//------------------------------// // Act 3: Write what's Right... or So? // Story: Friendship is Failure #6: Write a Wrong // by DakariKingMykan //------------------------------// ACT THREE Stone sighed softly as he hung his head. Twilight tried to make some suggestions to him, “Well, I hate to say this but, maybe you should consider… you know… changing your attitude and expand your tastes.” Starlight agreed, “Maybe you could write a story based on the suggestions others have given to you, or even combine them with your own ideas.” Spike nodded “Yeah, maybe then every-pony won’t be as mean to you anymore.” Stone was far from moved by their suggestions. “Weren’t you listening to a thing I told you?” he said sternly “I know you’re trying to help, but that’s not the kind of help I want. I don’t like the ideas that ponies seem to crave for; in fact I hate them, and I wouldn’t write them for anyone or anything, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be praised for such… trash!” Twilight felt both shocked and livid by what he said. She hated it when others insulted books that others worked so hard to make, many of which she enjoyed reading, but then again calling Stone out on his attitude harshly wouldn’t be very smart at this point. “So, you just plan to live like this, a lonely and bitter trash-picker for the rest of your life?” she finally asked. “Pretty much…” Stone simply said “At least by doing that I’m staying true to myself instead of caving in and letting others control me. So, as you can now plainly see, even if I did as you asked, nothing would change anyway, at least not for the better. Now, I believe that’s all we have to say to one another.” “Are you asking us to leave?” asked Starlight. “Well, you got the answers you came for, didn’t you?” replied Stone. “But we can’t just leave you like this.” said Twilight “We want to help you. It’s what good friends do.” Stone sighed, not only annoyed by the fact they still didn’t get the message from his story that he didn’t trust friendship nor wanted their help, seeing as it was those things that lead him into his sullen life in the first place, “You can’t help me, not the way you’re thinking anyway. It’s just not the way I want to be helped. I refuse to be like others, and I refuse to like what they like… the same way they refused to take interest in my likings. Now, I’ve said my peace, and I ask you again, for your sakes… please leave!” Not wanting to make things any worse, “Come on, Starlight… Spike… let’s go.” Twilight said, Her friends agreed and they all left the house together, “Thanks for the tea…” Spike said, and then they were all gone leaving Stone to feel rather a mix of emotions by how he had just behaved, but he knew he couldn’t go back on himself and the way he set things. Twilight had never felt so mixed up in her life. The way things had been going it seemed as it Stone Heart both was and wasn’t responsible for his own misery; given the fact he refused to change or take on the suggestions of others, and then again it wasn’t really fair that so many others took joy and pride at poking fun at him for quick thrills. “I can’t believe how much some-pony can have such resentment towards friendship or the past.” she said to the others. “Well… in honesty… I can’t say that I blame him.” said Starlight. Naturally she referred to how when she was wicked and resented others before she reformed. “Well, you were willing to give friendship a chance, as well as try new things.” said Spike. Starlight nodded, “I couldn’t believe all the wonderful things I was being offered, despite all the bad things I did, and it did seem rather interesting to me.” Hearing that made Twilight’s eyes twinkle with excitement and her wings flap with glee, “That’s it!” she cried. “Huh?” remarked the others, and Twilight explained, “Maybe we can show Stone how interesting changes can be, and that it’s fun to broaden the horizons and try new things. Maybe that will help him give friendship another try.” Spike sighed, and muttered in dismay “In other words: you’re going pester him to try to force him to accept your views and change his ways.” Even Starlight didn’t like where this was going. She knew that forcing your own beliefs on someone was a bad idea, from experience, but Twilight, as Princess of Friendship, felt she was obligated to set Stone Heart on the right path to help him better his life. “Now, the first thing he needs to do is get his old spark for writing back.” she thought aloud, and she suddenly had just the idea of how to make things right again, and remembered the boxes of books still outside of Stone’s house. She used her magic to levitate one of the big boxes alongside her “What are you doing with those?” asked Starlight, “You’ll see…” was all Twilight said, and she said nothing else to her friends for the rest of the night. In fact, once they returned to their hotel, since they had two separate, yet conjoined rooms; Twilight locked herself up in her own room… which was also Spike’s room too, forcing him to bunk in with Starlight. “What do you think she’s doing?” Starlight asked. “I don’t know, but I’ve known Twilight a lot longer than you have; when she sets her mind on a project, she won’t let anything stop her.” Indeed, whatever Twilight was up to, she didn’t stop…! For two whole days she didn’t come out of her room and merely ordered meals from room-service. She wouldn’t even answer when either Spike or Starlight knocked on the door. “Like I said… she doesn’t stop for anything.” said Spike. Suddenly, the door opened, and there stood Twilight looking much frazzled. Her friends couldn’t help but gawk at her like she was a monster. “Are you alright?” Spike asked. Twilight let out a huge yawn and replied “It wasn’t easy, but I did it.” “Did what?” asked Starlight. Twilight let them into her room, and saw she had been quite busy as parchments, quills and empty bottles of ink lay about. She had spent the past days going through some of Stone Heart’s stories and then rewrote and revised them, so now the stories would make more sense to others who read it and the characters had much stronger development and attitude than before. -The boy was still dumped by the girl, and rather than becoming the evil villain, he helped fight the evil villain that threatened the girl and his friends, and in the end, he and the girl manage to depart on good terms. -The boy, after spending a long time on his worldwide journey, finally found himself and realized that maybe his friends deserved another chance and returned to them with a warm heart and they all made up for their mistakes. …Things like that. Starlight and Spike read the raw writings of the stories and their reactions were much different to that of the original versions. “Much better…” said Spike. “I like it.” agreed Starlight. Twilight smiled wearily, and revealed it was only the first step. “Now I’m going to get it published, on Stone’s behalf, and who knows, this just may help get him out of his slum.” Spike felt a little concerned, “Um… wouldn’t that be stealing?” but Starlight shook her head, “Since the originals failed to sell and the publishing companies discontinued them; there really aren’t any piracy laws.” Twilight nodded and showed Spike the Equestrian Law Book. Surely enough, what she was about to do wouldn’t count and theft. “But then, why not take it for yourself?” asked Spike “You could be famous… well more famous than before that is.” Twilight jeered at Spike for such a thought, “Because I am trying to help a pony in need!” Spike hid behind Starlight, quivering, and Starlight felt Twilight was a little too tired to do much else at the moment. “Maybe you should get some sleep first.” Twilight let out a huge yawn, “I guess you’re right.” and she flopped down on her bed. Starlight used her magic to cover her warmly with the sheets. Still, Spike was rather worried as he read through the stories… he wasn’t sure how Stone would react to this. Even though nothing illegal was about to be done; what would he think about his characters being revised by some-pony else?