//------------------------------// // MAAF Part 2: The Elements of Harmony // Story: Much Ado About Friendship // by gaitiem //------------------------------// ACT 1 SCENE 1, a town hall Enter MAYOR, TWILIGHT, SPIKE, NIGHTMARE, RAINBOW, Guards, Crowds MAYOR Oh seize her fast who hid our Princess! Guards! The guards approach her NIGHTMARE A foal’s courage, so misguided. Stay back! Exit NIGHTMARE in a cloud of smoke RAINBOW Return! Nighttime? And forever? Exit TWILIGHT and SPIKE You go? Exeunt SCENE 2, a library Enter SPIKE and TWILIGHT SPIKE She must be stopped… TWILIGHT You have not slept, my Spike. A babe you are, despite the task at hoof, So rest, infant. [Aside] Exit SPIKE Now, elements, I need… She scans through the books on the shelves Oh elements, oh elements, where found? How shall I stop that Nightmare Moon without The Elements of Harmony in hoof? Enter RAINBOW RAINBOW What are the Elements of Harmony? Wherefore you know of Nightmare Moon, lady? Might do you spy for such wicked forces? Enter APPLEJACK APPLEJACK Make no false witness, Iago! This mare is no spier, but, perchance, She knows what passes in these dark days. Could you say you did, madam? Enter PINKIE, RARITY, and FLUTTERSHY TWILIGHT I read foretellings all about that mare, The Nightmare Moon of legends many made. These so named Elements of Harmony, Objects of mystery, are needed things To subdue her. I yet know not of them. What is their nature? Where are they? More still, What point they serve? Only reference have- PINKIE She points out a book “Elements of Harmony: Reference” Just the same you make reference hereby? TWILIGHT How do you make objects appear like that? PINKIE Index! Know that? See, the “E”s had it here. TWILIGHT Oh. [Aside] Yet she sings to mock me. Why so cruel? She reads from the reference guide “The Elements of Harmony are six, Though only five are known by name; these are Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generous Enactment, followed by Loyalty. Last, The sixth, is known by none. Their place of rest Was in the ancient castle where once lived The royal pony sisters, in what’s now…” ALL The dark and dreaded Forest Everfree! Exit all Enter NIGHTMARE [Aside] This information very much intrigues. Oh curse the weakened state that I am in. These ponies might precede me there. For that, I shall lay traps to halt them on their path. Though tortoise true I be, our hero shall Soon see how slow great Achilles can go. Exeunt SCENE 3, the Everfree Forest Enter TWILIGHT, PINKIE, APPLEJACK, RARITY, RAINBOW, and FLUTTERSHY PINKIE Whee! Let slip the dogs of hunt against her! TWILIGHT Hold fast! I am obliged that you would try, Yet it behooves me not to acquiesce. I rather must undertake this task alone. APPLEJACK We must deny that request, Sweet. That you are our friend, we mustn't part In this dark time and this dark place. Like honey upon an apple's skin, Or honeys upon their honey’s skin, It is become for us to stay with you. PINKIE More especially should there be honey Glazed upon an apple's skin. ‘Tis lovely. Exit all but TWILIGHT TWILIGHT [Aside] The time since feasting certain longer be, Yet talk of food is still affront to me. Exeunt ACT 2 SCENE 1, the forest Enter TWILIGHT, PINKIE, APPLEJACK, RARITY, RAINBOW, and FLUTTERSHY TWILIGHT I hoped that one from out the lot of ye Would have a knowledge of this place in least. RARITY By heaven, no! Fair not to know such dread! APPLEJACK Nature herself dare not enter. Her very will becomes contorted. TWILIGHT Contorted will? What measure finds that so? RAINBOW No measures took. No facts are known. And why? APPLEJACK Oh hold your tongue, Rainbow! Try not to cause a fright. RAINBOW For none who enter ever have returned! Enter NIGHTMARE, invisible NIGHTMARE [Aside] Then none shall take issue with your demise! An earthquake breaks off