Realize
by Kel Grym
Ponyville. Abandoned.
The royal sisters were away.
The guillotine was descending.
Celestia and Luna were in the middle of an important diplomatic meeting with the Griffon king when a carrier came in with the news. The Griffon king was agitated by the disruption, and Luna was ready to scold the carrier, however Celestia saw the fear in his eyes and put a hoof on her sister’s shoulder.
“I apologize, your majesty, but I don’t think Wind Runner would barge in here like this unless it was of the utmost importance,” Celestia said.
The carrier quickly bowed his apologies saying, “Yes yes, I’m sorry, but this cant wait you’re Highness, it’s an emergency,” he said, practically shoving the scroll into Celestia’s hooves, “Please. No time. You must read this, now!”
Luna’s head jerked back at the carrier’s disregard of formality. What kind of emergency was this?
Celestia’s brows raised high above her widened eyes at the suddenness, but as she looked at the scroll in her hooves, a gnawing pit carved its way through her stomach. Her subjects often had a way of overreacting to certain things in her kingdom, but this seemed different. She opened the scroll with her magic and began to read.
As Celestia read, Luna and the Griffon king noticed the magic glow around the scroll begin to waver. The magic suddenly vanished in a flash as Celesta’s hooves shot out to grab the scroll and bring it closer to her disbelieving face. Luna’s own stomach dropped as she watched the scroll begin to tremble in Celestia’s hooves.
“I thought I killed him,” Celestia muttered. That had Luna and the Griffon king’s attention.
“Killed who, sister?”
Celestia looked at the both of them. Neither of them had ever seen fear in her eyes. True fear.
“Exetor. He’s alive.”
When Exetor began his rampage, word spread quickly throughout Equestria, and luckily to Ponyville. The dragon was unstoppable and had torn the royal guard apart when they tried to intercept him. Ponyville had been warned ahead of time and Twilight took immediate charge, conducting the evacuations with her friends help and assistance from the royal guard. Nopony could stand against what was coming. Not without the princesses and not without the elements of harmony. Everypony had to go. She had just received the hastily scrawled letter from Celestia via Spike’s magic fire, and she didn’t like what she read:
After everypony is out of Ponyville, get out. Do not stand against Exetor, do NOT confront him! He will kill everything.
The last of the evacuees were boarding the train to Canterlot along with Twilight and her friends. As Twilight stepped aboard the crowded train, worry ripped carnage through her mind. The dragon was first spotted laying destruction to a town far to the south in Equstria and hadn’t stopped laying waste to everything in its path since then. Nopony knew where it came from, but one thing was certain. He was coming for Ponyville.
Even Celestia seems afraid of him, Twilight thought to herself. Surely, the Princess of the sun could defeat this dragon. It was a terrible situation, but as soon as Celestia returned everything was going to be alright. Wasn’t it? It had to be.
Twilight stared out at the moving country side, as the locomotive sped away from town. It didn’t feel right just abandoning Ponyville. She wanted to stay and do something, but the Princesses orders were very clear. If they stayed, they would die. It was that simple. Twilight’s brow furrowed. If only they still had the elements with them, they could blast Exetor into stone or to the moon and be done with it.
“You ok, Twilight?”
Twilight turned towards Applejack. She could see the concern on her face.
“Yeah. I guess. I mean no…I mean. I don’t know.”
Applejack bit her lip. It didn’t feel right either. “Look, Twi, it’s gonna be ok. We’ll get through this. It’s just a dragon, after all. Ah’m sure the princesses will be able to handle em.”
Twilight wanted to believe that. How could she not? Nothing could defeat Celestia…well except for that one time with Chrysalis, but that was different. Chrysalis’s attack was unexpected, and she had a considerable power source to fight the Princess with. They knew Exetor was coming, and he may have been a dragon, but just a dragon nevertheless. Celestia was the Princess of the Sun, and she had Luna with her too.
Twilight feigned a smile. “You’re right. Nothing can beat both of them. Whoever, this Exetor thinks he is, he’s going to be sorry he ever stepped claw in Equestria.”
