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Curtain Rise!
Act XXII: The Execution
Scene i: That's What You Get
All of the remainder of Ponyville was aroused from their slumber as the massive search party returned. They all turned on their lights and opened their windows, sticking their heads out to see what all the commotion was.
Leading the large group were Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. Between them was the purple dragon himself tied up and sitting inside Pinkie's Party Cannon.
Ponies gasped and left their houses to get a closer look at the criminal dragon. Sympathy for Sweetie Belle, who had such a wonderful musical talent; and Rarity, who had created so many beautiful outfits for them; burned brightly in their souls. This slowly turned into anger for the dragon who had harmed the two innocent ponies and broke their hearts.
Mayor Mare came out of Town Hall to meet the group as they brought the dragon over. "Good work," she said to Pinkie, Dash, and Applejack. Then she glared hard at Spike and said, "Well, it seems your path of destruction has come to an end!"
The huge crowd of ponies cheered at the mayor's statement. Spike, however, seemed very uninterested and turned away.
"Don't be rude! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Mayor Mare said angrily, "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Spike continued to silently frown, still not looking at Mayor Mare, but staring into the angry crowd. The crowd was muttering darkly, some suggesting possible punishments for the dragon before them. However, something suddenly broke through the crowd. It was a small white unicorn filly.
Spike glared fiercely at Sweetie Belle as she skidded to a halt in front of Town Hall.
Pinkie spun Spike around in the Party Cannon and said, "Well, here he is, Sweetie Belle! We got him right where we all want him! All tied up!"
"Heh-heh, yeah Pinkie," Sweetie Belle chuckled a bit. She then went over to the spinning cannon and stopped it with her hoof. Spike's eyes were spinning along with his head as his entire being was overcome with dizziness. Eventually he managed to recover and was face to face with the unicorn filly. "Spike," she whispered softly so only he could hear, "I can get you out of this, no questions asked. I can fix everything. I can put all of the blame on Diamond Tiara right now," Sweetie Belle smiled softly, "All you have to do is realize how perfect we are for each other. . ." She leaned close to Spike's ear and whispered, "I still love you."
Spike suddenly spat out a spurt of fire, which scorched Sweetie Belle's left cheek. She squealed and stumbled back as the whole crowd gasped in shock and disgust at the action.
"You got a lot of nerve," Spike said angrily, "After what you did to Twilight."
Everyone became confused when they heard that statement.
Sweetie Belle was completely shocked, "You know- I- I mean, what are you talking about?!"
Spike shifted his weight forward and rolled out of the cannon in an undignified manner.
"Not so fast!" Rainbow Dash said as she stepped on Spike's back, holding him down.
"You're reign of terror has come to an end!" Mayor Mare declared.
Spike growled as he tried to push himself up. She glared at Mayor Mare angrily. She then turned her gaze to Sweetie Belle.
"Don't even look at me!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, "You monster!"
Spike snorted smoke out of nostrils. He kept his eyes directly on Sweetie Belle. Then, with a mighty burst of draconian strength, Spike snapped the ropes and pushed Rainbow Dash off of him. He got up on his feet and walked angrily towards Sweetie Belle, pointing angrily at her as he moved.
No girl!
Well, I don't wanna be the blame, not anymore
It's your turn, so take a seat
We're settling the final score!
And why do you like to hurt so much?
Sweetie Belle went through a feeling of fear, but then it turned to anger as her horn turned green, and she shouted back at him.
I can't decide, you have made it harder
Just to go on
And why, all the Possibilities
Well, I was wrong
Spike stomped on the ground in response as he continued.
That's what you get
When you let your heart win, whoa!
That's what you get
When you let your heart win, whoa!
I drowned out all my sense away
With the sound of your singing!
And that's what you get
When you let your heart win, whoa.
"Shut-up!" Sweetie Belle shouted, "You attacked me and my big sister!"
Spike's eyes widened in shock, but then they turned somber as sudden realization came to him. He frowned as he replied.
I wonder,
How am I supposed to feel
When she's not here?
