Kahl charged forward as Suki roared and the wind whipped his mane. Kahl heard the wind start to lower and he realized what the Air Dragon was about to do. He went still as he began to channel his power into a skill that Kahl knew could kill the mare with them.
“Mitsu! Stop him!” He called out as the Earth Dragon thundered past him.
Kahl knew that the Air Dragon needed time to pull the oxygen from around them. It would affect Kahl and Mitsu in a small way but it would prove fatal for Twilight. He looked up as Mitsu collided violently with the white dragon, disrupting his focus on the skill he has been trying to use. As long as they remained close to him and kept him moving then he wouldn’t be able to use that particular skill. Kahl’s hooves thundered across the stone ground as he weaved into Suki's legs. Fire flowed off of his body as the flames licked at the fur of Suki’s body.
“Damn you Kahlem!” The dragon roared as he tried to stomp his paws down onto the stallion.
The flames licked across his fur and scales, forcing him to move and keep away from them. Mitsu raised onto his rear legs and his paws slapped against Sukis’ side, staggering him. Mitsu raised a paw and slapped the other dragon onto the ground. Suki rolled away from them and Kahl scrambled away from the flailing legs of the dragon. Kahl raced ahead to be in front of the dragon's head. He leaped for his head and scaled the dragon’s body, his hooves gripped the scales as he scaled him.
“Calm down Suki!” Kahl shouted at him. “Punishing an entire race is not the answer.”
Suki snarled and his head jerked and Kahl held tightly to the dragon’s scales. He jumped away from him as the dragon snapped his jaws at him, trying to bite him. Mitsu brought his paws down on the white dragon’s side for a moment before he reeled back from him. Kahl leaped as far back as he was able to avoid his paws and teeth. He spun on his heel and raced back to him as the white was putting his head down to push himself up with his neck as Kahl landed in front of his nose. Kahl spun on his heels, raised his hind legs, and delivered a fire-wreathed buck to the dragon’s snout. Mitsu fell back as the dragon got to his paws and Kahl ran to be close to Mitsu as they waited to see if Suki had given in to their assault. Their answer came quickly when the winds picked up and buffeted the two of them once more.
Twilight looked out from within her protective cocoon. She could see the fight as it spiraled into a battle of dragons. Fear bubbled against her mind as she watched them fight. She saw the lone pony racing around Suki’s paws and lower legs. She watched as Kahl raced around, fire flowing off of his body. She watched as the wind whipped over the pair of them and she felt helpless as she stayed safe in her protective shelter.
“I have to help somehow.” She said to herself as her horn lit.
A protective shield flowed over the pony as she focused on a spell that her elder brother had taught her years ago. She saw the pony slow for a moment as the shield went into place and he seemed to look over his shoulder for a moment before he raced forward. She breathed out a deep breath and it caught in her throat for a moment as the pony rolled under the dragon’s paws.
“Oh by Celestia.” She breathed, fear in her voice as she watched the fight go on.
Kahl poured more power into the realm around him and the air immediately around the white dragon began to heat up. Mitsu roared at the sudden heat but he didn’t say anything against it. Suki roared in response to the Earth Dragon’s call and the pony called out in reply to the pair of them. Each of them issued a different call of challenge and rage. The wind picked up around them and it increased in power as the seconds passed. Mitsu snarled above him and Kahl was forced to retreat several yards back as the wind picked up. His hooves gripped the stone floor as the winds flowed over him, nearly knocking him off his hooves. He took shelter by one of Mitsu’s paws to use it as a windbreak to allow him to stay on his hooves. Mitsu squared up his paws to shield the pony as he brought his head down to look at him.
“Get back Kahlem. You cannot withstand the winds as they are.” He said and the pony grimaced as he nodded. “I will subdue him.”
