Antaboga.

by Reptilicus

Such a long, long way.

The torches in the inner sanctum of the marble palace flickered in the night. The shadows illuminating the halls danced unsteadily along the tapestries. Even the strong crackling fire in the amber mantel grew low as though a cold wind were flowing across. Princess Celestia made little movement aside from her eyes flitting across the parchment in her hooves, and any onlookers would believe she had not noticed. But it was quite the opposite, she had a keen awareness of all that went on around her, and even the small flicker in the fires was not enough to distract her from her paperwork, because she knew exactly who was causing it. She shifted her pearly white body slightly, clasping her wings to her sides, as she continued to scribble on the parchment with the bushy red phoenix quill she often used for government documents. The wind picked up into a howl, the red lace curtains that hung over the open window flowing inward and fluttering noisily. A black mist slowly seeped in, carried by the air. Celestia cleared her throat as she watched the fog congeal into a dense cloud, then collapse, the various particles of pitch colliding into dark ghostly shapes and finally into the form of her sister, Luna. With a flick of her mane, Luna sauntered to where Celestia lay, joining her on the red and gold chaise longue in the center of the room, and tossing her cloak and tiara onto the nearby messy hutch.

"Well?"

"You needn't distress any longer, sister." Luna leaned over to read the document Celestia was writing upon. "Magic and her loyal dragon scribe sleep soundly this eve. And should sleep better than usual, henceforth. Your pupil is in my capable hooves."

Celestia exhaled a long sigh of relief. "Thank you, Luna. You knew how much this meant to me. Anything to make her life a little easier. After the Tirek catastrophe... the entire Light family deserve a break. A distinctly long one."

"You cannot continue to dip into this bottomless well of guilt over Tirek, Tia." Luna scolded gently, nuzzling her sister. "He was prepared for this, centuries spent imprisoned and his mind ever sharper, with no limits on the savagery he was willing to enact. Your niece is no fighter, and her husband is powerless without magic. We are certainly not the warriors we once were."

"Time has made us old and fat." Celestia grinned with a snort, glancing down at Luna. "For me at least."

"Oh, surely you jest, Tia! The royal guard, stallions and mares, can scarcely stop staring when you prance by!"

A laugh was shared by the ancient goddesses, as Celestia returned to her work. She began explaining to Luna of the new bill she was signing in regards to parliament, but noticed Luna seemed to be distracted, troubled, staring into the fire. Celestia spoke slower and slower, trying to gain Luna's attention before finally folding the parchment up and putting it away.

"What troubles you, Luna?" the spirit of the sun asked, extending one of her massive pale wings over her midnight sibling. "There is something you need to say to me, clearly. Is Tiberius ill again?"

"Did you know?" Luna asked gently, staring at the floor.

"Know what?"

"That on the day Twilight became your protege, your apprentice, that she created Spike. That she is his mother. Did you know?"

"Until she told me in her letter? No. I had never seen a dragon birth before. I had suspected something was strange about it all, of course. There were many similarities between them, things I observed as they grew. I had my own theories on how dragons... worked. Dragon biology is still a very... shallow subject amongst the athenaeum. But Spike loved her the moment he hatched, and she loved him, I could not separate them."

"So you were not trying to teach Twilight the same responsibilities and lessons you learned when raising Cadance? I know you have a fondness for molding your students to aspire to be much like yourself."

Celestia cringed, her gold spectacles falling from her snout. "Gracious me, no Luna! By Somnus's beard! I would never place the burden of raising something as dangerous as a dragon on a family were I not sure they were eager and qualified for it! When I first found Cadance I knew I never wanted to let her go. I wanted her with me always, so I could care for her the way no other ponies could. To do what I could not with Sunset. The day Twilight passed her test, I sensed the same connection when she looked upon the dragon hatchling. I was overjoyed when she named him Spike! So fitting."

"So none of this was premeditated?" Luna crowed, trying not to scoff. "There is no ancient prophecy or some plan for these two that you haven't told me or anyone else about?"

"Nope! And I must say, I'm hurt you could accuse me of such things, Luna." Celestia's lip trembled in a mocking pout.

"It would not be the first time you withheld important wisdom from me." Luna muttered, thinking of all the surprises that had been in store for her on her return to Canterlot.

"I adopted Cadance long before you were free of the moon. She performed miracles unlike any I had ever seen, when she was scarcely able to walk. You know this, little sister."

