Irreplaceable
Chapter 17: Bargain
The clink of enchanted metal accompanied that of scale and claw on stone as the once mighty ice dragon was led to his doom. Although dragon fortresses are known for their grandeur and opulence, their dungeons are far more utilitarian than their main halls, and, as such, the room where judgement had been passed over him was less than ten seconds’ walk from the chamber where he was to be dealt with. Escorted by ten of the King’s personal guard, the icy beast would have been hard pressed to escape, even if he’d had the time to think of a plausible plan. As the doors swung wide, he gazed at what he surmised to be the last room he would ever see. Surrounded by an additional ten members of his elite guard, the King stood in the center of the room, accompanied by a wizened orange dragon. At a nod from the King, the orange dragon stepped forward as the room’s other occupants stepped back. The back wall of the room was inset with a colossal obsidian rock face, whose edges were intricately and ornately carved with languages and pictograms a thousand years dead. Closing his eyes, the orange dragon took a deep breath. As he opened his eyes, the normal iris and sclera were gone, replaced by an unfathomable darkness. As magic coursed through his veins, his eyes, black as coal, blacker even than the wall he faced, began to literally blaze with green fire, coursing magic bursting from the sockets. With a mighty breath, he let loose with a torrent of flame the colour of crushed emeralds, unleashing all of his magical might at the wall before him. As flame met stone, the emerald fire took root as if the polished stone were centuries-dried wood. Growing, crawling, spreading outwards, the flame clawed its way across the surface. As the torrent of flame grew to touch the four corners of the great wall, the dragon ceased his flame. Stepping back, the dragon turned from the wall and bowed to his king. What had once been a solid wall of rock was now a dancing, crackling sheet of flame. Then, it began to shift and twist, swirling and spiralling, a vortex in jade. As the vortex widened, the center of the whirling mass of flame expanded into an endlessly bubbling blur of colour and light, solidifying into a solid, shimmering image; a starkly beautiful forest clearing, the moonlight painting the ground a pale yellow. A portal.
This was it.
He could feel it, then. The magic, overpowering and entirely smothering. He could feel it as it slipped through the portal, creeping like a northland mist, winding itself around him, completely entwining him, restricting his movements and magic even more then the enchanted chains had.
Entirely immobile, both magically and physically, he was unable to resist or fight back as the chains were removed. As they were removed, the all encompassing magic lifted him into the air. Entirely unable to move, he could but listen at the sound of scales on marble as the King approached him.
“So. This is it. You are to be removed from my lands and destroyed. You have been judged. You have been sentenced. Any final words?” The resulting chuckle was colder even than his normally icy breath.
“I would not have thought you would bother giving me that honor.”
“We can not all be monsters like you.”
“This is true. As much as I wish to spout some drivel about my own immortality or how I can never be defeated, or perhaps throw out a string of obscenities, I don’t think that wise. I am no fool, great king. Powerful as I may be, I doubt I will come out of this alive. If you are truly offering me the gift of last words, then I would like to accept that gift.”
“As wise as you are mad, it seems. It is truly a shame you turned out the way you did. Someone like you, used in the right way, could have brought great change for the betterment of us all. My offer was no lie; speak your words and I will let them be heard by anyone willing to listen.” The ice dragon paused; he had never expected to die. Well, in all fairness, that wasn’t quite true. He had expected to die eventually, just not like this.He had always envisioned himself, undefeated after a hundred milllenia, the only force capable of stopping him the ravages of time itself. Last words were something he never considered quite simply because he had never expected to have to say them. Opening his mouth, he paused for a moment before he began to speak his mind.
“There are those that would call me evil. I would not argue with them, for one that does evil things is most certainly evil, of that there is no doubt. I too, mighty king, saw the possibilities I could create, and wanted to make them happen. I truly wanted to make things change, for the better, but when I set out to do them, I discovered that no creature was willing to help me. I discovered that the dragons that had the power to change things for the better had no interest in doing so, simply because they would not benefit themselves. I was determined though, to cause change, but I knew that I could not bring about change by playing by the rules. I worked my way into the depths of society, the seedy, diseased underbelly, the place that held the most sway. And do you know what I found? Do you know what I found, mighty king?”
“Tell me”
The great dragon’s eyes narrowed, his scaly lips turning up in a snarl as the unflinching rage deep within the core of his being burst through once more.
