“Pegasi? You brought pegasi with you?” Humble Pie hissed at Star Swirl the moment he was able to secure a private moment with the unicorn.

“You seem perturbed, my friend,” the magician chuckled. “I did warn you about my company beforehand, but you seemed not to mind.” The two stallions were standing outside on the porch, out of hearing distance from any of the pegasi inside.

“You didn’t tell me they were soldiers!” the earth pony accused, almost beside himself with anger and fear. “And not just soldiers; that mare is the leader of the pegasi!” he added, vigorously pointing a hoof in the direction of the dining room, where their guests were all seated. “You didn’t tell me I’d be making dinner for the head pegasus! Knowing these brutes they’d probably start a war if they didn’t like my food!”

“Then I’d venture you don’t know them very well,” Star Swirl answered evenly. “The pegasi are warriors, yes, but they don’t start wars without reason.”

“For my own sake, I hope you’re right,” Humble Pie replied. “Now excuse me while I make sure they’re not burning my kitchen down,” he muttered as he walked back into his house. Star Swirl sighed and shook his head as he followed him inside.

As it turned out, Humble Pie had little reason to fear for his kitchen. The pegasi were sitting around the dining table, having a rather animated conversation. Indeed, they had even taken it upon themselves to set the table while their host finished making dinner, placing the plates, cups and bowls onto the table in a neat, regimented fashion that only trained soldiers could pull off.

There were five pegasi in the group. Sitting at the middle of the table, Commander Tempest stood out as the most imposing figure of the lot. She had a powerful build and the aged look of a warrior who had experienced many battles. However, her strength was masked by her colors, which suggested a certain calmness; her coat was sea-green and she had wavy blue hair for a mane and tail. The Commander seemed to be approaching middle-age, but her few wrinkles and slightly graying mane managed to convey a sense of wisdom while not taking away from the aura of power surrounding her.

Sitting to the immediate right of Tempest was her daughter, General Hurricane. Where the commander’s appearance suggested the calm of the sea, Hurricane’s appearance screamed of youth and unbridled energy barely held in check. She had a sky-blue coat and a shock of color for a mane and a tail that danced over her figure like some kind of garishly-colored flag. Hurricane had a fierce look about her and of all the pegasi in the group it was Hurricane who best fit the stereotype of pegasi that Humble Pie had in mind. She was looking around her modest surroundings with a scowl on her face and couldn’t seem to stop shifting in her seat.

The other three pegasi were all fairly nondescript in comparison to their leader and her daughter. To Tempest’s immediate left was General Silver Lining, Advisor to the Commander. True to his name, he had a grey coat with a silvery mane and tail and a wary gaze about him, but unlike Hurricane it was a look less of hostility and more of caution. He was short for a stallion and seemed to be the most reserved of the group, occasionally engaging Tempest in quiet conversation. The other two were, as far as Humble Pie could tell, personal guards of the commander: Private Swift Cloud, a strong-looking mare with a sunny disposition, and Private Thunderhead, a stallion who was the only one of the group taller than Commander Tempest and who had a rather stern look about him.

Star Swirl the Bearded trotted past the dining room, following Humble Pie into the kitchen. Seeing that several of the dishes were now ready, the unicorn used his magic to levitate a heaping pot of stew, a plate of bread and a pitcher of cider into the dining room while the earth pony put the finishing touches on the pot pie. Within moments they were all seated around the table sharing the meal, with Star Swirl and Humble Pie sitting at opposite ends of the table. The magician was seated closest to Silver Lining and the two of them, along with Tempest, were conversing over various political matters. Humble Pie had the misfortune of being seated next to Hurricane, who had her front hooves crossed and didn’t seem to want anything to do with the earth pony. On the other hoof, Swift Cloud was sitting on Humble Pie’s other side and was constantly engaging the earth pony, asking questions about his life, his house, and showing a general enthusiasm over meeting a non-pegasus. For his part, Humble Pie wasn’t sure whether he should feel flattered or annoyed at getting all this attention. The dinner proceeded without incident, but the earth pony felt distinctly uncomfortable amongst this group.

“My compliments to the chef,” Tempest offered, raising her mug of cider to Humble Pie as she finished the rest of her meal. The other pegasi and Star Swirl followed suit, apparently obeying some unwritten rule to follow what the commander did. Humble Pie smiled nervously, lifting his own mug in the direction of Tempest and silently praying he wasn’t breaking any more pegasi etiquette.

