When Spike opened his eyes, his found himself surrounded by white. He wasn’t sure what he was standing on or if he was evening standing on anything in the first place. Since his wings hadn’t started flapping on his own whenever he was in a free fall; he assumed he wasn’t in any danger.
“Ah young one. It is good to finally meet you.” A voice sounded all around him one that was familiar to him as the voice calling out to him a few times though now it was much clearer.
“Where are you?” Spike called out looking around. After a moment of searching he felt a large source of power behind him. Turning around his eyes widen at the sight.
Sitting in front of him was the largest dragon he had ever seen. Easily at least twice the size of the dragon he ran into at the Everfree Forest. His scales were shining in a silvery blue color with ivory color scales for his underbelly. Four diamond horns grew from his head as his sapphire blue eyes seem to pierce deep into Spike’s soul. Spike saw the tail was tipped with a diamond heart that made Spike do a quick double take as it looked almost exactly like the Crystal Heart but more flat. The dragon’s overall build was well defined with muscles hidden underneath his scales yet there was a soft aura surrounding him like a mother comforting a child.
The dragon smiled, showing ivory fangs as he gestured a paw “Please have a seat young one. We have much to talk about.”
“What about my friends?” Spike asks on auto pilot as he made to sit in the pillow that he didn’t know was there until the dragon pointed it out. In fact, the more he thought about it; the more he was sure the pillow wasn’t there in the first place.
The dragon nodded “I understand your concern. Rest assure that time doesn’t flow while you are here. Your friends are still safe for the moment. However Malefor will not permit his host to let that happen for much longer.”
Spike blinked a bit in shock “The Dark Master Spyro and Cynder fought? He’s here?”
“Yes and no. He is only here as a force of nature manifested as a crude imitation of that horn attached to the unicorn’s head. Still it was enough that his dark energies were able to create his creatures to cause some havoc to the lands despite my best efforts to keep it in check.”
The dragon hummed and looked up in the distance “Yet if the Dark Master is able to get possession of me and destroy me; he will unleashed a massive horde of dark monstrosities and I fear that no lands will be safe from his destruction.”
Spike could barely imagine such a scene happening. The sight of his home, his friends gone just sent chills through his bones and a lump of fear in his heart. Yet there was something about the dragon’s statement that caught his attention “Wait you said destroy me; does that mean you are…”
The dragon nodded his head “Yes I am what you would refer to as the Crystal Heart. In reality, the Crystal Heart is a Spirit Gem that I created with my own claws and poured my life essence into so I could assist the Crystal Queen in helping her kingdom grow and prosper.”
Spike’s mouth was open in surprise but he closed it remembering a lesson that Spyro taught about the nature of Spirit Gems “Hold on doesn’t that mean your soul hasn’t passed on?”
The dragon surprised the drake with another smile “Ah how astute you are young one. You are correct in that while my body has long ago become dust in the soil; I haven’t passed on into the afterlife.” He held up his paw forestalling Spike’s next response “Do not worry yourself about me young dragon. I have spent several generations of pony lifetimes thinking about this choice and if given the option I would do it again. The Crystal Queen was my best friend who comfort me during the last few years of my life and if I had any regrets it was not being able to spend another day longer with her.”
Spike felt his sadness for the ancient dragon as he thought about what he would do if he was in his position. To his surprise, he couldn’t imagine not spending as much time as he could with his friends and doing anything he could to keep them safe. It was that drive that belief that pushed him into training with Spyro and Cynder so he could become strong enough that they could rely on him.
The dragon smiled lowering his paw “It is why I wanted to meet you young dragon. You remind me a lot of myself in terms of thought and belief. You desire to protect your friends as I desire to protect the kingdom my friend created.” The dragon appeared to gaze off into the distance for a moment before focusing back on Spike “However there is something that I need to know from you.”
Spike gulped a bit shifting in the pillow “Wh...what is that?”
The dragon lifted his paw, extending a claw finger out. Spike felt his muscles tense as his eyes followed the deadly claw sharper than any blade he had seen. The dragon placed the claw on Spike’s forehead, not enough pressure to break his scales but still feel the pressure. The dragon’s eyes harden a bit as he gazed right into Spike’s eyes “Spike, born from the magic of the unicorn Twilight Sparkle and raised by the care of Celestia Faust, do you swear in your entire heart mind body soul and honor as a dragon that you do not or will never seek power for the sake of power.”
