//------------------------------//
// Chapter 132: Dragon Lord Spike? 
// Story: My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition 
// by SuperPinkBrony12 
//------------------------------//

Roughly two weeks had passed since Flurry Heart's Crystalling, and not much had really transpired in the time since. Life went on as it normally did, except for Shining Armor who had to adapt to the changes that fatherhood brought on.

Meanwhile, his student, Starlight Glimmer, stayed in Ponyville. Aside from a brief letter from her old village about how they were "reluctantly" accepting her apology, she hadn't heard a word and hadn't really bothered to interact with others. She still felt very much like a stranger and an outcast.

Then, one day, the peace and quiet was unexpectedly interrupted. Twilight was busy entertaining Princess Celestia and Princess Luna at her brother's castle, when Rarity suddenly came bursting in, completely caked in mud! She had a noticeable look of anxiety on her face, and she hadn't even bothered to take off her tacky orange miner's helmet. She spoke not a word, as she placed Spike on a table Twilight had set up. All could now see that Spike had a strange (perhaps even otherworldly) glow that surrounded him.

"What's going on?! I thought Spike was helping you with gem hunting!" Twilight commented to Rarity.

"We were," Rarity nodded, still panting heavily. "But all of a sudden, he started glowing like this and couldn't stop! I don't know what to do! Is something wrong with him?!"

"I don't know, I've never seen this before in my whole life!" Twilight replied, also stricken with anxiety! She hated not being in the know!

Fortunately, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna remained calm. They knew what was going on. "I believe I've seen this before," Celestia somberly commented. "It is the call of the Dragon Lord. Spike has been called to the dragon lands. He must go there at once."

"WHAT?!" Twilight and Rarity both gasped!

"Indeed he must, the call of the Dragon Lord is absolute," Luna explained to Twilight and Rarity. "The only way the glow stops, is when the reason for the Dragon Lord's summon is no longer binding."

"But... but... but..." Twilight stuttered, trying to find the words of protest she needed.

As if she could read Twilight's mind, Rarity spoke out in protest! "But Spike can't go to the dragon lands! From what he told us of his time spent there, the dragons are nothing but fiendish and selfish brutes! He wouldn't last five minutes!"

"Besides, he's just a baby!" Twilight spoke in outright defiance! "I'm his guardian for crying out loud, and I say no way! No matter what we might learn about dragon customs, I won't allow him to go off and get hurt! He's risked his life plenty of times as it is!"

But Celestia only shook her head. "I'm afraid it's not up for argument, the glow will only get brighter and brighter the longer Spike remains here."

"Besides," Luna added. "He is only a baby in terms of dragon years, and that is because dragons live for a very long time, over 1,000 years in fact. I'm sure both of you can attest that he's quite mature in pony years, and having spent almost all his life among ponies, I think that counts more."

"Guess that settles it then," Spike commented. Looking at Twilight and Rarity, he then requested. "But, I wouldn't feel comfortable going there on my own? You girls will be there with me, right?"

Rarity smiled, hugging Spike close. "Oh of course, my dear Spikey-Wikey, you didn't even have to ask. I'd worry myself sick knowing you're out there all alone, with no one to watch your back."

Twilight was much more enthusiastic! "Yes, I'd love to go! Just think of all the research opportunities that this trip presents! I could probably write an entire book on dragon customs with my findings!" She briefly pranced in place, before she looked at Spike, and remembered the personal connection she shared with him. "A-and, I'll go to support you, Spike. You've always part of my family, and we Sparkles stick together no matter what!"

"I'm going too!" An unexpected third voice joined the chorus. Its owner soon revealed itself to be none other than Starlight Glimmer.

"Oh no, there's absolutely no way you're going too, Starlight!" Twilight protested with a shake of her head. "You need to be working on your friendship lessons, per my brother's instructions, not looking for an excuse to weasel out of them."

But Starlight adopted a guilty look, and pleaded. "Please, you must let me go! Spike was the one who kept me on the straight and narrow back in the Crystal Empire. When I was looking for the first opportunity to get out of my lesson, he held my hooves to the fire and made sure I did what Shining Armor wanted. And he supported me when I needed it most. I couldn't call myself a good friend if I wasn't willing to return the favor. Like it or not, I'm going to the dragon lands with the rest of you, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Twilight groaned, and let out a sigh. "Well... it's not my decision to make, Starlight. You're my brother's student, so he should hold the final say," She was quick to warn. "But, if he says 'No', then that's final."

"But how are we going to contact him? He's all the way up in the Crystal Empire?" Starlight asked. "And there's no way we can just teleport up there and ask him."

"Precisely why I arranged for an alternative form of communication, in case of emergencies," Twilight said with a wink. "I never anticipated needing to use it so soon though," She then cleared her throat and instructed. "Spike, take a letter please, you know where to send it."

Spike quickly wrote down the necessary information and breathed fire on it, causing the scroll to vanish completely. But it didn't appear in front of Princess Celestia, as Starlight (and Rarity too) was expecting. A short time later, Spike belched out a new scroll.

Twilight grabbed the scroll with her magic and scanned it carefully. "It's from my brother, Shining says you can go, Starlight..."

