//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9 
// Story: All That We Are 
// by Marezinger Z 
//------------------------------//

Twilight returned to the castle to see Celestia and deliver her findings about Elder Island. The understandably distressed Princess sat with Starswirl and her sister, reviewing the recent communication from Seaquestria.  
“Princess.” Twilight halted as she noticed the upset look on Celestia’s face. “What’s happened?” 
“Aurelian has released another creature from the depths near Seaquestria.” Celestia relayed with a burdened sigh.
“Are they alright?” She asked.
“The first letter from Ocean Flow did not say much, but Novo has updated us further and there are no severe injuries.” 			Celestia set the letter down. “Seaquestria, however, was heavily damaged by ocean tremors caused by the creature’s release.” 
“So what are we dealing with now?” Twilight further inquired. 
“His name is Brayok.” Celestia answered. “What Novo describes in her letter portrays a truly frightening beast. Furthermore, she heard Aurelian say that now that they are reunited they can decide what to do about the current world.” 
“That… doesn’t sound good.” Twilight admitted. 
“Have you learned anything, Twilight?” She asked in return. 
“I found the island we’re looking for, finally.” She presented a very old book. “This is the oldest book of Equestrian history in my collection and it mentions Elder Island.” 
“Well done, Twilight.” Starswirl commended. “What exactly is this place?” 
“It’s known as the first continent and is a place that was deemed hallowed by all creatures.” Twilight began as she magically passed the book to Celestia. “From what I can gather, it is the only remaining piece of world’s original land mass. It was used as some sort of dueling ground for extremely powerful creatures."
“That is quite intriguing.” Luna stood at her sister’s side and observed the bookmarked pages. “Where is it located?” 
“Far out into the eastern ocean.” She informed. “Although I can’t get exact coordinates.” 
“And without a precise location, teleportation would prove difficult.” Luna added. 
“Not for Discord.” Celestia lowered the book. “He could easily enter and exit his chaos dimension and scout the eastern sea for the island.” 
“On it.” Twilight nodded and went to seek out the often reluctant ally. 
“What are we supposed to do when we get there, sister?” Luna asked.
“I just want to talk to him and find out his intentions.” Celestia answered simply. “I will, of course, confront him on the damage he has caused.”
“We’ll be surrounded by creatures whose power we can’t even begin to imagine.” Starswirl noted. “We’ll be completely at their mercy.” 
“If it came down to a fight, I have little doubt we would lose no matter what.” She admitted with a small smile. “These creatures represent another age, one far more violent and unforgiving than our own; their power and magic were forged by conditions that would seem unlivable to any modern creature.” She looked to him confidently. “If worse comes to worse, Discord can see us to safety.”
“Princess?” A guard appeared in the doorway. “Tirek and Scorpan have returned.” 
“So soon?” She motioned for the guard to see them in; the brothers joined them in the room along with Thorax and Chrysalis. 
“Princess.” Scorpan bowed. 
Celestia looked over their faces. “What has happened?” 
“We found Cozy Glow.” Tirek began. “Or, rather she found us; we thought we had talked her down but she used that artifact on Chrysalis and I.” 
“What has she become?” Luna asked. 
“Well.” Thorax sighed. “She’s about four times bigger than she was before, has the body of a Centaur, the wings and armored skin of a Changeling and wants to challenge Aurelian to a fight.” 
“What?” Celestia gasped. 
“It turns out she’s a bit more emotionally damaged than we first thought.” Chrysalis took over. “She blames him for Tirek and I abandoning our fight against you and thinks defeating him will return us to her side.” 
“More so, she knows about Elder Island.” Scorpan added. 
“Well, at least she doesn’t know the location.” Starswirl attempted to spin some positive from the information. 
“She’ll find out.” Tirek assured. “That girl is tenacious to a fault.” His face displayed a deep worry. “We have to stop her, Aurelian will kill her if she tries to fight him.” 
“Have you made any headway in locating Aurelian?” Scorpan asked. 
“Yes.” Celestia nodded. “We have the general location of Elder Island and Twilight is seeing to the matter as we speak." 
“Well, count us in.” Tirek nodded. “If Cozy Glow is going to him, then we will as well.” 
“Us too.” The room looked to see Ember and Fluttershy enter from the opposite doorway. “I’m over the shock and I’m going to give that Dragon a piece of my mind.” 
“That seems unwise.” Starswirl advised. 
