A metallic ringing awoke Rarity from her sleep, the captive mare snapping her head up to see that a silver platter was placed before. On it there was an assortment of fruit including apples, oranges, and bananas. Rarity looked from the platter up to the Dragon King, who was standing over her with a golden goblet in one claw and a bottle in the other.
“Good morning, Princess. I do hope you had a pleasant slumber,” her captor said as he poured crystal clear water from the bottle into the goblet and placed it. Rarity, in fact, did not enjoy last night’s sleep. Her back was sore and her neck was stiff from sleeping on the platform’s stone floor, her body aching in protest as she raised herself up from the uninviting floor. After filling the goblet, the Dragon King placed it before her. “This is tableware from Tantegel Castle of the Kingdom of Alefgard. Tell me, have you ever heard of Alefgard perchance?”
“No, I can’t say I have,” Rarity replied as the goblet was placed before her.
“Amusing, I expect to hear the same from the next race when I ask them about Equestria,” Ryuo told her with sadistic glee. Rarity shivered at the not so subtle threat. She looked back at the spread, realizing how hungry and thirsty she was. The last time she ate was yesterday at breakfast, so it had been a whole day since she last had anything. Though she was reluctant to accept anything from the one that has taken prisoner, her stomach growled and her throat felt dry upon looking at the sparkling water and the scrumptious food.
Instinctively, she went to active her magic to lift the goblet, but the telltale blue glow of her magic didn’t appear. This caused her to remember the cursed choker around her neck that was disabling her magic. Her neck was suddenly itchy and she pulled at the necklace in hopes to relieve some of the discomfort, but it refused to move.
“Pardon me, but I’m used to using my magic to eat, and I wouldn’t want to make a mess of the meal you so generously provided. Would you be so kind as to remove my necklace while I eat?” Rarity asked with her practiced pony charm in hopes to win over Ryuo. Her attempts was met a look on the Dragon King’s face that said, “Don’t even try it.” She had a talent of getting what she wanted by only using a few flattering words, a coy smile, and some fluttering of her eyelashes, but it was clear that wasn’t going to work here. Taking the hint, Rarity resigned herself to using her hooves to eat her meal while the Dragon King returned to sitting upon his throne.
Though she would never admit it him, the breakfast the Dragon King provided her was excellent. The fruit was juicy and the water quenched her thirst; a meal worthy of Canterlot. What confused her was why was he going out of his way to provide her, his prisoner, with a decent meal or even bother to feed her at all. Clearly she was only a means to an end, becoming expendable as soon as Spike surrendered to him. From what she had been told, he was this prideful creature, and yet here he was serving her breakfast. What sort of game was he playing? Was all this just to mock her? Treat her like a princess while he makes her watch as her nation burns? Was the food poisoned?
She stop mid-chew and looked at the plate of food with wide eyes. She hadn’t tasted anything wrong with the food or water and hadn’t yet felt any adverse effects. She then dismissed the idea, figuring that if he was going to dispose of her, he would have roasted her or eat her. Maybe even both. Besides, he still needed her for now. She slowly swallowed the remaining food in her mouth and decided that she had enough, just in case.
Slowly pushing the platter away with a hoof, Rarity began to evaluate her situation and concluded that she had four options. Option A: Escape. So far, things were not looking promising for that venture. She was trapped in a castle in the heart of dragon country. One one hoof, she wasn’t chained up or locked in a dungeon. On the other, Dragon King Ryuo and his minions were constantly watching her. Even if she was to run, where would she go? The city-sized cavern had multiple tunnels leading out of it, and she had no idea if any of them led to an exit. Even if she did make it outside, she had limited knowledge of the surrounding lands and its location relative to Equestria. On top of all that, her magic was disabled and hundreds of dragons plus one very displeased Dragon King would be after her.
Option B: Persuasion. Maybe she could talk her way out of this situation. Then she remembered the look the Dragon King gave her when she requested to have the necklace removed. She doubted that persuasion would work on him. If anything, he has proven more capable at that than she was with his dragon-spell.
