Tales of Time, Lost in Itself.
Ch:1
Azure's Mark
The day started much like any other in the happy town of ponyville. Birds chirp in the trees and ponies go about their daily lives much as any other day. How little they knew; for that would all change soon, along with their very concepts of life as it had been for generations past.
This tale begins with an unlikely hero, A colt named Azure. He is doing as most colts would in a given day as he attend school. Other colts and fillies of course gave him a hard time about his lack of cutie mark. He didn't give in to their heckling however, and simply grit his teeth and continue his studies, At Least until called out directly.
A larger older colt teases him while the teacher is in the other room. The colt sticks a blank bit of paper to his flank and says "Look at me, I'm Azy. I'm so big and strong, but i don't even have my cutie mark yet." he would mock as he and the rest of the class broke into a jolly laugh at Azure's expense.
Azure would retort swiftly, "Yea, so what if I don't have my mark yet. At Least i'm not as stupid as you, board boy! Who wants a piece of wood on their flank anyway!? I thought cutie marks were supposed to be for having a talent not show off how smart you are!" The blue and teal colt would smirk and nod having given the bully the business end of his verbal lashing.
"You're lucky the teacher is in the other room else she would tan both your flanks." Would say the ever lovely filly Lilly. "You should be ashamed of yourself nails, Picking on Azzy like that. Don't you remember how you felt when everyone teased you?" he would try and interject "Yea, bu-" only to be cut off by the teacher coming back in the room which forced them all to set at attention.
From there forward the day was pretty normal. That is, until they were all walking home. Off in the distance a fierce roar was heard, a cry that shook the very earth the foals stood on. Just then two quarreling dragons would fly overhead spewing flame and frost at one another. This dueling pair were clearly sworn enemies as their blows landed with ferocity enough to cast off huge plumes of fire and rain deadly shards of ice down on the land below them.
Azure would have taken cover under an old broken down cart off on the side of the trail home. His home was near the edge of the Everfree Forest, and the trail he had to walk intersect with an old supply trail through the forest. It was there he hid and watched in terror, as events unfolded just above.
This battle in the skies took hours as they left and came back several times mostly fighting closer to the borders of the everfree forest. And thankfully always far enough away that the shell shocked inhabitants of ponyville where out of harms way. After what seemed an eternity the large silver dragon was bested by it's red and orange counterpart as the frost dragon fell in a streak of smoke and frost towards the Everfree Forest floor.
With it's adversary downed the other dragon flew a few circles over the area before flying off in a slow erratic pattern clearly hurt itself. Azure didn't know if it would be back but assume dit would not as he pulled himself from the old cart, and shake the dust and grime off a bit before looking towards the forest.
Azure was the ever curious pony, and after seeing the dragon crash in the forest, he had a burning desire to see if it was alive or dead and more over if he could help in any way. Leaving his saddlebags behind in the fork of the road for others to find, he took off at full speed to where the dragon had fallen.
They had learned much over the years thanks to an old friend of Princess Celestias' named Spike. He had taught all of pony kind lessons about dragons that let them talk with them on more even grounds and even had become common information at this point that was covered in schools. So he thought he knew what he was getting himself into, so he hoped.
As he came up on the area where the large dragon had come to rest he cautiously approached the dragon speaking loudly all the while to make his presence known, letting the dragon known he was there to help not harm them. "H-Hello? I saw you fall, and I wanted to see if I could help you. Or find out why you are fighting."
As he approached the head of the large, silver, glistening dragon, it's eyes open a bit, clearly mortally wounded and losing a lot of blood at this point, the blood itself freezing the ground on to which it pour. The dragon would now speak, but without moving it's lips. It project it's thoughts right into his mind as a soft soothing female voice rang through his head, "You would do well, young one, to not meddle in the affairs of those older and larger than you." the dragon's lidded gaze affixed on him now.
The young colt was taken aghast, this dragon was nothing like the ones they learned of but seemed nice enough. "Y-you're hurt Ma'am. Can I help?" He would ask looking around at her body seeing it riddled with burn marks and impaled by the trees she had landed on. The female dragon reply as calm and quiet as ever as her chest rose and fell giving off a sickly rattling sound from punctured lungs; "I am from a far off land to the north. Our council of elders asked me to come speak with the dragons of your land. We are at war with them and we thought we could call a truce. But they would not even let me speak and now this feud must go on because I have failed them."
Azure was shocked to learn this all, as he knew nothing of wars and battles with anyone yet. His mind untainted and pure, this something the dragon could sense. Before Azure could react, there came the same deafening cry from the east as the other dragon had come back with it's kin.
