Spike backed his way through the castle’s kitchen door, his hands still were clutched tightly around the large paper bag.

“Hey Twilight! I got the supplies.” He said as he placed the bag on top the kitchen counter.

He looked towards the two mares standing in front of and next to the stove. One of them held a spatula in her magic and was using it to move something around a sizzling pan. The other was holding large a dinner plate aloft in her own magical aura. The alicorn mare suddenly flipped the spatula, and Spike finally noticed the pancakes she was cooking. The smell alone was making him drool, he hadn’t really had breakfast yet this morning due to the delivery. He hadn't assumed Twilight and Starlight hadn't either.

Twilight Sparkle turned her head back and addressed the dragon with a warm smile. “Thanks Spike. You don’t know how much that helps us. ”

She looked back towards the stove and lifted her frying pan from it. She placed the pancake she had just finished onto the plate Starlight Glimmer was levitating.

“I didn’t realize how much work goes into these big pancake breakfasts, Pinkie Pie likes to throw." She watched as Starlight carried the fresh pancake over to the numerous amounts of other stacks they had spent most of the morning making. "We nearly ran out of supplies just making the first twenty-four." Spike felt surprised by Twilight's statement. He looked to Starlight for confirmation, who nodded her head confirming the princess was not exaggerating.

"By the way, we made you some breakfast while you were out." Twilight added. "We decided to experiment with the pancake flavors a little bit, so please tell us what you think.” The pair of mares smiled at Spike like they were waitresses for the early-bird special.

Spike smiled back. He was always happy to help, especially when it involved eating pancake breakfasts.

He took his seat at the kitchen’s small oaken table. “So you two have been at this all morning?” He asked curiously.

“Yeah, but in truth it feels like we've been working at this since last night.” Starlight stated with an air sarcastic boastfulness. “We've finished the majority, I just hope we can finish the last few before the girls actually arrive.” Spike nodded understandingly.

The two seemed calmer then they usually did when faced with close-deadline situations like this, which Spike was more than happy to see. He did not want to deal with the Psycho-Lights today, especially considering what he planned to do tonight.

Spike chuckled to himself. “I don’t know how Pinkie Pie does it?” He said jokingly.

“It’s Pinkie Pie. No one knows, except Pinkie Pie.”

The dragon continued to chuckle, before looking back down towards the table. It was a significantly smaller table when compared to the one they usually used when they entertained larger meals, it only being a four-chair wooden dinner table. Spike knew it as the table mostly used for meals usually only pertaining to Twilight, Starlight and himself.

Twilight turned off the stove and trotted towards her young assistant. “So besides baking ludicrous amounts of flapjacks, what’s the plan for today Twilight?” Spike asked with genuine curiosity.

“You two practicing a new spell? Going to try and recreate some of Zecora’s potions?” Twilight levitated over a plate of pancakes and set them down in front of the dragon.

“Whatever it is, your ever-eager assistant is ready to help!” Twilight giggled warmly at the dragon’s vigor. "Just please don't turn me into a newt this time, okay?"

Starlight grumbled flatly. "You got better."

“No nothing like that today.” Twilight dismissed his assumptions with a friendly smile.

“Actually today, Princess Celestia needs some important documents gone over before she can actually finalize them, and with me being the newest Princess of Equestria, she wants me to read them over. They will be coming through the mail later in the afternoon.” She paused for a second to grab her own plate before taking a seat across from her assistant. "And Starlight is going to help me."

Starlight sat down next to Spike with her own breakfast, her expression clearly nonplussed.

"Yippee." She stated grumpily. Twilight didn't notice.

Spike raised an eyebrow in confusion. Not that Princess Celestia was sending her paperwork for Twilight to do (Twilight loved working with boring Equestrian documents), but that the princess was sending it to them through the mail.

“Why's she sending important legal documents through the mail?” He asked questioningly. "Wouldn't it be safer to send them each through me?” Spike felt more then a little hurt that he wasn't chosen to be purveyor of such documents.

