The Haven

by Original Usermane

My Little Actress

“Alright, y’all,” Applejack said, back in Ponyville. “I think we’ve warned everypony to stay inside.”

“I’m sure Discord will catch Tirek and this will all be over soon,” Fluttershy said optimistically, since Twilight hadn’t actually told any of the rest of them that Discord had ‘betrayed’ them.

“I’ll bet he takes his sweet time,” Rainbow grumbled.

“Or perhaps these things just take time,” Discord replied, catching just enough of the conversation as he an Tirek came into town. Fluttershy gasped happily, beyond relieved that he was safe.

“You’re back!” she said happily, giving him a hug. “Did you bring the cucumber sandwiches?”

“I did,” he replied, holding out a tray. He sensed Tirek walking up and switched to acting-like-a-bad-guy mode. “I imagine they’ll be your last decent meal for quite some time.” He dropped the tray and materialized a cage around them. Hopefully it would keep them out of the main fight so he and Twilight could focus. The others all started yelling at him. “Ta ta!”

“You gathered up all of them?” Tirek demanded.

“And her little dragon, too,” Discord boasted. Spike tried to bite him.

“Why are you doing this?” Fluttershy asked, tears streaming down her face. ‘Oho, quite the little actress! I never knew! Interesting...’ “I thought we were friends!” ‘Best friends,’ he corrected in his mind.

“Oh, we were,” he said. He knew that only she would know what he truly meant by that. And back to acting. “But Tirek offered me so much more than just tea parties. Surely you saw this coming?”

“I didn’t,” she pretended to wail. “I really didn’t!” ‘Even though I’m the only one here who did!’

Discord couldn’t force himself to watch as Tirek sucked their magic from them. He knew it was a means to an end, but he couldn’t bear to see Fluttershy weak like that, and even the others, to a lesser degree.

“You really think she’d do anything for them?” Tirek asked.

“If Twilight has magic to give, it will be yours,” Discord said. ‘Or it would be if I wasn’t going to turn on you and fight with her in the last second.’ “Soon there won’t be a pegasus, Earth pony, or unicorn who will be able to stand up against us!”

“Us?” Tirek asked disdainfully. “Who said anything about us?”

“You did,” Discord said uncertainly. Was Tirek going to turn on hi-

Discord watched in horror, unable to move out of the way as Tirek fired a blast at him. Fluttershy gasped worriedly.‘No! This wasn’t supposed to happen! Not yet, at least! And not on Tirek’s part!’

“You helped me grow strong,” Tirek said. “You’ve provided the means by which I can obtain Princess Twilight’s magic! And now you are no longer of any use to me.” Tirek began sucking Discord’s magic, to Fluttershy’s and his own horror.

“But… you said this was a sign of your gratitude and loyalty,” Discord said, trying to pick the tattered threads of the plan up again. Where was Twilight!? “A gift from someone close to you?”

“My brother who betrayed me,” Tirek said scornfully. “It is as worthless as he is.” Tirek turned his back and walked away.

“Surely you saw this coming?” Applejack asked. Discord shot a completely helpless and terrified look back at the ponies, especially Fluttershy, who looked on worriedly.

“I didn’t,” he said. “I truly didn’t.” Seconds later, Tirek had them trapped in little bubbles, floating in an alternate dimension.

“What the hay!?” Applejack exclaimed, trying to bust out.

“It’s no use,” Discord said dejectedly. They all sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before they disappeared and reappeared floating behind Tirek, with Twilight facing him.

“Their release,” Tirek was saying. “For all of the alicorn magic in Equestria!”

Her friends, catching on immediately, all began protesting loudly. Discord couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Why should he, when he’d failed them enough already?

“What’s it going to be?” Tirek demanded. “Princess.”

“Don’t do it, Twilight!” Rainbow exclaimed desperately.

“We aren’t worth it!” Fluttershy called.

“Oh, but you are, Fluttershy,” Discord said sadly. “You’re the pony who taught me that friendship is magic. I had magic, and friendship, and now I don’t have either.” ‘And all because I couldn’t backstab properly. Typical.’

“Enough!” Tirek shouted. “I want an answer and I want it now!”

“I will give you my magic,” Twilight said finally. “In exchange for my friends.”

They all gasped, Discord included. ‘She still may have the power on her own! She can’t give it up!’

“As you wish,” Tirek said, bringing the five ponies and Spike down to the ground. Discord resigned himself to eternal punishment for his failure.

“All of my friends,” Twilight insisted stubbornly. Discord turned to stare at her.

“After the way he has betrayed you, you still call him a friend!?” Tirek exclaimed disbelievingly. Discord looked down shamefully.

“Release him!” Twilight ordered.

“If that’s what you want,” Tirek said, bringing Discord down, too.

“Thank you, Twilight,” he said sadly. He turned to Fluttershy. “I’m sorry.” ‘Sorry that things aren’t turning out like we planned.’

“I know,” she replied.

“Your turn,” Tirek said, turning on Twilight. He sucked her magic out, and the others watched as their doom was spelled out and Tirek grew in size once again.

