“Is everyone ready?” asked Spike.

Applejack sighed. “For the tenth time, Spike, yes,” she said in frustrated tone. “Y’all are giving Twilight a run for her bits about being so worked up.”

“Hey!” the alicorn exclaimed.

The drake was looking outside at the clear, blue sky. “I can’t help it, Applejack,” he said. “This time, I want things to go right. I got to make sure everything’s ready to go.”

“Spike, darling.”

He turned around as he heard the familiar voice of Rarity walking up to him. She put his hands around his back and kissed him on the cheek.

“This isn’t going to be anything like last time,” she reassured. “You don’t need to worry this time. I know you and I have been waiting for this for some time, but there’s no need to get so worked up. Just relax, darling, and be patient.”

Spike opened his mouth to speak, but Rarity raised an eyebrow at him. He sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Rarity. I just want everything to be ready for her. She’s going to have a great welcome party and I want to make sure it’s perfect!”

Rainbow chuckled and shook her head. “You’ve been hanging around Twilight way too long.”

Twilight frowned. “Well, ignoring Rainbow, I’m anxious too. I’m hoping the right books are being brought along. I want to see what I can do.”

Rainbow looked at Spike and raised an eyebrow. “What’s she talking about?”

Spike shrugged. “Twilight’s been telling me about something big she wants to work on. In my letters to Ember, she wrote some books down she wants to take a look at. She even took the time to learn how to read the Dragon language so she doesn’t need a translator.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “That’s our egghead for you.”

“Now, Spike,” Twilight cautioned. “Just remember that they haven’t been here for fun.”

Spike sighed. “I know, Twilight but this is the first time I’ll see her in a few weeks. She’s told me what’s been going on, and she’s really working hard. I just want to let her relax a bit and hang out with her and Rarity.”

Starlight smirked and looked at Twilight. “He really does take after you.”

The alicorn grumbled and looked away.

Rarity snuggled against Spike. “Spikey Wikey, you and I know Ember. I know she’s been very busy, but I’m confident she knows what she’s doing. She’s probably just as anxious to see us again as you are.”

The drake smiled. “You’re right, Rarity.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “I just can’t wait to catch up with her again. I hope mom isn’t keeping her held for much longer.”

Twilight frowned. “Listen, everyone, I’ve been meaning to tell you all this, but I was at Canterlot, and I talked to Princess Celestia and Luna. We’ve all agreed to a deal.”

“What kind of a deal?” inquired Applejack.

“You see, I–”

“Hey!”

Everyone looked up and saw Rainbow descending from the sky.

“They’re coming!” announced the pegasus. “Just saw them coming from across the Everfree Forest.”

Spike beamed and looked up at the sky with his friends. The group saw three dots over the forest like Rainbow said. The dots soon became clearer as they got closer and closer. Spike’s smile widened as he recognized the familiar golden armor on one of the flyers. The three flyers landed on the ground with enough force to slightly shake the ground.

Spike walked up to the one in the middle. “Ember?” he asked.

The helmet was removed to show the dragoness smiling at him. Before she could open her mouth, Spike and Rarity ran up and hugged her. She returned the hug and could feel both her mates snuggle up against her. The drake and unicorn leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, making Ember blush a little. After a couple of seconds, they broke the embrace and looked at each other.

“Spike, Rarity, it’s good to see you two again.” Ember looked at Spike. “How are your new wings doing?”

Spike smiled. “They’re doing great! Rainbow’s been trying to teach me how to fly. It’s tough for sure, but I’m getting better.”

Ember frowned a little. “I know Rainbow means well, but I don’t think she understands flying for dragons and pegasi are a lot different than you two think.”

Rainbow flew up and looked annoyed. “What do you mean? I’ve been showing Spike some moves and he’s not doing too bad. Sure he’s made some mistakes and crashed here or there, but I’m trying to get him to do better.”

“I’ll show you what I mean later, but for now I think you should already know who’s with me.” Ember looked over at the two dragons on her side.

The dragon in silver armor removed his helmet. Twilight gasped and smiled.

“Matches!” she cried out.

The green drake smiled and bowed. “Hello again to you, Princess Twilight, and to your friends as well.” He lifted his hand up to show a large brown suitcase. “Princess, I got what you requested right here.”

Twilight clapped her hands happily and bounced a little. “That’s great!” She looked at Ember and bowed. “Thanks for the book! This will be perfect for what I’ve got planned!”