'Cause you burned every bridge I ever built
When you were here
I still try holding onto silly things
I never learn
Oh why, all the possibilities
I'm sure you've heard
That's what you get
When you let your heart win, whoa!
That's what you get
When you let your heart win, whoa!
I drowned out all my sense
With the sound of your singing!
And that's what you get
When you let your heart win, whoa!
Spike turned dramatically to the crowd and held his arms out to them. He smiled defiantly as he shouted out loud.
Pain! Make your way to me, to me
And I'll always be just so inviting
If I ever start to think straight
This girl, will start a riot in you
Let's start, start, hey!
Why do you like to hurt so much?
Oh, why do you like to hurt so much?
That's what you get
When you let her heart win, whoa!
That's what you get
When you let her heart win, whoa!
That's what you get
When you let her heart win, whoa!
Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie all pounced upon Spike at that moment and fought to restrain him once again. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle just stood back, silently watching, and softly singing.
Now I can't trust myself
With anything like this
And that's what you get
When you let your heart win, whoa. . .
Scene ii: Master Passion Greed
Spike was chained to a wooden stake on top of a pile of sticks and charcoal. Spike looked down a sniffed. "Burning a dragon at the stake? Twilight was right. I am gonna get out of this just fine" Spike thought.
The crowd looked on venomously at the young dragon. Sweetie Belle looked on angrily.
"Just like I said. He's gonna burn!"
"Um, Sweetie Belle?"
Sweetie Belle turned to see her five friends approaching them. Dinky, Button, Scootaloo, and Applebloom were nervously hanging in the back. Silver Spoon was standing in front, leading them.
"Sweetie Belle," Silver Spoon said softly, "Listen. I'm starting to get worried about all this."
"Spike broke my heart and attacked my sister," Sweetie Belle said angrily.
"But all this revenge?!" Silver Spoon cried, her voice at a fever pitch. "Revenge on Twilight! Revenge on Diamond Tiara! Revenge on Spike! This is all just too much! I'm not even sure if they deserved-"
A larger sized spark shot out from Sweetie Belle's horn and right into Silver Spoon's mouth. She chocked and gagged, covering her mouth as she coughed.
"I'll talk to you all later," Sweetie Belle angrily as she turned away and walked in Spike's direction.
Applebloom turned nervously to the others and said, "Ah think there's something a little off about Sweetie Belle."
"Ya think?" Scootaloo said sarcastically.
Button moaned and said, "I want the old Sweetie Belle back! Not a Siren Enchantress from the ancient cove of Eastern Humgolia!"
Mayor Mare and the three remaining members of the Mane Six stood around the defenseless dragon, loathing in their eyes.
"Do you have anything to say for the horrible crimes you have committed?" Mayor Mare asked loud and clear.
Spike looked up to see Sweetie Belle approaching him. He looked straight at her and said, "Sweetie Belle, this is your last chance to end all of this. You can still fix this. If you explain what you were thinking and feeling maybe everypony could-."
"Shut-up! Shut-up! SHUT-UP!" Sweetie Belle shouted, shaking her head frantically," You're the one who's bad! Don't even talk to me! You're evil and I'm good! That's what Fate and Destiny says!" Sweetie Belle glared at Spike furiously, "So don't you even talk to me!"
Sweetie Belle ran in close and stood eye to eye with the dragon. There were only centimeters away. The unicorn filly suddenly felt enraged. She began shouting in the dragon's face as her anger threatened to boil over. Her horn illuminated with green light as her screams formed a song of fury and rage.
Who the hay are you to tell me
What to do, why to do, why bother?
Leech in a mask of virtue
Such waste, to ever think of you again.
Hey Sombra, your Empire was my love.
Hit and run, you're be done.
Never sorry, never wrong,
More, more, more, more, more.
Master Passion Greed!
Master Passion Greed!
Sweetie Belle backed up from Spike and just stared at him while fuming. Then she regained her breathe and resumed disparaging him.
Hello, how are you?
Let me explain one thing.
Grew from your greed for all to see.