Twilight smiled and stifled a giggle. “Well she could have done that. That is, if you wanted to burp up enough scrolls to fill a crate the size of our sofa.”

The though of that many scrolls gave the baby dragon indigestion. He did not want to have to repeat a similar role to the one he played back when Discord broke free from his stone prison in Canterlot.

“Point taken.”

Using a fork, Twilight placed a piece of her pancakes into her mouth. “It’s probably going to take us the rest of the day to complete when it finally gets here.” She said speaking through her full mouth.

Starlight silently groaned. Spike raised a curious ear.

“And maybe some time into the night?” He asked in obvious hope.

Starlight cocked a brow. "Why's that matter?" She asked curiously.

Twilight also gave the dragon a curious look. She replied, “I don’t think so, but I do intend to turn-in early considering how monotonous some of this paperwork can get over time. Why do you ask?”

Spike didn't answer immediately, and instead faintly nodded his head as he tried to avoid her gaze. “No reason.”

"Ooo-kay...?" Twilight said questioningly.

The dragon didn't reply and instead decided to remain silent, he seemingly wanting to drop the matter. The mares continued to stare at him in confusion, before ultimately shrugging it off. “Let’s just eat breakfast before it gets cold.” Twilight stated.

Spike nodded again in agreement and began ramming the cinnamon, banana, and cream cheese hotcakes down his throat. “And Spike, please chew before you swallow.” Twilight asked calmly, narrowly moving her head in time to avoid a dollop of whip cream and maple syrup from hitting her square in the eye.

******
Outside the castle, the crickets chirped loudly as the seconds ticked ever closer to midnight. Hours had passed since the big pancake breakfast was eaten by Twilight and her friends.

Spike slowly creaked open the door to his room as to avoid any sudden loud noises. He stuck his head out into the hallway and scanned to see if the coast was clear.

“They've got to be asleep by now…” He said sneaking into the hallway.

An unholy sound, like that of a dying animal, echoed loudly from the direction of Twilight's room. Spike smirked knowingly.

“Yep, out like a light.”

Spike slowly shut his bedroom door, producing a low “click” when it closed.

He crept through hallway silently, watching his every step cautiously to make sure his draconic claws didn’t tap noisily against the crystalline floors. Soon after a little navigation of the castle hallways, Spike finally found his way to the front door. He opened it as gently as he did his own bedroom.

“Okay now, let’s see what those fillies have been cooking up.” He quickly and silently closed the door behind him, before breaking into a sprint towards the outskirts of town.

“So, this is the child that will save the world?” A haunting feminine voice spoke. She sounded unimpressed by the little dragon’s visage running soundlessly through her crystal ball.

A colorful bird resting on a perch besides her also watched the ball intently, its green and blue feathers glowing like the embers of a campfire. It straightened a small black bow-tie that hung around its neck with its wing before answering its master.

“Or so says the crystal ball, Your Radiance.” The bird spoke in a proper tone, almost gentlemanly, if not for its womanly voice.

“Hmm… And the Dark Djinn’s power alone will not suffice…?” The mare's voice vibrated with an echo like rhythm.

“I fear not.”

The mare tapped her stripped hoof against her crystal ball. She asked her bird another question. “What is the hatchling’s name?”

“Spike, Your Radiance.” The mare remained silent. Her silence quickly spread to the rest of the room. The name somehow resonated with her, like it was important in more ways then she knew.

“Spike…”

On the outskirts of town, Spike had just reached the top of the tallest hill that overlooked Ponyville. He could now see every square inch of the town from his higher elevation, and yet even still he could not find any trace of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Where are they?” He grumbled to himself. “Apple Bloom said to meet with them on the outskirts of town?!" Spike scratched his head in confusion, before noticing a bridge on the other side of Ponyville. "Maybe she meant the outskirts on the other side of town?"

