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Context Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E26TwilightsKingdomPart2

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1!!Continued from "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E25TwilightsKingdomPart1 Twilight's Kingdom – Part 1]]".
2
3[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mlp_s4e26_twilightskingdompart2_192.jpg]]
4[[caption-width-right:350: [[KamehameHadoken Eat your Raging Heart out]], [[Franchise/LyricalNanoha Nanoha]]!]]
5
6->''"Twilight, you represent the Element of Magic. If there's anypony who can do this, it's you."''
7-->-- '''Princess Cadance'''
8
9->Special Guest Star: Creator/JohnDeLancie as Discord\
10Written by Meghan [=McCarthy=]
11
12Picking up from the last episode, the alicorn princesses have resolved to surrender their magic before Tirek can steal it from them. Twilight is prepared to make the sacrifice, but Princess Luna explains that their magic cannot simply be erased. It must be transferred to Twilight herself, on the grounds that her element is magic and Tirek is unlikely to know there is a fourth princess. However, Twilight can't tell her friends or they would be put at risk. Despite this, Twilight agrees to go through with it. The transfer of power is felt by Discord, but he keeps this information from Tirek. Celestia, Luna, and Cadance lose their cutie marks in the process and collapse in a state of drained exhaustion.
13
14Twilight returns to Ponyville under the secret burden of carrying the alicorn magic. To maintain the illusion of normalcy, she must lower the moon and raise the sun herself. But her overcharged powers keep escaping her control. When her friends catch up with her and offer to help, she refuses and tells them to keep the citizens of Ponyville inside until the crisis over. She then slips away into the Everfree Forest, seeking solitude in hopes of controlling her excess of power.
15
16Meanwhile, Tirek and Discord raid the palace but find no alicorn magic to steal. Tirek must content himself with mocking the defenseless princesses before throwing them into Tartarus, leaving them to suffer as he did. An increasingly uneasy Discord reminds Tirek that they're ostensibly partners in this, which Tirek seemingly confirms by giving him a medallion that was given to him by someone close to him as a sign of gratitude and loyalty. He then notices the window mural of Twilight, realizing that there's a fourth princess. When he demands why Discord kept it secret, he replies that it was for insurance until he felt they were both on the same page, but now that he feels they are, he tells Tirek to look for her in Ponyville.
17
18The Mane Five have secured the town, still unaware of the larger situation, when Discord appears and quickly imprisons them, much to Fluttershy's shock and dismay. Tirek drains the five of their magic and grows even bigger and stronger. When questioned if Twilight will do anything for her friends, Discord assures him she will. Tirek then turns on Discord and steals his magic. Bewildered by this turn of events, Discord protests that the medallion was supposed to seal their friendship. Tirek replies that the medallion was from his brother Scorpan, and that it was as worthless as him. The centaur leaves to find Twilight, leaving the despondent Discord behind.
19
20Meanwhile, Twilight is busy trying to control her powers when Tirek finds her. She teleports to the library to get away from him, only for Tirek to destroy it, but not before she escapes with Owlowiscious. Seeing no other option, she goes on the offensive, meeting Tirek blow for blow in a massive battle across the countryside. When both parties fail to gain an advantage, Tirek brings out his trump card: Twilight's imprisoned friends, and a remorseful Discord. Despite her friends telling her not to do it, Twilight agrees to trade her alicorn magic for their freedom. Tirek then lets them all go except Discord, to which Twilight reiterates ''all'' her friends. Despite not understanding why Twilight still considers Discord a friend after betraying them, Tirek complies before absorbing Twilight's stored alicorn magic. After doing so, he grows to giant size, towering over all of the land, apparently unstoppable.
21
22Discord apologizes to the Mane Six, saying that he only now understands the value of friendship. He gives Twilight the medallion as a genuine symbol of his loyalty and trust. The medallion shimmers with rainbow light, and the group realizes they have the final key. Once placed in the slot, the Mane Six unlock the chest. As the chest opens, a rainbow spreads up the tree into the Elements of Harmony. The six ponies are imbued with a new power -- Rainbow Power -- which changes their appearance and gives them a huge magical boost. With their Cutie Marks and magic restored, the six rise up in an orb of light to confront Tirek, who finds himself powerless against them. The group quickly blast him, sapping him of his power and reimprisoning him in Tartarus. They then proceed to restore the stolen magic to its rightful owners, free the captured princesses, and repair the damage done to the land.
23
24Once they've returned everything to normal, the Rainbow Power returns to the chest. The crystal box then flies to Ponyville, plants itself in the ground, and becomes the seed for a magical crystal castle/treehouse which grows just ouside Ponyville. Twilight belatedly realizes that the castle is for her. It's then that Twilight grasps her duty as a princess: to spread the magic of friendship across Equestria. Thus Celestia dubs Twilight "The Princess of Friendship". As her first act, she proceeds to forgive Discord and welcomes him back -- something a truly repentant Discord is happy with.
25
26With that, all of Ponyville comes to see the new castle and celebrate with the Mane Six as they spread the Rainbow Power of friendship across the land.
27
28----
29!!Tropes:
30
31* EleventhHourSuperpower: "Rainbow Power", the force that was locked inside the box, is unlocked after Twilight turns over all the alicorn magic she had been storing and proves to be the key to defeating Tirek. However, the key to unlock the box is generated from Discord's artifact he received from Tirek, and he's only released after the exchange to turn over the magic to Tirek occurs, meaning Tirek has literally ''won'' by the time the Rainbow Power box is unlocked (so it's really more of a "Twelfth Hour Superpower").
32* EightiesHair: The Mane Six all gain '''fabulous''' new 'dos after getting their Rainbow Power.
33* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Tirek admits Discord's stained glass window of the two of them is quite amusing.
34* AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength: After realizing she has trouble controlling the combined power of all the Princesses' alicorn magic, Twilight tries to physically distance herself from her friends so she can practice in safety.
35* AllTakeAndNoGive: Basically the reason of Discord’s betrayal. Except for Fluttershy, nopony bothered to teach him values or treated him with kindness. Even the rest of the Mane Six treated him like crap, although Discord gave them his own notebook with clues about how to open the chest. Apple Jack made the point of saying that he was more annoying than before his reforming. And they expected him to serve them faithfully just because of his friendship with only one pony - which all the other ponies disapproved? Aw, come on!
