I was in the boutique with Rarity. She had just put the finishing touches on a puppet theater. I knew that this was when “Inspiration Manifestation” took place, and I already figured out how to change it.
“And that should finally do it,” said Rarity. “Now, be honest, Spikey-Wikey. What do you think of it?”
I sighed. “It needs a bit of improvement.”
Rarity sat down in disappointment. “Whatever do you mean? I worked really hard on this and made sure everything works well.”
“Hey, you told me to be honest. Anyway, you should remove the vases from the stage for starters. The audience has to focus on the puppets, and the puppeteer can’t risk knocking the vases over.”
Rarity scratched her chin. “Now that you mentioned it, it seemed a bit much to add those.” She took the vases off the stage.
“Secondly, the commissioner's a traveling pony.” I pointed to the wheels attached to the theater. “He needs wheels that function properly if he wants to take it with him.”
“I thought those wheels looked too small. I think I have bigger ones lying somewhere.”
“Other than that, it looks good. Sorry about the criticism.”
“It’s alright, Spike. That’s why you are here. I’ll install the wheels by the time the Ponyville Foal and Filly Fair begins.”
“Now that I think about it, you ponies have so many festivals here. Forget Ponyville, you should rename this town ‘Partyville.’”
“Actually, I do believe Pinkie Pie tried that once, but she never got enough signatures.”
Rarity quickly spruced up some bigger wheels and replaced the smaller ones. She also removed the legs underneath them.
I gave a thumbs up. “Much better. He should be satisfied now.”
I hope.
The festival was soon underway. Rarity brung the theater to the puppeteer. I kept my fingers crossed that he wouldn’t criticize her like in the show.
The puppeteer looked at the theater from all directions. “Good enough.”
“You like it?” Rarity asked.
“A bit flashy ‘n small, but I'll work with it. Thank you.”
The puppeteer paid Rarity and left to set up the theater.
Rarity sighed in relief. Twilight came up to us.
“I see that the stallion liked the theater,” she said. “You did a good job designing it.”
“Thank you, Twilight,” said Rarity. “But I couldn’t have done it without assistance from my favorite dragon, Spikey-Wikey.” She wrapped a hoof around me.
“Heh, don’t mention it,” I said.
“Rarity, why do you still call him ‘Spikey-Wikey’?” Twilight asked. “You know he’s in a relationship.”
“What? I’m not allowed to use nicknames on him?” Rarity asked.
“It’s fine, girls,” I said. “I don’t mind. If Rarity wants to call me that, then let her do so. Fluttershy understands.”
“If you say so,” replied Twilight.
As we went on and enjoyed the fair, I was glad to solve this episode way early. I would have to warn Twilight about that book, though.
HOOONK!!
“YAH!” Twilight and I fell right out of our beds.
“On your hooves and feet, you two!” Rainbow shouted as she put the air horn away. “We’re leaving!”
“Rainbow Dash! It’s six in the morning!” Twilight rebutted.
“Exactly! If we’re gonna get to the Crystal Empire in time for the Equestria Games, everypony’s gotta get up to catch the train!”
“Alright, alright!” Twilight yawned as she rubbed her eyelids. “Just don’t use that air horn next time.”
“Oh, you sound just like Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity.” Rainbow dashed out of the library.
Twilight stretched a bit. “Well, I guess we should check our bags to make sure we packed everything.”
I nodded.
I couldn’t believe the Equestria Games were arriving so soon. I knew what was going to happen. Spike would humiliate himself in many ways in front of lots of ponies. It wasn’t until he saved the stadium from a giant ice cloud that he got his pride back. But since I was Spike now, I would do my best to be humble and leave certain tasks to the professionals.
One thing that bothered me was despite the season’s build-up to the games, the majority of the episode was focused on Spike, which was a disappointment. At least I would get to witness the events first-hand this time.
That’s when it occurred to me. Since I was going to be visiting the Crystal Empire again, I should find time to visit a certain unicorn there. The same unicorn that was important to a certain upcoming villain.
After we ate breakfast, Twilight and I put our packs on and headed to the train station. We saw some of the other girls and athletes there as well. Some were tired while others were as full of energy as Rainbow Dash.
“Did we have to arrive so early?” Rarity yawned and pulled out her pocket watch. “I don’t think the train is supposed to arrive until much, much later.”
“That’s what you think!” Rainbow Dash retorted. “I don’t want any of us to miss this train or the Equestria Games! I speak for all of us when I say this is an event worth watching!”
