The two Phoenixes stood on the ancient street only a meter or so away from me, Daring Do and Spike. It was a fairly tense moment for us. The male looked slightly suspicious, while the female looked more intrigued than anything. Daring kept her expression neutral, while Spike just stared at them in complete astonishment. As for me, I kept my expression cool, calm and collected. The fact that I could somewhat read their facial expressions surprised me, and I wondered briefly if it was more than a language my Phoenix Rebirth downloaded into my brain. Perhaps it was an understanding of Phoenix body language.

The two looked somewhat identical in appearance, although since they were now up close, I could see some differences between male and female. Up until this point, I'd only ever seen a female, who always seemed to have three to five thin feathers with small balls of blue fluff on the ends. The male I saw, however, had three large feathers sticking out of his head as well as three large yellow flame patterns on his chest.

I decided to take the initiative for this, took a deep breath, and said, "My name is Jethro Bethridge. This young Dragon is Spike, and this Pony is named Daring Do."

The two Phoenixes looked cautiously at each other for a few moments, then looked back at me. The female said, "My mate here would say our names are immaterial, but as you are a Phoenixborn, I see no reason why we should hide our names. I am Thalia, and this is my mate Adranus."

I bowed respectfully. For some reason, a part of me was saying that these Phoenixes were ancient and wise. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Adranus nodded. "We have not seen a Phoenixborn for many of our lifetimes, so the pleasure should very well be ours." Turning to the other two, he frowned a bit. "They cannot understand us, can they?"

"I doubt it."

Nodding, Adranus spread his wings, sending a massive ball of flame towards the two. However, before anyone could react, the flames stopped and surrounded each of them, forming a small ring of flame. "Now they should be able to understand our speech. At least as long as they do not leave the ring."

Daring Do's eyes widened. "Did…did that bird just talk?"

Adranus turned on Daring, his wings starting to ignite slightly in anger. "Pony, we are more than just birds! We are Phoenix-kin!"

Her ears pinned back. "Um…right. Sorry."

Spike pulled at my shirt, and I looked down to see him looking up at me with awe in those eyes. It made me relieved to see just how much he was taking this in stride. "Is that what you hear now?" he asked.

I smiled. "All animals speak the language of the Phoenix," I said, "At least, that's what Philomena and Eve told me."

Thalia nodded. "We did more than teach our language to the non-speaking creatures of this world. We were in the process of uplifting them when our greatest tragedy befell us, but that is a story for another time."

"My mate is correct," Adranus said. "We must know what your intentions are with that tower."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're the tower guardians, aren't you?"

"Correct," Thalia said. "We have been tasked by our Dragon friends of old to make sure that the ancient treasures within do not fall into the possession of those who would do the world harm."

"You must tell us why you wish to seek out said treasures," Adranus said.

Spike stiffened. "Hey! Who are you telling what to do? Jethro is a Knight of Equestria! He-"

I held up a hand. "Spike, calm down."

As Spike clamped his mouth shut, Thalia put a wing over her beak and I heard her giggle softly. "You have fire, young Dragon, and you stand up for this being you sit beside. That speaks volumes about your character."

"My mate is correct," Adranus said. "She and I have not seen a Dragon with such nobility ever since the Dim Times began."

"Spike here was raised by Ponies his entire life," I explained, putting a reassuring hand on Spike's back. "He's not your average modern day Dragon. He's definitely got a lot more honor and spirit than any other Dragon I've met. He even snuck himself into a bag just to accompany me on my mission for Equestria."

"And the Pony?" Adranus asked, looking over at Daring Do.

"I'm not a part of this so-called mission," she said. "I'm just a treasure hunter."

"She ran into us by sheer happenstance," I explained. "I asked for her help since she's got more experience in this sort of thing than either me or Spike."

"Which brings us back to our question," Thalia said, and her expression became just as serious as that of her husband. "What are your intentions with your attempt to retrieve the treasures within?"

This was it, the moment of truth. I took a deep breath, knowing that it would probably be unwise to lie to them. "I'm hoping to stop a war between Ponies and Dragons."

Adranus and Thalia looked stunned, although the former looked less so than the latter. Adranus spoke up after a few seconds of silence. "Explain yourself."

And so I did. I began by telling the story of how Eris escaped. The two apparently knew of Eris and their wings bristled at the mention of her name. They were relieved to hear of her reimprisonment, but strangely enough did not recall her message to the world. I then told them about how I brought up the idea for a council, but how the Fae got involved and kept the Dragons out of the loop. They recognized the Fae as well, but when I told them about how they began to reform, they slightly relaxed. When I came to the end of my story and why I needed to retrieve the Sunsword, Adranus shook his head. "I remember that supposed Dragon Lord Torch. I knew him when he was only a newborn. He was born in this very castle before the war. It would seem his desire for revenge has begun to drive him mad."

