Big Brother Garble

by ColtKit Productions

Chapter Two: Daycare (Slightly Altered)

Author's Note:

Edited as of October 2021:

Altered how dragons develop, and how eggs work

Spike sat on the stone floor that lay between the massive lava pit and the moat of boiling water. There were several bridges over the moat leading to tunnels and stairs.

Spike was cautiously toeing the lava. He hadn't known he could survive it until he met Garble and he was still a little scared of it. However it felt nice on his toes.

There were a lot of other baby dragons playing in the lava or in the moat with the big white dragon shepherding them.

Strangely though he wasn't the only dragon without wings. A few others didn't either, but they all had had fins and were swimming eagerly.

"Hum, Mister Alpha sir?" Spike got the giant's attention, "How many types of Dragons are there?" looking around at all the different dragons.

The Alpha smiled, "I don't imagine you know much of our kind living with ponies,"

"No Sir," Spike admitted well his cheeks began to color at being called out.

"Well it's best if I give you a quick crash course but you'll learn about this in greater detail when you start school in a decade or so,"

"A DECADE!" Spike gaped.

"Let's start there. Although Dragons are immortal creatures we go through several stages of development. There's the Whelp stage, which your currently in. You'll enter the Fledgling stage when you turn 20, which is when you're body will be more of a child then a baby. That's when you'll start your formal education. Until then I'll be teaching you and the other whelps basic things in a more... casual way.

"Now the Rookie Stage will start when you are 100 and that's when you're body starts growing in lots of new ways and getting more... grown-up. That's when you'll start your apprenticeship. Usually Rookies will bounce from trade to trade for the first 100 years before they find something they really like.

"When you hit a thousand is when you'll actually be considered an adult and be given a responsibility to help support the nest, based on your preferred apprenticeship. Then there is the Elder stage, once you reach 10000 and have truly grown into your power. Usually that is when others start to look at you to be an Alpha of a nest of your own,"

"H-how old are you?"

"27903," The Elder informed.

Spike just gaped at him, "Wow, so you're literally older then dirt,"

The Alpha chuckled, "Cheeky little whelp aren't ya... anyway, to answer your original Question, dragons have thousands of races but they don't exactly work like the pony tribes.

"As we age through our stages our bodies change. We even molt, to strengthen our claws, teeth, scales, and even our powers and breath weapon improves with each molt. These changes continue from the Whelp stage through the Rookie stage. A dragon only really stabilizes when they reach the adult stage.

"The most important stage of development happens when you're just an egg. With the elements the egg is exposed to, helping develop their species. I let the parents decide what type of dragon they want to raise.

"The Kobolds keep the eggs marinating in their designated elements: Fire, Lava, Milk, Snow, Water, Crystal Shards, Needles, Metal shards, furs, etc, Or a combination of them.

"This determines the body, and a few key abilities, but how the egg is hatched, determines their breath Weapon. As well as holding some influence over the Species, itself.

"However, where the egg is kept, is just as important. Not just the Elements it is exposed to. An egg that is kept deep in the water, will allow the baby to develop fins and webbed talons, making them great swimmers. Eggs kept high in the mountains, with the clouds, will form wings. And Eggs kept on land will become sturdy Earth Drakes, like you,"

"I guess most dragons don't like Earth Dragons very much," Spike drooped.

Lava Frost blinked, surprised by the observation, "Why do you say that?"

"The Dragon Lord didn't want me back when Celestia told him about me," Spike reminded.

"It's true there are certain..." The elder thought on it a moment before deciding to be honest and less round about, "No... some dragons don't like Earth Dragons. It is considered a sign of bad parenting. But I understand that is not the child's fault,"

"Why's it a sign of having a bad parent?" Spike blinked.

"It is not safe to keep an egg on the ground. Nest are usually kept high in the sky for safety or even deep under water but an egg on the ground? That is easily stolen or smashed.

"Now I'm more sympathetic. After all an Earth Dragon has no way to get their eggs to a safer nest and choose to keep it guarded at all times instead. Many settle in caves underground which are nearly as safe as the other options but the stigma remains.

"If dragon eggs are better kept in a nest how come Garble brought me with him when he went hunting?" Spike asked

Lava Frost sighed, "Because he was being stupid. He was just a little Whelp himself and kept taking your egg out of the hatchery so that he could play with you. He loved you very much and treated you like a favorite plushie. He dragged you everywhere and worried about you when you weren't in his sight.

