In the previous chapter, Spike reunited with an old fr... he reunited with Henry. A unicorn who previously kidnapped Spike, and attempted to use Spike's inner dragon strength to rule Equestria. He fought hoof and nail against Twilight Sparkle and friends over Spike. But there was more to him that that. It had long been a mystery as to how Spike's egg found itself in Canterlot, but Henry had the answer, rather, he was the answer. Henry worked under Princess Celestia, and was the one who found Spike's abandoned egg, and brought it before the princess. It was Celestia's idea to use the egg as an entrance exam, and to bestow the hatchling to the pony who hatched him. This went against what Henry had requested. He wanted Spike for himself, but when Celestia refused, he resented, and left Canterlot. He spent the next 11 or so years cooking a revenge plan. His plan to use Spike to crush Twilight and Celestia blew up in his face. After a long chase through Frozen North, and to the top of Mt. Everhoof, Henry was ultimately defeated by Spike himself.

But he's back now, and he seemed much less hostile. Spike had already forgiven Henry, and he wanted Twilight and co. to do the same.

Spike brought Henry to the front of Twilight's castle. Spike was really excited, but Henry was less than enthusiastic.

"Are you sure about this, Spike?" Henry asked.
"I've never been more sure about anything." Spike replied.
"I'm afraid I don't share your level of confidence." Henry said.
"Trust me, we have really forgiving friends. It'll be fine." Spike said.
"Oh come on. What about the changeling queen?" Henry asked. "There are all these transformed changelings, but they have a new leader."
"That was her problem. She refused to take hooves with Starlight. But all you have to do is be merciful. We'd never punish someone unjustly." Spike said.

The two stood at the entry way to Twilight's castle.

*deep breath* "Here goes nothing." Spike said.

In the living space in the castle, the mane 6, plus Starlight and Trixie were hanging out, and chattering around. When the door opened, and Spike walked in with.

"Uh... hi everypony." Spike said.

Everypony stopped what they were doing and dropped their jaws.

*shatter* Starlight and Twilight dropped their shot glasses, and spilled cider all over the floor.

*spit* Pinkie spit an enormous amount of water at Rainbow Dash.

"Would any pony mind telling Tr-r-ixie who this guy is?" Trixie asked.

"I uh, invited somepony over to say hi to you all." Spike said.

Twilight slowly approached Henry. She gave a, not so welcoming glance, and then stared at Spike.

"Spike!" she called out. "A moment please."

Twilight led Spike to the other room.

"If you all don't mind, could you all keep an eye on our... guest?" Twilight requested.

*door slam*

Twilight and Spike were in the other room to speak, leaving Henry with the other ponies.

"So... Henry, what have you been up to lately?" Starlight asked.
"Not much. Without my lab, any technological advancements have all but halted." Henry said.

"ARE YOU NUTS?!" Twilight exclaimed.

So loud everypony could hear loud and clear through the door.

"Twilight seems thrilled to see you." Applejack said.
"No kidding." Rainbow Dash said.
"So, you're the one who destroyed Twilight's old wing?" Trixie asked. "I have to say, I'm impressed."
"Trixie!" Starlight scolded.
"Or, what I should say, is I would have been impressed back when I hated Twilight. But now that we're friends, I'm mean it's still an impressive feat regardless, but for the wrong reasons, and Trixie sees that now."
*sigh* "So do I." Henry confessed.

Meanwhile, in the room.

"You've reformed how many villains? And now it's my turn. You told me that as your knight, my duties would become more important." Spike said.
"I know. I trust you, it's him I don't trust." Twilight said."Do you trust him Spike?"
Spike paused.
"DO YOU TRUST HIM!?" Twilight exclaimed.
"YES!" Spike exclaimed.

Twilight paused.

"Look, Henry's done some truly awful things. But he's done something that I can't be more grateful for. He found my egg, and saved me from death. He brought me to Equestria where I was able to meet you... it would be a shame to just not give him another chance." Spike said.

Twilight thought about it for a long time.

"Alright, I'll... talk to him." Twilight said.

Twilight and Spike came back into the room.

"Henry, after much consideration I- wait, where'd he go?" Twilight. asked.
"Oh, he already left." Applejack said.
"He looked extra grumpy too." Pinkie Pie added.
"But I didn't even get to-" Twilight said.
"You didn't have to, he already made up his mind." Rarity said.
"I'm surprised you even bothered going into another room. You were so loud, we could hear every word you said." Fluttershy said.
"But-" Spike tried to say.
"He realized that since you had nothing nice to say about him, he didn't want to speak with you." Trixie added.
"So, what are you gonna do?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well, he can't have gotten far." Twilight said.

