//------------------------------// // Chapter 94: Rainbow Power // Story: My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// Shining didn’t know what to do! Should he risk his friends lives to continue fighting Tirek, or should he relinquish his magic to save his friends? Neither option seemed very pleasing, but which was the lesser of two evils? Which one was worth more in the end? Tirek was beginning to grow impatient. “Come on, prince, I don’t have all day,” He grumpily commented. “Do you accept my offer or not?” Immediately, Shining’s friends all shouted in unison! “Don’t do it, Shining Armor!” “We’re not worth it! Don't surrender the power.” Thunderlane insisted. “Please, even if the alternative is just to fight Tirek to a stalemate, it’s better than giving him what he wants!” Soarin demanded. “Our lives aren’t worth the safety and well being of Equestria.” Discord glumly commented. “Well, maybe you guys are, but I’m not,” With a sigh, the spirit sadly added. “You were the ones who taught me that friendship was magic, that it was something worth living for. I had friendship, and thus I had true magic. And how did I repay you? By betraying you all to Tirek, just on a whim that he would agree to spare you.” “It ain’t entirely your fault, Discord,” Braeburn replied. “We didn’t exactly treat ya like a member of the team. We sorta kept ya at hooves length and left Fluttershy and the girls to care ‘bout you.” “Maybe if we’d spent less time talkin’ bad ‘bout you behind your back, and instead tried to help ya understand friendship better, maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation.” Big Macintosh added. “Besides that, you were the one who led us to the first five keys,” Fancy Pants chimed in. “Without you, we’d still be searching endlessly for them. We had no clue where to look.” But Discord only hung his head. “All I did was point you guys in the right direction. This was supposed to be my big act of redemption, but look at how I repayed your acts of kindness and generosity. By spitting in your face and siding with someone the instant he promised a better deal. You guys don’t deserve this kind of fate, but I most certainly do.” “That’s enough out of all of you!” Tirek roared, stomping his hooves in protest! “When I want your ‘commentary’ I’ll gladly ask for it!” Turning to Shining Armor he then asked. “I grow bored of waiting, young prince. So this is the last time I’ll ask you: Will you relinquish your alicorn magic in exchange for your friends or not?” Shining looked at the bubbles holding up his friends, and all of a sudden he was surprised to see them each give off a rainbow glow that was reflected in his eyes. At that moment, Shining knew what he had to do. Firmly, he looked at Tirek and told him. “Okay, Tirek, you win. I’ll give you all the alicorn magic you want.” “What?! No?! Don’t do it!” Shining’s friends all shouted in protest, but it was too late, the deal was made. “Excellent!” Tirek laughed with triumph. “Now, let’s not waste anymore time. Give me your magic, Prince Shining Armor.” But Shining immediately said to Tirek in reply. “Not so fast, Tirek! I won’t let you fool me the same way you fooled Discord! Let my friends go first, all of them, and make sure they’re unharmed. Otherwise, you won’t get a single drop of my alicorn magic!” “You’re trying to make demands of me?!” Tirek roared in protest. “How do I know you won’t go back on your word once I release your friends? Why shouldn’t I just take your magic now and be done with it?!” “You don’t exactly seem trustworthy, you’re far more likely to break your promise than I am,” Shining commented, glaring at Tirek. “Besides, if you really wanted to drain me, you’d have done it by now. It’s the thrill of the hunt, isn’t it? You enjoy an opponent you can’t just overpower with sheer strength. Draining me would be too easy, you want to make me suffer first.” Tirek laughed in surprise. “Seems you know me better than I might have expected, prince. But very well, I suppose I’ll humor you and give you your friends.” And one by one he popped the bubbles holding up Shining’s friends and placed them on the ground next to Shining. However, Shining noticed that there was still one bubble that Tirek hadn’t popped, Discord’s. “I said all of my friends, Tirek,” He said to the centaur. “That includes Discord. Let him go, now!” “What?! Even after everything he’s said and done, you still consider him a friend?!” Tirek remarked, as if surprised Shining was suggesting that. Shining nodded. “You truly don’t understand friendship, Tirek. I know Discord didn’t willingly betray us, you tricked him. And besides that, I believe in second chances. So let Discord go, or the deal’s off!” Tirek hesitated for a moment, and only for a moment, before he furiously popped Discord’s bubble as he growled. “Fine, take him! But he’s of no use to you! I made sure to drain all of his magic as well, so if you were hoping to use him against me, think again!” Tossing Discord carelessly towards the others, Tirek snorted, and then in an oily tone of voice he added. “There, I kept my word, prince. And now it’s time for you to fulfill your end of the bargain. Cough up the alicorn magic to me, now!” Realizing that a deal was a deal (even if it had been made with the likes of Tirek), Shining reluctantly turned towards Tirek, and sighed, gritting his teeth. “Fine! You want all the alicorn magic in Equestria so badly, take it! I hope you choke on it!” And then he stood as still he could, while Tirek effortlessly drained every last drop of alicorn magic from Shining Armor. Once the last drop of alicorn magic had left Shining’s horn, Shining’s eyes faded in color and his cutie mark vanished, a lone tear dripped down from his cheeks. “Princesses, please forgive me. I had no choice. Tirek made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.” He thought to himself. As the alicorn magic coursed through his veins, Tirek finally managed to break the chains around his arms, as he grew to colossal size. “FINALLY!” He bellowed in a thunderous tone of voice. “EQUESTRIA IS MINE, ALL LIVING THINGS NEAL AT THE FOOT OF YOUR NEW MASTER!” Then he cackled with sinister delight, before he began to channel