It’s time for a Spike episode everypony! I wondered when the first Spike focused episode would air for this season of My Little Pony and I was pleased to see it come right after the Cutie Mark Crusaders episode. I love getting to see what the characters outside of the Mane 6 are up to. Now on to the recap!

Spike is helping Rarity with some gem collecting, he’s her basket holder/bodyguard, but he starts glowing and accidentally wakes up all the bats in the cave. You read that right, he was glowing. Twilight is having tea with Princesses Luna and Celestia and as Celestia says it’s nice to be relaxing without having to help someone, Rarity bursts in saying something is wrong with Spike. Luna reveals that he is glowing because it is the call of the Dragon Lord. He will need to go learn why the Dragon Lord needs him to make the glowing stop. Rarity and Twilight go along, in a rock costume, to help Spike. Twilight also wants to learn tons of dragon knowledge.

The Dragon Lord appears and announces that he has been the lord for ages and that he has done a marvelous job. His daughter, Ember, is by his side as he announces that he must step down. Spike and the dragons have been summoned to compete in the Gauntlet of Fire, which will determine the new Dragon Lord. Twilight is loving learning all of these things. Spike wants to leave, but no such luck, Dragon Lord Torch notices him and insists that Spike can’t leave. Ember says that he’s a runt and that they should just let him go home, the lord agrees and allows Spike to leave. Torch doesn’t want to let his daughter to compete because he says she isn’t big or strong enough and insists she not take part. All the dragons have plans to ruin Equestria should they become the Dragon Lord, which prompts Spike to compete in the competition.

In the first round of the Gauntlet of Fire the dragons have to survive crossing a body of water filled with water shooting dragons. As Spike swims across an armored dragon falls from the sky and he dives down to save them from drowning. It turns out that the dragon is Ember, competing in disguise. She reveals that she wants to win and Spike says that they can work together to make it through. Twilight and Rarity keep jumping between hiding places to stay out of sight while they cheer Spike on, Ember even helps cover for them when they are almost discovered. Spike becomes Ember’s second set of eyes in order to avoid flying rocks and make it across the water. They then stay together to make it through all the tunnels in the mountain. Ember is amazed that Twilight and Rarity are risking their lives just to support Spike and that he risked everything to keep Rarity safe. When Spike asks if Ember has anyone who looks out for her she reveals that she doesn’t and then says she thinks that they shouldn’t work together anymore.

Spike is upset that she left and while Rarity says she’s just acting like other dragons, he insists that she looked out for him once and that this makes them friends. Garble, who has been tormenting Spike throughout this episode, appears right when Spike finds the scepter room. As he attempts to throw the smaller dragon to his doom, Ember appears to save him. She also protects Twilight and Rarity when he threatens them. Working together Spike is able to get the scepter, which makes him the Dragon Lord. His first order as Lord is to make Garble fly home and give every dragon a hug on his way. Spike gives the scepter to Ember and tells her that she should be Dragon Lord, he even hugs her. She flies to present the scepter to her father and he tells her that she is strong and smart and will be an excellent leader. Spike heads home with Twilight and Rarity and it turns out that this trip was beneficial for everyone. Twilight will get dragon information, Spike made a friend and ally for the ponies, and Rarity has a plan for a new clothing line.

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