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

	Spike sighs again before turning to the still form of Everblight. As the dragon migration had left, only he and twenty six dragonspawns remains. In addition to Chute and Amber, Garble and his crew of five stuck around with the excuse of needing to get stronger. Seeing Fumes and Shakes wrestling, he rose up and look over to the other eighteen young dragonspawns. Twin albino dragoness Frost and Gale curl under the shade of the Library and the golden Thrasher could be seen playing with young Chute. Soon, Amber and Garble trot over, "When is the 'true dragon' gonna wake up?"
"When he fully wins," the pair raise an eyeridge while Spike frowns, "when a dragon eats another's heartstone, it becomes a battle of will." Looking over, they could see Everblight's pupil move behind the eyelid, "This means a weak dragon can gain an all powerful body by having a strong will."
"So then," Amber looks at Spike with a gentler face, "who's winning, Papa Everblight or Pyromalfic?"
"Who do you think," turning, the trio see Everblight opens his eyes glowing blue, "now who are these youngsters here?" As he rose, Spike flew up and lands on his shoulder as the twenty six dragonspawns crept before the pair. Hearing Spike call each one by name and committing them with appearance, Everblight nods before accessing his athanc. Feeling the amount of magic radiating of the old dragon, the young drew closer subconsciously. As flakes of blue energy rose from his body, the few ponies in the area step into the nearby building, "You have come to me by your own power. Allow me to show you my appreciation."
	As the dragonspawns drift to sleep, their bodies began to change. They increase in size and muscle tone, their scales harden and shift color, and they grow a second pair of arms. Horns and spike becomes longer and sharper. Those that had spades and arrow tips on their tail gain wickedly sharp tail blades while those with bone clubs gain spikes on them and those with thagomizers became jagged. As the transformation ends, the young dragonspawns blink before standing.
Spike couldn't help noticing that Amber and Garble were roughly the same height as him. While the others did gain in size and girth, they still didn't reach his size. As he glide down, Garble began chuckling while flexing his arms, "Oh yeah, now that's what I'm talking bout!" "I feel so much stronger than before," the now lightish red scaled dragon turns towards Spike with a grin, "if what I feel is so much, how strong are you really?"
"I won't have to teach you a lot," the group look over to the ancient as he brings his head down to give them a reassuring smile, "but I think I'll teach you something that all of my children can do that other dragonspawns couldn't." "I'm gonna teach how to use spells," seeing the surprise and excited glances, he smirk pridefully. Rising, he and the others began to head for the nearby quarry, "Now this first spell is vilzriquath or freeze and it's mostly use to stop enemies on the war field."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	As the girls, Spike and Amber boarded the train to Canterlot for the wedding, Garble shrug before glancing at the tall ancient being, "Hey pops, I've got a question." Seeing Everblight turn his head towards him, Garble once again feel a sense of awe at the thought that a true dragon would be such a size, "Why don't you attack the ponies...like back in the old days."
"Mostly cause I don't need to," as he spoke, the various ponies and dragonspawns gather around him, "the other reason is that I feel...nostalgic." "I use to reign where the Crystal Empire once stood," seeing the questioning gaze, Everblight smile at them. The smile turns into a frown, catching many beings off guard, "I was foolishly arrogant, brutally tyrannical and overly paranoid." "It had gotten to the point where several of my kinsman were force to raise an army to either remove me peacefully or kill my form," the dragonspawns and ponies shudder at the thought of Everblight dying. As the old dragon look down, he snort at the comforting glances, "They only destroy my body, not my athanc...I got better."
