Bronze snorted, waking up after a pleasant night’s sleep. He yawned and nuzzled the warm body in his bed, making her murmur before he got up and stretched himself out, opening his eyes to look down at the beautiful Shampoo who’d been sharing his bed the past month and a half. ‘Always a wonderful thing to see in the morning.’ Bronze mused with a smile at the drooling and adorably soft-snoring large mare that was easily as big as his mom and aunt. ‘I’m glad Twi and Zecora figured out a potion and therapy regimen to continue helping her recover and stopped the rampant growth. Otherwise she’d be even bigger than me.’

Bronze easily strode out of bed, his tall and lithe build was like that of a thoroughbred horse from Saddle Arabia, just enough muscle tone to seem normal, but with very little in the way of bulk. He ended up being naturally built for speed over power, but his strength wasn’t anything to laugh at. The 7-foot tall stallion grumbled at his rat’s nest of a mane and tail before he levitated up a brush and started trying to tame the wild silver hair in vain.

‘Why do I bother trying? Unless it’s Shampoo or Rarity, nopony can seem to get my hair to behave.’ Bronze gave up with a sigh, shaking himself like a giant dog and letting his shaggy and thick hair settle naturally into a layered style. ‘There, done.’

“Mmph...Bronze?” Shampoo asked tiredly as she woke up and lifted her head out of bed to blearily look at him. “Is it morning already?”

“My biological clock and magical sleep-switch say yes dear.” Bronze grinned impishly, getting her to groan.

“I’m sleeping in, you ate me out too hard last night...zzzzz….” She promptly fell back asleep, and the long-tongued stallion snickered as he extended his 3 foot tongue out to leer at it playfully.

“Ook what you donm. You tuckered her oup again.” Bronze joked, moving his tongue in a fashion he might describe as sheepish. His tongue had grown with him, since as his neck grew longer, so did the space in his throat for his tongue. “Oh well, bat’s life.” Bronze easily retracted his tongue and left his luxurious bedroom to travel down the hall towards the dining room, the clocks on the wall having times for all the time-zones of Equus telling him that yes, he is up at his usual time. “Good morning Vivian.” Bronze said as he entered his dining room to see his young griffon charge reading a comic book as she idly ate her meat-based meal. It was a ‘mystery meat’ from his world, but Viv loved the mish-mash of meats so he didn’t object.

“Morning dad.” Viv easily said as she shoved a piece of the loaf of mixed meats into her beak. She’d grown since she came into his life almost 3 months ago, now as big as some of the colts a couple years older than her. She and Gilda assured him it was normal for cubs to hit a growth spurt every year until their majority, but Bronze was worried her peers would make fun of her size like his own did when he was but a human boy, bigger than anyone in his age group.

“So, today’s...Saturday? No school.” Bronze asked his adopted daughter, who nodded as she turned a page of her comic with her clean right talon and took a sip of milk with a straw. It wasn’t just because she preferred a straw though, it was because beaks made drinking from cups and glasses difficult if you weren’t aware enough to avoid the fluids spilling out the corners of your beak. “So what do you and your property-destroying friends have planned today?”

“Ugh, dad! How could we have known a pony-flinging catapult would destroy a house’s wall while leaving the equine projectile completely unharmed? Rumble was wearing a cocoon of pillows for flock’s sake! Ow!” Viv squawked at a blue-aura covered spoon rapidly tapping her beak.

“Language. And what Cutie Mark were your friends even trying to get with that?” Bronze asked skeptically as he levitated an IV pack of de-irradiated blood and sucked some up through the tube. Turns out he shares traits with both vampire fruit bats and plain old vampire bats. Found that out when out in the Everfree with Zecora and impulsively pouncing a cockatrice from behind and snapping it’s neck to suck its blood out without it resisting.

“Daredevil Cutie Marks. I was kinda hoping I’d get Orange Sight from that, but it was a dud. But it was hilarious to hear Button cry like a foal when it was his turn to be launched.” Vivian beamed with a giggle at the memory.

‘Little cub has such a crush on that colt.’ “Yes, yes, that’s all fine and good, but what are you all up to today?” Bronze asked. ‘So I can arrange things to be fixed as soon as possible.’