Starlight cheered, interrupting Twilight! "Alright! Next time I see him, I'll have to let him know how grateful I am for this opportunity!"

"-If I could get back to where I was before, Starlight," Twilight commented, as she cleared her throat. "You can go, but my brother's also going to be tagging along. In fact, he's on his way here right now."

"What? But he lives in the Crystal Empire, it's not like he can just take the train down here." Starlight pondered.

Yet just seconds after Starlight had spoken this, there was a faint flash of violet-pink magic, and Shining Armor now stood before all occupants in the castle in all his glory. His mane and tail looked a bit singed and frazzled, but otherwise he seemed none the worse for wear. "I don't think I can keep doing this every time something comes up, Twily," He commented. "We need to work out a better way to get to and from the Empire and Ponyville. Otherwise, a few trips back and forth, and I'll be all worn out," Then he looked at Starlight with a stern, uncompromising glare. "Twilight's letter caught me up to speed on everything, including your reasons for wanting to accompany Spike. So, you really wanna do this, huh?"

"You bet!" Starlight nodded quite firmly. "I thought one of the most important things a friend can do for another, is be there when their support is needed most! And right now, Spike looks like he needs all the support he can get! Besides, a part of me always has been fascinated with dragons."

Shining opted to give off a faint sigh. "I'm going too, Starlight, and you will do as you are told, is that clear? The Dragon Lands are outside the jurisdiction of Equestria, and the last thing the princesses need, is an international incident on their hooves." He warned. 

"Don't worry, I'll behave, I promise." Starlight answered and then said no more.

"If you're all going to the Dragon Lands, then we wish you the best of luck," Luna informed the small party. "Our help's always needed somewhere in Equestria."

"And even if it wasn't, dragons don't kindly to ponies intruding on their home lands," Celestia cautioned. "So I suggest the four of you find a convincing disguise. There's no telling what might happen if the dragon lord spots you."

"Not to worry," Rarity beamed. "I have fashioned a dragon costume for just such an occasion. It may take a little bit of modifying, but I think we could all fit into it."

But Twilight spoke up. "Actually, I have a more effective idea in mind."





As it turned out, Twilight's idea involved all four ponies traveling inside of what looked like a giant rock. No one had a problem with this, except for Rarity. "At least with my idea, we were traveling in style." She grumbled.

"Shh!" Spike cautioned, as they neared the border of the Dragon Lands! "Keep it down, or you're gonna give yourselves away! And if you get caught, then we'll all be in trouble!"

"Sorry, Spike," Shining softly apologized. "You heard him. Pipe down, everypony! That's an order!"

So the ponies more or less clammed up, carefully shimmying their hooves along the rocky terrain that defined the Dragon Lands. The smell of soot and volcanic ash hung heavily in the air, and the wafting smoke gave the sky overhead an ominous dark-gray color to it.

All of a sudden, there came the sound of flapping wings, and a snarky voice taunted. "Well, well, well, if isn't the namby-pamby, pony loving, pipsqueak. I didn't know they let ponies be a part of this." The voice quickly revealed itself as a red scaled dragon of medium size. He had light grayish-olive eyes, vivid orange spikes down his entire body, and light amber wings.

Spike knew who this dragon was, he'd met him back during the dragon migration a few years ago. "It's nice to see you too, Garble." He sarcastically commented.

"I didn't say it was nice to see you, did I?!" Garble snarled. "Because it isn't, I'm pretty sure I made that clear!"

"What? You've never heard of sarcasm before?" Spike thought, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. In fact, his mind was soon drawn to other things, namely the fact that Garble was sitting atop the rock that was actually a disguise for his friends. "Hey, that's my rock!" He commented.

"Oh, I don't see your name on it," Garble teased, dangling his tail over the edge. "You aren't using it now, so I am! Simple as that! That is, unless you're looking to make something of it!" Spike said nothing, much to Garble's delight. "That's what I thought."

Just then, a tremendous roar shook the ground! Spike, Garble, and all other dragons gathered, turned to the source of the noise. which revealed itself to be a massive dragon perched atop a huge rock. Said dragon had grayish-arctic blue scales, moderate reddish-orange wings, and most noticeable of all, two large horns that were both a pale, light grayish-gold and moderate range in color. "Greetings, my fellow dragons." The dragon spoke in a deep, booming voice.

"Who is that?" Spike wondered aloud.

"That's Dragon Lord Torch of course," Garble sneered. "Didn't you learn anything from the migration?"

"I meant her," Spike explained, pointing a claw to a female dragon hovering off to Torch's left. She was of the same size as Garble, but she had brilliant cyan scales except for the inside of her wings, which ranged in color from moderate indigo to light cobalt blue, dark blue spikes on her head and tail, light apple greenish-gray horns, and ruby red eyes. "She's...." Spike trailed off. He couldn't explain it, but something about that dragon drew his attention. Was it possible he maybe was developing feelings for her? "Get a hold of yourself, Spike!" The little dragon gave himself a mental pep talk. "You don't even know what she's like! For all you know, she could be as big a brute as the rest of the dragons!"

