//------------------------------// // Discussions // Story: Spike's Kingdom // by Guardian Dragon //------------------------------// Pinkie Pie emerges from the crowd of Dragons to greet her friend for the first time since departing on the Gauntlet of Fire months ago; she's elated to hug Spike to finally celebrate his literal crowning-achievement moment when he became the Dragon Lord. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack greet their friend amid the hoard of Dragons, greeting each other after what seems to be eons of missing each other; they hug Spike and congratulate him on becoming the new Dragon Lord. Despite how Rarity feels about Spike choosing Princess Ember as his beloved, that jealousy keeps her distance from Spike rather than approach him as his friend; she waves at him while willing to give up the gemstones she, Pinkie, and Discord had brought to the Dragons longing to feast on her treasured jewels. Usually, around Spike, she didn't mind having some gemstones getting devoured, but watching the display of nearly a hundred Dragons consuming them was a real-life horror movie; rather than turning away in disgust, she posed a fake smile to back away from the crowd so she can scream about the gemstones for her latest fashion dress crushed to pieces knowing Discord won't conjure a new set for her. Spike returns the hug to Pinkie, mentioning how much he missed her, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy; then, he introduces his girlfriend, Princess Ember, to his friends. Embers see the kindness and receive the warm welcome, unlike what transpired in yesterday's event to visit the Crystal Empire, even though Spike made a crucial error of not informing the inhabitants ahead of time. She then turns to Princess Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer, feeling uneasy. "We're sorry for showing hostility toward Thorax and how quick we were to ignore the pleas of an innocent in front of us yesterday. That is not us; our motives were driven with fear and hatred for the Changelings since they attacked us back in Canterlot a few years ago," Twilight speaks on behalf of her student, Starlight Glimmer, and herself. "Spike reminded us to allow everyone the benefit of the doubt until their true color materializes since we trust our species more than others too frequently," Starlight wholeheartedly says while reminiscing her treacherous ways when she stole everypony's cutie marks and damaged the timelines. "Well, good!" Princess Ember shows her gratitude with an attitude; she's still upset with their behavior and resentment towards Thorax and would prefer the duo to apologize to her new friend. "Easy, Ember," Spike grabs Ember's claw, softly stroking her arm to show love and kindness. "They'll apologize to Thorax on their accord once he's finished speaking with the Princesses." Rarity screams internally after watching Spike caress Ember's arm in love; in her mind, she demands Spike to caress her body as his lover. Ember painfully sighs in defeat after listening to her lover's wisdom; her ego refuses to allow a simple apology to win since Thorax didn't hear it. She smiles at Spike, patting his head. "You and your words, I swear," She walks by to greet some other residents of Ponyville. "Spike, who taught you how to say those fancy words when you spoke with Twilight; do the Dragon Lands have libraries like Equestria?" Pinkie eagerly asks since she doesn't remember Spike speaking academically. "Discord gave me a word-of-a-day calendar as a present since the Dragon Lands doesn't have libraries or books; also, in Discord's home, he has literature dating back for eons to read, so during my time in solitude, I read about eloquent speech and using the dictionary to up my game. Impressive, right?" Spike giggles a bit after watching Twilight's jaw hanging in awe that Discord has a personal library dating back millenniums. "How many books does Discord have in his library, Spike?" Twilight Sparkle gets closer to him, yearning to know the exact number of knowledge, wisdom, magic, forbidden magic, fiction, and non-fiction. "Discord!" Spike shouts to grab his attention; Discord was healing every Dragon injured after hearing their tales about the sudden attack. He flies over to Spike and the girls. "Yes, my Lord," Discord bows before the Dragon Lord, showcasing his seriousness to Spike. For Twilight, Starlight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, for all of their knowledge of Discord through their many experiences, even the betrayal when he teamed up with Lord Tirek, witnessing this side of Discord is new to them. Discord laughs internally, seeing the shocked faces written on his friends' faces, especially Twilight Sparkle as a Princess. "Twilight has something to say to you," Spike steps aside, allowing