Why is it so hard to see?
I see no sense in doing this,
Not enough for me,
You almost destroyed everything on that day..
This time
This time you won't flee,
Panting and weak.
Master Passion Greed!
Master Passion Greed!
Master Passion Greed!
Master Passion Greed!
Spike watched Sweetie Belle with a look of almost pity as she fell down to her knees and trembled.
All within me gone but pain and hope,
Hoping that the pain will fade away.
Sweetie Belle looked up slowly. Spike looked into her eyes. For a moment, he could almost see the soul of a horrified filly, filled with self loathing and disgust for everything around her, and who wanted to let go of all her power and find some kind of piece.
"Sweetie Belle?" Spike asked softly.
As soon as he spoke, Sweetie Belle gained a look of loathing for Spike and continued her assault.
Greed your master passion,
I feed the mouth that bites me.
Mammon, opiate of the masses,
The reek of your lies draws flies.
Sought her,
Seduced her,
Tamed her,
Blamed her,
Had her,
Killed her.
Sought her,
Seduced her,
Tamed her,
Blamed her,
Feast on it all.
Sought her,
Seduced her,
Tamed her,
Blamed her,
Had her,
Killed her.
Sought her,
Seduced her,
Tamed her,
Blamed her,
Feast on it all.
With awakening the tears will begin.
To your everlasting shame silence will take you!
Scene iii: Slaying the Dreamer
As the crowd cheered and stomped, a large green spark shot out of her horn and landed on the fuel around Spike's feet. Spike looked down in an almost uninterested expression as the fuel around her began to catch fire. Sweetie Belle gave a small smile, but turned away so nopony else could get a good look at her facial expression.
The crowd began to get rowdy and restless. Some even threw clods of dirt and grass at the dragon tied to the stake. Mayor Mare was shaking a bit, and befor long found herself running into the Town Hall with a pale look on her face. Rainbow Dash had a conflicted, almost puzzled look on her face. Pinkie Pie and Applejack simply turned away sadly, but Rainbow Dash looked almost as if she wanted to do something, or intervene in some way, but something strong and foreign in her mind was holding her back, and it was something she just couldn't overcome.
Spike narrowed his eyes at the ponies around him. The smoke that he snorted out of his nostril mixed with the smoke billowing around him, Addressing the crowd as a whole, the dragon began to say his final piece.
I'm a priest for the poorest sacrifice
I'm but a raft in a sea of sorrow, sorrow and greed
You bathed in my wine
Drank from my cup, mocked my rhyme
Your slit tongues licked my aching wounds
Put a stake! Through my heart
And drag me into sunlight
So awake! For your greed
As you're slaying the dreamer
Spike looked down at the fire licking against his scaly feet. Spiek couldn't feel any heat at all through his scales. He looked up and addressed the crowd again.
Swansong for the Wish of Night
God it hurts, give a name to the pain
Our primrose path to Tartarus is growing weed
Put a stake! Through my heart
And drag me into sunlight
So awake! For your greed
As you're slaying the dreamer
Spike gave a deviant laugh as he stood tied to the burning stake. He then closed his eyes and shouted.
Blame me, it's me!
Coward, a good-for-nothing scapegoat
Dumb kid, living a dream!
Romantic only on a paper!
Spike turned and craned his neck to look at Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash.
Tell me why! You took all that was mine!
Stay as you lay - don't lead me astray!
Tell me why! You took all that was mine!
Stay as you lay - don't lead me astray!
At this moment, Spike began to have a coughing fit. He realized that the smoke was starting to get really thick around his head. After coughing a bit more, Spike continued to make himself heard.
Wake up! Mow the weed!
You'd be nothing without me!
Take my life if you have heart, heart to die!
You all each became her tool
Obeyed her words, played for a fool
Gather your precious glitter and leave me be!
The Great Ones are all gone
And I'm tired, too.
The smoke overtook the little dragon again, and he coughed and hacked to get the black soot out of his lungs. Then, with the last of his breath, the dragon shouted as loud as he could.
I!