"Wait, so you died?" getting a nod from him, Amber look curiously at him, "but you seem so-"
"Wise?" at her nod, Everblight chuckles before looking towards Canterlot, "that came with age...and the lost of my precious servants."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	Meanwhile in the Everfree Forest, tall huts decorate the clearing as a group of a hundred fifty, seven foot tall anthromorphic reindeer pack up supplies. Each of them dress in dark hide that hides their modesty with breastplates and pauldrons of steel protects their upper body. Each of them carry pre-Crystal Empire glaidus made from steel, a bow made of black ironwood and arrows tipped with broadheads. As the leader of this all female group turns to her head towards the north, a young doe that barely came from fawnhood rush up towards her, "Mother, the last of the tribes have arrived."
Smiling, she drag her daughter into an one arm hug, "Soon we'll meet our true lord, Miir." As the pair look over in the direction of Ponyville, the leader grasp a small splinter that glow a brighter blue.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	Spike and Amber dive to the side and dodge a green beam. As soon as they Twilight began to speak out against Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, they been secretly searching for clues. Upon the imposter reveal, the pair have been going through their way to keep the changeling queen distracted while calling for help. As Shining Armor and Princess Cadance weaken the cluster of changelings, the roars of sixteen dragonspawns cause the invaders to scatter. As five changelings circle around Chute, she opens her mouth and spins incinerating them.
As the queen flee, Spike looks over to Amber as she bites through the torso of a drone while bisecting another with her tail, "Amber! Bound and Gag!" Seeing her nod, the pair briefly dives forward before swooping in front of the fleeing queen and corralling her in a ring of fire. As she flinch back in fear, the pair begin to form an orb of flames. Soon the other changelings were either killed or capture and the other dragonspawns added their fire to the sphere. Vex nods towards the others and pounces on Queen Chrysalis as soon as the orb is dropped.
Stunned by the one ton dragon knocking her down, anguish runs through her body as her horn snaps leaving her forehead bloody. As she goes limp, Spike frowns at the bulky Vex who simply looks down, "We didn't need to break her horn."
"What do you plan on doing to her?" Celestia looks sorrowful at the young changeling. Feeling pity at the woman's powers being severed, she open her mouth only to hear wings and a sickly stench.
As various changelings and ponies cough in disgust, Spike and the dragonspawns turn to see an older one drop down. The dragonspawn lack legs but made up for it with a streamline form and two pairs of wings. Black scales cover his body with orange underscales and wing webbing. Slowly, he walks over with head held high, "I'm looking for Spike, head spawn for Everblight." As he walks forward, the dragonspawn nods respectfully at him, "I am Solnar...and my leader has called the broods."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	Scootaloo's jaw drops as several hundred bipedal reindeers walk out from the Everfree forest. While a few are dress in full plate armor, the mass majority don hide clothing with steel breastplate. Many carry bows and gladius however, those in full plate carry large one edge longsword that curves like a Neighponese katana. Slowing down, the newcomer gaze at the town in curiosity. Eventually, a young doe in hide armor look over to the preteen with a smile, "Excuse me, but have you seen a giant white dragon?"
As the orange and purple pony points further in town, Miir nods before they swiftly dash into the town with beaming smiles. Jumping over and sliding under obstacles, they gaze at a pair of small dragonspawns flying above them. Soon they're greeted by the sight of Everblight laying on his stomach, talking to an elderly mare with grayish amber coat and a gray mane, "And that is why father will never be able to leave his island."
"Well that's comforting," Mayor Mare sigh in relief before glancing to her left, "oh my...um Welcome to Ponyville. How may I help you?"
"I believe they're here for me," Everblight rose slowly, bones cracking and a glow under his scales, "it's been a long time since I've seen any sign of my old legion."
"...We thought you were dead," an elderly buck gaze up at the dragon, tears spilling from near blinded eyes. As more dragonspawns landed on the buildings, the reindeers slowly walk closer. At first, only a few would touch the rough scales fearing that it was a trick of the eyes. Soon however, more and more of them would brush a hand against scale with one or two of them going as far as to hug a digit. While they felt a great burden lift from them, the old buck simply smile before laying down and closing his eyes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	As Twilight and the others board the train, Amber, Vex and Puff  flew the broken changeling queen into the Everfree. Dropping her in a cavern, Amber looks over to the pair, "So gentledrakes, ya'll aware of the plan right?" Seeing the two nod, she sighs before trotting out, "Good, I'll make sure the ground is properly protected and hidden." "Ya'll make sure tha the runes preventing her from calling the hive works," as they nod, Amber walks fully out and marks the way to the cavern with a wing and dragon head carving. Once outside, she slinks around the area making sure that no creature living or not would come close.
