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Home…

How I long to see it again.

I have not been to Equestria for some time now… In fact, longer than I care to keep count. And yet, after all this time, spending ages on my quest…

I return to the place I will always consider my home.

From my quest beyond and within The Echo, I travel swiftly through Vaporia and over the Antlertic Ocean, heading east to the land where I was born and raised.

Yet I do not return of my own will—the way I wish to return home. No, something… beckons me… as if my home was crying for me to return home…

Though it does not cry for my return merely because I am missed…

It cries because I am needed. Because it is a cry for help.

Equestria beckons me to return, calling for help in a dire time of need.

I am not quite sure why

But I intend to find out.

The Mild West, a wide stretch of plains reaching from the edge of the kingdom of Equestria almost to the Broken Leylands, and the dwelling of the town Appleloosa. Land of the Buffalo.

A few years ago, there had been a dispute between the buffalo and the Appleloosans about land rights, of how the orchard was trespassing on the buffalos' traditional running grounds, but it had been resolved peacefully… in the end, anyways. In the beginning, it was quite the mess.

Now the tree named Bloomberg, a migrant from Ponyville's Sweet Apple Acres, stood proudly at the top of a hill, overlooking the orchard and the running path that stretched throughout.

One Appleloosan, a pony by the name of Braeburn, stood at the trunk of the tree, which had been donated by his cousin. His golden blond hair glistened beneath his cowboy hat as he looked up with soft green eyes. This year's crop had been plentiful, and the townsfolk had made more than enough pies to satisfy their needs, as well as the buffalo. Braeburn looked back to the cart full of the freshly-baked goods; apple pies. The buffalo sure are gonna like this batch, he thought to himself. At least, I hope they do… what with the cinnamon sugar we added.

He was about to find out, he decided, as he suddenly heard a low rumbling noise in the distance. He drew the cart closer to the road, placing a pie in his hoof. As he looked down the road, he saw…

Nothing?

"Well, that's odd. Rumbling like that usually means that somewhere around here is a giant herd of… buffalo…" his voice trailed off. The rumbling, it turned out, was not from a herd of buffalo. It seemed to be coming from behind him… and quite a ways away. Braeburn turned to locate the source of the noise.

His jaw and the pie dropped simultaneously.

There, in the sky, soaring just past the mountains…

Was a dragon!

The gigantic wings were an unmistakable telltale giveaway of the ferocious species. The tail and clawed limbs were also a big 'WARNING!' sign. Braeburn dropped the pie and bolted behind the tall apple tree as the whooshing of the beast's wings got louder and closer. Judging by the sound, Braeburn could tell that what he feared was coming true…

The dragon was coming straight towards him.

He pressed himself closer to the tree, his heart racing. The whooshing was very loud now, and by the way the trees were shaking, Braeburn deduced the dragon must be really close. He crammed his eyes shut, bracing himself to hear a mighty roar, see bright flames one second, and feel the searing pain of the creature's fiery breath the next. He removed his hat and put it over his chest, saying a few silent prayers as he awaited his doomed fate.

It never came.

Instead, the farmer heard the beating of gigantic wings begin to slow and quiet down. There was a small moment of silence, and then the wings beat sharply and rapidly once again. Braeburn opened his eyes to see the dragon flying away, past the other side of the orchard. With a perplexed look, the pony peeked around the tree. What he saw, he could not believe.

The top half of the stack of pies was gone! And next to the wheel of the cart was a bag about the size of Braeburn himself! It had been partially opened, spilling out its contents:

Gold coins!

Braeburn's jaw smacked the ground, his eyes almost bulging out of his skull with disbelief. After standing there dumbfounded for awhile, he looked back to where the dragon disappeared.

"Well now, how do I explain this to the town?" he asked aloud.

The guard stood at his post at attention, his sharp eyes scanning the kingdom of Canterlot without missing a thing. He had been protecting the princesses for quite some time now, and was nearing retirement. Four days from now, as a matter of fact! He looked forward to seeing his grandchildren more often. How they must've grown since he saw them last, he thought to himself. But just because he was getting older didn't mean that his eyesight was beginning to falter. He had kept the watch post for several decades, and he made sure that the next stallion to succeed him was not lacking the same talent.

As he looked across the kingdom grounds once more, something caught his eye. To his surprise, it wasn't in the bustle of the commuters…

It was in the sky.

The guard squinted, trying to identify what it was. He nearly had a heart attack when he deduced it.

