Chapter 1 ~ Trubleshooting
"Alright, I think I have enough to take with me. Spike! Are you ready?" "Ready as I'll ever be-e-EEE!" Spike replied as he fell on his back from the weight of his backpack. "Okay, that clears everything on the list, so let's go!" Spike hops on Twilight's back and they both left their castle and headed for the stadium. As they walk to the stadium, Spike starts to notice something in the Everfree Forest. It was a shadow-y figure that was taller than him. "Twilight, did you see that?" "No, not really. You're probably just seeing things Spike." Twilight replied. "Hmm.. Maybe, but if see that thing again I'll...uh..." "You'll what?" "I-I don't know, but I will be right." Spike said determinedly. Twilight and Spike walked over a hill with the stadium in view, big enough to touch the clouds. Literately. While walking down the hill, Spike started to survey the land and in doing so got him to have a sad look on his face. Twilight notices Spikes silence and speaks. "Spike, are you alright?" "Yeah" Spike replies. "Its just that, I've heard of that this place was a real happy place and everypony knew each other and were friends. What do you think would happen if the Sombratosis never happened?" There was a brief silence and Twilight replied "I'm not sure." "Do you ever wonder about it Twilight?" Spike questions. "Of course I do. Everypony thinks about it. But unlike everypony else, I don't keep myself in the past. What's done is done." Twilight answers. "Besides, we were sent to Ponyville to manage the stadium so that the infected ponies won't spread Sombratosis. It's my duty as princess and your my #1 assistant Spike." "Then why is it that I don't feel any better?" "Maybe you have high expectations Spike" Twilight said jokingly. Twilight and Spike approaches the entrance of the stadium. Spike sees the shadow-y figure again in the bushes on the edge of the forest. "Twilight, I-I saw it, again." Spike said fearfully. "Alright, I'll bite. What did you see?" "I'm not sure, but I saw it over there" Spike points to where he saw the shadow-y figure. "Wait right here Spike, I'll go investigate." Twilight said reassuringly, then she headed for the bushes. However, Spike was unsure if she'll return. "She'll be back, I'm sure she will. I hope." 30 minutes later. "Okay, so she hasn't returned yet. Maybe she got lost in the forest, yeah that's it." "Spike, I can't believe you would think that!" Spike looks to his left shoulder and sees a little version of him with bird wings on his back. "Listen Spike, If Twilight hasn't came back then she's probably in trouble." "You think so?" Spike questions. "Of course I do" Good Spike said with confidence. "Eh, why worry about it." Spike then looked to his right shoulder and saw another version of himself but with bat wings. "Like you said, she got lost so why go in after her?" "well, she's my friend... and" "friend shmend, all you have to worry about is yourself and no pony else." Bad Spike interrupted. "That's not the right way!" Good Spike said. "What do you know about what's right goody two shoes?!" Bad Spike questions. Both versions start to argue when a scream was heard inside the forest. "TWILIGHT!!" Spike yells and went inside the forest without second thought. Both versions of Spike vanished when Spike went inside the forest. Spike ran deeper and deeper in the forest and then tripped on a twig. Eventually he found Twilight but was unconscious. "Twilight, Twilight wake up!" Twilight makes a groaning sound and then opens her eyes. "Spike?" "Yeah, it's me. What happened? I heard a scream and came running to find you." Spike questioned. "I'm, not sure." Twilight answered "I remember coming into the forest but a little bit afterward I can't remember." Twilight gets up and grabs Spike and places him on her back. "Come on, let's get back to the stadium." Twilight and Spike gets to the stadium just in time. But when Twilight walked through the door the alarm went off. Twilight has a puzzled look on her face as ponies in protective gear (called the Tracker Ponies) race towards Twilight and Spike. "Get everypony evacuated from this room, NOW!" One of the Tracker Ponies ordered. Every uninfected pony was evacuated and the Tracker Ponies surround Twilight and Spike. "Can somepony tell me what's go...." "BE QUIET CRYSTAL BEAST!" A Tracker Pony screamed. Then one of the Tracker Ponies from the side Twilight used his cattle prod and electrocutes her and she became unconscious. The last thing she heard was Spike calling out to her. Then everything became black.
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End of Chapter 1
