My Little Human: The Beginning

The notes of Twilight Sparkle on the life cycle of dragonkin. Original notes taken at 5 years old, translated at age 15, and again at age 20.

-> Day 1

Dragonkin do not age as we do, not in the least. Maybe it's because of how they live. From what little is available here at the Camelot Archives on dragonkin I can speculate on this. Dragonkin mothers do not care for their young for very long, often leaving the newborns within the first year of their life to fend on their own. This seems counterproductive to keeping the species alive, but who am I to question their traditions? But that is besides the point. What's really exciting is that there is a real live dragonkin baby right here in the palace. the Princess says that she found him abandoned on a road but I don't think she's telling the truth because she looked really sad and it's obvious from the books that this happens all the time and most dragonkin live through the experience, but, again, not the point.

He's really small, smaller even than other babies I've seen before, and light, the one time the Princess let me hold him. I almost dropped him and she took him back really fast, but I wouldn't have dropped him, he was just wiggling so much.

He has little claws and fangs and spines in his hair and on his spine. they're soft now but the Princess tells me that when he grows up they will be able to cut stones.

-> Day 21

Did you know that dragonkin live to thousands of years? Weird, huh? He wasn't a baby for very long, and he got really big really fast, I can't even pick him up any more. The Princess said that I could give him a name if I wanted, in addition to what she would call him. I like Spike, because he's so spiky with his claws and pointy teeth. I can't pronounce what the Princess calls him and had to ask her to write it down because I can't spell it.

His name is Eshkhan Vishap.

I asked the Princess what it means and she just said that it was a name that suits him. I guess, but I wouldn't know.

-> Day 65

I think he talked to me today. I think he said "Twi" but I'm not sure. Cadance and the Princess can't keep a hold of him ever since he started walking and grabbing things. I thought babies stayed babies longer. I guess he's just impatient to grow up, so am I sometimes, but at least I can come to the library whenever I want, there are so many books here, though I can't understand that much, but the Princess and mom and dad are really proud that I can a write so much, but they're just being silly, reading is fun.

-> Day 115

Spike bit me today so I'm gonna stop talking to him. His teeth are sharp and it really hurt. He's a big meanie and can stay away from me from now on, I don't like him.

-> Day 268

I wonder if he'll ever stop growing, he's almost as big a me now and won't stop asking questions. I tell him to read the books about his questions but he just cries and says he can't read yet and that I should read for him but I'm busy with my own books and he just cries and cries until I read to him.

I asked the Princess if he'll stop growing so fast because he'll be bigger than me soon and she laughed and said that dragonkin grow logarithmically and when I asked she said that he'll slow down growing really fast and then he'll look the same for a really long time and that he shouldn't get any bigger for a while.

-> Day 567

I love my little brother. He's always helpful at getting books that I can't find and he always remembers where things are. The Princess says that he can play with me and study with me so long as we don't get into trouble. I never get into trouble but the guard outside has had to stop Spike from sneaking out a whole bunch and once, when my older brother came over, Spike bit him. I don't think Spike likes my older brother, but I know they can get along.

-Twilight's notes on the development of Eshkhan "Spike" Vishap from her ages 5 - 7 and Spike age 0 - 2

(Now onto the real story eh?)

The clicking of her shoes against the stone cobbles was my first clue as to her arrival. 'She's running again, I hate it when she runs.'

"SPIKE!" I started to do a little checklist in my head. 'Yelling my name: check.'

'Blatantly ignoring other people and the rules of courtesy and etiquette:'

"Hey, Twi-ah!" A younger student said as she was nearly trampled by my older sister.

'Check. And, last but not least, almost brains herself on the loose cobble outside the library:'

"SPI-ohholycelestia" Her weight crashed into my arms as I reached out to stop her from knocking herself out on the stone steps of the library. 'Check.'

"Twilight."

"Spikethisisreallyimportyouneedtocomewithmerightnow!"

"Twilight." The soft thud of dragonhide boots accompanied the sharp click click clicking of Twilight's hurried pace. "You're not even listening to me, are you?"

"C'mon Spike, we need to get to the library so I can research this further!" Had she not trusted me to follow her, I'm sure that I would have been dragged up the stairs and into the library proper. "Oh, where is it, I know I read something about The Elements of Power here somewhere. Spike! Help me!"

I sighed wearily as she began pulling books from all over the library with her magic, muttering to herself and dropping each unhelpful book straight onto the floor. She was going to be the death of me, I just know it.

