Attention shifted somewhat predictably the moment they heard a thousand-plus pounds of disappointed stone walking towards them. I noted that the ponies were pretty split, with plenty of equines just standing around nearby, not moving to stop the mob but not joining them. That particular group seemed mostly made up of pleasure slaves, and those who worked in the houses. I assumed so anyway, as their cutie marks were usually related to the upkeep of a home, or they were, rather predictably, pregnant.

The main bulk of the group wielding the metaphorical pitchforks and torches was a mountain of an earth pony. His cutie mark was of a hammer and nails, though I could tell he hadn't done much construction lately. Rather he had likely been stuck in the mine if the thick layer of stone dust covering nearly every inch of him was anything to go by.

Just beneath the grey covering was a coat of dark orange fur, a short brown mane, and a stubble-covered face. His electric blue eyes burned bright with hate, though I could tell that his confidence waned upon seeing me approach. The other lead instigator in the mob were a pair of more demure individuals, such as a mare with a pile of fruit for a cutie mark and one who had an open clothespin for hers.

The lone female seemed near middle-aged, much like the large earth pony, though he was far more weathered than her. Her deep lavender eyes burned with even greater hate than her companion’s and she did not flinch when she saw me. She just stood there, head held high, hoof brushing aside the mauve curls that threatened to cover her pearl-white fur.

The last individual was unique, as the moment he saw me, he fell forward, bowing as low as he could manage. I caught only a glimpse of his golden orbs before he shut his eyes tightly, and began whispering a prayer. His soft blue fur carried the scars of a severe whipping, or several different instances, if the varied color of the scar tissue was anything to go by. His cloudlike white and grey mane of fluffy white hair was in disarray, as was his general appearance.

The trio faced off against the pregnant mare I had seen earlier, alongside the remaining dragons and a scared Puff. The mare was not someone that I had paid attention to yet, so I made sure to commit her appearance to memory. She was shorter than most, had soft pink fur, deep purple eyes, and long wavey teal hair that ended in curls, through which poked a short horn. She wore a gold and purple saddle, as well as a necklace and bow, both of which were the same mix of colors.

“Greetings, children,” I called out as I approached. “I hope you find freedom to your liking.”

“Yes, Mother! Thank you Mother!” shouted the kneeling scarred stallion.

“That was you?” murmured the pony with the berry cutie mark.

“My mom was right, you really are real. If aunly she lived long enough to see you,” muttered the large earth pony in a sort of Boston accent.

“It was indeed me, now then. Before we get into things, some introductions are in order,” I began, looking out over the crowd and giving them a soft, gentle smile. “I am Gaea, the ponies with me are here to help. The mare in charge of our little relief effort is Quick Quill. If you are hurt or in need of assistance, approach her.”

Quick Quill waved somewhat awkwardly.

“I would like to know your names, if you would be so kind,” I continued, gesturing to the trio that stood at the head of the small mob.

“I am Pinprick, my goddess,” proclaimed the still-kneeling stallion.

“The name is Hamma Swing, and this little fire cracka is Berry Blend,” offered the large earth pony, who gestured to the mare next to him.

“Now with the introductions over, you can continue applying your trademark violence upon those who had escaped your wrath!” Berry Blend shouted, pointing to the dragons.

“She let them go because she believed we could help you all,” retorted Puff’s defender. “But you all are too stupid to understand that not all dragons are guilty.”

Puff winced, and placed a clawed hand on the pony’s shoulder. “No need to antagonize them,” I could hear him whisper.

“I’m afraid I didn't get your name before,” I replied, glancing pointedly at Puff’s friend.

“Royal Ribbon,” answered the mare.

“Well, it is good to finally meet you, now then. What are they guilty of?” I asked, turning back to the trio.

“I've seen a few auf those guys aun guard dudee before, and that lanky aune came to the mines aunce with his dad. Pretdee safe to say they were working with the slavers,” my increasingly favorite member of the three remarked in his adorable accent.

“We will not be free until the last of the oppressors lay dead,” spat Berry Blend.

“He is not-”

I held up a hand, interrupting the fiery tirade about to be uttered by Royal Ribbon which was no doubt directed at Berry.

