Princess Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns was officially closing for the summer. This was a time of cheer for many of the students. Time to run, play, socialise and basically do whatever their little hearts desired. Such time was cherished by the students, since it provided a much needed break from the gruelling magical lectures and experiments that the school was known for.
For one filly, this was neither a time for celebration, nor fun.
“Twilight honey, it won’t be so bad. You’ll find lots of fun things to do over the summer.”
Twilight trudged around her room in the school dormitory. She grabbed her school supplies and tossed them into a bag, feeling that her underdeveloped levitation skills were too feeble to truly showcase the anger she felt towards her various utensils. Her mother watched her with the slightest hint of annoyance, though she hid it well.
“It’s not fair mom! Why can’t I just stay here? I’ve already come so far in my magical studies, watch!” Twilight puffed out her cheeks as hard as she could, aiming her horn at an innocent bookshelf. All of the books trembled slightly, as if they knew of their impending fate. Just as it looked like Twilight was about to collapse from the strain, the books slid off of the shelf and into a big heap on the floor. Twilight tried to contain her smile. There would be time to praise her performance later. Right now, she had a point to prove.
“See! If it weren’t for Celestia’s school of magic, I would barely be able to lift a few books! I can’t leave now!” She yelled. But, as usual, her mother remained as stoic as ever.
“I know you don’t want to leave, but it’s not really up to me. Everypony gets some time off around this time of year so they can wind down. You don’t want to burn out like last term, do you?”
Twilight hung her head low under the weight of the memories. Too much studying meant not enough sleep, not enough sleep meant her spell-casting got sloppy, and last time that happened, the entire girls dormitory was filled with marshmallows and sheep.
She used a hoof to forcefully dislodge the memories from her mind, she wouldn’t let her mother’s psychological warfare get to her this time.
“I promise it won’t happen again!” Twilight dove forward to grasp her mother’s hooves. “I-I’ll make sure to get enough sleep, can’t you just ask the Princess to let me stay? Pretty please!”
It took a mighty effort to resist the dark powers of Twilight’s pretty please face, but Twilight’s mother wasn’t one to just let her daughter walk all over her. “No, and that’s final.”
So this was it. It was truly over. defeated by the hopelessness of it all, Twilight went back to grumpily packing her bags in preparation for the long trip back home. All of her work in the school would count for nothing out there in the badlands of Canterlot.
“Who knows, you may have fun. I bet all of the other little fillies are going to be having a good time on their summer break.” Twilight’s mother said cheerfully, trying desperately to make her daughter see the silver lining.
Twilight merely scoffed around the book that she held in her mouth before she spat it into her bag. “That’s because the other fillies have friends.” She muttered.
From the tallest tower in the school, Princess Celestia looked out of an open window upon the rest of the campus, enjoying the way the light trickled off of its golden roofs and onto the pure white marble walls. Such a sight could calm even the most troubled of souls. Or so she thought, until today.
“I just don’t get why I have to leave?! It’s not fair!”
Princess Celestia giggled in the most regal tone she could manage. “ Oh calm down Spike, you’re acting like you’re being banished. It’s just a temporary change, think of it like a vacation.” She turned around to observe the baby dragon as he threw a tantrum around the room.
“But I don’t want a vacation!” Spike cried. “I wanna stay here with you and help you with the royal duties. I don’t want to go live with some unicorn and her parents!” He picked a flower out from one of the vases on the nightstand and gave it a quick look over, before incinerating it in a burst of fire, a trick he had only recently acquired. At the moment, its only purpose was to roast marshmallows and destroy flora.
“Spike, you can’t live inside these walls forever. There comes a time when everypony has to go out and explore, see new things, have new experiences. And Twilight’s not just ‘some unicorn’, she was the one who hatched you out of your egg. She’s definitely the brightest student in the school, so eager to learn. I’m even surprised that she didn’t decide to stay over the summer.”
“NO, I’M NOT LEAVING! YOU CAN’T MAKE ME!”
Twilight held onto the railing of her bed for dear life as her mother tried desperately to drag her away. Outside the room, a small group of fillies and their parents were watching the spectacle unfold.
“Twilight Sparkle! You are coming home right now!” Her mother boomed, now resorting to trying to pry her hooves free from the railing. When it became apparent that not even a pack of rabid timberwolves could pull her away from the bed, her mother resorted to smarter tactics.
“Oh, Princess Celestia, I didn’t see you come in.” Her mother said innocently.
Twilight instantly spun around with a smile on her face, forgetting any previous struggles. Something she soon came to regret when she saw nothing but an empty doorway, followed by a cloud of darkness as her mother pounced on her.
“I think she’s a lot like you in some ways Spike.”
Spike merely huffed out a small cloud of smoke and stormed off into one of the other rooms, leaving Princess Celestia alone. It was almost like having a foal of her own to care for. Even though Spike was much more intelligent and mature for his age compared to a pony, he was still just a baby. A baby that, right now, was probably feeling abandoned.
Celestia knew what she needed to do. She gently crept into the room that Spike had disappeared into, seeing him sitting in his cot with his back partially turned to her, sucking his claw. The delicate sniffling sounds that tickled her ears were a sure indicator that he was crying.
Once she saw him, she cast her usual royal demeanour aside, looking upon Spike as more of a mother than anything else. As a mother, she would do whatever she thought best for her child, even if they couldn’t see it. She neared the cot and placed a hoof onto his back.
“Did I do something wrong? Is that why you’re sending me away?” Spike said quietly in between sniffs.
Every whimpering noise he made chipped off a piece of her heart and shattered it into a thousand pieces. What made it even worse was the fact that he thought she was getting rid of him. “No! I would never do such a thing to you! You’re too special to me for me to just dispose of you when you do something wrong.” She sat down on the floor and lowered her head, so she was at equal height with the dragon.
“You’ve been confined in these walls ever since you were born. And for a while now, you’ve just seemed somewhat... lonely. I just want to give you the opportunity to be free, to have fun, to maybe make a friend.” Celestia could feel Spike relax, if only for a moment.
He turned to her with big, tear stained eyes. “But... I’m scared. I don’t know anything about the outside. You’ve always been there for me, but what about when you’re not there?”
Princess Celestia seemed to ponder the question for a moment, thinking of the right thing to do. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her lips when a moment of inspiration struck. gently, she lowered her head so that the tip of her horn met with Spike’s forehead. A pulse of golden magic twirled around her horn, sparkling with an ethereal sheen whilst it travelled to its destination. As the aura met with Spike’s scales, the magic flashed over him, startling him into jumping backwards slightly. It almost felt as if there was a warm light inside him, travelling through every part of his body.
Eventually, the warmth stopped at his mouth. Curious, he let out a small stream of fire. As the flames danced in the air, the green tendrils sparkled and shimmered just like Celestia’s magic. He gasped in surprise and watched as the last sparks disappeared.
Celestia smiled softly and hugged him. “If you’re ever scared or have a problem, or even if you just want to say hello, I’ll be there. I don’t want you to feel like you’re ever alone.”
Spike wrapped his arms around Celestia’s neck and squeezed as tight as he could. This could be his only chance to hug her for a long time, and he didn’t want to waste it. After what seemed like only a few seconds to Spike but in reality was a few minutes, Celestia tenderly pulled Spike away and looked him in the eye.
“So, do you think you’re ready to go?” She said with a grin. Spike giggled and nodded.
Both of them walked side by side out of the room and down the stairs that led to the school dormitories.
Not even the cool breeze of the day could stop Twilight from sulking. She had been wearing the same pout since her mother had managed to grab her and carry her down the corridor of the dormitory and into the courtyard. She knew that defeat was inevitable, but she had to try to carry on her magical studies, even if it meant disobeying her parents.
Twilight’s mother called to her from the side of the carriage while she stowed away the last of her bags. “Come on Twilight, we really should be getting home! Your father wants to see you as well.” In her mind, she thought back to a slightly younger, more naive her. ‘Oh, don’t worry, I’ll go pick up Twilight. I’m sure it’ll be fine.’
The brief thought of running back inside flashed across Twilight’s mind, but she knew the result would be the same: her being carried out in a field of magic, kicking and screaming. Her head hung low as she prepared to walk to the carriage as slowly as physically possible. However, a shadow appeared along the ground that made her look up in surprise.
“Hello Twilight Sparkle, My faithful student.” Celestia said coolly.
Twilight stared wide-eyed. Even though her status as faithful student meant that she had had more encounters with the Princess than most ponies, seeing her always left her in awe. Especially when she dropped by unannounced, it didn’t even give her time to prepare a greeting speech.
The purple filly did her best to regain her composure and remember proper etiquette. She brought her body into a low bow, hoping that she wasn’t too late that the Princess would take offence.
“So, you’re leaving for the summer now?” Celestia asked, to which Twilight glumly nodded. “Don’t be so sad Twilight Sparkle, this is your time to do your own research away from your studies. Use it as a chance to find the areas that really interest you, be they magic or otherwise.”
Twilight perked up. She had never thought about it that way. “I will. Thank you Princess Celestia, for all of your help since I’ve been here. I can’t tell you how much it means to me!” It seemed that the princess always had an understanding of everything, something that never ceased to amaze Twilight.
“Actually, I was hoping that you could do something for me. I have a friend that is rather lonely, and I would be ever so grateful if you could take him home with you for the summer and show him the world outside of the school.”
A friend? Twilight felt a little confused, this wasn’t like the usual assignments that Princess Celestia set her. Could she fail? Would she be banished for failing, or sent to magic kindergarten? Twilight would never dream of disobeying the princess, she had to try her best.
“Of course I will Princess Celestia. W-will there be a test about this when I come back?” She asked unsurely.
Princess Celestia giggled. “No Twilight, I’m just asking you to do me a favour. Would you like to meet him? You may remember him from when you first came to the school.”
Princess Celestia turned and nodded her head to a bush. Twilight was perplexed for a moment. Did she have to take care of a plant? It suddenly clicked when she saw a small purple figure emerge from behind the leaves. He nervously walked up and stood close to Princess Celestia, staring at the ground.
