Author's Note
REWRITE
My headcanon after seeing, how Ember and Spike similarly look like.
Thanks for BezierBallad's and Applefai, who helped me fix the story.
The Missing Heartbeat
"Don't worry, Princess Ember," the dragon doctor told her with his soft tone, gently trailing his fingers across the surface of the purple egg with even darker purple dots on its shell. "Your little hatchling is alright. It's perfectly healthy and fine"
Despite the assurances the doctor gave her, the light blue dragoness still sobbed like a newborn. When she revealed her beautiful blood-red eyes, they were full of tears flowing like a waterfall.
"Look at it from a different angle." the dragon doctor continued, trying to comfort the very young mother in this solemn situation. "It'll be easier for you without a child."
"BUT I WANT TO HAVE MY SON WITH ME!" Ember snapped violently with more tears appearing under her eyes. "I DON'T WANT TO GIVE HIM UP TO EQUESTRIANS!"
The doctor sighed.
"I'm sorry to tell you, but it is impossible." he stated, trying to be nice as he could with all of his might. "Princess Celestia is already here, unfortunately"
Princess Ember went pale on this information. Using her scaly body and membranous wings, she hid her egg entirely.
"I won't give him up to anyone!" she declared with anger in her tone. "You hear me! I won't!"
"It's not up to you, sweetie." the doctor started again with a soft tone. "You are underage. Your father has already made his decision for you and your newborn"
"No... No... NO!" the light blue dragoness screamed, curling up even more around the purple egg.
"Trust me" the dragon doctor said. "It's for your own good"
The dragon doctor flew away from the princess and landed right next to the exit door. He carefully opened it and glanced outside.
"I-Is... Is she ready for a talk?" the feminine voice from outside the room spoke with concern. "She hasn't come out for a long time"
The dragon glanced back at Princess Ember, raising an eyebrow. After a couple of seconds, his gaze turned back to look outside the door.
"Yes, she is" the dragon doctor replied, ignoring the mental health of the light blue dragoness. "But please, princess, be gentle with her"
Ember heard a sigh.
"I will" the feminine voice spoke. "May I see her, now?"
"Of course" the doctor responded without a bit of hesitation. "I'm calling her already."
The dragon looked at Princess Ember with focus and leisurely waved his claw. The light blue dragoness glanced around to be see if he was addressing some other dragon. Once she realized he was gazing right at her, the princess of dragons reluctantly and nervously stood up with her child wrapped in her arms, as if it was a rare kind of gem in the Dragon Lands.
"D-Do... Do I have to?" the teenage dragoness stuttered with a scared expression. "Can't we solve it differently?"
The male dragon shook his head.
"This is out of the question." He sighed with a calm tone. "But don't worry... Princess Celestia is nice and understands how you are feeling right now."
“Does she?” Ember grumbled.
Princess Ember with uncertainty and fear appearing on her face, stepped closer and froze at the doorstep. She gulped when she saw who was standing right in front of her.
"Greetings, Princess Ember" the white alicorn greeted the light blue dragoness with a warm smile on her muzzle, pointing to a chair just in front of her. "Please, have a seat"
The blue dragoness felt uneasy and tried to walk away to her bedroom... only to be blocked by the doctor, who was standing there.
"I insist" Princess Celestia said with a nice smile. "You don't have to be afraid of me"
When she realized that the conversation was the only thing she had to go through, the dragoness glanced back at the ruler of Equestria.
The white alicorn waved her hoof towards the teenager.
The dragoness groaned with an annoyed expression—and with an egg on her lap—then sat down in front of the princess of all ponies of Equestria.
"Let me guess..." Ember grumbled unamused, petting her unborn son. "My daddy sent you here to reason with me? Stupid Rotter!"
The teenage dragoness quirked an eyebrow, when the sun princess unexpectedly chuckled.
"What are these nerves for?" she asked with a smile forming on her face. "I understand your agitation, but another portion of venom in my direction, will not help you in the position you've found yourself in, sweetheart"
"Stop this talk of wisdom..." the princess of dragons rolled her eyes. "Let's... Let's just get to the point"
The white alicorn patted her chin, staring at the young princess. Princess Ember's eyes were coldly glaring at the sun princess, giving the impression of indifference.
Princess Celestia peered down at Ember's egg.
The structure looked dazzlingly. The main structure of the shell was lavender, while the dots on it were scattered around in a more beautiful shade of the iris color.
"How did you get pregnant?" was the sun princess' first attempt to ask a question.
Celestia could see the teenage dragoness' snout twist in a small and uncomfortable grimace. her red eyes continued to stare at the blue eyes of the white alicorn.
"Pardon me?"
Princess Celestia coughed.
"How did you get pregnant?" she repeated. "With your egg, I mean."
Princess Ember's eyelids twitched until she shed a tear. After a few seconds, she let out a quiet sob.
"It was an u-unplanned mishap with a f-friend," she stammered, sniffling. "H-he doesn't e-even know h-he i-is t-the father."
The sun princess could see the despair and muddle in Ember's eyes.
"What did your father think about it?" she asked, concernedly. "How did he react to you being pregnant?"
"My old man?" the dragoness scoffed. "He locked me in my room until I was ready to give birth and give my baby away... Anyway... You just saw it, your highness..."
"We don't have to be formal with each other" Princess Celestia shook her head and smiled. "Just call me Celestia"
Princess Ember shrugged and wiped her eyes.
"Alright... Celestia"
Celestia's eyes focused again on the spherical shell.
"Do you... love your unborn?"
"Of course, I do!" the light blue dragoness replied with sudden emotion. "Spikey was my second heartbeat during that time, feeling his presence made me feel happy, and all I want to do is protect him."
There was a momentary silence in the room.
"S-Spikey?" the sun princess asked with a large amount of politeness. "You already named it?"
Princess Ember nodded with new tears appearing in her eyes.
"Y-yes... Also, It's not it, but him"
"It's even worse than I thought!" Celestia replied with a shock in her voice.
"I can handl-"
"No! You can't..." the white alicorn exclaimed with a serious tone. "Do you know how much a young dragon needs gems to have strength to grow up?"
Ember crossed her arms.
"Half your pantry!" Princess Celestia continued. "A lot of more gems than a young dragoness!"
It took a moment for the alicorn to realize that the light blue dragoness had already started crying silently.
"Please, Princess, give me your son..." the sun princess suggested with a soft tone. "...He will have a better life with me"
"I.. I c-can't… I just can't, Princess Celestia"
Celestia saw that Ember was overwhelmed with her thoughts.
"I know you want to take care of your son, and that maternal hormones play tricks on you," the white alicorn stated, "but you are still an adolescent, sweetie…"
The blue dragoness didn't answer. She was too busy wiping her eyes to make any direct contact, so Princess Celestia decided to move to the second level.
"You are also a child, Ember. Once you keep maturing, you’ll understand what you are feeling.”
At these words, Princess Ember began to hesitate. She didn't want to give her son to anyone, but she understood that she couldn't do it alone. She cared about Spike's well being.
She decided to make the right, but difficult choice.
"L-let me j-just…" the light blue dragoness sobbed. "S-say goodbye… to my little one…"
Princess Celestia sighed. "Alright, I'll let you have your time…"
The light blue dragoness glanced at her unborn son, which was still laying in her arms. Something cracked in her when she embraced the egg in a tight grip.
"G-goodbye S-Spikey… I hope we meet someday..."
