Chapter 1

A Hatching Day Revelation

The soft rays of the morning sun filtered through the upstairs window of the Ponyville library, their warm light falling upon the pink nose of a baby dragon nestled in his bed. His nose crinkled at the warmth, still drowsy he scratched his side with his hind leg thrice, got up, turned around twice, and then plopped onto his back with his mouth open. "Should we wake him?" A voice whispered.

"No, let's let him sleep for a bit longer." Another voice answered.

"Oh he's sooo cute when he's sleeping!" A hushed tone fawned.

"But I want to wake him up now!" came the louder and more eager reply of another voice.

"Shh, Pinkie you'll wake him up!" came the whispered scold of the second voice.

"Oh I do hope he wakes up soon." Came a 5th voice. "I can hardly wait to give him the present I made for him."

"Present?" The baby dragon was up in a flash. "Where?" He cried as he looked excitedly around Rarity's legs.

"Not yet Spike, you can open your presents when we get to Canterlot Castle. Just remember you only get one present from each of us this year – we don't want a repeat of what happened last year." Twilight Sparkle admonished. Spike, who was now searching atop Rarity's head, felt his cheeks turned red at the memory. He dropped to the ground.

"Oh yeah…" he bashfully looked at his foot, the claw drawing little circles on the floor.

"Oh please Twilight may I give him my present now? It'll be the perfect accessory for the party!" Rarity begged "Please, please?"

"Yeah Twilight, please please?" Spike chimed in.

"Yeah Please please please with whipped cream and a cherry and spinkles and chocolate sauce and strawberries and- oh wow let's get some ice cream and some cake and-" Pinkie Pie bounced about continuing to list sweets.

"Well….. I don't know…" Twilight Sparkle looked into the long faces of Spike and the other ponies, excepting Pinkie Pie who was still buoyantly listing apple pie, and bearclaws, and donuts. "Okay!" She said decisively clomping her left hoof down. "But just one present, the rest have to wait until after the party."

"Woohoo!" shouted Pinkie, who had seemed to snap seamlessly back to the present from her list, she wrapped her hooves around Spike and Rarity's necks. "So what did we get?" the bright pink pony asked excitedly. Rarity shook her off and walked over to a small neatly wrapped white package with a deep purple bow. Her horn and the package glowed as she moved it over to him.

"Spike, this is my present to you." Rarity demurred as she carefully guided the package to a gentle landing at Spike's feet.

"Oh boy!" Spike cried as he ripped in to the wrapping. He held up his prize – a light blue bowtie with an azure gem embedded in the center. "Wow," he sighed, gazing at his reflection in the gem "it's beautiful."

"I knew you'd like it." Rarity said in the haughty but not ungracious manner that was all her own. "Now put it on and let's see how it looks." Spike put the bowtie on and admired himself in the mirror.

"Well that sure is right purdy, Rarity." Applejack was the first to chime in. The rest followed suit in praising the gift.

"Awesome!" said Rainbow Dash.

"Oh Spike you just look so handsome!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

"I can't wait to show it to Princess Celestia!" Spike beamed.

"Speaking of that, we'd better get a move on or we'll miss the train." Twilight Sparkle, ever the voice of reason, interjected.

Hours later Spike sat in the middle of a great pile of wrapping paper and gifts beneath a banner strung across the ceiling which read "Happy Hatching Day Spike!" in bold letters. The party had been a great success and was winding down but something seemed a bit off. Spike, even surrounded by gifts and his best friends, seemed to be a bit sad. He sighed heavily. Twilight Sparkle overheard the sigh and walked over. "What's wrong Spike?" she asked.

"It's nothing." Spike replied. The others, noticing something amiss came over.

"Are you tired?" asked Fluttershy.

"Maybe he just needs more cake," Pinkie Pie conjectured "Cake solves everything!"

"He's probably just bored. How about we liven things up with an extreme flight around Canterlot Castle?" Rainbow Dash suggested.

"Thanks guys, but it's nothing like that." Spike answered. "It's just…"

"What is it Spike? I promise we'll do our best to help you whatever it is." Twilight Sparkle vowed crossing her heart with her hoof.

"Well, it's just Apple Jack has Sweet Apple Acres, and Rainbow Dash has Cloudsdale, and you have Canterlot – but I don't know where I came from. Who am I? Who were my parents? How did I get to Canterlot and where did I come from?"

"I believe I may be able to provide some insight to your questions." Princess Celestia regally stepped forward to address the small dragon. "A long time ago, when we were still exploring the mountainside that this castle rests upon, our explorers came upon a small cave on the eastern side of the mountain in a location so steep and treacherous that only our finest fliers could enter. Near the entrance of the cave they found a nest with a single egg in it and a single word "Spike" carved into the wall. The explorers searched for any signs of someone living in the cave but found none and, not wanting to leave the egg unattended, decided to bring it with them to show to myself. When I saw the egg I recognized it as a dragon's egg but since we had no dragon to hatch it I knew only a powerful magic user could rescue the baby dragon from his prison. I had sensed that Twilight Sparkle might possess such a magic and used the egg to test whether she indeed did hold the magic of the Princesses."

"So that wasn't the same test everyone was given?" Twilight Sparkle interrupted.

"No, it was not." Princess Celestia continued. "Spike is the only baby dragon living in Equestria because only you could free him Twilight Sparkle." Twilight Sparkle looked proud if somewhat confused by this statement but Spike seemed to be mulling over something else. Finally he spoke,

"So if I was found in a cave… maybe the cave is still there! Can we go Twilight? Please?" Twilight Sparkle looked up into the face of her mentor.

"What do you think Princess Celestia?" She asked.

"You will have to be very careful," Princess Celestia warned. "But I think it is a fine idea. There should be a map to the cave in the Castle archives."

"Then let's go!" Spike had already started running off to the Library, the other ponies following behind.