“Not if some of us fall asleep while we’re in the crowd...or performing the events,” I said.
“Ah, don’t worry. They can give us time to rest after the opening ceremony.”
As we waited for the train, the rest of the town showed up to wish us good luck, for the athletes and the potential spectators. The mayor showed up as well. She was going to join us on our trip.
“As the mayor of Ponyville,” Mayor Mare explained, “I, too, have been invited to witness the Equestria Games.”
“I’m sure every available leader would be attending,” said Twilight.
A few hours later, the train arrived at the station. We all bid Ponyville goodbye and hopped onto the train. The train gave a cheerful hiss as it took off from the station.
Inside one of the train cars, the athletes did multiple warm-ups such as weightlifting and wing-ups (push-ups with their wings). I checked the baggage as the CMC practiced their flag-carrying.
“I’m so glad we got to be chosen to carry the Ponyville flag!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
After double-checking everything, I went to find Twilight in the other car. She was reading a book while sitting next to Mayor Mare.
“Are you excited to witness the Equestria Games, Twilight?” I asked.
“I sure am,” Twilight replied as she looked over her book. “I hope you are, too.”
“You bet!”
That was the truth, since I saw only two events in the show. Not only that, this episode would make up for missing the Tokyo Olympics back in my home world. I planned on purchasing plane tickets to see the Olympics in person, but like every other plan in 2020, this was ruined by the virus. I heard they delayed the Olympics to 2021, but I involuntarily left the human world before then.
My eyes then caught onto the book Twilight was reading.
“Hey, isn’t that one of the books you tried to trade away?” I asked.
“Yes, it is,” replied Twilight. “But lately, I started to regret trading some of them away. They’ve helped make me who I am. They were filled with such fond memories that are more valuable than anything I could trade for. I may not ever need to read them again, but that doesn't mean they don't have value.”
I looked away. I felt like I should’ve had Pinkie join Twilight instead of turning her away.
“Yeah, you’re right,” I said. “Maybe you should’ve kept those books if they were so important to you.” I sighed. “Heck, it would be worth the diminishing space we had left.”
“I guess I could find some way to increase storage space in the library.”
“Or maybe we could move to a bigger building,” I joked. “Like a castle or something.”
“Very funny.”
The train stopped in front of the Crystal Empire. We quickly got out with all our baggage. The girls already left the station by the time I collected all the luggage. I looked to see the CMC looking through the gift shop window.
Sweetie Belle squealed. “I’m in crystal heaven! I need to ask Rarity for some money!”
Applebloom turned to the baggage cart nervously. “Is everything in there?” She pointed to the pink bag. “The flag? The flagpole? The ramp?!”
“Yep.” I patted the pile. “It’s all in there.”
“Give it a rest, Apple Bloom,” said Scootaloo.
“She’s just a bit nervous, that’s all,” I said. “It can happen to any of us, including me. When I’m nervous, I usually take a few deep breaths. I inhale for five straight seconds, hold it for six, and exhale for seven. I call it my ‘5-6-7 method’.”
It was what I sometimes used before I hosted meetings back in my home world.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching me. The next thing I knew, I was picked up by two guards in crystal armor and carried away.
“Hey! What’s going on?!” I cried.
However, I knew exactly what was going on. Soon the guards stopped in front of Twilight and Cadance and bowed down. I managed to jump off just in time.
“Spike! Are you alright?” Twilight asked.
“Aside from the sudden dragon-napping, I’m fine,” I replied with a snark.
“A thousand pardons, O Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious!” one of the crystal guards said.
“Thanks for bringing Spike to us,” said Cadance. “It's okay, Spike. We'll have our hoofponies go back for your bags.”
“Okay.” I followed Cadance and Twilight to the castle. “But could you tell me why the guards did all that? And gave me that long name?”
“Do you want me to tell him?” Cadance asked.
“I’ll tell him,” said Twilight. “Spike, remember how you weren’t invited to help represent the Crystal Empire to the inspector? Well, as it turns out, the ponies here have a little surprise just for you for saving the empire.”
“Really?” I asked.
We entered a room, and two more crystal ponies bowed and addressed me by the same name the guards gave me. I was taken to a soft sofa. One pony fed me gems while the other fanned me with a big leaf.
“So the ponies think I’m some sort of hero?” I asked after I ate one of the gems.
Twilight said, “Last time you were here, you got the Crystal Heart to Princess Cadance in time to save this entire empire from destruction!”
“You are known throughout my empire as ‘Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious’,” said Cadance.
