Celestia and Luna both just gaped for moment, unable to respond. Finally, Celestia found her voice.

“How!? What kind of power could break something you’ve set up!?”

“Not ‘break’, Tia. ‘Ate.’ Breaking something is when you can see where it was smashed open. Eating something means there’s no trace of what was originally there,” Discord clarified.

“Th-then what you meant was-!” Luna began.

“That whatever or whomever was responsible wiped that part of the barrier from existence,” Discord finished. “Don't worry, I repaired it already, but… Well, I don't think I can do anything to stop it.”

The sisters both took a moment to process this. After a few moments, Celestia spoke.

“Discord, I'm going to have to ask you to watch over all of your barrier and alert us to any holes being opened as well as closing them. I know it's a bit of a thankless task, but-”

“I'm the only one who can,” he finished. “I know. Just make sure to keep me informed too, alright?”

“Of course. We apologize for before.”

Discord made to snap his paw.

“And Discord?”

“Hm?”

“Please be careful. We still don't know what we’re dealing with.”

Discord just smirked and nodded before disappearing with a snap.

“What should we do, sister?” Luna asked.

Celestia thought for a moment, going over what she has heard over the past few days.

“... We need to start preparing what and who we have to spare. The refugees will be coming and will be here in a few days, and we need to be able to feed and house them as well as possible. In the meantime, I'll need to prepare to do what may be the most difficult task of my entire life.”

“And what would that be?”

Celestia sighed and closed her eyes. “Convincing thousands, if not millions, of ponies who have already lost so much to put their lives on the line.”

“Um, your Greatness?” Everflame asked hesitantly.

“Just Gilgamesh, Everflame,” I answered back, lounging on his back.

“Um, Gilgamesh? Why did you not teleport us directly to the Dragon Lands?” he asked as he flew onward.

“Gives me time to think of what I'm gonna say. Besides, last I checked, teleporting in unannounced for any reason other than to warn the King was an act of war. By the way, why are you so scared of the King? Crimsonwing was always struck me as a reasonable authority figure.”

“... King Crimsonwing has been dead for some time, your Exc- I mean, Gilgamesh.”

I felt a pang in my heart when I heard that. Crimsonwing was a good friend of mine, one of the first I had after I came to Equestria. It made me realize that my life of combat, while fun, hadn't done me any favors in the companionship department. He was one of the few beings who I would've stuck my neck out for, and was willing to do the same for me.

“I see. I'm sorry to hear that. Who snuffed him out?”

“Unfortunately, he burned out.”

“Oh.”

Allow to explain something about dragon culture and biology. Unlike pretty much other race, dragons don't get weaker as they get older. In fact, they only get stronger. The only exception to this is the last few weeks of their lives, when their strength begins to plummet. Luckily, part of dragon biology is they can tell a few years in advance their time is coming and get their affairs in order, specifically who gets their hoard and a few other personal things. When their end is about a few months off, they pick someone to “snuff them out”. Dragons are very prideful creatures, and in fact it wasn’t until suffering several losses to the Princesses that they had to concede that there was anyone equal to them, though I often suspect that one of the reasons they let it slide is because they only had to admit two beings among the entire world were equal to their species’ power. And they were basically goddesses. Because of this the very idea of growing weaker is abhorrent to them, and they would rather die in battle strong than wither away. Thus the practice of “Snuffing.”

I would equate Snuffing to the draconic version of Seppuku, in that it is a sort of honor death. They even have “Seconds”, those who are picked to help them carry out this task. However, instead of the Second being the person who cuts off the head of the man killing themselves so they don’t suffer, a dragon’s Second in Snuffing is supposed to be someone both strong enough to take them down as well as trustworthy enough to give them a proper death in battle. Needless to say, being chosen as a Second is an honor. If a Second is unable to properly perform their duty, however, it is seen as shameful both for the Second and the one wishing to be Snuffed, as it shows not only that the Second is weak but that the one being Snuffed has poorly chosen the one to carry out their task. A dragon may choose multiple Seconds, but their options are limited to family, close friends, and in rare cases those that owe them a debt. Even still, if the dragon chosen as the first Second isn’t able to perform their task the Snuffing isn’t seen quite as favorably.

If all of a dragon’s options for Snuffing have failed, then their only option left is to wait out the end of their days and die, or as the dragons call it, “Burning Out.” To Burn Out is seen as shameful both on the dragon and their entire species. As I said before, dragons are prideful creatures and hate being reminded of their own mortality. To see a dragon die in battle to a superior being is one thing, but for them to be reminded that for all their strength, power, and longevity that they are still mortal really gets under their scales. The only thing in dragon culture seen as more shameful than Burning Out is for a dragon to kill another while they are Burning Out. This shows that the killer has no respect for their species, has no pride as a dragon, and the punishment for such a thing is death, usually the most cruel and painful kind imaginable. One example Crimsonwing told me was from before his time, when the dragon who had committed this unforgivable act was to have each and every one of their scaled slowly and painfully peeled off before being bound and allowing wild animals to pick at their now tender and exposed flesh. As you can probably guess, very few dragons have ever committed this act.

However, when the Dragon King Burns Out it’s not a seen as a shame, but a tragedy. The Dragon King is able to choose any dragon in the entire species as their Second. Since the one who completes this task becomes the next King, this is of course a coveted role. However, if no one they pick is up to the task then that means that the next Dragon King, which is decided by battle royale, is not as great as the one that came before them, and thus the dragons as a species are weaker. This also tends to lead to darker times, as the next King will make their rule harsher and more brutal to prove themselves to their new subjects.

