Dawn Of The Ponies
Are you ready to continue, Applejack?
Very well.
Mayhaps I overstepped the details. Yes you asked for the whole truth.
While the majority of Tirek's army struck the Great Centaur Empire, his secondary forces attacked neighboring lands, especially the Western Forest Elven Kingdom. Tirek wanted the Moochick dead because he was the only one who might be a threat to him magically, as well as simple spite.
No, he had no means of feeding the army the size he'd made, most he knew would die anyway or eat the dead.
His hordes laid siege to elves' forests, burning trees, poisoning rivers and slaughtering animals. The elves fought back, everything in the forest was their ally or weapon, but soon their sacred forest was half destroyed as Tirek knew to poison literally their strength's roots. They were forced to flee their kingdom and find a safe haven. Their army stayed behind at their capital to delay the Reptilians to cover the people's escape.
The siege was held at bay by a massive magic shield, not so different from the one you saw of Shining Armor's. The Moochick himself sustained the shield since the siege began, going days without rest. But Tirek had anticipated magical resistance from the elves. He'd sent the Reptilians with a fleet of centaur dragon slaying weapons charged with dark magic. The wall wouldn't come down with one hit, but the Moochick's lack of sleep and a constant barrage over time would build up. To give him worthy credit, he lasted far longer than most could. He was accompanied by the city garrison led by Moochick Randall's sister, Bonnie.
"Are the people safe yet?" The elf wiped his brow.
"The ships have mostly left, but it's going to take time to get the rest loaded," responded the Guard's Captain looking over his shoulder. Their King had given orders that his own ship would sail last.
"Then you best tell your men to get moving, Bonnie." The Moochick nodded.
"Best idea I've heard all day, Randall. EVERYONE, FALL BACK! WE'RE GETTING-"
Bonnie's order was cut off by thunderous blasts against the magic shield. The Reptilians had fired their giant ballistae at a single point in the shield, enough to create a weak point. The Moochick fell to one knee; the blast was pure dark magic and he felt it.
"RANDALL!" Bonnie cried.
"Rrrrr, I'm...I'm all right, Bonnie." The Moochick groaned, trying to concentrate on keeping the shield up. "Though, an ice pack would be nice."
"Just hold on a little while longer, little brother!"
Ironically, if effort had been taken to understand black magic rather than destroy Pandora's Box, Randall would have been able to sense Tirek's magical signature he made no effort to hide within the invasive magic.
The shield took another hit by the ballistae and the magic began to crack.
"RRRRRrrr! Bonnie, I don't know how much longer I can hold it!" Randall groaned.
"Just focus, Randy, I'll handle the rest," Bonnie chided. "NOCK ARROWS! WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE COMPANY!" Bonnie yelled to her soldiers.
A third blast proved her right. The Reptilians finally punched a hole in the shield; it was not very large, but enough for them to start streaming in, while the rest tried to enlarge the breech.
"I'm...I'm sorry, Bonnie." The Moochick nearly fainted. "I let you down."
"Don't say that, Randall." Bonnie drew her sword. "Just get some rest while I teach these monsters manners!"
The Reptilians mob charged towards the city wall as the magic shield weakened and crumbled. Elf archers thinned the first wave, but when the ladders came, it would turn into a hand-to-hand battle.
Recall the Moochick mentioning his sister's fighting prowess to Scorpan? Well, I assure you that he exaggerated not. Elven warriors move with unbridled grace, speed and power. If the elves had any conquest ambitions, they would have been great rivals to the Centaurs. And Randall's sister was the best of her generation.
The Reptilians barely even saw her move, only noticing their mortal wounds seconds before hitting the ground. Every punch, jab, or swing of a weapon aimed at her only hit empty air.
"You need to watch your step! This ladder looks rickety!" She roared as she kicked a ladder off the wall, sending dozens of Reptilians falling back into the crowd below. Unfortunately for them, their comrades below had their spears waiting.
However, their resolve could not go on forever. They were being worn down.
"There's too many!" One of the other elves yelled as he sent a Reptilian flying off the wall. "We need to retreat! We can't hold the line!"
"Yes, we can!" Bonnie roared, sending three Reptilians splaying on the ground. "The people need to get out! AND BY ZACHRELE THE BLESSED, WE WILL HOLD THE LINE!"
The Moochick groaned as he stood. "Oh, if ever I'd ask for a miracle it would be for this moment."
A hot wind suddenly blew through the battle with the force of a hurricane. A sound like a thunderbolt rumbled across the sky, but when it sounded again, they realized it wasn't thunder. It was a roar.
A shadow fell over the Reptilian army, followed by a blinding flash that engulfed their vanguard in flames. The elves stared up in wonder as a massive dragon swooped over the battle and let loose another blast of fire on the invaders.
"I...I...Hahaha! I don't believe it!" Bonnie laughed in disbelief.
"I do!" The Moochick smiled. "A friend in need is a friend indeed."
"HEATHSPIKE CRUSH BAD LIZARDS! HEATHSPIKE SAVE FRIENDS!" The furious purple drake roared as he took another pass at Tirek's minions.
The Reptilians signaled for their Stratodon reserves to join the fight. Over a hundred of the beasts took to the air and charged Heathspike...which might have been more of a problem if they weren't only a tenth Heathspike's size and did not even have the advantage of breathing fire.
The Stratodons flew at the dragon from his side and began biting at his hide and wings. Heathspike was not amused nor impressed.
"GGGRRRRRR! PUNY FAKE DRAGONS SEE WHAT REAL DRAGON DO!"
Heathspike took off with the Stratodons clinging to his side, only to be swept off by the wind as he went faster and faster. He made a loop and charged the smaller creatures, gaining momentum as he sped up until he broke through their flock with enough force to create a shockwave and shatter the bones of every Stratodon in his path. The few not killed on impact fell from the air, clutching their heads in agony from the sonic boom. But, Heathspike wasn't done with them. Without slowing in the slightest, he let loose a fireball that consumed the fallen monsters in midair and blazed down into the Reptilian ranks with a blast that shook the ground for miles.
They did attempt to use their dragon-slayer weapons...but Heathspike was quite the clever dragon, and the Reptilians were no centaurs. He breathed his green fire on one of the war machines, turning it into green smoke that reformed above another weapon. Yes, Applejack, Spike too will be capable of that when fully grown.
The battle ended within minutes. The elves were easily able to defeat their opponents' remnants while Heathspike's fireballs incinerated the rest of the invading army.
+
"Uh, Princess, how did Heathspike know the elves needed help?"
"Oh, I was actually about to explain."
+
After Queen Tiamat and Bahamut forged the peace between the dragons and the Centaur Empire, they established a large nest in an inert volcano on a far off island. They gathered nearly all of their dragon 'children' with them to guard them and ensure they had time to breed and repopulate since their kind had been pushed to the brink of extinction by the centaurs. Usually, traditional dragons are solitary, and ill-suited to function as a flight. But Tiamat and Bahamut could pacify their aggression with their thrall as Ryujin. At her call, all dragons' yield to their most basic instincts, and Tiamat is the embodiment of those instincts. She would never allow their aggressive nature to overshadow and ruin her whelps' need to live and multiply. So, there the dragons stayed in relative peace, until their numbers were strong enough to live on their own again without threatening the species' existence.
However, they were not so isolated that outside news went unheard.
Bahamut shook the rain from his scales as he entered the massive cave. Bahamut could circumnavigate the planet at speeds even modern airships are incapable of. As such, he is Tiamat's prime source of information.
"Well, that was eventful."
"Did you find any more of our children?" Tiamat's farthest right head inquired.
