Friendship is Failure #19: Write in the Head (Hour long special)

by DakariKingMykan

Act 5: Off with the Telling

ACT FIVE

Twilight, Starlight, and Rarity all began to toss and turn in their sleep, and their Night of the Dance dream occurred once again, as it did in the beginning.

There they were, at the ball and all dressed up beautifully, only this time the three mares felt a little different-- more aware of what was going on.

“Starlight…? Rarity…? What’s happening?” asked Twilight.

The others were confused too, and then came those three well-dressed and handsome stallions.

“Ladies, you look ravishing.” one of them said.

“Would you care to join us in a dance?” another asked.

“We promise to be gentle.” said the third.

Rarity couldn’t help but swoon in delight, so did Starlight.

“Wait! What are we doing?” asked Starlight “If this is a nightmare, it’s going to get really scary.”

“Yes,” agreed Rarity “But I can’t seem to resist the call. I can’t stop myself.”

Twilight couldn’t control herself either, and soon she, like the others, was dancing beautifully with their partners.

This made Twilight realize, “This is a dream! We have no control of ourselves! We’re just going to go along with it wherever it goes, and do whatever it guides us unless we wake up.”

She had a feeling that a wake-up call was out of the question, as Princess Luna was asleep during most of the day.

The dance soon ended, and the stallions dipped the ladies back in such a passionate was.

This was where the dream ended before, but this time it went on uninterrupted.

The stallions leaned forward as if to kiss each mare, and the ladies couldn’t stop themselves and moved in closer themselves, and were soon lip-locked with their handsome partners.

Rarity drowsed happily in the warm embrace, but she suddenly felt dopey… like she was slipping into unconscious, and she did, along with her friends.

The three stallions snickered. It turned out their lips had been laced with a knock-out spell, and now that the ladies were out-cold, the three men dragged the unconscious ladies off without being noticed.

When the mares awoke, they were tied down to large stone columns, in a dark chamber, and they all had Anti-Magic Manacles locked on their horns to block any and all magic.

“Wha… What is this?!” cried Rarity.

“How should I know? We didn’t get this far.” said Starlight.

Twilight struggled and fussed, but couldn’t break free, and then someone approached them, it was none other than the kingpin of the three guys hired to capture the ponies.

Twilight could hardly believe her eyes when she saw, “…Stone Heart?”

Rarity and Starlight were just as surprised.

Stone smirked wickedly at them.

“What’s going on?” asked Starlight.

“What’s going on is that I’m going to teach you ladies never… to disturb me again.”

Twilight was confused. “What do you mean?”

Stone’s features hardened, “I mean I’m sick and tired of the things that you do-- butting into other ponies’ lives, demanding they come round to your way of thinking, and you never cease until they comply…

…But more importantly than that, you seem to think that friendship is the only way of life and the only way things can happen!”

The mares gasped in shock.

“What’s so bad about spreading friendship around?” asked Starlight.

Stone laughed, “Friendship has done nothing but cause me pain and suffering for as long as I can remember. No matter how hard I tried, it never worked, but I see ponies like you making it look so easy… it breaks me to the core!

…Now! You’re going to pay for it!”

With that, he pulled out a knife with a magical, glowing blade, making the ladies gasp in horror.

“You… you wouldn’t!!” cried Twilight.

“Oh, yes I will!” sneered Stone “I’m going to cut off those pretty horns of yours, and show you what it’s like to live in a world of misery and darkness with nothing to hope for!

…And… it will teach you never… NEVER…!!” he grabbed Twilight’s horn “…To disturb me ever again!”

Twilight whimpered in tears and sweat, and suddenly, two of his goons came from round the columns, each holding a glowing knife to severe Rarity and Starlight’s horns too.

“NO…!! NO, PLEASE!!” cried Rarity.

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS!!” wailed Starlight.

Stone raised his knife up, and Twilight screamed as it came right down…!!

That’s when Twilight and the others all bolted upright in their beds, screaming in terror! The sound seemed to echo all through the corridors.

The friends all came running the second they heard.

“Twilight…!!” cried Spike.

“Are you three alright?” asked Celestia.

Rarity felt her horn all over and sighed in relief, but then she burst into tears. “It was so frighten-eh-eh-ehing!”

“The nightmare!” whimpered Starlight “…We were all there! We felt it!”

Twilight was trembling most fretfully. Her pupils were all shrunken inward and her face looked really pale. She had never had a more frightening dream. It felt so real…!

“Twilight?” said Spike. He put his claw on her hoof, and she shakily placed her other hoof over his claw, “…It was Stone Heart! He was there… was going to cut off our horns!”

The others all looked back and forth at one another in deep concern. Now it looked as if they dreams could haunt any pony, even if they were simply napping or dozing.

“Why would Stone Heart be in the dream too?” asked Pinkie.

“Maybe he was having the nightmare too?” suggested Fluttershy.

The others all debated whether or not it was likely, but Starlight then got an idea herself “…That’s the link!” she said “Stone Heart… we was present at all the victims, and we were present too.” she looked at Celestia “…Even you, your highness.”

Celestia blinked in shock, “You’re right.”

A hush fell over the group, and Rarity was ever so upset to hear such a thing. “Are you suggesting that Stone might be the one causing these nightmares? I don’t believe that! How can you possibly accuse him?”

“We’re not accusing anyone.” snapped Applejack “…Not yet anyway. We’re just saying that’s it’s a huge clue.”

Before anyone could say anything else, a big piece of paper landed, splat, on the window of the suite.

Celestia hated it when loose trash flew through the air and hit the palace like that.

She moved over to window to open the glass and get the paper off, when she stopped and realized what was written on the paper.

Instead of batting it off, she brought the paper inside and read it.

