The Eternal Knight

by Nerom_Fencer

Dragon Trials.

Disclaimer: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and it’s creative properties is owned by Lauren Faust and Hasbro, not me.

Chapter 7: Dragon Trials.

By Nerom

Nero Took a step longer into the chamber moving slowly to the lacrima crystal's pedestal. Only a click of talons against the stone warned him and he did a roll to this left and rolled further into the room. A swipe of razor sharp talons missed him barely. "Oh.." He gagged when he saw the griffin. only some part of it had flesh on its body and where it had it was oozing with a slimy substance. It reeked of magic from it. He suddenly noticed the lining of the dead gem. It was a battery and it was using the others as ones to... And now its using me as a power source! SHIT! The only way to deal with this creature now when he was in this room or for in fact the entire tomb was to get to that lacrima. The griffon kings corpse had moved itself to between him and the crystal. Fuck I need to touch it to destroy it! The menacing corpse had a crown or maybe a tiara on its head. At least I hope that this is the King. If this was not the king and only another servant he was not going to have an almost indestructible griffon corpse on his neck but two. He drew the rapier, he had to use it. He noticed the text made some sense now but he dismissed it, other things was at the center of attention here. as he had drawn the weapon the griffon lunged at him. He pushed the beast back with a blast of telekinesis and threw the sword, Running at the lacrima Stupid big room! Stupid one shot move! The corpse was nailed to the wall by the sword. Well he had aimed with magic after all. The griffon pushed up on the sword with tremendous force and split its own skull in the process. At the same time Nero reached the crystal and jammed a index finger on it. The small peck of blood he expected did not come instead his whole finger exploded into a fine red mist. The crystal shattered to. The magical hum from it disappeared, Nero felt a small force on a his head. It hurt a little but not as much as his finger, he was at the verge of crying, tears forming in his eyes. He channeled magic into the wound and it felt like somethings was pulling on his nerves out of the finger. When the tickling subdued he opened an eye. The finger that had been regenerated was not a new finger but his old, no scar around the base where the index finger had been severed and the old small scar that he had partly below the left part of his nail was present. When he made his hand into a fist the finger tingled a little like when a leg or an arm was asleep. He repeated the motion a few times until it felt like normal. He stared at his fist for a moment and kissed his finger. With the lacrima destroyed the griffon had not stood up after it's self inflicted damage. Nero got up, there was no use in laying around in the dirt all day. He felt on his head and found the griffon kings crown. It was a exquisite piece of art but it was this that had made him wonder. When he healed his finger he had apparently also used magic to fix the crown. He could only see the crown in a big black gem acting like a mirror in the light from his little orb of light. Stupid crown how the hell does it tangle with my hair! He could not remove the crown without pulling out his hair in the process. "Fuck that I might be able to regenerate limbs but I'm not hurting myself over this thing! better just ask Spike or maybe Luna to help me get it out." He got his rapier from the floor where it had fallen and made his way out of the tomb.

Nero had let go of the magical light and had picked up the lantern that still was burning with a light blue flame. making his way to the exit he felt the ward he put on the exit. Showy? Yes a little but it was an necessarily so the draining magic did not affect the ponies outside. When he came close to the seal it dissolved like it's magical commands had been written to do.

"That was quick found anything funny? Like gems?" The little dragon was on him and Avia decided that it was time to sit on Nero's head instead and to her despise she found the crown. The bird landed on his shoulder instead with a grumpy expression, how a bird can do that he did not know but she did. A loud. "Twii!" Came from the bird.
"Sorry but it's stuck in my hair and I don't want to rip it out." Nero said apologetic to the bird.

"Not stuck, Magic." Luna had stop the conversation with professor Magnet and walked over to them. "You did not have to lock us out now did you? What was that seal anyway? I have never seen anything like it. Programming a seal only to open when you are close enough, clever."
"I locked the tomb for everypony's safety. Draining spell and all, also Magic? How will I get this off my head then?!" He pointed at his head. Luna chuckled. Well it is a little humorous, a guy with a crown looking like a freaking spiderweb of gold and silver... or is it a Tiara! He hoped not.

"That is a crown made of gold and platinum rare metal that one, any way the king buried here had a crown of war. Or to be correct. The Crown of Milito. An old crown that chooses it's bearer and only leaves the head of it's master when. First: this is when the former master is bested in combat or when the master dies. Now Gilloner the king that was the crown's last owner, somehow got the crown to stay on his head even after death, we do not know how but he did it. Secondly: accept the yourself as the crowns master and it should be able to take of. there is umm rules to this. Mine and Celestia's are similar " Luna explained, Nero plucked of the crown of his head.
"That was easy." He said. He held the crown in his right hand inspecting it. It was a marvel of spiderwebs made of gold an platinum. it looked like it had thorns on it placed to look menacing but still elegant and simple. There was an diamond in bedded into the web.

