The Dragon Master

by Cantus

Three - Realisation and Remembrance

Twilight was relieved at having finally been allowed to leave the hospital, but she had precious little else to feel good about. She’d decided to inspect the remains of Ponyville’s Library, her former home. When she finally arrived on the scene, there were a team of earth ponies attempting to salvage whatever parts of it hadn’t been burned to ashes. In amongst the small crowd was somepony Twilight recognised more quickly.

“Twilight!” a familiar voice sounded out. “You’re back! Well, isn’t this convenient! I mean, I was coming to see you in a few hours anyway, but still, this is good, right?” Twilight didn’t mind the display of affection, but at the moment she wanted nothing more than to get to grips with exactly what had happened.

“Thanks, Rarity. Um, yeah, it sure is convenient.” She tried to switch the subject as quickly as possible. “So, how’s the uh…” She glanced at the smoldering heap of charred wood that had been her home. “…excavation work going?”

“Well, of course I’m just here to supervise, Darling, but we have found a couple of things that might be of interest. I must say, though, most of this place was rather…badly damaged. I simply can’t imagine how something like this could have happened…”

Twilight listened to Rarity’s chatter with a mild amount of interest, but she paid most attention when they came to the pile of salvaged material. It was comprised mostly of books, the ones that had been damp or lucky enough to escape the worst of the blaze. There were about fifteen in the pile, all of which Twilight recognised almost immediately. “Is this all there is?”

Rarity hesitated before responding. “Erm…well, we haven’t completely finished looking-”

A male, brown earth pony approached Rarity. “Miss Rarity, we’ve finished looking through the wreckage. Nothin’ more-”

He was cowed by a fierce look from the white unicorn, and backed away. “Uh, yeah, well, we’ll just finish up here and take our leave”. He said something to the other workers and they dispersed with haste.

Twilight felt her heart drop like a stone. She stared forlornly at the pile of books. Was this really all that was left? At once, the full reality of the situation made itself known to her. It was really gone. She had nowhere to stay, except in Canterlot, away from her friends. Rarity seemed to guess what she was thinking.

“Oh, I’ve just had the most wonderful idea! Seeing as what’s happened, why don’t you stay with me for a bit? I mean, just until we can sort something out…” Twilight wasn’t sure how to react.

“Well, thanks, Rarity, but I’m…” Rarity wasn’t having any of that.

“No, no, I insist. It’ll be no trouble at all. Although, we should probably find some way of bringing all those heavy books – assuming you want to bring them, of course”. Twilight felt a strange mix of despair and relief. One problem out of the way, but the rest of them were no nearer being solved. All she could do was wait for the Princess’ response.

Carousel Boutique wasn’t a bad place to stay, but there wasn’t all that much spare room with all of Rarity’s clothes and implements, and there was even less after Twilight had dragged in the surviving books. Twilight had noted with some amusement that a copy of the same book that had started the fire was among their number, and decided that she might as well finish it. Seeing as Rarity was out on an errand at the time, this seemed like as good a time as any to start reading.

She was still doing this when there was a knock at the door. She didn’t hear it at first, being absorbed into the book, but the second time it caught her attention. Her first instinct was to ask Spike to get the door. A fresh jolt of grief shot through her as she remembered that was impossible.

She opened the door, to be met by a Pegasus, dressed in the garb of a Courier. “Erm, excuse me, is Ms. Sparkle here? I was informed I could find her here…”

Twilight’s heart jumped. Could it be Celestia’s eagerly-awaited response? “Yes, that would be me, actually.” The Pegasus seemed relieved.

“Oh, good. Well, I was told to give these to you, so here you go!” The Pegasus handed her a small brown envelope and a much larger package before taking off. Twilight shut the door and tore the letter open excitedly. Not wasting any time, she began to read.

“My dearest and most faithful student Twilight,
I am sorry to hear the news you bring. This is a grave matter indeed. I am not sure exactly what action to take. After much debate, I have decided that you should, at the very least, be informed of the exact scale of the events that are about to unfold. You should find enclosed a copy of one of the rarest books in Equestria. In it you will find the background information necessary for you to understand this. You may tell your immediate friends of this, but both you and they must keep utmost secrecy otherwise”.