“Cast Adrift” it was titled “One beautiful day, Princess Celestia was sniffing the flowers in the royal garden when she was ambushed by her own royal guards…” she stopped and gawked at the page in shock.

“What? What is it?” asked Rainbow.

Celestia silently read the rest of the story and realized while trembling, “…This is my nightmare; every word, every scene!”

Twilight hopped out of bed and went to her side. She read the story herself, and confirmed in shock, “…It is.”

Another hush befell the group. “How is that even possible?” asked Applejack “How can someone know about what you dreamed and then write it out on some piece of paper?”

“I don’t think that’s what it is.” said Starlight, and she examined the story herself, also not reading it out loud.

The paper and the writing all seemed pretty plain. She would know if either of them was magical, given her experience with magical objects.

“I think someone wrote this before Celestia dreamed it… or maybe someone wrote this and then Celestia dreamed it.”

Everyone was simply flabbergasted. “What kind of magic could do that?” wondered Twilight “And who would want to use it to terrorize ponies in their dreams?”

Just then, there was a knock at the door, and the royal guards walked in.

“Your majesty,” one of them said “Mr. Stone Heart has is waiting to see you as you requested.”

Celestia gasped and realized she had lost track of time with all the chaos and confusion.

Before long, she and all the others were gathered in the throne room where Stone had been waiting, rather irritably, but calmly.

“Thank you for coming.” said Celestia, and Stone bowed respectably to her, but the others noted how baggy-eyed he looked.

“Are you alright?” asked Fluttershy.

“I’m okay.” replied Stone “I just didn’t sleep well.”

“But you look like you’ve been up all night long.” said Rainbow.

Stone’s features hardened, “I said I’m alright!”

Rainbow winced at his tone, and then looked cross and ready for a fight, but Celestia cleared her throat telling everyone to cool it!

“I’ll come straight to the point, Stone Heart: I was told that you destroyed the check that Princess Luna and I had presented to you yesterday.”

Stone looked a little guilty, but then rolled his eyes, casting an annoyed look over at Twilight, figuring she would have told.

“Yes. I admit I did.”

Celestia felt shocked deep down, but did her best to keep hold of herself. “I also have received reports that you have been shunning offers and fans of your story. Is this true?”

Stone wasted to time and bluntly admitted, “…Yes. I admit it with pride.”

Celestia gasped softly, and everyone else’s features were mix of shock and outrage.

Rarity stepped forth, “So it’s true. You really do despise your own story, and you’re willing to throw your life away because of it! That’s just… I-- Eh…” she choked on her own outrage, and Applejack held her, trying to ease her off.

“If that it is all you wanted to know, I shall take my leave.” said Stone, and he turned to leave without properly being excused.

“Wait…!” called Twilight, and she teleported right in front of him. “You’re not going anywhere until we straighten this out.”

Stone glared angrily and spoke deeply to her, “You realize this is invasion of privacy, and I don’t have to say a thing. I know my rights.”

“Now wait just a dag-burn minute!” protested Applejack “Much as even I understand the meaning of “Privacy” this time I can tell, you need help, son.”

Fluttershy stepped forward, “Stone, you sound like you’re living a self-destructive life, and that’s not healthy. If you have problems, we want to help you.”

Pinkie nodded her head rapidly.

“Yeah, like why would you write a story if you hate it in the first place?” asked Spike.

Every one of the others, and even Celestia agreed, but their pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears, or a heart of stone, as Stone simply scoffed and said “And be like the rest of you-- all friendly, optimistic? Always doing what they tell you, acting how they say, believing in what they say, and if you choose to think for yourself they’ll turn on you and treat you like dirt?”

Everyone felt stunned at what he had just said, almost if he was insulting their beliefs and their ways of friendship and life… which he was.

“No thanks.” said Stone “I’d rather be who I am, and not let others tell me what to think or decide for me what’s right or wrong, and if you can’t respect that… if no other pony can…” he paused and then glared squarely at Twilight “…Then maybe you’re not ones to preach about friendship at all.”

Twilight felt she had been struck in the heart with a knife.

“Good day.” Stone said as he walked passed Twilight.

“Stone, wait…”

“Good Day!” Stone called back, and then he was gone, and the big doors closed.

“I can’t believe that guy…” said Starlight “We offer him our friendship and help and completely shoots it down, just like he did in the nightmare.”

Rarity and Twilight realized that too.

“I say we forget him.” said Rainbow “If he wants to act like a spoiled jerk, then we should just let him.”

Pinkie gasped, “Rainbow Dash, how can you say that? We’re the Council of Friendship.”

Fluttershy agreed, “We can’t just let Stone keep going like this. He’s not only hurting himself, but he’s hurting other ponies as well… at least their feelings anyway.”

Twilight suddenly noticed something on the floor by her hoofs-- a folded sheet of paper with writing on it, and she figured Stone had dropped it, but it turned out to be a story, just like the one Celestia had found.

“The Last Dance” it was entitled, and what she read on it turned her blood cold.

“Take a look at this!” she hollered to the others, and she raced over to them all, showing them the paper they found.

Rarity gasped as she read the writing, “It can’t be!”

“It is…” cried Starlight “It’s all here; our nightmare!

The ball, the stallions, being tied up, and Stone Heart is trying to cut off our horns after he disses friendship and our ways.”

Spike looked at the story. “This is crazy!”

“But it’s true…” said Twilight, and she felt she didn’t need any more proof after this. “… I think Stone IS the one behind all these nightmares.”

Everyone feel silent again.

Author's Note:

*Sighs in heavy relief*

It feels so good to kick Twilight's tail, and tell her and the others off again (After so long of wanting too) It's torture of how long I wait to do this!

It's like a guy who hasn't had a smoke in a long time, finally lighting up in a while, or something like that.