An Old Mare's Tale: Gadgets, Bringer of SCIENCE!

by Forevermore

A History Lesson

Darkfang strode out onto the deck of his new home in full regalia, gazing up at the massive sails thrumming softly overhead as the ship lost altitude. His new friends had supplied him with clothing and gear befitting an adventurer and in spite of the strange, almost itching sensation he felt from wearing clothes, he had to admit: the effect was pretty badass.

Since he preferred to go on two-legs, rather than the traditional four, Gadgets had adjusted his new outfit accordingly. A knee-length, chainmail kilt of deep, ruby red covered his lower body supported by a thick belt made of bronze segments. On his right hip was slung what Gadgets had called a "buzz broadsword", an abnormally thick blade covered in small rectangles which, with a slight shifting of his grip on the handle, would begin to vibrate with stupendous force, enabling the sword to slice through even thick steel as if it were butter. The weapon was far too heavy for even the strongest mortal to comfortably lift, much less use, but the dragon's great strength meant he could wield it with terrifying ease. Darkfang's darker nature greatly anticipated the day in which he used it and the fear on his enemies faces as, for the first time in history, a dragon did battle with more than fang, flame, and claw at his disposal.

Opposite the horrible weapon was a thick, compartmentalized satchel, filled to the brim with an assortment of explosives, gemstone snacks, and emergency medical supplies. A second belt was slung diagonally across his chest, this one holding a small buzz knife for close-quarters combat, and several other compartments holding a seemingly random assortment of small, sophisticated devices. His left shoulder sported a triangular plate matching in color to his kilt, atop which sat a larger version of the Gatling gun Gadgets wore, this one fed by the dragon's own explosive breath sealed into small containers that would explode with devastating force upon impact. All in all, Darkfang pondered with an evil smile, he was by far the deadliest dragon he'd ever heard of, despite his relatively small size.

As he stretched in the afternoon light, performing a few sword forms Mira had shown him out of a book, he looked out across the ocean towards Dragon's Breath, though the airship was still far too distant for him to see the shore, dragon eyes be damned. He chuckled with amusement at the memory of the childish glee with which his pony friends had leaped about the deck at their first sight of the endless expanse of blue water below them, and the expressions of shock and horror they'd worn when they tried to drink from it. That moment alone had made his decision to join up with them worthwhile, despite the cold looks and disdain he'd no doubt receive from his homeland (should he ever return there) when his fellow dragons learned he'd teamed up with ponies, no matter how amazing.

Mira was already on deck, checking the radar once again, determined to catch a deep-sea fish if she had to blow up the whole damn ocean to do it. The little red pony had insisted he call her Minion, like Gadgets did, but Darkfang had found he was uncomfortable with addressing his friend like a servant, no matter how she saw it. The mare had been understanding and invited him to use her actual name instead, nevertheless insisting he'd eventually start using her "normal" name like everypony else.

He gave her a wave, which she returned without taking her eyes from the bleeping screen, before sheathing the great blade and strolling to the prow, his legs unconsciously adopting the rolling gait of a long-time sailor at sea, even though the ship was steady as a rock, even in the fierce ocean winds. That had unnerved him at first, the complete lack of movement of the ship. The G-Force's of swift motion still assailed him on deck, but below and out of the wind it was disturbingly easy to forget one was actually moving forward at a pace few adult dragons would be able to maintain for any reasonable length of time, and fewer younglings could match. He shuddered slightly, for all its size The Inconceivable was easily the fastest thing he'd ever seen, and the more he learned of the science behind it, the more his cautionary fear of that land beyond the clouds increased. If they were capable of producing a vessel of this size and speed, and which destructive power Gadgets insisted was enough to level a mountain, what other mechanical monstrosities existed up there?

When he was younger, he'd listened to dragons, both young and old, swap stories about the place which was "beyond the sea and above the sky", and of how they'd love to conquer it, utterly convinced of dragon superiority in war. How wrong they'd been, he now knew, for there was nothing in the world he'd lived in that could match the sheer, overwhelming magnitude of The Inconceivable's power, and the knowledge chilled his bones. He knew, of course, that Gadgets and Minion would never go to war, not if they could avoid it, but the deeper, stupider part of his heart quaked all the same.

He was an old soldier, he'd dealt death before though he did not relish in it as his fellows had, and he knew the signs to look for in a creature's eyes. His two wild, crazy pony friends who marveled at the ocean he'd always taken for granted, and were naive enough to think they could drink salt water? They had the signs, the shadows in their eyes and the sureness of their stance screamed volumes at him: these ponies had killed before, they'd killed frequently, and they were ready to do it again, need be.

Darkfang shook his head roughly, banishing the thoughts that threatened to make him doubt his friends. The irrational fear that made him want to smash, flame, and slice the airship into a thousand pieces, and bury it at the bottom of the sea lest it ever decide to make him its target? Gone. Yes, his friends were dangerous, hay he was dangerous, but just because a pony could do something, didn't mean they ever would. Right?

