Legendary

Luna gazed intently at the beast before her. It was twice- no, thrice her size from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail, which terminated in a wicked point. On all fours, it was easily double her height. Her eyes scanned the dragon, taking in every last detail. The entirety of its form was covered in deep indigo scales, the edges of which were pointed and sharp. A line of larger, triangular scales ran down the ridge of its back, following the curve of its spine. These were green  and seemed to be harder and denser than the others. Luna had no doubt that these were quite capable of withstanding most attacks.

She resumed her observation of the dragon. Its wings, rugged and muscular, were like those of a bat; spokes of bone holding a membrane stretched between them. The membrane, in stark contrast to the toughness of scale, was designed to catch the wind and provide lift, propelling the dragon through the air. They resembled the finest leather Luna had ever seen.

A large gash marred the right wing, ugly and out of place. The wound was blackened, indicating that it had been cauterised. But by whom? The dragon himself? Her gaze moved up the dragon’s neck and on to its head.

The head was vaguely pyramidal, probably getting its shape from the skull. Its jaw was filled with rows upon rows of vicious sabre-like teeth, each curved toward the interior of its mouth. Once this dragon bit on something, or someone, there would be no escape. The air rippled with a heat wave whenever it exhaled. Two horns grew on its head, sprouting from an area slightly behind the crown of its skull. They must have been there for quite some time, for Luna could see that they were chipped and scratched. Perhaps they were the marks of numerous battles.

Then there were the eyes. By the Void, those eyes sent a chill sown her spine. Green, reptilian eyes that glittered with sentient intelligence. They hinted at a malevolent cunning far deeper than any normal being could acquire in its lifetime.

The dragon inhaled deeply, its breathing audible in the large throne room they were in. It inclined its head forward and blew out a surprisingly gentle breath over the bowl of tea set in front.

The dragon’s menacing image was diminished considerably by the sight of it half-heartedly sipping tea from an ornate china bowl.

“I’m terribly sorry for the reaction you received Spike.” said Celestia from her throne. “The guards have never seen a dragon before. I hope you’ll understand.”

“I apologise as well Spike. I suppose I should have given you fair warning.” Luna said quickly.

“Hmph. I fail to see why you had to react so aggressively. I thought I’d left that behind in the dragon badlands.” Spike complained. His voice was low and gravelly. It reminded Luna of the long walks she used to take with her sister millennia ago, before any of this princess business began.

She shook her head to clear the image. Now was not the time for warm memories. Spike had said that Equestria was in grave danger. That had to come first.

“Spike, I believe you have something to tell us?” Celestia said.

Spike looked mournful.

“Yes.” he said. “I came to deliver a warning. It’s about the dragons.”

Celestia pondered this for a moment.

“Dragons?” she mused. “Well, out with it then. What is going on with the dragons.”

“The dragons are returning Princess. And they are not the same dragons that you knew before. They come not in peace, but bring war on their wings!” Spike exclaimed.

They sat in stunned silence, just the three of them. Celestia had ordered the guards to leave so they could speak privately. Spike cleared his throat loudly.

“Forgive me. I neglected to give vital context. Perhaps I should offer some explanation.” he said.

“Please do.”

Spike began to speak.

“I assume, princesses, that no news of dragonkind has reached Equestria since our departure half a millennium ago. Hence, you are unaware of the events that have taken place.” he said. He waited for a nod of agreement. Upon confirmation, he continued. “Life after the exodus was... difficult. There was little food, less water and absolutely no mercy in the badlands that were our home.”

He paused, possibly trying to gain control of his emotions. This was a sensitive subject to him. That much was apparent.

“It was terrible. Dragon turned on dragon. We would kill each other over the smallest scraps of food. Whatever civility we had before was lost in the chaos. Much blood was spilled in those days.” he said. ”However, after about a century, the strongest dragons began to establish clans where they could be clan chief. Perhaps they did it out of ambition or a lust for power, but food was shared within each clan, so it made sense to join one.”