“Now that we’ve finished that lovely meal,” Star Swirl announced as he cleared the table, levitating the empty plates and bowls back into the kitchen. “I think it’s time we discussed business.”

“Oh no,” Humble Pie said before anypony else could respond. “Count me out. You lot can talk over your plans, but I’m staying out of it. I’m no military pony.”

“What a surprise,” Hurricane muttered with a slight smirk, drawing an irritated look from Humble Pie and, to the earth pony’s surprise, Tempest.

“Hush, Hurricane,” the commander said in a gentle but firm tone, causing her daughter to shrink back into her seat. Tempest then turned to Humble Pie, her expression going from one of admonishment to mild concern. “I am sorry to hear you will not be joining us; Star Swirl informed me you would be interested in our affairs.”

Humble Pie glared at the unicorn sitting opposite him. “So is this the favor you’ve come to ask of me?”

Star Swirl smiled and shook his head. “The favor I asked was merely that you provide food and a suitable meeting place for our company, nothing more.”

The earth pony lifted himself off his seat and began trotting towards the kitchen to wash the dishes. “In that case, I’ll leave you to it.”

“That’s a shame,” Star Swirl remarked, settling back in his seat. “I thought you would be interested in Fortune’s Peak.”

Humble Pie froze mid-step, nearly toppling over in his surprise. He abruptly turned around and locked eyes with Star Swirl, who was smirking back at him like a predator who had ensnared his prey.

“What…what does any of this have to do with Fortune’s Peak?” Humble Pie asked, trying to keep his voice calm despite his surprise.

“So you do know about Fortune’s Peak!” Hurricane exclaimed. “And here I was starting to think this was all just a wild goose chase.”

“You once told me you lived there as a colt,” Star Swirl continued to Humble Pie, choosing to ignore Hurricane.

“I…yes,” Humble Pie answered, slowly sitting back in his seat. “As a young pony with my family…but what does any of this have to do with the old days?”

“Before we tell you that,” Star Swirl replied. “Why don’t you explain to my company how you’re familiar with Fortune’s Peak?”

“Well, there’s not much to say, really…” Humble Pie muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s a mountain to the southeast, near the edge of the Badlands. Not the most hospitable or beautiful mountain, but my family had a rock farm there that was passed down from my grandmother.”

“A rock farm?” Hurricane chided, smirking at the earth pony. “And just how is a pony supposed to farm rocks?”

“What a surprise,” Humble Pie sighed, shooting a glare at Hurricane. “A pegasus who doesn’t know basic geology.”

“Humble…” Star Swirl growled threateningly as Hurricane rose off her chair to retort, but the young pegasus was quickly pushed back down by Tempest.

“Hold your tongue, Hurricane,” Tempest said sternly, speaking less with the tone of a commanding military officer and more that of a disciplining mother. Hurricane sulked in her chair as the commander turned back to the earth pony. “Please continue, Humble Pie.”

“For the unenlightened among you,” the farmer continued, putting just as much emphasis as he dared on the word ‘unenlightened’ and deliberately avoiding Hurricane’s gaze as he did so. “A rock farm doesn’t farm rocks. It’s what’s inside the rocks that we farm. Crystals, gemstones, valuable minerals…we ripen rubies, harvest heartstones, extract emeralds…” As he continued to explain, there was a glint in Humble Pie’s eyes that seemed to draw the attention of the pegasi; Swift Cloud in particular looked fascinated and was listening intently. “You may have noticed my cutie mark seems to be that of a simple rock,” Humble Pie added, gesturing down to his flank even though it was hidden from sight beneath the table. “But a trained eye will recognize that rock as a geode: unassuming from the outside, but filled with riches within. They were my specialty growing up.

“Yes, those were the days…” the earth pony reminisced, finding to his own surprise how easily the memories spilled forth. “The land around Fortune’s Peak may look barren and lifeless, but below the surface the ground teems with riches; thousands upon thousands of gemstones ready to be harvested!

“Of course, as it turned out,” Humble Pie went on, his tone darkening. “It was those very riches which brought about our downfall.”

“You’re talking about the dragon, right?” Swift Cloud asked eagerly, leaning forward in her excitement.

