//------------------------------// // The Show Goes On // Story: The Way of the Play // by PonyPixel //------------------------------// The rest of the rehearsals were rather uneventful compared to the others. While there were a couple of snags but nothing major, one of the hardest things they had to pull off was the curse scenes where the prince turned into a monster and then went back to normal. That took a lot of takes, but eventually, they’re able to do it smoothly. Not just that, the actors like Pate were able to memorize their lines confidently. The costumes were amazingly designed, and so are the props, some are just cardboard cutouts. After weeks of preparation, the day has come. Everypony in town has arrived to see the show, also interested in seeing different creatures performing on stage, thinking it’s going to be good. Speaking of creatures, they’re here too. Creatures from different kingdoms came to see it, which includes the parents of those students, and leaders like Ember, Thorax, and Prince Rutherford, which they sat on the front seats to get a better view. Sitting at the back are the parents of the dragons, which, not surprisingly, are as tall as buildings. The ponies don’t even mind, at least they don’t sit in the front. Gilda, Greta, and Gabby are here as well, giving those griffons a lot of support. Sandbar’s parents are here too, even little Coral Currents, excited to see him perform. Not just Sandbar’s, even Silverstream, Smolder, Ocellus, and Yona’s family are here as well. All are excited to see the show. Backstage, all the cast members are preparing for the last time, the actors and actresses wore their costumes and read their lines one last time. Some of the students poked their heads from behind the curtains to get a good look at the crowd. Coral was one of them. She was amazed by the quantity of them, there are a lot of them. Pate, who already wore his costume, walked over to her. “Hey, Coral,” Pate said, “who do you see?” “A lot of creatures,” Coral responded eagerly. “Really!” “Yeah! There are hundreds out there. Oh, I think I also see my parents and brothers.” “Let me see.” Pate stood beside the hippogriff peaking out into the audience. Looking towards the back, there were a couple of dragons that were as big as the buildings. He was shocked. “Whoa, they’re huge!” “I know! Tanz wasn’t wrong, they are as tall as a building.” “Exactly. Good thing they didn’t sit in the front.” “Yeah, if they do, all they’ll see is a giant scaly rear.” They chuckled. The two walked back behind the curtain, where everyone else was getting ready. The backdrop of the castle, before the witch’s curse was set, was just lowered and secure. Silverstream looked at her reflection in a light-up mirror in the dressing room as she wore Golden Aura's everyday dress. She was taking some deep breaths when Gallus walked up behind her. The hippogriff saw her boyfriend dressed up as the prince before the curse. “You ready?” he grinned. Silverstream inhaled and exhaled one more time. “I’m ready.” “How are you feeling?” “… Nervous,” Silverstream admitted. “I mean… everything's got to go perfect this time.” “I understand. We managed to get both scenes of the spell down. Not to mention we don't have itching powder for the effects.” Both chuckled about this mistake that happened. Moss approached them and got their attention. “Hey there, have you seen Sunshine?” he asked. “Not really. What’s wrong?” “I can’t find him.” Before they could suggest where to look, Gus flew in, dragging a worried hippogriff behind him. “Sunny, it’s too late to back down now,” Gus stated. “We’ve prepared for your problem.” “I know this,” Sunshine stated, “but habits die hard!” “What happened?” Gallus asked. “Stagefright,” Gus responded. “Sunny knew this would happen, yet here we are, unprepared.” He looked down at Sunshine who looked to be shivering with fear. “I'm not the best at being gentle, I’ll let you two do the job.” Silverstream and Gallus at each other sitting down beside Sunshine. “Hey, Sunny,” Silverstream said, “We know how you feel right now. We have to get it perfect.” “That's what I'm afraid of,” Sunshine exclaimed in fear. “We’ve come this far,” Gallus said. “We've already dealt with delays, products that irritated us.” “But still... my scenes,” Sunshine stated. “Listen, compared to us, you don't have that many scenes. You won't have so much stress on your shoulders.” “…When you put it like that, it doesn't sound so bad.” “Exactly,” Silverstream added. “You'll have time to reread your lines.” Sunshine looked to have a little more confidence right now. “Have you tried using flashcards?” Pate asked. “It's working for me.” He showed off the cards he had been reading to get his lines memorized. Sunshine smiled as he seemed to have his confidence