//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: The Origin Chronicles Vol. 3 
// by SmokeShadow95 
//------------------------------//

	The old dragon looked up, his eyes peering through the darkness of the night. The moon had long since risen to its place in the sky and yet he found himself to be not so alone this night. Old he may by, but his senses were still quite sharp and he heard something. Hoofs, small and numerous, moving quickly and racing about as they made their way to him. He could tell they were still a few moments away and took the time time to ready himself. He straightened himself up, letting all the creaks and cracks out of that old body of his. One particularly loud crack in his neck almost had him worrying, but it was too late. His time was up. 

“So,” The old dragon said in the dark of the night, “You are back, are you? Have you come for 	yet another story?”

“That's right. We have,” Said a small voice from not far off. 

The old dragon let out a powerful breath. He took in one equally as powerful before breathing a torrent of flame into a readied pit before him. Life breathed anew in the flames as they danced and jumped and cast their glow across the dark night. His eyes peered through the flames.

“I have a story for you then,” He said to his young visitors. Six young ponies, fillies, who had come to him before in search of a good story. They were here once again and he intended to tell them a story once again. “But this will be the last story I will be able to tell you.”

“What?” Blurted out one of the fillies. 

“Why is that, mister dragon?” Asked another. 

“Yeah, what's up with that?” Demanded yet another. 

The dragon held up a large hand and silence fell upon his young visitors. They knew that after that would come the look. Either way they would be shutting up. 

“After this story, my young friends, you will know everything that you need to. I have told you about the great hero dragon, Spike. I have told you of his fierce battles against the Darkness 	and all it represented. I have told you of the love he had for the pony princess, Luna.”

“Yeah, you have,” Interrupted a young filly, “And they were great stories, so why stop telling them?”

“The next story I am going to tell you is about a young filly, much like yourselves,” Replied the dragon, seemingly ignoring the question asked of him. “She will travel a dark and strange path, a path full of twisted shadows and tainted reflections. She will face many hardships along her journey.”

“Who is this filly and what does she have to do with Spike and Luna?”

The dragon's eyes slowly passed over the fillies until they came to rest on the little one whose most recent outburst was getting on his nerves. She sat there on the other side of the fire with her hooves crossed and an annoyed look on her face. He let out a small sigh. He supposed he had kept them waiting long enough. 

“This dark and twisted tale I have for you, young ones,” He said. “It is not the tale of Spike the dragon. Instead, I will tell you of his daughter.” The old dragon dramatically emphasized the last word, much to the fillies delight.

Whether they knew it or not the young fillies were collectively crooning their bodies ever closer to the flames of the fire, trying to get closer to the words that made up the very fabric of the story. The old dragon smiled. This is what he did. 

“This young filly, born of stars and shadows, will have to endure so very much,” Said the old 	storyteller, “And all if started with- Well, why don't I just tell you already?”