Epic Ponies Doing Epic Things

by Mystic

Sacrifice (Pegasus Knights Face a Dragon)

Sacrifice
by Mystic

---

Hot rain buffeted the cliff face in endless sheets, a veritable wall of water that showed no sign of easing. It steamed against rocks that were kept cool by the core of ice that gave the Crystal Mountains their name. This in itself was cause for concern; the rain in the Crystal Mountains was always icy to the point of sleet.

Hot rain could only mean one thing.

There was a dragon in the summits.

Two pegasi huddled in the shadow of a gargantuan boulder, holding their thick winter cloaks tight against their bodies to keep out the rain. Their search for better shelter had been brought to a standstill by the night’s onset, and so they waited in silence, projecting their discomfort towards the slosh of mud at their hooves.

Even in the dark and the rain, their tall spears could be seen lying on top of their packs, elevated to keep the metal tips off the ground. Their worn armour rested in their saddlebags, also in an attempt to keep them as dry as possible. They had few personal items or effects to show who they really were. Only the old knight had his secrets with him. Resting on his chest was a thin silver chain, one that was tied to a feather the colour of a perfect summer sky.

These pegasi were warriors, a knight of the realm and his squire, chosen by their commander for a task that none other had the courage to do, or so they were told.

They were going to slay the dragon of Silver Peak.

The knight looked at his squire, a young thing, a mare barely older than his own daughter had been. She shrunk against the rock, staring at the rain with misery in her eyes.

“It is just rain, Cirrus,” he said, his voice as rough as weather-beaten peaks. “Nothing more.”

The squire looked up, frowning. “The heat makes me sweat, sir.”

The knight’s name was Kite. He was a veteran of more conflicts than he dared to count, all served without question or hesitation. Each battle had left him with a scar, and each of those carried a story that few bothered to hear nowadays. He looked upon his charge sternly, like a school teacher to a misbehaving pupil. “Carry your burdens with silence and strength. There is nothing to be gained by voicing them to the rain.”

The squire nodded, her eyes betraying her reservations. “Yes, sir.”

“It is giving up the little things that makes us strong.”

The squire nodded again. “Yes, sir.”

They slept little that night, the rain providing a constant drumming that pounded away at their subconscious. When both the knight and the squire closed their eyes, their dreams were filled with dragons and high mountains.

---

The rising of the sun saw the rain degrade into a swirling drizzle, one that slowly seeped into a pony’s clothes, chilling them to their core before they even realised they were wet.

Both the knight and the squire rose without words, shouldering their packs and weapons before continuing their climb. Even with the constant blanket of thick cloud lingering over their heads, the dragon’s smoke could be seen polluting the air in a constant stream of poison. The knight knew that it was the smoke that was responsible for the unplanned rains, the water so dirty that it left grit in their clothes and mane.

They passed through a forest of tall pines. Their branches glistened with the droplets clinging to the pine needles. The air was warm and humid, filled with the musk of earth and rain. The pegasi were following an ancient path cut into the undergrowth. The path was narrow and assaulted on both sides by vegetation, but it refused to fade away completely from the mountain. Up and up it went, the fertile valley sprawling out behind them as far as the eye could see.

At midday, they stopped for lunch. Neither of them said a word as they ate, and when they finished, they slung on their saddlebags before resuming their journey.

The squire grew restless as the day dragged by. She wanted to fly, for she was not accustomed to walking for such long periods. They had already had this discussion, though, so she stayed silent. They weren’t flying because the dragon was watching the skies, Kite had told her.

Why that meant they couldn’t fly up through the tree cover or just above the ground, the squire wasn’t sure. But while her teacher was strange in his methods, he was flawless with his results, so she kept her thoughts to herself––not that she would be allowed to say anything, regardless. She kicked a branch in frustration, and it snapped under the force of the blow. The sound echoed loudly in the empty forest, and Cirrus winced at the noise.

Kite nickered in annoyance. “You are too loud,” he said.

The squire looked up at the old knight. “There is nothing to hear us.”

The knight shook his head. “You think there is nothing to here us.”

Cirrus looked around, confused. They hadn’t seen a sign of a single living thing all day. Or the last. Unless he was talking about the dragon...

Kite sighed. “You must learn to be a knight of the realm, and that demands that you act like one at all times. The knights today are loud and brash and they care only for glory, but they are proud fools because of it. Stay quiet and out of the way, and do not hunt for everypony’s gazes. You must learn these old ways, for who else will take up the banner of our people and protect them from the evils of the world? We succeed because we stay true to who we are, no matter the burden.”

