Chapter VI: Over the horizon
Part II: Miraculous polymountain
Companions swimmed for far too long. Far too long they were limited to such a small and enclosed space. Far too often they saw each other. Seemed to be difficult to breathe on the ship, even though there is nothing but fresh air everywhere. And maybe, one simply did not want to do so.
Sunshine, for sure. Nobody believed her - her stories were laughed at. Nobody believed in some hanging skyweed and sunclouders, so closely resembling a different kind of sunflower. Everyone forgot about who saved the falling pony - those pegasi were simply crossed out of history! The islands were waved off altogether..
— I believe you. - Gambit stayed on displeased horse's side - I remember oases, remember you retelling sultan's words. Exactly like in desert. Same islands fell down and allowed those ponies to survive.
— Thank you. - the mare was too tired to stay angry - Such a desire to walk around, forget about the injured leg, walk off the ship for at least a second.. We all need to unwind, need to rest, not constantly talk and talk!
— ..You still need to talk to Ommatidia.
— I can't, in such a state! She'll think I'm angry at her, she already thought something up! I mean, she is little - she pretends to be little! She won't understand.
— Why? I am not exactly mature by your standards either. I am only nine, but I understand everything.
— She is.. different. Age doesn't do anything here - we can run around and make decisions right from our birth, we learn so much by the age of two, that..! - pony sighed at her helplessness - Her experience reflected on her completely differently. She is not as strong as you.
However, the trauma cannot be left untreated. And the winged one, through tiredness and her own pain, gathered her strength and decided to finish the conversation with the referent, at least somehow. To which the long-antennaed bug reacted the way the orange one expected, as if according to instructions:
— ..Leave me be, don't! Go away! - the bug distanced from the little mare at only the sight of her - I don't know how else to..!
— I just want to talk. - pony mentally grumbled out of tiredness - Om-
— There, you are angry at me! You want me to be different! You don't li-
— It's not that! - sunny horse swiftly and tightly hugged the worrying insect - Nobody can control their feelings. But they can control their actions. I don't feel emotions like you, but I can show you that I care about your choice. Just.. be yourself. Give me a chance.
Undecided and emotional changeling gathered the whole ship crew around her. Nobody ever saw a shapeshifter crying so loudly, so hardly and so realistically; shed any emotions differently in that matter. Only Sunshine did. And she knew, how to not repeat the past mistakes.
Maybe, this is exactly why others listened to her. Everyone had their own thoughts about the solar one, but her experience cannot be taken from her. This pony quickly became their unspoken leader, and took the command from the captain in many aspects - in training and teaching for sure. Because everyone saw in her what they wanted to strive for.
But nobody was insured from the horse factor. The ship suddenly and so strongly shook around, that friends barely remained on the deck. When they finally got up, looked around and tuned up their awareness, they saw very many eyes looking at them. Eyes of scaled beings.
— Shireland. - assured Vice - We made it.
— That's Everdale! - corrected the red-eyed mare - Lands of the dragons!
— Elder-vale. - clarified one of the observers - Eldervale will be correct.
The company distracted at their closest creatures so hard, that they did not even notice themselves arriving at a huge island! It can rightfully be called a continent - it is massive, albeit not as sizeable as Equestria and its surroundings. And it contained no less amount of miracles.
Miracles, that the travellers were ready to meet! Friends gathered everything crucial for the trip, equipped with empty sacks and already thought about collecting nature's gifts, when they yet again noticed an obscene amount of gazes, looking at them. Very displeased gazes.
— You sailed to plunder us? - one of the closest draconids expressed their concerns.
— Plunder? No! - assured the long-eared pony - We want to talk with-
— Please, don't disturb anyone. Do not disturb the nature. Take only the very minimum, don't harm us.
— ..Others burned you out that hard? - Empyrean remembered something.
Many searched for this place for battles or wealth. Everyone perceived the legends their own way, but almost every sailor wished to stumble upon Eldervale. Glory, gold, knowledge, immortality, secrets of life.. Many believed that all this can be found here.
But only disappointment and death awaited them. Dragons did not bother anyone without a reason, but they were not fond of ignoring annoying lunges of lesser creatures. Higher beings expected the same from the newcomers, but they were quickly calmed down with hugs.
Warm emotions, sincere smiles and goodwill calmed everyone around; even hooved guests themselves. Even though the scaly creatures did not sense everything like changelings did, they still stood out with extraordinary cleverness. And very chaotic appearances.
Adventurers have not even walked a few thousands of metres, and they already saw so many different dragon species, that it seemed as if the whole bestiary prevailed before them. And dragons continued to amaze - nobody tried to paraphrase each other!
