Two hours since Spike arrived at the Crystal Empire, every crystal pony worked diligently to set tents and booths for the joyous occasion and celebrate their champion's homecoming now that he'll reside and become their protector. The snack booths provide berry pies, crystal corn, nectar, fritters, and funnel cakes; there's a section for a ring-tossing game, crafting traditional straw hats, playing the flugelhorns, and petting zoos. The crystal guards build a jousting arena since it's the Crystal Empire's favorite sport and activity.
The most magical celebration in all of Equestria is what some crystal ponies would quote after the revival of their kingdom years ago when Spike helped retrieve the Crystal Heart to defeat King Sombra.
For Spike, the Crystal Faire has become his new favorite celebration besides the day of his birth; he feels love and unity within the hour than he would have in Ponyville. Spike has no ill will for the residents of Ponyville but doesn't really consider them his friends because of his connections to the Princesses. Spike does have a few, but they're busy with their lives while he remains in isolation during the days and evenings. He'll have his guy's night and would hope Discord could bring Big Mac over to the Crystal Castle during their annual fun night; Spike would invite Shining Armor to partake in the guys' night if he's interested.
The sounds of fillies and colts laughing, mares and stallions working fluently to bring the most magical celebration made Spike want to participate in helping his new brothers and sisters. Spike helps the crystal ponies by baking berry pies, nectar, fritters, and funnel cakes and cooking crystal corn since he's an excellent chef; with his green flames, Spike warms the food to perfection.
Princess Cadance helped decorate the Crystal Empire with Sunburst and many crystal ponies, setting up balloons and decorative flags while Shining Armor fed Flurry Heart. Princess Cadance flies to inspect the preparations for the Crystal Faire and notices Spike drawing a crowd of his peers with his cooking expertise by the Spike statue; she sees two Alicorns flying in the distance and knows that Princess Celestia and Luna wanted to visit Spike after the supposed resignation letter he sent earlier today.
Princess Celestia and Luna are amazed to see the crystal ponies setting up the Crystal Faire, a joyous celebration of love and unity to solidify their bond with Spike.
"Princess Cadance," Princess Celestia smiles at her friend while flapping her wings to keep herself hovering above the Crystal Faire; she sees Spike leaving a snack booth to take pictures with his beloved fans. "I see Spike adapting to his new home quite comfortably."
"Hello, Princess Celestia and Luna, welcome to the Crystal Faire! Yes, Spike came a while ago, and I had some notion of having a grand banquet inside the castle; however, my subjects declared the Crystal Faire, and rightfully so since we did not initiate one all year long."
Princess Luna reads Spike's body language, determining his face full of bliss, happiness, and relief like his shadow demon suddenly lost grip when close to sacred divinity. Luna believes when Spike got closer to the Crystal Heart by the castle, his demon departed, allowing joy to intercede in his heart. "Sounds delightful that your subjects want to bring love and joy to the Brave and Glorious; my sister and I wanted to visit Spike since we missed him last night during my birthday party and to renew our bond with him for being blatant of his existence."
Princess Cadance deeply sighs since she had forgotten Spike when it came to Twilight Sparkle and her friends; she's riding on the boat with Shining Armor as they want to renew themselves with Spike. "I am relieved that Spike's demons will go away, especially when the Crystal Heart ignites; however, I'm quite concerned about Twilight Sparkle and her erratic behavior. I would anticipate her coming daily to the empire, asking Spike repeatedly to return home, even though she no longer has custody over him."
"Princess Luna and I are authorizing a 90-day ban to the Crystal Empire and explained in full detail not only for Twilight Sparkle but her friends as well," Princess Celestia sincerely states, knowing the rift can produce headaches but allows healing for the two.
"We sent an emissary a while ago to deliver the scrolls since Twilight's motive of receiving mail resides here," Princess Luna confirms that Twilight will know Spike's decision and new purpose in life, hoping she'll understand and let Spike go.
"Perfect, and knowing Twilight, who is very understanding, would make the best decision to let Spike be until the due date arrives," Princess Cadance believes Twilight would accept the decisions and decrees Princess Celestia and Luna authorized after reading Spike's resignation letter.
"Agreed, though we should speak with her and her friends about Spike's decision-making, and when I mean we, that includes you and your husband, Cadance," Princess Celestia says, hoping for a peaceful conversation with as a group before one-on-one sessions with Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends about the significance of caring for those closest and not disregarding them.
"Hey!" Spike waves next to the Spike statue after signing some autographs and taking pictures; he sees Princess Celestia and Luna speaking with Princess Cadance. "Are you coming to celebrate or what?"
Princess Cadance, Celestia, and Luna descend from the skies and land next to Spike and the crystal ponies. Spike is happy to see Princess Celestia and Luna; he can't help but hug them after finally being released from Twilight's position and exploring what life has to offer. Princess Celestia and Luna hug Spike lovingly as friends would.
