Deep castle
Spike awoke and sat up in the middle of the Everfree Forest
"Huh? Who's there? Where am I?"

You may call me The Narator, and like I said, you are in the Everfree Forest. Specifically you are on a path in these woods, and at the end of this path, is a castle.

"Where's Twilight? How did I get here?"

I'm glad you asked. You see, inside that castle at the end of the path is a princess. You are here to slay the princess and save the world.

"You kidnapped a princess?!? Discord! Is this you? This isn't funny! I thought we had a talk about how emersive to make our O&O campaigns!"

I assure you I am not your friend. I don't even sound like him. Regardless, you have a job to do. You have to slay the princess and save the world.

"How can killing an alicorn save anything? They're the ones who protect the world! And they're all my friends!"

I never said anything about an alicorn. Look, just go along the path and everything will become clear.

"FINE! Looks like I don't have a choice anyway."

Splendid. Spike stood up and made his way up a mild incline until he found a clearing leading to a hill. At top of the hill, was a modest Hut.

"Hey, what gives? You said it was a castle!"

It is a castle.

"But you just said it was a Hut and I'm looking at a dingy Hut carved out of a tree."

Regardless, inside there is a staircase to a basement, and at the bottom of that basement is the princess. As a word of warning, she is devious, manipulative, and will do or say anything and everything to trick you. Do not let that happen.

"Yeah, because the voice in my head has been soooo trustworthy."

I am trying to help b you save the world. You know, the whole world with all your friends in it? All you have to do is slay one little princess and you'll be the hero to literally every being alive.

"Whatever. I don't care what you say, I'm getting a second opinion."

"I'm with the Dragon. We're supposed to save princesses, not slay them."

Wonderful, we have a peanut gallery now. Maybe in most cases you shouldn't slay princesses, but in this one, you not slaying the one princess will lead to all other life on the planet to die.

"If you say so. We're gonna get another opinion on that though."

Spike the Dragon makes his way to the Hut and opens the wooden door. The inside is as one might expect. A rather small room, where the only furniture of note is another door to the basement, and a small table with a pristine blade resting atop it. You should take it. You can't slay the princess without a weapon.

"I told you, we're not slaying the princess!"

Ugh, fine. You DON’T take the blade, and foolishly head downstairs. The musty air of dirt and rotting wood greets you as dim torch light illuminates the way down. If the princess lives here, killing her would be doing her a favor.

"Hello? Is somepony there?"

"Her voice is beautiful. Something you'd only need to hear once and never forget it."

"That voice sounds familiar."

Don't trust it. Please.

"I'm here! I'm no pony but I'm still a friend."

You idiot. Fine, you foolishly give away the element of surprise and make your way down stairs. Once at the bottom you lock eyes with the princess. You see a heavy cold iron chain clamped around one forelegs just above the hock, as moonlight pours in though the only window near the celing, barred to prevent escape. Enough to let air and light in but not big enough for the princess to fit through.

"Rarity! What are you doing here?"

It's not who you think it is. She's manipulating you. Regardless, you run to her side like a lovestruck puppy.

"Spikie Wikie! Oh I'm glad to see you! I don't know what happened but one moment not long ago I just woke up here!"

All lies.

"Don't worry! I'll get you out! There's got to be a key around here somewhere."

Why would whoever locked her up leave a key laying around?

"I'll check upstairs! I'll be right back!"

"Oh thank you. Please hurry!"

As you make your way up the stairs, the door shuts and locks tight.

"Hey! Who's there?"

Despite you're cries, nobody answers and no matter how much force you use, the door refuses to open. Once you determine you can't get out you go back down stairs.

"They locked you down here too, didn't they?"

"Yeah, sorry I failed. I'm still gonna try to get you out."

"I might have an idea."

Without so much as blinking, the princess bites into her own foreleg with her sharp teeth, easily tearing away the flesh.

"It's like she doesn't even feel it. That's kinda unsettling."
It's about time someone took me seriously. Yes it's unsettling because that isn't who you think it is!

*klang*

As luck would have it, the pristine blade falls down the stairs and sitters across the floor to your feet. Now is your chance. Take the blade and slay the princess.

"No, I'm going to free her."

"What was that Darling?"

"Nothing. Here, let me help with that leg."

What are you doing? Stop that n- gah! Like a fool you use the knife to cut the rest of the hoof free. She stands up, blood rhythmically dripping from her stump of a leg.

"How is she smiling like nothing happened?"

Because she's not a pony. She is the princess. Slay her while you still can!

"Should we go now?"

Her voice is eerily calm. Still, you ignore all red flags and follow her to the stair case... no. I can't let this happen.

"What are you- Rarity look out!"

Stop that! With a lunge you thrust the knife forward, only for the princess to drudge it at the last second.

"Sonethings come over you, hasn't it?"
I am taking over. I won't let this go on.

"That's not fair! You can't just take him over like that!"

I don't care anymore. This will happen even if I have to break some rules.

"A betrayal of will is still betrayal."

The voice of the princess grows more feral as her teeth elongate and her 3 good hooves grow sharp, wolf like claws. With another lunge, you finally score a hit, but she takes advantage of the cose quarters and swipes a claw at you herself.