“Hammer Swing, what would it take for you to forgive these dragons? Would it be enough for you to learn that they were working against their fellows and were actually doing what they could to make things easier on those enslaved by their boss?” I inquired.

“I don't rightly know. If they hadn't done anything else bad and were trying to help then I suppose I'd forgive them,” he replied.

“What about you Pinprick?” I asked.

“If you told me they were worthy of forgiveness I would grant them such,” he answered.

Gonna have to work on some self-confidence with him, as well as therapy. I thought to myself before turning to Berry Blend. “And-” I began.

“There is nothing you could say or do to make me forgive those filthy monsters,” she spat. “I saw them rape, kill, maim, and torture, all for fun. They are irredeemably evil, and deserve to die.”

Each word spat seemed to physically hit Puff, the dragon stumbling back and wilting slightly.

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” I began, striding over to the group of dragons and motioning to one of the five. “You there, come forward.”

The stumpy, mostly red drake winced but reluctantly did as he was asked, stepping in front of me.

“Tell me your darkest sin,” I ordered.

The dragon gulped, and I could see beads of sweat begin to run down from his forehead, which was a bit surprising as I assumed they didn't have sweat glands.

“I… I didn't help my brother when he was being disciplined by my dad,” he muttered, tears forming at the edge of his eyes. “The old drake was ancient, and my brother had a habit of irritating him, so when I heard shouting I knew something bad was going on. By the time I got there they were already fighting, but I didn't move to help, I just stood there. When I finally decided to assist my brother, my father had already beaten him to the point that he couldn't move.”

He sobbed quietly for a few seconds before breathing deeply and brushing the tears from his eyes.

“I tried to heal him but I didn't know much about that kinda thing so his wings didn't come back right,” he continued. “After the migration, I came back to find out he had gone missing and I haven't seen him since.”

“Now, fair dragon. What have you done to help my little ponies?” I whispered, laying a gentle hand on the scaly critter’s shoulder.

“I…” he gulped. “I smuggled a few out. Made a net to fit under the carriage and snuck one in at a time, dropping them off near those diamond dogs since I knew they took good care of the ponies.”

I closed my eyes, and concentrated on my other body, quickly confirming his story.

“Silent Study and Purple Pins thank you,” I exclaimed.

“They made it?” he exclaimed. “Oh thank the ancestors.”

“They have, now would you stand back over there, and make room for the green dragon I see?” I asked.

“Stop this farce,” Berry Blend interrupted. “They are obviously lying!”

“I was able to confirm for a fact that at least half of this one’s story was correct. That seems warrant enough to hear them out,” I retorted.

Berry Bland seemed ready to fire back when Hammer Swing piped up.

“Let them speak. I wanah know more about them,” he declared.

The majority of ponies present seemed to agree with that sentiment, stopping Berry Blend from continuing, at least for now.

“Now then, come forward please,” I exclaimed.

The dragon did so, and began telling a tale about how he had been forced to choose between a friendship and the opinion of his peers. Though he had chosen poorly, he felt deep remorse for his actions, and in the end, changed as a person because of it. He then told us about how he had been secretly feeding those who had been imprisoned for various misdeeds, helping them survive the grueling punishment.

The others had similar stories about how they had failed at some point, and then turned around and helped the ponies. Some acts were small, with very little regret, but very little done to help while others were big dramatic affairs worthy of a novel. It was heartbreaking and empowering, and by the three-quarter mark, I could tell that nearly everyone was won over.

All save for Berry Blend and a select few ponies amongst the mob.

“That was wonderful, thank you Xathrid,” I exclaimed, patting him gently on the back. “You can go back to your friends now.”

“I’m just… so sorry!” he wailed, grabbing me suddenly about the waist.

I smiled, and ran my marble hand down his head, humming softly to him as he cried. After a few seconds, he seemed to realize what he had done as he ran back to the other dragons, blushing profusely all the while.

“Puff. I think it would help if you told everyone more about yourself,” I continued.

I paused and glanced out the corner of my eye to where a small triage had been set up. Quick Quill was handing out food, and helping to coordinate as injured ponies made their way over. It was nice to see, though I didn't pay them much attention for long.

“He doesn't have to do that,” Royal Ribbon intruded.

“I think I do,” Puff retorted, stepping up to me. “And my greatest regret is that I didn't do more.”

