Here be too much Dragon.

by Golden Paw

Monsters and Morals.

Spike revelled in the feeling of the air flowing past him, he had never understood Rainbow Dashe's utter obsession with flying fast; until now. He felt the currents around him, gravity tugging at his form and the sheer joy of denying it grasp. His blood sung with the joy of it and felt his claws trembling with the thrill. This was living.

He banked this way and that, before causing himself to spin just for the sheer thrill of it. All those years he’d been stuck on the ground, but now he was flying free and loving it. His thoughts were disturbed as a shadow passed over him. Vex, laughing playfully, swept across Spike's path and gave him a taunting tap with her tail that caused his ears to ring, “What’s up with you hatchling? You act like this is the first time you have flown.”

In a manner it was, every other time Spike had taken to the air with his new found flight he’d been preoccupied with fighting off a challenger, or rushing to save his friends. This time Spike had been able to fly just for the fun of it. With Vex accompanying the Bloomberg the number of challengers had dwindled and allowed the group to pass deeper into dragon lands without further hindrance. There had been other dragons of course, their numbers increasing with every days travel as masses of them filled the skies. But it seemed they were also intent on reaching the ‘Great Meet’ with the least amount of delay and thankfully gave the airship along with its escort a wide birth.

The Bloomberg crested the lip of a huge imposing caldera and Spike gasped: The crater was a sparse patchwork of lava pits and tar pools which stretched for miles. The only landmark that broke its flat expanse was an central spire of smoking rock that jutted up like a smouldering torch. It's vast size put Canterlot and its supporting mountain to shame, sprawling spires all wreathed in smoke seemed to jostle each other in an attempt to be the most imposing.

It dominated the scene and even managed to make the swirling dragons all around look like flocks of birds in comparison. That anything so big could exist made Spike's head spin. It was also strange in the fact that the dragons all avoided the edifice. In a land so bursting with dragons of all shapes and sizes it was strange to see that the mountain was apparently clear of the beasts.

His gaze took in the rest of the crater which was only marginally less impressive. Here the dragons gathered thickly; there were thousands covering every patch of dry land, filling the skies with their cries and moving in great clouds. The airborne masses flowed, merged and separated in a complex dance. The whole flat vista was a riot of hues and snarling monsters, all lit by the occasional lava surge that fountained into the air with frightening regularity.

Spike shook his head as another blow echoed around his skull and pulled his attention from the swirling dragons. A strike from Vex’s tail was like being hit by an anvil made of hardened bone and though his head was thick (as Twilight often reminded him) Spike still felt the impact keenly. Holding his now smarting head Spike grimaced a reply, “Well this is the first time I’ve been able to just fly for the fun of it.”

Vex studied Spike with interest, “You haven’t been flying very long? I would have thought a dragon your age would have been in the air long before now.”

Spike smiled with embarrassment, “Well it’s a long story, ponies don’t know all that much about dragons and so I had to pick things up largely on my own; until Warden came along anyway.”

Vex grinned, “Awww poor you, raised by ponies and couldn’t fly.” Her manner was derogatory, but Spike saw genuine sadness in Vex's eyes and felt his cheeks redden.

“Hey knock it off, I was happy to be raised by Twilight and the others. They’re my family now and I wouldn’t trade them for anything,” Spike snapped back.

Vex snorted, “Hmph, that explains why you’re so soft. I see how squeamish you get when I talk about eating anything.”

Spike turned his head away to hide his unease, but Vex simply angled her flight so that she could remain before him the whole while as she spoke, “Growing up with a load of herbivores must have been stifling; all their silly concerns about ‘flowers’ and ‘grass’. It must have been so boring.”

Spike growled angrily, “They aren’t just a bunch of soppy tree huggers Vex,” he retorted. Barring maybe Fluttershy, but Spike wasn’t prepared to admit that right now and in any case he knew from personal experience that there was a soul of steel under her soft exterior.

The look Vex deigned to give Spike told him that she would have more easily believed that he had been born on the moon, “Hmm if you say so, when I see a pony who can take a dragon I may change my mind.”

The communicator in Spike’s ear chimed as Warden joined in their conversation, “You’d be surprised Vex, they built this ship and I have seen her highness in action.”

Vex’s face screwed up and it took Spike a moment to realise she was pouting, “Yeah Warden, you say that some pony creation roughed you up huh? That’s not honest fighting, that’s just cheating if you ask me.”

Warden was silent for a moment, “The results are the same Vex, be thankful the Bloomberg is on a peaceful mission.”