“Isn't that awesome? You're a big shot here, Spike!” Twilight motioned me to the balcony, where she pointed at a giant crystal statue of me holding the Crystal Heart. “See that? That's you!”
I rubbed the back of my head. “Well, heh. I can’t get all the credit. You were the one who found the Heart after all, Twilight. And Cadance was the one who caught me and the Heart.”
“Yes, but I was trapped in that black crystal and couldn’t get out.”
“And you were the one who bravely risked jumping off to bring it to us, Spike,” said Cadance. “This is why we all hope you do us the honor of lighting the torch at the opening ceremony. You'd be the very first dragon in the history of the Equestria Games to do so.”
“I wouldn’t mind,” I said. “I guess dragons never attended the Equestria Games?”
“Not from my knowledge.” Cadance looked at the stadium. “The opening ceremony is about to start soon. We better head over there.”
I hopped on Twilight’s back as we rode to the stadium. Once we got there, a brown earth pony with a blond mane was waiting by the entrance. She wore earrings, a purple suit, and a pink polo neck. This was Ms. Harshwhinny, the Equestria Games inspector.
“Afternoon, Ms. Harshwhinny,” Cadance greeted. “We brought Spike here to light the flame.”
“It was about time,” said Harshwhinny. She sounded more snooty than a Canterlot pony.
“Good afternoon,” I said calmly as I hopped off Twilight. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Harshwhinny.”
I shook her hoof as professionally as I could. It was like meeting with a guest at the office.
“Hmph. I did not expect much professionalism, but you certainly surprised me,” said Ms. Harshwhinny with a straight face.
“We’ll see you after the opening ceremony,” said Twilight as she hurried to follow Cadance.
“Follow me if you please.”
Ms. Harshwhinny escorted me to the torch. She also explained what I had to do in order to light the torch properly. I wanted to say she was strict, but it was best if I didn’t.
“Welcome, everypony and non-pony to the 2011 Equestria Games!” Shining Armor’s voice announced through the loudspeakers. “It is with great honor that the Crystal Empire has been chosen to host this year’s games! We hope that all the athletes will do their very best to strive for excellence! We also like to thank our following sponsors: Crystal Empire’s Cryztal-Clear Water, ‘The Ultimate Mineral-Free Water’; and the four princesses: Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Twilight Sparkle.”
Huh, it’s been about half a year since the Crystal Empire returned, and already they have brand names.
“And you're quite certain you also understand exactly what you're supposed to do?” Harshwhinny asked.
“Of course,” I replied. “I stand where you want me, then light the torch once you give me the signal.”
“Mm. Couldn't be simpler.”
We exited out to see the torch and thousands of ponies. Seriously, everypony who’s anypony was here to watch the games. And I thought Manehattan had a large population.
I continued following Harshwhinny. I did my 5-6-7 method to reduce my nervousness.
“Now, please welcome the delegation from Ponyville!” Shining Armor announced.
I peeked over the balcony just in time to Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and all the other Ponyville competitors come out onto the field. Scootaloo stood the Ponyville flag up by the others. I noticed all the other athletes that were competing, such as ponies from Manehattan, Appleloosa, Saddle Arabia, and even Griffonstone.
So I know that griffons can enter the Equestria games, but I wonder if other non-ponies can enter the next Equestria Games.
“Mr. the Dragon!” Harshwhinny called out. “Stand where I told you!”
“Apologies.” I ran over and stopped in front of the ladder. “I was just making sure everypony and non-pony was there.”
Harshwhinny stomped her hoof two times. That was the signal. I climbed the ladder all the way up to the top. I took another deep breath.
I declare these Equestria games...open!
I inhaled deeply and blew with all my might. My green flames ignited the fuel inside the giant torch. The fire made a satisfying “ka-FWOOSH!!” as it burned a deep shade of blue. The crowd cheered immensely.
And that's how it's done.
I slide down the ladder and watched Shining Armor make his announcement .
"Let the games begin!" He shouted.
The crowd cheered so loudly, I almost didn’t hear Ms. Harshwhinny clearing her throat. She escorted me out of the stadium. Once outside, I hurried to where Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack were. The CMC were there as well.
“You three really were wonderful,” Twilight said as she flew down. “Has anypony seen Spike?”
“I’m right behind you,” I replied.
“Woah!” Twilight almost jumped. “You surprised me.”
“Good job lighting that torch, Spike!” Rainbow Dash said.
“Well, it was my job,” I said.
“Why must you act so modest?” Rarity asked. “You’re just like Twilight when she became a princess. You’ve done something so heroic and deemed as a hero, yet you behave like it’s no big deal.”
“It is a big deal, and I’m proud of it. I just keep myself humble so I don’t let all the pride go to my head like some egomaniac...present company excluded.”
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash glared.
“I’m happy to have saved the Crystal Empire, and all its ponies. Don’t take my nonchalant expression for a lack of enthusiasm.”
“Look, look!” A voice called out. “It's the Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious!”
I looked to see two crystal ponies approaching me.
“Can we get your autograph?” the other pony asked as she handed me a photo of myself.
“Sure thing,” I said. I quickly wrote my signature on the photo.
“How you saved our Empire last time you were here was really amazing!” The first pony said.
“Especially how you took that swan dive to save the Crystal Heart. You must’ve been so brave!”
“Yeah, let’s call it that,” I said.
Though, it was more of foresight than bravery.
Once my fans left, Sweetie Belle quickly gasped and turned to Rarity.
“Rarity! I almost forgot!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “You need to buy one of those snow globes at the train station for me! Please?!”
“Can it not wait until after the games are done?” Rarity asked.
“No! There won’t be time then!”
“She does have a point,” I said. “The gift shop might run out of stock once everypony leaves the Crystal Empire after the games.”
“See?!”
“Oh, alright,” said Rarity. “I think I have enough bits...”
“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” Sweetie Belle pulled her bigger sister’s hoof like a child pulling his mom to a toy store. “Come on! Let’s go already!”
As Rarity and Sweetie Belle hurried over to the train station, Rainbow checked the time.
“Well, I guess I’d better meet up with Fluttershy and the others if we’re gonna participate in the events tomorrow,” said Rainbow Dash.
Twilight said, “I believe Cadence offered some guest rooms for us to sleep in during the Games...”
“No need. They provided rooms for us competitors. Tell her I said thanks anyway.”
Rainbow zoomed off. I’d be surprised if she didn’t participate in any event that involved racing.
Later that evening, Twilight and I were in one of the guest rooms in the castle. It was almost identical to the one we stayed at during the events of “Equestria Girls.”
“So what event are you looking forward to, Twilight?” I asked.
“I’d like to see the gymnastics,” Twilight replied. “What about you?”
“I think...uh...the aerial relay.” It was the only event besides the ice archery that was shown in the episode.
“I think Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are participating in that event. Let’s hope they win.”
Then there was a knock on the door.
“Come in!” Twilight called out.
The door opened, and Cadance entered the room.
“Cadance!” Twilight exclaimed with joy. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Evening, Twilight and Spike,” said Cadance. “I hope both of you enjoyed the opening ceremony.”
“We certainly did,” I replied. “Though, I might be biased since I was in it.”
Cadance giggled. “You did a wonderful job lighting that torch. I was afraid you’d get nervous.”
“I was a little bit, but I got over it. So how have things been going since my last visit here, Cadance?”
“It’s been going great. I can’t complain. My subjects have never been happier.”
I guess it’s no competition given their last leader.
“We’ve also had some visitors staying here,” said Cadance. “About a month ago, a unicorn from a small town moved here.”
I raised my eyebrows. “A unicorn from a small town?”
“Yes. He said he came from Sire’s Hallow and was looking for a change of pace.”
“Huh. Interesting.”
I would have to find where he lives soon.
The next day, the girls and I headed to the stadium for the first set of events. There were going to be at least five events per day. The events for today were the 100-meter dash, pole vault, rings, trampoline, and an obstacle course.
As I passed the entrance, one of the guards called for me.
“Come with us, Spike the Brave and Glorious,” the guard said.
“Just call me ‘Spike,’ sir,” I said. “No need for that long name.”
“Apologies, Spike.”
The guard escorted me up the stairs and to a door with the letters, “V. I. P.”
“This was reserved for you to watch the Equestria Games, sir,” said the guard as he gave me a key.
“Thanks,” I said. “Is it possible to bring some of my friends over here?”
“We’ll get right on that.”
I used the key to enter the room. Upon entering, I noticed how spacious it was. There were about three rows of seats to see the action, a small kitchen, and a bathroom. All it needed was a bedroom, and it would feel like a small penthouse.
As I admired the decoration, I heard the door knocking.
“It’s unlocked!” I shouted.
Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders came in. Just like me, they were amazed by the room.
“Land sakes!” Applejack called out. “And they just gave this to ya, Spike?”
“It’s the upsides of saving an empire,” I said.