Spike felt his body freeze as the commanding voice echoed in his ears and head. Suddenly, he felt his memories return to him in a rush of speed that reminded him of the times he would watch Rainbow Dash flying. He saw himself growing up with Celestia, being under the care of Twilight, going through magic school as her assistant, moving to Ponyville and every adventure he has been a part of since. As the memories continued to flow through him; he thought with great clarity about his thoughts and actions searching for something, though he wasn’t sure what that was.
Eventually the memories ended and Spike found his mouth able to move again “I swear.”
The dragon kept his gaze on the young drake for what felt like hours before his expression soften back to normal “And I believe you.” The claw pulled back from Spike’s head and he let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Forgive me for that young one.” The dragon continued “It is just what I am offering you is something that many out there would find too hard to resist.”
“What would that be?” Spike asked after taking a few slow deep breaths refilling his lungs with the much needed air.
“I wish to offer you my power young one. You will be fused with the Crystal Heart and tap into your true ultimate potential. The power and skills you could gain in your lifetime.” The dragon smiled “As you can hopefully understand such a boon would be hard to give away but once the threat of Malefor and Sombra is over with you must return me back to the Crystal Kingdom which of course means you will return to your current self with only very vague memories of the techniques you would use and this will be a one time thing.”
Spike’s eyes opened in shock. To see and feel his final potential. To have all of that power, knowledge, and skills right in his paws rather then spending years decades perhaps even centuries of practicing and studying. Yeah he admit a small part of him was tempted to keep that power for himself but that part was quickly stamped away into nothing. He had already sworn that he wasn’t the kind of dragon who sought power for the sake of power and he was a dragon who kept his word. Still he hesitated “Would I still be in control of my actions and body?”
The dragon nodded “Of course young one. I will merely be a powersource and a sea of knowledge befitting of your skills.” The dragon then stood up on his legs and Spike once again was in awe about his size.
Spike followed suit standing on his two legs looking up “And what skills would that be?”
The dragon smiled as his horns started to glow a deep blue color much like a unicorn’s horn. Spike felt energies started to flow around his body as he begins to feel himself slipping out of this space and returning back to the real world. Without thinking “Wait what is your name?”
The dragon smiled “My real name is lost in time. You can simply refer to me as Spirit.” The dragon’s wings opened up as he lifts into the air and more energy flows through, into, and around Spike “Now...be reborn as your true potential Spike...the Dragon Archmage of Equestria.”
Spike gasped in shock as a rush of knowledge, hundreds of hundreds of years just flowing into his mind at light speed and he let out the loudest roar he ever could.
At the base of the Crystal Castle
Cadence was beaten and bruised all over. Her horn sparking with barely any magic. She looked over, seeing Cynder also in pain as she stood over the still unconscious Spyro that Sparx was trying to wake up. Between her and the dragons was Sombra who was looking down at her with a sneer “Well well it seems that you finally hit your limit. A pity though I was starting to get board.” He leans down closer to her “Now if you just submit yourself under my rule I’ll let you live. If you are good, perhaps I’ll even make you one of my concubines.”
Cadence growled a bit as she used a bit of her strength to spit at Sombra’s face. The stallion hummed a bit to himself “A pity. But know this princess you will find peace a fleeting thing. I will make sure you suffer for as long as you amuse me.” He pulls himself up and turns around “Now it is time I return to my rightful…”
He didn’t finish as the air was suddenly filled with the loudest roar anypony ever heard. It was a kind of roar that made the Crystal ponies freeze up stiff and the Mane five to huddle together to comfort each other. Spyro was able to break out of whatever was keeping him unconscious as Cadence, Cynder and Sombra looked around for the source. As with most cases Cadence didn’t discover the source until she looked up at the top of the Castle and her eyes widen in shock and mouth agape.
Canterlot Castle
Luna could feel it in her body before her ears picked up the sound of such a primal roar. She was racing through the castle, abandoning her regalia in her haste to reach her sister’s room. All around, maids and guards were paused looking to find the source of the sound; the latter gripping onto their weapons in hopes of giving them some stability.
