In all of the world of Cabalos, no place was nearly as deadly and desolate as the Badlands that sat in the center of the continent and scraped the surrounding territories with its silver mountaintops. The frigid north of Lustre couldn’t compare, nor the dark deepwood of Sylvain, nor even the murky black waters to the far east of Meteoras. The only place worse had to be the Dragon Lands, far to the south, and perhaps the only thing worse than the Badlands or Dragons would be choosing between the two of them. So to say the captain and his men were between a rock and a hard place sold the whole ordeal awfully short.
The captain flapped his mighty armored wings and raced through the gray skies. The clouds billowed above and below him in great, dark clumps. The air tingled ever so slightly. There was a storm coming, which wasn’t exactly a good thing, but it may be the only chance they had to lose their pursuers.
The only snag was that the storm proper was gathering above a massive wall of cloud and mist, and beyond that was the Mercurial Mountains. They were already headed in this direction, but to willingly go any further would breach the ancient treaties set by the Alicorns thousands of years ago. He had a feeling they’d understand given their situation. Protocol said that under the direst circumstances any soldier had the right to turn tail and regroup, but these soldiers had placed their trust in him, and he wasn’t going to let them down. Even if that meant jumping straight into the fire.
The captain turned to his men as he flew. They numbered barely a dozen. They were all tired from the chase; their wings flapped furiously, their eyes were dim and lifeless, their armor and helmets were dented and chipped, and their worn out hooves hung uselessly below them as they flew.
They looked to him earnestly for reprieve, or directions for where to find it. He knew his men were dreading the descent, some thought that it would be from bad to worse to escape into forbidden territory, but he knew they didn’t have a choice.
Their chance of survival rested upon his shoulders, as well as the one pegasus scout who trailed in the back. She glanced around with wide eyes, a pale face, and a wingspeed that barely kept up with the others. Whether either of them liked it or not, she was his trump card, all they had to do was lead their enemy into the heart of the storm.
“Don’t be afraid, men!” Captain Maelstrom shouted. “Eyes straight ahead, ears open, wings out and proud!” His soldiers struggled to keep up with him, but he could tell they were trying. They tried to look brave and capable in front of him. “Remember, a true Meteoran can feel the enemy coming a mile away. The wind on their feathers tells all! You’ll know when to stop flying.”
The scout didn’t even bother trying to look brave. She looked absolutely miserable as she sped through the stormy clouds, her mane a mess just like her brethren, wings tired and about ready to give out. The captain disengaged and floated gently to the back of the group. He reached the scout and flew in place with her, and their eyes met. Her coat was a golden yellow, her mane black with a streak or two of color, and her brand was a ricocheting lightning bolt. Judging from her sad, aimless stare, she was probably thinking the same thing he was: Why was she here? Why was this young filly racing across the border to escape Brothers knew what? Why couldn’t she have a safe job back home on a production line, or on a railway, or at her family’s business, like other ponies her age?
Even for a decorated captain of many years like himself, hammering tacks into a railway or assembling horseshoes on a conveyor belt had its appeal at the moment.
“Now listen, Private. This is all according to plan,” he told her firmly. “Even if we can’t lose them in the clouds, we can catch them in the storm.”
The scout nodded sullenly. A nearby flash of lightning made her yelp.
“That’s exactly what we want!” the captain said as he pointed. “Once we reach the eye of the storm, I’ll send you up to get rid of the whole problem.”
The scout gawked at him. She seemed to wait for him to change his mind. She opened her mouth to protest but he cut her off. “Don’t you worry one bit. I’ll have your back the whole time. We all will. We believe in your strength.”
The captain’s ear twitched at a familiar sound. One of the other soldiers scoffed and cast a wary glance their way. He looked away just in time for the captain to glare in his direction.
“Maybe while we’re believing in her, we should ask the unicorns for help.” One soldier hollered to another, as if the captain couldn’t hear him.
“Or maybe the Brothers themselves will swoop in to save us.” Another added. “Yeah, that’s gonna happen.” And everyone let out a sad, tired laugh. Everyone except the scout of course, and the captain. He didn’t care if they had no more patience for the young scout, if they wanted to survive this, they’d best do as well as he hoped.
