Twilight looked tearfully at herself in the map, "How could I have been so ignorant?" she chastised herself. "And for how long?! How long had Spike had to put up with me, every pony, and–What kind of a Princess of Friendship am I if I couldn't even keep track of my very first friend?!" she asked herself in frustration, slamming her hoof on the table, bouncing her cup of hot chocolate, causing the hot beverage to fly up in the air, before coming back down a splashed on the table.

Sighing and exhaling a deep breath, Twilight frowned, “I have to set things right. Starting now."

Just then, the doors opened up and stepping in were the rest of the Elements of Harmony, whom Twilight had invited to the castle.

"Hey Twilight!" Rainbow Dash greeted. "So what's up? We've all got your letters."

"And they all sound urgent, if you don't mind me saying," Rarity added.

"That's because they are," Twilight replied. "It's about Spike."

“Yeah I have some news about Spike too, mind if I join?” Starlight said coming from the other room.

“Of course Starlight.” Twilight agreed mournfully.

Twilight then relayed everything she had in her dream, from the villains capturing Spike to the memories of her mistreating him. The girls began giving sympathetic frowns while Starlight was a bit furious at Twilight for how she’s mistreated Spike but could tell she was sorry so she kept herself calm.

“I’m so sorry you‘ve felt this way Twilight.” Fluttershy said sadly.

“Thanks Fluttershy and girls I had you come here because the truth is, we all treated him so poorly." Twilight spoke with sadness.

"What?! What are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash asked. "What have we done to him?"

"You had to ask?" Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash in irritation. "You would know a lot about that. Remember all those pranks you and Pinkie Pie pulled on him? Like that thundercloud stunt?"

"Oh yeah! That!" the cyan pegasus laughed obnoxiously. "Sorry Twilight but the look on his face was priceless! Those were good times, eh Pinkie?"

"You bet!" Pinkie Pie laughed.

Starlight resisted the urge to scream at the two for their ignorance.

"Well it wasn't so funny with HIM!" Twilight shouted, taking both girls by surprise when she slammed her hooves down. "You could've killed him with that!"

"But...we didn't..."

"You didn't then, but what happens next time, when something goes wrong, and Spike is seriously hurt? And THEN what will you do? The both of you would've gone to jail for that!"

"We would?" Pinkie asked, slightly worried.

"Hang on, Twi!" but before Rainbow Dash can say anything, Twilight interrupted her as she continued.

"What about Winter Wrap Up? Remember, Dash? It was YOUR idea to leave Spike on that block of ice, just waiting for him to drown!"

Starlight then began gritting her teeth in anger, dragons are sensitive to the cold so that could’ve really hurt Spike and that just made her feel more angry but she tried to control her temper.

"Uh, let's just rephrase that," Rainbow Dash began in her defense. "The idea wasn't to 'drown' Spike. It was more to give him a 'cold shower wake up call.' Besides, we've pulled that kind of prank to each other a lot of times before you came to Ponyville, Twi. I did that to Applejack a lot of times, and she got out okay. Right AJ?"

“Yeah only after I got over the sniffles.” Applejack bitterly reminded. "But you still raised the stakes higher for the little guy, Dash."

"See? That's my point!" Twilight pointed.

"Hey, I had no idea the lake was that cold then! You think any pony would put up a sign that reads 'No Swimming?' And I said I was sorry!" Rainbow Dash frowned. "We all said we were sorry when we fished him out, didn't we? How were we suppose to know that dragons were sensitive to the cold then? If anything, you should've known that Twilight! You're the egghead! So in a way, it's kinda your fault."

"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy berated. "How dare you would try to pin the blame on Twilight?! You ought to know better, because Spike was just a teenager then! Would you do that to Scootaloo?"

Unable to argue with that, Rainbow Dash slumped down in her chair, before she looked up and pointed at Twilight, "Well then, what about you Twilight?! Remember that Hearth's Warming Eve, with the Winter–Zilla and you used Spike as live bait?!"

“You did what?!” Starlight asked in anger.

"Hey! Don't try and pin that on me, Rainbow! YOU'RE the one who brought the Winter–Zilla to the castle!" Twilight argues in anger.

"I thought it was a WinterChilla!" Rainbow Dash screamed.

"Which turns into a Winter-Zilla at night! Everypony knows that!" Twilight screamed back.

"Are you saying I'm stupid?!" Rainbow Dash asked angrily.

"If I recall, you're the one who made fun of Spike by saying he isn't like any dragons during that migration!" Applejack said with venom breaking the argument before it began.

"Oh yeah?!" Rainbow Dash snarled, standing her ground. "Well at least I didn't use him as some sort of dummy during the Iron Pony Competition!"

"Oh please like you're any better than Rarity!" Applejack argues.

"I beg your pardon?!" the white unicorn scowled, feeling Applejack's statement came out of left field. "Where did you start–"

"Don't play the innocent routine with us!" Applejack continued. "It's clear as day, 24/7 to be precise, that Spike's head over heels for ya! He practically worshipped the ground you walked on, but you only see him as your favorite errand boy and you took advantage of his feelings for ya!"

"Now look here!" Rarity began before getting cut off.

"And don't get me started on the whole drama you brought up when ya found out about him and Gabby!" Applejack berated. "I mean that's a new low for you! So what if Spike's found a new friend? You would be so willing as to get in the way of his happiness by driving a wedge between him and this new girl? And I thought Discord was an expert in that!" in response, Rarity gritted her teeth, unable to deny the truth that was piercing her heart like arrows, while at the same time struggling to suppress her anger and sadness altogether. "I mean why so jealous, Rarity? It's not like YOU actually cared about him."

“Wow how was I so oblivious to all this?” Starlight asked herself in regret which no one heard.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY I DON'T CARE ABOUT SPIKE!" Rarity stomped her hoof.

“SILENCE!” Starlight screamed making everypony stop arguing and widen their eyes.

“Phew, Twilight I know you’ve made some very bad choices with Spike but you do care about him you just need to show him that.” Starlight advised.

“As for the rest of you.” Starlight yelled.

The Mane 5 gulped Starlight was surely pissed now.

“You’re all no better than Twilight you all have mistreated Spike one way or another, especially Rarity.” Starlight lectured.

The Mane 5 bowed their heads in shame but then Starlight continued “But you do care about him and you just need to show him that.”

The Mane 6 lifted their heads in thought and all agreed they needed to show Spike they care and that they are sorry.

“And Rarity, enough leading him on, it’s just horrible, tell him how you really feel about him.” Starlight commanded angrily.

“I plan to do so. I’m sorry.” Rarity apologizes in regret.

“Don’t tell me that, tell that to Spike, also I would be lying if I said this wasn’t my fault too, I was oblivious to his misfortune but we all can improve on our mistakes for Spike.” Starlight put her hoof out.

The Mane 6 and Starlight put their hooves together and chanted “For Spike.”

“So Starlight what did you wanna tell us, you said you had news.” Twilight asked curiously.

“Oh boy.” Starlight said worried.

Author's Note

Credit to Phantom Dragon for the idea of the argument scene he/she is one of my idols. I tweaked it a bit though so it doesn’t sound like a rehash of his/her story.