A Burning Flame In My Soul

by Rated Ponystar

Chapter 11

Before the rise of Equestria as a superpower, the one that were regarded as the greatest civilization in the known world was the Great Dragon Empire. An Empire that had lasted for thousands of years before its collapse. Even today, the powerful nations of the world were nothing compared to the glory days of the Dragon Empire in its prime. Like all empires, the Dragons had one that was a mix of good and evil.

In its best times, the Dragon Empire served as a guardian race for those under their protection. Defeating evil threats that nearly destroyed the world, ranging from demonic uprisings to hordes of monsters raiding the lands of many nations. The dragons would come with their armies and slay them all for justice and peace. They would create works of art that would last millennia, with beauty, philosophy, poetry, and science being the advanced learning curves for their people that would enlighten them to outstanding achievements.

In the worst of times, the Dragon Empire brutally enslaved those under its control. Ideologies themed around dragon superior saw them forcing others to pay tribute and or else they were punished with cruelty and death. Conquest in the name of pillaging villages for resources or burning those who dared defy their might was as numerous as their virtuous moments. Entire races were wiped out, and many civilizations that dared to challenge them were all but ashes and dust, with their names erased from history forever.

It all depended on the leaders and their people, who were in flux as time passed. Some hundreds of years featured the dragons as paragons, and some featured them as tyrants. Regardless, none could deny that the Dragon Empire held influence and was seen as the most powerful civilization to have ever existed thus far, even over the current Kingdom of Equestria and its alliance with its allies.

That was why the fall of the Dragon Empire was seen with mixed results. On the one hand, it led to a very dark age without the dragons to act as the world's center superpower, resulting in multiple wars and warring states. Yet it allowed the other races to finally rise to their own greatness without the dragons looming over them. The dragons themselves were scattered, broken and often became warring tribes of raiders. Some changed their ways, and others created minor civilizations, such as the Dragon Lands south of Equestria. Yet the one thing that held them back was their desire for their past glory.

Ember had been the first Dragon Lord to try and move on from the past. Seeking a future that would learn from their past mistakes and triumphs to make something new. Something that would take a long time to come to fruition, but it would be worth it for future dragons. However, some still desired to see the ancient days return. A means to return to the Great Dragon Empire they once had eons ago. Ember often thought of these dragons as fools. No matter how mighty, wise, or famous a dragon could be, they could never restore something as it once was unless it was the act of the gods.

Sadly, that was what Imperiax was. It was a weapon made by the gods and said to be one of the strongest ancient weapons of that era. Every dragon knew the tale of its forging and the dragon who wielded it to forge the empire that followed. Kratorix of Clan Valefire had been the third son of the chief of his clan, born during a time of great strife with hordes fighting each other in bloody battles for glory and riches. When his father died of illness, Kratorix's two older siblings had fought each other for the right to lead the clan, which split the clan in two. For Kratorix, he realized that his people's senseless fighting would forever trap them in a cycle of death and bloodshed.

Seeking answers from the Dragon Gods about what to do, he flew to the highest peak of the tallest mountain in his area and prayed for twelve days and nights for guidance. Whether the Dragon Gods saw something in him or were moved by his determination, they appeared before him and gave him a great task: unite the dragons of the world and forge an empire never seen before in their name. To help him with this task, they took a scale from each of their divine bodies to make a blade forged in a volcano while giving it great blessings to empower it.

Kratorix had taken the blade and named it Imperiax as a vow to bring his own imperial control over all dragonkind. With the power of the sword, he was able to easily slay his two brothers, and the clan united under him. With his blade, clever mind, and negotiations, he was able to sway many clans under his rule, force those to serve if they proved useful in Kratorix's eyes, or eradicate those who were useless or too dangerous to keep alive. He never lost a fight, and the deeds he did made him out to be worshiped as a living demi-god.

It took him over a hundred and ten years, but he managed to unite all the dragons under his command. From there, he returned to the mountain where he met the Gods who heard his prayers and started building a great city around it that took ten years to make. When it was done, he created the biggest city in the world and used it to expand his borders. Numerous nearby lands fell to his armies and might. Even the Alicorns, once believed to be near the strength of the dragons, had been unable to stop them, and their great kingdom fell to Emperor Kratorix.

The Emperor was said to have left for the seas in search of a new land given to him in a vision. He took his oldest son with him while his second son stayed behind to rule the Empire. After a hundred years of waiting, Emperor Kratorix and his oldest son were declared deceased, with many believing they had died at sea. Thus Kratorix and his legendary blade fell into legend.

"Only you are saying that it's not a legend. But real?" Ember asked as she finished listening to Rowan explain. "How?"

