//------------------------------//
// Act 2, Scene 2 
// Story: Dragon on the Hearth 
// by KidatHeart5 
//------------------------------//

	The curtains parted again to reveal a beaten-down shelter, sitting besides an ocean set. Angel Bunny and Gummy were shivering in the snow that covered the ground. 
The bunny shivered, “Of all the places we could’ve had for a meeting spot, why did Uriah have to choose this one?!”
The owl then hooted as he landed near his friends. Owlowiscious said, “Thank you for being here. I didn’t know where else we could meet so that Saddleton doesn’t see us.”
Gummy licked his eyeball.
Angel said, “So what’s the problem?”
Owlowiscious said, “Saddleton wants me to get rid of a dragon that’s been bringing a toymaker and his daughter luck. Since the dragon won’t give his luck to my owner, Saddleton wanted me to eliminate him. I need you to help me get the dragon as far away from here as possible.”
Gummy stuck his tongue out toward the ships.
Angel said, “There’s a ship leaving for Chineigh tonight. Maybe we can get the dragon on there safely without Saddleton knowing he’s still kicking.”
Owlowiscious embraced his friends and said, “Oh, thank you, all! I don’t know what I’d do without you!”
The curtains closed and opened again to reveal the animals dragging a tied-up Spike, who pretended to be unconscious. Angel grunted, “Are you…sure that…using that…sleeping powder…was the only way…to get him on…the ship?” 
Owlowiscious hooted, “He never would’ve gone otherwise.”
The animals brought Spike to Claude, who was playing the sea captain. Angel panted, “Here. We brought a lucky dragon to you.”
Claude chuckled wickedly, “Excellent!” He grabbed Spike and put him in a cage. 
When Spike opened his eyes, he began to protest in a muffled voice, which was because of a gag over his mouth.
Owlowiscious asked, “So will you take him to Chineigh?”
Claude said, “Oh, I’m not taking him to Chineigh.” He pulled a lever and continued, “I’m taking you all with him!” He laughed as a net dropped on the animals.
The curtains closed and then parted to reveal the animals and Spike in separate cages. Spike narrated, “Oh, I hitched up with a lovely crew, I can tell you. There I was, setting sail for Chineigh on Hearth’s Warming Eve, leaving poor Bertha in the hands of that…Ugh! What will my family do without their lucky dragon on the hearth?” 
Angel said, “We can hear you, you know.”
Owlowiscious hooted, “Oh, I know that Saddleton can be mean and spiteful, but I think that with some love, he can really change.”
Angel rolled his eyes and said, “Yeah. Like that will ever happen.” 
Offstage, Discord whispered, “Watch it, Angel.” 
Spike sighed, “What are we going to do?”
Just then, Gummy used his tongue to pick at the lock and to the animals’ surprise, his cage door opened!
Spike cried, “Great idea!” He then used his tail to pick at his lock. Angel and Owlowiscious did the same with a hairpin and a feather, respectively. 
As soon as Spike and the animals got out, Angel remarked, “Now why didn’t I think of that?” He looked at a piece of a sail and gasped, “But I’m thinking of this!” He gave Spike the sail while the bunny opened the window. 
Spike said, “Wait…You’re not thinking that…?”
Angel gave him a smug look.
The set then rotated so that the outside of the “ship” was facing the left. Spike climbed onto the edge of the window while Angel held onto his side tightly. 
Spike gulped, “Well, here goes nothing.” 
He then jumped out, and with the help of Discord’s magic, it looked like Spike was using the sail to fly across the “sea”. Owlowiscious followed behind as he carried Gummy. When Spike and the animals reached the “mainland”, they fell onto the “snowy shore”. 
Spike panted, “Is everyone okay?”
Gummy licked his eyeball.
Owlowiscious said, “We’re fine!”
Angel chortled, “That was amazing! I wish we could do that again!”
Spike smirked, “Oh, really? I thought you were dying to get to land the whole way there.”
Angel humphed, “Hmph! Says you.”
Spike asked Owlowiscious, “Are you coming back to the house with me?”
The owl shook his head, “I think I’d better keep my distance for now. He might want me back someday, but he’d probably have my head if I go back now.”
“Okay, if that’s what you want.” He then got up and raced across the stage.
Owlowiscious waved to him, “Good-bye! Set things right!”
Angel also waved to Spike as the bunny said, “Good luck! You’re going to need it!”
The curtains closed again and opened to reveal Spike in front of the house set. He narrated, “It was just before midnight when I got back. Home at last.” He entered the shop via the window set and saw a wedding gown. He said, “Huh? A wedding dress?” He then gasped, “She’s going to go through with it!”
Just then, a cuckoo clock chimed. Spike remarked, “It’s midnight. Midnight on Hearth’s Warming Eve. One hour in the year when magical things are supposed to happen. Oh, maybe this dragon’s still in luck.”
Discord, who was still offstage, used his magic to bring the toys to life. Spike cried, “What the-? The toys! They’re coming to life! Wow! What a sight!” 
The toys then walked up to Spike and a foal doll said, “Oh! We’ve been seen!”
The toy elephant told her, “Now, you know the rules. Ponies must never see toys come to life.”
Spike told the toys, “Oh, don’t worry. I’m not a pony. I’m actually a-“
The foal doll interrupted, “Mama!”