Option C: Fight. Oh sure, a magicless Unicorn mare of a petite build pitted against a dragon that was as large as Canterlot Castle. That would end well for her. Even in his smaller form, she wouldn’t be a match for him. He effortlessly countered Rainbow Dash’s attack yesterday and she was a trained athlete.
Option D: Do nothing. If she did nothing, she would be relying on her friends to rescue her and stop the army of dragons. Just thinking about it sounded hopeless. The Tree of Harmony rested at the Dragon King’s side and she could think of nothing else that could defeat him. Her Spikey Wikey would be forced to surrender and everypony else would perish in dragonfire.
That settled it; she had to do something. Fighting and running would be fruitless efforts, so that left her with Option B. Somehow, she would have to talk him out of destroying Equestria.
Well, that’s not a daunting task, Rarity sarcastically thought before gathering her thoughts. She had always prided herself for her attention to detail. She was even able to solve a mystery and prevent Rainbow Dash from being falsely accused of a crime. Maybe there was something Ryuo had said that she could use. Yesterday, he said that there was a price to be paid for those that crossed him, and he even showed her examples. Rarity looked over to see the polished Arimaspi skull and shuddered at the sight. This only reinforced the idea that this all was about avenging his wounded pride, and he was using the death of a dragoness as an excuse to invade Equestria while turning the blame on to Celestia.
An idea formed in Rarity’s head. As the King of Dragons, Ryuo was most certainly the most prideful of his kind, and he held himself to the standard of the Noble Dragon Code. She might be able to use his own code of honor against him. If she called him out on his actions, his own code, backed by his ego, would force him to relinquish his claim on Equestria! He honored the pact he made with Celestia and Luna for thousands of years. There is no reason why he wouldn’t now honor his sacred code. All she had to do now is learn more about the dragoness that died.
Spike’s birth mother, Rarity thought. True, it was Twilight’s magic and life force that hatched his egg and gave him life, making her just as much his mother as the dragoness, but the late dragoness actually carried him within her and laid his egg. Twilight finished the job, but she started.
Rarity was always a little curious, but now she may have the chance to learn more about her. Was she like other dragons? Cruel, greedy, vain, and ill-tempered, like the one who was holding her hostage? Did said captor even really care that one of his subjects died, or was he using her as a means to an end? Does he even know her name? Though tragic as it was, it was an awful amount of trouble to go through for just one random dragon.
She left the breakfast spread and walked down the walkway to the Dragon King’s dais. She stepped around the sword that was embedded in the stone and stood at the foot of the stairs. Dragon King Ryuo looked down from his throne at the white Unicorn with interest.
“Was your meal satisfactory?” He asked.
“Yes, thank you,” she said carefully, still thinking of a way to properly form her words. She was about to challenge his honor and didn’t want to start by testing the limits of his patience. He had been hospitable (relatively speaking) so far and didn’t want that to change. She would have to tread lightly for one wrong word might set him off. “I was wondering if I could get a cushion to lay on. Or a pillow, perhaps? You see, sleeping on the hard, stone floor isn’t really good for my posture, and I had a restless night.”
“Very well,” Ryuo sighed, rising from his throne. Rarity followed him back to the platform. The Dragon King surveyed his treasure hoard, pondering on how to satisfy the mare’s request. After searching, he used his magic to levitate a tapestry from the cave’s wall and placed it on the floor before her. The embroidered canvas was blue with golden paisleys woven into the fabric. It was almost certainly very old and indubitably a trophy from one of his conquests. It was such a lovely piece of art, Rarity felt shameful as she reluctantly stepped on it and laid down, but she didn’t want to risk offending the Dragon King. “Is that better? I do not entertain guests that often, so I am afraid I do not have much in the way of furniture. All I have is my throne and my hoard is my bed, and they suit me well.”
