Fire and Ice

Story By: CrazyRabidPony

Written By: CrazyRabidPony
Drakengarde AKA Mr. Ben

“Love can melt the hardest heart, heal the wounds of the broken heart, and quiet the fears of the anxious heart.”

- Joyce Meyer

Chapter One: The Draconians

The royal castle of Canterlot stood tall and proud against the backdrop of the steadily darkening sky. It was late afternoon to early evening, with the moon just beginning to creep over the horizon while the sun sank descended, but not so that the residents would start heading into their homes for the night. Then again, the Equestrian princess had no foreknowledge that her expected guests had arrived. Sitting on the balcony that lead into her personal chambers, she oversaw the rising moon--her sister’s moon, that had currently served as her prison for a little over three hundred years.

Though, the imprisonment happened three centuries ago, every time Princess Celestia saw the moon, adorned with the dark spots and craters that made up the dark Mare in the Moon, she shed a tear and her heart went out to her lost sibling, Princess Luna… consumed by her rage and envy as the evil Nightmare Moon.

‘One day, Sister… one day,’ she mentally whispered to herself. ‘One day, you shall be free, and we will rule Equestria together, like we used to… As it should be…’

Even now, she had her plans in motion to free her sister. However, they would not come into fruition for some time. Until that day, she would bide her time.

“Your Majesty?” one of her loyal royal guards spoke up, stepping out onto the balcony.

“Yes?” she responded in a businesslike tone, her prismatic mane flowing over one of her eyes.

“We’ve just received word the representatives of Draconia have been spotted arriving in Canterlot.”

“Dispatch a regiment to meet them halfway and escort them here,” she commanded without any hesitation, not even turning around. “I shall meet them in the throne room.”

“At once, Your Highness!” He saluted and turned around to walk away, hoof beats echoing in the room as he left.

Once the sound had dispersed, the princess rose to her hooves, taking one last look at the large silver celestial body as it slowly inched its way heavenward.

‘I miss you so much, Sister. You have no idea how badly I want you by my side again.’

A tear formed at the edge of her eye, but it was blinked away. Turning away from the moon, she strode back into her quarters to meet her guests.

It was time to put the queenly mask back on.

***

Two draconic beings lumbered down the main cobblestone path en route to the castle, threatening to create cracks in the road with each step from the sheer bulk and weight of their full body armor. Many of the citizens in the vicinity displayed a sheer amount of terror. Some fled into their homes and barricaded the doors, others remained at a safe distance and observed with frightened eyes, and there were even those who ran amok in blind fear.

The dragons were quadrupeds, and unlike the giants one might think of when they hear the name of the species. The larger one of the two’s scales were touched with an olive green with a light green lower jaw, throat and underbelly--from what wasn’t covered in his diamond encrusted steel armor plated with platinum along the top and sides of the helmet and body armor--, small spikes jutting from his jaw line, two long and smooth horns black tipped horns spearing from the back of his skull, and cruel smoke grey eyes.

The smaller counterpart possessed a light red hide with a rather pinkish belly. His earthy brown horns growing from his head were short in comparison. His own eyes were dyed a fiery yellow-orange and his armor was dotted with rubies instead of diamonds.

The pair were expected by the solar monarch, for a meeting had been arranged a few weeks prior. The large Draconian cast a dark glare at anyone who dared to meet his eyes. To him, the equine race were inferior. The vibes that radiated from his very form inspired fear--unease at the very least in the guard sentries.

Not much was known about the Draconians, even their king’s name was a mystery. For as long as the Equestrian rulers, historians, and scholars, the boarders have always been closed from the rest of the world. All that was known was that Draconia was a country consisting of a breed of dragons located in the deep south in the tropic regions. But this was how the king wanted it. Throughout history, he refused to allow information regarding his culture, their nature, and how his soldiers were raised and trained.

As the dragon monarch paraded down the city’s streets with the very mask of malignancy--soon to be met with guards who insisted on escorting them the rest of the way--, the smaller reptile had become so absorbed with taking stock in their surroundings. His eyes were wide with an almost childlike wonder twinkling within them. Even as he and his king were brought into the throne room, he drank in the beautiful interior, thoroughly impressed.

