Aggressively Small

by ShowShine

Saving the Empire

Darks shadows started to approach the Empire at a rapid pace. Sombra grinned and let out a throaty laugh. It made a chill run up Spikes spine. Shining Armor looked at Twilight.

“The Crystal Empire is under attack.” He said. Cadance stood up, regaining consciousness. Shining Armor nuzzled her, making her smile. Her horn glowed brightly, causing the bubble to reappear. The bubble chopped of half of Sombra’s horn, causing him to screech in pain. The broken horn fell to the ground, causing black crystals to grow from the ground. From the outside of the bubble, Spike could hear muffled growls and snarls coming from Sombra. Cadance kneeled down, struggling to keep her magic together.

“I have to find the crystal heart.” Shining Armor said, getting ready to take off. Twilight shook her head and pushed him back.

“No, you stay here with Cadance. She needs you, Shining Armor. I'll retrieve the Heart.” Twilight said.

“I can help, my nose is made for sniffing out gems.” Spike said. Cadance leaned on Shining Armor as Twilight and Spike ran off of the balcony. Peewee clung onto Spikes tail in order to keep up.

“You look for the heart, I need to tell make sure our friends hide the heart.” Twilight said. Spike nodded his head. He continued to run down the hallway as she ran down the stairs that led out of the castle. Spike slowed down. He pulled Peewee off of his tail and looked out the window. Crystal ponies were now cowering in fear from this close encounter to Sombra and a majority of them decrystalized. This wasn’t good at all.

“Even if we do find the Heart, I don’t think they have enough magic to protect the empire.” Spike thought out loud. Peewee noticed his worry and rubbed up against his hand. He pet his head softly, letting the soft feathers stick between his fingers.

“Okay, time to find the Heart.” Spike said while walking away from the window. He started to sniff around the castle, looking for any type of scent from the Heart. The whole castle was made of crystals so all he could get was a bunch of different smells.

“This is going to be harder than I thought.” Spike muttered to himself.

---

“Girls, we have a problem.” Twilight said while walking over to her friends.

“What is it darling? Did I not make enough hats? I knew this would happen.” Rarity said. Twilight shook her head and started to speak in a low whisper.

“I need to find the real Crystal Heart.” She said in a whisper. Rainbow dash tilted her head.

“What do you mean the real Crystal Heart?” Rainbow Dash asked. Twilight looked around to make sure nobody could hear them.

“The Crystal Heart is what we need to lift everyone’s spirits so the empire can be protected. Without the real one, it won’t work. King Sombra hid it and I’m going to go look for it.” Twilight said.

“What do you need us to do?” Applejack asked.

“Make sure nobody looks at the Crystal Heart, and try to keep everyone’s spirits up.” Twilight ordered. They all nodded there heads and ran off in different directions. Rainbow Dash yanked a flag down from a pole and threw it over the fake Crystal Heart. A decrystalized stallion started to approach the Heart, but got turned around by Pinkie Pie shoving corn in his mouth. He turned back into crystal quickly and happily munched on the corn. Twilight ran back into the castle and upstairs. She turned around to see Soike on his hands and knees. He moved a large rug out of the way and his hands were pressed firmly on the floor. A large throne sat behind him. It wasn’t the same one Cadance was sitting on earlier.

“What are you doing?” Twilight asked. Spike looked up.

“I can smell the Heart, it’s down here.” Spike said. Twilight tilted her head.

“Are you sure? That’s just a floor.” Twilight said. Spike nodded his head.

“I’m definitely sure. It’s the only thing that smells different from everything else. It smells rare too.” Spike stated. Twilight walked over to where he was sitting and knocked her hoof on the floor. It was hollow.

“There’s no handle or anything so I don’t know how to get it.” Spike said. Twilight put her hoof on her chin, pondering for a moment. She looked up at the throne to see the same type of crystal Celestia used. She let out a small gasp.

“This isn’t where Kig Sombra lived in the past!” Twilight exclaimed. Spike cocked an eyebrow.

“Isn’t this the same castle?” He asked. Twilight nodded her head.

“Yes, but this isn’t what it looked like in the past.” She stated. She levitated Spike and Peewee next to her. Twilight closed her eyes tightly and let her horn glow. Her eyes clenched tighter, her body strained as her magic got darker and she let out small grunts. The sides of her eyes revealed shadows, resembling to Sombras. Soon her magic turned completely black and a dark beam hit the crystal. Darkness burst out of the crystal and a shadow looked over the floor, making a rectangle. The floor shook for a moment before crumbling, revealing a dark stairwell. Twilight let the tip of her horn glow purple, giving a little light.

“You stay here and keep me updated on what’s going on outside.” Twilight said. Spike gave her an uneasy look before nodding his head. He watched her walk down the stairs before she was completely out of sight. Spike looked out of the window to see Rainbow Dash tackle a crystal pony away from the fake Crystal Heart. Applejack pulled Rainbow Dash back and pointed somewhere, as if she were telling her to go somewhere else. Rainbow Dash visibly huffed before grumpily flying off.