“No no. This is fine,” she told him. As he turned to walk away, she asked, “Who was she?” The Dragon King stopped and looked over his shoulder. “The dragoness, I mean. The one that died.” He turned around to face her, an unreadable look upon his face. Absent was his haughtiness and arrogance, replaced by a piercing stare. Rarity faltered momentarily at the look. The blankness of his expression unnerved her to the point that she almost missed his snarling rage she had previously encountered. At least then she could read him then. She would even settle for annoyance or impatience.
“...I mean, I assume you’re doing all of this for her. You said that you were going to payback Equestria blood for blood for her, so I figured that you would at least knew who she was. Do you even know her name?” The Dragon King said nothing, but continued to stare at the Unicorn. A faint hint of a smirk graced Rarity’s lips. He has nothing to say. That must mean he doesn’t know! Ha! I have him cornered!
“Her name was Xia,” he finally said, breaking his silence and foiling Rarity’s plan.
So he does know. Well, at least I can find out more about Spike’s birth mother, Rarity thought to herself. “Xia. That’s a lovely name. She must have been quite the dragon for you to be willing to go to war over. Was she a dragon of great renown? Not that any dragon shouldn’t be, but I don’t know much of dragon society. All of your kind seem rather independent, only gathering seldomly. Aside from you, the only dragons I've met that were considered to be royalty or nobility were Dragon Lord Torch and his successor Ember.”
“Each wyrm is a king unto themselves, masters of all that resides within their domains. I am master of masters, king of kings. All wyrms see themselves as superior to their peers, but few can actually claim lordship over the others. Torch and Ember may be lords, but only I am king. I am the Lord of the Dragon Lords,” Dragon King Ryuo explained, still speaking in a neutral tone. “Xia may have been an ordinary dragon, but she was special nonetheless; a gentle soul of uncommon kindness and generosity.”
“Oh,” Rarity exclaimed, taken aback by this tidbit of information. She began to realize that there was more to the Dragon King than she had previously believed. “Um… Did you know her well? Were the two of you close?”
“She was most precious to me.” As Ryuo said this to her, Rarity could see sadness in his red eyes. “She believed in the pact and that wyrms and equines could live in peace. She wanted to strengthen the pact, wanting it to become an alliance, by laying the eggs in Equestria and raising the whelps amongst your kind to forge a bond with them. Though I dismissed her beliefs as fantasifull dreams, I could not stop her from leaving for Equestria, the realm of Dragon Lord Torch. Though I can command all wyrms and could have forced her to stay, I could not have done that to her. All I could do was to beg her not to leave.”
Oh… Oh, dear Celestia… a horrified Rarity thought, concealing a gasp with a hoof as she finally understood. She had discovered the truth and the awful implications thereof. Not all treasure is silver and gold, my dear, his words rang throughout her head. With a trembling voice, she stated, “She… She was your… wife…”
“Yes,” the Dragon King confirmed. “She was my beloved, and she was taken from me; a martyr to her cause.”
“I am so sorry,” Rarity whispered, so stunned that she was barely able to utter the words, suddenly seeing the whole picture. “You’re Spike’s father.”
He nodded and told her, “My family was taken from me. Spike is all I have left, and I will have him back.”
“Even if you have to kill millions to do it?”
“Think of it. To never again look upon the face of your loved one, to never hear their voice or to feel their embrace one last time. Oh yes, I would kill for that.”
Ryuo spun around and started to walk back to his throne, leaving a speechless Rarity sitting on the tapestry. Before he could go too far, he heard her say quietly, “She was right, you know.”
“What was that?” he asked with a low growl.
