Chapter XVI: The Dragon Princess
The oldest of the three kingdoms, Drakonia originated in the beginning of creation and endured for millennia with an uninterrupted line of succession from the first dragons until the dragons of the pre-Classical era. Drakonia was the kingdom with the richest traditions and the most renowned works of art in the world.
In the beginning of this age, far beyond the memory of recorded history, after the cleansing of evil and the beginning of a creation of a new world, the goddess, Queen Faust built the First Mountain, a mountain of jade and emeralds. To protect the mountain, She created the first dragons: the Blue Dragon, bearer of the cooling fire, the Green Dragon, bearer of the cleansing fire, the Red Dragon, bearer of the warming fire, and the White Dragon, bearer of the destroying fire. These dragons acted as Her servants and messengers as She set out to create the world. Queen Faust ordered the Four Dragons to carve out valleys and canyons, and to build up hills and mountains. They dug on the earth to create Lake Pedwar Draig, now the Salt Flats of Pedwar Draig, Porffor Lake, now Purpura Lake, Lake Cynhaliaeth, now Lake Riziki, the Shallow Sea, now the Great Northern Desert, and the Deep Sea, now simply the Sea. Out of the earth, rocks, metals and gems they dug out, they built up the Gwyrrd Mountains around the First Mountain, then the Hills of Lauren, the Glas Mountains, the Coch Mountains, now the Nyekundu Mountains, the Gwyn Mountains, now the Barafu Mountains, the Nos Mountains, now the Moonrise Mountains, and the Dydd Mountains, now the Sunrise Mountains. The Four Dragons gave shape to the flat expanse of earth and created a landscape of great beauty and magnificence.
From their home in the Gwyrrd Mountains, the Four Dragons flew out into the world spreading the words of Queen Faust. They spat out scrolls with the goddess' messages through their fires as She created the other creatures of the world and assigned them tasks to assist in creation. As such, the Four Dragons and their descendants took responsibility for governing the affairs of the various political entities of the world and ensuring the goddess' words were obeyed and peace reigned. They managed the weather, changed the seasons, enforced the laws of the gods, and resolved the conflicts of the other creatures.
For thousands of years, this state of peace lasted. However, power inevitably leads to corruption, and the dragons held a position of great power. At around the year 2500 B.E., the farthest reach of recorded history, Queen Faust lessened Her influence on the world and all signs of Her power over the world vanished. At this time, a dragon whose monstrous name shall not be spoken, a descendant of the White Dragon and one of the four rulers of Drakonia, led a coup against the other three ruling dragons, murdered them and claimed absolute power over the kingdom. He gave himself the title, "Arglwydd," and proceeded to extend his power beyond the borders of Drakonia.
The kingdom of Drakonia prospered, but the rest of the world suffered. Under the Arglwydd's reign, Lake Pedwar Draig dried up, becoming a vast salt flat, and the Shallow Sea dried up, become a seemingly endless desert. The dragons tore down great segments of the four great contiguous mountain ranges that bordered the former Shallow Sea, Gwyrrd, Glas, Coch and Gwyn, turning them into separate lesser ranges.
After nearly three-hundred years of tyranny, the pony tribes began a revolution against the Arglwydd. They were led by a pair of earth ponies, a husband and wife, whose original names were forgotten. The revolution, however, could not stand for long against the power of Drakonia. In the year 2204 B.E., the husband and wife were captured and as they were about to be thrown into a volcano in the middle of Pedwar Draig, they held each other in their hooves and vanished in a burst of light. Moments later, they returned in a burst of light as completely new ponies, like none ever seen before. They had both wings and horns and were twice the size of ordinary ponies; they became alicorns. They held in their mouths a pair of scrolls and the scrolls contained orders from the goddess, Queen Faust. The first, held by the husband, ordered the Arglwydd to step down from his throne and restore peace and order. The second, held by the wife, granted the pair of alicorns the powers of day and night.
The Arglwydd refused to back down, bringing the alicorns to resort to coercion against him. They brought about an eclipse in the sky, which terrified every creature in the world, and opened a hole on the First Mountain that led to its center. They then used their magic to throw the Arglwydd away from Mount Inferno and cast him into the hole. They sealed the hole, forever imprisoning the evil dragon. These alicorns were Ponytopia's first king and queen: Lux and Nox.
Despite the fall of the Arglwydd, the dragons continued their heinous deeds for another millennium, though the ponies' control of day and night made Ponytopia a difficult obstacle. The bitter rivalry between Ponytopia and Drakonia kept the lands protected by the ponies safe, and slowly the great power the dragons had in the beginning began to wane. In the year 1755, the dragons lost their power over the weather when the pegasus, Vronti Pteryga, defeated the Arglwydd's grandson, Llosgi, tore off his wings, and exiled him into the Great Northern Desert, where he died lonely and detested; the power over the weather was then inherited by the pegasi. The evils of the dragons finally ended in the year 1023, when Queen Cinder, after she agreed to forbid the entry of dragons into Hoofrica, came to realize the gravity of the sins of her predecessors and abdicated the throne, thus putting an end to the period of the Drakonic Desolation. She created a Senate for Drakonia, which had the authority to elect and impeach royal families into and out of the throne of Drakonia. The Senate house was built into Mount Inferno, and in the first meeting of the new Senate, Obsidian and his family were elected as the new royal family of Drakonia, and his family remained in power for one thousand years.
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The dormant volcano at the center of the Salt Flats of Pedwar Draig, Mount Inferno, was less a volcano, and more a great towering citadel of white alabaster. In one of the royal bedrooms, Princess Sapphire, great-great granddaughter of King Obsidian, lied on her back on her bed of gold coins and trinkets. She hummed a song as she snacked on turquoise.
Princess Sapphire was a young pale-blue dragoness with long slender legs, a fairly short neck and white wings. She had floppy spines down her neck, back and tail, and a large tuft of white hair on the end of her tail. She had black curled horns, like those of a ram, and her eyes were deep gold with green irises. She wore a silver collar around her neck and hung silver beads from her horns, which jingled when she moved her head.
Sapphire sighed as she pondered on what to do with her time. She decided to read an epic poem.
"Slave!" she called out. A unicorn whose horn was covered in shards of volcanic rock entered her room.
The unicorn bowed and spoke in Draigish, "What do you need, feistres?"
"Bring me a book. Um... I want... the Epic of Seren-Dilynwr. Go." The unicorn trotted to the shelves across the room and, after a moment of searching through the scrolls, took out one and carried it in her mouth to the princess. Sapphire grabbed the scroll from the slave's mouth and the slave stood there for a moment waiting for any more orders. Sapphire opened the scroll and gestured for her to leave. She proceeded to read the Epic of Seren-Dilynwr, the tale of a great dragon who flew across the world to prove that it was round, and the various adversities he faced on his journey.
Sapphire's room was a white semi-sphere dome with a polished granite floor. Glowing yellow stones were evenly patterned across the dome, creating gentle dim lighting for the room.
As Sapphire silently read the epic, she heard a strange exotic noise out of nowhere. She looked around the room and saw a strange object slowly appearing right before her eyes. From out of thin air, a tall blue box materialized in front of her bed of gold.
"Hm. What's this? The blue box? My brother's worthless battle prize? Comet! What is your box doing in my quarters?!"
Suddenly, from inside the box, Sapphire heard a voice say, "Oh, I wasn't sent here by your brother."
Sapphire looked intently at the blue box and circled around it. "Is there somedragon within?"
The doors of the box opened and out came a brown-maned alicorn. "Greetings, princess! I hope I'm not interrupting anything." he said.
"Hmph! Merely another pony. Begone! Do not bother me."
"Oh, I have no intention of leaving just yet, princess."
"Do not try my patience, you hoofer!"
"Oi! That's racist!"
Princess Sapphire glared at the alicorn, growled and spat red fire at him, but the fire was deflected by a force field protecting the alicorn and the blue box.
"Extrapolator shielding is simply brilliant isn't it? Imagine if I combine that with a magic shield once I learn how to make one."
"Ugh! You unicorns and your magic! Stupid pony. What do you want?"
"I'm just here to strike a deal with you."
"What can you possibly have that I would desire?"
"That's up to you, princess. I can grant you any wish."
"Hah! A tempting offer, but I know my wish is something nodragon can fulfill."
"No dragon... Just tell me what you wish, princess. And let me decide whether or not it's impossible."
"Well... I wish for my mother's love."
"I see. She doesn't appreciate you does she? She keeps you cooped up in here while your brothers and sisters are allowed to go out, see the world and gain glory in battle."
"Indeed. She showers them with praises for their victories, but she rarely ever speaks to me. I am trapped here guarding that egg." Sapphire pointed across the room to a pedestal with a reinforced clear-glass case on top containing a yellow and orange phoenix egg on a red pillow. The case was attached to the pedestal with a lock that could only be opened by members of the royal family, who bore the four fires. The alicorn looked at the egg with great interest. Sapphire noticed this and she placed herself between the alicorn and the egg. "Why am I telling you all this? You are not one I can trust. I do not even know your name!"
"Of course, my name! How rude of me. My sincerest apologies, princess. I am Tympanus. And rest assured princess, you can trust me completely. I was exiled from my home in Castle Equites-"
"What is 'Castle Equties'?" Sapphire interrupted.
"You don't know what Castle Equites is?" Tympanus asked and Sapphire shook her head in response. "Well..." Tympanus continued, "Castle Equites is the political heart of Ponytopia, the kingdom of the ponies, and it was once my home. But I was exiled because of the crimes I committed, and now I'm on a quest to atone for my sins by fulfilling the deepest wishes of restless individuals across the world. I have heard of your unhappy troubles and want to help you."
"That is indeed noble of you." Sapphire said, "Nobler than any of the ponies I've met, the slaves that they all are. You are like the hero, Lleidr, in the Adbrynu."