"No. I thought I'd found a new species, but they weren't dragons at all. They were some magical mutation. They're beasts of burden for a race of lizard men that's declared war on the centaurs."
Amongst the hundreds of dragons going about their business in the nest, having carved out their own niches for their hordes, one suddenly stopped dead. He urgently flew up to his gods and asked, "Centaurs in trouble God Father?"
"It seems so, Young Heathspike. These lizard creatures have killed over half of them and taken their land and treasures. But they've also attacked other creatures as well. Ogres, satyrs, elves."
Heathspike blanched and scrambled towards the cave entrance.
"Where are you going, hatchling?" Tiamat's most-right head asked in the way any mother who saw their child running off would.
"Elves and centaurs friends! Bad lizard men hurt friends!" Heathspike cried. "Me help!"
"That is not your concern." Tiamat's middle-left head scolded. "A dragon does not lift a claw or a wing except for his hoard."
"Heathspike need to help friends! Friends save Heathspike! Me owe friends life debt! Is dragon code!"
"There is no such code."
"Is now!" Heathspike stubbornly replied.
"You do not need to do anything for anyone, child. Your duty is to survive and protect what's yours. The centaurs almost destroyed us. They killed more of your forefathers, brothers and sisters than you can imagine. You do not know how many were kill but just for the sport of it! If they are slaughtered as they so thoroughly slaughtered our kind, I call it karma. If any are crafty and strong enough to survive, so be it, but if their kind is wiped from the world, more room for dragons."
"But bad lizards not stop with centaurs! They hurt others we no fight with! Maybe even come for dragons!"
"Whether they attack any other creatures is no concern of ours. If they come for us, we will deal with them when the time comes. Now, rest, my child, and tend to your treasures."
Heathspike squirmed in distress. He didn't want to disobey his goddess, but he didn't want to let his friends die.
"No! Can't stay! Friends need Heathspike! Me no hide here and leave friends to die! Me go to help!"
Tiamat glared at the drake as he turned and stalked toward the cave's mouth. In her younger years, Tiamat was not a patient goddess, and did not tolerate backtalk, especially from dragons. To her, dragonkind is her hoard, so a dragon defying her would be as unheard of as if one of your apple trees in your orchard sassed you. In fact, it was so unheard of, the entire nest could only stare in shock.
"You will stay." Tiamat growled.
"Me go help friends!" Heathspike roared and spread his wings.
"NO."
From Bahumet and Tiamat comes the one force in the world that all dragons bow to. The Ryujin's call will instantly override even the most stubborn dragon's will. Harsh? Yes, but such measures are needed with dragons.
" YOU WILL THINK NO MORE OF THIS ADHARMA AND YOU WILL RETURN TO YOUR NEST TO GUARD YOUR HOARD."
Heathspike began to turn and obey, but then froze in his tracks. Tiamat frowned and repeated her order.
"GO BACK TO YOUR NEST."
The younger dragon shook in place from the force, but stood still.
"WE HAVE SPOKEN!"
"N-no!"
All five of her heads gasped in shock and anger. She used this call to keep the whole of dragonkind in line, and yet Heathspike resisted.
"YOU WILL OBEY!"
"NO!"
As I said, Tiamat views all dragons as her hoard, as much hatchlings as treasure, she would not suffer disobediece, and she is not an overly lenient parent.
She let loose a blast of fire that would have made sure the defiant drake stayed in his nest for well over a century nursing burns. Heathspike was saved only by the intervention of Bahamut. The Father of Dragons stepped in the fireball's way, which fizzled as it touched his scales. As massive as he was, Heathspike hadn't even seen him move.
"Bahamut! How dare you interrupt?!" Tiamat's center head demanded.
"Sorry, my dear mate, but I think incinerating our cleverest hatchling may be uncalled for."
Bahamut and Tiamat, no matter what the reality, counterbalance one another, as many couples do.
"He may be the cleverest, but he has defied us, and in so doing, defied his draconic nature!"
"Is it not a dragon's nature to challenge obstacles? Is it not dragonic to pursue and protect what we value?"
"Exactly! He seeks to abandon his well-earned hoard and the call of righteous greed!"
"...To help creatures he cares for."
"No dragon would do such a thing!"
"Except us. After all, are our children not our hoard?"
Tiamat had no answer, and in her silence, Heathspike was able to partially break through the thrall.
"FRIENDS IN TROUBLE! BAD LIZARDS TRY TAKE AWAY FRIENDS! NO ONE TAKES FRIENDS! FRIENDS MINE! MINE! NO ONE TAKE WHAT MINE!" Heathspike spat flames as he roared against Tiamat's thrall.
"Hmmm, wanting to protect what is his from interlopers who would take it from him. That sounds like a dragon's instinct to me," Bahamut smirked. "He may not be like the rest of our children, but we have seen his heart and it is draconic, through and through. It is our Dharma. He wants friends, and by your own words, greed will not be denied. How can one who throws away something they desire call themselves greedy?"
Tiamat silently contemplated this. She glared at her mate, but released Heathspike from the thrall. The purple drake flew away as fast as his wings could carry him.
+
"But Princess, if that happened before the attack on the Moochick's people, why'd you wait ‘til now to explain?"
I shrugged. "Twas more meaningful, this way."
+
After the Reptilians were defeated, the Elves finished their evacuation in peace under the guard of Heathspike.
"Friends safe?" the dragon asked.
"Heh, yes, Heathspike. Friends safe." The Moochick smiled and patted his talon.
"Thank you again, Master Heathspike." Bonnie smiled at the dragon. "We're ready to ship out. Come along, Randall."
"Of course, Bonnie."
"Bye friends. Me go help other friends now!" Heathspike declared.
"Wait, what do you mean, help your other friends?" The Moochick asked.
"God Father say bad lizards attack centaurs! Me help!"
"Wait, you're helping the centaurs?" Bonnie asked in bewilderment. "But you're a dragon!"
"Centaurs and Moo-Chick help Heathspike! Me help friends! Is what friends for! And no dragon let's themselves lose something that's theirs!"
Bonnie turned to her brother. "You have a strange way with people baby brother."
"Thank you. Heathspike, wait a moment! You're right, that is what friends are for and I'm coming with you to help!"
His sister was not pleased. "Wait, Randall, you can't go! We have to meet up with the rest of our people before the King and Queen open the bridge!"
"It'll be fine, Bonnie. I'm a Moochick, remember. If worse comes to worse and I don't make it to the meeting place, I can open the bridge myself if need be."
"Sure, you could open the bridge, but what if you get the coordinates wrong?! Who knows where you might end up if you open it yourself?"
"Bonnie, I'll be alright. You need to protect the rest of our people. Your baby brother's all grown up and can take care of himself now, plus I have a big strong dragon to help if I mess up. I promise I'll be along after I take care of this."
"Oh...fine! But take this." She handed him a small heart shaped pendant.
"Your locket?" He opened it and the magic projected an old memory of the pair as children.
"For luck. It's got more protection charms on it than I can even remember, plus...you'll have a little bit of your big sister looking out for you."
"Oh, sis!" The Moochick hugged his sister.
Bonnie grudgingly hugged her brother back. "Be safe, because if you die, I'll kill you!"
"Acceptable terms. Come along, Heathspike, we best hurry!" The elf broke into a run, but was suddenly scooped up and plunked onto the dragon's head.
"This faster. Hold on, friend!" Heathspike took off into the sky, with the Moochick holding onto his scales for dear life.
The trip was only a few hours as the dragon flies. "We'll be there within minutes! Be ready, Heathspike. Orionopolis is much bigger than my people's capital city. There will probably be many more Reptilians there."
