Clover the Clever and the Heart of Fire
"So," declaimed the Mayor, "the three tribes searched to find a new land to nourish their peoples."
Madam Mayor told the story of the discovery of paradise: a bright, green land of brilliant blue skies and sparkling rivers. The brown soil, redolent of fertility; the dancing white clouds; the stony places, that offered treasures and secrets.
"They found this green and pleasant land, untouched by the snows. But, sadly, not long untouched by distrust!"
Madam Mayor spoke of the acrimony of the three tribes and of the blizzard that followed them.
"In the end, the leaders of the three tribes collected into a tiny cave, where their anger exploded!"
***
Commander Hurricane was the first to enter the cave.
"So this is where my journey ends," she whispered. "In the dark, under the ground. That my life has come to this...!"
"Commander?" asked Private Pansy, entering beside her.
Hurricane straightened. She pulled back her shoulders and tidied her wings. "It is nothing, Private. I will fight to the last. To the very last. For me, even this small ground will be Pegasopolis. For a time. Come! Attend me!"
(In the orchestra pit, Octavia signaled her quartet. They turned as one to the tense strains of Luna Aeterna.)
The pair advanced into the cave, followed by Princess Platinum and Clover the Clever.
"It's small and... untidy, yes," declared Princess Platinum, glancing about haughtily. "But as the seat of power of the Princessipality of Nova Unicornia, it may suffice."
"I am sure it will, Your Highness," replied Clover. "Once we rid ourselves of these... interlopers."
Platinum batted her eyes. "Yes, we shall have to do something about that, shan't we?"
Clover bowed.
They entered the cave and settled opposite the pegasi.
"Caves! I love caves! Do you crave caves? Caves are my faves!" exclaimed Chancellor Puddinghead. "Y'know, Smart Cookie, I was born in a cave that I built with my own hooves!"
"Really, your Chancellorship?" asked Smart Cookie.
"No!" grinned Puddinghead as she bounded into the middle of the cave, followed by her advisor.
A chill, blue light infiltrated the chamber. From without, came the voice of the windigos.
The three tribes sullenly regarded each other.
"We oughta' try t'make friends with them, your Chancellorship," said Smart Cookie.
"Smart Cookie, give me your hoof," asked Chancellor Puddinghead, sweetly.
"Wull, okay, but why..." said Smart Cookie, proffering her hoof.
Puddinghead forced Cookie's hoof down. Hard. Painfully. Then she released it.
Smart Cookie smacked herself in the face.
"Stop hitting yourself," Puddinghead laughed.
"That's what happens, when you hold out your hoof," said Puddinghead, suddenly very, very serious.
"Here's the problem," Puddinghead said quietly. "We can't grow food in a cave. We need land, Sun and water. And these ponies," she nodded towards the pegasi and unicorn groups, "are in the way. We have to get rid of them."
Private Pansy paced the cavern, uncertain. She looked back at Commander Hurricane, then scratched a border between herself and the other ponies in the cave. "This is New Pegasopolis," she said, mostly to herself, close to tears. "This black space, below the Earth."
She encountered a small stone and thoughtlessly moved it aside.
The unicorn and earth pony parties were furious.
"We cannot allow this incursion into our territory," hissed Clover the Clever. "Do not give them even an inch or you will appear weak!"
Princess Platinum held her head high and declared, "That rock is clearly on the Unicornia side of the cave and it belongs to us! There! I claim this, and all its precious jewels, for the mighty Kingdom of Unicornia!"
"I claim this rock for my people!" shouted Commander Hurricane, standing beside Private Pansy, scuffing it back to her side.
"Oh! You found my rock! Give it here!" exclaimed Chancellor Puddinghead, seizing the stone. "Sedimentary, limestone, interesting inclusions," she noted, looking at it critically. She blew thoughtfully into her bubble pipe. "But otherwise it's just MINE! MINE! MINE! Because, well, EARTH PONY: ROCK, DUH!"
"You groundwalkers are just so stupid!" shouted Hurricane.
"You cloudwalkers are brutes!" insisted Platinum.
"You weird guys are just weird, so that's that!" declared Puddinghead.
The cold, blue light pressed against the ponies. The windigos at last appeared, over the ponies' heads, cantering like the souls of the dead in the weird shadows. And, inexorably, the entrance to the cavern closed, covered in ice, turning the chamber into a tomb.
"Okay, that's it, we're screwed," said Chancellor Puddinghead, hunkering down inside herself.
"No! Please, no!" cried Private Pansy. She battered herself against the wall of ice, to no avail. "I can't die this way! Under the Earth, away from the sky!"
"Private! Compose yourself! Attend me!" ordered Hurricane.
Shamefacedly, Pansy returned to her commander's side.
Hurricane embraced Pansy. "Let us face the end together. If you see me in Elysium, raise a cup to me, my beloved comrade."