“I found evil. Worse then anything you could dream up. It was then that I realized: even if I succeeded in changing things for the better, even if somehow all the evil, vile, SCUM that infested these lands would let me help them... They would not be worthy of it. I am evil, of that there is no doubt. I kill indiscriminately and commit atrocities on a whim because it is all for a purpose: to wipe out those that are evil, to give the creatures that deserve a glorious world a fighting chance to get one. Every dragon I killed, every horrific act I committed was against one that deserved it. I would purge the world of this filth. Noble intentions they may be, but I know all too well that how I go about it is evil. Do you know what, though? I don’t care. I DON’T CARE! Why must I be kind and play by the rules, whilst others do not? How can I make a difference that way? Call me a villain, call me evil, call me a malefactor. I don’t care, it’s what I am. I may die today, but know this: everything I have done up until now has only benefited the world. Those two countries I ruled and was running into the ground? They deserved it. One is a colony of religious fanatics that murder others that do not follow their mad beliefs, all in the name of some made up god. The other is filled with rich nobles who fund all the villainy that goes on simply so they can stuff their caves with more gold. That village I decimated in the Archback pass? Inhabited by dragons who would sacrifice any child born during harvest season because they thought a hatchling being born during that time was bad luck. The city where I poisoned all of the wine in certain pubs? Each and every one of those pubs, filled itself every night with thieves, murderers and all other manner of disgusting filth. That army that you somehow miraculously defeat? HA! You were on the losing side and you knew it, you bloody well knew it. Who do you think helped those rebels kill Orthanx’s men, hmm? Those rebels were outnumbered, outmaneuvered and outfoxed. And yet, still they were winning. I did it so Orthanx would ask me for help. That country is... excuse me, was, the worst in all of the dragon lands, right down the the hatchlings I so easily led to the slaughter.”
Here, the great dragon chuckled, and would have shaken his head sadly if he had been able to move it.
“Ironically, the lands which you lead is one of the better ones, one I actually felt worth saving. Powerful as I may be, I cannot take on an entire dragon army. So, I used you to help me do it. Who do you think led them into that canyon that could so easily be host to an ambush? How did you beat all the madlings I created, mighty king? With numbers and strength? HA! I told them to let themselves be killed. The only hitch in an otherwise perfect plan, the ONLY failure on my part, was my escape. I never would have thought your men capable of chasing me down, and I would never have guessed you owned a set of Cadea chains. After I had escaped, I was going to relieve you of that little box and use it to finish what I had started. You were smarter then me, mighty king. Be proud of that; there are few who can say such a thing. If, IF I somehow get out of this, make to mistake. I will come for that box, I will get it, too, no matter what defences you put up, and I will finish what I started. I will not allow the dragon society to rot in a cauldron of its own bile.”
“You’re mad.”
“Indeed I am. And a good thing, too, or I might actually feel the slightest bit of regret for what I have done, and where will that get me, hm?” There was no reply but the pound of footsteps and the scrape of scales on marble as the king retreated. As the king retreated, the magic surrounding him began to pull him forwards, the green flame, cold as the ice of his homeland, engulfing his senses as he was thrust through to the forest beyond.
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He didn’t need to look to know the portal was already closed. There was absolutely no chance they wouldn’t immediately close it, even if it meant missing his death; the king was far too smart to risk the lives of his subjects with such a trivial joy. He rose, standing upon shaky legs, his head racing with thoughts. He needed answers, and he needed them now. First and foremost: he needed to know where he was. He scented the air, and flicked out his tongue. He was in a forest, that much he was sure of, and from the taste of the air it was incredibly ancient. He closed his eyes, opening himself to the ethereal, and fully took in his surroundings, the sensations impossible for any creature to explain. This forest was older then he could ever have imagined. It held many dark secrets, and was host to many dark parts of history. Bathed in powerful magic, the very air of the forest seemed to breathe as it altered and shattered the flows of the natural world. This place was unlike any other in the world. He had never been to this forest before, he had no cause; the evils he fought did not exist in such a place. He had never been there before, but he knew where he was all the same. As a young dragon, many of his studies had involved it.
“The Everfree... I should have known. So, they managed to enlist the help of a god after all. Show yourself, Eternal Radiance. If I am to die by your claw- hooves, I wish to at least look upon my executioner.”