36* AllYourColorsCombined:
37** When post-empowerment Twilight fires magical blasts at Tirek (see the picture at the top), the blast is deep pink (the color of Twilight's magic), but also streaked with golden yellow, dark blue, and sky blue, the colors of the magical auras of Celestia, Luna, and Cadance respectively.
38** When the Mane Six unlock the mysterious chest at the Tree of Harmony and gain access to the [[SuperMode Rainbow Power]] form of the Elements of Harmony. The traditional [[RainbowLite six colors]] of the rainbow are replaced with the colors of the mares' fur.
39* AllYourPowersCombined:
40** Celestia, Luna, and Cadance transfer their magic energy into Twilight for safekeeping. This gives Twilight the power to control the sun and the moon, though not with the same level of skill.
41** Tirek provides a villainous example. His goal is to absorb all the magic in Equestria, including from earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, and alicorns. He would supposedly gain the ability to control the environment as ponies do, but he's never seen using it except to enhance his own powers.
42* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Twilight is willing to give hers and the other Princesses' powers to Tirek to save her friends. She even saves Discord, despite his betrayal.
43* AnAesop: Two for Discord: Choose your friends wisely, and a true friend will forgive your mistakes.
44* AndYourLittleDogToo: Discord captures all of Twilight's closest friends "and [[YourLittleDismissiveDiminutive her little dragon]], too."
45* {{Angrish}}: Tirek's dialogue during the fight with Twilight consists largely of enraged roaring and growling.
46* AnimationBump: The battle between Twilight and Tirek.
47* AnswerCut: When Tirek screams "Where is your magic?!?", it immediately cuts to Twilight blowing the door off her library, blowing a crater in the town square, and blowing past Rainbow Dash with a sonic boom.
48* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Discord notably pauses and looks uncertain after Shining Armor is drained and asks him "How could you do this?"
49* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: Once Tirek gains Twilight's power, he grows to giant size.
50* BackForTheFinale: We briefly see the other key givers -- Coco Pommel, Spitfire with the Wonderbolts, Cheese Sandwich, Seabreeze, and Silver Shill.
51* BallOfLightTransformation: The Mane Six appear to go through a phase of being pure colored lights during their SuperMode TransformationSequence.
52* BeamOWar: The climax of Twilight and Tirek's battle. This results in a stalemate that forces Tirek to try a different tactic, since brute force isn't getting the job done.
53* BerserkButton: Twilight tries to avoid Tirek when he first tracks her down... until he blows up the library. After that, she turns all her magic on him.
54* BewareTheNiceOnes:
55** Twilight goes absolutely ''berserk'' when Tirek destroys her home, unloading on him with everything she's got.
56** When you get down to it, Tirek's final fate is to get ''[[DraggedOffToHell blasted to hell.]]''
57* BiggerOnTheInside: The [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Round Table]]-like throne room in Twilight's new crystal tree-castle, and the corridor leading up to it, seem to be much too big to fit into the castle's exterior.
58* BreakTheHaughty: Discord is subjected to this at Tirek's hands, finally solidifying his HeelFaceTurn.
59* BroughtDownToNormal:
60** Celestia, Luna and Cadance when they transfer all their magic to Twilight.
61** Discord goes through this when Tirek drains him of his magic.
62** This also happens to Twilight when she surrenders hers and the Princesses' power to Tirek.
63* CallBack:
64** Cerberus' escape from Tararus in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E20ItsAboutTime It's About Time]]" is directly mentioned, and cited as the most likely reason Tirek was able to escape.
65** The mysterious chest from the Tree of Harmony introduced in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E2PrincessTwilightSparklePart2 Princess Twilight Sparkle – Part 2]]" once again plays a part, this time having Twilight focusing all her efforts on opening it in the hopes of saving Equestria.
66** Two of the stained glass windows in Celestia's hall are predominant plot points.
67*** The window introduced in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E1TheReturnOfHarmonyPart1 The Return of Harmony – Part 1]]", with Discord manipulating ponies before his initial imprisonment, is played with by Discord here, actually animating the glass version of himself toying with ponies. He also replaced the generic unicorn, pegasus, and earth ponies in the glass with Celestia, Luna, and Cadance.
68*** The new Princess Twilight window introduced in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E1PrincessTwilightSparklePart1 Princess Twilight Sparkle – Part 1]]" also proves to be a flaw in the plan, as it reveals the existence of the fourth alicorn to Tirek. Tirek liquefies it with his magic as he departs to hunt Twilight down.
69* TheCameo: The rainbow that flies through Equestria in the finale is seen by everyone who gave the Mane Six their keys -- Coco Pommel, Spitfire and the Wonderbolts, Cheese Sandwich, Seabreeze, Silver Shill, and Discord last of all.
70* ChekhovsGun:
71** The contents of the mysterious box, introduced in the season's two-part premier, are finally revealed to be an EleventhHourSuperpower, helping the Mane Six defeat Tirek.
72** The medallion Tirek gives to Discord as a sign of "trust" turns out to be Twilight's key, which Discord gives her after she shows she still considers him a friend after his betrayal.
73* ChekhovsGunman: {{Averted|Trope}}. Scorpan helped defeat Tirek in the first place, so one would expect Celestia to send Twilight to look for him. She doesn't.
74* ChekhovsSkill: Celestia's reason for sending Discord after Tirek was that he can sense the magical disruption caused by Tirek's ManaDrain. When the Princesses transfer their magic to Twilight, Discord is able to sense it, but doesn't tell Tirek. And once Tirek drains Discord of magic, he can pinpoint Twilight's location without trouble.
75* CircleOfFriendship: The Mane Six open the box produced by the Tree of Harmony, giving them [[SuperMode Rainbow Power]]. Opening the box is done by standing in a circle around it and turning all six keys at once, giving it this effect. They then follow this up with a [[PowerOfFriendship new Friendship-powered]] WaveMotionGun to defeat Tirek and [[DraggedOffToHell seal him back in Tartarus.]]
