Disclaimer: I don’t own My Little Pony and its characters, but my OCs are mine.

Spike’s Heart

Chapter One

Updated 5/12/20

Spike never wanted to lose control of his emotions because it was connected to his body. Since the time when Greed took over, he feared to lose his friendship with the ponies he loved… but as time passes, a certain event forces Spike into an unknown future. He will discover his origins. He will learn anything is possible. He will make something that was believed impossible. This event that change him the most was when he saw the truth…

◊◊◊◊

I watch the mirror over the years and it hardly changes. It changes the most when I was three if those pictures, they took of me prove anything. Over the years after I turn ten, every morning I stared at the mirror and dreamed of seeing myself becoming a little taller, a bit stronger and a little less chubby.

To grow to someone that is a real hero like in the fairy tales my mom usually read.

◊◊◊◊

My eyes suddenly open and I felt colder… “What happen to me and how I got so huge!”, I said while rising over a broken basket as my tiny blanket falls off. Standing tall, I found myself a little over 6 feet in height.

I look around for Twilight, thinking she zap me while she was sleeping again, but she is gone from her bed and it is bright and sunny outside. “Well I guess she in the castle’s library finding a cure.” Shrugging my shoulders, I went along my routine as I walk into the bathroom but instead of the regular pony-size tub. There was a huge bathroom with a pool of lava and emeralds floating within, with a new exiting door across the vast pool of temptation.

“I need to cross this lava of emeralds without burning to death…and it’s no way to go around it…well that’s doable!” Smiling, I jump into the pool making figure eights and sail on my back using my tail to move towards the other doorway eating a couple of jewels on the way there. “If only I had something like this. This must be a dream” I said laughing, exiting through the new doorway. I was going through a hall of mirrors. I can really see how much bigger I became as I stand around six feet walking on two long legs with a spikey mane.

“Woo! I wish the girls can see me now. I bet Dash will even start to sweat when she remembers how she once tease me about my tiny body. Wait a second I need some wings.” *Proof* Two big dragon wings appear on my back. ‘Hmm they look a little like Ember’s but in a purple shade. They will work for now.’ He thought.

“And there they are! Folks, I love these types of dreams! Ha! I bet I can even out race the Wonderbolts with these!” I said as I continues down the hall.

As the trail lengthens the mirrors started to crack and farther, I walk the more the cracks spreads until the cracks overtook the mirrors. ‘Something is, not right? Here…’ At first, I didn’t notice, but now I am feeling nervous. *Crash* *Shatter*

“AH!” I scream. All the mirrors suddenly break and fall to the floor as I finally reach the end of the hall. A tiny mirror stood at the end of the room. I walk closer and the room seems to darken. As I lean down to investigate the mirror, I see myself my ridiculously weak and small self. I lightly sigh, while staring at myself again like always.

The image moves his head up looking at me with glowing red eyes. Taking me by surprise, it punches the mirror, causing large cracks to spread across room. Jumping back, I watch it move the glass out of the way. It looks at me with a deep sneer, “Why you staring at your own reflection, FOOL? This is what you are, and WHAT YOU ALWAYS BE!”, it screams out as it slams it foot down on the cracked floor.The white stone floor breaks apart under my feet causing me to fall; I look behind my shoulders to see my wings had disappear, and I roar out in fear as I continue to fall into the dark, hollow void...

◊◊◊◊

“SPIKE! WAKE! UPPP!” My eyes shot open as I look around my small basket to hear Twilight’s voice from downstairs. “I need to go Spike so be a great assistant and clean the castle. Bye” I let the voice and the sound of the door closing sink in my shaking bones some more before slowing getting out of bed. I take deep breathes. Worryingly, I shakily make my way to the mirror close by the window. Standing before me was my own reflection:

“The nightmare was new, but it wasn’t wrong. I am sick of looking like a child…and always being left behind. I bet Twilight went on another friendship quest, without me, taking the girls with her. They have been leaving me behind for months; they don’t even need me to send scrolls.” I look across my room. A pile of old comics sits at a corner. On a dresser, my momentous from the years of living in Ponyville rest. On the crystal wall my few achievements are hanging. I stop myself from collecting anything like money or treasures for rewards, just settling on nice quality paper. A couple documents of bravery, I earn without a plan but with a lot of luck. I sign as I look at the words written on them.