back. Just as Rusty got him his outfit, Sunburst walked up to the students. “Okay, everycreature,” the stallion called. “Take your places. We’ll be starting in a few seconds.” They listened to his orders and the actors who are playing the characters in the castle got ready. Coral flew off the stage and was given a black cloak to conceal her body. “Break a leg, Gally,” Silverstream said. “You too, …guppy.” She planted one more kiss on the blue griffon's cheek before running off to the stage. Gallus blushed a little bit as he got into his place. Finally, the show began, starting off with elegant classy music to give a nice classical taste. Coming out from the right side of the stage, Rarity, who was the narrator for this, stood next to a microphone while levitating a fake book, which is made out of cardboard. “Good evening,” she started, “Here’s a story that I wanna share with all of you.” On cue, the curtains opened up to reveal the background of a giant compartment with a throne. “A long time ago, in a faraway land,” the mare narrated, “there was a prince who lived in a shining castle. He was given everything he desired, thus the prince was spoiled, rude, and selfish. The castle staff would usually get the worst of it, especially during occasions like his birthday.” Sandbar, Tanzanite, Ocellus, and Sulcus walked onto the stage as a throne was wheeled in. On that throne was Gallus, who was already getting into character. “Where's my present!?” he ordered. Sandbar, who was in the character of Light Touch, approached him with the small wrapped-up present. “Your highness,” he spoke while kneeling down on one knee and held his present high, “I hope you accept this gift from the humble…” “Just give it to me!” Gallus snatched the gift from the colt’s hooves without warning. He ripped through the wrapper with excitement, but it dissipated when he saw what’s inside. “A book!? Seriously!? You call this a present!?” He wasn't pleased with the gift and just tossed it to the side as the staff had mixed feelings about this. Light Torch felt sad that it meant nothing to him, Clockwork just sighed as he was used to this behavior, while Ocellus, playing the part of Sweet Tea just scowled at this behavior. The prince got up to see if there was another better present, except he got distracted by a knock on the door. “I wonder who that could be,” Clockwork questioned. The prince flew away ahead of anyone else as he didn't want any interruptions. Opening the door, Coral stood outside with faux snow falling on her. She was shivering and slowly holding up her talon to show a single rose. “Please, kind sir… I've lost my way,” she shivered weakly. “Accept this rose as a gift from the bitter cold.” The prince looked at the rose and scoffed. “Pphhtt, I don't need some flower,” he stated. “Please my dear. I know my appearance isn't that well, but be a kind dear to see the beauty on the inside.” The prince didn't care what the old lady had to say and the cold was getting to him. “Shut up and go away you wretched old hag!” He slammed the door which seemed to make the old lady angry. Before the prince could return to receive another present he likely wouldn't enjoy, a blinding flash appeared in front of him. Flying above him was a glowing hippogriff, played by Gleaming Pearl, in a flowing dress with a crown resting on top of her head. The staff members were in shock. “Who are you!?” he yelled. “Thy heart is as cold as thick ice,” she addressed. “If thou cannot see others for what they can give thee instead of what thy can give to them, I shall curse thee.” The hippogriff held out a wand and some golden dust started flying around in the air. Backstage, the unicorns have levitated the powder in the air as it began to swirl around Gallus, who also started levitating it into the air. Other unicorns that were hiding off stage had the monster costume ready to slip onto the griffon. Once the powder went from gold to black. Gallus growled as his ‘transformation’ into the monster had begun. The castle staff wasn't safe from the curse. Their outfits let the audience know they had been cursed into objects such as a clock, teapot, and various other items. Ember, who was one of the dragons in the audience, sat back as she watched the transformation scene. She looked over to Thorax, who was sitting right beside her and whispered. “You think they could pull something like this off?” the Dragon Lord whispered into Thorax’s ear. “I have no idea,” he responded, “I'll ask Starlight later. Just sit back and enjoy the show.” The dragoness listened to her boyfriend and kept quiet as the play continued. “And this,” the narrator continued, “is where our story begins.” The scene where Golden Aura, played by Silverstream, was minding her own business in town reading a book until Moss, playing