• Published 3rd Jul 2019
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Fire and Steel - shirotora



A man finds himself in a strange world in a body he knows very little about. Now, with a little help from his reluctant acquaintance Ember, he must either find a way home, or a reason to stay

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Chapter 42: Mirror, Mirror

Everywhere I looked, dragons were celebrating. It wasn’t every day they got a new leader, after all, even rarer they heard a declaration like the one Ember made.

The knowledge of her magic was also spreading, with the three she beat up talking about how she used it to beat them. It was strange, at first. I figured they would be ashamed to mention it, but they talked about it with pride, saying how awesome it was to see their new Empress’ power first hand.

I still didn’t understand dragons.

Even I was approached by a few dragons, asking if I was really Ember’s mate. They were always surprised to learn I was, and always wanted a demonstration of my strength. Thankfully, most of them were fine with me smashing a boulder or something. One that was much bigger than me but still small by dragon standards, about fifteen feet tall, asked to ‘claw wrestle’ me. That was their name for arm wrestling.

I beat him handily, only for him to laugh, saying, “You’re crazy strong for such a little guy. No wonder the Empress likes you.”

And then he bowed to me.

I was so surprised, I barely even noticed when he said, “Thanks, Emperor Luke. I’ll tell every dragon I meet how awesome you are.” And then he left.

“You look like you either saw a ghost or some dragon said something weird.” I turned to look at the speaker to see Smolder standing there, smirking at me.

“Oh, right. Sorry, it’s just... I guess I wasn’t really ready for that,” I said.

“The whole bowing and ‘Emperor Luke’ thing?” she ventured.

“Yeah.”

Smolder chuckled. “Yeah, I can’t imagine ever being ready for something like that.”

I looked up to the top of the mountain where Ember was talking with a few dragons. “I don’t know, Ember’s taking it pretty well.”

“Well, that’s Ember,” Smolder waved a claw dismissively. “She’s always been good with stuff like this.”

“I wish I was that good,” I said.

“I’m just glad I don’t need to be,” Smolder said. “I’ll admit, I envy you and Ember about a lot of things, but that isn’t one of them. I mean, you two have a whole empire to run, now. Worse, an empire of rowdy, aggressive jerks.”

That did nothing to ease my nerves.

Suddenly, I heard a voice in my head. “Ember, Luke, Smolder, when you get a chance, meet me near the entrance to my cave.”

Smolder looked up towards Star as she looked down at us. “I actually forgot she could do that.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, same here.”


We all made our way to Star’s cave, Smolder and I meeting Ember on the way.

“Any idea what’s going on?” I asked.

Ember kept looking forward, a serious expression on her face as she replied simply with, “Answers.”

“Enter,” Star’s voice echoed from within.

We made our way inside, finding Star in her library of a cave.

“I’m glad you’ve all come, and I thank you all for your patience,” Star said. “It’s time for me to finally share all I know with you.”

Ember crossed her arms, still a little irritated at having to wait, even if she understood why.

“The truth is, all my secrets stem from one, single secret,” Star said as she reached up and moved a few books off a shelf. “That secret is that none of them are my secrets, but those of my master.”

All three of us were caught completely off guard by that.

“Your master?” Smolder asked, stunned.

Star’s answer was to reach into the book case where she removed the books and fiddle with something. The book case gave a loud click and Star pulled the case out like a door.

It opened into another room, dominated by even more bookshelves, a large mirror, and a table with something under a white cloth.

As we entered, I couldn’t help but imagine Star revealing to us that she was evil the whole time, and betraying us... for some reason. It was dumb, but then again, our lives had become crazy enough.

“Who is this master of yours?” Ember asked. “You didn’t even call dad your master, so who could possibly be so great the oldest living thing would call them ‘master’?”

“Someone that isn’t living, of course,” came a voice that, despite only hearing a couple times, I could never forget.

We turned toward the mirror to see the familiar gold dragoness.

“Empress Aurora!” Ember said in surprise. “You’re... but...”

“Please, forgive Star for not telling you of me. I swore her to secrecy,” Aurora said.

We were all shocked to see the old Empress, looking out at us from within the mirror.

“Wait,” Ember turned to Star. “How long have you had this? How long have you been talking to Aurora?”

“Since I was little older than you,” Star admitted.