"I do not reference your niece, Tia."

"As I've said many times, I knew that you would not approve of Twilight's ascension because you did not know her as I did. You know her quite well now. Do you think I have made poor choices?"

"Not in the least." Luna rolled her eyes. "She saved me and Rarity from a shadowed eternity after all. And Cadance is... friendly."

"Water under the bridge, then." Celestia smiled warmly, drawing two teacups and an old clay kettle from the fireplace. "How are Twilight and Spike adjusting to this recent surprise? I have not had the opportunity to visit them in weeks."

"Their hearts and memories are simply brimming with contentment." Luna spoke with an innocent smile, silently sliding a small vial of hot sauce out from under her black wing and waiting for Celestia to be distracted. "I think this discovery has enriched their lives."

A clever sneer passed over Luna's face as she dribbled a bit of hot sauce into Celestia's tea. Nothing to do today, indeed!

Days passed as Mother's Day had finally arrived in Equestria. A holiday for quiet reverence and celebration. Across Ponyville ponies came together, or in some cases departed the small town, seeking out their parents for gift-giving and words of appreciation. Some simply spent the day together with family, others sent cards, and a few individuals threw parties. For three little fillies, a long week of fretting had ended on a happy note, finally figuring out what to get for the elder mares in their lives who were caring for them and raising them.

Applebloom had long given up on her quest to find a beneficial 'goop' for her beloved Granny Smith. It seemed the only goop in a town filled with chefs like Ponyville was salad dressing. Instead, she cooperated with her siblings to repaint the aging barn, returning it to its original fabulous ruby glory. Afterwards, the three young Apples had done all their chores, including the ones Granny Smith usually performed, giving her old bones the day to relax. And later that evening, Bloom had helped prepare a small feast for the family to enjoy together. Turnips, gourds, onions, squash, all of Granny's favorite foods, served up piping hot with spiced pear and apple pies for dessert, aged mint leaves baked into the crust. The rest of the night was spent looking through old photo albums, shedding tears and sharing laughter over the memories, the blessings and losses they had endured. Curled up in the lap of her grandmother, the tiny buttery coated filly had fallen asleep, the two rocking gently in front of the old fireplace at Sweet Apple Acres, as they had done many times over Applebloom's short life. Applejack took a photo of the sleeping pair using the old ambrotype camera that had been in the family for generations, ready to slip another memory into the album.

Scootaloo had finished her masterpiece, a work of art composed of crayon, markers and dry pasta glued onto a large sheet of cardboard paper. Afterwards she had painted the noodles bit by bit using some watercolor dyes that were given to her from Fluttershy. It was a pretty fantastic painting by her standards, featuring Rainbow Dash in her Wonderbolts uniform and Scootaloo sitting together in a bird's nest in a tree. The rest of the Wonderbolts team and all four Princesses of Equestria sat far from the tree being so very jealous. 'Hapy Mothe r Dayy' had been scrawled lovingly in what Scootaloo was certain was fine cursive penmanship into the corner. She kept it hidden under her new bed in Rainbow's floating mansion, eagerly awaiting the day she could reveal it. In the wee hours of the morning she had presented it to Rainbow before the athletic mare was even fully awake in bed. Dash adored the painting, and even broke down in tears, crying quite a bit while snuggling the scruffy filly she had adopted only a short time ago. Then promptly made Scootaloo promise not to tell anyone that she had wept over the image. The rest of their happy day was spent romping through the park, playing in the sunshine.

Sweetie Belle had spent one early morning scurrying with her friends to Twilight's castle, just so she could be sure Spike was fine after his health scare. After the three departed, and returning home to the Carousel Boutique, she focused all of her efforts for the next few days on completing the song she had been producing for Rarity. She poured her thoughts out onto the paper, taking great effort to make lyrics that truly represented how much her older sister meant to her. But as she reached the end Sweetie came across a shocking revelation: she was not good at writing lyrics. Not even slightly. With a tearful frown, she crumbled up the horrible poetry and threw it away. Sheepishly she had scaled the stairs outside her room to Rarity's work area, pulling shyly on Rarity's curly tail to get the mare's attention. Rarity had sat stiffly, trying very hard not to chuckle as Sweetie rocked back and forth on her hooves nervously singing. Despite the song composing of Sweetie merely trilling the word 'Rarity' over and over, the melody was delightful and haunting, and Sweetie's excellent talent at singing had soon filled the atmosphere of the dress shop with a rare sort of beauty. When it had finished, the tiny unicorn foal had sat staring awkwardly at the floor, prepared for harsh criticism of her song. But nothing of the sort happened, as Rarity affectionately embraced her baby sister and thanked her for the gift, telling her she would cherish it always.