the part of Bronze Shield, approached her. “Goldie, how are you doing?” he asked. “Oh, hello, Bronze,” Golden Aura said. “You look genuine today.” “I know. The same can be said about you.” He took a look at the book the hippogriff was reading. “How can you enjoy your time with these? There aren't any pictures in here.” “So what? Where would be the fun in that?” “Hmm, whatever pleases you, my lady.” He chucked the book into the air and Goldie just managed to catch it. “However, it's about time you move on from those silly things and focus on more satisfying things. Like me.” Aura gave a low brow and Bronze oscillating his eyebrows up and down while the dragoness triplet looked at Bronze in awe. Just as the hippogriff started walking away the changeling walked along with her, guiding her in another direction. “Why don't you join me at the tavern to look at my trophy collection?” “Sorry, but maybe some other time.” Goldie sounded like she wanted out of this conversation, much to the confusion of the triplets. “What's wrong with her?” Emerald questioned. “She's crazy,” Peridot noted. “He's gorgeous,” Pyther sighed eyeing Bronze with sparkles in her eyes. From the back rows, the dragons were hearing the show just fine, though a couple of them needed opera glasses, which some had brought with them. Others had taken telescopes. One of the dragons, which was red and gold, looked at Pyther, but the color didn't look right to her. “Is that my Pyther?” she questioned. “Why is she green?” Emerald and Peridot's mother quickly helped calm her down. “They just put some sort of stuff on her scales to change her color,” she reassured. “I'm sure she'll be fine.” Both mothers kept quiet as they watched their kids carry on in the play. Soon, Sunshine’s scene of getting lost came up. The hippogriff was flying along with some sacks of mail as the weather looked to be getting worse. The hippogriff was muttering to himself to keep calm as the fake snow and wind picked up. “Gah, this is worse than I thought,” he groaned. “Maybe I should turn back.” He was about to head back to the village, except every direction looked the same. He kept wondering around as the snowstorm looked to be getting worse. He was about to pass out until he could see something in the distance. It looked like a grand castle. He quickly got inside of it to get away from the cold. “Hello? Hello?” he called out. The castle was very dark with only a glow coming from a candle stand. “I'm sorry for bursting in. The weather wasn't what I was expecting.” “Excuse me, sir,” called a voice. Sunshine could barely make out anything without any like until he could see some small flames approaching him. “We don't mind you coming in. It's been a long time since we had guests.” Gilda was sitting with Greta and Gabby, who she whispered to. “If I had to pick between a storm or a castle that's completely dark with no visible staff, I'll take the storm,” Gilda whispered. "Ditto," Greta agreed and winked at her. After a little bit of freakout over the sentient objects, Sunshine was able to make himself at home. That was until the monster approached him. “What are you doing here?” he growled. Sunshine jumped out of his seat when he saw the monster. “Come here!” “Your highness, please,” Light Touch said, blocking his way, “He just needed shelter…” He wasn't interested in listening and lashed out at the uninvited guest. Sunshine barely got out of the way before he could be scratched by the massive claws and then tried to get to the exit. However, just before he could get past the castle gates, the monster had caught him, pulling him back into the castle and making him drop his saddlebags. Back in the village, Bronze was trying to sweet-talk Golden Arua into marrying him. However, the hippogriff managed to trick him into fall out of the front door and landing in a muddy ditch. Thick Block looked at him and just had to ask, “So…… How did it go?” Bronze grabbed him by the collar of his coat. “Hear this, Blocky, Goldie will be my wife,” he declared, “One way or another.” He then chucked Block into the ditch before walking off in a huff. When Goldie’s dad hadn't returned home, she started getting worried. She flew out to try and find him and soon came across the castle. She saw her father's saddlebags lying on the ground then looked towards the entrance. Walking inside, she looked around for her father. It was brighter than it was when Sunshine came in, so she had an easier time seeing than her father. “Father?” she called out. “Father!?” She flew around a little bit until she went deep down into the castle dungeons. There, she found Sunshine, locked in one of the cells. “Goldie!” he cried. “Father, how did you get locked up in here?” she questioned. “I may have made someone mad. Just get me out of here