Conquest of the Mark of the Dragon

Chapters

The Mane Six
Legend Chasing
The Darkness...?
Dragon Isle and the Inquisition
Hidden Strength
Preparations
A Path Chosen
Two Strong Powers
Destiny Researched
Conclusion

The Mane Six

Conquest of the Mark

Chapter 1 - The Mane Six

Applejack, continuing down the dirt path to her royal associate’s castle, Princess Twilight Sparkle, on the warm morning of Tuesday, date October twenty seven, and the time being a relatively early nine o’ clock. The town of Ponyville seemed rather quiet today, and since time has rotated once again this year, the sun appeared to be rather sluggish with its progression even at this time.

The cool breeze made its way through Applejack’s golden mane as she trotted with a steady pace, producing mild sweat as she moved vigorously. Within minutes, she arrived at the location in question.

She approached the towering doors of the castle, knocking on it audibly. “Twi? Ya’ll in there?”

The doors adopted a purple glow, creaking ajar quickly, revealing a purple alicorn before her. “Applejack!” She greeted with a warm smile. “You’re here early. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Applejack’s eyes shifted off to the side. “Well, yeah Twi. Mind if I come in? It’s a little… personal, but not for me.”

Twilight’s face shifted to a look of concern. “Uh.. sure.”

Applejack made her way inside as Twilight shut the colossal doors behind her. Twilight led her to a royal circular table surrounded by throne-like chairs.

Twilight took a seat and made herself comfortable. “So, what’s gotten you all secretive?”

Applejack sat down and rested her hooves on the table. “Ya see Twi, I met this gray pegasus stallion, kinda looks like a zebra, but ain’t one.”

Twilight twirled a part of her mane around a hoof. “He’s a rare genetic breed. They are referred to as Zoids-”

Applejack, realizing her brainiac friend was about to tread off topic, continued her explanation; “And, he’s a really emotional stallion and whatnot. He’s cross eyed and looks kinda handsome.” She took her hat off. “But the reason why I’m here is ‘cause he doesn't have a cutiemark and he’s something like eighteen now.”

Twilight quirked a brow. “Eighteen? No cutiemark? Wow, that’s unheard of… what’s his name?”

She blushed before she muttered: “Derpibra.”

“That name sounds close to a mare I know in town... “ Twilight leaned in. “What is he like? Maybe I can help him if you can tell me a bit about him.”

Applejack tossed her golden pony tail across her shoulder. “He’s mighty handsome. He’s really sensitive though.”

“Sensitive?”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah. He asked me if I wanted to be in a relationship, and I said no. He started crying his eyes out and later on started singing about me. All of this happened yesterday, just ask Pinkie.”

“What happened afterwards?” Twilight sat up straight, adjusting herself comfortably.

“I felt a mighty bit bad for what I did. I didn’t know he liked me that much. Honestly, I kinda liked him too, but I was scared that since I never been in a relationship, I wouldn’t have meet his expectations.” She placed her accessory back upon her head. “But it seemed like it woulda happened either way at the time.”

“I see…” Twilight pondered. “He’s that sensitive? What’d you do afterwards?”

Applejack smirked. “I accepted him, like Pinkie said. I had to fix his broken heart.”

“Mm hm…” As Applejack refocused her vision onto Twilight, she noticed that her purple Princess was scribbling on a notepad.

“Uh… is that necessary?”

“What?” Twilight kept her eyes glued to her paper. “I must take notes on this. If we are to help him, I need as much as data as I can muster!” She cheered. “Applejack, gather everypony together and bring them here. We got work to do!”

Twilight’s friends gathered around the table but an half hour later, including the gray stallion.
As he had no place to sit, and as such, he decided to seat himself on the table.

“I still don’t understand why you don’t have a mark yet!” Rainbow Dash’s wings flapped as she maintained her altitude. “It’s kinda weird you know.”

“Well I don’t know!” Derpibra retorted. “...I just haven’t discovered my talent yet I guess.”

“And that’s why we are here.” Twilight rested her notes on the table. “So, from what I gathered, it seems that you are…” She ran her eyes over her notes one last time. “Gentle, sensitive, fragile hearted, but you have a desire to adventure. You aren’t very physically strong, but you can do pretty well with problem solving and puzzles, right?”

“Yeah. I prefer to fight with my mind, since I can barely fight with my muscles, ha.” He cackled.

“You remind me of Fluttershy darling.” Rarity responded softly.

Fluttershy blushed, slightly embarrassed.

“Well, let’s see… what are you interested in?” Twilight questioned.

Derpibra pondered for a surprisingly lengthy minute before he finally answered: “I feel like I’m into a bunch of stuff. Honestly, I can’t say specifically.”

“If I may make a suggestion,” Rarity fluffed her mane. “What if we were to figure out what you are good at doing? In other words, a talent you might have dear.”

“I seem to be a jack of trades. I’m not super amazing at everything I do, but I do show skill in them.” He shrugged. “But, if I had to choose something, I’d say… Video games?”

“You don’t sound very sure of that.” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “What about flying, huh? You got those huge wings with ya. Do you ever use em?”

“Nah.” With a shake of his head, he continued: “I don’t fly too often.”

“Really? What a waste of feathers.”

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity called to her. “Don’t be so rash! Not every pegasus is the same darling.”

She rolled her eyes in response.

Rarity ignored her pegasus friend and continued on. “What about fashion?”

“Rare,” Applejack started. “He’s a stallion, so I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t be into makeup and all that fancy stuff you’re into.”

Rarity smirked at her statement. “I’m simply throwing out ideas. Don’t be so quick to shut it down my dear Applejack.”

Twilight nodded. “She has a point. If he’s that serious about his mark, then any idea will have to do. So, are you into fashion or no?” She tapped her chin with pencil, presumably ready to write again.

He rocked on the table to keep his mind busy. “I have some knowledge about it, but not a whole lot for it to be a talent. I’m not real passionate about it I guess.”

“Do… Do you like animals?” Fluttershy inquired weakly.

“I do have kind of a soft spot for animals and nature, but what are you getting at?” He quirked a brow.

“I take of animals and I give them the best care. Wouldn’t you do the same?” She smiled.

“Yeah, no doubt, but that’s not my talent either.” His eyes wandered off before refocusing them onto her. “Don’t get me wrong, I like nature too, but I’m too much of an animal pony like you are, sorry.”

Twilight dropped her pencil. “That’s it!” She exclaimed.

Her friends winced hastily at her sudden outburst.

She blushed embarrassingly then attempted to giggle it off. “Sorry about that… hey, I just thought of something.”

“What’cha got egghead?” Rainbow Dash jested.

Twilight rolled her eyes then continued. “No two marks can be the same… I’ve never seen anyone with cutie marks that are even close to being similar with each other.”

Applejack cackled. “‘Cept for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Thier marks are pretty much the same, kinda.”

Twilight frowned in cognition. “Ah yes, of course…”

“This isn’t getting anywhere is it?” Derpibra asked, agitated. “I have no idea what I’m good at doing, even after all these years, and you all don’t seem to have any solid ideas or anything.” He shook his head disapprovingly. “Am I just gonna be a blank flank my whole life?”

Twilight glanced over her notes and responded: “No, you won’t be. We will be certain it won’t happen that way.”

“How?”

“...We have sources, many, many sources. Connections, techniques, and best of all- research.” She had a small grin at the very thought of what great many activities her and her friends would endure. And it was all for the benefit of her newest stallion friend. What’s not to love?

“You need more than books to discover your mark dear.” Said Rarity. “We must adventure and find his true purpose beyond the covers and vellums of a book!”

“That’s how I obtained mines.” Twilight argued. “I discovered my talent through constant research and practice with magic.”

“Remember what you said Twilight? No two marks can be the same.” Rarity rebuttled. “And that’s only one of three issues with your statement darling. He’s a pegasus, so he can’t cast magic. That, and he does look as if he’s incapable of reading books. Not that his illiterate, but he’s-”

“Cross-eyed?” Derpibra finished. “I can read just fine, even with my eyes like this. I got used to seeing in two different directions at once. That’s why my head is always at an angle when I talk to ponies, or looking at anything in general.” He adjusted his posture more comfortably as he sat on the table. “And besides, I’m not a bookworm, so even if I could read straight- normally straight, I woulda turned down the idea anyway.”

“You seem to be mighty fine at makin’ arguments though.” Applejack jested.

“Thanks Apple Pie, but it’s just common sense.” He responded blankly,but he did catch onto her musing. He was more concerned about his mark now, although he previously did not care for it much before.

“Apple Pie? Awwwww!” Pinkie Pie scrunched her cheeks with her forehooves.

“Uh, Pinkie?” Derpibra cracked a smile.

“Don’t mind her Mister Derpibra. Pinkie can be a little… distracting at times, but it’s all in good nature.” Rarity giggled at Pinkie Pie’s emotional performance.

“Not that I thought it was a bad thing…” Derpibra tilted his head at Twilight. “Hey, what was that idea you had earlier before we got sidetracked?”

Twilight had to ponder deeply to recover her memory. “... Well let’s see… if, based off of what you said earlier, we- ourselves, do not have any means of getting you your mark...” Twilight gathered her thoughts as she trotted over to a bookcase, withdrawing a multi-colored, dictionary-like book from the highest shelf. “Then let’s direct you to an expert- a group of experts.”

“Group?”

“A group of three.” Twilight flipped through the book as she placed it on the table next to him, allowing everyone to look. “Just as Applejack said earlier- the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Their talents focuses on- quite literally- helping others find their talents. They will be a great deal of assistance to you I bet.”

“Sounds good. Where can I find them, and how are they like?”

“They are a group of school phillies who goes to school in the Ponyville Schoolhouse. They’re really friendly, and are always looking for potential members in their club.” Twilight gave him a map of Ponyville, stashed in a straw basket across the room. “I’ll mark it on your map here. Make your way there and talk to them. They go by the names of Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.”

“Thanks. Anything else I should know?”

Twilight levitated a purple courier bag over to him, so he may use it for easy containment of anything he deems interesting. “They might find it odd that a grown stallion is seeking their help, so don’t be surprised if they look at you weird when you first meet them. Also, since they go to school, they won’t always be available to assist you. Now, good luck!”

“Thank you- all of you, for helping me out. Let’s hope this works.” He leaped over to Applejack and pecked her on her rough but natural muzzle. Applejack turned into a shade of red-orange shortly after.

“Time to dash!” He shouted with confidence as he charged out of the castle in pursuit of his contacts.

Legend Chasing

Derpibra kicked up dust as he galloped towards the school, the time being nine-thirty. As he approached the premises, the commotion the school children were amassing became more audible. It brought a smile to his face, because while he does have a history of not fancying small children for their immature tendencies, he does enjoy their joyful emotions. “This has to be the place right?” He muttered to himself.

As he approached the school, he noticed how the entirety of the students were playing on the yard and slides. The thought crossed his mind, rather regretfully: “I can’t believe I’m gonna ask some eight year olds for help.” But he just shook the thought, remembering what his objective was. As soon as he stepped into the yard, all of the foals looked at him- some smiled, others confused at why a stallion his age would be there. As he made his way through, he spotted three phillies sitting at a lunch table, but he thought nothing of it. Instead, he began asking questions around the premises, until a rather mature mare approached him.

She poked him on his shoulder. “Hello. Are you a volunteer?”

He jolted in surprise then whirled around. “Huh? No. I’m looking for Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.”

“Are you their guardian?” She questioned.

“Nuh uh. My name’s Derpibra, and I was sent by Twilight Sparkle, the princess, if that helps.”

The mare’s eyes widened. “My name is Cheerilee. Are you a Messenger of the Princess?”

(Why is she asking so many questions?) The question crossed his mind before he answered; “Not exactly, but I was sent here by her to discover my cutie mark, and I heard a group of your students could help out?” He opened his map and presented to her a signature at towards its bottom. “Here’s the signature of the Princess, if that clears things up?” (This must’ve been Twilight’s personal map. Why exactly is it signed?)