The princess of the sun was present on her throne when the two Draconians entered into the room, sitting grand and regal among the ornate and lavish furnishings. Tapestries and stained glass windows showed the history of the Equestrian forces--the imprisonment of Tirek, the chaos that was Discord and his petrifaction, the fall of King Sombra, the corruption of Princess Luna and her subsequent banishment, and their recent conflicts with the griffons. Marble busts of Star Swirl the Bearded, Princess Luna, and other notable figures for their contributions to society were between the windows.

Princess Celestia gazed dispassionately down at the Draconians. Her long mane cascaded down her head and back, her tail draped over the last stair heading up to her throne. Her hair covered half of her face, with only her left eye exposed. Half shut, her single pupil scoured over her two guests.

The alicorn paid no attention to the smaller dragon any further, her only focus being on the larger--and admittedly rather intimidating--king before her. She did not express her inner concern, her face a cold, expressionless mask.

“Greetings, honored guests,” she welcomed, her tone suggesting no real feeling to discern. Despite her soft intonation, her voice projected quite soundly across the entire room. “To what do I owe this esteemed pleasure?”

The dark green dragon took in a breath before speaking, his voice calm, yet icy and husky.

“I am King Talonblaze of Draconia,” he declared, puffing out his chest with pride. Shifting his attention to the younger beast at his side--who now had his eyes on the princess--, he lifted a clawed hand to gesture at him. “And this is my prized warrior, General Rhem. Perhaps the best I ever had.”

The guards present were in a state of bewilderment as the general was introduced. From what little they could see, he appeared far too young to be a high ranking soldier, let alone a general. Also, the best the king ever had? They were quite skeptical of this.

While King Talonblaze held his claims in high regard, the general knew this was a blatant lie. He may have been excessively skilled for his age, but he had been bested many times throughout his life.

Turning to the red-scaled beast, the princess let her surprise light up her features--but only for a second as she quickly reverted back to her standard poker face. This male was a general? That simply couldn’t be possible. He was young. Too young. Even among her forces, her youngest general was a healthy forty-six years old.

“Well met, King Talonblaze.” A pause. “General Rhem.” Turning back to King Talonblaze, she met his gaze. “For what purpose have you sought an audience with me? When your messenger requested a meeting, he did not specify.”

The Draconian king nodded with a grunt.

“I have traveled all the way from my country to form an alliance.”

His voice was composed, utilizing his self-control to prevent it from sounding malicious.

The general gazed upon the princess, completely awestruck at her presence--especially her billowing mane and tail. It waved as if caressed by the wind, but there was no breeze. His curious mind couldn’t help but wonder how it did so.

“An alliance…?” Princess Celestia repeated, raising her visible eyebrow, a hint of suspicion and intrigue. She knew very little about dragons, Draconians in particular, but dragonkind were not especially friendly towards ponies. At best, they tended to be fairly neutral parties to one another. To change this was something that took her slightly by surprise.

“Yes. Perhaps an alliance between our nations can be beneficial. We can start up a trading system. My country just might have something you would be interested in,” he stated. “We have much to offer.”

“Indeed?” the princess ventured, sounding flat as ever. “And what exactly do you wish to offer us, King Talonblaze? What could we offer you in return?”

“Why don’t we discuss it over a meal?” he suggested. He and his general had traveled for many hours without stopping for food--they briefly stopped for water and a little rest though. They were exhausted and in need of nourishment to refuel their bodies.

Rhem smacked his lips a couple of times and suckled on his tongue before attempting to swallow, ending up with getting nothing down his parched throat.

The equine allowed herself a small smile and nodded once.

“Of course. I apologize. To have traveled all this way and for me to not offer refreshments…” Standing, she moved down the steps and cantered between and past the dragons. Now that a size comparison could be made, it could be seen that the top of King Talonblaze’s head reached the tip of her horn while Rhem was able to look her straight in the eye. “If you’ll follow me.”