Spike however, was having far worse luck than the other three this morning. With another frustrated grunt he dove beneath the mattress in his former bed again, unable to find the Journal of the Two Sisters. Hadn't Discord said this was where the book had been placed? Had the Master of Trickery bamboozled Spike? Had he been flim-flammed? Hogwashed? Trolled? Spike groaned as he slid out of the bed, brushing feathers off his new glinting scales. His gift for Twilight was missing, and they would be leaving to visit the rest of the family within the hour. Now he was going to look like a big jerk on the first real Mother's Day he was going to spend with Twilight. He slumped against the dresser putting his face in his claws as he despaired. A loud clunk echoed from inside it, provoking Spike to turn and stare at the furniture. Why had there been a clunk inside the dresser? Spike never wore clothing and the item served little purpose to him. It was supposed to be empty. He tore the drawer open and felt at ease as the journal slid out of the shadows, two notes pinned to its worn cover.

The first note was written on a crystalline kerchief.

Master Spike, I found this relic between the mattresses of your bed while I was doing laundry. It seemed rather important and when I read the note attached, I realized why the book was hidden. I certainly hope touching something written by that fiend Discord won't give me some sort of curse. I apologize for not being able to say goodbye while you were awake. My sister and I are needed back at home. Perhaps we will meet again. I hope you feel better soon, brave and glorious one. ~ Eric Silicate

A tinge of sadness washed over Spike as he read the note. He had been so distracted by his own troubles and issues with Twilight, he had forgotten that Eric and Estee had left. The wonderful maids that Cadance had sent were gone. They had both been so kind to him during their short stay, treating him like a king, even when he had been at his mopiest.

"Spike!" Twilight shouted from somewhere downstairs. "We need to go! Everyone is waiting for us!"

"Be right there!" Spike put the note aside, unfolding the one Discord had left, which had been made to look like a paper goose with googly eyes.

There was a strange smell as the parchment opened, like mold, cheese and ice cream mixed together. The smell of chaos, Spike deduced as he scanned the message written within.

"Not everyone is lucky enough to have a family, Spike. I've never had my own, but I've been fortunate enough to watch families grow and change over the eons. I never really understood family until very recently. And even now, many of the customs Fluttershy's family follow confuse me. But there are some things about family I do understand. Not all mothers are the same. And some, like Twilight, will be busy and away a lot. But there are certain things you must remember. When she's tired you must forgive her, and when she's angry you must understand and comfort her. Trust her, as she probably knows best. She only wants the best for you. Remember to respect and honor her."
~ Discord a.k.a. The Artist Formerly Known as Discord a.k.a. Grand Master D a.k.a. Doctor Disc a.k.a. The Prince of Lies a.k.a. That Annoying Guy a.k.a. Dizzy a.k.a. Lord of Chaos a.k.a. God of Pandemonium a.k.a. Doodles the Incredibly Loud Cucumber a.k.a. He Who Brings The Terror a.k.a. Q a.k.a. The Old Fellow Who Pays Only with Coupons a.k.a. ...

With a snort of laughter, Spike shoved the note and its seemingly endless list of self-appointed nicknames, back into the dresser drawer. A few grunts of effort later and Spike had managed to wrap his small limbs around the ancient grimoire, dragging it noisily down the crystal stairs. Twilight sat in the den, looking around the room impatiently as Spike arrived, poking her gently in the arm with a claw. The lavender alicorn had turned, and upon seeing the old tome, stumbled backwards and landed on her rump, her jaw hanging as her wings opened limply.

"Happy Mother's Day!" Spike announced, laying the book in front of her.

"Spike... h-how... where... HOW did you get this?"

"That day you rescued me from the old Golden Oaks library... well I... was getting this!" Spike smiled proudly.

"But... it burned along with everything else! I saw it burn!" Twilight quickly flipped through the pages, just to be sure everything was intact the way she had left it.

"Well I had a little bit of help."

