//------------------------------// // Chapter 35: Library Rumble // Story: My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// After Shining Armor and his friends had left for Canterlot, Twilight and Spike returned to the Golden Oaks Library. They were more than a little bit concerned as the hours ticked by with no news, but they had faith in Shining Armor, and little reason to suspect that anything might be up. Unable to find any information about the strange events that had unfolded in Ponyville, Twilight had reclutantly gone up to her room to rest while she waited anxiously for any sort of update. Spike himself stayed up for a little while longer, in case Princess Celestia sent him a message. But eventually, he too decided to just take a nap and hope that no news meant good news. He had no idea that he was about to rudely awakened. Suddenly, a cold splash woke Spike up with a start. Apparently, someone had dumped a bucket of water all over him. And he soon found out who it was "What did you do that for Thunderlane?" he asked, quite confused. "Because you just looked so peaceful!" Thunderlane explained "I had to do something to correct that." "Did I do something to you recently?" Spike asked "Whatever it is, I'm sorry." "Oh, don't be silly Spike. You haven't done anything wrong, unless you count being so happy and upbeat a crime!" Thunderlane hissed. "What?!" Spike asked, not believing what he had just heard "Thunderlane, do you realize what you're saying?!" "I do, and I couldn't care less." Thunderlane replied "I'm not the same old soft spoken stallion who foolishy believed actions speak louder than words." Spike said nothing, and backed away slowly. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. A second later, he bumped into something. "Don't even think about laying a claw on Timantha!" Fancy Pants shouted "She's all mine! I found her, and you can't have her!" "Who's Timantha?" Spike asked "All I see is a boulder." "Oh sure, to the untrained eye it looks like a boulder. But I see Timantha for what she really is." Fancy Pants explained "And I'm not letting any of you free loaders get your greedy hooves on it!" "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not interested in touching your diamond?" Big Macintosh lied, as he eyed the diamond. "Okay, can someone please explain to me what's hapanneing, because there's something very funny going on here." Spike said crossly. "It's not me, I can promise you that much!" Braeburn snapped "I'm sick of being a punching bag, and I'm not gonna put up with it anymore!" "What has gotten into all of you?" Spike asked. "It's Discord, plain and simple Spike." Shining Armor explained, looking very stressed out "I didn't think he'd be so hard to bring down, but he's proven to be a very sneaky little weasel. Now come on, you've got to help me find The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide before somepony here does something he'll regret later!" "Hey Shining Armor, I've got a riddle for you." Thunderlane interrupted "What's soaking wet and completely clueless?" "Thunderlane, I am in no mood for your silly-" before Shining Armor could finish, Thunderlane dumped a bucket of water on his head. "Your face of course!" Thunderlane teased, slamming the bucket down onto Shining Armor's head. "See what I mean Spike?" Shining Armor asked "Now come on, we've got to find that book. It's got to be where we can find what we need to stop Discord." "I found it Shining Armor!" Spike called a moment later, but before he could give it to Shining Armor, it was snatched out of his hooves by Thunderlane. This made Shining Armor very cross "Thunderlane, I'm only gonna say this once! You'd better give me that book if you know what's good for your health!" Thunderlane took no notice and shouted "KEEP AWAY!" he tossed the book to Big Macintosh. "Give me back that book!" Shining Armor demanded. "What book? I don't see a book." Big Macintosh lied, and he tossed the book to Braeburn. "Now this is how you have fun." Braeburn chuckled "Catch Fancy Pants!" "I've got it and you're never getting it back!" Fancy Pants teased. What little patience Shining Armor had faded at that very moment "GIVE ME THAT BOOK, NOW!" he demanded, and chased after Fancy Pants. Unfortunately, Shining Armor was no match for his friends in their corrupted state, and they all managed to take turns playing keep away with The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide. All the while, Shining Armor grew crosser and crosser. He had never felt this angry before in all of his life. Eventually, he found that Fancy Pants, who currently held the book, had somehow vanished. "Where did Fancy Pants go?" Shining Armor asked "I know he's here somewhere." "Beats me. I haven't see him." Big Macintosh lied. "LIAR!" Shining Armor shouted and he lunged at Big Macintosh. He quickly found himself fending off both Big Macintosh and Braeburn, as well as Thunderlane. But somehow, he managed to come out of the fight with no lasting injuries. The book he needed clenched firmly in his hooves. But his corrupted friends refused to give up, and slowly crept closer and closer towards him. Lucky, Spike used his fire breath to ward them off. "THIS IS MY BOOK, AND I'M GONNA READ IT WHETHER YOU ALL LIKE IT OR NOT!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. When he opened the book, there, to his relief, were The Elements of Harmony. But although he knew his element would still work, he knew that if he gave his corrupted friends their elements from last time, they would not work. With a little bit of thinking, he switched the elements around as best he could. Big Macintosh was now Kindness, Braeburn was now Generosity, Fancy Pants was now Laughter, and Thunderlane was now Honesty. "Okay, that should do it." Shining Armor stated. "Say, aren't you missing someone?" Spike asked. "Nope, we've got the liar, the grump, the horder, and the brute." Shining Armor explained "That just about settles it if you ask me." "But what about Soarin?" Spike asked. "Thanks for pointing that out Spike." Shining Armor said seriously "Unfortunately, I don't have time to track down that traitor. So congratulations Spike, as of this moment you are officially the new Soarin! Now let's go!" "The new Soarin? But what if Soarin finds out I've been impersonating him?" Spike asked, then an awful thought struck him "Oh, that won't end well at all!" "Too bad, you're gonna be the new Soarin and you're gonna like it!" Shining Armor explained, as he placed The Element of Loyalty around Spike's neck. "Now let's get this over with!" Shining Armor hoped that by defeating Discord, he could return his friends back to the way they were before Discord brainwashed them. And so, Shining Armor, Spike, and four of their friends, raced out of the library and prepared to face down Discord.