The day was normal in the town of Ponyville. Ponies went about their business as Celestia’s sun warmed their bodies and eased their souls with a peaceful day. Surprisingly, without any monster attacks or evil entity trying to ruin their day. And as ponies enjoyed their day playing, tending to their gardens, selling their wares, or just lazing around, there was one lone baby dragon traveling down the road hauling a crate of clear diamonds as he returned home to the crystal castle that he shared with his lifelong friend/big sister, Twilight Sparkle, and now just recently their ex-adversary, Starlight Glimmer, after waking up early in the morning to gather them with his not so secret crush, Rarity.
As Spike was carrying the cart with ease back to the castle, knowing that they were going to be used for an experiment by Twilight, he couldn’t help but take a few to munch on figuring that he and Rarity had gathered more than enough to spare. The cart was practically overflowing as it is.
“Why does she need so many anyway. Hopefully, whatever this experiment is isn’t to over the top for her. The day is going great as it is. Last thing we need is someone coming along to ruin it or the girls ruining it for themselves.”
As he continued down the road, he noticed a blur flying around the sky. Everywhere it went, it vaporized any cloud in its path while leaving behind a rainbow trail. Spike was always amazed at Rainbow Dash’s speed and agility in the sky. It was always a sight to see when she wasn’t snoozing away in a cloud or in one for Applejack’s trees.
“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” Spike called out as he waved his arms to get her attention.
Rainbow Dash, catch sight of Spike and zip down to greet him in a flash, still running an adrenaline high from her cloud busting.
“What’s sup, Spike. How’s it hanging and what’s with the rocks?” she asks in the same speed as her flying, or Pinkie Pie in a sugar rush.
“They’re for Twilight. She needs them for an experiment of hers.”
“For Twilight? I’d figured you were bringing them to Rarity. What would Twilight need them for and so much too?” she asks as she zooms around the cart checking out the haul and picking up any that fell overboard.
“Um…they’re for some experiment that she and Starlight are working on. Ah…Rainbow Dash? You okay? You seem a little hyped up.”
“Absolutely cool. You just caught me in the middle of my stunt training. Being in the Wonderbolt Reserves means I gotta keep my game up to stay on top of the competition.”
Spike nods in acknowledgement realizing that being in the Wonderbolt was always Rainbow Dash’s dream and was happy that she was getting closer.
“Also…since now I know that my Sonic Rainboom is so important to the world, I’ve need to up the ante to make it even more awesome,” She concludes while striking up a pose.
Spike slammed his hand to his face and started to resume walking as Rainbow Dash started to drone on about the awesomeness, coolness, and radicalness of her Sonic Rainboom. The moment Twilight told everypony about their fight with Starlight in the past, he knew Rainbow Dash’s ego would grow larger than Celestia’s sun. Since then, him and the rest for the Mane 6 have tried to make sure that the whole thing didn’t turn into another Mare-do-Well incident or, Celestia forbid if Rainbow is serious about making her Rainboom any bigger, another Double Rainboom mess.
After a minute passed, Rainbow Dash realized that Spike had walked off and continued after him, something Spike had said nagging at the back of her mind.
“Hey Spike, I noticed that you said that Starlight was helping with this thing Twilight is doing. Are you guys sure about trusting her like that? I mean, I know that we agreed to try and be friends with her, but I still don’t completely trust her. For all we know, she probably plotting her next revenge scheme right now.”
“Well…Twilight wants to trust her. They have a lot in common after all, but I don’t know how I feel myself.”
As he continued walking with Rainbow Dash hovering beside him, he let that question lingered in his mind. It’s been months since their fight and it gave him some time to think about Starlight’s reasoning behind the things she did. During their meeting after the fight, everypony showed concern on what to do with her as they found that she was too dangerous to just leave alone. In the end, what Twilight saw was a mare that let her idea of friendship get warped from a bad experience with no one to set her on the right path. So, she decided to take it upon herself to do so. Since then, Starlight has been her pupil in the magic of friendship while also seen as fellow collogue in the field of magical science.
