Princess Luna is in her quarters, writing an imperative letter addressing Princess Twilight Sparkle about Spike's new beginning, resignation, and thoughts about Spike's reflection during his tenure in Ponyville. The emissary Princess Luna called to arrive, waiting patiently for Princess Luna to hand him the scrolls to deliver to the Castle of Friendship.
Dear Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle,
I'm writing to you today about the confirmation of Spike's resignation as your Number One Assistant, which includes your guardianship of Spike. Spike's statement detailed the many years of loneliness, darkness, and unhappiness. One, which you instilled without noticing; however, that is not justifiable to ignore a friend closest to you daily and not involve him during your activities with your friends. The crime you've committed, even unintentionally, is child negligence and exploitation. That is why my sister, Princess Celestia, will renounce your custody of Spike and transfer control to your brother, Shining Armor, and Princess Cadance. A grown mare asking a youngling to care for not only you and the castle is unheard of; the parent is responsible for the child, and you reversed the logic, which is appalling.
I'm sending you a copy of Spike's resignation letter so you understand his circumstances, darkness, and loneliness. Also, to comprehend the validation of this letter and not a brilliant practical joke from the Lord of Chaos Discord, you'll see the Equestrian Gold Seal of Approval to authorize Spike's resignation letter at the bottom page.
Princess Twilight Sparkle, as of now, you are forbidden to come near Spike within 90 days during his residency at the Crystal Empire unless life-threatening or crucial meetings are necessary. My sister and I understand your relations with your niece and have instructed Princess Cadance to appear in Ponyville during visitations, which includes Shining Armor if he decides to visit you instead of Princess Cadance. Your friends, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash, will endure a 90-day ban from the Crystal Empire for their negligence of a friend cast aside.
Spike's logic has us terrified, and this is something you must discuss with us. If Spike was a pony, would he be treated the same as he was or differently? Don't lie and be honest with us when we visit you soon, Princess of Friendship.
Sincerely,
Princess Luna
Princess Luna wraps the scroll nicely and ties it with a blue ribbon with the seal of her first initial capitalized. The letter is ready for transport with the emissary standing by.
Princess Celestia trots by after a lengthy, decisive meeting with a few scientists on the verge of discovering a cure to a disease that plagued Equestria for decades. She rereads her statement to Princess Twilight Sparkle and wants Princess Luna's opinion.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
Today, after you left, I received a message regarding Spike the Dragon, your former Number One Assistant. Spike has petitioned his resignation, which I authorized after reading his reasonings. I am very disappointed in you, my most faithful student, about the friendship you've shown to the dragon you birthed. I don't recall memories of Spike's involvement when I required the assistance of you and your friends; you've decided to exclude Spike from many ventures, parties, and events. Although the affairs from your friendship quests didn't require Spike's involvement, there are numerous occasions that you could have allowed Spike to join you during your festivities among friends, social outings, and events.
Another jarring notion is how you reversed the role of caregiving to a youngling. You made Spike take care of you and the Castle of Friendship, which is unforgivable to many eyes when you leave Spike all alone in solitary confinement. According to Spike, he has no purpose, and I agree after reading the statement issued in the letter; therefore, he'll reside at the Crystal Empire and uphold his entitlement as the Brave and Glorious. Your brother, Shining Armor, and his wife, Princess Cadance, will now have legal guardianship of Spike since you've committed an atrocity. Unintentionally is not an excuse as the Princess you are with laws and regulations every citizen must follow. You've failed Spike as a friend and caregiver, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and you should be ashamed of yourself for allowing a dark thought to enter Spike's mind: Would he be treated better if he had the body of a pony and would be more attentive and more welcome to join the festivities?
You will answer that question and many more when Princess Luna and I arrive at the Castle of Friendship tomorrow morning; you have much explaining regarding Spike's purposes during his time as your Number One Assistant and as your friend during your tenure in Ponyville.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
"Very heartfelt, Celestia. I can feel your emotions about the situation with Twilight and Spike. The seriousness and the sternness between writing to a friend and Princess."
"As Twilight, we must atone for our mistakes for being neglectful of Spike," Princess Celestia is ashamed of herself for not being more involved with Spike when she had a silver-lining connection to send messages to Spike, asking him about his progress and even have a day together as good friends should.
"Not only the Princess of Friendship but also the barriers of the Elements of Harmony, for they failed Spike as their friend. We should have private discussions with them about the importance of friendship with all species," Princess Luna noted after pondering more about Spike's loneliness and why the letter didn't mention Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.
"Agreed," Princess Celestia concurs with Luna's statement. "Spike's loneliness and darkness would probably not be an issue if they were filling in the gaps in his heart and being more vocal to invite Spike, giving him a sense of purpose as a friend."
"Since we managed to forget about Spike throughout his span in Ponyville, how about we spend the day with Spike at the Crystal Empire, Celestia? He should be there within another hour or so," Princess Luna advises, urging her sister to be better-minded when they speak with Twilight Sparkle tomorrow morning.
