The Embers of Friendship

Chapters

The Invitation and the Call
Kindling
Nightmare Night, Or How I Learned To Start Caring And Build A Friendship

The Invitation and the Call

With her daily flight across the Dragonlands interrupted by the sudden arrival of the letter, Princess Ember stared at the rolled up parchment that hovered in the air before her. Tied to the center of the paper by a thin, red string was a small, circular object bearing a maroon, six-pronged star on its surface. Instantly recognizing the image as the seal of her new pony friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Ember snatched the letter out of the air.

“Okay, Twilight, what part about dragons am I helping you learn today?” She unfurled the parchment and began to read.

From the desk of Princess Twilight Sparkle. My good friend, Dragon Lord Ember, on behalf of myself and the citizens of Equestria, I would like to extend an invitation to you to attend one of ponykind's most popular annual festivals here in my home of Ponyville! To keep things exciting, I won't tell you in this letter exactly what the festival is or its significance for us ponies, but I can assure you that your attendance will really help our work in improving relations between dragons and ponies. Plus, it will be lots of fun!

Ember raised an eyebrow. “Not what I was expecting.”

Carefully gripping the letter and the Bloodstone Scepter in one claw, Ember rubbed her forehead as the steady flapping of her wings kept her aloft above the rocky, volcanic wastes far below. She took a quick breath and scratched at a small itch on the back of her neck before glancing back to the paper, closely examining the words. “I guess... tell me more, Twilight.”

There is one special thing I'd like to request of your visit (I also want to apologize for sounding presumptuous): I'd like your arrival in Ponyville to be a surprise. I can work out a plan with my friends to have you stay in our castle until the festival. Speaking of my friends, Spike has been telling them nothing but good things about you, and they are all very eager to meet you!

At the mention of Spike vouching for her to Twilight's other friends, a gentle flame ignited inside Ember's heart and she grinned slightly. "That's nice of him, but, I hope he's not making me out to be some kind of softscale."

I'll understand if you don't want to come, but it would really mean a lot to Spike, Rarity, and myself, as well as the rest of our friends, if you could make it. The festival is approximately two weeks from today. If you would like to attend, use The Call of the Dragon Lord on Spike (it was Spike's idea. Don't worry. He promised he wouldn't mind!). Then at sundown a couple days before the festival, meet me at the location I've marked on the map included with this letter, and I can use my magic to transport you directly to my castle. We look forward to hearing from you, and also seeing you again!

Your friend,

Twilight Sparkle

Ember read the letter again before rolling it up. Turning her gaze toward the massive clouds of volcanic smoke that blanketed the sky, the memories from when she first met Spike and his pony friends six months prior replayed in her mind. She folded her arms, continued to hover in place, and the time passed by in silence as she pondered Twilight's proposal. “I don't know why she couldn't just tell me in the letter. A festival would be fun. I'd get to see Spike and the others again, plus meet all of his other friends.”

Ember's arms remained crossed and her tail gently swayed behind her. She smiled again, and closing her eyes, she held the Bloodstone Scepter above herself. Picturing Spike in her mind, the scepter crackled with energy as it emitted a bright, white glow that faded after several moments.

She lowered her arm to her side and returned her attention skyward. The clouds of ash had thinned slightly and scattered enough that Ember beheld a fiery-orange sky, and warm sunlight embraced her while the setting sun inched closer to the pointed crags on the horizon.

“I'll see you then, my friends.”

She turned south, and the warm air caressed the folds of her wings as she launched herself forward. After a short flight, Ember set her sight upon a towering, throne-shaped precipice that sat in the center of countless smaller bluffs. She kept a tight grip on Twilight's letter, descended toward the spire, and folded her wings as she touched her feet down on the flat rock. Facing back to the north, she kicked some pebbles away to the side before sitting down. She dangled her legs over the edge of the cliff, and set the scepter flat across her lap.

Rapping her talons on the rocky ground, numerous thoughts began to swirl inside Ember's mind. “I wonder what kind of festival it's going to be, but why keep it a secret in the first place? How do I prepare for an event that I won't even know what it is until it's time?” She scratched her chin for a quick moment. “Maybe I could wear that suit of armor I used to sneak myself into The Gauntlet of Fire, minus that ugly helmet.” She peered out across the barren expanse.

Dragons of various sizes and colors swooped through the skies from one edge of the Dragonlands to the other, while others lazed about in the many lava pools in the area.

“Many of them out there could really benefit from something like this. It's an honor to even be invited.” Clasping her scepter in one claw and the letter in the other, Ember took a deep breath and rose to her feet. She turned and started to walk toward the mouth of a cave that was dug into the rocky rise at the opposite end of the precipice, but before she had made it halfway, she suddenly stopped and went wide-eyed. “Wait a minute. Many dragons here could use a lesson in friendship, and Twilight never said I couldn't bring a guest with me.”

Ember grinned and glanced to the side. “And I know just the one....”

She lifted the Bloodstone Scepter above her head, tightened her grip, and the scepter began to crackle with energy and glow as it had before. The glow quickly faded, and she let out an amused hum. “Now I wait. Shouldn't take him long.”

Ember resumed her approach toward the cave and took a seat on a rock to the side of the entrance. She leaned back against the wall, folding her arms and legs as she watched the evening sky slowly darkening. Several minutes later, the sound of wings flapping reached her ears.

A young dragon no taller than Ember landed on the cliff end of the precipice and stepped up to her. His scales were a fierce red, his eyes and chest plates a pale yellow, and he peered at Ember with a sullen look on his face. “You called for me... Dragon Lord?”

“Yes, I did, Garble,” said Ember, sitting up and maintaining her canny smirk. “How are you doing this evening?”

“I could be a lot better. So what is this about?”

“Mind your tone, Garble. Remember who you're talking to here.”

Garble let out a small groan, but nodded. “Apologies... Dragon Lord.”

“That's better. Now, on to business.” Ember rose from her seat and held the rolled up parchment out in front of her.

“What's that?” Garble inquired.

“I hold here in my claw a chance to repair some of the damage that's been done to dragonkind's public image.”

Garble furrowed his brow. “And?”

“It's a letter from Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria.”

“Yeah,” Garble replied as he rolled his eyes. “I heard you and the pony were doing that.”

“She's invited me to one of Equestria's annual festivals.”

“And you're actually thinking about going?”

“Of course I am.”

Garble snorted and a jet of smoke escaped his nose. “Well hurrah for you, we're all so very jealous. What does this have to do with me?”

Ember let out a hearty laugh. “Oh, Garble, even you should have figured it out by now. You're coming with me as my guest.”

Garble gave Ember a blank stare that quickly transitioned into a fierce grimace. “What?!" he shrieked. "You want me to go with you and hang out with a bunch of ponies?!”

“Yeah, that about sums it up. Otherwise... I'm getting the feeling that there are countless dragons out there who could really, and I mean really use a hug.” Ember pointed her scepter squarely at Garble's chest and gave him a firm look. “What say you?”

Garble scowled at Ember and flexed his claws as if he were about to strike, but didn't make any other movements. He mumbled under his breath, and a few moments later, he sighed and hung his head. “Fine....”

Ember smiled and lowered her scepter. “Very good.”

“But I don't have to like it!”

“Fair enough. Don't let it be said that I'm not a merciful Dragon Lord.”

Garble huffed and flicked his tail.

Ember disregarded the notion. “Now then, when the time comes I'll call you here again and we will meet up with Twilight at the location on the map she sent me. I've already told her I'm coming. I'll use some of the magic parchment she's given me to inform her I'm bringing a guest, but I won't mention you specifically.”

“What's the point of hiding it? She's gonna find out anyway when she sees me. And how do you know she'll even let me go to this dumb festival?”

Briefly, Ember pondered possible explanations. “She might be willing as long as I'm there keeping an eye on you. I'll also tell her that you're there to learn about friendship at my behest. According to the things she's written to me so far, the latter is kind of her thing.”

“As you will... Dragon Lord. Can I go now?”

“You may go.”

Garble nodded and kicked at the ground as he spread his wings. With a groan, he rose into the air.

Ember watched in silence as Garble flew away. Once he was out of sight, she sighed, looked down and shook her head.

A warm breeze kicked up and Ember stood still on the precipice for several moments before stepping into her cave. A large brazier sat in the center of the grotto, lighting the area with a bright orange glow from the fire that burned within the metal basin. Mounds of different colored gems littered the ground and glimmered in the warm light. In a corner at the far end of the cave was a gold-plated, brown leather suit of armor large enough for a young dragon of Ember's age.

Ember spotted the armor and paused before weaving her way between the piles of gems. Stopping in front of the suit, she knelt down, set her scepter aside, and ran her claw over the golden plates. As she did this, she recalled something Spike said to her during the Gauntlet of Fire.

That's what friends do. They help each other.

