Maternal Bonds of Eternal Friendship
"You asked to see me?" asked Twilight as she walked to meet with Princess Celestia.
"Yes, Twilight," the alicorn replied softly. "Follow me."
"I'm honored you'd ask me to join you after the raising of the moon," stated Twilight. "It must be very tiring to be responsible for raising both the sun and the moon. My studies have taught me so much about the amount of physical and mental energy it takes to do each and for you to able to do it all on your own is simply amazing."
"But not without its price," said Celestia.
Twilight felt she may have overstepped her boundaries with the Goddess of the Sun. After all she was but a student who Celestia picked to be one of the few she ever would take on as an apprentice. To her knowledge she was the only student within the School for Gifted Unicorns who Celestia took on as a pupil in a very long time.
"I'm sorry, Princess," stated Twilight.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Twilight," assured Celestia as her voice grew quieter. "Though I must ask you keep your voice down from this point on."
Twilight complied by following Celestia's lead. Neither saying anything as their pace slowed to a faintly audible trot.
"This way," Celestia spoke softly while using her magic to open a door in which was decorated with vibrant pastel butterflies, hearts, and birds.
***
Upon entering the room Twilight was taken aback by how it resembled a nursery.
"Princess?" she asked.
Celestia lifted her hoof and gestured towards a large circular basket.
Twilight looked to Celestia before slowly trotting towards the basket. Her ears picked up on the sound of a harp softly playing as a series of dim colored lights shined down upon the basket's center.
Twilight looked back towards Celestia who nodded her head before once more gesturing for her to continue onward.
Twilight made it to the edge of the wooden basket. This is when she realized that was she was approaching was actually an intricately designed bassinet. Inside was what appeared to be the dragon Twilight had hatched cooing as he smiled up towards the ethereal lights in which were shining down upon him.
"Is that?" asked Twilight.
"Yes," said Celestia.
Twilight looked at the little dragon who seemed to smile upon spotting the purple unicorn looking down at him.
"We meet again," she said softly.
Celestia walked alongside Twilight.
"I see a lot in you, Twilight Sparkle," she stated. "This is why I brought you here tonight."
"I don't understand," replied Twilight.
"Few know this," said celestia. "But I was once like you and all those other students to whom I've taken on as my personal students. Though there is something about myself, them, and you in which I deeply regret."
"What's that?" asked Twilight.
"Never settling down," Celestia replied. "I, like my sister, were dedicated to becoming as wise and powerful as we could to help others that we forgot about the importance of taking care of ourselves."
Twilight was silent as she awaited Celestia to further explain what she was trying to tell her.
"My sister, Luna, did not leave to spread peace and love to another land as the history books have said for hundreds of years. Rather, she became overcome by jealousy and rage that allowed the forces of darkness to corrupt her mind and turn her into Nightmare Moon."
"So Nightmare Moon is real?" asked Twilight.
"Yes," Celestia sighed. "Nightmare Moon was what my sister, Luna, became. Her false belief of Equestria favoring me over her allowed the forces of darkness to taint her soul and change her into what most ponies believe is merely an old mare's tale."
"I don't know what to say," said Twilight.
"There's nothing you need to say, Twilight," stated Celestia as she used her magic to gently bring the dragon out of the bassinet. "After all I was the one who asked you to come this evening with the hopes that you may learn from our mistakes."
Twilight watched as Celestia wrapped the little dragon in her flowing mane and nuzzled him with her muzzle.
"What is it you want me to know, Princess?" she asked.
Celestia faced Twilight before moving the mane swaddled dragon towards him.
"Do you remember what it was like to be a filly?" she asked.
"Vaguely," replied Twilight.
"Please walk into the bed and rest your head on one of the pillows," stated Celestia. "I will explain everything."
Twilight listened to her mentor by trotting into the basket bed and laying herself down upon the pillows.
Once Twilight appeared comfortable, Celestia slowly released the baby dragon from her mane and magically levitated him towards Twilight's torso.
Twilight followed the lead Celestia was providing her by raising her front hooves to cradle the baby dragon against her chest and under her muzzle.
"Twilight," said Celestia. "As an alicorn I have attained a gift that has become my curse."
"What's that?" asked Twilight as she felt the baby dragon pushing himself against her chest. His ear aligning with her heart as he buried himself as deep into her coat as he could.
"I'm immortal, Twilight," stated Celestia. "I've been alive for over a thousand years. During this time I have done many great things and met many great ponies. But those friendships I make only last for as long as the normal life span of a pony is not endless like mine or my sister."
