Twilight's Equestria - The After Years

by BPM

Chapter 5

The wingbeats thumped at an even pace as Rainbow Dash and Applejack made their way to Canterlot. An awkward silence filled the air, only separated by the creaking of the wood.

“You…want to what?!” exclaimed Applejack, finally breaking the ice.

“I want to, you know.. have a kid.” Rainbow Dash meekly responded.

“But didn’t you tell me… that…”

“I can always adopt…”

“Well, I suppose that’s alright, but do you really think you’re ready to take care of a kid?”

“I’m not getting any younger, and Rarity already has a kid.”

“You remember raising Scootaloo practically by yourself? I mean, yeah she didn’t live with you but she practically grew up under your wing. You don’t remember the accidents and all the injuries you got? Some scars don’t ever heal either. Shucks, it was because of Scootaloo that you quit the Wonderbolts in the first place!”

“It’s because I took care of Scootaloo for so long that I want to be a real mom. I don’t often say it, or show it but… that was a time in my life I remember fondly…”

“Well, if you’re sure…”

“I’m still kind of on the fence about it, and I don’t know if I should try this alone…”

“Give it some time and think long and hard before you make a decision…”

“Yeah, this isn’t really the time, anyway. Let’s see what the Princess needs.”
---

Twilight ran from shelf to shelf, amassing all the books in the library, hoping to find a solution. Not one of them was written in Equestrian Common. Sighing, she gave up on the library, and instead made her way to the lake on the grounds. As she looked up, she saw the same jarring moon, slightly tinged by the magic that kept her caged inside.

She looked down and stared into the water. A glimmer of light seemed to emanate from it. As she looked closer, she could make out...some bubbles? A white ceiling? She didn’t understand – why were these images appearing in the lake?
---

“I’m surprised you haven’t changed your name to Coldblood, you snake.” Rarity begrudgingly sat across from the stallion.

“Oh come now, Rarity. That was a long time ago, and I seem to recall that you had the attraction to me.” Blueblood goaded the unicorn on.

“After what you did to me? You duplicitous jerk.”

“Didn’t I try to make amends when you visited Canterlot?”

“If that were the only thing you did, I wouldn’t hold grudges. But what you did to Twilight is unforgivable.”

“It all worked out for the best didn’t it?”

“You really think that justifies what you did? It was vile.”

“It wasn’t that bad.”

“Because of what you did, she spent Spike away!”

“Oh, were you attached to him? I’m not sure how well that would work out…”

Rarity raised a hoof threateningly against Blueblood. “Not another word, mongrel.”

Blueblood raised his hooves and seemingly backed down. “Alright, alright…”

A few moments passed in silence. It was only when Rarity finally broke the silence did Blueblood finally make a sound.

“So what’s this about Princess Celestia wanting to see me?”

“Princess Twilight has gone missing, and she has summoned all of you to the castle.”

“Twilight!? Is she alright?”

“We don’t know. But I felt that I should come pick you up personally when I heard the order, so I excused the guard and asked my carriage to come instead.”

“I don’t see for what purpose, there’s-“

“Shh, Rarity. Listen. I have a secret to share.”
---

The castle was coming into view for Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, and an odd glow could be seen coming from it. The pair of ponies got off the chariot, Gummy in tow, Fluttershy stumbling a bit over herself.

“Yaay, we’re finally here!” Pinkie exclaimed, with a voice that could wake the dead.

Pinkie, with her inexhaustible optimism, bounced happily around Gummy while Fluttershy looked around for Celestia and Luna.

“Please, this way.” A guard came to meet them, gesturing towards the corridor. “The princesses are in the library, looking for a spell that may be able to reverse the situation.”

Fluttershy and Pinkie followed the stallion down, and up to the high ivory tower where Equestria’s knowledge was held.

“-azy? That will never work, dear sister!” Luna was audible from even outside.

“It is our only chance – do you know of any other spell that does this?” Celestia replied

“But Sister! You might get-“ The guard knocked on the door, interrupting their argument.

“Princess, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy have arrived.”

“Princess, I’ve confirmed with Discord that he is not the source of our problems.” Fluttershy reported.

Celestia nodded knowingly. “I had been afraid of this. Still, it is best to make sure.” She gestured toward Luna, combing over the texts here and there. “If we had Twilight, she would be of great help here. She knows these books far better than any other pony in Equestria.” Celestia lamented.

“What’s going on?” Pinkie Pie asked inquisitively.

“When the others have arrived, I’ll explain everything. For now, I must ask that you wait patiently.”

Pinkie, a little dejected, left herself with Gummy and started playing a game only she could understand, involving a few of the books lying around and a stethoscope.

---

Spike never wanted to leave Ponyville or Canterlot. In fact, when the dragon migration came again last year, he wanted to stay with Twilight – but Spike wasn’t a kid anymore, and he wanted to go through that trial just as much as any other dragon.

On the migration though, Spike was always made fun of for his lack of wings – he was lumped together with all the dragons that were either too young or injured to fly, but even amongst them, not having wings was isolating. Of course, this wouldn’t deter the young dragon from going on the migration – he journeyed on foot, and that has made all the difference.

“Hey, you overgrown lizard.” Crimson Blaze jeered at the purple dragon.

“You’re just jealous of my scales.” Spike retorted, noting the sheen on his magnificent scales. Because he spent the majority of his life in Ponyville, it lacked the scars and injuries that marred most of the other dragons. He was, without doubt, the dragon with the most lusterous scales in the migration.

“My scars are trophies of battles won and lost, whelp. I don’t care for your scales. I wouldn’t expect a babied toddler to understand the intricacies of the scars of battle.” Crimson responded, the flames on his back growing slightly hotter.

“Whatever, what do you want?” Spike was out hunting – it was one of the trials of the migration, that the dragons hunt game for themselves. Well no, it wasn’t really a trial so much as an expectation, but for Spike who ate vegetarian for the first few chapters of his life, it was a challenge. Whenever he caught a rabbit to devour, he thought of Angel Bunny and it made it all the more difficulty to eat.

“Tomorrow is the grand hunt. Don’t get in my way. This isn’t your town of ponies and little forest friends. Dragons die on those grounds.” Crimson warned.

“You’re not the only one with a bite, Crimson. I’ll show you what I can do now. I wasn’t with Twilight all those years for nothing.”