Horned and winged, legless and hornless! All the possible colours, presence of fur, magical tricks.. Nothing surprised themselves, but it suppressed the ability to speak of every guest. And that is considering the opportunists not even meeting most of the nature..
And the friends themselves were not properly met either. True, they were often looked at, because different species seemed so unnatural to each other, but for someone to show the surroundings, make an introduction and explain everything - not a single soul. At least, near the shore.
— ..Hey, look! - someone from afar spoke on the dragon language - Ponies, real ponies!
Sunshine immediately guessed who the talk was going about and stopped, which faltered the whole group. And further loud steps from the side were perceived as a call to self-defence, but the solar mare took control over the situation in time. Or, more likely, gave it to this local.
— ..There are not only ponies! - now the scaly creature spoke on equestrian - You are so adorable!
Excited dragon did not let anyone explain themselves, immediately standing up on his back legs in an attempt to cuddle each and every one who he could see. And if adventurers simply felt uncomfortable, not much objecting to such hospitality, other locals loudly spoke about other emotions.
Strange dragon wanted to run away out of shame, but he was stopped by the ones he touched and wanted to hug. Now, when he finally calmed down and stood straight at one spot, his strangeness could be observed by everyone. This scaled creature - is totally one of his kind.
Dimly-blue dragon with white scales from chin to tail did not differ much in size. He could hold anyone in his claws, but he did not exactly look like a house. And the colour palette would not mean much by itself - but the orange horns, ears and hair on the head and tail..
— Hello! - red-eyed horse friendly waved at him - Say, what is your name?
— Verstandig! And you? Oh, I mean, all of you?
— I'm Sunshine, this is Ace Gambit.. - pony pointed at each member of the team - ..Empyrean, Dalliant Repose, Vice Abstruse and Ommatidia!
— How, how..! - orange-eyed dragon was blowing up out of emotions - You are so differing and beautiful! I heard that your kind in Equestria is alike in every way, but that's silly! That is boring!
— Many are similar to each other, and not in the best way.. And they say many things about you, but that's wrong too! You, for instance - you have hair, b- ..Wait, is it hair? Why are they so flat, a-and tied around your neck?
— That is parchment! Conjured it myself. - happy dragon giggled - I really love to read, listen and remember many things. It's like the real thing, but not exactly - yet it emphasises my nature. And you are good even without wizardry! Or, wait a bit..
Curious creature was deeply interested in Dalliant with her undergrown horns, and in Sunshine's flower. And Verstandig simply watched over the sheep and touched her. Yet when it came to the mare's plant, he wanted to thoroughly interact with it. With magic.
Dragon's hair and horns brightly lit up; even the ancient language symbols on the parchment brought up! However, the snowwhite bug obstructed the spell weave. He simply covered the flower with his single hoof movement. For which he paid dearly himself.
Insect's eyes lit just the same, with the same colour! The insect seemingly saw the light himself, or something bright before him, which prevented him from concentrating. So much so, that the lilac bug even tried to lick this aught from his eyes. Before he thought of another use for a tongue:
— What is this? What did you try to do?
— I just wanted to understand what this artefact is! - blue one sounded very full of guilt and shame - I didn't know that-
— Do not touch it. Dangerous.
— Please, get things back to how they were! - begged the solar pony.
The shapeshifter came to his senses in a heartbeat, as if his throat was released and he breathed for the first time in many years. With it, he deeply thought about something. Something probably so important, that even picking up the insectoid above ground did not bring his mind back.
— What happened to him? - orange mare greatly worried because of the plated insect's silence - What did you want to do with me? What did you do to him?!
— U-uh.. I don't know! - horned dragon troubled along with her - The spell is the same - simply wanted to make it show its secrets, literally and letterly!
— ..Literally? Secrets? - Empyrean did not understand anything that happened - Are you enchanting others or something? What else can you do?
— Anything. - Vice could not stop impressing - They thought of everything. They can do anything.
— ..Not exactly. - Verstandig masterfully used his gestures while he explained - That is true - we created the language, that you later slightly changed. But we did not do anything more! I even know what book you quoted - I'll say it right away, that is a roan mare's nonsense..
Dragons could actually do almost anything. But only Discord used his power, not caring about any convincing, agreements and other words. He did not even take the scaled creatures' customs seriously - they were broken by literally everyone. Just not as largely.
But even in this case, hooved beings could learn a lot. Why sign loads of papers and put stamps everywhere, when they can be easily forged, with the owners forced? Is it not easier - and better, to deal with everything fair and honest, with witnesses and without bureaucracy? Absence of honour cannot be filled with a stamp.
