The Origin Chronicles Vol. 1

by SmokeShadow95

Ch.5 Crystal Beginnings

Since the incident on the train, Spike had gotten to the Crystal Palace much later than he intended. Instead of Princess Cadance he was greeted by a very nice and proper crystal guard pony who instructed him that the Princess and Prince had already gone to bed for the evening. He escorted Spike to his room and left him there for the rest of the night. Good thing too. Spike was beyond exhausted. He practically fell flat on the hard crystal floor and fell asleep there. He barely made it to the bed before slipping into blissful slumber.

Although his dreams were peaceful his awakening was not quite so. A loud banging at his door was the first thing he heard in the morning. And it was morning. Early morning. His window was open and all the early morning light was shining in and bouncing off the crystal. Everything was made of crystal. After spending so much time in the dark of night and shadows it would take Spike some time to get used to the blinding light here. The banging at his door persisted. He made his way over there and opened the door to find a surprise visitor. It was none other than the Captain of the Guard himself, and also Twilight's brother, Shining Armor.

“About time you woke up,” He said jokingly, “The guards told me you arrived late last night. Come on. I'll take you to breakfast.”

Spike hurried and grabbed his PAD coat that Rarity had made for him. It was his only official identification as the Princess Assistance Dragon so it felt right to where it.

“Sorry about that,” Spike said, “Helping out Princess Luna before this I guess I got used to sleeping in later into the day.”

“Makes sense,” Shining Armor said, “She is the Princess of the Night after all.”

Spike was glad that Shining Armor was so understanding, but something wasn't right. He had not said a thing about what happened yesterday. Or what didn't happen. Spike didn't show up when he was supposed to. He didn't want to make a bad impression on his first day as the PAD. Even though this was technically his second day. The rest of the time was silent. Shining Armor would occasionally glance back at Spike, but would look away quickly if Spike saw him glancing. Odd.

They walked into the dining hall and Princess Cadance was already there eating a nice bowl of oat cereal. But what Spike noticed first was the paper next to her. It was a newspaper. What would the princess of the Crystal Empire be doing with a newspaper? Reading it of course. But what was in it? Spike took a seat at the opposite end of the long table where the Prince and Princess sat. Without a word Cadance levitated the newspaper over to Spike. His worst fear was confirmed. All across the front page was him. Pictures and stories. He read the headline. Spike defeats Black Colt on way to Crystal Palace. He skimmed the article until he saw a name he recognized. Sally Silvertongue. OH MY! Overnight. She had gotten this story out overnight. She was good. Spike looked up at Princess Cadance with a look of utter fear and embarrassment. He felt like he was about to pass out.

“That face right there,” Princess Cadance said mischievously, “That is what I wanted to see.”

“You have no idea how hard it was not saying anything to him on the way here,” Shining Armor said with a chuckle.

“I'm sure I can imagine,” Cadance said seriously, “You see, Spike, I had this whole big celebration planned for your arrival. But you seemed to make your own arrival. And I had to read about it in this mornings paper. What have you got to say for this?”

Spike was speechless. He still hadn't recovered from seeing himself on the front page of the paper. He managed to raise one hand and get out a breath. He tried to speak, but not much came out.

“Oh-I, uh-there was a, train, thing, ooze-,colt,” He stammered.

“Relax, Spike,” Cadance said with a giggle, “I'm not mad at you.”

Spike was about to explode from all the pressure she just put on him and then she lands that on him. He couldn't take it. He fainted. Just fell out his chair. Cadence and Armor rushed over to him. He was twitching slightly on the floor.

“Too much,” Cadance asked worriedly.

“Yeah, maybe,” Shining Armor answered.

Spike awoke with a bit of a headache. Actually, it was a rather large headache. He sat up and the first thing he saw was Princess Cadance. Great. He almost fainted again.

“Wait! Stop,” She said, “I am sorry about earlier. I just wanted to have a bit of fun with an old friend. I didn't expect you to get hurt. Did I really scare you?”

“It was nerves mostly,” Spike said, “First that thing on the train, and then getting here late, and then I wake up to you and Shining Armor staring me down. It tends to turn a dragon into a nervous wreck.”

“I am sorry, Spike,” Cadance said.

She leaned in with her horn and lightly tapped Spike's head. His headache faded quickly before going away entirely. She then got up and handed Spike his coat.

“That is a very nice coat,” She said, “Another one of Rarity's creations I take it.”

“Of course,” Spike said proudly, “It is also my only PAD identification.”

“I see,” Cadance responded with authority, “Well then you shall make sure to wear it when you are out and about. Understood?”