The words felt weak to Twilight. She tried not to show her doubt to Applejack, but Applejack could still see the apprehension in her eyes, and truth be told, she was worried as well.
What if the princesses couldn’t defeat Exetor?
“Everypony’s on board, right?” Twilight asked.
Applejack nodded. “Eeyup. Actually, Ah been meaning ta ask if ya seen Pinkie Pie. I know I saw her board the train, but since the ride started, Ah haven’t been able ta find her. You seen her?”
Twilight shook her head. “No I haven’t, but I know I saw her come on the train too.”
Just then, Rainbow Dash squeezed through the ponies that crowded the train, with an urgent look on her face. “Guys, guys! We got a problem!”
Applejack and Twilight gave a startled look at Rainbow Dash. What happened?
“I was looking for Pinkie Pie when we got on the train, but I couldn’t find her. Then I found this,” Rainbow said as she showed Twilight a note. Twilight grabbed the note with her magic and read it.
Be back soon! Forgot to do something.
- Pinkie Pie
Twilight’s eyes shot open. She couldn’t believe this…okay, it was Pinkie, she could believe this, but still! Twilight's mind raced in a myriad of directions as dread clenched her heart. How could Pinkie be this stupid? Didn’t she understand the gravity of the situation? Why!?
“Oh, no.”
“What is it?” Applejack asked.
Twilight turned to Applejack. “It’s Pinkie. She's still in Ponyville.”
Exetor relished in the feeling of the wind beneath his wings, once again. Seven hundred years was far too long of a sleep. Soon, however he would be there again. His old territory.
Long ago, he lived there, undisturbed, but then the ponies came. They tried to settle down near his home, but they soon found out what true terror was.
Exetor chuckled at the memory. The way ponies fainted in terror as his shadow passed over head, and the screams he heard as he swooped down from the sky and stole a member of their flock in his maw, brought a grin to his black scaled face. He always thought the way they scrambled around, as his fire ate them alive, amusing. Pony, even barbequed, was too gamey to Exetor, but killing the invaders was fun all the same.
But then that Alicorn came. Their Sun Goddess.
Exetor remembered their battle and wondered if bards sang of it in this age. He fought Celestia night and day, and came close to killing her. So close! He could see her now, lying prone on the ground, blood seeping from her wounds. She didn’t even have enough magic left in her to keep her ethereal mane afloat. Yet, somehow, as the dawn of the next day cracked over the hills, she prevailed.
He grimaced at the memory. If he had finished her off sooner, he would have won. If he wasn’t so exhausted from their battle, he might have weathered her attack. As the sun began to rise over the hills, she managed to draw upon a reserve of magic he hadn’t expected her to still have. The sun’s light glinted against her horn, as it’s surface took a polished form and the light that reflected off of it, did so by an order of magnitude. His eyes were temporarily blinded, and his body wracked with pain, as the explosion that followed, propelled him skyward, across the horizon. He had never known what it meant to be burned, before.
He would have his revenge.
The mighty drake’s lip curled up into a smile as he saw the settlement before him. What did they call it? Ponyville? It mattered not. Soon, it would be named ash.
As Exetor flew above and around the settlement, he wasn’t surprised to find that it appeared to be abandoned. This was disappointing, but to be expected. He couldn’t blame the ponies for fleeing, and had to give credit to their wisdom in doing so. Only a fool with a death wish would be stupid enough to stay and challenge him. He began his decent to the town.
“La, lala lala.”
What? As he came closer to the town below he thought he could hear singing. That would be ridiculous. Surely, they knew he was coming by now. However, on closer inspection, it seemed one had stayed behind. This confused him.
When Exetor finally landed down near town square, what he saw surprised him. Balloons, and confetti were strung out everywhere and there was a large banner over head that said in large colorful letters, “Welcome to Ponyville, Exetor!” Below the banner there was a small pink pony, grinning at him. Exetor glared down at the insolent mare, unamused.
