Author's Note
Was planning to make two separate chapters, but decided to make this into one. Again, if you find any errors, feel free to point them out.
All over Equestria and the Crystal Empire. News of what happened to Spike has spread like wildfire. There was sadness over what happened to Spike, to surprise about the little dragons, to calls of justice for Spike by having Beezen brought to trial.
Celestia, Luna, Shining Armour, Candence, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Big Mac, Twilights parents were only a few to name as horrified and devastated about his death.
As for the dragons. The girls' families were quite surprised about the little dragons.
As for the mane 6, Twilight repaired their erased memories. She had a room arranged for them. The 6 ponies would take turns waiting for them to wake up. As of right now, Twilight was the one watching over them. Celestia and Luna agreed to look after royal affairs for a little longer.
Currently, there was none in their room, except the little dragons themselves. Glint was the first to wake up and his head felt sore. "Argh, where am I, what's going on here. My memories are making my head hurt. Where was I". He noticed he was in a bed. Looking around, he saw the others were asleep.
"Everyone, wake up"!
Bleu was the first to stir. "Not so loud, what happened"?
Ruby was rubbing her head. "I feel like my memories were gone and now their back and it's hurting my head".
Glint was silent for a second. Memories? Where was he before this?
It was Flaming who reminded him. "Wait a minute, where's Beezen"?
Chase growled. "I remember, he has us trapped".
Burning nodded. "He said he was erasing ar' memories. Where are we anyway"?
Glint answered. "When I woke up, we were all in beds".
Ruby looked unsure. "Did Beezen send us to bed"?
Bleu gasped. "Erasing my mind is one thing but sending me to be early. I won't forgive him for that"!
Flaming Pie gave her a half-brother a look like he was insane. "Please tell me you're joking".
Bleu looked confused. "You're saying I should forgive him for sending me to bed early, I'm sorry but I just can't".
"Forget about bedtime, where are we"?
Trying to figure out Chase's question, Ruby asked. "Are we in Beezen's manor"?
The door opened and in came an alicorn they didn't see before. She seemed surprised and nervous. "I see you all woke up, how are you doing"?
It was Chase who answered. "Great. Just some questions. Who are you? Where are we? Where's Beezen"?
Twilight wasn't sure if she should get into the subject of Beezen right away but decided they needed to know. "I'm the princess of Equestria, you're in my castle and Breezen is currently locked up after what he did to you". The dragons seemed confused. It was Glint who asked. "You're princess Celestia, you look very different from what was described to us and what did Beezen do to us"? She answered their second question first. "Beezen erased your memories and tried to turn you into slaves. I restored them after taking him down".
Glint nodded. "That explains why my head hurts thinking about them. Thanks for saving us Princess Celestia".
"I'm Twilight, Princess Twilight or Twilight Sparkle is my proper name".
What she said shocked the little dragons so much.
"Y-you're Twilight Sparkle".
She nodded at Glint who seemed shocked beyond belief. "In the v-vison you were smaller".
She nodded again. "Being big comes with being a powerful alicorn".
The 6 dragons looked at her in disbelief. She could tell from looking at their emotions that none of them were positive. The little dragons turned to each other and looked back at her. None of them dared say anything.
Twilight was dreading this part but decided to get it over with. "Your father. He was my assistant, my best friend. It broke my heart, when he disappeared".
Glint was brave enough to reply. "He always told us how awesome you and your friends were. He wanted us to think greatly of our… mothers. Let me ask you something, Beezen showed us visons of some cruel things happening to him. Being treated like a test dummy, being left to freeze in a pond in winter, being forgotten by the Crystal Empire that he saved. Were those visons lies or did they actually happen"?
"They actually happened". Twilight almost sobbed at what she admitted.
The hatchlings looked at each other, then back at her. "We better be going. Thank you for saving us".
"Wait, where are you going to go"?
Burning Apple sighed. "We'll figure out something".
"Please don't leave, it breaks my heart knowing I'll never see Spike again, I don't want you to leave too".
Ruby gave her a sad look. "We don't know anything about being ponies".
"Equestria has changed. All are welcome, even fire breathers like you".
Bleu shook his head. "I don't want to do manual labour".
"You won't be made to if you don't want to".
Flaming wanted the subject to change. "What's going to happen to Beezen"?
Twilight gave a serious look. "He will face trial for what he did to Spike and to you six". She sighed. "I know it will be hard, but I need you to tell me something. Beezen, did he kill Spike"? Glint sighed. "He's innocent of that".
Flame looked down at the ground. "It's our fault he died".
