Cave of wonders
“Alright Spike, please tell me what you see around you?”
“Well nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing.”
“Can you see nothingness?”
“No you can’t.”
“Can you feel nothingness?”
“No.”
“Can you stand on nothing?”
“What? Of course you can’t.”
“Then what are you standing on?”
“What kind of question is that? The bottom of the cauldron.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Um yeah.”
“Touch it.”
“What?”
“Touch the bottom of the cauldron. Touch it with your hands.”
“What for?”
“Just touch it.”
“Fine.”
Spike’s hand went lower and lower trying to touch the bottom of the cauldron he was tossed in by Zecora but he couldn't. Instead his hand kept going until he was upside down.
“What? Where is it?” Spike screamed when he realized the position he was in.
“Where is what?”
“The bottom.”
“The bottom of what?”
“The bottom of the cauldron I am in.”
“Are you sure you are in one?”
“Of course I am. Where else would I be?”
“Nowhere.”
“Huh? What do you mean nowhere. I must be somewhere.”
“Yes you are somewhere. Nowhere.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I didn't expect you to.”
“But then why...”
“You don’t have to understand where you are, you just have to know where you are.”
“And where am I?”
“Nowhere.”
“Ah, my brain hurts.”
“Good. Now you know how we feel. So Spike can you accept that you are nowhere.”
“But... how? But... Uh, fine.”
“Good, now picture yourself in a cave.”
“What? Why? You spend all this time trying to convince me that I am nowhere now you want me to imagine I am somewhere?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because in order to get where you need to be, you must first be nowhere.”
“Where I am now.”
“Exactly.”
“Isn’t this a little too complicated?”
“Maybe. But what did you expect to happen? Should we tease you with a rare gem dangling it in front of your eyes until your hunger overcomes you and you go something like ‘Spike wants’ and you try to take the gem, but you never manage to and you are filled with greed and rage and you suddenly grow bigger?”
“Um... Something like that.”
“That's... not a bad idea actually. Wait a little, I will be right back,”
*Ding*
*Ding*
“And I’m back.”
“Again?”
“Never mind. Listen I talked to... the other voice...”
“The ‘eat it’ voice?”
“Yeah’ the eat’ it voice and we will change the plan a little.”
“So now what?”
“Now picture yourself in a cave.”
“This again.”
“Yep. It could be a cave, a dungeon, a castle even a hole in the ground if you like. As long as it’s big and empty and you are in it.”
“A cave is fine.”
“So picture yourself in a cave...”
“A large cave...”
“A large empty cave...”
“Do you see it?”
“Do you smell it?"
"Do you feel it?”
“I... I do... I see the stone walls around me... I see the stalagmites hanging from the ceiling...”
”Those are stalactites, but he’s doing good.”
“I see rocks and boulders scattered around the floor...”
“What does it smell like?”
“It smells...” Spike took a deep breath. “Wet... it smells like it just rained... I also smell... something awful... like a rotten egg, or... like the air in a volcano...”
“Good... Now what does it feel like?”
“It feels... Damp... Cold... Dark... Lonely... Sad...”
“Now Spike imagine gems popping out of the walls, like flowers in the springtime.”
“I...”
“Gems of every shape, of every size, of every colour. Can you see them Spike?”
“I... I can... I can see them. They are growing through the walls, becoming bigger and bigger.”
“How does it feel now?”
“It’s still damp, still cold... but a little less dark... a little less lonely... a little less sad.”
“Good. Now imagine coins falling from the ceiling.”
“I... don’t see it.”
“All right. Let take it slowly. Look into your hands do you see the coin you are holding?”
“Coin? Yes I see it.”
“Describe it.”
“It about the size of my palm, round made out of gold, its shinny... there is a one engraved on it... It’s... It's a bit.”
“Now Spike, toss it in the cave. Look at it as it flies through the air... hear the sound as it lands on the stone floor, listen to its echo bouncing from wall to wall.”
Spike moves his arm. The small golden coin leave his grip, slowly flying to the air landing in the middle of the room making a low metal sound.
*Dinnnnnng* It echoed all around the room, before dying down.
“I heard it.”
“Good now do it again. Look in your hand.”
Spike looked and he was holding another coin identical to the one he just threw. He threw this one too.
*Dinnnnnng*
“Again.”
*Dinnnnnng*
“Again. Listen to the sound.”
*Dinnnnnng*
“Again. Focus on the sound.”
*Dinnnnnng*
“Now stop. Listen.”
*Dinnnnnng* *Dinnnnnng* *Dinnnnnng* Again and again Spike could hear the sound of gold coins falling, landing all around the room, some were landing on the floor, others were landing on other coins. Small piles of coins were forming.
“Do you hear them.”
“I do.”
“Do you see them.”
“I do.”
Spike could see coins appearing out of nowhere falling to the ground or on top of other coins, all were glowing softly. Slowly the piles were growing getting bigger and bigger, soon the whole floor was covered in gold coins. Some piles were getting too big and were toppling over, landing on other coins forming other piles. Before long the whole room was filled with golden coins.
“Look at them Spike. Touch them.”
Spike picked up one of the golden coins that rolled closest to his feet. It was real, as real as any coin he ever held in his hands.
“Look at the gold, look closer... Do you see anything except coins?”
Spike took a few steps closer, gold coins were now beneath his feet. He looked at the piles of gold around him, from place to place he could see something’s, not coins larger. Gems, golden cups and chalices, crowns, chest filled with even more gold, pearls, necklaces, tiaras, golden pieces of armour like those worn by the guards in Canterlot, and the occasional silvery object, or piece of purple and white fabric, he paid little attention to those.
“How does it feel now?”
“It’s still a bit damp... a bit cold... but it is not dark... it is not sad... but still lonely.”
“I see... Spike look at the walls to you see the veins of magma and molten gold flowing between the gems... slowly heating up the place”
“I... I do. It’s starting to warm up... its get brighter too. Their light is reflected by the gems in the wall and by the golden piles of gold and gems.”
“Walk around Spike. Touch whatever you want. It’s all yours. Everything you see before you is yours. Every coin, every trinket, every gem... everything. How does it feel?”
“It’s warm... homely... bright...”
“How do you feel?”
Spike was walking on the mountains of gold and treasure. Even if it was just reaching up to his knees it felt deeper. He was dragging his hands through its surface, picking an object looking at it, rubbing it then throwing it back into the pile.
“I feel nice, but... lonely”