Twilight stood in absolute silence outside of her library, looking at the tree with a determined glint in her eye. She replayed every second of the last few hours in her head while she waited for the others to arrive. Every time she did, she achieved the same outcome in her metal projections, Spike had been there one moment, and the next, he was simply gone, his room in disarray and his possessions scattered around the room.
“Twi? What’s all this about?” Applejack asked, catching Twilight unaware and causing her to jump almost three feet into the air.
“Settle down there scardy cat.” Pinkie laughed, bouncing up and down in front of Twilight.
“Sorry. I was thinking.” Twilight said concisely, before turning to the others, revealing tears brewing in her eyes. “Spike’s gone.”
“Whatever do you mean darling?” Rarity asked, putting her hoof around Twilight in a comforting manner.
“Spike, he called out, and when I got there…” She broke down into sobs. When she had been thinking about it, she had manage to keep her composure, but now she had actually vocalised it, the full reality of what was happening hit her like a slab of bricks.
“Don’t worry Twilight.” Rainbow smiled, nudging her friend reassuringly, “I’m sure he’s just playing a prank on you.” With that, she raised her head and shouted in the direction of the library. “Hey Spike! Good one, but jokes up now!”
Rainbow crossed her forehooves and waited, a smug grin on her face as she thought that she had solved the problem. A full minute passed, as the four other consoled Twilight. Rainbows face fell consistently throughout the minute as well, before she shakily called out again.
“Spike?”
“He’s not there!” Twilight shouted at Rainbow.
“We need to find him then.” Fluttershy squeaked. “He’s only a baby dragon after all, remember what happened when he left after the whole incident with Owlowiscious.”
“I’ll search the house for you darling.” Rarity said softly, before slipping away from Twilight and moving towards the library.
“I’ll get ma brother to gimme a hoof with the search around town.” Applejack said, taking off at a run towards Sweet Apple Acers.
“I’m searching the Everfree.” Twilight said softly, gently pushing Pinkie and Fluttershy off her as she did. “He may have wondered off I guess.” She finished the last bit in an extremely unenthusiastic tone.
“I’m coming with you.” Rainbow said, swooping down and landing next to Twilight.
“Me too.” Fluttershy said, moving forward with an unusual vigour.
“You would voluntarily go into the Everfree forest?” Rainbow asked.
“I can’t let Spike be there on his own.” She defended. “I can get my animal friends to look as well.”
“Guess I’m coming too.” Pinkie beamed, running to catch up with the group, before taking the lead and producing a pirate hat from nowhere. “Follow me crew.”
“Where did that even come from?” Twilight asked, smiling despite herself.
“Whenever you ask me a question like that, you forget one very important fact mate.” Pinkie smiled.
“And what would that be?”
“I'm Cap’n Pie Pan, savvy?” She said, adopting an odd pirate accent.
“Cap’n Pie Pan?” Rainbow laughed. “Where did you get that from?”
“Oh, some weird hairless apes made it up. Apparently I’m quite crazy.” Pinkie smiled.
Shaking her head in despair at the antics of her friend, and even found herself having fun, despite herself. The others did similar actions, as they all walked towards the Everfree forest.
***
The four ponies walked through the near pitch darkness of the early morning Everfree forest. The sun was still a few hours away from cresting the horizon, and long shadows were being created by the low hanging silhouette of Luna’s moon.
“Where should we start?” rainbow asked, looking around the forest.
“None of my animal friends have seen Spike in the forest, and he isn’t with that big, ferocious dragon either.” Fluttershy added.
“We should go see Zecora.” Pinkie said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“That is…an excellent idea Pinkie.” Twilight said, sounding surprised at the normality of Pinkies suggestion.
“I often have good ideas, and yet ponies are always surprised.” Pinkie grinned.
Setting off with a newfound purpose, Twilight lead the group in the direction of Zecora’s hut. She often wondered how she could find the hut whenever she wanted to, where ever she happened to be, but pushed the irrelevant thought from her mind. All that mattered, all that she needed and wanted to do, was find Spike. Everything else was a secondary concern, even her own wellbeing.
That final thought only crossed her mind as a thin branch whipped back, leaving a scar across her left cheek.
A short while later, the four caught sight of Zecora’s hut, and despite the ungodly hour that they had approached it, Twilight banged loudly on the door.
“Zecora! We need your help!”
From within the hut, a thud was heard, as a skull connected with a wooden floor, before hoofsteps were heard approaching the door, and slowly, it inched open, revealing the zebra behind it.
“Twilight Sparkle and her friends, what bring you four to these ends?” Zecora asked, gently rubbing the side of her head, although whether it was from banging it on the floor, or simply because she was tiered, was unclear.
“Spike’s missing!” Twilight said ungently, fixing the Sharman with an imploring eye. “We…”
“…came to see if I know where he went? I assume he is moving without your consent?”
“He cried out for me. Then, he wasn’t in his room.” Twilight explained, the frown coming back onto her face.
“I am sorry Twilight.” Zecora said, and instantly, Twilight was alert. “I can’t help you.”
“You’re not rhyming.” Fluttershy said uncertainly.
“There are some things that are not a joke, and these must be said without my note.” She replied simply. “I wish you luck on your quest, I hope it turns out for the best.”
“Thank you for trying Zecora.” Rainbow smiled. “We’ll let you get back to sleep.”
Twilight looked ready to burst into tears as the door shut in her face, and she slid down to the floor, sobbing silently.
“I don’t know what to do.” She said softly. “I’ve asked everypony I know.”
“Really Twilight?” Pinkie asked. “Really?”
“I’ve got to side with Pinkie here.” Rainbow said, looking at Twilight. “For a smarty pants book worm, you really can be dense.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, sniffing.
“Now let’s think. Who do we know who routinely sends ‘messages’ to Spike through magic? Somepony who is extremely powerful and knows more about the world and the ‘sun’ than anypony else?” Rainbow asked, labouring words to get her point across.
“Oh of course!” Twilight shouted, smashing her face with her hoof in exasperation. “Why didn’t I think of it?”
“Because you,” Pinkie said, bopping Twilight on her nose “are too smart.”
“We need to get going.” Twilight said, getting up and sprinting forward. Sighing, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie shook their heads, before taking off after Twilight.
***
Once again, Twilight stood in front of her library, contemplating what to do next, and praying that whatever she did would be enough to save Spike. Around her, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy shared similar feelings. Applejack was on her way back to the library, and Rarity was finishing what felt like the millionth sweep of the house for any clues as to where Spike had gone.
“I found nothing.” Rarity said sadly, walking out of the house.
“And ah didn’t find nothin’ either.” Applejack said, walking towards the group. “Big Mac is still lookin around town, but ah don’t think that he’s gonna find anything.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Twilight said, scrunching her face up in concentration. “We are going over everyponies heads, and going to the princesses.”
“We catching the train then?” Pinkie asked excitedly. “I love the train.”
“No.” Twilight said, before opening her eyes again. As she did, the magenta glow that surrounded her horn increased in size to encompass all five of her friends. A split second later, all six ponies disappeared.
***
The six appeared almost instantly in the Canterlot throne room, stunning the ponies present, and even taking the two princesses who were sat on their thrones stunned for a split second, before regaining their composure and looking at the six.
“Twilight Sparkle. What is the meaning of this interruption?” Celestia asked, rising from her throne and making her way down the steps to the main floor of the throne room.
“Spike is missing.” Twilight said simply, stepping forward to meet Celestia.
“Auntie, what is the meaning of this?” A white stallion asked, stepping out from the crowd of shocked ponies.
“You!” Rarity shouted, moving forward and standing in front of the stallion.
“You!” He shouted back, staring at Rarity. “Auntie, I insist that you remove these commoners at once.”
“Hold thy tongue blueblood.” Luna growled. “You are addressing the element of Generosity, and thou wilt show more respect in her presence.”
“The element of Generosity?” Blueblood asked, looking between Luna and Rarity, before the colour drained from his face, leaving him looking gaunt and grey.
“Yes, prince.” Rarity said, smiling in a sickly sweet way.
Blueblood shrunk back, slinking back into the crowd.
“Leave us.” Celestia ordered, and instantly, the ponies in the throne room began to file out, unwilling to disobey a direct order from the princess. Blueblood hovered on the edge of the room for a while longer than the other ponies, before relenting and walking out of the room. Eventually, the elements of harmony and the two princesses were left alone.
“Now Twilight.” Celestia said soothingly. “What is the problem? You said Spike is missing?”
“He called out for me from his room, and when I got there, he wasn’t there.” Twilight explained.
“Are you sure Miss Sparkle?” Luna asked. “He could just be hiding as a joke.”
“We searched the library, Ponyville and the Everfree Forest for him.” Twilight insisted. “He wasn’t there.”
“This is worrisome news.” Celestia said, before her horn lit up, and she summoned a roll of blank parchment. “However, Spike is not ordinary, and I have a way to contact him anywhere on the planet, through the enchantments I placed upon him as a child.”
“So you can find him?” Twilight asked in excitement.
“Precisely.” Celestia replied with a smile, before her horn glowed slightly brighter.
Instantly, the parchment was engulfed in flame, as it had been so many times before. This time however, instead of the green flames that usually heralded Spikes messaging system, a bright yellow and orange flame engulfed the parchment, consuming it almost instantly, and reducing it to a pile of ash that landed in front of a stunned Celestia.
“Princess?” Twilight asked uncertainly.
“I…I don’t understand.” Celestia admitted, staring at the ash on the floor. “That spell has a range to reach across the entire planet.”
“But, it didn’t send.” Rarity pointed out.
“Precisely.” Celestia said gauntly. “There are only two reasons as to why this would happen.”
“And those reasons are?” Applejack asked.
“Either he is not on this world anymore…or he is dead.” Celestia admitted, after what felt like years of silence.
Twilight stared at her mentor , both unable and unwilling to believe what she had just heard.
“That can’t be true.” She said softly, staring straight at Celestia.
“It is not something I take pleasure in declaring.” Celestia admitted, “But it is something that I must say as both your friend, princess and mentor.”
Twilight stared at the princess, her jaw hanging open in a lopsided leer, as she fought with her own self-conscious to process exactly what Celestia had said.
Then she raised her face, opened her mouth, and screamed.
It was a wordless scream, pure sorrow perforating the ungodly sound that emanated from her.
Twilight was strong, as far as magic went, and her magical reserve was possibly more expansive than any other unicorn on the planet. The scream however, unleashed a psychic backlash unlike anything she had ever experienced. Barriers that she did not even know existed around her magical reserve were encountered by the scream, before being overcome, the force of the scream disintegrating them in an instant, and unleashing a strength unlike any Twilight had ever known.
Her horn glowed a bright purple, brighter than ever before, as the glass in the windows of the palace shattered under the influence of a spell that was streaming unbidden from Twilight’s horn, and exploded inwards, ripping towards Twilight herself, and causing the others in the room to duck to the floor. Even Celestia and Luna looked stunned, as glass flew past them, before Celestia surrounded herself, her sister and the other element bearers in a shining white translucent shield. The shield however, could not reach out towards Twilight quickly enough, and Celestia stared on in horror as the deadly glass sped towards Twilight.
Twilight however was not a weak unicorn, and was not going to be caught off guard, even if the spell itself was not intentional and unbelievably powerful. An instant before the glass shards hit her, a thin purple shield, perfectly matching the shape of her body, flashed into view, and the glass melted as it hit the shield.
The spell continued to grow in strength, and as it did so, the glow around her horn grew in tandem, and slowly, bigger objects in the room started to move, scraping across the floor, slowly at first, but gaining in speed. Even Celestias shield was not exempt from the forces affecting the rest of the room, and the eons old Alicorn felt herself being dragged inch by inch towards the purple unicorn, and for the first time in almost a millennium, true fear shot through her spine.
Twilight on the other hand, was feeling fear of her own. The spell was growing at an alarming rate, and she was struggling with every ounce of her ability to control the growth of the spell, but still it grew. With the last ounce of her strength, she did the only thing she could do, and let down her defences, allowing the spell to grow tenfold, while simultaneously casting the only spell she could think of that would help.
In a purple flash, Twilight vanished.
***
One thousand miles away, on the mountain ranges holding the Griffon territories and Equestria apart, an identical purple flash lit up the dawn sky, depositing Twilight Sparkle on a plateau. She let out one final scream, before she was tossed into the air by her errant magic, spinning wildly away from the mountain.
A massive ball of fire erupted outwards from the plateau, engulfing Twilight, and the top of the mountain in a firestorm, and for the briefest moment, a second sun lit up Equis, briefly shining across the surface of the planet, before fading again.
Twilight fell to the ruined remains of the mountain top, the intense heat having melted the rock, twisting it into odd shapes, as the burnt and battered form of the purple unicorn lay on the floor. Twilight’s chest rose and fell slightly, but other than that, she was dead to the world, held deep within a fitful slumber of hellish nightmares, only some of which had anything to do with Spike.