Mystery of the Draconics

by Wanderwing

History

Mystery of the Draconics

Chapter One

History

My name is Wanderwing. I am one of the few surviving members of my once great race. Although trained, no, bred for war, it was the end of the war which began our downfall. Once the great battle is over and the enemy vanquished those you created to fight them are suddenly the scariest things around. But to tell the story of my life I must start at the beginning, at the creation of my race, the birth of the draconics. My knowledge is incomplete but I know these stories are true, they must be or I would not even exist.

Long ago the world was not peaceful as it is today. Great wars were waged as the world’s balance constantly shifted. Great armies took to the field as ponies have not seen for an age. Unicorns hastily experimented to create more powerful destructive magical spells. The pegasi grew arrogant due to their ability to control the weather. The Earth ponies became withdrawn from both the other races, seeking to protect their own lives. The war between the unicorns and pegasi raged for years until no one could even remember what had started the fighting. Many thought the War would not end and believed the two were destined to destroy each other. Then as happens from time to time a larger, far more lethal threat arose. The Gryphons of the eastern mountains had grown tired of barely surviving and coveted the lands now known as Equestria.

They attacked without mercy as the unicorns and pegasi distracted one another. Many lives were lost as the gryphons forced back the ponies. It was then that the princess returned. After a terrible tragedy long ago she had vanished. Some said she had destroyed her beloved sister in order to save the rest of us. We know now that this was not the case as Luna, the younger of the two alicorn sisters, has since returned to us. The elder sister Celestia had vanished as well, only a tear stained note was found. “How could I ever do that to Luna? I must leave, I am unfit to rule you my beloved little ponies.” This was the extent of her message. After many years in hiding she had returned. She was most disappointed when she heard how the races had been warring and how they had withdrawn into themselves. “I heard the gryphons had attacked and many ponies had been killed, I realized then that I should have never left, knowing you all needed my help I returned immediately,” the princess had said. Seeing within her the traits of all three races the groups knew they had to unite under her banner if anypony was to survive this war.

The gryphons were terrifying to behold in combat. Far heavier than pegasi and armed with lethal claws and a razor sharp beak, they were far more suited to combat than a pegasi was. Thankfully the gryphons had no means of casting magic as effectively as unicorns or the war would surely have been lost. With Celestia’s aid the gryphon’s advance was halted, but they could not be driven back. The earth ponies, even with their great talent for growing, could not grow enough food to support us all. We had to devise a method to force them back farther, maybe even back into their mountains. It was at this point a very old earth pony approached Celestia, claiming to be from an ancient order of ponies known as the Druids.

He said that they were a group of ponies who had become so attuned to nature they could shape it almost as if magic. Such things were though laughable to most but Celestia knew that this order could help. The old one brought forth a tome, an ancient forgotten relic, and within it was the secret to creating something new, something powerful. By using this spell combining the druidic magic of the earth ponies, the arcane magic of the unicorns, and some dragon blood, into a very young or unborn Pegasus foal, a new type of pony was created. My ancestors the draconics were created this way. Although the effects manifested differently in each subject most were given the sharp eyes of the dragons, wings became leathery and batlike, teeth grew very sharp and hooftips also grew sharp and strong as any claw or talon.

A few, who would rise in the ranks very quickly, could even breathe short bursts of fire. The fire breathers were the most effective in combat. Singed feathers do not hold one off the ground very well. Even the greatest among them could not keep this sort of combat for long however. A fire burst of longer than ten seconds, more than long enough to bring down an average gryphon, would bring even the strongest to a state of unconsciousness. Other powers are also rumored to exist but details have been lost to the ages.

Now with these new warriors the scales of war began to tip. The gryphons were pushed back but great losses were still felt on both sides. The Gryphon’s leader, a powerful male by the name Gren Steelfeather, may have been brash but he was no fool. Negotiations were opened with Celestia.

Celestia, being the kind and forgiving princess that she was, only wanted peace and understood that the gryphons could not survive with only their barren mountains. She agreed to give a portion of the lands on the eastern edge of Equestria to the gryphons and so the peace was reached. Life began to return to normal, or at least as normal as things can be in Equestria.

The life of the three tribes was however drastically changed. War had taught them that when they were divided the tribes were weak. Together the three tribes worked toward a better future, knowledge was shared freely between the three. Working together the pegasi and the earth ponies developed advanced farming and famine was no longer a threat. Unicorns began planning and improving the cities of all three and space was no longer an issue. Peace flourished and the land prospered. Without any great threat the ponies began to be afraid of those bred for war.

My people, the draconics, attempted to lead normal lives and be like other ponies. Many however refused to accept us, some began to fear and even hate us just for being as we are. Stories began to spread that our tongues were forked and we could not be trusted. Our eyes were pointed as dragon’s eyes and fear of us was spread simply for our differences. The silhouette of our batlike wings against the sky became a cue to hide and we were shunned by all. A fire started in an earth pony city and the draconics were blamed. It was later discovered to have been an accidental spell misfire but the story had already been told.

As fear spread wider a few among us were killed, the authorities claimed it was an accident but those who attacked them claimed self defense as their only motive. This sentiment had spread too far; even the foals among us were feared. A great meeting was called and the leaders of our clans. Not much is known about these clans or what exactly occurred at this great meeting. All that is known is that we agreed to flee, to go into hiding, to don disguises and live our lives in fear of discovery. We all scattered to the winds and hid.

That was many years ago then, long before my birth. I was born a mere nineteen years ago. I have grown tired of fear, tired of hiding. I want to show Equestria, no show the world, that my race can do great things; however to do that I must first find the lost history of our people. Without this knowledge any claims I were to make could be seen as lies or attempts to gain trust so I could betray it. I know that if I can find the truth and find a way to get others to see it I can free my race from our tyranny, the tyranny under fear.