Cirrus nodded her head and returned her attention back to the ground. She heard the knight sigh gently behind her for a second time.

High above, lost somewhere in the perpetual shroud of cloud and smoke, the sky trembled as a growl rippled through the air.

---

They stopped early in the twilight hours, the misty rain stealing all of the sun’s glory, robbing the earth from its beautiful orange hues. Instead, the world was a sewer of cold greys and browns, the very air waterlogged. They found a small cave set into the rock face, only a handful of miles from the mountain’s peak. It was cramped and dark, and filled with loose rubble, but it was also dry and hidden from the mountain’s summit.

Tomorrow they would reach the dragon’s resting place. Tomorrow they would slay him.

The squire lit up a small fire and cooked a watery soup, but the knight did not complain when eating it. Afterwards, the two ponies wrapped their cloaks around their bodies and watched the fire in silence, waiting for sleep to come to them.

Neither of them would say it, but their minds wrestled uncomfortably at the thought of their task tomorrow. The dragon of Silver Peak was a dragon unlike any they had seen before, and he was well known for his speed and fury.

Cirrus ran her tongue over her teeth, her wings shifting and twitching constantly against her sides. Kite reached up aimlessly every few minutes and touched the feather around his chest, almost as if to reassure himself it was still there.

The knight broke the silence first. “Do you know what happened the last time a dragon threatened our home?”

The squire shook her head, not looking away from the golden flames.

“Dolarg the Vile was his name. Longer than the grand temple is high and stronger than all the knights in the land combined. His scales were the colour of fresh blood, and so it was impossible to tell if he had been wounded.”

“And yet you killed him.”

“Yes, I did. We lost many and much that day, but eventually he fell. It was a conquest many sacrificed their lives for.”

“And we shall kill the dragon of Silver Peak.”

“Will we, now?”

The squire looked up, frowning.

The knight sighed. “The land is breaking apart, Cirrus. The pony races are fracturing and each of them is weaker because of it. Once we would have sent an army against this dragon. Now the Commander watches the borders with fear and ignores the real threats in the mountains.”

“But you are the best, sir. You are Kite Goldenspear. The pony who has laid waste to more dragons than any other.”

Kite sighed, his eyes reflecting the flickering firelight. Never before had he looked so old to his squire. “I am only one pony, Cirrus. The empire asks much, and as her knight I obey without question. But I am only one pony. And if we fail, and the dragon of Silver Peak is allowed to raze more settlements unchecked, I do not think our empire will recover.”

Cirrus was silent, too shocked to say anything else.

“There is much to fight for, though tomorrow we will find out exactly what is required of us. Let us hope that our courage is enough.” With that, the old pony lowered his head onto his saddle bag, shifting the things around inside to make it more comfortable, and closed his eyes.

Cirrus stayed up for almost half an hour. She couldn’t find the will to sleep. Her mind refused to settle, and her thoughts were awash with doubt.

The fire had burned itself down to its dying embers before the mare finally lowered her head.

---

The rain had let up come morning. The clouds still brooded in the sky, however, dark and threatening, just waiting for a chance to let loose upon the land again. The two ponies rose early, both of them flooded with the realisation that what they were about to do was actually happening. They ate the small amount their churning stomachs allowed before setting off, leaving all of their non-essential supplies in the cave. Kite had said that they would need everything intact for the return journey.

The knight paused at the mouth of the cave, before turning around and slipping the feather off his neck and placing it on top of his saddlebag. He looked at it for a long time before retreating and walking away. Cirrus didn’t ask about it, and Kite offered no explanation.

The last hour of their trek passed in complete silence. Both of them had donned their armour, dull silver plates of steel that failed to catch or reflect any of the weak sunlight. Their spears were strapped to their sides, and their hooves encased in thick metal shoes. On each of their brows was a helmet, a traditional pegasus piece with a crest of red feathers.

Finally, on each of their chests was the symbol of their empire, a reminder to both ponies of their responsibilities and their duty.

At last, they came to the cave’s entrance. The opening was as large as two of the royal unicorn castles stacked on top of each other and as dark as pitch. It was the gaping maw of the mountain, and any who dared entered were swallowed up the second they crossed the threshold.

The earth rumbled when the dragon inside grunted, and a fresh plume of smoke billowed out and into the air, the winds already directing it towards the fertile valley.

Kite took a deep breath. Cirrus followed suit. Together, they stood in front of the cave, not moving, just waiting for something neither of them could name.

“Remember all you have learned,” Kite said.

“I will.”

