Chapter 17: History Lesson
“Good. Remember, it’s all in the hips. The hips is where your power comes from,” I instructed Ember and Smolder.
I was teaching them some of the basics of martial arts, namely how to move. We were running through the basic movements of the hips and legs.
“Whether you’re throwing a punch, a kick, or throwing someone over your shoulder, this movement is the basis of them all.”
“Come on,” Smolder said, impatiently. “Everydrake knows how to punch. Teach us something cool.”
“Everydrake may know how to punch, but they don’t know how to punch right,” I said. “The difference is like the difference between a simple club and a finely honed sword. Which would you rather be?”
“Uh...” Smolder thought for a second. “I guess I’d rather be a sword. They’re much more awesome.”
“Then you need to be forged,” I replied. “You have to be broken down, molded, and tempered before you can get your edge.”
“That’s... a surprisingly good analogy,” Ember commented.
Our practice was interrupted by powerful wingbeats. I turned to see an emerald scaled dragon touching down behind me.
“Smolder!” she boomed.
“Oh, no,” Smolder said. “What did I do?”
“You have done nothing, child,” the dragon said. “I seek your brother.”
Smolder looked surprised by that. “I thought he was with you?”
“He stormed off in a huff after his punishment yesterday and he did not return.” The dragoness looked from Smolder to me, with a raised eyebrow. “Girl, is this the one your brother spoke of? The one you wish to take as your mate?”
Smolder blushed, “What?! No! I mean, he’s the one Garble meant, but I don’t even want a mate right now!”
The great dragoness gave me an appraising glare. “And what of you? Are you seeking to make my daughter your mate?”
Ah, I should have guessed. This is Smolder’s mom.
I gave the dragon a courteous bow, “As strong and lovely as your daughter is, I am Ember’s mate. It is unusual for my people to take more than one. Perhaps one day that may change and I may seek her as a mate if she has not already found one, but not today.”
She leaned down, getting a closer look at me. “Hmm...” She stood back up without another word. “If you see my fool of a boy, send him to me. Don’t be afraid to give him a good thrashing if he gives you trouble. I will send others to seek him out, as well.”
“I was going to go hunting later, anyway, so I'll just keep an eye open for him,” I said.
"You have my thanks." And with a beat of her great wings, she was off.
“I guess we'll end the lesson here,” I said. “I'll be back with food, and with any luck, your brother.”
"Yeah, no," Smolder said, crossing her arms. "We'll be back. I'm going with you."
“What about you?” I asked Ember.
"I'm going to stay here, wait for Spike to finish his lesson with Star," Ember replied.
“Alright,” I said, giving her a quick kiss. “We'll be back.”
Spike tried to hide his nervousness. The cave Star was leading him through was a dark, dank place. Even the brightly glowing gem she held didn't help much.
"We're here," the ancient wyrm said.
Spike let out a sigh of relief. "S-so, where is 'here', exactly?"
Star gave him a sly grin. "'Here' is the history of dragon kind."
She placed the glowing crystal on a pedestal.
What was left of Spike's fear vanished as one by one crystals lit up along the walls, revealing a massive room lined with ancient murals of dragons.
"Woah," he said, breathlessly. "Twilight would give a hoof to see this."
"Many scholars would," Star said. "This is one of the only histories that survived the Age of Chaos. It has been protected by dragon kind for thousands of years."
Spike followed Star through the great hall, looking at the various images. He saw dragons casting great spells, fighting large cat-like beasts, interacting with ponies, griffins, minotaurs, and other races.
"Wait, is she raising the sun?" Spike asked.
Star smiled. "Who do you think did it before ponies?"
Spike shrugged. "I guess I just figured they always did it."
Star laughed. "Heavens, no. We were the custodians of the heavens when ponies were nothing but mindless animals, grazing in the grasslands."
"Woah, really?!"
"Of course," Star said. "We are the first. The children of the Weave."
Star waved a claw at the mural at the very back of the room. It was by far the most ancient in the room, covered in cracks and moss.
In it was what looked almost like an egg hatching open and releasing a strange creature and... stars?
"In the beginning, there was only an egg," Star began. "When the egg hatched, it birthed not only a new god, but all of existence."
She directed his attention to the next image, which showed fragments of something falling to what he supposed was Equis.
Star explained, "The shell of the egg fell to Krovas, their divinity infusing the world with their power and forming the Weave."
She pointed to the next image of dragons emerging from those eggshell fragments. "From the Weave came life, including the first dragons. Born of the Weave, we had a special connection to it. This connection allowed us to control it."
The next image showed two groups of dragons, both held their claws to the sky. One group reached toward the sun, the other the moon.
"After a time, tired of living in cold darkness, we created two great heavenly bodies, Sol and Mun, the sun and moon."