"All hope is lost," whispered Clover the Clever to Princess Platinum. "Now, think only of our people, Princess! In this dark time, let the other tribes fend for themselves!
"Let them all die," hissed Clover.
Princess Platinum rounded on Clover, enraged. "I hate you! I have always hated you! You usurped my place with my father! You whisper and poison everything around you! I only want my folk to live and be happy and yet for days you've only spoken of death, death, death! Monster!"
"S'cuse me fer buttin' in," said Smart Cookie, trotting forward. "But that ain't Clover, Ah reckon. Not th' real Clover. Ah've been watchin' you an' you just ain't right. Ah've read all of Clover's work. She is smart an' kind. You are not.
"And yer shadow's all wrong, too, ain't it? Don't turn away! Ah've noticed how you stay away from th' light. Ah gots no quarrel with changelings, but y'oughta 'fess up now. Who are yuh?"
Clover the Clever chuckled. She walked forward to the sound of golden bells.
"Smart Cookie," she said, shaking her head, "you are the one that I always feared most. The rest of you are too stupid," she glared at Princess Platinum, "to look beyond the ends of your noses.
"But now that I've won, what's the point in games? Behold! Behold your master!"
With a flash, bang and a cloud of smoke, Clover vanished. To be replaced by:
"Star Swirl the Bearded!" cried Princess Platinum. "My father's most trusted advisor!"
The audience gasped.
I hate this, thought Twilight. Star Swirl was introverted and eccentric, sure, but he deserves to be treated better than this.
"Yesss!" hissed Star Swirl, flinging his starry cloak around him, the bells on his hat and cape jingling maniacally.
"For too long," he declared, pacing about the stage, "have I suffered the follies of lesser folk! Smaller minds! Little ponies," he sneered.
Wow, Lyra's really getting into it, thought Twilight. She looks good with those bushy eyebrows and that little beard.
"I found the windigos, starving and afraid, in one of the dark corners of Tartarus. I raised them up! I freed them! Oh, my children, what music you make!"
The windigos bellowed and pranced, circling closer and closer to the leaders of the Three Tribes.
"I have used my knowledge and the wealth of the Unicorn Kingdom," said Star Swirl, "to breed distrust among the tribes. It was so easy. Your hatred of one another was a flower that only needed a little care to bloom! A word here or there was enough. My delicate windigos battened on your fear and anger and grew strong!"
Now we all give our little speeches, join together and have a big fight with Star Swirl. Once he loses his "magic hat," he loses all of his powers and we save the world, sighed Twilight. Oh, Rainbow! I had hoped for better than this from you.
Star Swirl gloated. "Now you are all gathered here into a tiny place where I can control you all! The snows will sweep over the world! Then my legions of fire zombies will emerge from their hidden barrows and cover all the lands with hot swarming evil!"
"'Fire zombies,' what?" blurted Twilight, startled out of character. This isn't the way we rehearsed this, Lyra!
"Aren't they delightful?" exclaimed Star Swirl, tapping his forehooves. "They're like regular zombies, but on fire! Ha ha! Ha ha ha! BWA HA HA HA!"
Lyra! thought Twilight. What are you doing?!
Then a hooded figure appeared at the mouth of the cave. With a flash of light, the ice burst into a snowy cloud.
"Liar! Impostor!" shouted the figure, stepping inside.
"Oh, what is this, now?" said Star Swirl, annoyed.
"It is I, the true Clover!" declared the newcomer, pulling down her hood. Lyra Heartstrings trotted proudly onto the stage.
How did she do that? wondered Twilight. She looked at Star Swirl, baffled. Minuette, is that you? But how did you switch places? Do you know a teleport spell?
"How did you escape my dungeon?" snarled Star Swirl.
"If I told you about the weaknesses of your prison," smirked Clover, "that wouldn't be very 'clever,' now would it?"
Star Swirl the Bearded rushed forward to stand over his apprentice.
"I will not be mocked! Bow down before your master, child!" thundered Star Swirl. "I raised you up from nothing! You are no more than a rock farmer's daughter with a speck of talent! How dare you challenge me?"
"Because I know you for who you truly are..." said Clover, as she suddenly swept off Star Swirl's hat.
Star Swirl had two mismatched horns: those of a goat and a deer.
"Discord!" exulted Clover.
The audience gasped. As did the cast and crew.
***
The shape of Star Swirl the Bearded fell away, and grew, length upon length, into the serpentine form of the dreadful draconequus: Discord, the Great and Terrible.
"BWA HA HA HA HA!" bellowed the Lord of Chaos. "BWA HA HA BWA HA HA HA HA!"
Discord wiped a tear from his eye. "I do love a good 'BWA HA HA.' So relaxing."
