These instructions, I impart
Go thee where the trees grow dense
Where darkness reigns will thy quest commence
From there, take the longest way
Journey it by light of day
Cross the wasteland, trail the creek
Then climb up the highest peak
There shalt thou find riches free
But only one is meant for thee
Wisely choose, for choosing wrong
Shall make thee sing a mournful song
Yet choosing right shall bring elation
Wishes three to raise thy station
Give thee riches, power, or more
Thy names be sung from shore to shore
Dangerous this quest will be
But take it, heroes, for wishes three.
—>— The Stone of Ages' prophecy
The Heroic Tale of Heroically Heroic Heroes is an ongoing audio play produced by Obab Scribbler, based in the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic universe. The first episode was released in November of 2013, with a total of six episodes planned.
The story centers around Bucket Mopsworthy, a janitor working at a realtor in Ponyville known as P.W. Waddle and Son. While he's not very bright, he is a very energetic and kindhearted individual who dreams of someday becoming a royal guard, but is hampered by his lack of experience. He works alongside his good friend, Honey Buzz, who works as the realtor's secretary, and boy does she enjoy it! While the two of them are happy to continue their day to day existence in peace, a strange package finds its way to Bucket's hooves one day, containing a mystical artifact that refers to itself as the Stone of Ages, and prompts both ponies to leave their homes behind and go off on a quest for the chance to gain three wishes for themselves. Bucket is willing. Honey is not. But with a little prodding, she agrees to assist Bucket on the quest, despite her insistence on the whole thing being a dangerous waste of time.
But unbeknownst to the two of them, evil forces are brewing in Equestria, as a power hungry feline and an inept dark sorcerer begin to enact a fiendish plan that could spell trouble for the entire world...
The first episode can be enjoyed here
.As of June 1st, 2014, the second episode can be found here.
Cast member Deadly Reg is also responsible for bringing about the side series and forum discussion show, The Heroic Review, also hosted on Obab Scribbler's channel, which focuses on forum discussions and reviews amongst the cast of fanfiction, new episodes, and shorts of My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic. Any tropes pertaining to that series should go on that series' own page.
The audio play provides examples of:
- Abusive Parent: Worm's father wasn't exactly the most supportive guy in the world and has done such things as bash his son's face against his Spell Book, so hard that it left an indent and calls his son worm despite the fact that that's not his real name. While it's not outright stated that he disowned his son, it's made pretty clear that Worm's father doesn't hold him in very high esteem.
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Accidental Innuendo: Bucket really wants to show Honey his helmet. and his package. They're both really big and impressive. - Ambiguously Gay: Steven Magnet. Because of course he is. Becomes far less ambiguous at the end of his scene.
- Animate Inanimate Object: All right, so the Stone of Ages can't exactly move on its own, but it certainly has a personality and is capable of talking on its own... so long as someone's touching it, of course. Could also count as a Companion Cube.
- Bad Boss: While he's a bit less Ax-Crazy than other examples, Mr. Waddle Sr. is a bigoted, sexist, old-fashioned, close-minded jerk who treats his customers, employees, and even his own son with little to no respect.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Bucket Mopsworthy is convinced he's on an Epic Quest like those in fantasy novels, and hence takes everything that happens to him — including being attacked by horrible monsters — as all part of the fun.
- The Cloudcuckoolander Was Right: Bucket really is an effective martial artist, capable of wielding his dust mop to take down a giant monster, to Honey's utter astonishment.
- Contrived Coincidence: The only good-guy characters who have an actual logical reason to be adventuring together are Bucket and Honey (Bucket because he is obsessed with the idea of becoming a heroic adventurer, Honey because she cares about Bucket and wants to keep him from getting killed). Honey mistakes Zero for a monster and conks him on the head with a saucepan; all three of them are fleeing a Chimera when they accidentally smash Trixie's wagon, and cause the Chimera to start chasing Trixie as well. Given the genre (comedic fantasy), these sorts of chance meetings are perfectly acceptable.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Bucket. While not very bright most of the time, he's more than capable of defending himself and his friends thanks to the power of his Tie-Mop-Do.
- Cute Is Evil: Mr. Snuggles. See Cute Kitten and Evil Sounds Deep below.
- Cute Kitten: Mr. Snuggles, though he goes to great lengths to subvert this.
- Deadpan Snarker: Honey, full stop.
- Department of Redundancy Department: The title says it all.
- Dramatic Thunder: Type I, used for comedic effect. Sounds every time someone mentions the Crag of Doom.
- Evil Is Hammy: Mr. Snuggles has moments of this, especially when he is expounding the virtues (or lack thereof) of evil.
- Evil Sorcerer: Worm comes from a very long line of these, and aspires to be one himself. He's not very good at it.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Mr. Snuggles, surprisingly enough.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: It's a story about heroic heroes (or rather prospective heroic heroes) going on a quest of heroic proportions.
- Gosh Dang It to Heck!: Averted. While it is kept to a minimum, there are some quite noticeable minor curses (such as 'damn' and 'hell') peppered throughout, though not so much that it becomes distracting.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Mr. Snuggles certainly has one. Mr. Waddle also qualifies if he sees something that doesn't fit his elitist attitude.
- Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: Worm, bordering on being The Woobie.
- Large Ham: The narrator. And of course, the Great and Powerful Trrrrixie!
- Razvaan Razorback, both figuratively and literally.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: There are scenes were characters from the story will directly address and interact with The Narrator. Said Narrator also has the power to warp reality and alter the characters and the things around them merely by virtue of being a narrator.
- Life Drain: Worm explains that the only way to recharge his wand is to drain the life force of other living creatures. In episode 2, he further explains that the spell starts by skimming magic off the top before it begins to drain a creature's life force.
- Magical Incantation: Unlike unicorns, who can cast spells via their horns, Worm uses a Spell Book filled with rhyming incantations to cast magic.
- Mana Drain: What Worm's wand is intended to do — it drains the magic from magical creatures (such as unicorns) to increase the power contained within it (and, presumably, available to its wielder).
- Minion with an F in Evil: Worm qualifies if you consider Mr. Snuggles the Diabolical Mastermind.
- Motor Mouth: Bucket. His long-winded non-sequiturs could give Pinkie Pie a run for her money at times.
- No Indoor Voice: Razvaan Razorback. The Great and Powerful Trixie as well.
- Power Trio: By the end of the second episode, Bucket, Honey, and Trixie form one.
- Prophecies Rhyme All the Time: The Stone of Ages enjoys this trope. See the page quote.
- Rhymes on a Dime: The Stone of Ages speaks in rhyme. It doesn't have to, but it likes creating a certain ambiance when it talks.
- Rope Bridge: One features prominently in a chase scene in Episode 2. Predictably, it doesn't stay in one piece for very long.
- Sassy Secretary: What Honey Buzz is at the start of the story.
- Spell Book: Where worm learns most of his spells.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: A beautiful one delivered to Mr. Waddle via Honey. You'll be cheering for her by the end of it.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Honey... REALLY likes her tea.
- Trrrilling Rrrs: Trixie does this on occasion, especially when announcing herself.
- Verbal Tic: Zero the goat speaks with a 'baah' during his normal speech. As of Episode 2, it is shown that all goats possess a similar tic. Who would have thought?