A few licks of green fire sparked out of Spike's nostrils as he felt all the oxygen quickly squeezed out of his lungs. Twilight hugged him fiercely, her eyes watering as she peppered his forehead with little kisses. It was a historical monument, this book. Not only because it was filled with the ancient recollections of Luna and Celestia when they had been much younger and less experienced, in a different era entirely. But more because almost every important event in the lives of Twilight and her closest friends had been recorded in this ancient book. Letters to Celestia, letters to themselves, drawings, diagrams, and some important self-realizations had been placed within the yellowed pages. It was a scrapbook now, dedicated to the lives of the Elements of the Harmony. Filled with their memoirs, their ideas, their discoveries and sorrows, and most importantly their joys.

So as they had, many times before, Twilight lay happily reading a book, as Spike curled up in the crook of her forelegs, snuggling against her chest as he read with her. They were late to a family get-together but, in this special moment, decided it could wait a few minutes more.

"Where are we goin'? I thought we were gonna see the rest of the family?"

Spike peered over the edge of Twilight's back where he'd been basking in the sunlight. They had been flying low over the clouds for a bit over half an hour, but as they circled down towards Canterlot, Spike realized they seemed to be well off-course. This was not the residential region, mint cobblestone streets framed with pearly white and teal cottages, their grey chimneys billowing white smoke into the sky. This was the business side of the city, grey brick streets and ornate brass storefronts, with checkered towers and striped steeples, myriads of golden flags fluttering in the wind.

"We are! We're just not meeting up with them at the old house!"

Twilight fluttered, somewhat ungracefully, to a landing in front of a very old building in Canterlot. A flock of doves spooked by her arrival took to the air, casting shadows across the little pony and dragon. Spike slid off Twilight's back and glanced around. He'd been in Canterlot many times in his life, even living there for quite some time, but never to this part of town. Everything was worn and aged, even the grey bricks that made up the street. Before them stood a great acropolis, cracked stairs and pathways leading up, with an old wooden cathedral build on top, surrounded by marble columns. Wrought-iron fences and decorations ran along the roof and down the balustrades, forming the shapes of horses, griffons, and creatures Spike could not identify. A few very old unicorns wearing habits and carrying books were jaunting up and down the stairs to the institution, clearly their place of work, their old hooves sending shrill echoes up and down the mostly silent street. Spike quietly followed Twilight up the flights, glancing at the stained glass window beside the front door. Large words molded from exotic metals had been fastened to the glass, shimmering dully.

Equestrian Registrar and Department of Archives est. 558

Spike followed Twilight into the dark doorway, and immediately felt himself hauled into the air, a pair of large forelegs hugging him.

"Hey there, Spike! Bet you weren't expecting us to be in here!"

After a series of noogies, Spike wrestled his head away, finally seeing his captor. With a powerful whinny, Spike found himself in the embrace of Prince Shining Armor, Twilight's elder brother, a tall muscular stallion with his usual windswept indigo mane hanging loosely around his neck. To his left was Princess Cadance, his wife and Queen of the Crystal Empire, a demure rosy mare with a flowing mane of pink and yellow stripes. They both smiled at Spike's shocked expression. He truly hadn't been expecting to see them here. The Crystal Empire was far far in the frigid north and these two were a long way from home. They weren't here alone, either. Quite a few familiar ponies were sitting in the Archive lobby, waiting patiently in the dim dusty room, glad to see Twilight and the surprised dragon.

"Hey mom! Dad! Grandpa!" Twilight sang, embracing her parents and elderly grandfather as they sat merrily on one of the many benches in the waiting room.

"Shining! Cadance! Celestia!? Luna!" Spike spluttered trying to free himself from Shining's grip so he could bow respectfully. "Mister and Missus Light!? Grandpa Iron? Prince Blueblood!? But... what... wait... why are you all here? In this building? What's going on?"

"Well we are here to see you, Spike." Night rose from his seat, giving Spike a gentle pat on the head. "As an inductee into our little troop, it seemed only right to have the entire family here. Isn't that right, dear?"

"Oh shush already, Night!" Twilight Velvet scolded, ruffling her husband's dark blue coif of hair. "You'll spoil everything!"

"Yeah dad! Quit it!" mocked Twilight, concealing her mirth.