Twilight to speak. Twilight Sparkle shakes her head to snap back into reality. "How many books have you got in your library since Spike mentioned reading from there?" "I've lost track after a billion," Discord doesn't remember the exact amount or care since he's preoccupied with other affairs as Ambassador of Dragons. "A BILLION?!" Twilight shouts louder than Pinkie Pie whenever she gets exhilarated with throwing birthday parties or meeting someone new. "Yooohohohooo!" Mina says after walking with Garble and Smolder with her arms around them. "Having siblings is awesome!" She bows before Dragon Lord Spike. "My Lord, it's an honor to meet you!" Spike chuckles. "No need to bow before me, uh -" "Mina!" "Mina," Spike takes a deep breath. "Discord does it because he wanted to or to shock our friends," Spike stands aside to introduce - "Yes! The barriers of the Elements of Harmony! Where's the white one?" Mina refers to Rarity. "She's somewhere," Applejack responds after watching some ponyfolk approaching the Dragons, engaging in some activities to extend their Friendship. "Bro, Mina is fun to have around!" Smolder says she turns to Spike's friends. "Hey! You look like Scootaloo!" Rainbow Dash sees the familiarities from Smolder's spines resembling Scootaloo's mane and tail to her orange body color. "Who?" Smolder tilts her head in confusion. "Give me one moment!" Rainbow Dash zooms to retrieve Scootaloo away from her friends and younger Dragons during a game of twister. She returns in ten seconds. "Wow, that was fast," Smolder said and analyzed Scootaloo's figure. "Well, she outflew my friends and me when we did something stupid," Garble says in his best efforts, not to mention the Phoenix Egg Swipe. "You look like me if I was a Dragon!!" Scootaloo says after observing Smolder's physique, the only difference is the horns and eye colors. "It feels like you're a long-distance relative!" "See what I mean!" Rainbow Dash releases Scootaloo, allowing her to gaze at a possible sister figure if she accepts her Friendship. "Wanna be my friend?" Scootaloo extends her right hoof as an offer to shake in acceptance. "I'll be delighted," Smolder smiles, shaking Scootaloo's hoof. Also, Spike intended for Dragons to allow Equestrian Ponies to express Friendship and build bonds that can last a lifetime. "Got any meat?" Garble asks Spike's friends, which they cringed. Applejack and Fluttershy didn't want to answer rather than lie about the animals they have at their homes. While every Dragon and Pony gets acquainted, Princess Celestia contacts Bright Light to appear in Twilight's map room at the Castle of Friendship. Bright Light arrives in the room with a teleportation medallion around his neck. "Wh-Who is that..?" Thorax is startled by the sudden appearance of a Pony he doesn't know nor recognize. "My name is Bright Light, Lead Investigator of Celestial's Crime Insurgence," Bright Light calmly announces his profession's title and approaches Thorax with an audio recording. "You're not in trouble, son, and I need to document for observation purposes." Thorax nervously gulps like he's seated on the hot chair during a good-cop bad-cop interrogation; he glances at Princess Celestia and Luna's gazes. "We need to ask you some questions, then you'll rejoin our friends, celebrating a momentous occasion," Princess Luna states, hoping Thorax would calm down and relax. "What kind of questions?" Thorax feels a slowly creeping terror tingling his spine, urging him to flee from a disaster that's about to come. Bright Light places his audio tape on the table, turning it on to commence the interview for further study to ensure the truth is valid or deceptive; he sets a relic to detect if the heartbeat of the Changeling differs. "Do you know anything about the Dragon Egg raiding Queen Chrysalis might have initiated years ago?" Princess Celestia is the first to ask, getting straight into detail. "No!" Thorax shakes his head frantically. "My Queen -" Thorax gasps, which causes the relic to illuminate on the table. He takes a deep breath with the initial thought of - "Queen Chrysalis has never boasted about her raidings of any kind to most of us; maybe to her generals and favorite soldiers, but me, never..." "Have you heard from any of your comrades about secretive information regarding the Dragons or anything specific?" Princess Luna asks out of curiosity to prepare for possible onslaughts Queen Chrysalis might ponder about. "Well, I heard some rumors here and there when I was still living at the Hive; however, that was months ago, and I don't remember everything they said. Right now, they could be stirring up something nasty, and I have no clue about Queen Chrysalis' motives." Bright Light detects hesitation and determines Thorax's heart rate is either fear, anxiety, or