76* ColorfulContrails: After Twilight temporarily absorbs the other three princesses' magic, she leaves a trail of white sparkles and indigo and purple stripes in the same color as her mane while flying.
77* ContinuityNod:
78** Everyone who gave the keys to the Mane Six over the season are shown as the rainbow flies through Equestria.
79** This is the second time this season we've seen Shining Armor in uniform, and the first time since "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E25ACanterlotWeddingPart1 A Canterlot Wedding]]" that he's been shown performing his duties as Captain of the Royal Guard.
80* ConvergingStreamWeapon: The Mane Six's new friendship powered WaveMotionGun manifests this way, blasting Tirek with six individual beams of light before they combine into one powerful blow that defeats him, takes back the stolen magic, locks him back in Tartarus, and releases Celestia, Luna, and Cadance from Tartarus when their own magic is restored.
81* CurbStompBattle: Twilight and Tirek's first fight is evenly matched, but once the Mane Six get their hooves on the Rainbow Power, a few beams of magic is all it takes to shrivel and seal up Tirek once and for all and get Celestia, Luna, and Cadance back from Tartarus.
82* DamselInDistress: Celestia, Luna, and Cadence are imprisoned in Tartarus. The other Mane Five wind up as Tirek's hostages along with [[DistressedDude Spike and Discord]].
83* DarkestHour: The Princesses sans Twilight have been banished to Tartarus, a majority of ponies across Equestria have been drained of their magic, including Twilight's friends, Discord has also been de-powered and crossed the DespairEventHorizon from his HeelRealization, and even with the magic of four alicorns empowering her, Twilight is only able to battle Tirek to a standstill before he invokes a HostageForMacGuffin gambit, which she accepts. Things have never been more dire until this episode.
84* DarkerAndEdgier: One of the more violent fights in this kind of series.
85* DealWithTheDevil: Continuing on from the previous episode, Discord supplies Tirek with the last thing ''they'' need to conquer Equestria, or so he thinks. It's Tirek's turn to collect on the deal, and promptly betrays Discord and steals his magic, seeing no further use for him.
86* DeflectorShields:
87** Twilight uses magic barriers to absorb some otherwise devastating hits from Tirek, including being thrown into and tackled ''through'' a mountain.
88** Tirek, likewise, uses a magical barrier to defend himself against Twilight's massive beam attack.
89* {{Denouement}}:
90** Twilight's season-long DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife is resolved nicely while she, her friends, and her mentor tour the new castle and discuss Twilight's new role as the Princess of Friendship.
91** Discord gets a very strong HeelRealization and has fully accepted Friendship, shedding his ReformedButNotTamed status. On the other side of the coin, The Mane Six, after [[TheFriendNobodyLikes being very tense and antagonistic towards Discord]] throughout the season, start to become more accepting of him as well.
92* DespairEventHorizon: Discord after Tirek double-crosses him. While trapped in their bubbles, the Mane Five are frantic and begging Twilight to not surrender her magic for them. Discord, however, sits still, silent and slumped over, likely reeling with regret and seeming to have just given up. Traitor or not, the poor guy looks ''broken''.
93* DevourTheDragon: Lord Tirek convinces Discord to pull a FaceHeelTurn, then turns on him and steals his magic when he's done with him.
94* DidNotSeeThatComing: Done heartbreakingly so when Discord turns against the other ponies and captures the Mane Six (save for Twilight). Discord mentions that they should have seen it coming, only for a heartbroken Fluttershy to admit she hadn't at all -- she was so convinced her friendship with him was ironclad, she never thought he'd turn his back on her. This turns into an IronicEcho when Discord himself is betrayed by Lord Tirek and Applejack tells him the same exact thing.
95* DidntThinkThisThrough: Celestia's plan in this two-parter fails at every step. Send Discord to capture Tirek? They become allies. Transfer all the alicorn magic to Twilight? She trades it for hostages. Prevent Tirek from knowing about Twilight? He just has to look at the stained glass window and ask Discord about it. Tell Twilight not to let her friends in on the plan for their own protection? They immediately suspect that something's wrong, and get captured by Discord soon afterward. The only way Twilight was able to win was by unlocking the Harmony Box, and it was Discord, not Celestia, who told her how to open it.
96* DiscardAndDraw: Whether by theft or willing sacrifice, each of the Mane Six lose their magic to Tirek, with Twilight sacrificing not just her own Alicorn magic but the magic of the other princesses. But because of Twilight's sacrifice, it moves Discord to true atonement and gives Twilight her memento that would open the box. This gives the heroines their Rainbow Power forms and that is far superior to all the magic of Equestria combined.
97* DivingSave: Twilight manages to do this with Owlowiscious, just ''barely'' managing to get themselves clear of the library before Tirek blows it up.
98* DoubleAesop: Discord learns that [[TitleDrop friendship truly is magic]], and Twilight learns that [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower friendship is more important than the combined magic of all the alicorn princesses]].
99* DoubleTake: Tirek has a delayed reaction on passing before the window mural showing Twilight rising as an alicorn, stopping in mid-evil gloating.
100* DraggedOffToHell: This happens twice:
101** First, to the princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadance, who are forced into Tartarus by Tirek after having transferred their powers to Twilight Sparkle.
102** Near the end, the Mane Six use their newly earned {{Super Mode}}s to free the princesses and [[SealedEvilInACan put Tirek there in their place]]. It is worth noting that unlike the princesses, who were sent through a portal, and unlike the first time Tirek was imprisoned when he was sent through the gate, second time around Tirek is ''blasted'' to hell.
103* DullEyesOfUnhappiness:
104** Very briefly, but after Tirek drains Twilight, the color in her eyes go to dull grey. Once Discord gives her the medallion and it's revealed to be the final key needed to open the box, her eyes and those of her friends are returned to normal.
105** Also happens to the rest of the Mane Mares and Discord when Tirek drains their magic. When they're locked in the cage, Spike is the only one whose eyes are normal.
106** It happens to Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, as well. If one watches closely as the Princesses are released and their magic is restored, their eyes are duller in color than when we saw them get sent to Tartarus, indicating they sensed when their magic became Tirek's, and lost hope. When their magic is returned, their eyes return to normal.