"Let's go and have fun!" Spike encourages his new brothers and sisters to start celebrating the joy of the Crystal Faire.
The crystal ponies entice Spike to watch the spectacle of the jousting tournament, with this year earning a bragging rights trophy as best jouster of the year award. Anyone, including Spike the Brave and Glorious, can compete except fillies and colts due to protection protocols; however, they allow balloon sword fighting for the younglings. The crystal ponies permit Spike to ride the back of the knight pony, wielding the lance to knock down his opponent. Spike made his point evident about crystal ponies using everything they have; he wants their true potential used during the event when he chooses his partner, and he won't forgive his opponents if they allow him to win on purpose.
Shining Armor reunites with his wife, Princess Cadance, with Flurry Heart; He greets Princess Celestia and Luna with a warm welcome and an invitation to compete in the jousting tournament, which they oblige. Princess Celestia and Luna hope to contend during the first round to see who is better during the sibling rivalry.
Several crystal servants start filling baskets with the treats Spike helped make to pass around to watch the extraordinary event; they even tried a sample and fell in love with the flavor crafted by Spike. Many crystal ponies start playing the flugelhorn in unison, creating harmonious music to welcome the competitors to the tournament.
Spike turns to Shining Armor, smirking at the devilish idea of competing and hopefully dominating the competition, even though in the back of his mind, he won't escape the second or third round; still, he couldn't help but smirk at the idea. "Shining Armor, would you like to be my jousting partner?" Spike offers his claw to propose an agreement.
"It'll be my honor, Brave and Glorious, Bro," Shining Armor high hooves Spike's claw instead of shaking it; he's eager and excited to spend quality time with his brother and show his platoon how to work together in unison.
Princess Cadance decides to enlist herself for the tournament to show Spike picked the wrong pony for a partner and prove to Shining Armor she's more capable than he realizes. Shining Armor gulps nervously about going against his wife during any round and prays to avoid her at all costs.
The list of the competitors gets validated in a number bracket system detailing thirty-two ponies and dragon in total. The first sixteen competitors would be in the Diamond League, while the other sixteen would be in the Gold League.
A unique rule got implemented regarding Spike's participation; if a jouster knocks Spike off Shining Armor, he gets eliminated from the competition, and Shining Armor would not continue the fight. Spike accepted the challenge and hoped that his personal trainer would be competing or watching from the sidelines or the bleachers of the jousting arena.
"Let's go, Spike! Let's go, Spike! Let's go, Spike!" Discord is sitting on the bleachers with Big McIntosh since today is the annual rotation for a guy's night; however, when Discord snaps his fingers to appear at the Castle of Friendship to make preparations with Big Mac, Discord's magic teleports them to the Crystal Empire instead and now starts a rally to the hype of Spike's peers when he enters the competition.
Spike turns to see his guy pals cheering with the crystal ponies; Discord is starting a betting ring, declaring Spike to win the entire competition, in which every crystal pony partakes by offering one gemstone. He couldn't help but laugh at Discord's antics, knowing he was messing with every pony; he walked over and urged Discord not to manipulate his opponent's minds for taking a dive. Discord reads Spike's body language and determines a new dragon blossoming within, so he respects Spike's wish.
The train ride wasn't swift for Twilight Sparkle since she yearns to learn about Spike's purpose at the Crystal Empire and why he forgot to mention his whereabouts earlier. She wonders if something crucial had happened, in which Princess Cadance needed immediate assistance with a meeting or preparations for Yak Yakkistan's possible visitation since the Crystal Empire and Yak Yakkistan are neighboring countries. Twilight continued drawing up theories for a probable solution for Spike's importance at the Crystal Empire.
Starlight Glimmer reassured Twilight that Spike would contact her once the situation gets addressed and send a letter detailing the information to aid Princess Cadance's crisis or circumstance. Pinkie Pie offers her cupcakes to ease Twilight's anxiety, which Twilight accepts, smiling at Pinkie Pie for her kind gesture.
Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash depart from the station, seeing no pony around, which is eerie for them. They are the only ones until they trot to the entrance of the Crystal Empire. After minutes of strolling into the streets of the empire, the girls hear a resounding roar and notice the Crystal Faire.
"WHAT?!" Pinkie Pie shouts louder than any of her friends; she's upset about missing out on the most fantastic party the Crystal Empire throws annually.
"The resounding roars must be coming from the jousting arena!" Rainbow Dash groans bitterly; she believes she's missing out on the best festivity of the Crystal Faire, showing off how awesome she is and dominating the competition.
"Well, least the Crystal Empire ain't dealin' with no crisis or any o' them horrid things," Applejack says, taking an apple fritter the crystal ponies baked, now knowing Spike's involvement was probably setting up the Crystal Faire and celebrating the most magical event in Equestria.
