Previously, Spyro, Sparx, and their Ponyville friends have paid a visit to Canterlot, at the invitation of Princess Celestia herself. There, the princess herself had informed the heroes of the attacks that have been plaguing across the land.
Not long after that, a thief broke into Canterlot Garden and nearly made off with the egg Spyro had been caring since the beginning of his adventure to Equestria. Luckily, the heroes have rescued the egg, which hatched into another baby dragon, whom everyone dubbed as Spike.
The next day, the Ponyville fillies were boarding the next train home, with Princess Celestia, Spyro, baby Spike, and Twilight Sparkle seeing them off.
"I still can't believe you get to stay at Canterlot Castle, with the Princess!" Rarity said to Spyro.
"Neither can I," Spyro replied. "But it's only until little Spike over there has grown his wings, or at least gets bigger," He pointed to the little dragon who was once again, at it with his baby assault on Twilight. "Until then, we're not going anywhere."
"Well, if you're ever in Ponyville, be sure to look us up!" Rainbow smirked.
"And don't hesitate to give us a call for when little Spike gets his wings," Rarity smiled, as she walked over and tickled the baby a little. "I sure don't want to miss it," She cooed, earning a giggle from baby Spike.
Upon setting his gaze on Rarity, the baby smiled as he reached his claws out, and grabbed Rarity by the nose, "Rarey!" He giggled.
Princess Celestia giggled, "Aw, he likes you."
"Great," Twilight groaned. "So why don't you take him then?" She asked, struggling to levitate the dragon off her head. Everyone all shared some laughs, before the Ponyville fillies started boarding the train
"Good-bye, Spyro!" The girls waved. "Good-bye, baby Spike! Bye Twilight! Bye Princess Celestia!"
"So long girls," Spyro waved, along with his companions on the platform, while baby Spike held his claws out for the train that took the fillies away from him.
"Do not worry, little one," Princess Celestia spoke comfortably. "You will see them again."
"Yeah. Until then, you've got me to look after you," Spyro added.
"And me, and Twilight," Celestia added.
"Huh?" Twilight looked at her mentor in confusion.
"And as of now, starting effectively, me," Sparx buzzed into view, while struggling to hold onto a huge baby blue balloon that nearly carried him away. "Whoa! Here kid, from Pinkie Pie for your first birthday since yesterday," The gold dragonfly said, quickly handing the baby dragon the balloon from the said party pony.
"Bubble! Bubble!" Spike squeaked excitedly, grabbing the floating ball-shaped rubber, and started to play with it.
"Actually, the correct pronunciation is 'balloon,'" Sparx annunciated for the baby dragon.
"Ooooh..." Spike gasped in acknowledgement, before he shouted, "BABOON!!"
Twilight cringed at the mispronunciation, while Spyro, Sparx, and Celestia couldn't help but laugh, "Close enough," The two boys grinned.
Looking at the dragonfly, Spyro asked, "So Sparx. What brings you back so suddenly?"
"Well, as nice as it would to be back in Ponyville with the girls, I kinda like it better when I have another guy friend to hang with," Sparx answered. "Y'know, someone who actually gets me, and understands me and all that?" Sparx grinned, before he pointed, "That and Pinkie Pie wanted to give Spike that balloon."
*POP*
Everyone all looked, to see the rubbery remains of what's left of the balloon, and the string, dangling from baby Spike's mouth.
"Oh, yeah," Sparx cringed, scratching the back of his head, blushing a shade of pink with embarrassment. "I probably should've warned you about that."
"Oh you think?" Spyro asked, sarcastically.
Before long, poor baby Spike's eyes widened as the pipes broke, and his lips quivered, before he broke out in a hysterical scream of cries, flailing his claws out and about, kicking his legs, and thrashing his tail, much to everyone's discomfort.
"Ow!" Twilight groaned, as she and Celestia both covered their ears, with Sparx and Spyro doing the same. "Make him stop!"
"How?" Spyro asked.
"What do you mean 'how?' You're his brother. Do something!"
"Uh, c'mon Spike, don't cry. It's okay," Spyro winced, failing to comfort the baby dragon. Thinking of a new plan, he covered his face, "Where's the baby? There he is!" He said, stopping Spike from his crying for a moment.
"I think it's working," Sparx buzzed. "Keep it up."
Spyro nodded, as he covered his face again, "Where's the baby? THERE HE IS!!" Unfortunately, Spike burst out crying again.
"Cut it out! You're scaring him!" Twilight frowned, thrusting her hooves out, shoving Spyro to the side.
