War of the Equines

I stared a the strange decor, face turning from curiosity to confusion at the lights flashing over the green surface. I felt strange, sitting at the edge of the tree, under it was hundreds of colorfully and perfectly wrapped boxes, making me make a face. I looked at Luna.

"Luna, what... What is this tradition?" There was the sound of glass shattering and a loud gasp. In almost an instant, I was on my side, Fíola having knocked me over.

"Are you SERIOUS?! They never taught you about Hearths Warming?!" I shifted uncomfortably and squirmed, sitting up so that I wasn't pinned under her.

"I keep telling you I don't know what things are, and yet you are continually surprised. Why?!" I sat up, smiling as we looked at each other.

"Because it's mind boggling they didn't even teach you about our holidays in case you had to... I don't know do something!" She scoffed. She had been staying here for the past few days after she had a private conversation with Siren Bell and the princesses. This left me to wonder the castle freely. however, when I actually did disappear from view, for more than a few minutes for Celectia, she gets more and more anxious. Right now, I'm sure, she's looking for me, scanning the hallway.

"Enough you two, the tree has to be turned on and charged with magic so the lights will work!" She smiled as she looked at Fíola and I, and smiled. I stood up, and Fíola flew up, leaning her head on top of mine as I stood, slowly landing on my back and making me hunch over. I gave an unamused sigh. It took us a few minutes, but Luna was able to get it going by just a quick few spurts of magic.

I was alarmed when I heard a box rustle, moving on it's own. I stared, and Fíola gave a loud nervous laugh. She lifted me up, distracting me, and began flying through the air and out the door. We narrowly missed hitting Celectia, making me freak out when she yelped and dodged to the right.

I felt my heart beat increase as I flew through the halls, gliding quickly and endlessly. I closed my eyes and felt the sensations. It felt free, for the first time in a few days. I enjoyed it. We landed with a gliding thud, and I laughed, nearly falling over. I opened the door to my room and walked inside. I had started leaving the egg alone in my room, opting to let it sit in a blanket in a basket with a sunlamp over it. It recently started shaking back and forth when I was near it, reading stories an playing songs. I had a feeling whatever it was was going to be a very very lively little being. But not knowing what it is, it's going to be hard to take care of it.

I started listening more and more to Fíola's music, smiling when she went into an entire rant about the complex language that was the art of song. She was fascinating. We were good friends, very fast. She smiled and it made me smile. She got frustrated and I did my best to make her feel better.

But what I saw from the egg now? It had a crack and a hole coming from the top, with a tiny horn pushing out. I nearly fainted, and Fíola had to trace my gaze to see where it's from. I gave a small intense gasp, inhaling sharply.

"What do we do?" It moved at my voice, twitching towards me but held back by the cloth of the blanket and the walls of the basket. I ran over, knocking over my card house I had built out of boredom one night with a fit of insomnia. I didn't care.

"You stay here and I'll go get Siren Bell!" I nodded, staying put as if I had been ordered by a general. I debated on weather I should crack open the egg a little bit more, but I had always been told that helping nature would force it to be weak. But... That was by a general. So, as they here in the castle: The only weak one is the one who doesn't help... So... If I wanted it to be strong, I had to help it hatch?

Either way, the shaking was getting weaker, and that seemed like a bad thing. I gently held the egg in my bare hands, having been so afraid to do it earlier. I gently picked away the shell covering it's face, and it's tiny head reared up, it's little horns forming a crest. It's eyes struggled to open, and I knew exactly what this little thing was. It was a dragon.

I sat still, giving it little words of experience to break it's way out of it's womb, now turned prison, and I smiled as it slowly broke free. It, so far, had a claw, and a back leg free of the casing. I was smiling and cooing with tears in my eyes. This was more beautiful than the first sunrise I had ever seen as a castle resident.

The door slowly creaked open, dampening my mood, making me fume a little. It ruined the moment.

"Here, here what do we- Oh dear" I stopped and looked at her, my face twitching into a calm smile. I motioned them to be quiet when they entered, and I was smiling as I stared at her. She was making a slightly upset and distressed look, looking at me like I was insane for holding back the information they wanted. In they walked, creeping quietly and calmly as to not bother the little one. To keep it from crying.

"It... hatched? But it shouldn't have hatched for another few months at the minimum!" Celectia looked frantic and filled with anxiety. I felt my heart seize a little.

"You can't take it." It slipped out before I could stop myself. I had it in my arms before I could realize what I was doing. The egg fell apart in my hands, and the little one opened it's eyes.

"Excuse me?!" Celectia suddenly seemed a bit surprised and regale. I refused to allow myself to back down at this point.

"It's already imprinted. When they hatch, the first living thing they lay eyes on is their mother. If you separate it from me now it will, guaranteed, have huge negative impacts on it's future abilities, including bonding." I stood tall, but held it protectively, and wrapped it in a blanket as it wrapped it's tiny tail around my arm.

She seemed completely befuddled.

Then she smiled with tears.

"You're half way there..."