Fluttershy, Rarity, and Starlight Glimmer wonder where every pony could have gone except Rainbow Dash, knowing the spirit of fun is coming directly from the jousting arena. Twilight is calm, which is scaring everyone around her.
Within Twilight's mind, she wholeheartedly believes Spike has forgotten about her with vital information about the Crystal Faire since she has no other means of receiving instant messages from the Princesses. "How dare he forget about us?! Doesn't Spike know it's rude to forget your friends about an important extravaganza such as the annual Crystal Faire, knowing my brother, sister-in-law, and niece are concerned about my whereabouts!?!" Twilight thought to herself rather than reveal her emotions to her friends. She took a deep breath to relieve her sentiments.
"Twilight?" Starlight Glimmer approaches her friend after predicting a mental note to address Spike later.
"I'll lecture Spike about his blatant forgetfulness later; right now, I'm interested in the resounding roar coming from the small arena," Twilight points to the jousting arena.
Spike receives number fourteen from the Diamond League bracket and wonders who he'll battle during the first round. Discord uses his magic to invoke and equip Spike with dragon-size armor, allowing flexibility, mobility, and agility to move while riding on Shining Armor's back.
"I'm number three," Princess Cadance announces, causing Shining Armor to shriek about contending with his wife during the first round; she laughs and corrects the league of her participation. "Of the Gold League."
Shining Armor sighs in relief after knowing his wife is teasing him; then he sees Princess Luna holding the number three card, making him sweat immensely about versing the Princess of the Moon.
"You and me, Captain of the Royal Guard," Princess Luna uses her magic, conjuring a dark night sky blue knight's armor for the jousting tournament; the lance she wields is a lunar-shaped theme for the occasion. "And you as well, Brave and Glorious!"
Spike gulps about confronting Princess Luna during the third or possibly opening round of the jousting tournament; he imagines Princess Luna humiliating him and Shining Armor with years of combat experience. He knows Princess Luna is a juggernaut compared to other crystal guards and ponies competing; however, he must maintain his role and display his Brave and Glorious title to his peers so they don't doubt his capability to become their protector after he announced it hours ago.
After Sunburst wrote the bracket leagues on the chalkboard, determining the rounds by random number selections, he reached into a bowl of number cards to determine the opening match to initiate the tournament. He grabs a mic after choosing the round of knights to start the first matchup. "Alright, every pony and Draqonecuus! The first matchup features #3, the Princess of the Moon, Princess Luna, versus #14, the Brave and Glorious, Spike the Dragon!"
Every pony cheers loudly from the bleachers, with Discord and Big Mac chanting: "LET'S GO SPIKE! LET'S GO SPIKE! LET'S GO SPIKE!" Everyone chants louder, giving their champion respect, honor, glory, and praise as they believe in him.
Shining Armor gears up before Spike rides on his back, wielding the lance to knock Princess Luna out of the first round; he hopes Spike will have fun and win a few matches or the whole thing. "You ready, buddy?" Shining gets on the north side of the jousting run.
"More than I'll ever be!" Spike lowers the helmet's face protection while hoisting the lance in his left claw, preparing to knock Princess Luna down when the moment arises. "Give me signals to dodge and swerve to evade her strikes, Shining."
"Can do, Spike!" Shining Armor salutes to his partner and mentally prepares himself to challenge the Princess of the Moon, knowing the first-round matchup should have featured as one of the main events.
The crystal guards not participating are documenting how teamwork functions with the Brave and Glorious; also, to prep on unison attacks to defeat many foes in the future. One keyword they wrote in bold is communication. Without that, teamwork would be futile.
Princess Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity arrived at the more improved jousting arena filled with all residents of the Crystal Empire, Discord, and Big Mac, which Applejack is confused about her brother's neglectful duties to the farm back in Ponyville. She'll discuss with Big Mac after watching what appears to be the first round of the exciting matchup.
Twilight overhears the resounding joy of the Crystal Ponies chanting Spike's name and notices him riding on a crystal guard's back. Her heartbeat pounds rapidly, fearing her dragon possibly receiving harm from the lances.
An earth crystal pony mare named Sapphire Joy has the flugelhorn, preparing to play the instrument to sound off the opening contest. Sapphire Joy has a light blue coat, bright pink and purple mane and tail, deep blue eyes, and a cutie mark of plant growth.
Shining Armor and Princess Luna gallop to confront each other at the halfway mark; Spike prepares to jab Princess Luna's chest before she reacts, hoping his timing is perfect and not an early strike.
Twilight gallops and uses her magic to levitate Spike off Shining Armor's back before Spike can jab Princess Luna with the lance; instead, Princess Luna delivers the blow on Shining Armor, not noticing Twilight's interference. Twilight holds Spike in her arms, removing his armor and protecting him as a mother would. "What were you thinking, Spike? Putting yourself in harm's way like that!"
