Why did I think I could change anything?
Ember dared not to voice her thoughts aloud as she made her way to Celestia's chamber. She obviously didn't want to admit it, but that dragon attack shook her very badly. This was not something any Dragon Lord before her had to contend with. But it was too late to back down now. Because dragons didn't back down.
Clearing her throat, she rapped her knuckle against the door to Princess Celestia's throne room.
"Enter," Celestia said calmly.
Ember complied, with her dragon entourage right behind her. All of them bowed before Celestia, although Flint was rather hesitant.
"Rise, all of you," said Celestia.
All of them obeyed, except for Steel, who kept his head bowed.
"You have to forgive us, Your Highness," he said. "We have no idea what that was all about, honest."
"You moron! Don't speak for the Dragon Lord!" Flint hissed, whacking Steel upside the head.
"No, it's okay. I'm not that kind of Dragon Lord," Ember insisted.
"And that right there seems to be the trouble," Celestia mused. She descended from her throne and knelt down to Ember's height. "You must forgive me, Lord Ember. We ponies are quite unfamiliar with dragon culture and customs. Is this a normal occurrence?"
"Not at all," Ember said with a shake of her head. "The dragon who wields the Bloodstone Scepter is the Dragon Lord, meaning all dragons of the land must obey them. This Black Dragon of the Desert is acting in complete defiance to my rightful rule, and I don't know why."
"Though I think I might have an explanation," Needles chimed in, stepping forward. "Granted, it doesn't make much sense."
"And, who are you, young one?" Celestia asked.
"The name's Needles. I'm a Dragon Mage in training," Needles said with a bow. "You might not have heard of us, but we Dragon Magi are a special clan of dragons livin' out in the Mild West. We practice magic and provide guidance to others. Lord Ember here summoned me and my compadres to this conference to lend a claw."
Ember blushed. "I-I just wanted to put my best foot forward, Your Highness."
"Yes, if only that dark dragon Seth didn't make you stumble," Celestia said gravely. She placed a hoof to her muzzle and furrowed her brow. "So, dragons can learn magic on their own."
"Yes, but they use that magic to help others, not to disgrace the Dragon Lord," said Trigger. "They follow the teachings of their eastern cousins, you see. Or at least, they're supposed to. Ehheh..."
Celestia nodded and pondered over this for a while. "Well, the good news is that I believe you. And despite what other delegates might say, the ponies will stand with you."
Ember smiled. "Thank you, Your Highness."
"However, I have another question for you, Lord Ember."
Ember perked up. "U-um... What might that be?"
"What do you plan on doing next?"
Ember gripped her staff tightly. "I'll tell you what I'm not going to do. I'm not going to let this Black Dragon push me around. He wants a fight for my scepter? I'll give him one."
"And are you sure that's wise?"
Ember blinked and looked over at Needles. Needles flinched and hid her face behind her parasol.
"D-don't look at me, Your Lordship! I told ya; I don't have the answer to everything!" she sputtered.
"Really? Because I thought the answer was obvious," said Trigger.
Needles peeked her head over her parasol. "Wh-what're you talkin' about, Trigger?"
"If Lord Ember cannot fight this foe alone, the Dragoons will help her," said Trigger simply.
"Um, hello? Last time we tried that, we got our tails handed to us," Flint growled. "That happened, like, five minutes ago."
"So, we're just going to give up, then?" Trigger countered, wringing his claws. "That wouldn't be fair to Lord Ember or Needles. Ehheh... Ehheh..."
Needles frowned. "Guys, you're both right. We shouldn't back down just because some bully roughed us up a bit. But still, I felt that guy's power. It's unlike anything we've ever faced before. Even if we had Toro and Khamshin with us, we'd still get clobbered."
Celestia looked between Needles and Ember. "It seems you both have the same dilemma. You know what you must do, but you don't know if you can do it."
"I, suppose that's the long and short of it," said Ember, fiddling with her scepter. "I don't think even my father could stand up to that power."
Celestia smiled. "Then there's only one strategy for this situation. Know thy enemy."
Ember and Needles blinked before looking at each other in confusion.
"Um, but see, that's the problem, Your Highness," said Steel meekly. "We don't know our enemy."
"And what do you do when you don't know something?"
Steel scratched his head. "You, ask someone who does?"
