//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 - The Recovery // Story: An Alternative Beginning // by ultrapoknee //------------------------------// [Train To Seeds Of Yggdrasil - Later That Day] Celestia sat next to the window seat of the car that she and the others who were heading to Starlight’s new school, paying close attention to everything that her former student was saying. Twilight was sitting opposite Celestia with Pinkie Pie next to the young alicorn. Sunset was sitting next to Celestia, also listening intently.  At the moment, Twilight was recounting every single interaction she’d had with the second human Gregory Graystone since his arrival to Equestria. Pinkie was sitting and listening as well, having volunteered to tell about her interactions after Twilight. More specifically, she was recounting the unusual story he had been reading to the foals at the Shelter before he was kicked out, at least, all that he had managed to read. “…and Thorin’s company made it all the way to Rivendell, where the Elf named Elrond read the ancient runes on the swords that they found in the Troll cave. One was named Orcrist and the other Glamdring. Then Elrond looked at the map of the Lonely Mountain and-” “Geez, slow down,” Rainbow said from where she was sitting across the aisle from the four, holding her head with her hooves, “you’re giving me a headache. All these weird names and places…” Twilight stopped and looked a bit sheepish. “I guess I went a little overboard,” she said, “but he gave me a copy of that book and a bunch of others that are apparently set in the same world. I haven’t read them yet, though.” “…Can I borrow it when you’re done?” Rainbow asked hesitantly. Twilight nodded. “Of course!” Celestia smiled at the ponies in the car with her. “It warms my heart to see the changes you’ve made regarding our newest human visitor,” she said.  “Thank you, Princess– Oh, I mean, Celestia,” Twilight quickly corrected herself. “I have to say that at first my interactions were mostly out of guilt, but the more I spent time with Gregory, the more I grew to like his company.” “He’s really nice and understanding,” Pinkie added. “He tries his best to make sure we’re happy and content. And he knows his way around a joke. Fair warning, he might try to compliment you on your looks.” Pinkie winked at that. “Oh? He’s the flirty type? I know how to handle him then,” Sunset said, winking back. “Leave it to Pinkie Pie to be the best pony for representing harmony’s tenets. If the rest of you aren’t careful, you’ll be out of a job.”  “Yeah, yeah, poke fun at us. We deserve it,” Rainbow grumbled. “It’s fine, Rainbow,” Celestia said, “the fact that you’re on this train now means that you’ve made the correct steps to moving past your issues. It’s never too late to correct mistakes and gain a friend.”  “I certainly would like his ear on human fashion sense,” Rarity said. “The gifts he left behind has sparked that feeling of inspiration within me again.” “It’d be nice to have another partner to talk to and share a glass of cider with,” Applejack stated, “especially since Big Mac here said he bought a whole barrel.” “Eeyup,” Big Mac confirmed. ‘I wonder what animals are like in his world?” Fluttershy pondered aloud. “Do you think they know how to gather food for themselves? Do they know how to find good shelter? Oh, what about avoiding deadly predators? Maybe Gregory knows a way back to his world so I can check– hmph!?” Fluttershy found herself silenced by a cupcake forcibly pushed into her mouth. Pinkie had her hoof against Fluttershy’s muzzle. Her new look notwithstanding, she could still keep things in her mane, it seemed. “Relax, Fluttershy. Breath and enjoy the comforting cupcake. Let it ease your worries as it slides neatly into your stomach.”  Sheepishly, Fluttershy hid behind her mane, chewing on the cupcake before swallowing. “...Thanks Pinkie…” “Yeesh, and I thought my Flutters was bad.” Sunset said with a chuckle, leaning into her former mentor who put a wing around the fiery unicorn. “Sunset, perhaps you can share some of your experience in the mirror realm?” Celestia suggested. “I know it’s not technically the human world that Gregory and Jason came from, but it’s bound to share some similarities.” Sunset looked around the car and noticed the eager faces of the ponies around her. She thought a bit about it and shrugged. “Sure, why not. Let’s start with this amazing thing called cellphones.” “Oh! Gregory has one of those!” Twilight explained eagerly. Sunset grinned. “Well, let me tell you more, then,” she said. The rest of the train ride was filled with the many wonders of Sunset’s new home. She talked about how cellphones made writing letters obsolete, a fact that Twilight vehemently denied. Then there was the discussion about the different modes of transportation the humans utilized. Twilight explained then that Gregory had brought a vehicle with him called a car. Sunset nodded and told everypony more about those marvelous inventions. Next, she went on to discuss trains. None of the ponies ever thought of replacing the steam engine trains with electric ones that didn’t even require stallions pulling it. But the idea of humans flying in various air transports got Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo shouting in disbelief and awe. It got to the point where Sunset called upon a memory spell to display her claims. She showed them highways full of different shaped vehicles, an airplane taking off from an airport, a fast train riding across a road, computers, video game consoles, cell phones, shopping malls, parks, zoos, libraries, museums and more. The train was pulling into the station as Sunset concluded the last of her memories, which involved her showing them various famous websites from her new world. “And that’s why the internet is more chaotic than Discord on his best day.” Sunset finished as they all got up and headed to grab their luggage. “Wow. Ah never would think words would make ponies act all kooky,” Applebloom said. “Yeah, that seems silly,” Sweetie Belle said. “Girls, are you forgetting Gabby Gums?” Scootaloo asked. This caused the Crusaders to go silent. “It mostly had to do with the anonymity these websites provide,” Sunset explained, noticing the fillie’s expressions and hoping to try and distract them, “but it also shows how some people lack maturity when they think there are no consequences.” “Don’t I know it…” Rainbow said. “So is that Christmas holiday like Hearth’s Warming?” Pinkie asked as she grabbed her own bag.  “Yeah, it’s celebrated in a similar way, but the origins are a bit different,” Sunset said. “It’s one of my favorite holidays in the world.” “I must say that this land is quite pristine,” Rarity said as she surveyed the area where the train station was located. “I’m surprised no one has built a villa here.” She turned to Celestia. “Why hasn’t any kingdom ever tried to expand here?” “Because none of the kingdoms within the continent could agree on what to do with the land.” Celestia stated. “The area was close to several other kingdoms and if one tried to lay claim here, then it could potentially be seen as an invasion. So the land was left mostly to the wilds. It’s a vast unexplored territory, too. No creature has really done much exploring in the Neutral Lands. Not only that, but there were some dark myths surrounding the land.” “What kind of dark myths?” Twilight asked. Sunset chuckled. “Oh, I can answer this one.” She turned to Twilight. “There are some old myths which say that before Grogar came south to Equestria, he lived in the Neutral Lands, hiding here while he was secretly experimenting with monster making. Some people think that he created the Alphas up there.” “What are the Alphas?” Mane Allgood asked as she pulled out their own belongings from the luggage car. “The very first monsters Grogar created,” Sunset explained. “He made them with special mana cores and the ability to create more of their kind.” “Mana cores like this one?” Twilight asked, lifting up one side of her saddlebag and pulling out a green glowing orb with her wing. Sunset’s eyes widened. “Where the hell did you get that?” she asked. Celestia interrupted before Twilight could answer. “Luna told me about this,” she said. “Is this the same mana core belonging to the timberwolf that Gregory managed to kill in the Everfree?” Silence went through the crowd at that. All eyes were on Twilight as she slowly nodded.  “Can I see it?” Sunset asked. Twilight nodded again, and Sunset lifted the glowing orb with her magic, letting it land in her hoof and examining it curiously. “I’ve never seen a mana core in person,” she whispered, a tone of awe creeping into her voice, “it’s beyond anything I’ve ever heard of.” “And they’re not to be played with,” Celestia admonished her former student, lifting it out of Sunset’s hoof with her magic and placing it back in Twilight’s saddlebag. “They’re very powerful, and not even I know the extent of their powers and abilities.” She looked at the others. “This land was once desolate and barren when Grogar was said to be here, but after his defeat, life returned to the land, or so the legends go. This happened before mine or my sister’s time, so neither of us know what actually happened. Still, no kingdom could really agree on what to do with this vast swathe of land between Equestria and the Crystal Mountains, so it was agreed to leave the land alone, partly out of superstition and partly out of no one knowing what to do with it.” Twilight suddenly gained a downcast look. “Then The Trial happened and it made most of our allies rethink their position. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the other rulers helped build the school just to spite Equestria…” “Perhaps, or perhaps not,” Celestia said as they all began heading down towards the school, the tall tower of which could still be seen along with the silvery light of the protective enchanted gem atop said tower. “Regardless of the intentions behind the school, the promise and potential it holds is far greater. I believe that this is the first step towards true harmony between all of Gaia’s species. And I wish to be a part of it.” “That’s right. I know Starlight will listen to reason. She wouldn’t have made this school if she didn’t believe in friendship,” Pinkie stated. “Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed. As they continued walking towards the tower, Granny Smith tilted her head and looked a bit to the south. “Say, that fella that came by the farm was another human, right?” she asked. “Yeah, why?” Twilight asked. Granny Smith pointed to a group exiting a nearby forest. There, the group gasped at the sight of a heavily injured Gregory and Dragon Lord Ember being carried away on stretchers. Pinkie’s face contorted into abject horror. She dropped everything and immediately galloped toward the group. “GREGORY!!!” she shouted, her cry one of anguish and terror. “Make way! Give us some room!!!” a nurse shouted out. “What happened here?!” Celestia asked in concern. “What’s it look like?” the nurse retorted with a no nonsense tone, “They were attacked by timberwolves and the human looks like he’s been poisoned by one of them! Now make some space!” Complying, the group let the professionals take the dragon and human inside. Meanwhile, Starlight, Trixie, Spike and Cozy Glow approached the group who’d just gotten off the train. The school’s head teacher looked at the group with a blank expression, and in a half hearted tone she said, “Well, welcome to the Seed of Yggdrasil, I guess.” [Seeds Of Yggdrasil Infirmary - Later] Gregory’s first memory as he struggled to regain consciousness was of darkness all around him. He felt like he was swimming in a void even though his sense of touch told him that he was lying on a comfortable bed. He couldn’t hear or smell anything but he felt searing pain in his chest. He was confused for a few minutes, wondering just what had happened and where he was, because his last memory was of standing on the Yggdrasil wall looking over the dark forest below.  Slowly, his memory started to resurface. The jackalope, the attack of the timberwolves, the formation of what Ember had called a lumberwolf, being attacked, shooting at it, then passing out to Starlight’s horrified screams. He inwardly sighed. Two times he’d been seriously injured since coming to this world, and he was seriously debating now on whether or not he shouldn’t just sequester himself somewhere safe and just stay there. Hell, he even wondered whether or not he shouldn’t just take this Council’s offer even if it was a gilded cage. He had absolutely no magical abilities and was extremely vulnerable, if that lumberwolf’s ability to hypnotize him was any indication. A few moments later he inwardly shook his head. Not only was that cowardly, but he knew that Ember wouldn’t allow him to do just that. It would be a stupid thing to do. Discord’s chaos magic influencing him or not, he’d prepared to come to this world as best as he could. Besides, he had agreed to teach at the school, and he hated going back on a promise.  Those thoughts faded away as he then thought back to his insanely stupid decision to actually show the show to these people. In a sick way, it was that event that led to Cozy discovering what her show self was all about. He cursed his ineptitude and foolishness for leaving his laptop turned on without just logging off. He had a password and everything, too. He decided then and there that it would be in everybody’s best interests to not show the cartoon to anyone again. He wasn’t in Equestria anymore, so he knew he couldn’t be forced to show anything, especially since he was technically in neutral territory. He’d done nothing but screw things up again and again since he’d come to this world, and he was beginning to get sick of it. The thought of just withdrawing into himself came to his mind unbidden. He’d been like that when he was with his ex out of fear of her judging him. Slowly, he realized that he had probably gone way too much the other way in an attempt to compensate. Sadly, however, the only other person he could talk to about this kind of thing didn’t seem too interested in talking. He was truly alone in this world, unable to relate to anyone and them being unable to completely relate to him. He pushed down those thoughts and slowly, he opened his eyes. The room he was in seemed to be shrouded in a dark mist, which made everything look like he was wearing dark sunglasses. He saw some lights, but they weren’t exactly cutting into the darkness very well. He tried to turn, but couldn’t move much without a serious spike of pain through his injury. He settled for looking around the room as best as he could just by eyesight. Unlike the Ponyville Hospital where he’d recovered from the first attack, this room was a bit smaller than the other. There was a single white door slightly to his left and a white sheet blocking the other half of the room. There was a lamp on a side table to his right. A chair sat next to the window where his ruined clothes now lay along with what looked like a clean pair of his clothes, his pistol, knife and his metal pole. He realized that he was probably naked underneath the covers. The room was mostly silent, but the sounds that he could hear sounded far off and muffled. There was a clock somewhere in the room making a ticking sound and he thought he heard air from a fan, but that was it. The mists around the room seemed to get thicker with time. Blinking seemed to only shift the thicker and darker parts of the mist elsewhere in his vision. He felt a hint of anger washing over him, and his thoughts seemed to turn darker with each passing moment.  Time passed, and the mists darkened. He felt a cold creeping up his body despite the thick comforter around him. He tried to say something, but when he did, it sounded like he was croaking in a muffled tone. The chill only grew worse and it was like ice was forming inside his injury and only digging deeper. The urge to slip into unconsciousness started to grow inside him. Just then, he heard noise from the door. Voices could be heard from behind it, one which sounded vaguely familiar but which in his exhausted state he couldn’t identify. The sound of hoofsteps approached the door. When the door opened, the room was ablaze in nearly blinding light as a majestic creature stepped through the door. The pain in his chest increased and he began to convulse involuntarily. The hatred and malice that had been slowly building inside of him increased exponentially and directed itself at the blinding creature. He felt his mouth open and he spoke something, but it sounded like the same language that he’d heard the strange massive timberwolf speak. It sounded dark and guttural; even the most simple of words were full of hatred and malice even though he couldn’t understand them.  The glowing creature approached him, and he saw despite his convulsions that it looked like an alicorn. Her (he assumed it was a her due to the only alicorns he knew of being female) wings were spread wide suddenly and her horn lit up. He felt something surrounding his body and his convulsions stopped. A pair of the most beautiful magenta eyes he had ever seen suddenly became visible through the light. It was former Princess Celestia, he realized. The words he spoke became a torrent of revulsion and hatred, but part of him, the real part, was in complete and utter awe at the majesty he beheld. He looked at her as a soft feminine voice began speaking in a reproachful tone. He couldn’t recognize the language, but it sounded ancient, full of the exact opposite of whatever language he had been speaking. Slowly, he felt the pain begin to recede from his chest and control over himself regained. As it did that, the blinding light receded, while at the same time the dark mists moved away. The pain vanished, and everything looked like it was back to normal. He wasn’t paying too much attention to that, because there she stood, in all of her majesty and glory. Celestia, former princess of Equestria, immortal alicorn and Twilight and Sunset’s old tutor. In that moment, a random factoid he’d read somewhere came to mind. He remembered that Lauren Faust had once said that Celestia was the epitome of pony beauty, and he couldn’t deny it. Impulsively, he said, “...Gorgeous…” Celestia, to his surprise, blushed slightly while at the same time a warm smile graced her face. “It’s been a long time since anypony has called me that,” she said, “thank you, Mr. Graystone.” He realized what he’d said, and felt his own cheeks heating up. “Ah, sorry,” he said. She waved a hoof slightly. “It’s alright, Mr. Graystone,” he said, “The timberwolf poison that infected you is gone and you’re still weak. You need some more rest.” Gregory was about to reply when suddenly he felt the urge to be sick. Celestia seemed to sense this and lifted her horn. A bucket appeared from nearby and he felt himself being hoisted up. “Here,” was all she said. Gregory opened his mouth and vomited a viscous black substance into the bucket. The more he vomited, the clearer and sharper his senses became. When he felt like he couldn’t upchuck anymore, he collapsed back, panting hard. The smell that permeated the room was as foul as the smell of the timberwolf breath. He watched as Celestia used her magic to pour him a glass of water and lift the glass to his lips. “Here. Go ahead and rinse it out,” she said. He did so, spitting out the remaining black liquid out of his mouth. After she refilled his glass and he swallowed it all, he leaned back. “Thank you,” he said. She put the bucket down and gently lifted the covers off of his chest. He was indeed naked, but she was good enough to only pull down part of the blankets. He had a brand new scar on his chest, but it looked fairly healed now. She gently put the covers back. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more,” she apologized, “but timberwolf attacks are notoriously difficult to heal. That scar won’t go away, I’m afraid.” Gregory shook his head. “You’ve done more than enough for me,” he said gratefully, “so thank you very much.” Celestia nodded, then turned and looked at something behind the curtain. “Oh my, I see you have a roommate,” she said. Celestia lifted her horn and it glowed again. After a while, she pulled back the curtains and Gregory saw, to his astonishment, an unconscious Ember lying in bed. He gave Celestia a worried glance, but she smiled. “She wasn’t poisoned like you were,” she said in a reassuring tone, “so she’ll make a full recovery like you. Dragons have great healing capabilities.” He nodded, a sense of relief washing over him as he gave Ember another look. Despite why she was unconscious, she actually looked pretty cute while she was sleeping. He wished he could get a picture of it, but knew better than to do that, especially to her. He looked back over at Celestia. “Thanks for healing me and her,” he said. Celestia walked over to him and put a wing around him. “It’s the least I could do, Mr. Graystone,” she said softly. Gregory thought he caught a hint of guilt in her voice, but decided now wasn’t the best time to bring it up. He gave her a small smile as he said, “You can call me Gregory.” Celestia nodded at him. “Well, I believe you know who I am, but my full name is Celestia Sol Victus, but please call me Celestia.” Gregory nodded. “Alright then, Celestia.” Just then he thought he caught a glimpse of weariness in the ancient yet youthful face of the former Princess. He frowned and asked, “Are you alright?” She stood up straighter and her wings ruffled a bit. “Ah, yeah,” she said, “just a bit winded. I haven't had to use the Old Tongue in centuries.” She pulled a large chair closer and sat in it, facing Gregory. “I asked the others to wait outside so we could talk,” she added. “I imagine you have some questions for me, and I have a few for you, if that’s alright.” “Of course,” Gregory said, looking at her with a serious expression. He placed his hands in his lap. “So, what questions did you have?” “Let’s go back and forth,” Celestia suggested. “One question from one of us, then the other asks after answering.” “I’m fine with that,” Gregory replied. “Go ahead and ask.” He gestured towards her and gave her an expectant look. “Other than the most recent incidents, how has your stay been?” Celestia asked. Gregory smirked. “It’s had its ups and downs,” he said. “Well, I’ll be honest, it’s been a damned rollercoaster. I probably should have stayed back on Earth, but I didn't, so now I guess I have to make the best of things here.” “Surely, you have something good to say?” Celestia asked. He shrugged. “I made a couple new friends, and the foals seem to have more sense than adults here. It’s like xenophobia is taught, not instinctive.” He held up two fingers. “That’s two questions, so I get to ask two now.” “Go right ahead.” He looked at her. “What just happened to me? I saw you glowing bright like a star when you first entered. Everything was dark and getting darker, and I said something in a weird nasty sounding language.” Celestia nodded. “You were cut deep by a timberwolf,” she began, “and it released its poison into you. You were being slowly corrupted, although since you have no magic the transformation was faster than most. As to why you saw me looking like a star, that’s a bit more complicated to explain. In short, I raised and lowered the sun and moon for a thousand years, and that doesn’t leave a body untouched. You saw me like the timberwolves would see me.” Gregory raised an eyebrow. “So what, I was turning into some sort of wraith?” Celestia nodded. “Correct. What you vomited up was the poison, and I can’t sense any more within you. As for the language you spoke, it’s an ancient language that the timberwolf alphas alone can speak. It was created by Grogar and is full of malice. The language I spoke was ancient Gaian.” She looked closely at him. “Has that answered your question?” Gregory nodded. “I’ll have to do some more research when I’m better, but for now it’ll keep. My next question is a bit simpler. What brings you here?” “I wanted to visit the school as well as see if you are in good spirits after your exile. I am sorry for that.” He sighed. “Yeah, I don’t know about good spirits anymore. I’ve made fuck up after fuck up since coming here, and honestly earlier I was debating just secluding myself away.” “That was the poison talking,” Celestia said reassuringly. “It affects you and preys on your negative thoughts, amplifying them.” “Well, it certainly did that,” Gregory agreed. “So, what is the reason both you and Dragon Lord Ember were seen together?” A subtle smile begins to form on the former solar princess features. Gregory chuckled. “Oh, she was teaching me how to hunt,” he said. “It was a good distraction from something that was bothering me earlier. We went into that weird forest, I shot a jackalope, then those timberwolves attacked us.”  “A jackalope? Whatever for?” Celestia asked. “To eat, of course,” he said. “Humans are omnivorous, so we need meat to be 100% healthy. Ember told me that jackalopes are safe to eat, and since I have no access to the meats I’m used to, I need to learn to improvise.” “I see,” Celestia nodded in understanding. “Omnivore. I believe that means you can eat both plant based and meat. May I see your teeth?” “Sure, but didn’t you see Jason’s teeth at The Trial?” Gregory asked. “Oh no, wait, that was Ember who saw them. Sure.” He opened his mouth wide. Celestia approached and peered inside his mouth. “Fascinating. There are fangs for ripping and tearing and molars for mashing and grinding. However, the fangs could hardly be considered sharp.” Celestia sighed after her analysis. “A shame ponies have become so insulated now. There’s hardly anything about you to feel threatened over. Oh, no offense.” “Eh, I wouldn’t say that, but that’s a whole other conversation,” Gregory said. “Anyway, I lost track of who’s asking a question, so if you have anything more, go ahead.” "It’s your turn,” Celestia replied, gesturing towards him. “I believe I had two once again.” Gregory nodded. “Alright, well, I guess my next question is what have you been doing since you stepped down?” “I’ve been traveling across Equestria and parts beyond with Sunset Shimmer. It’s been so good to travel more freely and see the world away from the castle.”  Gregory nodded in understanding. “The best way for anyone to rule is to see the world in person. That’s my opinion, anyway. Reports can only tell you so much. How has it been, traveling with Sunset?” Celestia smiled wistfully. “It’s been like reuniting with an old friend. I am glad she has found her own path to walk.” Gregory smiled. “Good for you. I’m glad you reunited with her.” He gestured towards her. “Your turn.” Celestia looked a little hesitant before she asked, “Have you spoken with Jason?” Gregory’s smile faded. “I have met him, yes. We spoke for a bit. He told me pretty much to get the hell out of dodge. Solid advice, and in a way I did.” “I see…” Celestia frowned as she continued. “I suppose his feelings hasn’t change much after a year.” “Well, it makes sense,” Gregory said, “I mean, ponies haven’t changed much. I mean, I know some have, but the majority seem to be the exact same as before. Maybe worse.” “What is your impression of Jason Wright as a person? And how do you feel about his methods for justice?” Gregory leaned back in the bed, staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “Jason as a person was like me, once,” he said. “Idealistic, naive, and hopeful. He’d already endured some hardships before he came here, so I suspect he saw this place as a world where he could begin again.” He looked at Celestia. “He’s a very deeply injured person, and I don’t just mean physically. Three years of absolute torment from the ponies he adored doesn’t just get swept under the rug. As for his methods for justice, if this Gjallarhorn is some kind of divine artifact, then he had to have done something right. Justice and revenge can be considered two sides of the same coin, after all.” “That is more often true than I care to admit,” Celestia said softly. “I have one last inquiry though.” “Go ahead.” “Do you think you can try and become Jason’s friend? Perhaps one of his kinsmen can help ease the pain he is feeling. “I don’t think that will be enough, even if he wanted to be my friend,” Gregory replied. “The impression I got of him was that he didn’t really want to be friends.” “I only ask that you try,” Celestia said insistently. “Show him that someone cares beyond Chrysalis. I’ve no idea of their relationship. I hope to run into her and talk things out as well, but you are a vestige from your homeland. If anyone can form a connection with Jason, it’s you.” Gregory took in a deep breath, then exhaled. “I make absolutely no promises about this,” he began, “but if the right circumstances present themselves, I’ll see what I can do.” He was about to say something more but just then he heard Ember stirring from the other bed. His head snapped towards her and he watched the Dragon Lord moving under the covers. When she opened her eyes and looked around the room, she saw him. He couldn’t help himself. He grinned. “Hello, Sleeping Beauty,” he said in a teasing tone. Ember growled as she responded, “How is any creature supposed to sleep with your racket?” “Hey, it’s not my fault we were put in the same room,” Gregory chuckled good naturedly, “just be grateful you weren’t poisoned.” “Tch, of course I wasn’t,” Ember boasted, “Dragon blood burns as hot as our flames. Any poison in our system would fizzle out before any true damage could occur. You should be grateful I was there to help you after you got hypnotized. Seriously, you need to work on your mental defense.” “Oh, please,” Gregory retorted, “it has nothing to do with mental defense! It was a magic spell! What am I supposed to do against that?! You seem to forget that I have no magic whatsoever!” “You have that noise maker. Maybe if you were a better shot and didn’t miss, we wouldn’t be here right now.” “I only have so many bullets for those things,” Gregory retorted, “so soooorry for taking my time, but every shot has to count!” “Oh, please, I’ve seen a one armed half blind earth pony do better with a crossbow than you with that thing while three manicores was on him.” “Bitch, do I look like a goddamned earth pony to you?” Gregory snapped back. “Do I look like a diamond dog?!” Ember retaliated “Alright, you two,” Celestia said, stepping between them with her wings raised, “don’t make me have to separate you both. It is with your combined efforts that you won the day. Now, I should make room for the others as they wish to see you as well. " Celestia started to move to the door as she softly mutters. "Ah, young budding attractions.” Gregory frowned. “What was that? What did you just say?” he asked. “Oh, nothing. Don’t mind this old mare.” There was a devious tinkle in Celestia’s eyes as she responded. Gregory groaned. “Trollestia is canon…of course it is…” In his still somewhat tired state, he decided that some revenge was in order. “And who are you calling old? I bet you had stallions coming to court you constantly. I once heard you were described as the epitome of pony beauty.” Celestia smirked. “Pinkie was right, you are a flatterer,” she said. “Wait, he did the same thing with the pink one?” Ember asked. When Celestia nodded, she whirled on Gregory. “Do you use those flowery words to every female you meet! What’s your game?” “What? I don’t say things like that to every female I meet,” Gregory replied, “I only did it with Pinkie before, and I was tipsy.” Ember shot him a deadpan stare as she held up her claw. “The pink one and now Celestia? I bet you’d have done it to every mare in that town if they hadn’t kicked you out!” “Oh hell no!” Gregory retorted, “I only do that to tease someone or catch them off guard as a little act of revenge if they tease me first! If I don’t think they’d react well to it I don’t do it!” “Hmph, Spike told me about this courtship ritual known as teasing,” Ember said, “Why do it to mares you only just met? Are you building a hoard or a herd like ponies have sometimes?” “A herd?! Of course that’s a thing here,” Gregory sighed. Celestia chuckled, turned and opened the door before things could get out of hand. Immediately, a pink and blue blur shot into the room and onto Gregory’s lap. The human grunted in pain as he beheld the teary-eye visage of Cozy Glow. “Daddy! You’re okay!” the filly exclaimed in relief.  Gregory paused a bit, then took a deep breath, smiling down at the young weeping pegasus. He put his hand on her head and stroked her mane gently. “It still hurts a bit, but Celestia says I’ll be okay.” He wrapped her in his arms and hugged her. As he hugged her, he saw an equally distraught looking pink earth pony running in. Gregory looked up in surprise at Pinkie Pie as she stood next to his bed, standing on her hind legs with her front hooves on his bedside. “Whoa, Pinkie? You’re here too?” “That’s right,” Pinkie said, a look of relief washing over her features. “Although, since this place is new, I don’t have any of my emergency medical supplies here. So you’ll have to make do with my winning personality.” Gregory smirked. “Yes, I suppose I do, Pinkie,” he said, reaching up and running a hand through her soft mane with his free hand. He looked at the door, and saw a number of other ponies peering in. All of whom he recognized. “I see you brought the rest of the girls. And is that the famous Sunset Shimmer I see?” “Flirting again. Who didn’t see that coming?” Ember snarked. Gregory felt his eye twitch a bit in frustration. He turned to her fast. “That isn’t-” Gregory started, then stopped and took a deep breath to calm his temper. “Eh, never mind.” He waved them in. “Come on in, ladies. There’s plenty of room.” “Hello, I wouldn’t exactly say that I am famous. It’s probably more like infamous,” Sunset said with a self deprecating smirk. Gregory shook his head. “Eh, you’re a big fan favorite back where I’m from, so I’ll stick with famous. Anyway, it’s nice to meet a pony who might actually get some of my human references.” “Of course,” Sunset replied. “like, I can totally tell you all the leet things happening over in my pad, ROFL.” “Sick,” Gregory chuckled, “and I look forward to hearing about all the noobs you pwned.” He held out his fist towards her. “Pound it, sister.” Sunset smiled broadly while bumping his fist to her hoof. “Yeah, you should check out my livestream. Flutters is a decent gamer if you can believe it.” “You mean Shimmer Code? I’d love to see it,” Gregory said, “but wouldn’t me going to your world mean I’d become a pony or some other creature native to this world?” “From what I learned, you’re from a different world altogether,” Sunset said, “so who really knows what you’ll come out as if you can pass through at all?” “That’s not what I remember from what you said at The Trial, but I’ll take your word for it,” Gregory said, “you’re more of an expert on magic than I am anyway. And yes, I’m from a completely magicless world.” “Ah. The Trial,” Sunset shrugged. “Honestly, I was mostly guessing when I said that. I may be something of an expert, but even I can’t grasp transmogrification through a dimension barrier.” “Fair enough,” Gregory conceded, “still, it might be cool to go through and become a dragon.”  “Naturally, dragons are the best,” Spike said as Ember nodded. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to be a pony,” Gregory said, “no offense to the ponies here. I like having these things.” He waved his free hand while continuing to comfort Cozy who was still in his lap. “And besides, I’d love to be able to fly and breathe fire. That just sounds awesome.” He turned from Sunset to look at the rest of the Elements. “So…what brings you all here?” he asked, his smile fading when he saw them. “We’re all here for you, darling,” Rarity explained, ears flattened. “I wanted to apologize for our first meeting. It was very uncouth even if I was a bit tipsy.” Rainbow scoffed at Rarity’s words. “A bit tipsy? I’m pretty sure you drank most of our bottle. But, yeah, I’m sorry too…” She gave Gregory an apologetic look. Gregory looked between them for a bit before he replied, “A simple apology is a good start, but for someone like me, it’s not enough. I didn’t appreciate you speaking to me in that manner, and Pinkie even more so. I’d like a lot more proof than just your words.” His features softened when he saw the two flinch. “Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t be on friendly terms at least.” “We’re not asking for forgiveness overnight,” Rarity clarified, “We know that’ll take time., something that both Rainbow and I will gladly give if you allow us the chance. I do appreciate the gifts you left us. As repayment, I can make you some more clothes.” “And if you are still feeling grumpy about us, you’re owed any free hits on us as hard as you want,” Rainbow stated. “Now, wait a second, dear, I didn’t agree to that!” Rarity said horrified. Gregory sighed. “I don’t hit anyone unless they hit me first, Miss Dash,” he said, “so I won’t be doing that.” His smile slowly returned. “Still, Miss Rarity, I appreciate your kind offer. I don’t exactly have an entire wardrobe with me, although I did bring as many of my own clothes as I could. And some of them are already ruined.” He indicated the ruined clothes that he had been wearing when he had been attacked. “I don’t know if you can pick them up with magic, though,” he added, “since it seems anything from my world is completely resistant to magic.” “Maybe we can do a few tests when you get better,” Twilight said, walking up to the bed. Standing next to Pinkie, she gave Gregory her own apologetic look. “We’re all glad you’re okay, Gregory. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to stop those foolish ponies.” Gregory looked up at her and nodded. “Thank you, Twilight, and don’t apologize. You can’t be everywhere at once.” He turned and saw a worried looking Fluttershy looking at him. “Hello, Fluttershy.” “Oh! Um, hello,” she said, slowly walking up to him and looking him up and down. Gently, she reached out her wing and traced the new scar on his chest with her feathers. Her face turned sorrowful. “I’m so sorry…” she whispered. “Does it hurt?” He smiled at her. “Don’t be sorry, it wasn’t your fault this happened,” he replied. “Besides, Celestia healed it for me, and it doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s a bit tender, but I’m sure like all scars it’ll be fine in time.” She looked a bit relieved, but Gregory could still see the worry in her eyes. “I-If you need anything, let me know,” she insisted. He nodded. “Of course, thank you.” He then looked past her to look at the one Element that he hadn’t yet met personally. The orange earth pony stood far back, ears lowered and avoiding eye contact with him. It was a bit unusual seeing Applejack without her traditional Stetson, but that didn’t bother him too much. He remembered how Granny had taken it from her in his vision of The Trial, and unless that one scene in the show with a closet full of Stetson’s was just done for comedic effect, he guessed that the hat she wore had once belonged to her father. He nodded politely in her direction. “Miss Applejack Apple, I assume?” Sheepishly, Applejack trotted up to him. “Howdy there, partner,” He smiled at her. “Nice to meet you, Miss Apple.” “Applejack works just fine.” He nodded. “Fair enough,” he said as he extended his hand to her. Applejack reached over and gave him a firm hoof shake. “That’s a good grip you got. Those extra digits feel like little worms.” “That’s an unpleasant way of putting it,” Gregory said, “but I suppose it makes sense. And thanks for the compliment. It’s been a while since I worked on a farm, but I’d like to think I kept in shape.” “Good idea. Farm work ain’t for any slouches.” Gregory was about to say something when he heard a chime coming from the clock. Six bells rang before stopping. The hour had struck. He watched as Applejack doubled over in pain, grunting as the Gjallarhorn punishment took a hold of her. He immediately scooted over, hoping to make enough room for her. “Put her up here,” he said. Another groan went off as everyone turned to see Rainbow Dash in a similar. “Gah!” She groaned.  Gregory moved to the middle of his bed and patted both sides. “Up here with her, too!” The girls complied and help their friends as they went through the daily pose of pain. “Easy, there, girls. We’re right here.” Twilight said. Gregory, however, did something he wasn’t sure would help, but he did it anyway. He reached down and began rubbing their barrels. “Deep breaths, you two,” he said softly. He thought he caught a glare from Ember, but he was more focused on trying to ease the pain of both girls that he ignored it for the time being. His touch actually seemed to help, judging from the way he felt their bodies relax. The minute passed by, and he saw them both relax, lying flat on their backs. Slowly, he began removing his hands from their barrels. “Feeling any better?” he asked as he looked down at both mares. “Define ‘feeling better,’” Rainbow groaned. “It’s okay, sugarcube. It’s not as bad after a while.” Applejack stated. Gregory almost said something about Jason, but stopped himself. That wasn’t his place to say. Instead, he cleared his throat. “Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting to be giving two of the Elements of Harmony belly rubs today,” he said in an effort to lighten the mood. “I can’t imagine why. It’s what they deserve after all.” Ember said with a low growl. “That isn’t for me to decide,” Gregory said, turning to Ember, “or you for that matter.” “Yet, you still injected yourself,” Ember retorted. “That sounds like a decision to me.” “The decision was to try and ease the pain at least once, not to stop their punishment,” Gregory replied. “Easing their pain implies sympathy for their plight. A plight they put themselves in of their accord. Which means they get the full ounce of their just desserts.” Gregory turned to her fully. “What they did is on them, I get that, but if I just ignore someone suffering, that makes me a monster. I refuse to do that, even if it’s a suffering of their own making.” “Oh, what a gallant and self-sacrificing knight you are,” Ember mocked. “I’m sure the next pony that commits a crime will come trotting to you to give them a cupcake for beating down a non pony. Let’s just forgive and forget while pandering to their suffering because you feel bad for the wrong party!” Gregory felt something inside of  him snap. His expression darkened, a look of fury appearing on his face that terrified many of the ponies in the room. He raised a finger and pointed at her. “You don’t get to tell me what to do with MY FUCKING LIFE!” he bellowed. A vicious snarl and flames left Ember’s mouth as she responded. “I SAVED YOUR FUCKING LIFE!!!” “THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU OWN ME!”  “SO HUMANS DON’T REPAY LIFE DEBTS NOW? GOOD TO KNOW!!!” Ember got out of the bed and stormed off to the exit. She practically ripped the door off of its hinges before slamming it back into place. Gregory glared at the door, then looked at everyone else in the room. His heart was racing with fury and it took him a moment to calm himself. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone now,” he said, his body trembling with barely repressed rage. All the occupants complied with Gregory’s request, albeit, reluctantly and left the room save for Cozy Glow. “Daddy, are you okay?” Gregory took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I don’t know,” he said, looking down at the scared looking filly. “I’ve never gotten that angry before, and I’ve certainly never shown it like that. Sorry you had to hear all that. I don’t know what came over me.” He ran his trembling hand over his face. “Golly, maybe you need some rest,” the filly said. “Having all of us pile in here after the attack so soon probably wasn’t very smart. I’ve heard that timberwolf venom makes creatures cranky.” He snorted. “That was way beyond cranky, and that doesn’t excuse what I said to Ember.” He felt a wave of guilt pouring through him mixed with some nausea. He grabbed a nearby empty bowl and spat out some more of the disgusting black liquid. “Ugh…that tastes so foul.” Cozy flew up to the tray and poured him a cup of water. “It’s okay, daddy. I think your dragon friend is just mad about something else. I’m sure she didn’t mean to yell too. Don’t worry, I can tell you’re sorry.”   He took the glass, thanked Cozy, and washed his mouth out before swallowing the rest. The anger inside him seemed to dissipate. “I’ll apologize to her soon,” he promised as he moved down further into the covers, “but for now I’m feeling tired, so I’ll try and rest.” “Alrighty, then. I’ll be here if you need anything.” With that said, Cozy left the room carefully so as not to mess with the broken door. When he was alone, he sat back up, walked over to his dirty clothes, grabbed his jacket, and removed the still glowing mana cores before returning to the bed. He stared at them for a while, the two small oval shaped cores and the pool ball sized one. The glow inside wasn’t as bright as it had been when he’d first seen them, but they were still mesmerizing. He wasn’t sure how long he was staring, but eventually he closed his hands around them, slipped them back in his pockets, placed the jacket on the bed, lay back down, and closed his eyes. It took him a while to fall asleep because of the guilt he was feeling at his actions towards Ember, and his last thoughts were about her and how to properly apologize to her before sweet oblivion took him.  [Seeds Of Yggdrasil - Hallway Outside The Infirmary] “Man, that guy must have gotten a big dose of timberwolf venom,” Sunset said as the ponies gathered just outside the infirmary, “I mean, did you see his eyes when he was yelling at Ember?” Celestia nodded. “It will take some time for any remaining venom to pass from his system, but he will be alright in the end.” “I should try and talk to Ember and make sure she understands,” Spike said as he spread his wings and hovered. “I bet she feels just as bad for yelling, but her pride won’t let her back down.” Spike turned and flew down the hall in Ember’s direction. “I still think it’s unfair that he turns into a dog whenever he comes through the mirror portal,” Sunset said, watching the young dragon head after Ember. “Perhaps the mirror pool sees the loyal qualities of Spike and attunes him to the body that most represents those aspects?” Celestia suggested. “Maybe,” Sunset said, “but I know my Twilight has a talking dog named Spike who sounds identical to yours. And when did Spike get wings?” “He got them during his time away during his dragon molt,” Starlight’s voice sounded as she approached the group. Immediately, the hallway was filled with apprehension. Sunset saw the look on Starlight’s face, then said, “And with that, I’m out. See you later, everybody.” In a flash of magic, she teleported away. Celestia sighed as she too could see the rising tension. “I shall take my leave as well,” she said. “I believe you girls have something to discuss. Just try and be cordial. There are patients that need their rest.” Celestia’s horn glowed as she vanished in a burst of magic as well. Twilight felt a wave of nervousness as she walked up to Starlight with the girls following behind her. Starlight, in turn, maintained her blank expression as she looked at each of them. There was silence for a bit. “So, the school looks good,” Twilight managed to get out after a few minutes, a nervous smile on her face. “I know. That’s how it was designed,” Starlight said flatly. “The interior is to die for, darling. I hope it didn’t cost too much,” Rarity said. “It pays when other nations provide the funds to something they believe extends to everyone,” Starlight said. “You should’ve been there to see all the representatives. It was a huge affair. Empress Cadance, Emperor Shining Armor and Princess Flurry Heart came too Princess Luna could only send her contribution through a merchant.” The girls could see that Starlight was going to keep up her indifferent attitude, so Twilight changed gears. “Look, Starlight, I know you’re disappointed in us–” “That’s the understatement of the year,” Starlight replied, looking at them all with her same neutral expression. Twilight winced at that but pressed on. “Starlight, we really want to apologize for–” “For what?” she asked. “For being flankholes? Stubborn little foals? Sadists masquerading as the beacon of friendship and harmony? Am I getting close?” Everypony winced at Starlight’s use of harsh language, but all Twilight could do was nod. “...Yes, Starlight. We are all that and more…” Starlight sucked in air through her teeth while moving closer. “You know what hurts the most?” she asked, looking at each of the ponies for a few seconds each. “I believed in you. I believed in all of you. Sure, you had your quirks, like Rarity’s dramatics, Fluttershy’s overwhelming shyness, Rainbow’s brashiness and Applejack’s stubbornness. Heck, even Twilight’s intense love of books I could look past.Still, I ignored them because I thought you were the best ponies to help turn my life around. I felt so guilty over my past in Our Town. I felt so horrible about being who I was back then and nearly destroying everything that I didn’t believe no amount of apologizing or trying to atone would help.” “Starlight.” Twilight tried to get a word in, but Starlight stamped her hoof down. “I’m not done!” She snorted in an angry huff. “Then, I find out that the mares that took me in and offered their hooves in friendships turn out to be the biggest hypocritical mares on the planet! What? It’s okay for you to be horrible and cruel so long as it doesn’t happen to you?” “No, it’s not but–” “I actually thought what I did wasn’t bad in comparison to what you six did to Jason!” Starlight interrupted the alicorn once again. “For a few dark moments that day, I wished that I had succeeded in ruining your friendships! And why wouldn’t I? Every lesson I learned for you was a big fat lie! So why are you here? To apologize? To try and sneak your way into our school? What is it?!” When Twilight flinched back, Pinkie walked forward. “Star? I know what we did shook you.” “You didn’t do anything, Pinkie,” Starlight said, turning to the pink mare. “You at least left that hick town to get better, unlike them!” “Yes, Star. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t do anything to help Jason,” Pinkie admitted, “and I got my punishment as well, even if it wasn’t from Jason directly. But I wouldn’t be here now if not for my family's help. That’s why the girls and I are here now. We can’t make amends without help. But it’s important that we are here seeking help and wanting to make things right with you. We may have forgotten all those lessons with Jason, but that doesn’t mean the lessons themselves were lies. I can’t force you to be friends with us again. I just want you to know that we’re going to do better.” “Were we ever friends to begin with, or were you just tolerating me like you all tolerated Discord?” Starlight asked. Pinkie grabbed Starlight's shoulders firmly as she looked dead in her eyes. “You were our friend. I Pinkie Promise that none of our time together was out of pity and regret.” She made the motions of her signature promise before continuing. “If that’s not enough for you, I’ll pray to Faust herself for the Gjallarhorn and swear on that!” “You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe that the others here were my friends,” Starlight said, “but I do know you’re being more sincere than the others.” She pointed a hoof at Twilight. “I bet she only kept me around to make sure I didn’t do something stupid, like control your minds again.” “Didn’t you do that anyway when Twilight gave you– Oof!” Rainbow grunted in pain when Rarity and Applejack elbowed her barrel. “No, Starlight, I didn’t keep you around for being a potential threat,” Twilight insisted. “You’re an amazing unicorn. You’re far better than me when it comes to out of the box thinking and magic applications. Hay, you even beat an alicorn in a magic duel.” “So I was a tool to you,” Starlight bristled. “No, you were my better in every possible way and I was honored that you let me be your teacher,” Twilight replied, “even if there wasn’t much to pass onto you. Just look at what you’ve done here. I wouldn’t have even dreamed of anything like this for my school. We don’t have to be friends again. We’ll leave if our presence bothers you, but I want you to know that I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, Starlight.” Twilight finished with a deep bow. Starlight flinched at her words and turned away. The girls looked slightly dejected as she began to walk down the hall before stopping. With a shadow casted from her bangs, Starlight spoke in a soft tone. “...I have some things to think about and talk with Trixie and Sunburst. Try not to make a scene while you’re here…” Twilight offered a meager smile. “You won’t even notice us, Starlight.” [Seeds Of Yggdrasil - Hallways] Spike was flapping his wings as hard as he could down the halls. He was peeking in every room and asking any passerby where Ember was. One of the staff members said they saw her go into the gym and that there was strange clanking and banging going on in there. This news causes Spike to groan and headed to the gym. Standing at the door, Spike could hear Ember’s grunting and several slamming noises  inside. Taking a deep breath, Spike steeled himself and headed inside. Saying the gym was a mess would be an insult to the word. Equipment was thrown about everywhere. Benches and desks were flipped over. And Ember herself had gone through several punches bags and was currently in the process of destroying another. “Um, Ember?” Spike asked, but winced at her powerful punches. “It’s me. You friend, Spike.” “What?!” Ember grunted out as she kept swinging. Spike flinched at her tone. He hadn’t known her to be this angry before. He raised his claws in a disarming manner. “Um…I just wanted to talk,” he said. “So talk. I’m not stopping you!!!” She hit the bag hard, making it swing harder.  Spike shook his head. “Ember, what happened back there?” he asked with concern. “Nothing that concerns you!” “Ember, you’re my friend, and I’m worried about you,” Spike said. “I’m fine!” Ember threw a particularly hard punch, making the bag fly off the chain and into a number of different exercise equipment. “No, you’re not,” Spike stated, flying up into her face and staring into her red eyes. He saw her eyes were almost glowing red with barely restrained anger and rage. “You’re definitely not fine.” She returned his glare with one of her own. “Argh! Fine. You want me to talk about what happened?” She pointed back out of the door. “What happened is that the human back there is scaleless! He’s soft! But he wants to act like he can fix others. He can’t fight but he’s got the nerve to challenge my logic at every turn!” “I don’t think he’s trying to undermine you,” Spike said. “Then why is he so insufferable?” she asked, throwing her claws in the air in frustration. “He’d rather compliment ponies all the time instead of show some gratitude for the things I’m doing to help him. I’m the Dragon Lord! I’m taking time out of my lands to make sure nothing happens to another human. I saved his sorry behind, but he doesn’t offer me the slightest bit of thanks!!!” “Ember, I’m sure he’s grateful,” Spike said, “but you might be making it hard for him to be friendly to you. You weren’t exactly kind in there. If it was me, I might not be as inclined to be grateful, especially if you were lording it over me. Let me ask you this, how do you rule in the Dragon Lands?” “Did you forget from your time away?” Ember asked. “You know how dragons act, Spike. I have to be firm! I have to be sure of every decision I make and I can’t doubt myself. But then here comes the human questioning and criticizing everything I do!” “Ember, you told me once that you solve your problems through feats of strength and fire duels,” Spike said, “but how does that help?” “Tch, I can’t do any of that with him, Spike,” Ember snapped. “We had a sparring session and besides that weird stick of his, he’s worse than you.” “Okay, that hurt,” Spike said, “but how have you been acting around him? Confrontational? He isn’t a dragon like us. You have to come to some kind of common ground with him.” Ember facepalmed and dragged her claws against her muzzle in frustration. “Argh! You’re still hanging around ponies too much. Why can’t every creature just want to do things simple? You know dragons don’t do feelings! Why do I have to say out loud that I like him?!” Ember ranted before she realized what she said. Spike paused, both eyes wide in astonishment. He lowered himself onto a nearby seat. “Okay…I was not expecting you to say something like that,” he admitted. “And do everything simple? Ember, listen to what you just said. That’s precisely what made the ponies the way they are. Looking down on other ways of living. Not everyone is going to be like us. That’s what this school is for, to help understand each other and to find common ground. Have you tried to understand him? Has he tried to understand you? If you really like Gregory, put in the effort, and don’t just expect him to fall in line like other dragons, which honestly isn’t something I can see working in the long run.” Ember opened and closed her mouth for a time before taking a deep breath and blowing out a plume of purple smoke. “Fine, I get it. I’ll try this common ground thing. But he better at least thank me for risking my life to save him out there.” “I’m not saying what he did was right,” Spike said, “but just remember he came from another world. If things in his world are like the human world I visited, then he’s going to think differently than you. Besides, I think he feels bad about things too. Celestia did say that the timberwolf poison would make him more prone to anger. Still, I suggest leaving him alone for maybe a day. You both need time to cool down.” Ember took a deep breath and exhaled, clearly irritated. “Fine. I’m going to go find the other Twilight and tell her to fix this mess in here.” “Or you could take responsibility and fix it yourself,” Spike said, “and I can help.” Ember turned back and glared at the little drake before continuing out of the room. She went to pick up her scepter when she saw the blood red gem pulsating violently. “What the?” She took hold of the staff and instantly clutched her head in pain. Spike walked out. “Ember, you okay?” He saw her in pain and rushed to her side. “Ember?!” “I-It’s my subjects,” she said, “the dragons are…in distress?” Ember composed herself and focused on the Bloodstone Scepter. Her eyes widened again. “They’re coming here?!” “Wait, what?!” Spike exclaimed. “How many?!” A look of trepidation passed over Ember’s features. She slowly turned to Spike. “All of them!”