• The Day after the Episode "The Molt Down".

Spike... was confused. Yesterday Smolder seemed like she wanted nothing more than to get away from him, but now here she was, acting as pretty much his Dragon Tutor for his new powers.

She was teaching him different spells dragons knew. Dragons didn't have the reality bending magic of unicorns, but they could do lots of different things with their flame, not just sending letters apparently. They could even use touch based spells with their claws.

Spike concentrated, breathing in his flame, and focusing it into a beam. He launched the fire at an apple, and did everything he could to manipulate it, like Smolder told him. He choked it out until the flame died, and he fell on the floor, panting, "Did I do it?" he gasped for air.

Smolder picked up the apple, that now had gem shards growing out of it, but was still very much an apple. "Not bad for a first attempt,"

Spike groaned seeing the abomination he created.

"Hey now," Smolder smiled. "Is all good. Alchemy is a really hard spell to master. This really is a great first attempt, better then what I did my first try?"

Spike perked, "Really?"

"Yeah, I just lit my apple on fire," Smolder laughed at the memory, "Only thing I managed to turn it into was ash."

Spike smiled, suddenly all proud of himself. He tried to stand up but his legs wouldn't budge. That spell really took it out of him.

Smolder smiled and seemed to take notice, "How about we take a break?" She tossed the apple at Spike, "It's safe to eat if you're interested."

Spike blinked, not sure why she wanted him to eat. Oddly enough, he was starving, after manipulating his fire like that. The truly bizarre thing was he just ate lunch before coming out here.

As he took a bite of the tasty apple gem, Smolder explained, "Until your magic reserves get built up, you'll be using up calories when you cast spells. That means you need lots of food on claw,"

Spike nodded, "How do I build up my magic reserves?"

Smolder looked at him like he was stupid, "By practicing your spells."

"Hay! Don't look at me like that!" Spike glared, "Where would I have learned any of this stuff!"

Smolder sighed, "Right right,"

After a few awkward moments of silence passed them by, Spike dared to ask, "I don't get it... You said dragons kick their kids out when they go through the molt. Hay, you pretty much ran away from me but now..." he lost his nerve to finish his question. Thankfully Smolder seemed to understand.

Smolder rolled her eyes, "The molt only last a day or two. Then the whelp comes back to the cave. It's not a permanent thing."

Spike gaped, "But you made it seem like I'd be gone FOREVER!"

Smolder stared at Spike, "You've met Princess Ember, right?"

Spike hesitantly nodded, getting the feeling she was calling him stupid for not noticing something.

Smolder just groaned, at spike's blank expression. "And her dad, the former Dragon Lord?"

"Yeah?" Spike still wasn't getting it.

Smolder face palmed before spelling it out, "Ember still lives with her dad despite the fact she obviously went through the Molt, and he's famous for how over protective he is. Dragons have turned the molt into a type of right of passage ritual. When it starts they are sent to fend for themselves, until their wings sprout. Most just hide in caves or pony cities to avoid predators, like I told you to do. Very few idiots actually die. When they return, their loved ones throw a big party, like a pony's cute ceanera Sandbar told me about. The next day the Newly turned Rookie dragon starts learning magic. They're deemed mature enough to handle the responsibility. Since you were raised by ponies, I figured you don't actually have anyone to teach you this stuff."

Spike looked down at the ground, "I really don't understand anything about Dragon Culture,"

Smolder shrugged, "We dragons like to keep to ourselves. We don't really interact with the other races, unless we're eating them, but Ember made it illegal to eat any Sapient Creature and is trying to get us to form actual bonds with them... I didn't get it at first... Most races live for about 500 years, plus a clawful of decades, but Dragons? We are apex predators that live for 10s of thousands of years. We are the physical manifestation of magic. It's not arrogance. We legitimately are better then everything else."

Spike just stared at her, "Dragons live in dank caves and don't have a single factory in their communities,"

"We don't need that stuff."

"Then dragons need to stop whining about not having pillows and get a job," Spike deadpanned.

Smolder glared, "You want my help or not?"

"Yes please," Spike nodded adamantly.