“Captain, here they come!” Maelstrom checked their six and watched as several dots appeared behind the clouds.
“Mountchasers, maybe?” a soldier asked hopefully. “It’s just been mountchasers this whole time, right? The other guys probably already gave up…” But then a peculiar smell burned in their nostrils. A smell like smoke and sulfur.
Dragons. You can always smell dragons before you see them. Upwind no less.
A chorus of screeches filled the air.
“Hold formation! Do not engage until I say so! Keep flying to the storm!” Maelstrom called. He took the lead again. “Fly, men! FLY!”
Dragons of all shapes and sizes broke through the clouds. Their leathery wings sliced through the air and carried them closer and closer to their prey. Their teeth and eyes glistened as the sky grew darker and the thunder rumbled around them. A flash of lightning made the scout scream and duck her head, just in time to escape a sudden swipe from a taloned fingertip.
“They’re getting real close, Captain!” a pegasus called out worriedly.
Maelstrom looked to the gray, spiky mountain range that raced beneath them. The stormwall was dangerously close. Now or never. “Follow me, soldiers!” And the captain dove. “Dive men, dive!” The other pegasus did the same.
The Scout was the last to follow. She couldn’t seem to nail the dive in time. A dragon lunged its snakey neck and opened its double-hinged jaw. A jet of fire nearly took her tail off.
The captain waited until he could see the scout again before he gave more orders. “Speed it up! Private, let’s move!” They all flapped their wings harder and let their momentum propel them along. The Scout’s pace was wanting. She tailed behind even further.
The Scout’s eyes wandered to a mountain peak far ahead. The captain followed her gaze. He spotted a shape shuffling up the peaks of one of the mountains. Monsters looking for an easy snack, perhaps? Do the local fauna know to watch for straggling pegasi who fly too close?
The creature seemed awfully big compared to its surroundings, perhaps an optical illusion at play. Its red eyes flashed as they drew near. It bared its fangs and readied its claws.
It was another dragon. A huge, grounded dragon.
His morbid observation kept him from reacting in time as the dragon whipped its tail in their direction. The gust of wind it made nearly broke their formation. It reared back on its haunches as it prepared to leap into the air, right for the scout.
“Not this time!” A soldier cawed as he dove for the dragon. “I ain’t afraid of you!”
The captain called after him. “Don’t you dare-- hey!!”
And then another screech. The dragons were upon them. They were everywhere. The pegasi’s formation fell apart as soldiers flew to their companions’ sides as they were overtaken, or broke away to avoid pursuit. A duo of dragons seized the fool soldier and were already carrying him away.
Another screech, more of a howl. The dragon below lept into the air, straight for them. Its size was no trick of the eye. It was huge. It was easily double the size of any dragon they had ever seen, maybe triple. Their leader perhaps?
“Break away! Now! NOW!”
Dragon and pegasus alike dove out of the way to escape the dragon’s path. It flew straight past them and into another peak. Its huge talons dug into the silvery rock and held it still. Its tail lashed through the air in slow, titanic sweeps that whisked the clouds away. It opened its maw and howled again.
“What type of dragon is that? It’s ginormous!” a soldier cried.
“Pay it no mind! Bring me back our soldier!” The captain said.
The captain’s second-in-command took advantage of the confusion and flew after his taken comrade. A hard, four-hooved stomp to one of the dragon’s back and a headbutt into the other’s chin knocked the soldier free from their grasp. He caught the soldier right as he would have fallen down below and carried him on his back to the others. He let him slide off into the air once he collected himself.
The captain glared at the fool soldier. “There’s no room for heroes here! Jovan favors the wise!” Another screech told the party that the dragons were reconverging. “And now you’ve done it! They’re all riled up!” Captain Maelstrom cast a discerning eye across the playing field, and then looked skyward. The stormwall was within spitting distance, and the dark clouds were now completely overhead. “SCOUT!” he called. “Get up here, now!”
The Scout gulped and did as she was told. Her head was ducked slightly as she flew up to her captain. He pointed above them with his chin. “When I tell you so, you are to fly up there alone and turn the storm in our favor. Understood?” The scout sheepishly nodded. “Good.” The Captain called to the rest of his men. “We’re just about in the center of it now, so we engage! Stick to your wingman and remember your evasive maneuvers! Risk no injury from claw or flame!”
