BGM 1

Deep within the forest of the swamp town known as Hollow Shades, two bodies; A dragon and a pony, stood together side by side as they looked on into the distance. The two of them began to engage in conversation with each other.

"Are you quite certain this is what you want to do?" One of them asked. It was the dragon. It was male, gentle and elderly.

"I leave him in your care....I trust you." The pony replied. It was clearly a stallion as his voice was gruff and commanding, but it had a hint of worry mixed in. To his side was a steel sword. Its handle was embedded with jewels and the blade had been worn out. The stallion stepped away from the old dragon and did not once look back. The sun had set and the wind blew gently against the treetops as tension filled the air.

"Very well. I will guard him with my life. Different though he may be, I make this promise to you. Goodbye, Ignus..." The dragon said. The stallion nodded without looking to his companion.

"Farewell, my friend." Ignus said as he ran off. In the midst of this, two more figures, a dragon as tall as the elderly one and a small child had stepped forward. It seemed as though they witnessed the conversation between the two friends.

"Mom? What's going on?" The child asked. It was male, but it was clearly the voice of a child no less than 7 years of age. The dragoness looked down at the child and smiled sadly, gently rubbing his head.

"It's nothing, sweetie. Your father has just...decided to go on a trip." The dragoness said. The colt looked to its mother with worry.

"When is he coming back?" He asked. The elderly male got wind of his words and turned to face the two.

"He will not be coming back anytime soon, young one." He said as he walked forward.

"Who are you?" the child asked. He tilted his head to the side, showing that he was confused as he never met him before. The elderly male chuckled.

"You may call me Eldrich. I am a friend of your father's." The elderly male introduced himself. The child stepped behind its mother and hid his face. He was scared of Eldrich as his size intimidated him and he was not familiar with him at all. The mother could only look to her child and smile.

"Please forgive him. He's a shy one." She apologized. Eldrich smiled.

"It's quite alright. Aren't you a cute little thing. What's your name?" Eldrich said, directing his attention back to the child. The colt said nothing and kept himself hidden behind his mother.

"It's alright, sweetie. Tell him your name." The mother said, urging her child from his hiding place. The child fidgeted in place for a moment before he looked up at Eldrich. Gathering his courage, he opened his mouth to speak.

BGM 2

"...on....Von....Von, snap out of it, will ya?!" The young dragon came to his senses as he was tackled to the ground by a maroon-colored dragon with yellow spikes and freckles.

"Ha! Gotcha, wimp! Maybe next time you'll learn to pay attention instead of day dreaming." The teenage dragon mocked. Von Dragonblade, the young dragon pinned to the ground, had a teal body with a yellow underbelly and orange hair on the tip of his tail. He brought his feet to his chest and kicked up, knocking the teenage dragon off him before getting back on his feet.

"That's enough, Garble. You know how much I hate rough housing with you!" Von declared. Four dragons came to Garble's side as they helped up their fierce companion and faced the young dragon. "I'm not going to continue." Von turned and walked away from them as Garble and his friends stood there and laughed at him.

"Go ahead and leave, runt! Go and dream about living with some namby pamby ponies. You'll never be a true dragon if you're hanging with ponies." Garble said with a mocking laughter. Von ignored him and went on his way. But it was true. Von was not like Garble and the other dragons. Unlike these dragons, who had a distinct hatred towards the ponies in the land of Equestria, Von was actually quite fascinated with them. Being a former resident of Equestria, he knew plenty about its landscape but not about its inhabitants: The Equestrians. He wanted to know more about them. How they lived, WHERE they lived, what they ate, what they did and what they celebrated. With this kind of behavior, Von was never thought of as a real dragon. Though Von was never like the other dragons to begin with.

Von was a rather clumsy flier and had a bit of a distaste for gems, though he had to eat something to keep himself alive. But there was also one little detail that made Von even more different than his brethren: his father was an Earth Pony. That's right. Von is the half breed child to a pony father and a dragon mother. How in Equestria that was actually possible, Von had no idea and he wanted it to stay that way. With these in mind, Von was considered the misfit of dragon kind. But there were three dragons that always stood by Von's side, even knowing what he wanted. And today was his 20th birthday and he planned on getting his wish.

"Hey, Von!" A dragon called to him as he rested by a rock. It was a yellow dragon with black spikes and a purple underbelly. Accompanying him was a white-scaled dragon with blue eyes and an ice-blue underbelly to match. The two came up to their kirin companion and sat beside him. "Got into another fight with Garble, huh?"

