Section #1:
Twilight returned to the rocky bedroom next to the entrance to Tartarus. She brought in her three chests of supplies. Afterward, she locked the barred door shut. She pulled out her sleeping bag and placed it on the floor.
Twilight took another look at Spike. Spike remained fast asleep. Twilight picked Spike up and placed him on her lap. She gave him a big hug and rubbed his head.
"Spike," she said softly, "you don't know how much you mean to me. I know that I'm not your mother. But I wish I were. You're my brother ... you're my son ... you're my best friend! I wish I had known long ago what a precious creature you are. Someday ... I hope you can hold me in your lap ... and be the one who protects me!"
Twilight tucked Spike back in bed. She rubbed her nose against his and gave him a kiss.
Twilight yawned. She got into her sleeping back and lay down. In a few minutes, she was fast asleep, too.
Section #2:
A couple hours later, Twilight woke up. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she was feeling refreshed now.
Getting up from the floor, she looked back at Spike. Spike remained fast asleep, even after she rubbed his head a little bit.
"Okay, Spike," Twilight said softly. "I'm leaving for a while, but I'll be back soon."
With her horn, Twilight pulled out a piece of paper and a quill pen. She wrote a note and taped it on the door. The note said, "Be back in three hours -- your friend Twilight."
Twilight unlocked the door, walked out, and then re-locked the door.
Moments later, Spike yawned. He sat up. Rubbing his eyes, his eyes started to open.
"Wow," remarked Spike, with a weak voice ... "That was a strange dream. Twilight took me to Tartarus, and there were all these monsters, and ..."
Suddenly, something caught Spike's eye. "Wait ... I don't remember the Royal Bedroom being this small ... or being made of rock. Technically, the Royal Bedroom might be made of marble or granite or some other standard building material -- but it certainly doesn't look like a cave!"
Still sitting on the bed, Spike looked around. He saw the bed table and the lantern. He saw the door to the bathroom. Then he saw ... the barred door.
Spike gasped with horror.
He closed his eyes again. He banged his head against the headboard. Opening his eyes, he took another look.
Spike screamed. "No! Dear Twilight! No!" His eyes started to get wet.
With his wings, he rushed to the door. With his fire breath, he melted the barred door. Spike rushed through the passage. At the end, he saw a crack big enough for him to climb through.
Spike climbed out of the hidden passage. He looked around the new surroundings.
Spike saw the double doors that guarded the entrance to Tartarus. Taking deep breaths, Spike flew straight into the doors -- trying to push them open. But it was no good. He crashed and plopped back onto the floor.
Just then, Spike heard some scary animal noises. He gasped.
He turned his head. He saw great numbers of dangerous creatures in their cages.
The cockatrices were making angry chicken noises. The manticore and the chimera were roaring, and so were the bugbear and the Ophiotaurus. The puckwudgies were making angry rodent noises. All the animals that were locked up were making noise now -- most of them angry at being locked up.
Spike started walking down the narrow rocky path leading deep into Tartarus. Looking around, Spike gasped with surprise again.
He noticed the non-reformed changeling. The changeling growled and hissed at Spike, sticking out his forked tongue.
Moments later, Spike noticed the three dragon prisoners (the ones who'd been smashing dragon eggs). One boy was weeping. One boy was sobbing. The girl herself was now on the edge a nervous breakdown.
Spike gasped even louder.
Just then, Spike heard what sounded like the cry of a hawk or eagle. It echoed throughout the giant dungeon. It sent chills down his spine. He gulped with fear. He knew that sound all too well.
Looking down the narrow rocky path, Spike saw one of his worst fears ... a roc -- that giant bird which loves to eat molting baby dragons. The roc was locked in a giant bird cage, on the pinnacle that used to hold Tirek.
Spike screamed with terror. On the ground, he curled himself into a ball, trying to hide himself.
"Twilight!" cried Spike. "Why have you done this! Was I a giant greedy monster again? Maybe it happened once or twice in my sleep. But I didn't mean it! That's not what I want to be! Please, Twilight! Don't leave me here!"
He wailed with grief. "Twilight! I beg you! There has to be a better way!"
Spike started to sob. His cries started to echo throughout the dungeon.
"I've gotta get out of here! A place like this shouldn't be allowed to exist!"
