Early the next morning, Ember awakens in her bed alone. She looks at the empty spot next to her sadly and sighs.
“Can’t say as I blame him…”
Rising, Ember walks slowly to her small adjoining living room to find Arc is waiting for her. As she speaks, she is unable to look him in the eye.
“Arc... I... I just wanted to say… that I'm sorry about... everything I said and did last night.”
Arc sighs. “I think we should get a move on. Best not to keep the Dragon Lord waiting, Ember.”
“Yes... you're right.”
The pair leave Ember's house and head for the Throne of the Dragon Lord. Upon announcing the reason for their visit, the pair are immediately escorted into the Dragon Lord's presence Ember greets her father respectfully.
“Thank you for seeing me, father.”
Arc looks up at the skyscraper sized dragon before him as he mutters under his breath. “Now that’s just TOO big!”
The Dragon Lord looks down at his daughter as he speaks.
“EMBER! IT HAS BEEN QUITE SOME TIME SINCE LAST WE SPOEK! I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT SINCE WORD OF YOUR DEEDS HAS NOT REACHED THE DRAGON LANDS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WASTING TIME WITH THE CREATURES OF EQUESTRIA! LIKE THAT… THING OVER THERE!!!”
He points a massive claw at Arc as Ember responds.
“I have fought bravely since leaving the Dragon Lands against many foes, great and small, father. While I admit I am not yet ready to meet your expectations of me, my power has grown considerably since I left. There are many things I have learned about the world in that time. About its inhabitants and cultures. These things too give me strength.”
Her father laughs at this.
“WHILE I DO ADMIT THAT YOU DO SEEM TO HAVE GROWN IN POWER SINCE LAST WE SAW ONE ANOTHER, YOU ARE STILL TEN THOUSAND YEARS OR MORE AWAY FROM BEING ABLE TO IMPRESS ME! BUT I DIGRESS, MY DEAR! REST ASSURED THAT I DID NOT SUMMON YOU HERE TO TALK ABOUT YOUR PROGRESS, OR LACK OF! YOU WISH TO SPEAK OF ME OF THE DRAGON CODE, DO YOU NOT?!”
“Yes sir. You see…”
Ember explains to her father the events of the past year or so, including meeting Arc and their exploits together in Tartarus. How he obtained medicine to heal her when she was ill and dying and how he single handedly defeated an entire army of demons including their king. The Dragon Lord appears unimpressed.
“EMBER! HAD YOU ACCOMPLISHED THESE DEEDS YOURSELF, I WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN MOST PLEASED! WHILE IT SADDENS ME THAT YOU WERE BUT A PARTICIPANT IN THE A FORE MENTIONED BATTLE, I AM GLAD THAT YOU ARE KEEPING COMPANY WITH SUCH A POWERFUL WARRIOR! THIS ARC FELLOW YOU MENTIONED… I WISH TO MEET THE CREATURE WHO ACCOMPLISHED SUCH GRAND DEEDS! BRING THEM BEFORE ME SO I TOO MAY BEHOLD SUCH POWER AND BRAVERY!”
Ember looks to her father, confused, as she points a claw at Arc. “But father... he already stands before you.”
The Dragon Lord squints at Arc before turning back to his daughter.
“THIS... THIS FLEA?! DO YOU THINK ME A FOOL, EMBER?! SUCH FEATS OF VALOR ARE NOT ATTAINABLE TO LESSER CREATURES SUCH AS... WHATEVER THIS THING BEFORE ME IS!”
Ember replies with conviction. “I assure you father, he has accomplished all I have told you, and then some!”
The Dragon Lord once again appears unimpressed as he addresses Arc directly.
“LESSER CREATURE! STEP FORWARD!”
Arc does so at once. The Dragon Lord raises a large claw and Arc is picked up by the Dragon Lord’s magic to ‘stand’ at chest level with the massive dragon himself. Torch extends a single claw toward Arc.
“DO NOT MOVE, SMALL ONE!”
