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With their wings beating in the air, shadows cast over the ocean, Von and his friends soared high in the sky as they ventured far out from Equestria for a single purpose: To visit the dragon elders and seek their aid. Von had never seen the elders once in his life, not even as a child. The only elder that he knew of and saw was the previous king, Eldrich and now he was long gone. Arcius and Axel knew of them from stories, but had never had the chance to go out and find them for themselves.

"So if the elders give us their aid, what's the plan from there?" Arcius said, bringing up some more questions. If they did give their aid, what could Von do? Would he lead the front or would he stay back and allow the elders and Celestia's guard to take over? "You do have a plan, right?"

Von remained silent for a few more seconds, earning the gaze of his companions until he broke the silence. "If the elders lend us their aid, then we will go in with them. Even should Celestia's guard go to help, we'll have a much better advantage because of our prowess in battle. They have numbers, but so do we." Von was well aware that Konan would have strong forces behind him. There were many dragons possible that followed him, supporting his ambitions and would do whatever he said without question. Nova was included in this, but something about him was a little off.

"Guys, there's something I should tell you." Von spoke up, gaining the attention of his friends. They stopped mid-flight and hovered in the air as Von tried to think of how to word his thoughts. "...I don't think Nova is really on Konan's side." Once he said that, he lifted his head a little to see the shocked look on his friend's faces.

"Are you kidding?!" Axel yelled. "That guy is a total jerk. He's hated you since the day you and your mother arrived to the mountain. And why wouldn't he help Konan with this little war scheme of his? That's his father." This was true. Nova's past actions before the start of his journey was evidence enough that he could hardly be trusted. However...

"...I don't think Konan truly cares about Nova." Von replied, his tone soft as he thought more about it. "I think...Nova doesn't want to be this way. He may not like me, but he doesn't want to support his father. He's only doing it to make him proud; To earn his love." Upon explaining this, both of his friends thought hard about it. Konan was like most dragon fathers: They tried to toughen their sons up, raise them to be strong warriors, gem hunters or even killers. Konan was no exception, but there was one thing that he lacked that some male dragons actually possessed...

Compassion. Even in their failures, the fathers would encourage their son to try again and give pointers. But Konan...his cruelty knew no bounds. He showed no compassion towards Nova, never encouraged him and only ordered him around. He wasn't a father; He was a monster. And Nova could see that for himself.

"So let's think about this," Axel spoke up. "If we trust Nova and he's actually on our side, then why doesn't he fight Konan himself?"

There was some truth in his words. However, a few thoughts helped Von to think of reasons why Nova wasn't fighting him. Perhaps he couldn't fight him because it was still his father and the only way to stop him was to kill him. They were still family and Von knew well how painful it would be to kill a family member, even if they were doing something wrong. But the main reason Von believed was why Nova didn't fight...was Fear.

"He's afraid." The kirin said, his tone just above a whisper. The two dragons looked in his direction, having heard him as Von continued to speak. "Think about it for a moment. We've seen what both Nova and...Cynder can do because of that dark force they had received. And I know how skilled Nova can be without those, but they're nothing compared to Konan. I've never seen him fight myself, but I can tell that he's going to be a powerful foe. Now, if we take into account that he's allied with the dark force--"

"And he gained powers himself, then this may be a near-impossible battle ahead of us." Arcius concluded. The three of them nodded their heads, realizing just what they were up against with or without the elders. Von had no clue what Orcus was truly planning or why he and Konan paired up or what his connection was with Bastion, but he was going to end it one by one. Setting themselves back on the path, the trio soared through the air. They had to get to the elders and receive their aid.

And fast.

As Von and his friends soared across the sky, Celestia and Midnight took their time to rally the guards together. This was going to be a big battle and they needed every ounce of muscle they could get from them. Even with Midnight's skills and tactical prowess, it wouldn't be enough against a horde of dragons. Midnight flew off in order to prepare the troops while Celestia watched from above as Luna walked up beside her, looking down at the courtyard with her.