His attitude towards her also changed a little since then. Seeing how happy Starlight has become and her willingness to help and hangout with her new friends has allowed him to see her as the kind mare she really is. The only thing that still irked him was how childish her reasoning was that started the whole mess. Sure, she was a child when it happened, but still when Starlight was prepared to show them why she hated cutie marks he was expecting something more. Child abuse, destroyed hometown, bulling, anything really. But no, she lost it because her friend got his cutie mark and moved away. After they found out, he wanted so badly to call her out and tell her to grow up, but bit his tongue realizing that Twilight needed to talk her down gently so Starlight can end the fight on her own. For somepony to alter Starswril’s spell so easily scared him to whatever else Starlight might be able to do. Didn’t stop him from saying his piece afterwards when he was able to speak one on one. And while he did plan on keeping her on a short leash while under their roof, despite Twilight’s view of her, he did understand the concept of overreacting to the thought of losing the attention of a loved one, bringing to mind the time he tried to frame Owlicious for the murder of a toy mouse.
“Yo Spike, you alright? Your kinda zoning out on me.”
“Huh…oh yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking about everything that’s happened so far. I guess it’s sort of surprising what someone would do to others because they feel it was right.”
“Um…I think that goes for all bad guys. And it’s our job to smack some sense into them. Anyway, you haven’t told me yet what experiment Twilight is going for. Something big since she needs all these.”
“Not really sure. Something about tapping into one’s inner power. Or something like that.”
Rainbow Dash responded with a questioning look that prompted Spike to continue.
“After seeing what Starlight was capable of since she kinda matched Twilight in power without being an Alicorn, Twilight started thinking that there could be some kinda hidden power in everypony and wanted to test it out.”
“And the crystals…?”
“She’s making some weird helmet to try and draw the power out. It sort of looks like the one she put on Pinkie when she was trying to figure out the Pinkie Sense except with these diamonds on them.”
Her eyes when wide as she snatched up a diamond from the cart and eyed it with wonder.
“These things will do all that?”
“Maybe. Twilight and Starlight puts a spell on them to make them glow and puts the helmets on a bunch of animals to test it on.”
The diamond Rainbow was holding dropped to the ground as her jaw dropped in shock.
“Animals! They’re experimenting on animals! Are they crazy! What if Fluttershy finds out! She’ll go ballistic!” Rainbow Dash flew around in a panic as Spike tried to calm her down.
“Relax! Fluttershy knows about it. Twilight wouldn’t do something like that without telling her and she trusts that Twilight wouldn’t do something that would hurt them.”
Thanks to his explanation, she was able to calm down a little, but still had some questions to ask.
“But why animals? Wouldn’t Unicorns or anypony be better?”
“Twilight wants to start on increased intelligents before going further. Plus, I think Fluttershy kinda wants to see what they’re like when she can have an actual conversation with them.”
As he answered her question, Rainbow Dash started getting an idea, a terribly wonderful idea.
“Ya know…that actually sound pretty cool. Maybe it would work even better than that potion Twilight made before.”
Spike’s eyes widened in horror as he saw her fly off to the castle before he could stop her. Leaving the cart behind, he ran as fast as his legs could run to try and warning Twilight before it was too late. Forgetting her speed and ability to fly, the only thing going through his mind was the look on the mayor’s face if Rainbow Dash should destroy the town because of twilight’s experiments again.
After a few minutes for running, he reaches the castle to find the doors wide open. After catching his breath, he quickly runs in and starts to look for her. The only hope he clings to is the fact that Twilight and Starlight hold their experiment in one of the many rooms that Rainbow may not know about yet.
“Rainbow Dash! Come on! This isn’t a good idea. Remember the last time you messed with one of her experiments. Let’s… forget about the whole thing and maybe…I don’t know… get some snacks at Sugarcube Corner?”
“...Rainbow Dash?”
He stops running and tried to listen for a reply. He walks in the direction of the meeting room in hopes of running into her in the process. As he makes it to the room and opens the door, he is greeted to the sight of Rainbow Dash lounging sideways on her chair, crossing her forehoofs with a cross look on her face.
“What is it with this place! If this castle was made for us, what’s with all these extra rooms. It’s no wonder Pinkie couldn’t find all her freaking party grenades.”
Spike cringed at that comment as he remembered that he and Twilight were still finding them to this day. Just the other day, they wanted to try planting a garden around the castle and ended up getting caught in an explosion of confetti, dirt, and ruined alfalfa sprouts.
