Dragon's Bane

by Sazura

Mountains and Magic

Author's Notes: I'm thinking of adding a soundtrack to some of the more appropriate parts of this fic. Leave your opinions on this in the comments, if it so pleases you.

~~~

Fire
Brings unbridled death
And life
It may burn
And also heal

The fire of companionship
Brings light to those in crushing despair

~~~

Shining Armour patrolled the halls of the Canterlot Castle. He had been on complete edge the past few days. The dragon envoy still roamed freely around the Castle and the surrounding areas. Though they did seem to have a grasp on their temper, his duties demanded him to stay constantly vigilant.

Scribes and scholars pored over old tomes and scrolls in the Canterlot Archives. Any information relevant to dragon history was valued. Shining thought that Ahtrax and his companions would have a firm grasp on the history of their own race, but it turned out dragons did not have a written history. Instead, history was told through story, resulting in a somewhat flawed recounting of the significant events of their race.

“Captain Armour, sir!”

Shining turned to see a unicorn wearing thick glasses and a dusty old coat running toward him. Must be one of the researchers for the dragons, he thought.

“Greetings. What is it? Something regarding the dragons?” Shining asked, wondering what it was that had this pony in such a hurry.

“Yes, sir. Your presence is requested in the main hall. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are already there. The dragon envoy, also,” replied the scholar.

Shining nodded toward the scholar in thanks. He turned on the spot and headed toward the hall where the Princesses and the dragons were expecting him. Upon arriving at the main hall, Shining saw the two Princesses who had summoned him, as well as the envoy who stood with equal pride beside them.

"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, I am ready to serve," Shining said as he sank into a bow.

"Rise, Shining Armour," Luna replied. She was actually bothering to sound mature, for a change.

"Ahtrax wishes to inform you of a finding that they have discovered along with our researchers," Celestia explained.

The ponies turned to the dragons standing next to them. Shining deduced that neither Celestia nor Luna knew of the reason of this summoning.

Ahtrax cleared his throat, a sound that made the windows shake. “Several weeks before the King perished, he left on a journey from the dragon lands. It was from this trip he did not return. We did not know what the purpose of his journey was, he did not inform anyone.”

“I’m sorry, but what relevance does this have to do with our current situation?” Celestia questioned.

“Coupled with the research of your scholars and our exploration of your lands, we have reason to believe we have located the King’s final resting place,” Leethum said.

Shining began to understand what the dragons were implying. The King’s deathbed could hold clues as to where he laid his un-hatched child.

“Wait a second,” Shining piped up. “If your King disappeared, how do you know if he died at all?”

“He would not abandon his kin, for any reason,” growled Ahtrax.

“Calm, brother. This pony has a valid point,” Magna said. “The Life Crystal dims when there is no living member of the Royal Lineage. When the King left centuries ago, the Crystal almost died out. It was a dark time for our race. For several years, the future of dragons was as dark as the Crystal.”

“Miraculously, however, it lit up several years later. We know the Crystal is linked directly to the life force of the Lineage. There is definitely a dragon that still lives, and carries the Royal Blood. The Crystal is now dying, and this dragon is our last hope,” Leethum said.

“This dragon should be easy to locate. Members who possess the Blood have extraordinary abilities. They also do not age like other dragons. The size of their bodies grow in proportion to their mental state, meaning a childish mind will cause the dragon to have a child’s body,” explained Magna.

It was only then Ahtrax spoke again. “Sun and Moon, we have asked you to summon your most trusted court member here for a reason. We desire to go forth and investigate the King’s resting place. You have been insistent that we do not use force, and my brothers insist on adhering to your request. Shining Armour will accompany us.”

Silence followed the dragon’s words. Shining tried to comprehend them. Why would they need him? He had duties to fulfill here at Canterlot, he could not spend his time adventuring with dragons.

“With all due respect, esteemed guests, I do not understand why you need me there. Surely for you, nothing in Equestria could pose a threat?” Shining said, with a subtle edge in his voice.