“Well, nothing really. We’re hanging out with Spike today to celebrate his birthday.” Vivian informed as she put down her comic book and focused more on eating when she saw the time. “In fact, his party’s in a bit, and I have to get my gift for him and go.”

“Oh, Spike’s turning 15 today isn’t he?” ‘He’s a bit old to be socializing with fillies and colts Viv’s age, she’s still 12 as are her friends, but I guess there aren’t really any teenagers he can connect with in town. They’re usually all off haunting their favorite hang-outs or going through a phase before they really find themselves even if they already have their Cutie Marks.’ Bronze mused. ‘Also, he has that very powerful crush on Rarity, the mare won’t turn him down or openly accept his feelings though, that can’t be healthy for a developing young drake.’

“Yeah, and he’s really excited for today. Not only is he getting presents, but we’re all going to hang out all day, include him in our activities. Hey...do dragons have something similar to Marks or Sight?” Vivian asked, making Bronze nod.

“Hoards. Some just hoard treasures like gold, silver and gems, others hoard what many would call trash. Aunt Tia says a dragon’s hoard reflects what kind of being they are. Many are unrepentantly greedy, while others are...more difficult.” ‘I still shiver at the thought of her tale of Voldine, and how she hoarded slaves to do her bidding.’

“Ouch, I hope Spike’s hoard is something nice then, like comic books maybe? He does have a lot of them.” Viv suggested, wolfing down her breakfast and cleaning her talon. “Alright, I’m gone. See ya later pop!”

“Have a good day cub.” Bronze said with a soft smile, which quickly turned into worry once she was gone. “So it’s time then….”

[(x)]

Vivian couldn’t withhold her grin as she dove out of the air and landed in front of the library. Twilight decided to hold Spike’s party there, and in the morning since it was a Saturday and his friends would be free to attend. ‘It sucks we don’t get to hang out with him much, since his mom always keeps him busy.’ Vivian mused as she knocked on the door, getting let in quickly by an excited Spike wearing a lampshade on his head, a running joke he made whenever he actually attended a party.

“Viv! Glad you came.” Spike grinned his sharp teeth from ear-fin to ear-fin. Honestly, he hadn’t seemed to change at all since she’d met him, it made Viv wonder about how dragon’s grew up, since most ponies and griffons would more-or-less be considered adults by his age.

“Of course I did. I brought ya a gift.” Vivian held out the wrapped present, and Spike, surprisingly, politely accepted it and put it on a table with the rest of his presents, before coming back to her. “Why didn’t you open it?”

“I don’t know how griffons celebrate birthdays, or dragons either, but ponies save the presents for after cake usually.” Spike said with a shrug as he led her towards the rest of their friends in the CMC, and some of her classmates who knew Spike well enough to want to come, like Twist. “So what do ya wanna do while the grown-ups are all standing around talking? Play some games?” Spike pointedly turned to Button Mash, who was bouncing on his hooves as he held a ribbon-wrapped Joyboy in his mouth, his gift to Spike so they could play together in his favorite hobby.

‘Oh gosh, he’s so so cute when he’s excited.’ “Sounds like a plan.” Vivian faintly blushed, gladly taking her own Joyboy out of her hammer space, the rest of the CMC besides Applebloom quickly doing so too, and starting a round of Monster Mashers Mobile, one of the things Bronze had brought over and adapted from his old world.

“Ah wish Applejack would let me get a Joyboy. But she says they’re for lazy ponies who can’t make their own fun.” Applebloom grumbles as she sits next to Rumble, watching him play the game.

“{She is simply blind to our ways.}” Button said in the guttural language of the fictional Humgonians from his original favorite game series.

“Whatever he said.” Rumble mumbled as he focused more on the free-for-all match their Joyboys were wirelessly linked into using a dedicated server to take strain off the hoof-held game stations.

“How do you play this?” Spike asked Vivian helplessly as despite the large and open interface, it was more suited to hooves than claws.

“Like this.” Vivian then spent a good amount of time showing Spike how to compensate for his digits compared to how the controls were designed for hooves. By the time they were finished, the adults had gathered around a table in the reading nook, the cake provided was quite large. “Uh...that’s a lot of cake for a birthday party.” Vivian felt the need to say.

“There’s never too much cake!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed with joy as she bounced around the table’s outside as Spike sat at the deepest pocket of the booth. “Now go on Spike, make a wish!”

