Chapter 30: The Headstrong Princess
Chapter 30:
The Headstrong Princess
Later That Day-
“She didn’t get off here!” The baggage handler took a step back. “I swear!”
Eclipse narrowed her eyes. “You really shouldn’t lie to me.”
The muted whistle of an arriving train floated through the station as the baggage handler nervously licked his lips. He looked between the two burly Royal Guards staring him down, and the menacing mare in between them.
“I-I’m not lying!” He gulped and tried to keep his shaky voice level. “I-I don’t remember ever seeing T-Twilight Sparkle on the train at all!”
“Are you so thickheaded that you didn’t even notice a celebrity riding on board?!” Eclipse’s horn glowed ominously. “Perhaps you might remember better with some fresh air! There’s plenty of it up in the stratosphere!”
The baggage handler was enveloped in an icy blue aura and lifted up off the ground. His eyes went wide as his voice rose into a shrill scream. “No! No, please! I don’t know anything!”
You’re making a scene, darling—was that a camera flash? Several passengers and employees had stopped to watch, all of them looking on with a mixture of surprise and fear.
So what? Eclipse tightened their grip on the baggage handler. We’ve interrogated a dozen of these louts, and none of them noticed the hoofing Princess’ personal protegee! Pathetic!
I’m surprised, too. Relieved was more like it, as she hadn’t figured out what she was going to say to Twilight yet. I’d have thought a piece of gossip as juicy as this would’ve been the talk of the entire trainyard, but either Twilight’s not as well-known as we thought, or she did something to cover her trail.
Eclipse hesitated. She softly repeated that phrase to herself, her expression turning pensive.
She muttered a few strange syllables, and the aura around the baggage handler began to pulsate.
Then, seconds later, a second aura, magenta in color, appeared around his head.
Eclipse exhaled out her nose. Damnatio Memoriae. Flawlessly done, too. Hmph. That complicates things.
Rarity had no idea what spell Eclipse was talking about, but she did take a year of Kwatamal in school. ’Damnation of Memory?’ I’ve never heard of that spell.
I'd be surprised if you had. Eclipse threw the baggage handler into a trolley a dozen feet away, causing bags and suitcases to fly everywhere. It’s a forbidden spell. Damnatio Memoriae completely removes a specified individual from the minds of all those who saw them in the past twenty-four hours. The spell literally reaches into a pony’s mind and deletes all pieces of information regarding the specified pony. Even objects like photos and written works can be affected if the spell is strong enough.
Rarity felt a chill. So all these ponies’ memories of her are just... gone? My, that sounds...
Powerful? Intrusive? Dangerous? All of the above? There’s a reason it’s forbidden, child. Eclipse chuckled. Miss Twilight Sparkle has been a very naughty pony.
Rarity digested that for a moment. There were certainly quite a few things that’d happened as of late, but it seemed odd that Twilight would resort to using forbidden magic to cover something up instead of contacting somepony for help.
That’s strange. Twilight certainly has enough connections to contact somepony for help, even if she doesn’t like to leverage them. I wonder, is there any way to retrieve the lost memories?
Not in this case. Eclipse turned and walked away without looking back. If I thought I could find something, I’d have no qualms with dismantling that fool’s mind piece by piece. But there’s nothing left to find. I’d wager these idiots did see Twilight on the train, but she removed all evidence that she and her guards were ever on board. Clever mare.
Rarity noticed that everypony around them was now giving them a wide berth. Why, though? She couldn’t have already found out that we’re searching for her. We only started today. Do you think she somehow found out about Cetus?
I doubt it. Eclipse pulled a fruit bar out of their saddlebags and began munching on it. The Damnation Memoriae spell was cast eleven days ago. It’s more likely that something else happened that she didn’t want anypony to know about. Something big.
They went over to a large board that had the train times and destinations displayed on it. The train she was on was scheduled to take two days to reach Whinnyapolis. Damnatio Memoriae wouldn’t have fully removed her from the train employees’ memories if she’d stayed on it the entire time, so she had to have gotten off early and headed somewhere else. The question is, where?
Rarity examined the board. The train from Ponyville to Whinnyapolis makes three stops in its first day. Two of them are in towns smaller than Ponyville, but the third is at Neighagra Falls. I don't know if that's where she abandoned the train, but I remember her saying once that she always wanted to go there.
Eclipse nodded. Good enough. We’ll start there.
Meanwhile, in Drakkenridge-
“And this statue was given to us by your mother to celebrate the one thousandth year of peace between our countries!” Rin gestured to a carving of a majestic dragon in mid-flight. “I must say its withstood the test of time quite well.”
“Oh, yeah,” Rainbow said with rolled eyes. “'Mom’ always did have good taste in rocks.”
Rainbow, Esra and Tastar were deep inside a labyrinthine system of tunnels and caves that made up the main Metallic dragon lair. They were currently being led by the bronze dragon Rin through a museum filled with statues, artifacts, paintings, and other historical items. The floor was made of smooth, polished granite, and the hall was lit by tall braziers filled with bright silver flame.
“Oh, most certainly!” Rin said without missing a beat. “Though if I might be so bold, diamond is more commonly known as a mineral.”
“Either way, it’s still a waste of time,” Esra said. he gave the statue a perfunctory glance before turning away. “We’ve got better things to do than look at a bunch of musty old pictures and sculptures!”
“How in the world can you say that?!” Tastar flew over to the statue, pointing vigorously at it. “This piece is a testament to the very ideal that our predecessors fought for! It’s a symbol of hope and prosperity to both our races!”
Esra turned to Tastar. “How many hooves am I holding up?”
Tastar blinked. “Uh... none.”
Esra walked away. “That’s the amount of bucks I give.”
Rainbow snickered. She was about to give a witty retort of her own, but Esra’s initial comment reminded her of her own rising irritation. She stopped Rin with a hoof before she could go to the next exhibit.
“Okay, seriously, Rin. You're cool and all, and I appreciate you showing us around and stuff, but when's your master gonna get back? It feels like we’ve been waiting here for years!”
“Patience, Princess,” Rin said over her shoulder. “It’s only been a day. Master Bahamut should return sometime this afternoon.”
Rainbow’s eye twitched, but she kept her voice level. “That’s exactly what you said yesterday.”
“And I thought I was speaking the truth!” Rin turned and rose into the air so that she was eye level with Rainbow. “You have to understand that your presence in Chromatic territory has sparked an event that we've been waiting for centuries to act upon. Ertrasziveux, the dragon you slew, had put a spell on every thrall in the Valley of Slaves that would kill them if they tried to escape, and our laws have prevented us from trying to dispel it. There was nothing we could do that wouldn’t be declared an act of war, and we’d been waiting for something that might tip the scales in our favor!”
“What about Relekihl di Xuuta?” Tastar asked from over by the statue.
Rin regarded him for a moment, but then shook her head. “Ertrasziveux was also one of Lady Tiamat’s consorts. She forbade him from accepting any challenges, or duels to prevent the chance of foul play.”
Tastar’s ears drooped. “Well, crud.”
Rin turned back to Rainbow and spoke in a placating voice. “I understand that you’re eager to help your friends, but if we don’t act before Tiamat appoints another one of her consorts to the Valley, five thousand creatures will continue to live of a life of forced servitude! Would you have us sit idly by and ignore this chance?”
Rainbow flattened her ears. “I’m not saying you should ignore it, girl! I’m saying you should let us help you! You saw me whoop Ertrasi-whatsit! I wanna bust some more scaly heads!”
Rin’s eyes twinkled merrily. “Your spirit is admirable, Highness, but I don’t think your aunt sent you away from this ‘Cetus’ just so that you could go diving into more danger. Your mother wouldn’t be very happy about it, either, I’d wager.”