“Ah, so you know about that,” Humble Pie grunted, taking a swig of cider from his mug before continuing. “Yes, one day all was well, my family was living a peaceful existence, and then the next everything was flames and smoke…” He trailed off as he looked down at the table, staring off into space. “The precious gems attracted the dragon, and his greed knew no bounds. He wanted all the lands for himself and there was nothing that could be done to stop his conquest. Soon we were fleeing for our lives…we abandoned our home, our livelihood, our very heritage; the legacy of my grandmother, Good Fortune. We left her mountain behind and settled in the Mane Valley. But…things could never be the same for us,” he finished bitterly.

“Still, can’t complain too much,” Humble Pie added, looking up at his guests again and putting on a brave smile. “What’s done is in the past, and I’ve got my health, my family and my friends. Can’t ask for more, really.”

“Tell me, Humble Pie,” Tempest began, looking thoughtful. “How well do you remember Fortune’s Peak?”

“I grew up there,” the earth pony replied simply. “I played there as a child, I worked the fields…it was my home. Obviously I remember it very well.”

“But do you remember any of the physical features?” Tempest asked intently, a wild gleam appearing in her eyes. “The caves, the rocks, the approaches, where everything is?”

Humble Pie leaned back in his seat with a wary expression on his face as his gaze traveled from the Commander to the other pegasi before settling on Star Swirl. “What is this all about?”

“You weren’t the only ponies that dragon drove away,” Silver Lining said. “The Pegasi Empire once had a cloudpost atop Fortune’s Peak. Being the only mountain around for miles it was the ideal location for our southernmost fort, a base where we could launch campaigns and explorations of the southern lands.”

“Ah yes, I do recall that now…” Humble Pie murmured thoughtfully. “Up in the clouds that collected around the mountain’s peak.”

“That’s right,” Silver Lining nodded. “When that dragon came we fought valiantly but to no avail. Our cloudpost was utterly destroyed, and, as a final humiliation, all our possessions were stolen by the dragon and piled atop the horde he built for himself in the caves of the mountain. And there he settled, pillaging our other cloudposts in the area until we were forced to surrender the region.”

“But now, we’re going to drive that dragon off and take back what’s ours!” Hurricane shouted, grinning widely with the same mad gleam in her eyes that her mother had just shown.

“You’re WHAT?” Humble Pie yelped, almost leaping off his chair in his alarm. He looked at the other pegasi and Star Swirl, expecting to see similar expressions of shock and horror, or at least amusement in case the brash pegasus was telling a joke, but their calm demeanors made the earth pony realize they were taking this proposition very seriously.

“We’re going to beat that dragon and reclaim Fortune’s Peak, in the name of the Pegasi Empire!” Hurricane announced as she thrust a hoof in the air, prompting a “Hurrah!” from a couple of the other pegasi.

“You can not be serious!” the earth pony exclaimed, shaking his head and staring wide-eyed at Hurricane. “Perhaps you forgot that we are talking about a dragon. A huge, vicious, fire-breathing, neigh-indestructible dragon. How would you even begin to go about fighting it?”

“Ah, I’m glad you asked, Humble Pie,” Star Swirl said, smiling softly. “As it turns out, there are two tools at our disposal to fight this beast. The first is my magic,” he explained, casually levitating his cup into the air as a rather simple and wholly unnecessary demonstration of his abilities. “Forgive me for boasting, but as the most powerful magician of our time, I know quite a few powerful spells that can hold off even a beast as powerful as a dragon.

“But magic alone is not enough to defeat a dragon. If it was, the unicorns could drive off dragons whenever we wanted. But that is where our second tool comes in,” the unicorn continued, glancing at Silver Lining. The pegasus nodded and lifted himself off his chair, trotting over to the small pile of possessions the guests had left in a corner of the room. He retrieved a long, thin object sheathed in a metal casing and carefully carried it back, gently setting it on the table as the other pegasi watched on, enraptured by the mysterious object.

“What is this?” Humble Pie asked, feeling somewhat perturbed by this strange item on his table.

“This,” Tempest declared, lifting the object in her front hooves. “Is one of the most important possessions of the Pegasi Empire. This…is the Sword of Flame.” She grasped a handle at the end of the object and unsheathed the sword, which gleamed brightly in the soft light of the room. There was an aura of power about the weapon, which was accentuated by the sudden wave of warmth that seemed to radiate from the sword the moment it was unsheathed. Tempest regarded the sword with a solemn look while the other pegasi had expressions of awe, and Humble Pie felt impressed – no, intimidated by it. Weapons were not tools of farmers and ponies of the land; they were the playthings of coldhearted brutes. And yet, despite his revulsion at the thought of somepony wielding this sword, Humble Pie felt the stirrings of the same reverence the pegasi were currently showing, a feeling the earth pony quickly tried to bury and reject.