“Twilight Sparkle, this is Spike. He’s the dragon that you hatched out of the egg during your entrance exam.”
Twilight’s eyes lit up for a brief second. The entrance exam invigilators told her that the dragon she hatched had been sent somewhere far away, even after her best efforts to get them to keep the baby. Slowly, she walked up closer to him and smiled when he finally looked up at her. “umm, hi Spike.” She said quietly. Spike huddled closer to Princess Celestia’s foreleg, trying to hide himself behind it.
Princess Celestia leaned down and nudged Spike in the back of the head. “It’s okay Spike. Remember what we talked about.”
Spike nervously looked to his sides, as if he was seeking a place to hide. Reluctantly, he gave in to the gentle prodding from the Princess and closed the gap between him and Twilight.
“H-hi Twilight Sparkle.” His voice seemed to crack from nervousness, but he stood his ground, holding his claw out to her and putting on the best smile he could muster.
His silent gesture resonated with Twilight. She thought back to the times in previous years when she had tried to make friends, her feeble pleasantries doing nothing to hide the anxiety she felt when trying to meet somepony new. But this time it was different. She was the one who could reject or accept this shy newcomer.
She reached out her hoof and shook Spike’s claw. She wasn’t about to let him feel the type of rejection that she had felt from her classmates all too often. “You can call me Twilight.”
Slowly, Spike’s expression shifted from hidden tension to genuine happiness. Twilight was happy to see that she could bring out a more relaxed side of him.
“So, can you breathe fire?” Twilight asked, catching him by surprise. “Everything I’ve read about dragons says that they can breathe fire.”
Spike relaxed more. He took a step back and tilted his head back. After taking a deep breath in, he gently exhaled a stream of green fire, still crackling with the same sparkling aura that the Princess had given him.
To say Twilight was amazed would have been an understatement. Her eyes went wide as she oohed at the impromptu light show. Seeing this, Spike stood up straight as if he were on stage, feeling a little proud of himself. Twilight bounced on her front hooves in appreciation of the display she had just witnessed. “Wow Spike, I always thought it would be amazing to see that but I didn’t think it would look so pretty!”
Spike puffed out his chest. It never really occurred to him that his power was a rare sight for everypony apart from the Princess. For him, it was always just something he learnt when he was younger.
“Twilight sweetie! We really need to get going,” Twilight’s mother called as she rushed over to them. When she saw that the Princess was there, she tidied herself up as best as she could. “It’s a pleasure to see you before we leave, Princess Celestia.”
After a tiny moment of hesitation, she bowed in front of the Princess. Such a common sight for the ruler, and one she had never been too fond with. It just seemed much too formal for simple occasions such as this.
“Oh, and who is this?” Twilight’s mother cooed, turning to the small dragon.
Twilight turned to her mother with a smile. “This is Spike. Princess Celestia asked if he could live with us during the summer. That’s okay, isn’t it?” It suddenly occurred to her that her mother could in fact say no.
Her mother seemed to contemplate the question for a moment, looking to both Twilight and Spike. “Well how could I say no to such a cute little dragon!”
Her compliment caused Spike to blush, until he was startled by Twilight grabbing his claws. “We’re gonna have so much fun! Isn’t this great!”
Spike looked back forlornly at the Princess. “Yeah... great.” His saddened tone went unnoticed by his zealous partner.
A loud chiming permeated the quiet atmosphere of the school. Up in one of the towers, the school bell was ringing to announce the passing of another hour and the encroaching night.
“Oh dear, we should’ve already left by now. Your father will start to worry if we dawdle any longer.” Twilight’s mother nudged both younglings in the direction of their carriage. “Go on you two, go and get yourselves seated while I talk to Princess Celestia.”
Twilight galloped off with Spike’s hand caught in her magical grasp. Twilight’s mother watched them to make sure that they didn’t get sidetracked on their way there, something that Twilight was wont to do.
“Thank you for arranging this Princess Celestia. I think Twilight just needs a little push to understand importance of friendship.” Twilight’s mother said gratefully.
Princess Celestia smiled. “I think they could both stand to learn something about friendship.” Her smile slowly turned to a look of concern. “Just, please take care of him.”
Twilight’s mother nodded kindly. She gave one last bow to the Princess before she turned and made her way to the carriage. When she neared the door, she heard the gentle laughter of her daughter and Spike. It seemed like they were already getting to know each other better.
Princess Celestia watched in silence as the carriage began to move. Through the small window in the back, Spike turned and stared back at her, soon accompanied by Twilight’s beaming face. She couldn’t help but laugh as the duo waved at her from the back of the carriage and she reciprocated the gesture until the vehicle disappeared behind one of the school’s many buildings.
Now it was just her, alone in the school courtyard. Part of her felt silly about being so sad. This was always going to happen and she couldn’t keep Spike locked away in a tower forever, but what was the first few years of Spike’s life just seemed to flash by her, and before she knew it, she had been left in companionless again. Only now had she realised how much the unwavering companionship of her dragon friend helped to lessen the loneliness she had felt for nearly a thousand years.
A lone teardrop escaped her eyes and fell to the floor as she made her way back to the tall marble castle.