withholding the truth; Bright Light knows whether some creature is lying or shy during any interview or interrogation. "Does Queen Chrysalis think about an invasion within Equestrian's borders?" Princess Luna accidentally demands sternly, causing Thorax to tremble. "I heard some rumors of a possible invasion!" Thorax responds without hesitation after hearing the anger in Luna's tone when she demands about Queen Chrysalis' motives. "There's a possibility that she may send sleeper agents to disguise themselves as friends among Equestrian's borders to lure the heavy hitters into a trap!" Princess Celestia, Luna, and Bright Light gasp horridly about possible sleeper agents entering Equestria to discover their weaknesses or feeding the inhabitants slowly, draining their strength and magic power to enslave or destroy Equestria within. "Sleeper agents!? Are you among them?! If so, we won't punish you!" Bright Light inserts himself into asking the next question, going out of line to scare Thorax. "NOOOOO!" Thorax's heartbeat pounds rapidly, quivering from the seat in fear due to Bright Light's hostile tone. "I'm not one of them! What do I have to gain by exposing myself as a sleeper agent if I was one of them?! I'm friends with the Dragons and a Draqonecuus! Why would I betray them and my new friends when I yearned for Friendship!?" "To infiltrate our lands with you being a distraction, a scapegoat, like a sacrificial lamb with all eyes on you and not everypony else who would be trapped and replaced," Bright Light answers Thorax's question with an uneasy theory that could be truthful to any militant to succeed with an invasion. The relic illuminates brightly with some notion that Thorax is working for Queen Chrysalis with an ingenious strategy to undermine Equestrian Ponies into allowing monstrosity-looking creatures a chance in love, unity, and Friendship. The Princesses are unsure of Thorax's emotional state of anxiety, fear, or guilt, judging from his body language; there are mixed signals regarding the statement issued by Bright Light's possible theory for Thorax's involvement in Queen Chrysalis' campaign. "I need to look deeper in your mind, Thorax, to determine if you're speaking the truth or deceiving us for Queen Chrysalis," Bright Light places another relic on the table, which catches the attention of Princess Celestia before Luna; the artifact allows the wearer to enter the mind of a creature and expose the memories to locate the evidence within forgotten memories. "Wh-What is that?" Thorax gazes at the relic with his heartbeat pounding to a near-heart attack; he sees the medallion with an eye at the center. It's a golden orb with a black outline shaped for the eye symbol. Bright Light hovers the artifact directly at Thorax's eyesight. "I'm going to see your memories about the sleeper agent initiative; perhaps there's more in there than what you led on as a deceiver or a forgetter." Princess Celestia and Luna know this is wrong; however, for the safety of Equestria, especially when trying to become friends with Thorax, the Princesses authorize Bright Light to continue to gather vital information lost in Thorax's mind. It hurt the Princesses, but they hoped for another opportunity to settle and become friends with Thorax; right now, it's imperative to hear specific details within Thorax's memories from other Changelings, possibly discussing before he left or got informed to be the opposite of himself as a distraction to let his kin enter Equestrian soil without notice. "No, I don't consent to this!" Thorax closes his eyes, feeling dreadful when he thinks the Princesses wanted to befriend him, not use him to find evidence of Queen Chrysalis and her being the sole purpose for the discussion. "Discord, Discord, Discord, Discord! DISCORD!" Thorax tries to grab his attention; he wants out of this situation. "DISCORD!" The walls in the map room explode with Discord coming in, glaring at the Princesses and Bright Light; he's disgusted, judging from Thorax's body language and recognizing the relics used for interrogation purposes. "Discord!" Princess Celestia and Luna wonder if Discord issued Thorax to call him for emergencies; Bright Light stares at the Draqonecuus, showing no emotion since he was at work doing his business as Lead Investigator. "We're going home," Discord snaps his eagle's talon, teleporting Thorax onto his back as he clutches dearly from nearly getting violated or torn to shreds by anything they may find incriminating in his mind. "NOW!" The irate Draqonecuus made the Princesses feel ashamed for their actions, which spiraled out of control; what was supposed to be a peaceful conversation turned into an intense interrogation. During the time Thorax had spoken with the Princesses, Spike told story after story about