> Peace Porridge Hot
>  by Metool Bard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: Summon the Dragoons!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That's right.  Just cough it all up."

The two wealthy ponies looked nervously at each other as they placed all of their valuables in the burlap sack.  The bulls surrounding their stagecoach held their horns close, ready to ram the ponies if they so much as made a move.  Their ringleader laughed.

"You ponies are such easy targets," he scoffed. "I almost feel bad for robbing ya blind.  Almost."

"Oh, you're gonna feel bad, alright."

The bulls perked up, trying to locate the source of the new voice.  The ringleader scowled.

"Who said that?" he asked, snorting angrily and pawing the ground. "Show yourse—"

He was interrupted by a loud rasp piercing the canyon skies, followed by a large tremor beneath his hooves.  Suddenly, a pair of insect mandibles sprang up from the sand, snagging one of the bulls and tossing him over the wild blue yonder.

"I-it's an antlion!" one of the bulls cried. "Boss, we should get out of here!"

"When I want your opinion, I'll give it to ya!" the ringleader barked. "The great Longhorn ain't afraid of no overgrown insect!"

"It's not Khamshin you should be worried about, ese."

Longhorn spun around again.  This time, his eyes went wide with shock.  Standing before him was the most terrifying-looking posse he had ever laid eyes on.  Two of them were teenage dragons.  One was short with black scales that shined like obsidian; the other a lankier fellow with grey scales and sharp eyes.  The next was a black Diamond Dog with large, fierce-looking jowls.  He wore a large sombrero and a braided poncho, and he held a large cannon that was pointed right at the bandits.  On the Diamond Dog's shoulder was a small dragon with alabaster scales and a manic look in his piercing blue eyes.

But what frightened Longhorn most of all was their leader, a small yellow dragon with a mole on her cheek and a parasol in her claws.  Floating next to her was a tiny amber flame with beady little eyes.

"No.  I-it can't be," Longhorn sputtered. "There's no way!"

"Methinks our reputation precedes us, boys," said the yellow dragon. "Toro, don't let these guys out of your sight."

"Wasn't planning on it, Señorita Needles," said the Diamond Dog. "No one escapes the eye of Toro the Bulldog."

"Just say the word, and these guys are toast," said the black dragon, pounding his fist into his palm.

"Um, let's be wary of the civilians here, Flint," said the lanky dragon. "We're trying to help people, remember?"

"I know what I'm doing, Steel," Flint snarled.

"You two, cut the chatter before I have Khamshin knock some sense into you," Needles scolded.

Longhorn snorted, trying his best to save face. "Heh.  Looks like you Dragoons are still the laughingstock of the Mild West.  Always tryin' to do good, and always messin' up."

Needles narrowed her eyes and summoned a magical throwing star. "You wanna say that again, hombre?"

"No, Needles.  Do not let him rile you up," said the fire elemental. "Remember, the path of violence is not the only one."

Needles closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I got this, Ocard.  Just let me do my thing."

"You stop picking on Needles," the white dragon snapped. "Otherwise, I might just get a bit itchy and fire this cannon at you.  Ehheh..."

"Trigger, let me handle this," Needles growled. "I can fight my own battles."

"I know, my dear desert blossom," said Trigger, wringing his claws. "But remember, you don't have to fight alone.  We're all here for you."

Needles blushed. "Th-that ain't helpin', Trigger."

Longhorn laughed. "Well, ain't that sweet.  I hate sweet!  Go get 'em, boys!"

The bulls hesitated for but a moment before charging at the Dragoons.  However, this soon turned out to be a mistake.  Flint and Steel shot into the air, breathing their flame from above and singeing the stampede.  Explosions erupted from Toro's cannon, sending bulls flying hither and thither.  Even so, Longhorn would not be deterred.

"Flank 'em from the rear!" he ordered. "They ain't lookin' behind 'em!"

Needles deadpanned. "You know we can hear ya, right?  Khamshin!"

She brought her fingers to her lips and let out a whistle.  From behind, the antlion from before burst from the ground, blocking the bulls foolish enough to attack from behind.  With a rasp, he breathed out a dusty smog, bathing the bandits.  When the smog cleared, they were petrified.

"Good boy," said Needles with a smirk. "Ready to pack it in, Longhorn?"

Longhorn smirked in return. "I still ain't afraid of you, Dragon Mage.  I know your weakness."

He let out a whistle of his own.  From the depths of his posse, one bull stood up on its hind legs and revealed muscular arms where its front legs used to be.  Needles gasped as she recognized the monstrous minotaur.  His burly black biceps; his cow skull helmet; even his sinister red eyes sent chills up her spine.  The minotaur grinned.

"Long time no see, Needles," he said.

"Asterius," Needles sputtered, almost choking on her own words. "You've got a lot of gall causing trouble on my watch."

"Really now?  What about you?" Asterius asked, towering over Needles. "You ran away from your clan a long time ago, and I took you in.  The Mild West was supposed to be under the rule of the Bull's Eye Gang, and you threw it all away 'cause you went soft."

"Or maybe I just realized what a jerk you are and how important my heritage is," Needles retorted. "We ain't your Bull's Eye Gang no more, Nasty-Asty.  We're the Dragoons, and we keep this land safe."

"Do you now?" said Asterius, stroking his chin. "'Cause the way I heard it, Dragon Magi aren't supposed to be violent.  Y'all are supposed to be noble and wise and guide people through life.  How exactly are you accomplishing that by fighting against the likes of me?"

Needles's hands balled into fists. "You have no idea what I've been through to get to this point, Asty.  And yeah, I still don't know everything there is to know about this Dragon Magi business.  But it ain't from a lack of trying."

"Good, young Needles," said Ocard. "Assert your position without resorting to aggression.  Don't let your anger get the better of you."

Asterius scoffed and drew his own miniature cannon. "Well, look at you, all high and mighty!  You think you've grown beyond bein' an outlaw?!  You think you can best me, the biggest and baddest bandit the Mild West has ever known?!  You're nothin' but a disappointment to everyone around you!"

Needles flinched. "Th-that ain't true.  My folks are kinda disappointed, yeah, but I've gotten better!  And my friends are still there for me!  'Sides, I ain't looking for your approval!"

"You'd better, Needles," said Asterius in a dark tone. "'Cause by the time I'm done, I'm gonna be the only friend you've got left!"

His cannon erupted, and a loud rasp echoed behind Needles.  She spun around to see what he hit, and her heart froze.  The antlion, Khamshim, roared in pain as the cannon blast flipped him on his back.  Before Needles could react, Asterius fired another shot.  This one struck Flint and Steel, and the two dragons fell from the sky.  Tears welled up in Needles's eyes.

"Stop it," she muttered, trembling all over as her chest felt hot. "Stop it, Asterius.  Stop it, or you're gonna regret it!"

"Needles, relax," Ocard warned. "You're losing control."

"Relax?  Relax?!" Needles bellowed, turning savagely towards Ocard. "The Dragoons are practically my second family, and he's mowing them down!  How do you expect me to relax?!  He's hurting my friends!"

Ocard sighed "I'm not saying you can't be empathetic, young Needles.  That is a key teaching of the Dragon Magi," it said sagely. "But remember, your emotional state is linked to my power.  When you lose control, I lose control.  And the results of that won't benefit anyone."

"Then what the heck am I supposed to do?!"

"That I cannot tell you."

"What you mean is that you don't know!"

Ocard gave Needles a bemused look. "Oh, I'm sorry.  I thought I was the mentoring fire elemental here.  You know, the thing Dragon Magi assign to their children so they won't stray from the noble path?  It's no wonder you took so long to summon me."

"Oh, don't you start, Ocard!  Don't you dare star—"

Another cannon blast interrupted her train of thought.  This one struck Trigger, knocking him clean off of Toro's shoulder.  Needles's chest felt like it was about to explode, and she glared daggers at Asterius.

"That's it!  You're goin' down!"

"Needles, no!"

But Needles did not hear Ocard.  She bombarded Asterius with more energy stars than she knew she could wield.  She belted out an amber flame, which took the form of a large, snakelike dragon.  The flaming dragon roared and darted across the land, immolating everything in its path.  The desert sand fused into glass, and everything else was reduced to ash.  Before Needles could fully drink in the horror of what she had just done, she blacked out.


***


"Gah~!"

Needles awoke in the middle of the desert, sitting cross-legged on a massive boulder under the starry night sky.  She panted heavily, taking stock of her surroundings.  Khanshim sat next to her, snoring contently.  She sighed and stroked the antlion's mane.

"Dang it.  Failed again," she muttered.

"You are improving, young Needles.  Do not get discouraged," said Ocard, floating next to her.

"I'm trying not to, Ocard.  I really am," said Needles. "I-it's just so hard.  I've lived most of my life fighting my way through everyone I didn't like, but you keep saying that's not how Dragon Magi do things.  Maybe this isn't for me."

"I wouldn't give up so easily," said Ocard. "Clear your mind and let's try again.  Oh, and do make an attempt to avoid insulting me.  I don't take that kind of thing well."

Needles scowled. "Well maybe if you weren't such a jerk, I'd be inclined to—"

She suddenly felt a sharp, burning sensation in her scales.  Looking down at her body, she was surprised to see it start to glow.

"Wh-what's goin' on?" she wondered.

"Ow~!  Oof!  Not again!"

"Seriously, Steel.  Stop being such a wimp."

"Speak for yourself, Flint.  I can never get used to this.  Ehheh...  Ehheh..."

Needles turned back towards the hideout.  Flint, Steel, and Trigger emerged, all of them glowing just as she was.

"Okay, now I'm really confused," said Needles, scratching her head.

"Hmm.  I suppose since I'm outside your body, I'm unable to block the summons," mused Ocard. "Intriguing."

"The summons?  What're you talking about?" asked Needles.

"Guys!"

The Dragoons turned their eyes to the horizon, and they saw a familiar young buffalo galloping up to them.

"Little Strongheart.  You're up rather late," said Steel. "Trouble with the buffalo tribe?"

"No, nothing like that," said Little Strongheart. "We just got an invitation for this year's Inter-Species Conference, and I thought you guys would be interested."  She then noticed the dragons' glowing bodies. "Although from the looks of things, you already got the message."

Needles massages her temples. "Will someone please start explaining what the heck is going on?!"

"Long story short, you're being summoned by the Dragon Lord," said Ocard. "Dragon Magi usually don't answer to that particular hierarchy, as they've divorced themselves from their western cousins' barbarous ways.  But this time seems to be an exception."

"Okay.  But, why is the Dragon Lord summoning us?" asked Needles.

"I think it has to do with this year's Inter-Species Conference," said Little Strongheart, holding up her own invitation.

"And, what is this conference, Señorita Strongheart?" asked Toro.

"Princess Celestia meets with all of the different species who are allies or seek to be allies with Equestria," Little Strongheart explained. "Chief Thunderhooves is having me represent the buffalo this year."

"Great.  Proud of you, Strongheart," said Needles, folding her arms. "Still doesn't explain what the Dragon Lord wants with us."

"Well, look at this."

Little Strongheart pointed to the invitation.  There were a lot of names on it, most of them were people Needles didn't recognize.  But one immediately caught the attention of Trigger.

"Dragon Lord Ember?"

Little Strongheart nodded. "You guys might not know this, but dragons have never attended the Inter-Speices Conference before."

"So, what?  Lord Ember wants to mingle with ponies; big whoop," said Flint with a shrug. "What does that have to do with us?"

Needles shrugged. "Guess there's only one way to find out.  Toro, watch after Khanshim.  We've got a summons to answer."

"Of course, Señorita Needles," said Toro with a bow.

Needles sighed. "Alright, Dragoons.  We're heading for..."  She turned to Little Strongheart. "Where's this conference bein' held?"

"Canterlot."

"We're heading for Canterlot.  Vamanos."

With that, she leapt onto Little Strongheart's back and pulled Trigger up with her.  She then gave Toro and Khamshin one final wave goodbye before Little Strongheart galloped towards the Appleloosan train station, with Flint, Steel, and Ocard flying close behind.  All the while, Needles couldn't help but wonder what fate had in store for them...
> Juxtaposed Jitters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I still can't believe this is the first time I'm hearing about this Dragon Lord."

Trigger placed a hand on Needles's shoulder as he walked her through the halls of Canterlot Castle. "Well, as Ocard explained, you Dragon Magi don't answer to the Dragon Lord.  It's understandable why you've never been summoned."

"But seriously, that last Gauntlet of Fire?  You really should've been there," said Steel. "I mean, Flint and I didn't get very far, but you would've nailed everything with your fancy magic."

There was a brief pause as Needles looked over at Flint.  She raised an eyebrow.

"This is usually the part where you chime in with some angry quip," she said.

"Huh?  What do I have to be angry about?" said Flint with a shrug. "Princess Ember became Dragon Lord fair and square."

"Didn't she have help from that Spike fellow?" Steel asked.

"Well, yeah.  But I don't think he really wanted the title himself," said Flint. "He just didn't want that jerk Garble to get it."

Needles blinked. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with Flint?"

Flint rolled his eyes. "Oh, har har.  Look, Needles.  We're meeting with the Dragon Lord here.  That's a time when you stow away your more aggressive tendencies and open up your freaking ears.  We can't show her any disrespect."

"Okay, okay.  Sheesh, no need to jump down my throat," said Needles.  She then sighed. "I-I guess I'm just a bit nervous.  I mean, if she's callin' upon me, a Dragon Mage, that must mean she needs some advice.  But I'm not that good at that stuff yet."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," said Little Strongheart. "You have Ocard to help you out, don't you?"

"I guess," said Needles. "Still, I can't shake the feeling that..."


***


"This is a bad idea."

Gruff gave Gilda a look as a smaller griffon darted around her, measuring the sleeves of her new uniform.  Never in all his years did he expect his granddaughter to be wearing such a regal brown suit decorated with a red sash.  Upon the sash was a golden badge depicting the ancient Idol of Boreas; Griffonstone's sacred treasure that was lost to the annals of time.  It was to mark her accomplishment of helping Griffonstone return to its former glory.  But even with the prestige, she still acted like an obstinate cub.

"Gilda, you must understand.  Ambassador Honor Bound chose you to be his successor for a reason," said Gruff.

"Yeah, a stupid reason," Gilda growled. "I wouldn't have done anything to help Griffonstone if it wasn't for Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.  They should be the ones doing this, not me."

Gruff cackled. "Do my ears deceive me?  I would never picture you as being this modest."

"I'm serious, Grandpa," said Gilda. "I'm not ambassador material.  I've never met half of the creatures attending this, conference."

She had to fight against the urge to call the conference stupid or lame.  But even so, Gruff knew she was thinking it.  He sighed and shook his head.

"Gilda, I know you've spent most of your life building up this 'tough girl' wall and putting on airs.  But times are changing now, and Griffonstone is starting to catch up with the rest of the Griffon Kingdom.  That wall has to come down," he said sternly. "Besides, if you've managed to get along with ponies, you can get along with anyone else at this conference."

"Yeah, you say that now," Gilda grumbled, tugging at her sash. "But just wait.  Some other big tough guy is gonna get under my skin, then I'll blow my top, and the Griffon Kingdom is suddenly at war with Yakyakistan or some— ow!"

She turned savagely toward the tailor and swiped her talon at his face. "Watch it, buddy!"

"Ambassador, please stand still," the tailor scolded, unfazed by the aggressive gesture. "This is a difficult procedure."

Gilda sighed and looked over at Gruff. "You see?  I'm one poke away from getting our entire country in trouble!  I shouldn't be here!"

"You're just nervous, Gilda.  I'm sure many ambassadors before you felt the same way," said Gruff sagely. "It's true that we griffons are proud and aggressive, but I'm sure we're not the only ones.  If anything, you'll feel right at home."

Gilda rolled her eyes. "Right, that makes me feel so much better."

"Come now, Gilda," said Gruff. "Do you think you're the only one who feels this way about the conference?"

"Yes!  Exactly that!" Gilda cried. "I'm telling you, Grandpa..."


***


"I don't belong here."

Dragon Lord Ember stared at her reflection through the Bloodstone Scepter she wielded in her claws.  Her eyes glanced over at the invitation Princess Celestia had sent her the week before.  She still couldn't believe it.  Dragons dining with ponies was practically unheard of before she won the Gauntlet of Fire, yet she promised her people that her rule would be different from the Dragon Lords before her.  Even so, she had no idea it would be this hard.  She was sitting in a suite inside a pony princess's castle.  No dragon could ever claim that, or would even want to claim that.

Except perhaps for one little fellow from Ponyville.

She looked at the letter again, this time taking note of the postscript that was addressed specifically to her.


PS:

I can understand if you're nervous about this conference.  I wish I could be there with you, but I've got royal duties to take care of with Twilight.  However, I have some friends in the Mild West who can help you.  Just summon them with your scepter, and they'll do what they can.  One of them is even a Dragon Mage!  Hopefully, you know what that means.

I believe in you, Lord Ember.

~Spike


Ember couldn't help but smile.  Indeed, she had heard of the Dragon Magi before, but she never met one of these supposedly all-knowing dragons in person.  But if Spike could vouch for this dragon, then perhaps she'd be alright.

A sudden knock at the door caused her to jump, and she nearly dropped her scepter.  Once she recovered the staff, she drew herself to full height and cleared her throat.

"Enter!" she ordered.

The doors opened, revealing four young dragons and a buffalo.  Each of them bowed before her.  Ember made a face.

"Okay, get up, get up," she said, blushing profusely. "I'm not that kind of Dragon Lord."

Confused, the dragons rose to their feet awkwardly.  Little Strongheart, however, kept her head down.

"My apologies, Dragon Lord.  But, I must say, I'm still quite awed by your presence," she said. "I am Little Strongheart, representative of the buffalo tribe.  It's an honor to meet you in person."

Ember blinked. "Um, yeah.  Nice to meet you, too," she said, scratching the back of her head. "Sheesh, I knew you buffalo respected us dragons, but I didn't expect meeting one for the first time to be like this."  She then took note of the four dragons before her. "Ah, so you all got my summons."

"There's no way we could have ignored your call, Your Lordship," said Trigger. "Or, do you prefer Ladyship?  I-I'm sorry, you never really made that clear when you won the Gauntlet of Fire.  Ehheh..."

"Lordship's fine," Ember said frankly. "Now, which one of you is the Dragon Mage?"

"That'd be me," said Needles, extending a claw. "Needles of the Dragoons, at your service."

Ember stared blankly at Needles's claw. "Um, what are you doing?"

Needles blinked. "It's a handshake.  What, you never shook hands with someone before?"

"I have a lot to learn about social interaction outside of the Dragonlands," Ember confessed. "That's kinda why I summoned you here.  A friend of mine told me you could help."

"Well, I'll let you guys have some privacy," said Little Strongheart.  She bowed to Ember again. "I look forward to seeing you at the conference, Lord Ember."

With that, she trotted our of the room and closed the door behind her.  After a pause, Ember cleared her throat.

"So.  You're a Dragon Mage," she said to Needles.

"Eeyup.  In training, though," Needles clarified. "But I'm sure I can help ya out with whatever's bothering you.  That's what we Dragon Magi do best."

Ember pursed her lips and tapped her chin. "For some reason, I thought you'd be a lot bigger.  And, older."

"I'm sure many dragons could say the same about you, Your Lordsh— ow!"

Steel was interrupted by an elbow jab from Flint.

"Were you not paying attention at the Gauntlet of Fire?" he scolded. "All the dragons of Equestria know that Ember's Dragon Lord now."

"I didn't," said Needles.

Flint sighed. "Pretty much every dragon in Equestria knows that Ember's Dragon Lord now," he clarified.

"Huh.  I was wondering why I didn't see you at the Gauntlet of Fire," Ember mused, looking down at Needles.

"Well, that's the thing with Dragon Magi.  We normally don't answer to the Dragon Lord," said Needles sheepishly. "We're western dragons that embrace eastern traditions.  It's a long story."

"I've heard this story before," said Ember. "In the time under Discord's rule, the eastern dragon Zheng Long mated with the western dragon Plume because there was no distinction between east and west.  Once order returned, Zheng Long stayed in the west to teach dragons his eastern ways.  My father told me of your people."

"Is that right?  Dare I ask what he said?"

Ember smirked. "He said that your softer ways bely a great power that is not to be underestimated."

"I suggest you take that as a compliment, Needles," said Trigger, wringing his claws. "Best not make the Dragon Lord angry.  Ehheh...  Ehheh..."

Needles snorted and bopped Trigger on the head with her parasol. "Forgive him, Your Lordship.  Trigger likes to look out for me a bit too much for his own good."

Ember giggled. "Don't worry about it.  Like I said, I'm not really that kind of Dragon Lord."  She then sighed. "And, that's kinda my problem."

"Oh?"

Ember stared into her Bloodstone Scepter again. "This just feels, weird.  Before I met Spike at the Gauntlet of Fire, I never thought that dragons could be friends with ponies, or anyone else for that matter.  I'm honored that Princess Celestia has invited me to this year's Inter-Species Conference, but I don't know how to portray myself.  Should I be the strong, imposing figure that dragons are meant to be?  Or should I show that we aren't so bad?"

Needles furrowed her brow. "That's a tough one, alright," she mused. "No wonder you needed my help."

Ember let out a sad chuckle. "It's funny.  I think I'm the first Dragon Lord to have worries like this.  Everyone else knew what to do, but things were simpler back then.  The Dragon Lord only had to be concerned with his fellow dragons, no one else."

"But now, things are different, and you don't know what to do," said Needles sagely. "I know where you've been, sister."

"Needles!  You're addressing the Dragon Lord!" Flint hissed. "For Pete's sake, show some respect!"

Ember sighed. "See, this right here is my problem.  Every Dragon Lord before me has forced other dragons to respect them through fear and intimidation.  But once I was made Dragon Lord, I promised that this wasn't going to be my thing.  At the same time, though, I don't want to show weakness in front of everyone else.  That would just be..."


***


"A disaster!  A complete, unmitigated disaster!"

Princess Celestia sighed as she watched her schedule keeper Kibitz gallop back and forth in front of her throne, flailing about in utter panic.  She gave Raven a look, and she simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Kibitz, calm down," Celestia stated. "I'm sure this is not that bad."

"Not that bad?!  Your Highness, you have no idea how bad this is!" Kibitz shouted. "Do you realize how many of these guests are carnivores?!  The chefs don't know how to prepare meat!  And what of the yaks?!  You know how picky Prince Rutherford was when he first visited!  He almost declared war on us, Princess!  War!"

"That was an error across multiple parties," said Celestia. "Prince Rutherford knows better now."

"But that's just the tip of the iceberg!" Kibitz barked, jamming a piece of parchment in her face. "Look at this table seating chart!  You have the representative of the Diamond Dogs sitting right next to the ambassador of the Neko Shogunate!  Don't you know that they're mortal enemies?!"

"Not at this conference, they aren't," said Celestia firmly. "And that's precisely the point.  This is meant to bridge gaps between all nations and creatures.  We ponies are simply the hosts."

Kibitz's mustache bristled as he narrowed his eyes. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you made these controversial decisions on purpose just to have a laugh.  That's what you did at the Grand Galloping Gala, and you know what happened then?!"

Celestia furrowed her brow. "Which Gala are you referring to, Kibitz?  The one with the Pony Pokey, the one with the ponunculus, or the one with the Smooze?"

"You know very well which one!" Kibitz howled. "Princess, this isn't Chuckle-Lot!  This is an important delegation between several different species!  You have to take this seriously!"

"Who says I haven't been?" said Celestia with a shrug. "You're forgetting that all of these creatures are guests in our home.  That means they have to respect our way of doing things.  So what if we don't serve meat?  All of us eat pastries.  And if ponies can break bread with griffons, minotaurs, and dragons without causing a fuss, then the Diamond Dogs can do the same with the nekos."

Kibitz sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Let me put it like this, Princess.  For the sake of argument, let's say one of our guests is, unsatisfied with the arrangements.  I won't name names, but let's just pretend for a second.  How exactly will you react when they start smashing things left and right, no doubt angering the other diplomats?"

Celestia deadpanned. "I'm sure for a lot of species, that would come across as an offensive stereotype.  This is Equestria.  They can like it, or they can leave.  Twilight had to learn that lesson when we formed our alliance with Yakyakistan; I suggest you take it to heart as well, Kibitz."

That shut Kibitz up.  He quickly cleared his throat and bowed. "I-I see.  Forgive me, Your Highness.  I wasn't aware there was such a method to your madness."

Celestia chuckled. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Kibitz let out another sigh. "It's just so frightening, Princess.  Many of these creatures haven't been to the Inter-Species Conference before.  Heck, the Neko Shogunate haven't even officially opened their borders to us yet.  And don't get me started on the Dragon Lord.  The Dragon Lord, of all people.  With the exception of Princess Twilight Sparkle's ward, ponies have never gotten along with dragons.  Can you blame me for getting nervous?  I mean, next thing you know, you'll be inviting Tirek for tea!"

