//------------------------------//
// Chapter Three: Redefining Family 
// Story: Big Brother Garble 
// by ColtKit Productions 
//------------------------------//

Twilight sat on the dock of the airship, flying towards the large island nation off in the distance. It was just outside Equestria's borders, a forest island covered in a large mountain range. They had passed several patrols of adult dragons. Which were now flying around the airship. One had flown ahead of them to alert the local Alpha.

The ship was filled with royal guards and Spike's extended family, but not the elements of Harmony. Celestia was insistent that this was a family matter. 

It had only been a few hours since they got the letter. Spike's family was already gathered in the throne room as they tried to figure out what to do. They hadn't wasted any time. After Celestia got the letter she teleported everypony in the throne room onto the fastest airship, including the few dozen guards, and wouldn't tell them what was going on until they were headed towards the island of Drake Stone. She was just barking orders at the confused guard and didn't stop until they were on their way. Things had settled down after that but there was still an air of tension as they worried for Spike.

Twilight's parents were standing off to the side, as Spike's grandparents. Although Twilight herself was more of a sister to the baby Dragon, his family didn't exactly follow a traditional mindset. Ponies fit into the spirit of the role but not the logical order. Twilight's parents were more like grandparents to the dragon then his own personal ones or even aunts and uncles. 

Blue Blood was standing next to his adopted mother Celestia. Blue Blood was actually a direct descendant of Celestia, after a little over a thousand years worth of generations. He liked to call her "Auntie" despite her being closers to a great great grandmother. His parents died when he was 5 and Celestia took him in. He was hardly the first foal she raised directly. Over the years Celestia had adopted many children who all helped rule over the land as a Prince. Although Blue Blood was legally Spike's brother they acted more like cousins, not really having much to do with each other but getting on well enough at family gatherings.

Princess Cadence was snuggled up against Shining Armor. Cadence was Celestia's other pupil. A Pegasus who achieved a form of enlightenment and ascended into an Alicorn at a young age. Alicorns were really just an expansion on the same magic that gave ponies their Cutie Marks. The Ascension came from a deep understanding of their own purpose. Cadence achieved this "inner self enlightenment" when she was just a foal. 

Cadence was just an orphan back then, living in a group home with others. After she ascended Celestia took her in and began grooming her for her role as a Princess. 

Cadence was Twilight's old Foalsitter but she had looked after most of the upperclass foals of Canterlot. As Celestia thought that was a good way to teach her responsibility. No, what she was really doing here was something Twilight was sure she would be irritated about once she got Spike back. Apparently Cadence was engaged to Twilight's brother Shining Armor... Which he never told Twilight about and of course she had to find out after Spike was foalnapped. Of course Twilight dreamed about those two one day tying the knot but she would have liked to have heard about it when it finally happened.

There was no denying Shining Armor loved Spike like a little brother. The Stallion was actually the one to introduce Spike to comic books and tabletop games. He'd been converting the young dragon to the ways of nerdom since he hatched.

This little group was an unconventional family but they were a family. Spike's family, and they needed to get him back. The group were all looking out at the beautiful landscape. However none of them were moved by it. They were all too busy worrying over the same thing. Just how were they going to get Spike back? 

Staring blankly at the mountain range off was when Twilight realized that one of them... wasn't a mountain, "Dear Celestia..."

"Yes?" Celestia blinked looking over at her apprentice, "Is there something you need Twilight?"

"Big..." Twilight gulped and Celestia chuckled.

"Yes," The Sun Princess smiled, "Elder dragons are an impressive sight," looking over at the Alpha Dragon as he waited for them at the edge of his island.

Blue Blood smiled, "Don't let his size startle you. Lava Frost is a very reasonable dragon. I come up to these parts rather frequently to discuss trade agreements with his nest,"

Twilight scoffed, "Like you know reasonable,"

The Prince rolled his eyes, "Honestly, I hope you're not letting your past grievances interfere with the matter at hoof. That's hardly worthy of your usual maturity,"

"Oh I'M not acting mature!" Twilight glared, "Last time I saw you, you threw a cake at my friend!"