Arc calmly obeys as a claw is extended toward him. The moment Dragon Lord Torch's claw touches Arc's helmet, he can feel a presence within his head rummaging through his memories. Together, Arc and the Dragon Lord relive his memories since coming to Equestria in but a few moments before the Dragon Lord sets him down.
“I ADMIT, I MAY HAVE BEEN WRONG ABOUT YOU, LESSER CREATURE!”
Ember smirks. “We all make mistakes, father.”
The Dragon Lord looks to Ember, his eyes narrowed. “I SAID I WAS WRONG!!! I NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT A MISTAKE!!!”
Ember takes a step back and gulps as her father turns back to Arc and continues speaking.
“YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED MANY FEATS OF BRAVERY AND DARING, SMALL ONE! SOME OF WHICH ARE CERTAINLY WORTHY OF A POTENTIAL MATE OF THE FUTURE DRAGON LORD!”
Ember looks expectant as her father ponders what he has seen.
“HOWEVER! THE DRAGON LORD MUST BE NOT ONLY BRAVE AND STRONG, BUT ALSO PHYSICALLY IMPRESSIVE! WOULD YOU HAVE ALL OF DRAGONKIND LOOK ‘UP’ TO A FLEA?!”
Frowning, Ember folds her arms over her chest. “But you cannot deny that which he’s already done, father!”
“THAT IS TRUE! I CANNOT! HOWEVER, THIS LITTLE ONE HAS ALSO DISPLAYED MANY TRAITS UNBECOMING OF A DRAGON LORD’S MATE! HELPING THE WEAK! DEFENDING THOSE WHOM CANNOT DO SO THEMSELVES! AND WORST OF ALL, HIS LOVE FOR... PONIES! REMEMBER, DRAGONS ARE THE LORDS OF ALL CREATION, EMBER! AND AS SUCH IT WOULD NOT DO TO HAVE THE DRAGON LORD VIEW LESSER CREATURES AS... EQUALS OF ALL THINGS!”
The Dragon Lord appears to almost spit the last word. Ember looks up at him, quite shaken by his words.
“HOWEVER, I AM NOT WITHOUT A SOLUTION! THEREFORE I DECREE THAT YOU MAY CHOOSE FROM AMONG THE STRONGEST AND BRAVEST THE DRAGON LANDS HAVE TO OFFER A MATE, EMBER!”
Turning his attention to those gathered in his court, the Dragon Lord beckons to them.
“WHO HERE ANSWERS THE CALL?!”
Three of the meanest, strongest and bravest of all dragons step forward.
“We answer the call!”
The Dragon Lord looks to Ember as he gestures with a claw. “THESE THREE ARE INDEED PRIME CANDIDATES! WHAT SAY YOU EMBER?! WILL YOU ACCEPT ONE OF THEM TO BE YOUR MATE?”
Emer looks sad and conflicted as she looks them over. “I…”
Arc quickly steps forward. “Dragon Lord! If I may be allowed to speak.”
“SPEAK QUICKLY, LITTLE ONE!”
“These three do indeed appear to be quite fearsome! But, if I may be so bold, does not the future Dragon Lord deserve the absolute BEST the Dragon Lands have to offer?”
Torch narrows his eyes. “WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING, FLEA?!”
“Perhaps a contest of might to ensure that your daughter takes only the best of the best?”
“I ADMIT THAT YOUR IDEA DOES HAVE MERIT... FOR AN INSECT, THAT IS!”
The Dragon Lord again turns his attention to those gathered before him.
“LET IT BE DONE!”
Arc again speaks up. “May I join in the battle royale, Dragon Lord?”
“YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN DISQUALIFIED AS EMBER'S MATE! WHAT POSSIBLE REASON COULD YOU HAVE TO FIGHT?!”
Arc looks over to the three dragon suitors. “As Ember's friend, I want only the best for her. That and I don’t believe any of these three are truly worthy of her.”
Torch laughs. “AND WHAT WOULD A LESSER CREATURE SUCH AS YOURSELF KNOW ABOUT WORTHINESS?!”