Section #3:
Meanwhile, Twilight was perched on top of one of the pinnacles. This pinnacle was surrounded by six others, which formed a hexagon. The Knights of Order were all locked up in big cages, each of them still wearing an Abyssinian collar. Each pinnacle held one cage.
Twilight was looking down toward the Knights, to study their expressions. She was thinking of what she should do next. Right now, four of the Knights seemed more bored than anything else. Danu gave her a hard stare. Meanwhile, Ceridwen seemed kind of sad. Mannah seemed a little sad as well.
Spike's cries reached all the way to where Twilight was standing. It was hard to hear -- it was so faint that it was easy not to notice. However, the Knights could hear it pretty well (especially since they had nothing else to do). And it was starting to annoy them.
"Excuse me, winged monster," said Taranis, "but could you tell your dragon friend to shut his mouth?"
"What are you talking about?" asked Twilight. "I don't understand."
"You know," said Balor -- "the little purple creature flying toward you?"
Twilight looked toward the entrance to Tartarus. She saw Spike flying frantically toward her.
"Twilight!" cried Spike. "My dear princess!"
Spike crashed into her. Twilight lost her balance. Flapping her wings, she fell safely onto the platform carved into the pinnacle. Still, she landed flat on her back.
Spike wrapped his arms around Twilight, clinging as tightly as he could.
"Please, Twilight! Don't abandon me! Don't leave me here to cry ... never to be loved again! Tell me you love me! Tell me you'll visit me every week!"
"Spike, Spike!" said Twilight, feeling concerned. "You need to take a deep breath."
Spike wept into Twilight's fur. He took a few deep breaths.
Twilight sat up. She placed Spike in her lap and wrapped her arms around him.
"My dear little dragon," she said with a calm, reassuring voice, "Your big sister is here for you! But please try not to panic. When you panic, I can't understand what you're saying."
Spike sniffled. "Twilight -- please don't lock me up. Once in a blue moon, maybe I have a really bad dream. And once or twice, maybe I became a giant greedy monster in my sleep. Just like how some ponies walk in their sleep. But that's not what I want to be! I need love -- not cruel and unusual punishment! I don't think I will get any better -- being locked up in an evil place like this! Just let me wear an Abyssinian collar. I swear, I will never take it off!"
Spike took a few more deep breaths, trying to stay calm and catch his breath. Twilight paused to make sense of Spike's words.
Then she started to laugh. Immediately, she cringed with embarrassment, trying to suppress her laughter.
"Spike," assured Twilight, "you are not in trouble. You know that safe place I was talking about -- that safe place in Tartarus that I've occasionally used for meditation? I was just giving you a safe place to sleep for the night."
"Then why did you lock me up?" asked Spike.
"I left you a key ... and a note. But I guess you didn't notice. I guess I should have woken you up before I left to do my business."
"So tell me," said Spike -- "have I ever been a giant greedy monster -- except for that one time long ago?"
"Not that I'm aware of," replied Twilight.
"What if I do become a monster again?" asked Spike. "Will you still love me? Will I still love you?"
"Spike, my little baby," said Twilight with a warm smile -- "even if you destroyed Canterlot, you would still be my precious dragon. Am I not precious to you -- more valuable than diamonds could ever be?"
Spike was at a loss for words.
"If you do become a giant greedy monster," asked Twilight, "won't I still be your most valued possession? Would you really trade me for something as common as gold or diamonds?"
"No! No!" said Spike. "I could never do that! I love you more than my own wings! I could live without my wings. But I don't know if I could live without you."
"Just remember how precious I am to you -- along with Rarity, Gabby, and Thorax. If what you envy for is to have more friends, then the magic of our friendship will bring you back to your senses. The power of your friendship saved you once -- and it will save you again! You just have to believe."
"I must admit," said Spike, "Rarity wasn't a very good friend at the time. But she made me feel precious. And that made her feel precious to me! She's been as crucial to my life as you've been. The day I became a monster, she taught me the value of friendship better than she knew it herself. We were both grossly immature. But over time, we both started to see the true value in each other as creatures. Starting with a little compassion for each other, our feelings multiplied!"
"That's what I feel about us!" said Twilight. "Nothing can separate us forever. Every test we have faced, we have passed!"
Spike started to cry again ... but this time, he was starting to feel happy. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Twily. I shouldn't have panicked. I should know you better than that."