“Yes, Princess,” Spike said.

For the rest of the day Princess Cadance went over Spike's duties. He would be doing quite a lot while at the Crystal Palace, but he was used to it. His day started at the records office. The Princess received a lot of letters about disputes out in the Crystal Empire. Part of Spike's duties would be to go out and assist in the ending of these disputes. Awesome, thought Spike. Next they moved on to the kitchen. More specifically, the pantry. Another part of Spike's job was to make sure that the cooks had everything they needed in stock and ready to cook. Cool, thought Spike. They moved on from there to the forge. Cadance explained that the forge was in need of maintenance. Okay, thought Spike. The last stop on their tour was the throne room. The last part of Spike's job was the hardest of them all. Hiring.

“All the jobs I need you to do, Spike,” Cadance said, “I used to have ponies for all of them. Local farmers would sell a portion of their crops to the cooks for food. My forge master is gone and he was the only pony who could repair the guards armor and weapons. And the records used to be kept by a pony who recently quit. She was getting on in years though. So I need you to either find replacements or convince everypony to take their old jobs back.”

“Okay, Princess,” Spike said confidently, “I won't let you down.”

“Really,” Cadance said with genuine surprise, “Thank you so much, Spike. This will help me out greatly. You have no idea.”

“Well, I better go and get started,” Spike said.

“Oh, just one more thing,” Cadance said, “Your other bags are still at the train platform. You might want to pick those up at some point soon.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Spike said before running off to collect the rest of his stuff.

It was getting late into the afternoon now. Spike was sure that many ponies would be heading home after a long day at work. He was wrong. The streets of the Crystal Empire were buzzing with activity. It was about as far from the somewhat empty streets he was expecting as it could get. And it only got worse when somepony noticed him and announced it to the entire population. Within minutes everypony in the Crystal Empire knew who he was, where he was, and what he was doing. That last one came due to his coat. He had to push his way through the crowds of ponies so he could run away from those same crowds. He had to remember to thank Rarity whenever he got back to Ponyville. That coat made it a lot easier for him to be spotted. He was able to get to the train platform without too many mobs after him. It was mainly just one big one that slowly got smaller. Whew. Spike walked through the gates and was immediately greeted again.

“Thought you forgot about me,” Smoke Shadow said.

“Oh my,” Spike said, “You scared the jeepers out of me.”

“Sorry, young blood,” He said, “But there is an issue.”

He pointed to the gate that separated the city from the platform.

“There are special runes inscribed that were not here the last time I was. Probably due to that incident with King Sombra. Anyway, I can't get in.”

“What,” Spike said with surprise, “But then how are you going to teach me dragon magic? And why can't you get in? Do the runes block dragon magic?”

“Listen, young blood,” Shadow said, “I am a dragon of the shadows, or have you not noticed that? King Sombra used the shadows, too. While pony and dragon may be different the runes block both.”

“Then how are you going to get in,” Spike said.

“With sacrifice, young blood,” Shadow said, “With sacrifice.”

Spike loaded up his few bags onto the cart that was provided. The Crystal Empire was a big place and he was not going to walk everywhere Princess Cadance provided him with a pony drawn cart. As he set off to go and passed through the gate he was stopped. Apparently, he set off some sort of magic alarm. Shining armor came out immediately after he found out who it was. He asked the guard what was wrong. He had found black crystal gems in a bag of Spike's. Shadow gems. Shining Armor was shocked.

“Why do you have these, Spike,” He accused.

“I didn't know they were shadow gems, I swear,” Spike defended, “I thought they all disappeared when King Sombra was defeated. I found these just now and thought they looked kinda tasty. I haven't had a nice juicy gem in a few days now.”

“Trust me, Spike, you do not want to eat these,” Armor said, “These are full of darkness and hate.”

Shining Armor told Spike that a few clusters of shadow gems were found every couple of weeks. It was just a misunderstanding and Spike was allowed to go on his merry way. That was very close though. Spike followed the script that Shadow had provided though. He was getting good at the acting thing. Shadow told him his skill in deception were improving. Spike found that both comforting and disturbing. He wanted to train on dragon magic, but he was getting better at lying while doing it. He did not like that aspect of it. So he would aspire to do it as little as possible from here on out. He rode on the cart back to the palace. It was getting late now, really late, and the ponies were heading back to their homes now. Spike could use a good nights sleep. His busy schedule officially started tomorrow.

