The Needs of the Many vs. The Needs of the One
"DRAGONESS! I, PRINCESS CELESTIA, RULER OF EQUESTRIA, PROTECTOR OF MY LITTLE PONIES, DESIRE TO SPEAK WITH YOU!"
Princess Celestia stood in her royal regalia, peering into the cavern entrance as her Royal Canterlot Voice echoed within. After several moment, her echoing voice faded and was replaced by a new sound. It was the sound of a massive amount of gems being shifted as a large creature was roused out of a relaxed state. Low growling and lumbering footsteps could be heard, and soon the creature itself appeared in the cave entrance, the rising Sun shining its light upon it.
Celestia gazed upward at the adult dragoness. Her green eyes matched her spines and ear fins, while her underbelly and wing membranes were a much lighter shade of green. The rest of her scales were a pale purple in color.
The dragoness peered down at the comparatively smaller creature in turn, and breathed in and out through her nose before saying, "Why have you come here, Pony Princess? What business does your kind have in the Dragonlands? If anything, one would think you would seek an audience with the Dragon Lord, not a simple dragoness who wishes to not be disturbed."
There was an unmistakable edge to the dragoness' tone that did not go unnoticed by the Alicorn Princess of the Sun. Nevertheless, Celestia stood firm and said, "I thank you for answering my request to speak with you, fair dragoness. First, a question: Do you not currently care for a single egg. Light purple, speckled with dark purple spots?"
The dragoness' eyes widened slightly in surprise. "How do you know of the meager size of my clutch, or the pattern my only child?"
Celestia closed her eyes and nodded to herself, then she opened her eyes and said, "And the egg's sire. . .. your mate. . .he is no longer with you. Is that not also true?"
The dragoness' eyes then narrowed suspiciously, and she growled dangerously as she said, "Answer me, pony. How do you know of such things!?"
Maintaining her composure, Celestia looked the dragoness in the eye and said, "I possess a gift very rare in this world. Rare and powerful. It is a gift of foresight. Visions of the future appear to me in my sleep. Usually, they are brief flashes. Warnings of what may come to past. But very rarely, I receive visions so vivid, so detailed, they no longer become mere visions, but prophecies. One such prophecy has come to me, and it concerns your egg."
The dragoness seemed satisfied with Celestia's answer, and nodded her massive head slowly and said, "I see. And what does this prophecy say about my child?"
Celestia took a breath and said, "The egg will hatch into a health boy, and he will grow in stature and virtue. His birth will identify the Bearer of the Element of Magic, who will bring Harmony to this world. The dragon's actions will lead to many great evils being vanquished, to peace being founded between the many races of this world, to great leaders being uplifted, and for a glorious future for every single creature across the entire planet."
The dragoness' eyes shone with wonder and amazement. "This is. . . remarkable. . .and gratifying. After the loss of my mate, I feared for the future of my child. All he had left me was his gems and our egg. But knowing this. . .knowing that my child will become a great hero and a herald for the future. . .I am sure that his father's spirit is smiling from where it now resides, watching over us?" The dragoness smied a genuine smile at the Princess and said simply and honestly, "Thank you, Princess Celestia."
Celestia did not smile back. In fact, she looked rather uncomfortable at that moment. "There is. . .one thing. . ."
An uncomfortable aura suddenly descended upon the two creatures. The dragoness' smile disappeared as a sense of foreboding filled her entire being.
Celestia went on, "In order for this prophecy to come to pass. . . the dragon must be hatched and raised by ponies."
There was a solid minute of utter silence, in which the dragoness stared down hard at the Alicorn.
"I have come to take possession of the egg," Celestia stated plainly.
". . .You expect me to give you my child. . ." the dragoness said. It wasn't a question. It was phrased as tensely worded statement.
"Did I not tell you how incredible his future will be? All the good he will do?" Celestia pressed gently.
". . .and you are also delusional to the point of believing that a pony could hatch a dragon's egg," the dragoness concluded.