Ember stared at her reflection in the armor plates. She smiled, and leaned back against the nearest gem pile, gazing up at the ceiling while she recounted everything that happened during the Gauntlet. With a deep yawn, she closed her eyes and the darkness of sleep soon embraced her.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading!

Kindling

The sky above the Dragonlands burned with the light of the sun's fire. Ember stood upon the edge of the great precipice with Twilight's letter in one claw, and her other claw rested on the deep red gem that floated within the talons on the end of her scepter, holding the scepter against the ground in a way that it stood parallel to her. The golden-plated armor she donned covered her from her neck down to the tip of her tail, and it shimmered against the brightness of the afternoon sun. Keeping her eyes peeled, she scanned the rocky wastes that surrounded her and listened for the flapping of wings approaching.

Garble better not try and skip out on this, she thought. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised. I guess we'll see just how much his dragon's honor is worth to him.

Letting out a deep sigh, Ember started to watch the packs of dragons streaking through the air and other packs that roamed and wrestled in the valley below. After a few moments, she switched her attention to the large plumes of smoke that rose up from the magma fields out to the west. She glowered and began to rap her talons on the bloodstone gem.

I told him yesterday to meet me here at midday. I better not have to remind—

Ember's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden rush of wind followed by a voice calling from behind her.

“I'm here! I'm here!”

Ember looked back, spotting Garble standing there with an expression mimicking her own. She turned to face him directly and let out a small huff. “I was beginning to wonder if you were seeing how much you could test my patience.”

“I know you said midday,” said Garble. “My apologies for being late... Dragon Lord.”

“Well, at least you're here.” Ember held up the map as she kept her gaze fixated on Garble. “Okay, according to Twilight's directions, we're meeting her and her friends outside of a canyon pass on the roads south of a town the ponies call Dodge Junction. From there, they will teleport us to their castle in Ponyville.”

“How will we know to spot them?”

“Twilight says to look for a beacon in the shape of her seal: a six-point star.”

Garble glanced around the precipice for a brief moment. “Things will be okay down here while our wonderful leader is off laughing it up with a bunch of ponies?”

Ember gave him a firm nod. “My father will cover for me until I get back. Now, put some speed to those wings. I promised Twilight we'd be there by sundown. We'll know we're getting close when we see the solitary mountain that sits in the center of Equestria. Let's move it!” She spread her wings and kicked into the air

Garble followed along, grumbling to himself and keeping a small glower painted on his face.

The two dragons began to fly west at a rapid pace. The great throne precipice disappeared from view as they entered the magma fields and weaved through the smoke columns as the sun started its descent from it's high point in the sky.

Ember stayed back just slightly to keep Garble in her sight, glancing away only briefly to check the map before returning her gaze to the red dragon. As drafts of steam from the rivers of lava below tickled her nose, she allowed the warm fragrance to soothe the nervousness that mingled with her racing thoughts. Picturing Spike, Twilight, and Rarity in her mind, she tightened her grip on the scepter and it gave off a quick, bright glow.

The burning lands fell behind and gave way to a great ocean. After a little while, thick jungles and murky swamps appeared on the distant horizon.

Ember gazed at the distant locales and checked her map. “According to the map, those are the Hayseed Swamps and Forbidden Jungle up ahead."

“Forbidden eh?” said Garble. "Sounds kind of awesome. Bet there's all kinds of ancient treasures there just waiting to be snatched up."

Ember rolled her eyes and sighed, gently shaking her head before returning her attention to the parchment in her claws. “Anyway, the directions say that after we reach the Badlands beyond the swamps and jungle, we'll come to a road. Just follow the road going north and we'll come to the canyon pass. We'll find Twilight and her friends just north of the pass.”

Passing the ocean, the dragons soared above the jungle and the swamps before crossing over a line of jagged ice-capped peaks. They entered a vast stretch of barren rocky flats, deep winding canyons, and towering plateaus. Far off to the northwest, Ember and Garble spotted the telltale spire that was Canterlot Mountain.

"So I guess that's your mountain up there," said Garble. "And that's your road down there?”

Ember peeked over at Canterlot Mountain for a moment, then she peeked over the top of the map at Garble who was pointing at the ground below them. Glancing down, she spotted a line of rock that was lighter in color than the surrounding slab. She read Twilight's directions again. “That should be it. Let's get lower."

“Why?”

“Just do it,” said Ember with an exasperated groan.

They descended until they were only several yards above the ground, maintaining their high speed as they weaved through the maze of plateaus. Before long, they entered a narrow passage. The rocks overhead blocked out the sun, thrusting the dragons into the shadows but the orange sky was still visible through the jagged spears that loomed above them.

Beyond the quickly approaching archway at the end of the canyon pass, a green field underneath the warm light of the evening sun met Ember's vision.

“Stop here!” she called in a firm voice. With a strong flapping of her wings, Ember broke the brisk pace and steadied herself in the air, gliding down to the ground. She set her feet upon the dusty rock and Garble landed nearby. “The meeting place should be in that field there. Wait here until I give you the signal. You'll know it when you feel it.”

“Don't be too long, okay,” said Garble. “I just wanna get this over with.” He walked over to a boulder, faced Ember as he sat down upon it, folded his arms and legs then leaned back against the canyon wall.

“And just a friendly reminder—“

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't try and duck out or it's hugs for everydragon.”

Ember thought back to when Spike held the Bloodstone Scepter, and had ordered Garble to give every dragon he saw a hug on his way home from the Gauntlet of Fire—an order which Garble had obeyed, even if reluctantly. Ember grinned. “You know... you're many things, Garble, but at least not-without-honor isn't one of them.”

Garble did not reply. He glanced away and flicked his tail.

With a quiet sigh and shake of her head, Ember walked through the archway at the end of the passage and stopped at the top of the rocky path that led down the hill. Her eyes widened as she gazed out across the green lands that spread before her. Beyond the dense forest to the northeast, the waters of Horseshoe Bay glimmered under the evening lights of the city of Baltimare. Turning her attention to the north-west, she saw the town of Dodge Junction, but her gaze was quickly ripped away as she caught sight of the towering Canterlot Mountain once again. She paused briefly and stared at the mountain, wonderment swelling up inside her heart as she admired its majesty.

So this is Equestria... she thought. I have to say it's quite beautiful. As much as I'd like to, I don't have time for sightseeing. I've got some friends to meet up with and I'm almost late.

Ember looked down at the grassy field at the bottom of the hill. Almost instantly, she spotted a bright orange glow close to the entrance of the forest. Focusing her eyes, the outline of a six-pointed star began to form.

A wave of excitement welled up inside her. That must be them!

She pictured Spike in her mind and tightened her grip on the Bloodstone Scepter. It quickly flashed a bright white, and she called out in the loudest voice she could muster which resounded through the air. “Here I am!”

Beaming, she spread her wings and launched herself full-speed toward the glow until Spike, Twilight, and Rarity came into her view. Not stopping to glance at the six massive, glowing torches that stood in the ground next to them, Ember set herself down. She folded her wings against her back, held her scepter upright, and stepped closer until she was several yards from the group, not allowing her gaze to stray from the smiling faces of her friends.

“Hello, my friends,” said Ember. “Sorry for almost being late. It's good to see you again.”

“It's so good to see you again too!” Twilight gave Ember a small bow. “We've really been looking forward to this all week!”

Without warning, Spike ran up to Ember and threw his arms around her in a warm embrace. “I knew you'd come!”

Ember startled and pulled back slightly, gazing down at the young dragon who barely came up to her waist. After a moment, she let out a nervous chuckle and patted him on his head. “Hey there, Spike.”

Spike broke the hug and stepped back a few feet, keeping his attention on Ember. “How have you been?”

“Let us be the first to welcome you to Equestria, darling!” stated Rarity. “Did you have a nice flight out?”

“I've been all right. Still getting used to the whole Dragon Lord thing.” Ember examined her scepter for a moment before glancing back to the others. “The flight was great, and I saw the land from the top of the hill. I have to say, Equestria is quite impressive.”

Twilight beamed. “Well we're very happy to have you here.”

Ember glanced around the area. “I thought there'd be more of you here. Where are your other friends?”

“They're all back in Ponyville,” said Spike, “They figured since they hadn't already met you they'd wait for us there.”

Rarity gave ember a gentle smile. “We just thought this would be easier for you. We didn't want you to get overwhelmed by having a big crowd here the very moment you arrived.”

“Well, thanks I guess. Although that's going to happen anyway once you introduce me to the rest of Ponyville.” Ember returned the smile and nodded. “So about this festival... you didn't tell me what it is, so I didn't know if I was supposed to bring anything, so I just wore this suit from the Gauntlet.”

“Actually,” said Twilight, “that will work perfectly.”

Ember glanced at Twilight and furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

“Before I say more, where's this guest you said you were bringing?”

“What guest?”