"Well, that's one way," said Celestia with a shrug.
Flint rolled his eyes. "Once again, your stupidity knows no bounds, Steel. Who exactly do we know who would know about some evil Dragon Mage when we don't even know the guy?"
Suddenly, Needles perked up. "No, wait. That is a good idea. We don't know about this guy, but I know someone who might!"
"Yeah? Who?"
"My folks!"
Trigger beamed. "Excellent idea, my dear Needles. Even if they don't know about this Seth character, they will surely assist us against someone abusing the gifts of the Dragon Magi."
"Do you think we have enough time for that?" Ember inquired. "He said he was only going to wait until the next sunset."
Celestia smirked. "Well, my sister always did want longer nights..."
Ember shook her head. "Oh, no. Y-you don't have to do that for us."
Celestia chuckled. "I was joking. I probably shouldn't disrupt the cycle like that, even if it is for a good cause. But, it's only about dusk right now. Meaning you have a full twenty-four hours to see this through."
"That should be plenty of time," said Needles. "We can go see my folks, ask 'em about Seth, and then meet him for his challenge."
"Then what exactly are we doing here?" said Flint, raising into the air. "Let's head home! For the glory of the Dragon Lord!"
"Wait!"
Kibitz galloped up to the dragons, looking very agitated.
"Princess Celestia, the delegates might raise eyebrows if you don't address what happened to Lord Ember," he said. "They're going to want concrete answers."
"Which we don't have," Celestia sighed. "I'm not about to tell the delegates what they want to hear just because it's convenient. Raven, take a letter."
"Yes, Your Highness," said Raven, readying her quill.
"Until the matter between Lord Ember and the dark dragon is settled, the Inter-Species Conference will be postponed," Celestia dictated. "Unless there are important duties for you to attend to at home, I ask that your remain in the castle."
"They're not going to like this, Your Highness," Kibitz warned.
"Life is full of things people don't like, Kibitz," Celestia said bluntly.
"B-but..."
"There's no use arguing about it," said Needles with a shrug. "It's just one more reason we gotta get a move-on. Saddle up, Dragoons! We've got a Dragon Lord's reputation to salvage! Vamanos!"
"Thank you ever so much for believing me," said Ember with a bow.
Celestia smiled. "I know honesty when I see it, Lord Ember. I wish you the best of luck."
The dragons departed from the throne room, although Needles and Ember still appeared uneasy.
"Well. That wasn't so bad," said Trigger. "We know what we're doing now. That's a step up from how we used to tackle these problems."
"Yeah, I guess," Needles said with a sigh.
Steel raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong, Ms. Needles?"
"It just dawned on me. I suggested that we go see my folks," Needles groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What was I thinking?"
"You don't get along with your parents?" Ember asked.
"Well, kinda. I mean, not exactly. I-it's complicated," said Needles, fiddling with her parasol. "I ran away from home because I felt like I couldn't live up to their expectations. Even now, I still don't feel like I can. They're gonna be so disappointed in me when I come crawlin' to 'em begging for help."
Ember let out a small laugh. "Sounds like the opposite of my dad. Did you know he originally didn't want me to become Dragon Lord?"
Needles blinked. "You serious? But I thought he'd be proud of ya."
"Oh, he is. Now that I actually won the Gauntlet of Fire," said Ember. "But before, he just wanted me to stay out of it because I wasn't all big and strong like other dragons. I kinda have this nagging feeling that he wanted to protect me, and I just—"
She let out a growl and crossed her arms. "L-look, as Dragon Lord, I command you not to make me talk about my feelings."
"I, wasn't gonna say anything," said Needles. "In fact, you kinda keep doin' that to yourself."
Ember snorted. "Let's just get outside so we can fly already."
"Um, I hate to bring this up, Your Lordship, but Trigger and I can't fly yet," said Needles, pointing to her back. "No wings."
Flint scowled. "Oh, no. You two lovebirds aren't gonna get cozy on my back."
Needles blushed and smacked Flint with her parasol. "It ain't nice to pry into a lady's love life," she scolded.
Ember couldn't help but giggle. "Here, I'll carry you, Needles. Though I don't think I have enough room for two."
Trigger sighed. "Denied again. Such is the life of the lovestruck Trigger. Ehheh..."