"Dragon!" he bellowed, pointing a hoof in the direction of the oncoming beast. The townspeople looked in the direction of the guard's gaze and scrambled for shelter. The other guards of the castle rushed to arms, preparing for the worst. The dragon suddenly descended, heading straight for the entrance of the castle itself. The guards positioned themselves in a circle formation, their weapons aimed directly at the beast.

They were expecting to be viciously attacked with a monstrous ball of fire.

They never were.

Instead the dragon landed softly- incredibly softly- in the middle of the circle of guards. They all stood in awe as they looked at the winged creature.

It was a rich, almost metallic, blue color, with a light blue belly, throat, and jaw. It stood on two massive, raptor-like legs, with three front claws and two back claws on each foot. Sharp claws protruded from each knee, as well as the elbows. The knuckles of both claws had spikes protruding from them. Its back was lined with a single row of sharp spines that ran the entire length of its tail. And at the tip were four long, razor-sharp, blade-like spikes, positioned like a large mace. Its massive wings were jointed similarly to its legs. It had one large and one small spike on each shoulder, and two small ones on each pectoral.

But its head was equally captivating, if not even more so.

A single horn protruded from the dragon's nose. A smaller one stuck out of its chin, forming a sort of goatee. Two separate spikes were located below and to the side of each nostril, forming the shape of a moustache. Three large horns protruded from the back of its skull, one in the middle and two on either side. Its eyes…

Were unlike any other dragon.

They were a rich cerulean blue, and had not a look of hunger or rage, but…

… worry?

No, it wasn't just worry. It was also concern. A hint of kindness also shone through, as well as an emotion no pony ever thought they'd live to see in a dragon's eyes.

Fear.

The dragon suddenly spoke, snapping the guards from their awe-induced trance.

"I wish to speak to Princess Celestia. It is extremely urgent that I see her, for I bring grave news," he said in a low yet soft voice. For a long moment, no pony moved. Then, as if bringing himself out of a dozing sleep, one guard dashed inside the castle, bursting through the doors. As he waited for the Princess to arrive, the dragon looked down at the slack-jawed guards. He gave them an awkward smile and waved a little.

"Hiya," he said. No one moved. It didn't even look like they were breathing. "Betcha this doesn't happen too often," the dragon chuckled. No response. "O-kayyyyy, this is getting awkward," he muttered. He began slowly rocking on the balls of his feet, looking around at the guards. "I just came from The Echo," he said, hoping to strike up a conversation. "Really nice day for flying." Still no response. The dragon nodded to himself and looked back up at the castle. "Alright, good talk…" The doors burst open again, and the guard rushed out to retake his position.

"Her Highness," one of the guards announced, "Princess Celestia!" All of the guards came immediately to attention, but were suddenly caught off-guard by another bizarre sight.

The dragon was bowing! Not only that, but… kneeling as well! It rested one hand on its knee and the other on the ground. Its head was in a deep bow, and its wings were outstretched. Respect for the Princess of Equestria was something dragons were not notorious for.

"Your Majesty," the dragon said humbly. It patiently waited for permission to rise.

"Can it be?" the dragon heard. Slowly, he looked up to see Princess Celestia trotting towards him, the guards parting to allow her through as they watched the large beast warily. She was looking up at him with wide eyes, tears starting to form. After looking her over a moment, the dragon smiled widely. This confused the guards beyond belief.

"My, how you've grown! It seems only yesterday you had such a cute, pink mane, and now look at you! All grown up with a more colorful one…" the dragon glanced at the princess's flank, causing several guards to stand tensely. "And you even got your Cutie Mark!" he said happily. "I have been away far too long, Tia… I've missed you so much."

All the guards were now looking at the princess with bewildered expressions. How did he know her?! And why did he speak as if he had known her at such a young age? Celestia hadn't noticed any of the exchanged glances or murmurs, for she was slowly walking towards the tall blue dragon with teary eyes. One of the guards asked another, "Is this some kind of mind trick the dragon is playing?" Another whispered, "It's a trap! It's got to be!" Yet no one moved as the dragon lowered his giant hand, allowing Celestia to climb aboard. When he brought her to eye level, she tenderly reached out and touched the dragon's nose with her hoof. A small sob escaped her lips, but she bit her lip to hold the tears back.

"It's good to see you again, Celestia," the dragon said quietly, holding back his own tears.

Tears?

This dragon kept getting more and more strange.

Celestia suddenly burst out in tears of joy, embracing the dragon's nose. She snuggled her head next to his horn, and he nuzzled her back. After a long moment, the princess looked the dragon in the eyes.

"It warms my heart to see you again as well, Blaze," she said.

This was just too weird for the guards. The soon-to-be retiree spoke up for the whole group.

"Eh, pardon me, Princess Celestia, but… who is this, exactly?" he asked politely. The princess looked down to the guards.

"Forgive me… Royals Guards of Canterlot, I would like to introduce you to Blaze, Ancient Guardian of Equestria, and," she paused, looking back to smile at the dragon once again, "an old childhood friend of mine."

The titanic reptile smiled and gave a small nod. "It is a pleasure to meet the Royal Guard of Canterlot," he said. His smile suddenly faded. "Unfortunately, I do not come only to be reunited with old friends," he said gravely. Celestia looked at him with concern.

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

"While within The Echo on my quest, Equestria seemed to beckon me home. It was as if it was calling me for help, like it sensed a great danger intending to bring great catastrophe," the dragon explained.

"It may have been the return of Tirek that summoned you-" Celestia suggested. At the mention of the demon's name, Blaze's pupils suddenly contracted into slits. He turned around sharply, his broad wings creating a large gust of wind, his teeth and claws bared.

"That cretin has returned?! Where is he?!" the dragon growled menacingly.

"Settle, Blaze, he has been vanquished back to Tartarus!" Celestia shouted before he started to go ballistic. Slowly, he calmed himself back down, and lowered the princess back to the earth.

"My apologies… how was he vanquished?" the dragon inquired.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends defeated him against all odds, stripping him of the powers he stole from all of Equestria," Celestia said proudly.

"That would explain that huge crater I saw… I had heard about a new princess being found. How is she adjusting to her new life?"

"She's been making progress. She is a little slow at it, but that is no surprise."

"That is good; it is better for her to take it slow than to rush into it," Blaze said. He then shook his head. "That may have been one reason behind my summoning, but I believe there is another. There is something else, something… treacherous and deceiving, coming towards these lands."

"Like what, may I ask?" one of the guards inquired.

"I recall you had a rather nasty run-in with the Changeling Queen herself awhile back?" Blaze said to Celestia. Her eyes widened.

"No… you don't mean…?" she asked, her voice a harsh whisper.

Blaze's eyes looked pained, yet there was a subtle hint of anger in them. "Unfortunately, yes, Your Highness," he said in a low voice. He then addressed the entire courtyard.

"The Changelings… have returned," he said grimly. The guards began to murmur amongst themselves, but quieted themselves when the dragon raised a hand.

"Please, we do not have much time. As I made my way over the Drackenridge Mountains, I stopped to take a short rest. As I stood at the top of the mountains, I noticed a small group of creatures. I was about to move closer to get a better look, but I suddenly heard a shrill voice that sent shivers down my spine; Chrysalis, the Changeling Queen, was addressing her subjects. I managed to overhear her plan of attack on Equestria. They have divided into three groups; one is coming here to Canterlot, to try and overthrow the kingdom; the other to Ponyville, to decimate the new princess and her allies; the other to the Crystal Empire, to feed on the rulers' love once more. The queen herself travels to the Crystal Empire. I will go there to intercept her." Before Celestia could protest, he raised his massive hand again. "I know I have merely just returned, and you wish to catch up after so long, as do I, but there are more pressing matters at stake. I leave you and Luna to protect our home. I assume Princess Twilight will be able to handle the siege in Ponyville. In the meantime," the dragon said as he spread his massive wings, lowering Celestia back to the ground. "I will protect the Crystal Empire alongside Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor." He looked to Celestia with big, soft eyes.

"Don't worry, Tia. You, your sister and I will catch up eventually," he said with a smile on his face. Then, bending his knees, he leapt into the sky, rising with great speed as he made his way towards the Crystal Empire. Celestia watched him until he disappeared, and then smiled to herself.

"I'm counting on you, Blaze," she said. "We're catching up after this for certain." One of the guards trotted to her side. "Make sure every single guard is on full alert! Surround the entire kingdom; do not let a single one of them slip past!" she commanded.

"Yes, Your Highness," the guard said, and galloped away. The rest of the guards followed suit, all except one; the retiree.

"It would do me great honor if you could do this one last valiant act before your departure," she told him.

"I already made up my mind to stay and serve until the end, but there's one certain matter that is on my mind," he said.

"Speak of it," Celestia said.

"Don't you think we should've told him something before he left?" he inquired. "Something extremely important pertaining to Princess Cadance and her husband?"

Celestia looked at him for a moment in confusion. Then, sudden realization struck her.

"Oops," she said. "I guess he's in for a rather large surprise!"

"Compared to him, I'd say rather tiny," the guard said. Given the look the princess shot at him, he knew it was time to get to work. "Your Majesty," he said quickly before bolting to his post.