"I had no idea," said Twilight.
"For as revered as I am and for all in which I know I truly am very lonely, Twilight," stated Celestia. "This is the consequence of valuing knowledge and others without concern at all for yourself."
"But isn't it noble to be in the service of others without expectations for yourself in return?" asked Twilight.
"It is," acknowledged Celestia. "However I have learned that you cannot truly care for others unless you take care of yourself as well. Self-sacrifice is indeed noble but over an eternal lifetime you begin to realize how important it is to live for more than just what your gifts can give others."
Twilight began to feel her body warm as the baby dragon seemed to almost merge with her body. It reminded her of how she used to snuggle up to Smarty Pants as a filly. But Smarty Pants was a toy and this dragon was very real.
"As I thought," said Celestia. "He imprinted himself on you since you were the one who hatched him."
Twilight noticed Celestia's face grow a saddened expression.
"What's wrong, Princess?" she asked.
"Without my sister I have no companion to whom to share my life with," she stated. "Nobody to live alongside me in a selfless life with no end."
Twilight thought for a moment before asking, "And this dragon?"
"I named him Spike," stated Celestia. "Spike the dragon."
Twilight smiled as Spike cooed upon hearing his name. His little claws feeling at her coat as he continued to find ways to bury himself deeper into her body.
"You remind me a lot of myself," stated Celestia. "You, like my sister and our dearly departed friend, Starswirl the Bearded, did all we could to gain the knowledge necessary to defend Equestria from those who would bring evil and hatred upon it. Though with our efforts we each respectively lost companionship. Companionship in which I feel has caused me to long since lose sight of what friendship truly is. I do not wish you to befall this same fate, Twilight."
"What are you saying, Princess?" asked Twilight.
"I'm saying that tucked beneath your hooves is an opportunity," said Celestia. "We may know little about dragons. But what we do know is that they can live forever. They are immortal creatures capable of many wonderful things."
"What I know about dragons is that they are violent and cruel," said Twilight. "This is why they are not allowed within Equestria. Wasn't it you who banished them to the far reaches of our world?"
"Yes," acknowledged Celestia. "Though the egg you hatched is one that I had long wished I could have hatched for hundreds of years. Unfortunately I could not."
Twilight felt a sense of pride knowing she was able to do something Celestia could not.
"So hatching this dragon, uh, Spike was more than just a test for getting into the School for Gifted Unicorns?"
"Yes," said Celestia. "Many have tried and many have failed. But you succeeded. This means you are very special, Twilight. You are perhaps the only pony who now has a companion who will love and be there for you for as long as you shall live."
Twilight rubbed the baby dragon's back as he started to drift off into slumber.
"With love and care you can raise Spike to be a dragon who uses his eternal life to better the lives of ponies. Perhaps even one day make it so both dragons and ponies can coexist."
"Are you asking me," said Twilight. "To be his mother?"
"Yes," said Celestia. "But you will not be alone as I will help you to raise him as we both discover the true value of love and friendship."
"I am your faithful student," stated Twilight. "And I promise to do all I can to help raise Spike to be a noble dragon if that is what you would have me do."
"It is," said Celestia. "Though I believe you will come to see it in a different way as the two of you bond from this point onward."
Baby Spike's limbs went soft as he fell to sleep and flopped flat on his back.
"There's a blue blanket behind you," stated Celestia. "Would you kindly tuck him in for me?"
Twilight got up, spotted the blanket, and took good care in putting the blanket over the slumbering, baby dragon.
"Ma," he said as his eyes opened briefly. "Mom... ma?"
Twilight felt her heart flutter upon being addressed in such a way.
"From this day forth, Twilight," stated Celestia. "You and I will be this dragon's parents. We will raise him to be good and noble. He will not only be a lifelong companion but someone every pony can respect for how he will prove that not all dragon's are as our fairly tales portray them to be."
"I understand," said Twilight.
"Now," said Celestia. "It is late and you need your rest. There will be plenty of time for you and I to bond with Spike between your studies. In the meantime I want you to think on what all I've shared with you and how important companionship and friendship are."
"I will, Princess," stated Twilight.
"Then I bid you a good night, Twilight Sparkle," said Celestia.
***
After Twilight left the room, Celestia looked down upon the baby dragon with a smile.
"Twilight does not realize this yet," she said. "But she has what it takes to be an alicorn one day. With you at her side I know she will never take for granted the value of friendship as I have allowed myself to do. Together we will make a difference in Equestria that will go far and beyond anything my sister, Starswirl, and I could've ever imagined."