before he…” The trapped hippogriff paused as he heard other footsteps approaching. From the shadows, there stood the same monster that trapped him there. “Trespasser, huh!?” He then grabbed his sword and ran towards her to stab her. Goldie was horrified by the silhouette but still tried to be brave. “STOP!” The prince halted his tracks. “What is it?” “Please, let my father go,” she begged. “Right now!” “Why should I?” he stated. “He trespassed somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be. He can stay here for the remainder of his days. Some creatures just never learn.” Goldie looked at her father before she came to a decision. “Wait! Take me instead of him.” Both the monster and Sunshine couldn’t believe what they heard. “I can’t let him die miserably here. He lived a happy life in the village. It can’t just end here.” While Sunshine tried to talk her out of it, the monster thought about how they could break the curse. “Very well then,” he proclaimed. “Your request is accepted.” “No, Goldie, I'm old,” Sunshine cried, “I've lived my life…” He wasn't able to let out another word before the cell door was open. He was pulled out of there and Goldie was forced inside. The monster took Sunshine out of the castle and tossed him outside. The monster then looked at a flock of crows and ordered them to take the first uninvited guest back to the village. They did so, swarming around Sunshine like a dark cloud before carrying him away. As the monster made his way back to the stairs, Light Touch walked up to him. “Ugh, master,” he said. “What?” the cursed prince asked. “Since... this lovely lady will be staying with us for a while. Perhaps we shall give her a nicer room.” The monster snarled as Light Touch wasn't feeling so cheery. “Okay… Maybe not.” Golden Aura was sitting in her cell feeling gloomy. She looked up as she could see the monster standing in front of her. He took a deep breath before he spoke. “Madam,” he sighed, “I'll show you to your room.” Goldie looked up in confusion. "My room?" she questioned. “Do you still want to stay in the dungeon or what?” “No.” “Alright. Then follow me.” Golden Aura did as she was told and followed the monster down the hall. Light Touch walked with them to help light the way, while also helping to make sure the monster said the right thing. He noticed that Goldie didn't like the ominous statues of gargoyles and dragons, not to mention being trapped here wasn't helping. He nudged the cursed prince. “Say something to her,” the candle pony suggested in a whisper. “I... Ugh... Hope you like it here.” He looked back at Light Touch, who gestured him to keep talking. “Thi... This castle is your home now, you can go anywhere in it. Except for the west wing.” “Why not the west wing?” Golden Arua asked. “It's forbidden!” The monster's voice echoed throughout the castle. They resumed their walk to Goldie's new room, where Light Touch whispered some more words to the monster. “You will... Join me for dinner. That's not a request.” He slammed the door, leaving the hippogriff in her room, still against her will. Goldie walked over to her new bed and wept into her pillow. Back in the village, at the bar, Bronze Shield was still sulking after Goldie's rejection. Thick Block was doing his best to cheer him up with little success. “Come on, Bronze,” Thick Block said, “There's plenty of other ladies I'm sure are dying to be with you.” He pointed over to the triplets, who were eyeing the egotistical changeling. “Hmph! That doesn't change the point,” Bronze scoffed, tossing a mug into the fireplace in frustration. "No woman ever rejects Bronze. Never!" The dragoness triplets were about to walk over to the egotistical changeling until Thick Block got in the way. “You can't let one bad shot get you down. You're Bronze Shield.” Some music could be heard which wasn’t a good sign. “Oh no. Are they going to sing again?” she questioned. Thorax simply nodded. “Okay, I’m going to get some more of the snacks they provide.” The Dragon Lord gently walked away to get something to munch on while trying her best to mute out the music. The song that inflates Bronze’s ego was just finishing up once Ember returned to her seat. Sunshine burst into the tavern, still flustered about what happened at the castle. “Please, somebody help! A monster is imprisoning my daughter!” he cried. The creatures in the bar didn’t take what he said seriously. A couple of them even laughed at him. Even when he tried explaining himself, Bronze decided to mess around with him. “Don’t worry, we’ll help you out,” the changeling said. “You will? Oh, thank you.” Their definition of finding out wasn’t what Sunshine was expecting. Instead of going to rescue his daughter, he was thrown out of the tavern into the snow. With no one willing to help