The dragon took a breath and looked out over the crowd, who looked back in rapt attention.

“If I was stronger, I could have challenged him,” Puff began. “If I was quicker, I could have robbed his hoard and used it to hire mercenaries to fight back. If I was tougher I could have climbed up the ladder and been able to help more of you all. If I was smarter I could have devised a way to defeat him, and if I was more charismatic I could have talked more into joining me.”

He frowned and looked down. “But I’m none of those things. I did what I could, and the moment I saw an opening to escape, I did so with all the ponies we could more easily help. It took a run-in with Gaea to hit home the fact that I owe it to all of you to stay and help in whatever way I could for as long as I can.”

“Good, good,” I remarked. “Now tell us about a success, maybe about how you saved Royal Ribbon’s life?”

Puff smiled faintly as he glanced at the mare.

“It really wasn't as great a feat as she makes it out to be, but I suppose it's a good story,” Puff murmured.

“You nearly died, yes it was a great feat!” Royal Ribbon retorted.

“Go on then. Tell us, I’m sure everyone’s dying to hear about it,” I pressed.

That earned me a few groans, but I took the silent irritation in stride.

“It was quite simple really,” Puff began. “Royal Ribbon had been caught trying to poison my father so she was sentenced to death by starvation. I interjected and claimed to be the mastermind of it all and demanded that he punish me instead.”

“So that's how you lost all that weight,” muttered one of the miners.

Puff chuckled. “Yes, I used to be quite pudgy. With nothing to do but mope, read, and eat I got pretty round.”

“The story,” Royal Ribbon whispered.

“Oh right,” Puff sighed. “My father agreed, and left me for a hundred days with nothing to eat, and only a couple of canteens for me to stay hydrated. At the end of it, I was still alive, and according to dragon tradition that meant that I was worthy of staying that way.”

“How sweet,” I heard someone mutter.

“After that, my father watched me pretty closely, but I did my best to help, and organize the effort to sneak ponies out,” Puff continued. “Which brings us to now really.”

“Is that good enough for you, Hammer Swing?” I asked.

“It is,” he murmured.

“And you, Pinprick?” I asked again.

He nodded.

“And what about the rest of you? Do you still think he should die?” I continued.

The crowd muttered amongst themselves, none willing to raise their voice in disagreement.

“And what about you, Berry Blend?” I finished. “Do you still think he should die?”

The pony sat there quietly, seething in rage. No, not rage I corrected, but sadness, and anger that wasn't actually directed at him. Seeing this, I knelt down and stroked her back in slow, gentle motions. For a moment she pushed against me, only to give in a second later and begin sobbing quietly.

“Who are you really angry at?” I whispered.

“My old master,” she replied in a low tone. “I didn't see him perish and I feel like he's still out there, ready to come back and claim me.”

“Could you perhaps describe them for me? I dealt with more than a few of them out in the woods,” I inquired.

“He always tried to convince some smaller dragon to do his work for him despite the fact that he was perfectly capable,” she began. “In fact, he was rather muscular, tall, and fairly strong.”

“Bluish black scales, was pretty greedy?” I replied.

“Yeah that's him, did you…” she half asked half stated, the mare staring up at me with wide, eager eyes.

“I may have used him as a wishbone and…” I paused and mimed the action of pulling someone apart.

“What do you mean by…” a grin crossed her face. “Oh, that is funny. Gross, but funny.”

I pretended to clear my throat as I stood back up. “Now then, I presume everyone’s disagreements have been settled?” I declared, glancing about the area.

Sure enough, everyone nodded, agreeing that the air had been cleared though I knew it would take much longer than that for them to heal. That kind of captivity would not be washed away just because they discovered that the remaining dragons were decent enough guys. I wanted to press my advantage and make a show of it though, capturing the loyalty of Puff while at the same time encouraging forgiveness.

“Puff,” I announced suddenly. “Come here, please.”

The dragon dutifully strode up to me, bobbing his head in a brief nod of respect. With him so close I realized that he was a good head shorter than me, but had a large frame. In time he had a real chance of growing large enough to rival his father’s impressive stature.

“You have never experienced family before, not true family anyway,” I began. “So, if you will allow me, I’d like to make you the first of my adopted children.”