“Hey, I’m the Dragon Lord.” She raised her staff. “If I let him push me around then I might as well give him this staff back; and that isn’t going to happen.”
“Very well.” Celestia accepted their decision. “Then once we hear from Twilight, we will set out.” Wrapped in mixed thought, the room sat in as much ease as possible to wait for further word 



Surrounded by innumerable bleached bones, the titanic Aestus laid across a portion of the island as Faye continued to circle his head. 
“So then, I puffed out my chest and said in me best Aurelian, ‘you dare challenge my power?’.” Faye recounted with a laugh. “Sent him off with a right fright.” 
“I’m surprised he actually believed that you possessed such power.” Aestus chuckled.
“Hey now.” She twisted in the air and hovered before his nose. “I have plenty of power, I just don’t go throwing it around the way you lot do.” She smirked. “Besides, I can do all sorts of things that you can’t, love.” 
“Such as?” His brow raised in suspect.” 
“Well for one.” She flew up and landed between the stem of his horns. “I can touch the top of me own head.” She laid her wing tips to her head, dancing and strutting across his temple. “Ooooh, hoo hooo!”
“Ugh.” Aestus sighed deeply. “I’m starting to recall why you and I never spent much time together.” 
“Oh come on, love.” She traipsed down his snout and patted his nose. “We haven’t seen each other in thousands of years. This is a happy little reunion.” 
“Faye is right.” Aurelian appeared over the trees, Brayok dragging himself across the land behind him.  
“Finally.” Aestus said in relief. 
“Brayok! You old sea slug!” Faye dove at him, stopping shortly and waving her wing before her beak. “Pew. You smell even more like dead fish than I remember, love.” 
“Forgive me for being trapped on the bottom of the sea and not in a rose garden.” He settled himself in a comfortable spot. 
“No worries.” She kissed the top of his head. “A day out in the sun and fresh air will having you back to smelling like the correct amount of dead fish in no time.” One of Brayok’s tentacles swung at her but she easily avoided it and circled him with a cheery laugh. “Too slow, love.” 
“So, you were sealed away as well?” Aestus asked.
“Not long after Aurelian was brought down.” He nodded. “The Sea Ponies helped to chain me within the deepest hole they could find. I don’t remember much following the final battle; and after a few hundred years the cold of the deep took its toll and shut my body down.” 
“At least you live.” Aurelian landed in the shadows of his allies, looking up at them with a smile. “I never imagined a day when we would stand together again.”
“Speaking of which.” Brayok craned his head down. “Not that I am ungrateful for you releasing me, but I have to ask what took you so long?”  
“I was thinking much the same.” Aestus concurred. “You could have revived us whenever you wanted. Why now all of the sudden?” 
Faye landed atop Aestus again with a troubled frown. “They have point, love. Where have you been all this time?” 
Aurelian sat and slowly nodded. “Time and experience took its toll on me.” He began. “When the Alliance chose to turn on Aestus, I realized that creatures as powerful as we, no matter how respected, would ever be the victim of treachery due to the fear we instill in the world. I turned my back on that world that I had spent thousands of years protecting; seeking to establish a new order where the foolishness and shortsightedness of the weak and fearful would no longer guide the course of society. I held the world in that order for hundreds of years until I was unseated by a new Alliance, born from those I thought too weak to best me.”
“I remember that all too well, love.” Faye interjected. “I always wished I was strong enough to keep them from locking you away in that otherworldly dungeon they built.” She shook her head longingly. “Must have spent a hundred years trying to burn a hole through that door.” 
Aestus breathed a thoughtful sigh. “I would not have thought my defeat could impact you so.” 
“I respected you far more than I was willing to admit at the time, old friend.” Aurelian confessed. “But when I finally freed myself from that prison, thoughts of you and the others were stolen from my mind by the rage that overtook me upon learning what the world had done in my absence. The slaughter of the male Alicorns was an atrocity that I could not let stand and I set myself on the world again, this time with intent only to destroy.” A deep sense of regret ran through him. “My anger turned me into a monster and… I did terrible things that even now haunt the back of my mind.” 
“You were indeed unrecognizable.” Brayok admitted. 
“I was so happy to see you back.” Faye sighed. “But you were in such a state, I knew I couldn't go anywhere near you... no matter how badly I wanted to.”  