Twilight looked shocked. "You're only children, how could you possibly be to blame for his death".
Bleu sighed. "He gave his life to save us".
Twilight attempted to comfort them. "I knew Spike, he would risk his life for anyone. It's not your fault he died".
Chase shook his head. "That's nice of you. You're wrong, but we appreciate the attempt".
Glint walked towards the ruler of Equestria. "So, you're my mother"?
Twilight still found the situation weird, but was thankful she had something of Spike's.
"Yes, what is your name again"?
"I'm Glint. Glint Sparkle is my full name".
Twilight smiled. She was thankful that Spike included her in his name.
"And your brothers and sisters"?
They all introduced themselves to the alicorn. Twilight smiled at them. "I don't want to rush you into things, but since the girls found out about you, they want to get to know you all".
Burning Apple seemed unsure. "I don't think ah feel like it. I mean ah don't want to move in with someone I don't know".
Ruby nodded. "I agree. I think it's too soon".
Twilight nodded. "Don't worry, I meant they want the chance to know you. We agree that you six should live in the castle for a while.
Bleu smiled. "Thanks".
Chase sighed. "When do we meet them"?
"They're here now if you want to see them. I won't rush you into anything. But I recommend it".
They muttered to each other and nodded, somewhat reluctantly.
Twilight spoke gently. "Come on".
The door opened and there were 5 more ponies. The small dragons said nothing. Neither did the ponies. They only looked at each other.
Applejack was the first to get her confidence and took a breath before she walked towards Burning Apple. "So, you're my kin then".
Burning nodded. "Yep".
"What's yer name"?
"…Burning Apple…"
"I'm Applejack".
This was awkward and it wasn't done yet.
Rainbow was the next. Heading towards Bleu, she looked down at the little gut, before petting his head. "Name's Rainbow".
"Bleu. B.L.E.U, that's how you spell it. Bleu".
Rarity stood in front of Ruby. Neither had any idea what to say. "Your scales are pretty".
Ruby nodded. "Thanks. So is your fur".
Fluttershy looked at Chase, who refused to make eye contact. "I want you to know I'll try to be the mother you need".
Chase sighed. "Thanks, I guess".
Pinkie however made Flame really uncomfortable. She was getting on a bit 'too well'. "This is great, wait until I introduce you to your step dad, not that he could replace Spike as your daddy or anything. Wait until you meet your half-brother. And I got to introduce you to your grandparents and aunties. We got to catch up on lost time".
Flame was on her back as Pinkie looked down at her. Flame nodded nervously. "Can't wait".
Twilight was trying to get to know her own son. "What do you like doing Glint"?
"I like to read".
Twilight smiled. "So do I".
Glint smiled. "Our father taught us all how to read, I like it more than the others. But they like to read too, Chase likes horrors, Bleu and Flame like comics".
Twilight was happy to hear that. "Your father used to read Power Pony comics".
"Never really heard of them. I'm more of a book reading reptilian".
"Me too. I mean I'm not a reptile, but I love to read".
"Do I have any responsibilities as prince. I mean I assume I'm a prince. I'm your son and you're a princess".
Twilight smiled awkwardly. "The 'Dragon Prince' is what many are talking about. As for responsibilities, as of so far you have none and I will try to keep it that way for now. You need to get used to this place after all".
He nodded. "Thanks. I don't feel that a new career is what I need at the moment".
Applejack was unable to get another answer and simply decided to ask. "Did yer father ever tell ya about me"? He nodded. "He told me how great ya were. Said you were the most honest and said you were helpful and hardworking. Me and Bleu would go on about which mother was the best".
"Bleu? He's Rainbow's I'm guessing".
"Yep. Me and him can be very competitive"!
Applejack giggled. "Me and Rainbow are the same".
Rainbow and Bleu said not one-word since introducing themselves. Bleu decided to break the silence. "So, you're a pony, how's that working out for you"?
"Awesome. I'm captain of the Wonderbolts, I have great friends, my life is great"!
Bleu nodded uncomfortably and Rainbow asked him a question. "What's it like being a dragon".
"I don't know if I make a proper one. Not by your standards. At least from what dad said".
Rainbow looked hurt. "Spike said that".
Bleu quickly tried to comfort her. "Don't get him wrong, he said a lot of great things about you as well. He made it sound like you were an awesome dragon yourself".
Rainbow smiled. "Happy to hear that. Thank you. To be honest, I felt there were times I could have been nicer to him".
"He said you could be a bit cocky and mean, but that I was lucky to be the son of someone like you".