Twilight paused and levitated a small piece of parchment from her saddlebag. “You said you were bringing someone along with you so they could learn about friendship as well.”

Ember glanced down and her tail flicked along the grass as she pondered. After a moment, it came to her and she let out a hearty chuckle. “Oh! That's right, I did! He's up in the canyon pass.” She tightened her grip on her scepter and raised it high above her head. It glowed white and crackled with energy. The aura faded, and she lowered the scepter to her side. “You've all met him before. He'll be here in just a minute.”

Twilight, Spike, and Rarity gazed up the hill at the opening that lead into the canyon pass. Garble flew into the area, and the others stared wide-eyed at him as he landed alongside Ember.

Garble glowered at Ember and scratched his arm. “About time. I was beginning to think, and rather hope, that you had forgotten about me.”

“I'll be honest,” said Ember, giving Garble a playful grin. “I did, but I didn't mean to. I just got wrapped up in seeing my new friends from the Gauntlet again."

Garble shrugged. "Whatever."

“Him?!” cried Rarity, her voice carrying strong distaste.

Turning to face Spike and the others, Garble snorted and kicked the grass a little. “Yeah... me.”

Rarity gazed at Ember questioningly. “Forgive me but what did you bring that ruffian here for? He's been nothing but trouble for us!”

Garble smirked.

“And Ember, darling," continued Rarity in an almost pleading manner, "what about all the trouble he caused you during The Gauntlet of Fire?”

“Actually,” stated Ember calmly, “that's exactly why he's here.”

Rarity paused, furrowing her brow.

“I know he caused us a lot of trouble during The Gauntlet, and Twilight's told me you ran into him several years ago when you visited the Dragonlands for something.” Ember turned her attention to Twilight. “Then I remembered Twilight telling me in one of her letters that teaching others about friendship is what you lot do.”

Twilight remained silent as she listened to the exchange. She glanced between Rarity and Garble, then to the letter in her saddlebag before planting her gaze on Ember.

“I think this festival would do him some good, and I promise he won't cause any trouble.” She nudged Garble with the tip of her scepter. “Right, Garble?”

He grunted and glanced away. “Yeah...”

“Uh, Twilight...” said Spike as he scratched the back of his neck. “I think Ember's right.”

“She does make a pretty good argument,” stated Rarity with a sigh.

Ember nodded at Twilight and kept a strong grip on her scepter. “I'll be there to help keep an eye on him.”

“It is what we do," stated Twilight. "We wouldn't be who we are if we didn't at least give him a chance.” Briefly, Twilight looked at her wings, and after several moments of silence, she gazed at Ember and nodded. “Okay, he can come.”

Rarity gave Garble a calculating stare. “Ember's putting a lot, and I mean a lot of trust in you. If you betray that trust and hurt her—“

“I know, I know!" Garble let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, I don't want to be here anymore than you clearly want me to be, but I agreed to come. I don't have to like it, but a dragon who doesn't keep his word is nothing."

Twilight turned her attention to Garble, maintaining her welcoming demeanor. “Knowing you, you might actually like this particular festival. We call it Nightmare Night, and playful mischief is one of the major points of the whole event.”

Garble furrowed his brow and stared at Twilight with curiosity written all over his face. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"That's playful mischief," said Spike firmly. "That means little pranks and things of that nature. Nothing malicious or destructive."

"I'll remember." Garble nodded and grinned.

"Darn straight you'll remember!" Ember nudged Garble with her scepter again then looked back at Twilight. She rubbed her chin and swayed her tail. "That all sounds pretty interesting, but what did you mean earlier when we were talking about my armor and how it will be perfect for the festival?”

“Costumes are another part of the fun. Your armor will function the exact same.”

Ember smiled. "Ah! All right then."

“Unfortunately, I'll have to tell you the rest later. The sun will be setting soon and we need to be getting back.” Twilight ignited her horn and the nearby torches stopped glowing.

Everyone watched as Rarity used her magic to pull the torches from the ground and tie a large line of cloth around the bundle. The songs of crickets rolled through the air, and darkness began to cover the land as the sun touched base with the plains to the west, inching slowly out of sight.

“We're off now to Ponyville,” said Twilight. “I'll use my magic to get us there quickly and secretly.”

Ember grimaced a little. “Is that safe? I think I'd rather use my own wings.”

“It's perfectly safe, it will just feel a little funny until you get used to it. And like I said, your attendance is supposed to be a surprise.”

“Do you really think you could port all of us that far at once, darling?” asked Rarity. “It's a long way and a lot of extra bodies to move, even for an alicorn.”

Twilight glanced around at everyone. “We'll do it this way: I'll send Spike first, then you, Rarity, then I'll get myself, Ember, and Garble all together. Here we go.”

Ember scratched her chin and flicked her tail across the grass as she watched the ponies. She shielded her eyes as Twilight's horn lit up and a bright lavender glow formed around Spike. A loud crack pierced the air that rang in Ember's ears, and she stared in awe as Spike vanished from sight. The same aura appeared around Rarity, and a quick second later, she too disappeared.

“Now it's our turn,” said Twilight, keeping her horn lit. “You two ready?”

“I'm not getting any less ready,” remarked Garble.

Ember swallowed hard but forced herself to smile. With a nod, she watched as Twilight aimed her horn at her and she began to feel a strange tingling throughout her body. She gripped the Bloodstone Scepter as tightly as she could just as the same aura she saw on Spike and Rarity enveloped her. Slowly, the tingling got stronger until Ember's whole body felt numb. After a few moments, the world around her turned to darkness, and she felt as if she were soaring through the air faster than she had ever flown.

As the feeling in her body began to return, a soft chill ran down Ember's spine as she rested flat on her back upon a cold, hard surface. She kept her eyes tightly shut, and the familiar sound of Twilight's voice broke through the twisting and turning sensations that coursed through her head.

“Pinkie, give her some space.”

“Why does she look all woozy?” asked a cheerful voice with a small giggle. “That's never happened when you've moved us around.”

“Well, she's never traveled by magic before, and it was a distance longer than I normally do. The force of the magic might have destabilized her a little.”

Letting out a soft groan, Ember rubbed her head as the spinning lessened and she opened her eyes. Slowly, the face of a pink mare with a poofy and curly pink mane and blue eyes came into clarity. Ember stared wide-eyed up into the eyes that gazed straight down back at her.

“Hello there!" called the pony, giving Ember an enormous smile. “Welcome to Equestria and to Ponyville! You must be the Dragon Lord Ember that Spike has told us so much about! I was expecting you to be a little taller. I'm Pinkie Pie! So super excited to finally meet you!”

“You okay, Ember?” inquired Twilight with a hint of worry in her voice.

“I feel like I got caught in a hurricane. Is that supposed to happen?”

Twilight frowned. “Not particularly, but it was your first time. Magic teleportation is very convenient for getting somewhere quickly, however, it does take getting used to.”

“Can't imagine why,” Ember replied teasingly. “Don't worry, I'm fine. But all the same, I think I'll stick to my own wings in the future.”

Ember sat up and pulled her scepter into her lap. She watched in confusion as Pinkie hopped in a circle around her, but she stopped as she realized the spacious chamber around her. Holding the bottom tip of her scepter against the floor for balance, she rose to her feet and her tail swayed behind her as she looked around with her mouth agape.

Green windows dotted the upper portion of the towering purple walls, and dark trees inlaid with amethysts were painted onto the wall's surface. Large, crystalline pillars with orange lanterns stood all around the edge of the room. A red carpet spanned the length of the floor, and the marble tiles on either side of the carpet shimmered under the soft glow of red, yellow, and blue gems that hung from the pillars and ceiling.

Twilight and the others watched in silence as Ember took in the new sights.

“This place is incredible!” she exclaimed. “Even with all of my gems, my cave back home can't even compare!”

“This here is the Castle Friendship, or so we call it,” said Applejack who stood nearby along with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and a quivering Fluttershy. “Twilight earned it after she saved Equestria from a no-good varmint named Tirek.”

Ember spotted Garble lying face-down and motionless several feet away. “Him too, huh?”

“Looks like it,” stated Twilight.

“Well, he's not quite as tough as I am.” Ember grinned and let out a chuckle.

Briefly, Applejack glanced down at the unconscious red dragon before looking back at Ember. “Uh, he's not actually hurt is he? Should we try and wake him?”

“He'll be fine, and it's nighttime by now. Might as well let him sleep.” Ember planted her gaze on the group of unfamiliar ponies standing to Twilight’s left. “So, you're all Twilight's other friends she told me about. Don't tell me....”

She scratched her chin as she thought back to Twilight's letters and the descriptions of her friends that were included in them. With a warm smile, Ember called out their names and pointed to each pony in quick succession. “Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy.”

“Correct!” exclaimed Twilight.

“Where's Rarity?”

“It's late. She went home while you were out so she won't miss her, quote, 'beauty sleep.'”