I thought just came to my head, and I realized that because Crimsonwing was dead his daughter Skyrender likely now “belonged” to the new Dragon King. See another thing about dragon culture is when someone says that a dragon is “their child” or “their spouse”, they don’t just mean they they’re related by blood or marriage, they mean that they belong to them, as in actual ownership. For husband and wife this isn’t that big a deal, as it is more a “mutual ownership”, but for a child that means the parent owns them. This of course means that asking for marriage must be done through the parents, but it also means that since a child is technically a part of their hoard a dragon can trade, sell, or even loan another dragon their child. Even though few do, the possibility often keeps many hatchlings in line the few times their parents actually do some parenting. More importantly, however, since the new Dragon King inherits the hoard of the previous one, and since Skyrender was technically part of that hoard, that means she could be owned by the new king.

I clenched my fist at the thought. Dragons weren’t known for their kindness, but Crimsonwing loved his daughter dearly. When the two of us mutually decided not go through with his proposed marriage he immediately dropped the idea on her desires alone, not even needing to hear my half, despite his hopes for me to take the throne and for our kids to be the most powerful beings ever conceived. Though my heart still, and probably will always, belong to Luna I did and still do care deeply for Skyrender, and the idea that somedragon could be treating her like their… plaything made my blood boil.

If worse comes to worst I’ll challenge the new King for the right to own her, taking her with me and out of their grasp. I owe her and her father that much to keep her safe.

Actually, speaking of old friends…

I held up the Badge of Honor before closing my eyes.

"Hey Nemmy, you there? It's Gilgamesh."

There was a brief delay before I got a response.

"I read you, Gilgy. What's up?" he replied.

Oh man, I’m gonna hate telling him this.

"Listen, um... I know I only sent you two shipments, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to cut you off. See, things have got really bad here, and... well, Equestria's gonna need every resource it can get. And, that includes me."

There was another pause before he responded.

“Alright, I understand. It'll take some more rationing, which I'm sure some of the ponies won't be happy with, but I think we'll be able to pull it off. If need be, I'll raid some of the trade routes going out of Equestria.”

There was another pause before he spoke again.

“Are you alright? Anything you need to talk about?”

I sighed. "Canterlot got hit. Hard. Celestia got beat up pretty bad, and Luna even worse. They've pulled through for the most part, but it was enough to put me into a bloodlust. I'm not happy about it. As for who did it, all the demons escaped from Tartarus, and I'm pretty sure whoever let them out is the same being that sent that monster you and I fought the first time we met. Put simply, Equestria is going to war."

I heard him take in a sharp breath, a loud thump, and something cracking. I then heard a loud crash.

Huh. I thought it only transferred our thoughts. Does he hear the wind rushing by me?

“I'm... ugh. There's nothing I can put into words that can tell you how sorry I am to hear that. Especially about what happened to Luna. I know that can't be easy for you.”

Once again there was another pause.

He must be in the middle of something.

“Listen, if you need me, don't hesitate to call me. Alright? War or not, you helped me out a lot. And you're my friend. Plus I would love to give the son of a bitch responsible for all of that a taste of his own medicine.” he growled.

I chuckled halfheartedly. "A little late for that, I'm afraid. I left the bastard in six pieces. I... guess I know how you feel when the 'Nemesis' part of you takes over. It's scary what we can become when we give into our rage. Still, I appreciate the offer, and despite my obligations I'll try to keep myself free as well."

“Well, if you killed him, the bastard probably deserved it. And yeah, it's scary to lose yourself. Really scary. I have to remind myself who I am, and what I'm here for. Remembering where you came from and those you love helps. It helps a lot. I'm just afraid of the day that I won't…”

I heard a grunt, followed by someone calling Nemesis’ name.

“Thank you for saying that. I'll try not to talk to you like it's a therapy session.” He laughed for a moment. “I need to get back to town, they need me. I know there's a war coming, but try to stay in one piece. Alright?”

"Heh. It's not me I'm worried about, its everyone else. Anyway, thanks buddy. Really appreciate it."

I tucked the medal back into my armor.

“Gilgamesh, Sir? W-We’re about to ar-rive,” Everflame stuttered.

“Thanks. By the way, what's got you so worried?” I asked.

“Well, you see Sir, the latest Dragon King has decided, in order to keep track of our power and numbers, that any dragon that does not participate in the Dragon Migration-” he paused to gulp, “will be considered a t-traitor and p-put t-to d-d-death.”

“...oh. So that's why you didn't want to come here.”

“Y-Yes.”

“Well, don't worry about that. I've got your back.”

“R-Really!?” he turned to look at me, his tone as surprised as it was hopeful.

“Yeah, no sweat buddy. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you for doing what I told you to.”

“Oh, thank you so much, Gilgamesh! Your kindness is a vast as your-”

“Eyes forwards pal, don't want to crash.”

“Oh, right,” he said as he turned his head back around. “...Thank you.”

“No prob.”

A few minutes later we had landed in the rocky and volcanic Dragon Lands, a region northwest of Equestria near the coast and including several islands around that area. Most of the dragons ignored us until they saw me climb off Everflame’s back. Most just looked on curiously, but a few seemed to pass the information along. Everflame noticed this as well and gulped loudly.

“Hey, don't worry. Like I said, I got you,” I assured him. He exhaled and nodded back to me, clearly grateful.

After a few minutes an adult dragon with tar black scales and a slate colored underbelly landed in front of us. He had red eyes and two horns that swept backwards. He also had two tusks extending from the sides of his mouth.

Everflame began to sweat bullets. “D-Darkglaive,” he stuttered.

“Everflame,” the dragon began, his voice sounding like gravel. “You are charged with the crime of refusing to participate in the Dragon Migration. As decreed by the the Dragon King, the sentence is death,” he said simply before inhaling deeply.

