A Diplomatic Visit

by Evilhumour

Chapter Nine

Twilight let Swift-Pad lead the way down the stairs, and as the wolf padded ahead of her, she hoped what she had asked for would arrive soon - she had never given Rarity any real room to worry about something important like this before.

They both moved into the private dining room where Spike had used the fine china she wasn’t even aware she owned to serve dinner, with the fish salad smelling wonderful. If Spike was a pony, Twilight was sure he would have got his cutie mark in cooking if not for the multiple other things that he did so flawlessly.

“Thank you, young one,” Swift-Pad said before she could, the dragon beaming with pride. “Supper smells wonderful.”

“It’s nothing really,” Spike said although he beamed with pride at the words.

“Spike, remind me to set you up for some lessons in the future because as good as you already are, I cannot begin to imagine how much better you will be once you have more proper teaching,” Twilight said with complete honesty to her number one assistant.

“Twilight,” Spike blushed at her words, looking off to the side. “Come on, let’s eat, okay?”

“Yes, let us,” Swift-Pad said as he picked up the fork next to his plate with some difficulty that Twilight caught almost immediately. He was clearly well used to it but it wasn’t his normal manner of eating and Twilight was briefly wondering how he normally ate before she realized he was giving her a look that told her she hadn’t started eating yet and had been staring at him. “Is everything okay?” he asked her, with a look of concern on his face.

“Yes, just… a little lost in thought there for a moment,” Twilight said with a blush. “I do that from time to time.”

“Understandable from one as educated and intellectually curious as you,” Swift-Pad said with a casual nod of his head that still made Twilight smile. He then gave a nod to Spike as he continued to eat his meal. Twilight mimicked what he did and she had to admit, Spike had really outdone himself tonight.

They fell into a quiet dinner, making small talk with each other as Twilight kept an eye on the door, wondering when she would get here as she knew she was highly skilled-

Knock knock

Smiling to herself as she rose from the table, she quickly went to the front door to see exactly who she was waiting for.

Thanking her friend, she took the box back into the dining room where Swift-Pad’s look of confusion quickly changed into honest surprise. “Oh Twilight, I cannot-”

“I insist,” she said placing the gift in front of him. “After what you gave me, it is the right thing to do.” He was about to protest again when she pressed onwards. “As my new friend, please take this.”

That seemed to do the trick; the wolf accepted the package from her, elegantly wrapped of course, and gave it an appraising look. He began to unwrap it with care and let out a soft gasp as he saw what was inside.

“This is… this is too much,” he said with awe and even more surprise in his voice. He lifted the gloves out of the box and ran his paw over the velvet fabric, lined with small strands of silver that seemed to be like the night sky. It was a more than appropriate guess that it was the intent due to the single gem infused in the center of each glove; a gem that seemingly reflected the face of the moon outside. “I do not know what to say, Twilight.” His voice caught as he was genuinely taken back by the thought behind this gift.

“You don’t need to say anything,” Twilight told him with a smile. “I knew that you had some issues using your tools and Rarity and I took a guess that you would value the moon greatly, so that was the idea I suggested to her. The fact you like it so much is enough.”

“I will honour this gift always,” he told her solemnly, placing them on his paws and letting out a low mur of contentedness at how well they felt. “And I will definitely thank Rarity for making it. I am certain that other rune wolves such will be eager to commision her for such gloves once they see them.”

Twilight knew that Rarity would be overjoyed to hear his thanks, but even more so that he would be spreading word of her abilities to his fellow wolves.

“Perhaps you could thank her tomorrow morning before we leave for Canterlot?” she offered to Swift-Pad. “I’m not sure of the exact schedule, but we should have enough time to drop by for at least a few minutes.”

“There should be more than enough time for it,” Swift-Pad said with determination. “The train will not go until I am aboard.”