When she reached her sister’s chamber, she ignored all sense of decorum and protocol as she flung the doors open “SISTER ARE THOU HERE!”
“Over here Luna.” Celestia replied, no longer in her regalia, and standing out in her balcony. Luna walked over to stand by her sister wanting to tell her what she felt but her eyes could see the sight that Celestia’s own gaze was focused on.
“That light...it’s from the Crystal Kingdom.” Luna said as they saw the massive stream of green light shooting from the distance like a volcano.
Celestia shook her head “No my sister that isn’t light.” Luna managed to turn her gaze from the source towards her sister; her eyes asking the question she didn’t need to speak “That is dragon fire.”
Dragon Wastes
Dragon Lord Torch watched out at the green flame, his grip clutched on the Bloodstone Scepter as it glowed bright red. He could feel in his heart what his other older dragons felt, the desire to charge out to the source with all haste to witness the birth of a powerful dragon. Only the power of the scepter, made with the source of the great dragon god Bahumat, was keeping them in place but their roars echo the one coming from the green flame but weaker in compression.
“Father what is going on?” A voice sounded to his right. Glancing over, he saw his pride and joy Ember flying up to rest on his shoulder. His iron will heart soften at the sight of his daughter and he allowed the rarest of smiles to form on his face.
“I do not know for sure daughter...but I haven’t felt this kind of power since I was your age.” He returns his gaze back to the flame as it started to form into the shape of a dragon roaring in fury; wings spread out in defiance. “Whoever that dragon is, he is very powerful...the kind of power that could reshape the world if he so wished it.”
Ember was silent, unable to fully image there was something or someone out there stronger than her father. A very small part of her mind pondered the thinking the dragon was male and around the same age as her. Such a mate could sire a whole generation of powerful dragons and dragoness. She shook the thought out of her head as only a dragon going on centuries would have that kind of power.
At the top of the Crystal Castle
Twilight covered her eyes and ears as the white light was replaced with an overwhelming green fire and a roar that shook her soul and made her horn rattle threatening to crack from the sheer pressure. All around her the pillars, walls, floor, and ceiling were cracking from the pressure. Even the crystals trapping her were not safe as they were cracking faster then they could repair.
After a few moments though it felt much longer, Twilight felt the power energy halting and the roaring stop. She blinked a bit to try to refocus her gaze as a voice said “Twilight you okay?”
“Spike?” Twilight called out looking to the source only for her eyes to widen as they focus on the dragon.
Spike almost didn’t look like he was. While his height and build were the same that was the end of the similarities. For starters his scales now had these white streaks running all over his scales though she couldn’t tell from the distance but the white streaks were actually lines of runes. His horns grew two inches longer with the tip sparking in green white color. His claws were also sparking the same green white color. When Spike turned to face her, she saw his eyes were still green but now had a white blue glow behind them and floating inside of his eyes were some more runes.
Before Twilight could process what has happened, Spike blinked “Hold on Twi I’ll get you out of there.”
Twilight couldn’t see it but she could sense the change in the magical air around her. Letting out a gasp of shock; she saw the crystals that had been surrounding her were destroyed. Looking at Spike, she saw in his open palm a strange glyph of green orange energy forming around it in the shape of a circle. While she could see that inside the circle were several more lines and shapes; she was unable to study them further as they disappeared back into nothingness.
Spike raced over and picked up the stunned unicorn “Are you okay Twi?”.Closing her mouth that she only just realized was opened, she nodded which gave Spike a sigh of relief “Oh that is good cause I’m going to need you to trust me on this.” He looked out the window “I can sense the dark energies from Sombra approaching so we will have to take the express service down.”
“Express service? What do...you...MEEEEEAAAAAANNNN” Twilight asked before screaming out as Spike placed her on his back before rushing out of the opening between the pillars and entering a freefall down to the ground. Given her position, he was unable to safely open his wings to slow his descent but it didn’t matter as a cushion in the form of a corrupted stallion riding a dark crystal was approaching him just as he suspected.
