Author's Note: So, in the last chapter, I made a mistake when mentioning Ember's blood color. I looked up reptile's blood color and saw it was lime green, and that's what I made her blood color as. I forgot that I made Ember's blood red in an earlier chapter, so I corrected it last chapter. Anyway, enjoy this attempt at a talk.

In the next five or so minutes, Torch went on to explain just what his apparent compromise really was. Since I knew the ancient language of the Dragons, I was one of the only ones qualified enough and able bodied enough to explore the Ruins he spoke of. I actually did remember what he was talking about since they were the same ruins I saw in my Morphean state before this battle with the Fae started.

According to Torch, there were many powerful artifacts located in the old ruins, but any Dragon who tried to go exploring came back saying that some mysterious force would push them back from the entrance, making them unable to enter. Torch said that since I wasn't a Dragon, then I was the only one capable of going in and retrieving something for him. He told me he wouldn't disclose the item in question yet, only when I came to the borders would he deliver a message with a drawing of said object. He said that only then would the Dragons join the Council table.

After that, he demanded that he and Celestia be alone so they could negotiate everything. When Celestia tried to counter, I stopped her and said that I trusted her skills in negotiation before I went to tend to the still injured Ember. At first, she'd insisted she was fine, but I glared at her and told her to shut up and let me treat her. I lifted her away, carrying her up into the air bridal style before looking for another place to land and treat her.

Finding another spot by a small pond, which looked like the same one Zecora had trained Twilight in during the Magic Duel episode, I landed, lay her down, stripped her of her armor, used my new Phoenix wings to start a fire, and did my best to help her, but I was no medic. She apparently had a broken arm, too, which I set with a splint. She was silent all through this, not even looking at me as I did my best to tend to her.

After that, I just sat against the same tree and stayed with her. I looked up at the sky while Ember looked down at the fire, picking up stones and tossing them into the pond lazily with her good arm. I looked down at her after a while. In the soft warm glow of the firelight, I could see that, in her own way, the younger Dragon was actually quite beautiful. She might not have had a human-like appearance, but she was slender and definitely in shape. Her face was twisted into a scowl, though, and despite her rough personality, I knew there was a kinder one down below all that gruff. Maybe not a Pony type of kindness, but it was there. I decided to try and take steps to try and bring it out. I looked up at the sky again, took a deep breath, and said, "Have you ever just looked up at the stars and admired how beautiful they are?"

Ember looked up at me, a bit startled by my words. "Um…why would I? They're just stars. It's not like they're anything special."

I chuckled a bit. "Now that's where you're wrong. Stars are amazing. Do you know what stars actually are?"

"No, why would I need to know such trivial things?" Ember asked. She sounded a bit annoyed now.

However, I pressed on. "Trivial? Really? It's anything but. Stars are massive fiery balls of burning gas billions or trillions of miles away from our beloved planet," I said. "The sun is a star, and it's considered average size as far as stars go. But it's large enough to provide us with warmth and light. Look at that large red star," I said, moving closer to her and pointing at Betelgeuse. To her credit, she actually did look at where I was pointing, probably more out of boredom than anything. "That star is so much larger than our sun that if it were to exchange places with the sun itself, our planet would be swallowed up. It's a massive dying star which will eventually explode."

"As fascinating as this is, why does it matter?" Ember asked.

"I guess what I'm saying is, or what I'm trying to say," I said, trying to quickly find a moral in this conversation, "is that there's so much more out there to learn. Maybe it's about the stars, maybe it's about something as foreign to you as friendship." Hah! Bullshit lesson successful!

"Dragons don't do friendship," Ember said. Or not, I thought.

"I know one Dragon who does, and he can be pretty badass when he wants to be," I said. "Sure, he was raised by Ponies, but that doesn't matter."

She looked at me, a curious expression on her face now. "You're talking about that little runt?"

"That little runt just so happens to be one of my best friends," I said, "and he was one of the first ones I told about My Little Pony."

"That's a lot of pressure to put on a baby Dragon," Ember said.

"Can you imagine what it's like for him to be the only Dragon surrounded by Ponies?" I asked. "He was hatched by Twilight years ago, and has been living with her ever since."

Ember looked a bit shocked by this revelation, but soon her demeanor returned to its normal detatched state. "That's just him."

"Look, I'm not saying that you need to go all weepy and talk about your feewings or something," I said, "but every species is capable of friendship in one way or another. Hell, back on Earth, I've heard of close male friends who give each other a hard time constantly, but that only deepens the bonds of their friendship. It's called good natured ribbing. Friendship is a very broad topic. Hell, I wouldn't mind being your friend. Sure, I love being friends with the Ponies and Spike, but there's a part of me that kinda wants a friend who's tough and who I can train with and have wrestling matches with. I'd try and be friends with Gemini, but she still hates my guts."

