//------------------------------// // Alternate Ending by Magic Tricks // Story: This is Cloudsdale! // by deathtap //------------------------------// Change will come… The words remained in Rainbow Dash’s mind for days to come. Rainbow Dash was now an outcast, disowned and not even considered to be Princess of Cloudsdale anymore. The stallion who gave his life to prepare the long wait until change was now dead. His head sliced off of the rest of his body. Separated and his body buried in a unmarked grave to send a message to the rest of the Pegasus race. That the Gerousia is LAW, and their every command must be obeyed no matter HOW cruel it is. As life goes on for the disgraced and disowned Pegasus Princess. Cloudsdale continued to throw away those unworthy to live in Cloudsdale and unworthy to be part of the mighty Pegasus war machine. Rainbow Dash still trained Scootaloo, despite the fact that Scootaloo was considered unworthy at the time she was born. As only true Pegasus foals actually know how to fly at birth.  Rainbow Dash knows she can never prove her worth to Cloudsdale anymore and thus wants to prove her worth to the Wonderbolts, that is if she is even allowed to tryout for the Wonderbolts. Rainbow Dash can’t now as she’s been identified as unworthy. Even Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts, was banished from Cloudsdale forever due to Dash’s actions. Change will come… “Lord Tirek has returned…” The Iridium king said. His fellow leader and the Gerousia were present with the mighty Pegasus army stood atop of the clouds that made up Cloudsdale. Ready to fight against the powerful centaur known as Tirek. “Already those WEAK and WORTHLESS Pegasi that have no right to be a part of our proud kingdom were taken down by this magic thief! As the other ponies and the Princesses of Equestria continue to fruitlessly fight the demon off Tirek. We will be the ones to bring him down once and for all! For it is OUR might that has survived for generations! WE enslaved the earth ponies! WE helped keep the unicorns in check before the arrival of the Celestial Sisters Luna and Celestia! It is OUR might that will defend our glorious kingdom! As shown that the other races are incapable of defending their own! Let this day mark the greatest victory for our race! LET OUR VICTORY MARK THIS DAY THAT THE PEGASI ARE TRULY THE REAL RULERS OF ALL OF EQUESTRIA!” The Pegasi soldiers cheered and roared at their king’s speech. They were going to win the battle and defeat the “mighty” Tirek once and for all. However they are unaware of Twilight gaining the other Princess’ alicorn magic. But that didn’t matter, as they leapt and took flight towards the earth. Not knowing that their arrogance is the first step in their fall from grace... Tirek figured he will now claim the alicorn magic that is his. However he had to first stop the Canterlot Royal Guard before entering the castle. However before he could even march towards Canterlot, from the now powerless Pegasi. He heard the call of unknown number of warhorns being blown. “What is this?” he asked himself. He turned towards the skies and saw the hundreds if not thousands of Pegasi warriors coming towards him. He merely rolled his eyes of the foolishness of the Pegasi Kingdom. He always knew they held on to barbaric laws and traditions. It happened when his brother Scorpan betrayed him and he was sent to Tartarus at the hooves of the Celestial Sisters. Now they were coming at him again with the same arrogance of their ancestors. “Come at me and I will show you why you will fail in your mission to destroy me!” Tirek roared. So they came at them and when he was ready to drain their magic all at once. They did something he never expected. They all broke off into smaller groups and struck him that way. Tirek was now having a hard time trying to drain all of the Pegasi magic from them. Sure he drain a few groups but this little game was driving him mad. He sought to end and end it he did. As he sucked in all of their magic at once like he did the other ponies before them. They just had to take a break and regroup. They should’ve just kept at it and he would’ve been down for the count. But they just stopped where they were at and hovered in their arrogance. King Iridium fell from the sky in shock and horror that he failed, his whole army failed and even the Gerousia failed alongside him. Tirek defeated them all after putting up a fight. Their magic was gone. Their cutie marks were gone too. They were now as powerless as the other ponies before them. Something that shouldn’t have happened to the mighty Pegasus race. But what goes up must eventually go down, or in this case both figuratively and literally. The king was grabbed by Tirek’s powerful hand and the centaur glared at the powerless king with a grin of victory. “So you thought your little strategy would work against me?” Tirek gloated. “You are as arrogant as your ancestor. You thought you could defeat me who has stolen all of the magic from everyone of the three races of ponies in this kingdom!? Sadly to tell but you were wrong. Now you’ve seen my power and you’ve lost your power. All pegasus, earth and unicorns of Equestria has fallen against my terrible might! Let it be known that I, Tirek, have defeated the Pegasi war machine again! Let it be known that the Pegasi of the Pegasi Kingdom has once again shown that no matter how they sort through the weak to find the strong, their own arrogance has lead to their final downfall! I heard that you and your precious Gerousia rejected the very idea of bringing change to your race. I’m afraid to tell you that you can find the most strongest flyer in all of Equestria. But it doesn’t mean a thing to the likes of me and Discord or anything else in Equestria. So now if you’ll excuse me. I have three alicorn princesses who needs to lose their precious power to me.” Tirek dropped the stunned king, as he fell to the ground below his thoughts were a jumbled mess. But most of them were on his failure and thoughts of what Tirek said of his arrogance. Was this demon right in the assumption that they were all arrogant and should’ve adapted to Equestria’s constitution? No, they were in the right. Cloudsdale and all Pegasi remained strong because of it. But they had failed in stopping Tirek. Now as King Iridium lay powerless on the ground near the equally powerless Gerousia. His mind wandered to his daughter Rainbow Dash. How he should’ve been nicer to