"Twilight!?" Spike, Princess Celestia, and Cadance are stunned to see Princess Twilight Sparkle violating Luna's decree about the 90-day ban from the Crystal Empire.
Princess Luna removes her helmet after the confusion, and she's irate that Princess Twilight Sparkle desecrated the spirit of the competition and profaned her and Celestia's decree. Shining Armor gets up after getting knocked down by Luna's attack; he's confused about his sister's presence and interference.
"What are you doing here, Princess Twilight Sparkle?!" Princess Luna tosses her helmet aside in anger after Twilight transgresses her decree and the intrusion during the first match of the jousting tournament.
Princess Twilight Sparkle flinches from Luna's sudden hostility in her tone while holding Spike dearly. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy Starlight Glimmer, and Pinkie Pie join the crew with much confusion written on their faces. Sunburst is happy to see his best friend, Starlight Glimmer, but wishes it was under better circumstances.
Discord and Big Mac are in the dark after noticing the anger written on Princess Luna's face and the weird emotions emitting from Princess Celestia and Cadance; they wonder what happened between them, the girls, and Spike.
Sunburst announces a recess on the mic, allowing every crystal pony to depart the arena and enjoy the other festivities while leaving everypony to discuss privately. Spike attempts to move away from Twilight, but she refuses to release her grasp of him.
"Why are you angry with me?" Twilight is perplexed about the situation; then Princess Celestia uses her magic to teleport Spike onto her back.
"Hey, Spike!" Pinkie hops beside Princess Celestia. "Why didn't you tell us about the Crystal Faire?" Despite the circumstances, Pinkie Pie still asked cheerfully about the Crystal Faire.
"Yeah, and you made Twilight worried-sick when you didn't leave a note for her, for us!" Rainbow Dash comments on Spike's immoral rationales for the reason behind the disappearing act.
"More importantly, why did you forget -"
When Twilight mentions the phrase forget, Spike becomes deaf to the rest of the question; he looks down and feels his darkness returning. Princess Celestia, Luna, and Cadance couldn't believe the audacity coming from Twilight's mouth when she mentioned forgetting friends and leaving them behind, that it's unjust to leave a friend abandoned without thought of how they would feel.
"We need to talk, my most faithful student of the life lesson of forgetting friends," Princess Celestia nudges her head to trot to the Crystal Castle for a private discussion; she wanted to have the private session in Ponyville tomorrow and spend quality time with her friend Spike, uninterrupted today.
"Of course," Twilight believes the life lesson would reeducate Spike about the importance of friendship, that you should never leave a friend behind and forget about their existence.
Princess Luna follows her sister, Spike, and Twilight to the Crystal Castle while Princess Cadance refrains Twilight's friends from following to discuss another important matter.
Applejack turns to her brother and Discord as they approach Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. Sunburst trots to greet Starlight Glimmer.
"Howdy, Aj."
"Big Mac, what in tarnation brings ya here 'stead of back home at the farm gettin' some work done?" Applejack wants to know about her big brother's involvement since he never leaves Ponyville unless he's delivering goods.
"Well, it's yer turn to handle the farm's duties durin' mah one day off a month, y'all. Discord and me done set up our fellas' night out. Typically, we get ready during the daytime so when the night rolls 'round, we know what's the plan we got goin' on," Big Mac reminds Applejack about the agreement. One day out of the month, Big Mac enjoys the day to himself or the guys while Applejack maintains the farm's duties with Apple Bloom.
"Oooh, right," Applejack nervously chuckles; she forgot about the arrangement since she spends more time with her friends and saving Equestria from disasters. She does her fair share at Sweet Apple Acres; however, Big Mac pulls more of his weight than Applejack more days than others. She feels ashamed for overlooking her brother's only day off and how he would want to spend the day. Also, she was supposed to handle business with Filthy Rich, not him.
"Initially, I teleported us to Spike, and we arrived at the Crystal Empire for some reason," Discord chimes in, explaining their reasoning for attending the jousting tournament as the crowd. "Honestly. I didn't know the Crystal Empire began the Crystal Faire, so Big Mac and I thought about surprising Spike by moving the guy's night here."
"So, why y'all here?" Big Mac asks Applejack and her friends the question that seems to be on the Princesses' minds a while ago.
"Twilight got worried about Spike when we came home from last night's birthday party earlier today. Spike was busy and didn't show up -" Rainbow Dash continues with the explanation of Spike's busy schedule from yesterday's affairs, which was unsettling to hear for Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, and Sunburst, who know the truth about Spike's resignation letter.
"Yeah! And we thought Spike's disappearing act came from an ingenious idea from Queen Chrysalis to kidnap Spike during the day or night as a revenge plot since her changelings and the hive reformed," Pinkie Pie noted with Rainbow's explanation.
