, allowing Von to rest on her. By the time Rainbow Dash fell asleep, Applejack snuck into Von's room.

"Please forgive me, Von. But I can't just shake this off." She whispered. She walked over to Von and observed his sleeping face. She thought he looked cute. It was more along the lines of 'little brother cute', But she thought he was cute nonetheless. The smell that was coming from Von was driving her wild, her juices dripping down her hooves and she leaned closer to him. "I'll just do this...and no more. I promise." She whispered as she got closer and her lips connected with his. She moaned with pleasure as she pressed her lips harder against his own. She kept it up for a good two minutes before she stopped when Rainbow Dash shifted on the bed. She yawned and laid her head back down and Applejack let out a sigh of relief. "I'm mighty sorry about that, Von. But I needed to get that out of the way." She said as she left the room as quickly as she could.

"And that's what happened." Applejack concluded. Von and Applejack's faces were flushed with red, but if anyponies face was redder than theirs, it was Rainbow Dash's. She was boiling mad, with a face that looked like it was about to explode. But nopony could blame her as two of her friends did things to her coltfriend that she, as his marefriend is only meant to (and suppose to) do for him. But she sighed and looked at them.

"Well, it was all before me and him started dating," She started. "So it's not all bad. Anypony else got something to confess?" Twilight blushed and looked at them.

"Actually...I do." Rainbow Dash sighed and looked at her.

"What did you do to him, Twilight? Use your magic on him?" She asked. Twilight shook her head and her face turned redder.

"Actually...one night...when Spike was fast asleep...I was deep in thought and he was in my mind. So I started to think about him and I felt so happy, so I..." She blushed, but no more needed to be said.

All of their jaws dropped at hearing Twilight's words. Luna couldn't help but laugh, but was also surprisingly shocked that her son was getting so much attention. Kamen laughed and patted Von's back.

"Wow, Von. You're like a mare-magnet. You got the bookworm playing with herself to you, the farmhand kissing you while you sleep, the snob actually got to your colthood and then there's your marefriend. Hmm. I wonder what she'll do...or WANTS to do." He said, smiling. Laughing the whole time, Kamen took Pinkie Pie and left Canterlot Castle. Twilight and the others bid their goodbyes and left shortly after. Rainbow Dash's face was completely red and she looked at Von and he stared at her.

"So...ARE there things you want to do?" He asked. Rainbow Dash remained speechless and quickly flew away, not before crashing into one of the pillars.

"Ow..I meant to do that." She said as she went around the pillar and left.

Von smiled and waved goodbye as all his friends left and quickly turned to face Princess Luna.

"Luna?" He called out. Luna smiled and regained her regal composure and looked at him.

"Yes, Von?"

"Nova called me a halfling. Is that really what I am?" He asked with a sorrowful expression. The way Nova had said it to him made him feel like a freak of nature and Luna was not going to have that.

"No, you are not. In fact, you are one of very few half-bloods that exist in Equestria. You are special." She assured him. He tilted his head in confusion.

"Special? I don't feel special." Celestia smiled at him.

"You are special. You are the only one of your kind; A draconic changeling, let alone a changeling with a Cutie mark. This has never been heard of. But even if Chrysalis won't acknowledge you, you will always have a place in our hearts. The girls and us? We aren't just your friends. We are your family." Von smiled at the thought. He didn't just have a mother and father, but he also had a family and friends in Ponyville. Even if they weren't related by blood, they would be family to him no matter what.

"Thanks. Well, I'm going into Ponyville. See ya later." He said as he ran and flew outside.

"...I have a great fear in my heart, sister." Celestia said. Luna's smile faded and she turned to Celestia.

"What do you mean?"

"All the ponies in Ponyville had a hard time accepting Von when he was just a dragon. But now..." Her voice trailed off and she looked away. "How will they treat him knowing that Von was born from Chrysalis?"

Von landed in the center of Ponyville and smiled.

"It feels great seeing Ponyville in the peaceful state it deserves." He said to himself. The ponies stopped and stared at him and he saw them and waved. "Hi, everypony." He said. But they didn't answer. They just turned and went on their way, leaving a dumbstruck Von. "That was weird. I wonder what Kamen and Pinkie are up to?" He said to himself as he started trotting to Sugarcube Corner, unaware of the stares he was getting.

Von went over to Sugarcube Corner and stepped inside, causing Mr. and Mrs. Cake to stop what they were doing.

"Oh...um...Von. So, uh...nice to see you." Mr.Cake said. Von smiled and went up to the counter.

"Is Pinkie home? or Kamen?" Mr.Cake looked around nervously and his eyes darted to his wife.

"Oh...um...they're..."

"Out for a walk. Yes! That's it. They went out for a while." Mrs.Cake said. Von lowered his head and sighed.

"Ok. Well, when they come back, can you tell them I was here?" He asked. The Cakes nodded their heads and Von turned and left the store. However, Pinkie and Kamen were right upstairs, chatting and spending time together. Von went walking through the streets of Ponyville again, the ponies around him staring and talking behind his back. "Pinkie and Kamen aren't home. Maybe I can go visit Applejack...oh wait. She's busy, too. Maybe Rari....no. I know! Maybe I can go see Twi--" Just then, a rock hit Von in the back of the head. "Huh? Who did that?!" He looked around and saw two unicorn mares laughing at him. One had tan colored fur, complete with a red mane. But the odd thing was that she had no Cutie mark. The other unicorn had lime green fur and a light-blue mane with white stripes. She also had no Cutie mark. The two of them stopped laughing and smiled when Von looked in their direction.

"Oh, look. The freak is looking at us." The tan unicorn said. The other laughed.

"What's he gonna do? Bite us? Oh. Or are you going to preach to us about how 'hopeful' you are?" She said, addressing Von. Von glared at them.

"Hey! There's no reason you should be treating me like this. I've done nothing to you!" He yelled. The mares laughed at him and stepped closer.

"There actually is a reason. The fact is, you shouldn't even be here, let alone should you even be alive." The green unicorn said. "How did it feel? You know, knowing that your mom bucked some overgrown lizard? Ha! He must've been the real freak to be willing to buck old cheese legs like that." The tan unicorn sneered.

"Don't talk about my father and mother that way..." Von growled under his breath.

"Or what?" Both unicorns asked. They stepped closer and Von backed away, but he was stopped by the wall of the house behind him.

Nowhere to run..., He thought. He looked back at the unicorns and they were standing over him. "Where do you think you're going?" They asked. Von growled, but he was shaking at the same time. He had no idea what to do. He could handle Nova and his own mother (despite her overpowering him), but he couldn't harm any of the ponies here. He continued to panic, the unicorns laughing at him all the while. And then, he snapped.

Von's eyes widened in anger and he pounced the green unicorn and bared his fangs. She screamed and all the ponies around them stopped and stared. The tan unicorn panicked and ran away, leaving her friend behind and Von's horn started to glow a dark color and purple mist came from Von's eyes. Von lifted his hoof up, ready to stomp down on the pony below him but he stopped himself. His eyes turned back to normal and the glow on his horn faded. He looked all around him to see all the ponies staring. The unicorn he had pinned started laughing at him.

"See? Freaks like you don't belong here." She said. Von looked at her and shook his head.

"Y-you're wrong. I have the same rights as anypony to be here!" He said. There was worry in his voice and he looked away as he whispered, "I belong here...". The unicorn laughed and pushed him off her.

"You belong here?! Please. Do you see any other changeling-dragons here?" She asked.

Von wanted to speak, but no words came out. He knew she was right. He was the only one there, born from the relationship of a dragon and the changeling queen herself. Even though he was the only one, he was just like everypony else. They accepted him when he thought he was a dragon, so why the sudden change? He was confused, angry and scared but he knew that he belonged there with them. Or at least, he kept telling himself that. The green unicorn smiled as all the other ponies started talking amongst themselves, still staring at Von all the while. "Face it. This is NOT your home." She said. Von opened his mouth to argue, but no words came to him once more. Tears fell down his cheeks and his eyes turned red. Angry and upset, Von managed to fire a magical blast from his horn at the unicorn, but she quickly dodged it and when she looked back to where Von was, he had already run off.

Deep within the ruins of the changeling castle, Chrysalis and her horde had finished feeding on the love Nova had delivered. Chrysalis stared at Nova who was staring towards the direction of Ponyville in anger.

"Is something the matter?" She asked. Nova growled and looked at her.

"That damn alicorn. How dare she! I know she was the one my father loved and the one who brought Von into this world and she has the gall to lie about it?!" He hissed. He stomped one of his feet on the ground, causing a small tremor and walked over to a cocoon. Inside was a gryphon, wounded but still very much alive. Before he had left for Ponyville, Nova had tested his new powers on a wandering gryphon and kept it alive, forcing it to keep living in agony. It looked at him and trembled and uttered a single plea.

"Kill me."

"Later." Nova responded.

"Luna is not the one who bore Von." Chrysalis stated. Nova's tail twitched and he looked at her with blood-thirsty eyes.

"You best not be lying to me. You'll be punished if you are." He declared. Nova's icy glare pierced Chrysalis' soul, but she remained unfazed...at least a bit.

"I am not lying. Luna is not his mother. You were mistaken." She smiled and looked at up him. "I am the one who brought Von into this world. It was I who mated with Ignus and brought about his death." Chrysalis' words were the truth, but they were not wise to say aloud. Nova roared and lashed out at Chrysalis with his claws, but she flew out of their reach. Nova stared at her with his sharp white fangs bared and ready to eat her up as a next meal.

"So it was you who killed my father!!! You wretch!" He yelled. Chrysalis smiled at him.

"Do not forget, Nova. It was I who gave you the power you have now and I can take it away when I so choose. My magic may not be as powerful as a dragons, but it surpasses that of Celestia's." She declared. She was bluffing but to her surprise, he bought it.

"Very well. I concede." He said after calming down. Chrysalis landed by his side and smiled at him.

"You and I both want something that we desire most. I want to take Equestria and become its new ruler in order to keep my changelings alive. And you wish to rid Equestria of the ponies, do you not?" Nova stayed silent but his smile said it all for him.

"I will still aid you, but I am going to end them my way. And I'm going to start with Von." He said as he walked towards the cocooned gryphon. Chrysalis glanced back at him.

"Do you truly hate him that much?" She asked. Nova grinned and looked down at the gryphon.

"He sickens me. He isn't of pure dragon blood, he's living with those...PONIES and furthermore, he keeps trying to protect them! I don't just hate him for what he is but also for WHO he is. Once I end him..." He licked his lips as a wicked grin spread across his face. "Those ponies will be next." He opened his jaw and the gryphon's scream was drowned out as Nova consumed it whole. The sound of crunching bones echoed as Nova started chewing and blood dripped from his maw.

Chrysalis' smile began to fade and a look of worry replaced it.

Von will become a victim to Nova's cruelty. It's his own fault for siding with Celestia and her pawns. So why am I so worried? ...What is this feeling?, she thought as she placed one of her hooves over her chest. .......Von is going to be treated badly because he is different...just like we were. He is my spaw....my child, so this is to be expected. ....It's not as though I care...but I hope he finds somepony that will understand him. One that knows the pain of being treated bad because of who they are.

Von wandered into the forest but he didn't stop running. Tears were flowing from his eyes and his heart was wracked with pain. The ponies that he became friends with, that accepted him, that he protected from his brother's wrath had turned on him. It was too much for him to bear that he wanted to go somewhere far away. But blinded by his sadness, he ran smack dab into another pony and collapsed. He opened one of his eyes and his vision was blurry but he could make out the image in front of him: A unicorn with azure fur and a wand shaped Cutie mark was passed out beside him....

Change of heart

Chapter 18: Change of heart

Von gathered himself together from his daze as he stared at the azure unicorn in front of him. Her mane was a light blue, the kind that reminded him of the clear skies above from his memories on Dragon Mountain and when she woke up, Von was captivated by those violet eyes. For reasons he couldn't explain, Von thought this unicorn was beautiful.

"I wonder what kind of unicorn she is." He mumbled to himself.

"Watch where you're going. You nearly messed up The Great and Powerful Trixie's mane." The unicorn declared with a haughty tone. Von's feelings immediately went from interested to annoyed.

Apparently the kind that loves to brag..., he thought. His thoughts were sour, but he wanted to try and at least get to know the unicorn before he judged her. He already felt the pain of what it means to be judged.

"So...who is this 'Great and Powerful Trixie' anyway?" He asked the unicorn. She scoffed and gave him a smug grin.

"I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! Or does Trixie need to show you proof that I am who Trixie says she is?" She responded. Von's irritation was beginning to rise as he never met any pony that acted the way she did, but he was somewhat intrigued at the same time. However, the fact that she called herself 'Great and Powerful' didn't change the fact that Von thought she was weaker looking than Rainbow Dash.

"You don't seem that great and powerful to me." He declared. He ended up getting the reaction that he expected. Trixie got furious and stepped closer to him.

"How dare you! You dare to say that the Great and Powerful Trixie is not great and powerful at all?!" She screeched. Von chuckled in response.

"Yup."

"Very well. Then watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs feats in which the likes of you have never seen!" She declared as her horn lit up. Von sat down and leaned against a tree.

This is gonna be good, He thought.

Back in Canterlot, Twilight and her friends came rushing into the castle. They were all in a panic and there was a reason why.

"Princess Celestia! Von's gone missing." Twilight stated. Celestia was in the midst of writing a letter by the time they came to her. She stopped writing and looked at them.

"I know. I heard about the commotion near Sugarcube Corner from one of the residents. Tell me what has happened." She said. Just then, Rainbow Dash flew up in front of her face.

"Who cares what happened?! We need to go out there and look for him NOW!!! Who knows what kind of trouble he could have gotten mixed into?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. The girls, even Princess Celestia, were shocked to see Rainbow Dash getting so worked up to the point where she'd actually scream at their ruler. Pinkie Pie bounced in front of Rainbow Dash.

"Don't worry, Dashie. Von will come back home safe and sound in the next chapter." She declared. The pegasus immediately backed down and stared at her friend with utter confusion.

"What chapter, Pinkie?" She asked.

"The chapter after this one. Duh. It's a real shame what's gonna happen to him when he sees Nova again. Oh, and you and Soarin are gonna have a great time together." She said. Rainbow Dash continued to stare and the tension in the room died down. Pinkie snorted and started to laugh. "Oops. Spoilers. But that's ok. I'm sure he'll be just fine, Dash." The pink pony's random act managed to calm her friend down and she smiled as she normally would.

"Thanks Pinkie. So, go ahead, Twilight. Tell Celestia what we heard." She said, turning to the unicorn. Twilight nodded and stepped forward. She bowed her head and looked Princess Celestia in the eyes.

"Right. This is what I heard had happened in Ponyville."

"So you're expecting all of Ponyville to run him out?" A curious Chrysalis questioned. Nova chuckled and wiped the leftover blood off his lips.

"That's right. The fact that you brought him into this world, resulting in dad's death is enough to make me want to kill you. However, you seem to be suffering enough because of your little love shortage. But Von has yet to suffer. Ponies and dragons have never been able to get along. Father attempting to love their princess was foolish of him. And you changelings are the enemies of those ponies. Von is a fool for trying to protect them. He wants to be friends with them? He wants to live with them? Then let's see how much he'll still care for them when his true self is revealed to them." After his little rant, Nova opened up a book written in dragon tongue and started to read.

"Precisely, why do you dragons not get along with them? Chrysalis asked. Nova stomped his foot, causing a tremor and looked at her.

"Because of your actions! But I should thank you. I was getting tired of sharing the same air as those beasts. When father died, he died in Celestia's territory. Celestia assured us that there would be no casualties whatsoever should a dragon come into her domain. She let us go to her gem deposits and take as many gems as we wanted to keep ourselves fed. But the moment he died...the moment Von was conceived, I grew to hate them even more!!! But no matter. With this spellbook, I will gain even more power. And I'll deliver Von's head back to his precious princess myself." Nova's eyes turned bloodshot as he said those last words and a wicked smile spread across his face. "Excuse me. I have something to take care of." He closed the book and walked away until his image vanished behind the trees. For the first time in her life, Chrysalis was shaking. She wanted a new addition to her forces in order to gather more love for her changelings without any problems. But now there was a huge problem: Nova was going to kill Von, her own son. And she had helped him gain the power to do it!

I was so foolish. How could I have done such a thing?, she thought.

You did it because you wanted what you desired, her subconscious argued back.

But this isn't how I wanted it to turn out! Von is my son. I--

What, you love him? Do you even know what love even feels like?

Chrysalis' own thoughts stabbed her like a knife. She had known that Ponyville was a huge source of love, but she never EXPERIENCED love herself. She was at a loss for words. At that moment, she thought about the past. Whenever Von came to her, she felt something strange. It was a mixture of pride, of happiness and of confidence. She was happy that she brought Von into the world and she was happy to call him her own.

Yes. I do love him. He is my...mine and Ignus' child. And I will not allow Nova to take him from me., she thought.

How? You betray him, he'll slaughter your horde. Can you really put the life of your child before the lives of your subjects?

It felt like time stood still for Chrysalis. Listening to her own fears, she realized that she was right again. If she helped Von, she'd put the lives of her horde at risk. But if she continued to cooperate with Nova, then Von would be put to death. She had to make a big choice: Help Von or help Nova. Protect one life or protect thousands.

Meanwhile, far from the ruins of the changeling castle, Nova continued to read his spell book. Just then, he looked at a nearby pond. He saw his image, but he couldn't believe his eyes. He had fully become a changeling. His horns had become a single jagged horn, his once proud dragon wings became insect-like, his claws into hooves, he was was the same size as Chrysalis and his tail had vanished.

"What's happening? Why have I become like this?" He asked himself.

Because of Chrysalis' bite, A mysterious voice whispered in his mind. It was sinister and spine-chilling, but Nova did not fear it.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!"

Calm yourself, young dragon. I am an ally. I despise the ponies just as much as you do. You want to see them die. You want to see them suffer. You want to see them writhe in pain, don't you?, The voice asked. A wicked grin formed on Nova's face.

"Yes, I do. But what does it matter to you? My feelings towards the ponies are personal."

As are mine. They are the reason why I am in my current condition. My heart is as black as night, just like yours. But you, Nova. Your darkness is different. You can harness it well, letting it be the one thing that keeps you moving towards your goal. You just have to let it out, The voice declared with a chuckle. Nova scoffed in response.

"And why should I listen to you?" He asked.

Because if you do, you can punish that little half-breed that's giving you so much trouble. Nova's eyes flared up in surprise. How does this voice know about Von?, he thought. But he was right. If Nova was to have any chance against Von, he would have to listen. He needed the help of this mystery ally.

"What do I do?" He asked. The dark voice cackled before he resumed speaking.

Just concentrate. Let the darkness in your heart free from its cage. Now turn that feeling into power then imagine yourself using this power. The power to accomplish your goal. The power to kill those ponies and the power to slay your brother. Don't deny this strength within you. You want it. You NEED it. Nova listened to the voice and closed his eyes. In his mind, he saw the images of Von and all of his friends.. But then, everything went black. There was a chilling mist all around and then he saw the images of the girls. They were beaten, bruised and bloody. Their limbs were torn off and he felt....nothing. But that was to be expected. The next image came to his mind and it was that of Von. Von was lying there cold and dead, his head cut off, his limbs broken and his horn snapped clear off and he was in a pool of his own blood. And he felt...nothing. No pain. No remorse. No sadness. All he felt was....nothing. Nothing but pure bliss. A smile spread across his face as he opened his eyes.

Do you feel it? With your inner darkness released, you no longer have to limit yourself. You no longer have to feel any sadness once you end the life of your younger brother, The voice said. Nova began to laugh and showed a wide, wicked grin.

"And it'll be so much fun!! I can't wait to see the look on his face in his last moments! 'Nova, why?' And as for that Chrysalis...Heh. I'll let her live just a bit longer. I still need her. But this is great. Just great. This power...this power! THIS POWER!!!!!!" Nova continued laughing as the mysterious voice chuckled a bit as well.

Back in the forest, Von was laughing to the point where he could barely breathe. The tricks that Trixie was showing him were horrible, or rather just amateur. But she expected this. The tricks that she was using were the exact same thing she had done back in Ponyville.

"Are you finished yet?" Trixie asked with an angry tone.

"Haha! Ha...ha...ha...Yeah. I'm done." Von said, catching his breath.

"Good. So what--" Trixie was quickly interrupted as Von burst out laughing again. This time, he was pointing at her and rolling around on his back.

"Oh my celestia. You...you really aren't that good at magic, are you?" He asked. Trixie was about to blast Von with her magic, but the aura around her horn faded and she sat down. A small tear fell from her eyes and Von instantly felt guilty and sat back up.

"H-hey. Don't cry. You just...need a little practice is all. Yeah, that's it. Just practice." He said softly. Trixie shook her head and looked at him.

"No, it's alright. I understand. Trixie is not very talented with magic. But even knowing that my skills are....mediocre, I still like to perform for the ponies. Even if they don't want me to. I was shunned from Ponyville during my last visit. Just like I was a moment ago, I boasted quite alot. I showed up this unicorn and her friends and got alot of attention. Especially from these two young colts that worshipped the very ground that The Great and Powerful Trixie walked on. If they were older, I'd--"

"Um...aren't we getting a little off topic?" Von asked. Trixie blushed and regained her composure so she could continue.

"Of course. But when it came to the point where I was asked to use my magic to stop an Ursa, I couldn't. But that unicorn was able to use her magic to stop it while all I could do was sit and watch. I was embarrassed, so I turned tail and ran. I'd understand if the citizens of Ponyville still don't want me there, but I love performing." She concluded. Von sat there and stared at her with sad eyes. He felt sorry for her, but was a tad confused as to why she'd continue to perform for ponies when they don't like her. If that were the case, what would be stopping Von from going back to Ponyville to be with the ones he loved even knowing that he wasn't welcome because of what he was.

"I see. Thanks, Trixie." He said as he stood up. Trixie gave him a confused glance.

"Why are you thanking me? I've done nothing--" Trixie's sentence was cut short as Von gave her a kiss on the cheek, causing the azure unicorn to turn a bright red.

"Don't give up performing. If you really love it, then don't let anypony stop you. Just like how I love all my friends in Ponyville and I'm not gonna let two unicorns keep me from being with them. See ya later." He waved goodbye as he started to run back towards Ponyville. Trixie could only stare at him as he faded into the distance.

"What a strange stallion."

Von wore a bright smile on his face as he was going back. He felt better about himself thanks to Trixie's story, but his happiness soon turned back into anger. Before him, blocking his path, was the same unicorn that caused him to leave Ponyville in the first place. His eyes lit up with anger and the purple mist returned to his eyes once again.

"YOU!!!!!!!!" He shouted. The unicorn giggled and then she ran off into the woods. Von growled and looked in her direction.

"Come back here!!!!!!!!!!" He shouted as he chased after her. Von didn't relent and he kept on the unicorn's trail. She kept constantly looking back at him and giggled the whole way. It felt like hours passed as Von continued chasing her, never letting up. He wanted to make her pay. He wanted to make her suffer for making him feel such sadness. And he was going to accomplish this goal, no matter what.

Back in Canterlot, Celestia was shocked by the news she had heard.

"I see. So he's run off somewhere, has he?" She asked. Twilight and the others nodded their heads in response.

So he used his dark magic again. If he keeps it up, he'll lose control! Luna thought. Celestia looked at her sister and noticed the worry on her face and looked back towards the element bearers.

"Fear not, everypony. I have already sent a few pegasi to look for him." Just then, a whooshing sound was heard from outside. "Ah. It seems they have returned. Let us hope they were successful." Celestia said. The castle doors opened and all the ponies eyes were focused on the pegasi that came in. There were three of them, two male and one female. And out of the three, Pinkie pointed out one of them.

"Kammy!!" The party pony shouted as she bounded and bounced onto her lover. Kamen laughed as Pinkie started kissing him all over.

"I missed you, too but can we save this for later?" He asked. Pinkie was happy to oblige and got off of Kamen and allowed him to get back onto his hooves. The girls were happy to see Kamen, but Rainbow Dash was fixated on the other two pegasi. They were both in uniform and seemed to be quite important. The male pegasus had a pale blue coat and a dark blue mane. The female pegasus to his left had a golden coat with an orange mane. Rainbow Dash started to squeal like a fangirl when she realized who these pegasi were.

"OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!!!! You're the Wonderbolts! I can't believe it! Soarin! Spitfire! It's been so long." Rainbow Dash blurted out. The two of them lifted off their goggles to reveal their eyes and smiled at Rainbow Dash.