107* EarnYourHappyEnding: Even more so than previous seasons. Tirek has left most of Equestria powerless and defeated, sent three of its Princesses to Tartarus, and has more or less become a PhysicalGod. Even Discord is left [[DespairEventHorizon broken and powerless]] after betraying Equestria to the tyrannical centaur before being betrayed himself. The mane six think all is lost... then Discord hands them the last Rainbow Key, allowing them to unlock their [[SuperMode Rainbow Power forms]], defeat Tirek, and restore Equestria, with Twilight finally finding her place as Princess of Friendship. Not to mention that unlocking the Rainbow Power was the culmination of all the Mane Six's hard work, in a subplot that spanned across the entire fourth season. Earned, indeed.
108* EasilyForgiven: Even after he sided with Tirek, Twilight still considered Discord a friend, much to his surprise. This trope also applies to Fluttershy, who Discord is still on good terms with despite hurting her earlier with his betrayal. However, he does notice he doesn't get a throne along with the others and is told he'll have to earn it, and seemed to regret what he did even before Tirek stabbed him in the back.
109* EtTuBrute:
110** Fluttershy is the main pony who puts up with Discord's antics the most and helped him change for the better, which is why his betrayal hurts her more than the others.
111** Before her, Shining Armor is likewise stunned that Discord would turn his back on them.
112** Discord [[LaserGuidedKarma gets hit with this moments later]] by Tirek, who he seemed to have thought was actually his friend. It causes Discord to, for the first time in the series, be ''broken''.
113* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Tirek cannot understand friendship, and is confused when Twilight demands Discord's release after he betrayed them. It is this mistake that leads to his defeat and re-imprisonment for eternity.
114* EvilerThanThou: Tirek proves worse than Discord, playing the chaos spirit like a fiddle and stealing his magic when Discord is no longer useful.
115* EvilIsNotAToy: As Discord of all people finds out, the magic-stealing centaur is not your friend and likely wants your magic instead.
116* ExhaustedEyeBags: Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance each sport them after transferring their magic to Twilight.
117* {{Eyedscreen}}: Tirek gets a close-up of his eyes framed by a reduced screen when he tells Discord YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness.
118* FalseFriend: Tirek plays this role to Discord by using him to fulfill his goal while claiming that the two of them are friends.
119* FalseReassurance: Discord apparently didn't know of Tirek's backstory, or he wouldn't have taken the gift of Tirek's brother's medallion as a genuine mark of friendship. Tirek lampshades this when he later betrays Discord.
120* FantasticNuke: First magic blast fired by superpowered Twilight Sparkle at Tirek explodes into a ''mushroom cloud'' on impact. And unlike previous examples of this trope in the series, where it was PlayedForLaughs, this one is completely serious, emphasizing Twilight's blind rage and sheer fury of her attack.
121* FloatingInABubble: When bargaining with Twilight for all the alicorn magic in Equestria, Tirek holds her friends -- including [[TheOneGuy Spike]] and [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg Discord]] -- suspended in individual bubbles.
122* {{Foreshadowing}}: Back in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E11ThreesACrowd Three's a Crowd]]", Discord, in full-on jester mode, gives Twilight a friendship medallion of little value. Here, Discord very earnestly and humbly gives Twilight the medallion he got from Tirek, assuring her he fully means his friendship this time.
123* FreezeFrameBonus:
124** The cucumber sandwiches Discord offers Fluttershy are cut into the shape of butterflies, or ''Fluttershy's cutie mark,'' which makes it even more insulting when he drops them on the ground in front of her.
125** The flowers Discord gives Celestia use the colors of the Mane Six, one color for each petal.
126* FriendOrIdolDecision: Tirek forces Twilight to choose between her magic and her friends; she chooses the latter, upon realizing this is the problem according to her element that her friends encountered up to now.
127* GoodIsNotSoft: While Tirek's ultimate motivation is to drain Twilight of her magic, Twilight is very clearly doing everything in her power to kill Tirek throughout their fight.
128* GroundShatteringLanding: Even Twilight's flight capabilities have been amped up by the power transfer, creating a crater on takeoff and a small ditch in the ground as she skids to a stop.
129* GuiltRiddenAccomplice: Even before he is betrayed by Tirek, Discord is showing visible doubts over serving him. He cannot bring himself to look as he drains Fluttershy.
130* HeartIsAnAwesomePower: [[ThePowerOfFriendship The Elements of Harmony]], in their Rainbow Power form, are more powerful than the magic Tirek absorbed from countless ponies across Equestria, including that of the four alicorn Princesses and the personification of Chaos.
131-->'''Twilight:''' You're wrong, Tirek. I may have given you my alicorn magic, but I carry within me [[ThePowerOfFriendship the most powerful magic of all!]]
132* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Within the space of the two episodes, Discord goes from ReformedButRejected to DemotedToDragon to RewardedAsATraitorDeserves, finally landing on WelcomeBackTraitor at the end.
133* HellIsThatNoise: Tirek draining Discord is accompanied by a distorted, possibly reversed version of his normal drain sound effect.
134* HostageForMacGuffin: When it becomes apparent their powers are at a deadlock, Tirek resorts to this to get Twilight to surrender her and the Princesses' powers.
135* HowDoIShotWeb: Twilight has to raise the sun and lower the moon now that she has Celestia's and Luna's magic. It's a bit shakey, but she manages.
136* HowMuchMoreCanHeTake: During the battle between Twilight and Tirek, the two are so evenly matched that they destroy part of the countryside fighting to a standstill. {{Downplayed|Trope}}, as neither Twilight nor Tirek is the worse for wear after the battle.
137-->'''Tirek:''' It appears we are at an impasse.
138* {{Hypocrite}}: Despite continually showing bitterness and hate for his brother Scorpan betraying him to save Equestria, Tirek has no qualms about stabbing Discord in the back for power. He even shows disgust in Twilight considering Discord her friend despite his backstabbery. Of course, since Tirek thought friendship and loyalty were a worthless gesture in the first place, [[AtLeastIAdmitIt this may have been his point.]]
