The Dragon Chronicles

Princess Celestia stumbled as her palace shook. Outside, she could hear the earth dragon yell. "CELESTIA!!"
Celestia's eyes narrowed, then she flew for the balcony. Once outside, she looked about her. Ponies far and wide ran crazily in a blind dash to get to safety. It seemed like no one was hurt, so Celestia turned her attention to the rampaging dragon.
"MOUNTOTH! What do you want?!"
Mountoth's large head suddenly appeared before Celestia, and the large dragon bellowed.
"You have gone TOO FAR, Mountoth." Celestia said simply.
"It is the dragon's way to be greedy, but YOU have done more than hurt yourself, you have hurt others! That kind of crime will NOT be forgiven lightly."
Mountoth looked around him, then laughed. "Mwa-ha-ha! I see no pony hurt! You are a FOOL, Celestia!"
Celestia hung her head, her face awash with emotions. By Mountoth getting away, that could only mean one thing about those she'd sent to confront him.
"You are WRONG, Mountoth," she said, her voice unsteady with the emotion, "some of my BRAVEST, DEAREST subjects have DIED because of YOUR foul play!"
Mountoth paused. Then he looked back towards Ponyville. Celestia was unaware of this, as she hung her head and started to cry. "Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie!" She said each name with emphasis in her lament for their obvious passing. "I am most DEARLY sorry I ever involved you in this..."
When Celestia looked back up to confront Mountoth, he was gone.

The tired group of six ponies and one dragon filed sadly out of the earth, back into the cool night of Ponyville. No one seemed hurt, no structures were damaged, and Twilight had received no news from Canterlot; the only problem was that they had failed.
"You know, everypony," Applejack said, "what you told me about friendship and acceptance and stuff, that's just as true now as it was when I tried leaving Ponyville. we may have failed, but so long as nopony is hurt, we can pick up where we left off."
Everpony nodded. They couldn't object to that.
"I'm just SO sorry everypony," Rarity said with sadness in her eyes, "that neither I nor Spike could help you. I guess some dragons are just beyond repair."
Spike looked tearfully at the destruction of Ponyville. Not so long ago he himself learned a lesson as well about dragons. And the conviction filled him long enough for Spike to stamp his foot.
"NO!" He roared. Everpony stopped. Even Rainbow Dash, who was mostly unconcious on Applejack's back, looked puzzled at Spike's outburst.
Spike turned and faced the group. "NO! I know what it's like to be a crazy, greedy ol' dragon," he said, pointing to himself, "but I DIDN'T hurt any pony, and I saw what I did was wrong! Rarity helped me see that." Rarity's eyes widened.
"I KNOW Mountoth can be helped! You guys helped that other dragon see what HE was doing! I know we can do it! He doesn't want to hurt anypony, I know that! But," he pointed to Rainbow Dash, "HE JUST DID!!"
There was a silence as Spike breathed shakily, and everpony took in his words. Rainbow Dash slowly slid off Applejack's back. "Guys," she said shakily, trying to rise, "we can do it." She didn't have her same strong convicting voice, but it shook everyone just as strongly.
Twilight and Pinkie Pie started to get teary eyed. The passion Spike and Rainbow Dash shared was so moving. Rainbow Dash's head rose, and she took on the visage like that of a coach.
"Can we beat Mountoth?" She asked slowly.
"Yes." said the group one at a time.
Rainbow Dash smirked. "I-can't-hear-you."
Everpony started to smile as they hollered, "YES!"
"Louder." Rainbow Dash prodded.
"YES!!"
"Louder!" RD yelled, keeping her coach face on.
"YESS!!"
"LOUDER!!!" Rainbow Dash yelled, giving everything she had for one final segment of her coaching pep-talk.
Her much healthier counterparts gave their own exhaulting shouts of 'YES' as Rainbow Dash slowly took flight.
"THEN LET'S BEAT MOUNTOTH!!" Rainbow Dash roared, and everpony cheered.
Deciding to rest her wings, Rainbow Dash ran alongside her companions, making their way for Canterlot.

Mountoth didn't know he had hurt anyone in his wake, especially those that he come to see him. That worried him. Before, he had never gone so far as to hurt another living life for his greedy purposes, only done what he had to otherwise to get to his plunder.
It was for this reason, that he decided he could bargain. If it turned out he hadn't hurt anyone in his escape, as he would soon find out upon re-entering the earth, he would negotiate with Celestia to be able to stay out, so long as he left Equestria and never returned. That seemed like a good trade-off to him.
Though his anger with Celestia ran deep, his rule of thumb, which was to never harm a living soul, no matter how great the plunder, was too much to compromise.
Thankfully, the six ponies and Spike reached him first. "Look!" Fluttershy exclaimed as the group ran for Canterlot. Everyone slowed as they saw Mountoth bounding down the road, trees leaves falling off as he passed by.
Spike, who rode on Rarity's back, narrowed his eyes and barred his teeth as they approached him. "Take me to him!" Spike said with a vengance as he pointed to the oncoming dragon. Rarity listened.
"MOUNTOTH!" Spike yelled as he leapt from his spot on Rarity's back and landed on Mountoth's nose, who had stopped just moments before upon finding his bargaining chips.
"You've done it now! You made a big ol' avalanche that nearly KILLED all of us! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?!"
Mountoth was silent through Spike's repremand, then said, "but your fine now. I didn't know I would have hurt you." He paused, taking on a more softer tone, "But, I, I apologize."
Everypony was silent. Mountoth spoke again. "If you show Celestia none of you is hurt, I'll tell her I'll leave Equestria and never come back."
Everpony considered that. "Sounds good to me." Applejack said.
"Me too!" Pinkie added.
"And I as well." Rarity said.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy nodded.
Spike's face softened, then he nodded. "Alright, but let's make it fast."

Celestia and Mountoth talked for a few more minutes, than he flew off, never to return. Celestia turned to her seven citizens.
"I'm so pleased none of you perished on your quest. Now Mountoth is gone, never to return here again."
The group shared a collective smile.
"It seems I may have learned something about friendship today." Celestia said with a sad smile. "The way you handled Mountoth can only be described as an act of true friends and companions."
Then Celestia turned to Spike, who looked a little nervous in the presence of the princess.
"It seems that you had a large part to play too, Spike. I know your own past has run akin to Mountoth's," Spike hung his head, but brought it back up upon hearing Celestia say, "but you are by far the most curagious dragon I have ever met."
Everyone shared a blissful moment, then Celestia decided to leave her subjects for a moment.

"Luna, my sister," she said softly out on the balcony, "I think I've learned how to be a better friend to you too, now that I understand, if only for a moment, what you must have felt before I banished you."