The Dragon's Riddle
Long, long ago, before the time of the Three Tribes, the dragons ruled the world. The earth trembled at their passing, the oceans pooled in their claw-steps, and the heavens receded before their flames. The creatures of the plains and the forests and the mountains trembled in shadows, and foraged for scraps among what the littlest of the great beasts left behind.
Then, one day, the dragons fell to squabbling, and the fires of war scoured the land. The skies darkened with smoke, and great claws split the mountains. Finally, the battle-cries fell silent, and the shattered remnants of the dragons slunk into the dark places, sending terrified creatures scattering into the light. The mightiest of the wyrms, Ancalagon, landed in the center of the barren, blackened desert where once had been their greatest city; lifted his greviously wounded head; and roared, in a voice that echoed throughout the world:
"Finished is the Age Of Dragons! Let the one who can answer my riddle rule the next."
Not long afterward, the queen of the gryphons touched down to stand proudly in front of Ancalagon's muzzle. "I am the fastest of the creatures," Pierces-The-Heart cawed, "quick of body and quick of mind; as first to reach you, I will be the one to rule. Speak your riddle, Dragon King, that I may answer it."
Ancalagon stirred, uncoiled, and whispered, with the voice at the end of all things:
I am just in time, and just for today.
I am just finished, and I am just begun.
I am just over the horizon, and I am just within reach.
What am I?
Pierces-The-Heart thought quickly, then smirked and said, "You are a breath of air. Your power sustains us no matter how far or near we fly, and for as long as we live; yet each breath is meaningless, quickly forgotten when the next comes along. Where is my prize?"
Ancalagon fixed a baleful eye upon her. "If you seek to breathe me in, bird, breathe deep!" he roared, and exhaled a blast of flame. When he was done, the ground where she had stood shone in the night and flowed like water.
The next day, as soon as the earth had cooled back into rock, the king of the minotaurs strode proudly up to Ancalagon's muzzle. "I am the strongest of the creatures," Stands-The-Mountain bellowed, "indomitable of body and mind. As the first to brave your heat, I will succeed where Pierces-The-Heart failed, and be the one to rule. Speak your riddle, Dragon King, that I may answer it."
Ancalagon repeated:
I am just in time, and just for today.
I am just finished, and I am just begun.
I am just over the horizon, and I am just within reach.
What am I?
Stands-The-Mountain snorted in laughter. "What are you? You are a dragon. Where is my prize?"
Ancalagon fixed a baleful eye upon the minotaur. "You speak truth without understanding, cow. Do not waste my time!" he roared, and struck with his claw. When he was done, the ground where the minotaur had stood was scarred with chasms deep beyond sight.
A week later, the king of the diamond-dogs climbed from one of those chasms to the surface near Ancalagon's muzzle. "I am the wiliest of the creatures," Finds-The-Gem said. "I have listened with the ears of the earth, and journeyed to steal the deep wisdom of its secret heart. Unlike the others, I came prepared, so I shall be the one to rule."
"We shall see," Ancalagon said, and repeated:
I am just in time —
But Finds-The-Gem interrupted him with a gloating smile. "Did I not make myself clear? I already know your riddle."
The great dragon narrowed his eyes. "What, then, is your answer?"
Finds-The-Gem gave Ancalagon an exaggerated bow. "Your Majesty, you are the weather. Ever-present yet ever-changing; eternal yet transient; and with dominion over the ruined surface of the world, which is why the new age shall flourish with us in the depths. Where is my prize?"
Ancalagon fixed a baleful eye upon the burrower. "If you label me the weather, dog, act not surprised when I am fickle!" he roared, and inhaled a mighty breath. When he was done, the canine — and all the land around him — had vanished into his cavernous maw and down his gullet.
A year and a day later, a small and plain pony approached Ancalagon, her head bowed in respectful silence.
Finally, the mighty dragon opened one eye and stared.
"What," he rumbled, "no boasts?"
The pony cleared her throat uncomfortably. "No, Great King," she said. "I am here to beg your aid."
Ancalagon snorted; she flinched, and almost fled. "Who are you to make such presumptions?"
"I am Eats-The-Grass of the northern lands, Great King. I am not quick nor strong nor clever, but I had no choice but to come, because my herd is suffering. With no ruler, the land slowly dies."