“Um...Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. “What exactly are you going to do with those books?”

Pinkie popped up next to Fluttershy, making her jump a little. “Isn’t it obvious, Fluttershy? She’s going to throw a great book reading party! Although I’m not sure how fun that can really be.”

Twilight chuckled and shook her head. “I can’t say for now. Let’s just say that if I’m right, we’ll all be a lot closer than any of you will think.”

“You sure you don’t need a translator, princess?” inquired Matches. “Those books are quite advanced and the last thing I want you to do is misread something and get it wrong.”

The alicorn waved a hoof. “I’ve done enough studying of the dragon language to know how to read it.” She blushed a little. “But...if you insist, I could use some dragon to help check and make sure I got things wrong. Just as long as you don’t say anything about what I’m working on.”

Matches smiled. “For you, princess, it’ll be my honor.”

“Excuse me, Lord Ember?” a rather shaky voice asked.

Everyone looked over at a white dragon in emerald green armor. He removed his helmet and Spike nearly did a double take upon seeing who it was.

“Fizzle?” he asked in shock. “What’re you doing here?”

He shied away a bit. “Um, I’m actually Lord Ember’s personal assistant now. After the trial and everything, she offered me a chance to help make the Dragon Lands a better place. She offered me a job to help keep track of her schedule and to help plan out what to do.”

Ember placed a hand on Fizzle’s shoulder. “He’s a lot smarter than you would think. He’s a little nervous about this, but he’s been doing a good job.”

Spike smiled. “I’m glad you kept your promise about the trial. Didn’t think you would do it to be honest.”

Ember smirked. “Hey, he helped put Garble away and I meant what I said. I believe a good leader rewards those who help.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Speaking of which, whatever happened to Garble? Princess Celestia hasn’t said anything about him coming to stand trial here yet.”

“Don’t worry, he’s being held in the Dragon Lands first,” assured the dragoness. “He’ll be first answering to his crimes for treason against the Dragon Lands. But Princess Celestia and I have finished up a deal about what to do with them.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “Them? Who’s them?”

“That’s what I was trying to tell you all,” said Fizzle. “Lord Ember, the prisoners should be here any moment now.”

A large shadow passed over the group, making them look up. They gasped as they saw a large wagon being controlled by several royal guard pegasi soaring through the sky. A few more passed over the town, catching the attention of the citizens walking around. The wagons descended and hit the ground around the town.

“What’s going on?” wondered Spike.

The group looked over to the nearest wagon and saw a few royal guards surround the doors on the back. Two of them opened the doors and saw several dragons in orange jumpsuits and chains being escorted out. Spike looked on in shock.

“Dragons? What’re they doing here?” Spike squinted his eyes a little. “Hey, they look familiar. They look just like...like…”

“Master Ash’s army,” finished Twilight. “They’re finally here.”

Applejack grimaced. “Will somepony please tell me what’s going on here?”

“Allow us to explain,” said a voice.

The group looked up and saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna descending from the sky. The group immediately bowed before them, but the solar princess gestured to them to rise up.

“Mo...um, Princess, what’s going on here?” wondered Spike.

“We’ve made a deal about what to do with those who took part in Ash’s invasion,” said Luna. “While they were just following orders from their leader, we believe they still need to make up for what they’ve done. Lord Ember here made an offer about what to do. Rather than a prison sentence, she made an offer about giving them a new purpose outside of being just soldiers. She wanted to give them some new skills.”

“New skills?” asked Applejack.

“You see, in the Dragon Lands, being a member of the Dragon Guard means always being ready to fight and to spring into action at any moment,” explained Ember. “But for dragons, that’s mostly what they love to do; fight. Sure, you have those who are historians or builders, but most dragons prefer to fight and prove their skills. Some who join the Dragon Guard look mostly for action, but I want to give them something more than that.”

“So the three of us, Twilight, and several other city leaders have made a deal about what to do with them,” said Luna. “We’ve decided these dragons will be serving a community service sentence for at least four months. Our hope is that these dragons use the skills they learn here to take back to the Dragon Lands and use them there.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “Look, I’m all for reformation, I mean look at me after what I’ve done and all, but are we sure this will work? I mean those dragons could probably overpower all these ponies and try to get away.”

“Don’t worry, Starlight,” assured Ember. She pointed a finger at one of the prisoners. “You see that metal necklace around their necks?”