“I agree that us humans are nothing special in the grander scheme of things. But I have to wonder if dragons are truly as great as they think they are.”
“INSIGNIFICANT VERMIN!!! I WILL NOT LET THIS INSULT TO ALL DRAGONKIND STAND! NOT ONLY WILL I ALLOW YOUR REQUEST, I ORDER IT!!!”
The Dragon Lord turns to the three dragons assembled as he points a claw at Arc.
“TEAR THIS FILTHY MAGGOT APART!!!”
Ember attempts to run to Arc’s side but is held back by her father’s magic “Arc, no!”
Arc looks at the dragons as they approach him. “So... any of you even face off against a human before?”
The three stop, look to each other, and shrug as Arc slams his spear into the ground and advances unarmed.
“Didn’t think so…”
They charge forward. Arc dodges a fistful of claws and trips the first dragon. Quickly moving behind the second and pushing him down Arc stands tall against the third as he stomps on his toes. Seething, the Dragon Lord calls out.
“WHAT... WHAT IS THIS NONSENSE?! FIGHT LIKE A TRUE WARRIOR!”
Arc looks over his shoulder. “You already saw what I can do from my memories. You really want me to go all out?”
“YES! THERE IS NO WAY YOU COULD HOPE TO WIN AGAINST THREE OF OUR STRONGEST!”
“I’ll take that bet!”
The three dragons, furious at being humiliated by a ‘lesser creature’, move to attack position. First to reach him is the quickest whom outruns his competitors. Arc waits for his attack, another slash from his claws, before hopping backwards to evade it.
“You’re open, lizard!”
Arc does a flip over the dragon, putting his hands on the dragon's shoulders and using his own momentum combined with centrifugal force to throw the much larger opponent at his companions, knocking them down. Smirking, he turns to them.
“Give up? Or are you thirsty for more?!”
Another of the dragons stands and charges wordlessly at Arc.
“Fine. Have it your way.”
The two run headlong at each other as the dragon's face is introduced to Arc's boot via a flying kick. Arc looks to the third dragon, taunting him.
“Next!”
The dragon looks to him angrily. “You think you’re such hot stuff?!”
He inhales deeply as Arc takes a step back.
“Uh oh…”
A stream of magical dragon's breath cascades towards the young man whom can do nothing to counter the attack other than attempt to avoid it. Laughing, the dragon continues to taunt Arc.
“I ain't' fast, but I'm the smart one, see? You can't hit me if you can't get close.”
Arc thinks to himself. “Hate to admit it, but he's right. I have to close the gap between us somehow.”
He looks around for inspiration, but there is nothing but rocks and other dragons. Spotting one of the other unconscious dragons lying on the ground, Arc runs toward him.
“This will have to do!”
Arc begins to roll the dragon toward his assailant. The unconscious dragon’s tough hide deflects the fire breath harmlessly away from its intended target. Seeing the approach of the larger dragon, the third opponent turns to flee, but is not very fast on his feet. Arc quickly overtakes gains the upper hand and knocks him down, landing on top of the last dragon to deliver a fist to his face. Arc stands victorious and calls out to all those around them.
“That’s how it’s done!”
The other dragons, seeing their greatest warriors felled so easily by a supposed ‘lesser creature’, look to the Dragon Lord as they are unsure of what to do next. Dragon Lord Torch jumps off his rocky perch and moves quickly to close the distance between himself and Arc.
“IMBECILES!!! I WILL HANDLE THIS FLEA MYSELF!!!”
Arc grabs his spear and awaits the Dragon Lord. “Bring it on then! You're not THAT much bigger than the Marquis!”
The Dragon Lord screeches to a stop.
“LITTLE ONE! HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT NAME?!”
Arc points at his helmet. “I met him in Tartarus. Fancy a peek? You must have missed that memory last time.”
