//------------------------------//
// Peace Porridge in the Pot, Nine Days Old 
// Story: Peace Porridge Hot 
// by Metool Bard 
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"Yaks starting to get very suspicious about Dragon Lord.  Perhaps ponies too trusting."

"The sun has only just set, Prince Rutherford.  Give them their due."

"A reasonyable response?  Perhaps you Diamond Dogs are more open-minded than we first thought."

"I, for one, have the utmost confidence in Princess Celestia.  If anyone can get to the bottom of this, it's her."

Ember had braced herself for an onslaught of argument and debate when she was teleported back to Canterlot.  Much to her surprise, however, everyone still remained quite civil.  Any disagreements about her situation were being discussed rationally and calmly.  The grand hall itself was sparkling and pristine, as though Seth never attacked to begin with.  Kibitz was the first to notice Celestia's return and trotted up to her.

"Princess!  Thank goodness you're okay!" he panted, wiping some sweat from his brow. "I-I don't know what I was going to do!"

Celestia took note of the conference and gave Kibitz an odd look. "Odd.  I thought you said it was going to be utter pandemonium."

Kibitz blushed. "Well, um, yes.  I did indeed think that.  Thankfully, that was not the case.  Everyone's still on-edge, but Princess Luna has assured them that you had everything under control, so..."

Celestia smiled. "What did I tell you, Kibitz?  The only disaster here was manufactured by Seth, not the delegates.  They aren't stupid, Kibitz.  Everyone here knows what this conference is about.  Remind them of that, and the rest sorts itself out."

"Is, that why you so confidently left the castle in pursuit of this Seth character?"

"Indeed," said Celestia. "But now, everything's been resolved.  Excuse me."

Celestia made her way to her throne, accompanied by Gilda, Little Strongheart, Ember, and Needles's posse.  Straight away, the delegates gave her their undivided attention.

"Creatures of Equestria and beyond," said Celestia. "I thank you for your patience, and I'm happy to announce that Seth, the Black Dragon of the Desert, will no longer be a threat.  On that end, Dragon Lord Ember has a few words."

Ember's face turned bright red. "I, um...  I do?"

"Well, of course," said Little Strongheart. "You have to explain what was going on, don't you?"

Ember fiddled with her scepter. "Well, I...  Th-this isn't really a dragon thing, okay?  I-I'm nervous."

"Ain't no reason to be," said Needles warmly. "We're right here with ya, Your Lordship."

Ember took in a deep breath and nodded. "Okay.  Thank you, my friends."

She flew up into the air and cleared her throat.

"Members of this council, I am Dragon Lord Ember," she said. "I am the first Dragon Lord in history to have her authority challenged.  The reason for this challenge was because there are dragons who don't like what I'm doing.  They frown on the very fact that I'm here right now, speaking to all of you.  And, I'm not going to lie.  All this, is very scary for me.  It's all new and strange, and I wasn't sure what to do with myself."

She let out a groan. "Ugh~.  Perfect example: That all felt weird to say.  I just don't like talking about my feelings.  So, let's just move on.  Flint, Steel.  Bring out Garble."

"Sure thing, Your Lordship.  C'mon, you."

Flint and Steel dragged Garble out of hiding to the center of the Grand Hall, where everyone could see him.  Garble snorted.

"What're you all looking at?" he snarled.

"Garble here was manipulated by Seth in a gambit to take the Bloodstone Scepter away from me," Ember explained. "If he were Dragon Lord, he'd try to burn Equestria to the ground.  Obviously, that's not my thing."

"Then, what is your thing?" asked Sykes Silvervest. "How will you use your authority?"

Ember smirked. "I'm glad you asked."

She turned to Garble and stared down at him. "Garble, for challenging my authority as Dragon Lord, you must be punished.  I want you to give everyone in this room a hug.  Then travel back to the Dragonlands and hug every creature you see along the way.  Oh, and don't tell them why."

"What?!  Again?!" Garble exclaimed. "That's even worse than Spike's decree!  You can't expect me to—"

Ember narrowed her eyes and pointed her scepter right at Garble's snout. "Don't make me use this, Garble.  If I do, you'll have to obey without question.  I'm giving you a chance to do the right thing on your own.  I suggest you take it."

Garble gulped. "Yes, Your Lordship.  R-right away."

He then set to work, hugging everyone at the conference and grumbling all the while.  After a few minutes, he flew out the window, sulking and humiliated.  Ambassador Mojo was the first to speak.

"Such wisdom.  The Great Kohryu would sing your praises," he said. "The Nyeko Shogunyate recognyizes the Dragon Lord as a member of this council."

"As do the Diamond Dogs."

"Yaks convinced!  Dragons and yaks friends for a thousand moons!"

One by one, the delegates threw their hats in and sang Ember's praises.  Ember waved sheepishly.

"Thank you.  I hope this can be the start of a brighter future for us all," she said.

"If I may be so bold, how did you manage to convince Seth to withdraw his challenge?" inquired President Io.