(Down in the front row, Fluttershy looked to her left. She discovered that Discord's seat was now occupied by an adorable button-eyed Discord plushie. Fluttershy clutched the doll to herself and looked back to the stage, confused and alarmed.)
Twilight Sparkle fired up her horn. No time to retrieve the Elements of Harmony! I'll do what I can to protect everypony! she thought, desperately.
"Clover the Clever," sneered Discord. "You would have done better to cower in a hole with your master! You will beg for mercy before I am done with you!"
Twilight startled. Wait! Is Discord... acting?
"You cannot conquer me, villain, as long as I wield this: the Crystal Heart of Fire!" Clover held aloft a heart-shaped crimson gem. "Drawn from the roots of the Crystal Mountains, blessed by the Sun and Moon, illuminated by Love and powered by Friendship," she cried, "there is no evil it cannot overcome."
Discord snatched at the gem. He flipped it around and held it to his eye. He even gave it a thoughtful lick. He smirked. "Do you think this tiny bauble will conquer me? Powered by friendship, is it? Oh, reaaa–ly?"
He clutched the gem in his eagle claw. "You disappoint me, Clover. Truly, you do, child. I had such plans for you, but you have fallen into hope and foolishness, much like your master. You are ridiculous! Look around you! There is no friendship here!" Discord swept his lion paw around the cave. "Look at yourselves!"
Discord stalked around the ponies and pointed at them, one by one, mocking.
"There is no generosity there, only avarice! No nobility in that one, only pride! No leadership in her, only folly! No wisdom, only cunning! No loyalty, only cowardice! No honesty, only expedience!"
Discord stood in the middle of them and roared, "How can you think to deny me, to turn away my windigos? We are your guests! You invited us in!"
The blue light of the cavern nearly covered them all. The windigos celebrated.
Commander Hurricane trotted forward. Her expression was dark and fell. She raised her spear. Then she knelt swiftly and laid down her spear before the assembly.
"I will fight no more forever," she said, quietly. "I have hurt my people with my pride. My family suffers because of my anger. I, Hurricane of the House of Bellerophon, surrender to my sisters gathered here. Command me, I beg you." Hurricane lifted her great helm and tossed it aside.
Princess Platinum advanced and knelt near Hurricane. She said, "I know I have been petty and selfish. Vast treasures have been arrayed before me and I only desired more, while I ignored the greatest treasures of the world: my people. I have loved no one and liked myself even less. Now I, Platinum of the Unicorn Kingdom, cast away my old life and will try with all of my heart to become a good and generous Princess. From this night on, I will live for the prosperity of my people and for all of ponykind." Platinum set aside her crown.
Smart Cookie looked at Chancellor Puddinghead.
"What?" responded Puddinghead, indignantly.
Smart Cookie tilted her head.
Puddinghead rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine!" She tossed away her hat and plopped down between Hurricane and Platinum. "That was a pretty nice hat," she said, wistfully. "But I have to admit I only became Chancellor because Mom and Dad and my focus group told me it would make me more popular. Now I, Prunella of the Puddingheads, give away my really, really nice hat and promise to try to get ponies to like me just for myself! All I've ever wanted, really, was to gather together with lots of good friends and celebrate our lives! Just like tonight. I love all you guys!" she exclaimed, hugging Hurricane and Platinum.
"Ouch!" said Discord, looking down at his eagle claw, dropping the stone.
The Heart of Fire burned.
The gem, now glowing brilliantly, ascended. Its warm, rosy glow threw back the icy blue. The cave, once so dark and oppressive, was transformed at once into a great hall, full of life and merriment.
The circling windigos quailed before its light and fled.
Pansy stood beside Hurricane and lightly stroked her back. Hurricane wept.
Clover crouched beside Platinum. Platinum cried and pulled Clover close.
Smart Cookie and Puddinghead just glanced at each other and grinned, knowingly.
All six of them looked around the circle and found only their loving sisters looking back.
And the Heart of Fire blazed.
Discord hissed and twisted like a serpent before its light. Desperately, he tried to bat the flaming gem away, but he could not bear its brilliant glow.
"Away! Take it away!" he shrieked. "Its light pierces my heart! My very soul! Oh, woe! Take it away! Great treasures I will give you! All the kingdoms of the world shall be yours, if you spare me this!"
"I'm sorry, Discord, truly," said Clover. "But Fimbulwinter has taken away everything we had, even our sins. We have nothing left to offer you but our friendship."
Discord squirmed and cried, his claws clutching at the black, uncaring skies, "NOOOOOOOO (gasp! gasp! gasp!) OOOOOOOO!
"All of my devious schemes, exposed! All of my dastardly plans, undone! Curse you, Clover the Clever, for you have defeated me! Curse all of you little ponies, until the end of days!"
Discord writhed like the mad thing he was, spinning across the stage until he collapsed into a panting heap. He struggled to rise. Fell. Struggled to rise again, but only slumped to the ground. He shivered and shook, then seemed to shrink and whither beneath the brilliant light of the Heart of Fire.
