A New Era

by Shadowmane PX-41

Chapter 9: The Dragon Kingdom

The road towards Umbra's castle was long and arduous for the Main Six, with many of them gasping and panting heavily after the long climbs. Even Rainbow Dash, for as well-trained as she was at flying and endurance, was beginning to struggle to keep up with the White Wings ponies. As they all laboured themselves up the mountain, Sugarcoat and the others took point at the top and watched as the girls all struggled to climb.

"Are we there yet?" Pinkie asked.

"I wish we were." Rarity moaned and fanned her face with her hoof, catching some of her make-up on the tip. "Oh... Why can't this Umbra live closer to your kingdom, girls?"

"Umbra prefers the darkness. He can't stand White Wings and its' light," said Indigo Zap. "He and his shadow ponies live all the way out there in the Darklands, across all those places Sugarcoat pointed out to you back at the castle."

"The Darklands are devoid of all life. The sunlight never breaks through the black clouds above the castle." Sunny Flare wiped away some of the sweat gnawing at her forehead. "No plantlife can survive in the darklands, and the very air can bring unprepared ponies to their knees. Even going there today can cause severe strain to the five of us if we don't have the proper spell with us."

"Whoever this Umbra is, it seems like he's prepared for everything." Twilight used her wings once her hooves gave out. She was the first to join the White Wings ponies at the summit. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Magic of Friendship doesn't have much effect on him..."

"Look, girl, I don't know what this Equestria's like or how the ponies there operate, but here in White Wings, it's a totally different deal." Indigo Zap slinked a hoof around Twilight's shoulders. "We've been fighting him for over three years now, and he's still not given back any of the ponies that he turned into shadow ponies. And judging by what he's seen in you, I doubt he's gonna leave you alone now too."

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow smirked and smashed her forehooves together. "Well I'm feeling like giving that jerk a piece of my mind after the way he stuck me to the wall like that. So I'm glad that we're going straight to him."

"You won't be saying that once we actually make it to his throne room and he mops the floor with your flanks..." Sour grumbled under her breath. She was about to move on when she saw Twilight and the others stare and glare at her. "Uh, what I mean to say is that you'll be fine. You've got us by your side." She rubbed the back of her mane and gave an innocent smile.

"But even so, you've still gotta be prepared." Sugarcoat watched the rest of the mares reach the top of the hill and catch their breaths. She waited until they had all stopped and pointed towards the land over the summit. "Because even though we're all ponies, the beasts through here are unlike any you've ever seen before. Behold," she proclaimed, jabbing her hoof out. "The Dragon Kingdom!"

Beyond the Main Six, Starlight, Spike, and the White Wings ponies lay a barren land with rivers and pools of lava, swamping a large fraction of the ground beneath them. Wing-beats and roars echoed through the air and resonated against the walls, causing small quakes to rip small chunks of stone from the other side of the mountains and topple them down to the searing flames below. Dragons of all shapes and sizes swooped through the canyons and spat fire against the ground, causing small geysers of magma to burst from the charred earth. And at the farthest end, on the tallest mountain of them all, a massive pair of wings unfurled themselves and blotted out the sun.

"Whoa..." Twilight's jaw hung so far down that it nearly touched the ground. "These dragons are nothing like the ones back home."

"Yeah." Spike clambered on to the top of her head. "They don't have any bright skin or gems anywhere! That, and I don't see any teenage dragons either!"

"Dragons in the Dragon Kingdom are all usually adult dragons." Sugarcoat took her glasses off and materialized a red handkerchief. She rubbed both of the lenses to remove the mist before sliding her glasses back onto her muzzle. "All of the teenage and baby dragons dwell beneath the surface, safeguarded by endless tunnels of lava and heat."

"Because they're so small and they have yet to become the big, ferocious, indestructible beasts like their parents are, all of the dragon offspring learn underground." Sunny Flare lit up her horn and shot out a small white wisp, guiding it towards a large cave by the feet of one of the cliffs. "These dragon nurseries can only be entered and exited by a dragon, as the heat would cause any pony to faint almost immediately—possibly forever due to heat stroke."

"So... when you say that they're all adults, does that mean that—"

"Yes. They are devoid of reasoning, and obey only the Dragon King." Sugarcoat silenced Starlight swiftly and watched as the massive dragon at the top of the faraway mountain smashed down into the earth at the mountain's foot and let loose a torrent of fire at a large brazier, before swooping off to ignite the others.

"Yeah. And the king himself is a big meanie." Lemon Zest crossed her front hooves. "We were lucky to get him to sign a peace accord when he brought his people to attack White Wings. I mean, we could've fended him off with our magic, Sugarcoat, and everything else that we had, but even then, that didn't mean that he wouldn't be back."