While you have a weapon, and she is already injured, her odd strength increases as the fight goes on until she lands a killing blow.

"It can't end like this."

It does. The last thing you see is her snarling face, then everything goes black, and you die.

[...]

You wake up on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a castle, and inside that castle, is a princess. You are here to slay the princess, and save the world.

"Hold on now, we just died! She killed us! Why would she do that? Maybe we ought to kill her. Maybe the narrator knows what he's talking about."

"In her defense, we struck first..."

"We warned her! Plus we ignored a lot of red flags. I say kill her on sight! I don't wanna die again, that was painful!"

"I'm still not sure. She might not be Rarity but something tells me she's not evil."

Well I don't know what you all are talking about because this is the first time I've seen you. While it is frustrating to hear not all of you are on board, at least one of you understands. Instead of debating with yourself though, you silently make your way down the path.

At the end of the path, you find a clearing. In the middle of said clearing is-

"Golden Oaks Library? How that get here?"

"Probably the same way we got here, the narrator or something. Point is it's different from last time"

There is no last time and I didn't put anything there. I'm just here to guide you on your journey.

"Wait up, why does the narrator keep saying we didn't die? Maybe he isn't so smart after all. Maybe we should give the princess a chance to explain."

"Only one way to find out."

You make your way to the tree house. Inside you find a single room. The only furniture of note is a door leading to a basement and a table carved out of the inside of the tree house, a pristine blade resting on it. You should take it. One can't slay a princess without a weapon.

"Why didn't you mention the mirror?"

"Yeah! That mirror is pretty prominent to me."

Because there is no mirror. There's the door, the table, the pristine blade and a couple non descriptive glass windows.

"There is definitely a mirror there. It doesn't look like one Twilight ever owned but its there, if a bit dusty."

More evidence you're crazy. You didn't die and there is no mirror. Regardless you walk up to the wall next to the door and place your hand on it. I hope you know how ridiculous you look.

"It just vanished?"

Because it wasn't there to begin with. Now can you take the knife and do your job?

"Well, regardless of what Mr annoying says, I say we should take the knife. Just so we have options at least. Better safe than sorry after all."

Yes, good, we're on the right track. You take the knife and open the basement door.

What greets you is a tangle of roots wrapped around a staircase carved out of wood. A damp breeze of mildew and rot greets you. If the princess is living here-

"Killing her would be doing her a favor?"

...yes. How did you know that?

"It's almost like we've been here before."

"Well if it isn't the little nasty dweeb who tried killing me last time. I could hear your pathetic foot steps all the way from down here. Let's get this over with already!"

"Hey! I'm not a dweeb!"

"Yeah, you are. Unless you prove me wrong and come down to face me!"

Last time? She recognizes you? I didn't want to belive it but you may have been telling the truth.

"Ya don't say Mr detective?"

"I thought he was Mr Annoying?"

"Same thing. Let's see this new old princess. I'm leaning more toward slaying here now personally."

With a more determined gate, you walk down the stairs into the basement. When you lock eyes with the princess, her cold, eagal eyes star back unblinking. There's an iron chain around one of her talons and her lion tail swishes in annoyance.

"Good, we're dropping the pretenses now. You have the knife, what are you gonna do with it?"

Slay her! It might he harder than it should but you still have a knife!

"Let's just talk it out first. See what she has to say."

She's going to end the world! What more do you want?!

"What happend after I died?"

"You died. What of it? We're here now so who cares?"

"Well, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I was taken over and something forced me to kill you."

"Oh well that makes it all better, doesn't it? If you're really sorry, you'll hand over that knife."

"Why do I feel like you'll just stab me if I do?"

"Well you're the one who aparently doesn't want to kill me, but you tried once already. Why should I trust you won't do the same?"

"She has a point. I definitely would stab her in the back but that's just me."

"Well it's a good thing you're not in charge because that's dishonorable!"

"If you say so."

"Hey! Dweeb! Stop zoning out and answer me! Either attack or give me the knife!"

You... toss the knife to her feet. We're doomed.

"Why did you do that! You gave away our only leverage! Now we have nothing!"

The princess slips her talon out of the chain and cautiously bends over to pick up the knife with that same claw.

"Aw, ya see? She wasn't even locked up! I knew we should have killed her!"

Hesitantly, she makes her way over to you, keeping a grip on the knife as her paws and wings stretch out a little.

"Why did you do that? I wouldn't have done that."

"Last time, I hurt you. Now, you can choose what you want to happen."

She tenses up for a moment before scowling.

"This is a mind game! You're trying to trick me! Well it won't work!"

She plunges the dagger into your chest and you fall.

"Ha! I did it! I did it! Hehe... wait, why did you let me do that?"

But you don't get to answer. Everything goes black, and you die.

[...]

You wake up in the woods and... imediatly sprint down the path leading to the castle. I'm not complaining but I am confused.

"This is our third time around. We're not gonna wait for your little monologs this time."

Well while there's a lot to unpack there I'll just be glad you seem to know what to do. Though the idea of two worlds being destroyed does bother me.