Celestia tapped her muzzle. "Actually, that may not be a bad idea..."

"I was kidding!" Kibitz screamed frantically.

"As was I," Celestia said with a laugh. "Kibitz, trust me.  While I respect your counsel, I know what I'm doing here."  She then knelt down to his height and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "At the same time, however, I understand why you're frightened.  This is an historic moment, and not just for Equestria.  But here's one thing to keep in mind..."


***


"You don't have to be perfect to make a good first impression."

Ember frowned. "I'm not trying to be perfect, though.  I don't know what I'm trying to be."

"Ever thought of just bein' yourself?" Needles said with a shrug.

Ember gave Needles a bemused look. "What, you mean confused?  Scared?  Out of place?"

"Um, no.  Not those things," said Needles sheepishly. "But I mean show those fellas who you really are.  Don't pretend to be this big, nasty ruler if that doesn't feel right."

"No, you don't get it.  I don't know what feels right," Ember complained. "Even before I won the Gauntlet of Fire, I never liked the image of this big, strong dragon that everyone feared.  I didn't push people around; I outsmarted them to get what I wanted.  Sometimes, it was like I was the only dragon in the Dragonlands who ever used her brain, but because I wasn't big and strong, no one...  Ugh, I hate talking about my feelings!"

She folded her arms and pouted.  Needles scratched her head for a moment.

"Then don't," she said simply. "This here's a professional meeting, right?  So be professional.  You don't have to talk about your feelings or your worries or anything like that if you don't want to."

Ember gave Needles a curious look. "And, you think people will respect me for that?"

"I don't see why they wouldn't," said Needles with a shrug. "Look, if it makes you feel better, you're a lot better off than I am."

"Really?"

Needles let out a self-mocking chuckle. "Yeah.  At least you're not thinkin' of runnin' away."

Ember blinked. "I never heard of a dragon who ran away from a problem."

"Well, you have now," said Needles, blushing a bit. "It's a long story.  I'm sure you don't want to hear it."

"Yes I do," said Ember, kneeling down to Needles's height.

Needles sighed. "Well, here's the thing, Your Lordship.  I don't have the answers to everything.  But when I first learned about my clan, I thought that's what was expected of me.  That scared me, and I ran away.  I spent a long time just driftin', not caring about anything or anyone.  Even now, I'm not sure if I'm doin' this right."  She then smiled. "But you ain't like that, Your Lordship.  You see this challenge, and you know you're gonna conquer it.  You just don't know how, and that's fine.  It's why I'm here."

A gentle smile formed on Ember's face. "I knew Spike trusted you for a reason," she said, bowing her head. "Thank you, Dragon Mage Needles.  Your counsel has been most invaluable."

She raised her scepter, causing a wave to wash over Needles and her comrades.  In an instant, their glowing scales cooled down.

"Glad to be of assistance, Your Lordship," said Needles, bowing herself. "That's what we Dragon Magi do best."

"So, is that it?" asked Flint. "We can just go home now?"

"Actually, I think it'd be better if you stayed for the conference," said Ember. "I mean, I'm the only dragon here, and..."

"Say no more, Your Lordship," said Trigger with a bow. "Needles knows your plight all too well, and the Dragoons will support you no matter what."

Needles half-expected Flint to protest this, but instead, he bowed to Ember.

"That's right, Your Lordship," he said. "You can always count on the Dragoons."

Steel smirked. "Wow.  Needles was right.  You do soften up when you're around the Dragon L— ow!"

Flint's tail cracked over Steel's back like a whip. "Shut up, Steel," he growled through gritted teeth.

Ember couldn't help but giggle. "You get this a lot, I assume."

"From time to time," Needles said with a shrug. "It's actually gotten a lot better.  Again, long story."

"And one I wouldn't mind hearing," said Ember. "But, perhaps another time.  I should prepare for the conference.  Thank you again."

"No problem, Your Lordship," said Needles with a bow. "Alright, boys.  Let's let the lady have her privacy.  Vamanos."

With that, the four of them left the suite and made their way down the hall.  Needles twiddled her fingers.

"S-so?  How'd I do?" she asked.

"Splendidly, my dear Needles," said Trigger, wringing his claws. "You really knew just what to say."

Needles raised an eyebrow. "You're just sayin' that 'cause you're madly in love with me, Trigger.  Be honest."

"I-I am!" Trigger squeaked, flinching at the accusation. "I-I know better than to lie to my girl.  Ehheh...  Ehheh..."

Needles sighed. "Trigger, I was talkin' out my butt half the time.  Lord Ember's problem really is as complicated as she makes it out to be.  I don't know if my advice is gonna work.  She should've gone to a real Dragon Mage.  Or heck, why didn't she summon Spike?  That guy's more helpful than I've ever been, and he's not even a Dragon Mage!"

"As long as you have these doubts, you will never grow."

Needles scowled at the voice inside her head and let out a huff of flame.  The flame soon formed into Ocard, who stared back at her.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Ocard," Needles grumbled.

"Strange.  I thought you'd appreciate it, seeing as I am your spirit guide," said Ocard frankly. "But Trigger speaks truth.  You did well with the Dragon Lord."

"How can you know that for sure?" Needles inquired, folding her arms.

"I can't.  But nothing can be known for certain," Ocard replied honestly. "Just trust in your own prowess, young Needles, and everything will sort itself out."

"Look, if the conference goes off without a hitch, will you stop moping and doubting yourself?" Flint asked. "Seriously, you're starting to bum me out."

Needles nodded. "Yeah, okay.  We'll just have to wait and see.  If things go wrong, we'll be right there to mend the damage, yeah?"

Flint palmed his face. "You know, for someone who's supposed to be our leader, you don't have a lot of self-esteem."

"I'm just scared, okay?" Needles growled, fiddling with her parasol. "I've always been scared; you know that."

"I'm sure we all feel scared, Ms. Needles," said Steel. "But we've been through worse than this.  No matter what happens, I'm sure everything will be fine."

Needles sighed and stared at her feet. "For Lord Ember's sake, I hope you're right..."


***


Meanwhile, deep in the abandoned crystal mines of Canterlot, two figures wandered through the darkness.  One was a black Diamond Dog wearing a braided vest and a small black hat.  The other was a red Rock Lobster with a small sombrero and curling whiskers that resembled a mustache.  The Rock Lobster shivered with fear.

"I no think we should do this, Señorita Isabelle," he said.

"Quiet, Pepito," the Diamond Dog snarled. "I know business has been slow for a while, but this is the catch of a lifetime!"

"That business fail because you were being, um..."  Pepito took out a Spanish-English dictionary and flipped through the pages. "Stub-born?  Is that right?"

Isabelle made a face. "As I remember it, the problem was you being a yellow-bellied coward and messing me up."

"That not how I remember."

"Well, you're an idiot.  I'm not surprised by that."

"¿Qué?"

"Case in point," Isabelle sighed. "Look, I'm telling you.  This new client of ours is our ticket to fame and fortune!"

"How you figure?" asked Pepito. "Do you even know who client is?"

Isabelle smirked. "Funny you should ask, Pepito.  Because this is where he promised to meet us."

Pepito looked around, rubbing the side of his head with his claw. "I no see any— yikes!"

A pair of glowing yellow eyes suddenly emerged from the shadows, catching Pepito completely off-guard.  At the same time, a suffocating warmth filled the dank cave.  Pepito hid behind Isabelle while she bowed to the creature.

"Afternoon, Seth," she said. "Are you ready to get this ball rolling?"

"Indeed," said a voice that echoed around the cave. "Remember your role.  Once the Dragon Lord is disgraced, you will capture her to do with as you wish."

"Meaning sell her to the highest bidder," said Isabelle, rubbing her paws. "I'm telling you, Pepito.  There isn't an alpha Diamond Dog in the entire underground network who wouldn't pay out the nose for the Dragon Lord herself."

"You say the same thing about Dragon Mage.  That no work out well," Pepito reminded her.

"Again, that's because you're a cowardly idiot," Isabelle scoffed. "That or an idiotic coward."

"¿Qué?"

Isabelle groaned. "No finja que tú no entiende, crustáceo estúpido."

"Am I interrupting anything?" Seth inquired.

Isabelle quickly dusted herself off and cleared her throat. "N-no no.  Not at all.  Just a minor disagreement between my partner and I.  Everything will go according to plan.  We get our fame and fortune, and you get, whatever it is you want."

Pepito's eyes went wide. "You no know what he want?!  Señorita Isabelle, this, this..."

He went back to his dictionary. "Ske-tu-chi.  That how you say it?"

Isabelle scowled and rapped Pepito on the forehead. "That's your problem, Pepito.  You think small.  You wouldn't get anywhere if it wasn't for me.  So I suggest you shut your trap and trust me for once, comprenda?"

"S-sí, sí.  I understand," said Pepito glumly. "But I no like it."

"Your opinion is duly noted."

"¿Qué?"

Isabelle sighed. "You're truly hopeless.  Let's just get into position.  That stupid conference is about to start."

With that, she and Pepito disappeared into the shadows.  The glowing eyes of Seth watched carefully.

"Soon, Ember.  Soon you will see what it really takes to be Dragon Lord."

His sinister cackle echoed throughout the crystal-lined catacombs.
> Draconian Defiance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Celestia looked over the grand hall with her usual serene smile.  All the tables were set, the cooking staff was ready on standby, and all of the guests she invited had arrived.  The only thing left to do was call them in.

"Are you ready to see history in the making, Kibitz?" she asked.

Kibitz sighed. "It constantly amazes me how you're so calm when so many things can go utterly wrong, Your Highness."

"You can thank years of practice for that," Celestia said with a wink. "Send in the delegates!"

The royal trumpets blared as the doors to the grand hall opened.  The steward pony unfurled the scroll containing all the names and cleared his throat.

"Representing the yaks of Yakyakistan, Prince Rutherford!"

The mighty yak prince marched in, flanked by his usual entourage.  He and Celestia exchanged bows before he found his seat.

"Representing the Diamond Dogs of the underground network, Sykes Silvervest of the Silvervest pack!"

Kibitz gulped as one of the more troublesome diplomats made himself known.  He was a large fellow, even by Diamond Dog standards.  As his name implied, he wore a sparkling silver vest, and his face was decorated with scars of all shapes and sizes.  But instead of starting any trouble, he bowed to Celestia and made his way to his seat.

"Let's hope he doesn't mind sitting next to a neko," Kibitz muttered under his breath.

"I heard that," Celestia noted. "Kibitz, you worry too much."

"One might say you worry too little," Kibitz grumbled.

"Representing the changeling migrants, Grand Marshal White Lie!"

"You honestly think I'm not worried?" Celestia said, raising an eyebrow. "Kibitz, I of all ponies know what can go wrong in delicate procedures like this.  But there's no point in acknowledging them if they haven't happened yet.  Planning ahead is fine, but one gets much more out of life if they live in the moment."

"That may be your philosophy, Your Highness, but it's not a perfect one," Kibitz criticized.

"What not perfect?!" Prince Rutherford boomed. "Yaks get mad when things not perfect!"

Kibitz flinched and ducked behind Celestia.  Celestia, however, barely batted an eyelid.

"It's nothing, Prince Rutherford," she said. "Just a disagreement over life philosophies."

Kibitz grumbled something unintelligible under his breath.  Celestia sighed and shook her head.

"Kibitz, relax.  Everything's under control," she said. "Besides, do you honestly think you're the only one who's worried?"

"W-well, no," Kibitz admitted. "But I feel someone who's actually in charge of this event has to be."


***


"Representing the nekos of the Neko Shogunate, Ambassador Mojo!"

Gilda couldn't help but stare as four bipedal cats walked past her, carrying a regal-looking cat creature dressed in the finest silk on a soft pillow.  She scoffed.

"What's the matter with him?  Do his legs not work?" she muttered.

Her snide remark was met with a slash from her grandfather's talon.

"None of that, young lady," Gruff scolded. "Remember, you're an ambassador now, not some low-brow punk."

"All the more reason why I shouldn't be doing this," Gilda snarled. "I don't know how many times I have to say it, Grandpa!  I'm not ambassador material!  Honor Bound made a mistake."

"Nervous?"

Gilda flinched as a small buffalo walked up to her, flashing a gentle smile.  She quickly cleared her throat.

"Um, no!  No, no.  O-of course not.  Griffons don't get nervous," she said.

The buffalo giggled. "There's no need to lie to me."  She extended her hoof. "Little Strongheart, representative of the buffalo."

"Yeah, whatev— ow!"

Gilda was about to brush Little Strongheart off when she got slashed by her grandfather again.  She let out a long groan.

"Ambassador Gilda of the Griffon Kingdom.  Nice to meet you," she said in a strained tone.

Little Strongheart arched an eyebrow. "I get the sense you don't want to be here."

"Gee, I can't imagine where you ever got that idea," said Gilda sardonically. "Seriously, just because I help rebuild my town and become some national hero, that automatically qualifies me for being ambassador.  I have no idea what I'm doing!"

"Representing the minotaurs of the Minos Colonies, President Io!"

Little Strongheart gave Gilda a coy smile as she heard the precession continue behind her. "You wish to hear a secret?"

"What?"

"You're not the only one.  In fact, I'm sure there's at least one delegate here who's more nervous than you."

Gilda blinked. "You serious?"

"Indeed," said Little Strongheart. "In fact, I think you two would get along.  I'll introduce you once the conference gets in full swing.  It would certainly make her feel better."

Gilda rubbed the back of her head, trying to think of what to say. "Um, uh...  Cool.  Th-that's pretty cool of you.  So, um, you nervous?"

Little Strongheart shrugged. "Maybe a little.  But I've been bridging gaps and playing peacemaker for many a moon now.  This sort of comes natural to me."

"Representing the buffalo tribes of the Mild West, Little Strongheart!"

"Whoop, that's me!" said Little Strongheart, bowing to Gilda. "Best of luck, ambassador."

She trotted into the great hall, bowing to Celestia and making her way to her seat.  Gilda sighed.

"I am so jealous of her," she muttered. "She really makes this stuff look easy."

"Someday, that'll be you, Gilda," said Gruff. "It just takes a bit of practice."

"Representing the griffons of the Griffon Kingdom, Ambassador Gilda!"

Gilda swallowed. "Showtime."

Gruff smiled and patted Gilda on the shoulder. "You're going to be fine, Gilda.  I believe in you."


***


"Representing the beasts of the Everfree Forest, Steven Magnet!"

Ember poked her head through the door as the precession continued.  One by one, each delegate marched in, bowed to Celestia, and found their seat.  She fiddled nervously with her Bloodstone Scepter.

"Hope you ain't having second thoughts, Your Lordship."

Ember turned to see Needles and her posse coming in.  She smiled.

"Not at all," she said with a shake of her head. "Dragons don't back down.  Um, normally."

"It's fine.  I ain't offended," said Needles, holding up her claw. "Just be professional, like I told ya."

Ember took in a deep breath and nodded. "Okay.  I can do this."

"We'll be right behind ya," said Needles, giving Ember a thumbs up.

"And lastly, representing the dragons of the Dragonlands, Dragon Lord Ember!"

There was a collective gasp from the delegates as Ember flew in.  All eyes were glued to her, and some of them were muttering amongst themselves.

"A dragon?  Has Princess Celestia gone mad?"

"Yaks hear Dragon Lord powerful.  This Dragon Lord no look powerful."

"Interesting choice on the part of Her Highnyess.  The Great Kohryu would nyo doubt wish to knyow about this once I return home."

Ember continued flying forward, smiling awkwardly and waving. "Everyone's staring at me," she whispered to Needles through gritted teeth.

"Remember, professional," Needles whispered back. "Don't let 'em get to ya."

Ember gulped and bowed before Celestia.  Celestia did so in return and gestured to the last empty seat.  Ember nodded and took her spot next to Little Strongheart.  Little Strongheart blinked as she noticed who was accompanying her.

"You guys decided to stick around?" she asked. "I thought for sure you'd go home once the Dragon Lord released you."

"We thought it'd be better if she wasn't the only dragon around," said Flint with a shrug. "Can't blame us for being charitable, LS."

Little Strongheart arched an eyebrow. "Charitable?  Are you feeling okay, Flint?"

Flint groaned. "Lay off, LS.  This is the Dragon Lord we're talking about here."

"I take it this is the delegate you told me about."

Ember looked past Little Strongheart to see Gilda, who was seated right next to her.  Little Strongheart cleared her throat.

"Um, yes," she said. "Your Lordship, I'd like you to meet Ambassador Gilda of the Griffon Kingdom."

"Um, hi," said Ember, giving Gilda a small wave.

Gilda gave Ember a blank stare before stifling a laugh. "W-wow.  Little Strongheart wasn't kidding; you really are nervous."

Ember blushed and snorted. "H-hey, you try setting a new standard for your entire species!  It's not that easy!"

Gilda suddenly stopped laughing. "Oh.  Uh, jeez.  Sorry.  I didn't mean to make fun of you.  Actually, I know where you're coming from."

Ember blinked. "Wait, you do?"

"You probably haven't heard, but the city of Griffonstone is going through something of a rebirth thanks to me," Gilda explained. "Well, partially thanks to me.  It was a couple of ponies that got the ball rolling, kinda.  The point is, our previous ambassador saw this and thought it was a good idea to step down and give his position to me.  But I'm really not cut out for this.  I mean, sure, we've changed our ways, but I'm still me.  And to be honest, I'm not fit for this line of work."

Ember gave Gilda a perplexed look. "Huh.  And here I thought I was the only one.  Spike's right; there's a lot to like about this friendship thing."

"I hear that," Gilda said with a laugh. "So, what's your story, sister?"

"Hey hey hey!  That Your Lordship to you," growled Steel.

"Easy, guys.  It's okay.  I'm not that kind of Dragon Lord," said Ember firmly. "Please excuse them, ambassador.  Dragons aren't really known for their manners."

"Noble dragons are," Trigger corrected, wringing his claws. "Though calling Flint and Steel 'noble' is a bit of a stretch.  Ehheh...  Ehheh..."

Flint scowled. "You are so lucky we're in the presence of the Dragon Lord right now."

"Creatures of Equestria and beyond!  May I have your attention, please!"

The chatter soon stopped as Princess Celestia stood up from her seat and raised a glass with her magic.

"First and foremost, I thank each and every one of you for attending this year's Inter-Species Conference.  Though Equestria is home to primarily equines, it is important that we acknowledge our neighbors, no matter what shape or size they might be.  With that in mind, we have a few special guests here today."

She gestured over to Prince Rutherford. "Thanks to the efforts of Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends, our borders have been opened to the great nation of Yakyakistan.  We are truly honored to have them attend this year's conference."

"Yaks and ponies friends for a thousand moons!" Rutherford cheered. "Yaks hope to open boarders to other nations, too!"

"Indeed," said Celestia, gesturing to the nekos. "Speaking of which, we have another potential alliance.  Although negotiations are still being made between myself and the Grand Shoguns, we are confident that the Neko Shogunate will soon open their borders to us."

"Overconfidence is the greatest enyemy, Your Highnyess," Mojo warned. "But if all goes well, this conference may sway our opinion."

He then turned to Sykes Silvervest and smiled coyly. "And if I may add something, I feel it is most interesting that you have placed me alongside one of our greatest foes, the Diamond Dogs.  Truly, you ponyies must value the power of friendship very highly.  I'm sure Sykes Silvervest and I will have quite an experience putting your philosophies to the test."

Sykes gave a small grunt of acknowledgment, but he seemed otherwise distracted.  He sniffed the air, a concerned scowl on his face.  This did not go unnoticed by Needles.

"Something's not right," she mused. "I've seen Toro get that look before.  Boys, be on your guard."

Steel gulped. "Um, is it just me, or did the room suddenly get colder?"

"Now that you mention it, I kinda feel that way, too," Flint admitted.

Trigger nervously wrung his claws. "Probably best that you leave this to us, Your Lordship.  W-we're professionals at this kind of thing."

Before Ember could respond, Princess Celestia gestured to Gilda.

"I would next like to recognize the Griffon Kingdom's newest ambassador, Gilda of Griffonstone.  It is due to her efforts that the legendary city of Griffonstone has started to regain its former glory."

Gilda's face turned bright red. "Well, uh, it wasn't just me, Your Highness.  But, still.  Happy to be here!  Yeah!  Um...  Yeah."

Celestia smiled sweetly. "I understand that you're nervous, ambassador.  We all are.  And those that aren't have been where you are right now.  Which brings me to our last guest of note."

Out of the corner of her eye, Needles saw a black shadow streak past her.  With a scowl, she summoned a magical throwing star and kept it hidden under the table.

"I'd personally like to welcome Dragon Lord Ember as the first Dragon Lord to attend the Inter-Species Conference," Celestia announced. "Though dragons have had something of a reputation in the past, the same can be said for a lot of creatures here.  In that sense, Ember is no different from any of us.  And I applaud her for taking this first step towards extending the olive branch between dragons, ponies, and everyone else here."

"Of course you would applaud her, Princess Celestia.  You value softness, just as she does.  But there's no such thing as a soft dragon."

A sinister voice echoed throughout the grand hall, causing the delegates to mutter in confusion.  Ember snorted and raised her scepter.

"I will not stand for this insult!" she bellowed. "Show yourself!"

"As you wish, Your Lordship.  But be warned, this is the only time I will obey you."

There was a suddenly eruption of black flame in the middle of the hall.  From it, a large black dragon emerged.  His wings appeared to be frayed, marking him as being quite old.  But even with his advanced age, he exuded an oppressive aura that made Ember shiver ever so slightly.  His piercing red eyes started at her, and he grinned.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he said. "I am Seth, the Black Dragon of the Desert.  And I am here to claim what is rightfully mine."

"Rightfully yours?!  You didn't even appear at the Gauntlet of Fire!" Ember roared. "I've never met you before in my life!"

Seth cackled. "That antiquated challenge?  Since when has that proven anything about a dragon's might?  And you won that challenge through a fluke!  You didn't earn that power; a pony-raised runt gave it to you out of 'kindness!'  Dragons are not kind, Princess Ember!"

"Some dragons are!" Ember retorted, holding her staff aloft. "You will leave this conference right now!"

Seth laughed again and wagged his finger. "Naughty naughty.  Remember what I told you, Your Lordship?  I said I would only obey you once by revealing myself.  You have no power over me."

Ember blanched. "Wh-what?  B-but, I hold the Bloodstone Scepter!  That means you have to do what I say!"

"This dragon does not bow before someone as weak as you!" said Seth, raising his claws. "Now, witness what true power really feels like!"

A strange gateway opened over Ember's head.  From it, several stars rained down upon the delegates.  Celestia's guards quickly casted shields over anyone nearby, but a strange force repelled them from Ember.

"Hang on, Your Lordship!  We got this!"

Flint and Steel flew in front of Ember, shielding her with their own bodies.  Meanwhile, Needles was stunned by the display.

"Th-that's impossible," she mumbled. "Agniki, Ocard!"

She coughed a plume of flame, which soon formed into her spirit guide.

"Why have you summoned me, young—?  Oh."  Ocard was equally dumbfounded by Seth's power. "O-oh my word.  Th-this can't be."

"You'd better not say what I think you're gonna say," said Needles.

Ocard sighed. "I'm afraid your fears are correct, young Needles.  That right there is indeed a Dragon Mage."

Needles snorted and tossed away her parasol. "Well then, I guess I should lay my cards on the table."

"Needles, wait.  You're not nearly at his level.  This is a very bad i—"

"Hey, ugly!"

Seth turned his attention to Needles, who threw a star at him.  Seth grinned and caught the star between his own claws.

"My my my.  Methinks the false Dragon Lord has predicted my arrival," he said. "Why else would she call upon a Dragon Mage to challenge me?"

"She ain't a false Dragon Lord!" Needles barked, throwing more stars at him.  Each one was caught between Seth's fingers.

"So even you are blind.  Pity," Seth growled. "Then again, you Dragon Magi have always misused the immense power granted to you.  It's no wonder you'd take her side.  But I will say it again for good measure.  Dragons aren't soft.  Dragons aren't kind!  Dragons will never be friends with others!  And no weak-scaled Dragon Lord is going to change that!"

He launched Needles's stars back at her in a powerful ball of light.  The attack sent Needles flying into the wall.

"Needles!" Trigger cried out, running to her side. "My dear sweet Needles.  A-are you okay?"

Needles let out a groan, her body singed and charred. "If Ocard says 'I told you so,' you have my permission to bop it one."

"I believe I've made my intentions plain," said Seth. "Princess Ember, I challenge you for the Bloodstone Scepter.  If you accept, meet me in the desert due west.  If you do not answer my challenge by the next sunset, I will track you down and take it by force.  Either way, your reign is at its end.  And now everyone here knows to never trust a dragon."