Henry was trotting away from the castle, when Twilight teleported in front of him. The rest of her friends came out the door and stood behind Henry.

"Henry, wait." Twilight said.
"What do you want?" Henry growled.

"I um. After much consideration, I have decided to um... *cough* listen to what you have to say." Twilight said.
"Well, if that's the case. Then uh..." Henry wasn't too sure what to say. He the spotlight, but didn't a speech or anything prepared.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle. Princess of Friendship. It is with the utmost respect that I come here to say..." Henry was struggling to come up with words (I can relate.)

Henry looked at Twilight and saw her metal wing. He knew exactly why she had a metal wing, and it was because of him.

*sigh* "I'm here to turn myself in..." Henry said with a heavy sigh.

*gasp* everypony besides Twilight gasped.

"What? No! That's not how we rehearsed." Spike said.
"What are you talking about? We didn't rehearse anything." Henry said.

Henry leaned before Twilight, waiting for her to lock him up. Twilight however was unsure.

"Well, aren't you going to do it? Lock me in Tartarus? Put me in stone? Banish me to the puppet zone?!"
"You know, Henry, you're a smart guy. That's for sure." Twilight said. "I suppose by all accounts, you should be locked for your great crimes against Equestria."

Henry was ready to accept his fate.

"However, in this special circumstance. I am willing to give you one last opportunity. Henry, how would you like teach at my school of friendship?" Twilight asked.
"You... you must be kidding." Henry replied, bewildered. "Me? A teacher at your school?"

Twilight nodded.

"Your expertise in dragons and creatures of Equestria in general is matched by very few other ponies." Twilight said. "It would be a pleasure to have you share your findings to my students."

Henry was stunned. Spike was very pleasantly surprised.

"So, what'll it be, Henry? Do you accept my offer?" Twilight asked.

Henry looked over at Spike, who looked very excited. Spike nodded. Henry had no other choice.

"I accept your offer, Princess." he replied.

Henry and Twilight shook hooves, and it was a done deal.

"Woo hoo!" Pinkie cheered.

Henry's time as a professor at Twilight's School of Friendship was decent. After an counter with Smolder which lead to a dispute with Ember, every creature was ultimately able to settle their differences. Henry even ended up becoming one of the favorite professors. His teachings on mythical creatures of Equestria was accurate, and engaging. Spike couldn't have been more happy to see Henry fit right in. Cozy Glow admired Henry and his inventions. His device he used to suck Twilight's magic was of particular interest to the filly, though nopony was sure why...

Teaching at Twilight's school was the best two weeks Henry had had in a long time. After an exhausting week, Twilight invited Henry to the top of her castle, for a relaxing break.

On top of Twilight's castle, Spike was relaxing in the pool, while Twilight and Henry were laying on their backs in their respective chairs.

Twilight's face was deep in a book, while Henry couldn't find a book that looked captivating, so he just sat there, thinking.

"What is the purpose of this meeting you called forth?" Henry asked.
"No purpose, just relaxation." Twilight replied. "I figured it's been a while since you simply relaxed, so here you go. I know it's been a while since you've had others to talk to. Is there anything you wanted to talk about?"

"I gotta say, despite lacking EEP approval, your school is a wonderful place." Henry said. "That young group of creatures you harbor I'm particularly fond of. And though Smolder and Ember were shocked to see me, it's good that your teachings have rubbed off on them, and they were willing to forgive me."

"That filly with the curly blue mane weirds me out though..." Henry said.
"You mean Cozy Glow? I really like her. She's such a dear! Always doing what she can to help us. In fact, in the coming days, there's something special I want to tell her..."

"Anything non-school related on your mind?" Twilight asked.
"That's uh... all I got to say on the subject matter." Henry replied.
"Okay, how about this. Is there anything you've wanted to tell me since your... *ahem* reformation?" Twilight asked.

Henry thought long, and there was a lot on his mind.

"You know, after seeing that you hatched Spike, i wasn't mad, i was ready to congratulate you. But when Celestia had told me that Spike would belong to you and not me, that's what set me off. Spike was mine, but she took custody of him without my consent." Henry said.

"I long imagined what it'd be like to raise a baby dragon. It had never been done in recorded Equestrian history, nor had the hatching of an egg been directly observed. I was ready to make firsts, I was ready to hatch an egg of my very own, and raise the offspring inside. When fate brought me to your egg Spike, I was ready for the full responsibility. But alas, nothing I did could hatch you, and it was Twilight Sparkle who hatched you, and raised you. She had the privilege of living the life that I dreamed of doing. From what I heard, you weren't initially thrilled about the idea of raising a dragon, but it's obvious now, that you two share an incredible bond, and Celestia knew this would be the case. She knew there was a reason why you among all other ponies was the one who hatched the egg. But unfortunately, past me wasn't so fond at the idea. Upon hearing the news, I ran away in a jealous rage, and spent the next 11 years planning a crazy stupid revenge plan. And it almost worked. I captured a bunch of other dragons, I stole your magic, and I stole Spike, but there was one thing I couldn't steal, and that was Spike's heart. That's something you have to earn, and well, I'm still working at that. You wanted to be more of a dragon, so I thought you'd be thrilled to be the most fearsome dragon in Equestria, but unfortunately, I lost track of what you wanted, and only focused on what I wanted."

Twilight and Spike were speechless.

"...Wow. That's uh, some pretty deep confessions." Spike said.

"Spike, I am sorry for how poorly I treated you. And Twilight, I'm sorry for the damage. I don't know how I could ever make up for my sins." Henry admitted.

Twilight took a deep breath, and thought before speaking.

"You can't change the past, but the first step is accepting to reformation is willing to change. And though I didn't see it at first, I'm starting to see it from you now." Twilight said.

"If nothing else, I regret missing out on your early years, Spike. And it's not for the lost research I could have done, it's for the lost time we could have spent together..." Henry said. "It didn't have to turn out this way. I could have stayed in Canterlot, and been there to chaperone you and Spike. But instead I left, and you were on your own to raise Spike. Must've been so hard raising a baby dragon while knee deep in your studies."

"Yeah... those early years were some of my toughest ever." Twilight admitted."Raising Spike while maintaining my studies was incredibly hard. It would have been nice to have somepony knowledgeable about dragons. Plus, I really wasn't that good of a parent to Spike."
"Don't talk down about yourself, Twilight. You must've done something right to raise such a good little happy boy like Spike." Henry said. "There's no pony in Equestria who could have done a better job at raising Spike than you."
"That's uh, really nice of you to say, Henry." Twilight said.
"Oh, you're making me blush, Henry." Spike said.
"Oh, Spike... I missed the most important stages of your development..." Henry said.
"Here's the thing about that, Henry." Spike climbed out of the pool, and had wrapped a towel around the lower part of his body.

"While that may be true, I'm still just a kid." Spike said. "As you know, I am a dragon after all, and I've got a long life ahead of me, and I look forward to getting to know you better."
"Thanks, Spike." Henry said, patting his hoof on Spike's head. "Your trust is invaluable, and I will always cherish it."

Twilight saw how happy the two of them were. But it was time for the next step.

"You know, if you want to start confessing more of your sins, there's more ponies to still talk to, including Celestia." Twilight said.
"I'm not ready to speak with Celestia. I don't think I'll ever be ready." Henry said.
"Yes you are, I believe in you Henry." Spike said.

Twilight, Spike, and Henry walked into the throne room of Canterlot. Inside, sat Princess Celestia.

"Who here enters my throne room?" Celestia asked.
"Princess Celestia, it's... *ahem* it's been a while." Henry said.
"Indeed it has, Professor Lucky."

Twilight and Spike stood back, while Henry walked closer to Celestia.

"Uh... you might have heard of my recent uh... actions. But uh, rest assured that I've put all of that behind me." Henry said.

"Is that so?" Celestia asked.

*gulp*

"You know, I could lock you up for a long time if I so chose to." Celestia said. "You have done more than enough harm to Equestria that I could justify a harsh punishment upon you."
"I understand that sentiment fully." Henry said. "It was at mercy of my weapon that nearly befall Twilight Sparkle, and took out her natural wing."

Celestia walked up to Henry, and used her hoof to pick Henry's chin up.

"I should have been more transparent with you, Happy." Celestia said. "I truly believed that since Twilight's magic hatched Spike, and that her cutie mark appeared when he hatched, that they were destined for each other. But I did not properly convey that idea to you, and went against your own request for Spike."

"It's okay. Nothing you said could have convinced me at the time. I got so caught up in the idea of raising a dragon, that when you told me you had given Spike away, I was so mad. All I thought about for the next 11 years was revenge, but it was Spike who convinced me there was a better way."

"So uh, about that punishment?" Henry asked.
"You've shown yourself to be quite remorseful. And I've heard you're already a favorite at Twilight's school." Celestia said. "I could make the case that you deserve the worst punishment, but, it isn't healthy to let our past arguments hold us back."

"However, if I catch even the slightest hint of any treachery from you, I will be in your case." Celestia said. "But for now, continue to show me that you are capable of change for the better, and have invaluable lessons to teach to many a young students."
"Thank you, Princess. I won't let you down." Henry said.

