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Curtain Rise!
Act XV: Moonlight
Scene i: Poor Unfortunate Souls
Sweetie Belle walked through the forest, the Sun blotted out by the trees above. The filly ignored the darkness and sounds around her, focused on only one thing and one thing only. She soon got out of the forest and into the searing hot Sun. She put a hoof across her brow to keep the Sun out of her eyes. Beads of sweat were already forming on her brow as she walked across the barren landscape.
Sweetie Belle made her way to a large dessert cave that seemed do go down into the ground for an eternity. The filly looked down into the darkness, and reached into her saddle bag. She pulled out one ruby and tossed it into the hole. She watched the shinning object fall into the abyss and make a clattering sound. After a moment, a rumbling sound can be heard.
"Spike?" Sweetie Belle whispered.
With a mighty whoosh, a four headed Hydra burst out of the cave. Sweetie Belle screamed in fear as she fell onto her back. She looked up in terror as she realized that the Hydra had the heads of Spike, Rarity, Twilight, and Diamond Tiara. Twilight and Diamond laughed maniacally as Spike licked Rarity's cheek. Then without warning, the Hydra's four heads dived down with their jaws open wide.
Sweetie Belle nearly fainted as an intense beam of blue light shot past her, obliterating the heads of the Hydra. The scaly green body feel back down the hole and burst into a huge mushroom cloud of smoke.
The filly quickly turned as the hot Sun became a brightly shining Moon. She saw the night blue Alicorn land down on the ground next to her.
"Princess Luna!" Sweetie Bell gasped.
The Princess of the Night smiled as she walked over to the filly. "Another nightmare banished, young filly. But you still have a fear you must face."
"You know," Sweetie Belle said.
Luna nodded.
Sweetie Belle sighed, "It's not fair. Spike is perfect for me, and I'm perfect for him. But all he can think about is Rarity. No matter what I say, he won't accept me. I don't know why, it's not fair. . ." Tears trickled down her face. She shook her head furiously and shouted, "I just want him so badly! I WANT HIM! I WANT HIM! UUUGHHH!"
Luna watched Sweetie Belle stamp the ground in a miniature fit. She observed the filly carefully as her mind worked hard.
"I have to play this out carefully. I can't simply take the magic, I have to get her to loosen her hold over it. Luckily, her heart is filled with greed and selfish desires. Desires I can take advantage of."
"I can help you."
Sweetie Belle looked up at Luna in surprise. "You can?"
Luna nodded with a small smile, "I can help you get Spike to admire you more than your sister."
"Really?"
"Really," Luna repeated, "I understand how you feel. Your sister may be generous in some ways, but selfish in others. She can also be self-absorbed and ignorant of the needs of others. This is why you do not want Spike to be with her. However, he has his heart set on her, and you cannot break that. . .alone. . ."
Luna paced around Sweetie Belle, staring at her. The filly turned around and stared at the Princess nervously.
"As Princess of the Night, I have very much magic," she said, "I have power of matter, energy, and life. Therefore, I have the power to change you Sweetie Belle. The only way to get what you want is to become a dragoness yourself."
Sweetie Belle's eyes lit up in amazement, "Can you do that?"
Luna chuckled a bit, and lifted Sweetie Belle's chin with her hoof, "My dear, sweet child. That's what I do. It's what I live for. To help unfortunate ponies like yourself. Poor souls with no one else to turn to."
Luna's horn began to glow as beams of moonlight danced around the pair.
I admit that in the past I've been a nasty
They weren't kidding when they called me Nightmare Moon.
But you'll find that nowadays
I've mended all my ways
Repented, seen the light, and now a boon
To ponykind.
And I fortunately know a little magic
It's a talent that I always have possessed
And dear filly, please don't laugh
I use it on behalf
Of the miserable, the lonely, and depressed
Pathetic
Luna used her magic to create an image of a frightened looking Scootaloo. She jumped to the image's side and looked at it sympathetically.
Poor unfortunate souls
In pain, in need
This one longing to for a sister
This one got faced her greatest fear
And do I help them?
Yes, indeed!
The image changed to Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash hugging.
Those poor unfortunate souls
So sad, so true
They come crawling to my hooves
Crying, "Spells, Luna, please!"
And I help them!
Yes I do!
The images banished with a flash, and Sweetie Belle looked up to see Luna lounging on a crescent moon with an innocent smile on her face.
Now it's happened once or twice
Someone couldn't pay the price
And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em 'cross the coals
Yes I've had the odd complaint
But on the whole I've been a saint
To those poor unfortunate souls
Luna hopped off of the moon and landed in front of Sweetie Belle. "Have we got a deal?" she said
Sweeite Belle frowned in though, "If I become a dragoness, nopony will recognize me."
"But you'll have your dragon," Luna said coaxingly, "Life's full of tough choices, isn't it? . .. Oh, and there is one more thing. We haven't discussed the subject of payment."