"The act of hatching the egg will be the sign of the Bearer of the Element of Magic," Celestia explained, "It is an impressive feat of magic, indeed. It would be the perfect vehicle for such a test, as dragon eggs can remain viable for centuries-."
"CENTURIES!?"
Celestia dug her gilded hooves into the ground to resist being blown back the the dragoness' exclamation.
"You wish to keep my child from me for centuries!?" she snarled.
Celestia bowed her head slightly and said, "Please, oh fair dragoness. The good your child will do is beyond imagination."
The dragoness blowed smoke at the Alicorn and said, "I have already lost my mate, and now you would take away my son? What is truly beyond your imagination is the pain of losing someone you loved!"
"YOU ARE WRONG!" Celestia roared, her eyes glowing white and a mystical breeze blowing through her ethereal mane. The display actually managed give the dragoness pause. Celestia calmed down, her eyes returning to normal as she said, "I have lost my sister due to my own foolishness. Only the Element of Magic can bring her back to me."
The dragoness snarled and said, "So. . . there is your motive for wanting my child."
Celestia shook her head said, "No. My sister's salvation is only one aspect of the prophecy. The child's other achievements will most certainly overshadow that."
"You would still trade the bond with my child for the bond with your sister?" the dragoness challenged.
"This is far bigger than the welfare of my sister!" Celestia shouted back, "There are evil forces out in the world! Spirits of chaos! Kings of shadow! Your son is instrumental to their defeats!"
"When he is grown, ask for him and I will accompany him to these pivotal moments," the dragoness said rather icilly.
Celestia shook her head sadly and said, "Clearly, you do not understand. The prophecy must come true. The dragon must be brought up under the care of ponies, or else the glorious future I have foreseen will never come to pass."
The dragoness snorted smoke and snarled out a single word, "Leave."
Celestia nodded in understanding, "Very well. You require time to think this matter over, as do I."
"Leave."
Celestia extended and flapped her wings and said, "I shall return in three Moons. Perhaps then we shall be able to come a better understanding of this situation.
"LEAVE!"
Celestia took off with a flap of her wings, zooming through the sky back the way she had come. Meanwhile, the dragoness stood glaring after her, with disgust and hate in her eyes.
"DRAGONESS! I, PRINCESS CELESTIA, RULER OF EQUESTRIA, PROTECTOR OF MY LITTLE PONIES, HAVE RETURNED!"
Under the light of the midday Sun, the dragoness came to the entrance of the cavern much faster than she had the first time Celestia had paid her a visit. What's more, she seemed far more irate than last time as well.
"How dare you return her after you tried to take my child from me!" the green and purple dragoness snarled, "Unless you wish to beg for my forgiveness?"
Celestia appeared to ignore the dragoness' words as she hardened her gaze and said, "During these three Moons, I have had more visions regarding the prophecy of your egg. I have seen the Lord of Chaos sealed away in stone due to messages carried by the dragon's fire. I have seen the King of the Umbrum shattered to pieces after the dragon acquires the lost Crystal Heart. I have also seen the dragon befriend and enlighten two creatures, one a female dragon, and the other a mysterious creature of many forms, who go on to become fair and just rulers that triumph over those who would have used their power for conquest and suffering."
"Why should this matter to me?" the dragoness said impatiently, baring her fangs at the straight faced Alicorn.
"I have just revealed to you four dangerous threats that will be vanquished by your child if he is allowed to grow up among ponies," Celestia said matter-of-factly, "If you do not allow this prophecy to come to pass, a Lord of Chaos, a Dark Magic wielding King, a tyrannical Dragon Lord, and a mysterious fourth threat will lead this world to ruin."
"And why cannot you vanquish this threats?" the dragoness challenged.
"The smallest of things can make all the difference in the world," Celestia replied, "The wing beats of a butterfly can either create or destroy the mightiest of storms."