The next day started off pretty good for Spike. His dreams were pleasant. He got a good nights sleep. He woke up rested and full of energy. He put on his PAD coat and headed out for his first day on the job. He brought the Night Calling Mirror with him. It fit right into an inside pocket in his coat. He went down to Records and grabbed a stack of dispute papers. There sure were a lot of ponies with problems in the Crystal Empire. Cadence did say she used to have a pony to handle these. This must be the backlog. So he headed out for the first one on the list.

He ended up in the middle of a feud between two shop owners. One claimed the other was stealing customers with false advertising and phony products. The other claimed that his product were the genuine thing and the first pony sold the false products. Ehh, it was going to be a long day for Spike. He had just gotten them to stop yelling at each other for the first time in what seemed to be a long while. Spike was under even more pressure now that a crowd had gathered to watch as he settled this.

“Now I have questions,” Spike started, “And you will answer them clearly and without interrupting the other. I will address one pony and the other will wait to speak. I will hear both ponie's arguments and come to a fair conclusion that both will abide by. Do you both agree to these terms?”

The two shop ponies glared at each other and then nodded to Spike. So far, so good. He could hear from behind him that some of the other ponies were impressed. That boosted his confidence a little and he needed it. He was shaking so much that he worried he would crack the crystal he stood on. He was one stupid comment away from being the laughingstock of the Crystal Empire. He turned to the first shop pony. He labeled him Pony 1 in his head.

“What do you sell at your shop,” Spike asked Pony 1.

“I sell antique crystal artifacts, from spoons to statues. If it is crystal and antique then I sell it,” Pony 1 said.

“What do you sell at your shop,” Spike asked Pony 2.

“I sell brand new, high quality crystal products. They are strong, sturdy and have a lifetime guarantee,” Pony 2 explained.

“And what is your problem with this pony,” Spike asked Pony 2.

“My problem is that his so called 'antiques' are not antiques,” Pony 2 said accusingly, “No pony eats with antique silverware or uses antique plates for everyday meals and yet he sells 'em left and right. If ponies buy antiques from him then they should be buying the new stuff from me, but I don't get no customers. He pulls them in with false antiques and makes sure I don't get 'em.”

“And you,” Spike asked Pony 1, “Same question.”

“My problem is that he is always accusing me of having bad goods,” Pony 1 explained, “My goods are the genuine article and he knows it. His goods are the bad ones. He says they are strong and brand new, but all his products are old and brittle that break right after ponies buy them. That is why he has no customers. He's just mad and trying to blame it on me.”

“Okay. I have heard both arguments,” Spike said, “And I have a few more questions. First question. How do you two know so much about the others products and goods?”

It was a smart and sensible question. The two ponies each looked awkwardly away from Spike and each other and everyone pretty much. Then the yelling started back up. They both knew the other had been in their shop and were not happy about it. That is when spike got an idea. A way to settle this once and for all. He asked the two shop ponies two bring a sample from their shops. Nothing too expensive. Pony one produced a nice antique china plate that was supposedly over a century old. Pony 2 produced a nice sparkly new fork. It looked strong and sturdy. Spike took both items and shocked everybody with his next move. He took a bite out of both items. Both shop ponies nearly fainted on the spot and all the ponies in the crowd were whispering back and forth. Spike finished eating his snack and handed the items back.

“I have come to a conclusion,” He said firmly, “Neither of you are right.”

“WHAT?!?!,” Was the collective answer from everypony there.

“Both the items you brought me were among your finest products I'm guessing,” Spike said, “But they were both the same age. Neither item was antique or brand new. They were simply made with different crystals that gave the items different appearances, like one appearing old and the other new.”

“So, what do we do now,” The two shop ponies asked.

“Basically, you both sell the same product,” Spike said, “Have you ever considered combining both shops into one? It is either that or keep yelling at each other and lose all your customers. No pony wants to buy from an angry shop owner. It sends a bad image.”

The ponies behind Spike all nodded in agreement to Spike's words. The two shop ponies looked at each other and finally agreed to talk about combining the shops. They did agree to the terms of Spike's dispute settling skills after all. Whew. That was way more intense than Spike had anticipated. And he had a whole stack of these, but at least he had a system. If he followed that he would be fine. And so he went around the Crystal Empire solving ponies problems for them.

The next after the two shop ponies was between two farmers who were having boundary issues. One was an carrot farmer and the other a potato farmer. They were arguing over where one's property ended and the others began. Both ponies how their families had been their for generation so Spike saw and easy fix. He took both ponies to the records room and found an old map of the property lines. As it turns out, the potato farmer was right. His claim to the land was valid. The carrot farmer could not argue with history. He apologized to the potato farmer and said he would return the land at the end of harvest season. As payment, Spike was able to get them both to provide food to the cooks at the castle. They agreed it was the least they could do. It was around noon by then and Spike was getting hungry. He went back to his room so he could talk to Shadow before eating. He had been looking for a place to practice dragon magic and Spike wanted to know how he was doing. He pulled the mirror out and called Shadow.

“I was wondering when you were going to get around to calling me,” Shadow said.

“Sorry, but this schedule Princess Cadance has me on doesn't leave me a lot of time to myself,” Spike told him, “But I was able to get some food for the cooks so that will provide a little bit of room hopefully.”

“Not enough, but I believe I have the solution,” Shadow said, “I believe I have found you both a Records Keeper and a Forge Master.”

“Really,” Spike said, “Where?”

“The eastern point of the city,” Shadow said, “A small house with a few too many ponies in it.”

“I will look into them tomorrow,” Spike said, “But first I have to get some lunch.”

Spike released Shadow from the call and went to find some lunch. He was about to leave and get some lunch at one of the many restaurants he passed in the Crystal Empire the past couple day. However, he was stopped by the Princess. She wanted to talk about his first day.

“Your first day on the job and you manage to settle two pony disputes and find the cooks in the kitchen potatoes and carrots,” She stated, “Well done, Spike.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Spike said, “You know, I was just about to get some lunch if you want to come with me.”

Princess Cadance politely turned down the invitation. She was much to busy for that. So Spike went out and found a nice little restaurant that actually had gems on the menu and he had his fill. His new job payed rather well, so he could afford it.

After lunch he went out and settled another pony dispute. This one was larger than the first two. It involved five ponies. Three colts and two mares. Two colts and two mares found this old pony relic and sold it to the fifth pony. Apparently, the bits went missing and they don't know who took the money. This was going to be a tough one. They had been out there for three days now. Spike listened to all of them accuse one another and advocate themselves. The old pony relic was still there, at least. It was something. Spike looked it over. He could definitely tell it was old, but something about wasn't quite right. His decision for the day was for everypony to go home and get a full nights sleep. They argued at first until he threatened to take the relic and the money as a donation to the Crystal Palace history archive and treasury. That was it for that day. It was getting late and he made his way back to the Crystal Palace.

He got back to the Crystal Palace after dark and he was about to enter when a shadow caught his attention. To be more precise, it was the Shadow in the shadow. Spike followed him down a side corridor. He stayed to the shadows as best he could, but he could not hide in them the way Smoke Shadow could. It was as if he became the shadows. Like they consumed him and yet he was able to move freely within them. Eventually, Spike was led to a statue at the end of a long corridor. It was a statue of a dragon. It was carved out of a lovely purple crystal substance. Shadow stepped out and placed a hand on the slab of crystal it was sitting on. A hidden door in the wall next to the statue opened up and Shadow quickly whisked away inside with Spike hot on his heels. He led Spike down a flight of stairs that opened up into a large circular area. It was the perfect place for practicing magic. Spike questioned that decision. This place was literally right under the Crystal Palace.

“That is part of what makes it perfect, young blood,” Shadow said, “Who would think to ever look here. Plus, with a few spells added on these crystal are perfect for absorbing magical energy. Great for concealing spells gone awry.”

Now that Spike knew where the secret training area was, he was allowed to go back to his room for some sleep. Shadow added a minor enchantment to his coat before he left, however. As long as Spike was wearing the coat he would nearly invisible while in the shadows. A guard could look right at him and not know he was there unless Spike moved or made a sound. Useful until he learned to do it on his own. Shadow also gave him a few more pieces of advice. A lot about magic is observation. Spike walked back to his room noting in his mind where all the guards were and where all exits were and the useful information he might need in the future. He stuck to the shadows and no pony saw him, except for the guard stationed outside his door. He was going to be a problem. But not that night. Spike just went to bed. The next day he had to see to those two ponies Shadow told him about.

So the next day he got up and put his coat back on. He ate a quick breakfast with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor and told them his plans for the day. When asked how he found those two ponies Spike said he noticed them yesterday, but it was too late to approach them. That answer seemed enough to satisfy Cadance's curiosity and Spike went off to see to those two ponies.

He found them with Shadow's guidance from the mirror. He had to step into a secluded shadow every time he had to use it though. He hoped no pony noticed or else he might be questioned on it. Why was he acting so unusually? The heat would be his answer. It was a brutally hot day and the coat did get warm, but he was a dragon. It did not bother him. Shadow pointed out the two ponies. The Forge Master candidate was a massively built young colt named Strikefire. Name seemed appropriate. He did run a forge. It was a small one he ran with another colt. A younger brother it seemed. Anyway, Spike approached him nervously. This was a big pony after all. He would give Bic Macintosh pause.

