Daybreaker

by Lets Do This

The Dragon and The Sun

Trixie caught up with them back at the Friendship Castle. Twilight and Starlight were already powering up the spell, once Starlight had adjusted the time and place of its far end based on a best guess of the flight time to the Empire. Trixie dove into the circle of the spell's effect just as the shimmering wall went up, a hoof pressed to her hat to keep it in place.

Starlight rounded on her angrily. "Trixie! You didn't even think to mention this?" she demanded. "I mean, while we were still there?"

Trixie looked affronted. "Uh, hello? I thought this was a time-lens spell! So there was no rush. We were going to have to come back here to adjust the endpoint anyways. And yeah, I totally wanted to wait for just the right moment to spring it on the two of you. Come on, Starlight! Allow a professional show-pony her big dramatic reveal, huh?"

Starlight looked like she was about to scream, but Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder. "She's right. We do need to keep our heads here, not rush into things. And I admit we were all a bit shell-shocked -- especially me -- and needed a break to clear our heads first. Good call, Trixie!"

Trixie blinked, unused to both the compliment and its source. "Well! Thanks, Twilight!"

"But next time, tell us!"

Trixie shrugged. "Knew it was too good to last."

The shimmering dome was already settling down. Around them they could see what looked like a back alley, complete with dustbins and assorted barrels and boxes. When they had safely locked the spell in its duty-cycle and trotted around the corner and out onto the main street, they found themselves smack in the city center of the Crystal Empire, on a brilliantly clear morning.

It didn't look all that different from the Empire they were familiar with: the same chunky houses and shop-fronts carved from crystal, the same glass-like crystal streets. And in the distance up the street was the glittering white spire of the Crystal Palace itself, standing foursquare over the plaza where the Crystal Heart normally spun in its sconce, powering the protective field that kept the entire Empire safe and comfortable.

The Crystal Heart itself was missing, of course. And beyond, approaching across the borders of the Empire, they could already see the stormclouds and snowy winds of the icy Frozen North encroaching on the unprotected realm. There was a distinctly icy chill in the air. A few initial flakes were falling in the city center, and starting to pile up on rooftops and awnings.

"So, are the Princesses here yet?" Starlight asked.

"Incoming!" Trixie pointed the other way down the street. In the sky overhead they could see both Celestia's Golden Chariot and Luna's Night Chariot swiftly descending, surrounded by a flying phalanx of armored guards. The two chariots came to a landing and the Princesses dismounted. Surrounded by pony guards, they strode together up the main street -- deliberately maintaining a distance of several paces between them all the while.

Twilight winced. "They still haven't made up yet. I hope that doesn't work against them."

Then she looked toward the Crystal Palace and saw another Princess had emerged from its lower entrance and was striding forward to meet the Two Sisters, surrounded by a small crowd of her pony subjects.

"Wait... is that Cadance?" Twilight stared. "No! What am I thinking? Omigosh! It's Princess Amore!"

"Who?" Starlight asked. "Oh, wait, I remember... the first Princess of the Crystal Empire! Before Sombra's rule?"

Twilight nodded, excitedly. "The very same. The founder of the Crystal Faire! And it's her magic that's holding back the storms right now."

"Uh, are we just here Princess-spotting?" Trixie gestured with a hoof. "Or do we actually want to hear what they have to say to each other?"

"Oops. Good point!" Twilight agreed.

As Celestia and Luna passed by, the three ponies fell in with them. They had to step quickly to avoid colliding with either the Princesses or their encircling guards, but somehow they managed it.

As they trotted along, Twilight stared ahead at Princess Amore. She did look like a taller, more mature version of Cadance. She had the same light-pink coat, the same flowing mane and tail -- though Amore's was a rich crimson -- and the same welcoming eyes and warm, open smile. Princess Amore wore a harness, horn pendant, and anklets formed from strung blue beads and heart emblems. Her crown was an elegant tiara of cut blue crystal. Her cutie-mark was an image of the Crystal Heart itself.

And she was a unicorn.

Starlight had noticed it too. "Uh, aren't Princesses usually alicorns?"

"Things were different back here," Twilight said. "Royalty wasn't as stratified as it is in our time."