“Oh, perfect. I was just going to ask if you had proof. It’s… rather unusual to have visitors like you during the day.” She looked at him rather timidly, hoping she didn’t say anything he would misinterpret.

“Trust me, I know.” He chuckled. “I was warned I might get weird looks when I would first come here. Even with grown ponies I still look… different. It’s alright.”

Cheerilee looked relieved. “That’s good to hear. Well, it does strike me as odd that you don’t have your mark yet, and you’re…?”

“Eighteen.” He responded blankly, already knowing where this discussion was going.

“That’s unusual…” She gave him a faintly queer expression. “Well, it’s recess for them. They won’t be back in the classroom for another half hour. So, if you have any questions, I would be more than happy to assist you.” She smiled warmly.

“Thanks Miss.” Was his final statement before she made her way back into the schoolhouse.

“Oh, and... “ She stopped to turn around. “The group you’re looking for is sitting at the lunch table over there.”

(Something told me it was them.) “Oh, thanks.” He bowed his head before approaching the three phillies.

“Hey, AB?” Scootaloo nudged her yellow friend. “Who’s that?”

“I don’t know Scootaloo. Ain’t he a bit old for this school?”

Sweetie Belle quirked a brow. “Maybe he’s helping Cheerilee!”

“Hey, you three.” Derpibra greeted.

“Hiya.” Scootaloo replied. “Are you a zebra?”

He shook his head, smiling. “Not completely. I’m also a pegasus, as you can see. The stripes came from my Dad’s side.”

“That’s neat!” Sweetie Belle chirped. “Hey, why are you here? Are you Cheerilee’s helper?”

“Nope. The princess, Twilight Sparkle, sent me here to look for you three.”

Applebloom offered him a spot at the table, and he accepted happily.

“Really? Why?” Applebloom questioned.

“Look at my flank.”

All three were surprised to see their stallion acquaintance without any sort of mark.

“Aren’t you a bit old for this?” Scootaloo inquired.

“Does everyone have to ask that?” Feeling rather annoyed at her question, he adopted a small frown on his face.

Scootaloo, sensing he was tensing up fro that, decided to move the discussion along. “Erm, well… the princess sent you here so we can help you get your mark?”

“Yeah. Her and her friends tried what they could, but nothing real good came outta it.” He dropped his frowned expression and began to look rather hopeless. “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure if even you three can help me.”

Applebloom pat him on his back. “We got our marks because we help others’ get their marks too! We can help ya, but not here. You remember my big sis right?”

“Couldn’t forget.” He replied with joy.

“Well, she works on a farm off in that direction, and we got a treehouse there.” She began to obtain a confident tone. “And that’s where we work too. Meet us there after school, then we can talk.”

“Sounds good.” He withdrew his map from his bag and presented it to her. “Can you mark it on my map? I’m still kinda new in town.”

“No problem.” She summoned a pencil and scribbled in the location.

“What time does school end?” He deposited his paper into the purple bag.

“We start from eighth and get out at two. Don’t be late!”

“Thanks you three.” He got up from the table. “And, by the way you two,” Referring to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle he was. “Name’s Derpibra.”

“Cool name.” Replied Scootaloo. “Alright, we got business to handle. Catcha later.”

“Alright.” He made his way off of the premises and started down the road from it. Seeing as he was still fresh in town, he had not the slightest idea of how to keep himself occupied until two. (It’s only four hours. What's the worst that can happen?) He thought as he traveled to Twilight’s castle to deliver the good news.

The time was only a marginally later ten o'clock as he stumbled upon Twilight’s doors. Inviting himself in rather comfortably, he spotted the purple mare rummaging through a chest located in a closet to the farthest right side of the room.

“Who’s there?” She called. “Pinkie? You’re the only one who would make that much noise coming in!”

Derpibra swore he heard a blade fall in a distant room. “Nah, just me Twi!” He shouted back.

“Oh, hey Derpi!”

He advanced down the hallway and leaned to his left around a corner to spot a violet flank dancing around in the closet. “Uh… what’cha doing there?”

She poked her head out from the towering doors. “Sorry, just… looking for my journal. Where is it…?” She cleared her throat and continued her expedition through storage containers. “You’re back kinda early. Everything went okay right?”

He nodded with a smile. “Yup. Got a date at two. I’m s’pose to met the phillies at a tree house that happens to be their base of operations.”

She returned his expression. “That’s good to hear. I hope you will get your mark.” She retracted a dusty journal from a cabinet. “But don’t think I’m just going to stop searching for your mark either. Just incase something doesn’t go according to plan,” She flipped her book ajar to confirm it was her correct finding. “You will need a plan B, C, however far it needs to go.”

He crossed his hooves. “And I guess you’re a guru of all things organizational skills?”

“That’s what everypony says.” She smirked. “Some may call me a little freaky when it comes to that. So, what are you going to do until two?”

He shrugged. “I can always just sit around and wait for the clock to work itself.”

“Oh no, don’t do that.” She responded, humored. “That’s going to bore you to death. Aren’t you the easily bored type?”

“Well, I was just joking when I said that. Makes my brain cells die of old age.” He chuckled at his own musing. “I’m guessing you have something for me to not get bored with doing, all mighty princess?” jested he.

“Depends if you find this boring.” She withdrew yet another book from a nearby shelf. This one looked to be a novel; rose red leather coverings and light purple embroiderment. It’s face featured a title The Newcomer’s Guide to Equestrian Legend: Vol. 1.

“Twi, I told you I’m not a bookworm.” He cackled at her surprised expression.

“I know, I know. But I think you’ll like this one.” She spread open the cover, revealing the vellums stained with English text. “This book tells of legends rumored to be true. Who knows? Maybe we can investigate these legends with our friends!”

“I guess I can do with some adventure.” He cracked his hooves. “What’s first?”

“Your choice.”

“Alright…” He searched through the A section to spot a title: ‘Audry, the Wandering Dragon’. “A dragon eh? Let’s see…” He muttered as he began to read the document.

With cautious, precise hoof writing, the document beared these words:

“Audry, the Wandering Dragon; a great beast among great beasts; a mild mannered traveller by trade since the untimely demise of her master by natural causes; Audry, seeking knowledge and adventure, wanders the plains, forests; varying environments, enduring any dynamic change, for the simple satisfaction of carrying out her master’s legacy. But what does she seek?”

Derpibra scratched his chin. “So she adventures around Equestria huh? Sounds like me!”

“Definitely.” Concurred Twilight. She began to check her books alphabetically to eventually find yet another journal titled: ‘Notes on Audry.’
“The book is simply an implication of her existence. I know a bit more than what the book’s letting on.” She placed the velvet faced journal on the table, flipping it open to reveal its scripture. “Here is what I gathered.”

“Alright. What’cha got Twi?” He took his place adjacent to her.

“Allow me to summarize.” Her eyes darted over the scripted vellums before replying: “There are unconfirmed eyewitness reports of her wandering around on the outskirts of Ponyville. Some say she would disappear at first glance; others say they’ve seen her for a few seconds.”
She shook her head and continued on. “It’s odd how the reports contradict each other.”

“Do you have any idea why?” Asked Twilight’s striped inquisitor.

“They say only the brave hearted burdened with fate unbeknownst to them will see her in her truest form- as much as they please.” Replied Twilight.

“Will I be any different?”

“Honestly, I can't say.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “But I’m willing to put bits on it. You will be.”

He returned her expression. “Thanks Twilight. But… where do we start? We only have ‘til two.”

“This should be easy to do. Shouldn't take us long- depends on how fast we find her.” She summoned a map from a chest and laid it flat on the face of the table. The map itself seemed dated, but serviceable- featuring a detailed illustration of Ponyville and the perimeter around it. There were signs of exquisite notations, showing Twilight has put much time into her research.

“This thing’s looking kinda dressed up.” Derpibra observed.

“Yes, indeed.” She tapped her tongue and turned some three pages, placed her hoof on a fact written in red ink, and began to elaborate. “Audry, the Wandering Dragon, is unlike any of her scaley peers. She’s been noted to at least be non-hostile, and is believed to be generous by Dragon extremists. But because no pony ever managed to talk to her directly, that fact remains uncertain.”

“I still don’t get how I’m s’posed to be able to see her if that’s the case. Got any notes on that?”

“Let me check…” She turned back a page and rummaged through the text with her amethyst eyes before replying, clearing her throat: “The only real way to see the dragon is if your fate is intertwined with hers, and the only way for this to happen is if she chooses you to be, and it could be for any reason.”

“Is that all?”

“Just about.” Twilight shut the journal and stuffed into a saddlebag that she then tossed over her back. “It’s all we need to know for now. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get a cutiemark in Adventuring or Dragon Searching?”

“Dragon Searching? Sounds kinda cool. I might have to cancel my plans later if this works out.” He wrapped the strap of his purple messenger bag over his shoulder, standing proud. “Where do we start first?”

“Eastern side of Ponyville, outskirts on the dirt roads.”

“Then let’s try it.”

“It’s a little warm out here.” Derpibra almost whined.

“It is honestly-” Twilight was interrupted by the apparent sound of a roaring engine. “What’s that?”

“Dunno.” He replied blankly.

As the party turned about, they spotted a tan SUV falling into a drift, stopping right before it would hit them. The SUV was quite dusty, with a rusted battering ram strapped to the front bumper, fenced windows, and tires built for less than smooth terrain. As moments passed, the sunroof opened unlike that of a tank hatch, and a dark brown mare emerged from the makeshift vehicle. Derpibra was graced by her tough appearance: a bullet proof helmet hiding her blonde mane, a tactical vest, rough brown boots, and aggressive eyes. She appeared to have a type of rifle strapped to her back, a rather antique-like pistol, and a machete confined to her belt.

“Wassup?” The mare called to them.

“Hey.” Derpibra replied, only slightly intimidated by her amount of equipment on hoof. “Who’re you?”

“Name’s Optix.” She leaped from her vehicle and spat in her hoof, offering a shake.

“I’m Derpibra, and this is Twilight, my best friend.” He hesitated to return her gesture.

“Nice to meet ya. C’mon, don’t be shy. I brush.” She jested.

He finally shook her hoof, and promptly wiped it clean with his coat.

“So what brings you two ponies out here huh?”

“We’re just looking for a dragon. What about you?” Twilight responded.

“Just taking my old four by four for a drive.” She patted the hood of her beloved transportation with force. “He’s a beauty. I call it the Dust Kicker. Handles terrain handsomely.” She turned back to the two. “Why are you two searching for a dragon anyways?”

“Just need to kill some time until two.” Derpibra answered. “I need to get my cutie mark, so this could be a way for me to get it.”

“You don’t have your mark yet? What the heck!” She laughed to herself.

Derpibra sulked at her sense of humor, and she quickly realized he didn’t find that to be a joke.
“Oh, don’t be so uptight chum. Tell you what, how about I help you find that dragon?”

“Yeah, if you want to. Just don’t shoot it. We aren’t dragon hunters.”

“Fine by me. Hop in the SUV.”

As Derpibra stepped into the car, he began to draw his opinions. (Optix? She’s kinda like Rainbow Dash… except she’s even more rough spoken. Heh, I’ll get used to it.)

As Optix started the engine, she looked into the rear seats. “You two comfy back there?”

“Yup.” They both replied.

“Good, cause things are gonna get rough.” She said almost cheerfully. “But of course, I love a good ride.” She put emphasis on ‘Good’.

“That’s dirty.” Twilight responded, appalled. Derpibra was just merely giggling at her.

“I’m just joking. Heh.” The SUV began to pull off. After her ‘Dirty’ joke, there was a period of silence.

And Derpibra decided to break it, as it was driving him nigh insane. “So, who are you?”

“I already told you my name silly.” Her eyes now focused adamantly on the dirt paths.

“Besides your name.” He was only partially humored.

“I’m a military mare who happens to be pretty handy with random materials and things lying about. I live in the junkyard just outside of town if that makes any sense.”