“I INVOKE THE RIGHT OF HONOR BOUND!” I bellowed to catch Darkglaive’s attention. He stopped to stare at me, as did many of the nearby dragons who started to mutter amongst themselves. “EVERFLAME HAD BEEN INDEBTED TO ME, AND AS PER MY INSTRUCTIONS HAD TO BE AVAILABLE TO REPAY HIS DEBT AT ANY TIME! AS SUCH, HE WAS HONOR BOUND AND UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DRAGON MIGRATION!” I shouted. It wasn't entirely true of course, he could've left if he wanted, but I didn't let him know that and I wasn't about to make things harder for him.

Darkglaive continued to stare at me before slowly exhaling, a stream of smoke coming out of his nostrils instead of a blast of fire.

“What task is required to clear this debt?” he asked.

“I SEEK AN AUDIENCE WITH THE THE DRAGON KING!” I yelled back.

He chuckled. “How fortuitous. You will follow me. The Dragon King will decide if your desire for an audience will be granted, the veracity of your Honor Bound, and if either of you live to see another day.” He turned and began walking back the way he came without waiting for a response.

“The Dragon King’s Envoy?” I asked. Everflame nodded. “Shit.”

Ok, a few more things to explain about dragon culture. First, The Dragon King’s Envoy is a dragon personally selected to speak and act for the King themselves. They are also something of an advisor to the King, but can only give that advice when they ask. You can usually tell what kind of King is in power by their Envoy, as they usually pick somedragon that either is similar to them or, in the cases of wiser rulers, someone to provide an opposing opinion. In this case, a no-nonsense Envoy either means a King who is kind and reasonable who wants somedragon to show they aren’t weak, or the more likely case of a King who wants somedragon as brutal as they are.

Next is Honor Bound, an ancient part of Dragon Law. Although I should also explain, as Dragon Law is different from Royal Decree. Royal Decree is a law that the current King gets to enact. They can decree anything they like whenever they like, so long as they tell everydragon before putting it into practice. Decree only carries from King to King if the current King wants it to. Dragon Law, on the other hand, is a set of unbreakable rules nodragon gets to change, with the only exception being if every living dragon agrees on it. Needless to say, none of them have really even bothered to try.

Honor Bound is actually a big part of how dragons behave. Those few brave enough to interact with them often mention how they can't get a dragon to promise them anything. The reason is the law of Honor Bound which can basically be summed up like this: If a dragon promises something they have to mean it and follow through on it. Since dragons are naturally greedy, there is very little stopping them from lying and cheating to get what they want, in addition to using power. To offset this, Honor Bound means that any dragon has to follow through on any promise they make. If any dragon breaks their promise, then their words are now useless as far as dragon culture is concerned. Basically, a dragon who breaks Honor Bound is treated such that absolutely everything they say is a lie until proven otherwise. I mean everything. When I once asked Crimsonwing how severely this is treated, he said that if one who had broken Honor Bound said “I’m dying” while clearly about to perish, death would not take them unless another dragon could verify that they were indeed about to die. It was a joke, sure, but in practice it's not too much of an exaggeration.

Now of course some dragons tried to subvert the system, claiming promises in order to conflict with promises. In this case, the Dragon King decides which one makes the decision in what stays and what goes. In order to keep themselves from getting flooded with some conflicting requests, it was pretty much decided that anydragon that attempts to knowingly create a conflicting Honor Bound will immediately be put to death, hence another reason dragons don’t make promises that often. In a normal case, the promise that came first usually wins, but leniency is usually given if they were forced into a conflicting promise by forces beyond their control. However, what is defined as “beyond their control” and even if there is any leniency given is, once again, decided by the Dragon King.

As we continued to walk along many dragons had come to watch us, probably having heard something passed along. When they saw me walking alongside Everflame there were many expressions that were given to the dragon. Some curious, others pondering, but for the most part they were disgusted or mocking. See, going back to dragon pride, there are few creatures other than their own species that dragons will make promises to, as doing so usually means you see the other as an equal or a superior. In general the only time a dragon will make a promise to an “inferior species” is if they find the idea amusing or if they genuinely like or care about them. But to see me riding on Everflame's back and declare that he was Honor Bound to me, well that was seen as him being disgraced.

They’ll know who I am soon enough, and then they’ll stop laughing.

Right as I thought that a group of youthful laughter rang out.

“Check it out! What kind of loser must this guy be!?” a familiar voice declared.

I looked up and saw Garble and his crew pointing and laughing. Out of my peripheral vision I saw Everflame grit his teeth and clench his claws.

Or maybe I can start making a name for myself right now.

I crouched down and launched myself into the air, landing smack-dab in front of the group, startling them. I slowly rose and grinned.

“Hi guuuuuuuuuuys! How ya doin’?” I asked in the creepiest faux friendly voice I could.

After a moment of recovery, a white drake smirked back. “Hey, you see this nut, Garble? This guy thinks he’s hot stuff! I think we need to teach him a lesson, right?” he said threateningly. A few of the dragons voiced their agreement, but one expected voice was absent. “...Garble?”

They all turned to see Garble and the two other dragons that saw me before shaking in terror. Considering how he was laughing his ass off before, and now looked like a deer in the headlights, I don't think he was able to recognize me from a distance.

“It's been awhile, hasn't it fellas?” I continued. “Almost a year now. And I can see you remember what happened last time.”

None of them responded.

“You know fellas, I'm actually pretty… hungry right now,” I said taking a step forwards. “I could really go for some…” I paused, building up Aqua Breath in small levels inside my mouth. Soon it looked like my saliva was bubbling over my face guard. “Dragon meat.”

Now all of them were shaking. I've found that one of the best ways to scare someone is to threaten to eat them. There are some things that are just scary no matter who or what you are, and the idea of being eaten just touches on that primal nerve. Garble was now shaking like a leaf, his eyes wide in desperation.

I let my face guard drop, showing off my predatory smile and rabid-like drool. “Wanna help me with that?”

Garble fainted and fell onto his back. As soon as he hit the ground the rest scattered like cockroaches. Having accomplished my goal, I wiped the saliva from my mouth and replaced my face guard before hopping back over to Everflame and Darkglaive.