Grandpa Iron Armor strode stiffly forward, the many medals on his coat jingling, peering down at Spike with a tired pair of grey eyes. "Afternoon, young critter! Haven't seen hide nor hair of you since before lil' Spark left for Ponyville. You seem quite a bit taller to me. And shinier. And pricklier. Is this that new coat of scales lil' Spark informed me of?"

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed Spike seems to have a very handsome new sheen to his skin." Cadance nodded in agreement. "He also looks... healthier. Guess that fish diet is paying off!"

"Lookin' pretty darn good there, Spike." Shining gave the tiny dragon another noogie. "Like a fresh coat of lacquer on a fancy new shield. Bet you're makin' all the ladies swoon back in Ponyville, huh?"

"Well it only makes sense to me." Velvet chipped in, giving the little dragon a nuzzle. "Twilight inherits her good looks from my side of the family. So Spike inherits it from her. Pretty lucky on that front!"

Spike blushed and stared at the floor, playing with the end of his tail awkwardly. "Th... thanks, everyone."

"Yes he could have been truly unlucky and inherited it from this side." Iron Armor guffawed, his deep raspy voice booming around the room, making all the books and scrolls shake. "Ended up a crusty old codger with a crooked head like me!"

"I dunno, Gramps." Shining gave the old grey unicorn a playful punch in the shoulder. "I clearly inherited your looks and I think I'm lookin' pretty darn studly."

"I'll say!" Cadance purred, giving her husband a kiss on the cheek. "But you still need a trim, hon."

"Are you sleeping well, Spike?" Luna leaned down, asking through the din of laughter. She smiled as a nod answered her. "Excellent! That means I have not lost my touch!'

Twilight cleared her throat gently, trying to get everyone's attention.

"Should we show it to him now, Twilight?" Celestia asked softly, a mischievous grin playing about her delicate features.

"Yes do get on with it!" Prince Blueblood scowled from his spot on the bench where he'd been sitting silently, earning several glares that caused a few beads of sweat to form on his pristine white brow. "Sorry it's just... we've been waiting rather a while."

Celestia shook her head in disappointment. "I apologize for my nephew."

"And I apologize for being late, everyone." Twilight strode forward, rescuing Spike from Shining's grip. "Spike, somehow, managed to rescue Celestia and Luna's old journal from the ruins of our library and I was so excited to see it, I sort of... ended up reading through most of it again!"

"Quite a Mother's Day gift. I'm glad my sister and I's old, slightly embarrassing, diaries can bring you such joy." Luna lifted her eyebrows in surprise. "However I'm willing to wager his gift is not as interesting as the gift you got for him."

"What?" Spike looked around frantically, trying to see if he'd somehow missed something.

"Oooh! I can't wait to see his face!" Cadance danced excitedly in place with a squeal. "It really is just... soooo perfect! I always kinda hoped something like this would happen!"

Spike hung limply from Twilight's arms, looking around, feeling confused yet also very loved. He was a dragon surrounded by ponies. Kind ponies who didn't care what he was, but who he was. Ponies he had known as far back as he could remember. Ponies who had helped him on his journey to be where he was today. Whom he owed everything to. And they were all here to see him.

"I'm still not sure what's happening." Spike said softly, gripping Twilight's arm tightly.

A pair of doors opened and a warm orange light poured forth from the many candelabras in the room over. A very old mare with a deep red coat stepped through the creaky arching doorway, wearing a long black robe with quite a few old scrolls and sticky notes jammed into the many pockets hemmed into it. She adjusted her thick monocle before glancing around the room, with a rather vacant expression.

"Is this the royal party I've been expecting?" she asked, bowing. "It must be, considering all four Princesses are present."

"Yes it is." Twilight bowed graciously. "Thank you for having us, I know it's a busy part of the day."

"Oh no trouble at all, dearie! Now where is the wee bairn? Spiney? Pokey? Spikey?"

"It's Spike, actually!" corrected Twilight.

Twilight gently placed Spike in front of the old pony, who fixed him with a curious stare.

"Well now, isn't this unusual! But to be expected considering how close you all have seemed to be. Not many royal families can say they've had a dragon living with them. Well then, come along little fellow! Got something for you to see! Mind your step there's always a bit of a kerfuffle here in the Equestrian Archives."