The group looked over and saw a silver necklace with a red crystal around each dragon’s neck.

“Those things have been magically created to help keep the dragons in check. They prevent dragons from using their fire breath and I’ve been told they reduce the strength of a dragon to that of an average pony.”

“They’ll all be monitored by the guards while they work here,” said Twilight. “Once the day is over for them, they’ll all be taken back to Canterlot and held in the jail. Then the next day it all starts again.”

“Y’all said there were other city leaders in Canterlot?” asked Applejack. “They agreed to do this as well?”

Celestia nodded. “Indeed. The dragons will each be given a specific job based on what they’ve told us they’re good at. Some will do baking, gardening, repairing, or even building.”

“I talked it over with Mayor Mare and some of the business owners, and they agreed to do this,” said Twilight. “Some are a little skeptical, but want to give them a proper chance.”

Starlight pointed a finger. “Look!”

A few dragons were headed over to a flower stand where three mares waited for them.

“Welcome to our flower shop,” said an Earth mare with a beige coat. “My name is Roseluck.” She pointed to a pink mare with yellow hair and another pink mare with green hair. “These are Lily Valley and Daisy. Ready to learn about the wonders of flowers here?”

A green dragon scoffed. “Hardly. They look so...colorful it kind of hurts my eyes.”

“Well, why don’t you take a sniff and see what you all think?” Daisy asked as she presented a bouquet of yellow flowers.

The dragon hesitated for a moment, but moved in to sniff it. He took a deep breath in and smiled. “Hmm that’s not bad at all,” he said. “Smells rather sweet. Come on and see, Ridge.”

The yellow dragon walked up and took a sniff too. He smiled and licked his lips. “Smells nice. Do we eat flowers?”

“NO!” yelled Lily. “Do you know how terrible it would be to see someone eat something as delicate as a flower?” She patted a nearby blue flower. “They’re wonderful plants that bring out the beauty of the world.”

Ridge’s eyes fell upon a large dirtbed and saw some green sprouts. “Hey, are these flowers too?”

Roseluck nodded. “Yes, but they’re growing right now so don’t touch them.”

“How do those tiny things become flowers?” asked the green dragon.

“We’ll show you,” said Lily. “Why don’t you two try planting some of these?” She handed both dragons a packet of seeds.

Ridge shrugged. “Um...sure, I guess. I got to admit I’m curious how this all works.” Both dragons followed the flower mares and talked to each other.

Spike and the others looked around town and saw other dragons working with various ponies. Some dragons were seen carrying large wooden planks to nearby construction areas. Others were working some of the market stands with other ponies. Spike could see the dragons look a little nervous trying to do their work, but tried it out anyway.

“Not bad at all for a dragon,” one pony said.

“This isn’t really that bad,” said a dragon.

“Hey, look what I’m building!” another dragon said proudly.

Ember smiled. “Not only do these dragons learn new skills, but they bond with other ponies as well and hopefully they become friends.”

“Let me help you out,” a unicorn said to one of the dragons carrying wood.

“I...ergh, got it,” he said. “Dragons don’t need help.”

“Well I guess it’s a good thing I’m not a dragon then.” The unicorn’s horn glowed and helped lift the wood for the struggling dragon.

The drake grumbled a bit. “Um...thanks I guess. Maybe ponies aren’t as terrible as I’ve heard.”

Spike smiled. “I think something tells me things will be alright here.”

“I would hope so after all this mess,” an elderly voice called out.

Everyone turned around and saw to their surprise none other than Ash. The elder dragon had a solemn look on him and was dressed in a similar orange jumpsuit and was chained around the wings like the other prisoners. Flanking him nearby were two royal guards with their spears pointed near him.

“Master Ash,” said Spike.

The elder dragon held a hand up. “Please, it’s just Ash now. I no longer hold the title or rank now. I, like all my former soldiers here, am just a prisoner.” He smiled softly. “I was hoping to see you though.”

Spike pointed to himself. “Me?”

Celestia nodded. “Ash wanted to speak with you, and give you something. I decided to grant his wish before he begins his sentence.”

“Give me something?”

“You’ll see,” said Luna.

Spike, Ember, and Rarity all approached Ash and looked at him with curiosity. The elder dragon closed his eyes and had a regretful look on him.

Spike opened his mouth first. “Ash, how are you feeling now?”