His eyebrow curled. “Why live there?”

“You know how many ‘useless’ things ponies in this town throw away? I turn ‘em into useful things, kinda like this car we’re sittin’ in.”

The two began to get slightly uncomfortable in their seats, now wondering what they may be sitting in.

“I see you two squirming back there. Don’t worry, I wash the stuff, geez.” She rolled her eyes. “Everypony thinks I’m dirty. Can’t say they’re too far from wrong when it comes to my belongings eh? But I at least wash my own ass.”

“At least.” Derpibra repeated.
“Along with everything else too.” She finished. “I don’t smell weird do I now?” She sniffed under her hoof. “Not too shabby. Wanna check for yourselves?”

They shook their heads hastily.

“Meh, suit yourselves.” Placing both hooves on the wheel, she refocused onto the road.

The road trip dragged on for hours. Twilight was directing her new, slightly vulgar friend around town, and Derpibra was bored into a simulated coma.

Optix looked across her dashboard and saw that the clock displayed one o'clock, much to her passengers’ dismay. “Deadline’s approaching.”

“Well, this stinks.”

“What, me or the car?” She jested again.

A giggle escaped him. “No… I have a meeting at two, just like I said earlier.”

“Ah. Well, we’re running on reserve fuel now, so you might be a lil’ bit late chum.” At the moment of her response, she noticed a violet dragon soaring above. “Oh shit! Hey, is that your target?”

“Not sure.” Twilight responded. “Then again, the notes weren't specific on how she looked. All I can say is this: Dragon’s aren't usually spotted close to towns, so maybe-”

“Hold your belts!” Optix shouted.

The spiny dragon generated a minor earthquake as it debarked upon the ground directly in front of the parties’ vehicle, forcing the driving mare to bring the ride to an abrupt halt.

“That’s one way to kill time.” Derpibra remarked.

“No kidding.” Optix concurred.

The breath of the great beast laid adamant on the party; it’s reptile eyes locking onto them with seemingly unbreakable concentration. It left it’s snout ajar as it took in air.

Twilight and Derpibra recoiled cowardly,thinking the beast would launch an attack, while Optix seemed less shaken by the unexpected encounter.

Instead of assailing them with a fiery attack however, the beast spoke with a mature voice of a mare. “So, I’ve found you.” She sounded apathetically.

Optix pressed a button on her dashboard to enable an intercom system atop her vehicle. Into the microphone she spoke: “Found us huh? Who are ya?”

“Audry, the Wandering Dragon…”

“Well, that was easy.” Derpibra chuckled.

“So, you’re the Wandering Dragon.” Twilight observed. “I figured we’d be looking for you longer than this honestly.”

“You, young alicorn, have not the slightest idea of how long I’ve been seeking a worthy pony- or ponies, to assist me.”

“Oh really?” Optix scoffed. “Why should we-”

“This is our target Optix.” Twilight sounded rather agitated from her hasty inquiry. “And besides, we shouldn’t anger the dragon. Who’s to say she wouldn’t blast us away?”

“I wouldn’t.” Audry replied. “It’s fine if you don’t trust me, but I’d never hurt another pony…” Disappointment was present in her tone. “Perhaps you aren’t destined afterall…”

Derpibra grabbed the door handle and left it ajar for his exit.

Optix shot a look at him. “Derpi? What are you-”

“I’m gonna make a point.” He retorted.

Twilight seemed rather relaxed in comparison to her military friend. (He’s not dumb Optix, if that’s what you’re thinking. He’s onto something, I know it! … It doesn’t make him sound any less crazy though...)

Shutting the door behind him, he approached the beastly thing rather bravely. In his mind, he was frightened out of his wits by her mere size, forced to muster enormous amounts of courage for each step he took. The wind from the beast’s breath became more forceful as he drew closer, but he pressed on. As he finally reached the snout, he heard her massive breaths unlike that of whirlwinds. He placed his hoof on her scaled jaw gently and smiled. “I don’t know much on dragons, but if the rest of your kind is bad like you’re implying, I’m sure you’re different from the rest. You seem sincere in what you’re saying Audry, and you seem really nice. I trust you.”
He shot a look back at the SUV. “What about you two?”

Twilight emerged from the vehicle. “Yes, I am. Optix?”

She stayed silent before withdrawing the keys from the ignition and stepped out. “Well, you two may either be idiots or really brave, but you two seem to mean what ya’ll say, so I guess I can’t be the oddball here eh?” She trotted over to them and smirked. “And besides, if you two get chomped, I gotta be there to avenge ya.” She humored herself, chuckling.

“I’m glad you three placed trust in me.” Audry responded with hints of glee. “So few ponies, if any, would so willingly place trust in a intimidatingly sized beast such as myself.”

“No problem big girl.” Optix nudged her claw. “Why were you searching for us anyways?”

“Well, not really just you three specifically, but… just ponies who are somehow destined to work with me. But I digress. The name of dragons are truly a pity.”

“How so?” Twilight inquired.

“Over the years, ponies have gotten accustomed to despising dragon-kind because of our selfishness.” Audry turned her back to them and sighed heavily. “Our greed and disdain for ponies- our hostility, has only added to the hatred we have for each other. I’m one of few dragons that bears any form of respect for ponies- one that seeks to restore the bond we once had.”

“What does that have to do with us though?” Optix questioned apically.

Audry shifted her sight to her left. “What it has to do with you is this: There have once been great warriors known as Dragon Riders. These knights of epic proportions facilitated a connection between dragon and pony.” She refocused her attention to her listeners. “Complete trust between the rider and steed, so to speak. Not to mention how highly respected they are in politics and courts. A pity that they exist so few and far in between…”

“What happened to them?” Derpibra took a seat upon the ground.

“A black force…” She shuddered at the mere half-mentioning. “...A black force of nearly impenetrable darkness, swept across all dragons, cursing them with greed and eventually began feeding from their developing hatred of ponies. The true identity of this advanced darkness is unbeknownst to anyone but itself.”

He scratched the back of his head. “Uh… why aren't you affected by it then? You’re really nice aren’t you?”

“It is because I refused.” She answered with impeccable simplicity.

Optix shook her head disapprovingly. “It… was that easy? Why doesn't every dragon do that then? Problem solved!”

“Not every dragon wants the same thing you see. I desire tranquility, peace. Others desire wealth and power. And at that point, they allow themselves to be taken by the darkness- consumed by its might.” She scarcely frowned at the thought. “...And such dragons that were consumed, are the ones that spread the blatant blackness that stirs in them.”

“So what do we do exactly?” Asked Derpibra.

“I fear there is no solving this problem while remaining civil. What you must do, gray one, is become a Dragon Rider. Restore the trust we once had, then we must fight back against the darkness.”

“This sounds dangerous… but I love making ponies- er, dragons, happy. Maybe I can try this out. Optix? Twilight?”

“Count me in chum.”

“This is what my job is as the Princess of Friendship.”

“I’m glad you two agree.” He responded with some animation. “When do we start Audry?”

“In some hours at the top of Ponyville Peak. Say, five o’ clock. I will answer any further questions you will have then.”

“Okay. Hopefully I got what it takes.” He stood upon all fours.

“You do. Your fate says so.” And with that, she lifted off, and soared into the distance, seemingly disappearing after half a minute.

What was this darkness? How was it able to influence the emotions of others? Just two of many questions Derpibra harbored for his new spiny friend. Meeting his contacts after their school day was over slowly began lessening in importance as he pondered the meaning of this conversation.

Just three and a half hours later, Derpibra made his way to Twilight’s library-castle hybrid home. Knocking on the door, she granted him access and offered him a seat. She seemed ready for the impending hiking trip, just as her friends were in another room.

“Did your meetup with the CMC work out well?” Questioned Twilight.

Derpibra kicked his hoof against the floor. “No. I tried many things… sports, treasure hunting, cooking, just to name a few. And I’m still blank!”

“Finding your cutie mark will take more than a few hours.” Said she as she slipped some bottles of water into her sack.

“Oh, then let’s try some years then!” He said sarcastically. “I’ve been searching my whole life, but still… nothing!”

“Maybe you’ll get it from becoming a Dragon Rider?” She feigned reassurance.

“Yeah right.” Sounding rather unconvinced, he decided to change the subject since this small talk was only angering him further. “What supplies do I need for this trip?”

“Guns n’ ammo chum.” A mare’s voice rang from a deep corner of the room, past one of the large throne-like chairs.

Twilight, startled, whirled around with great haste. “Optix!? How’d you get in here? Weren’t you getting supplies from your home in the junkyard?”

“Yeah. But me around, don’t leave a window open.” She said with a smug expression.

“Just… don’t scare me like that.”

“Oi, Derpi.” She called.

“Yeah Optix?”

She withdrew a rather antiqued rifle and held it out to him as she approached. “This is my old favorite. You’ll need it incase we run into any trouble on the mountain.”

He stared at it blankly before responding: “What kind of rifle is this?”

“One I built out of garbage of course. But it’s a replica of an M1 Garand with a clip magazine. Nice eh?” She smiled at the very appearance of her handywork.

“Sorry, but I don’t know how to shoot guns.”
“Optix, if you’re gonna give him a gun, give him something smaller.” Twilight said.

“... I don’t have any small arms. I prefer big guns.”

She sighed, annoyed by her new friend. “How do you…? ...Ok, here Derpibra.” She trotted over to a nearby closet, presumably the one she was rummaging through this morning, and discovered a purple broadsword and kite shield. “Guns aren’t too common in Equestria, so these might still be helpful.”

“What is this? The stone age?” Optix laughed beyond belief.

“What? Equestria isn’t interested in guns since we have magic, and also since we don’t focus on warfare. We still use swords!”

“I must be a goddess then. Shields can’t stop bullets, ha!”

Twilight repeated her sigh, this time somewhat heavier.

Derpibra took her gift and held his shield in his left and sword in his right. “I can use sheaths for these things too.”

“Right. Here. And take this bag too. It’s already stocked with many food supplies and plenty of water. At the time we are leaving, we will probably be late.”

He slid the blade into the sheath and stored his shield on his back, doing the same with his backpack. “So, where is the mountain anyway?”

“Not far thankfully. It’s where me and my friends first encountered a red, orange bellied dragon.”

“How’d that go?”

“Badly at first. But Fluttershy managed to defeat it.”

He recoiled in surprise. “F-Fluttershy…? How!?”

“She stared it down. She has a connection with animals, and she was able to defeat it without even touching it.”

“I gotta ask her about that. Optix, can your SUV hold all of us?”

“Nope. That Jeep Cherokee is too small. We’re gonna have to walk.”

“Ok then. Applejack? Everypony? Are you all ready?”
“Ready when you are!” She called from another room.

“Then we’re off.” Said Derpibra.

The Darkness...?

The party was making their way down the dirt path leading to Ponyville Peak. The sun was setting, and the wind grew colder with each passing minute as the stars began to set upon the black abyss of space. They could see the mountain growing larger as they approached it, also spotting the same violet dragon atop it. From their angle, it looked as if it was breathing stardust.

“Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash started, hovering above everyone else with her athletic wings. “You’re not scared of this dragon too, are ya?”

“Isn’t she friendly…?” She shied away inside of her mane.

“I guess, but I figured her size would spook ya.” She snickered.

As they were making small talk, Optix led the group ahead, always keeping her favorite rifle in hoof as she walked on her hind legs. Derpibra walked adjacent to her as well as Applejack.

“Why are ya so tensed up?” Applejack questioned.

“Somepony gotta stay on guard. All of you are so chill it’s laughable.” She smeared brown camouflage on her face to blend with the dirt path. “You never know when something is going to jump out at you.”

“You’re right about that I guess, but there isn’t a real reason to be so uptight.”

Optix made herself a spot next to her orange comrade. Only a minute passed before she spoke again. “Can I ask you something personal?” She asked, only a notch above a whisper.

“Mm hm.”

“You and that gray stallion got the hots for each other huh?” She cackled to herself.