"Well he said it was working!" Spyro argued, pointing at Sparx, who zips around Spyro, buzzing random words that Twilight was fortunate she didn't have to hear what they are. "Hey! Watch it, ya little firefly! I may not breathe fire, but I can still squash you whenever I want!" He threatened. In response, Sparx simply blew a raspberry, before the two boys winced at another outburst from Spike's tearful cry.
"Come on, Spike," Twilight winced. "Calm do-OW!!" She screamed, when the baby dragon bit her on the nose again.
Baby Spike continues to chew Twilight's nose, working up a slobber as he did so, "Well, at least he's not crying anymore," Sparx chuckled.
"Great," Twilight groaned, as she telekinetically struggled to pull the baby, by the tail, off of her. "Now can somebody please, get him off?" She winced. "Ow!"
Some painful minutes later
After getting her nose patched, Twilight was later in the garden of Canterlot, reviewing her studies and magic homework, while Spyro and Sparx were busy, keeping baby Spike entertained. Though, mostly Sparx.
"Hey! Whoa! Watch it!" Sparx buzzed, evading strikes made from the baby dragon, who was jumping and clapped his claws together, trying to catch the small dragonfly. "Whoa! Almost got me that time!"
This kept on going, until Spike got tired of playing with Sparx, in which the baby dragon turned to Spyro, who was resting in the cool shades of the tree. With a giggle for some more mischievous fun, the baby dragon crawled his way over to the older dragon, held up his injured wing, and looked at it in wonder, "Oooh...."
"Yeah, those are called 'wings,'" Sparx began. "And as you can see, your big brother's got a broken so-Wait, no! DON'T-"
"Nom!"
"OW!!" Spyro jolted awake, as he stood up, reacting from the throbbing pain on one of the tip of his wing, which caused the whole limb to heat up. Looking in the direction of his hurtful wing, Spyro scowled as he tried to brush the baby off, but Spike only chewed his wing even harder, "OW!! Stop it!" Spyro berated the baby. "That actually hurts!"
Spike's eyes started to water again from the angry look he was receiving from Spyro, and his lips quivered, and he burst out crying.
"Oh way to go, Hothead," Sparx muttered, holding his "hands" over his ears to block out the irritating sound.
Though slightly recoiling from the earsplitting cry, Spyro tried to comfort the baby, "Hey, it's okay. It's okay. Just don't bite my wing from now on, okay?" Still Spike continued to cry. "Oh come on. Why are you still crying?"
"He might be hungry," Twilight groaned, levitating a book over her head as a makeshift earmuff. "He's still a baby. All babies need their nourishments."
Spyro and Sparx both smacked themselves in the head, "Duh!" The two boys said to themselves.
"Duh?" Baby Spike repeated, after having a moment to calm down for a bit.
"Now, where can we get food for baby Spike?" Spyro asked to himself, before he turned to Twilight. "I don't suppose you know the nearest gem depot, do you?" He asked.
"What for?" Twilight asked.
"For food of course!" Spyro answered.
In response, Twilight levitated some small gold coins from her saddlebag and said, "Just borrow some bits from me. And then you can go and buy some food for Spike," She said. "No need for gems, and everything."
Spyro shook his head, "Actually, gems are the food," He clarified. "For us dragons."
Twilight blinked in disbelief, "You eat gems?"
"Uh, yeah. I mean, did you ever wondered why we dragons always plunder and hoard treasures, for a living and everything?"
"Uhhh....."
Later, the four were in the royal kitchen, where they treated themselves to bowls of various foods.
"It's not exactly as crunchy and sweet as gem," Spyro noted, while taking a bite of his apple. "But I have to admit. It's okay."
"Okay? It's delicious!" Sparx buzzed, while happily drinking a cup of lemonade via straw. "Mmmm, sugary sweet," With another sip, Sparx's face contorted into a sour face, "Ooh! Make that sour sweet!"
Spyro chuckled at Sparx's antic, before he looked up to see Spike happily munching on a cupcake, "Well, at least you're happy little brother," Spyro said in amusement.
"Again, sorry that we don't have gems for you and Spike," Twilight apologized. "They're obviously not a delicacy for us, here in Equestria."
"Of course," Spyro took another bite of his apple, while Princess Celestia was passing by, with a tall unicorn stallion.
In appearance, the stallion is white with jet black mane, tail, and a goatee under his chin. For attires, he wore a dark red cloak that covered most of his body, yellow strings around the neck that tied the cloak in place, and a ribbon on the front that appears to deem him as an official of sort.
