Rise Of the Dragon Queen

by Mystic Sunrise

A Dream Reborn

As the train began to slow down, Twilight sighed as she put the book she was reading away in her saddlebags. Standing, she stretched her legs for all they were worth. She'd forgotten how tiring these trips could be.

Pearl though seemed light as a leaf as she beat her wings and took to the air, hoofing her own book over to Twilight, who stowed it away next to the others. "Now what?" Pearl asked.

Twilight looked out the window. She could just see the platform of the station and five ponies waiting on it. What she didn't notice however was the one dragon she missed most. "My friends said they would meet us at the station. Since you're new, Pinkie's going to insist on throwing you a 'Welcome to Ponyville!' party."

Pearl giggled. "I could use a party. There was never enough back where I came from. Does she do that to everypony new to town?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Yes. Most don't seem to mind, and it's a good way to get to know your new neighbors with a good start. It worked for me. Well, the second one anyway."

Pearl gave her a confused look. "What happened with the first one?"

Twilight sighed. "I blew it off and didn't bother to stick around for it, even if Spike did. And then Nightmare Moon happened and. Well. You know the rest of that story."

Pearl nodded. What pony in Equestria didn't know that story by now? It was headlined all across the country the day after that fateful Summer Sun Celebration. Though Pearl herself was more a Princess Luna fan if she was being honest.

As the train finally came to a halt, the two of them joined the line of ponies ready to disembark. Nopony paid them much attention, though a few gave their orbs odd looks, but nopony said anything.

As soon as the two of them had left the car, Twilight was assaulted by a bouncing wall of pink and the air was squeezed out of her lungs in a bone-crushing bear hug. "Twilight! Did miss us?! Well did ya? Huh? Huh? Huh?"

Twilight's response wasn't exactly forthcoming as she could barely breathe at the moment. "Pinkie. I'm happy to see you too, but air. I need air!"

Pinkie happily obliged, as she dropped the unicorn without a thought. Her gasp was even bigger as she finally saw Pearl. "Is this a new friend of yours Twilight?"

Twilight could only nod, but Pearl was more than happy to fill in for her. "Yeah. I'm Pearl Rose. I can't believe I'm actually meeting you guys."

That got a blush out of all the girls. It wasn't often they were reminded they were rather famous. Rainbow looked proud of course, but the others only smiled.

Before anypony could say more, Pinkie ran off in a blur of pink. Rarity rolled her eyes a little. "Well, it's official then. Pinkie is going to set up your welcome party Pearl. No stopping it now."

Pearl watched the bouncing ball of pink vanish into the distance. "I didn't think anypony but Rainbow Dash could move that fast."

Rainbow scoffed. "Kid. Pinkie might be fast. But I'm still the fastest pony around!"

Everypony rolled their eyes. But Twilight soon turned her attention to an important detail that was missing from the group. "Where's Spike? Shouldn't he be here?"

The girls visibly deflated at that. "Spike left to join the Dragon Migration a few days ago. He made us Pinkie Promise not to try and follow him," Fluttershy finally replied.

"Believe us sugarcube. We wanted to though," Applejack added.

Twilight was shocked by the announcement. But a part of her wasn't too surprised Spike had chosen to follow his own kind and maybe, just maybe, find out about his heritage. Her ears wilted. "I hope he's alright."

The girls nodded and remained silent for a moment, thinking of their friend. Pearl didn't understand any of what they had said, but she could feel something was there between them all.

After a moment, Rarity's gaze turned to the orbs that hung around Twilight and Pearl's necks. "Moving onto something less sad, what in Equestria are you two wearing? I've never seen orbs like that before."

Twilight looked down at her own. "We don't know. Not what they are, who made them, or even where they came from."

Pearl nodded. "All I know is that it feels like it belongs to me, and me only." Twilight nodded her ascent.

Twilight slipped hers off, even though a part of her felt nopony else should ever be allowed to touch it but her. "Could you maybe look at it Rarity? You know more about gems and this kind of thing than I do."

Rarity took the black orb in her own magic. It seemed to resist her for a moment, but maybe she was just seeing things. "I will try darling. But my expertise is limited. But I will do what I can."

***

A few hours later, the party for Pearl was in full swing at Sugarcube Corner. While the turnout wasn't huge compared to some parties, a few ponies had turned up aside from the Mane 6.

Pearl, meanwhile, had been cornered by the Cutie Mark Crusaders. While Twilight had warned her of how they could sometimes be, the reality was much more so.

"Come on. You gotta tell us how you got such a cool cutie mark!" Scootaloo practically whined. "I mean, it's not as cool as Rainbow Dash's, but it's a dragon!"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle rolled their eyes. "But yeah. How did ya get it?" Bloom asked. "Nopony I know got one like it."

Pearl rolled her eyes. She'd figured she would be telling this story a lot in the days to come. She poked her orb. "I got it the same day I got this. Right after I put it on actually."