Rainbow pursed her lips, trying not to wince at being addressed with such a title. She really, really didn’t like this, but she’d already discussed this with Tastar not long after they’d teleported to the Metallic lair, and they’d come to an agreement.
“You're not going to be able to convince them that you're not a Princess,” Tastar said.
“What?!” Rainbow’s voice cracked. “Why the hay not?”
They were on the edge of a small terrace leading out into one of the larger caves of the lair. Rin had just flown off to find her master, and the three of them had been given a quick few minutes to talk in private.
Tastar gave her a deadpan stare. “One: There's too much evidence to the contrary. Two: The truth is complicated to the point of absurdity. Three: There’s no way to verify said truth without exposing us to Cetus. Four: Claiming to be royalty will gain you the ears of the Concordant Council. Five—”
“Lying to a bunch of super-sized, magic-wielding, fire-breathing, crazy-deadly flying creatures is not a good idea!” Rainbow reached up and rubbed her new horn. The skin around it was still sensitive, and it felt like there was some kind of hot liquid inside her head. “I get why they think I’m Celestia’s kid, but trying to take advantage of them is just gonna burn us down the line! LITERALLY!”
“Listen to me.” Tastar gestured out to the cave beyond, where half a dozen dragons of various shapes and colors were flying from one tunnel to another. “The leader of the Chromatics is a five-headed dragon named Tiamat. She’s powerful, aggressive, cunning, well-connected, and most of all, extremely protective of her children. When she finds out you killed Ertrasziveux, she won’t stop until she’s flossed her teeth with your intestines and mounted your head on her wall. She won’t care that you’re an Element of Harmony, and the protection of the Metallics only extends so far. The only thing you can do is pretend you’re Celestia’s daughter, because Her Majesty’s wrath is one of the few things Lady Tiamat fears.”
Rainbow groaned and ran her hoof down her face. “This isn’t gonna work. They’re gonna ask me questions about stuff I don’t know. They’re gonna expect me to act in ways that I’ve spent my entire life trying to avoid! My family isn’t super-rich or anything, but they were always trying to act proper and stuff, and I hated every second of it! If the Chromatics are really gonna be gunning for me, I say we get the jump on ‘em!”
Esra laughed. “And I thought Libra had a deathwish.”
Rainbow looked over at him. “Who-in-the-what-now?”
Tastar spoke a little louder to get Rainbow’s attention back. “I can’t even begin to explain how bad of an idea that is. The Metallics have just placed you, an ‘Equestrian Royal,’ under their protection. That means that, among other things, they’re responsible for anything you do in Drakkenridge. Not only would you attacking the Chromatics result in a civil war, it’d also be a declaration of war between them and Equestria! Want some history, Rainbow? The last civil war between the dragons was called the Blood War, and it lasted for the entirety of the Era of Discord. The entire time, Rainbow! Nothing but atrocities and destruction and chaos! Do you want to be the spark that reignites those flames?!”
Rainbow grit her teeth. She was being forced to play a role she had no business being in. She was being told to stay in one spot while her friends needed her. She was getting trapped in a corner and being denied her freedom. She wanted out of this. She should be halfway back to Equestria by now. She should—
“Hello? Rainbow?” Tastar waved a hoof in front of her face. “Did you hear anything I just said at all?”
Rainbow shook her head clear. “Metallics this, Chromatics that, Blood War... something, something, something. Fine, fine. I won’t go after Tia-mattress or whatever, but I still think the Princess thing is a bad idea. I can’t even do any magic!”
“Could’ve fooled me, Miss Glowy Eyes.” Esra slid a hoof across his throat and stuck out his tongue. “Congrats on the Sonic Rainboom, by the way.”
Rainbow’s mouth twisted. She shifted back and forth few seconds, then without warning, she rushed forward and grabbed him in a tight hug.
Esra jumped. “Ah! Hey, what gives?”
“I-idiot,” Rainbow said in a thick voice. “Don’t you ever, EVER scare me like that again! I’m your boss now, and you only d-die when I say you can die! No sooner! Got it?!”
Esra stood still as a statue. He looked to Tastar, but his partner had turned to watch the dragons flying by. Finally, Esra reached up and awkwardly patted Rainbow on the shoulder.
“Y-yeah. Sure, boss. I got it…”
“Good,” Rainbow said. She pulled away from him and rubbed her eyes. “I don’t care what you are, or who we run into. No member of Team Dash bites the dust on my watch!”
Tastsar looked up and raised an eyebrow. “Team Dash, eh?”
“Aw, yeah.” Rainbow turned to him and smirked. “We’re gonna have t-shirts and everything.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to swap yours for a tiara when we meet with the Council,” he said with a wink. “Also, leave the explanations to me. I know how to handle dragons, so you just have to is sit there and look pretty.”
“Pssh, I don’t do pretty.” Rainbow struck a cocky pose. “I do awesome! It’s like, my passive aura. How’s the horn look, by the way?”
Tastar nodded approvingly. “It looks—”
He cut himself off as he saw Rin making her way back to them. He turned his back to her and spoke in a hurried whisper.
“We’ll get out of here as soon as we can. Until then, just roll with the punches. You are now Princess Aurora, firstborn daughter of Princess Celestia, Element of Loyalty, Lady of the Polar Lights and Harbinger of the Dawn.”
“Harbinger of the what?!” Rainbow hissed.
Rin got in earshot before she could go off on him.
They walked out of the museum and through a tunnel to get back into the main ‘hub,’ as Rin called it. It was a cave several hundred feet tall filled with dozens of tunnels at various heights that led off to other parts of the lair. It was dimly lit by more silver braziers, with air holes scattered about ensuring that a steady wind was always present. Small pathways circled around the hub that allowed the flightless access to the tunnels, but Rainbow observed that they didn’t show signs of much use. The air above them was placid, save for the dull thuds of the flapping of wings of the immense dragons above.
“Where would you like to go next, Princess?” Rin perched on her back and pointed to the tunnels one by one. “There’s the Roirthir, a library which houses some of the oldest tomes ever written by our race. The Ternesjan, an entire forest completely carved out of stone, the Ifespa, the largest underground body of water in all of Drakkenridge, Haiyea, a series of waterfalls leading into the Ifespa, or, if you’re hungry, we could go to the banquet hall for an early lunch. What would you like?”
Rainbow flexed her wings. “Uh… there anyplace I can go to do some laps or something? I’m usually a lot more active than this, and I’d really like to see the sky.”
Rin hummed in thought. “I suppose we could go up to one of the landings. I wouldn’t mind joining you, actually. It’s been awhile since I’ve been my proper size.”
“Cool! We can race when get up there!” Rainbow dropped into a crouch. “Which way?”
Rin pointed to the one of the higher tunnels. “It’s just up—”
“Aasterinnnnnian!”
Rin frowned. “Ugh. Of course it would be her.”
A small, bright yellow canary suddenly flitted in front of Rainbow and Rin. It circled around them several times before stopping above them and chirping loudly.
Rainbow furrowed her brow. “How’d a bird get in here?”
“One moment, your Highness.” Rin held out a claw, and the canary swooped down to land on it. Rin cleared her throat and spoke in Draconic. “Hello, Sonngrad. Has the Master returned?”
“Nope, nope, nope!” The guttural hissing and intricate syllables sounded incredibly odd from a songbird. “The Concordant Council has been called together for an emergency meeting! He’ll be there all day.”
Rin clicked her tongue. “Princess Aurora won’t be happy to hear that. She was hoping to see him today.”
“And she will! Yep, yep, yep!” Sonngrad spread her wings. “The Council has been called specifically to discuss her actions in the Valley of Slaves! Master sent me to take her and the soul-copies to Shearwind.”
Tastar perked up at this. He quickly stepped forward and bowed before Sonngrad.