“Excuse me,” Spike said, “Can I talk to you?”

“Sorry, but I am busy,” Strikefire replied.

“I need to talk to you about a forge,” Spike tried.

It seemed the word forge was the word to use to get a smith to stop working.

“What about my forge,” Strikefire said defensively.

“Oh, no. Not your forge. A forge,” Spike explained, “The royal forge to be exact, at the Crystal Palace.”

“What about it,” Strikefire asked.

“It needs a new forge master,” Spike said, “And I would like that forge master to be you.”

“And just who are you to giving away such a job,” Strikefire asked.

“Spike the dragon,” Spike replied, “Assistant to the Princess.”

Spike turned around to show Strikefirehis coat. He seemed to be judging Spike still. It was several moments before he said anything.

“You are serious, aren't you,” Strikefire asked.

“Very,” Spike said, “The Princess needs guards with good armor. They can't have good armor without a good forge. And a good forge needs a good Forge Master. That could be you.”

“What about my forge here,” Strikefireasked, “I serve all the common folk that need things forged too. I can't just leave them high and dry.”

“Let me take over.”

It was Strikefire's younger brother. His name was Hammer Falls. Also an appropriate forge name. He seemed like a very competent smith, but Spike did not know that much about the subject. He left the two brothers to talk about it while he found the new record keeper. She was also in the family, but she didn't look like it. She was older than both the brothers but less than half their size. Spike found her in the front yard of their house looking over a bunch of papers. She didn't even notice Spike as he walked up. He waited a moment to see if she would notice. She didn't. She was as bad as Twilight when she was caught up in a book.

“Hello,” Spike said kindly.

What happened next was in no way what Spike expected. As soon as the word left his lips the mare leaped into the air in fright and took off like her life depended on it. She hid behind a crystal tree stump. She was quivering behind her glasses.

“Hello,” Spike repeated, “I would like to talk to you.”

Spike was getting nowhere with her. He looked down at the papers she was looking over. They seemed to be property sheets and prices for forge materials and how much the forge produced. It seemed to Spike they would not make enough to buy new material. He bent down to pick up a piece of paper when the mare came flying out of nowhere and scooped up everything and flew back to her hiding spot.

“You shouldn't touch other people's things,” She said quietly.

“You can talk,” Spike said, “Good. You really like scrolls and books, don't you?”

She nodded.

“What If told you I was offering you a job where you work with books and scrolls all day every day,” Spike asked.

The mare perked her ears up. She was interested now. Spike could tell. She was just as shy as Fluttershy, but had the same love of books that Twilight did. He was prepared for a conversation like this.

“I can even make it better,” Spike said, “The job is at the Crystal Palace, in the Records room.”

The mare stood fully upright with wonder in her eyes. She flew up so close to Spike he could see his reflection in her glasses.

“Are you serious,” She asked with surprise.

“Very,” Spike answered plainly.

“Then of course I will do,” She shouted, “How could I say no to an offer like that? Rhetorical question. I can't!”

“By the way, my name is R.C. Keeper,” She said, “But what about my brother, Hammer, and Strikefire?'

“Don't worry, 'lil sis,” Strikefire said, “I was offered a job, too. I am the new forge master at the Crystal Palace and Hammer will run the forge here at home.”

Spike's work was done. He told them both to report to the palace the beginning of the next week. They both seemed ecstatic about it. The increase in money would definitely help their family. He only saw the three of them, but Shadow said there were more ponies and Spike trusted him. Now was his chance to go and learn some magic.

He reported to the secret room as instructed by Shadow. And now he was learning some real dragon magic. First lesson was focus. Spike had to learn to focus his energy in such a way that he could get a specific result at a specific time. Without focus the magic was unstable and dangerous. Shadow knew he could do it. He did it on the train with Sally Silvertongue. While she was talking him into oblivion. So that was his test.

Shadow taught him how to conjure a small flame away from him without using his breath. On his first attempt he barely got a spark on the ground. The next time he got several sparks, but no flame. It took several tries before he got even a flicker. He was so proud of himself that he lost focus on the flame and it when it out. After he knew he could do it, producing the flame was easier until he could make it and sustain it. But that was only one half of the test. Spike progressed to the point where he could produce a flame as big as he was. Then Shadow roared at him. Spike jumped and the flame went out.

