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Prologue
“Twilight, will you tell me a story?”
The filly stopped in her trek across the dark bedroom, startled by the sudden voice. “You're still awake?”
“It's too dark to sleep,” the baby dragon replied, shifting further down his blanket. “That, and I'm scared.”
Twilight inhaled sharply, held her breath, and exhaled gently. “There's no need to be scared, Spike.” She came toward their bed, her horn ignited in a soft lavender glow. “I'm here with you now.”
Spike smiled. When the filly moved to join him on the bed, he shifted slightly to left, and once she was under the covers as well, he quickly scooted back over and began to snuggle against her chest. “Will you please read me a story?”
“Will you please go to sleep afterward?”
Spike nodded. His snout rubbed up and down her coat, tickling the filly.
“Okay, which story would you like to hear about tonight?”
“The great cave!” Spike wiggled in place just as her small hooves wrapped around him. “I want to hear it, Twilight.”
“But that's a bit of a scary one, isn't it?” Twilight hugged the baby dragon closer to her chest, nuzzling the top of his head with her chin. “I don't want you having any nightmares now. Plus, I'm not sure I like the way how they portray dragons in a—“
“Read, Twilight!” Spike beat his tiny fists onto her chest. “Read!”
“Okay, okay!” Twilight hugged him closer in order to cease his attacks. “But we're skipping any parts that are too scary, okay?”
She didn't even need to wait for a response as her aurora soon manifested itself around a bookcase on the other side of the room, pulling out a worn leather binding from the rest of the books. It lazily flew over to the bed and opened its pages upon reaching the duo's faces.
“The Great Cave, the author unknown.” Twilight flipped open to the first page, with the baby dragon's gaze eagerly following. “Once upon a time, there lived a brave knight in shining armor—“
“Our Shining Armor?” Spike said as he looked up at her.
“Sorta,” Twilight giggled, looking down at him, “but not quite.”
They both returned to looking at the book.
“Anyway. One fateful day, the princess he swore to protect was kidnapped by an evil—“ Twilight blinked and quickly shook her head—“by a giant a dragon!”
“A giant dragon!” Spike lost his breath at the thought. “Was he bigger than me?”
“Extremely,” Twilight replied, “but I like you more. So, this giant dragon swipes the princess with his claw and flies off to a distant tower, and as far as everypony thinks, she is never to be seen again—all except for one.”
“The knight!”
“Exactly.” Twilight nodded. “Dragon or not, the knight had made an oath, and he swore to uphold it no matter what. He embarked on the journey to save the princess the very next day, with only his sword and his wits about him.”
“His wrists?”
“Wit.” Twilight shook her head. “In fact, it was actually his shield.”
“Tell the story properly, Twilight.”
“Okay, okay!” Twilight giggled as she rubbed a hoof on the top of baby dragon's scaly head. “So the first obstacle the knight faces is a body of water that cuts across his path, deeper than any river he had ever seen before. This wouldn't have been an issue if the knight knew how to swim!”
“Did he go back home to learn?”
“He didn't have time!” Twilight said, putting the tip of her hoof to the illustration of the distant stone tower, where the silhouette of the dragon could be seen landing. “The princess was in danger, and the knight was prepared to do anything to save her—so he hopped in the water and struggled against the current!”
Spike held his breath.
“He sunk into the water like a rock as the stream carried him downward, and for but a moment, he thought this was how his journey would end.” Twilight flipped to the next page, where a school of fish swam alongside the knight. “He watched how the creatures of the sea moved through the water, and in learning from them, began to do the same, and not a few moments later, he emerged on the other side.”
Spike threw up his claw and giggled with delight, while Twilight stole a glance outside at the moon high up in the sky. She quickly turned a few pages saying: “We don't have enough time to cover the whole story, but we'll get to the part where the knight saves the princess, okay?”
The baby dragon huffed, but after a few seconds, nodded his head.
“Where were we? Ah yes, this should work to serve as the climax.” Twilight cleared her throat as he began her narration voice once again. “Upon completing the many trials of his quest, the knight soon found himself at the top of the tower, stronger and better than when he began, having finally become the stallion that could uphold his oath.”
Spike tried to focus on the words as they were being read, but the words were beginning to get blurry and his eyes were becoming harder to keep open. He pressed his face fully into the lavender coat, snuggling into its warmth and being lulled by the distant heartbeat, the voice of the filly heard through her body as well.
“The dragon landed and unleashed a roar, angered that he may lose what he rightfully earned.” Twilight yawned and flipped the page. “The dragon said: 'Leave me be with my treat, and in a kind return, I will show you the path to the great cave.' But the knight knew better than to listen as he drew his sword, saying: 'You will not keep me from the princess, whose heart is pure and noble, while yours tries to tempt me with its greed.'
The voice of Twilight was becoming distant to the baby dragon as he soon closed his eyes.
“The dragon then replied: 'All succumb to their heart's true desire. The Great Cave lies at the top of the world, its path treacherous and its pursuers relentless—but in you, I see the will to power! The journey will make you weak, but in that weakness lies the strength to destroy the darkness that blankets the cave.'”
Spike cracked open an eye, the book but a blur to him, though the tale itself phased through his drowsiness.