"Well!" Trixie said smugly. "I guess this shows even us simple unicorns can make it big! Right, Starlight?"

"Now who's Princess-spotting?" Starlight chided her, though she was smiling at the thought herself.

"Welcome, Celestia! Welcome, Luna!" Amore called out in a lilting voice as they approached, though her expression showed the worry she felt. "Our deepest gratitude for thy quick arrival!"

"There is no time to waste!" Luna snapped. "Who hast taken the Crystal Heart?"

"Luna!" Celestia growled. "First things first! Princess Amore, is thy magic still strong enough to protect the Empire from the North?"

"For the moment, though without the Heart we fear are we weakening fast!"

"Then should we consider an evacuation?"

Amore looked distressed by the thought. "We would hope it would not come to that! With any luck, we should recover the Heart quickly, and then our magic will be restored."

"Then thou dost know who has it?" Luna demanded sternly.

"Oh yes! And also where it is." Turning, Amore gestured with a forehoof towards a tall mountain peak in the distance. "The Crystalline Mountain... according to legend its mines are the source of the crystal used to build the entire Empire. Also according to legend, the mines were abandoned long ago, when they became too dangerous to work because a dragon had made its lair deep within them.

"We now know that part of the legend was true... because the dragon itself has awoken. It is he who has taken the Heart from us!"

Celestia and Luna exchanged a glance. "Then we shall recover it," Celestia said confidently. "Leave it with us, and look to your subjects here!"

"Again, my thanks! Our thoughts and hopes accompany thee."

The Two Sisters nodded in return. Then they swept away and headed back towards the waiting chariots.

"We should prepare for combat," Luna snapped. "Commander Hurricane!"

"Highness?" The aged but still spry leader of the Pegasi snapped to attention.

"Assemble the elite squadron. Have them ready to move in."

"If we should call for them!" Celestia interrupted. "Sister, I think we should at least attempt diplomacy first."

"But will this dragon be willing to listen?" Luna objected.

"Dragons may be independently-minded, but they are also wise and rational creatures. Talking is always an option."

"And if talk fails? We should summon Melvin the Manticore, and see if the Griffons can provide additional air support..."

"Luna, there isn't time! We need that Heart back now!"

And with that, Celestia spread her wings and took to the sky, heading for the mountain in the distance under her own power. After a moment's startled silence the Pegasi guards flung themselves into the air, following her lead.

"Annnnd... discussion would be out of the question," Luna grumbled. Then she belatedly took wing herself to follow.

"Now what?" Trixie said.

"Quick, Twilight!" Starlight called. "Get after them! We'll catch up!"

Twilight nodded, jumped into the air and flapped away madly in pursuit.

"And what are we going to do?" Trixie demanded. "Steal a chariot?"

Then she saw Starlight's horn powering up. "Oh, no! No, no, no! Nonononono--aaaauuuughhh!!!"

"Trixie! Quit wriggling! Don't worry, I've got you!"

"Sure you do! And does the ground way down there know that?" Trixie clung desperately to her hat and cloak against the slipstream, as the two of them sped through the air in Starlight's magic field.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A lengthy, stomach-churning flight later, nearly freezing from the icy winds that batted at them from every direction, Starlight and Trixie neared the upper peak of the mountain.

After circling for a bit Starlight brought them down toward a broad snow-drifted plateau, fronting onto a massive cave entrance set into the granite peak itself. The cave itself could have served as storage space for several large cathedrals. It was very large, very dark, and very foreboding. Tendrils of smoke drifted out of it, and were instantly whipped away in the stiff breeze.

Standing before the cave were Celestia and Luna, with Twilight sitting a short distance away to the left. And in a semicircle around all of them were the Pegasi guards, stamping and snorting anxiously in the chill air.

Starlight carefully landed Trixie and herself close to Twilight, and then relievedly shut down her magic field, not liking how close she'd been to running short on power. Then she cautiously fired it up again to apply a light warming spell to herself and Trixie. Even with the spell, Trixie sat huddled in her cloak and hat against the chill breeze.

And all three of them could see what held the Princesses' attention.

Ahead of them, lying on the plateau in front of the cave, as if it had simply been abandoned there... was an ice-blue, heart-shaped gemstone.

