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The Element of Loyalty
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Spike had spent the last few hours trying to figure out where he was. Discord has placed him in some kind of storage room… He didn’t know what that was about.
The thing about this place that confused him was just how vast this place was. It was like some kind of massive prop room that was so high he couldn’t see the ceiling in the darkness, and so long, that he couldn’t see any walls around him.
So, he simply chose a direction, and started walking, figuring that he would make it to a wall eventually. And, he could just follow it to an exit… Assuming there was one.
But, as it turned out, his assumption that he would hit a wall eventually was the wrong one. It had been hours, and he hadn’t seen a thing. Just endless props.
“This place is so messed up…” Spike whispered to himself, stopping to inspect a draconequus mannequin, that was dressed in a clown outfit, “This just creeps me out…”
Walking past it, Spike couldn’t help but notice something a bit odd about the place. Nothing was particularly… evil. It was all toys, or silly stuff. He really wasn’t too sure about—
“What’s that?” Spike said to himself, seeing a dim light in the distance, “Maybe somepony else!”
Running toward the source of the light, Spike was disappointed when he reached his destination, and saw nothing but a pedestal.
“Dang…” he said, stepping forward and inspecting what was on it, “Oh glob…”
On the pedestal, sat five Elements of Harmony. Three of them were black, instead of their regular color while the Element of Loyalty, and the Element of Magic were still their normal color.
“Where’s Rarity’s Element?” Spike said, seeing that he’s was gone.
Looking up to the Element of Magic, Spike saw that it wasn’t in fact its normal color. It was a bit darker too. The three dark Elements must have been having some kind of effect on it while the Element of Loyalty stood alone, trying to keep the crown from losing the battle against the others.
“I’ll get you out of here…” Spike said, levitating the crown on his head, and placing the Element of Loyalty on his neck.
“That was too easy!” A voice said far to the right of Spike, “I still wish it didn’t have to be so taxing.”
“Discord!” Spike whispered, running for cover in a rack of clothing, where he was able to poke his head out, and watch his enemy.
“I’ll just place you here with the rest of—“ Discord began, before instantly silencing, “What is this?!”
Spike held his breath as Discord glanced around the room.
“It must have been one of those ponies…” Discord growled, “I should have locked the two of them somewhere else!”
“There’s somepony else here?” Spike said to himself, realizing that it was probably Shining Armor.
“Whoever took my Elements of Harmony, have thirty seconds to bring them back to me!” Discord announced, “If you don’t listen to me, who knows what I’ll do? I’m a loose cannon!”
Spike didn’t do a thing.
Discord grumbled to himself, a bit grumpy his bluff had been called, “Fine! Take them! You’re lucky I don’t want to mess up my nice clean backstage!”
“Backstage?” Spike said, wondering where the sage could possibly be.
Discord grabbed the remaining Elements, and took off in the same direction he had come from.
“That must be the way out,” Spike said to himself as he used the rack of clothing as a scooter, and kicked along the ground, making it roll after Discord.
His speed was impressive as he traveled down a narrow pathway silently, keeping a large distance from Discord.
Finally, Spike was relieved to see Discord, land on the ground, and sink below the horizon of props.
Getting out of his hiding spot, Spike snuck over to the place Discord had vanished, and grinned at seeing a trap door.
“Awesome.” He said, approaching it, and opening the door a bit, and being blinded by the light that came through, “What’s down here?”
Just below him, was some kind of metal framework that he would be able to use to walk around in this strange place.
Lowering himself down, Spike landed on the scaffolding and looked around for Discord quickly. However, when he didn’t spot him, he looked around, and saw that he had four ways to go.
So, shrugging, he walked off to his left.
After only a few minutes of walking, Spike noticed something orange down on the ground.
Walking down the path, he got close enough to make it out, and he was relieved when he realized just what it was.
“Applejack!” Spike shouted downward, hoping she would look up to him, “Hey, Applejack!”
She didn’t look up. She just stared at the ground, clearly upset.
Spike considered jumping off, and down to her, but the last thing he needed was to break his legs landing down there.
“Hey!” He shouted again “AJ!”
Still nothing.
“Dang,” He said, looking back to where he had come from, “Maybe I should—“
“No, you shouldn’t,” Discord said, snagging the crown from his head, “You almost ruined everything, Spike.”
“Discord…” Spike growled, “What are you doing to my friends?”
Discord gave him a serious look, “Helping them.”
“I doubt that,” Spike said, leaning forward, “Let them all go!”
“I’m going to give you a choice, Spike.” Discord sighed, “I’ll let you go, you give me the Elements… And I’ll release the Princesses to you.”
“W-what?” Spike asked, shocked that he had been offered such a thing.
“Or, you can stay here, fight me, and only make this worse for everypony,” Discord glared.
Spike wasn’t sure what to say. He knew that he stood no chance against Discord, and if he were to leave, he could get the princesses, and they would help save everypony. But was that even the truth?
“What do you say?” He asked.
“I…” Spike said, scratching his chin, “…No.”
“No?”
“I think to my friends, and I know they’re strong ponies,” Spike explained, “If you were serious, and would give me the Princesses, I would trust my friends to hold out long enough to be saved.”
“So, what’s the problem?” Discord asked.
“Rarity, is my problem,” Spike said, feeling a rush in his chest, “I would never leave her in your hands, who knows how I’d get her back.”
“I don’t have any plans to—“
“And then I think back to my other friends, and realize that I would be just as devastated if they got hurt too,” Spike continued, “So no. I’ll stay here, and be beaten to a pulp, or whatever it is you plan to do. I’m not leaving my friends.”
Suddenly, the Element around his neck lit up as it started to pulse with some kind of power, Spike didn’t recognize.
“That isn’t your Element!” Discord said, seeing the brightness get stronger, and stronger, until the red lightning bolt was impossible to spot.
“Just call me Rainbow Dash,” Spike said, puffing out his chest, proud of himself.
Something must have happened to Rainbow Dash, for that Element to be acting this way… Had she stopped being loyal? Either way, Discord didn’t have time to think about it right now. He didn’t want anything to do with an active Element, and a pony that had a grudge against him.
“I’ll give you this one,” Discord said, snapping his fingers, making Spike vanish, “I wasn’t going to break that Element anyway.”
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Spike fell on his rump, and shook his head, trying to get his bearings. He was in some kind of… Fancy room, filled with couches, a big table, a bunch of books, and a kitchen.
Suddenly, all of his friends were dropped in other parts of the room.
“Rarity!” Spike shouted, seeing her collapse on the floor next to him, “Are you okay?”
“Spike…?” She said, shaking her head lightly, “I- Is it really you?”
“Of course it is!” Spike said, wrapping his arms around her, “Thank Celestia you’re okay.”
“What’s goin’ on here?” Applejack asked, standing up.
“I wanna know too!” Twilight grumbled, rubbing her rump from the fall, “Discord had me in this white room!”
“Me too…” Fluttershy said sadly, “But… Something happened to my Element of Harmony.”
“Mine too,” Rarity spoke up.
“An’ mine,” Applejack nodded.
“Oh!” Pinkie said, jumping up, “Discord told me everything!”
“He did?!” Everyone said at once.
“Yeah!” She said, “I was beating him, but he made me stop!”
“You were… what now?” Applejack asked incredulously, “You were beatin’ him, but ya’… Stopped?”
“Let me start from the beginning!”
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