“I deserved to be locked away again.” Aurelian nodded. “What I did stripped me of whatever honor and good I still carried in my heart.” He laid his hoof to his head. “That defeat made me realize how far I had fallen; and when I returned once more I found that I had lost Faye on top of my own sense of self. All I wanted at that point was for things to go back to the way they were, so I sought out Brayok to aid me a final time to attempt to restore the order that we had once known. But there was no joy or solace to be had in that victory. The world had moved on so much by then, it had no want or desire to return to the world that I knew and they battled back with great fervor. It did not help that the fire within me had also dwindled and I simply did not have the fight in me I once had. I was beaten again, and after that final defeat I was overtaken by an emptiness that I was not prepared for; it was as if all at once the futility of everything I had accomplished in life became all too clear.” 
“We could have fought again.” Brayok noted. 
“I saw no reason.” He shook his head. “I realized after so long that the world is a self-correcting system that always leads back to a homeostasis of peace that no creature can break. I defeated countless enemies of the Alliance and ended numerous world threats, only for an even greater menace to inevitably rise in their place. In turn, each time I laid claim to the world my work was always undone by a valiant good that returned to world once more to that neutral starting point.” Aurelian looked at Brayok with sullen eyes. “My realization broke my spirt and I decided that if there was no point to being a hero or a menace, then I would be neither; I returned to my prison and sat in silence until only recently when I received several visitors. One of which was the current ruler of the Ponies and her words sparked enough of an interest in me to return to the world. We spoke of much, but it was her suggestion that I have friends with me to help adjust to the world I had so long ago walked away from that made me think of you once again.”
“So we owe our returns to a mere whim?” Aestus asked. 
Aurelian looked to him with understanding. “The three of you woke up in this foreign time, but I traveled here the old fashioned way; I have lived every single moment and only now do I fully realize just how much of myself I have lost. Each of you represents a part of me that withered away as I sat in that prison.” He nodded to Aestus. “My fortitude.” He looked to Faye. “My passion.” He looked to Brayok. “My ferocity.” A quaint smile crossed his lips. “I am not who you remember, but you are exactly as I held you in my mind; and standing here with you makes me feel whole once more.” 
“Aw.” Faye smiled down at him. 
“Even so.” He continued. “That does not excuse the fact that as I wallowed in my own emptiness, I abandoned you to your fates. I understand whatever anger you may bear towards me and if you feel that you are owed retribution, then I welcome you to enact it upon me; I will not stop you.” He lowered his head as he knelt before them, laying his wing tips to the ground in a sign of prostration. 
The three of them looked to each other in great surprise at such a display. “You have changed.” Aestus shook his head with a laugh. “Yet you remain as melodramatic as ever. I understand why you could not aid me at the time, I chose to stand against the Alliance as a proud Dragon and met a noble defeat.” 
“I feel the same.” Brayok continued. “It was my choice to join your cause and my punishment was a result of that choice. I did not regret my decision nor did I blame you for the outcome.” 
Aurelian rose to his hooves as Faye swooped down behind him. “I’ve never been one to live in the past, love.” She laid her body against his back and wrapped her wings around him. “You may be a sight different now, but I’m just glad to have you back. You’ve always been one of the greatest comforts in me life; because I know that no matter how many times I croak you’ll be right there waiting for me when I get back.” 
Aurelian smiled and nodded in acceptance. “Thank you.” 



After several hours, Twilight and Discord appeared in the castle after finally locating the elusive isle. 
“Princess.” Twilight hurried along as Discord slumped behind her, shaking his swollen claw. “We found it!” 
“Excellent work.” Celestia praised. 
“You’re welcome.” Discord huffed. “I snapped so many times my poor fingers are numb.” He popped his hand off and replaced it with a fresh one. 
“Thank you, Discord.” Celestia acknowledged. “Is Aurelian there?” 
“They all are.” Twilight confirmed. “The Dragon, the Sea Monster and a Phoenix too.” 
“A Phoenix?” Celestia’s eyes widened. 
“That is quite the ensemble.” Starswirl noted.
“Alright then.” Celestia nodded surely. “Discord, take us there.” She looked over the team as they gathered around her. “My friends, whatever happens, we must remain calm and united.”
“As calm as you can, considering you’ll be surrounded by creatures that see you as insects.” Chrysalis chimed in as she joined the circle. 
“A feeling you’re no doubt used to.” Discord grinned at her. 
“This is going to prove most interesting.” Scorpan chuckled nervously. 
“Or fatal.” Tirek added as he, Luna, Thorax, Ember and Fluttershy stepped closer. 
“Ok Discord.” Fluttershy stood at his side. “Do your thing.” 