“Isn't everyone your children?” someone asked.

“Some of you require a more personal touch,” I replied simply.

“I don't know what to say,” Puff murmured.

“I know our first meeting was less than pleasant but I would love nothing more than to wash that all away and induct you into our family,” I pressed.

“I… yes, I would like that,” Puff remarked.

I stuck my sword into the earth, and knelt down, opening my arms wide. “Come on then. Give your mother a hug,” I implored.

He smiled back and stepped closer, hugging me as tightly as he could.

“I hope that in time you truly will see me as a parent, but until then I’d be more than happy to just be your friend,” I whispered. “And in the meantime, you will have the trust of my little ponies so do your best.”

“That sounds very nice and I will,” Puff whispered back.

I gave him a gentle squeeze while summoning my magic, and using it much as I had with Crimson Heart. Only this time I did not attempt something quite so grandiose, rather I wanted to give him a simple pick me up. The magic took effect like before, with the dragon going weak for a moment only to suddenly start to glow.

The light was there for only a few seconds before vanishing, revealing that the dragon’s eyes were now a bright, vibrant green. His form had also filled out somewhat, though he was still much, much too thin to be considered healthy. I did my best to make it look like this was part of the plan and gave him one last squeeze before standing back up.

“Rise, my son, rise and choose a new, more fitting name for yourself,” I proclaimed.

“I.. don't know what I would choose,” murmured the drake, who was still visibly reeling from the sudden empowerment.

I leaned in close and whispered. “Maybe something ponylike to symbolize your relationship with the mare who has so captured your eye.”

The dragon glanced at Royal Ribbon out of the corner of his eye. “What would you recommend?”

“Something defensive to show how you will protect these ponies like Stalwart Steel, or Balanced Bulwark,” I replied.

“I’ve got it,” he whispered, rising back up to his full height.

“Bulwark the black will be my name, but you all can call me Bull,” proclaimed the dragon.

I began clapping, and soon the ponies joined in, stomping their hooves and shouting their excitement. For nearly a minute everyone shouted their approval while pounding the stone with their hooves. His dragon friends joined in as well, clapping and grinning at their leader.

“Thank you, Mother,” Bulwark exclaimed, bowing slightly. “I will do my best to make up for my failings.”

“You have no failings to make up for, no sin to wash yourself of. You are born anew, and are no longer related to that foul creature who I refuse to name,” I retorted, my smile turning a bit more coy. “But as my child, I will have chores for you to do.”

“Chores?” Bulwark replied in confusion.

“For now you shall do what you can to assist Lakeside, and serve as its interim mayor while we move around our population,” I answered. “After that, you will be free to run for mayor, or you can simply leave. Your fate will be your own.”

“I’ve never been given a choice before,” Bulwark muttered.

Royal Ribbon stepped forward and punched the dragon in the leg.

“He is going to do a wonderful job as mayor. Isn't that right Pu- I mean Bulwark,” Royal Ribbon exclaimed.

Bulwark smiled. “It will be my honor.”

“Good, now I have a few announcements before I let you all retire for the night, and begin recuperating from your ordeal,” I began. “The guardian tree is free, and will aid you should you need it. Furthermore, we will be having a feast in one week’s time in order to celebrate Lakeside’s freedom, as well as the Diamond Dog’s city being saved.”

“Woohoo!”

“Hell yeah!”

“I am already hungry!”

I chuckled. “After we’ve taken a quick census you will be free to return to your homes. In the meantime allow me to formally welcome you into our burgeoning little kingdom, I hope that together we can make this valley a place to truly be proud of.”

A cry went up, and more stomping was had, though it was subdued slightly, the ponies clearly exhausted from a long day.

“With that, I leave things in your capable hooves, Quick Quill,” I added, gesturing to the mare in question.

“Oh right, just uh… form a line, everyone,” Quick Quill exclaimed.

I smiled and walked over to Bulwark where he was standing off to the side alongside his friends. They were joined by a number of ponies, some of whom they had helped, others that were eager to ask him questions. I even caught one rather enterprising pony who was already putting in a request for the new mayor.

I pulled the dragon aside and gave him a sideways hug. “Sorry about ambushing you like that,” I whispered. “I do hope you can forgive me.”