“Spike, whats it like outside?” Twilight asked from the deep caverns. The bubble started to flicker as King Sombra used the broken part of his to form dark crystal inside the Empire.

“It's not good! Cadance's magic must be fading faster than before!” Spike shouted back. He heard a few more hoofsteps before a series of loud thuds.

“Twilight, are you okay?” Spike asked. There was a few seconds before he heard her speak.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Twilight said. Spike let out a breath of relief before looking out the window again. A mare tried to look at the Crystal Heart. Pinkie Pie picked her up and just threw her across the fair, obviously out of breath. Spike chuckled at the sight. It had been quiet for a few minutes.

“Twilight?” Spike said, loud enough for her to hear. When he got no answer, worry washed over him. He started to think about the worst case scenarios. Spike picked Peewee up and started to walk down the stairs. Peewee worked as a small light, glowing and lighting up the way. He stayed quiet. If anything had attacked Twilight, he couldn’t let it know that he was there. He made his way to the bottom of the stairs to see Twilight staring at a door.

“Twilight?” Spike asked. Her eyes were green and her pupils were red. It looked like Sombras eyes. When he got no response, Spike felt his heart rate pick up. He shook her.

“TWILIGHT!” Spike shouted. Twilight blinked and shook her head. Twilight blinked and shook her head.

“Spike, what happened?” Twilight asked.

“I know you told me to stay up there, but you were down here for such a long time and you weren't answering and I got worried so I came down here and you were just staring at that door and... I was calling your name, but I couldn't seem to get your attention, and– What were you looking at? I mean... it's just a door.” Spike asked, looking into the door. Spike looked around to see that he was in the Canterlot Mountains. The bitter cold struck his scales.

“Twilight?” Spike asked. She was no where in sight. He felt himself panicking.

“Twilight would never leave me, she loves me.” Spike said to himself. His claws dug into his hands, almost drawing blood. He was all alone.

”I’m alone again, I’m alone again, I’m alone again.” Spike repeatedly thought to himself. A loud caw echoed across the mountains, making Spikes eyes go wide. A large roc landed on the ground in front of Spike. His breath quickened and his body locked up. The roc loomed over him, breath heavily. Spikes legs shook before he collasped on the ground, shielding his face. He let out loud, shaky sobs.

“Go away go away go away go away.” Spike muttered between the sobs. He heard a door close and something touch his side lightly. Spike let out a squeak of fear before crying louder. Something soft and fluffy forcefully moved his hands from his face. He opened his eyes to see Peewee inches from his face. Peewee rubbed his head against Spikes face, trying to calm him down. Twilight levitated Spike into her arms. He nuzzled into her, happy that she was there.

“What happened?” Spike asked fearfully.

“That was King Sombra's dark magic. A doorway that leads to your worst fear.” Twilight explained.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked.

“I saw that I was in the Canterlot Mountains again and I was alone.” Spike said. Twilight rubbed his back, knowing how much he hated being alone.

“Again?” Twilight questioned. Spike had barely ever left her side since they met and when they were separated, he stuck with whoever was watching him.

“When I got taken by the roc, it accidentally dropped me in the Canterlot Mountains. It was terrible. I was alone in a freezing cold place with barely any food or water.” Spike said. Twilight let out a gasp, she had no idea. It must have been terrifying for a five year old to be by themself.

“That was the first time I was ever alone. I was alone for months Twilight. I’ve never been separated from my family before and I was alone without anyone to help me. Now I don’t even have a family anymore and it’s my fault. I know I can’t face the rest of my family after I killed my mom. If I would have listened to my mom than this would have never happened. Now you’re the only family I have left and I can’t lose you!” Spike exclaimed as tears started to slide down his cheeks. Twilight hugged him tighter.

“Spike, it wasn’t your fault, you were young and did what any young child would do.” Twilight said while wiping the tears from his eyes. Spike sniffled. A beam of magic shot from her horn and hit the crystal. The crystal turned white and the door swung open, revealing a white stairwell that was going upwards. Spike sniffed the air.

“The Crystal Heart is up there.” Spike said. Twilight smiled.

“Let’s get going then.” Twilight said while walking up the stairs. Spike picked Peewee up and walked up the stairs. This was going to be a piece of cake.

---

Spike panted heavily as he walked up the stairs. They had been walking up the stairs for thirty minutes and there was no end in sight. Peewee tugged on his tail, trying to get Spike to sit down and take a break.

“What if this is just more of his magic? He makes a door that leads to your worst nightmare. Why not a staircase that goes on forever?” Spike suggested. Twilight stopped walking and looked up. It did seem like it went on forever. An idea popped into Twilights head. She levitated Spike and Peewee onto her back.

“Hold on tight.” Twilight instructed. She levitated herself upside down and connected her hooves to the bottom of the stairwell above her. Without and warning, they sped upwards in a spiral. Spike closed his eyes tightly and clung onto Twilight while she laughed loudly.

“Whoooooahahaha! I actually studied gravity spells, thinking it might be on my test! Turns out I was prepared for this! Wooo-hooo!” Twilight exclaimed happily. They went through a doorway and flipped back normal. Spike hopped off of her back and placed Peewee on the floor. The stood in a large attic like chamber. It was windy and the Crystal Heart floated in the middle of the room.

