“Uh… What is~~” She started only to be interrupted by Dragon Lord Ember, emerging from the darkness.
“An egg.“She stated, glaring down at the smooth egg. It shimmer in dim light. Rarity, missing the glare, rolled her eyes.
“Well, yes, that much is obvious, my dear but why give this to me?” She asked, deadpanning as she held the egg carefully. It did hold a life within. At her question, Ember grimaced, looking away.
“It’s… complicated.” She mumbled, clenching her fist and wrapping her arms around herself. “Look, can you just take this and go home!?”
“T-take it? Lord Ember, this is an egg.” She reasoned, sure that she must be misunderstanding something. “Somepony’s child! How could I~~”
“I don’t want it!” She snapped, shocking the pony into silence. Seeing her slight fear, Ember calmed herself down and spoke again. “I don’t… I don’t need it as a reminder.”
“Reminder…?” She frowned, implications of her words surfacing. Surely she wasn’t saying… “Ember, what do~~”
“You… you ponies don’t get how dragons are. How we really are.” She explained, narrowing her eyes as she gazed passed the pony, looking out into the lands she ruled over. “I’ve been trying to make things… better but it’s not easy to change generations of nature. There are things that we can’t change and one of those things is dominance. Willing or otherwise.”
“…I see.” She sighed, the situation dawning on her. She never thought… No, perhaps she had forgotten the legends told, choosing to base her impressions on Spike and Ember. Some dragons were the reason those legends existed in the first place.
“No, you don’t.” She snapped, bitterness evident in her voice. After a moment, she let out a breath. “But I don’t blame you. Equestria is different from the Dragon Land’s.”
Not that much.” She muttered, thinking of stories she was told by Crescent and Hazy. Of those lost to the darken alleyways and lost paperwork. It was not a public thing but she knew it happened. She continued. “But why give this child up? Surely, it’s not to blame.”
“No, but it is a sign of weakness.”
“W-weakness?!” She cried, unconsciously bringing the egg closer as if to shield it’s ears from it’s mothers words. “Surely you don’t think~~”
“No, I KNOW what others will think. They will see me as weak. Submissive. I am the Dragon Lord!” Ember roared, anger radiating from her. Her wings spread wide and faintly trembled. “I’m not some lowly female to be…” She stopped, tears forming in her eyes before she blinked them away. “I’ve ‘taken care’ of the dragon in question. The dead can’t talk but this… thing can’t be here. With no mate, it would be impossible to pass it off as mine.
“I… Understand.” She replied, grimacing as she held to egg closer. It was warm and she could faintly feel it’s heart beating. “But why me? Surely you could have picked anypony else.”
I only know you, Starlight and Princess Twilight. Starlight is hard to predict.” She explained, frowning. “She might agree and I originally planned to ask her but I’m not sure how well that would go. As for Princess Twilight… I’ve heard rumors about her.” She said, a look of understanding and pity showing itself. “She hasn’t taken her mates death well and I don’t want to want to add more onto her plate.”
“And Spike?”
“Spike is… too kind for his own good.” Ember Snorted affectionately. “He’d either try and avenge me somehow or convince me to keep the egg. He doesn’t understand Dragons and I don’t blame him for that but someone who doesn’t understand can’t be brought in.”
“And you think I would understand.”
I know you do. You’re smart. Smart in ways Princess Twilight, Starlight and Spike aren’t. You understand the implications of my decision.
“Implications?” She echoed, knowing what was going to be said but hoping to Celestia it wasn’t true. By that, you mean…”
“I mean, if you don’t take this child from me,” She said, looking Rarity straight in the eye “I will ‘take care’ of it myself.”