Fhillip opened his eyes and saw that he and Chaos were both in a vast wasteland of charred ground, dead trees littering the area and a red mountain. In front of him, he saw that they have been put at the base of it.
"You're going up there to talk to some dragons." Chaos said bluntly as he and Fhillip stare up the mountain.
"Great, another mountain to climb... wait a minute, you can teleport? Why in the hoof did I have to come to you in that jungle? All those deaths could have been avoided!" Fhil looked at Chaos desperate for an answer.
"I'm in hiding, pony. They haven't found me to kill me yet. Once this is over though, I won't need to hide anymore." Chaos grinned under his mask.
"Well what do you want me to say?" the frustrated unicorn asked.
Chaos scratched his chin under his mask. "You ponies know next to nothing on dragons. I believe it is time for a brief history lesson about them."
Fhils ears perk up as Chaos tells his story.
"Dragons do not have one leader, they have several, seven at this moment. The leaders lead tribes across the world to conquer new territory. For a dragon to be a leader, it must go rogue first, meaning it is exiled for leaving. Then it has to successfully conquer a capitol city of any country. Therefore when it does, the dragons name becomes the cities name. Like if a dragon conquers Canterlot, it's name becomes Canterlot."
Fhil listens with great interest at this amazing new knowledge that is not found in any book at any library. “They have to do it alone?”
"Yes, dragons follow strength above all. When the dragon is victorious, it is allowed to lead a new tribe. So the dragons you seek are the alpha dragons, the leaders of each tribe.”
Fhillip had a huge frown on his face hearing this tidbit bit of information. Chaos noticed and quickly cleared up the ponies fears.
“I know what you're thinking and no, you will only have to visit two. The only two I know of but they are important never the less. Seek out this dragon here called Atlas, persuade him to go to war with Equestria."
"Go to war with Equestria?!” Fhils eyes widened. “I change my mind, I'm not doing this. I have family and friends, well some friends, that live there!" Fhillip shouted at Chaos.
"Alright, we will go back to the temple and you can live there for the rest of your long, long, LONG life! A fate worse than death, I should know. Besides, we are already here!", the creature said teasingly.
Fhil, upset by this asked the god, "Er.. how do you even know if I can succeed? I mean, dragons aren't pony friendly."
"I've come prepared... well you did." Chaos gives the satchel he was still holding with his regular hand to Fhillip. "Give this to the dragons at the door. When I say door, I mean the first ones that come to say 'hi'". Also, to convince him, I'll give you information that nopony knows. The dragons main goal is to conquer the world and rule its economy. Put that into consideration."
"Well If I succeed, I hope the dragons get their asses kicked. If I don't get eaten first." he said bitterly starting up the hill.
Chaos calls out to him, "Don't worry, you'll live!" Fhillip looked angrily back at him and kept going up the beaten pathway. Chaos then whispers to himself, "My desires come on the wind and you will heed its call."
Fhillip climbed higher and higher, every step he took he grew more anxious. He thought about Notch and his son. He thought about his wife and the princesses. "I just want to go home." the unicorn whined.
Reaching the summit, he learns that the mountain is actually a volcano. As Fhil stood at the rim of the volcano's crater, he felt a strong gust of wind as two adult dragons come down and land in front of him with a giant thud, knocking lose dirt everywhere. The little pony shielded his eyes from the fragments and then managed a look at them. One green and one red ordinary looking dragon greeted him.
"Are you lost little pony?" The red one asked as the green looked on in amusement.
"No, I need to see Atlas." Fhil said looking up at the two trying to remain calm and to not empty his bowels.
The dragons stared at each other and then back at Fhil, "How do you know of Atlas?" the green dragon asked with a deep tone.
"I was told to deliver a message to him and I have this for you two." Fhillip throws the satchel on the ground and the gold and jewels spill out much to the dragons surprise. They nod at each other and scoop it up.
"Alright pony but you will have to find him yourself." the red one told him.
At this point, many of the adult dragons sitting around the rim saw him pass by the two dragons and watched with great curiousity.
That wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, Fhil thought to himself as he saw the dragon leader curled up by a lava pool. He was a decent size dragon, a story bigger than the two he just talked to. He was also a different shape, like a serpent shape than a normal bulky one ponies usual see flying around Equestria. Long black hair came down from his head and into his neck, similar to how a ponies mane went. He had two long horns that jutted out of his hair like bent spikes. Atlas had black around his green eyes from the unique color of his scales.
Fhillip approached Atlas with caution as the leader noticed him coming.
"What a change the world is coming to when food walks up and presents itself." Atlas said with a smirk. He didn't even bother getting up.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, great one, but I have news that you may need to hear." Fhil told him.
"Really, news huh? Must be worth something for you to come all the way out here." Atlas said plainly while staring into the pool of lava.
"Equestria is on the verge of allying itself with Chanolis, the Changeling country." Fhil started.
"Okay, good for them." the dragon said turning away from the pool.
Atlas stood up looking down on Fhillip. Now he realized just how tall this snake-like dragon was. Although every dragon was far bigger than he himself was, this dragon now standing, towered over him about eight stories high he assumed. The intimidation was increasing but Fhil tried to keep his cool. The dragon bent down to hear the pony better while flapping his wings to keep him from falling.
"Well, I was a ambassador for Celestia, the princess of Equestria, and I was there when she allied the griffons. Anyways, if they ally with the Changelings, they do plan on marching on the dragons in a combined effort to wipe you out." he told Atlas.
"They will die if they try. And why would they? The ponies have always left our territories in peace." Atlas said to Fhil, the dragon still flapping his wings.
This was his chance. Fhil knew this was the breakthrough he needed. "Not if they attack your tribes individually and without warning. They are close to a breakthrough and the princess knows of your plan to dominate the entire continent, the world even."
Atlas's eyes opened wider to this news. "She knows? Well, you're proof enough that she knows, but why tell me? Why betray your country?" The dragons in the nearby area were listening to this story too.
"Because there is a creature that threatens to kill me if I didn't tell you. I'm pretty much being blackmailed." Fhillip and Atlas both frowned at this news.
"This is some news alright, come with me to the elder dragon, I want you to discuss this with him." the red dragon told him.
"Alright, I was told to talk to him as well." Fhil assumed it was the second dragon, just to get things rolling.
Atlas's curiosity got the better of him this time. "Who is this creature you speak of?"
"I'm not sure what it really is but I'll bring him here once we speak to the other dragon." Fhillip didn't know if Chaos would agree to this outright but knew that he would have to.
"Well, lets go." Atlas then swiped up Fhillip and put the pony on his back. He lifted into the air and shot off to the east with formidable speed. “What is your name?”
“It's Fhillip.” he knew that he was getting somewhere now. The flight itself went on for hours even though Atlas's skill in flight appeared top notch.
The realm Atlas spoke of was on a cape that hung off a larger continent of a vast jungle. Those trees looked familiar to Fhil from the air before they landed in a empty clearing. “Elder, where are you?” Atlas called out.
A figure came out from hiding in the tree line. "I'm right here." a small black dragon with the size of a large pony spoke. "I see you have a friend with you Atlas."
This dragon had hair too, messy boyish grey hair Fhil noticed. His horns reminded Fhil of a deer almost, but one horn was broken.
"We just met. He has some news for all of us, so we need to get with the others. I brought him to you because you love the ponies so much." Atlas continued rolling his eyes.
The small dragon looked up at Atlas, “What news?”
Atlas frowned and explained to the elder what was said while Fhil still clung to his back trying not to fall off.
"We need to go to old Skaholm then." The small elder said plainly.
Atlas nodded. “We leave now?”
“No, your friend looks very tired. Rest until tomorrow.” Elder nodded.
The elder dragon was right, so Fhillip decided he should take a nap even though he was in the company of dragons. Something about the elder dragon made Fhillip feel at home. He hasn't slept since the morning he woke up to Notch in his tent. That was a good twenty hours ago. The flight to this place was a long one from the charred lands of that volcano.
Fhillip laid down on the ground. "I wish dragons had teleport." he told Atlas.
"Ha, right, then we would be to powerful." Atlas responded.
The unicorn drifted off to sleep. He dreamed of the figure in the shadows again, Chaos.
“You're doing so well, I'm so glad I chose wisely. Almost done with this part of the job but still a little more to go." He heard Chaos's voice say in the darkness.
"So you want to destroy it because it is the home of ponies? The children of Creation's image?" Fhil asked.
"It is both Luna and Celestia I hate, their existence spits in my face. They have done me wrongly and once they lay dead, Creation will feel my pain."
Then darkness and silence was all the dream became.
Fhil heard a voice calling his name. "Fhillip, wake up, it is time." He woke up to see the black dragon standing close to him. "We need to go now.” the dragon said. “I hope you have a speech ready because every-dragon knows they have to listen to a pony."
"Oh, I'll be alright." Fhil said as he got to his hooves.
Atlas was ready to take Fhillip to the meeting spot, so he grabbed the unicorn and once again put him on his back. Atlas flew into the air and the two dragon leaders began to fly over the ocean. That's when Fhil realized where he was. This was the same cursed jungle of South Rhymica. Atlas was flying close enough to the elder for Fhil to yell at him. “Are you the dragon that guards this jungle?"
“No! I just live here!”
“By yourself?” Fhil yelled back, shielding the wind from his eyes with a foreleg.
“Well, no! I just had a group of suicidal zebra warriors try to kill me yesterday! Unfortunately, we live in the same jungle together!”
“Oh, that's bad!” Fhillip remembered hearing of the cannibalistic zebra tribes.
“For them!” Elder laughed.
The rest of the flight was a quiet one, Fhil had got enough sleep to make it. Soon they came to a mountainous region and there was a huge city in view. It had stone walls that surrounded the inner city and several towers dotted the wall. But the most noticeable was the huge tower in the center of the cities circle. It jutted up like a skyscraper but was more vast in circumference. The next thing he noticed that it was broken off and that the top half of the tower had fallen on a mountain side that lined the back walls of the city.
"I'm so glad I don't have to climb this one at least." Fhil told himself remembering the mountain climbs.
The city was in ruins and needless to say, vacant of its original inhabitants. Only mass amounts of dragons filled the streets and bones and treasure littered the houses. They flew to the room at the top where the tower was severed. Fhil could make out the figures of five other large dragons there. Because the tower was broken off, the large room had no roof. They landed in the center and Fhillip got put off the dragons back. Atlas and the elder took their place among the leaders in the circular room with a throne of bones.
The throne was occupied by a large purple dragon with black hair. His eye's were a dark shade of gray and like Atlas, had black around his eyes from his scale color.
The other dragons were of mixed colors and unique features. One dragon was lime green and had black hair too but with large goat-like horns. She had strange looking eyes with several red rings that circled her green eye. This dragon was smaller than the others except the black elder dragon.
Another was sky blue and had blond hair with pig tails. Her snout almost looked like a beak yet Fhil thought she was a cute dragon. She seemed to be emotionally attached to the purple dragons side because she was leaning against the throne and stroking his hair.
A obese mountain sized yellow dragon with brown hair over his eyes, sat still as they arrived. Its horns bent straight back and it's four wings were way to small for its girth. Fhil didn't know if it was looking at him or not because it was entirely possible that the dragon was asleep.
Finally, there was a white dragon with gold horns that were similar to the green dragons goats but they were more like a rams. His body shape was more muscular than the others and he had multi colored feathers protruding from his head that shaped his hair. His yellow eyes stared at the unicorn intently which disturbed Fhil.
Atlas was the first to speak. "Brethren, this is Fhillip the unicorn and he has come from Equestria to warn us."
The dragons all laughed at this besides the elder and the white dragon. Fhillip knew now that the sleeping giant was awake after all because he was the loudest of them all.
“That's what I did too, but as he told me his tale, I became convinced that this is a very serious matter and I need you to listen to him with open minds." Atlas then opened his claws at Fhillip as a gesture to start.
The blue dragon stopped stroking the purple dragons hair and they all listened to the small creature.
“Hello every 'dragon'. The princesses of Equestria intend to ally the Changelings and with the Griffons already by their side, they plan to attack the dragons individually, with surprise attacks.”
All the dragons stayed quiet knowing now that this threat could have devastating results if true. Fhillip noticed they were listening more than ever and continued his warning.
“I was once a politician and I was there during peace talks of both species. I am here on orders of a higher power to have you attack Equestria before it attacks you." Fhillip took a deep breath, "and my life depends on you destroying it."
There was silence until the yellow mountain dragon decided to talk. "Whose this higher power eh?"
Every dragon nodded at this. "I was wondering this myself." Elder chimed in.
"Atlas would have met him already but he was busy. I will have them meet once I return to that region. If Atlas approves of my masters wishes then he can confirm things but aside from tonight, I cannot say much or else or I may have said to much." Fhil added somberly.
Atlas nodded, "Alright. Don't worry Huxio, I'll see what this higher power really is.”
The yellow dragon smiled. “You know me to well.”
Another alpha dragon spoke, the blue and cute looking one who was the same size as the purple one, about seven stories if Fhil was to guess; "It's true that they have been allying nations lately. Look at Saddle Arabia! I think we really need to strike. How long must our tribes dwindle between these... advancing nations?"
"For the good of our kind? That is our motive, Ryalon?" the purple dragon said still sitting on his throne.
Ryalon turned to the dragon she was fascinated with, "It makes sense Skadholm. We intended to ignore Equestria based on Elders opinion of them but now it seems we have no choice. It has to be our next campaign."
"I cannot go with you if you decide to do this. I have told you all over and over again that we will not attack the pony nations until it is time." Elder said with every dragon looking down on him to hear him out.
"This is the time." Skadholm cut in. "War looms and your constant excuses for restraint are getting old." his grey eyes focused on the smaller dragon.
"They aren't a threat." Elder told them feeling more annoyed.
"And you want us to wait? We shouldn't underestimate them!" Atlas said.
"We won't.” The female green dragon assured Atlas.
"Well we will have much to contend with if we wait." Ryalon said.
The black dragon saw that every dragon had finally decided to go against his own wishes. "During our migration through Equestria, did any dragon take notice of any armies or war machines? Anything strange?" Elder asked as he looked around at the others who ironically towered over him and his unicorn friend.
"We do not watch ants." Atlas said with a laugh.
Huxio looked at the red dragon with a grin, "We could always start eating them."
Atlas thought about this for a moment before answering with a question. "How long has it been since we even had ponies for a meal?"
Fhil noticed that all the dragons were in deep thought but the green one answered first. "Do zebra's count?"
Elder looked pissed. His attempts to stir the conversation to a more passive view had failed and he lost all ground in the argument until a decision was made for every-dragon to agree on by a silent spectator.
"Ok, well I have listened and decided what must be done." A final dragon stepped out of its place of silence. The white dragon with the golden ram-like horns came forward. "We will stay the night here. Atlas will return with the unicorn and he will get more details of this invasion. Afterward you are to return to us, here, and tell us what you have learned. Does every dragon agree?"
They all nodded in unison.
"Very good."