"Do you think the elders will hear them out, Lumen?" Celestia asked, acknowledging that her sister was once more not in control at the time. "I heard rumors of their existence, but my knowledge on them is fairly limited."

"Odds are, they will listen but they won't help." The alicorn replied, looking out to the sky as she spoke to her. "The elders, or The Primals as they are actually called, prefer to remain out of the public eye. They have been around longer than you and your sister have and the only one who actually came into contact with them was Aion. But that was long ago." Lumen sighed and shook her head, placing a hand over her chest. "Aion...if only things hadn't turned out the way they had, this conflict would've already been over."

Celestia shot a glance over at Lumen for a moment before turning back and looking down at the ground. "The Primals...eight ancient dragons whose wisdom dates all the way back to Equestria's first breath. They ruled over the first dragons while two gods watched Equestria grow and evolve." She said with a gentle smile. But that smile soon faded as she closed her eyes and spoke in a calm, but serious tone."I've been meaning to ask you about the tragedy that befell the land back then. I've only heard speculations, but I want to hear it straight from your mouth: How did it all happen?"

Lumen let out a sigh and closed her eyes, turning her back to the solar princess. "I knew you would ask me that eventually. Well, I suppose I've been silent about it long enough." With a chuckle, the alicorn looked up and turned to face Celestia.

Hours seemed to go by as Von and his friends flew far over the ocean. The sun was still in the sky, though it was nearing the time when it would begin to set. The day after would be the day they would go out to confront Konan and end this madness once and for all. Along the way, Von grew tired from flying so much but Axel lent him a shoulder and helped oversea. Von wasn't used to flying as long as they could and even if he tried, he would tire out much quicker. To him, there weren't many perks to being half dragon but he was thankful he made so many friends in life. He would be nowhere without them.

Eventually a mass of land soon came into view, towering high in the form of a mountain and a cave resting in it. Arcius glanced over at the two, nodding in confirmation that they had finally arrived.

"We're finally here." Von breathed out, having finally regained enough energy to fly on his own as he, Axel and Arcius landed at the cave entrance. He slowly walked up to it and stopped, catching several unfamiliar scents from within. They were definitely draconic...and powerful. "We're truly...finally here."

"Elder's Keep." Arcius spoke up, looking over at his friends with a gentle smile. "The place where the elder dragons have hidden away from all. And if no one has ever reported seeing them, then odds are that they are still inside."

"I heard about this place once before." Axel stated. "Didn't old Eldrich say something about it growing up?" He looked to Arcius in hopes that he wasn't the only one who remembered and the white drake nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, I thought so. He said that the elders were wise and powerful dragons that have been alive for centuries. But no one ever got the chance to see them, not even him. I wonder why they hid away for so long?"

"It doesn't matter." Von said with a sigh. All that mattered right now was stopping this war before it truly started and he needed their help. "You two wait out here. I need to talk with them about this. And if they say no...then we'll fight this battle ourselves." Without another word, Von walked into the cave. They had to hear him out. They just had to.

Going inside, Von took a quick look around at his surroundings. By the look of things, it was no different than an ordinary cave except for its size. But he continued onward to his goal, wanting to speak with the elders. Upon reaching the furthest point, he came to a dead end and looked around the dark area.

"Uh...hello? Is anyone here?" He called out. "I came to speak with the dragon elders." At first, his call went unanswered but he knew someone was around. Their scent was quite close. After a moment of silence, the sound of voices could be heard amongst the darkness.

"Rok lahney? Vir vis daar kos? "

"Nii los ni mok. Frolok. Niist genund los medaas, nuz rok los ni mok." Each voice was different from the last, but they were all speaking in the draconic language. Von recognized the words but sadly did not know their meaning. The voices were deep and gruff, fitting for a older dragon.

"Um pardon me, but I don't know what you're saying." Von spoke once more. The voices stopped and silence filled the air as Von clamped his mouth shut. After a moment, the sound of thudding footsteps could be heard approaching him before a large dragon appeared before him. It possessed dark red scales and orange eyes, great wings folded proudly at its sides, a single horn on its snout and a barbed tail as it glared down at him.