"All of my beautiful wickedness!" he sobbed. With that last painful cry he fell back and lay still.
The stage was silent. "Is he... is he...?" began Private Pansy.
Suddenly, Discord heaved and gasped. "Oh, why is it so dark? Mother? Father? Is that you?" he called, piteously, clutching at the air. "I hear your sweet voices! Do you hear me? Your baby is coming home!"
Discord crawled desperately to Chancellor Puddinghead and drew her close. He made one last anguished attempt to express his soul so that he might finally be understood.
"Pickle barrel," he whispered.
Discord collapsed onto his back. A white lily sprang up from his chest. His long tongue unrolled from his mouth as black X's appeared over both eyes.
A bucket manifested beside his goat leg. He kicked it. And lay still.
After a moment, Smart Cookie stepped forward. "Well, Ah guess he's...," she said.
Then Discord's inert form began to rise. And glow.
Oh, for goodness sake, thought Twilight Sparkle.
As Discord's body ascended, he was transformed. He now wore a robe of glittering samite. A harp appeared in his lion paw and he plucked at it gently with his eagle claw. His mismatched wings flapped as he drifted upward, a sad yet beatific expression on his face. A tiny halo appeared over his head.
And then, finally, Discord touched the Heart of Fire and winked out.
Madam Mayor Marigold looked up into the lights, uncertainly, as if afraid that Discord would come plunging back down. After a few heartbeats, he didn't, so she continued.
"Um, well, then. After the defeat of... Discord, the six ponies gathered together in sorority, and kept the Heart of Fire alive with their tales of adventure and humor, and with the songs that became the winter carols we all sing today!
"At last, the ice receded. The snow melted, as did their hearts.
"The three leaders and their trusted advisors vowed to live together in harmony in the new land. And together, they named the new land...."
"Equestria!" shouted the audience, crew and cast.
***
After the curtain fell, the actors came out to receive their applause.
Diamond Tiara and Truffle Shuffle trotted out first, followed by Miss Cheerilee and the rest of her students. Silver Spoon, Twist, Snails and Snips made woo-woo noises. Truffle kissed Diamond's cheek; Diamond blushed.
The audience laughed and stamped.
Twilight Sparkle trotted out, holding her head high. But the applause grew louder as Lyra Heartstrings and Minuette took the stage.
Pinkie Pie and Applejack walked out and did a bit of business, juggling the helms, hats and crowns between themselves. Everypony laughed.
Derpy Hooves came out timidly, pushed along by Scootaloo. They held each other as Ponyville cheered.
But when Discord came out, the crowd thundered. Everypony in Ponyville Town Hall stood and shook the hall with their approval.
Discord was taken aback. "Hello-ooo! I'm evil," he said, waving. "You all kind of hate me, remember?"
But the Ponyville audience loudly stamped their approval and welcomed him, cheering. And Fluttershy was the loudest of all, jumping and hooting with delight.
Discord faced the applause of Ponyville and the Lord of Chaos blinked.
"Oh, well played, Ponyville," Discord said quietly, rubbing some dust from his eyes. "I suppose I'll just have to start looking out for you little ponies. You're so... entertaining."
And so, with the rest of the company, Discord bowed to his friends in Ponyville.
***
Rainbow Dash was the last to come out, pushed on stage by Mister Breezy and Big Macintosh. She smiled, embarrassed, as Ponyville applauded.
One more bow, and then it's over. If you're going to do this, girl, now's the time, Twilight Sparkle told herself.
She took a deep breath and pushed herself forward. She loosened the strap that kept her wings hidden under her gown. She advanced to the front of the company. Princess Twilight Sparkle spread her wings before all of Ponyville.
"Everypony!" she called. "May I have your attention? Please?"
"Princess!" "Your Highness!" "Princess Sparkle!" The crowd cheered.
This is who I am now, she thought. I am Ponyville. I am more than myself. Head up, girl! Stand tall! These are your friends. Hug them with your wings, as Derpy would.
"Everypony, thank you," began Twilight. "Speaking as one of the company and crew of Hearth's Warming Eve, I am warmed by your appreciation. We will hold your approval in our hearts forever."
Go on, she told herself. "But, if I may, I'd like to share something personal."
Twilight Sparkle folded her wings. Under the lights, she appeared small. She took another deep breath and revealed her soul.
"You are all my strength and my heart," she said. "I bless Princess Celestia for leading me to you. Here, in Ponyville, is the dream of Hearth's Warming Eve made real. Ponies of the Sky, of Magic, of Earth, we live together in love and tolerance. Every morning, I awake, excited to have one more day in Ponyville, the best place I can imagine. I am a part of Ponyville. And Ponyville will always be a part of me.
