“So do you know where we’re going?” Spike asked Starlight as she continued walking through the caves.
“No idea.” Starlight said. “To be honest, Spike, I’m not liking this one bit. This all feels really strange.”
“I hear you.” Spike said. “I’ve been in many weird situations in the past, I should know, I hang out with Pinkie Pie, but this is just overkill.” Just then, Spike gets levitated right out of Starlight’s back and starts getting pulled away from her.
“Spike!” Starlight yelled. Spike screams as he gets snatched by a mysterious figure. Starlight looks over to get a better look, and it was just as she suspected.
“Hello, Starlight Glimmer! Long time no see!” Queen Chrysalis said as she traps Spike in a Changeling cocoon and places him along side all of Starlight’s friends. Starlight felt really scared.
Meanwhile, the crowd at the comedy club chants for Pinkie and cheers out for her. At the dressing room in the back, the stage manager comes in and says to Pinkie, “Pinkie Pie, 2 minutes till you go on.”
“Woo hoo!” Pinkie cheers. “This is going to be the best magic show ever!”
“Comedy show.” The manager corrected her.
“Comedy show!” Pinkie said right away. “I said it first.”
“Well, you’re almost on.” The manager said. “This show is going to be make you rich and famous! You’re going to make all of Equestria laugh for all eternity! Good job cancelling out on your sister’s birthday for your own flame and glory and helping everypony else in Equestria smile! I’m so proud of you!”
“Wait… my sister’s… birthday?” Pinkie asked.
“You don’t need those lowlives that study… ROCKS! Worry about your own life and helping other ponies smile!” The manager said to her.
“Oh… but… but… I gotta go.” Pinkie suddenly runs out of the dressing room and through backstage, passing the ponies that want an autograph from her, and passing the agent with a contract, and even passing the plate of jelly donuts. But she reversed back to the donuts and ate one because who wouldn’t miss out on jelly donuts? She then runs out the back door of the club and yells, “I NEVER miss a sister’s birthday party! NEVER!”
As Pinkie started running through the streets of Manehattan, passing by all her fame and glory, The Manehattan streets slowly merge with the rock farm, and Pinkie bursts through the door and meets up with her family who were sitting in the dining room, barely touching the still candle-lit rock cake. Pinkie cries out, “I am so sorry I am late! I wouldn’t give any of you up for all the smiles in Equestria!” Pinkie’s family smiles and welcomes her back. “Just one question though… which one of my sister’s birthday is it?”
Just then, Pinkie’s trial ends as she wakes up in front of the doors. “Aww!” Pinkie whined. “I can’t believe the dream ended right before the party started! That’s just wrong!”
“Well I hope it wasn’t has rough as mine.” Fluttershy said. “I had to save my animal friends from a group of very cute endangered animals who were bullying them! Luckily, I was able to befriend them all, even though it wasn’t easy for my animal friends to accept.”
“HA! Mine was EASY!” Rainbow said. “I had to trade in my wings to help Scootaloo finally have the ability to fly! Such child’s play! I already lived the Wonderbolt dream so many times, I would love to give Scoots the chance to live it herself!” Rainbow’s eye twitches after she says that.
“So is that all of us?” Applejack asked.
“No.” Twilight said. “It’s my turn next. I’m the only one that hasn’t gone yet.”
“That’s correct, Twilight Sparkle! The Element of Magic: the element that binds all of them together!” The Guardian said.
“Well, with me being the Element of Magic, I don’t think it’s going to be easy.” Twilight presumed.
“The final challenge is right through the door.” The Guardian said. “Only this time, it’s going to be a little different. This time – all of you are going in.”
“Say what now?” Rainbow asked. “You mean we had to go in alone, but Twilight gets to have all of us?!”
“Problem, Rainbow?” Applejack teased.
“NO! I can totally take care of myself! I just find this unfair is all.” Rainbow said.
“Let me ask all of you a question.” The Guardian started. “How can the Element of Magic be made without the other five elements?”
“It’s truelio!” Pinkie said.
“That’s right. When we first used the elements, the Element of Magic couldn’t be summoned without the other five elements.” Twilight explained. “That’s what binds us together.”
“So it looks like we’re all goin’ in.” Applejack said.
“I guess so.” Twilight said. “Just don’t think it’ll be easy.” Twilight said as each of the Mane Six walk through the door and into the black abyss.
“We better not be lying down outside once this is over.” Rarity hoped, just as a bunch of rocks appeared and started surround the Mane Six. Each of them tried to back away from them until they all covered their bodies leaving their heads to stick out. Twilight was the only one that the rocks haven’t covered. They all struggled to get out but the rocks barely budged.
“This really doesn’t look good for my image!” Rainbow said. “Trapped under a pile of rocks!”
“Don’t worry, Dashie. I’ll call in an expert to help us!” Pinkie offered. “Maaaaaud! Maaaaaaaud!”
“Speak louder, Pinkie. I don’t think she heard you.” Rainbow suggested sarcastically.
“Good idea – MAAAAAAUD!” Pinkie shouted, which made Rainbow cringe.
“Welcome to the final trial, Twilight Sparkle.” The Guardian said.
“What have you done with my friends, Guardian?” Twilight asked angrily.
“Incapacitated, but that’s not important.” The Guardian said. “In order to free them, you have to make a choice.”
“And what might that choice be?” Twilight asked.
“You must choose which one to set free.” The Guardian said.
Twilight suddenly gasps. “What do you mean I have to choose which one to set free?”
“I mean you can only choose one of your friends to come with you to join you in your task.” The Guardian said. “Everypony else must stay here… forever.”
The Mane Six all gasp. Then Pinkie yells, “Forever?! That’s only a day more than forever minis one!” Twilight is now left with the biggest choice of her life. She tried to think it over, but it was just too impossible for her to choose.
Meanwhile, back with Starlight and Chrysalis in the catacombs, Chrysalis continues to taunt Starlight. “You can’t defeat me, Starlight Glimmer! Nopony can! I have captured your friends again, and I have to say, they just get easier and easier to capture by the day! They’re just so ridiculous at protecting themselves, let alone their kingdom!”
“Don’t talk to my friends that way!” Starlight yelled.
“Oh what are you going to do about it?” Chrysalis asked mischievously. Starlight was about to use her magic on Chrysalis, but a pile of goo lands on Starlight’s horn, stopping her from using her magic. Chrysalis laughs evilly and says, “Magic, huh? That’s your answer to everything, is it? Then there’s your second answer: friendship! HA! Come on! You couldn’t reform me then, you can’t reform me now! I am true to my task! You stole everything from me, and now you’re going to pay for what you did! I will have my revenge!” Starlight was never so worried in her life. She felt like a huge failure. “And when it’s all over, everypony will know that it was ALL YOUR FAULT!” She then laughs again.
Starlight suddenly regains her confidence and takes a deep breath. “No!”
“I’m sorry?” Chrysalis asked.
“No!” Starlight yells. “I am NOT afraid of you anymore! I know you will come back for your revenge! But when you do, I will be able to stop you, again and again! If not me though, I know somepony will! You were defeated every time you attacked Equestria, and you will be defeated again every single time! You only have two choices, Chrysalis: reform, or Tartarus! It’s going to end either way! The question is: will you make the right decision?” Chrysalis growls at Starlight and begins to scream in rage. As she goes berserk and runs towards Starlight, Starlight yells, “I’M READY FOR YOU!” Just then, Starlight suddenly wakes up lying on the cave ground. Chrysalis, nor the rest of Starlight’s friends weren’t around, just Spike whimpering and struggling as he laid on the ground by her.
Starlight begins shaking Spike gently and says, “Spike. Spike, wake up!” Starlight noticed the tears in Spike’s eyes as he was struggling. She felt really bad that he had to go through what he was going through, but suddenly, he wakes up and starts breathing heavily, much like Starlight did from her dream that morning. “Spike, are you okay?” Spike begins to tear up again as he gives Starlight a big hug. “Ooookay, that escalated quickly.” She commented awkwardly.
“Please, Starlight! Please, don’t abandon me! Ever!” Spike begged.
Starlight smiles and hugs Spike back as she says, “Don’t worry, I will never abandon you, and neither will your other friends!” Spike wipes his tears as he lets go of Starlight. “What happened? Another dream where Rarity marries your rival?” She teases.
“No… I lied about that.” Spike admitted. “That isn’t my biggest fear.”
“Oh?” Starlight asked. “Well I knew that dream was fake! I mean after all, your dream was the only one without any rain in it!”
“Heh, yeah.” He said. “But… my biggest fear, is… is… my friends not wanting me around anymore.”
“Really?’ Starlight asked.
“Really.” Spike said. “You know why I’m always so helpful towards my friends? Helping them out in their time of need? Because I don’t want them to leave me. Twilight, especially. Starlight, I don’t know if you understand it, but… Twilight’s the only family I got.”
“Hey, it’s okay!” Starlight comforted him. “Twilight’s the only family I got too, and you, and Trixie… I lost touch with my family.”
“No, you don’t understand.” Spike corrected her. “I NEVER knew my family.”
“Wait, what?!” Starlight asked, feeling surprised.
“It’s true. Twilight was the one that hatched me.” Spike said. “I don’t know where I’m from, how I was found, or even what my purpose is in life. I only do what I’m good at: being Twilight’s number one assistant. It’s all I can do without messing anything up.” He sighs. “I try so hard at making my friends happy, so I can stick around, and be useful to them. If I didn’t have my friends, Twilight… you… I’d be nothing.” Spike sits down on the ground and covers his eyes. “I’m sure you think me as some kind of loser.”
“What?” Starlight asked surprisingly. “Spike, you’ve been more open to me than you’ve ever had in the past! Yes, you are very helpful, and a good friend! I even think of you like family, like Twilight! Before I had Twilight, I was nothing but an evil ruler, stealing cutie marks! I was lost before Twilight found me. Looks like we have something in common, huh?”
“Hm, yeah, I guess.” Spike smiles.
“Also you’ve done a ton of things by yourself then didn’t involve assisting me or Twilight!” Starlight said. “You saved the Crystal Empire twice, you brought peace between the ponies and the dragons, and you befriended Thorax and helped him become accepted towards pony kind! If you didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have given him a chance, and we wouldn’t be able to save you and the others from Chrysalis! Not a bad track record, Spike!” She winks at him.
Spike chuckles. “Yeah, I guess that’s true!”
“Also, I know one day you’ll find out where you came from, and who you are!” Starlight said. “You just have to give it time; and when that happens, I will be there every step of the way to make sure you get it!”
“Really? Thanks, Starlight!” Spike said.
“Any time, buddy!” Starlight said as they hug it out again.
“Ok, well… heh… this is getting a little sappy, huh?” Spike asked embarrassingly.
“Yeah, umm… we should… probably keep moving.” Starlight suggested.
“Good idea!” Spike said as they both began walking to find a way out, or to find the others.