“Is it because they think I’m too young to be involve? If that is the reason they be wrong, but they don’t know the truth. Do they? I never told anyone that I was really 18; They would had shown me nothing but pity. Every time they saw me if they have known. It was enough with that maid and butler always giving me that tearful look in Canterlot.” I look back at the mirror.

“It hard to not act like a child after being treated like one constantly. Now I’m sick of acting. I been sick of it for 4 years but… but nothing I do changes the way they look at me!”, lowering my knees to floor my head against the mirror.

“Why is this happening to me? I not a toddler anymore, and no matter how many times I ask Mother ‘Why I stop ageing?’ She just says that dragons aged slower than ponies, but that not true. I know for a fact that I should be bigger, because my friend, Ember, is close to my age. Can my mother be hiding something from me?” I raise my head to stare into my reflection once more. ‘I’m a little shorter than the Cutie Mark Crusaders and not nearly as fast. Being wingless, I guess the only thing I got is my scales that can handle lava baths, but sadly my fire breathing is nothing compared to the other dragons. Torch, Ember, and even Garble have better control over their fire compare to me, I can sneeze and burn down the library. Their fire is red, but mine is green… green… it’s green!’

Leaving my mirror quickly behind, I left the bedroom loudly closing my door heading towards the castle’s library. (Without anyone in the room a flickering light left Spike’s pillow and escaping out of the open window and vanishing.)

◊◊◊◊

The Castle of Friendship was three stories high with the first floor serving as the town’s new library after the first one was destroyed.

Running down the staircase, passing the public library, I finally stop in front of Twilight’s private study where she keeps most of the library’s magic-related books located. Resting from my exertion, I recall never having much interest in magic before. ‘But my magic fire breathe is what made me Twilight’s assistant in the first place…’ I lightly shake my head and open the double crystal doors coming into the study’s first sets of alleys filled with books facing me. I pass a couple of rows then stop in my tracks; eyes wide, mouth agape.

“There are too many books in here to possible find an answer to my fire-magic… well it will take at least a year for me.” as I stare over the countless rows of books below the a couple of stairs before me. Slowly, looking to my left feeling something, I see an old and wither book on the pedestal with playful sunlight shining upon it. “Wait a second,” I made my way to the faded golden book, “’The Fundamental Principles of Magic’… hum maybe this will shed some light on why I got magical fire in the first place?”

I gently pick the book up in my claws and open to read, “First, there is something important, which anyone who studying magic must know. Magic ability can’t be learnt from strolls and books you learn techniques from them. Magic ability can never be learnt that way, but it can be gain from experiencing a dramatic event or given to you from someone else by mistake, choose, or heritage. For magic has three rules:

1. Magic is everywhere and in everything.
   
2. Magic can have one do the impossible.
   
3. Magic is control by one’s own will and intentions.

And occasionally if one looks deeper into themselves, they can find a magic that break all the known rules. A few examples of this is: The Elements of Harmony, also called the Magic of Friendship, and recently the Changelings’ transformation. However, there is more than these examples of this special magic. The number of aspects of this magic is unknown, in general: a person’s environment, their origins, their genes, their past magic exposure, their values…” I slam the book shut and drop the book back in its place. “That book almost kill me with the details. I almost snap. Twilight is crazy if she read these books every day. I got more info on magic, but nothing on how I gain my unique fire.” My tail hit the stand when I turn away causing a sound beside it which gain my attention. Kneeling I saw an old diary, “I wonder if this is Twilight’s dairy… let’s take a little peek.”