He shrugged. “Better now I guess. This whole ordeal is something that’ll take me a while to get over.” He sighed and had a pained look on him. “I can’t believe Garble would do something so treacherous for power. I knew he was an ambitious dragon, but I never expected him to go as far as try to undermine the Dragon Lord for his own gain.”

Spike shook his head. “It’s not your fault, Ash. Garble tricked you, the Dragon Council, and everyone. He wanted you all to think things his own way and make you all think he was some hero.”

Ash sighed. “It still doesn’t excuse the fact that I gave the order to come to Ponyville and take Lord Ember away for this.” He looked down. “I thought for once in his life that Garble had done something good. He was doing something good for the Dragon Lands for once and I wanted to believe it so badly.”

Spike frowned. “But he tricked you.”

The elder dragon nodded. “I thought after his parents died, I could somehow raise him to be a better dragon. I was very patient with him and tried to curb him from his criminal actions.” He shook his head. “I was wrong though. Can you imagine it? Knowing full well someone you tried to raise to be a good dragon only for them to commit the ultimate betrayal and leave you heartbroken?”

Spike didn’t say anything and looked away.

Ember stepped forward. “Ash, I know this has been hard. I know the truth wasn’t exactly what you were hoping it to be, but I had to show you some way. Know this though, Garble is to blame for everything that happened; even turning you against me.”

Ash smiled a little. “The truth is hardly sweet, my Lord. It’s like a double edged sword. While the truth can be beneficial, it can also hurt you in a way you never thought possible. Sometimes it can even fatally wound you and leave your spirit broken. I appreciate your kind words though.”

“What’s going to happen to you now?” wondered Rarity.

Ash looked up. “Well, I was expecting a lengthy sentence, but Lord Ember was able to convince the princesses I wasn’t completely at fault. I agreed to a plea deal between the princesses and the other members of the Dragon Council.”

“What was it?” asked Spike.

“The remaining Dragon Council members who didn’t resign out of disgrace for letting this go so far decreed I was to be exiled from the Dragon Lands and never to return. On top of that, my entire unit was to be transferred to Lord Ember herself as her own personal bodyguard.”

Ash looked at Princess Celestia. “The princesses have decided that I too would serve a community sentence for my actions and learn more about pony culture during that time. As for a prison sentence, I’m looking at least a year in the Canterlot Dungeon until I’ll be free.”

Spike tilted his head. “That’s quite the punishment. I’m actually surprised you didn’t get off completely. Usually around Equestria if someone apologizes for their actions, they’re forgiven.”

Ash raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“Yup.”

Ash slapped his head against his forehead. “This place is stranger than I thought.”

“Well you aren’t wrong about that,” said Rarity. “Almost something is going on around here everyday.”

“Enough,” said Ash. “I need something to tell you, Mr….no, Spike.”

The drake looked shocked as he heard Ash call him by his name.

“I’ve had a long time to think about everything that’s happened, Spike.” Ash gave him a confident smile. “After everything you’ve done for both Lord Ember, Miss Rarity, and this alliance, I can easily say you’re the best dragon I’ve ever met, and you’re the future of what dragons can really become.”

Spike blushed a little and rubbed his head. “Oh, it was nothing really.”

“I’m serious,” he said sternly. “You’re not like other dragons, but in a way that shows what we can become. You’re not a dragon who looks for fights, hordes stuff, or be cold. It’s what Lord Ember says, you’re brave, smart, and willing to do anything for your friends. I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done. You helped bring an end to a possible war between Equestria and the Dragon Lands. You’ve shown me and all the dragons that a dragon can learn friendship and become better for it.”

Spike couldn’t help but smile goofily. “Um, thanks.”

“As such, I want you to have something from me.” Ash looked over. “Princess Luna, do you have it?”

The alicorn’s horn glowed and a large white sheet wrapped around appeared.

“Give it to him,” he ordered.

Luna walked up to Spike and presented the sheet to him. The drake didn’t know what to say, so he started unraveling the sheet. Ember and Rarity leaned in to see what was underneath it. As he uncovered more, Spike saw a black pole at first, but as the last of the sheet fell off, he gasped at the sight before him.

Ember looked just as stunned. “Ash, this...this...this is your…”

“My sword,” he finished. “I want Spike to have it. He’s earned it after what he’s done. He’s a fierce and true warrior that saved us all from disaster.”

