It had started out as a normal day for Princess Celestia. Breakfast with her sister, reading the newspaper, and then making her way to Day-Court to listen to Blueblood natter on for half the morning.
Celestia loved her nephew, she really did. She knew he had some rough spots, and privately admitted he got on her own nerves quite frequently, but in his core Blueblood was not a bad pony. Spoiled definitely. But not bad. In his private persona they often had wonderful conversations about about the plants in the castle gardens, or the whatever the latest exploration venture was that he was funding.Bluebloods’ public persona however could become extremely trying. It had taken him over four hours this morning to communicate to her that some of the nobles were feeling the tax credit for villages around the Vanhoover Dam needed to be adjusted.
She had resolved the issue by reminding her nephew, and all the other of her little ponies that were waiting their turn to approach her, that Luna had taking over all issues related to tax and revenue, and it was going through a long needed update. Celestia hated to admit it, but tax law was something she had let slide for the past thousand or so years. She had never really liked it, but it was something Luna seemed to get a perverse pleasure out of.
“Of course, how silly of me,” said Blueblood as he bowed his way out. She wondered how many favors her nephew and acquired for attempting to get a ruling out of her, rather than her sister.
Celestia had been about to call forward the next of her subjects that had requested an audience, when something made her pause. It started as a feeling of static in her back teeth, and a feeling of dread she couldn't place. The sensation quickly grew while she was trying to place it, and in a moment a swirling tornado made of red magic and storm cloud exploded into being in the center of her throneroom.
She could tell it was a portal of some kind almost immediately, just from the feeling of the waves of magic it emanated. She did not know how such a thing could appear in her courtroom, one of the most heavily warded places in the whole of Equestria. The vortex seemed to be constructed half of stormclouds, and covered a fair sized portion of the middle of the throne room.
Standing in alarm, Celestia had immediately brought her own magic to bare on the construct, trying to force it to close. Her reactions, however quick, were useless, her magic slid off the vortex like it was a hole in existence. She could not seem to affect it in the slightest. she couldn’t even get her magic to acknowledge something was even there.
A figure appeared in the vortex. It was a unicorn pony, a stallion, but its cutie mark was covered by a tattered cloak. He had a gray coat, with short, dark blue hair. Celestia thought he looked familiar, but couldn’t quite place who he was.
“What is the meaning of this?” She remembered demanding.
“Ha-ha!” said the unicorn. “Yes! Success! I knew it would work. Victory is mine Celestia!”
Celestias heart froze in her chest. ”Ritual! What are you doing here. You were banished for crimes against the crown.”
“Thats right, I was,” said Ritual ” but I’m back now. I’m here to take your kingdom for my own. Your arrogance has been your downfall Celestia. You really should have had me killed. By ‘banishing’ me you only gave me time to work on my spells without interference.”
Ritual had been a monster. Convinced that ‘his blood magic’ was one true way to power and he was destined to rule all of existence, he had done some truly depraved things to several ponies before attempting to overthrow her several decades ago. He had not been nearly as powerful as he thought he was, and Celestia had summarily banished him to a place far far away.
“Surrender now Ritual, and I will be lenient in your punishment,” said Celestia.
Ritual laughed in response. “I don’t quite think you are understanding the position you are in my dear. I have completely replaced all the ‘harmonious’ magic in my being with that of the dark! Your magic can not touch me as long as I remain in this vortex. No magic can! And nopony can enter! But I can cast spells on You!” said Ritual. His face covered in a depraved grin as his horn lit with power.
Celestia braced herself for his attack. She did not have option but to take the defensive until a better solution presented itself. Her own magic, and that of several of her unicorn guards seemed to be swallowed by the vortex Ritual stood in. Even as she watched, one of her pegasi guards bounced off some unseen barrier has he swooped to attack the deranged caster. Celestia could tell it was going to be a vicious attack, and was putting as much of her energy as she could into her own defences.
Which was why it came as a complete surprise when a massive red creature had come barreling at high speeds out of the mists. It had to have come from the ‘far’ side of the portal/vortex, and it caught Ritual even more flat footed than her. She doubted the he even registered the presence of anything before he was unceremoniously pile-driven into and across her throne rooms massive floor.
Privately, in the small hind part of her mind Celestia believed he had made a very satisfying *crunch*. Without its master, the Dark Tornado dissipated almost as fast as it appeared.
Her unlikely rescuer, as it turned out, was a peculiar dragoness about twice her size that looked like it had gotten into a fight with an elemental, and lost. She had no clue who the dragoness was, or even if she had meant to save her, but she had. Seeing its eyes gazing around in a sort of glassy, stunned way, she realised the the dragon was conscious. She hopped it wouldn’t try to eat anypony.
“Owie…” said the dragoness.
“Indeed, “ said Celestia as she raised an eyebrow.
****
Well, the last few days have been interesting. Princess Celestia is kinda of cool, when shes not trying to scare the living buck out of me. She doesn’t even need to do anything. She just gets this spine chilling look. It really kinda puts one's place in the scheme of things into perspective; I’m the bug, and shes the big ol hoof. Like I would ever wanna do anything to tick off somepony that moves the Sun just by thinking hard. Note to self: remember to never ever ever make a joke about eating anything living around here again. Ever.
It turns out that the pony that I goobered when I landed in her Throne room actually was Mr. McCreepy. He had come through just before I did. He and the Princess had some history I believe, but not the happy kind. He survived our encounter, somehow, but is currently someplace dark, dank, and with alot of magic inhibitors. He deserves every moment of it.
I’m still riding that high of finding myself still among the living. After having the near certainty of death, and then that raw bolt to the face, simply being alive was the Best. Thing. Ever. They got some pretty good healers around here too, although I had to chase the male ones out when they started poking around where males should not. They could have at least gotten me dinner first or something. I know I don't exactly extrude ‘feminine,’ but come on!