Blue looked upfronted, "I was not the one to throw the cake," Before giving a slight smirk with mischief playing in his eyes, "Although she did make an adequate shield,"

Celestia groaned like a mother on the verge of losing her patience, "Let's not do this right now and focus on Spike,"

"We're going to get him back?" Shining almost begged, "Aren't we your majesty?" However the Princess didn't answer. 

When they finally got to the island and their ship landed next to the giant's feet they were shocked when his entire body burst into flame. The giant quickly shrunk down to a more manageable size, standing only slightly taller then Celestia. 

"You're majesty," the Alpha smiled as the group left their ship and stood before him.

"I was informed you have my son," Celestia spoke more gravely and the dragon frowned.

"Yes, by your son, from a letter I recommended he write to you," Lava Frost reminded, "I'm trying to handle this transition as smoothly as possible, for Spike's sake,"

Celestia sighed, "You dragons gave up your claim to him a decade ago... why now?"

"I wasn't aware of Spike's existence until now, and although I respect the Dragon Lord's opinion, he had no right to reject a member of my nest on my behalf,"

"With respect I have raised Spike since he hatched," Celestia reminded, "I adopted him with the Dragon Lord's blessing. I did everything according to your own laws because you didn't want him. I have more claim to him then you do,"

"Really? You have claim to a kidnapped child because you found him?" The Alpha raised a scaley brow, "Celestia, what you need to understand is that I am not keeping Spike because I changed my mind. I didn't know about him. I thought he was dead, and he has family here,"

Twilight snapped, "We're his family!"

The dragon sighed, "and I'm willing to offer visitation in acknowledgement of that... but that is all. We are keeping Spike,"

"But-" Twilight tried but Celestia raised a hoof to silence Twilight. 

The Princess of the sun stared down the giant with an expression Twilight had never seen on her face, anger, "I would like to end this peacefully but I will lay my cards down openly, so that we understand each other. Spike might not be my blood but I looked after him since he first hatched. I cared for him when he was sick and taught him everything he knows of the world. He IS my son, maybe not by blood but in every way that matters. The only one of my children that I won't have to watch die! My ponies might not be a match for you but I am the closest thing to a god you will ever meet... and if you don't return Spike to me by noon tomorrow I will fry this entire island into such a smoldering pile of ash not even YOU could survive. Then calmly take Spike back home,"

The elder dragon just looked at the fierce mother a moment, "How long do you plan to stay on our plane?" he asked Celestia, seemingly randomly, "You're an entity, a physical representation of the sun, but you're weak in such a form. 

"Oh I have no doubt you can make good on your threat,  when the sun finally reaches us, but truth is you have to wait til then, because the sun is too far away to really do anything at this point... and your mortal shell is too weak to take me on, let alone my entire nest. I remember when your shell alone could easily destroy a city state with a passing thought but as the centuries passed you only got weaker well away from your true body.

"Honestly, in my humble opinion, you've been muddling through mortal affairs for far too long. How much longer before your forced to return to your place in the sky. The fact you're grooming that Cadence girl is proof you're preparing to leave,"

All the ponies suddenly stared at Celestia in shock, "Not for a generation or so," the sun Princess insisted.

"And how long is that to a dragon? A pony generation? 500 years? Add a clawful of decades? Spike will still be very much a child by then, in his mid teens but still in need of a parent's guidance. Will you take him to the sun with you? I imagine that would be a very lonely existence for such an outgoing dragon. Maybe pawn him off on your Alicorn pupil and abandon him? Even then, how long will it take before his sheer size causes your ponies to cower before him. Changing size takes a lot of magic and cannot be maintained for more then a few hours even by somedragon as old as myself. He needs a stable home and that starts here,"

Celestia looked at him a moment, "Why are you risking so much over one dragon? Who I was told a decade ago was an unwanted Earthy,"

"Same reason you are threatening genocide to get him back," Answered Lava Frost, "because he's family," Lava Frost insisted, "And even if it means provoking the wrath of a god I will fight for him as I would any other member of my nest,"

Celestia studied the Alpha a moment, "Very well,"

Twilight exclaimed, "Princess!"

"However," Celestia insisted, "only on the condition that Spike's pony family is allowed to visit whenever we want,"

The alpha smiled, "I will inform the patrol. Now if you follow me, Spike is eager to see you all,"