"So," a light voice piped up behind him, its owner clicking his way to stand beside the dragon, who'd unconsciously folded his arms over his chest to ward off an imaginary chill that had nothing to do with the wind, "what's this place like, exactly?"

Darkfang glanced down at the much smaller pony; the very one he was so very secretly afraid of, eyes straying to the mechanical limb as they always did. He'd been reluctant to ask about it, the thought of steel and wire taking the place of bone revolted him, even as it fascinated him. It was unnatural, and he knew for sure the story behind it would only confirm his suspicions of Gadgets' character: this pony was utterly, completely insane, and reveling in it.

"Dragon's Breath, the Boundless Sands, it's a place of great mystery, and greater power," The dragon answered, turning his head into the wind, eyes straining to catch the first sight of land though he knew the airship's instruments would pick it up long before even his senses would.

"According to legend, it got its name when the Patriarchal Wyrm, Father of all Dragonkin, let loose his death cry over the land turning the utopian Forests of Cosmis the Benign to orange sand." It was a story he'd heard countless times in his youth and he believed every word of it. After all, he'd met the Matriarchal Wyrm. "Nowadays, it's a small province of the 4th Glorious Griffon Empire, though the dragons have a long-term agreement with its governors allowing them free use of the land so long as they don't interfere with trade or trouble the towns."

Darkfang didn't bother calling Mira over, the ship's communications systems, a network of pipes and mirrors that he did not understand, were open and he knew from experience that she could hear every word they said as if she'd been standing next to him. She was no doubt listening with rapt attention, and would probably have quite a few things to say over dinner.

"Why would the dragons need an agreement with the Griffon Empire? Why would they want one?" Gadgets curiosity was piqued, that wasn't good, Darkfang mentally prepared himself for a lengthy explanation.

It wasn't that he minded talking; in fact it was something he enjoyed greatly as it enabled him to share his knowledge of history, pretty much the only subject in which they did not leave him feeling the foal, with his friends. It was just that the sparky little Earth Pony was a notoriously bad listener.

"Sand, preferably from a desert so it's nearly devoid of all moisture, is ideal for cleaning scales, particularly when it's been heated in the sun for a long time. Many a dragon, myself included, would tell you there's no better feeling in the world than burying yourself in the middle of a desert and squirming around in the sand, letting it scratch all those hard to reach places."

Gadgets nodded solemnly, his eyes closed and his lips twitching in a smile, no doubt pleased with the image of the big, bad Darkfang squealing in joy like a filly. The dragon smirked in spite of himself as he continued:

"As to why the dragons would agree to a treaty when they pride themselves on taking what they want, when they want it, it's pretty simple. The Griffon Empire is big, and its powerful; its armies have been known to blacken the skies when they take flight and even the mightiest dragon would eventually succumb to sheer numbers. Much less bother to simply stay out of the towns in the first place and let the griffons have the tiny bit of land they can actually use; not like the dragons needed it anyway."

"You mentioned how it was the 'Patriarchal Wyrm's' dying breath that created the desert, just how big was this guy?"

"Remember that mountain you lived on?"

"Yeah."

"Legend says that was his tail."

"..."

"Exactly."

"And who was 'Cosmis the Benign'?"

"Father of the Stars, Lord of the Eternal Twilight, Guardian of the Night, or as most might know him: Father of the Sun and Moon Princesses, Celestia and Luna."

"Interesting, tell me more."

"Hm, where to begin," the dragon scratched his chin thoughtfully, a habit he'd picked up from a griffon he knew. "I guess you may as get the whole story while I'm at it, not like we'll be doing anything else for awhile."

A heavy plunking sound told him Gadgets had sat down, no doubt staring in rapt attention his eyes wide with anticipation, Darkfang paid him no mind, continuing to scratch.

"It all started a long, long time ago, back when dragons were architects and builders, their aggressive nature tempered by peace and the leadership of their ancient and wise rulers: the Matriarchal Wyrm, Celestia and her mate, Lunar. Back then, ponies as we know them today were but savages living out of caves, scavenging for food, lost, and searching for a purpose. That purpose would come with the arrival of the alicorns, powerful beings from a world far away. Nopony really knows where they came from; some have suggested another dimension entirely. I'm afraid not even the ones still alive today know for sure anymore, and if they do they're not telling. The alicorns were led by rulers as wise and ancient as the dragons themselves; their names were Cosmis and Galaxia.

The dragons at first felt threatened by the new arrivals, for it wasn't every day an invincible species of fire-breathing juggernauts meets a race every bit as powerful as they are. Many thought for certain that war would erupt, but even as the dragons prepared for battle their fears were set aside as the alicorns crafted a city from the clouds and set themselves apart from the world.

