Dragon (Friendship is Magic): Difference between revisions

'''Dragons''' are a species of magical reptilian beings who inhabit the [[Dragon Lands]], though they have been seen in [[Equestria]] and other regions as well. They are ruled over by a [[Dragon Lord]], who maintains supreme authority over them, and have historically been unfriendly to [[{{FIM|Pony|ponies]]}}, though this has changed in recent times.

Long, long ago, the dragons came into [[First Drgaon-Yak war|conflict]] with the [[yaksyak]]s over the land that would eventually become known as [[Yakyakistan]], with both species seeking to make it their home. Eventually, [[Prince Ulysses]] of the yaks and [[Dragon Lord]] [[Scintilla]] worked out a truce, with the pair taking a journey to find a land where the dragons could settle peacefully. They eventually found it on [[Dragon-Kirin island]], bringing an end to the [[Dragon-Yak war period]] as both groups settled in peace. Scintilla was granted the title of [[honorary yak]], which it was agreed would never be replicated. Unfortunately, due to the poor abilities of an ancient yak artist and the shorter lifespans of yaks compared with those of dragons, the yaks eventually forgot their connection to the dragons.

Despite this, dragons had not become wholly evil or without reason, and resolving problems with them was often only a matter of some party coming in to mediate a conflict. [[Mage Meadowbrook]], for example, was able to prevent a battle between a flock of dragons and the Royal Legion after learning that the dragons were seeking a cure for an illness and providing them with one<ref>[[Legends of Magic issue 10]]</ref> [[{{FIM|Princess Luna]]}} was able to similarly bring peace between a group of dragons and a colony of [[Bat Ponies]], with only one dragon proving so problematic that she had to deal with him individually. Some dragons even took up peaceful residence in Equestria, establishing communities such as [[Dragon Town]] in [[Fillydelphia]], though lone adult dragons continued to pose a hazard.

Changes in the way dragons behaved towards other creatures and each other were set in motion when a single dragon egg made its way into the hooves of [[{{FIM|Princess Celestia]]}}. This egg was later hatched by {{FIM|Twilight Sparkle}} into {{FIM|Spike}}, who became a part of her family and one of her closest friends. Despite this bond, Equestria's ponies-and Spike himself-still suffered in their dealings with some dragons, such as [[Razer]], [[Gostir]], and [[Garble's gang]]. However, Spike's bond with his pony family and friends would ultimately leave a mark on dragon culture when Dragon Lord Torch called for a [[Gauntlet of Fire (event)|Gauntlet of Fire]] to determine his successor.

The exact duration of dragon lifespans is unknown, but known to be lengthy, with a hundred-year sleep being considered a "nap" to a dragon. Infant dragons start out smaller than most adult ponies, while in their teenage phase they can be considerably larger than a pony. Adulthood seems to have more of a range, with the adult dragon [[Sludge (Friendship is Magic){{FIM|Sludge]]}} being only somewhat larger than some teenage dragons, while other adults such as Torch are truly massive, with a typical adult pony being small enough to fit inside one of their eyeballs. Dragons have also been known to experience [[greed-induced bigness]], a condition in which their hoarding tendencies grow out of control and they begin to rapidly increase in size the more objects they collect. In the case of Spike, this caused him to grow to the size of a giant adult dragon in the space of two days; the process is reversible however, as Spike was returned to normal when Rarity rekindled his memories of being generous to others.