“Fashioned by the finest craftsponies of the Empire…from the tooth of a dragon,” Tempest muttered as she considered the sword in her hooves.

“A tooth?” Humble Pie repeated in confusion. “How in the world does a pegasi get their hooves on a dragon’s tooth?”

“That…is a story for another time,” Tempest answered as she replaced the sword back in its special casing before looking up at the earth pony. “What matters is this: you said that dragons are neigh-indestructible. And you are right. Few things can injure a dragon…except another dragon. That is the power of this sword.”

“I trust you don’t intend to kill the dragon,” Star Swirl said, regarding Tempest with an even look. “We are only to drive it off.”

“Of course,” Tempest muttered, throwing a sharp glance at the unicorn. “I hope you don’t take me for a barbarian.”

“So you see now?” Silver Lining inquired to Humble Pie. “On their own, magic or this sword would not be enough against a dragon, but combined we have the tools to succeed! But we need somepony who can lead us to the mountain, who knows its secrets so that we may sneak up on the dragon and stand a fighting chance!”

“I…” Humble Pie paused. This was far more than he ever bargained for.

“Should you help us succeed,” Tempest declared. “You will of course be welcome to return and farm the land once more. You can reclaim your family’s heritage and put your special talents to use once more.”

“I…uh…” the earth pony stammered, overwhelmed by what he was being asked. This was all happening much too quickly for him and he was in no state to answer just yet. “I…am going to have to think about this,” he finally stated.

“Of course,” the Commander replied, nodding to the earth pony. “This is obviously an important decision for you. But make your choice soon; we won’t be waiting here for long.”

“I just need a night to sleep on it,” Humble Pie said, slightly more forcefully than he intended. “Err, speaking of which, will you need a place to sleep? I might be a little short on beds, but-“

“No need,” Silver Lining interrupted, idly waving a hoof. “We pegasi are more comfortable sleeping out amongst the clouds.”

“Right,” Humble Pie nodded, feeling relieved that he wouldn’t have to figure out how to accommodate five extra ponies for the night. “Star Swirl, I have an extra bed I can set up for you, if you like.”

“That would be delightful,” the unicorn said, nodding gratefully to Humble Pie. “Though I must admit, given how you pegasi take to your clouds I wish I could try to sleep on one without fearing I would fall through!” He stroked his beard and looked thoughtful. “If only I had the chance to study the properties of these clouds, perhaps I could invent a spell that would allow the wingless to stride upon them.”

“Non-pegasi walking on clouds?” Hurricane scoffed. “Sure, that’ll happen.”

Each of the pegasi rose from their chairs and bid Humble Pie and Star Swirl a good night as they went outside. Star Swirl levitated the last of the cups from the table into the kitchen, setting them amongst the other dirty dishes. Despite the unicorn’s best protests, Humble Pie refused to allow Star Swirl to help clean the dishes, insisting on cleaning up by himself. Unable to break the earth pony’s stubbornness, he finally relented and followed the pegasi outside.

The unicorn looked up to see the pegasi were already collecting some nearby clouds and positioning them above the house, packing them together in order to make them suitable for sleeping. “Commander Tempest! General Silver Lining!” Star Swirl called. “May I have a private word with you?” The two pegasi nodded promptly and fluttered down to the ground next to the unicorn.

“I hope you found my contact to your liking,” the magician said, gesturing back to Humble Pie’s house with his head.

“We shall see, Star Swirl. We shall see,” Tempest smirked. “But I will grant that he does seem promising.”

“Indeed. This earth pony strikes me as a potential ally,” Silver Lining remarked. “I saw the hunger in his eyes when he spoke of his old home.”

“Just be sure you live up to your side of our agreement,” Star Swirl muttered, gazing at Tempest and drawing an uneasy look from Silver Lining. “When we succeed in this mission and you return to Pegasopolis, you will make clear that a unicorn and an earth pony played a crucial role in the Pegasi Empire reclaiming their southern territories.”

“I am bound by my honor as a commander, Star Swirl,” the pegasus answered curtly. “However, I doubt that even such a proclamation will change most minds in Pegasopolis regarding non-pegasi.”

“This is true,” Silver Lining nodded. “Even with such a heroic feat, I believe most of our kind will continue to look upon earth ponies and unicorns as beneath them. Quite literally, in fact.”