“SIR YES SIR!” The bellow of hearty, angry voices answered his call. The pegasus soldiers dispersed in pairs and raced to meet the oncoming dragons.
The scout dutifully followed her captain higher and higher still into the storm. He hoped she was relieved to be away from the fighting, but when he looked at her, she seemed even more despondent than before. She probably felt bad for the soldier who nearly got carried away trying to save her.
The captain reached out a hoof and touched her shoulder. “Almost there, Private. Just do this and we can all go home. Once you’re in the center just--” A shrieking shape piled into the captain and sent him hurtling. The scout watched in horror as he tumbled through the air. He righted himself just in time as the dragon dove after him again. He flew to the side as it followed. “Forget about me! Show them what you’re made of!” Another pegasus came to the captain’s aid, and the Scout was left alone to continue her ascent.
The captain watched her rise into the air. He watched as she spread out her wings and closed her eyes. Her face scrunched and she bowed her head. The wind began to steady, and flashes of lightning appeared more and more frequently.
Once she reached the center, the wind and thunder increased in intensity. She concentrated and raised her forelegs out. The wind kept any dragon from pursuing her. Some stopped to watch the phenomenon take place.
The captain just finished kicking his dragon pal in the head and sent it tumbling into the mountains below. “Atta girl,” he called. “Show ‘em what Clan Mistral’s gift can do! Give them something they’ll never forget!” Almost there. They were almost there.
A scream pierced the windy sky. The captain jerked his head and watched as a pegasus was caught in the clutch of a dragon. Another dragon had lit a soldier’s wing on fire and chased him as he spun out of control. Two more fought in vain to free their friend from the constricting coils of a dragon’s tail.
To his horror, the captain saw the scout had stopped concentrating. The momentum of the storm had not ceased. It now whipped violently out of control. Lightning and thunder billowed around them, but the only thing the scout could do was watch as her brethren were overrun.
A dragon pounded into the captain and drove him against a cliffside. He wrestled with his draconic partner and bucked it away. “Now’s the time!” He called up to the scout.
“I can’t!” The scout cried. “Sir, I can’t!”
“Yes you can! Don’t worry about us! Just focus on the storm! Just focus on--”
The behemoth dragon, as if from nowhere, sprang through the clouds and caught the captain’s wing with its claws. He was sent into a freefall. He screamed and clutched his throbbing wing as the wind and the clouds and the sounds of battle sped above and away from him. The dreary landscape below grew closer and closer.
“Captain?! Captain!” The last thing Maelstrom heard was the private helplessly call after him as he plummeted below. He felt the energy crackling in the air, the wind whipping against everything it could, and then release as the clouds erupted into a massive thunderstorm. Lightning struck everything. It struck the dragons above, it struck the mountains, it struck him. Maelstrom, sore and singed, watched as the scout’s limp shape fell into the clouds. He lost consciousness before he even hit the ground.
The world once belonged to the dragons. They were the kings and queens, but they were not kind rulers. They abused and destroyed the very land that was their home. The scorched earth could give no life, and there were no rivers or trees, or animals to live in them. The dragons were content in letting the very world that birthed them fall to ruin as they hoarded their treasures and snuffed out what little life they could find.
But then, from nowhere, as if to answer the planet’s own cry for help, seven magical creatures appeared. They had mighty hooves, strong powerful wings, and beautiful horns upon their heads.
The Seven Alicorns had arrived, and with their wisdom and magic, they drove the dragons back to the desolate wastes where they first came from. They healed the land and brought forth new life upon it. Birds and fish filled the sea and skies, and then creatures of every shape and size walked upon the earth.
Of all the creatures, none were more numerous or more beloved by the Alicorns than the ponies. They were hardworking and loyal creatures, and the Alicorns loved them dearly for their kind hearts. They decided that these little ponies deserved places to call home in the new land.