“Oh, no! I’m not that, either! I’m a dragon.”
The elephant wiped its forehead and said, “Phew! Dragons don’t count.”
Spike said, “Let me be the first to say that I am happy to have you on my side.”
A toy pony said, “Aww…”
Spike asked, “You’re all going to help stop poor Bertha from marrying that mismatched skinflint, aren’t you?”
A toy soldier said, “We’d do anything for Caleb and Bertha!”
The toy pony said, “If it wasn’t for them, we’d be ugly.”
The foal doll said, “Mama!”
The elephant patted her head and said, “Hush-hush!”
The toy pony said, “But we haven’t much time.”
The toy boat said, “In a moment, we’ll all have to go to sleep again.”
The ball bounced around, saying, “It’s the rules! The rules! The rules! The rules!”
Spike said, “Yeah, yeah, I get you. So let’s get cracking! Um…any ideas?”
The elephant said, “Conference!”
The toys all huddled into a circle and started talking amongst themselves. When Spike saw that it was enough time, he whistled and said, “All right, break it up! Break it up! Enough talk! Let’s have a little action!”
The toy soldier said, “Righto! Follow me, lads!” He, the toy pony, and the toy ballerina went out the window.
Spike went out the door, crying out, “Wait!” He then opened the door and found the Pegasus gentlecolt sleeping outside. “Why are we bothering with that guy?”
The toys then jumped down and removed the gentlecolt’s hat and beard. Spike gasped, “Can it be? Edward Coltum? But how-?”
The elephant explained, “Allow me to explain. You see, Edward Coltum didn’t drown when his ship went down.”
The toy pony chimed in, “He built himself a raft and sailed to a beautiful, unchartered island. And he was there…”
“Uh, please, sir! He was there two years before a whaler found him and brought him back to Trottingham.”
Spike asked, “Then why the disguise?”
The cuckoo clock then chimed again. 
The elephant said, “Uh-oh! Our time is up!”
The toys went through the door to the unlit half of the stage. Spike demanded, “Hey, get back here! I asked you a simple question and I expect a simple answer!”
Flash woke up and felt his chin. He said, “My beard! My wig!”
Spike told him, “Crocket Dragon’s onto you! Now speak up! The whole story.”
Flash sighed, “Well, I may as well tell you. I was shipwrecked, you see.”
“Look, I know all that: the raft and the island and the whaler. What I don’t understand is the whiskers and wig.”
“I came directly to her, but then I saw she’d gone blind. I realized it was my fault. I couldn’t just step back into her life after what I’d done to her.”
“Oh, come on, now! She needs you more than she needs six new eyes!” 
“That’s what I hoped, but I had to be sure, you see, so I adopted the disguise. That way, I could be near her without anyone knowing. Oh, there were a thousand times I was on the verge of telling her, but…something always interrupted. And yesterday, I made up my mind. You remember, I came in to tell her, only to see her radiant face. Radiant because the most wonderful colt in the world asked her to be his wife. Those were her very words.”
Spike growled, “Arrgh! You…you…you nincompoop!” He crossed his arms and continued, “Paying attention to the words of a gushing female!”
“Oh, no. I could tell she meant it. And he has so much more to offer her. I’m still poor.”
Spike faced him and said, “’Poor’? Why, she wouldn’t trade the Bank of Trottingham for you!”
“I wish I could believe that, Crocket. I came back tonight for one last look at her. I…guess I just fell asleep just watching her.”
“Oh, you’re asleep, all right. Asleep all over. Why, you’re a romantic, sentimental colt. She doesn’t love anypony else but you!”
“If I could only believe that…”
The lights darkened and brightened again to show Spike and Flash at Twilight’s bedside. Spike gently nudged Twilight and said, “Bertha? Bertha? Wake up.” When Twilight opened her faded eyes, Spike said, “Oh, gently. Gently. It’s only me.”
Twilight felt for Spike and held his claw. She said, “Oh! Oh. Oh, Crocket. You’re back. You’re safe.” Spike slowly drew his claw away. 
Twilight asked anxiously, “Crocket? Crocket!” When she felt Flash’s hoof, she said, “Oh. Oh?”
Flash put her hoof between his hooves and said, “Darling…”
“Am I dreaming?” The alicorn felt the Pegasus’s hoof and said, “I…Oh, Edward!” Her voice choked up as she continued, “Edward! Oh, Edward, you’re alive! You’re alive, Edward!”
Spike had to pretend to wipe away a tear.
Twilight continued, “Oh…You’re alive…Edward…Do you know…about me? I’m…”
Just then, another canvas appeared. This time, it was rolling upwards instead of downwards. This painting showed Twilight and Flash getting married in front of a priest. Flash’s singing could be heard from the audio player. As the painting presented itself, Flash’s voice sang, “Through my eyes…You will see the world as it should be…Through my eyes…And one day…you’ll be happy that you found the way…That you saw the world through my eyes…”
Offstage, Discord was very proud of this painting. He had some of the cast pose for the portrait, but he merely took two photos with a camera – one of them being photobombed by him. He then used the good picture to paint the lovely scene. When he was finished, he gushed at it and said that it was his finest work, albeit tied with the painting used for “The First Hearth’s Warming”.
The curtains then closed as the song ended.