four from six, to leave But two, as once there were, to take our prize. Now fall, my ponies earth and unicorn, And leave but pegasi to trap besides. The ground shakes RAINBOW Haste, Fluttershy! Take hold of one to save! Exit RAINBOW, pulling aside PINKIE FLUTTERSHY Oh goodness, swift I must decide to grab one. Exit FLUTTERSHY, pulling aside RARITY The rest fall down, TWILIGHT does so over the edge of the stage APPLEJACK I happened upon a branch, and so am well. Are you well below, Twilight? TWILIGHT Oh, nay! I fear I shall soon fall to death. APPLEJACK Keep hold! I will come down for you. APPLEJACK slides over to hold on to TWILIGHT TWILIGHT What action could correct my course from this? APPLEJACK Simply you could be released at this time. TWILIGHT You say that? Have you lost your reasoning? APPLEJACK On my honor, I guarantee your salvation. TWILIGHT Your honor set aside, your words are false. APPLEJACK Doubt truth to be a liar, but doubt not this: I tell you truth! Fall, and you will be safe. TWILIGHT falls off stage Exeunt SCENE 2, a darker forest Enter RARITY and PINKIE RARITY I hope our new acquaintance has survived. Enter TWILIGHT, being carried in by RAINBOW and FLUTTERSHY FLUTTERSHY I’m sorry for my weaker flying, maiden. At most I usually carry rabbits. RAINBOW We were a vision! We had perfect form! Once Pinkie, Rarity, then finally, Through feats unknown to acrobatics, WHAM! You thus were saved. Without a moment spare! TWILIGHT You say as though I was not present then. I’m ever grateful, yet we must proceed- Enter a Manticore A manticore! He blocks the way from us! They fight FLUTTERSHY [To the ponies] Oh, wait. Hark wait. Oh simply listen. Wait! They stop fighting [To the Manticore] No need to stir, ‘tis well. Present thy ills, dear. The Manticore presents the thorn in its paw You poor and little infant babe. RAINBOW How “little”? FLUTTERSHY Now trust my medicine. A moments pain pass… She removes the thorn, the manticore roars in pain TWILIGHT [Aside] Observe, it roars to strike against our kind Compatriot who served to doctor him! The Manticore embraces and grooms FLUTTERSHY in thanks Foretelling now has failed again, it seems. FLUTTERSHY No lionheart are thee, but lambkin kitten! Oh yes you are, oh yes you are, my lambkin! Exit RARITY, RAINBOW, APPLEJACK, PINKIE TWILIGHT You well foretold a thorn inside his paw. How came you such a sight? FLUTTERSHY No vision had I. There comes a time when kindness must be paid so To all, those big or small, sweet or fearsome. Exit FLUTTERSHY, TWILIGHT Exeunt SCENE 3, a forest, darker still Enter the six RARITY My eye grows weary viewing scenes as these, And yet I do despair to see it fade. TWILIGHT In darkness such as this our goal could meet, Yet still we would not know the truth of it, Quite even if we were facade to face. They stumble in the dark RARITY I saw thee not, my error please forgive. RAINBOW Right here. No error made in voice. ‘Tis heard. APPLEJACK My hoof is besmirched with something unknown to me. Enter NIGHTMARE, hidden as a cloud of smoke NIGHTMARE [Aside] A manticore will look upon as friend The one who does him kindness howe’er small, Yet woods shall look upon any act made And register no help nor injury. Hereafter, let them fall into the shade Of death, to fear my evil, sans their sun! Enter fearful Trees APPLEJACK Fluttershy, look not in fear, ‘tis only mud or such. All cower in fear of the Trees but PINKIE, who laughs TWILIGHT [To PINKIE] What foolery is this? Oh run away! PINKIE Ha! Oh girls, but don’t you see solutions? Sings When I was a little filly and the sunsets looked so fair TWILIGHT Pray, tell me that she does now not- PINKIE Sings The darkness and the shadows, they would fain make me despair RARITY She doth. PINKIE Sings I’d hide beneath my pillow From what I thought was truth But Granny