The Ancient One

Far Away From Equestria...

I look upon what I have done, the destruction I have caused with sorrow and guilt. I murdered millions, ruined billions of generations, and soured my very existence. I, Alduin, first born of Akatosh, don't deserve a second chance, but that is also more reason for me to live, redemption. How could I have gone so low without realizing? It doesn't matter, I am here and now, I am here to help, I am here to become the angel I was meant to be.

As I stared at the stone wall with determination, a small female light blue scaled dragon with white horns was flying as fast as she could in a random direction. Her eyes had tears in them as she recalled what had just happened mere minutes ago.

She was sitting on her throne with her father beside her with a frown on his face. He had disapproved of the relations with ponies, but his authority didn't matter anymore. That was until a large crowd of dragons being led by none other than Garble through the great hall. He had aged into a fully grown monster, always beating up and killing. All of them had angry scowls on their faces as they drew closer. They stopped in front of her and growled.

"We are here to overthrow you, Princess Ember!" Garble said ever so bluntly. Ember shot up from her throne and glared dangerously at them.

"You won't win this fight, Garble! Guards, seize them!" She ordered, but the guards did not respond, rather they turned towards Ember and started stalking forward. Now she was furious. "Traitors! Fine then, me and dad will destroy you, right?" She called up to her enormous father. What she saw made her tear up. Her own father was just looking away while other dragons try to kill her. Now she was desperate to escape this, to run away from the sorrow, to run away from leading. "How could you?! Im your own daughter!" She screamed at her father, who glowered down at her.

"You're no daughter of mine, runt." He spat coldly and turned his back on her. After that was a blur as she flew as fast as she could away from the dragon lands with a few dragons chasing after her.

Ember was still flying as hard as she could in the random direction she chose, but was quickly becoming tired, she was female after all. The five dragons that were following her were catching up now and she had to strain her wings to get her to keep going at the same speed. Soon, Ember saw a lonely mountain with a large cave surrounded by several smaller mountains and she saw this as her only opportunity to escape death or worse. She shook her head of the thoughts of what they would do to her and flew a crash course directly into the cave entrance. She flew in at high speeds and tried her best to not crash, but hit her left wing on a stalactite, breaking it in an instant. Ember gave a yelp and tumbled across the stone floor of the cave until she slammed into the jagged rock wall, knocking her unconscious... or what she thought was a wall... And so the return of the first born begins...

Alduin

I was meditating when I heard a yelp of pain echo from the entrance of my cave. Someone had come here and they were in pain, this was my chance at redemption. So I rose my body off the ground, something I haven't done in decades, and stalked down the vast cave network in my mountain, looking for the being in need. It was as I peeked my head around another corner that something hit me in the side, unmoving. I slowly move my head around to look at the thing that caused this, only for my blood to freeze. A beautiful, young, small, light blue dragoness laid on the ground unconscious. I felt my blood boil as I saw five dragons, much smaller than me, come running towards the dragoness with claws outstretched. I am no stranger to violence, so I let mother nature take its course.

"Gaan Lah Haas!" I shouted and a wave of purple energy consumed them and they fell to their knees, struggling to breath. "Mey! Hi dare Bo Het Ahrk defile Dii Hofkiin Voth Hin Pahlok?! (Fools! You dare come here and defile my home with your arrogance?!)" I boomed. They looked confused, of course they would not know the ancient dragon language, they look like idiots! I was surprised when I heard an authoritative voice come from the dragoness, stricken with panic and awe.

"Kruziik Gein! Nust Los Unt Wah Krii Zu'u! (Ancient One! They are trying to kill me!)" She said quickly as the males started to regain breathing. I turn my head back to the males, giving the sense of danger in the air.

"Treachery." I hissed. "Ven Gaar Nos!" I shouted and a giant cyclone appeared and swept the dragon males off their feet while I held the female in my claws. It slammed one of them into the wall and snapped his neck, another two got impaled by a stalactite and a stalagmite, and the last two were hurled out of the cave and off the mountain, one didn't get lucky and met a sticky end. The last one flapped his wings and scurried off back to where he came from. Lucky. I then remember the little female in my claws and went back into my cave. "Who are you, dovah?" I asked. She looked depressed and then stoic.

"I am...Ember, just Ember." Ember said hesitantly. She was hiding something, but seeing how depressed she looks, I won't press.

