Dawn of the Final Day- 24 Hours Remaining
There was a knock on the door of Rainbow Dash’s house. The blue Pegasus mare with a mane that matched her name looked at her clock. She grimaced when she saw what the hour was. She looked down at her side to see the orange filly with a purple mane nestled up against her on her bed. Whoever it was at the front door had knocked again.
Who could it be this early in the morning? she groaned as she dragged herself from the comfort of her cozy bed. Before she joined the Wonderbolts, she would have never considered getting out of bed before ten o’clock in the morning. One of the hardest things she had to do when she first joined the team was to get used to waking up early. However, that didn’t mean she had to like it. Rainbow Dash opened the door and saw it was Spike in the guise of Soarin who had woken her up.
“‘Morning, Dash,” said Spike.
“Soarin!” she exclaimed as she saw who she assumed was her coltfriend. She pulled him into a hug, causing the dragon in a Pegasus body to blush. “Come in, come in,”
Spike followed her in and sat down on a couch. Rainbow Dash flew over to check if Scootaloo was still asleep. The little Pegasus was still sound asleep, exhausted from the ordeal of being foalnapped by the Diamond Dogs. Rainbow Dash smiled at the sleeping filly and quietly closed the door before returning her attention to her visitor.
“How is she doing, Dash?” inquired Spike.
“She’s fine,” replied the mare as she scratched at the floor with her hoof, unsure of what to say. Even though she had started to date Soarin, she still wasn’t accustomed to the romance business. Her eyes darted around her home, looking for something to break the ice. “So… do you want breakfast? I think I might have some apple pie in the ‘fridge.”
“Um… sure,” Spike uncomfortably answered. He had always dreamt of being in a relationship with Rarity, but now he found himself in a relationship with Trotina’s version of one of his best friends. Correction, Soarin was in a relationship with her. He was just using Soarin’s form while Pegasus hung out in his head. Soarin, some advice would help.
Just say what I’m saying, instructed the voice of the deceased Wonderbolt.
Rainbow Dash returned from the kitchen with a pie tin that contained a partial apple pie and two forks. She sat by him on the couch and handed him one of the forks. They ate the pie, which was rather good, in silence. After finishing the pie, they silently sat for a moment before Spike began to talk with Soarin’s direction.
“Dash,” he said with a caring tone. “Are you okay?”
“Um… Yeah, sure I am,” she claimed, but none of the four beings in the same body bought it.
“Come on, Dash. You can tell me the truth,” Spike reassured the blue mare.
“Really, I am!”
I doubt it, the other Spike commented dryly.
Eeyup, agreed Big Macintosh.
Do you two mind? Soarin asked, annoyed at the two bystanders.
“Come on, Dash. Out with it,” Spike urged. Rainbow Dash’s eyes started to dart around nervously. She shifted around in her seat uncomfortably, looking like she was about to make a run for it. Spike placed a hoof on hers and looked her in the eye. She looked at his hoof on top of hers and up to his green eyes, which for some strange reason were silted. After staring into his eyes, she gave in.
“Okay,” she said after exhaling. She took a deep breath and continued. “I failed her. There’s no other way for me to say it. They took her when they wanted me, and I couldn’t stop them. I watched as they dragged her underground, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. But you found their hideout and saved her. You saved her when I, her sister, couldn’t. Maybe… maybe I’m not as good as I thought I was…”
“Dash,” Spike said in a firm tone. “Don’t ever think that. You are the best flier in all of Trotina. You are also a great sister, a loyal friend, and one of the bravest, coolest, radical, and awesome mares I know. Don’t you ever doubt it for a second.”
“But…” she tried to object.
“No, don’t you dare,” he cut her off. “I won’t let you do this to yourself. Listen to me; you are a good pony. Say it.”
“I am a good pony,” she repeated.
“You are a great flier.”
“I am a great flier.”
“You are a wonderful sister.”
“I am a wonderful sister.”
“You are a beautiful mare.”
“I am a bea… Oh, You!” she laughed as she punched him in the shoulder. The two laughed together and Spike was happy to see that Rainbow was back to her old, confident self again. “Soarin, I can’t thank you enough for what you did for us. How can I ever repay you?”
“Well, there is something you could help me with,” Spike began. “I’ve been given an assignment from Princess Celestia.”
“The Princess? Really?” asked impressed. “What kind of assignment?”
“She needs me to gather the Elements of Harmony,” Spike explained, pointing to the Elements that he was wearing. “The Element of Laughter is on the island in the bay, and you’re the only pony that has successful navigated through its caves.”
“Why does the Princess need you to get the Elements of Harmony?” she asked curiously.
Don’t tell her, warned the other Spike. We don’t want to stress her out more than she already is.
“I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say,” Spike explained. “But it’s important that I do it.”
“Alright,” Rainbow Dash nodded. It was a good thing that she was a mare of action instead of questions. She went over to the desk and wrote a note in case Scootaloo woke up and wondered where she went. “Let’s go!”
The two Pegasi flew over the bay, headed towards the misty island. The sky darkened as storm clouds formed over their destination. Waves crashed upon the rocky shore of the island and the pair came to a stop just outside a cave.
“Whoa, who scheduled the storm?” asked Rainbow Dash. Lightning crackled from the clouds above. “And I don’t remember the caves being this foggy.”
“Well, we can’t turn back now,” stated Spike. “We’ve got to get that Element.”
“Right!” Rainbow Dash shouted with determination. “Let’s do this!”
The blue mare bolted into the foggy cave and Spike followed. It was hard to see and the cave was filled with the sounds of the winding howling and water crashing against the rocks. What little light that seeped through the crevices and cracks of the cave’s walls was hardly enough to navigate with. Dash would have to find her way by memory. As Spike followed the mare in front of him, a rock came out of the fog and he nearly flew into it. He shouted in surprise and dodged it.
“Yeah, you’ll have to keep your eyes open for those,” Rainbow called back to him, her voice reverberating against the cave’s walls. Spike flew a little higher so that he might avoid flying into any more boulders, but he almost ran head first into a large stalactite hanging from the ceiling. “Watch out for those, too.”
Spike continued to follow the mare as they weaved in between rocks and rounded corners. They halted when they came to a long and narrow cavern. The walls were lined with holes which the mysterious fog seemed to be pouring out from. Since they were close to the source of the fog; the cavern was clear, except for where the fog floated above the water at the bottom of the cavern. A simple shrine could be seen at the other end of the passageway, lit up by the light from the cracks. With their goal in reach, they sped down the cavern. Rainbow Dash came to sudden stop and gave a cry of alarm as a large mouth snapped shut in front of her, missing her by inches. The fanged mouth belonged to a maroon snake-like creature with purple fins.
“Quarray eels!?” exclaimed Spike in shock. The large creature slunk back into its hole, waiting for another chase to snap at passing by potential prey. Spike could see the tips of the snots of more of the monstrous eels peeking out from every hole along the way to the shrine.
“Oh yeah!” Rainbow Dash cheered enthusiastically. “I love a new challenge!”
“Wait, these guys weren’t here before?” Spike asked.
“No, but this will make things more exciting! Well, come on! The last one there is an ugly, old mule!” she shouted as the two rushed into the eel-infested cavern. Somewhere, a mule looked up as though he had just heard his name being called.
Spike followed Dash’s lead as they evaded the hungry mouths of the gigantic eels. As one eel would shoot out from its hole, a Pegasus would duck out of the way just in time and then immediately repeat the process with the next eel. When they landed in front of the shrine, Spike checked himself for any missing body parts. Miraculously, they made it across the cavern with all limbs intact. Satisfied, he let out a sigh of relief.
“Piece of cake,” Rainbow Dash nonchalantly bragged. Spike rolled his eyes and they headed into the shrine. Rainbow looked skeptically at the stone orb that represented the Element of Laughter. “This is it? It’s just a rock. Shouldn’t it look like the ones you’re wearing?”
“It has to be activated first,” Spike explained. “To do that, I have to pass its test.”
“What kind of test?”
“Well, I’m about to find out…” Spike said as he placed his hooves on the orb.
In a flash, Spike found himself in the void associated with the tests of the Elements of Harmony. However, the dragon was surprised to find the void filled with streamers and balloons.
“Pinkie Pie,” Spike chuckled as he shook his head.
“Surprise!” the pinkie pony shouted as she popped into view. She blew a noise maker in his face and giggled. “Welcome to the party!”
“Pinkie, I’m in a hurry,” he tried to explain to the Earth Pony.
“Hurry? What hurry?” she asked. “Time has no meaning here. We have all the time in the world! Come on, have some cake!”
“Pinkie, please,” Spike said, not in the mood for her antics for the moment.
“Oh, I see,” she said. There was a loud pop, and all of the party decorations disappeared. In their place, Pinkie was sitting in an armchair, wearing glasses, and Spike was lying on a sofa. “You’re here for the ‘that’. Now tell Dr. Pinkie, what’s seems to be the problem.”
“Umm… Pinkie, I don’t think you understand…”
“You’re here for this, right?” she asked, holding up a glowing blue gem.
“Yeah…” As soon as he said that, she jotted some notes down on a notepad, humming contemplatively as she wrote.
“Uh-huh, uh-huh, go on,” she urged.
“Go on with what? I’m just here for the Element of Laughter,” he explained, confounded by her actions.
“What about your ‘issues’?” she asked as she looked over her glasses.
“What are you talking about? I don’t have an issue,” Spike denied, becoming increasingly agitated.
“What about your bad case of the ‘down in the dumps?’”
“I just want to take the test,” he blocked as he rolled away from the pink mare, but she was now on the other side of the sofa.
“I thought we’d talk before we got to the test,” He answered by rolling on to his back so that she wouldn’t appear on either side of the sofa. This plan failed, for she was now floating in the air, still sitting in the armchair.
“How are you doing that?” he asked.
“Oh, Spike,” she laughed. “I can do anything in here. Watch this.” The floating Pinkie Pie vanished, but now the dragon was surrounded by a hundred bouncing Pinkie that were chanting, “Fun!” They disappeared and only one remained. “What do you think?”
“I rather just get the test over with, if you don’t mind, Pinkie Pie,” he impatiently answered. She frowned and reverted back to as normal as she could possibly hope to be. Her mane flattened a bit and she gave him a sad look as she vanished.
Spike found himself outside of Ponyville, but it seemed to be different from the last time he saw it. There were more buildings and many of the thatched roofed cottages were replaced with brick houses. Something else was different. Even though the town had more buildings, it seemed to be smaller. It was like he was looking at a miniature model of his home. He scratched his head in confusion and flexed his wings.
Wait… wings? He looked behind him and saw two large wings with a green membrane connecting the digits. He looked down at himself. He was huge and muscular! Thick, sharp spikes ran down the length of his spine. His claws were curved wickedly. His teeth had become fangs. He was now a full-grown dragon. Looking at himself and at the state of his home, he realized what was going on.I’m in the future.
Spike carefully made his way down the streets, making sure not to crush anything. For some reason, he didn’t see any ponies outside. He then saw a building that he knew very well; Golden Oaks Library, his home. Then he noticed something that nearly stopped his heart. The sign in front of the library now said, “The Twilight Sparkle Memorial Library and Museum.”
“Memorial,” as in… His thoughts were interrupted by a shriek of terror. Spike snapped his long neck around and saw a mare standing with other ponies in the street, pointing up at him.
“Dragon!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. The others also screamed and started to run around in a panic.
“Don’t worry, I like ponies,” he said in attempt to calm panicked crowd.
“He likes it eats ponies!” another mare cried in terror.
“No, that’s not…” He heard a crunch. He looked down and saw that he stepped on a vegetable stand. “Oops, sorry I…” Crash! He backed into a building and tore down a wall. The ponies inside held each other and screamed. “Sorry! I didn’t…” Crunch! He stepped on another vegetable stand. Spike looked around, trying to look for a way to leave without stepping on something or somepony. Not seeing one, he opened his wings and took off. The force of his wings flapping nearly knocked the ponies over. “Sorry!”
He flew outside the town and landed on a hill. Looking around, he noticed he was now at Ponyville Cemetery. On top of the hill were six monuments.
Six… No… Please, no… He walked up the hill. Please, don’t be… His fears were confirmed when saw that monuments were in the shape of the symbols of the Elements of Harmony and the names of his friends were inscribed on plaques under each of their respective cutie marks. As Spike stared at the graves of his beloved friends, he heard a mob of angry ponies coming to drive him from their town, but he didn’t care. He’s attention was fixed on the graves.
“Get out of here, dragon!” an angry voice yelled.
“Leave our town alone!” another demanded.
“No…” he said, but not to them. The ponies trembled at the sound of his rumbling voice, their resolve wavering. “… It can’t be true.” The mob looked to each other, confused why a dragon was looking at the graves of Equestria’s greatest heroines. “They… can’t be…” The dragon’s body began to shake and tears began to fall from his eyes. The ponies watched in amazement as they saw the mighty dragon begin to cry. “Nooooo!”
The crowd of ponies dropped their pitchforks and covered their ears as the dragon roared in despair. After he calmed down a bit, a cream-colored Pegasus mare with a curly, golden mane flew up and landed on his snout.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Dragon?” the mare asked. The dragon sniffled and looked at the tiny pony in front of his face.
“They were my best friends,” he mournfully answered. “I went away, but when I came back, they were gone.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said sympathetically. “I know it’s hard to lose a friend.”
“But I just lost all of mine. They were my family.”
“I’ll be your friend,” she offered, smiling hopefully.
“That’s nice of you,” he said weakly smiled back. “But you’ll be gone on day, too. Then I’ll be alone again.”
“I’m sorry that I can’t be here forever, but we can make the most of it while it lasts.”
“Oh yeah, how?”
“Do you like jokes? ‘Cause I know a lot of them! What do you get when you cross a chicken with a skunk? A fowl smell!” Spike laughed in spite of his sorrow. Somehow, this little pony actually managed to get through to him.
“You know, you’re alright,” he said as he wiped his tears of sorrow away. “But I’ll still miss my friends.”
“I know, but as long as you remember them, they’ll never truly leave you,” she told him. As she talked, the graveyard faded away. “As long as you hold someone in your heart, they’ll continue to live on through your memories of them.” Her wings disappeared and her color started to fade to pink. “And when your time here is done, you can go on to be with them again.” Pinkie Pie now stood before him in the void. “Don’t think of it as ‘goodbye’, think of it as ‘see you later.’”
The vision ended and Spike was in the shrine as Soarin again. He wiped a few tears from his eyes and looked down at his hide legs. The Element of Laughter was attached to his right leg as a shin guard. There was a balloon shaped gem in the center of the golden greave.
“Soarin…” Spike looked over to see a concern Rainbow Dash. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he replied, sticking out his leg to show her his prize. “I got the Element. Let’s go.”
“But… Alright,” she said, dropping the matter. They flew out of the cave with ease. Now that the curse had been lifted, the fog and the quarray eels had vanished. As the Pegasi flew back to the floating city, Spike couldn’t help but feel like he had forgotten something; something about apples. What could it be? What could…
“Apple Bloom!” Spike gasped, suddenly remembering that he promised to help the filly protect her farm from ghosts. He was supposed to meet her on the night he got captured by the Diamond Dogs.
“Huh? Did you say something?” Rainbow Dash asked as she looked over to Spike.
“I’m sorry, Dash, but I’m running late for something. I’ll have to catch up with you later,” he explained.
“Do you need my help?” she offered.
“No, you can go ahead and head back to Scootaloo. I’ll take care of it.”
The two Pegasi parted ways, one head to the city and the other to the southern forest. When he landed on the outside of the farm, he pulled away from the power of the Pegasus Mask. After changing back into a dragon, he ran to the farm, but stopped when he saw the devastation. The apple trees in orchard were burnt, the barn was demolished, and the Apple Family was sitting in the ruins of their home.
My family! Big Macintosh yelled in panic. Spike ran to the family of Earth Ponies and saw Granny Smith and Applejack holding an unconscious Apple Bloom.
“Ah should have listened to her,” lamented Applejack as she rocked the filly in her forelegs.
“If only Big Macintosh were here,” mourned Granny Smith.
Spike, let me out! demanded Big Macintosh.
Wait, remember what we talked about, interjected the other Spike.
Please, they need me! Big Macintosh begged.
Do it, Spike, Soarin urged. Spike agreed and stepped out of view to change into the Earth Pony. After he changed, he went back to face the distraught family.
“Granny, Applejack, what happened?” Spike asked in Big Macintosh’s voice. The mares looked up with tear-filled eyes as they saw the large stallion standing before them. Applejack passed her little sister to her grandmother ran to Spike. She wrapped her forelegs around him and buried her head into chest.
“Big Mac!” the orange mare sobbed. “Bandits attacked our farm!”
“What happened?” he asked as he stroked her mane.
“They came in the middle of the night and started stealin’ our apples and barrels of cider. Apple Bloom was awake when they came and tried to stop them, but they knocked over a lantern durin’ the struggle and started a fire! Ah heard them fightin’ in the barn and woke up in time to see them run off! They were wearing ghost costumes, so Ah couldn’t tell who they were. Ah was able to pull Apple Bloom out of the barn before it collapsed, but the fire had already spread to the orchard. Now, there’s nothin’ left!”
Spike felt horrible. He had promised Apple Bloom that he would help her save the farm, but he was tied up in a cell at the time. Spike looked around at the devastation and made a promise to himself. No matter what, he would make sure that this tragedy would be undone before the end. Spike reached for the watch that hung around his neck.
“Applejack, listen to me,” he said, raising her head so to look her in the eye. “Ah promise, Ah will fix this. Trust me; it will all be better soon.”
“Promise?” she sniffed as she continued to cry.
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” he vowed as he did the motions of the unbreakable ‘Pinkie Promise.’ After finishing the ritual, he pressed the button on the amulet and returned to the past.
I promise, he vowed as he fell through the clock-filled white void.
Ponyville- Day 3, 6:00 A.M.
Twilight Sparkle was already out of bed. Her dreams last night was filled with both pleasant and disturbing images. She had to discover what they meant. She was Spike, but he was in pain. Could that have been a premonition? Could it just have been a product of her fears? She saw a tomb, but whose tomb? Had she seen it somewhere? What about the grave on the beach or the tree shaped like Spike? What could they mean? And what was with that unnerving face she saw? It gave her the shivers just thinking about it.
However, before the nightmares, there was a pleasant dream; a memory from long ago. She saw her younger self holding a baby Spike, but there was something else. A song was playing. She remembered reading a book the other day about song spells. The book had listed various melodies and even had the notes recorded. The one that had caught her attention was the ‘Song of Healing.’ Why was it playing in her dreams? Was her dreams trying to teach her something?