“For we are the shield bearers of our great empire. We are the defence of its ponies, and the strength in its spirit.”

“On strong winds,” Cirrus said, reciting the words from memory.

“And a clear sky.” Kite nodded. “Have no fear. No matter what, a sun rises tomorrow,” he whispered, more to himself than to Cirrus.

The pair stepped forward, each moment bringing them closer to the cave.

The threshold to the cave was the beginning of the stone floor, and their hoofsteps echoed loudly upon reaching it. Wasting little time, they rushed forward, heading deeper into the cave.

The floor trembled with a steady rhythm, and Cirrus realised that it must be the dragon breathing. She inhaled deeply and willed herself to have strength like her teacher.

There was a bend in the cave, a place where the ceiling was its highest. The vaulted roof stretched out into nothing, supported by a single stone pillar that wearily carried the weight of the entire mountain, the support wrought with a labyrinth of cracks. The crumbling tower disappeared into the darkness, too high to make out the top. It didn’t look natural to Cirrus, but it looked too decrepit and mismatched to be anything pony-made.

Kite motioned for them to stop. A faint glow could be seen around the bend, and Cirrus knew that the dragon must be close. Only dragon-gold and fire could make that kind of yellow light.

The old knight took out several torches from his pack, and with Cirrus’ help they lit them and spread them around the cave. With the light provided from the brightly burning makeshift lamps, the pair could finally see the ceiling, twisted with a myriad of cracks that looked like gashes––battle scars from the aging mountain’s war with time. The entire roof seemed to bulge downwards onto the pillar, almost as if it was too tired to carry its own weight.

With this done, Kite slowly unhitched his spear from his side. He hovered in place, using his wings for the first time in two days, and held the weapon close to his body. Cirrus quickly followed his lead, the thrill of flying banishing her fear for just a moment.

And then the ground rumbled, smoke crawling along the ceiling and obscuring the roof once more.

Kite smiled, his eyes veiled with sadness. “One last time.”

Cirrus didn’t ask what he meant.

And then he turned to the mare, his odd smile still in place. “Stay out of trouble.”

Cirrus nodded, more than a little confused. But again, she didn’t say anything.

With nothing more to say, they moved around the bend, determination steeling their nerves and lending strength to their wings. They were alone in the cave, yet the hope that somewhere, somepony back home was relying on them lent them all the courage they needed.

They stepped out from the corner, and they saw him.

The dragon was curled up on a pile of gold so large that it could put the unicorn treasuries to shame. It sparkled alluringly with the light thrown from ever-burning fires set around the furthest edges of the cave. The dragon shifted, and small avalanches of golden coins tumbled down onto the floor, tinkling quietly.

The dragon himself was the colour of rust, a sickly, mottled orange colour. He was well over sixty feet long, his tapered spines glinting, and his long tail curled around his body catlike.

Both ponies moved forward, daring to hope that the dragon was properly asleep and oblivious to the outside world.

The dragon opened his eyes, and both ponies froze. “Trespassers,” he growled with a voice that was as deep as a well. “Mmhm. Trespassers with armour and spears. But only two. Now that is strange.”

Kite flared himself up, his face a snarl of defiance. “You pillage a town only to cover our lands in darkness and poison! You are the trespasser to these lands!”

“These lands belong to no one. You claim what you do not control, and you are naive because of it. These lands were mine before you ponies could talk. They are still mine.”

“And you kill innocent ponies and destroy their homes. You invade these lands, and I cannot let you do this.”

“Oh? And so they send two ponies at me?” The dragon laughed, sending tremors through the ground and sparking more landslides of gold. “You are fools.”

Kite’s eyes narrowed, his position unchanging. “I will see you expelled from these lands or destroyed. That is my oath, and I will see it through no matter the end.”

The dragon began to move. He uncoiled himself from his pile, almost doubling in height as he stood up, his wings spreading wide. He snarled, thick smoke pouring out and up into the cave roof. “And you will die, pony fool. For that is my oath.”

Kite lowered his head. “If that is my fate, then so be it.” And then, with a wordless cry, he attacked.

He darted forward on his strong wings, keeping his body low to the ground. Cirrus was only a heartbeat behind him, though a little to his right. The dragon roared, almost in surprise at the sight of two lone ponies charging headfirst at him, a veteran of the Timeless Wars. He reared back onto his back legs and inhaled deeply before exhaling a sheet of flame that screamed as it seared the air. Kite swerved, the blast of flame missing him completely, though Cirrus could feel the blazing heat singe her mane and tail.