“Well met, Sonngrad the Wing. We’ve never met before, but I believe you knew my predecessor—”
“—Sagittarius the Learned.” Sonngrad fluttered over and perched atop his head. “A pleasure to meet you, Tastar the Redeemed. You’ve some big shoes to fill.”
Tastar laughed nervously. “So I’ve read.”
“What’s going on?” Rainbow asked.
Tastar looked over at her. “The Concordant Council wants to see us now.”
Rainbow frowned. “I thought you said we needed to talk to Bahotdog before that.”
“Bahamut,” Tastar corrected, “and I only said that because I thought we’d need him to call the Council together for us. Turns out they already in a meeting.”
“Good enough for me!” Rainbow spread her wings. “Let’s go!”
Rin put a claw on her shoulder. “I know you said you wanted to stretch your wings, but I believe it would be much faster to teleport.”
Rainbow hesitated. She looked over at Tastar and Esra, who both gave her barely perceptible nods. She quickly straightened back up and adjusted her mane.
“U-um, yeah! I just, uh, didn’t want to assume! I’m still new to Drakkenridge and stuff, so I don’t know how far it is. Heck, I don’t even know where we are right now.”
Rin waved a claw, and a map of Drakkenridge formed in front of them. A star appeared on a mountain in the exact middle, and a rainbow-colored dot appeared in a cluster of mountains to the west.
“We’re right here.” Rin gestured to the rainbow dot. “Shearwind’s less than ten miles away. Not the shortest of distances teleportation-wise, but I’m sure Sonngrad is well up to the task.”
Sonngrad let out a cheerful trill.
Rainbow chewed on her lip, but decided not to press it. Instead, she stepped closer to Tastar. "Ready whenever you are, then. We’ll see you later, Rin. Thanks for the tour.”
“Good luck, Princess!” Rin jumped off of Rainbow and hovered in front of the group. “I hope to see you all again soon.”
Rainbow put a hoof on Tastar’s withers, and Esra followed suit. “Let’s do this.”
Sonngrad’s body glowed, and they all disappeared in a golden flash.
The next thing Rainbow knew, they were all standing in a giant domed room made of grey, weathered stone. Thin shafts of sunlight poured in through narrow windows on all sides, and the room was empty save for that the walls were lined with statues of creatures of all shapes and sizes.
Sonngrad leaned forward and spoke in Tastar’s ear. “The Council has agreed to let you speak for the Princess, since you’re a Drakken citizen and are aware of our customs! The other soul-copy will need to wait here, though.”
“We figured as much,” Tastar said. “It was the same when he came with me for my parole hearing.”
“Ah, yes. I forgot about that. I’ll let them know you’re here, then! It shouldn’t be long.” Sonngrad then took wing and flew off through one of the windows.
Rainbow watched Sonngrad leave. “Where’s he going?”
“She,” Tastar said. “And she’s going to let the Council know we’re here. We’re in the Cuailisiani, or ‘Chamber of the Selfless,’ as it’s more commonly known. It’s basically a waiting room for petitioners.”
“Ugh, more waiting.” Rainbow let out an exasperated grunt and plopped down on her haunches. “This is moving along slower than Pinkie’s extra-thick molasses! Remind me again why I’m not off trying to find the others?”
“Because you don’t know where they are, and Ophiuchus won’t tell us for their safety, for one.” Tastar sat down beside her. “I know you wanna help them, but you have to accept that it’s better we’re separated right now.”
“Ah come on, Rainbow, it’s not so bad!” Esra nudged her and gestured all around them. “Just take around! Look! More statues that we don’t care about!”
Rainbow’s tone took on a sarcastic lilt. “Oh my gosh, you’re right! Look all all the dragons! I’ll bet you five bits I can’t pronounce any of their names, either! Ooh, there are griffins, too! How badly do think I’ll mutilate theirs?”
“Be serious, Rainbow,” Tastar said, twitching his wings. “We’ve got the potential to do something great here, but it’s going to take a little more time to set up. You have to trust me that this is the best thing we can do!”
“I don’t even know what we’re doing at all!” Rainbow suddenly snapped. She turned to glare at him “You haven’t told me what we’re gonna say to this Concor-whatsit-thingy, or even who they are for that matter! You just hissed a bunch at Rin, and now we’re in some waiting room on top of a mountain! How about you spill it, huh? What’s the deal? Are we trying to get the dragons to help us? Do they have a bone to pick with me over what happened yesterday?”
Tastar’s lips slowly parted. He was silent for a few seconds, then began to pace back forth while speaking in a rushed voice.
“I suppose I have kinda been keeping you in the dark. I’m sorry, it wasn’t on purpose, it’s just that things are happening so quickly, and I’m meeting all these dragons that remember Sagittarius, and they keep saying things to me that are throwing me off, and I really wanna make a good impression but I’ve gotta think on how I’m gonna spin you being Celestia’s daughter without deliberately lying, and there’s so much riding in this that—”
Esra smacked Tastar upside the head.
“No hissing,” Esra said.
“Gah.” Tastar gingerly rubbed his mouth. “You made me bite my tongue.”
Rainbow sighed. She knew they were all stressed and was willing to cut them a little slack for that, but she wasn’t going to just sit back and trust things were all going to work out when Esra and Tastar had kept so many secrets from her in the first place. She was even going to patiently say as much, but before she could, Tastar spoke again.
“Alright, here’s the deal. The Concordant Council is the highest level of authority in Drakkenridge. Their primary function is to decide on military actions and matters of state, and yes, they’ve summoned you to discuss what happened in the Valley of Slaves. I’m also planning to use this opportunity to tell them about what happened in Equestria, and if we present our case well, there’s a chance that they’ll vote on a course of action.”
“One of those possible actions being that we’ll be flying back to Equestria with an entire army of—” Esra raised his hooves in air quotes. “—super-sized, magic-wielding, fire-breathing, crazy-deadly, mother-bucking dragons.”
Tastar met Rainbow’s eyes with a fervent gaze. “And guess who’ll be leading the charge if that happens?”
Rainbow’s mouth fell open as the pieces clicked into place. She looked back and forth between them before she managed to find her voice.
“Y-you really think that’ll happen?”
Tastar clicked his teeth, and his eyes flitted over to the far corner. “It’s hard to say, but I know they’ll offer at least some kind of assistance.”
“How do you know that?” Rainbow asked.
Tastar didn’t answer at first. His cleared his throat loudly, then spread his wings and motioned for Rainbow to follow.
They flew over to the far corner of the room, stopping at a thirty-foot statue of a pegasus stallion giving a rigid salute. He was clad in spiked barding that covered him from nose to tail, with hooves that were clad in armored boots shaped like talons. A long, wicked spear rested in the crook of his neck, and most noticeable of all, a long scar ran down the side of his face that went straight through his left eye.
The eye was whole, but it had a different shape, and the pupil was a narrow, reptilian slit.
Rainbow felt a shiver run up her spine. She looked up at the statue, then back down at Tastar. The pegasus in the statue was older and had a more weathered look about him, but aside from the weird left eye, the two of them looked exactly the same.
“Is this…”
Tastar let out a long, slow sigh. “Yeah.”
Rainbow noticed there was a plaque at the foot of the statue. The top part was in Draconic, but the second half had been translated into Equestrian.
Sagittarius the Learned
673-960
Equestrian Ambassador and Founder of the Concordant Council
An artisan of war, an advocate of peace
A dragon in all ways but one
May Io watch over his eternal rest.
“Wait, wait, wait.” Rainbow pointed at the plaque. “You—he, FOUNDED the council dealy that we’re about to see?!”
“Funny story, that,” Tastar said. “Sagittarius was tired of having to go back and forth between the Metallics and the Chromatics to get anything done. He mentioned it to Celestia, and she suggested that it might be easier if he could get them to meet at a neutral place to save time. The rest is history.”