"Princess Celestia, we at the E.E.A. must object to the notion of enrolling two dragons at your school of Gifted Unicorns," The stallion spoke in a rough, stern tone. "It has been deemed that way for a reason. And now-"
"Rest assured, Chancellor Neighsay," Princess Celstia replied in an equal stern tone. "Spyro and Spike won't be much trouble for me and my students. Not when I can entrust them with my faithful student of all, Twilight Sparkle."
"But she is just a child," the chancellor argued.
"And so are they," Celestia countered. "I find this as a good opportunity for Twilight to at last make some friends. And what better friends than two dragons; one of which is just a baby, and the other-"
"Yes, yes, the dragon who helped to defeat a bugbear infestation in Ponyville, I've read about that," The chancellor, however, glowered. "But don't you think it might not be a mere coincidence that a bugbear would show up in Ponyville, and that crippled dragon was just there at the exact same moment? I don't think so. I believe this is all a plot, a scheme perhaps to gain your trust, into letting these creatures gain access to our most vital knowledge in order to bring about the destructions of Equestria."
Princess Celestia stopped, before turning to face the chancellor, and began, "The dangers are already happening around us, Chancellor Neighsay. Far greater than we can both imagine. And while I'm fully aware of our checkered past with the dragons, for the moment, I'm willing to give young Spyro, and his little brother, Spike, the benefit of the doubt. This may be a good chance for us to form an alliance with the dragons. And it will begin with the connection they will forge with my faithful student, Twilight."
“And who knows. Perhaps their friendship may be the only chance we’ve got to show the dragons that there are ponies, whom they can trust.”
And so.....
"Wow," Sparx mused, while looking around Twilight's room, at the School for Gifted Unicorns. "Snazzy."
"It's nice of you to let us bunk with you, Twilight," Spyro said, while carrying Spike on his back.
"Well, it's not like I'm inviting you or anything," Twilight replied. "Okay, maybe I am. But it's only until a new room can be set up for you three. That and Princess Celestia said that I should take this opportunity to get to know you boys and make.....friends."
"Princess Celestia said that? Hmmm," Spyro scratched his head, before shrugging, "Alright, if it please her highness, then let's do that."
"Great!" Twilight beamed, levitating several note cards. "I've got so many questions to ask of you!"
"Sure, ask the dragon, but not the dragonfly," Sparx buzzed in annoyance. "It's not like you can hear me, or anything."
"Though, why don't you ask Sparx, your questions?" Spyro suggested. "You may not know it, but the little guy doesn't like to be felt left out."
"But I don't speak dragonfly," Twilight replied.
"That's okay. He can just give me his answer, and I'll translate'em for you. How does that sound?"
Twilight couldn't help but squeak in excitement, "This is going to be such a fascination!" She grinned excitedly, before she composed herself, "Okay, first question," She began, reading the first note card. "How long have you known each other?"
Sparx smiled confidently, "Eh, I've been living in Ponyville with the fillies in Ponyville, since I moved to the surface, when I was just a little nymph. So I've practically known the girls in like, forever. But as for Spyro, I've only met him just a couple of days ago, when he was taking a dirt nap with Spike, as little eggy," Sparx chuckled to himself, "I have a feeling, we're gonna be the best of friends."
The next day
"Young dragon!" Sparx shouted, waving his fist to baby Spike. "GET DOWN FROM THERE!!"
"Whee!" Spike cheered, jumping from a tree branch to another, without a care in the world.
"Don't make me count to three!" Sparx threatened. "One.....two...."
Reluctant at first, baby Spike slowly began his decent back to solid ground, only for a branch to snap, and he plummeted towards the ground.
"Oh no!" Spyro screamed, leaping into action, and caught the baby dragon in his maw, by the tail, and accidentally stepped on poor Sparx.
"Three....." The dragonfly buzzed from underneath.
Later, after that night, Spyro and Sparx were sound asleep, while Twilight was up for some late night reading, when she felt a tug at her tail. Looking down, she could see it was none other but Spike, holding his claws out.
"What is it, Spike? Are you hungry?" With her horn glowing in a pink aura, Twilight levitated for him a slice of orange, before she went back to reading. However, in response, Spike tossed the slice at Twilight, before he repeatedly hops up and down, making protesting squeals, "What? You don't want the orange? Here, have a carrot," Just like before, baby Spike threw the carrot back at Twilight. "Cabbage? Artichoke? Um, celery?"
In response, Spike continues to bounce up and down in protest.
The Next Day
Baby Spike got into some more trouble, when he somehow ended up on a log, riding down a river, straight towards a waterfall.