"Well," Princess Celestia checks the clock in Luna's quarters; it's 11:41 in the morning. "We'll get going at 1:00; lunch will be ready soon."
"Good, I am famished," Princess Luna says since writing the statement to send to Twilight took her more than an hour to express her thoughts from rereading Spike's resignation letter and how she wanted to address her concerns. "Hope you don't mind about my decrees with the issue stated in my letter to Princess Twilight Sparkle."
Princess Celestia unveils her sister's scroll to read thoroughly and nods with approval. "A 90-day ban to the Crystal Empire is perfect, Luna. It allows Spike recovery time and Twilight to contemplate her friendship with Spike and how to atone for her misdeeds," Princess Celestia wraps her sister's scroll and gives it and hers to the emissary by the doorway. "Deliver to Castle of Friendship in Ponyville."
The emissary is a white pegasus wearing the royal guard's uniform without the helmet; he has a sash on his shoulder for transporting mail throughout the country. After watching the Princesses leave Luna's quarters, the emissary departs by flying out of Luna's balcony. The flight to Ponyville will take twenty minutes.
An hour ago.
Princess Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack departed from the train after it got held back by another train heading to the Crystal Empire. Pinkie Pie hops beside her friends to the Castle of Friendship as she's more excited to build her classroom of parties and laughter to teach when the semester starts.
Neighboring ponies wave at the Princess of Friendship and her friends, welcoming the core back home from their venture, believing they helped save Equestria from another crisis. Lyra and Bon Bon wave from the park's bench, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo trot by, hugging their sisters before helping another filly find their destiny, Big Mac informing Applejack about the money they earned after selling two wagons full of apples to Filthy Rich. Life in Ponyville is going well for every pony, especially with the School of Friendship added to the town and possibly transforming Ponyville into a capital city with newer creatures yearning to reside as citizens.
"So, with the construction crew coming, let's just say, a week from today or tomorrow, depending on how quickly she would lend us support, what do you have in mind, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asks, flying next to the Princess of Friendship rather than trotting with the other mares.
"I have my blueprints drawn to the exact measurements, which we'll construct the school a few yards away from my castle since I'll be the headmare of my school. I envisioned several students far and wide wanting a private session after hours about friendship lessons, and I don't want to complicate things on their end. That is why I prepare ahead of time."
"Hey, Starlight?" Pinkie Pie hops next to Starlight Glimmer, pulling a cupcake from her mane to eat. "What would you be doing when the School of Friendship starts the first day of school?"
"Twilight asked me to become the school's counselor since she would be preoccupied with other affairs in the school, and I'll be a temporary headmare when she's fulfilling a friendship quest."
"Hmm, I wonder what Spike would be doing? Would he teach?" Fluttershy asks Twilight Sparkle about Spike's involvement.
"Spike won't be teaching. Spike will continue his duties as my Number One Assistant at the School of Friendship and will aid our dragon students in interacting with other creatures," Twilight responds since she'll use Spike during her curriculums and other private studies. Also, Spike has his work cut out with cleaning the castle and the school when the day ends.
Twilight and her friends arrive at the Castle of Friendship. She takes a deep breath and uses her magic to unlock the castle's doors wide open, allowing her friends entry.
"Spike! We're back!" Twilight bellows, knowing her echoed voice would reach his ears; however, there's no response. "Spike!" Twilight shouts again after no instant reply.
"Spikey-Wikey! I have gemstones for you!" Rarity shouts, hoping to bait Spike like a fish to reel him in. Her tactic failed when Spike didn't respond to her instantly.
"Maybe Spike's just plum tuckered out and catchin' some shut-eye?" Applejack suggests, explaining his lack of response to Twilight's call.
"Impossible. Spike has never overslept past 8:00. Maybe he's cleaning the castle or having an early lunch?" Twilight feels dreadful with the sudden silence in her home like something horrible has happened to her friend. "Girls, mind helping me locate Spike in the castle?"
"I got the upper floors!" Rainbow Dash zooms upstairs with incredible flight speed, observing every room by the second.
"We'll check the kitchen!" Applejack and Pinkie say in unison, galloping to see if Spike had a mouthful of ice cream of hidden gemstones he hid from Twilight from his secret stash.
"I'll check the map room," Fluttershy trots down the corridor leading to the throne room. Perhaps the map had summoned Spike for a friendship quest.
"I guess you," Starlight refers to Twilight. "Me and Rarity check the libraries and meet by the map room?" Starlight suggests that there are many inside the castle.
"Alright, let's go!" Twilight teleports to the farther library by the backends of the castle.
Rarity trots to the one closest to her, and Starlight travels to the following one three rooms ahead.
Rainbow Dash scours the upper floors in a flash, dashing from room to room, calling Spike's name and noticing the uncleanliness of several rooms, which made her think about Spike leaving to buy needed supplies to clean. However, the uncleanliness was her fault due to her flight speed, causing some papers, inks, and books to scatter in several rooms. She checks the balcony and the rooftops of the castle, seeing no baby dragon in sight.