Once done and looking around carefully, she walks over to a sapling and dig out a hollow under its root, 'Never thought we would get such a chance so soon.' 'Sorry little ponies,' after placing a sliver of Everblight's athanc between the roots, she fully cover them before heading back towards the cave, 'but it's for yer own safety.' Walking in the cave and seeing the two nod their head, she walks over to the waking changeling before taking out a vial and tilting Chrysalis's head back, "Drink up, ya littl monster." "We're gonna make ya work off those yer brood ended up killin."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	Meanwhile, Spike and the others return to Ponyville to see tall reindeer beings walking through the streets. "What the hey is going on," Rainbow Dash look over as a pair of does, one with a long bow and the other with a sword longer than most ponies are tall, walk out from Sugarcube Corner, "where did they come from?"
"We came from everywhere," the six ponies and light purple dragonspawn turn to see a doe dress in hides and steel armor, a small blue crystal dangling from her neck, approach them and Spike, "from the Frozen North to the Hayseed Swamp, we came from everywhere." "Once our liege awoken thanks to you," turning to Spike, she hugs him fully with a smile, "I am Vayl, the elected leader of the Reindeer Nomads and descendant of the first Vayl."
Soon enough, the group of eight move towards the center of town and see Everblight wide awake, "Spike! How was the wedding?!"
"I help stop an invasion," the pair of draconic beings laugh loudly as the others shake their head amused, "there were royal guards, changeling savages and proclamations of love!"
"So you finally told Amber that you love her?" chuckling as a blushing Spike shake his head, he waits for Spike to land on his shoulder, "eh don't worry kid, you'll woo her soon enough!" Seeing the perturb glance around, he frowns, "What's the matter my child?"
Ignoring the shock faces of the reindeers at how he's address as, Spike looks over at the ancient, "Bl-Blighterghast has called all true dragons to him."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	The pair flew to Gondwana, homeland to the zebra along with Garble, Amber and Vayl. Once the dragoness approach with a simple remark of tasks done, Everblight turn to Miir and gave her command of the striders and archers while Tryiss took control of the legionnaires and swordsarms before telling Vayl to climb his back. They've flown over the large ocean for days with the dragonspawns resting on his back to sleep.
Soon, they cross over land and began their long trek to the large indomitable volcano. Several dragons and dragonspawns liter the volcano that could host a even greater number than what were. Feeling Vayl tap his shoulder, he looks at where she's pointing before spiraling to land. As they land, a feminine voice chime from behind them, "My, my is that you Ethrunbal?" Turning, they see a spiny dragon that reaches Everblight's chest and can't decide to be silver or black, "My spawns haven't seen you in over a millennium...you use to be shorter than me."
	"Halfang, beloved sister," ignoring the playful pout and deadly spikes, he pulls her into a hug that she gleefully return, "you look more and more enchanting with each turn."
	"What about us?/Where's my death grip?"
Chuckling, he turns to see a black dragon and an oil covered dragon before greeting them, "Charsang, Ashnephos, you two actually come to these things?"
	"That's what I said," turning, the group watch a dragon with one arm towards them with a smirk, "and who are these little whelps?"
"This Vayl, leader of my servants descendants and no," rolling his eyes, the white and brown dragon slide into a lava pool as the other narrow their eyes, "I'm not going to try to conquer the world again."
"That's good," every pair of eyes turn to Blighterghast lands in the largest lake of lava with a serious face, "I would hate to fight you and Father at the same time."