"Then answer my riddle," Ancalagon roared, freezing her to the spot, "or die with it!"
And he repeated himself once more:
I am just in time, and just for today.
I am just finished, and I am just begun.
I am just over the horizon, and I am just within reach.
What am I?
Eats-The-Grass closed her eyes for some time.
"You speak of being just," she finally said, voice faint and trembling, "whether near or far, whether come or gone, whether passing or eternal. Yet the one truth of life is that all creatures make mistakes; and no matter the judgment, for justice one must begin with forgiveness. You are mercy."
A long, slow laugh came from the great dragon's throat.
"The others have named me as I am, pony, but you are the first to name me as the world needs me," he said, carefully lifting one claw and tracing the first Mark upon her flank. "Carry my gifts back to your tribe, and rule the world as we ought to have ruled."
The ponies would go on to do just that, but those are tales for another day.
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Extended author's notes (from the original version of this story) are here. I think it stands alone now, though.
Poetic.
Very interesting.
Very Good!
I don't know why I remember this, but two years ago, in reply to a comment of mine, you said:
It was good and all, but I kind of expected it to be longer.
5177839 Oh, hey! I don't remember that comment but I do remember the story it referred to. "Finding Solus" is still half-written in my to-do file. This one borrowed heavily from that premise, but turned the war into a civil war and moved it much further back in time.
I like how this turned out but I doubt it will be the last we see of this idea.
Lovely piece
You'd think that, you know, the gryphons, minotaurs, and diamond dogs would object to their rulers being brutally murdered for little reason.
Or at least one of them might recognize the pattern and send someone else in their stead.
5179880
You don't argue with the mightiest of the dragons. If he decides to off your boss, you keep waaay over there in the back and try not to look appetizing. Then run away as soon as he's not looking.
And the dragon said that whoever answered the riddle got to rule the next age. If you send, say, your janitor to answer the riddle, and he answers correctly, then your janitor now rules the next age. Even if it was originally your idea. Now if you just want to secure the prize for team griffin, or minotaur, or diamond dog, that's fine, but, y'know, politicians.
Nice work, as always. You've got just dozens of excellent fics written for writeoffs and such lying around, don't you? I might actually give you that editing feedback on "Cowled Changelings" you asked for sometime this decade, in the interests of seeing more of these.
This was nice, short, sweet, and to the point. Well done!
Ah, Horizon.
This is one of those stories where I go "This is really elegant in its simplicity". I then smile contentedly at the page, knowing literature has just happened and the world is better for its presence.
Then a single tear rolls down my cheek as I rattle the monitor back and forth, screaming at it in a falsetto, "SO WHY COULDN'T I THINK OF THAT?"
Interesting.... the origins of Cutie Marks?
Wow...I don't even know how to begin. This read like a Greek myth or fable. It had an amazing message and story, and it's probably one of the best things I've read on here. I usually only give one mustache, but I believe you deserve three
This got a hugely high score when I voted in the writeoff, and glad to see it here!
I miss Ragnarok
5179880
Pretty much what 5179922 said.
5179997
Cowled Changelings is about ready to come out of hiding! Just a few more tarnished spots to polish out, hopefully this weekend. Plus I need some cover art.
5180581
Or at least a headcanon'd version thereof.
5182694
That having been said, I changed the name pretty much entirely on PP's say-so, and now I'm just ripping off Tolkien instead, so if I get a lot of pushback I'm not opposed to the original version.
I am reliably informed that, if you are looking for a magnificent dragon by that name, you don't have to go too far to find one.
5182910
Another one on the read later list! Scrolling through the comments, I see some RCL BIG NAMES! Will we be seeing that story say, around more often?
And the name's all good. However, I didn't like the change to "in a voice that echoed throughout the land" from "in a voice that echoed around the world" - the original had me envisioning sound waves crashing from earth to sky over and over around the globe. I don't know why, but that what I seen when I read it, and it worked. "Throughout the land" just doesn't invoke the same image to me, but who knows
it's probably just me.
Side thought: You should totally name the dragon Horizon :p
5179880
Object? To Ancalagon the Black?
To this guy?
No.
Wow... just, wow.
This is truly impressive. You've introduced so much while saying so little, and you did it effectively.
My hat goes off to you, you whom are not a changeling.