“Maybe.” She answered half truthfully. “Why’d you ask?”

“I noticed he was eyeballin’ your flank when you were walking in front of him earlier.”

“He was? Aw shucks.”

“Well, he is a stallion right?” She chanced a look at him and returned to Applejack. “So, how long?”

“How long what?”

“How long have you two been together? Or better yet, how did you meet?”

“We been together a couple days. He just came into town around that time. He bought an apple from me, and later on he took me out to go eat at a burger place. That’s when I found out he was interested. And, all complicated stuff aside, that’s how we started.”

“That’s it?”

“I’m leavin’ out details for now partner.”

“Ah fine, your story.”

In the back of the group stood Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Rarity seemed more confused than anyone else, and Pinky Pie was, coincidentally, having the most fun.

“I still do not quite understand what all this talk of Darkness is.” Rarity questioned. “Pinkie, do you understand why we must involve ourselves with this? It’s quite dangerous.”

“Who cares if she’s a dragon?” Pinkie replied almost too quickly. “You're Generosity right? Show it!”

“I wasn't denying the poor thing assistance darling, I was just wondering what’s ahead, is all.”

“Don't be a worrywort mare Rarity! Everything's gonna be A okay!” She grinned from ear to ear.

“If you say so dear.” She gave her an unconvinced expression.

Twilight kept pace with Derpibra after catching up with him. They greeted each other happily before she addressed her question in a whisper.

“What’s your opinion of Optix Derpi?”

“She’s… different.” He took some seconds to think of a follow up response. “She’s definitely kinda vulgar, but she’s pretty cool. She looks like the type to have your back, but she can be rash sometimes I guess. You?”

“Her sense of humor is relatively childish, but other than that, I agree with you.” Her eyes wandered off onto the mountain. “What’s your thoughts on all this… this stuff about dragons and darkness?”

“To be real with you, I don't know. All I wanted to do was find my cutie mark, then this happens. I’m actually pretty terrified of how this could all turn out.” He attempted to laugh off his somewhat blatant shakiness, but failed. “Beats the heck out of sitting around doing a bunch of cutie mark activities though.”
“Agreed. It could get daunting after some time.”

The sun continued its setting as time passed on. The hike was lengthy, but relatively easy considering what dangers could have presented themselves- but didn’t, to the travelling party. After about an hour, the group finally arrived at the mountain trail leading up the peak. Resuming progress on their journey, they began scaling up the side of the mighty mountain that was mere miles away from town. Everyone stared in awe as their eyes buried into the black ocean of space bodies and stars. And, once they reached the top, they were greeted by their amazingly sized spiny friend.

“You made it, perhaps a tad later than expected.” Audry examined.

“Please excuse our tardiness, Ms…?” Rarity said, prompting the dragon to give her name.

“Audry. A pleasure.” She focused her attention on Derpibra. “Are you ready gray one?”

“Ready for what?”

“Ah yes, I haven't given all the details.” She gathered her thoughts before speaking once more. “Are you ready… to become a Dragon Rider?”

“Yeah.” He nodded with determination.

“Then, climb upon my back. I will be your steed-”

“Hold on a sec!” Optix interrupted abruptly. “Just where are we heading eh?”

“We are going to fly to Dragon Isle, North of Griffonstone in the Equestrian Blue Sea.” She positioned herself with her neck along the ground, allowing the ponies’ easy access onto her back. “I’ll explain more as we go. You must trust me.”

Derpibra already found a way up her spiked torso, and sat at the base of her brow. “C’mon Optix, we made it this far. Wouldn't you at least wanna discover whatever Audry is talking about?”

“Yeah…” She rolled her eyes, unconvinced.

The party placed themselves comfortably on her back, and she stood with her wings abroad, ready to fly. Then, flapping her mighty appendages wildly but with calculated precision, she lifted off into the air, and turned her eyes to Derpibra. She materialized ethereal ropes into his hooves that connected to her snout via a brace.

“What are these…?” He stared at them, a mighty bit confused he was.

“This is what you need to control my flight.” She looked off into the direction they were to adventure in. “That is our direction of travel. To be a Dragon Rider, you must trust your steed, and the steed must trust you- I already put in my end, so what of you?”

He stayed silent, pondering the meaning of her explanation before finally nodding in agreement.

“Good. It will come to you naturally Derpibra. I will elaborate more as we go.”

Flying above the crystal blue ocean, everypony gawked at the marvelous view of the moon-stained waters below. Occasionally, the would spot an Iron-back whale- a creature known for it’s highly defensive iron torso, was leaping peacefully above the chilled chemical of life. It has been quite a few hours since their departure from Equestria, and the journey still seemed far. But, with the excitement from how Derpibra was handling his ‘Steed’ with increasing skill levels, the ride didn’t seem as long and drawn out as it probably would have otherwise.

Derpibra had much time to anticipate whatever events may unfold within the following morrows upon arrival, but that did not detain him from conjuring questions. “When did the whole idea of Dragon Riding become a thing Audry?”

“Before Equestria’s settlement.” She answered quickly. “Many lesser towns and states before Equestria used Dragon Riding as a means of showing the appreciation, the prowess, of the rider and dragon. But, Such trust soon waned in the wake of the Darkness.”

“When? Well, if you know the exact date anyway…”

“The fourteenth of February.”

“Isn’t that Hearts and Hooves Day?”

“Indeed so. The reason why it would choose such a day for its misdeeds... It’s beyond me. Perhaps it is to usher in a new meaning. A love for your Darkness instead of your loved one?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe. Say, how did you remember the date so easily?”

“Every year, on that exact date, I feel… different. In unexplainable ways no less.”

“Is there no way for you to explain?”

“Quite.”

A moment of silence passed before he inquired once more.

“So, what’s so special about Dragon Isle? Is there a reason why it’s called that?”

“To answer your first question: Dragon Isle is my place of origin. And, the reason why it is called by that name is because of that island holding most of the world’s dragon population.”

“If you were born there, then why were you all the way out in Ponyville? Because of the Darkness?”

“Yes. I figured out, late into the war against our Darkness, that we dragons are incapable of finishing the fight that we have been burdened with.”

“So am I the only one capable of stopping it or something?”

“One of few. I can already tell, even now.”

He submitted to her a curious look. “What?”

“You are a fast learner, and a daring one no less. You trusted a beast like myself so quickly- without falter. You can take control of your steed with a demanding but understanding and accepting manner… you are the one.”

“We will just have to see when we get there. This is a lot to soak up at once… I don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

“And that’s okay. You will learn of your importance over time. You may be the only one we have… to succeed where others have failed.”

Without gaining an additional response, Audry continued flight under Derpibra’s command.

Dragon Isle and the Inquisition

The group soared over the horizon of Dragon Isle at sunrise, an unusually large island with even freakishly larger buildings constructed for the size of an average dragon. The island itself was lush with green and purple plant life, and dozens of dragons, in all their majestic might, circled and darted about the airspace. Amazingly tall trees, exotic animals never before seen by pony eyes, this island was everything an adventurous cross eyed stallion could yearn for.

“Below us!” Audry cried above the roars of her fellow kind. “That is the keep! Land us there!” She extended her claw to a astronomically humongous castle that seemed to be an entirely different island in its own right.

“Roger that!” Derpibra loosened his grip of the ropes connected to her wings, causing her to fly more in a downwards direction.downwards.

Reaching the threshold of the mighty building before them, the party disembarked from their beastly ally, taking in the wonderful sight of the forests and the towering structure above.

“That’s one big castle.” Rainbow Dash examined.

Audry’s neck turned to a curve to face them. She seemed much smaller than whatever the castle may have been built for. “This is the House of Dragons, home to the Inquisition.”

“Inquisition?”

She nodded slowly. “Indeed. The Inquisition is an army- one that is constructed of what remains of the Dragon Riders since the days of old. They themselves fight in service of any and all dragons, including the ones who wish to serve them.”

“What does have to do with that Darkness stuff from a few days ago?” Optix questioned.

“The Inquisition and the ones who follow it… they may be the deciding factor in which we survive... or we perish. I was fortunate enough to find a group who would so selflessly assist us in our time of need. Now, what you all must do first, is find out more about the Darkness that shadows us. This will help all of Dragon Isle better understand what we are up against.”

“I’m guessing the Inquisition will be our first target?” Derpibra asked.

“Yes. One reason why we may not be able to fight the Darkness on our own is because your kind- ponies, are able to do some things that we dragons cannot. And they themselves possess said abilities.”

“What are these abilities?”

“We are not too sure. Not even they know. They seem to possess some kind of power… a power we can feel but not quite understand. It definitely feels unlike anything we dragon's sensed in quite some time. Maybe you can discover it?”

“Maybe.”

She tilted her head towards the door. “Seek Sanctus, the Dragon Pastor and First in Command in the Inquisition. She will guide you.”

“What does she look like?”

“A unicorn, bangs similar to Twilight’s, but her mane grows much more wild and spiny the farther back it goes. She has reptile-like eyes, and a small development of scales on her chest. She is… challenging at times, so do excuse her if she is rather abrasive at first.”

(Another tough mare. One Optix is good enough thanks.) He sighed. “Thanks Audry. Let’s see if me being the one to stop the Darkness is at all truthful.”

Audry waved as she took off into the air to join her dragon kind in the sky. She seemed right at home already.

The party ventured inside of the castle seemingly fit for more than just one king. The interior was gorgeous: chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, long stretches of tables and chairs dotting the room, with a velvet carpet extending down the mighty hall until it ended at a throne made of bone-like material. The room itself was dimly lit to give it almost a romantic feel. There were signs of staircases and dozens of other rooms in this one building.

The group gawked at the amazing sight to no end, but only for some minutes, as their excessive gazing was soon interrupted by a strong voice.

“Lookin’ for trouble?”

They all turned about only to spot the mare described to them only minutes ago. Her mane was black, her reptile eyes golden, her coat an almost golden orange… and a strange mark upon her cheek.

“Uh, what?” Derpibra sounded.

“I said: are you lookin’ for trouble?” She demanded an answer so much so that he began to feel shaken slightly.

“Nuh uh!” He shot back.

“Good. Now, what are outsiders like you doing here?”

“We came here to get my cutie mark-”

“That’s all?” She interrupted. “You couldn’t have just come here for some cutie mark. Being around all these huge dragons? You ponies don’t look very tough at all.”

“Ahem,” Sounding slightly agitated, he continued, “And to stop the Darkness.”

“Tsk.” She scoffed. “You think we are just going to let any group of strangers come in and fight with us? Ha!”

He sulked at her.

“Alright, alright. I can tell you know something about us- the Inquisition right?”

“Yeah. Audry took us here in fact.”

“A-Audry…? Hmph, still doesn’t change what I think about you fools.” She walked towards the throne and took a seat. “I’ll talk with her later. Has been some time since I’ve seen her. But I digress. Hey, which one of you is gonna become a Dragon Rider, or did she not tell you?”

“Me.”

“So the gray one huh? Fine.”

“Name’s Derpibra in case you didn’t notice.”

“And I’m Sanctus. Now, I have no interest in learning anypony else’s name here. If you’re gonna be a Dragon Rider, then you gotta prove you got the strength for it. I, gotta give you all my attention, nopony else.”

“Have it your way. How do I prove to you that I got what it takes?”

“Fight me.” A small smile formed on her muzzle.

“What’s that gonna prove? You aren’t one of these giant dragons are you?”

“And you are a pegasus trying to learn how to fly a dragon. Should I ask what the purpose of that is?” She retorted.

He stayed silent.

“Precisely. Keep the mundane questions for me to make- all of you.”

(Wow, this mare is a bitch.) Optix thought spitefully.

“I am one of the best Battle Mages in this Inquisition. You beat me, I’ll consider respecting you more.”

“Let’s see how long that lasts…” Optix snickered.

“So you want me to beat you in a duel? Okay… what are the rules?” Derpibra asked.

She laughed hysterically in her throne.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re another one of those goody-two-shoes stallions huh? There are no rules in combat! Life or death.”