"HANG ON SPIKE!!" Sparx buzzed, as he and Spyro were swimming for the baby. "BIG BROTHER SPYRO AND UNCLE SPARX WILL SAVE YOU!!!"
"Wheeeeeeeee!!!" Spike cheered as he plummeted down the waterfall, and into a magically conjured net, courtesy of Twilight.
"Gotcha!" Twilight panted, while poor Spyro and Sparx both plummeted pass the two.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!"
*Splash*
Once again, at night, Spike was having another protest, which Twilight continues to struggle with fulfilling whatever his desire was, "You want to play peek-a-boo? You want me to sing you a song? WHAT DO YOU WANT?!!" Even Spyro and Sparx couldn't figure whatever it is the baby wanted.
The next day, while Twilight was attending Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, struggling to make up some lost times due to baby Spike, Spyro was giving baby Spike a piggyback ride, in the school gymnasium, much to his humiliation and discomfort.
"Wheee!!" Spike cheered. "Go, go, go!" With an excited bounce, he kicked his heel into the older dragon's neck.
"Hey! I'm not a pony!" Spyro snarled. "I'd like to see you do that to Twilight!"
Later that evening
After their piggyback activity together, baby Spike was back at Twilight's room, while Spyro had some time to himself in the Canterlot Garden.
The exhausted young dragon collapsed to the ground, "Finally," Spyro yawned. "Peace and quite," With that, he was out like a bulb. However, it didn't last very long.
As fast as lightning strikes, Spyro suddenly finds himself back in the burning ruins of the Dragon Temple. Only this time, it was much more horrifying than it was before. Everywhere Spyro looked, he not only found the broken shells of the eggs he failed to protect, but also the bodies of many dragons, who have lost their chances of becoming parents.
"No, not this again!" Spyro frowned, as he struggled to escape the terrible vision. "No, no, no!!"
"Oh yes," A dark voice boomed, as the shadows all formed together into the hideous face of the ape, whom Spyro thought he had defeated. "Don't you see little dragon? You can never escape," Gaul chuckled darkly. "You cannot run, you cannot hide from us. We will find you. And when we do, we will have our revenge, and destroy you, just as you had destroyed your home, and your family!!!"
To add the ferocity of his nightmare, Spyro's ears were pierced by the shrieks of all the dragons, dying in the raging flame that Spyro had lost, with the ghost of Gaul hovering above him, laughing, together with several tall shadows who joined in, watching the misery unfolding before them.
Spyro's eyes snapped open, as he jolted awake, panting heavily. Looking around him, Spyro was relieved to see he was back in Canterlot Garden.
Still remembering the nightmare, fresher in his mind, Spyro dipped his head and questioned, "What do I do now?"
"Good evening, Spyro," A soothing voice broke the silence, as he turned his head to face a small light blue alicorn, with a very light azure mane and tail.
Spyro recognized who she is. She is Princess Luna, the Princess of the Night, Co-Ruler of Equestria, and Princess Celestia's younger sister, "Oh, hi Princess Luna." He bowed his head in respect.
"I had seen the nightmare that troubled you greatly, Spyro," Luna spoke solemnly. "I am sorry for your loss."
"It's okay, I gu-" Spyro stopped, when he looked at the princess in surprise. "Wait! How did you know-"
"I am the Princess of the Night," Princess Luna interrupted. "Thus, it is my duty to come into your dreams."
"Wow, that's kinda creepy," Spyro commented. "Cool, but a little creepy. No offense."
Princess Luna simply nodded her head, as if it was her gesture to not taking any, "Now what troubles you, young dragon?"
Feeling too tired to keep it to himself, and knowing he can't keep it to himself any longer, Spyro decided to vent the whole story, thus far, for Princess Luna to hear, "And you get the rest," Spyro concluded. "I don't know why I'm even caring for Spike anymore....not after what I've done to make our life like this."
Princess Luna couldn't believe her ears, "Do not blame yourself, young dragon," She said, in comfort. "You are but a child. You didn't know better."
"But I should've," Spyro fumed. "I thought I could handle everything. I never took my teachings very seriously, and now...." Spyro showed his broke wing, which was still in its cast, provided by Fluttershy, "This is what I've become," To further prove his point, Spyro took a deep breath, before he lets out a strong exhale, producing nothing more than a few tiny sparks of flame.
Princess Luna looked at the young dragon solemnly, before she sat down beside him, "You know, dear Spyro," She began. "We may not know much about you, prior to your arrival in Equestria. But Princess Celestia, Twilight, even your filly friends from Ponyville have been telling me a lot of good things about you."