"Twilight felt awful when we couldn't find Spike; she was highly concerned about Spike and feared for the worst," Fluttershy commented quietly but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"We searched high and low for Spike's whereabouts in the Castle of Friendship and got lucky that some of our friends saw where Spike was going," Rarity said and hoped Spike was alright after feeling dreadful when Twilight spoke about the importance of informing a friend and not forgetting about them.
"That's why we came, and judging from the Crystal Faire setup, we believed Spike had forgotten to tell Twilight and the rest of us about setting up and celebrating the Crystal Faire when you sent him the letter this morning," Starlight said, and noticed the expression written on Princess Cadance's face when she sighed deeply.
"Girls," Princess Cadance decides to speak to them on behalf of Princess Celestia and Luna. "Princess Celestia and Luna sent an emissary earlier today; did Twilight receive the mail?"
"What emissary?" Starlight Glimmer, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy say in unison; they're shocked at the stunning revelation, which was more indication that the emissary didn't arrive on time to deliver Spike's resignation and status.
Princess Cadance closes her eyes, igniting her horn with a pinkish aura to conjure a copy of Spike's resignation letter; it manifests in front of the girls, bearing the Equestrian Gold Seal of Approval on the bottom page.
"What in the hay is that?" Applejack asks before her friends can respond to Princess Cadance's explanation.
"Spike's resignation letter approved by Princess Celestia with the Equestrian Seal of Authenticity," Princess Cadance reveals the written statement Spike wrote for everyone to read.
One paragraph Spike wrote out of the entire letter struck the girls immensely, especially Starlight Glimmer and Pinkie Pie. Spike's unhappiness paragraph makes the girls feel downright awful, guilty, and ashamed for failing a friend in need; they question themselves and each other about spending quality time with Spike. Also, the sentence regarding Spike being a different creature for more interactions made them feel appalled for their ignorance of a species.
Rarity provided some answers about spending time with Spike; however, they weren't hangouts, but they were work-related errands; she invited Spike over whenever she needed extra help with her latest fashions, but she never said: "Hey Spike, wanna come with me to the spa? Spend time together at the park? Go out for lunch?" Rarity only asked those questions to her friends and nobody else, not even her sister, Sweetie Belle.
Applejack mentions many occasions she needed help, and Spike aided her and the family at Sweet Apple Acres, but she didn't ask him to spend time together as friends would.
Starlight Glimmer spoke with Spike in the castle whenever she's not learning friendship lessons from her teacher, Twilight Sparkle, or spending time with her best friend, Trixie Lulamoon. As for the chore list, she would help, and then Twilight whisks her away for a new lesson or a hangout to uncover the truths and mysteries of friendship.
Pinkie Pie recalls no memory of personally inviting Spike to anything in her schedule as friends, mainly Twilight and Starlight; her mane had already deflated when she read about Spike's defense mechanism of faking a smile to evade his internal struggles and demons. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy concur with Pinkie's statement about forgetting to chill with Spike as good friends would, which makes Rainbow Dash contemplate her loyalty element and personality since she failed Spike as his friend.
Another statement in Spike's letter is his placement in life; the girls never noticed Spike fulfilling any goals in life, only to serve Princess Twilight Sparkle. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity remember the tale of Spike's pride when it came to being Twilight's Number One Assistant and attempting to frame Owlicious for a deceptive scheme years ago; how Twilight and Spike overcame their quarrel and become anew as friends. Reading the passage about Spike yearning to find his purpose in life, create goals to achieve it, and be happy. Who are they to strip that fire and desire away from him?
Shining Armor explains the 90-day ban Princess Luna decreed to Twilight and her friends, allowing Spike much separation to grow into the dragon he wants to be, the Brave and Glorious, striving for greatness with new ponies or creatures he'll encounter. Also, the 90-day ban would allow Spike and Twilight to recover, rethink, and manage the situation rather than immediately when emotions take control.
Princess Cadance informed the girls about Spike coming to the Crystal Empire, and it was the crystal ponies that wanted to celebrate Spike's homecoming with the Crystal Faire; that there was no letter indicating Twilight and her friends' presence to help set up the most magical event. The girls realize they came uninvited to an occasion and spoiled it, adding more guilt.
Discord is eating popcorn while listening carefully to each of his friends's stories regarding their friend Spike. Sure, Discord didn't bother asking Spike to hang out because he solemnly focused on building his friendship with Fluttershy more than any of the girls; however, Discord won't allow any excuses to bypass the situation regarding Spike and promises to spend more time with him after giving Spike two weeks to enjoy himself in his new home.
Big Mac remains silent and will miss his friend; he doesn't have the luxury of taking more days off during the year since the land needs tending whenever apple trees decay. He'll make do with his days off from working at Sweet Apple Acres.