“For a time, there was relative peace. Enough blood had been spilt already. The different clans kept their distance from each other; nobody wanted to start a clan war. Even the food situation improved as we could now hunt in groups.”

“But then one clan, Ignisklan, started to become too powerful. Their chief, a dragon who calls himself the ‘Bone King’, had gained control of a new army.”

“He had found the wyrm. A horrible, savage bunch of little lizards. The Bone King got it into his head that dragons were superior beings, destined for something greater that what we already were.”

“Dragons began to leave their clans to join Ignisklan. And as their power grew, so did the Bone King’s ambition. He now wants to conquer Equestria and prove draconic superiority.”

Luna felt her heart beat faster as each word escaped Spike’s lips.

“It can’t be!” she said. “Surely not every dragon thinks this way.”

Spike shook his head sadly.

“No,” he said, “Not all dragons. But those who spoke out against the Bone King were quickly silenced.”

“I myself was nearly killed on the way here.” he said, showing them the blackened wound on his wing. “I implore you princesses, evacuate your subjects. Flee. Equestria is not ready for war.”

He lowered his head, signalling that he had finished what he wanted to say. Luna glanced worriedly at Celestia, whose brow was furrowed in deep thought. War? Equestria had never gone to war before. The casualties would be horrifying.

Finally, Celestia spoke.

“If what you say is true, then I fear that we are in for a fierce battle. I also understand why you would urge us to flee.”

“You say that the dragons have changed. Allow me to tell you this. Neither. Are. We. Your friends, the six who used the Elements of Harmony, may be gone. But we’ve more than made up for it. We have an army of our own now. We love Equestria, and we’ll fight to the death to protect it.” she said, a determined look on her face.

“The Elements of Harmony are not to be forgotten either. If the need arises, sister and I should be able to wield their power once more. We did it once. I don’t see why it won’t work again.” Luna added.

Spike’s response was to simply give them a worried look.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” said Spike. “It’s arisk I’d rather not take. I was raised here. Equestria is my home as much as any pony. I have no wish to see it fall to the likes of the Bone King.

Dawnchaser awoke, a shaft of light blinding him. The morning sun had found a gap in his curtains and had sent a ray of sunlight in to torment him. He cursed inwardly and hauled himself off the couch. He looked at his clock. It was ten to eight.

There was still some time to get ready before starting work.

He made his way to the bathroom, groggy and uncoordinated.  Dawnchaser stopped to look out the window. Ponyville hadn’t changed in a long time, or so he had been told. The view from his window only confirmed this notion. Sure, there were shiny new houses here and there, built to accomodate the growing population. But the majority of the structures were quaint old cottages, build in the same haphazard arrangement that ponies used before they realised city planning was important.

He didn’t hate it. No, he could never truly hate it. He was just bored. Nothing ever changed. He would have moved to Canterlot, where the sparkling city lights promised a life of excitement and freshness, but he couldn’t leave the library here. It was an ancient tree which housed a library and his quarters. How this had been accomplished he did not know, but that was where he lived. His living space was upstairs, while the lower level was filled with bookshelves crammed together. He couldn’t just leave it behind. It was both his home and his source of income. He’d be homeless and destitute if he abandoned it.

Dawnchaser entered the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he saw a stallion looking back at him. A horrid, unruly savage. He brushed his teeth, watching the stallion in the mirror intently. The frothy toothpaste lent him a rabid, psychopathic look. He rinsed his mouth, took a shower and dried himself off before combing his mane. Once he was done, he looked in the mirror again. The savage was gone. The psychopath was nowhere to be seen. Now there was only his reflection looking at him.

There he was, the pony he recognised as himself.

His name was Dawnchaser, but his friends had always referred to him as Chase. He’d been Chase in kindergarten. He’d been Chase in school. And now as an adult, the entire town called him Chase.