— We are trying to behave ourselves, but when we are left with no choice and tortured with boredom.. A-ah, so hard to resist! Please forgive me, Ace Gambit. - he continued, without waiting for an answer - Ah-hem, so. We thought of this language, so it would be easier to communicate with each other. You adopted it for yourselves, and adopted the word meanings that you use. Well, that your sorcerers use.
— But words are imperfect! - reasoned long-eared horse - They can be perceived differently - same words, and differently! Same spells also end up different! We are not ships and trains, after all; actions are more practical.
— Here, I cannot agree - not completely. Actions can be turned into words - we did exactly that. You do the same when you are inventing spells. What of it - when you are inventing anything! You are giving meanings to other things, it's easier for you to do everything in the world that way! - blue draconid quietly laughed at the confusion - But it's also possible without words. Don't take it as an axiom - it is enough to wish, and everything is possible!
— What is an axiom? - the bug finally spoke - I wish, but I am failing. I want to understand. I want to wish correctly.
Scaly being decided to demonstrate what magic is capable of. But companions already saw all the possible light shows, and so the horned creature decided to give the full meaning and his own understanding of sorcery, in a different way - which he spoke of. For which only the bug with his close friend had agreed.
And if Sunshine did not get anything because of the flower, then the changeling seemingly charged with some unthinkable energy. He quickly transformed, almost without a stop - into a precise copy of the dragon, into all the possible and very different items, into a scroll with many unknown words..
And when the plated insect stopped, he simply stood at one place. He looked somewhere in the distance and did not react to anything. There, the company noticed, how his eyes began to dim. Frightened ponies almost turned all the island's attention to them, and only the dragon could calm them. With words.
— He is alive! He.. simply needs to think. Be alone with himself, so to speak. - orange-eyed beast did something with a spell again - ..Yes, totally alive, just like the first time. Everything will be fine with him, I promise!
— He didn't as- - the horse suddenly realised that it is useless to argue about words with such creature - You sure everything will be fine with him? Definitely?
— Very definitely! You have a dragon's word!
— We.. - the mare figured the mood of every companion by their eyes - We don't want to linger here for long. Knowledge is amazing, and we want-
— I feel an incoming "but". - curious dragon was not at all upset at the complaint.
— ..But we sailed here to simply replenish our supplies and ask you for help!
Verstandig already expected some kind of story, and he received it with all the details. Without any excessive actions and words, the scaled dragon decided to help the friends navigate around this astonishing place, and show where they can get food and water. While he carried the white bug.
Life in this place flowed so peacefully, that the team itself forgot about everything in the world. They calmly gathered never-before-seen mushrooms, seeds of black sunflowers, and very strange plants with one and only distinguishing feature: soft white orbs.
— And what are those?
— Those are lumias. These balls glow in the dark, and they are quite edible! Try it!
— ..I'm assuming, these sunflowers also stand out with something? - Empyrean doubted the dark-solar plants.
— Yes. They make you sad. We called them darkseeds.
The local fauna could also be witnessed, albeit it is very small in numbers. Adventurers did not believe what they saw at first - it looked too much like someone's tricks. But the glass fish and giant rounded bees actually lived here - and thrived in their own ways!
— Those are bombuses. - dragon pointed at a big insect - There is another title for them starting with a letter "A", but you won't be able to spell it. Just imagine - they don't gather in hives, they live independently! Even honey is different - also sweet, very tasty, but white! It's even good for health, but it is best to talk about details later. Greed is a serious thing..
— So why are they so.. Slow? - Empyrean did not understand how these creatures flew - Even we don't swing our wings like that.
— Oh, they are slow in every sense! Bombuses can even be hugged, like this! - horned creature hugged a lone bee, pressing it against another insect - Like floating islands!
— See, I told you! - sulked the orange one - They exist!
— Well, who knows what they say. - snorted another orange pony - Dragons aren't anything new, potatoes and vegginities - too. But those skyweeds and sunclouders of yours..
Peaceful atmosphere affected everything around so severely, that even the recent frustration turned into a joke. Almost nobody was bothered by the cyan grass, or the white changeling's silence.. Time seemingly stopped, giving a few moments to rest.
The only thing that made the companions drop back into reality - a very stormy dispute between some dragons far behind the mountain. Or rather, Verstandig's explanation, that the dragons' unspoken leader - Zwart - sits there, and that he is probably reprimanding someone right this second. Meaning, he might help soon!