That was awesome. The stuff on this site in general is astounding, I almost never leave a story unsatisfied, and leave impressed more often than not. Where regular commercial literature sits stagnate, fanfiction is exploring everything and anything, no to stories the same. I applaud everyone here, and I applaud the author of this for contributing another great and unique work to this huge symphony of words.
Nice.
This feels like one of those short famous stories we all learn. It's short, ever so sweet and says exactly as much as it needs, no more, no less. I love it.
5183556
Good catch on the echo — I changed that to vary the wording in that paragraph a little bit, but "world" is absolutely more evocative. I went back and tidied that paragraph up a bit.
Are you saying Horizon is a dragon? That's silly! I'm already not a changeling, I can't not be other things too!
5183827
There is nothing about that art which is not epic. I'm kinda glad I changed the dragon's name now.
5184647 5190202 5191501 5191520
Thanks!
This really feels like a Bible Story...
5193944 sounds more like Greek mythology is you ask me.
I would've so been roasted by that dragon. My guess was going to be hope.
...by any chance was that pony celestial?
5199319
You mighta been alright! As a number of people commented in the writeoff thread, Eats-The-Grass' answer wasn't the only "right" one. As Bachiavellian put it:
I'd add two subtle points to that. One is that the riddle is explicitly phrased as "What am I?", and that's an integral part of what Ragnarok was looking for (and what was behind his responses to the first answers). The others' answers were all intellectually correct, in the sense that they fit the enumerated parameters of the problem (at least as closely as any answer was going to), but they weren't contextually correct. Why was the dragon asking a riddle for rulership of the world? The most powerful race in the world had just ended their empire in a civil war, and he wanted someone who wouldn't repeat their mistakes. How did they view him, which is to say, the personification of power?
In that light, "hope" ain't bad.
5209010
Mmmmmmmmmaybe.
PLZ I NEED TO KNOW!!!
5211583
I should elaborate. That's not an "I'm not telling" maybe, that's a "I don't have the One True Answer to that question" maybe. If your headcanon wants to run wild in a setting where that's true, go with it! It certainly would explain a lot …
This gave me grin.
5177455 I thought for damb it was sun
>tfw I hadn't read the full version
Get ready to take my first high recommendation of 2015! :V spoilers
5443766
This sounds like a creation story but I can greatly enjoy it. I like the idea that Ancalagon, a being of nothing but death and destruction beyond imagining, decides to help those smaller than he and casts aside those that lack the ability to see what is in front of them. Quite beautiful ^.^
5383930 And I, the sunset.
5705454
I suppose in Ponyworld, something like "the sun" or "the sunset" actually literally could be "just within reach" ...
(5211529 is the canonical reasoning for what the dragon was looking for, though.)
When the plain pony arives play this song
This was fantastic. In particular the world-building and the wordplay. I really should have got the "just" thing in advance, but I can't say I did. Not entirely keen on the dragon's name, but it didn't harm my actual enjoyment of the fic at all. Very, very nice.
5982662
Thank you!
5996169 Can I ask you something that involves with this story?
5996169 Hello?
6122757
Hi there -- sorry, the Writeoffs just started, and I'm juggling my fimfiction time.
Asking questions is one of the things the comment section is here for.
What's up?
6125476 Did you get my PM?
Hah! I guessed 'Justice'. I was in the ballpark!
Probably still toast, though.
Awesome piece.
You can has review!
Now sure how much I like the riddle, but I got chills near the end anyway, so well done!.
7449197
Thanks!
We dragons, though we may be noble in thought, are invariably at odds with our own contentious and covetous hearts. Ancalagon, to me, reads somewhat like a blend of Paarthurnax, Paladine-(Bahamut), and the lion of the Aesop 'the Lion and the Mouse'. He is one who understands the failings of his people, and in seeing the same traits displayed by others, dismisses them "with extreme prejudice!" However; on seeing one who truly wants a better, more peaceful, and less deadly existence; not merely for themselves, but for others; he is willing to grant his blessing, and further, to warn them against the mistakes of his own kind. Truly, a noble and most tragic figure!
Also, I love the middle-earth reference of his name. Not even his fire can purify the taint of the Great Doom of the Third Age!
Ash nazg durbatulûk ash nazg gimbatul ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul!