For most of his life Spike has yearned to be treated as more than a hatchling; only five years younger than Twilight by all rights he should be considered a young adult, or at least a teenager, by pony standards.

His mind, though still developing, is at times equal to an adult pony's thanks to the many years he spent working alongside his studious caretaker. When forced to focus can could quickly outpace and outwit most colts his age.

His body on the other hand is tiny and adorable.

As with all dragons the pace of his growth matches the demands of the world around him; with the carefree, relaxed life of a librarian's assistant there have been few demands a baby dragon's form could not meet. Until now.

Faced with other dragons, rivals and peers much more fit for survival Spike's body has started working overtime to catch him up and prepare him for the long, difficult life of a dragon. Fortunately, this means he will soon have a body that matches his mind; large enough to take care of himself and get a small token or respect now and then.

Unfortunately this means he has hit puberty.

All his life, Spike has worked his scales off, sometimes literally. For the mane six, with no gratitude or thanks for what he does. One day, as Spike is about to go and participate in a talent show, all of the mane six dump work on him as they went off to a Wonderbolt show, and once Spike finishes the chores, also helping some of the citizens along the way. He then runs into the mane six who dump MORE work on him and run off to Sugarcube corner, Spike just falls to his knee's and cries.

The next day however, Big Mac calls a meeting with a few of the citizens and brings Spike with him, they all agree to hide Spike and cover him from the mane six, while he goes off to be what he should be doing. Be a kid.

Light shippings
SpikexApplebloom
RumblexScootaloo
PipsqueakxDinky
FeatherweightxSweetie Belle

Proofread by StarBrony3

Spike has always been Twilight's number one assistant, many times fighting through lack of sleep (and interest) to help his unicorn friend achieve her magical goals. Be it research or experimentation the young dragon never thinks twice about aiding his best friend. Sometimes though, the two become blind to each other's weaknesses; Spike allowing Twilight to work herself to death and Twilight not realizing just how exhausting Spike's job can actually be. One day as Twilight concludes weeks of theoretical magic research, the library covered in chemical apparatuses all simmering, boiling, or magically stirring themselves an innocent fumble from the tired dragon leaves half the equipment destroyed, their contents mixing together to form a noxious cloud. Unable to react in time Spike inhales too much of the fumes and is thrown into a deep slumber, so great not even Zecora can bring him about. What's worse, Princess Luna arrives with the ill news that Spike has drifted beyond the realm of sleep into the wild dream lands where evil spirits and nightmares reign supreme. If only he could find his way back to Luna's moonlit domain he could be saved, but for now he is lost, and though Twilight is right by his side, utterly alone in this strange world. Spike longs to be home, and fear grips him as he witnesses nightmares fly about this new sky, but not all is lost for him. New friends are to be made here. New adventures. Even something close to a family he may have had if fate had charted a different course. In time he even comes to enjoy himself: the freedom, the excitement, the new bonds forged by danger and camaraderie, so is it any wonder that part of him wants to stay? Not to mention the trials he'll have to pass in order to return.

Spike had given up on dragons, considering them all to be delinquants after he met with some of them during the great dragon migration.
But one night after getting into an argument with his friend Twilight, he began to have strange dreams where a strange being would talk to him claiming to be a dragon spirit of a long lost race of dragons with beyond extraordinary power and that Spike himself may be one.
Now Spike is in danger from the very Ponies he called his friends and may even re-awaken a war without end, the eternity war is threatening to return and Spike is the only dragon with the power to stop it.