The friends saw the city of Canterlot coming towards them fast. From the looks of it, all those days spent rebuilding appeared to have paid off. Discord had made it a goal to get there fast but not so fast that he would lose his passengers. They landed safely at the castle and the ponies all rushed inside to tell the Celestia what had happened.
In the main hall, Celestia was busy talking to a colt in construction gear. He had a look of interest on his face as he listened to her instructions. She dismissed the colt and looked towards the new arrivals direction as they started toward her from the front door. The princess of the sun trotted to Twilight giving her a loving hug. “I'm so happy you made it back Twilight.” she whispered her ear.
“Thank you princess. I had a lot of help.” she replied affectionately.
Luna came into the room from the throne room entrance and hurried over to her sister. She saw the seven ponies gathered around the white alicorn. “Sister!” Luna said to Celestia, “I just saw two Discords flying this way!”
“Yeah that's us!” Discord said out of nowhere. His physical form was nowhere to be seen but appeared behind Luna. She jumped in surprise at this bumping into her older sister. “Don't do that!” she told him angrily.
“We have a lot to tell you.“ Twilight told both princesses. Celestia and Luna listened to Twilight's story of Skadholm and what became of the dragon known as Av. About thirty minutes later the story was at its climax and Celestia knew where this was headed so she spoke up. “ And Discordia needs a home now?”
Discord nodded with pleading eyes. “At least it means I won't crush on you anymore.” the creature chuckled.
A look of happiness filled Celestia's face. “She can stay!” she spouted. Everypony laughed as she blushed from embarrassment. “But you must keep her under control.”
“I'll do my best.” he rolled his eyes.
Discordia appeared beside Discord and took a bow. “I hope I won't let you down.” she said seriously.
Celestia nodded and the two creatures disappeared.
Luna poked her sister and nodded her head towards Fhil. “Right, unfinished business.”
Fhil knew what was coming to him. It was time to finish out his sentence. “I know that I must return to the dungeon but if I can make a request, I wish to be here in Canterlot's dungeon. I'm not invincible anymore and I don't want to be alone.” Fhil looked as if he were about to cry. “If I have earned anything throughout my efforts for redemption, it's this.”
The other ponies looked sad at this and waited for Celestia and Luna to make a decision. Both sisters looked at each other. “Ambassadors are coming from all over the world in the coming days. They will all be here in this room to discuss a potential threat to their nations.” Celestia told Fhil.
“We need you to be here and tell them what you know. Convince them of your views. If they are in danger or not, if we can ally or not.” Luna finished.
Fhil was surprised at this. “Are you sure you want me to do that?”
Celestia nodded, “Yes, if you succeed, you are pardoned of your crimes because you have saved the future and much more.”
“I'll do it and show you that I can still be your peace keeper.” he smiled. Celestia smiled in return.
“Now go home Fhil, be with your wife until you are sent for.” Luna commanded.
Doing as Luna bid, Fhil bowed, turned and smiled at the other ponies on his way out the door.
"Lets go into the throne room and out of every-ponies way." Celestia giggled. The castles main hall was a busy place to be for guards and staff alike.
“We have questions for you princess.” Twilight said as the doors to the throne room shut.
“As do I.” Celestia frowned taking her seat on the throne. Luna looked on in curiosity. “I've listened to you tell the whole story up to the end. I want to know more about these dragons.” Celestia said.
“Like what?” Twilight asked.
“Pinkie Pie.” she called to the pink earth pony. Pinkie had been uncharacteristically quiet the whole time. She knew when to act silly and when to not, learning from her time when she cloned herself and had to prove to be more mature during times of great importance. She came forward for the princess. “Yes princess?” she said bowing.
“I know of Huxio and how ruthless he is. Are you truly willing to keep your end of the bargain?” the sun princess asked.
Pinkie thought for a moment, “I told him that I would be there with as much cake and candy as I could. I've never let anypony down!” she smiled real big and giggled. “I definitely won't let a dragon down. I want to be his friend.”
“I'm not sure how you will satisfy his hunger though, that is a lot of cake.” she replied shaking her head.
“I'll find a way.” Pinkie raised a hoof determined.
They all laughed at this, not because it seemed impossible but because knowing Pinkie, it would be possible. Celestia turned her gaze towards Fluttershy.
“ Hello back there, Miss Fluttershy.” Celestia said looking behind the group towards a very shy yellow pegasus.
“H-hello princess.” Fluttershy said as she came into better view.
“I understand you stood up to a dragon head to head.”
“Yes.”
“Never forget that.”
Fluttershy smiled with watery eyes. “I'll never let anything push me around again.”
Luna grinned at Fluttershys courage. “Indeed.”
Fluttershy crept back into place next to Pinkie who gave her a hug. Celestia then called for Rainbow Dash to tell her story. “Rainbow Dash, are you going to keep in touch with Atlas?”
“Probably not.” Rainbow said simply not moving from her spot in the air, constantly flapping in place.
“Oh?” Celestia said with a questionable look on her face.
“Yea, we raced and talked but I think we both knew that we would never see each other again. But you never know.”
Celestia nodded. “Now, Rarity and Applejack. I understand you both heard the story about Spikes origins?”
They nodded to each other.
“This was to keep the dragons from invading. At the time, I had no idea that my father was leading them. I wanted to broker a deal with them that a dragon born among ponies could live in peace with us. Both Ryalon and Skadholm agreed to these terms. If I were wrong, the dragon would have destroyed us.” Celestia frowned. “I never knew that my father had been keeping the dragons at bay the entire time. It must have been amusing to them because they knew they wouldn't, couldn't attack us.