She came to a stop, turning to one of the guards.

“Send word to the kitchen to have a full course banquet and refreshments waiting for us.”

They dark grey unicorn saluted and immediately disappeared down one of the hallways.

“Lead the way,” King Talonblaze urged, sounding impatient.

Princess Celestia was silent and remained so as she began to walk, her wings flaring out for a second to stretch them and flap them once before folding back against her sides. She lead the way down the hall, past tapestries of red and blue embroidered with ropes of golden and silver silk respectively, and also, respectively, emblazoned with the cutie marks of the two royal sisters.

The marble floor was polished to a brilliant sheen, giving a light reflection of Princess Celestia and the two dragons on its surface. Marble columns held up the large and vast ceiling far above ahead, where elaborate paintings of the two sisters’ climatic clashes with their enemies were depicted. Ignoring the artwork, and declining on giving her guests the grand tour and history for now, she escorted them into the dining hall. The room was massive, with several long tables, complete with a fountain at one of the far ends of the hall and with the second lined with massive windows that held a grand view of the countryside down Mount Perennial.

Stepping in from the corridor, Princess Celestia made her way to the table that was closest to the kitchen, taking the first seat and offering King Talonblaze and Rhem to take their own.

The young dragon became very fascinated by the art and décor, especially the paintings. As soon as they arrived, he halted at the entrance and sat down upon his haunches. King Talonblaze paid him no heed to his general, though, and seated himself at the table.

The princess, located at the head of the table, glanced over at the king on her left, then to her right at the empty chair where she expected to find Rhem. Bemused, but still expressionless, she cast her eyes to the entrance.

“General Rhem, are you not hungry?” she queried, arching a brow.

“He’s just used to not being permitted to dine with royalty,” the Draconian king explained in a huff, not bothering to look back at his general. In fact, he didn’t even look at Princess Celestia. He merely sat there examining his sharp curved talons.

The younger Draconian just gazed back with wide eyes that conveyed that he was very hungry, that and his large ear frills flaring out on both sides of his head made him appear less intimidating.

“I see. Well, I don’t usually allow just anypony this rare opportunity.”

She offered the general an encouraging nod.

King Talonblaze arched a scaly brow as he finally permitted his eyes to swivel to Princess Celestia.

“You are… going to allow him to dine here… with us?”

The dragon tried to hide it, but there was some belying disgust in his tonality.

Rhem’s fiery orange orbs lit up and he slowly rose off of his rear. He lifted a foot to take a step, but it hung in the air in hesitation.

“I’ll allow it,” she said. “You two have been through an arduous journey as it is.”

It did not entirely surprise her that Rhem wasn’t allowed to eat with royalty. The guards ate in their own barracks, and most heads of state didn’t dine with their troops.

“I could send him to the barracks and have him eat there,” she began, glancing over her shoulder and meeting Rhem’s eyes. It was obvious the poor boy was starving, and she wasn’t about to make him walk all the way to the barracks on the other side of the castle. “But you are both my guests tonight. I insist.”

King Talonblaze didn’t say anything, but leered at Rhem as he took deliberate and cautious steps into the dining hall. The red reptile kept his eyes on Princess Celestia, searching for any indication that she would change her mind.

The royal pony matched Rhem’s gaze with her own, her face the cold, expressionless mask it had been.

However, for one moment, just one, brief moment… the princess had given him a disarming, but warm, smile. It wasn’t much--a tug on the edges of her lips, but enough to where it showed she cared.

She had done it a number of times… mainly, to new recruits of her guard. There had been rumors among her soldiers that she did not tolerate failure or disobedience of any sort--and that one hoof out of line and they’d be sent straight to keep Nightmare Moon company. It was hogwash, of course, but there were still the occasional new sign-up that practically quaked in his armor when the guards lined up before her for inspection.

She found that the smile was usually enough to communicate she wasn’t a tyrant at all, and was proud of her little ponies standing forth to serve and protect her.

It was either that or they got the impression she was drinking in their fear. She hoped it wasn’t the latter.