He looked around. Not seeing the Crusaders anywhere near him, he began to think his new assumption was correct. Spike threw his arms up in exasperation. “But that means, I wasted all that time climbing up here!" He groaned and started heading back down the incline.

“I guess I shouldn’t be too mad about it, though.” He grumbled. "Its not like I asked where exactly we'd be meeting at."

Spike was annoyed, but he didn't fully blame the Crusaders. From past experience, he knew that the CMC were trustworthy, if only a little bit frustrating. Apple Bloom wouldn’t lie to him, and even if she did he’d know about it. If they said they’d meet him on the outskirts of town they would, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He was certain of that.

“I just wish they’d figure out how to give more specific directions.” Spike muttered.

Before he could reach the bottom of the hill, a loud piercing whistle cried out into the night. Spike clamped his claws over the fins on head as he nearly felt his eardrums explode from the sudden appearance of sound. He turned around in surprise, only to see a little orange filly beckoning him back up the hill and further out of sight from the town's perimeter. Finally having his destination, Spike rushed towards the filly and only stopped once he was face to face with her. The guilty look she was giving him told the young dragon she could clearly see his own sour expression.

“So what happened to keeping quiet?” He asked with a furrowed brow.

“You were taking forever to find us, so I thought I’d find a way to get your attention.” Scootaloo stated matter-a-factly.

“By using a soccer whistle?” Spike questioned. “You could have woken up the entirety of the Everfree forest, let alone Ponyville.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes before turning away from the dragon. “Yeah well... it got you here didn’t it?” She started off down the opposite side of the hill. “Come on, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are waiting!”

Spike quickly chased after the filly, and soon the two came upon the other two members of the CMC waiting for them. Spike noted as he got closer, that two other fillies were standing around a large tarped object and that all three were illuminated by a rusty old lantern, their only light source save for Luna's moon.

“What kept ya, slowpoke?” Apple Bloom said with a smile.

“Sorry about that, I got lost." Spike answered sarcastically. "Apparently the 'outskirts of town' encompasses more then just one hill twenty yards off the southside." The fillies grimaced in response.

"Ah guess we could've been a little more specific." Apple Bloom said embarrassedly.

Spike signed. “That's true, but it isn't completely your fault. I didn't ask." He said apologetically. "But anyways, is this what you've been working on?” He pointed towards the large tarped object.

The fillies smirked at each other before turning towards the tarp. "Yes Spike, this is it."

Spike cocked an eyebrow. “And what is it?"

“This is she, Spike.” Apple Bloom announced. “Ah present to you!” Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle took the tarp in their teeth before pulling it from the object. Spike’s eyes widened in amazement. "The Crusader!!!"

“Name and design patent-pending by the CMC.” Scootaloo added.

Spike stood silent, his mouth agape at the fillies’ creation. It was a polished wooden kart carved and polished to make an aerodynamic design even Rainbow Dash would be proud of. It was made of smoothed and sanded apple wood with wheels more sturdy-looking then the wheels of any carriage Spike had ever seen. A large picture of the CMC symbol was painted on the hood of the kart. It looked so glorious, it was almost as if it was speaking to the dragon. It was saying: “Drive me~”

Spike could barely speak. “Is… is that…” Spike continued to stare at the red and gold painted kart.

“An applewood derby kart? Why yes, yes it is.” The fillies could barely say another word before the baby dragon shot towards their creation. He eyeballed it like a professional.

“Girls... have I ever told you how awesome you all are?!” Sweetie Belle began to blush. “You three really built this all by yourselves?”

Apple Bloom began nodding, but then Sweetie Belle quickly spoke up. “Actually it was Apple Bloom who did most of the work.” She complimented.

“Yeah it wouldn’t look nearly as nice as it does now, if it weren’t for Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo added.

