Life, Love, and Lives Loved


"Princess, why don't any of the other students have baby dragons like Spike?" Twilight asked.

Celestia lowered her cup of tea and regarded the young filly. "That's a very good question. Why don't you try to figure out the answer and tell me what you think?"

Her student's face immediately scrunched up in concentration, much to Celestia's relief. Twilight's worshipful stage had already gone on for longer than most of her personal students; best to teach her to think on her own rather than always ask the princess for answers.

"If they all had to take the same test... but no one else has a baby dragon..." the look of deep thought disappeared and she began hopping up and down in excitement. "I was the only one that passed?"

Celestia smiled at her enthusiasm, but reluctantly shook her head. "No, you were the only one that succeeded," she corrected, keeping her tone encouraging. "That's not the same as passing. A dragon is very resistant to magic, so the judges can observe how much power the applicants put into the spell even if the egg doesn't hatch. As a matter of fact, you were the first pony to succeed in over a hundred years."

That praise only increased the filly's excitement until her expression suddenly fell. "Wait, if Spike was in an egg for over a hundred years... what about his family? Do they even remember him?"

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Well, dragon families work very differently from pony families. But what about you? You're helping raise him. Doesn't that make you part of his family?"

That didn't seem to lift her student's spirits. "But... but I read a book about dragons so I'd know how to take care of him," she began, and Celestia couldn't help but notice a trace of guilt in her voice. She made a mental note to tell the maid to stop looking for the missing rubies. "It said that dragons live for thousands of years. How can I be his family when I wont live as long?"

Not much surprised Celestia at her age, but the sight of such a young filly pondering her own mortality managed it. Why in Equestria was that the first thing she thought of? "You're far too young to be thinking such things," she replied with mock sternness. "But no, I don't think it matters. Losing somepony you love hurts, but it doesn't wipe away the happy times you shared. You can still live a long and full life with Spike, and that's what's really important."

For a long time Twilight was silent, though she kept giving the princess concerned looks.

Celestia finished her tea and was just about to excuse herself when her student spoke again. "You said I was the first in over a hundred years. The last pony.. did she become your student too?"

"He, but yes," Celestia said. And others, she thought, her face a mask as memories of Sunset Shimmer came to mind. "Star Ballad passed away many years ago, and his dragon Silverwing went on to find a mate far to the south. Now that I think about it, perhaps she'd be willing to grant an egg as Spike's replacement."

Twilight seemed strangely unconcerned by Silverwing's story, though. Instead she just continued glancing at Celestia. "But what about Star Ballad? Doesn't it make, umm, Silverwing, sad that he's gone?" she asked after a moment, concern evident in her voice.

Oh thought Celestia, as everything fell into place. Most of her students arrived at Twilight's dilemma eventually, but never so young. "She was very sad, at first. But the pain went away and the memories didn't." She smiled, making sure Twilight could see it. "I still laugh sometimes, just thinking about them. Would you believe they once divided up the royal guards into teams and took command of them in a snowball fight? They claimed it was a training exercise. I'm sure Silverwing wouldn't give up those memories for anything."

The filly just stared at her with wide eyes, but slowly a look of understanding appeared as well.

Celestia leaned down and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I suppose the current guard never got that special training. Maybe we should try it some time?"

Twilight blinked, then slowly nodded. "I think I'd like that, Princess."