“Ash,” said an awestruck Spike, “I don’t even know what to say. I don’t even know if I should accept this or not.”

“Take it,” he urged. “A great warrior such as you has earned it. You said you were training in sword fighting, so I figured I’d give you something to use the next time you’re in a fight.”

Spike took the sword out of its sheath and looked at it in awe. The silver blade glistened in the sunlight and the red and black handle at the bottom fit almost perfectly in his hand. He stepped out and swung the sword around a bit before returning it to its sheath.

He looked back and bowed. “Thank you, Ash. I’ll take good care of it. But how do I light it on fire like you did at the trial?”

Ash smirked. “Just light it up with your fire. Be careful though as it takes practice to use it in such a way without burning something or someone you care about.”

“Will do,” said Spike with a nod.

Ash’s smirk faded into a solemn look. “You know, Spike, I can’t help but wonder. If you stayed behind as Dragon Lord instead of passing it to Lord Ember, would things have been different? Could we’ve avoided such a mess and things turn out differently?”

Spike shrugged. “I don’t know, but Garble was more than determined to destroy everything for his own gain. Who knows what he would’ve done just to get his way?”

Ash nodded. “You have a point, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about from Garble ever again after what I’ve arranged.”

Spike looked at Ember with a confused look and then at the elderly dragon. “What do you mean by that? He’s going to jail and won’t be back again.”

“Oh, it’s more than that,” he said. “I had a few contacts and called in a few favors to contact someone.”

“Who?” asked Rarity.

“An old colleague is coming back to see the boy,” Ash said with a smirk. “I don’t think Garble is going to know what hit him after what he heard what happened.”

Ember tilted her head in confusion. “Ash? Who was it?”

The elderly dragon laughed. “Someone who’s proud of you.”

Celestia stepped forward. “Is there anything else, Ash?”

The drake shook his head. “No, it’s done now. My time has come to an end, but I can rest knowing that the Dragon Lands are in such capable claws after what I’ve seen.”

Ember and Spike both looked at each other and smiled.

“Lord Ember,” said Ash. “I know you’re going to be a great leader and become one of the Dragon Lands’ best leaders. Spike, you’ve shown what we dragons can become. I believe both Equestria and the Dragon Lands are going to enjoy a new age of prosperity.”

Ember stood up straight. “We’ll make it happen, Ash.” She took Spike and Rarity’s hands. “We’ll all make it happen.”

Ash nodded. “I know you will. Farewell to all of you. I hope the next time we meet it’ll be under better circumstances. And Spike, there’s one last thing to remember.”

The drake looked on in curiosity.

Ash smiled sadly at him. “The spirit of the warrior will always be with you.”

One of the guards took Ash’s arms. “Alright, prisoner, let’s move out. You got a date in the dungeon.”

The elderly dragon nodded and with a final bow towards everyone, he turned around. He was lead to a nearby wagon that had its doors opened. The group watched as Ash entered the wagon and be secured in it. As the doors closed, Spike and Ember saw him look at them and he gave them a wink. The doors slammed and in a matter of seconds, the chariot took off into the sky. They all watched until the chariot became more distant and then it disappeared behind a cloud.

Ember stared up at the sky. “Ash,” she whispered solemnly. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Spike smiling at her.

“Don’t worry, Ember, he’ll be okay,” he assured. “You heard it yourself from him that you’re going to be a great leader and I believe you already are.”

Rarity snuggled up next to Ember. “We believe you’ll be fine, Ember.”

The dragoness turned around and saw Twilight and the others nod and give her a confident smile. Ember smiled and nodded back to them.

“I think if we can make it through something like what Garble did, there’s nothing we can’t handle then,” she said proudly.

“So what’ll you do now?” asked Twilight.

Ember rubbed her chin. “Well, things are still rather unsettled in the Dragon Lands. Ash did mention that the Dragon Council only has several members left.”

“Why’s that?” wondered Twilight.

“Since they let Ash’s invasion plan go through without even considering other options, several of them have agreed to resign out of shame for what they’ve done. The rest remained but have agreed to some reparation payments to Equestria for the invasion. Needless to say, they’re shorthanded and are trying to figure out who they recommend to me about becoming a member, and who the next Master will be.”

“Sounds like there’s still a lot of work to be done,” said Spike.

“Indeed.” Ember smirked. “However, I’m not due back until tomorrow and the day is still early. So I was thinking maybe I could spend some much needed time with my mates.”

