//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: The Dragon King of Equestria // by Ausbrony //------------------------------// Discord sipped his drink, looking over the chaos of his kingdom. He had idly wondered what had happened to those two alicorns that had sworn they’d defeat him… he’d laughed for nearly a week straight. “I do hope they didn’t die,” he muttered. “I thought I’d get a chuckle out of them trying…” On the off chance they actually succeeded in finding a way, he still had a backup plan, a maddened beast he’d shackled a few months back. He’d actually been quite disappointed over how easily he’d twisted its mind, it had already been so broken he felt he’d done the beast a service. “Discord!” a feminine voice called out and he turned his head to the source of the sound. It was those adorable ponies and… Oh my gosh! They had the most adorable little saddlebags and determined expressions on their faces! “Aww, you look so determined and resolute~” Discord cooed and clapped his hands. “It just makes me want to pinch your little horsey cheeks.” “Enough games Discord!” Sunbutt said. “Your reign of tyranny ends here!” “Aww, is somepony jealous?” the chaos spirit hummed. “You wanna have a go? It’s really quite fun. The screams of the downtrodden, the wails of despair and the looks of those that have lost all hope. Being the villain is pretty fun. Oh! We could get married, our love would burn with the intensity of a urinary tract infection.” Sunbutt gagged as Moonbutt glared at him like an angry kitten. “Our sister speaks true!” Moonbutt answered, stomping her hoof. “Prepare to meet thy end!” “Ahh Lulu, I like you… even if your voice sounds like a griffon dry-heaving.” Discord reclined on his throne and waved a hand. “Well, you did get this far, so I suppose I could humor you for a bit.” His eyes widened and he leaned forward, a manic grin on his face. “Iiiiiiiif, you can pass one little, teensy test.” “What kind of test?” She of the Hot Flanks asked and the spirit cackled and clapped his hands again. “Say hello, to my little friend!” He raised his arms up as a dark shadow formed in the sky above him. The two mares took a step back as the darkness coalesced and took a solid form. That of a massive black dragon. Three sharp, sickle-like claws protruded from the joint on its powerful-looking wings and most of his body looked like it was covered in plate armour. It gave a crack on its long tail, obliterating the house behind it as its hollow eyes turned onto the mares. The dragon opened it mouth and roared, the ground shaking under the ferocity of it, even Discord had to grip his throne so he wouldn’t fall out. “Ooh, say it, don’t spray it!” he said, wiping dragon spit from his coat. “Now, be a good pet and snack on those mares for a bit would you?” “W-What is that thing?” Luna stammered, taking another step back. “Ah, where are my manners?” Discord hummed. “Oh, right, threw those away. Still, allow me to introduce my good friend. I call him Chompy McBitey! But you can call him Bahamut, the King of Dragons.” “Bahamut?” Celestia repeated as she stared the great dragon down. He had an immense amount of magical power and it seemed his physical strength was not to be underestimated either. She knew that the dragons hadn’t been seen in Equestria since Discord took over… but they were a race that were highly resistant to magic. So how did Discord enslave the King of dragons? “In case you’re wondering, our friend isn’t from around here… but— HEY!” Discord ducked as Bahamut’s tail swiped at him, shattering the top from the spirit’s throne. “And I liked that chair too, it has good back support.” “Did... it just attack Discord?” Luna asked her sister. “So it would seem, let us use the distraction to defeat him, then We can worry about Bahamut,” Celestia said. “Who knows, maybe We can take both of them out at the same time?” Bahamut roared again as he sprayed a volley of fireballs, peppering the landscape with a barrage of explosions. Luna and Celestia stared at the display of power, as Discord decided that now was a good time to beat a hasty retreat. Seems that his chaos magic had driven the beast utterly mad, and he was now lashing out at anything and everything. “Hmm, seems I don’t have enough badges,” Discord hummed. “Oh well... “ He held up a stone, a large, orange-sized garnet and gave of a powerful glow. Bahamut roared as the jewel started to bind