139* ICanRuleAlone: Lord Tirek, convinces a post-HeelFaceTurn Discord [[WeCanRuleTogether to join his side]] and help him conquer Equestria. However, Tirek pulls this trope the moment Discord is no longer of use to him, draining him of his magic. In a bit of irony, Discord's HeelRealization as a result is what solidifies his true HeelFaceTurn.
140* ILied: Tirek, surprising exactly nopony except Discord.
141* INeedToGoIronMyDog: Twilight, who is trying to control her new powers gained from the other three princesses, says "Gotta go... somewhere... else." to avoid talking to Spike.
142* IronicEcho:
143** Applejack delivers a real stinging one to Discord after Tirek betrays him, reflecting what he told Fluttershy earlier:
144--->'''Applejack:''' Surely you saw this coming.\
145'''Discord:''' I didn't. I truly didn't.
146** From a dramatic standpoint, Tirek giving Discord the medallion has this happen when Discord gives it to Twilight. The medallion respresents a lost bond between Tirek and Scorpan, and how little the former values friendship in general. For Discord, it resprensent how little the "friendship" between him and Tirek represented after the latter's betrayal, and how much more it means when he gave it to Twilight.
147* {{Irony}}: Discord is known for his trickery, whether he is good or bad, and is tricked himself by Tirek. However, it's Discord, of all creatures, that hands Twilight the final key to help her open the box.
148* ItsAllJunk: Tirek claims that both his medallion and his own brother, who had originally given the medallion to him, are worthless. He uses this to explain that giving the medallion to Discord as a symbol of gratitude was an empty gesture.
149* ItsPersonal: While Tirek does plenty of evil, horrific things throughout his time as BigBad, destroying Twilight's home makes her go berserk and attack him with everything she has. She doesn't seem to feel any remorse about [[DraggedOffToHell sending him back to Tartarus either]].
150* LaserGuidedKarma:
151** Discord stabs Equestria, and Fluttershy, in the back siding with Tirek. Tirek, after convincing Discord he was an ally and a friend, stabs him in the back. This causes Discord to have a ''true'' HeelRealization.
152** Likewise, Tirek going back on his word to share Equestria with Discord. The medallion was meant to be a sign of trust between Discord and him. When he doesn't uphold the symbolism of such, it shows Discord the error of his ways and gives Twilight the very thing needed to beat him.
153* LetsGetDangerous: Once Tirek destroys the library, all bets are off and Twilight goes full throttle on him with her power.
154* LoveMakesYouDumb: After experiencing Fluttershy's friendship, Discord is so eager to have Tirek for a friend that he becomes GenreBlind to the possibility that Tirek would double-cross him.
155* MementoMacGuffin: The medallion that Tirek received from Scorpan before his imprisonment proves to be the final key for the chest at the Tree of Harmony.
156* MindOverMatter: Among Tirek's attacks on Twilight is a telekinetic grip that manifests as crackling energy, with which he propels her miles away straight into a mountaintop.
157* MoodWhiplash:
158** A Mood Rollercoaster -- between scenes of Tirek conquering Canterlot, then heading to Ponyville to drain Twilight's friends of their magic and invoking YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness on Discord, we're treated to mostly comical scenes of Twilight trying to get her new powers under control and botching her spells.
159** A minor instance -- Tirek's arrival at Canterlot is a dark and ominous scene, slightly interrupted when he catches Shining Armor's magic attack, condenses it into an orb, and tosses it in his mouth and chews it like a piece of candy.
160* MoralMyopia: Tirek still shows signs of being bitter with his brother for betraying him, despite the fact Scorpan had already tried reasoning with Tirek to stop him, but has zero problem stabbing Discord in the back for his own selfish hunger for power.
161* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Discord is obviously having second thoughts during his team up with Tirek, but this trope doesn't hit him completely until Tirek, unsurprisingly, betrays him and takes his power, just like he did to Fluttershy.
162* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Discord visibly wobbles when he senses the imbalance caused by Cadance, Luna, and Celestia transferring their powers to Twilight, but tells no one.
163-->'''Discord:''' That can't be right.\
164'''Tirek:''' What can't be right?\
165'''Discord:''' Nothing. Carry on!
166* MythologyGag: Tirek is defeated by a [[WaveMotionGun giant rainbow spell]] fueled by ThePowerOfFriendship, just like the first ''WesternAnimation/{{My Little Pony TV Special|s}}''.
167* NearVillainVictory: Tirek claiming Discord's magic and all the magic Twilight had been carrying with her means he had technically ''won''. There wasn't a creature alive in Equestria with enough magic to constrain him at that point. So the team has to tap into an EleventhHourSuperpower to break through.
168* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
169** Celestia's tradition of showing off the heroes of Equestria (example, Princess Twilight's ascension) in the stained glass windows of the royal halls comes back to ruin her plan to keep knowledge of Twilight secret from Tirek. He probably would have found out anyway, but still it's an oversight.
170** Discord puts his own spin on most of the windows in the palace, but forgets to do that specific one, or at least hasn't gotten to it by the time Tirek notices.
171* NiceJobFixingItVillain: If Tirek would have stuck to his word to Discord, he wouldn't have given the Mane Six the final key needed to beat him.
172* NighInvulnerability: During their battle, Twilight throws Tirek into the ground so hard he's buried under several feet of rubble. In the same fight he rams her straight through a mountain. Neither shows any sign of injury afterward.
173* NoSell:
174** Until she voluntarily surrenders it, Tirek is unable to drain Twilight of the combined power of the Princesses' alicorn magic.
175** Tirek shrugs off everything Twilight throws at him. Likewise, Twilight is completely unfazed by his own attacks.
176** Tirek's magic does absolutely nothing to the rainbow-powered Mane Six.
177* NothingIsTheSameAnymore:
178** The Mane Six gain Rainbow Power, and with it, new powers to explore. The library is destroyed, but in its place is a new castle effectively making Ponyville into a kingdom and Twilight is dubbed "Princess of Friendship".
179** Discord fully accepts the Mane Six are now his friends and he can be truly considered reformed now.
