Author's Note

Thank you Zuruppi for the beautiful art. Link to their DeviantArt is here https://www.deviantart.com/nozomi180

Also thank you The Fan Without A Face for the edit!

Chapter 1

Chapter 1
“Your curiosity is your growth point. Always.”
— Danielle LaPorte

As the early morning rose above Equestria, Celestia's rose above the small town of Ponyville. The sun rose above the Golden Oaks Library. The sun's light beam went through the window curtain, hitting a sleeping baby dragon named Spike the dragon in the face. The dragon groan from the sunlight, he didn't like to be awake this way. His claws reached for his pillow covering his face.

"Spike." A voice cried out to him which continues to make him groan even more.

"5 more minutes," He groaned only to have the pillow pulled off of him. Spike open to see Twilight who looked at him with a big smile.

"Spike it's morning, you know it's bad for you to sleep longer." Spike groan while his body rose up from his basket, his claws gently rubbing his eyes. The small dragon yawned again while continue to be lazy.

-Minutes later

Spike simultaneously clean the library while continue to speak to Twilight, even though they been doing the same exact thing for months. Twilight hummed a tune which made Spike relax. He couldn't think of a better life than this, while they were finishing their chores, the doorbell rang with a large silhouette on top of him. The little dragon let out some blinks thinking he was still tired or dreaming yet the moment he turned around was the princess of the day and night.

"Princesses!" Spike shouted with the company of Twilight who gasped.

"She's her-argh!" Twight who was organizing the ladder fell off only to have her fall interrupted with a golden aura around her body. Celestia chuckled as she placed Twilight next to Spike.

"Twilight I warn you many times to pay attention to your surroundings, you had a similar incident with my own studies when you were just a foal." The little dragon snicker with the lavender unicorn blushing from embarrassment.

"Princess! You promise you won't tell anypony!" Twilight shouted at Celestia in the company of Luna who let out a snicker as well. holding in to what could be a big laugh. Twilight sank onto the floor almost acting like a foal, until now something landed onto her face which caught her attention. It was a scroll.

"What is this?" Twilight used her magic to levitate the scroll immediately her eyes widened. The princesses smiled seeing Twilight already excited while Spike on the other hoof looked confused.

"What's going on? Twilight?" Spike observes them letting his voice be heard. Twilight faced the confused dragon revealing the news.

"Spike! The princess just informed me that they found a temple here near Ponyville!" She just squealed from what knowledge she could learn. Spike let out a smile excited for the news but something felt odd.

"Wait, if you had the scroll why didn't you send it to me? I could have given Twilight the scroll earlier." Spike realized since it could have been easier.

"Wouldn't thou ruin the surprise if thou informed her dear Spike?" Luna spoke with Celestia horn began to light up. Spike one the other hoof was confused for what Luna said. It's been months since Luna returned yet He still doesn't understand her.

"I will teleport us to the temple. My researchers will arrive soon, they won't seem to mind if we observe it without them." Celestia teleported all of them to the location. The temple on the outside was massive enough for it's size, it was even larger than Ponyville. The temple was inside the deeper parts of the dangerous Everfree Forest. Twilight and Spike took one step awwed by the temple.

"This looks so cool!" The dragon said.

"This temple is massive! How was this just found!" Twilight said with everypony and dragon heading inside. Inside the temple had a suit of armor stand which was covered by moss yet remained almost pristine yet was covered in dust. Spike ran to the armor stand, He gazed at the armor which looked so cool in his eyes, afterwards his attention was turned to the sword. It was large and bulking Spike reached out to it only to get levitated away from the stand.

"Whoa Spike! That looks dangerous to touch." Twilight scolded him while the princesses observe the armor. The stand was odd. The mannequin on the stand stood on its two legs yet its entire body was fully covered. The princess looked at the armor while Twilight and Spike continued to see their surroundings. Everything was so intriguing, Twilight noticed that the temple writings were strange and unreadable not by the decay, it was an entirely new language to her.

"This is an amazing discovery princess. I-" Twilight looked back seeing Princesses, their faces told another story. Twilight realized they looked worried. She refrains from asking more questions already worried about the princesses. They seem to be on edge as if something in this temple was bothering them.

"Princess?" Twilight muttered as she paced back. Seeing their lighthearted attitudes change,

"Twilight, I must ask you and Spike to leave, I don't think this is a safe space for the both of you."

"B-but we just got here? Princess what is-" Celestia teeth grinded from Twilight's response.

"Just do as I tell you Twilight!" Celestia rose her voice at her which frightened Twilight, she had never seen this side of Celestia before.

