//------------------------------// // Prompt #529: In The Hall Of // Story: Ponywatching // by ThunderTempest //------------------------------// Celestia and Luna touched down upon the space on top of the Canterhorn. There was just enough space for the two of them on the narrow plateau, and despite the sun shining and the air being still, Luna could not entirely supress a shudder. “Cold, Luna?” asked Celestia, as the two waited for the snow to settle around them. “Nay, Sister. This place is overflowing with magic. It is...unnerving.” Celestia closed her eyes for a moment, reached out with her own senses and almost immediately recoiled. “That was intense,” said Celestia. Just then, a blast of warm air issued forth from the cave in front of the two sisters. “Long have I watched you two, sisters of dark and light. The earth’s bones have told me of you. They claim you are formidable, to be respected. Yet now, you seek me out. Why?” rumbled a voice from within the cavern. “We only wish to talk,” said Celestia, “we know that you have been living here for many years, and we know that you have never shown hostilities against Equestria.” There was a pause, and another rush of warm air, melting a fraction of the snow that had built up upon the plateau. “Speak,” commanded the voice. “We are concerned, great dragon,” stated Luna, “that if you begin your long slumber here you could endanger everything in Equestria, perhaps beyond. We would ask that you leave your cave, and seek another place to rest.” There was a further pause, and when the blast of air came, it was short, sharp, and significantly warmer than the previous ones. “No,” was the simple response. Celestia and Luna shared a look. “We are prepared to offer you a substantial amount of gold to add to your hoard, great dragon,” There was a short pause, and the sound of rock scraping against equally tough scales issued forth from the cave, until the head of the dragon, a great thing, easily the size of a city block of Canterlot hovered just inside. Even at this distance, the two sisters could feel the heat radiating from the dragon’s body. “I have no hoard,” snorted the dragon, each word accompanied with a rush of warm air, the sound rumbling in the Royal Sisters’ chests. “I have no desire to collect such material things. Nor do I require food tributes. You have no power here, sisters of Dark and Light. Leave me.” “We cannot do that, dragon, unless you promise to move away and spend your long sleep outside of Equestria,” said Celestia, “We are prepared to offer you whatever you would like to ensure that this takes place.” “Your efforts are wasted. Your trip up here is useless. I have grown fond of my perch on my mountain. Leave,” rumbled the dragon, beginning to pull its head back inside the cave. “What do you want? Tell us, and we may be able to help,” said Celestia. The dragon paused, its head hanging on the edge of visibility for the two alicorns. “What I want? I want nothing, save that which time itself has taken. I want that which cannot be returned. I want that which cannot be given. Leave. I have asked three times. I will not ask again,” said the dragon, the air gradually growing warmer until, despite the banks of snow, the two sisters felt like they were in the deserts. “You had much taken from you, dragon,” said Luna, locking eyes with the great beast, “A mate, perhaps. A child. Your wealth, vanished to the ages. You want these things back, do you not? But you know that you will never have them. Perhaps you feel that you do not deserve them. You wonder why it was that they were taken, and you were not. You-” “ENOUGH!” roared the dragon, shaking the very earth on which Celestia and Luna stood, and nearly roasting them. “Thrice I have asked you to leave, and you presume that you know me? That you know my pain? You seek to use my own desires against me, to drive me away. You appeal to my nature, to my greed. I have none. There is no trick, no thing that you can offer that will make me leave my mountain.” Celestia thought for a minute, and just when Luna was about to speak, she threw a wing up in front of her younger sister. “We can do nothing, Luna. If he were younger, more impulsive, maybe. But not at this age. We will leave, dragon, but I have two requests, if you will indulge me?” “You push my patience,” muttered the dragon, “but if it means that you leave, I will hear them.” Celestia inclined her head in thanks. ****Time***** “First, I would ask that you try to control your smoke when you sleep.” “I have surpassed my need for rest. Another reason why your trip up here was useless.” Both Celestia and Luna blinked in surprise. “I’ve never heard of a dragon that didn’t need sleep,” whispered Luna, “It might be the magic keeping him alive up here.” “Your second request?” asked the dragon, impatience creeping into its voice. “I would know your name,” asked Celestia. “It is useless to you. Name me yourself.” Celestia and Luna paused. This was a somewhat common occurance in dragons. By forcing the other party to think of a name, it could give the dragon time and a way to evaluate if they wanted to continue associating with the other. Celestia, in a rare moment of blankness, blurted out the first thing that she could think of. “The Mountain King. I name you the Mountain King.” “Acceptable,” grunted the Mountain King, pulling its head back inside the cave, “now begone.” The Royal Sisters were off the edge of the plateau before the Mountain King finished speaking.