Pie said that wasn’t the way To counter fear, forsooth RAINBOW You have some sounder known? What is this way? PINKIE Sings Quothe she, “Pinkie, thou must maintain thy ground, Lean to face thy fears. Thou shalt see that they are harmless Just laugh and they most shan’t appear. Lo I gave a merry chear: ha ha ha! Exit a fearful tree The rest gasp in amazement So, muse about the moan-y’s Take joy in the groan-y’s Crack up at the creepy Make merry with the weepy Chuckle at the crazed Heckle at the raised And tell that unsightly fool to banish himself and leave you to your own affairs and if he thinks he can frighten you then he has another fate pending and the mere idea of such an altercation just gives a pony such as I such rousing cause to... Laugh! Exeunt Enter SCENE 4, a river Enter the six PINKIE Fair maids, though I lead thee without fear long, Now we are left facing something harsher. Now how shall we make way through this river? Enter DRAGON, weeping DRAGON Oh, I am fortune’s fool! TWILIGHT Why do you weep? DRAGON In sooth, I know not why I am so sad. I merely sat a moment's idleness, With thoughts about my days befitting works, When came an ugly purple haze of smoke, And, although smoke it be, it made a tear, Thus rending twain the beard upon my lip. My outward visage thus is rendered so, I seem a horrid sight to look upon. RAINBOW This fateful journey have I tired not. And yet I find this story most exhausts. APPLEJACK It is much to do about this? RARITY And well he would be troubled by this fate! Are now thy senses fit for mutes alone? Oh, look upon those scales so luminous! DRAGON No flattery is this, but truth, I know. RARITY Thy hair made up with such deliberate care! DRAGON What care I know about the best of all. RARITY Thy nails, honed more for beauty than for war. DRAGON Thy vision grants thee truth in abundance. RARITY And yet thy lip, half-bare, becomes thee not. DRAGON The truth is evident! I’m hideous! RARITY A crime so witnessed my correction begs! For one of thy own skales, I shall return Myself a piece in greater scale indeed! DRAGON Wherefore hast thou done that while I despair? TWILIGHT I too am lost to your intent Rari- RARITY removes her tail with the scale and offers it to DRAGON DRAGON With that is my visage restored again? Thy arts are wonderful in their result. RARITY It smites a ladies heart to look upon. TWILIGHT But even at the cost of your own tail? RARITY It is the fashion of the season, dear. And sooth, ‘tis hair, such will return with time. RAINBOW Of him, the Dragon, could one say the same. TWILIGHT The time has come to ford the flowing straight. DRAGON Oh let my hide provide a bridge to thee. Exeunt SCENE 5, A felled bridge Enter the six TWILIGHT Our journey here has born us fruit at last. Those ruins hence are said to hold our aim, Those Elements of Harmony. We’re there! APPLEJACK Hold your excitement and permit us to keep your pace. TWILIGHT Why hold when we have nearly… plummeted. RAINBOW To fall from cliffs is thy design? Or not? PINKIE Yet another impasse blocks our journey. How in timely fashion do we cross this? RAINBOW Need I explain? I lift to fast the bridge! She flies to the other side. PINKIE How? With what? Oh yes, thy wings. Obvious. NIGHTMARE [Aside] The weakest mind has left from out the herd, And so shall fall into my trap by means Of foalish, wasted, sweet ambitions. Lamb, Come now and join your flock of tricks and lies! Enter Shadowbolts, 1, 2, and 3 SHADOWBOLT 1 Rainbow... RAINBOW Who’s there? SHADOWBOLT 1 Rainbow… RAINBOW I fear thee not! Reveal yourself or face my ire, coward! SHADOWBOLT 1 We mean no harm. We want to meet with she Who flies the best in all Equestria. RAINBOW And that is who? SHADOWBOLT 1 Why you, of course. RAINBOW Really? That is, indeed, the truth. I am the best. Mahaps you could relay the news to those Who call themselves the Wonderbolts, would you? SHADOWBOLT That’s not our aim, Rainbow Dash. We want you To join with us, the Shadowbolts. We are the best Of those who fly in Everfree Forest, And soon in all Equestria. Yet first Do we require a voice to lead. The most Magnificent- RAINBOW ‘Tis fair. SHADOWBOLT 1 And furthermore The swiftest- RAINBOW Yes. SHADOWBOLT 1 And bravest flyer known! RAINBOW I must confirm, this is the truth in full. SHADOWBOLT 1 For this we now request your joining us. RAINBOW Oh joyous day! Relay my full consent. I leave at once with you. That is, but wait, For first I must make haste to tie this bridge. SHADOWBOLT 1 Nay, stop! It’s them or us! You must decide. TWILIGHT Rainbow, what has bewitch-ed you? Oh no. Do not believe the words they say to you! SHADOWBOLT 1 [To RAINBOW] And so? RAINBOW [To the SHADOWBOLTS] To you... Thank you! To offer so, I mean, and yet I fear I must decline. She fixes and crosses back over the bridge Exit SHADOWBOLTS 1, 2, 3. See that, Twilight?  I’ll not abandon friends. Exeunt ACT 3, SCENE 1, a ruin Enter the 6 APPLEJACK Do not hesistate now, Twilight. Is this not what you had anticipated? TWILIGHT The Elements of Harmony, at last. They have been found. Take care in moving them. PINKIE Counting one, then two, then three, then four, yet… Numbers fail to reach above but five here. RAINBOW Where’s six? TWILIGHT To quote the book, when five are here, A spark alone shall make the sixth appear. APPLEJACK By the fruit of the afterlife, what does that mean? TWILIGHT I am not sure, yet wager this idea. Some distance make you from this place, pray thee. I do not know what trouble may unfold. APPLEJACK Come, friends. Leave her to a hermit's focus. NIGHTMARE [Aside] For all the efforts I have spent, has been This just some jest? They all arrived, but then Depart from that which they protect. Alone, Her power only pales against my own! She steals the elements away in a tornado Exit TWILIGHT The Elements! I must save the from her! She jumps in the tornado Exit ALL Twilight! APPLEJACK Twilight! Where art thou Twilight? RARITY But soft, what light from yonder tower breaks? APPLEJACK Let us make haste to her side! Exeunt SCENE 2, the tower Enter TWILIGHT, NIGHTMARE TWILIGHT [Aside] I have been blown aground to stranger points, And now the point of Nightmare’s horn does bode A wicked fate, yet I must not succumb. A harsher fate than that may fall my state Should I permit her wicked hooves to break Or use against the rest those instruments, The Elements of Harmony themselves. I make a joust against her, feigning that, That I might fain take back my hope again. NIGHTMARE You jest in aiming so. Oh please do not Disgrace thyself in playing not the fool! They joust, but Twilight slips behind her TWILIGHT A single spark alone should break the seal. My magic should not fail, but once at all! A spark, a spark, my kingdom for a spark! NIGHTMARE Oh no! With this the foal could yet prevail! TWILIGHT What wicked light of Zeus! My mane doth stand! And yet there is no mean result at hoof! NIGHTMARE She destroys the elements beneath her hooves You little foal! Had you some hope at fruit? The East shall bear no fruit as well. The sun That was consum-ed by the West shall have No resurrection ever, nor shall your princess See mercy nor redemption for her acts. Enter the five ponies THE FIVE Anon shall we beside you be, Twilight! TWILIGHT [Aside] And so I see the light at last. Eureka! [To NIGHTMARE] The Elements of Harmony o’erthrown With ease that one might break a brittle branch? What hubris! These were not but vessels here Which you have crushed as pots of kilned clay. Forsooth, the soul of virtue lives in us! NIGHTMARE What? TWILIGHT Applejack silenced my doubt, and so Befits the very soul of Honesty. Maid Fluttershy has tamed