“I have not heard that name since long before you were born, although it does not surprise me that one of your learning would know it. Although, if you don’t mind, I prefer to go by Celestia now.”
The one to whom he’d spoken, an elegant Alicorn of ageless wisdom and eternal beauty, stepped from the darkness of the woods, her hair ominously flowing as if caught in an eternal breeze that graced only her with its gentle touch. “So, Kalt’Vindur. Your own kind have deemed you too dangerous to live, and as such have sent you to me to be destroyed.”
“It seems that tonight is a night for true names to be spoken.”
“My true name has always been Celestia. I simply indulged those who wished to call me such.” A laugh escaped her lips, the sound like sparkling rays of light as they danced on the water’s surface. “I am honestly surprised you recognised your own name. After keeping it hidden for so long, substituting so many others, I would have thought your true name lost even to you. It seems I was wrong.” Another laugh.
The mighty dragon sneered, his loathing of the goddess only increasing as she toyed with him.
“If I am to die, then kill me. This taunting is beneath you, and only serves to make me question my decision to not fight back.” Celestia’s ever-present smile remained firmly where it was, though her eyes took on a look of sadness.
“I have never teased someone who is about to die, and I have no intention of starting with you. We are simply talking.”
Kalt’Vindur huffed a puff of frost in Celesita’s face, the icy mist dissipating in her aura of warmth almost instantly. “So... As opposed to a goddess of evil, revelling in the pain of others, you’re a cowardly one, fleeing her duties.” Her smile never wavered.
“I am neither. To those who contacted me and asked my aid, I simply said that you would be dealt with; I never said how. All life is precious, and I would not rob it from any creature so easily without great reason.”
“And have my deeds not given you due cause?” The smile slowly faded.
“While you have done... terrible things, I can not deny your noble intentions. As the king said, your last words were heard by any willing to listen. I am willing to grant you a second chance. I will spare your life, if you agree to follow my terms and do your best to improve your mindset. This chance is the only one you will be given. If you betray my trust or refuse my offer, I will return you back to the tideless flow. What say you, Frozen Claw of the White Wastes? Will you accept my terms?”
“You have listed no terms.”
“You will hear them only once you have agreed.” Her smile was completely gone now, replaced with the stern expression of a teacher with a naughty pupil, though her eyes were still bore same sadness.”What say you?”
Kalt’Vindur said nothing. Not with words, at any rate, although they often say that actions speak louder. The dragon unleashed a torrent of icy winds from his maw, the forest before him withering, freezing and dying instantly at their touch. When he ceased, all before him was encased in a foot thick sheet of ice. All, that is, with the exception of a three meter circle around the goddess herself.
“I am the goddess of the sun. Did you really think an ice dragons breath would have any kind of effect?” Kalt’Vindur snarled. “I have no intention of sitting here playing these games with you.” she continued. “You may not know my terms, but that is irrelevant at this point. Whatever my terms may be, it is still a choice between life, or death. You may think me a coward for sparing your life, but let me assure you: I will take your life if it means protecting my subjects. I will not continue to press the question if you continue to retaliate. Accept my terms or perish. What say you?”
“Six thousand years I have flown across this mortal coil. Four thousand of those have been spent trying to better the world. You have not stated your terms, but I know full well what they are. However you word them, whatever fancy flair you throw in to dress it up and disguise it, in the end it all amounts to my total seclusion, forced to hide away in a cave for the rest of my days as the world falls to bits. Dying would mean the end for me, no matter what, whereas hiding would allow me the chance to escape and press on. The choice seems obvious, but I cannot simply lay down and give up. I have sacrificed too much and have done too many horrible things for it to end here. What say , you ask? I say I will be damned before I let myself so easily be subdued by a little pony.” Eyes aglow with power and fury, Kalt’Vindur spread his wings in a fighting stance. “If you have it in you, pony, come and kill me.”
Celestia’s eyes never lost their sadness.
A rush of blinding light flowed forward, smashing her draconic opponent off his feet and hurling him backwards through the forest. As he flew backward, crashing through trees and foliage, he left only devastation in his wake, a path of shattered wood and destroyed shrubbery between Kalt’Vindur and the sun goddess. Twisting himself into the force of the blast, he landed on his feet, skidding several meters before coming to a full stop, a powerful spell already leaving his fanged mouth.