I felt a chill go down my spine. "Mad…?"

"Torch used to be one of the more honorable Dragons around," Thalia said, and I could hear a hint of sadness in her voice. "He was the second cousin of Helios, otherwise known as Sol Invictus."

"When the Fae and Dragons began to war against each other, he was about as young as Spike," Adranus added. "He had not even yet molted. When the castle was put under siege, he and any of the younger members of the royal family fled. That was the last we saw of him until he came back, trying to get back into the palace."

"By then, we could see he was beginning to be afflicted with the madness of revenge," Thalia said in a now mournful tone.

"Wait, if you were around during the Fae and Dragon war, could you explain just exactly what happened?" I asked. "I'm getting conflicting stories from both Torch and Chrysalis."

Thalia shook her head. "My mate and I don't know much about it," she said.

"Your goal is a noble one, to be sure," Adranus said, "but I'm sure you're aware he has been lying to you."

"It did seem a bit obvious," I said, my heart sinking once more. "I really don't want a war."

"No sane creature does without a good cause," Adranus said. "Torch is too far gone now. He lost his spouse, and his thoughts are set on pure revenge against the Fae."

"Then why hasn't he acted?" Daring asked. When I turned to her in confusion, she said, "I'm not just a treasure hunter and writer, Sir Bethridge. I used to be a college professor of ancient Equestrian history."

"Jesus, you're even more like Indiana Jones," I muttered before I added in a louder voice, "Alright, care to elaborate?"

Daring sighed, then seemed to slip into lecture mode. "The Dragons live mostly on this neighboring continent. The Fae live across the mountains from Griffonstone in a desolate desert. From what I've read, both lands used to be fertile and green until after the war."

"That would be because of the two thrones," Adranus explained. "The Fae throne steals away any magic except for that belonging to the Fae. And then there's the Dragon Throne. It's not as powerful as the Fae Throne, but it keeps plants from regrowing in this plain. Magic can still be used, however."

"The more I learn, the bigger my headache grows," I admitted, rubbing my forehead and closing my eyes.

To my surprise, I felt a wing slowly touch each side of my cheek. Opening my eyes, I saw Thalia looking up at me with a sympathetic glance. "You have been through more stress than any creature should ever have to go at such a young age," she said soothingly before slowly backing away. "Please allow my mate and I to discuss this situation." And with that, the two spread their wings and flew off in a burst of flame.

I leaned back against the wall behind me, exhaling a breath I didn't know I was holding. Beside me, Daring Do and Spike also moved to lean against the wall. The rings of fire moved with them, not burning any part of them. Curious, I reached out and put my hand over the flame. It wasn't scorching hot to the touch, and I wondered if I, too, could learn this sort of spell so that others could talk to the animals.

Daring looked over at me after a while, looking tired. "This…is going to make for one of my strangest books yet," she said dryly.

"No shit," I muttered with a small smile. "Any idea what you're gonna call it?"

"What about Daring Do and the Sunsword?" Spike suggested.

"Mmm…too on the nose," Daring said.

"Daring Do meets the Knight of Equestria?" I suggested with a wry smile.

She scoffed, but I also saw an amused smile on her face. "You're funny, Sir Bethridge."

"Just call me Jethro, okay?" I said for the millionth time.

"Sure," she said, then looked up at the distant Phoenixes as they flew around the tower. "Any idea what they might decide?"

"Well, I'm not sure," I said, "but after hearing what they just told me, there's no way I'm about to give the Sunsword to Torch. I don't know why he wants it, but it doesn't matter. He's probably the type of Dragon who would make empty promises just to get what he wants. And thinking back, he might just be insane. Either that, or he's been twisted by the idea of revenge that it consumes him. He wasn't like this in the show. Sure, he was dismissive of Ember, but he also didn't physically abuse her or go to war."

"So…what are you going to do?" Spike asked.

I didn't respond right away. Instead, I turned to Daring. "What do you know about Dragon rituals and culture? Anything?"

"Probably a lot more than most Ponies," she said, "but not much. There's not a lot written about Dragons in Equestria. What are you looking for?"

"There's got to be a way we can settle this without a war," I said, "like some kind of duel of honor or something. It's standard for a race of warriors."

"If there is, I don't know anything about it," Daring said. "But didn't you say that Torch demanded you not touch the Sunsword?"

"He did," I said, "but why though?"

"Maybe it's a touch sensitive artifact," Daring said. "I've seen those before. The first one to touch it activates it."

"That would make way too much sense," I said. "First person to touch it gets some kind of power up or something? Cliché, but it makes sense."

And with that, the three of us fell back into silence. I closed my eyes and rested for a bit. However, the moment I did, images of Zecora once again filled my mind's eye. I couldn't help but smile. Adventure or not, I missed that gorgeous Zebra with all my heart. I saw her twinkling eyes, her golden rings and neck chokers, her new mane style, her magnificent swishing tail, and heard her once more whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Sweet nothings that meant everything to me. God, I miss that mare.