“We must start somewhere,” Star Swirl insisted. “Even if unity amongst the three tribes is not achieved within our lifetimes, we must at least ensure that future generations can carry our goals out. You have seen the threat which has set its sights on us.”

Tempest smiled knowingly. “Seen it? I am not so fortunate, Star Swirl. But I know it is there, lurking at the edge of the known world, bidding its time. It plays with our weather, mocks our abilities, and then flees before we can glimpse it. But still it is there.”

The pegasus sighed, wearily looking down at the ground and showing her age. “I fear for my empire, Star Swirl. Since the disgraceful loss of our southern territories, we have grown weaker and…complacent. We are so self-assured of victory and the honor of our actions that I fear the collapse of all we have built if this threat attacks and we are not ready.”

“My Commander, you must not give in to such thoughts!” Silver Lining said in a pleading tone. “Yes we have much troubling us, but our empire is still strong! Our morals remain firm, our might absolute!”

“But we have not been tested in a long time,” Tempest replied. “And I fear this new enemy is waiting for us to relax our guard. I do not want to preside over a dying empire, especially when I have a daughter to pass it on to,” she added, looking up at Hurricane, who was removing her armor and settling into her cloud to sleep.

The commander turned her gaze back to Star Swirl. Her wearied expression now showed the concern of a mother. “War has a remarkable way of bringing like-minded ponies together. Should this threat attack, the Pegasi Empire will align with your kind, but only if we know we can trust you and even then only if it is necessary. That is why I am here; for the sake of my daughter and the future of my empire.”

Star Swirl nodded sagely and bid the two pegasi a good night before returning inside Humble Pie’s house to consider what Tempest had just said. For his part, he deplored war and hoped it would never come to that. Indeed, given what he knew of Windigoes he doubted a war like one the pegasi were familiar with could even occur. But the goal of unity amongst the pony tribes was one he and the Commander now shared, even if they foresaw different paths to that end and had different reasons for wanting to see it accomplished. For now, Star Swirl figured it would be best not to argue specifics so long as they had the same goal in mind.

***

Humble Pie had trouble sleeping that night. First he tossed and turned in his bed, constantly shifting position to try and get more comfortable, before laying face up and counting sheep, but that didn’t help either. The decision before him rested heavily on his mind, and his brain was too engrossed with his choices and the potential consequences to go to sleep.

“I could get the rock farm back…” one thought argued.

“You’ll get killed,” the other side fought back.

“You might not – after all, you have magic and an indestructible sword on your side.”

“Don’t you remember the dragon’s wrath? The flames, the destruction…” The image of a large, vicious creature raining terror from above appeared unbidden in his head. Humble Pie shuddered at the memory, the terror he had long since buried suddenly returning with the prospect of encountering this monster again.

“But it’s not like I am going to be fighting the dragon.” With that, the image of the dragon vanished and was replaced by the happy memory of his family living on the rock farm. But the figures were different now. In place of his father was Humble Pie himself, with a wife and kids of his own. His siblings, also adults and with children of their own, were there with him, cheerful and praising Humble Pie for bringing pride and wealth back to the family name.

Humble Pie groaned and rubbed his eyes with his front hooves. When he reflected on it later, the earth pony realized that this was the moment where he made up his mind. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he missed this opportunity to reclaim their old home. A sudden panic gripped him and he rushed out of bed and flung the shutters of the window open, terrified that the pegasi had left and he had already missed his chance. But upon looking up into the sky he saw that the clouds the pegasi had set up were still in place, a couple with their occupant’s tails hanging over the side. Humble Pie groaned again, burying his face in his hooves as he leaned on the window sill.

“I’m being stupid…” he mumbled under his breath. “This…this is insane. I…okay, fine, I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go… No, I…AH, HORSEAPPLES! I’LL GO!” he screamed in frustration, before clamping a hoof over his mouth in embarrassment.

“Glad to hear it,” a voice chuckled from overhead. Humble Pie looked up to see Commander Tempest leaning over the side of her cloud, grinning down at him. “Now get some sleep; we have an early start tomorrow. And I would appreciate it if you didn’t wake my soldiers,” she added with a wink.

Humble Pie blushed and muttered an apology under his breath before quietly closing the shutters. As his eyes readjusted to the darkness of his room, he swore under his breath and climbed back into his bed. “Sure, like I’m going to have an easier time getting to sleep now…” he grumbled as he pulled the covers over him.

Within five minutes he was snoring.