“Great power of the heavens, rain down upon the earth like a volley of ethereal spears. Branch out and breed craters and death in your wake. Swords of the gods. Light that cracks open the night. Arch down and bring devastation.” The ancient words carried on the wind, mixing with it, the two becoming one until the wind itself rang with the ancient tones. A crackle of thunder echoed throughout the forest, the moon suddenly blotted out by seemingly endless clouds, crackling with fury and blacker than the night itself. As he spoke the final syllable, the clouds began to roar, spewing electric wrath. Responding to his call, the lightning lanced down towards the goddess, the raw power of the elements scorching the earth where she had stood but a moment before. The white alicorn was surprised at first by the attack, unfocused as she darted and dodged around the white hot bolts. Whirling, she stood her ground. She no longer dodged the lightning; indeed, it now seemed to arch away from her before they struck, surrounding her in a corona of flame. Her horn glowed with a dazzling radiance and emitted a beam of concentrated light into the sky. The beam pierced the heavens, causing the clouds above to swell and burst, once again revealing the night sky. With a flash, the beam arced out in an ever-expanding halo of light, turning night to day for a brief second as the remainder of the clouds disappeared in a puff and a spark.
Celestia whirled around, prepared to parry the next magical attack from her foe, but was met with nothing but forest. “I did not think you the type to flee from battle. Let me assure you, however, hiding is entirely pointless. I can sense you. I can feel the ebb and flow of the magic of this world, it keeps no secrets from me. I could easily pick out a simple filly hiding in these woods. With your raw power, I need not even exert myself in seeking you out.” She closed her eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath. When she opened them, her normally violet irises were a bright, iridescent blue, glowing with a radiance that even the sun goddess’s normally luminescent eyes failed to match. Shaking her head, she began to approach the hidden dragon, his magical presence lighting up the night like a beacon for her enhanced senses.
“This is getting ridiculous; I will not continue with this bout. Yield to me now, and accept my terms.” Once again, the darkness of the night was pierced by the ethereal glow of the alicorn’s horn as she began to weave a spell. She had had enough. She was done defending, done holding back, done firing warning shots. This fight was getting out of hand, and fast. What she had hoped to be a quick scuffle was turning into something else altogether. “What say you, dragon?” At first, only silence greeted her words. Then, the beacon of energy that was Kalt’Vindur shimmered and flexed, twisting in the night like a fish on the line, before it began to expand. Growing and shifting, it continued to stretch until it covered an incredible area. Now, with his presence expanding into a dome stretching across what was easily a mile, Celestia realized the danger far too late. Thinking quickly, she altered the weave of her spell slightly, shifting the beam she’d prepared into an explosive wave of light. With an extra burst of magic, she shaped the explosion, directing it squarely at the dragon’s aura. Trees and plants evaporated into ash, stone crumbled and blew away, and the very dirt melted and boiled.
One thing that can be said for Celestia: Among whatever faults she may have had, she was quite practical; There was nothing left alive within the blast radius.
As the night air cooled the cracked and destroyed ground, Celestia stepped forward, the newly formed glass cracking and shattering beneath her hooves. The magical aura of the great dragon had winked out, gone without a trace. Celestia could sense nothing. She sighed, shaking her head. Saddened that things had gone the way they did, Celestia unfurled her wings, preparing to return home. As she began to rise, the wind began to speak, echoing, whispered words formed from creation itself. Dropping back to her hooves, Celestia summoned a powerful shield, acting almost on instinct. The wind’s voice rose, flowing and spiralling, a deadly ballad of unknown purpose dancing its way through the currents of the aether. The goddess’s eyes darted about the clearing, scouring every shadow, every shard of glass, trying to pick out where the attack might come from. For the first time in a very long time, Celestia felt fear. No longer was she the confident deity who had confronted the dragon as he emerged from the portal. Now, she was merely a pony. A powerful pony, it was true, possibly even the most powerful, but a pony nonetheless. The dragon, though... He was something more. He WAS power. Not only had he survived her attack, but somehow, he had managed to hide his magical aura from her, even while casting a spell. Celestia herself couldn’t accomplish that. Until now, she hadn’t even thought it possible.
