The Measure of a Dragon: An Unpublished Epilogue? · 4:22am Nov 8th, 2017
So, I went through my old files and realized that at some point I started writing an epilogue for "The Measure of a Dragon." Sad to say, I can't for the life of me remember what I was going to write. Okay, that's a lie. I think I was going to imply Silver Stone's parents were not so dead, but I'm not sure where or how to continue this. I don't think I have it in me to finish it or make a sequel. I just want to explore other stories (Plus a lot of recent MLP episodes upset this story's cannon). Sorry to tease you all with this, but I don't think I have it in me to finish it. It's been almost two years since I started the story, and I'm just not sure I can return. But I'll leave you with this.
Spike handed Twilight the book she had misplaced, earning him a thankful smile. As she settled down for afternoon reading, he went to the kitchen to make her a snack. As he walked through a hallway, he glanced at the many letters and documents addressed to him on a nearby tabletop that he had yet to organize. Now was probably as good a time as any to sift through them, after all, Twilight could only stand a mess for so long. Forgoing the snack preparation for a moment, Spike gathered up the letters and entered his room.
Ever since he and Dr. Saffron had agreed to their collaboration three months ago, she began visiting him with Silver Stone once every two weeks to conduct a small experiment with his help. In their first meeting, they took scratch tests of his teeth. The second, they had estimated the maximum temperature of his fire breath. The third, Spike offered them some of his scales for study. They both tried to refuse this offer, feeling he should not have plucked so many scales from his body for their use. When he explained it was already done and he could not put them back on, however, they reluctantly accepted the scales, on the condition that he never personally remove so many scales without their approval again. Their collaborations had revealed much about dragon kind biology; these letters were the results of their studies. Dr. Saffron had promised to send Spike a copy of every experiment, analysis, and findings they conducted for his personal records. He had meant to read them sooner, but there were certain complications that required his attention.
Among those complications was Sugar Cube Corner receiving a new employee, well, unpaid employee. When Princess Celestia heard how Pinkie Pie thoroughly intimidated Amber Heart, she decreed the doctor would spend one day every month performing community service at Sugar Cube Corner under the watch of a certain pony. Amber Heart had tried to place herself above the whole situation, complaining and scheming the first two weeks. On the third week, however, the doctor refused to sing a “Happy Birthday” to a little brown colt as per custom, prompting Pinkie Pie to ask every pony to kindly exit the building. She locked the doors and closed the blinds for three hours at least, apparently giving Amber Heart a thorough and agonizingly tedious lecture on the history of cupcakes. From then on, the doctor wore an extremely pained smile and sang anything Pinkie Pie told her to without a word, while wearing a cupcake outfit. After that instance, her ability to speak seemed to have faded somewhat; now, whenever she saw the pink pony staring at her, she could only whimper three words: “So much frosting.” Even the royal guards were astounded by Pinkie Pie’s effectiveness at breaking the doctor when their methods proved unfruitful, regarding her with respect and slight apprehension.
Dr. Saffron and Twilight had become remarkably good friends as time went on. They were both very studious and introverted, not to mention defensive of their wards. Twilight was just as involved in the experiments as the unicorn, offering her own insights and observations that Dr. Saffron seemed to regard highly. Spike could only suppose this friendship began when on the second week after the trial Dr. Saffron approached them with adoption papers for Spike, approved by both the council and the princesses. Although she had ensured the science department would never have the power to separate a family, she thought Twilight legally adopting Spike would send a powerful message to any who might try it. The document didn’t specify whether they would be mother and son or brother and sister. When Twilight asked what this document would make them, Dr. Saffron teasingly replied husband and wife. This joke made them both blush and stutter uncomfortably. Once the moment passed, they were all laughing. Dr. Saffron then explained she was able to pull a few strings to craft a legally approved custom adoption paper that would be intentionally vague for the time being until they decided their relationship status. Twilight readily signed the papers and Spike soon followed suit. After this, Twilight and their friends truly seemed to welcome Dr. Saffron to Ponyville without hesitation.
The most interesting development had been between him and Silver Stone. As of late, they had been spending plenty of time together. This was partly due to the experiments but also due to the fact they enjoyed each other’s company. A while ago, Spike started calling her Silvy. It was a slip of the tongue that he tried to rectify, but when she called him Spikey in retaliation, she was just asking to keep the nickname. Spike chuckled at the memory. If he wasn’t careful, he could fall in love with her. Well, who was to say that he hadn’t?
Spike noticed an envelope with no return address. It did not look like one of Dr. Saffron’s letters, but it was still addressed to him. Curiously, he opened it and read its contents.
Nice epilogue.
Oooh nice and no one messes with
or you get the
You could always update the story to fit in with some of the recent episodes; like including the events from Gauntlet of Fire that I mentioned in my last comment.
I don't think having Amber Heart be so close to where Spike lives is such a good idea. What if she were to sneak out at night, break into Twilight's castle, and either kidnap or downright kill Spike in his sleep? I mean, she clearly still blames him for her pupil's death (despite him not even being born when that happened); in fact, before she was even arrested she was already trying to plan a second scheme to somehow get Spike. So wouldn't it make more sense if she were doing community service far away from Ponyville?
Wouldn't one scale be more than enough to study with? I mean, wasn't the whole point of him winning trial just to keep from ever having to partake in experiments that could hurt him?
I honestly don't think you need to include this epilogue in your story. I felt that the last chapter served as a perfect ending for it, and I think that the events mentioned in your epilogue is best to be kept ambiguous and up for the readers' interpretation. I do however like the idea of a sequel where maybe we see Spike and Silver grow up as adults, get married, and have a child. And maybe the whole story can just be a slice of life that focuses on their child's everyday life, like going to school, or hanging with friends, and seeing Twilight and Saffron on occasion. And maybe at one point, their child might bump into a repentant Amber Heart who after all these years of being in prison and doing community service finally realizes that she was wrong to put the blame of Silver's parents on Spike and ends breaking down.
And on a side note, am I the only who wonders whether Spike and Silver got to trade their comics after all this?