The black dragon folded his arms. “Finished?” he asked.

“Oh yes please, carry on,” I cheerfully replied. I snuck a look at Everflame, who smiled slightly in appreciation. As we walked I noticed there were considerably less looks of disgust or mockery, now replaced with either amazement, curiosity, or caution. See while all dragons are prideful, adolescent dragons are more open about it. This causes them to be rather… Well, stupid. It often leads them to do things that are dangerous, even for them, like picking fights with others clearly more powerful than they are, like adult dragons. So to have a group of hardheaded, impulsive teenagers terrified of me meant that I was strong enough even to get through their thick skulls.

After a few minutes of walking we began to approach the Dragon King’s throne, a massive plateau that was taller than anything else within view, allowing the King to look down on anyone and anything in the vicinity. I glanced around, trying to see if I could catch a glimpse of Skyrender, but nothing so far.

Damn, I hope she’s alright. I assumed the next King would've kept her as a trophy, but it's just as likely she could've just been killed.

Just then a portal opened up in front of us. Before I could process what happened, a creature roughly my size jumped out. It was reptilian in appearance, almost like a bipedal dragon, with wings, a tail, sharp claws, and horns. It had glowing yellow eyes and its body was entirely red.

“So, I finally found you, False One!” he declared, baring his claws as he glared at me.

‘False One?’

Darkglaive growled and stood up tall. “You dare defile these lands with your presence? Leave now or die,” he ordered with a calm but forceful voice.

“Come and make me, lesser creature!” the red being boasted.

Now I remember! This is the guy that got killed by Leviathan! Shit, that means I have no idea what his powers are!

Darkglaive inhaled before unleashing a stream of fire at the Demon, but the creature raised its hands. The fire contorted into a ball right in front of him before shooting back at the dragon. Darkglaive dodged before charging, but the Red Demon dodged, then grabbed the dragon’s horn and tossed him over his shoulder, sending him crashing into the plateau behind.

“Everflame, get back!” I shouted as I drew my naginata. The dragon scurried away in fear.

Damn it, since he was killed in a cutscene before he was fought in game, I don't know about any of his abilities! Gonna have to take this slow and-

I stopped when I noticed something move behind him. I smirked and clipped my naginata to my back, drew my shield and then cast Shell on myself.

The Red Demon growled. “You dare mock me!? That will be your last mistake! You will fall by my hand, for I am-!”

“Toast,” I interrupted.

“Eh?”

I pointed up and his gaze followed. Looming right above him was the head of the mountain-sized Dragon King, so large that the shadows obscured nearly all details, glaring angrily at the boastful intruder.

The Dragon King inhaled and I hid behind my shield.

“Oh no,” the Red Demon muttered before the Dragon King exhaled. What came was not a stream of flame, but more like a laser beam of fire. The Red Demon raised his arms and managed to halt some of the blast, but the force of the Dragon King’s fire was too great to handle.

“AGAIN!? THIS IS BULL-!” was all he managed to say before the breath weapon overcame his power and enveloped him, boring into the rock below like a hot bullet through butter. The Dragon King stopped and all that was left of the Red Demon’s presence was a twenty-foot wide hole in the ground, with a bottom that couldn’t be seen.

There’s a mythology gag if I ever saw one.

I could feel the Dragon King’s gaze shift to me and Everflame. I held firm but Everflame began to cower like a puppy.

“And who are you, foreigner?” the Dragon King’s voice rumbled, the vibrations being able to be felt through my body. I was surprised to find that despite the power and weight the voice carried, it sounded distinctly feminine. I mean, I know that “King” is just a title, even female rulers are referred to as “Dragon Kings”, but I guess I just wasn't expecting it.

Just then Darkglaive landed next to us both and bowed. “My King, this is the drake Everflame who did not participate in the Dragon Migration. This one next to him claims he was Honor Bound to be available at any time and thus could not participate. This one also seeks to have the debt fulfilled by having an audience with you.”

“Hmph. Is that so?” She said before turning her gaze to Everflame. “Present me, accused one. You may be spared depending on your performance.”

“O-O-O-Of c-c-c-course,” he stuttered as he stepped forwards and then turned to me. I took a look around and noticed that all the dragons in the area had gathered to watch, some clearly expecting there to be blood.

The Dragon King raised her head, allowing her massive body to be presented for all to see. Now that she was no longer casting a shadow on us, I began to notice some features. First were her two horns that came out from the side before curving inwards, ending in downwards points in front of her brows. My eyes widened a bit, as I'd only seen that horn style once before.

Everflame took a deep breath to calm himself before beginning.

“Presenting the leader and greatest of our kind!” he began, but I was barely listening as I took in her details.

Her scales are golden-

“The most powerful of all dragons,-”

-her underbelly is black-

“-Her Excellency-”

-and her eyes are blue. Could she really be-?

“- daughter of the previous Dragon King-”

My jaw dropped as my eyes widened.

“-the great and illustrious Dragon King-!”

“SKYRENDER!?” I shouted. “IS THAT REALLY YOU!?”

Everyone was silent. They were likely stunned that I had interrupted the Dragon King’s presentation, but I didn't care. For her part, the King looked at me curiously.

“You speak as though you know me,” she said. “Just who are-?”

“HOLY SHIT, IT IS YOU! HOT DAMN, GIRL, YOU GREW UP!”

The silence that followed was so pervasive you could hear a pin drop. Every dragon was stunned, including Skyrender herself. After a few moments she recovered and bore down at me, smoke seeping from her nostrils as she flared her wings.

“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME IN SUCH A FLIPPANT TONE, YOU INSECT!” she bellowed. “GROVEL, MAGGOT! PROSTRATE YOURSELF TO ME AND BEG FORGIVENESS, AND I MAY YET SPARE YOUR LIFE AS YOU LIVE OUT THE REST OF YOUR PITIFUL EXISTENCE AS MY SLAVE!”