Twilight was worried. Unfolding events? Rare tomes? Utmost secrecy? This was growing more serious by the moment. She tore open the wrapping on the package that had come with the letter. There was an ancient, leatherbound book inside, pockmarked and musty with the dust of ages. Twilight could almost smell the sheer weight of the years. She dusted off the cover. “Tales Of The Ancient World – A Volume Of Forgotten Facts and Forsaken Figures”. She’d never seen this book in her life. Almost immediately she picked it up, levitating it with her magic, and placed it onto a nearby table. She began reading.

It had been written by an author who had never bothered to write his name on the cover, or if he had time had already worn it away. One thing she noticed about his style of writing was that it was extremely hurried, as if he only had a few minutes at a time to write entries into the book, and was constantly looking over his own shoulder to see if anyone was watching him. To top it all off, the author’s handwriting resembled nothing so much as a drunken spider falling into a vat of ink and then crawling all over the page in roughly horizontal lines, making it difficult to make out certain words.

In spite of all these things, she couldn’t avert her eyes once she started reading. “Many, many ages ago, the world began. Pangor would have you believe that she was responsible, and that would suit her, yes, to further the adoration of her serfs. But the truth is greater, far greater. For at the dawn of the world there was nought, but darkness and flat, cold earth. And behold, Olni did come forth, causing fire and light to surge…”

The narrative continued in this manner for many pages, telling a story Twilight had never heard of before. The author seemed to take for granted that the reader knew the identity of this “Olni” character, and never really bothered to explain, but the reverential way he was spoken of (plus the fact that he was credited with creating the world) made it clear that he was supposed to be some form of deity. But who was Pangor? Apparently the author had a vitriolic hatred of her, but he refused to give up any more detail than that.

Twilight was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. Twilight realized with a shock that Rarity had returned. “Oh, Twilight! I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were…” The white unicorn took notice of the book, as well as the wrapping on the floor. “…reading.”

Twilight had to think fast. “Oh, yeah, right. Reading.” She closed the book and placed it back amongst the pile.

“I’m not sure I’ve seen that book before, Twilight. Is it new?”

Twilight pushed it under some of the others. “No, just re-reading an old favourite”. The Princess had said that she could tell her friends, but she didn’t want to worry Rarity; especially not before she knew the real relevance of this book. Still, the Princess had sent her it – it must be connected to their present situation, somehow. It had to be…

“She sent you what?” Rainbow seemed unimpressed. “How’s a book gonna help us find Spike? Unless it’s got a complete map of the Everfree Forest, I just don’t see it”. Twilight shook her head in frustration.

“No, it doesn’t have a map. What it does have, however, is an explanation!”

Rainbow still seemed unimpressed. “Explain what? Spike got kidnapped, we need to rescue him, what’s there to explain?”

Applejack chimed in. “Well, maybe if we know why he took Spike away, we can find out where he took ‘im to. Is that what yer thinkin’ Twilight?”

The unicorn nodded. “I reckon so. The thing is…” She hesitated.

Rainbow became impatient. “What, what is it?”

Twilight's face twisted in discomfort. “What’s inside this book is, well… see for yourselves”.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************
Spike felt bloated all of a sudden. His stomach swelled as he recognized the feeling. The Princess must be sending a letter!

Gravil turned to him. “Hmm? Is there something the matter, My Lord?”

Spike didn’t have time to respond before he belched, releasing a cloud of green smoke that swirled for a few seconds before coalescing into a scroll. The runes on the walls, dormant for a while, flared up in angry crimson light. Gravil’s eyes widened as he saw the runes. “Unicorn Magic!” he hissed, the disgust in his voice palpable. Spike grabbed and opened the scroll before Gravil could. He began to read –

“Spike, I understand that this must be difficult for you. You don’t know where you are, or who you are with. I know he will not admit to this, but the dragon who has taken you is acting against the common good as well as your own. He does not know that his cause will result in nothing but death and ruin-”

At this point, Gravil grabbed the scroll, tearing it from Spike’s claws.

“H-hey, that was mine!”