“What was that for,” Spike asked.

“Training,” Shadow said, “There will always be distractions in the world. Either you learn to keep your focus with those distractions going on or you do not learn magic. You know what I said about unfocused magic.”

“It is unstable and dangerous,” Spike repeated for the hundredth time.

“Good,” Shadow said, “Again.”

And so this was the routine for the next two weeks. Spike would sneak away to the secret room in the evening and practice with Smoke Shadow. For two weeks it was nothing but focus training. Spike thought he had good tolerance before, but he had no idea the things Shadow could come up with. The voices, the images, the sounds. It was terrible and infuriating. But after two weeks Spike finally was able to keep his focus throughout the entire volley Shadow threw at him. Spike was learning fast. He had a natural gift for magic.

Shadow had also taught him a few other spells during those two weeks. Simple things. Small object levitation. Spike managed to get the entire contents of a guest room off the ground with minimal effort. Al of it. The bed, the table, the chairs, and everything else. That was about it. He also taught him a vision spell. Night vision. He could see in the dark with perfect clarity, but for only about half an hour at a time. It was still quite an achievement for such a new student.

And so the training went on like this. Two weeks turned into three and three weeks turned into two months. Spike had grown into more than just magic. He started to notice physical changes to his body. He had gotten taller. Not too much, but enough to make his coat feel a little short. And his limbs were bigger. Not just due to his change in size. It was muscle. Not a lot, but enough to notice. Another thing that made his coat feel tight. His spikes, too had changed. They were just the tiniest bit longer and sharper. His claws too. He needed a new coat. He did not want to risk damaging the one Rarity made him. He asked Shadow about the changes and he said it was normal. With all the energy moving through his body to create magic his body needed to be strong. That is all the changes were. Cool.

He decided to go out to get another coat made. He would leave his old one alone. A reminder of what he use to be like. Small and useless. He was folding it up when the Night Calling Mirror fell out of the inside pocket. He had forgotten he had it. He picked it up and looked over the immaculate frame. Luna. He had not talked to her in two months. He really needed to call her. But it was the middle of the day. She would be sleeping. He would call her that night. And if he was late to magic practice he was sure Shadow would understand. He was Luna's friend too.

So he time to kill before nightfall. He went out into the city and found a good clothing shop. He waited for a few moments before being seen. These two lovely mares ran the clothing shop and were buzzing with excitement when they saw who was in their shop.

“Hello,” Spike said shyly, “I need this coat remade in a bigger size.”

“Well I can see why,” Said one of the mares, a unicorn.

She grabbed the tape measure with her magic and measured Spike up, down, sideways, and a few ways he wasn't sure were needed for a coat. He lay the coat down on the counter so the two mares could look at it.

“Exquisite craftsmanship,” The other mare said, and earth pony.

“Yes, quite,” The unicorn said, “You want it the same, but a size bigger? That's all?”

“Yeah,” Spike said, “I just need a bigger coat, not a new one.”

“Shame,” The two said in unison.

He made sure they would not alter they original in any way before leaving. They promised and Spike left. They said they would have his coat down by that evening. He had some time left over so he decided to go and visit some of the people he had met during his stay at the Crystal Empire. He started with R.C. Keeper the new Records keeper at the Crystal Palace.

He found buried under a pile of scrolls, like usual. She popper her head up when she heard Spike's voice. He was almost bigger than she was now. He visited her the day she took the job after his first visit at her house, but had not been to see her since. Two months is a long time. She seemed overjoyed to see him. They sat and talked and she thanked him a million time, at least, for getting her this job. She had the whole record keeping system overhauled and a new one put in place with the first two weeks of taking the job. Now she had every scrap of paper in the palace recorded and filed away somewhere. Good for her. Well, she had to get back to work so Spike headed over to see her brother.

Hammer Falls was the perfect pony for the forge master. And even though Spike had grown Hammer still looked like the same massive pony he always was. That was what made him good at his job. With his size he could do almost everything in the forge himself, even if he did have two other apprentice smiths working for him. He took a few moments out of forging to talk to Spike. Hammer thanked him again for getting him that job as the forge master. He loved the work. The heat of the forge. The sound of the hammer on the metal. The feeling of the steam coming of a hot blade that had just been put into water. He gave Spike a pat in the back and nearly sent out a window. His brute strength was almost unbelievable at times. Then Spike remembered what he did for a living. Hammer went back to his forge and Spike went on to the dining hall. It was almost dinner time. After which, he would pick up his new coat and call Luna with the mirror.