"Since I first came here, some things have changed." Twilight fluttered her wings and the audience laughed quietly.
"My friends have become stronger." Twilight smiled down at Fluttershy, in the front row, clutching her Discord plushie.
"Ponyville has become stronger." Twilight glanced at Applejack and Pinkie Pie, who winked back.
"I have become stronger, because of the wisdom, the caring and the friendship you have given me."
Twilight Sparkle stepped up to the edge of the stage. "I'm a little scared right now. What do these mean?" Twilight shook her wings. "What kind of princess will I be? Celestia and Luna are as different as, well, day and night. I have known Cadance since I was a filly, yet there is an ineffable aura of mystery about her that confounds me. In such illustrious company, who am I?
"May I ask a favor of you all? Please, in the new year, help me learn who I should be. Help me to become even stronger. Help me to be a good princess."
The audience was silent for a moment. Everypony looked at each other, thoughtfully.
Then, from the Princess's Booth, a voice exclaimed: "Wull, a 'course we'll help! Yer darn tootin', we will!"
The audience exploded with laughter. YER DARN TOOTIN', WE WILL! they cried as one. Of course, we'll help! Twilight! Princess Twilight!
My friends, Twilight wept. You are all my friends.
Down in the orchestra pit, Octavia looked at little Sweetie Belle and her children's chorus. "Go on, dear," she encouraged. "Now's the time."
Sweetie Belle looked uncertain. "Are you sure, Miss Octavia?"
Octavia smiled. "Even in Canterlot, it's always like this. Ponies are just ponies. Go on. Princess Twilight, all of Ponyville, needs you now."
Sweetie Belle straightened her robe and stepped forward. She nodded to Apple Bloom, Pipsqueak and the other kids. She began to sing and soon the rest joined in, as, eventually, did the entire audience, cast and crew:
"The fire of friendship lives in our hearts
As long as it burns we cannot drift apart
Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few
Laughter and singing will see us through (will see us through)
We are a circle of pony friends
A circle of friends we'll be to the very end!"
Then there was laughter and hugs and some in the audience realized, joyfully, that Hearth's Warming Eve was not about some ancient characters in a silly play, but about themselves, right here, right now.
So, in the Ponyville Town Hall, the three tribes embraced. Laughed. And went out for warm muffins, strudel, sweet cider and cocoa.
***
"Was that authentic or what?" squealed Rainbow Dash. "I cast Discord as Discord! Top that, Canterlot Theatrical Society!"
Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle stood out on the steps of Ponyville Town Hall, under Luna's brilliant winter night and paused for a moment, just to breathe.
The happy crowds were gone. Miss Cheerilee had ordered her students to their homes. Big Macintosh had collected Granny Smith and his sisters, singing to them as they all plodded home. Derpy had gently asked Scootaloo to spend the night with her and her family and Scootaloo had agreed.
"Okay. You. Discord. Spill," commanded Twilight Sparkle to Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash bounced gleefully and grinned. "Originally, I just wanted to do a re-telling of the Hearth's Warming Eve story, but with 20% more oomph. More heart. More drama. Y'know, like in the Daring Do books.
"But when I invited Fluttershy to audition for the play, Fluttershy told me she couldn't be in the play because she would be in the audience, escorting Discord! Discord had told her something about wanting to see the play so he could get caught up on 'current events.' (Discord is way old!)
"I knew I had to do something.
"I think I know a show-off when I see one, Twilight, and Discord is a major show-off. The only thing he likes better than his goofy gags is an audience. I think that's why, although he's been pretty darn mean in the past, he hasn't physically hurt anypony. He needs ponies around to laugh at his jokes and to give him applause.
"If Discord had just been sitting in the audience, he would have become, I dunno, restless eventually and made a mess of things, just to get attention. So I brought him into the show and gave him a sweet part, so that he would want the play to succeed. This was the same trick that Daring Do used with the bad guy in The Skull of Yorick, if you recall.
"But I wanted it to be a surprise, a twist ending, right? Dunn Dunn Dunnn! So I stuck Star Swirl the Bearded into the play as the bad guy, so that all of you in the cast would think that he was the villain. Only me, Lyra, Minuette and Discord knew the truth.
"And I think Discord did great!" Rainbow Dash laughed, jumped up and did a barrel roll.
Princess Twilight Sparkle felt humble. She stepped forward and embraced Rainbow Dash. "Discord did great," she said. "You did great. You are both amazing."
Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight quizzically. "Um, duh! Rainbow Dash! Rhymes with awesome. Look it up!"
And they laughed together, then went back inside for warm apple fritters and hot cider.
***
The morning after the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant found Twilight Sparkle once more at a cozy table by the window in Sugar Cube Corner.
Derpy Hooves had already come and gone, clutching a big bag of muffins. She winked and laughed at Twilight Sparkle, before she leapt fearlessly into the winter sky. May the Sun shine warmly upon you and your family, my friend, thought Twilight.