a manticore Without the use of force, and so she best Befits the very soul of Kindness too. Pinkie Pie banished our fear with mirth, And so befits the element of Laughs. Rarity has calmed a woeful beast Through charity and heart, and so befits The very soul of Generosity. And Rainbow Dash retained our company Despite her greatest wants, and so befits The very soul of Loyalty. At last, The souls of these five ponies saved Against every design you had for us! NIGHTMARE Whether your claim can hold or not, you’ve failed! You still are left with want for number six. Your spark has not caught flame from this kindling. TWILIGHT The fire rises! Not from my magic, At least apart from that I understood. [To the five] I felt this flame at once when I felt joy From hearing, seeing, caring for you mares. The spark caught pitch when I felt sure at last... That you are all my friends! You see, Nightmare, When Elements ignite through contact with... The spark within the soul of each of us, It burn but not consumes. Instead, increase Abounds by this, the sixth of elements Appears: the Element of Magic! NIGHTMARE No! NIGHTMARE is transformed in a rainbow tornado into LUNA SCENE 3, still the tower RAINBOW The lights have strained mine eyes and pained my head. APPLEJACK Does anypony harbor a greater injury? RARITY So not, but au contraire. My tail regrown! FLUTTERSHY Without compare, oh Rarity, ‘tis lovely. RARITY Forsooth, I hope we shan’t part ways again. FLUTTERSHY My aim was on the jewelry you wear. It most resembles well your cutie mark. RARITY I’d yet to make a note… yet so does yours! PINKIE Look! I wear the same! I wear the same! RAINBOW Oh joyous pendant! Lightning like myself! APPLEJACK By the first letter of a name, Twilight! I was sure that your musings were but playful fantasies Or veiled deceit, but hereupon I am struck with the reckoning of a greater destiny; Forsooth we are each the patron of an element from friendship. Enter CELESTIA CELESTIA In truth, I would have told you just the same. TWILIGHT It is the east, the princess of the sun! CELESTIA Twilight Sparkle, faithful student mine, I knew you could do this for all this time. TWILIGHT But you dissuade my studies that lead me hence. CELESTIA I did persuade that you had need of friends. Thy studies held no bare upon the ends. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon’s return, And knew that you would greater magics learn, If you let these friends into your heart. Another here must play a matching part. [To Luna] These thousand years have been in great despair, So sister, take our throne again to share. TWILIGHT What, so these warring rulers… RAINBOW ...sisters were? CELESTIA May we be friends once more, little sister? LUNA I’ll fain repent what I have done before, If now I need not miss you anymore. CELESTIA Forsooth, I missed thy warm embrace as well. At last I hold thee, free of envy’s spell. PINKIE Cries, then suddenly stops [Aside] Do you know what now becomes? SCENE 4, Ponyville Enter ALL PINKIE A party! CELESTIA [To TWILIGHT] Do not today despair my clever one, Thou shouldst be glad to see thy task is done. TWILIGHT Ay there’s the rub: that now I do possess A group of friends, and all the same I must Return and be without their company. CELESTIA Oh Spike, I ask that you prepare a note. I, Princess Celestia have wrote, That Twilight Sparkles mission has been changed, To study friendship’s magic, so arranged That she shall send to me so oft a letter, While she’s to stay in Ponyville for better. TWILIGHT Oh Princess, for this thank you ever the more! I shall take steps to learn as ne’er before! Exit all but Pinkie PINKIE [Aside]Isn’t this exciting? Be you roused, for Cause I am fain roused, I’ve never been Just so excited, save that hour she Entered into town and let I one gasp, Truly, though- Exeunt