"Oh, her?" Garble questioned, before he realized Spike was indeed referring to the female dragon. "That's Ember, Torch's daughter. If you were thinking of doing anything with her, you can forget it! Torch is way overprotective of his only daughter, he never lets her out of his sight. Besides, she'd never go for a pony-loving dragon like you."

"Ember? That's such a beautiful name." Spike murmured to himself.

Meanwhile, Dragon Lord Torch was speaking at length. "I have been proud to call myself Lord of All Dragons for over a thousand years," With every sentence, his deep voice shook the ground. "Unfortunately, I must now retire per the few rules that govern us. Sad, I know," But none of the dragons expressed anything close to sadness, so he bellowed out! "BE SAD!" And they all obeyed!

Twilight was watching the whole thing from inside the rock, jotting down notes with a quill. "Fascinating. It seems dragons will obey any command given to them by their Dragon Lord. We're already learning so much." She happily beamed.

But the quill kept brushing up against Rarity's nose, prompting something akin to a tickling sensation. "A-a-a..." She stuttered, trying to suppress the urge. It wasn't working!

"Oh no, whatever you do, do NOT sneeze!" Shining pleaded! "If you sneeze now, you'll give us all away!"

"A-I'm-a-trying-a-to..." Rarity twitched, as the urge to sneeze grew more and more urgent!

All of a sudden, from beneath the rock Garble was sitting on, there come a faint "Achoo." Spike quickly covered for the source. "Uh, that was me, sorry." He apologized as convincingly as possible.

"Ugh, you even sneeze like a pony," Garble groaned. "I swear, it's like you actually are a pony in a dragon costume."

Meanwhile, all inside the rock breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close." Starlight remarked, wiping the sweat from her brows.

"I'll say," Shining commented softly. "But it looks like that mini shield I threw up managed to lower the sound. We can't afford anymore close calls like that though."





Fortunately, no one suspected a thing about the rock, and Torch continued to speak to the dragons. "Now, I very well can't just give up my title of Dragon Lord to the first one who wants it. So I've arranged for a way to ensure that only the best of the bunch gets to have the honor of being my successor," He produced what seemed to be a small, purple rod, with a big ruby fastened to the tip. "So I have arranged for a 'Gauntlet of Fire' that leads into the heart of this active flamecano. And whoever is the first to retrieve the bloodstone scepter from the flamecano and bring it to me, will not only win the gauntlet, but also take my place as the Lord of all Dragons. Don't think it'll be easy though, only the toughest and strongest of dragons will have what it takes to even get to the flamecano. But all of you are welcome to participate, it makes no difference to me." And with that, Torch effortlessly flicked the scepter into the mouth of the flamecano, prompting a massive wave of firey-red energy to wash over all the dragons.

When it had faded, all took notice of the fact that the glow around their bodies had faded. Everyone quickly rushed off to take part in the gauntlet, except for Spike.

"Looks like Spike's purpose has been fulfilled," Twilight commented. "We can all go home now. A bummer, I was hoping we'd get to learn more about dragons. The stuff I've gathered so far, probably wouldn't even fill up a page. But I suppose that's better than having Spike be thrown into extreme pearl."

"My thoughts exactly," Rarity agreed. "There's no reason for us to hang around here anymore. Let's go home."

Spike began to push the rock his friends were hiding inside of, and made his way towards the border of the Dragon Lands. But he hadn't gotten very far, when Torch suddenly bellowed out! "And where do you think you're going?!" All the other dragons parted, allowing Torch to turn his full fury on Spike.

Spike found himself breaking out into a cold sweat despite the hot climate. He very well couldn't tell Torch the real reason behind his wanting to leave. "W-well," He stuttered. "I-I just thought, s-since I don't have a chance against all these other dragons, I-I'd j-just leave. I-I mean, w-why would I want to be Dragon Lord? I-I'm j-just f-fine with my life as it is, t-thank you."

"All dragons are to participate in the Gauntlet of Fire, no ifs, ands, or buts!" Torch roared in defiance! "That includes you, little dragon!"

Just then, Ember swooped down in front of her father, and told him. "Just let him go, he's rather puny. You really don't want him around."

Torch pondered this comment. "Hm, I suppose you have a point, he doesn't look like much more than a pipsqueak. Heck, I could probably crush him with the palm of my claw if I wanted to."

"Y-yeah, heh-heh, good one." Spike nervously chuckled.

Torch was anything but amused. "That wasn't a joke. When I want you to laugh, I'll tell you to do so."

"See, Dad?" Ember commented. "He doesn't even know how you work, and he smells like he's spent all his life with ponies. You've got a fine crop of participants for your gauntlet as it is, you can afford to lose this runt."

"Hey, I am NOT a runt! And for the record, I happen to like living with ponies, thank you!" Spike protested.

The protest from Spike was all Torch needed to hear, to make up his mind. "You've got an attitude, little one, and I don't think I like it! And even if I did, I'd sooner roll over and lie down than allow a pony lover like yourself to participate. You want to go home so badly? Fine, I'll grant your wish. Get out of here and don't ever show your face in my presence again!" And with that, Torch turned his attention away from Spike, dismissing him with a claw.