He rose into the air and cackled, his body vanishing before everyone's eyes.  When he disappeared entirely, Ember felt all eyes boring into her soul.

"Dragon Lord's rule not perfect?!  Yaks see no reason to respect dragons!"

"I knew something smelled off.  Almost makes me wonder if she planned this."

"Your Highness, I hope you don't find me ungrateful, but I cannot entrust the safety of the migrants to such beasts."

Ember gripped her scepter tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.  She flew up into the air and let out a roar.

"Shut up!  J-just shut up, all of you!" she screamed. "I-I don't know what happened!  Th-this is not my fault!  Anyone who says it is will...  Will..."

"Will what?  Have to fight you?" asked Mojo, stroking his whiskers. "That will only prove the black dragon's point that your kind is nyot to be trusted.  But if you don't protect your honyor, you are just as weak as the black dragon says you are.  I'm afraid there's nyothing you can do."

"Hey, back off, furball," Gilda snarled, marching up to the neko ambassador. "She's got a lot to deal with right now, and she doesn't need you to tell her the stakes."

"Nor does she require the Griffon Kingdom to speak for her," said President Io. "Or do all treasure-hoarding creatures look after their own?"

Gilda whipped around, her eyes narrowing. "You wanna say that again?  'Cause I think that was an invitation for me to tear you limb from limb!"

"You do so, and the Minos Colonies will launch their full armada against the griffons!" Io warned. "Your precious city of Griffonstone will never recover once we reduce it to rubble!"

"I'd like to see you try, bovine brain!"

"That insult doesn't even make sense, ungrateful pheasant!"

Little Strongheart stood between Gilda and Io. "Alright, everyone.  Let's try and settle down here."

"Oh, so now the buffalo is going to preach to us," said Sykes. "We already know we can't trust you.  Your traditional respect for dragons is already well-known.  There's no way you'd say anything bad about the Dragon Lord."

"Nyow, that's nyot exactly fair," huffed Mojo. "The nyekos respect dragons as well, and I condemn this barbarism as much as anyone else in this room."

Sykes snorted. "As if you know anything that goes on outside your home, you pretentious feline."

"At least I'm nyot an arrogant canyine," Mojo hissed.

Kibitz gulped. "Um, what were you saying before about me worrying too much, Your Highness?"

Celestia didn't dignify that.  Instead she raised her hoof.

"SILENCE,  ALL OF YOU!"

All of the delegates winced, rendered powerless by the might of the Royal Canterlot Voice.  Celestia sighed.

"As host of this conference, I will get to the bottom of this," she said firmly. "Lord Ember, please meet me in my throne room.  The rest of you, I suggest you cool your heads and try to remember what this conference is supposed to symbolize.  Come along, Kibitz."

She marched out of the grand hall with Kibitz following right behind her.  Gilda palmed her face.

"Way to go, dummy," she muttered. "Somehow, I knew I'd mess this up."

"Sun princess speaks much wisdom," said Rutherford somberly. "Yaks ashamed of how they acted."

"But it still begs the question of what all that mess was about," White Lie mused.

"Oh, yeah!  Don't mind us!  We're totally fine!"

Everyone turned to look at Flint and Steel, who were both badly injured.  Little Strongheart sighed and went to attend to them.

"So, what now?" asked Trigger, wringing his claws.

Needles picked herself up and dusted herself off. "I'll tell you what now.  Now's the time when Lord Ember needs us most."

Ember hung her head. "I couldn't ask that of you, Dragon Mage Needles.  This is my responsibility."

"Yeah, well.  It's mine, too," said Needles. "That there fella was wielding my kind of magic."

"But I thought the Dragon Magi were peaceful," said Ember, raising an eyebrow. "Why would one attack me?"

Needles sighed and shook her head. "Remember before when I said I don't have the answer to everything?"

"Um, yes?"

"Will, this here is one of those times.  I have no flippin' idea what that darn psycho's thinkin'."  Needles then stared off into the distance and sighed. "All I know is that I've got a really bad feeling about this..."
> Standing with Ember
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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..."
> Pack It Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Toro was stretched out on the back of Khamshin, his sombrero draped over his eyes as he snored contently.  The antlion below him rasped, snapping his mandibles and creating a soothing clicking sound.  In the back of his mind, Toro could not remember a time when he was this at peace.  Sure, it wasn't what he initially envisioned, but at this point, he didn't care.  He had his own gems, plenty of companions, a reliable partner, and the independence to walk his own path.  He didn't know of many Diamond Dogs who could claim that much.

Just as he was about to drift off entirely, he heard a flurry of wings up above.  Raising his sombrero, he could make out the silhouettes of three dragons against the shining moon.  He let out a yawn and patted Khamshin on the head.

"Ay.  Khamshin.  I think they're back."

Khamshin let out a yawn of his own, his mandible snapping mimicking the sound one makes when smacking their lips.  Sure enough, Needles and the Dragoons touched down before his eyes.  But one of the dragons was unfamiliar.

"So, is this where you parents live?" asked Ember.

"What?  Oh, nah," said Needles, hopping off of Ember's back. "We'll get to 'em later.  Right now, I'm just pickin' up the rest of my gang.  Trust me, we're gonna need all the help we can get."

"Um, do you think we should've waited for Little Strongheart then?" Steel asked. "And what about that griffon?  She seemed nice."

"Right, because we have that kind of time to waste," said Flint, rolling his eyes. "Steel, I wish you would actually think before you say something sometimes."

Steel shrugged. "Well, I thought it was a legitimate question."

"Un momento, Señorita Needles," said Toro, hopping off of Khamshin's back. "What exactly is going on?"

Needles furrowed her brow. "Hmm.  Right, I should get ya on the same page.  But we have to make this quick."  She gestured her parasol to Ember. "Toro, I'd like you to meet Dragon Lord Ember."

"H-hello," said Ember meekly.

Toro bowed. "It's an honor to meet you, Su Señoría."

Ember blinked. "Um, what did he call me?"

"He called ya Your Lordship," said Needles, scratching her head. "You haven't been to the Mild West, have ya?  Diamond Dogs and Rock Lobsters 'round these parts usually speak Spanish."

"Really?  Uh, that's interesting.  I suppose," said Ember, looking over at Toro. "I'm actually surprised you managed to befriend a Diamond Dog.  I mean, there are very few creatures dragons get along with, but Diamond Dogs are definitely not one of them in my experience."

"Yeah, well.  Toro ain't your typical Diamond Dog," said Needles.

"This is true," said Toro solemnly. "I left my pack many moons ago, seeking my own life.  I got my start as a bandit when I met Señorita Needles, and she's been my partner ever since."

"Wow.  You already know so much more about this friendship stuff than I do," said Ember, twiddling with her scepter. "I'm actually a bit jealous."

"Meh, it ain't so hard once you realize what's important," said Needles with a shrug.  She then looked up at the large antlion. "And this here is our pet antlion, Khamshin.  We adopted him after I, kinda destroyed his nest by accident."

Ember tilted her head. "Wow.  First time I ever heard a dragon saying they destroyed something by accident.  Usually, that's how teenage dragons get their kicks."

"Welcome to the Mild West, sister," Needles laughed.

Flint looked like he wanted to say something, but he intentionally bit down on his tongue to restrain himself.

"Forgot that she's not that kind of Dragon Lord for a second?" Trigger asked with a smirk.

"Thut upth," Flint snarled.

"I-it's fine.  This is all very weird; I understand that old habits are hard to break," said Ember. "Which is kind of why I'm here.  Allow me to explain, uh, Toro, was it?"

"Sí, Su Señoría.  Toro the Bulldog, they call me," said Toro proudly. "So, what seems to be the trouble?"

Ember proceeded to explain everything that happened at the Inter-Species Conference as briefly as possible.  Toro's face darkened.

"If this dark dragon challenges your honor, I say you are right to accept," he proclaimed. "And if Señorita Needles is helping you, then so am I."

"Glad you're on board, Toro," said Needles with a soft smile. "I always know I can count on you."

"Hey!  What about me?" Trigger protested indignantly.

Needles gave Trigger a bemused look. "You, I didn't know I could count on for a while until you started actually puttin' that brain of yours to work."

Trigger blushed and wrung his claws. "F-fair point.  Ehheh..."  He then cleared his throat. "So, we should get going now, right?  If we want to fight this Seth fellow properly, we should find your parents and learn all about him."

Needles sighed and hung her head. "Gotta be honest, I ain't lookin' forward to that.  I still think they're disappointed in me."

"But for Lord Ember's sake, you're willing to face that fear."

Needles groaned and snorted out a small amber flame. "I should probably introduce ya to Ocard.  It's my spirit guide of sorts.  All Dragon Magi have 'em."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, milord," said Ocard with a bow.

"Yeah, um...  Nice to meet you, too.  I guess," said Ember, scratching her head. "Jeez, and I thought a dragon being raised by ponies was surreal.  Now this is my entire life.  I'm not sure I'm ready for..."

She let out a growl and pouted. "Wh-what did I say about making me talk about my feelings?"

"Um, you did it to yourself again, Your Lordship," Needles pointed out. "Anyway, I think you're movin' dragons in the right direction.  And if ya wanna keep movin' in that direction, we need to take down that Seth fella.  We've spent enough time dawdling.  Vama—"

She was interrupted by the howls of canines echoing across the desert.  Toro's ears perked up, and he sniffed the air.

"Something wrong, Toro?" Flint inquired.

Toro knitted his brow and spat at the ground. "I never thought this day would come.  Be ready, amigos.  We've got company.  Trigger, aquí."

"R-right away," said Trigger, scrambling up Toro's body and perching himself on his shoulder.

Before anyone could ask what was going on, several mounds of dirt shuffled through the ground.  From the mounds of dirt, an entire pack of Diamond Dogs sprang forth.  Each of them carried bandoliers filled with shimmering gemstones.  Leading them was a tiny chihuahua wearing a dark blue vest and a piece of lapis lazuli on his collar.  The chihuahua snorted.

"I knew I smelled overgrown lizards here, but I didn't expect to find you," he said, leering at Toro.

"Cortez Cobaltvest.  You look well," Toro growled.

"Let me guess.  This is the pack you and Isabelle used to belong to?" asked Needles.

The chihuahua snickered. "How about that, boys?  The lizard actually has a brain."

The Diamond Dogs all chortled along with their alpha while Ember glared at them.

"I know plenty of dragons who are smart," she said. "I'm one of the— hey!"

A fireball flew past Ember's ear.  Cortez scowled at her, wielding a flintlock pistol.

"You speak when spoken to, chica," he said.

"Hey!  That's the Dragon Lord you're talking to, buddy!" Steel snapped. "Show some— yeow!"

Another fireball illuminated the sky, this one grazing Steel's scales.

"Careful, amigos.  The Cobaltvest pack is notorious for their use of gunpowder and explosive gemstones," Toro warned.

"Now you tell us," Steel whined.

Needles narrowed her eyes. "If you're planning on takin' Toro back, you're a bit late," she said. "He's with the Dragoons now."

"Oh, I have no interest in that traitor.  Yet," said Cortez with a sly grin. "I'm here for her."

He pointed his pistol Ember, who seemed completely baffled by this. "M-me?"

"Sí, chica," said Cortez. "I am usually not one to dirty my paws with this dragon-poaching business.  But to capture the Dragon Lord herself and force her to guard my hoard?  Sykes would kill for that kind of prestige."

"But that doesn't make sense," said Trigger. "How'd you even know she'd be here?"

Cortez scoffed. "I see no reason to explain myself.  Now, are you going to hand her over, or are you going to make this difficult?"

"You know the answer to that already, Cortez," said Toro, hefting up his cannon. "No one harms the friends of Toro the Bulldog."

Cortez shrugged and shook his head. "How ironic.  The lone wolf has found another pack.  A pack of filthy lizards who eat the very thing that measures a Diamond Dog's worth!  ¡Muchcos, ataque!"

The Diamond Dogs all drew their own pistols and began firing wildly.  The Dragoons scattered, with Khamshin seeking cover underground.

"I can see why you left this guy!" Needles hollered at Toro.

"What do we do now?!" Ember hissed. "We can't fly away with those bullets flying everywhere!"

Needles snorted. "If we can't run, then we fight.  Flint, Steel!  Flank 'em!  Toro, you and Trigger are on crowd control duty!  I'm gonna show these mutts why ya don't mess with the Dragoons!"

"Or, you know.  You don't engage these ruffians and risk losing your temper," said Ocard.

"My temper's under control, Ocard," Needles snarled. "Just keep your trap shut and let me do my thing."

Ocard sighed. "As you wish.  But don't say I didn't warn you."

Needles tossed her parasol aside and brandished several throwing stars. "Let's dance, boys."

She threw the stars at several Diamond Dogs, knocking pistols out of their paws left and right.  While they were distracted, Flint and Steel breathed their flame, scorching the area around the entire pack.  Several explosions rained from the sky as Toro fired his cannon, sending Diamond Dogs flying over the flames.  Those that tried to retreat underground were soon tossed into the air by Khamshin's mandibles.  Cortez scowled.

"You think you're so clever, don't you, little lizard?" he spat. "Well, in cases like this, I think I need a bigger box."

He tossed out a small red gemstone that seemed to generate its own light.  Toro's eyes widened.

"Redstone!" he barked. "Get down!"

Ember flew out of the way just as the stone detonated in a burning blaze.

"And there's more where that came from, chica," Cortez snickered. "Biggest collection of redstone in all of the underground network.  No one messes with the Cobaltvest pack unless they wish to be blown sky high."

Needles clenched her fist. "Word to the wise, pal.  Never tell a dragon that you're carrying a bunch of explosives on your person!"

She breathed out a flame and allowed it to coat one of her magic throwing stars.  She tossed the star at Cortez, who quickly countered by throwing another bit of redstone.  The explosion sent them both flying back.  Cortez got up and snorted, shaking the soot off of his body.

"Well played, lizard," he conceded. "But you can't protect the Dragon Lord forever.  A bounty has been put on her head.  Every outlaw and mercenary of the Mild West will be after her!"

"WHAT?!"

Not a single member of the Dragoons could believe their ears, and Ember herself was equally dumbfounded.

"Who placed that bounty, Cortez?" Toro demanded, pointing his cannon right at the chihuahua's nose.

"I'll be you anything it was that Seth fellow," Trigger growled.

Cortez blinked. "How do you lizards know Seth?"  He then shook himself. "You know what?  I decided I don't care.  The Dragon Lord will be mine before sundown tomorrow.  And if you're smart, Toro, you'll be the one who'll bring her to me.  ¡Vamanos, muchachos!"

There were several yips and howls as the Cobaltvest pack dove underground and shuffled away.  Toro shouldered his cannon and sighed.

"Before anyone asks, there is no conflict of interest here," he said plainly. "Cortez is not my alpha anymore, and I'm not about to abide by his wishes."

"No one said you were, Toro," said Needles, picking up her parasol. "We trust ya."

Ember tapped her chin for a moment. "I'm guessing this is another friendship thing."

"You'd better get used to it, Your Lordship," said Flint, folding his arms. "This is kinda how we do things around here.  Now can we please get moving before more bounty hunters decide to show up?"

"That's, probably a good idea," said Needles. "Toro, what do you think is the best route?"

"Not underground," Toro said firmly. "Cortez would be waiting there."

"Guess we're hoofin' it, then," said Needles with a shrug.

Steel blinked. "But, none of us have hooves."

Flint smacked Steel upside the head. "Even after all this time, you still say the dumbest things.  I swear."

Needles sighed. "Let's just get a move-on.  I'll lead the way."

She climbed onto Khamshin's back and pointed east. "Vamanos."

Khamshin let out a rasp and shuffled forward, with the rest of the Dragoons not far behind.  Needles shielded her eyes with her parasol as the first rays of dawn began peeking over the horizon.

"That combat was still not ideal, but still not as bad as it could've been," said Ocard.

Needles snorted and averted her eyes. "Didn't ask for your opinion."

"Maybe you should," Ocard said sternly. "Needles, your approach is very dangerous.  You don't want to lose control again, do you?"

"Ocard, do me a big favor and just cool your jets," Needles grumbled. "I know what I'm doing."

Ocard sighed. "It's impossible to lie to me, Needles.  You're just as lost and confused as the day you summoned me.  Which, I must reiterate, was a lot longer than is normal for Dragon Magi."

Needles blushed. "Ocard, please.  If I need your help with something, I'll ask for it, okay?"

"And what should I do when you need my help and don't ask for it?"

Needles chewed on her lip. "I'll leave that for you to decide.  You're the fire elemental spirit guide, not me."

"Translation: I don't want to talk about this," Ocard sighed. "Very well."

It let out a yawn and flew back into Needles's mouth.  Needles sighed.

"I ain't in over my head yet," she muttered under her breath. "But, how do I know when I am...?"
> Angle of Attack
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Little Strongheart had never flown before.  Sure, she was used to galloping across train cars and climbing onto the back of sandwyrms, but never in her life had she ever soared through the sky like a dragon.  And as she peered down at the desert sands from Celestia's sky chariot, she didn't know whether to be awestruck or terrified.

"You alright there, Little Strongheart?"

Little Strongheart flinched and turned to Gilda, who opted to fly right beside the chariot.

"Um, yeah.  Fine," Little Strongheart said. "I-I just had no idea we'd be so high up."

"It's rather spectacular, isn't it?" said Celestia.

"Y-yes, I suppose it, is..."

Little Strongheart turned to address Celestia, only to find that her eyes were closed in meditation.  Her horn pulsated with magic, and at the same time, she could see the sun rise behind her.  Little Strongheart's eyes widened in awe while Gilda shielded her eyes from the blinding display.

"Whoa.  Heh.  Kinda forgot that you control the sun around here," said Gilda.

Celestia smiled as she opened her eyes and powered down. "Just because I'm away on a mission doesn't mean I should neglect my other duties," she said sagely. "Even if it is a conflict of interest."

Little Strongheart knitted her brow. "Are you sure you don't want to make the day a bit longer to give Lord Ember more time?"

"Positive.  It wouldn't be fair to my sister, or the rest of Equestria, for that matter," said Celestia.

"I suppose not," Little Strongheart conceded. "I'm just a bit worried, that's all.  Needles and the Dragoons are a great bunch; don't get me wrong.  But, how do I put this?  They're still learning."

"We're all still learning, Little Strongheart," Celestia quipped. "I suggest letting your friends figure things out on their own.  We are just making sure that those poachers don't interfere with their lesson."

Her stomach growled, and she blushed. "But first, I think some breakfast is in order."

"Gotcha covered," said Gilda, taking out a few scones. "My Grandpa Gruff brought these in to serve at the conference.  I managed to swipe a few before we left."

Little Strongheart accepted on of the scones and took a bite.  Her eyes snapped open as her taste buds were sent into a state of pure bliss.  The pastry was light and flakey, but not too crumbly.  The sweet blending of butterscotch and cinnamon flavor danced in her mouth.

"This is remarkable!" she exclaimed. "I never knew griffons were such fabulous bakers!"

Celestia raised an eyebrow and sampled a scone herself. "O-oh my.  I-it's truly like nothing I've ever tasted.  You must give Kibitz the recipe when we get back to Canterlot."

"Thanks.  It's my family's special recipe," Gilda gushed. "And you're not gonna believe this, but those griffon scones are what saved the town of Griffonstone.  Well, after I got some help from Pinkie Pie, that is.  You don't wanna know what they tasted like before."

"I wasn't about to ask," said Little Strongheart.

Celestia let out a small chuckle before looking through a small luggage trunk sitting next to her.  Gilda's eyes sparkled with interest.

"What's that you got there, Your Highness?" she inquired.

Celestia smiled. "First of all, there's no need for formalities, Gilda.  Not for a pranking spree," she said. "Secondly, these are a few little fun tricks that I normally employ at Chuckle-Lot.  I figured they'd serve us quite well in our mission."

"Chuckle-Lot?" asked Gilda, scratching her head as she snarfed down a griffon scone.

"I've heard of this tradition before.  It's a banquet where the rulers of Equestria show their less-serious side," Little Strongheart explained. "Sort of a way to get the populous to feel more comfortable around them."

"Sweet," said Gilda, wringing her talons. "So, what kinda goods are we talking about here?"

Celestia looked over the side of the chariot.  Her lips curled into a coy smile as she managed to spot a trail of dirt traveling through the sand.

"I think we'll be using the first of them soon," she said. "Straight Arrow, En Passant.  Lower your altitude and stay behind that dirt trail."

"Are we landing, Your Highness?" asked one of the Royal Guards.

"Not quite," said Celestia, rummaging through her trunk. "We have some business to take care of first..."


***


The dirt trail came to a halt as Isabelle poked her head out of the ground.  After some shuffling, Pepito emerged beside her.

"Why we stop here?" Pepito asked.

Isabelle sniffed the air and scowled. "Redstone.  The Cobaltvest pack has been here."

"¿Qué?"

"My old family," Isabelle clarified. "I was initially tasked by Cortez Cobaltvest to bring my brother back, but you know how that turned out."

"Sí, sí.  I know," said Pepito. "You try and catch Toro, you keep missing, then you give up and become poacher instead."

"It's my stupid brother who keeps missing," Isabelle snarled. "He never had the guts to hurt me, not even when we hurt his precious dragon friends."

"He care about you," said Pepito.

Isabelle scoffed. "Oh, please.  He's just a coward.  Much like you, actually."

"¿Qué?  I no cow's ward."

Isabelle palmed her face. "Cobarde."

"Oh, sí.  Yes, I get it now," said Pepito.  He blinked a few times before giving Isabelle a dirty look. "Hey.  That no nice."

"It's true, you spineless shellfish," Isabelle stated. "Here we are, about to be set for life, and you want to back out."

"That no being cow's ward, Señorita Isabelle," said Pepito. "That being...  Um..."

He took out his dictionary and flipped through the pages. "Smart.  Sí, I think that word."

Isabelle swiped the book from Pepito's claws and bopped him on the head with it. "You have no idea what you're talking about.  Now c'mon.  If Cortez and his goons are around here, they could be after our bounty."

"¿Qué?"

Isabelle groaned. "You know what?  I'm not explaining it to your slow brain again.  Just follow my lead."

She sniffed the air again, prowling around while Pepito skittered behind her.  She then smirked.

"Dragons due east," she said. "It might be the Dragon Lord."

"How you know is Dragon Lord and not ordinary dragon?" Pepito inquired.

Isabelle snorted. "Don't test me, Pepito."

"It honest question," Pepito said flatly.  Before he could repeat it, he noticed a strange silhouette in the morning sky. "Uh, Señorita?"

"I don't want to hear another word out of you, Pepito," Isabelle growled, oblivious to the shadow descending upon her.

"No, this important," Pepito insisted, pointing at the sky.

"I know what you're gonna say, Pepito," said Isabelle. "It's not too late.  We still have a chance to give up and fade into obscurity.  That's not happening."

"I no say that.  I no even know what up-skirt-ity mean.  But Señorita Isabelle—"

"¡Pensé que le dije cerrar para arriba!" Isabelle snapped, staring down at Pepito. "I swear, one more word out of you, and I'll—"

"Bombs away!"

Out of the sky, a golden chariot flew by Isabelle and Pepito.  From it, several water balloons rained down on Isabelle's hair, drenching her with a strong-smelling liquid.  Her nose twitched, and she immediately covered it up.

"Gah~!  Wh-what is this stuff?!" she screamed in a nasally voice.

Pepito skittered up to her and sniffed her a few times.  He raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm.  I know what that is," he mused. "That, um...  What word for it?  Um, you have my dictionary, yes?"

Isabelle groaned and handed the book back to Pepito.  He quickly flipped through it.

"Ah, this it.  Es una mofeta."

Isabelle's eyes widened "A skunk?!  Ugh~!"  She frantically sniffed the air. "Blast it!  I lost the scent!  Why didn't you say something?!"

Pepito deadpanned. "I no dignify that."

Isabelle snarled. "Well, that's just great.  Now we have to get this mess fixed before we resume the hunt."

"You know, it not too late," said Pepito.

Isabelle gave Pepito a glare. "I don't want to hear it," she growled. "We're getting that Dragon Lord, we're going to be rich and famous, and you're gonna like it!"

Without another word, she dove underground.  Pepito looked towards where the chariot was heading and rubbed the side of his head.  With a shrug and a sigh, he followed Isabelle.


***


The chariot landed a few meters away, and Gilda was roaring with laughter.

"Oh man!  That was the best!" she guffawed.

"It'll certainly buy Lord Ember and those Dragoons some time," said Celestia.

"Um, what was in those balloons?" asked Little Strongheart.

Celestia smiled. "Garlic magically modified to smell like skunk spray.  I may be a prankster, but I'm not cruel."