“Xia, she was right,” Rarity said a little louder. Ryuo’s anger boiled. Was she mocking him? With a twirl of his purple robe, he marched back to confront the mare who would dare mock his pain, his daughter-in-law or not. He towered over the pony, but his aggressive appearance didn’t faze her. Instead, she looked up at him with understanding, sympathetic even, blue eyes. “She was right; ponies and dragons can live in peace. Don’t you see? Spike is proof of that. Regardless of his egg being a dud or dying without Xia’s care, he wouldn’t be alive today without Celestia’s intervention. Twilight gave him new life and raised him to be the best dragon and pony he could be. He exhibits the best of both our species. He is loyal, generous, caring, and gentle like a pony while being mighty, strong, brave, and protective to a degree only a dragon could be. Even before he was crowned a prince, he was a valued member of our society. He learned the secrets of dragon magic from Aurum and had a respectable hoard even before inheriting Aurum’s."
“You speak of Aurum,” he responded. “He, like Prince Spike, took a pony for a bride.”
“Yes, I know. He was a dear friend.”
“Then you also know that it was your kind that murdered his family, just like mine.”
“That was before the three tribes were united under Celestia and Luna’s rule. Back then, the tribes fought among themselves. Now, ponies of all types live in peace, not only with each other, but with other species as well. I have seen the settlers of Appleloosa befriend the buffalo tribes. I was there when the yaks of Yakyakistan proclaimed a thousand moons of friendship with us ponies. After their king came back from his senses from being brainwashed by the Changeling Queen, the minotaurs eventually made peace with us. We’ve helped the griffons rebuild their kingdom. Your dragons attacked a village the other night that was home to ponies, griffons, and even hippogriffs. I know the road to peace is long and filled with bumps, but the results are worth it. Occasionally, there are setbacks. Compromises and sacrifices have to be made.” Her using the word “sacrifices” earned her a murderous scowl, but she pressed on.
“I am truly sorry for your lost, and I don’t mean to diminish it in any way, but Xia’s death was an accident and what Celestia did was for the best. If Celestia did return Spike’s egg to you, then what? Twilight’s surge of magic was the only thing that could have given him life and Celestia knew this. She also knew that the fate of world depended on it. Be honest with me, even if Celestia explained that to you, would you have allowed her to keep the egg?”
Rarity waited for him to respond, but he said nothing. His anger had subsided and was listening intently to what she had to say, but may no effort to refute her. Because of this, she took his silence as a “no.”
“Please, Dragon King Ryuo, end this conflict,” Rarity petitioned. “Only you have the power to stop it. We are at your mercy. You wanted to prove that you can take what you want; you did. You wanted to show us that you could destroy us if you wanted; you have. You wanted us to tremble in fear before you; we are afraid. Now you can show that you can be merciful. If you release me and return the Tree of Harmony, you’ll prove to everypony that you are both a mighty and a generous ruler. And if you let me go, Spike will be thankful. Far better to have him want to get to know you than to force him to surrender. You’ll get the chance to know your son!” Again, Ryuo remained silent, but Rarity could see that he was carefully regarding her words.
“And isn’t that what Xia would have wanted?” she asked, driving her point home.
His expression had softened, and he was stroking his chin with a claw contemplatively. He turned away from her and walked back to his throne. He ascended the steps of the dais and sat upon his golden throne. “You have given me much to consider. I must meditate upon them.”
He placed his dragon-shaped staff to the side of the throne and steepled his clawed fingers before his maw pensively. Rarity watched him hopefully, waiting patiently for his decision. She didn’t know how long it would take for him to reach a conclusion, but things were certainly looking up. He, the prideful King of Dragons, was actually considering to ceasing all hostilities against Equestria! Thousands of years of resentment and animosity would be undone, and old wounds could finally be healed!
As Rarity silently rejoiced this possible victory for both parties, an orange dragon swooped down from a tunnel and landed next to the Dragon King’s throne. “Master, you have a visitor.”
“Not now. I am busy,” Ryuo said loudly with much annoyance from having his meditation disrupted. Even Rarity was annoyed with the dragon. If he pestered the Dragon King too much, his decision could affected by his anger.
“I’m sorry, master. But the sorcerer returns,” the orange dragon fervently apologized, cowed by his king’s ire.