“Oh. Guess that's partly my fault for almost being late getting here.”

“A pleasure to finally be meetin' you, Dragon Lord!” said Applejack as she tipped her stetson. “Spike has told us all about you.”

“Just call me Ember.” She nodded at Applejack then smirked at Spike, rapping her talons on the Bloodstone Scepter. She walked up to the ponies but kept her attention on Spike. “And so I heard. I hope he hasn't been too kind.”

Spike blushed and chuckled. “I was just telling them about how you helped me at The Gauntlet.”

“You sounded pretty cool,” Rainbow stated as she spread her wings and kicked into the air. “Even Fluttershy here—who's so afraid of dragons she won't even watch them from a distance—eventually agreed to come meet you."

Fluttershy shrunk back, trembled and watched with drooped ears as Ember turned to face her. When she spoke, her voice let out a high-pitched peep. “Um, h-hi....”

Ember observed the frightened pegasus for a few moments before giving her the gentlest smile she possibly could. “Hello, Fluttershy. Nice to meet you.”

“I'm s-sorry to greet and run, M-Miss Ember,” stammered Fluttershy as she swallowed hard, “but I really should get home and feed Angel then go to bed.”

“I understand.” Ember nodded, maintaining her amiable demeanor. “As Twilight said, it's late and I don't want to keep you.”

Without another word, Fluttershy retreated and flew away from the group, disappearing through an archway at the end of the corridor.

Ember watched Fluttershy leave before glancing back to the Twilight and the others. “Did I do okay? I was as gentle as I can be.”

“Don't y'all fret none,” said Applejack. “She don't mean any offense. She actually did much better than last time.”

“Um,” stated Ember, pausing for a moment to scratch the back of her neck, “there’s a ‘last time’? Was she with you when you had your first run in with Garble?”

Rainbow shook her head then crossed her forelegs as she kept to the air. “It was just before the last great dragon migration. We were trying to get Fluttershy to watch it with us, and she literally gave me a mild concussion in order to get out of going.”

Ember's eyes widened. “She... attacked you?”

“Nah, just got careless. Still hurt though.”

“I better be extra careful during the festival then." Ember pondered for several moments and glanced over at the unconscious form of Garble. "Especially with him around, given his disposition for causing trouble."

"I remember when he tried to hurt Spike that one time," Rainbow uttered with a glower upon her countenance, staring at the unconscious Garble. She glanced back at Ember. "No offense but I think it was a bad idea bringing him here. It's only because Twilight explained the situation to us while you were out cold that I haven't kicked his backside already, but if he causes any real trouble while he's here I'll make sure he regrets it."

"I've already warned him several times to behave," stated Ember. "Unless he wants to have to give every dragon back home a hug."

Spike let out a snicker.

"We'll all be keeping an eye on him," said Twilight. "In regards to Fluttershy, she doesn't really like Nightmare Night anyway. She always holes herself up in her cottage for the whole day, and the animals she cares for always make sure nopony disturbs her."

"That's reassuring I suppose."

Applejack glanced at a nearby window and adjusted her stetson, letting out a gentle sigh. “I should be skedaddlin' on home myself. Y'all have a good night.”

“I'm off too!” Pinkie beamed at Ember. “Tomorrow I'll bring you a great big basket of baked goodies from Sugarcube Corner to try! I make them myself.”

Ember waved farewell to Applejack then faced Pinkie. “I could try some, especially if you have any gem-based snacks.”

“I have rock candy! That's sort of like gems.”

Ember chuckled. “Sounds good.”

Rainbow gave Ember an approving grin. “You know, you are pretty cool, just like me. You and I should totally hang out sometime. I'll bet you're a really fast flier.”

“As fast as any other dragon.” Ember flapped her wings several times.

“Careful, Ember,” said Twilight with a smirk. “She might challenge you to a race, and there's no faster pony in all of Equestria than Rainbow Dash.”

“Guilty!” Rainbow proclaimed.

“Of course, when I say might I really mean probably.”

“Guilty again. Well, catch you later, dragonator!”

Ember grinned, watching quietly as Pinkie and Rainbow exited the great chamber and disappeared from sight. After a moment she turned to Twilight and spotted Spike fast asleep at Twilight's side. “You have nice friends. I like them. And wow the little guy there sure fell asleep quick.”

“It's past his usual bedtime. As for your other statement, six years and our fire is still going strong. At this point I can't imagine my life without any of them.” With a bright smile, Twilight wrapped her foreleg around Spike and held the sleeping dragon close, gently rubbing his shoulder. “Spike's actually been with me since I was a little filly, and all together, the bonds my friends and I share has seen us through some pretty rough times, including several dire threats to Equestria as a whole. Applejack already mentioned the thing with Tirek, and another one of those dire threats is in fact how the tradition of Nightmare Night got started."

“Really? I'd love to hear more about that while I'm here. We dragons haven't really faced any dire threats, but the rest of it sounds sort of like how you guys supported me through The Gauntlet. Is that what you meant in your letters when you said that 'friendship is magic'?”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “It is exactly.”

“Interesting that you liken the idea of friendship to a fire.”

“Friendship, like a fire, starts out small.” Twilight paused for a moment. “An 'ember', if you will.”

Ember furrowed her brow upon hearing her own name in the analogy.

“Just like a fire needs kindling, friendship needs a willingness to get it started. With proper care and attention, that small ember will turn into a glorious blaze that lights up the darkness around it. And just like a fire, friendship burns only for as long as it continues to receive care and attention.”

Ember glanced up at the ceiling as Twilight concluded, swaying her tail and tightening her grip on her scepter. She recalled the events of The Gauntlet of Fire, and like a reflection of Twilight's words that echoed endlessly in her mind, she felt a soft warmth inside her heart that slowly grew stronger as she stood in silence within the castle chamber. After several moments, she returned her attention to Twilight.

“I... I never thought about it like that.”

“I'm a little ashamed to admit that I myself once believed that friendship wasn't important,” said Twilight. “Before my teacher Princess Celestia sent me to Ponyville, all I cared about was books and academics.”

“Sounds like you certainly have come a tremendous way since then. No way anyone could argue that.”

Twilight blushed. “Of course I didn't understand it at the time, but Princess Celestia had started me on a path that would change my life forever. After everything I've experienced since, I wouldn't have it any other way.”

Ember smiled and nodded.

“Well, I better get Spike to bed and show you and Garble to your rooms.”

“Actually,” stated Ember with an inquisitive tone, “I was wondering if I might look around the castle some.”

“I don't see why not.” Twilight pondered and pointed toward a doorway at one end of the room. “If you're interested, there's a balcony past that door with an unbeatable view of Ponyville.”

“Thanks, I'll check it out. So much has happened today I'm probably not going to fall asleep soon anyway.”

“There's another friend of mine I'd like you to meet. Her name is Starlight Glimmer. She's currently visiting her friend Sunburst who lives in the Crystal Empire way on the north end of Equestria, but she'll be back sometime tomorrow evening. I've told her you're here so there won't be any surprises. There's also Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in Canterlot, and Princess Cadance who also lives in the Crystal Empire and is married to my big brother.”

"I just barely got here," said Ember with a grin. "One step at a time there, Princess."

“Yeah, one step at a time. Let's get past the festival first before anything else." Twilight let out a chuckle, and lighting her horn, she lifted the sleeping forms of Spike and Garble into the air before giving Ember a parting smile. "I'll leave some signs up for you so you can find your room when you're ready for bed. Spike and Rarity also took the liberty of putting a stash of gems there for you to snack on. Don't worry about supply. Gems are pretty abundant in Equestria like I imagine they are in the Dragonlands. Good night, Ember.”

“Good night, Twilight, and thanks again for having me here."

Twilight stopped smiling and gave Ember an inquisitive stare. "Before I go, and now that we're alone... am I correct in assuming that Garble being here wasn't entirely of his own volition?"

Ember blinked a few times. "Huh?"

"You know what I mean."

A couple moments passed by before it dawned on Ember. "Oh, well..." Her cheeks turned red and she scratched the back of her neck. "I did kind of tell him it's either come with me on this trip or he'd have to give every dragon back home a hug, like what Spike made him do after the Gauntlet. But I really believe this will be good for him which is why I did it. Of course he doesn't see it that way currently, but someday, when he's a little wiser he'll thank me."

Twilight didn't reply.

"Like how you mentioned your old life and this Princess Celestia. Despite not realizing it at the time, but by coming to Ponyville, your life had just been changed for the better. It's just like that." Ember swallowed hard. "Isn't it?"

Twilight looked down and just stared at the floor, returning her gaze to Ember a moment later. She nodded then smiled. "Well, I'll be heading to bed now."

"Sleep tight," stated Ember.

"You too." Twilight's horn glowed, and the sleeping forms of Spike and Garble levitated alongside her as she left the room.