Soon enough they had encircle the area of the forest with the down dragon in it with flames. And the flames were steadily creeping ever inward towards the colt and his new friend. The dragon lean up and spoke looking around briefly before falling limp once more to the ground with a resounding thud. "They have come to finish me. There is no escape for you young earth pony. And now, my pain is made stronger knowing I have not only failed my kin, but also have caused an innocent life to perish at my side for his kind heart and curious ways."
Azure saw the large dragon start to cry, the large tears forming into ice as they roll down the dragon's snout. With no way out the young colt did the only thing he knew, as he came in closer and rub his head at her cheek. "I-I wish I could help you. I wish it didn't end like this." He would say as he too started sobbing quietly.
As the fires crept closer and closer, the two stay at each other's side, and just as they were to be consumed something miraculous happened. It was always said that the tears of a dragon where magical but to what extent it was never known, that is until now. As the young earth pony held his head to the cheek of the dying dragon a single tear fell to his head, freezing in place. The magic of the tear infused with his noble heart and the purity of his mind caused it to freeze in place as a crystalline horn.
A radiant light explode from this majestic spire as it snuff out the flames around himself, The dragon's essence flowing from her body into his horn filling it with a shimmering mist and sparking light as she was reborn as part of him. The young colt black out after his body's energy was exhausted in saving himself as he collapsed there against the body of the dead dragon, the fires extinguished.
Hours later, he awoke seeing the dead dragon before him still and unmoving. Crying more he would nudge her head with his, urging her to wake up. He would look around only to see the flames had all died out sparring the forest. It was then that the soft voice came to mind once more, the dragon speaking to him as before. "Don't cry young one. I am with you still." He of course didn't know what was going on, as he looked all around for her seeing only the lifeless corpse. He called out for her "Where?! Where are you? I can't see you..." The dragoness replied in kind. "I am part of you now. I am the horn atop your head."
Azure was stunned, moving a hoof to his head to rub at it gently. "I,... my,... Horn?" he ask aloud still. The dragon's soft call would ring through his mind again "Yes. In ancient times past it was us dragons who first gave our powers to ponies, giving them magic and flight. So the legends of my people tell." The colt would nod a bit thinking to himself now to see if it worked, "A-alright... What's your name? I never asked." "Sephira. Princess of the northern sky clan." He blushed as he knew he would never again be alone even in thought but smiled at knowing he now had a friend.
"Lets go then. I want to show you my home." He would say with a smile. As he slowly started his way back. It was as he did this that the frosty aura from his horn manifest itself into a long wolf-faced dragon to float at his side briefly, just long enough for her to look to him and smile before vanishing.
It was then that the voice said to him quietly, "One more thing. Look back." As he looked back he saw nothing but he caught a glimpse of something on his flank. There for him to behold was his cutie mark, a frozen flame.
There on his flank, the long crawling arms of a flame frozen in place like glass structures, the long glistening tongues casting off a constant icy aura as the base of the flame was a shimmering hyper-faceted gem of infinite depth that glimmer and flash constantly. The aura from the limbs having coated them in a soft white frost, that would coat the entire upper section leaving only the bottom of the jewel exposed displaying it's ever brilliant outer limbs broad at the base making it like a rose blossom as the inner limbs stretch higher in thinner structures like spires from the depths. The mark was alive and animated, as it seemingly was an imbuement of the pure magic he now share with his new partner.
Ch:2
Growth Through Knowledge,
Knowledge Through Questions.
The years that follow were not easy but the young stallion found that friendship is indeed magical as his relationship with Sephira grew so too did his magical powers. This new found power and his new friendship had him traveling the world as everyone wanted to see and meet the mysterious earth pony who became a powerful unicorn, and hear the tale of how it came to be.
In the course of his last few years of schooling he was quite the spectacle, drawing daily crowds to gawk, and even some to worship him. But these things soon faded as the years went by. However, there was one thing that didn't come and go so painlessly, and that was adjusting to being with someone all of the time. Especially someone who you know is the opposite sex. Timidity was not in his nature but its hard enough dealing with personal teen problems alone.
During this stage of his development he had to adapt and unlike most normal ponies, he adapt in a way that left him a bit more blunt when dealing with personal problems and feelings than others. He didn't get to know of privacy as he grew and that would lead to him lacking personal space and lacking respect for others personal space too. At Least in some degree.
A few years after he had finished his schooling, he was requested to attend a gala with the princesses, and tell his story to everyone in attendance. Scribes of all kinds were already flocking to Canterlot in preparation for this event, and some could not wait, stopping in the small town of ponyville beforehand to get the story.