"Hey Rainbow Dash. You haven't changed a bit. We haven't seen you since you helped send more water up to the weather factory in Cloudsdale. Sorry we couldn't hang out before." Spitfire said. Rainbow Dash shrugged it off and smiled.

"Pfft. Don't worry about it. You guys were busy, so...yeah." She said. She was lying, but she was telling the truth about one thing. They were quite busy with their fans, being famous and all. Soarin stepped forward and smiled at Rainbow Dash.

"Well, if there's anything we can do to make it up to ya, you can always ask. And if Spitfire can't do anything, then I could." He said. Rainbow Dash turned to mush hearing Soarin speak to her like that.

"Uh...sure. I'd like that." She said with a nervous voice. The sound of her friends and Spitfire awoke her from her daze and she chuckled nervously. Celestia giggled and looked at the three pegasi.

"Have you found him?" She asked. Spitfire stepped forward.

"Yes. We saw him chasing after a female unicorn. They seem to be heading into the direction of Neighagra Falls." She reported. "But it appears that the unicorn is....deliberately leading him there. I have no more information that I can share." Luna blinked in confusion.

"Why would this unicorn be taking him there? The only ones that know how to get there are Ignus, Celestia, myself and--" Luna cut herself short when she realized what was going on. She smiled and her sister smiled as well.

"That is adequate enough, Spitfire. Thank you for your report." Celestia said. Spitfire and Soarin bowed to Princess Celestia and while she wasn't looking, Soarin opened one of his eyes and winked at Rainbow Dash, causing her wings to flare up and her face to turn red. Once they raised their heads, the two of them left. Rainbow Dash looked at her friends who were staring at her in confusion and she looked at the floor.

What's going on?, she thought.

What's going on is that you're turned on by Soarin, Her subconscious said to her.

That can't be. I'm in love with Von. He's my coltfriend. I love him and he loves me and--

You love him? Please. I know you're the Element of Loyalty, but this is ridiculous. How can you say you're in love with a dragon that you DON'T really love. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened hearing those words. She didn't want to believe it but she was right: she wasn't in love with Von. She was just desperate to be in a relationship after she was rejected by Kamen. She was happy to have Von there in her time of need, but her feelings were the same as they were before. She couldn't see him as more than a friend.

A friend...that's all he is. I can't believe this, she thought.

Can't believe what? That you were stringing him along or that a celebrity has the hots for you?

But I can't just hurt him. He's my friend.

There goes that devotion again. Look. Better to let him know now rather than stringing him along more. Besides, you want to get with Soarin. Could you really sneak around your dear friend's back? She thought a little more about it. If she broke up with Von, he'd be upset but he'd be able to deal with it a bit easier if she just told him. But if she cheated on him, he would be devastated and possibly never speak to her again.

"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack shouted. The sound of her friend's voice snapped her out of her trance and she looked at the farm worker.

"Huh? Oh. Sorry about that. Kinda lost it for a sec. But I'm ok now." She assured her. Applejack smiled and patted her friend's shoulder and they looked at the princesses.

"Everything will be alright. We know where he is, so we know that Von will return to us tomorrow. Go back home and get a good nights rest." Celestia said. They looked at each other with worry in their eyes. But they nodded their heads. They knew the princess would not lie to them and went on their way.

"Hey Applejack?" Rainbow Dash called out.

"Yeah, Rainbow?"

"Can we talk when we get back? I think it's important that I talk to somepony about it." Applejack smiled.

"Sure thing, sugarcube."

Von continued to chase after the unicorn and was starting to fall behind. The sun was setting and Von could see some of the stars. But he didn't let up. He kept pushing himself to his limit until he finally caught up to the unicorn. Up ahead was an opening that was brightly lit. The unicorn ran through the opening and Von followed behind. The light blinded him for a moment and when he opened his eyes, he saw the scenery. In front of him was a waterfall and a rushing river of water before him. On a grassy surface that was near the base of the waterfall, he saw a gravestone. He jumped over the river and stepped closer to it. He read the words that were inscribed in it:

Here lies Ignus.
A faithful friend
A great leader
A loving father

Von blinked in confusion and shook his head. Even knowing that he finally found his father's resting place, his mind was still set on finding the unicorn that lead him there.

"Where are you?!?! Come out!!!! Come out here and face me!!! You'll pay for making me go through that!!!! You'll--" Von clasped his head in his hooves and yelled out in pain. The dark aura around his horn was surging erratically and it was hurting Von. The surges struck the area around him, reducing the patches of grass it struck to ashes. Von couldn't stand the pain as it felt like his head was about to explode. He started to cry and yelled in pain more.

"What's happening? Somepony...help me!" He cried out. There was no answer. "Please...somepony...Twilight...Applejack...Rarity...Pinkie...Fluttershy...Kamen....Rainbow Dash...." There was still no response and the dark magic continued to surge from his horn and nearly struck Ignus' gravestone. Dad....mom.....somepony....please help me....it hurts...., he thought. Just then, a female voice rang out, catching Von's attention.

~Sleep now well, so calm and mild
safe and sound
my sweet young child
Sleep now softly in my hooves
until the morning blooms~

The voice was almost angelic, soothing and it calmed Von's mind. The purple mist faded from Von's eyes and the dark aura around his horn disappeared. But Von couldn't rise. The sound of the voice that he just heard made him drowsy and his eyes were starting to get heavy. He looked up in a daze and noticed a black figure. It was feminine, but very hard for him to make out.

"That song....it seems so......." Von trailed off as he laid his head in the grass and went off to sleep. The black figure stepped closer to him and revealed itself to be the unicorn that he was chasing. But green flames suddenly rose up around her and once they dispersed, Chrysalis stood in place.

"You still look the same when you sleep, even after all these years." She said to the sleeping half-breed. She kneeled on her forehooves and kissed Von on the forehead. "I have made my choice. I will keep you safe...but I cannot go against Nova. Not just yet. Forgive me for not being there when you needed me most....my child." She turned her head when she finished speaking and noticed the gravestone before her. "It's been quite a long time hasn't it, Ignus? Even though I hadn't planned on it, it seems we were able to bring such a handsome child into Equestria. I didn't know it before, but....I think I love him......and I love you too. I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm sorry. I apologize for deceiving you, but I was acting for my subjects and myself. Please forgive me." She said in a sorrowful tone. A small tear ran down her cheek and she laid her head against Von and fell asleep, her wing covering him. As they slept, the wind blew gently towards them and three leaves danced around in the grass before they blew into the sky.

Meanwhile at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack brought Rainbow Dash into the farmhouse so they could speak. Rainbow kept fidgeting, causing Applejack to get a tad impatient.

"Consarn it, Rainbow. Will ya just tell me what's on y'alls mind!" She demanded. Rainbow Dash looked down at the floor and back up at her friend. She wasn't all the confident to tell anypony, but if there was one pony that she could confide in about anything, it was Applejack.

"Alright. What i want to talk about concerns me....and Von." She said. Applejack stared at her and her eyes widened in shock at her next words.

"I want to see somepony else."

Lustful Sorrow*

*This chapter contains sexual content under: incest. If you are not interested in such things, then turn away. You were warned.

Chapter 19: Lustful Sorrow

Von continued to sleep peacefully at the base of Neighagra Falls beside his father's grave. In his slumber, Von began to have a strange dream. He looked around and noticed that he was running alongside a mare that was older than he was. She had a striped gray coat, a mane that was white with gray stripes and lovely sapphire eyes. He could barely tell but he thought that she barely looked like a pony, but either way he thought she was beautiful. There were trees surrounding the two of them, so he could tell that they were in a forest somewhere in Equestria. Her mouth started moving as though she were saying something to him, but he couldn't hear her words. But then something happened that surprised him: the mysterious mare kissed him. Even if it was a dream, Von could feel the passion coming from it. When they broke the kiss, the mare spoke again but Von still couldn't hear her words.

Just then, a dark shadow crept around them and they stepped closer to each other. On instinct, Von stepped in front of the mare and his horn began to glow. The shadow crept closer and he looked back at the mare. She was cowering behind him, but she was trying her best to look tough. Von smiled at her and caressed her mane.

"I'll protect you." He said reassuringly. The mare smiled and the shadow raised up and crashed down onto them like a wave. Glowing red eyes and a wicked white grin appeared in the shadows and before he could even react, he was devoured by the menacing figure causing him to awaken. He lifted his head in shock and sighed with relief when he noticed where he was.

"It was a dream. Oh good. That was a weird dream, too..." He said to himself. He arose from his resting place and stretched to shake off his drowsiness. He looked around and noticed that he was all alone. The only thing nearby to keep him company was the grave of his father. He hadn't expected to find it anywhere as he never knew much about his father. "So this is where you've been, huh? We finally get to meet." Von said to the grave. "I'm Von....your son. And I don't know if you can hear me but I promise that I'll never give up hope. I'll always stay strong in the face of danger and I'll stay by my friends' side, no matter what they are. Be they dragon or pony." He declared while smiling.

There was no response but the wind began to blow gently against his face. At that moment, Von felt a change inside of him. It was faint but he could feel a surge of power welling up inside him. He put a hoof on his chest and stared in confusion.

"What the--" He was quickly interrupted as a burst of wind erupted from his mouth and struck a nearby tree. He coughed at the strain the wind put on his throat and when he looked towards the tree, there was a hole. "Whoa! Did....did I do that?" He asked himself.

"It seems your words were able to reach your father." A female voice responded. Von recognized this voice as that of Princess Celestia and turned to see the Alicorn landing in a patch of grass near him. "And in turn, you were given a blessing. Your power over wind has advanced. You noticed, didn't you?" She asked.

"You mean that burst of wind?" He questioned back. "Yeah, I noticed. It felt really powerful but it really hurt, too." He whined, rubbing his throat. Celestia giggled.

"That is the thing about gaining power. Some powers come with strings attached while others do not at all. In the case of Unicorn and Alicorn magic, it requires more concentration and stamina to keep it going. When our concentration is interrupted, the spell will be canceled. If our energy runs out, the spell will weaken. For you, it causes you pain. So you may have to build up your endurance so that you can withstand it." She told him. Von stood there for a moment and stared at his father's grave.

"Princess?"

"Yes, Von?"

"What type of dragon was my dad?"

"He was a wind dragon, like you. Wind dragons are more known for their speed and stamina rather than strength and endurance. As tough as he seemed, he was no exception." Celestia told him. Von turned around and looked her in the eyes.

"Then why can Nova breathe fire?" He asked.

"That is because Ignus had mated with a dragon that breathed fire. I never learned her name nor what she looked like. But that is the only answer I can give you about that subject. But getting off that," Celestia got closer and put a hoof on his shoulder. "Isn't it time that you come home?" Von sighed and looked at the grass. She was right. It was about time that he went back home to Ponyville. He smiled at the word 'home' and returned said smile to her.

"Alright. I'm ready to come back."

Down at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack, Big Macintosh and Applebloom were working around the farm. Bucking for apples, planting new seeds and ripping up weeds was on the agenda today. However, Applejack could hardly focus at all as memories of a certain conversation kept echoing in her mind.

Y'all wanna see other ponies?! But why? You and Von is happy together, aren't ya?

Well yeah. I mean, I like seeing him happy and all, but the thing is I just don't love him like he loves me.

Then y'all should just stay together if ya know how he feels about ya! You love him, don't ya?

Yes, but I'm not IN LOVE with him. I'm sorry AJ, but I just can't feel the same way about him. He's just a friend, nothing more.

Ah can't believe y'all are really gonna do this, Rainbow. After how much effort he was puttin' in the relationship.

Things change, Applejack......Applejack.....

"Applejack!" Applebloom called out! Applejack snapped out of her trance and looked down at her little sister.

"Oh. Mighty sorry about ignorin' ya, Applebloom. Ah just ain't feelin' like myself." She said with an apologetic tone. Applebloom stared at her sister.

"Is somethin' wrong, Applejack? 'Cuz you normally don't get like this unless there is." The young filly said while examining her sister. Applejack laughed and patted Applebloom on the head.

"It's nothin' important. Why don't y'all head on into Ponyville and play with yer friends? I'm sure Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are waitin' for ya." She said. Applebloom jumped for joy and ran towards Ponyville, but not before she stopped and looked back at her sister one more time.

"Are you sure?" Applebloom asked. Applejack smiled and started to go back to work.

"Of course. Me and Big Mac got everything covered. Y'all go and have fun. Just stay outta trouble, got it?" She declared. Applebloom smiled in response and ran off. Applejack continued apple-bucking, but she couldn't think clearly as she was feeling quite upset about the other day.

"Poor Von. I wonder what he's up to now?" She asked, looking at the ground.

In the audience chamber of Canterlot Castle, Celestia, Luna and Von were the only ones inside. The guards were ordered to guard the entrance and prevent anypony from coming inside. Celestia and Luna stood on opposite sides of Von while Von himself sat in the center of a magic circle that was carved underneath him.

"Celestia, are you certain this will work?" Luna asked. Celestia's expression didn't change. She remained as serious as she could.

"This has not been tested before but I'm certain it will. Von's dark magic is too much for him to contain. He has used it far too many times and if we do nothing about it, it will eat away at his heart and corrupt him....or in the worse case scenario, kill him." She said. Von tried to sit still, but he couldn't help but shake with fear after hearing those words. The thought of death or dying scared him far worse than anything else. He loved his life and loved living his life with his friends and his family. When he thought about his family, images of Nova and Chrysalis came to him. Nova wouldn't have cared either way if Von ended up dying. In fact, the only thing he'd probably be sad about was that he wouldn't have been the one that caused his death. Then he thought about Chrysalis, his mother. She seemed evil, but not malicious like Nova. How would she feel if he died? Would she cry? Would she laugh? Or would she just ignore him? These questions continued to run through his mind until his train of thought was interrupted by Celestia's words.

"Von, is everything alright?" Von shook his head and looked towards the solar princess.

"Yes. I'm fine. I was only thinking. I'm ready for this."

"Are you sure?" Luna asked.

"Yes."

"Very well," Celestia started. "Let us begin the sealing." Celestia and Luna's horns began to glow and the magic circle resonated. The symbols in the circle each glowed the same color as the aura of one of the sisters until all the symbols were lit. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna then released magical beams from their horns above Von's head and they collided together. Suddenly, sevenl beams of light dispersed from the combined magic and hit seven points of the magical circle around Von and the symbols appeared as though they were lift-- no. They WERE lifting off the ground and into the seven beams of light, traveling back to the point of origin. The seven lights retracted and a single beam of light shot down and hit Von's horn. Von flinched, as he was expecting a sharp pain to surge into his horn and through his whole body. But he felt nothing. He wanted to look up, but he didn't want to interrupt the spell. One false move and he could possibly get blown to Tartarus.....or worse.

Finally, the beam disappeared and the two rulers ceased the use of their magic and the magic circle was no longer there. Von opened his eyes and looked up at his horn to see a ring of magical text etched onto his horn.

"Those symbols will prevent you from using your dark magic. Should you attempt to use it, be it of your own free will or against it, it will nullify its power immediately. So you do not have to worry about being taken over." She stated with a smile. Von got up and jumped for glee, his insect wings fluttering all the while. The princesses giggled and then something suddenly came to mind. Von must've worried all of his friends with his running away, Rainbow Dash in particular.

"Oh buck! Oh...pardon my language. I didn't mean to say that. But I have to find Rainbow Dash! I need to let her know I'm ok." He said to himself as he spread his wings and when he flapped, a powerful gust of wind blew as he zipped out of Canterlot Castle, leaving of cloud of dust where he stood. Celestia and Luna stood there completely speechless as their manes were sticking straight towards the back and when they looked at each other, they started to laugh.

Von soon arrived in Ponyville in search for his lovely marefriend. However, he saw not even a smidge of any evidence that she came into town.

"That's odd. I know! I bet she's in Sugarcube Corner." He deducted, heading off towards said shop. He walked into Sugarcube Corner and there was no sign of Mr. or Mrs.Cake, but the bubbly marefriend of his best friend and brother Kamen, Pinkie Pie. When he reached the counter, Pinkie smiled with delight and, as she would any other day, handed him a cupcake but this time with rubies in it. As he consumed his treat, Pinkie started speaking to him.

"I knew you'd come back home today. I told Rainbow Dash that you would. So whatcha up to? Are you going to see Rainbow Dash?" She asked. Von nodded in confirmation.

"Yes. I was just looking for her. Has she been here?" He asked. He was hoping that she would know where his mare would be but sadly, Pinkie shook her head.

"Sorry. She hasn't been here and she didn't even want to come yesterday. But Applejack might know. She and Rainbow Dash left together." She told him. Von smiled and hugged his pink friend and waved goodbye as he departed.

"Applejack's place, huh? Time to head down to Sweet Apple Acres." He said as he flew towards the direction of the farm. Upon arriving to his destination, he was quickly greeted by the orange earth pony.

"Howdy, Von. What brings y'all here?" Applejack asked.

"I'm looking for Rainbow Dash and Pinkie told me she was with you. You seen her?" He asked. Applejack's ears flopped down and she looked away from her friend.

"Oh...uh....Ah don't know where she is. Why don't ya go ask Twi, Rarity or Fluttershy? I'm sure they might know." She said. Von stared at her with disbelief.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" He questioned. Applejack's eyes darted towards the ground and quickly back at him.

"N-no. I'm just not sure where she might be is all." She lied. Von sighed and turned his back to her, but he managed to smile at her when he turned his head.

"Alright. Thanks for telling me. See you later." He said as he flew away. The moment he took flight, Applejack held out her hoof to stop him, but he was already out of view. Riddled with guilt, Applejack turned around and walked back into the farmhouse.

Taking Applejack's word, Von proceeded to go and speak with his other friends and inquire about Rainbow Dash's whereabouts. Twilight told him that she hasn't heard a word from the pegasus and Rarity....Well, Von decided to avoid Rarity's for the time being out of fear that she could take advantage of him again in order to take his necklace. So the last place Von had left to check was Fluttershy's cottage. He landed on the bridge and started to travel on hoof to the butterscotch pegasus' home. Along the way, he took in the sights. He could see why Fluttershy lived in this part of Ponyville. Being so close to nature would probably make anypony as sweet as she was.

Von arrived at his destination and noticed that the animals were staring into the window of Fluttershy's home. They had looks of confusion, worry and curiosity on their faces as they continued to peer inside. Von stepped forward and the animals perked their ears up and turned towards him and instantly scattered.

"And ponies think I'M strange." He deadpanned. Von lifted his hoof and was about to knock when all of a sudden, a small noise escaped from within. It was a collection of "Ohs" and "Ahs" and Von had no clue as to what it was, but he knew that it was Fluttershy's voice making those noises.

"Fluttershy?" He called out. There was no answer. Worried, he put his hoof on the door. Lucky for him, it was unlocked and he pushed the door open. "Fluttershy?" He called out again. Nopony answered. He stepped inside to notice that there wasn't anypony downstairs. He looked around and heard the noises again, but they were coming from upstairs. He proceeded to go upstairs to find the pink-maned pegasus until he reached her room. The noises now came to resemble that of moans and smalls yelps of pleasure.

"Mmm...Big Mac...." He heard mixed in with the moans. Deep down, Von wanted to quickly turn around and run back to Ponyville as fast as he could. But he wanted to let Rainbow Dash know that he was alright and spend time with her and the only way he could find out where she is was by asking Fluttershy. He started to open the door, regretting what he was doing, but he was curious as to why these sounds were coming from Fluttershy's room. She wasn't the kind of pony that would sink into acts like that. He continued to question this as he started thinking.

Oh come on, Von. This is Fluttershy. She doesn't have a special somepony, so she wouldn't be having sex. She probably doesn't even play with herself.

Fluttershy was playing with herself.

"F-FLUTTERSHY?!?!" Von bursts out causing the pegasus to scream in terror. She turned her head and looked at him with a face flushed entirely with red.

"V-Von?" She squeaked. She opened her mouth to ask why he was there, but no words came out. She was sprawled out on her bed, tail lifted and was dripping with sweat. She quickly looked down and noticed the position she was in and Von noticed as well: She was facing away from him and her marehood was exposed for all of Equestria to see. It was soaking wet and her hoof was only an inch away from it. Fluttershy's ears flopped down and if she could get any redder than she was right then and there, she would look like Big Macintosh. She screamed even louder and covered herself while Von covered his ears.

"GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!" She screeched as she started throwing things at him, urging him to leave. Von dodged as best he could and in the panic, he fell backwards and scrambled out of her room, shutting the door behind him.

"I'm sorry!!! I'm sorry!!! I just got worried, so I came to check and--"

"HAVE YOU EVER TRIED KNOCKING?!?!" She yelled from inside her room. This was a side of Fluttershy Von, and possibly nopony else, had never seen before. About five minutes passed, Von continuing to apologize for intruding on Fluttershy in her moments of privacy until she finally came out of her room. She walked up to him and he noticed that her ears were facing downwards and she was hiding behind her mane. 'I'm sorry. Please accept my apologies....um...I mean, if you want to...." She said in a meek tone of voice.

"No. It's my fault for walking on your...uh.....moment." He said nervously. "Ah. There was something I wanted to ask you," He reminded himself. "But I couldn't ask during the commotion. Do you know where Rainbow Dash is?"

"Rainbow Dash? I think I saw her go back home. She looked really serious about something. I hope she's ok." Fluttershy told him. Von smiled and quickly ran out of Fluttershy's house and flew to Rainbow Dash's. After all this, Von was finally going to see his beloved mare.

Von kept flying until he noticed something in the distance. It was a house made entirely of clouds and it bore an uncanny resemblance to Cloudsdale, but on a somewhat smaller scale. Von sniffed the air and managed to catch the whiff of a familiar scent. It was Rainbow Dash's and he landed in front of the house entrance. There was no door, so Von just stepped inside.

"Hello? Rainbow Dash?" He called out. No response. Von looked around to find some trace of her when he came across a strange object. It looked like a costume, a suit of sorts and there was a pair of goggles with it. He blinked as the scent that came from the suit permeated into his nose. It smelled sweaty but musky at the same time, as though it belonged to....

"A stallion?" Just then, he noticed movement before him and saw his rainbow maned pegasus. "Rainbow Dash!" He shouted, startling her.

"Von?!" She cried. She noticed the suit in front of his hooves and quickly snatched it up and put it elsewhere. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, silly." He teased. He stepped closer and tried to kiss her, but she turned her head so he'd only kiss her cheek. He pulled back and looked at her with worry. "Is something wrong?"

"Um....we need to talk." Rainbow Dash said. He turned around and began to head outside but not before he heard a male voice call out to Rainbow Dash.

"Dash? You alright out there?" Von quickly turned around and attempted to go into her room but she stopped him in his path.

"Who's in there?" He asked. The look on his face turned from a happy one to one of both anger and worry.

"N-nopony. Come on!" She urged him as she started pushing him outside. As they were going outside, Von continued to push against Dash in an effort to get back inside, but to no avail. However, he managed to catch a small glimpse of a stallion in the room.

"Rainbow Dash, what's going on? What was with that suit and why did I hear a stallion call for you? Tell me the truth!" He demanded. Rainbow Dash looked back into her house and sighed.

"Von....I want to see other ponies." She told him. Von's eyes widened and time stood still for him.

I-is she.....breaking up with me?, he thought. Von shook his head, trying to regain his composure and looked at her. "Dashie....come on.....You can't be serious...." He pleaded. Rainbow Dash gave him a stern look.

"I am serious and don't call me that. I'm not your marefriend anymore, so just call me by my name, ok?" She said.

"But why? Did I do something wrong?!" He asked. Rainbow Dash sighed again.

"This'd be alot easier if you just gave up so you wouldn't have your feelings hurt. I don't want to risk ruining our friendship, but you asked. Do you really want to know why? It's because I don't really love you." Von's heart shattered to pieces at her words. "I was only desperate to have somepony to love me when Kamen rejected me. I hated that feeling and then you came. I felt happy that you comforted me, but the truth is that I was just leeching off you. I wanted to think I loved you because I didn't want to be alone. So I went out with you to fulfill my own selfish need. I'm sorry, but it's over."

Von just stared at her in disbelief. It was really happening. The pegasus that he fell for, the pegasus that defended him from his own brother and the pegasus that was the very first one that he'd ever fallen in love with was breaking up with him. Tears ran down his cheeks as her words were starting to sink into his head and his heart, but he tried his best to stay tough.

"So...who's that stallion inside, huh?" He said through his tears and he sniffed.

"I said what I needed to say. I'm sorry Von, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be." She said. Von wiped away his tears and looked away from her.