Sweetie Belle blinked, "But I don't have-"
Luna waved her hoof dismissively, "I'm not asking much, just a token really. A trifle! What I want from you is -," Luna taped Sweetie Belle's horn with her hoof, "- your magic."
Sweetie Belle's eyes widened in disbelief, "But without my magic, how can I-?"
"You'll have your looks, your pretty face," Luna said as she gently squeezed Sweetie Belle's face with her hooves,"And don't underestimate the importance of pyrotechnics! Ha-ha!"
The dragons up there don't like a lot of sparkle
They think flashy pony magic is a bore!
In their land it's much preferred for ladies not do cheap tricks.
And after all dear, what is pony magic for?
Come on, they're not all that impressed with spells of equines.
True dragons all avoid it when they can
Dragons are mostly brawn
They want pony magic gone
A reserved hot dragoness will get her man
Come on you poor unfortunate soul
Go ahead!
Be reborn!
I'm a very busy Princess and I haven't got all day
It won't cost much
Just your horn!
A scroll appeared next to Luna and unrolled itself to it reached the ground. A feather quill with ink suddenly appeared in front of Sweetie Belle. The filly looked up at the eagerly smiling Princess before her.
You poor unfortunate soul
It's sad but true
If you want to cross the bridge, my sweet
You've got the pay the toll
Take a gulp and take a breath
And go ahead and sign the scroll!
"I'm so close, I know I've got her now! I know I'm on a roll!" Luna thought eagerly.
This poor unfortunate soul!
Scene ii: Joker's Song
Sweetie Belle stared at the quill and the long scroll. Luna smiled invitingly and tapped the scroll. Sweetie Belle blinked, but the she turned to the quill.
"Well," she finally said, "You're kinda stupid, Luna," she then crushed the quill under her hooves.
"YOU ARE THE STUPID ONE!" Luna roared, loosing her patience instantly, "THIS IS YOUR ONLY CHANCE TO GET WHAT YOU WANT!"
Sweetie Belle turned fast and glared at the Princess, "No! That was the your only chance to get what you want!"
"WHAT COULD I POSSIBLY WANT?!" Luna challenged.
"My magic!"
The two ponies stared each other down for a long tense moment. Luna's eyes were angry and hard, while Sweetie Belle's were defiant and blazing with some inner madness.
"You want my magic, don't you?" Sweetie Belle hissed, "You want to have the power to control the Fates of ponies! You want that power! So you can really rule Equestria! Completely! Totally!"
"You're wrong," Luna replied coolly.
"Well, you can't have it! It's mine! MINE! ALL MINE! MINE!" Sweetie Belle screamed.
"Listen to me," Luna said in a calmer tone, releasing her plan to trick the filly had failed, and that diplomacy was the only option, "This power is just too much for you. You're hurting ponies. You have to let it- AAAIEEEEE!"
A spark had jumped from Sweetie's horn an arched straight into Luna's right eye. The Princess of the Night stumbled backward as she pressed a hoof over her pain-filled eye. She landed on her rump and bit her lip as pain raced through her optic nerves. Despite her blindness, Luna's other senses were still as sharp as ever, so she quickly detected the strange faint music that had started to play around her.
"I knew this would be dangerous. . .I knew it. . .if only my plan hadn't failed. . .now her powers are being amplified by the energies of the Dreamscape!"
Just as Luna finished her thought, the music suddenly became louder and more dramatic. Still blinded, Luna could hear Sweetie Belle moving around her, singing mischievously.
Grinning down through the gates
Watch the night suffocate
All the light as it smothers the sun
I can tell by the moon
You'll be joining me soon
As a guest in my fortress of fun!
And I can't wait to see you
And once again free you
Released from your humorless air
Someday I will replace
That big frown on your face
With a smile and a murderous glare
The pain in Luna's eye faded, and she removed her hoof to find that Sweetie Belle was nowhere to be seen.
We are two of a kind
Violent, unsound of mind
You're the yin to my yang, can't you see?
Look around a believe
Give up, crumble and grieve
Face it, Luna...
You have just lost to me!
You have lost (You have lost)
You have lost (You have lost)
Face it, Luna...
You have just lost to me!
Suddenly a cloud appeared beneath Luna's hooves and carried her up into the air. She was surrounded by crayon drawn stars, and far off she could see a paper crescent moon. The silhouette of Sweetie Belle could be seen standing in a pose on the moon as she sang.
I'm just trying to show you
Just how well I know you
I understand just how you feel
Threw your reason away
'Cause you had one bad day
And your mind let go of the wheel
the silhouette disappeared and Sweetie Bell floated by on cloud. She lounged lazily on the soft platform with her eyes closed while singing.
It's the end of the battle
You pout and I prattle
Don't you get that you've lost the game?
But you'll not make it end
You don't have any friends
We are opposites but we're the same
Luna fired a magic beam at the cloud. It burst and sent Sweetie Belle flying up. However, the filly simply floated downward like a feather.