Sombra, who was a bit shocked a first seeing a falling dragon with a pony on his back coming towards him, sneered a bit as his horn began to charge with magic. Spike, seeing the magical build up in his horn, quickly snapped his fingers, creating a spark of green purple lighting between them. Sombra grunted as he felt his magic disrupted somehow and quickly tried to recover but it was too late. With a twist of his body, Spike changed from a head first dive into a feet foot dive and landing a powerful kick with his right leg right on Sombra’s face.
Down below, Pinkie Pie shouted “RULES OF NATURE.” before letting out an eep as Applejack pulled her back into safety.
Sombra taking the full force of the kick with all the momentum was shot in the opposite direction and into the street; sliding and breaking up the road for a good quarter mile before stopping. Spike did several spins in the air to stabilize the last of his momentum before landing on the ground with a thud. Twilight not used to all of the sudden lateral movements, slide down Spike’s back and would have ended up on the ground if Cadence hadn’t caught her with her arms. Checking Twilight over and seeing that she was just a little dazed; she looked back at Spike “What happened up there?”
Spike turned around and rubbed the back of his head “Yeah um how do I explain this.” He pauses for a moment “Well simplest I can tell you is that I absorbed the Crystal Heart.”
Cadence’s eyes widen “You ABSORB the Crystal Heart?!”
Spikes shooks his arms in defense “Relax relax it’s only until we deal with Sombra. I promise to return it once we are done here.” He looks over at his teachers and Cadence “Oh hang on let me help you guys out.”
Cadence, Spyro, and Cynder watched as Spike’s hand opened up and a strange green pink heart formed in front of it; filled with detailed designs of butterflies, smaller hearts, unknown symbols, and symbols that the dragons recognized as their written language. Some of the words were of energy life and rejuvenation.
After three to five seconds, the three of them felt their energy and vitality being restored at a rate they couldn’t imagine. They were all surrounded by that same green purple energy that made them feel like they were relaxing as the greatest sauna in the universe. All of their minor cuts, scraps, and wounds were also healed up and the dull pain in their bodies was like a distant memory.
When Spike canceled his spell, he turned around to face Sombra who was getting back on his hooves looking a little mad. “Cadence take Twilight and make sure the Crystal Ponies are safe. Spyro and Cynder, I need your help in weakening Sombra enough for me to end it.”
Cadence nodded her head and flew off to where the rest of Twilight’s friends were waiting. Cynder shook her head in amusement “Feel like taking the lead in this fight huh Spike.” Smirking she dropped into an aggressive stance with her legs and wings spread out ready to move “Sounds like a good plan to me.”
“Agree.” Spyro replied also taking up position opposite of Spike “This I feel will be your final test young one.”
Sombra’s horn lit up and several black shards fired out at the dragons. Spyro and Cynder quickly took off into the air as Spike created another arcane circle this time around his legs and glowing cyan green. Anyone who was close enough could see several symbols of a lighting bolt mixed in with the other symbols and markings. Before the shards made contact with his body; the young dragon appeared to shift in and out of existence and disappear. Sombra looked around trying to figure out where he went but couldn’t as he was quickly bombarded with poison globs and fire balls.
Using his magic he summoned black crystals to hover in the air and defend himself from the barrage but he was too late in realizing it was a diversion. Reappearing in front of the stallion and behind his crystal defense; Spike spun his body around and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the stallion’s head. The dark magic blocking most of the damage but the force of the impact was still jarring. However, Spike wasn’t done as the red circles on the leg he used to deliver the kick glowed brightly before exploding in a force of electricity which was powerful enough to paralyze Sombra and shot him flying into the air.
In the air, he couldn’t summon his magic in time as Cynder summoned several torrents of wind which started slicing all over his body; damaging him and overworking his already taxed regeneration. Spyro then came up from above and summoned a massive green ball attached to a green chain. The green ball was covered in a layer of fire, ice, and lightning as the purple dragon of legend did a full three hundred and sixty degree spin holding onto the rope and smashing the ball into Sombra’s face.
As Sombra was making his rapid descent down, Spike’s arms and fingers were at work surrounded by white green circles. Summoned out of the ground were four large crystals but unlike the black ones that Sombra used these were pure white to the point that they could be mistaken for being made of glass.
