Ever since Spike met Thorax, the two have felt a magical connection. Each is like the brother they never had. They were both spirits in need, desperately needing a special friend to keep them on the path of friendship. Ever since they have tasted true friendship, they never want to live without it again. Each is a guiding light for the other!

One day, Spike brought Thorax back to the Crystal Empire. Near the Crystal Castle, they started to hug and rub noses. Suddenly, they felt a sudden burst of power from the Crystal Heart. When they looked back down, they thought they were floating in the sky. Yet their feet and hooves felt firmly on the ground.

Spike and Thorax had just experienced a great growth spurt. They towered over the Crystal Empire! Spike was so big, the Crystal Castle was smaller than his foot! Houses could fit between his toes! The Crystal Empire now looked like a small playset ... a very fragile playset.

At first, Spike and Thorax feared that they might have hurt thousands of creatures. But when Spike looked under his feet, he found that the crystal ponies really enjoyed him as a giant destructive monster. They adored him more than ever!

Not wanting to disappoint his fans, Spike decided to leave more footprints. Thorax left some giant hoof prints. Crystal buildings crumbled between Spike's toes and under the soles of his feet. The soles of Thorax's hooves were also getting dirty with the remains of buildings.

After a few more stomps, Spike and Thorax sat back down. They started to cuddle with each other, rubbing faces once more. Spike looked under his feet again ... and saw many more crystal ponies staring in adoration. Some of his fans were stuck to the soles of his feet, the tiny ponies flattened like in a Looney Tunes cartoon. The flattened ponies were filled with the warmth of Spike's big soft feet. A few were caught between his toes, getting a deep massage as he wiggled his toes.

Spike and Thorax were rather shy acting this affectionate -- out in public and visible for tens of miles around. But they believed their sense of brotherhood deserved a massive celebration. And the Crystal Empire seemed like the perfect sanctuary for these two kind and sensitive boys!

(Spike is in love with Gabby, and Thorax is in love with Ember. The two were concerned that their girlfriends might get the wrong impression. But both girls understood completely. Gabby and Ember were even starting to feel a sense of sisterhood between each other. They didn't need any romance for it to be a warm and fulfilling friendship. Romance would actually mess things up, they believed. Spike and Thorax felt the same about each other.)

Art by Rai-Kun. Slightly edited by me.