“Aw, c’mon Rendy, no need for formalities!” I said back calmly.

Skyrender grit her teeth. "FOOL! YOU HAVE SEALED YOUR-!” she began, only top stop her eyes widening. “... What did you call me?” She moved in closer to get a better look at me “You called me ‘Rendy’. The only ones who ever called me that were my father and…”

I smiled back. “‘Sup, kid?”

Her jaw dropped, her eyes wide in shock. I then saw a smile begin to tug at the edges of her mouth. She brought her wings back and crouched down, ready to pounce.

My eyes widened in fear. She’s not really going to-

Unfortunately, she launched herself right at me. As I was pondering whether or not my body could sustain several thousand tons of dragon launched at me like a rocket I began to notice something peculiar.

Is… Is she getting sma-?

“Meshie!” she cried as she wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. It was then I realized that she had shrunk down to about the size of a teenaged dragon. Half a second later, I realized the importance of what that meant.

“It's you! It's really you! I knew you'd be back eventually, I just knew it!” she squealed in delight.

Smiling, I grabbed her in a headlock and gave her a noogie. “‘Course I am, Rendy! You really didn’t think I’d never pay you a visit again, did ya?” I said before letting her go. “And look at you, Dragon King, huh? And a Shifter Dragon to boot! Now, where’s that shy little dragoness who always said she’d never amount to anything, huh?” I teased.

“Shut up!” she retorted and gave me a playful punch to the shoulder as she smiled.

Allow me to explain. A Shifter Dragon is an extremely rare breed of dragon, and a very revered one. In terms of rarity, they're basically the dragon equivalent of alicorns, although they aren't immortal, nor do they immediately become rulers because of it. They appear once about every dozen generations, and considering that dragon lives are generally about four or five thousand years, that's a long ass time to wait between having one be born. Even stranger is that it seems to have nothing to do with genetics. Crimsonwing once told me that there was one time where there were two Shifter Dragons born in the same generation, and the King back then ordered them to mate. Not only did they not produce a Shifter, but another shifter was born that had nothing to do with either of their families.

As you can probably guess by what happened, Shifter Dragons have the ability to increase or decrease their size at will, unlike other dragons who have set sizes with the occasional greed boost. If I had to guess, her normal size was a little smaller than an adult dragon, meaning she was currently in shrink mode.

“E-Excuse me, my King,” Darkglaive began. “But… what are you doing!?”

“Hm? What do you mean? I'm saying hello to an old friend of mine,” Rendy replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

“What do you mean ‘an old friend’? Who could this… being possibly be that you would lower yourself like this!?” he asked, obviously confused and exasperated.

“Why, the only being who defeated the previous King in combat,” she answered with a smirk.

“What? But no one ever defeated your father after he ascended to the throne! The Equestrian Princesses might have had the power to defeat him, but he never fought them!”

“Oh, but you're forgetting one person he did lose to.”

“But he’s a myth! A story dragons tell their hatchlings! If he was real, he'd be over a millennium old!”

“1,550 years old,” I corrected with a smirk. “Give or take a few decades.”

Darkglaive’s eyes widened. “B-But, that would mean…”

I smirked. “‘Sup? Been a while since I was here last. I was afraid you’d all forgotten about me.”

Darkglaive practically turned white, his eyes wide with fear and his body shaking. “You… You…” He muttered barely over a whisper. Then he finally seemed to find his voice. “HE’S REAL! GILGAMESH THE DRAGON SMASHER IS REAL!”

And just like that every dragon was overcome with pure terror, except for Everflame and Skyrender.

“ATTACK! DEFEND THE KING!” one shouted.

“NO! HE’LL SNAP HER IN HALF BEFORE WE COULD GET CLOSE!” another cautioned.

“HIDE THE HATCHLINGS BEFORE HE EATS THEM!” an older dragoness cried.

“I DON’T WANT TO BE A SEX SLAVE!” a teenage dragoness wailed.

“... Jesus Christ, Rendy, just what kind of stories have been made up about me?” I asked.

“Heh, you haven't even heard the craziest ones,” she chuckled.

“Considering that the ones so far include eating babies and turning teens into sex slaves, I don't think I want to.”

“Oh no, you'll like this one. Some of them thought that you didn't actually beat my father, but instead you were actually a female and seduced him to get what you want. Then, to save face, he made up some story about a fierce warrior who was able to overpower him.”

I held on for two seconds before bursting out laughing. “Are you serious!? Oh god, that's hilarious!”

“I know, right!?” She laughed back.

“My King, get away from him!” Darkglaive warned.

Rendy rolled her eyes. “Darkglaive, haven't you been listening? Meshie’s my friend, has been long before you were even hatched.” She wrapped her arm and my shoulder and I did the same in response. “See? Nothing to worry about.”

“You know, I was actually afraid I'd have to beat the new King for your freedom,” I commented. “I didn't expect you to be King yourself.”

“Aww! Thanks!”

Darkglaive, and most of the other dragons, just stared, completely dumbfounded.

“So, what’s the occasion? Just here to say ‘hi’?” Rendy asked.

“Actually, I’m here for something a bit more important.”

“Oh, speaking of important, there’s something you’re definitely going to want back.”

“Oh? Sounds nice! But first, a little favor for my friend here?” I asked, motioning to Everflame, who was waiting patiently and trying his best not to look completely stunned at how things had transpired.

“Oh, sure. Everflame, as King I hereby decree your Honor Bound legitimate. You are pardoned of the crime of not participating in the Dragon Migration,” Rendy said almost nonchalantly.

Everflame let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much, your Excellency.”