him. He. Would. Not. FALL! With a mighty roar that shook the ground, causing Discord to stumble, he begun to build power in his jaws, bringing to bear, the entirety of his power. “That… seems like it shan’t be good for us mine Sister!” Luna stated, preparing a teleport spell. “We would have to agree,” Celestia replied, casting her own. “Me three!” Discord added as he snapped his fingers and vanished. Luna and Celestia cast their spells, warping space and displacing themselves from the vicinity, landing a few miles away. Just as Bahamut unleashed his Mega Flare, and the town they were just in ceased to exist. Even from the vast distance, the two mares shielded their eyes as the explosion shook the earth, the heat from the blast could be felt even from where they were. Once the light and sound begun to settle, the sisters opened their eyes and gasped. A crater nearly a half dozen miles wide was all that was left of the empty town… “What unimaginable destructive power,” Celestia whispered. “What kind of monster has Discord summoned?” “We don’t know,” Luna said, her horn lighting up. “But it is heading this way!” Celestia looked up, seeing the great dragon diving from above, even the clouds in the sky had evaporated from his previous blast. And it looked like it was already powering another! That was when a large jewel collided with its head, and with a brilliant flash of light, the beast disappeared, sealed within the gem. “Boom! Headshot!” Discord cheered, holding the sphere. “Hah! Did you see that ladies? What perfect...form…?” He turned to look at the two mares, only to see six shining jewels floating before them, and a blast of rainbow light heading towards him. “Oh poppycock!” It had taken years of rebuilding, and Discord's magic had permeated the forest that the sisters castle had once stood. Foul creatures made of wood, stone and various chimeras now prowled the area. And no amount of efforts could remove the darkness. “We hath finished sealing the forest,” Luna sighed as she rested on her bed, located in a new castle located on the side of Mount Canterlot. “Thank you Sister,” Celestia said. She stared at the statue of the chaos spirit, bound forever in stone. The garnet that contained Bahamut had also been sealed away, in a chamber that not even the most powerful unicorns could hope to enter. “Hast thou had any luck?” Luna asked. “On locating any knowledge on Bahamut?” “No known records have knowledge of him,” Celestia sighed, dealing with the chaotic creatures of the Everfree, a rather ironic name for the forest now, would have been less of a hassle than dealing with the prissy princess. “Odd,” Luna hummed. “And what of Young Starswirl? He is your prodigal student after all.” “We refuse to let him near that stone,” Celestia snapped with a curt tone. “If Bahamut were to somehow escape… without the method Discord used to seal him away…” “All of Equus would burn,” Luna finished. “Well, perhaps it is for the best. Should we banish the stone to Tartarus?” “No, We want it where We can see it,” Celestia replied, sipping at her tea. Pah! It’d gone cold. Celestia hated cold tea. “Keep thine friends close…” “And thy enemies closer,” Luna sighed. ‘Very well Sister. If thou thinkest it best…” “We do,” Celestia nodded. “But your concern is noted dear Sister. We… would be quite lost without your wisdom to aid Us.” “Naturally,” Luna said, puffing out her chest. “Now let us rest for a moment. Then we shall go and see how Our new castle is coming along.” “SISTER!” Celestia ducked as a blast of scorching flames passed by her, the fierce dragon snarling as it’s prey escaped once more. “Fear not, it may look like a dragon, but it’s just a beast,” Luna said, a flurry of slashes from the daggers she floated attacked the red-scaled dragon. It was a large four-legged beast, powerful wings and massive black horns. It’s fire breath was hot enough to reduce the cobblestones to slag though. Three Guards had already fallen to it, one was at least lucky enough to leave a charred skeleton behind… they would at least have something to bury later. A massive bolt of lightning tore through the sky, the ruby-scaled dragon roaring in pain as the magic seared it scales and burned a large hole in its wing. The unicorn that had unleashed the attack, a wizened old stallion with a long beard frowned. “Tch! I thought that’d do it,” he muttered. “It’s rather powerful isn’t it?” The dragon