He was an earth pony with a light brown coat. His mane was of medium length. Not as long as the mares wore theirs, but not cropped short either. It was dark brown, almost black. He knew that looked rather average. It was only his eyes that made him stand out. His irises were orange. They did look a bit out of place in contrast to his simple coat colour, but he liked his eyes. They made him feel unique. He turned so that he could see his cutie mark in the mirror. It was a four-pointed yellow star. He couldn’t remember what he’d been doing when he’d gotten it, so he wasn’t actually sure what his talent was.

Descending the stairs that connected the loft to the library, he proceeded to walk between the bookcases that filled the first floor. Each shelf, almost bursting with tomes of every size and colour, had to be inspected for signs of damage. It was standard practice. He didn’t want one to break and empty a load of books on somepony’s head. He checked the library clock. A quarter past eight. The teachers from the village school would be bringing their students around at eight-twenty. There wasn’t time to eat breakfast.

A loud banging sounded at the front door. Chase was puzzled for a second, then reasoned that they were here early. He hurried to the large door and unlatched it. The door’s hinges squealed like a tortured mouse as he heaved it open. Making a mental note to oil those hinges, he looked at who had come knocking.

It wasn’t the students. Instead, there stood a young mare. She was a pretty young thing, his age actually. Her eyes were lilac, her coat was a soft shade of pastel blue. Her cobalt blue mane was long and had been swept back, tucked away behind her right shoulder. She was a unicorn, evident from the way she manipulated the brass knocker on his door. The light blue aura around the knocker faded and she stepped forward. She could see her cutie mark. It was a pile of snowballs. He knew she was an assistant teacher at the school. The students called her ‘Miss Hollyfrost’.

She was also his best friend. And a damned good snowball fighter.

“Holly?” he said, surprised. “You’re here early.”

“I know. I just needed some time to prepare myself.” she replied. “This field trip is going to be a nightmare. I can’t believe I suggested we go to the library.”

She had let herself into the building and was now pacing the room, her mane swishing around violently as she ranted nervously.

“-I mean, why would I do that? You don’t bring a seven-year old to a library! They don’t read books. You bring them outdoors so they can wear themselves out.” she said, becoming increasingly agitated.

“Whoa! Hey, calm down. Relax. It’ll be fine. They’ll listen. Besides, reading is good for them.” he said, stopping her with a hoof on her shoulder. She halted her pacing and ranting and just stood there, breathing hard. Her breathing gradually slowed, returning to a more reasonable speed. She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

“Thanks Chase. I needed that...” she said gratefully. “ Well, I’d better get back to the school.”

Chase showed her out, and she nipped off toward the school. He watched her leave before closing the door and turning to face the library’s interior.

He didn’t think it would be that bad. It might be tiring to handle the students, but they were just children. All the same, he made sure the ‘No Entry’ sign was prominently displayed on the staircase. He didn’t want any nosy schoolchildren invading his living area.

CODEX

Deities and Worship (adapted from Mortal by Snow Winterhoof)

Deity worship in Equestria is, and has always been, rather limited. For as long as recorded history, ponies- be they earth, pegasus or unicorn, have  revered the alicorn, a race with the traits of all three varieties. For example, a pony may still utter, “Sweet Celestia.” or something similar when he is startled. This reverence stops short of outright worship however, and is mostly manifested as extreme feeling s of respect for the alicorn.

Dragons are thought to worship ancient kings and warriors. However, since the departure of the entire dragon community, updated reports have been impossible, so it is unclear if this is still the case. It is however, assumed to be true. Following this assumption, it can be said that any dragon strong or clever enough to subdue its peers has a chance to become a deity in its own right.

Alicorn psychology however, is vastly different from that of a regular pony. Princesses Celestia and Luna generally decline to discuss their beliefs, but based on the few records in which they have spoken of it, they appear to revere ‘The Void’. The Void is neither a being nor a physical object, but a concept. As ironic as it sounds, the Void is the concept of nothingness. While this may sound absurd to you and I, perhaps the immortal alicorn find the idea of nonexistence fascinating as it symbolises death. This would explain the princesses general reluctance to speak of such a morbid topic.