Kahl broke from the dragon's paws and made for the shelter that housed Twilight. He got on the other side of the shelter to avoid being thrown off his hooves as he used the shelter as a windbreak. He looked to the side and Twilight's bright eyes stared back at him. He could see fear and wonder in her gaze as she looked back at him.
“Now what?” She asked, her voice loud to be heard over the winds.
“Now we hope Mitsu can subdue him.” He said back to her.
“Your done helping?”
“I can’t withstand the winds in this form.” He said back to her. “I’ll get thrown off my hooves if I stand much closer.”
“Oh. That makes sense.” She replied. “Can I do anything to help him from here?”
“No.” He commented. “If I thought he needed help I would have remained out there.”
“Hmm.” She said nothing in reply as she looked back to the ongoing fight.
Kahl could sense his Realm reacting to the fight as it raged across from him. The two enormous dragons raged as teeth and claws flew between them. Beside him, he could hear Twilight panting as she watched with him. His skin rippled as his Realm reacted strongly to each roar and gust of wind. He knew that Mitsu was not able to call on the Earth in his realm due to the flames of the World being strongest where his Seat was located. His eyes remained on the fight as Mitsu threw Suki to the floor and brought his paws down on the white dragon.
“Can you do anything from here?” Twilight asked him as she looked back at him.
The Fire Dragon was silent as he considered what she had asked. He knew that he could command his Seat of Power to fight in his stead but to do that he would need to be fairly close to allow him to direct it so as not to hurt Mitsu. As minutes went past him he considered what he needed to do to allow the fight to slow down. Mitsu was thrown to the ground as Suki brought his claws down on the other dragon’s skin. Kahl felt his Realm heave as the two dragons fought. Even as far back as he was standing the winds buffeted his body. Kahl’s skin trembled as the fight went on and he watched them closely.
He looked to the side and found the mare staring at him, her eyes wide and he could see fear in her gaze. Her eyes watched him for a moment before she looked up as the ground trembled under their hooves.
“There's nothing you or I can do to help?” She asked him, her voice quiet despite her yelling at him to be heard over the winds.
He opened his mouth to tell her no when Mitsu roared in pain and his Realm heaved at the sound. His eyes fell on the wound that had scored the other dragon even from afar. It had cut deep into his hard armored hide. He took a step away from Twilight and he watched as Suki tore into the other dragon further. He looked back at the mare and she gave him a knowing look. She nodded and mouthed for him to be careful. He reached out to the power that lay dormant in his Realm and his hooves began to carry him carefully across the windswept stones.
Twilight watched as her friend walked away from the shelter Mitsu had erected for her. The fire began to billow off of his body as he walked. She felt the area under her hooves begin to tremble with growing intensity. She chanced a look down to see if the stones had changed in any way and she found that they were simply moving slightly under her. Her purple eyes fell back on the lone pony as the fire began to build around him and form an almost armor around him.
“He still is too small to fight a dragon.” She said to herself as she watched him move away from her.
Fear made watch him closely as he moved away from her and closer to the dragons. As he moved she saw the fire beginning to warp around him. She watched as his hooves left the ground as he was lifted into the air by the fire as it warped continually around him. The mare’s mouth slowly dropped open as the image of an enormous dragon came into view as Kahl walked away from her. The dragon was made of pure fire and its scales were a darker red than the rest of its body. The ground only trembled more as he moved further away from her.
“Oh, my Goddess.” She whispered aloud as she nearly fell to her rump in shock.
She watched as the form become more solid and the fire dragon charged the last few yards and she gasped as a force of nature collided with the back of the white dragon and pulled him to the ground. She watched as Mitsu reeled back at the sight of the Fire dragon as the Earth dragon left the fight. She couldn’t see the pony inside the dragon's form any longer but she knew that he had to be there somewhere. As far as she could tell the body was made of pure flame and the fires of the world had helped to build him. As he dragged the white dragon to the ground and drove his paws down violently on the other dragon. As Twilight watched a smile came to her muzzle.