Fluttershy could tell that Chase was uncomfortable. She knew the feeling to well. It was odd when she was the one who wasn't.
Fluttershy tried to get him to open up with small talk. "You like animals"?
"Yeah, rabbits, foxes, sheep, birds".
Fluttershy smiled. "You like those animals".
"They taste great".
Fluttershy looked horrified. "You mean you eat them"?
Chase scratched his head awkwardly. "I forgot; you love animals in a different way. Sorry".
"…It's alright. It's just surprising is all".
"You do know animals eat each other. Some even eat their babies. I'm making it worse, I know. I'll shut up now".
Flaming Pie meanwhile thought she was a fast talker, but her mother could put her to shame. Pinkie was asking all these questions, like her favourite color, favourite animal, favourite food. She has not got a chance to get a word in, although she didn't know what to say anyway.
Rarity and Ruby continued with small talk before Rarity brought up Spike. "Your father was a dear friend to me. I spent every day missing him. At least I know my daughter was in great hooves, or claws in your case".
She nodded. "He often went about how beautiful you were. After Twilight, I think he missed you the most".
Rarity frowned. The feeling was mutual. If only she could have one last day with Spike. She smiled again not so long after. "You father always did think of others. He once gave me a precious gem".
Ruby nodded. "He used to get me all these pretty gems and I would only eat most of them".
Rarity laughed, then Ruby frowned. "We were forced to eat them all after we left our castle".
Rarity was amazed. "You lived in a castle"?
"We did. After what happened to dad, we left. We would have to look at his dead body each day. We couldn't".
The other 5 heard this and sighed. "Could we go back to our room".
The girls nodded and soon it was just a room with the 6 of them.
It was the Flaming Pie who asked. "So, what do you think of them"?
Burning Apple replied. "They're nice".
Ruby nodded. "They seem great".
Chase sighed. "I don't know about you but I feel very uncomfortable".
Flaming sighed. "Same".
Bleu was the next to sigh. "We're dragons, we know nothing about being the hatchlings of ponies".
Chase spoke again. "I only spoke to my mother for two minutes and I already feel she hates me".
Unknown to them 6, the Mane 6 were watching them through a spell, Twilight casted. They hated to spy on them, but they wanted to make sure they were comfortable. It seemed they weren't even close.
Fluttershy spoke first. "I don't hate him. I admit it makes me uncomfortable that he hunts, but I can try to accept it".
Applejack sighed. "This is a new development. We can't expect them to simply accept their situation".
Rarity realized something. "They said Spike's body is back where they lived. We should retrieve the body, so he can be buried".
"I would teleport to the location if I knew where it was. I don't however and making them tell me would only worsen the situation".
"I can get Discord to look into it", reasoned Fluttershy.
The others nodded.
As 2 days passed, the 6 dragons, barely left their room.
Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy wanted to give them more time. Rainbow, Pinkie and Applejack however wanted to get them more used to their situation. Saying they should invite their families to meet them.
Twilight told them that forcing them into a situation was not going to fix things. After 3 more days, they continued to barely leave the room and Twilight, Fluttershy and Rarity decided to try the other plan.
Flaming Pie was currently in Ponyville with Pinkie. They were currently waiting for Cheese Sandwich and Lil' Cheese.
"There they are". Pinkie waved for them to come and meet her daughter.
Cheese smiled kindly at Flaming Pie who waved awkwardly.
Lil' Cheese approached her. "Are you my sister"?
Flaming nodded. "Nice to meet you brother, sorry I didn't meet you until now".
"It's alright. I'm glad to get the chance to meet you. You're moving in with us right, I'm happy to have a sister".
She felt like she was forced between a rock and a hard place.
Lil' Cheese kept going. "And a dragon of all things, that's so cool. My friends are going to be so jealous".
As things were awkward for her, it was the same for Burning Apple.
He was currently at a family dinner, with his mother. He has been introduced to his aunt, Applebloom. His uncle, Big Mac. His aunt my marriage, Sugar Belle and his cousin Big Sugar.
They were currently attempting to make conversation with him.
Applebloom spoke. "So, Burning, what ya like doing".
He looked her in the eye to answer. "Stuff". He looked at his plate again.
Big Mac tried then. "You know I thought of yer father as a really close friend of mine".
"Yeah, he thought the same when he spoke about you". He looked as his plate again.
Applebloom however tried asking questions about Spike. It was too much and made Burns leave the table.
