Spike woke up slowly, stretching as he stepped out of his bed. He started to walk downstairs as he heard someone calling him.
"Spike! Spike!"
Spike groaned. "Coming, Dad!" he called out, staggering down the stairs as he pulled on his clothes, a red tunic and white jeans.
Waiting for him was a brown unicorn stallion, wearing his usual priestly robes. "Spike," He said worriedly, "Citrine's gone missing again. You're the only one who can ever find her when she wanders off. Could you help me look for her?"
Spike smiled happily. "Sure thing, Dad!" he said happily, stepping out of the church into his hometown of Gate. "Citrine! Citrine!" he called out, beginning to search the town.
"Looking for your sister again, Spike?" one of the townsponies asked.
Spike smiled. "Yeah. Have you seen her?"
"Hmm...I think I saw her heading into the forested area behind the town."
"Thanks!" Spike called as he turned to go.
The old man chuckled. "Citrine can be such a handful sometimes, can't she? Father Starswirl is so lucky to have such a dutiful son."
Blushing slightly at the compliment, Spike ran into the forested area. He knew exactly where his sister would be. Following the path, he came out at the mountainside where the great dragon rested its unmoving head. There he saw Citrine, his little sister. Despite frequent urgings by both their father and the townsponies for her to act and dress as a proper young lady, the orange Pegasus filly insisted on dressing in shirts and shorts and running around willy-nilly. Spike saw no problem with it, though. That was just the way his sister was.
As he approached her, however, a blue, spiky monster called a Gong Head appeared out of the bushes to attack him. He knew he stood no chance here. He wasn't nearly strong enough to fight monsters, not when he was only 9. However, he knew if he ran, it would attack Citrine. "RAAH!" he shouted out his battle cry, grabbing a nearby stick to swing at the monster.
It dodged and weaved around his movements, then struck forward with its beak and caught him in the shoulder. "GAH!" he cried out, clutching his wound. Still, he stood boldly, ready to strike.
"THUNDER BOLT!" an angry voice shouted out. A massive bolt of lightning shot from the sky, incinerating the Gong Head. Starswirl ran forward. "Are you alright, Spike? What were you thinking, attacking a monster?"
As Starswirl healed Spike's wound and Citrine ran forward, Spike spoke up. "If I'd run, it would have attacked Citrine. It's a big brother's job to protect his little sister."
Citrine glowered at him. "Idiot!" she said. "I don't need your protection, especially not if you're going to get hurt!" She flared her tiny wings. "You think these are decorative?"
Seeing how he was fully healed, he smirked at her. "At your age? Yes."
"Why you!" she shouted out, pouncing on him as they proceeded to wrestle on the ground.
Starswirl sighed. "Why couldn't Sarasa have had a second son? That surely wouldn't have been nearly as much trouble," he mumbled under his breath. "That's enough, both of you," he said louder. "Behave."
The two young ones stopped wrestling. "Yes, Dad," they said together.
Starswirl then looked down at Citrine. "Why were you out here, anyway?"
Citrine smiled up at him. "When I take a nap under the dragon, Mom talks to me in my dreams!"
Spike unconsciously stroked the gem he wore around his neck, an inheritance from his mother. It always seemed to glow with a strange light, showing how the one he was talking to felt about him. With Starswirl and Citrine, it always flashed in a rainbow of colors.
Starswirl sighed somewhat regretfully. "I suppose she would at that," he said cryptically. "So what does she tell you? Dare I hope she wants you to grow up to be a proper young lady?"
"Nope!" she replied happily. "She says I should be true to myself, and if anyone tries to force me to change, to kick 'em in the nuts!"
As Spike winced, Starswirl laughed uproariously. "Sarasa was always such a firecracker!" he said happily. "I guess you really take after her." He gently ruffled Citrine's violet mane.
Citrine giggled. "Guess so!" she said happily. She turned to Spike. "Hey, Spike! Maybe you should take-" She paused, seeing Spike had already fallen asleep beneath the dragon.
Starswirl chuckled. "Guess he wants to talk to Sarasa, too."
Citrine laughed. "Let's leave him to it, then," she said, walking away with her father.
Some time later, Spike awoke. "Odd," he said. "I only dreamed about a strange eye..." Shrugging his shoulders, he walked back to town. But something was subtly different. Everypony looked at him with distrust and hostility. However, he ignored it, walking back to the church.
A strange woman stood behind the pulpit. "Who are you?" Spike demanded. "Where's my Dad? Where's Father Starswirl?"
The pink unicorn mare looked down at him with a gentle smile. "I don't know what you mean," she said calmly. "I am Mother Crysta. I have always tended this church of St. OZ." She smiled softly at him. "However, the church will always take in orphans. You seem confused. Perhaps a good night's rest will help you."
"What? But-"
Without another word, Crysta bundled Spike upstairs and into a bed. "Sleep well, young one. It will all make sense in the morning."
Spike lay there for some time, trying to make sense of what was going on. A young earth pony colt hops out of the next bed after some time and snatches the candle off the bedside table. "Looks like this place ain't got much worth anything," he said quietly. "Ah well, time to move on."
Spike hopped out of the bed. "Where are you going?"
The piebald colt smiled at him. "I'm leaving this backwater, mate. Gotta find somewhere better to make a livin, when you're an orphan." He grinned widely. "I'm Pipsqueak the Pirate, mate! Who might you be?"
"I'm Spike," Spike replied. "I...I need to get out of here, too."
"Then you can come with me, mate. Two heads are better than one, and us orphans gotta stick together!"
"But I'm not-" Spike started.
"Come on then!" Pipsqueak grabbed Spike's hand and dragged him along. Spike sighed. He'd explain his story later.
As they made their way out of town, it began to rain. "We need to find some shelter," Spike said. "There's a cave nearby."
"Lead on, mate!" Pipsqueak said eagerly.
Spike quickly lead Pipsqueak into the cave, where they lit the stolen candle for light with a brief bout of fire breath from Spike. "That's a neat trick," Pipsqueak said in awe.
Spike rubbed the back of his head. "Can't do it too often yet..."
"Come on, let's go deeper. It's bound to get warmer further in."
The two journeyed deeply into the cave, trying to ignore the sounds that were truly frightening to both of them. They then came to a large chamber. The entire chamber suddenly illuminated, revealing a massive red centaur with curling horns.
"AH!" Pipsqueak screamed, immediately hiding.
"So you are the chosen one?" the creature shouted. It laughed. "Come, dragon! Fight! Fight for God's glory and entertainment!"
Not understanding, Spike leapt forward to attack, only to feel the creature's claws dig into his chest...
----------------
Spike shot awake, panting and shivering.
"Geez, mate," Pip said as he sat up in his own bed. "Could you not scream so loud when you have nightmares?"
Spike closed his eyes. "Sorry, Pip. It's the same nightmare. That demon, and my father and sister vanishing..."
Pip walked over and laid a hand on Spike's shoulder. "I know this bugs you, mate, but don't worry. We've got a good life now, and someday we'll find your answers."
Spike smiled. "I know, Pip. Thanks for being there for me all those years."
Pip chuckled. "Hey, I'd have never made it so far without you, mate. Mates stick together." He looked at the time and blanched. "Speaking of our life, we need to get to the Ranger's Guild, pronto!"
"Right!" Spike said, leaping to his feet as he buckled on his sword and helmet. "Let's go!"