Spike looked down the entire trip to the Crystal Castle; he tried to overcome the feeling of neglectfulness when Twilight mentioned what he did versus the numerous times Twilight had done to him for years. Princess Luna feels Spike's pain and understands him more than any pony else; she wants to reassure him that things will get better after the discussion and life lessons taught.
Princess Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and Spike are in a private meeting hall inside the Crystal Castle. The Princesses command the crystal guards to depart for privacy, which they comply with, and wonder why the Brave and Glorious looked so gloomy.
"Well, Spike," Twilight Sparkle turns to her Number One Assistant. "What do you have to say for yourself, mister? Why didn't you inform me of your whereabouts? Why did you forget about our friends and me about the celebration of the Crystal Faire? It's rude and disrespectful to leave a friend behind during fellowships and give them heartaches."
Princess Celestia and Luna can't believe the words spoken by a hypocrite since Twilight's questions are her actions on Spike for years, according to the resignation letter.
Spike didn't want this; he wanted happiness, and to respond in sadness became too much for Spike to bear. Princess Celestia had enough of the interrogation.
Princess Celestia uses her magic to levitate Spike off of her and onto Luna's back for safekeeping. She approaches Twilight Sparkle, staring into the Princess she thought represented friendship. "Twilight, there was no invitation for you and your friends' presence at the Crystal Empire," Princess Celestia says calmly and formally.
"WHAT?!" Twilight's jaws drop with theories ringing in her mind like many alarm clock bells sounding left and right. She's stunned to hear the report. "What do you mean there's no invitation? There has to be otherwise, Spike wouldn't be here!"
Princess Celestia and Luna read Twilight's body language and determine she didn't get the mail the emissary delivered a while ago, which opposes a glaring issue regarding the situation and the emissary. Now, they'll have to explain the purposes of Spike's new beginning.
"Twilight..," Spike hops off Luna's back to confront the issue, hoping Princess Celestia and Luna would say the right words of wisdom to soothe Twilight's erratic emotions. Honestly, Spike hopes Twilight's sudden rage boost won't cause the foundation of Crystal Castle to uproot into the skies as the time she did with the Golden Oaks Library when Spike mentioned a test when Princess Celestia called her to help Princess Cadance and Shining Armor during King Sombra's return.
"If there was no invitation, Spike, why are you here, and why did you forget -" Spike becomes deaf again with Twilight's persistence of the phrase. Twilight notices the guilt on his face and knows what Spike has done is unacceptable in friendship.
"That's enough pestering!" Princess Luna shields Spike with her right pegasus wing. She'll address the situation after hearing enough from Twilight Sparkle.
"Pestering? I'm only asking -" Twilight gulps nervously after seeing Princess Luna's irises changing, almost like reverting to Nightmare Moon. Luna's glare made her quiver about the life lesson lecture she had in mind for Spike.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle," Princess Celestia addresses her as a responsible Princess, not a friend for this instance.
Twilight fixes her gaze on her mentor, trying to understand the issue regarding Spike and his forgetfulness. Despite no invitation to the Crystal Empire, she yearns to know about Spike's status regarding his visitation since he didn't write a note of importance to her. "Yes, Princess Celestia."
Princess Celestia ignites her horn, and a golden aura arises, enabling her to use magic to summon Spike's resignation letter with the Equestrian Gold Seal of Approval. "Spike wrote a resignation letter to relinquish his obligation as your Number One Assistant."
"NO!" Twilight shouts in shock and horror. "I don't accept Spike's resignation as he's too important to me! I want to decline his petition!" Twilight feels panicked, with butterflies flying in her stomach. "Please, don't take him away from me!"
Princess Celestia shakes her head, denying Twilight's plea to override Spike's resignation. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, after reading the report on this document, I authorized Spike's appeal and allowed him to seek fulfillment. You should read what's written for better understanding, my most faithful student."
Twilight reads the top page after seeing the Equestrian Seal of Approval stamped on the bottom page, validating Princess Celestia's decree and authority. She becomes grief-stricken reading the first two paragraphs. Tears form in her eyes, streaming down her face while she read the letter Spike wrote wholeheartedly. The statement: If I had the body of a pony, Twilight would be more attentive to me and more welcome to join the festivities. Twilight feels horrid of unfairly treating a different species, considering Spike lived with her throughout his life.
Twilight lowers her head in disgrace after realizing the questions she asked Spike had turned out to be her undoing for many years that went unnoticed and how she merely ignored Spike to be with her friends and turned a deaf ear unintentionally, which is no excuse for her blatant decision-making. Twilight understands the gravity and the severity of the situation regarding Spike's new life; however, she wants to atone for her misdeeds immediately.
"Spike, I'm sorry..," Twilight tosses the resignation letter aside after her sadness overwhelms her. "I am so so so sorry for being a horrible friend when I'm the Princess of Friendship! I'm deeply sorry for being a hypocrite and having the audacity of comparing and pestering you as a bad friend when I'm in the wrong!" She groans angrily at herself for years of abandoning Spike to clean up the Golden Oaks Library and the Castle of Friendship to spend time with the girls. Twilight imagines slamming her head on a table for having ideas of Spike cleaning not only the Castle of Friendship but the school as well.
"Now you understand the pains and turmoil Spike endured according to the letter, Princess Twilight Sparkle?" Princess Luna asks Twilight after analyzing her reaction to the letter.
"Yes, and I'm ready to bring Spike home," Twilight knows that Spike wants to reside in the Crystal Empire; however, she hopes that understanding Spike's circumstances and the disturbing fact about his fake smile would assure her of renewing her relationship with Spike as friends back in Ponyville. "I know Spike wants to live here, but he belongs with me in Ponyville, not as my Number One Assistant, but as my friend. Let me bring Spike home to renew our friendship and start anew."
"Denied," Princess Celestia and Luna rejected Twilight's plea since she was unaware of another decree Princess Celestia validated in a different letter.
"WHAT?!" Twilight Sparkle becomes agitated with the friendship issue determined by the Princesses forfeiting her friendship duty. Even though the map didn't alarm Twilight's cutie mark to resolve the crisis, the situation is between her and Spike to make amends. "WHY NOT?!" She retorts at the Princesses, allowing her anger to possess her. "I KNOW SPIKE CLAIMED FOR A NO GUILT-TRIP PLEA, BUT I AM THE PRINCESS OF FRIENDSHIP, AND MENDING FRIENDS TOGETHER AFTER MINOR OR MAJOR DISPUTES IS -" Twilight uses her right hoof to point at herself. MY RESPONSIBILITY!" Twilight points her right hoof at Princess Celestia and Luna. "NOT YOURS!" She huffs and puffs after her rant about her duty as Princess of Friendship.
The rant did provoke the Princess of Sun and Moon; however, they refuse to allow a private meeting to turn into an altercation, especially with Spike feeling sadness and heartache about what he desired and wanted to avoid. He sighs sadly, rethinking his options about sanity.
Princess Celestia watches Spike wiping a tear off his left eye; it motivates her to discipline Twilight strictly. Whenever Twilight was in school, she would raise Spike as a nurturing mother and care profoundly for his well-being, and now that's being tested with her student having a temper tantrum.
Princess Celestia fixes her gaze and glares at Twilight Sparkle, preparing to speak her mind. "First and foremost, Princess Twilight Sparkle, you've enacted child neglect and exploitation, which is a federal offense to any parent for abandoning their child, having their child care for the parent, and allowing the child to have the responsibilities of cleanliness, errands, chores within your home in solitude. Second, I renounced your custody of Spike and transferred authority to your brother and sister-in-law to care for Spike since he's still a child. Consider yourself lucky I'm not charging you with a misdemeanor, which would imprison you, Twilight! Since you're virtue in Equestria and an icon among the populous, I would not tarnish your reputation and cause disruption to run amuck my lands!" Princess Celestia spoke in her royal tone, alarming the gravity of her decree to Twilight Sparkle.
"Prison..?" Twilight trembles in fear while listening to her mentor's bold statements and explanation.
"I issue the declaration of a 90-day ban from the Crystal Empire to you and your friends; now, consider the punishment double for your insolence!" Princess Luna angrily proclaims with her royal tone. She is concerned about Spike's well-being and regrets involving him in this discussion.
"...double..?" Twilight's voice crackled in fear after hearing the strictness and coldness of their voices. She knows she's in deep waters after today's meeting.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle, as of now, you are banned from entering the premises of the Crystal Empire. Gather your friends and vacate immediately!" Princess Celestia commands, stomping her right hoof in authority to make her command evident.
Princess Twilight Sparkle flinches from Princess Celestia's hoof stomp and leaves the room, uttering an apology. "I'm sorry."
Spike remained silent and covered his mouth after watching the display of two Princesses governing the situation. The back-and-forth of the arguing, the immense backtalk, and the heaviness made him more frightful. Spike gets hoisted and hugged by Princess Celestia and Luna, apologizing to Spike for listening and witnessing the altercation. They allow Spike to cry and unleash his emotions after withholding for a long time.
Twilight Sparkle is now remorseful of her words after her anger dissipated when she left the Crystal Castle; her mind is in disarray since she upset the Princess of the Sun and Moon, her mentor and sister. "What have I done?" Twilight thought to herself after the realization of screwing more of her relationships with not only Spike, her teacher, and now Princess Luna. She's worried about probably media coverage in the future regarding Spike's new position and obligation. Also, the glaring topic is discoursing Empress Ember and Thorax whenever they decide to come to Ponyville to visit their friend, Spike, or when they accompany a chosen delegate for the School of Friendship.
Twilight returns to the jousting arena in despair and shame; she turns to her friends, frowning and disgusted about her emotions overriding her thought process after she retorts to the Princesses angrily. "We need to get going. Princess Celestia and Luna are serving us a 180-day ban from the Crystal Empire."
"WHAT?!" Pinkie Pie once again shouts louder than Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Starlight Glimmer, Rarity, and Applejack.
"What in tarnation happened between you, Spike, and the Princesses, Twilight?" Applejack asks her friend about the sudden punishment doubling its' due date.
"Everything..," Twilight lowers her head, sighing sadly with her rude remarks echoing in her ear about her self-proclaim entitlement as Princess of Friendship. She turns to Discord. "Can you deliver us to Equestria, Discord?"
"Sure," Discord snaps his eagle's talon, enabling his chaos magic to teleport Twilight and her friends back to the Castle of Friendship. He and Big Mac want to know if Spike is doing alright and excited for tonight's guy's night.
Spike cried in Princess Celestia and Luna's arms during the embrace for a half hour; he endured so much for years in solitude; he didn't want to let go of the warm, loving hug from Celestia and Luna. He doesn't want to be alone anymore.
Flurry Heart arrives in the room, holding onto him to soothe his heart. She doesn't understand the reason for Spike's sadness but wants him to become happy. Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Sunburst, Discord, and Big Mac enter the room and listen to Spike's cries, understanding differently about the tribulations he bore for years unnoticed. Spike calms down after seeing his friends and family entering; he doesn't notice Flurry Heart hugging and holds her dearly for comfort.
"Are you feeling better, Spike?" Princess Cadance approaches Spike, placing her left hoof under Spike's chin. She wants to gaze into his eyes and read his emotions.
Spike nods. "Yeah.., I think I released years of loneliness into that hug," Spike turns to Princess Celestia and Luna. "Thank you for helping me. I am eternally grateful," Spike bows before the Princesses honorably.
"You're welcome," Princess Celestia and Luna vow to treat Spike as a respective family member from here and out, always keep in close contact, and invite him to Canterlot for special visitations and parties.
"Hey! Brave and Glorious!" A random crystal pony shouts, which causes a resounding roar of crystal ponies chanting Spike's name, yearning to see and continue with the jousting tournament since it got interrupted.
Spike walks to the meeting room's window, seeing his family; yes, family. The crystal ponies rallied and sparked a new fire and desire in Spike's heart now that his first step into his life was starting after the hurdle he endured.
Princess Cadance opens the window to address her subjects with an excited announcement. "Return to the jousting arena, for we must continue our homecoming celebration of the Brave and Glorious, Spike, for he shall combat the Princess of the Night, Luna, in our opening matchup!"
Every crystal pony and guard cheers louder, and Spike feels something awakening within. With every crystal pony channeling their light and love while not knowing what had happened with their champion, the Crystal Heart at the center of the Crystal Empire spins and illuminates sparkling magic, purifying Spike's darkness and turning him into a crystal dragon as everyone else gets crystalline coats. Discord gets a bewitching crystalline coating; his limbs and physique glow in different hues, and he lights up like a disco ball.
"Well, y'all, Discord is fixin' to have itself a good ol' party!" Big Mac compliments Discord's disco ball transformation.
"That's an idea!" Discord flies out the window, dancing and playing music, the cha cha cha to the bleachers at the jousting arena.
Princess Cadance uses her magic to levitate Spike's armor and lance. "You're armor, Knight Spike," Princess Cadance bows gracefully to her friend for fun.
Spike adorns his armor and hops on Shining Armor's back, preparing for his matchup against Princess Luna. "Let's get going; we have a friendly competition to resume!" Spike feels rejuvenated and hopes Twilight will overcome her denial, anger, and stress, fearing she's in the five stages of grief.
Princess Celestia, Luna, and Cadance combine their magic to transport everyone to the jousting arena. Discord filled the bleachers with every crystal pony chanting: "LET'S GO SPIKE! LET'S GO SPIKE! LET'S GO SPIKE!"
Princess Luna dorns her dark night sky blue knight's armor and wields her lunar-shaped lance.
Shining Armor gets in position with his captain of the crystal guard armor on, mentally preparing himself to aid Spike and challenge the Princess of the Moon; he's focused on winning the tournament with Spike after what transpired a while ago.
"Hey, Luna!" Spike shouts bold and proud for his statement to show his private trainer that he is courageous against opposing foes. "Don't hold back!" Spike demands, tightening his grip on the lance's handle; he puts the shielding of his helmet down.
"Very well, Spike the Brave and Glorious! I shall answer you by defeating you shamelessly in this contest!" Princess Luna is now motivated, with adrenaline coursing through her veins.
Sapphire Joy plays the flugelhorn, sounding off the opening contest again, and hopes for no interruptions. Spike, Shining Armor, and Princess Luna shout their warcries and charge, preparing to strike by the halfway mark with the roaring crowds cheering lively.