She sipped her hot chocolate.
Twilight heard the clatter of tiny hooves on the stairs. She looked up to see the toddler twins, Pound and Pumpkin Cake, tumbling into the room.
The twins spotted Twilight and stopped in astonishment.
"Twi'woo!" exclaimed Pound, the baby pegasus.
"Spickle!" agreed Pumpkin, the baby unicorn.
"Hee-he-he-he!" they both laughed as they charged across the bakery towards her.
"Now why are you two up so early, hmmm?" asked Twilight, collecting the two eager, bouncing children. "Come up here and sit by Auntie Twilight. That's right. Uh-oh! Somepony needs to blow his nose! Okay, here's a paper napkin. Big blow! Good! And another one! Good job! How are you doing, Pumpkin? You're fine? All right!
"Now, since you are both being so good, Auntie Twilight will give you both a treat." Twilight broke off two small morsels of her cinnamon bun and gave them to Pumpkin and Pound. The twins chortled happily as they munched.
Very slowly, so as not to startle them, Twilight Sparkle spread her wings and used them to draw the children close to her.
"How is that, now?" she asked. "Are you warm enough?"
Pumpkin cooed with delight. Pound regarded Twilight's wings with awe. They both snuggled up against her, warm and safe.
Derpy was right, of course, thought Twilight. Wing hugs are the best.
Twilight hesitated for a moment, then chanted, softly:
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake!
"Here comes Pound and Pumpkin Cake!"
The twins giggled and wiggled beside her.
That was how Carrot Cake found them: Twilight Sparkle quietly sipping her hot chocolate while his children peeped out from beneath the warm blanket of her wings.
"My apologies... Twilight," Carrot Cake said. "These little rascals are so rambunctious these days." He stood shaking his head ruefully at the twins.
"It's perfectly all right, Mister Cake," said Twilight. "It's wonderful to have a little visit with them."
Pumpkin and Pound looked at each other smugly.
Carrot Cake stared at his shoes for a moment, then stood up straight, squared his shoulders and said, "If it's all right, Twilight, I'd like to ask a favor. We've got a big catering order today. The new year, you understand. Pies, cakes and new bread. Me and the Missus and Pinkie will be awfully busy trying to fill it while also managing the store. It would be a big help if you could, maybe, look after the little ones for a few hours, this afternoon?"
Princess Twilight Sparkle of Ponyville looked up at Mister Carrot Cake and, from the bottom of her heart, she smiled.
"Thank you, sir. I'd love to."
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I apologize. Tying up all the loose ends took longer than I thought.
Nicely done.
I believed in the blue pony, and she did not let me down.
This story, similar to most of yours, is like a hot cup of good tea after a hard day's work. There's just something warm, comforting and wonderful about them that I'm hard put to describe or explain. I wish this site still had the star system so I could give this five of them.
In two words: you rock.
D'aww at the end. And okay, Dash. You did good. This time. ;) Rather clever with Discord, there, too.
Frankly, I'm surprised Discord didn't try to cram an aria into his death scene. He seems the type.
Over acting Discord is best Discord.
That was fantastic. Discord is a terrible actor.
Rainbow Dash was really perceptive about Discord too. I've always thought that he truly hates when ponies die; nothing is more boring than an audience that is literally dead.
Okay, that was a great ending to the pageant, and to the story. Well done!
Great chapter, and a great way to finish the story
It was very funny (Dicord and Pinkie made me laugh hard) and very heartwarming. And of course, you had to put Pound and Pumpkin at the end to make my heart explode. You couldn't resist, right?
Seriously, amazing story, I loved it from beginning to end.
A nice ending. Twilight learnt the lesson of friendship that this experience was meant to teach but it seems that the citizens of Ponyville learnt a lesson and even Discord did so too. This is not simply a tale of ages gone by but is also a reminder of the sins that exist in everyone's hearts - that rage, pride, avarice and even being false to yourself in the name of popularity are things that only cause harm. Only by accepting them and transcending them can you have true harmony.
Let's face it, Discord is a Large Ham and has elements of The Mask in him, so acting in front of an audience and using his full power to enthral them in a story would be really to his liking. The applause... the enjoyment of his chaos... would have been a balm that he had never known before. Also, I still wonder...
I wonder...
I wonder if Discord did more than just play a role. He can affect ponies' minds and is a subtle trickster when he wishes. Was I right; did he influence Rainbow to tell the true story of Hearth Warming Night so that the true qualities of the principals would be known again? Who can tell?
I should add that only the awesome John Williams could possibly write the awesome music needed for the final scene when the Heart activated. The closest my mind could come up with is the climactic music when the Ark awakens in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
BTW - Playing a trick of this sort on the cast is not unknown in human performance either. In Alien of the cast only John Hurt knew what was going to happen in the 'chest-burster' sequence, so the cast's reactions to his apparent fit was 100% authentic.
