The midnight breeze blew cold as the mare closed the door behind her. She looked down at the ground. No going back now. Her eyes began to water as she thought of her daughters. They would grow up without her, soon forgetting what she even looked like. She was about to turn around when the flapping of wings caught her attention. She looked up as a familiar dragon landed softly in front of her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He whispered. His gaze was soft as he looked into her eyes. She shook her head and took a deep breath.

"I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't sure." She walked over to him and he turned to sit down so she could climb onto his back. "I'm ready. Let's go." She wrapped her hooves around his thick neck as he gave a hard flap and lifted them into the sky. She turned to glance at the house one last time, picturing her daughters, as they flew further and further away. Soon they were soaring above the well-lit streets of Canterlot, the castle lights seemed to follow her as they grew smaller and dimmer.

It wasn't long before the light of the cities had completely disappeared the further southeast they went. She looked up at the star-speckled sky, reminded of her family. She'd left a note for her brother, Shadow Storm, explaining why she left, why she couldn't tell him where she was going and warning him not to send anyone to look for her.

She traced the outlines of the constellations with her hoof until she felt Flint dip suddenly. He shook his head and looked back at her as if checking to see if she was still there. His eyes were drooping and red from exhaustion. "Let's land and rest for a bit." She suggested, nuzzling him affectionately.

"Sounds good," he replied wearily. He scanned the forest below and began gliding towards the treetops. He started flapping to slow his descent between the branches. He landed gently and looked around, spotting a small dirt-floor clearing a few feet away. Midnight slid gracefully off of his back and began gathering stones while Flint collected the driest sticks he could find. Using the stones to make a circle around the kindle, Midnight used her magic to spark a flame that grew quickly. She heard a nearby thump as Flint settled into the moss growing between the roots of a nearby tree. She settled in at his side and he curled his scaly tail protectively around the dark mare. The pair drifted off under the starry night sky as the forest hummed with the sounds of insects coming alive.

They awoke the next morning to the rising of the sun. Midnight stretched and yawned looking around for Flint. He stepped into the clearing, a bush of blackberries and raspberries in his jaw. He set them in front of her and sat down to eat.

"Sorry if I worried you, I wanted to get some food before we left." He said as he began picking berries off of the bush. He held out his palm full of berries, smiling up at her. She gratefully took a few with her magic and ate them.

Re-energized by their breakfast, they flew off and continued on their path heading south-east. They made it to the shore within an hour and landed on the sandy beach. Midnight searched for nuts and berries just inside the treeline while Flint snatched up a few fish for later. Midnight wrapped the fish in leaves to preserve them, put them in her saddle bag, and the two flew across the sea.

They flew high to avoid the turbulent winds closer to the sparkling waves and talked about the home they wanted to build once they got there. "A house near the coast would be nice, or somewhere with a natural water source, so we can grow our own food. We won't have to rely on anyone else." She gazed wistfully down at the water. "It'll be just us."

By the time the sun had reached it's peak, they had the shoreline in sight. Flint angled his wings and began gliding down towards the beach. "I'll start a fire and cook some lunch." Flint said as he touched down on the warm sand.

"Great! I'll get started on a shelter." Midnight slid off his back and trotted to the treeline, scanning the ground for long and thick branches. She began digging out four holes and planting four large branches in the holes before filling the holes in to keep them in place. Flinter had set up a stone circle not far away and was shoving sticks through the fish to cook them. Midnight used long and thinner branches to create a square shape connected at the top of the posts and an X on top across the middle, then laying large palm tree leaves across the top. She put two more posts at the front a few inches closer together to create a doorway and closed in the space between the posts with varying sizes of sticks and branches.

With the fish cooked and the shelter set up, the two settled in and ate their dinner. They snuggled up and watched the fire burn out as the sun set behind them.

*A few years later*

Small waves crashed on the shore as two small creatures ran around, sand flying as one chased the other along the shoreline. Midnight watched the little ones from the kitchen window, smiling warmly. A small kick from her very round belly made her jolt a little. She rubbed the side of her stomach and gently said, "Don't worry, you'll be out there with them before you know it."

The flapping of large wings drew her attention as Flint landed near the house, a few fish in his claws. He came in, set the fish on the counter and embraced Midnight, nuzzling her affectionately. She looked into his dark brown eyes, her heart had never felt more full. They were finally living the life they'd always talked about.

They parted and started to clean the fish, the excited squeals had grown quiet. Midnight looked outside and saw a shadow in the sand. Both of the children were looking at the sky, not moving. She went outside, a nervous pit growing in her stomach. As she stepped onto the sand, looking up to see a dragon flying overhead, her son and daughter ran to her, hiding at her legs. Flint came out and stood beside her.

"I'll be right back," he said quietly. He gave her a calm glance before lifting off, a cloud of sand following him. He flew up and approached the newcomer from a distance.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" She could hear Flint as he called out.

"I'm a member of Dragon Lord Ember's guard," he held out a letter to Flint, who took it cautiously. "You've been summoned." And with that, he angled his wings and flew back the way he came from.

Flint opened the letter and read it as he slowly lowered himself to the ground a few feet from Midnight. When he finished reading the letter, he looked up at her, conflicted emotions flashing across his face. He handed the letter to her and she read it herself.

Addressing Flint the Dragon and Midnight the Unicorn,

Dragon Lord Ember summons you to the Dragonlands for an audience. This summons must be answered within two days. If the summons is not answered, the dragon guard will bring you before the Dragon Lord, by force if necessary.

Best regards,

Dragon Lord Ember

Midnight read it again to make sure she hadn't misread it. They were being summoned. She looked over to Flint anxiously. He came over and pulled her into a hug, running his claws gently through her hair.

"Mommy," the small voice of her daughter chimed in. She looked up at her parents with her big green eyes. "Who was that?"

"Don't worry, sweetheart. That was just Daddy's friend." He playfully ruffled her hair. "We're going on a family trip tomorrow."

"A family trip!" Their son piped up excitedly. They didn't leave the island often, and when they did, they didn't go far. The Dragonlands was about an hour's flight away. "Yay! Family trip!" The little dragonet shouted cheerfully while his parents tried their best to mask their unease.

"We'll leave first thing in the morning." Flint said, tossing his son onto his back.

"I'll pack our bags." Midnight said as they started towards the house, anxiously awaiting their journey to the Dragonlands the next day.