180* OhCrap:
181** Twilight when she flies right at the hoof of Tirek while trying to get away from him. Even moreso when she teleports back to the library, thinking she's a good distance away and watch Tirek through a telescope only for him to turn in her direction and send a fireball her way.
182** Tirek likewise has one when his powers prove ineffective against the Rainbow Power and realizes his victory is about to be short-lived, leading to his own VillainousBreakdown.
183* OneWingedAngel: After absorbing enough magic to regain all his power, Tirek transforms into a gargantuan, monstrous, kaiju-esque version of himself.
184* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
185** When [[TheTrickster Discord]] starts acting solemn and serious, you know this time he truly is sorry for what he's done.
186** The usually [[NiceGirl kind-hearted]], [[EasilyForgiven easily forgiving]], [[AllLovingHero compassionate]] Twilight Sparkle does her best to outright ''kill'' the BigBad, unloading everything she's got on him in TranquilFury and no longer holding back. It only serves to emphasize that this time, she went ''utterly berserk'', like never before.
187* OutOfGenreExperience: The fight between Twilight and Tirek looks like something out of a {{Shonen}} anime. This is especially noticeable with the climax of the episode, which is more in line with previous finales.
188* PowerDyesYourHair: The Mane Six all get multicolored streaks in their manes and tails when they access their [[SuperMode Rainbow Power]].
189* PowerGlows:
190** Twilight sparks with electricity occasionally as a result of being supercharged by the other Princesses.
191** When Twilight first receives the combined power, as well as when she tries to lower the moon and raise the sun, her body glows and her hair turns more ethereal, similar to Celestia and Luna, with a glow about her.
192** The Rainbow Power is very glowy indeed, which wears off once it's done its job.
193* PowerIncontinence: Twilight has trouble performing even the most basic magic after the power transfer, blowing up the door to the Golden Oaks Library simply by trying to open it and briefly [[TeleportationMisfire teleporting to random spots all across Equestria]]. It isn't until Tirek comes after her that she gets a handle on her power, if only because she's no longer trying to hold it back.
194* PowerMakesYourHairGrow:
195** When the Mane Six gain their new elements, it makes their manes and tails grow lusher.
196** Tirek gets a long white mane in his penultimate transformation.
197* ThePowerOfFriendship: Tirek coaxed Discord to help him by manipulating Discord's [[LoveMakesYouDumb newfound love for friendship]] against him, but the tables are turned against him when Twilight Sparkle truly accepts Discord as a friend, who provides the Mane Six with the final key to opening the Rainbow Chest and leading to his defeat.
198* PreAsskickingOneLiner: Combined with KirkSummation before the Mane Six [[CurbstompBattle curbstomp Tirek]] with [[SuperMode their newly acquired Rainbow Power]]:
199-->'''Tirek:''' [[ThisCannotBe How is this possible?! You have no magic!]]\
200'''Twilight:''' You're wrong, Tirek! I may have given you my alicorn magic, but I carry within me ''[[ThePowerOfFriendship the most powerful magic of all!]]''
201* RedSkyTakeWarning: From the moment the Library Tree is destroyed and during the whole Twilight vs. Tirek showdown, the previously blue sky turns red and dark.
202* RegretfulTraitor: Discord betrayed all of Equestria by teaming up with Tirek, feeling that he had not been forgiven for his past crimes by anyone but Fluttershy. Only to realize that single friendship was still important to him after he is himself betrayed by Tirek.
203* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: Discord betrays the ponies to aid Tirek after he offered him freedom. In the end, Discord is betrayed by Tirek and his magic is drained, leaving him to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone dwell on what he had done]].
204* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Once Tirek blows up the Library, Twilight stops trying to hold her magic back and instead goes all out in trying to stop him.
205* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: After the Mane Six harness the [[SuperMode Rainbow Power]] version of the [[ThePowerOfFriendship Elements of Harmony]], Twilight earns the title of "Princess of Friendship", with the role of spreading [[TitleDrop the Magic of Friendship]] across Equestria.
206* SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou: When Twilight sees Tirek through a telescope, it looks like he's about to blast the audience with fiery magic.
207* SecretIdentity: Twilight had to keep the transferred magic a secret from her friends because, as Celestia points out, letting them know would put them at great risk.
208* SequelHook: Considering season five was announced, plenty. Such as the whereabouts of Scorpan in all of this, what new powers the rainbow elements entail and how Ponyville will now function as a kingdom, not to mention how Discord's completed reform will be displayed.
209* SeriesContinuityError: When the Mane Six spread their WorldHealingWave over Equestria, the Crystal Empire doesn't appear on the map as it did in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E12PinkiePride Pinkie Pride]]".
210* ShipTease:
211** There still seems to be some DiscordĂ—Fluttershy tease -- Discord softly apologizes to her, and she forgives him. Then there's this little exchange:
212--->'''Fluttershy:''' ''[to Twilight, on her {{heroic sacrifice}}]'' We're not worth it!\
213'''Discord:''' Oh, but ''[[YouAreWorthHell you]]'' are, Fluttershy. You're the pony who taught me that [[TitleDrop Friendship is Magic]]. I had magic ''and'' friendship, and now, I don't have either.
214** The DiscordĂ—Twilight Sparkle tease also gets reinforced. Though Fluttershy is the most tolerant of him of the Mane Six, Twilight is the ''least'' tolerant, if not downright hate him. Discord pretty much expects Twilight to abandon him after selling her and her friends out to Tirek, and he really couldn't blame her. He is greatly surprised Twilight chooses to help him as well despite all he did, so really, she is the reason he cements his HeelFaceTurn. Discord sincerely apologizes to Twilight for helping Tirek and gives her Tirek's medallion as a sign that he isn't lying, unlike when Tirek gave it to him. Basically, he is the one Twilight has changed in significance to her natural element of Harmony as the other five have done.
215** If you look closely at the captured Mane Five after Discord is drained, you can see Spike holding Rarity.
216** Near the end, Discord gives Celestia a bouquet of flowers and winks at her.
217* ShooOutTheClowns: Pinkie Pie is quite possibly the member of the Mane Six with the ''fewest'' speaking parts throughout the whole two-parter, presumably to keep the mood serious.