But just as soon as Torch had done so, Ember flew right into his outstretched claw. Torch knew immediately that meant his daughter wanted something, and there could be only one thing she'd want at a time like this. Even so, he was surprised. "What is the meaning of this, my daughter?!"

"Let me participate in the gauntlet, Father, I'm not your precious little princess anymore!" Ember pleaded. "I could wipe the floor with those hulking brutes in an instant, and you know it!"

Torch wasn't so convinced. He shook his head and made a tsking sound, as he remarked in a condescending tone of voice. "Ember, Ember, Ember, you just don't see things the way I do. It takes a big, strong dragon to win, because it takes a big, strong dragon to lead! And while you may not be a hatchling anymore, you're still far from the most powerful dragon there is, you wouldn't get past the first obstacle," Then he added. "Besides, I said no! And what I say goes!" His last statement was punctuated with a roar that blew Ember back.

Ember just growled in frustration. "Oh, I hate when you do that!" With a snarl, she flew off while muttering to herself. "Just you wait, Father. You'll learn to see it my way!"





Spike quickly went back to pushing the rock his friends were in. But even as he made way across the Dragon Lands, it was hard for him not to overhear all the "boasts" various dragons were making about what they'd do if they became the next dragon lord.

"When I'm dragon lord," A pink scaled dragon loudly proclaimed. "I'll make burps an official form of greeting for all dragons." She emphasized her point by letting out a huge belch.

"Oh yeah? Well when I'm dragon lord," A chubby, brown scaled dragon announced. "I'm gonna lead an army to steal all the pillows from Equestria. Just think, no more sleeping on the hard, rocky ground."

"Pah, that's kid's stuff!" Garble scoffed, as he then gleefully declared. "When I'm dragon lord, and let's be honest, no one else has any real chance. I'm gonna get revenge on those friendship loving, namby-pamby ponies. I'll initiate a raid on Equestria. We'll take only what we need, and then burn all the rest! And the best part is, those ponies will be powerless to stop us."

Needless to say, those comments gave Spike and his friends cause for concern. "I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I hope the burping dragon wins," Rarity commented. "It's shameful to think that she's the least worst option."

"I'm more worried about Garble," Spike replied as his lips quivered. "Knowing him, he might just be crazy enough to actually do what he says he's going to do."

"So, why does that matter? Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would put a stop to him in a heartbeat if he tried anything." Starlight boldly declared.

"Or the royal guard, myself included," Shining added. "If Garble thinks we're powerless, he's got another thing coming to him."

"Sure, you and I know ponies are stronger than the dragons will give them credit for, but Garble doesn't," Spike explained. "And there's no telling how many innocent dragons will suffer if Garble has his way. I couldn't live with myself knowing that I had a chance to stop him from becoming dragon lord, and I chickened out."

"Spike, think about what you're suggesting!" Twilight gasped, stricken with concern! "You don't honestly think you're going to win the Gauntlet of Fire, do you?!"

"So maybe I'm a general longshot to win, that doesn't matter!" Spike vowed, clenching his claws in fury! "What matters is that I stop the likes of Garble from ever rising to power in the first place! If entering the gauntlet is the only way to do that, then so be it! I doubt most of the dragons will be focused on me, they'll think I'm an easy target. They'll knock out the tough competition early on, and leave the weaklings to pick off at the end. If I keep my head low and my sights focused on Garble, I'm confident I can at least stop him from winning, if not knock him out of the gauntlet entirely."

"And what if you somehow win?" Twilight asked. "What happens then, Spike?"

Spike paused, he hadn't really considered that faint possibility. But after a moment of consideration, he glanced back to his friends and told them all. "Then, I'll reluctantly have to stay here and be the best dragon lord I can possibly be. And if that should happen, then it's been an honor getting to know all of you. And an honor to have served with you both." He said to Twilight and Shining Armor.

"Be very careful, Spike," Shining advised. "This time, there's nothing any of us can do to help you. You're gonna be on your own more or less, Twilight, Starlight, Rarity, and I, will only be there for moral support."

"That's all I can ask for. This is something I gotta do on my own!" Spike vowed, and rushed off to join the other dragons! He just hoped that the gauntlet hadn't started already.





Fortunately for Spike, the gauntlet hadn't. In fact, Torch was just about to start it, when Spike bustled in amidst the group of contestants (which included Garble and also an unknown dragon covered in heavy armor). Torch was both surprised and annoyed to see Spike again! "I thought I released you!" He scowled in disapproval.

"You did, but I changed my mind," Spike declared. "After all, you said all dragons were to participate in the Gauntlet of Fire. And regardless of how I was raised or what I believe, I'm still a dragon."

Torch just growled, and rolled his eyes. "Fine, participate in the gauntlet if you wish. It's no skin off my back. I just hope you've said your prayers, little dragon." Then, he let out a huge breath of fire in the air, which was the signal for the Gauntlet of Fire to begin.

One by one, all the dragons took to the skies, except for Garble and Spike. "Hey, pipsqueak, break a leg." Garble taunted.