"You do not even know our tongue, do you?" It asked. It was clearly male, even without hearing it speak to him. "Such arrogance. To dare come in here and act as if you are one of us."

Von took a step back, his body riddled with fear at the sheer size and powerful presence this dragon was giving off. It felt equal to...no, felt stronger. More powerful than Celestia and Luna themselves. How was this even possible? Dragons posed a great threat, but he never encountered a dragon whose power could even compare to one of the princesses. But he couldn't cower, no matter how terrifying his power seemed. He had to stand tall, no matter what.

"Calm yourself, Mag'maha. You'll frighten our guest." Another voice spoke up. It was calm and soothing. Much like Arcius, but more chilling. Stepping forth from the shadows, a dragon with a body as white as snow made itself known. Shards of ice hanging from under it with crystal spines on top yet it had no wings at all. It was smaller than the one called Mag'maha, but was much larger than Von. Soon after, more dragons emerged from the shadows, bit by bit.

A dragon with a golden-furred body and lovely wings. Another wingless dragon whose very body surged with energy with every step he took. There was a dragon who looked as though nature itself birthed it, one whose very aura was calm and serene, one whose very body shined with brilliance and one whose body seemed to absorb all things dark around it. This was them; He had finally found them. The dragon elders of legend.

"Hmph. So even now, his ghost continues to haunt us. A filthy half-breed with no right to carry the blood of our brethren." The darker one said, sneering at Von. Just looking at him, he could tell that he harbored a deep hatred for Kirins. But that was to be expected. "...No. Not his ghost. You look like him, but you are not his equal."

"Who is him?" Von asked, looking around at the eight colossal dragons. "And what do you mean, his ghost?" The elders looked to one another, uttering words in the draconic language. Again, Von could hardly understand them. Soon, the ice dragon stepped forward and looked down at Von as the halfling in turn stood at attention.

"What is your name, half-breed?" He inquired.

"V-Von, sir. Von Dragonblade." Von replied. He tried to keep himself calm as he spoke, but it was hard to do considering that he had eight powerful dragons sitting near him.

"Von... I shall remember that. My name is Gla Ceel, but your generation knows me as the Primal Dragon of Ice." The white dragon introduced himself. "Forgive my companion, but he seemed to mistake you for...someone we once knew. Though it is quite uncanny because I can see why he did that. You look like him, but you aren't him yet you have his scent and I can feel his presence as well. Most intriguing."

Von let out a groan of frustration, staring Gla Ceel in the eye. "You didn't answer my question. Who is he? What's a Primal Dragon? And what do you mean, you can feel his presence?" There were so many questions Von had to ask, but he knew they wouldn't all be answered. He needed to appeal to them, but he needed to know a few things first. They raised his curiosity on the matter.

"Ah. Of course you have questions about this. Well I assure you, they will not go unanswered. Flo Rahl, if you please." Gla Ceel turned his head to the wooden dragon, who nodded his head and turned his attention to Von.

"To answer your first question, he refers to the one you resemble; A half-breed who went by the name of...Aion." Von's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing that name.

It was the same name he heard in that dream. He saw no faces, but he could hear voices. Aion was a Kirin that the elders once knew and to top it off, Von looked just like him. There was another Kirin that had existed besides him.

"Aion..." Von repeated the name as Flo Rahl continued to speak.

"Aion was created long ago, back when the land you called Equestria was still new; Breathing its first breath of life. We, as the Primals, watch over our brethren from afar. We care and pray for their safety while maintaining balance, yet we do not interfere in any matters. Even the tragedy that befell Aion all those years ago."

"Tragedy?"

"It's best that you discover that on your own. Now then...you asked what the Primal Dragons were. We are what we are; The first eight of many dragons that were brought into this world for a sole purpose: To govern the elements and maintain balance between them."

