Spike the Mistborn
August 16th, 2020.
Twilight: “Everypony, I just received a message from Sunset Shimmer saying that she is an Element of Harmony, the Element of Empathy. Do you know what this means? There could be Elements of Harmony that we still haven’t discovered.”
Applejack: “Maybe, but they would have to be one of our friends. It is the power of friendship after all.”
Pinkie Pie: “Hey, Spike is our friend. Maybe he is an Element of Harmony.”
Rainbow Dash: “Yeah, but he didn’t gain his Cutie Mark from my Sonic Rainboom. All of the Elements of Harmony here got their Cutie Mark from my Sonic Rainboom.”
Spike: “That’s not fair. I’m a dragon. I can’t even get a Cutie Mark.”
Rarity: “Yes, if Cutie Marks were required to be an Element of Harmony, then only ponies would be able to Elements of Harmony.”
Twilight: “But Spike’s not a pony. And the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that he is an Element of Harmony.”
Spike: “Wait, what? I’m not an Element.”
Twilight: “Yes you are, Spike. We may not always notice, and we don’t include you as much as should, but you are our friend.”
Spike: “Oh, thank you.”
Twilight: “But that’s not all. When I think about it, I realize that you embody an Element of Harmony that is incredibly under-appreciated: the Element of Helping, Service or Selflessness.”
Rarity: “That’s nice, but how did you come up with that?”
Twilight: “Well, Spike saves our lives all the time. And he does it without the power of an Element of Harmony.”
Rainbow Dash: “So shouldn’t he be the Element of Saving our Lives?”
Twilight: “Yes, Spike. You’re my friend, and you represent the Element of Saving our lives.”
Spike: “I think you might be right. I wouldn’t have-what is that?”
Fluttershy: “Ahh, it’s so bright. It’s…”
Pinkie Pie: “It’s an Element of Harmony!”
Rainbow Dash: “Uhh, shouldn’t it be a gem?”
Twilight: “Maybe dragons manifest metallic Elements of Harmony?”
Rarity: “Yes, that would be very helpful. We wouldn’t want Spike eating his Element of Harmony, now would we.”
Pinkie Pie: “Why not? It would probably taste delicious. In fact, Spike, you wouldn’t mind if I had a little taste…”
Applejack: “Don’t be silly, Pinkie Pie. It’s a powerful magical artifact. Eating would be a waste, no matter how delicious it is.”
Fluttershy: “But we don’t need the physical Elements of Harmony. We ARE the Elements of Harmony. Eating wouldn’t stop us from using our powers.”
Twilight: “Yeah, Sombra destroyed the Tree of Harmony and the Elements with it, but we still used the power of friendship to defeat him as though we held the Elements of Harmony.
Spike: “So… I could eat my Element of Harmony. I mean, I don’t need it for anything else, right?”
Twilight: “I wouldn’t recommend eating it. It’s metal. Dragons can metabolize gemstones, but metal isn’t exactly good for you.”
Pinkie Pie: “But it’s not just any old metal. It’s a metal of Harmony. It’s magical. And magical things tend to be edible.”
Rainbow Dash: “Pinkie, you worry me. You said that as though you had experience eating magical things.”
Pinkie Pie: “Well, duh. Haven’t we all drunk potions before?”
Twilight: “That’s not exactly the same thing as eating a piece of metal.”
Spike: “Well, I’m sure curious to see what it tastes like, and I see no reason not to so... here we go.”
Twilight: “Wait!”
Spike eats the metal Element of Harmony, but he begins coughing as though he is almost choking.
Pinkie Pie: “He needs water!”
Spike drinks some water and finally swallows the metal.
Spike: “Thank you Pinkie Pie. I probably should have realized it would be hard to swallow.”
Fluttershy: “Are you hurt?”
Spike: “No, I’m fine.”
Pinkie Pie: “How did it taste?”
Spike: “To be honest. It tasted like regular metal.”
Applejack: “How would you know what metal tastes like?”
Spike: “Haven’t you ever used a fork or spoon?”