So yea, my injuries are mostly gone at this point, score one for dragon toughness and pony healing, but this room is starting to get really boring. I get that ponies are kinda panicky and stuff, sure, and I’m a ‘big `ol predator’ as far as their hindbrains are concerned but I’m getting the need to stretch my wings real bad. At least they’re keeping me stuffed with crystals.
The doors to the room open and Princess Celestia walks in. I give her a smile and she smiles back. Her guards wait outside. she has come by and talked to me almost every day I’ve been awake, and after the first day even left her guards outside. Not that they didn’t complain about being left outside, but if something was gonna hurt her in here, it wasn’t going to be me.
“Snowfire, how are you feeling today?” She asks.
“I’m doing pretty good Princess. I think I’m almost completely back to normal. I’m just starting to feel a little antsy being inside,” I say.
“It’s good that you are doing well, and I can understand that being kept inside can be quite a trial. Most pegasi react the same way. You’ve been quite accommodating in listening to my request,” She said.
“Yea, I don’t think having a whole city panic at me would be any more fun for me then you. Any idea on when I could be getting back on home then?”
“Thats still going to take us some time to research, I’m sorry. Dark Magic and Blood Magic are such a dangerous fields of study that we know almost nothing about it, and even less about when they are combined. Ritual is...not cooperating, so I don’t feel I can promise any sort of results soon.”
Huh. I had to think that over. Unless I heard wrong, she was saying she wasn't likely to be able to send me home for a long time. Not that my home was that great of a place to be, but it was familiar. “So, your uh.. is ‘hospitality’ the right word? -” She nodded “- Hospitality has been great and everything, I think I’m fuller on gems then I’ve ever been before, but I’m gonna kinda need to get out of this room soon. I dunno if I would worry too much about finding me a way home of it its just for me, though, I’m about the age that dragons leave our clutching lands and find new places to live.”
I was reminded that I really didn’t know anything about these ponies. Being around dragons wasn’t really what I would call fun, most of us were jerks after all, but at least you knew what you were in for. These ponies on the other hand.. who knew? I was trying to be on my best behavior at any rate. I had never had so much food available, even if it was all only gems, and I didn’t want that to stop if it didn’t have to.
“The doctors have told me you're healthy enough to leave if you desire to, so you may go anytime you wish. If you're open some suggestions, I have a few ideas you might be interested in.”
“Uhm... Sure” It would never hurt to get more information. I kinda wish I knew what angle the Princess was playing, but I didn’t so I would have to play this one by ear. Maybe it was a pony thing, but I never felt like I had to smash anything after I was done talking to the Princess. Not even when she laughed when I asked about the King and Queen.
“ I think this one is the best one all around by far; I know this little village called Ponyville…”
****
“Sister, Methinks you play a very dangerous game, meddling in the affairs of dragonkin in such a manner,” said Luna over the dining table.
“Oh nonsense Luna, “said Princess Celestia ”It’s not a game at all.”
“No, a game tis not. Young Spike might be considered bad enough t’wer it not for the endorsement of all Our friends, but this Dragoness…” said Luna before pausing a moment. She had to make the conscious effort not to talk in the old fashion when she was upset. “Tia, I do not understand why you so freely invite her into our subjects home and hearth.”
“Oh Lulu, a hoof-full of years ago I wouldn't have considered allowing it. Recently… well. With what Twilight has been able to accomplish recently, I think it might be best to give it a try.”
“Give what a try sister?”
Princess Celestia blew out a small sigh. “I hate having to be so pragmatic sometimes. The simple fact is dragons exists, and they can quite ornery. There is little that our little ponies can do to affect where a dragon might decide to nest. Its something of a miracle that brave Fluttershy was able to convince that red one to move somewhere else.”
“Yes, I am familiar with these habits, and the fact that they will occasionally try and partake of flesh,” said Luna shuddering. “So why you wish to invite more of them to our lands perplexes me.”
“I’m fairly sure I impressed on Snowfire exactly what the consequences to her would be if she were to ‘partake of flesh’ from anypony as you put it. During our talks it seemed repugnant to her to consider consuming anything that could talk back to her. Snowfire is a little rough around the edges, but I believe she is good enough in her core. I don’t think Spike even needs to be mentioned in that regard. Spike really is an example of what I’m trying to achieve, on the social level. It is possible for our kinds to co-exist in close proximity, and I believe our ponies, and our little dragon, are better for it. In the cold-hearted, long term view however... Dragons will not nest in territory that is already claimed by another dragon. If we were to have adult dragons friendly to us, and able to co-exist with our ponies, they would keep and drive off potentially hostile dragons without our intervention. In addition If, heavens forbid, a battle or war with another nation were ever to happen... “
“Yes, I can see how having Dragons on our side could be an asset. But Tia, they are dragons. You can not control them.”
“Oh, I don’t seek to control anyone Lulu, and Snowfire is just one dragoness. I just think it would be better for everyone if she made some friends, in the short and long runs. To be honest, I’m a little worried that our ponies will scare her away.”
“I suppose I should be the last pony to deny the power of friendship. On a slightly different note, Were you able to determine how she was able to cross Rituals portal? From the feel of the residue It had been attuned to only let ponies through. ”
“Yes, I think I have an explanation. Snowfire is only actually three quarters dragon, and didn’t seem to know what her remainder was. I believe her remainder is pony myself, sufficient enough to confuse the portal blocks with what that mess of spell work that was going on.”
“Yes, its going to take me some time to work though all that was happening in that mess” Luna shook her head while making a face.
“Ritual was always messy with his spellwork. We are going to have to decide what to do with him. Enough about this, word is you have been flirting with somepony!”
Princess Lunas denials were heard across the castle.