“Darkglaive, hold down the fort, I’ve got some catching up to do,” she ordered before extending her wings and taking flight. “Come on, Meshie,” she said and then headed off towards the cave behind her throne plateau.

I smirked and leapt after her, following behind. Once we arrived at the cave and headed in for a few minutes she turned around and, rather unexpectedly, hugged me, burying her face into my chest as she did.

“Meshie, I’m so happy you’re back,” she said softly.

“Rendy?”

“I missed you. I missed you so much. I’ve been alone, so alone, after father Burnt Out. It hurts. It hurts that I wasn’t able to Snuff him, that I wasn’t able to give him proper respect, and now that I had to take the role of King by force I find that I have no one to connect with. I can only be their King, nothing else.”

“Oh, Rendy,” I said as I hugged her back and she began to sob. I just held her for a few minutes, letting her release her emotions, before she let go.

“It’s hard to be leader, you know. Harder than I ever thought.”

“Believe me, I have some experience, but likely nowhere near the level of responsibility you’ve had to deal with.”

“It's nice to have someone I can talk to about this. Anyway, follow me,” she motioned for me to head further into the cave. After a few minutes we arrived at the massive King’s Hoard, a collection of gold, jewels, and other priceless artifacts that would likely put even all of Canterlot’s wealth to shame. “Wait here,” she said before flying off. About a minute later she came back with something nearly as big as she was, wrapped in a red silk cloth. “I think it's time you got this back,” she said and unwrapped it. My eyes widened and a smile crept onto my face as I saw the blue lightning-shaped blade.

“Zantetsuken,” I said before grabbing the handle, admiring the gleam of one of my most useful weapons. It was just then I was reminded of a certain promise.

Nicholas, Luna, you’ll be together soon. Just four more and then I'll finally be able to make my vow a reality.

“I see you took good care of it,” I said before absorbing the weapon into me, causing it to disperse in a flash. “But how exactly did you get ahold of it in the first place?”

Skyrender growled, a fire building up in both her eyes and throat.

“Those damn Princesses gave it to us. They wanted us to keep it from you in case you ever came back. At first I couldn't believe you had even been beaten, but when father and I saw the blade…” She shook with anger, trying to regain control of herself before continuing. “Father took the weapon, but only to make sure no one else would get it. They clearly had no idea of your relationship with him, otherwise they never would've given it to us. Father swore that once you returned he'd give it back and then we'd join you in taking revenge.” Her scowl morphed into a sinister smile. “Now is the time. Let’s show those wretched little ponies who the real rulers of the world are!” She grabbed my shoulders as her smile widened. “All of dragon kind will be at your command, Meshie! You can take revenge, show them your power, and we’ll all be at your back! Take your place as King of this world, with all of us at your side!”

I just stared at her. I knew that she had to toughen up to be the new King, but this was far beyond anything I thought. In addition, she was acting… vengeful. There was no way I could do what she wanted, but I didn’t want to burn bridges with her either, as an ally to Equestria or a friend.

I sighed. “I’m not doing that.”

“Wh-What?”

“I have no quarrel with Equestria or the Princesses, nor any other species. And I’m certainly not looking to become the King of anything, much less the world.”

“What are you talking about?” she growled back. “After what they did to you, how can you not want revenge? They froze you in stone! They took away your weapons! HOW CAN YOU NOT HATE THEM!?”

“Because I try my hardest not to hate anything. And besides, I wasn’t defeated, I let them win.”

“Wait, what?”

“The ponies, griffons, and minotaurs were going to such lengths to defeat me, putting their differences aside to join forces. They even held out against me for nearly a week straight.” I shrugged and smirked. “It just felt rude to let their efforts feel like it was for nothing, you know?”

“WHAT KIND OF EXCUSE IS THAT!? HOW COULD YOU JUST-!”

“Rendy,” I said simply, cutting her off. “Is it me you want revenge for, or you?”

She just stopped to stare at me for a moment.

“You said it yourself, you’ve been alone. Alone with no one to share your feelings with. Despite how dragons like to pretend how tough they are, they need friends and family, too.”

Rendy hung her head. “Meshie, I…”

I sighed clearing my throat. “King Skyrender of the dragons. I, Gilgamesh, have a favor to ask of you.”

She looked back to me, surprised by my change of tone.

“I’d like your kind to join Equestria and others in battling a new threat.”

She growled. “And why would I ever help those ponies? Those damn Princesses?”

“A darkness is coming, Skyrender. One that threatens not only Equestria but all of Equus. The Demons of Tartarus-”

“That’s Equestria’s problem! They’re the one’s who imprisoned them!” she spat back.

“-Were released by something much more powerful,” I finished, catching her attention. “Rendy, if this approaching enemy is who I think it is, then we’ll soon be facing foes greater than anything this world has ever seen. They’ll destroy everything in their path, ponies and dragons included, and some of them are strong enough that I’m not even sure I could beat them.”

I paused a moment to let that sink in before continuing.

“Rendy, I ask this of you, as a friend and as someone who loves this world, please help me. We’re stronger together, and we’re gonna need everything we can throw at this.”

She looked at me for a few moments before turning around. “Meshie, you of all outsiders should know that the dragons protect their own first and foremost. As King I need to choose the options that protect us the most, and fighting someone else’s war doesn’t fall under that.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “But… you are a friend, probably the best one I’ll ever have,” she turned and smirked at me. “So I’ll tell you what, I’ll split the difference.”

I stood next to Skyrender, who had now grown to her extended height to address her subjects, who gathered around the plateau.

“My subjects, hear me and heed my words,” she began before motioning to me. “My old friend, Gilgamesh, has come bringing me dire news from outside our lands. In Equestria the Demons of Tartarus have been unleashed, and the ponies have already suffered heavy losses.”

Some of the dragons actually chuckled at that. I held back my anger for now.