"Woah, woah, woah," Spike interrupted. "Dragons created the sun and moon?"
Star chuckled. "The first dragons were born of the Weave itself. There has never been and never will be greater mages as they. The feats of which they were capable... well, there's a reason the younger races worshiped them as gods.
"Anyway, all this time, the Creator had been absent from the world. However, one day our world was visited by his servants, the Nos'lia, the Unknown Ones."
She pointed to the next image. This one depicted some kind of portal with strange creatures pouring from it. They looked like a single large eye upon oddly shaped bodies that looked suspiciously like letters.
"The Nos'lia were drawn by the immense power that was released by the creation of Sol and Mun and were surprised by the life that had thrived despite the absence of the Creator."
The next mural showed the same creature that hatched from the egg standing before the dragons, surrounded by those weird creatures.
Not obstructed by the egg, Spike had to admit, it looked as if somepony had crossed a pony, a dragon, and... something. It was a quadruped, with pony like legs, but it's long neck and angular body was more dragon. The long crest on the back of its head didn't look like a mane, but like part of its head, and the weird ring thing around its body... well, there was nothing he could compare that too.
"When the Nos'lia returned to the Creator and told him of us, he became intrigued and decided to see for himself. Thus, after so long, he returned to the world he had forgotten.
"When he saw us and the power we possessed, he became curious. He told us that our world was not the only world that was birthed in the Hatching, and it was our sister world he had focused on all this time.
"He wanted to learn of our power and unlock its secrets and so asked for volunteers. Several younger dragons left with him, leaving Krovas forever."
The next scene had several of those Nos'lia things giving some kind of shining stone to various creatures, including one that looked quite a bit like a pony, if more primitive.
"After a time, some of the Nos'lia returned, bearing the fruit of the Creator's research; Soul stones. With these, other creatures could tap into the weave, as dragons do, even if not in the same manner."
Spike looked at them curiously. "Wait, so, is that what a kernel is?"
"Ah, that's it," Star said with a snap of her claws. "That's what ponies call them. Yes, the kernel, as you know it, is what lets ponies and other races tap into the weave."
The next showed all the new races bowing before the dragons, specifically, one sitting on a shining throne with a scepter in her claw.
"Afterward," Star continued the lesson, "the Nos'lia left, leaving the new races in the capable claws of the dragons. Thus was born the great Dragon Empire."
"Woah... I never knew we dragons were so important," Spike mused.
Star grumbled. "Yes, 'were', being past tense. As you can clearly see, our kind has fallen from the grand, noble race we once were."
"But, why?" Spike asked. "What happened to cause dragons to go from that," he pointed to the image of dragons before a grand palace, "to what we are now?"
Star smiled sadly at that. "That is a story for another time. Now, let us talk of the Empire and its rise to glory."
We walked through the forest, looking for any sign of prey.
"So...," Smolder started. "Did you mean what you said to my mom? About maybe wanting me as a mate some day?"
I flinched. “I, uh... thought I said that only to her.”
"Nope, you said it out loud... or, whatever you call it when you talk to everydrake," Smolder said. "But that doesn't answer my question."
I siged. “Honestly, yeah. You really are a strong and beautiful dragon. But more than that, you're clever, brave, fun to be around and you have a good heart. If it wasn't for my people's views on sex and relationships I would have taken you up on your offer the other day.
“What about you? Did you really mean it when you said you weren't looking for a mate?”
Smolder blushed. "I mean, I did, and still do... but... I don't know. Maybe if the right mate finds me, I'd be cool with it."
“I'm sorry I can't be that mate, yet. Maybe, if I'm ready, some day...” I trailed off as a scent caught my nose.
"Uh..." Smolder gave me a confused look. "What's up?"
“I smell blood.”
Smolder's eyes widened. "Maybe it's Garble! He must have went hunting to let off some steam! Come on, I want to hit him upside the head for worrying me and mom."
We followed my nose to a spot that had us both gaping.
"Wh-what happened here?" Smolder asked.
Splotches of old, dried blood covered the ground in a couple spots and a tree that looked like it had taken a hell of an impact.
"L-Luke..." Smolder said, her voice quavered and she radiated fear.
I looked to where she was looking. Beside the tree, a dark red scale rested in the dirt.
I approached the scale, picking it up and giving it a sniff. It was Garble's, alright. As was the blood.
Something else caught my eye. A large, familiar paw print in the dirt.
A dingonek.
"Luke..." Smolder's voice cracked. "Wh-where's my brother? What happened?"
I looked back at the blood. It was already dry. This must have happened the day before.
“Smolder...” I was glad I didn't need to speak vocally. I never would have been able to with how dry my throat had become. “I... I'm so sorry.”
I barely managed to catch he as she collapsed, tears flowing.
"N...no... no, we have to find him," she pleaded.
