“The keepers say that an accident created the first alicorn and that she somehow created her sister, a second alicorn. The two alicorns were unbelievably strong magically and they led slave alicorns to rebel. The rebellion spread to the griffons and somehow that precipitated a war that ‘destroyed the world’. This would seem fanciful, but there is evidence that ties to this story.”
—Pena “On the Origins of Ponies*(*and Others) and Magic”
As she followed him, he commented conversationally, “A while back, Rizi, your nickname, that was a lot for a kobold to go by, four letters. I remember your All-Watcher Gazer long ago had the longest Kobold name. And that was only 5.”
“All-watcher seven, most four to six.” After a moment she added “Rizi quiet child, Namer named her well.” She smiled. “Short for Green, Cute and Prizing Quiet.”
Scorcher chuckled and smiled down at her.
“Kobold names are long, friends make short.” She smiled back.
Well, that was different. Scorcher grinned and thought that at least some creatures' self-esteem had improved while he’d been sleeping.
“I'm glad I didn't get stuck with Greenwood. That just sounds inexperienced.”
“Rizi is glad not stuck with Cute.”
Rizi thought it was probably too soon to tell but she liked Scorcher. A dragon that spoke to kobolds instead of simply commanding them and who was interested in them. It was a nice change from draconic disdain or the more traditional taken for granted. If this was the change the seers had seen, it was welcome.
They passed down the hill toward the circle. Kobolds gathered as he walked by. Their eyes followed the small Rizi beside him. He motioned with the scepter and bade them to follow him, and together he soon gathered a few dozen of the smaller creatures. The dragons were still in the circle when he returned. He led the kobolds that had been following into the circle.
Dust and the others looked confused at first. Clenched in his scaly fist he raised the Bloodstone Scepter high. Muttering and murmuring began.
Drizzle said “Do these Kobolds need to be here? They’re not smart enough to understand what is going on, they should go back to their warrens.”
Rizi and the others looked at each other and prepared to leave.
“This concerns them. I asked them to be here.”
Drizzle looked at him with one mismatched eye. Her dark yellow spines lay down on either side of her cyan back ridges giving her an unhappy appearance. At last, she challenged him directly saying “That stick doesn't make you Dragon Lord. When there's a new Dragon Lord there are signs. I know. I remember the stories of when Smolder was crowned, and Spike and Ember before her. There’s magic to it. Without that it’s just a stick.”
He growled at her. “Well, I say I'm a Dragon Lord. Does anyone else want to try and take this?” He snarled. Everyone looked down or away. “‘We are sending a delegate to Canterlot - Tower or not, and we are going to do everything we can to save ourselves. Even if it means leaving the Dragon lands!”
Drizzle and a few others prepared to retort when there was a sharp snap and flash in the sky northwest behind Scorcher. The kobolds and the smaller dragons ducked and hunched down.
A wave of radiant rainbow ribbons of light spread over the sky, past Scorcher, through him and towards the other dragons. He was filled with power and rose twice his height into the air. All the dragons glowed brightly, and kobolds glowed dimly as well. The Bloodstone Scepter lit up with a flame from within that erupted from either end. The sky was filled with waving streams of light as a rainbow shockwave rolled across the landscape.
The caldera rocked from side to side and erupted in a dozen places as fires burst forth from far underground. Filled with fiery energy and draconic might Scorcher roared into the sky blasting his fire high into the air. He screamed and landed hard, his wings biting at the last second as the impact shook the amphitheater. Every dragon and kobold bowed on the ground prostrating themselves before him.
Variations of “All Hail Scorcher the New Dragon Lord!” were shouted throughout the amphitheater as the kobolds and dragons yelled.
None were louder than the old dragoness Drizzle who shouted, “It is a sign!”
As Scorcher settled back down, he said. “The magic - I can feel it. It's back.”
Joyfully weeping and crying out the assembled dragons whooped and hollered. Suddenly able to fly, several took wing followed by others until every dragon that could fly was joyously sweeping through the air on suddenly functional wings, crisscrossing in concentric circles. Hatchlings stared up at the night sky amazed, and those on the ground ran around in excitement as the crowd in the air and on the ground roared and flames of joy filled the air.
Scorch looked upon the spectacle and wondered. ‘What does it mean?’