Chapter 6: Familial Pride

“Coming!” A voice calls out from behind the thick oaken door opposite the landing from Rainbow Dash’s own room. The pegasus had not realized it when she’d tucked in earlier, but the room is in the same tower as Celestia’s own residence, just a floor above, with the homey parlor they’d enjoyed lunch in just below it.

There is only a moment of waiting before the door swings open to reveal a pastel pink pony with a long mane, curled upwards at the end-and more to the point, in possession of both wings and a horn. Other than Celestia, every pony present does a double take in surprise at the ponies greeting them, but before Rainbow Dash can get a word in edgewise she is cut off by both the strange older pony and Twilight in unison.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves, and do a little shake!” Twilight chants together with the older pony in a singsong voice, performing a little dance on the spot.

Glancing back up at Celestia, Rainbow Dash finds her own surprise mirrored on the Princesses face. “You two ... know each other?” Celestia asks, raising a brow.

The unfamiliar alicorn turns to Celestia with a broad grin plastered on her face. “Of course! Do you remember when you had me foalsit for Canterlot nobles? Twilight was one of the fillies I foalsat for!” She beams at the purple unicorn filly, who is grinning ear to ear in turn.

“There’s another alicorn? How come I’ve never heard of you? What’s going on here?” Rainbow Dash finally blurts out in confusion, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. Something about this new pony doesnt feel quite right, compared to the majestic visage of Celestia she is somehow lacking. She doesn’t have the same sense of gravitas nor air of casual grace that Celestia has, looking more like a unicorn who just happened to also have wings.

Twilight wants to scream at the cyan pegasus to quit being so abrasive before she gets thrown in the dungeon, but Celestia simply regards her with a patient gaze. “Cadance was transformed under ... Less than ideal circumstances.” Celestia states, delicately. “I don’t believe I am at liberty to say more, for Cadance’s sake. But suffice it to say, she is not yet well known outside of Canterlot circles.” Cadence shudders at the mention, and shakes her head.

“I would rather we don’t discuss that right now, if it’s alright.” Cadance says quickly. “So, why are you all here? And, just who do I have the pleasure of meeting?”

Celestia drapes a wing over each of her two new students. “This here is Rainbow Dash, a pegasus from Cloudsdale. She not only performed a Sonic Rainboom, but also managed to fly all the way to Canterlot from Cloudsdale in a single day. I extended her an offer to take her in as my personal student.” Rainbow Dash puffs out her chest and flares out her wings at the glowing praise, basking in the attention. “And of course, if you have met Twilight, you should not be surprised I have also taken her in as well.”

Cadance frowns, looking at each filly in turn. “Celestia ... Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean ... After what happened with Sunset Shimmer...” Twilight blinks and looks up at the two alicorns, wondering what they are talking about.

Celestia bites her lip in discomfort. “I ... Have learned much from my mistakes, and will not make the same ones again. Twilight has immense magical potential that should not be squandered because of my own personal failings. She was able to hatch the egg from the Canterlot entrance exam, while empowered by Rainbow Dash’s Rainboom.”

Cadance blinks in surprise, and looks down at Twilight with both newfound respect, and a sense of apprehension. “She did what!? But ... That egg is...”

Celestia just nods. “Yes, that egg is simply a rock.” That simple statement, so innocuous in tone, completely shatters Twilight’s world, her own jaw dropping open.

“Wait, what? But ... I ... I hatched it!” Twilight blurts out, brain scrambling in confusion.

Celestia quietly giggles, and leans down to speak to her more directly. “That test is usually made to see how unicorns deal with failure, and how much effort they are willing to put in to make something impossible work. When you hatched that egg, you did not simply heat up a dragon egg, but transformed a painted rock into life on the spot. I was going to tell you later, but, well, now is as good a time as any.” Celestia shrugs, seemingly in good spirits once more.

Cadance bows her head to each of the two fillies in turn, lightly. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet both of you.” A light suddenly seems to flick on in Cadance’s head as she connects the dots. “Ah, then this must be your new room! I was wondering why Celestia asked to have Spike put here, next to Sunset Shimmer’s old room.”

Celestia nods. “Very astute, Cadance. I am just now giving these two fillies a tour of the palace so that they can find their way around. But first things first, Twilight wanted to see Spike. She hasn’t gotten to see them since the entrance exam, you understand.”

Cadance gives a soft smile and steps aside, inviting everypony in. “Of course, come right in! He’s sleeping in the crib right now. Just be quiet, the noise suppression spell I cast only blocks noise from outside the room.”

The ponies are allowed in, the alicorn duo hanging back to allow Rainbow Dash and Twilight to stand close to the crib where the baby dragon is sitting. “That’s the dragon?” Rainbow Dash sounds disappointed, reaching out a hoof to poke the baby dragon in the cheek. “They’re, uh ... A lot wimpier than I expected.”