The rest of that particular day was one I knew I'd never forget. After my somehow successful speech, I returned to Duzoroth with the rest. Ember wasn't too happy when I asked her if she was willing to become my plus one to the Council, but reluctantly agreed, especially when I managed to convince her that she was the perfect Dragon for the job. Not only was she former royalty, but she also had knowledge of Dragon culture, at least modern day culture, which I lacked. With that, she excused herself to go back to her old cave to "…pack up a few things", in her own words.
Later that day, I received word from the Dragon's Hatching Grounds from its current caretaker. Apparently, the egg I found was doing very well, but it would be at least another week, two at the most, before it would mature. Other than that, the caretaker, a Dragon female named Phlogiston, told me that the egg looked as healthy as any other egg, albeit with a few scratches in the surface. I sent a message back to her, giving her instructions to alert me the moment the egg hatched.
When I finally remembered Daring Do, who I hadn't seen in a while and in all the confusion I'd completely forgotten, Sunset told me that she'd actually returned to Equestria. She hadn't even left a message, but I didn't take any offense from that. She was, after all, still a lone wolf, so to speak.
I visited the former victims of the late Dragon Lord, and instead of Mantle, I saw a couple other older female Healers tending to them. Of course, Smolder and Garble were still with their mother, all of them with happy smiles. I even saw a pair of bongo drums sitting by the bed. One Healer took me aside and gave me an updated report on their conditions, which were slowly improving. Any diseases they might have had were being carefully treated and monitored. All of them were out of the woods, and now all they needed to do was heal. The majority of them, however, would never be able to lay eggs ever again due to old internal injuries which never healed properly, leaving them barren. We both knew what had caused said injuries, but I didn't want to say it, and neither did the healer.
After I quietly left the impromptu hospital, I finally returned to the hoard room for a brief visit. On my orders, the cages were removed and destroyed and the egg fragments cremated and buried with honors. As I was leaving, however, I stepped on something among a large stack of gold that made me pause. I looked down and saw a sword hilt coming up out of the hoard. I reached down and lifted a very old but very light sword up. As I had watched, it adjusted its size to perfectly match me. Drawing it, I saw that it had a light green sheen to it, as well as Aelyssian writing engraved on it, which gave the name of the sword as Faithkeeper. The inscription further read, "May those who wield this blade always be faithful and loyal to their kin, whether they be blood or otherwise." I grinned, then called Spike over. When I handed it to him, the sword shrank to perfectly match his size.
Afterwards, I spent time with Ember, Sunset, Spike, Scarlet and Zecora pouring over old maps and charts of the Dragon Lands. It surprised me to learn that Old Aelyssia once controlled a number of volcanic islands which reached hundreds of kilometers southwest. Now, however, the vast majority of the Dragons lived on the northernmost island where we were currently. Most Dragons had forgotten the names of the islands, so they had just forgotten. A very nerdy part of me, the one that was only growing thanks to repeat exposure to Twilight, had to contain my excitement when Ember mentioned that, according to what her mother had told her a few times in her youth, many Aelyssian ruins still existed on the islands.
Ember knew a few more tidbits of ancient Aelyssian lore. She told me that, according to her mother, at the height of its power, Old Aelyssia controlled many large volcanic islands, so many that some referred to it as the Empire of a Hundred Islands, although the actual number was more than likely around eighty or so. There were five large islands, the one we were on being the largest and which could itself qualify as a microcontinent. Scattered among these larger islands were many smaller islands, many of which had been abandoned or destroyed by volcanic activity in the years since the Fall of Aelyssia all those centuries ago.
When the evening came, we all had another quiet dinner together, then went to bed. That night, I was surprised to awake in my Morphean form. I couldn't really determine why, mostly since with all that had been happening it had been on the backburner, but I hadn't been entering my Morphean state. I couldn't be sure, but it seemed like the more I did it, the harder it became to stay in that state. I could still use the power when I was in said state, but anytime I tried to do something more complicated, such as making or even copying a laptop, the result would be metal slag and a large drain on my magic. I wasn't sure why impenetrable shields were easier, but as my life had become so much more complicated, and since having an unbroken night's rest had become more and more welcome, I hadn't thought much of it.