Celestia stood low, attempting to plant her hooves to steady not only her body, but her nerves. The glassy ground, however, made this a near impossibility. She scanned the clearing, searching with both eyes and magic for her foe, but to no avail. The dragon was pulling out tricks even Celestia, with all her ageless wisdom, did not know. The spell he was casting, long and intricate as it may have been, was reaching its climax. She had no doubt it would be anything less than cataclysmically devastating. The words began to climb, growing in power and intensity as they reached a crescendo, the raw power in each word, each syllable shaking Celestia to her core as they were uttered.
Then, suddenly, silence. There was nothing. No wind, no sounds, no movement. Nothing.
Then the screaming started.
No more than a hundred feet away from the alicorn, the dragon suddenly snapped into existence. Floating extended, stretched to his maximum, claws raised to the sky, the dragon raised his head to the heavens, neck perfectly straight. The spell was complete. Above the dragon, the sky began to shift and crack, splintering like bone. Glowing a spectrum of colours from the mundane to the unimagined, they split and spread, splitting the skies with a thousand glowing fissures. What Celestia looked upon, what that monster had called down on her, was the very power of existence itself. Celestia’s eyes shot wide, fear plain upon her features. How was this possible? How could any creature, god or mortal, call upon the raw power of life itself and twist it to their own dark purpose? The hole in reality burned brightly as thousands of tendrils, each shimmering with a billion dazzling colours, shot through the hole, lashing out at the princess. The strands of life and colour struck the goddess’s shield, lashing mercilessly at the barrier. For the time being, the shield held firm, but it was beginning to waver. Celestia cursed herself silently. If she had been ready, if she’d been prepared for such an attack, she may have been able to close the rift before any damage could be done, but... she hadn’t even thought these forces could be controlled. As it stood, she could barely keep up her defenses under the onslaught of the reality-bending lashes.
The sound as the sheer power of the perversion of existence burned the air around the fractures and tendrils was like the death rattle of a thousand birds roasted alive. It was maddening, attempting to concentrate enough to maintain her defense while that twisted, shrieking, wrong sound echoed in her head. The relentless attack coupled with that deathly noise drove Celestia to her knees. Her shield wavered and began to fall apart, splintering off in flakes that slowly drifted to the glassy earth and vanished. Celestia was afraid. She feared not for her own life, but for those of her subjects, those of the creatures under her protection. If she died here and now, without turning over her control over the sun to her sister, the world would be thrown into chaos. Without the sun, the land would wither and die... as would her little ponies. She couldn’t let that happen. She was their goddess. She was their princess. She was their mother. She would not abandon them to a slow and dark death. Mustering all the will she could manage, Celestia forced herself to her feet. Her shield slowly peeling away, she pressed forward. One hoof in front of the other. Step by step, bringing herself closer to the beast. She had absolutely no clue what she was planning to do once she reached him, but she had to try something.
“STILL HANGING IN THERE, ARE WE, PRINCESS?” The voice, accompanied by a terrible laughter, pierced even the sound of reality warping. “YOU TRULY MUST BE A GOD, TO WITHSTAND THE RAW POWER OF LIFE ITSELF. TELL ME, PRINCESS, HOW MUCH LONGER CAN YOU LAST? TELL ME CELESTIA! TELL ME, ETERNAL RADIANCE! WELL? WHAT SAY YOU?” The laughter rose to a fever pitch, raw insanity creeping in on the edges of his voice. Celestia couldn’t manage a response, so focused was she on maintaining her trek. “HAHAHAHAHAHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHAAAAAAA! I MUST SAY, PRINCESS, THIS BLEAK LOOK DOES NOT SUIT YOU. I SUPPOSE YOU CAN’T BE ALL SUNSHINE AND LAUGHTER ALL THE TIME.”