"Once you make peace with an enemy, only then are they truly defeated." Sugarcoat kicked away some pebbles by her feet. "But should you break the trust of the enemies you've befriended, it will only be a matter of time before they come down on you like a storm of destruction and discord. Umbra doesn't count, because he's beyond redemption and brings darkness regardless."

"Now's not really the best time to speak in your big words like that, Sugarcoat." Indigo Zap shook her head. "We've gotta stop Umbra. And if that means we've gotta go through the Dragon Kingdom, then I'm ready."

"You sure everything will be alright, Indigo Zap?" Starlight watched Indigo fly down towards the lava. "These dragons look much more dangerous than the ones we know back in Equestria..."

"Meh, it'll be fine." Indigo shrugged and tipped her hoof. "We've been through here hundreds of times and always came back to tell the tale. Now, are ya comin' or not?"

"I suppose we don't really have a choice now." Fluttershy watched the others vault over the teeth of the mountaintop and slide down to the ground below. "This is an adventure after all. And we did come to White Wings to strike a deal with Queen Cinch."

"Yes. And it seems like the only way that we'll get her to join our cause is if we take down Umbra and save White Wings from him and the shadow ponies." Twilight nodded as she spread her wings out and covered Spike up. "Spike, you stay low until we're out of the Dragon Kingdom."

"What? Why do I have to stay low?!" Spike spat out Twilight's feathers and tried to poke his head out. "I'm a dragon! I should be welcome here!"

"Twilight is smarter than you realize, Spike." Sunny Flare nodded at the little dragon. "If the dragons here see you, they'll throw you into the nurseries with the other dragons, and you might be stuck in there for a very long time."

"But it's not fair!" Spike moaned. "I want to see the dragons here closer! Are they like the dragons in Equestria? Is there a Dragon Lord? What's the order of power here? Why do—"

"Shut it, squirt." Sour Sweet rammed her hoof into Spike's jaws. "Dragon or not, you're in our world, so you play by our rules."

"Yeah, kid. You're not really gonna get far here in the Dragon Kingdom if you're a little one." Lemon Zest looked at the dragons towering above them. "The heat is already doing a number on us all, and if the dragons see you, I don't think we're gonna be able to get you back."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I could reason with them." Spike grinned as he caught glimpses of the giant winged beasts soar above him. "A dragon wouldn't think to hurt one of their own kind. Unless that dragon is named Garble..."

"Still, we're not taking any chances." Sugarcoat cast a small ice beam on Spike's body, encasing him in ice. "The Dragon King is a ruthless tyrant. He could end up attacking White Wings again if you get seen like this. Twilight. Are you sure that you can handle a large chunk of ice on your back?"

"W-well, I suppose I c-c-c-could handle it." Twilight's teeth chattered as she struggled to keep the frozen Spike on her back. "The ice is already making me f-f-f-feel like I'm gonna fr-fr-freeze, but the heat manages to c-c-c-cancel it out a little."

"Just make sure that you can keep it up until we make it out of here. Then, I'll unfreeze Spike and we can continue on towards Umbra's castle." Sugarcoat returned her gaze towards the depths of the Dragon Kingdom.

"I'll try as hard as I can." Twilight, still chattering her teeth, nodded. "B-b-but I don't know how long I can k-k-k-keep this up..."

The ponies all moved on through the Dragon Kingdoms, with nothing but the bubbling lava pits and roars of dragons to break the silence. The heat was so hot that it made the air around the girls distort and wobble before their eyes. It was almost a chore to make out where they were going and what parts of the earth they would have to avoid.

"I'm super-glad I packed my Pinkie Pie Patented Pony Protection Pack before we came." Pinkie pulled a bright pink backpack out of her mane and began to dig through it's contents until she found a bright blue can of aerosol with a picture of a fire being crossed out. "Here it is! My Pinkie Pie Patented Anti-Burn Super Spray! Just one spray, and fires go away!" And without another word, she coated herself from mane to tail in the aerosol from the can. "Do you want some of this stuff too, girls? It's awfully hot out here in the Dragon Kingdom."

"How did you..." Sunny Flare could only gape as she watched Pinkie spraying down the other girls.

"It's Pinkie Pie. Best not to question it." Rarity nodded as the watery mists slammed against her body. "But you can't deny that she's incredibly useful when it comes to stuff like this."

"Yeah, but is she useful when dragons attack?" Indigo pointed up towards the beasts, who all gazed upon the ponies and licked their sharpened teeth. "Because these dragons aren't on any Equestria guidebooks on dragons. At least, I think not."

