As Ember eyes the Flamecano in the near-distance, she is struck by the tranquility of the scene. The feeling stays with her as she reaches the entranceway to the mountain that she had previously taken.
No boulders flying at her in every direction. No fires spewing from the entrance. The traps that had hindered the progress of herself and all the other dragons, in pursuit of the Bloodstone Scepter, now lay as dormant as carnival attractions after closing. Instead, an eerie calm follows her as she winds her way through the maze of passages leading to the original resting place of the scepter.
This has to be the place, she thinks to herself as she finally comes to the rope bridge that had once led Spike to the scepter. The cavern now lie calm and still, the pool of lava below the bridge undisturbed. Her heart racing, she swoops down to the lava pool’s surface and fills the chalice before returning to the pile of rocks where the scepter had once laid. She peers inside the bowl of the chalice, marveling as the lava changes hues within its container.
“EMBER!!!”
The dragonlord glances up at hearing her name echo through the chamber. What’s she doing here! Undaunted, she holds the lava-filled chalice high above her head … and empties its contents onto herself.
As the multicolored lava runs down her body, a feeling of agony grips her as she doubles over, careful to keep a grip on the chalice amidst the pain. A throbbing sensation pulses through her body, which begins to grow in stature. Additional spikes shoot out from her back to fill gaps as she grows to double her previous size.
Moments later, the pain subsides; she picks herself back up and inspects the results; she begins to laugh involuntarily as she notices that the chalice had grown in size along with her, while continuing to cycle through its spectrum of colors.
“IT WORKS!” she shouts to the emptiness of the cavern, her voice significantly lower than before. Regaining her composure, she refocuses on the task at hand. She swoops down for a second pass at the lava pool’s surface, again filling the bowl of the chalice before returning to the pile of rocks.
She once again holds the chalice high above her head … in a blur, the chalice is knocked out of her claws, landing on its side as the lava spills out onto the rocks, turning back to its natural fiery-red color as it chars and melts the patch of ground.
“What the …” Ember bends down and picks up the chalice, then turns to see Rainbow Dash hovering above the rope bridge, fire and ire in her eyes.
“YOU USED US!” Rainbow angrily declares. “Me, Daring Do … even Caballeron, for pony’s sake! Why???”
“This doesn’t concern you anymore,” Ember shouts back. “Now go!”
“You treated your friends like pawns!”
“I told Spike that dragons don’t do friendship! And I have nothing against you or any other ponies; I assured you that I would keep Equestria safe, and I intend to keep that promise. But to do that, I need this!”
“Need what?” As the initial fury passes over Rainbow, she takes in Ember’s new stature. She quietly continues, “Ember … what are you doing?”
Ignoring the blue pegasus, Ember soars towards the lava pool, skimming off a bowlful of lava as before. She returns to her previous position near the rocks and again holds the chalice above her head. “I’m doing what I have to do,” she quietly responds as she again empties the lava onto her body.
As before, Ember falls to the ground in abject pain while maintaining her hold on the chalice. Her body expands again to double its previous size, with more spikes and scales forming around her exterior. Soon after, she rises from the ground, now towering above the pile of rocks. She inspects the chalice, then turns to Rainbow; she smiles at the thought that the two are now similar in size.
“Ember, you gotta stop this, now!” Rainbow pleads, concern in her voice. “Whatever this chalice thing is doing to you isn’t natural.”
“Don’t pretend like you know about dragon culture!” Ember suddenly snaps back, her voice booming as it shakes the cavern’s walls. Rainbow is blown back by the sheer force of the volume, but maintains her position.
“I know we never met before today, but Twilight’s told me all about you … and I’m sure you’re not like this. You’re not thinking straight right now.”
“You’re wrong, Rainbow,” Ember states. “My mind’s never been clearer. Now leave this place and let me complete the process.”
“Process to what, becoming a monster?”
Ember suddenly unleashes a torrent of firebreath, causing Rainbow to dive down to avoid being charred. “HEY!”
“DON’T YOU EVER REFER TO THE ELDERS AS MONSTERS AGAIN!!! NOW GET OUT!!!”
With her new-found size, Ember simply bends down from her position to refill the bowl of the chalice with lava. As she reaches over her head again, Rainbow bursts into action, speeding over and knocking the chalice from Ember’s claws. The chalice lands at Ember’s feet, again emptying its liquid contents onto the rocks. Before Ember can react, Rainbow swoops in and clutches the chalice with both forelegs, straining but focused on holding its increased girth as she zips away. She returns to a position above the far side of the rope bridge and turns to Ember; the latter’s eyes shoot daggers at her.