Rarity: “Oh, silly Spike. Only unicorns can use silverware. It’s simply too hard to hold with just your hooves.”
Twilight: “Well, Spike. You just ate an Element of Harmony. Do you feel any different? I would expect there to be something noticeable from having consumed such powerful magical artifact."
Spike: “No, it’s really disappointing. I kind of thought there would be… wait. What’s this?
Rainbow Dash: “What? What’s happening?”
Fluttershy: “How do you feel?”
Applejack: “You’ve got to give a little more description, Spike. We don’t know what you’re talking about if you don’t tell us.”
Spike: “Well, it’s sort of hard to explain. It’s like a flame… in my stomach.”
Rarity: “Isn’t that normal? You know, with you being a fire-breathing dragon and all.”
Spike: “No, I breathe fire, like out of my lungs. This is in my stomach. Like when I have a tummy ache.”
Rainbow Dash: “Well, I’d probably have a tummy ache if I had just eaten a bunch of metal.”
Spike: “But it doesn’t hurt like a tummy ache. It’s warm, it’s comfortable. I wonder if I can…”
Twilight: “What? If you can what?”
Spike: “WOW. This is something different. There is no way I can explain this.”
Pinkie Pie: “Oh, can’t you please try?”
Spike: “It’s what I imagine using magic would feel like to a unicorn. A warm tingly sense, but it’s in my belly instead of my horn. It’s power, potential. I just need to learn how to use it.”
Fluttershy: “Oh dear, you don’t sound okay. Maybe we should get a doctor.”
Rainbow Dash: “Aren’t you a doctor Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy: “What? No, I’m not. I couldn’t, it seems like too much pressure.”
Pinkie Pie: “Of course not, don’t be silly Rainbow Dash. She’s an Animal Doctor. A Vegetarian.”
Rarity: “You mean Veterinarian?”
Pinkie Pie: “No, I mean a vegetarian, an herbivore. She only eats plants.”
Fluttershy: “No, I’m not a vet. I’m not a professional. I just do what I can to help any poor creature that needs help.”
Twilight: “Regardless, Fluttershy is probably right. Spike needs a doctor.”
…
(Later, at the Doctor’s)
…
Twilight: “Ah, thank you for seeing us Doctor Stethoscope.”
Doctor Stethoscope: “It’s always a pleasure. Now what seems to be the problem today?”
Twilight: “Well, Spike ate a bite of metal, and he feels different now. He keeps talking about, well actually. Spike, how about you tell him.”
Spike: “Well, I ate a piece of metal, and now I feel a soft warm burning in my stomach, but it isn’t an uncomfortable burning.”
Doctor Stethoscope: “Ahh, well. That will happen when you eat metal. It tends to rub your stomach the wrong way, and it doesn’t feel too good.”
Spike: “So this is normal?”
Doctor Stethoscope: “Well, we don’t exactly have a lot of ponies, or dragons, come for treatment for eating metal. But as far as my experiences, yes it is normal.”
Twilight: “Good, we thought it might have something to do with the magical nature of the metal.”
Doctor Stethoscope: “Excuse me, what?”
Twilight: “The magical nature… Oh, did we forget to tell you. The metal Spike ate, it was an Element of Harmony.”
Doctor Stethoscope: “Well, that kind of renders my expertise obsolete doesn’t it. I might have treated a few patients who accidentally ate some metal, but I have never treated any who ate an Element of Harmony. Now it is not my place, so I won’t judge. But may I suggest that you, um, never do that again.”
Spike: “Yeah, it was kind of foolish. It’s just that, well, I thought. I mean, I'm a dragon, I eat gemstones. And the Elements of Harmony are usually gems, but this was metal. But I still kind of thought it was just a gem that looked like metal.”
Doctor Stethoscope: “It’s fine. You don’t need to explain yourself to me. But needless to say. You don’t need a doctor. I don’t have the ability to help you in this situation. If it were merely metal. I might have you regurgitate the object. But an Element of Harmony. That is getting into metaphysics and philosophy. You might want to ask historians or mythologians. But I’m simply a doctor. I can’t help with this.