He gulped audibly enough for his friends to hear it.

“So, are ya gonna chicken out or what?”

“No. We came this far, so we can’t turn back.”

“Good. I’ll have Audry watch the fight to confirm your strength. You win, you’re in the Inquisition, no questions asked. But, if you lose…. you die.”

(Why is it a death penalty…?) Derpibra pondered, but there was little time for him to contemplate as Sanctus was motioning for him to follow her to the Dueling Grounds.

Hidden Strength

The sun shined brightly onto the pale brown dirt that covered the Training Grounds. Exotic pink and purple hawks soared the skies along with their dragon companions. Dummies made from potato sacks and hay stood tall on wooden platforms ready to be striked at any moment. Other hay stacks were used as targets for archery: some placed further from others to more adequately test accuracy.

Derpibra and Sanctus stood parallel from each other, keeping their eyesights adamant on their opponents.

“You all stand back. Derpibra is the only one I want to fight.”

They did as instructed, and she withdrew her black iron greatsword, and Derpibra his gift from Twilight, a purple broadsword. He used his knowledge from video games he played when he was far younger- holding his shield in front while keeping his blade as straight as an arrow just above neck level. He knew not if this would work, but it was worth a try in his eyes.

“Interesting posture. Alright, you know the drill.”

Total silence fell upon both opposing sides as they charged in for their attacks. Sanctus charged at his shield with her greatsword much like one wielding a lance. Once they collided, she broke his guard, and attempted at another swing, but scarcely missed. As he dodged, he kicked up both of his hooves and landed a relatively devastating hit in her chest.

“Derpibra is pretty good.” Twilight observed him as he raised his shield, readying his surprisingly sturdy defense again. “Where did he learn to use a shield?”

Sanctus was panting heavily and with haste. She was taken aback by his performance. “Well, looks like you aren’t the scrawny stallion I thought you were.”

His face became riddled with a menacing frown. He already didn’t very much like Sanctus at all, so anything she would say would garner her an aggressive response. He shouted at her, teeth and all: “You knew nothing about me, and you still don’t!”

She staggered from his unexpected outburst. (What was that…!? His voice, it held power! Could it be…?) She charged at him again, but with a different strategy in mind. The unicorn leaped over him, and attempted to run him through from behind, but he perceived her plan almost too perfectly.

He went prone on the ground before sliding himself between her hooves and smirked as he appeared behind her. He then landed a powerful shield bash, sending her a good distance from himself.

“Heh…!” She scoffed. “Alright, you’re better than I expected. But, you gotta realize that I’m not fighting at my best!” She charged her horn, bright with colorless magic, and proceeded to launch a devastating salvo of magical bolts in his direction.

His frown only intensified as the bolts seized him. Having very little time to react, he sheathed his sword and locked both hooves into his shield handle, hoping he could muster a better defense. The attack assaulted his wall of defense fiercely. Unable to sustain his guard, his shield was pushed aside, allowing the bolts to explode on impact, causing severe damage. He stood, panting, body aching.

“What’s wrong? Can’t stand a bit of burning?” Her horn glowed again, but this time with a brilliant blue. “Aqua Blast!” She shouted as a blue orb, twice the size as him, was set on it’s course.

Unable to move, he stood, hoping he would live after the attack, but before it hit, he saw a flash of orange before everything went white in a destructive explosion. Once his environment became visible again, he noticed Applejack lying on the ground, burns covering her chest and hooves, but still alive.

“Applejack…?” He said feebly as he stared at her, panting with silent moans of injury. His head whipped in Sanctus’ direction, now more angry than before. “You… You…!”

“Talk about a cheap shot.” Sanctus said tauntingly.

“Now you’ve crossed the line…” He muttered before shouting, once again with all his might: “You bitch!”

“Such spicy vocabulary for a half-skilled weakling eh?”

He threw his weapon and shield upon the ground and screamed into the air. His mane seemed to spike upwards as a light gray aura encased him. He felt different, but he was far too enraged to even care about what it may be. His eyes settled back onto Sanctus with a fearsome look that even she might find intimidating. Now, he was out for blood.

(His power…! He is a Warrior of Magnus! A gift from our king! But he doesn’t know it yet…!)

Out of bleak rage, he pursued her almost instantly, landing a powerful combo of ten hits. Launching her into the air above, he stripped her of her blade and shoved it into the ground with enough force to shake its very construction. He then kicked her away, and flew after her.

Recovering quickly, she stopped in the air, staying afloat by her magic’s doing. Extending her horn forwards, she fired another salvo of bolts in a vain attempt at stopping his rampage.

He shrugged off her attacks and slammed her into the ground with one swift swing.

Sanctus laid in the dirt below for some seconds before lifting herself and disposing of her mouthful of dirt. “Man, he’s something else…!” She looked above to spot him readying himself to smash his hoof into the ground, presumably some form of a shockwave attack. She dashed away, narrowly escaping as he impacted the rubble below their hooves.

He stood still, his red mane still standing tall from the current of his magic. “You’ll pay…!” His words became whispers as he fainted, body crashing upon the ground.

“Glad that’s over…” She looked at his friends across the Training Grounds and saw them all scowling at her. “What?”

Twilight stepped forward. “What you did to Derpibra and Applejack… You know that was wrong!”

“What? The orange one? Nopony told her to jump in, and what about Derpibra? Hey, he wanted to take the risk. But you can’t ignore that he’s a pegasus who can cast magic. That’s… rare.”

“I suppose, but you can’t be acting like this. This is insane.”

“Yeah yeah. Look, I’ll do something nice if it keeps you from killing me in my sleep.”

“Well I advise you start speaking now darling.” Rarity demanded with her usual elegance.

“I patch up Derpibra and Applejack and I’ll look into this magic he has so you all can stop the Darkness. Normally I would test everypony individually to get into the Inquisition, but I’ll make a pass since he is pretty tough. That means you all get in, but you better not cause trouble. Deal?”

“Fine.” Twilight said unenthusiastically.

The group made their way into the castle, along with Sanctus who had Applejack and Derpibra in her magical grasp.

Preparations

Quite a few hours later into nightfall, Sanctus watched over her acquaintances- Derpibra and Applejack especially, as they rested in the guest quarters. She took some time to get to know his friends before they turned in for the night.

Moonlight bled through the royal gold trimmed windows. The guest rooms, full of luxurious furniture and velvety decor. It helped everypony feel right at home.

Derpibra awoken from his induced slumber, and when his vision became clear, he frowned at Sanctus.

“Hold on now.” She smirked from his quick aggression. “I got your mare in the bed right there. She’s fine. I fixed both of you up actually, so don’t try and kill me.”

He scoffed and dropped his head back onto the pillow.

She chuckled. “Hey, sorry for what happened. If it makes you feel better, I treat all potential new recruits like that.”

“Hmph.”

She shrugged before continuing. “Anyway, that strength you showed me earlier: insane. I was taken back by that you know.”

He rolled his eyes. “Glad I impressed you.” He said sarcastically.

“Look, I know you don’t like me that much, but you need me.” She placed herself on the windowsill, staring below.

He sat up straight. “Heh. What for?”

“I know much more about this island than you do. If you really want to be a hero and stop the darkness, you’re gonna need my hooves- unless you want to wander in circles while you’re here?”

He grunted lightly. “No.”

“Good. Don’t worry, you won’t see backtalk from me- at least not much…”

Ignoring the last part to that statement, he asked: “So what am I gonna be needing help with exactly?”

“That magic you used during the Proving. I don’t know what it is, so we’re going to need to see our King.”

“Who’s the King?”

“His name is Magnus.” She pointed out of the window to an almost too steep mountain. “The tallest mountain in these parts is just over there. That is where our King, Magnus, resides.”

He had a slight limp as he made his way over to the window, then promptly winced, albeit slightly, at the sight of it. “That thing is tall! Even if I were to fly up there, it would still take a long time…”

“You wouldn’t be able to fly there anyways. Even if you could make the trip, a magical barrier blocks the ‘Coward’s Path’.”

“Why is it called that?”

“The barrier serves to protect our Majesty from attacks. That, and he doesn’t want any traveller, old or new, to take the easy way up. If you want to see him, you have to endure one of two paths: The Dragon Trial or The Pony Trial.”

“Tell me about these trials. They sound kinda generic.”

“Maybe. But don’t let the names throw you off. The Pony Trial is a path built for the likes of ponies- in other words, the easiest one. The Dragon Trial… Well, you already can guess it. It’s a trial for dragons, or the hardest one. Depending on which path you take determines how our King reacts to you along the way. Pick your poison.”

“Which path did you take?”

“Honestly speaking, I took The Path of the Pony. But I was much younger then, and a lot weaker. But nowadays, I bet you I can handle the Dragon Path! But… Which one will you choose?”

He struggled for an answer. “W-what am I going to be seeing on those paths?”

“I don’t know. It’s been so long since I’ve been there, and Magnus sure do loves to change up just how insane those trials are. You may end up fighting other dragons or something.”

(Oh shoot…) “Doesn’t sound so bad…!” He feigned a grin with his shaky voice.

“Not every dragon here is a supreme destroyer of worlds you worrywort. I’m sure that even you can handle some of the beasts he will send after you. Anyhow, you cannot go right- none of you can. You need to rest, get rid of those nasty injuries, and suit up tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. Hey… How are you not hurt from our fight?”

“I used a healing spell to keep myself going afterwards. I have to watch the castle afterall. Healing spells don’t heal everything unless you’re a master of that sort of thing. You are resting properly at least, I’m still kinda in pain here.” She cackled at her own statement.

“...Thanks.”

“No problem, I’ll put some word ahead for ya so you can get some discounts. Got any Dragon Shards on you?”

“Dragon Shards?”

“Currency. They are shards of scales made from our King. If they aren’t his, they’re considered fake.”

“How does he make so much for a whole city?”

“He grows them back pretty fast- fast enough to make a currency out of them. Crazy right?”

“Yeah…”

“Alright, now get some rest mister I-ask-lots-of-questions. We got work to do tomorrow.”

The sun’s rays pierced the windows as everypony awoken from their deep sleeps. The room was full of stretches and yawns, and the occasional smacking of the mouth.

Sanctus was awake before anyone else was, and she greeted them with a loud “Shake and Bake!”, causing everyone to jump out of their usually lethargic selves in the morrow.

“Darling, to not scare me like that!” Rarity complained before all the ponies began scolding Sanctus.

“It’s a good way to get you all up! As you can see, it worked.”

Optix let out a drawn out yawn. “You know, I like to sleep into the day.”

“Not here! Too much work for all of us to do! Up! Up!!”

“Ok, ok.” They all said.

“Alright, there’s food downstairs on the royal dining table. The double doors at the end of the hall. When you’re all done, meet in the Grand Hall.”

Sitting at the table, everypony was graced by the presence of Bush Salads and large loafs of bread. Orange juice and a large assortment of fruits and vegetable were in a large stone bowl in the middle of the room. Once they dined in, bellies full, they met Sanctus in the Grand Hall, awaiting further instructions.

“Alright, we’re headed for the Inquisition’s Armory. Since you all don’t have Dragon Shards, a form of currency on Dragon Isle, I’m going to suit you all up myself. There are materials and armors- pretty much anything you can grab. You can either make weapons and stuff or grab what’s already there.”

They all nodded as they followed her to the bottom of the castle. With not a single window in sight, torches had to be used to illuminate the area instead. Once they entered a room full of swords, axes, armor, as well as bricks of iron and whatnot lying about, they seemed impressed with the sight.

“Help yourselves, just don’t take everything.”

The group scattered about the large room and gawked at the impeccably fashioned weapons. They looked crude, with their jagged fang-like constructions- barely any of the weapons had any sort of straight blade.

Derpibra, already having a straight sword, seemed to be disinterested in any of the other ones in stock. Instead, he focused more on the greatswords. He noticed one propped against the walls and consulted Sanctus about it. “What is this sword called? Was it called a Claymore?”