Rainbow looked down at the plaque again. Something seemed off, but it took her a second to realize what it was. She squinted at the date. “Year nine hundred and sixty? That can’t be right! That would mean that he was almost three hundred when he died!”
“Sagittarius was one of the few individuals who could get Lord Bahamut and Lady Tiamat to sit down and have a civil conversation,” Tastar said. “Neither of them wanted to lose him, so they both started using age spells on him to prolong his life. The left eye was their doing, too.”
Their conversation was interrupted by Sonngrad swooping in front of them.
“They’re ready for you.”
Tastar took a calming breath and turned to Rainbow. “It’s time. I’ll warn you now, though, this is going to be intense.”
Rainbow flashed him a cheeky grin. “Just the way I like it.”
Sonngrad led Rainbow and Tastar to the other side of the room, where a giant stone slab of a door stood tightly shut. Sonngrad let out a pure, clear note, and the door slowly swung open with a mighty rumbling and grinding of rock.
“Try not to get eaten,” Esra called after them.
Rainbow was hit with a blast of frigid air and blinding light, and she now saw that they were on the edge of a tall mountain with only a few hundred feet farther up to the summit. Their right side was completely exposed to the open air, but a snowy set of roughly hewn stairs led farther up.
Rainbow started to fly out, but upon stepping outside, she noticed that the wind came to a complete standstill, and she was left pumping dead air. Recognizing more magic at work, she let an annoyed snort and landed to walk cautiously up the stairs. Tastar fell into step behind her.
They walked up the stairs in silence, the strange absence of the wind only adding to the subtle sense of unease building in Rainbow’s gut. She felt like she was being watched, but there was nopony around that she could see. It was noon, the sky was a deep blue, and the ground below was concealed by the ever-present swirling clouds.
A sudden blast of hot, dry air from above made her hair stand on end.
“Huh?” Rainbow looked up, and her pupils shrunk as she saw death incarnate staring down at her. A ruby dragon, almost twice the size of Ertrasziveux, perched on one of the mountain’s narrow peaks above them. Smoke wafted threateningly from its mouth as murder smoldered in its eyes.
Rainbow gulped. “Heh, you weren’t kidding...”
And that was just the first dragon. Rainbow could now see that there were others on the summit as well, each resting on their own separate peak, their glinting, predatory eyes fixed upon her. They were all different colors, but they all had one thing in common—they were all enormous beyond belief.
Tastar paused and looked up as well. He stiffened, but quickly recovered and poked Rainbow in the back.
“Come on, keep going.”
Rainbow managed to tear her eyes away, even though she could still feel the dragons eyeing her like a snack. It was difficult to continue walking when a loud voice in her head was screaming at her to flee, but she managed it.
Barely.
The stairs ended at the very summit, and she saw it had been flattened out to a circular platform with intricate symbols around it like claw marks. Twelve dragons in total were perched all around the platform, and, on a peak much smaller than the others, an elderly snow-white griffin sat upon a throne, wearing a large heavy crown.
It was easy to identify Bahamut and Tiamat. They were the largest of the bunch by far, and their peaks were on direct opposite sides of each other. Bahamut was silvery-white in color, with brilliant eyes like a midsummer sky. His long, sinewy body glittered brilliantly in the midday light, and he regarded Rainbow shrewdly with a stern, but not unkind, expression.
On the other hoof, Tiamat’s five heads all wore an expression of rage. They were each a different color—white, black, green, blue, and red, and they moved independently of themselves much like a hydra’s. Tiamat thick body was striped in the five colors of her heads, and her mighty barbed tail was like that of a scorpion’s, twitching dangerously at the sight of the two ponies.
Rainbow stood at the top of the stairs, unsure of what to do. She was about to consult Tastar, but then, a deep, rumbling voice cut through the air like thunder.
“So. This is the murderer.”
Rainbow froze. She had no idea what was said, or who even said it, but the tone couldn’t be mistaken for anything but livid.
“Calm down, Tiamat.” Rainbow turned in time to see that the speaker that time was Bahamut. His voice was deep and rumbling as well, but it carried a gentleness that belied his size. He raised a house-sized claw in greeting.
“The Concordant Council recognizes Princess Aurora, daughter of Celestia the Flamebringer,” he said. “Acting as liaison and interpreter is Tastar the Redeemed, servant of Aurora and soul-copy of Sagittarius the Learned. You may both step forward.”
There was a murmur amongst the dragons at this. Tastar translated Bahamut’s words to Rainbow, and the two of them walked to the center of the platform.
The voice in Rainbow’s head became much more insistent that running away was a very good idea, but she continued to ignore it. The air now thrummed with a strange thickness, though Rainbow was unable to tell if the disturbance was coming from the dragons, or the mountain itself.
Bahamut’s eyes lingered on Rainbow’s wings and horn before speaking again. “A pleasure to meet you, young Princess. Though I must admit, the news of your existence took us all by surprise. In all the years we’ve known your dam, never once has she ever mentioned that she had a hatchling.”
“Didn’t even tell us she could produce offspring,” the Amethyst muttered.
Rainbow rubbed her ears. Not only had she understood what Bahamut and the other dragon had said, but their voices had sounded as if they was standing right next to her. A flash of color on the ground caught her eye, and she saw that two of the symbols on the ground were pulsing with light, respectively.
She put two-and-two together and decided to see if the magic worked both ways.
“If it makes you feel any better, she never mentioned any of you, either,” Rainbow said.
A smattering of coughs and raspy chuckles from the Metallic side confirmed Rainbow’s suspicions. She took a better look at them, and realized they were the same colors as she’d seen inside the Metallic lair.
“Your ignorance is nothing to be proud of,” Tiamat snarled from behind her. “Flamebringer’s negligence has resulted in the death of one of my sons, and the loss of thousands of thralls! Our entire mining infrastructure will now be set back for decades due to your meddling, and you aim to make light of it?!”
Rainbow turned to Tiamat. She had a moment of uncertainty upon which head to look at before decided the general direction was good enough.
“Hey, your kid started it, all right?” Rainbow pointed an accusing hoof at her. “If he didn’t wanna get splattered against a mountain, he should’ve looked before he leaped!”
Tiamat’s heads growled in unison. “Impudent little—”
“What Princess Aurora means to say!” Tastar said loudly, stepping in between the two. “Is that our presence in Chromatic territory was entirely unintentional. My partner Esra and I were trying to regroup with the Princess when we found her already engaged with Ertrasziveux. To my knowledge, she did not use lethal force until my partner was grievously wounded from getting caught in the crossfire.”
A silence followed those words. Tiamat turned her whole attention on Tastar, but didn’t say anything. Her heads moved about in a swaying motion as they flicked their tongues in and out.
“Wounded, you say?” Bahamut scratched his chin. “There’ve been no reports of any other casualties.”
Tastar held Tiamat’s gaze for a second longer before turning to Bahamut. “The Princess was able to heal him in time with her magic. The Element of Loyalty grants invulnerability to those who’ve pledged themselves to its Bearer, and—”
“So her retaliation was unjust!” Tiamat shouted. “She killed my beloved when her underling was in no danger at all! Self-defense, indeed!”
“Let him finish,” Bahamut said. His eyes were piercing, never leaving Tastar’s. “I wish to hear more of this.”
Tastar swallowed hard. “...and, since Esra and I have both pledged ourselves to the Princess, we’re both under what’s essentially a voluntary geas. We’ve not had much opportunity to test it, but based on what happened with Esra, we assume its power is considerable.”
There was a silence following these words. Rainbow looked at the respective members of the Council to see if she could gauge their reactions, but she couldn’t get a read. The unease in the air was palpable, though, and it reminded her of the calm before a thunderstorm.
Rainbow knew what it was like to get caught in a downpour. She had no intention of that happening here.