Spike toddled after the old mare as she swept between desks, cabinets, and spiraling staircases. All were covered in books and papers. Candelabras stood atop many pieces of furniture and hanging off the ceiling, bathing every surface in dim warm light. Ponies both young and old, though mostly old, were quietly trotting around in similar robes, organizing tomes and writing in scrolls. The rest of the adults followed after Spike, taking care not to topple over any towers of books or step on any stacks of documents. A few of the ponies set their quills down briefly to bow to the entourage of royals as they passed by, before quickly returning to their work.

"You may call me Winter, Spike. I am one of several Senior Official Registrar here at the Department of Equestrian Archives. I received a rather interesting request a few days ago from miss Princess Sparkle."

"Which, again, I am very thankful for!" Twilight called from somewhere behind the rest.

"Normally, there's an impressive waiting list for such things. But... Twilight managed to befriend my estranged sister, Summer Mane, and convinced her to stop living like a hermit over a year ago. I felt I owed her a hefty favor for that, so I took on her request personally and made sure all the legal documents were filled, signed, stamped in triplicate, postmarked, barcoded and sealed. Filed it away, made a few changes, after that it was finished. I have it around this area."

The ponies passed several gargantuan bookshelves, most several hundred meters tall. Each marked with a different letter of alphabet and a list of categorization codes. The group followed Winter silently, looking around in awe at all the material. Stacks of books, many larger than ponies, rolls of scrolls, and parchment of all shapes and sizes covered in various languages, were stuffed somewhat daintily into every shelf. A few tall white ladders leaned against the shelves, propelled by small wheels, with several old unicorns sitting on the rungs, flipping through stained pages in old grimoires, pointy wizard hats upon their heads.

"What... is this place?"

"This, wee Spike, is where every equine citizen in Equestria is registered. Or at least the ones we can get ahold of. From foals to old ponies like me. Griffons and Hippogriffs are kept in another department. This is also where we keep track of lineages. Every important deed, every historical event, marriages, divorces, deaths, births, all are recorded here in various offices of this building. But lineages are kept in these special shelves. You never know when you might need to know more about your kin, and that's where I come in. AH HAH! Here's where I put it."

Winter came to a stop at one of the towering structures, marked with a gold seal that read 'Lig - Lih 445' on its side near the checkered floor. She scrunched up her face and hopped onto a ladder with surprising agility for such an old mare, and began sorting through several dusty brown books, mumbling loudly to herself.

"Let's see here. Hmmm... Lightwaves of Whitetail Woods, Light Brigandines of Vanhoover, Lighthoofs of Seaddle, Lightleafs of Cloudsdale, Little Lights of Hoofington, Lightingales and Lamp Lights of Hollow Shades.... hmm.... ah here we go just the Lights. Light family of Maretania, Light family of Germaneigh, Light family of Hayseed, and.... yes! Here it is, brilliant! The Light family of Canterlot! Still warm, too."

With a loud thud the book hit the floor sending up a small cloud of dust. An old leathery brown tome, like many of the books, with two faded belt straps on it's spine. On the cover shone a very worn stained-on image. A round buckler, with two circular separations as one moved toward the center. On the outer circle was a series of many four pointed stars, tracing the inner circumference of the buckler, each a dull brown, most likely black in a far earlier time. The inner circle featured a repeating pattern of angular shapes, resembling a labyrinth. An emblem sat in the center, a 6 pointed star, divided vertically down it's center. Very similar to the cutie-marks of Twilight, Shining Armor, and Iron. The left half of the star was a deep blood red, and the right a cheerful sky blue, intersected along the lower 3 points by a white crescent moon, nearly identical to the one on Night Light's fur. The rarely-seen Coat of Arms of the Light family. Underneath the buckler, burned into the cover of the book were the words:

"The Family of Light. Magistrates of Knowledge and Wisdom. Official record of lineage." Spike read aloud, before turning to Twilight with a confused expression. "Uh... ?"

Twilight nuzzled the little dragon and used her lavender magic to open the heavy cover, flipping quickly to the page she felt was appropriate. This particular page exhibited a family tree from the last few generations.

"Why don't you start reading here, Spike!" Twilight cheerfully motioned to the inscriptions, backing away to give him space.

"Don't worry, I think you'll know where to stop." Velvet added.

"Well ok!" Spike leaned cautiously over the tome, his slitted pupils roving over the page as he began to read, the writing and ink becoming clearer as he approached more recent individuals along the family line. "Twinkle Light weds Fizzy Figs. Begat Twilight Teal, Twilight Thimble, and Thunder Light. Envy Armor weds Amber Lamps, sires two sons, Copper Armor and Lucky Lulamoon. Copper Armor weds Thunder Light, sires daughters Light Lilly and Twilight Tempest."

