Twilight sat at her vanity, slowly brushing her mane with slow steady strokes, a distant look in her eyes, a smile playing across her face. It had been two weeks since the trip to the capital city of the dragons, and things had relaxed greatly around the house. Spike seemed much more at ease, as if his startling revelations of the weeks prior had set him at peace. He had said that he didn't mind talking about these things with her and would so if she asked him to.
She had wondered if there was anything more about the dragons he wanted to tell her, but she had not asked; whatever it was he would tell her in time. She thought back to that long forgotten city and smiled, she had been unable to sleep when they had gotten back, that city was a treasure trove of knowledge, one that could keep her and her descendants studying, learning, and cataloging for generations to come.
Even if she had a thousand years of life she'd never uncover all the ancients secrets of the dragons and that thought brought a wide smile to her face. After ensuring her mane was smoothly brushed, she pulled out a small mahogany box that Rarity had given her on her last birthday. She smiled as she opened it to reveal a large number of perfumes and and a good array of make ups. She picked out a fragrant rose scented perfume and sprayed it on lightly before applying a light powder and eyeliner. She smiled at her appearance in the mirror before closing the case and placing it back into small area of her desk where she kept it.
She hadn't taken this much time to touch up her appearance and found that she really liked taking the time for it. She left her room and walked downstairs, the noon day sun pouring in through the windows. The house was empty but for her. Spike had left earlier today to go back the Dragon city for some reason or another, he'd been somewhat vague but she trusted that whatever it was that caused him to go there was important. She sat down in the living room and picked up a chapter book off the side table and began to read it while she waited for Spike to get back.
She'd been able to get to her story books by exploiting the one loophole in Spike's wards around the bookshelves, it prevented her from getting Study material, not from reading in general. She opened to the page she was last at and continued to read. The minutes stretched in a couple of hours before she heard the library door open and clawed feet walking on the hard wood floor. "I'm home, Twilight?"
She closed the book with a snap and placed it back onto side table before sliding off the couch and walking towards the hall that lead to the front door. She smiled at Spike and stood on her hind legs, putting her front legs around his neck in a loving hug. He smiled and returned the hug, rubbing his nose along her neck, smelling the scent of roses on her. He smiled and looked back into her eyes, the feeling of closeness palpable in the air. He leaned close to her and said, "You smell divine love."
Her face felt very hot as a blush colored her cheeks magenta. She grinned and leaned close to him her lips inches from his as she whispered back, "Thank you, I did it just for you."
He let out a soft hum as he leaned still closer, his lips barely touching hers and whispered, "All the more lovely everyday I see you." At this he leaned in the miniscule distance and kissed her.
She sighed audibly as she returned the kiss with equal passion, loving every single second of the embrace. Spike was in a daze, the beauty of the pony in front of him, the rose smell in his nose, the tingling excitement running down his spine. However, before he knew it, an all too familiar sensation came to him. A warm glow spread up his throat, rolling upward till it hit his mouth.
Before Spike could do much more than open his eyes wide with shock with the emerald green flames escaping his mouth. Fortunately, his dragon fire did not burn individuals when receiving a message, and that alone was what could cause his fire to come out involuntary. He tried to stop it but it was to late. His green fire flowed from his mouth to Twilight's who's eyes went large as saucers as she suddenly found herself holding a scroll in her mouth. She pulled away from Spike and quickly spat it out.
He apologized repeatedly as she slowly recovered from the shock. Having her moment with Spike interrupted so rudely was not at all pleasant. She bent over and examined the letter before picking it up and opening it. It was from Celestia, and as pleased as Twilight was to hear from her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of profound irritation at her timing. The letter read,
"Dear Twilight and Spike,
I would like to invite you two to join me for a picnic lunch. I would very much like to introduce you to my children if you would like to meet them. Lunch is in one hour at the small pond in Whitetail woods. I await your response.
Celestia"
Twilight smiled in spite of herself and summoned a quill and ink before writing her agreement on the back of the same message and asking Spike to send it to her. Spike took it from her and read it before lighting it and sending the reply back to Celestia. He shook his head and leaned against the door frame with his eyes closed. Twilight watched him while she thought about what to do. "So, Twilight, what do you plan on doing?"
Twilight shook her head and said, "I already said we'd go, I'm not going to be so rude as to say yes, then not show up. Just let me grab my scarf and we'll head out to the pond in Whitetail woods." With that she turned and walked back upstairs, returning shortly with her lavender colored scarf, which she wrapped around her neck. "Okay, lets go." Spike nodded and opened the door, bowing Twilight out of the house with a smile. She rolled her eyes and walked out of the house with Spike following behind.
20 minutes later
Twilight and Spike came to a stop on the small hill near the sycamore tree that they had shared their first kiss under. She smiled at the blanket laid out on the ground under it and moved toward the pond. The blanket was a quilted pattern, simple and comfortable, perfect for the uses of a picnic. The air was cold, but not unbearable as she settled down on it, looking around for any sign of princess or her mysterious children. The blanket had obviously been laid out by her, seeing as she didn't recognize it but some it appeared that she was no where to be found.