“Dear Diary,

I turned three last month, and my parent decide I was gifted and send me to this special school founded by the Princess. Today is my first day going to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and I have to pass an entrance exam. The exam’s task turns out, is me, having to hatch a purple dragon egg with my magic. I was shock. I had never done anything close to this before. At first, I fear I was going to fail, but then I felt this shockwave. Was that a rainbow? Things got a little hazy, and I kind of blackout. Afterwards, Princess Celestia said I release so much magic that I hatch the egg and pass, becoming her student. I don’t know what they do with a baby dragon, but who cares. I, Twilight Sparkle, just meet and talk to Princess Celestia…”

Letting go of the dairy as I held my head, “I was born in a unicorn magic school, and that how I was exposure to magic… I was the tiny guinea pig for countless little unicorns to test what they made of. Well that is just sick. Using me as an experiment to test some kids; those kids could had kill me which was the most likely outcome.” I straighten up then head out the study. ‘This is too much. All this time, they could had told me. Now I know, I’m really a freak among my own kind and a little fool for the ponies to play around with. Rarity was never accepting my feelings, but that’s okay since I already knew. She is most likely using me. At least now I don’t have to act like a lovesick child anymore. Huh, curse these hormones!’

“Ha! I been wasting my time here. I’m no longer have any more value in this castle than a servant or mailman. The other girls hardly ever need my company or help. If they ever visit, it’s all about needing Princess Twilight. Dash will mostly ignore what I’m saying. AJ will tell me she too busy to hang around. Pinky is too hyperactive to hold conversion without throwing a party or playing a game. Futtershy is more comfortable with her animals than me. Her being a little afraid of dragons did not help. I not thinking about Rarity always going on about her goals. I have no truly close friends around my own age in this town expect Big Mack and maybe Discord.” I pass the public library which no one visits and start heading to my room.

“If they truly care about me…they would had notice my problem. Four years they had seen me and let they have not seen my body changed except during my greed accident. To remain trusted in this town, I force myself to resist my own dragon nature so I wouldn’t hurt them again, but what good did that do. Some will never forgive me and learn to overlook my faults. For the majority, I could cook, clean, sing, dance, and play instruments for them, but in no time, they will forget and think I’m just a baby leaving me in the background and in the dark. They will never trust me like Discord, Thorax, and Ember do. Can a baby save the Crystal Empire twice? No! Can a baby help save its friends when an enormous frozen cloud falls on them, or the former evil changelings captures them? No! I could have been a Dragon Lord.” I reach under my basket pulling out my bookstack fill with gems, a few pictures, supplies and cash save up from helping at Applejack’s farm.

“The problem was right under their noses, but they were blind to it. I know that if it wasn’t for Twilight I have been never born; however, I refuse to live somewhere I’m not needed or appreciated. I have been living all alone in a massive castle and working as an assistant without pay for far too long.” Taking out a pen and paper from my bag, I wrote a letter to Twilight and place it on my bed, then put the supplies back in.

“I really glad I’m leaving this so-called bed behind. You don’t have fillies sleep in doggy beds, but I’m an exception. Huh, my name is Spike; I like my name… I will not change who I am.” I sigh, softly as I take one more look around my room. ‘I guess I could have got my own bed but to climb it every day. What a pain? Right! ’

“I can really feel the love here.” I said as retrieve the owl’s food. Now, the empty bird cage is loaded to the brim of food. “Here my last gift, buddy.” I never know where that owl goes every morning. “Owlowiscious can help you until you find another assistant. Honesty, you probably don’t need an assistant. I wish I can tell you in person I quit, but daylight is wasting and I need more answers. You should be back tomorrow, anyway.” Leaving with my bag, down the stairs, pass the library, and I finally made it through the castle’s two crystal doors. Putting a ‘Sorry Close Today’ sign on the handle after locking it, and I’m gone.

◊◊◊◊

It was bright and sunny morning when I exit the castle doors. I’m still in the street heading towards out of town. ‘I know a little on how magic got in me, but not what it is doing to me? I need more information on dragons, but Ember is too far away for me to go now, which leaves Zecora as the next best option to answer my question.’ As I near the edge of town, I see the infamous Everfree Forest stretching across the horizon. The trees, here, are darkish brown to black as coal and can be twisted with some being wrap or cover in vines with blueish thorns. This is the only forest in Equestria that harbors a multitude of dangerous creatures and plants, and the reason why Zecora decides to live there. The ever-hungry one-headed lion chimeras and merciless timberwolves are two of the worst creatures among the rest in the forest. There different kinds of plants to make potions that Zecora needs.