"Oh, stop bein' so melodramatic," Needles groaned. "We've got enough to worry about. We don't need anythin' else messin' us up."
***
"I do hope Princess Celestia resolves this soon. All this stress is ruining my magnificent mustache!"
"Yaks expect perfect explanation for what happened. If explanation not perfect, yaks get mad."
"Perfection is unyattainyable, Prince Rutherford. It is as the Great Kohryu says..."
Gilda sighed, drumming her talons on the table as the other delegates talked amongst themselves. Though tensions were not as high as they once were, there was still an uneasiness in the air. Heaving another sigh, she got up from her seat.
"Where are you going?" asked Little Strongheart.
"I'm gonna take a walk," Gilda muttered. "Need to clear my head."
Little Strongheart trotted up to her side. "I think I'll join you. I'm a bit worried about Lord Ember."
Gilda gave Little Strongheart a half-smirk. "Heh. Glad I'm not the only one. She actually seemed pretty cool. That lame black dragon shouldn't have hurt her like that."
"I know," Little Strongheart said, furrowing her brow. "I must admit, I know no such stories of Seth the Black Dragon of the Desert. And the buffalo know more about dragons than most other creatures in Equestria."
"That furball seemed to think he knew a thing or two," said Gilda.
"From what I understand, the nekos have only had contact with eastern dragons, not western ones," said Little Strongheart. "They're as much in the dark as everyone else."
Gilda paused for a moment and held out her wing, blocking Little Strongheart. "Everyone except those two."
Little Strongheart arched her head over Gilda's wing. "What're you talking abo—?"
"Shh!" Gilda hissed. She then pointed to a pair of unfamiliar shadows lurking just outside the throne room. They appeared to be talking to each other.
"Okay, Pepito. You know the plan," said one.
"Sí, I know," said the other. "Dragon Lord appear, we catch Dragon Lord, ponies beat us up."
The first shadow growled. "No no no! That last part doesn't happen!"
"¿Qué?"
"Once the Dragon Lord shows her face, you pin her down with your staple traps so she can't call for help. Then I'll move in, scoop her up, and slip into the tunnels. Then we go to Seth and claim our reward."
"This still no good idea, Señorita Isabelle."
Little Strongheart's eyes widened. "I recognize those voices! Those two are dragon poachers!"
"And it looks like they're after the Dragon Lord," Gilda snarled. "Heh. This right here is more my speed."
"Ambassador, wait. Maybe we should tell the Royal Guard, or—"
But it was too late. Gilda charged in, letting out a loud roar.
"You want the Dragon Lord?! You'll have to go through me, losers!" she proclaimed.
"We been... Um..." There was a rustling of book pages. "Spot-ted."
Isabelle scowled. "Okay, seriously, Pepito. Are you doing this on purpose?"
"¿Qué?"
There was a low groan. "Nunca importe," Isabelle grumbled. She then tossed out a lariat, which Gilda caught in her talons.
"You're not so tough," she scoffed, pulling on the rope with all her might.
"Ambassador, look out!"
Before Gilda could react, a large paw emerged from the shadows and smacked her across the face. When she recovered, she saw a large Diamond Dog standing over her.
"So, you insist on protecting the Dragon Lord, do you?" she said with a sneer. "Well, we can't have that. Pepito, deal with her."
"¿Qué?"
Isabelle smacked her forehead. "¡Reparto con ella, idiota!"
"Why no you do it?" Pepito asked.
Isabelle sputtered. "Pepito, you are treading on very thin ice right now!"
Pepito blinked and looked down at his feet. "I no on ice."
"Okay, now I know you're doing this on purpose!"
"Señorita Isabelle, I no know what you talking about."
"What's going on out here?!"
Isabelle blanched. "Maldiciones," she spat. "Let's make ourselves scarce, Pepito. We'll catch her in the desert."
"¿Qué?"
Isabelle groaned and grabbed Pepito by his eye stalks before turning to Gilda and Little Strongheart. "This isn't over. That dragon is worth a fortune, and she will be ours. Hasta luego."
She then dragged Pepito into the shadows. By the time Celestia and her entourage of Royal Guards appeared, they had all but vanished.
"What in the wide, wide world of Equestria was that all about?" Kibitz asked.