Spike slid down next to her and put an arm around her neck, holding her close in a warm embrace. Twilight noticed that he was shivering slightly, as the weeks progressed, the temperature got steadily colder. She laid her head gently against his and waited. The princess couldn't have forgotten about this, That much she was certain about. Just when she was beginning to wonder if she should wrap the two of them in the quilt for warmth did something happen.
There was a noticeable change in the air, suddenly seeming to be warmer, as if she were sitting downwind of a bonfire, the air suddenly feeling as if it had risen ten degrees. She looked at Spike, thinking perhaps that he was the source, only to see that he was also looking around curiously, obviously wondering where the sudden heat was coming from. The air seemed to be getting warmer and warmer, slowly beginning to feel as though they were sitting in a sauna when Twilight looked behind her as a sudden surge of magic flared. The ground five feet away from where she was sitting was smoking slightly as ripples in the air indicated the intense heat in the area.
She grabbed Spike's shoulder and turned him in the direction of the spot she had seen when the grass and leaves there erupted into flames. The ground split apart, like an earthquake had hit it, the air seemed to become sweltering as from within the damaged ground rose roiling magma. Twilight was now panicking, half rising to her feet until she realized that the lava was not obeying the laws of nature. It flowed upward, fluid and lithe, like a stream of water flowing over rocks, twisting and bending forming an intricate pattern in the air. After a few minutes Twilight realized that what she was watching was forming into the shape of a peculiar creature, the likes of which she had never seen before. Before she could gauge what it was, the magma cooled into a solid black rock.
She took a step toward the statue, to examine it. Before she had taken a half step, the rock face of the statue cracked and a section of it fell away, revealing a single, mahogany brown eye. In a split second, the entire carapace shattered as the occupant shook himself. Twilight shielded her face as fragments of rock flew past her and when she looked back she gasped. Before her stood a creature that was beyond believe, a perfect mix of Dragon and Alicorn blood, there was no mistaking that this was one of Celestia's children.
The pony, for want of a better word, stood a head taller than Twilight was. His coat was a deep crimson red, smooth and sleek, a line of golden scales running down his back towards his tail. His wings where those of a dragon, large and scaled, but with what appeared to be feathers or feather down, on the back side of them, his wings were currently folded neatly against his body. His horn was similar in shape to Celestia's but was lined with gold and raw gem fragments. His mane looked like it was made of lava, flowing and moving like the liquid rock itself.
He smiled and nodded towards both Spike and Twilight, both of whom wore a deeply shocked look. He cleared his throat after a long uncomfortable silence and said in a deep, calm voice that offset his appearance, "Greetings, you must be Twilight Sparkle and Spike, I've heard a lot about you from my mother."
Twilight's brain was sagging from her attempt to process this new information, He had few things in his appearance that looked like they came from Celestia, the horn and eye shape where what stood out the most.
Twilight opened and closed her mouth repeatedly before managing to ask, "Why do you look so...different?"
The pony smiled as he walked closer to the picnic area, gemstones and crystals growing around his feet with each step. He settled down on the ground next to the blanket and said, "I didn't always look like this, My appearance has changed since I became the prince of the earth."
Now Twilight understood, though she was surprised to know what he was, the prince of the earth, she was more surprised to be talking to some one she had not until recently known about. He looked around, examining the area before looking back at Twilight and asking, "Where is my mother, is she not here yet?"
Twilight shook her head and replied, "No, and I believe your sister is coming as well, by the way what is your name?" The pony dipped his head apologetically and said, "My name is Tetran, Prince of the Earth. I'll let my sister introduce herself."
At this he nodded in the direction of the pond and Twilight and Spike looked around at it. The surface of the water had become enshrouded in a thick mist, flowing just over the surface of the water. Twilight felt a calm presence coming from the pond and relaxed as she just stared wistfully at the water. The water rippled and seemed to flow up the side of the small hill, like a shadow of the clouds before the sun. It was a few seconds before Twilight Realized that it was water flowing towards where the small group sat.
It flowed upward, much in the same way that Tetran had appeared, but instead of solidifying after taking the same of another of the curious creatures it seemed to be being filled with color. It soon looked like she was looking at another persons reflection in a pool of water. The water melted away to reveal another one of Celestia's children, standing at the small picnic area with her eyes closed as if deep in thought.
She was frighteningly beautiful, despite her unique appearance. Her coat was a cloudy white with a similar stripe of scales running down her back, except they were a deep sea blue rather than gold. She had two horns, one above each eye and angled backwards, much like some of the dragons she'd seen in books. Her wings were feathered and Pegasus like, the feathers were a iceberg blue and nearly see through. Her feet were different as well, cloven an scaled, the blue scales running up her legs to her knees.
Her face also had scales on it, in a small patch that ran the length of snout. She finally opened her eyes and looked at the three gathered ponies, her eyes a piercing crystal blue before saying, "I am Ocaena, the Princess of the oceans and tides."
Tetran smiled and said, "You were always one for your introductions."
Ocaena snorted and said in reply, "And you aren't always showing up like a volcano."