"Ahem. There is rules to the crown. Don't decide not to wear it and don't leave it off for more than few days or it will teleport onto your head again. This will also happen when or if you try to throw it away." She added looking at him through narrow eyes.
"Good to know." He placed the crown on his head but this time it looked like it was growing out of his hair instead of being tangled. He did not sound reassured but was happy that at least it was removable. "Well our job is done here should we return to Canterlot?" He asked and looked around, he could not see the chariot drivers.

"We will when the pegasi return, they went to ponyville to get lunch just after you went into the tomb. They should be back soon." Luna said and added. "If you don't want to fly there it will only take us an 20 minutes or so and waiting on the guard will take more. or I could teleport us there. Me and Celestia have a room in the castle for long range teleportation."
Nero thought about it for a moment. "I rather fly there." I did fly longer when I found Eclipse. "I have not taken to the sky sense the night you and Celestia called on the Elements of harmony." He stretched his wings, Spike opened his mouth.

"Sorry to burst you bubble but I can't fly, how will I come back to Canterlot?" That was a stupid question both Nero and Luna could agree on that.
"Take the chariot? Or what do you think Luna?" He asked.

"I could always teleport him to the palace." She answered. Spike nodded at this idea.

"Yea I like that idea better." Spike said and nodded again, Nero placed the phoenix on Spikes head again.
"And you better go with him." The bird chirped angrily. "And can you fly as fast as a pegasus?" The bird lowered its head. "I thought so."
Luna began her spell and with a flash the dragon and bird was gone. "One bird and dragon ordered and delivered." She said.
"I did not know that you made jokes like that." He chuckled a little.

"Not a year ago I did not but I learned to have fun when I can. It really helps. Should we?" Luna pointed a wing at the sky in a manner like he uses hes hands.
"Indeed we should." Wonder if the crown will stay on if I make a aileron roll

While they flew Luna explained more about the crown, The Crown of Milito was forged from a dragon warlord's horn ornament. He had sworn to protect the inhabitants of his lands, when he fell in battle the ornament strangely had appeared in front of the one slaying him days later. This warrior soon became the sworn protectors of the king of griffins. Later on this crown was conquered by ponykind and later on the griffon know as Gilloner got possesion over it. The one thing that the masters of the crown had in common was that they had all been strong tacticians and even greater in battle, they all uphold justice and protected the royal families of their lands. All except Gillioner that was the first king to posses it. This was the useful information about the crown Nero got from the trip. The rest of it they once again talked about other things, mostly about a hobby they both liked. Painting, drawing and art. Even about politics in Equestria.
"So there are two kinds of diamond dog. good to know. Whats the difference?" Nero asked, apparently the dogs lived in tribes and smaller towns.

"The Diamond dogs are a collected name of them, there is those who call them self Gahul and then there are the ones that call them self Diamond dogs. The difference is that Gahuls are smarter, have the ability of magic and are much more sophisticated. So one kind is morons and the others are not then. "Lets land on the courtyard it looks like we have guards welcoming us." Why do I get a bad feeling of this. They landed, Luna much more gracefully than Nero who almost tripped on a cobblestone.

"Milady. Your sister awaits you in the throne room, a dragon is issuing a duel of rights." The guard said

"And why does this concern me?" Luna asked the guard her chipper mood seemed to have soured a little.

"The incident happened during the night Princess." The guard sounded distressed and frankly scared.

"Well that changes things. Nero do you wish to go back to your room or come with? She asked.
"If it is a dragon and it happened by night time I might know something about it." He said "I will go with you."

"You might know something about it?" Luna asked. Shit I said that out loud!
"It might involve the dragon that attacked me some nights ago." The answer came quick and Luna seemed to accept it. She nodded and walked over to the rest of the escort. Nero was right behind her. I will need to explain things now. Damn I wanted to wait in till Eclipse woke up.
They arrived at the throne room though the front door making a apparently dramatic entry for ponies in the room gasped loudly at the sight. In the middle of the hall sat a big red unicorn and by his side a smaller reddish unicorn. They was different somehow. then is hit him they where looking at them with catlike eyes and the horns was jagged. Must be dragon magic. Luna and Nero walked past them and up the stairs to where Celestia and Spike was.