went to turn its rage upon Starswirl, but a slash from one of Luna’s guard caught it’s attention again. “That’s it!” Celestia cried as she leapt into the air, her spear shining with solar light as she drove it into the creature's skull, the burning lance searing its way through until it exited through its bottom jaw and the bladed tip lodged in the ground. The dragon gave a pained gurgle and fell, it’s head propped up by Celestia’s weapon. “Finally,” Luna panted, wiping her brow with a wing. “But… where did the foul thing come from?” “We do not know,” one Solar Guard replied as he helped an injured comrade to his hooves. “It just… dropped down from the sky. Out aerial units had no chance to warn anypony...” Celestia removed her spear, swinging it in a small arc as blood splashed onto the ground. “We can investigate it soon. Remove the body and clear the area. We have dead that must be attended to… families must be informed that they have lost loved ones this day.” Her guard nodded and begun the grisly task as Celestia limped towards the castle. Luna could only watch her sister leave, she knew that the older alicorn would be plagued with nightmares for many nights to come. “This is getting worse Luna,” Starswirl said as he looked at the fallen dragon. Like the previous monsters that had appeared, its body was already disintegrating. He would have no chance to study this one either. “I know,” the lunar alicorn replied. Several citizens had emerged from their hiding places as the danger was now over. “But what can we do? These… random monster encounters are starting to get to our little ponies. They are afraid to even step out of their own homes now…” “Hrrmm…” Starswirl stroked his long beard and nodded. “I’ve been working on something for a while now. Perhaps… we should put it into effect?” “The barriers?” Luna asked and he nodded. “Well, it appears that we have little choice. But, what about the smaller towns?” “We could produce enough barrier crystals within the next few years to protect most of them,” Starswirl nodded. “But the ones that don’t lay near a Wayline…” “Would have to provide their own magic to power the barriers,” Luna concluded. “Still, we can protect ponies a lot better.” She nodded and saluted the Archmage. “Make it so. We shall contact the Crystal Empire and see if they can’t excavate quality crystals faster.” The alicorn saluted again and left, leaving Starswirl to stare up at the clouds. “Things are only going to get worse from here…” Close to nine hundred years have passed since then. Monsters continue to roam the world and remain a constant source of danger and unrest. Powerful barriers now protect most of the towns and cities that dot the landscape, and most ponies never set hoof outside. Guilds have formed, and their purposes are as varied as the ponies who run them. Some hunt the monsters that prowl the untamed wilds. Others provide security for cargo transports or travellers. And in the great mountainside city, the two alicorn sisters still rule to this day. When Starswirl passed, it had been centuries before Celestia took another personal student, and Luna had never taken one, claiming that sentimental attachment was a waste of time. She preferred to to train her guards, her batponies were some of the most skilled combatants in the world. It was a proud day for students of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Today would be the day that the Princess herself would choose a student to take under her wing, and possible rise to the coveted title of Archmage. Amongst the foals, three fillies in particular wanted this title more than anything. Sunset Shimmer. A mare born in a small border village a few miles from Canterlot. The whole village had chipped in to send the young unicorn to Canterlot, her parents… long since gone to a monster attack. Moondancer, the daughter of a rich and powerful socialite. She held the expectations of her family upon her small shoulders and would not fail to let them down. And Twilight Sparkle. She was the perfect student. Perfect test scores. Perfect attendance and possessed powerful magic. But she was a social recluse, even her own family barely saw her without a textbook or scroll of some sort. She’d even managed to pass the impossible of hatching a dragon’s egg for the entrance exam. Their teacher tried in vain to keep the rest of the students in line, but when Celestia entered the