My Little Bokurano

"I look out to all the fish in the sea, and I see that they're trapped, just like I am. I can't escape this battle. No matter what, I can't fight fate." - Spike

"Spike?" Rarity called out, running out of the Canterlot city limits. "SPIKE!"

She saw a robot materialize out in the open. It didn't look like Equextria, so she assumed it would be their next opponent.

"Spike, where are you?" Rarity cried. "Wait, all the enemies so far have materialized near where the pilot is!" She ran further down the mountain toward the enemy robot.

Meanwhile, Spike was at a nearby lake, staring at the coast. "So you can't escape either?" Spike said quietly, addressing the fish.

"Spike?" Rarity said, walking up behind him.

With tears in his eyes, Spike turned around to look at her.

"Spikey-wikey..." Rarity said.

"I look out to all the fish in the sea, and I see that they're trapped, just like I am. I can't escape this battle. No matter what, I can't fight fate," Spike said, turning back around. "Hey, am I... really the next pilot?"

"Yeah," Rarity said.

"Why does it have to be me?" Spike started shaking. "This is all just a dream, right?"

"It isn't," Rarity said. "I'm sorry."

"This is giant robots we're talking about here!" Spike snapped, turning sharply towards Rarity. "Even with Equextria, how am I supposed to fight them?"

The enemy robot was already halfway materialized. Equextria started materializing, but at a much slower rate than its opponent.

"Dammit, I didn't call for you!" Spike screamed at the robots. "You shouldn't have come!"

Spike took a step back and began breathing heavily. "I'm not going to ride it," he said. "I don't want to!"

"But what about everyone in Equestria?" Rarity said. "All of your friends, the princesses, don't you want to save them?"

"But if I ride it, I'm gonna die!" Spike yelled.

"Spike, I'm going to die too," Rarity told him.

"Not until later!" Spike cried out. "I'm going to die next!"

Clenching his fists, Spike walked over to a rock and began stomping on it.

"Why does this always happen to me?!" Spike growled while stomping. "What have I done to deserve all this?! Why were we chosen?! Why our lives being thrown away to save Equestria?!"

"Spike, stop it," Rarity whimpered.

"I... I can't just die like this..." Spike stopped stomping. He turned to Rarity with an unusually serene look on his face. "Hey Rarity, I've always liked you."

"Yes..." Rarity replied, confused. "I know."

"You're pretty, talented, and the most generous pony I know." Spike inched toward Rarity, his smile growing bigger. When he finally reached Rarity, he wrapped his arms around her. "You're the only one I need!"

"Uhh... Spike?" Rarity whispered. When Spike's hand moved close to her flank, she shoved him off.

Spike got up and looked at Rarity like a wildebeast hunting his prey. Rarity gasped and ran away, with Spike giving chase.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group was on the deck of Canterlot Castle, looking at the two robots materializing nearby.

"I wonder where Rarity and Spike are?" Sweetie Belle said.

"I hope they get back here before it's too late," Celestia said. "We need then to pilot that giant robot."

"Don't worry, Dung Beetle will transfer them to the cockpit along with the rest of us when the battle starts," Twilight Sparkle said.

As that was happening, Spike chased Rarity all the way to a cave near Canterlot.

"Spike, stop it!" Rarity cried. "This is crazy!"

"Don't worry!" Spike cackled maniacally. "We have nothing to lose!" Spike leaped at Rarity, but she moved out of the way and entered the cave.

A little ways in, Rarity found herself on the edge of a chasm. Spike slowly walked over to her.

"You have nowhere to run now." Spike said, panting heavily. He wrapped his arms around Rarity.

"Get off me you ruffian!" Rarity shouted. She kicked Spike off of her and knocked him into the chasm. She looked down and heard Spike's screams as he descended to the bottom. When she could no longer hear him, Rarity turned around and walked out of the cave.

Elsewhere, the eleven ponies and two princesses were teleported into the cockpit.

"So this is the cockpit you all were talking about," Celestia said. "It certainly is a mysterious place."

"We can look outside whenever a battle starts," Applejack said.

Rarity appeared in the cockpit.

"Where's Spike?" Twilight asked immediately.

"You don't want to know..." Rarity said.

Spike's bloody body appeared in the cockpit. A puddle of blood and dirt formed around it. Everyone screamed at the disgusting sight.

"Holy crap, what the hell happened to him?!" Rainbow Dash cried.

"Somebody answer us!" Twilight shrieked.

"I killed him," Rarity muttered. "I had to."

"Sis, are you out of your mind?" Sweetie Belle cried.

"He attacked me, and I accidentally killed him in self defense," Rarity replied. "I'm willing to take any punishment that comes my way."

"Poor Spike..." Twilight sobbed. She picked up Spike and wept into his shoulder.

"We have a problem here," Dung Beetle said. "We're down a pilot." He sighed and continued. "We're just lucky he died before the battle started. We'll just have a replacement pilot selected for us."

"I got the call."

Most of the other ponies gasped.

"It's me," Cadance said, her cutie mark now consisting of two zigzags. "I'm the next pilot."