The dragoness snorted smoke and said, "Nonsense."
Celestia's patience began to grow thin, and with a harsh glare she asked the dragoness, "Do you truly see you own contentment as more important than the fate of the entire world?"
The dragoness' wings flared out and she snarled, "Why is it that I must give up my child? The last time you came, you said you felt pain when you somehow lost your sister. But I assure that is nothing compared to the pain of losing a child!"
"I am very much aware of that!" Celestia shouted, her wings flare out as well, and her hooves so firmly planted that they were like iron posts embedded deep into the ground, "In fact, that is why I have come to you here and now! I see every single pony in Equestria as one of my children! I care for them as such! I wish to protect them from harm! Without that egg, the prophecy will fail, and harm most certainly will befall my little ponies! Insanity, suffering, fear, slavery, and death will claim them if I do not claim that egg! And not just for my kind, but for all creatures in this world! Dragons too! Your child will inherit a world of chaos, war, and darkness! If you continued with the selfish mindset, you will doom this world!"
"SELFISH!?" the dragoness roared back in shock and rage, "Wanting to protect, nurture, and raise my own child is selfish!?"
"You are but one dragoness. One creature," Celestia said sternly, "There are countless creatures in this world. Billions. What is one creature to essentially an infinite number of creatures currently alive and yet to be born in the future? No one can sacrifice countless others just to escape their own temporary sorrow. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one."
"ENOUGH WITH YOUR PLATITUDES!" the dragoness roared with a volume that rivaled that of the Royal Canterlot Voice, "I have shown you so much mercy by not incinerating you when you first suggested that I hand over my child to you, and yet you still test my patience! This is your last chance, pony. BEGONE!"
The dragoness raised her razor sharp claws and swung down at the Alicorn. Celestia quickly turned and took flight, quickly dodging swipe. She sped off across the scorched ground, only to suddenly teleport away only after flying a few meters away from the cave entrance, now occupied by a furious dragon.
"DRAGONESS! I, PRINCESS CELESTIA-!"
"SILENCE!!!!
The dragoness stormed out of the cave, eyes blazing as the land was bathed in the blood red light of the setting Sun. She towered over Princess Celestia, who had arrived this time wearing ornate golden battle armor, complete with a helmet that had a blade running parallel to her horn.
"Again, you return to claim my child!? YOU FOOL! WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO TEST MY PATIENCE!?"
In spite of her attire, Celestia was in stark contrast to the snarling, raging dragoness towering above her. Celestia's demeanour was subdued, saddened, depressed perhaps. With intense pain in her eyes and a miserable frown on her face, Celestia stared up at the dragon and asked in a tone of voice that was calm yet clearly only barely held together, "Will you truly never allow Equestria to care for your child and give him all the love, care, and education he could possibly desire?"
"YOU WILL NOT HAVE MY CHILD!"
The dragoness was breathing heavily now, and Celestia could already see the fire building up in the back of the furious mother's throat.
The Princess of the Sun let out a sigh and said, "Dragoness. . .It was. . .nice to meet you. . . . . . ."
Her horn pulsated with powerful magic.
". . .Goodbye."
The Moon was high in the sky, as midnight had arrived.
It was at this point where the retired princess was unable to continue her story and collapsed before the newest ruler of Equestria and the teenaged green and purple dragon that worked as her assistant.
"I'm sorry!" Celestia wailed, "I am so sorry!"
Author's Note
I started thinking about all the moments in the show where Spike has played such an insanely important role. Then I thought about how things would have happened if Spike hadn't been there to do these things. Then I thought about how such an important character would have literally no origin story whatsoever. Then I thought maybe his origins were being purposely kept secret for a reason.
Then I recalled how Celestia was revealed to have prophetic dreams in Twilight's Kingdom- Part One, and it all clicked into place.
So, what do you think? Now that we can see the Golden Ending the series got, how should we judge Celestia's actions in this fanfic?
