//------------------------------// // The Curse Lifts // Story: Beauty Lies Within // by MiraculousDragonMaster //------------------------------// Beauty Lies Within Chapter 22 The Curse Lifts Everyone was horrified, and no one was speaking a word. Finally, Celestia faced the guests. "I believe we'll take that as a sign that the Grand Galloping Gala has come to an end this year." She said. "You all may leave." Quickly, guests began fleeing the ballroom. All except the guys. Instead, they ran up to the princesses, Thorax and Starlight. Celestia was shaken up badly. "In all ways to seek revenge, Chrysalis chose this method." She said quietly. Luna helped steady her. "It's all right, sister." She assured her. "We'll find them." Starlight glanced at the clock. It was eleven o'clock. "But I'm afraid Chrysalis didn't give us much time." She said. "We only have an hour to find them and save them." "Then what are we waiting for?" Soarin' asked. "Let's get out there!" "But we have no idea where the girls could be." Thorax said. Discord tapped his chin in thought. "Chrissy said something about us knowing them well." He said. "Well, if what I'm thinking is right, then somewhere specific in the city, each of the girls wait." Everyone began thinking deeply, the Mane 6 flooding their minds. Soon, Celestia spoke up. "Twilight might be in her old observatory, up in the eastern tower, where she would study vigorously for her classes." "I'll head there, then." Flash said. "Rainbow Dash must be at the derby!" Soarin' realized. Spike was silent for a few moments. Then, it hit him. "Applejack might be near your golden apple tree, Princess." He said. "It's in my personal garden." Celestia said. "The gardens!" Discord exclaimed. "That must be where Fluttershy is!" "Hey, Spike." Cheese got his attention. "What is the name of your favorite donut shop?" "Donut Joe's." Spike answered. "That might be where Pinkie is." Cheese said. "And I have a theory as to where Rarity might be." Fancy Pants said. "Her boutique." "Excellent." Celestia said. "We now have some hope." "You men must go and find them." Luna added. "But, how do we break the spell?" Spike asked. Luna concentrated for a few moments before reciting in a chant-like voice. "A ray of hope lies in this small act. Though in a death-like sleep, there's a twist to the pact. Forever will they remain like this, unless revived by love's first kiss." Flash was wandering the halls of the castle, his heart beating like a drum as Luna's words echoed in his brain. He was out of his suit and dressed in his normal clothes, minus his armor. "Love's first kiss?" He wondered aloud. "How can someone like Twilight love someone like me? She's a princess, and I'm just a guard. True, Shining Armor and Cadence got together, but that's different. Is it?" Spike was in Princess Celestia's personal garden, lost in thought and back in his normal clothes. "I mean, I know that I've had my feelings for AJ changed in the past few months, but can she really feel the same way about me? With Rarity, that didn't happen. How can AJ be any different?" Soarin' had planned to zip out of the castle towards the derby, but with Luna's words pounding in his head, he flew in a daze. He also was in street clothing instead of his suit. "Does Dash feel that way towards me?" He asked himself. "I know she's not really the romantic type, but what if it's true?" Discord was searching through the other castle gardens. He had changed back into his normal clothes with a snap of his fingers. "Fluttershy? In love with me?" He wondered. "How can someone as beautiful as her love someone like me? We don't fit together. She's kindness, and I'm chaos. Complete opposites. Yet, why do I keep going to her?" Cheese was walking through the streets towards Donut Joe's. He too was out of his suit and back in his normal clothing. "I mean, I've always wanted to let Pinkie know how I feel about her. But knowing that she might feel the same way towards me, why am I shaking like a leaf instead of jumping for joy?" Fancy Pants was walking towards Canterlot Carousel, out of his fancy suit and dressed in a simple blue dress shirt and black pants. He was also lost in thought. "I have thought about getting to know Rarity better after I ended my courtship with Fleur-de-lis." He said. "But I never thought that I would feel this way about her so soon. And yet, it's possible that she feels the same way as I do." In Canterlot Castle, Flash glanced at another grandfather clock. It read 11:15. He then slowly began to walk up the stairs towards Twilight's old observatory. "I should mind myself when it comes to Twilight, yet why don't I care?" An image of Twilight entering the ballroom an hour before came into his mind, making a soft smile appear on his face. As he climbed up the stairs, he began to sing. Flash: Because I love her, I need her Like Earth needs the sun. I need the one I love. When the derby came into his view, Soarin' had a smile on his face as an image of Rainbow Dash flooded his mind's eye. He had once thought that they were both too cool for romance, but now, he would give up everything just to be with her. He too then started to sing. Soarin': To keep my hope bright, My head right, My heart fighting on Until I am back in her arms. Spike began to sing too as an image of Applejack appeared in his head as he went through Celestia's private garden. Spike once thought that he couldn't move on from Rarity when he realized that she could never return his affections. But with AJ, not only were the affections stronger, but there was a chance that she could reciprocate them. Cheese grinned when a picture of Pinkie came into his head. He had thought that friendship was all they had, but now, he was willing to risk everything just to see her smile at him again. Spike: Because I love her, I need her Like summer needs rain, To grow and sustain each day. Cheese: I hear her singing And bringing her strength to my soul Until I am back in her arms. By now, no matter where they were, the guys were singing as they each came to terms with their feelings. All: Miles apart, yet still my heart Can hear her melody. I'm more that sure That I can't endure Without her love for me. In the castle's public gardens, Discord had his hand to his heart as an image of Fluttershy appeared in his mind. He had once thought his heart was like a stone, but she managed to soften it. Discord: Because I love her and need her Like I need to breathe. Did a man need true love like this? Fancy smiled as he recognized the street where Canterlot Carousel was. For once, he was daring enough to go against everything he was taught if he could just see Rarity smile at him one last time. Forget protocol for once, he only wanted to tell her how he truly felt about her. Fancy: Now I see clearly I nearly gave up all I had. The guys all were singing once again as their destinations were nearing. All: So whatever our differences were, I'll bid them goodbye. I'll give love a try, And all because I love her! Flash finally entered the observatory. A thick layer of dust covered everything, from the desk to the bookshelves, and there were even a couple of cobwebs attached to book stands or the ceiling. One book stand caught his eye. The guard went to it and saw that the book was about how Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon a little more than a thousand years ago. That must have been where Twilight stopped before she moved to Ponyville. A pale green glow caught Flash's attention. He turned around and saw Princess Twilight laying motionless in a glowing green cocoon, her ball gown removed and replaced with her normal clothing. Flash quickly grabbed a nearby dagger from one of the old suits of armor in the room. With one slice, the cocoon opened, releasing Twilight, but she still didn't move. Flash gently picked her up and held her in his arms. "Twilight, please." He pleaded. "You can't leave me." He glanced at the clock in the room and saw that midnight was already nearing by the second. For a moment, he felt her body get heavier and colder. At the derby, Soarin' was horrified to see a motionless Rainbow Dash, back in her normal clothes, trapped inside a green cocoon. He ripped it apart with his bare hands and held his best friend in his arms. "Don't die on me now, Rainbow." He said, feeling a little choked up. "Come on, Dash, please!" But she didn't answer him. Soarin' felt her hand and realized that it was slowly turning pale and lifeless. Spike had arrived at the golden apple tree, the moonlight reflecting off all of the fruit that was hanging on the branches. Underneath the tree, Applejack laid in a green cocoon and in her normal clothes, even with her Stetson hat back on her head. Spike grabbed a large stick that was sharpened to a point and sliced open the top of the cocoon. He then got AJ out, but she wasn't responding to anything. "Come on, AJ." He pleaded. "You can't leave me." Discord had looked all over the gardens before he at last came to a pavilion surrounded by flowers. There, Fluttershy laid in a green cocoon, dressed in her normal clothes. Discord snapped his fingers and the cocoon opened by itself, and he cradled the sleeping girl in his arms. He summoned a floating clock and his eyes began filling up with tears as the seconds ticked closer to midnight. "No, no, no." He pleaded to the seemingly lifeless Fluttershy in his arms. "Please don't leave me, Fluttershy." Cheese quickly saw that Donut Joe's was closed for the night, and his heart sank. But then, a green glow from behind the building caught his eye. He followed it to a sleeping Pinkie Pie trapped in a cocoon, dressed in her normal clothes. Cheese spotted a nearby crowbar and used it to slice the top of the cocoon open and he pulled the motionless Pinkie out. "Pinkie, can you hear me? Pinkie?" There was no answer, and he felt her skin grow colder by the second. Time was running out, and fast. Fancy was relieved that the door to Canterlot Carousel was unlocked. He didn't want to have to break it down, but if it was locked, he might've done it. An eerie green glow was coming from in the designing room. He peered in and saw a green cocoon containing a sleeping Rarity dressed in her normal clothes. Fancy saw a pair of sewing scissors on the table nearby, and he used them to cut open the cocoon and pull Rarity out. "Rarity, please answer me." Fancy pleaded, though as expected, there was no response. Her skin was even more pale than he had seen it, and it was cold to the touch. All the boys looked either up at the sky or at the clock. The moon had reached its highest point in the sky, meaning that it was midnight. All the clocks were ringing out twelve times. If it rings for the twelfth time, it would be too late. They all looked down at the girls in their arms, sleeping peacefully. They couldn't bear for these girls to remain this way forever. "I love you." They said to them before gently placing their lips on the sleeping girls' own just as the clocks chimed for the twelfth time. When they broke their kisses, they waited with bated breaths. For a couple of moments, nothing happened. They all thought that they were too late. Then, one by one, the girls began glowing a soft pink that was emitting from their hearts. First it came from Twilight, then Rainbow, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and last Rarity. Luna's words from earlier echoed throughout the city. "A ray of hope lies in this small act. Though in a death-like sleep, there's a twist to the pact. Forever will they remain like this, unless revived by love's first kiss." From her hiding spot somewhere in the vicinity of Canterlot, a certain queen heard the echoing chant and saw the glowing lights from spots in the city. "No." She growled viciously before zooming out into the night air. "No!" When the lights finally faded, the Mane 6 each slowly opened her eyes to see the man she loved holding her in his arms. They all smiled at them softly and lovingly. "I knew it was you." They all said. The boys were all overjoyed, and they all embraced them tightly, the girls returning them.