Ignoring Spike’s protests, Gravil’s ancient eyes scanned the parchment. His body trembled with rage, the special kind of rage that comes only to those who have suffered in silence for centuries as their woes go uncared for. Spike protested again.

“H-hey, didn’t you hear me? I said that’s-”

Gravil roared, his rejuvenated lungs providing him with volume enough that the high eaves of Anbel echoed with him. Spike decided to drop the subject, particularly as the wyrm then proceeded to shred the parchment to ribbons on his claws. He panted for breath. Eventually, he regained some measure of composure and spoke.

“My Lord. I know I said that we would leave our next History lesson until tomorrow, but if the great enemy is trying to warp your mind, we must hurry.” Spike didn’t even have time to respond before he was grabbed firmly by the wrist and led back to the library. Knowing by now the futility of resistance, he decided that he might as well see what the fuss was about.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************

The two ponies were flabbergasted. So was Twilight, but she had already read it and so the effect was lessened for her. “This can’t possibly be right!” yelled Rainbow. “The Princess would never do anything like that! Whoever this writer is, he doesn’t know what he’s talkin’ about!”

Twilight turned to face her, her face set grimly. “I know it seems absurd, but the Princess sent me this. Why would she deliberately send us lies about herself? That doesn't make sense, from any viewpoint!"

Applejack shook her head. “I can’t fault ya there, Twilight, but this is…quite a lot to take in, ya know?”

Twilight nodded. “I know”. The other two ponies realized with a jolt that Twilight must have been even more shaken than they were – after all, she had always regarded Celestia as a close friend and trusted mentor.

Rainbow still objected, her stubborn nature making itself known. “But…but even if that is true, she must’ve had a good reason! I mean, nopony just up and-”

Twilight turned to face Rainbow, visibly irritated. “Yes, Rainbow, I know. But shocking as it is, we can leave that question until later. The real question we need to ask is what to do now.”

Twilight opened the book to a page near the end, festooned with drawings and dots, obviously some kind of plan. “This is a representation of the building where Spike has most likely been taken.” She pointed to a drawing of a high-roofed building.

“And what’s that?” Applejack said, pointing to the drawings next to it.

“That would be the ritual” finished the purple unicorn.

************************************************************************************************************************************************************
After a few minutes, Spike and Gravil returned to the Tomb of Tales. The wyrm stood up and began to speak.

"Now, My Lord, where were we...?" Before Spike could say anything, Gravil answered the question himself. "Ah, I recall now".

He went on. "Now, the Children of Olni divide time in a unique way. It is split into reigns. The First Reign began when Galdor The Great was born, the Second when his son took the throne, and so forth".

"Now, when Olni created the world, he gave to Galdor and his people a gift - that of sovereignty, the right to rule the world. And so they did, for seven hundred and fifty years."

"However, it could not last forever. Olni wished for his people to live, free, without need for him. However, he also knew that he could not simply abandon them - without the brilliant light and heat that radiated from him, his people would be swallowed by the darkness. He designed a plan, and acted on it."

Gravil paused for breath before continuing. "He gathered to him all of his children, and announced that he would leave them. There was great consternation amongst the crowd, but none gave voice to their worried. Olni spoke again, and he said that though he would leave them in body, he would never leave in spirit. Thus he gave them a gift: he raised his head skyward and spat forth a mighty ball of flame, that shot through the heavens, before coming to rest. He said that this was the Sun, his gift to them. It would shine down upon them forever, as their guardian. It would be an eternal reminder that they were his children, and he was their father."

Spike continued to listen, Gravil’s words stirring a strange emotion rising in him. He didn’t know its name, but it is known as atavism, and with this, he felt closer to his ancestors than he realized he could feel to anyone. He almost was them, living their lives through his, their blood pouring through his veins. As this occurred, the symbols on the tablet un-knotted themselves, transforming from a clump of unreadable pictograms into words he found he could understand.

He fixed his gaze upon a line of symbols, and understood. They said "Thou hast honour, and honour is thy life. By thine honour is power won, sovereignty earned, and life proven". He turned to the line beside it, which said. "Should thou break my law, which I have given to thee, thine honour is forfeit, and thou shalt know shame and fear. But he that keeps my law, that works in its service, shall be honoured by all who know him, and should they scorn him still woe is theirs, for I do not ignore the works of the truly repentant".

