Luna’s moon was high in her night sky, and the dragon occupant of Golden Oaks Library was sound asleep. It had been a tiring day for Spike – he had grown to gigantic proportions, destroyed half the town, been attacked by the Wonderbolts, nearly fell to his death…and received a kiss from sweet Rarity. Luckily for the young whelp, that last event was the one filling his dreams, keeping any nightmares of his rampage safely away.
The pony owner of the library however was not finding sleep, despite a physically and magically exhausting afternoon helping to repair and clean up the town. Twilight lay on her bed, gloomy thoughts swirling around her brain keeping the blissful escape of dreams out of reach. Frustrated, she crawled over to the side of her bed and looked down at her number one assistant.
Spike looked so peaceful sleeping curled up in his basket, with his old and slightly frayed baby-blue blanket. She remembered buying him that the day after she had hatched him, having been advanced her student stipend by Celestia. Given it’s age and wear, she had no idea why he still used it, although she had some suspicions. A smile formed across her lips as sweet memories of the young pair returned, and she gently learnt down and placed a light kiss on his forehead.
She returned back to lying on bed and waited for sleep to come, but it still wouldn’t. She couldn't get the thought of the purple dragon laying a few hooves away to settle down, and she had an ache in her heart that only one thing could fill. “Oh, for Tartarus sake, just do it” she whispered to herself.
She sat up in the bed and concentrated. Slowly and carefully she picked up Spike in her aura and lifted him towards her bed. The dragon awoke as he was being carried as the cold air hit his exposed underbelly.
“Huh, whats going on?” he spoke groggily.
“Shhhh Spike, don’t wake” Twilight cooed as she lifted her blanket and slid the dragon in next to her. She snuggled next to Spike's back, thankful his spines were still soft, and wrapped her hooves around him. “Just go back to sleep” she cooed.
Spike usually obeyed Twilight’s command, but his interest was piqued “You only ever let me sleep in your bed to comfort me when I’m sick. I’m not sick Twilight” he yawned back.
With a tone in her voice Spike hadn't heard for a while, Twilight whispered “Well, perhaps tonight I need you to comfort me.”
The unicorn felt much more sleepy already, hugging Spike, but decided she owed her companion an explanation...and she had something she wanted to say to him, something that was overdue. After a suitable pause, she continued “Do you remember when I first hatched you? How I used to keep you around me all the time. In my lessons, my time training with Celestia, and even shared my bed with you?”
“Yeah, I sort of remember bits!”
“I would never let you go. But after a couple of weeks, Princess Celestia explained that whilst mothers wanted to sleep with their foals, it wasn’t healthy for their development to do it for too long. So the next day your first crib was brought into my room…”
Spike felt a few warm drops of water drip onto his head, and realised that these were tears from the pony which was hugging him deeply “I remember those first few nights, how you used to cry out for me…your mummy.”
“Please don’t tell anypony that!” Spike replied, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks.
Twilight choked back a few tears “Spike, I’m sure we all did the same as foals!” Twilight paused before continuing her story “I would come over comfort you every so often, but as instructed by my mentor I didn’t let you sleep with me. It took hours for you to get to sleep, and it was heart wrenching to hear you cry out for me!”
Spike felt a few more tears fall on his spines “And then one night you didn’t cry out for me and just went to sleep without any fuss...”Twilight didn’t even bother trying to stop the tears as she finished “…You didn’t need me anymore!”
Spike just lay in silence, letting Twilight get it out of her system. She had never opened up to him like this before, and his young mind was swimming with the mixture of the memories and the words the pony cuddling him were saying. “Twilight, are you okay?”
She didn’t reply for a little while, just sobbing into the dragons back. Eventually, the silence by a meek voice “I almost lost you today Spike. In fact, I thought I had you more than once!”
“Huh?”
“I almost lost you to your dragon instincts…you ignored me and went on a rampage. I thought I would never have my…little baby Spike… back!” and she nuzzled the back of his head, spreading the wetness from her muzzle over him.
“And then, when the Wonderbolt’s turned up, I was worried that they, or the guard, would have to…stop you.”