However, all hope rapidly left the solar pony's consciousness, when they approached the natural amphitheatre. Couple of scaly creatures were indeed scolded, very awfully and angrily. And not just someone random, but friends - Opvliegend and Hersenen! Contemplators and witnesses seemed to overact..
But no - every being actually expressed a whole storm of emotions, of which not only insects felt uneasy. The tone and indictments hurt not only the two dragons - Sunshine and Empyrean also resented such absurdity, already rushing to interfere into the court!
— ..You - are traitors. - stated the big black dragon - You committed vigilantism on a level of the one who must not be named!
— You simply envy him! - yelled the amber one.
— Opvliegend, quieter! - blue dragon tried to cover the mouth of his closest - Do you realise who you-
— I realise, and I am not ashamed of it - because this coal-fired joker is trying to restrict us and deprive us of our only goal in life! Sure, let him deprive self of experience, but he makes us all feel his shameful and unwilled emotions! - now, she screamed at her lover - You out of everyone taught me to be strong, you protected me - let me protect you! I am noth-
— Let us protect you! - ponies ran into the middle of the field.
— S-sunshine? Empy- ..How you-
Loud court interrupted the same way it started - very feelingly and dramatically. Presence of lesser creatures fired those around, and many scaled beings simply turned away from them. Nobody wanted to break the chief's precepts again. Nobody wanted to affect and influence others.
— Disgraceful.. - Zwart condemned all the travellers - You came here yourselves, and so it is only your fault. You are leaving me no choice-
— Ah so when it comes to you it's different?! - Opvliegend's horns literally burst into flames - You, pathetic, lizard!
— It is different for all of us. They invaded into our home, and I have every right-
— Why is it suddenly you who has it, not someone else? - yelled the little pony - Are you what, somehow special? If the dragons taught me anything - is that each and every one of you stands out with something - and that means all of you are equal before each other! And we - are not an exception!
Nobody expected for the little pony to shout at the leader of such elder race. But to condemn him and nitpick words on equal grounds, so fiercely like the dragons themselves did? Every draconid loudly sighed at such novelty. One of them, mare even remembered.
— You too, Sneuwitje?! - resented the sun horse - Probably even led my friends here yourself, don't pity your kind at all! How can you even sit near this blockhead?!
— They - are friends? - white dragon rained with emotions - Inconceivable, unthinkable! One cannot be friends with the alienable!
— How dare you accuse her? - black one raged at Sunshine's claim - You cannot know-
— I can see that! You are too emotional, you cannot lie, even if you really try to! I am very little, and you can crush me without a problem, but I already have so much experience, as you could never dream of!
— We already have more experience than all of you combined! - continued Opvliegend - Disgusting arse-lickers, predictable sycophants! How will you memorise the ancestry if you are not doing anything for it? You constantly talk about nothing but that, and then silently forge hypocritical double-deals with inaction! Boycott, forget about us, don't even care! You're no better than the old imbecile!
No matter how strong and loud were the accused side's arguments, dragons stayed unbendable. As if they decided long before the tribunal, what will they say and how it will go! Even Verstandig did not know what to say - he covered his face with his claws. Most likely, fearing what is upcoming.
— You already lie to yourselves by simply existing! - big-eared mare continued her friend's thoughts - Zwart forces you to lie to yourselves! Even if you ask others to get food, or some kind of book - this will be on your conscience as well! You pressure others into violation of your own precepts by desiring to live yourselves, and then you condemn them for what they've done! How dare you to even dare?!
— That is.. true. - Verstandig whispered to others - This is not right. There is no honour in that.
— You have a too little vocabulary to convince me and understand our idea. - finished the leader.
— And you have a too small mindset to understand us! - red-eyed pony stared deeply into the judge's eyes.
Seems like the horse found Zwart's weak spot. He rose up from his stone and breathed fire into the sky. This meant something, but what? Why did all other scaly beings suddenly conceal their emotions? Did they actually fear this black mountain? Or did the little pony made them think?
— I understand now, what Discord wanted to do. - the horse has not taken her eyes away from the firebreather - He created us not by his own image and likeness, but by yours! He wanted to show you, silly observers, your disgusting nature and imperfection of something allegedly "great", that you yourselves suffer from! How can you learn, if you blatantly stare and not try to do anything? You envy those who drop the shackles, and you stop communicating with them because of your own minds' lowness! - the mare loudly and promptly stomped the ground through the whole monologue - I thought I could ask you for help, that you could teach us something to fight the horrible evil - that affected you too - I thought you were smart! Yet you sit and collect dust like volumes of graphomaniac poetry! We will go to Canterlot ourselves then! Join if you want, and if not - whine, gasp and exhale, sit idle, rot away!