"Tsk. Fine. If that's what you want, then...." Von glared at her and when he took in a deep breath, he shot a large blast of wind at Rainbow Dash. She dodged it and it went into her house, hitting the unsuspecting stallion that was within. She looked back into her house and when she turned back to yell at Von, he was nowhere to be found.

"Soarin! You alright in there?" Rainbow Dash called out to the stallion.

"Did anypony get the number of that donkey cart?" Soarin said in a daze.

"Damn Rainbow Dash! She never loved me? Then what was the point of us getting together?!" Von yelled. He had returned to Neighagra Falls and was seated beside his father's grave as he continued ranting to himself. "Ok, so i'm not the perfect stallion.....or whatever I can call myself. I'm childish, I'm naive, I overreact, I'm stubborn and let my emotions get the best of me. But I have my good qualities, too. I'm kind and gentle, loyal, hardworking or willing to learn, And I'm.....oh who am I kidding?" He lowered his head in sadness and continued to cry. Just then, he felt a hoof on his shoulder and turned to see it was the hoof of his mother, Chrysalis. "Chrysa...I mean.....mom?" He said.

"Well....this is a surprise. I thought everything would be fine after I lulled you to sleep." She said to him with a smug grin.

"....That song....So that was..."

"I've not sung that song to you since you were 4. Everything was peaceful then until you left when you were 6." She looked down and had a look of worry on her face. "I still thought about you even during my plan to take over Canterlot. If I had succeeded, you might have gotten a new father. Well....not that anypony could be better to me than your father."

".........Why are you being nice to me? You attacked me when we first met and I'm getting the feeling that you knew who I was when you did."

"Well......I did. But I could hardly tell as I've not seen you for 13 years. I hadn't known what happened to you until I managed to get the answer out of the changelings that last saw you. They told me they took you away, so I punished them. The way I felt then....and the way I'm feeling now about you is all new to me. Even after 19 years, I'm still not used to it. But I know what I'm feeling now. I'm proud. Proud to call you my son. Proud that I brought you into this world....and I want to proud that you can call me your mother."

Von couldn't believe his ears. He was well aware that the Changeling Queen herself was his mother, but she WANTED him to call her his mother? She was consumed by the idea of conquest and fulfilling her own goals at any cost, became enemies with the Mane 6 and Princesses Celestia and Luna, attacked the citizens of Canterlot and ruined the wedding of Twilight's big brother. But that wasn't the Chrysalis before him now. That was Queen Chrysalis, ruler of the changelings. Sitting in front of him right now was just Chrysalis, Von's mother. With all these facts in mind, Von was finally able to make a decision. He got up and stepped closer to Chrysalis. She looked at him and her eyes widened when Von nuzzled her neck.

"Do you really need to ask......mom?" He teased. Chrysalis was speechless. Even knowing what she put him through, living a life without neither his mother and father and giving his older brother the power to end his life, he still wanted to call her his mother. Lost in their moment together, Chrysalis wrapped her hooves around him and embraced her child.

Von and Chrysalis spent a good while together at Neighagra Falls. Chrysalis began to get Von caught up with all that has transpired in his absence and even told him about what she was doing during the wedding in Canterlot.

"You weren't really trying to.....you know, with Shining Armor?"

"Of course not. I only wanted to steal his love for that Alicorn." Chrysalis reassured him. "But I had to deal with so many issues as I was deceiving him. His sister arriving was one of those issues."

"You mean Twilight?"

"Yes. She was quite annoying, but she was right to suspect me. But she did one thing that annoyed me more than anything." Chrysalis put her hoof on her face and narrowed her eyes in irritation. "It was the most insulting and embarrassing that I'd ever seen." Von blinked and leaned closer.

"Well? What did she do?" He asked.

"She.....waved her flank in front of my face."

"..........What?" Von asked.

"She.....shook her butt in front of my face." She repeated.

".....W-what?" Von asked on the brink of laughing. "That's it?! That's what she did that was so irritating?" Chrysalis gave him a cold glare.

"Of course it was! The fact that she did that to me....and the fact that hers is....bigger than mine makes me downright furious." She soon went from talking to him to ranting to herself. "There is just no way. No mere pony can have a plot that big. It must've been Celestia's doing! She is rather close to that unicorn, after all. So it would make perfect sense that she--"

"Uh, mom?" He called out, snapping Chrysalis back to reality.

"Oh, yes....sorry. I got a little off topic." She apologized.

"So......how and WHY did she go about doing that?" He asked out of curiosity.

"Well, she thought that I was the Alicorn that I disguised as and came to greet me in a manner that the two of them were familiar with. As for how...." Chrysalis looked away and started to blush. "Promise that you will not laugh...and you WILL NOT tell anypony else what I've done today." She hissed. There was sheer anger in her voice and disobeying her when she spoke like that would get Von into a world of trouble.

"Ok. I promise." He swore.

"Very well. .....This is how she did it." Chrysalis rose from where she sat and proceeded to do one of the strangest things Von had ever seen.

~Sunshine, sunshine
Ladybugs awake
Clap your hooves
and do a little shake~

At the last part, Chrysalis turned around and wiggled her rump in front of Von and his face turned a very bright shade of red. He wasn't sure what was more embarrassing, the fact that his mother just did something that seemed so childish or the fact that his mother just put her ass on display for him. He tried his hardest to look away and yet......something compelled him not to.....and this freaked him out. Chrysalis looked at him and noticed how red he was and gave him a sly grin.

"What's the matter? Do you like the look of what you see?" She asked coyly.

"Um...." was all he could manage to get out. She turned back around and stepped closer to him and lifted his head up with her hoof.

"I didn't think you loved me like that, Von. I must admit, I'm quite shocked. Or....are you just playing with my emotions?" Von shook his head. He loved his mother, but he would never play with her feelings. But the fact that he reacted to such a display confounded him. "Is my rump adequate enough for you?"

"Yes!" He said and he quickly bit his lip. What did I just say?!, he thought. It flowed so naturally, almost uncontrollably. Chrysalis smiled at Von.

"You're just like your father. He acted the same way when we met and I thought it was cute. WIth you, it's the exact same thing: cute. Now...do you love me?" She asked.

"Yes. I do love you, mom." He answered.

"Good. Then as my child, I need you to feed me the love you collected."

"Collected?"

"As a changeling, you have the ability to collect love and store it inside of your body to bring back to me or to use as your own food. But you are still young. You don't have control of it yet, so you'll be absorbing it against your will." She stated. Von wasn't sure if what she was saying was true, but he felt an odd fullness in him. Von tried to think more on it, but his mind couldn't steer away from what Chrysalis did.......and it was starting to arouse him. Chrysalis felt something slap against her hoof and when she looked down, she noticed Von's cock pressed up against it.

"Oh my....I didn't know you liked it that much. You naughty little pony." She teased. "Would you like to see it again?" She whispered in his ear. Her hot breath blew against his ear and it turned him on even more. Realizing his desire, Chrysalis stepped away from Von and turned around to give him the show he wanted to see. The more she wiggled, the more aroused he got and the more he was freaking out deep down inside.

This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening!!!, he screamed in his head. Von wanted to get up and run away, but he knew Chrysalis wouldn't allow it. But at the same time, his hormones were compelling to sit and watch as one thing started to run through his mind: he wanted to rut Chrysalis like there was no tomorrow. At last, Von's member was fully erect and Chrysalis stopped moving when she noticed.

"Mmm. You seem to be reacting quite quickly to this. .....You're a virgin, aren't you?" She asked. Von felt like he wanted to die. It only seemed right that his own mother, a creature that fed on love, would know whether or not if he's had sex with any of the ponies, though he wasn't sure if she was just guessing. She laughed and got closer to him again, her emerald eyes staring into his. "What happened to that special somepony of yours? I was certain that you would have ridden her like your life depended on it." She teased. And with that, Von's erection started to die down.

"She broke up with me....for another stallion." He muttered.

"I see. I'm sorry about that." She said with a comforting tone. "So I'll give you a gift. Since you don't have a marefriend anymore...and I'm the closest female around right now--" She straddled him and started to rub her pussy against his slowly re-erecting cock and smiled at him. "I'll be your first."

"What?! No. No No No No No N--mmph!" He was cut off as Chrysalis pressed her lips forcefully against his. Her tongue slithered into his mouth and almost seemed to wrestle with his for domination as she also continued to grind against Von, feeling his length getting harder with each passing second. She broke the kiss and stared at Von's face as pure ecstasy surged through his body. She stopped moving and got off him and knelt down on her forehooves in front of his member. She put one of her hooves on it and rubbed it gently, eliciting a moan from the young half-breed.

"Hm...Not as big as your father, but you're on your way there." She said with a smile. Von wanted to respond, but his words turned into moans as Chrysalis started rubbing his cock between her hooves. The feeling was almost too much for him to bear as she put more pressure into her rubbing.

"You're....even better than...aah....Rarity." He moaned. Chrysalis raised a brow and smiled at him.

"Oh. So you HAVE had sex before." She said.

"No....only this. But...mmm...." Von stopped talking and watched as Chrysalis continued playing with him, with her giggling all the while.

"You seem to be enjoying this alot. Maybe you'll like this, too." She said. Green flames rose around her and Von could tell what she was doing. She was changing forms, but into what he didn't know. When the flames dispersed, a white alicorn rested in her place.

"P-Princess Celestia?!" He called out. Of course, he knew that it was actually Chrysalis in disguise but the likeness was very believable.

"I hope this helps," She said with Celestia's voice. "You won't have to think of me as your mother while I do this. I can collect the love from you....and I can please the both of us at the same time. Plus...is it not every stallion's dream to sleep with the princess?" She suddenly ran her tongue up his length, causing a pleasurable gasp to escape his lips and wrapped her tongue around the head as she continued to massage his member. Something about watching her work him in Celestia's form was quite enjoyable. Though he was hardly one of them, he was sure that there were plenty of stallions that wanted to get with the princess. Teasing her pussy and causing her to moan uncontrollably, running their hooves through her lovely rainbow-like mane, watching her suck them off with her tender lips and rutting her until she couldn't even walk. These were all the desires that many stallions have held towards the princess.....and Von was living the experience that they would kill him just to have for even ten seconds!

"D-don't stop..." He pleaded. The false Celestia smiled at Von and continued to lick the head of his dick, causing it to twitch in response. "aah...ooo...I...can't hold it anymore!" He cried. The flase Celestia smiled.

"About to blow, huh? Do you want to let it out all over my face?" She asked in a teasing manner. "Or do you want to let it out in my mouth? Is that it? Do you want me to guzzle every last drop?" She kissed the side of his member and traveled down to his balls and gave them a small kiss. Von moaned and looked down at her.

"Inside....I want to let it out...in your mouth." He cried. Chrysalis giggled and gave him what he wanted. In one fell swoop, she stuffed Von's entire member into her mouth. He screamed with pleasure and began to drool as the fake princess bobbed her head up and down getting loud moans from him in response. Listening to her son letting out the noises he was making was starting to get her aroused as well, so she decided to reward him. She turned around while he was still in her mouth and pressed her pussy against his face. Von blushed as he could see how wet she was getting and the smell was enticing.

I wonder what she tastes like, he thought. But the thought started to freak him out, realizing that he was thinking something like that about Princess Celestia. Even if it was just a disguise, he wanted to lick the marehood of the princess, to taste her most private of spots. Reluctantly, Von leaned in and ran his tongue across her lips. He heard her moan, but it was muffled as she was still sucking on his cock. Chrysalis kept moaning as she continued devouring her son's colthood and it was the same with Von.

At that moment, he saw Chrysalis' cunt quiver. She was getting close and Von could feel his orgasm coming up as well. On instinct, he thrust his member far into Chrysalis' mouth, shocking her but she moaned loudly as Von licked her clit causing her to shiver more. They went at it for a little while longer until finally, Von exploded in Chrysalis' mouth and Chrysalis came on Von's face, her tangy juices seeping into his mouth and rolling over his tongue. He looked out from behind his mother's rump and noticed that she still had her eyes closed. Then, he felt a movement in her mouth and his face flushed with red when he realized what she just did.

D-did she....just......SWALLOW it?!, he thought. He was disgusted, but strangely turned on by that thought but he shook it off. He looked back at Chrysalis and noticed that she had gotten off him and she was staring at him with bedroom eyes.

"My my...That was quite alot. But I guess that's expected from a first timer." Chrysalis said as she reverted to her original form. Von was blushing and wiped his face clean of the leftovers from Chrysalis' climax, but she quickly straddled him before he could try anything else. "Ah-ah. We're not finished yet." She hissed. Von looked at her with shock and realized what was coming next. She was about to move on to the main course: allowing her son to penetrate her and take his first time.

"L-listen. I didn't mind that and all, but I really need to get going." He said nervously as he tried to get up but Chrysalis quickly pushed him back down and leaned over until her face was inches from his.

"You were saying?" She asked. She smiled and positioned herself so that the head Von's cock was lightly pressed against her pink lips. It started to grow hard again, even as he kept trying not to think about it and she laughed at him. "You act like you don't want to do this, but it seems your 'friend' is saying otherwise." She said to him.

Von couldn't deny it. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't deny what was before his eyes. A couple seconds later, Von was fully erect and it was throbbing with anticipation. He was against it, but he wanted her to rut him. He wanted to feel her insides hugging around his cockChrysalis licked her lips and stared at him with her emerald eyes.

"Ready for round 2?" She teased. Of course she didn't need to ask as she herself was ready to go again as She slowly lowered herself on him and low gasps escaped from both her lips and Von's. He shook his head, trying to ignore the pleasure that he was about to receive but it was too late. Chrysalis sat all the way down and the both of them screamed with pleasure, Chrysalis more than Von, and stopped to allow them catch their breaths. Von was frozen in shock as he knew there was no turning back. It had really happened for him. Queen Chrysalis, ruler of the changelings and the one that brought him into this world, had just taken his virginity. Von was embarrassed beyond all recognition, but it soon turned into pleasure as Chrysalis started bouncing up and down on him, her rump hitting his hips.

"T-this...feels...so....aah...." He gasped as Chrysalis continued to ride him. Her mouth was open and tongue was hanging slightly out of her mouth as she started moaning. Von closed his eyes and tried not to give in, but the feeling was too good. He practically melted in Chrysalis' embrace and wrapped his hooves around her waist. Von was enjoying the moment they were sharing, though this was a taboo forbidden in Celestia's law but he wasn't thinking about that right now. All that mattered was that he wanted to be satisfied and Chrysalis did as well, in addition to getting food from him. The fact they were breaking one of Celestia's laws turned her on and she tightened around Von's dick and caused him to moan louder.

"E-enjoying yourself?" He managed to ask. But Chrysalis ignored him. She was too absorbed in the moment to be paying any attention and started to quicken her pace, moaning more and more with each passing second. Their chorus of moans filled the air and Chrysalis leaned in to kiss Von's lips again and unexpectedly, he kissed her back and moaned into her mouth. It felt like hours had passed as Chrysalis kept having her way with the young half-breed. Von opened one of his eyes to see Chrysalis sweating and she was looking back at him. The sounds of her wet flesh slapping against his hips were driving her mad and she could tell Von was loving this more than anything as he was starting to drool again and she felt him get harder inside her.

"Oh...my....I haven't felt this way in so long. N-not since--Aaaah!!" Her sentence was cut short as a scream of pleasure escaped from her lips and she leaned against Von. "Oh Von!! Rut me! Rut me like the dirty little mare I am!!!" She screamed. She tightened around his cock more and that was more than he could possibly take. He was still protesting inside his mind, but his body was disobeying him. Von cried out in pleasure and started to thrust in time with her, eliciting louder moans. Von thrust hard when Chrysalis came down on him, the tip of his member hitting against her womb. If Von came there, no doubt she'd get pregnant and he DEFINITELY didn't want that. He closed his eyes and kept thrusting, keeping in mind to pull out the moment he felt like he was gonna release his load. She screamed with each pounding she received and that only got her going more. She embraced him and quickened her pace and her wings started to flap. The vibration from her wings ran through her body and as her marehood vibrated around Von's colthood, it twitched letting her know that she was bringing him to the edge.

Von placed his hooves under Chrysalis' haunches and tried his best to hold on. He was disgusted that he was enjoying what Chrysalis was doing to him, but he was also happy to be experiencing this new feeling and didn't want to stop. But with Chrysalis' movements and the feeling of her slick warm walls hugging around his cock, it was all in vain. It was about to end soon and Von could feel it.

"C-Chrysalis...I'm gonna..." Chrysalis knew what was coming next and was way ahead of him. As she climaxed, she slipped Von out of her before he could do it himself and started sucking him off again, greedily milking him with a look of desire on her face. Von blushed as he watched his mother blow him. The taste of her own juices on his length and the taste she expected to soon receive from Von's seed riled her up more and her wings started to flap again. The feeling of her warm mouth around his member felt better than anything he'd ever felt before. She was working him like a pro, even better than Rarity and he surrendered to her mouth. Chrysalis sat there for a few seconds as Von let out the last of his seed and she swallowed it again. He blushed and she smiled at him as she got back up.

"Thanks for the food. I'll see you again, sweetie. Take care of yourself." She told him. She bid farewell as she spread her wings and took off. Von sat there by himself, having released twice and was speechless.

"Did that.....really just happen?" He asked himself. He sighed and fell onto his back. "I just.......had sex with my mom......and I enjoyed it! Oh Celestia, how could it get any worse than this?" Von laid there and stared at the sky. His day had gone by poorly. He almost lost himself to the dark magic he used, his marefriend broke up with him and he let himself be consumed by the pleasures Chrysalis offered. It couldn't possibly get any worse, he thought. He turned his head and realized where he still was: he was right beside his father's gravestone......and he just had sex with his mother, his father's lover. At that moment, a chilling wind blew around him and it sent shivers up his spine. It was far worse than what Nova could manage to make him feel. He immediately got up, spread his wings and flew back to Ponyville.

First Nightmare Night

Chapter 20: First Nightmare Night

The day after his return, Von continued to walk through the streets of Ponyville as though everything was fine. All he wanted to do was have a normal day. He wanted to do something, ANYTHING that could cheer him up after the events of yesterday.

When he arrived the day before, he quickly went to his suite in the Canterlot castle. Celestia noticed how strange he was acting and decided to investigate.

"Von?" She called out and stopped the halfling in his tracks. "Is something the matter?"

"N-no. Of course not, princess." He lied. Von looked in the corner of his eye and noticed the solar alicorn approaching him. He blushed a crimson red and looked back towards the hall he was walking in. Just down the hall to his right was his room, his sanctuary. If he could get there, he could go to bed and forget about what had happened to him.

"Are you certain? Because you are not normally in such a hurry." She said. The tone of her voice was that of concern and motherly affection. Before he learned of his origins, he had looked up to Celestia as a mother figure. She was powerful, caring, intelligent and benevolent. Of course, those traits were common among rulers and those traits didn't fit anyone better than Princess Celestia. She stood to the side of him and lowered her head so that she was eye level. Von was sweating and that fact that she got closer didn't help a bit.

"I'm ok, p-princess. Really." He lied again. He then felt the caress of Celestia's wing on his back and he looked up at her.

"You look like you had a rough day. Did something interesting happen today?"

Something happened alright, he thought. He looked up at Celestia and saw the concern behind her smile. But not too long after their eyes met, the images of her (or rather the fake) playing with him, kissing him and various other things flashed in his head and he looked away from her. "I'm sorry. I'm just....not feeling well. Something tragic happened to me and I just want to forget about it."

"I see. I hope that you feel better then." She said. She tenderly kissed his forehead before she moved away from him and smiled after taking her wing away from him.

'I hope so, too." He quickly said before he walked again.

"Hold on." She called to him. He stopped again and his heart started racing. She lifted her head up and sniffed the air. "What is that musky smell?" Von stayed silent and his heart began to beat even faster.

"Um...I'm sure it's nothing, princess. Good night!" He yelled back as he ran into his room, slamming the door behind him. Celestia stared in confusion as he disappeared into his chambers. She sighed, deciding not to inquire further and turned to be on her way. However, a small smile appeared on her lips.

"Odd behavior, feeling jittery and a musky smell? ....Well, he is young. Luna and I were like that at one point." She said to herself.

"Like what, big sister?" Luna asked, coming up from where Celestia retreated from.

"It's nothing, Luna. Come. We must get the preparations ready for tomorrow." She said. Luna nodded her head in agreement and the two of them left.

As the moon rose up in the night sky, all was quiet in Canterlot. Well....almost quiet. Von was the only one unable to get any sleep, but nopony would be able to blame him after what happened.

"This is bad. This is very bad." He said to himself. "I did something that I'm never supposed to do! And even worse, I thought provocative things about the princess." He pressed his face into one of the pillows and yelled into it in frustration. He laid there for a couple of minutes before he turned around onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Even though it was faint, he still thought about the one thing that got to him most. "So...it's over. I guess it was bound to happen one day. Better for her to be happy with somepony else than me."

He wanted to think it was a dream, but the feeling in his heart didn't lie. Rainbow Dash had ended their relationship and went for a new stallion. He rolled over onto his side and pulled the blanket over him.

"Yeah...I should have expected this. Like anypony would really love a freak like me anyway. But...I still care about her. She's still my friend. That's not...so bad. Yeah." He said with a small smile. "But still...it hurts. I have to get over this somehow. Gotta think of something else. Let's see....uh....cupcakes.....sweet, juicy cupcakes." He licked his lips and began to drool as he laid his head down to sleep so he could awake the following day.

"There's gotta be something I can do." He groaned. He looked around at the shops and all of the houses and noticed something a little odd. The ponies were putting up decorations, like pumpkins and orange lights, setting up game areas and food stands. And some were even putting on outfits that made them look like little creatures. He had never seen this kind of thing before. The way things were in Ponyville were still so foreign to him, so he did the first thing he thought of: he decided to investigate. He turned and went over to a trio of familiar looking fillies who were helping with the decorations.

"Excuse me. Can I ask you 3 something?" He asked. The fillies turned around and his eyes widened when he saw the faces of Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

"Oh. Hiya, Von. How are y'all doin today?" Asked Applebloom.

"Um...fine, I guess. So, what are the Cutie Mark Crusaders up to today?" He teased.

"We're preparing for the Nightmare Night Festival." Sweetie Belle said, dropping some apples into a barrel.

"Are you going to come? It'll be lots of fun." Scootaloo declared happily. Von stood there and blinked. He remembered when Princess Luna informed him of the Nightmare Night celebration. But he never celebrated Nightmare Night before. So he was clueless on the activities.

"Well...I guess. But I don't know what you do on Nightmare Night." He stated. The fillies stared at him with awe and huddled up. He could barely tell as he was still distracted by thoughts of the recent events, but he was sure that they were talking about him. They conversed among themselves for a minute, looking up at the half-breed for short seconds until they broke the circle and smiled at him.

"It's settled. We're gonna help you celebrate Nightmare Night like a real pony!" Applebloom declared.

"Wait, what?!" Von shouted in confusion.

Later that day over at Twilight's library, the unicorn and Spike were making their preparations for this years Nightmare Night. The two of them donned their costumes and revealed what they were going as to each other. Twilight, deciding to try something different, was dressed as a princess. The crown she wore (even if it was fake) was golden and had multi-colored gems embedded into it. She also wore a necklace that was similar to Celestia's. Spike, on the other hand, was dressed like a knight in shining armor. Actually, it was tin foil shaped into a helmet and suit and he wielded a wooden sword.

"This year is going to be great. But why didn't you want to dress as Starswirl or somepony else this year?" Asked the young drake. Twilight giggled.

"Well nopony seems to ever know what I dress up as. So I decided to dress up as something more well known. Besides, I thought it'd be fun to dress up like a princess. It makes me feel--"

"Like you're just like Celestia?" Spike teased. Twilight blushed and nodded her head to him.

"I've always wanted to know what it'd be like to be her. But I know I could never be Celestia. So Nightmare Night is as close as I can get. Plus, I can take some notes on this experience of mine for this year." She said clopping her hooves together. Spike sighed but smiled at Twilight. He always thought her bookworm personality was rather cute, but nothing could compare to him than the beauty, style and charm of his precious Rarity. He had a lovestruck look on his face as Twilight approached him, ready to go out into town and she waved her hoof in front of his face.

"Come on, my faithful knight. It is your duty to escort your princess into town safely." She said with a playful regal tone. Spike snapped out of his trance and played along with Twilight's game.