Smolder sighed, "Anyway, after I got to know the creatures at this school... I kinda get it. They might not be as high on the evolutionary scale as dragons... but they do have stuff to offer the world. They are... impressive... in their own ways. Besides Ember is hoping to start trading with them soon. She's funding the construction of a factory town, in the Changeling territory, so they can build us dragon sized stuff. We dragons might be above manual labor but there is no shame in paying lesser races to do it."

"Why changelings?" Spike tilted his head.

"Our rulers are friends," Smolder shrugged. "and Changelings can turn into creatures actually big enough to work in a dragon sized factory. Besides Changelings are predators too. They might not need to kill their prey anymore, but they understand us better then most other races... and they still eat bugs smaller then themselves, for fun, so they aren't disgusted by the Dragon diet the way ponies are,"

Smolder suddenly looked concerned as she looked Spike up and down, "You are awful small for your age, and the molt hit you really hard..." implying malnutrition. "what do ponies even feed you."

Spike blushed, "You know, normal stuff."

Smolder eyed, "Normal for dragons? Or for ponies?"

Spike got the feeling that his answer could get Twilight in a lot of trouble, "I eat a lot of gems," knowing that was part of a healthy dragon diet, and not even a lie. Since Twilight became a princess he got all the gems he could ever want, instead of having them as an occasional treat.

Unfortunately Smolder looked appalled, "You need more then gems to survive! We are predators. You need meat for a well rounded diet!"

"Why do dragons hoard gold?" Spike suddenly asked, to distract her. Smolder just glared, so he pressed on, "Ember told me dragons don't actually have an economy. You don't actually buy anything as you make everything yourself, even food apparently," looking at the almost gem apple in his claw, "So why do Dragons need gold?"

"Fine," Smolder scuffed, "But I'm telling Ember about this. I bet she'll have some less then happy words with your pony guardians," poor Twilight. Smolder stewed on it a little but moved on to Spike's question, "Most dragons don't actually bother with gold. Our Alchemy Breath makes it pretty easy to make, so it's worthless to us. Some dragons do hoard it cuz it symbolizes wealth to lesser creatures, and is a good way to lore meat to you,"

Spike paled.

"But most Dragons will not bother with that and just eat a Roc or something, much more filling."

Smolder left out that gold was actually a magical amplifier, that was extremely addictive to dragons. Most dragons that Hoard gold would just spend all day, sleeping on it... Often not moving for centuries at a time... gold gave a blissful feeling to Dragons, and was basically their equivalent to drugs. Without any laws forbidding them... some dragons actually starved to death, if they spent too many centuries sleeping on their gold.

"YOU EAT THOSE THINGS!?" Spike yelped, as his mind flashed to the giant bird, that tried to eat him during his molt.

"We eat ALL big creatures," Smolder grinned, "They might pray on us when we're young, but once we grow up we are at the top of the food chain. I can't wait until I can grow big enough to wrestle a Hydra!"

"Why a Hydra?" Spike asked but Smolder rolled her eyes.

"I had an encounter with one during my Molt," Smolder waved off, "I managed to hide in the bog water, so it couldn't find me, but I had to breath through a straw for hours until it left."

"S-sorry," Spike stuttered.

"Why the Tartarus are you sorry?" Smolder blinked, "I out smarted a Hydra. My parents were so proud of me when I came back and even Garble was impressed."

"GARBLE!?!" Spike exclaimed.

"My older brother," Smolder grinned, "I take it you've met."

"He's the biggest flank-face I EVER met!" Spike insisted.

Smolder snickered, "Oh yeah, you've definitely met him."

Spike began unwillingly pouting.

Smolder grinned and tried to distract him, "Wanna hear how we hoard so many gems?"

Spike grumbled, "I guess."

"We gather a bunch of rocks, fruits, and stuff and flame thrower it about once a week. We use up our excess magic to turn it into food, AKA gems. It takes practice not to burn your own calories, but eventually you will be able to have a never ending supply of food, with no true cost, as Magic Reserves just replenish themselves over time.

"You just got to make sure you do it when you're somewhere safe, cuz you'll be out of your fire breath for about an hour afterwards. Other creatures might try to use the opportunity to steal some of your gems. It's only food to us, but it's incredibly valuable to lesser creatures."