“GIVE THAT BACK!!!”
“Or what, you’ll barbecue me?”
“… If I have to …”
Not expecting Ember’s quiet, seething reply, Rainbow turns tail and flies out of the cavern.
Ember quickly gives chase, but finds it difficult to maneuver through the passageways that were much larger for her when she entered. Her wings brush up against various ceilings as her tail slams into the sides of the passages, causing the area to shake as bits of stone fall from above. Undaunted, Ember continues her pursuit of the pegasus, eventually passing through the entrance to the Flamecano; her body smashes through the rock walls on the sides, sending chunks of boulder in the air to eventually splash into the waters below.
Ember is surprised and relieved to see Rainbow simply hover in place just outside the Flamecano. “GIVE ME THE CHALICE!”
“You’ll have to take it by force,” Rainbow coolly states, “and I don’t think you’ll harm me.”
“… You’re half right.”
Ember emits another stream of fire-breath directly at Rainbow. Unable to maneuver with the burden of the now-immense chalice, she shuts her eyes as she receives the full force of the flames which immediately engulf her body. She cries out in agony as she releases her grip on the chalice; the two plummet to the waters below.
The dragonlord soars over to the chalice, undamaged by the flames and continuing to cycle through its colors as it bobs up and down amongst the waves. She reaches out to grab the chalice … and notices Rainbow’s lifeless body floating on the surface; her mane, wings, and tail are charred black and her body singed a charcoal grey.
No …
Leaving the chalice behind, Ember flies over to Rainbow’s body, clutching it in her claws as she heads to a beach area at the foot of the Flamecano. She lays the pegasus’ body onto the sand and turns away, sobbing uncontrollably. Moments later, she turns to face Rainbow, tears streaming from her eyes.
“Forgive me, Rainbow Dash … I … I never wanted it to go this far … I’m so, so sorry … I just felt like … like …”
Through her tears, Ember notices a stirring from the pony’s body. She couldn’t have …
“Rainbow?”
A dull moan emanates from the pony’s mouth. Slowly, she tilts her head from left to right; minutes later, she wobbily gets onto her hooves. Immediately, she feels new pain when the towering figure before her squeezes her in a tight embrace.
“Rainbow! Please forgive me! I’m so sorry! I beg of you!”
The muffled cries of her embracee cause Ember to let go; Rainbow stumbles backwards and falls on her flank.
“You’re … alive!” Ember utters, dumbfounded. “How is that possible?”
“Like I told Quibble,” she woozily replies, “I’m made of stronger stuff than your typical pony … but I might want to see a doctor soon.”
“Rainbow Dash, I … I beg of you to forgive me. I just wanted so badly to …” Ember sighs. “I’m not fit to be Dragonlord.”
Ignoring her own pain, Rainbow addresses the dragon. “Heeey,” she casually starts, “I admit this isn’t what I expected from our first face-to-face, but from what Twilight has told us, you’ve been doing an incredible job! I just don’t understand why you felt the need to manipulate us and …” She looks over her own charred, pockmarked body. “… resort to this.”
“Rainbow, have you ever been in charge of other ponies?”
“Huh? Well, sure, I guess. I mean, I am the head weatherpony in Ponyville.”
“And the ponies you’re in charge of … do they respect you?”
“Well … yeah … I think. That is … I’ve never had a problem with anypony before.”
“Yeah …” Ember turns away from Rainbow. “Must be nice. I wouldn’t know.”
Rainbow sports a puzzled look which is missed by Ember. “Wouldn’t know what? I don’t understand.”
“They don’t accept me, Rainbow. Just a bunch of muscle-and-scale meatheads who still can’t believe that a tiny girl could become their leader.”
Sucking up the aching in her wings, Rainbow flies over Ember’s head to address her face-to-face. “That’s ridiculous! I’ve seen first-hoof: the dragons listen to every command you give them!”
“Only out of duty, Rainbow! Out of some ancient code of conduct created long before any of them existed! Not because they actually believe in what I say. Not like … not like when my father was in charge.” Ember closes her eyes and sighs. “Father … you were right …”
“You are every bit the dragonlord that Torch was!” Rainbow’s declaration elicits a derisive laugh from Ember.
