In the Beginning
Some 5000 Years Before Unification
Deep in the ground, in a cave, a dragon laid over a clutch of eggs. Some were striped and some were solid. One was a pale lavender with darker spots.
“Claw, you have been long away,” she said by way of greeting to the drake crawling up through the hidden entrance to the nest.
“My heart, the Children of Air are as arrogant as they ever were. More and more they forsake The Way,” he said, arcing his long neck and shaking his head to convey distress.
“Unwelcome news!” the dragoness responded, arcing her neck in shared upset, “And the Children of Sky, what of them?”
“If they received the summons, I wouldn’t know of it,” he said shifting his weight to convey ignorance. “The Children of Ocean keep The Way, and grow plentiful.” he added. Such an obvious statement needed no emphasis.
He lowered his head and rubbed foreheads with the dragoness. She responded in kind. He crouched down and asked, “How can dragons reject the All-Father? It is bad for all of us that they desire to grow lost.”
“Let us speak of such things no more, the eggs need turning now,” she said. He thrummed in agreement and together they began carefully, gently turning each egg one by one.
“Ah, well then, they’ll have time enough to learn of the world as it is after they have hatched,” he said as they worked with great care. “I should like to hear of the beginning of Earth, after that wretched failure of a Dragon Moot.”
“A good tale, for our clutch,” she said, tail raised in agreement.
“Hear now, the voice of Gem your mother, Daughter of Deep and the story of how Earth formed the world from his body.
In the beginning the world was death. After dying, Earth awoke inside his shell. He could feel the cruelty of the world and knew it was bad. With a mighty roar he broke free from his shell and said, “World, you are bad. I shall cleanse you with my fire and make you good.”
And he did breathe his mighty breath on the world and the firmament did rain from the sky. He looked upon the bright, clear sky and saw that it was good. He looked down at the fallen firmament and saw death. Earth did speak, “World, I breathe on you and give you the sky, yet still you are bad. I will dig up your badness with my claws and make you good.”
And Earth did fly down from his egg and score the surface of the world with his claws. He dug deep and made oceans. He piled the world-meat high to make mountains. Where his mighty claws scored as he walked he left rivers and the lakes. He tore at the planet until all the land was new. He looked at the land he saw that it was good.
Now he saw the oceans and the rivers and the lakes that he had made. The world filled them with dark sludge and slew any that drank from it. Earth saw that it was bad and did tell the world, “I have given you clean skies with my breath and good land with my claws, yet still you are bad. I will fill you with my life essence and make you good.”
So Earth did fill the world with his essence. The rivers ran clean and pure. The bad sludge was gone from the lakes and now the deep waters were filled with life. He saw that it was good. “Finally, world, do you submit to me? I have burned your skies and tilled your soil and filled your water with my life essence.”
As Earth had spake it was so. But yet the land was still barren and nothing upon it grew. Earth saw the empty land and knew it was bad. “World, I have given you my breath, my hand, my essence. I have only my blood left to give.”
Earth did dig deep. He dug through the world, down into the very core. He saw the badness at the center of the world. Earth did tear open his mighty chest, spilling his blood into the core of the world. Where it touched, the bad became good.
From his great heart his blood did flow and fill the meat of the world. The land sprung up with green things. The waters teamed with life. The sky blazed bright and clear. Earth saw his work and knew that it was good.
“Ahh, heart of my heart, when you tell us of Earth I feel as if I am there.” said Claw from where he was now warming their clutch of eggs. Gem rumbled in pleasure at the compliment, then turned back to their eggs.
“So you see, dear eggs, Earth gives us his blessing, his life to keep us whole. We must remember to bathe in his blood every full turning of the world.” she said to her eggs.
About 10 Years Before The Millennial Summer Sun Celebration
A very small, baby Spike lay curled up in his basket, shivering, “Hot. Hot. Mama. Hot.”
“Do you need another compress, sweet baby?” Twilight Velvet asked from where she was resting next to him. She placed a hoof upon his forehead, “Why, you’re not hot at all, Spike. You’re freezing!”
Spike looked up at Twilight Velvet and sniffled, “Hot. Mama. Hot.”
She sighed and lowered her head down to nuzzle him for comfort.
“Miss Velvet, I believe we have found what is wrong with young Spike,” Princess Celestia said from the doorway. Twilight Sparkle dashed inside the room and nuzzled Spike.
Twilight Velvet jerked up in surprise, “Princess Celestia, I didn’t know to expect you! Please, let me—”
“Be calm, my little pony,” Princess Celestia said with kindness in her eyes and voice. “Twilight Sparkle told me of Spike’s condition today. With help from my number one assistant,” Princess Celestia looked down at Twilight Sparkle, her eyes shining with pride, “we were able to learn of an important draconic health ritual from the castle’s library.”
Spike turned his tired, wide eyes to Twilight Sparkle and said, “Hot. Hot.” Twilight Sparkle eagerly lifted Spike up in her magic and turned to Princess Celestia.
“Look Princess! He knows he needs the lava bath! Let’s hurry—” Twilight Sparkle said. A golden magical aura replaced Twilight Sparkle’s magenta glow.
“Twilight Sparkle, what have I said about working magic on ponies, or dragons?” Princess Celestia said. Her voice was stern yet kind. Twilight Sparkle lowered her head and ears.
“Don’t cast magic on somepony else unless you know you can finish it,” she said with a sulk.
Princess Celestia smiled, “Very good, Twilight.” Then she gazed at Twilight Velvet. “We have a lava bath prepared at the palace for Spike. Please, join us at the castle until Spike has recovered. He will need a bath every day until this cold passes.” Princess Celestia placed Spike on her back, between her wings. Spike grabbed onto her flowing mane and snuggled down into her soft fur.
“Oh my gosh, Mom, the castle is so cool! You’ll like it a lot!” Twilight Sparkle said as she bounced up and down. She began to tell her mother all about her lessons at the castle as they proceeded to pack a small overnight bag and leave a note for Shining Armor and Night Light.
“I’m sure it will be very ‘cool’ Twilight. Don’t forget to give Spike a tour when he feels up to it,” Twilight Velvet said with a soft smile. The Celestial guard fell in around their Princess.
“Twily tour.” Spike said quietly from his warm perch.
“Oh Spike, you’re going to have so much fun! Why there are plenty of gems to eat, and lots of fun hidey holes we can explore together, and…” Twilight Sparkle’s cheerful voice faded into the distance as she set out with her mother and teacher to heal her little, scaly brother.