"Oh, it's quite a story," said Gilda. "And we'd be happy to tell you all about it, right Ember?"

"H-hey!  That's Dragon Lord Ember to—"  Flint stopped himself and bit his tongue.

"Remember, she's not that kind of Dragon Lord," Trigger said. "Ehheh...  Ehheh..."

The conference erupted in laughter, and soon, everything was right in the world.  Well, almost everything.

"Gilda!"

Gilda swallowed as she heard her grandfather. "I think I'm in trouble," she whispered to Celestia.

"What in the blue blazes happened to your uniform?!" Gruff scolded. "And why on Earth did you wander into the desert and leave the conference like that?!  These aren't actions befitting of an ambassador!"

"I actually have to disagree," said Little Strongheart. "Gilda's tactics are more aggressive, but when Dragon Lord Ember was at her lowest point, she managed to reach her in a way we couldn't.  Wouldn't you call that diplomacy?"

Gruff blinked. "Um, how did she reach the Dragon Lord?"

"Believe it or not, by beating the snot out of me," Ember said with a laugh. "I have to say, she's very tough."

"Hey, you're not so bad yourself," said Gilda playfully, socking Ember in the arm.

Gruff's beak hung open. "H-how—?"

"This is Gilda's way of diplomatic negotiation," said Celestia sagely. "It's not inherently wrong, just as standing up for yourself isn't inherently wrong.  Context is the key.  And if Gilda learns that, she will be a fine ambassador."

Gruff took a moment to recollect his thoughts before clearing his throat. "Um, yes.  I-I suppose you're right, Princess Celestia.  Still, I was very worried, Gilda."

Gilda laughed. "I can take care of myself, Grandpa.  Besides, I've got plenty of friends to look after me."

"R-right," said Gruff. "See, I told you Honor Bound picked you for a reason."

"I guess he did," said Gilda with a shrug. "It just took me a while to figure out what that reason was, that's all."

Gruff smiled and patted Gilda on the shoulder. "You really have grown up.  I'm very proud of you, Gilda."

Gilda blushed. "Grandpa~!  Not in front of Ember~!"

Ember chuckled and let out a content sigh.  She then turned to Needles.

"I can't thank you enough for all the help you've provided for me," she said. "Spike was right to recommend me to you.  You're indeed a very gifted young mage."

"Yeah.  I guess I am," said Needles, twiddling her fingers.

"Still so modest after all this time," said Steel. "Some things never change."

"No, I like that about her," said Trigger. "It makes her more endearing.  Ehheh..."

Needles felt her face become warm. "C-c'mon, Trigger.  S-stop butterin' me up like that."

"It's true though," said Trigger. "Needles, you are the most beautiful and noble dragon in all the Mild West.  So what if you don't know everything?  You're smart enough.  I've watched as you learned so much from so many people, including Lord Ember herself.  You even put up with a wretch like me."

Needles shook her head. "Trigger, you ain't no wretch.  You're just madly in love with me, and you learned how to channel that into something great.  You lift me up when I'm down, you're smarter than most people give ya credit for, and, well, I feel like I can always count on ya."

She then walked over to Trigger and gave him a light peck on the cheek.  Trigger's face immediately changed to bright red.

"It's official now, Trigger.  I'm your girl," Needles cooed coyly.

Trigger's jaw moved mechanically, but no words came out.  Finally, he simply fainted.  Flint scoffed.

"Wuss," he snickered.

"Well, he has been dreaming about this for a while," said Steel.

Flint sighed. "Shut up, Steel."

Everyone shared a laugh as the conference continued well into the night.


***


The next morning, Little Strongheart escorted Ember and the Dragoons back to the Mild West.  Over in the land of the Dragon Magi, Toro, Isabelle, Pepito, and Khamshin were waiting.

"I take it the conference went well," said Toro.

"Better than you could imagine," said Little Strongheart. "Thanks to the Dragoons."

"Hey, you and Gilda helped, too," said Ember. "Not to mention Princess Celestia.  She really knows a thing or two about leadership."

"Yeah, guess she does," said Needles with a sigh. "Shame I don't, though."

"Well, that's fine," said Ember. "Because I have a little proposition for you."

Needles perked up. "Whaddya mean?"

"Well, truth be told, all this is still very new to me," said Ember sheepishly. "There's so much more I have to learn about friendship, and you are already way ahead of me on that.  As such, I am asking you to be my advisor."

Needles blinked. "M-me?  Advisor to the Dragon Lord?"

"That's what I said," said Ember.

Needles twiddled her fingers. "I-I dunno, Lord Ember.  I mean, you're plenty smart already.  Do ya really think you need someone like me to figure stuff out?"

"I'm smart, that's true.  But I don't know everything," said Ember, crouching down to Needles's height. "I certainly don't know what you know.  I'm not commanding you as your Dragon Lord.  I'm asking you as a friend."

Needles made a face. "See, this right here makes me question if ya really need me."

