Beauties and the Beast

After his recent heart-to-heart talk with Mistmane, Spike was on his way out of the Crystal Palace to the train station for the next train back home. But all the same, he couldn't help but think about what Mistmane told him.

"....just be yourself," Mistmane clarified. "Beauty can be found, even within the beast."

"Beauty can be found, even within the beast, huh?" Spike repeated, before he bumped into the symbol of the Crystal Empire - the Crystal Heart.

Spike stopped for a moment to stare at the magical relic. He recalled how he and Twilight went through a lot of trouble to find it in order to save the whole empire from King Sombra. That, and how it earned him a hero's recognition and fame in the Crystal Empire. Though, in the honest truth, that title was too much of an overstatement for him, since Twilight did all the work of finding the Crystal Heart, while all Spike ever did was deliver the heart to Princess Cadence to truly defeat King Sombra.

'Huh, am I actually the real hero then?' Spike mentally asked himself. 'Come to think of it, was I ever a real hero?'

"Spike!" A male voice greeted, revealing itself to be Shining Armor. "Hey, what's up little guy? I heard you were back in the Crystal Empire!"

"Hey Shining Armor!" The young dragon returned the greeting, before explaining, "I just came here to talk with Mistmane. I asked her a few questions, got some answers, and then I got distracted," He pointed to the Crystal Heart that continuously rotates in the air, within the palace.

"Whoa, whoa, you're not going to eat the Crystal Heart, are you?" Shining Armor smirked. "Because the heart is irreplaceable you know!"

Spike flustered, "What?! No! Of course not! I-"

Shining Armor laughed, "I was just kidding, Spike."

"Ho ho, very funny. Ha ha, it is to laugh," Spike sarcastically replied. "I was just thinking back to the day when I....I mean, we saved the Crystal Empire, and all."

Shining Armor nodded in agreement and understanding, "Yeah. It was such a big day for us then," The stallion said in nostalgia. "Thank Celestia you saved the day, Spike. If not for you, the Crystal Empire would've been lost to King Sombra, and then who knows what else would happen after that?"

Spike shuddered, "I don't even want to know," The young dragon let out a sigh, "But that's just it. Me a hero. But in truth, I'm no hero. I didn't deserved it then."

"Huh?" Shining Armor looked at the little dragon in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not a hero because I didn't take the mission to save the Crystal Empire from m-Princess Celestia," Spike explained, narrowly revealing his adoption from Princess Celestia. "I'm not a hero because I didn't figure out the puzzles and the traps set up by King Sombra. Twilight did all that! All I ever did was just deliver the Crystal Heart to Princess Cadence. Simple as that."

"Simple?!" The stallion exclaimed. "You were carrying the Crystal Heart, walking down from an estimated height of ten stories, avoiding King Sombra's crystals, and you didn't have wings then! You called that a simple task? You even fell off a ledge, and you didn't have wings then! You had to be saved by Cadence!"

"Exactly," Spike sighed. "That's proof enough that I don't deserve this title," The young dragon looked down sadly, "I don't even deserve to have a statue of myself here in the Crystal Empire. Not when Princess Cadence and Twilight did all the work of protecting the Crystal Empire and finding the Crystal Heart. I'm no hero. I've never even been a hero to begin with."

Looking how discouraged the dragon has become, Shining Armor got down and placed a hoof around the dragon's shoulder, "Hey, don't beat yourself up like that," The unicorn stallion berated in a comforting tone. "You are a hero. Sure you delivered the heart to Cadence. And yes, Twilight did all the work of finding the heart and Cadence had to save you, but you are a hero because you wanted to help. And back then, the Crystal Empire needed all the help it can get to be saved from King Sombre's wrath."

The young dragon shrugged his shoulders, "I guess I helped out a little."

"Not just a little. A lot!" Shining Armor smiled. "You've always been a big help to every pony and creatures, Spike. From the day Twilight first hatched you. Remember?"

"I don't know," Spike scratched his head. "All I remembered was that I was a big nuisance to Twilight then."

Shining Armor chuckled, "I meant when you were beginning to grow up." The stallion clarified. "Back when it's just you, Twilight, Moondancer, and some girls from Canterlot, you were always there for them whenever they needed you. From helping Twilight with her studies, to writing down notes for her, to being supportive of her whenever she gets so nervous and whenever I'm not around to help her. You didn't do all that because you were asked to do them. You did it, because you chose to do them out of love! You told me so yourself once."