"HA! Me no scared. Me have smart friend! Me REAL dragon! We crush bad lizards! We...Uh, Moo-chick? Where city?"
"What? Well, it's right down...there?"
To the elf's astonishment, the city where he had spent the better part of a decade was nowhere in sight. The land beneath them was a barren, grey desert. They were too late. The wind howled through the empty valley, but no birds or insects or any other sound of life could be heard.
"It...it was here! I'd bet my beard it was here! How could the Reptilians have done this?!"
Heathspike sniffed the air and suddenly looked very nervous.
"Smell blood. Smell fire. Smell...bad things. Bad m-magic. E-e-everything bad here. Not like! Want go!"
"Could a dragon have done this?" The Moochick speculated. "Maybe the Reptilians had one on their side?"
"No. No dragons do this. Not smell like dragon fire. Me not like this! Go now!"
The Moochick gulped. "But, what else could have caused this?"
A crack of thunder sounded and the clouds above grew dark. Thunder rumbled and the clouds filled with an unholy red light. Before they could react, a fireball shot from the sky and exploded into the ground far below them. The dirt began to glow red hot and flames spread across the wasteland. The sky rumbled and more red lights appeared in the clouds.
"Heathspike, you were right! We need to leave!"
"Good idea!"
Heathspike turned and flew as fast as his wings could carry him. They were just in time. The clouds rained fireballs hot as any dragon's down on the land. They flew away with heavy hearts as the rain of fire continued until the entire desert was aflame. A vile curse to burn all trace of the Great Centaur Empire to dust in the wind.
The Moochick was silent for much of the trip, and Heathspike had no idea what to say. The flight was long and unbearably silent, lasting well after my night had fallen. By the time they reached the coast, it was not long until dawn. The dragon finally landed near some cliffs overlooking the ocean.
The Moochick clambered off Heathspike back as the dragon flopped on the ground with an exhausted sigh. "Ugh. Heathspike tired. We go on when sun come up."
"You just rest, my friend. You've more than earned it." The elf patted his friend's snout and walked off towards the cliff.
Moochick Randall silently stared out over the water while Heathspike slept. It took much longer for the elf to follow his friend into dreamland. The day's events weighed heavily on him. He had witnessed the aftermath of the centaur genocide, and the attempted annihilation of his own people was prevented only by Heathspike's intervention. Even though they survived, his people were going into hiding and his home lay abandoned, likely to be destroyed by the next wave of Reptilians. He could only imagine what could be next. And the worst was, knew was a power was loose on the world, but not who.
"Things will never be the same. Is this the change I felt coming? Is this how it ends? Oh, my, my, my...Heavenly Zachrele, hear your servant's prayer. Help us in this hour of need. Send us some sign that there is hope."
There was no great rumble of thunder or light from on high in answer to his prayers. He hadn't truly expected any, but he took small comfort in the cool sea breeze before sitting beside Heathspike and drifting off to sleep.
Moochick Randall! Master Kenbroath Gilspotten Heathspike!
The unlikely duo awoke with a start just before the sun was set to rise.
"Wha-what just...?" The Moochick gasped.
The dragon looked around in alarm. "Moo-Chick...did you hear? Sound like..."
"...Someone was calling our names?" The Moochick gulped.
"What going on? Who call us?" Heathspike looked around in a defensive stance, baring his claws and teeth. "WHO THERE?! COME OUT! FIGHT!"
"Normally, I would welcome a battle, spawn of Tiamat, but now is not the time."
The two friends rounded on the voice and found themselves face to face with a rabbit and a wolf. To their amazement, the animals spoke to them.
"It has been a long time since we met you two in these forms." The rabbit began.
The Moochick's eyes widen in recognition. "It...it can't be."
"It is, Randall. I was the rabbit that you rescued that day."
"And I was the wolf you placated to do so." The wolf turned to Heathspike. "Do you remember, dragon?"
"When...when me was wyrmling, me went into woods. Me hunt. Caught boar. Then, found hurt rabbit. Me would eat, but...felt bad for rabbit. Took it back to nest, kept brothers and sisters from eating it, helped it get strong. Then, let go. Wolf found it. Me scare wolf away. But...me see wolf had pups. Pups hungry. So...me give boar me caught to wolf. Pups eat."
"You understand that the world needs strife as well as harmony." The wolf smiled. "You two were always interesting."
"You found compassion in your hearts for the weak and the strong. You see the need for balance." The rabbit nodded. "It's why you were chosen."
"Chosen? Oh-oh, my. Wh-chosen for what?" The Moochick asked.
"To be here this night, and witness the dawn of the new age," they said in unison.
Before their eyes, the rabbit and the wolf changed. When Concepts manifest before mortals in our spiritual shapes, we are perceived differently based on the mortal. The Moochick saw two elves; one a fair maiden clothed in music itself, and the other was as tall and hardened a warrior as his sister had ever been. Heathspike saw dragons; one sleek and shining with bright crystal, and the other strongly built with hardened scales and chipped horns. They each held a glowing seed, imbued with all the power of Nature's Law and Nature's Fury.
The stunned pair watched as my sister and sister-in-law went to the cliff's edge. They planted the seeds in the ground and vanished from sight. The ground began to shake so violently that it created new waves down where the cliff met the sea. Even Heathspike was bounced as he grabbed the Moochick in fear.
Where the seeds had been planted, a bright crystal sprouted from the earth, and began to grow. As it became larger, it looked less and less like a piece of stone and more like a young tree. The Moochick and Heathspike felt immense power radiating from it, pulsing like a heart. More than that, they felt the tree looking at them, into them.
The earth began to rupture as the tree took root, making the pulse of life and magic even stronger. The tree was now fully connected to the Earth, holding it in an embrace like a mother and her newborn. It grew faster and stronger, branching out to the heavens.
The elf and dragon backed away to give the tree room, but could not turn away from the display. They felt so small before the tree, even though Heathspike easily dwarfed it. On its trunk were emblazoned symbols of a mushroom, a flame, and at its heart was a great ying-yang sun. Among the tree's branches, six mighty limbs stood out, each sprouting a bright gemstone, each glowing with one bright light and one darker light. This tree was the powers of the universe's vessel; a tree of change, a tree of life, the Tree of Harmony.
Each branch began to glow, and in the silence, the Moochick and Heathspike could almost make out voices.
= 'Burn-Armor's Power TV version' - Ronin Warriors =
Honesty...Fantasy...Kindness...Empathy...Laughter...Courage...Generosity...Desire...Loyalty...Free Will...Trust...Hope...MAGIC
High above the sky seemed to split down the middle. One with gray clouds and rain, fierce, but life giving. The other half clear and open, letting the celestial lights above shine down.
The light flowed down the tree's side. The Moochick and Heathspike watched as two flower buds sprouted from one of the tree's roots. They grew until they were taller than the Moochick. The elf shared a confused glance with the dragon. Heathspike hesitantly gave one of the strange plants a light tap with the very tip of his little claw, before jumping back away for fear he'd hurt it. As if in answer, the buds opened and bloomed.
They shielded their eyes from the radiant light that came from the flowers as they opened. As the light faded, they saw two massive gem-like boxes. These were the Tree of Harmony's Fruits, one of Knowledge and one of Life.
The unlikely witnesses thought they might have a moment to breathe and process what they had seen, but then the boxes opened. Out of the first box came a rainbow unlike any the world had ever seen. The colors were brighter, richer and more alive than any before or since. Out of the second box came another rainbow, but this one made of thousands of shades of darkness from the far reaches of space and time all the way back to the beginning. All that is, was, and ever shall be sacred in the night lived in the dark rainbow.