Truly!
Hate!
You!
All!
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The crowd gasped and screamed as a huge burst of smoke exploded where Spike was tied up. Many ponies backed away in fear, but one little filly just stood in place as she looked on in shock.
When the smoke finally cleared, where Spike once was, there was now a large, deep, dark hole in the ground.
Curtain!
......................did they actually expect to burn a dragon at the stake?........... really? its like trying to drown a sea serpent. sweetie bell did not think this much through did she?
i am still questioning how a being like luna or celestia could be affected by that magic........... at all. it is one thing to affect the minds of normal ponies, or even young alicorns. but we are talking about ponies whose consciousness and memory span ten lifetimes.
not to mention it sounds a lot like what discord did to the mane six, get in their heads and mess with their perception........... if they could beat discord, a chaos beast, mind altering magic, then this magic should be no different if not even easier. we are talking the difference of a being of chaos and a filly with a lot of power but is sitll nothing more than a foal gone rogue.
FINALLY A FAMILIAR SONG XD nice use of a Paramore song by he way
rhis is a good story but if you do finish it can you make a new romance story with spike and sweetiebelle? cuse its the best ship.
3581296 Well, Celestia and Luna were trashed by vines in the Season 4 premiere, they're not as powerful as you think. The Mane 6 were also unable to break themselves out of Discord's brain-wash, they required Twilight to blast them
3582561 ..........the vines in question were obviously the only option discord had. if he was truly more powerful than them, then he would not have needed to bind them. when he has disabled a threat he normally ignores it, like what happened to him with the mane six. he obviously could not do that to the regal sisters. more than likely the situation was less, he is more powerful than them and either that fighting him was going to cause a horrible disaster, even if the won, or that defeating him through mundane means was far more difficult.
the vines in question are not exactly what I would call comparable. they had stolen the energy of something that bound the entirety of the everfree in place. they probably oculd have bound discord if they viewed him as a threat, as discord could not directly harm the Tree itself. and a physical restraint is not the same as a magical curse, if likely a restraint binding their magic..........
and it is less power and more time. they have had centuries to develop their own identity, their quirks and weaknesses, and have vast memories and experiences. we are talking about altering a mind so aware of their own identity and have memories to base that identity on that last more pony lifetimes than most other beings in equstria currently.
basically it is altering the behavior of a being whose experiences are too long and complex to actually alter their identity. especially done from a mind both unhinged and far too young, especially if said mind thought she could somehow burn a fire lizard at the stake. not to mention the mane six are obviously beginning to become aware that something is terribly wrong, just not yet able to break out yet.
she did not even blast them, and the princesses should have been able to heal her immediately. it was telepathy. she communicated to them, made them remember their own experiences through her own with them, thus causing the surpressed personalities, their true selves, to come ot the surface.
3583147 The vines that trapped Luna and Celestia were getting torn up by Big Mac and Applebloom, they're not that strong.
Also, being alive for a long time means little when Sweetie basically gives you mental suggestion, not memory rewrites
3583383 ................. they were trying to do that and failing if you noticed. besides the vines were not binding them, simply growing and spreading. and we are also talking about the vines dragging them to theri epicenter, around the tree, too.
and considering the display of power they gave during their little duel, ti shows the sisters are not pushovers. and i repeat, discord, who ignored the mane six once he felt them neutralized, could nto neutralize the regal sisters by his own power to begin with. perhaps they could not destroy him, but he could not be rid of them either.
a mental suggestion done by magic is still altering perception. it is making them view things another way that they would not normally view.
3583450 Big Mac bit off a chunk of it with no effort and Applebloom was yanking one out with no trouble, they were doing better than Celestia's performance. The sisters showed nothing special in their duel, the biggest feat we saw was Nightmare Moon cutting through the roof, something Twilight did without a seat in Canterlot Wedding.
Discord overpowered the sisters without even trying, he had overrided their control of the Sun and Moon without being hurt or strained at all. Also, remember the flash back with Discord? Yeah, guess who looked beaten up, Celestia or Discord?