I decided to use this increasingly rare opportunity to attempt to repair the flying galleon. It stumped me, however, when I was also somehow able to repair the cracked crystal engine, but not without a massive amount of Morphean power pushed into it. When the crystal engine itself was repaired, the ship itself began to initiate some kind of automatic magical repair. I watched in awe as the wood seemed to de-age before my eyes. The rest of the ship followed suit, and even the large cutlass seemed to become cleaner and stronger. By the time morning had arrived and I was about to wake up, the ship had undergone a complete refit. It looked like a brand new ship, only without a name. Before I woke, I used what little Morphean energy I had left to carve a name into the ship: Phoenix Resplendent.
After breakfast, I decided to show the ship to Zecora, Scarlet, Spike, and even Ember, who'd expressed some curiosity about the floating galleon. We all flew there, or at least those of us who could flew. Spike was still a bit uncoordinated, but he was also stubborn and insisted on trying himself. Zecora, the only one who couldn't fly, clung tightly to my back as we flew down to the lake. When we did get there, Spike was exhausted and took a few minutes to recover, but he was surprisingly okay afterwards.
"I must say, dearest, you look more regal with that goatee than with that scruff of beard you had before," Zecora said as we walked along the newly refurbished Resplendent's upper deck. Not only had the ship somehow replenished itself, but many of the lifeboats had somehow either repaired themselves or reappeared.
I turned and made my way to the helm, Zecora right by my side. I stroked the newly shaven parts of my face. I'd decided to clean myself up for the Council, but also decided to go for a more regal look, at least until the Council was ended. "Well, I wanted to appear more like an Emperor," I admitted as I reached the helm and grabbed the saber from its resting place next to the wheel.
I took it and pulled it halfway out of its scabbard, and was surprised to see that it, too, now had a Damascus Steel look to it, with waves scattered on it, only instead of gold and silver like Eclipse, these were varying shades of grayish metal. The sword itself had also become intensely sharp, as was evident when I pulled a strand of hair from my head and barely moved it towards the sword. The moment the strand hit the blade, it split. I sheathed it and attached it to my belt as my second sword. I looked over the helm at the others, who were looking at various portions of the decks. Ember, not surprisingly, was looking at the cannons on the main deck, while Spike was looking at the newly crafted sails. They were still crimson, but somehow there was a new sigil on them. Sewn in silvery gold, I now saw that the pirate sign was gone, replaced with a large circle. Within said circle, lay a mighty fire-breathing Dragon in profile, but instead of one large fire breath, I saw that it was breathing out five smaller breaths of fire, each spiraling outward until they touched the large circle, joining with it.
"There it is…five again," I said to myself as I looked at the hilt of the saber, only to see the very same sigil on the very bottom, carved out of the same red crystal I'd seen in the lake surrounding Flamecano and Duzoroth Islands. "Think it means anything?"
"I know little about Dragon culture, beloved," Zecora said. "Perhaps it has something to do with those five large islands?"
"You'll find the answers you seek in the library you now own," Hestia said, appearing out of nowhere and landing on my right shoulder.
"Gah! Jesus, you keep on startling me!" I said as I felt another set of talons resting on my left shoulder. "And you too, Eve."
"Sorry," the younger Phoenix said apologetically.
"It's alright, and what library do you mean?" I asked, turning back to the older Phoenix.
"First, I came to give you this," she said, lifting her wing. Underneath it, I saw a completely identical duplicate of the necklace that had formed when Hestia's former treasure room had flown into the seven orbed chandelier-turned-necklace. She lifted it and held it over to me. I reached out, took it, and looked it over carefully, looking at the necklace currently around my neck for comparison. I could see absolutely no difference in either necklace.
As I looked it over, Hestia continued, "I found this in Torch's hoard room, hanging inside a crystal enclosure."
"Where'd he get it?" I asked, although I had a strong suspicion where.
"The Moonsword's tower was identical to the one where I rested for so many years," Hestia explained. "Including the treasure room. You do realize that all the treasure is now being stored inside those two necklaces, right? Everything that was inside that tower room is now in that gem. All you need to do is command the gem to release that hoard and it will do so, recreating the room just as it was before in what you might call a pocket dimension."
"So…not only do I own a large portion of ancient Equestrian bits back in Ponyville, but I also have claim to Torch's old hoard and the treasure in this necklace?!" I asked incredulously. When Hestia nodded, I held my head. "Fuck me…" I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. Not only was I the richest person in Equestria (presumably) but in the entire world. I turned to Hestia. "The universe either really loves me or really hates me. Or both."
As Eve and Zecora pressed themselves closer to me, Hestia lowered her head. "That, I cannot say. But I know that there are many ancient texts within both necklaces that-" she paused when both necklaces started to glow. "Oh…okay, that's new."
I looked down and saw the necklace in my hand starting to face. I let it go in shock, but it didn't move. Instead, it began moving towards the necklace around my neck. When it vanished, there were fourteen orbs on the necklace instead of seven. "I…I give up…" I said, throwing my hands in the air. "I just want to go home."
"We will, beloved," Zecora said, before leaning in and giving me an extremely passionate and loving kiss which lasted for a full minute before she let me go, gazing into my eyes with loving tenderness. She reached up and stroked my chin and beard with her hoof. "Just wait a little while longer, my dear love. Soon, soon we will be home."
Later that day, I decided that I would not only go back to Equestria starting the afternoon of the thirteenth, but I would take the Resplendent with me. I spent the rest of that day more among the Dragon hoard with Spike, Ember, Gemini, Mica, Sunset, Scarlet and Zecora, mostly looking for anything that might be of use to the new Empire.
The coins I saw were all about the size of an Eisenhower dollar coin, with the heads side containing what looked to be a five headed Dragon, each with varying styles of head springing from one body and each breathing some sort of fire. On the back, to my surprise, I saw a five petaled flower surrounded by stylized sunlight. Written in Aelyssian, I read the words FIVE AS ONE. Ember still was unsure what this meant, as any Dragon that was alive during that time had since perished and even her father had either known and not said or hadn't known since he was only a hatchling during the Fall of Aelyssia. Sunset didn't know any more, but she was confident that there were some answers in the Restricted Section of the Canterlot Archives.
Torch's hoard, when I explored it further, was larger than I remembered from when I first saw it. I had to cast at least five Candlelight spells and place them near the ceiling in order to get a look at all of the gems, cold coins, ancient but still salvageable suits of armor, weapons, jewelry, statues, gem studded goblets, bowls, platters and plates, silverware and more, all made of gold or coated in a thick layer of gold.
There was no organization to it at all. Instead, everything was scattered among the vast underground cavern. Ember observed that it might take years or even a couple decades to go through all of the hoard. Sunset, however, said that with the right organizational help, it would go much quicker.
Despite that, I found ancient sets or armor which, much like the sword I found for Spike, shrank or grew to match anyone who touched it. I found plenty of empty full sets, two of which I decided to give to Ember and Spike. Ember was a bit taken aback to be given such a gift, but took it. Spike, on the other hand, really didn't want it, but I insisted. "You might be a citizen of Equestria still," I told him, patting his back gently, "but first and foremost you're a Dragon. Even if you live in Equestria, I'm the Dragon Emperor and I want you to be kept safe. Besides, you want to learn to fight? One rule of fighting is to have a good defense. Your scales can only protect you for so long." Upon hearing that, Spike reluctantly accepted.
To my further surprise, I found about ten sets of armor that fit Gemini and Mica. Gemini recognized the sets as belonging to an old order of Lycan Knights who had been lost on an expedition long ago. I gave one set of armor to each, and not only were they a better fit than the ones the Lycans both wore currently, but they were lighter and sturdier than their current ones. They even took the swords that accompanied the armor.
I found many ancient looking artifacts, each of which seemed to radiate some kind of magic that was altogether both new and familiar to me. Familiar in that I felt a similar type of magic from Eclipse, and foreign because it wasn't quite like the modern Unicorn magic I was familiar with. This type of magic was stronger, more stalwart and rigid than the magic I knew. Even Sunset admitted she hadn't felt any type of magic like it. I grabbed a few pieces of jewelry which radiated said magic and packed them away so I could loan them to Twilight and/or Sunset for study.