“Fine. Bring him in,” Ryuo seethed, smoke rising from his nostrils. The orange dragon departed and returned momentarily, carrying someone in his claws. Both curious and confused, Rarity watched as a blue Unicorn wearing an unusual white robe hopped from the dragon’s claws onto the platform beside her. His eyes were red and there was the symbol of a grinning bat on his vestment. The strange stallion eyed her and smirked with a triumphant look on his face. He then left the platform and approached the dais.
“Hail Ryuo, Mightiest of Serpents and King of Dragons!” The stranger extravagantly greeted the Dragon King. He looked at the crystalline tree beside the dais while walking around the sword planted into the walkway. “I see you were able to acquire the Tree and the sword, not that I doubted you. They are wonderful additions to your collection.”
“Dispense with the pleasantries. What do you want, sorcerer?” the Dragon King demanded. “I have honored our deal; I shall spare you and your disciples for the scroll you offered me.”
“Scroll? You mean the report? You were the one that gave it to him?!” Rarity questioned the robed pony. Ryuo held up a claw and gave her a stern look to make her hold her peace.
“I also see that you’re entertaining a guest. Princess Rarity, I presume?” The robed pony then cast a glance over his shoulder back at Rarity and grinned. Something about his smile made her skin crawl, and she shuddered, uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her.
“Do not waste my time,” the Dragon King snarled threateningly. “Unless you have something to offer, I suggest that you leave.”
“Of course. I again come before you bearing critical information. That is, only if you’re interested.”
“What do you want in exchange for your services?”
“Oh, I would not presume to ask any more from you. You have already have been generous enough,” the robed Unicorn said in attempt at flattery. However, Rarity had dealt with enough social climbing sycophants to know that this pony was either plotting something or wanted much more than he was letting on. “However, I do have need of a mare such as her. Would you consider bequeathing her to me?”
“I am not some piece of property to be bartered!” Rarity protested, offended by the stranger’s suggestion.
“She belongs to Prince Spike,” Ryuo answered, ignoring Rarity’s outburst. He glowered at the stallion threateningly, smoke and licks of red flames rising from his nostrils and maw. “Do not overstep your boundaries. I have granted you your life. Be thankful that you still have that.”
“A thousand apologies, my king. I meant no disrespect,” the sorcerer hastily said while bowing, the haughty look on this face replaced with fear. “Consider what I have to offer a gift of contrition.”
“Speak.”
“Celestia mocks you yet again,” the stallion told him. “She has ordered all of the dragons residing in the city of Fillydelphia to be arrested.”
Hearing this, Ryuo’s eyes widened with surprise and outrage, but it was Rarity who spoke first. She ran to the base of dais to defend Celestia in the eyes of the Dragon King. “That can’t be! Princess Celestia would never commit such an act!”
“Wouldn’t she? She has already proven that she can’t be trusted, and Fillydelphia has a long history of discrimination against dragonkind. Do you deny this?” the stallion challenged her. To be honest, she had seen firsthoof the injustices committed against the civilized dragons over the years, but she had also seen the vast improvement in interspecies relations. “Great Dragon King, your wayward subjects are being oppressed. Celestia’s minions are questioning them, trying to obtain any information from them that they can to use against you! I won’t be surprised if they resort to torture to get what they want! You have taken one of their own, now they take dozens of yours.”
The cave was filled with a deafening roar, causing the two ponies to flinch at the noise and the observing dragons to rise from their roosts. Ryuo arose from his throne and marched down the steps of the dais in his fury, yelling, “They will burn for this!”
“There is no time to lose, my king. Who knows what injustices are befalling them even as we speak,” the sorcerer egged him on. Using his red magic, he lifted the Dragon King’s scepter and offered it to him. The King of Dragon took the scepter in his claw and began to march down the walkway to the circular platform. Though Ryuo was too distracted to notice, Rarity saw the stallion’s eyes glow completely red and his teeth briefly sharpened into fangs.
“He’s lying! He has to be!” Rarity grabbed onto the sleeve of the Dragon King’s purple robe. He snapped his head down at her for daring to attempt to stop him, but paused when he saw the pleading look on her face.
“Why would I lie?” the sorcerer denied, acting innocent. “What is there to gain from lying about this? Only a fool would think to lie to the Archwyrm. The only pony who has lied to him and has gone unpunished is Princess Celestia. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”
“You’re planning something! I don’t know what at the moment, but you’re definitely behind all of this!” she accused.
“Go to Fillydelphia and see for yourself. They’re keeping the dragons in a makeshift prison at the docks,” the robed pony told the Dragon King confidently, ignoring Rarity’s accusations. He then turned to her and gave that sinister smile once more. “I heard they even arrested Princess Amethyst.”
“No. That can’t be,” Rarity gasped as she let go of the Dragon King and stepped back, reeling from the shock. The stallion relished Rarity’s aghast expression.
Dragon King didn’t know this ‘Princess Amethyst,’ but this piece of information silenced the white mare. Maybe she was another pony princess. One of her kin, perhaps. Or maybe she was a dragon that proclaimed herself leader of the rebellious dragons. Some time ago, a number of dragons had renounced the draconic way of life and deserted to civilized Equestria. Though they denounced him as their king, they were still his subjects. They were dreamers, just like Xia. If he did nothing, they might end up just like her. More smoke rose from his nose and clenched fangs. No more wyrms would die at the hoofs of these lesser creatures, even if they were traitors to their true selves. He would rescue them and punish those that had imprisoned them!
But then he looked down to his daughter-in-law and saw the tears in her eyes. She was afraid, but not from being caught trying to deceive him. She had spoken from her heart when she spoke of the merits of Spike being raised by ponies and had everyone’s, both ponies and dragons, best interest in mind. But her concern for this princess the sorcerer had mention told him that there was some truth to his story and worth investigating. Maybe she was honestly unaware of Celestia’s machinations and was played for a fool as well. Maybe she was right and this pony sorcerer was trying to use him a pawn in his own scheme. Whatever the truth was, Ryuo would discover it and make the one responsible suffer!
“Enough!” roared the Dragon King, stamping the floor with his staff. “I shall go and discover the truth for myself! If what you say is true, the city shall burn!”
“No! You can’t!” Rarity desperately cried, trying to dissuade him.
“Silence! I grow weary of you ponies! Sorcerer, you may take your leave.” He then narrowed his eyes at the stallion. “For both of your sakes, pray that the other is wrong.”
“As you wish, my king,” the blue Unicorn said with a bow before disappearing in a flash of red magic.
“Scorn! Cobalt! Mire!” At his command, his most trusted underlings flew down to the Dragon King. Rarity recognized the red, blue, and green dragons as the three that carried the Tree of Harmony away from Equestria. “I leave for Equestria. Scorn, you will accompany me.”
“As you command,” the red dragon acknowledged.
“Prince Spike may arrive during my absence. Cobalt, you will lead the others in patrolling our lands. Make sure he makes his way to the castle.”
“Yes, master,” the blue dragon confirmed.
“Prince Spike may be accompanied by his pony allies. They might attempt to sneak into the castle and make off with Princess Rarity. Mire, take the princess to your lair until I send for her. She is not to be harmed.”
“I understand,” the green dragon said as he reached for the pony standing beside his king.
“No, stop! Unhand me at once!” Rarity demanded as Mire’s claws wrapped around her body. As she was lifted from the platform, she once again called out to the Dragon King. “Wait! You can’t do this! Even if what he says is true, he must be behind it! I’m certain of it!”
“I cannot ignore this. Tonight, I shall infiltrate the city and seek out this ‘Princess’ Amethyst. I will ascertain the truth from her. If there is guilt to be found, retribution shall be swift and decisive,” Ryuo adamantly declared.
“Don’t hurt her,” Rarity begged, fearing for her daughter’s safety. The Dragon King then nodded to Mire, and Rarity was carried away by the green dragon.