“Right.” Spike closed his eyes, thought very deeply, and then managed to take an incredibly deep breath, and not send the cake to Celestia when he blew out all the candles. “Okay, everypony, take what you want because the rest is going to Celestia.” Spike grinned, getting everypony but Pinkie and Twilight to look bewildered, and Twilight smirked as Pinkie giggled.

“You bribed her with your birthday cake for something, didn’t you?” Twilight accused while amused.

“Yep! Something special should be arriving once I send her the cake.” Spike was bouncing in his seat, removing 3 large slices from the cake as everyone else took just one, sometimes two, and that still left a lot of the 3 layer cake left. “Stand back, here comes the fire.” Spike warned, before breathing out a stream of green fire that spiraled around the cake, and compressed onto it, before vanishing.

“Wow! That was so cool!” Scootaloo stated as all his friends agreed.

“That was impressive use of your dragon magic Spike, I’m glad to see you’ve been practicing, even if in secret.” Twilight beamed at her assistant, who bashfully scratched behind his head, before burping out a gush of flames that formed into something incredibly beautiful. “Wow! Spike, is that a Water Sapphire?” Twilight gawked at the heart-shaped blue gem, that seemed to give off an aura of calm, and exuded the scent of clean water.

“Yeah! I noticed Rarity’s been feeling down a bit for some reason, so I decided I want to do something nice for her.” Spike held up the gem, gazing into it with affection as Rarity, who was in attendance to chaperone Sweetie Belle, slowly approached the table.

“You used your special day...for me?” Rarity asked in awe as the young teen dragon beamed at her and held out the blue heart-shaped gem, the mare gazing at it with her eyes shimmering. “I-I can’t! It would be so selfish of me!”

“Aw it’s nothing! Besides, this gem is nothing compared to the Rarity I’m giving it to.” Spike cheesed, making several adults aw, the children gag, and Rarity to squeal with joy as she levitated the gift out of his claws and proceeded to nuzzle him.

“Oh~! Spikey Wikey~! Thank you!” Rarity then proceeded to smooch his head, making his scales turn red as he bashfully drank in her joy.

“Well actually...this might be a bit incredible of a coincidence, but since you’ve been such a good dragon this year, I’ve actually gotten you something similar Spike.” Twilight grinned in amusement as she levitated over a present from the nearby fold-out table holding Spike’s gifts. “I figured you would just eat it, but considering the situation….” Twilight opened the box, and levitated out a heart shaped Fire Ruby, making everyone just as transfixed as the bright red gem gave off an aura of warmth, but smelled slightly of burned incense. “I’ve had it sitting in a box of incense to replace it’s normally smokey smell.”

“Wow. Thanks Twilight.” Spike said softly as he accepted the similarly shaped gem, and snickered. “Hey look, we match.” Spike joked as he pressed his new Fire Ruby to Rarity’s new Water Sapphire, and they sizzled as steam was produced, creating a very aromatherapeutic effect that Rarity took a deep breath of.

“My, that is a very relaxing sensation. I’d be quite grateful if you brought your ruby with you so we could sit and have tea while these two precious stones make a soothing atmosphere.” Rarity cooed before kissing Spike on the cheek, making him blush and bashfully play with his tail with a nod.

“Alright, enough with the mushy stuff, we wanna see your other presents!” Scootaloo complained, getting agreements from everypony, that said a certain griffon didn’t share sentiment.

‘Geez, you may be my best friends, but you’re so immature.’ Vivian bemoaned to herself, letting her eyes stray to the brown and orange colt who kept getting her attention with his adorableness.

“Alright, sure.” Spike agreed, though he didn’t seem all that excited for it. He graciously accepted the gifts as he opened them, but he never really seemed beyond excited like even he expected, considering he looked confused, until it was over, and he looked at his birthday’s rewards. “Hey...Twilight?”

“Yes Spike?” Twilight asked as Vivian was the only one besides her patient enough to wait for the birthday drake once the presents were done.

“How come I don’t feel...happy?” Spike asked in confusion as he clutched his Fire Ruby protectively, and looked sadly at the presents. The only reason he was saying anything was because his friends and their chaperones all went about the party to play games led by Pinkie. And because Rarity left too to gush to her other friends about how wonderful Spike was and other things that made his chest flutter, but when he considered his gifts, the only one that mattered was the Fire Ruby.