Spike watched as Vex opened her mouth before closing it again. It was the first time he’d seen her fail to pull off some witty retort. He angled his flight to avoid a billowing lava surge and turned his eyes to the horizon once more where Dragons of all shapes, sizes and colours filled the skies. It was a sight to stir his heart with a mixture of pride and dread.

Turning his head back to the Bloomberg, Spike saw Warden watching him through the view screen. The sinking sun caused the glass to shine with a golden glow; they had been travelling for days through an ever rockier landscape and to everyone’s growing anxiety it was dawning on the travellers that their journey was coming to an end.

Spike refocused on the swirling cloud of dragons ahead of them, it had been many years since he’d last seen a sight like this and it dragged up unpleasant memories along with pleasant ones: It was one of the turning points in his life when Twilight had come to save him and Spike smiled, lost in the past.

Twilight, Rainbow and Rarity all appearing as if from nowhere in that forest clearing as the group of teenage dragons had turned on him, blossomed in Spike’s mind:

“No pony’s gonna lay a claw on him!,” Rainbow Dash called brashly and Spike felt his heart soar as he recognised the voice.

“That’s right!," Twilight added and Spike had never felt so glad to see her than at that moment.

"Fighting’s not really my thing, I’m more into fashion, but I’ll rip you to pieces if you touch one scale on his cute little head!” The voice of rarity sounded in Spike’s mind as her memory stood up to defend Spike from a bunch of ‘jerky dragons’.

All there for him, risking fire and threat to make sure their little ‘Spikey Wikey’ was safe. Spike cherished those times, where he and the pony gang would.....But that was years ago, Spike wasn’t ‘cute’ anymore and certainly not little, nevertheless he knew that they would always be ready when he needed them.

Some core elements would stay the same, but the situations would change. Rarity was married now and though it still burned Spike that she’d chosen a fellow pony over him, he didn’t hold it against her and Spike understood Rarity still cared.

His reverie faded, He knew his pony family would always be there for him and he had long ago resolved to be there for them.

He felt a further impact across his shoulders as Vex drew him back to the here and now, “Hey ash brain watch where you’re going, obstacles are best avoided when flying.” Spike shook himself and veered past a rogue dragon he’d almost collided with; the amber reptile glaring at him as it passed.

“Yeah I see Warden’s done a fantastic job teaching you to fly,” Vex mocked.

“I heard that,” Warden called tetchily, “Focus Hatchling.”

Vex chuckled, “I think you’re getting soft Warden, hanging around with all these ponies.”

A crackly bunch of syllables sounded in Spike’s ear and to his amazement Vex blushed before Spike glanced suspiciously, “Do I want to know what he just said?”

Vex laughed wryly, “Probably not.” She flitted past the Bloomberg in a lazy fashion and Spike was certain Warden made some sort of gesture to her. Vex laughed all the louder before being lost to sight behind another flock of drakes.

“I don’t mean ter intrude on this little reunion, but these crystal’s don’t like bein run non-stop, so do yer know if this is a safe place ter stop n recharge?” Applebloom’s heavy accent sounded over the line.

“I believe anywhere clear enough to land should be safe Miss Bloom, a general amnesty is enforced over this whole plateau,” Warden commented and was met by a cold silence.

“Ferget I asked. Just letting yer know that I need ter take ‘glowy’ off line,” Applebloom didn’t even acknowledge Warden’s response.

Spike winced; Applebloom still hadn’t forgiven Warden for tampering with the power systems on her beloved airship and was far from being on speaking terms with him again. She only just tolerated Spike at the moment and he suspected that in some odd way Applebloom blamed him for the event as well.

“Thanks A.B we’ll be extra careful while the barrier is down,” Spike replied, only to receive a snort of annoyance down the com line.

Spike saw that Vex was smirking at him, “You let those ponies tell you what to do huh?

“Only when they’re right Vex,” Spike said, his annoyance clear.

---

The Bloomberg settled low to the ground just as the sun dipped below the caldera’s rim, the last shafts of light winking out and abandoning those within to the ruddy glow of the lava fields. It had taken some time for Vex and Spike to secure a landing space big enough with all the dragons about; but with Warden’s diplomatic skills in full flow an area just adjacent to a tar pit was soon marked out and teams of the ship’s crew began the task of securing the Bloomberg.

Twilight breathed in the sooty atmosphere and felt her lungs rebel at the hot air, it hurt to breathe here and the smell of dragons was almost overpowering. All in all not a very accommodating place for ponies. The deep reds of the glowing lava lit a scene from a dreadful story. Fire, soot and above all else dragons all flowed together to create a dire world of roaring heat.