Spike smiled. “That’d be great! There’s still some stuff around Ponyville I never got to show you!”

“And perhaps I can put together a nice assemble for you,” suggested Rarity. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get only the best from me. I got to make sure my dragoness looks beautiful.”

Ember blushed a little.

“Oh, and maybe one thing.” Rarity pulled Ember’s head to her side.

Spike looked on as the unicorn whispered to Ember. He saw Ember nodding slowly, but her face turning more and more red. After nearly a minute, Rarity pulled away and giggled a little. Ember looked completely flustered and tried to hide her blush.

“What was that all about?” asked Spike.

Rarity giggled and said, “Sorry, Spikey Wikey, but that’s a secret we can’t tell you. Right, Ember?”

The dragoness nodded quickly and muttered, “Yeah...um, can’t really tell you for now.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “This better not be–”

“It’s not, darling,” interrupted Rarity. “I know you’re still weary about what we both did, but trust us when we saw that’s all behind us now.”

Spike stared at them for a moment, but slowly nodded. “Alright, but maybe it's best the three of us spend some real time together now. What do you say we hit up Sugarcube Corner first? Never showed Ember that place.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” said Rarity.

“Yay!” Pinkie shouted joyfully. She grabbed Ember’s face and leaned in closely. “I’ll make you all a great big cake! It’ll be so delicious!” Suddenly, in a cloud of smoke that resembled the party mare, she was gone.

Ember blinked several times and had a perplexed look on her. “I think no matter how long I stay in Equestria, I’ll never get fully used to that pony.”

“Agreed,” said Matches. He looked at Twilight and smiled. “Why don’t we head in and see what this project is you’re working on? I’m curious to see what this is.”

Twilight smiled and blushed a little. “Let’s not waste any time then. Maybe with your help I can work on it faster.”

Celestia stepped forward. “I believe we’ll both be going back to Canterlot now. I got some work planned for Ash, and I need to let the other nobles know not to get scared should they see him doing any service around Canterlot.”

Luna looked at Ember and bowed. “Farewell, Lord Ember. We wish you luck on your continuing efforts to help your fellow dragons.”

The dragoness bowed back. “Thank you, both of you. I’ll come to you two if there’s any leadership advice I need.”

The sisters waved at the group and Celestia’s horn glowed. In a moment, both her and Luna were gone.

Spike took both Ember and Rarity’s hands. “I guess we better get going. There’s so much to show you all.”

“Exactly,” said Applejack. “There’s still some Apple family stuff I need to give y’all.”

“Maybe we can finally settle who’s faster,” suggested Rainbow.

“Maybe I can show you the woodland creatures around here,” said Fluttershy.

Spike brought both Ember and Rarity close to him. “As long as we all do it together.” He gave each of them a kiss on the cheek.

“Better get moving then,” said Applejack.

“You all go ahead,” said Twilight. “Matches and I are going to get to work.”

Spike chuckled. “If you say so, Twilight.”

The drake looked over and saw Fizzle standing alone and looked a little nervous. “Hey, Fizzle!” he called out.

The white drake yelped and looked over at the group. Spike was smiling and waving a hand at him.

“Come on! I’ll show you around Ponyville! You’re free to come with us!”

Fizzle smiled a little. “Really? Usually, Garble doesn’t do anything like–”

“Put that guy behind you, Fizz,” said Ember. “We’re nothing like him. We at least care about our friends, unlike him.”

Fizzle stepped forward slowly at first, but soon his slow walk turned to a run towards them. He looked at them with a smile on his face.

“Alright I’m in,” he said. “I’ve been hearing about this thing called a cupcake I’ve been wanting to try out. Where can I get one?”

Spike waved a hand. “Just come with us and you’ll see.”

The group started to walk off, with Twilight and Matches both walking off towards the castle, and made their way towards town. Spike suddenly froze as a thought hit him.

“Ember, there’s one last thing I don’t understand,” he said. “Ash said he called in an old friend to take care of Garble. Who exactly was he talking about?”

Ember rubbed her chin for a couple of seconds. A devious smile formed on her lips and she chuckled.

“Oh, I think I’ve got a good idea who it is,” she said sinisterly. “I think after he deals with him, Garble will never be the same again.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Him?”

Ember smirked. “I’ll tell you all later.” She looked out into Ponyville and smiled. “Let’s enjoy the time we’ve got together.”

Together, the group all headed out as the sun shined brightly on the town below.

The distant sound of a fire crackling on the wall echoed throughout the dark cell Garble was in. He grunted in pain as the chain against the wall pull him back to it again. He panted and let out a furious roar. In his mind, he saw Spike, Ember, and Rarity all laughing at him mockingly. The drake gritted his teeth and tried again to move, but the chains pulled him back again.

Garble looked down at the ground and narrowed his eyes. “No...I can’t let it end this way,” he said venomously. “I’ll get out and when I do, they’ll all pay for this.”

The sound of footsteps caught Garble’s ears and perked up. He looked up at the outline of the door and heard some jingling from the outside.

“Must be another stupid guard,” the drake scoffed. “If I could I’d kick them for doing this to me.”

The door slammed open, and as Garble thought a red dragon guard stepped in. Although the room was still rather dark, he could make out something that looked liked a smile on the guard’s face.

“What’re you happy about?” asked Garble. “Happy to see me chained up?”

“You got a guest today, traitor,” he said. “He insisted that he come see you in his cell personally.”

Garble raised an eyebrow. “Who exactly? Spike come back to gloat? Ember to rub it in? Well if it’s any of those ponies, don’t even bother then.”

“Or it could be someone who wants to talk to you about what you’ve done,” a thunderous voice echoed.

Garble’s confident smile vanished and felt a chill run down his spine. He looked up and saw a large shadowy figure in the entryway.

No….it can’t be! He thought to himself.

The figure walked up to the guard, who saluted him. “Leave us,” he commanded.

The guard quickly left and shut the door behind him. Garble was petrified by fear and had a panicked look on him. He was shaking enough to rattle the chains he was connected to.

“You and I have so much to discuss, Garble,” said the figure. “How long has it been since we’ve met last? A month or so?”

Garble didn’t answer.

“What’s wrong?” the figure asked in a mocking tone. “Nothing to say this time? Usually, you’ve got some smart comment to make. Since you’re not willing to say anything, let me tell you a story.”

The figure paced around the room and Garble watched him nervously.

“For so long I worked hard for the Dragon Lands to make sure it remains peaceful,” he said. “When Ember took over as Dragon Lord, I was skeptical at first; especially at most of her changes for friendship and other stuff. I gave her a chance to prove it could work and from what I’ve heard, it seemed to be going fine. I thought with everything in her control I could take a nice vacation for the first time in years.”

The figure stopped and turned to Garble. “But what did I hear instead happen?” his voice grew cold. “I hear about how Ember was seen as an unworthy ruler, rumors of her being attacked, and a plot by a certain dragon to overthrow her for power.” He took a step forward. “To make things worse, said dragon tried to have her killed as well.”

Garble shrunk back and gulped nervously.

“Thanks to an old colleague, he let me know what exactly happened while I’ve been on vacation,” said the figure. “I felt many things as I read the letter, but the one thing that I felt above all was rage. Rage towards the one who tried to hurt not only the new Dragon Lord, but my own daughter as well!”

The room shook violently from the yell. Garble tried to open his mouth to speak, but only gibberish came out. The figure stepped out of the shadow and into the light and confirmed Garble’s worst fear:

Torch looked at him with a death glare and could see little fires in his eyes.

“So, after hearing this little incident, I figured I’d come back and teach a certain dragon what happens when you mess with their own kin!” he boomed.

Garble could feel his heart racing and was a gibbering mess.

Torch leaned in and smirked. “You know, Garble, they say that dragons are fireproof and can take extreme heat. You have my congratulations though.”

Garble gulped. “Wh–wh–what f–f–for?” he nervously asked.

Torch grinned sinisterly. “You’re about to be the first dragon to know what it’s like to be burnt!” He walked towards the helpless drake.

“Wait!” pleaded Garble. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Throughout the dungeon, Garble’s screams echoed throughout the desolate place.

Author's Notes:

Before anyone says something, nope Garble isn't dead. He's just being "taken care of" by Torch before going on trial.

I'm happy this chapter came out as fast as it did. I really wanted to try and get this one out of the way before things got more hectic on my end. So I'm glad this one got out when it did.

Only two more chapters to go, people. We're just about at the end, and it's been a long ride, but it's just about over at last.

P.S. I've seen an early airing of Sweet and Smokey, so the events of that episode will be disregarded. And yes, there shall also be some post season 8 stuff in it as well.