"Of course. Let us be on our way, your majesty." He said as he bowed. The two of them laughed and walked out of the library together. They arrived in the center of Ponyville to find their friends waiting. Applejack was behind one of the booths and was wearing her old scarecrow costume from last Nightmare Night. Pinkie Pie was dressed as a clown. Typical Pinkie Pie. But oddly enough, Kamen was nowhere to be found.

"Hi Pinkie Pie. Hi Applejack." Twilight greeted.

"Howdy Twilight." Applejack responded.

"Hi!" Pinkie said with her normal, bubbly voice. The three of them started to chat a bit until one curious baby dragon looked at Pinkie and decided to speak up.

"Where's Kamen?" Spike asked. Pinkie shrugged.

"I dunno. He said he'd be--"

"Psst." A voice whispered. The four of them turned their heads and saw a hooded pony come over to them. He looked shady and definitely up to no good. He crept over to them and they could see a smile underneath his hood.

"Got somethin' that might interest ya." He said in a low tone. "I got gems of the rarest kind and I'm givin' them away...for a small price." Spike licked his lips after hearing him mention gems and stepped forward but Twilight held him back.

"Where did you get these 'gems' of yours?" She asked as she eyed the suspicious pony. He smiled at her.

"Alright. I'll tell ya. But you can't tell anypony. Come closer..." He said. Twilight felt uncomfortable around him, but she decided to go along with it. She leaned in closer.

"Closer." He said again and Twilight leaned in closer. The shady pony smiled and lifted off his cloak to reveal a monstrous face and started to utter in a strange, frightening language. The sudden appearance startled Twilight and she fell backwards into the apple-bobbing bucket. The shady pony and Pinkie Pie laughed and pointed at her.

"Oh wow! I had no idea you were that easy to scare, Twilight! Hahahaha!" The shady pony said in a familiar voice. Twilight poked her now dripping wet head out of the bucket and saw the pony take off his mask, revealing Kamen underneath.

"Kamen! That wasn't funny!" She shrieked, getting out of the bucket and trying to dry herself off. Applejack couldn't help but laugh a little, but she was mainly focused on fixing what Kamen caused Twilight to mess up.

"Wasn't funny? Please. You looked like you were gonna pee yourself! Haha!" He laughed. He fell onto his back, pointing and laughing the whole time until tears came to his eyes and he started to cough. "N-now look at what you did!" He said with a smile. Pinkie Pie joined in and started to laugh with him until eventually, they all started to laugh. However, their joy was quickly interrupted. A puff of smoke appeared behind them all and in its place was a strange creature. It had the head of a pony and a body made up of many different kinds of creatures. Twilight recognized this creature and needless to say, she was stunned.

"I-it can't be...." She mumbled. The mix-match creature laughed and looked down at her and his full visage was revealed. The creature was none other than Discord.

"Oh, I'm so happy to be back after all this time. I must admit, it's gotten easier for me to break out of seals now." The draconequus said. Applejack, Pinkie and Twilight glared at him. After what he had done last time, they never wanted to see Discord's face again. They were sure that they sealed him away in stone once more, bound to the Canterlot Gardens. And yet here he was, standing proudly before them. "And you ponies are having a celebration and didn't invite me? That makes me sad." He mocked, wiping away an invisible tear.

"Discord! Why are y'all here? Ain't you had enough of ruinin' our lives?" Applejack asked. Discord smiled.

"Of course not, dear Applejack. I had only just begun back then." He said, stepping forward to them. Spike tried to stay tough, but Discord was too intimidating to him. Afraid, he hid behind Twilight, who looked back at him but quickly turned back to Discord.

"Well you may have gotten out of your prison again, but this time we'll make sure you stay imprisoned!" Twilight declared.

"How, pray tell, are you going to do that? You need the Elements of Harmony to turn me into stone again. And since all of you aren't here, I intend on having some fun with you." He said. He laughed as he began to get closer to them but suddenly, out of nowhere, Kamen got up and darted at Discord, pinning him to the ground and proceeded to punch him. The draconequus covered his face as Kamen unleashed a barrage of hooves on him.

"Not so tough now, are ya? Are ya?!" He said with much gusto. Discord panicked and looked at the pegasus..

"Stop! It's me! It's me, you idiot!!!" Discord yelled in a highly familiar voice. Kamen stopped his assault and looked down at him. Discord uncovered his face and gave Kamen an annoyed look before he pushed him off. He stood up and in a bright flash of green flames, he transformed into Von.

"Von?!" Shouted all five of them. The young halfling started to laugh at them and pointed his hoof in their direction.

"Y-you should see the looks on your faces. Priceless!" He said, falling onto his back. Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie Pie narrowed their eyes at him for the fact that he did something so reckless and the fact that they remember Discord saying that same thing, but managed to crack a smile. When they looked at Von, who finally stopped laughing, they noticed that he was wearing some kind of armor. It was dark purple and he was also wearing a matching helmet. Twilight had seen this kind of armor before but it took her a moment for her to realize where it was she had seen it.

"Is that armor supposed to be the armor of Princess Luna's guards?" She asked. Von looked at himself and smiled as he answered.

"Yeah. Rather, it was modeled after the armor her guards wear. It was custom made for me to wear for this celebration of yours." He explained. "I was planning on staying in the form of Discord until Celestia recommended that I don't. It makes sense since there are so many little fillies and colts here for this."

"That's another thing I wanted to ask. When did you learn how to transform? You never did it before." Twilight stated.

"Yeah. You ain't never attempted to do somethin' like that the whole time you were with us." Applejack said. Von smiled and looked behind him as Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo ran to his sides.

"It was actually thanks to these three." He declared. "See, when I came to town earlier, I had no idea what this whole Nightmare Night thing was about. So they decided to teach me personally and dragged me over to a little clubhouse which, by the way, needs a bigger doorway." He said, looking at the three fillies. They blushed and kicked their hooves against the ground as Von continued to speak. "They told me what Nightmare Night was all about and I decided that it'd be fun to scare somepony. But I didn't have a costume. I was stumped and tried my hardest to think of something to do."

"So we told him that maybe he could use his magic to transform into somethin'." Applebloom stated. Sweetie Belle jumped up and smiled as she looked towards the group.

"We heard that he was....what was it called....oh yeah! We heard he was a changeling and we looked them up and figured out that he's capable of morphing on his own." She said.

"He told us he didn't know how, so we had him practice." Scootaloo declared. "He did pretty badly. I mean really really really REALLY--"

"Ok. I think they get the point, Scootaloo." Von mumbled through his teeth, shutting the orange pegasus up. "So...I tried changing into something small to start out. I chose them and got it to work. Then I tried something bigger and continued to work my way up until...well, you guys already saw." He smiled sheepishly. The girls smiled and patted his back.

"Well that sounds like some mighty tough work you had to do to try and master somethin' like that." Applejack said. Von smiled at her.

"Thanks. But right now...this is my first Nightmare Night and I want to have some fun." He said with a giddy voice. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!!!" He shouted and before anypony could respond, he ran off. Kamen shook his head and wrapped his hoof around Pinkie.

"He's like a little colt. Oh well. Come on. Let's get going before he has all the fun." He declared and ran off with the rest of them following close behind.

BGM 1

Von was constantly moving about during the Nightmare Night celebration. He started from the spider throw game, moving onto the apple bobbing and got some cotton candy. For his first time being in this celebration, he was having the time of his life. The pain he had felt the other felt like it had been completely washed away. But he felt like there was something wrong. Some kind of sickening feeling. But that was probably because of how much food he ate.

"Maybe I need to lay off this sweet stuff," He told himself as he threw away a stick of cotton candy he had halfway eaten. "It's starting to get to me. Ooooo....." He held his stomach and looked around. He started to get dizzy and he felt something rise up in him. He put a hoof up to his muzzle and began to gag. He was gonna throw up. He frantically looked around until he noticed a trash bin nearby. Seeking the need to release, he ran over to it and dunked his head inside and let up all that he had consumed.

"Blergh!!!! Blagh!!!!" was all that was heard coming from him. All the little fillies and colts and other ponies that were around at the time stopped and stared in disgust before going on their merry way. Von gagged and threw up once more until he felt a pat on his back. His head shot up and he looked behind him to see Twilight and the rest. A glass of water was levitating in front of him, surrounded by her magical aura and he took a sip to rid the taste of vomit (and the aftertaste of his mother) from his mouth.

"Maybe this will be a lesson fer ya to learn," Applejack started. "Don't wander off on your own." Von smiled at Applejack and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. She was right. It was rather idiotic of him to go off on his own, acting the way he did. Especially during a celebration he's never been a part of. It made him feel happy to know that somepony was looking out for him. He turned away and looked off into the direction of the Everfree Forest.

I wonder how mom is doing..., He thought. While he was thinking, his friends continued to talk amongst themselves.

"Hey. Where's Rainbow Dash?" Kamen asked. The moment Rainbow Dash's name escaped his lips, Von's ears twitched, dragging him away from his thoughts as he turned to look at them.

"She said she was staying home today for this years Nightmare Night." Twilight said. "She said she was expecting somepony over." Von cringed at that last part, earning the attention of Kamen.

"Really? Who? She would told us who it was if it was somepony we knew. Maybe it's somepony we don't know! But that's strange. I know just about everypony. Hmm...I wonder who it is." Pinkie said.

"It's a Pegasus," Von started. "A stallion with a light blue coat and black mane." Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack and Spike looked at Von in shock.

"Von? Do you know this guy?" Spike asked.

"No." Von deadpanned. He walked away and didn't look back, leaving his friends confused but Applejack was the only one that KNEW why he looked the way he did just now.

"What's wrong with Von?" Pinkie asked. Twilight shrugged and Spike kept his mouth shut to avoid getting involved.

"Ah say we leave him alone fer now," Applejack said. "He probably just ain't feeling well." Regardless of what Applejack said, they were all still worried about Von. But they decided to have faith in him and went off to continue celebrating. All except for Kamen.

"Dash dumped him, huh?" Kamen asked. Applejack cringed upon hearing Kamen's question. She turned to him and held her head low.

"How'd you find out?" She asked. Kamen laughed and patted her on the back.

"I have many ways to figuring out this kind of stuff. I have eyes ev--"

"Y'all just took a wild guess, didn't ya?" Applejack interrupted.

"Uh.....yeah. Yeah, I just guessed. But part of me expected this as well. I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid because of this." He exclaimed.

Von continued to walk through the streets of Ponyville, paying no mind to what was around him. The minute he had heard the name of his ex, the event of their break-up echoed through his mind. He'd hoped that he could ignore it and just forget that it ever happened. But the fact remained that he could not escape what was in the past, even if that past was yesterday.

"Dammit. Why can't I just forget about it?! I don't love her and she doesn't love me. So why is it so hard to move on?" He asked himself. Von stopped walking and sighed as he lowered his head. Just then, he heard something. It was the voice of a mare he'd never heard before. It was beautiful and sounded exotic. He lifted his head and turned to the source of the voice and his eyes widened. The voice was coming from a mare with a black and white coat, complete with a matching mane. Her mane was smoothed out to her sides and she had fake spiders adorning it. But what really surprised Von was that he had seen this mare before.

"It's her! From my dream...." He muttered.

BGM 2

This striped mare was beautiful beyond words to Von. She looked mature, intelligent and she seemed to be great with kids as there were many little fillies and colts around her. He had never seen her anywhere before that dream, but now that he finally got to see her in person, he was dumbfounded. His heart was racing so fast that it almost popped out of his chest. He felt this way with Rainbow Dash, but it wasn't this bad. Or in this case, it wasn't this good.

"Who....is that?" He asked himself. As he questioned the identity of the mare, she looked in his direction, having noticed him staring and their eyes met. Von's face flushed with red and his heart started to beat faster. They kept staring at each other for a good while until Von averted his eyes from her. When he looked back, he noticed that the striped mare was blushing as well, which prompted him to smile. She smiled, too and was about to approach him but a filly dressed like a baker tugged on the sleeve on the mare and she turned and walked away. But as she walked away, she gave him a quick glance and went on her way. Von smiled and started to walk back into Ponyville, but his mood was alot better than earlier.

That mare...she was so beautiful. I don't know who she is, but she was in that dream of mine, He thought. But the way I acted in my dream was as if I knew her. So....maybe....that wasn't a dream...but it was a vision instead. This is so weird. I might need to talk to the princess about this. When he reached Sugarcube Corner, he saw his friends waiting for him and they greeted him with warm smiles all around. He returned their smiles with one of his own and stepped towards them. This is the best night ever.

Grounding

Chapter 21:Grounding

Nightmare Night was one of the best nights Von and his friends ever had together. They had all exhausted themselves with the fun that they had. Spike had gotten sick from having too much candy, forcing Twilight to carry the little drake back home. Pinkie had passed out from all the excitement, which lead Kamen to take her back. Applejack had finished helping clean up the food and games with all the other mares and stallions and went on home afterwards. Last but not least, there was Von. Von was happy to have spent some quality time with his friends and all of the ponies who welcomed him....well, most of the ponies who welcomed him. They all had so much fun, each of them spending time with their friends, lovers and family.

Family, he thought. He looked up at the night sky, beautifully created thanks to the effort of the lunar princess herself and thought about his family....or at least the ones who meant something to him. He thought about the elder. His elder was always there for him and was more like a father to him than anyone. He remembered how much time they spent together when Von wasn't able to leave the mountains.

~12 years prior to Von's departure~

"AAAAHHH!!!" Von cried out as he charged headlong at his elder. The elder kept his eyes closed and easily side-stepped Von's reckless assault and cringed as the young drake crashed into a rock pile. It hadn't been too long since the elder brought Von back with him to the mountains. In order to help him blend in better, the elder placed a spell on him that changed and bound him into a pure dragon form. Much to Von's dismay, he had a hard time adjusting to the new shape.

"Perhaps we should end our training at that." The elder said. Von shook off the rubble and turned to face his elder.

'No! I want to keep fighting. I want to unleash my inner dragon, like you." Von declared. "I want to know how to sense the fire and hear the earth and....wait. What was it again?" The elder laughed and patted Von on the head.

"I see hanging around your friends is interfering with your focus. You cannot even remember what you're supposed to be learning. But I suppose I cannot blame you. HE was the same way." He said. Von tilted his head in confusion.

"Who's 'HE'?" Von asked.

"You will learn in due time. But focus on your training. What you must learn is to be swift like the raging winds, calm like the still waters, strong like the mountains of Equestria and fierce like the roaring flames." He instructed. "We will try to see if you can remain calm like the waters. That should be easier for you." He teased. Von snorted and got into position.

"I'm ready!" He declared. The elder got into a fighting stance.

"Close your eyes and remain calm. Clear your mind. Feel everything around you and dodge my attack. Understood?"

"Yes, elder." Von said. Von closed his eyes and cleared his head. He felt like he could be one with all of Equestria. At that moment, he felt something. It was not of malicious intent, but the feeling was threatening.

It was getting closer.

Closer.....

Closer...........

.........................

..........................................

Pow

"Ow!!" Von cried. He put his claws on his head as he felt a throbbing pain. "What was that for?"

"You were supposed to dodge it. I suppose we'll have to keep at this until you get it right." The elder said with a chuckle. Von grunted in annoyance.

"Fine...."

"What was that?" The elder asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

"N-nothing. I'm ready, elder." Von said. He closed his eyes again. He was barely able to sense the area around him, but he was too focused on trying to avoid his elder's hits. They really hurt.

Von kept still and remained calm. He could sense his elder coming closer.

...........

................

Nothing happened. Von had expected his elder to hit him, but it didn't--

Pow

"OW!!!!! That was worst than last time!" Von yelled. His elder laughed.

"Come. We will try again." He said calmly. Von sighed.

~1 hour later~

Pow

"Again."

Pow

"Again!"

Pow

"I'm starting to think you aren't taking this seriously, young one." The elder stated. Von sat there, his head covered in bruises and was barely standing.

"I am trying! Just....go easy on me, will you?" He whined. His elder sighed and patted him lightly on the head, Von wincing from the pain of his earlier hits in response.

"We'll end it here today. But you are doing much better."

"No, i'm not. I suck at this. I'll never be a true dragon like you guys. I'm just this.....thing." Von said sadly. He sat down near a small gem pile and threw a sapphire into his mouth. The elder rested beside him and put one of his claws around Von's shoulder.

"This takes time, Von. This has been knowledge that has been passed down through generations. From my father's father, my father, me....him...and now you."

"Elder, who is this 'him' you keep speaking of?" Von inquired. The elder stayed silent. He looked away from Von for a moment before glancing back down at the young drake.

"I speak of your father. He was a powerful dragon, but he was just like you: free-spirited, stubborn, naive, lacking in discipline...but he had a kind heart and great leadership. He was one of the best dragons I had met in all my centuries being alive." He said.

"Was? You mean..."

"Yes. He died a long time ago, most likely before you were born. I found you 6 years after his death, covered in that slime. I could tell right away that you were his child. I could not leave you on your own, so I brought you back to the mountain. I didn't know much much but from what I heard, he had fallen in love with a pony."

"A pony? But I thought dragons and ponies couldn't get along." Von proclaimed.

"We could. However, he was aware of the difference in species and how it couldn't possibly work out. But it appears he was willing to break past that wall that separated our races in order to pursue his feelings." The elder said with a sigh. "But that led to his downfall and the treaty we dragons signed with the ruler of Equestria broke. Thus, we do not set foot there. That is the reason why I do not want you to leave the mountain. I do not wish for you to be treated wrong...or for you to treat the ponies wrong because of what you heard."

"I won't."

"What?"

"Just because we're different doesn't mean that I would treat them wrongly. I don't know much about ponies, but I'm sure I could get along with them." Von declared. The elder chuckled.

"And why is that?" He asked.

"Because if my father was able to break past that wall, then so can I." Von leaped up onto an edge of the mountain and stood there proudly as his words began to sink into the elder's head.

The two of them really are alike. Ignus....I wonder if you're watching him right now?, the elder thought. Just then, there was a loud boom that caught both the attention of Von and the elder. Far from their home, there was a large shockwave that traveled high above the clouds and over the land. It was colored like a rainbow and it was the most breathtaking thing that Von had ever seen.

"Wow. What's that, elder?" Von asked. He stepped forward to try and observe it more clearly and the elder saw his foot slip.

"Von, be careful!" It was too late. Von had slipped off the small edge and rolled down the edge of the mountain and hit a cliff down below with a loud thud. The elder flew down to his level and picked him up in his arms. From what was seen, Von had hit his head. Ironic since most of the injuries Von had suffered today was on his head.

"Von! Are you alright?" The elder asked. Von dizzily opened his eyes. He could barely see a thing until his eyes focused correctly and locked onto the elder. "Von?"

"Who's Von?" Von asked. The elder sighed.

"I can't believe this..."

{~~~~~~~~}

"Now that I think about it....it was Rainbow Dash's fault I lost my memory!!!" Von yelled to himself.

Deep within the depths of the badlands, Chrysalis and her horde lay waiting. Most of her changelings had starved to death, but she managed to feed herself and all the rest with the love she had taken from Von.

"My forces have been reduced. But no matter. I still have enough to aid me in taking Equestria." She said to herself. She walked into what was left of her chambers and looked down at a cocoon shell. it was bigger than that of the other changelings, that being because it belonged to Von. "Tomorrow is his 20th birthday. I wonder what he'll do for it?" She asked herself. She turned and left her room. She decided to do one more thing before she retired and that was to check on the newest and most dangerous addition to her army: Her son in law, Nova.

BGM 1

"Ooh...just look at how frail these little buggers are. They don't get enough love, then they wither away. They're better off dead when they get like that." He said to himself as he lifted one of the changeling corpses above his head. "And now I'm one of them. However, I am still stronger. Even without absorbing any love. They need love to become strong. But even with love, they are still weak. And the strong prey on the weak." Nova dropped the corpse into his open mouth and closed his jaw.

Crunch

"....What do you want, Chryssy? Come to pay a visit to your dear old son in law?" Nova asked with a sadistic tone. Chrysalis peered into the chamber to see two purple eyes and a wide white grin staring at her. She felt afraid for once in her life, but she stood her ground.

"Yes. I was checking on your condition. How do you fe--"

"Grrreat! Just great." Nova hissed. He stood up and walked over to Chrysalis. The chamber he was staying in was no longer used as it served as the breeding and nesting ground for her eggs. A desolate place like that was the kind of place Nova now seemed to enjoy. "You certainly took your sweet time coming back the other day. What happened? Did sun-butt kick your ass again?!" Nova mocked. Chrysalis growled at him.

"Of course not. I merely went in search of food for my subjects. What else would I do?" She asked. She knew what the other answer was. I'd go to see my son. But she suppressed that thought for if Nova knew what she was doing behind his back, she and her horde would pay for it....BIG TIME.

"Whatever. I noticed something about you changelings. You have cheese-legs..." Nova dropped another corpse into his mouth and Chrysalis cringed and nearly blew chunks when she heard the loud crunching sound. "But you guys taste nothing like cheese. Odd. Well it doesn't matter to me. Tomorrow, I have plans to visit my dear little brother. I can handle it myself, so you can--"

She's already seen him.....

"Huh?" Nova blinked as the mysterious voice spoke to him again.

She has seen him.....he is still alive....

Nova looked in Chrysalis' direction and stepped forward, Chrysalis backing away slightly in response. He lifted his head and sniffed the air until he caught a scent. It was a scent that he was familiar with. He growled and glared at Chrysalis with his hate-filled eyes.

"Were you with Von?!?!" He hissed. Chrysalis shook her head.

"Of course not! I would never go to see that foolish child." She lied.

"Is that so?" Nova gave her a wicked grin and walked past her. She turned around to see that one of Nova's hooves was just above one of her eggs. There were 4 of them and she had laid them a week ago.

"What are you doing?!"

"You said you weren't with Von. If that's the case, if you're telling the truth then you won't attempt anything when I do THIS!"

Crunch

Chrysalis stared in horror as Nova had crushed the poor egg. Reveling in the joys of killing, Nova laughed and licked the slime off his hoof.

"Kinda salty. Let's see what the next one tastes like." He said with a chuckle. Chrysalis turned away as the next of her eggs was crushed by Nova. She started to quiver with fear. He was nothing like this when she recruited him. Before, he was just arrogant and had a thirst for power. Now...he just wanted to kill and laughed at it. He'd gone insane and realization struck her as she remembered that Nova was going to attack Von tomorrow. On his birthday!

"Stop!!!" Chrysalis yelled. Nova was just about to bring one of his hooves down on another egg until her words stopped him dead in his tracks. He looked over at her with a wicked smile. "Nova....you weren't like this before. Ignus acted nothing like this and neither does Von. Have you lost your mind?!?!"

"Haha! I HAVE NO IDEA!!!" Nova said. He then walked over to Chrysalis and placed a hoof on her cheek. "You know...I have no problem with you seeing my little brother. You are his mother. If you went for a walk, fine. If you fucked him, that's fine. If you got pregnant by him....well that'd be weird, but I don't care. The fact of the matter is...."

You're helping him, which means you betrayed me....

"You're helping him, which means you betrayed me...." Nova then brought his hoof back and smacked Chrysalis across the face with it. She nearly fell to the floor at the sheer force of his strike. Her midnight black cheek was now a crimson red and an imprint of his hoof was there. She stared back at her assaulter, only to see that he was just laughing.

"Nova...what's happened to you?" She asked with a frightful tone. She was scared for her life. She was scared for the lives of her changelings. And more importantly, she was scared for the life of her son.

BGM 2

I have been released from my shackles...

"I have been released from my shackles...." Nova repeated. Chrysalis couldn't tell what was going on. Nova almost seemed like he was in a trance as he continued to step forward. Chrysalis tried to move, but she couldn't. Her body wasn't responding at all. All she could do was look at him in horror. The once proud changeling queen was now reduced to that of a coward.

I feel no remorse. No pain. Only pleasure. Only bliss.

"I feel no remorse. No pain. Only pleasure. Only bliss." Nova looked Chrysalis in the eyes and smiled at her. "I have needs that must be met. I need someone who will not betray me. Someone who will obey me. Someone like you no longer deserves to rule. You are weak, spineless. I am strong and fear nothing. This is my time, not yours." He said. He looked her up and down and smiled. "And speaking of needs....there is one need that must be met and you're here to take care of that." Chrysalis' eyes widened and she tried frantically to get up. But she still couldn't move. The terror from moments ago had taken hold of her.

"No...don't....." Chrysalis uttered.

"I'm not fond of ponies or pony-like creatures, but you'll do for now." Nova flashed his pearl white fangs as he hovered over her. "Don't disappoint me now!!"

"No! Don't!! N-- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Von jolted awake from his sleep. He looked around and realized that he was in his room in Canterlot Castle.