Spike huffed, still upset by the Garble revelation, "I don't really got to worry about that." he dismissed.

Smolder raised an eyebrow, "And why is that?" not reserving the judgment in her voice.

Spike shrugged, "Well when your big sister is the Alicorn Princess of Friendship, and your adoptive mother is the physical embodiment of the sun, not many creatures stupid enough to rob you."

Smolder blinked, just staring at Spike before exclaiming, "You got connections to TWO PONY PRINCESSES!?"

"Actually, all of them. Princess Cadence is my sister-in-law, making Flurry Heart my niece, and Princess Luna is my aunt / foal sitter when Big Mac isn't available," Spike smiled. "I thought you knew that, though. I do hang out with Twilight all the time during school hours."

"I figured you just worked here!" Smolder gaped, "Why didn't Ember tell me!?"

Spike shrugged, "Why didn't she warn me about the molt? Seriously, I thought my lack of wings was a birth defect. Some Dragon actually TALKING to me, about it, would have been nice!"

Smolder stared at him a moment before sighing, "You really got the short end of the stick being raised by ponies, even if they are royalty."

Spike shook his head, "I love my family, and wouldn't trade them for anything. Besides, with as big a sissy as I am, I doubt I could have made it growing up in the Dragon Lands."

"Weird," Smolder commented, "Neither would I," if she meant trading her family or making it in the Dragon Lands Spike didn't dare ask.

• 3 Months Later.

"I can't do this." Spike panicked when they got to the door of the great hall. This was such a big moment for him. He knew there was a crowd of creatures on the other side of that door. The ceremony was pretty scary. He had been preparing for so long, and now that he was here it was almost too much.

Twilight Velvet smiled at her son, the little boy's new wings were fluttering nervously. Suppose it depends on your definition of new, however, they were a few months old now. Regardless, Velvet attempted to ease the boy's concerns, "That's not the 'courageous hero' I know and love." She smiled an easy smile. "Don't get cold feet now!" she encouraged.

"What if I mess it up!?" Spike whined.

"That sounds more like him." Night Light grinned teasingly, "Worrying about every minor thing, just like your brother and sister. I honestly don't know where you foals get it."

Velvet glared at her husband, as if to say, 'I blame you.'

Night Light didn't notice. He was too focused on his son, "But just like them, I know you could never let a little thing, like a room full to the brim with creatures expecting you to perform, stop you from realizing your potential. You have faced things far worse than this."

Spike gulped. He was pretty anxious. That speech hadn't really helped very much.

Now it was Celestia's turn. She smiled, pulling the dragon over to her with a wing. Then leaving it there in a tight hug.

"Did I ever tell you how I came across your egg?" Spike looked up at her. "I bought it in bulk from a magical creatures' breeder. You were supposed to be a Couatl, a type of winged serpent.

"They can only hatch from high exposure to magic. Normally the parents will collect crystals and use them to build a nest, but Unicorn magic works even better. After my potential students hatch the egg, they get to keep the Couatl as a familiar."

Celestia gently poked Spike with a hoof. "With you, no one had any idea how a dragon egg got mixed up with the others, but it was undoubtedly the best thing that ever happened to me. Over the Millenia, I have raised many orphans, including your older brothers Blue Blood and Clockwork, but you were my first real surprise." Spike blushed a little.

He remembered a little about those days... though honestly it was much more then any pony could recall. He had a better recollection of his early life, then most creatures. Though he still forgot plenty. He even had a brief memory of the day his egg hatched, as if his mind waited to be activated from that spark of magic.

Celestia had made a wonderful mother, and he was always surrounded by amazing magic, and friendly ponies.

"I will admit, I was sad when I decided to share joint custody, with The Sparkle Herd." Celestia nodded at Twilight's mother. The head mare of said herd. "But they wanted to help raise you, and I thought it be nice for you to experience life outside the Palace."

"Yet I was overjoyed when you spoke your first word... and called me 'Mummy'," Celestia smiled. "I couldn't be more grateful, to your parents, for allowing me to share such a title."