Celestia couldn’t take it. She quite simply couldn’t take it. She had tried being kind. She had tried reason. She had tried everything, and this monster had thrown it in her face. He had repaid her kindness by attempting to take her life. She wanted to say something, anything, but what could she? She could curse at him, scream at him, but that would do little, and Celestia was just not that kind of pony. She now stood directly in front of her foe, that toothy maw grinning down at her, confident, insane. He had won, he knew it. Her shield continued to flake away, her power waning. Any second now, her power would fail her, and the shield would disappear. The tendrils would rocket through, flaying her to the soul and robbing her of her life. The irony of it actually managed to bring a smile to her face. “THERE SHE IS! THERE’S THE CELESTIA THE WORLD KNOWS!” he laughed. “SO, PRINCESS. WHERE IS YOUR BACKUP PLAN? WHERE IS YOUR HIDDEN ACE, YOUR TRUMP CARD? I’LL ADMIT, YOU’VE IMPRESSED ME SO FAR. YOU’VE LIVED UP TO YOUR DIVINE ORIGINS.I MUST SAY I EXPECTED MORE FROM THE GODDESS OF THE SUN, HOWEVER. SO! WHERE IS YOUR FINAL GAMBIT?”
The smile still fixed upon her face grew a little wider. Calling forth all the magic she could muster, Celestia poured it into her shield, amplifying its power to an insane degree. The resulting shockwave as it overloaded knocked the dragon from the sky, sending him crashing to the ground and skidding to a stop. The blast pushed back the tendrils just far enough so that she was able to seize the rift with her magic, and began to force it shut. Losing all focus, the tendrils began to strike wildly and haphazardly, several times nearly striking the deity. Finally, it happened. Celestia forced the fracture shut, the tendrils winking out of existence as she collapsed, both physically and magically drained.
After what seemed like an eternity, Celestia heard the distinct sound of glass upon glass; somepony in glass shoes slowly approaching her. The hooves clinked to a stop at her side. A slight sigh broke the silence, followed by a voice like warm silk.
“You did not think I would leave you to deal with a monster alone, did you?” Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but only a rasp of air escaped. Something soft touched her neck, nuzzling her affectionately as the voice encouraged her to stand. Celestia could not move at all. “Come now, sister. You must stand up and raise the sun. If I lower the moon and there is no sun to take its place, it would look rather strange, wouldn’t it?” Celestia slowly struggled to her feet, her horn gathering magic. While she lacked the power to do most anything else, the act of raising the sun was not just her own magic. It was a part of her, not something she had to call upon and unleash. The sun wanted to rise; all she needed to do was let it. Warmth began to course through her body as a force even greater than she used her as a conduit. A torrent of incredible power and tenacity, it knew exactly what it wanted. Slowly, the sun began to peek over the horizon, the morning sky glowing red and orange. Once it was on its way, Celestia released it, and it released her. It had done what it was meant to do, and would be content to carry on its way until it was called upon to rise again. With the devastation wrought in the forest, there were far fewer trees than before, allowing the light to shine through and bathe the sun goddess in the light she had brought to the world, warming her to her core and rejuvenating her. A smile crossed her lips and her eyes opened.
“I do so enjoy the beauty of your nights, but there is nothing quite like a sunrise.”
“I am inclined to agree with you. It is a shame most ponies sleep through it... it seems I’m not the only one with that problem.” Celestia turned to her sister, nuzzling her affectionately.
“I am glad you came. I truly appreciate the power you loaned me; without it, I don’t believe I could have emerged victorious.”
“Do you really think it’s over?”
“I do, because it is. Whether he chooses to accept my offer or not, I am through being kind. He will either accept, or I will do as the dragon king requested. No more second chances.” Luna nodded, and the two of them made their way toward the felled dragon, their glass shoes clicking across the scorched and shattered glass of the forest floor. From a pile of shattered debris rose the pained groans of the fallen dragon. “I have no interest in dragging this out any longer. You know the question put to you. What say you?”
“...You seem irked.”
“You tried to kill me. So yes. I am slightly irked.” Celestia shook her head. “I had expected you to retaliate in some way but I foolishly doubted you had enough power to cause me any real harm. My own overconfidence is no reason to take a creature’s life, which is the only reason you are being given this last chance. No more stalling, Kalt’vindur. Give me your answer.” The pile shifted and, for a second, Celestia tensed, readying for another attack. Instead the dragon’s hear poked from the rubble, looking her in the eyes. He smiled, a toothy, disturbing grin, madness twisting the corners of his scaly lips unnaturally.