her and allowed to keep her role as crowned Princess of Cloudsdale and the Pegasi. Tears formed in his eyes as he thought about the audience with the Elements of Harmony a year prior. That herald voted against them and he was put to death, given a traitor’s death for disagreeing with the Gerousia. Now he looked at his fellow king and the Gerousia. Tears of failure and confusion were upon their faces. All wondering what they did wrong. They should have defeated Tirek and now he has their magic and he’s going for the Princesses magic. Oh no… Rainbow Dash was back at Ponyville with the other Elements. Once Tirek was done with Celestia, Luna and Cadence. He was going to learn of the fourth Princess, Twilight Sparkle and will have to go through the other Elements first. Rainbow Dash was in danger and he was powerless to save her and any other worthless Pegasus. ‘What have I done?’ he thought to himself. As he lay there looking at his fellow Pegasi, wondering if they should’ve accepted change right away. They would still fall to Tirek but at least the broken kingdom would’ve been united in one single cause… The defeat of Lord Tirek. After what seemed as hours sounds of a battle taking place within the Everfree Forest was heard. In fact it was a battle, a one on one battle between the new Princess and Tirek. From the sounds the two were rearranging the landscape of the forest. Actually they were… The sounds of fighting and explosions stopped when all Pegasi heard Tirek speak to Twilight Sparkle. “It seems we’re at an impasse.” Tirek said. Tirek lifted up the powerless Discord and remaining five Elements. “I’ll make a deal with you. You give me the alicorn magic and I will release your friends.” Whatever happened it seemed Twilight had accepted the terms of her surrender. As Tirek grew even larger. Now he was as powerful as a god. Nothing can stop him now. Though that was until six bright lights erupted from the forest. All Pegasi warriors looked up to see six bright lights, consisting of white, blue, yellow, purple, pink and orange. The rainbow of colors struck Tirek and he shrank as quickly as he grew. Until there was no giant centaur demon rampaging across the land. Then something even miraculous happened. The six lights split into three groups of two. Two of them were heading towards the fallen group of warriors. King Iridium noticed the two Pegasi heading towards him were familiar. It was Fluttershy and his daughter Rainbow Dash. Both had something different about them. It was their mane tail and wing feathers. The terrified confusion that was on the Pegasi faces was turned to amazement as both Elements flew over them and within a split second of being bathed in both mares lights. Were now able to stand, move and fly. Also their cutie marks returned. “Tell me Your Majesty.” said the stallion Thunderbolt of the Gerousia. “That was your daughter and her weak friend was it not?” “It was and they apparently aided Princess Twilight Sparkle in stopping Tirek. Where we failed as those worthless Pegasi.” “It appears that not all of them are worthless as we initially imagined when we cast them out of Cloudsdale. It appears that they can be strong later on in life.” “You’re not suggesting we change our ways do you?” “Of course not… But I am hinting at maybe a compromise for the time being. Something that will show our thanks to the Princess and the Elements of Harmony.” --- After months of planning the royal families of Cloudsdale and the Gerousia have called a special conference in Canterlot for all of the ponies from Cloudsdale and Equestria to attend. They spent months planning with Celestia and Luna. In preparation for their show of thanks Princess Twilight Sparkle and her Royal Court of Friendship. “Twilight why are we here?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Didn’t the Gerousia already made up their minds in keeping their barbaric laws?” “Yeah I’m actually as confused as you are.” Twilight looked as the door opened to show Celestia, Cadence and Luna enter the conference room with the rulers of Cloudsdale and the Gerousia. All had stoic looks on their faces. “They have come to us in agreement of a compromise.” Celestia said. “HUH?” the Mane Six said at once. “It’s been months after we have failed in our duty to stop Tirek.” Thunderbolt said. “After putting in an unanimous vote we have decided to not change our laws. BUT we will make changes to them.” “So this means…” Rainbow Dash asked. “All those deemed weak and unworthy will be banished from Cloudsdale and sent to live in an orphanage we’re building under Cloudsdale for the foals already there under the care of Mama Cupcake. We have also voted on stopping our harassment of Mama Cupcake, as well as those banished allowed to visit Cloudsdale and even get to meet their parents. But we will still separate the weak from the strong. The weak may not allowed be Cloudsdale citizens nor serve in our military, but they can form their own militia under Equestria’s banner. We’re also reinstating Captain Spitfire’s citizenship. She may return to the Wonderbolts at any time and pick who can be in the Wonderbolts. No longer is she allowed to pick from the strong Pegasi of our kingdom.” Thunderbolt said. “Like we said to the three Princesses present. This is not changing our laws or accepting Equestria’s constitution, but it IS a compromise to show our thanks to you six and what you had to do to stop Tirek after our failure.” “How did this come about now?” Applejack asked. Celestia stepped forward. “Tirek told them about their arrogance that their ancestors had. Thousand of years ago when Tirek was first banished to Tartarus. The Pegasi race back then too were arrogant. They could’ve been wiped out if it wasn’t our interference into the fight that ended the war with Tirek. Which is to say that I am happy they finally acknowledged it. It led to their ancestors to be most stubborn.” The Gerousia glared at Celestia as Luna hid her snickering. King Iridium turned to them. “She has a point you know.” “Now let this conference come to it’s end and we will continue to see change happen in the future.” Celestia said. --- It’s been a long hard road for hundreds of years. But finally the Gerousia has been dissolved as Cloudsdale becomes part of Equestria by adopting the nation’s constitution. Prism and her husband walked over to the memorial of her great grandmother, Rainbow Dash. It finally happened Grandma Dash… Change has finally come…