“Shining, they don’t want you for battle might,” Luna replied in place of the dragons.

“Their demand makes sense,” Celestia agreed, with a ponderous look on her face.

Shining couldn’t believe that the Princesses were going along with the dragon’s ridiculous idea.

“I have duties to perform in Canterlot! The city needs me!” Shining exclaimed.

“Yes, Shining, and now it needs you more than ever. You are our most trusted captain. Your presence with the dragons will ensure that they will not become unruly. If and when you returned unharmed, it will send a positive message for our subjects, and for the race of dragons. For that is why you desire his presence, no?” Celestia directed the last question at Ahtrax.

“You are as sharp as a honed claw, Sun. Me and my brothers have long discussed this topic, and it is in our best interest for our two races to live harmoniously for the time being. This journey is only the beginning.”

Shining began to comprehend what just happened. His duty was not only to Canterlot, but the also the citizens who dwelled within, and the ponies of Equestria as a whole. If this were fulfilling his duty, he would gladly oblige.

“I will begin preparing right away,” Shining concluded. He turned and left the main hall. He had to say goodbye to Cadence. He might not be seeing her for a while.

~~~

Spike sat in the small meadow in the thick forest. His stomach growled, and he wished for something to eat. Koblat had left rather abruptly, and did not give any indication of when he would return. The mysterious pony had not returned either. Through his hunger, Spike struggled to remember where he had heard her voice.

The starving dragon heard something drop behind him. He turned his head, and saw that an emerald had materialized from somewhere. A huge shadow cast itself over the meadow where Spike was sitting, and he looked up to see the azure hue of the sky replaced with a deep sapphire. Koblat had returned. With a generous pile of delicious looking gemstones.

Spike was aware of what Koblat had done now, and although his stomach protested, he threw down the emerald in his claw and backed away from the much larger dragon.

Koblat landed with a thud that made the earth under Spike’s feet tremble. He seemed to have noticed Spike’s reproach, and looked at him with a skeptical eye.

“I thought you hungered, Spike,” said Koblat.

“I’m not accepting anything from you! You hurt my friends!” cried Spike. He was acting much braver than he was feeling.

Koblat scrutinised Spike with the full intensity of his gaze. “What crime are you speaking of?”

This question had taken Spike aback. Of course he was talking about Fluttershy’s house being set on fire. “It was you who burnt down my friend Fluttershy’s cottage!”

“…On what basis are you accusing me of committing this treason?” Koblat rebutted.

“I saw you do it in…” Spike was about to tell Koblat about his dreams when he realised how stupid it sounded.

Koblat studied Spike even further with his penetrating gaze. “You are correct, childling. It was I. But it was not done on purpose. This is the truth. Now, eat. You cannot deny these gems are appetising to you.”

It was Spike’s turn to scrutinize Koblat. After what felt like several hours, Spike gave into his hunger and began gnawing on the gems scattered around the meadow, as Koblat studied him like an enigma.

~~~

Fluttershy felt the arctic wind run past her body, leaving a roaring wake in her ears and powerful gusts battering her injured body. Though she did not feel cold due to pegasi’s natural resistance to cold, the fatigue was starting to eat into her. No matter how tired her legs and wings grew, however, she didn’t from the cower form the gusts assaulting her.

The Frostbitten Mountains had proven much more difficult to traverse than they had anticipated. On top of movement being slow and sluggish to the deep snow, the group had to battle tornado level winds and a steep incline. It was aided majorly by the magic of Twilight, who stayed on ahead of the group cloaking everypony with spells of warmth, whilst simultaneously clearing the snow.

Rainbow flew on ahead. With her resistance to cold coupled with her powerful wings, she was able to combat the wind and scout ahead, finding the easiest route through the treacherous ravines and cliffs. Fluttershy noticed she was spending as much time scouting as she could, preferring to stay away from the main group.