"We was told by Spike here that you was coming this way and so we stalled the court a bit." Celestia told them in a low voice. Luna nodded. "Lets begin then." She said in a strong voice that echoed out over the hall. The Dragon pony gave them a deep nod.

"Five nights ago my brother here." The older one said and pointed a hoof. "Came to me after a hunt. When I asked him about the game, for his friends had mentioned that they fell two. He became silent and said that it was none. But as his brother I could see that he was trying to pull my tail so I of course pressed him to tell the truth. The two he fell by his own claws where of ponykind." Most in the room gasped. "I took him to the council and they decided to let me come here with him, as slaying ponies are against our treaties. My brother here mentioned what I only can see as a Gor'losha. There is only one aspect that I see that not fits. For they have been dead for a long time, Extinct. The dragons was partly involved in this. Yet here one stands with only one difference. You have wings." He bored his eyes in Nero's. "Now I see that my brother speak truth and must issue a duel of rights." The dragon went silent.
Celestia was the one to speak. "This is the first time I have heard of the Gor'losha, for how long have they been dead?"

"At least the last two and a half thousands years. Your majesty." The dragon answered. Celestia looked at Nero that now looked at the dragon pony or more or less stared. "I ask you Gor'losha. Is this as my brother has confessed true did you meet him in that forest?" The dragon continued.
"Yes I did meet a dragon in a forest some nights ago and there was two dead in a clearing just next to the place I meet him." The little one stared angrily at Nero. "And I'm not a Gor'losha. I am a human. If I did not intervene at that clearing when I did a third victim was sure to be dead by now." Nero said also in a high voice." The dragon nodded.

"I have not heard the term Human before where do your people live now? Dragons have not seen your kind for a long time. you have to excuse me for going off topic." The dragon said.
"I see that it can be relevant in some ways as I'm the one that stopped your brothers little." Nero coughed in his hand then said. "Fun. And for one other matter what is this duel you speak of?" He added.
The dragon looked at the princesses and got a nod from Luna. "The duel is between pony and dragon ten ponies against one dragon to be precise. The duels are non lethal mostly. The winner gets to decide the trialed's fate."
"And you are doing this for your brother so the punishment would not be as severe?" Nero asked.

"In one way yes. Our punishment is strong and effective but not the same." Nero looked over at Luna and Celestia. they both gave him a glance somehow it told him to continue.
"Tell me about the rules in this duel. as I don't know these." After a confirming nod from Celestia the dragon spoke again.

"As stated ten ponies will be in the duel, less if requested. To the minimum of the one prosecuting the crime. That for this matter seems to be you as you here are the only one witnessing the crime scene. Everything goes in the duel even killing your opponent." Fine then I'll fight you. "In this case however I ask that if I lose that your punishment will go to me and not my brother, He will of course be punished by the council in Wyrmwroth. That is out closest meeting place and the seat of the eastern council members."
Nero had closed his eyes and thought after a moment he leaned over to Luna and whispered. "I wish to see to his punishment if this duel is won." She looked at him and blinked two times then turned to Celestia and had a low discussion with her.

"Very well Nero I can grant that as long as you don't kill him." Celestia said nodding.
"Thank you princess." He turned to the dragon and began to take slow steps down the stairs. "If you lose you will be punished by me. Now you seems like a intelligent individual so I will not announce a punishment now but take that part after the duel. It will be just you and me. does that seem fair?" Nero had reached to bottom of the stairs. The dragon tilted his head.

"Yes this seems fair. If I win you had not said nor done something that will tarnish anyone's pride. I accept." The dragon nodded to himself.

"It's settled then. The dragon trials will be held at the fields in one hour." Celestia stated before she nodded to the hall. "Dismissed, I have matters to discus with my sister and Nero that will take our side in this." The nobles and politicians in the hall began to move to the door, the dragon where the first to leave.

When most had left Celestia waked and made a gesture for them to follow. when they reached the next hall she said. "Well now we know some of what happened on that night, care to explain the rest?"
"Yes that is more than reasonable." He explained the whole story to Celestia, Luna and Spike. They all looked dreaded by the revelations. "and that's when we returned. That's all. Except one thing but I will not break a promise to Eclipse." He finished his explanation.

"Will you be able to beat this dragon? alone?" Luna asked him. she was clearly angry at the young dragon that had murdered and in the process spoiled her beautiful night.
"I think so yes something in the back of my head tells me how to best beat it right now to be fair. It won't be as easy as the tomb but its more than plausible to do." He answered.

"Good to see that the crown already have gotten to work." Luna said nodding, happy that he had gotten it earlier.