"And you'd be right." Starlight nodded. "These dragons are Infernals; dragons so destructive that ponies don't ever come back and tell the tales. Everyone in Equestria calls them that because they're said to have been born from the fires of Tartarus itself."

"Well, if on the odd chance that you do make it back alive, tell 'em that these dragons are much more dangerous than they think..." Indigo turned back to the front.

As the girls came to the end of the path, they saw the Dragon King lock gazes with them. He craned his neck skyward and let out a deafening roar, causing all of the other dragons to flap off of their perches and corner the group of ponies. As each one smashed into the ground, they knocked the ponies into the air and shook the very ground beneath their feet. Everyone was knocked up, but Pinkie Pie was squealing as she bounced with the shocks and performed some flips before landing on her hooves again.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the ponies from White Wings..." The Dragon King snarled in a deep and gravelly voice. As his nose touched the group, they could all see that they were no bigger than the tiny pupils of his eyes. "What are you doing here? I thought the accord we signed with your kind would be the last we'd heard of you."

"We're not here to disturb the peace, Dragon King Ignis." Sugarcoat stood her ground before the colossal dragon. "We merely seek passage through your kingdom. Will you let this slide?"

"Hmm. I suppose I would. Had I been a less observant dragon!" He pulled away Twilight's wings and found Spike, who had been encased in the ice block. He pushed down on the ice so hard with one of his claws that it caused the entire block to crumble, freeing Spike from hi icy tomb. "You still haven't learned your lesson, ponies. NEVER anger a dragon; especially not the Dragon King!" He snarled, blowing steam out from his nostrils. "Akr'Reih! Sla'Zeik! Get this baby dragon back to the nursery!"

"Wha—H-Hey! Let me go!" Spike was plucked from Twilight's back by two large dragons and carried off towards the caves. "I'm a dragon hero! You can't do this to me! TWILIGHT! HEEEEEELP!"

"Spike!" She called back and ran after him, only to be stopped by two more dragons, who bellowed fire at the ground in front of her. "Give him back! He isn't yours!"

"But he is a dragon." Dragon King Ignis crossed his arms. "And you ponies have violated an ancient law here in the Dragon Kingdom. Any and ALL dragons that pass through this kingdom, be they eggs, children, or teenagers, MUST obey the will of the Dragon King. And since this little wyrm you call Spike is a baby dragon, he will be put into the dragon nurseries until he finally reaches adult age." Ignis used his tail to turn Twilight around and bring her close to his face. "You're NEVER going to see that baby dragon again. He now belongs to the Dragon Kingdom. PERMANENTLY!"

"Then I'll just have to fight you for him! Take this!" Twilight charged up a bolt of light and shot it at the dragon's eyes. But nothing happened.

Dragon King Ignis simply laughed at Twilight's feeble attempt to damage him. He let the light hit his eyes for a few seconds more before he brought Twilight to his mouth and breathed a massive stream of fire right in her face. She would've been charred to a crisp, but thanks to Pinkie's spray, she only had her mane singed off.

"Now, now, Sugarcoat. You didn't think that you'd be able to find a loophole in the treaty by bringing some newcomers into the Dragon Kingdom, did you?" Ignis dropped Twilight and moved towards Sugarcoat. "Everypony must obey our rules, otherwise, they shall be punished in the way a dragon torments its' prey."

"GIVE. SPIKE. BACK. NOW." Starlight stomped up and illuminated her horn as well. "I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Do you honestly think your puny pony magic can hurt me?" Ignis blew a small breath at Starlight's horn, immediately deactivating her magical aura. "Dragons in the Dragon Kingdom are impervious to any forms of magic, thanks to the braziers we've lit. No pony can penetrate us or anything here in our world. You might be the strongest unicorn where you come from, my dear, but your magic can do jack diddly squat against me and my people."

"Wait, Ignis." Sunny Flare raised a hoof. "How did you know that we had a baby dragon with us from that far away? He was hidden behind Princess Twilight's wings too. We thought for sure that he'd been concealed."

"A true dragon knows when and where his brethren are." Ignis flexed his claws. "If a dragon is strong-hearted, noble, and powerful like I am, then they can see every dragon, everywhere and at every time too. Including babies and teenage dragons." He turned away. "But why am I still giving you knowledge after violating the rules we've set down? It's simple, my dears. It's because NONE of you will be able to avoid what's coming next."

"And wh-what is coming next?" Fluttershy whimpered and cowered behind her hooves.

"Simple. We're dragons, so what do you think dragons do to ponies?" Ignis smirked. "We EAT them, of course!"

"You're gonna EAT US?!" Pinkie gasped. "B-But, the dragons back home don't eat ponies! Sure, they've tried to bite us, burn us alive, and do all sorts of other mean and nasty things to us, but that's because they're protecting their super-sparkly gemstones and gold from thieves!"

