In the Celestial Year 997, the images slowed down, finally stopping on Mother's Day.

"Spike, Spike, wake up." Twilight Sparkle shook the little dragon sleeping in his basket.

The dragon woke up, rubbing his eyes wearily. "What time is it?" Spike asked.

"It's five in the morning," Twilight pointed to the alarm clock by the bed.

"Five o'clock?! I didn't get enough sleep. I was helping you study Star Swirl's book until eleven last night," Spike grumbled, upset that Twilight had woken him up so early.

"I'm sorry, Spike, but we need to get up early today. We're going back home," Twilight apologized with a smile, sitting down next to his basket.

"Huh?" Spike was confused, not understanding what Twilight meant.

"Don't you know what day it is today?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.

Spike shook his head, still puzzled.

"Today is Mother's Day, Spike. It's the day when all ponies show appreciation for their mothers. So, we're going home to see her. I even prepared a Mother's Day gift," Twilight explained, hoping the little dragon would get up and get ready.

"You mean we're going to see Mrs. Velvet?" Spike sat up, still feeling groggy.

"Uh-huh. Shining Armor will be there too," Twilight nodded.

Spike lay back down, pulling the covers over himself as he complained, "Really? It only takes us twenty minutes to get to your house. It's still early. You're always over-preparing. Besides, it's still dark out. Mrs. Velvet is probably still asleep." Twilight's tendency to wake up extra early for special occasions was nothing new to Spike.

Twilight glanced out the window at the dark sky, then chuckled awkwardly. "Is it? Hey, go back to sleep for a while."

The little dragon buried his head under the covers and soon fell asleep again. Twilight, however, couldn't sleep. She lay in bed, still worrying if there was something she hadn't prepared for, and picked up a new book, *The Tales of Star Swirl*, to pass the time. This was her usual way to spend the early morning hours.

The annoying alarm clock rang at eight o'clock sharp. Spike sprang up and slapped the clock with his paw, silencing the bothersome noise.

The little dragon sat there, dazed for a moment, still half-asleep. After a while, he opened his eyes and noticed that Twilight was not in bed. "She must be downstairs," Spike thought, pricking up his ears to listen to what Twilight was doing.

"Sssss—" It sounded like oil sizzling. Could Twilight be cooking? Spike found it hard to believe, given her cooking skills, but the smell of burnt pancakes wafting through the air confirmed his suspicions. He rushed downstairs to stop her before she caused any serious damage.

"Twilight, are you making pancakes?" Spike called out as he descended the stairs.

"Yes, but I might need some help," Twilight replied from the kitchen, frantically trying to put out a small fire in the frying pan.

"Please don't blow up the kitchen. Let me help you," Spike said, rushing into the kitchen to turn off the stove. Sure enough, the pancakes Twilight was levitating with her magic were nearly charred to ash, resembling a culinary disaster.

"Didn't you say you would never touch kitchenware again after your last cooking attempt?" Spike asked, taking the frying pan from Twilight and dumping the burnt pancakes into the trash.

"I thought you were too tired yesterday, and since you weren't up yet, I wanted to make you some pancakes," Twilight laughed awkwardly, not at all concerned about her predicament.

"Alright, let Chef Spike take over. A cooking genius like me learned to cook in just two days, whereas somepony still needs my help after two months," Spike teased as he began preparing the ingredients.

"Show-off," Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Don't be jealous. Go freshen up, and I'll call you when breakfast is ready," Spike smirked.

"Breakfast is ready!" Spike announced as he placed plate after plate of food on the table. The delicious aroma made Twilight's mouth water.

"I made green gem pancakes for myself, and regular ones for you. And there's hot oatmeal with milk," Spike set the breakfast in front of Twilight.

Without a word, Twilight picked up a pancake and started eating. "These are delicious. It seems my little dragon really has the potential to be a great chef. You could own a pancake stand when you grow up," Twilight joked.

"I don't want to sell pancakes. That sounds boring," Spike said dismissively.

"Then you could be a restaurant owner. But don't eat all the customers," Twilight laughed.

"When I grow up, I'll eat you first," Spike retorted.

"I'll give you all the gems you want. Just don't eat me," Twilight pretended to beg, then burst into laughter.

Spike's face turned red with anger. "Hmph, I won't make you pancakes next time."

Seeing that he was upset, Twilight stopped teasing him. "I'm sorry, I won't joke about it anymore. How about I show you some gems to make it up?" Twilight used her magic to fetch a box from upstairs and pulled out a necklace. The chain was gold, adorned with three purple stars. "Isn't it pretty?" Twilight asked, showing it to Spike.

"It looks nice. Is it for me?" Spike's anger dissipated at the sight of the gems.