The young Draconian felt a wave of unease at that smile, unsure of how to react to it--or what it even meant--and he ended up taking a couple of diagonal steps away from her. Though, one hard glare from his king told him to comply. After all, he didn’t want to appear afraid or weak.

His feet came down to the floor more frequently, but there was still belying caution. Just as he sat himself down on the equine’s other side, across from King Talonblaze, the dragon monarch’s chair gave away, legs snapping underneath the weight of his hulking form and his thick armor.

Princess Celestia was immediately on her hooves and right at the dragon’s side. Her stoic visage had dropped, expression morphing into one of shock and concern.

“My goodness! King Talonblaze, are you all right? Are you hurt?”

With an enraged snarl, he pulled himself up and swiped angrily at the seat, sending it flying at the closest wall where it smashed into pieces. He then picked up one of the legs and curled it across the room, a guard ducking in order to avoid getting hit in the face with it. Before he went for the remains, the dragon checked himself, taking a deep breath to becalm himself.

Princess Celestia gasped, jumping back to avoid getting hit, just in case. Though, as he calmed down, the judgmental look she presented him with stated that she did not approve of this violent outburst. She wasn’t going to say anything about it, but she was noticeably shaken. The mare recovered quickly, trying not to show she’d been fazed.

“Guard,” the mare addressed one of the snow-pelted pegasus stallions in a low, tranquil note and forced a smile. “Bring out our largest pillow. It’s become apparent to me I didn’t properly prepare to accommodate our guests.”

King Talonblaze cast a fiery glare at Princess Celestia for not providing sturdy enough seating for him beforehand. With a growl rumbling in his throat, he reached up to remove his helmet and set it aside upon the table. His stormy grey eyes were now fully distinguished, as was the large jagged scar that began from his left eyebrow, ran over his eye and stopped midway down his cheek.

The general across from the Draconian king followed his example, removing his helmet. His own eyes weren’t very menacing. In fact, they appeared far more curious in contrast to his ruler’s. He also wasn’t the only one with an unmarked face. He, too, possessed scars--multiple ones in different areas and notches in his ear frills.

The alicorn did not look at all intimidated. At least, her face did not show. She had faced down monsters that had threatened her subjects. She had confronted and banished King Sombra. She had faced and imprisoned Discord.

… Though, she recalled all those times, Princess Luna had been with her.

This time, she was all alone.

The princess briefly considered cracking a joke to relieve the tension to King Talonblaze about perhaps losing a few pounds, but she got the overwhelming impression that he was more than a little humorless. In addition, she knew that would have been in extremely poor taste. She had already failed to accommodate for him and his general--she did not need to compound the issue by insulting him, too.

Keeping her mouth shut, she continued to just politely smile with a non-verbal apology as the guard brought in a massive pillow that would easily provide comfort to the dragon king.

It took all of the guard’s self-control to keep himself from shaking in his armor as he neared the Draconian. As the reptilian turned his head to lock eyes with him, growling softly, he stopped in his tracks.

“Well? Are you going to set it down or just stand there?” the dragon gruffed rather rudely.

The stallion snapped out of his abeyance and placed the pillow down on the floor where the now destroyed chair used to be, quickly returning to his post after doing so. Princess Celestia suppressed giving a snort--as she did not appreciate this… barbarian being rude to her ponies, though, again, said nothing.

Perhaps she was being to hard on him. He was tired and hungry, and heavens knew anyone could be short without rest and food. Almost as if on cue, the servants emerged from the kitchen with goblets of water, juice, and wine on top of cooks coming out with dishes of various greens, fruits, and grain based meals.

King Talonblaze rested his rump upon the fluffy pillow and sat up straight in a dignified and haughty pose. Both dragons directed their attention to the waiters, their keen senses of smell detecting food and aggravated their empty bellies. As the older Draconian scanned the array of dishes, a dissatisfied scowl overtook his features.

“No meat?” he started as his vision returned to Princess Celestia. “Dragons are carnivores. Did you not know that?”