auditorium, every colt and filly fell into silence, bowing to the princess. “Thank you young ones,” Celestia smiled. She looked at the teacher and nodded. “Quite the class we have here this year.” “I could not be prouder,” the old unicorn replied. She looked at them and chuckled. “Well, for the most part.” Celestia smiled as she looked at the gathering. She’d already researched them, and she probably knew them better than they knew themselves. And when her eyes fell on three fillies in particular… She saw a future that may not have been possible until now. A chance to finally tip the scales… “You all should be proud of yourselves,” she found herself saying. “Each and everyone of you has limitless potential…” ‘Can you do it?’ “A bright future awaits no, no matter the outcome of this decision.” ‘For most of you anyway. One of you will...’ “However… I cannot choose all of you…” ‘I wonder why… Imagine an army of Archmages...’ So… I have decided…” ‘No you haven’t. You couldn’t do it. Not again… not after the last time...’ Celestia paused, her voice hitching in her throat. It was so subtle, but it was so unlike her that it couldn’t be helped but be noticed by everypony. And then that was when the screams came, followed by the terrible sound of a monster roaring. Inside the shield! “Everypony stay here!” Celestia ordered. She turned to the teacher, even as she summoned forth her armour and lance. “Gather all the teachers and students here, then proceed to the bunker. Hopefully we can end this without too much incident.” The teacher nodded, and as the princess left for the battlefield, she started on her orders, the fillies and colts wondering what was going on. The beast was massive, like a bee crossed with a hellspawn. It had long, spindly arms that ended in flesh-rending claws. It had a long, almost comical chin and rather than legs, it had a bulbous abdomen and a stinger long enough to run even the largest pony through. “Gods above,” Celestia whispered as she beheld the monster. “How did that thing get inside the shield?” A quick glance showed that the barrier was still in place… so… how? “Formation Delta!” the captain of her 51st Platoon ordered as they took their stances. The beats turned and… laughed? An ungodly high-pitched noise as it opened its maw and unleashed a powerful attack, a great whirling tornado that crackled with lightning. The squad stood no chance, scattered by the powerful winds. The squad suffered no casualties, but as the main threat had been removed, the monster turned towards the city. “You shall go no further!” Celestia roared as she fired a blast of solar magic. The monster raised an arm to block the spell, and while it was pushed back by the power of it, it didn’t appear to do any real damage. “Tch! Just as resistant to spells as the rest of them,” Celestia spat. She sorely missed Starswirl, as he had developed spells that could hurt them, but that knowledge had been lost to time. “The old fashioned way it is,” she sighed and raised her spear. “Have at thee!” Once they had been gathered, the students of Celestia’s school were being lead to the castle and the safety of the bunker that lay within. “Come on!” Sunset shouted. “We have to hurry!” “Ahhh, I can’t run that fast!” Moondancer whined, and Twilight was trailing behind her as they ran after the rest of their class. At least, she was… Sunset and Moon paused as they looked back to see Twilight staring down on of the hallways, her head tilting slightly. “Come on!” Sunset yelled again. “Unless you want that monster to eat you!” “I...can hear it,” Twilight said softly, her quiet voice almost drowned out by the sounds of battle coming from outside. “The fight? No kidding!” Sunset said as she ran up to the filly. “Now get your flank moving!” She went to pull on her, but Twilight moved out of her grasp and headed down the new corridor. “Um, you shouldn’t go that way,” Moondancer called out. She looked at Sunset, who growled. “Forget her. If she wants to get eaten then so what. One less rival for us anyway!” “You shouldn’t say things like that,” Moondancer gasped. “What if something happens to her… It’d be our fault. We’d get banished to outside the shield…” Sunset pondered on that for a second. She knew that castle inside out, having memorised the map of it. “Arrrgh! Fine! let’s get the little nerd before we all die!” Moondancer nodded and they chased after the little unicorn filly… to