After Timor and the rest of his dark lackeys left the cave and into the massive blizzard set to kill all life in Equestria, Shooting Star raced over to Spike's unconsious form, who lay motionless from the torture and pain Timor released on him.
"Spike, I'm so sorry. I should have helped but I didn't. I let the fear in my body keep me frozen and now you have to pay the price for it. All of Equestria has to pay the price for my fear. I'm so sorry." She said while she was sobbing. She held his head in her hooves as she continued saying, "Please don't die, I won't be able to forgive myself. Please stay, please please please."
Shooting Star's voice trembled with regret and desperation as she pleaded with Spike's unconscious form. The blizzard howled outside, its icy fingers clawing at the cave entrance, threatening to consume everything in its path. Lightning could even be seen and thunder could be heard. But inside, amidst the cold darkness, there was only the faint flicker of hope clinging to Spike's fragile existence.
Shooting Star's tears mingled with Spike's stillness, her heart heavy with guilt and fear. In the dimness of the cave, she felt the weight of her decisions pressing down on her, the echoes of Timor's menacing laughter still haunting her mind.
But as she gazed at Spike's face, battered and bruised yet still somehow resilient, a glimmer of determination sparked within her. She couldn't change the past, couldn't undo the mistakes she had made, but she could choose to fight for the future.
With trembling hooves, she began to softly sing a lullaby, a melody of comfort and hope passed down through centuries and generations. As her voice filled the cave, weaving through the darkness and pain, she felt a warmth growing within her, a flicker of magic that seemed to resonate with the very essence of Equestria itself.
Don't cry little one
Nothing will happen to you
I will protect you
I'll make sure you're safe all while you dream
You're a strong one, you will do great things
My child, you're safe
From all bad
Drift to sleep now
I'll love you always
She took a deep breath before continuing the lullaby.
If bad things happen
Know that I'll be by your side
Through the stormy nights
I'll be with you through your darkest fears
Monsters, blizzards, I'll be with you still
You are my light
In endless night
I'll hold you close
Till the morning light
Outside, the blizzard raged on, but within the cave, a different kind of storm was stirring. With each note of the lullaby, Shooting Star poured her love and her strength into Spike, refusing to let him slip away.
Shooting Star's voice echoed in the cavern, a beacon of hope amidst the howling winds of the blizzard. As she sang, a faint glow began to emanate from Spike's form, a sign that her words were reaching him, stirring something deep within his unconscious mind.
Slowly, Spike began to stir, his eyelids fluttering as if trying to break free from the darkness that enveloped him. With each verse of the lullaby, his breathing steadied, and color returned to his cheeks.
The warmth of Shooting Star's song wrapped around Spike like a protective blanket, guiding him back from the brink of unconsciousness. As he struggled against the darkness, her voice became his beacon, leading him through the shadows towards the light.
With a soft groan, Spike's eyes fluttered open, his gaze meeting Shooting Star's with a mixture of confusion and relief. He could feel her presence, her unwavering love, anchoring him to the world.
"Shooting Star..." His voice was barely a whisper, hoarse from the ordeal he had endured. "You... you saved me."
A weak smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he reached out a trembling claw, grasping her hoof with a feeble strength. Shooting Star just put her other hoof on top of his claw and nuzzled his head. In that moment, amidst the chaos of the blizzard and the lingering echoes of Timor's cruelty, there was only the two of them, bound together by a bond that transcended words.
"Although I may ask, where did you hear that song?" Spike asked her.
"Oh that? That lullaby was a song that my family used for centuries, if not a full millennia."
"I know that song because it was in one of my dreams last night." Spike said.
Shooting Star raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah, it was a nice song. And, you have a really beautiful singing voice Shooting Star. You should sing again sometime." Spike suggested. Shooting Star turned away red faced and embarrassed.
"Oh, i-it was no-nothing. You do-don't have to compliment me about it." Shooting Star's cheeks flushed even brighter at Spike's compliment, her heart fluttering with a mix of embarrassment and gratitude. "But thank you anyway, Spike," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll... I'll keep that in mind."
Spike smiled at her, but the smile doesn't last long as the smile turns into a frown. "But all I can do is hope that there will be a next time. That blizzard won't stop until all life in Equestria is dead."