"Then the dragons back in your world are weak, pathetic, and can't even be called dragons," said Ignis. "We dragons are a far cry from the ones you know. And now, you will know our wrath, and the punishment due for insulting us, breaking our laws, and trying to steal one of our young!" He took a deep breath and spat fire down on the girls.

"Get behind me!" Sugarcoat lit up her horn and created a massive silver dome around herself and the other ponies. The flames bounced off of the shield, but they wouldn't stop. "I don't get it... What's he trying to do? Wear himself out?"

As Sugarcoat kept her magic up, the other dragons surrounding the girls all breathed their own respective torrents of flame down around the girls, creating a massive pillar of flame around the equines. The flames consumed everything that the ponies could see, including the very sky above them.

"I... can't... keep this up... for much longer!" Sugarcoat gnashed her teeth and tried her best to hold out, but the heat from the ground beneath them, coupled with the fire from the dragons was far too hot for her to handle. She felt herself getting extremely woozy, and she finally ended up passing out, toppling onto her side as her spell failed and the shield shattered.

As Sugarcoat's barrier fell, all of the other ponies were immediately swept by the heatstorm. Despite having Pinkie's aerosol on them, the heat was still much too hot for them, and they were sweating so much that their manes were soaking. The girls all suffered from the effects of heat stroke and groaned as they tumbled and fumbled onto the ground, passing out before Ignis and the other dragons.

"Take them to the volcano's heart and tie their legs and horns up tightly." Ignis commanded the dragons as they all swooped in and picked each of the unconscious ponies up. "And while you're at it, make sure that you breathe a little fire on their horns before they wake up. Don't want them performing any magic acts to escape." As his flock flew off towards the volcano he once stood up, he flapped after them. "And make sure you don't eat them along the way. Raw pony meat is very bad for the heart. Let them be burned a nice bit of orange-brown before you gobble them all up..."

Comments

[FourShadow]

Oh scrap. This ain't good...

[EchoWing]

...geez. That's taking things up to eleven.

[Xanderfox]

OK it's official the characters are OP, the Shadowbolts are OP, the Dragon King is OP. The main six are subdued waaaayyyy to easy. Twilight's magic totally ineffective? Really? Not enough fine, but she can do nothing as an alicorn and the element of magic? I'm sorry but Equestria is depicted and pathetic and it's feels like disrespect for the source material.

[Shadowmane PX-41]

8279041
Is that your only gripe? Because it doesn't hold a lot of weight.

[Xanderfox]

8279074
No, it does hold a lot of weight. The main 6 are depicted as weaklings and incompetent while the ShadowBolts are shown as being over powered and much more competent. The idea Equestria is a nation that has existed for over a thousand years yet it's greatest hero's are soft and weak compared to rest of the world isn't interesting or fun. A MarySue wrecks a story, a group of them along side reducing the cannon heroes abilities and compitence ruins it completely. Maybe you don't agree that this is what was done, but surely that if I feel this is what's being done it DOES hold a lot of weight in relation to my wanting to read the story. How can feeling a story insults it's source material when you like the source material hold no weight in likeing the story?

[Shadowmane PX-41]

8279132
I based the pony Shadowbolts and White Wings off of Crystal Prep from Friendship Games. An academy far superior to Canterlot High, who has never lost anything once, and who has students trained to perfection. The one change I made was that Cinch wasn't a cold-hearted cow like she was in Friendship Games, and that as a pony, she genuinely cares for her kind. Also, the Shadowbolts aren't completely overpowered. Sugarcoat had infights with them and the other Rainbooms, and Umbra managed to swat them away with little effort. And I at least came up with a reason why the Dragon King and his kind are immune to magic. If I'd just said that any of them were strong and could easily do away with problems, then it would be a Mary Sue story. A Mary Sue is a character who ALWAYS has everything going their way with little to no conflict. The Shadowbolts have problems. White Wings has problems. Anything with problems they can't clear easily is NOT considered a Mary Sue.

Maybe you've just been watching Chloe from Fairly Odd Parents, Xanderfox.

[Xanderfox]

8279194
Look I get that you don't feel this is a case of Mary Suisum, that's clear. I do think it is, and that is more than good enough, I explained what my feeling is was the case to rebuke the dismissive idea that it was poor reason. I am not telling you what to think, I'm telling you what I think, not everyone will like your stories. Don't dismiss criticism, listen to it, look over your story and decide if you agree or not. Guess what you might disagree, but you don't need to "beat" your critics.

[Serenade Sketch]

...
And just like that, things quickly escalate all the way to fifteen.