I wanted to. I really did, but this was a dingonek. Even if Garble were alive, which was unlikely, I wasn't sure I could take one.
The last one I only got away from by outsmarting it. Hell, I wasn't even sure it was dead. For all I knew, this was the same one.
Looking down, seeing smoulder looking up at me, pleading eyes glistening with tears, I couldn't do nothing.
“We'll find him... and kill the monster that did this.” I promised.
If only for her, I would avenge Garble. I would find a way.
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Excellent chapter, as always.
Very nice. It took me a second glance to confirm it was arceus. But it makes me wonder where the human world fits into it since the pokemon world is likely the one theh were referencing as the sister world. I don't even mind the dragons-first-race thing this time! XD (Blame Shadowrun and DnD for my eye rolling a lot of times)
Aside from that? Awesome chapter. Very nice balance of the different plot threads keeping the story moving on all sides.
Dragon told the history of the planet? Huh, I've never read that one before. Nice idea, I'd say.
I always enjoy some good world building. Keep up the excellent work.
puu.sh/ExcrZ.png
Once again, even though it isn't likely, the cliche of him somehow being alive is still a valid probability at least for another chapter since we've yet to see the remains that can be labeled as Garble's. Not saying he is just that you've still left that cliche thing a possibility due to lack of half-eaten body or discarded head that Smolder can, without a doubt, say is Garble without it potentially being another teenage dragon of the same scale color.
9907184
Letters you say?
9907191
when last we saw Garble, he was still alive, but out of it, and being carried off by the predator. i fear that it was a female, and that she had kits. it is not uncommon for some carnivores to bring such prey back to the den to train their younglings in the hunt.
The "Unknown" ones. Cute.
cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/0/0f/Unown_M03.png
I would imagine body slam would do some damage given a lucario has that spike in the middle of his chest (it would also make cuddling and spooning harder [well one spooning position] and given that lucario probably has metal bones given that he can slam the two spikes one the back of his paws to use the move metal sound he might have the same problem as wolverine dose in the xmen with being magnetic)
9907686
It's a good thing his lover has hard scales, then, huh
9907726
ow
Ones more a chapter that make worldbuilding a blast.
1 day ago? Pretty sure his already be snacked on 
9907063
That also means the "original " dragons who created the Sun and Moon are likely Dialga, Giratina and Palkia.
9907912
Nope, sorry. They were in the other world. It was actual dragons that made them The only Pokemon that were in this world in the beginning were Arceus and the Unown, and they didn't show up until after the sun and moon were made.
a grate history awesome work putting that together.
as to Garble he is a young ass with time age would temper his wisdom even he did not deserve to die as a meal.
So ... might this be where Unown got their name?
comma
greater than
gone (though this is dialogue, correct at your discretion)
her
fun fact lucario is only 4 feet 2 inches tall according to bulbapidia, this has lead me to imagine a 4 foot tall luke compared to a 5 or so foot tall ember and now the image will not leave me
........wait hold up
I always did wonder what happened to the shells of pokemon eggs.
At least I now have the partial answer.
welp 2 answers to obnoxiously important question down, 200 something left to go.
for the record the other answer is 42
9949525
You only have 200 questions?
Out of context so many lines are so awesome
---
9949751
One has to start somewere...
I doubt this is intentional, but the fact that Equis’ history started with just one egg reminds me of the Pokémon universe starting with Arceus’ egg.
Also, I love how both you and Symphonicdysonince have both helped create this world. You’ve made the history, he made the system of time. He made an explanation for a pony’s magic, you built upon it to make an explanation for a dragon’s.
10069883
It was Arceus' egg. In this world, it created two universes, instead of one.
9922065 And the creator is... Q.
So the Creator isn't Arceus, the Unknowns are the envoys of this Creator, and I'm guessing this sister world is the Pokemon universe, and Arceus was birthed by the dragons - from what I can understand - and I'm guessing this other dragons that went to the pokemon universe make up some of the dragon-like pokemon
10138854
No, it was Arceus, he just didn't directly create the universes. They were created by the energy released when his egg hatched
This was a epic lore chapter,
About as subtle as an African equine witchdoctor who speaks entirely in rap.
And that is clearly describing Arceus, yet there are comments somehow not noticing that.
You've encountered far too much Destiny to merely suspect that, Luke. I called it as a sure thing last chapter, and I wasn't the only one.
que son esas criaturas? no se mucho sobre pokemon, como Luke, solo que peor porque nunca he jugado alguno de sus juegos
11327889
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Unown_(Pok%C3%A9mon)
Bruh talking about Arceus
11699979
They don't know that name, though.
Hey wait a second! Isn't that...
11719755
Toothless from the hit franchise "How to Train Your Dragon"? No. No it isn't. Why would you even think that?