The Rainbows rose into the air, circling one another, contrast but untied. The stunned dragon and elf watched as they ascended high above them. Higher and higher into the atmosphere until they burst!
With a flash of light bright enough to make my night seem like midday, the Rainbows enveloped the sky, blowing away the clouds and leaving the sky clear. The deep blue of the pre-dawn became alive with every color imaginable. An aurora mixing reds, yellows, greens, blues, pinks, purples and thousands of other colors danced across the sky. Along with the light, there were patches of darkness filled with stars never seen on this world. The Moochick and Heathspike gazed up at comets, nebulas, galaxies spanning across the vastness of creation, and they were not alone.
The Rainbows spread across the sky until they blanketed the planet with their glory. Creatures all over the world paused and looked up in awe as the day and night sky turned to a sea of colors. It lasted less than a few minutes, but it was more enough. The seeds had been planted. Every living thing was immersed by Rainbows and a new age had begun.
When the Rainbows work was done, the sky returned above the Moochick and Heathspike returned to its predawn state. The Rainbows descended from the sky and slowly circled above their heads in an endless helix pattern. And still, this was not the end.
The Tree shifted in the ground, and slowly began to shrink. Before their eyes, the crystalline appearance of the tree gave way to flesh. Amethyst, topaz and diamond were replaced by muscle, skin and fur. Yet, the base of the trunk began to glow with a brilliance usually seen only in my sister's sun. The Moochick and Heathspike backed away, blinded by its radiance; but they could hear the air split like a thunderclap and the ground shake beneath their feet as roots ripped from the ground.
The light faded, and when they finally were able to look, they stood dumbstruck in confusion. A doe lay on the ground amidst the disturbed soil where the Tree of Harmony had stood, curled up as if she were only just born; for she was, in fact. Her head was crowned by antlers made of crystal and shaped like the tree's branches in her former glory; but it lasted an instant before they faded away to reveal two tiny nubs atop her head. She opened her eyes and looked at her two witnesses, who saw nature itself in her eyes. She smiled serenely at them and gingerly climbed to her hooves.
"So...this is life. I like it very much," she said to nopony in particular as she examined her body. She turned her attention to the elf and dragon and gave a slight bow. "I thank you both for attending my birthday."
"Oh...um, well, yes...I uh...you-you're quite welcome," the Moochick stumbled in awe.
"What he say." Heathspike was too astounded to say anything more.
The doe took a few steps forward, causing flowers to sprout wherever her hoof touched the earth.
"If it isn't too forward to ask, who exactly are you?" The Moochick nervously ventured.
The doe cocked her head, as if she had just become aware of that herself (which in fact she had). This was not like when a Concept was born in mortal form, Applejack. This was indeed the moment of her birth. "I am the doorway through which enlightenment has entered. I am a mother come to guide her children. And, I am a steward, here to preside over my aunt's domain until she arrives to take her rightful place as mother to life on this world."
"So...you are Mother Nature?" Heathspike asked, before gasping. "You are a goddess! Like Goddess Mother Tiamat and God Father Bahamut!"
"Indeed, my good dragon," she replied. "However, before I begin, I must attend to one more duty."
She looked up at the Rainbows circling them overhead.
"As I was delivered unto this world, so were these miracles. They were forged by Nature's Law and Nature's Fury, pieced together from elements of harmony and chaos, and imbued with the essence of life itself. All for this purpose: progress and enlightenment.
"Life, in all its form and splendor, has grown and advanced so much since this world began. And it has been made clear that you are ready for the next step. It is time to expand the abilities of the creatures that walk this Earth. It is time to step into the new tomorrow, and see what can be made of it. The Rainbows have met your world, shared their essence, and now it is up to the world what to do with their gifts.
"Yet, much of their strength has been spent, if you could understand what they've done you would wonder how they have any strength left. They must be cared for now, so their power may replenish. They have much work ahead. And so, they must be watched over by proper guardians."
The doe looked between her dumbfounded audience of two. "Moochick Randall of the Western Forest Elf Kingdom and Heathspike of the Gillspotten brood, you have been chosen to be guardians of the Rainbows."
The Moochick and Heathspike blanched at this.
"But...but...Goddess deer, uh, what was it we're being asked to do?" Heathspike gulped.
"You are asked to protect these Rainbows. The wisdom and power they hold can save this world if it is taught wisely. The old days are ending, and night has fallen. This night is long and perilous, more so than any before it. An evil unlike anything this world has seen moves through the dark, a darkness that was never supposed to exist, and it will take careful thought and stout heart to make it to morning. You two have been chosen to teach the world what it needs to overcome this darkness, and climb to the new dawn's light."
"But, but, but Your...um...Majesty-ship, how can we teach the whole world? Elves may live longer than some, and dragons even longer than that, but how will we teach...the whole world?" The Moochick asked timidly. "Such an endeavor could take..."
"As long as you wish it to take." The doe smiled. "The Rainbows are life. As their guardians, they will gift you with life. As long as you watch over them, death shall not come for you. Age and sickness shall have little to no effect on you. They shall guard you as you guard them."
Yes, Applejack, the Moochick had been offered a piece of creation itself, a power that had never before existed on Earth...and questioned whether or not he was worthy. Thus is the kind of man Randell was.
"Oh my! We-we-well-well, Your Honor-I-I mean Your Grace-Duh, I mean...Surely, there must be others more worthy of being asked to..."
"There are none better than you two. You see the need for Nature's Law and Fury. You are kind, but not soft. You have the wisdom to see value and potential in the new and old. And you are both cleverer by half than most of your own peoples. You have knowledge and wisdom that cannot be taught. You've lived by it, regardless of your differences in race and culture. The Rainbows themselves chose each of you, because the concepts that they were made from reside within you more than any other. They know you. Out of every living thing in the world, they chose you because they have always dwelled within you. I think you ought to have faith in them, as they have shown it in you."
The Moochick and Heathspike stared at each other, unable to answer this.
"If you wish not to follow this duty, however, I will not stop you. Even in this, we ask for a decision of your own free will. But, understand this before you make your choice. The next stage of life has begun and eventually it is hoped that life will progress and take the next steps to become beings who will shape the course of history, not only in this world, but everywhere. If no other creatures take this next step, if the children are not properly taught to crawl and walk, then the course of this world's history will be determined by whoever is currently in the best position to do so, by right of strength or mind. And right now, with the centaur race dead their subject peoples and allies scattered, and the dragons recovering in hiding, the most likely candidate to decide what this world will become...is the dark power that has risen. Slayer of the centaur race. The self-proclaimed Lord Tirek."
"Tirek?! Tirek is behind all that death and destruction?!" The Moochick screamed. He had dreaded the possibilities of Tirek absorbing the dark magic, but Tirek murdering his own people went was beyond Randall's worst nightmares. He fell to his knees in shock. All he taught Tirek, for naught. The candy seller a block away from the palace, the men Randall fought alongside, his friends, Chiron, his wives, gone? "You must be mistaken, the centaurs can't be all..."
"I'm sorry, they are extinct, Tirek is a thing no longer a centaur, he slew them all, everywhere. And he does the same to any stone placed on top of another his people built."
Tears fell from Randall's eyes.
"Centaur would be the centaur prince make those lizard men kill his own kind?" Heathspike was confused. "Why?"
"He has gone down a path of pride and greed that leads to madness and violence. And, I am afraid it matters not what his intentions are. All it takes for someone like him to triumph is for no one to stand in his way. But, as strong as he is, he is not all powerful."
"I'll eat him," Heathspike said darkly.