Although she was now alone in the room, the fire that had been lit earlier continued to burn within Ember's heart. With a bright smile, she turned and made her way to the door that Twilight had motioned to, pushing it open. A gentle breeze greeted Ember, tickling the folds of her wings as she walked out onto the balcony. She stopped in front of the guard railing that ran along the balcony's outer edge.

Briefly, Ember glanced up at the moon that hung high in the dark, star-painted canvas, and she let out a relaxed sigh. This place is so peaceful, she mused, but soon it will be bursting with the excitement of this Nightmare Night thing.

She leaned forward and rested her arms atop the guard railing as she gazed at the serene, orange glow of Ponyville's street lamps. Garble better not screw this up. There's more at stake here than he understands.

Ember frowned slightly. Glancing down at the Bloodstone Scepter, she swallowed hard and tightened her grip on it.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading!

Nightmare Night, Or How I Learned To Start Caring And Build A Friendship

Fully dressed up in her armor, the Bloodstone Scepter in one claw, and an orange plastic pumpkin basket in her other claw, Ember quickly paced up and down the red carpet in the castle's upper chamber, staring at the floor. She stopped every few moments to glance at the orange evening sky through the open windows. The incomprehensible sounds of the chattering crowd outside bombarded the young dragon's ears. She flicked her tail, took a quick breath, and returned her attention to the chamber floor as she resumed her hasty stroll.

The ponies and Spike—who were all dressed up as characters from the popular Ogres and Oubliettes game—just stared at Ember.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, adjusting the small, wooden daggers she had strapped to the waistline of her gray body suit. “Relax. You're giving me the zigzags over here.”

Applejack glanced over at Rainbow with a sly grin on her face. “Really? The biggest daredevil in all of Equestria is gettin' dizzy from watchin' somedragon just walk to and fro?”

“Hey, it's different when I'm up there shredding the breeze. And I'm not really getting dizzy, it's just there's no need for Ember to be so nervous. Nopony out there isn't going to take our word for it that she's cool.” Rainbow glared at Garble who was standing by himself a couple yards away. “It's this one I'm worried about.”

“Just aren't going to let me forget it are you?” remarked Garble, flicking his tail slightly and folding his arms as he returned Rainbow's sour gaze.

Rainbow started to reply, but her muzzle suddenly became engulfed in a small light-blue aura which forcefully closed her mouth.

“That's enough,” said Starlight Glimmer, her horn covered in the same aura which reflected in the turquoise gown of her sorceress costume. “I know I'm still relatively new to this whole friendship thing, but even I've learned that constantly antagonizing someone only makes things worse.”

Ember wasn't really listening to what anypony was saying. She just kept on pacing, using the Bloodstone Scepter as nothing more than a walking stick.

The aura faded from Rainbow's muzzle and she looked away, muttering under her breath.

Twilight—who had elected to wear her old Starswirl costume to go along with Spike's idea for an O. and O. theme—looked up through a window to her right at the slowly darkening sky. “It's time. Spike and all you ponies come with me outside for the announcement. Ember and Garble wait for my signal. Places, and as Pinkie Pie always says, let's get this party started!”

“Let's get this party st—” said Pinkie in unison with Twilight before pausing. “Uh, yeah. What Twilight said! Or rather what I say. Or... what Twilight said I say...?” She rubbed the side of her head, careful not to nudge her large O-shaped earrings or her blue and white striped, feathered cap while Spike and the ponies let out small chuckles.

Garble rolled his eyes.

Ember still didn't say anything, but hearing Twilight, she finally stopped pacing and waved at Garble to follow her.

The two dragons walked over to the space just beside the castle's main entrance where they would stay hidden around the corner once the door was open.

Twilight led Spike and the other ponies toward the doors, which opened wide with a quick application of Rarity's magic. Immediately, the cadence of the ponies of Ponyville gathered outside burst into the castle entry hall like a great deluge.

Just relax... Ember thought. Watching Twilight and the others disappear through the door, the pounding in her chest grew worse to overpower even the chatter that assaulted her ears. Yeah, easy for them to say!

Only briefly glancing at the ponies, Garble looked back at Ember and a little sneer formed on his countenance. He folded his arms. “Having second thoughts are we, O great Dragon Lord?”

Ember turned and glared at Garble, giving him a bop on the head with the Bloodstone Scepter.

A yelp escaped Garble and he stumbled back, nearly falling backwards but stabilizing himself by putting his claw against the wall. He then placed his other claw where he'd been struck, feeling a little bump already forming.

“I am not having second thoughts!” barked Ember. “And if I hear one more attempt to weasel your way out of this then you're going to be on egg tender duty until you're old and decrepit!” With a snort, she turned back to face the castle door, swaying her tail in frustration.

Garble kept rubbing his head and glared at Ember, emitting a very low growl and eyeing the Bloodstone Scepter.

“Welcome, everypony!” called Twilight from outside, to which the crowd of townsponies responded with cheers. Her voice echoed like she was enhancing it with her magic. “Welcome to this year's Nightmare Night festival!”

Ember gulped, having already forgotten about her irritation with Garble amidst the sheer anxiety that wracked her.

“Now then,” continued Twilight, “You all remember me announcing we would have some special guests with us for this year's festivities. I've heard the rumors of course. It's not Princess Celestia or Princess Luna. These guests come from way outside of Equestria—across the sea even!”

She waited for a moment. “They're dragons!”

The crowd went silent. Even though Ember couldn't hear them, she just knew the townsponies were murmuring to each other at that very moment. She took this opportunity to steel herself by taking several deep breaths.

Garble merely stared at his claws and rolled his wrists mindlessly.

“Everypony,” continued Twilight again, “please welcome the Dragon Lord herself, Princess Ember, and her guest Garble.”

With the announcement finally made, Ember tightened her grip on the Bloodstone Scepter. She put one foot forward, then another. Next thing she knew, her legs had carried her through the open door and onto the festival stage that had been set up where every pair of eyes in Ponyville could see her. The fading light from the setting sun glinted in her golden armor and also off the crystal in her scepter. She was so focused on the townsponies that she failed to notice all the decorations that had been put up.

Garble followed behind and planted himself on the stage to Ember's left. Half-grimacing, he gazed out across the large crowd of ponies before him on the ground.

The townsponies, whose costumes ranged from vampires, zombies, mummies and ghosts to animals—including some dressed as dragons—and even something that looked like a wolf made out of wood and leaves, gazed wide-eyed upon Ember and Garble.

Twilight beamed at the two, but mostly Ember as she awaited introductions to be completed.

Finally, after several moments of tension so heavy it could crush boulders into fine powder, Ember snapped out of her frozen stupor and wiped the sweat from her brow. She cleared her throat, and pressed the bottom end of her scepter down onto the stage, making an audible thud which echoed for a quick second in the otherwise quiet space. Ember puffed out her chest and spread her feet a little.

“Hello, ponies!” she exclaimed, her voice also echoing through the still air. “As Twilight said, I am Ember, recently crowned Lord of the Dragonlands. Matter of fact it is because of her and her friends Spike and Rarity that I ascended to the throne.”

Twilight, Rarity, and Spike all smiled at Ember.

Rainbow kept her gaze firmly on Garble, whom she spotted briefly clenching his claws and muttering something.

“Twilight has asked us here to learn about this friendship thing, but also just to have some fun with this festival. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not here simply because I owe some debt to your Princess and her friends for their help back home with the Gauntlet of Fire. I really do want to be here to learn about friendship, have fun with this festival, and maybe start carving a path for ponies and dragons to live as friends.”

Many of the ponies in the audience, at least ones whose faces weren't partly or completely hidden by their costume masks, started to smile and some began to stomp their hooves.

Ember blinked several times, but then recalled Twilight mentioning this was just a way ponies gave applause.

“Well,” said Twilight, “how about you do the honor of kicking off the festival for us, Ember?”

She gazed at Twilight. “Me?”

“You and Garble are the guests of honor after all.”

Garbled grinned and nudged Ember. “She's right, Dragon Lord. Let's get this show on the road.”

Garble's just asking for me to smack him on the head again, thought Ember. But that may not be such a good idea now that we have everypony in Ponyville watching us. We... or at least... I'm here for honest reasons. Numbskull is only here because I practically dragged him by his tail, but it's too late to turn back now; it was my 'brilliant' idea to bring him and now I'm stuck with it. Besides, I don't want to seem like some brute. That probably won't look good for this friendship thing. Maybe a little smack later. That whack just a little earlier did feel pretty good... Been wanting to do that since the Gauntlet...

“Right then,” stated Ember, nodding at Twilight then looking back out over the anxiously awaiting crowd. “Let the festival begin!”

The townsponies cheered for a few moments before dispersing, though some stayed put to watch Ember and Garble curiously. Just then, the moon started to rise into the night sky, the decorated streetlamps flickered on, and the town became alive with the same buzz of excitement that it had earlier with ponies going to and fro.