"Seriously?" Trixie grumbled, her teeth chattering. "We come all this way and it's just lying there, waiting for us to pick it up?"

Apparently Luna was thinking along similar lines. "We should take it and leave, Sister," she said. "And consider ourselves fortunate."

"No," Celestia shot back. "I don't think so!"

"Sister...!" Luna said warningly, "Now is not the time for grand gestures. A battle with a full-grown dragon..."

"... should not be necessary. We are here to talk, not fight!"

"Talking can wait! Right now we have an Empire to save!"

"And how are we to keep it safe? If the Heart can just be stolen, at any time?" Celestia shook her head. "We need to deal with this issue, here and now, so it doesn't happen again!"

Before Luna could object, Celestia strode forward to stand just shy of the Heart, then directed her voice to the cave entrance.

"Hail to thee, noble and proud dragon!" she called.

A pair of glowing eyes slid open in the darkness within the cave. Very large eyes, very high in the darkness. There was a snort of derision, echoing across the plateau like a volley of cannon-fire.

"WHO ART THOU?" the dragon boomed down at her. "TO DISTURB ME?"

"We are the Princess Celestia! We seek to discuss a matter that is of importance to both of us."

"DRAGONS ARE NOT THY CONCERN, PRINCESS OF PONIES. BEGONE!"

"There has clearly been a misunderstanding," Celestia went on. "Thou hast taken the Crystal Heart." She gestured to it with a forehoof, making no move to touch it or claim it. "It is important to the well-being of the Crystal Empire, thy neighbors in this land. Please return it to us, and we shall leave thee in peace."

With a crash of claws and a roar, the dragon suddenly swept forward from the cave, a mountain of red crystal scales and golden spines, coming to a halt with its snout bare yards from Celestia. It grinned with a disturbing number of spike-like teeth, its golden eyes glaring down at her.

Celestia almost managed to hold her ground, faltering a step and then recovering, her eyes wide. Behind her, the pegasi guards snorted in surprise and anger, ready to leap to her defense.

"AND IF I DO NOT?" the dragon sneered. A massive claw lifted and swung down... and then scooped up the Heart as if it was a coin found in the street. The dragon idly tossed the crystal stone in the air and caught it, playing with it as if it was nothing at all, a toy or trinket.

"The Crystal Empire requires it," Celestia said patiently, keeping her voice steady. "It holds back the cold, allows them to live here in the North. It is a small thing, almost nothing to thee. But it would mean so much to them. They would be most grateful to thee for its safe return."

"THY PRECIOUS CRYSTAL EMPIRE STOLE IT FROM MY LAIR! FROM MY HOARD, HERE IN THIS MOUNTAIN. WHY SHOULD I TROUBLE MYSELF ABOUT THEM, LITTLE PRINCESS?"

Celestia's teeth grated at the slight. "As Princess of Equestria, we seek only the peaceful co-existence of all inhabitants of this realm. Thou art right to seek to protect thy home and property. We ask merely that thou show the wisdom of thy dragon race, by a simple act of generosity towards the Empire, which wishes only to live in peace with thee as neighbors in this land."

The dragon rested his head on one claw, and rolled the Heart about in the fingers of the other. Celestia winced at the fragile clinking noise it made, skipping and sliding across the dragon's scales.

"PRETTY WORDS," the dragon rumbled. "FROM A PRETTY LITTLE PONY."

Celestia's breath hissed softly. Her shoulders tensed.

The dragon's claw closed on the Heart. "TRUE, IT MEANS NOTHING TO ME. I HAVE THOUSANDS MORE GEMS, OF MUCH HIGHER QUALITY. AND THOU ASKS SO NICELY! I COULD EASILY RETURN IT TO THEM AS... AH... A GESTURE OF GOODWILL?"

It grinned, chuckling massively.

"BUT I WILL NOT! I CARE NOT FOR THY CRYSTAL EMPIRE OR ITS THIEVING PONIES, WHO HUDDLE LIKE VERMIN BENEATH MY MOUNTAIN. THE SOONER THEY ARE GONE FROM MY SIGHT THE BETTER! NOR DO I CARE A JOT FOR THY SO-CALLED UPSTART REALM OF EQUESTRIA. IT MEANS NAUGHT TO ME... DRAGONS BOW TO NO LORD, SAVE OUR OWN!"

