The ball room was filled with a multitude of varied colored dresses and black tuxedos. High society ponies drifted back and forth, sharing small talk. Spike was terrified.
Rarity rubbed her shoulder against his as he quaked. "Darling, calm down. They don't bite. Just be on your best behavior and there will be no problems."
Spike scratched his front claws nervously on the marble floor of the majestic dance hall. "Behavior is not really my concern. Half these ponies want my head on a plate. Kinda throws out your chances of making a good impression. The worst part is, that's what this whole shindig is for. I don't know how you and Fancy Pants talked me into this."
Rarity sighed. "Change never comes unless one grasps it with all their might. We all want peace between the drakos and ponies, we just need some one to show us how to obtain it."
Spike rubbed his head against hers affectionately. "Me, right? Thanks Rarity."
She laughed into his cheek as she kissed him. "I meant Fancy Pants, but he will need your help. The drakos need your guidance and example to pull through this, but they seem more willing for peace between us than ponies do. We'll get there."
Spike smiled happily as he kissed her cheek back. He went to convey his thanks when he was interrupted by a new voice. "Ugh, so uncouth of a lady to kiss a lizard in public."
Rarity glared at the interloper but Spike smiled from ear to ear. "Cousin, how have you been?"
Blueblood bowed his head at the two. "Lady Rarity, Prince Spike. How are you tonight?"
Spike bowed at the spoiled prince as Rarity looked at the drakos inquisitively. "Quite well, but I must ask, cousin?"
Blueblood smirked. "Oh, you accompany him but he has not told you? As Spike is the adopted son of Princess Celestia, and I am her nephew, he and I are technically cousins. Anyway, Spike, we have been called to the castle after this little party. Fancy Pants, you, and l are needed for council."
"May Rarity accompany me, or is this a strictly confidential matter?"
"I am sure my Aunt would appreciate one of the Ladies of Friendship there. I believe it is a war matter. Now you must excuse me, there is a lucky brown mare that wishes my company."
Rarity rolled her eyes as he walked away. "The conceited jerk."
Spike laughed as they began to walk towards Fancy Pants and the small podium he stood beside. "Yes, but the two of got off on the wrong hoof. He's not so bad if he believes you an equal. Otherwise, yeah, he's an ass."
She glared at her date. "He should believe all ponies are equal."
"No arguments, but at least he believes ponies and drakos are on an equal level below him." He smirked as she giggled.
Fancy Pants stood at the podium and glanced at the two as they approached him. He signaled at Blueblood, who cantered up and stood lofty next to him as well. He raised his wine glass and tapped it with his spoon. Silence fell throughout the room as everypony stood, waiting for the words of pony society's highest pony. "Welcome one and all to this glorious event. For everypony that donated to the rebuilding fund, thank you for your generosity. As for the rest of our event, Equestria has an infection. There is a fear and hatred for our new allies. This must not persist, especially on the basis of species. If we go upon species to give blame for this past, and finished war, blame would fall on us, the ponies."
Many ponies had begun to leave or give incredulous looks at all four who stood at the podium when he began to talk peace. When Fancy Pants placed the blame on ponies, everypony in the room, Spike included, looked at him with shock and curiosity.
"It was a pony that started this war. A pony kept secret for far to long." He walked around the podium and sat down in front of it. Something considered improper to high society. He laid his head down onto his crossed forelimbs. Spike, Rarity, and everypony else looked around baffled before lowering down to the floor as well.
He closed his eyes and scrunched his nose. "As most of you know, I won a medal of honor with my medical discharge from Her Majesties royal guard. What you do not know is the full story of how that story unfolded. What was released was that I saved my entire squad from an ambush from a small hostile group with evil design for Equestria, at the cost of my sight in one eye and almost my legs. What you don't know is that the small faction was part of a massive army, controlled by a pony name Sombra." A chill filled the room as he spoke the name, Spike snarled till Rarity nudged him. "This pony was apprentice to a dark god, and even after a thousand years after his defeat by the sisters, still presented a real threat. I spent most of my years in the service fighting his lieutenants and sending them to Tartarus. When the Crystal Kingdom returned, its tyrannical leader returned as well, Sombra. He orchestrated the whole ordeal. When Spike , my dear friend, defeated him, he regained his rightful place as king. Making this the second time Spike has defeated Sombra, freed a captive nation, and saved Equestria. All while being a drakos.
"I do understand that it is hard to forgive them, as well as accept them, but we must. If not for friendship and peace, if not for our Princess, for our children, so they may be better then us, and war, as allies against a common threat."
There was a moment of silence before applause roared through the crowd.
Fancy Pants left, with Rarity, Spike, and Blueblood in tow. "Alright, it seems Ms. Rarity, that our rich friends have accepted the fad of accepting the drakos."