“Twilight, what were you thinking!?” Spike exclaimed, running over with the rest of the ponies. Discord didn’t feel he’d be very welcomed, but came anyway.

“Tirek tricked me into believing that he could offer me something more valuable than friendship, but there is nothing worth more. I see that now,” Discord said. Fluttershy gave him a confused look. ‘Why isn’t he telling them the truth?’ “He lied when he said that this medallion was given as a sign of gratitude and loyalty. But when I say that it is a sign of our true friendship, I am telling the truth.” He watched interestedly as the medallion flashed rainbow once it was around Twilight’s neck.

“You think that might be the last one we need?” Applejack asked, regaining some hope.

“We have to get to the chest,” Twilight said determinedly. They all ran to the tree. Twilight placed the medallion against the chest, and it promptly turned into the final key. ‘Maybe Tirek’s betrayal will work out after all,’ Discord thought hopefully.

“Together!” Twilight said urgently as a massive Tirek began approaching the area with the tree. “I think we have to do this together!”

Each of the six ponies grabbed their key and turned it. The chest glowed and formed a rainbow link with the tree as they all watched in awe. The tree glowed with new life and sparkled brilliantly before sending out pillars of light at each of the six, bathing them in power. They seemed to be sucked into the chest momentarily before reappearing, transformed. Each had flowing multi-colored hair, shoes, and some form of extension to their cutie mark. Fluttershy, of course, was the most stunning, though he may have been a bit biased. He snapped a quick picture and watched as they rose in a ball of energy out of the cave. Tirek shot a blast at them and Discord and Spike, watching in horror, flinched, only for the blast to have no effect at all.

“How is this possible!?” Tirek bellowed. “You have no magic!”

“You’re wrong, Tirek!” Twilight announced. “I may have given you my alicorn magic, but I carry within me the most powerful magic of all!” The ball of power began shooting out bolts at Tirek, which condensed into a rainbow. Tirek yelled in pain as all of the power he’d taken was forced out and he was shrunk down to his pitifully feeble size again. Discord, whose magic had returned during the process, helpfully threw Tirek into a cage and sent him back to Tartarus. The girls flew up in the air and spread out across Equestria, bringing the magic back to all of Equestria. The Princesses, their magic returned, broke free from their prison and returned to Equestria just as the chest magically planted itself just outside Ponyville and grew into a castle. ‘What the Tartarus? And here I thought I was random.’

The ponies landed just outside the castle doors and changed back to normal. Discord and Spike, whom Discord had grabbed and taken with him, spotted the princesses coming and joined them.

“Sweet Celestia!” Rarity gasped. “Are you all seeing what I’m seeing?”

“But… whose is it?” Twilight asked, rather stupidly in Discord’s opinion. I mean, it grew out of her puzzle chest thing, and she’s the only Princess without one, so it shouldn’t have been hard to figure out.

“I believe it is yours, Princess Twilight,” Celestia told her, coming from behind with the other two princesses behind her. Discord waved from behind them.

“Mine?” Twilight asked, surprised. Celestia nodded and led them all inside.

“You’ve been wondering what you are meant to do as a princess,” Celestia said. “Do you know now?”

“As Princess,” Twilight said. “I believe I have the power to spread the magic of friendship across Equestria. That is the role I am meant to have in our world! The role I choose to have! But I didn’t defeat Tirek on my own! It took all of us to unlock the chest!”

‘I’ll pretend she is including me in that statement,’ Discord decided. ‘Since I gave her the final key and all.’

“Then it is unlikely you are meant to take on this task on alone,” Celestia said, opening the impressive-looking double doors into a meeting room. ‘How does she know her way around?’

“Oh, wow!” the girls gasped at the sight. It was pretty impressive.

“You are now Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia said importantly. ‘Wasn’t she already?’ “The Princess of Friendship!” ‘Well that’s cheesy.’

“But what is the Princess of Friendship without her friends?” Celestia said, and there was a group huddle moment. Discord shrunk back, knowing that, especially after the mishap with Tirek, he wasn’t welcome there. Twilight noticed him and evidently disagreed with his thinking, because she used her magic to bring him over. He gave a group hug. Just maybe, he would still be able to become better friends. For some reason, they seemed more inclined to like him now, even though they thought he’d just betrayed them. He’d never understand how ponies’ minds worked.

“Wait a minute, where’s my throne!?” he exclaimed, looking around. He was mostly joking, but still. He’d played a big part in all of this, too.

“I don’t think you’re quite there, yet,” Fluttershy said with a smile. Her look said, ‘wait until you’ve become a real part of the group’.

“Eeh, well, I suppose not,” he agreed, smiling at her.

Comments

[FillyCharmer]

Was reading this while listening to A Tropical Octav3 animation!

[WinterShiny]

“You are now Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia said importantly.‘Wasn’t she already?'

That made me crack up.

[Phoenix Nebula]

I may have given you my alicorn magic, but I carry within me the most powerful magic of all!

Funding from Hasbro!