It was dizzying. So many symbols, so much meaning, so many words. Spike's head span as dizziness overcame him. He fell to the floor in a heap.

"My Lord! Are you alright?" Gravil's voice was heavy with concern.

Spike sat up, cradling his head between his hands. "Uhh. I think so...but..."

The wyrm held out his hand, picking up and steadying his younger charge. "But what?" said the wyrm.

Spike responded. "I think I just...read those".

Gravil's eyes widened in disbelief. "My Lord, do you mean the tablet?"

Spike nodded.

Gravil inhaled deeply. "I...My Lord, are you quite serious?"

Spike nodded again. "This is most fortuitous. That you can read it, without being taught! It must mean that you are blessed by Olni!"

The wyrm coughed. "Er...not that there was ever any doubt, of course..."

Spike was too dizzy to comment.

When Spike had recovered "The people stared up in wonder at this new gift, scarcely able to take in what was happening. When they finally averted their gaze, their Father was gone, and he had taken Galdor with him."

Spike piped up. "Why did he do that?"

Gravil turned to his charge, his expression showing that this wasn't the first time he'd been asked that.

"I cannot say for sure, My Lord. As he was forged by Olni's own hand I doubt Galdor would have died naturally, and I suspect the Dragonfather wished for more than one person to be able to experience the role of King. At least, that is my best guess."

Spike nodded.

Something occurred to Spike, and he decided to voice it. "So what did they do after that?"

Gravil responded. "Galdor had many children, but only one son. He took up the mantle of King after his father went with Olni. He took the same name too, so that his father's wisdom might pass to him."

Spike took in this information, not really knowing how to reply. However, he felt like he wanted to know more.

Gravil remembered what Spike had said earlier. “Now, My Lord, you asked about the Runes earlier? We are getting close, but there is one more story you must hear. When Olni created us, he knew of the force known as Magic. It existed in all things, just as the fire lives in a Dragon, or the soul lives in the body. However, he knew also that it, being not of his hand, would be resentful of our intrusion onto its world. Thus he warned his children against attempting to make use of it."

Spike raised his hand. "Why didn't he just stop them from using it altogether?"

Gravil grinned again - this was the oldest question in the book, and he knew its answer well. He had even asked it himself when he was that age.

"Olni is great, and Olni is mighty. However, Olni is also compassionate, and does not force his children's actions against their wills. He warned us, he told us, and it is our folly alone that we did not heed him".

Something in Gravil's tone told Spike that it wasn't worth arguing that particular point, and the wyrm went on.

"Thus, magic is not a part of our inheritance. It is not made for us, nor we for it. However, it is not impossible
for a Dragon to wield such power. During the Second Reign, we discovered this fact, at devastating cost."

Gravil's eyes misted over as he as taken by the story. "Picture the scene. The empire is strong. Galdor II has reigned for four centuries, and none challenge our supremacy. In this time there lived many Dragons, most of them living in Holds. There were many such Holds, of which Anbel is, and always has been, the greatest".

The wyrm grimaced, remembering the next part of the story. This was his least favourite part. "One of the Dragons living at this time was named Mabin. She was not part of a Hold - she had always preferred the vast expanse of the sky to the soothing protection of the earth." Gravil shuddered as he thought about it.

"Not that I ever understood that way of thinking..."

Gravil went on, seeing that Spike wanted to hear more.

"This made her a Wilder in the eyes of the Hold-Dragons, but she did not care. Their scorn meant nothing to her. She had wed once, but her husband had been taken from her before his time, and she was left alone to guard their only clutch of eggs. She fawned over them, as any mother does, but she was even more vigilant than most, devoting every waking moment to their preservation. Alas, the cruel whim of fate had deigned her to suffer. One night, when she had fallen asleep, something snuck into her cave, and stole from her one precious egg. "

"No-one is sure who exactly was responsible- a beast of the wilds? Possibly, though I doubt any beast would be suicidal enough to steal from a dragon. When Mabin awake, she was both terrified and furious. She searched high and low for her missing egg, but found nothing. On the fourth night, when her hope began to fade, she came across something. More accurately, it came to her."