Spike slowed his pace and his head drooped. "Is that all that was, a fad?”
Rarity looked on concerned, but continued on to the castle with Blueblood when Fancy Pants motioned for her to. When the two were out of hearing distance, the old pony cleaned his monocle with a smile. "Wonderful lady, that Rarity. Her name suits her well. Almost makes me wish I were younger."
Spike turned away from him. "Please be serious about this. Is that honestly how you see the drakos alliance, as a passing fad?”
Smiling and shaking his head, Fancy Pants rubbed his young friend on the head with a hoof. "You never cease to amaze me. You saw through a ploy on a subject you are not privy to. You and your mentor have been around royals and high society all of your lives, and yet neither of you still understand them. No, I do not see it as such, far from it. I see it as a strengthening of two races and nations, but I am not typical high society. Most of these ponies will never understand just what all of this means. So I put it in a way they would take it. Safety and a bright shiny new gift."
Spike looked up at the pony. "Thanks. I was a little worried you would disapprove."
"Spike, you're like a son to me. I've known you since you were hatched. I still carry a butterscotch with me at all times, just in case I see you and you ask."
Spike laughed as he resumed his walk to the palace with oldest friend. The closest thing to a father he had. He motioned to the drakos security detail to follow him. "Mind if I have a butterscotch old guy?"
Fancy Pants just laughed as he pulled out the hard candy.
Two drakos, a young green one and an older red one, opened the big majestic doors leading into the main hall of the palace. Before him sat the princesses, Celestia sitting on her throne as Luna, Twilight, and Cadence sat around her. To his right stood his drakos troops, proud and battle ready. Next to them was a small party of pony guards, proud and armoured. Behind him stood Rarity, Fancy Pants, Blueblood, and a yellow drakos child. To his left was the reason they had all gathered here.
A rabble of unorganized dragons. They stood restless and agitated. Various sizes and colors were there, all wearing a gold chain with a brilliant emerald hanging from it. The dragon council.
Spike bowed his head, as did the rest of his entourage, at the princesses. "Good evening leaders of Equestria. Permission to enter this council."
Princess Celestia bowed back at him. "You may your Highness. This council is for you and our dragon delegates. We the leaders of Equestria are here to simply bring peaceful talks. The dragon council has a pressing matter to discuss. They have the floor."
Spike and his group joined the rest of the drakos and ponies. Rarity sticking close by him, leaning into him.
A fairly large brown dragon stepped forward and took the floor. He bowed to the princess but sneered at Spike. "Princess, drakos. We are concerned about the alliance between ponies and drakos. Our concern lies in the gaining of power of the drakos in the world. They are a race of killers and barbarians. Their life is built around death and war. We worry that they will set their eyes on Equestria and the surrounding areas. We feel that Equestria will become the focal point of future invasion."
The yellow drakos kid jumped forward on all fours, teeth bared and ready to pounce on the much larger dragon. "Do not insult our honor! We made an oath and plan on keeping it!"
Spike placed his hand on the child. "You dishonor this court with your outburst Sun Tail. If you are to be duke, you must learn to control yourself. Speak patiently and never out of turn."
"Yes my king."
Spike looked up at the dragon. "I apologize for my young friend. If I may though, he is right. The drakos are an honor based species. We would never break our oaths, we would die first. This accusation is a terrible act of distrust and a dishonor to us. Many will see it as an act of war. It is not my wish to go to war right after we peacefully ended one."
Every dragon's voice rose in anger, some showering insults, others claiming that this was proof of the drakos untrustworthiness. The volume of the room was rising until a loud, gentle voice spoke from the ceiling. "Quite my dragons."
All noise ceased as everyone looked up. A massive green dragon's head was sticking through the roof, where a window had been removed. His eyes were milky white from blindness and his colour dulled with his impossible years. This was the elder dragon, the oldest being alive not touched by the old gods magic. "I can vouch for the words of the drakos king's. I was alive when the drakos where still considered a part of the dragon race, and from then till now, every action they have made has been in accordance with their honor. We dragons have no king, and as such I can not you against any action, but I advise you to believe me and cease this squabbling. They have promised not to cause another war, but they will fight if you do. We would loss that war. I found myself surprised that the ponies lasted as long as they did in a war with them, till I discovered that the old gods favored them in the war."
The brown dragon spoke up to the giant dragon. "Shadowfang's brood can not be trusted."
Wheezing with laughter, the elder filled the room with smoke. "As Celestia can confirm, we were all pups when Shadowfang lived and died, he was not the same as most drakos. He denied honor for ambition. The original drakos of his time denied him, until he defeated them."
Spike stepped forward. Head held high, he spoke proudly. "I hear by declare that if my people or I cause an unprovoked war, I forfeit my title and my life to the pony princesses. They and all parties involved shall decide my fate."
Silence filled the hall.