218* ShoutOut:
219** A brief one, but Twilight Sparkle letting Owlowiscious go is similar to ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallowsPart1''.
220** When Discord and Tirek capture the Mane Five and Spike, Discord notes that he [[Film/TheWizardOfOz got her little dragon too]].
221** The final battle against Tirek is obviously gleaning from ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. Which also makes it an OutOfGenreExperience.
222** Just before the big fight, Twilight's takeoff from the ground is similar to Superman taking off in ''Film/ManOfSteel'', including with the rocks shaking moments before she blasts off.
223** Another shout-out to Superman's comics and movies is how a crystal piece (in this case a chest) buries itself on the ground and causes a large, fully formed crystal building to emerge.
224** Twilight getting stuck in a rock crevice is one to ''Manga/OnePiece'' as Luffy has a bad habit of this happening during fights with a BigBad. Unlike Luffy though, Twilight can just teleport out.
225** The throne room in Twilight's castle has a low dais reminiscent of the [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Round Table]] at its center, surrounded by thrones for the Mane Six [[TheOneGuy and Spike]].
226** Spike's smaller, less ornamented (i.e., no cutie mark) throne next to Twilight's is a bit like the throne of the [[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing Steward of Gondor]].
227** When using his power, Tirek manifests a fireball, hovering between his curved horns. This makes him resemble ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}, who would [[http://i.imgur.com/qLtvztG.jpg manifest a fiery crown hovering between his curved horns]] on the occasions that he tapped into his full power as the Prince of Hell.
228** It's also been pointed out by fans that the fireball looks similar to [[http://i.tcgplayer.com/59828.jpg the gem between Nicol Bolas' horns]] from ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''.
229** It also somewhat resembles the Eye of Sauron from ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' trilogy.
230** The Mane Six's Rainbow Power is similar to the "Sailor Planet Attack" in ''Franchise/SailorMoon'', even replicating the overhead shot as the ponies power up.
231* SilenceIsGolden: A whole scene where Twilight fights Tirek ''Dragon Ball Z''-style, all with minimal dialogues.
232* SlouchOfVillainy: When Tirek is [[TheUsurper seated on Celestia's throne]], his posture has a decidedly unroyal air.
233* SparedByTheAdaptation: In the original ''Rescue at Midnight Castle'', Tirek is destroyed. Here he's de-powered and re-imprisoned in Tartarus.
234* SphereOfDestruction: Happens when Twilight and Tirek's energy beams collide at the climax of their battle. The resulting blast leaves both of them picking themselves up out of piles of rubble when the dust clears.
235* SphereOfPower: The Mane Six imbued with the Rainbow Power are surrounded by a bright, multicolored sphere that [[PowerFloats lift them in the air]] and is [[NoSell completely impervious]] to Tirek's attack. Then, after defeating the villain, it expands into a WorldHealingWave.
236* StealthPun:
237** When electricity crackles around Twilight, you might say that Twilight is ''[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga sparkling]]''.
238** Rainbow-Powered Applejack has red cheeks as if blushing. You could say she's "apple-cheeked".
239** [[DraggedOffToHell Tirek is sent back to Tartarus]] by a WaveMotionGun; you could say he is literally blasted to Hell.
240** The PlotCoupons the Mane Six collected throughout the season turn into keys that they use to literally unlock their [[SuperMode Rainbow Power]].
241** When the Mane Six unlock the [[SuperMode Rainbow Power]] of the Elements of Harmony, they open up a chest of whoop-ass on Tirek.
242* StepfordSmiler: When Twilight tries to reassure Spike that everything's fine, she forces a big, insincere grin to her face.
243* SuperMode: The ponies' Rainbow Power functions like this. Once the danger has passed, the Mane Six revert back to their normal forms.
244* SwirlingDust: Twilight Sparkle gets powered up with [[spoiler: the magic of three other alicorns]]. She's so overloaded with power that just getting ready to fly causes this effect.
245* SympathyForTheDevil: The Mane Five are clearly horrified when Tirek betrays Discord and violently sucks his magic dry. Note that this is ''after'' Discord betrayed ''them''; there's not even an ounce of biting sarcasm in Applejack's voice when she returns an IronicEcho over his backstab.
246* TalkingIsAFreeAction: After Twilight surrenders her alicorn magic to Tirek, Tirek immediately grows to [[OneWingedAngel monstrous proportions]] and should be able to easily squash the heroes... yet Discord has plenty of time to explain his sincerity in giving the medallion to Twilight as a sign of their friendship.
247* TeleportationMisfire: When trying to get the hang of her boosted powers, Twilight's attempt at teleportation sends her to random spots all across Equestria. (This is also the first time she uses the word "teleportation" to refer to this ability.)
248* TeleporterAccident: Averted, but it comes close. Twilight's PowerIncontinence teleports her all over Equestria, and despite the distances involved, she only ends up stuck between two rocks on the last jump.
249* TeleportSpam: Twilight makes good use of this during her fight with Tirek. Every time he manages to pin her down, she just teleports out.
250* TemptingFate: Tirek cites the medallion as useless since it reminds him of Scorpan and his siding with the ponies. Take a wild guess what ends up being the final key to unlock the box and seal his defeat.
251* ThemeMusicPowerUp: The Mane Six transforming into their [[SuperMode Rainbow Power forms]] is accompanied by track that sounds like a remix of the ''My Little Pony'' theme song.
252* ThisCannotBe: Tirek shouts this when he see Twilight and the Mane Six with their new Rainbow Power, unable to understand how they are empowered again after draining their magic.
253* TitleDrop: By Discord once again: he notes that Fluttershy actually taught him that friendship is magic.
254* TooFastToStop: Once her magic is supercharged, Twilight Sparkle's flying speed puts Rainbow Dash's to shame, but she has a hard time controlling it. Stopping involves leaving long gouges in the earth with all four hooves to kill the momentum, and in one instance she ends up bumping against Tirek's legs.
255* TranquilFury: In contrast to Tirek's {{Angrish}}, Twilight is completely silent during their battle.
256* TransformationSequence: The Mane Six assuming their [[SuperMode Rainbow Power forms]] is accompanied by a colorful sequence.