Apple Bloom blushed humbly. “It was nothin’ really, the hardest part was finding a block of apple wood big enough without anypony noticing." She paused. “All Ah really had to do besides that was carve it out of the block. It was Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle who got her running and painted.” She spoke barely over a whisper, clearly sheepish of her friend’s praise.

You kidding!” Spike gushed. “This is amazingly designed Apple Bloom!” Her blush reddened.

“Shucks, Ah just know my way around wood working, is all.”

Spike looked back at the pride stricken ponies. He asked them quizzically, “Anypony have a chance to drive it yet?”

“Eenope!” Apple Bloom answered with her family’s trademarked drawl. “We were waiting for the two of you to show up before we hit the derby course."

Spike scratched the back of his head tentatively. “Won't the noise from the kart riding the course wake up everypony in Ponyville?” The crusaders nodded their heads in unison. Spike was confused. "But what about keeping it a secret?"

"It's a risk we have to take." Scootaloo explained. "The derby track is the only place in the area where we can truly test how well she handles. The track is practically all turns so it'll be a challenge for her. But if she can handle it, then we'll know for certain that she can handle anything."

Spike nodded agreeing with her logic. "Makes sense I guess. So then who's going to drive it?"

Sweetie Belle scratched her chin as she began to ponder .“I don’t think we ever decided.” She stated. “We might have been too excited to actually think about it.”

“Well in any case, we can’t do anythin’ unless we know for sure the coast is clear.” Apple Bloom spoke matter-of-factly. She turned her attention back towards Spike.

“Spike, could ya go back into Ponyville and make sure that the coast is completely clear for the Crusader’s maiden voyage. We’ll make our decision by the time ya get back.” Spike nodded, before taking off back over the hill.

“Don’t start anything without me!” He shouted back towards the girls.

"We won't!" Apple Bloom replied.

The girls smiled and huddled together like they had done earlier in the day. “Alright, so who driving this thin’?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Not it!” Sweetie said.

The two looked decidedly towards Scootaloo, who herself had an anxious look on her on face. “Hey don’t look at me, I’m not doing it! The three of us built that thing remember!”

******
Spike scanned his way through the silent streets of Ponyville. He didn't see any lights on, no ponies seemed to be walking the streets and all the doors and windows to the houses looked closed and locked. The coast seemed clear.

“It definently looks like everypony's asleep.” He stated, satisfied by his search. “Better go tell the gir-”

“Don’t go!”

Spike froze in place upon hearing a sudden voice. He could have sworn he was the only one out this late.

“Hello?” The dragon turned around to see a gray earth filly with a darker grey mane. Spike fell to his rump in surprise. She was about a foot or two away for where he was standing, and she was not there before.

“How did she sneak up on me?” He thought. “Where did she come from even?”

Spike got back to his feet, allowing him to see the filly more clearly. She wore a white unassuming dress, similar to a night gown, with light blue slippers on her four hooves. Her eyes, much like her coat and mane, were a dull grey with pools of black in their centers signifying her irises. She had a worried look about her as she continued to speak.

“It’s bad!” Her voice reminded Spike of a younger filly, not Cutie Mark Crusader age, but defiantly a filly around six or seven years old.

“Please, Spike… Don’t go!” Spike was shocked. He stepped back with concern.

“Who… who are you?” His voice carried a hint of a tremor. “How do you know my name?”

“Spike!” Spike turned to see his friends running towards him.

“We’ve decided who’s going to drive the Crusader!”

Spike quickly brought a finger to his snout, signaling the trio to shush. “Quite! Somepony saw me!”

The crusaders’ eager faces soon turned to that of worry. Did they just blow their own secret?

Sweetie whispered to the dragon before her. “Who was it? Was it anypony we know?”

Spike thought about the filly, about how she looked. “I don’t think so, it was just that filly over…” He looked back over his shoulder. The filly was gone.

“Huh?” Scootaloo followed Spike's gaze and stared in confusion. “I don’t see anypony.”