"He has made himself unkillable, and the power of the Rainbows is to meant to create, not destroy. It is not the way to overcome him. It may take years, even centuries, but, if guided right, even the birds of the air or the ponies of the field could move mountains. What you can teach is a power Tirek knows not. I ask you both, will you be the Rainbows' guardians?"
It surely was a heavy burden. They say that teachers shape the future, but rarely has that been so literal. A scatterbrained elf and an old dragon who could barely speak were hardly the stuff of legend, even in those days.
"To show the world the light..." The Moochick's voice trembled as he spoke. "Is a great honor. And...if I can protect that light...I will."
The doe smiled and turned to Heathspike, who was shaking like a leaf.
"I...I am not as strong as many of my brothers and sisters, and I am not as smart as my friend. Even Goddess Mother thinks...thinks I do not act like a good dragon. But...when I decide to protect what is mine, I will never EVER stop! If you still think I can do it...I will do it."
"Then it is done. Moochick Randall, I hereby decree that you are the guardian of the Fruit of Knowledge, the Rainbow of Light."
The first Rainbow flew down towards its new keeper and circled over his head.
"Heathspike of the Gilspotten brood, I hereby decree that you are the guardian of the Fruit of Life, the Rainbow of Darkness."
The dark rainbow glided to the dragon and circled his horns.
"You shall care for these miracles until you shuffle off this mortal coil or find one who is worthy to succeed you. Now, they must be hidden for a time, so that they may rest until needed. Do you have something to carry them? They can dwell even in something as small as a head of a pin."
"I believe I have just the thing." The Moochick smiled fondly.
He took out his sister's locket and opened it. The Rainbow of Light swooped down and into the small locket. The Moochick clicked the tiny ornament it shut, not expecting it to suddenly feel heavier.
"I have no nice thing fit to hold a miracle." Heathspike hung his head in embarrassment before lifting his arm, showing the sack he had tied around his wrist. "All I have is the sack I've carried my hoard."
The Rainbow of Darkness entered the sack before the dragon even finished speaking.
"They like their new homes." The doe smiled. "Now, you both had better be on your way. You have much to do."
"Um...if I may ask...what will become of you? Are you coming with us?" Heathspike asked.
The doe shook her head. "As much as I would enjoy the company of two fine fellows, I cannot. As you two have your missions, so have I. My children need me, and I must go to them."
"Will we ever see you again?" The Moochick asked.
"Perhaps. Until then, I will mark this meeting."
The doe trotted to a nearby tree and picked up a fallen acorn. She took the tiny nut and dropped it into the hole where she stood as the Tree of Harmony. "Let the tree that grows here mark the miracles that happened here."
She moved her hoof to cover it with dirt when the Moochick stopped her. "Wait! Er, I mean...please, wait, Your Honor...if...if you don't mind."
The elf took up an acorn of his own and set it in the dirt alongside the doe's. "A promise of new life shouldn't need to rest on just one. Hope springs eternal, with a little help from a friend."
"Not just one friend." Heathspike held up an acorn, almost comically held between his massive claws, and dropped it in as well. "It is everyone's job. It is...everyone's promise. No matter who or what they are. All together."
The doe smiled. They all covered the seeds, and backed away. The magic of the Tree of Harmony, the elements of the Rainbows of Darkness and Light, and the touch of Nature itself imbued the seeds and they sprouted into a massive tree. It was not made of crystal or blooming with bright gems, but it was filled with life. A new life as a promise for the future of all life.
"Farewell, Guardians of the Rainbows. And remember, when hope seems past recall, a piece of rainbow always can be found." The doe galloped off into the forest and out of sight.
"Well, my friend. I suppose we better be off, too," the Moochick said, clutching the locket tight.
"Do you think we can do this?" Heathspike asked. "I am not smart like you, friend. I cannot even speak right. How will I teach others?"
"My friend, you are much wiser than you know. Besides, haven't you noticed that your speech has improved since the Rainbows arrived?"
"What do you mean, Moochick? I have not been speaking any differ..." Heathspike's eyes widened.
"I think you may be up for the task."
The dragon flew away with his elf friend just as the sun peaked over the horizon. An early morning breeze shook the new leaves on the covenant tree's branches. A new day had dawned.
+
Deep in a forest not too far from the Rainbows' birthplace, a small herd of Earth Ponies began to awake after a night of very unusual sleep. The entire herd had strange dreams that they could not comprehend. Usually their dreams consisted of running, or frolicking, but this was much different. Their minds were suddenly bombarded with new feelings. They were scared, but could not understand why. Their instinct was to run, but they had no idea what direction.
The herd alpha was a mare whose name one day would be "Blossom." She felt a sense of unease, as if the dreams were some instinct to warn of danger. Her beta, a younger filly whose name would be Minty, after for her preference in food, was especially scared. Blossom did her best to comfort her, but it did little good.
Before today, it was scents and actions that defined each other, it was 'this pony who smelled this way that was eaten'. Oh stallions were there, but had little to say and barely thought of when not killing each other for mares.
One of the herd's older mares had gone off alone. She her name would one day be Blue Belle, and had previously been the alpha before Blossom took her place. The new thoughts felt like they were crashing inside her head. She could not be around the other ponies until her mind settled. Feelings and thought that clashed with the instincts that had protected her kind for so long.
She lay in the shadow of an oak tree, enjoying the grass' scent. She was so focused on the smell and the silence that she almost missed the sound of something moving through the brush. She got to her hooves and looked around in alarm. She listened closely for sounds of movement. She suddenly heard a rush of noise; grass swished, twigs snapped, and leaves crunched in a manner too clumsy for a predator out hunting.
Blue Belle jumped in shock as two young Earth Ponies burst through the brush and tripped into the dirt. They were tangled in vines as they violently thrashed to get up. The older mare watched stupefied as the fillies wrestled in blind panic and only got themselves even more entangled.
Blue Belle snorted in annoyance and cantered up to the frightened ponies. She brought a hoof down on the vines, momentarily stopping the struggle. She gave a loud neigh in their faces to get their attention and stop their panicking. They stared up at her with fear as she glared at them.
She slowly leaned down and began chewing through the vines that bound the two. They stopped struggling seeing what she was doing. It took nearly half an hour, but she finally did it. The young ponies slowly stood up, letting Blue Belle get a good look at them. Their coats and manes looked different from the ponies in the herd. The younger one even had a ribbon tied in her tail. They were also covered in leaves, twigs, stickers and mud.
It hit Blue Belle like a thunderclap, WHY had she just saved the two fillies? They weren't part of her herd, and she'd left herself open to predators by helping them! Why?!...Because they needed her help, and there was no one else to give it.
It would be quite some time before these two fillies could share their story, vague like early foalhood memories. For the communication ponies had was ill suited for story telling, let alone abstract ideas. Sounds most modern ponies only make when frightened or without intending, pheromones, and other such animalistic forms.
+
"Can yah try tah show meh how that is like?” Applejack asked.
I chuckle. I 'tell' her 'Like this' in the 'language' of those primitive ponies. One only myself and our family still know how to speak. She looks at me like I'm the strangest sight she's ever seen.
"As I said, Applejack, it was not quite yet a language. Now, back to the story.”
+
The older filly's name was Butterscotch, and her friend's was Cotton Candy. Even if they'd been able to communicate such things, it would have been alien as wild ponies had no idea of what cotton candy or butterscotch was. It was in fact these domesticated ponies who BROUGHT the idea of names to the herd.
A long time later, Cotton Candy would tell her that their masters gave them names. This would've confused Blue Belle even more. Ponies didn't have masters. Ponies ran free with the herd.