Celestia's forehoof angrily pawed at the stone of the ground. Her eyes narrowed.

The dragon leaned closer, sneering down at her as at a pet. Or a bug.

"AND I CARE NOT FOR THEE... MISERABLE, FRIGHTENED LITTLE PRINCESS PONY!"

Celestia's forehoof stopped scraping. She glared up at the dragon.

There was a horribly tense silence.

"Then we shall MAKE thee care..."

"Sister!" Luna called out worriedly. But Celestia wasn't listening. She shut her eyes. And when she opened them again, they were ablaze with the light of the Sun itself.

The Royal Voice thundered across the plateau like the roar of an avalanche:

WHO ART THOU TO ADDRESS US SO!

Celestia flung her wings wide and leapt into the air, rising high above the dragon. Her body burst into flame, roaring and blazing. A furnace blast of heat smashed across the plateau in every direction. In an instant, the snow drifts on the ground wilted into puddles, then whiffed up as steam. And within the swirling, billowing clouds, Celestia burned with fury.

WE ARE NO MERE PONY! WE ARE THE PRINCESS CELESTIA, ABSOLUTE RULER OF THE LANDS OF EQUESTRIA!

And then Celestia simply exploded into brilliant, blinding light... and suddenly there were two Suns in the sky.

BE WARNED, CAVE-DWELLING WYRM! YOU TRIFLE WITH US AT YOUR PERIL! RETURN TO US THE CRYSTAL HEART, OR PAY THE PRICE OF THY INSOLENCE!

The dragon's eyes went wide. It suddenly crouched in fear, a mountain of scale and claw trying futilely to hide behind itself.

It gently set the Crystal Heart down before Celestia, almost as if making an offering of it.

And then it turned tail and ran, deep into the depths of its cave, the frantic clashing of its claws on the stone fading into a distance which suggested it would be unlikely to return any time soon.

The blinding light in the sky suddenly winked out. And in its place, Celestia hung in the air, whole and unharmed... and looking utterly shellshocked.

Breathing heavily, she gently lowered herself to the still steaming ground, and looked herself over.

Then she looked at Luna. And smiled uneasily.

"Told you, Sister!" She gasped, on the verge of panicky laughter. "A little persuasive talk can work wonders!"

"That and a continent-wide forest fire!" Luna trotted closer, examining Celestia herself. "Art thou quite all right, Sister?"

Celestia paused, astonished. "Luna..." She replied archly, "right now I feel better than I have in years. Come! Let's return this --" She swept up the Crystal Heart in her magic. "-- to the ponies who need it!"

Wheeling about, she spread her wings and vaulted into the air, the Heart held firmly in her magic. And then she started turning ecstatic loops and barrel rolls, tossing and catching the Heart in her magic with wild abandon.

Shaking her head in amazement, Luna leapt into the air after her. And after a moment's startled pause, so did the Pegasus detachment.

Leaving three stunned ponies huddled together in the rapidly chilling air on the plateau.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Twilight gaped. "It's one thing to have read about it in the Two Sisters' Journal," she finally managed to get out. "It's totally different having actually seen it for myself!"

"Uh... what she said!" Starlight shook her head, staring out at the rapidly disappearing Princesses, unable to find further words.

Trixie was shivering, and not from the cold. She was staring at something that neither of them could see, something she found terrifying. "When we get back, Starlight..." she whispered, "remind me never to sass Celestia again!"

"You okay, Trixie?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, Trixie is just fine! Never better!" The show-pony lofted her head, eyeing them disdainfully. "Trixie has but one question..."

She suddenly cringed miserably.

"Is there some other way than flying to get back down from here?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When they finally landed back in the plaza of the Crystal Palace, amidst an ever-expanding crowd of celebratory ponies, Princess Amore was just finishing slotting the Crystal Heart back into place in its sconce. At once its calming blue energy lit up the Palace spires, and then shot into the sky, reinforcing the protective field over the entire Empire. And Amore herself glowed with a roseate, sparkling light as she recharged her own magical potential from the Heart.

"We owe thee a great debt, your Highnesses!" Amore exclaimed proudly over the cheering of her subjects. "The Empire is secure once more."