"So, what now, Your Highness?" asked Straight Arrow.

Little Strongheart furrowed her brow and took a look at the ground. "Hmm.  The Dragoons haven't passed through this area," she mused. "But I know where their hideout is.  From there, we can see where they're going and shadow them."

"Thus making sure those poachers don't catch 'em by surprise," said Gilda, pounding her fist into her palm. "Nice.  Please tell me you have more where that came from, Princess Celestia."

"Indeed I do," said Celestia mischievously. "But we must be discreet.  Straight Arrow, En Passant.  You may return to the palace.  We'll be alright here."

The guards looked at each other before sharing a shrug.

"Um, yes, Your Highness," said En Passant. "Are you—?"

"Yes, I'm sure," said Celestia, cutting across her guard. "If I need your assistance, you'll know."

"Of course, Your Highness," said En Passant with a bow.

The two of them took off into the air, leaving Celestia, Little Strongheart, and Gilda behind.

"I hope you two don't mind, but I prefer the freedom of running over the open plains," said Little Strongheart. "Now, let's get moving!"

She galloped due west with Celestia and Gilda flying right behind her.  Unbeknownst to any of them, a small grey flame watched from afar before whisking away over the horizon...
> Unsuccessful Uprising
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	For the longest time, all was still in the desert.  Needles sat in quiet meditation on Khamshin's back, listening to everything around her.  She could hear the flapping of wings; the shuffling of sand; Toro sniffing the air.  But not once did she hear a Diamond Dog's howl or some other foe approach.

It was quiet.  Too quiet.

"You look troubled, my dear Needles.  Are you okay?"

Needles didn't even open her eyes as she turned away from Trigger. "I-I dunno."

"Still nervous about meeting your parents?" asked Ember.

Needles shrugged. "I little, I guess," she admitted.

Trigger smiled and placed a claw on Needles's shoulder. "Don't you fret, Needles.  We're all here for you."

"I'm sure your parents are very nice," Ember added. "Unlike most dragons I know."

"I hear ya, sister," Needles concurred. "Up until a few moons ago, Trigger here wasn't exactly the gentleman he is now."  She pointed over at Flint and Steel. "And those two were a lot worse."

"To be fair, you did kinda take over our nest," Flint snarled. "You can't blame me for getting angry about that."

"N-now now, Flint.  Th-that's all water under the bridge," said Steel nervously.

Flint groaned and smacked Steel upside the head. "I never said I was upset about it now, dingus.  Seriously, stop getting so worked up over nothing."

Ember blinked. "That is the most normal dragon interaction I've seen since I met Spike at the Gauntlet of Fire.  Maybe things are changing too fast.  Is that why Seth is challenging me for the Bloodstone Scepter?"

"It is possible, Your Lordship," Trigger mused. "Though seeing as he is some rogue Dragon Mage, he might have more nefarious goals.  Ehheh...  Ehheh..."

"Yes, but what are those goals?" asked Toro, furrowing his brow. "And why did a powerful dragon like him have to place a bounty on the Dragon Lord's head?"

Needles shrugged. "Well, I guess we'll just have to ask my folks and find out," she said with a sigh. "Still not lookin' forward to that."

"Yeah, speaking of which, how much farther is it?" inquired Steel.

Needles looked off into the distance and squinted. "Can't be far now.  I can see the cliffs just ahead."

"And look, someone's coming to greet us," said Trigger.

Needles raised an eyebrow and looked up to where Trigger was pointing.  Sure enough, a trio of dragons were descending from the sky.

"Huh.  Well, that's unexpected," said Needles. "Not entirely unwelcome, though."

"Don't be so sure."

Needles turned to Ember, who had a dark scowl on her face.

"Something wrong, Your Lordship?" she asked.

Ember snorted and held her scepter aloft. "I know those dragons.  They certainly aren't Dragon Magi."

"Heh, don't tell me you believe that old legend."

The three dragons landed before Khamshin, who stopped in his tracks.  The leader of the bunch was a menacing red fellow with a pronounced jaw and fiery eyes.  He was accompanied by a rotund brown dragon with a club-like tail and a lanky purple dragon with an orange mane covering his eyes.

"Garble," said Ember with a snort. "You're a bit far from home, aren't you?"

"Hey, I can go where I want when I want, Your 'Lordship,'" the red dragon snarled, putting emphasis on his air quotes.

"You know this fella?" Needles asked.

Ember made a face. "Let's just say you're all lucky he's not Dragon Lord."

"You wouldn't be Dragon Lord yourself if that stupid runt didn't help you," said Garble.

"Hey, watch your tone!  You're addressing the Dragon Lord!" Flint roared.

Garble sneered. "Well, she won't be Dragon Lord for long, will she?  Not with Seth calling her out."

"Heh, yeah.  No one has ever called a dragon out for the Bloodstone Scepter before," said the purple dragon, wringing his claws. "She must not be fit to rule us after all."

"I'm more fit than you, Fume," Ember growled, gripping her scepter tightly.

"Then why are you getting called out then, huh?" asked the brown dragon. "Seth is gonna roast your hide."

"Clump, Clump.  Easy," said Garble, holding up his palm. "Even if she doesn't deserve to be Dragon Lord, she's still Torch's daughter.  We should show her some respect."

Ember scowled. "Spare me the lip service, Garble.  What do you want?"

"Well, as it turns out, Seth is offering a big reward for your capture," said Garble. "But, like I said, you're Torch's daughter.  You don't deserve to be incinerated by that guy."

"Translation: You're afraid my dad's gonna kill you," said Ember.

Garble scoffed. "Heh, what?  Please.  Torch ain't Dragon Lord anymore.  Besides, Seth could whoop his butt, too."  He suddenly cleared his throat. "Um, could you possibly not tell Torch I said that?"

"Wow, and I thought I was a wimp," said Steel, scratching his head.

"I-I'm not a wimp!" Garble barked.  He took a moment to compose himself and turned back to Ember. "Look, Your 'Lordship.'  The point is I'm offering you a deal to get out of this alive.  Give me the scepter and let me be Dragon Lord."

Ember snorted out a plume of smoke. "Not on your life, Garble."

"It's the only way you're gonna keep your head, Princess," Garble snarled. "I get what I want, and you get to keep on living.  It's a win-win."

"You think I'm scared of you?" Ember snapped, drawing herself to full height.

"No, but you should be scared of Seth," said Fume with a snicker. "He's gonna eat you alive."

"Now hold on just a minute," said Needles. "What do you fellas know about this here Seth guy?"

Garble's eyes glistened. "Oh, look at this uppity little runt.  You think you can talk to me like that, shrimp?"

Needles's face darkened. "Oh, don't get me started," she growled. "I've taken on way bigger varmints than you."

Garble laughed. "Isn't that cute?  The small wittle tyke thinks she's grown up!"

"You'd better back off, buddy," Trigger warned, wringing his claws. "Needles is a lot more mature than you'll ever be.  You can't even accept your loss with dignity and grace.  Ehheh..."

Garble simply continued to roar with laughter. "Get this, guys!  Two of 'em!  Two little babies talking all big and strong!  You're just like that Spike punk!"

Needles's eyes narrowed. "You say that as if it's a bad thing," she grumbled.

"Needles, stay in control," said Ocard sternly. "He's not worth it."

"Listen, missy.  The grown-ups are trying to have a conversation here," said Garble mockingly. "So why don't you go back to your nest and cuddle up with your mama?"

"Leave her alone, Garble!"

Garble blinked as a pulse of energy radiated from the Bloodstone Scepter.  He soon found himself bowing his head towards Ember.

"Y-yes, Your Lordship," he said.  He then blinked in confusion. "Wait.  What am I doing?  I don't have to answer to you!"

"As long as I remain Dragon Lord, you do!" Ember boomed, her voice amplified by the scepter.

Garble gnashed his teeth as he struggled against the scepter's power. "N-no fair!  You're not a proper Dragon Lord!  Seth says you're not!"

"And why do you believe him, huh?" asked Flint, folding his arms. "What kinda clout does this Seth guy have?"

"Sh-shut up!" Garble barked. "Last chance, Princess!  Either give me the scepter, or I'm taking you to Seth!"

"You will do no such thing!" Ember proclaimed.

Garble blinked. "O-of course not, Your Lordship.  Wh-what was I think—?"  He shook himself. "Now cut that out!"

Ember smirked. "Make me!"

Garble snorted and flew towards Ember in a blind rage.  Ember rolled away from the strike and smacked Garble's back with the butt of her scepter.  Garble tumbled from the sky and plowed straight into the ground.  He got up and sputtered.

"It'll take more than some fancy tricks to best a true dragon," he said, turning to Clump and Fume. "What're you two standing around for?!  Get her!"

Clump and Fume took to the skies, only to be intercepted by Flint and Steel.

"You're not laying one claw on the Dragon Lord!" Flint snarled. "Not while we're around!"

Garble scoffed. "Oh, I see how it is.  The big mighty Dragon Lord can't do anything on her own.  She needs her precious friends to bail her out.  No wonder Seth is challenging you for the scepter."

Ember blushed madly. "Y-you don't know anything about me or friendship!"

"And you don't know anything about being a Dragon Lord," Garble retorted.  He took to the sky and made a beeline to Ember, his claws ready to snatch the scepter from her hands. "I do."

"Likely story!"

Garble suddenly spun out of control as a magic throwing star grazed his jaw.  Ember looked down to see Needles, bathed in a golden aura and ready to fight.  Garble snorted.

"Oh, so the baby wants to get her butt pounded," he said, smacking his fist against his palm. "What'd you throw at me, runt?  A rock?"

Needles smirked. "You really wanna see?" she asked coyly.  Several magical throwing stars appeared between her fingertips. "I've got loads."

Garble's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "H-how are you doing that?!  Dragons can't do that!"

"She must be one of those Dragon Magi thingies from those old legends!" said Fume. "Oh man, we're so hosed!"

"Sh-shut up, Fume!  Dragon Magi don't exist!" Garble bellowed.

"Well, I've got five little retorts for that," said Needles.  In rapid succession, she threw her stars at Garble. "One, two, three, four, five!"

Each one hit their mark, scratching Garble's scales.

"Let's get out of here!" Clump cried. "We can't take on the Dragon Lord and a Dragon Mage!"

Clump and Fume broke off from Flint and Steel and took off into the sky.  Garble shook his fist at them.

"Come back, you cowards!  We can take 'em!" he shouted. "Seth summoned us for a reason!"

"Follow you comrades back to the Dragonlands!" Ember commanded.

Garble winced and did as he was told. "This ain't over, Your 'Lordship!'  Think about my offer!  You'll never defeat Seth, you hear me?!  Never!"

Once Garble and his gang disappeared from sight, Ember sighed and hung her head. "Well, so much for that not being my thing."

"Are you kiddin'?  That was great," said Needles, wiping some sweat from her brow. "I love how ya played with that bully like a cheap fiddle.  No one's gonna push you around."

Ember shook her head. "But I promised that I wouldn't push others around.  That's how the old Dragon Lords did things.  Spike showed me there was a better way, and I want to follow his example.  But with jerks like Garble and Seth challenging me, i-it's just so..."

She quickly rubbed her eyes and sulked. "Actually, forget I said anything.  Let's just keep moving."

Needles shrugged. "Whatever you say, Your Lordship.  And Ocard, I don't wanna hear it."

"Your spirit guide giving you trouble, Señorita Needles?" Toro asked.

Needles sighed. "It's just tryin' to make sure I don't lose my temper and nearly incinerate everyone."

Ember's eyes widened. "You can do that?!"

"Yeah.  Not exactly proud of it, though," said Needles sheepishly. "That's kinda why Khamshin here lost his home.  I just got all worked up and summoned Ocard by accident.  It went on a bit of a rampage, and I didn't know how to turn it off.  Y-you can't imagine how scared I was."

Ember frowned. "No, I can't.  Because any other dragon would be using that power to make everyone else do what they wanted."

Needles chuckled. "Yeah, well.  That ain't me.  The road I walk ain't easy, but it feels right."

Ember furrowed her brow. "I see.  It appears the Dragon Magi are as wise as the stories say."

Needles blushed. "N-no need to flatter me, Your Lordship.  I-I ain't that good."

Toro sniffed the air and scowled. "Redstone, due south.  The Cobaltvest pack is on the move."  He then sniffed the air again. "Along with, seafood?"

"Must be Rock Lobsters," said Flint darkly. "Those guys must've gotten the bounty, too."

"Which means we can't stay here," said Needles. "Let's keep moving there, Khamshin.  Hyeup!"

She tapped her foot against the back of Khamshin's head.  The antlion let out a rasp before continuing forward.  Needles sighed, closing her eyes and going back into her meditation.

"The Dragon Lord is right, Needles.  You're better than you think you are," said Ocard.

Needles scowled. And here I thought you were gonna lecture me about controlling my temper, she thought.

"Two separate subjects, young mage," said Ocard. "But yes, you should be more mindful of your actions."

Needles groaned. I don't need this right now.

"Then when?"

Needles couldn't answer that.  She simply continued to empty her mind and prepare herself for the trials ahead...
> Pride Before Pragmatism
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Little Strongheart led Gilda and Celestia across the desert for quite some time.  Though Celestia was used to the rays of the sun beating down on her, Gilda wanted desperately to take off her own uniform.  Seeing Gilda struggle against the heat, Celestia shielded her with her enormous wing.

"Wh-what's the big idea?" Gilda growled, tugging at her collar.

"You look like you could use a bit of shade, Gilda," Celestia replied frankly. "And I don't think the griffons would approve if you returned to the conference without your uniform."

Gilda blushed. "I-I'm not looking for their approval.  Again, I'm not ambassador material."

"Neither was Prince Rutherford when he first visited Equestria," said Celestia. "And Lord Ember herself is trying to forge a new identity for dragonkind.  There's a first time for everything, and yes, it can be daunting.  It doesn't mean we don't try."

Gilda let out a groan. "You sound like my Grandpa Gruff."

"Just think about it," said Celestia, turning to Little Strongheart. "How goes the search?"

Little Strongheart didn't respond right away.  She kept her face to the ground, scanning for tracks.  Finally, her eyes lit up.

"Ah-ha.  Antlion tracks," she said. "The Dragoons were here recently."

"I take it one of these Dragoons is an antlion?" Celestia asked with a knowing smirk.

"Um, yes," said Little Strongheart, tapping her chin. "Though this is strange.  Antlions are usually most adept at traveling underground.  Why are they traveling above ground?"

"Who cares?" Gilda said with a shrug. "It makes it easier for us to shadow 'em, doesn't it?"

"It could also mean that something's dreadfully wrong," Celestia said gravely. "Let's keep moving and see what we can find."

Little Strongheart nodded and followed the trail, with Gilda and Celestia flying close behind.  It wasn't long before Gilda spotted something in the distance.

"I think I know why they're above ground," she said, pointing with her talon.

Little Strongheart looked up.  Sure enough, there was a mound of sand shifting through the ground.

"Diamond Dogs," she growled, pawing the ground.

"You think it's that Isabelle punk?" Gilda inquired.

Little Strongheart squinted. "Doubtful.  There's more than one of them."

"Meaning Isabelle might not be the only one hunting for the Dragon Lord," Celestia mused. "We should move to intercept."

"Yeah, I don't think that'll be a problem," said Gilda.

"What do you mean?"

"It looks like they're coming to see us."

Celestia took another look.  Sure enough, the mound of sand was traveling towards Little Strongheart.  Just as they were below her feet, they sprung from the ground.  The leader, a small chihuahua, narrowed his eyes at them.

"Well well well.  You chicas are quite a long way from home," he said. "This here is Cobaltvest territory.  You're trespassing."

Celestia bowed her head. "Lo siento si éste es el caso, señor."

The chihuahua glowered at Celestia. "You making fun of me?  Me, the great Cortez Cobaltvest?"

Celestia blinked. "I was under the impression that speaking in your native tongue was a sign of respect."

"Don't play that game with me, chica," Cortez snarled. "This is our turf.  You're not getting a free pass just because you apologize."

"Then, how exactly can I make it up to you?"

Cortez drew his pistol. "You can die."

Gilda snorted. "Why you good-for-nothing low-down—"

"Gilda, watch it!" Little Strongheart hissed. "The guy has a gun!"

"So?  That little peashooter doesn't scare m— hey!"

A shot fired from the pistol and clipped Gilda's wing.  Cortez snickered.

"I assure you, chica.  The Cobaltvest pack doesn't use peashooters," he said.

Celestia, however, was quite unfazed. "I don't think you realize just what powers you're dabbling with."

Cortez spat at Celestia. "Please.  Not a pony alive can match the might of Cortez Cobaltvest.  You're as good as dead."

"Cortez?"

A sharp voice called Cortez to spin around.  There stood Isabelle, with Pepito right by her side.  He smirked.

"Ah, Isabelle.  Crawling back to me with your tail between your legs, are you?" he said.

The other Diamond Dogs started laughing.  Isabelle snorted.

"Laugh now, Cortez," she proclaimed. "Because very soon, I will make a name for myself; just like my big brother."

"Your big brother is a joke, and you're a fool for following in his footsteps," Cortez barked.

Pepito snapped his claws. "This your former boss, señorita?"

Before Isabelle could respond, Cortez spoke up.

"Isabelle was my best and brightest.  She promised me she could bring Toro back to me," he said. "She ended up abandoning me and formed her own gang.  One which fell apart quite spectacularly, as I recall."

"Sí, that true," said Pepito.

Isabelle smacked Pepito upside the head. "Idiot!  Do you want me to look bad in front of him?!"

"¿Qué?"

Cortez roared with laughter, and the other Diamond Dogs joined him.

"Is this really the best you can do, Isabelle?" Cortez guffawed. "No wonder you lost everything!"

"Sh-shut up!" Isabelle snapped. "I'll get it back!  And I'll be more powerful than you once I get my paws on the Dragon Lord!"

Cortez suddenly stopped laughing. "The Dragon Lord, you say?"

Little Strongheart's eyes narrowed. "I don't like where this is going."

"Yeah, you heard me.  I'm on a mission to capture the Dragon Lord," said Isabelle. "And Pepito and I are gonna sell her to Sykes Silvervest himself and become the most famous mercenaries in the Mild West!"

Pepito pinched the bridge of his nose. "Señorita, why you tell him that?  Now he gonna want Dragon Lord, too."

"Actually, this is quite a coincidence," said Cortez, putting away his gun. "See, my pack has also been tasked with capturing the Dragon Lord.  There's a massive bounty on her head, and I'll be the one to claim it."

Isabelle's eyes went wide. "Impossible!  How could you even know she's in the Mild West?!"

"I can tell you, Isabelle.  If you accept my proposition," said Cortez.

"I knew it," Little Strongheart snarled.

Pepito blinked and took out his dictionary. "What this, prop-o-zition, señor?"

"Simple.  Come back to the Cobaltvest pack, Isabelle," said Cortez, extending his paw. "You want fame and glory?  I can give it to you.  I'll even let you be the one to capture the Dragon Lord.  You must admit, we have a better chance at this if we do it together."

"This is bad," Celestia mused. "If they join forces, it'll make everyone's lives that much more difficult."

Gilda smirked. "Then we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen.  You wouldn't happen to have any cherry bombs, would you?"

"Sure," said Celestia, gesturing to her trunk. "But what do you plan on doing with them?"

"Watch this."

Gilda pulled out a few cherry bombs and darted behind a rock.  Meanwhile, Isabelle stroked her chin in thought.

"I don't know, Cortez.  How do I know you'll keep your promise?" she asked.

Cortez chuckled. "Why so skeptical?  You're not like that vagabond Toro.  You're just confused.  Well, I can clear up the confusion.  Just rejoin my pack and help me kill these three—"

He turned to gesture at the diplomats, only to discover that Gilda was missing.

"¿Dónde está el griffon?" he asked, sniffing around.

Little Strongheart shrugged. "What griffon?  I don't remember a griffon."

"I remember griffon," said Pepito, raising his claw. "She—"

"Shut your trap, Rock Lobster," Cortez barked. "No one cares about your opinion."

"And why not?" asked Celestia coyly. "Why should his species exclude him from this conversation?"

Cortez snorted and drew his pistol again. "You're rather cheeky for a pony who's about to—"

Just then, a cherry bomb went off at Isabelle's feet.  She scowled.

"Okay, who's the wise guy?!" she demanded.

Cortez was equally baffled. "Yeah, which one of you did that to her?!  She's one of us!"

"Stuff it, loser!  I decided that I want the bounty all for myself!" came an unfamiliar, scratchy voice.

Cortez waved his pistol around. "You're really trying my patience.  Come forward, and I may show you leniency."

"Why should I?" said the voice. "If I work for you, you're just gonna take all the reward for yourself, anyway!"

Something seemed to click in Isabelle's mind. "That's right!  Why should I listen to you, Cortez?!  You don't want to share the glory with me!  You want it all for yourself!"

"You honestly believe that punk?!" Cortez roared. "He's not even loyal to—"

Another cherry bomb went off, this time at Cortez's feet.  He snarled.

"Okay, Rock Lobster!  Cough up your weapons!" he commanded.

Pepito blinked. "I no have explosives, señor."

"Don't lie to me!  I know this is your doing!" Cortez snapped.

"I tell you, it not me," said Pepito. "It must be griffon!  She tricking you!"

"Oh, please.  As if griffons are that smart," said Isabelle bluntly.

This prompted a trio of cherry bombs to detonate at her feet.  She let out a low growl.

"That's it, Cortez!  I'm getting that Dragon Lord for myself!  You and the rest of your gang can rot!" she bellowed. "Pepito!"

"Sí?"

"Show them our true might."

"¿Qué?"

Isabelle gave Pepito a bemused look. "Seriously?"

"What serious?  I no understand."

Isabelle groaned. "Muéstrelos qué le hacen, langosta estúpida!"

Pepito sighed. "Sí, señorita."

He quickly spun around and took out what appeared to be gigantic staples.  With pinpoint accuracy, he tossed them at several Diamond Dogs, anchoring them to the ground.  Cortez growled and aimed his pistol.

"That bounty is mine, Isabelle!  Prepare to—"

He was interrupted by a loud war cry, followed by Little Strongheart tackling Cortez to the ground.  She then trampled over him while Celestia followed.  As she left, she gave Cortez a nod.

"We'd love to stay and chat, but we have a Dragon Lord to protect," she said. "Hasta luego."

She flew off after Little Strongheart, and Gilda emerged from her hiding place.  She pulled down her eyelid and stuck out her tongue.

"Seeya, losers!" she taunted, flying off after Little Strongheart and Celestia.

Isabelle's paws balled up into fists. "I will not be mocked like this.  Pepito, we're leaving!"

"¿Qué?"

Isabelle let out a groan and grabbed Pepito's eye stalks before escaping underground.  Cortez snarled as he got to his feet.

"So that's the way you wish to play, is it, Isabelle?" he said, cocking his gun. "Fine by me.  But that lizard will be mine."


***


Once they were a good distance away from the Diamond Dogs, Gilda roared with laughter.

"Oh man, that was the best!" she said. "Who knew being an ambassador could be so awesome?!"

"I don't think this is what ambassadors typically do," said Little Strongheart.

"Oh, let her have her fun," said Celestia. "I thought it was quite amusing.  Especially considering we prevented people from getting seriously hurt."

Little Strongheart sighed. "Even so, if what Cortez says is true, they aren't the only ones after Lord Ember's head.  We have to step up our game as well."

"No problem," said Gilda. "I'm sure we've got plenty of pranks for whatever bozos try to capture the Dragon Lord."

"That may be true," said Celestia, furrowing her brow. "But Little Strongheart does have a point.  Cortez was aiming to kill us, as if he wanted to get us out of the way.  But how did he know we were here?"

Gilda scoffed. "Who cares?  We can take 'em."

"We can take the poachers, yes," said Celestia, looking off into the distance. "But I fear there may be more sinister forces at play.  Let's keep moving."

Little Strongheart nodded and continued to follow the antlion trail.  While Gilda and Celestia kept close, the grey flame from before watched from afar before vanishing underground...
> Peace Porridge Cold
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Needles's meditation was interrupted by a roar in the sky.  Feeling threatened, she readied her throwing stars, but soon dispelled them when her eyes beheld a magnificent sight.  Dragons of all shapes and sizes flew around her, though unlike a typical Great Dragon Migration, none of them were violent or fighting each other.  Instead, the sky was filled with dancing lights and beautiful colors; a veritable spectrum of magic.  She felt Trigger place a claw on her shoulder.

"I take it this is your home," he said.

Needles cleared her throat. "Um, yeah.  Looks like we're here."  She turned her attention back to the sky. "My stars, I haven't been here in so long."

Ember tilted her head. "What are they doing, though?"

Needles shrugged. "Practicing magic, I guess.  That or they just wanted to have a bit of a light show."