Rhem, however, didn’t care if there was meat or not. Lowering his head to the plate of salad served to him by a nervous waiter, he sniffed experimentally before opening his jaws and biting down. That one bite managed to take in every single leaf off the plate. Even though there was carefully assorted silverware on both sides, he had never seen eating utensils before and, therefore, didn’t know what they were used for.

The Equestrian princess tried not to let any emotion show and she mentally kicked herself for overlooking something so huge.

“I sincerely apologize, King Talonblaze,” she said, genuinely sorry--and bowed her head to him. “However, we Equestrians are not. We can’t consume meat--our bodies are not built for it.”

A raging beast churned within the Draconian king., but he didn’t display it. He didn’t want to compromise any chances of forming the alliance.

“Our bodies were designed to consume meat,” he countered, glowering at Rhem and causing him to immediately stop taking in more food, the young dragon’s cheeks puffing out from the amount he had in his mouth.

This, she decided, would be a minor problem.

“Again, I apologize.” The image of Rhem willingly accepting the proffered food did not escape her notice. “It it is meat that you’re searching for, I could direct you to the Everfree Forest. There is many species of wild game available for you there. Though, it is late, and I’m sure you’re tired. You’re more than welcome to partake in what I’ve prepared for you, just for tonight.”

The elder dragon stared at the food laid out before him in disdain. As Rhem went back to eating, he sniffed at a few of the dishes, looking very unhappy. Sighing, he opened his mouth to take a tiny bite of salad. As he chewed, his face clearly showed he wasn’t enjoying it. He even gagged a couple of times.

Princess Celestia watched King Talonblaze’s expression as she herself took a few small bites of her own meal. While part of her was slightly irked that he clearly did not enjoy what had been offered, she had to admit that he was, at least, being as gracious as he could and choking it down.

The king only took one more bite before pushing the plate of greens away and set his sight on something else. Curling his clawed hand around a bowl of oatmeal, he drew it closer. He scooped up a small amount and the instant the gooey substance touched his taste buds, he gagged and heaved as if he was about to vomit. Unable to even swallow, he spat what was in his mouth right back into the bowl and downed his goblet of water to be rid of the taste.

This brought a somewhat disapproving frown from the Equestrian monarch. She inwardly sighed, closing her eyes, and deliberately took a long drink of her wine. It was clear that she was a bit affronted at this reaction of disgust, but she was not going to isolate it or call him out on it.

King Talonblaze did not care how Princess Celestia felt about it. He absolutely hated it.

“What… is this gruel called and what have I done to receive such a bland and disgusting dish?”

The mare lowered her goblet.

“That bland and disgusting dish that you tasted there, King Talonblaze, is, appropriately enough, just known as plain gruel. I have heard others refer to it as oatmeal. You have done nothing--except be recipient to my offer of a meal. Yet you act as if I am punishing you for something.”

“A meal for herbivores…” he growled, then moved onto a plate of fruit.

Curious, the general licked up a glob of his own bowl of oatmeal and his face scrunched up from the taste. Unlike his king, he actually swallowed, but his gestures made it distinguishable that he was having trouble doing so. Sighing once it finally slid down his gullet, he messily lapped up his water like a common animal.

“Hmmm. Again, King Talonblaze, I do apologize if the meal I have provided are not to your tastes. If you do not wish to partake of my offering, you are free not to. I just thought Your Highness would have been more appreciative of my humble efforts to be a providing host.”

“A good host would have provided the appropriate type of food for their guest,” he said, taking a bite out of a mango slice and practically hissed at the flavor.

“Really?” she deadpanned. “Because from what I recall, it is merely the host’s job to provide food. In most societies, it’s generally considered rude--insulting even--to refuse an offered meal.”

The dragon sent the alicorn a sharp leer, holding back the urge to growl. If he was going to get anywhere and form this alliance with the Equestrians, he might as well try to eat something. Huffing, he pulled a plate of pancakes closer, finding these at least edible to him.

Author's Note

I'm soooo glad to FINALLY be releasing this! This fanfic has been in development since season one and the story is currently under it's forth revision! Enjoy!