Spike scrunched up his face, and turned to the other adults.

"There's kind of a lot of names in here."

"Yeah, let's skip ahead." Night Light muttered with a grin, flipping a few pages with his own dark blue magic. "Here, start here. That should save us a few hours."

"Princess Celestia, Element of the Sun, adopts Mi Amore Cadenza, who ascends to Princess Cadance of the Crystal Heart, Element of Love. Professor Night Light and Twilight Velvet sire two children, Twilight Sparkle and Shining Light. Shining Light now Shining Armor of Guardspony rank, Element of Protection. Shining Armor weds Princess Cadance. Twilight Sparkle ascends to Princess Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic. Sires one heir.... Spike Light."

All the gears in Spike's mind came screeching to a halt, the quills on his back standing on end. The fins on his ears spread open in surprise. He stared blankly at the page for a minute, blinking slowly. Cautiously his chubby claws roved over the words on the page, as though testing them for authenticity. He'd never seen his name written this way. He'd always been Spike, and just Spike, his entire life. Sometimes he was known as Spike the dragon, but that was mostly so ponies knew who, and what, he was when he signed things. No last names, no surnames, not even many nicknames had ever been used to address him.

"Aww! Look at him! He's totally speechless!" Cadance chirped as the family awaited a reaction from the dragon on the book.

"I... I have a... a... last name?" Spike choked out, not taking his eyes off the page. "I... I... "

"You do now, sport." Night nudged his daughter. "Twi, Velvet and I have been discussing it over the last week and a half."

Spike rotated on the spot with a stunned waddle, his body trembling. He turned to face the group of ponies looking upon him affectionately, his family. His eyes brimmed with tears, his green lower jaw bobbing as he tried to form a coherent statement.

"I... I'm... I'm a... L... Light?"

"Yes you are, Spike. You've always been a light in my life." Twilight spoke gently, leaning down to embrace him as he began to weep. "I wanted to be sure that, for the rest of time, that it is known that you are mine. The Equestrian historical records now show that you are part of this family and my son."

Shining joined in the embrace. "And if you ever become a knight like me and Gramps, you will be known as Spike Armor. Which I personally think is a much cooler name."

"It also, by rank, makes you a Prince, Spike." Cadance added, joining in the embrace as well. "When you come of age, you will be Prince Spike Light. The first dragon to ever have the title of Prince in Equestria, I think."

"He will be the first." Celestia wrapper her powerful wings around the group as the rest of the adults joined the group hug. "And for all his hard work, I think it is a title he rightly deserves."

"Hear Hear!" Luna seconded. "I'm sure the crystal ponies will be delighted to learn of this news as well. I hear they are very fond of Spike's and his displays of heroism."

Spike sobbed happily into Twilight's shoulder for several minutes before slowly extracting himself. In a rare show of generosity, Prince Blueblood himself offered Spike a gilded hanky so he could wipe his tears and blow his nose. The little dragon stared around at all the ponies holding him aloft, his eyes shimmering.

"Thank you so so so much." he said meekly, looking almost ready to cry again.

"You don't have to thank us, Spike." Velvet cooed. "You've always been family to us."

"Does this mean... I can call you grandma?" Spike asked innocently, turning towards Velvet.

"Oh my, yes! Please do! All the time!" Velvet hugged the scaly bundle. "Shining and Cadance refuse to let me be a granny. And since now we know you are Twilight's son, it means I can be yours!"

"Gee thanks, mom." Shining remarked, rolling his eyes as Cadance snorted with laughter.

"Now I feel really old!" Night Light chuckled, ruffling Spike's quills.

"Oh come off it, man!" Iron Armor muttered with a cheeky smile. "This makes me a great-grandpa! As if there isn't enough physical evidence to show how bloody old I am!"

Iron Armor turned to Celestia, wiggling his mustache.

"Celestia, how do you keep yourself looking so delicate and beautiful after thousands of years? What's your secret, madame?"

"Oh! Well I find a good diet and exercise..." Celestia began.

"It's magic." Luna deadpanned, earning a glare from Celestia. "What? I'm not going to lie on such a blessed day."