We are two of a kind
Violent, unsound of mind
You're the yin to my yang, can't you see?
Look around a believe
Give up, crumble and grieve
Face it, Luna...
You have just lost to me!
You have lost (You have lost)
You have lost (You have lost)
Face it, Luna...
You have just lost to me!
Luna jumped off of her cloud and down towards the filly. The filly floated up with a smile and orbited around Luna, constantly just out of her line of sight. Luna feathers were very much ruffled as Sweetie Belle chuckled in her ears.
We have so many wonderful stories
I have figured out the mind of Luna
A hero with no praise or glory
Just her horn and her wings and her...
There was a sudden silence that was eerier than anything for Luna. Luna looked up at the full moon shining down on her.
"Moon. . ." Sweetie Belle whispered, suddenly appearing right next to Luna's ear.
A huge beam of light shot down from the moon and crashed on top of Luna. The Princess of the Night cried out in shock as the moonbeam dragged her up toward the moon. Luna cried out in fear and dismay as she was slowly being pulled up and up and up.
Sweetie Belle laughed gleefully as she rolled on the ground, watching as Luna was dragged off. She was running out of breath from all the laughing as she sang.
We are two of a kind
Violent, unsound of mind
You're the yin to my yang, can't you see?
Look around a believe
Give up, crumble and grieve
Face it, Luna...
You have just lost to me!
You have lost (You have lost)
You have lost (You have lost)
Face it, Luna...
You have just lost to me!
Scene iii: Tears From the Moon
Deep in the Everfree, Spike trudged onward in the dark. There was no carpetbag to carry his stuff in this time. He had nothing, and was completely on his own. The idea of hiding out at Zecora's place had crossed his mind, but he was now way too lost to find it. Spike shuddered as a cold breeze whooshed by him.
"Why does the night seem so colder all of a sudden?" Spike wondered. Spike spotted a hollow tree and ran into it, taking a momentary shelter from the cold.
"Rarity. . .Sweetie Belle. . ." Spike whispered as he hugged himself for warmth. "Why did you have to do this, Sweetie Belle? Why couldn't you let me and Rarity be together. . ." Pain attacked his heart as he thought of Rarity, and how things had been going so good between them until that fateful morning. "Why does Sweetie Belle have that power? Why?" Spike asked himself. No answer came. Spike sighed and got back up. It was still too cold to go to sleep.
Spike marched on through the dark forest, hoping for some sort of guide to aid him. He closed his eyes as he softly hummed to himself, trying all his mind to get his mind of the unpleasantness. He brought thoughts of Rarity into his mind, and focused on them for some spiritual warmth.
Couldn't sleep so I went out walking
Thinking about you and hearing us talking
And all the things I should have said
Echo now, inside my head
Spike walked under a break in the trees, and stopped suddenly as moonlight shone down on him.
I feel something falling from the sky
I'm so sad I made the angels cry. . .
Spike looked up and gasped.
The Mare in the Moon was back.
Spike felt his heart pump and his breath grow faster as he looked at the moon and whispered to it, reaching out to the sad Alicorn on its surface.
Tears from the moon
Fall down like rain
I reach for you
I reach in vain
Spike fell to his knees and sat there, under the moonbeams falling all around him.
Tears from the moon
Tears from the moon
Spike looked up at the moon with tears in his eyes. Not bothering to wipe his eyes, Spike spoke to it soflty.
It just ain't fair this thing called loving
When one's still there and the other feels nothing
Spike looked across into the darkness ahead of him. The image of Rarity seemed to appear out of the thick column of moonbeams that suddenly cascaded down through a another break in tree cover. Spike approached the image and spoke to it.
would have done anything for you
I still love you, baby I adore you
All day I keep from falling apart
But at night when the sky gets dark
Just as he was about to touch it, the image of the unicorn vanished. Spike sighed and simply fell onto his back. He stared straight up at the Mare in the Moon above him.
Tears from the moon
Fall down like rain
I reach for you
I reach in vain
Spike closed his eyes and he could see Rarity's face appear in his mind's eye. Spike felt more tears squeeze out from under her eyelids as he shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the image.
Stop, Stop haunting me
It should be easy
As easy as when you stopped wanting me
Tears from the moon
Fall down like rain
I reach for you
I reach in vain
Spike opened his eyes and looked once more at the moon.
Tears from the moon
Fall down like rain
but tears from the moon
can't wash away the pain
Spike felt the moonbeam gently caress his face, as if they were the gentle hooves of a Princess. Spike sat up and saw a path of moonbeam shining down through the trees. Spike's eyes widened as he looked down the illuminated path. It soon occurred to Spike what he should do.
"Luna. . ." Spike said softly as he got up. He took a final deep breath and wiped away his tears. Then, with a new purpose, the little dragon walked forward beneath the moonlight, softly singing to himself.
Tears from the moon
Tears from the moon
Tears from the moon
Tears from the moon. . .
Curtain!