Twilight blinked in surprise but said nothing to it, filing away the information. Instead she tilted her head back to the table so they could sit down and continue their supper. They had a busy morning tomorrow after all, and they would need to get to sleep as soon as possible.

Some time later though, Twilight found herself lost in thought as she lay in her bed. Despite knowing they had an early morning, Swift-Pad had accepted a light dessert of tea and simple cookies that Spike had prepared in advance, and Twilight had found herself practicing creating the light rune on sheets of paper for half an hour afterward before Swift-Pad indicated she could try and use a stone again.

Twilight had taken the tools in her hooves and begun to try and recreate the rune on the stones the wolf had provided her. Despite her practices with the paper, however, she’d found herself being jolted every single time. Swift-Pad had given her a few pointers how to better hold the tools and informed her it was fine for her to use her magic, both for holding them and to power his specialized glasses to inspect the stone if the rune was complete or not.

Finally, after nearly twenty minutes of work, she had managed to create a rune that didn’t shock her and instead emitted a purple light that was a match to her own magic.

Swift-Pad had praised her for doing it and told her her next task as practitioner of rune magic would be replicating the rune until she managed to do so without too many failed attempts. It would have to wait until tomorrow though as it was getting late and they all needed to get their rest.

At that, they had all departed for their rooms for the night, with Twilight taking her working runestone with her. Even now, she could feel the magic stored within it and she found it was a simple enough mental outwards reach to activate and deactivate it, as like any other low level spell. As she drifted off, she smiled at this new school of magic that she had just started on.

---

Twilight shook her head as she reached for the alarm clock that was going off, struggling to wake herself up. She could hear Spike’s grumbling as he waddled across the room, heading downstairs to make breakfast for them. When she’d caught up with him, she found Swift-Pad at the bottom of the stairs, letting out a wide yawn before making his way into the kitchen.

“Hold up, hold up, I’ll make the coffee,” Spike grumbled as he hurried after the wolf, who backed out of his way with a bemused look on his face.

“Brave dragon to chase out a wolf before he has had a chance to eat,” Swift-Pad muttered as he licked his lips and shook himself fully awake.

“Spike’s pretty brave when he wants to be,” Twilight said with a yawn of her own. “I’ve seen him stand up to a pack of teenaged dragons who were… well, unpleasant enough that I really, really hope they weren’t representative of what most dragons are like.”

“As with all youths, they are headstrong and poor thinkers,” Swift-Pad shook his head as he blinked. “Full of the belief that nothing can harm them and they can do anything. One would hope that they learn better with age and experience.”

Twilight nodded. “I certainly hope so, given what they wanted Spike to do to ‘prove himself a real dragon’.” Her face turned sour at the memory.

“Might I ask?” Swift-Pad said cautiously.

“They were trying to get him to smash a defenseless phoenix egg.”

The wolf diplomat’s hackles immediately stood on end. “They did… what?” he growled. “That is one of the most abhorrent things I have ever heard in my life!”

Twilight nodded. “Spike refused to do it though, and afterward we took the egg back home for safekeeping since its parents had run off. He and I eventually found a new phoenix family to raise the little guy after he hatched though.”

“Then all ended well,” Swift-Pad said as he calmed himself. “Still, that they would have asked him to do such a thing in the first place… had Dragon Lord Torch discovered them acting in that manner, he would have punished them severely.”

“Dragon Lord?” Twilight asked.

Swift-Pad nodded. “The wolf packs don’t often deal with the dragons, but we have met with their leadership on occasion. The Dragon Lord is the ruler, and he is a reasonable if not traditionalist leader.” He then tilted his head to one side. “Do you happen to remember their names?”

“The main one was Garble,” Twilight said. “There were some others, but it’s been a long time, during the last big dragon migration before my brother’s wedding. I don’t know if they ever said their names.”

“In any case, I will pass this along to my counterparts in the Dragon Lands; at the very least this Garble and his cronies will now face some punishment for trying to harm an endangered animal.”

Twilight smiled at that. “Good.”

