//------------------------------// // 82 - Draconian Law // Story: Synch // by sunnypack //------------------------------// Sharp was old and tired. Dragons may be immortal in some senses but they were still vulnerable to the ravages of time. Unlike most of the mortal beings, dragons were born gods, bestowed upon them the power and lifetimes that made them higher tier existences capable of altering the world. Dragons only got more powerful with age but the fact that they were such a revered existence, made the young ones rash and cocky and ignorant of the fact that dragons were still mortal in the physical sense, like alicorns. To the average pony, a fully-grown dragon would instil a sense of awe, wonder and fear. The elder dragons liked to keep their size and hoard large, succumbing to the greed that plagues the ancient dragon instinct. Sharp was one of the few that were truly ascended, a dragon that had shed the mortal coil and its accompanying vices to think upon higher things. It sounded arrogant, it sounded elitist, it sounded prideful and conceited but to Sharp, it was just a fact of life to her. Her age empowered, her strength undivided but her mind was heavy with carnal facts and knowledge that dragged anchors through her now sluggish thought processes. What had driven her years ago had faded into obscurity. What she had hungered for had lost its taste. Her needs had become wants and she no longer could find joys in the passions that so engaged her before. Even her most coveted craft left the bitter taste of the ashes of her traitorous guild members. Her pride and joy was nothing but a broken accord and a violated tradition that sunk their fangs into her heart and left nothing but a hollow space. She ached for something to aspire to and she was on the verge of a crisis. She knew what was happening to her but it was a trial that she would have to face alone. For every immortal knew that the greatest enemy they would face was not the physical mortality but the mental one. For immortals feared boredom the most. ----- I heard that morals were constructed from values gathered from the need to survive. Life was preferable to death. Murder was therefore wrong. Treating others how you wanted to treat yourself was a better world to live in than where everyone had the right to attack each other indiscriminately. But what if you took away the mortal aspect of it all? You lived forever. You never had a need to be productive so being lazy was no longer immoral. Responsibility faded away, time always provided eventually. I think this is what Celestia feels in a small sense of the way. The longer you live, the harder it is to discern right from wrong when the examples you have been met with blur into lines of indistinct wavy colours. If I ever lived that long it wouldn’t take me long to go insane. Heck even living for forty years make people go insane. Who was I to judge? It was just a passing thought. ----- I was tracking down Pseudo, asking passing guards where the changeling princess went. She was a hard-to-miss figure so I quickly caught up to her, seeing her disappear around a corner. I skidded to a stop seeing nothing but a maid and a corridor. I walked up to the maid. “Excuse me, but you haven’t happened to see a changeling come around?” “Y-yes I think it went that way”, she replied, giving me a shaky curtsey. “Thanks, Pseudo”, I replied, heading off in the direction she pointed in. “N-no problem! Wait. Oh drone fangs!” the maid stuttered as her disguise failed. “H-how could you tell?” she asked, giving me a curious look. I laughed, turning back to see the changeling princess standing there awkwardly. “Oh, it’s how you talk, it’s very unique to you. That and coupled with the fact that you would have no time to traverse the distance of the corridor without me at least spotting you”, I explained, beaming triumphantly. Pseudo muttered something I couldn’t quite catch but I knew it was probably something I didn’t want to hear. I was surprised she could be so vindictive. I should probably be a little more careful. “Okay Pseudo you have to calm down”, I told her giving her a look that brooked no argument. “Uhm, okay sure.” She leant against the wall in resignation. My gaze softened as I rubbed my arm self-consciously. “Look, we’ll find a way to save your hive and the world.” I gave a teasing smile for the last part. Pseudo gave me a weak grin at that. “No need to place so much pressure on yourself. If it makes you feel any better, Celestia feels awful about this and not much can make that big old sun goddess tearful. Your story touched her and I think she will make every effort to help.” Pseudo gave me a distraught look. “I know that she wants to help me and I’m sorry for snapping at her like that. It’s just that… I’m hideous compared to other ponies but the ponies are the only hope for me.” I had a nagging doubt in my mind. “What about this uh, Chrysalis character, could that be of any help? You’re both changelings right?” Pseudo gave me a look of such fury that I involuntarily took a step back. “No! For a chance to wipe out another competing changeling hive? She’d jump at the opportunity to end me!” I frowned, feeling a little stupid and ignorant for suggesting it. Pseudo sighed and gave me a smile. “Sorry, you didn’t know. I know you’re trying to help me but I’m a tough shell to crack”, she joked weakly. I couldn’t laugh at that, it was just so strained right now. “Pseudo, I-“ she interrupted me, giving me a small hug that went around my thighs. “Don’t worry about it”, she said giving me a determined look. “Like you said, we’ll figure it out somehow.” I could only nod to that. "Okay, Pseudo but I'll keep trying."