What few books I did find were written in either Draconic or Aelyssian, languages which I doubted Twilight knew. Even so, I packed them all in a large empty chest and had them sent to the Resplendent to give to Twilight for study, but only as a loan. Not only that, but there was one other chest that was filled to the brim with an odd silvery ore which appeared to shimmer with captured moonlight. I took about three smaller pieces of the ore and placed them in a bag for Twilight, Sunset, or both of them to study.
However, all of it paled in comparison to what I found near one corner of the hoard room itself. Standing on a pedestal sat a large and very familiar looking pentagonal crystal, held up by five varying types of Dragons holding claws in a circle facing outward. "No way…" I said as I gazed at it.
"What is it?" Spike, who was nearby looking at a few bits of gem, turned and was immediately by my side, his new armor shimmering in the glowing light of the Candlelight spell.
I pointed up at the pedestal. "That crystal…"
Spike followed my gaze and his own eyes widened in recognition. "I've seen one like that before!" he exclaimed.
"So have I," Sunset said, coming up to stand beside me. "There's an identical one in Princess Celestia's throne room."
"So I was right," I said as I walked up to it and looking it over. If I had to guess, it was about a foot or so tall, give or take a few inches. The pedestal itself was a little over four feet off of the ground. "I've seen plenty of crystals similar to this in the episodes featuring the Crystal Empire." I held my hand over it, trying to detect any form of magic coming from it. My magical aura surrounded it, but I couldn't detect anything. "It's inert."
"Let me try," Sunset said, coming to stand by my side. Her horn lit up and so did the gem. She closed her eyes and concentrated for a good half minute before she stopped. "Nothing."
I gently reached out and touched it. Nothing happened, so I put my entire hand over it. Once again, nothing happened, at least for the first few seconds. When I released it, the purple crystal began to cloud over with what looked like internal mists that swirled and churned like internal clouds. Internally, the crystal began to brighten with a bright purple. I could feel a powerful magic radiating from it now. "Stand back, everyone!" I shouted.
There was a bright flash from the crystal, and I found myself standing on a large dais in a brightly lit room made entirely of crystal. I looked around quickly and found myself standing on a large dais which looked down on a long rectangular room with windows on both sides. The windows looked out into utter blackness. The light came from massive octagonal shaped crystals which emanated their own light into the room. I saw a couple of strange looking Ponies, all frozen in place and standing on a large bright purple carpet that led down from the dais.
I whirled around, then faced the crystal at the top of the throne, which itself was now glowing. In another flash, I was no longer in the throne room of the Crystal Empire. When the light dimmed, I was next standing in a darkened room which I recognized immediately as the view from the throne room in the ancient Ruins of Dormog. I caught a brief glimpse of the pirate bones before I was enveloped in another flash.
Next, I was standing in a massive underground cavern with two wide fireplaces on either side of me. A glowing gemstone chandelier hung from the ceiling's apex. On either side of me, I saw two large thrones. One of which was occupied by a very familiar older female Lycan. A Lycan who turned towards me with a start and glared at me. "You! What are you doing here!?"
I was about to answer when there was another purple flash and I found myself next in a large room made of some kind of white wood. Rising from the ground as columns were the trunks of about twelve white trees which spread in arches and made a ceiling completely made of extremely thick green branches. Embedded in the trees were glowing silvery gems which illuminated the massive hall where I found myself. Like the other rooms before, I was standing on a raised dais, next to a white throne. The throne itself was made of the same wood as the rest of the hall, appearing to have grown out of the floor. On the back were a number of antlers carved into it. The throne itself was occupied by a Deerfolk doe, who had golden fur and wore a circlet of silver and golden leaves. Her piercing sparkling blue eyes were directed at me. There were several other Deerfolk bucks in gleaming green armor who approached me cautiously, each carrying some kind of weapon in an apparent telekinetic grip, but the Deerfolk ruler raised her hoof. "Stand down," she said, in one of a soft but commanding voice. "'Tis merely a projection. He is unable to harm you." She looked closer at me. "So…you are the human from distant worlds beyond the veil. Well, before you leave, I extend an invitation for you to visit us here in the Cervinia Citadel."