“Welcome to Ponyville, Exetor! I’m sorry everpony didn’t stay to meet you, but they were all like, ‘It’s a dragon, run!’, and I was like, ‘No! We should throw a party for him and be friends!’, and then Twilight was like, ‘Pinkie, don’t be silly, this is serious!’, and I was like, ‘I know! Do you know how much cake a dragon can eat! Where are we going to get all the gems? I know Spike likes gems, but we’re gonna need a whole wagon load for a full grown dragon!’, but then Twilight put her hoof to my mouth and said, ‘Pinkie there’s no time for this, we need to get on the train now!’ and I was like…”
Pinkie stopped when she heard Exetor’s deep throaty chuckle. She cocked her head, confused. Did she say something funny?
Exetor approached the banner that hung over Pinkie’s head. The earth trembled beneath his feet, and Pinkie bounced against the vibrations he caused. He stretched out one massive clawed digit and tore the banner from its posts.
“Hey!” Pinkie exclaimed, “I worked hard on that!”
Exetor stared at the banner hanging on his claw, and a deep growl emanated from his throat.
“You,” he began.
Pinkie was confused. Her what?
“Are a fool.”
Exetor took a sharp breath and blew a small jet of fire, burning the banner. As the banner was engulfed in flame, he blew it from his claw and watched the wind carry the burning banner across the town, as it disintegrated into ash. Pinkie’s jaw hung low as she watched it fly away.
“That was mean!” she snapped at the dragon.
Exetor stared down at her with half-lidded eyes. “Do you know who I am?”
Pinkie stared back with wide eyes. Exetor had brought his gigantic face close to Pinkie’s. She never really realized how much bigger he was to every other dragon she had seen. His head was at least ten times her size.
“Um,” she said, “A really big dragon named Exetor?”
The dragon’s brow furrowed. He was sure this pony was mocking him.
“I,” he began, “am the ancient terror that was once called ‘The punishment of the old Gods’ by your kind. I am the oldest and most powerful dragon in the entire world. I am the one who carved what they now call Ghastly Gorge. I am the one who vanquished ten of the mightiest dragons, mighty enough to be called my rivals, in one night. I am the one who slew Umbra, the king of the Crystal Empire, before his son took the throne!”
Pinkie’s hair blew back and her bones rattled at the sound of his voice. “Heh, heh. Cool story.”
Exetor threw back his head and roared. Pinkie covered her ears, as houses violently shook from their foundations and their windows cracked; the closest ones shattering in their frames. Every bird, miles away flew out of the trees in a cloud of beating wings.
After Pinkie’s ears stopped ringing and she picked herself up off the ground, Exetor began again, saying, “I am the one who nearly succeeded in killing your Sun Goddess!”
Pinkie scratched her head. “Who?”
“Celestia!” Exetor bellowed in her face.
Pinkie wiped some dragon spittle from her face. “Oh.”
Exetor was dumbfounded. Despite his presence, despite everything he told her, she still refused to take him seriously. He was infuriated.
“Yet, you still remain. You still remain, even though all the other ponies have fled. And you mock me, with you infantile gestures, and balloons,” he said with a sneer of disgust.
“I’d thought you’d like them.”
Exetor’s red eyes narrowed and his teeth gnashed together as rage overtook his body. He slammed a fist down into the ground, and the earth rippled beneath his might, bouncing Pinkie up into the air. He caught her tail between the tips of his claws and brought her close, eye to eye with him.
“You fool! Don’t you realize I could kill you in the blink of an eye?”
Pinkie giggled. "Silly, don't you realize?
Exetor felt as if he was going to pop a vein. Realize what!?
"Pssh, duh. You wouldn't even have to!" She then said in an even, serious tone, "You could kill me without blinking your eye."
The words, like an arrow through a maelstrom, struck something. Undefinable. Seven hundred years of pent up fury, suddenly fizzled away in an impotent puff of smoke, and Exetor stared helplessly at her.
In the distance, the single note of a bush warbler could be heard.
Exetor blinked. Placing Pinkie gently back on the ground, he backed up a few steps to contemplate the mare in front of him. She gave him a warm smile in return.
He glanced away, up into the calm sky, pensive. He felt for the first time...old. Then without a word, he walked out of the town, and launched himself into the air, flying eastward, never to be seen again.
Author's Note
Original Zen Story (in case your curious or confused)