Before the dragon could move again, Kite twirled upwards, his spear held tightly in his grip. He darted for the dragon’s head, his face a grimace of determination. Though his foe tried to twist out the way, Kite was too fast, and his spear struck the underside of the dragon’s mouth with enough force to pierce steel.

Dragon scales, however, are not steel, and the dragon of Silver Peak had scales that had sent away star metal weapons. The spears of the pegasus empire were a laughable comparison.

The weapon turned, skating along the dragon’s skin, scoring his scales but drawing no blood. Unable to turn his momentum in time, Kite slammed into the dragon, only to fall back down like a stone. The dragon struck out with a claw, clipping the pegasus and sending him sprawling to the ground where he landed heavily, blood seeping from a gash on his chest.

Cirrus cried out, racing to her teacher’s side in heartbeat. Kite struggled to his hooves, grunting with the effort, trying to move out the way of the expected blast of flame that would be sure to follow.

Only it never came.

The dragon laughed loudly, a full body laugh that sent streamers of dust spiralling down from the roof of the cave. He laughed, yet said no words, content to let his mirth alone suck the courage from Cirrus’ veins.

Kite flapped his wings, moving himself shakily into the air. Cirrus moved over and grabbed her master’s spear, handing it to him with more than a little hesitation. The old knight glared at her until his weapon was firmly back in his hooves.

Never give up, his gaze said, and that’s all it needed to say.

With another cry, this one much weaker than the first, Kite charged again.

Cirrus looked around, helplessness creeping along her spine and poisoning her thoughts. She was meant to be fighting; she should have been by her teacher’s side, till death or glory and nothing else.

Yet she stayed firmly on the ground, her spear hanging limply in the grip of one of her hooves.

Kite moved like a dancer, dodging the flying tail directed to crush his body, and moving up to strike again with his spear. This time he was aiming for the dragon’s eyes, though blast of flame forced him away before he could reach. The dragon lashed out with a claw, the limb striking the wall with an explosion of stone and dust. Spiderweb-like cracks spread into existence all around the cave, followed by streams of loose debris.

Cirrus nearly gasped. Inspiration driven by nothing short of desperation burst into life, and she dashed off, pushing her wings as hard as they could go. Kite seemed to spot her, pausing mid-flight to stare at her in shock, almost being burnt alive in payment.

Cirrus reached the pillar, looking up and down its tired length. Some of the cracks were the size of a pony’s hoof, and the entire thing seemed to lean a little to the right. She bucked the rock as hard as she could, hoping against hope for a miracle and that the stone would break.

The pillar didn’t change in the slightest.

Cirrus could almost feel the belief in her heart dying. There was a roar and she looked up just in time to see Kite being thrown backwards once again, his wing crumpled and smeared in blood. He skidded along the ground, landing nearby in a limp pile.

His squire was by his side in seconds. He coughed and spat blood on the ground, again trying unsuccessfully to move to his hooves.

“I’m sorry! I couldn’t fight! I couldn’t do it!” Cirrus cried out, holding her teacher tightly. The dragon laughed, lowering himself down to all fours and slowly lumbering over.

Kite looked at her directly in the eyes. “Run.”

Cirrus froze, not comprehending what he had just said.

“I said run.”

“B-but why?”

“Because of the pillar. We do not have the strength. I saw you. But I know how. I want you to leave, Cirrus. Somepony has to leave.” Kite groaned, his wing hanging uselessly by his side.

Tears began to burn at the corner of Cirrus’ eyes. “I don’t understand!”

“I said run!” The knight screamed, finally forcing himself to his hooves and pushing her towards the cave entrance. The dragon was almost upon them, a smirk smeared across his face.

“But––”

“Remember what I have taught you! Remember who you are and who I am! Do as you are told and run! Be brave and do not fail me with this!”

“I…” Cirrus’ hooves refused to move. They felt far heavier than she remembered, and her mind stalled, unable to process what she was being told.

“Fly!”

Finally, she moved. She flew down the cave as fast she could, her heart pounding in her chest and her eyes burning. Her lungs felt tight and she struggled to breathe. She looked over her shoulder once to see Kite running from the dragon, screaming with a voice that echoed in the dark.

“Kill me you honourless worm! Find your strength and kill me!”

Cirrus couldn’t hold back the tears. The dragon roared, and the cave grew brighter as sheets of fire filled the air. Kite’s laughter echoed loudly.

The dragon screamed, and there was an ear-shattering explosion, the sound of rock being rent apart and shattered into a thousand pieces. The very mountain itself moaned in pain, and the ceiling began to shake as if caught in an earthquake. Stones fell from the roof like hail, shattering around Cirrus with loud cracks.

