On a sweltering hot summer day, Spike arrived at the cave of the dragon lord. He was going to spend the next three months here. His tiny claws gripped his little rucksack a bit tighter as he beheld the imposing entrance, which somewhat resembled the maw of a large dragon.


"Hey, Spike!" his good friend Dragon Lord Ember called out, waving at him from within. She awkwardly patted him on the head after receiving a hug and led him inside.


Looking around, Spike saw nothing but rock. The ceilings were cold and cavernous, not unlike the castle's, but comforts like pillows were nowhere to be seen. After being escorted deeper into the cave, two towering figures greeted him — one using sign language, and the other nearly knocking him off his feet with his booming voice. Spike stood before the dragon lord's royal parents.

To say that Spike was nervous was an understatement. He knew next to nothing about the dragon lord's mother, except that she was deaf. As for the dragon lord's father, what little Spike knew about him did not put him at ease.

What the little dragon did not know was that the feeling was somewhat mutual. Though it did not occur to Spike, he was a direct subordinate of Princess Twilight of Equestria…


—-


When Dragon Lord Emeritus Torch had suggested to his daughter to let Spike stay at their cave for the summer, his intentions were not entirely about Spike's best interest. It was true that he wanted the little dragon to learn more about his culture and get in touch with his roots, and he believed this would benefit Spike. He also believed this was a good opportunity to gauge his character and the extent of Equestria's foreign policy influence, as it pertained to the relationship between this little "friendship ambassador" and his daughter.

Torch wasn't hatched yesterday. As the oldest politician alive, he knew better than anyone how important it was to be wary of creatures like Spike. The difference between him growing up to be an asset or a liability came down to a single misstep. Ponies exerted outsized influence on this little dragon. As a protector of the Dragon Lands and as a father, Torch knew he had to be involved.


Spike was initially afraid of Torch. This was obvious and needed to change if Torch's plan was to succeed on any level. The old drake didn't do himself any favors when he brutally beat the green dragon who had threatened Spike's life either. Torch had let his emotions get the better of him and hoped this lapse of judgment hadn't jeopardized his plan. Thankfully, Spike turned out to be the forgiving and understanding type. This was troublesome, but useful for the time being.


As the weeks went by, Spike became more comfortable around Torch and with dragon culture as a whole. He was shocked and intrigued to learn Torch was adopted and showed lots of interest in the dragon language, arts, and religion. The latter really delighted the devout Torch, who couldn't help but become endeared and sincere to Spike. He did always have a soft spot for the little ones.