"Wow, a compliment, I guess I should be grateful." Spike remarked, though he was a bit uncertain as to why Garble would compliment him.

"No, seriously, break a leg!" Garble jeered, and knocked Spike off the cliff. "Your efforts are gonna come up short, peewee! Get it?! Short?! Because you're too small to win this!" He laughed, as he took to the skies.

"I was planning on swimming anyway!" Spike called back, even though he knew Garble was too far away to hear even if he wanted to. He quickly set to work on swimming as fast as he could across the water, the flamecano dead in his sights.





As it turned out, swimming gave Spike an advantage. It was not a straightforward flight to the flamecano, heavy boulders were sent whizzing through the air, knocking back any dragon unfortunate enough to get in the way. A couple of dragons were quickly left behind as a result, but unfortunately Garble wasn't one of them.

Then, all of a sudden, one of the boulders struck the heavily armored dragon, causing said dragon to fall from the sky! The dragon landed in the water with a splash, the armor causing him (the dragon's actual gender couldn't be determined, but something about it looked awfully familiar to Spike) to sink! Without even a second's hesitation, Spike dove beneath the waves to rescue the dragon!

Snatching up the waterlogged dragon, Spike carried him under one arm and paddled for the nearest shore. He was so focused on saving the dragon, he didn't even notice his friends were already on the island, disguised as seaweed. "Hey, are you okay?" Spike asked, as he removed the dragon's helmet. When he did, he got a good look at the dragon's face, and gasped! "Ember?!" He exclaimed!

Ember expelled the last of the water from her lungs, glaring up at her rescuer. She was anything but pleased. "What are you doing?!" She glared at Spike, as if accusing him of something!

"Only saving your ungrateful scales of course, your 'highness'!" Rarity jeered, before she realized her mistake!

"Wait a minute! Did that seaweed just talk?!" Ember gasped, and her eyes soon discovered that a quartet of ponies now stood before her, previously having hid themselves amidst a thick collection of seaweed. "Ponies?!" Ember exclaimed!

"They're not just ponies, they're my friends! In fact, one of them's my mother, another's my uncle, and a third is my new big sister!" Spike proclaimed, stepping forward to defend his friends.

"But... but, dragons don't do friendship!" Ember protested, making a gag face.

"This dragon most certainly does," Spike announced. "And it's because of what they taught me, that I decided to save your life. The least you can do now, is tell me why you're here. I thought your dad didn't want you participating in this gauntlet?"

"I was about to ask the same question," Shining commented. "If you wouldn't mind, Ember. Spike's never one to be satisfied without an answer."

Ember sighed, and narrowing her eyes she looked out to the horizon and explained. "My father thinks I can't be a big, strong dragon, and everyone always looks down on me because I'm a princess. Well, I'll show my dad, and anyone else who thinks I'm just some namby-pamby princess, that I can take care of myself! If winning the Gauntlet of Fire is the only way to prove that, so be it!"

"Uh, not that I mean to 'interrupt' the moment but... WE'VE GOT COMPANY!" Starlight exclaimed, as Garble smacked down onto the sand with a thud, having been struck and pinned by one of the boulders! Reacting quickly, Ember put her armor back on, while Shining, Starlight, Twilight, and Rarity, disguised themselves as best they could on short notice.

Garble tried his best, but he couldn't lift the huge boulder that kept him pinned to the sandy shore. "Peewee, little help here please!" He ordered with a groan.

Spike dashed to Garble's side, and then he hesitated. "Do I really want to do this? I could just leave him stuck here, and he won't be able to win the gauntlet. Then it doesn't matter if I win or not, Equestria will be safe," He thought to himself and briefly turned away from the rock, before he then considered. "But if I leave him here now, I'm no better than he is. Sure, maybe he wouldn't do the same if the roles were reversed, but Twilight didn't raise me to turn my back on someone who needed my help. Besides, I can't leave Garble here to suffer like this, even a monster like him doesn't deserve that," Reluctantly, he leaped on top of the boulder and started to shatter it by using his tail as a jack hammer. "I'm probably gonna hate myself in the morning for this." He thought, as in a matter of seconds, Garble was free.

"I can't believe I had to depend on the likes of you," Garble snarled, as he stood up. "Don't expect any favors or anything like that, you're as weak as I thought you were," He then sniffed the air, something about it felt different. "Hey, I smell ponies. And it ain't coming from you."

Before Garble had a chance to investigate, Ember (wearing her heavy armor) spoke in a gruff voice. "Uh, that's me. I... uh, robbed some ponies on my way over here."

"Ah, okay," Garble nodded, before he realized that he didn't recognize the dragon that had just spoke. "Say, who are you? I don't think I've seen you around."

Now it was Spike's turn to speak up and cover for the others. "Uh, that's just my new dragon friend. Yeah, that's it! His name is... uh... Sandy... Shores. Sandy Shores."

"Whatever, just don't get in my way, 'cause I'm winning this gauntlet!" Garble jeered once again, then took back off into the sky.

Once Garble had left, Ember removed her helmet and asked Spike. "Why did you stick up for me just then? You could've ratted me out to Garble."