"Yes, of course. You can look at it that way. But anyway, yes, you're like a prisoner within your own home. Truly, a tragic circumstance."
"I know! And this egg is worthless. For ninety-seven years I have guarded it, and still it has not hatched! And whenever I attempt to leave the mountain, my mother or her minions come and send me back. I tell her that the egg is not worth the effort, but she listens not. Always she says, 'That egg must never be left alone. 'Twould be a disaster if it fell unto the wrong claws.'" Sapphire imitated her mother's voice as she spoke. As she complained about her mother, she wandered around the room and ended up sitting on her bed. She picked up a gold coin and flicked it across the room and just barely missing the egg case. "I am even deprived of the essential experiences of every young dragon. By their fortieth year, every dragon must take a journey across the Great Northern Desert to the Sea and bring back a mouthful of seawater, yet I've never flown anywhere beyond the salt flats! Ugh!... I do not mean to be ungrateful. She gives me whatever toys, jewels, pets or slaves I desire, but... I just want her to praise me or acknowledge my efforts once in a while. My brother said that even when I was a hatchling, mother gave little thought to my first fire..."
"I know how it feels." Tympanus ventured to move closer to Sapphire as she dejectedly sat on her bed. "My parents never appreciated me that much either. When I had my first flight, my parents weren't there to watch. When I brought back a gazelle skull as a battle prize and gave it to them as a gift, they tossed it in the rubbish bin! I know how you feel, princess. We're very much alike. However, that means I know how your problems can be fixed! If you prove yourself worthy of something more than the egg, you're mother might finally give you what your heart most desires. A trophy is what you need. A prisoner of war."
"And how am I to capture one if I cannot even leave the mountain?"
"You have me, princess. Lock me in chains and pretend that you single-clawedly caught me while I tried to infiltrate the mountain. Your mother will be most impressed and you'll gain the admiration of your peers, because I'm an alicorn, you see. And we alicorns are the most powerful of the ponies and the rarest. No other dragon in all of history has ever captured an alicorn."
Sapphire turned and looked at Tympanus. "A worthy offer... but what then will become of you?"
"Oh, don't worry about me. Once you've thrown me in a prison or slave quarters, I'll create a magical clone of myself that will stay here and then I'll make my escape and continue my journey of atonement. Although, I do ask for one little favor in return for me services: I want that egg."
Tympanus' request startled Sapphire and she grew suspicious of the alicorn again, though she was convinced that his motives were noble and good. She stood and walked towards the pedestal with the phoenix egg. She could see Tympanus' distorted reflection on the glass case.
"I am unsure. This egg... 'tis my one duty. Mother told me never to let it out of my reach, out of my protection. I cannot simply give it to you, even though it has been the bane of my existence. Mother will be furious. She would kill me."
Tympanus walked to Sapphire's side and looked at her with friendly, sincere eyes, as she looked back at him. "Princess, do you think you can find anydragon else who can understand how you feel? Anydragon who looks at things your way? Just trust me, princess."
Sapphire turned and walked away from Tympanus. "I know not..." She sat back down on her bed and put her head in her claws as she thought deeply.
"My captivity is all your heart desires. The egg is all your heart despises." Tympanus said, "Do we have a deal?"
Princess Sapphire was being torn apart by the dilemma. She growled in frustration as she struggled to decide. She lied down on her bed and looked away from Tympanus as she continued to think. After what seemed to her like hours of contemplation, she finally turned to face Tympanus and gave her decision: "Deal."
Sapphire stood and walked to the pedestal, which had a small hole on its base. She lowered her head and breathed blue, green, red and white fire into the hole, unlocking the glass case. She removed the case, took the phoenix egg and brought it to Tympanus.
"Thank you, princess."
"No, Tympanus. It is I who must thank you."
Sapphire shook Tympanus' hoof and gave him the egg. Tympanus levitated the egg in front of him and smirked as he stared at it.
"Now," he said, "I'll just put this in my box for safekeeping and then we can proceed with our plan. Then you will finally have all you ever wanted." Tympanus walked with the egg into the blue box and closed the door behind him. In the meantime, Sapphire jumped back on her bed and giggled with excitement at the thought of impressing her mother with an alicorn captive. Suddenly she heard hysterical laughter coming from the blue box and Tympanus' voice saying, "What an idiot!"Then she heard the strange noise from when the box first appeared. She quickly got back up and looked to the blue box. It was starting to fade away and dematerialize, and from inside the box Sapphire heard Tympanus call out, "Buh-bye, Princess!"
"No, no, no! No!" Sapphire yelled, "NO! NOOO!" She desperately spat a powerful stream of white fire at the blue box, but she could not break through the extrapolator shielding, no matter how hard she tried.
The box completely vanished and shortly afterwards, Sapphire's mother, Queen Ember, knocked on her door.
"Sapphire, what is all the yelling for?"
"Oh, uh, hello mother... hehe... I have some unfortunate news..."