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.

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