They had passed the hills that lay before the mountains several days before. A constant blizzard lay over the snow-capped mountains, and everypony was growing tired of the constant white haze. Twilight, especially. The consistent feed of magic was taking its toll, even on her.

“Wait, I think I hear something…” Rainbow suddenly exclaimed.

Everypony stopped to listen. At first, only the howl of the wind greeted their ears. However, the more they listened, the more they could make out subtler noises.

“There’s a fell voice on the air…” Rarity pointed out.

A crack was heard. Overhead, the cliff face broke apart from the mountain and came hurtling down with devastating momentum.

~~~

Twilight concentrated into her horn, and a solidified barrier of light formed itself over her and her friends. The barrage of cold rock and snow met with the barrier, and vanished as it came into contact.

Twilight’s vision blurred, and for a second she almost put down her warmth spell. She turned her head to verify the group was all right. They were shaken, but otherwise unharmed.

“What in tarnation just happened?” Applejack cried.

“Look!” Pinkie yelled, pointing a hoof upwards.

Above them, the mysterious assailant who had attacked Rainbow in the forest floated in the air. Her horn was glowing a magnificent shade of silver, almost invisible against the white backdrop.

“What do you want with us!?” Twilight snarled.

“A trial, Twilight Sparkle. Be sure to not disappoint.” The unicorn began chanting in a fast and confusing tongue, a magic practice Twilight was not familiar with.

“Rarity, use the warmth spell I taught you!” Twilight ordered. After she made sure Rarity had erected the protective barrier, the readied unicorn dropped the spell on everypony but herself.

The unicorn had finished her chant, and the result was a stream of ice shards hurtling towards Twilight with speed that could rival a bullet. Twilight couldn’t react in time, and squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation of the incoming impact.

Except it never came.

She opened her eyes to see Rainbow and Fluttershy holding a cloud in front of her. The deadly ice particles had been absorbed.

Giving a quick nod of thanks, Twilight concentrated her willpower into her horn, attempting to use the same sleep spell the assailant used on Rainbow to turn back on her.

The invisible thought tendrils sped towards their target, threatening to put the mysterious unicorn into a deep slumber. The mare’s horn glowed silver once again, and Twilight’s spell was met with an invisible wall that prohibited any further progression.

The hostile unicorn launched a counter-attack, attempting a possession spell that would allow her control of Twilight’s thoughts. Twilight was ready, however, and erected her own defenses in time to block the invisible force.

This relay of spells continued on for some time. For the outsiders not involved in the battle, it looked like the two unicorns were simply glaring at each other while their horns glowed.

Finally, Twilight abandoned her purely mental assault and decided to attempt a physical attack. The snow beneath the mysterious mare’s feet began gathering, and quickly shot up from the frozen ground at a lethal force propelling itself towards the unprepared unicorn.

The snow impacted with the assailant’s stomach with a dull thud. She was not prepared for the change in attack pattern. Her body was thrown back towards the cliff side, and hit it with a sickening crack as her head whiplashed against the frozen rock. Her body grinded against the steep mountainside as it descended, leaving a rough trail and numerous cuts and bruises as souvenirs.

Twilight decided it was safe to let her guard down a little bit. She had never used combat magic in a real-life situation before (with the exception of the Ursa Minor incident, which wasn’t really combat magic), and her heart was thudding against her ribs as if to make a desperate attempt to flee.

“Is…is she...?” Fluttershy managed to yell over the wind.

“No…just knocked out, I reckon,” AJ replied. “That was some impressive magic, Twilight. Didn’t know you had that kind of power in you.”

“Th-thanks,” Twilight stammered back.

“Well…what do you think we should do with her?” Rainbow asked.

As Rainbow finished her sentence, the mare’s horn glowed once again. No attack came, however, and she teleported away as quickly as she came.

With confirmation that her friends were safe, Twilight allowed herself to pass out from exhaustion.

~~~

Rainbow wrapped her wings around Twilight tighter. The group was asleep inside a small cave on the side of one of the many mountains that made up the Frostbitten Mountains. Rarity had conjured a small flame that hovered in the center of the small space they had available.