Then, her form shifted and I saw Scarlet. I almost laughed at her perverted smirk, felt myself calm down at her now expected dirty jokes at my expense, and smiled wider as I saw the imaginary version of her flying around with the widest and proudest smile on her face. Just like the first time she showed off her new flying abilities to me. I missed her, too.

Scarlet's form shifted once more, and now I saw the stalwart form of the oldest of the Mane Six, Applejack. Her warm and family friendly smile was always one that could calm me down. She was a down to earth type of mare that kept me grounded. Despite our earlier interactions, I'd grown to trust her with some of my own thoughts regarding my parents' deaths. After her own breakdown, she'd begun opening up to me every time after I worked on their farm. We were confidants, sharing secrets that we might not share with others for a while. Her southern twang was welcoming, and I saw the mental version of her put her hoof over her hat, welcoming me with a "Howdy, pardner!" I missed her a lot.

Applejack's form melted away and I saw the grinning, smug expression on Rainbow Dash's face first. If Applejack kept me grounded, Rainbow was the one who could make my mood soar out of the dumps if I ever felt like that, at least most of the time. I admired how headstrong and self assured she was of herself. Sure, she took it too far sometimes, but she always seemed to learn her lesson. She also didn't take shit from anybody. I missed her.

Rainbow's form morphed into Rarity's next. Her sparkling blue eyes shone just as much as the generosity she portrayed. Her smile whenever I talked with her about or showed her something related to Earth fashion would always make me smile as well. I loved how passionate she got, and even though she could get a bit over the top about it, I still missed her.

Rarity morphed into the beaming form of a bouncing Pinkie Pie. I could hear her giggling and bouncing, and her nickname for me, which only Trixie called me. But whenever Pinkie called me by that nickname, it didn't bring any sadness to the surface. Maybe it was because Pinkie represented laughter, but it warmed my heart whenever she called me Jethy or Jethy-Wethy. Despite not knowing exactly where my stance was on romantic feelings towards Pinkie, I did enjoy her physical affections. I felt guilty immediately for thinking that, but I knew that I missed that mare a lot.

Pinkie morphed next into the tender form of Fluttershy. Her soft spoken voice was always enough to put me at my ease, and her coat of fur was always so soft and warm whenever the two of us sat on her couch, cuddling and reading manega and manga or watching YouTube compilations of animals from Earth. It was during those times when I saw her truest self: her excitement and joy at talking about not only animals but her love of a form of entertainment that nobody else knew about. One that I was all too happy to keep secret until she was ready. I missed that Pegasus.

Fluttershy morphed into Twilight Sparkle. Despite my study sessions and discussions with her giving me headaches and wiping me out, I thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent. It gave my brain a workout, and after each session I always felt just a bit smarter. Her enthusiasm was catchy, and despite her ability to get lost in her studies so much that she neglected her other needs, I truly missed her.

To my surprise, Twilight morphed, and the form of Princess Luna appeared. Out of time she might have been, I greatly respected her ability to assess a military situation and take the lead. We had only interacted a handful of times, but I enjoyed all the time we did spend together. I had the most fun with her during Nightmare Night. It was refreshing to see such a previously uptight and out of touch mare loosen up.

Lastly, but not least, Luna grew and stretched until I saw Celestia standing before me. She was facing me head on, her magenta eyes locked on mine. The smile she wore seemed more genuine the more I saw her, and her widespread wings spoke of the deep love and care she bore for her subjects. She might have her own faults, like not dealing with certain issues in a way that might come back to bite her in her, admittedly, very attractive flank, but somehow meeting me had begun changing her. My daydream version of her opened her mouth, and with a smirk, said, "I'm your fucking princess, my knight."

I couldn't help myself. I snorted loudly. God, I missed her too.

"Jethro? Are you okay?"

I jumped, opening my eyes, the visions I was experiencing vanishing in an instant. Looking towards the source of the voice, I saw Spike looking up at me with concern. "Ah, sorry. I was just imagining something funny."

"Oh? Like what?" Daring asked.

"Celestia swearing," I smirked.

Daring's eyes went wide. "The Princess? Swearing?!"

I chuckled. "Let's just say…I haven't been as good of an influence on her as I've hoped to be."

"I'm surprised Twilight hasn't done anything to you," Spike said.

"She's chewed me out, if that's what you mean," I laughed.

"Yeah, that sounds like her," Spike replied with a knowing look in his green reptilian eyes.

"They're coming back," Daring Do said quickly.