As for Rainbow, she brought Bleu to Canterlot to meet her parents. They fussed over him and while Bleu usually enjoyed being the centre of attention, in this case he felt uncomfortable. Rainbow's parents embarrassed her too though. Saying how they never expected Rainbow to give them a grandchild.
After a few hours, it was only the 2 of them. "So, how are you at flying"?
Bleu shrugged. "Too much work".
Rainbow looked at him in disbelief. "I can appreciate lazy, but you're telling me you don't fly often".
"Only when I have to".
"Sheese, no wonder you're so, uhm"!
"Fat".
"No… maybe".
Bleu looked at her unimpressed. "I'll have you know I'm proud of my weight". He walked forward not looking back, while Rainbow followed him apologizing over and over.
Fluttershy had taken Chase to her animal sanctuary. He was finding it difficult not to practice his hunting with the animals. And her pet rabbit was really annoying. He was tempted to throw it off a cliff. He put on a forced smile as she kept introducing him to her animals. He did find some likable. It's not like he never had respect or understanding for other animals.
Ruby was currently with her mother and aunt Sweete Belle. The latter smiled at her niece. "You must be Ruby. I'm really happy to meet you".
Ruby nodded. "Thank you".
It was doing fine until like Applebloom to Burns, she asked questions about Spike though that made her very uncomfortable. Rarity had to scold her for it.
Twilight was able to get a night off to introduce her parents to her son.
In another attempt to bond. Applejack was currently teaching Burning Apple how to buck apples out of trees. He wasn't as good as her, but he did lack practice. It was currently the 2 of them. She figured she should try to bond with her son before getting him used to the others. She wanted to be his friend as much as her parent. Yet he was uncomfortable around her. Not that she blames him, she forced him to do this. Perhaps she should have waited until he was ready. Too late now though.
Flaming Pie was enjoying herself. She and Lil' Cheese were bonding over treats. In fact, Cheese and Pinkie were finding it difficult to keep up. Flaming and her brother were laughing away, the fun was clear to them. By the end of the night, both were cuddling together passed out.
Cheese laughed. "Your daughter's sweet tooth puts yours to shame".
Pinkie pouted. "It does not". She smiled. "I'm glad she had fun".
"I wonder if she will remember tomorrow"?
Rainbow and Bleu were currently racing. She managed to appeal to his ego, by daring him to race her. He soon forgot her previous insult and was in the lead. What he didn't know was Rainbow could beat him easily if she wanted to. But you know the saying that ignorance is bliss. She let him win, although his boasting was very annoying. He must have got that from Spike.
Rarity had Ruby model some dresses. "Darling, you look absolutely delightful".
Sweet Belle nodded in agreement.
Ruby smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate the compliment". This helped overlook the awkward incident, that Sweete Belle caused.
Fluttershy, meanwhile, found her attempts at bonding a complete disaster. Chase kept playing games with animals. She was surprised how well it was going, until she realized, he was doing what he could to avoid talking to her. Whenever she made an attempt, Chase went from tough to absolutely shy. This was going to be harder than she assumed.
Twilight and Glint were silently reading their own books. Twilight thought it would be best for him to talk first. Glint had no idea what to say. And as it became clear that he was struggling to talk, she decided to break the ice.
"What book you reading"?
"Simply a mystery novel. I like to try to find out who the culprit is. I'm only wrong ninety percent of the time".
Twilight giggled. Glint decided to ask his own question. "You remember your brother's wedding".
"Of course, it was a great day, after the invasion was foiled".
"Why did you forgive them all so easily. They didn't take you seriously. It put Equestria at risk"?
Twilight frowned, then sighed. "I was upset that they didn't believe me. But they felt sorry for what they did and that was enough to make me forgive them". She sighed again. "I can still see that it bothers Shining to this day. He thinks he can hide it but I know my brother. Some might think he got off easy, but living with guilt can be one of the hardest things to do".
Glint nodded. "You got that right".
Twilight gave him a sad look. "It's not your fault Spike is dead".
"Yes, it is. He died saving us, that makes it our fault".
"Things aren't as black and white as you make them out to be. My friends didn't side with me at the wedding, I could have said they betrayed or abandoned me. But it's wasn't that simple".
"Betrayed you? Abandoned you? That would be an overreaction".
"Exactly. Not everything is as black and white like I said. And it's not your fault he died".
Glint smiled. "Thank you".
By the end of the day, Rarity and Twilight would call their attempts at bonding a success. Pinkie and Rainbow called their attempts somewhat successful. Applejack and Fluttershy, sadly, not so much.
Author's note
The plan to force their hatchlings out of their comfort zone was obviously not going to get positive results for all of them.