"Of course not, you little glutton. This is a Mother's Day gift I had made for Mom. Don't the stars look like her cutie mark?" Twilight pointed to the three stars.

"They smell delicious, definitely," Spike drooled over the gems.

"You'll get to eat some gems at Mom's house," Twilight quickly put the necklace away, worried Spike might try to eat it.

"Really? Mrs. Velvet has lots of gems?" Spike's eyes lit up.

"Mom and Dad went to the Azerite Gem Mountain last time and brought back a bunch of gems. You'll have plenty to eat," Twilight giggled.

"Today's Mother's Day. Didn't you prepare a gift for your mom?" Twilight asked, thinking of another playful joke.

"My mom?" Spike was puzzled for a moment before realizing. "Don't think you can trick me into giving you a gift!" He believed Twilight was teasing him again.

"Not me, Spike. Your legal mom," Twilight explained seriously.

"Legal mom?"

"Yes, after you hatched, since I was still young, Princess Celestia became your legal guardian," Twilight tried to keep a straight face while munching on pancakes.

"The—The Princess? Does that mean..."

"Yes, if you give her a gift, she might make you a prince," Twilight grinned widely.

"Really? A prince with endless gems," Spike began to daydream.

"Prince, here are your gems. Eat as much as you like," Spike imagined himself sitting on a gem-encrusted throne, chuckling.

Watching the little dragon daydream, Twilight couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Haha, silly dragon, the Princess won't do that."

Spike's daydream was interrupted by Twilight's laughter. Feeling embarrassed and angry, his face turned bright red. "I'll never believe your nonsense again," Spike muttered, focusing on his breakfast and ignoring Twilight.

After breakfast, on their way home.

"Spike, I'm sorry. Please talk to me," Twilight apologized to the little dragon on her back.

"You have to promise not to tease me again," Spike replied in his coldest voice.

"I promise. I won't tease my adorable little dragon anymore," Twilight turned to give him a pleading look.

"I forgive you," Spike said, hugging Twilight's neck from her back. Despite everything, Spike had only Twilight as his family, so he couldn't stay mad at her for long. As Spike grew older, their relationship evolved from caretaker and ward to something more like close friends who occasionally bickered.

Twilight carried Spike and her saddlebags through the bustling streets, with Spike still holding on to her neck. Passersby cast curious glances at him, as he was the only dragon in Canterlot. But Spike no longer minded. He had a home, and he had Twilight by his side forever. As they traveled, Spike thought about all the times Twilight had taken care of him and decided he wanted to give her a gift to show his gratitude for raising him all these years.

Thinking about the necklace Twilight had given Mrs. Velvet, Spike had an idea. He could make a necklace for Twilight. Being a dragon, he could carve gems with his teeth. All he needed was to find a suitable gem at Mrs. Velvet's house and then buy a chain. It was settled.

At Velvet's house, Twilight's mother warmly welcomed them. Shining Armor was also there. They sat by the sofa, sharing their lives with each other. The ponies chatted happily, while Twilight's father, Night Light, was in the kitchen preparing lunch. Spike seized the opportunity to slip away.

"Gems...gems...where would they be?" Spike left the living room, exploring room by room.

"Could they be in the kitchen? But ponies don't eat gems." Spike sniffed the air and caught a whiff of gem fragrance. Following the scent, he walked into a room and bumped into a pony.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you," Spike said, sitting down with a thud.

"It's alright. Are you hungry, little dragon?" Night Light asked, helping him up.

"Mr. Night Light, thank you, but I'm not hungry. I smelled gems, so I came to check it out," Spike said, scratching his head awkwardly.

"Still saying you're not hungry? Twilight told me you'd be here today, so I brought some gems to cook something for you. Wait a bit and taste my cooking later," Night Light laughed heartily, a gentle and generous pony.

"Um, Mr. Night Light, could I have just one gem first?" Spike asked nervously. He hadn't visited Twilight's family often, and even though they had helped take care of him when he was younger, they still felt somewhat unfamiliar to him.

"Oh, they're over there. Help yourself," Night Light said, pointing to a box on the right. The box was full of gems, just as Twilight had promised. At least in this, she hadn't been exaggerating.

Spike rummaged through the box, picking out several purple gems. He chose two of the right size, swallowed one, and held the other in his hand.

"I have something to do. See you later, Mr. Night Light," Spike said, dashing out.

"Don't forget to come back for lunch!" Night Light called after him.

"Kids always like to run around," he muttered to himself as he returned to the kitchen.

Spike ran to the yard and began carving the purple gem with his teeth.

An hour later, Spike had finished his work. The irregularly shaped purple gem had been sculpted into a perfect six-pointed star, though it still bore the marks of his teeth. Despite that, Spike felt it was perfect.