Spike's enthusiasm grew with every word. "What found her? What found her?"

Gravil continued unperturbed. "She was found by one of the Cri-Es. They are evil, spiteful spirits, who lived before Olni came. They hate him, and all his creations, and would gladly see us wiped from the earth. However, they are far from stupid. They are willing to make deals and bargains where it suits them, and they saw one that night. One of the Cri-Es approached Mabin, and told her that it would find her egg for her - for a price. Mabin was hesitant. All of Olni's Children know the danger of the Cri-Es, and so did she. However, the spirit was persuasive, and played upon her fears, showing her visions of what might happen to her egg if she did not find it immediately. It whispered that her husband would never be able to forgive her if she failed to protect their children. This was the final straw. In the grip of despair, she agreed."

Gravil shuddered from the pain of remembering. "For what it is worth, the fiend was true to its word. It slipped away from Mabin, and returned scant hours later, carrying with it the egg. Mabin's heart leapt with joy to see it again, but her joy was short-lived. The demon took its toll".

The egg changed. Its green shell changed to blood-red, distressing Mabin. Even so, Mabin loved it like the others and took it with her."

"For weeks she waited. One by one the eggs began to hatch, each cracked shell bringing another gift from on high. She loved them dearly, but could not quell her fears. Week after week passed, and still the red egg showed no signs of life. Fear grew inside Mabin. Had the demon tricked her? It certainly would not be beneath them to raise up her hopes solely for the joy of crushing them. Still, she waited. She began to hunt again, to feed her three children, soon, she hoped, to be four."

"Days passed by, and still nothing happened. Every day she hunted, and every night she curled around her children to keep them warm and safe. Yet still the egg did not stir. She began to despair, but still clung to the one last thread of hope - that somehow, the egg might hatch."

"At last, it happened. On the eve of Olnisa, the festival that commemmorates Olni's departure and the birth of the Sun, the egg stirred. Mabin's heart leapt again, every crack lifting her spirits. At last, the shell cracked open entirely, and before Mabin stood her fourth child, a daughter."

"Mabin was relieved beyond words. She named the child..."

Gravil’s voice trailed off again. “Renka. Renka was her name. Mabin felt joy again, and for a time all was well. Mabin was happy to rear her family out here, in the Wilds. She had no need of the intricacies of court life, or the cloying air of the Holds. However, it soon became clear that all was not as it should be."

"The problem was Renka. It became clear that she was not like other dragons. She refused to eat meat, and became violently sick whenever she was forced to do so. Plant-matter is not food fit for a dragon, and so Renka simply suffered. She survived, but she hated every second of living. Her growth was stunted and she remained gaunt and weak whilst her siblings grew stronger. However, she did like the taste of gemstones, and gobbled them whenever she found them. Sadly, in the Wilds, gemstones are few and far between."

"Mabin could not bear to see her daughter suffer so, but she did not possess very many gems, nothing like the amount needed to feed a growing dragon. So it was that on the day of Olnija, Mabin left her three sons by themselves (with strict orders not to leave the cave) and took Renka to the summit of Mount Tena-Lin".

Spike piped up again. "Where's that?"

Gravil gestured at the roof. "We are standing inside it, My Lord. Anbel is built directly into its side!"

Spike remembered the sheer rock face he had seen on the way in. "Whoa. So she came here?"

Gravil went on. "Well, she didn't go inside. On that particular day, the King flies to the top of Ilc-Tena, to thank Olni for creating us. A feast is held, and all who attend praise His generosity. So, to this ceremony did Mabin come. Carrying her sickly child, she stood before the King and begged clemency of him, that he might take Renka in out of mercy. Of course, he accepted".

Spike felt a little confused, like he'd just missed something everyone else had understood. "Why "of course"? Couldn't he have said no?"

Gravil was taken aback, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Of course not! The King derives his authority from Olni, and Olni alone. If the King acts in a way that Olni would consider disgraceful, how can he still claim kingship? He cannot! No true King would turn down a desperate plea for help! As it is written, He who does not give, cannot expect to recieve."