"Right as usual, huh Axel?" Von said in a sarcastic tone. Axel laughed as the white dragon began to speak.

"You should not let what they say get to you. Their words are meaningless but if you let them get to you, then their words can become weapons." Von sighed and looked to his snowy friend.

"Always gotta spit out some kind of philosophy, don'tchu Arcius?" Von got back onto his feet and proceeded to walk away from them until they grabbed his arm and stepped in front of him to keep him from walking away. "What now?"

"Von, you've been acting a little weird. Mind telling us what's going on?" Arcius asked. His tone was one of worry and concern. Arcius normally had a calm demeanor, a mind as clear as the sky. But the moment his tone changes, it's best not to mess with him or even hide anything from him.

"What, did Garble say something about your parents? Where is he?! I'll rip him apart." Axel yelled as he started to march off, but Arcius grabbed him and held him back to prevent any conflict from occurring. Axel was a more hot-headed kind of dragon. Not as a joke because he was a fire dragon, but due to his temper. Axel was easy to anger and difficult to calm down. But deep down inside, he was actually a real softy. He liked things like bunnies, clouds and sunny skies. But he never told that to any other dragon about that except for Von and Arcius. Or rather, they found it out themselves and have kept it a secret since they did.

"No. He said nothing about my parents...at least, not today." Von said. "He just made fun of my attraction to ponies. That's all." Von turned and walked away from his friends but suddenly bumped into another dragon. Like Axel, Arcius and Garble, this dragon stood on two legs. It was a female dragon with large breasts and a slender figure. Her scales were a dark purple, complete with white spikes and a yellow underbelly. She had a tomboyish air about her and her stare made it pretty obvious when she looked down at Von, who was staring back at her.

"Hey, baby. Like what you see?" She asked in a sultry tone. Von just looked away from her, a blush burning on his face.

"Shut up, Cynder. I'm not interested anymore." Von said. Cynder giggled and placed a claw on one of his shoulders as she twirled around Von, causing him to turn around.

"Aw come on. You don't want any of this anymore?" She asked, pouting. She quickly smiled and did a few poses, occasionally lifting her tail and exposing her rounded buttocks to him. Von looked only for a second before he turned his head away in embarrassment.

"I-I'm not interested anymore, ok?! I told you before. It's over between us." Von declared. His ex-girlfriend just looked at him in amazement. She couldn't believe what she just heard. Von, the half-breed freak, was rejecting her. HER, of all dragons. Her anger reaching to a boiling point, Cynder glared at him and turned away.

"Fine. If that's the way you want it, then I don't need you either. Why don't you go chasing after those ponies you love so much?" She hissed. Von sighed and walked back over to his friends, looking back at her on the way.

"Sorry. I just....don't like you that way anymore." Von told her.

"Please! This coming from the dragon that tried fucking me in my sleep when his heat cycle came around." Cynder retorted. "Fine. Go chasing after some horse's ass for the rest of your life. See if I care." She huffed and with those final words, she left the trio. Arcius stared at Von for a few seconds until his gaze diverted to the departing dragoness, along with Von and Axel's.

"Axel....I don't mean to be rude....but your sister is an ass." Von said to his yellow companion. Axel nodded in response.

"I have no idea how you were able to survive her." Arcius chuckled at Axel's comment.

"Perhaps the same can be said of you." The white dragon laughed as Axel began chasing him around, their halfling friend laughing at their antics. These two were the closest friends Von had ever had in his time up on the mountain. Around them, he could freely tell them about his dreams or what he studied about Equestria's residents. But there was one more dragon that understood him more than anyone. The three of them kept horsing around when at that moment, the sound of footsteps caught their attention. The footsteps grew louder as the source of them got closer. The three of them turned to see another female dragon, this one being an adult, standing over them. It had scales of a smokey silver color and a creamy white underbelly. It's expression was a motherly one at that and had an aura of peace and tranquility about her.

"Hello boys." The silver dragoness greeted. Axel and Arcius bowed their heads and the dragoness did the same before she turned towards Von and smiled at him. "Are the other dragons still making fun of you for liking ponies, sweetie?" She took her claws and grabbed Von, nuzzling the kirin in her bosom, causing him to blush and try to push her away.

"Mom! Come on! I'm not a kid anymore." Von whined. "But yes...they were. They keep making fun of me because of the way I look and because you and I are pony lovers. It's starting to get really old." Von kicked a rock on the ground and walked to the edge of the mountain and sat beside a small gem pile and among that pile was a book.