She scoffed. "You wouldn't be able to keep up with me."

I looked at her and grinned. "Wanna bet?"

For the first time, I saw a smirk on her lips. "Once I'm back to my normal self, I'll make you eat those words."

"Oooh! I'm quaking in my boots," I said in a playful taunting tone.

This elicited a small chuckle from her, and I smiled happily. She did look a lot more beautiful when she was smiling or laughing. However, her laughter quickly died down as she looked at her broken arm. "Ugh…fifth time this year…well, at least he's cutting back."

I spread my wings, flames spreading from them. "Did you just say…fifth time?" I growled in rage.

Ember turned back to me, looking nonchalant about the whole thing at first, but when she saw the pure fury in my eyes, she froze, eyes widening a bit. "Yeah? So?"

"How the fuck are you okay with this?!" I asked loudly before I took a few deep breaths to calm down. "You know, when I saw how he treated you in the show during the Gauntlet of Fire episode, I just thought he was being dismissive of your size, but after what I saw today, he's not worthy to be called your father. No good parent would willingly abuse their own offspring our of anger."

Ember glared at me, snorting out a small flame. "You don't know anything about him, so shut the fuck up!" she shouted before falling into a coughing fit, some blood escaping her lips.

I grabbed my handkerchief and put my hand on her back, supporting her while I held up the handkerchief to help wipe her mouth. However, she snatched it away from me and wiped it herself before tossing it back to me. "You don't know what he's been through," she snarled.

"No, you're right," I conceded as I pulled my hand away after leaning her back against the tree once more, "I don't know what he's been through. But what I do know is that there is absolutely no excuse for his behavior towards you. You're his daughter! Sure, you might not be big like he is, but there's more to being a Dragon than just being big. You're strong and extremely intelligent, and you're brave enough to not only stand up to him, but to put aside your own anger towards me to come help the Kingdom of Equestria."

"And why do you care?" Ember asked. "All you know about me is from some pansy entertainment for human hatchlings."

"Even if I hadn't seen you in the show, I've seen enough of you today to know that you're a Dragon I'd want to get to know better and perhaps become friends with. Or sparring buddies." She looked down at the ground now, pawing at the dirt with her claw. When she didn't say anything, I took a breath. "I'm not sorry for calling your dad a bad parent, but I am sorry about how I said it. Your Highness, I can't force you to change your perspective on your father, but I can just tell it like I see it."

"There's…still some good in him…I can just feel it," Ember said quietly as she continued drawing in the dirt. "Mom always said there was…"

"Okay, so maybe there is," I said, "but that still doesn't make it right for him to abuse you."

She froze in place, looking at the incomplete drawing. "He's just…having a hard time, is all," she said.

I frowned. I knew exactly what that sounded like. I'd read about similar excuses from abuse victims back on Earth. She was still in denial. I didn't know why, but the way she talked about her mother made it sound as if she had passed. I didn't want to make any assumptions, so I decided to tell her a little story. "You know, back on Earth, I once knew a guy named Frank. He was a good kid. We weren't like close friends or anything, but he was pretty cool. I met him when I was around ten or so. We went to school together and hung out with my best friend Trixie during some breaks."

"As interesting as this is, what does this have to do with my dad?" Ember asked.

"I'm getting to that," I said, and she went silent, still not looking up at me. "When we were both around thirteen, just around the time we began going through puberty, Frank's dad died in a work accident." When Ember perked up at that, I figured my suspicions were correct, but I went on anyway. "He was away from school for a week, and we didn't know why until he came back. He was a changed boy after that. He was quieter, and after a few months, he started to come in with slightly ruffled or dirty clothes. He didn't look like he was eating well enough either, and he'd come in every so often with bruises, but he'd always have some sort of excuse as to why he was hurt."

Ember turned to me, eyes wide. "Are you saying that his mother-"

"Yes," I said. "It was child abuse, plain and simple. Finally, about a year later, he came in with a broken arm and black eye. We had a substitute teacher that day, and when she heard his excuse about falling down the stairs, she actually acted and called Child Protective Services. And do you know what they found? His house was a filthy mess. Not only was Frank's mom abusing him, but she was a hoarder. Frank was taken away from his mom and she was arrested. I didn't see him again until I was seventeen. He looked a lot better then and had finally accepted that his mom was a terrible human being. He had two amazing foster parents who loved him just as much as they loved their own children."

Ember stared at me for a bit, her expression now unreadable as she turned back and looked at the drawing on the ground. She resumed drawing. "Dad's not like that," she muttered.

Now I'm regretting all the time I spaced out in that psychology class back in college, I thought. "I'm not saying he's exactly the same, but if this were on Earth, he'd be arrested for assault for what he just did to you. And yes, I know we're not on Earth before you say anything."