his training to become a Dragon since his mentality was more Pony than anything else; he also mentioned to everypony how pivotal eating meat is for Dragons and how little value eating greens are. Everyone around, except for Dragons, was unnerved about the idea of cooking different meats for Dragons since they're mainly vegetarians. Applejack and Fluttershy feel the need to protect their animals from hungry Dragons whenever they come for another visit. "So, what changes have you made for every Dragon else in the Dragon Lands, Spike?" Twilight asks, having her paper and quill to jot more notes when more of them arrive in Ponyville soon. "Well, I taught everyone the lessons you've learned about Friendship thoroughly with the help from Discord; also, there's another reason for the resentment of Ponies, which I won't get into until the time is right, which won't be for a few years, giving everyone space to release all of their emotions due to some being stubborn," Spike answers, it made Twilight smile in delight about her Friendship lessons getting taught to every Dragon back home, which gives her an intriguing idea of someday, opening a School of Friendship to teach every creature far and wide about the concepts of Friendship. At first, Twilight was against Spike becoming Dragon Lord, and her thoughts of him made her blind to the true purpose of Spike's reign; now, she's proud of Spike for teaching the Friendship lessons she learned throughout her span in Ponyville. Spike is a true testament that Friendship can be spread far and wide, especially with many Dragons interacting with everypony in Ponyville, laughing, sharing, singing, and dancing. Spike and Twilight appreciate the momentous achievement of their sovereignty; they hug each other since it's been long overdue before the Gauntlet of Fire. "Anything else you've been doing as Dragon Lord, Spike?" Pinkie asks after giving every Dragon her specialty cupcake surprise. "Searching for my birth parents, even with my Bloodstone Scepter, I am unable to locate my mother or father. No one has seen or heard from them throughout the Dragon Lands," Spike sadly sighs. Discord makes a quick appearance. "None of these Dragons from Dragon Town recalled having a purple egg with polka dots on them; I asked a bunch, and they confirmed their descriptions of their broods." "Maybe your birth mom resides in Equestria or other countries in Equus!" Rainbow says, hoping to bring energy to Spike's spirit. "Yeah, and whenever we're on Friendship Quests, we can do some sightseeing to uncover clues to your birth parent's whereabouts," Pinkie chimes in, uplifting Spike's mood by being her cheerful self. "We will contact you right away once we discover a cave of theirs, Spike," Twilight promises Spike, not as a Princess towards a King, but as good friends would. "I'll have my animal friends scour far and wide to help unveil the mysteries of your missing parents, Spike," Fluttershy said, hoping Spike would feel better with his cause. "I'll have mah apple kin search far 'n wide whenever they're doin' business, Spike," Applejack reassures Spike to finding his family and reuniting them after all these years apart. "Thanks, girls," Spike smiles at his friends and wishes Rarity would drop her jealous act since she had more chances to accept his love. He loves Ember and had hoped Rarity would accept the reality of the love life situation. "So, thought of bringing a bit of Equestria to the Dragon Lands, Spike?" Twilight asks since it would help revolutionize the culture in the Dragon Lands. "One of my first few thoughts, but Dragons in Dragon Lands don't need it. We're fine with what we got, plus we don't need a money-based system, taxes, and jobs as Equestria functions. What I say, that's the law Dragons must heed," Spike replies, finding Equestria's lifestyle redundant for the Dragons, considering Discord's involvement with everyday life for every Dragon. "So, if I were Dragon Lord and declared a never-ending party. Then it'll continue until I say stop?" Pinkie asks out of curiosity since Spike mentioned an official decree that Dragon Lords could permit upon the populous. "Yeah," Spike nods. "If you were a Dragon and Dragon Lord, what you say follows exactly like the game: Follow the Leader." "So, is there a possibility that we can visit the Dragon Lands since we're befriending every Dragon here?" Twilight asks, hoping to spend time with Spike once a week since she's busy elevating herself, learning more about being a Princess, tutoring Starlight Glimmer, embarking on Friendship Quests, and spending time or helping her friends. Spike would prefer to say yes; however, with how other Dragons still feel about the Pony Princess who took their eggs, the timing for visitations would be complicated and spark many disputes even