The days began to grow longer, time often becoming a blur through the months alone. It was always funny to him how time tended to flow slower with others than it did when he was alone. There wasn't ever much to actually do anymore now that he was the last remaining friend of who used to be the bearers of the Elements. Those ponies were everything to him when they were around; he used to play with them, laugh with them, he practically did everything with them. There wasn't any other time that he would much rather be than with them, but his life was here where he was feared by everypony. Only a select few throughout the land knew of the kind nature that resided within his heart, but they had passed on in time, holding Spike's secret close.
It wasn't ever the same after they had started to pass on into the next life, his friends becoming brittle and cynical. They taught him of the true magic in having a friend, but when they were in need, not one of them came to help the other. Contradicting themselves, saying that friends meant the world to them, but how could they have when they did nothing but keep to their own solitude? Perhaps they were scared of who was next to leave, the idea of leaving a scar on the hearts of others too much of a burden to face. By the time there was only one left, she had realized her mistake. She missed what they had been. How close they were. It was what kept them happy, even though it could drown their minds in sadness at the first mention of who they had lost. Spike had tried to bring them back together at one point, but his efforts were only done in vain. They brushed him off just as they had to one another, burning the bridges that once held them together.
The times Spike had spent with them had been the best in his life, up until the very end. Without them, he would be just another brute in the empire of dragons. The soft heart in a shell of stone was thanks to the love that had been bestowed upon him. They taught him to love with a caring heart, but to live with protection. It was important to know when to love, and the times to be brutal. That was a lesson that took longer to learn, but it gave him a unique heart to live with. The magic of having someone was what he learned first of all; being able to speak with somepony that cared enough to listen and care for what was said. It never mattered how many ponies surrounded you. He learned that no matter if there was a crowd of followers, they could not match the talent of one true friend.
He had grown to be one of the biggest dragons in all of Equestria, his size double that of any dragon known. Once, it was that he grew by the greed of material items, but now it was that he grew to accommodate a matured mind and a large, kind, heart. Dragons often wondered why it was that he had such a size, most being close minded and believing that he had a large stored inventory of items and rubies. It was in fact that he lived just as the lower dragons did; he slept with them and took no special treatment. He cared for those around him, unlike any of the others before him. Time cut a line through the days, taking him through making the mere years feel like a matter of days, the image of the friends he once had flowing in his dreams as he slept.
'Friends', or whatever you could call these materialistic beings, had never been in short supply. No matter what he did, or who came to him, the dragons claimed to be his friends, but they lacked what he really needed. Someone to talk to. Sometimes, that was all he really needed, was someone that could listen. He had tried to make friends in the dragon kingdom, but they laughed at his jokes no matter how horrendous they were and gave him pity whenever he would mention something that was wrong or could be changed in his life. They listened, but always requested some service as if they needed to be paid for being in his presence. It was like they never had real friends as he had; their actions and rank belonging to how much they owned and how many they knew. The connection between two dragons was never something that he could make. He had stopped trying after a century of trying to find a friend, all with the same results. That was all that Spike had wanted during these times; a friend. The only ones he had been able to connect to was the ponies that inhabited Equestria for some reason, but he had not been able to even strike a conversation with one in the past decade. They feared him, as he was known as the mighty dragon and not for the Spike he once was.
He hated fear, but also needed it. It was always his dream to move back to Ponyville, where he had grown up with Twilight and the others. In fact, he had tried to visit it a few years back, but he was fended off by the ponies and any Royal Guards stationed there. All he had wanted was to visit in peace, but no pony would ever wait long enough to ask of his intentions. The rule for the guards when dealing with dragons had always been: 'Fire first, Questions later.' Guards hadn't ever cared for dragons, no matter how nice they claimed to be. In the early years of Equestria, as Twilight had told him, some dragons had actually destroyed entire villages after claiming to be a peaceful. Even now, after all this time, the Guard was still skeptical about any dragon that came close to Ponyville. The memories of his times being happy as a small dragon in Ponyville were mostly happy memories, but he stumbled across the thought of Rarity. She was the most beautiful unicorn that he had ever seen. She had gorgeous eyes that sparkled in the moonlight and a coat that glowed in the sun, and hair that flowed elegantly in any situation. Rarity was his one love, and he had not found another over the years.