“Coffee’s ready,” Spike broke in as he stuck his head out. “And I’ve got breakfast cooking.”

“Thank you, Spike,” Swift-Pad said as he and Twilight headed for the table and their much-needed caffeine.

“Have you, by chance, encountered other older dragons besides these teenage ones?” he asked, once he’d taken his first drink.

Twilight nodded. “Two of them. The first had started a hundred-year-nap in a mountain near Ponyville, and we had to get him to move along because his smoke was causing a great deal of trouble for all of Equestria. Fluttershy was the one who finally convinced him to go, after she… well, scolded him for his behavior. The other one was living in the Everfree, and I admit he had a genuine problem with us - Spike didn’t realize his hoard belonged to someone and was… well…”

“I had a little snack,” Spike broke in from where he was cooking. “I was lost, tired and hungry, and I didn’t know any better then. It was a mistake, I admit it.”

“That is something a lot of adults have great difficulty in doing, admitting your faults,” Swift-Pad said as he fixed his glasses.

“Yeah.” Spike focused on his cooking for a moment before he continued. “I’ve learned a lot since we came here. It’s been a trial-and-error thing, of course, and it didn’t help that not many ponies know a lot about dragons. Hay, I didn’t find out we grew from hoarding until it happened to me.”

Swift-Pad turned to him in surprise. “You have experienced Greed Growth?”

“Yeah, and I about lost my mind from it because I didn’t realize what it was doing to me,” Spike said with a grumble. “Good thing Rarity was able to bring me back to my senses.”

“It is indeed,” Swift-Pad said. “One thing my people have learned is that the greed-induced growth spurt you experienced is not the same as a dragon’s natural growth. While some do induce it willingly, they typically wait to do so after they have undergone their natural transition into a more mature state, and have better control of themselves.”

“Really?” Spike looked at him in surprise before turning back to the stove and taking up the food. “That’s a relief to know. What else can you tell me about dragon maturity?”

Swift-Pad accepted the plate from him before continuing. “In time, you will enter a biological state that dragons refer to as ‘the molt’, which will last a day or so and end in your undergoing a metamorphosis into a slightly larger form. During this metamorphosis, you will develop your wings, and your fire will increase in strength and intensity. However, you must also take care during this time, as the scent of a molting dragon attracts roc birds, and you will have little ability to defend yourself until the process is complete.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Spike said as he settled into his own seat. “Thank you, Swift-Pad.”

“You are welcome, young one,” Swift-Pad replied.

“...once that happens, you will be staying indoors,” Twilight said before taking another bite. “I’ve heard of rocs, and they’re very dangerous. And…” Her tone softened. “And I don’t want to lose you to one, or to any other predator.”

Spike blushed. “Ah, Twilight…”

“You’re more than my number one assistant, Spike,” Twilight said. “You’re a part of my family.”

Spike blushed again before turning back to his food, clearly uncertain as to how to reply. The silence began to stretch to slightly awkward levels when Swift-Pad coughed and brought their attention back to him. “In any case, Lady Twilight, I believe we should go over today’s agenda,” he said with his voice becoming firmer. “We will be attending to the school for roughly thirty minutes, and afterward leaving directly for Canterlot so that I may meet with her Graces Celestia and her Grand Grace Luna to conclude the ratification of our diplomatic trade arrangements.”

“Thank you for informing me,” Twilight replied. “I was unaware that you had plans to visit the Ponyville schoolhouse.”

Swift-Pad nodded. “I have met a few of the young ones already when I was at your friend Applejack’s home yesterday, and I believe they are quite looking forward to meeting me again.”

“You met Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, that was them,” Swift-Pad replied. “I am not surprised that you guessed, seeing as they are the sisters of two of your friends and Scootaloo is quite close to a third.”

Twilight nodded her head, though slightly disturbed in how well he knew about their family connections. “That’s correct,” she said with Swift-Pad giving her a knowing look. “Is there something wrong, Swift-Pad?” she asked him.

“You are curious to how I know all of this, are you not?” Swift-Pad said.

“I was, kind of,” Twilight admitted.

“In two cases, it was through simple observation,” Swift-Pad replied. “I met Apple Bloom when she was on her way home and we crossed paths, allowing her to lead me to your friend Applejack’s farm. They referred to one another as sisters in my presence. I also saw how your friend Rainbow Dash interacted with Scootaloo, and it was rather clear that the young one idolized her.”

Twilight smiled. “That she does,” she said. “Scootaloo’s been obsessed with Rainbow Dash for as long as I’ve known her.”

“And young Sweetie Belle… while I have not seen her interact with Rarity, the information was included in my folder on your friend. I was given enough information to avoid causing trouble on matters, including identifying some family members of the six of you.” He blinked slowly. “Though I will admit that they do not contain everything on those I was to meet. For instance, your folder informed me that you had a young dragon companion, but not of how the two of you came to be living and working together. Might I ask how this came to be?”

Twilight looked a little disturbed about the mention of information and folders, but shook it off. “How much do you know about the entry exam for Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?”

“Only that it involves written tests and demonstration of magical capability,” Swift-Pad said. “I have not been informed of the specifics of these tests.”

“Well, at least some of the tests are…” Twilight took a deep breath. “To hatch a dragon’s egg. I don’t know where they get them from, or how. But I was asked to use my magic on one, despite it being incredibly resistant to magic. I was on the verge of giving up when… well, you remember what I told you about how I was badly startled by something, lost control of my powers and had a magical surge? That was when it happened, and it made the examiners levitate, turned my parents into potted plants, and hatched the egg, turning the dragon inside into a giant.” She sighed. “Luckily, Princess Celestia was able to undo all of that, except for the egg - it stayed hatched, but the dragon inside shrank back to normal size for his age.” She looked over at Spike with a smile. “And I’ve been taking care of him ever since.”

Swift-Pad looked at them both with surprise. “I see.”

Spike coughed. “Yeah, and Twilight’s great… not that I haven’t wondered about where my egg came from, but Princess Celestia hasn’t told either of us yet. I’ve always kind of figured she found it somewhere and took it to keep it safe because the dragons who laid it were… well, gone.” He looked down a bit, but then turned back to Twilight, his face lightening as he did.

“I will have to ask Princess Celestia next time we meet,” Twilight said, tapping her fork against the plate. “In any case, I think we should get going to the schoolhouse if we want to be on time to go to Canterlot.”

“That is an excellent point, Lady Sparkle.” Swift-Pad rose from his seat. “Shall we be off then?”

---

It didn’t take the three of them long to reach the school, and to introduce Swift-Pad to Cheerilee, who had already been informed about him when Celestia was there yesterday. He bowed politely to her, and was surprised when she bowed back. “It’s an honor to meet you in person, rather from a distance,” she said.

Swift-Pad looked a little confused. “You have seen me before?”

“I was out shopping while you were exploring the town yesterday,” she explained. “I saw your little meeting with Fluttershy.”

“Ah.” Swift-Pad nodded. “Yes, our interaction was a pleasant surprise.”

“Quite.” Cheerilee smiled. “The students should be here soon, and I feel I must inform you that a few of them are… excitable individuals.”

“As are most pups when they are introduced to something new and exotic,” Swift-Pad agreed. “In fact, I suspect I have met the ones you speak of - the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’?”

“Yes,” Cheerilee agreed with a sigh of relief. “They’re good kids, just exuberant.” Then she looked disturbed. “There are also… well, I hate to speak ill of anypony, but at least one of my students has a tendency to be rather unpleasant to most others, and while I would never speak out against friendship, I regret to say that one of her classmates is very close to her and tends to follow her lead in that way most of the time.” She frowned. “I hope that you will not hold their poor behavior against the rest of us.”