“Rainbow Dash, please for the love of Celestia, leave Twilight’s experiments alone. Remember what happened last time. You really want to make the whole town mad again?”
“Relax dude. I didn’t forget. I’ll just try it out away from the town.”
Spike stood with a deadpan expression as she tries to make her point in trying out Twilight’s new experiment.
“Come on Spike. I just wanna check it out. What is it that Twilight gets out of animals that she can’t get from the coolest pony around.”
“A little humility would be nice”
He lets out a sigh as he realizes that she isn’t going to let this go.
“I was hoping you just gave up and decided to chill out a bit.”
She flies over to him and stomps her hoof in frustration.
“Like I said before. This place is too big. I checked out the lobby, the meeting room, the kitchen, her bedroom, your bedroom, the bathroom – “
“Wait… what did you check in the bathroom for?”
“Hey. You’d be surprised what things ponies do in the bathroom.”
Spike rubs his face as he tries not to think about that. He’s still a little creeped out that she checked his bedroom.
“Hopefully she didn’t see the dolls I got of everypony from the gift shop.”
“Look, I show where it’s at okay. Just please don’t do anything crazy that will get us both in trouble. Promise?”
“Totally. Let’s go.”
She prepares to take off, but stop when realizing that he hasn’t moved. Still standing in the same spot with his arm crossed like he was waiting for something. Annoyed, Rainbow Dash lands again and goes through the motion of the Pinkie Promise, after which Spike perks up and starts to lead her out of the room into the hallway. They walk for what seems like an hour through the castle as Rainbow Dash was having a hard time getting her bearings when the only things to use as guides were some of the walls devoid of any decorations and the few windows she passed by.
“Are we there yet? Seriously, this place looks a lot small from the outside. We might end up needing a map soon.”
“Almost. It’s the next door around the corner.”
Unknown to Rainbow Dash, Spike was already in the process of making one. For all he knows, the castle could end up having some super-secret passageway to the Tree of Harmony itself. As they get near their destination, they start hearing muffled noises coming from one of the rooms followed by crashing and shouting.
“Wow. Sounds like somepony is having a wild party down here.”
They slowly move to the door and open it to see what was causing all the commotion. Their eyes go wide at the sight in fount of them. The room was about twice as big as the meeting room lit by luminescent crystals with no windows and filled with numerous tower-like machines scattered throughout the room all connected by wires to a platform in the middle of the room. But the main thing that got their attention were all the animals running amok. All kinds of bears, cats, dogs, birds, and even a timberwolf were all running around smashing into everything, all wearing helmets flashing red.
“What in Equestria is going on, Spike?” She barely had time to get the question out before she took to the air with Spike in hoof, just avoiding a chair coming in their direction.
“No clue! TWILIGHT! STARLIGHT! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?”
“DOWN HERE, SPIKE!”
They looked down behind one for the machines and see the two unicorns in question tied up back to back with socks covering each of their horns. They would have found the look funny if not for the chaotic animals running around.
“Twilight, what’s with all the animals?”
“I don’t know. They just started acting crazy. And now they’re destroying everything. Hurry and untie us!”
Rainbow Dash flew down to set them free, but before she could get close, the timberwolf jumped in front of them and swiped at Rainbow Dash and Spike just barely hitting them and keeping them at bay. Spike jumped off of Rainbow Dash and ran to the other side of the room away from the timberwolf.
“WOAH! Twilight, what’s with the timberwolf? I know you needed some animals, but ones from the Everfree Forest is kinda pushing don’t ya think?”
“Uh…well…I was kinda hoping that Fluttershy could keep them under control for a bit” she smiled sheepishly.
Rainbow Dash looked around with worry for her childhood friend.
“Where is Fluttershy!?”
“I’m here”
“Where?”
“Um...up here.”
Spike and Rainbow Dash looked up to see a giant birdcage with Fluttershy sitting on the swing.
“What are ya doing in there?”
“Um…well…I was getting ready to give the little birdies their seeds and fish for the day when suddenly all the animals just locked me in here.”
“Can’t you calm them down. They’re wrecking everything!” she asks as she struggles to open the locked cage.