Prince Blueblood howled with laughter at Celestia's look of disapproval at her sister. "Perfect timing, Auntie Luna!"

Cadance's face lit up. "Oooh that reminds me! Spike if you want to call me Aunt, please do. I'm really tired of being referred to as Princess all the time, anyway!"

"I hear that." Twilight nodded, leaning down to give Spike a kiss on the forehead and nickering gently. "I love you, Spike."

"I love you too, mom!" Spike squeaked, nuzzling into her coat, and earning several 'awwws' from the rest of the family.

"Well... " Night began, looking at his watch. "I think we need to hurry and get out of Ms.Winter's mane. Or else we're going to be late. Again. And this time without a convenient excuse!"

"Late?" Velvet asked, turning to her husband and raising an eyebrow. "Late for what?"

"Dad, Shining and I chipped in and we got the whole family reservations for lunch at your favorite restaurant, mom!" Twilight announced.

"Happy Mother's Day, ma!" Shining hollered, clapping his hooves together.

"You mean.... no... really? Reservations at Tipsy Tulip's Teriyaki Trough!? Oh my goodness!" Twilight Velvet lit her horn and plucked Spike out of Twilight Sparkle's arms, depositing the small giggling dragon on her back and galloping hastily toward the exit. "C'mon grandson! Tipsy Tuplip's! We've got a buffet to make a serious dent in!"

The quiet halls of the Archives filled with echoing laughter as the royal family departed, following the excited elder mare and the cheerful dragon. Even the usually very reserved goddesses, Celestia and Luna broke into a run, cackling loudly as they went. All the workers in the office watched in great confusion at the royal stampede. Winter Mane waved goodbye to the departing group, a satisfied smile on her face as she put the old book back on the shelf. She had witnessed an important hoofnote in history this day, and the sort of love only a family could bring. Days like this were what made her job worth it.

Pigeons, doves, and crows took to the air in panic as the ponies passed, fluffy feathers fluttering through the rays of sunshine, casting long shadows on the buildings. Through the town they ran, multiple hooves of all ages clattering noisily along the cobblestone streets of Canterlot, raising a din that sounded through the eastern block. Sidestepping bins, bakery wagons, carriages full of aristocrats, and ponies on the street. Commoners, tourists, and nobles alike gave them a wide berth, watching in utter confusion at the ruckus as it passed by. Why was the Queen of the Crystal Empire here with her husband? Why were Celestia and Luna tittering like schoolfillies? Why was Prince Blueblood in tow, running faster than anyone had seen him ever move? Why was an old mare leading the charge, a smiling baby dragon on her back? And why was Princess Twilight Sparkle chasing them both? Who were all these other ponies accompanying them? For many of the onlookers, they'd never know the answers to these questions, it was just another weird thing happening in Equestria. And certainly not the weirdest thing most ponies had experienced living in this country.

Spike turned, surveying the elegant city as it wooshed by. At one point Spike had considered Canterlot his home, and then later felt the same about his little basket in the old tree. He knew that although he still felt slightly uncomfortable in the new crystal castle, that one day it would be a home to him as well. Because as long as he had his family, he was happy. It wasn't his basket that he had missed, nor the smell of dust and old books. It was the intimacy, the communion he shared with the pony he had always considered to be his mother. And now he had that back, in spades even. He had a family now, a herd to call his own. A herd he was an important part of, even though he was born different. And perhaps, he thought, maybe he always had. Maybe he never truly realized just how blessed he was. But that no longer mattered, the past was gone and over and there was nothing he could do about it. Which was fine, because the present was a wonderful and exciting time to be alive.

Twilight caught up to her mother, diving sideways to give Spike a quick kiss on his chubby cheek, sending the little dragon into a fit of giggles as the family galloped. Things would be different now, no doubt. No more barriers, no more walls, no more miscommunication. Motherhood wasn't just a job, it was a commitment. A commitment Twilight finally felt she was truly ready and prepared for. She knew that Spike's life would always be considered an odd and challenging one. He would always stand out in a crowd, whether he wanted to or not. His confidence issues would flare up again, eventually. But she would be ready this time. Ready to be the mother he needed. Ready to support him, to tell him how wonderful he was, and remind him again that he had a family and friends that would love him always. A herd of ponies who loved a little purple dragon. And though Spike was a creature from the sea, and he would never be a pony, and he would certainly never fly, it didn't matter because... right now, in this moment...