Celestia couldn’t wait to see Gaius again, it’s been a while.
Next to studies given out by Starswirl and helping out the unicorns in raising the Sun she didn’t have any time to visit her dragon friend.
Starswirl didn’t really approve this friendship. “Being friends with the Dragon Lord could be beneficial for Equestria, right?” Celestia assured him many times. “Dragons are beasts. They would never understand the friendship of ponies.”. Starswirl had the same thought as many if not all ponies of Equestria. Celestia was sure they were wrong. She was certain, if she shows Gaius how great friendship is ponies and dragons may become allies.
Of course Celestia didn’t plan to befriend him for that. She never expected to meet the dragon when she traveled the outskirts of Equestria. But it happened and Celestia was happy to befriend him. Gaius was more than happy to talk about dragon life and Celestia was always listened to it excitedly. He may look like a frightening dragon on the outside, but hi has a truly kind heart on the inside.

After some hours of flight Celestia arrived to the Dragon Lands by night. After a gentle landing she was about to run into Gaius’s lair. However, to her surprise she heard an unfamiliar voice. And than she was shocked when she peaked inside the cave. On the throne, where Gaius usually sits she saw a young pink dragon munching happily on some gems. She was wearing Gaius’s crown. She was holding Gaius’s spectre.

“She’s the new dragon lord…”

Celestia panicking flew off to find Gaius. She flew from one end to the other of the Dragon Lands, looking into every cave and hole, hoping one of them has Gaius in it. Mixture of fears came over her. What if he’s hurt? What if he left the Dragon Lands. What if she doesn’t find him.

As the morning Sun was slowly rising over the horizon, Celestia was about to lose faith when she saw some clawed footprints going into a cave.

“It must be him!”

She immediately flew into the cave, calling out Gaius’s name. And at the back of the cave there he was. The dethroned dragon lord, Gaius.
However, something was off. Gaius in silence was clawing the walls of the cave. Something that Celestia didn’t realize in her happiness of seeing her friend again.

“Gaius, it’s so good to see you! Are you alright?”

Silent, barely audible growl came from the dragon as he stopped the clawing. Celestia, not hearing the growl stepped closer to him.

“I saw the new dragon lord. What happen”

It was quick, like a lightning strike. The sound of the slash of sharp as knife dragon claws. So sharp that they left claw marks on the rock floor of the cave. Celestia barely managed to jump backwards out of the way. She got away with just the loss of a few strings of her mane and a cut on her nose. Gaius still not faced her.
Confused and shocked Celestia stand there, trembling, ready to fly. She knew Gaius was angry. No. Gaius was furious.
However, she didn’t understand why he would attack her. Lash out on her.

“Gaius…why?”

”…Leave.”

Celestia stubbornly stood her ground.

“What happened, Gaius?”

“What do you think what happened? I was defeated. Now leave.”

“What do you mean you were ‘defeated’? I thought”

“I SAID LEAVE!”

With a roaring shout, the dragon turn his face towards her. Celestia was now truly frightened. She saw it in the dragon’s eyes. He wasn’t mad about what happened to him. He was mad at her.

“Your friendship ruined me. I was once the great and powerful dragon lord, no one could overcome me. But now…I’m soft, I’m weak. Dragons aren’t meant to be kind. Even now I should tear you up into pieces. That’s what a dragon would do, if something angers it. That’s our nature. But I can’t do it. Because of you and your pony friendship.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with that Gaius. We…we could talk it out.”

Gaius lowered his head towards the ground, slowly stopping the clawing on the wall. What was in his eyes was shame.

“I hold out my claws to them, just like you said I should.”

“To them?”

Then it clicked.

“The new dragon lord?”

“That’s what you taught me. Show kindness and help others, that’s the real strength I should show as a leader. But no. I was naive, I was foolish. What kindness really does it shows how weak you become. She just took the opportunity like any other dragons would. That’s why she’s the new dragon lord, and I’m nothing.”

“No Gaius, you are not ‘nothing’. What she did was horrible, backstabbing you like that. There always going to be those who take advantage of other’s kindness, but that shouldn’t stop you to show generosity and the like to others. Even in Equestria there are ponies who sometimes-”

Gaius we thunderess roar shouted towards Celestia.

“I’M NOT A PONY! I’M A DRAGON, DON’T YOU GET IT?!”

Frightened, Celestia took a step back.

“Gaius…”

Gaius now fully turned towards Celestia, slowly stared walking towards her and she in fear moved back.

“How do you think I became the dragon lord? Do you think I walked up to the previous one and kindly asked for the spectre? No! I put my claws to their throat and took it from them by force! Because THAT’S what WE dragons do! That’s what we always did and what we always will do!”

He stopped. His giant toothed face a few inches away from Celestia. She stood there and waited for what the dragon does now. He continued.

“And that’s why I’m going to go down in history not as a great dragon lord, but as a weakling who was easily overthrown. And the new one is going to be the hero of the story.”

“Gaius, please, I’m sure we can fix this. There must be a way.”

Gaius anger was still there, but it slightly softened.

”…You still don’t get it, do you? I don’t need your rainbow and sunshine filled pony friendship. Leave me be.”

“I want to help you! You’re my friend, Gaius! I can’t just leave you like this.”

“Go or I’m going to burn you to ashes in an instant.”

In that moment, Celestia saw a small tear in the dragon’s eye. Gaius slowly raised himself and moved back to the wall, turned away from Celestia once again.

“Go, Celestia. I don’t want to see you ever again.”

Those words may hurt Celestia more than any threat of being teared apart or burned to nothingness. The friendship they had died in that moment.
Celestia knew she can’t say or do anything anymore. She didn’t know what to do anymore. Defeated, Celestia turned towards the exit and slowly walk away. However, before she stepped out from the cave Celestia looked back towards her friend. Gaius looked weak and alone, laying there on the cold, hard floor, away from her. She couldn’t help but say one last thing to the dragon.

“I know this doesn’t going to change anything, and I’m sure you don’t want to hear it. But you always be my friend, Gaius.”

And with that, Celestia flew out of the cave. In the air she started to really fill the pain from the scar. “How am I going to explain this to Starswirl and Luna.” And with those and other thoughts in her mind and with tears in her eyes she flew towards Equestria.

And after that day, Celestia never saw her dragon friend ever again.

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This. Is. Super. LONG.

But it’s something I really wanted to write for this drawing. This may be the longest added story I ever wrote. Probs took me like two hours, minimum. I may return to this later with a rewrite, but for now I just hope it’s somewhat correctly written.

Some extra info that may be needed:

1. This take place long long time ago. Before the Pillars are even formed. Heck, they probably are barely teens.
2. Celestia is an older teen in this one. She and Luna are not the rulers of Equestria yet.
3. The Sun and Moon not risen by them, but still by some powerful unicorns. This was before the those unicorns’s powers started to get weak.
4. Set in my AU, cos it has connections to it. In fact this mainly was done to set up those connections. It’s a small part of my AU (not important for the overall story), but I still wanted to explore it.
5. Dethroned dragon lords are usually become exiles. Dragons hate the weak. This has importence in my AU.
6. Gaius didn’t loose faith in friendship just because of Scales. Every dragon he showed kindness to turned their backs on him after he was dethrowned.
7. Not 100% Gaius is his official name. It it according to Derpibooru. So I decided to roll with it.

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