"He always says he's sorry afterwards and gives me some of my favorite meat," Ember said defensively.

"That sounds more like bribery than anything, and it sounds toxic," I said plainly. "Your Highness…no…Ember." When I used her name, she turned back to me. "I'm not saying he's a completely lost cause, but what I am saying is that being around him is bad for your mental health. You should spend some time away from him."

"I can't do that…he needs me there," Ember said.

"Not if it means you're gonna be constantly looked down on and hit," I said. "You deserve a father who's proud of you for you. Right now, Torch isn't that. He's not being a good father, and if what happened tonight is any indication, he's becoming less fit to be a ruler too. A good ruler never immediately resolves an argument with violence unless there is no other choice. And a good ruler and father would never just throw his daughter at someone else for a marriage proposal."

She frowned deeper and raised her claw, slashing at the drawing in the ground. She grunted at the sudden movement and coughed a bit more, but fortunately no blood came out. She inhaled, then breathed out some fire at the little campfire I'd made. She sighed. "Yeah…not like I'd come to like you or anything."

"Oh my God, how much of a tsundere are you?" I snarked.

"What the Tartarus is a tsundere?" she asked.

"Forget it, Earth reference," I said, before looking back at her. She was still looking at the ground. Taking a chance, I approached, took her chin in my hand and made her face me. "Princess Ember of the Dragon Lands, listen to me. I know we just met, and I don't know your familial situation, but I'm worried about you. You've said some things that have me concerned for your wellbeing. What if Torch goes too far one day and you die? You may be tougher than most, but things could very well get really bad."

Her surprised expression turned into a glare and she grabbed my hand, pinning me onto my back and getting on top of me. She was indeed strong, that I could tell, but I still felt I could take her in a fight. "Listen here, human! Dad's under a lot of stress lately! He has to rule an entire land of unruly Dragons. He's a busy Dragon!"

I grabbed her wrist and gently but firmly pulled it away. Sitting up, I maintained eye contact with her as she backed away, a defiant look in her eyes. One I returned with one of my own. "He should never be too busy for family," I said. "Take Princess Celestia, for example."

"Oh, please! She's a Pony! They're all a bunch of peace loving, friendly hicks!"

"And she is responsible for raising and lowering the sun," I reminded her. "For the entire world. Now, can I continue?" That shut her up and she finally nodded. I released her wrist and calmed myself down. Taking a deep breath, I said, "Now, as far as I know, she's never had any foals of her own, but I know she's had at least two personal students. Not only that, but she runs a school for gifted Unicorns. Not only that, but she runs an entire kingdom, and has done so alone for a thousand years. She thought of those two students I mentioned as her own daughters, and she made plenty of time for them, or as much time as she could spare. As I've said before, when something is important, you make the time."

Ember leaned forward a bit, barring her teeth. "Why…do you fucking care?" she snarled.

I didn't flinch, only leveled my gaze at her. "Why do I care? Seriously? Because it's just a part of who I am. I can't stand to see anyone being hurt when I can do a little bit of something about it. And since you're a grown adult, it's not like I can take you away from it and give you a better life. All I can do is tell it like I see it. You're not in a healthy living situation right now, Ember. I'm not gonna sit back and say nothing when I see something like this happening. If I did that, I'd be no better than the abuser."

The next thing I knew, my face exploded with pain as Ember slugged me. I flew back into the ice cold pond. Coughing and sputtering, I quickly got out, shivering as the cold wintery air struck my now damp clothes and skin. Ember's eyes were completely full of rage as she stomped through the fire and loomed over me. She grabbed me by the collar and lifted me up. "Don't you dare say that! You don't get the right to say that! Dad isn't abusing me! It's his tough love!"

"Tough love…nng…doesn't involve a bitch slap!" I said, once more grabbing her wrist and pulling her off of me. I held her fast this time as she struggled in my grip. "It doesn't involve him beating you with enough force to break bones!"

She doubled her struggle, and even tried to use her broken arm, but I pushed it down. Leaning closer, I continued, "Why is it so hard for you to accept that he's not being a good father?"

"He's all I have left!" Ember shouted back with all her might. "Mom's dead! He's the only family left! I can't abandon him!"

I went silent, staring at Ember. I felt my face morph into a more sympathetic one as I loosened my grip on her. She felt this and tore herself away from me, stomping away and plopping down in front of the fire angrily. I slowly made my way over and sat a few feet from her, spreading my wings and wrapping myself in them. We both sat there in silence before she took a breath and made the fire bigger. I moved closer and let the flames dry my clothes. All we could hear was the sound of the early morning breeze through the Everfree. Finally, Ember said something I didn't expect. "…I'm sorry…"

I shook my head. "It's alright…I know what it's like to lose a parent. I lost both of mine."