“I have encountered many who have a poor view of those who are different from them,” Swift-Pad replied. “So long as they confine themselves to words only, so shall I.”

“And if they don’t?” Cheerilee asked nervously

“Then I shall have words with their parents about their behavior,” Swift-Pad replied with a wide grin that showed off his sharp teeth.

“It may not do you a lot of good,” Cheerilee said with a sigh. “One of their parents happens to be head of the school board, and is the reason her daughter gets away with so much. Fortunately, her father is far more reasonable, and I would recommend speaking to him rather than his wife.”

“I thank you for your information; it is always a good day when I can rely on words instead of my appearance, that is what diplomacy is all about, after all.” Swift-Pad gave her a more restrained smile.

“We all enjoy when people can use their words instead of resorting to other means,” Cheerilee said with a sigh. “It would make things so much easier if certain students didn’t resort to… more physical ways of settling disagreements.” She looked uncomfortable at the thought. “I do my best to intervene before it gets that bad, but I can’t be everywhere at once.”

“As is the case with any parental figure that has to look over a lot of young ones; I do know that I was young once and was not the most…. forward thinking pup,” he let out a chuckle that Cheerilee shared. “But in any case, I think we have spent enough time outside.”

“Of course, of course.” Swift-Pad nodded and followed her in, with Twilight and Spike right behind him. The four walked into the room to find all the students already in their seats, and headed to the front.

When they were in position. Cheerilee raised a hoof. “Now everypony, I would like to introduce mister Swift-Pad of the High-Leap Pack,” she said as she stood next to the wolf. “He’s come from the Packlands to Equestria for an important diplomatic meeting with the Princesses, and has also agreed to meet with us here.”

Looking around the room at the assorted students, Swift-Pad observed them one by one. He recognized Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, of course, the three all smiling widely and clearly happy to see him. Other students were looking in awe, a few seemed rather calm in their seats, one with a recognizably zen look in his eyes, and at least one was doing her best to hide an expression of sheer terror. Her fur was standing bolt-upright, though, and he could see the slight trembles in her legs.

Only one is a good sign, he thought to himself as he settled himself into a much more relaxed stance. “Hello young ones,” he said, keeping himself lower to the ground as not to loom over them and trigger any prey instincts in them. “As your teacher said, my name is Swift-Pad. While I am here, I thought it would be best if I were to pay a visit and let you get to know more of me and my people. Please,” he gave a smile that wasn’t too wide and hid his teeth. “If you have any questions, I would be most interested in hearing them.”

The colt with the zen look raised a hoof, and when Swift-Pad nodded in his direction, he began to speak. “Are your people related to the old Dire Wolves?”

Swift-Pad blinked in surprise. “To whom?”

“The Dire Wolves,” the colt said. “My folks told me this old legend once, ‘bout how when the old tribes left their homes and came to Equestria, these huge Dire Wolves moved in behind them to protect that land until the day the ponies returned. ’s not a common story, but there are a few of us who believe.”

“Ah.” Swift-Pad nodded. “And you are?”

“Snails.” The colt blinked slowly. “Short for Snailsquirm.”

“Well, Mr. Snails, I must admit I am not familiar with the legend you speak of, but it sounds like an interesting one that I shall have to look into when I have the opportunity.” Swift-Pad looked at him carefully. “Furthermore, the Packlands are in a different direction from where the pony tribes once migrated from.”

Snails shrugged. “It was worth asking when I had the chance.”

“Quite, young one.” Swift-Pad looked around. “Anypony else?”

A young colt that had a similar look on his face to the other colt raised his hoof and asked, “Do you eat animals Swift-Pad?”

Swift-Pad couldn’t help but wince at his bluntness. “We are meat-eaters,” he admitted rather quickly to quell the damage. “But only non-sapient creatures, such as fish.” He left out the hunts the packs did yearly as they wouldn’t understand. Despite his words, he couldn’t help but notice that the scared pink filly was looking even more nervous.

