//------------------------------// // Closing act: Life is/isn't a story // Story: Friendship is Failure #6: Write a Wrong // by DakariKingMykan //------------------------------// CLOSING ACT It didn’t take too long for the cleanup to be completed, especially seeing as Princess Celestia helped out. When she heard of such a disturbance so very near the royal palace, she arrived on the scene, and she was very disappointed with how things turned out. “Princess Twilight Sparkle…” she scolded “I understand that your intentions were for the benefit of others, the way you handled the situation as well your actions were highly inappropriate. You and Stone Heart caused a disturbance!” Twilight bowed apologetically. Celestia then turned and scorned at the crowd of ponies, including the two Twilight had arrested, “And as for all of you… You’ve been worse! You MADE the disturbance! Although I don’t approve Stone Heart’s attitude, and am appalled by his actions, he was quite right in scolding all of you. You have no right to enforce your beliefs on him, nor poke fun at him for your own amusement or just because of petty differences. Every-Pony is different, as well as their appearance, preferences and beliefs. I am only thankful that no-pony was hurt physically and no serious damage was committed, and you should all be thankful that Stone paid up for his actions.” Celestia had then made a royal decree, due to the disturbance and baffling behaviour the books had caused. Production of the edited books was to be cancelled at once, and all the remaining existing books were then and there decreed to be burned. So, ‘twas done…! Many ponies, especially Twilight and friends were disappointed and saddened by all this, but Celestia refused to go back on her word. To her, it was a very befitting punishment for actions she did not wish repeated. She did however agree to pay off the book companies and stores for any financial losses, just enough to rebalance their budgets. “Now if you’ll all excuse me…” Celestia said to Twilight and friends, “I must go and speak with Stone Heart. His actions were very reckless and just as inappropriate!” “Your highness…” Starlight quickly called “Please, try not to be so hard on him.” Celestia nodded once “I don’t intend to be. I don’t want things to be any worse.” Then she disappeared in a ray of bright sunlight. “Well, that went well.” said Spike, but Twilight and Starlight glared angrily at him. “Are you okay, Twilight?” Starlight asked. “No… No I’m not.” Twilight said softly. She was still very shaky, not just by her reprimanding by Celestia, but also because of the great mess that just happened, and all because she was unable to reach out to Stone Heart and convince him to change. “That Cutiemark on his flank…” she contemplated, and remembered how the pencil was broken and the book next to it was shattering, “…Maybe that was his destiny all along.” Starlight put a comforting hoof on her friend’s back, “He chose to be the way he is. Of course he was driven to it, but… that doesn’t matter. A Cutiemark isn’t always accurate, just like how a story is always accurate.” Twilight knew she was right. This story really didn’t have a happy or positive ending, exactly like Stone said. “I guess that’s just sometimes how stories end.” Spike nodded, “And real life is something that can’t always be controlled either. We can always write it the way we want it, and once it’s written out, it can’t be re-written. It is what it is.” Many other ponies overheard what had been said, and for the first time they were actually starting to realize how true that was, but too late to make amends for the way they had all treated Stone Heart and his original stories. As for Stone Heart, he and Celestia had a small chat to discuss his actions, and he did get sentenced to a-hundred hours of community service to pay off for the damages, which Stone didn't seem to mind a bit as he was proud of what he did, standing up to people and telling them to bug off. Still, Stone made good on his word, and he moved away from Canterlot, to find a place where he could live to his own liking. No one knew where he had gone, but they just hoped he would be okay!