Daylight was just in front of her. It filled her vision and beckoned her home. Only, the mountain had plans of its own. The earth was shaking so fiercely that she almost lost her bearings, and the sound of an entire peak collapsing on itself was so loud that it threatened to destroy everything and swallow Cirrus whole. The noise grew louder and louder with each passing second, catching up to the pony like a lion chasing its prey.

But the light was closer. Cirrus burst from the cave and flew straight towards the sky, the vast openness euphoric in its freedom. A wave of dust and stones flew after her, but she was too fast, shooting up and out of harm’s way. She cried out in joy, gliding down the mountain, her body shaking with adrenalin.

She was free. She was free and she was alive. The cave was sealed completely, a still-shifting wall of rubble the only sign of it now. The dragon of Silver Peak was crushed and the empire would now be safe.

And Kite was gone.

Cirrus landed clumsily, her hooves shaking violently. She sank to her haunches, trying to gulp down large breaths. Her whole body felt numb, and her lungs ached. Cirrus rocked backwards and forwards like a small foal, unable to stop the shaking.

The clouds finally broke, weeping cold rain that chilled Cirrus to the bone despite her pegasus blood. She shivered violently, her mane plastering to her face and her tail mixing with the mud.

Eventually, necessity begged her to get up. She did so slowly, her hooves slipping on the wet undergrowth, sending her stumbling like a foal learning to walk. The cave with their belongings beckoned her onwards, the promise of warmth and shelter calling to her.

All she wanted was to just stop moving.

Cirrus reached the cave sometime later, her body shaking and her vision blurred, whether from tears or the rain, she wasn’t sure. She stumbled inside, desperate to reach their saddlebags and the blankets inside.

She fumbled with the strap for a moment before stopping abruptly when her lips touched something soft. She moved her head back, finding herself staring at Kite’s feather, the little blue primary glistening with the water that had fallen from her mane. The feather was about to slip from the pack, its silver chain dragging it down towards the dirt.

Cirrus reached out with a hoof and stopped it at the last moment, the feather dangling in the air. The pegasus stared at it for what felt like a lifetime, unable, unwilling, to move. Her fear was that by touching his feather, she was somehow being disrespectful to whatever memory it was that he carried with him, as if she was insulting him.

I want you to leave, Cirrus. Somepony has to leave.

Kite’s words replayed in her head, struggling to make themselves heard in amongst the doubt, the fear, and the overwhelming tiredness.

Be brave...

Cirrus exhaled. Slowly, she reached up and placed the feather around her neck, tucking it underneath her mane and letting it rest on her chest. She stood there for a moment, not thinking, just trying to be brave.

Her limbs began to stop shaking, and her eyes stopped burning. Her breathing eased itself, resuming its normal quiet whisper, her heartbeat providing a comforting rhythm to her silence.

Eventually, Cirrus moved. She wrapped her body in blankets to dry herself off, and she took out a piece of bread to fill her stomach to return some strength. When this was done, she shouldered their bags, both hers and Kite’s, and stepped out into the rain once more, putting on one of their cloaks to keep the rain from soaking her mane like before. And then, with several powerful pushes from her wings, she took to the sky, already heading for home with all possible haste.

She had a story to tell when she got there…

---

My eternal love and gratitude to Sessalisk for editing. Also, thanks to Ziom05 for permission to use his art as a cover.

Thanks for reading!

Comments

[q97randomguy]

He darted forward on his strong wings, keeping his body low to the ground. Cirrus was only a heartbeat behind him, though a little to his right. The dragon roared, almost in surprise at the sight of two lone ponies charging headfirst at him, a veteran of the Timeless Wars.

Is that what you're calling the war between Luna an Celestia?
I could kind of see the ending coming... It was still good though.

[Alamut]

The tales of brave ponies being slaughtered while doing epic things is finally here!

As alwyas good written but sadly not surprising - I knew what would happen the moment I read old knight and his young squire Too many books and references would be the reason for that I guess

Yet the mystery of the pendant was somewhat entertaining. I know it is somehow anachronistic - it seems the story takes palce before the unification - but for it was a feather of the greatest pegasus that ever lived, and you can guess whom I mean

[Inquisitor M]

"herself––not"
> Any reason for the double en rather than an em?

“You think there is nothing to here us.”

[Chaodiurn]

Hmmm. I thought that story-collections aren't allowed at this side?
Hang the rules, it's awesome! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/discord.png

[PresentPerfect]

Hey, this was cool! :D