He sat at the table with Cadance and Shining Armor. This was the first meal he had with them in almost a month. It was nice to sit down and eat with them again.

“My, my, Spike,” Cadance said, “You sure have grown. I mean, do you even fit into that coat Rarity made for you anymore?”

“No, I don't,” Spike said, “And that is why I am having a new one made. I found a nice little shop in the city.”

“I wish you would have said something,” Cadance said, “I could have had one of my finest clothing makers make one for you.”

“Thanks for the offer, Princess,” Spike said, “But I like going to the shops in the city. I may sleep in the palace, but being in the city helps the city ponies feel more comfortable with me and it allows me to help them more.”

“I completely understand,” Cadance said, “Maybe I should venture out into the city more often. I used to before I got stuck with so much to do.”

Cadance stopped after she said that. Spike had been here for three months already and she really didn't have that much to do anymore. He found a pony for the forge. He found a Records keeper. He got two ponies to provide food and those two got many more ponies to provide even more food.

“I guess I don't have as much to do as I thought,” Cadance said.

It was as if the concept of free time confused her. It was like a foreign idea that came from a far away place. The look on Cadance's face make Spike snicker. He finished his meal and headed to the shop to pick up his new coat.

The two mares did an excellent job crafting his new coat. It was just like the old one. Black material with a red lining and trim. With the letters PAD on the back in white. It went down to his legs with a split down the middle of the back for his tail. It was even the same material as the old one. Spike was greatly impressed that a small shop in the Crystal Empire could match Rarity's work so well. That's when he noticed one small change. Under the flap on the right side it said something. Spike. It was not the same as the Rarity's, but that mad Rarity's all the more special. He paid the ponies and left the shop with both his coats. He then returned to his room to call Luna. It was after dark and she would be awake.

He pulled the Night Calling Mirror out of his backpack. It seemed so small in his larger hands. But that did not bother him at the moment. He simply held up the mirror and did what Luna taught him months ago.

“The night calls you, Luna,” Spike whispered.

Luna noticed the large mirror in her room start to activate. She rushed over as the ring of smoke was dissipating. She was overjoyed to see Spike's face, and Spike felt the same way about Luna.

“Spike,” Luna said with much excitement, “It's been months. I was worried you had forgotten about the mirror.”

“Not a chance,” Spike said, “I could never forget the chance to call you, Luna.”

“How have you been,” Luna asked, “You certainly have grown.”

“It is the magic,” Spike told her, “Shadow says my body needs to change to handle the increased magical energy.”

“So you are getting quiet skilled with dragon magic, yes,” Luna asked.

“Yeah, I am,” Spike answered, “But I don't want to talk about that right now.”

So Spike and Luna just stayed and talked for what seemed like hours. Luna had to go help a pony in need a few times, but Spike didn't mind. He was just glad he was able to see her again and able to talk to her.

He told her stories of his time after he left Canterlot. He told her of the train terror. She gasped in horror and cheered in delight at Spike's heroics. He told her of the prank Princess Cadance pulled on him. She couldn't help but laugh at that one. He told him of all the ponies he's met here. R.C. Keeper, Hammer Falls, and all the ponies he's helped by resolving their disputes. He told her about the five pony relic sale. As it turns out the relic that was found wasn't really a relic. It was just an old rock strategically shaped and worn to look like a relic to scam money out of ponies buying relics. It was quite the operation Spike busted. Luna told him that many of the castle staff missed him. Especially the kitchen. They really enjoyed making gem cakes for his colossal appetite. They talked and laughed deep into the night. Until it was cut off. By Smoke Shadow.

With a wave of his claws he sent the mirror across the room. It hit the wall with a shattering amount of force. Each of the shards of broken mirror that hit the floor just made Spike angrier and angrier. He turned on Smoke Shadow. It was obvious he did not intend to break the mirror, but Spike was not thinking clearly enough to see that. Smoke Shadow only saw rage in his eyes. He opened a shadow portal to the secret training area just as Spike tackled him through it. They landed in the training area and Shadow closed the portal.

“Why,” Spike yelled.

“You missed your training,” Shadow said.

Spike growled and hurled a magic blast at him. It was more powerful than any he had thrown before. Shadow easily deflected it.

“I saw what you were doing and needed to get your attention,” Shadow continued.