“Such magnificent decor,” said Rarity. “Now I’m feeling inadequate with those stained-glass windows.”
“Oh, look!” Pinkie exclaimed from the kitchen. “They stocked the fridge with Cryztal-Clear Water! ‘The ultimate mineral-free water’!”
The sound of the crowd getting louder filled my eardrums.
“Looks like the events are startin’!” Applebloom yelled. “Let’s hurry up and see ‘em!”
We sat down in our seats and watched the events unfold.
Ponyville was the first town to get a medal by coming first in the 100-meter dash, but Cloudsdale managed to score two gold medals for the pole vault and rings. A few other towns got medals as well. Griffonstone, for example, got silver for both the obstacle course and trampoline. In the end, Cloudsdale was in the lead with about six medals, Ponyville had five, and Manehattan had four.
I seemed to notice that for some events, winged ponies and griffons had to wear a belt to prevent using their wings. It was safe to say that the belts were strong enough to not break, yet light enough to avoid hindrance.
“Certainly a vigorous experience when you are watching the Equestrian Games first hoof,” said Rarity once the events were over for the day.
“You said it,” replied Applejack as we left the stadium. “I hope Ponyville doesn’t fall too far behind.”
“I’m sure they’ll catch up,” I said.
Later that evening, the girls and I ate at a nearby restaurant. Cadance and the other princesses were there, too.
“You gotta admit, Ponyville’s got it good when it comes to these events,” said Rainbow. “I knew I taught that stallion well when I saw him win the 100-meter dash.”
“Looking through this guide, they seem to have so many events,” said Rarity. “I’m surprised they enforced one sport per pony, especially since some of them have multiple ponies from the same town.”
“Maybe it’s just in case a pony gets injured or tired,” I said.
After dinner, I met up with Cadance.
“So, Cadance,” I said. “Remember that stallion you talked about yesterday?”
“You mean the one from Sire’s Hallow? Why do you ask?”
“Because I’d like to know how he’s settling in the empire. Plus, he might be wanting to see its hero in the flesh.”
“Well, I’m not sure about the exact address off the top of my head, but I know he lives in the southern district. Just ask around, and they’ll tell you.”
“How would I know it’s him? What’s his name?” I already knew, but I didn’t want to raise suspicion.
“His name is...Sunburst...I think. He’s orange and wears a blue cape. That’s all I know.”
“I think that’ll be enough. Thank you.”
Since it was late, I headed back to the castle and turned in.
The next morning, I got up a bit earlier than usual. I ate a light breakfast and headed out of the castle. I made it to the southern district without any problems aside from signing a few autographs.
Alright. Now where’s that unicorn’s house?
I looked up and down the streets until I saw a house that looked like it was wearing a giant hat. It had to have been where he lived. I took a deep breath and approached the front door. I gave it a few loud knocks and waited.
The door cracked open.
“Yes?” A stallion’s voice asked.
I cleared my throat. “Good morning. Are you Sunburst?”
“That’s me.”
The stallion peeked his head out of the door. He was orange with a white stripe on his nose. He had a red unkempt mane and a small goatee of the same color. He also wore round, silver glasses.
“What can I do for you?” Sunburst asked awkwardly.
“I just came by to say hello,” I replied with a small smile on my face. “My name is Spike. I’m the hero of the Crystal Empire.”
“Wait.” Sunburst opened the door a bit more, revealing his blue cape with stars. “You’re the brave and glorious Spike everypony’s talking about?”
“That’s right. Thought I would be bigger?”
“I didn’t think so when I saw your statue. I-I’m sorry, did you want to come in or something?”
“If you’re not busy right now. If you are, I can come back later.”
“No, I’m free right now.”
Sunburst brung me inside. I sat at a wooden table while Sunburst carried out a teapot and a couple of teacups.
“All I have is green tea,” said Sunburst. “Dragons drink tea, right?”
I replied, “I do. I don’t know about other dragons.”
Sunburst poured me a cup. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard a dragon saved the empire, let alone a baby dragon. So do you live nearby?”
“Not exactly. I’m from Ponyville, but I was born in Canterlot.” I received the cup he gave me.
“Interesting. I used to visit Canterlot but...nevermind. So why did you come visit me of all ponies?”
“Princess Cadence told me you weren’t from here, so I thought about chatting with you and seeing how you’re liking the place.”
“Well, rent’s a bit costly, but I seemed to manage. No nosy neighbors, which is a plus.”
I took a sip of the tea. “I was told that you were from Sire’s Hallow. What’s that place like?”