Eventually the dragons' leaders succumbed to the passing of time and entered the Deep Sleep, a near-permanent state of hibernation nearing the end of a dragon's life-cycle. The dragon kingdoms soon fell to infighting and bloody wars ravaged the world, eventually driving the once mighty race to near extinction, the survivors electing to lead lives of solitude or at most in tiny, hidden communities. It was at this time the ponies, griffons, and other 'lesser' races, crawled forth from their places of hiding and claimed the land formerly held by their masters, thus beginning the making of the world we live in today.

The alicorns, who had avoided the Dragon Degradations, as the series of brutal conflicts was now being called, suddenly found themselves jerked back into the world as adventurous pegasi discovered their floating city. Surprised to find beings so very like themselves in this world so thoroughly soaked with blood and ash, the mystical alicorns quickly adopted the few pegasi. They taught them to write, read, and think much like a parent educates their babes.

In time, the other pony races would study at the feet of the masters as well, and would hail the alicorns as benevolent deities come from afar to drag them into the light, which, ironically, they very much were, regardless of the 'benevolent deities' feelings on the subject. It wasn't long before the alicorns grew uncomfortable with all this attention and stopped receiving visitors to their cloud home, even going so far as to cut-off contact from the ground altogether.

This, as you can well imagine, had the opposite effect as ponies descended into barbarism, offering up unspeakable sacrifices to their absent masters and fighting amongst each other things became worse than ever as the three tribes vied for their master's attention. That is until the alicorn leader Cosmis stepped in and performed a feat of magic that has gone unchallenged to this day. He gifted the greatest treasure of the alicorns to the ponies: magic, more specifically, the power of Harmony which is embodied in the Elements of Harmony currently in the possession of Princess Celestia.

The power of the Elements was great enough to banish the shadows of evil from pony hearts and introduce a new era of peace and love. The unicorns, those ponies who had been most affected by Cosmis' spell, the pegasi, newly gifted with power over weather, and earth ponies, whose very presence would cause plants to grow, lived in unison with the alicorns. At the behest of their king, the City in the Sky was dismantled and the four pony tribes built new settlements where they could all live together. But this era of joy was not too last.

For you see, the ponies and alicorns had built their cities in the most fertile area they could find, what had come to be known as the Forests of Cosmis the Benign, which was situated directly over the resting place of Lunar the Absolute. And the Patriarch was dying."

Darkfang coughed slightly and wet his throat with the wine offered to him by an eager crewman, he dimly noticed almost the entire crew was in attendance now, listening as raptly to the story as Gadgets was. Surprising.

"It was not ill intent that destroyed the ponies nor was it evil, it was simply coincidence. Cosmis foresaw the death of Lunar who, according to legend, had contacted the alicorn via telepathy, a part of his vast consciousness still working despite his slumber, and told him of his impending death. Thanks to the warning, Cosmis was able to evacuate the Forests in time as the great death cry of the Father of All Dragons swept across the land, turning the trees to dust and the grass to sand.

Though devastated by the loss of their home, the ponies found refuge in the territory of Celestia, who offered sanctuary to the young creatures. Why? I do not know. Some legends tell of how, after the loss of her own children to their foolish greed, Celestia came to think of the ponies as her own, and of how she swore to protect them in atonement for how she had failed to protect her own young.

In gratitude, Cosmis the Benign swore to honor the dragons for all time and had his mate, Galaxia, name their two eldest foals, born several hundred years later, in honor of them.

Yes," he said as his audience gasped audibly, "Celestia and Luna, the two princesses who even now rule the Land of Ponies, bear their names as a result of this vow.

So you see Gadgets, Mira," his lip quirked slightly, "crew. This is why I seek knowledge. The history of this world is rife with stories and legends, some true, some false, all worth knowing. And I hope this helps you to understand a bit about where we're going," he turned back to face the wind, where a dark line could just be seen on the horizon, "Dragon's Breath, where gods go to die."

Comments

[Doobie]

419752
socks.

[Sonic10160]

This... is... BRILLIANT

[Taross-Velin]

Great chapter, love the history behind it. Keep 'em coming!

[TacoTown]

dude... steampunk ponies... I FRIKKING LOVE IT!

[Formed_Zeus]

Dude. Wow, just wow. This is friggen' amazing

[Law]

Dragons Breath, where gods go to die. Sounds an awful lot like "Demons Run, where a good man goes to war" a line from Doctor Who. After reading that last line a shiver ran down my spine, I don't know if you watch the show it was most likely a coincidence but that story just gave you one more fave, follow, and thumb up.

[Forevermore]

684052 I'm actually an avid fan of Doctor Who (and his pony-counterpart, Doctor Whooves) and while I see the resemblance, no. This line was not actually inspired by the Doctor. At the very least, not intentionally.

[AppleTank]

Cool. Vibro blades. Those are always nice. I have a katana that emits a field that breaks atomic bonds. Makes things explode slightly each time I cut something. This is my defensive weapon.