“And before any of you Chrome-domes get any bright ideas—” Rainbow’s eyes became filled with fiery light, and an explosion of heat and magic flared out from her. Her echoing voice boomed over the mountain with blazing power. “—touch me or my friends again, and I’ll buck your heads through your scaly plots.”
The Council tensed. Several of the Metallics sat upright, and the Chromatics let out hisses of surprise.
“Such power…” Tiamat breathed.
Tastar jerked as he felt Rainbow’s magic down to his very core. The air around the both of them was shimmering like a furnace, but he felt no discomfort. He looked down and saw that his body was enshrouded in a crimson aura.
“Rainbow,” he muttered tersely.
The Chromatics bared their teeth and growled, their claws gripping their respective perches. It seemed their courage had fled them, though, so they made no move to attack. The Metallics suffered no ill-effects, although they did look on with interest.
“Pffft-hahahahahahaha!”
The laughter cut through the air like a knife. Everypony (and dragon) flinched and looked to the griffin representative, who continued to laugh unabated. He slapped the side of his throne and shook his head with renewed mirth.
“She’s a feisty one, ain’t she?” the griffin said, smirking devilishly. “No doubt old Flamebringer’s had her hooves full with this one! Maybe she should’ve sent the little firebrand up here sooner—been too long since we’ve been reminded of the Equestrian’s might.”
Bahamut let out an aggravated sigh. “Not really the issue at claw, Dershak.”
“I dunnae about that, Grayscales.” Dershak adjusted his crown. “We’ve heard little of these mysterious ‘Elements of Harmony’ that defeated the Mare in the Moon and brought back Frostbringer. I for one, would love to know more about such relics…”
He squinted at the pendant around Rainbow’s neck. “...’specially seeing as she’s wearing one of the bloomin’ things.”
The other dragons murmured amongst themselves. Ancient, giant eyes went wide as they looked upon Rainbow with renewed interest.
Rainbow blinked. She reined in her power and turned to the griffin king. “You know about the Elements?”
Dershak chuckled. “Aye, m’lady. Though not as much as we could know, I’d wager. Perhaps you’d like to fill us in?”
Bahamut loudly cleared his throat. “Tastar.”
Tastar shifted. “Your Grace?”
“You said your presence in Chromatic territory was unintentional.” His translucent, silvery wings twitched at his sides. “You know well the boundaries of our land, as well as how zealously the Chromatics guard their territories.”
The Chromatics rumbled agreement at this.
“Sagittarius would never have done something so foolish,” the Sapphire said. “So why did you?”
“You will tell us the truth,” the Emerald said plainly. “Only then will we decide what to do with you.”
“We’ve already traced the magical signature of the teleport back to Equestria,” the Amethyst added. “There were lunar energies present in the spell, suggesting that Frostbringer was the one who sent you here. We’ve heard word of her return, but little else, and the silence from Equestria has troubled us.”
“Frostbringer?” Rainbow whispered to Tastar.
“Princess Luna,” he muttered.
“We’ve agreed to give you the chance to... explain yourself,” Tiamat said grudgingly. Her heads all cast cold gazes at Bahamut. “Despite the obvious course of action that should be taken. Though I doubt anything you say will change our minds.”
Bahamut said nothing. He merely returned the cold stares, motionless and unblinking.
“So speak then,” the Gold said. “You have our ears. Tell us how you came to be in our lands.”
Tastar hesitated. He glanced at Rainbow, who sagged her shoulders and plopped down on the floor with a grunt.
“Floor’s all yours,” she said.
Tastar took a deep breath and squared his own shoulders, gathering his thoughts as he stood amongst the Drakkens.
“You all might want to steady yourselves for this.”
Silence followed Tastar’s story. The Concordant Council sat still on their perches, digesting everything they’d just been told. Even the Chromatics looked troubled by the news, although their reactions were more subdued than the Metallics.
“Quite the dire tale, Master Tastar,” the Silver said.
“And rather hard to believe,” the Ruby countered. “Were it any other pony telling it, I’d think them mad.”
Another murmur of agreement from the Chromatics.
“If what you’re saying is true,” Bahamut said slowly. “It changes things significantly. Our problems in the Valley of Slaves are nothing compared to this. Don’t you agree, Tiamat?”
Tiamat’s expression was unreadable. She looked up at the shining sun, her heads all impassive and calm.
“Tiamat,” Bahamut said again.
“So Flamebringer has been compromised, Frostbringer has gone into hiding, and this little whelp got dumped on us.” There was a loud grating sound as Tiamat adjusted her massive bulk. “Typical Frostbringer—not even a year after regaining her sanity, and she’s already trying to call in favors.”
Tastar bowed his head. “I wish it were not the case, my Lady.”
“And yet it is.” She frowned at Tastar. “I do not like being called upon to play eggsitter, Tari.”
Tastar’s mouth twisted. “I—”
“You think I want that any more than you?” Rainbow jumped up to her hooves. “All I want is to get outta here! I wanna find my friends and haul it back to Equestria so we can sock it to Cetus! I’d like all your help with that, especially that last part, but if all you’re gonna do is treat me like I’m a pest, you can get the heck out of my way!”
Tiamat made a huffing sound. Her eyes stayed with Tastar for a moment, then she coolly turned to Rainbow. “When I look into your eyes, little Princess, what do you think I see?”
Rainbow snorted at the sudden change of topic. “Outside of the power of my Element, I don’t know, or care. All you want is revenge for your kid’s death.”
”Perhaps,” Tiamat admitted. “But who should bear the brunt of that vengeance, hmm? You, who committed the deed? Frostbringer, who sent you here in haste? Cetus, who forced Frostbringer’s hoof? Or perhaps I should bathe all of Equestria in flames? There are many ways to collect on a blood debt, young one, and as strong as you may be, you can’t be everywhere at once. Which one would you prefer?”
Rainbow ground her teeth, her Element beginning to flare up again. She said nothing, but her twisted expression spoke volumes.
“I will tell you what I see,” Tiamat continued. “I see the fury of raw fire. I see the humiliation of a bruised ego. I see the frustration of suppressed potential, and I see the passion of a great leader. We dragons have wrestled with these things since time immemorial, and they’ve very nearly destroyed us time and time again. It was only after the Blood War that your dam and aunt taught us the ways of temperance, but clearly, they have not done the same with you. You will need to learn these things if you wish for our aid, or if you wish to ever hold a seat of power.”
Rainbow pursed her lips. She wasn’t sure how to take Tiamat’s words, so she simply stared at the mighty dragoness. The two of them met eyes for several tense seconds before Bahamut finally spoke up again.
“Tastar. What do you believe Cetus intends now that you’ve all evaded capture?”
Tastar turned to him. “Find us, I suspect. She was fixated on gaining access to Tartarus and acquiring all of the Elements before our escape. I don’t think she’ll move forward with that until then.”
“And you said Frostbringer wishes for you all to meet her at the Caverns of Harmony?” Bahamut said.
Tastar rubbed his neck. “Er, eventually, yes, although we’re not sure where Lake Occul is.”
“Southeastern Equestria,” the Diamond said. His weathered voice was like a gong. “The Caverns themselves are located beneath the lake, where they are watched over by Master Atuin and his progeny. The safest route there would be to skirt Equestria altogether, fly through Gildesdale, and approach from the West.”
“Indeed,” Bahamut said. “Although heading there now would be a bit foolhardy. We need to make preparations.”
There was another round of agreement from the dragons.
Rainbow felt a chill. “Wait. Does this mean you’ll help us? You’ll help me find my friends?”
Bahamut regarded her. “I’m sorry, but it might be better that they stay hidden for now, Princess. If Tastar’s host will not divulge their location, then we cannot waste resources scouring the globe for five little ponies.”
Rainbow closed her eyes. “Uuuuuuugh. Damn iiiiiiiit…”
“As for the remaining issues…” Bahamut turned to the Metallics. “I motion for granting Princess Aurora amnesty for her actions in the Valley of Slaves. All in favor?”