"Boys, can you leave us alone for a bit?" His mother asked. Axel and Arcius nodded in agreement and walked away to give the mother some time with her kirin child. After they left, Von's mother walked near the edge and sat by the gem pile. "Is something the matter?"

BGM 3

"Mom...How can you deal with it?" Von asked, nearly tearing up.

"Deal with what, sweetheart?" She replied. Von looked at her with red, tear-filled eyes.

"Deal with....this! This life we're living here among the other dragons. They keep ridiculing me just because I don't have an attraction for dragons and calling you a 'Pony loving whore of a mother', all because I'm...because I'm a freak!" Von exclaimed, pointing to himself. "Why did I have to be born....." Von's mother sighed and wrapped one of her wings around her child.

"You were born because we WANTED you, Von." She reassured him. "All the dragons around me and the ponies around your father believe that dragons and ponies should not be with one another, limiting who we are allowed to love. Believing that it is a sin for dragons and ponies to procreate with one another. With that I guess you could say a wall was put up between our races, keeping us from trying to understand one another and learn to love each other. But your father and I wished to climb that wall and prove that there is nothing sinful about our love." She smiled and patted Von's head gently, causing him to blush but he managed to smile back up at her. She gently took his hand in her own and nuzzled his cheek. "That is how you were made. You are the proof that our love is anything but sinful. You are the fruit of our union; Our hope."

"I understand that, mom. I really do. But....I just want them to understand my ways. I want them to see WHY I like the ponies so much." Von got up from his resting spot and stepped towards the gem pile and picked up the book that was resting atop of it. Von stared intently at the book which was titled, Daring Do and the quest for the sapphire statue and smiled at it. "We're no different from the ponies. They just can't see it like I can. This book shows the adventurous life of one such pony. If ponies are actually tough enough to do some pretty dangerous things, then who knows what else they can do? I want to know more about them. How they live, where they live, what they eat, where they sleep. Everything they do that makes up the life of a pony. I'm sick of living only like a dragon!" Von huffed. "I'm part pony, so it's only right that I see the lifestyle of the other half." His mother smiled at him and she held him close to her, but they were soon interrupted by another presence.

"Don't tell me he's still going on about this little fantasy of his." A male voice called out. It was a deep, stern voice. Von turned his head in anger and saw two more dragons approach them. An adult dragon with lavender scales and a tan underbelly. He had a scar over his left eye, giving off the idea that it must have been in a few scrapes. The other dragon was quite odd. He was black with a purple underbelly. He was around Von's age given the fact it was the same size, if not taller than, the teen dragons on the mountain. But what was so odd about this dragon was that it brandished a steel sword, complete with a chest plate with matching leggings while the others wore no armor. "Silva, you spoil him too much." The lavender dragon said. Silva sighed and took her wing away from Von.

"I would ask that you do not criticize how I raise my child, Konan. Do not forget that I was willing to become your mate for the sake of my child and yours. So that we would have a whole family." Silva said.

"You became my mate because I TRIUMPHED over you. Nova you recall that, don't you?" The black dragon nodded his head to his father.

"Yes, father." Von looked to the dragon called Konan and growled. Von hated this dragon more than anything, for two reasons. Reason one was that this dragon constantly treated his mother like garbage and stomped all over Von's dream of going to Equestria. But reason two was the one that Von got irritated by the most; Konan was attempting to replace his father. Von did not like this one bit and he constantly urged his mother to leave Konan behind, but there was a reason that could not happen and that was the fact that Konan had 'earned' Silva as a mate. Or more along the lines, he won her. In their culture, the female dragons will only choose a strong mate and as such, other males will compete to earn the favor of said female.

Should the male lose, the female will not acknowledge him and her attention will be earned by the victor. However, there is one other portion to this. Should a male emerge victorious and earn the female's attention, he must also compete with the female for the right to take her as a mate. Upon winning, the female will submit and become his mate. However, if the male loses, the female will deem him as weak and not become his mate. In addition to that, she will deem him only worthy of being humiliated because of how weak he is and humiliate him by turning him into her plaything.

"Be grateful that I am still willing to keep you two around....even if one is a pony lover and the other is her demon spawn." Konan hissed. Silva glared at him in return.

"My son is not 'demon spawn'. He is a child like any other dragon here and you know this!" She yelled.

"Don't you dare talk back to me!!!" Konan yelled back in response and he took his claw back and smacked Silva to the ground. A red imprint of his claw marked Silva's cheek and just seeing that made Von's anger boil. "Why don't you go chase that pony you love? Oh wait. You can't because that coward left you. Fitting for a wretch like him."