So very, very nice:
The only moment I missed was the cast forcing the suddenly reluctant Rainbow Dash up onto the stage at the end to take her bows.
Mike
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Or, more simply, Rainbow Dash may have asked Discord for his version of the story. Of course, Discord is a pretty unreliable narrator, so Rainbow would probably take his story with a large lick of salt. For that matter, Clover's Commentaries, Hurricane's Apologia and Puddinghead's Stuff I Did So There are available in the Canterlot library, so we have the authors' own version of events, which may not be entirely accurate either.
Regarding the music: Luna Aeterna is a ponification of Lux Aeterna, the memorable theme from Requiem for a Dream. It starts out tense and creepy and explodes in the crescendo. Pretty flashy, to Octavia's tastes, but it was Vinyl's recommendation.
And regarding the switcheroo: I think Rainbow kept Minuette off-stage during the cavern scene, ready to jump in with some version of this ending, juuu--st in case Discord decided to blow off the play.
2339907 Ah, that actually makes a lot of sense. You've put plenty of thought into all this.
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RAINBOW: Wait a minute; you're saying that the Fires of Friendship killed you?
DISCORD: Deader than the proverbial doornail my dear Dashie! I understand that Puddinghead's peons were picking up pieces of me for weeks!
RAINBOW: Then how the hay are we havin' this conversation?
DISCORD: I got better.
Man, Discord hamming it up is always a treat.
Discord: greatest over actor of all time.
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I schemed a scheme in days gone byyyy...
But the ponies come at night...
Nah!
Update: I'm revising the story a bit, with some help from the Equestria Daily pre-readers. I think it's a stronger story now.
I'll keep everypony's input in mind, next time. Thank you, everypony, for helping me to become stronger.
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I made it a point to add this in, thanks to you. I couldn't include this in the previous scene, because I didn't want to step on Discord's moment of revelation. But you were right; a little appreciation of Rainbow was necessary here.
Well done, m'good sir. This chapter makes the entire story, in my opinion. That's not to say the others are bad; it's a bit like a massive charge-up sequence that results in an equally massive amount of power on the working end, and this chapter is that end.
I like how you set things up, and how you managed to portray the characters. They all felt right, even Discord. Hay, even Octavia did. And I do like this interpretation of Derpy.
It seems to me that Twilight, particularly in the early chapters, was not so much just her as something of a vessel for the assorted doubts and gripes people had with her becoming a princess and all. As such, I see the reassuring end of the story in a still more favorable light, and the audience's response to Twilight's speech feels exactly like my own, and, as I think, this story is in some small part meant to convince us all to be that audience. Maybe it's my delusion, but I like it all the same.
Once again, well done. I wish I could write one-quarter as well as you do.
P.S. Wing hugs are the best.
I'm glad I followed the EqD link. This was one of the best stories I've ever read. Sincerely. Good job.
Charming little story. Also:
"A bucket manifested beside his goat leg. He kicked it. And lay still."
That was exquisite.
Best. Original. Story. EVERRRRRR.
Much like the play, the story trots along until it hits the final chapter. At the gallop. And comes in first.
Nicely done.
Glorious. Well done.
Oh, this was a treat! A marvelous job shading in depth to Equestrian history without getting... 'world-buildy', for lack of a better word; spot-on characterization and voice for all of the present-day cast as well. And there are far too many lovely little jokes and literary references to single them all out, but you got my thumbs-up at "she sailed onstage, a ship of state".
This is one of the most genuinely Pony stories I've seen on the site. Take a bow!
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I thought Twilight's reaction was more a reflection of her state of mind. The Ponyville Town Hall is pretty small, really. Twilight was frustrated and angry.
Of all of the Mane Six, the one character that I thought would have "issues" with Princess Twilight was Rarity. Remember, Rarity dreamed of becoming a princess herself, through marriage. I can't imagine Rarity not having strong opinions about the proper behavior of a princess.
Granny Smith, of all ponies, has a right to sit in the Princess's Booth. And that's why I put her up there, and not Twilight.
Wow. This needs to be a real episode. needs to be!
need i say more?
I dunno. One major problem I noticed with this story is that the characterization is a bit spotty. Rainbow Dash alternates between her much more casual, informal self and then suddenly starts using terms like "catharsis."
I know you're trying to convey that her character developed, but I think it would have been adequate for her to simply show that she understood the essence of good storytelling. As it is, some of her lines seem a little forced.
As for Twilight's speech? I'll give you points on this one for generally avoiding a pitfall a number of Twilicorn stories run into: using the story as a way to belittle or dismiss people who dislike the Twilicorn concept. I could more or less read the speech in her voice--a good sign in a fanfic. But I suppose my problem with it is...what's her point? It's clear from the beginning that the audience supports her no matter what. I suppose you could argue that it's just her being adorkably nervous and seeking reassurance, but I'm just not seeing anything about this moment that adds all that much to the story.