after the return of the missing Dragons. Rather than forcing with his decree, he wants things to heal naturally, to allow a new era of love and peace for Dragons and Ponies. Spike exhales deeply after pondering what to say to Twilight and hoping she doesn't flip out. "Yes," Spike still says what he's thinking. "However -" "What do you mean, however, Spike?" Twilight interrupts Spike's explanation. "Why can't we visit you and the others right away?" "Truth be told, Twilight," Spike sighs again. "Many Dragons, stubborn as Tartarus, refuse to allow their egos stand aside. Others still resent Equestrian Ponies after getting the trademark as monsters among the world, and they feel hurt by -" Spike was about to explain to Twilight the hidden dark truth when they see Discord spazzing out of control. "Discord?" Fluttershy watches her best friend twitch and fly instantly toward the Castle of Friendship. "Ember!" Spike hollers for his lover while he runs up to her. Just by calling her name, she sees Discord taking off and determining something has gone wrong with Thorax and the Princesses. "Follow the Draqonecuus!" Ember grabs Spike's claw, places him on her back, and takes off, chasing Discord. Garble, Smolder, and the other teenage Dragons follow pursuit with the worries of their friend Thorax on their minds. Twilight and Rainbow Dash zooms after the Dragons flying to the Castle of Friendship while everyone else remains. Discord barges the castle's doors and storms into the map room after hearing Thorax frantically calling his name mentally before screaming his name. He bursts through the walls, taking Thorax away from Princess Celestia, Luna, and Bright Light. He's livid about the possible heartache after analyzing the relics on the table used during their discussion, making Discord more furious about the probable questions regarding Queen Chrysalis' motives for the Dragon Egg raiding. "Discord, this isn't what it looks like," Bright Light speaks before the Princesses and notices an extensive crowd behind the Draqonecuus. "I'm out!" He uses his medallion to teleport himself from a backlash with his relics to observe more evidence when Thorax mentioned the sleeper agents and his possible hesitation when he addressed Queen Chrysalis as his Queen. "Coward." Both Princesses thought after Bright Light bailed, leaving the duo to explain the aftermath. Spike and Ember notice the fearful expression written on Thorax's faces; watching him cower and tearful made them not angry but disappointed with the Princess of the Sun and Moon. Twilight swoops in and detects the shame and remorse written on Princess Celestia and Luna's faces; what was supposed to be a joyous celebration of unity and fellowship turned into yesterday's news with Thorax. "What happened in my castle?" Princess Twilight Sparkle questions the Princesses about the turn of events that went unseen by many. "Thorax, we're sorry about how we approached the situation," Princess Luna calmly and sincerely expresses since she put him wrongfully than Bright Light after hearing an urgent statement about the Sleeper Agents initiative. Thorax clutches onto Discord, wishing to be home rather than suffer another interrogation; it somehow mirrored the intense meeting with Queen Chrysalis about his failures as a Changeling in the Hive. "What happened? I asked you about proffering a token of Friendship to the first Changeling setting hoof in Ponyville with love and kindness, not flipping the switch because of his appearance! Look at him! He's upset, full of fear, and you've allowed history to repeat itself!" Twilight may not know all the details regarding Thorax's position, but his emotional state proves otherwise in his dismay. "Twilight, there's something that -" Princess Celestia gets cut off by Twilight for the first time; she sees a responsible Princess in her, defending and standing in front of Discord in regards to defending Thorax, panting angrily at his gloom since Discord basically knocked down the walls to retrieve him. "I don't want to hear excuses, Princess Celestia, or you, Luna! I invited you to come as Princess of Friendship to demonstrate fellowship from one Princess to a visiting creature, which most of us are still afraid of! This opportunity illustrates that we will not be judgemental because of another species due to our ancestry displaying hatred among the three tribes and turning the hate onto a different species out of spite. I invited you to create a new memory. A bonding memory as an atonement due to yesterday's affair! Spike didn't permit you to interrogate Thorax when you wanted to use my castle for your discussion. Spike trusted you! I trusted you, and now you've turned this into a chaotic nightmare! No offense, Discord!" "Psst, none taken," Discord rolls his eyes while