//------------------------------//
// Ghidorah's Return: Forming Alliance And Shocking Revelations (Part 2) 
// Story: The Battle for Equestria: Spike vs. King Ghidorah 
// by Dashzilla93 
//------------------------------//

The sound of strong wings flapping echoed throughout the halls of the Canterlot Castle. Celestia soared as fast as her body would allow, not even thinking of what was around her. If there were cameras on her, everyone would come to an agreement that her great speed would put any Wonderbolt member to shame – make them jealous, even. But showing off was not on her to-do list today. Far from it, really. She was in a hurry and was unaware of the traction she was creating through her lightning-like speed. Before she could venture to the Underground Bay, she had to do one thing real quick. Time was not on her side.

As she passed, royal maids and guards watched on, perplexed by the sudden rush they felt before a strong gust of wind immediately blew through, forcing them to either duck down or block themselves so they wouldn't fall over. A couple of guards failed miserably and were blown away. The wind finally died down, but that didn't stop them from wondering what just happened and what just flew by them. They all looked straight ahead and wondered the same thing that crossed their minds when something that strong zipped by them.

"Was that... the princess?" a royal guard asked, picking himself up after being knocked over, rubbing his head while picking up his helmet that had fallen off from the force. He's been knocked over when it came to training with his fellow guards, but being thrown like a ragdoll by the princess herself felt completely different. He didn't know if he should feel honored or scared.

"I haven't seen her fly that fast in years. I hope she's doing okay," A maid mare said after she dusted herself off before another voice called out to Celestia. They all looked up to find Luna flying above them, trying to catch up to Celestia.

"Sister! Cease your flight at once! Let me catch up!" Princess Luna called out, trying desperately to catch up with her elder sister. She ignored the onlookers underneath and pressed on. Though she did hope they were unharmed. Sometimes, she cursed being the younger sister. Though she was strong and capable, she was still leagues under her sister. And in this case, speed was a factor here.

Regardless, Luna couldn't blame Celestia in this situation. Whoever this King Ghidorah was must really have her on edge. Just what she had planned was another thing that loomed in her mind, as well. Not only that, but she wondered where she was even going, for that matter. This was unusual to her. Almost always, Celestia figured out a plan to fix any situation that crossed their paths; most of the time she relied on her former student to fix the situations, heaven forbid why, and she was left to do other things while Twilight did the work she was supposed to do.

Luna rolled her eyes. At some points, she found it so ludicrous that her older sister would do this. Twilight ascended to an alicorn after finishing some kind of 'test' Celestia gave her. What was it again, finishing one of Starswirl's spells? Luna then facehooved herself. Of all the tests Celestia came up with, she went with that? Starswirl didn't finish that spell because he got lazy! He already knew friendship because he was friends with the other pillars. She didn't need to put Twilight through that.

But, she did. And now Twilight became a princess through some cheap chore she could've easily fixed herself. Nowadays, she still failed to see how Twilight could solve situations Celestia put her in that she could've easily solved herself. 'Even as a princess, there are many things you need to learn yourself under any situation,' Luna remembered that all too well and the confused, concerned look she gave her sister when she said that bullshit to her. 

'Really contradicted yourself there, didn't you, dear sister?' She thought to herself sarcastically. Sometimes, she wondered just how in all of Equestria Twilight hadn't caved in and called Celestia out on her lazy ass, yet. Apparently, that mare had patience much, MUCH stronger than the strongest adult dragon's willpower. She commended Twilight, but at the same time, she felt sorry for her. Luna lightly groaned to herself, annoyed by the outcome her sister came up with. Twilight was a grown mare, that much was true, but so was Celestia! If Twilight needed the help, Celestia could've gotten off her fat sun-rising ass and helped her, but... power of friendship. And that's how she came back. Many thanks to Twilight, but even she thought maybe friendship could take a backseat every now and then.

Then she pondered. If she were in the same shoes as her sister, the least she could do was physically be there to help her student(s) if they really needed her. And if a mess was made that she cause, she wouldn't let them clean it up. How Twilight got so damn lucky to have survived all those events was beyond her, but she was relieved she pulled through.

But, now came today and it brought out a different side to Celestia that Luna was not familiar with. This side of Celestia was more serious and so hardwired that it seemed like she needed to be prepared. To say it rivaled the time she fought her as Nightmare Moon and trapped her in the moon was on a different level. Almost. That day was still an emotional event. But, today? Today felt more like the start of an apocalyptic event.

Luna tried to keep up as best she could to catch up to her sister but her efforts were for naught as Celestia cut a right corner and disappeared. By the time she turned that same corner, Celestia was already gone. Her wing muscles, tired and slowed, the poor moon princess panted exhaustively and slowly descended to the floor. She sat down and looked straight ahead, her heart thumping like a jackhammer and her body aching from giving it such a workout. Her sister was gone and she was left alone. Despite being exhausted from almost overexerting herself, she growled in frustration and stamped the floor, irritated Celestia didn't stop to explain just who or what this King Ghidorah really was. She was being so vague about it, Celestia would've given puzzle solvers a massive migraine. 

Just what the hell else was she hiding?! Did this Ghidorah know her? Is that why she's so panicked?

It didn't make any sense to her. Was King Ghidorah seriously that big of a threat compared to the likes of King Sombra, Tirek, Chrysalis, and Discord? Why could Celestia say anything else to her? She didn't know if she should be worried, irritated or annoyed. Because, right now, she really wished Celestia would just pump the breaks for five freaking seconds and explain the whole story to her. She sighed deeply and drooped her head a little, sulking by the fact she was out of the loop and left hanging while Celestia did what she did. 'Explaining everything at the Underground Bay' she says. It would've been easier if she just told her as they were going. Celestia was out of reach and to hell with using her wings, again. Last thing she needed was for her wings to sprain. So, a new plan had to be in order.

Her breathing now steady, Luna composed herself, "Alright," she looked around thoroughly before she placed a hoof on her chin and theorized which location Celestia would go to if she was in that big of a hurry? Then one guess immediately came to mind, "I guess I can check in the throne room?" 

Then that's the spot she'll go to, first. She was still aching and exhausted, but she was far from being completely tired; she still had a bunch of energy to spare. And what better way to use it on a good ol' teleportation spell? She concentrated as her horn with dark blue magic and instantly teleported herself out of the hallway.

Meanwhile, in the throne room, Celestia shoved the large doors with little to no effort and galloped to the center of the large room. Despite pushing her body to its limits, she seemed like she barely made a dent in what she could actually do. However, there was no time for any distractions of any kind. She had to make this call quick and hoped her old friend would pick up immediately. Only one, but this one call could aid her in this fight with King Ghidorah. She hadn't spoken to her in such a long time and she felt bad for calling her. But, in a dire situation like this, it had to be made. Because her knowledge could hold valuable keys to stand, at least, a good chance to bring Ghidorah down.

Celestia stopped at the center of the throne, but before she could get any closer, Luna erupted through her teleportation spell and caused Celestia to jump back a little, "Hold it, Celestia!" Luna barked, using her royal canterlot voice on her. 

Celestia was shocked to see her sister would pull such an act, but  immediately glared angry daggers down at her and snarled in agitation for this interruption, "Luna, just what do you think you're doing?" she said, angrily. 

So, she was right after all. She would show up here, but her glare meant nothing to her as her own glare met her sister's with the same agitated energy. 

"What am I doing?!" Luna shouted, angrily and demanding. Like how Celestia snarled at her, she snarled back with just as much anger and annoyance. "I should be asking you the same thing!" She was fed up with the silence and with being ignored by her older sister. Celestia refused to stop, so she was gonna make her stop. All she wanted from her was to know just what in Starswirl's beard was going on here and why it was so important to come here of all places. And why were they not going to the Underground Bay like she said? 

"You said you were gonna tell me everything when we got to that 'Underground Bay' you mentioned, but I don't want to wait! I want to know now. Who's King Ghidorah? How do you know him? Does he know you? What's an underground bay? And why the hell are you so fixated in coming here first?" Luna erupted on Celestia, panting in slight exhaustion. "I want answers, Tia. Can you at least tell me something, damn it?!" Like her subjects, Luna wanted to help out her sister as best as she could. But she couldn't do that if she didn't know jack shit about what they were in for. She wanted answers and she wanted them now! Her glare slowly melts as she added in a hurt tone, "I'm tired of being left in dark." As ironic as that sounded coming from her.

Celestia kept her glare up, but she hesitated to respond. She was in a hurry, but Luna was right. She really had no way to walk around this and she clearly left without so much as waiting for her sister to catch up since she had to use a teleportation spell. She begrudgingly sighed but nodded. She had kept it away for so long and never once mentioned it to her sister; she'd hoped it wouldn't have come to this, but Luna deserved to know everything that was going on. But, only a few things before they got the ball rolling. Celestia still had to make that call, "Okay, fine, but only a few of those questions, Luna." 

Luna smiled a little and calmed down as she sat down, 'Finally!' She thought to herself as she listened intently.

It wasn't hard to forget that day. Celestia felt like it happened yesterday. She didn't want to go into full detail with the story, so she'll have to keep it brief. Though she wanted her sister to still get the message, "I knew King Ghidorah a long time ago. I knew him while you were imprisoned in the moon as Nightmare Moon…" That little subject made both of the mares wince, knowing that wasn't an easy time for both of them. But Celestia continued, "While you were imprisoned, dear sister, I had made a remarkable discovery I thought wasn't possible." 

To this day, it still baffled her. While she was on one of her vacations going to some random sanctuary-like island in the middle of the ocean, she came across some kind of creature that resided on the island that nearly made her faint, "Luna, you might find this hard to believe and you're probably going to think I sound crazy, but…" She sighed as she went to tell her about her discovery, "… giant creatures roam all over Equestria. And the first one I met was a giant hippo-like creature that stood on two legs." It sounded outlandish and silly, but she wasn't making it up. It probably wasn't the best way to put it, but that's how she could describe her first encounter with a giant creature. She would bring up its child-like behavior since it now occurred to her but baby steps were probably a better option so Luna could process what she told her.

Luna blinked a couple of times after she just heard that sentence come out of her sister's mouth. And it was a tough one to process, "A giant... hippo... creature?" She wasn't gonna be that pony to deny what was told to her. She knew giant creatures like the Roc, Hydra, and adult dragons existed. But, a giant hippo? She scoffed lightly, as if almost amused by the thought of one walking on two legs. "A hippo that stands on two legs…" Letting out a chuckle, she made an offhanded guess, twirling her hoof, "And I suppose the next thing you're gonna tell me is that a giant spider exists?" It did sound weird, but she also couldn't help but joke along with what she thought was a joke from Celestia.

Unfortunately...

"Oh, you're aware of that one? I thought you didn't know about any of them?" Celestia said, looking quite surprised.

Luna paused her laughter and briefly looked blank-faced at what her older sister just said. She thought for sure she was joking but Celestia wasn't laughing; she was serious! Her eyes widened at the mere thought of a giant spider existing in Equestria and, well, now she'll have another reason to strengthen her nightmare-removing skills. Because now it'll be for herself! "What the--?! I was just kidding!"

"Well, I'm not," Celestia said. "Giant creatures as vast as the eye can see exist in our world and King Ghidorah is one of those giant creatures. I also made friends with a few of them, too."

Luna was about to ask more questions to this mind-boggling revelation, but Celestia continued and explained, "They're called Guardians. And they owe their power to protect Equestria from threats that are deemed too powerful for any creatures like us to handle."

Luna perked her ears and widened her eyes, again, "Guardians?" she asked, confused. "If they are around like you said, why have they not assisted us when Discord attacked?" If any of these creatures were around, then surely one of them could have aided them in their battle with Discord. They sure-as-shit got lucky to imprison him in stone when he was too caught up in his own ego. So, what gives?

Celestia merely shook her head and responded, regretfully as that was a valid question, "They didn't see Discord as a potential threat, even with his chaotic magic. Because his reasons were not to actually harm anyone. All he wanted to do was to have fun." Though his kind of fun was something they couldn't tolerate, so it was best they took care of it. Besides, if any of them were to tag along, they'd most likely take care of Discord without any hesitation. Though, she can clearly see why the Guardians didn't see Discord as much as a potential threat; with his behavior and needs of having fun in his own unique way, if they were involved - it would be like the Guardians were actually punishing a child rather than taking down a threat.

Then, Celestia dipped her head a bit and looked down in a somber glance, "However, King Ghidorah was a different story, entirely. They broke their oath as a guardian and went rogue. We had no idea what their reasons were, but they attacked Equestria and would not stop until they reached their goals."

"They?" Luna was confused by that. "Was it more than one?" This King Ghidorah sounded like it was one individual, but Celestia made it sound like there were many. It sounded scary, but intriguing.

She looked to her sister and shook her head, "Sort of. King Ghidorah was known by many names: 'The One who is many', 'The golden army' or, more commonly... 'The Demon with Three heads', and 'A Three-headed Monster'.'"

Three heads? Luna took a bit to think. What other creatures could have multiple heads, "That sounds like a hydra. Is King Ghidorah some kind of hydra?"

But Celestia shook her head, again, and revealed what King Ghidorah actually was. A hydra was a good guess, but, "Worse. He's an ancient dragon that once roamed the Dragon Lands. A massive deity that dragons looked up to. And he relished in it. Well, one of them did and saw them as more of a family than actual slaves or worshippers. The other two had different ideologies: one just didn't care about his worshippers and would rather mind his business and the other..." Celestia couldn't really understand the last one's intentions and why he was so fixated on violence. Of the three, the left one seemed more reasonable while the middle had his own agenda and the right one was just mentally unstable. 

So, explaining this to Luna was not gonna be easy. She had to make it quick, "The last one had rather disturbing intentions." Then, the next part hesitated her for a second as it still harmed her to this day. So, she had to be careful with herself, "But, one day, he decided to give up his guardian status and cause havoc everywhere they went." It was a tragic memory to bring up and she shuddered to even look back at it. So many lives lost; dragons, ponies, griffons alike fell in a devastating hell-blaze. She felt tears forming slightly, "Everywhere I looked on the field, everywhere Ghidorah went… all I could see was death." The sight of all the death and destruction was more than enough to not only get her attention, but he gained the attention of the other guardians and they all stepped in to aid her and end King Ghidorah once and for all, "But, I couldn't stand aside and watch any more carnage. I stepped in to stop King Ghidorah and many other Guardians arrived to help me in the fight. It was a devastating battle, but we were fortunate enough to prevail and defeat King Ghidorah."

"Then what happened?"

"We sealed him away in a small pillar and hid him in a mountain where no one could find him, and where he could never be released again" or, at least, that's what she hoped. But, someone managed to find him and release him. She sighed, "At least, that's what I hoped… until now."

Celestia started to walk around Luna as the night princess tried her hardest to process what the hell she just heard. Giant creatures exist and are hidden all around Equestria. Her sister befriended a lot of these creatures, but one ended up betraying them. They're called Guardians, but Titans made a lot more sense; in her honest opinion. King Ghidorah was a three-headed dragon that other dragons looked up to, but... the mere idea of a dragon having three heads seemed like it came out of someone's dream. She's never heard of a dragon like this before. She shook her head in thought as she sat down, closed her eyes and crossed her arms. She knew knowledge about dragons had been very scarce and that any pony with common sense would never dare go over to the current dragon land and interview at least one; it'd be like a suicide mission. Even with Ghidorah gone, dragons are still tough to interact with.

Then, Luna's eyes snapped open as a new realization kicked up for her. If all the guardians she met haven't woken up just yet and with King Ghidorah out of his prison, what did that mean for her right now? There had to be a reason for her to be in the throne room and not in the Underground Bay. The realization clicked, again.

"Who are you calling?" Luna asked as she got back up to look at Celestia who looked back at her with an eyebrow raised. "The Guardians aren't around, correct?" She assumed they all perished in the fight against King Ghidorah and with him back, how the hell was she gonna fight back against this guy?

"You obviously are intending to use a communication spell to call someone you knew long ago," Luna theorized, not holding anything back that she needed to say. "It can't be a guardian, so you're intending to call someone to aid you in this fight. Who is it?"

Celestia's horn kicked up golden magic. A proud smile formed as Celestia knew Luna wouldn't hesitate to figure this stuff out. She chuckled lightly, "Luna, my dear little sister, you and your quick wit never cease to amaze me. You're right. I am going to call someone. And the thing is, I've been secretly preparing for his return and with her aid, she'll help us gain an upper hoof."

Luna raised a brow and looked so confused, "Who?" She genuinely wanted to know just who she was talking about.

"I'll gladly introduce you," Celestia casted the communication spell as a magical screen suddenly appeared in front of the royal sisters and floated steadily as Celestia sat down and told Luna one more thing, "Her knowledge has always been strictly, and specifically, on dragons," she looked back at the screen with an all-too-prepared glance that would make any organizer shit bricks. "With her knowledge, we should be able to bring King Ghidorah down to his knees."

Luna walked up and sat next to her sister as she looked at the screen. She eagerly waited and was curious to know just who this dragon expert was. If her sister actually knew someone then sure they would -- wait. If there were any record scratches around, they'd be in full blast. A bullet of realization shot between her eyes as what her sister just said immediately threw everything she learned before out the window. She looked at her sister utterly appalled and furious for this unnecessary lie, "Wait a minute, somebody already had knowledge of dragons and you didn't bother to tell me?! Oh, What. In. The. Absolute. Fu–"

Celestia cut her off and called out and said to the screen, "Call... Sakari Rosene."


*****


The sound of roughhousing rang out outside a rocky mountain Sakari and her family resided in. Growls, grunts, slams, kicks, all those noises Sakari was familiar with. Yet, she stood there with her son next to her and they watched as four dragons conversed at one another and wrestled with each other until one or two of them got exhausted and gave up or just called it a day. 

But, neither would let up.

Sakari and Ruby sat next to each other and watched entertainingly as Garble pulled a double clothesline and lunged at his opponents; competitiveness and pride were written all over his face. He succeeded and caught both of his opponents at once by their necks, knocking them on their backs with ease like they were run over by a locomotive. He skid to a halt and turned around, but the two he knocked over just got back up like what he did was mere child's play. Though they did rub their necks to get rid of any uncomfortable pain.

Garble had a cocky smile and a determined look, but the two dragons he wrestled with were not deterred and they were now more than eager to bring Garble down.

The dragon on the left was a young-adult dragon. He resembled Garble in some ways, but his muscles were leaner and not as muscular as his; he was strong but not quite there, yet. His body was more of a dark orange, but he bore a tan underbelly like him; aside from the slight thick scar that trailed lateral across his chest. Unlike Garble's tail which was more spear-themed, the younger dragon sported a longer, more whip-like tail that reached over his shoulder and down to his hip. Curved, sharp, sawblade-like ridges lined down from his head to the end of his back where it stopped at the start of his tail. His face nearly resembled Garble's face, but the differences were the milky-white head crests on each side of his head that curved up perfectly to resemble bull horns and the confident snarl on his face was similar to his mother than him. His wings were folded but matched Garble's wings perfectly – the only key difference was the spiked protrusions that curved on the elbows of his wings. But, the young dragon's pride, spirit, and determination burned as bright, just like his.

And that made Garble very proud of his son, Blaze. 

The one on the right, however, needed no introduction as Garble was far too familiar with his sister. She was older now, but Smolder would forever be his baby sister. Smolder stood next to Blaze slightly crouched, like a leopard about to pounce on its prey, with the same confident and eager look on her face; she wanted to win this roughhouse. As a gentle wind blew through, Smolder secretly attempted to use the purple scutes that traveled from her head to her back to gain an advantage in speed over her brother. As she got older, her body became slightly hourglass in appearance. Curvy, smooth, lean, and flexible. She was no stranger to having other dragons try and swoon her over because of how beautiful they thought she looked – and she knew it. Crystal-clear blue eyes, light scales, lean build, and very gentle claws. But she also noticed how all those male dragons eyed her curvy thighs and decent-sized cordiform chest. To say Smolder liked it was an understatement; she relished the fact that she evolved into what she was now. She loved having eyes on her for the fun of it; abusing her own looks to get attention and seeing them gawk made her laugh and she enjoyed every minute of it.

Though while she enjoyed her new form and the attention she got, she would occasionally have some dragon or dragoness try to cop a feel with her... and she absolutely hated that. She hated being touched by strangers! Lessons would be learned the hard way one way or another – and Smolder made it abundantly clear that she was a clear-cut sign of 'look but down touch'. Because some dragons tend to forget one crucial detail: She was still Garble's sister! 

Curvy, sexy, and beautiful, she knew too well the moment she grew up. All the unbearable molts she went through to end up like this was worth it in her eyes. And despite that, her looks didn't stop her from being very agile and strong. She was still tough as nails and a tomboy to her very core -- her molts changed her appearance but they never changed her personality. And she'd prove that if any perverted dragon attempted to touch her in any way. She was not scared to beat their asses and hand it to them on a silver platter sprinkled with their own pain-induced tears; if she wanted a mate, she'd be ready on her terms. The only ones that were allowed to touch her were those asking for a fight, a spar or if friends and family wanted a hug, that's it. Like her family tree, fighting, roughhousing, sparring, it was all in her blood and she had the burning passion and spirit to prove it. 

Even though her muscles nearly matched Blaze's, she was more mature than him and he still had room to grow – she outclassed him like her brother. But, speaking of Garble, she didn't have much muscle to show like him, but she was capable enough to be just as powerful as he was.

She then glimpsed at Blaze and chuckled softly, her scales were a lighter orange compared to Blaze's scales, but she sported the same tan underbelly, too. And the crests on the side of his face matched her's almost identically. Aside from her tail that had a heart-shaped scute at the tip and his tail being whip-like, Blaze could easily pass off as being her son – even though she was clearly his aunt and Garble was his father. It seemed so unreal when he was born.

So, why not go after him, then? Simple! Smolder and Blaze were not only family, but Blaze looked up to her like she was a mentor and a best friend. Unlike his other siblings, Blaze felt like he had more of a connection with Smolder and he thought she'd felt the same. There were no favorites involved; far from it. Smolder loved her nieces and nephews equally, but Blaze felt more connected with her than the others. Almost as if she was like an older sister or something.

But, the best thing when he's with her was when they tag-team against Garble. When alone, they lose rather easily, but not this time. Oh no! This time they were gonna win, again.

"Hey, aunt Smolder," said Blaze in an eager tone. "You ready to kick dad's butt?" He didn't care if his dad was gonna ground him, he was gonna win.

Those were words Smolder loved to hear. Her claws sharpened and her eyes fixated on Garble. His son was on her side and there was no hope he was gonna win this round, "I think you know the answer to that, Mini Me." Smolder joked and smiled cheekily. She didn't need to look to know that what she said embarrassed Blaze. The little frustrated growl was a hilarious indicator.

Blaze's cheeks flared up and he wanted to facepalm so hard when she said that, "Will you stop calling me that?!" Blaze looked up at Smolder with a flushy pout on his face. He did admire Smolder and looked up to her, thinking she was awesome. But that nickname she gave him really didn't sit right with him. Garble was his father and Sakari was his mother. He looked near identical to Smolder, that was true, but she was his aunt. Why did she feel the need to call him that? It made no sense!

"It's so weird!" He growled out, pouting like the child he was.

She couldn't contain it. As serious as she tried to be, Smolder guffawed at Blaze's reaction. She was completely aware that Blaze was biologically Garble's kid, but ever since he first hatched he bore traits that resembled her in some ways that it became hilarious and eerie. Garble, of course, was against the idea of that nickname; that was a no-brainer right there. But, Sakari was fine with it and saw no harm in it – even being congruent with the idea. Both of them always had a laugh when it was brought up.

"Because it's cute and I love the faces you make when I say it," Smolder said giving no shits about it as she pointed a clawed thumb at a very fuming Garble who obviously heard what she said, shaking with bared fangs and clenched fists. "That, and it really gets your dad going."

Getting impatient with the two, Garble called out to them to get the ball rolling, "First off, he's not your kid! Second, are we gonna continue or chit-chat the entire time?" Garble was all pumped up and ready to throw claws. And all this talk was not doing him any favors.

"Yeah! We're getting bored over here," Another voice barked, having the same impatience as Garble. Smolder and Blaze peered over to the second combatant.

Sadly, that 'tag-team' they wanted wasn't gonna happen because they completely left out that Garble wasn't the only one to face them.

Next to Garble stood a very impatient, but eager-to-wrestle, short rose-red earth pony mare with dirty-orange hair that barely drooped over her neck and a short tail of the same color. She was shorter than Blaze, standing up to his stomach -- but, she was a hair taller than Ruby. Compared to Blaze and Smolder, she wouldn't stand much of a chance being a short-stack pony. But, Blaze kind of forgot she was there and now she had him on edge with how her glaring, cyan, cat-like eyes beamed directly at him. She knew she couldn't take out Smolder, but Blaze was easy pickings for her. She didn't care if he was a dragon, being his elder sister and the eldest of all the siblings had its perks – intimidation being one of them. And Destiny made sure she was the strongest among her siblings.

Garble merely chuckled at his daughter's eagerness for this. Unlike Blaze who had kind of a soft heart, Destiny was more like him in every regard … and he still couldn't believe how ungodly scary and ironic it turned out when Destiny was born. He grew up hating ponies until he ended up married to Sakari and then out popped Destiny and she became just like him… sort of. But like how his kids looked up to Smolder, Destiny still looked up to him somewhat like a hero. It felt good and weird, but mostly good. He never recalled what he did to make Destiny the way she was or how he got her to look up to him, but he was just happy and proud that she turned out to be a 'daddy's little girl'. And with her by his side to lead, it made him feel nostalgic about the old times with him and his old gang.

But, as bizarre as it was, Garble took an initiative and found one advantage that he thought was ripe for abuse: they always acted as a duo and messed with other dragons. Unlike his old crew, Destiny was not one to back down from a challenge; chore or prank. And today was gonna be a showcase. Today, Smolder and Blaze are gonna see that they weren't the only tag-team of the family. He grinned deviously and looked down at his daughter before he noticed her grinding one hoof across the ground, kicking up dirt with a devious smirk as she crouched, swaying her hips.

With her getting all riled up like this, Garble had a little plan, "Hey, baby ram, you ready to throw down?" Garble asked, enthusiastically. He had a hunch his eldest was eager and ready to brawl. And just like him, she would be pumped up just as much. And his hunch was right when she glanced at him with fire in her eyes.

Destiny took no time to respond and said in such an eager, excited tone, "Born ready, dad." She snorted, muscles tensing. Her urge for combat swelled with every second. Her head lowered, her glare never once escaping her target. She was more than ready to clobber her little brother.

Garble chuckled and looked over to his little sister who actually had a slight nervous look to her. She knew this was gonna be a challenge, but she stood strong to not give him a hint she was backing down. Excellent, Garble expected that. "Are you sure, Destiny? You think you're big enough to handle them – " 

He tried to get Destiny all pumped up to her fullest, but the short-stack was having none of it, "Yes! Yes, I'm sure!" she kept grinding her hoof on the ground under her. "Are we gonna do this or not?! I wanna win this game, again!" Destiny barked, growing more impatient as time went by but felt confident as she gazed at Blaze, ready to humiliate him. Garble reeled his head back, but chuckled again.

Blaze genuinely felt nervous. In every sense, he should easily take out Destiny with the advantages he had, but she too had some, as well. Height and size meant nothing to her when she had muscle to match even her own father. Memories of when they first wrestled started to flow and how she took him out every match. It was embarrassing and shameful, but he was happy there was not pride damage to go along with it. It was all for fun, but he'll be damned if Destiny didn't take this shit seriously. 

His claws flexed. No... this time, he will win. He was a dragon and she was a pony. There was no way he'd lose to her; not now, not ever! Not anymore! He slowly unfolded his wings and stood tall, stretching them as far as he could as they made a perfect curve, like secondary arms flexing, that shadowed over Destiny and Garble and glared at Destiny as if she were a mere speck to him. The action caught everyone's attention.

Garble was just about to signal for the match to start, until Blaze called out in a fiery, stern tone to Destiny, "Oh, you think you're hot shit, Destiny?!" Blaze snarled almost angrily at his elder sister. That mouth of hers really got on his nerves.

Sakari perked her head with a gasp and glared shockingly at Blaze, "Blaze, language!" Sakari said, letting Blaze know that those types of words are prohibited around this volcano home. But, her words sadly went by deaf ears before she noticed Blaze and Destiny start to growl at one another, a sign that tempers were starting to flare badly.

"Just cause you're the oldest doesn't make you high and mighty. I am sick of your arrogance, Destiny," Blaze roared out. "If I didn't know it, I'd say you're acting like this because you're trying to walk in dad's footsteps. But … let's be real here, you may be the oldest, but that doesn't save the fact we all know you're still tiny, shorty!" Blaze lunged a mock charge at Destiny, daring her to act and do something about what he just said – because he knew he was right.

For once, Destiny wasn't gonna lie to herself thinking she was impressed by her brother's sudden attitude change and intimidation display; now things've gotten very interesting. But, it didn't faze her one bit; she wasn't the least bit intimidated by Blaze, but it did get her just as pumped as she smiled wickedly and flared her serrated teeth at him, "Oh, I know I'm hot shit – " 

Sakari snapped her irritated gaze at Destiny, "Destiny!" she shouted as she stood up. She was not going to tolerate this sort of language in their home, not when it comes out of her children's.

At first, it seemed like this was gonna be a tag-team match, but now Garble and Smolder thought otherwise as they both looked at each other from a distance, surprised. This sudden behavior with the kids told them that one was harboring some pent-up emotions toward the other. And yet, this level of sibling energy reminded them of... well, themselves. It was so uncanny that it was scary, yet entertaining. But, Garble also felt called out because of Blaze's little rant, but then shrugged it off like it was no big deal. He actually loved his kids equally.

Ruby actually felt the intensity in the air among his older siblings. Were they actually about to hurt each other for real this time? He hoped not. He didn't understand why Blaze was so angry. Destiny was nice and chill, most of the time. Well, to him, at least. Why was Blaze acting like this?

"-- Because I know I can beat you down and make you cry uncle in 5 seconds, Blaze – just like dad makes uncle Fume and uncle Clump when they go at each other." Even if her father's old gang wasn't related to him in any way, she felt they too were family, plus it was fun hanging out with them for dragon activities. So, they were honorary uncles to Garble's children, "So face it, little brother, you have never beaten me in any of these wrestling matches no matter how hard you try -- and you sure ain't gonna win today," she was so confident in her abilities that she just didn't care how angry her little brother got. But her snickering suddenly stopped when she heard Blaze bring up her attitude about their father and then her height and size. Her ears perked and her eyes widened in shock before she contorted it into a blood-rage glare. Of all the things Blaze would bring up, he said the one word that should never be brought up to her by anyone – family included. It was the only damage he could do to her, but that was the only damage he was gonna regret.

Destiny snarled and retorted in retaliation, small puffs of flames escaping her muzzle, "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?! It's not my fault I'm like this! You're really pushing it, Blaze." She snarled at her brother, daring him to tread another step.

Blaze just rolled his eyes at how sensitive Destiny can be with her height. It was silly, but he didn't care. She had this coming for a long time and it was time she got called out on her superiority complex, "Like how you push me, Speedy, Twinkle, and Ruby to madness when you open that endless mouth of yours? I don't know what's more annoying, the fact you're trying to be better than us or the fact you can't deflate that planet-sized ego of yours to impress our father." He pointed to Garble who held his hands up innocently as if he did something he didn't do.

But, that tipped Destiny over the edge. Her 'ego' was not that big and she doesn't run her mouth all the time. It's only when it came to moments like this outside, but Blaze's accusations were getting on her nerves and they were gonna stop now. But, her anger got the better of her and she roared at Blaze for his bothersome attributions, "Will you shut up already?! You're really pissing me off!" She was about to charge, head lowered and teeth flared at Blaze, and eyes full of rage.

That arrogance will be her downfall and he was gonna make her learn that lesson. He knew what he said got under her skin, and that's what he wanted. It was so easy to get her all riled up and blind with anger. He unsheathed his claws and flared his own serrated teeth back at her, "Then bring it, you pint-size hypocrite. 'Bout time someone shut that cocky mouth of yours!" He inhaled a bit of air and blew out a burst of flames, daring Destiny to come at him. No more being scared, he was pumped and primed for action.

His wish was granted. Destiny's instinct and urge kicked in like a battery and she roared in fury as she charged like a rhino after Blaze, glaring in pure unadulterated fury.

Blaze flapped his wings and lunged after Destiny, soaring after her like a bat out of hell -- streams of smoke sizzling out of the sides of his mouth as he returned the glare.

Ruby gasped in shock and frightfully looked away unaware his mother disappeared. Garble and Smolder didn't want to intervene as they widened their eyes only slightly by the heat packing in there. At first, they both figured Destiny and Blaze had some sibling rivalry going on here and allowed them to handle it themselves with this match. Smolder and Garble would've continued their dispute, but it was really all for fun. Destiny and Blaze seemed like they had something they needed to sort out. If blood was drawn, they'd step in... at least, that's what their plan was. Garble and Smolder stepped out and flew next to one another, watching the next-gen-irony fight take place.

Destiny and Blaze were about to close the distance. Blaze's claws were out in front slashing at the air and Destiny's hooves cracked the ground with each step she took, putting some power into her charge. Both siblings had adrenaline pumping, their hearts raced, and their competitive nature on the brim of exploding; they were but a few feet away from each other, right about to clash...

… Until their mother dashed in and held both arms out firm like barricades. It was too late for Blaze and Destiny to stop and they slammed into Sakari's hooves with a hard bash. 

Smolder flinched in shock and attempted to help her sister-in-law, thinking the bite might've been as bad as the bark. Garble, however, held his arm out and stopped her from joining; he knew all too well they should not interfere; Sakari had it under control. 

The dragon and pony siblings watched and were astonished to find that Sakari not only stopped her children from crashing into each other, but she caught Blaze by his snout and Destiny by her head, stopping them dead in their tracks.

Before they even knew what stopped them, the next-gen siblings widen their eyes in shock as they were suddenly being twirled around with relative ease before being tossed like rag-dolls over to Garble and Smolder. Destiny hollered in fright as she somersaulted in the air before Garble reached out and caught her. Smolder stretched her wings and quickly flew up with her arms spread out. She easily caught Blaze and held him close before she floated down back to Garble.

They didn't know what just happened, but whatever threw them made Blaze and Destiny so dizzy beyond belief that the urge to vomit was reaching its boiling point.

"What the—Ow…" Destiny groaned lightly, her head spinning from that ragdoll toss. "Spinning… spinning… wanna hurl…"

"Dizzy… I'm dizzy!" Blaze sputtered out as his eyes were spinning around from that ordeal.

But, Garble chuckled at not only at his kids' reaction to being thrown – he chuckled that it was from his wife who did it. He then smiled at how wicked that was, but he also felt a tad sorry for Blaze and Destiny for being victims of Sakari's strength. That's why he stopped Smolder; Sakari was just as strong, if not equally as strong as he was. So, there was no need for them to step in.

Still, at the same time when they were fighting, he heard Sakari call out to them to stop and they should've listened. But, they didn't and now they had to learn. He softly spoke to his daughter who was still under the influence of her dizziness, "Hey, Destiny, you alright?" 

Destiny mumbled, "I'll... live..."

Smolder did the same with Blaze. She held him and gently nudged his head with her snout, "Hey, Mini Me, you alright? That was a nasty spin you took." She said in a caring tone. Just like Garble, Smolder knew how strong Sakari could actually get. Even when she was still a hatchling, she knew Sakari was strong and was more than capable of handling herself – poor Clump never stood a chance against her.

But, Blaze managed to snap out of his dazed stupor and groggily look up to find himself in his aunt's arms. "A-Aunt Smolder?" Blaze asked. "What just happened?" He had no recollection of what just happened. One minute he was after his sister, then the next thing he knew he was in his aunt's arms. It wasn't until Smolder pointed ahead that he looked and winced at who was approaching them.

Destiny was the same when she snapped out of her dazed funk. She was not ready for a scolding from her mother.

But, Sakari approached. A look of disappointment and anger dwelled within her fierce eyes. She was none too enthused as she looked at her two kids. She felt slightly guilty for having to throw them the way she did, but the way they behaved was a bitter pill to take and she'd have no more of it, "I want you two to listen and listen good." Sakari said as she enforced their attention onto her. "I get that wrestling is fun and all, but I will not have any of my kids using that kind of foul language during playtime." She looked at Destiny and Blaze sternly, a firm lower lip tightened.

She noticed the anger and rage they held against each other and picked up the intentions they thought about. Sakari was appalled and sickened by it. This was supposed to be a moment of fun among family and to hear two of them had hidden animosity towards one another – that needed to be addressed immediately. What they tried to do with each other, she was relieved she stopped them before things could get worse, but this had to be said to them, "But, if there's anything I will absolutely not tolerate, it's my own kids trying to tear each other apart." Destiny and Blaze winced as Sakari barked that part at them. "This wrestling game is over. Now, I want the both of you to go to your rooms, think about what you said to each other, and talk this out. And if I hear any commotion, any sign of you two trying to tear each other apart like you were about to moments ago, so help me, both of you will be grounded. Do I make myself clear?"

Destiny and Blaze paused in thought and looked at each other, scared out of their wits. When dad gets upset or at the least very angry if any of them did something wrong, it can be very scary and they steer clear from him so he can cool off. Dad was easy to predict.

Mom, however, was on a whole different level. They loved her and respected her like they do with their father. She was not just a mother, but a best friend and mentor to them, too. But, compared to Garble, Sakari wasn't as active to go out and play like she used to do. She'd always tend to hang with their laid-back siblings like Twinkle and Ruby – which honestly was fine to them. Their mother doesn't have to join in and play with them. They got that. But, right now this played differently. When they would do something wrong in front of their mother, she will not only punish them but she first starts off with a scary method she would always use on them to make them feel like they're in front of a judge, jury, and executioner wrapped in one package: an icy-cold glare that not only judged them for their penance but spears their souls to make them remember who was in charge.

That method tormented them for years growing up and it still held merit today even if they're older; it told them to not mess around and be honest with her. If they didn't respond to her, she'd judge the actions of what they did, even so far as guessing until one of them breaks, then the jury part decides what the punishment would be. The worst was the executioner. If neither of them answered or straight up lied to her, both would get punished anyway. And their father would not have their backs, at all. 

Today was not gonna be that way, thank the dragon god above, but a simple answer was what she wanted –

"Well?" Sakari asked impatiently, demanding an answer.

"Y-Yes! Crystal clear, mama!" Destiny and Blaze said in unison, answering her as fast as they could without hesitation, nodding quickly.

Sakari appreciated the lack of hesitation, but that still didn't mean they got off scot-free, "Now then, you two? To your room, now." Sakari used her tail to point at the cave across the living room behind her. Smolder and Garble let go of Destiny and Blaze as they did what they were told, quickly scrambling away to go to their room and think about what they did, so to avoid any other punishment from their mom.

Sakari watched before she gazed back at Garble and Smolder, mainly Garble, and said in a slight tired tone as she pouted at her husband, "I blame you for influencing our kids with this type of language." How else did they learn that kind of language? She thought it was obvious from the start.

Garble perked up and shook his head defiantly, "Me?" He said in utter shock. "Oh, hell no! No you don't, Sakari." He pointed at her and retaliated her ridiculous accusation with a pout. "Don't you go and throw the blame card on me. You're not so innocent yourself, ya know." He remembered moments when Sakari slipped and said some words their kids heard. He may have done some stupid shit, he'll admit that, but he was not gonna be at fault for this one.

Sakari dramatically gasped at Garble like he blew the whistle at her for a crime she had no memory of committing, "What? Moi? I would never do anything like that. I would never curse in front of our children. I was always careful with my wording. You, however, always slipped up, and now Destiny, Ace, and Speedy are influenced by it because of you." She said in a pompous tone as she lightly pushed her hoof into his chest and then beeped his snout. The gall of him to accuse her of such a thing was so outlandish, she'd laugh. In fact, she actually tried to keep that 'perfect' posture up and not let a sneaky laugh come crawling out of her throat, but it wasn't because of blaming Garble. She was secretly surprised he hadn't caught the little bit of sarcasm in her tone and realized she was playing with him.

But, Garble never picked it up. Garble just huffed a bit of smoke in front of Sakari and lightly batted her hoof away, "Okay, cut the prima-donna bullshit, Sakari. You know damn well you're not as innocent as you might think. Just think, what if you slip up in front of Ruby?" He pointed to an empty space that used to be Ruby, but Garble and Sakari never noticed. 

Smolder did and tilted her head confused about why he left, but she never bothered to go after him and just stayed and listened to her brother and sister-in-law bicker.

Which quickly got on her nerves.

Sakari pouted at Garble for that jab, "Oh, don't you even go there. Even if Ruby is growing, he should be the innocent one compared to the other cluster we have." As much as she wanted Ruby to be innocent, she knew that was never gonna be the case in the near future, but he was still her little baby. Well, littlest baby.

And that quickness earned its title as Smolder crossed her arms and raised a brow at the bickering parents. Their squabble would've been entertaining to her, at first, because she always found it hilarious, but today played a different part and she got fed up with them and how they were acting right now. After what Sakari did to Destiny and Ruby, it kind of dampened the fun and the mood to wrestle was all but gone.

"Hey!" Smolder barked, causing Garble and Sakari to flinch and gaze at her, shocked. Smolder puffed a few smoke rings out of her snout and just gave them an annoyed look that reminded them of an irritated mother dragon, ironic as it was, "Are you two gonna keep acting like a sitcom couple, or are you two gonna talk like a regular couple? Because this shit is getting old pretty fast." 

When she was little, Smolder visited Sakari's parent's home a couple of times while Sakari and Garble were away doing stuff. She would hang around at her own parents' home, but it got boring real quick there. And what made Sakari's parent's so enjoyable were the gadgets and doodads they had at their home. Dragons never had stuff like sofas, tables, and other furniture back in the Dragon Lands, so it was like walking into a new world for her. One gadget, in particular, she loved the most when she came over was a hard box called a television – or TV for short. She didn't know why it was called that, but she sat with Sakari's parents and they'd watch these cheesy, but funny, sitcom shows when they came on. Smolder wasn't used to technology like this, so it surprised her, obviously. But, she quickly adapted to it and she'd watch shows of ponies acting so goofy, it'd make her chuckle and give her opportunities to make fun of them -- Sakari's parents did not mind that, either. They did the same thing, too. Her parents themselves, in her honest opinion, were a bundle of laughs, too, and she loved hanging out with them.

Compared to the influence Sakari's parents gave her to how Sakari and Garble handled their kids were very different boards to fill. But, Smolder knew her experience with Sakari's parents was pleasant. Sakari and Garble, however, reminded her of those sitcoms she watched and it just didn't sit right with her. 

Sakari and Garble winced at Smolder. At first, Sakari wanted to play around with Garble by acting like a pompous wife toward him before she shut her shit down and actually admitted to slipping up in front of her children. In reality, she loved to play around with him and get him all riled up; it really amused her to see him like that, but she made it so she wouldn't push his buttons too hard. But, with Smolder here and how she snapped at them for how they behaved – more so with how she acted -- that was not the best time and she got why that'd irritate her younger sister-in-law.

Garble was well aware, too. Well, he didn't at first because he blindly fell for Sakari's act. But, like his wife, he knew this was just for fun and he expected a kiss from Sakari by the end of it. But, Smolder was not the kind of dragon to stand around and watch an argument go on any further – even if the argument ended calmly. And after what happened with Destiny and Blaze kind of shot that down. Garble had a feeling Smolder still wanted to play with her niece and nephew, so he understood why she felt so nettled. He made a mental note to cheer his baby sister up once she calmed down.

"We're sorry, Smoldy. We were just goofing around was all," Sakari apologized as she tried to reassure her and also justify her actions for doing what she did. "But, I just didn't want my kids hurting themselves, is all – and use foul language like we do. I'm always a mom first, then a best friend." Though the throw she did was a little excessive, she'll apologize to her kids for that one. But, she saw that Smolder never budged when she said that. She just stood there with eyes full of disbelief and she wanted to make that abundantly clear to Sakari. What Sakari said never went through and she assumed she was bullshitting her way out of it. 

Then it immediately occurred to Sakari that she did just sent her kids to their room during a wrestling game, so that might've dampened the play-mood with Smolder. That was understandable and Sakari did not blame her for that.

Sakari had to pick her words wisely and not sound like an arrogant mother. Even with five kids, she was still learning, after all. Smolder was kind of a start when Sakari was growing up and it was a ton of fun -- some ups and downs, but mostly fun. And over time, she picked up what her little sister-in-law was thinking, and right now she had that feeling, "Okay, I know what you're thinking, Smolder, and I can assure you, I didn't ground them, I swear. Quite the opposite, really." Her hooves were up and her eyes gave genuine honesty to her. She definitely recalled not telling her kids they were grounded. She was not gonna ground them over something that they could just talk over. She wasn't that heartless. She just didn't want them to start actually fighting in front of family members – especially when she saw the type of heat the two seemed to have towards each other before they charged. "I just sent them to their room so they can cool down. With how personal it seemed to be getting between the two, I only want them to talk things over. Nothing more."

Smolder calmed down a little and took some thought into that. Sakari was right; she never did say they were actually grounded – that was just to get them to start talking things over in their room. She thought for sure Sakari was gonna pull a 'blind-mother' move and be arrogant about her actions and power or something like that. If it came down to that, Smolder would've left without saying good-bye. Sakari once told her she made a vow to be a good parent and if she were to ever pull dumb moves like arrogance, negligence, or other bullshit like that, then Smolder can turn around and never see her face, again. As extreme as that was, Smolder didn't think about that, at all. She was just surprised Sakari took motherhood so seriously, "Okay, I guess you got me by the tail there." As long as there was some sense into all of this, she was fine. Besides, Sakari was also crafty, too. If she were to be angry with her, Sakari would always try and find a way to make things up with her.

"But, there's still a time and place for what we did, is that right?" Garble asked, knowing full well both of them were not gonna get off scot-free for trying to goof around.

And he was right, too. Smolder gave him a dull, sour look and nodded, "Ya think, Gar-Gar?" There was a time and place for anything, and right now was not the case. But the slightly stunned face of her using that name in front of his wife always made her giggle, as did Sakari, who ultimately did find that name cute.

"Anyway," Sakari said, now that they brought that up, again. "What I was trying to get at was that we both slip up; it happens," Sakari wasn't gonna deny that she might've taken lessons from her parents at heart and now it's passed on to her; now she's doing it with Garble and it never got old with her. Sakari was still quirky, as always, and she was not gonna get rid of that any time soon – not even motherhood was gonna bring that down.

Garble nodded in agreement before Sakari reached up and planted a sweet, loving kiss on his cheek, "Besides, it's just what we do. And I know our kids are gonna pick it up, too." She smirked and rubbed noses with her husband who blushed some, "Especially from this big goof." Sakari looked back at Smolder with a kind smile.

But, Smolder looked away from the lovey-dovey stuff they were doing and blushed a little. She still couldn't believe Sakari got Garble into all that mushy stuff, "Okay, I know that. But –" Suddenly, something occurred to her when Sakari brought up her kids. She looked at them, confused, "– speaking of your kids, Sisi, where's Twinkle and Speedy?" Of all the kids here, those two haven't shown themselves in a while after Garble told them to go get groceries. What was taking them?

Now that she mentioned it, Twinkle and Speedy haven't returned, yet. They should've been back minutes ago. Sakari looked up in thought, "You're right." She wondered what was holding up the children, grocery shopping doesn't normally take more than a few minutes, "They should've been home by now. What's taking them so long?"

Just as she said that, a pink, smoky, distortion erupted before them like a small smoke bomb and immediately split open like a book to reveal a vortex within. Sakari flinched and looked back in shock but Garble and Smolder jumped back instinctively like cats when they see cucumbers.

They assumed they were gonna get sucked in and disappear within the vortex, but it never did anything other than just appear and startle them. It remained still and never attempted to do anything out of the ordinary. The three before it watched on in confusion and curiosity as it just floated there, making zen-like hums.

Garble and Smolder remained as they were, confused by the vortex but they never attempted to go near it. They didn't know if something was gonna jump out and fight or if something was gonna snatch them up and pull them inside. Whatever the case may be, they knew damn well to stay away.

That couldn't be said for Sakari, unfortunately. While the thing didn't make much of a racket, which explained why the kids never came back, it didn't really do anything else and it made her more curious than defensive like her husband and sister-in-law – even still, she should follow their lead and stay on the defense, too.

She began to approach, cautiously.

"Sakari!" Garble called out to his wife in utter worry and fear, wanting her to get back and stay away from whatever was floating on their property. But, to his dismay, she never responded – she heard him, but she wanted to know what this thing was. His instincts were colliding like rams head-butting each other. He wanted to lunge out and drag her plump ass back so she could be safe but, at the same time, he didn't want to risk startling whatever the vortex was.

Sakari then stood in front of the vortex and eyed it carefully. Again, it never did anything. It didn't seem like it wanted to cause harm and it just floated like any damns it had were thrown out the window. So, the big questions were: just what was she gonna do with this thing? How was she gonna get rid of it? Was talking to it gonna solve it?

That last one felt like it was a dumb move since it seemed like it wasn't sentient. But, Sakari shrugged her shoulders and gave it a shot just to be silly since it didn't look so threatening.

"Hello!" she casually called out, prompting Smolder and Garble to flinch in shock from the sheer stupidity of that choice Sakari did.

"Are you insane?" Garble said, nearly freaking out and thinking now whatever was behind that knows she's there.

"That's not a smart move, sis," Smolder said in a slight panic, on board with what Garble said.

But, Sakari turned her head and looked at her dragon family oddly as if they haven't seen magic before, "Are you two dragons, or chickens?" She joked, but considering how they were behaving, she was thinking the latter. "It's not a portal and you two know this. You've seen magic before. Hell, even you two can use magic!"

Having that pointed out to them, Smolder and Garble looked at each other like they'd forgotten a test answer on a quiz. She had a good point about them wielding magic, but their type was different compared to ponies and that still didn't get them to budge when Smolder asked, "Okay, I see your point, but how do you know it's not a portal? It sure as hell looks like one." Whether she knew magic or not, she still found it hard to believe that whatever the hell was in front of them wasn't a portal -- It floats, swirls and hums. There could be no other signs that told them that this wasn't a portal.

But right as she said that, the vortex started to spaz and twitch as if it were responding to their voices. Then, through the void within, another voice responded back with a 'Sakari?' as if it tried to specifically ask her something.

Sakari swung her head back and looked up at the vortex in shock before she responded in kind and asked it, "Did you just say my name?" Smolder and Garble heard that loud and clear and now were more than ready to fight, but Sakari held an arm out, letting them know that they need to back down. She focused as she processed what she just heard. That voice sounded oddly familiar to her, almost elegant and welcoming. It reminded her so much of -- a revelation flew right at Sakari's face in the form of a face-hoof. 

"Wait," she called out, feeling embarrassed of herself. "I know what this is," She said to Garble and Smolder who had their confused faces back on. Now she remembered what this was? She couldn't have picked an awkward time!

"Well, out with it, babe," Garble ordered. If Sakari knew what this was, then she should really spit it out before he and Smolder take action. "What is it?"

She looked back at Garble and Smolder and motioned to them to settle down. She had enough of them getting all tense and it really tested her patience. Yes, it was understandable, but they were all strong enough to face whoever came at them, "Will you two relax? There's nothing to worry about because this 'vortex' is actually a spell." She pointed at the spell as the dragon siblings slowly started to relax.

"A spell?" Garble asked.

Sakari nodded as she looked back at the spell before her, "Someone is casting a transmission spell -" she looked at it oddly, though, sensing something off with it "- but something is off about it."

Smolder eyed the spell and tried to make heads or tails on what Sakari was talking about. Someone casted that spell? How and who? Well, mostly who? Smolder knew it must've been a unicorn or some magic wielder like that. She stood up and walked beside Sakari and asked, "So, how are you gonna –" Sakari simply went up to the transmission and gave the vortex a good thwack with her hoof, like she was slapping a TV antenna to fix said TV, "– fix it?"

And just like that, the screen became clear and they saw who was behind the spell. Smolder lifted her arms at this absolute obvious move that she couldn't even begin to know how easy that was. This whole scenario could've been solved with just that?! She would've done that, but she assumed it was a portal! She crossed her arms at this unwarranted tomfuckery.

Even Garble was at a lost with what the hell just happened. His head suddenly hurt a little and his patience was bone-dry. He sighed and walked off to let his wife deal with this, arms thrown up and then hung low as he grumbled "Fuckin' pony magic…" Maybe a really hard apple cider could ease his mind.

Celestia perked her head, surprised as the spell finally worked, "Ah finally. I thought I messed up the spell there." And who so happened to be in front of the screen was the one she wanted to contact. Relief couldn't be a much better feeling for her, "Oh, Sakari! So good to see you." Celestia smiled as Sakari gleefully smiled back, thrilled to see it was an old friend contacting her.

"Tia! This is a surprise," Sakari said. "To what do I owe the occasion?" She then noticed her little sister was there by her side. Now things got very interesting when her younger sister was involved. This had to be important. She was about to greet Luna with open arms ... if it weren't for Luna giving Celestia a leering scowl that Celestia had yet to notice.

"Uh, is she okay?" Smolder pointed at Luna, noticing rather quick that Luna didn't look too happy.

Celestia looked over to Luna before she reeled her head back at the scowl. Now she noticed and now she thought she'd get it later, "Oh, don't mind her. I was informing her about the situation we're in... well, Equestria is in." Celestia casually scooted Luna off-screen before she gazed over to Smolder and tilted her head, curiously. "Oh, who's this?"

Sakari raised a brow at the mention of Equestria being under some kind of situation. If this call was about that, then that really needs to be addressed. For her to call her for this meant something was troubling her, "This is Smolder, my sister-in-law," she introduced Smolder rather quickly before she brought the spotlight back onto What Celestia was talking about. "But, what was that about Equestria being in a situation?" 

Smolder was curious, too. This pony seemed like she was high above the ranks. That flowing mane and the jewelry she had felt like a dead giveaway; jewelry she wouldn't mind having in her collection. The other one seemed like she was about the same, but a little low on the totem pole. She didn't know what to make of them just yet, but it seemed like Sakari knew them before. If Sakari mentioned them to her, she likely forgot about it.

Celestia cleared her and got straight to the point, "Right, yes. Well, I'm sorry to call you at such an awkward time, but... I need your help." Celestia spoke to her in a semi-pleaded tone. A tone Sakari had never heard from her friend before. 

"What's wrong, Tia?" Sakari tilted her head, wondering what was happening to get her to speak in such a way.

Celestia looked down with regret momentarily before looking up at her old friend as she revealed, "King Ghidorah has returned."

Then, all sense of goodwill was out the window and panic almost took over the moment that name was spoken; Sakari widened her eyes in great shock at the mention of that name. She plopped down on her rear and stared at Celestia in disbelief, hoping she was lying. "W-What?" She whispered in shock, she regained her voice as she responded, "But… I thought he was imprisoned!" She had thought that when Celestia told her long ago, but the distress in her eyes said otherwise – which was a big red flag.

Twinkle and Speedy suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of their home thanks to Twinkle's magic. They made it back home, but they immediately saw their mother and aunt Smolder talking through a spell.

"Mother!" Twinkle called out, worried. "We have a problem. Ponyville is under attack."

Sakari heard her and there was no thinking it could anything else. She never thought she'd see the day when she would be needed for a situation like this. All the research she did on Ghidorah in secret would now be used. She just didn't expect it to happen so suddenly. She should've seen the signs when the wind blew all but three torches -- even if it was a coincidence.

Smolder felt unnerved somehow and it sent a little shiver down her spine. That name brought a cold feeling to her body and she didn't know why. That name sounded strangely familiar, yet she couldn't place where exactly she heard it from. She felt so nervous and very timid all of a sudden. Why, though? It was just a name. It shouldn't have her on edge. And yet, it did. She looked over to her niece and nephew and immediately walked over to them and away from Sakari and Celestia, wanting to know what they saw. Whatever was going on she needed to know so Garble could be informed, too.

As they explained what they saw to Smolder, Sakari immediately nodded to Celestia, "I'll help, but I'm gonna bring a team with me. King Ghidorah is gonna be a challenge. More so than anyone had ever faced."

Celestia knew that all too well, "I'll save the explanation, but please, hurry. I don't know how long it'll take before he attacks." And with that, the spell cuts off and Sakari was left pondering what kind of plan she should make. 

King Ghidorah had returned. This was not good – no, no, not good for anyone at all. Throughout her years, she spent her time researching dragons of many kinds – King Ghidorah included. She gathered so much information and research such as hobbies, behaviors, and activities that it just boiled down to them being much like ponies … just more aggressive in some parts. Oh, the books she can write with the knowledge she had obtained during her stay – later on, living among them. It wasn't until one day she became so fond of dragons she ended up marrying one and spawned offspring of her own. Those days were a real trip and back. It was another great addition to her research, but she was not gonna tell her husband that, at all. Her family was her family, not research test subjects. She loved them and cared about them so much that she wouldn't even think of that. And yet, she waited for the right time to share this information. For Celestia, that time was any time, but for the rest of the ponies, they were not ready.

But, King Ghidorah, himself? King Ghidorah caught her interest the most. A golden demon spawned from Tartarus itself and bore souls of three. That alone made her wonder if this dragon was one entity or many, or even a dragon at all. An enigma not even the greatest minds could figure out. Only a hoof-full of books had ever mentioned him but the information was all the same: a former guardian that one day betrayed Equestria and spread terror across the world. He was eventually stopped by Celestia and the other guardians. But, the books never mentioned how they stopped him or what he actually was. She pondered about him for a long time in secret and she had to, at least, gain information from reliable sources. And since she was well acquainted with plenty of dragons, it wouldn't hurt to ask them for any information about him. 

That turned out to be much more of a challenge. She asked dragons like Clump, Maar, Ember, and even Torch himself if they knew anything about Ghidorah. But, each one ended in the same reaction – tensed and unnerved, even haunted or almost scared at best – which slightly stunned her when even Torch was afraid to tell stories about Ghidorah… and he's not one to scare easily, or at all. She would know, he's the most massive dragon she had ever seen in the Dragon Lands, after all. It made her curious even more and she was surprised when Torch and Ember worked up the nerve and courage to explain their stories to her. She was thrilled but her journey only led back to the same spot. She wanted to know what made him tick, what were his weaknesses, and what made him go crazy. That information was all but gone and all that was left was the stories of terror and fear he left. It wasn't much to go on, so she assumed his biology was equal to that of his fellow dragons. It just raised one question...

Just who released King Ghidorah from his prison?

She then looked over at her family and her home. If they so much as get a whiff of this, they would not hesitate to join her. Dragons were known to go in headstrong and take on any challenge. But, would Garble and Smolder take on a challenge that involved a demon dragon? It was risky, too risky even for her children. That was a powerful no for her. Only four were young adults, and one was still young, but they were still her children. It was way too dangerous, even for them. Yes, she knew her kids could handle themselves in a fight. They made that perfectly clear amongst themselves. But against someone like Ghidorah? Oh, hell to the no! Hell no! Absolutely not! So help her, she would even outright forbid it.

But, then again, what if they don't have to fight Ghidorah? They can still be helpful with their skills in other places. If it was possible, she and her family can subdue the culprit who released King Ghidorah. They could take them out and bring them to Celestia and Luna for questioning. But, if it was a group, then that could be a problem. But, it felt like it was just one pony. Sakari knew her kids would argue with her about not tagging them along and kicking ass. She didn't want to handle that, so... what other choice could she make?

She just had to think of a plan.

Garble rubbed the back of his head as he walked into his cave home with a slightly frustrated scoff. He did not know what the hell just happened outside, but he was gonna let Sakari take care of it. She usually took care of all the weird stuff that happened around them. In fact, ever since he got married to this mare, his life changed so much. If he were to guess, maybe it all started with her saving Smolder when they first met, or something? He couldn't exactly remember when it started at the moment. But, the only thing he knew right now was that he needed a cider to calm his headache and ease his thoughts.

He knew he had to stick with his wife to see what that whole void thing was about, but he just didn't want to handle it at the moment. He was no stranger to weird stuff, but pony magic was one of those things that really tested his patience. Granted, some forms of it were very handy like levitation, but anything above that really just confused the shit out of him… plus, it made him look like a fool for not knowing much about it. Not only was Sakari a walking box of it, but his daughter Twinkle was following in her hoofsteps. On one claw, he was proud. Having a child that knew more magic was something to brag about and hold with gusto. But, on the other hand, he feared Twinkle might get carried away with it. How? He didn't know, but her laid-back attitude proved that might not be the case.

Garble shrugged to himself. Despite having a wacky family, he loved every one of them. He wasn't much for sharing his feelings like his little sister, but he had his own ways. Now he felt like he really needed that drink. He had so much in his mind that they collided with each other at the same time to the point he felt an oncoming headache.

But, two familiar voices caught his attention and he looked over to the far left of the cave to find Destiny and Blaze talking. Ruby was in there to try and calm them down but it looked like he wasn't doing any good. This definitely needed his attention. A hard cider was gonna have to wait. 

He slowly started to approach as he listened closely, ear flaps perking to catch everything being said out loud.

"What the hell was that out there, Blaze?" Destiny asked, snapping at her brother about how he acted out there. Since she calmed down, she had the right mind to ask him what his problem was and why he said what he said. Did he really think that?

Blaze raised a scaly brow and crossed his arms, giving his sister a deadpan, unfazed look. He was not gonna take any more of her nonsense. Even if they're not having a wrestling match, he still felt like she had to be called out for the stuff she pulled, "What was what? The fact that actually I called you out on your bullshit or did I actually bruise your ego, for once, short-stack?"

"Bullshit? Ego?" Destiny said, bewildered but tensed at the name-call. "What are you even talking about? I thought we were acting out as we always did when we play wrestling games like this? What's gotten into you?" She was really confused and his outburst started to hurt her – especially when he jabbed at her size. She always hated jabs about her size, and it didn't help that one of her siblings called her out on it. Honestly, when a sibling did it, it really hurt. 

It made no sense. Outside, all she wanted to do was have fun. She wasn't aware Blaze was genuinely upset. Why? Why didn't he tell her this? Why hide it? 'High and mighty ego'? She never recalled ever acting like that. The stuff she said outside was all meant for show, not to cause any issue. She didn't know why Blaze had a stick up his ass, but he needed to stop. This accusation was getting out of control

"What's gotten into me?" Blaze pointed to himself then pointed a stiff clawed-finger at her. "I should ask you the same thing. You've always acted like you were so superior to all of us. The moment we were born, you always treated us as if we were mud under your hoof." He growled at his sister and flared his teeth down at her, his temper about to spike, again. He had enough and she was gonna know, whether she liked it or not. "Twinkle, Speedy, all of us! You treated us like dirt for no reason. Latching on to mom and dad like you were an angel or some shit. For years, you've been doing this and I've had enough!" If his face wasn't red enough, it surely was.

Destiny flinched in response but took a moment to think back on her childhood. Now that he mentioned it, she did act a little brat-ish back then, but she didn't think she ever treated her siblings so poorly as she got older. During the games they play, she always got competitive, but outside of that, she felt like she mellowed out since then. Yes, she recalled being a little clingy to her dad when she was little and had a few moments where she roughed up her siblings every now and then, but she never thought that she was superior. Did she? She just had a hard time figuring out exactly what Blaze was specifically talking about.

"Blaze, I don't know what you're on about? I honestly don't. You're making it seem like I bully you every day," Destiny said trying to plead with her younger brother that she wasn't what he thought she was. She'd never go so far as to do something like that. "Yes, I ruffled you guys up when we were younger, but I didn't think it would get to you that badly. When was the last time I actually treated you like dirt?"

"Blaze, she's right," Ruby chimed in, coming to Destiny's aid and backing her up against Blaze's claims. "Destiny never treated me badly. She was always nice to me. Can't you calm down and see –" 

"You stay out of this, pipsqueak." Blaze snapped at Ruby who gasped when he said that name, thinking he took her side. "You have no room to talk either, Mama's Boy." His anger got the better of him. His glare was intense. He had enough and he didn't care who he took his anger out on so long as it came out. He was unaware he had Ruby in tears. "Yeah, in fact, little mama's boy and little daddy's girl having each other's backs? I'm not surprised." He scoffed in disgust before pointing at the two with a very mean-looking glare "Why don't you two just crawl back to –"

"Blaze Tyrian Rosene!"

Blaze immediately froze. All his anger, frustration, and building rage suddenly evaporated and a cold, shuddering feeling of terror coursed through his body. He snapped out of his heated fury and saw reason, again. He slowly turned his head and saw his father walk up to him, a look of what he thought was real disappointment on his face, his eyes looking firm upon hearing what he just heard his son call his siblings and what he was about to say if he hadn't intervened.

"D-Dad?" Blaze shakily said. 

The kids winced deeply at his entrance. The disappointment on their father's face was not good. But the fact that it's to a point that he uses one of their full names? They knew that when that happens, you really screwed up – big time – to get Garble to that point.

Garble crossed his arms, frowning firmly, "Blaze Tyrian Rosene, you better not think of finishing that sentence…"

Gulping, realizing his father overheard what he was saying, Blaze tried to give an excuse as he winced, "I can explain --"

Garble simply lifted a claw to silence him, "Save it, son," He said in a slightly firm, enforced tone. He heard everything when he walked in. The first time, outside, he didn't want to intervene because it would've been a good opportunity for his kids to let out all their energy. Simple roughhousing and nothing more was what he liked and that's what he thought was being played out. Clearly, he was wrong when he stepped into the cave. Now? Now he could see something else was going on and this time he had to step in and stop this before one of his kin got hurt. That wouldn't have been good for anyone. And Blaze out of all of them? He expected, maybe Destiny or Speedy, but Blaze throwing a fit was off to him. Garble crossed his arms and leered down at his son, disappointingly, yet curiously, at his son for his behavior.

Blaze just looked down at the ground, waiting for his dad to scold him. He got too angry to see reason and he lashed it out at his siblings. Like all homes, there were rules to follow. The house he lived in had them and he stupidly broke the most vital one: never, ever, EVER lash out at friends and family. His mom and dad were very firm with that specific rule and if any one of them were to break it, the punishment was about the same as disobeying mom. Disobeying dad was a different thing, but it felt the same as always. What was there to even say? He knew he was in trouble.

Garble didn't like that his son wasn't facing him but leered at him for a minute before he glanced over to Destiny and Ruby for a moment to check on them; they were hurt but not physically; the last thing he needed was for his children to suffer mental scars, especially from other family members. He then focused back on Blaze. He remained quiet as a rat for a few minutes to soak in what he just saw before he spoke to them in a very calm manner that surprised Destiny and Ruby, "Blaze, look at me."

Blaze did just that. He hesitantly looked up at his dad, expecting to see disappointment and rage. His body felt weak with guilt and pain, but he did as he was told. To his surprise and confusion, Garble merely gave him an empathetic look instead of a furious glare. Blaze didn't know what to think of that. He thought his father was gonna tear him apart, ground him, berate him, or something. What was his father waiting for?

Then Garble spoke, but not as a scolding father like his kids thought he was going to do, "Son, I want you to look at your brother and sister for a second."

Blaze looked at him oddly before he turned to look at Destiny and Ruby. When he did, he saw Destiny holding Ruby but both of them had a look of fear in their eyes. Ruby was in near tears and whimpering in his sister's arms; Destiny had a slight defensive glare on her, and it was directed at him while she held her brother. They were scared and it was obvious they wanted Blaze to stay away from them. It wasn't hard for Blaze to read that on them and the guilt hit him harder than before. He looked away, ashamed of himself for what he did. His anger got them to fear him and didn't know what to do. He looked up at his dad, feeling heartbroken.

Then, Garble saw it. The heartbroken look, the weak stance, the lack of knowledge, and a weak heart. There was no denying what Blaze was thinking right now, and Garble knew exactly what it was. Seeing Blaze right now reminded him so much of himself; like he was looking into a mirror image of how he looked when he ... – "Blaze, I want you to know something: it's not right to bottle in your anger like that and then release it the way you did. It not only hurts others, but it hurts you, too." 

There was some truth to what Blaze said, though. Destiny did treat them like how he described it. But, Garble caught on to that act before Sakari could and he set the record straight with her and managed to change her act. As she grew up, that part of her was restrained for the most part and she'd only let that out when it involved playing competitive games. Now that was something he could work with.

But, Blaze was normally the chilled one of his kin. He watched his kids carefully over time and learned a lot about them. Or so he thought. He never expected Destiny to get under Blaze's scales, even though she never intended to. Now, he stood before his son and saw him about to break down.

Blaze couldn't handle the pressure anymore. The guilt was too much and the dams finally broke. The young dragon's lips quivered as he wept in front of his father, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I-I just wanted Destiny to stop treating me so badly," Blaze cried as he poured his emotions out in front of his family, wiping his tears away with his palms only for more to stream out. "I hated how she always tried to win your attention and tried to be your favorite."

Now it all made sense. Blaze repressed memories of when he was younger. Garble should've known better. He was fortunate enough to catch Destiny's behavior, but he failed in time to find the results of it. He and Sakari agreed that they'd raise their kids to cooperate and always let them know if anything troubled them – that included each other. Had he caught Blaze's mannerisms before, this wouldn't have happened. Maybe. Perhaps he still had a lot of learning to do with his kids.

Destiny felt bad. She had no idea she got under his skin like that long ago. It now came back to her and she remembered how much of a little shit she was and how she treated Blaze, Twinkle, and Speedy. Ruby got the easy treatment from her. She knew damn well that she loved her father to death, but she looked up to him as a role model, a mentor, and a friend. She didn't mean to make Blaze think she was trying to play favorites over them. But, that was still no excuse. Now instead of wanting him to go, she felt guilty herself. She wanted to make it up to him but it wasn't until her father knelt down and hugged Blaze.

Ruby, Destiny, and Blaze were caught off-guard by that. Garble wasn't much of a hugger and everyone knew this, the only exception was with his wife. He always gave pats on their heads and 'good jobs' and some stuff like that. He was more of a tough-love kind of dragon. He made that clear before, but now?

"D-Dad?" Blaze said through a strained breath.

"It's alright. Just let it out," Garble said calmly as he started to tell a small story to his three children that he held back for such a long time.

"When your aunt Smolder and I were younger, I had to watch her all the time when your grandparents weren't around. I didn't like the idea, at first, because watching her was a pain in the butt," he snickered at himself, remembering the arguments he had with his mom and dad about watching Smolder. Oh, how the beatings came in pairs. "But, when I started to get used to watching her, I started to act more like my father ever could. It seemed like I was raising Smolder more than my mom and dad did. Funny as it was."

Ruby and Destiny listened and gave their full attention as they sat down while their father told his tale. Blaze listened, too, but kept close in his dad's comforting arms. He embraced the moment and never moved an inch. He always got hugs from his mother and it was always nice and sweet to have comfort given from her, but he never got a comforting hug from his father until today. It felt so new and he didn't know what to think, only that it felt just like his mother's hug: warm and comforting.

Then, Garble looked down, a little saddened. The next part still stung him to this day. He and Smolder were on the best of terms, but one day had him feeling like utter garbage. Like he had no right being a guardian to her anymore after what he did, "But, one day, when Smolder and I were playing... I let my anger get the better of me. I used to have a lava board that I really treasured back when I was a teenager. I took care of it to make sure it stayed in great physical condition so I could use it to go lava surfing. I never wanted any-dragon to touch it, not even my own family." Lava surfing was his favorite sport and he couldn't help but cherish the board he had. Ironic as that was, considering how greed can change a dragon. Though if 'Greed-Induced Bigness' was involved with the greed he had, then everyone would be in real trouble. It was more of a defensive greed than anything.

"When I was told to watch Smolder, I took my eyes away from her for just a few minutes, but I told her to stay put. She did, but that didn't stop her from trying to entertain herself. I even had my lava board near her, too." He'll admit that was a stupid move on his part. 

Having said that part, Destiny and Ruby had a feeling they knew where this was heading – especially with the fact that their aunt was younger than they were when this happened, but they listened anyway.

"She threw a little pebble that caused a chain reaction. Rocks fell from a hill, right where my board was. I heard the rocks coming, but it was too late for me to do anything. My lava board was torn to shreds. Poor Smolder didn't mean to do it. It scared her, but when she saw me--" he sighed softly in regret as he said specifically to Blaze "-- I was so mad… I let my anger get the better of me, and I yelled at Smolder so badly, that I made her believe she was living in a nightmare. I was that pissed off at her. It was only when she gave a little 'I'm sorry' and one look at those tear-filled eyes that it made me look at myself… like I was an absolute monster." And the thought he did that still hurt him to this day. "The way she looked at me…" He actually looked very guilty, as he could remember the fear and heartbreak in his little sister's eyes that day, it really made him feel like he had become a monster that day due to his greed for his lava board, "…How she stood crying and weeping right in front of me, it made me feel like complete garbage when I yelled at her like that. She did nothing wrong. She didn't know it would happen. She was so scared and being the prideful, greedy dumbass that I was that day, I made things worse."

Destiny and Ruby couldn't believe what they were hearing. Their father scared their aunt that badly all because of an accident? It made them want to go back out there and give their aunt Smolder the biggest hug they could muster.

"S-So, what happened after that?" Ruby asked.

Garble smiled softly and looked to Blaze who wrapped his arms around him, "I actually swallowed my pride and held Smolder in my arms, just like this. I calmed her down as best as I could, told her I was being a really big idiot – if not a really big jerk and … I told her that I was sorry and that I loved her very much." And he still did. Smolder got on his nerves every now and then, but she was still his little sister and no matter what she did, he will always love her, from now until forever.

Blaze couldn't hold it in anymore. After hearing that story, he held onto his dad close and bawled all his emotions out into his scaly chest while Destiny and Ruby watched in heartbreak. Now it all made sense why he told that story. Destiny then looked at her father and noticed a couple of tears sliding down his cheeks, too, as he held Blaze in his arms. She held a hoof on her chest and nearly fell into tears herself as she felt the guilt hit harder.

She had to say it. She should've said it long ago, "I'm sorry, Blaze. I'm really sorry for how I treated you." She hoped that got through to him and she hoped he believed her.

But, after Garble and Blaze let go of their hug, he immediately turned and lunged at his siblings, hugging them close and tight as he whimpered out his apologies, "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean what I said. It just slipped out… I just …"

But, Blaze was cut off when Ruby and Destiny returned the hug and smiled warmly at him. They had their brother back, that's all they wanted. And they had their dad to thank for that.

"We forgive you, Blaze," Ruby said, accepting his apology as he nuzzled into his brother.

"It's all fine now, bro." Destiny reassured. They can now let bygones be bygones. Though they'll need a bit of time to recover, it was great to know he felt genuinely bad he did what he did. They thought he was gonna attack them if Garble didn't step in.

Garble stood back up and wiped his tears away before he crossed his arms with a proud smile. Dragons were never supposed to be this emotional, but it was alright to throw away pride every now and then for occasions like this. He was just happy Smolder and Sakari weren't here to see all of that. He knew Sakari was trying her hardest to be a good mother, but she knew as well that Garble was gonna try and be a good father the moment she saw how much he cared for Smolder. He still got a chuckle at Sakari's reaction when she told him they were gonna have kids. Granted, it was a shock, but he was just as happy as she was.

And from how it looked, he could tell himself that he was molding his kids just fine.

Then it clicked to him after his kids got done patching things up, "Oh, I almost forgot. Blaze, Destiny, if you two thought your mother grounded you, she didn't. She just wanted you to talk things over. That was all."

That was a relief for them. That was one thing that crossed their minds before the emotional train set sail. They thought they were in trouble, but it was so good to know it was a false alarm.

However, as Garble mentioned their mother, he jumped when said mother shouted out loud with a sharp, "Garble, get out here now! And bring the kids, too!" She sounded like it was urgent and Garble looked at the entrance curiously, but a tad worried by the tone in her voice. The kids thought the same thing.

"Looks like our little therapy session is over. Come on, we better see what your mother wants." Garble said as he, Destiny, Blaze, and Ruby headed back to go meet up with Sakari and Smolder.