Altering perception is not the same thing as a memory rewrite
3583585 ............... considering discord's chaotic nature, would he look beat up? and they seemed to have been mildly hurt if anything fighting a chaos beast like discord to begin with. he obviously did not easily beat them, perhaps did not even beat them at all, if he could not use his powers to harm them. he was able to strip the mane six of theri natural attributes, yet the most he seemed to be able to do is steal celestia's tail. he managed to cause their minds to becomign twisted, theri perception atlered, but he obviuosly could not do that to the regal sisters.
it seems it was far less him beign stronger and more a stalemate, one discord feared the continuation of. so he planed on not only killing the tree but bind the princesses as well. and causing the sun and moon to got locko is not exactly proof of him beign stronger, simply altering the rules around him. and for his aiblity to make the sun and moon have a hissy fit, he needed to rely on the stolen power of the Tree of Harmony than be able to bind the reigants themselves.
whether giving suggestions or altering memory, it alters the perception of the being, and alters how their minds work. if anything pinkie pie and rainbow would be more queestioning of trying to harm spike, and applejack would all out realize that hurting spike is not a good idea. they would not normally think of harming him, or at the very least would ahve stopped the.......... very poorly conceived execution..... next thing we know sweetie belle is going to try to drown a fish.
3583640 If Discord's "chaotic nature" gives him regeneration, doesn't that make hims stronger than the sisters? Also, how can you be serious that Discord didn't beat them?!
static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131126002550/mlp/images/9/93/Celestia_and_Luna_facing_Discord_S4E2.png
They sure look like they're in mint condition He stole Celestia's tail with no trouble, he could have easily taken her head if he wanted to. Discord didn't warp the sisters' minds because he didn't think they were a threat, did you see his reaction to the Elements? The Tree of Harmony did not get it's power drained, it was just being killed. Discord's vines which were being torn up by regular ponies one-shotted Celestia and Luna. The fact that the Sun and Moon were moving against Celestia and Luna's will is proof enough that they are complete garbage to him.
No, the spell makes you think Sweetie is right. It doesn't alter your perception, just makes it so you are Sweetie's dancing puppet. As for Sweetie attempting to burn Spike, it's not common knowledge that dragons can resist fire, considering Spike was burned from a mere teleport
3583829 ..............scuffs and bruises are not what would have happened discord beat them. deformed and warped perhaps, turn into something else, or stripped of horn and wings maybe.
and no, the vines were stealing its power. discord himself said so that they would drain away the tree's magic, feeding on it, and use that power to restrain the regal sisters. if the vines targeted the apple family they would have been bound too, but the vines were designed to slay the tree and bind the pricnesses. he would not have even HAD to rely on the tree to defeat them if they were trash to him.
and as i said, it seems more likely a stalemate to me. there was an actual battle between them, not some one sided curb stomp........... hell in the idw comics they have a map that has a section in the deeper, less inhabited areas of equstria that is utterly adn entirely warped to the point that not only had it stayed that way for a millennia after discord's defeat, but it is not even safe for pony kind to enter. if it was some kinda of one sided battle, there would not be that much warping an devastation. one sided battles don't do that.......... let alone a one sided battle would have made it that discord would NOT need to have used the tree's power to restrain them.
and that IS altering perception. nearly a definition. they are made to perceive Sweetie's actions as the rigth choice even when they should know it is not the right choice.
3583882 Discord likes to toy with things, he probably smashed them with a rock repeatedly for lolz. As for the giant warped area, Discord could have maybe increased his power output by one percent just to show off, it'd be in character. Celestia and Luna were garbage to Discord
3583951 .............there is more evidence to a stand off than there is to idscord doing a curb stomping, both in Celseti and Luna not suffering from any discordian reltble ailments, the damaged area, and the very fact discord could not bind them with his own abilities.
3581911
I plan on doing that, but with a little twist.
She glared at Mayor Mare angrily. She then turned her gaze to Sweetie Belle. I don't think he's a she so you might want to fix that
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Genderfluid Spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike