//------------------------------//
// End of The World 
// Story: Fear from the Heart 
// by Dragon Heart 
//------------------------------//

	Again, Hammerheart scrunched his face and covered it with his wing hand to try and soothe his headache. When he felt it was mild enough, he removed his hand and shook his head.

"This had better be done." He said. "If not, then this had better be the last one." As Hammerheart struggled with the pain that rocked his mind, realization mentally slapped him in the face. "Wait, Fluttershy and her friends are the Elemental Bearers?" He looked down as he tried to swallow the surprise of what he discovered.

He looked back up at the obsidian, and Zaurus' voice spoke to him again.

"Now, friend Hammerheart, it is time for you to see the coming apocalypse that Drakon saw through his vision of the future." Zaurus' voice said. "It will be hard to bear, but you must know the enemy you will fight. This is our fate, should you fail."

Hammerheart rubbed his aching head with two fingers. "I really don't want to see this doomed future." He said. "But if it involves me, and if I have to meet me true enemy, then I've got no choice."

The obsidian shined white, and the vision became presented in all its horrible details. This time, Drakon's voice narrated all that was happening.








"Pyrkagias, the fallen Dragon God of Fire, returns to finish what he started millions of years ago: Eradicate everything in the world, and replace it with his own 'perfect creations'."

"The Ponies will have already been devoured by destruction, and a large remaining pack of many Dragons will gather at the ruins of the Canterlot Castle. There, they will make their final stand against the monsters and demons of Pyrkagias, but will inevitably meet extinction."

"Hammerheart, though he and the Elements of Harmony were the only ones who could stop the fallen god, could not succeed in time, and were killed shortly after. Now, the remaining Dragons must fight to the end, and accept their unfortunate fate."








Fire burned everywhere on the once beautiful fields of Equestria. Trees were stripped bare of their leaves, and were burned beyond recovery. Houses and other buildings were demolished and dotted the landscape as charred heaps of rubble. Skeletons of many creatures laid seared and scattered while monsters ran rampant across the blazing plains, seeking out prey to slaughter and feast upon.

All of the Pony cities and towns were completely gone, along with the ponies themselves. Even the once grand city of Canterlot was destroyed. The castle, however, still stood, though suffered from some damages. Within the castle grounds, Zaurus and a large pack of a hundred common Western Dragons and a hundred Knuckers were still standing, and they were not going to die without fighting until the bitter end.

Zaurus, who had replaced his lost forearm with a mystic spike with a tip that can break into twelve pieces to create a makeshift hand, looked to the Dragons. "My brethren, our world has been lost to us: burned, ravaged, torn to shreds. We are all that is left. The ponies have already fallen to Pyrkagias' wrath, and here we stand waiting for him to come to us. I assure you all, we will not survive this battle. We will all die. But we Dragons do not just let our enemies slaughter us like cattle, we will die fighting. That is what we do when faced with oblivion. We shall stand against the fallen god's monstrous horde of beasts and fight to the end! Er anrhydedd Drakon Selac!"

All of the dragons roared in unison, and were ready to face their deaths. The Knuckers took their positions at the entrances to their makeshift fortress, and the Westerns, with their wings, would provide some air support.

Zaurus nodded, and looked to a large circle of soil, which started to rise up. Then, a large Gaian Wyrm bursted from the ground and opened its massive maw. From its mouth, blue serpentine Dragons, forty feet in length, emerged. They had long, whiskery feelers on their snouts, staglike horns on their heads, manes, four legs, each with five toes, larger scales than a Western Dragon, and feathery tail ends. When the Wyrm had finished deploying the newcomers, it burrowed back into the ground.

"Ah, the Eastern Lungs have come from the other side of the world to join and aid us." Zaurus said.

One Lung, who was red with a spherical egg in his front claws, approached Zaurus and gave a greeting bow to him. "Salutations, brother, we have come from the Eastern Empire to assist you in this dire time." He said.

"Many thanks, Huangdi." said Zaurus, "Though I must warn you, there is no chance of survival against the coming horde."

Huangdi looked to the egg he held. "It is saddening that my child will never see a beautiful world, and will die before his birth, but better he die here and now than be an eternal slave to Pyrkagias. A battle to the death, it is! As they say, there is no greater way for a Dragon to die, than to die fighting."

Zaurus smiled and nodded. "Then we all fight as one, and die together. Your Lung packs can provide entrenched support from those towers." He pointed to guard towers that had their roofs caved in.

Huangdi nodded, and looked to his large pack. "Brothers, hold those towers, and bring swift death to our enemies!"

The Lungs, though having no wings, flew up to the ruined towers by riding the invisible air currents, and took their positions. With a somewhat decent defense, they prepared for what was to come.

A loud screech echoed in the air, and Zaurus already spotted a swarm of menacing creatures skittering towards them. They were like scorpions, but did not have stingers on their tail ends. Instead, they had a four-jawed mouth that drooled green poison. The main head had lava dripping from its jaws, and its pincers were five interlocking claws with hooked spikes on the edges.

"The monsters come! Attack, brothers!" Zaurus shouted.

Zaurus blasted his venom at the monsters. Huangdi and the Lungs blasted wind spears at the scorpions, causing them to explode when hit. The Western Dragons blasted their fireballs with all their might, though their flames would not be very effective against creatures of the Fire Dragon God's creation. The Knuckers slashed their claws at the monsters when they got in close, and the scorpions slashed back at their attackers with their vicious pincers. Both were evenly matched in melee strength, but the Knuckers soon slew them all, losing only two of their own from the fight.

Suddenly, a deep and demonic voice echoed in all their minds, and it was none other than Pyrkagias himself.

"I shall give you all one last chance." He said to them all. "Abandon your futile attempts of resistance, and join me in creating a new and perfect world in my name."

Zaurus stomped his foot and growled. "We will not join you in desecrating this world's former beauty!" He shouted. "We would all rather die, and we shall continue to repulse your rule, infernal reprobate!"

Pyrkagias roared with insulted anger. "You dare to revile me?! And you even dare to resume your foolish act of repudiation?! I seek only to cleanse this world! If you will not join me, then you shall burn, like the rest of the defilers!"

Another screech echoed in the air. Then, anthropomorphic serpents wielding spears with searing hot blades came slithering in. The Lungs blasted them with their winds, the Western Dragons blasted their ineffective flames at the monsters, and the Knuckers clashed with them. The snakes began to conjure balls of flame, and hurl them at the Dragons above. The Westerns that got hit took severe damage from impact, but still fought on. The Knuckers were also dying from spears to their hearts, but soon the snakes were killed off.

"What were those revolting creatures?!" a Knucker warrior said.

Pyrkagias chuckled from the fear he claimed to sense from them. "That which you killed was a very unique creation from another universe. They are nagas, and they are more cunning than they may seem. Now be ready for more to come."

The Gaian Wyrm that had come out of the ground before returned, and slithering out of its maw came a hundred more strange Dragons. They were serpentine, forty-five feet long, and had a green coloration. Though their bodies were covered with small scales, they had feathery frills on their heads, feathered wings, and tail ends. They had absolutely no legs whatsoever.

One of them was of a more lightning yellow color, and wore a bone collar around his neck. "The Amphitheres of the southern tropics are here to aid in your fight." He said.

Zaurus approached and nodded. "It pleases me that you have made it here in one piece, Quezacoatl." He said.

Quezacoatl grinned. "We all know that our end of days are dawning upon us, but we shall stand as one, and die fighting."

Zaurus smiled, then pointed to the skies. "The Amphitheres should assist the Western Dragons with air support."

"Irie." said Quezacoatl, and he looked to his huge pack. "Take to the skies, brothers!"

The Amphitheres spread their feathered wings wide and got airborne. They flew with the Western Dragons and would aid them with providing the air support they were originally tasked with, and just in the nick of time, too. More monsters came barreling in on the Dragons' position.

They were the skeletons of Unicorns clad in blood red robes. They kept their distance and threw balls of fire at the Lungs that were inside the guard towers. The other Dragons hurried in and attacked the undead pyromancers, who began attacking them. The Western Dragons continued to use their ineffective fire breath, as did the Amphitheres. The Knuckers slashed their claws and even began to use their constricting attacks. The Lungs hurled their wind spears at the undead. When the dead Unicorns were destroyed, they all retreated to recover. Ten Western Dragons, eight Amphitheres, eleven Knuckers, and four Lungs had been killed, but the remaining pack was still large.

Pyrkagias' voice spoke through to their minds again. "As I was your creator, so shall I be your destruction!"

More beasts came charging at them. They were none other than the offspring of Cerberus; Hellhounds. They were barking like the rabid monsters they had become, and were foaming at the mouth. Their drool sizzled on contact with the ground, their saliva being highly corrosive. They came in to attack, and the Dragons retaliated. With combined might, the pack of Dragons managed to kill off the hounds, but not without casualties. Five Knuckers died against the hellhound pack, but there were still many left.

One of the Knuckers approached Zaurus. "Shaman, we must find a way to preserve our knowledge about this nightmare, warn others about it."

Huangdi heard that, and looked to his egg. He flew down and landed by Zaurus. "There might just be a way." He said. "Though it may take time."

"How do we warn the beings of other dimensions?" Zaurus asked.

Huangdi held his egg before him, and it began to shine. "My child will forever be the keeper of our knowledge of this crisis, and teach it to others in another dimension. It will cost him his soul, but sacrifices must be made. I would personally rather see him become a martyr than die like this. You must keep those demons from interfering."

Zaurus nodded. "We all shall become martyrs. Begin the procedure, we will hold back the horde for as long as we can."

Huangdi nodded back. He then turned and went to place his egg in a pond, which started to emit a faint light and strange anomalies.

Roars and screeches echoed in the air, signalling the arrival of more foul creatures. Scorpions, nagas, skeletons, and hellhounds came charging in. And even other monsters more horrific than the rest. They looked like a cross between a large lizard and a bear with long, jagged horns protruding from their heads. They wielded flaming swords that seemed to be dripping with blood. They were, no doubt, one of the many demons Pyrkagias created from his evilly powerful essence.

The Dragons attacked. Both forces clashed with brutal ferocity and strength. Both forces tore each other to pieces with teeth, claws, and blades. Both forces shed blood from each other. But in the end, the Dragons prevailed, this time.

Nine Knuckers, ten Westerns, nine Amphitheres, and three Lungs fell from the battle, but they still had many left.

The Gaian Wyrm returned and opened wide. From his maw came Dragons that were white in coloration. They looked a lot like Western Dragons, but were five feet shorter in length. They had thin spines rather than horns on their heads and backs. One of them was bigger than the others, and was tinged with blue stripes. The Wyrm burrowed back into the ground.

"The Frost Dragons of the North and South Poles have arrived to bring the killer cold of Pagos to the enemy." She said.

Zaurus greeted her with a bow. "Many thanks for your coming, Polyarnaya." He said. "I'm sorry for you and your races' suffering."

Polyarnaya sighed. "Our homes have been melted from the heat of the fallen Dragon God, and we are not very use to such warm temperatures, but we will fight on despite the odds."

Zaurus smiled. "Your gift of breathing frost can severely hurt the monsters we face, but you are also vulnerable to their attacks. Be careful."

Polyarnaya looked to her pack. "Make ready, my brothers and sisters!" The Frost Dragons flapped their wings and got airborne. They flew to the edge of the defensive walls and would aid the Lungs with their defense.

More beasts and demons came charging at the Dragons' stronghold. The Frost Dragons blasted their waves of ice at the monsters, and they cringed and hissed from the cold impact. The skeletons blasted the Frost Dragons and Lungs with their fiery spells. Some slipped past, and the other Dragons attacked. The battle lasted for minutes, until the infernal creatures were slain. Eight Knuckers, five Westerns, six Amphitheres, two Frosts, and four Lungs died in the battle.

Huangdi's egg was already starting to expand in size. The light it emitted was becoming brighter, as well as the anomalies that surrounded it. It then dispersed, and the particles swirled like a whirlwind up to the heavens.

Huangdi saw it, and sighed a breath of relief. "The knowledge has been preserved." He announced. "Hopefully, in another universe, someone will learn from our grievous mistakes."

Zaurus turned around and nodded. "Now we just have to keep fighting."

More monsters came charging in. The Dragons attacked, and the battle was fierce like the rest. Both sides slew one another, but the Dragons remained the temporary victors. Ten Knuckers, eight Westerns, nine Amphitheres, five Lungs, and six Frosts fell in battle.

Pyrkagias spoke through to their minds again. "Do not think because you have ice with you means you are stronger than me. You shall all be reaped by the flaming blades of my glory!"

The Gaian Wyrm returned again, and out of his mouth came the last surviving Dragons of the apocalypse: the Wyverns. With them was a Wyvern that was more than sixty feet in length, and had a double-bladed axehead on his tail end. He was the leader of the pack.

"Tarnohis and the Wyverns of the Northwestern New World have come to join the war!" He said. The other Wyverns flew out to the walls, and further fortified the defenses.

Tarnohis took in a deep breath. "My brothers and sisters, for many millennia, we have always been a mighty race of proud beasts that none dared to challenge, let alone confront. But now we face against the very one who created us all, made us who we are, and we will fight him to the end, and die with honor! Er anrhydedd Drakon Selac!"

The monstrous horde came again, and the united might of the Dragons of the World prepared for battle. They clashed with more fury than before. The Knuckers slashed with their claws and crushed them with constrictions. The Lungs blew their wind spears. The Frost Dragons blasted their chilling winds. The Westerns, the Amphitheres, and the Wyverns breathed their ineffective flames upon the monsters. The battle lasted for hours, but the horde had finally fallen. Fifteen Knuckers, twenty Westerns, ten Lungs, eleven Amphitheres, eighteen Frosts, and twenty Wyverns died in battle.

Zaurus was panting from exhaustion, but still had to hold his own. He looked off into the distance, and could see a whole army making ready for a full throttle assault on their position. And to make thing worse, a tornado of fire rose from the center, and the Fire Dragon God himself appeared.

Pyrkagias gave a roaring laugh at them all. "You poor, pathetic children. Why do you still persist on fight? You know there was only one who could stop me, but he already met his end by my claws."

Zaurus shook and hung his head low. "Hammerheart..." He whispered.

Pyrkagias laughed again. "Yes. He and the Harmonic Bearers laid cremated at my talons, all because he failed to obtain the power of my siblings, and keep his friendship with those obnoxious pests in one piece. Now, you shall all know the pain he felt upon his failure!"

Pyrkagias and his army of monsters and demons advanced towards the castle. When they came in close, the Dragons attacked. The Dragons were quickly falling to the might of the hellish horde. The Lungs that were garrisoned in the towers were flushed out by the flames. The Frost Dragons were completely overwhelmed by the heat of the battle. The Knuckers were slain and trampled beneath the overpowering horde. The Amphitheres were shot out of the sky. The Westerns were brought low, and killed on the spot. The Wyverns fought back with all their might, but also met their inevitable ends by the hands of Pyrkagias' army. The Gaian Wyrm fought back, as well, but spears to the face, throat, and chest soon caused it to rear up and fall on its back dead.

Soon, the only ones left were Zaurus, Huangdi, Quezacoatl, Polyarnaya, and Tarnohis. They stood back to back against the surrounding swarm of beasts, but they did not attack. Instead, Pyrkagias stepped forth and stood before them.

"You had your chance to concede, and you sullied it." said Pyrkagias. "Now you shall meet your 'honorable' ends by my claws."

The horde stood further back, giving their lord and master some space to fight. The five remaining Dragons had nowhere else to go, and nothing left to lose but their lives. They attacked.

Zaurus struck his mystic spike against the god's leg, barely even scratching it. Huangdi shot his windy spear at the stomach region. Quezacoatl blasted his flames. Tarnohis clawed at the god's chest. And Polyarnaya blew her frosty breath upon his back.

Pyrkagias chuckled at the Dragons' useless means of fighting back. He grabbed Huangdi out of the air, bent him until his spine snapped, and threw him at a wall.

"Forgive me, my son... I failed you as a protector, and a father..." were his last words.

Pyrkagias then smacked Quezacoatl to the ground on his back. He then pierced his chest with his tail, grabbed both wings, and tore them off. Quezacoatl roared in pain. Pyrkagias then slid him away with a flick of his tail.

"I'll see you... in the Nether..." were his last words.

Pyrkagias then took in a deep breath through his nostril, and puffed a huge wave of fire that engulfed Polyarnaya. The Frost Dragon flailed in the air as she went down. When she crashed, the flames were all but put out, and they slowly burnt away her body.

"Death's embrace is suppose to be cold... not hot..." She said as the fire completely incinerated her.

Pyrkagias then caught Tarnohis in his maw, shook him with ungodly violent force, crushed him, and spat him out on the ground.

"Curse you, Hammerheart... You have condemned us all..." He reviled with his dying breath.

Pyrkagias snatched Zaurus and held him far from his face. The Shaman struggled to break free, but to no avail.

Zaurus looked to the sky. "Duwiau Ddraig, where are you?! Why do you forsake us?!"

Pyrkagias chuckled. "Because they no longer draw breath."

Zaurus gasped in horror. "No, it cannot be..."

Pyrkagias chuckled more. "It is true, my child. After I dispatched of the Wyvern and his team of freedom fighters, I decided to personally visit my siblings after countless years of nonexistence. Of course, they too played a part in the desecration of this world, so they too had to be removed from power. Now the world is clean of any who seek to defile it, except for you. You are the last of a dying breed. Which leads me to ask myself, should I keep you as a pet?" That, of course, was a rhetorical question. He grabbed Zaurus with his other talon, and twisted his body around. A loud crack echoed in the air. Pyrkagias dropped Zaurus, and the Knucker Shaman fell to the ground, twisted and broken like a stubborn weed that would not come out of the ground.

Zaurus was hanging on by a thread. "Hammerheart..." He whispered, "I'm... sorry..." And the thread broke.

Pyrkagias had done it. The world was all his. All life that he deemed unworthy of living anymore had been wiped off the face of the Earth. He stretched himself and basked in the red sunlight.

"Now, only one thing left to do." He said. His body slowly started to set itself ablaze. He hunch forward and crossed his arms. Then, in one move, he bursted open, and unleashed a wave of fire that incinerated his army, and blanketed the world.

"The spark of life has forever died out." He said. "Now begins a new era of perfection."








Hammerheart was speechless at what he just saw. He could say it was evil, but in all reality, no words could described how much of a nightmare it was. He gently pressed his claw tips on his tear ducts.

"This is a burden. A curse." He said to himself. "And I'm the one who has to suffer it all."

Zaurus' voice spoke from the obsidian with his eyes. "Now you know who and what you are up against, Hammerheart. I know you despise it with all your heart, but you are the one to stop the fell god, Pyrkagias, from destroying everything we hold dear. You, along the Elements of Harmony, must seek the power of the Duwiau Ddraig if you are to stop Pyrkagias once and for all. But only if you can keep your friendship with them together." His last words echoed before everything around Hammerheart faded to black.

He, a mortal Dragon, is the only one who must slay a God.