Celestia smiled, giving Spike a small squeeze with her wing, "I couldn't ask for a better son... and I got three of them." the other orphans she looked after.

Celestia slowly frowned, recallling her failures with this child. "Still for all my efforts. I had no idea how dragons raise their young. I didn't even know Equus Dragons, don't actually mature to be any bigger than myself. That their size is a result of a magical ability to grow. I knew so little about your creatures, but still I tried to teach you."

Spike remembered having been sad, not to know more about his creatures. Ponies barely had any books about dragons, that weren't complete fictions or pictures in his comics. He never even learned his roots.

Celestia sighed, "I even fed you lots of protein and gems, as I knew Dragons need such a diet. I'm sad to say what I thought would be an appropriate meat substitute didn't cut it. It's the specific kind of magic, found in meat, your body needs... not the protein... I failed you in that regard."

The very fact Equus dragons usually have this ceremony at 20, but Spike's wings hadn't grown in until he was 25, was another failure on her part. He had been a late bloomer because he was suffering from malnutrition.

Spike's eyes began to water, before they hardened with determination fitting a dragon, "You didn't fail me. You taught me as much as you could about my creatures! You were a great teacher and..." And for a moment he choked on a word. "A better Mummy!" He blushed as the childish title passed his lips.

He hadn't called her that since he was a hatchling. It was embarrassing, but fitting. Still by the bright smile on Celestia's face, it was clear she still treasured the word. Maybe he should call her that more often?

"You've grown up knowing little about your nature, but since dragons opened their borders to us we've all learned much." Spike remembered his first trip to the dragon homelands.

It was so different from what he'd grown up with. He sometimes wondered what life would have been like if he hadn't been born in Equestria. Would it have been any better? Looking around at his family--All those bright and colorful faces--For a moment, he couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to have lived.

Celestia continued, "The celebration, after completing the molt, is an important day in a young Dragon's life. It is not something I can deny you. You have been denied so many things about your race.

"It's not about if you get the ceremony right, but about your friends and family celebrating you in their lives. It means a lot to dragons, and I know it will mean a lot to you when you grow up. It already means a lot to me." Celestia nuzzled the little dragon. "Don't be nervous or embarrassed, it's not possible to fail."

That was exactly the speech Spike needed right now. All the memories of his life were in order. Everything had led up to this one moment. Where he was to move from infancy to childhood. It was important to every creature. It was important to him. He was finally being acknowledged.

Spike hugged her snout and sighed, feeling the anxiety slightly lifted. "Thanks Mummy,"

"Are you ready?" Velvet asked.

"Y-yeah." Spike took a deep breath and opened the door.

Heavenly music was played from strange instruments, by many adult dragons, as they sang in their native tongue. Spike didn't know it, but it was a common song for this kind of ceremony, about a dragon coming of age. The aggressive roars and growls contradicted the divine melody, yet somehow worked with it.

Oh he understood the words... somehow... All dragons are born knowing how to communicate in Draconic, as it was a magical language. Much like the ponies own abilities to understand any spoken language, from the moment they are born... dragons are more limited in that regard, as they could only understand Draconic at first.

As Spike was thinking about the differences between Dragon and Pony languages, Celestia, Velvet, and Night Light walked behind him as they passed row after row of benches. All of his friends and family were present. Even several nobles of each nation.

Spike parted ways from his parents, once they got to the front row. He continued onto the stage with "True" dragons, in all their glorious hugeness, awaiting him.

Celestia took her seat beside Twilight, in the front row, right next to the rest of Spike's family. The little dragon didn't have a very orthodox family. A dragon raised by ponies was strange enough, but Spike technically had two families.

There was the Sparkle Family, Velvet and Night Light's children and sole grandchild.

Their Grandfoal, Flurry Heart, was still very much a foal after so many years. She was just so small. Alicorns age slower then ponies, and Flurry was no exception, despite being born such. She was the daughter of Shining Armor, the oldest of Velvet's children, and Cadence, one of the orphans Celestia had adopted.