“Where is Spike anyways?” Applejack asked.
“He's taking care of the Library, getting all my essentials together. Were still doing the festival, right?” Twilight asked the princess.
"The city is in great shape so it will still be held." Celestia nodded.
Twilight remembered something strange, “But then why was I the one to hatch Spikes egg if it were apart of your deal? What made me so special?”
Luna and Celestia looked at her intensely. “There is much to tell you Twilight Sparkle.” Luna said.
“We will have to go all the way into the past though.” Celestia mused.
Twilight looked confused. “I'll try to understand.”
“We know.” Celestia grinned.
“But it's only for you to know, Twilight. No offense to the rest of your friends.” Luna replied.
The other ponies nodded in understanding except Rainbow Dash. “We stick together through these kinds of things!” she said irritated.
Luna looked at her angrily. “This history is personal to my sister, Twilight and myself. Were not holding out on you because of some royal secret or just because.”
Rainbow sighed and accepted it. “I'm sorry, I just hope we can always keep your trust.”
Celestia nodded. “Of course you will, Rainbow Dash. Busy days are ahead of us, so I advise everypony to be ready. Twilight, we'll talk more of this once we know this land is safe after the meeting.”
Everypony agreed and went about their day in Canterlot. They wanted to stay and help Twilight get read for the Summer Sun Celebration that was to happen in a few days. Twilight was to attend the meeting of the ambassadors as a equal representative of the nation. Several days had gone by and Twilight had been told what to expect and how to prepare for the meeting. Fhil was left to his own devices until the day came and was notified by a unicorn guard at his door and escorted to the castle.
Entering the throne room, there were many prominent ambassadors from several nations standing before the three princesses. There was a griffon who Fhil recognized as their nations equivalent to himself. Fhil met Adolf while traveling around the Griffon Kingdom in his time there. He looked more and found that the zebra, diamond dog and mule nations all had representatives there too. Then, there was the changeling in the room.
Fhil walked down the isle until he got before the princesses. Celestia began speaking, “This is Fhillip Buster. He will be speaking to you on behalf of Equestria.”
All ears were listening to him and all eyes were on him. Fhil turned around and started taking questions.
Adolf, familiar with Fhil, started his inquiry. “Is my home safe?”
This was the main topic that had to have major reinforcement. No one likes a surprise attack on their home by a horde of dragons, a Canterlot repeat. As the discussions progressed, Fhil told the stories of reassurances he had from the dragons and that they were generally an honest race. He warned them that the peace would probably not last and to keep an eye out anyways.
All representatives besides the changeling left the throne room to go back to their embassies. The changeling spoke to Fhil about a different matter entirely. “I have a message from the queen.” it said. “Since our queen was here yesterday, she has decided to mull over her decision to help you.”
“Is she still bitter?” Fhil asked it.
“She still has problems with your kind and the fact that her mother still questions our ability to co-exist with yours. However she will send word if she reaches a final decision.”
Celestia nodded and the changeling bowed and left the room.
“You've done a nice job Fhil.” Twilight said looking for reassurance from Luna and Celestia whom nodded at her statement.
“Thanks.” he sighed. "But I thought Chrysalis came back with you two to help rebuild?"
"She did but changed her mind when she saw the city." Luna told him.
"Mother was the only pony keeping the peace and she didn't come with us. We can't truly be friends if mother isn't here to help our bonds." Celestia admitted.
Fhil frowned because they had told the dragons that even a changeling could change.
“Well you are off the hook for now.” Luna told him.
“For now?” he questioned her.
“The changelings.” the white alicorn stated, “You need to visit Chrysalis again and stay there if she allows it. I want you to live and learn from their culture and show your interest which you failed to do last time. Make it up to her.” Celestia said.
“Very well.” Fhil said simply, knowing this was truly the right thing to do.
“I will not come with you this time. Go home and get ready, you leave tomorrow.” Luna told him.
Fhil nodded and trotted out the throne room door. Luna and Celestia looked at Twilight who had yawned after a long day of preparing for the meeting and Summer Sun Celebration. "It's three days away." Celestia said.
"What about everything you have to tell me?" Twilight asked.
"This celebration is stressful enough, Twilight Sparkle. You can wait one more day and after you are told, I bet you will be glad you did." Luna said. Twilight nodded in understanding and went to bed early. Her friends had one last bout of training tomorrow morning and she needed the rest.
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That morning, Twilight and her friends practiced her aerial stunts for the celebration. The mayor of Ponyville was having a celebration of their own and desperately needed Twilights friends back home to help out. They said their goodbyes and rode the train back home. That night Celestia told Twilight a little about the time she had to banish her own sister.
That morning, Twilight learned that the princess had disappeared and that the Everfree Forest was invading Ponyville. Hurrying to her friends, they discovered that the answer to their problem was deep in the forest itself and eventually leading to discover the avatar of Harmony.
Celestia and Luna were rescued and Discords vengeance seeking seeds were destroyed. Now a certain little box has come into the ponies possession and after the Summer Sun Celebration, the princesses gathered in Celestias room for the final explanation that was owed to Princess Twilight Sparkle.
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The sun had been raised and the day started. Twilight, Celestia and a very sleepy Luna lounged Celestia's bed.
"After all that has happened, you finally have met with the avatar of Harmony." Celestia said.
"But I thought these elements were its avatars? I assumed anyways..." Twilight admitted.
"No Twilight, they are how you connect with it." Celestia told her.
"Why am I so special?"