The Alicorns built great cities for the three tribes on separate sections of the land. The Alicorns decided amongst themselves that the three tribes would be protected by one pair of Alicorns each, and so they divided the land and the people amongst themselves, and set out to do what they thought best for their people,
In the cold mountains to the west, the Sisters founded the Holy Kingdom of Lustre, where the wise and calm unicorn ponies could study magic. The Brothers created the Meteoran Empire amongst the islands and shorelines to the east, where their hardy and brave pegasus ponies could fly free along the seas and skies. The Lovers went deep into the woods of the south and named the land Sylvain, where the jolly galloway ponies could till the land and grow food. This was the founding of the three nations.
The Dragons and other dangerous creatures still crept upon the land, and so the Alicorns bestowed the three nations with gifts to protect themselves. They blessed their horns, wings and hooves with a bit of their own power. They sat upon their thrones and watched over their people. The Alicorns ruled over the three nations with wisdom and grace, and they named the new world Cabalos.
But the seventh Alicorn, the Wanderer, had no kingdom, and did not partake in choosing a tribe. But to every tribe the Wanderer visited, and with her she brought the gift of song and music and art, so that everyone may tell stories and sing beautiful songs about their new home.
It was the Wanderer’s wish that even if she were gone, even if the ponies became separate from each other, they could always remember the songs they sang together and dream of great stories to tell once they met again. Her dream was that they would all may live in harmony with each other, and the world.
Echo Shade smiled to herself as the last of her magical display faded into the air. The little patch of grass that served as her stage was now lightly dusted by tiny particles of magic. The colorful shapes of light and smoke were now only vague afterimages, fading away.
The rest of the town was moving about busily in the background. This was the only spot she could find with enough elbow room to screen her new performance to a willing audience. Echo had come up with this performance all on her own. Normally she’d tell the traditional tale of Harmony for the festival using her special light magic, but for today she wanted to try something new and tell a story of her own, just for practice of course. The festival wouldn't be for another few days.
She turned eagerly to her audience of two to hear what they had to say. One was a unicorn colt with a blue coat, the other was a cloud-colored pegasus filly. They were both pretty young, and though they already had their brands they still counted as foals, and as it were they were both siblings. They had sat on their haunches as they listened to her story.
They also happened to look a little perplexed, maybe even a little unsure. The filly was smiling at least, but the colt kept opening and closing his mouth as he grasped for words.
“So.....?” Echo Shade prodded. The two were still quiet. “What did you think?”
The colt cleared his throat. “Well,” Smokey Sky said as he brought a hoof to his chin. “It certainly was… saccharine. And bright.”
“And showy!” Snow Feather added cheerily with a flap of her wings. “Bright and showy!”
“Colorful…”
“Very colorful! I loved how the Seven Alicorns each had a color of the Rainbow. It was so pretty!”
That was in fact a detail that Echo was very proud of herself.
“It was maybe a little, iunno…” The colt brought up another hoof and gave a shrug. “A little distracting?”
“It was so distracting!” Snowy said as if it were the best thing in the world. “People are gonna stop in their trots just to watch the whole thing!”
Echo stepped closer and lowered her head as she listened. She kept nodding and nodding at them to urge them on. “...And?” she smiled.
“But it wasn’t… well,” The colt’s eyes shifted between his sister and Echo. Snowy wore a forced grin.
“Yes?” Echo said.
“Y’know, topical.” Smokey said carefully.
Echo’s smile disappeared. “What do you mean? I had the dragons and alicorns and everything! Didn’t you see?”
“Yeah sure, but that was also ninety percent of the whole presentation?” Smokey continued. “You obviously worked very hard on the visuals and the story of the alicorns… but what about the whole other half? The whole point of Harmony Heritage Holiday is to talk about the founding of the town of Harmony, not some alicorn epic you wrote up.”
“Yeah buh-but…” Echo stammered. “I just provided a setup, that’s all! You… you need to understand the Alicorns to properly appreciate Harmony’s founding!”
“Did you even finish writing the next part of the presentation?” Smoky asked. “Or did you spend this whole time using your light magic to draw up dragons?” Echo opened her mouth to speak, but thought better.
“I mean, it was very pretty…” Snowy offered.
“Well sure, but couldn’t it have been pretty and complete?” Smoky prodded an open book by his side. “You’re wasting time on the Alicorns and the Wanderer when you could be talking about the first generation and Sir Rat Tail.”
