//------------------------------//
// The End of A Species 
// Story: Dragon of Steel 
// by SuperPinkBrony12 
//------------------------------//

                (100 years ago)

In the land of the dragons, all was not well. Conflict had errupted between two species of dragons, conflict that threatened to escalate into civil war.

It had all begun, with the arrest of three teenage dragons. Their names were, Grunt (a purple skinned dragon with yellow hair), Groan (a white skinned dragon with light purple hair), and their leader Garble (a red skinned dragon with orange spikes for hair). Some dragons claimed they had tried to conspire against King Drake V, in an effort to demolish the Creed of Noble Dragons. Others claimed that the three were innocent, and had been unfairly framed by dragons who still believed King Drake V was the rightful ruler, even though there were rumors that he had illegally snatched the throne away from Prince Drax.

In the hopes of settling the conflict, before war could break out, a series of elder dragons were appointed to conduct a public trial. The elders were to remain netural, and weigh the evidence for and against Garble's crime. It was hoped that a fair and just verdict would satisfy both sides, and put an end to the ugly stain of dividence that had swept through the kingdom.



  

The trial was held inside the crater of an active volcano, that had been converted into a courtroom. Dragons of all sizes and colors packed the stands, as they waited for the verdict to be handed down. Already, passionate cries of "Destruction to All Traitors!" and "Down with Drake's Code!" rang out like bells.

Garble, Grunt, and Groan stood in the center of the courtroom. All three of them had their wings and claws chained down with fire proof gemstones, preventing them from escaping.

In front of them, resting on piles of gems, were the elder dragons. All of them looked down at the three teenage dragons with disappointment and disapproval. Behind them, stood King Drake V in all his glory. His forest green skin and gold scales contrasted sharply, with the plain black and white skin and scales respectively of his guards.

Approaching the trio of teenage dragons, was a light purple skinned dragon, with fire red scales. His blue eyes reflecting back a look of unhappiness, but also a faint sense of relief. Clearing his throat, he announced to the gathered crowd "After careful consideration of the evidence and facts presented to us, we elder dragons have agreed upon on a verdict," A tense hush fell over the crowd, as they awaited the declaration. The purple skinned dragon then continued with his statement, as he said "Garble, Grunt, and Groan, this court finds the three of you.... guilty on charges of conspiraing against the crown, with intent to remove King Drake V from the throne. And on charges of attempt to dismantle the Creed of Noble Dragons, which has guided our civilization for centuries."

Various cheers and jeers for the verdict echoed through the courtroom like wildfire. Garble and his two followers simply looked at the elder dragons and King Drake V with looks of discontent. "So, that's how it is," Garble said to himself "They brand us traitors, simply because we try to do what is best for the kingdom. King Drake V is a phony, and has no right to sit on that royal throne."

"What's gonna happen to us now, Garble?" Groan asked.

"Are we going to die?" Grunt added nervously.

"Whatever 'punishment' they inflict on us, we'll take it with a smile," Garble explained "We will be martyrs for our cause!"

Then, the elder dragons all spoke at once "Garble, Grunt, and Groan, as punishment for your actions, the three of you are hereby banished to the Realm of No Return! Should any of you return to this land ever again, you shall be put to death!" And with that, there was a roar of wind that enveloped the three teenage dragons, lifting them up, and causing them to vanish in a flash of light.





With the trial now over, all of the dragons in the courtroom left to return to their lives. And for the purple skinned dragon that handed down the verdict, he was no exception.

Upon arriving back at his humble cave, lined with crystals of every color but green, he was greeted with the sight of his lovely wife. A crimson red skinned dragon with green scales, her green eyes sparkling brightly, as she guarded a light purple egg with dark purple spots.

"Oh, Brimstone, I'm glad you've returned," the red skinned dragon said cheerfully "Now that the trail is over, perhaps we can settle down, and hatch our egg in peace?"

But Brimstone shook his head "I'm afraid that reality may not come to pass, my darling Samantha." he said glumly.

"Whatever do you mean?" Samantha asked anxiously. She had hoped that the end of the trial would finally bring back the peace that had been lost to the dragons for so long.

Brimstone frowned, and looked his wife in the eyes "For a long time now, I have recieved visions. Visions of a future, that I fear, will come true. We noble dragons have diminished in numbers over the past few decades. And with the banishment of Garble and two of his followers, I fear it is only a matter of time until we become enemies of the empire. An offense punishable by death!"

If Samantha was worried, she tried her best not to show it, as she put a claw around her husband and told him "You need to have fate in the crown. King Drake V is one of the noblest dragons in existence, and our kind has stood by his side from the day he was crowned our leader. He would not allow such petty differences to drive us all apart. In time, dragons will forget they ever took offense with the code, and life will return to normal. In the meantime, we shall rise our child. Something tells me, that he is destined for great things in life."





But as it turned out, Samantha was wrong. Two uneasy months ticked by, and the noble dragons could only watch in horror, as Garble's supporters rallied to his cause. One by one, the noble dragons were thrust out of power. The elder dragons, who had previously maintained the peace, could not stem back the tide of rebellion.

Then, one faithful day, King Drake V was betrayed by his palace guards. He was never heard from again, and all that remained of him, was the multil jeweled crown that had always rested atop his forehead.

Drake's successor to the throne, the black skinned, grey scaled, Drax, gave the order that the noble dragons had long feared. "All dragons abiding by the Noble Dragon Code of King Drake IV, are enemies of the new Dragon Empire, and must be destroyed!" he commanded. And his guards did not hesitate to carry out his orders.

Inside their cave on the outskirts of the kingdom, Brimstone and Samantha knew that their time was short. Even if they could fly away from Drax's guards, there was nowhere for them to go. And they knew, that Drax would not rest, until they were captured or killed. Thus, they turned all their attention to the egg that they would never get to see hatch.





"The guards will be here any second!" Samantha said nervously.

"I'm almost done with the preparations," Brimstone replied, as he finished hastily writing a letter and attaching it to the egg "The mare who recieves this will know what to do."

"Are you really sure she's the best candidate to rise our child? You know how much her subjects fear dragons." Samantha spoke up, moving closer to her husband, and the egg.

"They won't think to look for him in that kingdom, he'll be safe there. And when he's old enough, she will tell him everything," Brimstone said somberly, as he placed a fire ruby near the note "This enchanted gem will contain a portion of our souls. We will be able to guide him periodically, but it will be up to whoever hatches him, to teach him right from wrong." And with that, Brimstone gave the egg to his wife's trusted pet phoneix, Philomena.

"Go right to the mare that lent you to us, and do no return! Make sure the egg arrives safely, and with our note and the fire ruby entact." Samantha instructed.

Philomena obeyed, and flew off like a rocket. Her destination, the land of Equestria, and her original master, Princess Celestia.

Brimstone and Samantha held each other tightly, as Drax's guards burst into their cave. "By the power invested in us through King Drax I, you are coming with us!" they said, slapping a pair of cuffs onto the two elder dragons, and leading them to the palace to meet their fate.