Applejack and Pinkie Pie arrive in the kitchen, hoping to find their friend snacking. Instead, they see nothing of interest or signs of Spike's presence. Pinkie Pie examines the dust, looking for fresh dragon fingerprints; however, due to Spike's handiwork for cleaning, the kitchen is nothing but spotless.
Fluttershy enters the map room and doesn't see her friend lounging on his throne, reading comics or books. She pouts after finding her friend still missing after searching every corner of the room; Fluttershy had hoped to find Spike cleaning the upper walls of the room if he didn't complete the chore list Twilight gave him yesterday.
Twilight, Starlight, and Rarity search high and low for Spike in every library they've entered; like their friends during their pursuit to locate Spike, they have no results and become worried about his whereabouts and possible situations that could be disastrous. Twilight declares her friends to regroup by the map room for a meeting.
It's 11:55 a.m. Twilight, Starlight, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy arrive in the map room after wasting half an hour locating Spike. Twilight starts having anxiety and panic since she has no clue about Spike's whereabouts.
Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Starlight, Rarity, and Fluttershy feel bad about leaving Spike behind and wonder if Queen Chrysalis has kidnapped him for an evil plot of revenge or ransom since she's the only evil creature roaming Equus when her changelings reformed and transformed. They decided not to give Twilight that thought until another came to fruition.
"Where would Spike go?" Twilight sits on her throne, conjuring a paper bag to inhale and exhale into. "WHERE?!"
"Well, maybe some pony in town might have seen where Spike was going?" Starlight says, hoping her thesis would entice Twilight to ask any pony in Ponyville for clues to where Spike is.
"Brilliant idea, Starlight!" Twilight drops the paper bag and levitates Starlight Glimmer with her magic, hugging her friend dearly.
"Y-You're welcome, Twilight," Starlight sees Twilight's demeanor changing from dreadful to hopeful; now she hopes that anypony in Ponyville knows where Spike is or doing.
"Let's go!" Twilight, with her newfound energy, gallops to the castle's doors. Starlight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack follow their friend to help find Spike.
The emissary arrives at the front of the Castle of Friendship and prepares to announce the letters the Princess of Friendship would receive when the castle's doors fling open, knocking him out from the sudden whiplash. He falls over to the left side of the stairs, lying on the meadows with no one noticing his presence of importance.
Twilight Sparkle and her friends rush to see the first pony in sight, hoping they have seen Spike and his whereabouts. The pony they approach is Thunderlane with his younger brother, Rumble.
"Thunderlane, have you seen Spike this morning?" Rainbow Dash asks her fellow Wonderbolt teammate, praying for good answer for Twilight's sake.
"No, I just arrived in town like half an hour ago. Also, Spitfire wanted me to tell you about heading back to Wonderbolt training since we were humiliated by the Storm King's army and would need better flight sequences to oppose newer offensives of the future."
"Oh boy," Rainbow Dash imagines the newer techniques Spitfire drew up for the Wonderbolts to deploy on the enemy; she is looking forward to become the fastest among the core to perfect the procedures, but she needed validation of Spike's whereabouts for Twilight's sanity.
"I saw Spike this morning before playing with Button Mash, Pipsqueak, and Featherweight," Rumble replies, looking at Rainbow Dash's gaze. He sees her smile widely before Twilight shoves her aside.
"Where?!" Twilight grabs Rumble to read his eyes, ensuring that he's telling the truth and nothing but the truth.
"Hey, cool it!" Thunderlane releases Rumble from Twilight's grasp; he sees the Princess of Friendship acting crazy and hysterical.
"He was walking towards the train station with a backpack," Rumble pointed to the station.
"Thank you!" Twilight hugs Rumble and apologizes for her behavior; she gallops to the train station with her friends, except for Rainbow Dash, who received a letter detailing her next appearance at the Wonderbolts HQ from Thunderlane.
At the train station, Twilight Sparkle and her friends search for a pony who sold a train ticket to Spike or knows his destination; she approaches the station pony by the booth.
"Good afternoon, Princess Twilight Sparkle," The station pony gets prepared to give Twilight and her friends train tickets to her desired destination.
Twilight asked the station pony if they knew where Spike went when he came here earlier. The station pony mentions the Crystal Empire as Spike's destination, which now makes sense for Twilight that Princess Cadance asked for Spike's assistance without her help.
"Spike went to the Crystal Empire without us?" Twilight wondered, baffled by Spike's sudden decision to travel to the Crystal Empire without informing her.
"Do you think Spike decided to handle the task on his accord while we were having breakfast with the Princesses?" Starlight asks Twilight, which is more than enough validation to confirm Spike's decision-making to leave Ponyville and send a letter to Princess Celestia, requesting Twilight and her friends' presence.
"Absolutely, and Spike made a foolish decision of not informing me and giving me heartache. Let's go to the Crystal Empire and help Spike correct the issue Princess Cadance is probably enduring."
Twilight Sparkle purchases seven tickets to the Crystal Empire; however, the station pony offers the tickets freely since Twilight is royalty and Princesses have many perks for traveling the continent. Twilight accepts the kind nature and boards the 12:37 train to the Crystal Empire.