“I know. I feel so bad. I mean I’ve tried everything. Asking, pleading, crying, begging, but nothing works. They won’t listen to me. I even tried using ‘The Stare’ and not even that worked.”
“Then they’ll listen to my hoofs as I knock them around a bit.”
“Please Rainbow Dash, don’t hurt them. I’m sure that they don’t mean to be doing this.”
“Fluttershy, either I take care of things or they end up hurting themselves anyway. Stay here while I take care of this.”
Rainbow Dash then flies around the room to plan her attack while dodging swipes from bear claws and thrown produce and appliances from the smaller animals. All the while, Spike was facing down the timberwolf on the ground that was guarding Twilight and Starlight from him.
“Twilight, can’t you guys do something? Use your magic!”
“I’m afraid that’s going to be a problem at the moment.”
Twilight tries to use her magic, but the only thing she is able to produce is sparks. Spike begins to question how a sock is able to block her magic until he recognizes it as one of her special lead lined socks she keeps as safety equipment. While Twilight keeps trying to use her magic, Starlight, who was busy trying to look for something to cut the ropes, ended up simply trying to struggle her way out, knocking Twilight out for her concentration.
“Starlight, hold still. I’m trying to focus.”
“You’ve been focusing for the last half hour! I’m not looking forward to being timberwolf fodder! Spike, you’re a DRAGON! Can’t you just incinerate this thing!”
“Yeah. Great idea for burning us all alive from a timberwolf fireball!” Twilight replies in annoyance.
Spike starts to panic and looks around to see how he could help. If he could get the timberwolf out of the way, he could get the socks off of them and then they could put everything in order. Rainbow Dash was busy flying circles around the others to keep them from destroying anything else. He looks around the floor for anything he could use to distract it, noticing a bunch of items lying in the rubble. A racecar, boxing glove, hula-hoop, mostly games Fluttershy would bring the animals to play with. Among them, he saw what looked like a butterfly net. He picked it up and swing it around to see if it was sturdy enough. He figured if a well-placed rock could leave these things crumbling, then a good swing from the net could do the trick. At least until he could rescue Twilight and Starlight.
“Here timberwolf. Good boy.”
Spike inches closer, net at the ready. The Everfree creature keeps its eyes locked on him, ready to pounce once he got close enough. At once, Spike swings the net just as the timberwolf lunges, catching its head in the net. It flails around wildly trying to detach the net from its head at the same time trying to chomp through the net. Spike at the same time was left holding onto the handle on its back trying not to get bit or trampled. As the timberwolf ran around the room, it reminded him of the iron pony competition between Rainbow Dash and Applejack back then. Only this time, falling off could be the end of him. He pulled on the net hoping that he could somehow subdue it. He manages to stop it from running around, but it was still relentless in its thrashing, trying all its might to dislodge him from its back.
Rainbow Dash meanwhile was trying her best dealing with the rest for the animals. Most of the larger animals were knocked unconscious thanks to some quick jabs from her while she literally flew circles around the rest, causing them to be disoriented and either run into each other or get hit by fruit and vegetables thrown by their comrades meant for her.
After dealing with most of the animals, she takes notice of Spike on top of the timberwolf and rushed down to help him. Unfortunately, it had caught wind of her and started to attack in her direction while still trying to get rid of Spike. With her speed, she was able to dodge most of its attacks while looking for an opening. Spike figured that as long as it kept thrashing around, it would tire itself out soon.
“I got him Rainbow Dash. Go help untie Twilight and – “
“Oh no. Angel Bunny. Do be careful please.”
They hear Fluttershys pleas and look around to see a small white bunny standing on one of the control panels. Unlike the other animals, he wasn’t wearing the same helmet. While the others looked more like police sirens, this one lacked a crystal on top just being a metallic ring around his head with a red glowing band over top of it.
Spikes eyes catches with Angels and it feels like everything freezes around him. He has had run ins with the mischievous white bunny before in the past, he knew how problematic and out of control he can be, but has never once been fearful of the ball of fluff that was half his size. The smile of the creature before him now sent chills down his spine, he teeth shining in the light with eyes that went beyond pure mischievous behavior and veered into maniacal glee. Angel’s foot slowly lifts and as he steadies himself brings it forward with a strong kick that slams into the lever in front of him. With the switch flipped, the crystal lights flicker and dim and the machines around the room not completely damaged begin to hum and rise in intensity with each passing second.