"And you could've snitched on my friends, but you didn't, did you?" Spike replied back.

"W-well, I couldn't very well let Garble have his way with them. Not that I care or anything, I don't even understand you ponies and your 'friendship'," Ember remarked. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna get back in there and win!"

"You know, we could actually team up," Spike suggested. "At least until we get past the hard stuff. You do kind of owe me for saving your life."

"You sure that's a good idea, Spike?" Twilight asked. "How do you know you can trust Ember not to stab you in the back?"

"As I believe the saying goes 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'," Spike explained to Twilight. "And even then, she's not really much of an enemy. She could be a powerful ally. Plus, she's really the only way I can get to the flamecano without having to swim the entire length, and then scale the cliff," He then told Ember. "If you're curious about how I can help you, I could warn you about incoming boulders and tell you where to go. So, whadya say? Truce?" He held out his claw, and waited to see what Ember would do.

Seconds passed slowly, before Ember reached out her own claw and used it to shake Spike's. "Fine, truce, for now. But, just so you know, this doesn't mean we're gonna pick flowers, or braid each other's hair, or any of that fru-fru pony junk."

Spike only giggled. "It's not all about 'fru-fru' stuff, Ember. You'll see soon enough. Now come on, let's get going! Garble and the others are probably halfway there by now!" Hopping onto Ember's back, he held on tightly, as the two took off into the air.

"Well, guess it's back into the drink for us," Starlight reluctantly commented. "Should I cast the spell again?"

"Actually, that rock gives me a better idea," Rarity commented, with a gleam in her eyes. "Twilight, Starlight, if you two wouldn't mind?"





Despite the weight on her back caused by Spike, Ember had no more trouble with the boulders that were being hurled her way. Spike just get barking out. "Down!", "Up!", "Left!", and "Right!" as needed to steer Ember out of harm's way, and it was of little surprise that they eventually caught back up to the front of the pack (the dragons in the lead had realized that they needed to slow down, so as to avoid being knocked down by the boulders).

At last, Ember landed about midway up the flamecano, and Spike rolled off her back. But as soon as the two set foot inside, they discovered a new obstacle that awaited them, a series of sharp rock pillars in a tunnel, that occasionally swung out from one side to the other!

"You've gotta be kidding me," Ember groaned. "Out of the frying pan and right into the fire."

"My thoughts exactly," Spike echoed, looking at Ember. "I gotta hand it to your father though, he knows how to plan one heck of a gauntlet."

"Listen, Spike. I wouldn't have made it this far without you. So I guess, if you want to, we could keep working together. I mean, just until we get through that tunnel." Ember offered.

"So, shall we extend the truce for a bit longer then?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Just keep your head down, and watch out!" Ember called, as she then took off.

Spike and Ember carefully weaved their way around the pillars, ducking under them or flying (or jumping in Spike's case) over them as needed. At last, after a few close calls, they managed to make it through unscathed.

All the other dragons ended up getting stuck by the huge pillars, even Garble. But unlike the others, Garble refused to give up! When he saw Spike and Ember rushing through the other end of the tunnel, he felt his blood begin to boil! "So, the pony loving pipsqueak's got himself an ally, does he? Well, not for much longer! I will not be cheated of what is rightfully mine! Not after I've come so close to victory!" He mentally vowed, as he found the strength to force himself to keep going, no matter how many times he was hit by the pillars.





When Spike emerged from the tunnel, he barely had time to catch his breath, before Rarity exclaimed! "Oh, you made it! Oh, we were so worried!"

"About us?" Spike scoffed. "Please, that tunnel was a piece of cake! I'd say getting that far was the hard part."

"Wait a minute, how did you all get through?" Ember demanded.

"Simple, we took the long way around," Twilight explained. "A lot less dangerous. Sure is hot in here though."

"And dangerous too, this flamecano looks very unstable," Shining commented. "We really shouldn't be in here! One false move and we're as good as dead!"

As if to emphasize Shining's point, the ground began to rumble, and the ground beneath Rarity gave way! Rarity let out a yelp, taken by surprise at the sudden development!

Spike quickly leaped into action! "Rarity!" He shouted, and thinking fast, he grabbed Rarity by the hoof, and pulled her to safety! "That was too close!"

"Oh, thanks, Spike, you're a lifesaver." Rarity panted, catching her breath.

"It was nothing, really. I'm just glad you're safe." Spike sighed in relief.

"What? You call that 'Nothing'?" Ember remarked, as her eyes widened a bit. "You just risked everything to save her! And these ponies are putting themselves in danger just to support you! I don't get it."

Spike smiled, this was the perfect teaching moment. Maybe he could convert one of the dragons to at least be more sympathetic to his point of view. "Well, that's just what friends do, Ember," Then he asked her. "Don't you have anyone who looks out for you? Even just a little?"

Much to Spike's surprise, Ember replied in a somber tone of voice. "Well, not really. Unless I count you," And then, the words that next left her lips made Spike's heart sink. "Which I don't! Because we were only helping each other get through the tunnel, and now we're through the tunnel, so that's it."

