Like Something's Missing

by Icecane

A Royal Guardian

“Come now little one, are you not hungry?” asked the melodic voice of Princess Celestia.

She gingerly lowered the bottle once more, the sparkling blue liquid inside sloshing back and forth in the golden glow it was held in.

The princess' serene expression slowly began to shift to concern as the bottle began to stay idle. Then, a warm smile soon replaced it as two stubby purple arms raised up to grasp at the bottle being dangled before it. Even a giggle escaped the sun goddess as the enthusiastic dragon infant quickly took the bottle into his mouth and began sucking down the meal.

“Princess,” a soft voice called. Celestia's attention was drawn to it quickly, turning her head toward the young filly that sat a small table away from her. The lavender coated unicorn looked up at the ruler, her head tilted slightly to the side in an inquisitive glance.

“Yes, Twilight?” Celestia asked, prepared to assist her student in any area she may have difficulty in.

A tiny hoof extended outward and pointed toward the bottle, already half emptied by the hungry dragon. “What's that?”

Celestia turned back to the feeding dragon and understood her student's meaning. “That's sapphire milk,” she replied, “it's made from melting the gemstone into a smooth liquid.” Though the answer was a simple one, the actual process was something else entirely. Even for the bringer of sun, creating a magical heat to match that of a mother dragon in order to liquify the glittering rock was quite difficult. But of course, it was a labor she happily preformed. “It's what a baby dragon needs in order to grow big and strong.”

“How do you know that, Princess?” Twilight immediately asked. Even at her age, the young scholar was very perceptive. After becoming Celestia's student, the first time seeing the baby dragon was followed by her curious mind asking multitudes of questions on the creature. But she was saddened to hear her mentor explain that little was actually known of the scaled fliers. Now, the unicorn couldn't help but notice a slight contradiction.

Even Celestia, master of controlling her outward appearance, was unable to fully hide her surprise to the realization she had let something slip. “Because,” she was quick to say, regaining her usual regal demeanor, “I am your teacher, I know everything.”

Twilight huffed softly, looking back down at the book of moderately-advanced spells that was open in front of her. “That's what mom always says.” She knew better than to pester the princess now though, being forced to accept the answer and move on.

With her student aimlessly staring into her book, Celestia was able to nonchalantly fold the cover of a large tome shut, hiding away the vast information stored within and keeping her playful facade going.

Her stealthy action caused her sights to fall back on the scaled child next to her, seeing the transparent plastic of the bottle all the way through. She watched for a moment as the baby dragon continued to suck, making sure every last drop of the glistening liquid was consumed.

“So you were hungry after all,” Celestia commented playfully. She then took bottle from the dragon, causing him to frown indignantly, to which she answered by levitating him from his small bed.

Just as he usually did, the infant dragon acted out his unhappiness to the levitation, squirming about as much as he was able. It did little however, as the princess patiently waited for him to learn the inevitability himself.

Soon enough, the dragon halted in his attempts at freedom, still holding an annoyed look about him. But it didn't bother Celestia, who simply brought the infant closer to her. While lifting her foreleg, the princess lightly tapped the edge of her hoof against the dragon's back. After several pats, she gained a loud belch from the little dragon. But the princess gasped as she was also greeted with something else.

A long stream of green flame, nearly three times of the size of the dragon creating it. The fire shot forward along with the noisy burp. It burned with such an intensity, even for the few seconds it existed, small droplets of sweat formed on the princess' face.

“My goodness,” Celestia breathed, almost having a portion of her flowing mane singed from the unexpected burst. “You certainly are full of surprises, aren't you?” The baby dragon nodded his head happily, proud of himself even if the action was involuntary.

The princess placed the small dragon back into his bed, watching as he relaxed in the comforting cushions that surrounded him. As the moments passed, a simple smile crossed the ruler as an idea came to her.

“Perhaps,” she began, talking mostly to herself as the dragon's attention was locked onto her, “with such fire, you could be ready for...” Trailing off, the princess made a quick glance back toward the old tome she had put away. Her smile grew even larger as her horn lit up in a golden hue.

A small scroll then floated before her. Nothing of importance, just a simple schedule of the duties for the day, which held little as she made sure to have plenty of time whenever she watched over her student.

Celestia then lowered the scroll down toward the dragon, who had become captivated by the glowing parchment.

“Would you like me to show you something?” Celestia asked, her sweet tone holding a hint of excitement as the young dragon wrapped his claws around the scroll.

He nodded his head up and down enthusiastically.

Giggling softly, the princess lowered herself onto the ground, lying on the floor to bring herself closer to the dragon's level and meet him eye to eye. “Alright then. Now, you must concentrate on the scroll.”

The dragon did so, or at least he seemed to. His emerald green eyes looked down at the scroll intently. The childlike bliss he held was gone as he did as the princess requested.