him, the hippogriff set off home to gather supplies. Still, what he said got Bronze Shield thinking. “Block, come along,” he said. “I’ve just had an idea.” The two changelings left the tavern to make a plan that Goldie couldn’t say ‘no’ to him. Meanwhile, Golden Aura had been let out of her room, much to concern about Clockwork. “No, no, no,” he cried. “You can’t go out! The master is angry as it is. This will make him boil over.” “Clockwork, he said the castle is her home now,” Light Touch said. “If it’s her home, we’ll make her feel at home.” He walked up to Goldie and held her talon. “Right this way, ma’am.” The candle stand pony led the hippogriff to the dining room. “Oh, I thought dinner was called off,” Goldie noted. “We simply can’t let such fine food go to waste. Have a seat. Be our guest.” Goldie was sat down as another musical number started. Sandbar's family was enjoying seeing their song be a lead in one of the musical numbers, unlike Ember, who was covering her ears. Goldie appeared to like the treatment she was receiving and then wanted to have a proper tour of the castle. Light Touch was more than happy to do so, along with Clockwork, to some extent. Halfway through the tour, she looked towards a hallway that led to the west wing. Despite what she had been told by the monster, Goldie ventured down the hallway. She eventually found a room that was a mess. Furniture lay all over the place, most of them in pieces. Goldie flew past a ripped painting of a griffon when she saw a rose, which glowed under a glass dome. Curious, the hippogriff flew over and carefully removed the dome to get a close looking the glowing rose. However, before she could touch it, the doors slammed open. The monster pounced towards the stand the rose floated above before swiftly putting the dome back on it. He had a sigh of relief before turning to Goldie. “What are you doing in here!?” he asked. Goldie tried to explain herself, but she could only stutter. “I told you not to go in here.” “I know but…” Goldie was cut off by the monster again. “You shouldn’t be here. This rose is more important than you could ever imagine. Get out!” In his anger, he slashed his claws at Goldie, who narrowly avoided them before they hit a broken chair. “GET OUT!” The angry roars of the monster were enough to make Goldie run for her life. After she flew out of the room, the monster realized he likely scared away his last chance of breaking the curse. Silverstream placed on a coat as she flew past Light Torch and Clockwork, who was surprised with the haste she had. “Madam, where are you going?” Sandbar asked. “I'm leaving,” Silverstream responded. She opened the door of the castle and flew away, leaving the castle staff members upset knowing their last chance was gone. As Goldie flew through the snowstorm, she ended up nearly getting pounced by a wolf. A pack of yaks dressed as wolves soon surrounded the hippogriff. She would've flown away, but the wolves were too fast for her to avoid. Just as it seemed like she was done for, the monster jumped in and fought the pack. The wolves tried their best but the cursed prince was much stronger than he looked. When they realized they were outmatched, the pack fled for safety. Goldie was about to do the same thing until she saw the monster's injuries. He looked too hurt to move. She thought back to how he acted in the castle, but Goldie didn't think he deserved to freeze out in the cold. Goldie managed to help the monster back to the castle with a long struggle, despite his complaints. During the scene where Goldie patched the monster up, Silverstream's parents both took interest in Gallus. “Hmm, this does seem to be a play about romance,” Ocean Flow commented. “You think that she and that boy would date?” Skybeak questioned. “It seems to be one of her friends. They'd be a nice couple.” “Hmm, from what Silver has said about him, I think he'd be a good boyfriend.” Soon, came for the ballroom dance. Silverstream walked down one of the flights of stairs in her golden ballgown. She looked over to the monster, who wore a nice blue suit. He looked nervous and that wasn't because Gallus was acting. The two got closer and Silverstream whispered to the griffon. “You ready?” she asked. Gallus took a deep breath for a bit and let it out. “I’m ready,” Gallus admitted. "This... isn't how I expected for our first dance.” “Well, at least it'll be a good show for everyone.” The ballroom music starts playing in the background. Both griffs smiled and slowly started dancing around. Their relationship was a perfect fit for the characters they were playing. They each enjoyed one another's company as the audience watched them dance. Some of them, like Thorax, leaning closer to their special someone. Ember wasn't one for music, but it did feel nice