Spike stifled a yawn. It was getting late. Gravil took notice of this. "Worry not, my Lord, we are nearly finished. I will cut out the less relevant parts".

"So it was that Galdor took Renka in. She was placed under the care of a matron, and for a time everything seemed well. Renka grew well on the rich coffers of Anbel, and she seemed content. Her mother came to visit her whenever she could. For her young years this was only at Olnija, for only then could Mabin spare time from the effort of raising three boys."

"These visits from her mother were incredibly important to Renka, for she found few friends at Anbel. The nobles thought of her as a burden and treated her as an outcast. Even those who were more civil to her could never seem to overcome the fact that she had not been born to a Hold. To them, she was a Wilder, and she didn't deserve any of the things that she had".

"However, there was one thing in which Renka found joy - history. She studied the Tablets of creation and of law until she could recite them better even than the historians themselves. However, reading the tablets brought her more questions than it did answers. She read the decrees of Olni, of how all things made by Him were his Children, and how all should treat each other as such. She read of how He listened to the pleas of the truly penitent, and how all should work according to his Law. Why, then, she wondered, did so few of them do so? She could not fault the King, for he had taken her in. The other Dragons of Anbel, however, were as far from Olni's ideals as she could imagine, and yet they called themselves His children. It made no sense to her".

"There was one in particular who irked her - the King's eldest son. Galdor had come to think of Renka almost like a daughter, and his son resented this. He took pains to make her aware that she was not part of his family, that most did not welcome her presence in Anbel. She, for her part, suffered him as best she could. She could not speak out against him due to his position, so she took his jibes and taunts with as much grace as she could muster. Every day he slung at her with words, and every night she prayed dearly to Olni that justice would be done."

"Thus it continued for years. Renka lived her life, unaware of the curse placed upon her by the demon. The masked hostility of the court of Anbel was the worst she had to deal with, and she learned to cope. However, things cannot remain the same forever. One Olnija, Mabin failed to appear in Anbel. Renka was crushed - her mother's visits were one of the few truly bright points in her life, and she had never missed one before. Her sorrow deepened, however, the next day. An unfamiliar dragon arrived in Anbel, claiming to have news for Renka."

"He announced himself as her eldest brother, Otobon. He told her the words she had been dreading: their mother, Mabin, was dead."

Spike was fighting fatigue by this point, but he was willing to do it for a story like this. "What...*yawn*...happened..."

Gravil noticed this. "My Lord, are you sure you do not wish to retire for the night?"

Spike shook his head. "No, I'm..."

Spike's eyelids forced themselves shut, and he nodded off where he stood.

Gravil chuckled. "Ah. Perhaps a little too much history."

He picked up the baby dragon and began to walk, towards the bedchamber.

The rest of the story could wait until tomorrow.

The desire to tell it to someone else still burned inside him, but less strongly than it had in years. Telling someone had helped. At least now the Prince knew the beginning of the story.

He just hoped he would never have to see the end.

Comments

[Meta Knight]

♫♥I look forward to reading what happens next in your story♥♪

[Cantus]

Well, you shan't have to wait long :)

[Cantus]

The other chapters have been unpublished, but when you see them return it means twice as much Fanfic in your life.

This is good, no?

Anyway, I hope you can all get used to this.
Adios,
Cantus

[Darkhorse]

[Cantus]

To all those who read this story when it was first posted:

Hey. You might have noticed that things have been awfully turbulent with the chapters - they've been taken down, put up and taken down again, and you might be wondering what in Celestia's name I'm doing.

Well, allow me to explain. I'm trying to get this submitted to EQD, but it needs to be better. I've submitted it for review, and fixed several problems with it, but in the process of doing so I've come up with new ideas that I've put into the fic.

As a result of that, it's taking ages to write everything and update it, and the chapters need to be rewritten from scratch and it's rargglfarglbargl../.,/.le

*pant*

Er, I mean, it's hard work.

Anyway, thank you for reading this and I ope you guys still enjoy reading this.

fake 'n' gay