“Mister Swift-Pad?” Apple Bloom asked while raising her hoof. “How did you get your name?”

Swift-Pad smiled at this. “In the Packlands, it is tradition that one gains their name based on an attribute that best suits them. The elders of my pack observed that I was able to move swiftly on my pads when most of my littermates were still fumbling about, and so named me for this ability.” He then chuckled. “Most try to gain a favourable name but they are not always lucky. There is a rather large wolf back home, the size of your brother. He is one of more solid members of my pack and on the front line when there are issues with other packs.” He chuckled a bit more, drawing the students into his story. “He was named due to the sound he made when he was a pup and was being groomed by the elder watching over us at the time, and he would love nothing better than to forget the story of how he got it… but it’s hard to do so when your name is Giggle-Snort.”

There was a round of loud chuckles at that, and even the nervous filly cracked a smile. So did Cheerilee, though she was trying to hide it behind her hoof.

When the students had calmed down, one of the smaller fillies in the room raised a hoof, and Swift-Pad gestured to her. “And you are?”

The filly smiled brightly. “I’m Dinky!”

Observing her closely, Swift-Pad smiled back. “Yes, yes you are.”

There was another round of giggles before she could speak. “Mr. Swift-Pad? Do you like muffins?”

“Well, I’ve never met one I had any trouble with,” Swift-Pad said, and Dinky giggled.

After that, the entire atmosphere was relaxed and the rest of the students were more at ease asking him simple questions. Some were easy, such as did he have any siblings, which was that he had litter-mates as the equivalent to siblings. Others were a bit more difficult to answer, such as the filly who asked if there was any special someone back home for him. That question he danced around with all the skill his training gave him, and he could practically feel Twilight’s eyes on his back as he did so. Inwardly, he couldn’t help but be relieved it was her who was present and not her Grace Mi Amore Cadenza, due to what he knew of her special talent. She would be able to get an answer from him in no time, and he really wasn’t ready to give that information to anyone.

For that matter, he still wasn’t sure of what he felt himself, and he was not about to bring others into the matter until he had personally resolved it to his satisfaction.

Finally, Cheerilee announced that time was up, and while there was a chorus of groans, she turned to Swift-Pad. “Thank you so much for your time, sir.”

“It was no problem at all, miss Cheerilee,” Swift-Pad said as he rose, and raised a paw. “Thank you all for giving me your time, young ones, and I hope you enjoy your day.”

With that, he, Twilight and Spike headed outside, and his ear twitched as he heard Cheerilee announcing it was time for recess now and the students all getting up from their seats to head for the schoolyard.

As the three crossed the grounds themselves, Swift-Pad heard a set of hooves rushing up from behind him, and he turned to see the pink filly who’d been so nervous coming to a halt. “Yes?” he asked.

The filly was still looking a little wary, but she was also clearly trying to calm herself. “Excuse me, Mr. Swift-Pad? Can I ask you a question?”

“I believe you just did, but you may ask another,” Swift-Pad said, an amused tone in his voice.

“Thank you.” The filly looked shyly at him. “I was wondering-”

“Diamond Dazzle Tiara!” a loud voice suddenly interjected, and the filly’s eyes widened. In an instant, Swift-Pad spun around to see a thoroughly unpleasant-looking mare, her coat a darker shade of pink and her mane a two-toned purplish shade. Her snout was curled upward, and she had a dark look in her eyes. “What do you think you’re doing? Get away from that animal this instant!”

Swift-Pad’s own expression darkened, and he moved himself into a protective position between the filly and the mare. “And you are?” he called out.

“None of your business,” the mare retorted. “Now get away from her before I call the Guard on you!”

Swift-Pad did his best to control his temper, but this mare was making it very difficult. He was about to say something more, when someone else spoke up in his place.

“Mrs. Rich.”