listening to Twilight's rant. "As Princess of Friendship, I hereby command you to leave the premises of my castle and return to Canterlot!" Princess Twilight Sparkle uses her royal tone to make her directive evident. "Our sincere apologies, Princess Twilight," Princess Celestia and Luna bow respectively to Princess Twilight Sparkle's order. Princess Celestia is impressed with Twilight's assertiveness and maturity with her entitlement as Princess, which would mean she's another step closer to ruling all of Equestria when she retires soon. "We're sorry for the turn of events, Thorax. Please forgive us someday and allow us to atone for our misdeed," Princess Luna apologizes on behalf of her and Celestia since her emotion sparked the interrogation than a simple private discussion regarding Queen Chrysalis and the Dragon Egg raiding. There was a time and place to discuss, and they chose wrong. Thorax knows they had every right to ask about Queen Chrysalis' methods, invasion plans, and other operations that would hinder Equestria's survival; however, he didn't want that topic. Last night, he explained to Dragon Lord Spike and Discord about the Dragon Egg raiding, but he doesn't recall any information. All he knows is a deal has been made on that specific date. As to whom it may be, it's inconclusive even if they enter his mind to uncover the memory. Princess Celestia and Luna leave the Castle of Friendship, taking flight to Canterlot with much on their minds and Bright Light's information about Thorax's emotional state, whether it's authentic or falsified. Twilight turns to Spike after gazing at Discord's reaction to her rant and statements. "Are you staying with us or -" Spike frowns and wants to cheer his friend from the trauma he endured. "I think we'll get going, Twilight," Spike hops off Ember's back and approaches Twilight, placing his right claw on Twilight's forehead. Using the magic within the Bloodstone Scepter, Spike has transferred vital information about the possibility of Thorax's circumstance. "What did you do, Spike?" Twilight steps back after feeling a shock pulsing in her body. Her memories get swirled into madness with information she never knew of. "I'm entrusting you with the information about Thorax's situation and something pivotal for us Dragons. Please, don't tell the others and keep this to yourself." Twilight closes her eyes and concentrates on the memory of Spike speaking with Ember about the Dragon Egg raids, why Dragons despise Equestrian Ponies, and the Princess who stole and decimated many of them. She pants and falls back, now knowing why many Dragons don't want Equestrian Ponies on their lands and would want to harm them more. "Can everyone leave except Spike? There is something I want to address with him privately," Twilight asks everyone in the room to leave. "Every Dragon, leave the castle and wait for me outside. No peeking and no eavesdropping," Spike commands, and instantly, Discord teleports everyone out of the castle. Twilight and Spike walk together, sitting on their thrones in the room, being together in silence to allow their thoughts to come together. After ten minutes of silence, the two take a deep breath, almost reading each other's movements to discuss. "Do you honestly believe Princess Cadance would do such a heinous crime?" Twilight doesn't want to believe her Sister-in-law would scheme horrifically. "I'm fifty-fifty about it, Twilight. It's either Queen Chrysalis to ignite a war between Dragons and Equestrian Ponies or Princess Cadance to help Celestia with the school due to her busy schedule. The Dragons who testified remembered in full detail about the Princess adorning armor, concealing her identity while bringing a brigade of Royal Guards to seize Dragon Eggs." Twilight frowns and sadly sighs. "In due time, I'll ask Princess Cadance about any regrets she made as an excuse to say I want to better myself as a future ruler." "Do not mention -" Twilight interrupts Spike's speech. "My vow to you as one sovereign ruler to another, I will keep the information hidden from our friends. We don't need another dispute regarding unity in Friendship. We failed Thorax back-to-back days, and that already made us Equestrian Ponies look worse." "Thank you," Spike gets hovered by Twilight's magic. They both hug each other. "I miss you so much, and you've made me proud, Spike. I may not be your biological mother; however, I raised you the best I can, and I want to say sorry for the years I've done wrong with you. You've been the best thing that has ever happened in my life," Twilight smiles widely. "My first true friend and my son," She gets teary. "If you ever need me, don't hesitate, and I'll come for you. I'll drop anything to be with you, my son." Spike tears up in happiness. "Thank you -" Spike remembers