Twilight's eyes also started to get wet. "I'm sorry that I dragged you here when you really needed your sleep. I -- I just feel that you're my partner ... in friendship. No longer do I call you my #1 Assistant. I now call you my best friend! We will continue to have our ups and downs. But at least the healing can begin."
As Spike continued to cry, he felt the healing in his heart. Suddenly, he started to giggle. Twilight paused for a moment. Then she started to laugh.
Spike jumped out of Twilight's lap. With his wings, he dashed two stories above her.
"Bet you can't catch me!" he teased.
"I bet I can!" Twilight teased him back.
Spike started flying as fast as his wings could carry him. But Twilight had other ideas.
With her horn, she fired in Spike's direction. Suddenly, Spike disappeared in a flash of light ...
... and popped back in Twilight's lap.
"Aw, mare!" said Spike with a weak smile. "I keep forgetting that you can teleport me."
"I may have great magic," said Twilight. "But you can swim in lava, and even drink it!"
"I do love lava soup," remarked Spike. "It's hard to find a restaurant in Equestria that can make it."
"Yeah," remarked Twilight. "We have to visit a metallurgist for that!"
With a sneaky smile, Spike started tickling Twilight's belly. Twilight started to laugh. With her own sneaky smile, she pulled out a feather from her wings ... and then started tickling Spike's toes. Spike laughed even harder than she.
"Ms. Princess!" called Danu. "Will you be quiet?"
"Yeah!" called Balor. "It's bad enough that you've locked us up in this stygian prison."
"Can't you just leave us in peace?" called Taranis.
"Danu!" called Ceridwen, "For Cunabula's sake, let's not insult our host!"
"Whose side are you on?" demanded Morrigan.
"I'm only trying to protect our best interests!" protested Ceridwen. "Your angry rebellion will get us nowhere. Literally!"
"She has a point," admitted Mannah.
"So, Princess Twilight," said Ceridwen, "let me get this straight: You never intended to harm our country, right?"
Twilight huffed with frustration. But she tried to stay gentle and calm. "Ceridwen, we didn't even know about your country. But now we do -- and so do all the other Elements. If we wanted to find it, we probably could."
"I didn't think it was good strategy myself," admitted Ceridwen. "But when you and your friends messed up my plans to spare Equestria, I wanted revenge just like my siblings."
"I don't mean any hard feelings," said Twilight. "This can all be forgiven if ..."
"We don't need your forgiveness!" shouted Danu.
"You think you can brainwash us into being your servants?" demanded Morrigan. "I know what you're doing, and it won't work on me!"
"So let me get this straight," said Twilight. "All of you are brothers and sisters."
"Right," said all the Knights.
"You and your dragon seem so close," remarked Mannah. "Are you related, too?"
Twilight chuckled. "Technically, no. But it doesn't matter. To me, he's my brother ... he's my son ... he's my best friend."
"In Cunabula, it's like all the races are mixed up," remarked Spike. "There could be a snakepony, a gryphon with butterfly wings ... or even a male alicorn!"
"We have all of those," remarked Ceridwen.
"Mannah! Ceridwen!" shouted Danu. "Don't engage with them! That's how they win your trust!"
"Danu!" demanded Taranis. "Stop acting like you can boss us around!"
"I'm the king! I can do what I want!"
"Not anymore!" retorted Balor. "You've been overthrown along with us, you know!"
"If I didn't think I needed you, I would be done with you right now!"
"Come at me! If you can get out of your cage! I dare you!"
As Danu continued to argue like a big child, his five siblings started shouting him down.
Twilight sighed. "Well, Spike, I'm not sure we can do any more today. I guess we need to leave and try again tomorrow."
Spike flew back up and hovered above. He took another look at the Knights of Order. Twilight followed him, hovering beside him.
"You have bossed me around for the last time!" declared Ceridwen. "I will think for myself!"
"Same with me!" declared Mannah.
After shouting these last words at Danu, Ceridwen got back to resting in her cage. Mannah also withdrew from the fight, and went back to resting.
Balor, Taranis, and Morrigan continued to argue with Danu.
"We always have to do things your way!" complained Taranis.
"I'm the king!" shouted Danu. "I don't have to answer to you!"
"Not anymore!" reminded Balor. "You're one of us now!"
"King or not," declared Morrigan -- "you're nothing without us!"
"Will you traitors shut up!" exclaimed Danu.
"There's nothing more to say anyway," said Taranis.
"Hmph!" said Balor and Morrigan, turning their noses up and turning their heads away.
