Egg Scramble

by SilverNotes

Omlette

"He was my friend first!"

"But I make a better friend for a pony!"

"No you don't!"

"Yes I do!"

"No you don't!"

"Yes I do!"

Dragon Lord Ember was sat coiled around her throne. She'd grown too long of body for it a while back, but it'd been a gift, and so she'd gotten in the habit of wrapping her serpentine form around it as she listened to her subjects in open court. adding cushions to rest upon where necessary.

The gemstones she'd gathered over the years were now joined by paintings, tapestries, and sculptures from all over the world, most of them depicting dragons together with other species. She'd begun to worry some as her body's length had increased that it'd all started triggering greed growth, but thankfully, there were ways to mitigate that.

The two dragons arguing in front of her were young. Post-molt, but not much older. Both roughly the same size, fiercely glaring at each other as neither showed any sign of backing down.

Ember gave a patient smile as she uncoiled from the throne, lifting herself up on her hind limbs as her foreclaws grasped the scepter. "And have either of you asked your pony friend what he thinks?" she asked gently, already anticipating the answer.

"Well... yes," admitted one quietly.

The other huffed. "But he says he wants to be friends with both of us."

"That's why we're here, so you can pick, since he won't."

"What she said!"

Ember slowly shook her head, and slithered her way over to some of her gems. She plucked a large diamond in her claws as she spoke. "Have you ever noticed about ponies, that they usually travel around in big groups? Three and four, or even five and six. Do you know why that is?"

Both dragons shook their heads. Ember slithered closer, still holding the diamond. "Because ponies are a herd species. They'll all come together like that, and all be each other's friends. You'll have six ponies, and each one will all share five friends, making them all richer than if they'd gone it alone."

She could still see the confusion on both their faces, and so she tossed the hefty gemstone up and down, letting it catch the light and draw both their attention. "Say that both of you found this diamond. You could fight over it until one of you won, and then one of you would have a new diamond, and the other would have nothing." She stopped tossing and catching the gem, holding it tight. "Or, you two could share it. Both of you would have a new diamond, it just wouldn't be directly under your claw all the time."

Both seemed to be thinking it over, and so she continued. "It's the same with friends. You could hoard that pony all to yourself, and one would get a new friend. Or you could both be friends with him, and both be richer." She polished the diamond against her scales. "Not to mention, while a diamond doesn't care about who keeps it... if your pony friend does want to be friends with both of you, then you'd make him sad trying to force him to only keep one of you. You'd be making him poorer. And you don't want to do that to a friend, do you?"

Both dragons drew back, looking stricken as the question sank in.

"...I didn't think of it like that," one admitted with a tone of quiet horror. "That his friends are his treasure too."

"We'd be robbing him," exclaimed the other. "He'd cry, and I hate seeing ponies cry. It makes my chest hurt."

Ember smiled triumphantly, and tossed the diamond toward the two. They both moved forward instinctively to catch it, which resulted in both of them holding it together. "Here. Keep this. You can practice sharing it, to help you also share your friend."

The two stared in awe at the huge gem, one piping up, "You're giving this to us?"

Ember shrugged. "Sure. Why not? I've got plenty of gems. They don't all have to be under my claw all the time."

The two scurried out the cave together with their treasure, taking flight in a hurry as if afraid she might change her mind, though Ember noted with approval that they did so while uttering profuse 'thank yous.' Someone at least had taught them manners, even if it'd fallen to her to give the sharing lesson.

It was progress.

"Is that the last one for the day, Crackle?" she asked.

Crackle looked at one of her scrolls, followed by a nod. "It is, Your Lordship." Her lips curled in a smile. "Were you thinking of heading home early, then?"

Ember chuckled. "Yeah, I figured I'd surprise the kids. That okay?"

Crackle nodded and made a good-natured shooing motion. "Go on, have fun with your family. You deserve the break."

Ember smiled warmly at her assistant and friend. "You're the best, Crack."

---

"Mama!"

Ember landed at the mouth of the cave, and smiled broadly as six excited drakes came rushing to meet her. She flattened herself to the cave floor, laughing softly as she was mobbed. Scales of purple, pink, orange, cyan, yellow, and pearly white contrasted with her deep blue as the youngsters climbed all over her, all chattering at once.

Ember looked over at the drakesitters, giving Backdraft and Charcoal a friendly smile. "How was it?"

"Oh they were great, Your Lordship," Backdraft said, with the forced smile of exhausted sitters everywhere.

"Little angels, all of them," Charcoal chimed with the same smile.