magical energy between his horns! “AND NOW, EVERYTHING BURNS!” He proceeded to torch the landscape with his magical fireballs, laughing all the while. All of Shining’s friends huddled around him, unsure of what else to do. It seemed like all hope was lost. Discord looked up at Tirek, and sadly commented. “This is all my fault, I caused this. If I’d only done as Princess Celestia had asked of me and sent Tirek back to Tartarus the second we met, none of this would’ve happened,” To Shining Armor he commented. “You really shouldn’t have stuck your neck out for me, I wasn’t worth it. I know that nothing I have now could make up for what I say or do, but at the least I believe you deserve this more than I do,” He gave Shining the same pendant that Tirek had given him earlier. “Tirek lied to me when he said that this was a symbol of his trust. But, now, hopefully, I can give this to you as a sign of the friendship we once had.” As soon as the pendant was tied around Shining’s neck, it gave off a rainbow colored glow that restored Shining’s eyes to normal! Everyone saw that. “You think that’s the final key we’ve been waitin’ for?” Big Macintosh asked Shining. “Only one way to find out!” Shining firmly replied, a new sense of energy having washed over him. “Come on, we’ve got to get to the Tree of Harmony while there’s still an Equestria left to save!” Shining and his friends all took off as fast as they could, barely paying attention to the burning landscape around them, as they raced toward the Tree of Harmony! More specifically, the six sided chest that rested at the trunk of said tree. “Okay, here goes,” Shining thought to himself, as he approached the chest and moved the pendant close to the empty key slot. “I hope this works!” Sure enough, the pendant was enveloped in a glow, and transformed into a key that had the Element of Magic carved onto its tip. Now, all six keys had been found, and the chest could be opened! “Alright, looks you’re finally gonna see what’s inside that chest!” Soarin cheered. “Go ahead, Shining. Open it and use whatever’s inside to teach Tirek a lesson!” But Shining looked back to his friends and shook his head. “No, this isn’t something I’m meant to do alone. I think we were all meant to do this together, that’s why there were six keys. One for each element bearer. Together, we can stop Tirek! So, are you with me?!” He asked them. “Eeyup!” Big Macintosh nodded. “Absolutely!” Braeburn shouted. “Of course!” Thunderlane cheered. “You bet!” Soarin added. “Indeed!” Fancy Pants agreed. “Then let’s do it!” Shining encouraged, as his friends approached their respective keys, and all six stallions turned them at the same time! The chest opened, and a blinding flash of light enveloped all six of them, forcing Discord to shut his eyes! Inside the flash of light, the six stallions were encased in bubbles, and one by one they began to transform! Their manes and tails were extended outward, and their bodies were coated with the colors of the rainbow, some of their mane and tails were even stylized to look noticeably different. “This is incredible! This is just what we needed!” Shining commented, as he observed how he and his friends looked. “Come on, guys, let’s show Tirek that, the bigger they are, the harder they fall!” And they flew off together, as Discord looked on in amazement. “Wow, I don’t believe it! What will they ever think of next?!” Discord pondered to himself. Tirek was most surprised to see Shining and his friends suddenly appear before him, and looking quite different! He blinked and rubbed his eyes, no, Tirek wasn’t seeing things. “WHAT?! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!” Tirek demanded. “I took away all of your magic, you have NOTHING!” “You’re wrong, Tirek!” Shining protested. “I may have given you my alicorn magic, but I have within me a magic more powerful than any other! A magic you could never understand! The magic of friendship!” “Friendship is magic?! Pah, what nonsense!” Tirek growled. “I’ll just have to take this new magic from you as well, and use it against you!” He opened his mouth, preparing to drain the new magic from Shining and the other stallions. “You want it?! Well you can have it, ALL OF IT!” Shining shouted, as six streams of rainbow colored energy flew into Tirek’s mouth! Tirek just kept his mouth wide open, and continued to drain and drain. But he soon noticed that the flow of magic wasn’t stopping, or even slowing. And neither did Shining and the other stallions seem to be showing any signs that their magic was being depleted! Meanwhile, Tirek felt himself filling up to capacity! “What’s going on?! Why isn’t it stopping?!” Tirek cried in horror. “It’s the magic of friendship, Tirek! It’s a magic that no one individual can posses! The very magic you dismissed!” Shining explained. “This is the magic that makes up the foundation of Equestria! And now, you’re about to have more than you can handle!” Tirek could feel his muscles bulging outward, trying desperately to make room for more magic! “No! No! NO! STOP! Have mercy, I BEG OF YOU!” He pleaded. “You don’t deserve mercy! You’ve exploited, manipulated, and betrayed everyone who’s ever reached out to you!” Shining shouted in defiance. “Go back to Tartarus, where you belong! And this time, DON’T COME BACK!” “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Tirek screamed at the top of his lungs, as the magic overwhelmed him completely! He quickly reverted back to his weakened state, as he was flung back into Tartarus and deposited in a reinforced, extra thick and sturdy, steel cage. Discord had watched the entire thing from a distance, he was amazed! In fact, he couldn’t stop himself from leaping up and down with joy! “Yay! They’ve done it! They’ve done it! Tirek’s history! Equestria is saved!” He cheered! “Well, guess that’s that.” Braeburn commented, as the six stallions hovered triumphantly over the Castle of the Two Sisters. “Not quite, guys,” Shining said seriously. “We’ve still got to restore the magic to all of Equestria. Come on, we’ve got no time to waste!” And the six stallions then flew off to return the magic of unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies, and even the alicorns.