When Sombra feel in the center of the four crystals, Spike snapped his fingers and four large strands of energy shot out and wrapped around his legs. Sombra let out a grunt and his horn alight with magic before fizzling out as the crystals began to suppress his dark magic. As the stallion tried in vain to free himself; Spike shifted his stance and the white green was now replaced by a mix of green, purple, pink, white, yellow, orange, and cyan. Spike slammed his open palms and a large ritual rune formed on the ground weaving a detail tapestry of arcane symbols and pictures of power. The ritual rune continued to grow in size until it touched each of the four crystals. Up above, Spyro and Cynder could see that inside the massive circle were six smaller circles which each having a picture exactly like the cutie marks of Spike’s friends.
When the ritual rune was complete, Spike pressed harder into the ground pouring his near limitless amount of magical power while shouting “Ritual Arts: Harmony’s Salvation.”
The clouds above parted the unnatural blizzard not strong enough to keep the sun light at bay. Spyro and Cynder were able to move out of the way as a large pillar of rainbow energy came down from the heavens itself and smashed right into Sombra. The Crystal Ponies, Mane Six, and Cadence were in awe at the sight of such a display that could be seen all over the world but they could also hear the screams of Sombra as he felt like his soul was being stripped away. Worse than the feeling all those years ago when the Royal Sister’s banished him and his kingdom.
As the beam continued to slam into Sombra, the corrupting horn on his head began to slowly peel away causing the stallion to scream louder. More and more the horn was being torn asunder and disintegrated and as this was happening; more and more of Sombra’s old memories began to return to him. The energy ropes binding him were long destroyed but he was still kept suspended in the air as the last of the Dark Master’s corruption was purged from his body and destroyed to never again threaten Equestria. Then and only then did Spike end the spell and the beam of rainbow light disappeared as mysteriously as it arrived.
What was left surprised many as it appeared like nothing happened when one would think there was to be a massive creator or something. Instead in the center of the blast on the ground was Sombra. His body no longer covered in the black haze and his horn returning back to a normal unicorn. He was of course unconscious left to swim in his own memories as his magic was almost gone from his body.
The deformed horn however was still in existence pulsing a glowing with dark energies as it floated in the air. Spike watched as an outline of a large dragon appeared around the horn and looked down at Spike in a sneer “You think that pitiful attack was going to stop me?” Its voice dark and deep though sounding like it was far away and close at the same time.
Spike however gave a smirk as Spyro and Cynder landed next to him “No I didn’t. I just wanted to make sure I separated you from Sombra.” He brought his arms up and smash his fist into the palm of his own hand creating a mini rainboom before phasing out at the speed of lightning. Spyro and Cynder took a deep breath before opening their mouths and releasing their combined Convexity powers against the spirit. The spirit let out a roar as the intense energies of dragon magic ripped at its weakened state. He tried to throw up some kind of defense but Spike wasn’t going to let that happen.
In a flash, Spike had appeared with his arm pulled back in a devastating haymaker. His fist glowing in Equestrian magic as he says “Equestrian Dragon Arts: True Harmony Strike.” The fist launched and connected right on the horn and in an instance a massive sonic rainboom shattered out smashing windows all over. Under the purification of Convexity and Harmony; the spirit’s fate was sealed as the horn was destroyed down to the atomic level and it faded away in a roar of anger and hatred.
With the battle now over and the residents looking on in awe at the tall dragon; they watched as he turned around and made his way towards the base of the castle. Cadence, Shining, Twilight and her friends were all there and they watched as Spike seemed to touch his chest. His body glowed as the white runes flowed from his body towards his chest until they were all gone. The drake smiled as he held out his hand revealing the Crystal Heart spinning softly in his grip and the sight of such an artifact let out a gasp of wonder from the Crystal Ponies.
Spike brought the Crystal Heart back to the center of the ritual magic site and saw two small needles come out, one from the top and the other from the bottom. The Crystal Heart rested between the tips and started to spin just a bit faster. All of the Crystal Ponies bowed their heads as the lines of the ritual magic started to glow. When there was enough power, the Crystal Heart span faster and faster until there was an explosion of white light that blinded Spike. As the explosion passed him by he heard that same voice once more “Well done young dragon. I expect great things of you.”