Dragon Magic

by AmorphousFurrySnakeThing

Lost Gold (Optional Chapter)

Author's Note:

This doesn't really fit with the main arc of the story, but dramatic action is fun to write, so have a glimpse of Lantern's worst day.

Lantern raced through the streets. Something was very, very wrong. The Empire was meant to be bright crystal blue, not this dark stone. The sky was hellish, and a terrible chill was worming its way in from the outskirts. The ponies were panicked, some fleeing aimlessly through streets that went nowhere safe, others hiding in houses as the shadows cast from the Crystal Castle fell across them. Lantern didn't know what happened to those inside, but the silence was worse than the whimpering. They had no hope, as the great spire's shadow turned under the sun, a dial counting down doom.

He had to get to the Crystal Gardens, had to find his boyfriend friend pony, and that meant getting closer to the Castle. For a pony, it might have proven impossible, but even a young dragon could force his way against the tide. He broke free from the herd and left score marks as he took a corner too fast and came face-to-face with soldiers he didn't recognise.

Strange helmets that tasted of slavery on their heads, they were escorting a group of ponies...Leafglitter's scent was unmistakable, and even covered in ash and bound in steel Lantern recognised him. A surge of anger and jealousy filled the dragon. He is mine, and he batted aside the soldiers with newfound size.

"Lantern!"

Too lost to speak, Lantern shattered the chains, grabbing the smaller pony and dragging him away (was it always this easy?).

"We have to help the others!"

Lantern glanced about, and kicked the apparent leader of the soldiers over to the prisoners, the key at her belt now within easy reach of the bound ponies. She didn't respond to the rough handling, neither flinching nor crying out, though too severely wounded to resist the prisoner's escape. Without further patience for anything that wasn't his, Lantern resumed his flight, this time away from the newly-ominous tower.

A searing pain struck him from above, one paw twisting and crunching in inky-black agony, and he fell, his momentum carrying him and Leafglitter in a tumble that ended in a wall, fresh cracks across its surface. Lantern groaned, having taken the worst of the impact, even dragon toughness had its limits. Leafglitter stumbled to his feet, trying to reach Lantern, but more of those helmeted soldiers were already approaching. Unable to act as his vision blurred and maimed leg bled, Lantern saw one of them smash him in the head. The emerald coat was marred, and he lay still.

Still dazed, Lantern crawled forwards, but the soldiers were ready, with chains for him. On instinct the dragon breathed, his forgotten project catching in his throat and turning the flames a blinding silver-white. Those helmets caught ablaze in that same sunlike flame, and the ponies wearing them staggered, unharmed but disoriented.

No no no

Leafglitter did not move, did not respond to Lantern's insistent pressure. A new shadow fell on the dragon, a dark unicorn with teeth to match the dragons', and his oily magic filled Lantern's head. Nightmare crawled between his ears, stole away reason, hope, love, wrath. All but fear.

Sombra cursed as the glittering dragon vanished into the alleys, his wings carrying him with adrenaline-speed, despite his wounds. No matter, the dragon would not last long. A simple thought turned a squad to the hunt, and a second to retrieve the now-freed ponies before they could recover.

---

Half-blind, Lantern staggered through the doors of the library. The end of days had come. A monster that could not be stopped had risen and all the world would fall beneath him. There was no hope of resistance. A pony would be crushed under the weight of it, would curl up to whimper and die. But a dragon's greed and spite are terrible things, and while he could neither stop nor escape the monster, he could deny it what was his.

It has taken my love pony. It shall not have my secrets.

Even without his sight in the gloom, he could find his book. Its texture so familiar, the scent of it mixed with the blood in his nostrils...the paper-scent dominated, yes, but also there was smoke from long nights by the fire, and the scent of Leafglitter, from hairs caught in the binding.

Lantern's mouth was open to breathe, but he couldn't. He couldn't burn his pony. Wound-addled, barely conscious of what he was doing, he stuffed the book into a bag abandoned on a bench. The owner wouldn't need it now. Now he needed to get away. Hide.

---

The next thing Lantern clearly remembered was crawling from the cave, woken by a great crack that had sounded across the frozen plains. He looked to the Crystal Empire, expecting to see its spire, even darkened, but there was nothing.

Leafglitter The Empire was gone.

He was alone in the Frozen North.

Comments

[Tangerine Blast]

Yeah! SpikexThorax let's go!

[LucidTech]

What a nice story! I liked the parallels between Spike and Thorax's relationship and Leafglitter and Lantern's, felt like a nice through-line.

[AmorphousFurrySnakeThing]

11443525
I'm glad you liked it. That's what I was going for, so I'm happy it worked!

[Bicyclette]

Half-blind, Lantern staggered through the doors of the library. The end of days had come. A monster that could not be stopped had risen and all the world would fall beneath him. There was no hope of resistance. A pony would be crushed under the weight of it, would curl up to whimper and die. But a dragon's greed and spite are terrible things, and while he could neither stop nor escape the monster, he could deny it what was his.

love the way that this takes the idea of dragon greed and recontextualizes it as a positive thing

He was alone in the Frozen North.

and oof. thank you for this glimpse into more of their story, which could be told for dozens of more chapters!

[The Sandwich Guardian]

Great little story.