“You must look deep inside yourself,” Celestia continued, speaking with both wisdom and clarity. “Find that fire already burning within you, let yourself build the power more and more, then use it. Use it as a direction, not an act of destruction, but as a form of guidance. Use that guidance to deliver the scroll forward, if only a short distance.”

The small dragon took in what he was being told, his eyes never leaving the scroll in his clawed hands. Even as a baby, he knew how to make fire, it excited him. The bright, colorful flame was a joy to create. He even found a little joy in the reaction of those nearby when he made it, as a few unlucky guards and castle attendants could attest to.

Now, as he concentrated on the scroll, on the burning depths within him, he inhaled deeply then blew.

Celestia's small smile grew and grew, her eyes never leaving the dragon as his determined gaze rivaled that of her guards. Her excitement peaked as the dragon inhaled, preparing to breath a flame and preform what she was waiting for. Then, her smile deflated.

The small flame produced simply burned, turning the scroll into a candle. Blowing out the weak flame herself, Celestia examined the black scorch mark left behind, seeing the thin trail of smoke rise from it.

“Wishful thinking, I suppose,” Celestia murmured. Of course, she couldn't say she actually thought it would have worked, the dragon was far too young. And yet, there was a strange feeling of disappointment from it.

Celestia's thoughts were halted when a small voice called out to her. “Oh, Princess.” It was Twilight, attempting to gain the attention of her mentor. The princess turned to her.

Seeing that she obtained what she was after, the filly scholar continued. “I found this neat spell here.” She pressed her hoof against the page she was turned to in her book of spells, indicating the spot even though her teacher was too far to actually see it. “But I'm not really sure how to do it.”

“One moment, Twilight,” Celestia replied, stepping toward her student. The princess was unaware of the saddened gaze showing on the baby dragon's face as she turned away.

It only lasted mere moments, the dragon's joy at preforming Celestia's task correctly. But he could see it in her face clearly, he had failed. Even if he wasn't exactly sure what she was asking him to do.

He now looked at the scroll, having been left behind as the princess tended to her student. The dragon could only think on what he had been told previously and the pony who had said them. His eyes closed tightly, his concentration steeled. Then, without hesitation, the young dragon inhaled.

“It's this one, Princess,” Twilight said, tapping her hoof against the spell she was mentioning.

Celestia examined it for a moment and nodded her understanding. “Ah yes, it is a bit more difficult to what you usually do, isn't it? Well, you simply need to focus on the-” The princess was unable to finish, she was cut off by her own sudden gasp as a large plume of smoke trailed in front of her gaze.

Within moments, the trail accumulated in a single spot and with a sparkling 'poof' the smoke transformed into a scroll, a black scorch mark visible on its tip.

As Twilight's gaze became glued to the scroll as it dropped down onto the floor between them, Celestia turned toward to the small dragon. He was happy, joyfully clapping his hands together while his face became stretched by the largest smile he could create.

Celestia's shock was evident, gone was her mask of regal solemnity, she could only gape at the small dragon and what he had done.

As it finally sunk in, Celestia retrieved the scroll and brought it back to the dragon. “Can you do that again?” she asked, the eagerness in her voice palpable. The baby dragon examined the scroll, clutching it in his claws. Then, with only a momentary pause, he inhaled deeply then blew.

Only a small flicker of a flame came from his lips, but it was enough. The scroll was instantaneously consumed in a green flame. As the last of it burned, the smoke created began to move as if carried by a sentient wind. It danced through the air freely, moving only a few inches before it reached the princess. Finding its target, the smoke once again formed into a single spot before changing back into the scroll that had been burned away.

Again Celestia was speechless, only able to show her surprise as she looked between the scroll and the jovial dragon. But her excitement soon replaced it. With the energy and vigor of a young filly, Celestia placed the scroll back into the infant's grasp and then leaped into the air.

Landing several feet across the room, Celestia beamed toward the dragon. “Once more,” she requested, not noticing the peculiar looks her student was giving her.

With the same routine as the first two times, the dragon preformed his ability without delay. The smoke trailed across the room, directing its path toward the ruler. But, the traveling smoke only made it halfway. It then stopped, reforming into the scroll and falling onto the ground.

Celestia suppressed a bubbling giggle at the sight. “Oh well,” she said with a blissful sigh, approaching the small dragon as he looked up at her. “I can't expect anymore of you. After all, you've already exceeded what I had thought possible, and I'm proud of you.”

“What kind of spell was that?” Twilight asked, her own mind racing with excitement over the spell she had never seen before. “Can I learn it?”

“It's a delivery spell,” Celestia answered, half-turning toward her student. “And no, Twilight, I'm afraid only he can use it.” The young unicorn looked dejected at the answer, hanging her head down with her excitement dashed. Seeing her student's reaction, the princess added,“even Iwould have trouble re-creating it.” Twilight's disappointment lessened at that, not feeling as bad if it was something so difficult.