"Now, I just need a chain. The jewelry store should have some," Spike said to himself, determined to complete his plan. He opened the gate and headed out.

Mrs. Velvet's house was in the bustling city center, and jewelry stores were everywhere in this fashionable metropolis. In less than ten minutes, Spike found one.

"Rarity's Fine Jewelry. I like the name," Spike said as he entered the store.

Because it was Mother's Day, the shop was quite crowded. Several sales ponies were busy attending to customers, and no one noticed the little dragon.

"Why are there so many ponies?" Spike felt a bit overwhelmed. How was he going to get the shopkeepers' attention to buy a chain?

Spike tried squeezing through the crowd, attempting to get noticed, but after a long time, he still hadn't succeeded. Feeling frustrated, Spike sat down in a corner.

Just then, a purple glow snatched his gem from his grip. Spike turned and chased after it, only to see the gem land in the hooves of a pony outside the shop.

The pony wore a cloak adorned with stars, a hood, and sunglasses, clearly trying to conceal her identity.

She pulled out a golden chain, threaded the gem onto it, and completed Spike's necklace.

Spike ran up to her, reaching out to grab his necklace back.

"Give it back!" Spike shouted.

"Shh! Don't be hasty, little dragon. Do you remember me?" the mysterious mare asked.

Spike looked at her. Her figure and familiar voice sparked a memory. Could it be Twilight? But why would she dress like this?

"Who are you?"

"Remember the mare who bought you donuts when you were little?" the mare hinted.

Spike recalled that afternoon when a mare with a voice similar to Twilight's had given him a bag of donuts. Her strange attire brought back the memory.

"I really like your necklace. Will you give it to me?" the mare asked.

"No way! This is a gift for Twilight," Spike refused.

"What if I trade you this?" The mare pulled an old, slightly yellowed book from her saddlebag. It looked ancient.

"This is Star Swirl's original journal. I'm sure Twilight would love it," the mare offered the journal to Spike.

Spike quickly flipped through the journal. It indeed appeared to be Star Swirl's original diary, containing details that weren't in modern versions. Spike, having studied Star Swirl's writing with Twilight, was convinced it was genuine.

"If Twilight doesn't like it, you can come back here and get your necklace," the mare promised, seeing that Spike was tempted.

Spike looked at the diary in his hand, then at the necklace. "A necklace can be made again, but there's only one original diary," he thought.

"Deal, but you have to keep your promise," Spike decided.

"Of course. Do you want me to take you home?" the mare asked kindly.

"No need. My home isn't... far," Spike began to say, but before he could finish, he found himself teleported to Mrs. Velvet's doorstep.

"That mare is so weird. She can't even let a dragon finish speaking," Spike muttered angrily.

"Wait, how did she know where I live?" Spike suddenly realized.

"Spike! Where are you? Come have lunch," Twilight called from inside.

No time to think about it now. Spike hid the diary and went inside.

That evening, Twilight and Spike returned home.

"So, did your mom like the necklace?" Spike asked.

Twilight, who was framing the photos they had taken with the family and Spike, smiled proudly. "She loved it. She said it was the most precious necklace she owns."

Spike felt a pang of regret for trading away his gift.

"Uh, Twilight, I have something for you too," Spike said, a bit shyly.

"Really? I thought you said you weren't giving me a gift," Twilight laughed, turning to face him.

Spike pulled out the ancient diary. "This is Star Swirl's original journal. I hope you like it."

"Star Swirl's journal! The original! Oh my gosh, where did you get this?" Twilight's eyes lit up as she eagerly flipped through the pages.

"That's a secret. Heh," Spike said, relieved to see her so happy.

"This is incredible. It contains so many things modern ponies don't know," Twilight exclaimed.

"Of course, it's the ori—" Spike began, but Twilight pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you so much for the gift. I love you, Spike," she said, holding him close.

"I love you too, Twilight. Happy Mother's Day."

In the castle of the Everfree Forest, the mysterious mare took off her hood and put on Spike's necklace, admiring herself in the mirror. Not only did she sound like Twilight, but if Spike had been there, he would have realized she looked exactly like Twilight as well.

The scene paused, and the dragon seemed to remember something, a memory of the pony he had a special connection with.

"Don't you think that book was more than just a gift? As I said, she's been influencing you in various ways from the beginning," the Rainbow Dragon, Vord, questioned.

"She's doing it all for Equestria. If it's necessary, I will understand," Spike replied, still trusting her deeply.

"Sometimes what you see isn't the truth," Vord shook his head, switching the memory in the crystal ball to another day.

Author's Note

please tell me,if you find any problem.