"Well then Ember, what brings you to my Strunmah (mountain)?" I ask, hoping to maybe get her to somewhere safe. She looked even more depressed and started lightly crying as I set her down in the massive ball-shaped room. Unable to take the sight of a beautiful dragoness cry, I tried something. "Kaan Drem Ov." I spoke softly so there wasn't a blast of energy as I watched the affect on Ember take place. She calmed down immediately and gained a peaceful smile on her face. "What happened, young dovah? I will protect you from the harmful world, you have my word." I said with an even softer voice (Kinda like Liam Neeson, except Alduin's.). The smile on her face faltered and it turned into a scowl, but no tears.

"I was betrayed by my friends, my family, MY OWN FATHER!" She yelled in pure rage. Betrayal at the hands of one's own family is not lost on me, Paarthurnax was a 'good guy', I was a 'bad guy', so we chose our sides. She had looked down at the floor and started crying again, so I lifted her chin up and shed some wisdom upon her.

"You are not the only dragon who has suffered from betrayal, my brother, Paarthurnax, was purer than me and helped the beings I so cruelly enslaved, setting them upon me to trap me in a time loop. I commend Paarthurnax on his decision, I was evil, and he was good, thusly I needed to be defeated. I brought that prophecy upon myself, not Paarthurnax." I noticed I was staring at the wall and shifted my gaze to her crimson eyes. "Even though we are betrayed, we must reflect on ourselves to find our wrongs and how to right them before it is too late. I failed in that regard and perished to the dovahkiin, as was foretold." I raised a claw and pointed it at her chest. "You have a destiny brighter than the brightest star, your future holds happiness and love." My expression darkened. "And my destiny is blacker than my own heart, destined to misery and death, never to stop killing." I said with sorrow and loss. This time, she brought herself up to my level and gazed deeply into my eyes.

"There is always a sliver of light for those who know how to find it, so you just need to know how to find it." She said, surprising me with her kindness. I felt happier now that I know that she believed in me, I just need to find my purpose. I did something I haven't truly done in over a millennia, I smiled. This small dragoness mortal made me, an immortal dragon god, smile. Maybe there are more to mortals than meets the eye, both good and bad. "I suppose you are happy now, so I guess I should be leaving. Goodbye, Ancient One." She said sadly as she got up and walked over the entrance of the room.

"My name is Alduin, first born of Akatosh, brother to Paarthurnax, second born of Akatosh." I said in a hollow tone, remembering my past. "You will not make it far, the hazards are too harsh for a mortal. Besides, you have a broken wing, I can fix that." I pointed out, much to her annoyance that she has to stay. She came back and sat in front of me with her arms crossed.

"How can you fix my wing?" She asks skeptically.

"Like this, Tiid Slen Qeth (Time Flesh Bone)." I spoke, creating my own shouts. "If I am correct, this should speed up the healing." Just as I said that there was a sickening 'POP!' and she yelped in pain as the bone realigned. "And it seems I am indeed correct, it should heal in a week and a half. Then we can go deal with your dova...situation." I growled the last part, a brother is one thing, a father is another. That idiot better be cowering, for Alduin the World Eater is angry with his insolence. I coiled myself around the unconscious form of Ember and drifted off into a deep sleep that would take me to next week, unknowing that a war was going on...

I woke up with a jolt as I came down from nightmare. I have been having the same nightmare again and again, the dovahkiin killing me. This time, however, there was something different, I felt like I was being watched and when the memory ended, I thought I saw an Equine, but that's impossible, no mere mortal can break into my mind and watch my...nightmares. I rose up off of my stomach and looked down at the sleeping form of Ember. She was the most beautiful dragoness I have ever seen and she looked so peaceful, a peace I must protect. My gaze hardened as I remembered yesterday, the traitorous father, the heart to heart conversation, the wisdom, and the plan. I was going to leave this hell-hole at last, so much misery was made in this cave, not to mention the dead bodies here now. It would be my first time exploring the world I lived in now since when I arrived, I immediately crawled to this cave to drown myself in my self pity and sorrow. Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I looked down upon the slowly stirring form of Ember and checked her wing. It looked much better now, though it still needed some time to heal the ripped muscles from pushing herself too hard. I sigh as I realize that the only option is to have her ride on my back, how humiliating. Ember rose from the ground, stretched her sore muscles, and gave a cute yawn.