She sat laid down on the opposite side of her brother and looked around, obviously trying to spot her mother, who had yet to arrive. She looked back at the group and said nothing, merely watching each of them, as if gauging each of them in turn. Spike felt acutely uncomfortable under her piercing gaze and instead tried to talk to Twilight, suddenly wishing that he was alone with her, away from these strangers.
Twilight meanwhile was talking in great depth with Tetran and seemed not to notice his attempts to get her attention. Boiling jealousy rose like wildfire in him, lapping at his heart and mind as he glared at the male who sat across from him. Tetran noticed this and stalled slightly before looking back and forth between Twilight and Spike, correctly guessing where the glare originated. He halted his talk With Twilight and bowed his head towards Spike and said with complete honesty,
"I have no intention to take your mate from you, I apologize."
This left both Spike and Twilight spluttering as they tried to form words with which to explain that they were dating and nothing more. Ocaena assisted by correcting his statement, much to his chagrin and he again apologized for the misunderstanding, leaving the pair of them highly embarrassed and unable to say much more. Fortunately, as Twilight began a round of twenty questions with Ocaena did Celestia appear. She alighted on the ground a good ten feet away from the group, a smile teasing her face at the sight. She wasn't wearing her crown or necklace in fact, this was one of the few times that Twilight had seen the princess without them. Celestia took two steps forward when she was suddenly bowled over by both of her children.
Twilight raised an eyebrow as both of the full grown adults that she was in the process of being acquainted to wrestled around with their mother, like small children all over again. She still couldn't resist smiling at the loving family scene before her however. Twilight watched as Celestia handily flipped Tetran over onto his back and held him there with one hoof before tripping up Ocaena with a spell and causing her to tumble onto Tetran into an undignified heap. Celestia smiled and said, "947 to me, you'll have to try harder than that little ones."
Celestia walked over to the quilt and laid down on it while Ocaena and her brother attempted to untangle themselves. "I see you've met the two of them, how have you been getting along?"
Celestia's question brought a smile to Twilight's face as she said, "It's wonderful to finally meet them, I wish I could have me them sooner."
Celestia nodded and said, "Unlike me, their responsibilities are far more taxing. They govern the land and the sea, this includes the tides, volcanoes, the growth and nourishment of the plants, creation of new land and the maintaining of balance in both the land and the seas. I control the sun's rising and setting."
At this Spike wondered how on earth they could have found the time to attempt to pin their mother almost a thousand times, let alone come to a picnic lunch. He reasoned that they learned how to maintain their duties without thinking about it.
Celestia focused her magic and summoned a good sized lunch to them, more than enough to feed all those present. She motioned for Twilight and Spike to help themselves and as they did so, they were soon joined by the disheveled siblings. They all sat down to eat with much laughter and merriment, swapping stories and tales of their lives, of lessons learned, adventures undertaken and great deeds done by all those present. It didn't seem like it lasted very long, but soon enough, the sun began to dip behind the horizon and the sky darken.
Twilight was sitting next to Spike, laughing cheerily at a tale of Ocaena's of the time she'd accidentally encased her brother in ice and attempted to pass him off as an ice sculpture to avoid getting in trouble when Celestia called a halt to the tales, just before Tetran could retaliate with a story of his own.
"I think its time we called a halt to this party of ours. Its late and we all have things we need to do. Both of her children had looks of disappointment that they hid very well, nodding in agreement to Celestia's statement before rising to their feet. Ocaena smiled at Twilight and Spike and said, "It was good to meet you two, I hope that we can do so again." Tetran nodded in agreement to this and said, "Indeed, You are good friends, I am honored to have met you."
He turned to his mother and hugged her, Celestia smiling as she kissed him gently on the cheek and smoothing back a lock of his mane, the perfect image of a mother and her son. She moved to her daughter next and gave her a hug as well, kissing her lightly on the cheek and smoothing out some of the feathers on her left wing. Celestia nodded to them and said, "I hope you'll come to visit me again, I miss the pair of you."
They both nodded and promised that they would before walking off together toward the woods and vanishing in an altogether unspectacular way. Twilight found that there were tears in her eyes, a deep longing in her heart that she couldn't explain. Watching this family, reunited for a brief time made Twilight wish that she could go back to the beginning of the day and do it all over again, so they could be together always. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, causing Celestia to turn around to look at Twilight, silver tear tracks on her cheeks as she smiled and said, "I've wept enough for the both of us, come Twilight, its late and we both need to be heading home."
Twilight didn't want to leave, she had a million questions she wanted to ask Celestia, but she respected the princess enough to know that on this particular matter, it was better left alone. She nodded and rose to her feet, Spike standing next to her, shivering and yawning, to cold eating away at his energy. She took ahold of Spike's arm and teleported home, taking the weakened dragon to his room so he could rest. Twilight sighed as she closed his bedroom door behind her and looked out to the rising moon.
Today she had met the two children of Celestia, both of whom had been extraordinary individuals in their own right. She wondered why she'd not seen them around Ponyville or Canterlot, but she left such questions for another time. What time of her vacation that remained was sure to bring more surprises her way, and she was sure that they couldn't possibly be as startling as the last month had been.
She looked forward to it.