“The knight still continued his path toward the dragon, coming to the tower's center, screaming: 'Why should I care for such a place when what I desire lies on the other side of this tower?' The dragon roared with laughter, saying: 'For The Great Cave contains all that the heart could ever desire! Your will for power will finally be sated, your poverty will be assuaged by the cave's endless wealth, and in its deepest depths, you will find the secret to eternal life!'”
Finally, the baby dragon could look no more, as his eyes came to a close, and sleep began to take his hold on him.
“The knight drew his sword at once against the dragon, saying: 'No power and no jewel could rival the life and beauty of the princess herself! I do not care should I live or die, so long as the princess remains safe from harm!'”
Twilight flipped the page, faintly feeling the smooth scales rubbing against her soft fur. “Their battle lasted for a very long time, and although the knight was still no match for the dragon, those who lurked in the sky beyond was impressed by the knight's will: they shot down a powerful lighting bolt that imbued his sword with a special power, and in risking his life, the knight ran forth and struck the blade deep into the dragon's heart.”
Twilight cringed as soon as the words left her lips. She didn't hesitate to glance down at the baby dragon who, much to her relief, looked to be asleep. She gently nudged him with a hoof. “Hey Spike, are you still with me?”
“Wuh...huh?”
Twilight smiled. “We're almost done with the story. Did you want to finish it now or later?”
Spike lifted his head. “Now, please.” He quickly dropped back into her coat.
“Okay then, let's try to get this over and done with quickly then.” Twilight flipped a few pages ahead, which she was more than glad to do. “With the battle won and the princess in his hooves, the knight faced the dragon one last time. He knew the beast would no longer be a threat, though he knew not why it still remained.”
Outside the open bedroom window, the sound of crickets echoed into the night.
“The dragon hovered in the air, his wings weak and his chest heavy, he struggled to speak: 'Brave warrior, you are unlike the rest of your kind. Your oath permits you reason, which gives you will—a power undaunted by any taunts of life or death.' The dragon landed on the rim of the tower, continuing to speak: 'Join me on the journey to The Great Cave, and with my strength and your sword, the nine ancient dragons shall fall to us, and we will then rule from the peak of the world!'”
Twilight flipped to the last page. “The knight only shook his head, and in turning around, spoke to the dragon for the very last time: 'All that I need is in my hooves already, and as for the sword that can bring about great profit, I leave struck into the heart of this tower, so it will never dare rise once more.'”
Twilight closed the book once more. She let it float back to its home on the shelf, and once it was there, allowed the magic to fade from her horn as she turned on the side. “So how about it Spike, feeling better now?”
She was surprised to feel him nod.
“You know, I think you've asked me to read that book more than any other.” Twilight pulled the blanket up along their bodies, covering both of them up to their necks. “Is there any particular reason you like that book so much?”
“Mmmhmm.”
Twilight waited for a response, and after a few moments of silence, sighed. “...do you plan on telling me?”
“Mhmm, it's because I feel like the dragon.”
Twilight froze for a moment. She then cleared her throat. “S-Spike, you know you're nothing like that dragon, right?”
“But I kinda am!” Spike willed his eyes to open, his gaze traveling up the lavender chest in order to find its owners eyes and lock with them. “Well, I am like that dragon, if you're like the princess.”
“Spike...” Twilight couldn't help but blush as she looked down at him. “I'm nothing like a princess.”
“But you totally are!” Spike shook his head. “You're smart and powerful and look really nice! You are a princess, just not a real one yet.” He grinned. “Just like how I'm not a knight just yet, but I'm still your dragon number-one assistant.”
Twilight smiled, softly tilting her head. “I'm afraid I don't see how this pertains to the story.”
“It's because of how bored and sad you look whenever you're in the castle!” Spike pointed a claw at the bookcase. “Maybe that dragon stole the princess away because she was the same like you, and maybe, just maybe, he took her to that tower so she could read and practice without anyone bugging her!”
Twilight blinked. “Huh. So that makes the knight the bad guy then?”
The baby dragon nodded. “If it were you and me in the story, I would protect you from him so you could be left alone!” He even clenched his claw. “I'll even get better like he did in the story to protect you. I already made an oath like he did to be your number-one assistant, so that must mean I have that will thingy as well!”
“You know what Spike? I think you do.” Twilight lowered her muzzle, rubbing her nose against his, something he happily did the same in turn. After a moment, she broke away and pulled away, coming to kiss his cheek and bring him back to her chest. “But willpower requires a lot of sleep to maintain. You're going to get a lot of sleep now to protect me, right?”
Spike eagerly nodded his as he finally closed his eyes for good.
Twilight lowered her head into the pillow, her heart racing and her cheeks pink, unable to hold herself back from hugging the baby dragon a little tighter. “Hey, Spike? Everything you just said right now... did you truly mean it?”
She felt him nod, and for a moment, she struggled to find words to speak. She wanted to thank him, to confess of just how much this little bundle of scales meant to her, but as her eyes came to a close and sleep finally weighed over her mind, she found all that she felt in something as tiny as four words.
“I love you, Spike.”
The baby dragon didn't miss a beat.
“I love you too, Twilight.”