I opened my mouth to reply, but there was another flash. Next, I was in Canterlot Palace, more specifically in the throne room. Celestia was to my left speaking to a group of nobles. "A fountain in the Northern Square isn't just a necessity," a light gray Unicorn with a dark gray mane. He wore a pair of glasses and a white and gray suit. Beside him, a bright yellow Unicorn mare stood with a light purple streaked mane. She wore a light pink ensemble with an emerald necklace around her neck. In a snobbish type of accent, the Unicorn Stallion continued, "It will not only bring significant revenue to the area, but it will chase out certain, shall we say, undesirable elements."
"Dear Elysium! What is that creature doing here?!" the Unicorn mare said suddenly, pointing directly at me.
Celestia quickly turned, then her eyes widened when she saw me. "Sir Jethro?"
I opened my mouth to reply, but I felt magic from behind me and was enveloped in a flash of magic. I was now in a brightly lit room, standing on a large pile of very old looking straw which itself stood on top of a pillar. Behind me, there was a large golden backrest stylized in the shape of a crown. There as a large set of crumbling steps that led down to the main floor of the room. To my right, the entire wall had been blown away, leaving shattered glass and large portions of stone lying on the ground. In the center of the room stood a large dark purple pedestal with fungi growing from it. There were carvings of trees built into the walls itself. "Griffonstone…" I muttered as I turned back to the back of the throne, only to finally notice the same type of crystal embedded in the golden back of the throne.
With a final flash, I was immediately back in the hoard room, the crystal in front of me starting to dim. I stumbled back and fell hard into a large pile of gold coins. Zecora was instantly by my side, looking me over with a concerned expression. Scarlet flew down to me as well, putting one wing behind my head to support it as I tried to sit up. "Dude, what happened?" she asked. "Your body started floating for a bit and glowing purple."
I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't leave the room?" I asked.
"I've never seen anything happen like that before," Sunset said as she came up to me as well. "Your eyes went completely white."
"What, did I warg or something?" I muttered to myself as I sat up and looked back at the once more inert crystal. Ember was the only one still staring at it, a look of awe on her face. "I'd stay away from that, if I were you," I said to her as I stood, brushing a few gold coins off of my chest.
Ember jolted, as if startled. She turned around, blinking the confusion off of her face. "Yeah…probably a good idea," she said as she walked down back towards us.
"What happened, beloved?" Zecora asked. "We heard you say 'Griffonstone' but that was it."
"I'm…not exactly sure what happened myself," I admitted before I recounted everything I had seen, from my vision of the Crystal Empire to my vision of the Griffonstone throne room.
When I finished, there was silence. To my surprise, it was Spike who made a sensible suggestion. "Mmmaybe it's time for us to leave well enough alone for today."
I chuckled and patted him on the back. "I agree. Let's get out of here." And with that, we all turned and headed back to the entrance.
"Your Grace, I must insist that you take some of the Guard with you and the Princess," Lahar was saying late on the morning of December 13th as the two of us stood on the deck of the Resplendent which was anchored near the mainland shoreline. I was currently wearing the exact same clothing I had worn on my first day as Emperor, with my armor safely stored away in the map room. Eclipse was strapped to my side and the as of yet unnamed saber which controlled the Resplendent was attached to my belt. Spike, Sunset, Scarlet, Zecora, Ember, Gemini and Mica had all gathered what little belongings they had with them and were standing on the deck below, just waiting.
The only reason I hadn't left yet was because Lahar had insisted on speaking to me. "Your Lycan guards aren't capable of defending you from an aerial attack." He and I were both standing on the deck of the Resplendent. The sun was shining brightly that day and the winds were light and blowing to the west. "If the Dark Fae are in Equestria, I don't want my new Emperor in danger from them."