"Another vision..." He mumbled. Images of his mother, himself and Nova flashed through his mind. "What could it mean this time?" Von arose from his bed and after washing up, he went to the audience chamber to speak with the princess.

"A vision, you say?" Celestia asked.

"Yes. I've had two of them so far. One was about some strange pony that I just saw in Ponyville yesterday. The other...was about mom, Nova and myself." He explained.

"And just what happened in this vision of yours?"

"I'm not sure. Nova was just....laughing. And the smile he had was frightening. Mom was crying for some reason and then everything went black." Von looked down at the floor. "I'm a little scared." Celestia rose from her throne and placed one of her hooves on Von.

"Do not be scared. Not many ponies, Unicorns or even us Alicorns, can gain the ability you have. It is very unique. If you can see the future, then you can change it as well. The future is yours to decide, as it is for all my little ponies." She reassured him.

"Change the future....the future is ours to decide....." Von let the words sink in and smiled at Celestia. "Thank you, princess. But there is something else." Celestia gave him a concerned stare.

"What is it?"

"it isn't anything too big, but I've finally gotten my memory back. And if I recall....I think today is my birthday. My 20th birthday." Celestia smiled at him.

"Well, happy birthday Von. I hope you have a wonderful time today." She said.

"I will. Well, I gotta go. I'm gonna be late for my magic lessons." He said as he turned around.

"Magic lessons?" Celestia asked.

"Yeah. I'm hoping to get Twilight to teach me how to use magic. I used dark magic and almost hurt somepony. So I want to learn how to use normal magic like you guys. See you later." Von bid farewell and took off out of the doors. Celestia smiled as Von departed but her smile quickly faded as an ill-wind blew into the room. Her eyes widened with fear.

"This wind....Von, please be careful...."

~30 minutes later~

"Twilight, can I stop now? It kinda hurts." Von cried.

"Oh don't be such a baby! You can handle it." Twilight said.

"Yeah...but it won't go in. It's too tight!"

"And what's that supposed to mean? Are you just going to give up?" Twilight asked with a stern tone.

"Well...no. But maybe if you could make some room, it'd go in a little easier." Von whined. Twilight groaned in annoyance.

"Fine! I'll help."

"No no no no. I got it! Really! Just...have to....give one....more....push....There!!!" Von cried.

"Ugh! Finally!" Twilight said. Spike then came downstairs and looked at them.

"Uh...what are you guys doing?" The baby drake asked.

"I was teaching Von how to use a levitation spell, but he kept complaining about how hard it was." Twilight said as she looked towards the exhausted halfling.

"You sure? Cause it sounded like you were--"

"We weren't." Twilight interrupted. Spike blinked in confusion.

"But it sounded alot like--"

"Spike!!!" Twilight yelled. "How would you even know what that.....never mind. But anyway, Von was complaining the whole time during our lesson."

"Hey...this is....harder than you think. Only a certain egghead would think that it's so easy to do. I have little control over my magic." Von complained.

"Hey! I'm not an egghead. I'm well-read." Twilight defended.

"Sounds like an egghead to me." Spike said. Both he and Von laughed while Twilight glared at the both of them.

"Oh whatever. Since it's your birthday, I agreed to do this for you when I SHOULD be organizing my house." Spike's eyes widened and he smiled at Von.

"It's your birthday? Happy birthday, Von." He said. Von smiled.

"Thanks. So...What else do I have to learn now, Twilight?"

"Let's see.....we've covered magic blasts, shields, healing...and levitation. Next is teleporting. But that might be a bit difficult for you." Twilight said with uncertainty.

"Heh. I can handle it. Bring it on!" Von declared. There was a knock on the door and Von looked towards it. "Hold on. Let me see if I can...." Von lowered his head and a magic aura glowed around his horn. It was small, but it managed to last. The knob of the door glowed with the same aura and turned slightly and it pulled the door open revealing Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Kamen, Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

"Happy birthday!!!" They shouted. At that moment, Pinkie pulled out a small blue cannon and pulled the string, blasting confetti and party decorations all over Twilight's library. Twilight levitated a broom and dust pan which began to sweep up the confetti.

"How did you guys find out it was my birthday?" Von asked.

"Well, it just so happens that Kamen was flying towards Canterlot to find you and see if you were coming into Ponyville." Rarity said.

"And when I found out from Celestia that you left and it was your birthday, I flew back and told Pinkie." Kamen said.

"And when Kammy told me, I told Applejack and Fluttershy and Big Mac and Rarity and--" Pinkie's voice was muffled as Applejack placed her hoof over Pinkie's mouth.

"We invited just about everypony to celebrate with us, sugarcube." Applejack said. As she said that, ponies of all ages came into the library, each bearing a gift or food for the party and a pony with glasses, a white coat and blue mane came in with a musical stand. She had a musical note for a cutie mark and she seemed like she was a DJ of sorts and she stood behind the stand and turned it on.

"Let's crank up the bass and get this party started!!" The DJ pony shouted. Pinkie ran beside her and helped her put the music on.

BGM 3

The party was going well overall. It continued for hours. Von was enjoying himself, but also enjoyed the presents he got. New clothes, some gems, board games and many more. He was as happy as can be since he was dancing, quite poorly, with the rest of his friends. He started to back up while dancing and bumped into Rainbow Dash. They looked at each other and then at the floor for a brief moment before looking in their eyes.

"Hey...Dash." Von said.

"Hi, Von." Rainbow Dash said nervously.

"So....how are things with your new coltfriend?" Von inquired.

"Good...good. This is a pretty swell party you have going on, huh?"

"Yeah. ....Hey listen. About the way I acted the other day--"

"Don't worry about it." Rainbow Dash interrupted. "It was my fault. I should've just calmly explained it to you. To let you know that it--"

"I know. But...I'll still be your friend...even after all that." Von said. Rainbow Dash smiled and he returned a smile of his own and the two of the hugged in order to finally reconcile. He blinked and looked at her. "Hey, where's Fluttershy and Big Mac? I thought they'd be here."

"I don't know. Where do you think they are?" Rainbow Dash asked. Von thought for a moment and his eyes widened in shock and his face turned red.

"I think I have a feeling where they are......and what they're doing...." Von muttered, recalling the events at Fluttershy's house. Suddenly, Von's ears perked and he broke Rainbow Dash's embrace.

"Is something wrong, Von?"

"Yeah...I'm just heading out for a walk. I'll be back soon." Von said as he ran off. Rainbow Dash looked on as Von faded into the distance.

Von ran as fast as he could until he was on the outskirts of Ponyville and halted to a stop.

"Who's there?" He called out.

Von....are you there?, a female voice said to him. He heard the voice but he looked around and could not find the source of the voice.

"That voice....mom?!" Von called out.

Yes. I am communicating with you using my magic. As queen, I can speak to you in your thoughts as I can with all of my changelings.

"What is it? You sound different." Von questioned.

Nothing....I wish to see you. Come to Whitetail Woods. It's to the right from where you are. To the West, Chrysalis instructed.

"Ok. I'm coming." Von said. He flapped his wings and flew off into the night.

"......He is on his way, Nova......." Chrysalis said with an emotionless stare. Nova walked over to her side and smiled at her.

"Good girl, Chrysalis. Now...make sure not to break him. I want to have a little fun, too."

"Yes....Nova..........." Chrysalis slowly nodded her head and proceeded into the forest. Von arrived after a few minutes and landed on the ground. He stepped forward and walked for quite awhile until he saw a figure before him. When the moonlight shined on it, the figure was revealed to be Chrysalis.

"Mom! You'll never guess what happened for my birth--"

Zap

Von jumped out of the way as Chrysalis fired a blast of magic at him. Von whipped his head in her direction and quickly ducked down as another magic blast was fired in his direction.

"Mom! What are you doing?!" Von yelled. Chrysalis didn't respond. She just continued to stare in his direction. "Answer me! Mom?!" Still no response. "Fine. If that's the way you want it...then I'll fight you!" Von lowered his head and grinded his hoof against the ground, hinting that he was about to charge. Chrysalis made no effort to protest what Von was attempting and met him with the same gestures. Their magic auras began to glow around their horns and the two of them charged at one another.

Sparks flew all over the forest as Von and Chrysalis began to battle it out with their magic. The two of them flew into the sky and started to exchange blast after blast. But with each one fired, the next one would hit right on target as the first missed. Von was covered in scorch marks and Chrysalis was as well (though he could hardly notice) and the two of them stayed afloat in the air.

"Mom, stop! We don't have to fight! It's me, Von. Your son, remember?! Remember who I am? You sang to me when I was little and again when I was enraged. You found me again in Ponyville after all these years and we even....." Von blushed as his voice trailed off as he recalled what happened at Neighagra Falls. Chrysalis stared at Von and the color in her eyes returned for a brief moment.

"V.........on............" Chrysalis struggled to utter. Von smiled.

"Yes. It's me." Von crept closer to Chrysalis and examined her to see if she was alright. She made no sudden movements until Von got very close and blasted him with her magic. Von fell to the forest floor and Chrysalis flew down in order to finish the job.

"That's enough, Chryssy." A voice called out. Chrysalis stopped and landed on the ground. "Bring him to me." Chrysalis nodded her head towards the source of the voice and used her magic to levitate Von and carried him with her. Von groan in pain and opened his eyes. When his vision focused, he noticed Nova standing by a tree with two changeling corpses dancing in front of him. He seemed to be humming a tune of some kind, but Von couldn't make out what it was until he got closer.

"Move your dead bones bones bones, Move your dead bones bones bones. I promise to keep you alive. Move your dead bones bones bones. Move your dead bones bones bones. You'll scream for the rest of your life! Hahaha!!!" Nova cackled at the defenseless changelings and in one fell swoop, he devoured both corpses. Once he swallowed, he looked towards Von and Chrysalis and greeted them with a very twisted smile. "Von! So good to see you. How's your birthday? Did you get anything good? Oh, where are my manners. I forgot to give you a present. Oh wait...I've got one for you." Nova motioned his head to have Chrysalis put Von down. He stood on his legs, but was quickly pushed into the ground as Nova placed one of his hooves on his back. "It's your punishment." Nova breathed fire down on Von, but the flames were quickly dispersed as a magic shield was placed around Von.

"I-it worked." Von whispered to himself. And as an added bonus, the shield lifted Nova's hoof off of him and he got up from under his brother and got in his stance.

"Gonna fight me, huh?" Nova asked.

"I don't know what you did to my mother, but I will help her and stop you from doing this." Von declared. Nova laughed.

"Why, I did nothing but have a little fun with her." Nova said as he moved towards Chrysalis. "I have to admit...for a creature with a pony body, she's a pretty good lay. No wonder you enjoyed yourself with her. And I can see your reason for loving ponies instead." Nova hung his slimy tongue out and dragged it up Chrysalis' cheek. Chrysalis did nothing to stop him and this angered Von more.

"Leave her alone!" Von yelled. Nova stopped and smiled at him. Von lowered his head and charged at Nova, but Nova moved over slightly, causing Von to miss. Von turned around and his magic aura grew brighter and a blast of magic shot out of his horn and hit Nova in his face. But he remained unscathed.

"I see you learned some magic, too." Nova analyzed. "Come on, little brother. Come and get me. I want to hurry this up because I feel like plowing your mother again. Oops. Did I say that out loud?" Nova cracked a wicked grin and glared at the halfling. Von felt angry beyond all belief and he felt his power rising. He knew what was happening, but he didn't care. He just wanted to end Nova. However, the symbols embedded in his horn reacted and his power lowered. He had forgotten that he wasn't able to use dark magic anymore. "What's wrong? Not able to use that power you used on me last time?!" Nova asked.

"...." Von couldn't find any words. He wanted to fight, but he didn't want to lose control. That's how he almost got killed.

"Fine. You don't wanna answer, then let's end this." Nova hissed. A magic aura appeared in his mouth and he shot out a magical blast. Von stood still, frightened. What was happening was what his vision was. He was afraid. Afraid he couldn't do anything. He felt powerless. Scared. He wanted to move, but couldn't. This was it. He was going to die. His mother was going to remain a hostage to his brother. His friends were going to lose them. Equestria was going to suffer Nova's tyranny. He didn't have a chance to meet with that strange pony he saw. And what's worse, he let down his father.

He was seriously going to die.

...

"I'm really.......going to die........." He said to himself.

...

If you can see the future, then you can change it as well. The future is yours to decide, as it is for all my little ponies.

The words Celestia spoke echoed in his mind and realization hit him. This was a future he had seen. And that meant he could change it. He tried to think of a way out of this. His magic wasn't as strong as Nova's, so that was out of the question. There had to be something.....ANYTHING he learned in his life that he could use to survive. He closed his eyes and an image of him and his elder flashed in his head.

"My training...." Von uttered. He realized that Nova was just egging him on. Trying to make him mad so that he would screw up. Angering him so that he would be consumed by his darkness. But that wasn't going to work. He cleared his mind and thought of nothing else. He felt connected with Equestria as his body started to slowly sway to and fro. The blast came closer until it collided and caused an explosion.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! I did it!!! He's finally gone!!! He's finally--"

He still lives....

"What?!" Nova yelled in disbelief. Nova looked on towards the site of the explosion and when the smoke cleared, Von was standing next to the crater, his eyes still closed. Nova laughed a bit. "So...you're finally putting the elder's training to use, huh? Let's see how well you do." Nova breathed in deep and shot fireballs in rapid succession at the young halfling. Von remained still and as the fireballs got close enough, he dodged them with ease. Nova glared at him, but managed to crack a smile. "Impressive. Your first time using it and you're already doing a decent job. But..." Nova breathed in deep and flames seeped from his lips, but he didn't release. Instead, a magic aura surrounded his flames until they turned purple. He let it out in a single lightning-fast stream and when the flames hit the ground near him, Von got blown back by the explosion.

"Agh...." Von moaned painfully. He struggled to get up, but Nova stopped him by placing a hoof down on him.

"You're just as annoying as a fly. Always buzzing around and getting in my way." Nova hissed. He stayed silent for a moment, staring down at him and then he smiled once more. "Von? Do you know the best way to take care of an insect?" He asked. Von tried to stay silent, but he knew Nova would do much worse to him if he didn't answer.

"What?" Von answered. At that moment, a magic aura appeared around Von's wings.

"You clip their wings."

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP

A Second Chance

Chapter 22: A Second Chance

BGM 1

Von screamed in agonizing pain as Nova slowly tore Von's wings off with his magic. They stuck tightly to his skin to the point that it was torn with it. When they were finally ripped off, Von screamed even louder and writhed on the ground as he bled heavily on the ground. The sounds of his screams were enough to snap Chrysalis out of her trance and she looked to her son with worry and fear.

"Hahahahahahahaha!!! Yes!!! Scream! Scream loud for me! It brings me so much joy! What should be next? Your horn? Your eyes? Your tongue?" Nova cackled insanely. Chrysalis was finally in control of herself, but all she could do was watch in horror as her flesh and blood was being mutilated by his sibling. Nova started jumping up and down in a silly, but crazy manner before leaning over Von. He used his magic to grip his mane and tail and Von twisted his head in his brother's direction in a flash. "I know. Let's try your lovely little mane."

"W-wai--" Von's plea was drowned by his screams as an invisible force started tugging on his mane violently. Nova laughed, the look of insanity in his eyes growing more intense and his expression all the more darker. Chrysalis began to tear up, watching the torture her child was going through. And she had enough.

"Nova, stop this madness at once!" She ordered. Nova ignored her. "Nova, answer me!" No response. All she could get from Nova was a laugh, but it was not directed at her as he continued to stare down at Von's misery and worked his magic.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiip

Von stopped screaming as the source of his pain had released him. When he looked back, he noticed that only a part of his mane and tail were taken from him rather than the whole thing. Nova, disappointed in the result, tossed the ripped pieces to the side and incinerated them before turning back to his younger brother.

"Come on! Let's play some more! I want to hear you scream more! I want to hear your cry out in anguish! Just like he did!" Nova yelled with psychotic bliss. Von gave him a confused glance before getting back up, barely able to stand.

"Who's 'he'?" Von asked. Nova laughed and lowered his head to Von at an uncomfortably close level.

"You don't know?! I'm talking about father. Oh, his screams were simply delicious back then. It's too bad that I couldn't enjoy it as much then as I can now. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!" Nova laughed as he lifted his head up, but his words caught the attention of his mother in law.

"What do you mean 'his screams'? What are you talking about? Tell me!" Chrysalis demanded. Nova stopped laughing and cocked his head to the side and shot her a wicked grin.

"You REALLY want to know? Hehehehehe....." Nova laughed.

~The night before~

"Thanks, princess!" Von yelled. Princess Celestia and Luna were quite pleased to see how happy Von was about spending his very first pony holiday with his friends, but Celestia was more caught up in reading a letter that she had received. Von smiled at the both of them as he turned away. "See you later." The young halfling donned the outfit that Luna had bestowed upon him and flew out of the castle to join the rest of his friends in their nighttime celebration. However, the sun goddess was not all that cheery.

"I realized something odd, sister." Celestia said as she looked up from her letter. Luna walked over to her elder sister and sat down beside her.

"What is it?"

"It's about Ignus. His death....it was quite unnatural. Chrysalis did drain him, yes. But the draining isn't what killed him. Upon further examination, I was able to find out that he suffered magical injuries. Magic that does not belong to us." Celestia lowered her head as a serious look began to form on her countenance.

'What do you mean, sister? That Chrysalis isn't responsible for his death?!" Luna asked. Her sister said no words, but merely responded with a simple nod. "Then who is responsible?! Tell me!" She demanded. Celestia raised her head and stared into her sister's eyes.

"It was..."

{~~~~~~~~}

BGM 2

"Hahahahaha!!" Nova laughed and placed a hoof on his forehead as he stared at Chrysalis, sending a shiver up her spine. "That's right. I'm the one who caused father to die."

Chrysalis and Von couldn't believe what they had just heard. This whole time, Von had never known what happened to his father and Chrysalis had blamed herself all these years for his death. But now, the truth had finally come out. The true one that was responsible for Ignus' death, the one who caused the changeling queen to feel empty guilt, the one who took away a very dear friend to Princess Luna.....and the one who caused Von to never know his father.......was Nova, Ignus' own son.

"W-why? Why would you do that to him?! He was our father!" Von yelled.

"He was a filthy pony lover! Dragons and ponies do not belong together and he knew this. And yet, he continued lusting after that princess. I was pleased to hear that he couldn't get her, but then--" Nova turned his attention towards Chrysalis. "--She popped into his life! That fool, believing that you were the princess he longed for, ended up mating with her and as a result, made an abomination that has no right to exist in this world!" He hissed.

"How dare you!" Chrysalis growled. "He is your brother and Ignus was your father! What difference would it have made as to who or what he picked as a mate?"

"It's just wrong! I was born to a pureblood dragon. Von was born to a dragon and a changeling. Being born from mixed blood is disgusting! Besides, I never liked those ponies anyway. Always wanting to make friends, never wanting to fight and they can barely defend themselves anyway! They have to rely on their precious princess for safety. When it comes down to it, they are weaklings." Nova declared.

"But the ponies and dragons had a treaty. Why would you do that?" Von asked.

"I knew the treaty was in place. And I knew what would happen if any of our own were to have been harmed in Celestia's territory. That's why I did it. If one of our own died in her domain, the treaty would be broken...and I could have a legit way to kill them without getting busted." Nova said with a wicked smile. "And he deserved to die anyway. If he wants to live with ponies, then he can die with them. That's what I told myself."

"..." Neither Chrysalis nor Von could find any words to express how angry they were. But at the same time, they were upset and blamed themselves. For Von, if he hadn't been born to Chrysalis, Ignus would have lived longer. And for Chrysalis, if she never stuck her muzzle where it didn't belong, then the treaty may have stayed in place. However, Chrysalis' sadness turned back into anger when it came to her mind that she had fallen in love with Ignus...and Nova took that love away from her.

"You bastard!" Chrysalis yelled as she fired a bolt of magic at Nova. It hit him in the chest, but he remained unfazed. Nova smiled and looked at Chrysalis and stepped towards her and lifted her head with his hoof.

"Don't be such a bad girl, Chryssy." He said with a soft voice. Chrysalis went stiff for a moment until Nova suddenly flung Chrysalis over him and her back hit the trunk of a tree. "Or you can expect a spanking from me later. ~Nova's gonna spank your butt, spank you on the bu--"

Insane buffoon! Do not forget what our goal is, the voice whispered to Nova. Nova nodded his head and proceeded to go back towards the fallen halfling, who was still bleeding and struggling to get away. Von tried to walk off, but due to his injuries he was limping and didn't get very far until Nova placed a hoof on his back and shoved him into the ground.

"Where do you think you're going?" Nova snarled. He narrowed his eyes so that the slits in them could barely be seen and slowly opened his jaws, revealing his razor sharp fangs. Chrysalis knew what was coming next. If she didn't do anything quick, Von would lose more than just his wings: he would lose his life. As quickly as Nova started to go down to bite Von, Chrysalis' horn glowed green and Von's body reacted the same way until there was small flash. Nova closed his mouth, believing that he had bitten into the grounded halfling and smiled a bit. But this smile wasn't one of satisfaction as he did not feel the taste of Von's bloody flesh on his tongue. Rather he was smiling because he was impressed with Chrysalis' reaction time for when he looked down, he noticed that Von was no longer beneath him.

"...." Chrysalis stayed silent, breathless as she had finally exhausted her strength. She was relieved that she could get her child to safety, but now she had an even bigger problem to worry about. She aided Von's escape. She protected his life. And she did it in front of Nova, the creature she enlisted to help her. She had planned on keeping Von alive, but also keep Nova's trust and she chose the latter. No doubt Nova would slaughter her and her horde because of the betrayal she committed. But Nova didn't attack. Instead......he just laughed.

Nova turned to face her, but showed little to no signs of hostility. He just......laughed. But what was there to laugh about? He planned on ending his brother and revel in the sorrow that would stay on his face after he revealed the truth. He enjoyed having violated Von's mother, the lover of their deceased father. He enjoyed taking away two of the only friends he had on the mountain. And Chrysalis just ruined his fun......and he.....laughed it off.

"I'll admit....that ticked me off just a bit. But it doesn't matter now. I had my fun with him. Now things get serious." Nova declared. His sinister smile turned into a psychotic stare as he looked Chrysalis in the eyes. "You're probably thinking that I'm gonna take the lives of your swarm. Well, I'm not." Nova's words caused Chrysalis' eyes to widen in surprise. But that wasn't the end of it. "I think they've grown on me. They listen without question, better than those back on the mountains. I like 'em so much....I think i'll stay. But things are going to be changed around here."

"What do you me--" Chrysalis' question was cut short as Nova got in front of her, his face just an inch away from hers. Chrysalis began to shake as the fear she felt before started to well up inside her again. She didn't want to relive the trauma he put her through, ESPECIALLY one event in particular.

"I'm taking over now, Chrysalis. From this day forward, you obey me!"

Huh? Where am I?, Von thought. His memory was hazy, but he was certain that Nova had ripped his wings off. He tried flapping, but he didn't feel anything. He looked behind him and as he expected, his wings were not there. But in their place were bandages. They wrapped around from his chest and covered his wound. He held his head low, saddened that he would no longer be able to fly and the fact he lost a piece of what made him unique. However, that was the least thing for him to be concerned about. What he was really concerned about was his surroundings. He lifted his head and examined the area. It looked like some kind of tribal house or something similar. There were bookshelves with a wide-variety of books put away, there were also some counters that had some very strange things to him on it. There were tubes and plants and all sorts of things neatly organized on top.

But what confused him most was the cauldron in the center and the decor. It felt like he'd seen the decor at one point, but he couldn't put his hoof on it. It all looked like it belonged to somepony from a foreign land. But 'who did it belong to' was the question. And luckily for Von, that question was about to be answered as the owner of the decor stepped inside and noticed him.

BGM 3-Zecora

"Ah, it seems that you are awake. I had pondered how long the herbs would take." The figure rhymed. Von turned and looked and his eyes widened when he saw who was before him. She looked just a bit different, but there was no doubt about it: it was the striped mare that he'd seen during Nightmare Night.

"It's you. That mare from Ponyville. But you don't look like a pony...I'm not sure what you are. Oh...I'm sorry. I don't even know your name." Von said as he put his head down.

"Please do not fret. As you can see, I am a zebra, quite different from a pony. My name is Zecora, and I live here in my hut. So please, do not fear. Don't cause such a fuss." The mare introduced herself.