"And it shall remain so," Celestia replied confidently. "If that cowardly lizard even looks your way again, let us know! We shall deal with him! Come, Luna!" She swept about. "It's time we returned to our own domain." And without further word to anyone she stalked away.

Luna stared after her, open-mouthed. Then she turned and nodded uncomfortably to Amore, unused to having to deal with pleasantries. "Until next time, Princess!" She hurried to catch up with her sister, who was already heading for the waiting chariots.

Luna wasn't the only one who was concerned.

"We should stick close to them," Twilight said. "And keep an eye on Celestia in particular. That's not like her at all, simply forgetting social courtesies!"

"You want to sneak onto her chariot and ride back with her?" Starlight asked. "Is that even possible? Would I be able to move the other end of the spell on my own? And then we'd meet up with you back at the Everfree Forest?"

"Hmmm... yeah, best not to risk it. We'll head back together, and try to adjust the spell so we arrive there with them. If we do find we missed something, we can always backtrack."

"Uh... could we take a creature comfort break?" Trixie asked, shivering. "Please? I could murder a mug of hot cocoa right now!"

"I'll second that!" Starlight agreed. "I need to let my magic recharge in any case."

Twilight appeared about to object. Then reluctantly, she nodded. "You're right. And I need a break too... I'm still trying to process all this! And I'm still operating on too little sleep from last night. All right, let's head back home."

They trotted down the side street to the alley, unlocked the spell, and returned to their own time.

Spike was a little puzzled when Trixie and Starlight asked him to stoke the fireplace in the map room, considering that it was the middle of summer, but willingly brought cocoa and cookies for them to snack on while warming themselves up in front of it. Twilight managed to put her head down for a brief nap, but all too soon was up again, pacing anxiously back and forth around the room behind them, muttering to herself.

The two ponies looked at her, then at each other.

"You ready to go back?" Starlight asked.

Trixie looked astonished. "Are you kidding? You think you could stop me from coming along now?" She glanced around conspiratorially, then leaned closer.

"I wanna know how Celestia DOES that trick!"

Comments

[Omegaweapon1000]

"Oh, no! No, no, no! Nonononono--aaaauuuughhh!!!"

You know, this bit reminds me of a certain scene from DBZ Abridged...

[MikiStenbeck]

"WHO ART THOU?" the dragon boomed down at her. "TO DISTURB ME?"

"We are the Princess Celestia! We seek to discuss a matter that is of importance to both of us."

"DRAGONS ARE NOT THY CONCERN, PRINCESS OF PONIES. BEGONE!"

"There has clearly been a misunderstanding," Celestia went on. "Thou hast taken the Crystal Heart." She gestured to it with a forehoof, making no move to touch it or claim it. "It is important to the well-being of the Crystal Empire, thy neighbors in this land. Please return it to us, and we shall leave thee in peace."

With a crash of claws and a roar, the dragon suddenly swept forward from the cave, a mountain of red crystal scales and golden spines, coming to a halt with its snout bare yards from Celestia. It grinned with a disturbing number of spike-like teeth, its golden eyes glaring down at her.

Celestia almost managed to hold her ground, faltering a step and then recovering, her eyes wide. Behind her, the pegasi guards snorted in surprise and anger, ready to leap to her defense.

"AND IF I DO NOT?" the dragon sneered. A massive claw lifted and swung down... and then scooped up the Heart as if it was a coin found in the street. The dragon idly tossed the crystal stone in the air and caught it, playing with it as if it was nothing at all, a toy or trinket.

"The Crystal Empire requires it," Celestia said patiently, keeping her voice steady. "It holds back the cold, allows them to live here in the North. It is a small thing, almost nothing to thee. But it would mean so much to them. They would be most grateful to thee for its safe return."

"THY PRECIOUS CRYSTAL EMPIRE STOLE IT FROM MY LAIR! FROM MY HOARD, HERE IN THIS MOUNTAIN. WHY SHOULD I TROUBLE MYSELF ABOUT THEM, LITTLE PRINCESS?"