"There was a little-known legend that Emperor Kratorix had found a new land beyond the known western sea. A land of mysterious, new creatures and boundless treasure that would have made the entire Dragon Empire even greater than it could have been," Rowan said while accepting a mint tea from a maid. Having been talking for so long in giving a history legend, Twilight had ordered tea and biscuits for everyone. "But it was always seen as a fairy tale since there was no proof of such a thing. Even my master believed it to be false until he was given the proof by Tyranus himself. A journal from a single survivor of the expedition that was mostly damaged, but what pages that were preserved talked well in detail. My master and I tested the papers, which were legit in terms of age and writing. But the most important thing Tyranus wanted to know was about Imperiax."

"Did the sword return as well?" Spike asked as everyone waited to hear the revelation.

"No, but this is the weirdest part. Emperor Kratorix didn't die in the new lands that the writer called Nova Terrum. Rather, he decided to abandon the Empire all together and forge a new one there without anyone knowing. The writer said that only a few left on a single ship and returned home, but Kratorix's second son forbade them from revealing the truth," Rowan revealed as he shook his head, making the others' eyes widen. "Tyranus believes that some part of the original Empire is still on this Nova Terrum or that the blade is still there at the very least, waiting for someone to claim it and return here to start a new Empire. Tyranus believes if he can do the latter."

"Is...Is the sword really real?" Silverstream asked nervously.

"Even Equestria has records of it," Princess Twilight muttered with a shiver. "I read some of them. Even used a spell to visualize them in my mind. The power of that sword is beyond anything I've seen before. I once saw a memory of it burning an entire fortress city of griffins to the ground with but a simple stab into the ground as a fire tower erupted from the city's center. Waves of burning death spread everywhere, and none were spared."

"On a scale of one to ten, how much more powerful is it than the Elements of Harmony?" Applejack asked.

"Twenty."

"...Well, horseapples."

"But wait, no creature can cross the western sea!" Queen Skystar pointed out. "It's filled with numerous storms that have destroyed every boat that has tried to sail through it. Not even airships or the toughest fliers can make it out alive. One or two escapades of my people even tried going under the ocean, only to be swallowed by water spouts from below. It's impossible!"

"That's what my master thought as well until he was able to discover how the Emperor managed to go through the storms in the first place," Rowan revealed as he walked over to one of the empty windows and pointed at the stars. "In a few days from now, a red comet will sail through the atmosphere, and its strange powers will cause the storms to dissipate for a short time. The storm will be cleared, and the sea will be calm for at least a year. Tyranus intends to use that opportunity to get through the storm, find the sword, and return in time before the storms start again."

"And then he'll attack not just the Dragon Lands but every creature's nation afterward," Spike muttered in concern as he folded his arms before looking over at Rowan. "How large is his force?"

"He's managed to recruit so many clans that they are practically a legion at this point," Rowan replied. "All of them are dangerous too and super loyal to him."

"Do you have any idea where he is now?" King Thorax asked urgently. "Maybe we can stop him in time?"

"When I escaped him, we were in the fridges of the Griffin Republic. Undoubtedly, he aims to head to a port city and steal their ships. I wouldn't be surprised if he has them already," Rowan answered.

Suddenly there were a dozen voices all talking at once. Everyone was giving suggestions on what to do or how to address this, and Spike couldn't hear any clear sentences. He finally put two digits into his mouth and whistled to get everyone's attention. "Hey! We're all worried about this, but talking a thousand words a second isn't helping. It's late, we're still all trying to deal with the adrenaline of what just happened, and we're not in the right state of mind to deal with this."

"Spike is right," Twilight said as she stood up. "I suggest we all just send a quick message to our respective homes to stay on alert for anything, especially you, Dragon Lord Ember. I'll personally send a message to the Griffin Republic about the situation. We can discuss this more in the morning after we've rested and had something to eat."

"Aww, does this mean the party is canceled?" Pinkie Pie asked with her hair deflating a bit.

"I'm afraid so, Pinkie. This requires our full attention. For the sake of our safety we're going to cancel the celebrations and keep the city on high alert," Twilight apologized to the party pony.

"Ah, phooey. Stupid meanie dragon wanting to take over the world."

***

Despite every creature agreeing to sleep, Spike didn't think he could get any after what had happened tonight. Not only did he and Ember nearly get assassinated by dogs that not even Fluttershy would want to pet, but it turned out that the nephew of the bastard who tried to kill Spike and Ember years ago was alive and aiming to find some dangerous sword that would make him invincible.