"Sister!" Luna clamor back at Celestia from her outburst. Just when she was about to apologize for her sister's outburst, Twilight realized that Luna's eyes darted around her.

"Where is young Spike?" She stated which immediately got her attention. She turned around to see that a certain dragon was missing.

"What? Spike? Spike!" She cries out to the baby dragon. Luna stepped forward as the unicorn started to panic.

"Twilight, thou shall search for the young Spike!" She stated while Celestia glared at Luna for the idea.

"Luna, are you insane! You don't know what the temple has? They may have guardians!" Celestia beckon with her sister, Twilight scratching her head for what Celestia said.

"Guardians? Princess, what are you talking about?" Twilight answered back at her." You know what's going on? If so,why keep this a secret?" Luna took one look at Twilight then to her sister.

"Explain everything to her, thou can't keep it a secret anymore." Celestia nodded as the princess of the night opened her wings as she flew deeper inside the temple looking for the small dragon.

*********

Spike explored the temple as he continued to inspect the armor stands.

"This is so cool." Spike observed the area till a strange humming was heard.

"What is that?" The dragon curiously dash to the humming, he was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. The dragon continues to follow the room. Spike took notice of his surroundings, He didn't notice that the statues in the temple began to shake, Spike entered a lone room by the corner. He sat on the pedestal. He couldn't believe that something so beautiful was still inside after all these years. Without any hesitation the dragon reached for it with his claws. Spike looked at the gem on the medallion, feeling a bit hungry he stuck his tongue out for a taste, immediately his tongue felt the gem his eyes open spitting out the taste from his mouth. It was revolting, disgusting.

"That was disgusting!" The dragon kept shivering. He wanted to put it back however another thought came into his mind.

"Maybe Rarity would love this! I better keep it safe then!" Spike put on the medallion until he felt something strange. He struggled to breathe. It felt like something was sucking his air.

"Ugh! What's happening!" He felt his chest getting heavier with his heart pounding, he wasn't sure if he was imagining it, on the contrary it felt like chest beat around the same time his heart pounded. He wanted to cry out for help feeling so much pain. To his shock the top of his spike came off and landed right in front of him on the floor.

******
Luna flew past each pillar, realizing that the statue was awaking. The statues had a lion's body but a face of a pony, The princess of the night gasp just as the statue steps out of its pillar becoming unpetrified.

"They must be drawn by Young Spike's presence!" Luna became more worried with the guardians now glaring at her, their white eyes turning red while letting out a hostile roar. Luna flapped her wings ready to fly past while the guardian charged at her, with massive size Luna was shocked for how fast it was. She launched herself towards the guardian raising its paw up ready to strike her. Luna quickly dash forward in her flight, nearly avoiding the attack. she felt the attack behind her gasping for how close it was.

"The guardians are active, if they are awakened on this side of the temple then we must worry, young Spike must be in danger!" Luna rushed further to the temple, getting away from the guardian who was catching up behind her. Luna heard a loud groan coming in one of the temple door frames except that another guardian was near it.

"We may make a promise to our sister and Twilight! Thou won't harm young Spike!" She shouted as she used her magic to launch a flash spell at the guardians blinding them. While the guardians were blinded Luna was already on the other side.

"That was close! Thou must be a fool to go against them." She shuddered at the thought until she heard a loud groaning coming from the room.

"Young Spike?" She flew towards the room seeing Spike on the ground. He looked in pain. She rushed towards him with so much worry, Just when she approached him a cage appeared out of nowhere locking her inside. She lights up her horn launching a powerful spell at the cage yet the spell did nothing to even crack or dent.

"What is-" She turns to see Spike who seems to have blood around his head. Luna was now more frightened and concerned for the baby. Spike started to scream more as the side of his head began to push off by themself. Luna just stood there frightened with the sight of ears popping out,they looked floppy and had fur on them. Spike continued to cry beside Luna, with the only thing she could do was watch the dragon in pain. Seeing the ears never occurred to her knowledge as it was something she had never seen before. Her eyes widen until the princess observes another change to his body. Purple fur surrounded his body which made the dragon shriek from his surprising transformation that was happening to his eyes.

"L-Luna?" The creature shakily groan towards the princess who looked frightened unaware that a mane was growing at the top of his head, a spot where his spike resided. The princess of the night body hardened, unable to move just for seeing his new appearance. Just then out of the blue the guardians crashed into the doorframe. Spike looked at them with his only response was a massive yell which was strong enough to shake the entire temple, even breaking a part of Luna's cage. The young dragon was in so much pain that he passed out from the amount of energy that screamed. His eyes closed to see what happened next.

"Young Spike!" As the moment he passed out, Her voice was the only thing he heard until everything turned black a quiet.