wherever it was she was going… When they finally caught up, Twilight was standing in a darkened corridor. There were no windows, dust coated every surface and the only light was from some magical torches that continued to burn, despite the cold temperatures. “Where… are we?” Sunset asked aloud. She didn’t know this place. It wasn’t on the map, that’s for sure. The entire way, she had a powerful need to turn around and run in the opposite direction. “There is… a spell,” Twilight said. Even her speaking was precise and methodical, her voice was very quiet, but in this corridor, it sounded deafening. “Somepony… wants to keep us away… but, there is somepony here… that needs our help.” “Our help?” Moondancer asked, shivering non-stop. Fear? The cold? It was hard to tell. The mare was so demure and always scared of something. “Who cares, let’s go already!” Sunset snapped. She’d had enough of this crap already. “I can sense it…” “W-W-W-What was that?” Moondancer stammered. The deep voice rumbled and echoed within their minds. Even Sunset was feeling a little uneasy now. Twilight just continued to stare at the door. “You have it…” “H-Have what?” Sunset said, swallowing her fear. “We don’t have anything!” “Power of the Four…” “I think his math is a little off,” Moondancer found herself giggling. “Open the door… set me free…” “L-Like hell,” Sunset said. She was taught not to trust strangers, and she’d learned not to trust anypony really. “We should leave, now!” “No… we have to help… it is the only way,” Twilight said as she placed a hoof against the door. “With this… we can…” “Twilight!” Sunset moved to stop the insane filly. The room shook as a door, far beyond ancient, begun to groan as it released its seal. Sunset took a step back, as did Moondancer. Twilight just stood there, and as soon as the door was open enough, she stepped inside. “Aw crap! Come on already!” Sunset cried and followed after her. She was going to drag Twilight back come hell or high water. Moondancer yelped at being left alone so suddenly and chased after the pair. Inside… it was large stone chamber, countless rune etched into the walls and the in the centre, was a stone pedestal with a gleaming gemstone set on it. Despite the dust that coated the hall outside, not a single speck could be seen here. “That… is a lot of sealing runes and glyphs,” Sunset said, staring at the walls. “I don’t think even the Princesses combined could use magic in here.” To test, she tried lighting her horn, but received nothing. The appendage might as well have not been there. “W-Where are we?” Moondancer said as she cowered behind Sunset. “I want my Mommy…” “Don’t we all,” Sunset replied as she looked around to see that purple idiot getting closer to the stone. Still, given the room, perhaps they might be safer here than the bunker? But then there was— “Release me…” “—That,” Sunset groaned. The voice was much louder in here. “What do we do?” Moondancer asked, as Sunset tried to get her tail back. Twilight stared up at the stone, her clouded mind was clearing and she looked around. She… knew this place. A book, that she had found explained what it was. It was a strange black book that told her many, many secrets. “The God-King… Bahamut,” she said. “You know me?” “Yeah, you know that thing?” Sunset asked. She was kind of getting sick of this unicorn constantly one-upping her. “A thousand years ago… maybe more,” Twilight explained. “He was bound by Discord… sealed away and forgotten. This was, before everything we know. Before the barriers, before the nation itself really.” “How do you know all this?” Moondancer whispered. “I can feel… the unbalance in this world. A path taken, not meant to take. And you will not survive…” “Yeah, well screw you!” Sunset shouted. “We ponies have done pretty well so far. And when I’m Archmage, I’ll kick so much ass it’ll make your non-existant head spin!” “You will not survive… but I can tip the scales. Release me, and in turn… I will release you.” “Oh, because that doesn’t sound ominous,” Sunset replied as Twilight reached for the stone. “Twilight, I swear, if you reach for that rock I will beat you flank black and blue!” “You are the Light. The power of Destiny shines brightly within you. But only through my power can it be released.” There was pause and the voice sounded… sad? “I have had enough. You are the first the hear my calls. You are the first to bring the Light… Please, do