Swift-Pad glanced to his side to see Twilight walking forwards, Spike on her back. She did not look happy.

“Did I just hear you threatening the good ambassador?” Twilight continued, her voice firm but clearly angry. “Because if I did, I might have to call the Guard on you.”

“P-Princess Twilight!” The other mare suddenly looked just as nervous as the filly had been. “I… I had no idea you were here!” She glanced at Swift-Pad. “And I had no idea you were keeping such distinguished company, sir.”

“And it shouldn’t matter,” Twilight countered. “Swift-Pad is here on important diplomatic matters, and I expect you to show him respect. For that matter, I would expect you to show respect to any visitor to this town, regardless of why they’re here or whether or not I’m with them. Have I made myself clear?”

“Of-of course,” the other mare stammered. “Absolutely, your highness.”

“Good.” Twilight watched as the other mare turned and hurried off. “That was not something I expected to have to deal with today,” she said as she let out a sigh, the tension visibly flowing from her.

“Indeed,” Swift-Pad agreed before turning around to see a look of relief on the young filly’s face. “Are you all right, young lady?”

Diamond Tiara nodded. “Thank you,” she said. “Both of you. I’ve never seen anyone stand up to my mother like that…”

“It was our pleasure,” Swift-Pad reassured her. “In my land, young ones are always to be protected from threats, regardless of blood ties between those involved.”

Diamond smiled at him. “Still, I… I really appreciate it.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “Um, can I still ask what I was going to before?”

“Go right ahead, young one,” Swift-Pad said.

When she had asked and gone off, Twilight and Swift-Pad turned and headed away from the schoolyard, the two and Spike silent for a few minutes. Finally, when they had gotten far enough away, Swift-Pad turned to her. “You handled that very well,” he said.

Twilight’s face flushed. “I just did what I had to,” she said. “I will always stick up for my friends when I can. And...” She looked down. “I know she’s caused trouble for some of her classmates before, but Diamond Tiara was obviously scared when she saw her mother. How could I not help you protect her?”

Swift-Pad chuckled. “Besides that, you handled yourself with poise and dignity,” he said. “In that moment, you truly were as you should be: a Princess of Equestria, who acted with a firm hoof and yet relied on words to get your point across. And you kept one of your subjects safe in doing so.” He looked at her, a firm smile on his face. “Children are one of our greatest treasures, regardless of where they come from, and you stood up for her.”

Twilight smiled back at him. “Thank you, Swift-Pad.”

Then the two headed off toward the train station, Spike still riding on Twilight’s back and looking thoughtful.

Some distance behind them, three little fillies were discussing what they’d seen, and looking toward Diamond Tiara in a new light.

And even further back, Cheerilee had seen the whole confrontation, and had tears of happiness in her eyes. “Oh, Swift-Pad…” she whispered to herself. “Thank you, and Princess Twilight. Thank you both so much.”

She could only hope that this experience would truly affect Diamond Tiara, the very student she’d had to warn the wolf ambassador about, for the better.

Comments

[Asolem2]

She could only hope that this experience would truly affect Diamond Tiara, the very student she’d had to warn the wolf ambassador about, for the better.

Probably will

[SpikeSmolder fan]

Came across this story on the update page so I decided to check it out, I like what I read so far!

Really like Swift-Pad demeanor with the pony/dragon crew, glad you touched upon the Dragon Lord & the Molting phase for my fave purple dragon though the wolf ambassador, Also nice way to plant the seed for DT change of heart with the confrontation between her mom & Twilight.

Looking forward to see what the rest of these chapters bring up before I get caught up with the latest chapter!

[Stainless Steel Fox]

I was given enough information to avoid causing trouble on matters, including identifying some family members of the six of you.

Pity Celestia was so hung up on teaching Twilight a lesson (why does that sound like a threat?) that she didn't do the same thing.

[redmar]

This is a great chapter and I lke all the references to later in the show and how Twilight dealt with Spoiled Rich.