Spike was befuddled. “But I swear she was right there just before…”

Spike suddenly felt a soft hoof pat him on the back. He turned to see Apple Bloom. “Ya must be goin’ screwy or somethin’. Come on we have the Crusader set up already.”

The trio of fillies ran off back towards their creation, leaving Spike alone in his daze. “Just... my imagination, I guess.” He ran off after the fillies.

“Spike… the dragon who will save the world…”

The mare and her bird continued to watch as Spike chased after the young fillies over Ponyville's many grassy fields.

“But unfortunately for him, his light is nothing more than a mere candle in the blackness.” A light blue gloved hoof raised over the crystal ball. It seemed to caressing it, even though it never actually touched it.

“Indeed.” The glowing bird agreed. “He may be the child the prophecy speak of, but he is a child nonetheless.”

A serious hoof pointed towards the bird, regaining its attention.

“Yet even still he is a dragon, and dragons tend to be…” The mare paused. “...Disturbingly powerful creatures.” The glove she wore turned gold as the mare clenched her hoof.

“A single adult dragon alone has the capacity to terrorize an entire country for eons, and still live through that time with nary a scar.” The mare placed her hoof in her lap as she continued to speak. “He maybe young, but considering the prophecy, might this one not prove to be equally tenacious?”

Her body was light black in color and was shaped to have a slender mare’s physic. Her coat was covered in glowing tears, like long holes cut into fabric, making her look like she was sporting vibrant zebra stripes. They each shined with a pinkish red glow, similar to the glow of her gloves.

“And what would you have me do, Your Radiance?” The mare readjusted herself in her throne. A pair of light black wings fluttering a little before rejoining with her sides.

“Such saplings must not be allowed to grow.”

The bird bowed to the mare, its wings spread wide like it was about to take flight. “Very well, Your Radiance.”

The bird rose back up its full height, its wings still out stretched. Its pink eyes began to glow as a growing heat rose off its body. The bird burst into emerald flame that jumped from its pedestal like a snake striking from a tree. The head of the fire trail collided with the crystal ball and the flames evaporating as they slithered inside.

The crystal ball began to glow an ominous blood red as is images continued to play unobstructed. The mare turned back to the orb to watch her plan unfold.

“He who would try to save this doomed world…”

Her eyes narrowed hatefully at the small drake.

“Must die!”

******
The roars of a hideous beast continued to cry out through the hallways of friendship castle. Twilight snuggled deeper into her pillow as her snoring made way for her dreams. In her current dream, she was imaging herself in the place of a heroine in book she had recently read. She fantasied about her favorite scene from the book, where the heroic love interest, a handsome pirate stallion, took the heroine mare in his muscular front legs and...

“Mom! Help me!”

Twilight sprung to haunches as she looked around her room. The air was silent, but she was certain somepony had called out to her. She placed a hoof to her head and contemplated in the dead silence.

“Was it… Was it a dream?” She looked around her room again, she heard nary a peep. Stretching her legs, she let out a yawn before laying back to down in her bed. The sheets she had kicked off in surprise were slowly levitated back up to cover her body, her eyelids began to flutter shut. She was happy to be returning to her dreams.

“Mom! Please!” Twilight shot out of her bed to stand on the floor this time. The voice had called out to her again and it sounded so familiar.

“Spike?” She called out her door and down the hallway. She didn't receive an answer.

She moved through her doorway, using her magic to close it as she entered the hall. Her hooves clopped nosily on the cold crystalline floor, her tired mind chipping away at her current situation. “What does that dragon need so badly that he feels he needs to wake me up at the crack of dawn?” She thought irately as she rubbing her itchy eyes.

She stopped before her dragon assistant’s door once she reached it and stifled another yawn. The door was shut. “Probably just part of my dream,” Twilight mumbled. She reached for the doorknob. “He’s probably still asleep in his bed and I made the trek down here for nothing.” She opened the door. “Spike’s right, I need to stop panicking over every little things.”