Spike blinked his eyes in realization, "...Yeah..." He hesitantly replied, while faintly remembering the said events Shining Armor cited. "I...I...I guess I did."

"And you didn't ask for anything in return," Shining Armor continued. "All you needed in return for your generous assistant and unbound loyalty was appreciation. And we've always been appreciated of your help and generous assistant Spike. Hero or not, it doesn't change the fact that you're a friend to everyone in Equestria!"

And just like that, Spike had an epiphany. Memories of his assistance and noble deeds came rushing back to him, and how good it felt for him to be appreciated with each deeds he performed.

"Wow, you're right!" Spike smiled, feeling uplifted from within. Turning to Shining Armor, he playfully punched the stallion on the shoulder, "Thanks Shining Armor! I really needed this talk!"

"Anytime, Spike," Shining Armor smiled as he stood up. "Take it easy out there. Alright?"

"You got it!" With an excited beat of his wings, Spike was on his way, until he briefly stopped in the air to look at Shining Armor. "One more thing!"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think maybe you could get the sculpturist to make a statue of Twilight next to mine?" Spike asked while pointing at the said statue. "I look kinda lonely without her."

Shining Armor couldn't help but chuckle and shaking his head, "I'm afraid it'll be a long time before we could find a bigger block of crystal, Spike. But we'll see what we can manage."

"That's all I'm asking for," With a flap of his wings, Spike took to the sky, "By Shining Armor!" He waved.

"Bye Spike!" Shining Armor called out to the little dragon, before he turned back and walked into the castle, "I liked that kid," He smiled.

Spike was happily flying over the Crystal Empire, feeling another heavy weight was lifted off his chest.

From down below, he can hear the Crystal Ponies cheering for him.

"Hey look! It's Spike the Brave and Glorious!" One of the Crystal Ponies exclaimed.

"Wow! He can fly!!"

"I didn't know he can fly! He's a superhero!"

"We love you Spike!"

Spike smiled at the overwhelming praises and love he was receiving from the Crystal Ponies, combined with the adrenaline of his flight and the encouraging wisdoms he received from Shining Armor and Mistmane.

'Forget about the train,' Spike thought mentally. 'THIS IS AMAZING!!!' With that, Spike decided to fly all the way home instead.

Jónsi - Where No One Goes

"WHOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!" Spike cheered, flying from the Frozen North and on his way towards Ponyville. "Now I know how Rainbow Dash feels about flying! I feel so alive!!!!" The young dragon closed his eyes, enjoying the rush of cold wind blowing in his face, while thinking about the family he's ever known, welcoming him back with open hooves.

"Actually, I was orphaned as an egg and Twilight raised me!" Spike's eyes snapped open as another memory echoed. "So these ponies are more than my friends. They're my family!"

"We try our best," Twilight's voice echoed. "But sometimes I worry that maybe Spike is..."

"Missing something deep down and dragonish."

The last words repeatedly echoed within Spike's mind, reigniting the haunting feeling of incompletion and insecurity.

"I've already tried finding who I am as a dragon," Spike muttered, while recalling his experience in the Badlands, the Dragon Land, Dragon Town in Fillydelphia, and from an incident between the dragons and yaks in Yakyakistan in Wings Over Yakyakistan. "And yet, why do I keep trying to find some answers?"

"I'm not surprised you don't know any better," Sludge's voice echoed. "Twilight basically raised you as a pony. You're barely a dragon at all."

"No! Not you again!" Spike hissed, trying to block Sludge out of his head.

"Missing something deep down and dragonish."

"I wish I had more "dragonish" knowledge to give you. Do you think being raised by ponies has affected you in other ways?" Twilight echoed.

"....just be yourself," Mistmane's voice repeated. "Beauty can be found, even within the beast."

"Hero or not, it doesn't change the fact that you're a friend to everyone in Equestria!" Shining Armor's voice sounded.

"Missing something deep down and dragonish."

"No, no, no! STOP!! STOP!!" Spike was too distracted in his conflicted thoughts, that he failed to notice a tall clock tower in front of him, and crashed.

*BOOM*

"Ow!" Spike groaned, before he fell away from the clock's face, and landed on something.....or someone.