"Wait, what do you mean? The truce is off?" Spike asked in a sad tone of voice.

Ember nodded. "Don't take it too personally, Spike, but let's be honest. This is the only way it could end. There can be only one winner, one scepter, and one Dragon Lord. So I guess it's every dragon for themselves now."

"Oh. So we aren't really friends? Is that it?" Spike asked, hoping beyond hope he was wrong.

But Ember only coldly replied. "Maybe if we were in Ponyland, but like I said, dragons don't do friendship. From this moment onwards, we're enemies. So don't get in my way, 'kay?" And then, flapping her wings, she took off.





Spike tried his best to push Ember to the back of his mind after that. But he found that the princess kept lingering in his mind no matter what he did. "I can't believe Ember just ditched me like that," He complained loudly, as he made his way along the upper levels of the flamecano. "You think you know a girl, and then she just up and leaves you when you least expect it."

"Don't take this the wrong way, Spike, but you're acting like you had a crush on her, and she just dumped you," Starlight teased with a snicker. "And here I thought Rarity was your one true love."

"Ember is NOT my girlfriend!" Spike snapped back rather rudely! "I hardly even like her! And exnay on the Rarity bit, you know she can hear you."

"Spike, there's a time and place for such 'feelings' but here and now isn't one of them," Rarity commented, opting to change the subject in no small part due to the fact that she herself was still uncertain of her feelings towards Spike. "Honestly, you're better off without that Ember girl anyway. She was only looking out for herself. She's just like all the other dragons."

Spike shook his head. "She wasn't though, that's what you all don't understand. She saved me, even when she didn't have to. So I don't care what she says. That makes us friends in my book."

"Let's just focus on finding the scepter, shall we?" Shining suggested. "As long as it remains untouched, Garble could still win this. Besides, the longer we stay here, the more in danger we become. This wasn't even supposed to be part of our mission. If any other dragons spot us, the consequences could be quite dire for both races."

A short time later, Twilight commented. "Is it just me, or have we seen this crevasse three times already? Please tell me it's just me."

Unfortunately for Twilight, Spike commented back. "It's kinda hard to tell. They all look the same," But then suddenly, his green eyes were drawn to a firey red light emerging from a nearby crevasse! "Except for this one!" He realized, and quickly rushed through it!

Spike and the ponies found themselves facing what appeared to be the very heart of the flamecano, with only a narrow passageway of unstable rock formations to serve as a path. And there, resting atop a huge batch of crystals, rested the Bloodstone Scepter! "We made it! I can't believe I'm the only dragon to make it this far!" Spike happily exclaimed!

"Well too bad, you're not!" Garble protested, appearing on the scene with his claws drawn out! "And I'm not losing to a puny pony-loving dragon like you!" He then lunged at Spike, and the two began to tussle!

Having disguised themselves as rocks when Garble showed up, the ponies could only watch in horror, as they saw Spike struggle to fend off his attacker! "We have to do something, and fast!" Rarity remarked, even as her voice was muffled behind her disguise. "Spike's not going to hold out for long on his own!"

"Look!" Twilight exclaimed, and everypony's eyes were drawn to a figure that was fast approaching from the sky!

"Is that who I think it is?!" Shining gasped!

Sure enough, the figure revealed itself as none other than Ember! With one swift swoop, she effortlessly knocked back Garble and snatched up Spike!

Spike could hardly believe his eyes! "Ember, you came back! But I thought it was every dragon for themselves! Why did you save me?!" He asked, as he was set down safely on the path.

"Because that's what friends do," Ember somewhat replied, before she nervously added. "And I am. I mean, we are. I never should have left you back there. Agh, please don't make me talk about my feelings! This is so confusing."

Garble didn't stay dazed for long though, he soon not only discovered who his attacker had been, but also who she was helping. And to make matters worse, he'd discovered that a few ponies had somehow found their way into the heart of the flamecano! Needless to say, Garble was anything but happy. "What the?!" He remarked, before he began to growl ominously. "If there's one thing I hate more than pony loving dragons, it's ponies themselves!"

Ember quickly swooped in to protect her new friends (or rather, the friends of her new friend. And boy did it feel weird to consider anyone a friend). "Spike! Get the scepter!" She instructed! "I'll hold him off!"

Garble replied with a hiss, as he tried to overpower Ember. "I'm sick and tired of you two helping each other out! Dragons don't do helping!"

"Well, these dragons do!" Ember retorted.

"Not for much longer!" Garble shouted in defiance! "Your little 'friendship' ends here!" However, just then, Garble felt himself get hit by a blast from behind! "Alright, who has the nerve?! Who's the dead punk who did that?!" He demanded.

"That would be me," Shining declared, stepping forward with a determined smile on his face. "You leave the princess alone, Garble, it's us ponies you want. And if you want to lay a finger on them, you're gonna have to get past me. Care to try your luck with me?"

"Of course, anyone who gets in my way is my enemy!" Garble roared, as he lunged towards Shining with all his might!

But Shining wasn't deterred even the slightest. He effortlessly lit up his horn, enveloping Garble in his violet-pink magic aura and pulled the teenage dragon close. "Be honest, did you really think that was going to work?" He half asked/half taunted.