"This guy seems more on board than the last guy. That's good at least. Though I'm still mad she killed us."

"If I had a nickel for every time she killed us-"

"Yeah we know. It's weird that it happened twice."

Despite your odd inner dialog you make your way to the clearing at the end of the path. In the middle of the clearing is a crystalline castle in the shape of a tree. Please don't eat it.

"Now I know something horrible is happening. There's no way Twilight would let this happen. You must have done something to her!"

Have you maybe thought that the princess did something to your sister? She is the one who ends the world after all.

"If she can end the world why doesn't she do that right now?"

Because she has to leave her castle to do so.

"Sounds a bit contrived but what do I know? I'm just a voice in the head of a dragon along with two others, and the dragon boy himself."

"Look, let's just get one thing clear. Even if we have to kill the princess, we are NOT dying agin. I can't go through that!"

"It would be nice to not die but I still don't think killing is the answer."

Well I suppose you'll find your answer as you've made your way to the castle doors. Opening them up you are met with a rather large entry way, moon light sparkling off various surfaces as it filters in through stained glass windows. The only other furniture of note is a pair of massive double doors and a crystalline table with a pristine... hold on, where's the knife?

"Well we gave it to her last time so she might still have it."

You gave away the knife?! How stupid can you be!

"There it is! Mr annoying is back with the petty insults! I say we hear her out. After all, she's the one with the knife."

"You really are just an opportunist aren't you?"

"Says the hero stereotype"

"Well I don't care what I am. I just got here."

While the voices in your head bicker about their places in the world, you walk up to the doors to the basement and... stop.

"The mirror is back, and it's blocking the way to the door."

What mirror. There's no mirror. There's the double doors, the windows, the table without a blade but no mirror!

"You couldn't see it last time either. Let's see if..."

You reach your claw to the doors and just place it there. I hope you know how ridiculous you look.

In any case you open the doors. What you see is an extravagant crystalline staircase down to a brightly lit basement, an eerie magenta glow just barely visible.

"I can't get rid of you, can I?"

The voice of the princess crawls up the stairs, weary and ragged. You make your way down to the basement.

When you lock eyes with the princess, her eye sockets seem hollow. Her goldenrod coat mussed, her firey mane and tail tangled, and her whole body wrapped in magenta colored magic chains. She's holding the pristine blade in the crook of her hoof.

"Is this all we can do? Kill each other over and over?"

"To be fair, you killed me twice."

"You got a point. I'm sorry for what it's worth. I'm just so tired. I don't want to keep fighting Spike. I just don't know if I can trust you."

"Well you could start by giving me the knife back so I can disrupt the magic holding you."

Hiw did you even get that idea? What makes you think a knife can beat magic?

"Hey, either way, we'll have the knife back and that's all I care about."

"Well the fact you seem a bit panicked at the idea makes me think it will work."

I'm not panicked! Well maybe a little but only because I don't want the world to end!

"If I give you the knife, you won't kill me?"

Your eyes soften, like the spot on your head your parents dropped you on as an infant.

"I promise. All I've ever wanted was to let you out."

"...fine."

She hands you the knife. I don't expect you to listen to me but for the sake of the world I am begging you to slay the princess!

"Thank you."

While her drip tenses up at first, she relinquished the blade. Now all it would take is a small flick of the wrist and...

"Not happening."

You... ugh. You use the blade to cut through the magic binding the princess. I hate you for making me say this.

"Tough luck! We're coming out on top. I was always on your guys side!"

Like the absolute dunce you are, you free the princess, and walk side by side to the exit, but! Oh look at that! A magic barrier erected to prevent escapees.

"I'll take care of this one."

With an infuriating cocky flourish of her horn, the princess shatters the barrier. You walk up the stairs, and leave the castle. I hope you're happy. You murderers.

"Is he gone? Good. Finally some peace and quiet."

"Thank you, Spike. Really. It so... cold. Is freedom supposed to be cold?"


"What? Where did she go?"

THE PRINCESS DISSAPEARED IN A FLASH OF MULTI COLORED LIMBS GRASPING UNTIL THEY COLLAPSE IN ON THEMSELVES

"Should we look for her? What's happening? Where are we?"

"It looks like a black void. There's nothing here except-"

"The mirror! But... it feels wrong. Like going towards it means we die! I don't wanna die! I hate dieing!"

"Don't worry. I don't get that feeling. I'm sure no matter what happens, it'll be okay."

"Alright, we're trusting you."

AS YOU APPROACH, THEY FADE AWAY, BUT YOU REMAIN. YOU LOOK INTO THE MIRROR AND SEE...

"Is that... me?"

THE MIRROR SHATTERS

"WHOAAA!!!"

"Spike! Are you okay?" Twilight burst into the room in a flash of a teleport, instantly darting to checking her little brother.

Spike just latched onto the first sign of comfort he'd seen in what felt like forever. "It had a nightmare! It was horrible! It wa-" hurp!

In a flash of green fire, a scroll manifested with Luna's seal. Opening it up, Spike wished he hadn't as there was a short message. Just a few words. "I'm sorry, but he's back."