One peculiar pony even chased him down in the street and refused to leave him alone until he told him the full story. Scoops the reporter pony was relentless in his quest for the truth about the horn and pestered Azure endlessly. And the story he finally got was worth every moment so he thought. And to date it was the first and only time the story was ever told by the dragon spirit Sephira, since Azure refused to tell it to someone so annoying.
Weeks latter Azure met the princesses, Celestia, and Luna, and told them his story. Like most they were in awe and wanted nothing more than to study his magics and put them to a test. That is after the celebration was over, and all the others got to hear his story.
The tests were rigorous, leaving nothing to question, and what they found was that though extremely proficient with one specific school of magic, he was even more limited in other schools than others and seemingly could not even learn them. Sephira still also remained in control of the majority of his power only allowing him to tap into a small portion of it by himself, but having to help any time there was a great strain.
What this means is that if this truly was how all unicorns started, then the dragon spirits given to them eons ago were not of split nations but of a single nation. All of their magics had split off into sects over time and that all of the dragon types where one master breed before. But even asking Sephira herself of this yield no positive confirmation. And it was still unclear how the powers came to be inherent to unicorns now. How the powers had been transferred to them and no longer needed spirit guides.
Sephira told of a time when unicorns were common among her people, and where trusted friends. But that age had passed many hundreds of generations ago now, and all the ponies of her land had moved away or perished in the wars that now rage between the dragon sects.
The only thing for certain was that Azure was not normal, but not unique either. Perhaps just unique to this modern time, but in the grand scheme of things he was possibly a throwback. An echo of generations gone by when life was more peaceful, and all of the races where closer.
Celestia and Luna had both seen much in their extensive lives, but they were not around for the times of which the questions arose. And the stories they have from their mother and father are nothing more than childrens' bedtime tales.
The two princesses know one thing however; Some one of his power and inexperience needed guidance. And so they obliged. Azure was assigned to serve with Luna, as Celestia already had other apprentices at hoof. With her he would hone his magical power and grow more in those months than he had in all his years before. At least in mind, and ability.
His studies with the princess continued for many months, but there was only so much he could be thought, as he needed to learn more for himself. This set it in his mind that a journey to all of the dragon tribes was his only way to learn of the entire story, and answer the questions lost to him and his kind over the generations.
That winter, he left. Headed northward to take Sephira home; To see her family and let them learn of the events that had come to be. The only constant companion at his side being the spirit that watched over him, and soothed his mind.
To this day he still walks the roads between dragon tribes seeking only to learn, and wanting some closure to his questions, the questions consumed by time.
Ch:3
The Journey North.
It has been months since Azure set out on his trek across equestria. And already the climate was growing frigid. His thin coat was not use to these northern temperatures, and even now, in the dead of spring it was still snowing.
He had seen dragons overhead , and had spoken with Sephira about them. But even as they loom over head, he felt no closer, as he could never get their attention. How little he knew that his road would be long and his trials hard for the weeks to come.
Time would pass so slowly as he walked these cold, white, roads. The wind and snow pelting his coat constantly, and the sun glaring from the snow blinding him as he trudged onward. To his great relief he soon saw of in the distance a plethora of smoke plumes rising like black fingers from the white hills.
What seemed so close at first sight was so far away, he wanted to run to the town as quickly as possible, but the cold sapped his energy so. His muscles shiver, and react so poorly it was a miracle he was still able to stand and walk at all. his legs aech something fierce, and his entire body was numbed by the cold at this point. He could not be any more relieved to see the town finally appear over a ridge, to see thick walled log and brick homes, each with a chimney and fire burning inside.
His frozen footsteps turned to frantic galloping as he dashed towards the town and towards the large inn. The way he burst through that door one would think he had seen the abominable snow pony. Once inside, and with the entirety of the lounge looking at him confused from his frantic slamming of the door, he would blush a bit and smile to them before walking to the counter.
Behind the counter was a grizzled older stallion, who's white beard matched the snow covered peaks that surround the village. This ole' studd spoke in a rough woodsie accent, "Evenin' Found yourself out in our weekly winter blizzard I see. Well, make yourself comfortable. So long as you mind your manners and keep to yer'self there won't be any problems."
Azue would reply with an exasperated look about himself, "Is it always this cold out? I swear you could make ice-cubes freeze out here." He grumble and gripe a moment before shaking his head and sighing deeply. "Sorry, sorry. The cold has me more tired than i've ever been. Do you have a spare room?"
The stallion would chuckle, "I do but you may want to go knock off that bit of ice on your head if you're really that cold." With that the older man would gesture to Azure's horn, of course never having seen one like it before. "As for our rooms, they are 3 bits a night to share a room. Or 12 bits a night for a private room. We don't exactly have much space is why I have to charge like this."
(To be continued when time permits.)
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