I reach the edge of the forest and start looking for danger that lurks, in the shadows cast by the trees. ‘I never like going into this godforsaken forest, but if I want to talk to, the one and only, Zecora, there’s no other way. Huh, maybe it be safe today Ha! Huh.’ I slowly chuckle as I walk pass the outer perimeter of the dark forest. I walk forward going down a memorize path to Zecora’s cabin. I came from a bright and sunny morning to a dark and gloomy atmosphere under the forest canopy. The path weaves, and if one not careful they could easily get lost. As I go through the forest, I see a formidable patch of blue flowers also known as poison joke. ‘I must be close.’ I walk around the patch with caution. Finally spotting her cabin, ‘She must be home with that smoke leaving the chimney.’ I smile and knock on the front door.

“Who be knocking at my door,” She open the door, “Oh, if it’s be my friend, Spike. Are you ok, I hope you isn’t lost.” ‘Huh funny.’ Letting me into her home she asks, “How may I be of service.” She smiles at me. ‘She really doesn’t need to live here alone’ I sat down on a chair nearby.

“I need to ask you a weird question. Something I really have no facts but guesses about,” she looks at me, seriously, ready to help looking pass my childlike appearance. ‘Therefore, maybe, I can trust you with my secret, Zecora’ “How are dragons hatch, normally.” She looks surprise, but then settle to answer.

“To answer your question. One must know a dragon has no simple heart. Their hearts have two sides: one for their body, and one for their fire. A dragon will hatch if their parents’ dragon fire keeps putting fire into their heart. If the egg is left without a flame, it will grow colder, till it’s turn to hard, cold stone, forever.” She sees his expression falling, “What’s wrong Spike?”

“It’s nothing really!” She notices the lie, quick, and look me in the eyes. ‘I guess it’s time to come clean. It is not a great story that I be proud to share.’ I slightly frown, “I was not hatched like other dragons. It was with magic coming from Princess Twilight’s horn. She was a filly. I don’t know what happened, but she hatch me. Zecora, they use my egg in Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns’ entrance exam, and they never told me anything about it!” Taking a deep breath, I stare into her eyes and told her my biggest secret.

“Zecora, I’m eighteen years old, and I look like this!” I dramatically pointed at myself and can see she’s very shock. Surprisingly, she bolts to me. She starts hugging and holding me tightly to herself. Now I was shock, ‘Is Zecora really hugging me? I think I feel tears on my scales… I never thought… I… I really like this thou.’ I slowly place my claw-tip hands behind her mane, and I start hugging back and trying to calm her back down.

“I… I never knew… Spike, I thought you were a child, and thy is one of my few friends. I’m so sorry…”, she started to cry again.

“It’s okay if you didn’t know. I never told anyone, because it wouldn’t help them; knowing, if they didn’t have any way of helping. Twilight live with me for years but never relies; she probably believes dragons aged slowly. You know how focus she is on her friendship lessons.” I smile to help her to finally calm down. She stops hugging me and wipe her eyes as she gains a little composure.

Smiling brightly, she says, “The magic, in your beginning, is now all a part of your heart. In many ways magic can change thee. It is a magic only you can fully control, and no one can take it away from you. So, Spike, what you plan on doing, now?” her blueish hazel eyes looking deeply into mine own. ‘I just almost choke for a second. Huh too cute.’

“I, honesty, don’t know what to do. They never wanted me to know, how I was born. I just need some time to think. I ah… thank you, Zecora, for being my friend and listening. I need…I need to head back, before it’s too late.” Zecora follow me to the door.

“Your welcome Spike just stay safe and visit me more often.” A little teary-eye she smiles at me as she closes her door.

◊◊◊◊

On the way to Ponyville, I was getting close as I walk by an immense oak, a large claw hand swipes my side sending me a few yards away into a clearing. I am landing in a tree hard, very hard. The pain of forming a deep indent in the bark of the tree with my small body feels like I was hit with a sledgehammer.

“AH! what hit me?” I was in a daze; let, I can tell my scales took most of the damage leaving a couple of small shallow scrapes and bruise covering my back. At far end of the clearing slowly walking out of the dark woods is a colossal chimera, expecting an already dead, easy meal. I dislodged myself off the tree landing on my hands and knees. ‘I’m so thankful dragon scales are so durable. I would had die from that first strike alone.’ Getting back up on my feet I stare back at the beast and close my eyes. ‘I’m going to die’ The phase repeated multiple times in my head. Twilight was gone on a random quest with her friends and didn’t need me anymore. I was alone, afraid, and angry. Angry with my own weak self. Angry with always relying on the girls to solve my problems. I was tire of being angry and not doing anything about it. I want to let it out. I took a breath and look it dead in the eyes. I loudly shout out.