Discord raised his claw and snapped his fingers; in an instant, they were in the midst of the untainted greenery of Elder Island. While they felt they had prepared for anything, they were far from ready for what they heard; the sound of laughter.  
“I had endured more than enough of his arrogance.” Brayok spoke with a restrained chortle. “So I traveled beneath his island and bore holes through the land until it began to flood. As he scrambled to save his precious home and hoard, I said 'finally, something in this world holier than thou.'" The four of them laughed as Celestia and her allies looked up at them from the ground. 
“Ok, this isn’t what I was expecting.” Ember whispered. 
"I know." Thorax agreed. "It looks like they're just... hanging out." 
“Aurelian?” Celestia called up to him, garnering the attention of all four. 
“Well now.” Faye looked down at them curiously. “Who's this lot?” 
Aurelian looked them over. “These are the ones of which I spoke.” He descended and hovered above them. “How did you find this place?” 
“Well, it wasn’t easy.” Twilight noted. “It took a lot of research and even more teleporting…” She slowly trailed off under his unamused look. 
Celestia and Luna rose from the ground and matched altitude with him. “Forgive our trespass here, but it was imperative that I find you. You left so suddenly and not long after, I began receiving reports of you reviving other creatures.” 
“I informed you that I wished to see my friends again.” Aurelian reminded. “These three are all that remain from the world I once knew; and I admit that your suggestion to have them with me again was a sound one.” 
“I… see.” Celestia nodded. 
“Well, isn’t this grand.” Faye suddenly flew behind the sisters and took one in each wing. “Nice to finally have some girls to talk to; names’ Faye, nice to meet you, loves.” 
“Um, hello.” Celestia smiled. “I am Celestia, and this is my sister Luna.” 
“Sisters, eh?” She shook them roughly. “Never had any m’self; was an only child, as in the only child me mother could bear to put up with. Ooooh, hoo hooo!”
“Sister… I am very confused.” Luna muttered across to Celestia. 
The others flew up to join them, with Tirek and Starswirl held aloft in Twilight’s magic. Celestia politely worked herself from under Faye’s wing and looked over the other foreign creatures. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Faye.” She looked to Aurelian. “Perhaps, you could introduce us to your friends?” 
Aurelian responded with a single nod. “Faye was once the self-proclaimed Queen of Parataiso Inferna; a carnal paradise of her own making, open to creatures from all walks of life. The power of her flame is exceeded only by her… appetites.” 
“Don’t make it sound so tawdry.” Faye protested. “Life is nothing without passion and I am equal opportunist.” She looked down at Luna with a wink; Luna laughed nervously and slowly pulled herself from the Phoenix’s lingering hug. 
Aurelian gestured to Brayok. “Brayok’s origins are a mystery even to me, as he is steadfast in refusing us the details of his birth.” 
“You can know when it becomes your business.” Brayok grumbled.
“Regardless.” Aurelian continued with a laugh. “For several thousand years, every kingdom and creature beneath the waves answered to his might; whether they cared to or not. He acted as a living deterrent to any would be threats from the sea; seen as a terrifying but fair peacekeeper.” He looked up to Aestus. “Aestus is the last son of Terrus, the World Dragon of earth.” 
“World Dragon?” Ember repeated. “That’s a thing?” 
“Even the prestige of our heritage has been lost in this time?” Aestus dragged his head over to her. “The lives of the seven World Dragons extend far beyond even ours; they had a claw in shaping the very world on which you stand. The Dragons of earth, flame, water, sky, ice, lightning and nature are the ancestors of all Dragons living today."
“Wow.” Ember considered the news. “Earth Dragon, huh? Is that why you don’t have wings?” 
“Only the Dragons of sky, flame and lighting bore wings.” Aestus explained. 
“Could you imagine this tub flying around in the air?” Faye asked with a hysterical laugh. “Blot out the sun, he would.” 
“This is going a lot differently than I imagined.” Twilight whispered down to Starswirl. 
“I think that is for the best.” Starswirl smiled. 
“All things considered, they seem an amiable bunch.” Scorpan noted. 
“Just because they're big and powerful doesn’t mean they can’t be kind.” Fluttershy eyed the stoic Brayok. “Except maybe that one, he seems pretty grumpy.” 
Above them, Celestia gave Aurelian a pleased smile. “Well, it is a honor to meet you all. I am glad that you have been able to reconnect with these creatures from your past.” Her smile lessened. “Still, you are aware of the damage that has been caused by your revival of them.” 