“Everyone off the stage and we'll get started,” stated Twilight.

Ember waited for the ponies and Spike to step down to the ground before she and Garble followed suit. With some of the butterflies in her stomach having gone away now that the first hurdle was done, Ember finally looked around at the decorations, admiring the extent to which the ponies had gone to cover the town.

“You really weren't kidding about how much you ponies love this holiday,” said Ember, glancing at Twilight. “It almost seems like you spend the whole year planning for it.”

Starlight chuckled. “Sure seems like it doesn't it? This is only my second Nightmare Night ever. I'm not used to it yet either. I like the bats and ghosts on the streamers hanging from the houses and trees. What about you?”

Ember looked at the decorations again. “The streetlamps being painted to look like eyeballs is pretty cool.” She paused and stared at one of the streetlamps with its painted eyeball. “And kind of unsettling...”

“All part of the spooky fun!” said Spike with a bright smile.

“So remind me exactly what we're doing again?”

“Y'all are going to do it all,” said Applejack. “Start with some trick-or-treatin', and move on to some dancin' and of course storytime with Zecora. You remember us mentionin' Zecora right?”

Ember nodded. “Yes. The zebra who lives in the nearby forest and speaks in rhymes.”

“What about the mischief?” Garble gave Twilight an unamused look. “Sorry... I mean the 'playful' mischief,” he said, putting the word playful in air quotes with his talons before folding his arms and flicking his tail.

“We'll get to that,” Rainbow stated, hovering in front of the two dragons. “In the meantime, you two are coming with us as we show you around, have you meet ponies, so on and so forth.”

“Lovely...” groaned Garble.

Rainbow grinned. “Oh, and don't try to run off,” she remarked with a wink. “You'll never be able to hide from Pinkie Pie for long.”

Ember and Garble gave each other a look before both glancing back at Rainbow Dash.

“Just... just trust me on that. It's hard to explain, but she has ways of finding you. Very... mysterious ways...”

“Okay...?” uttered Ember. “Well, let's get started shall we? It's a one-night festival and Garble and I have a lot to see and learn.”

Twilight nodded. “First, there's three young fillies in particular I'd like you both to meet. They're waiting for us over by Pinkie's house which is also a bakery shop: Sugarcube Corner. And do you remember the special Nightmare Night chant for trick-or-treating?”

“Uh...” Ember rubbed her chin. “Um... Wait, was it, 'Nightmare Night, you're a fright. I want something sweet to bite'?”

Twilight and her friends chuckled.

“Close,” said Spike through his blue-green wizard costume beard and poking Ember's scepter with his wooden staff. “Swap 'you're' with 'what', and 'I want' with 'give me.'”

“And give it some feeling, like we told you before!” beamed Pinkie. “Otherwise it's just blehhh. Do it like this.” She hopped over to Ember's side then turned to face the rest of the gang. Standing up on her hindlegs, she lifted her forelegs up like she was leading a musical group. “Everypony!”

As soon as Pinkie waved her forelegs, Twilight and the others all called out in unison.

“Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!”

Garble visibly cringed and covered his ears with his claws.

The sound was filled with such great enthusiasm that Ember felt a sense of fun and frolic surge through her—a feeling only the thrill of diving into lava pools from the highest bluffs could top. She could only describe it as fantastic. “Oh!” she exclaimed with a warm smile. “I get it! You got to prove to others just how much you want that treat, or you get tricked instead! I assume for just myself I would say 'give me' instead of 'give us.'”

“Something like that,” said Starlight.

Pinkie pushed up against Ember's side and beamed sidelong at her. “Don't be afraid to give a silly little wave while you do the chant. It's just more fun that way!”

The townsponies who were still watching smiled brightly and murmured to each other again, pointing at Ember. Others looked quite confused by Garble.

“Go on, darling!” said Rarity with an encouraging smile. “Give us your best candy call!”

With the energy of the demonstration still fresh in her mind, Ember puffed out her chest and inhaled deeply. “Nightmare Night! What a Fright!” she cried out, waving her arm and scepter above her head like Pinkie had suggested. “Give me something sweet to bite!”

Ember, Spike, and the ponies all laughed, while Garble covered his ears again, looking like he wanted to curl up in a dark corner and never come out.

The nearby townsponies stomped their hooves in approval and trotted up to Ember, beaming and offering her some pumpkin spice cookies.

Ember blinked and stared at the cookies.

“Ooh pumpkin!” said Pinkie. “Try a cookie, Ember.”

“Hmm...” Ember took a cookie from one of the pegasus mares offering it to her. She sniffed it for a moment then tossed the entire thing into her mouth. “This is called pumpkin?”

“Yup yup! It's a seasonal favorite!”

“Not bad.” Ember nodded at the pony who'd given her the cookie. “Thanks.”

Twilight's horn lit, and each cookie being offered to Ember by the group of townsponies levitated into air then lowered into the dragon's candy basket. “We should get going now. We got a lot to show you.”

The townsponies gave Ember another smile then waved before trotting off and disappearing into the crowd.

“Sugarcube Corner is this way,” said Twilight as she pointed down the road and started walking with her friends following along.

Ember poked Garble with her scepter and motioned forward with her head. As Garble sighed and moved past her, she took a cookie from her basket and handed it to him. “At least try and have some fun.”

Garble took the cookie but didn't sample it. “Being around all these ponies and cutesy things makes my scales crawl. But maybe the part where we get to play some pranks won't be so bad.”

Neither Garble or Ember noticed it, but Twilight and the others all snuck glances at each other and snickered under their breaths.

As she followed Twilight and her friends through the crowds, Ember looked all around, becoming distracted again by all the decorations that covered the town from top to bottom. The rest of the time, she was meeting the curious gazes of many of the townsponies, hearing young fillies and colts gleefully shouting the candy chant, or catching a glimpse of ponies playing what looked like some kind of festival game. “Twilight?” she asked.

“Yes?”

“You said this whole festival was inspired by a dire threat Equestria once faced, right?”

“It is.”

“When are you going to tell me more about that?”

There was a moment of silence before Twilight responded. “You'll get an idea once you hear the story from Zecora. But I guess I can at least tell you this much right now: that dire threat had a name, and she was called Nightmare Moon.”

Ember turned her gaze up. Amidst a sea of stars high in the dark sky, the moon's radiance filled her sight. A minute later, she looked back to Twilight and nodded even though the alicorn couldn't see it. “Okay. So, are we almost to this Sugarcube place?”

“Hey!” cried a nearby voice.

Ember suddenly spotted three small ponies down the road waving in their direction, one white, another yellow, and the third a light orange. Ember couldn't take her eyes off them, or rather off their costumes, which were quite different than most of the other ponies around.

All three of the fillies wore black leather boots on all four hooves. A gold and brown striped sash was slung around their left shoulder that also had a scabbard and wooden sword attached. Little mustaches sat at the edge of the snouts. The ensembles were topped off with large-brim hats that nearly hid the fillies' eyes, and the hats had an equally large feather plume sticking out of it. Beside their costumes, they each had a candy basket that was the same as Ember's.

“Took y'all long enough!” chuckled the yellow filly as the trio ran up to them.

Garble and Ember both stared wide-eyed at the fillies.

“Say hello to Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo,” said Twilight with a smile. “Sweetie Belle is Rarity's little sister. Apple Bloom is Applejack's little sister. And Scootaloo is like a little sister to Rainbow Dash. Together they are known as...”

“The Cutie Mark Crusaders!” they cried in unison.

Garble sighed under his breath.

“We're on a—” Sweetie Belle stopped herself and cleared her throat. “We were on a mission to find our special talents and get our cutie marks.

“You two know about cutie marks after meeting Twilight and company right?” asked Scootaloo, beaming at Ember and Garble.

“We tried everything we could think of,” said Apple Bloom. “Every little random thing that popped into our heads. But recently, we finally figured out what our true callin' in life is.”

“And what is that?” asked Ember.

“Ironically enough,” stated Starlight, “turns out their special talent is helping others find their special talent. Think of it like a guidance councilor. There's quite a few around who owe their newfound knowledge of who they are to these three.”

Scootaloo nodded. “In fact, just recently, we even helped a griffon named Gabby who came all the way from Griffonstone specifically to find us. While we couldn't help her get a cutie mark like us ponies have, we were able to help her realize that she didn't need a cutie mark to find her gift.”

“I see.” Ember nodded. “Well, nice to meet more friends of Spike, Twilight and Rarity. I'm Ember and this is Garble.”

“So y'all are really the Dragon Lord?” inquired Apple Bloom.

Ember grinned at the filly and firmly pushed the base of her scepter against the ground. “Why yes I am, just like my father before me. I'm still new to it but I'm learning. Twilight's been teaching me a lot about Equestria, and I her about the Dragonlands, through our letters.”