“Uh, just your usual small town. Like...it has shops and homes. Nothing too famous or anything.”
“Hmm. I assumed you moved out because you wanted a change of scenery, right?”
“Y-yeah, of course! That’s why I did it. Heh.”
I could tell Sunburst was hiding something, and I knew what that something was.
“So are you enjoying the games?” I tilted a bit in my chair.
“The Equestria Games? I don’t watch them.”
I stopped tilting. “How come?”
“Not really a sports kind of pony. Sure the events sound interesting, but it’s not really my thing. Not to mention ticket prices are outrageous.”
“To each their own, I guess.” I looked around the room. “I see you like reading in your spare time.”
“Oh, of course. I prefer reading books about magic and stuff. I pretty much know a thing or two about spells and whatnot.”
“Really? Can you cast anything?”
“Oh...uh...not...by command.”
“That’s okay. You remind me of my guardian, Twilight. She too likes to read about magic.”
“Twilight? You mean Princess Twilight is your guardian?”
“The same one. Life is full of surprises isn’t it?”
“I guess so.”
I looked around a bit more. That’s when I noticed a picture frame on a nearby bookshelf. It had a picture of a colt and a filly playing together, and I recognized both of them.
“Hey...that picture,” I said. “It looks familiar.”
“Huh?” Sunburst turned around. “Oh, you noticed that.” He then used his magic to bring the frame closer. “This is an old photo of mine when I was just a colt.”
I looked closer at the picture. It showed Sunburst as a colt holding a book and levitating a bunch of blocks while the pink filly was clapping.
“Who’s the filly next to you?” I asked.
“Oh, her? She’s an old childhood friend. We used to play with each other a lot back then. We were really close.”
“What was her name?”
“I think it was...Starlight...Glimmer! Yeah, her name was Starlight Glimmer.”
“She’s pretty cute. Are you still in contact with her?”
“No. In fact, I haven’t even heard from her ever since I got my cutie mark.”
“Really? How come?”
“I don’t know. I mean, she helped me get my cutie mark. I was going to thank her after showing it to my family, but I never could.”
“Why not?”
“Well...you see...no, I shouldn’t.”
“Just tell me, Sunburst. I won’t judge.”
Sunburst sighed. “You’ve heard of Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, right?”
“Of course I do. I was born there.”
“Really? Anyway, my parents, mostly my mom, forced me into that school because they thought I was a ‘prodigy’ all because of my cutie mark. I never got the chance to thank Starlight at all.”
“Why couldn’t you send a letter or something?”
“Because my mother assigned me some really advanced courses. I didn’t have time to breathe, let alone write a letter!” Sunburst sighed again. “I was thankful I got kicked out.” Suddenly, he covered his mouth.
“What? How did you get kicked out? Was it because of poor grades?”
Sunburst slowly nodded. “After a few months of failing so many courses in a row, the board decided I wasn’t fit to be in their school and expelled me. I was somewhat relieved. At least I didn’t have to lose sleep trying to study for all those tests. I headed back to Sire's Hollow, hoping I could find Starlight and apologize to her, but she wasn’t there.”
“She moved out?”
“No. Her father said that she ran away. He seemed really casual about it, for some reason.” Sunburst looked at the picture. “If only I could see her again, I can talk to her about how much she helped me. If only my parents weren’t in the way so much. I hope she doesn’t think I stopped caring for her after my cutie mark.”
“From what you’ve told me, I just hope she doesn’t oppose cutie marks.”
“Me neither, but it’s just like opposing growing up. It inevitably happens, and there’s almost no way to stop it unless you have some sort of advanced spell.”
I looked away. I remembered that I still have to stop Starlight. And with the end of Season 4 around the corner, I was running out of time.
“Thank you for telling me all this, Sunburst,” I said. “If Twilight and I ever find her during our adventures, we’ll let her know you still remember her.”
“Well, good luck,” Sunburst replied. “Equestria’s a big place, and I doubt anypony at Sire’s Hollow would help you.”
“Hey, my friends and I can be pretty lucky sometimes. I wouldn’t be surprised if we find her on our next adventure.” I looked at the clock on the wall. “Uh, oh. The next set of events are coming up! I gotta head to the stadium. Thanks for the tea, Sunburst.”
I finished up my cup and bidded Sunburst adieu. I hurried to the stadium and up to my VIP lounge. I noticed Pinkie Pie at the door.
“About time you showed up!” Pinkie exclaimed. “We’re missing the events!”