not be the last…” “We need to help,” Twilight said with a surprising amount of force. “I know, I feel that this is what we’re meant to do.” Sunset looked at Twilight and Moondancer and groaned as she put her hoof to her head. “I swear to all the gods Sparkle. If we die, I am so haunting you!” Soon, she crouched near the pedestal, Moondancer on her back and Twilight on hers. Sunset grunted as the pony-pile shifted. “You need… to lay off the cake Sparkle.” Twilight paused and looked down. “Are… you calling me fat?” “Can we please hurry!” Moondancer wailed and Twilight shrugged before reaching for the stone again. Closer… Closer… And when the tip of her hoof fell against the stone, a blinding flash filled the room and a deep chuckling could be heard. Outside, Celestia grunted as the monster tossed her into a nearby building, the stone wall crumbling as the alicorn flew through it. As she moved to try and stand, a dark blue hoof reached out and helped her up. “What’s the matter Tia?” Luna chuckled as she assisted the white alicorn to her hooves. “Getting slow in your old age?” “Luna, be a dear and go suck a cactus once this is done,” Celestia snarked as she grabbed her spear with her magic and twirled it. Still seemed to be useable. “Having trouble?” the lunar alicorn giggled as she drew her twin swords. “Here I thought that one monster would prove to be little challenge for you.” “It’s annoyingly resistant,” Celestia sighed as she brushed some dust from her wings. “If only our magic would work, and then this would be over in an instant.” “Sounds like an excuse to me,” Luna giggled. “Now come, we shall make short work of this thing and then go home for some tea.” Celestia nodded and they stepped outside of the ruined building, only to see the creature aiming its Storm Breath right at them. “Oh ponyfeathers,” Celestia cursed and prepared to raise a shield. At least until a lightning bolt tore through the creatures left wing and it howled in pain, losing some stability in mid-air. “What… who did that?” Celestia looked around and her eyes widened at the sight. Three little fillies, and the orange one had lightning crackling around her horn. She was going to say something, but Luna beat her to it. “WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS ARE FILLIES DOING HERE!?” she roared, leaping forth as the beast turned it attention to the trio. And that was when Celestia recognised them… and the stone that young Twilight held in her magical grasp. No, h-how was it possible! Nopony could reach that room. How did she? “Oh. My. Celestia!” Sunset whispered, looking at the damage her spell had wrought. Her gaze drifted to her crackling horn and she chuckled. Oh, she liked this… she liked this a lot~ “Behold the power of the Black Mage, a master of offensive spells. The very elements themselves can be used to deliver destruction to your foes!” Moondancer had moved when she saw a nearby guard with a rather nasty gash on her leg. Her horn suddenly shone as a green light enveloped the injured mare and the injury closed, not entirely healed, but enough to get her back on her hooves. “The light of the White Mage can cure most maladies. From physical wounds, to poisons and curses. Your allies will live to fight another day as long as you are there.” “What about me?” Twilight asked as Sunset cackled and shot another lightning bolt at the giant monster. “What… do I get to do?” “You… I will bestow one of my greatest gifts. The power of—” “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” Luna’s voice boomed out, causing the three fillies to flinch and cower. They saw the lunar princess flying towards them and she looked very angry. “Foals should not be here!” Sunset gulped, but frowned none-the-less. “Hey! We just hurt that thing more than all of your guards combined!” She suddenly withered as Luna turned her gaze solely on her. “Um, your highness…” “Please Princess Luna, we can help,” Moondancer stated. “We have magic that could be useful.” During that moment, Twilight had used the distraction to step forward as a massive magic circle appeared under her. The garnet she held begun to glow and pulsate as a deep, rumbling laugh could be heard. “Behold the power of the Summoner! Release me so I may deliver ultimate destruction upon your foes!” “NO! You must stop!!” Celestia called out, dashing towards the tiny filly. She seemed to have no idea what she was about to