//------------------------------//
// Awakening 
// Story: The Dragons in the Mountains 
// by DracoTitan 
//------------------------------//

	Spike's eyes widen in wonder as he, Twilight, and Princess Celestia look at the large cavern around them. Amethyst stalagmites, opal crevices, and topaz stalactites dot the place while the floor had a strange feel to it almost as if- "Spike!" the young purple dragon turn his green eyes to his friend with a smile, "how did you ever find this place?! It's so amazing!" Twilight Sparkle has a oval face structure, a pair of glowing violet eyes and a small horn, showing her status as a unicorn. Standing on two hooved legs at five foot six, has a pear body shape, light orchid skin and blue mane with violet and rose streaks, the sixteen year old seem to bounce from one corner to the other in excitement.
Shrugging his shoulder, Spike adopts a quadrupedal gait before walking over to a hole in the floor, "Well, one day I had felt upset about...somethings and just started ranting." "Eventually, I felt drawn to walk past the castle towards the back roads where I found a cave systems," reaching in the hole, he pulls out a sapphire before crunching on it, "I kept looking around, all the while talking about the day."
"What do you mean by that?" the alicorn princess with an hourglass form, white skin, four maned and magenta eyed goddess spoke up, her wings drawn close on her back as she tilts her head.
Unknown to the trio, a soft rumbling pass through before a shape moved in the lower cavern pushing through stones. "Well nearly everyday, I would head over here and just...talk," the young dragon dart his eyes to a rising column, "about my hopes for the future, the bad things that happened and sometime I would find myself talking about court." The pair of ponies blink when Spike sigh and lay on the ground, "A few times I would ask about what other dragons are like but when I spoke of my trip to Ponyville...I felt as though I had to show you two this place." "I would feel a pull sometime that lead me to other places here," the dragon blinks as he gaze around in sadness, getting frowns from the two girls, "this is the first time I actually been in this room."
"Are you sure about that Spike?" as the dragon nods, Princess Celestia blinks as she hears a cracking noise, "does anypony else hear that noise?" As the two nods, the noise echoes louder before a patch of floor broke before them.
Slowly, the trio look around before gazing at the hole in the ground. Before they could speak, a voice seem to come from the area, "Come closer children." The voice sounds raspy, as though under used. As the two ponies began to walk away, Spike crept closer before disappearing down the hole.
"SPIKE!" "SPIKE!"
The two pair ran after him, with horns glowing with magic. As they move down, they see cave paintings decorating the walls. Drawings of dragons flying around even large ones, of the dragons fighting and warring against one another in which the two large ones dueling, of one of the large dragons standing over the dead loser eating a crystal. As the approach Spike, who looks forward, a drawing of several groups of dragons was shown going in a cave. Twilight frowns at the dragon and marches up to him, "What the hey were you thinking run off like that, you could've gotten hurt!"
"Don't blame...the young dragonspawn," the trio look around as the voice, sounding stronger than earlier, echoes out again, "it's has been...too long since I have seen...members of your race." Before any of them could move, light blue fire burst into being as a large shape uncoil itself.
As the trio look up, Spike eyes widen in curiosity, awe and a little fear, "You're a-a dragon."
The dragon before them seem to be hunch over as its great size impedes on his stance. A row of dark brown spikes curve down the dragon's back, carapace decorate the shoulders, back, underbelly and knees, and large wings were close on his back. As it looks down with ivory scales and glowing blue eyes filled with magic, the voice sounds again, gaining a distinct male undertone, "I am Everblight, called Ethrunbal to the caribous when they had tried to hunt us in the old days, who are you, young dragonspawn?"
"What do you mean dragonspawn?!" the dragon look questioningly at the young unicorn with slight mirth in his eyes, "wait, how is there a DRAGON in the mountain this close to Canterlot?!"
The dragon raise an eyeridge while a frown grace gigantic lips, "So there is a town above me hm...what happen to make my dragonspawns leave here, I wonder." "This young one," the large dragon points at Spike as he gaze upwards, "is a dragonspawn, dragon's blood give a physical form to move, hunt and if need be fight for the dragon that sire them." Everblight looks down at Spike with curious eyes, "Where are the rest of your brethren young one?"
As Spike looks down, the older alicorn clears her throat and gains the dragon's attention, "Lord Everblight-"
"Please no lord!"
"Very well Everblight," smiling at the dragon amuse filled eyes, she continues, "we found Spike's egg years ago in a nest alone on this mountain." Noticing a frown crossing the dragon's lips, she tilts her head in curiosity, "What do you think happened?"
"I can feel the blight of one of my siblings clear as day," Everblight voice was low but the very earth tremble in his low anger. As the dragon rose on his four trunk like legs, the ceiling above cracks and draws in sunlight, "I have not heard from any of my children in so long...until Spike reach for me." "Young Spike, I remember that you are due for this Ponyville," the trio blink at him before their jaw drops low, "I wish to accompany you and your friend here."