"Without hurting each other?" said Ember, amazed by the spectacle. "These are not the kind of dragons I grew up with."

"That should be rather obvious, Your Lordship," said Steel. "Then again, I'm not one to talk.  I didn't grow up around those types of dragons, either.  I grew up with Flint."

Flint snorted. "If that was a crack against me, I'm gonna bop you one."

"Easy, amigos.  I doubt peace-loving dragons would tolerate violence in their territory," warned Toro.

Ember made a face. "Peace-loving dragons.  For so long, I thought that was an oxymoron.  But now, everything's changing, and—"

"My, my.  Is that who I think it is?"

Her thought was interrupted by a large dragon with indigo scales descending from above.  Though he towered over the small group, even the large antlion Khamshin, he gently landed on the ground as though he were as light as a feather.  His piercing yellow eyes stared right at Ember.

"Um, hello," said Ember nervously. "I am Princess Ember, the current Dragon Lo—"

"I know who you are," said the large dragon in a deep, rumbling voice. "In fact, I know all of you."  He shifted his gaze to Needles. "Especially you, young Needles."

Needles gulped. "H-hey, Pa.  B-been a while."

The elder dragon let out a small snort and bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Zin of the Dragon Magi."

"Pleasure to meet you, sir," said Trigger, wringing his claws. "You've actually saved us a lot of trouble.  See, Needles here wanted to—"

Zin held up his claw. "Let me daughter speak for herself," said he.  He looked down at Needles. "Well?  Why have you returned?  I thought you gave up on this life."

Needles's eyes narrowed. "Don't start with me, Pa.  This is really serious, and we haven't got a lot of time."

"Why rush?  I'd be eager to hear about your adventures," said Zin, laying down before her. "Especially the one where you joined a gang of hooligans and wreaked havoc on the Mild West.  That sounds most intriguing."

"Th-that's all in the past, sir," said Trigger. "Needles is leading us on a better path now.  Ehheh..."

"Is she now?" asked Zin, stroking his chin. "Because she seems to have led you all right back where she started.  Stellar leadership, Needles."

"Sheesh.  What's his problem?" Steel whispered to Flint.

"You think I'd know?" Flint hissed back.

Needles sighed. "I get it, Pa.  You're still disappointed in me for runnin' off.  But can we put that aside for just a minute?  The Dragon Lord here needs our help."

Zin looked down at Ember. "The Dragon Lords of the past have never called upon us Dragon Magi before.  I must confess, such a level of humility from one such as you truly warms my heart."

"Yeah, well.  That's, kinda the problem," said Ember sheepishly. "Someone is challenging my authority, and it's a Dragon Mage named Seth.  We were wondering if you knew anything about him."

Zin let out a growl. "The Dragon Magi know of no such dragon.  You'd best leave."

Needles clenched her fists. "Not exactly setting a good example for the clan, Pa."

"And what would you know of that?" Zin retorted. "You ran away."

"Yeah, and I was an idiot for doin' that.  I'm sorry.  But I've grown up a lot since then," said Needles.

Zin shook his head. "I'm sure you have.  But my, did it take a long time.  Longer than it should have."

"Well, gee.  Maybe if people didn't have this massive expectation of me, I wouldn't have gotten so nervous!"

"Maybe if you actually lived up to those expectations, you'd realize your true worth."

"Um, if I may interject," said Ember. "If you don't know about Seth, do you know someone who does?"

Zin's face darkened. "No such dragon exists, Dragon Lord Ember.  I suggest you leave."

"Now wait just a cotton-pickin' minute!  You mean to tell me that the huge Black Dragon that attacked Lord Ember at the Inter-Species Conference doesn't exist?!" Needles roared. "I felt that guy's power, Pa!  He's all too real, and he's after the Dragon Lord!  We need to help her!  You just said you were happy that she was asking us Dragon Magi for help!"

"And I am.  But the Black Dragon of the Desert is not something I or any other Dragon Mage can help her with," said Zin. "Had you not run off and actually completed your training, you would know that."

Needles let out a muted scream and stomped her feet in anger.

"Needles, careful," said Ocard. "I-I can feel your temper raging out of control.  C-calm down."

"Shut up, Ocard!" Needles barked, glaring at Zin.

Zin blinked. "So, you even talk back to your own spirit guide."  He shook his head. "Tsk tsk.  You should know why that isn't wise."

"Well, I don't!  And I don't know why you are actin' like this!" Needles cried. "I ain't lookin' for your approval, Pa!  I messed up, I took my lumps for it, and I've grown up!  Stop takin' me on this guilt trip and actually address this problem that's right in front of you!"

"I have."

"How, by brushing her off?!  This ain't what Dragon Magi do!  Heck, I'm a better Dragon Mage than you are!  I actually care!"

"I needn't respond to that," said Zin sagely. "Your attitude proves my point.  You do not understand our ways, and you choose to act in defiance of them even now.  Why should I treat you with any respect when you don't show it to us?"

Something inside Needles just snapped. "That's it!"

"Needles, wait!"

But Trigger's warning fell on deaf ears.  Needles exhaled a large amber flame that took the form of a dragon.  Zin sighed.

"I somehow knew it would come to this," he said. "Agniki, Ecnal!"

A large blue flame emerged from Zin's mouth, forming another flaming dragon.  The two dragons roared and charged for one another.  They danced across the sky, slashing and swiping as if they were real dragons.  As they fought, Needles summoned several stars in her hand.

"If you knew how serious this was, you wouldn't be treating me so coldly!" she spat, tossing the stars at Zin.

Zin slashed with his claw, and the air before him was torn asunder, destroying Needles's attack. "If you weren't a coward, you'd know why we can't help the Dragon Lord."

"Why can't you just tell me?!"

"Because you rejected our ways."

"That ain't me anymore, though!  I've changed!"

"I've yet to see that."

"And I don't see why you're okay with letting an innocent dragon die!"

"It may have been many moons, but you still act like a child."

"Stop makin' this about me!"

She spewed out another flame.  This one was met by a pulse of energy emerging from Zin's mouth.  Up above, Ocard was clearly struggling against Zin's elemental, Ecnal.  It was about to deal the finishing blow when a bright pink flame appeared between the two.

"Both of you, dispel you elementals at once!" the elemental bellowed. "This is sacred ground!"

Zin scoffed. "I would, but she doesn't know how."

Needles gnashed her teeth, tears rolling down her cheeks.  As much as she hated to admit it, Zin was right.  She had lost control of Ocard, and it was only because of her weakened state that she wasn't destroying everything in her wake.  She let out a piercing wail, and Ocard howled in pain along with her.

"Needles!"  Trigger dashed forward and pulled Needles into a tight embrace. "I-it's okay.  It's okay.  I know you're upset, but just calm down.  I'm right here.  Ehheh...  Ehheh..."

Needles took in several shallow breaths, desperately trying to regain control.  As her vision blurred, she could make out a familiar pink dragon coming into view.

"M-Ma," she whimpered. "Y-you come to berate me, too?"

The pink dragon sighed. "No, Needles.  In fact, I believe my husband is out of line."  She gave Zin a glare. "You're too hard on her, Zin."

Zin snorted and dispelled his elemental. "Perhaps I let my instincts as a parent get the better of me," he admitted. "But it doesn't change the facts, Nova.  We can't help the Dragon Lord."

Nova blinked. "The Dragon Lord?  In our lands?"

"Um, yeah," said Ember, fiddling with her scepter. "Jeez.  I-I thought you Dragon Magi were peaceful, but um..."

"Yes, that was quite an embarrassing exchange," said Nova solemnly. "But we Dragon Magi still have the same virtues and vices as any other dragon.  We just try to control them."

"And our daughter still struggles with that control," said Zin coldly. "Which is why I had to test her.  It didn't help that your request was, impossible."

As he spoke, Ocard disappeared from the sky and back into Needles, who was on her knees and sobbing.  Ember sighed.

"Th-this is so weird," she muttered. "I-I feel like I should say something, but I don't know what.  And, it kinda hurts, seeing her like this."

"That's friendship for you, Su Señoría," said Toro, hiding his eyes under his sombrero. "I too feel terrible for her.  She's been through so much, and for her own parents to deny that..."

"Oh, I don't deny it," said Nova. "I'm sure Zin doesn't, either.  It's just that Zin is a lot less forgiving than I am."

Steel blinked. "We should've bumped into you, then."

"As if we had any control over that, ya dope," Flint growled.

Nova smirked. "I see your friends are just as colorful as ever, Needles.  Now, what is it that you wanted to ask?"

Ember cleared her throat. "Well, someone is challenging my authority as Dragon Lord.  He's a Dragon Mage named Seth, and we came here thinking you knew something about him."

Nova's eyes widened for a moment. "Seth?  Oh dear.  This is a problem."

"Yes, but your husband doesn't think so," said Trigger, giving Zin a dirty look. "He keeps claiming that he doesn't exist and that he can't help us."

"There's a reason for that," said Nova gravely. "And it's not because we fear him.  It's because he fears us."

Ember scratched her head. "That makes no sense.  I saw the power he wielded with my own eyes.  Why would he be afraid of you?"

Nova sighed. "It's a long and troubling story, Lord Ember.  One which has only been shared amongst the clan.  But seeing as he's targeting you, the rules have changed."

She drew herself to full height. "Lord Ember, Needles.  Come with me.  I must show you something.  The rest of you, keep your eyes open.  Seth may strike at any moment."

With that, she flew off into the sky.  Needles sniffled and dried her eyes.

"See, why couldn't you have done that?" she snapped at Zin.

Zin sighed. "It's as your mother said.  I'm not so forgiving.  But for what it's worth, I do believe you have the capability of proving yourself.  Only then will I forgive you."

Needles deadpanned. "And I guess saving Ma and a bunch of other dragons from poachers don't count, huh?"

"Let's just drop it, Needles," said Ember. "Time is of the essence.  Here, hop on."

Needles climbed onto Ember's back, and the two took off after Nova.  Trigger sighed and wrung his claws.

"I should be with her," he muttered.

"I'm sure the Dragon Lord will look after her, Señor Trigger," said Toro.  He sniffed the air and knitted his brow. "In the meantime, we should prepare for what's to come.  The air may be tranquil now, but Señora Nova is right."

"Right about what?"

"We may be attacked at any moment."

Trigger gulped while Khamshin let out a snarling rasp, as if he were also aware of some impending danger approaching...
> Wisenheimer Words
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, what prank are we gonna pull on those punks next?  Quicksand trap?  Disguises?"

Celestia was rather calm as Gilda flew around her excitedly, but she said not a word.  Her brow was crinkled in thought, and she seemed only vaguely aware of her surroundings.  Gilda soon took note of this.

"Why are you being so serious all of a sudden?" she asked. "I thought this was gonna be a fun pranking spree."

"Oh, it still is," said Celestia. "But you know what they say.  It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.  I'm trying to figure out a way to prevent it from getting to that point."

Part of Gilda wanted to scoff at such a pacifistic tactic, but she resisted the urge.  Instead, she shrugged.

"Hey, as long as we keep those punks away from the Dragon Lord, I don't care how we do it," she said. "We still on their trail, Strongheart?"

"We haven't left it," Little Strongheart replied, keeping her nose to the ground. "They should be just up ahead."

Celestia looked up and raised an eyebrow. "To whom are you referring, Little Strongheart?  The Dragon Lord, or the poachers?"

Little Strongheart turned her head. "The Dragon Lord, of course.  Why do you ask?"

Celestia simply pointed with her hoof.  Little Strongheart took a glance, and she immediately saw Celestia's point.  There were Isabelle and Pepito, no more than a few meters away.  Gilda smirked and cracked her knuckles.

"Alright.  Let's give 'em a real surprise," she said.

"Actually, I have a different idea," said Celestia. "We won't need any tools."

Gilda blinked. "Then, how are we gonna prank 'em?"

"There's more than one way to core an apple," said Celestia with a wink. "Just leave this to me and watch closely.  You may learn something."

She moved on forward while Gilda scratched her head.

"Is she always this cryptic?" she asked Little Strongheart.

Little Strongheart shrugged. "Don't ask me.  I don't know her all that well.  But if she has an idea, I think we can trust her."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Gilda conceded. "I kinda promised myself that I'd give ponies the benefit of the doubt, so I'm just gonna let her do her thing.  If it doesn't work, we'll be able to bail her out."

Little Strongheart giggled. "That might be a big if.  I've heard plenty of stories about Princess Celestia."

Gilda snickered as well. "I hear ya, sister.  Honestly, I'm more worried about that lobster guy.  He's pretty shifty.  I'm gonna be watching him like a hawk."

"I'll keep my eyes open as well," said Little Strongheart.  With that, the two of them rushed to Celestia's side.


***


Isabelle sniffed the air several times and scowled. "My brother's scent.  He must be nearby."

Pepito blinked. "We no looking for your brother, Señorita Isabelle."

"I realize that, you idiot," Isabelle growled. "But we have to consider the possibility that he's going to be involved."

"You no want him to get involved?"

Isabelle snorted. "It'd be another headache that I don't need.  He and those Dragoons ruined my ambitions once; I won't let them do it again."

Pepito rubbed the side of his head. "I thought you say it my fault."

"I-it's both your faults," Isabelle sputtered. "Sh-shut up, Pepito.  We've got a job to do."

Pepito sighed. "Sí, señorita."

He continued skittering behind her when he noticed Celestia approaching them.  He tapped Isabelle's shoulder.

"Eh, señorita?  We got company," he said.

Isabelle turned and glared at Celestia. "You.  Why are you out here with the griffon and the buffalo?"

"We cannot allow you to capture the Dragon Lord," Celestia stated plainly. "She's a valued friend."

Isabelle laughed. "A friend?  You must be joking.  Dragons don't have friends."

"What about Dragon Magi?"

Isabelle smacked Pepito upside the head. "Don't correct me."

"Once Lord Ember's rule is solidified, things will change," said Celestia. "And you're acting against that change."

Isabelle scoffed. "I don't give one measly pebble about whatever you're babbling about," she said, drawing her weighted lasso. "All I care about is that you're standing in our way.  Pepito, ready your weapons."

"¿Qué?"

Isabelle groaned. "Aliste sus armas, tonto."

"Right, sí.  I understand."

Pepito took out his staple traps, eyeing Gilda.  Gilda stared back at him while Little Strongheart pawed the ground.  Celestia, however, simply smiled.

"My my.  I didn't anticipate this," she said coyly. "I guess we just have to surrender."

Gilda did a double take.  She wanted to object, but part of her wanted to see where this was going.  Little Strongheart noticed Gilda's reaction and held out her hoof.

"We agreed to let her handle this," she whispered.

"I know," Gilda whispered back. "Doesn't make this any less weird."

Isabelle, however, had no clue that anything was amiss.  She flashed her teeth at Celestia.

"Hmph.  Even the mighty pony princess knows when she is bested," she gloated.

"Indeed, you have got us," said Celestia, still smiling. "Would you like to strike us down now, or wait until you get home?"

"Strike them now, strike them now!" Isabelle commanded.

"Calm down, young pup.  Your companion doesn't have to strike you now."

Isabelle snarled and got right into Celestia's face. "Listen, potro!  I don't answer to you or anyone else in Equestria!  I only answer to me!  And if I want Pepito to strike me now, then I say he should strike me now!"

She whipped back towards Pepito. "So strike me now!"

Pepito blinked in confusion. "¿Qué?"

"You heard me!"

"Sí, I hear you.  I no think you hear yourself."

Isabelle grabbed Pepito by his eyestalks. "¡Escucha, langosta estúpida!  ¡O ahora pulso me, o le lastimaré!"

"Okay, okay!  I strike, I strike!" Pepito exclaimed.

Isabelle smirked and dropped Pepito to the ground. "Good.  Maybe you're not as dumb as you— hey!"

She was interrupted by a staple trap pinning her leg to the ground.  When she glowered at Pepito, he threw up his claws.

"You say strike you!  I do what you say!" he said defensively.

Gilda burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as she wriggled about in the sky. "O-oh man!  Th-that was ace!"

Isabelle growled as she freed herself from the trap. "Okay, pony.  Let's try that again."

Celestia shrugged. "Very well.  Would you like to strike us now, or wait until you get home?"

"I wish to strike you now."

"Calm down, little pup.  He doesn't have to strike you now."

"Ah-ha!" Isabelle exclaimed, jabbing her paw into Celestia's face. "I'm wise to your tricks, pony.  It's not 'he doesn't have to strike you' now;' it's 'he doesn't have to strike me now.'  Well, I say he does have to strike me now!"  She turned back to Pepito. "So strike me now!"

Pepito deadpanned. "¿Seriamente?"

"Do I look serious to you?!  Now go on and strike— ow!"

Pepito maintained his bemused glare as he threw his staple traps at Isabelle once more.  Gilda was roaring with laughter.  Little Strongheart, however, noticed something odd.

"You seemed a little too willing to go along with that," she said.

Pepito shrugged. "It only way she learn.  I try and look out for her, but she no listen to me.  She think I stupid."

"Because you are stupid," Isabelle growled, trying to pry herself free. "You keep saying we shouldn't be trying to capture the Dragon Lord.  You're letting untold fame and fortune slip right through your claws!"

"I say that because I feel something not right!" Pepito protested. "But you no care!  You just, um..."

He paused for a moment to sift through his dictionary.

"Jelly-us!  That what you are!"

Isabelle's face turned bright red. "How dare you!  Y-you honestly think I'm jealous of my stupid big brother?!"

"Sí, I think that!  Because you trying to be outlaw like him!"

"I-it's more complicated than that!  You wouldn't understand!"

"How do you know?"

Isabelle whipped around at Celestia, who was observing the entire exchange.

"Y-you stay out of this!" she sputtered.

"Why?  I'm curious," said Celestia. "I'll admit, I don't know either of you very well.  But I'm rather good at reading people, and I can tell that Pepito here only has your best interests at heart."

"Sí, that true," said Pepito with a nod. "But you no listen to me because you think I stupid.  I..."  He looked in his dictionary. "Frust-traded.  I no speak English well, but that no mean I no try."

"And when your efforts go unnoticed you get angry and end up playing the fool to appease her," Celestia mused. "I've seen this kind of thing before."

Pepito looked up at Celestia. "You very smart."

Isabelle began to tremble. "Sh-she's not smart.  Neither are you, Pepito.  You don't understand!  Diamond Dogs don't leave the pack!  When Toro left to make his own name, it broke my heart!  It's as if he didn't care about how his own family felt!"

"Did you tell him that?" asked Celestia.

Isabelle ignored Celestia and continued her tirade. "Though apparently, he does care how I feel, because whenever we face each other down, he can never bring himself to hurt me!  Not even once!  He's so confusing, it just makes my blood boil!"

"Did you tell him that?"

"And to top it all off, he ends up ditching the outlaw schtick and becomes this noble dragon-loving crusader!  A Diamond Dog, befriending dragons!  But does he get punished for it?!  Of course not, don't be stupid!  He gets all this fame and glory while I get nothing!"

"Did you tell him that?"

Isabelle finally turned towards Celestia. "What do you think you would've done in my situation, huh?"

Celestia sighed and rested her cheek on her hoof. "Could you tell me something?"

"What?"

"Do you ever listen to other people when they talk?"

"No, she no do that," said Pepito sadly. "Believe me, I try."

Before Isabelle could protest, Celestia placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"Well, maybe that's your problem," she said sagely. "Life is not an echo chamber.  If you just surround yourself with people who agree with you and ignore everything else, you'll never grow or find solutions to the simplest of problems."

Isabelle trembled. "Sh-shut up.  I-I don't have to take this.  I-I need to be famous like my brother.  If he can do it, why can't I?"

"That isn't a bad goal," said Celestia. "But consider this.  You know your former pack is after the Dragon Lord.  Why not work with your brother and stop them?  That would make you a hero, and take it from me, heroes are quite famous."

Isabelle averted her eyes. "But, he won't listen to me."

"How do you know that?  Have you tried actually talking to him?  Have you tried actually listening to Pepito's advice?"

Isabelle sniffled.  She tried to form a response, but no words came out.  Pepito skittered over to her and gave her a hug.

"You know pony is right," he said. "And pony also have good idea.  Toro no bad guy.  He listen better than me.  We go talk to him and protect Dragon Lord."

Isabelle didn't say anything.  She simply stared at the ground, letting a few tears fall as she tried to process what was happening.  Gilda let out a small laugh.

"Well, I'll be.  Ponies really are great at this kind of thing," she said. "I'm not gonna lie; that was pretty awesome.  She got them to stop going after the Dragon Lord without even landing a single blow."

Little Strongheart smiled and wiped a tear from her eye. "That's not just a pony thing, Gilda.  That's diplomacy at work.  Actions might be louder than words, but sometimes, words are a lot cleaner."

"Yeah, well.  That's why I wouldn't make a good diplomat," said Gilda with a self-mocking chuckle.

"And what about Dragon Lord Ember?"

Gilda stopped laughing right then and there. "Okay, good point."  She sighed. "I hope she found some answers about that Seth guy.  I can only imagine how scared she is."

"Much like yourself?" asked Little Strongheart.

Gilda blushed. "Heh, got me.  But, this mission isn't about me.  It's about her.  And since these two ex-dragon poachers aren't going to be causing any more trouble, I think we should go ahead and group up with her."

Celestia nodded. "I'm inclined to agree, Gilda."

"As am I," Little Strongheart concurred. "C'mon, they should be just up ahead.  Let's—"

Before anyone could make a move, a grey flame burst from the sand.  Following the flame was none other than Seth, his eyes narrowed.

"So, you continue to interfere, even when the Dragon Lord is shown as weak and untrustworthy?" he snarled. "Such simple-minded fools."

Celestia's face darkened. "You were spying on us.  I knew there was something wrong."

"Y'know, it's punks like you that give Lord Ember a reason to shake things up, Seth," Gilda said, pounding her fist into her palm.

Isabelle's eyes widened. "Wait, that's Seth?!  We were working for a dragon this entire time?!"

Pepito sighed. "I no say anything.  It too easy."

Seth snorted as the grey flame floated beside him. "I cannot allow you to interfere any further.  The Bloodstone Scepter will be mine!  Temhkas!  Lay waste to these interlopers!"

The grey flame let out a roar and turned into a large dragon made of flames.  Pepito gulped.

"I think we should leave," he said.

Celestia frowned. "That's what he wants us to do.  He wants us to lead him right to the Dragon Lord."

"Then, what do we do?" asked Gilda.

There was a spark in Celestia's eye as she powered up her horn. "Well, we're in a desert, aren't we?  And the sun has been known to play tricks on the minds of desert travelers."

For a moment, the sun's rays shined even brighter than before, as if it were high noon.  Seth hissed and shielded his eyes.  When his vision returned, he saw several mirages of his foes dart off in all directions.  He snorted.

"Fancy yourself clever, do you?" he huffed. "Temhkas!  Summon our hunters!  They won't get away!"

Temhkas let out a powerful roar that shook the skies.  As the bounty hunters converged, Celestia led her small posse through the desert towards the land of the Dragon Magi.

Hang on tight and prepare yourself, Lord Ember, she thought. We're on our way, and we might be bringing some unwanted guests...
> Embrace the Winds of Change
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Ember and Needles followed Nova in complete silence through the ravines and crevices of the Dragon Magi's land.  Needles tried to meditate, but she found that she couldn't empty her mind.  That, and she wasn't in the mood to listen to Ocard scold her.  Finally, she let out a sigh.

"How much farther?" she murmured.

Nova turned her head. "You're still upset."

"Gee, I don't know where you got that idea," Needles snapped.

Nova frowned. "Needles, I know your father was very stern with you, and perhaps he wasn't right to act in such a manner.  But we still love you."

"Yeah, well.  He has a weird way of showin' his affection," said Needles. "And I still don't know why we can't help the Dragon Lord.  The Dragon Magi are supposed to help anyone who asks.  What makes Seth so special?"

"Patience, Needles.  I will reveal all soon," said Nova. "Ah, here we are."

Ember perked up as she heard a howling wind echo through a large cavern just up ahead.  Nova flew inside without so much as flinching.  When Ember tried to follow, a powerful squall hampered her movements.  The winds were so strong, Needles flew off of Ember's back.

"Whoa!" she yelped.

Ember's eyes went wide. "Hang on!  I gotcha!"

She made an attempt to grab Needles, but the winds forced her off-course.  Struggling to keep herself airborne, she watched in horror as Needles fell towards the jagged rocks below.  But before she hit them, the wind suddenly carried her skyward, back to the mouth of the cave.  Both Needles and Ember were dumbfounded by what happened.

"Do not fight the winds," Nova's voice echoed from within the cave. "Bend with them, and you'll be safe."

Ember nodded and put Needles back onto her back.  Taking a deep breath, she flew towards the cave again.  This time, the winds seemed to guide her towards her destination.  Deep inside the cavern, Nova waited.

