A Heartswarming Play
//
pat reon.com/blacklares
Thank you to DanielPhantom79 and John Dunkley for your patronage <3
Ho boy! It's here! And early because of me having some inspiration from Villain music XD
Heartswarming Eve story is great, and I couldn't express all that I wanted in this chapter, though I hope I did a good job.
The amount of research material for Starfall was too much for me to fit in between the paragraphs, haha!. And I wasn't even supposed to make this chap all about the Pageant, but thought some people didn't even watch the show, so I'll try to make it at last a bit understandable. After all it's essentially one of the true world building episodes XD.
//
Spike was pacing up and down the corridor in an obvious worry.
It was already close to noon and the train for Canterlot was due in 30 minutes, but Starfall, his "Dad", was still not out of his bedroom!
'The others must be wondering when we are...Oh no! What do I do?! What do I do!?' The little Dragon thought, unwilling to approach the bedroom that caused him so much mental trauma in the past...
Well...It wasn't really that bad...He might not admit it...but he technically liked what he'd seen... in the end though, he'd still prefer to learn about those topics in a different way, that didn't involve catching Starfall "playing twister" with Twilight...
...
Maybe he could quickly make some breakfast?
If only he didn't oversleep after rehearsing his script until late... As soon as he saw the time on the wall clock, he got into a frenzy of packing, before finding himself in his current situation, waiting for Starfall in front of his bedroom...
But his unwillingness to knock finally prevailed, leading Spike to give up on his intended course of action, and made him walk down the stairs hoping that Starfall would wake up on time.
So imagine his surprise when as he reached the living room, he found everypony present. sitting on the sofa, enjoying some cookies and hot chocolate...
Only his Dad Starfall, Fluttershy and the Princesses were missing from the picture, but it still confused the little dragon because they all should have been-
"Huh?! B-but...Why aren't you at the station?" He asked looking at the girls, and received a few amused glances and giggles in return.
A trio of Fillies perked up when they noticed Spike and run up to him.
"Oh Spikey Wikey!" Said Rarity in amusement. "Did you forget that Starfall made a portal between here and Canterlot?" She asked causing Spike to freeze in a sudden realization.
A barrage of giggles from his three best friends/Marefriends was followed by Apple Bloom speaking full of mirth.
"Apples! He did forget! Hahahaha!" She laughed followed by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, the latter falling onto the ground holding her belly in laughter.
"Oh my silly Dragon! So forgetful. Here. Let Sweetie Belle take care of you or you'll forget your name." Sweetie Belle hugged the embarrassed Spike from his side with a sheepish grin plastered on her face.
It was only after two minutes that they stopped teasing the teenage Dragon, and Twilight spoke to him with a warm smile.
"Now that you're awake Spike, could you check up on Starfall? While we don't need to take the train, we still should start getting ready to depart." She asked, again stumping the dragon.
"But I just-...Eh fine..." He side not about to argue, and untangled himself from the three overly affectionate Fillies.
They were getting a bit too hooftsy for their age anyway, and he didn't feel ready for that much skin-ship yet... especially in front of their older Sisters...
His steps took him back to the second floor where he knocked on the doors to that accursed bedroom.
There were some shuffles on the other side's before the doors swooped open, revealing a dreamy looking Fluttershy, with disheveled hair and wearing an unbuttoned lab coat, that clearly belonged to a much larger pony...
"Oh...Spike...Mornin' " She said shyly, looking a bit out of it...
"Spike took one glance at the mare, before looking away in embarrassment.
"Um... H-Hi Fluttershy...Is Starfall awake? We need to go to Canterlot soon...P-Please tell him that..." He said before turning away and running back downstairs.
He vowed to never again approach that stupid room...
__________
"Who was that?" A voice came from behind Fluttershy who looked back at the source with a small smile.
"It was Spike... I think we should be leaving soon..." She said but suddenly a purplish aura picked up the startled Pegasus and brought her closer to the bed.
Starfall grinned at Fluttershy who blushed heavily, as she landed on top of the Stallion before getting kissed on her soft lips.
"I'm sure we still have a moment for a little more fun Beautiful." He said as soon as they separated, causing Fluttershy to blush even harder from simply calling her beautiful...
She couldn't look him in the eyes, but he gently pushed her cheek to look at him and she finally nodded, a clear expectation apparent in her beautiful kind eyes...
___________
"Look who finally decided to show up! We thought you got lost up there Darling." Rarity said as Starfall and a wobbly looking Fluttershy descended the stairs into the living room.
"How can you not get lost in those eyes..." Fluttershy muttered before her eyes widened as she realised what she just said, her hoofs covering her muzzle.
"Bahahaha! See! I told you they were "busy" with eachother." Rainbow burst out laughing as Applejack rolled her eyes in fond exasperation.
"Ok, ok girls. That's enough." Starfall said with amusement, wanting to spare Fluttershy any further embarrassment.
"Now I regret staying until late yesterday. I wish he'd-*mfmhf*" Pinkie's mouth got covered by Meena who looked at her with a lecturing expression.
"Not in front of the kids!" Whispered the Straight haired mare, to which Pinkie Pie huffed and looked away with a pout.
"You don't even know what I wanted to say..." She said but from her act it was clear Meena did the right thing.
