//------------------------------//
// the first challenge 
// Story: Spike's sister 2 
// by Musicnotes 
//------------------------------//

 	The group all followed Valkyrie the dragon through the cave as it got deeper. Spike had stopped using his fire breath when they noticed that there was small torches on the walls that made the bronze dragon's scales shine.  The group had been quietly talking  to each other trying to figure out what the challenges that the dragon had spoke about might be. 

"I bet if its a race then I should be the one to do it. " Rainbow dash said to them as she walked across the cold ground.  The sound of water dripping could be heard faintly. 

Rarity nodded as she walked by her fast flying friend. "Yes darling you must do it if its a race. You can beat any opponent even if its a dragon." 

Valkyrie stopped and turned her head to the ponies and small dragon. "You know I can hear you." 

Twilight looked at Valkyrie. "Sorry if she said anything to offend you  but please won't you tell us of these challenges?" 

Spike nods eagerly wanting to know them as well if not more than the rest of the group so that he could get his sister back. "Tell us Valkyrie, what do we need to do?" 

"Yeah what is it if you don't mind that is." Fluttershy added quietly. 

The bronze dragon nodded and started flying again. The group followed her and waited to hear the answer.  As they walked deeper into the cave they saw claw marks on the stone walls and the dripping noise got slightly louder. The amount of time that passed before Valkyrie spoke again seemed like it was as long as it took Twilight to finish a good book or Rarity when she was working on an amazing outfit.   "You will face seven challenges, in some one of you will face in others all.  Each has a theme and if you don't pass then you won't move on.  It is your choice to leave if you feel like you had enough."  Her voice sounded calm and steady when she spoke.

Applejack trotted up to her. "Like we would quit. I would like to let you know that we Apples are no quitters and neither are my friends. "

Pinkie Pie bounces up and down excitingly  hearing the word themes. "OOO THEMES!!! What kind if themes?" 

"You will see." Valkyrie replied and landed softly on the ground in front of a passage way. Rainbow dash was ready to speed down it but when she tried she was stopped by a magical barrier.  She tried to ram through it once more but it was to no avail.

Twilight looked at her. "Rainbow stop that. If you want to get through it then it looks like you would need to use a spell."

"I would like you to try Princess Egghead." Rainbow dash replied rubbing her head.  

"I will " Twilight replied as her horn glows its usual magenta color aura.  She shot her magic at the barrier several times but it had no effect on it. She soon stopped and started to take deep breaths. 

Fluttershy looked at her. "Oh Twilight are you okay?" 

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. My magic seems to have no effect. Why is that Valkyrie?"  

"The barrier will only let all of you pass after the challenge is complete. Now the rest of you go one by one to see who may face this challenge. " She replied to Twilight.  The group nodded and one by one tried to pass through.  Spike had gotten through first. 

"Looks like I'm up. Wish me luck." He said. 

Rarity went up to the barrier and slipped through. "It seems like your not going alone my darling." 

Spike's eyes light up with hearts at the thought of doing the challenge with his love.  "Yes my fairest Rarity."  The white crystal glowed dimly and his head he heard Sarah's voice but it was getting quieter every time he heard it. Please focus lover boy. Spike nodded and shook his head snapping himself out of it. He needed to focus, this was his quest. He needed to accomplish it with out getting distracted.  

The others who hadn't tried to get through the barrier tried to but they weren't able to. It seemed like the first challenge was only for them two. Valkyrie looked at them all with her colorless eyes. "The first challengers have been chosen, the barrier will open if it is completed. I will go with them." The dragon went through the barrier into the passage way and stood by Rarity and Spike. 

Pinkie Pie put her hooves to the barrier and looked at them. "Please be careful you two. Try not to fall into a pit or fail the challenge making it so that we will never see Sarah again and...." 

Before she could finish speaking everypony cried. "PINKIE!" 

The bubbly pink pony shrugged. "What? " 

"Don't worry about it guys. We wont fail." Spike said with determination and with that him, Rarity, and Valkyrie headed down the passage way.

They continued to head down the passage way and with every step they took the sound of the dripping got louder. Rarity covered her eyes. "What is that horrific noise. I can't think straight." 

"I think its water dripping. I heard it earlier but I didn't notice it. " Spike said as he looked around trying to find the noise. As they continued on they walked through an opening and suddenly found themselves standing on a ledge.  Above them have saw a small waterfall coming out of the ceiling above them as if it was there by magic.   The two looked at Valkyrie wondering exactly how the big the cave inside the mountain was and how this place was even possible. "How..." Spike said.

Valkyrie jumped off the edge and flapped her wings fluttering above the water. "This place is full of magic to test every challenger that wishes to find what you would like to find.  Welcome to the first of your challenges that you would be facing. Before my time guiding ponies and creatures of all sorts here this challenge was once known as lust but I changed it to love."  She flew in a circle making the water underneath her form into a tornado.  It spun quickly and once it died down  they could see a wooden raft held together by vines or long pieces of grass, it was hard to tell but it homemade.  Standing on that raft was what looked like a young unicorn filly who Rarity recognized in a heart beat.  It was her sister Sweetie Belle.

"SWEETIE BELLE!!!" She cried in shock and surprise. Rarity wondered why her sister was here. The last time she saw her was back in the Crystal Empire. Her and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders were suppose to be watched by Princess Cadance and  Shining Armor. She wondered if the other fillies where here as well. She turned to Valkyrie and said angrily. "Why is my sister here. This is no place for her, let her go at once." 

The dragon shook her head. "No. This is your challenge you must face it. I should warn you, there are plenty of creatures in the water that may want to harm her." 

"Not on my watch they won't." Rarity said and jumped off the ledge and dived into the water. 

Spike gasps. "Wait Rarity!"  Spike understood that he couldn't stop her. He knew that  siblings  would do anything for each other. He watched trying to understand why he was chosen for this challenge since it was Sweetie Belle that was in danger and nopony that he loved.

There was the sound of a splash as Rarity landed in the water. The water was freezing cold and it made her mane  and fur get soaking wet in the process, she shivered slightly. She saw the raft with her sister on it a yard or so away  and swam towards it.  The current was pushing her backwards but she kept moving forward not giving up. When she got closer to it she saw a scaly body slithering up and down the water. There was no doubt in her mind that it was a sea serpent.  She remembered the day when her and her friends had got the elements of harmony and they met a fashionable sea serpent with a excellent mustache.  She doubted that this serpent would be as kind as the one they met in the past.  It moved toward the direction of the  raft  and seeing that Rarity swam faster and soon got to the raft about a minute before the serpent.  She pulled herself onto the raft and hugged the filly. 

"Oh Sweetie Belle,  I'm glad your safe. We must get of this dreaded raft."  She said but after she said that the filly that looked like her sister disappeared and Rarity was only hugging a the air. It was all a illusion but before she could think of what was going on the serpent hit the raft and caused it to crack slightly.  She screamed. "Help!" 

Spike jumped hearing her scream. He saw that it was only her on the raft and saw the serpent hitting it.  It only took him a second until he thought that he finally understood the challenge. He was suppose to save the pony he loved, Rarity. "Hang on Rarity. I'm coming." He jumped into the water and quickly swam toward the raft.   As he approached it the serpent stuck his head out of the water and opened his gigantic jaws and Spike could see its pearly white teeth as it goes to take a bite out the raft with Rarity on it as if she was a snack. Spike swam faster. "No one if going to hurt my Rarity." 

The serpent turned to him. "What are you going to do about it?"

He was pretty scared but he didn't want to show it. The only thing on his mind was not to lose somepony else he loved,  He thought for a minute and  looked up at the serpent with all the bravery he had inside him. "This." Spike said and chomped down on a part of the serpent's body and it let out a cry, The serpent then swam off.  Spike swam over to Rarity and got on the raft but it started to crack more because of the added weight.  

"We need to get off of here Spike." Rarity said. 

Spike nodded but before he could say anything the raft broke in half and they both were back in the freezing cold water.  Valkyrie was still flying in the air and brought the water around them up in tornado as she showed off before bringing them back to the ledge that they stood up at the beginning of the challenge. They both shivered.

Rarity glared angrily at the dragon. "What happened to my sister!" 

"I told you before the challenge started that this place is full of magic. This challenge was all about the love. The love for family and love for others. What you saw was an illusion, your sister is still safe." She said and looked over at Spike. "When you were out there were you thinking of the danger or getting killed?"

Spike shook his head, " No I wasn't. I just didn't want to lose somepony else that I love." 

Rarity smiled. "Aww.. That's so sweet. Spike thank you." She gave the baby dragon a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

Valkyrie landed on the ledge and  folded up her wings as she started to head to the entrance.  "You both have passed. Onto the next test."