The heat of the flame had long since melted the snow and evaporated the remaining moisture. That said, the earth ponies and unicorns were still struggling to retain warmth during their restless slumber.

Inside Rainbow’s wings, Twilight shook with alarming violence. Rainbow stayed awake long after the rest of the group had fallen asleep, determined in any way to keep her warm. After what felt like several hours, the exhausted unicorn showed signs of stirring. First a low mumble. Some twitching of her eyelids. Finally, she started opening her eyes and began to take in her situation.

“Ra….Rainbow…”

“Twilight, take it easy,” Rainbow advised.

Twilight didn’t make any effort to move. “What happened?” she simply inquired.

“You passed out after that unicorn teleported away. We found a small cave where we could rest, and Rarity has been making sure we’ve all been keeping warm,” Rainbow explained.

Silence followed. Neither of them knew what to say next. A million thoughts ran through Rainbow’s mind.

“Rainbow…why did you kiss me?” asked Twilight suddenly. She was quite clearly still a little delirious.

Rainbow panicked for a reply. Anything that wouldn’t let on how she felt. Which kind of felt like a lost cause. “Well…spur of the moment thing, you know? You just looked so sad. I didn’t really know how to make you feel better.”

“I know you’re lying,” Twilight replied. She was silent for a few moments. “I didn’t hate it.”

Twilight’s words echoed through Rainbow’s head a few times. Did this mean Twilight returned her feelings? Or was she just letting her down nicely? Or maybe she was still extremely delirious.

“You’re my dear friend, Rainbow Dash. I’m sorry if I’ve ever caused you pain by not realising your feelings. But…I do now. And maybe it was too late. If none of this happened we could have…made things work. We could have seen each other everyday in Ponyville. Go on a date every Saturday…and…learn more about each other than we know now.” Twilight sad all this in a slight slur, implying she was indeed slightly out of it.

“It’s okay…Twilight. I’m an idiot for feeling like this.” Rainbow was determined not to cry. Now was not the time.

“Hey…you alright?” Twilight asked sheepishly.

“I’m fine…”

“You’re crying.”

Rainbow now felt the moisture on her face, now that it was pointed out. The tears rolled down her face, freezing slightly as it was met with the sub-zero temperature.

Suddenly, the tears melted back into pure saltwater. She felt an unexplainable warmth take over. The fire Rarity had conjured was now twice as large, and emitting a heat so radiant Rainbow felt as if it was giving off an aura of pure joy.

She looked back at Twilight, and saw that the unicorn’s horn was glowing a deep purple.

“Rainbow…when this is over…and we all return to Ponyville…tell me again. Tell me how you feel again.” Twilight ended her words with a light peck on Rainbow’s lips, and fell back into a delirious sleep.

The night felt little warmer now. The fire burnt on, keeping at bay the hostile forces attempting to penetrate their sanctuary.

Comments

[Sazura]

Criticism and feedback is yum.

[Path_of_cloud]

I knew when I was stareing at people trying to make their heads explode, I was really in a magic battle with them! Or wait, was that about getting a taco tusday...

So many interesting things: mystery unicorn, tomb of the Dragon King, and Kobalt. Can't wait till the next part.

[FlimFlamBros.]

ah, the twidash shipping. I'm more of a lunaxeverypony kind of guy, but this is still good. hope to see Spike go all prison break on them (never watched the show, so I'm assuming that there will be plenty of shivs and explosions, and I know who the unicorn is, it is quite obviously Bon-Bon

[Fury of the Tempest]

Its feeling a bit... short these chapters. A lot of stuff tends to happen through...

[Sunset_Shimmer83]

“There’s a fell voice on the air…” Rarity pointed out.

A crack was heard. Overhead, the cliff face broke apart from the mountain and came hurtling down with devastating momentum.
interesting scene, very similar to what happened on the mountain to the fellowship of the ring :)