"Uh.... if I say 'yes', does that mean you won't hurt me?" Garble gulped, stricken with a sudden sense of dread.

"Doesn't matter either way to me, I'm not going to waste my time beating up a cowardly bully like you," Shining said with a shake of his head. "But all the same, you need to be taught a lesson," He proceeded to toss Garble onto the ground without fanfare. Garble groaned, and tried to move, but Shining only enveloped him with his magic, and pinned Garble down. "Please, don't get up, because I could do this all day."





Twilight then rushed forward and cried out! "Now's your chance, Spike, grab the specter! And whatever happens next, I just want you to know, I'm very proud of you."

Seizing the opportunity, Spike grabbed the Bloodstone Scepter and held it close as it let out a magical roar that enveloped the whole cave.

"No! I was so close!" Garble complained.

"Well, you know what they say about karma," Starlight snickered. "You can take comfort in the fact that my old self never got hold of you. Far as I'm concerned, you're getting off easy."

Garble gulped, and began to fall on his knees as he stuttered. "Dragon... Lord... Spike..."

"That's right!" Spike commanded in the most authoritative voice he could muster up on short notice. "Now, go start your long journey home. And give every dragon you see on the way a hug. But don't tell them why."

"Aw, but that'll be super embarrassing!" Garble complained. "Please, your majesty, have mercy!"

"After you've gone and hugged every dragon you meet on your way home, we can talk about mercy," Spike replied, dismissing Garble's complaint. "I command you to do it! Now get going, and don't let me see you in my sight again until you've done what I asked!"

"I can't believe this," Garble groaned and muttered under his breath as he flew off. "Outsmarted by a pony loving pipsqueak. I've never been so humiliated in all my life."

Meanwhile, Ember approached Spike and commented. "Dragon Lord Spike. Hm, that has a nice ring to it."

"Thanks, but Dragon Lord Ember sounds a lot better." Spike smiled, as he offered the scepter to Ember.

Ember, naturally, refused to accept the scepter. "What? No. You're the Dragon Lord now, Spike."

"No, the Dragon Lord is whoever brings the scepter back to your father, Ember!" Spike explained. "Besides, you'll make a great leader. I was just doing this to protect my friends and family, the ponies of Equestria. But I know you'll protect them just as well as I would have. And the dragons will accept you far more easily than they would me."

"Are you sure this is wise, Spike? Think about what you're giving up." Ember protested, even as Spike gave her the scepter.

Spike nodded. "Absolutely. My home is in Equestria with my friends. I couldn't give that all up, even if I wanted to. Especially not when one of them is the closest I have to a mother."

"I see," Ember commented, as she reluctantly accepted the scepter. "Well, you'll have at least one friend here too, if you decide to visit," She was surprised to see Spike throw his arms around his hips a second later. "Uh, what are you doing?"

"It's called a hug, silly." Spike giggled.

"Oh. Well, I don't know if I like it," Ember said with a blush. "But... okay. And tell your pony friends they can write to me at any time, or even stop by the dragon lands for a visit, eventually."

"Will do, Ember. I know you'll make a great Dragon Lord," Spike smiled. "And you're a good hugger for someone who's never given hugs before."

No one said a word, but all four ponies present just smiled.





It was dark by the time the rag tag group returned to Ponyville, all were exhausted. But there was a general sense among them that they'd done a good job. Equestria and the Dragon Lands were both safe.

"I must say, you did a very good job in that gauntlet today, Spike," Shining commented, as they entered the familiar confines of the crystal castle. "Thanks to you, Equestria has another powerful ally, and a new friend to boot."

"And with Ember as a pen pal, I can learn a lot about dragon customs and traditions," Twilight smiled. "This will really help to change ponies notions of dragons, to say nothing of the research capabilities. And I'm glad that you're still gonna be hanging around here with me. I know I don't always show it, but I really do consider you my son."

Spike couldn't help but blush. "Thanks, Twilight. I may not be a little kid anymore, but it's nice to know you still care about me. I couldn't have asked for a better pony to raise me."

"So, what about you?" Starlight asked Shining Armor. "Does this mean that from now on, you're going to be staying in Ponyville?"

"The answer is yes, and no, Starlight," Shining replied. "Even before all this Dragon Lord business cropped up, Cadence and I were working out an agreement. Because regardless of the circumstances in my life, you are still my student and therefore my responsibility," He proceeded to explain. "So, what we've decided on for the time being is simple. You're going to stay here in Ponyville and work on your friendship lessons, and I'm going to alternate my weeks between the Crystal Empire and Ponyville. But even in my absence, you're to continue to work on the lessons and make progress on your own. You are not a little filly, and you don't need me to hold your hoof every step of the way."

"I know that, Shining," Starlight bowed. "So, when's my next lesson?"

"Wait and see," Shining cryptically answered. "I'm still working on the final details, and this trip to Ponyville was a last minute decision. Tomorrow, I go back to the Crystal Empire for the rest of the week. And when I come back to Ponyville, that is when your lesson plan will be finalized."