All the Metallics’ claws went up.
“The Metallics are unanimous,” Bahamut said. “I now motion for providing military assistance to Equestria to defeat the soul-copy Cetus. All in favor?”
Again, all the Metallics’ claws went up.
“Unanimous again.” Bahamut now looked across the mountain summit. “Tiamat?”
“My agreement comes with conditions,” Tiamat said.
Bahamut rolled his eyes. “It always does.”
Tiamat’s heads swayed from side to side. “Princess Aurora. Upon the restoration of Flamebringer, your government will provide monetary compensation for the loss of my slaves.”
Rainbow scoffed and tossed back her mane. “Fine, whatever.”
“Second, I would normally require physical evidence to prove that Cetus has been destroyed, but seeing as soul-copies have no actual bodies, you will instead capture her demise with a scrying gem and deliver it to me. I know how you Equestrians favor mercy, and there will be none of that here. Blood will be repaid with blood.”
Rainbow grunted. “No argument there.”
“And third, little Princess...” Tiamat leaned forward, her colossal heads now only a few dozen yards away. “As penance for your role in Ertrasziveux’s death, you will undergo the Holy Trials of Io.”
There was an outcry of shock from the Metallics.
“The Holy Trials are not designed for a pony!” the Topaz said. “Not even an alicorn!”
“She’ll be killed!” the Gold said. “You wish to bring Equestria’s wrath down upon us all?”
A slight edge crept into Bahamut’s voice. “You go too far with this, Tiamat.”
Tiamat didn’t back down. “Those are my conditions. I will not agree otherwise.”
Tastar’s mouth was now dry. “M-my Lady—”
“I’ll do it,” Rainbow said.
The Council went dead silent. Everyone turned to her in shock.
Tastar paled. He began whispering hurriedly in her ear. “Don’t agree to this. You don’t know what—”
Rainbow pushed him away and addressed Tiamat. “Look, you don’t like me, and I don’t like you. If it were up to me, I’d fly my fuzzy blue butt outta this country faster than you can say ‘Sonic Rainboom,’ and not a single one of you would be able to stop or catch me. But that’s not gonna get me anywhere, is it?”
Tiamat yawned and examined her claws. “Most likely not.”
Rainbow put aside her pride with a fierce scowl. “I wish that I could stop Cetus myself but… I can’t. Regardless of how I feel, I need your help to help my friends, and so like it or not, I’ll gotta jump through your stupid hoops. You want money? I’ll get it for you. You want Cetus dead? Was planning on it anyways. You want me to do some kind of freaky dragon trials? Bring ‘em on, Sister. I’ll knock ‘em out of the park.”
All of Tiamat’s heads split into wide, sinister grins. “Well said, Princess. Very well, then. I second both of Bahamut’s motions. All in favor?”
The Chromatics’ claws all went up.
“Unanimous on my side as well. You have our support, Princess Aurora.” Tiamat’s eyes glinted. “Provided you succeed, of course.”
Bahamut gripped his mountain perch, his enormous claws cracking the enchanted stone. “King Dershak,” he said through clenched teeth. “You may approve or veto the proposal as it has been delivered. What say you?”
Dershak was quiet for a time, his old, gnarled claws drumming on the ancient throne. He studied Rainbow with a piercing gaze that made her skin crawl, but she returned it without flinching.
“Ye’ve no idea what you’re getting yourself intae, missy,” Dershak said at last. “Confidence is one thing, but foolhardiness is quite another.”
Rainbow flared her wings with a cocksure grin. “I always did like a challenge.”
“Hmph.” He looked to Tastar. “Tastar the Redeemed. Ye be the only one here who knows both the Princess’ capabilities, and what the Trials entail. Ye also be the only one with dual allegiances. As a servant of both Equestria and Drakkenridge, what say you about all this?”
Tastar winced. “May I speak plainly, my King?”
“Ye may.”
Tastar’s words were slow and halting. “I… wouldn’t say danger, but… it’s not going to be easy. Princess Aurora is strong and her character is without question, so the Trials of Body and Soul should be doable. But the Trial of Mind…”
“Ah, I see.” Dershak’s eyes danced merrily. “Not the sharpest fang in the mouth, eh?”
“Hey!”
“I think she can do it, though.” Tastar glanced over at Rainbow. “I’ve seen Princess Aurora do some truly awesome things. She’s surpassed all my expectations up to this point, and I’ve every reason she’ll continue that trend into the future. She has my support.”
Rainbow’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. She simply looked over at Tastar, not sure why she felt so oddly flattered.
“In that case... “ Dershak cleared his throat with a squawking cough. “Princess Aurora will face th’ sacred Trinity Trials. If she succeeds, Drakkenridge shall declare war against the soul-copy Cetus. We’ll escort Yer Highness to Dragon Turtle Lake to meet Frostbringer, then work on a plan to minimize Equestrian casualties.”
“And... if she fails?” Tastar asked.
Dershak shrugged. “We still declare war on Cetus… just with less concern about casualties.”
Rainbow gulped. “Hoo boy…”
An Hour Later-
“I thought that went pretty well,” Tastar said.
The two of them had met back up with Esra after the Council meeting and had been escorted to an apartment with pony-sized proportions. The entire place looked hewn out of stone, although the floor was covered with a thick, plush carpet. Rich paintings and tapestries of the Drakkenridge lands were on the walls, and in the center of the room was an enormous brazier stoked with a mighty flame.
“Went well?!” Rainbow said in a cracking voice. “That was a disaster! They’re gonna carve a bloody swath through Equestria if I screw up their Trial thingys!”
Esra patted her on the back. “So don’t screw up. No pressure.”
“Oh, ha ha!” Rainbow snarked at him. “Easy for you to say! You weren’t even up there.”
“I heard you well enough below.” Esra waggled his eyebrows. “Something about bucking heads through scaly plots.”
Rainbow let out a noise between a whimper and a groan. “I can’t believe I did that. I told you guys I’m no good with this kinda stuff!”
“Was a pretty good move, actually,” Tastar said. He plunked himself down on a red, fluffy couch. “Tiamat values power above all else. If you’d have tried to apologize or be cordial with her, she would’ve been less likely to hear us out.”
“Wait, what?!” Rainbow whirled on him. ”And you tell me this NOW?! Why you… you… what the hay, Tastar?! Just… what the hay!”
Tastar gave her a flat look. “I tried telling you about Lady Tiamat yesterday, remember? You barely paid attention long enough for me to tell you why to go with the whole Princess shtick in front of the Council the first place. I gave up trying to tell you more when you referred to her as ‘Tiamattress.’”
Rainbow scrunched up her face, but didn’t say anything. She knew well enough when somepony had her dead to rights. That didn’t mean she had to like it, though.
“I knew you and her weren’t going to get along, regardless,” Tastar continued casually. “You wear your heart on your sleeve, and she exploits ponies like that. However, I also knew that she was going to be livid over Ertrasziveux, which meant she was going to be very intimidating and threatening...”
Tastar broke into a shit-eating grin. “...and you don’t like feeling threatened, do you Rainbow?”
Esra laughed. “Oh, damn girl. You just got played like a fiddle.”
Rainbow spluttered, suddenly caught between emotions as she looked between her two now-laughing guards. Part of her was impressed, another part was pissed, and she couldn’t decide whether to laugh incredulously or strangle them.
She was seriously considering doing both.
Knock, knock, knock.
All three of them stopped. They looked between each other, with nopony giving any inclination as to who was at the door. They weren’t expecting anypony, and they hadn’t even been by themselves for five minutes.
“Come… in?” Rainbow said.
In walked an ageless, silvery-white stallion with deep blue eyes. His mane and tail were cyan, his body was thin and sinewy, and his cutie mark was a star amongst a swirling multicolored nebula. He was a pegasus, and as he walked in slowly, he regarded them all with a stern, but not-unkind expression.
“Am I interrupting anything?” he asked in a quiet voice.
Tastar blanched. He immediately fell forward into a bow, his face mashing into the carpeted floor.
“Lord Bahamut!” came his muffled voice. “You honor us!”
Bahamut waved him off. “Save it for the Council, Tastar. I need a word with the three of you.”
Tastar rose hesitantly. He exchanged a look at Esra, but he only shrugged. They and Rainbow all took a seat and gestured for Bahamut to do the same.
“My apologies not for not coming out to meet you in my lair,” Bahamut said to Rainbow. “I do hope Aasterinian was a pleasant host.”
“Er, yeah.” Rainbow shuffled back and forth. “Rin was cool. She showed us around and stuff.”
“Good.” Bahamut looked her up and down, from her athletic body to her day-old horn. “Let’s cut to the chase then, shall we? You are not really Celestia’s daughter.”
Rainbow’s stomach plummeted. “That obvious, eh?”
“Quite,” Bahamut said with a small laugh. “Although it wasn’t your behavior that gave you away. And before you say anything, Tastar, no, I haven’t said anything about this to the Council, nor do I intend to. Only I am aware of this.”
Tastar sighed in relief. “My thanks, Your Grace.”
“So what gave me away, then?” Rainbow asked. “I’m not wearing an illusion, or anything. The wings and horn are real… well, at least I’m pretty sure the horn is. It feels real.”
Bahamut laughed again. “Oh, I’ve no doubt. The entire Council scanned you; we could feel your pegasus and unicorn magic. The lack of earth pony magic did confuse us a bit, but there exactly isn’t a lot of documentation on alicorn maturation and development. No, I knew by a different reason.”
“Which was?”
Bahamut’s wings nervously twitched at his sides. “To put this quite simply, if you were Celestia’s daughter, it would mean that I’m your father.”
It took a few seconds for that to sink in. When it did, though, a beet-red blush rose up on Rainbow cheeks.
“Whoa…”
Bahamut smiled fondly. “Tia and I go way back. I’ve no doubt she’d make a very good mother, but unfortunately, the Chaos magic within her makes her barren. She and Luna don’t like talking about it.”
Rainbow felt a pang of sympathy. “Yeah… yeah, I could see that.”
“But that raises a more interesting question, doesn’t it?” Bahamut leaned forward, his ancient eyes alight. “Who are you, really? How did you ascend? And how did you come to wield an Element of Harmony?”
Rainbow shrugged. “Not all that interesting, really. Name’s Rainbow Dash. Born and raised in Cloudsdale, currently live in Ponyville. I got the horn when Big Red slice-and-diced Esra, and I used the Element of Loyalty to save him. As for where I got the Element… I was one of the ponies who helped save Luna from Nightmare Moon. We found ‘em in their own castle.“
Bahamut nodded. “Tia did tell me some things about her plan to save Luna. Not near as much as I wished she had, but some. I knew she had stored the Elements out in the Everfree, although I assume things went wrong after a certain point.”
“Pretty much,” Rainbow said. “Tastar already told you all of that stuff, though. You should pretty much have the jist.”
“Hmm.” Bahamut leaned back and looked out the window. “It seems then that I, too, would rather this Cetus be destroyed than imprisoned. A being that dangerous cannot be allowed to live. I had thought maybe the case might be otherwise, but if the situation really is that bleak, then that means we need to be united against this threat.”
Bahamut met Rainbow’s fiery eyes. “Which that means you cannot fail the Trials.”
Rainbow cracked a grin. “Wasn’t planning on failing, Lord Dude. I’m gonna give it my all.”
“But will your all be enough, I wonder?” Bahamut looked to Tastar. “You voiced some concern about the Trial of Mind. What’s the problem?”
Tastar pursed his lips. “Rainbow doesn’t know any magic besides what she can do with her Element. She’s gonna need more than that to get through.”
“And she’s not really the studying type,” Esra added, earning him a stink-eye from Rainbow. “What? It’s true.”
“There are other ways to learn aside from books,” Bahamut said simply. “I’d like to help you with this, and so I’ll assign my son Tarxinnir to instruct you. He is an excellent teacher, and will be able to quickly ascertain your learning style. We will be able to go from there.”
Tastar brightened. “Tarxinnir? Oh, hey! That works out great! Rainbow actually knows one of his wyrmlings!”
Bahamut smiled. “That’d be the one he gave to Tia, I’m assuming. Tell him to pass that information along, would you? I’ve been curious to hear how my grandson has fared.”
A golden songbird suddenly flew in through the window. It landed on Bahamut’s shoulder, then sang a series of happy notes.
“It seems I’m needed elsewhere,” Bahamut said sadly. He nodded to the bird and got to his hooves. “If this dwelling is to your liking, you may all stay here for the duration of your stay in Drakkenrdige. I would counsel against going to the Chromatic’s side of Shearwind though, Miss Dash. You have nothing but enemies over there.”
Rainbow nodded. “Don’t need to tell me twice.”
“I will send word to Tarxinnir, and he will come as soon as he is able,” Bahamut continued. He dismissed the bird and raised a wing in farewell. “I’d recommend resting until then.”
Tastar bowed again. “Many thanks, Your Grace.”
Bahamut rolled his eyes. “Proper as ever, Tastar. Good luck in the Trials, ‘Princess Aurora.’ You’re going to need it.”
And with a silver flash, he was gone.
“Did… did I just hear that right?” Rainbow said, finding her voice at last. “Did he just say that he’s Spike’s grandfather?”
“Eh, it’s not such an uncommon thing,” Tastar said. “Many Metallics can trace their family history to Bahamut, just as many Chromatics can with Tiamat. Spike just happens to be two generations removed, that’s all.”
Knock, knock, knock.
Rainbow groaned. “Again? Who is it now?”
In through the door flew a small dragon, no larger than Rin had been. However, where Rin had been a deep orange color, this one was black, had foul, wet-looking wings, and its face was so sunken in that it looked like a bare skull.
Rainbow’s hackles rose. “What do you want?”
“Greetings, Favored One,” the Black dragon said, ignoring Rainbow altogether. “The Dark Lady has summoned you to her chambers.”
Tastar’s expression remained neutral. “Thank you, Mizubanthelon. I will be right there.”
The Black dragon turned and flew out without another word.
“What was that all about?” Rainbow asked.
Tastar got up and stretched. “I’m going to be gone for the rest of the night. Esra can show you around if you wanna see anything. I recommend going to the griffin eyries for dinner. They have the best food.”
“Hey, wait!” Rainbow called as he made for the door. “Where are you going?””
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” was Tastar’s only response.
And then he was gone.
Rainbow turned to Esra, who looked away with a heavy sigh.
“Sagittarius and Tiamat… were kind of an item, once upon a time. She and Tastar picked things back up when we were all released from the stars.”
Rainbow’s eyes shrunk to pinpricks. “Him and that evil dragon lady?! No way! No freaking way!”
Esra made a face. “Yeah.”
“You’re joshing me.” Rainbow said. “You’ve gotta be!”
“I really, really wish I was,” Esra said. “Blair was furious when he found out, but it’s not like any of us can really stop him. She mourned Sagittarius for a century after he died. If that’s not true love, then I don’t know what is.”
Rainbow couldn’t even process it. “How in the… who… what… where...?”
Esra sighed. “Like Tastar said, Tiamat values power above all else. Finds it attractive, really. Sagittarius was the world’s most efficient dragonslayer, and Tastar is his clone. It’s not all that surprising. I’m actually kinda jealous, to be honest. I hear she’s freaking hot in pony form.”
Something suddenly clicked for Rainbow. “She called him ‘Tari’... oh, sweet Celestia, I think I’m gonna be sick.”
Esra grunted his agreement. “Make sense why the overgrown hydra listens to him?”
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*almost midnight*
*sees new chapter*
SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK!
oh.. oh my gods.. just a couple weeks ago I was lamenting that this story was dead, and just read it all over again just because I enjoyed it so much. I'm very glad I did because now I have just about all the relevant information in my mind. I'M SO EXCITED TO READ IT!! ONWARD!!!!!!!
I cannot believe this is alive. Maybe updates to "Among the Ruins" and "Quantum Castaways" are just around the corner as well.
Just kidding.
But a guy can dream.
When OP finally delivers after years of waiting...
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Oh my God, is it back? Truly? Samurai, I don't know why you have done this, but on behalf of everyone here, thank you.
Heh, I'd forgotten just how in the thick of things we were, despite skimming that blog.
Thanks for dusting this off, even if only for a relatively short commission.
Well, for something I haven't read for a long time, it honestly was easier than I thought to remember what was going on. That blog you wrote certainly helped.
So, we have romance between Celestia and Bahamut, and a former romance between Sagittarius and Tiamat, with Tastar inheriting that position due to being Sagittarius's Echo.
So, "Princess Aurora" needs to undergo training for the Trial of Mind. Good thing Bahamut is willing to provide her with a teacher.
Also, Spike being Bahamut's descendant is something I was slightly surprised by, but it does make sense if you think about it.
2 Years?!
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Amen.
Now this was a return from the bit bucket that I didn't expect! it's good to see that you're back in the saddle, though I don't think I'll pick up reading just yet as I suspect after so long, I'm going to have to read the whole thing again to get back into the immersion. I'll wait for a few more chapters to start that process. :)
This was one of my favorite stories so long ago, I'm very glad to see it picked up again.
6284737 I'm really hopeing for the one fallout crossover about the wanderer getting abducted again and escapes via crashing into the Everfree.
So many good dead stories in my list...
Hahaha, I agree.
Thank you for the wonderful chapter, it's good to see this update.
It finally happened. And it was great I love how you picked everything right back up, characterization wise. And even incorporated the new things from the show. Great job as always cant wait for more. now excuse me while I go reread the story....again.
6284684 got you beat 1 am where I am
Huh, shoulda figured it out with all those little hints through their interactions at the summit. I wonder if Tiamat is gonna chew Tastar out for this...
*squeals and hugs monitor* Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou~!
This is a thing of beauty, I had forgotten just how in love with this story I was, but this chapter was all the reminder I needed and more.
Omg Zombiefic has come back for our brains....or at the very least wreak havoc upon our sleeping patterns...
Inhales
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Also, it's been over 2 years and the chapter starts with "later that day"
Never change you magnificent bastard.
It freaking LLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!
Samurai, I have been checking this story once every few months since it went dark, and there aren't words to describe just HOW FUCKING HYPED I am for this to continue.
Wow, It's been what, two years since the last update? I think this is the new record for the longest actually resolved hiatus I have thus far observed. Anyways, I'm really glad to see this continued.
And now Rainbow Dash will gain levels in Sorcerer, and hopefully take up the Dragon Disciple Prestige Class
I said this for another fic that decided to update after a year or more without an update.
I will say it for this fic too.
Now to Read
Well I did wonder about where the Princess comment at the end of the last Rainbow segment would go, but the ruse was good and I did like seeing "Princess Aurora" go and challenge Tiamet during the Council meeting. But I have to say the romance between Bahamut and Celestia threw me for a bit of loop though less so than the romance between Sagittarius/Taster and Tiamet.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THE WAIT IS OVER!!!
Now i've got to read the whole thing again since i dont remember all the details...
6285343 while this is probably easily the second longest, it still doesn't hold a candle to the 12 year one I saw in the marvel fandom
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One of Cyborg's recent blog posts is a giant recap.
*repeatedly bashes head in the desktop*
I *ow* hate *ow* being *ow* late *ow* for *ow* the *ow* party! *ow*
Why did I have to go to bed? I knew it was going to update during that time, but I still went for bed! I am weak
Still, I need to put this here anyway:
So? We finally saw teh dragonz? I have to say, that there was no better way to make this comeback that with this exact chapter. I am extremely happy that this story is continued, as I'm sure a lot of people are as well.
I don't trust this Dershak fella one bit. He has something between his claws, I'm sure of it.
The Trinity Trials? Tests of strenght, character and knowledge that Dragons administer to their kind? This sounds awfully familiar to that episode of Jake Long: American Dragon. Which is awesome, since that show kicked-ass.
Rainbow needs to study? Well, we know how THAT went along in the show
And odd inter-species romances aside, Tiamat's fondness of Sagittarius is, quite frankly, adorable. The fact that she mourned him for one hundred years is really a statement of her feelings towards him, as Esra says it. This story really knows how to pull at my heartstrings
Best. Comeback. EVER!
So pony x dragon is totally a thing here in this universe.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
hehehe, its been a long time since i've seen this update.
and it was totally worth the wait!
6285343 Equestria's Twilight actually managed a 3 year gap before it updated again. It's just a shame it seems the author disappeared again though...
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You honestly think I would just write a single chapter of this story and not continue it? I wrote like 13k words worth of blogs explaining things and giving a recap alone. TPOH is back and running, dude.
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I hate it when authors do that
It goes against the 8th amendment to the Constitution
It's a "cruel and unusual punishment."
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Heh. I guess I just felt a little awkward after someone asked about bringing this back and someone else said we shouldn't use your offer of commissions to "pressure" you like that. And then I wasn't sure if your announcement was coincidence (i.e. this return had been in the works for a while) or if the request had made you look around and think, "Well, I guess everything else has calmed down enough that I can give this the focus it deserves" a year or two earlier than planned.
But hey, you seem all right with it either way so what am I complaining about?
The Powers... it... it lives again!!
Learnin' tha' Spike be th' grandfoal o' Mast'r Bahamut... tha' threw me mind fer more'n a loop. He looks righ' pow'rful as a stallion, too. Here's hopin' from th' both o' us tha' ye keep yer great work goin'.
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Oh how extremely good it feels to read this again, even if it's currently in the form of a complete re-read. While the recap covers a lot, it can't convey the level of world/character building the actual story has, if you happen to have forgotten most of it, leaving only vague happy memories behind. So yea, looking forward to catching up again!
first things first.
YOU'RE ALIVE!!!
-ahem- glad to see you back at it
YES YES THE ONE OF THE GREATEST FICS OF ALL TIME HAS RETURNED. Alright back to normal, first this was amazing, I must say I has lost hope this work is right up with the lofty standard you've set for yourself. Please continue to impress and thank you for the stories you write.
Right now I'm glad that this was on my "exempt from culling" list. Now I get to wait for more again.
I liked the information this chapter provided. Nice amount of background and character information with Dash being Dash. And the relationships! I'm trying to decide if I like that we know who is involved with who or Dash's reaction better.
I hope your symptoms stay minimal (and new medicine, knowledge, etc comes along to make them go away all together). I glanced at the list of health problems on you blog and went "that sucks, to make an understatement!"
One typo I noticed:
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I was extremely engaged really quickly. Usually when I'm reading my mind drifts to other things a lot and I spend half the time thinking about other stuff. But here I was reading pretty quickly and hardly ever distracted.
I love meta jokes like these.
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I haven't noticed that!
CS, you evil genius!
Great this story updated...what was it about again? Have to re-read everything now.
Another sidequest. Also, aren't these type of conditions reserved for after the ends are met? The dragons apparently do hold Cetus as a greater threat, however, are risking a major player by forcing these trials before Cetus is defeated. It's already pretty easy to tell that Rainbow will make it through these trials even without alicornication. No one saw this coming?
I need to reread this story. I forgot where Applejack left off...