Celestia's teeth grated at the slight. "As Princess of Equestria, we seek only the peaceful co-existence of all inhabitants of this realm. Thou art right to seek to protect thy home and property. We ask merely that thou show the wisdom of thy dragon race, by a simple act of generosity towards the Empire, which wishes only to live in peace with thee as neighbors in this land."

The dragon rested his head on one claw, and rolled the Heart about in the fingers of the other. Celestia winced at the fragile clinking noise it made, skipping and sliding across the dragon's scales.

"PRETTY WORDS," the dragon rumbled. "FROM A PRETTY LITTLE PONY."

Celestia's breath hissed softly. Her shoulders tensed.

The dragon's claw closed on the Heart. "TRUE, IT MEANS NOTHING TO ME. I HAVE THOUSANDS MORE GEMS, OF MUCH HIGHER QUALITY. AND THOU ASKS SO NICELY! I COULD EASILY RETURN IT TO THEM AS... AH... A GESTURE OF GOODWILL?"

It grinned, chuckling massively.

"BUT I WILL NOT! I CARE NOT FOR THY CRYSTAL EMPIRE OR ITS THIEVING PONIES, WHO HUDDLE LIKE VERMIN BENEATH MY MOUNTAIN. THE SOONER THEY ARE GONE FROM MY SIGHT THE BETTER! NOR DO I CARE A JOT FOR THY SO-CALLED UPSTART REALM OF EQUESTRIA. IT MEANS NAUGHT TO ME... DRAGONS BOW TO NO LORD, SAVE OUR OWN!"

Celestia's forehoof angrily pawed at the stone of the ground. Her eyes narrowed.

The dragon leaned closer, sneering down at her as at a pet. Or a bug.

"AND I CARE NOT FOR THEE... MISERABLE, FRIGHTENED LITTLE PRINCESS PONY!"

Celestia's forehoof stopped scraping. She glared up at the dragon.

There was a horribly tense silence.

"Then we shall MAKE thee care..."

"Sister!" Luna called out worriedly. But Celestia wasn't listening. She shut her eyes. And when she opened them again, they were ablaze with the light of the Sun itself.

The Royal Voice thundered across the plateau like the roar of an avalanche:

WHO ART THOU TO ADDRESS US SO!

Celestia flung her wings wide and leapt into the air, rising high above the dragon. Her body burst into flame, roaring and blazing. A furnace blast of heat smashed across the plateau in every direction. In an instant, the snow drifts on the ground wilted into puddles, then whiffed up as steam. And within the swirling, billowing clouds, Celestia burned with fury.

WE ARE NO MERE PONY! WE ARE THE PRINCESS CELESTIA, ABSOLUTE RULER OF THE LANDS OF EQUESTRIA!

And then Celestia simply exploded into brilliant, blinding light... and suddenly there were two Suns in the sky.

BE WARNED, CAVE-DWELLING WYRM! YOU TRIFLE WITH US AT YOUR PERIL! RETURN TO US THE CRYSTAL HEART, OR PAY THE PRICE OF THY INSOLENCE!

time for a redo!

”WHO ART THOU?” the dragon boomed down at her. "TO DISTURB ME?"

"We are the Princess Celestia! We seek to discuss a matter that is of importance to both of us."

"DRAGONS ARE NOT THY CONCERN, PRINCESS OF PONIES. BEGONE!"

"There has clearly been a misunderstanding," Celestia went on. "Thou hast taken the Crystal Heart." She gestured to it with a forehoof, making no move to touch it or claim it. "It is important to the well-being of the Crystal Empire, thy neighbors in this land. Please return it to us, and we shall leave thee in peace."

With a crash of claws and a roar, the dragon suddenly swept forward from the cave, a mountain of red crystal scales and golden spines, coming to a halt with its snout bare yards from Celestia. It grinned with a disturbing number of spike-like teeth, its golden eyes glaring down at her.

Celestia almost managed to hold her ground, faltering a step and then recovering, her eyes wide. Behind her, the pegasi guards snorted in surprise and anger, ready to leap to her defense.

"AND IF I DO NOT?" the dragon sneered. A massive claw lifted and swung down... and then scooped up the Heart as if it was a coin found in the street. The dragon idly tossed the crystal stone in the air and caught it, playing with it as if it was nothing at all, a toy or trinket.