Love. Something so great, yet it was void in dragons. Dragons weren't meant to love, they were meant to bring fear and destruction. Spike wanted love, but had other dragons known of what he had wanted, the need for a lifelong companion, he would be seen as a weak dragon. No dragon had ever had a companion that lasted more than a night. Spike wanted to wake up with someone, or somepony perhaps, laying next to him. That was the issue, no dragon ever committed to 'love', and any nights spent together just gave another child. He had only loved once in his life. Rarity still strut across his mind on occasion, reminding him of who he had used to be and who he used to love. He was still the small dragon he used to be, but in a larger, stronger body.
After the Elements had all passed away, he had been left on his own to discover who he really was for the second time in his life. He traversed Equestria all on his own; foraging for food and making a life for himself. Through the years he was on his own, his body grew massively. The muscle mass he gained seemed like it doubled each month, his body structure growing with it. Spike created his own homes, dug his own caves, and cooked his own food. Fending for himself in the world taught him that he couldn't rely on someone forever, because they will eventually come crashing down, no matter how sturdy they were.
Through his journeys, he came across few dragons. But the few he did cross paths with left with their tails hanging between their legs. They would challenge him if they saw him, thinking that a dragon his size would be an easy target. He often proved them wrong, never losing a single fight. The dragons that did challenge him fought to kill, but he didn't have it in his heart to kill anyone. Spike was usually a defensive fighter, blocking most attacks and dealing very few. The few strikes he did land on any dragon, however, usually incapacitated them. They would wry around on the ground wounded, but not to where it was life threatening. He left each match a victor, leaving each dragon behind in the shame that they did not die in the battle for pride or kingdom. A path was paved through his various venues, quickly climbing the ranks of dragons as he continued to defeat one after the another. It became more of a sport for Spike, no longer just a challenge by some random dragon. He had become he challenger, and soon rose through the ranks to wage in a battle with the current head of kingdom.
Both Spike and the King fought long and hard, although Spike was more defensive than the other dragon. Through his battles with all of the other dragons, he had continued to grow. He was a massive dragon, dwarfing almost any normal adult. His wingspan thwarted that of any know dragon, some even saying they were bigger than those in legend. The use of his wings was Spike's main tactic, mostly to block the torrents of fire launched at him. The scales on the sides of his arms became harder than the strongest steel and the toughest rock. It was even said that a single scale from his body could repel any attack, even those from the Royal Sisters themselves. As the battle waged on and blows were traded, his competitor became sloppier with each attack. Punches became more of a flailing swing, fireballs no bigger than a small firework. The defensive tactics that Spike used drained what was left of the challengers nonexistent stamina.
During the final swing of his competitors bulky arm, Spike used his recovery time against him, lunging in and dealing a blow straight to the stomach. The competitor was sent clambering to the ground clutching his belly and wrying in pain. Spike Simply walked over to him and looked down upon his foe. He stared up at Spike as he towered over him, removing his arms from his soft underside and exposing it for his own death. He demanded to be killed, but Spike turned and walked away. The crowd surrounding him and cheered for his victory, giving him a sense of pride within his new-found kingdom. He turned to look back at the dragon who he had fought, only to see the silhouette flying away into the horizon. The challenger, just as the rest, disappeared in exile as their punishment.
Spike perched on the peak of the mountain that the Elements of Harmony had once traversed in their days, watching over Ponyville in the distance. Clouds hovered below him, dropping their heavy loads of snow and rain over the slopes. He huffed, a thick black smoke blasting out of his nostrils. He continued to watch over Ponyville, the ant like specs of color moving about the town, doing who knows what. The sight of the town he once lived in started to bring back the memories he had stored deep inside his mind. Giving a glance at the surrounding land and air, he determined that there was no dragon around to follow him on is trek.
With a mighty flap of his wings, Spike took to the skies. He reached a reasonable altitude, at least twice the height of Cloudsdale so that he would not be seen by anypony below him. The town of Ponyville was getting closer, the ponies slightly bigger now. None of them looked to the skies, after all most dragons knew not to venture into this territory unless the migration was in progress. It was just as beautiful as ever, the thatched roofs giving the town a unique look all its own. Sweet Apple Acres seemed like it had grown, the orchard seemed to be at least three times the size compared to when he had last seen it. He let out a heavy sigh as his eyes came across the Carousel Boutique, most likely owned by one of Sweetie Belle's daughters now. The memories of his past broke the floodgates that held them back, years of his life coming back into the light.