having the changeling show his affection. With the hippogriff and monster warming up to each other, the cursed prince trusted her enough to explain the rose in better detail. “I was a fool when I was young,” the monster sighed. They both stood around the glowing rose as another petal fell off of it. Goldie knew what would happen if the curse wasn't broken soon. The monster soon grabbed a hand mirror. It had a green glow from it and the monster seemed to smile. “What is that?” Goldie asked. “It's a special mirror. It's... the only way I can see the outside world without others screaming in fear of me.” He showed the mirror to Goldie. Instead of seeing her reflection, she could see a snowfield with jackrabbits racing about. “Wow. How does it work?” “Just simply say a location you'd like to see and it'll show it to you.” Goldie thought for a minute before she requested her village, she wanted to see how her father was doing. What she saw wasn't pleasing. Sunshine looked very weak as he could hardly stand. He soon collapsed onto the ground, horrifying Goldie. The monster could see what was happening. “No! No! They can't do this to him. He did nothing wrong. He just wanted to help me.” Feeling partly responsible for what was going on, the monster knew what he had to do, even if it meant the worst for him. “You must go help him.” “What? But... The curse…” “I know. We can survive like this, the staff always assumed we'd be stuck with this curse. There's still time to save your father. Take this mirror, it’ll help you get back home.” Goldie looked at the mirror in her claws. “Hopefully it'll help me come back there in time.” “Gather what you need and save your father.” The hippogriff nodded and quickly flew to the exit. She stopped by the door and looked back at the monster. “…Thank you, for understand how much he means to me.” The monster simply nodded before Goldie flew off to pack up and leave. Moments later, Clockwork approached his cursed master, who was sitting in front of the rose, which lost another petal. “Sir, did it work?” he asked. “Is the curse broken?” The monster sighed. “Goldie had to leave before we could finish,” he informed. “What?! But… We'll…” “I'm aware of what will happen to us. Creatures will still look at me as a monster.” He stepped towards the window to see Goldie flying off back home. “I'm used to it.” This line seemed to hit home with most of the audience, especially the changelings. Goldie flew as fast as she could and she found her exhausted father lying on the forest floor. “Father!” she cried. Golden Aura then held his arms and put them on her waist to carry him. After taking him back to their cottage. Sunshine had a good rest and some warm tea before he and his daughter could talk. “Did he just let you go?” the father questioned. “That's what he said,” Goldie confirmed. “He told me to gather everything to save you. He wasn't a complete monster. He was a cursed prince and… I'm not sure if I'll make it back before we can break it.” “I think there's still time. You have to do what is right.” “But I can't leave you alone, dad. You fainted from exhaustion.” The hippogriff felt so conflicted with what to do, however, something else would make itself known to them. They heard something ruffling in the saddlebag and out popped out a little teacup and the magic mirror. “Oh, I didn't think we'd see him again.” The little teacup hopped over to the two hippogriffs, one of which had a question. “Flake, what are you doing here?” Goldie asked. “I wanted to help you,” Flake said. “I thought you liked the castle.” “I do, Flake. I enjoyed your hospitality, but my father is very important to me. I'm sure your mother is worried sick about you.” The young teacup knew she was right. Then, they heard a knock on the door. Golden Aura went to answer it and could see most of the townsfolk waiting for her outside. “Good evening, Ms. Aura,” the asylum owner said. “We've been given word that your father is unwell.” Goldie was confused until she saw a cart that had the asylum’s logo painted on it. “Are you saying that my father is crazy?” Goldie asked. “He sounded crazy at the tavern,” Thick Block scoffed. “Going on and on about a monster.” Sunshine poked his head out of the door which Block saw. “Go on, tell us what he looked like again.” “He…. He had fangs that could frighten a manticore,” Sunshine explained. The townsfolk just laughed, still think his screws were loose. “He had massive horns and bat wings…. I think it was nine…. ten feet tall.” The folks kept laughing as Garry and Geena picked him up and took him to the cart. “No, stop!” Goldie begged. “My father isn’t crazy!” Then she noticed a smug Bronze Shield leaning against the cottage. “Goldie, I can clear up all of this,” Bronze declared. “You have to do one thing.” “What