"I didn't really have a problem with this as he would warm you with his flames and turned you regularly to help you develop. He was very good with you and although even back then I suspected you would be an Earth Dragon with how he carried you to the bottom levels when he had to go to daycare but I saw no flaw in this. He loved you and he was trying his best. He also needed you close as he had just lost his parents and you were all he had left.

"However he was a whelp and broke the rules. He snuck out of the volcano one night and took you with him. He wanted to show you the forest, not understanding you couldn't actually see it yet. That was dangerous enough but he also wandered away from you. Leaving you in a patch of flames as he would when you were in our volcano and thought you'd be fine...

"Honestly little one, all this time, I thought you were dead, lunch for some predator. I'm relieved he was right and the ponies found you. That was the best case scenario,"

"So all this time Garble has been blaming himself for losing me..." Spike sat there for a minute processing this then something random the dragon said clicked, "If Garble was just a Whelp when I was an egg how come he's a rookie Dragon now? That doesn't really add up,"

The large dragon raised an eyebrow, "You've been missing for over 200 years,"

Spike gaped.

"Dragon eggs can only hatch from excess stimulation, usually exposure to dragon fire, and don't 'go bad' the way chicken eggs do. You likely stayed dormant in your egg until something woke you up. What I can't fathom,"

"Twilight..." Spike mumbled.

"hum?"

"T-Twilight Sparkle, she's the unicorn who hatched me. When she was just a filly she had a surge of magic after being startled by a Sonic Rain Boom," Spike must have heard that story a thousand times growing up.

"You hatched from unicorn magic?" Lava Frost blinked, "I wonder how that will effect you," he thought to himself. Spike got the feeling the big dragon didn't know he said that out loud.

Lava Frost looked at Spike more closely. He was clearly an Earth Dragon but not any breed he had seen before. His bone structure was very unique for an Earth Dragon.

"Eh?" Spike blinked.

"Where an egg is kept is not the only factor in what it will be. It also matters how it is hatched. That determines what your Dragon breath and the root of your powers will be. Most dragons are fire based as they hatch from their egg by being exposed to their parents flames. However the first Night Furries, for example, were hatched from a bolt of lightning. This let them shoot lightning from their mouths, which they use to hatch their own eggs.

"I'm curious what powers you will have from being hatched by pony magic,"

"Well I can send letters by dragon fire," Spike informed, proudly.

The large dragon blinked, "That's... an interesting use of the flame,"

Spike blushed and fidgeted, "I can do it to almost anything and send them to anyone I'm thinking about but paper is the easiest. If unicorns or Alicorns focus on me in their heads they can lock onto my magical signature and send letters to me to,"

The dragon blinked as he stared at the little whelp. The gears in his head turning. If Spike could do that with anything it would really help the nest. When he's older he could magically transport supplies from one location to another with ease. It certainly make dragging supplies to the mountains during mating season easier.

The fins on the side of the whelps drooped, "I'm still learning to control it though as sometimes I accidentally burn stuff instead of sending it,"

"May I see your flame?"

Spike blinked, "I guess," he got up and walked a little bit away.

Lava frost put a massive claw in front of the whelp, "Give me your best shot,"

"I don't know if-"

"Relax little one. Whelp fire isn't likely to hurt me," oh if only he could be more wrong.

Spike shot a continuous flame at the giant claw and it hurt. Oh Maker did it hurt. Lava Frost managed to keep his face stoney so none of the whelps noticed but the flames hurt a lot worse then a whelp's had any right to. It more stung then actually injured him but even that was impressive for even an adult dragon to do to an Alpha. Only Night Furies had been recorded to have such strong flames.

When Spike stopped blasting the Alpha lifted his burning claw up to his old face and examined the flames. It wasn't exactly fire, although it burned. It sparked with flecks of raw magic. It was magic, pure concentrated magic compressed in a burning green flame. He doubted sending letters was all it could do, especially since it did have destructive properties as well.

Spike could probably train it to do much more as he got older. If it was strong enough to sting an Alpha as a whelp who knows what this infant could do when he grew up. This little Earth bound Dragon, that the Dragon Lord stupidly said wasn't worth his time, could very well become the most powerful and productive member of their nest.

Here Lava Frost was thinking himself fortunate to get a pair of young Night Furies to join his nest but add this little one and in a few generations they could be not only a power of trade but of brute force...