“No need to take it personally, Celestia. I’m with you on this one. I didn’t think there was any way I could actually harm you. I simply didn’t want to lie down and surrender without a fight, for if I did that, all it would prove is that I wasn’t committed to what I was doing. Make no mistake, princess, I am very, VERY committed to my work. There was not a chance in the pits of the Deep Abyss I was just going to surrender without even making the attempt. Truthfully, if I had known you couldn’t handle the attack, I might actually have stopped.” Impossibly, his deranged grin twisted even wider, obviously amused by his comment to an ridiculous extent. “I may be insane, but I’m smart enough to know that the world needs a sun. All the time I have put into my work would have been a waste, and all the deaths I caused would have been in vain if I went and extinguished that which makes things grow and brings light to the world. So dear, dear sun goddess, don’t remain angry. It was nothing personal. Can you really blame me for trying to protect my very important mission?” Celestia said nothing, she simply stood there, staring, that serene smile and those sad eyes once again etched upon her face. Her sister, slightly shorter but no less imposing, stood next to her, an expression of unmitigated hatred and contempt spread across her face. “Very well then. I agree to your terms, whatever they may be. I know when I am beaten, despite how rarely it happens.” Celestia’s horn lit up, and the debris that buried the dragon was tossed away.
“All of your magical power will be sealed away. Originally, I had planned to leave you with but a fraction of your true might, but from what I have seen, even that would be far too dangerous; I can only imagine what you would be capable with even that much magic. Your physical form, too, will be sealed. As your own physiology would be a danger to my subjects and this forest, you will no longer bear either the features or the form and abilities of an ice dragon. Equestria can do without an ice age, thank you very much. Next, you are never to leave this forest. Finally, if you ever happen to come into contact with any ponies within the forest, you are to leave them be and bring them no harm. Every thousand years, I will return to this clearing to speak with you. We will see if your views and temperament have improved. Between now and then, however, if any of my rules are broken, especially the one about harming any of my ponies, I will consider our deal null and void, and I will take your life. Are. We. Clear? The dragon didn’t scowl, or growl, or speak. He simply nodded his head, winking at the princess, who only shook her head in response. “I see you are not beyond logical thought. Luna, I am far too tired at the moment to deal with this any further. If you would...?”
“It would be my pleasure, dear sister.” The younger alicorn’s horn lit up, and the dragon felt her magic, seeping into his body and deep into his soul, wrapping itself about his magical core, his power itself. Her magic caressed it, softly, gently, the dragon’s body stiffening from the sensation. The magic continued to goad the beast, caressing his magical core, running itself smoothly through his soul. It felt good. Beyond good. Exquisite. To the dragon, it was as if he was approaching a state of nirvana... which is probably why it hurt to the extent that it did when the magic suddenly entirely enveloped it and squeezed tightly. The dragons eyes and mouth opened wide, but nothing came out, so intense was the pain. Obviously exacting her own punishment for the dragon’s transgressions against her sister, the moon goddess appeared to take no small pleasure in it. While the pain lasted but a moment, it echoed through his entire being, feeling like an eternity before he finally went limp. He could no longer draw on his magic; Luna had sealed it off completely.
“Was that entirely necessary, sister? I did not force him to submit so that you could torture him.” Celestia was fully aware that her question was completely redundant, but she still wished to hear her sister’s explanation. The explanation, however, wasn’t forthcoming. Luna remained silent as she continued with her work. Luna’s magic wrapped itself around the dragon, lifting him into the sky as she created a cocoon of dark magic around him. Within the cocoon, the beast thrashed mightily, attempting to free himself, attempting to stop the agony racking his frame. He’d hoped that, if his physiology was to be altered, she would have changed him into a species of dragon that was at least slightly physically similar, but it seemed that the goddess was not through punishing him. His spine cracked and split, wrenching out as his neck extended several times his length, his skull bubbled and shrank as his snout shrunk. His back burned as most of his spines retracted into the bone as those on his back and the crest of his head extended, tearing the skin to accommodate the extra bone. The next alteration was almost as painful as when his magic had been sealed. The smallest finger on each of his claws began to bend and twist, actually moving across his claw, until it formed a second thumb. His eyes and teeth shrank, his pelvic bone widened, his spine twisted to compensate for the relocation of his wings. Change after change, shift after shift, each more painful than the last. When all was done, the cocoon shattered into nothing and the dragon fell to the ground in a heap, in far too much pain to even try and move. Before the sisters lay what was no longer an ice dragon, but a fully grown forest dragon, his green and gold scales glinting in the early morning night. Celestia, to her credit, was rather shocked; she knew full well what he must have gone through to look as he did now. She turned to her sister, stern authority in her voice. “When we get back to the castle, you and I are going to talk about this.”