Cadence was an Alicorn, who ascended at a young age, with no guidance. She unlocked the secrets of self enlightenment, by herself, without any formal training. Celestia had decided to take her in, and train her to be a more just leader, than the Alicorns of old.

Celestia even got the foal a job, foalsitting the children of Celestia's employees, all to teach Cadence patience and compassion.

Children, like Twilight Sparkle. Twilight became the middle child of Velvet and Night Light, after they took Spike in, but for the longest time, she was the youngest.

Cadence watched her, whenever the foal's parents went on one of their archaeological digs, for Celestia, recovering lost and dangerous magical artifacts of old.

Twilight eventually became Celestia's personal apprentice, after managing a feat as great as hatching a dragon egg, though no pony knew there was a dragon inside it, until after she hatched it.

Yes, Celestia and The Sparkle family had been connected long before Spike was in the picture, but they hadn't really grown as close as they had, until he arrived. Celestia had hopeful ideals for all her children. She had to, given her station.

Blue Blood, the middle child, had lived up to his with flying colors. He was one of the greatest Ambassadors ever put on her staff, and had even managed to learn some humility in recent years.

Blue Blood was a member of a great house. However, many ponies don't realize which house. Bluey was actually a direct descendant of Luna, through one of her consorts at the time. . .

A consort Celestia hadn't approved of. As they were a bat pony. Subponies were looked down on, back in those days. Celestia's deepest regret, was binding the fetus' family line, so that their third chromosome chain remained dormant. Then forbidding Luna from seeing the bat pony, in public... and pretended not to know the two still met in private.

Those had been darker days. With a great amount of tribalist views. With Celestia's greatest shame, being she had thought that way, herself... and letting that destroy her relationship with her sister. It was the first of many cruelties, which Celestia inflicted on her baby sister.

Celestia had mellowed, quite a bit, since her original rule. Even reversed many hateful laws, and prevented others from being passed... but her greatest flaw was how obsessed with appearances she was. She no longer minded what any of her family did behind closed doors. And Blue Blood had many of his own cousins to carry on the Thestral's bloodline.

However, Celestia had insisted Bluey humor the mares that approached him. He didn't have to marry any of them, and she certainly wouldn't force him to take them to his bed chambers, but she did expect him to be nice and polite. To let the mares pamper him, as nobles were far more traditional, and to... let them believe they had a chance.

That last one might have been crossing the line. Considering Bluey's taste lay elsewhere. Namely a wealthy noble, by the name of Fancy Pants.

Right now, Blue Blood was trying his best not to look teary-eyed, and hold himself with dignity. He was a good boy, as a colt, and had grown into a fine stallion. Maybe a little too obsessed with appearances, and took far too much glee in tormenting "gold diggers", but he was a brilliant diplomat.

He was charming, beyond all reason, when he wanted to be. Celestia had been conned out of many a cookie, just before dinner, when he was a child, but he was always sure to split it with Spike.

Then there was her oldest son, Clockwork, who she hoped would never reach his potential. He was a soon-to-be middle aged stallion. Meaning he was over 200.

Celestia spoiled him a great deal. Constantly making excuses for his less than royal behavior, but still she cherished him. He might not behave like stuffy royalty, but he had the heart of a noble stallion. She tried to shelter him; he did not yet know the dangers of his true nature, and she hoped her sun grew dim before he found out.

Cadence certainly lived up to her potential, being ruler of a City State, that had been lost for a thousand years. She was doing well, easing them into the ways of the 1100th century.

Then there was Spike, himself, the son of two great houses. As far as Celestia was concerned, anyway. He had held up his end of the bargain; he had become the bridge between two races. Which Celestia had hoped for. The ambassador to the Dragon Lands. Respected and loved by both races.

Sure there were a few bullies, the little dragon had to deal with, in the dragon lands, but their leaders loved him.

Spike looked back at his family. He was still as cute as ever, even with his "big boy" wings. He was so proud of them. Celestia didn't even know Equus Dragons didn't grow wings until they became fledglings.

She had told Spike his lack of Wings was a birth defect... because that is what she thought it was. Poor Spike, he grew up knowing so little about his creatures. Everything he did know, was misinformation Celestia had gathered. At least now he had a connection to his creatures; one that she hoped was improved by the end of the day.