“My father stands a hundred times over everyone. His voice carries real weight … he could knock over a crowd with a simple command. All the dragons feared him … and respected his every word. They knew never to cross my father. They don’t feel that way towards me. In me, they see someone weak and frail, not someone passionate and knowledgeable. All they see in me is weakness. Sure, they follow my orders now, but who knows what they’ll be like a year from now, or two years, or ten.”
Before Rainbow can respond, Ember flies off to over the water. She notices the chalice still bobbing on the surface, scoops it up and brings it back to the beach. “THIS,” she states to Rainbow, “is what made my father the dragon he is today. One who towers above all others. One who’s very being commands respect. My father told me stories about his transformation, and about the Chalice of Rhinyorgrun. I took those stories to heart, knowing that if I ever needed the power it contained … but I let that power cloud my judgment. Now …”
Ember drops the chalice and collapses on her back. Rainbow returns to the ground and eyes the chalice, surprised to see it continue to cycle through its myriad of colors … and see it slowly shrink in size. She turns to Ember, watching her stature wane simultaneously.
“I didn’t complete the process,” Ember relates. “The power I attained is wearing off. Maybe that’s for the best.” Minutes later, the dragon is restored to her former, diminutive self. She sighs and turns to face Rainbow. “I have much to apologize for.”
“You made a few mistakes, Ember. But your biggest mistake is not believing in yourself.”
Ember snorts in denial.
“You say the other dragons don’t respect you. That they only follow your orders because you tell them to.”
“It’s the truth.”
“So tell me: did you order Garble to come to the Crystal Empire?”
Rainbow’s question catches Ember off-guard. “Garble? I told him to apologize to the ponies he threatened during the phoenix egg incident.”
“But did you order him to spend more time around ponies? To learn more about them?”
“What? No … I was planning on bringing the dragons along slowly when it came to making contact with ponies.”
“Then what was Garble doing at the Crystal Empire library just 30 minutes ago?”
Ember stares at Rainbow as she tries to process the latter’s question.
“Yeah, he was there. But not for the Chalice. He knows nothing about that, though I guess that’s not news to you. No, he was trying to learn more about ponykind … on his own. And trust me, the Garble I knew before you became Dragonlord would never have done that!”
“Garble … was reaching out to ponies?”
“In his own way, I guess. Hey, Twilight told me all about that ‘gauntlet’ that you and Spike ran. From what I heard, Garble experienced first-hoof … er, first-claw … what friendship can really accomplish. He sees that, maybe he wants to know more. And who knows where that could lead. OK, so he doesn’t have as much respect for you now as you’d like … but he’s getting there. And this is Garble we’re talking about! If he can come around, so can all the others. Your actions are getting through to them; you just have to be patient.” Rainbow pauses, then chuckles slightly. “Heh … can’t believe I’m lecturing someone else about patience!”
Ember bows her head. “Wow … I had no idea that I was making a real difference. I wish I knew all that before I put all your lives in such …”
She stops in mid-sentence, her gaze focused on the horizon. Rainbow turns to follow her gaze, and notices a large creature flying towards them.
“EMMMMBERRRRR!!!”
“… Father?”
Within minutes, the massive former dragonlord reaches the Flamecano. Eyeing his daughter, he settles himself in the water to address the twosome at eye level. He notices the chalice lying in the sand, then turns to Ember.
“I’M NOT TOO LATE!!! THANK GOODNESS I GOT HERE IN TIME!”
“Father! How did you know I was here?”
“ALL DRAGONS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE RITUAL OF THE CHALICE OF RHINYORGRUN HAVE AN INNATE BOND WITH THE CHALICE. I FELT A SURGE OF POWER NOT ONE HOUR AGO … A SURGE I HAD NOT FELT IN OVER A THOUSAND YEARS. I KNEW WHAT IT MEANT … THAT THE ARTIFACT HAD BEEN REDISCOVERED. I CAME AS QUICKLY AS I COULD; THANK GOODNESS YOU HAVEN’T STARTED THE PROCESS YET!”
“Well …” Ember looks away in shame. “actually, I did start the process … but Rainbow Dash stopped me before I could finish. And I rewarded her by …”
Torch turns to the ashen pegasus. “YOU SURVIVED DRAGONFIRE? INCREDIBLE”
“Yeah, I’m pretty awesome,” Rainbow replies weakly and half-dazed.
Eyeing the chalice on the beach, Torch then turns to Ember. “THERE ARE OTHER POWERS THE CHALICE POSSESSES THAT YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF. EMBER … IF YOU COULD, FOR MY CLAWS ARE TOO MASSIVE. FILL THE CHALICE WITH SEAWATER, AND TAKE IT TO THE PONY.”
