Dusk fell over the small town of Ponyville. A dim glow spread across its dwellings as Celestia lowered the sun over the horizon, signaling the end of another day. From one edge of the village to the other, ponies were settling in for the evening, taking time to relax after a long day of work. All across town young colts and fillies were being tucked into bed, preparing for the next morning.
In this same moment the town library was playing host to a similar scene. The Ponyville librarian, a talented unicorn and a personal student of Princess Celestia herself, climbed the stairs to the upper floor of her residence, a magnificent treehouse whose lower floor stood packed with tomes on every subject imaginable. The upper floor, to which she casually strolled, was comfortably furnished as a living space. In the corner of the room sat a baby dragon, relaxed on a cushion and flipping through a comic book, as he had been doing for hours since picking up a stack of Power Ponies comics earlier that afternoon.
“Spike,” Twilight Sparkle spoke gently as she approached him. “Are you almost finished with your story?”
“Just about,” Spike answered without looking up. He flipped the page excitedly, no doubt approaching a dramatic conclusion.
Twilight looked down at him with a soft smile. He was adjusting quite well to the immense changes in their lifestyle. Barely a year had passed since she had been given the task of overseeing the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville, an assignment that would lead her to meeting five amazing new friends, restoring Princess Luna to her proper state, and ultimately moving to the town for an indefinite period for the purpose of studying the magic of friendship. The months since had been a hectic mess of trying to make sense of this new role. Life went on for young Spike, though. She knew that he was proud of her for all that she had done for the princesses, but he didn’t let the fact that they were so close to Canterlot royalty go to his head.
As she watched him scanning the pages of the book, his tiny scaled digits flipping from one to the next, she reflected on his time in her company. From the moment he had hatched she felt a special connection to Spike. Indeed, his hatching led directly to her cutie mark and her entrance into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. The hatchling didn’t know it at the time, but he had altered her destiny forever and started her on a path that would ultimately lead to where they were today. Through all her studies, during every adventure, Spike was there to offer his support. Even when a task fell upon her and her friends, she knew that she could count on Spike for words of encouragement. Before she had even met her new friends in Ponyville, Spike was always there by her side. He was without question an inseparable part of her life. And even if he didn’t speak of it often, she knew that he felt similarly toward her. She was the only caretaker he had ever known, raising him from a hatchling in Canterlot. She helped him to take his first steps, taught him to read, and educated him to become a member of pony society. You could even say she was like a mother to him. The young dragon was more than her number one assistant. He was a son to her. The two individuals, completely different species, shared a bond deeper than most. To Twilight, he would always be her “Little Spikey,” and to him she was simply “Mommy.”
At last, Spike tossed his comic book aside. “Oh man, why do they always have to end it on such a cliffhanger? I don’t see how the Power Ponies will ever get out of this one.”
“I guess you’ll have to find out tomorrow,” Twilight replied softly, nudging him toward his bed. Spike knew that she didn’t care much for comic books, and that she would prefer him reading classical literature, but she was at least happy that he enjoyed some form of reading. “For now though, I think it’s time for this little dragon to go to sleep.”
“Already? Can’t I just start the first few pages of the next issue?”
“Sorry, but I think it can wait until tomorrow.” As she spoke, Twilight continued to direct him toward a padded basket on the floor in front of her bed. This is where the young dragon slept, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Begrudgingly, Spike complied and crawled into the basket. As he pulled his covers over himself, Twilight began to walk back down the stairs to the lower level of the library. That is, until she turned back for one last look at him before leaving the room, as she always did, and noticed that he was tossing and turning, unable to even keep his eyes closed.
Sensing that that the suspense of the story had got the poor guy a little too worked up to relax, she returned to his side.
“Spike,” she began, “do you remember when we lived in Canterlot and I used to tell you the story of Obsidian Spark the unicorn?
Spike looked up from his bed. “Well, yes. You’d tell me a new part of the story each night. You always asked me what he should do next, and then you’d fit it into the story somehow.”
“Where did we leave off with that story?”
Spike gazed up at her with a look of confusion. “The story ended, remember? He defeated the four evil serpents of Ashkmaredwa and returned the Amulet of Awakening to the Ocean Princess.”
“Oh yeah, but what about what happened after that? Did you know that a vengeful sea serpent stole the amulet from the Ocean Princess?”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Really?" he asked skeptically. “Maybe she’s not the best steward of the amulet if it keeps getting stolen from her.”
Twilight giggled. “Just go with it for a moment. You see, the sea serpent was the cousin of the serpents of Ashkmaredwa, and he vowed to get revenge, so he hatched a plan.”
“Yeah?” He sat up on the edge of his bed as he listened.
“Yes.” Twilight smiled at him. “So he crept into the palace one night and used a charm to put all the guards to sleep. He carefully sneaked through the palace undetected and into the chamber of the Ocean Princess, where he stole the key to the box containing the amulet right from around her neck as she slept.”
Spike gazed up at Twilight, entranced with her words. As the story unfolded she asked for his input on the direction of the events, and the young dragon advised her on where Obsidian Spark should seek out the horrible sea serpent and how he would confront the beast. At last, on Spike’s advice, the unicorn hero used a fiery blade conjured up with his magic to slay the foul creature, and return the amulet to its rightful keeper.
“And that’s the end of the story,” Twilight concluded. “You know, Spike, if you’re interested I could tell you some more tales of Obsidian Spark tomorrow night.”
Spike smiled, finally relaxed after a tale with a definite conclusion. “I’d like that.”
“Wonderful,” Twilight replied as she laid Spike back in his bed. “Because I still need to tell you about the time he scaled the Mountain of Glass and his journey through the Coral Caverns.” As she spoke she tucked him carefully under his covers. “For now though, it’s time to sleep. Goodnight my little Spikey. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mommy.”
Twilight leaned in close as he shut his eyes to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
One day he would grow up. He would be a big dragon, a great reptilian giant dominating everything around him. But not yet. For now he was her little Spikey, and she was his mommy.