Sweetie looked at it closer. "Where'd you get it from anyway?"

Pearl puffed out her chest. "An active volcano. Flew right down into the crater and pulled it out of a cave. Didn't seem right to leave it there."

That shut the trio up for a good few moments, as their mouths dropped in shock. "Okay. That is cool. I guess," Scootaloo eventually managed to get out. But they could all see she meant it.

A few feet away, the Mane 6 listened as Twilight finished telling her story. They had already heard Pearl's own for themselves. Rainbow could admit she was proud of the filly for doing something like that.

Rarity shook her head as Twilight finished the story, floating the orb back to her. "I'm sorry to say, darling, that I have no idea of what this could be made of, let alone what it really is. This is beyond what I know."

Twilight nodded as she fastened the orb around her neck. "It's not your fault Rarity. I'd have been surprised if you had known actually."

"What about Princess Celestia?" Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded. "I plan to ask her next, and maybe Princess Luna. They have to know something about these things. They know practically everything there is to know!"

"You're not the only one hoping that Twilight!" Pinkie said happily practically dragging three other ponies with her as she bounced over to the group. "They have orbs too! Now you're a set!"

Twilight and the new ponies looked at each other in surprise. Twilight recognized the Pegasus, Lavender Rain, as a fellow Ponyville resident, though they really didn't each other. The other two she didn't know, though the pumpkin-colored mare looked familiar for some reason.

"Okay, this can't be a coincidence," Lavender said, as she poked the blue orb around her neck. "I thought I was the only one with one of these. Until I met Pumpkin and River that is. Now you have one too Twilight?"

Twilight nodded. "I didn't think there was more than what I and Pearl had. You're right. This doesn't feel like a coincidence. But why is that?"

The others shrugged. "Did you have to get it from some Celestia forsaken place too?" Pumpkin asked.

Twilight nodded, as Pearl soon joined them. "I found this in some ancient ruin in a swamp far to the south."

"And I found mine in an active volcano," Pearl added. "Where'd you guys find yours?"

"Deep forest in the middle of nowhere," River said.

"Frozen wastelands of Yakyakistan," Pumpkin added.

"Some cave in a giant thunderstorm somewhere between Baltimare and Fillydelphia," Lavender finished.

Twilight thought about all of that for a moment, and something finally clicked. "We all seem to have gotten them from someplace that made us work to get to them in some way. But why? And they're all the same, aside from the colors. Again, why is that? Why us?"

Nopony could answer her, for none of them had an answer. "Maybe Princess Celestia knows?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight smiled slightly. "I hope so. I don't know where else to look." She looked at the others and her smile grew. "You're more than welcome to stay in Ponyville. Pearl is staying with me. Do you girls have a place to stay?"

River and Pumpkin shook their heads. "I live in town. But, I don't feel like going home at the moment," Lavender added.

Twilight nodded. "Then you can all stay with me for as long you need or want to. I won't stop you if you want to stay someplace else or want to leave. With Spike gone, I have more room to spare now. We can make it a sleepover!" She practically squealed.

Rarity and Applejack shared a knowing look, while the girls just rolled their eyes.

***

"I still can't believe you live in a library, Twilight," Pumpkin said as they all settled down for the night. "Canterlot doesn't allow it last I heard."

Twilight giggled as she settled into bed. "My old tower used to be a part of the Canterlot Archives, but they all but gave it to me when I was the only one to ever go into it. I think it's still under my name as well."

"Plus Golden Oaks Library used to be the home of the first Town Librarian way back when. No wonder you and Spike get to live here," Lavender giggled.

That got a chuckle out of the group. For tonight at least, it was just the five of them. The rest of Twilight's friends had been invited as well, but nopony had taken her up on the offer. They did this so often now, that it didn't really bother the unicorn too much.

River looked through a nearby window towards Canterlot. "Do you think Princess Celestia got your message?"

Twilight nodded. "I know the Dragon Fire Mail spell goes straight to her. Usually, Spike is the one to send letters. But I know the spell if he's sick or not around to help with it."

"I hope she has some idea about these things," Pearl said, poking at her own orb. None of them felt comfortable taking them off, even if they didn't think anyone here would try and take them. They just felt too comfortable where they were.

Twilight nodded. "If she doesn't, maybe Princess Luna will. She is more into obscure and unknown artifacts. If they don't, I don't know who else to ask."

Nopony could argue with that. They had exhausted all their options in Ponyville, and no one else in Equestria knew them well enough to try and help them.

Twilight sighed as she lay back in her pillows. "I don't think we'll get any further tonight. Maybe tomorrow will bring us better luck. I hope so." She ignited her horn and pulled the blind down across the window. "Good night girls."

Various affirmations were the reply as the rest of the group turned in as well, and soon they all passed into a dreamless slumber.