As Spike's smile faded into a frown, his words hung heavy in the air, a reminder of the impending threat lurking just beyond the cave's entrance. Shooting Star felt a shiver run down her spine, the weight of the blizzard's fury pressing down on her shoulders. The reality of their situation loomed large, casting a shadow over their fragile moment of reprieve. Shooting Star's gaze drifted towards the cave entrance, where the blizzard raged with unchecked ferocity, with thunder and lightning mixed into the fray, threatening to devour everything in its path.
"We can't stay here," she said, her voice tinged with urgency. "We have to find a way to stop the blizzard, to save Equestria."
Spike nodded, his expression grave. "But how? Timor and his minions are out there, unleashing this storm with dark magic we can barely comprehend."
Shooting Star's mind raced as she considered their options. "We can't face them alone, that much is clear. But perhaps... perhaps we can rally the ponies of Equestria, unite them against this common threat."
Spike's eyes widened with hope. "You mean... gather the Elements of Harmony?"
"Kind of, do you still have that paper with the circles, lines and letters Spike?" she asked.
Spike nodded and he took out the piece of paper and gave it to Shooting Star. She examined it and her eyes widened.
"This is telling us something Spike, and these letters mean something."
Spike raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you think these letters mean?"
Shooting Star gave the paper back to Spike and told him, " You just need to think about it. When did all of these letters appear on this piece of paper?"
Spike was confused. "Well, they just appeared in a beam of light."
"That was 'how' they appeared," Shooting Star emphasized the word 'how', "But you need to think about 'when' they appeared."
As Spike pondered Shooting Star's question, his brow furrowed in concentration. He retraced the events in his mind, trying to pinpoint the moment when the letters appeared on the paper. Suddenly, realization dawned on him.
"They appeared when I did something nice to somepony in Ponyville," Spike said slowly, the pieces clicking into place. "I forgave you when you bumped into me when we first met, I saved Ponyville twice from those wild beasts first yesterday and then earlier today I saved Ponyville from black ooze type mounds."
Shooting Star's eyes lit up with understanding as Spike made the connection. "Exactly! The appearance of those letters seems to be tied to acts of kindness and bravery. It's like a message, a guide to unlocking some sort of power or solution."
Spike nodded, the significance of their discovery sinking in. "I think I know what these letters mean. The K appeared when I showed kindness to you after you bumped into me. The M appeared after I defeated those wild beasts with my fire breath and saved Ponyville. The G appeared after I gave my last diamond to Lyra so she could use it to trade in for bits so she could buy her marefriend something for Hearths Warming. The LA appeared after I saved the town from those black ooze mounds because me and Derpy laughed them away. The H appeared after I told you what I was going to leave Ponyville when we talked at the stage watching others sing traditional Hearths Warming carols."
Shooting Star listened intently, her mind racing with possibilities. "So, if we follow this pattern, the letters seem to represent different virtues or actions. K for kindness, M for magic, G for generosity, LA for laughter, and H for honesty."
Spike's knew what they were both thinking, but he still had some doubts. "I think I might know what's happening, but I don't even know if it's possible."
"What's on your mind Spike?"
"Based on what these letters told me, I might be a wielder of all 6 elements of harmony. I don't think that's possible though, because Twilight and her friends are the wielders of the elements so how can I be the wielders of all 6 of them?" Spike spoke with uncertainty.
Shooting Star thought for a bit until it clicked on her. "I may not know a lot about you or Twilight and her friends, but I can believe that you're some type of glue that keeps them together. I think you've been the one to help them after they feel like giving up."
Then another thing clicked in Spike's mind. Something Timor told him a few nights ago in his dream.
"Solve the riddle I will give you over the next few days. 'I am a glue, but I don't stick. 2 different creatures will create me. I am 6 gems, but I can't eat them. When all hope seems lost, I rise up and defeat evil.' What am I?"
As Spike reflected on Timor's cryptic riddle, a sense of clarity washed over him. He realized that perhaps his role in Equestria was more significant than he had ever imagined. He wasn't just Twilight's faithful assistant; he was a vital part of the harmony that bound their friendship together.
Shooting Star watched Spike's expression shift from uncertainty to determination, a flicker of hope igniting within his eyes. She could see that he was starting to believe in his own potential, in the possibility that he held a power greater than he had ever dreamed.