The princess' eyes then turned back to the dragon, his heartwarming smile still spread across his lips. “But you,” she said, leaning her head down close to the young dragon to whisper, “you will learn it quickly, I am certain. It will give you a connection with me nopony else could ever have.” She smiled softly as a delighted giggle escaped the infant. “A special little dragon like you, I am certain will do great things for this world. The world is a big place though, one could easily get lost. But, as long as you remember that spell,” she lowered her head further, nuzzling against the dragon affectionately, “no matter where you are, I will always be there with you.”

The dragon wrapped his small arms around the princess' face, hugging her the best he could to return the gentle sentiment.

Lifting her head, Celestia gazed down on the dragon, she was then struck by another thought. “Twilight,” she said, turning slightly to address her student, “it may come as a surprise, but our scaly friend here is still without a name.” The filly's full attention was focused on her mentor, her mind working out what she was getting at. “I had thought to give him one myself... But, I think you should have the honor.”

An elated gasp came from the unicorn. “Really, Princess?” she asked, double checking to make sure she heard right.

“Yes, my student,” nodded Celestia. “After all, it was you who helped bring him here.”

Twilight's large smile continued for several moments before it slowly drained down. Her demeanor shifted into a stance of deep thinking as she pondered the perfect name for the purple creature. As the indecisive unicorn thought silently, said dragon's own interest to his surroundings began to wane. With nothing else exciting happening, his natural need to occupy himself brought him to lifting his tail up and absentmindedly suck on the tip.

“Oh,” Twilight breathed, her gaze focusing on the aimless dragon, “I know what to call him.” The filly scholar stood face to face with the dragon, his eyes met hers as a smile spread across her lips. “Your name will be-”

---

“Spike,” Twilight urged, lightly nudging the small dragon's side as he slept. “Spike, wake up. We need to get going.”

“Huh... wha...?” Spike murmured in his drowsy state. He opened his eyes to see a lavender mare standing over him, her hoof still pressed against his side.

“Come on, Spike,” she said, putting more force into her push. “It's morning and we have to go.”

“Oh... ok,” Spike yawned, standing up to stop the bothersome pestering of his caretaker.

The others were already at the threshold of the cave, waiting patiently as Twilight and Spike joined them. Twilight placed the dragon atop her back to carry him, his slow pace conflicting greatly with her plan to move quickly out of the cave.

As his drowsiness began to ebb away, Spike's mind drifted to the odd dream he had that night.

He couldn't say it was a first for him, he had remembered that strange day before. Though the little dragon wondered why he still held onto the memory after so long. It always made him feel good inside to think of it, the day when he first learned his delivering ability. Maybe that was why, he wasn't fully sure.

What also brought questions to his mind was the context his mind had brought it up in. Why a cave of all places was beyond him. Especially after nearly surviving an attack by his own kind. It was puzzling to him. But, with no real way to deduce such things, the questions were pushed aside.

However, there was one question that persisted, and Spike knew it at least could be answered.

“Hey, Twilight,” Spike said, hardly noticing the cautious steps his friends took as they trotted out of the cave. The warmth of the fresh morning sun lapped against their faces, while orange rays of light beamed down through the openings in the forest canopy.

“What is it, Spike?” Twilight asked. Her tone lacked her full attention as much of her focus was used to watch the skies and listen for the telltale sound of wing beats and thundering roars.

Spike hesitated slightly with his question, awkwardly playing with his claws. “Um... well, where did my name come from?”

The question caused the librarian to stop on the spot, standing still for a few seconds as her mind registered the question. The others kept going, their own split focus causing the sudden slack of one of their own to go unnoticed.

“Your name?” Twilight murmured.

She inwardly pondered where the question might have come from. Unable to draw a conclusion however, the unicorn's mind drifted to that fateful day when a baby dragon was given his name.

“Well,” she began, “I was the one who named you. It was actually kind of hard since I didn't know what a proper name for a dragon would be. But,” she paused as she giggled fondly on the memory, “I remember I named you that because you used to always suck on the spike at the tip of your tail.”

Comments

[Spamotron]

Taking the Cake Twins impossible learning curve as inspiration for what Spike was capable of mentally as a similar age? Ah, well many things can be explained as magic but impossibly smart babies is a reminder that FiM still uses cartoon logic.

[Icecane]

1265897 Pretty much this. Compared to how Pumpkin and Pound have both shown though, I would also think that a baby dragon would be even further ahead in terms of age and general maturity. Especially when you consider how mature Spike is now even though he's only a few years old and still looked at as a baby dragon. Though, I may still be streatching it a bit...

[UltimateAnimeGamer]

I liked this chapter (as well as the other chapters, but that's beside the point ). It was a good idea for how Spike got his name and good telling for how he learned to deliver parchment by fire. I can also see forshadow in this. Maybe he calls Celestia for help ?