"Oh really? Like what?"
"How determined you are, even if you are at a disadvantage. Or how devoted you are to caring baby Spike, when he has no family left. And as if now, I can see just how far you're willing to go to atone for your past sins. Such nobility, I must say," She commented, earning a slight blush from Spyro. "Losing your fire must've been hard on you, hasn't it?" She asked.
Not feeling in the mood to deny any of what she just said, he sighed, "Yeah...it was all I had left of my dad."
Putting a comforting hoof on his shoulder, Luna spoke, "Your father is here."
Spyro looked up at Luna, skeptical, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"He's never truly gone as long as you remember him," Another voice sounded, revealing itself to be none other but Princess Celestia herself.
"Princess Celestia?!" Spyro exclaimed. "Uh...h-how-how much-"
"I've heard enough," Celestia answered. "Now, as I've said before, your father is still with you, even if you can no longer see him."
Spyro looked away as he continues to slump, "That's too bad. Because I kinda need some advice, right now on what to do."
Celestia and Luna both turned to each other, nodding their heads as they set gentle wings on Spyro's back, "Then listen to what we have to say, Spyro," Luna began.
"You have inflicted wounds upon yourself," Celestia continued. "But now, you must heal. Because the world needs its heroes. And more importantly, your brother needs you...for love, care, and attention. Because for now, he can be your new fire."
“....he can be your new fire....” Those words continued to echo in Spyro’s mind, on his way back to the room, where he finds Sparx and Twilight struggling to calm a distraught Spike.
“What now?” Spyro asked, with an exasperated groan.
“I don’t know!!” Sparx groaned, as he and Twilight continued to cover their ears. “We just finished rocking him to sleep. And when we tried to give him some space, he just burst out crying and won’t stop!”
Twilight levitated her doll, Smarty Pants, over, “Quick! Do something! Act playful,” She pleaded to the doll, but to no avail.
“Oh come on!” Spyro groaned, making his way towards the baby dragon. “What more do you want?!” Spyro looked at Spike with a disgruntled scowl. In response, Spike held his claws out for Spyro.
“....for love, care, and attention,” Celestia’s words echoed, before it dawned on Spyro.
Letting some brotherly instincts to take over, Spyro pulled Spike close, holding him firmly close for comfort. It worked, as Spike ceased his cries and nuzzled up close to Spyro.
“Oh, so that’s all you were asking for, huh little guy?” Spyro said to the baby. “You just wanted to be loved. Don’t you? To feel less alone, is that what all the fuss is about, huh?”
As if he understood, Spike laughed and nodded his head in confirmation. Twilight and Sparx looked at each other, simply astounded.
“Hey, it’s okay little guy,” Spyro whispered. “I know it. I was alone, just like you were. It’s scary, even for me. But don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. Because I’ll protect you, no matter what happens. And you don’t have to feel scared again,” Spike giggled, as he hugged Spyro, nibbling him slightly on the cheek. “I promise.”
"Brother," Spike squeaked.
“Awwww,” Twilight cooed, holding a hoof to her heart.
Sparx couldn’t help but we’ll up with tears, “It’s enough to make a grown dragonfly cry,” He sobbed, before scowling. “But not this dragonfly! GET BACK IN THERE TEAR!!”
Wanting in, Twilight walked over, and tickled baby Spike on the tummy, “Hi Spike,” Twilight grinned. “I, Twilight, just wanted to say how sorry she was for not giving you the care you needed. Twilight was silly. Twilight was such a bad caregiver. Isn’t she, huh?”
“Bad,” Spike repeated.
Twilight could only chuckle, “Well, from now on, Twilight will do better. She’s going to be the best friend you can ever ask for.”
“Fwiend!”
Spyro chuckled, “Close enough.”
“Hey big guy,” Sparx began.
“Unca Spotty!” Spike clapped his claws together, grabbing Sparx, and licked him.
“Ew!!” Sparx groaned. “Okay, okay. I love you too! Can you let me go now? Please? HELP!!!”
Later, after the love exchanges were over, the four all got ready to sleep the night away.
“Good night,” Twilight started.
“Sleep tight,” Spyro followed.
“Dream of cupcakes tonight,” Sparx finished, before he was literally out like a bulb.
Twilight and the two dragons both shared some laughs, as Spyro curled himself up close to Spike, with Spike nuzzling even closer to the warmth and comfort the older dragon’s body heat provided, until at last, he fall asleep.
Twilight too got comfy, as she laid her head, besides the two dragons, draping a blanket over themselves, and she too began to fell asleep.