“In addition, there is a force even more powerful that guides them, one that seeks the destruction of the entire world and all who reside on it. Us included.”

“BRING ‘EM ON! WE’LL BURN THEM TO A CRISP!” one of the teens shouted, getting cheers from the others. The adults were quiet, but may obviously shared their sentiment.

“I would normally agree, but according to Gilgamesh these greater forces from beyond are powerful enough that even he isn’t sure that he can beat them,” she continued. The cheers began to die down, many looking concerned. I don’t know what rumors they heard about me, but no doubt unbelievable power was consistent among them, enough that they could begin to grasp the gravity of the situation. “I have no love for the ponies or the Princesses either, but it may be best for us to aid them on the front lines for our own benefit.”

There were obvious grumbles of dissent from the other dragons, but none willing to outright disagree. That was until Darkglaive spoke up.

“Your majesty, are you truly going to order us to fight alongside the ponies?” he asked.

Skyrendy closed her eyes and exhaled for a moment before continuing. “I will give no such order. As King my primary concern is with our own home and kind. As such I will remain here and protect our lands.” She then opened her eyes. “However, if any of you wish to go and fight in this war for whatever reason, whether it be to defend the ponies, test your skills, or show the world the might of us dragons, I will not stop you. The rest may stay here and defend our home with me.”

Some of the dragons, especially the young ones, were clearly toying with idea of heading out to fight, if not with the Equestrians than at least against the demons. It really wasn’t what I was hoping for, but at least Skyrender was making the idea of fighting on the same side appealing.

“However, I give you one last warning,” she began again, catching their attention. “If any of you decide to fight on the same side as the demons, I will see to your deaths myself.”

Despite that I had no doubt that none of them were thinking of joining the demons anyway, the point was certainly hammered home by the fear in their faces.

Skyrender raised her claw, extending her arm. “THOSE OF YOU WHO WISH TO FIGHT THE DEMONS WITH THE PONIES, GO NOW! THE REST OF YOU, SCOUR THE WORLD AND FIND ALL OF OUR KIN AND RETURN HERE TO DEFEND OUR LANDS! YOUR KING HAS SPOKEN!”

At that command most of the dragons took to the skies and left. Those who stayed behind were mostly very young and some of the older more powerful dragons, likely to both protect them and ensure Skyrender wasn’t alone. Darkglaive remained, of course, but I was surprised to find the Everflame had stayed as well. He flew over to me, a ponderous look on his face.

“Um… I want to thank you, Gilgamesh, sir,” he began. Clearly this was awkward for him. “You… You not only saved my life and kept your promise, but you also defended my pride as a dragon. I… I don’t really know how to feel about this.”

I just smirked. “Hey, it’s no problem. I just don’t like seeing people getting smack for something they don’t understand, you know?”

He just blinked at me. “You’re so strong, and yet, so kind. I… I didn’t really think such a thing was possible.”

“Well, I don’t blame you. No offense meant, but you are a dragon. You guys don’t really get out much.”

He seemed to mull over that for a moment.

“Well, I guess you’ll be staying here, huh?”

“... Actually, I think you just convinced me to fight alongside Equestria.”

I was actually surprised at that. “Really?”

“Like you said, I’m a dragon and we don’t get out much. And I’m starting to think that maybe… I’m missing out on something…”

“Well hey, choice is yours. I’ll see you around then.”

“You… Don’t need me take you back?”

“I can teleport, remember?”

“Oh, right. Well… Until next time, I suppose,” he said before turning to Skyrender and bowing. “I am humbled by your mercy, my King.” And with that he took off.

“This is as far as I’m willing to go,” Rendy told me.

“I know. I appreciate it.” I replied before cutting open a portal.

“Wait!”

I stopped to look at her. I could tell by the look in her eyes that right now she wanted to be just “Rendy”, not “Dragon King Skyrender.” That she wanted to spill her guts out to me. I saw her clamp down on her emotions before continuing.

“Promise me you won’t get sealed in stone again.”

I smirked at that. “I swear it. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got some things to do.”

“Gilgamesh... please... I need to talk to you...” I heard whispered in my head. It was Jason.

Speaking of old friends.

“See ya,” I said before hopping inside. I was happy I did all that I could and knowing I still had an old friend. Now, off to see another.

Celestia looked out upon the masses that had gathered before her, both the Canterlot citizens and the refugees were packed below. To her left was Cadance and Shining Armor, both doing their best to look regal and commanding as well as offering her support. To her right was her sister, also doing what she could to support her, and Queen Chrysalis, who stood stoically, but still offered a slight nod to signify that she was with her as well. Celestia inhaled sharply, held her breath for a few moments, and then exhaled before stepping forwards. As she did unicorns began to activate their spells, projecting live images of herself to the nearby and hastily created refugee camps as well as nearby Ponyville, and allowing her to see them as well.

“My fellow Equestrians,” she began in a more restrained version of the Royal Canterlot voice. “I regret to inform you that something terrible has come to our country and our world. The one thing I had worked tirelessly to avoid for a millennium. Something I had hoped to keep away from us forever. But perhaps forever was far too great of a goal. War has come to Equestria. The Demons of Tartarus, both the native beasts of that place and the criminals that had been banished there, have come in full force to destroy not only us, but our entire world. Even worse they are being backed a new and powerful enemy from beyond our world, one with great power.”

She could see the fear in their eyes, the terror of something they didn’t know that was trying to kill them, and so she quickly continued.

“However, even in this dark time, there is hope. We are not alone this War. I have already received word from many of our allies both here on this continent and beyond the oceans. Griffonia has informed me that they have already mustered their forces to send us aid. The Zebafrican tribes and the Saddle Arabian Kingdom have also agreed to help us, as have the buffalo tribes here in Equestria. The Changelings of the Badland Hive have affirmed that they too will stand with us,” she continued, motioning to the Queen behind her. “I know some of you may have your own feelings on such a matter, but they are in the same situation we are, and have already proven their bravery. I am also happy to say that Gilgamesh, the warrior once feared across this world as the strongest being in existence, has sworn to fight for us all as well. With any luck, we will hear back from the other races soon.”