his youthful days in Canterlot, looking up to Twilight as his mother, his first word during her time at Celestia's school. "Mommy." The love between Spike and Twilight gets reignited in that moment, not as friends but as family. Spike forgot about his actual family with Twilight's family with the mindset of being alone, but this moment reawakened Spike's perception about who his family is. He'll continue to search for his biological mother and father, but he will never forget about those who cherished him when he was growing up. After the embrace, Twilight and Spike leave the map room and stroll down the corridors to the front doors. "What would you do now, Twilight?" Spike asks while preparing his mind to address the situation with Thorax back in the Dragon Lands. "I'll have my private talk with the Princesses, lecture them about expressing Friendship rather than hostility, even if that wasn't their intention. They disregarded my one request, so they need to learn about the importance of fellowshipping." "I agree with that statement. Everyone needs a painful lesson amid the presence of other species visiting," Spike replies to Twilight's plan. "As for me, explaining to Throax about the purposes of the Princesses' method before it escalated into something horrific while mentioning the kindness of Princess Celestia and Luna. I'm sure he would want to focus on other things to remove the image from what transpired." Twilight opens the door. "I'll see you soon, Spike." "That you will," Spike leaves the castle and is in awe by everypony befriending Thorax with the aid of Zecora, who explains similar treatment when she first arrived in Ponyville. Twilight is amazed at everypony in Ponyville, except Rarity, opening up to Thorax and becoming friends with a Changeling for the first time. The Cutie Mark Crusaders induct Thorax as an honorary member, giving him the cape to wear proudly. Pinkie Pie baked cupcakes for him to try and added love to the recipe; Thorax ate and complimented the sugary treat and felt the love within the pastry. He wears the cape, smiling at the kind gesture from the CMC. Mayor Mare validates Thorax as a member of Ponyville after hearing the opposite world of Equestrian Ponies' lifestyle, decreeing him as the first Changeling to become a resident if he chooses to reside in Ponyville. Thorax thanked her but informed Mayor Mare about his residency in the Dragon Lands, but would visit when he felt like it. The Dragons wondered why the Princesses probably showed hostility toward Thorax and believed they were out of character for some reason. An energy flow seems odd, but they don't know why or how to describe the sentiment. Mina hopes the Princesses didn't get possessed by an unknown entity or whatever that drove them into creating trauma on Thorax. "So, what's happening?" Twilight asks first before Spike can, and all eyes turn to them. "While you and Spike were having an intense discussion, we wanted to enlighten Thorax's mood," Rainbow states, hovering next to Discord and Thorax. "Yeah! He was gloomy, and we wanted to bring happiness to him!" Pinkie hops towards her friends. "Here you go, Spike!" Pinkie Pie had already prepared a gemstone cupcake similar to the Sapphire birthday cupcake the Cake family prepared for him. "Thanks, Pinkie!" Spike munches on the delicacy. "Delicious!" Spike gives his half to Ember for her to try. "Thanks," Ember looks at it thoroughly before tasting a nibble. Then, it went into devouring the cupcake after tasting the flavor. "Wow, that was good!" "Thorax, you want to stay and celebrate more, or are you ready to leave?" Spike asks his friend, still concerned about the fallout between the Princesses and him. "I'm ready to go home. I want to return and experience a better day with all of my new friends I made as you spoke with Twilight," Thorax replies with the promise of visiting Ponyville, which makes Twilight hopeful for redemption with Princess Celestia, Luna, and Thorax. "Very well, Thorax," Spike turns to Twilight. "I bid you adieu, Twilight. Until next time," He smiles and climbs on Ember's back. "Another word you learned from your calendar?" Twilight smirks at her son. "Yeah," Spike nods. "Discord, open the portal to the Dragon Lands! It's time for every Dragon to reconnect with the rest of their broods!" "Right away, Dragon Lord Spike!" Discord tears the fabric of reality to open the passageway to the volcanic of Dragon Lands. "Let's fly!" He flies first into the portal, announcing the incoming wave of returning Dragons that were lost. Everyone flies into the portal before one of Discord's clones zippers the tear and fixes reality for Ponyville. "See you soon, my son," Twilight smiles and watches Spike return to his native land; she can't wait to read his messages and see him again.