“I am.” He nodded. “I imagine you find it unfair that such destruction was caused just to release them; but is it any less fair than the fact that they had their lives and freedom stolen from them?” 
“I suppose not.” Celestia admitted. “Even so, the fact of the matter remains that the Dragon Lands and Seaquestria lay in ruin. When we first spoke, I offered that you return as a friend; as a ruler and as one who values that offer of friendship, I must ask that you repair the damage you have caused.” 
Aurelian stared back at her in silence for several long, tense moments. Just as Celestia began to prepare for the worst, he slowly nodded in acceptance. “Very well. Without you I would not be able to enjoy this reunion; so I will honor your request.” 
Celestia sighed internally. “Thank you.” She tipped her head. “I appreciate that.” 
“Wait?” Aestus looked back to Ember. “Your lands are still damaged? Why did the Dragons not simply use their molten breath to repair the landscape?” 
“Molten… breath?” Ember gave him another confused look. “Can you do that?”
“Can I…” Aestus flustered and quickly looked back to Aurelian in irritation.
Aurelian began to laugh at his frustration. “It seems time has robbed them of more than their size, old friend.” 
“We just learned how to make blue fire like a month ago.” Ember added. “We found that if the Dragons laugh hard enough then they can generate more heat.” 
“Laughter?” Aestus groaned. “Blue fire comes from rapidly increasing the amount of oxygen in your flame. You can do it at will though advanced breathing technique.” He shook his head. “What has become of my kind?” 
“I imagine I know, Aestus.” Aurelian looked over Celestia and her friends. “It is true, the multitude of species have grown so weak since we last walked this world; but I think that is by design.” 
“What do you mean?” Celestia asked. 
“As I have said, whatever unseen hand that guides this world strives to maintain a balance of peace. What better way to achieve that then by slowly robbing the creatures of this world of their destructive power." His eyes ran across them. "In our time, these feats that you deem so amazing were commonplace and played key parts in the endless warring. Now, such power is no longer necessary it seems; you maintain order through your word and bonds, only raising your hoof to strike when absolutely necessary.” 
“A bit of a left handed compliment.” Scorpan came in. “But he has a point. The most powerful of us are the oldest here, each succeeding generation seems to lose a bit of its power but gains so much more in its heart.” 
“I can attest to that.” Chrysalis wryly patted Thorax on the head. 
“If that’s the case.” Ember flew up and into Aestus’ face. “As Dragon Lord, I’m instructing you to repair the Dragon Lands. Just because you're way bigger and stronger than I am doesn’t take away from the fact that I lead the Dragons, which includes you.” 
Aestus’ mouth opened wide before her and he began to heartily laugh, the shockwave of which sent her careening from the sky. 
“I got you!” Thorax soared up and caught her. 
“Quite a bit of fire in that itty bitty body of yours.” Aestus said approvingly. “Despite not asking you to build your society on my backside, I will mend your Dragon Lands; as a Dragon, my pride would not rest well knowing I have displaced my own kin.” 
“And my magic is more than sufficient to repair the Sea Pony’s home.” Aurelian added. “It would be best to keep Brayok away from them for now.” 
“Well, this is quite a relief.” Celestia said with a calming breath, her tense body relaxing. 
“You seem a bit on edge, love.” Faye noted. “No need to be so nervous around Aurelian, he’s a big softy once you get past the ego and history of bloodlust.” 
“Oh, she’s just relieved because she thought Aurelian was freeing you all so that you could conquer the world.” Discord casually noted. 
“Discord!” Luna glared at him. 
“Ha, foolishness.” Aurelian dismissed the idea. “You think I would require them to complete such a task?” 
“Oh get over yourself.” Brayok mocked, dragging himself closer. “He is quick to tell all the stories of his power and conquest, yet he typically forgets to tell you the times that arrogance of his landed his hoof in his mouth.” 
“That’s true, love.” Faye added. “Aurelian is lot like wine. Sure, he’s perfectly aged now, but way back when he was just a glass of sour grape water.” She broke into laughter “Do you remember those few hundred years after he started wearing that ugly orange cape?” 
“Ugh.” Aestus shuddered. “I had nearly forgotten that.” 
“Polaris said it complimented my coat.” Aurelian eyed them. 
“That mare had you wrapped around her hoof.” Brayok chuckled. “She could convince you the sky was green.” 
Celestia smiled over at Luna as the four of them began to laugh once again.