***

Once more, Twilight found herself flying over Equestria. Her smile would have made Pinkie Pie proud. It was the same dream from those months ago, but now something had changed.

She still felt the four around her, but now, she could begin to see them more clearly. Not to the point where she could see who they might be, but it was becoming clearer with each passing moment.

Where before, the five of them had only seemingly flown together, now they could all feel that they flew as one, all five of them working together to propel their body forward. It felt natural for them. More than that. It felt right.

They couldn't see what their body looked like, but they could feel the power it contained. For a moment, Twilight thought she saw a shadow pass over a nearby cloud. A five-headed dragon. But that couldn't be right. Could it?

Finally, though, they landed. Twilight hadn't wanted the flight to end if she was being honest, as she turned to look at the others around her.

And then the song started. First, it was nothing more than a background hum, one they all recognized. Twilight's smile grew as first her, and then all of the others gave voice to a song they had all but forgotten. The memories of that night came rushing back, as they all separated into their own forms once more.

Soon the light around them began to fade, finally revealing the ponies that Twilight had sung with that night. All eyes widened in shock at who was revealed around them, as the song ended.

"That was you?!" Twilight, Pearl, Pumpkin, River, and Lavender, all asked at the same time. Around their necks, their orns glowed brightly, seemingly connecting with one another.

Pearl giggled. "Well. Didn't see that coming."

Twilight nodded, still stunned. "No wonder it felt like we knew each other when we first met in Appleloosa. We already did, even if we didn't know it."

"But why us? What do these have to do with it?" Pumpkin asked as she held up the white orb. "This can't be a coincidence that we sang together, and then we all went searching for these at the same time."

River rolled her eyes as she looked down at her orb. "Seeing as how much trouble we had to go through to even find these things, I'm not complaining."

Lavender nodded. "And I don't know about you girls, but I don't plan to ever give this up. Over my dead body maybe, but the orb belongs to me. It called to me, I know it did. Why else would we have them?"

The others nodded. Twilight giggled after a moment. "You know what? I'm actually looking forward to seeing what these do. They have to do something. I don't know what that might be. And you know what? For the first time in my life, I don't mind not knowing."

The girls all smiled at that. "Can we just go back to flying?" Pearl asked. "That was fun. Maybe even keep up that song. We made it sound pretty good."

All nodded, and for the rest of the night, that's what they did, enjoying each other's company and never letting the song die.

Author's Note:

You can thank Aether Spark for a lot of the ideas in this chapter. The dream sequence was also his idea, but I tweaked it to what it is now. I think it works like this.

Yes, Spike left to join the Dragon Migration. He won't be coming back for a long time, since in this case, he never ran into Garble and his gang, but some nicer dragons.

So, he's chosen to stay in the Dragon Lands with his own kind, and maybe, just maybe, find out about his heritage. We won't be seeing it either way.

Comments

[Grey Ghost]

RIP for not updating Tiamat with purple, grey and brown heads. Coulda shown those hues some love. Wizards sure as hell isn't.

[Mystic Sunrise]

10383744
Hey I'm just going by what the artist did with the cover art. I'm not even sure how they could fit that many heads on Tiamat as it is.

[Aether Spark]

Glad to have helped. 🙂

Another thing that has me curious is did Tiamat's return somehow influence Spikes decision to investigate his origins?

[Mystic Sunrise]

10383761
Kinda? Not enough he would blame it on her when they meet. But the feeling started back when this all did.

[Ze1a7in]

10383744
What madness is this about Tiamat having more than 5 heads?

[glostyben]

King Ghidorah would be proud!

[Mystic Sunrise]

10383803
In 4th Edition, there were 3 new types of Chromatic Dragons. Brown, Grey, and Purple. I think he's saying Tiamat's design should've been updated to include those heads, alongside the five she's always had.

[Ze1a7in]

10383845
Ah. I think those 3 colors of dragons failed to carry over when it went to 5e.

[Grey Ghost]

10383803
Purple, brown, orange, yellow and grey dragons exist and she is supposed to be the god of chromatics

[Ze1a7in]

10384047
As I replied to morion87, I don't think purple, brown, and grey dragons made it into 5e. Tiamat did, and as she only has 5 heads in 5e......I'm inclined to believe they didn't make the transition. I hadn't even heard of those three types of chromatic dragons until today.

[Mystic Sunrise]

10384047
Tiamat isn't getting any more heads either way. Just making these four new characters work well with Twilight is hard enough. I won't add more.

Now, if Wizards of the Coast ever did give her more heads, then I'll do another story using that.

[Mystic Sunrise]

10384052
Even if they had made it to 5th Edition, I couldn't see Wizards changing Tiamat to fit that. She's had five heads since the very begining of the game, one of the few things about her that hasn't been changed in some way since.

Changing something like she now has eight heads, to fit the new types of Chromatics, would piss off a LOT of fans.