I sat up straighter and looked up. Sure enough, Thalia and Adranus were flying back down towards us, a trail of smoke following behind them as their wings were aflame. When they landed, the flames vanished and they looked at us all carefully before the two locked eyes with me. We all sat in silence for a few seconds before Adranus said, "My mate and I have discussed this at length, but we are at an impasse. She wishes to trust that you will do the right thing, but I am still uncertain. The treasures within are not to be entrusted to just anyone we meet. You have a good heart in wanting to try and avoid war at all costs, but I am afraid that Torch is lying completely."

I sighed and closed my eyes. "I figured as much…but what else can I do? War is the last thing I want."

"We cannot tell you what to do. That is your own decision. Even so, giving such an artifact to Torch would be like throwing lava onto a fire in the hopes of putting it out," Thalia added.

I nodded solemnly. "I figured…"

"Neither of us can stop you from entering and retrieving any relics within," Adranus said, "but we cannot, in good conscience, allow your companions in either."

I frowned. "Please, I need them both with me."

"That is non-negotiable," Thalia said apologetically. "They cannot come in with you. The magic not only keeps them out, but they are not the ones who have been called to retrieve the item you seek."

I bit my lower lip, then inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly. "I understand. I appreciate you telling me this." I looked at them. "So…can you tell me anything about the relics inside?"

"We are the guardians, not the informants," Thalia said. "Even if we knew much about it, we wouldn't be allowed to do that. All we can tell you is that the swords don't work separately. That's all we know."

"That makes way too much sense, too," I said with a sigh. "Which means he might just have the Moonsword."

"That I cannot say," Adranus said. "But some final advice before you enter the tower: if you are successful in retrieving any artifacts within, be wise in your decision on how to properly utilize them."

I nodded. "Yeah, I wasn't planning on doing anything else. Although, to be honest, all I really want to do is go back home, curl up in bed with my marefriend and just block out the world until I'm ready to face it again, but I don't have that luxury, and that would be the wrong thing to do."

Thalia smiled. "A correct choice, Phoenixborn Jethro. We will remain here and keep watch over your companions."

"I'd actually like to go and explore the rest of the ruins," Daring said.

I looked at her, then shook my head. "I'd like for you to keep an eye on Spike, so no exploring-"

"My mate and I can watch over this young Dragon," Adranus said in an insistent tone. "As for you, Pony, feel free to do as you wish. The ruin is abandoned, and we are not the guardians of any of the other treasures here. Only be careful of the other tower, as it is enchanted like this one."

"Love, that tower fell centuries ago," Thalia said.

"True, but the enchantment has not failed," Adranus said to his mate before turning back to Daring. "If you encounter another enchantment as the one that protects this tower, leave the area."

Daring nodded. "Alright, I will." She stood, left the circle of fire, and headed back the way she came, but not before she stopped and turned to me. She walked back over, stood on her hind legs and jabbed her hoof into my chest. "Here's some advice from an experienced treasure hunter to a beginner: don't rush this and use your head. Use all your senses to protect yourself and detect traps."

I nodded. "Understood."

With that, Daring spread her wings and flew into the air, heading towards the castle keep. Just then Spike grabbed my shirt, looking up at me worriedly. I looked down at the scared eyes of the young drake. "Be careful, please?" he asked.

I nodded. "I will, I promise." Turning back to the Phoenixes, I added, "Are you absolutely sure I can't take him with me? I mean, leaving him alone with two Phoenixes I just met just doesn't sit well with me."

Adranus glared, but Thalia put a wing on his back. "I understand your wariness, as does my mate. And you are correct: we have not spoken long enough to warrant your trust. However, we simply cannot allow this young Dragon to accompany you. It would go against the wishes of our long-gone friend."

I sighed, but nodded in understanding. "I know two Phoenixes. One is the pet and constant companion of Princess Celestia. The other is my new pet and companion Eve. If they are anything like you, I'll trust you with Spike's care. But don't let any harm come to him." I took my bag off my back, opened it up and took out a plastic Tupperware container full of a reheated steak and potato stew, two Sweet Apple Acre apples and the bottle of water I'd given him the night before. I put them down next to Spike. "These should tide you over, at least hopefully."

Spike looked at the food, then back at me. "Are you sure you'll be okay without these?" he asked.

I held up a big bag of jerky, along with another apple and my canteen. "I'll be fine, kid. You just be safe, got it?"

He ran up and threw his arms around my legs. I smiled. Being around Ponies all his life definitely made him more affectionate than even humans would be. I knelt down and stroked his head comfortingly, like a father would to his son. "You too," he said softly before breaking the hug.

"I'll do my best," I said with a smile before turning to the Phoenixes. "If something happens to me, could you see to it that he gets back to Ponyville safely? Maybe get Daring Do to take him."

"We will make sure he is returned to his home," Thalia promised.

With that out of the way, I slung my bag over my shoulder, then turned to face the tower. "Ready or not, here I come." And I took the first steps up the hill.