After escaping from Canterlot, Starlight and Tempest continued escorting Cadance and Shining Armor away while keeping a watchful eye for any creatures and monsters. Having made it at the halfway point, Starlight turns around to go back to Canterlot. But before she could leave, Tempest grabs her and asks,

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“I have to end this.” Starlight answered before shoving Tempest’s hoof away.

“And how do you plan on ending it?” Cadance asked.

“Princess Celestia said that the Abyss was vulnerable to flames. If I can find a stick and some fire, I’ll-” Starlight said before being interrupted by Tempest.

"It's too risky, Starlight. I know that you feel responsible for what happened to Spike, but your endeavors are suicidal. He's beyond listening to you and you will wind up dead if you face him." Tempest bluntly said.

"Maybe so, but I have lost so many of my friends to the Abyss and it hurts. I need to end this." Starlight said before trying to leave once again.

"You can't do this, Starlight. I tried to reason with Spike, but after everything he did to us… he's beyond reason and you know it." Cadance said, taking Tempest's side of the argument.

"So were we…" Starlight said, referring to herself and Tempest before running from their side.

"Starlight!" Tempest shouted, trying to stop her from getting herself killed.

"Let her go, Tempest. This is Starlight's mess. And she's going to clean it up." Cadance said, looking at the burning castle in front of her.

***

Spike continued fighting Midnight Sparkle and she was on the ropes against him. She had trouble standing and her focus was off from all the fatigue the fight gave her.

"Killing me won't bring her back! All you'll be doing is driving yourself into a pit!!!" Midnight spitefully said.

"Maybe, but anyone who takes from me will all meet the same fate as you…" Spike said before viciously disemboweling Midnight and decapitating her.

After he was finished with her, Spike walked all the way back to town square to continue mourning for Ember and Tirek. Canterlot was on fire and in the middle of collapsing, but Spike couldn't care less about what would happen to the fallen city.

***

Starlight went back through the entrance of Canterlot. She wracked with guilt and sorrow over what happened to Spike and she felt the need to save him. Even if it would cost everything dear to her, Starlight had to do something. 'Less she would suffer the same fate as his enemies. But she needed to end his suffering for better or worse.

"I hope you're okay, Spike…" Starlight thought in a worried manner.

Walking through the burning city of Canterlot, Starlight made her way through the burning buildings and the bloodstained streets. She was shocked upon finding Midnight's dead body on the ground. She felt nothing but pity and sadness when she saw the dead alicorn's body lying on the ground. When she finished mourning, she walked towards town square. After making it to the town square, she saw Spike from a distance, sitting next to Ember's grave.

"Spike…" Starlight whispered as she went forward.

"We were supposed to be happy…" Spike cried while holding Ember's cold hand.

Starlight stopped dead in her tracks when she heard her former friend speak.

"She was going to be a mother. We were going to be a family together. But you always needed to have the last laugh…" Spike said, starting to get angry.

"Spike… this needs to stop. All this chaos… all this destruction… none of this will make your pain go away. All you are doing is digging a hole that can't be filled. I should know." Starlight said in a sad voice.

"Then what do you know, Starlight? You had friends who trusted you, depended on you, and loved you!" Spike yelled as he got off the ground.

"Please, you have already done enough to everypony else! Please! Come back to us!" Starlight tearfully begged.

"If I come back with you, your friends will see to it that I die!" Spike shouted, already aware of the consequences that await him as the ooze surrounded his body.

"No! Don't do it!" Starlight begged once more.

"I'm sorry, Starlight. But for the good of my kingdom and Ember, you and your kind have to die…" Spike said with tears in his eyes before being fully enveloped by the ooze.

"NO!!! SPIKE!!!" Starlight cried as her friend shut out her pleas.

No matter how hard Starlight begged, Spike refused to listen to her. Then the creature took over and chuckled,

"So it seems you have failed. Now suffer."

The creature ran towards Starlight with intense hunger in his eyes. She tried to move out of the way, but it grabbed and tackled her to the ground. Then it formed a dagger and tried to stab Starlight.

"Poor little Starlight. Still trying to find the good in everything and trying to solve Equestria's problems when all she did was amplify them!" Spike yelled as he tried to kill her.

“Quit it!” Starlight shouted before firing a bolt of lightning from her broken horn.

Spike backed away from Starlight and got on all fours in an offensive stance. Starlight, on the other hand, was shocked to learn that she could actually use the energy from her horn to activate lightning.

“This isn’t you, Spike! That thing on your chest is controlling you! Can’t you see that?” Starlight reasoned, trying to get Spike to stop fighting.

“IT WAS ALWAYS ME!!!” Spike roared before lunging at Starlight.

Starlight jumped out of the way and shocked Spike to make him submit. But he shrugged it off and scratched Starlight across the face, scarring her in the process. Starlight had a hard time seeing, so she fired random shots of lightning out of her horn to keep Spike away. But both Spike and the Creature saw through the attack and kicked her in the face.

“Your paltry tricks don’t work on us, pony.” the Creature said as it licked its lips.

“Spike!!! That thing is using you!!! It doesn’t want to aid you!!! All it wants is to turn Equestria into a wasteland!!!” Starlight shouted, trying to get through to Spike.

“YOU LEFT ME IN THAT CAVE WHEN THAT CRYSTAL LATCHED ONTO ME!!! DISCORD MADE YOU STAY!!!” Spike nonsensically roared as he grabbed Starlight by the mane before throwing her into a wall.

Starlight tried to get away from Spike, but he was just too fast to evade.

“Discord didn’t involve me in his twisted plan! I didn’t even know-” Starlight said before being punched by Spike in the nose.

“AFTER EVERYTHING YOU DID TO ME… HUMILIATING ME… BELITTLING ME… AND ABUSING ME… YOU AND YOUR KIND WILL PAY FOR EVERYTHING!!!” Spike roared once again as he prepared to deal the final blow to Starlight.

"DON'T!!!" Starlight cried out as she covered her.

Just as she was about to meet her fate, Spike was suddenly drop-kicked by Tempest, sending him flying back.

"Tempest!" Starlight exclaimed.

After regaining her composure, Starlight took the time to notice that she was carrying a torch and a few jars of oil with her. She had no idea why at first, but then she realized what they would be used for.

"Are you okay?" Tempest asked, helping her friend up.

Spike got up and growled at the two hornless unicorns before getting into another offensive position.

"This ends NOW!!!" Spike shouted as he charged towards the unicorns, filled with hatred and malice.

Author's Note

I have plans on reviewing Darling in the Franxx pretty soon. Boy, do I have a lot to say about this one. Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming.