//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9: Spike: Saving a Damsel in Distress 
// Story: Celestia and Luna Regret Playing Truth or Dare 
// by Diamond_Emblem 
//------------------------------//

	After the players had a bite or two (or several) from a cake, and Luna managed to pry her sister away from the room full of cakes, they headed back to the slumber party room to begin the next turn.

This time, Pinkie Pie invited Fluttershy to spin. She tentatively walked over to the board and gave the arrow a small push, which barely made the 360-degree turn.

Rainbow scoffed. "Really?" she asked in a bored manner.

Fluttershy spun again with a little more force and the arrow went around four times before coming to a stop.

Spike.

"Aw yeah!" Spike said eagerly. "It's my turn now!"

"Looks like you're excited to have a go," Twilight said with a smile. "You do remember what happens during these games, right?"

"Of course I do!" Spike said, scoffing. "But that's what makes this game so awesome! It's also one of my favorites!" 

Twilight rolled her eyes but smiled. "Anyway," she said, focusing the attention back on the seriousness of Truth or Dare, "truth or dare, Spike?"

"Dare, of course," Spike said, crossing his arms smugly. "I can handle any challenge you wanna throw at me!"

"That's what you said last week," said Rainbow Dash, laying on her back and touching the stars with her hooves, strangely, like a cat. "Then we dared you to fight a Timberwolf blindfolded without a weapon but yourself."

"And the week before," added Fluttershy, stroking Cookie Dough. "You said dare was going to be easy, and then we dared you to recite the Equestrian Anthem while hanging upside down above a lake full of crocodiles."

"AND the week BEFORE that!" exclaimed Rarity, examining her already-perfect hooves. "You laughed and said dare was for babies. Next thing you knew, you were standing in a freezing room full of baby seals."

"What's wrong with that?" asked Celestia. "That sounds wonderful!"

Spike rubbed the back of his head. "It was too cold in that room and I couldn't light a fire with all those baby seals!" he explained. "I had to stand there and shake my claws off before I cried uncle."

"Well don't do dare, Spike, you mad dragon!" Celestia exclaimed, reaching out her hoof. "I know you are sensible! Think twice about what you are about to do!"

"I'm sorry, Princess Celestia," said Twilight, "but he cannot possibly think twice, not even once, about what he's about to do because we have yet to find out the ponies who will be creating Spike's dares."

The entire room stared at her in silence. Twilight blinked and blushed furiously. "What?" she demanded.

"Uhhhhhhh nothing," Princess Luna said hastily. 

"Mhm," Twilight said. "Well? Are we going to continue the game?"

"Of course we are!" Celestia said. "If we weren't, then there'd be no purpose in staying!"

Fluttershy spun three more times, and the ponies who were to create Spike's dares were Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. A dangerous combination for Spike.

Spike tapped his claws nervously. He was silent as his eyes darted back and forth between the three of them.

Twilight needed a good dare. Spike always regretted choosing dare, but she didn't want to hurt Spike in some sort of way. 

Hmm...

"Spike, I dare you to save a damsel in distress!" Twilight said.

"Wh-what?!" both Starlight and Applejack exclaimed.

Spike grinned. "Sounds like a piece of cake," he said. "Hey, Rainbow! Let me hear your dare!"

Rainbow exchanged glances with Twilight and she grinned slyly. "You know what, Spike?" she asked. "I think I'm gonna steal Twilight's dare."

"W-what?!" Spike exclaimed.

"The same goes for me," Rarity said, polishing her hoof. "Do you know how marvelous it would be for Spike to save someone in Ponville? He'd be the hero of two cities!"

"Hey! That's not fair!" Spike complained, beginning to sweat nervously.

"Oh, but it is," Twilight said brightly. "I made the rules!"

Spike turned frantically to Princess Celestia. "Please, Your Majesty!" he urged. "Can you help me out?"

"I'm afraid not, little dragon," Celestia said, grinning. "I would very much like to see how this ends up going."

"Come on, Spike!" Pinkie Pie suddenly grabbed him and threw him onto her back. "Let's go find you a damsel in distress!" She galloped out of the room.

"Hey!" Spike protested. "I never agreed to this!"

"Follow that dragon!" Twilight said, rising from her bed.





"Okay, we can split up into groups of 2," Twilight said, walking alongside the rest of her friends. "Fluttershy and Princess Celestia, Pinkie Pie and Luna, Spike and Applejack, Starlight and I, and Rainbow Dash and Rarity."

Rainbow Dash suddenly pulled Twilight over. "Did you really just pair up the two mares in Equestria, maybe the only two mares in Equestria who have crushes on Discord?" Rainbow asked.

"Of course I did," Twilight replied. "I believe we can have the two of them work together to clear the air and encourage a night fun instead of a night of rivalry."

"If you say so," Rainbow said, flying to Rarity.

Applejack looked down at Spike. "Ah guess we're working together," she said with a pleasant smile.

"I guess so," Spike said nervously. "Let's get this dare over with before I have to face the punishment." The small dragon had found out two weeks ago the punishment for him not completing a dare: forcing him to sing karaoke in front of a large crowd while the songs changed at random times.

All pairs split off into different directions. Applejack and Spike traveled towards Everfree Forest.

On the typical Saturday night in Ponyville, most ponies were at home or hanging around the shops that were still open in the late evening. Spike couldn't believe how much time had already passed since the beginning of the game. He also couldn't believe they were still on the first turn.

They were quiet for the first few minutes. Spike merely stared at the sky, hoping a miracle could save him from embarrassment when they came back to the castle without so much of a commotion. 

"Hey, Spike?" Applejack asked suddenly.

Spike flinched slightly but continued walking smoothly. "What's up, Applejack?" he asked nonchalantly. 

She stopped and turned to look at him. Spike realized her eyes stood out in the sparkling night sky, like dazzling emeralds in a sea of white diamonds. In Applejack's mind, his eyes stood out with more clarity than the stars.

"Uh..." Applejack shook her head. "Do ya think we should pretend ah needed saving?"

"Pretend?" Spike asked. "But what if anypony found out?"

"Would anypony come out at night near Everfree?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.

Spike opened his mouth to speak, but Applejack's logic was sound. "Alright then," he said. "Anything to avoid the consequences."

Applejack sat down, Spike following suit. "So, let's say a pack of Timberwolves jumped outta nowhere and you gallantly came to the rescue," she said. "That outta fool 'em."

"But everypony knows I barely escaped from them the last time we saw them," Spike said. "You were the one to save me."

"True," Applejack said. "What if we say ah got myself stuck in a trap and ya had to rescue me?"

"I don't know..." Spike said. "Twilight would suspect something..."

Suddenly Applejack cried loudly. Spike whipped his head around in time to see Applejack being dragged into Everfree before something cold and hard hit him in the back of his head, causing him to lose consciousness.





Most of the players had returned around 10 O' clock, but Spike and Applejack had yet to return. Their friends waited back at the castle anxiously, hoping that they would return soon.

"Do any of you remember where they went?" Twilight suddenly asked.

"Not since the last fifty-three times you asked," Rainbow said. "I'm sure they're fine."

"But there's a twenty-minute time limit for this sort of dare!" Twilight argued. "And Spike's dare began well over an hour ago. I think we should go look for them."

Rarity turned worriedly to the Royal Sisters. "Pardon me, Your Highnesses, but don't you have any magic to track them down or perhaps teleport them back to us?" she asked.

"We already tried, dear," Celestia replied calmly. "However, a magic barrier is keeping me from knowing where they are."

"But what kind of magic can block alicorn magic?" Starlight asked.

Luna narrowed her eyes menacingly. "Chaos magic," she replied matter-of-factly.

"You mean Discord has them?" Rainbow asked. "Wonder what he's doing with them."

"Heyyyyyyyy Fluttershyyyyyyyy!" Starlight said suddenly, popping up behind Fluttershy. "You're good friends with Discord, right?"

"Um, well, yes, of course    "

"And since you're MY friend too, do you think you could do me solid and ask Discord to let them go? Whaddya say, PAL?!"

Starlight began stroking Fluttershy's hair creepily, making the entire room uncomfortable. 

"But how would I know where Discord is on a Saturday night?" she asked.

Starlight opened her mouth to rant, and perhaps demand Fluttershy to give her the exact directions to wherever in Equestria Discord lived. But just then, the doors to the slumber party swung open. Applejack and Spike walked in.

Everypony's jaws dropped. Applejack had been wearing what seemed to have been an elegant ball dress, with every kind of shade of green. However, it was torn up in several places, scorched near her stomach, and caked with dust, ashes, and mud. Spike seemed to have been wearing a suit of armor, but it was practically destroyed. It was beaten up, bent, dented, and smelled like fire.

"Hey, everypony!" Spike greeted. 

"Spike!" Starlight stood up so quickly, several stars started swinging around.

"Where have you two been?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Applejack and Spike exchanged knowing looks, and they cracked a smile. AJ chuckled and replied, "Ah don't think we have a lot of time right now. We gotta get to the next turn!"

"Well, right after we get out of this stuff," Spike said.

Starlight stared as Applejack and Spike walked out of the room. She narrowed her eyes. You're playing a dangerous game here, Applejack.