She saw the hope in their eyes, hearing of those who would come to help them. There was still fear, but it was no longer all-consuming.

Let’s hope that was enough. Now, let’s see if I can reach them.

“Unfortunately, as you all know, we have already suffered heavy losses, and our military might has been drastically reduced. As such, we need those among you courageous enough to fight to replace those who bravely died in battle.”

She saw the fear return. The fear of death, of monsters, and the fear of being forced to stare those things in the face.

Luckily, I can relieve one of those fear immediately.

“Although I am your Princesses, and I can not in good conscience force you to fight. You are my subjects, not pawns to be forced onto the field of battle. And so, that leaves me only one recourse.” Celestia bowed her head. “I beg of you, please find the courage to fight.” As she rose again she saw the look of shock in her subjects’ eyes. “I will be completely honest with you all, there is only one certainty I can give you. It is the terrible certainty of war, and the reason why I tried so hard to keep it from this world. That certainty is that more of us will die. Even if we win, we will have more deaths, more casualties. It is because of this that I cannot fault you for being afraid. That you wish to return to your homes or find new ones to settle, to hide away from this horrible event. But you must understand what will happen if we lose. This is a war not just for our way of life, not simply for the Harmony that we wish to spread, but for our very existence itself. If we lose this fight there won’t be a place for you to hide, a place for you to call home.”

Celestia paused to gather herself.

“I know what you must be thinking. ‘Even if that’s all true, what can I do? I’m just a farmer, or a cook. I’m not warrior.’ But you’re wrong. More than one thousand years ago ponies just like you summoned the courage and will to fight to claim a home. Ponies who had never held a spear, or wore armor, or casted a powerful destructive spell. They were just like you, and they had a fighting spirit equal to that of our former enemies, the Griffons and the Minotaurs. They were able to hold their own against dragons, and overcome the monsters in the forests and caves of this land. That same fighting spirit waits within each and every one of you, waiting for you to find it.” Celestia paused to catch her breath and prepared for her final plea. “So I ask you now, find the will to fight! The will to ensure a future for generations to come! To protect your homes, your families, and your friends! THE WILL AND THE COURAGE TO WIN!”

Trixie’s heart swelled with a mix of pride and fear as she heard the last of Princess Celestia’s speech. For a few moments, her voice echoed, but then came silence. She looked at the faces of those near her, the other residents of Ponyville, and saw expressions she had seen many times before. They wanted to respond to Celestia’s speech, but they were scared. Fear and anxiety held them back.

They want to respond, to show their faith in her, but they’re too afraid to. They need a push.

Trixie tussled with what to do next when she felt a hoof on her shoulders. She turned to see Zecora smiling sagely at her, nodding. Trixie smile back and nodded, closing her eyes and inhaling.

“I WILL FIGHT!” she shouted, catching the attention of those around her. “I… I don’t have much. I don’t have a home or a family to look after, but… But I have friends,” she stole a glance at Zecora. “Friends who have given me more than I ever deserved. And that’s why, for them, I’M WILLING TO FIGHT TO THE BITTER END!” she finished loudly.

The ponies nearby just stared, and she thought that maybe she made a mistake. Then another voice came.

“I’ll fight, too!”

Everypony turned, shocked to see it was none other than Miss Cheerilee.

“I might not have my own family, but I am a teacher. And as such it is my duty to help the foals grow up in a world where they can be happy! So for that, I’m willing to put my life on the line, too!”

After that, more voices came. Mr. Cake was willing to fight and die defending his foals, saying his fear of them growing up without a father was nothing compared to the fear of them not growing up at all. Big Macintosh lent his voice as well, even if it was nothing more than a short declaration that he was willing to fight for his family. Soon voices came from all over Ponyville, from the refugee camps, and Canterlot as well, multiple declarations of willingness to fight.

Trixie felt a small amount of pride of having set such a thing in motion, thinking back to what Gilgamesh had told her.

You were right, Gilgamesh. All of us, even the smallest and most pathetic of us, are important.

Celestia wanted to break down and cry, to let her tears of happiness and relief flow from her eyes. She wanted to come down from her balcony and hug every one of her subjects, to congratulate them for their courage and to apologize for asking so much of them. She was starting to truly believe that they could win. But, for their own sake, she limited herself to a proud smile, needing to keep up appearances.

Time to bring this to an end.

“THANK YOU, MY LITTLE PONIES! I THANK YOU WITH ALL MY HEART! LET THIS BE THE START OF SOMETHING MAGNIFICENT! THE BEGINNING OF OUR TRIUMPH OVER EVIL! FOR EQUUS!”

The crowd began to chant back to her, thunderous shouts of “For Equus!” reverberating through the streets. Celestia turned to face the other royals, getting looks of genuine approval from her sister, her niece, and her nephew in law.

Chrysalis, on the other hoof, merely nodded. “Not bad,” she said simply.

Celestia gave her a flat look. “Is that all you have to say?”

“What? I said ‘not bad’,” she defended.

Celestia rolled her eyes. I should probably get used to that, she thought.

Author's Notes:

I am so, so, so sorry this took so long to come out. As those of you who read my blogs know, I've just recently gotten the chance to dedicate more time to this. My time will likely be taken up again in a few weeks, but for now I'm going to do my best to keep updating my stories.

I hope you enjoy the world building and the link to a crossover I wrote what feels like ages ago.

Also, Golden Script, sorry for not asking you to edit this, I just really wanted to get this chapter out. You and everyone else can let me know if I missed something, especially and HTML error.

Once again, sorry for the wait and I hope you enjoy!