unleash. But the alicorn of the sun was too late, a giant pillar of light erupted from where Twilight stood as a form took shape in the sky. The Elvoret swung one of it’s massive arms at Twilight, but the strike never connected, blocked by a large midnight blue wing that shrouded the filly. Everypony took a few steps back, as the wing moved to reveal the terrible dragon. “That was what was inside that gem!?” Sunset yelled. “We’re doomed,” Luna muttered, her eyes wide. “He’ll destroy us all.” Bahamut looked down at the purple filly. She looked so tiny now… So adorable… Then the monster struck again, raking its claws along Bahamut’s back. The dragon growled as Twilight shrieked in pain, her body flashing red for a moment. ‘She’s connected’ Bahamut realised as he looked at her and the garnet still clutched in her hooves. He faced the Elvoret and roared as dark energy built up in his claws. “You insolent little insect!” the dragon yelled at it. “You dare to attack me? You. Are. Nothing!!” “IMPULSE!” He swung his claws, the two dark spheres collided with the monster and exploded, the dark magic tearing its body apart with no effort at all. With the annoyance slain, Bahamut turned his attention back to the pony that released him. “We are… connected,” his voice resounded in her mind. “You are my summoner now. Our fates are tied.” He looked down at his body, which was starting to fade. “Wait, what?” Celestia had taken the gem and was beginning to re-seal him. Hopefully she wouldn’t be too late. That was when a magenta aura mixed with her own and she gasped, staring at the little filly who was trying to wrest control of the gem. “Please stop!” she cried. “Don’t take him away.” “Little One, I must seal him!” Celestia argued as the filly yanked harder. Goddesses Above! Her magic was strong. “Arrgh!” Bahamut growled. “Quit screwing with my body!” He opened his mouth as he started to cast Mega Flare. Twilight gasped, realising what he was going to do. She needed his power to stop before her new friend hurt somepony. That was when a flash of brilliant light erupted from her, her eyes turning white as a column of magical power poured forth. Celestia cried out in surprise and shielded herself with a wing as Bahamut roared. And as soon as it had started, it stopped. A large crater remained, with the filly in the centre of it. And next to her…? “Impossible…” Celestia whispered as she stepped closer. The figure reminded her of the baby dragon that this very same filly had hatched a few months ago. Though, this one looked a few years older. “What… happened?” Celestia blinked as she stepped closer, but stopped as the figure coughed and slowly sat up, groaning and placing a claw against his head. He looked to be only a few feet tall, perhaps a tad taller than the filly next to him. He had a V-shaped crest on his forehead and large ruby-colored eyes. Most of his body was covered in blue-black scales, save for his tan belly. Honestly? Celestia thought he was pretty danged adorable. The petite dragon groaned and poked the unconscious Twilight. “Ey! Wake up! You got some explaining to do.” The filly murmured and batted his claw away with a hoof. “Nnrg, five more minutes…” The dracoling growled and poked her again. “I said get up!” The filly sighed and rolled over, groaning when her head hit the dirt. She opened her eyes and sat up, looking around. “This… is not my bedroom.” The dragon facepalmed and sighed. “No shit. Now, wanna tell me what the ever-loving hell you did to me!?” Twilight turned and looked at the dragon. “...Bahamut?” “No, I’m Barney... “ the dragon just growled again, feeling the aneurysm take hold. “Of course I’m Bahamut. Or at least I was until you turned me into this!!” “Oh…” Twilight tilted her head. “Um… I do not know. Maybe… a mistake?” “A mis—” Bahamut was encased in a bubble of silence as he let loose a string of expletives that were not meant for little filly ears. Celestia couldn’t believe her eyes. This little filly, had just reduced the Dragon God-King… to something that could be mistaken for a plush toy. Luna’s response was far less reserved as she fell to her back, kicking the air as she laughed her flank off. Moondancer and Sunset drew closer as well, seeing the fuming dragon and a thoroughly confused Twilight. Celestia sighed and shook her head. “Luna, when you’re done, please escort these young fillies to the castle. We have a lot to talk about…”