“Get him, Kahl.” She said to his back.
Kahl brought the white dragon to the ground and brought his paws viciously down on his back and shoulders. Kahl reached out to his Realm further and the paths of the world reacted to his call channeling their power into his form. Fire erupted from the ground directly around them, preventing the Air Dragon from fleeing. The dragons roared in challenge to each other as the fight went on. Kahl tore into the white dragon hide and his fangs bit into the back of his head, driving his head to the ground. He knew that killing him was possible now that he had his head but he was not out for the other's life. He merely wanted him to give up.
Mitsu limped to stand close by Twilight to protect her further if the need should come. He watched as the Fire Dragon tore into the other and pinned him to the ground, snarling.
“Mitsu?!” Twilight yelled for his attention and he looked down to see her. “What is happening? I’ve never seen him like this.”
“I have not either little mare,” Mitsu said to her as he lowered his head to be right next to her to allow her to hear him without yelling back and forth. “Kahl has called on the power of the world itself to aid him and this is what it is doing to help. He has become what we call an Elemental Dragon and he has the absolute power of the world’s fires at his beck and call.”
“Is he going to be okay?”
“He is fine little mare,” Mitsu assured her. “In this state, there is no way he can lose to Suki.”
“He’s got him pinned so is that the end of the fight?”
“No,” Mitsu said to her. “In this place, Kahlem holds all of the power but Suki is past seeing reason at this point. His rage is all he can see or feel. We had thought that Ice would be the one to fight with us but it seems we did not think far enough.”
“I was going to ask about that but what will happen if we go to tell Ice and he fights as well?”
“Then we allow Kahlem to do the fighting for us.” He admitted.
He saw Twilight pull her head back from the gap that he had allowed to form in the stone to allow her to watch the fight easily. Now that fire and wind tore through the Realm around them he stood as a barrier to protect the mare further with his body.
“Would Suki have killed you?”
“He was trying to,” Mitsu said to the mare.
Twilight fell silent as the dragons fell silent as the wind beat against Kahl’s form. She could see the fires being whipped into tornadoes around them as Suki managed to get his head away from Kahl’s jaws, whether that was due to Kahl releasing his jaws or just due to Suki twisting free, she couldn’t tell. The dragons parted for a moment and Kahl tore at his hide with his claws. The more they fought the more Twilight noticed that they only used the Elements to keep others at bay unless they were deliberately trying to harm or protect a group. Mitsu did not use the Earth in the fight before Kahl had stepped in and now Kahl did not use the Fires directly against Suki.
Kahl growled as Suki had managed to get away from him. The Fire Dragon said nothing as Suki stared at him. Kahl allowed the fires of his Seat of Power to swirl around them and ring the area around them to allow him to move as he wished and keep the white dragon close by. He said nothing as he knew that nothing short of a miracle would get the other dragon to listen to him. His eyes stayed on the white dragon as he seemed to pause just short of attacking him once more. The Fire Dragon was quiet as he considered his next move. He was not sure how long he would be able to maintain his current form and he didn’t dare waste it.
Fire coursed over him and he kept it circulating around and over him. He knew that if it went on he could outlast the Air Dragon given time but only if he could force him to keep moving. He could see understanding coming over the other faces as he must be realizing that trying to fight Kahl in his realm was foolish but at the same time a rage coursed through him that he could not control. Learning what they had just now had tipped him over the edge and Kahl had not realized just how close to the edge he had been. They had been worried about how Ice would take the news but it turned out to be Suki they had needed to watch.
He nearly sighed in frustration as Suki charged him and he brought the power of his Seat of Power down on top of him but brought the Fire tornadoes that had been circling them down on top of him at a moment’s notice. The force behind the attack drove the other to his knees and Kahl descended on him a moment later. His jaws landed around the back of his neck and his teeth dug in and held him tightly. His eyes fell on the now struggling form of the Air Dragon and he held it as tightly as he dared without causing irreparable damage to his fellow Element. The fire continued to stream over his body and he could feel it growing in strength as a roar cut through the air to his left. He looked to the left to see Ice standing off to the side and watching as he had come into the Realm through its main door.