“Yes. Claymores are large, heavy straight swords typically used by paladins. They are meant to be wielded with two hooves, but can be used with one if you’re strong enough.”

He attempted to pick it up, and successful he was. He gave it a few swings, and it seemed to please him, even though it was a slight burden. “I like this sword.”

“Take it then. If you’re meant to save us from the Darkness, then by all means.”

He sheathed it on his back, and briefly looked around before spotting an even larger straight sword. “What is this?”

“A Zweihoofer.”

“This thing is huge!” With it propped against the wall, he attempted to pick it up, only to be flattened by its hilt. “Ouch…”

Optix laughed at him hysterically. “You ok Derpi!?” She lifted the blade effortlessly from his back.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“Yeah…” Sanctus started. “Zweihoofers are extremely heavy and only used by the most valiant of paladin knights.”

“No kidding…” He cracked his back, feeling slightly relieved.

After some time, everyone found their prefered choices of equipment. Derpibra, his claymore, sword and shield, and light chainmmail armor. He would have gone heavier, but due to his amount of equipment, light armor was as best as he could go. Twilight, wizard’s robes and a Black Dragon staff. Fluttershy, stealth clothing so that she can hide if need be, Rainbow Dash with her light leather armor and bow, Applejack equipped with heavy plate metal armor and a Zweihoofer, Pinkie Pie and her dual knives with bright multicolored robes, Rarity with sparkling medium armor composed of metal and leather and a shortsword alongside a buckler, and Optix with her normal equipment set.

“Are you all ready?”

The group nodded.

“Then lets move.”

A Path Chosen

The morning sun beamed upon the group as they ventured down a dirt path towards the start of the mountain. Things were starting to warm up on the clear day.

The mountain itself was close to a shore, so everypony got a spectacular view of the seas, but as they looked on, they saw a fiery creature on a wooden raft, floating to the shore then coming to a stop.

“Who’s that?” Derpibra asked. “Kinda looks like a griffon…”

The griffon exited the raft and walked over to the travellers. He was a bright red and yellow griffon, though his colored seemed to be dulled in some areas. He wore a suit much like his colors, but it was battered and worn and was riddled with a peculiar scent of saltwater.

“Who’re you?” Optix asked.

“I’m Gilligan, a griffon hailing from Equestria.” He seemed to refuse eye contact.

“Are you?” Twilight examined him closely. “You look like someone I know… And that suit…”

“Think nothing of it.” He dismissed. “I just sailed from Equestria to here. I was looking for the closest land mass I could find. And here I am. Do any of you know of a town or village around here where I can eat and clean myself up?”

“Dragon Isle Town is that way.”

“Thanks.”

The short encounter situated, he watched the group leave as he walked for the nearest tree.
He gathered branches and other tinder to use to start a campfire. He sat around it to dry up for some minutes before he reached for his red-orange top hat- as battered and worn as it was. He tossed it into the flames and watched a part of himself burn away. Sitting on a log, he reviewed his recollections of his past.

“I… Am not Gilligan as I say… I simply mask my past with a new identity, one I could not escape…”

Once the hat turned to ashes, he proceeded to take off his torn suit, and placed it in the fire in such a way so it wouldn’t put it out. Once he seen the suit- a suit that costed him thousands of bits, turn to ashes, he muttered: “I’m not as what I seem to be...” Looking off into the distance, he continued. “A new future awaits me. And the Princess of Friendship may be able to help. But what is she doing here…? Is this just mere coincidence?”

The group made it to a forked road, with two signs: The left was the Trial of the Pony, and the right The Trial of the Dragon.

“Which path?” Sanctus asked.

“You know more about this than I do.”

“But this is your adventure, not mines. You lead us on.”

Derpibra looked back. “Thoughts anyone?”

“We should probably take the least problematic path.” Twilight said. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity agreed with her.

“But Twilight!” Rainbow Dash started. “There’s no point! Nothing about this is gonna be easy, and besides, we can prove how awesome we are to the dragon! Maybe he likes tough ponies?” Sanctus and Optix approved of this.

“It’s your choice.” Sanctus said.

“Hmmm…” He noticed a smaller amount of text on the signs. The left read “The Path of the Pony is easier. There is a much lower chance of discovering items, but there is also a lower risk of attack. The Path of the Dragon is much harder. Much higher chances of finding items, but you will be more prone to attack. But, it all depends on how well skilled you are at scavenging.”

“The Path of the Pony sounds more convincing. I mean, we gotta make sure we’re actually alive by the time we get up there right?”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes then grunted. “Ah, fine.”

Taking the left path, they progressed up the mountain at a steady pace. The path itself was so lengthy and seemingly endless that they thought for sure that they may need to camp for a night or so before they arrive. The path itself began to grow very arid and nigh lifeless- except for the occasional cactus dotting the landscape.

As the group ventured forth, an extremely deep, royal voice erupted from the top of the peak almost as if the voice was next to them. “Young mortals…”

The party winced with a small yelp coming from Fluttershy.

“You chose what was meant to be the ultimate challenge for pony kind…”

Derpibra looked around before calling out to the inconspicuous voice, with seemingly no source of origin. “Are you the King or something?”

The voice spoke with a slow but royal tone. “You are indeed speaking with the King of these lands… I will be expecting you… Derpibra. Farewell…”

“Wait! How do you know my name?” He inquired in vain as the voice spoke no longer.
“Huh, guess that’s for me to figure out… c’mon everypony, let’s keep going.”

Beginning their trek through the lifeless path again, Pinkie Pie shot a look at him. “What was that all about?”

He cocked his brows and shrugged. “Dunno. Guess he wanted us to know he was up here somewhere.”

“I guess. Hey!”

He jumped. “What?”

“Do you have even the teeniest tiniest idea what we’ll find up there?”

“Besides a dragon? No idea.”

She became unusually jittery. “Maybe we’ll find candy! Or more chocolate rain clouds!”

“Uh, what?”

“Pinkie’s referring to… an ability that a friend of ours has.” Twilight explained. “Honestly, I don't know how she can ingest that much chocolate at once…”

“I’m confused.”

“I’ll tell you the story when we get home. We must not get distracted.”

“Alright.” Sounding only slightly disappointed, he refocused onto the trail ahead, watching for any dangers.

Many hours have passed, and the party reached closer to the top. Being just at midday, the sun seemed to be right next to them. The air grew stuffier and much more heated. Cool breezes that once came through occasionally now ceased, only causing the group more heat induced anguish.

Optix seemed to be sweating the most since she was wearing a military grade ballistic vest and desert camouflage cargo pants.

“You okay back there?” Sanctus asked. “You're sweating buckets.”

“Didn't know you cared so much.” She lightly scoffed. “Just kidding. Ey, doing fine. I’m trained to sustain myself under extreme conditions like this. But really, you should be worried about Rarity.”

Rarity seemed to be close to passing out. “This sweltering heat is driving me mad… and perhaps to bad health as well…”

“Keep it together everypony. We’re almost there.” Sanctus said.

Only moments later, Fluttershy collapsed. The group turned their heads, and spotted her only feet away.

“Flutters…!” Derpibra called out to her. “You okay?”

No response was heard from her.

He galloped to her and shook her still body in vain. “Hey, wake up! You can't be…?”

“She isn't.” Twilight finished. “She’s not the most enduring of any of us. I can tell what's happening from here.” She kneeled over her yellow friend and inspected her closely. “She's having a heat stroke!”

“What? She just drank water not too long ago.” Rainbow Dash said.

“Yes, but the temperature keeps getting worse. Who knows if we’ll even make it up all the way.”

“Can't we just turn back? I don't want us to die up here. Maybe we ain’t cut out for this journey.”

“Applejack, dear,” Rarity responded. “I we have made it this far, and we said we would do something for these dragons. We should stick by it.”

“I thought this path was the easiest!” Derpibra sighed.

“Doesn't mean it's actually easy- just easier than the rest.” Sanctus explained.

“I guess. Glad I didn't choose the Dragon Path, this is terrible!” He used his muzzle to scoop up Fluttershy and hung her over his back. “C’mon, we’re in this together, conscious or not.” His hooves bent from her weight. “Geez…! What have you been eating…!?”

“She’s barely over a hundred pounds.” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“You forget I’m not really that physically strong…!”

“I would just barely be learning about that now since you seem to be pretty tough otherwise. Ha!”

“...Right. C’mon. Hopefully we aren’t pony toast by the time we get up there.” His cheeks expanded with air as he tried not to fall over from his supposedly overweight friend. Perhaps it was his equipment contributing to the burden as well?

Two Strong Powers

After a month had passed, Derpibra was well trained, far beyond even his own unprecedented abilities that not even he knew of until he met Sanctus. He ran up and down the trail leading to the mountain for a full week, enduring blistering heat, freezing cold weather. He exercised his magic pool by casting spells, and managed to create some spells as well.

Magnus, already being a highly enlightened dragon on his own, found the training to be refreshing since he has never actually fought a true battle in some time.

It was nightfall, on the very day that would count this month, the same black abyss of space seen on normal nights sat adamant above. Only this time, the night sky seemed different- there were no stars. The mountain seemed much darker and lifeless as a result.

The two training partners circled in the air, briefly clashing together before flying back again. Derpibra’s magic was flaring, and lasted many times longer than it did a month earlier. His body seemed to yearn for more strength as if it cannot be satisfied. Glistening sweat ran down his muzzle as he laid a powerful strike against Magnus’ chest, sending him flying back.

Of course, Magnus wasn’t using his full strength, but he was still astonished by Derpibra’s rapidly increasing strength and finesse in his Dragon Magic, the name Derpibra coined himself.

“I am still afraid that you may not be strong enough to face the Darkness…”

“Why?”

“Your progress is rapid, but still not enough. The Darkness may take us all… at this rate.”

“I’m still kinda confused about this though.” He said as he wiped the salty sweat from his forehead. “You never told me why this ‘Darkness’ wants to kill us so badly.”

“Light and Dark live together in harmony. They surround us constantly. Perhaps the Darkness wants more control, but we dragons do not know. The only way you will learn is if the Dark told you itself. All we know is that it is a threat to us all.”

“We work against a problem we are blind to. That’s crazy.”

“Simply said.” Magnus’ eyes shot ajar suddenly, as if he was scared by something,

“What’s wrong big guy?”

As Magnus looked into the distance, the ocean seemed to be disappearing, being replaced by total blackness. Soon, even the moon was not visible. “...It’s drawing near…”

“What? The Darkness?”

A voice roared across the island, shaking buildings, trees, and scaring off almost every animal in range. “Hello… King Magnus!”

“You again…!”

The very same black dragon from Derpibra’s vision soared from the darkness into view. It was missing scales, had spines comparable to crude machetes, and talons so sharp it can cut through one of the buildings with extreme precision.

“Indeed, King. Seems you are cornered.” He chuckled.

“I will kill you now. I won’t miss the chance again.” Magnus firmly declared. “I will stop you, Darkness!”

He shook his head. “That is not my name. I suppose maybe I should tell you before you die?”

“What…? Bastard! You dare hide your name from me? Such cowardice! You knew I would find you eventually…!”

“It is cowardly for you to sit atop this mountain and send your dragons out while hiding, hoping you do not die.”

Magnus, despite his relaxed nature, scowled at his observation. He has had enough. “Fool!” He charged at him, and engaged in a claw struggle. They wrestled and wrestled, but Magnus seemed to be losing the struggle.

“What’s wrong? Not up to speed?”

“I may be old, but I will still be your greatest challenge.”

“Let us test that shall we?” He shoved Magnus’ claws away and kicked him with devastating force, sending him into a wild tailspin.

As he recovered, he prepared a pale yellow sphere of energy in his snout, then launched a beam of blinding light at his opponent. When the beam impacted the unnamed dragon, he felt as though he at least did damage. But, it was to the contrary. As the light faded, the dragon stood still, unphased by the force.

“Such a dull attack. Magnus, I’ve expected better from the king.”