"The Fae have surrendered to the Equestrians," I replied, "but you're right. We are heading into a foreign land. Even if I'm technically a citizen of Equestria, I'm also now an Emperor." Turning to Lahar, I said, "Find three of the most trustworthy Guards you can and tell them to prepare for a long journey. You as well, Lahar. You're coming with me."
"At once, Your Grace!" Lahar said, placing his fist on his chest, bowing, and flew away towards the portion of the tower where the Guards stayed.
"Gotta say, you've really grown into your new role," Ember said, landing beside me near the wheel and watching Lahar fly away.
I sighed and put my hand on the spokes of the wheel, turning it slowly. "I've studied plenty of rulers both in this world and my old one. I'm nowhere near ready to be a ruler."
"You sure you want to be telling me this of all Dragons?" Ember asked, crossing her arms and looking at me with a smirk.
"You're one of the few I would tell about this," I replied, turning to face her. "Now then, are you ready to go back to Equestria?"
She frowned and looked northwestward, staring in the direction where I would be steering the ship. "If you're being honest, then so will I. I'm not looking forward to this at all. By the gods, how the fuck am I supposed to help represent the Dragon Lands?"
"You're not," I said quickly. However, before she could say anything, I continued, "You're helping to represent the Aelyssian Empire reborn. Like it or not, you're of royal blood. You and your as of yet unhatched half sibling, even if they are a bastard child. When they hatch, they will become a prince or princess and have a place in my court."
Ember's expression froze on her face and she turned slowly to look at Duzoroth Tower. It stood there, tall and old, and yet still bearing the ancient pride of the Aelyssian Dragons who had built and lived in this place. Even if it was nothing more than a watchtower, it was not only built to last, but built to be a testament to Dragon pride. "My father…killed hundreds of my half siblings…" Her fists clenched and the air around her began to heat up from her anger. "I can't believe I was so naïve as to try and defend him!"
Ignoring the heat, which somehow had begun to bother me less and less, I put my hand on her shoulder. "Ember, don't be angry at yourself. You aren't to blame. Your father was the one who did all of those things. He was a monster and a tyrant. From what I've seen of you, and I mean in real life, not the show, you have more honor in you than he had."
She made no move to remove my hand as she stared up at the tower. We both stood there for a long while, watching the tower. Finally, Ember asked, in a voice that was surprisingly frail and shaky, "Is it wrong of me to think that…I'm glad he's dead?"
I gave her shoulder a squeeze, and the air around us cooled as I let go. "As long as you don't let your anger and hatred consume you like it did to me."
She chuckled. "Pretty sure you made a lot of Dragons piss themselves in fear."
"Not one of my proudest moments," I admitted as I looked up saw four Dragons, all in armor, flying out of the upper barracks where they lived.
"Even so, you managed to kill the largest Dragon in the world," Ember said, "and if there's one thing we Dragons can respect, it's strength."
"Duly noted," I said as four Dragons landed on the decks. I looked down and walked over to the steps that led down to the deck. Despite the fact that the four Dragons were taller than I was, they still bowed their heads. One of the newcomers was Lahar's partner who had been guarding me when I woke.
Lahar stepped forward. "Your Grace, I brought Strato, Scoria and Silica," he said, pointing to each in turn.
It surprised me when I noticed that Scoria and Silica were both female, but I put that out of my mind as I looked up at the three Dragon newcomers. Spreading my wings, I flew up into the air so I could face them face to face. Hovering there, I said, "You know where we're going, soldiers of Aelyssia. We're heading into the heart of a kingdom which, until very recently, was our enemy. We aren't going there as enemies now, but as potential allies. I want all four of you to be on your best behavior. Do not antagonize the Ponies and don't let them antagonize you. I've lived among them, and I know they have a harder time dealing with non-Ponies. Hell, when they first met me, I was nearly killed out of instinct. But don't misunderstand me! We are going to try and make lasting peace with not just the Ponies but other races throughout the world! Lycans, Deerfolk, Griffons, Hippogriffs and more! You don't have to make friends with every Pony you see, but I fully expect you to maintain a sense of decorum! Am I understood?"
All four Dragons stood up straighter and placed their fists on their breastplates. "Yes, Your Grace!" they all said in unison.
I nodded in approval. "Good. You are free to stay on this ship or fly around it, because it's time to set sail.
"We will fly around the ship, Your Grace," Lahar said, and all four spread their wings and flew into the air.
I flew back over to the helm, then began engaging the engines. Unlike before, there was a very subtle humming all around us as the magic I'd poured into the engines made the ship spring to life. I drew the saber and held it up. The anchor began to raise on its own, coming up until the newly refurbished piece of iron came out of the lake and was set in its place. I pulled the wheel back, and the fore of the ship began raising itself out of the water. At the same time, I pulled the saber back and thrust it forward. The wind began blowing heavily, and soon the Resplendent was soaring above the Dragon Lands-
No, they aren't the Dragon Lands anymore, I thought. This is Aelyssia, ancestral home of the Dragons. I smiled. I was finally going home. I was in such a good mood that I began singing, "Soon may the Wellerman come, to bring us sugar and tea and rum! One day when the tonguin' is done, we'll take our leave and go!"
The sun was just beginning to set that very same day when I saw the bright lights of not only the Castle of the Two Sisters on the horizon, but the warm lights of Ponyville as well. With the Resplendent's speed, we made very good time across the ocean. When I'd tried to set it down to sail it in the Celestial Sea, I found that it didn't move quite as fast, so I just flew the ship back into the air.
Our path through the air didn't take us over many settlements. We did pass very near a massive mountain range which separated the Hayseed Swamps as well as Dodge City. A couple of curious Pegasi flew up towards us to get a better look, but when they saw the Dragon Guards quickly flew back down to the ground.
As we approached the Castle, a group of Pegasi Royal Guards approached. Lahar was about to stop them, but I called out, "Let them approach!"
Three Pegasi, all white with blue eyes, landed on the deck. One of them approached. "Sir Jethro? Or is it Emperor Jethro now?" They all looked apprehensive, which made sense especially with the nearby Dragon Guards.
I stood at the helm for a bit before walking to the steps leading down to the upper deck. "I am currently Emperor Jethro of the Aelyssian Empire," I said as I stepped onto the upper deck. I reached into a chest pocket and pulled out my invitation. "I am here at the behest of her Royal Highnesses Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to attend the Council of Equestria."
I handed it to the guard, who took it and opened it with his wings. He read it over, then closed it and gave it back to me. "The Princesses have been informed of your unusual arrival and have had a place prepared for you to dock. Please follow us, Your Grace." And with that, they spread their wings and flew to the fore of the ship.
I quickly made my way back up to the helm. There was still plenty of sunlight left that I didn't have to turn on the ship's crystal torches, and I wanted to keep it that way as I grabbed the wheel. "Either fly or take a hold of something, everyone!" I called out. Spike and Zecora quickly came up and clung to the railing near where I was, while Sunset grabbed one of the bits of railing near the fore of the ship. I pushed the wheel forward and the ship slowly began to descend towards a large body of water which was fed by the river near the eastern portion of the castle. During my time reconstructing the Castle, I had seen this portion of it many times, and after rebuilding the old water gates which had kept the river's water out for so long, I'd opened them once again and let the water flow in. I gently eased her down as I had earlier that day in the Celestial Sea, sending waves crashing against the artificial shores.
Standing on the docks, I saw a large group of Ponies waiting for me. The Princesses were all there, as were the Mane Six and Shining Armor. I smirked as I saw Pinkie bouncing up and down on the dock with Rainbow hovering nearby. As I sailed the ship the last few meters to the dock, I caught the glimpse of joy and relief on all their faces.
I had barely turned the dials on the helm to the off position when a butter-colored Pegasus came quickly towards me, hugging me close with all of her legs. Caught off guard, I stumbled back into the door leading to the ship's map room. "You're back!" Fluttershy exclaimed, tears of happiness pouring down her face. "You're home…" she repeated as her grip on me tightened, her relief filled sobs filling the air.
Lahar was flying down towards me, but I held up a hand to stop him. He stopped in the air, hovering there as I wrapped my arms and wings tightly around Fluttershy. "Like I said when I came back before, there's no place like it. I'm glad to be home…"