Cotton Candy would explain. They belonged to a family of centaurs. Father, Mother, Older Son, Younger Son, and Daughter. The children would ride them until they were old enough to ride bigger ponies. They lived with their masters for years on their farm.
Then the lizards came. While it wasn't possible to describe them, description had yet to exist. But one thing they could describe was something all beings instinctively know to fear: the lizards smelled of death. They came and started hurting the masters. Father put Younger Son and Daughter on the ponies' back and made them run. Lizards chased them. Younger Son fell off of Butterscotch, but she didn't stop running. The lizards stopped chasing them after Younger Son fell, but they kept running. They ran and ran until they couldn't run anymore.
Cotton Candy caught her breath, and Daughter was crying. Butterscotch tried to nuzzle Daughter, but she still didn't feel good. Cotton Candy and Butterscotch slept next to Daughter that night. Daughter sang as she fell asleep. They didn't understand most of the words, but they remembered the melody, and your species still does. The only words they grasped were 'My Little Pony.'...She didn't wake up the next day.
They got lost in the forest and got tangled up. They had never been in the wild before and found everything they could do wrong. They were the most pitiful sight anypony had ever seen.
Instinct told Blue Belle that such ponies were not fit to live in the wild. They needed to learn things most ponies were taught when they started walking. They'd need too much help to survive and would attract predators. They would be a danger to the herd and should be left to die.
She had foaled her share of fillies and colts however, and seeing two young ponies like this made her maternal instinct kick in full force. She nuzzled the two ponies, who gratefully returned the gesture. She turned to walk back towards the herd and motioned for them to follow.
Blue Belle returned to the herd with the domesticated fillies in tow. The other ponies were angry at the newcomers and Blossom was most upset. As alpha, she needed to ensure the herd was strong and safe. Bringing these two new ponies might endanger them.
Blue Belle whinnied in their defense. The herd was all anypony had, and these two needed it more than any other.
Minty, who was still riding out the after effects of the strange new thoughts was afraid. The ponies were different, even more so than other ponies they'd seen before. They smelled like centaurs and other weird things.
She'd who have the name Snuzzle, Blossom's sister, trotted forward. She stared at the two new comers and Blue Belle. She snorted and stood next to them. There was a time Blossom and Snuzzle were liabilities. They were injured when they reached near adulthood, and should have been left to die. Their mother protected them, and they survived. It cost their mother her life. Before she gave it no thought, but now...
Blossom looked at the newcomers and at the rest of the herd.
Minty shook at her side.
Then, Butterscotch moved. She trotted up to Minty and cuddled her. The beta mare froze at the touch of unfamiliar pony, but slowly relaxed. Butterscotch and Minty held each other's sight, and the bond was sealed between them.
That was all the convincing Blossom needed. Butterscotch and Cotton Candy were of the herd.
Later that day, the herd went to their normal watering spot. The lake was cool and clear as crystal; they had defended it from rival herds and predators for many moons.
However, when they converged on the lake, a loud whinny broke the morning air. Two pegasi and a white unicorn stood by the lake, stamping their hooves and neighing angrily at each other. They had each found the lake and claimed it for their own, despite the scent of the herd.
Blossom neighed and caught the attention of the intruding ponies.
These were not just any pegasi. They were the same pegasi who pulled Bellerophon's chariot: Medley and Firefly. They were hardened war horses and could likely kill any pony of the herd. The unicorn was no small matter either. A wild unicorn was just as dangerous. Even without much capacity for its uses, magic can be a dangerous thing when used forcefully. Imagine if your dog got angry and suddenly had the means to kill with its mind.
The three sets of ponies stood off furiously at each other, ready to fight to the death.
Then, to everypony's surprise, Cotton Candy cantered out into the standoff's center. She looked up at the two pegasi. She looked at the unicorn. Finally, she looked at her herd. She felt something inside that she did not understand. They were about to fight, like ponies had always done when faced by an enemy. Yet, she felt this was wrong.
She trotted up to the lake and looked down into the water. The lake had always been there; it was very big and would not go dry even if the herd drank all day for moons. Cotton Candy could not understand why they needed to fight for the lake when there was enough for them all.
Then, she noticed something else about the water. She saw a pony looking back at her. When she moved, so did the pony in the water. She'd never seen a mirror at the farm, and the experience of seeing her own reflection for the first time made her very giddy.
The unicorn, pegasi and the rest of her new herd just looked at her like she was crazy. Why was she so interested in the water?
Then, to the shock of all, Cotton Candy turned to the pegasi and whinnied at the lake. Firefly was curious. What had the Earth pony seen? She bent down to look and saw her reflection. She had seen it before, so she did not understand the attraction for the filly.
Curiosity got the better of Medley, and she too looked into the water. Then, the unicorn became interested and joined them. Slowly, the entire herd looked down into the lake, the earlier hostility forgotten. They all looked at their mirror images in the water for a long time, but did not see what held Cotton Candy's interest.
Then, Cotton Candy wagged her tongue and crossed her eyes at her reflection. She gave a wicker of amusement at the silly pony in the water. The other ponies watched in confusion. Though, they did find it a little funny as the young filly made faces. Then, Butterscotch joined in. And, surprisingly enough, Firefly raised her hoof to her snout and scrunched up her face. The whole herd whinnied in hilarity.
They stood there making faces in the water for hours, forgetting their hostility. Nay did it crossing their minds that yesterday did they even grasped what humor even was! And, as the sun climbed to midday, Blossom noticed something. She was standing next to Medley the Pegasus, and saw their reflections. She wondered why the silly ponies in the water suddenly looked so alike. Blossom was an earth pony, the Pegasus was not. That meant they were different, and therefore enemies. A lifetime of struggle told her so. Yet, when she looked into the water, the other pony did not seem so different. Even the unicorn with its huge horn seemed more like her than before.
Blossom bumped Minty and motioned towards the other ponies. Minty looked and saw it too. Those two had wings. That one had a horn. The rest of the herd had neither, but had bigger muscles than them. Those two were not even native to the herd. However, they had ears, noses, eyes, coats, manes, hooves, and tails. They weren't some alien thing, they were just...ponies.
They were the same. They were all ponies. Why had she been so sure they were so different?
She watched as Medley patted Butterscotch's head with her wing, and Cotton Candy playfully splashed the unicorn, who returned the gesture. The little ponies seemed to have made more friends.
Things had changed in the herd, and none of the ponies had any idea just how much they had changed.
+
Years passed and the world moved on.
Having been charged with guardianship of the Rainbow of Light, the Moochick did not open the Rainbow Bridge and go into hiding with his family. He made his home deep in a forest far from the Elf Kingdom and the former Empire's lands. He settled amongst the giant magic mushrooms that warded off evil magic. With the mushrooms' magic and his own array of warding spells, Tirek would never find his new home. He christened it the Mushromp, after a mythic place where elves were supposedly first gifted with magic. He journeyed forth from this safe haven, looking for anyone who would listen to his teachings.
Randall adopted a rabbit he'd name Habbit, who, unwittingly granted long life like the Moochick, over aeons of second-hoof exposure to the Light Rainbow would gain sapience, a trait that appear time and again in his line to this day.
Heathspike returned to the Tiamat's nest and began granting the dragons the gifts he had been given from the Rainbow of Darkness. It was a slow process, since most dragons had no interest in anything beyond eating and sleeping on their hoards. Tiamat and Bahamut did not interfere with his attempts at teaching, since they wanted dragonkind to be all it could be. I won't say Tiamat was not envious of her son's boon, but Tiamat was a Goddess, and the Rainbows came to enlighten the world, not the Gods who were already enlightened.