“I don’t know Spike. Maybe you’ve discovered your Hoard? And things like these don’t apply, but the Fire Ruby does?” Twilight suggested, and Spike pursed his lips as he examined the beautiful jewel, but his sad expression told that wasn’t it.

“No. It’s a beautiful gem, but that isn’t why it’s precious.” Spike looked across the library at Rarity, who was still visibly flaunting the Water Sapphire with joy. “I feel like...like...the emotions behind it. The meaning. The Love. From you, and in part from Rarity, is what makes it precious...makes it Mine….” Spike said with some vindication, his eyes getting sharper and causing Twilight and Vivian to back off. “Is...that what I Hoard? Sentiment?”

Spike asked, and he gasped as suddenly, he surged in size, knocking over the table as he shot up to being the size of Bronze, only he seemed to be a full-grown dragon in miniature, as he had a long slender neck, leading to a pronounced head akin to Durgo the mountain dragon, and even had large wings with a long winding tail, his spade more pronounced. Needless to say the blinking and confused teen dragon caused a shock as everypony all gawked at him. “Well...I guess I really was overdue for a growth spurt.” Spike’s voice was deliciously deep, yet smooth with a hint of roughness to it.

Vivian, and every single female old or wise enough to know of attraction, all dropped their jaws, but Rarity was the hardest hit, dropping her Water Sapphire as she gawked at him with her ears twitching in his direction. “Say something else!”

“Um...she sells sea shells by the sea shore?” Spike said in confusion, but his voice turned the simple tongue twister into a delight for the ears, making all the uncommitted mares squeal, and Twilight rapidly summoned a broom to ward them away from her son/little brother.

“BACK BEASTS! BACK! DON’T MAKE ME GET A STICK!” Twilight blushed as she valiantly fought to protect her charge’s chastity from a tide of estrogen-crazed adults. “Spike! Run! I’ll hold them here!” Twilight dramatically stated with all seriousness. “WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING?! THERE’S CHILDREN IN THE ROOM!”

“...I think I know how the male protagonists in those harem manga feel now….” Spike nervously commented as Pinkie had the mind to lead all the children out of the room as did their chaperones. Well, save Rarity, she was dueling with Twilight using a mop to get to who she was proclaiming as her ‘Dragon Prince’.

“I think it’s safe to say Spike doesn’t need to go Crusading for his Hoard now….” Vivian grinned awkwardly as she said this, more or less helping Pinkie draw attention away from the more-or-less adult situation back in the main library.

“Aw, I was looking forward to having crazy adventures with Spike.” Button bemoaned.

“Yeah, having dragonfire around would’ve been a big help, but now he’s grown up all of a sudden.” Applebloom pouted. “Ah had some ideas to use his fire for a boiler or something.”

“Why would we need a boiler?” Sweetie asked curiously.

“For a self-propelled cart, duh? I don’t have the wingpower to pull bigger loads Bloom.” Scootaloo admitted with frustration.

“Well we can just double-up. Teach me to buzz my wings like you do and I could add some wingpower to the scooter.” Rumble suggested, his bigger wings were normal for their age. Nopony talked about Scootaloo’s small wings. It was a sensitive subject.

“Well I can do it because of my...yeah. You can probably do it, but it’d be harder for you. I’ll try to teach you Rumble, but I can’t promise anything.” Scootaloo said with a shrug, and Vivian heard a small dragon roar downstairs beings Pinkie led everyone upstairs to what seemed to be an impromptu activity room, the pink mare seeming a little less energetic for some reason.

“Well, whatever. Let’s just have fun right now. Maybe we can still get Spike’s help for things. He’s not a prudish adult yet.” Vivian suggested, and the group went about playing party games.

Author's Notes:

Yes, I went there. I don't want Spike's development to be unfairly stunted since in this story he's just turned 15. A 15 year-old in a 'baby's' body? No. I'm not cruel. You can blame Shinigamisparda for his delicious Spike who is quite similar, but has a more broad Hoard, and had his growth spurt in a far more violent setting which is a bit too cliche for my taste (no offense to the epic genius of Sparda) so I went for an out-of-nowhere scheme that will change some of the story's dynamics involving Spike. He's not just some kid anymore after all.