“I did not summon for anyone.”

“You did not, your Lordship, yes,” the young Emissary acknowledged with a practised bow, one unsightly from someone of his lanky stature. “I came here of my own volition.”

The Lord-of‐Old narrowed his gaze. Gifted he was with the power of sight, and his eyes had seen it all— the First Dark, the First Light, Daysbirth, Nightsbirth, Kingsrise, Kingsfall, the skies smothered in purple ash, the malice of Sun and Moon, every forgotten empire, every vivacious ruler, every little life lasting unto its end, everything.

Likewise, in the eyes of the Emissary standing before his colossal form, the Lord-of‐Old saw the budding green of truth, and nothing else.

“You know not of my demands?” he questioned with a deep frown. “Did you not notice the trails of grey I’ve left overhead? Were you not notified?”

“It sorta took me a while. Needed some help figuring it out,” the Emissary professed, twiddling his claws. “Nevertheless, I stand before you well-informed, your Lordship.”

The Lord-of‐Old spared only a haughty snort at the other’s defiance. “And yet you still chose to present yourself before me. You, the interloper.”

“I just… I don’t think it’s right, your Lordship.”

“Realize that you tread upon dangerous territory, young one,” the Lord-of‐Old warned, the cave rumbling from his fanged snarl. “You’re questioning our culture. You’re questioning century upon century of our kind’s tradition, bestowed upon us by the Serpents Between The Stars, and right now, you stand before me in dissension, refusing me of my pride. Of my final dignity.”

“I’m not here because of any of that,” the Emissary explained, crossing his arms. “In fact, I don’t even care about any of that.”

“Watch your tongue, newt,” he growled. “Need I remind you that in the end, you are but an outlander, tarnished by the customs of your compatriots. Your words have no power here. Now, leave before I decide to set you alight.”

“Not everything has to be about pride, your Lordship.”

The Lord-of‐Old saw fit to smirk, for he had never heard a more ridiculous statement in all of his lifetime. “You seem to misunderstand something. Pride is but a fragment of the whole, young one. This is about celebrating the life of the dragon as they near their denouement. A moment of reminiscence and retrospection. I know not of how the customs over there had changed, but I recall it not being too dissimilar from your kind, is it not?”

“It’s… different… no, it’s [i]more[/i] than different. Not why you’re doing it, but the way you’re doing it, it’s… i-it’s...” the Emissary struggled to find the right words, which came to him after he paused and took a deep breath. “It’s selfish. It’s cruel. It’s not fair to anyone else, especially to those close to you.”

“Such is the nature of life’s end, young one. The sooner you understand, the better.”

“It’s not the same. It just isn’t,” the Emissary asserted with a shake of his head. “You know, it doesn’t have to be like this. You don’t have to face it alone.”

“It is but the nature of our kind. Surely you understand that.”

“Yes.” In that single word, the Emissary carried wisdom beyond his age. “And when that day comes for me, I’ll face it. But never alone.”

“When that day comes, you’ll throw aside your honour and pride?”

“No, your Lordship. I’ll exchange it.”

“With what?”

The Emissary only smiled, providing another practised bow before stepping out of his cave. For a moment, the Lord-of‐Old pondered upon those words, until a different figure emerged from the entrance to his home and stepped into view. Her head hung low, her gaze averting his piercing scrutiny as she made her approach.

“You never listen to me, do you?” he grumbled.

“I tried stopping him, Dad, I did!” she cried. “I told him time and time again that it’s pointless to convince you, to just leave you alone, but he kept on insisting—”

“Come here,” the Lord-of‐Old calmly asked of her, to which she complied. “Raise your head. Steady your poise. You’re the Dragon Lord now. Show your strength, as I've taught you.”

In her realization, she smiled. “There’s more of us waiting outside. The family, friends, some from Equestria and beyond,” she began. “Should I…”

“Bring them in,” the Lord-of‐Old closed his eyes and made his final plea. “Please.”

Thus, she did.

And in his final moments, the Lord-of‐Old smiled the biggest smile of his life.