She oversaw the ground teams as they began setting up tents and other camp structures; working in groups to erect the canvas hovels and establish some order to their surroundings. They sweated and cursed as clouds of ash swept over them, only just being held a bay by the unicorns among their number, all the while the ever circling dragons eyed them hungrily. No not a good place for a pony Twilight told herself.

It seemed that the dragons all around them held no fixed territory or boundaries; each dragon or group of dragons simply pushing and shoving for their own space in the heaving throng. Although Warden had assured Twilight that there would be no open combat, the tension in the air was stifling; small disagreements among the dragons resulted in almost continuous roars quickly followed by flashes of flame. She'd seen battlefields with more order than this place, the continued agitation of the dragons all around like a battering ram on her ears.

What made it worse was that Twilight could clearly feel the anxiety from the crew as they went about their tasks in mute efficiency. Absent was the normal banter and good natured jokes that they would usually have aboard the Bloomberg. Their own stares more strained, their hooves held at the ready. The nervous tension built even as Twilight watched, it would only take one miss step and....

“They will control themselves Miss Sparkle; to violate the pact of noncombat would only bring the rest of the dragons down upon any offender,” Warden explained, seeming to materialise next to Twilight on the rock she had seated herself on.

She didn’t respond right away, the spectacle before her driving all civil replies from Twilight and leaving her speechless. The roars and cries were distracting to her it was true, but what really upset Twilight was the disorder. She felt a sudden longing for home, for Equestria and all the peace and security it provided. Here Twilight felt they could be attacked at any moment, or violate some strange dragon code, calling down the wrath of this land in an unstoppable tide.

The princess shook herself, repeating the title in her mind over and over to remind Twilight that she was up to this. The other rulers of Equestria had entrusted her with this task, just like so many other missions and she would not fail them. They wouldn’t have sent her if they didn’t believe she couldn’t succeed.

Twilight finally found her voice, “This is going to work isn’t it? I mean your people will surely see the reason of our position, Equestria means no threat to them. We want to be friends, we want everyone to get along. How could they not want that?”

She watched as Warden glanced around the ever moving crowds. They surrounded the small isle or order like sharks around a lifeboat. Warden's eye was as hard as stone and his clawed hands clenched tightly. Twilight saw the nobility in his features, the pains he bore, but most of all she saw a burning determination.

“Every race has its heroes and its villains princess. I will not deny that we have our fair share of the latter; it’s a dragon’s natural state to be greedy and selfish,” Warden’s voice was quiet, cold and completely at odds with the raging heat all around them, “But I firmly believe that we have it within ourselves to great.”

He regarded Twilight, his single glittering eye boring into her with its intensity, “I see that in Spike every time I look at him or you, though I would never have credited it until I got to know you both.”

He flexed his wings and to Twilight’s continued unease she saw they were still tattered and damaged. The injuries from his intersession on her part were healing, but only very slowly, “If a dragon who was raised away from his kind could turn out like Spike then there is hope for us yet.”

Warden’s face briefly held the hungered look that Twilight had come to recognise when he thought of her, “You made him who he is today Twilight, you and Spike stand as a shining example of what good can come from dragons and ponies co-existing. You should be very proud of your achievement.”

Twilight felt the blush beginning on her cheeks, feeling unworthy of the praise heaped upon her, “I did what seemed right at the time and Spike is his own dragon you know, I certainly can’t take all the credit.”

Warden smiled and gently brushed Twilight’s muzzle with a claw, “You sell yourself short princess, word of your exploits has reached even these old ears and though I would not have credited them before, I believe them to be true now.”

Twilight lowered her head, “Well I had a lot of help and my friends stood by me, I could never have achieved any of it without them.”

The dragon smiled, “You see, that’s why you will succeed here Miss Sparkle. It’s the most important thing that we dragons lack in great abundance; a sense of common purpose, of acceptance, and as foolish as it sounds friendship. We do not understand the value of loving our fellows, of working together as equals in peace. We need you and your nation to teach us this.”

He waved a claw at the Bloomberg, “See what you have made, and see what you have accomplished!” Warden’s voice took on a reverence, “See the fruits of what was taught by Celestia and Luna: Despite all the challenges and foes to assail your lands you ponies keep coming back stronger than ever. Not only this, you’ve drawn others under your protection, other races who look to you for guidance.”

Warden’s face fell as he indicated the squabbling drakes all around, “See what we dragons lack, and despite all my efforts may never grasp.”