“Are you looking down on me because of how I look! So, what I look like a baby dragon! So, what I’m tiny! I’M A DRAGON!” I roar outward to the massive monster, shocking the creature. The chimera roar even louder in response. Its roars echoes all around, traveling into the surroundings. The trees in the clearing starts to shake and emitting green smoke. A moment later, the chimera and I was surround by a pack of timberwolves ready to attack. The chimera roars immensely as the timberwolves howl in union as they follow the bigger predator’s lead all wanting my flesh and essence. ‘The world hates me.’ Time starts to slow down as I fully relies my fate.

From the stress of living without knowing who you really are over the years… you start to break down. ‘If I’m going to die, I refuse to die as a coward…’ He finally snaps and his emotions soon follows.

“I’m not dying today”, he said with determination and fury showing in his eyes.

Spike runs towards the chimera as it begins to charge. His heart is pumping blood, in an overdrive state, and the fire in his chest is starting to flow with the rushing blood. His dragon blood and his magic fire became one and in that instant, he felt whole, complete, for the first time in his life. He feels like he is alive. He feels strong. His pupils start to glow a bright red. Yellow flames shrouded his scales from his head to his feet increasing his speed greatly meeting the monster at the center of the clearing. The chimera raises up and slam both his clawed hands down on Spike’s small body. Before the fatal blow hit him, Spike flashes green and disappears. He reappears above the chimera, where it is standing in a crater. A crater form from its recent attack. Spike grabs its meter-long horns, ripping them off, leaving behind two blooded stubs.

As the chimera roars in pain, Spike frails twitches, and he disappears avoiding the long viper tail’s viscous strike. He feels his instincts guiding and warning him of trouble, which he listens. Spike reappear in front of the chimera deeply slamming the sharp horns into its eyes sockets and brain, killing it. As the chimera falls, suddenly, the timberwolves close in and all jump on all sides down upon their small prey. Leaving no time to think what he just done, he attacks again on instinct. Orange flames escape Spike’s nostrils as he took a deep breath and open his mouth releasing, a massive torrent of reddish, orange flames brighter than any had seen at Equestria Games. The inferno quickly consumes the timberwolves and shots higher into the sky punching a series of major holes in the clouds above as well as lighting up the whole sky gaining the attention of the whole forest, Cloudsdale and Ponyville’s residents. Almost as if letting the world know who is in charge.

As Spike try to regain his breathe and control over his body, the soon-to-die chimera’s viper tail struck him, resulting in a burnt mouth, but it flings him out of the destroy clearing and into a remote part of the Everfree Forest several miles away. Spike lands in another clearing forming a five-foot-deep cater; he has two deep puncture wounds in his gut where the viper’s fangs pierce is scales. Laying on his back as his conscious starts to fade as his life blood leaves him. His body burst in blue flames, which started to begin to slowly heal his wounds and the viper’s poison. However, Spike became unconscious during the process.

◊◊◊◊

A tiny, flickering light as small as a firefly came through the Everfree Forest searching for something. When it came to the hole in the middle of the clearing with blue flames deep within, it grew excited. The flickering light dive into the flames laying against Spike’s chest. It glows bright white and began to spout roots from the surroundings forming a protective structure around Spike covering the hole’s topside with many plants and bushes. Blocking out the blue flames light, before the Wonderbolts came to investigate. They will find the battlefield but not Spike even in the darkest night.

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Author's Note

A.N.: “I’m happy with how this is going.” Well chapter one is finish and I’m working on chapter two. This idea been in my head for months now I am trying to share it to you all. I need reviews to improve. All are accepted none are rejected. This is my first fanfiction, and I know there is room for improvement. Until next time, goodbye.

It is time to update, and I will continue to update more chapters in the future. Sorry but it been a busy year with the virus and all. But now I have the time. 5/12/20