“Well, welcome to Equestria and Ponyville, you two!” exclaimed Scootaloo.

Garble rolled his eyes again but still remained silent, flicking his tail.

As Ember continued to peer into the fillies' welcoming eyes, a gentle warmth passed through her—the same one that she felt after Spike had passed the Bloodstone Scepter to her after the Gauntlet was concluded. “I suppose given what night this is, this is in order isn't it?” She inhaled deeply. “Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give me something sweet to bite!”

The fillies laughed, and Twilight and the others all smiled as they listened and watched.

“Yeehaw!” bellowed Apple Bloom as she reared up on her hindlegs and kicked at the air with her front. “That was amazin'!”

“What do you think, girls?” asked Sweetie Belle, glancing her friends briefly. “Was that good enough to give her some of our own haul?”

“Sure seemed like it to me!” said Scootaloo.

One by one, the fillies reached into their candy baskets. Apple Bloom gave Ember a bunch of caramel apple pops, Sweetie Belle gave her some fruit-flavored hard candies, and Scootaloo gave her a hoof full of chocolate-covered marshmallows.

“Thanks,” she said, gently shaking her basket and listening to the rattling sound.

The fillies then turned their attention to Garble.

“What about you?” asked Scootaloo. “You haven't said anything.”

Staring at the ground, Garble once again muttered under his breath.

“Huh?”

Ember gave Garble a tap on his side with the base of her scepter.

Garble let out a little sigh. “Nightmare Night...” he groaned, scrunching his face like every word tasted like poison. “What a fright... Give me something sweet to bite...”

Ember just couldn't stop herself from looking away and snickering under her breath.

The fillies stared blank-faced up at Garble. “Uhhhh...” they droned.

Twilight shifted her gaze between Garble and the fillies several times. “Well, go on, girls. He said the chant... Give him some candy.”

After a few more moments of stunned silence, the Cutie Mark Crusaders filled Garble's candy basket with the same assortment of goodies they'd given Ember. However, their blank stares remained.

“We should probably skedaddle,” said Applejack. “There's a whole town out there just waitin' to give y'all a warm Equestria welcome. Let's go trick-or-treatin', then if you're feelin' up to it some shindig dancin'.” She paused. “Then the most popular tradition of them all: the candy offerin' to the statue of Nightmare Moon.”

Ember gazed at Applejack for a moment before turning her attention to Twilight and giving her the same quizzical look. “I thought you said this Nightmare Moon was a dire threat to Equestria.”

“Oh trust me...” said Twilight somberly as she and the other ponies looked down. “She most definitely was.”

“So then why would you base an annual festival after her where you go so far as to offer candy to a statue of her?” Ember folded her arms. “That seems more like something you'd do for someone who did something great for Equestria.”

“I know it doesn't seem to make any sense when you say it like that. I'll explain it to you as we go.”

For the past several hours, Ember had been following Twilight and her friends all over Ponyville, meeting ponies and chatting with some of them, playing festival games—like Spider Toss and Pumpkin Catapult—collecting treats, and trying some pony-style bluegrass dancing. She didn't do the dancing for very long, having quit after tripping over her own tail and causing several nearby dancing ponies to topple over like dominos—something that Garble got a big laugh out of... plus another whap on the head with the Bloodstone Scepter. Ember couldn't be one hundred percent certain, but at some point, when she wasn't looking, she thought she heard Garble mutter that seeing Ember embarrass herself like that made this trip worth it.

Beyond all the hubbub of the festival, Ember could not get what Twilight had told her about the origins of the holiday out of her mind. Her sight periodically turned up toward the moon, and several times she could almost see the Mare in the Moon from Twilight's story on the celestial body's surface. Briefly, Ember wondered how those back home would react to such a tragic story, but then she decided it would be better to just focus on the festival at the moment.

“My basket's nearly full,” said Ember, taking a quick glance down.

“I can always run and grab you another one from Sugarcube Corner!” beamed Pinkie as she bounced up and down.

Ember shook her head. “I think this one will be plenty.”

“Well hurry and grab one more house! Story time is going to start any second now!” Pinkie pointed over to the stage setup in front of Town Hall. A crowd of ponies was already assembled in front of it.

Ember and Garble both approached the house and Ember knocked a few times. The door opened, revealing a light blue, earth pony stallion with a dark blue mane and tail and his cutie mark was two pairs of backwards-facing eighth notes. He wore a grubby white shirt that had several red and brown stains, and he wore a hockey mask that concealed his face except for his amber eyes. One candy chant to the stallion later, Ember and Garble's baskets were both filled to the brim.

With trick-or-treating concluded at least for the moment, the entire group made their way over to the crowd gathered at the edge of the stage in front of Town Hall.

Ember glanced around at all the ponies. The ones who looked over and spotted her gave her warm, welcoming smiles. Ember smiled back. I know in her letters Twilight said ponies are friendly, she thought, but I never could have imagined they were this friendly. Or it could just be one of their own princesses putting in the good word for me... Maybe both. I have to say I am enjoying this quite a bit, and even Garble seems to have mellowed out... a little. This trip was definitely worth it, and it's not over yet. I might ask if I can do this again next year!

A moment later, a tan colored, earth pony mare with blue eyes and half-spectacles walked out from inside Town Hall. She wore a huge rainbow wig, a blue shirt with frilly white edges, a polkadot bow tie, floppy-looking red slippers and a red ball on her nose. Her tail was also balled up and died rainbow colors.

“OH, COME ON!” cried Spike up at the sky and extending his little arms. He shouted so loud that everypony in the area went quiet, including Ember and Garble, turned to stare at him with shocked expressions all over their countenances.

In the silence, only the sound of crickets could be heard.

Several moments went by with Spike doing nothing but staring back at everyone and covering his mouth like he'd said something really vulgar or inappropriate. “Sorry...” he muttered, waving his claw forward a couple of times to signal Mayor Mare to proceed.

“Anyway...” said Mayor Mare, clearing her throat and stepping up to the mic. “Welcome, everypony, to the Nightmare Night festival!”

The townsponies all cheered and stomped their hooves.

Mayor Mare turned her attention to Ember and Garble. “And welcome, esteemed guests from the Dragonlands, Garble and Dragon Lord Ember!”

Garble didn't smile and only gave Mayor Mare a weak wave.

Ember smiled and gave the mayor a proper wave. “Thanks for having us. And thanks again to Princess Twilight for the invitation. We're having a great time and learning so much!”

“Well,” the mayor continued with a smile, “to quote our beloved Princess Luna, 'the fun is about to be doubled!' It's time for everypony's favorite local legend, as traditionally told by our own resident zebra, Zecora!”

The ponies cheered again as a cloud of light green smoke suddenly exploded in front of the door to Town Hall.

Ember and Garble both jumped a little bit and gazed at Zecora as the zebra appeared on stage from within the smoke.

Zecora wore a black cape, gold rings around her midsection, two sets of small gold ring around her forelegs, and another around her neck. Her mane was combed to flow down along her neck and also had several little plastic spiders in it. She immediately planted her gaze on Ember and Garble and gave a smile. “Welcome, welcome, dragons Garble and Lord Ember. To meet you it is quite a pleasure.”

Garble furrowed his brow.

Ember grinned. “Ah. The rhyming zebra. Twilight told me about you in one of her letters.”

“Oh? How so?”

“She said you really know your way around a cauldron and potion-making, and that you've helped Ponyville with lots of natural remedies. You sounded quite interesting and was hoping I could meet you while I was here.”

Zecora's smile widened and she chuckled. “Yes, it is true. I can brew a brew or two. That rhyme was not too much for you?”

She's good, thought Ember as she let out a chuckle of her own. I wonder if she plans it all out or just makes it up as she goes along.

“All right, everyone,” said Mayor Mare. “Let us begin. Zecora, if you would be so kind.”

Zecora nodded to the mayor then gazed back out over the crowd. “Follow me and very soon, you'll hear the tale of Nightmare Moon!” She turned to her right, grabbed her cape as she turned and pulled on it to make it flow over her left side like a rising wave, then climbed down the stairs to stage right.

Ember and Garble stayed behind Twilight and her friends, following them and Zecora toward an eery-looking forest off in the distance.

Ember glanced all around at the twisted and gnarled branches of the trees, and the dense and dark foliage of the Everfree Forest. In all her days, despite being from a place much less tame than Equestria, she had never seen such an unnerving place. At times she swore she saw what appeared to be pairs of solid yellow orbs peeking out from the shadows before disappearing moments later. Still she pressed on, but made sure to keep Garble, Twilight and her friends, Zecora, and the townponies well within her sight. After a little while, they entered a clearing, and Ember's gaze immediately fell upon a large statue situated in the center of the area.

The statue's base was a simple stone block, but the top was a large, fierce-looking mare with a horn and her wings fanned out. The statue pony was reared back on her hindlegs in a commanding stance and seemed to be pointing to the ground with her left foreleg. She bore a large sinister smile on her countenance.