“W-what are you…?”

“Getting cold feet already? That is to be expected… to be feared by the Great Däischtert!”

(That’s his name…? It's unlike anything I’ve ever heard of…)

The dragons charged each other and landed several hits before rebounding. Every impact generating a hard booming sound that shook Derpibra’s ribs. “You got this Magnus!” He cheered, unsure of just how disadvantaged his mentor was.

“I would be foolish to say I did not expect such a high measure of strength from you, Däischtert.” He prepared two claw-fulls of energy. “It’s impressive, even when compared to the previous forms you took back then.”

“A serpent, a horned turtle, and now a dragon. My ideas are endless, and growing in power respectively. Whatever do you plan to do with that energy of yours, by the way?”

“You’ll see!” As he thrusted his fore claws forward, he launched a volley of great magical blasts.

Däischtert stood adamant on his position, and took every hit without flinching. Once the attack was over, he crossed his forelegs and smirked. “This will never get old.”

(This is preposterous! How is he not taking any damage? Not even a scratch upon his scales whatsoever!) Magnus vanished from sight, and appeared behind Däischtert, landing a swift roundhouse punch, merely pushing his opponent away.

Däischtert laughed maniacally. “Do you not know the definition of futility, Magnus!?” He gripped Magnus with his menacing talons and twirled into the air, then threw him down with extreme force, forcing him through the mountain from one side to the other.

“Magnus!” Derpibra called as the dragon rolled down the peak.

Magnus roared as his wing snapped under the pressure from his repeated descent.

Derpibra looked over the edge and saw his mentor lying on the ground below. “Magnus! Are you okay?”

He did not respond.

“Magnus!?”

The black dragon chuckled. “So, are you the newest recruit for your fallen king? I do not remember seeing you before.”

“You...monster…!”

“Is everything okay up here!?” A mare's voice rang from the other side of the peak.

Derpibra ignored the feminine voice and decided to surge his magic instead.

Twilight and her friends rushed over to him. Rarity spoke, “Please do tell us what is going on dear.”

He dashed down to Magnus, and tried to shake his mentor awake. “Please… please don't be dead!”

The dragon coughed up dirt and blood briefly, and sluggishly slid his head across the dirt to face him. “Derpibra… you… you must forgive me…”

He trotted to the beast’s right eye as it’s body laid on the ground between trees and boulders. “W-why?”

“I was not strong enough myself… the world may be doomed…” Magnus squinted his eyes closed, and water began to fill them. “I… failed us all…”

“...No, you didn't. You trained me. I can fight in your name.”

“It is of no use… Däischtert will kill you…”

“I’ll take him… I promise!”

“Oh, will you?” A dark voice sounded from behind the two. Derpibra’s eyes widened and his breathing quickened. “Wot, scared?”

He whirled around and shouted, “No! You hurt my mentor… my best friend! You’ll pay!” He charged Däischtert and landed a impactful strike on his snout.

Däischtert was unaffected by this, merely shrugging off the attack as a flick, and pounded him into Magnus.

Derpibra smashed into Magnus’ back like a brick wall, causing him to cough blood. He fell to his knees, and tried his damndest to get up, and he barely succeeded. He began to inch forward with difficulty, his fore hooves blocking his face for anymore incoming attacks.

“Ah, so weak and vulnerable. Should I just finish you off now gray one?” Däischtert created a massive halo of black energy in his claws, cracking with purple thunder and faint screams. “Join the abyss! Abyssal Strike!”

(I have to protect Magnus…) Derpibra erected a round barrier, surrounding him and Magnus in a form of lustrous energy. The Abyssal Strike impacted the barrier and caused a magnificent explosion, bringing down half the mountain with it.

When the dark mist dispersed, the barrier was still active, but quickly faded as Derpibra fainted from his overuse of magic.

“Hmph, such futility.” Däischtert scoffed.

Twilight, Applejack, and the rest were caught in the landslide, and managed to only survive with some moderate injuries, thanks to Twilight’s magic. But now she was spent, with only a small amount of energy left.

Twilight’s vision was blurred, but she managed to make out a gray figure to be some kind of zebra creature with red hair, and promptly casted a Healing Sphere in it’s direction. She scarcely missed, the orb only landing in front of him. “C’mon Twilight… you can move it over…” She grunted as she casted Levitation to move it slightly to the left, afterwards it homed in on Derpibra and encased him in a green aura, fading directly after. She then fell unconscious.

Derpibra awoke, still feeling hazy. He spotted his friends in a pile of rubble, and sighed. His entire body ached as he crawled slowly to Magnus, who still laid dormant on the ground. “Did I save you…?”

He did not respond.

“I didn't do this… just so you could die!” He slid his hooves down Magnus’ chest as his emotions boiled over. “Why…? Why was I not strong enough?” He sobbed through his words as his mane momentarily shined golden. “I could've saved you…” It faded to red and stood still. “MAGNUS!”

“Why do you feel such strong emotion for this old pile of scales?”

His pupils shrunk in size as he was further losing control of his sorrow and anger. “Pile of scales…? Scales!? How dare you say that about him! Bastard!” His power erupted into a torrent of light, pillars of blinding magic shot up from the ground as he howled a battle cry that could be heard for miles. The ground tremored under the force of his anger, the darkness began to recede, and with one final shine of golden hair, it maintained this state of color, and his eyes turned turquoise. His body surrounded by a bright yellow aura, his mane was spiked until it’s very ends.

Däischtert again scoffed, but much more blatantly. “So, it seems I’ve angered the gray one into a new state.”

Derpibra turned about and scowled at him. “You killed him… you hurt my friends… You die, here and now! This place will be your grave!”

“Seriously? What does a simple mane change accomplish?”

“You should be scared when my mane changes like this…”

“Mm hm, sure. So, what exactly are you then?”

“I… am a Super Saiyan!”

“Such a goofy name, but I digress. If you think you stand a better chance this way, then please do come at me. I’m waiting.” He beckoned for the golden warrior’s approach.

“With pleasure!” He shot a magic sphere into the ground in front of his opponent, causing a cloud of dust to kick up. He then seemingly vanished at a high rate of speed, and stood in the dust cloud. Crossing his hooves, he began the charging of magic. Surrounded by red and yellow energy, it grew more intense. The cloud dispersed, and he spotted the dragon standing only inches from him. “Over here!”

He looked down at the source of overwhelming power, and merely smiled as he was engrossed by a violent explosion.

The magical specs flickered as they scattered about. Däischtert merely sighed. “Was that all you could manage?”

“What? But I’m a Super Saiyan! You should be… I don’t know, dead!”

“Should I?” He threw a punch with his colossal claw, but Derpibra caught the titanic attack, but not without struggling.

“D-damn it…!”

“I cannot believe Magnus put so much faith into you. An arrogant fool who easily believed in what a spell would teach him. You were chosen by chance, not by whether or not you’re actually fit for it!”

“What…?” His guard was thrown off temporarily.

Seeing this as a chance, Däischtert swung his claw up, sending Derpibra flying into the mountain. Stuck into the rock much like a snow angel, Däischtert rammed his claw into the broken peak, crushing his body and simultaneously making him a grave. Derpibra reverted to his base form, and laid there, made into a fleshy statue of sorts.

“You aren’t very challenging are you?” After a moment, Däischtert looked up in response to a powerful magic that drew closer. “Hmm…? What is that?”

“Is my intervention of the best time?” A bright red-yellow griffon with a spiked tuft of hair and a golden aura much like Derpibra’s appeared, seemingly from nowhere. “Seems that gray fellow is in trouble.”

“Who are you? Hmph, likely another insect to squash.”

“I am Gilligan, a… ‘Super Saiyan’? Is that what the stallion called it…?”

“How exciting! Now I can relish in being able to squash you too, insect!”

Derpibra’s eyes cracked open, and he spotted the Griffon. “That griffon… looks familiar…” He tumbled down the slope and face planted into the dirt and mud below. He picked himself up, despite his pains, but his body gave way again shortly after.

Gilligan witnessed the stallion collapse, and he flew down, grabbed him, and vanished behind a faraway boulder. He then reverted to his normal self to mask his energy. “Wake up you…” He whispered.

Derpibra’s nearly anemic body laid dormant in his claws.

“I hope he is not dead… I need his help to fulfill my destiny.” He withdrew what seemed to be a two-tone orange-purple feather from a pouch strapped on his back. “This is my only Pheonix Down… but he needs it more than me.” He placed the feather on Derpibra’s chest and it vanished in a mist of ethereal feathers and energy, causing his patient to awake.

“Ugh, my head… hey, w-who are you…?”

“A familiar acquaintance. Listen, were you the source of that magnificent magic earlier?”

“Maybe…?” He stepped onto the ground and dusted himself off. “Anyways, thanks for the save-”

“Come on out. No point in hiding!” Däischtert readied a purple sphere in his claw, and let loose a reign of dark energy bullets into the air, destroying everything where they landed. They scarcely missed most of his actual targets, but he did manage to hit Gilligan in the back, causing him to shout in agony. “There you are… screaming in a fit of helplessness.”

“Blast!” He exclaimed as he made a valiant effort to dodge with Derpibra swiftly following behind.

“Where are you two going?” He launched a massive black magic volley in their direction. The spell chased after them, as they swerved in several directions with the orbs exploding around them. Once the assault ceased, they floated within the air, attempting to conjure a plan.

“The only one such way we can beat him is if we work together.” Gilligan said.

“Agreed.”

They both transformed, wrapped in the familiar gold aura and spiked manes. “Together!” They howled as they soared adjacent to each other with their forehooves locked in place of one another.

“Follow my lead!” Derpibra announced as he and Gilligan charged in with their hooves glowing a bright two tone orange and gray. Flying in at lightning speeds, they landed a deafening punch into his jaw, causing the beast to fall back.

“That’s it!” Gilligan cheered.

The dragon laughed with an extremely deranged tone. He stood up on his claws, and cracked his neck. “How foolish of you to think I would die so easily.”

“Dang! Why won't you stay down?” Derpibra said, annoyed.

“Let me let you on a secret before you perish… something your mentor has never told you I’d imagine…”

“Huh?”

“I was a Dragon Rider… just like you.”

“B-but you are a dragon…!”

“Not always. I used to be a pony, but his tainted light brought me on a path of destruction! That is why I served my vengeance…”

“What? No way…! He wouldn't do that!”

“Believe what you will, but you have been tainted by his ‘Light’... condemned to a guarantee of troubling futures. But… if you intend on fighting for him still, you will die.”

“...L-lies! Lies damn you! He wouldn't do such a thing!”

“Oh? Then take this as proof.” He levitated a battered metal that was seemingly fashioned into something, but its shape was hard to understand.

“What is this?”

“A mark of the Dragon Inquisition. I was part of the organization myself.”

“This thing is not a mark! It’s so… weird looking.”

“It’s old, been around for centuries. Do a blood test on the needle that pins to wherever you put it, and it will match me.”

“Why are you telling me this? Why were you trying to kill me?”

“I was intrigued in your strength, to see how far you could go. And, I will not let him commit the same misleading crime against others as he did with me!”

“How did you become a dragon?”

“...An irreversible spell, called Dragonward.”

“That’s… he used it on you?”

“Yes. Now, do you believe me? Or do I have to crush you?”

“Do not believe him.” Gilligan advised. “He's a tricker- a player of minds. You mustn't take his words to heart.”

“But he…”

“Listen.” Däischtert started. “You will understand in time what this mark means. You will need it. I was testing your resolve, and this mark is proof. We will part for now, and cross paths again… when you least expect it. For now, I advise you leave this island.”

“Wait! I have so many questions!” Before he could get an answer, Däischtert disappeared, leaving with Derpibra a multitude of questions and a mark of seemingly worthless, or rather questionable, value.

“Damn! He got away… why didn't you attack him?”

“What he was saying… was interesting. But why would Magnus do any of this? It's all a bit much to swallow.”