“But of course!” Echo said matter-of-factly. “Rat Tail was a staunch follower of her beliefs, so it’s already very important. And it makes it so much more exciting.”
“It was exciting!” Snowy affirmed apologetically. “No doubt about that!”
“It’s just…” Smoky scratched the back of his neck with his hoof. “When people expect a presentation from a Lorekeeper, they tend to expect something more accurate and less creative.”
“So, what’s wrong with a little creativity?” Echo asked. “Creativity captures the imagination of the young, and makes for a very exciting start to the rest of the festival -- for anybody!”
“Yes, Echo Shade, there’s nothing wrong having a little fun,” an old, weathered voice interrupted. Echo was startled. She and the two looked over and not three trots away stood an elder stallion. He was a gray unicorn with bushy eyebrows, a thin face, and a few ceremonial robes wrapped around his shoulders. Apparently he had been standing and watching them for some time. It was Tall Tail, her teacher.
Echo immediately gave a curt bow, and the stallion nodded back. Smokey bowed as well, but he had to bop his sister on the head to get her head down properly.
“But,” the Stallion said as he trotted over. “The point of Harmony Heritage Holiday is understanding the true story, the one Rat Tale wrote with his actions when he planted the first houses and ushered in the first generation of foals. It’s not very exciting I know, but it is still our story, you understand.”
Echo’s head lowered lightly. “Yes, Keeper,” she said slowly.
“And while your performance was certainly brilliant, promise me for the opening ceremony, the one we’re practicing for, you’ll finish the actual story? You can entertain the young and… easily-enthralled with tales of dragons and sorcery as often as you like after they learn about their heritage.”
“Of course, Lorekeeper,” Echo said as she kicked the grass with her hoof. “I know history is important.”
Her teacher smiled back and turned to the two foals. Echo hung her head once he had looked away. “Smokey, Snowy, run along now. You still need to practice, and you promised to help with the banners!”
Smokey didn’t need any more encouragement. He picked up the book with his magic and took off towards the town square. Snowy stood up on all four of her hooves and straightened her wings, but before she could take off Echo stopped her. She leaned in and whispered.
“The visuals… they were fine, right?”
“Oh, the magic was perfect!” Snowy said. “They were really bright and showy and distracting… but…”
“But?”
“If the alicorns wanted the nations to live together, why don’t they get along now? Why don’t the unicorns and pegasi and galloway work together outside the valley?” Snowy adjusted her step lightly and checked around the bustling town. “My teacher says that Harmony is the only place where every pony lives together.”
“Oh, um… We have the stories of Sir Rat Tail and the Wanderer, but it’s been so long since the Alicorns disappeared the nations forgot about the story -- the true meaning to the story, I mean.”
“That makes me sad,” Snowy said with a droop of her wings. “You should make your story super-happy so ponies listening won’t get sad!”
“Snowy, sometimes sad is… you know what, nevermind. Er, good luck with practice and stuff!” Echo waved to Snowy as she became a white speck, slowly heading for the town after her brother. Echo sighed and lightly adjusted her scarf. She idly kicked at the grass again.
The Lorekeeper smiled at her. “If you’re looking for an exciting story to tell, why don’t you go to the archives and brush up on your history a bit? You’ll probably find at least one old tale that you like. You could add that to your routine if you like.”
“I dunno…” Echo said.
“Echo Shade, you are a creative filly and a wonderful storyteller, but I think you try too hard sometimes. Not every story needs dragons, alicorns, or creative liberties to be exciting. If you dig hard enough you may find the excitement you’re looking for has been right there, all along, right beneath your nose.”
Echo Shade said goodbye to her master, shook out her mane, and started towards the town. She supposed she’d have to wait for next year before she’d try presenting her own material for the Holiday.
Again.
It’s not that she didn’t believe her master, but what could possibly be hiding beneath a bunch of dusty old books? What story worth telling would be so hard to find in the first place?
The valley of life briefly turned dark as the sky was overcast by a dark cloud, the remnants of some storm perhaps. For a time, from the outside looking in, you never would have guessed that an entire town was hiding behind a wispy cloud, covering a certain valley in the Mercurial Mountains.