Ember tut-tutted at them. "I told you two, when you're in my home, it's just Ember." She twisted her long neck, looking down at her brood where they were gathered on her back, a feat that never failed to elicit squeals of delight from all six. "Were you all being rowdy with your drakesitters?"

"No Mama!" they all chorused, save for one.

"...A little," admitted the smallest, sunny yellow drake.

Ember chuckled, and looked at the two worn-out looking adult dragons again. "Don't worry, I'll pay you extra for tonight." That earned some more genuine smiles from the two, and that's when she noticed the scroll sitting nearby on the table. "Oh? Did that arrive while I was out?"

It had taken some work to get Spike's letter-sending trick to go to a place instead of a specific creature--as funny as it could be to see some of the petitioners' faces, she'd wanted to make sure that scrolls that dropped out of thin air to land on her head were only the ones that urgently needed her eyes--but eventually they'd acquired an enchanted candle to act as a conduit. Emergency letters went straight to her, while routine correspondence went to the candle to greet her after a long day.

Backdraft nodded. "Yeah, about partway through the day."

"We told the kids they had to wait until you got back to read it," Charcoal added.

"Well!" She craned her head to look at the children again as she got up from the floor. "In that case, would you all like to listen to me read Papa's letter?"

Cheers broke out, and Ember felt her heart fill with a deep, long-lasting warmth.

---

Dear Family,

I arrived in Anugypt safe and sound. The current pharaoh has been very hospitable, and apologetic about the more unfriendly reception his father gave last time. It seems like he really wants to hammer out a formal alliance with Equestria and make it work, and I'm pretty optimistic. If all goes well, he'll no doubt be approaching other nations next, so you may find yourself with a jackal diplomat in the Dragonlands in the near future.

Of course, since things are going well, that means that there's probably shenanigans on the horizon. There's always some kind of unexpected complication when I meet a new friend, but at least it usually gets wrapped up before too long. Maybe I'll even get to sing a song this time.

But enough about work. I got the drawings you all sent, and I look at them every night before I go to sleep. You're all getting to be quite the artists! Maybe we can all make one big picture together as a family when we get home.

Speaking of, this'll be the last assignment, and then I can come home and enjoy a few weeks Friendship Mission free. Break out the board games and storybooks, because I'm really looking forward to some quality time with you all, and catching up face to face about everything I've missed.

I've been thinking about getting us a set of those communication crystal balls. They're getting more popular these days, and their spells are getting more refined. I think I'd miss reading and writing the letters, though.

If you're feeling up to travel, maybe we can even pay a visit to Equestria or the Crystal Empire once I get back, but I don't mind the opportunity to rest and spend time at home either. We can take things nice and easy without having to worry about long flights or train rides.

I hope Crackle's doing well too. After hearing how she's been going above and beyond lately, it sounds like she needs a vacation too. I hope those new sitters you talked about in the last letter have been working out, as well, and they haven't been run ragged by the usual family antics.

I miss you all, and I love you all very much,

Spike the Brave and Glorious, Ambassador Dad

Comments

[Spamotron]

So the sequel people asked for is here. This time I commissioned SilverNotes to have Spike and Ember tackle one of the hardest questions any* serious romantic relationship will face. I think it worked out excellently.

*For people about to say something "clever," about non-hetero relationships. Adoption is always a consideration among others, and history has proven that all kinds of couples can raise healthy well adjusted kids.

[FanOfMostEverything]

Outstanding work, celebrating the support Spike recieved over the years… and the anxiety he picked up along the way. Lovely job presenting a portrait of the Empire and its royal family at this point in the timeline, and the suspiciously familiar clutch in the last chapter is a wonderful capstone, along with Ember’s almost Celestial patience.

Also, Crackle is best secretary.

Thank you for a wonderful read.

[Crimson Eclipse77]

I really like this story. It describes Spike and Ember's anxiety about having kids very well,Spike especially. And having lots of family to talk to and get ideas from was great.

[Booster Spice]

Ember and Spikes offspring should be recieving their hatching day cupcakes direct from Pinkie, given in Canon she was preparing for her parents anniversaries up to, 500 years time? At least 200 years?

[BestinDworld]

Me about to make French toast with ember and spikes eggs

Starts singing: “They got me pegged! cause I don’t know what to do with those tossed salad and scrambled eggs. They’re calling again. Goodnight everybody “

[Hillbe]

A simple question why do dragons of the future have fabulous manes? (G-5)
That was easy darling plenty of romantic Fun and games and balloons and cake
Close Pinkie real close