Twilight was stunned by Warden’s words and for the first time she caught a true glimpse of what their mission was all about. She felt awkward, wanting to say something to counter Warden’s words. She wanted to insist that ponies were just another race on this world, that all had equal value in the grand scheme of things. It felt arrogant in the extreme to accept the dragon’s words, but they also felt right.

For a moment the bickering dragons all around seemed to be muted, the implications of what Warden was suggested slowly trickling into Twilight’s mind like burning iron that set her thoughts ablaze. Warden wanted Equestria to save dragons from themselves.

To have such a being's hopes being placed on Twilight was crushing, the weight of such a responsibility felt overwhelming. It made the comparatively simple matter of developing technology in the right direction tiny in Twilight’s mind.

Even when she had needed to face up to Nightmare Moon or Discord Twilight had never felt so alone in her duty: Having friends standing by her giving her strength and courage, she had always had aid in combating such threats.

These events had been world changing, powerful confrontations with clear consequences, but this task was unique in its own way. To bring peace to an entire nation of beasts and monsters bent on making war or killing each other: It seemed almost impossible and Twilight didn’t know any spell that could be morally used in this situation. An old proverb she’d heard many years ago now sprung to her mind: You can lead a pony to water, but you can’t make them drink it

Warden must have sensed her disquiet, “Don’t doubt yourself Twilight, I have studied your ways for months now and know of my own history: This is the answer that we have been seeking for centuries. We've just been to proud to see it.”

Twilight closed her eyes and tried to centre herself before replying slowly, “What do I do Warden?” She felt way out of her depth and when she heard Warden chuckling Twilight opened her eyes and glared.

Warden stopped and smiled at her, “That’s simple princess, be yourself and see where it takes you.”

---

Steel Resolve made the rounds of the camp’s boundaries, stopping to talk with each guard on duty in turn. His soldiers were tense and he didn’t blame them. All about, dragons eyed the camp with hungry curious stares and Steel could feel the potential disaster just waiting to happen.

“Steady ‘Iron’, keep your calm ‘Shield’, I won’t be the Captain who is remembered as the one who started a war just because my stallions can’t keep their nerve,” Steel’s reassuring presence calmed the shaking hooves of his charges.

“That goes for the auxiliaries too, we will not be the ones to start trouble here is that understood?” Steel Resolve addressed the griffons among his own guards before his voice sunk low as he made sure his own blade was ready, “But by the princesses we will be ready for a fight if they start one.”

His route took him along the camp’s edge, skimming the tar large tar pool close by. Everywhere Steel looked, ponies were trembling and dragons grinning hungrily. He was just about to begin his second circuit when the first incident occurred.

Steel was forced to turn his head about when he heard a pony cry out in pain. Trotting past a work crew who were busily assembling various components, Steel spotted one of the soldiers in the uniform of the Night Guard. He clutching at his head and giving venomous glares at the surrounding beasts. As Steel approached he could clearly the large dent in the bat pony's helmet.

Still glaring at the circle of drakes beyond the campfires that had been placed to mark the camp’s boundaries, the hurt pony yelled angrily, “Sir one of those stupid lizards threw a rock at us!” His words only fed the laughter that sounded from the darkness around.

Steel fought to keep his face impassive as he recalled the pony's name, “Are you sure 'Blue Mist'?”

Blue Mist spread his leathery wings and snarled, “Of course I’m sure Captain, listen to them laughing at us!”

Steel pricked his ears up theatrically, “All I here is a large number of dragons talking in their own tongue soldier.”

Mist's eyes flashed dangerously, “You’d just stand there and let them mock us sir?”

There was a few angry calls from the other guards and Steel felt one eye twitch, ”No I do not soldier, I plan to ensure that you all bear your duty with stoicism and control, we’re on a peace mission here.”

Another pony called out, “Don’t look like they want to be peaceful Captain!” As if to prove the point a further stone sailed through the air and missed Steel by mere inches.

The Captain glanced at the rock as it clattered to the ground, its spinning course sending it clattering off a nearby magical lamp. Every one froze as Steel’s eyes watched beacon wobble for a moment before he turned to the surrounding darkness, “It seems that you have misplaced a number of your rocks, I strongly suggest that you take more care in the future!”

The only answer Steel got was further missiles which clattered all around. He stood impassive, waiting for the blizzard of stones to subside, “I see you wish to test my patience, I warn you one last time. Stop this foolery or there will be consequences!"