257* TrashTheSet: Golden Oaks Library is ''blown up''.
258* UngratefulBastard: How does Tirek thank Discord for helping him drain the ponies' power? By draining Discord's as well!
259* UnmovingPlaid: When Tirek drains Discord's magic, the bolt has a purplish plaid appearance. Of course, since it is pure chaos, it does fit thematically.
260* UnskilledButStrong:
261** Twilight has a lot of difficulty controlling the magic of four alicorns in her body, and even her simple teleport spell she uses all the time messes up. All she can do in her battle with Tirek is blast him with beams of magic; but again, with the power of four alicorns in her, it works well.
262** The same with Tirek. Despite having Discord's magic, he uses none of his finesse, just throwing out energy blasts and the occasional physical attack.
263* UnstoppableForceMeetsImmovableObject: The fight between Twilight and Tirek follows this. Twilight continuously blasts Tirek around with energy attacks and generally goes without taking damage thanks to her shield and teleportation. However, it's clear that nothing she throws at Tirek actually hurts him, since aside from grunts, he keeps getting back to his feet unscathed.
264* TheUsurper: After he finds out that Celestia, Luna, and Cadance have hidden their magic from him, we see Tirek sitting on Celestia's throne. He then [[DraggedOffToHell sends the Princesses to Tartarus]] to ensure that nopony can challenge his claim to the throne. Having drained Shining Armor as well, and Shining Armor being a Prince, Tirek thought he had removed the Royal Family completely from power. He assumes his claim as the new King of Equestria is secured for good once he drains Twilight of the Princesses' magic, but his claim is short-lived once he is hit with Rainbow Power, re-imprisoned in Tartarus, and Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, and Twilight, are restored to their places as Equestria's true Royal Family and sovereigns.
265* VillainousBreakdown: Tirek is shocked that Twilight and her friends have magic again and finds himself completely overpowered by them.
266* VillainTeamUp: Tirek convinces Discord to team up with him to take over Equestria. Of course, their alliance doesn't last.
267* WaveMotionGun:
268** Twilight's first volley against Tirek is a massive energy beam which completely envelops him, then explodes in the background into a giant mushroom cloud.
269** After being empowered with the Rainbow Power, the Mane Six fire one of these at Tirek, returning him to his weak and frail state and blasting him back to Tartarus forever.
270* WelcomeBackTraitor: Discord betrays all of ponykind to the most titanically dangerous threat it has ever faced, and gleefully enjoys doing so until he gets backstabbed himself... and yet Twilight still rescues him with the rest of her friends. This is crucial to the episode's DoubleAesop and is what turns Scorpan's medallion into Twilight's PlotCoupon. Towards the end, when the Mane Six are having a GroupHug and a guilt-ridden Discord is nervously waving from off to the side, Twilight uses her magic to pull him into the group, making this trope literal.
271* WeUsedToBeFriends: Seeing the ponies (especially Fluttershy) absolutely broken by Discord's betrayal really punches him in the gut... but he's sided with Tirek, so there's no turning back now... or so it seems, which leads to a heartbroken Discord pretty much uttering this to Tirek when he was promptly betrayed afterwards.
272* WhamEpisode: Let us count the ways: Twilight's library is destroyed; she faces the BigBad in a battle of ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' proportions; Discord's HeelFaceTurn becomes permanent; the Mane Six are bestowed with new Elements of Harmony in the form of Rainbow Power; Twilight is dubbed Princess of Friendship; and Twilight is given a brand new castle of her very own, with thrones for herself and all her friends ([[TheOneGuy including Spike]], but not Discord).
273* WhamLine:
274-->'''Discord:''' Soon, there won't be a pegasus, earth pony, or unicorn who will be able to stand up against ''us''.\
275'''Tirek:''' ''[[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness Us?]]'' [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness Who said anything about]] ''[[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness us]]''?
276* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Tirek's brother is mentioned a number of times, and depictions of him are shown in a storybook, but never makes an actual appearance. Unless Tartarus gives Tirek enhanced longevity, his brother should still be around. Though considering he went back to wherever he came from and there is no easy means of long-distance communication except between Spike and Celestia, they might just not have been able to find him.
277* WhatTheHellHero: A minor one. Tirek lets the others go, except Discord, who is still left trapped inside a bubble. When Twilight asks Tirek to let him go too, Tirek points out that Discord betrayed them, and asks her why she still even considers him a friend.
278* WhatWereYouThinking: Spike asks Twilight this after she sacrifices all of the alicorn magic within her to free him, the Mane Five, and Discord. Twilight doesn't answer, but a remorseful Discord pretends the question was directed towards him and proceeds to explain why he betrayed them.
279* WidelySpacedJailBars: The cage that Discord materializes to imprison Twilight's friends clearly has bars leaving a space wide enough for a pony to slip through.
280* TheWorfBarrage: In a curious example of ''both'' sides of a fight using this, neither Twilight nor Tirek are able to do any damage to each other during their huge, epic battle scene.
281* TheWorfEffect: To show how powerful he has become, Tirek effortlessly drains [[BarrierWarrior Shining Armor]] of his magic. And then he drains ''[[FromBadToWorse Discord]]''.
282* WorldHealingWave: After Tirek's defeat, the Mane Six release a rainbow wave which restores the magic of all the drained ponies, including restoring the Princesses' magic and releasing them from Tartarus.
283* WouldHitAGirl: Tirek has no problem with ''physically'' manhandling Celestia as well as Twilight whom he ''throws into a mountain'' followed by ''tackling her THROUGH it''. When offering Twilight's friends in exchange for the alicorns' magic, the clearly implied bargain is the magic for their lives.
284* WouldHurtAChild: Tirek has no problem holding Spike hostage, with the implication he'd be completely willing to kill the little dragon along with Twilight's other friends if it gets him what he wants. Of course, given his G1 counterpart threatened to ''decapitate'' Spike, this should come as no surprise.
285* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Done by Tirek to Discord. Tirek doesn't ''kill'' Discord, which the above tropes demonstrate was an ''extreme boo-boo,'' but he does drain him of all his magic and power and all but quotes this trope.

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