is it?” “Marry me.” He wrapped his arm around Golden Aura, who was fuming at this point. She knew saying ‘no’ would have her father locked up, so she needed another way of stopping this. Pushing Bronze aside, she walked inside and grabbed the magic mirror, and held it out to the crowd. “Show me the monster!” With a flash, the mirror showed the monster roaring, which probably wasn’t the best image to show. It frightened the townsfolk. “See, I told you,” Sunshine spoke. “He is real!” “A real freak of nature,” one of the folks cried. “No, he’s not like that. Once you get to know him he’s actually very nice. He’s… a good friend.” Goldie smiled as she looked at the monster, something Bronze didn’t like. “If I were to guess, I say you have feelings for this abomination,” he noted. “That’s because he actually takes the time to get to know creatures. If anybody here is a monster Bronze, it’s you!” This was the final straw for the changeling. “She and her old man are both insane. The monster has broken their sanity. Lock them up!” Garry chucked Sunshine into the carriage as Geena grabbed hold of Goldie and chucked her in there too. Both father and daughter were locked inside of the carriage as Bronze took a look at the mirror. He thought about what Golden Aura had done and spoke, “Show me the location of the monster.” The mirror flashed again and it showed the castle. Now, with a sense of direction, Bronze Shield and the townsfolk gather torches, pitchforks, and other items you'd find in an angry mob. Goldie and her father were taken away to the asylum, though the griffons taking them were unaware of their surprised passenger. Garry felt something land on his back and saw Flake, giving a smile. “Hi, I'm Flake,” he proclaimed. Freaking out seeing a talking teacup, Both Garry and Geena caused the cart to swerve and crash. The lock broke off the carriage's door, allowing the two hippogriffs out. They grabbed Flake and quickly made their way to the castle, hoping to catch up with the angry mob. The mob had made it to the castle and were now trying to break down the doors. Sweet Tea was wandering around looking for Flake until she came across the west wing, where the monster was still looking at the rose. She approached him as another petal fell. “Sir, the castle is under attack,” the living teapot said. “What should we do?” “What's the use?” he sighed. “I knew this would happen anyway. Let them break through.” After a couple of more slams of a battering ram, the mob had broken into the castle. They couldn't see anyone, just a bunch of furniture lying about. Thick Block reached for a candle stand, which was Light Touch. “Now!” the candle pony cried. All of a sudden, the furniture sprung to life almost wiping the floor with the mob after taking them by surprise. Bronze Shield was managing to stand his ground however and could see something upstairs. Grabbing a sledgehammer, he gave chase to the monster, who was heading to the top of the castle as a storm started rolling in. Rain poured down and lightning shot down followed by the roars of thunder. Bronze Shield made his way to the top of the castle where he could see what looked like the monster. He swung the sledgehammer and shattered… a statue. Bronze looked around and could see plenty of statues that looked like the monster. Given the poor lightning he had, the monster was trying to blend in. “I know you're here,” Bronze said. “Come out and fight, you coward.” A low growl could be heard and Bronze smashed another statue out of fright. Then the growling got louder and it sounded like it was right behind him. Turning around, the monster slashed at the changeling, knocking the sledgehammer out of his hooves. He pounced at Bronze, who quickly pulled out a dagger, getting a good slash as the monster. He roared in pain as he was just about to give up. Then, he saw something flying towards the castle. It was Goldie. She was fighting against the storm as Flake and her father stayed on the ground for their safety. Seeing her again and knowing she wanted to come back gave the monster the strength he needed. Just before Bronze could get a good stab in, the cursed prince grabbed the blade and yanked it away from Bronze. Defenseless, Bronze tried backing up as the monster had to tell him something. “Leave this castle and never come back,” he ordered. Bronze quickly ran back inside as the monster looked to see Goldie was now struggling in the weather. Opening his bat wings, the monster soared down and grabbed hold of the lovely hippogriff before bring her down onto the balcony, where she was safe. “You... You're alright,” she gasped. “And you came back.” “I was worried about you and the staff.” “It's okay. We're going to be fine.” With the two of them at the moment, they didn't see Bronze Shield, who now had a spear in his hoof. Without warning, he impaled it in the monster's back, who roared out in pain. Bronze was about to take the finishing blow before Goldie tackled him to the floor. The changeling forced the hippogriff off of him. “You know, I don't think I was thinking when I tried to marry you,” Bronze proclaimed. “You're not worth it.” Bronze was about to strike Goldie if it wasn't for the monster getting back up. He grabbed the changeling by his wings, crippling their flight capability. With no method of flying, he was thrown out of the castle and into the ravine. Once they couldn't hear him screaming anymore, the monster collapsed to the floor. Goldie ran to his side. “G… Goldie…” He said weekly. The hippogriff looked in his eyes, almost at the point of crying. The cursed prince smiled. “Thank you, for making me feel happy… again.” With no more strength, the prince passed out with Goldie crying by his side. Some of the audience members are tearing up as well, including Ember. The other cast members from backstage felt the same as well. Little did they know, there was one petal still clinging to the rose. It glowed so brightly it almost engulfed the entirety of the west wing. A golden glow appeared around the monster as he slowly levitated into the air. Golden Aura backed up as she could see the monster was changing. His claws were losing their sharpness and his horns were shrinking into nothingness. Every bit of the monster was changing back into a nice-looking griffon, who was slowly brought back to the floor. Although he had no strength, he managed to stand up and turned to Goldie, who looked amazed. The prince looked at his talons, amazed that they weren't as sharp as razor blades. “Goldie, look,” he gasped. The hippogriff was just as relieved as the prince was. The two embraced in a hug which soon involved a kiss. Loud applause then can be heard, some even cheered. The rest of the castle was being lifted from the curse. The castle staff was being changed back into various creatures instead of animate objects. They quickly made their way to the prince who was overjoyed that they were back to normal. Even Flake came running towards his mother, being changed back from a teacup. A timeshift accrued and Goldie had now moved into the castle, along with her father. Rarity spoke up again to help bring the play to a close. “Thus, with the curse broken, Golden Aura had someone to live happily ever after with.” The curtains closed as the crowd cheered for the show they had just watched. The students each gave a bow, then went to get out of their costumes. Some of the audience came to talk with the students. Sandbar approached his family and hugged them, telling them that it was a success. They’re very proud, especially his little sister. Emerald, Peridot, and Pyther came to their mothers, telling them that it was a good and successful play. With Pyther wiping out the green dye she was coated in, her mother was happy. Gabby, Greta, and Gilda came to meet the griffons, telling them that they did a good job. Silverstream’s mother and father even came to her. “Mom! Dad!” Silverstream exclaimed, giving them an embrace. “Silver,” Skybeak said, then released himself from the hug, “you did a great job. We’re so proud of you!” “You think so?” Silverstream asked. “Of course,” Ocean Flow said. "Not to mention, you had a very good partner on your claws.” They then turned to Gallus, who had a feeling he would be roped into a conversation. “Um... Hey there,” the griffon said nervously. "You don't have to worry about us," Skybeak chuckled. “We were hoping that Silver would have a loyal boyfriend someday. We're happy that you two have become a couple.” That helped Gallus feel better. “Thanks. I'm… honestly surprised it took us this long,” he admitted. "I mean… our friends already started dating, so… it probably made sense that Silver and I got together.” “Hey, dad, you want to see Gallus as a seapony?” Silverstream asked. “Silver!” Gallus cried. “I'm sorry, you look so cute as one.” “I think we have some time,” Skybeak chuckled. “Perfect. There's a pool of water in the middle of the school.” Gallus and the hippogriffs were about to go take a dip until they saw Diamond Shine walking with Applejack and some trashcans. “What are they doing?” Ocean Flow asked. “Don't pay attention to her,” Gallus requested. “She doesn't deserve it.” “What’d you mean?” “You’ll get the context soon.” Gallus chuckled. Diamond Shine didn't utter a single word as she went to help Applejack clean up the bleachers from the audience. Gallus went inside the school to have a bit of swimming with his bubbly girlfriend and her parents. Now, with Gallus and Silverstream together, it’s the beginning of their relationship, just like Sandbar & Yona and Ocellus & Smolder.