"Yes I have been meaning to ask if that is the Crown of Milito. but this confirms it then?" Celestia asked.

"Indeed sister it is." Luna eyed the crown. Great it feeds me information now to?

---

The hour was up and Nero stood on a field in front of the red dragon that now had taken on his true form, he was truly huge compared to her small friend. Oh dear I hope that he don't go and dies because of this.

"You look worried Luna, don't you think he is up to the task? We can always call it of. " Celestia said her and gave her a gentle nuzzle.
"No I believe that he will be angry if we do. He did not like to tell us what happened to Eclipse. Calling this off will only sour what he thinks of you to sister." She still sounded concerned, Celestia nodded stood up and amplified her voice.

"The duel will commence!" And she sat down again. It had been a hundred years sense the last dragon trial. Dragons was normally only seen fighting ponies in the Sun and moon tournament held every three years, none lethal of course. The two bodies moved, the dragon swiped at the human who nimbly evaded and a sliver flash was seen and the dragon retracted its leg. Its eyes glowed with magic and the land around them erupted shooting rocks and earth into the air. Nero was nowhere to be seen. A wheel of flame came up with the last of the earth barely missing the dragon. Nero's magic was surely impressive for many. "Manipulating the elements like that it's like he has years of training." She said low. Luna heard her.
"He was in that dream for almost a year on his part but he don't remember much of the things that was not training or magic." Luna said she was almost as into the battle as Nero it seemed she had not taken her eyes of it sense it began.

"I wonder." she mumbled, Luna ignored it. Celestia's horned flashed briefly and she spied on Nero's thoughts for a moment. Damn! Damn! Damn! My body can't keep up as I want it to, well I have other thing up my sleeve. She broke the spell. Nero had taken of his coat before the battle and you could see where the dragon that just had spewed fire at him had hit. Parts of his shirt was singed by the fire. Nero did a flowing movement with his hand and water sprung from the earth and hit the dragon like a harpoon piercing the right wing. Luna and Celestia knew that the battle was far from over.
The battle between dragon and man had raged for over ten minutes now. both the dragon and the man was clearly tired to some degree. Nero had just taken of a bandage from his arm and hung on the dragons head tying it firmly. The piece of cloth must be enchanted somehow or it would had snapped already. The dragon tried to use magic again but Nero canceled it out, something that they had been at for sometime now. No magic had been seen on the field for the last six minutes or so but that did not mean that they did not try it. Magic had been somehow both of them's turf as the two of them was mostly unable to get a good strike in. The dragon swiped at him and missed as Nero deliberate fell of the dragons head. and cut it in the neck and by the base of the for leg but just narrowly. The dragon would not feel it in the morning. The dragon hit Nero with the backside of his other clawed hand. As Nero got up from the blow the dragon was chanting a spell. A great flash erupted from the dragon just as Nero charged at it. When the flash was over there was no longer a dragon on the field but Nero was sitting on something his sword was sticking out of its chest and his fist was in the by the creatures head. He was kicked off it and grabbed the sword in the process. The dragon roared but not as loudly as it used to, when it stood up it had a more human form than pony. Many from the on looking crowd gasped. The creature was a reddish human with short mane and instead of eyebrows it had two small rows of horns and two bigger under the eyes pointing to the sides. On its chin it had a similar cluster of horns pointing down and its head was adorned by two big but slender curved horns that formed a wave on the sides of its head. Draconic wings adorned his back. A wound poured blood from its chest. The dragon lunged at Nero again and the battle continued like before all attempts of magic was canceled out and the advantage of a weapon was not much for Nero but the wound on the dragon was. Nero dodged the dragons forth charge and pulled the bandage that now was around the dragons neck and it was yet again to the ground and Nero dropped in a fall and put his elbow in the dragons head and when he rose the dragon did not follow. Nero backed and sat down on a boulder next to them. Magical energy raised from his hands and he healed the cuts and burns he had gotten and then redirected the energy to the dragon. Celestia rose from her seat.

"This duel is concluded. The winner is Nero." When she had said this she looked at her sister, she was looking back at her. Luna rose from her own seat and walked down the small stairs to the royal seats and trough the short tunnel to the field.
Nero was talking to the dragon. They conversed in a low voices and stopped when Luna came over to them.

"Agreed?" Was the only thing she heard Nero say, the dragon grabbed Nero's hand in his from where he laid.

"Deal. This will be interes.." The dragons voice died out and he fell unconscious, Nero had done likewise. Luna ran the last bit to catch the falling human.