"My father is no coward!!!" Von yelled, standing up. "My father is a strong, brave pony and you better learn to respect him." Konan looked down at the kirin and narrowed his eyes in irritation.

"You better watch your tongue, little one." He said, taking a step towards him. He took one of his claws and grabbed Von by his throat, causing the young halfling to choke and gag and drop the book he had in his claw so he could force Konan to release his grip. Konan caught the book and brought it closer to his eye so he could read it. "A pony book?! Tsk. Nova. Burn it." He held his claw out to his son who turned and observed the book and without any further command, set the book ablaze. Von watched in horror as the only thing he had from Equestria burned before his eyes. Konan released the half breed, causing him to fall onto his back but he scrambled to his feet and went over to the book.

"No no no! Please go out!" Von shouted as he started breathing wind at the flames. Von's mother, Silva, was a wind dragon. As such, she possesses an elemental breath like all other dragons. Hers being wind. She and Von, though he is a half breed, are the only wind dragons left alive. That being the case, Von also possesses the wind elemental breath as well. When Von let loose his breath on the fire, the flames roused up and grew in size until they went out upon reaching the dirt and the book was no more than ashes. Konan scoffed and began to walk away from them, but not before turning his head to speak once more.

"Perhaps next time you'll learn to respect your father." He said. "Come, Nova." Nova nodded his head and started to walk off with his father.

".....You're....not....." Von muttered. Konan stopped walking and turned back to the kirin.

"What was that?" He asked in a stern tone. Von didn't lift his head to look at him.

"You're not my father....." Von muttered a little clearer. Konan stepped closer to him and lowered his head to Von's level.

"Didn't quite catch that." Konan said. Von then looked up at him with slit eyes that were filled with sheer anger.

"I SAID, YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER, ASSHOLE!!!" Von shouted. Before Konan could even blink, Von turned around and bucked his hooves into Konan's good eye, causing the colossal beast to reel back in agony. Silva watched in astonishment and this commotion earned the attention of all the other dragons around them.

"NOVA!!!" Konan shouted. "Get him!!!" Nova nodded his head and unsheathed his sword and held it to his step brother. Von got into a defensive stance, ready to receive Nova's attack.

"I'm not going to hold back, little halfling." Nova told him. Von didn't answer him. Taking that as his proof of resolve, Nova lunged at Von and cleaved his blade. Von ducked under the sword strike and swung at Nova's face. He dodged it, but he managed to nick his cheek. Nova grew angry by this and began to swing his sword wildly in a fit of rage. Von easily dodged his attacks as the attack pattern was very predictable and kicked the sword out of his claws and socked Nova in his chin sending the sword-wielding drake flying back into his father's chest, tumbling them both over.

"My name is Von Dragonblade, son of Ignus and Silva! Yes, I love ponies and my mother is a pony-loving dragon! Yeah, I'm different from all of you! Yeah, I hardly look a thing like you! And sure, maybe I don't like doing things the same way as you, tut I don't care about all of that." Von proclaimed. "I want to learn more about them, my father and the land that I am originally from and show you all that we're no different than the rest of them. And there's only one way that I will be able to do that!" Von then climbed up onto a rocky edge and looked back to all the dragons. "I'm going back to Equestria." Konan, hearing this, shoved his son off him and stood back up.

"If you leave this mountain, you will not be permitted back here. You hear me?!" He shouted. Axel, Arcius, Cynder and Silva looked to Von. He had a sad expression on his face and Silva knew why: Von was going to choose to leave the mountain and seek a new life, even if it meant that he would never be allowed back on the mountain again. He looked to his mother for an answer, but she gave him a smile. She didn't need to say anything for him to know what she was thinking. Go ahead, Von. Live your life. That's what her smile was saying to him. Without any instruction or further motivation, Von opened his wings and dove off the edge of the mountain. Konan and Von's friends ran to the edge of the mountain and they saw the young kirin shoot up into the sky and fade into the distance.

Von looked back towards the mountain and could only see small figures of the dragons. None of them gave chase and none of them protested, but he could hear the distinct sound of his friends whooping and cheering him on. He smiled and looked back to the way ahead of him and saw something on the ocean. It was far away, but he knew it was land. Ahead of him lay his destination: Equestria, home of the ponies and his birthplace. The moment he would land there, his new life would begin. He finally took his first step towards a new future, for this day marked Von's journey of hope and discovery.

Author's Notes:

Credit on the intro video goes to its owner. The intro itself goes to Tigura21 on youtube. The song is Hirari by Wada Kouji, the opening theme to Digimon Savers. Fandub in video by shadowlink4321