He was wearing a white robe, as was tradition. Ever since Twilight learned about this little ceremony, she had wanted Spike to have it. Celestia was all in agreement.

Spike didn't get to experience much of his dragon heritage, due to being raised by ponies, but this-this was important to them. It was the first step on the road to adulthood. They couldn't deny Spike such an important moment in a dragon's life.

It had as much meaning to a dragon as a cute-ceañera did to a pony... and it was already several months late, as it was supposed to happen immediately after the dragon returned from their momentary exile.

Equus Dragons went through stages of puberty. With the first instance of their "molt" happening all at once, over the course of a day. During this, Dragons send their whelps out into the wild, to try and survive the night. After their wings sprout, they come back home to a massive party, in their honor, complemented by this ceremony.

Spike should have had this months ago, the moment he came back with wings, but ponies didn't know of it.

Nearly all Equus dragons are taught how to handle themselves, during this right of passage ritual... but Spike never recieved the training.

Nor did he know what to do for the Ceremony. So Smolder filled him in and trained him for it. While Dragon Lord Ember prepared the Ceremony. They just gave Spike a few months to get ready, given his circumstances. Dragons weren't completely heartless after all.

When a dragon grows their wings, they go through this ceremony. They stand before a Priest of Bahamut, the dragon god of peace and balance, the leader of all the dragon gods.

There they are baptized in fire and declared a fledgling, the dragon equivalent of a child instead of a baby.

They were supposed to go through another molt, when they turn 100, which last about a month instead of a couple days.

After which they are bigger and stronger and considered a "Rookie" dragon, meaning "teenager"... however much Spike wanted to grow up, he was happy he wouldn't have to suffer through such a long molt for several decades.

For right now, Spike looked nervous enough, as he stood before the huge dragon.

"Little dragon," The dragon Priest spoke once Spike was in front of him, "Are you ready to prove to your family that you aren't a hatchling anymore?"

Spike gulped and hesitantly nodded. The great dragon gently turned Spike around so he was facing the audience. With a soft pushed Spike was guided to the edge of the stage.

Beside Twilight, Shining Armor was already in tears as he yelled out, "You can do it little bro!" his wife, Cadence, eagerly stomped her hooves, and their daughter, Flurry Heart, cheered.

All of Spike's friends were cheering loudly, including Discord who was waving a ridiculous foam finger and wearing a hoofball shirt.

Thorax looked nervous and Ember looked proud. It really is amazing, just how many friends Spike had gained, among all the species of Equus. All of whom were here, just to watch this ceremony.

Even his pen pal Screwball. The little Demigod was looking around the audience, like they were going to eat her. It meant a lot that she got over her fear enough, to actually come to this.

Spike sucked in a breath and let out a "Mighty" roar. Twilight did her best not to snicker about how cute it was. She knew how hard he had been practicing.

Twilight couldn't help but feel nostalgic, as she remembered how he used to sound like a little colt, screaming impudently at the world, but now he sounded like a little lion cub.

It was absolutely adorable, but definitely not a sound a pony could make. Twilight had come to understand that's just how dragons are; it's a part of growing up. Their vocal cords change and allowed them to let out a true roar.

As Spike roared, the Priest allowed a steady stream of flames to burst from his mouth, and completely consume the much smaller dragon. The little dragon continued to roar, as his robes were burned away. It was a truly impressive sight.

The flames continued to burn, until the robes were incinerated to nothing. Finally the large Dragon choked them back, and Spike continued to burn for a moment longer. When the flames died, there Spike stood, completely unharmed. His bare scales shined as if freshly polished.

The old dragon smiled and greeted, "Welcome to the world Fledgling,"

Normally the Ceremony would end there, but Celestia had asked the Priest for something special. He pulled out a small crown and put it on Spike's head, before bowing to the little dragon, "All hail Solar Spike, Prince of Ponyville,"

Spike found the crown on his head, and felt confused. He looked out as the crowd bowed to him. He was completely uncertain of what to do. Even so, to have all the creatures he cared about, recognize him? It was an amazing feeling.

He would never forget this day.