---

Nero looked at the ceiling. His head was sluggish, his body more so and something pressed down on his abdomen. Can someone please kill me? Ahh my head. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, at least the headache was clearing away.

"That took you long enough." Luna was standing by the window looking out into the night. "You know the others are starting to wake up to as you can notice." She said still looking out the window. This drew his attention to weight on him, a sleeping Eclipse was snuggling up to him.
"How long?" Last time I battle a dragon of that caliber.

"Soon three days. Only Eclipse here and Twilight is up yet tho. The others are just starting to show the signs of waking." She still looked out the window and giggled a little. Whats so funny about the window? it's only a courtyard there. Then he noticed that he had been moved and was not in fact in the same room as when he awoke in the sickbay. Similar but not exactly the same.
"Great. how did she take it?" Pissed at me i'm sure.

"Pretty good to be fair Especially after that Celestia told her that it would happen anyway in time... And another thing." She giggled again.
"You look happy tonight." And it's starting to creep me out a little. "Something special happened?"

"Maybe. We are not sure but it looks that way. Cely was so shy when she talked to me about it." She was absolutely giddy now and smiled widely. Nero carefully removed the sleeping colt from him and slumped over to the window. It overlooked the royal gardens and in the distance he saw two ponies walking almost hip against hip, one was considerably larger than the other but not the size of Celestia compared to Twilight. He looked around a little more and found nothing more that looked like ponies. The two unicorns walked closer to the light from a lantern and one of them flared a wing. No Fucking Way! And now he could see the faint colors of them in the light.
"I had no idea, I knew that she talked fondly about her but this?" He blurted as Celestia and Twilight seated them self under a tree and shared a quick kiss. And then he noticed the extra beautiful night. "And you are pushing things in the right directions ain't ya." He nudged Luna's neck lightly the movement was still hard to do.

"We do not know what thou is speaking about." She looked at him and had a small blush on her face and quickly faced the window. "Cely has been speaking fondly about her to so we had our suspicions. But it went better than expected for a first date don't you think?" He noticed the change in speech pattern.
"And you are nervous about it? should not she be the one that does that?" He leaned against the window frame, he was tiered again.

"Ever since Twilight Sparkle moved to Ponyville Cely has been lonely to some degree and it only became worse overtime. This week made her decide on what to do... After she talked to me that is." She talked in a fond voice chiming like gentle bells. Luna was more relaxed now when she had seen that her sisters dilemma was over. "That mark on your arm is that?"
"Yes it's prof of what I have become. Funny thing is that I can move it around and even make it fade. The others have yet to see it."
Luna and Nero was looking out from the window and small talked for most of the night, observing the two ponies outside while doing so. When Nero's stomach growled loudly he noticed that he was no longer leaning solely against the wall next to the window.

"I go and order up some food for you. Rest in the meantime." Her voice chimed once again, gave him a smile and she was swinging her hips when she walked out of the room looking as regal and gracious as possible. Is she trying to seduce me? He tried not to stare. It's flattering and mildly disturbing at the same time. When she cleared out of the room he shook his head and some of the sluggishness returned when he slowly walked over to the bed and seated himself beside the young pony. He slowly stroked a streak of mane out of Eclipse face, the young pony snuggled up against him. Sorry that I have been asleep all day and I'm sorry that you had to be dragged into this to. Looking at the small pony sadden him at the same time as he saw himself in the young pony. Losing both of his parents in a young age he could relate to. Still this young being made him feel happy somehow. He scratched Eclipse behind his ear gently and the cloaked pony snuggled up to him even more.

---

Luna was practically skipping down the hall. Cely had finally acted on her feelings and she had helped and it made her feel happy, but something else was building inside her. She could not explain this giddy feeling exactly, but somehow she knew what it was. She was the princess of night, romance and art after all. No that's impossible. My mind must be playing tricks. She tried to shake of the feeling but it did not help.
She reached the kitchens and steeled herself somewhat. The night chefs looked up and quickly bowed their heads when she entered the room. "Food for two and a lot of it." She said and the chefs scoured to work. They usually had most things prepared and the meal was quickly prepared. "We will be dining at the guest quarters." She said and all the food was lifted over to a cart in her usual style set. She and a unicorn walked the relatively long way to their destination and when they reached the quarters Luna told the servant that she would take it from here and instantly got a protest from her. Luna gave her a grim look and told her again this time wielding result. Luna pushed the cart with magical ease to the room and opened it carefully. Once again she felt the giddy feeling in her stomach. Once again they talked and ate, shortly before sun rise and time for Luna to lower the moon Nero fell asleep again. Luna fondly tucked him in into bed. Funny how things work like this.