The three's ponies' distant departure reflected off a glistening, emerald surface.
The orb blinked, and with a deeply heated hiss, her eyecrests narrowed. She stretched her massive legs, standing up from where she clung to the side of a mountain half a mile from Blue Shelf. Her violet scales reflected the starlight with a cold sheen as she raised a dark blue crystal in her claws.
At that precise moment, the crystal pulsed with bright manalight. An elder voice boomed across the summit, resonating in the dragon's ears.
"She is alive, then?"
"Mmmmm..." Fumes poured from her mouth and nostrils as she spoke back into the crystal. "Yes, I do believe she has a longer lease on life. The expert magic of this land has saved her. I daresay she's even stronger than before."
"What delightful irony. I'm tempted to say that you did her a favor, sister."
She groaned, her two rows of teeth showing. "She heads east, just as prophesied."
"Then the fate of the world is in motion?"
"Relatively speaking..."
"Oh?"
"She is not alone," the dragon sneered. "Undoubtedly, this will slow things down."
"It is of no matter. If nothing else, it gives us more of an opportunity to prepare."
"Mmmm... indeed. I suspect that you want me to look after her now."
"She has Eljunbyro for that. The time will come when we will intervene to assure the spark's journey reaches the world's end. We've already done enough here."
"Understood." She spread her massive wings into the starlight. "I shall seek out the other two Divines."
"And I shall attempt communication with our sister on the dark side. Grace be with you, sister."
"Nnnngh..." She growled, hanging the blue crystal from a necklace. "I've had my share of grace." Then, with a searing breath, she soared skyward, breaking the clouds as she flew her way northeast, and towards the mountains beyond.