"Whatever your decision, we shall abide by it, Señorita Needles," said Toro.

"But if she leaves, what'll become of the Dragoons?" asked Isabelle.

Needles sighed. "Yeah, that's another thing.  These guys are like my family, Your Lordship.  I can't just up and leave 'em."

Ember nodded. "I understand.  It's your choice, Needles.  I hope we can meet again."

She was about to fly away when Needles reached out her claw.

"Wait."

Ember stopped. "Yes?"

"I don't wanna leave my friends, Your Lordship.  But you're my friend, too," said Needles. "Which is why I'm doin' this.  Agniki, Ocard!"

With a snort, she summoned her fire elemental.

"Needles?  What is it this time?" it asked.

"Ocard, from now on, you're gonna stay out here as much as possible," said Needles.

Ocard blinked. "I don't quite understand.  I live inside you."

"Not anymore," said Needles. "From now on, my body is just gonna be your bed when you get tired.  I wanna be sure I can hear Lord Ember's summons whenever she needs somethin'."

Ocard stared at Needles. "A wise compromise."

"Yeah, I like to think so," said Needles with a smirk. "Wisdom's what I do, y'know.  Bein' a Dragon Mage and all."

Ocard's beady eyes seemed to smile. "It's so gratifying to hear you finally admit that.  You've really grown a lot, Needles."

"Thanks.  I appreciate that," said Needles.

"And I thank you.  For keeping yourself open," said Ember. "I'll keep in touch."

"So, we ride into sunset now?" asked Pepito. "That usually how this end."

"Indeed, señor," said Toro. "Idiots like Cortez are still out there, and we need to protect those that travel through the Mild West."

"Well said, Toro," said Needles with a grin. "Which is why I'm makin' you leader of this outfit."

Toro did a double take. "Wait, what?  Señorita Needles, you can't be serious.  I'm no leader.  I'm a wild dog."

"Can't you be both?" said Isabelle. "You'd certainly be a lot better at it than I was."

"Are you sure about this, my dear Needles?" asked Trigger.

Needles nodded. "Turns out I ain't leader material, Trigger.  I'm more of a guide.  It took me a while to realize it, but I think this is for the best."

"I agree.  Toro very smart dog," said Pepito. "Isabelle just have to listen."

Isabelle scowled. "I-I'll listen, I'll listen.  Salido el regañar de mí, langosta estúpida."

Toro let out a hearty guffaw. "Well, if this is what you think is best, then I accept."

"I always felt like Toro was in control more than Needles was," said Steel, scratching his head. "In a sense, not much has changed."

Without even turning to look at Steel, Needles threw a magic throwing star and beaned him right between the eyes.

"Open your eyes, dummy," she said. "We've all changed, for the better.  Change ain't always noticeable at first, but when it happens, you really feel it."  She then smiled at Ember. "And oftentimes, change can be a very good thing.  It ain't easy, though.  Which is why we just gotta keep at it and try to make things better."

Little Strongheart breathed out a small laugh. "I think that was the most profound thing you've said in a while, Needles.  You really are a Dragon Mage."

Needles gave Little Strongheart a dry smirk. "Yeah, well.  It took me long enough to get here."

"I think it's time we left, muchachos," said Toro. "Khamshin here is getting rather antsy."

Pepito stifled a giggle. "Oh, I get it.  Antsy!  Because Khamshin antlion.  Is funny!"

"It's not that funny," Isabelle said, rolling her eyes.

Needles chuckled and leapt onto Khamshin's back, pulling Trigger up with her. "I wouldn't trade you guys for all the gems in the world."  She then waved to Ember. "Seeya 'round.  Don't hesitate to call if ya need me."

"I won't," said Ember, waving back.

Toro smiled and nodded. "It's time we were off.  ¡Vamanos!"

With a rasp, Khamshin shuffled off over the horizon with Flint and Steel flying close behind.  Ember and Little Strongheart stood together, watching them leave.

"Will you be alright, Ember?" she asked.

A strange smile formed on Ember's face. "It's funny.  Already, I feel like Needles is still with me.  But, I know she's not.  And now I'm feeling that way about Spike."

"That's friendship for you," said Little Strongheart. "Even when far apart, your friends will always stay by your side."

"Indeed," said Ember with a nod. "And I want other dragons to realize that, too.  They may not know it yet, but there's a lot to like about this friendship business."

"Heh, now I've gotcha!"

Ember was soon caught off-guard by a burly black minotaur pointing a cannon in her face.

"No way I was gonna ignore this bounty," he said with a sneer. "You should know better than to mess with Asterius, Terror of the Mild West!  Now come with me, little lady.  Seth's gonna pay a lot for your hi—"

Before he could finish, Garble flew in and gave the minotaur a hug.

"Wh-what in tarnation?!  What's goin' on?!" he barked.

"I-I can't tell you!" Garble cried. "Ugh, this is the worst!"

Ember and Little Strongheart exchanged looks before sharing a laugh and leaving the two scoundrels in the middle of the desert.


The End