//------------------------------//
// A New Sparkle 
// Story: A New Sparkle 
// by James Pwyll 
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"Oh sweetie, we're so proud of you!" her Mother declared.

"You sure showed them, honey!" her Father added.

"Way to go, sis!" Shining concluded.

Twilight, naturally, blushed and beamed over the praise she was getting, but as good as all this was, it was the memory of the event itself that truly took centre stage in her mind. A mere couple of hours ago, she was just another hopeful filly trying to get into Princess Celestia's school. But now? Now, she was their monarch's personal protégé. If there was a greater position of honor in the nation, Twilight couldn't think of it. She giggled happily as the memory of that moment continued to play itself over and over in her head. "I'm so happy! I could burst!"

Her Mother chuckled, pointing to her daughter's flank. "And of course we can't forget this little moment of joy!"

If possible, Twilight's smile actually grew, and she turned to look upon her newly-acquired cutie mark, a sign of her proficiency in magic and the arcane. "I get to be the Princess' student and I get my cutie mark?! All in one day?! This is the best day ever!"

Her Father stepped forward, embracing her warmly. "Words can't describe how happy we are for you, my little bundle of sweetness!"

Twilight returned her Father's hug, and soon even her brother and Mother were getting in on it. When they eventually parted, the tiny filly looked over to Shining. "Hey! If you get into the Guard, maybe we'll see each other every single day in the palace!"

Shining too grinned to that thought. "That'd be awesome! I could be your bodyguard or something!"

Twilight rushed to him, giving him a second hug. "Yay! My big-brother-best-protector-friend-forever!" Their parents smiled lovingly to one another at this adorable display, but then the moment was interrupted by the sudden and unexpected sound of somecreature gurgling. All eyes turned, looking down to the ground at the new arrival to their household. It was the newly-hatched dragon baby, the very one Twilight herself had brought forth into the world with her astounding magic. Kneeling down, Twilight tilted her head to the adorable youth, smiling to him. "Aww, don't think we've forgotten about you, little dragon!"

The newborn again gurgled, and far happier this time, as he crawled to her, reaching out and patting her on her cheek while he smiled. Twilight giggled to this, nuzzling the side of his face with affection, but her parents were a touch more thoughtful on the arrangement. "Honey? Are you sure having a baby dragon in our home is a good idea?" Night Light asked.

Twilight Velvet sighed, giving a quick shrug. "The Princess certainly seemed to think so. When we tried moving him to another room, he just cried as soon as he couldn't see Twilight. He just...well...really wants to be around her."

Shining, who had overhead them, arched an eyebrow to the small purple drake on the ground. "Maybe it's like little chicks after they hatch? They think the first thing they see is its Mother?"

Twilight Velvet rolled her eyes, but nevertheless smiled to her son's words. "A nice thought, sweetie. but we don't really know that. Besides, I think we can agree your sister's just a touch young to be thinking about children just yet."

Shining blinked, then joined his sister in kneeling down beside their latest houseguest. "So...what do we know about dragons? Or baby ones anyway?"

Twilight tapped her chin a couple of times. "Well...I read a couple of books about them once."

Shining smirked, but only briefly. "I thought you might have done."

Twilight grinned to her sibling's remark, then again looked to the baby dragon. "They like living alone. They love collecting gold and treasure. They only get into big groups during the migration, and they all serve a Dragon Lord."

Shining scratched the side of his head. "So...anything about what to do with baby dragons?"

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, only to shut it tightly again when she realised she didn't have an answer to that one. "I...I don't know. I only read about the grown-ups. I don't think the books even mentioned babies!"

Getting down beside them both, their Father smiled to them. "Well, that's not surprising, honey. Dragons and ponies don't really mix all that much. In fact..." He too now looked to the baby. "I think this might be the first time a pony has ever even seen a baby dragon!"

As expected after a declaration like that, the two children's eyes widened with twinkles, as if they'd been told something amazing. And their tone certainly reflected that when they spoke again. "Wow! So...we're like pioneers or something?!" Shining asked.

"Or maybe we're gonna get our names in books over this!" Twilight added.

Their parents chuckled with one another over their enthusiasm, but as Twilight Velvet too got to her knees, she gently brushed the bangs at the front of her daughter's mane. "I know you're excited, but you have to remember something very important. Babies are a big responsibility. Taking care of one is a big job, and you've been given him at a very young age."

Twilight, who was feeling that strong confidence and certainty in one's abilities that only the very young felt, smiled to her Mother. "That's okay, Mommy! I hatched him, so I know I can help look after him! And I'm sure Princess Celestia can help if anything happens with him that we don't understand, right?"

Twilight Velvet sighed, but smiled all the same. "Well, yes, I suppose she could. You're going to be with her a lot in he coming months, so I'm sure this little one will be with you too." In this moment, she afforded herself yet another bout of excitement over that prospect. "To think, my own daughter, the personal student of our nation's ruler!"

Of course, the whole family had a good shared smile over that, and the tiny dragon, looking to all of them, joined in, smiling as much as his as-yet toothless mouth was capable of doing. And in the silence that followed, he again looked to Twilight, crawling forward and taking hold of her left foreleg. The filly glanced down to him, seeing him hold it tightly, like a hug, once more gurgling in a pleased-sounding way, happy to be with her. Twilight softened to this immediately, giving him a quick pat on the head. "So...I guess we'll need to give him a name?"

There was a pause as the family all looked to the infant, clearly deep in thought over what to call him. Then, after a few moments, Shining developed an "I've got an idea" look about him. "Ooooh! How about Scales?"

Night Light shook his head slightly. "Hmmm...too obvious. What about...Drakey?" As the rest of the family looked to him, he blushed slightly. "Okay, so I'm not good with names! Sue me!"

Twilight Velvet smiled, patting him on the shoulder, then looked to her daughter. "Twilight, since he seems to be closest to you, why don't you do the honors?"

Twilight beamed, then looked to the small creature that had become so attached to her. She thought and thought and thought, giving him another pat on the head, at which point her attention was drawn to the green spines there. She looked at them for a few moments, then smiled softly, her eyes drifting down to the now-sleeping baby dragon. "Spike. His names is Spike."