Ember took a breath. I could feel anger and confusion bubbling up, but she wanted to give Star the benefit of the doubt and at least wait for an explanation. “Okay... I’m calm, so let’s hear it.”

It was Aurora who began. “Star’s mother was my closest friend. She and I grew up together, and when I became Empress, she was by my side as my most trusted advisor. When our empire fell, I entrusted her with the Bloodstone Scepter and this mirror in the hopes that one day we could rebuild our empire.

“However, our people were scattered, and many saw magic as the source of our fall. And so, after a couple millennia, our people slowly became the savage brutes they are known as today, and few remember what we once were.

“Since that time, I strived to help bring our people back to what we once were. However, I could not simply groom some dragon to be a ruler. When one is raised and groomed to be ruler, they all too often become arrogant and selfish. Instead, we would watch and teach of the old ways to any who showed interest in the hopes that one would seek to restore our people to their glory.

“There have been many that grew fond of the old ways, but few desired to lead.”

“Like mom?” Smolder asked.

“Yes,” Star replied. “Your mother adored the old ways, but sadly she saw dragon kind as a whole as a lost cause.”

“But when I decided I wanted to become dragon lord so I could do just that...” Ember started, the rest not needing to be said.

“That’s right,” Aurora said. “Originally, our plan was to guide you to become dragon lord, first. Then, when we felt you were ready, unlock your magic. However, something unforeseeable happened.

“A group of beings were pulled to this world from another. While most of them entered smoothly, one did not. One trailed behind, caught up in the wake of the others. His entrance was so clumsy and hectic, it damaged the weave.”

“Me.”

Aurora nodded. “Yes. Whatever force brought your friends to this world was only meant for them. Unfortunately, it brought three others, who’s entry has caused unknowable damage.”

“Wait, three?” I asked.

“That is not important,” Aurora said. “What is important is addressing the damage caused by your arrival. It was your arrival, crashing through the boundaries of the world, that tore the weave and allowed Nergal to escape his prison.”

I couldn’t breathe. My legs grew unsteady. The world grew hazy.

“Luke!” Ember was by my side in an instant, holding me up as I started to collapse.

“I... I released him?” I barely managed the focus to project my thoughts. “I’m the reason Smolder went through that horrible ordeal? The reason her brother was hurt?”

“Don’t be a fool,” Aurora scolded. “Of course you aren’t. You were brought here unwillingly. The fault lies with whoever brought you here. I only wish I knew who it was, but they covered their tracks too well. That’s a problem for another time, though.

“Right now, you need to know about Nergal and his kind. So powerful were the first dragons that their very birth from the weave caused the creation of creatures that were their equal and opposite. We called these creatures ‘shadows’. Where dragons are powerful fonts of magic, capable of great acts of creation, shadows were magicless spirit parasites that could only destroy.

“Though the shadows themselves are magicless spirits, they can steal magic from others, usually by possession. They steal the body of another and use their magic for themselves until that body withers away into dust.

“It was Nergal in the body of the dingonek that attacked you last spring. He sought to take your body for his own. That was why he pursued you so. However, when you eluded him, he was forced to take another.”

“My brother,” Smolder deduced.

Aurora nodded. “Yes. Though ultimately he needed a female. You see, a little over a thousand years ago, one of Nergal’s sons not only managed to escape his prison, but also discovered a way to get a body of his own that would not decay and die.

“He found a small cult in a pony kingdom to the north that worshiped the Shadows, and possessed not a pony, but her womb, seeding her with his very essence. The child that was born from this was not a shadow, but a living being of flesh and blood with a shadow for a soul.

“Thankfully, the pony princesses managed to vanquish him, but knowledge of his deeds reached Nergal, somehow. That is why he took Smolder. He needed a female to seed with his essence so that he may be born anew in a body of his own.”

“Wait, how many shadow things are there?” Smolder asked. “Are we going to have to fight more of them?”

“Even with a body, it would be years before he would be able to breach the Weave to free the others,” Aurora said. “I also doubt he would be able to free the one in the north. Of course, there is another that escaped, as well, but he is trapped in limbo with his captors. Still, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of his changeling allies having some way to free any of them.”

“So, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst,” I summed up.

“Yes, and prepare you for the worst, I shall,” Aurora said. “I shall teach you all I know. Of course, all I know of aura is sadly lacking, but I should at least be able to help you realize what is possible and hope you can figure it out. Magic, though, is something I know quite a lot about.”

Ember and I shared a look. She was as excited by that idea as I was. I didn’t care if she couldn’t actually teach me anything. Just having guidance of any kind would be amazing.

“That can come later, though,” Aurora continued. “First, there is one last thing that must be done. Ember, if you would, I would like you to summon the dragons to the caldera. Star, if you would bring everything we’ll need.”

The rest of us looked at them in confusion, as Ember asked what we were all wondering. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, you’ll see,” Aurora said with a mischievous smirk.


Soon enough, every dragon was gathered in the caldera, Ember, Smolder, Star and I standing on the raised platform Torch usually used when addressing the crowd, with the mirror, a cloth bundle, and several gems that seemed to radiate a strange energy.

“Okay, so now what?” Smolder asked.

As if to answer, Aurora said. “Star, if you would.”

“I would be honored,” she said with a bow.

She turned toward the crowd and spoke, her voice booming loud enough for all to hear, “Dragons, hear me! You have been gathered here to bear witness to something that has not happened in ten thousand years! I present to you Her Royal Majesty, Empress Aurora!”

All three of our eyes shot wide at that, but before we could ask what she was doing, the gems started to glow and the bundle of cloth rose into the air. The cloth dropped away to reveal the bones of the ancient empress before beams of light shot from the gems to the bones.

The light twisted and danced around Aurora’s remains, weaving around them and pulling them together. The magic engulfed the bones, slowly coming together until in a bright flash of light the bones were gone, and in their place was a living, breathing Aurora.

She looked just as she has in the Weave, with lustrous gold scales and platinum horns that shimmered in the sunlight.

She looked out at the crowd and spoke, her voice resonating with an ethereal quality. “Sons and daughters of the First. It does my heart good to see you, again. However, it saddens me to see how far you have fallen.

“Ours was the greatest nation this world has ever seen, yet now you are little more than beasts that can speak. You hide away in caves, bullying those smaller and weaker than yourselves. You shun knowledge and embrace barbarism. Where is your pride?!”

She paused for a moment to let her words sink in. “We went from the greatest of the races of Eden to the least! Even the griffins and diamond dogs have nations grander than ours! You shame yourselves and your ancestors!

“But there is hope.” Her tone changed. No longer was she admonishing the crowd, but instead spoke with a small smile. “You can reclaim what we once had. You can reclaim our greatness. You can reclaim what you have abandoned. You can reclaim what it means to be a dragon.”

She turned around, facing us. “Ember, step forward.” Ember did as Aurora requested. “Ember, daughter of Torch, do you swear to lead our people with wisdom and strength?”

“I do.”

“Do you swear to always put the good of your subjects before your own needs?”

“I do.”

“Do you swear to fight and die to protect your people?”

“I do.”

Aurora smiled. “Then I name you, Ember, my heir. Accept this, the Platinum Crown, and let it shine as a beacon so that all dragon kind may follow.”

Aurora raised her claws to her head, a magical shine radiating from them. The platinum of her horns seemed to bleed away, being pulled up to her hands like liquid mercury, leaving her once shimmering horns as plain as any other dragons.

With a wave of her claws, Aurora sent the liquid platinum gliding through the air. The mass split in two, one flying to each of Ember’s horns. They rolled across her horns from tip to base, seeming to meld with them as they did, leaving them shimmering just as Aurora’s did moments ago.

“All hail Empress Ember!” Star shouted.

“Hail! Empress Ember! Hail! Empress Ember! Hail! Empress Ember!” the crowd chanted.

Aurora held up a claw to the crowd and silenced them in an instant.

“My time grows short, so I must hurry this along,” Aurora said. “Before I go, there is one last gift I have to offer you.”

Suddenly, I felt a wave of magical power so potent, it nearly made me faint. The ground started to tremble and rocks started to shift. The crowd panicked and flew away as stone shot out from the ground in columns and sheets in some places while the ground receded in others.

Stone formed walls. Walls came together. Higher and higher they rose until standing there where our mountain home used to be was an enormous palace.

Aurora smiled, panting. “There. What is a queen... without her castle? Unfortunately, We’ll have to wait for those lessons. I’m afraid that was more draining than I expected. Farewell for now, my heir. I expect great things from you.”

And with that, Aurora’s body scattered into dust, and slowly drifted away on the breeze.

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