The Dragon Lord again touches the helmet and sees Arc and the Marquis' battle. He sees Arc acquiring the humor, the Marquis coming to Arc's aid during the demon counterattack, and Arc doubling back to help his overwhelmed friend. Stepping back, the Dragon Lord sighs.
“LITTLE ONE... I ADMIT YOU HAVE... IMPRESSED ME! IT IS GOOD TO KNOW MY OLD FRIEND YET LIVES!”
“That’s actually one of the reasons I’m here, Dragon Lord. The Marquis would like to come here and... uh... make a certain request of you.”
“HMMM... I THINK I ALREADY KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT HE WANTS! I WILL WELCOME MY OLD FRIEND SHOULD HE COME TO MY DOMAIN!”
“Thank you, Dragon Lord Torch. Now that just leaves the matter at hand.”
“INDEED! EMBER, WHICH OF THESE DRAGONS WILL YOU…”
Arc interrupts him. “Wait! These three are unworthy!”
“EH?!”
“Think about it, sir. They couldn't defeat one small human. Are you sure you want them as the future Dragon Lord?”
“LITTLE ONE, YOU ARE NOT ONLY STRONG BUT WISE AS WELL! I ADMIT YOU WOULD MAKE A PERFECT DRAGON LORD! THAT AND EMBER SEEMS TO BE QUITE TAKEN WITH YOU. BUT... WHILE THE DRAGON CODE DOES NOT SPECIFY, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE DRAGON LORD SHOULD ALWAYS BE... A DRAGON!”
Arc nods soberly. “I respect your decision, Dragon Lord.”
Torch again turns to his daughter. “I AM SORRY EMBER. BUT FOR THE GOOD OF ALL DRAGONS, I MUST INSIST THAT YOU CHOOSE ANOTHER FOR A MATE! BUT NOT AT THIS TIME! GO NOW! CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY AS YOU SEE FIT! WITH LUCK, PERHAPS A SUITABLE MATE WILL BE FOUND ALONG THE WAY!”
“Thank you, father. I will continue my journey with him. It seems I still have much to learn.”
She and Arc turn to leave. However, the Dragon Lord calls out after them.
“WAIT! TELL ME AGAIN OF YOUR NAME, SMALL ONE?!”
“It’s Arc, sir.”
“WELL THEN, ARC! IT WOULD SEEM THAT I OWE YOU A DEBT FOR SAVING THE LIFE OF MY DAUGHTER! FOLLOW ME, BOTH OF YOU!”
The three of them walk a short distance to a nearby cave. Although there does not appear to be any lights, the interior of the cave is as bright as day and filled with gold, gems, and various other valuable treasures. Torch gestures to it as he looks to Arc.
“AS A REWARD, YOU MAY TAKE FOR YOURSELF THREE ITEMS FROM MY PERSONAL HORDE! ONE FOR SAVING EMBER'S LIFE! ANOTHER FOR SHOWING MERCY TO MY FRIEND THE MARQUIS! AND THE LAST AS A SIGN OF MY PERSONAL RESPECT FOR YOUR STRENGTH AND DETERMINATION!”
“Thank you Dragon Lord! You are most generous!”
The Dragon Lord and Ember wait by the entrance of the cave as Arc walks along the path looking at all the valuables. A short time later he returns to the mouth of the cave carrying an ancient looking magic tome and a strange ring.
“These two just seemed to be calling to me.”
Arc looks around and puts a hand to his ear as he looks to Torch and Ember.
“Speaking of calling, do either of you hear that sound?”
“I HEAR NOTHING!”
“I don't hear anything either. What is it?”
Arc shrugs. “Kind of a low hum.”
He sets down the book and ring at the entrance before continuing.
“I’m going to take a look.”
Ember steps forward with her spear. “I'll go with you!”
The pair trudge back into the cave as Arc listens.
“We're getting closer. The sound is intensifying.”
Ember frowns. “I still don't hear anything. Are you sure...?”
Arc interrupts her. “There!”
Looking ahead, Ember sees him pointing to a large gem sitting on a pedestal. Upon closer inspection a spear can be seen inside the gem. Ember picks it up and smiles wistfully.