"The 'I am a glue but I don't stick' must mean that I keep harmony itself together like glue. The '2 different creatures will create me' must refer the the both of us. The 'I am 6 gems, but I can't eat them' must refer to the elements of harmony themselves and the 'when all hope seems lost, I rise up and defeat evil' part must refer to me rising up and defeating Timor. That's it, that's the answer to the riddle. I am 'the glue of harmony'."
Shooting Star's eyes widened in awe as Spike unraveled the mystery of Timor's riddle. The pieces fell into place with a clarity that sent shivers down her spine. It was as if the very fabric of destiny was weaving itself before their eyes, revealing Spike's true purpose in the tapestry of Equestria's fate.
"That's it, Spike!" Shooting Star exclaimed, her voice filled with admiration and excitement. "You are the glue of harmony, the one who binds us all together in times of need. You possess the strength and the spirit to rise up against evil and restore balance to our world."
Spike's chest swelled with pride and determination as he embraced his newfound identity. "I may not have wings or magic like Twilight and her friends, but I have something just as powerful: the power of friendship, the power to unite and inspire others to stand against darkness." Spike said happily, but then he realized something crucial and he frowned.
Shooting Star saw this and asked with concern, "Spike, what's wrong?"
Spike sighed. "I just realized that we still don't have the element of loyalty here because of my actions. I left Ponyville with selfish desires, not caring who I would affect in the process. You and everyone else must hate me for that."
At this, Shooting Star just shook her head and gave her a hug like the first hug she ever gave him. "Spike the dragon, you stop right there. No one will ever hate you. I will never hate you. You saved my life when I met you." She sighed and her face turned serious. "I never told anyone this, but I was planning to take my own life because I wasn't happy ever since my parents died and Hearths Warming just taunts me. You gave me hope for the first time in years."
Spike was conflicted now. Should he still leave after defeating Timor, or should he stay around and keep that hope alive for Shooting Star? He knew what true friendship was, so he made a decision quite easily.
He sighed and sighed. "Oh, I can't leave Ponyville or you."
Shooting Star was surprised about this. "Are you sure Spike? You were leaving because you were being treated horribly by Twilight and her friends."
"I was mainly leaving because I thought I didn't have any friends in Ponyville. I thought I didn't have anypony to laugh or play with, I thought I didn't have a shoulder or chest to cry on when I'm having a bad day. Now I have you Shooting Star." Spike smiled warmly. "You are a true friend to me, we have a true friendship and true friends are worth suffering for."
This warmed Shooting Star's heart so much that she started crying tears of happiness. "I'm so glad to have met you Spike. You're a true friend to me too." She said while her and Spike embraced tightly.
Just then, Spike's and Shooting Star's eyes glowed a pure white as they both emitted a fiery pink light from their chests. It shot straight up until it was just below the clearing of the hole Timor made. Spike and Shooting Star were in awe as the fiery pink light turned into a heart shape as a small wave of energy was emitted from it, before turning into a full on heart of pink fire.
Spike was still in awe as he tried saying, "That.. That is... It's"
Shooting Star on the other hand, was ecstatic. "DEAR CELESTIA, IT'S THE FIRE OF FRIENDSHIP!! WE CREATED THE FIRE OF FRIENDSHIP FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE EQUESTRIA WAS FOUNDED!!!"
Their thoughts were interruped when the howling wind of the blizzard blew into the cave. They could also hear thunder and lightning.
"The fire of friendship was created when the founders of Equestria came to like each other and stopped the windigos the first time. The fire of friendship didn't stop Timor's blizzarding thundersnow, as I say because there is thunder and lightning too for some reason, so he's stronger than immortal god like creatures. We still need to stop the blizzard ourselves." Spike said with determination.
Spike's determination echoed through the cave, his words a beacon of resolve amidst the chaos of the blizzard. Shooting Star nodded in agreement, her eyes alight with determination.
"You're right, Spike. It's up to us to harness the magic of the elements and stop Timor's rampage." She clenched her hooves, her gaze steely. "We won't let him destroy Equestria, not while we still have a fighting chance."
Spike and Shooting Star gave each other a determined smile before looking up at the clearing.
Spike spoke up. "Shooting Star, since you have wings and can fly, can you pick me up and fly through that clearing above us?"
"I'll try, but it might be a bit hard." With that, she picked up Spike and flew through the clearing, ready to face Timor and especially the blizzard.