More deep throated laughter sounded all around and the barrage renewed, one stone even bouncing off Steel’s own breast plate. Still the captain didn’t move, glaring determinedly out into the darkness beyond. One of the surrounding shadows detached itself from the gloom and a particularly gnarled dragon came forward on all fours. It slammed each claw onto the ground with purpose until it was fully revealed in the lamp light. The creature was only a little smaller than Spike and looked easily strong enough to swat Steel aside like a fly.

Steel stepped forward slowly until the two creatures were almost muzzle to snout. With eyes watching them from all around, Steel met the drake’s unblinking stare with a stony one of his own before speaking in a definite manner, Do-not come one step closer.”

His opposite sneered before addressing him in broken Equestrian, “Stupid pony, go home.”

Steel didn’t flinch, “I will go when my princess commands and not before. You should take a lesson from that and listen to your leaders.”

The dragon loomed over Steel, spines flicking up as it snarled, “You don’t scare me, pony weak.”

“True I am smaller than you,” Steel grinned, “And probably weaker than you.” He planted his hooves in a wide stance, his eyes never leaving the dragon. “But there is one thing I do know that you don’t.”

The dragon chuckled with confidence, “Pony tell me?”

Steel grinned, “I use my brain more than you do: Now Miss Bloom!”

Suddenly a glare enveloped the pair, shining brightly from behind Steel, dazzling the dragon and causing it to shield its face with an upraised claw, “The light of knowledge should always be respected.”

Several guards winced, Steel wasn’t known for his humour, but most of them would follow him to Tartarus and back. The dragon now enraged drew in a deep breath before releasing a torrent of golden flame.

Once again Steel didn’t move a muscle, the fire rushed forward and to the watching crowd’s amazement stopped inches from his muzzle. The fire billowed out and around as if it had struck an invisible wall, leaving the grinning Steel completely unscathed. Steel smiled grimly at the dragon who was growling in confusion, anger flashing in it's beady eyes.

“High quality earth pony ingenuity, I would stake my life on it,” Steel commented before winking back at Applebloom.

“Darn tootin!” Applebloom shouted and the guards all cheered while the dragon slunk away back into the darkness. She stepped out from behind the large directional lamp Applebloom had dazzled the dragon with and smiled at the captain, “That should do it Steel, all lights n fields up n working.”

More rocks and debris clattered off the portable barrier Applebloom had activated, but to no further effect other than to cause it to flash and crackle. The bold dragon from earlier advanced once more, snarling and muttering in his own tongue before raking the magical field in a frenzy. His claws striking up further flashes of arcane power which merely caused his hands to smoke and add more to the drake's fury.

Steel watched the drake impassively, “I was hoping we could settle this calmly but it seems you will only understand a show of force.”

The collected guards cheered again, but their celebrations were short lived as a powerful wind swept over the assembly, causing the lamps to sway and Steel’s tail to whip and flail like seaweed pulled by the tide.

The dragons all around shrank back whimpering as a massive shape, easily the size of the Bloomberg dropped out of the night sky. It landed with a cataclysmic thud which caused the very ground to shake violently. The tremors rippled outwards caused several of the magical lamps to topple and smash on the hard earth and setting the assembled soldiers swaying as they fought to keep their footing.

Ponies, griffons and dragons alike were thrown to the ground by the new comer’s arrival: Even Steel stumbled and was forced to stare up from the ground as an enormous clawed hand slammed down on the earth next to him. Applebloom’s energy barrier didn’t even slow it down, the overloaded projector she had secured failed with a shower of magical sparks before the machine itself toppled like a flimsy house of cards.

The shuddering ground quieted and left a ringing silence, everyone too stunned to speak as the new mountain in their midst looked about with burning eyes. The stillness lasted only a moment before the monolithic dragon called, his words like thunder, “I seek an audience with Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

No sound was heard apart from the monstrous dragon’s deep breathing, the wind generated by his colossal lungs whipping the dust and grit about like a hurricane. Steel was forced to squeeze his eyes shut as the hot ash billowed around him. As he forced them open again Steel saw he was laying between two of the dragons claws, as if he were in the centre of a new gully which had suddenly sprung up either side of him.

Slowly regaining his hooves Steel arose just in time to see a solitary figure stepped out from the confusion. Undaunted by this titan of old Warden advanced with confidence and bowed before the massive dragon, “My Lord Thortax, it is good to see you again.” He glanced sideways at Steel, who trembled despite his name's sake, with a look of amusement on his scaly face, “I would be happy to inform the princess of your arrival.”

Comments

[SageBrony07]

Wow. Awesome. I loved how they showed those dragons, they couldn't hurt Bloomberg. Great job. I can't wait to read the next part. Thanks for the update.