Little Strongheart bowed hastily. "Y-Your Highness, I can explain. Th-there were dragon poachers here, aiming to kidnap the Dragon Lord."
Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Poachers? Trying to kidnap a diplomat?"
"They apparently don't see her that way," Gilda growled, slowly getting to her feet. "Where is Lord Ember, anyway?"
"She just left," said Celestia. "She needs to figure a few things out before answering Seth's challenge, and her companions are going to help her do just that."
"You're talking about Needles and the Dragoons, right?" said Little Strongheart.
Celestia furrowed her brow. "Now that you mention it, one of them was named Needles. Do you know these dragons?"
"More than you know," said Little Strongheart. "It's a long story, and I haven't got time to explain. I have to catch up with Lord Ember and tell her about the poachers."
"Yeah, we could do that," said Gilda, tapping her beak. She then grinned. "Or, we could teach those poachers a real lesson."
Little Strongheart blinked. "Excuse me?"
"C'mon, don't act like you're not thinking it, too," said Gilda. "As representative of the Griffon Kingdom, I'm taking a stand here. I don't claim to know a lot about dragons or Lord Ember, and frankly, I don't entirely care. All I know is that it's high time I protect someone from bullies rather than be one myself."
She then smiled wickedly. "But that doesn't mean we can't have some fun while doing it."
Little Strongheart tilted her head. "Fun?"
"You might not know this, but Rainbow Dash and I were real pranksters in the Junior Speedsters," said Gilda.
"Rainbow Dash? You didn't tell me you knew Rainbow Dash," said Little Strongheart.
"Oh, yeah. We go way back," said Gilda proudly. "What, you know her, too?"
"Indeed. I haven't seen her for quite some time, but I've met her before."
"Heh, awesome! And I thought I wasn't going to make any friends at this conference."
Celestia raised her hoof. "I hate to interrupt this trip down memory lane, but time is of the essence if you want to help Lord Ember and her friends."
Gilda brushed the back of her head sheepishly. "Um, right. Sorry, Your Highness. C'mon, I think we can make the next train if we hurry."
"Actually, I was thinking of a different mode of transportation," Celestia mused.
Gilda gave Celestia a quizzical look. "Huh?"
"Guards, ready my sky chariot," Celestia ordered. "We'll be taking a trip to the Mild West."
Gilda's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. "Wait, what?!"
"The ponies stand with Lord Ember just as the griffons and buffalo do," Celestia said earnestly. "I've spoken with her, and it's apparent she needs all the help she can get."
She leaned in close, a coy smile on her face. "Besides, I happen to be a bit of a prankster myself. And I might have just the tools we need to really give these poachers a run for their money."
Gilda's smiled broadened. "Oh, man. The people of Griffonstone are not gonna believe this. The ruler of Equestria, going on a pranking spree to protect the Dragon Lord! This is so rad!"
She turned to Little Strongheart and extended her talon. "What do you say, Little Strongheart? You in?"
Little Strongheart barely had to think for a second before nodding and bumping her hoof against Gilda's fist. "I'm in. Let's go help the Dragon Lord defend her honor."
"Excellent," said Celestia. "I'll just go grab my things. Kibitz, please inform Raven of this change of plans."
"Y-yes, Your Highness," said Kibitz, although he didn't sound too happy about it. "Though, what of the delegates?"
Celestia shrugged her shoulders. "We already told them the conference was postponed, and that they should be patient while we sort this out. As far as I can see, nothing has changed in regards to that order."
She then marched off with her guards right behind her. Kibitz grumbled and muttered to himself as he left to search for Raven. Gilda let out a nefarious chuckle and rubbed her talons.
"I'm almost afraid to ask what you have in mind," said Little Strongheart, although a ghost of a smile crossed her own face.
"Oh, you'll see," said Gilda with a snicker. "This may not win me any points with my Grandpa Gruff, but if I'm gonna show the world how the Griffon Kingdom treats their allies, I might as well enjoy myself while doing it."
Little Strongheart let out a small giggle and shook her head. "Well, if nothing else, this should be interesting. At the very least, it'll give Lord Ember one less thing to worry about." She then sighed. "Even so, I hope she and the Dragoons are alright. Who knows what that dark dragon Seth has up his sleeve..."