Being the adopted son of Twilight Sparkle, Spike had not had any real friends. There was a reason he himself had forgotten about those Twilight knew back in Canterlot, because there had never been anything there to remember. However, upon arriving at Ponyville he had met 6 of the most amazing mares that he ever could have imagined. They became his friends, his family, his most precious treasures. He understood know why typically dragons got dumber when they engaged in greed growth.

"Because they were trying to protect things." Spike said, his epiphany echoing as a mantra through his mind

Things were stationary, Things didn't require anything, you could just amass them in a pile and go to sleep. Loved ones though, required time, energy, love, food, sunlight, and a million other things that required a sound mind and an even larger heart. Spike had been looking after all of the Mane 6, indeed all of Ponyville, since he had arrived.

"This has nothing to do with greed." He snarled out at the tentacled monsters gathering before him, the green energy crackling along his frame.

These horrid things were trying to take all that was precious to him, all that he ever wanted, all that he had ever needed. Spike's crest began to stand on end as the green energy arced over the dragon.

"This was never about Greed." The Purple and green Drake reiterated.

These things which should not be were NOT going to take what he cared about, he had had ENOUGH.

"Time to stop running away." Spike declared, "time to nut up or shut up."

A tentacled thing charged him, Spike grabbed it and one by one tore it's tentacles out by the roots. It screamed as it died, oozing black foulness. The other tentacle creatures turned from their horrid tasks and let out a keening cry. Spike smiled.

"This NEVER had anything to do with Greed." Spike snarled a final time. A vicious smile appeared on his face, his claws dripping with the ichor of the horrid vile thing he had just killed.

All of them came to him, seeking to swarm him with numbers, but all they did was come to their death and the deaths of their fellows. Tearing the last one in twain, Spike stepped forward, looking up to the giant abomination before him he bellowed his challenge.

"This has EVERYTHING to do with GUARDIANSHIP!!!!!

A voice of rusty water befouled his head. "Give us the Element of Magic, and Join us in our mad dance. This world is over, our time is now. With the Nightmare under our control the stars will never be wrong again and we will be awake forever. All will be madness, all will be terror, all will be free." It beckoned.

Spike shrugged off the tantalizing power of the voice. What was this compared to Sombra, Chrysalis, or Discord. All had touched his mind, all had failed to gain purchase. That which the voice offered he had no want of.

Spike declared his answer to the putrescence before him, the green energy gathering around him, green smokey flames pouring from his mouth with every word. "You pursue me and my MOTHER and seek to do horrible things to us. You kill, rape and terrorize those I love, you kill Celestia, and do not even allow the peace of death to Luna, you ask me to join you and worst of all, YOU MADE MY MOTHER CRY!!!!!

In that instant the green energy turned to flame and Spike was consumed, yet the flames continued to burn brighter, consuming and purify all they took in. As they receded a new spike was revealed, this time of a size and power closer to the love held in his heart.

Spike pulled his fists back and roared, his voice causing the thing before him to step back. Energy crackled along his crest, his eyes blazing a fiery emerald green, his claws had become swords, his tail disaster, his breath an inferno. Bellowing his determination once more he charged, Cthulhu trying to lash out with his facial tendrils. Spike blasting misty fire into the horrors face, and when Spike's first blow fell, the shock wave broke every window left intact in Ponyville, as Cthulhu staggered back another of Spike's punches caught the vile creature under the chin. Again the Horrid creature staggered back, rebounding it landed a blow to Spike's jaw. Spike tanked the hit and grabbing Cthulhu's arm he broke it at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist, then spinning the shattered limb, he used it as a lever, slamming Cthulhu to the ground. Turning the limb even more Spike tore it out of the socket, making sure that limb was now a useless thing hanging off the creature. Several spawn launched themselves unto Spike's face, martyring themselves so that Spike would let go of their God-kings limb. Spike incinerated the lot, but had to step away from his enemy to do so.

Spike chuckled at Cthulhu, "What? Gotta be a Bitch, instead of fighting your own battles? You ain't no big thang."

Cthulhu roared as he threw his other fist at Spike, which Spike caught. Smiling at the awful thing, Spike gave Cthulhu the hardest Applebuck that Ponyville had ever seen. This time the pressure wave actually flattened the area around the two combatants. Spike held on to the arm as he did so and was rewarded with a delightful popping sound as the entire limb was hyperextended, followed by a horrific ripping sound as Cthulhu staggered back and the limb staying with Spike.

Spike chuckled again, "Dude, pull yourself together, you're going all to pieces."

Cthulhu glared at spike and then chuckled himself, again the horrid voice echoed inside spike's mind, this time the young Dragon didn't even flinch. "I think that I will, thank you for the suggestion."

Cthulhu raised his head and let out his own keening cry and all of the tentacle monsters, dead and otherwise, swarmed into the beast, the arm in Spike's hand separating into a cloud of horrors before reforming attached to the tentacled progenitor, Spike watched as all of the damage healed in an instant. Cthulhu stood smirking at the Purple and green dragon, he was now taller, had more muscle and actually looked like he knew how to use it.

"Well me and my big mouth, that will teach me, but still this means I get to both kick the ever loving shit out of you AGAIN and also completely let loose. The only reason I didn't was that I was afraid of collateral damage, but now, that was so unbelievably gross I just want to kill you before you get anymore of your ICK all over my town."

Drawing in a breath Spike's flames again served their purpose and reforged Spike. His scales, gained a razor's edge, his claws and fangs becoming glimmering shards of crystal. Wings that sent hurricane winds graced his back, framing his green spinal crest that now more resembled blades. His tail had become lithe and strong, a dagger shaped tip adding to it's deadliness. None that had known him would recognize the Elder Dragon as the pudgy little Spikey - Wikey they had all known and loved. Spike was all grown up.

The two combatants squared off, the one ancient and powerful, fighting for inscrutable reasons, the other young and cocky, but fighting for all that those that he held precious. The twin Behemoths at last getting exactly what they wanted, Cthulhu a momentary diversion from his never ending boredom, and Spike protecting everyone, standing between them and harm with confidence. Almost as if a bell was rung in a prize fight, they both rushed the other at the same moment. But both were interrupted by the wind pushing between them. Staggering back as the powerful gale separated them, both looked to the skies. Clouds began to gather and it was Spike's turn to smirk when he beheld the Lavender color of the Lightning.

Spike smiled, glancing at the thing before him, he said. "I know that you and your brethren thought this was going to be an easy win, but even the weakest Unicorn has the power to defy you. The feeblest Earth Pony has the will to stand against you. The most crippled Pegasus has the courage to face you. We all deal with things like you on a regular basis. Some of us may fall, some of us may break. Someday even, the bonds that hold all to one another may falter and we all fall with them. But that is not this day and you will not be the reason. My Mother is coming, and she sounds angry, I would run if you can.

A flash arced down to the tip of Spikes nose and a Lavender shape took form, as Spike Snarked to the horror before him.

"Oops, to late."

Author's Note

I will admit this chapter was a big reason I wanted to write this. Haha Kaiju fight. Happy Holidays everyone,