Spike paid close attention to Ceridwen and Mannah. Ceridwen now had her head buried in her wings. It seemed she might be crying. Mannah sighed, looking wistfully toward Spike and Twilight.
"Spike," asked Twilight, "what do you think you see?"
Spike flew down to the pinnacle where Ceridwen was caged. He kept a short distance from the cage, just out of the bird monster's reach. Twilight landed and stood behind him.
"Spike," whispered Twilight, "don't get too close. And please don't try to do anything behind my back."
Spike looked toward Ceridwen. He thought about what to say. Suddenly, he had an idea.
"You really miss your people, don't you, Princess Ceridwen?"
Ceridwen's ears perked up. (She doesn't really have ears, but you get the picture.) She pulled her head out from under her wings. Indeed, her eyes were wet.
"I'm a little surprised," she remarked ... "that you would call me 'princess'. That sounds strangely respectful coming from you."
"I feel really bad about what happened to your people," said Spike. "I want you to know ... Discord used to be our enemy, too. You know -- the "serpent". We had him trapped for a thousand years. But then he escaped and we had to trap him again. Later, we felt that we should try making friends with him. It wasn't easy, but I believe it was worth it."
Ceridwen paused. "You have to be kidding me. That can't be true."
"Princess Twilight wishes everyone could be her friend. Some of her loyal friends used to be deadly enemies."
The Knights of Order stared in disbelief.
"You're insane," called Danu. "You don't make friends with your enemies. You destroy them! That's how you destroy a threat -- and avenge your honor!"
"I suppose," said Ceridwen, "I felt a little bad to see you ponies repeating our ancestors' mistakes. But for a moment, I was too angry to care. I still think you ponies have a poor sense of self-preservation. What's your name again, little dragon?"
"My name is Spike."
"You are a precious-looking creature, I must admit. You remind me of some of my own children -- children of my own people, that is."
"It's kind of a shame," remarked Mannah, "that you weren't born as one of us. You would probably have been a very loyal subject for us."
Spike hovered above and looked toward Mannah.
"Actually," remarked Spike, "I am a citizen of three nations."
The Knights were feeling even more surprised and confused.
"You must be joking," said Mannah. "You can't serve two countries, let alone three. No wonder you ponies are so confused. You don't seem to know who's your people and who's not."
"I guess what you're saying," said Spike, "is that I have to love one country and hate all others. Something like that."
"Perhaps a bit of a hyperbole. But we certainly hate the other countries with Elements of Harmony. I guess you might say ... we got sick of accepting their existence."
Spike flew to the pinnacle where Mannah was imprisoned. "Prince Mannah, finding my true loyalties has not been easy for me. I have grown up as a dragon in a pony world. And until recently, no other dragons cared about me. Until now, dragons didn't share much of a common cause; they were mainly fighting one another. They didn't have much of a nation. And the changelings --"
"I might have heard of those bug monsters," said Mannah. "I guess you're about to tell me that you made friends with them, like with that serpent who nearly destroyed our own country."
Spike responded, "I just want you to know -- the ponies were not responsible for what happened to your kingdom. We were victims, too. None of us liked being ruled by that serpent."
Mannah and Ceridwen were at a loss for words.
"Mannah! Ceridwen!" called Danu. "Don't listen to that little monster. He's our enemy!"
"It doesn't matter!" said Morrigan. "We're not getting out of here anyway. Those two beasts won't brainwash me."
"Go on and keep talking," said Taranis, with a smug smile. "It's actually kind of entertaining hearing your pathetic pleas for friendship."
"Same with me," agreed Balor.
Spike sighed. He sat on the floor.
"The more I think about your ancestors," said Spike, "the sadder I feel. Your ancestors wanted friends. But they made enemies by mistake. I must admit ... we ourselves have had more than one close call. When we first tried to make friends with the yaks, they got angry and almost waged war against us. When we started a school of friendship to bring together several other nations ... the foreign students ran off, and it almost started a world war. I guess if you'd had your way, there would be no fighting -- because no one would be left to start a fight."
"Well," said Mannah, "if there were no other nations to worry about, that would be nice for us. Even so, our ancestors did not believe in conquering other lands. Destroying the world was not their idea of order. But when you ponies repeated our ancestors' mistakes, we decided we'd had enough. We would've invaded sooner, but Ceridwen was feeling squeamish at first."