After their meeting with the Princess, Twilight, Spike, and Henry were strolling through Canterlot grounds.

"I'll have to admit. It went... pretty well." Henry said. "It feels good to finally be in good terms with Celestia again.
"That, and being in good terms with the dragons, that's huge for you." Spike said.

"Yes. It feels good, to come out of the shadow sand be in good terms." Henry said. "Now let's head back to the school."

"Before we head back to Ponyville, since we're here in Canterlot, there's something I have to take care of." Twilight said.

Twilight led them all to the tower where she spent years studying and living in, until she moved to Ponyville.

"And this is where I spent my formative years in Canterlot." Twilight said.

Henry walked in, and took in the sight.

"Wow, quite the place. Celestia over compensated for you I say." Henry said.

"Twilight!" cried somepony in the tower.
"Moondancer!" Twilight greeted. "Good to see you again."

Twilight walked up to Moondancer.

"Sure has been a while." Moondancer said.

Moondancer looked over and saw Spike.

"Hey, Spike! How's my favorite baby dragon?" Moondancer said.

"Never better." Spike replied.

"I haven't seen you since before you disappeared. *gasp* And look at you, you have wings now! I not even really a baby dragon anymore! You're growing up so fast!" Moondancer said. "But geez, being kidnapped must have been the worst. I can only imagine the kind of low life scum of a creature that would do such a thing!"

awkward silence

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just noticed. Who's your new friend Twilight?" Moondancer asked.
"Moondancer, this is Henry. Henry, Moondancer." Twilight introduced the two.

"Pleased to meet you Henry. I'm Moondancer. Twilight's old friend."
"And I, well." Henry said.
"He and Spike... uh, go way back." Twilight replied.
"Ever wonder how Celestia ended up with my egg? Well Henry here is the pony who found me and brought me to Canterlot." Spike said.
"Wow, always wondered that." Moondancer said. "Say, you look familiar... *gasp* It can't be?!

"I don't know? Can it?" Spike asked.
"What? What'd he do to you?" Twilight asked.

"Professor Lucky?" Moondancer asked.
"I haven't heard that name in years." Henry said.
"Wait, you know Henry?" Spike asked.
"I guess we never shared a class where Professor Lucky taught. He was Canterlot's leading expert on dragons, and other creatures." Moondancer explained.
"So, the secret to Spike's origin was that obvious?" Twilight asked.
"I guess it should have been obvious that Spike's egg was his doing." Moondancer said.

"What brings you into this dust bowl?" Moondancer asked.
"We were in the area, and I thought I'd grab some things while I was here, as well as show Henry around, I guess..." Twilight replied. "I see you've done a nice job maintaining the place, besides the dust part."
"Mmm hmm. I've done my best to keep the place organized, while leaving your unique touches in tact." Moondancer said. "Can't do anything about the dust though. Dust is just a sad part of life."

Henry was getting somewhat bored listening to their conversation, so he turned his attention to the surrounding area, when something caught his attention, and he wandered over to check it out.

"And this is, wow, my old books. I haven't looked at these in a while." Twilight said.

"Um, Twilight." Spike had pointed the other way.

Henry had wandered off, something special caught his attention.

"Oh my goodness..." Twilight said. "I forgot that I kept it."

Henry fixed his eyes upon a glass case, and inside, was Spike's eggshell. He hadn't seen it in over... well, however many years Spike is.

There was a plaque that read "Spike the Dragon's egg. Life made possible by Twilight Sparkle."

Spike walked beside Henry. Henry turned his head to Spike, and then to his egg.

"I haven't seen this in years... you're grown so much Spike..." Henry said.

Spike walked besides Henry. Twilight did so as well.
Moondancer watched from a distance. I don't want to interrupt their moment.

Spike put his arms around Henry and embraced him. Henry was shocked, but it felt... good.

"I'm sorry what I did to your wing, Twilight."

"It's okay. It's just a wing. It was replaced just fine. But Spike, is irreplaceable. I wouldn't be the pony I am without him." Twilight said.

"Thank you, Henry." Spike said.

Happy Father's Day (I guess...). Thus concludes the tale of how Spike found a dad, not in any dragon, but once again, in a pony who helped in his upbringing, and (eventually) expressed compassion to the young drake. (Twilight and Henry are completely platonic, it just so happens that Spike views each of them as parental figures). Family is an odd thing. There is no norm, and it takes many different forms. And in the case of Spike, he was willing to forgive Henry for his wild actions in the past, and admire him for being the one who saved his egg, and gave Twilight the opportunity to hatch and raise him. Henry filled a void in Spike's life, and Twilight couldn't be happier for him.

The End