“I remember this. When I was a little whelpling this sat next to the Throne of the Dragon Lord. I'm going to bring this to my father. Perhaps he can tell us more about it.”
The pair return to the Dragon Lord at the entrance. Ember sets the crystal down before her father before speaking.
“What can you tell us about this, father?”
“I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS IN MANY YEARS! SUPPOSEDLY IT IS CALLED THE ‘SPEAR OF RIGHTEOUSNESS’! AS THE LEGEND GOES, THE OUTER CRYSTAL WILL ONLY ALLOW THE WORTHY TO PENETRATE IT AND CLAIM THE SPEAR WITHIN! DRAGONS USED TO COME FROM ALL AROUND TO TRY THEIR LUCK! AS YOU CAN SEE, NONE SUCCEEDED!”
Ember grins greedily as she steps forward. “Let me give it a try then!”
The Dragon Lord gestures to it wordlessly. Lunging forward, Ember claws at the crystal, bites at it, and even tires breathing fire at it to no avail. Torch shakes his head and sighs.
“YOU FARED AS WELL AS THE REST DID, EMBER!”
Arc looks to the crystal. “Can I try, Dragon Lord?”
“BE MY GUEST!”
He looks at the crystal for a moment before reaching toward it. The surface feels hard as a rock as its to be expected. However, as soon as Arc pushes on it the gem becomes like jelly, allowing him to reach inside and touch the spear. Grabbing it with both hands, it feels as though it is stuck. Pulling with all his might the crystal suddenly gives up its prize. Arc staggers back from the force of pulling so hard. Holding the spear high in triumph he cries out.
“There we go!”
The spear glows brightly above Arc's head. Its glow spreads into his armor. “What?! What's happening?!”
The glow focuses on Arc’s back momentarily before fading away.
“Arc! Are you alright?!”
“Yes, but... I feel... good! Like I could accomplish anything!”
“MOST IMPRESSIVE, ARC! WERE YOU A DRAGON, I WOULD LET YOU TAKE MY DAUGHTER IN AN INSTANT!”
“Thank you Dragon Lord! I understand your position though.”
“EMBER! LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN FROM ARC! I AM AS IMPRESSED WITH HIM AS I HAVE BEEN WITH ANY CREATURE, DRAGON OR OTHERWISE!”
“Yes father. I will.”
“GO NOW! I WILL PERMIT YOU TO STAY IN THE DRAGON LANDS FOR TONIGHT! ALTHOUGH TOMORROW YOU MUST LEAVE AGAIN AS YOU ARE STILL BANISHED! RETURN TO YOUR TASK AT THAT TIME! I KNOW YOU WILL MAKE ME PROUD, EMBER!”
The three leave the cave together. Arc and Ember return to her house to rest. Arc carries his treasures inside happily.
“What a day!”
Ember closes the door behind them and sadly walks over to the couch. “Yes… it was.”
Arc puts his rewards on the table, walks over to Ember, and sits down next to her. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he speaks.
“Ember, I think we both knew in the back of our minds what your father was going to say back there regarding the Dragon Code. And, as much as I’m sure that you don't want to hear it, I think he made the only choice he realistically could.”
Nodding, Ember turns to him with a look of relief on her face.
“Yes, I know... but... in any case, I wanted to thank you for what you did back there, Arc. I really, REALLY didn't want to marry any of those three!”
“You are welcome. I knew he wouldn't allow you to be burdened with me, so I did the next best thing.”
“I... I still... I honestly do want to be with you though. And I… um”
She bows her head and sighs before looking to Arc again.
“Sorry. For yesterday, I mean. Considering all that you and I have been through together, I really had no right to try and push you into the shadows like I did. And I promise that such a thing will never ever happen again.”
“While us having a relationship is impossible, as per your father’s edict, you have my word that I’ll stay with you for as long as I can. Sorry, but that's all I can offer.”
Ember turns to Arc and embraces him. “It… it will have to be enough.”