"I see where you're coming from," said Spike. "I ask myself, what if we had been as unfortunate as your ancestors? Would we have tried to destroy other countries, too? If only we could be the friends your ancestors would have wanted. Would that make things right?"
Balor and Taranis laughed a little. Not very loudly -- Spike didn't even notice. But Twilight did. She hovered above and looked down toward those weird-looking creatures.
"Those ponies really are sentimental to the end," remarked Balor, with a low voice.
"At least our ancestors learned from their mistakes," said Taranis. "But these ponies never learn, do they?"
For a moment, Twilight growled. But she kept it to herself. Meanwhile, Spike was too focused on Ceridwen and Mannah to notice Balor and Taranis talking trash.
Ceridwen sighed. "I guess I might as well try out this thing you call 'friendship'. Don't get me wrong. I like having friends. It's nice if you can get it -- but I don't build my life around it."
"What are some of your favorite things," asked Spike ... "things you love to do with friends?"
Ceridwen scratched her head.
Section #4:
Ceridwen was telling Spike a story.
"... And that's how the Knights of Harmony secured peace for the world. Not by uniting it -- but by making sure everyone kept to themselves! And their plan worked for thousands of years!" Ceridwen spoke with a proud smile.
"Wow," remarked Spike, sitting a safe distance in front of her. "It's a tragic story, yet you make it sound like a bedtime story."
"When I was little," replied Ceridwen, "I loved hearing my mother tell me that story. The horrors of long ago didn't feel so real to me ... until your princess started messing with things she shouldn't have."
Spike sighed. "I guess the lesson is ... don't trust powers with those who can't be trusted. And don't make enemies out of those who want to live in peace."
Twilight was standing behind Spike. "Ceridwen, we didn't mean to take anything that belonged to you. If you had given us a warning at the beginning, I'm sure we would have listened."
"You should have had the good sense not to give magic to other creatures!" said Danu. "Your foolishness is not my fault!"
Twilight sighed. "Danu, how can you value the lives of your own people -- but not the lives of anyone else?"
"You don't get to question me, princess!" snapped Danu. "No one does!"
"Our kingdom is our responsibility," declared Taranis. "And your kingdom is your responsibility. And you failed!"
"Everything was working well for you, too," said Twilight, trying to stay calm and gentle. "There was no more war until you started one."
"We were only trying to protect our country -- and avenge our honor!"
Twilight's anger was starting to bubble underneath. At this stage, however, she was more sad than anything else. "I wish you could see how wonderful it is to have friends -- to have creatures you can trust. Then maybe you would see -- there are great creatures who'd be great for your country ... if you would only allow them. Maybe you would see ... life isn't much unless you feel the magic of friendship."
"I don't need friends!" said Danu. "All I need is power!"
"We don't need your goodwill!" said Taranis. "We don't need you for anything!"
The others stayed silent. Ceridwen and Mannah sighed.
"So, little dragon," said Ceridwen with a little smile. "Do you have a good bedtime story to tell?"
Section #5:
"... So," said Spike, hovering above the Knights ... "that's how Twilight and I defeated the Storm King -- and made friends with his former assistant."
Balor scoffed. "How many of these stories do you have -- about defeating one enemy and making friends with another?"
"Sometimes," said Spike, "making friends has been a better solution for us."
"I guess you brainwash them with your magic of friendship," scoffed Morrigan, rolling her eyes. "But it doesn't work on us!"
"Well, Spike," said Twilight, "I think it's time to go. We'll come back tomorrow."
"I must admit, little dragon," said Ceridwen with a little smile, "I've enjoyed some of your stories. They can be entertaining -- even if I don't always like the message."
"I've enjoyed some of your stories, too," said Spike. "Some of your ancestors' adventures are very relatable."
"If you were one of my subjects," remarked Mannah, "I might wish you a goodnight. But you're not one of us, so I wouldn't."
Twilight started to fly away. "I guess I'll just say ... I might see you next afternoon."
Spike also started to fly off. As he looked back, he thought he might have seen Ceridwen waving to him. Or maybe it was just a twitch of the hand.
"See you soon, Princess Ceridwen!" said Spike. "I look forward to more stories!"
Ceridwen smiled toward him. It was a small smile, easy to miss. She didn't want to admit it ... but she was starting to feel a small connection with Spike.
Spike and Twilight flew toward the entrance to Tartarus and returned to the hidden cave near the entrance.