Despite their mission and the distance between them, the guardians remained close friends, often visiting each other.
One of their most memorable visits came on a spring day many years after the Rainbows' birth.
The Moochick sat in his favorite chair, enjoying tea when he heard a thundering thud outside that shook his house. He knew the sound well; it was the sound of his favorite dragon stopping by to visit. He opened the door and smiled up at the dragon.
"Hello, Heathspike! Just give me a moment to gather my tea set and I'll join you out here!"
"That won't be necessary old friend!" Heathspike grinned.
Heathspike was engulfed by a puff of smoke, and when he emerged, the dragon stood less than an inch taller than the Moochick.
"Oh my stars! Oh my, oh me, oh me, oh my!" The Moochick laughed in disbelief.
"I've been working on a few tricks. I thought this one might be useful for our visits." Heathspike smiled as he came inside the Moochick's house.
"May I offer you some tea?"
"Sure." The dragon accepted the cup.
"Cream or sugar?"
"No thank you, but if you have any sulfur, that might be nice."
"Way ahead of you, my friend." The elf passed a dish filled with sulfur powder across the table.
"Ah, I knew I liked you for a reason!" the dragon smiled as he mixed the brimstone in his tea.
"By the way, are you alright? You look like you've had some trouble." He pointed to a scar and a few chipped scales on Heathspike's shoulder.
"Oh, relax. Usual rough housing, nothing I can't handle."
"How are you fairing getting your message across?"
"Slowly, but it's sinking in. There's a wyrmling who's been very interested in what I've said. He's learning fast. In fact, I've caught him trying to speak like me once or twice."
"Well! That is quite an achievement!" The Moochick smiled.
"I have high hopes for him." Heathspike nodded. "And how are you doing?"
"I'm not doing well, my friend." The Moochick set his cup aside. "I've tried. I've tried so hard to impart the wisdom I've been given. Not many have been quite as...well, receptive as I'd hoped. And, then there's...him."
"Tirek."
"He's still looking for me. I've been attacked by more than a few scoundrels trying to catch me for a boon and been run out of even towns because they don't want to be involved and bring him into their lives. I haven't been able to leave the Mushromp in months."
"Ugh. If my brothers and sisters were ready and get God Mother and God Father to agree, I'd lead them all and burn those puny copies and their puffed up tyrant to ashes." The dragon growled.
The Moochick still looked sad. "I'm just not sure what good I can do right now."
"Hey, chin up. You were chosen because you are worthy, same as I was. You are the smartest creature I've ever known and you have a heart bigger than my hoard. So, don't think I'm going to let you mope and raise ponies when you..."
"Wait, raise ponies? What on earth do you mean? I don't have any ponies."
"Yes you do, I saw three near your garden when I flew in."
"What?" The Moochick went to the window and saw that the gate to his garden was open.
The elf rushed out the door open and into his garden, followed by his dragon friend. He was surprised to see that he was missing a good deal of carrots, parsnips, tomatoes and lettuce had been picked. His tree was also missing quite a few apples. But none laying bitten into on the ground or signs of such.
There were hoof prints all around the garden. He frowned in confusion; had someone rode in and taken his vegetables? Then, he found a very strange clue. In the corner stood ten baskets filled with flowers and mushrooms.
On one of the baskets was a card. The Moochick flipped it open and found a crudely drawn picture of a pony taking the vegetables and giving a stick figure elf flowers, both looking very happy.
The guardians exchanged a confused look.
"Heathspike, do you think you can track the scent?"
"Is God Mother's left head near sighted?"
The dragon took a few sniffs of the ground and found the scent of ponies.
"I got it! Let me just go back to my regular size and we'll go."
"Wait! I think it would be best if you stayed this way for now. It might attract their attention if you were full-sized."
"Oh...good point. See? Told you that you were smart one."
They trudged through the forest for just about an hour, tracking the scent and hoof prints.
"Who takes food and leaves flowers and a picture of ponies?" The Moochick wondered aloud.
"Um...apologetic thieves?" Heathspike shrugged. The dragon suddenly grabbed his friend and ducked behind a tree. "Wait! I smell ponies."
"All right, all right, just...be ready for anything."
"Right, I'm ready for anything!"
They slowly peered out from behind the tree into a wide open field. They were not sure what to expect, but it certainly was not what they were seeing. There were ponies everywhere. Even more surprising, they were not all just one type of pony. There were Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns all intermingling. Several were running, grazing or just frolicking, but the rest were acting very differently.
A few Earth Ponies were dragging sticks along the ground, each followed by another pony holding a sack and dropping something into the ground. It looked almost as if they were trying to farm. A Pegasus flew into the clouds, which began to turn gray and let out a little rain onto the apparent crops. Not a downpour or a drizzle, but an actual measured amount. A group of Earth Ponies bucked a few pear trees nearby and shook loose the fruit. A unicorn went among them and magically collected the fruit in baskets.
The three ponies that had been to the Moochick's garden, they each carried baskets of food over to where the younger foals played. They gave a very pregnant mare a whole basket of tomatoes, and passed out the rest among the young ponies.
The real shock came when they saw the houses. Actually saying they were 'houses' may be exaggerating. They were more rickety shacks, but were still big enough to house at least a dozen ponies. An amazing achievement for creatures who had just begun to evolve and had no access to advanced tools. Or thumbs. I meant no disrespect Applejack, just understand from their view this was all utterly shocking.
"But...they're ponies." Heathspike whispered in amazement. He sniffed the air. "There's no humans, elves, dwarfs or anything...just ponies.”
"It seems the Rainbows changed that. I wonder-OOF!"
The Moochick tripped over a root and fell from behind the tree. Heathspike reacted without thinking and went to help him up. When they stood up, they realized the ponies could see them now.
The ponies froze in fear at the sight of the elf and the dragon. The three who had taken the vegetables were shaking. They had brought the wrath of this creature down on them, and now they'd brought a dragon to them as well. The Moochick stood up, making the ponies flinch.
"No, no, no. Don't be frightened. We won't hurt you. You're safe. We're friends."
The ponies just stared.
The pregnant mare nickered, catching the attention of everycreature in the glade. She made to stand, but she couldn't quite make the effort under the weight of her unborn foal.
The Moochick decided to test the waters and took a step forward. The ponies flinched again, and a few of the larger ones stood between the elf and the mare. He slowly raised his hands, trying his best to seem nonthreatening. The mare whinnied and the other ponies reluctantly stood back.
Heathspike watched intently as his friend slowly marched up to the mare. As a dragon, he recognized the sway the mare had. If the ponies thought the Moochick was a danger to their alpha, they would kill him. He waited, but was ready to leap in and save his friend if needed, and take care of the ponies who tried to hurt his friend, if necessary.
The Moochick knelt in the grass near the alpha mare. The foals ran to their parents or hid behind her, for fear of this unfamiliar creature. The Moochick looked into the pony's eyes. Nopony he had ever seen had eyes like this. He could see just the faintest glimmer of rainbow light behind her pupils. They had been blessed. But what shocked him more, was that the eyes were trying to figure him out. To comprehend him, not just recognize him.
The Moochick cleared his throat, trying to think of how to communicate. He touched his chest and smiled as he told her, "Friend. Moochick, friend."
The mare tilted her head at the words. Her eyes then flitted to the dragon. Seemingly harmless or not, any creature knew to treat dragons with caution.
"Heathspike." The Moochick pointed to his friend. "Heathspike, friend. Moochick, friend."
The dragon offered a friendly smile, or as much as he could without showing off his sharp teeth. "Yes! Friends! We friends! Heathspike, friend! Moochick, friend!"