Twilight walked over to the Heart with a large smile on her face. Spike looked under the Heart and noticed something. The floor under it was different. His eyes widened.

“TWILIGHT WAIT!” Spike exclaimed. Twilight stepped next to the Heart and looked at Spike in confusion. The floor flashed beneath her. Twilight jumped up and tried to Grand the Heart, only for her to push it further. Black crystals surrounded her, trapping her inside. Spike tried to get closer to Twilight , but black crystals started to grow out of the ground, causing him to back away. Twilight tried to teleport out, pit immediately got trapped back into the crystals. She tried again but the same thing happened. She looked through a crack in the crystal to see Spike trying to get towards her. Peewee tugged on his tail harshly, trying to get him to safety. The Heart was behind both of them.

“You have to be the one to bring the Crystal Heart to the Faire.” Twilight said. Spike froze.

“I don’t want to leave you, you can hurt.” Spike said.

“I’ll be fine, just go.” Twilight said.

“But-“ Spike started, only to get cut off by Twilight.

“GO!” She commanded. Spike turned around and grabbed the Heart. He stood at one of the openings. He jumped out of the opening without hesitation. Peewee let out a squawk of fear at he watched Spike fall. Peewee jumped out after Spike. He started to fall and flapped his wings desperately. He started to fly and grabbed Spike by the scales. He tried to lift him off the ground.

Spike landed on a crystal platform with a thud. He looked around to see crystal ponies running around in fear. The magical bubble had dropped and black crystals started to appear everywhere. Shining Armor held Cadance in his arms. She laid there tiredly. Sombra started to roam into the Empire.

“I GOT THE CRYSTAL HEART!” Spike exclaimed, causing everyone to look at him. Sombra let out a loud hiss and went into the ground. A trail of black crystals appeared on the ground, getting closer to Spike. He started to run down the spiraling crystal, trying to reach the fair. Peewee tumbled after him. A crystal burst out of the ground, revealing Sombra on top of it. He let out a loud growl and lunged at him. Spike jumped off of the side of the crystal. At this point, he didn’t care if he died, he just wanted everyone to be safe. He heard ponies gasp, and one of his friends scream. It sounded like Fluttershy. He knew for a fact that she had covered her eyes so she didn’t see the result. Spike closed his eyes. He lived a good ten years. He smiled at the memories of him and Twilight. ”See you soon mom.” He thought.

Without any warning, Spike felt an impact on his side and felt himself slowing down. He opened his eyes to see that Cadance had caught him. She levitated the Heart and landed on the ground. She placed the Heart in the center of the Empire.

The ponies bowed down and the Crystal Heart started to glow. The ponies started to smile as they turned into crystal. The ground started to glow a light blue. Sombra looked around in fear at the sight. He tried to use his crystals to destroy the Heart, but they shattered once they got close. The ground stopped glowing and a loud boom rang across the Empire. A bright light appeared and Sombra let out a scream. Spike looked down at his body to see he turned into crystal. He looked around to see that everyone had turned to crystal.

The castle let out a burst of light, letting beautiful lights. They danced across the sky. The sky around them changed from a dirty brown, to a beautiful light blue. Spike looked up to see Twilight peeking out the window, smiling widely. Peewee flew down next to Spike and nuzzled his head onto his cheek. Spike had saved the Empire.

---

Twilight entered the throne room nervously with Spike following her who had a guilty look on her face. Princess Celestia looked out the window, smiling at the lights from the Crystal Empire.

“It’s beautiful.” She said with a sweet smile. Twilights ears flattened.

“I’m sorry Princess, I failed the test. You told me to save the Crystal Empire, but I didn’t.” Twilight said, looking at the floor.

“I didn’t mean to make Twilight fail her test, she was trapped and the Empire was in danger, I just did what felt right.” Spike said.

“Twilight, as I understand it, Spike brought Princess Cadance the Crystal Heart because you weren't sure how quickly you could find a way to escape the tower. You weren't willing to risk the future of the citizens of the Crystal Empire in an effort to guarantee your own. Far better that I have a student who understands the meaning of self-sacrifice than one who only looks out for her own best interests.” Celestia said with a small smile. Twilight looked up from the floor with wide eyes.

“Does that mean...?” Twilight started. Celestia nodded her head.

“You passed the test.” Celestia said. Twilight squealed in excitement and hopped around in circles. Spike let out a breath of relief. He wouldn’t know what he have done if he caused Twilight to fail something.

“Spike, I have something to show you.” Celestia said, walking down the hallway. Spike followed her until she came to a stop. Spike looked up to see a window with him on it. He held the Crystal Heart high into the air and tiny ponies cheered in the background.

“Wow...” Spike whispered.

Comments

[The Lurker]

More. Just, more please. I have no other words.

[DGJabberwocky]

When is the next update?

[DGJabberwocky]

Next chapter?

loving this so far

[ShowShine]

9609662
I actually just started a new chapter so it should be ready in a week or two