“It's quite alright,” he whispered back. “You wanted to make them trust me, which was exactly what I wanted.”

“Still, was all those theatrics necessary?” Royal Ribbon interjected.

“Ponies love theatrics,” I retorted.

“Fair,” Royal Ribbon muttered, somewhat angrily.

“I’m going to relax and chat with the guardian tree for a little bit. Enjoy yourself,” I implored, giving the dragon one last gentle squeeze.

I turned and departed, leaving the ponies and dragons to begin picking up the pieces of their shattered lives. Passing through the crowd, I exchanged polite hellos before emerging out the other side. Grabbing my sword tightly, I took a running start, and leaped from the edge of the dock, surprisingly without breaking it.

The resulting splash was enormous, though I didn't get to see much of it as I sunk like well, a stone. After hitting the bottom, I walked across the bottom of the lake, brushing past the corpse of the drowned drake I had killed earlier. Reaching the shore of the small island, I strode out from the water and stepped onto the land.

“I see that you’ve begun repairs,” I remarked, noting that the pool of acid had stopped bubbling and was slowly being covered with dirt.

“It is going to take a long time to heal this broken land,” murmured the wind-borne feminine voice of the tree.

I walked over and sat down a few feet from the plant, laying my sword across my lap.

“I’d like to start by apologizing again for being so forceful earlier,” I began. “I should have been a little kinder to you.”

“It's fine,” murmured the tree. “I will accept your apology as you were merely trying to help the ponies.”

“They are hard not to fall in love with, huh?” I asked with a smirk.

“They are quite… adorable,” replied the tree after a pause.

“That they are,” I agreed. “But now that the danger has passed I would like it if we were to reach a more mutually beneficial arrangement, before we get to that I think it best if you told me your name.”

“In times long past they called me, Leaflock,” she answered.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Leaflock. I’d introduce myself but you already know my name,” I exclaimed with a small amount of amusement.

“I…”

I raised a stoney eyebrow. “Yes, what is it?”

“It's nothing,” Leaflock quickly replied.

“Please, speak your mind. I would not have an ally fear what I may say,” I pressed.

There was a short pause where the only sound was a gentle breeze that ran across the island, sending Leaflock’s leaves fluttering.

“I know you are not the real Gaea,” Leaflock proclaimed suddenly. “And I promise not to tell anyone.”

“That is… good,” I murmured. “May I ask how you knew?”

“Gaea, the real Gaea, was brought low by the godblight unleashed by Discord, and finally killed by the pony princesses not long after,” Leaflock answered. “We old trees were connected to her and felt her death as keenly as we ourselves had died.”

“I’m sorry you had to experience that,” I offered, laying a gentle hand on her trunk. “If it makes you feel any better I literally died myself recently.”

“That does sort of make me feel better,” Leaflock muttered.

I sat back down and gave the tree a soft smile. “So, why did you choose to keep my secret?”

“The ponies,” she answered. “I saw them soldier on, bearing great tragedy because they believed Gaea was still out there to protect them. That faith kept them together long enough for you to show up and save them for real.”

“Faith can be a powerful thing, though it requires a steady hand, and careful oversight lest it breed zealous and hateful cults,” I remarked, my mind going back to what few memories I had of my past life.

“I am glad to hear you are taking it seriously,” Leaflock proclaimed.

“Of course,” I quickly replied. “And when the time comes I hope to tell them the truth, and dismantle the religion entirely but that may take some time.”

“I am very glad to hear that,” Leaflock declared.

“So,” I began. “We are having a celebration back at the main base so to speak and I was hoping you would attend.”

“Celebration, me? Why?” Leaflock asked.

“Because you are part of this community just as much as they are,” I answered, gesturing back to the mainland.

There was another long pause where the only sound was the wind, the gentle lapping of the waves, and the distant conversation of the ponies. Then the tree stirred, a branch reaching out and plucking an acorn from somewhere in its foliage. It then extended the limb and placed the seed in my outstretched hand.

“Plant it somewhere with plenty of sunlight, and I will be able to use it to project myself,” Leaflock explained.

I grinned and stood back up. “I look forward to it,” I exclaimed.

“Me too,” Leaflock murmured happily.

As I turned to leave I couldn't help but feel like I had just asked someone out on a date.

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