Once Needles got her bearings, her jaw dropped.  They were deep inside the mountain, yet the winds howled as if they were on the open plains.  The cool breeze was a sharp contrast to the harsh desert heat.  The whistle of the constant air current whipped around her ears.  It was a harsh sound a first, but as she adapted to her environment, it became soothing; almost melodious.

"Wh-what is this place?" Needles asked.

"This, my dear Needles, is the Delta Stream," said Nova. "The remnants of a spell Zheng Long cast many moons ago.  The air within this mountain will forever move freely.  Fight against the wind, and it will fight back.  Embrace the wind, and it will embrace you."

Needles scowled. "Great, more of this non-violent preaching.  I get it: Dragon Magi are not supposed to be violent."

"Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions, Needles," Nova scolded. "There's more to this chamber than a pacifist's riddle.  And it's about time you learned the significance of the Delta Stream."

She breathed a cool pink flame that swirled along with the wind.  Ember and Needles watched as the flames took shape, portraying small dragon puppets.

"Back in the olden days, after the reign of chaos, Zheng Long made it a point to teach other dragons his ways," said Nova. "Most dragons ignored him, but some were willing to listen.  Of that select few, there were skeptics who challenged his way of thinking.  'Why must we listen to you?' they asked. 'Power and might is all we have ever needed.  We have no use for your ways.'"

Ember flinched and fiddled with her scepter.  She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about those words made her uncomfortable.  Nevertheless, she continued to listen to Nova, not daring to interrupt.

"Zheng Long was not one to be deterred, however," said Nova.  The flame puppets danced across the walls, depicting the scene. "From his mate Plume, he learned the ways of the western dragons.  Through this, he formed a plan to expose them to his way of thinking by appealing to their aggressive nature.  He created this very cavern, dubbing it the Delta Stream.  He claimed that whosoever could endure the winds of the chamber for an entire day would gain unimaginable strength."

"Well, we're sittin' in it right now, and I don't feel any stronger," said Needles. "What gives?"

Nova smirked. "See, that was the trick.  The western dragons made a sport out of the Delta Stream.  Those willing to follow Zheng Long's teachings bathed themselves in the winds of the cavern, while the more critical dragons waited outside.  Both sides would then engage in combat."

"And, who won those fights?" Ember inquired.

Nova's smirk turned into a full smile. "It was different every time.  Sometimes those that endured the Delta Stream won; other times they didn't.  But after each battle, Zheng Long revealed the truth.  There was nothing magical about the winds of the cavern, other than they would perpetually flow forever.  The outcome of each battle didn't necessarily go to whoever was stronger.  Sometimes, it went to the one who was the most clever.  Or the most swift.  Or the most graceful."

"Okay.  What exactly did that prove?" asked Needles, scratching her head.

"It proved the value of all ways of thinking," said Nova sagely. "The skeptics were afraid that Zheng Long was trying to impose his culture upon them, but he was merely offering them a chance to open their minds.  As such, direct challenges to Zheng Long's lifestyle tapered off, and while there were those that still didn't agree, they respected his viewpoint as his ways."

The flames swirled and spiraled, forming new puppets. "Since that time, the Delta Stream has been used as a rite of passage for the Dragon Magi.  In honor of Zheng Long's symbolic demonstration, a pupil would sit within this cavern and emerge to challenge their master.  The winner of that fight was irrelevant, of course.  Again, it was meant to show that no perspective on life was right or wrong.  They were simply different, and Zheng Long saw beauty in that."

Suddenly, one of the flames turned black, and the winds suddenly became harsher and colder.  Needles shivered, huddling to Ember for warmth as Nova's face darkened.

"But with every agent of change, there are those who reject it entirely," she said. "Seth was one such dragon.  No one knows where he truly came from; only that he had spent his life in the desert.  Some say he's an agent of destruction summoned by the sphinxes during a time of war.  Others say that he was one of two brothers, and that he murdered his older sibling in cold blood.  But while his origins are an enigma to all who still live, he was infamous for his use of dark sorcery.  It is said that for untold ages, he was the only dragon who could perform magic."

The puppets shifted and danced along the walls of the cavern.  All the while, Needles was so engrossed in the story that she could almost feel what was happening.

"When Seth heard of the Dragon Magi and how we embraced peaceful ways, he was indeed furious.  He came to our land and challenged us to a magic duel.  Whoever was better at spell casting held the distinction of being the only dragons allowed to use magic."

"Huh.  Good to know he was a jerk long before he went after the Dragon Lord," Needles muttered. "Please tell me y'all didn't take him up on his offer."

"Well, of course not.  It was a ridiculous challenge," said Nova frankly. "But Seth was a stubborn one.  He slandered us, calling us cowards and claiming we weren't really dragons.  We continued to ignore him, forcing him to use more violent means.  One night, when the moon was full, Seth raided the nest of Hindel, one of the wisest dragons of the clan at the time.  Using his dark magic, he stoked the fire elemental within Hindel's heart and caused it to rage out of control.  He thought by doing so, he would convince us to kill each other."

The fire puppets roared and howled, clashing with each other with such force that Needles almost shut her eyes.

"But things did not go as Seth anticipated.  Hindel, in his great wisdom, kept his own wits while his elemental went rogue.  Before any damage could be done, he fought his elemental in combat, begging it to stop.  It was a long and grueling fight that lit up the desert for an entire evening.  However, even while the damage was being controlled, Seth had a contingency plan."

"What?  What did he try to do?" asked Ember.

Nova let out a sharp snort, almost as if the very memory wounded her. "He attempted to slander Zheng Long by weaving a tale about the Delta Stream.  He said that there was magic here, and that it would cause all the dragons to become soft and allow their fire elementals to destroy them.  The only course of action, of course, was to abandon Zheng Long's teachings and revert back to barbarism.  If not, all would suffer the same fate as Hindel."

Needles gulped. "Wh-what happened then?  Hindel didn't die, did he?"

Nova sighed. "Not in that battle.  Hindel managed to quell the flames of his fire elemental, using both his western aggression and Zheng Long's eastern wisdom.  But the battle left him fatigued and weak.  Seth had counted on the fire elemental to win, and when it didn't, he fell back on another contingency.  Using his dark magic, he destroyed Hindel's footing and caused him to plummet to his death.  He claimed that if Hindel truly was strong, he wouldn't have perished."

Ember deadpanned. "Did he seriously expect the Dragon Magi to be fooled by that?"

"He did indeed.  But unfortunately for him, we weren't that gullible," said Nova. "We chased him from our lands, scaring him out of his wits.  It was the cause of much confusion for him.  How were we so peaceful, yet so powerful?  In his mind, we couldn't exist.  Friendly dragons in general couldn't exist.  We defy everything he knows, and that frightens him."

She looked down at Ember. "And now he has reemerged, trying once again to quash change."

Ember blinked. "Wait, how do you know about me?  You Dragon Magi don't answer to the Dragon Lord."

"No, but we keep our ears to the ground," said Nova. "And speaking personally, I admire your resolve.  Change is good, but it isn't easy.  Zheng Long knew that all too well, and you are learning that now."

"Yeah, I'm learning it the hard way," Ember muttered. "Even now, everything just feels out of place.  I'm trying not to be a cruel dictator like the Dragon Lords before me, but if I don't exert my authority, punks like Seth and Garble are going to walk all over me.  I-I just don't—"

Her cheeks flushed, and she pouted. "Ugh~!  I don't wanna talk about my feelings!"

"I'm starting to think it might do ya some good, Your Lordship," said Needles, raising an eyebrow. "Y'know, just to get stuff off your chest."

"Th-there's nothing worth getting off my chest," Ember grumbled. "I'm going to find a way to beat Seth and show the world that I'm the rightful Dragon Lord."

"I know.  And I'm here to help you," said Needles, giving Nova a look. "I'm just wonderin' why you're not."

Nova shook her head. "We cannot fight Seth.  That's what he wants.  We refuse to play into his claws."

"Refuse to—  You're playing into his claws right now!" Needles protested. "If you do nothin', he's gonna attack the Dragon Lord and steal the Bloodstone Scepter!"

"But if we do something, he will make us forget our virtues," Nova countered. "Violence is the only thing he understands.  As long as we aren't violent towards him, he remains confused and afraid of us."

Needles suddenly gasped. "But he ain't afraid of the Dragon Lord.  Oh my stars, I think I know what his game is!"

"What?" asked Ember.

"The Bloodstone Scepter!  Any dragon who wields that has control over all dragons barring those that use magic!" said Needles. "If he gets his claws on that and uses his dark magic in conjunction, he'll be able to control the Dragon Magi, too!  Ma, we can't ignore him!"

Nova's brow furrowed. "You think it's that easy, Needles?  On some level, you're right.  Seth is using more and more drastic tactics to get a rise out of us.  But if we fight him, his victory is all but assured.  In truth, we may all be doomed."

Needles sputtered. "I-I can't believe this.  Y-you're just willing to accept that?!"

"Reality will occur whether we accept it or not," Nova said sternly.

"So rather than goin' down fightin', you're just gonna ignore him and hope he goes away?!  Th-that's absurd!" Needles roared. "How is it that I'm the less-experienced Dragon Mage here, yet I have the better idea?!"

"Neither ideas are wrong, Needles.  But neither of them are right, either," said Nova. "That's the problem."

"Well, what is the right idea?!  These can't be our only options!"

"If you have a better idea, I'd like to hear it."

Needles opened her mouth to retort, but found herself completely stumped.  With a growl of frustration, she threw a magic throwing star.  The star travelled all over the cavern.  Ember sighed.

"Believe me, Needles.  I share your frustration," she said, looking up at Nova. "I respect your ways, but I cannot afford to just sit by and do nothing.  I plan to make a lot of changes as Dragon Lord, and sure, they're not going to be popular.  But if you think I'm going to let this punk intimidate me into submission, then you're out of your mind."

Nova nodded. "I understand, Lord Ember.  And, I'm truly sorry.  But there's nothing we can do."

"I refuse to believe that," said Needles, clenching her fists. "I'm gonna—"

"Your emotions are still raging out of control?  I haven't even fully recovered my strength yet."

Needles snorted as Ocard made itself known. "I don't want you to start, Ocard."

"And I don't want you flying off the handle again," Ocard countered. "Do you think I like turning into a raging fire monster?"

"I dunno, do you think I like losin' my temper?!" Needles shot back.

Before Ocard could respond, there was an explosion outside.  Nova's wings flared.

"It's Seth.  It has to be him," she snarled.

"But, last I checked, it was only noon," said Ember. "We were supposed to fight at sundown."

"Seth never was one to abide by rules, not even his own," said Nova.

"So, what're we gonna do?  Nothin'?" asked Needles.

Nova sighed. "We can't let him rile us up.  We'll protect the Dragon Lord if necessary, but the moment we strike back, he'll win."

She then flew out of the cavern.  Needles sighed as she hitched a ride with Ember.

"Is that right?" she muttered, her voice drowned out by the raging wind. "Well, I'm just gonna have to put that to the test..."
> Petulant Aggression
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	When Needles and Ember rejoined the others, everything had already erupted into chaos.  Diamond Dogs sprang from the ground while dragons soared through the air.  The atmosphere sizzled from fire elementals, redstone, and dragon breath darting about.  The Dragoons themselves were already attacking with full force, trying to drive the mercenaries back.  And at the center of it all was Seth himself, his own fire elemental flying around him.

What surprised Ember most of all was that through the combat, she could recognize three of the diplomats from the Inter-Speices conference.  The buffalo, Little Strongheart, darting left and right and ramming anyone in her way.  The griffon, Gilda, flying about with the agility of a hummingbird.  Even Princess Celestia herself was in the middle of the fray, placing magical barriers and warding off all who got too close.

Needles, however, noticed something else entirely.  Even with all the fighting going on, the Dragon Magi did nothing.  Even her own father, who was content to fight her before, just sat there, eyes closed in meditation.  The greatest contribution they made was through their fire elementals, who protected them from harm.  Needles let out a strained sigh.

"It looks like Seth got impatient," Ember growled, gripping her scepter tightly. "No matter.  We won't let him win.  Right, Needles?"

Needles cast her gaze downward and bit her lip.  Ember raised an eyebrow.

"Needles?"

"I'm sorry, Your Lordship," Needles muttered. "I-I can't help you."

Ember frowned. "Why not?"

"I don't know."

"You've helped me so far."

"That was before.  This is now."

"Needles, I—"

"Look, it's just a Dragon Mage thing, okay?!  I don't expect you to understand!  Just leave me alone!"

Ember scrunched her eyes shut, refusing to show Needles how much her words stung.  With a snort, she passed her off to Nova.

"F-fine.  I'll fight him myself then," she growled. "At least I'll be doing something."

She flew off in a huff.  As Needles watched her go, she could feel her own heart breaking.  But even so, she stood firm and watched from her mother's back.

"Needles, is something wrong?" asked Nova.

Needles shook her head. "Nothin', Ma," she muttered bitterly. "I'm just tryin' things your way.  Because this is what it means to be a Dragon Mage, apparently."

"Even if I wasn't bound to you, I could still detect your sarcasm," said Ocard. "What are you trying to prove?"

Needles didn't answer.  She simply watched in silence, not daring to move a muscle.

No matter how much it hurts, I won't fight, she thought. If that's what Ocard and the Dragon Magi think I should do, then I'm doin' it.  But I don't know how long I can last...


***


"Seth!"

Seth looked down, seeing Ember fly at him with fire in her eyes.  He smirked.

"Princess Ember.  How nice of you to join us," he said.

"What's going on here, Seth?!  You said we'd fight at sundown!" Ember barked.

"You can blame your friends for interfering," said Seth. "Seriously, what kind of dragon are you?"

"The wussy kind, that's what!" Garble taunted.

Ember glared at Garble. "I thought I sent you home."

"Yeah, but Seth called me back," Garble retorted. "My offer's still on the table, by the way.  We can end this now if you just give me the scepter and let me become Dragon Lord."

"Still not happening, Garble!"

Garble shrugged. "Well, I tried.  Guess I'll just have to take it from you!"

He flew at Ember and breathed his flame.  Ember swiftly dodged the attack and raised her scepter.

"I am your Dragon Lord, Garble!" she bellowed. "If you must attack anyone, attack this usurper!"

Garble flinched, fighting against the instinct to redirect his flame.  Seth, meanwhile, simply cackled.

"Well, well.  You have some backbone after all," he said mockingly. "You see now, Princess Ember?  You don't need your pitiful friends; all you need is power.  That's all that should matter to a dragon."

"Shut up!" Ember snapped. "That's not my thing!"

"Oh?  Then why did you order Garble to attack me?"

Ember's entire body felt tense.  Something inside her warned her that she was walking into some sort of trap, but that feeling was drowned out by her anger.

"Well, how else am I going to get him off my back?!  Ask him politely?!" she roared.

"You could, but it wouldn't do you any good," said Seth with a sneer. "But oh, you don't want to be the kind of Dragon Lord who forces others to listen, do you?  You want to be soft and friendly and all that other rubbish.  Well, you can't have it both ways, Princess Ember.  Either embrace your true nature, or submit to my will!"

Ember froze.  She remembered what the neko ambassador said the night before.  If she used force, she couldn't have friends.  If she embraced friendship, others would take advantage of her.  She was stuck, and not even the Dragon Magi knew what to do.  She wracked her brain, trying to come up with a rebuttal that Seth wouldn't be able to counter.

In that moment of hesitation, Garble flew in and tackled her to the ground.  He tried desperately to tear the scepter from her claws, but she held on for dear life.  That was the only thing that made sense.  No matter what, she couldn't let anyone else have it.

"He's right, you know," Garble said smugly. "You know he's right.  Just admit it and give up.  Dragons don't do friendship, and if you try, Seth's gonna destroy you."

"Hey, ugly!  Back off!"

A brown blur flew in and slashed Garble with her talon.  Ember blinked in surprise as Gilda stood before her, wings outstretched and eyes narrowed.  Garble snickered.

"Like I said, Your 'Lordship.'  You can't do anything on your own," he gloated. "You always need your friends to bail you out.  You don't deserve that scepter!"

Ember let out several strained grunts, desperately forcing back tears.  Gilda took note of this.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Ember snarled, getting to her feet.

"You sure?  You looked like—"

"I said I'm fine," Ember growled through gritted teeth. "Got a problem with that?"

Gilda snorted indignantly. "Well, excuse me for trying to help."

"You're excused," Ember spat. "Just get out of my way."

Gilda couldn't help but stare as Ember flew back into the battle.  She let out a strained growl and clenched her fist.  Garble saw this as another opportunity and flew towards her.  However, he was quickly rammed out of the way by Little Strongheart.

"Gilda, get it together," she scolded. "We're still in the middle of combat."

Gilda quickly shook herself. "Oh.  Uh, sorry."  She sighed. "You didn't happen to catch that, did you?"

Little Strongheart tilted her head. "Catch what?"

"I tried to help Lord Ember, and she just blew me off," said Gilda.

Little Strongheart winced. "Really?  Oh dear.  Are you okay?"

Gilda let out a bitter scoff. "Y'know, it's funny.  If you were to talk to me several moons ago, before Griffonstone's rebirth, I would've done exactly what she just did.  When you said we had a lot in common, you weren't kidding."

Before Little Strongheart could ask Gilda what she meant, Clump came in from above, ready to smack her with his tail.  Before he could reach her, he slammed right into a golden forcefield.

"There's a time and a place for such discussions," said Celestia sagely. "Perhaps after we've settled this?"

Gilda nodded. "Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.  Fight first, talk later."  She pounded her fist into her palm. "C'mon, Strongheart.  We've got a Dragon Lord to protect, whether she wants us to or not."

She flew back into the fray with Little Strongheart at her heels.  Meanwhile, Celestia held back, observing the chaos around her with a sharp eye and making sure not to gloss over a single detail.


***


Watching Ember fight the teenage dragons made Needles sick to her stomach.  Desperately, she tried focusing on another part of the battle.  The Dragoons themselves were pinned by the Cobaltvest pack, though she noticed two extra shapes standing beside them.  Squinting, she spotted a familiar female Diamond Dog and her Rock Lobster companion.

That's Isabelle and Pepito, she thought. What're they doin' here?

She almost asked Nova to travel into the battle so she could take a closer look, but she thought better of it.  Instead, she continued silently watching, holding back her agony.


***


"You can't hide forever, Toro!  My redstone repeaters will flush you out!"

Toro let out a snort.  Indeed, the stone he hid behind was being peppered by explosive redstone.  He could see two of Cortez's elite dogs holding specialized rifles that fired redstone at an alarming rate.

"What're we gonna do?" asked Steel. "We can't stand up to that kind of firepower!"

"If only Needles were here," Trigger grumbled. "She'd think of something, for sure."

Toro sighed. "Indeed, her help would be most appreciated right about now.  She is quite resourceful, even if she doesn't think so."

"What I'm wondering is how those two got stuck with us," said Flint, leering at Isabelle and Pepito.

"No look at me.  This no my idea," said Pepito.

"Because you never have any ideas," Isabelle growled.

Toro sighed. "We can't go underground; they'll be expecting that.  Khamshin!  Try and draw their fire!  It might buy us some time!"

Khamshin rasped and dived below the surface of the sand.  He reemerged next to the Diamond Dogs, letting loose his petrifying breath and snapping his mandibles.  Cortez smirked and waved to his gang.  Soon, all fire was directed at the antlion.

"You know we don't have to do this, Toro," he said, fiddling with his pistol. "Even though you and Isabelle have run away, I still think you have a place in my pack."

"Nunca le seguiré, mentiroso," Toro spat.

Cortez chuckled. "Tales palabras fuertes.  Pero, tengo miedo que no tiene una opción," he said. "A Diamond Dog never leaves the pack.  Isn't that right, Isabelle?"

Isabelle swallowed. "Wh-what?"

"Think about it, Isabelle.  This is your chance," said Cortez. "You wanted to get back at your big brother, right?  Well, I'll allow it.  Drag that lizard-loving pup out of there and force him to surrender.  I promise I'll overlook all of your transgressions if you do so."

Isabelle looked at Cortez, then at Toro, then back at Cortez again. "But, I..."

Toro frowned. "Isabelle, no puede dejarlo jugarle."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Isabelle blurted out. "Don't act like I owe you anything, big brother!  You hurt me when you left, and now it's my turn to hurt you!"

She readied her lasso and swung it over her head. "This is for the good of the pack, big brother!  Don't even bother trying to fire; I know you always miss!"

"¡Sí, sino yo no haga!"

Isabelle yelped in pain as Pepito pinned her with one of his stable traps.  Both she and Toro were bewildered.

"Pepito!  Wh-what do you think you're doing?!" Isabelle barked.

"Something I should have done a long time ago!" Pepito responded, chastising Isabelle. "I tired of you making big mistakes!  I tired of you no listening to me!  You no want to do this!"

"Shut up!  You don't know me!" Isabelle snapped.

"I know enough!  But you think I know nothing!  You talk to Toro, no hurt him!"

"You don't get to make demands of me!"

Toro sighed. "Isabelle, did I really hurt you that much?"

"You stay out of this!" Isabelle cried. "This is all your fault!  You don't care about me at all!"

Toro shook his head. "That's not true.  I-I didn't know you felt this way."

"Really?!  Did the constant attempts to bring you back not tip you off?!"

"I thought you were doing it for Cortez!"

"I was doing it for Cortez!  You belong to the pack!"

"I wish to choose my own destiny!"

"At my expense?!"

Cortez sighed. "You know what?  Forget this.  You're both useless to me, and I'll put you down like the dogs you are.  Hasta luego."

He aimed his pistol and pulled back the hammer while Toro and Isabelle continued their quarrel.  Trigger and Pepito quickly noticed this.

"Mr. Toro, sir!"

"¡Señorita, mirada hacia fuera!"

Their warnings came too late.  Two blasts erupted from Cortez's pistol.  However, neither Diamond Dog was struck down.  Puzzled, Toro opened his eyes and noticed Flint and Steel lying before them.

"Seriously, would it kill you idiots to pay attention?" Flint grumbled, nursing a wound in his shoulder.

"Actually, that would've saved their lives," Steel grunted.

"Oh, shut up," Flint moaned. "This was your idea."

"It was my idea to protect that Isabelle girl!  You protected Mr. Toro on your own!"

"Yeah, 'cause he's part of the team!  His crazy sister just tried to turn him in!"

"Maybe it's more complicated than that..."

Cortez couldn't help but laugh. "Seriously, Toro?  These lizards are who you decide are more valuable than your own pack?  You're worse off than Isabelle!"

Toro growled and hefted up his cannon. "No one disrespects the family of Toro the Bulldog, Cortez.  Not even you.  Señor Trigger!"

"C-coming!" Trigger said, wringing his claws.  He skittered up Toro's back and perched himself on his shoulder.  But as soon as he climbed up, a redstone projectile whizzed past Toro's ear.  He turned around to see Trigger on the ground, a serious burn marking where the redstone grazed him.

"Quite an inconvenient weapon you've got there," Cortez scoffed, aiming at Toro. "Then again, I expect no less from a lizard lover."


***


Needles couldn't believe her eyes.  None of the Dragoons were in any condition to fight.  Ember tried again and again to force the teenage dragons back, only for her insecurities to overwhelm her.  Even Gilda and Little Strongheart were running out of stamina.  And all the while, the Dragon Magi did nothing.  Finally, Needles couldn't take it anymore.

"That's it!  I'm through sittin' around!" she proclaimed.

"Needles, wait!"

But Nova's warning fell on deaf ears.  Needles leapt from her mother's shoulder and levitated in the air using her magic.  She then summoned a throwing star.

"You ain't hurtin' anyone no more!" she yelled, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Agniki, Ocard!"

She tossed the star at Seth, and Ocard engulfed it with its own flame.  A large flaming dragon flew towards Seth at great speed, yet he did not budge.  Instead, he raised his claws and channeled his own magic.

"Temhkas, if you would."

His own fire elemental roared in reply and met Ocard head-on.  As the two grappled, Seth moved his claws in a sweeping motion.  To Needles's surprise, the fire elementals bent around him and flew right back at her.  Their roars echoed in Needles's ears, which was the last thing she heard before they collided with her.

"N-Needles!  No!" Trigger called out.

The fire elementals slammed Needles into the ground with great force.  When they disappeared, she was enveloped in a pink and blue aura.  Zin and Nova's fire elementals hovered over her, shielding her to the best of their ability.  Seth roared with laughter.

"Pathetic!  The whole lot of you!" he bellowed. "The Bloodstone Scepter is as good as mine!"

"Not quite."

A powerful ray of sunlight pierced the heavens, blinding Seth and his cronies.  Celestia flew before him, looking quite serious indeed.