“What in the Elements is going on here?!” He roared as he watched the two struggle.
Suki tried to call out to him as Kahl’s teeth dug in and he used his grip to push the other to the ground. He looked back as Mitsu came to stand by Ice and explain the situation quickly to him. To Kahl’s surprise a moment later Ice had joined the fight and was trying to help subdue Suki. Ice began to crust over the Air Dragons form as Fire began to circulate and surround his limbs and neck. With Ice’s help, he was now able to lean more of his weight and size onto Suki’s form and drive him into the ground under them.
“Hold him Kahlem!” Ice shouted.
Kahl said nothing in reply as his jaws were still circled around the back of Suki's neck and head. He leaned as much of his weight as he dared onto the task of keeping the other dragon subdued and pushed him to the ground. He closed his eyes for a moment as Suki’s claws dug at the form he held. He was not sure if it would leave injuries on his pony form or not but he was past worrying about it for too long. He opened his eyes as the Air whipped around them only creating more fire tornadoes and Kahl used them to push Sukis’ hips down. Mitsu jumped into the fray and went to the dragons as Suki was finally subdued by all of them and the winds died out and went still.
Kahl’s jaw ached as he held the dragon immobile and his fires still circled them. His Realm was still on alert and he could sense the power that it held, the power he could command if the need for it came. He glanced back and the shield that covered Twilight still stood as he could hear her calling out to them to free her. Ice was the first to speak as the three of them were still.
“Now. Can we have a civilized conversation? Or do we need to subdue you further?” Ice said his voice low as he threatened further action.
Suki fell still and Kahl was not able to see his face as he seemed to be considering what had been said. Mitsu was the only one who could easily see him and he patted Kahl’s hip to tell him to release his grip.
“Release him Kahlem. This fight has been finished.” The Earth Dragon said to him, his voice low.
Kahl growled as he slowly released his jaw and let the other free. His jaw ached a bit as he slowly backed up to allow the bleeding dragon to get to his paws. His gaze was enraged as he looked at the three dragons. Kahl moved to stand more in his face as his eyes fell on the shelter that had been erected to protect the small mare. Kahl made sure he knew that he would not hesitate to protect her should the need arise once more.
“Now can someone explain why exactly the three of you were embroiled the way you were?” Ice asked as he sat down.
“We were informed exactly how the Tears had come to be in the Alicorn’s possession,” Kahl explained and Ice nodded. “The ponies that took them were sent into the Dragon Lands to find ore and gems. They found ours and took them. They were sent by Princess Luna.”
“I see.” Ice said to him as Suki watched the Water Dragons' reaction. “And that is what caused you to go feral?” He said with a wave of his paw to Suki.
“Are you not angry by what you have heard?” Suki snarled.
“Of course I am.” Ice growled in reply. “But that does not mean I am going to attack the young mare that has helped us.” He replied. “Yes I was told that you were after her but I was not told the full reason.”
Kahl said nothing as they spoke and he slowly made his way back to the mare. He lowered his head to her and she stared at him wide-eyed. “Are you all right?” He asked her.
“I’m fine.” She assured him. “Can you let me out of here?”
Kahl paused before he pulled the lid on the shelter off to look back over his shoulder to the other three dragons. He didn’t act immediately and he heard the mare give an annoyed huff in response to his delay. He closed his eyes for a moment as he reached his paw carefully to peel the top off of her shelter and allow her to get out. He paused as she thanked him and he suddenly chuckled at her.
“What?” She asked him.
“Why didn’t you teleport out?” He asked her.
She opened her mouth as his question struck her and she put a hoof to her face in embarrassment. “I forgot.” She admitted with a sheepish look up at him.