"I'm Von. Nice to meet you, Zecora." Von was still in pain, but he managed to force himself up from the bed he was lying on. He looked towards the zebra, the one who called herself Zecora, and smiled as she walked towards one of her shelves. To him, she was more beautiful up close. He did, however, feel that he could do without the strange style her mane was in and preferred it the way it was when he saw her. But he wasn't going to be picky. He quickly shook his head in disagreement the moment he realized what he was thinking about. I just met her and I'm already deciding what I do and don't like?! She's not even my marefriend, he thought. But she would definitely make a cute one. AGH!!!! What am I thinking?! I just got dumped by Dash, ended up having sex with my mother and just found out about..... Von stopped his thoughts when he started thinking of recent events.

His elder brother had torn his wings off and revealed that he was their father's murderer. And here he was thinking about what would make this strange mare a potential lover. He hadn't even gotten to know her yet. He didn't want to think about courting her without knowing her in entirety, let alone court her altogether. But they seemed like they had a connection of sorts ever since he had that vision and when their eyes met on Nightmare Night. He thought about leaving before doing or saying something that he might regret when Zecora suddenly spoke up.

"Oh dear, it's seems that I am out, of a special herb that I cannot continue without. Though, it grows on a large tree, what I need for my brew. You'll be able to help me with this, won't you?" She asked. Von was starting to catch on to the fact that rhyming was her way of speaking and realized what she just requested from him. She needed something important and couldn't get it alone. His wound was slowly healing, the pain still lingering, but that wasn't going to stop him from helping her. This mare helped him when he got hurt and even brought him to her home. The least he could do as a proper gentle....thing and as a good house guest was help her.

"Ok. I'll help. Let's get to it." He said with enthusiasm. Zecora gave him a warm smile and the two proceeded to leave the hut. As Von and Zecora went off into the forest, events that would further impact his life were beginning to unfold....

The north eastern mountains is Griffon territory, a place that one should be wary of but it is not as dangerous as the Dragon territory. The griffons are half-eagle and half-lion brutish, rude and selfish creatures with a tendency to bully, assault or put down other races. The ponies are no exception to this, let alone is any of their own. There is one griffon, however, that is slightly different from the rest. She was able to befriend a pony but in the end, she lost that friend. But even without said pony, she still manages to keep up face and remain as tough as ever. But deep down, she still yearns for friendship. And her name is--

"Gilda!!!" A griffon shouted. He was pinned to the ground by another griffon, a female. "Get off! I give! I GIVE!!!" Gilda smiled and released the griffon from her grip and backed away from him.

"Are you serious? Blitz, you do this every time! You challenge me, we fight and then you give up. I can't believe I hang with dweebs like you." Gilda said.

"What's the matter? You miss hanging out with that lousy pegasus?" Blitz asked. Gilda scoffed at his comment.

"Of course not. Like I'd miss that lame-o anyway." Gilda said. A few other griffons came down from the sky and looked at them.

"Heh. I know WHO she misses the most." A female griffon said with a teasing voice. " Huh, Gildy?" Gilda quickly shot her head back towards the griffon's direction. Her stare was ice-cold and she grabbed the griffon by her neck and held her against the mountain wall.

"Don't you EVER call me by that name again, Lora! No one is allowed to call me by that name!" Gilda screeched. The other griffons just stared at Gilda and saw that she was bllushing. It wasn't that hard to see due to her feathers.

"OH!!! I get it. She misses her BOYFRIEND." The other griffon teased. All of them started laughing and pointed at Gilda, who released Lora and let her drop to the floor.

"He is not my boyfriend. We were just kids!" Gilda hissed. Blitz walked over to her and placed a claw on one of her wings.

"So you say, but we know you miss him. We won't judge", Blitz teased. We just didn't know you were into interspecies stuff. That's a little kinky. Don't you think so, Gildy?" That last little taunt was all Gilda could take. She was being called by a nickname that she hadn't heard in so long, she was being mocked for having a 'boyfriend' from a different species and had had it. It was bad enough that she had lost her one true friend and she wasn't going to sit by and be made a fool of for someone that she was with in the past. Gilda screeched a hawk-like screech, hurting the ears of her so-called friends and causing them to stop with their talking.

"You guys are really getting on my fucking nerves! Accusing me of missing that stupid Rainbow Dash? I can deal with that. Making fun of my nickname? Annoying, but tolerable. But I'm not going to let you make fun of my boy.....my friend just because we were together! And we were kids, so it doesn't even count! I thought I wouldn't have to deal with alot of crap if I came back here to be with my REAL friends, but it seems like I was wrong. You guys aren't my friends. You're just a bunch of lame-o dweebs!!!" She screeched. "My friends were that pegasus and HIM. I lost one..." Gilda cut her sentence short when realization struck her like a lightning bolt. She'd lost Rainbow Dash as her friend, but not her other friend. A smile formed in the corner of her beak and she spread her wings and hovered above them. "Thanks for bringing him up for me. I'd almost forgotten him. I may not have Dash as my friend anymore, but I'm sure I still have him."

"Huh? Gilda, we were just kidding." Blitz said in an attempt to persuade her. He had a feeling as to what she was planning. "You're not seriously going back there, are you?" Gilda didn't answer. Instead, she just turned away from them and glanced back at them one more time.

"Yeah, I am. Later, bozos!!" Gilda yelled as she flipped them off and flew away. For the first time in a long time, Gilda felt happy. Even though she had lost her friend from Flight school, she still had one more friend. Or at least she hoped she did. She hadn't seen him in years. She wondered what he looked like now, what changes he made to his life, did he get stronger, did he turn into a wimp. These were the questions that kept echoing in her mind. But it didn't matter. She finally had a chance. Another chance to have a friend, to have someone who cared about her and to have someone who wanted her around.

"But I wonder if he remembers me..." She said to herself. "It HAS been years since we last saw each other. I bet he's still the same childish runt I know." Gilda laughed a little at her comment and kept looking forward. She wanted to see her friend more than anything and that's what was driving her.

"I hope you still remember me....."

Von sneezed suddenly and looked around. Zecora hadn't said a word, but it felt like somepony was talking about him. He shrugged it off and continued to help.......but hoped that he was wrong....

Reunion

Chapter 23: Reunion

Von continued to aid Zecora around her hut for the next couple of days. The work she had to do wasn't so difficult. All she mainly needed were some extra herbs or other ingredients to make her potions. It was HOW he needed to get the ingredients that annoyed him to no end. He either needed to get the ingredients from a poisonous bush, climb a tree or wrestle a creature for it. With his lack of wings, it made a couple of the tasks more difficult for him but he continued to work hard for the mare who aided him. When they came back to the hut, Von collapsed on the floor.

"Ooooh....Are we done yet?" Von whined. Zecora nodded her head and her attention slowly directed towards his wounds.

"The wounds you suffered are still quite new but with the work you've done, I'm proud of you. Rest is what you need to heal what is lost, yet you push yourself no matter the cost." She rhymed with a touch of worry in her voice.

"I'm always like that", Von said with a weak smile. "I prefer to work my hardest for everypony else rather than myself. They're all so precious to me, so I'd do my best to make them happy." Von's smile slowly turned into a frown as he continued to speak. "But it's not like they care much. Who could ever care for me? I try my hardest to be like them, but I know that'll never happen. I don't even know how I'm supposed to act. Am I supposed to be like a dragon or a changeling?! I can't do either given what i am. After all, I'm just a thing." Von looked down sadly and looked away from Zecora. Zecora herself seemed saddened by the fact that this young 'stallion' was putting himself down after he graciously and selflessly aided her when she requested it.

"I know not why you call yourself a thing, for what I see in front of me is a halfling." She said to him. Von lifted his head and looked towards the striped mare.

BGM 1

"A...halfling....." He mumbled to himself. Von suddenly remembered that Celestia said something similar like that to him. He wasn't a pony, a dragon or a changeling. He was a halfling, a creature in Equestria that was born from two mixed bloods. Those mixed bloods could have been anything: a pony and a dragon, a pony and a griffin, a dragon and a griffin and more combinations. But no. He was born to a dragon and a changeling, a highly rare union. That meant he was special. If his parents, both from a species that disliked the ponies with a passion could love one another to bring forth this miracle, then he could probably bring about many things that are not or have yet to be existent in Equestria. Von managed to smile and looked towards Zecora as he stood up. "Thank you, Zecora. Now...if you'll excuse me, I have to go back home. My brother has to be stopped." Von turned around and was about to leave her hut until she called out to him.

"Have you gone mad?!" She yelled. She wasn't aware of what was going on, but she felt like he was about to do something he wouldn't come back from. Von stood still and looked down at his hooves. Given his current injury and level of power, going after Nova in his state DOES sound like an insane idea. But this was Von's brother. Von's problem. It was Von Nova had his eyes set on in the beginning and he dragged the rest of his friends...his family into this dilemma. And it was up to him to fix it.

"This is my problem. I have to fix it. But I won't confront him right away. He's far too strong for me. But I do know he won't listen to me. He's too far gone to be persuaded with words. I have to stop him in the only way he'll actually respond: by force." Von declared. There was no arguing about that. Nova would only respond to action rather than words. And given Nova's strength, it will be very difficult for Von to stop him. I won't be able to learn anymore magic just yet. So I have to train more in the ways of the elder, he thought. Without another word, he opened the door to Zecora's hut but was quickly tackled to the ground as a young very recognizable filly came into Zecora's hut.

"Ow..." moaned the filly, She looked and noticed that she was laying across Von's chest, while he himself writhed in pain as he was laying on his wounds. "Von?! What are y'all doin' here?"

"Applebloom? What are you doing here?" Von asked.

"Ah was coming here to help out Zecora. Why are you here?" Applebloom retorted.

"I just got finished helping her."

"Oh....well...I guess I'm not needed." Applebloom said with a frown.

"Don't worry about it. I was just about to leave. But hey. Can I ask you a question?" Von asked.

"What?"

"Can you get off of me now?"

"What do y'all mean you can't find him?!" Applejack yelled.

"I mean I really can't find him! I don't know where he is. He left the party and I haven't seen him since!" Rainbow Dash argued back. Since Von left his own birthday party, the girls had been worried sick about him. They had no idea where he was and as the days had gone by, they started a search party to locate him. However, it was to no avail. They couldn't find him anywhere and started to think about giving up, praying the worst did not befall him.

"Listen girls. I'm sure Von's ok. Maybe he just went back home." Twilight said, trying to calm down her two panicking friends.

"But where would he go? He can't go back to the mountain. Nova rules that place now, remember?" Kamen said. "And plus, I doubt he'd go stay with Chrysalis....at least, he wouldn't just yet. He's a tough little.....halfling. I'm sure he'll come back." As he finished speaking, something caught the attention of one pink mare.

"Hey! Look at that!" Pinkie yelled. She pointed her hoof in the air and noticed something flying towards them. Smiles appeared on their faces as they began to believe that the creature flying towards them was their missing friend. However, Rainbow Dash did not smile. Instead, she scowled at the creature, for she knew it was not Von at all. In fact, she was quite familiar with what was flying towards them. When the creature came into view, they stopped smiling. It was a bit larger than Von and was a completely different shape. It landed on the ground and the moment it did, Fluttershy squealed and hid behind Pinkie Pie.

"G-g-g-g-g-g-g-g...." was all she could get out in her frightened state. However, they knew what she was trying to say. Rainbow Dash had the urge to yell at the griffin before her, but she managed to keep calm.

"What do you want, Gilda?"

BGM 2-Gilda

"I was in the neighborhood and decided that I'd stop by and see how all you flip-flops are doing." The griffoness said as she scratched her chest. Twilight had the right mind to yell at Gilda as well, for her actions after the Nightmare Moon incident but her common sense told her not to cause a scene. "So, Dash. What have you been up to?"

"..." Rainbow Dash stayed silent. She wasn't in the mood to talk to this jerk, but it also seemed like there was something else on her mind. She was curious as to why Gilda, out of everyone she knew, would bother to come back to Ponyville. After what she said at Pinkie's party, she thought that Gilda wouldn't come back anymore. So there had to be another reason.

"Well?"

"Why are you REALLY here?" Rainbow Dash inquired. Gilda said nothing. She just stood there, staring at the pegasus until Kamen took a step forward.

"Come on. Whatever it is, you can just say it." He said. Gilda looked at him and back at the rest of the group. After a good minute, she sighed and looked at them.

"I'm looking for someone." She finally said. Rainbow Dash smiled a bit.

"Who is it?" asked the pegasus. Before Gilda could answer, the voice of a young filly called out to them.

"Applejack", Applebloom declared. "Look who I found!" Applejack and her friends turned to see what Applebloom was talking about when they saw something that put a huge smile on their faces. Walking next to the young farm worker was their half-blooded friend, Von.

"Von!!!" They cried. Von smiled and opened his hooves to embrace his friends as they tackled and hugged him. Gilda sat there and watched as Von was nearly squeezed to death by his friends and scowled. Her anger started to build as she kept staring. Rather, not anger but more like....jealousy. But at the same time, she was rather confused. She'd seen Von in the past, but he looked different than she remembered. VERY different.

"Von?" She called out questioningly. Von got out of his friend's embrace and looked at her. He never saw her before and was curious as to how she knew his name as he stepped forward.

"Yes?" He asked. "Do I know you?" Gilda looked down and for the first time, she looked sad. The way she looked was new to the girls, especially Rainbow Dash. Even though they used to be good friends, Rainbow Dash never once saw Gilda express sadness.

"You really don't remember?" Gilda asked.

"Should I?" Von responded.

"It's me, Gilda. Remember?" Von stood there and tapped his chin with his hoof. For an odd reason, the name seemed familiar to him. Gilda, Rainbow Dash, Twilight and the rest stared at him with anticipation, Gilda mainly. He closed his eyes and continued to think. Where had he seen this griffin before? As he thought more on it, memories and images began to flow through his mind until he finally arrived at the answer.

"I remember now!" He shouted. Gilda lifted her head and smiled at him.

"You do?! You know who I am, right?" She asked with excitement in her voice.

"Of course. How could I forget you, Gildy?" He said with a smile.

BGM 3

"Gildy?" The girls said in unison. Gilda's face flushed with red as she looked back towards them.

"N-n-no. I have no idea what he's talking about!" She shouted. Von smiled and placed a hoof on her back.

"Aw come on. You said you loved it when I gave you that name." Von said. Gilda looked him in the eyes and smiled nervously but then glared at him.

"I do, but I told you to never call me that in public!" She screeched. The moment those words escaped her lips, her face turned completely red when she realized she had said that out loud. Kamen smiled and approached the two childhood friends.

"I guess you must've met her before you met me. Judging by the way it seems, she really loves that name." Kamen teased as he looked in Gilda's direction. Von took his time to think about Kamen's words. It was foggy, but in his memories he knew that he had met Gilda around the same time, if not before, he met Kamen. He had met Kamen a week before he lost his memory. But nevertheless, he was happy to have met them both. Gilda especially.

"Of course she does. I called her that when we were kids. Oddly enough, she never found a nickname for me." Von said. Gilda gave Kamen an angry stare and gave Von a glare mixed with anger and embarrassment, but she tried her best to keep her cool.

"Wow. Who knew you had a name like that, eh Gildy? I had no idea you were like that." Rainbow Dash said with a teasing voice. She was on the brink of laughing, but she stopped when Gilda glared at her.

"I'm not like anything! Shut up, Rainbow Crash!" She hissed. Rainbow Dash glared and flew up to her until they were face to face.

"What'd you call me?!" Von looked at the both of them and stepped in between them.

"Whoa. Dash. Gildy. Let's calm--"

"Stop calling me that!" Gilda screeched, her cheeks burning hot with embarrassment. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie smiled at the two of them.

"Wow. I never knew you were that close to Gilda, Von." Fluttershy said.

"Of course. She used to be my girlfriend." He said. Both Von and Gilda blushed when those words escaped his lips. The girls and Kamen just stared at the two of them while they were looking away from each other.

"She was your girlfriend? Since when?" Pinkie asked with a smile. Von looked to Gilda and smiled at her and the look in his eyes embarrassed her and she sighed.

"We started 'dating' back when we were kids." She answered. "But we were young, so it doesn't count!" She quickly defended. The group stayed silent, unable to find a response to what was said. Gilda remained silent as well while Von just stood there and smiled at her until Kamen broke the silence.

"Well..." Kamen muttered.

"They do make a lovely couple, don't they?" Rarity asked.

"Do we really?" Gilda asked, scratching her head. Von just stared at his hoof and smiled having heard that compliment. To be honest, despite not having seen her since his time on the mountains, Von had always thought Gilda was attractive...despite being a griffin. They hadn't been around each other in so long. So before he could even THINK of ever asking her out...IF he could ask her out, they needed to catch up first.

"Hey Gildy?" Von asked. Gilda cringed and blushed at being called by her nickname and looked at Von.

"Yeah?" She responded.

"Why don't we go for a walk? I'd like to catch up. It HAS been years since we've seen each other." The young halfling reminded her. Gilda chuckled and placed on of her claws on Von's shoulders.

"Fine. I'd like to know what you've been up to all these years." The griffoness said to him. She spread her wings and took flight, but she stopped when she noticed that Von did not follow. She came back down to his level and gave him a confused stare. "Why aren't you flying?"

"Um..." Von looked behind him with sadness in his eyes and when Gilda looked, she saw the reason why. Guilt riddled her body as she felt that she just dug up something painful that Von wanted to forget. But when she looked him in the eyes, she saw him innocence as he just gave his feathered friend a smile

"Uh...let's go for a walk then." She corrected. Von smiled again as he got next to Gilda and the two of them made their merry way out of Ponyville. The girls smiled as they saw Von and Gilda having their own little private conversations as they walked away from them, but Kamen just stared at them in silence. Rainbow Dash looked over at her friend.

"What's up, Runner?" Rainbow Dash asked, calling him by his nickname. Kamen tapped his muzzle with his hoof and smiled as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Oh yeah. She's definitely gonna take him for a ride." He said, causing Rainbow Dash and the others to groan.

BGM 4

"I see. I heard about those changeling things back home." Gilda said as she and Von continued their stroll. The sun was setting and the clouds were starting to move in. But they didn't care. They wanted to spend as much time together again after how long they've been apart. "To think you were one of them. Well, sorta. But anyway, about changelings. They're supposed to be able to change into other ponies or whatever, right?" She asked. Von laughed and looked at her.

'We can change into ponies, yes. But we can also..." Von's horn glowed a violet color as a green light rose up around his body and when it disappeared, he was in the guise of his griffin friend. "...turn into other creatures as well." He finished in Gilda's voice. Gilda laughed and smiled at how ridiculous her old love was acting. But at the same time, she was admiring his appearance...or her appearance actually.

"Hmm. Have I always looked that cool?" She asked with a smug grin on her beak.

"The real question is, have you ever been this hot?" Von retorted as he changed back to normal. "And the answer is: yes. Yes, you have." Hearing that compliment come from him caused Gilda to blush through her feathers. She turned away and hid her face in one of her wings. Von laughed and moved her wing out of the way and kissed her cheek. "You always got like this back when we were kids. Back when...I was just a dragon. But now...I'm this. I wouldn't be surprised if you got over me and found some sta...sorry. Griffin..." Von corrected. "...that loved you alot and you loved him back. But I'm not that worried. Like you said, we were kids so it doesn't co--" Before Von could finish his sentence, Gilda reached around and grabbed him by the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss. Her eyes closed as his eyes widened in shock and he thought about pulling away......and yet, he didn't.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of Gilda's beak against his lips. As his eyes fully closed, he started to notice something. Her kiss was.....passionate. It wasn't forceful or full of lust. It was meaningful. There were true feelings behind her kiss. Feelings that had long gone unnoticed. He finally was able to realize exactly what those feelings were: Gilda was in love with him. As their kiss went on, Von's heart started pounding. It was much more powerful than before. If it beat any harder, he'd be mistaken for a drummer in the Canterlot Symphony. He then saw images while his eyes remained closed. It didn't take him too long to notice why these images came to him.

Another vision..., he thought. In the vision, he was running through the forest again, just like his vision of Zecora. In fact, it was the exact same scenario. But it was different. He saw Zecora but the moment he blinked, he saw Gilda. With each time he looked towards the one who was with him in his vision, it changed. This was a first for him. Why does it keep changing? Is something wrong?, he kept thinking. Wait. The reason I had my vision of Zecora was because I was bound to meet her and I thought I'd have to be with her. But now, I'm seeing Gilda. And yet, I feel torn between them. Realization struck when he figured out what was going on. The reason they keep changing...it's because I don't know who I want. The future I'm seeing, who I'm with will depend on who I pick. This is a future that I must decide for myself.

Von and Gilda finally broke their kiss. They were at a loss for words and breath, a bit of saliva hanging from the others' lips. Von stared into the golden eyes of his friend. She was blushing again and her attention didn't divert away this time. She wanted to look into the eyes of the one she kissed, the one she loved for so long.

"How long have you felt this way?" Von asked while trying to catch his breath.

"Ever since we met." Gilda responded as breathless as he was. Von kept staring her in the eyes. Her words...her actions....she wasn't lying. Her love wasn't fake like Rainbow Dash's and her kiss wasn't full of lust like Chrysalis. And the way he was feeling...he didn't want to latch onto Gilda like he was about to do with Zecora. He'd known Gilda for a long time. The two of them were almost inseparable. And even though he barely remembered her, she still meant alot to him. There was no doubt about it. This was real love. And finally, Von was able to make his choice.

"Yes." Von said. Gilda looked at him with confusion. Von laughed at her clueless expression and smiled. "Maybe this will help clarify things." Von stepped closer to her until their lips almost touched again. "Gilda, I want--" Gilda put a claw up to his lips to shush him and smiled.

"....Call me Gildy, like you always do." Gilda said with a sultry stare. She giggled when Von started to blush. Her giggle almost sounded feminine, but it was hardly anywhere near that level.

"Gildy...I would like to be your stallion. If you'll have me." He said. Gilda simply nodded her head as words were no longer needed. It was settled. Von and Gilda, two friends that had been apart for so long, were now dating. Gilda smiled and stood beside him.

"Why don't we head back? It's startin' to get late, don't you think?" Gilda asked. Von smiled at her.

"Yeah. Let's head back." The two of them turned around and proceeded to head back into Ponyville. Gilda opened one of her wings and wrapped around her stallion and glanced at him, giving him a small smile. Von smiled back and enjoyed the feeling of his girlfriend's wings. However, Von suddenly felt something tickle underneath him. He looked down and noticed that Gilda's tail was rubbing against his balls and slowly trailed up the sheath of his stallionhood before retreating back to her backside. Von blushed and looked at her. "Heh....um....I'm not ready to go through with that just yet...not again. I wanna wait for a bit." Von told her.

"I know. We can wait." Gilda reassured him. Von sighed happily and looked ahead and continued walking with her. "But I don't want kids just yet."

"Wait what?!"

Declaration*

*This chapter contains themes of a sexual nature. If you are not comfortable with this kind of thing, turn away now. You were warned*

"Nova, these are my changelings! You cannot take--" Chrysalis was interrupted as Nova put his hoof on her muzzle. He gave her a wicked smile before turning back towards her horde.

"Calm yourself, Chryssy. You shouldn't yell when I'm about to deliver a speech." Nova hissed. Though the number of changelings lost had increased, there were still plenty of changelings around to form an army. They all stood together in a crowd, awaiting orders from their new master. Chrysalis was saddened to see that the changelings that she took care of and protected had turned on her and aligned themselves with Nova. She deeply regretted ever bringing him along, but now there was no turning back. She had two options: Run and be killed....or stay and fight under his orders. Despite her choices, she knew they would affect one individual in particular: her son, Von. If she died, Von would be without a true family once again. If they fought, no doubt Nova would force her to kill him. Something that she could never bring herself to do. She wanted conquest, but now she just wanted it all to end.

Von....please end this once and for all......

Chapter 24: Declaration

Von yawned and stretched as he rose up from his bed in the Canterlot Castle. It had been quite some time since he rested that well. With everything happening around him, he thought he wouldn't be able to get a decent amount of sleep anymore in the night Luna brought. But he managed to. And why wouldn't he when he was sleeping next to his new lovely ma...girlfriend, Gilda. She was sprawled on the bed, beak wide open and was drooling as she snored softly in her slumber. Von was amused by this little display of hers as she would most likely kill him if she found out that he was watching her sleep.

Gilda's eyes shot open and were looking intensely at Von.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she yawned and straightened herself on the bed. Von laughed a bit and smiled at her.

"Watching you sleep." He admitted. Gilda glared at her half-blooded lover and her face flushed with a bit of red. But despite that, she was still angry.