"Each of us has a specific element that we are born with and must govern over to make sure things don't go...awry. As you can see, I am to govern over Ice. Mag'maha governs fire. Auroros governs wind, Water for Aqua. Flo Rahl governs the very earth itself. Tem'Pst governs lightning, Halo governs light and Sha'do governs all things dark. In the past, dragons that were born with a solitary element and learned to control that only used to exist in the land. But as the generations went on, it seems that many dragons are attempting to control elements which are not their own and do not have a full grasp over it. You bore witness to that yourself."

Von bit his bottom lip and looked at the ground in shame as he was called out on that. He did try to learn elements that were not his own, but that was because his elder tried to teach him. But then again...the only reason he taught him was because he wanted more. He hated the wind he was born with and wanted something destructive and cool like fire. Thankfully, Nova ripped that away from him along with the knowledge, so now the wind was his once again. But deep down...he felt incomplete.

"And the fact you can feel Aion's presence?" Von looked up at Flo Rahl, but he turned his head away from him. Maybe it was better not to ask about that. Before Von could open his mouth to ask anything else, Gla Ceel brought something to his attention.

"I can feel a latent potential inside of you. Wind dragons are a descendant from thunder dragons, or Storm Callers, as they once were known. It is possible to unleash the potential of your blood, the blood of a Storm Caller, but you will forget all knowledge you know about the manipulation of wind. Would you like to do that?" He asked. Von said nothing again and looked away from him. His mother used lightning in the time that she was corrupt before he stopped her. He had a feeling that he wasn't what he was, but he had doubts. Gla Ceel confirmed it for him. Maybe with this unlocked potential, he could stand a bit of a chance against Konan.

He gave a silent nod as Gla Ceel turned his attention to Tem'Pst, the dragon who was surging with energy, and the thunder drake gently placed his claw over his head. There was silence in the room as the dragon looked over to his icy companion.

"His blood is poisoned by one of them. Are you certain this is safe?"

"Just do what you can. Do not force it too much as to avoid drawing that part of him out." The ice dragon ordered. Without another word, Tem'Pst closed his eyes and began sending a steady flow of energy into Von's body. It coursed through his veins, flowing through his blood. He could feel something changing...something in his core. Instead of feeling and sensing things in the wind, he could feel a jolt of energy. The voice of the wind was slowly fading away and being replaced by a massive surge. It felt good. It felt...right. It felt like him; Like he knew it was his. Eventually the dragon stopped the flow, took his hand away and backed away from Von as Gla Ceel approached him. "How do you fee?l"

"I feel..." Von took a deep breath and exhaled, small sparks emitting from his mouth as a confident smile formed on his face. "I feel right. I thank you for that. But why are you doing this for me?"

"Let's just say...I wish to see what path the world will go down with someone like you around." The ice dragon smirked and Von smiled back at him.

"We'll see. But that reminds me...I had something I needed to ask of you." This caught the attention of all the Primals as Von stared at him. "There's a matter that needs to be discussed."

"I'm listening..."

Author's Notes:

UGH!!!! Finally. I've been trying to get this out for lord knows how long but i've been way too busy to even put anything in here. Now I apologize if anything in this chapter seems to have been done half-assed, but I did the best I could. Please don't hate me . Anyway as you may have noticed, Von's element changed. This is due to the fact that I had fully decided that his true element is lightning, not wind. I read somewhere that lightning for dragons is some variant or wind or whatever and the lecture the Primals gave about 'dragons trying to use elements they couldn't handle other than their own' was me calling myself out for trying to do that to Von in the beginning when I first started out.

So now it comes full circle. But anyway...
Von has reached Elder's Keep. He's confronted the Primals. All that's left now is to get their answer...
The adventure is drawing to a close. The finale comes soon.
Stick around for more

Draconic language translations:
Rok lahney? Vir vis daar kos? = He lives? How can this be?
Nii los ni mok. Frolok. Niist genund los medaas, nuz rok los ni mok = It is not him. Look. Their appearance is alike, but he is not him