The audience's response didn't resonate with me, either. There's nothing wrong with them being enthusiastic, but the way they all repeat, "YER DARN TOOTIN', WE WILL!" just seems kind of awkward and robotic to me.
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I've revised Rainbow's dialog a bit, as you can tell.
I admit, in my original take, I overdid the "Rainbow out-of-character" bit. I just wanted to show her dropping her guard with Twilight for awhile, and speaking from the heart.
You may have detected something in Rainbow's writing that she herself didn't notice: that she is revealing herself to the audience. Remember, RD is new at this "writing" thing. Like a lot of readers, she has discovered the itch to be a writer, and she latches on to the things that are familiar to her: like Daring Do and her own experiences in the Crystal Empire. I actually imagine she was uncomfortable, writing her first story and now this play. I imagine she looks at Tank and asks him, "why the buck am I doing this?"
I think the greatest thing about Rainbow Dash in this story is that she's trying to do something that she is not already the best at. This is change and growth for her. Like Twilight, she is changing, and growing stronger.
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Actually, no. I'd not heard of that series before. Cool. I'll have to check it out.
I got the name from one of the various spellings of St. Fillan, which is probably where Kathryn Lasky got it from as well.
Well, my hearth is certainly warmed.
2618076
Well, finally! I thought Truffle Shuffle dealing three-card monte was a pretty clever take on the character, and at last someone noticed!
Well, that was quite the story; very enjoyable
Pickle barrel
Oh goodness Discord's whole death scene!
Everything was fun to read. A bit of insight here, and bunch of funny bits. Miss Rainbow Belle was very impressive
Love the ending; referencing Twi's bit at the beginning about being asked to babysit from the "Baby Cakes" episode. She's back to being Twilight Sparkle again, who just happens to be a princess, rather than being a title.
Just another thought that occurred to me here: In some ways, we're seeing Twilight passing on what she had already experienced from Cadence. Pound and Pumpkin are going to grow up seeing her first and foremost as 'Auntie Twilight' and not as 'The Princess of Friendship'. I have no doubt those two will run her ragged over the years, though! They've already spent too long with Pinkie Pie not to have learnt how to be mischievous!
will read later.
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Ha ha! Still, deliberately silly is different from actually silly.
I know this is comedy, and so my focus is on the silly fans.
First, there was the wild and illogical postulation that Stawswirl was Discord.
Now that that's been smashed, the new wild and unprovable idea is that he was evil and/or became Sombra.
If I await anything in Season 4, it's to gleefully watch that fanon obliterated as well.
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First, there was the wild and illogical postulation that Stawswirl was Discord.
Because, well, beard.
2620819 Don't be silly! If just because someone has a similar beard it means they must be evil, we could say that everyone with a goatee in an alternate universe is evil!
images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090220220253/memoryalpha/en/images/a/a7/Spock_%28mirror%29.jpg
....
Wait...ok bad example.
Wonderful! After reading a string of dark, sad, and cynical fimfics, this is just what I needed.
Thanks for helping me remember why I love these characters in the first place.
This was incredibly well played. I was apprehensive at first, expecting general looniness and random bits played entirely for laughs, but the story really came together to have multiple, deep levels. I particularly enjoyed Rainbow Dash's literary talent and ingenuity, worked very well with her character development from the show. Discord you managed to capture perfectly, it never even occurred to me that he would take to the theater. All in all, one of the best stories I've read on the site.
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Thank you for the compliment. I think the basic set-up for the story (Ponyville puts on a show!) might make a good premise for a real episode, particularly if, as I tried to do here, there was some contrast to the more "professional" performance in the original "Hearth's Warming Eve" episode.
That said, the ending of the play would obviously have to be replaced, completely. I took advantage of the freedom of fanfiction to use the "D-word":
Derpydeath. Given that even Applejack's parents can't be referenced, except obliquely, by the series, Discord's "death scene" would never be allowed. (Which is one reason I piled on all the cartoon-death cliches; you'll never see them in the show.)It will be interesting to see how much, if any, of this story remains "canonical" after the start of Season Four.
I believe "bravo" is the correct term here. Really though, amazing job throughout, especially with the slow burn pace leading to an awesome denouement.
A brilliant episode-style story. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
2637479 I dunno. They might allow such cartoony 'death' scenes, given that in the "Hearts and Hooves Day" episode they showed a funeral complete with a coffin (at the verse, "This one's too young, this one's too old." which was the first scene with the later-named Mr. Waddles.)
And they did kinda blow up Sombra... into pieces... which flew off in all directions...
So I think cartoony cliche deaths are ok.