“Come.” He said to her and she fell in at his side.
The pair of them reached the other three dragons and Suki stared at her as she joined them. She looked up at him and tried to look apologetic to get him to calm further. “I’m sorry, Suki.” She said to him. “I know it’s not me that you’re angry with and you’re lashing out at ponies in general but I’m still sorry about what has been done.”
Suki was silent as she spoke to him and he closed his eyes to look away from her. Kahl said nothing as the Air Dragon processed what had been said. He opened his eyes to get to his paws and walk away from them to a spot removed from the group. Ice moved to be close to him but still give him space. Kahl knew that Suki was aware they would not let him leave them without him giving his word that he would not attack the ponies indiscriminately. Letting him leave now would endanger any pony he came across and they would not permit it.
“Now what do we do?” Twilight asked of them.
“Now?” Kahl replied and she nodded. “I am not sure, to be honest with you. We got the answers we sought but going after a monarch of a different land is out of our depth.”
“You are right.” Mitsu agreed. “We cannot punish her as we would any dragon of the lands. Ponies do not even know we exist much less know enough to attack and steal from us.”
“Their princess knows of us though.” Suki snarled from his place removed from them. “She knows.”
“We know.” Mitsu agreed. “That just means we have to go about this in a different fashion. Do you know if there are more Tears missing than what we're given to you?”
“As far as I know what we were given is all of them,” Kahl said back to him. “Princess Luna has been back from her exile for only a short time so they were stolen fairly recently.”
“That just makes this more insulting.” Suki snapped.
“I agree with that.” Ice said to them. “We must act.”
“I agree,” Kahl said to him. “What we need to discuss is the actions we take now.”
“How do we proceed Mitsu?” Ice asked. “You are the eldest of us and the one with the most experience.”
“I have no experience with our honored dead being stolen,” Mitsu argued gently. “Our honored dead have always been safe with us and we must also give thought to how we break the news to those of our descendants that are here.”
Kahl was each of them cringe at the thought of breaking the news to their and their forebear’s descendants. “Not a great conversation to have.”
“You wouldn’t know.” Suki snarled. “You have not had children stolen.”
“That’s true.” Kahl soothed. “I do not know of that pain and I cannot know of it. But through each of you, I see the agony it brings.”
He saw Twilight tremble at the other tone and he reached out a paw to try to soothe her. Mitsu closed his eyes for a moment before he spoke.
“We can each figure out how to break the news on our own time.” He said to them and each of them nodded. “I would recommend doing it in that form Kahlem. I do not think they would react to the pony form you are trapped in.”
“I am not trapped,” Kahl argued. “But I see your point.”
“How do you have that form anyway?” Ice asked him.
“To be honest I am not sure,” Kahl replied as he looked at the form he now used.
“Well you should figure it out and use it to your advantage,” Suki growled as he rejoined them. “It behooves us to consider our ability to do battle with our new enemies.”
“The ponies are not an enemy Suki,” Kahl argued. “Only one of them has gone against us.”
“Yet we sit here wondering what to do while she could be sending more to rob us.” The Air Dragon spat.
“I doubt she will send more. And even if she did they would not survive this time now that the Elementals have been calibrated properly.” Mitsu replied.
“Says you,” Suki argued. “How do we know that we have not been robbed again?”
“We would know.” Ice said to him. “Have any ponies traipsed through your Realm, Mitsu?”
“No. I would know since I have not left it.” Mitsu informed them.
“So we have not been robbed since,” Kahl said to the still fuming Air Dragon. “But I can understand your concern, Suki.”
“The doors have been safeguarded as well,” Ice added. “Mitsu and I added further magic to the main door to alert each of us if it is tampered with. Each door has been layered with magic to alert us should they get past the main door.”
“I added traps within it should anything other than one of us gain entry. They will activate when they come in contact with one who is not permitted within.” Mitsu explained.
“See Suki?” Kahl said to the white and he huffed in reply. “There is little chance they could even under the best circumstances sneak past all of that to rob us twice.”
Suki growled under his breath as he fell silent, his arguments falling silent. Twilight took a step forward and looked up at each of them.
“I know I have no right to ask you anything considering the news I brought with me.” She said to them and all three were now watching her. “But can you simply reach out to Princess Luna and ask her what they were originally after and if they were told to hunt through your Lairs?”
“…” Kahl was silent as he consider what she had just said. “Why did you have to mention that?”
She opened her mouth as Suki roared. “She had to have known!”
Twilight's eyes went wide as Kahl got to his paws and took a step to protect the mare once more. “Easy Suki. Even if she did we can’t punish an entire species for the fault of one.”
Suki had gotten to his paws as each of them mirrored him and was now watching him closely. Blood still dribbled slowly from the wounds to his neck and the back of his head. He could see Ice warring with himself about how to act and whose side to take. Fire lanced up from the ground, forming great whips that surrounded the limbs, neck, and barrel of the Air Dragon.
“Don’t make me do more than this Suki.” Kahl threatened. “I will put you down if the need comes. You know what I can and cannot do by now.”
Ice sat down heavily and sighed. “This becomes more and more muddied the more we run it around between us.”
“I agree,” Mitsu said to him. “But we must discuss it even if it hurts each of us.”
Ice nodded and seemed to have chosen his side for the moment. “We must talk this out and keep our tempers in check. I will vent my anger out later in a place where I cannot hurt others who are innocent in this mess.”
“As will I.” Mitsu agreed and sat back down.
Suki stared at each of them before he allowed the whips that were surrounding him to drag his hips down till he was sitting once more. The whips slowly dissolved and flowed back into the ground and melted back into it. Kahl sat down as well and Mitsu patted his side to thank him for acting as he did. Twilight backed up and sat down heavily and lowered her head as Suki glared mercilessly at her.
“Be at ease Suki. The mare had no part in it.” Mitsu said to him. “If she did she would not be here to tell you personally.”
Suki growled and looked at the upset mare. “I don’t care if she knew. There must be a cost for such actions against us.”
“I agree.” Ice said to him. “But we cannot go against all of the pony kind for the actions of one and her lackeys.”
“So we are back to deciding what we do now,” Kahl said to them. “I agree that something must be done and reparations paid. But… To what extent can we hold her accountable?”
“How do you mean?” Ice asked.
“If she sent them here after nothing more than ore and gems then she had no way of knowing that they traipsed into our Realms. If she knew then that is a different matter entirely.” Kahl explained. “If she sent them directly to us then we have a bigger issue on our paws.”
“What does your Pact Partner say to this Kahlem?” Mitsu asked him.
“He has not heard what we have been discussing. If you wish to hear from him I will need to release this form and bring him forward.”
“I see,” Mitsu replied.
“Why?” Ice asked.
“Because the pony fears fire, you memory lacking fool.” Suki snarled.
Ice looked at the other dragon with murderous intent for a moment before he looked at Kahl, who appeared to be trying not to laugh at him. “Do not laugh at me.” He said to the Fire Dragon.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Kahl said to him in reply.
Kahl cleared his throat and managed not to laugh at the other dragon’s expression. “Anyway. Suki, will you be attacking any pony you come across once you leave here?”
Suki nearly snarled at him as he spoke. “No. I give you my word that I will remain here and not attack any of those little ponies in retribution.” He spat the words little ponies as though they were poison in his mouth.
“I trust your word,” Kahl said as he bound Suki's words to the real world with a few words.
Kahl closed his eyes as he released the magic and fire back into his Realm with a thought. He felt his body shrink as his hooves hit the stone under him. He felt Nix stir in the back of his mind as the fire faded to nothing around him.
“Hello, Nix.” He greeted the pony.
“What did I miss?” He asked carefully.