"If you so much as tell anyone about even a BIT of what you saw, I'm gonna pound you into next week." Gilda declared. Von simply smiled at her.

"Kinky." Von bluntly stated. Gilda blushed again after realizing where Von was getting when he twisted her words around and looked away.

"That's not what I meant!" She shouted. Von laughed and fell onto his back while Gilda continued to stare at him in anger but she couldn't help but give in and laugh with him. Albeit, it was a perverted joke but it was funny to say the least. "Hey. Are we going into town to see those pony friends of yours?" She asked.

"They have names, honey. And yes, I am. We haven't seen each other in so long, so I'd want to spend time with you alone. But it's better for you to get along with my friends until that time comes in the day." Von told her. Gilda sighed and looked away from him.

"It's not like they'd want to hang around me anyway. Not after how badly I treated them last year." She said to him. Her tone was sad, but angry all at once. She was always so tough, at least she was to him back in their childhood. And even after all these years, she still looked like she could wreck anypony that crossed her. But she was acting different now, acting in a way that Von was hardly familiar with. Something must've happened with her during their time apart and as her coltfriend, Von needed to find out. He straightened up and rested his hoof on her shoulder and she turned her head and stared at him.

"Tell me what happened." He demanded. Gilda stayed silent. She was hesitant. She wasn't all that fond of revealing her more....'gentle' side but around Von, she was more comfortable with it. She accepted that part of her because of him. With a heavy sigh, she began to recall the events of last year and told Von of them. How she consistently bullied Pinkie, how she ditched Rainbow Dash and called her 'lame', a word Von found very annoying, and how she even yelled at ,mocked and made Fluttershy cry. Fluttershy, of all ponies. No wonder the girls don't like her so much, he thought. "Why did you do all that?"

"Why else? To show them who's boss. You really think I was gonna sit by and let them make a fool of me?" Gilda asked with anger in her voice. On the outside, Von could tell that Gilda can be a real jerk when she wants to. But on the inside was the Gildy he knew from the old days, the Gildy he used to play with and the Gildy he fell in love with. He preferred that kinder side than her more brutish side. Right now, she was acting like a brat. She needed to be kinder to the ponies. She needed to be true to herself. And Von was just the stallion to bring that part of her out. When Gilda wasn't looking, his magic aura enveloped Gilda's tail and tugged at it. It wasn't that hard of a tug, but it was enough to make her wince in pain and earn her attention. "What was that--" Before she could finish, Von took his hoof and lightly bopped Gilda on the head with it.

BGM 1

"You're acting like a child, Grizelda." Von said without using her nickname. Gilda could barely think, but she knew Von acted like this only when he wanted to make a point. The moment that he would stop using her nickname and used her REAL NAME, she knew that she pissed him off. "They were only playing. They are ponies! That's what they do! Yes, the way they live their lives is a strange one but that's just how they are. They prefer to live happy lives. Making friends. Achieving their goals. Protecting everything that they love. Just because they lives they live is different from yours doesn't mean that you have to ostracize them for it! We can experience all of those things together if you just give it a chance." He paused for a moment and put his hoof on one of Gilda's claws. "I'm already doing it. What about you?"

"..." Gilda couldn't find any words. But she did know one thing: Von was right. She had befriended Dash for a reason but she couldn't remember what it was until now. The true reason, that is. She wanted to know more about the ponies. She wanted to know more so that she could better understand them, to better relate to them. She wanted to know about their customs, their likes and much more so that she could become friends with them. But as she grew up, she started to care less and less. The life she lived after Von was a harsh one, a life that forced her to toughen up. A life that forced her to forget about what she really wanted in order to become stronger, so that she wouldn't take any disrespect from anyone. But in the end, it turned her into nothing more than a bully. A child that had lost its way. But even with that, she managed to hold onto one threshold of her true self. She lost it, but she got back the other piece: The dragon, though he's not exactly a dragon anymore, that she realized she'd fallen in love with. Her coltfriend, Von.

"You're right. It's just....I'm not used to the kind of customs they have here. I wanted it before, but I turned it all away after I went through so much in my life. It was painful and I didn't want to deal with it anymore!" She screeched. A tear fell down her cheek, but Von wiped it away with his hoof and got a small smile from Gilda. "I pushed all that stuff away because the other griffins thought it wasn't 'cool' for me to want to hang out with ponies and teased me about for years. So, I dedicated myself to becoming the toughest griffin on the mountain and it worked. But I lost sight of myself. I gave up my dream just to become the kind of griffin that the others wanted me to be. But I still yearned for it deep down inside. I still longed to learn more about the ponies around here and to become....friends. But....I don't know what to do." Von lifted her head up with his hoof and stared into the eyes of his lover as their lips connected for a passionate kiss. Gilda leaned in more and embraced him as their kiss went on for a few more minutes until they regrettably stopped.

"Then we'll teach you, starting when we get to Ponyville." Von stated. Gilda smiled and blushed at his words and Von smiled back as well. This is gonna be great. Now the girls will be able to see Gildy for her real self, just like I--

Squeeeeeze

"Gah!!" Von yelled as he felt pressure between his legs. He looked down and noticed that Gilda's tail was wrapped around his length and was squeezing it. Gilda chuckled and leaned closer to him.

"Thanks for that", She said before narrowing her eyes. "But if you ever call me by my real name again, you're gonna be punished." Von cringed a little but managed to crack a confident smile.

"Kinky." Von said. Gilda blushed and the grip her tail had on him tightened more. "Aah! Hey! Quit it!!!"

"So let me get this straight..." Rainbow Dash started. "You're saying....that Gilda wants to change.......and become friends with us?!" Von nodded his head as he stood beside his lover. Gilda held her head down and looked at the with eyes that were pleading for forgiveness. They were genuine, as Twilight was able to point out but they still had their doubts. As much as they believed their friend, they could not trust Gilda. Or at least they weren't willing to trust her that easily. The girls and Kamen looked at one another in silence until Rarity spoke up.

"I'm quite certain that she means it. She would not have gone so far as to request for us to forgive her unless she meant it. Let us give her another chance, darlings." She said. Kamen quickly shook his head.

"Let me tell you why that's bullshit." He started. "She's a natural born brute. All griffins are. You can't seriously believe that she can change, do you?!"

"Everypony can change! How can you be so single-minded to believe that--"

"What about Nova? Did he change?" Kamen asked coldly.

"..." Von stayed silent and looked away from his pegasus friend. Kamen was never one to hold back his words, but they were too cruel. Von tried his hardest to stop his brother's ways, but in the end his efforts were in vain. The more he tried, the more he sunk into the darkness and this saddened Von greatly. Von looked away as a tear formed in his eye, earning the sympathy of the girls and his lover, while Kamen earned Gilda's animosity.

"Listen, you! I actually wanna try to show you that I can change. I don't want to go back to that old life of mine. I don't care about being the toughest anymore." Gilda paused for a moment to catch her breath and shot him daggers. "I want to make friends and I'm not gonna let some jackass tell me that I can't change!!!" She screeched. Kamen glared back at her in response.

"You wanna go, bird brain?!" He yelled.

"Oh...please....don't...." Fluttershy squeaked, but her voice went unheard. She, Pinkie and Applejack tried their best to hold him back.

"Hold yer horses now! Don't need to start a fight here." Applejack told him.

"Come on, Kammy! She deserves a least a little chance." Pinkie pleaded, but even she was ignored. On the other end, Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow Dash tried to hold Gilda back but it wasn't going that well either.

"Bring it on, Fillyphile!" Gilda shouted. Kamen was steamed the moment that word popped out of her mouth and moved past the ponies holding him back and tackled Gilda to the ground and unleashed a flurry of hooves on her. Gilda blocked some of his hits and swiped at him a few times with her claws, but Kamen didn't let up. Even after getting scratched once or twice, he kept wailing on her. The girls attempted to pull them apart, but were only met with Kamen shrugging them off or Gilda nearly clawing one of them. Von stood there, helpless. His best friend and his lover were fighting and not even he could do anything to stop it. It made him feel weak. So powerless. Like he wasn't able to do a thing.....just like with Nova.

"No.....not again....." He muttered. He glared at the two and stopped his hooves in rage. "ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!" The moment he shouted, a large burst of wind shot out of his mouth and blew the two of them away, but the girls were caught in the crossfire as well. He took a moment to catch his breath, as did all the others as they stood back up. When they looked towards Von, they noticed a red liquid drip out from underneath his bandages. It didn't take them long to realize that Von's wounds had reopened.

"Von!" Gilda shouted as she pushed past the ponies and ran to his side. "Are you alright?!" Von smiled, seeing the worry in her eyes. They might not have seen it, but Von could.

"Y-yeah. I'll be fine. But that's not important." He stated.

"Like hay it isn't important!" Applejack said.

"I'll say. We need to get you fixed up, darling." Rarity said.

"And we certainly need to clean up that blood." Twilight pointed out. Von smiled and turned away from them.

"It's alright. I just need some rest", Von started. "But right now, I want you all to see that Gilda really does want to try. Can't you just let her show you what she can do?" He pleaded to them. Kamen had a look that told the girls that he wasn't going to give her a chance no matter what they said. But they, on the other hand, weren't as single-minded as Von pointed out he was. Talking amongst themselves, they soon came to an agreement and turned to face their half-blooded companion.

"Alright." They said in unison. Von smiled and jumped for joy, but winced when he landed as more blood started to soak his bandages.

"Quit messing around, you idiot." Gilda scolded. Von merely laughed and kissed her cheek and she kissed him back. Kamen shook his head in disappointment and flew away from the scene as Gilda continued speaking. "So what do we do first?" Von tapped his muzzle and went deep into thought. He hadn't planned on anything that he could have her do to show she could change. He had to think of something and fast. He looked around at his friends until his eyes locked on Rarity. He laughed a little while staring at the unicorn, causing the seamstress to stare at him in confusion.

"What is it, darling?" Rarity asked. Von simply smiled at her and his smile was redirected at Gilda.

"I think i have an idea." He said.

~15 minutes later~

"I am not coming out in this!!!" Gilda shouted from a dressing room in Carousel Boutique. Rarity stood by the door waiting while Von himself was standing by one of her mane-nequins and and was on the brink of laughing.

"C-come on, honey. I'm sure you look fine in it." He said reassuringly.

"I am not coming out in this! I feel.....weird. I don't even know how I let you talk me into this!" Gilda shouted again. Rarity had had enough of Gilda being so stubborn and proceeded to pound on the door with her hooves.

"Now, Gilda. I do not see why you are being so unreasonable. For one, you are wearing a dress of my design and the fact that you refuse to come out in it is insulting to a lady, such as myself." She said in a haughty manner. "Secondly, you said yourself when we came here that you've never worn a dress before. So you are BOUND to feel weird about it, darling. Finally, don't you wish to show yourself off to your stallion? I'm sure he'd really like it." Rarity's words must have convinced her because Gilda stayed silent for a good while. Gilda, like Rarity pointed out, had never worn a dress before in her life. She was doing this in order to be friends with them but she was also doing this for Von's sake, to make him happy. And though she wasn't going to admit it, she actually wanted to dress up for him.

"A-alright. I'm coming out." Gilda said calmly. Von went over to the dressing room and stood by Rarity as the door slowly opened. Von's tail swished quickly with anticipation until Gilda came out and revealed herself to them.

"So? How do I look?" She asked softly. Von and Rarity were both at a loss for words. Gilda looked....beautiful. Rarity had given her a bit of an 'extreme' makeover upon arriving to her store, but she didn't expect that she'd look this well. But then again, it was Rarity's handiwork.

"Absolutely smashing." Rarity said proudly. Gilda smiled and blushed, embarrassed but also happy about her new look. Now it was time for an answer from the one she really wanted to show off for.

"What do you think, Von?" She asked as she turned towards him.

"..." Von was speechless. He just stared at her as she radiated with beauty. He'd never seen such beauty before. If there were a beauty contest, she'd outshine even Celestia. "Wow..." He managed to utter. Gilda let out a somewhat feminine giggle and smiled at him. But her face turned completely red when something caught her eyes as they trailed down his body.

"Well, I can see you're happy about me wearing this." Gilda said in a teasing manner. Von smiled.

"Yeah. I am." Von replied. Rarity was unsure where Gilda was getting at until she followed her eyes and gasped as she noticed what she was looking at and averted her gaze as quickly as she could.

"Clearly, you're happier than I imagined you'd be after what I did for her." Rarity said nervously. Von blinked, unaware of what they were talking about until he felt it himself. Due to his excitement, he was completely oblivious to the fact that he'd gotten an erection.

"Hehe...oops." Von said with a nervous smile.

~Later that day~

"We have to buck these here trees in order to get the apples down. Y'all could just fly up there an' pick em, but that might take ya all day." Applejack said. After having her dress sent back to Canterlot, Von brought Gilda down to Sweet Apple Acres.

"So how exactly do we 'buck' apples?" Gilda inquired. Applejack giggled and walked over towards one of the apple trees. She turned her backside to the tree and reared her legs back.

"Ya do it like this!" She shouted as she slammed her hooves against the tree causing it to shake until all the apples that had fully ripened on the tree fell and landed into the buckets below. Applejack smiled at them and moved out of the way as Gilda moved up to a tree full of apples. Gilda wasn't all that confident in what she was about to do, but she had to at least try. But rather than turning around, she balled one of her claws into a fist and punched the tree as hard as she could. The tree barely shook and no apples fell to the ground. Frustrated, Gilda punched the tree a few more times but still no apples fell.

"What the hell? It's not working." Gilda complained. Von and Applejack laughed together while Gilda glared at them until Von took a step forward and lowered his head.

"I got it." He said. He dragged his hoof against the ground and at break-neck speed, he charged and rammed into the tree. It shook and only an apple or two fell. "Aww. I was hoping for more. Oh well." Von laughed as he started to pull himself out of the tree. But he didn't budge. In fact, he couldn't move at all. "What the hay?! I'm stuck!" He cried. He kept trying to pry himself out of the tree, but to no avail. He was surprised that Gilda and Applejack didn't rush to help him right then and there, but there was a reason they didn't: They were laughing. If he could, he would have turned and glared at them for laughing at his misfortune. "It's not funny, you guys! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!" He yelled.

After all was said and done, Von and Gilda began to depart back to Canterlot. Von hadn't mastered teleportation, but he managed to do well to get back without his wings by using his levitation spell. It was a flawed, but it got the job done.

"I have to admit", Gilda started. "you got some pretty cool friends. I guess their not as la--" Gilda broke her sentence when she noticed that Von was raising a brow to her. She knew he didn't like that word, so she cleared her throat before starting again. "--as BAD....as I thought they were. Maybe I might be able to become...friends with them." She finished. Von smiled and he released his spell and landed beside Gilda when the two reached Canterlot Castle.

"It's too bad we couldn't hang out with the others. But I want to spend more of my time with you." Von said and blushed when his eyes met with Gilda's, who also blushed in response. As the two proceeded upstairs, Von stopped suddenly. His ears twitched as he caught the sound of buzzing. It was the buzzing of insects. No....of something else.

"What's wrong?" Gilda asked, turning to her halfling mate. Von's ears twitched more and then a chill ran down his spine. It was a chill he was all too familiar with. Von's eyes widened with fear and he ran towards Gilda.

"Get down!!!" he shouted as he tackled Gilda to the ground and narrowly avoided getting swarmed by a horde of changelings. Von hadn't seen his changeling brethren in so long, but they seemed so different from his younger years. They were more aggressive, but the most noticeable thing about them was that there were less of them. Disregarding that, however, Von helped Gilda back onto her feet. "You ok?"

"Yeah." She confirmed as she looked at the horde surrounding them. "Are these..."

"Yeah. Changelings, just like me. But they wouldn't come alone. No...mother must be here." Von stated. "....And so must HE." After a moment of silence, two figures landed in front of Von and Gilda. One figure being the royal and once-proud visage of Queen Chrysalis, while the other was that of the psychotic, power hungry and parricidal changeling, Nova.

BGM 2

"Good to see you again, baby brother. How's your injury?" Nova asked with a sadistic smile. Von stayed silent and looked towards his mother. She just stood there and glared at him, something he didn't expect, but he could see a hint of sadness in her gaze.

"Von, who is this?" Gilda asked. As tough as she was, not even she could handle the fear that Nova was emitting from his very core. Nova glanced at her and examined her.

"A griffin? Hmm. Well, at least it's a step up from those filthy ponies. At least griffins taste good." Nova cackled at his last remark and Gilda growled at him. "I am Nova. His older brother. And the new ruler of the changelings."

"Liar! Mother is still alive, so you are not able to take control!" Von yelled in defiance. Nova just smiled at him.

"On the contrary, Chrysalis relinquished her leadership to me. I'm in charge now." Nova corrected. Von growled and noticed that only Nova could have made his own brothers and sisters become as aggressive as he was. "Anyway, I came here to tell you something. It's nothing too big. I'm just declaring war on you all." He said matter-of-factly.

"What?!" Von yelled. He looked to Chrysalis, hoping that she would object, but she did nothing. She stood there, staring at Von. Gilda stepped forward, but Von held her back.

"You can't do that! Do you know how many lives will be lost if you do that?!" Gilda screeched. Nova laughed and smiled at her.

"Yeah! That's why I'm doing this. Duh." He said, emphasizing the last word. "So get prepared, bring your army, you have 3 days, i'll kill you all. Yada yada yada. I hope we can have some fun when we fight again, little brother. Well....if you make it to me alive!" Nova laughed once more before he, Chrysalis and the horde took flight and retreated to their hideout. Von and Gilda stood still and watched their foe depart. Von's anger had reached its peak and he ran into the castle after shouting: "Damn him!"

~Moments later~

"Is this true?" Celestia inquired. Von nodded his head in confirmation.

"Yes. He's given us 3 days to prepare for his assault. What are you going to do, princess?" He asked. Princess Celestia rose from her throne and summoned two of her guard.

"Prepare the royal guard and summon Shining Armor. We will need his protection spell to keep them from reaching the castle. I also want you to call for the Elements and inform them of the situation at hoof." She ordered.

"Yes, your majesty." The guards said as they bowed and ran out of the castle. Von lowered his head and looked back up at the princess with a serious look on his face.

"I'm fighting, too!" He declared. Gilda gasped and look at him.

"Are you crazy?!" She asked him. But Von didn't respond.

"You do not need to do such a thing, Von." A female voice whispered. When Von turned, he saw Princess Luna walk in past the guards. "We have dealt with an assault by the changelings once already. We can handle another on our own. You are inexperienced in combat. Though we appreciate the sentiment, it may be best if you--"

"I'm fighting!" Von bellowed, interrupting the lunar Alicorn. "And that's final!" Celestia, Luna and Gilda all stared at him in awe. He was very serious about fighting, otherwise he would not have shouted at one of the princesses like that. Celestia smiled and walked over to him, but her smile turned into a stern look when she approached him.

"If you are going to fight, then I expect you to be well trained." She demanded. Von managed to swallow the lump in his throat that was caused by him being so nervous and nodded his head. He bowed his head in respect and walked back to his room with Gilda following behind.

"You're not seriously gonna fight, are you?" Gilda asked again. When they entered the room, Von closed the door and sighed heavily.

"I must. He's my brother and he's got my mom and her army under his control. He's also threatened the lives of my friends and all that I love here. I won't let him do this!" He declared. "He won't listen to me anymore. If worse comes to worse......I'll kill him." Von lowered his head and a tear fell down his cheek. Gilda could tell he was serious, but could also see that he did not want to end Nova's life, let alone kill in general. She wrapped one of her wings around him and pulled him close to lay a comforting claw on his shoulder.

"Alright. If you're gonna go fight, then I'll come, too." Gilda said, smiling.

"Forget it! You're staying home where you're safe!" Von yelled. Gilda glared at him in response.

"I'm not letting you go out there on your own! I'm going with you!" Gilda argued back.

"No way! I want you to stay alive! That's one of the reasons i'm fighting."

"There's no point in being alive if I can't have a future with you!!!" Gilda screeched. Her words rang in Von's head and quelled his anger.

"Gildy...." He paused for a moment and groaned in annoyance. "Fine! You can come with me." Gilda smiled and her tail swished back and forth with joy.

"But before we go off to war..." Gilda smiled and let go of him. "..Is there anything that you want to do? You know....anything special?" She purred. Von blushed when she did that and thought for a moment. There were a couple things that he wanted to do, but he wasn't sure if she'd want to. She giggled when she saw how hard he was thinking and wrapped her tail around his length again, causing him to gasp. "I have a question."

"Y-yes?" He asked through moans as Gilda's tail massaged him.

"Are you still a virgin?" She asked. Von's ears dropped and he looked away in shame.

"N-no....I'm not." He mumbled. He had hoped to give his first time to somepony that he cared for most, somepony he wanted to spend his life with and that thought was snatched away by the very creature that birthed him. Gilda looked him in the eyes questioningly.

"Who was it with?" She asked. Von's face became entirely flushed with red the moment she asked.

I want to tell her, but how can i?! 'My first time was with my mother and I enjoyed every second of it?', he thought. He looked Gilda in the eyes and gave her a sad look, pleading for her not to make him answer. But Gilda didn't change her expression and Von sighed. He breathed in deep and exhaled, prepared to give his answer. "My...mother...." He muttered.

"What?" Gilda asked. "I didn't hear you."

"My mother. It was my mother." He said outloud. The room fell silent. Von finally admitted it to somepony. Granted, it was his new lover but he finally came out with it. He was happy, but now he was ashamed. He was certain that Gilda wanted to be his first, but that chance was now ruined for her.

"......Wow...." was all she could say.

"I'm sorry. It happened unexpectedly and I've been saving my virginity for that special somepony and that special somepony is you. But...she took it from me before we had the chance to reunite and--" His speech was interrupted by a very odd thing: the sound of his griffin lover's laughter. He looked at her and saw that she had a big grin and was laughing hard. "What's so funny?" He asked.

"The fact you believe that you're not a virgin anymore." Gilda said as she started to calm down.

"So...you have no problem with it?" Von asked.

"Well, I still think it's gross that your mom was actually WILLING to do that to you. But it was in the past and I'm not gonna hold it against you." She reassured him. "So since it doesn't count...." Gilda got up and walked away from him and sat back down, leaning against the wall and began twirling her tail in her claw.

BGM 3

"Why don't you come and have some fun with me?" She purred. "If we're going to war, then we'd best get it out of the way while we have the chance. Besides....this is something that we both want." Von couldn't deny that. But he also couldn't deny how incredibly sexy Gilda looked right now. He liked being teased by her. It just made him want her more and vice versa. "You just gonna sit there and stare at me?" She asked in a sultry voice. Von happily trotted over to his lover and watched as she opened her legs, revealing her love hole. It was glistening with wetness, giving hint that Gilda was thinking about this for quite some time. He lowered his head and started to lap up her juices. Gilda moaned in delight as she watched her lover eat her out. It was embarrassing, but she enjoyed it very much. She let go of her tail and ran her claws along his horn, causing him to gasp and his face turn red. She giggled and moaned as Von ran his tongue up her slit and loll it around her clit.

He smiled when he got a loud gasp as a reaction and continued to work his magic, pursing his lips and giving the swollen nub a kiss and nibbled on it gently, eliciting another gasp and another and another until her legs closed and held him in place. He then went back to licking her slit while Gilda moaned and bit one of her claws to keep herself from screaming. But she stopped when the pleasing sensation was halted and she looked at him with pleading eyes when her orgasm was so close.

"Please...make me cum, Von. I can't take it anymore. Please don't keep me waiting." She cried. Von smiled and sat up and started to massage her with his hoof, it getting covered in her slick fluids the whole time. Gilda let out even louder moans of pleasure to the point where she almost screamed, exciting Von and signalling to him that she was about to release. Gilda bit her claw again and drew a bit of blood, but she didn't care. "I'm cumming!!!" She screamed. She started thrusting her hips up into Von's hoof and moaned wildly. Von just smiled at her and raised a brow.

She's one horny bird, he thought as he took his hoof away and went back to licking her again. Gilda was on the edge as Von's tongue wiggled its way inside of her, eliciting more moans from the griffin. She was lost in a world of bliss and as she was about to release, Von stopped and wormed his way out of her legs and leaned back.

"Not yet. You gotta help me, too." Von bragged as his member came fully out of its sheath. Gilda groaned and stuck her tongue out at him as she moved towards him and grasped it in her claws.