"Is my wing fixed yet?" She asked drowsily.

"Yes and no, the broken wing is healed, but you pushed yourself too hard and tore some muscles badly." I stated simply.

"Then what do we do?" She asks.

"You have the honor of being the first mortal to ride my back, most wouldn't survive long enough to do so, especially a female." I stated slyly. She started blushing and biting her lip, I just chuckle. Me and Ember walk out of the cave and out onto the ledge where I let loose a mighty roar followed by a clap of thunder. Ember had hardly realized how humongous I was inside that dark and damp cave, so she was just stuck there ogling at my size and power. I eventually picked her up and placed her on my back so that we could depart. My Black Wings Unfurled and I jumped up into the air and began flying around the mountain once before heading to where Ember was pointing me. We broke through a cloud in our way to see a massive battle raging in the middle of a large plain! The dovah and equines were at eachothers throats. It was a bloody battle, the dovah showed no mercy to the equines and ripped them apart, while the equines obliterated what little dova they could while getting ripped to shreds. A regal white equine was battling fiercely with a large red dovah who had an arrogant air to him. I quickly took action and landed so I could drop off Ember and return to the battle. She offered no resistance and I took off towards the battlefield once again. The white equine and red dova just separated themselves when I landed in between them, simultaneously squashing several dova and equines. "SILENCE!!!" My voice boomed with a deafening thunder clap. Everything went silent, even the air itself seemed too scared to make a noise. "You puny mortals have learned nothing, always fighting the balance and each other!! I am disappointed in the dovah for becoming... this!! Settle your petty differences and leave or my wrath will bring death and agony to ALL who dare challenge me!! Hi Mey Fent Mindok Faaz Fah Daar (You fools shall know pain for this!!)!!" I boomed, making all the equines quiver with fright. Most of the dova didn't seem too frightened, but the elder dova looked scared out of their wits. The red dovah from before walked up to me and gave me a sour look.

"You can't boss me around, I'm the dragon lord! You will obey me like all the other dragons or you will die!" He announced. This arrogant, foolish, impudent child thinks he can command me!!!

"Good, that makes things easier! Gaan Lah Haas!!" I shout and a purple wave of energy hits the red dova and he's brought his knees holding his chest while glowing purple, gasping for breath. "You will die, fool! Rii Vaaz Zol!!" I shouted and a spiral of purple shot forward and hit him in the head, killing him instantly. Everyone gasped as his eyes glowed white and became undead, waiting for a command. "Die" was all I said as his body crumpled to the floor. Everyone just stared in shock at the body of their 'dragon lord'. There was a red glint and I saw a scepter on the ground with a ruby on the top. I could sense great magic in it, terrible magic, something that is too powerful in the wrong hands, so I crushed it with my foot and turned back to the dovah. "Any others who wish to defy me, Alduin, first born of Akatosh,The Eater of Worlds, will die the same way!!" The dovah were dumbfounded by the sheer power of which I possessed while the equines were shocked a dragon learned a form of magic. "Your leader is dead, turn back and leave with your lives. Alduin does not show mercy to his enemies often, but I am turning a new leaf." I growl and they compiled, albeit with hurt pride, but complied. I watched them walk away until they were out of sight and then turned to the white equine. "Leave, you have spilt enough blood on this land, do not make more lives pay the price of war." I could easily tell who the oppressors were in this war, and I am going to teach them a lesson in respect.

"What about the dragons? You would have us throw down our weapons in the face of an enemy?" The white one squeaked.

"I shall take care of the dovah, you shall take your army and leave." I told her with authority. She glared at me before turning around and leaving. Once they were out of sight, I let out an exhausted sigh. When will the mortals ever learn their place? Now I must deal with the dovah before looking for a place of solitude and meditate for the rest of my days, just like Paarthurnax. I sigh to myself again before lifting off the ground and soaring over to Ember, who was sitting on the ground, shocked. I mean I did stop a battle without even raising a claw, all I used was my voice, hehehehe. "Come now, Ember, we must depart to teach these dova a lesson in reality and respect as well as put them in their place." She nods and climbs onto my back, so we depart to the 'dragon lands' as she called it...

TO BE CONTINUED...