“That was rather tiring, to be honest. I would prefer to sleep first before you lecture me.” Celestia nodded, sighing, and the two turned and walked away before spreading their wings and taking to the skies. As they flew across the treetops, the younger shifted closer to her sister. “Regardless of what you have to say, I’m glad you’re alright. I did what I did because he deserved it. If not for his crimes against his own people, then for almost taking my sister away.” That said, Luna flew back slightly, creating some distance between herself and her sister, and the two flew back to their castle in silence, both from exhaustion and the true fear that still remained from their encounter.
In the clearing, the dragon slowly rose to his feet, his new bones and shifted joints snapping and cracking as they were used for the first time, the pain having long since washed away. Testing his new body out, the beast stretched and groaned, and he began to plot. What could he do? How could he get out of this? First thing’s first, though; he needed to find a place to call his home. Spreading his new wings, the dragon pushed off from the ground and began to fly. However, after only a few seconds of flight, a shock coursed through his spine, paralyzing the great beast. He crashed through the canopy of trees he had attempted to fly over and hit the ground, hard. Upon colliding with the ground, the paralysis disappeared, only to be replaced with painful retching that continued for almost twenty minutes, even after he had expelled all in his stomach, leaving him with nothing to do but heave, over and over again, praying it would stop. When it finally did, he did not need to try and fly again, or even put any thought into an explanation. The dragon roared in fury, shooting a blast of fire into the air. Tearing up trees, he hurled them from him in his rage, tossing chunks of earth and rock about. “That vile, disgusting, pidhi kurve!!!!” The dragon swore, putting as much spleen into the words as possible. The beast dropped to the ground, defeated. There wasn't a thing he could do to exact revenge on that vile alicorn, or to even escape his situation. There was nothing he could do.
For a long time, the dragon lay where he was. Through half-lidded eyes, he watched their battlefield, examining the destruction the two had wrought. Eventually, something caught his eye; a small spider had decided to build a web between two fallen trees. At first, he was tempted to puff a burst of smoke, or even flame at the spider, ruining its work simply out of spite, but the process of crafting the web proved so mesmerizing he couldn't help but continue to watch. Back and forth, up and down, around and around, the tiny arachnid tirelessly laboured to complete its masterpiece. It crawled, leapt and climbed from spot to spot, a barely visible strand of silk trailing behind it. Finally, the spider finished its masterpiece and returned to a corner, hidden in a crack in the bark. “What a marvelous little creature you are, little spider. What patience you must posses, to sit there for hours, waiting for your chance to strike. Not hoping, though, no. You picked your spot too well. You know a delightful little morsel will eventually land itself in your trap. It’s just a matter of simply being willing to wait.” Suddenly, all at once, it hit him. His brain made a series of connections, his mind lighting up like a thousand captured fireflies. He’d had an idea. An awful idea. He got a wonderful, *awful* idea. It would take time, yes, and patience. Lots of patience. Just like this little spider. He would need to find the perfect spot, build his web and wait for the perfect moment to strike. It would take a while, but if the little spider could be patient, then so could he. “Thank you, little spider. You have given hope. Not just to me, but the whole world, hope for the future.” He paused, examining the spider. “What are you, little spider? Your genus is a simple matter to discover, the way you spin your web is evidence enough to that, but your species... Those markings on your cephalothorax would make me think Latropectus, but the placement and length of the legs is wrong. Hmm... Ah, yes! That’s it! How could I not seen it before? You were one of my favorites in my younger days, back when I was studying etymology so very long ago. There is only one spider in all of creation that has an abdomen so similar in appearance and texture to the divine and admittedly rather tasty ruby.” And then he smiled. A great, new maw of sharp, gleaming teeth. He was happy in a way he could not express in words. Though things had decidedly taken a turn for the worse, but if he worked hard and remained patient, he could get out of this. And get his revenge in the bargain.
“I suppose, little spider, an introduction is in order. After all, you are my saviour. Hello. I am Kalt’Vindur, Frozen Claw of the White Wastes. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Delidectus Crawspedisia... That truly is a beautiful web, by the way.”
TO BE CONTINUED