After opening the door completely, she looked around Spike’s room, everything looked about the same. Especially, the breathing mass hiding under the covers of his bed. She sighed, her unfounded worry subsiding.

“See Twilight, nothing is wrong.” She mumbled to herself. “Just your dreams playing tricks on you.” She scrunched her face in thought. “Still though, it doesn’t explain why they made Spike call me mom?” She shrugged, believing that was matter better suited for morning. She snuck in closer towards the bed. She had made the trip down here, might as well check on her “quote-on-quote” son. She giggled a little bit, feeling a tad strange that she did.

Twilight stood over Spike’s bed inspecting the breathing lump. She smiled softly. “He was always so cute when he slept.” Twilight’s mind automatically went back to the memories of when she was a filly, and how an infant Spike would always find her whenever he was tired. He would always nuzzle up to her like an affectionate cat before he let out a soft yawn, then he curl up in her hooves to take a nap.

Pressure started to build in Twilight’s heart. She couldn’t take it anymore, she need to see her sleeping baby dragon again, if for nothing else than for nostalgia’s sake. Her magic's aura enveloped the cover as she gently pulled them from the sleeping form. Her warm smile sunk, and panic began to return to her once she saw who was under the covers. In place of her precious dragon assistant was a snoozing owl clearly enjoying the soft mattress.

Twilight shouted in surprise waking the owl from his slumber. “Owlowiscious! What are you doing in Spike’s bed! Where is Spike?!”

Owlowiscious groggily lifted himself from the bed’s warm embrace. It had been a tough morning for him. Not only was he supposed to be asleep at the time, but his master had him flying both backwards and forwards helping her sort documents from the other princess. To say he needed to sleep-in a little was an understatement.

He turned his gaze towards the princess his black orb-like eyes half lidded. “Hoo?”

Twilight furled her brow even harder. “You know who? Now where is he?!” The owl stiffened up at her frustrated gaze. He gave a shrug of his wings to better restate his answer. Twilight’s expression changed in an instant, from frustration to concern. She took to the air, darting back out the door and down the hallway.

Spike!” She called the echoes of her screams ringing down the castle's hallways. Again, she received no answer. She dove down the stairwell into the main foyer, landing just before the front door. Worry flooded her mind as she darted her gaze about the tiles of the crystalline flooring.

“Where could he…” Her eyes opened wide, memories of their morning coming back to her. She remembered him saying, “And maybe some time into the night?” She replied with. “I don’t think so, but I do intend to turn-in early considering how monotonous some of this paperwork can get over time. Why do you ask?” Then he said, "No reason."

The pieces of the proverbial puzzle soon fell into place as she mentally kicked herself for being so oblivious. “Spiiiiike!” She growled. The front door opened with a loud slam as it glowed in her aura.

"Twilight!" Twilight looked back over her shoulder and saw Starlight standing at the top of main lobby's stairwell. Using her magic, the unicorn pulled a pair of earplugs out of her ears before she continued speaking. "What in the hay is going on."

Twilight didn't answer and instead stomped out into the streets, one goal clear in her mind. In concern, Starlight darted down the stairs and out the door after the enraged alicorn. She remained silent as she followed her.

Twilight growled darkly as she trudged threateningly into the night. “Spike D. Dragon, you’re in so much trouble when I find you!”

Author's Note

This chapter took a while to figure out, but I've got to say I am very happy with the result. Basically this one is just more build up to the actual adventure, so I'm sorry if you wanted to see parallel worlds in this chapter, but as they say: "You can't build a house without nails and wood."

Who are they you may ask? Probably these guys:

Anyways, and as always, I own nothing, all property belongs to respective owners. Twilight's dream is directly based off the fic "The Buzzing Pest" by SirNinji. It's a great story right here on fimfiction.net and I suggest looking it up, it's pretty funny.