While my sister muttered to herself and flailed about the library searching for the correct book I calmly walked over to the card catalouge, found the artifact reference, cross referenced it with magic, and looked under E. The Elements of Power were referenced in several tomes, though the most helpful would probably be A Recent History of the World. Then I calmly got up, walked over to the shelf, grabbed the book, walked back to my sister, took her shoulder, lead her to a reading table, pushed her into the seat, and placed the book in front of her.

She barely noticed. She immediately dived into the book as I went to pick up the mess she had made. I could hear her speaking behind me and I quietly listened as she rattled off information. "The Elements of Power are incredibly powerful magical objects that were once used to bind Nightmare Moon's consciousness to the moon for eternity. It is, however, speculated and whispered of that she will return on the eve of the longest day to take back the throne her sister banished her from, 1000 years after the date of her banishment in 1482 QC. Spike! Do you know what this means?"

"People really shouldn't use the statement 'banished for eternity' right before they say that they don't think it's going to last forever?"

"Take a note, please." She ignored me. I sighed and, with a flourish that most stage magicians would be proud of, summoned my long feather quill and some parchment from the castle store room. Of course, this was unremarked upon by the violet haired woman in front of me, it's not like I just performed a complex and powerful spell with nothing more than a shake and a wave.

"Dear Princess Celestia,

     My continuing studies of arcane lore have lead me to believe that we stand upon the precipice of disaster. For you see, it is my belief that Nightmare Moon will not stay on the moon, but will descend upon this world to bring about a night eternal. Something must be done to stop this terrible disaster from coming to pass.

Your faithful student,

     Twilight Sparkle"

"Now send it."

Now?" I asked, "But you do know that she'll be busy with the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, right?"

"I'm certain that the Princess can take time out of her busy schedule to, I don't know, stop the world from being swallowed in eternal night?"

I just looked at her. This was the third possible annihilation of the world in the past year. Don't get me wrong, she was never completely wrong about the danger, it was more of a scale thing. For example, there was a prophesy that a thousand hydra would descend upon Manehattan back in winter, and they did. However, it was in the form of one thousand hydra eggs from an underwater volcano erupting below the hydra nesting grounds out in the ocean. The cleanup was terrible, but no one was badly injured. I'm certain that this would be no different.

"Just send the letter, Spike." I shrugged, no point in arguing. A quick word and my hand was filled with dragon fire as green as my hair and the letter crumbled to ash and flew out the window, off to reconstruct itself wherever the princess may be. This, of course, had lead to some troubles with Twilight's strange sleeping habits and, well, after a few bath incidents and that one time that a letter had dropped onto the wyrmling ambassador's head, Twilight was no longer allowed to send letters after midnight, before dawn, or during the hours that the Princess had set aside for negotiations, court functions, and personal time.

I suddenly felt sick. A hot feeling was building in my stomach and I tried to hold back my gag reflex. Sending letters was easy but receiving them felt an awful lot like puking up a red hot spoon. I burped loudly, expelling a tongue of dragon fire, out of which coalesced the return letter.

"That was fast." Twilight remarked.

"Yeah, sure, gimme a minute, will ya?" I leaned against the wall as Twilight floated the parchment up to my hand. I sighed and opened it.

"My Faithful Student Twilight,

     You know that I value your diligence and have complete faith in you. However, you should really get out of the library every once in a while, it's not healthy. To this end, I feel that it would be prudent of me to send you to this year's location for the Summer Sun Celebration to supervise the whole affair. Twilight, you know that I care for you and wish the best for you, but studying is not the only, or even the most important, thing in a young woman's life, which is why I have a more important task for you while you are overseeing the Summer Sun Celebration preparations. Make some friends.

Your Princess and Mentor,

     Celestia"

We stood in silence for a moment before Twilight let out a frustrated groan, "Why does she always do this? I tell her that there's a threat to the whole world and she tells me to go to a small town and make some FRIENDS? I shall not stand for this, if she won't listen to a letter I'll tell her myself!"

I simple watched with a small smile as she stormed out of the Library. 'There she goes, my sister/keeper/ward/best friend.' Her dark violet hair streaming out behind her, the two lighter streaks in it cutting it in half along the left side. Light purple arcanist robes flapping at her heels, left shoulder bared to show off her cutie mark, a violet starburst surrounded by five small stars.

I chuckled lightly, "Is this really a good idea?"