Spike responded with more magic blasts. Shadow easily deflected them again. But Shadow taught Spike more spells than just that. One of the more advanced spells that Spike was taught. Focused energy around the claws to increase power. Spike could barely sustain it, but he had more power now. And Shadow saw this. Spike lunged at him with slashing claws and swinging tail. Shadow had included a few dragon combat lessons in his magic training. Spike was making full use of them. But he was young, inexperienced, and angry. Shadow easily flowed around him. But Spike was a quick learner and an adapter. He quickly saw what Shadow was doing and changed tactics to land a blow directly to his chest. Spike followed this small attack up with a tail whip to the legs that put Shadow nearly on the floor. Spike finished putting him there with a direct force hit to the face. As Shadow's back hit the floor he was already up again. Telekinesis was one of Spike's strongest abilities. He put Shadow in his feet again before blasting him in the chest with another volley of magic blasts. Shadow was sent directly to into a crystal wall. Then it struck him. Not Spike, but a thought. He looked over at Spike. He was just standing there. His eyes were glowing green and an aura of green energy flowed around his claws. Only powerful dragon magic users could do that, but there was something more. Spike was angered and yet he managed to hit Shadow. Over and over. The combination of attacks Spike used was strategical genius. He knew what had to be done.

He smoked his way to the middle of the training area hoping to catch Spike off guard. But that was what he always did. Spike saw it coming and he was ready with claws out. Unfortunately for Spike, Shadow was several moves ahead of him. He was able to predict every move Spike was about to make with remarkably good accuracy.

With one move, he had Spike's claws away from his body and had planted stunning magic blast in his chest. Spike was sent backwards, but stayed on his feet. A surprising feat. Spike was more powerful then he thought, but he was not immune. Shadow had managed to paralyze him for the precious seconds he would need to build up energy. Spike did not agree and managed to fight through the spell. Shadow had one risky idea. Spike came running at him full speed. In one quick move Shadow had pushed him out of a dead on sprint and gotten behind him. He placed a clawed hand on Spike's head and continued with his plan. He focused all the energy he built up in the instant that he had before Spike got loose.

“Slumber, dragon,” He said aggressively, “And rest your weary soul.”

There was no immediate sign. Spike was still writhing to get out. His feet came up in a swift and hard hit to Shadow's head. They stopped just inches short of his face. Spike fell limp. This happened just as Luna appeared in Shadow's Night Calling Mirror. He had a large standing one like Luna and she saw Spike go down.

“What are you doing, Smoke Shadow,” She practically yelled.

“I accidentally broke the mirror you gave him,” Shadow admitted.

“You did what,” Luna hissed the words in such a way that the shadows didn't even feel safe for Smoke Shadow.

“Spike became enraged and berserk.,” Shadow said, “I had to use a very potent sleep spell. And a very potent immobilization spell. He will wake up tomorrow morning with no memory of what happened and bad headache, but that is all.”

“We don't talk for months and you break his only way of communicating with me,” Luna says, “I am not surprised he became enraged.”

“You missed the part where he went berserk,” Shadow said.

“I don't care how angry he beca-,” Luna stopped talking to think about his words.

“You don't mean angry do you,” Luna asked after a moment.

“No, I mean power,” Shadow said, “A rush of magical energy so pure and untainted that any spell he cast would have triple the power behind it.”

Shadow and Luna looked at Spike's sleeping body as they both came to the same conclusion. For Luna it was terrible news. Shadow did not know what to make of it.

“Spike is a Mystik,” They said in unison.

Mystiks were myths even among dragons. Everything about them focused on magic. Mystiks were beings who could tap into the very soul of the magic that was inside them. That equilibrium and balance gave them incredible power. These were the dragons that made every advancement in dragon magic. They were the unicorns of the dragons. Myth says that not all dragon magic died. Myth says that some of the more powerful dragon Mystiks were able to retain there power from Star Ethereal's spell, but it was unclear how such a feat was possible. There were myths about them long before the war started and even more after the war ended. But now they were as forgotten as dragon magic. Until Spike came along. A true myth in a coat of scales and fire in his soul.

Comments

[Aura Zero]

Well, that was interesting... And rather awesome. Nice little fight scene, although there needs to be a few edits here and there. Grammar and dialogue is dwindling slightly. Also, it's best if you put an exclamation point instead of a comma when you have someone yelling in dialogue.

An example of a grammar mistake:

She then got up and handed Spike his coat.

Cadence is a pony. She has hooves. 'Hoofed' is better terminology.

Also, there were a few places where explaining things would be better if you added dialogue instead of narrating it. Those tend to drag on a little when over explained. Still good chapter regardless and will be continuing. Looking forward to seeing how Spike will react when he wakes and sees his mirror broken and no idea why.

[Love able chaos]

So Spike's a mystic...yeah I can work with that.