She continued staring into the fire, staying silent for a bit. Finally, she continued. "I hate this. I hate talking about my feelings, but you somehow got it out of me…"

"You hate it because you feel vulnerable, right?" I asked, still looking into the fire as well. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ember nodding slowly. "I think I can understand that. From what I've seen, your culture is more like a warrior type than anything else. You need to project strength more than anything. And that's fine and all, but it doesn't matter if you're a Dragon, human, or Pony. We all have the need to vent. Maybe yours isn't talking, but talking is a good way to get your feelings out there."

"I…don't really like it," she said.

"Nobody does," I said. "When I first got to Equestria, I was a fucked-up mess. I did stupid shit like not trusting my new friends with some of my own problems. I felt like it was my own burden to bear. But the moment I told them, I realized that they were the type of friends who'd be there for me for the good and the bad." I turned and faced her, and to my surprised she slightly turned to look at me in return. "I'm not gonna force you to talk to me about this, but I just hope you realize what you've been enduring is beyond messed up."

I watched her clenching her fists, but her expression never wavered. "He…still needs me," she said softly.

"You love him, don't you?" I asked.

"He's my dad!" she shouted suddenly, "what do you think?!" She hit the ground. "He's been so lost without Mom! I've had to step up!"

"Is it really your job to help him?" I asked. "He's a grown Dragon."

"Mom asked me to, okay!?" she shouted back once more. "She…asked me to…" she trailed off, looking back down at the ground. And then I saw a drop of liquid fall from her eyes.

I tried to resist the urge to hug her for as long as I could, but being around Ponies for so long, that urge very quickly failed. I did, however, put a wing around her. She didn't react, but a few more drops fell from her eyes. "And that's fine, but at some point you need to ask yourself if it's worth the constant beatings and abuse."

She took a deep breath, then wiped her eyes a bit before sitting up and looking back at me. "Human…how are you making me feel like this?" she asked. To my surprise, she had a look of confusion on her face and to top it off, she didn't even push my wing away.

"I'm not using any magic on you, if that's what you mean," I replied. "I just don't want you to be hurt anymore."

She stared at me for a bit, then took another deep breath, sighing as she closed her eyes. "You…you gave me a lot to think about," she said.

"I'm glad," I said, "and I'm sorry for yelling. I tend to get a bit more…upset when domestic abuse comes up. I've seen what it can do firsthand, and I don't want the same to happen to a lovely woman like you."

I saw a bit of pink come to her cheeks, but before she could say anything, I heard someone flying down from above. I quickly turned, on guard and ready to protect Ember just in case, but when I saw it was Celestia, I immediately relaxed. Right above her, high above the treeline, I saw Torch hovering. Since I was in the presence of others, I knelt to my Princess. She landed, walked up and said, "Rise. Sir Jethro."

I did so, then reached down to help Ember to her feet. She was still blushing slightly, but when she and I both saw the grave expression on her face, she became serious. "My Liege Lady, what's happened?" I asked.

Celestia's face was a grim one as she looked down at me and Ember. "Lord Torch and I have come to an agreement," she said. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask for your aid once more, my Knight."

I put a fist to my chest and lowered my head. "I am yours to command, Princess."

Celestia sighed, but straightened. Her mane flew faster as her more regal appearance showed itself. Spreading her wings wide, she looked directly at me. "Sir Jethro Bethridge, sworn Knight of Equestria, you shall depart for the Ruins of Dormog on the northernmost edge of the Dragon Lands. There, you shall retrieve one of the artifacts within known as the Sunsword. Torch's instructions are as follows: do not touch it with any part of your body as it is said to imprint on anycreature who does. Bring it to him at his throne three days from now at the latest, and he has sworn that he will call off his invasion. His other stipulation is that you do it alone. No help from anypony or anycreature else."

So much for calling for Daring Do's help, part of me thought, however I didn't let it show. I stood straighter and said, "I'll depart at first light, my Liege Lady."

She lowered her wings, and a look of worry creased her brow as she said quietly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I said. "It's not your fault this happened. We were all fooled by Chrysalis and her Fae. But for now let's just get everything back at the Castle settled, okay?"

"You leave things to me," Celestia said tiredly before turning to Ember. "Princess Ember, you're free to return to your home or stay with us. Your father didn't seem to care either way."

The look of hurt on Ember's face was brief, but it was there. She stood up straighter. "A Dragon doesn't need any compassion from Ponies," she said. "I'll head back home. My wings aren't broken, at least."

So saying, she spread them and, giving me one more look, jumped up and flew towards the sky, leaving me and Celestia alone. Torch turned and headed back southeast towards the Dragon Lands. Celestia then turned to me and hugged me. The poor Alicorn was trembling, so I held her back, looking up at the starry morning sky. Things just got a lot more complicated…