“Sorry about that, Pinkie.” I quickly unlocked the door. “You must be really desperate to sit in the lounge.”
“Well, duh! Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are gonna be doing the aerial relay, and I want to see them up close.”
“Actually, we wouldn’t be significantly closer to them here than if we were sitting...and she’s gone.”
I sighed and entered the lounge. A few minutes later, the CMC, Applejack, and Rarity came in.
“I had a feelin’ Pinkie was already up here,” said Applejack.
We sat back and watched the second set of events: gymnastics, ribbon, weight lifting, aerial relay, and steeplechase.
We were on the edge of our seats when the aerial relay came up, since that was where Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were participating. Unfortunately, just like in the show, they came in second place, just barely behind Cloudsdale.
“Aw, so close!” Scootaloo complained.
“At least Fluttershy is getting less nervous at being in front of large crowds,” said Rarity.
The Cloudsdale’s anthem came up afterwards. Since I didn’t ask to sing it, the scene where Spike messes up the lyrics never happened. However, I didn’t want all that memorization to go to waste.
“We will fly high, up to the sky,” I sang along. “With our friends, victory is nigh…”
“Wow. You should’ve sung the anthems, Spike,” Pinkie suggested.
I shrugged. “Maybe next time.”
After this set of events, Ponyville received about nine medals, which was one less than Cloudsdale. Manehattan and Appleloosa tied for third with seven medals.
The next day, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy joined us at the VIP lounge. The two of them were also impressed by the luxury.
“Woah! The girls weren’t kidding when they told us how awesome this place looks!” Rainbow exclaimed. “You could practically live here if you don’t mind the noise!”
We watched the third set of events, which were high jump, field hockey, basketball, volleyball, and judo. Basketball was the most interesting event to me. I don’t think I ever saw ponies playing basketball in the show, so this was a surprise.
Why am I getting Space Jam vibes from this?
The end result was Ponyville in the lead, Cloudsdale in second, and Saddle Arabia in third. I’ve also noticed Griffonstone was catching up.
The events for the next day were long jump, fencing, table tennis, regular tennis, and discus.
As I was watching the events, a realization struck my mind.
The ice cloud!
In the show, an archer accidentally fires an arrow straight into a cloud, turning it to ice and causing it to plummet to the stadium. While Spike manages to save the crowd, I wanted to prevent the whole thing this time.
Right after the events were over, I went to find Cadance. She had just finished talking to Twilight.
“Excuse me, Cadance?” I called out.
“Good evening, Spike,” greeted Cadance. “Sorry about Ponyville falling to third. Those griffons are pretty athletic, aren’t they?”
“I guess. But that’s not why I wanted to see you. Ice archery is going to be the last event, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Well, something’s been bothering me. I’ve noticed it’s been getting cloudier these past few days. I’m afraid a stray ice arrow is going to hit one of those clouds, and there’s no telling what might happen.”
Cadance rubbed her chin. “You raise a fair point. I’ll have some pegasus ponies clear the skies tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you.”
The next morning, true to Cadance’s words, the entire sky was cleared out. I was a bit relieved. I just hoped that a cloud wouldn't appear out of nowhere.
Today was the last set of events and the closing ceremony. The events were as follows: javelin, shot put, cycling, triathlon, and ice archery. Much to my surprise, Derpy won gold at shot put. I guess she built up all that strength carrying all those packages.
Now there’s only one event left: ice archery.
“Too bad Ponyville doesn't have any ice archers competin',” said Applejack as we watched the finalists. “We don't have anyone to root for.”
“That's okay. Ponyville has thirty-seven medals, and Cloudsdale thirty-six, so it looks like we'll be medal champs of the Games anyway! Woo-hoo!”
“Wait, there’s only twenty-four events so far,” I said. “Twenty-five including this one. How’d you come up with thirty-seven medals?”
Pinkie replied, “I’m counting individual teammates. Like in the aerial relay, for example, Ponyville won three medals!”
“Don’t worry, Spike,” said Rainbow Dash. “Given the math, Ponyville is still ahead by one medal. Oh, wait. Cloudsdale has two ice archery finalists down there now. If they both place, Cloudsdale wins the medal count!”
Pinkie gasped. “So you're saying that it all comes down to this one event?!”
“Pretty much,” replied Applejack.
“Omigoshomigoshomigoshomigosh!”
Pinkie tilted over the ledge so much that I swore had it not been for Pinkie physics, she’d fall into the crowd below us.
Suddenly, the door knocked.