“Um…Twilight? What’s happening?” Spike asks in a panic, his eyes still locked onto Angels.
“The machines been activated! You and Rainbow Dash need to run before – “
In a flash, a bright light fills the room, the hum of the machines reaching deafen levels that drown out the rest of Twilights warning. She’s barely able to hear the yells of Spike and Rainbow Dash as the energy continues to build and they are sent twirling into the air along with the numerous animals within the room.
“WOAH! This is soooo not cool! Turn this thing off and get us down!”
“TWILIGHT! HELP!”
“SPIKE! RAINBOW DASH!”
And then, just as quickly as it began, all the lights in the room blinks out and leaves the area in darkness. The only sounds Twilight can hear are the breathing of the three ponies in the room and the occasional sparks from the towers in desperate need of repairs.
“Spike? A-are you there? …Spike? …Rainbow?” Twilight asks, barely a whisper with panic and uncertainty in her voice.
Starlight, who was caught in a stupor at the events that had unfold, shakes her head to clear her mind and focuses her eyes to see what she can in the dark.
“Hey. Is anyone there?”
“I’m here…I think? It’s so dark. I can barely see my mane in front of my face” Fluttershy replies from her cage.
A few more seconds pass as light slowly returns to the room as the lights overhead began to return to stability. As vision is returned to them, the first thing the three ponies notice is the lack of occupants in the room besides themselves. Twilight and Starlight sit in silence, their eyes wide and mouths open as their minds try to make sense of what they were witnessing. Meanwhile, Futtershy was flying around her bird prison like a hummingbird viewing the room in a panic.
“Oh no. Where did they all go. Spike? Rainbow? Angel? Harry bear? Where are you. Twilight? Starlight? I don’t see them! Where are they?!” she asks, the panic rising in her voice with each word.
“I’m not sure Fluttershy” Starlight replies. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out. Twilight, any thoughts?”
No response.
“Twilight?”
Starlight turns her head and see Twilight still staring at the room in a daze. Her mouth was slowly moving, but no words were coming out as an indicator to Starlight that Twilight’s mind was going in overdrive as she has seen before when working with her. Only this time, as Twilights eyes were a clear give away, her mind was filled with concern for her friends.
“…Spike? …Rainbow Dash?” she repeated with tears threating to fall from her eyes.
Starlight, tied up as she was, started rocking back and forth to get her attention.
“Twilight listen. I know things seem bad right now. But we need to focus.”
Twilight still doesn't respond. Her mind lost in a whirlpool of worry and panic.
“Twilight. They…might be okay. We just need to have some faith”, her own voice wavering as memories of their previous attempts with test dummies come to mind.
“But…Spike…and Rainbow. They might be…” Twilight skews her eyes shut as she tries not to envision the torn body parts of her friends lying somewhere.
“T-twilight…um…well…” Starlight wracks her brain trying to find the right words from her many friendship lessons she has received.
“W-well…don’t you want what’s best for them?”
Twilight turns to her with a questioning stare.
“A-as friends, you hope for the best and have faith in them while thinking about what truly in best for them. You shouldn’t just write your friends off as gone, right?”
“…my friends...”
“Right. We need to focus on finding them right now and believe that they’re okay.”
Twilight, encouraged by the words of her pupil/colleague, began to brighten back up as a small smile appears on her face.
“Thanks Starlight. I needed to hear that.”
The two unicorns nuzzle in thanks of their friendship with Fluttershy watching overhead with teary eyes, happy and proud of Starlight for putting her friendship lessons to good use for Twilight
“And you’re right. I need to believe against all odds that they’re safe and if we work together as a team then everything will be okay in the end.”
“Right. So, what do you say that we get started on finding them.”
“Right. Let’s get to work”
“Yeah”
“…”
“…”
“…um…Starlight?”
“…yes Twilight?”
“How do you suppose we get free?”
“…that’s…a very good question...”
Fluttershy head hits the floor of the cage and sighs.
“Today had started so well too”
Author's Note
Well, here we go. The beginning of my very first story. Please give any comments and criticism you can think of so I can keep get better. Thank You 