Twilight looks caught between wanting to hide and wanting to jump on the old dragon's back, "Um Mister Everblight, are you sure that is wise?" Seeing the dragon raise an eyeridge before bringing his head down, she almost flinch back, "It's just that, we don't know how they'll react to a dragon landing in town."
"As long as they don't throw spears and war spells at me," Everblight grins at her gently, making her feel slightly at ease, "I don't mind if they poke and prod at me."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	"I wonder when Miss Twilight will get here," Mayor Mare taps her chin before a large shadow cast over her, "what on ea-" As her eyes draws up, she and everypony in town see a large white dragon with two large pairs of wings glide towards the outskirts, "...Oh dear."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	"I think that they know we're here," the dragon and dragonspawn chuckle as Twilight slide off the dragon, "thanks again for dropping us off but I do have a question."
"Go ahead, I'll answer if I can."
Twilight cross her arms under her chest, "How is it that you can speak so well, I mean the difference between now compare to back then was...a lot."
As the two smaller form walk beneath him, Everblight smile, "It's mostly thanks to Spike." "As he spoke, I could tell the differences as well as the similarities thus I could understand and speak the current language," as they enter town, a few ponies tremble at the sight of the tall dragon. As Twilight clears her throat, Everblight looks down at Spike, "You've a lot of questions."
"What was time like when you were above ground last?" as Spike look up at the ancient dragon, a pink pony's eyes widen in surprise before dashing around the dragon and poking his tail, "there was a lot of cave drawings and I was curious."
Scratching his chin, the dragon pokes the pony gently and smirk as she laughs, "To better explain, I would have to give a history lesson." Laying down, he clears his throat while ignoring the various ponies gathering to hear, "Before most things were born, there was two beings that shape the world as we know it." "The first was a pony that created the most of the sentient and beast that created the sun and moon," the dragon's smile slowly turn into a frown, "the second was a dragon that use the power of his athanc to form hydras, most reptiles, mountains, volcanos, monsters, lava and, of course, dragons." "The dragon's name...was Toruk."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	"Toruk had tried many time to create the prefect dragon," a large black dragon with tint of a sickly green flew about, "spreading his blight across the land wildly, corrupting the very land itself." The pony walks forward with flames and stars in her mane while dress in hide and scales, "The other prepared to war against him and his creation...but not alone, never alone," an army of ponies, minotaurs, and griffins, all with wooden or bone weapons gather behind her. The army charge at the black and green dragon as he breath a column of green fire, "The war between the two side began soon afterwards, for Toruk wanted the very world as his for no other reason than he could." The scene change to Toruk fleeing with spears sticking from his body. As the other races cheer, the goddess glare after the dragon, "Although they manage to push him back after a week long battle, SHE knew he would return soon."
Meanwhile, Toruk lands on a series of islands and begins to release a cloud of green particles, "Toruk use a chain of islands to experiment on creating his progeny." "The first failure was when he manipulated his blight on the large reptiles that dwelled on the islands," stones begins to grow on the backs of several crocodiles while a specie of snakes grew thick legs, "soon afterwards, he blighted a specie of venomous snakes into what are now hydras." A large sea snake with clawed arms leap from the water surrounding the island while in the volcanos, a group of lion size lizards snarl at anything flying above them before flinging boulders, "Soon he would go on to create the sea serpents and slingtails before in desperation he did the unthinkable." With a roar, Toruk pulls out a black stone from his chest before shattering it in many shards that slowly develop their own bodies, "Pulling his athanc from him, he shattered it and from the other shards me and the others were born." "For a time we were fine with serving him faithfully," dragons of various colors fly through the air, burning villages and tribes while blighting the world, "eventually, the world's warriors try to raise an army to face us."
"However, there was unrest amongst us for we thought like him," dragons snarl at Toruk as he flew past all the while the armies of the other races watch in confusion. Soon, a small red and purple dragon roar at Toruk before diving at the older dragon. As the small dragon was ripped apart and its athanc was eaten, the others roar at Toruk before swarming him, "My ilk and myself turn on him with claws, fangs and flames battling each other." "After years of fighting, every dragon flew away from the stalemate as none were able to land a killing blow on the old dragon god," dragons began to take wing, dispersing throughout the world.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	"So what happens after that?" Twilight leans forward as various other ponies and Spike nod their head.
Everblight chuckles before pointing at the pair, "Don't you have to check something for the princess?" As the unicorn gasp and rush off, he sees Spike linger, "I'll continue once you finish youngling, now go on." As the young dragonspawn sprint off, Everblight heads towards the library, 'This is just getting more and more...interesting.'