Unsure of the consequences, Ember abides her father’s wishes. She picks up the chalice and sails over the sea, skimming a bowlful into the chalice. She flies back to Rainbow as her father continues.
“NOW DO AS YOU HAD DONE FOR YOURSELF.”
Ember slowly pours the contents of the chalice onto Rainbow Dash. As the liquid pours over the pegasus’ mane, the blackness washes away, making way for the colorful richness of its natural form. stray drops pour down her face, wiping away greyness and leaving behind bright cyan. As the remaining water empties over Rainbow’s body and tail, they too regain their pristine form.
Dropping the chalice, Ember backs away as Rainbow inspects her form, surprised at how healthy she feels.
“Whoa … that was awesome!”
“Father,” Ember says in a half-trance, “I had no idea the Chalice was capable of such powers.”
“THERE IS MUCH THE CHALICE OF RHINYORGRUN IS CAPABLE OF,” Torch states, “BUT MUCH OF ITS POTENTIAL WAS ALL FOR NOTHING. ITS ONLY USE TO DRAGONKIND WAS FOR GREAT STRENGTH. STRENGTH OF BODY AND POWER … BUT ALL IT PROVIDED ME, AS EVERY DRAGONLORD BEFORE ME, WAS ISOLATION.”
“What? Father … you’re the most revered dragon our kind has ever had. Every dragon looks up to you!”
“EVERY DRAGON FEARS ME,” Torch corrects his daughter. “AND FEAR BRINGS A DIFFERENT KIND OF RESPECT; A RESPECT BORN OUT OF DUTY, NOT OUT OF FREE WILL. TRUE RESPECT NEEDS TO BE EARNED … AND I NEVER HAD THAT CHANCE. BUT BY THE TIME I REALIZED THIS, THINGS HAD ALREADY BEEN SET IN MOTION.”
“No!” Ember’s voice cracks as she attempts to fight her father’s argument. “You’re legendary among dragonkind! That was why I wanted to follow your path! I listened to all your tales and stories! I wanted all you had!”
“WHICH IS WHY I NEVER WANTED YOU TO BE WHAT I BECAME. WHEN I FIRST TOLD YOU ABOUT THE CHALICE, I SAW A GLEAM IN YOUR EYE. I KNOW THEN THAT, GIVEN A CHANCE, YOU WOULD FIND A WAY TO TAKE BACK THAT WHICH WE WERE GRATEFUL TO BE RID OF.”
“Whoa-whoa-whoa!” Rainbow interjects. “You wanted to be rid of the chalice?”
“SOMBRA FELT THAT HE HAD CLAIMED A PRIZE … BUT I WAS RELIEVED THAT THAT CURSED ARTIFACT WAS GONE FROM OUR KIND! AND WHEN THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE DISAPPEARED, I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE END OF THE CHALICE … UNTIL EARLIER THIS EVENING, WHEN I … WHEN I KNEW EMBER WAS IN GREAT PERIL.”
Ember and Rainbow stay silent, taking in Torch’s words.
“IT’S POWER CORRUPTS THE MIND AS IT ENHANCES THE BODY. IT TOOK ME HUNDREDS OF YEARS TO FINALLY CONTROL MY RAGE … LONG BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, EMBER. AND NO OTHER SHOULD GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.” Torch lets out a sigh that blows back the flora. “I KNOW WHAT MUST BE DONE.”
With two tips of his massive right claw, Torch gently picks up the chalice from the ground. He carefully inspects its continuous cycle of color. “SO TINY TO ME NOW … I COULD CRUSH IT LIKE A BUG …”
…
He presses his clawtips together, crushing the Chalice of Rhinyorgrun into sparkling dust that blows away with a slight gust of wind.
Rainbow sighs at the loss of what could have been … as Ember wipes away tears and regains composure. “I only wanted to be a great leader … just like you.”
“NO,” Torch corrects. “YOU’RE ALREADY A GREATER LEADER THAN I EVER WAS. AND I AM SURE NOW THAT YOUR LEGACY WILL SHINE FOR ALL ETERNITY.”
Ember rushes to her father’s chest and embraces him, no longer fighting off tears. Torch carefully wraps his arms around Ember and warmly reciprocates. Rainbow simply observes the scene for several minutes.
“Well, hey, it’s been … something … but it’s a bit late, so I think I’ll just leave you two and, uh … yeah … you take care now.” Having given up on attempting to process all the recent events, Rainbow takes to the sky and flies off.