"You said you would duel Lord Ember at sundown," she said. "Seeing as I can still use the sun to impede you, you're not upholding your end of the bargain.  Nor did you say anything about mercenaries."

Seth snorted. "Why should I answer to you?"

"Because I control the very sun above our heads.  And I can bring it down upon you if I have to," Celestia responded coldly. "Now, unless you want that to happen, I suggest you leave and take your hired henchmen with you.  Lord Ember will meet you at sundown, as promised."

Seth let out a growl. "So strong, yet so weak.  I loathe your kind.  Temhkas.  Tell them we're withdrawing.  For now."

He disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Temhkas's wail echoed as he vanished.  Getting the message, the mercenaries retreated one by one.  Celestia descended back to the ground and sighed.  Ember made a beeline towards her.

"What the heck?!  Why didn't you do that sooner?!" she roared. "Or while we're at it, why not just drop the sun on him now and get it over it?!  You could've ended this a long time ago!"

Celestia didn't so much as flinch at Ember's tantrum. "I get that question a lot, actually.  It's a bit of a pet peeve of mine."

"Y'know, a 'thank you' would be nice," said Gilda, folding her arms.

Ember blushed, desperately trying not to cry. "I-I never asked...  But Needles, she...  And Seth...  Y'know what?  Just leave me alone!  All of you!  I-I'm sick of this!"

She flew off towards the cliffside.

"Lord Ember, wait up!" Gilda called out, flying after her.

Celestia looked over at Little Strongheart. "We should probably follow them.  It appears Lord Ember needs to learn something about being a ruler."

"I suppose," said Little Strongheart with a shrug.  Celestia took off after Gilda, with Little Strongheart quick at her heels.

While this was going on, Trigger rushed over to Needles's side.

"Needles.  My dear, sweet Needles," he whimpered, looking over her body. "Please, be okay."

Needles squirmed a bit, looking up at Trigger.  Trigger breathed a sigh of relief and held out his claw.

"Don't worry, I won't try and kiss you this time.  Ehheh...  Ehheh..." he said.

Needles sniffled. "I-I have to go."

Trigger blinked. "Go?  Go where?"

Needles didn't answer.  She simply picked herself up and ran away crying.

"Needles!  C-come back!" Trigger hollered, chasing after her.

Nova and Zin turned to one another and nodded.  They both followed their daughter into the desert.

All that was left were Flint, Steel, Toro, Isabelle, Pepito, and Khamshin.  Khamshin rasped in pain, encumbered by the several burns riddling his body.  Flint and Steel weren't fairing much better.

"H-how is it that Trigger gets wounded and has the strength to chase after Needles?" Steel griped. "Why can't we bounce back like that?"

"Maybe 'cause we're not in love?  All I know is that this is still your fault," Flint growled.

Toro and Isabelle looked at one another before turning their backs to each other, refusing to speak.  Pepito looked between the two of them and smacked his forehead.

"Ay yi yi," he lamented. "This no gonna be fun..."
> Finding Balance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After flying for some time, Ember sat down on a tall cliff and took a look at the Bloodstone Scepter she still held in her claws.  She scowled at her own reflection and snorted in disgust.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" she muttered. "'Ooh, look at me!  I'm gonna use my brain to become Dragon Lord and befriend a pony-raised runt!  That's never gonna backfire!'  Humph.  Shows what I know.  Now what am I gonna do?"

"Hey, Lord Ember!"

Ember perked up as she heard a familiar screech behind her.  Turning her head, she frowned as she saw Gilda flying up to her.

"Oh.  It's you," she growled, immediately turning away. "What do you want?"

"I thought you needed someone to talk to," said Gilda, landing next to Ember.

Ember pouted and folded her arms. "You're wasting your time.  There's nothing to talk about.  I barely even know you."

"Well, yeah.  That's true," Gilda said sheepishly. "Look, it's a lot of complicated mushy stuff that I don't really wanna get into.  All you need to know is that you seem cool, Seth's a jerk, and I wanna help."

Ember didn't respond.  She simply continued to sulk.  Gilda thought for a moment and took out a griffon scone.

"Hungry?" she asked. "It's my grandfather's recipe."

Ember eyed the morsel warily before turing away. "I'm fine."

"There's no need to hide things from us, Your Lordship."

Ember turned around.  There stood Princess Celestia and Little Strongheart, both looking rather concerned.  Ember chewed on her lip and averted her eyes.

"You guys are just making this more frustrating for me," she growled.

"It doesn't have to be that way, Your Lordship," said Little Strongheart. "I know we all just met yesterday, but we'd all be honored if you considered us to be your friends.  You can tell us anything.  We won't judge you."

"No, but everyone else will," Ember muttered bitterly.

Celestia frowned. "I hope you're not giving up on friendship so soon, Lord Ember.  That would truly be a shame."

"Dragons don't give up," said Ember plainly. "And if I let Seth have this scepter, dragonkind will suffer.  I won't let that happen.  But, I just don't know what to—"

She stopped herself mid-sentence and snorted. "Y'know what?  It's a lot of complicated mushy stuff that I don't really wanna get into.  If you really want to help, just go away."

Gilda opened her beak to say something, but nothing came to mind.  She furrowed her brow and stroked her chin in thought.  As she pondered, Celestia bowed her head.

"If that's what you want," she said solemnly. "I understand if you need your space.  But please, if you truly need help, don't be afraid to reach out."

"I-I'm not afraid," Ember sputtered. "I-I just...  Never mind."

"You can't keep these feelings to yourself forever," said Little Strongheart.

"Watch me," said Ember with a pout. "'Cause I hate talking about my feelings, and that's not gonna do me any good, anyway.  Now, leave me alone."

"Make me."

All eyes turned to Gilda, who had a stern look on her face.  Ember arched an eyebrow.

"Wh-what did you say?"

"You heard me, dingus.  Make me," Gilda repeated, standing her ground.

Ember gave Gilda a blank stare. "I-I don't understand."

"You wanna be the tough girl, right?  You wanna keep everything to yourself because showing your feelings is for weak scrubs, and that ain't you," said Gilda. "I've been where you are, sister.  I knew a lot of people who felt the same way, too.  And the way I see it, there's only one thing that makes sense to people like us."

She drew herself for full height and looked Ember in the eye. "If you really want me to leave you alone, you're gonna have to fight me first."  She leaned forward and pointed to her cheek. "Here.  I'll even let you have the first shot."

Ember's face turned bright red. "Sh-shut up.  You don't know a thing about me.  I-I thought you wanted to be my friend."

"I do," said Gilda with a smirk. "Why do you think I'm giving you the first swing?  C'mon, show me what you got, Dragon Lord."

Little Strongheart blinked and looked at Celestia. "I-is this okay?  We're supposed to be helping the Dragon Lord, not beating her up."

Celestia smiled sagely. "Let's just see where this goes."

All was still for a while as a flurry of emotions swirled within Ember.  Finally, she couldn't hold it back anymore.  With a roar, she flew at Gilda and slashed her cheek.  Gilda fell to the ground and snickered.

"Phew!  You've got a mean swipe, lady," she said, getting to her feet. "Okay, that was your freebie.  Now let's see what you're really made of."

She flew back at Ember and landed a slash of her own.  Ember growled and breathed out a plume of flame, which Gilda dodged.  The two of them traded blows back and forth while Little Strongheart and Celestia watched.

"Are you sure you don't want to do anything about this?" asked Little Strongheart.

"Quite sure," said Celestia. "Gilda seems to know what she's doing."

The battle above raged on for several minutes, with neither side gaining an advantage.  Gilda's uniform was all but destroyed.  Everything that wasn't shredded to pieces was reduced to ash.  Even so, she stood tall, though she was panting for breath.  Ember also appeared to be quite winded, but the fire in her eyes did not dim.

"Heh.  Haven't had a good workout like this in a while," Gilda said breathlessly. "N-no wonder you're Dragon Lord.  You're pretty strong."

Ember clenched her fist. "You're wrong.  Don't pretend that you know all this about me.  I didn't become Dragon Lord by being big and strong.  I became Dragon Lord because some runt raised by ponies saw me as his friend."

"Doesn't change what I said," Gilda replied. "C-c'mon, that can't be the best you've got.  P-pretend I'm Seth.  Really lay into me.  I can take it."

But Ember didn't strike again.  Instead, she fell to her knees, leaning against her scepter to support herself.

"No.  That's what he wants," she murmured. "He wants me to be this big, scary dragon that everyone's afraid of, but that's not me.  It never was me."

Little Strongheart blinked. "What're you talking about?"

Ember sniffled and rubbed her eye. "Even before the Gauntlet of Fire, I wasn't like other dragons.  I didn't push people around; I used my wits and my cunning.  But, that kind of thing wasn't valued in the Dragonlands.  Heck, the only reason other dragons didn't pick on me was because my father was the Dragon Lord.  That and I kept outsmarting everyone."

She looked back at her reflection in the scepter. "Maybe that's why my father didn't want me to compete in the Gauntlet of Fire.  He was afraid something like this would happen.  H-he wanted to protect me, and I foolishly went against his wishes.  Now I'm caught up in this mess with Seth, and I don't know what I'm gonna do."

Gilda chuckled weakly as she dragged herself over to Ember. "Well, that's why we're here.  We can help you."

"Yeah, and Seth will say that's a sign of weakness," Ember spat. "And if I try to use my authority as Dragon Lord, he'll use that against me, too.  I-I just wish there was an easy answer to this."

Gilda frowned. "First of all, why do you need that punk's approval?  He clearly doesn't respect you; you shouldn't have to respect him."

"Because he's got me by the tail," Ember answered. "I can't use my power; I can't rely on my friends.  The only thing that's keeping me from giving up is that I know he can't be Dragon Lord.  Other than that, I'm stuck."

Celestia ventured forward. "Answer me this.  Do you think you deserve to be Dragon Lord?"

Ember sighed. "I-I don't know.  Part of me kinda wants to prove that there's more to being a dragon than just being big and strong, but without strength, I can't overcome Seth."  She then gave Celestia a look. "Not that I expect you to know what I'm going through.  All your ponies already respect you, and you don't even use your power.  Not even when it really could've helped."

Celestia let out a sigh of her own and knelt down to Ember's height. "I doubt your father taught you this.  I'm not sure if Dragon Lords of the past had to learn this lesson, but it appears you do.  See, I know more about what you're going through than you think."

Ember raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious.  I've ruled Equestria for over a thousand years, and indeed, there were times where I felt I could've done more with my power."  Celestia looked up at the sun. "But much like you, I don't like it when my little ponies fear me.  At the same time, however, I need to take a stand when there are threats to our fair nation.  That being the case, I only use my power when I absolutely have to."

"And, you don't feel like that's the case now?" Ember asked.

Celestia shook her head. "It would be too much.  What's more, it wouldn't really be your victory.  You're the one trying to prove yourself as Dragon Lord, not me.  Which is why I'm giving you this bit of advice.  A good ruler knows when it's appropriate to use their power.  It is a difficult balance to strike, I will admit that much.  Even I struggle with it sometimes by holding back more than I probably should.  But as long as you have good reason to use your power, that's why you have that power in the first place."

"Meaning you don't have to feel guilty about exerting your authority when others threaten you," Little Strongheart added.

Ember closed her eyes and mulled things over for a bit. "That, actually makes a lot of sense," she mused.  She then sighed. "But Seth's not gonna care."

"Indeed, he does seem to see the world in extremes," Celestia concurred. "I've dealt with many foes like that before.  And most of the time, that right there was their downfall.  After all, there's more than one way to core an apple."

Her words sparked something inside Ember's brain. "Wait a second.  More than one way...  The Delta Stream...  Multiple perspectives..."  She suddenly let out a triumphant laugh and smacked herself in the forehead. "Of course!  Why didn't I think of that before?"

"Whoa, what?  What's up?" Gilda inquired.

"There's one tool in my arsenal that Seth doesn't expect me to use.  My brain!" said Ember. "That's how I became Dragon Lord in the first place!  I don't have to overpower him; I just have to be smarter than him!  I-I feel like such an idiot for not realizing it sooner."

"In my experience, I find that when people focus too much on their emotions, they can't think rationally," said Celestia.

"And that's why he was trying to get you all riled up," said Gilda with a snort. "That punk."

Ember smiled and brushed a tear from her eye. "Well, I'm not going to play his game anymore.  I think I know just what we need to do, but we're gonna need help.  Where's Needles?"

"I think she might've ran off herself," said Little Strongheart thoughtfully. "Though it shouldn't be too difficult for me to track her down."

"Lead me to her, then," said Ember, picking herself up. "I don't think she's gonna listen to my summons after what happened."

Little Strongheart tilted her head. "Did you two get into a fight or something?"

"Something like that," said Ember sheepishly. "Apparently it's a Dragon Mage thing, or at least that's what she called it."

Little Strongheart sighed. "Somehow, I'm not surprised.  This way, Your Lordship."

She quickly set off on tracking down Needles while Ember flew behind her, her brow crinkled in deep thought.  Celestia and Gilda lagged behind the two of them.  Celestia gave Gilda a sly look.

"That was a nice bit of diplomacy there, ambassador," she said. "I'm sure your grandfather would be very proud."

Gilda blinked. "You, actually liked that?  I thought ambassadors didn't get into fights."

"Pony ambassadors don't," Celestia corrected. "But you're not a pony, Gilda.  You knew how to reach Lord Ember when our words proved insufficient."

Gilda blushed and shrugged. "Yeah, well.  I kinda saw a bit of myself in her, y'know?  The rest just fell into place.  Like you said, there's more than one way to core an apple."

Celestia chuckled. "Indeed there is, Gilda.  I'm sure you'll make a fine ambassador."

"Yeah, thanks," said Gilda, looking down at the remains of her uniform. "Now all I need to do is figure out a way to explain this to Grandpa Gruff."

Celestia laughed again. "I'm sure you'll think of something."


***


"I really can't do anything right, can I?"

Needles waddled across the desert sands before sitting on a rock and burying her face into her arms.

"Needles, I'm sorry," said Ocard. "I didn't mean to hurt you.  Seth just—"

"No, Ocard.  It's my fault.  It's my fault 'cause I'm a big dumb idiot," Needles mumbled. "Guess this is why I'll never be a real Dragon Mage.  I just screw everything up."

Ocard sighed. "Why must you constantly beat yourself up like this?  It's not befitting of either of us."

"'Cause I turned my back on the Dragon Lord when she needed me most," Needles sobbed. "I turned my back on everyone when they needed me most.  And when I finally decided to do something, Seth just threw it back in my face.  I felt like I was gonna die!  Let's face it, Ocard.  I'm just useless to everyone."

"Well now, I wouldn't say that.  Ehheh..."

Needles looked up from her sobbing to see Trigger approach her.  He was still nursing his burn wound.  Needles blushed and hid her face.

"Trigger, c'mon.  I thought you were over this," she groaned. "Don't suck up to me."

"I'm not," said Trigger.  He crawled up beside Needles and sat down next to her. "Needles, it hurts me to see you like this."

"Then look away," Needles spat.

Trigger shook his head. "And leave you in your darkest hour?  What kind of noble dragon would I be if I did that?"  He placed an arm around Needles's shoulder. "We were actually quite lost without you."

Needles blinked. "What're you talkin' about, Trigger?  You're way smarter than me.  You could've figured something out, no problem."

"You praise me too much, my dear, sweet Needles," Trigger sighed. "I was too distracted back there.  Seth and his bandits took us completely by surprise.  What's more, I was worried about you."

Needles deadpanned. "Seriously?"

"I'm quite serious," said Trigger with a firm nod. "Needles, I've known you for quite some time now.  I'm very familiar with your struggles and insecurities.  But it's nothing that you're unable to overcome.  You've done it before, and I believe you can do it again.  But not if you keep putting yourself down like this."

Needles sighed and shook her head. "That's easy for you to say, Trigger.  You're madly in love with me."

"Yes, and the reason for that is not just because you're beautiful.  Although that does help.  Ehheh...  Ehheh..."  Trigger cleared his throat. "But you're also smart, and funny, and you understand me like no one else does.  You make me feel special, Needles.  And I want you to feel that way, too."

"It ain't that easy, Trigger," said Needles.  After a time, she rested her head against Trigger's shoulder. "They were right, y'know.  My folks were right about Seth.  I couldn't even touch him.  Why'd they have to be right about that?"

"The truth is not always easy to accept, Needles."

Two large shadows obstructed the sun's rays.  Needles looked up to see Nova and Zin standing over her.  She scowled.

"Okay.  I admit it.  I screwed up.  Again.  We can't fight Seth, 'cause he'll just take whatever we dish out and throw it back into our faces.  You were right; I was wrong."  Needles clenched her fists and tears fell from her eyes. "But you don't understand what I was goin' through when I tried it your way.  I-it tore me up inside!  I had to watch as the Dragon Lord struggled!  I had to see my family, the Dragoons, fall like flies 'cause I wasn't there to help!  I did nothing, and it hurt!  Then I tried to do something, and that hurt, too!  Do you not see how frustrating that is?!"

Zin sighed. "Of course we know how frustrating it is, Needles.  But we're able to reconcile that by understanding that confronting Seth would only make things worse.  A lesson that you had to learn the hard way."

Needles scoffed. "Just once in my life, just once, I'd like to learn something the easy way for a change."

"I'm afraid life doesn't work like that, Needles," said Nova.

"I know.  I was bein' sarcastic," Needles huffed.

Zin shook his head. "Needles, stop behaving like a hatchling and try and look at the bigger picture here.  You said you grew up?  Prove it."

"How?  By agreeing that ignoring Seth is the best thing we can do for the Dragon Lord?"  Needles bit her lip. "I hurt her, Pa.  She put her trust in me, and I just crumpled it up and threw it away."

"I'm sure Lord Ember will forgive you," said Nova.

"No she won't," Needles said with a sniffle. "'Cause I don't know how I'm gonna help her.  You two ain't gonna do squat, and I'm sorry, I can't get on board with that.  But even so, you're still right.  We can't fight him.  He's just too powerful.  But there has to be something we're missing here.  We can't just leave Lord Ember in the dust.  I-it ain't right."

Nova frowned. "I know how important this is to you, Needles.  And we do wish we could help.  But even we don't have the answer to everything."

Needles blinked and tilted her head. "Come again?"

"We don't have the answer to everything," Nova repeated.

Needles seemed to be stunned by Nova's words.  After a brief silence, she let out a snicker.  The snicker suddenly turned into a sorrowful laugh.  Zin gave her a stern look.

"What exactly is so amusing?" he inquired.

"Y-you don't know everything!" Needles guffawed, wiping tears from her eyes. "Th-that's just hilarious!  You're supposed to know everything!  You're the Dragon Magi!  That's why I ran away in the first place!  And now you say you don't know how to help the Dragon Lord?!  N-now you know how I feel!"

Nova sighed and touched Needles's cheek with her claw. "Oh, Needles.  Of course we don't know everything.  No one has absolute knowledge, not even Zheng Long.  Anyone who claims this is lying."

"B-but that makes no sense," Needles whimpered, her laughter giving way to sobs. "Y-you're supposed to be wise and knowledgable."

"That doesn't mean we know everything," said Nova. "If we did, Seth wouldn't be such a threat.  Zheng Long once said the key to true wisdom is having the courage to be unsure."

"But in our parental pride, we put too high of an expectation on your potential, and that frightened you away," said Zin solemnly. "Perhaps we are just as much to blame as you are, Needles.  We weren't the mother and father you deserved.  Even we aren't immune to our own hubris."

Needles sniffled. "Well, at least I ain't the only Dragon Mage who screwed up."

"You aren't the first, and you certainly won't be the last," said Nova. "Nevertheless, we still love you, and we always will."

Trigger placed a claw on Needles's shoulder. "You see?  You're a great Dragon Mage, Needles.  You just have to realize it."

Needles let out a sigh. "Maybe.  But it's too late now.  If the Dragon Magi don't know how to save Lord Ember from Seth, how in the blue blazes am I supposed to help her?  She summoned me because she needed my wisdom, but all I can do is let her down."

"Don't be so sure."

Zin and Nova suddenly gave way, revealing Ember flying towards Needles.  She was accompanied by Celestia, Gilda, and Little Strongheart.  Needles hung her head in shame.

"I'm sorry, Your Lordship.  I shouldn't have abandoned you," she said, falling to her knees. "And even now, there's nothing I can do.  You're better off looking for help elsewhere."

Ember smirked. "First of all, stop groveling like that.  I'm not that kind of Dragon Lord, and I never will be," she said.  "Second of all, your wisdom has already helped me so much.  By traveling with you and your friends, I got to see firsthand how peaceful dragons can be.  I honestly thought Spike and I were the only ones, but you showed me otherwise.  Thanks to you, I don't think this friendship thing is going to be nearly as hard as I thought it would."

Needles blushed. "Th-thanks, Your Lordship.  That's mighty sweet of you.  But, what about Seth?"

"Oh, don't worry about him.  I know how to take care of that," said Ember with a smile. "I'm working on a plan right now, but I'm going to need your assistance.  Dragon Magi can learn spells that can support others, right?"

"Y-yeah, sure," said Needles, scratching her head. "I don't know any, though."

"Then I think it's a good time for you to brush up on your spellcasting," said Ember. "Anything will be invaluable to the battle ahead.  Tell me, do you think your friend Toro would be willing to help?"

"Well, of course.  He's my partner, after all," said Needles with a shrug.

"Then I must speak with him next," said Ember. "We'll meet back here at sundown.  Best of luck, Needles.  I'll be counting on you."

She then flew off, with Celestia, Little Strongheart, and Gilda quick at her heels.  Needles smiled and dried her face.

"I don't know what she's thinkin', but I'm hedgin' my bets," she said, turning back to her parents. "Ma, Pa.  I know it's a bit late, but I'm ready to learn now.  Y'know, bein' under orders from the Dragon Lord and all."

Nova and Zin looked at each other before sharing a shrug.

"I suppose there's no harm in it," said Zin. "If the Dragon Lord truly knows a way to deal with the Black Dragon of the Desert, we will not interfere with her wishes."

"What's more, it would be an honor to teach you and Ocard," said Nova with a bow. "Think of it as a way to make up for lost time."

"You can do it, Needles!" said Trigger, giving Needles a thumbs up. "I'll be rooting for you every step of the way.  Ehheh..."

Needles smiled. "Thanks, Trigger.  I'd really appreciate it."  She then took in a deep breath and nodded. "Okay.  Let's do this."


***


Meanwhile, Toro and Isabelle sat back-to-back.  Neither of them said a word, though in Toro's case, he wasn't quite sure what to say.  The only sounds were the groans of Flint and Steel and the pained rasps of Khamshin as they licked their wounds.  Finally, Toro spoke up.

"Are you ready to talk to me now?" he asked.

Isabelle huffed, but said nothing more.

"Stop being so stubborn," Pepito scolded. "He willing to talk; why not you?"

"Cierre para arriba, langosta estúpida," Isabelle snarled.

"He's only trying to help," said Toro, turning around. "Isabelle, I'm sorry.  I didn't know you felt this way.  If I did, I would've taken you with me."

Isabelle gave Toro a dark look. "You think that was going to solve the problem?  Dragging me along on your stupid adventure?"

Toro threw up his paws. "Well, what else would you have me do?  I'm a wild dog, not a slave to some alpha.  This is who I am, Isabelle."

"So you're a selfish idiot who only thinks about himself," Isabelle barked. "Except you're not selfish, because you ended up being a champion to these stupid dragons!  Leaving the pack is one thing, but Diamond Dogs have never gotten along with dragons!"

"T-to be fair, most dragons have problems getting along with anyone," Steel grunted.

"Shut up, Steel," Flint growled.

Toro sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Isabelle.  This feels right for me."

Isabelle scoffed. "I'm glad you find it so easy.  When I left the pack, I was terrified.  I had to partner up with this stupid lobster, for Pete's sake."

"I no stupid.  You think I stupid because I no speak English good, but I no stupid," Pepito said indignantly.

Isabelle let out a groan before continuing. "The point is I had no idea what I was doing.  I just thought if I was famous like you, I'd understand why you left."

"And you thought the best way to do that was by poaching dragons?" asked Toro, raising an eyebrow.

Isabelle shrugged. "Why not?  You have a pet dragon."

"Señor Trigger is not a pet.  He's a valued comrade," Toro corrected.  He then placed a paw on Isabelle's shoulder. "Isabelle, I chose this path because this is the person I wanted to be.  If this isn't right for you, I won't hold it against you for going back to Cortez.  But if you really want to have this life, I can help you through it."

Isabelle sniffled. "But, if I go back to Cortez, I'll be your enemy again.  I don't want to keep fighting you.  I just want to understand."

"Then I'll teach you," said Toro. "And you won't have to be jealous of me anymore."

Isabelle blushed. "I-I never said I was jealous of you."