"The Crystal Empire requires it," Celestia said patiently, keeping her voice steady. "It holds back the cold, allows them to live here in the North. It is a small thing, almost nothing to thee. But it would mean so much to them. They would be most grateful to thee for its safe return."

"THY PRECIOUS CRYSTAL EMPIRE STOLE IT FROM MY LAIR! FROM MY HOARD, HERE IN THIS MOUNTAIN. WHY SHOULD I TROUBLE MYSELF ABOUT THEM, LITTLE PRINCESS?"

Celestia's teeth grated at the slight. "As Princess of Equestria, we seek only the peaceful co-existence of all inhabitants of this realm. Thou art right to seek to protect thy home and property. We ask merely that thou show the wisdom of thy dragon race, by a simple act of generosity towards the Empire, which wishes only to live in peace with thee as neighbors in this land."

The dragon rested his head on one claw, and rolled the Heart about in the fingers of the other. Celestia winced at the fragile clinking noise it made, skipping and sliding across the dragon's scales.

"PRETTY WORDS," the dragon rumbled. "FROM A PRETTY LITTLE PONY."

Celestia's breath hissed softly. Her shoulders tensed.

The dragon's claw closed on the Heart. "TRUE, IT MEANS NOTHING TO ME. I HAVE THOUSANDS MORE GEMS, OF MUCH HIGHER QUALITY. AND THOU ASKS SO NICELY! I COULD EASILY RETURN IT TO THEM AS... AH... A GESTURE OF GOODWILL?"

It grinned, chuckling massively.

"BUT I WILL NOT! I CARE NOT FOR THY CRYSTAL EMPIRE OR ITS THIEVING PONIES, WHO HUDDLE LIKE VERMIN BENEATH MY MOUNTAIN. THE SOONER THEY ARE GONE FROM MY SIGHT THE BETTER! NOR DO I CARE A JOT FOR THY SO-CALLED UPSTART REALM OF EQUESTRIA. IT MEANS NAUGHT TO ME... DRAGONS BOW TO NO LORD, SAVE OUR OWN!"

Celestia's forehoof angrily pawed at the stone of the ground. Her eyes narrowed.

The dragon leaned closer, sneering down at her as at a pet. Or a bug.

"AND I CARE NOT FOR THEE... MISERABLE, FRIGHTENED LITTLE PRINCESS PONY!"

Celestia's forehoof stopped scraping. She glared up at the dragon.

There was a horribly tense silence.

"Then we shall MAKE thee care..."

"Sister!" Luna called out worriedly. But Celestia wasn't listening. She shut her eyes. And when she opened them again, they were ablaze with the light of the Sun itself.

The Royal Voice thundered across the plateau like the roar of an avalanche:

WHO ART THOU TO ADDRESS US SO!

Celestia flung her wings wide and leapt into the air, rising high above the dragon. Her body burst into flame, roaring and blazing. A furnace blast of heat smashed across the plateau in every direction. In an instant, the snow drifts on the ground wilted into puddles, then whiffed up as steam. And within the swirling, billowing clouds, Celestia burned with fury.

WE ARE NO MERE PONY! WE ARE THE PRINCESS CELESTIA, ABSOLUTE RULER OF THE LANDS OF EQUESTRIA!

And then Celestia simply exploded into brilliant, blinding light... and suddenly there were two Suns in the sky.

BE WARNED, CAVE-DWELLING WYRM! YOU TRIFLE WITH US AT YOUR PERIL! RETURN TO US THE CRYSTAL HEART, OR PAY THE PRICE OF THY INSOLENCE!

there, :D

---

Celestia paused, astonished. "Luna..." She replied archly, "right now I feel better than I have in years. Come! Let's return this --" She swept up the Crystal Heart in her magic. "-- to the ponies who need it!"

so she turned into Daybreaker because she liked the power rush it gave her, Christ..... no wonder why Tia don’t want to remember that embarrassing time, i sure as hell wouldn’t,

---

also, for some reason, i hear that dragon as Smaug, ya know,

<--- this big bitch, i mean the checkmarks are there, one, he’s a Wyrm dragon, so he’s fucking

MASSIVE!

two, he’s very Smart, and three he’s thrist for GEMSTONES is big,