Magic... All dragons had some limited magical ability, largely touch based spells and nothing as reality bending as a Unicorn magic but this... A dragon hatched from Unicorn magic, with flames like this. Who knows what his actual spell casting limits would be. Standing before him was a whole new breed of dragon, a new species.

Lava Frost smiled as he reached out and placed his claw in the boiling water of the moat. As he doused the flame he couldn't help but say, "I believe you'll be a fine addition to our nest,"

Strangely the dragon drooped.

"What's wrong little one?" Lava Frost asked as he took his hand out and examined it, it appeared fine but still stung a bit.

"I... I miss Twilight,"

"... You're pony mother?" Lava Frost asked.

"Not really. She did hatch me, and helped raise me a lot of the time, but she's more like a sister then a mom. I wouldn't dream of being as snarky with a mom as I am with Twilight," he smiled fondly remembering her, "Celestia is more like my mom. She raised me but Twilight helped a lot. Though, these past few moons, I've been living with Twilight,"

He was raised by the Princess herself?... That might cause complications. He should expect a message soon from her demanding her child back.

"Perhaps you should send a letter to your mom, telling her what happened and that you're safe,"

"Will you let me go back?"

The Alpha blinked, "You want to go back?"

The whelp shrugged and toed the dirt of the cave, "I... I don't know. Now that I have a brother... and knowing he's spent so long looking for me... but Celestia raised me and Twilight is like a big sister and there's my cousin Blue Blood (even if he can be a bit of a jerk sometimes and is a major hypochondriac and over dramatic and completely self absorbed but he's still pretty cool a lot of the time... at least to me)," the dragon seemed to mutter a tangent to himself for a moment before getting back on track, "But they're my family..."

That... would be a problem, "No little one. I will not allow you to return to the ponies," you're too valuable, "But I can arrange for them to visit. It be wise to suggest they come here as soon as they can,"

Comments

[GrimmWolfDragon]

Cool chapter. Like the Direction that Spike is heading, him been a magical dragon.

[Rammy]

An interesting take on dragon biology as well as Spike flames... nicely done... even and interesting flip on the one gender species.

[Bluedrangon]

Magical dragon huh? I like this. it will be interesting to see Spike as the Twilight Sparkle of dragons.

[chronocrosser]

Love this fic. I love stories where Spike can do magic. I hope Spike stays with Garble and comes to love him.

Also I'm not cruel but I also hope Garble has to give Spike a spanking a few more times.

[ColtKit Productions]

8571400

Don't worry. This is a spanking fic. Even if Spike's bottom is spared most chapters he is going to get it occasionally Xp

[ColtKit Productions]

8570518

I have plans involving that

[ColtKit Productions]

8569641

Thank you. I was actually inspired by the Fic "Small Scale" for the Dragon Biology but I turned it into my own thing

[ColtKit Productions]

8569605

Thank you, who doesn't like magical Spike

[chronocrosser]

Out of curiosity have you decided what the name of Spike's species will be. Because quite frankly I can't wait to find out. And on the subject what are the names of Garble and Lava Frost species. Since you've taken inspiration from How To Train Your Dragon I'll guess. With Garble I'll guess Monstrous Nightmare. With a name like Lava Frost I have to think Ice dragon so Bewilderbeast.

[ColtKit Productions]

8579591

Wow, such pressure to come up with a proper name! I'm still working on ideas but they aren't very good Xp it probably won't live up to your expectations. But if you have any ideas MP me.

As for Lava Frost and Garble's species, yep yep you got them right. I'm going to play around with Garble bursting into flames later Xp

[Cheshirek4t]

"Where an egg is kept is not the only factor in what it will be. It also matters how it is hatched. That determines what your Dragon breath and the root of your powers will be. Most dragons are fire based as they hatch from their egg by being exposed to their parents flames. However the first Night Furries, for example, were hatched from a bolt of lighting. This let them shot lightning from their mouths, which they use to hatch their own eggs.

Technically night furies can shot plasma

[ColtKit Productions]

9279541
I like the HTTYD movies and shows but I'm not a hard core enough fan to know that

The breath looks like lightning so that is what I assumed it was. Just consider that part of the AU lore of this story as it is too important of a detail to alter.

[Bluedrangon]

"The Kobolds keep the eggs marinating in their designated elements: Fire, Lava, Milk, Snow, Water, Crystal Shards, Needles, Metal shards, furs, etc, Or a combination of them.

With this addition to the future readers will go "spike didn't catch the word Kobolds yet?"
Oh well

[ColtKit Productions]

11042652
Oop...