"It true, though," Pepito said knowingly.

"Sh-shut up, Pepito," Isabelle growled.

Toro laughed. "Isabelle, I never meant to hurt you.  Even when we fought, I couldn't bring myself to shoot at you.  Es mi pequeña hermana, y nada cambiará nunca eso."

Isabelle couldn't help getting all choked up. "You big, sappy idiot."

She then gave her brother a big hug, which he returned in kind.  Pepito sniffled and wiped a tear from his eye.

"Is so beautiful," he said whimsically.

"So, is she on our side now?" asked Steel.

Toro smiled and nodded. "Sí, señor.  From this point on, Isabelle and her friend are welcome to the Dragoons."

"That's good.  We could use her help."

Toro and Isabelle turned to see Ember approach, along with Celestia, Little Strongheart, and Gilda.  Toro bowed.

"Sú Señoria," he said. "Where are Señorita Needles and Señor Trigger?"

"Training for the battle ahead," Ember replied.

"Battle?  Are you—?"  Flint bit his tongue. "Um, never mind."

Ember giggled. "I know Seth has given us a lot of trouble so far, but I think I know how to beat him.  I'm gonna need a few things, though.  Toro, the pack you belonged to specialized in explosive gemstones, correct?"

"Sí, Sú Señoria.  Redstone, to be precise."

"Can you mine it?"

Toro furrowed his brow and sniffed the air. "There are a few pockets nearby.  Hopefully, Cortez doesn't have a claim on them."

"Good.  Get as much of it as you can," said Ember. "Now, we're also going to need some sticks."

Celestia took a look inside her trunk of pranking tools. "Hmm.  I happen to have some trick candles."

"Can they be tied together?"

"I suppose so."

"Even better," said Ember. "I suggest getting to work on that.  We're gonna need a lot."

"Just what you have in mind, Dragon Lord?" inquired Pepito.

Ember smiled wickedly. "I'm going to teach the Black Dragon of the Desert a lesson he won't soon forget, and I'm gonna need everyone's help to pull it off.  Alright, here's the plan..."
> Smart vs. Pure Evil
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The preparations took all afternoon.  Redstone was gathered, trick candles were strung together, and Needles trained harder than she had ever done before.  All the while, Ember flew around, helping where she could and bringing everyone up to speed.  By the time the golden sun became a gorgeous red and began to descend, everything was in place.

Ember stood in the middle of the canyon, scepter in her claws.  Standing behind her were her friends, Dragoons and diplomats alike.  Needles walked right next to her, and the two exchanged smiles.

"Y'ready for this, Your Lordship?" she asked.

Ember giggled. "For once, I think I can say 'yes' to that question.  You?"

"As I'll ever be," said Needles, taking in a deep breath. "What about you, Ocard?"

"The two of us are linked, young Needles," said Ocard. "If you're ready, I'm ready."

"Then let's get this show on the road," said Needles, tossing away her parasol.

Ember nodded and flew into the air, pointing with her scepter. "Seth!  I know you can hear me!  I am ready to face you!"

In a flash of light, Seth appeared with his fire elemental.  He observed the small army Ember brought with her and frowned.

"I was under the impression that I would fight you alone," he snarled. "This is not what we agreed upon."

"Actually, you never said that," said Steel.

Seth blinked at Steel. "What?"

"You never said Lord Ember had to be alone," Steel reiterated.

"It was implied.  By the fact that dragons don't do friendship?"

"Well, we're dragons, and we've got plenty of friends," Steel said with a shrug. "I don't know where you're getting this from."

Flint chortled. "If you think he's annoying now, try living with the guy."

"Hey!" Steel said indignantly.

Seth snorted. "Well, I suppose you have me there.  But I also didn't say I couldn't have an army of my own.  Temhkas!"

The grey fire elemental let out a loud roar.  Straight away, teenage dragons flanked Seth from all sides and Diamond Dogs emerged from underground.  Even with the insurmountable odds, Ember stood firm.

"I won this scepter by conquering the Gauntlet of Fire," she stated.  In one swift motion, she stabbed it into the ground. "If you want it, you'll have to take it from me."

Seth sneered. "Such an easy task, Princess Ember.  This battle was over before it even began.  Allow me to demonstrate!"

A blur of black darted at Ember, smacking her into the cliffs.  Before she impacted against the stone structure, Needles threw a star at her.  An eruption of stone burst from the cliffside as Ember plowed into it.  Seth cackled wickedly, but his smile soon faded when Ember emerged unscathed.

"I-impossible!  That should've broken every bone in your body!" Seth roared.

"That right?  Well, good thing she has a friend like me to save her!"

Seth turned to see Needles, sitting cross-legged and levitating in the air.  With a snarl, he breathed his flame at her.  However, it was intercepted by a large amber dragon made of fire.  While he was distracted further, Ember slashed his face with her claw.

"Hey, pay attention, buddy!" she said with a cocky smirk. "I'm the one you want!"

Seth growled. "Then fight me alone!  Don't hide behind others like a coward!"

He snapped at Ember, but she darted out of the way of his powerful jaws.  Temhkas hissed and descended upon Ember, hoping to flank her.  Needles was quick to notice.

"No, ya don't!"

Needles hovered around the battlefield, peppering Temhkas with throwing stars while Ocard charged and wrestled with it.  Meanwhile, Ember continued her hit-and-run tactics; swooping in and getting in a few licks, and then darting away before Seth could retaliate.  There were times when she got hurt, but Needles was quick to heal her with her own magic.  Seth growled in frustration.

"You are trying my patience, whelp!" he bellowed. "Garble!  Take your vengeance!  Seize her!"

"With pleasure," said Garble. "Let's get her, boys!"

"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere."

Garble blinked.  In a flash of light, Princess Celestia, Gilda, and Little Strongheart were blocking the path to Ember.  Garble scoffed.

"Well, would you look at that?  A namby-pamby pony princess wants to stop me," he said, wringing his claws. "Now I can really stick it to that runt Spike!  I'll take you down and become Dragon Lord!"

Celestia arched an eyebrow. "You're kidding.  You're kidding, right?"

Garble laughed. "Aren't you cute?  You think I'm kidding?  Here, let me show you how much I'm kidding!"

He charged at Celestia at full speed, ready to bathe her in his flame.  Celestia, however, barely flinched.  She simply powered up her horn and formed a barrier around herself.  Garble flew straight into it, pressing against the magical construct like a bird flying into a screen door.

"Oh dear.  It appears you are serious," said Celestia, half-feigning concern. "Well, I think it's fair to warn you that we ponies are a lot tougher than you think we are."

"I'd listen to her," said Gilda. "Once upon a time, I thought most ponies were lame, too.  Turns out they're all pretty awesome."

"Shut up, birdbrain!  As if you'd know anything!" roared Fume.  He charged in, only to be intercepted by Gilda and tackled to the ground.  She quickly clamped her talon around his slender jaw.

"Call me a birdbrain again, and I'll be wearing your scales into battle," she warned, narrowing her eyes. "You got that, punk?"

Clump was very frightened by Gilda's aggressive display.  He immediately turned to Little Strongheart. "H-hey, you!  Buffalo!  You respect us dragons, right?  Th-this is for the good of our kind!  Help us out!"

Little Strongheart snorted and pawed the ground. "Respect is earned, my friend.  Dragon Lord Ember has earned my respect.  Needles has earned my respect.  You have not."

With a powerful war cry, she charged right for Clump and rammed him in the gut.  Garble snarled as he shook himself.

"Useless, the whole lot of you," he muttered, turning back to Celestia. "Why don't you come out of that fancy shield and fight me?!"

Celestia simply gave Garble a look. "You don't want me to do that."

"I think I do!"

"I think you don't."

"What's the matter?  Chicken?"

"No, I'm a pony."

"Same diff!"

"It really isn't."

With a frustrated roar, Garble swooped down, only to implant himself on Celestia's barrier again.  Celestia looked Garble right in the eye.

"Let me put it this way," she said darkly. "If I were to fight you at my full power, you would cease to be.  I've had my share of defeats, sure.  Everyone has.  But I suffered those defeats at the hands of creatures more powerful than you could ever imagine.  What's more, they were never able to finish the job.  So tell me, young dragon.  What makes you think that out of all the threats to my nation that I had to contend with over my thousand-year reign, you'll be the one to take me down and make me stay down?"

Garble didn't want to admit it, but Celestia's tone made his spines stand on end.  Even so, he refused to give her the satisfaction.

"'Cause you ponies can never measure up to us dragons!" he proclaimed.  He flew back, soaring high into the sky.  Once he had Celestia in his sights, he swooped down at an alarming speed.  Celestia smirked.

"Should I or shouldn't I?" she mused. "Too late; I did."

Far behind Garble, a beam of light shot out from the setting sun.  The beam rocketed across the sky, cooking the atmosphere.  Garble noticed the beam out of his peripheral view and tried to swerve.  But it was too late.  The beam intercepted him right above Celestia's head.  When the beam dissipated, every inch of Garble was bright red.  He tried to move, but even the slightest twitch made him wince in pain.  Unable to flap his wings, he fell to the ground and landed on his badly burned stomach.  His agonized roar echoed across the canyon.

"Let this be a lesson to you," said Celestia calmly. "Never underestimate a pony."

With that, she dove back into battle, supporting Gilda and Little Strongheart wherever she could.  Garble snorted.

"This, isn't, over," he grunted, crawling along the ground.


***


Seth scowled as the teenage dragons were occupied by Celestia and the others. "You got lucky, Princess Ember.  But your luck is about to run out!"

He stretched out his claws and pointed at Ember.  Above him, the sky opened up, revealing meteors raining down on her head.  Ember smirked.

"This again?  No problem," she said. "Needles!  Back me up!"

"That's what we Dragon Magi do best!" Needles replied.

She threw another star at Ember, which caused her to glow.  She charged right into the meteor storm, weaving through the projectiles with the agility of a hummingbird.  Seth was so dumbfounded, he didn't even have time to block Ember's flame as she reached him.  With a growl, he let loose his own fiery breath, only for Ember to fly out of reach.

"There's no way you're this skilled!" Seth barked. "You're not big and strong!  You didn't even properly win the Gauntlet of Fire!  You are not worthy of the Bloodstone Scepter!"

"Well, I say otherwise!" Ember retorted. "Wanna make something of it?  Come and get me!"

Seth glowered at Ember. "You will burn for this, Princess Ember!  Cortez!  Shoot her out of the sky!"

"Oh, so it's fine for you to have help, but not her?" asked Needles. "Someone's a bit of a hypocrite."

"Silence, Dragon Mage!" Seth bellowed, sending a pulse of dark magic towards her.  Before Ocard could intercept, a piercing whistle was heard.

"Fetch, Khamshin!  Ehheh..."

A cloud of dust coated the area in front of Needles, petrifying the spell and rendering it useless.  Standing on Khamshin's back were the Dragoons, all ready for combat.

"No one hurts the friends of Toro the Bulldog and gets away with it," said Toro, aiming his cannon.

Cortez looked up at Isabelle. "This is your chance to prove your loyalty, Isabelle!  Destroy that lizard-loving traitor!"

Isabelle scowled. "Destroy my brother?  Are you mad?  I would never destroy my own flesh and blood, Cortez."

Cortez's face darkened. "So, you turn on me as well.  Diamond Dogs don't leave the pack, Isabelle!  Not without facing the consequences!  ¡Hombres!  ¡Traiga mi repetidor del redstone!"

The Diamond Dogs immediately jumped to his request.  Cortez took off his vest, revealing criss-crossing bandoliers full of redstone.  Soon enough, the rapid-fire rifle was placed in his paws.

"Last chance, you ungrateful mutts!  Either return to the pack, or perish!" he barked.

Isabelle looked over at Toro. "¿Junto?"

"Junto," Toro said with a nod. "Señor Trigger!  Fire!"

A blast erupted from Toro's cannon while Isabelle tossed her lasso.  Several Diamond Dogs were scattered; many more were snared.  Cortez scoffed.

"Very well, lizard lovers.  I'll destroy you long before Seth does!  ¡Hasta luego!"

He fired his rifle at a rapid rate, pelting Khamshin with redstone.  The mighty antlion stood his ground, snapping his mandibles and petrifying any bullets he could.  Isabelle turned to Pepito.

"Vaya lo consiguen, mi amigo," she said.

Pepito blinked. "¿Qué?"

Isabelle deadpanned. "Seriously?"

"No, no serious.  Is joke," Pepito chuckled. "But next time, say in English.  I try to learn."

Isabelle smiled. "Very well.  Go get him, Pepito."

Pepito nodded and brandished his staple traps.  With a piercing shriek, he leapt from Khamshin's back and tossed one at Cortez.  The trap came down on Cortez's rifle, pinning it to the ground and jamming the mechanism.  Cortez grunted as he tried to pull his weapon loose.

"Flint, Steel!  Now!" Trigger called out.

"With pleasure," Flint said with a sneer.  He and Steel descended upon Cortez, breathing their flame.  Cortez flinched as the intense heat lapped at his fur, but strangely enough, he wasn't set alight.  He let out a laugh.

"Ha!  You missed!" he barked.

Trigger grinned and wrung his claws. "I'd look again, Diamond Dog.  Ehheh...  Ehheh..."

Confused, Cortez looked down upon his person.  Each piece of redstone in his bandoleers was glowing red hot.  His ears drooped, and all color drained from his face.

"Hijo de—"

Before he could finish his thought, a massive explosion propelled him skyward.

"¡Recordaré esto!" he howled, sailing over the horizon.

Flint snickered and dusted off his claws. "And that's why you never tell an angry dragon that you've got explosives on your person."


***


Seth let out an angry snort. "You haven't won yet, Lord Ember!  I can still crush you!"

He lunged right for Ember, who quickly sidestepped the charge.  The two fought back and forth, with Needles and Ocard keeping Temhkas busy.  In the middle of the fray, a weak, raspy laugh was heard.

"Got, it."

Ember turned towards the laugh, and her eyes widened.  Garble had crawled his way over to the scepter, and now held it within his claw.  In her moment of hesitation, Seth knocked her to the ground.  While Needles went over to heal her, Garble picked himself up, fighting against the pain from his burns.

"Now, I'm the Dragon Lord!" he rasped, holding the scepter over his head. "This is how it's meant to be, Princess Ember!  No ponies, no runts, no Magi!  Nothing can save you now!"  He pointed the scepter at her. "So, what should I make you do?  I know.  Kill that runt helping you!  Show her that dragons don't do friendsh—"

He was cut off by a string of explosions.  When the dust cleared, his entire body was covered in soot, and the scepter was gone.  Garble coughed.

"Ow," he moaned, falling back on his face.

Seth turned wildly towards Ember. "What is the meaning of this?!"

Ember smiled and shrugged. "You never said I had to bring the real scepter to the battle."

Seth sputtered. "Th-that's ludicrous!  That's the entire reason we're fighting, you whelp!  Where's the real one?!"

"Oh, I hid it," said Ember nonchalantly. "Somewhere where you will never—"

"Hey, Seth!  Look at this!"

One of the remaining Diamond Dogs emerged from the ground, brandishing another scepter.  Seth cackled and snatched it from his paws.

"Well well.  Looks like I'm victorious after all," he said.  He held the staff aloft and charged it with his dark magic. "All dragons, hear me!  It is time we abandon the weak and uphold the strong!  Anyone who stands against us will suffer!  Use your power to strike fear into the hearts of all creat—"

His command was interrupted by a series of explosions.  Once again, the staff in his claws had vanished in a burst of flame.  Seth clenched his fist in anger.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?!" he snarled.

"Yes, I do think that," said Ember. "It's amazing what you can put together with a bunch of redstone and some trick candles."

Seth towered over Ember. "I am losing my patience, Princess Ember!  Where is the real Bloodstone Scepter?!"

"Again, I hid it," said Ember, folding her arms. "You want it so bad?  Find it."

Seth snorted. "Diamond Dogs!  Dig through the area!"

Without Cortez to tell them otherwise, the remaining Diamond Dogs complied.  What they found astonished Seth.  There was an entire sea of scepters, buried just inches below the sand.  All of them had the same burning red stone at the head.  Ember gave Seth a smug grin.

"Well?  Go ahead," she said. "Just try not to destroy the real one, will you?"

Seth huffed. "If that's the way you wish to play it, fine!"

He took in a deep breath and coated all the scepters with his flame.  A veritable firework display was obscured by his fire breath, putting the rest of the Diamond Dogs out of commission.  When the smoke cleared, there wasn't one scepter left.

"There.  Now no one is Dragon Lord," he panted.

Ember raised an eyebrow. "Wow.  I didn't count on you being that petty.  Princess Celestia?"

"Yes?"

"Hand me my real scepter, would you?"

Celestia smiled. "Of course, Your Lordship."

Seth's eyes nearly popped out of his skull as he watched Celestia reach into her trunk and pull out the genuine Bloodstone Scepter.  His shock soon gave way to rage.

"Entrusting our sacred treasure, to a pony?!  You've gone too far, Princess Ember!" he boomed. "Temhkas!  Bring the scepter to me!"

Temhkas flew at Celestia, who held the staff with her magic.

"Time for a little game of keep away," she said. "Gilda!"

She tossed the scepter over to Gilda, who snagged it in her claws.  Temhkas immediately changed direction, setting its sights on the griffon ambassador.

"All yours, Little Strongheart!"

Gilda threw the scepter like a javelin, and Little Strongheart caught it in her mouth.  As Temhkas locked onto her, she tossed it into the air. "Flint!"

Flint snatched the scepter out of the sky, getting a quick rush of power from the staff's magic.  Despite his temptation, he looked over at Steel.

"Hey, Steel!  Catch!"

Steel caught the scepter and gave a whistle.  Before Temhkas could reach him, he threw it at Khamshin.  Khamshin caught the scepter in his mandibles and flung it skyward.  It was then Pepito who caught the staff.

"Señorita!"

He wasted no time passing the scepter to Isabelle.

"Big brother!"

She in turn passed it to Toro.

"Señor Trigger!"

Toro placed the scepter in Trigger's waiting claws.  He narrowed his eyes and took careful aim.

"Needles, my love!  This is for you!"

He chucked the scepter with all his might, and Needles managed to pluck it out of the air.  Both Seth and Temhkas shrank away from her.  Already, Needles could feel the power coursing through her veins.  Her own magic seemed to amplify the staff's power.  Seth backed away from her.

"N-no.  Please.  Don't make any orders," he begged. "Y-you can be Dragon Lord.  Your power far surpasses my own."

Needles stared down at Seth, as if thinking for a moment.  She then shrugged.

"Nah.  This ain't my bag," she said, turning to Ember. "Here, Your Lordship.  This belongs to you."

Ember smiled. "Thank you, my friend."

She accepted the scepter from Needles's claws.  Seth blinked, stunned by this exchange.  He then let out a sharp laugh.

"You fools!  Victory was right in your grasp, and you threw it away!" he jeered. "You could've ruled all of dragonkind with that power, yet you entrust it to this soft little whelp!  Now all I have to do is crush her, and I will become Dragon Lord!"

Needles smirked. "It ain't only strength that determines the victor, Seth.  Like it or not, you're still up a creek."

She then sat cross-legged and closed her eyes.  Golden light enveloped her body, and Ocard descended upon Temhkas.  It opened its claw to the darker fire elemental and whispered something in its ear.  Temhkas seemed to think for a moment.  It then nodded its head and took Ocard's claw.  Ocard turned to Seth and scowled.

"As I suspected.  This elemental you conjured was enslaved to your will through dark magic," it said. "But thanks to my conjurer Needles, I will free it from your spell."

Seth growled. "Impossible.  You're bluffing!  You still can't command me!"

"Wanna bet?" said Ember, holding her staff aloft. "Seth, Black Dragon of the Desert!  I command you to go back to the dark cavern from whence you came!  Stay there, and reflect on the pain you've caused to so many!  You are not to reemerge until you learned to accept change!"

Seth scoffed. "I refuse, Princess Ember.  And I will continue to refuse until the end of time!  You will never have any control over m—"

"You are free from his spell, Temhkas.  Do as you wish."

Seth cast his gaze skyward.  Temhkas looked down at him, its eyes full of righteous fury.  But it didn't roar or strike.  Instead, it calmly descended and wrapped itself around Seth's wrists and ankles.  Seth gasped.

"Wh-what's going on?!" he demanded. "Temhkas!  Stop this foolishness!"

But Temhkas paid him no heed.  It instead firmly held Seth's legs in place.  A pulse of fire radiated through Seth's body.  Before Seth could react, he found himself backing away.

"Wh-what is this magic?!  Wh-where am I going?!" he boomed. "I-I just said I will not obey you!"

"You heard my command, Seth!  Go back to your nest and don't come out until you can accept the reality of this world!" Ember bellowed.

Seth struggled and squirmed, trying to fight against the Dragon Lord's orders.  But Temhkas yanked him back, preventing him from rebelling fully.

"M-my magic!  I-I can't use my magic!" Seth cried. "This can't be happening!  I-I won't listen to you, Ember!  You can't make me!  I refuse!  You're not the boss of me, and you never will be!"

His mouth said one thing, but his body said another and he sank into the sand.  Ember gave Seth a firm glare.

"This is for your own good, Seth!" she barked. "Agree with me!"

"I-I must!  No!  Dragons won't be feared if I obey her, but...  I obey!  S-stop!  You can't do this to me!  You can't—"

The last of Seth's tantrum was drowned out by him sinking beneath the sand and vanishing into the shadows.  Ember let out a sigh and brushed some sweat from her brow.  Gilda blinked.

"D-did you just give that guy a time out?" she asked.

Ember shrugged. "He has to learn somehow.  Granted, I probably could've forced him to see things my way, but that wouldn't be fair."

"A wise decision," said Celestia sagely. "You are indeed fit to be Dragon Lord."

"You said it, Celestia!" said Gilda.  She flew up to Ember and socked her in the arm. "Way to go, Ember!  You did it!"

Ember rubbed her arm and chuckled. "Now that's a gesture I understand," she said, socking Gilda back. "And I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for all of you."

"Just doin' what the Dragon Magi do best," said Needles.

"Indeed."

Zin and Nova descended upon the others, smiling at Needles.

"The parable of the Delta Stream states that all perspectives have merit," Zin quipped. "In our efforts to repel Seth, we have lost sight of that.  Needles, you are indeed a great Dragon Mage.  We are both very proud of you."

Needles blushed. "Shucks, Pa.  Th-that's mighty sweet of ya."

"It's the truth," said Nova sweetly. "There is nothing more your father or I can teach you."

Needles sniffled and brushed a tear from her eye. "It was Lord Ember who came up with the whole plan, though.  I can't have all the credit."

"Maybe not," said Little Strongheart. "But you knew there had to be another way.  You helped Lord Ember when the Dragon Magi felt that they couldn't.  Be proud of that."

Needles smiled and nodded. "Y-yeah.  Guess I should start recognizin' my own worth."

"So, what now?" asked Steel.

"Well, we sent those teenage dragons packing," said Gilda.

"And Cortez's pack will have to focus on recovering their alpha," Toro added.

Ember surveyed the battlefield.  Indeed, all who once opposed her had fled.  The only one remaining was Garble.  She looked down upon him and smiled.

"I think it's time I show the Inter-Speices Conference what kind of leader I really am," she said. "Needles, think you can heal Garble up?"

"Sure thing, Your Lordship," said Needles.  She threw a star at him, which bathed his body in a healing glow.  Garble coughed and sputtered.

"Wh-what's going on?  What happened?"  It didn't take long for him to realize Seth was gone and Ember still held the Bloodstone Scepter.  He gulped. "Um, h-hey, Your Lordship!  I-I guess you managed to beat Seth!  Who would've thought you could do it, huh?  And, uh, that whole thing with me trying to scare you into giving me the Bloodstone Scepter, uh...  You know that was a joke, right?  Just, one of my little jokes?"

Ember deadpanned. "I'm not nearly as dumb as you, Garble.  You're coming with me to Canterlot.  There's something I need you to do for me."

Garble couldn't help but feel a sense of overwhelming dread. "Uh-oh..."

Celestia smirked and powered up her horn.  In a flash, most of the group disappeared.  The only ones left behind were Toro, Isabelle, Pepito, and Khamshin.  Zin and Nova turned to Toro.

"Thank you.  For looking after our daughter all this time," said Zin.

Toro smirked. "She's my partner, and she always will be, señor."

"What about me?" Isabelle asked with a pout.

Toro chuckled and placed an arm around his sister. "You're my partner too, Isabelle.  And you as well, Pepito."

"I very, um..."  Pepito flipped through his dictionary. "Hone-ard?  Wait, that no sound right..."

Isabelle and Toro shared a laugh as the sun completely disappeared over the horizon.
> Peace Porridge in the Pot, Nine Days Old
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"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