“Do we have a deal?” At the brink of a vast plain of lava, two majestic figures stand defiant in the face of the searing heat and clouds of ash and embers. One, an Alicorn of pure white and ethereal colors, whose aura was sunlight. The other, an Alicorn of deep blue and shadows, with an aura of dreams. The two stood before the Sea of Flames, and before its ruler. A titanic creature lounged in the oozing, molten rock, scales the color of obsidian with spines and claws deep purple like amethyst. Its eyes, like boiling blood, regarded the Alicorn princesses through half shut lids.
“We do, White Princess,” Vargonos, King of Dragons, said, replying to the question of the Princess Celestia, his voice an exploding roar.
“We the Dragons shall not harm the citizens of your fledgling Empire, through fang or flame or fear. Should they take up arms against us, however, we will destroy only those who seek to harm us, and take no preemptive measures or retaliatory efforts. By my right and authority, I Vargonos Soul-Spire, the Dragon King, Lord of the Flames, Sovereign of Sky, and Master of the Eternal Hoard do declare this treaty true.” Vargonos spoke the terms, repeating them back to the princesses as protocol dictated. He stirred, and the lava sloshed in his wake as his bulk shifted.
“We thank you for this, King of Dragons. As part of our side of the deal, we will not take what your people have claimed, be it homes or the treasure you keep. You will have free reign to travel as you please, as long as the rules are followed.” Princess Celestia spoke loudly and confidently, not flinching even as globs of lava landed near her.
“You smote the Draconeques who plagued our people for years. That is reason enough to be allies,” Vargonos boomed. The Princesses look at each other, worried.
“Discord was sealed by being turned to stone. He is not truly gone, and it may be possible that he will one day escape,” Princess Celestia said, speaking the truth of the situation.
“If he should escape, I have no doubt you two will be able to deal with it. Dragon Magic is not the same as yours, and could not harm him.”
“Why is that, Lord Vargonos?” Princess Luna asked, curious in spite of herself.
Vargonos gave a deep sigh that rattled the loose stones and caused an avalanche some distance away. He looked down at the Alicorns. They were so new to the world, so naïve. They would learn soon, though.
“Blue Princess, your magic comes from the ethereal winds that blow naturally across the world. It permeates all things, thus you can harness it, control it and shape it. Your magic is fast and sharp, a gale or storm that blows across the land. It is vast and wild.” Vargonos raised a claw, sweeping it across the horizon to help explain.
“But Dragon magic is different. We draw power from the world itself, not the winds that caress it. Our strength and toughness is drawn from the earth, our wings take flight from the sky. Our flames are the primordial ones that burn evermore, deep in the ground. Our lives and thoughts are gifted to us by the water the cooled the fires of the newborn world. Our magic is sudden like an earthquake, yet enduring like an ocean. Dragon magic is not like yours. Dragon magic is the world.” The Princesses look at each other, hiding their true expressions so well even Vargonos could not read them.
“Thank you again, King of Dragons. We shall take our leave,” Celestia said, and turned to go, but the King of Dragons stopped them.
“Please wait.” Celestia and Luna look back at Vargonos, and saw him reach out to them, something clutched in his clawed hands.
“I wish for you to take this, a sign of our treaty.” In his massive clawed hand was a large, purple and green egg, roughly the size of a playing ball. The Princesses looked up at Vargonos, confused.
“In this egg lies my son, Sharderon. My mate was harmed by the Draconeques’ trickery and lost her ability to hatch him. Only a being of great magic can hatch my son from his shell now, and I request that you be the ones to find a suitable surrogate mother for him.”
The Princesses look at each other, surprised.
“It would be an honor to care for your son, Vargonos, but could we not free him ourselves?” Luna inquired, looking at the egg.
“Your magic is indeed great, but it is not the right kind. Only magic from a being whose destiny is to shape the fate of the world can do this. It may take decades, even centuries, before such a person is found, but we are long-lived and we can wait.”
“Then we shall care for your son in the name of our friendship,” Princess Celestia said, and lifted the egg from Vargonos’ grasp. A flicker of sadness passed through the dragon’s eyes as it left his touch, and the two princesses bowed as they took wing and returned to their castle.
“Be warned, princesses! When the one who hatches my son is found, great upheaval will follow, and it will be her destiny to confront the ripples of fate she will make!” Vargonos called after the receding Alicorns. Once they were gone from sight, he slid into the flames to rest. The great dragon swam through the lava, and reached a small island of basalt and obsidian that he lay down next to. On the outcropping of stone were the skeletal remains of a dragon, the bones bleached white with age.
“It is done, my love. Our son Shaderon will live on, and the one who killed you has paid dearly for his evil.” Vargonos nuzzled his head next to the skull of his mate, and wept silent tears that flashed to steam instantly.
“I think I shall sleep for a while, until our son is hatched. He will be beautiful, and have your scales. And your eyes. And your spikes. And your smile…” The Dragon King, Lord of the Flames, Sovereign of Sky, and Master of the Eternal Hoard, closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, thinking of the son he might never see.