"You're mean." She teased as she started pumping her lover. Von moaned and smiled at his griffin lover. Her grip was a little too tight and her claws were rough, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to be picky on how gentle or rough he wanted her to be. Instead, he just sat back and enjoyed the moment. Gilda massaged his length faster, getting louder moans from him and she smiled. She stared at his member with hunger and rubbed faster and came to a full stop, confusing him.

"Why'd you st--AAaahh!!!" Von let out a loud moan as his length was stuffed into Gilda's mouth. She gagged a little as she lowered her head more until she finally reached the base. She teared up a little, but this was expected since she recklessly shoved it in without thinking. She wrapped her tongue around her lover and raised her head until just the tip was left and lolled her tongue around it. Von started to drool, but he wiped his mouth and placed one of his hooves on her head and shoved her back down, causing her to gag on his member again. She looked up at him and saw that he was smiling down at her and she smiled back and bobbed her head up and down. Von let out small gasps each time Gilda reached the base and ran her tongue around it. They stared into each others eyes as she kept swallowing his piece. Von only closed his eyes briefly when she did things to him that he didn't expect, such as tickling his balls with one of her claws.

"That...*ah*...feels so...*ngh* good." Von said through his moans. Gilda moaned around his stiff member, vibrating it and making him moan louder. "Oh sweet celestia." He said softly. She smiled, realizing that she found something he really liked and kept at it. But her nethers were going completely unattended and this frustrated her. So while he wasn't looking, she slipped her claw between her legs and began rubbing herself. She stuck two talons inside of herself and massaged her inner walls, moaning loudly around Von's shaft and he moaned in response to the vibrations. He opened his eyes after he was lost in ecstasy and looked down at her and his face flushed with red.

Gilda saw him looking and she blushed, but she didn't stop playing with herself. She rubbed faster and the movements of her mouth quickened. She was hardly embarrassed by the fact that fact he was watching her. In fact, she WANTED him to watch. Von's member stiffened more at the sight and Gilda took him out of her mouth and started rubbing it with her free claw.

"Enjoying the show?" She asked in a naughty tone. Von could hardly speak as he was still being washed away by the pleasure she was giving him and he slowly nodded. Gilda giggled at his reaction and swallowed his length again until she reached the base and continued her previous movements. I'm kinda getting tired of being the one in control here. I want him to take charge. But his moans are so cute....and he tastes good too, she thought. Gilda enjoyed the fact she was pleasing her coltfriend as she ran her tongue around him more, but she was starting to get impatient. She wanted to be pleased, too. And the fact that Von was watching her play with herself while pleasing him was not helping at all. She took her claws away from her slit and raised her head until the tip of Von's dick slipped out of her mouth with an audible pop and she licked it one more time in a teasing manner.

"Alright. I think....that's enough teasing for now." She panted as she stood up. She turned around and rested the upper half of her body on the bed and raised her tail, looking back at him. "Time for the main course, honey." Von gazed upon her pink lips and noticed that she was now soaking wet. The scent of it reached his nostrils, causing him to drool and his member to harden more in anticipation. It was so inviting. He didn't want to resist it anymore. He mounted his lover and wrapped his hooves around her belly as he slid inside of her, with both of them moaning. However, he met with some resistance. Von was a bit confused as to why that was, but he ignored it and plunged in deeper. Gilda clawed into the bed until she screeched like an eagle as Von went all the way inside her. A few tears traveled down her cheek, earning Von's attention.

"Are you ok? Did I hurt you?" He asked.

"A....a bit. But I'm alright. I'm just....glad it was you." Gilda said taking heavy breaths. Von felt a warm liquid against his leg and when he looked down, he saw something red. When he followed it back to the source, he noticed that it was coming from Gilda.

"Gilda, you're--!" Von started to panic upon realizing that the reason for her bleeding was because he had taken Gilda's virginity. As Von continued to panic, Gilda's tail covered his muzzle and she smiled at him.

"Like I said, i'm just glad it was you." She said giggling. Von smiled a bit and started to calm down and placed his hooves on her hips and started thrusting. He made sure to go slowly as to not hurt her more than he already did. Gilda cringed as the pain surged through her body, but it was soon replaced by pleasure. As soon as the pleasure started to wash over her, Gilda began moaning with Von moaning with her as well. Von was enjoying himself very well as he was doing this willingly rather than being forced into it. They were making meaningful, passionate love and they didn't want to stop. Gilda reached back with one of her claws and pulled Von's head towards her into a kiss.

Their tongues wrapped around one another and they moaned into each others mouths as Von picked up the pace. They broke the kiss and returned to their original positions, Gilda's tongue hanging out of her mouth and a trail of drool extended from it. It was utterly embarrassing, but she didn't have a care in the world. She was completely lost in bliss as all the pain she felt when they first started was completely swept away. She started to move her hips back in time with Von until they both found a rhythm to follow. As Von thrust harder, Gilda would move her hips back faster causing them to cry out in pleasure. Von removed himself from Gilda and wrapped his hooves around her and flipped her onto her back. He then thrust back into her and moved at a quicker pace.

"Oh sweet celestia, yes!!!" Gilda screamed. Her claws dug further into the bed and she thrust her hips up into Von's, causing him to sink deeper and he started to hit what he assumed was her G-spot. The moment he did, Gilda's claws dragged along the sheets, ripping them up as she squirmed under him and a bright red flush came to her face. Von had hit a tender spot and that cued him to thrust there again. Gilda's mind started to go blank, but she noticed what he was up to and grinned. "Heh...Looks like you're...*ah* pretty close too, huh?" Gilda asked as her moist entrance constricted around Von more. He smiled at her and continued at his pace. She was right though. Von was close to the edge, but Gilda was as well. She sat up and wrapped her claws around him and leaned in closer to him. They stared into each others eyes and kissed again as Gilda thrust her hips up again, forcing herself to scream into his mouth. Von couldn't take it anymore. He sat up and wrapped his hooves around her back and thrust harder as he felt himself nearing his climax.

"I-I'm gonna cum, Gilda!!!" He yelled. Gilda moaned louder and tightened around him and looked down at him.

"M-me too!!!" Gilda screamed. Gilda thrust her hips faster and faster until her body convulsed and her juices flowed out of her and washed over his length and that sent him over the edge. His member twitched as it was about to release until he felt something wrap tightly around it and squeeze. When he looked down, he saw that Gilda's tail was wrapped around and it yanked him out of her. Gilda looked back at him with a lustful grin and started rubbing his length with her tail. "Ah-ah. I told you. I don't want kids just yet." She purred. The feel of her fur against him sent Von's pleasure levels skyrocketing and he found release and came on Gilda's tail and lower body. He sighed happily and when Gilda released him, he laid down on the bed and she moved beside him.

"I love you, Gildy." Von said, catching his breath.

"I love you too, Von." Gilda replied. They smiled at each other and shared one more kiss before drifting off into Luna's dream world.

"Where are you taking me, Nova?" Chrysalis inquired. "This is not the way back home."

"On the contrary, Chryssy", Nova started. "I am taking you home; Your new home, that is." The two of them continued to fly through the air as the changeling horde flew ahead of them, obscuring the path ahead of them. "You wanted a new castle, correct? Well I decided to have one built for you in a place you know better than anyone." Nova smiled and when the changelings dispersed, she saw it. Atop of a waterfall, standing tall and proud and radiating with power and fear, was a castle made specifically to a design the changelings adored. But the waterfall it was on was very familiar. For both Chrysalis and Nova.

"This place..." Chrysalis mumbled. Nova let out a wicked cackle and smiled at Chrysalis.

"Seems familiar, right? Do you know where this is?" He asked jokingly. Chrysalis looked down in shame. She didn't want to admit it, but she knew this place. This place was sacred for her. This was one place that she would not have touched if she took over Canterlot. The place where everything began.

"Neighagra Falls...."

Preparations

~7 years prior to Von's departure~

"Concentrate now, Von. Feel the breath of Equestria flow through your body. Let it course through you and strengthen you so that you can withstand any obstacle that comes at you." Von's elder instructed. It had been 5 years since Von had lost his memory after seeing the Sonic Rainboom. Since then, Von has had to relearn all that the elder taught him. How to fly, how to properly hunt for gems and learn which gems can make a dragon sick and how to unleash his inner dragon. But in light of that event, Von was able to better blend in to dragon society...at the cost of his true self.

"Ok...I think I can feel it. Alright. Hit me." Von demanded. The elder chuckled and did as Von asked. He punched him as hard as he could and sent the young drake into the side of the mountain.

"Oh my..." The elder said in surprise. In reality, he wasn't all that surprised that Von would have failed that. Von groaned in agony as he rubbed the spot his elder hit him and got up.

"Why didn't it work? I could feel the breath of Equestria like you said!" Von whined. The elder smiled and gave him a questioning look.

"It was about to work. But were you CONCENTRATING?" The elder asked, emphasizing the last word. Von blushed a bit and looked away. It was written all over his face and the elder chuckled. "Are you thinking about that griffin companion of yours? What was her name? Guldo?"

"It's Gildy!" Von yelled. Immediately, Von's face lit up and he looked away. "I-I mean, Gilda." The elder smiled and patted Von on the back.

"You miss her, huh?" He asked. Von's wings drooped in sadness and he looked at the ground.

"She said she was going back to her family and I haven't seen her since. Do you think she doesn't wanna be friends with me anymore?" The young drake asked. The elder could only shake his head as he did not know as to what reason Gilda had for not coming back. But his focus shifted as the topic changed as well. "Do you think i'll ever meet my parents?"

"Of course." The elder said. "I am quite certain they will appear before you one day. Just have hope. I taught you never to give up hope, remember?" Von smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Right. I won't give up. I promise!" Von declared to the heavens. The elder laughed at his confidence but suddenly, he froze. He appeared as though he were seeing the entire universe as he stared towards the sky. Von followed his gaze, but there was nothing there except clouds. "Is something the matter, Elder?" He asked in a worried tone. The elder shook his head and broke his trance upon hearing Von's voice.

"Yes. Now come. Let us continue your training." He ordered as he got back into his original position. Von beamed with confidence and got into a fighting stance.

"Ok!" Von shouted. The elder stared at him as Von did as he instructed earlier.

A great battle will come to him one day. I pray that he learns to use the techniques I am teaching him, for if he does not, HE will come and Equestria will be turned into a land of pain, sorrow and death.......

Chapter 25: Preparations

Von awoke from his slumber in a cold sweat. Though he experienced a night of bliss, he could not escape his worry. He looked towards the ceiling and let out a long sigh.

"I still haven't forgotten what you taught me, elder. But channeling powers like that for my use is rather difficult. But I will try. I have to. Otherwise, Nova will win and that will be the end of everything." Von said to himself. He looked to his left and noticed his griffin lover sleeping, a smile on her face and she had one of his hooves in a vice grip. He smiled a bit and looked back towards the ceiling as he went deep in thought. The way the elder looked then....it was as though he saw something horrible. Could it be that he had a vision? If so, I wonder if he saw these turn of events coming into play...., he thought. He thought back to his time with the elder and closed his eyes. What was it he taught me again? ...Oh right. Move swift like the wind, have a mind as serene as the water, feel the breath of Equestria and be as durable as its mountains.....and have a fighting spirit fierce like fire. Von opened his eyes and continued to stare at the ceiling. But his train of thought was broken when he heard Gilda mumbling in her sleep.

"Von......don't die....." She said. Von chuckled and pet the feathers on her head with his free hoof.

"I'm not gonna die. Count on it." He whispered to her. However, the moment he stopped stroking her head, Gilda smiled and her eyes opened.

"You better not." She told him. She tightened her grip on his hoof and stared at him. "If you do, I'll drag you up from Tartarus and kick your ass." Von laughed and smiled.

"And how long have we been up?" He asked in a teasing voice.

"Since you woke up all scared." She answered. She released her grip and laid her head on his lap. "So, what are you gonna do?"

"....." Von stayed silent for a moment before he thought about how to answer her. "We prepare for battle. Celestia is going to mobilize the royal guard, and Luna will her personal guard. They probably informed the girls already, so I know they're gonna get prepared. And then there's us. .....I'm going to resume the training my elder put me through." Von said. "It's going to be rough, but we have to persevere. If we lose, Nova will take over and I can't let that happen. He'll kill everypony. Even you and I don't want that to ever happen. I'll protect you, Gildy. No matter what." He declared. However, his moment of bravery subsided when the sound of his lover snoring filled the air. Von couldn't help but laugh, but he stopped himself and laid back on the bed. "I've learned how to have a serene mind and I remembered how to feel the breath of Equestria. ....Swift like the wind and a fierce and fiery spirit are next. I'll get to it in the morning." He whispered to himself and he drifted back to sleep to prepare for his inevitable battle.........

Not too long after he woke up again, Von went out into the Royal Canterlot Training Grounds. As the name implied, he went there in order to train himself. Though some of the guards were around and getting prepared themselves, the area was pretty open so he could train as hard as he could without worry of any casualties....to an extent.

"Even though I learned it, I need to practice it again. Ok. Just take in the breath of Equestria..." He mumbled to himself. He closed his eyes and took slow breaths. In and out. In and out. Suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation seep into his hooves. No. More like it flowed through every fiber of his being. He felt like he could withstand anything, like he was as sturdy as a mountain. "This is it. This is just what the elder was talking--"

"Hi!" Said a familiar bubbly voice. The instant that voice startled him, he lost all concentration and the feeling of power that he took in backfired and he sunk into the floor like a 10-ton weight. He lifted his head and looked back to find Twilight, Rarity and the source of the voice that forced him to lose his concentration, Pinkie Pie.

"What are you guys doing here?" He asked in an annoyed tone. This was a first for him. He always greeted them with smiles, but this time he was actually annoyed with the fact they were there.

"You don't have to act so coldly, darling. We just came here to see you." Rarity said with a frown. Von grunted and looked away from them as he got back onto his hooves.

"Sorry", He started. "It's not you. It's just--"

"Nova has gone too far this time?" Twilight finished for him. He smiled a bit in response.

"Yeah. I don't want to fight, but it seems I have no choice. One way or another, I WILL stop him!" Von proclaimed. Pinkie smiled and patted his back.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll beat that big meanie. We believe in you." She declared. She flashed him a wide grin and he returned a smile of his own. His ears twitched and he turned towards the door behind the girls and saw his precious lover standing there.

"My, you seem to be quite the player." Gilda teased.

"It's not like that, Gildy! You know--" Von was cut off as Gilda came over to him and planted a kiss on his lips.

"It really is too easy to mess with you." She said with a giggle. Von sighed and looked towards Twilight.

"Where are the others?" He asked. Twilight smiled at him.

"Rainbow Dash and Kamen went back to Cloudsdale together, Applejack went back to Sweet Apple Acres and Fluttershy...." Twilight trailed off and scratched the back of her head with her hoof. "Well, she's--"

"Probably cowering like the little dweeb she is." Gilda interrupted. The girls looked at her in anger and she just shrugged it off.

And just WHAT was it that made Von choose her?, they thought. Gilda gave them a smug grin when suddenly, she felt an invisible force smack her in the back of the head. She rubbed the spot of impact and looked around and saw that neither Twilight nor Rarity had made a single movement. Her mind then n slowly focused on one certain halfling. When she looked back towards Von, who went back to training, she noticed that his horn was glowing with a distinctive aura that made her anger boil.

"Did you just HIT ME?!" She screeched. Von chuckled and glanced back at her.

"I'm sorry, what?" He asked. Gilda stomped up to him and stood in front of him.

"You hit me, didn't you?!" She asked again.

"Ooooh. Nooo." Von said playfully.

"Yes you did!"

"Nooo. I didn't...."

"Don't lie to me! I can see your horn glowing!"

"Nooo."

"Yes you did! You hit me just now!!!"

"Nooo. I don't remember thaaat." Von said with a chuckle. Gilda growled at him and turned her head away in anger. The girls laughed and Twilight smiled at him.

"Well, we'll leave you two alone. And remember, Von. We will help in any way we can. We believe in you." And with those words, the three of them departed. Left alone was an angry Gilda and a highly concerned Von.

I know. That's what makes my decision even harder...., he thought. He shook his head and looked towards Gilda, who was starting to calm down.

"That wasn't funny, you know." She deadpanned.

"Hehe. It was a little funny, right?" Von asked.

"No. No, it wasn't." She responded.

"Aww. Party pooper." Von said with a frown. "Anyway, I told you not to make fun of my friends. We're supposed to show them that you can change, remember?" Gilda sighed and nodded her head. "I'll let you off easy for now. Right now, I need to train."

"Alright. I'll see you later then." Gilda said as she flew away. From there, Von trained for hours on his own until finally....

"Alright. I've gotten the hang of harnessing the power of Equestria itself. Next up, swift like the wind." Von was about to get back to training when he stopped to think. "They're all counting on me. They all believe in me. I want to protect them......and that's why I'll have to go through with it....even if they hate me in the end."

BGM 1

Out in Ponyville, Celestia's royal guard were making their rounds, restricting everypony from going out into the streets or drafting any stallion or mare they found suitable to aid them in the fight against Nova. In the midst of this Luna was preparing her personal guard for the battle ahead as well. It saddened both princesses to bring in civilians, but they needed all the fighters they could get. Lastly, Celestia was able to enlist the aid of her nephew in-law Shining Armor, Captain of the royal guard.

"We've enlisted as many ponies as we could, your majesty." Shining reported in. "But we are still few in numbers."

"You've done well, Shining Armor. We may not have enough soldiers, but we should be able to push them back if we can. In the meantime, I would like to ask that you place your protection spell around Canterlot." Celestia ordered.

"Yes" Luna started. "It is most likely the main target of their assault."

"As you wish, princess." Shining Armor nodded and bowed in respect as he left the castle.

"Do you think that this is a battle we can win, sister?" Luna asked, turning her attention to Celestia. The solar princess sighed and looked at her sister with an expression of grief.

"I fear that we will not be able to win this battle, sister." Celestia stated. "Nova has indeed grown powerful. And if he is leading the changelings, including their queen, then we may have already lost."

"Don't say that!" A voice called out. The two princesses looked towards the door and saw Von walking towards them. "We can't give in. If we do, he wins and we'll all be killed!!!"

"The number of soldiers we have to fight them is not enough, Von." Luna said.

"I know. I know how many changelings there are and I know how powerful they can be. And I certainly know the level of Nova's strength." Von said. Von had a look of grimace on his face as he looked back to the wound Nova left. Celestia giggled a bit and looked at him.

"Do you miss your wings?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Perhaps Chrysalis should have taught you more about changelings than she has."

"What do you mean?" He asked in confusion. Celestia used her magic and unwrapped the bandages he had on and when he looked back, he saw two stubs where his wings were. But there was something odd about them.

"Changelings are capable of regenerating their lost wings." Celestia pointed out. "You are no exception. You just need to concentrate." Von's eyes widened with joy upon hearing this. If this was true, then he could finally be whole again. He would be able to fly once more, feeling the breeze and being at one with the skies like the wind dragon he was inside. So without any further instruction, he closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Suddenly, the stubs on his back began to twitch and ache. It was painful, but he knew he had to pull through it to get back what he had lost. He strained a bit and the stubs throbbed more.

"I-it hurts!" Von cried out.

I know it must hurt. But you must endure the pain, whispered a male voice in his head. Von's eyes widened when heard the voice. He didn't recognize it, but it was soft and commanding. Like the voice of a true leader.

".....Alright." he muttered. Von nodded and mustered up his strength and concentrated more. The stubs continued to throb more violently until suddenly in a burst of blood, a pair of new wings sprouted from his back. But they were not the wings of a changeling.

"My wings...They're...."

"Yes" Celestia said, interrupting. "Your new wings are that of a dragon due to the draconic blood you carry." She gave him a warm smile and he returned one to her.

"Anyway....we're in need of some extra help, right?" Von asked.

"Yes. But where do we find such aid?" Luna asked, turning to her sister. Celestia tapped her muzzle and went deep in thought until a pegasus came flying into the castle. It was a female pegasus with a gray coat and blonde mane and apparently had wall-eyes....at least, that's how it seemed from Von's perspective. She flew rather clumsily until she landed in front of Von and gave him a big smile.

"I brought you a letter." She said cheerfully. She reached into the mailbag that she was carrying and pulled out an envelope and gave it to him.

"Uh...thanks?" Von said. He smiled nervously and the pegasus smiled back before she flew away. What a strange looking mare. ....Kinda cute though, he thought. After she departed, Von looked at the letter in question and opened it with his magic and levitated it in front of him. "....What the...."

Sometimes the best allies are those you'd never expect....

BGM 2

Meanwhile in the new Changeling castle, the Changeling army was being prepared for the war to come. Though she now had less influence, Chrysalis was placed in charge of the army.

"I'm growing tired of this!" She said to herself. "Why am I taking orders from HIM?! Am I scared? Have I gone soft? Is it out of love or out of hate?!" She sighed and walked down the hall. "I already know the obvious answer. I'm doing this to protect myself. I've tried to stop him time and time again but to no avail. He has grown too powerful and is too far gone to listen to me. I have no choice but to obey...out of fear for the lives of my changelings.....and my son. Oh Ignus. You must think me a horrible parent." She looked to the clouds outside, hoping to find any sign that her beloved would forgive her for what she was doing. But she saw nothing. Not a beacon of light. Not a whisper. Nothing. All she heard was the buzzing of her changelings in the skies above.

"~Oh Chryssy~" Nova called out to her. She looked down the hall and groaned in annoyance. She began to proceed down the hall when a small gust of wind blew past her face and her eyes widened.

"Ignus...." She said to herself. She managed to smile for she got the answer she desired, but that smile faded as Nova continually called for her. "I'm coming!!!"

"Damn right, you were! Ha!" Nova said when she reached her destination. He had a book levitating in front of him, but it was not his spell book.

"What is that?" Chrysalis asked, pointing to the object in question.

"Ah, Chryssy. I was getting bored, so I found this book. It's rather funny, actually. It's about some colt who's trying to get laid by everypony around, but he keeps screwing up. Seems some nurse by the name of Redheart is not very fond of him. I'd certainly like to meet the creator." He said with a laugh. He put the book down and looked at her and smiled. "How goes the preparations?"

"The changelings are growing stronger thanks to your.....training....but they are growing restless as well. We need more love. How long do you intend to make them wait?" She asked. Nova growled and looked towards her. No matter how much he 'aided' her, she continued to question his judgement. And he had finally had enough of it.

"Don't question me, Chrysalis! Don't forget..." Nova got up from his resting spot and slammed Chrysalis on the ground and placed a hoof on her head. "I have the power to take your life away! I am your master now! And I will have my way!!!"

No. It is I who will have his way.

BGM 3

"W-what?!" Nova shouted to the voice in his head. He took his hoof off Chrysalis against his will and backed away from her. He lowered to the ground and started to writhe in pain. "What is this?! Stop!"

You have done your part and served your purpose. You no longer have any need for that fragile, mortal mind. I will corrupt it with my influence, the voice said. At that moment, a torrent of dark power flowed out of Nova and began to wrap around his body. He cried out in agony as the darkness began to take him over. It felt like his eyes were about to pop out of his head.

"S-stop!!!" Nova cried.

The time of Nova the dragon lord has come to an end. The time of Nova the dark prince is now. You will do as I say without question. Is that understood? Nova opened his eyes and they flashed with red as he looked past Chrysalis.

"Yes, master." Nova said with a deep demonic voice. Chrysalis stared at him in awe and horror, unaware of what was really going on. But deciding not to question him, she went along with it.

Von....you have to win. Please!

"Where are you going, Von?" Celestia inquired. Von opened the doors with his magic and began to spread his new wings.

"Going to get more help." Von answered.

"But from where exactly?" Luna asked. Von smiled and stepped outside and the princesses followed behind him.

"Like that letter said...'sometimes the best allies are those you'd never expect'. And there is one batch of friends that I have that I would never expect to come to our aid. Especially after they learn what I really am." He said. And whoever sent that letter knows of our predicament. I want to learn who, but I don't have time.

"And who are these allies, Von?" Celestia asked with a worried tone. Von flapped his wings and hovered in the air and turned back to Celestia and flashed a confident grin.

"The dragons back on Dragon Mountain."

Von's Equestrian Travels

by ToyaOctaviusDiscord

Chapters

Meeting

Bonding

New Friends pt.1

New friends pt.2

Summons and Confession

New Resident

Planning

To Appleloosa

Passing

Tied Together

Dragon's Heat

A stronger bond

A fated friendship

True Feelings

Mark of the changeling

Truth

Birth of Hope

A pony who'll understand

Change of heart

Lustful Sorrow*

First Nightmare Night

Grounding

A Second Chance

Reunion

Declaration*

Preparations

Mature Rated Fiction

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