The words hung in the air for a moment “I was torn…I know you needed to be stopped, especially as you had taken Rarity hostage and were a threat to the whole of Equestria. But…you’re my...” she trailed off. “If I were within range…I think I would have shielded you from the Wonderbolts, or Celestia…whoever.” Twilight paused for a moment with a shudder “I think…but I’m not sure…it was a horrible decision for anypony to have to make about somebody they love!”
Twilight broke down into tears again “And then -” she gasped “- the joy of seeing you return to being a baby dragon turned to horror as you fell…” Twilights voice started to really tremble at this point “I was too far away to teleport you or do anything. I thought I was going lose you…and there was nothing I could do to save my baby!”
Spike felt the jerks as Twilight who body shuddered as she sobbed and wanted to turn to comfort her, but the pony’s hugs were too tight to move. Through raspy breaths, Twilight reached her conclusion. “I can’t stand the thought of losing you….my son!”
Spike was already emotional from everything Twilight had said, but the final word really stuck with him. Suddenly some of his earliest memories of her came to mind, all of which involved her using that word when she was just a little filly looking after him. But for a very long, probably since Spike started to talk, she had never used that word again.
“S…Son?” he managed to stammer out
Twilight gulped a little “Sorry, sorry” she sniffed a few times “I shouldn’t have said that. I know I’m not your real mother. Please, forgive me?” the pony begged through her tears.
By this point Spike had started his own tears “Twilight. You hatched me and have cared for me every single day of my life. You feed me, provide a roof over my head, and have protected me from everything from ramping Ursa’s to pompous Nobles. If that doesn't make you my mother, I’m not sure what would!”
“You…you mean that?” Twilight choked back the tears and released her grip a little, allowing Spike to turn and face her. He raised a claw to her face and gently cupped it.
“There is nopony, or dragon, in the world that could ever take your place…I love you with all my heart…mum”
The pair started crying again and just cuddled each other, the salty tears wetting fur and scales alike, and the pillow under their head. Twilight knew they were both tired, but having got this far, she felt a need to confess one last thing. “Sometimes I wonder if I made the best decisions for you,” she quietly whispered as she stroked his cheek.
Spike looked up into Twilights bloodshot eyes with confusion “What do you mean?”
“Well, I insisted in raising you and looking after you myself. I remember a few arguments where some ponies wanted to take you away to be raised by experts, and others wanted to find you a dragon family. Perhaps it would have been better to let you go…I was just a filly, I shouldn’t have argued so!”
Spike gently rubbed his head against Twilights neck “I think being raised by somepony who loved me, somepony who treated me as a loving member of her family is better than somepony wanting to study me, or send me away!”
Twilight welled up at how mature Spike was being “That may be, but you’re a bigger dragon now. It’s selfish of me to keep you here with me, when perhaps you should be out exploring the world. There’s a lot more to life, especially for a dragon, then working in a Library in a small Pony village!”
“Seems to be good enough for you, and we all know you're destined for far greater things than me. Besides I could never leave you, Twilight!”
“Maybe Spike, but every creature eventually leaves the nest. Someday, we will have to say goodbye.” Twilight's voice cracked a bit, but she kept going “Whether that’s because you’ll want to go out exploring the world, or who knows, perhaps you find a nice Dragoness to settle down and make a nest with” she teased slightly, knowing Spike would blush at the thought.
“Or the most beautiful unicorn in the world?” Spike replied half sniggering.
“Perhaps, Spike” Twilight giggled back “Or somepony else equally as amazing, somepony deserving your love and devotion that you show Rarity…and me!”
Twilight started tearing up again “I may have to push you out someday Spike…and it’ll hurt us both the same as it did when you were a baby crying out for me. But just like then, it’ll be in your own best interest…you can’t cling on to me forever” You will outlive me afterall she thought to herself, the truth being something she could never say to her dragon.
Spike turned so he had his back against Twilight again and cuddled in next to her, the unicorn more than willing to curl up with her dragon “Perhaps Twilight, but I think we’re a little away from that. So how about we just enjoy the time we have together?”
A gentle peace fell over the pair and Twilight especially was feeling all cried out. She didn’t even try to stifle the yawn she let out “Goodnight son”
Spike gripped one of Twilight legs with his claw “Goodnight, mum”
Author's Note
This originally was going to be part of another story of mine (slightly different but same overall feels) but decided that it stood best alone