“Oh, come on!” Rainbow Dash moaned. “Who’s knocking this late? We’re at the final event!”
“Allow me to go check,” Rarity said as she got up.
She hurried to the door and answered it. She returned with a familiar pony.
“Twilight?” Applejack asked. “What are you doin’ here?”
“I didn’t want to miss the last event with all my friends,” Twilight replied. “I could’ve gone here sooner had I known sitting with the royals was optional.”
Pinkie grabbed Twilight’s head. “Then get over here and freak out over the medal count! I'll show you how: Omigoshomigoshomigoshomigosh!”
We continued watching the archers. Sweetie Belle squinted her eyes.
“Where are those ponies aiming?” She asked. “Isn’t the goal of archery to shoot the center?”
“For normal archery, yes,” replied Dashie. “But this is ice archery. Those aren't your average arrows. They freeze whatever part of the target they hit. Whoever encases their entire target in ice first wins. Keep your eye on number seven from Cloudsdale: he's the favorite.”
As the girls viewed the competitors, I looked up in the sky. Despite the stadium’s bright lights, I could see the stars, and not a single sign of a cloud. That was a relief.
I looked back at the athletes. One of them accidently knocked over their bucket of arrows, and just like in the show, they tripped over it and sent the arrow straight up into the sky. What was different was that there was a loud whistling sound, and everypony ran off the field. The spectators in the front rows moved back as well.
“What’s going on?” Applebloom asked.
“One of the athletes misfired!” Twilight replied. “They’re evacuating everypony until the arrow comes back down!”
After a few minutes of panicking, the referees were able to located the arrow. It landed about a few feet away from the archery arena without any casualties. It froze a small patch of grass, but the staff removed it without any trouble.
“Sorry about that, everypony,” Shining Armor announced. “We’ll resume the event as soon as possible.”
After a brief talk with the pony who fired that arrow by mistake, the event continued on like nothing happened. The bucket was more secured this time.
“That was scary!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “Can you imagine if that arrow hit something?!”
“Just be glad it didn’t hit anypony,” I said. “Or a cloud for that matter.”
At the end of the event, neither of the Cloudsdale members could reach the podium. Which meant Ponyville got the most medals! The girls and I cheered loud and proud!
“Let’s get a quick bite to eat before we head down for the closing ceremony,” Twilight suggested.
We ate at one of the vendors and went downstairs. Once we got to the field, we saw Ponyville’s flag raised. It stood firm above the other flags.
“We did it!” Pinkie screamed in joy. “Ponyville won the medal count, and only by one medal!”
“The other teams did well, too,” I said. “I think every town won at least one medal here.”
“I’m surprised how close Griffonstone came,” said Rarity. “They were only three medals behind Cloudsdale.”
“Spike!” A voice called out.
I saw Cadance waving at me. She motioned me to come over. Shining Armor and Ms. Harshwhinny were by her side.
“Is there something wrong?” I asked as I approached them.
“Nothing is wrong,” said Cadance. “You’ve been tasked with lighting the fireworks for the closing ceremony.”
“I’ll be honored to do so, then.”
Shining Armor gave a final speech to everypony, “Thank you all for attending the Equestria Games! We like to congratulate all our competitors for doing their best!”
I stood by the fireworks. Once Ms. Harshwinny gave me the signal, I lit all the fuses at once with my fire breath. They shot up into the night sky and exploded into many different colors. It was truly a spectacular sight.
The best part about all of this is that I got to see the games from beginning to end.
The next morning the girls, the athletes, and I were all packed to head home. We waited outside the train station. Cadance and Shining Armor were with us, along with a few of my fans who haven’t gotten an autograph.
“It was great meeting you two again,” Shining Armor said to Twilight and me.
“Likewise,” I replied as I signed a photo. “And this time there weren't any villains to deal with.”
Cadance chuckled. “That’s true.”
“I hope to visit you guys real soon,” said Twilight.
Once the train arrived, we quickly boarded. Shining Armor and Cadance waved us goodbye as the train departed back to Ponyville.
“That was amazing!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Of course, I knew Ponyville had it in them.”
“Wonder where they’ll host the games next time,” said Applejack.
“We’ll just have to wait and see,” said Twilight.
“I hope it’s Ponyville!” Pinkie shouted.
“Ponyville doesn’t have a stadium, darling,” said Rarity.
“Oh, right.”
I sighed as I looked out the window. I was really proud to change this episode majorly, and to actually witness the Equestria Games for once.
Now my next task was to finally embark on my journey.