“I do not know, but if what the bloke was saying was truthful at all, then we are in for one dastardly quest, might I say. But, touching on another topic, I suppose you have unanswered questions for me, yes?”

“You remembered. Well, who are you?”

“I am Gaffold the Great… or perhaps once great.”

“Gaffold…? Your name rings a bell.”

“Indeed. I sought the chance to help you since the princess of friendship was accompanying you. That is why I stand here now.”

“Ok… why are you able to become a Super Saiyan? Only me and Magnus were training together…”

“I heard talk of ‘Darkness’, and since I lacked a purpose for some time, I thought I could give my life a change… a true use.”

“That's admirable. Hey, if you are looking for a new purpose and friends, why not come with me and my friends? This is our first adventure, but hey, I’m guessing we’ll be doing more soon. Need to head home first though, by the time I get back, my rent is gonna be overdue…”

Gaffold chuckled. “I see. Thank you for the opportunity. I will prove useful, I swear by the feathers on my back.”

“Then it’s settled. Let's head back to Equestria and see what happens. If this dragon spell Magnus used on me is any good, then I’m bound to just run into it, eh?”

“I concur.”

Destiny Researched

The party finally managed to make it to the top of the peak, with little complications aside from extreme heat. Strangely enough, the far top of the mountain did not bear such overbearing temperatures, instead being much cooler. The flat area atop the massive towering stone of Dragon Isle seemed dusty and rigid. Lifeless bushes littered the landscape, and the occasional black fox roamed about in the open. This area seemed even more deserted than the trail leading to it despite the apparent existence of plant life other than a cactus.

“Well, we’re up here.” Derpibra announced as he wiped his forehead clean, being sure to do the same to Fluttershy. He tilted his head over to Sanctus. “Where’s your king?”

“He will sense that we are up here eventually. Just give him a minute.”

Optix free fired her M1 Garand into the air. “We’re here! Hey, you listening!?”

“I don’t think you should be addressing the king like that…” Twilight warned.

As the bullets hailed into the air, after some time, a great gust of wind took over the landscape, then eventually a booming sounded off from an unknown location. Optix made sure to load another clip into her rifle and stowed it away, feeling as though she drawn out their new friend.

A great beast of awesome size, even when compared to the other dragons, suddenly appeared in front of them from a torrent of purple lightning. The creature had coarse, sapphire colored spines forming its back, midnight blue scales, and a surprisingly welcoming face. It didn’t look aggressive at all, even with its bright eyes colored like the sun, about the size of a pony. It bore a black crown encrusted with an unfamiliar yellow gemstone. “So...you’ve come.”

“It was tough to say the least. Are you…?”

“Magnus, the king of Dragon Isle? Indeed, you speak with me in the flesh.”

“You-you’re a big guy aren’t ya?”

“I’ve been recognized for the disproportionality of my size compared to others. But I digress. I trust you have come here for a particular purpose… Derpibra?”

He nodded his head with a confident smirk. “Yeah. But hey, how do you know my name? You didn’t exactly tell me.”

“‘Tis a difficult question to answer in any… definite manner without stirring confusion. But, here.”
He reached out with his great claw and left it wide open, motioning for them to step in.

They all looked at each other before accepting his offer. While they stepped aboard, Fluttershy’s eyes began to open.
“I will show you, as it is difficult to explain. I will take you back in time, to allow you to be witness to a ritual.”

(A ritual…?) Derpibra thought.

After some seconds, they were engulfed in a magnificent white magic, and promptly disappeared. Being tossed through a purple vortex, they witnessed events that occurred in their lifetimes, before eventually the events turned to happenings they have not yet witnessed.

(I have terrible memories of time travel…) Twilight thought as she gulped.

“In this time, you cannot interact with anything, else you may change interfere with something and perhaps even change your present somehow.

“Don’t worry. We are well aware of the risk at hoof.” Twilight remarked.

Time passed, rather slowly, until eventually they landed upon dirt. As they looked up, they noticed that there at the top of the mountain once again. Dragons surrounded a stone pedestal, and seemed to be breathing magic into a stone bowl with odd inscriptions that sat atop it.

“What’s going on here?” Derpibra asked.

“The dragons breathe their essence into the stone bowl, one by one. This can take several hours to complete, and because of how much magic it consumes, it can only be done once every one thousand years.”

“Wow... “

As the ritual progressed, the spell was eventually completed, and a fascinating pillar of light erected from the bowl into the sky, forming a sphere of great size. It then broke into one hundred sparks of magic, that soared through the air, never to be seen again.

“What was that?”

Magnus snapped his talons and brought them to an overhead view of Earth. They witnessed the magic fly to certains countries and disappear… one of which landed in Equestria.

“This ritual is called the Blessing of the Scale. Our power randomly chooses one hundred mortals to be affected by our blessing. That bolt that landed there… was yours.”

“Really? That’s crazy!”

“Indeed. The magic works in it’s own fashion, usually in the form of coincidental happenings to set you on your path without you realizing it. Yours hit you when you were just born.”

“Seriously…? How comes nopony told me? Not even my parents?”

“The magic masks itself. It does not make it obvious how it works. That however is the extent of my knowledge of the power, for the many millions of years I’ve used the spell, I have not learned specifically how it works, for I’ve never seen its effects personally. I just know it works, oddly enough.”

“So that’s how it works... how did you know my name though? Does the magic tell you?”

“In the form of an electric whisper, yes.” With another snap of his talons, they were taken back to present time.

Stepping from his claw, Derpibra turned to him and continued his banter. “So that’s how I was chosen?”

“Yes, rather unlikely so. But the magic will forever be with you, even after you finish your deeds here. Life of adventure has chosen you… embrace it.”

“I might as well. No point in being a weak pony like I used to be when I was smaller.”

“You have a power that will make you strong. I sensed it yesterday… an intriguing flash of strength. I was able to tell it was you.”

Derpibra’s body was wrapped in a colorless aura, attempting to flash his newly found power. “Was this given to me from the blessing?”

“Yes. It is a rare power to be finding amongst mortals. If you train with me, I can show you how to become the ultimate warrior. However, we mustn’t have much time left… I can feel the darkness approaching.”

“How much time do we have?”

“If my sense of time remains reliable… one month. It is a sea of black, ready to sweep us away if we are ill prepared for such an event.”

“No way…”

“Are you willing to fight for us?”

“Yes!”
“Such elasticity. Now, prove it further, as this is the second and last test of endurance.”

Derpibra looked puzzled as Magnus drew a dagger that could count as an ultra-greatsword above ultra-greatswords, and poked his wrist with it. Then, retrieving a much tinier stone chalice, he dripped a boiling spot of blood into it, and offered it to his potential Dragon Rider. “Drink from this.”

Derpibra carefully took the chalice and stared into it, watching it steam as it bubbled and popped in the unfortunate cup it was in. “Uhh.... Twilight! Analysis!”

She stepped to the chalice and tested it with her magic. “It is about five times hotter than normal body temperature, and seems to have some kind of poisonous substance in it, giving it the opaque and bubbly nature of it. Are you sure you want to drink this?”

“Hell no!” He shot back. “Well, I’m gonna have to I guess…” Rather reluctantly, he brought the chalice to his muzzle. Every pony became more worrisome the closer it got to him. Before he would drink it, he said: “Well, if this is my destiny, then I won’t die, right?” As he ingested the perilous blood, it made a brutal sizzling noise and a geisers worth of steam left his face. The fact that he wasn’t screaming in agony afterwards was reassuring. Astonishing even. After he finished, he dropped the chalice and smacked his lips. “I know this may seem kinda weird to say, but that tasted like boiled cranberry juice.”

Magnus laid silent, surprised at Derpibra’s ability to resist the toxins within. “You enjoyed that…?”

“Not really. I wouldn’t ask for seconds, but at least it didn’t kill me.” As he made that statement, his balance began to give way. His vision was becoming blurred and painted red with veins.
(What the heck is this feeling I’m getting?) Derpibra fell to his knees, a feeling of lightheadedness and weakness coursed his veins. The vision his eyes perceived started to warp, twisting and turning before suddenly dashing forward into some form of memory. His peripheral vision was once again blurred, albeit less severely.

What he could make out from his sight however was a dragon as black as night, with eyes that glowed almost a blinding red orange. He envisioned silhouettes of ponies and dragons fighting in large groups against the much larger black dragon. It released a roar so realistic and audible that it knocked him out of his vision. Feeling normal again, he stood, shaken by his frightening sight.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked.

He did not respond, only standing there in shellshock.

Applejack waved her hoof in front of his quaking eyes, but not even he responded to his beloved mare. “Did you do something to him Magnus?”

Magnus missed her question, and instead paced back and forth with a worried expression. (Never has anyone been so damaged by their visions like he… he is paralyzed by what he witnessed. Every single individual that drank my blood has reported their sightings… but Derpibra, he seems… undescribable.)

“Hey, you heard me right?” Applejack questioned, this time more firmly. “What did your blood do to him?”

He faced her and sighed. “It’s a vision presumably. He may have seen something so harrowing that he was left in shellshock. It will wear off shortly.”

“Will he be alright?”

“Yes. It is only a vision afterall. The unfortunate thing about it is that the visions have always proved themselves to be true.”

“What was the vision then?”

“I do not know.”

Applejack curled a brow. “Why not?”

“I possess the power to, but I choose not to. I’ve… driven one of my Dragon Riders insane with one simple but fatal mistake. I never wanted to use that ability since. The risk is too grave...Derpibra may be invaluable to dragons surviving the impending chaos. I do not want to risk him, or anyone in his wake should such a thing occur.”

“Can you at least tell me why?”

“The memory… I do not want to remember. It was so harrowing…”

Derpibra shook his head before he finally gotten himself out of his terrified state. “That was scary…!”

Magnus approached Derpibra as he spoke, “What did you see?”

His body was still trembling, but otherwise remained intact. “A gigantic shadow, kinda looked like a dragon…” Tears began to fill his eyes, since he’s never been so terrified of anything in his life, not even roaches.

Applejack gave Derpibra a tough hug and pecked him on the cheek. “Buck up sugarcube. You gotta be strong for what’s ahead.”

“S-sorry. No one told me that dragon, or whatever… would be that huge.”

“Quit your sobbing!” Optix called out. “You’re supposed to be the guy who stops this Darkness crap from killing everything here. Puff out your chest and say ‘I can do it’!”

He sniffled before feebly puffing out his chest as instructed. “I… I can do it…”

“Louder.”

“I can do it.”

“Louder!”

“I can do it…!”

“Louder damn it!”

And with that, he filled his lungs with air, tears disappearing, confidence restored: “I can do it! I can beat anything!” His magic reacted to his emotions, coursing him in the same colorless aura as yesterday. But something was different. For a split moment, his mane pulsed a glorious golden color before fading to it’s normal red. Afterwards, his magic faded away, and he took in a confident breath. “Yeah! Thanks girls, I feel better now.”

Magnus’ eyes widened from the sudden flash of power. (Could this be…? What was that flash of gold just then? Maybe the legends are true…)

“I gotta train hard. Magnus, what should I do first?”

He cleared his throat. “We must focus on your endurance, skill with magic, among other things. We only have a month.”

“I understand.”

“Then let us proceed. Your friends must go however, as you must not have any distractions. That, and if our training becomes intense, then they will not be in the way. Sanctus, would you like to train his friends?”

“Might as well. For a month as well?”

“Yes. Take the portal to the bottom of the peak.”
Derpibra winced. “There was a portal!?”

Magnus chuckled. “It is only accessible to those who endured the trials.”

“Phew. Welp, see you all in a month!”

As the group waved their goodbyes, Derpibra would now have to endure fighting a dragon many times larger than him as a form of training.

Conclusion

Audry flew the group back to Equestria, unaware of their findings. The injuries sustained during the devastating fight had to be remedied by Ponyville’s hospitals for some months, into March, year twenty sixteen. Just as everyone begins to return to their normal lives, Twilight Sparkle receives an invitation to the most surprising event...