In other words, it's a typical Wednesday in my life, Spike thought as he chuckled. He long lost any sense of having a normal life the day he became part of the Sparkle family and followed Twilight around as her number-one assistant. From stopping Nightmare Moon, to saving the Crystal Empire, to nearly becoming a giant dragon made out of rage and destroying Ponyville, and so many more adventures that followed. Normal was an overrated concept that Spike didn't bother wishing for since he knew he would jump in no matter what. He might not have been an Element of Harmony, but he played his role in saving the day a few times as a kid, and now he was a dragon who knew not only how to fight but be tactical as well. One didn't become Ember's boyfriend without learning a few things to ensure you could keep up with her.

Ember had stepped into the bathroom for a few minutes to wash, and Spike just decided to grab some water while staring at the damage outside of their balcony. The palace had undoubtedly seen worse, so repairing the damage would take little time. The city itself must have been going crazy after what happened, and he didn't envy those worrying the worst until the guards finally restored order. He sighed and slowly lifted his head to gaze at the stars where this supposed red comet would come and signal Tyranus to go after the sword known as Imperiax.

While Spike wanted to believe that the Alliance could withstand such an attack from Tyranus and his army even if he had the sword, there was something in Spike's gut telling him that it would be horrible if the blade was in the exiled dragon's claws. Typically, whenever bad guys went after magical objects of great power, it always brought disaster if they got a hold of them. The Terrible Trio with Grogar's Bell was a perfect example.

Which means we have to find it first. Of course, we don't know where this mysterious land is or what awaits us there, Spike thought as he rubbed his forehead.

A familiar set of arms wrapped around his waist as Ember rested her head on Spike's shoulder. "Some coming home event, huh?"

"And I didn't even get a chance to taste the cake," Spike joked before shaking his head. "You worried?"

"A bit," Ember admitted before she turned Spike around and smiled warmly at him. "But not too much. I got you by my side. And every other creature is willing to help out. Tyranus might have formed his own army, but I've made connections and built our home stronger than ever. The fact that he has to go halfway across the world to get an ancient sword that may or may not exist or even still function is a testament that he knows he cannot beat me in a straight fight."

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean he won't pull other means to try and hurt you," Spike pointed out as he held her claws. "You know more about dragon history and mythology than I do. If Tyranus gets this Imperiax blade, then how bad is it?"

"If he actually gets his claws on the first Dragon Emperor's blade, then I can kiss my title as Dragon Lord goodbye. Along with my life," Ember answered honestly with a huff. "I never thought it was possible to find that sword until now. If Rowan is telling the truth, and I suspect he is..."

Spike could see the worry beginning to show on Ember's face, and he quickly hugged her tight before putting a quick peck on her cheek. "We'll stop him. Everything we've worked for will not be in vain. We're not letting him ruin what we have going for in this world just because he's an arrogant prick who thinks he has the right to decide the fate of all dragons without our say-so. You got me, Twilight, Smolder, the Alliance, and all our friends. We'll beat him. I promise."

A smile slowly spread on Ember's face as she wrapped her arms around her lover's neck and kissed him on the lips before dragging her favorite dragon back to bed. The thought of Tyranus and Imperiax soon faded from both minds as they began to distract each other from under the covers. Whatever problems they had tomorrow could wait.

For tonight, they only needed each other.

Author's Note:

Happy 4th of July. Hope you enjoy the story so far. Things are going to get more crazy going forward. Please Help Out At the TV Tropes Page

Comments

[SuperSonicHeroes]

Oh boy. I guess this is the end of the first act. Now on to the main event.

It was fun to hear more of the history behind Imperiax, like the meaning behind its name and the perpetual storms that have made it impossible to obtain until now. Imperiax Was already described as being more powerful than the Elements of Harmony, but hearing Twilight herself confirm it really puts things into perspective.

Sad the party had to be cancelled, but it’s completely understandable.

Despite every creature agreeing to sleep, Spike didn't think he could get any after what had happened tonight. Not only did he and Ember nearly get assassinated by dogs that not even Fluttershy would want to pet, but it turned out that the nephew of the bastard who tried to kill Spike and Ember years ago was alive and aiming to find some dangerous sword that would make him invincible.

In other words, it's a typical Wednesday in my life,

Most people wouldn’t survive the week if they had Spike’s life. I wonder how bad his average Mondays are?

[Hungryman]

Glad that I come upon this thing. I am a great fan of A Growing Fire In My Heart, so it was a nice surprise to find a sequel. The story now feels more epic and bigger in scale. It's amazing that you dedicate so much efforts into describing the antagonists (I hope it will pay off in the end).
Didn't expected Queen Nova to be a racist. Wow.

I'm a little confused about Erebus. Is he there just as a fanservice or will he play some bigger part in the story?