The alpha mare thought this over, looking between the odd elf and the strange dragon. After seemingly an eternity, she raised a hoof and touched the Moochick's chest. She opened her mouth and neighed. She frowned and neighed again.
"Neeeeiiiigh! Neeeiiggggh! Neeeeiinnnggg!" The mare brayed.
The mare snorted in frustration and neighed again and again. The Moochick stared in confusion, as did Heathspike. What was the pony doing?
Nothing could have prepared the two guardians for what happened next.
The alpha kept whinnying in an increasingly frustrated tone, but each time, something about the sound changed. "Neeeeiighhh! Pfffft! Nyeeegh...nehhhh...fhhhhh fuhhhruhhh...Ffffrrrr... Ffffurrrr...Furrrreeeeenddduuuuuh! Friiiiieeeeeenhhhhh! Frieeeenduh! F-f-frieeeeeeeeeeend!"
The Moochick nearly fainted, and Heathspike actually did. Even the rest of the ponies were stunned that their leader had spoken in another creature's tongue.
"Friend." The pony tapped the Moochick with her hoof.
"Yes...yes! Friend!" He couldn't stop from laughing in joy as he put his hand on her hoof. The other ponies whinnied in celebration. "Friends! Ponies friends!"
"Friends!" The alpha smiled back.
+
"The Rainbows blessed ponykind with magic, Applejack. The most pure and powerful of all magic. It is so ingrained in your minds, hearts and souls that it was your first word."
Applejack just gawked at me with her mouth hanging open. I gently reached over and shut it for her, which seemed to snap her out of her reverie.
"Wow..." She still seems stunned by this. I should have realized it would take time to sink in. She had just been told the origin of her species being granted self-awareness after all.
"So...when the other dragons besides Heathspike started talkin', what was their first word?"
"Mine."
"Ah...yeah, guess that'd make sense Princess, if everythin' was touched by the magic that made us, well, us, why ain't everythin' smart as us?"
"As a farmer, you know that not all seeds planted take root Abigail. And your gift of self-awareness, family, free-will, conscience, empathy, love, they found a place on your hearts. Same as the zebra. And one day the griffins. Your people are blessed Applejack, never forget that."
"Ah won't... Ah gotta know, if the magic went away... would we... stop thinking?"
"We promise, no. The souls granted to you by the Rainbows are now your own, they can't be lost."
"...Princess..."
"Yes, Applejack?"
She put a hoof to her eye. "The Elements...they're really...the thing that changed ponies tah what we are now?"
I smiled and nodded. "Yes, Applejack. They are the Fruit of Knowledge. And they chose you and your friends."
She gave a stunned look, as expected of one who realized in her hooves was a key to Ponykind's genesis...then got some tears in her eyes. "Ah...it's a big honor, ain't it?"
"Indeed."
I let her enjoy the moment to enjoy this revelation.
"Now you know how ponykind began its journey to what it is today. Though, I am afraid the other half of this story is not as up-lifting."
"Oh yeah...Tirek."
"Yes. He had not been idle while your ancestors took their first steps into the light. And his dark day had also just begun."
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What a jerk.
Interesting.
I think it's ZachERle.
Didn't expect that.
So, his breath can potentially telefrag stuff. Oh boy.
Also, am I the only one who imagines Bahamut being voiced by James Earl Jones? More Mufasa than Vader in this case though.
Eeyup. I'm now imagining a dragon version of The Godfather. You're welcome.
f
Guess our Spike is as noble, or at least stubborn, as his ancestor was.
Interesting.
I suppose so, yes. Also, BahamUt.
You are stubborn.
So I see. Also, disobedieNce.
Like Luna said earlier, there's fast, and then there's Bahamut, the guy could probably give Rapidmon or Imperialdramon from 02 a run for their money in speed.
Indeed. Sometimes, couples counterbalance each other too much.
By your logic, yes.
I think this logic appeared earlier, the reason Spike didn't go greed insane, was because he considered his friends his most prized "posession" as such, or some other dragon, bottom line, I recognize this logic.
Very clever. Wonder what an Orange Lantern dragon would be like? You know, other than absolutely terrifying. ESPECIALLY if said dragon keeps their wits about them.
Fair enough.
Lets. And yes, you try to take something from a dragon that they didn't let you have out of their own volition for whatever reason, and things can and WILL end poorly for you.
He gets that a lot.
Useful.
Been waiting to use this one.
Burned it to the ground.
My guess, that.
Dafuq? Ok, whoever this is can go toe to toe with a dragon, so, strong, probably a shapeshifter or a god...
What the...
Right, so, if a human saw them, they'd look somewhat human. Also, Strife and Candenza I believe, right?
Knew it.
The Elements of the Rainbows of Light and Dark...
Whoa...
Called it.
Huh?
Right, the Deer Concept whose name escapes me right about now who helped Shining aginst Nameless.
Yeah.
And for ponies to gain sentience.
Huh?
Absurdly long, yes.
Neato.
Dead? Sadly, they are. Tirek is not a centaur anymore. He's a demon.
Een if you could, I don't think he'd taste good.
So that's the origin of the Locket of the Rainbow of Light.
And the bag that held the Rainbow of Darkness.
All right.
Let the Rainbow remind you~
Interesting...
Gotcha.
Fascinating...
Well, she DID try to tell you it was a sort of proto language.
Oh dear. Makes me really glad the uniconers we know have a decent reign on their tempers.
Clever.
So, Habbit was Angel's ancestor?
Indeed, can't enlighten someone already enlightened, that's just redundant.
Nice trick.
He's nice, he's smart, and he knows what he's doing, what's not to like?
Oh dear. Guess it pays to be immortal.
I'm sure you would.
Apparently. I just got the most amusing mental image of a dragon with glasses.
Good point.
Understandable, they were a lot less intelligent than even your average pony today.
Yes, showing off your sharp teeth may end poorly. Granted, dragons eat gems not ponies, but still.
I get the feeling that if they saw Twilight do her usual shtick, their minds would break down.
The Magic of Friendship.
Must be hard to swallow, huh AJ?
Oh don't give me that look, you should have seen that one coming a mile away.
Phew.
Incredibly so.
Oh great. Lemme think of something witty to post,
Hm, no, I mean it WAS a while since the last update and you kinda did leave us wanting more but, no dice, how about,
No, no, that doesn't work either. Sorry, nothing witty to say this time around.
6676385
Thank you for the play by play, I hope that you liked the ponies' awakening to sapience, and their first battle as sapience was adverted by silly face making.
6754036
Because those in charge of this website wanted me to compile all the seasons, side stories, and spin-offs, into one story since I was numbering the episodes.
Boy this chapter was pretty impressive!
By the way, how exactly are Bahamut and Tiamat related to the alicorns and draconequi, or is that a spoiler?
I was rereading this chapter, and I really loved the part about the MLP theme song being based on the little centaur girl's song she sang to her ponies, I think I actually missed that detail the first time!
8311487
It was a father beautiful seed wasn't it?
Well, this quite a well constructed beginning of a new age. Loved the imagery and the role both Moochick and HeathSpike played in this. There's just one thing that worries me, and I detect foreshadowing. Spike possesses the Rainbow of Darkness...knowing that Tirek is gonna eventually posses it, I've got a very bad feeling on how this is gonna turn out. Not looking forward to that.
9148552 Thanks. I was trying to give this a 2001: A Space Odyssey feel.
BTW, after reading this story, go to the Majesty origin story to see where it goes from here, and then to Majesty vs. Tirek for the conclusion of the story.