Ember gazed upon it curiously. “Cool statue,” she commented.

“I suppose,” said Garble.

Zecora approached the statue until she was right next to it, then turned around to face everyone. “Listen close, my little dears. I'll tell you where you got your fears! Of Nightmare Night so dark and scary...” She reached into her cloak and pulled out a small hoof full of a strange, bright green powder. She blew on the powder and it suddenly started turned into a cloud that rose into the air as if it had come alive. “Of Nightmare Moon who makes you wary!”

Ember watched in amazement as the cloud transformed into the exact likeness of the pony that was carved into the statue, complete with the same sinister smile.

Without warning, the cloud launched itself straight toward Ember and Garble at breakneck speed.

“What the?!” cried Garble as he leaped back.

Ember went wide-eyed and also stepped back.

The cloud struck the spot where they had been standing, enveloping the two dragons in a wave of green mist and barely allowing them to shield their eyes.

Twilight and all the townsponies watched with bright smiles.

Ember coughed several times and uncovered her eyes while her heart pounded in her chest.

“Every year,” continued Zecora, “we put on a disguise to save ourselves from her searching eyes.”

The cloud suddenly dissipated from around Ember and Garble and flowed right back to Zecora's hoof, reforming as a little pile of dust that she held aloft. She gave the dragons a sinister grin similar to that of the statue.

“What are you trying to do?” barked Garble. “Give us a heart attack?!”

Rainbow Dash sneered. “Now you're starting to get it!”

Like she hadn't even heard the question or was just blatantly ignored it, Zecora continued the tale. “But Nightmare Moon wants just one thing: to gobble up ponies in one quick swing!”

Ember took a few quick breaths. “No taste for dragons then?”

Zecora blew on the dust again and it flew into the air, transforming into the likeness of Nightmare Moon like before. Zecora began to speak again, and the Nightmare Moon cloud flitted about and made motions that matched the zebra's story. “Hungrily she soars the sky. If she sees no pony, she passes by. So if she comes and all is clear, Equestria is safe another year!”

The cloud flew high into the air and exploded in a wave of little sparkles before returning to Zecora's hoof as a pile of dust once again.

Ember looked over at Twilight and furrowed her brow. “Didn't I hear something about a candy offering?”

“Yup!” replied Twilight, still wearing a bright smile.

“Just out of curiosity, this candy offering is just tradition—just part of the festival?”

“A perfect question, my blue dragon friend,” said Zecora. “For Nightmare Moon you must not offend. Fill up her belly with a treat or two so she won't return to come eat you!”

Garble rolled his eyes.

“And now it's your turn!” exclaimed Pinkie as she bounced up and down in place. “Go on! Make your candy offering!”

Ember shrugged. “All right.” She nudged Garble forward with her scepter. “Come on.”

Garble let out a sigh, and the two dragons started walking toward the statue while the townsponies watched.

Twilight and her friends exchanged glances, giving each other another grin and a wink.

Once standing at the base of the statue, Ember gazed up and stared into the statue Nightmare Moon's eyes—it's wicked smile sent a slight shiver down her spine.

Garble pulled a few lemon chews from his candy basket and dropped them to the ground haphazardly. He then looked to Ember. “You going to do this or what?”

After several moments, Ember reached into her candy bucket and gently put a claw full of chocolate covered marshmallows in a neat little pile on the ground.

Suddenly, an unknown voice boomed through the air nearby.

“Honored guests from the Dragonlands!”

Ember's heart immediately started pounding again and she leaped back, looking all around frantically, turning her back to the statue.

Garble did the same. “Wh-who's there?!”

“I am pleased you accepted our invitation,” the voice continued. “I hope you have enjoyed yourselves this evening! I am also pleased you were smart enough to heed these ponies' advice, for I am famished! I'm pleased enough that I may just eat your offering instead of eating you!”

Ember went wide-eyed, and with sweat streaming down her brow, she slowly turned back to face the statue and nearly screamed at the top of her lungs.

Facing the statue, Garble was paralyzed—stiff as if he had become a statue himself.

The statue had come to life and was mere inches from the two dragons. Nightmare Moon's mane and tail flowed like it was drifting in the breeze. Moonlight glinted off her very real helmet and hoof armor. Her eyes were solid white. The only thing that hadn't change was the wicked grin. Ember and Garble hadn't been facing her terrible visage for more than two seconds when she let out a deafening roar.

Ember and Garble both shrieked louder than they ever had in their lives. They leaped back even further, and ended up colliding and stumbling over each other, landing flat on their backs.

Before the dragons could make any more movements or sounds, Nightmare Moon suddenly disappeared in a brief flash of light. In its place stood the most bizarre looking creature Ember and Garble had ever seen.

The creature had a snake-like frame, but only the bottom portion looked like it had snake scales which were red. The middle portion looked like brown fur, and the creature's head and neck looked like it had beige fur. It stood on two legs, the left being brown and hoofed, and the right looked like a green dragon's foot. It's left arm looked like a griffon's, and the right looked like a lion. The creature's horns looked like one was that of a goat and the other like that of a stag. It beamed down at Ember and Garble with its yellow and red eyes.

Twilight, her friends, Zecora, the creature, and all the townsponies burst into laughter.

“Gotcha!” they all cried in unison.

Her mind racing and her heart pounding, Ember sat up and stared blank-faced at the creature then slowly scanned the area. The raucous laughter from the ponies and the creature echoed in her ears. Words completely failed her.

Garble looked like he was about pass out from shock. His face was slightly pale, and her hyperventilated loudly.

Finally, the strength in Ember's voice started to return, but she still sat on the ground gazing up at the strange creature and clutching her chest. “Who are you?!” She hesitated a few seconds, taking several more frantic breaths. “Wh-what are you?!”

The creature stopped laughing and bowed at Ember. “Discord, the Spirit of Chaos; the Purveyor of Pandemonium; the Bringer of Bedlam. It's so nice to finally meet the illustrious Princess Ember!” Discord snapped his fingers and a golden crown suddenly appeared on Ember's head in a quick flash of light.

Ember blinked and reached her claw up, feeling the crown.

“Here,” continued Discord, “let me help you and your friend up.” He snapped his fingers again, and several pairs of lion paws similar to his own appeared in a flash around Ember and Garble. The paws lifted the dragons to their feet, patted their heads, then disappeared.

Twilight and the others stopped laughing and just smiled as they watched.

Words failed Ember again, and she stood there still with that blank face.

Discord grabbed Ember's claws and shook them hard enough that she wobbled in place. “Twilight has told me all about you. When she said you would be coming for the festival, I just had to do something to welcome you myself!”

Ember looked over at Twilight. Slowly, her breaths and her heart rate slowed back down to a steady rate. “You... your friends... the entire town was in on this? All as a Nightmare Night prank for me and Garble?”

“Well duh!” said Pinkie with a huge smile. “Why do you think we all started laughing when Discord scared you two right out of your scales with his little disguise?”

“We would have asked Princess Luna to do it as a welcome to Equestria for you,” said Starlight. “She got Ponyville good with the same prank several years ago before I moved here, but Discord absolutely insisted.”

Rainbow flew over. With a triumphant sneer on her face, she pressed her shout against Garble's and stared into his eyes. “So... still think us ponies are a bunch of lame-os who don't know how to have fun and pull a good prank?”

“Y'all can have good fun without bein' a jerk and destroyin' things,” stated Applejack.

Garble's demeanor suddenly brightened. “That... was... AWESOME!”

Ember smiled as she looked at Garble, then at Discord and the ponies. “I'll say. I never would have seen that one coming. You sure got us good!”

“All in a day's work!” Discord held his finger up to his mouth and blew on it.

“I've just decided that I would love to come back next year. I've had a lot of fun tonight.”

Twilight beamed as did her friends. “We'd love for you to come again!” she exclaimed. “And you're welcome back next year too, Garble, long as you don't still think us ponies aren't 'cool' enough for you and remember what the point of Nightmare Night is.”

Garble pointed at Rainbow and Discord. “You and you! We need to talk. Maybe you could let me in on some future pranks!”

“Oh really?” Discord rubbed his hands together. “Well color me intrigued!” He snapped his fingers and his body started to shift between every color imaginable in rapid succession. “If only I knew what the color of intrigued is.”

Still hovering, Rainbow grinned and folded her forelegs. “You know, Garble. I guess you're really not so bad when you're not trying to smash phoenix eggs or hurt Spike. Don't push your luck though. I still got my eye on you. Now about those pranks...”

Ember and Twilight blinked several times and stared at each other. “What have we started...?” they said together.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading! Please be sure to like, subscribe, share, retweet, and all that fun stuff! :rainbowwild: To think this had been sitting half finished on my shelf for over two years after I saw the Gauntlet of Fire episode. Feels good to finally get it done.