Thankfully none of the children present paid any attention to what was said, The CMC too focused on talking with Spike, while Phoebe was doing her best to stop Philip from pulling on her tail feathers by the window...
___________
As Starfall sat in the Canterlot theatre, waiting for the girls with a hint of worry apparent on his face, a soft touch of a small hoof from the side startled him from his previous state and made him realise that Sweetie Belle was sitting right beside him.
"Don't worry Mister! They told me they're going to be a minute or two late. Let's wait for the Play to start.
"Oh...Of course...let's do so..." Starfall replied, thinking to himself that he forgot about something important...
But it was only when the lights dimmed and the familiar voice of Spike resounded through the Theatre, that Starfall remembered.
'Of course! They are playing In the Pageant!' He thought in relief and amusement, figuring out that they wanted it to be a surprise. They didn't say anything about it, so he just outright assumed that it wasn't the same Heartswarming Eve as in the show...
"It was a strange and dark time. A time when ponies were torn apart... by hatred!" The voice of Spike spreading through the chamber was loud and clear.
It spoke of the ancient times, When Ponies were separated...How whenever the three tribes met, nothing but disdain or resentment formed between them.
Soon the play started in full and all his girls came onto the stage. Starfall soon had to admit that they were doing the story the justice it deserved, each playing their roles with passion and talent he didn't even thought they possessed.
He was soon immersed in the play, really enjoying the show, and the occasional smiles he exchanged with the actresses only added to their respective enjoyment.
Spike also did an excellent narration throughout the play.
He explained how the Earth ponies grew food, and in payment for providing weather, the Pegasi demanded some of the food. The Unicorns also demanded payment for magically raising the sun and moon. None of the tribes cared what happened to each other. This fragile relationship continued until a large blizzard came along, causing a food shortage.
Starfall listened as the story spoke of the meeting between the leaders to discuss the current events, but as neither of the leading ponies looked at the others with any level of equality or respect, the meeting fell apart soon after with nothing gained for either of the three parties.
And as the freezing weather grew colder, the tribes all simultaneously decided to find a new land to settle in and call home, before long reaching the land today known as Equestria...
But none of them expected to meet the other two tribes also trying to claim the place as their home, and as the dispute between the three grew and grew, so did the freezing weather that followed behind them.
Starfall couldn't help but smile. The girls truly knew how to act out their roles.
He couldn't help but laugh in amusement when Rainbow, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity had to act like frozen statues.
The three acted as the leaders of their respective tribes, pushed into a single Cave by the freezing weather, which still didn't stop them from continuing the argument that finally froze the three leaders solid... in the middle of their scuffle...
And when the great secret of the Supernatural Cold weather was finally revealed by Spike, Starfall could feel the panic coming from the few fillies in the audience that had yet to learn of this story.
"Mister Starfall! Are Windigos real?" Asked Sweetie Belle from his side eliciting a snort from Scootaloo.
"Of course they're not! It's just a story for little fillies!" Said the young Pegasus with a smug expression.
"But Rarity said-" Sweetie Belle started but Starfall interrupted the duo.
"Girls, please be a little more quiet. And Scootaloo. This story isn't just some fairy tale. Windigos are very much real, and are spoken of in the oldest manuscripts of Canterlot. Windigos are something we call Ancient Magic. They're not exactly living beings in the same way you and me are. They are more like... the manifestations of negative emotions between the three magical pony tribes." Starfall explained surprising the fillies.
"Huh." Scootaloo hummed surprised by the news but still a bit sceptical, while Sweetie Belle was just happy for being right.
Apple Bloom on the other hand, not for a second took her eyes from the scene, very much enraptured in listening to and watching Spike for whatever reason...
The play continued, going over how the three leaders got frozen during their argument, while their advisors, played by Twilight, Fluttershy and Applejack, got together and finally "broke the ice" so to speak, by forming a true friendship while disregarding their differences.
Twilight did a great job of acting out how her character, Clover the Clever, Instinctually cast a very powerful spell that finally banished Windigos.
In Starfall's understanding, the spell was some kind of Primal form of Magic relater to the Magic Of Friendship, which brought forth something along the lines of Antithesis against the Windigos, fueled by the harmony between the Tribes...
A literal Fire of friendship that-
...
...
"Ah... There it is..." Starfall looked up above the theatre where a large agglomeration of magic slowly condensed into a huge fiery heart...
It wouldn't have been noticeable for normal Ponies, but it wasn't hard for him with his ability to see magic.
It wasn't his first time seeing it...But just like every other time his eyes landed on the "physical" manifestation of Clover the Clever's Spell work... he could only admire what could surely fall under the term of Ancient Magic on the level of the Cutie Marks and the Tree of Harmony...
There are some things that Starfall could do, but making or affecting a Magic that influenced entire Races in some way or another, wasn't something that simple to accomplish without a great amount of preparation, or some incredible luck and magic itself helping you, for example through the intent of many joining you in the act...
Though he nonetheless smiled to himself and soon looked back at the scene where the actors and actresses were lining up for the final ovation.
'Magic Is such a wonderful thing' He thought to himself, while loudly clapping his hooves on the ground and conjuring flowers for everybody.
He might only be able to study this amazing Phenomenon for the time being, but one day he might do something just, if not more amazing for the Ponies of Equestria and his Family...
...
Somewhere on his Cutie Mark, a small symbol of a burning heart lit up in a faint purple light...