//------------------------------// // ARRIVAL - NOW 7:45 AM // Story: Teamwork iS Awesome // by FestOfAmerican //------------------------------// FimFiction.net presents Written by FestOfAmerican Based on the characters created by Lauren Faust, and the show “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic”, owned by Hasbro Incorporated. [LEGAL DISCLAIMER] This story is a derivative work of an intellectual property controlled by Hasbro. It was produced with absolutely no intent of monetary gain whatsoever; only for entertainment purposes and in tribute to the original franchise. It is protected under the United States Copyright Act of 1976 (Section 107: The “Fair Use” clause), owing to its dual non-commercial and parodying nature. Dedicated to: Ms. Faust, Craig McCracken, and every single cast and crew member of the original animated series. Also to the entire fan community surrounding it, who tirelessly expand upon the show’s mythology and reinvent those wonderful characters into new and intriguing forms. Your work is equally awe-inspiring and envy-inducing. I’m pouring my whole creative prowess into this story in the hope that it measures up as a worthy contribution. ================================================================================ Chapter One: ARRIVAL - NOW 7:45 AM ================================================================================ 7:37 AM PST (10:37 AM EST) Saturday, January 7th, 2012 Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. On board a private bus en route to LAX We left the house pretty early this time. Maybe the rest of the day will go smoothly too... Mrs. Fyre-Flye smiled softly as she allowed herself this momentary notion of confidence. Focusing on her magic-casting horn, the silver pocket watch she pulled out to check the time floated lazily back into the small purse hanging from her long neck, the sparkling aura encompassing it passing on to the zipper as she closed it. The premiere was at seven, so right now’s the first commercial break of the rerun. The Hub’s market figures I’ve seen showed that at least 36% percent of viewers in the last half-hour stayed tuned in to watch it again; mostly creative fans recording it for inspiration, or for upload to YouTube. That was nine months ago, so who knows if that count’s gotten any higher- The vinyl-covered bench she was sitting on abruptly shook and rattled her out of her statistical ruminations. Situated in the first row on the left side, behind the driver’s seat, she heard the shudder travel down the bus’s length as the tires rolled over a thermal expansion plate that was wedged between two sections of the freeway asphalt. She could also hear complaints arising from her fellow passengers about the disturbance. “Ow, my horn! It hit the bench in front of me!” “Ow, your horn! Wha-, who? Aw Twilight, we’re not there yet? I’m trying to sleep here!” “Eek, that’s cold! Applebloom, look what you’ve done! “Oh no! I’m sorry Scootaloo! I didn’t mean to spill my juice on you! Sweetie Belle, get the napkins! Hm? Oh, thanks Big Macintosh.” “Whee! That was fun, let’s do it again!” “Please Ditzy, let’s not. My flank is quite sore already from the last half hour of sitting.” “Mrs. Fyre-Flye, is everything all right? We seem to be going rather fast. Fluttershy ensured the care of dear Angel to me, and he’s quite upset.” The Alicorn leaned her head over diagonally to peer at the operator control panel; the speedometer needle teetering past 65 MPH. “Careful now, Whoopee. We’re not in that a big of a hurry, and you don’t need another citation from the CHP”, Mrs. Fyre-Flye said, placing a reaffirming right fore-hoof on the driver’s shoulder. Nodding silently, he eased his leg off the accelerator, the dull roar of the engine subsequently becoming softer. Mrs. Fyre-Flye leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. There was nothing to worry about. We’ll get to the airport early, wait for the others to fly in from Miami, and then get through security together. Easiest workweek ever… The exciting and winding path that led her to this moment started back in 2008, when Hasbro Studios hired her as the developer and executive producer of a new generation of “My Little Pony” for television. This opportunity allowed her to fulfill two of her lifelong dreams. The first was personal: She was a fan of the toys in her youth, forging new characters and adventures with them. The second was professional; to create quality entertainment for girls, a demographic which has long been neglected as an afterthought. DHX Media in Vancouver was the studio selected to film it. The actors, directors, costume and set designers, music composers and writers were assembled under her supervision, and the show successfully premiered on October 10th, 2010… But what followed in the first few months afterward was a phenomenon beyond her wildest expectations. She was getting notes of praise not just from children and their parents, but from ponies of all walks of life. Males, ranging from adolescents to soldiers in the military, would confess to her in their letters that they love the show, the characters, the morals and the humor. From the humble roots of a children’s television production sprouted a devoted following, and an experience that almost everyone can relate to and enjoy, regardless of gender, age, and even where they live. She took as much time as the production schedule allowed (which really wasn’t much) to thank every single one of her fans, even the ones who expressed constructive criticism on the series. All of their input was invaluable in order for her to grow as an artist. Sadly, her involvement in the series officially came to an end in April 2011, after putting the finishing touches on the two-part opening of season 2. The decision to relinquish her role as executive producer was announced to the fan-base the following month, on the eve of the first season finale’s airing. From then on, she would become a story consultant whenever the production team asked for her input regarding stories, character details, etc. It was one of the most excruciating decisions she ever had to make in her career, but the workload had become taxing on her body and spirit. The legacy she left behind with the show was immeasurable. Almost every week, from what she remembered last year as the peak of the show’s production schedule, she would get calls and emails from Vancouver about their progress. Any possibility of a return to the show was still ambiguous, especially since her latest project, “Super Best Friends Forever”, was quickly picking up steam. One simple, yet important way she sought to continue playing a role in the show’s success for now…was to ensure that her most beloved creations make their weekly flight to Canada on time. There were no objections raised from Hasbro or DHX about this arrangement. And the actors themselves saw it as a pleasure to continue a relationship with the pony that made each of them a household name. The bus was a leftover prop from another television production that upon its conclusion, she was allowed to keep. It was repainted a plain, unassuming yellow, and the side windows tinted as dark as legally permitted. For reasons of safety and efficiency are why these changes were made. An elaborately themed tour bus would cause traffic buildup, as fellow commuters around them would slow down and try to spot their favorite character. The plan every week was to leave the house at 7 o'clock sharp; the moment the new episode began to air. That would keep local fans distracted, and morning traffic would still be light. But even the best laid plans are rendered moot when these ponies are a part of the equation. It’s always an uphill battle to get them out the door. Whether Twilight studies her script all night and won’t get up, Rarity unable to decide what to wear at the airport, Applejack and Rainbow having another fight about a nightly prank, or the Cutie Mark Crusaders… The last one was just too painful for her to think about, so she left it at that. On top of the early departure, this week was different for another reason. Five cast members were out on a small vacation in Florida. Around 3AM, Princess Celestia called from the plane --just before they were wheels up-- to tell her that their flight from Miami International would arrive in Los Angeles by 9 AM local time. Once reunited, they would embark on a 12 noon flight to Vancouver. The bus exited right off the San Diego freeway and merged onto South La Cienega Boulevard. After another right turn on West Century, it was a straight shot to the airport. Sunlight pierced into the cabin from the shaded windows, dramatically rolling up and illuminating the pages of a computer-typed manuscript. A female unicorn, whose entire world currently revolved around this special piece of literature, had been using the magic of her horn both to hold it up to her eyes and brighten her surroundings in order to read it. It was a thick stack of white pages, it’s outer cardboard bindings showed signs of hasty assembly, held together by three metal loops through holes in the pages. Her eyes dashed across lines of dialogue, descriptions of key settings and props, but slowing down to analyze the highlighted sections and addendum written by Mrs. Fyre-Flye. She performed all sorts of movements with her head to characterize how much she agreed with them; turning it from side to side, furrowing and raising her eyebrows, then either nodding or shaking her head. The sun bloomed brighter and revealed her entire profile. The unicorn had eyes, a coat, mane and tail that were of contrasting shades of purple, with two additional streaks of color running through both sets of hair. Her cutie mark was an ultraviolet hexagonal star with elongated ends, with six white triangles under-lapping it at each open angle, which was flanked by five smaller white stars that resembled the original shape at the center. She closed the notebook with a snap, studying the description printed upon the front cover, resting a single hoof upon it as if to appreciate the unseen weight of all the effort that went into it. AUTHORIZED DUPLICATION NUMBER: 0018 AUTHORIZED RECIPIENT(S): MS. TWILIGHT SPARKLE “MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC” SEASON 2, EPISODE 14 (NO.: 40) FINAL DRAFT SCRIPT WRITTEN BY: KEATER DIRECTED BY: WOOTIE STORY EDITED BY: ROBBIE WITH CREATIVE INPUT BY: FYRE-FLYE PROJECTED DATE OF PREMIER: JANUARY 21ST, 2012 © 2011 HASBRO, INC. WARNING: The content of this document represents the confidential works of Hasbro Incorporated, and is protected by international copyright laws. Unauthorized possession, alteration, and duplication of this work can, and will be prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law. You are required to have signed and agreed to applicable NDA protocols upon receipt of this document. Putting the script down to her side, Twilight Sparkle looked up and out the window, seeing suburb blocks of homes, trees, power line poles and mountains rolling by and descending as the bus climbed up the road to LAX. The ecstatic anticipation she felt going to her first filming session built up strongly inside her once again, now because she was aware that the eyes of the world were upon the show, and on them. Grinning widely, she leaned forward, over the back of the bench in front of her, and gently tapped a hoof on the shoulder of a baby dragon, who played her personal assistant on the show. “Spike, Spike, aren’t you excited? Applejack’s getting her own episode for the first time in over a year,” Twilight proclaimed to her sleeping costar. “She really deserves this. She’s always so nice and helpful to the rest of us. And let’s not forget Ditzy’s acting debut. The ponies are going to go wild over that!” With enough persistence in her prodding, Spike uncrossed his arms and stretched them out. He lifted his head and yawned loudly, ending in an adorable little squeak, causing Twilight to giggle. While the majority of the scales that covered his body were purple, he had a light green underbelly, extending from his lower jaw to the tip of his tail. He also had rounded dorsal fins that ran the length of his spine and two additional fins on either side of his head that were different tones of green. He was wearing a large derby hat. A small black briefcase was leaning in the aisle against the leg of his bench, which contained a variety of precious gemstones for eating. It was always his style to try to give the impression of someone much older. He scratched the hide on his back with one clawed hand, and tipped the hat’s brim up with the other. Large emerald eyes with vertical slits were revealed. Now fully awake, he registered what the unicorn had told him and nodded. “Oh yeah, I totally agree with you, Twilight. There isn’t a nicer pony out there than Applejack”, Spike replied with a smile on his own face. Whenever he started to get nervous and forget his lines, she would stop the camera, and invite him over for a fresh apple pie she brought to the set. They would go over their dialogue together, and by the time the tray was clean, he would be ready to resume filming. Twilight would offer to help him as well, if only help was synonymous with criticize. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie would crack jokes, Fluttershy sometimes forgot her own lines more often than he, and although Rarity would try to comfort him, the on-screen tension between them was difficult to overlook. Thus, the responsibility silently fell on Applejack to guide him on his burgeoning acting career. His father was the original Spike in the “My Little Pony” series in the 1980s, which inspired him to follow in his footsteps. A few rows back sat three young girls. Two of them had older siblings on the show with them, but together they formed an adventurous and trouble-making trio of fillies, determined to discover their unique talent and earn their cutie marks; the aptly-named “Cutie Mark Crusaders”. They were still finishing up their individual breakfasts: Cereal, waffles, and a cream cheese bagel, with one specially prepared vegetarian egg, and a preferred fruit juice. The first one was an earth pony with a light yellow coat, amber eyes, red and gently bunched up mane and tail hair, with a large pink ribbon on the back of her head. She sipped loudly from the plastic bowl of cereal, drawing the attention of her older brother. “Applebloom, be careful not to eat too fast. You might choke and have another accident,” he advised, noting the abandoned cup of spilled orange juice on the floor. Applebloom looked up at him, her cheeks puffed up with her meal. “Okay, big brother”, was what she intended to convey in her responsive muffle to him before turning away and beginning to chew on the oats. The Pegasus in the middle had a burnt orange coat that clashed and brought out the juice stain on her foreleg. Her mane and tail can be characterized as curved and spiked, in a richer tone of plum than her eyes. Impatient like the mare she admired both on and off the show, she sandwiched her scrambled egg in between the waffles and scarfed it down hungrily, scattering foodstuff all over the side of the white unicorn to her left. “Scootaloooooo!” the third Cutie Mark Crusader whined. “You need to slow down too or you’ll have egg on your face to go with your juice!” Her coat was pearly white, with mane and tail colors of lilac and puce that rolled gently into itself and had a resemblance to clouds. Her eyes were jade. Like her friends beside her, she had no cutie mark yet. Sitting on the window side of the bench, she wore a cloth napkin around her neck that draped over her lap. Turning away from the messy Scootaloo, she took another bite from her cream cheese and jelly bagel, pausing to wipe the corners of her mouth with the napkin, a perfect display of etiquette training ingrained upon her at birth from her parents. “Oh Sweetie Belle, such wonderful manners. I’m so proud of you. I’m sure you can teach your friends in turn how to eat like a properly lady”, a lovely voice floated over the backrest. The older sister had lavender hair fashioned into elaborate curls, partially covered by a knitted short-brimmed winter hat. She was wearing all sorts of silver jewelry and adornments around her forelegs, neck and head, black shoes on her hind legs, and a black-and-white plaid blazer. Wide-lens sunglasses were pulled down by her magic power to reveal sapphire eyes perhaps more luminous than the actual gemstones. Large, beautifully tailored eyelashes and sky blue eyeliner on her upper eyelids. Her cutie mark consisted of three blue diamonds, standing vertically. “Thanks, Rarity! I-” Sweetie Belle replied on reflex, forgetting that her mouth was full and accidentally sprayed crumbs from her mouth. She quickly stopped herself, but she had already earned an eye twitch and disapproving frown from her sibling. “Sorry”, she whispered after swallowing her food, looking crestfallen. Applebloom and Scootaloo broke out in laughter. “Don’t worry about it, Sweetie Belle! Be proud of your title as a Crusader! Good manners aren’t needed”, asserted Scootaloo. “I agree! Good manners don’t make for good cutie marks”, Applebloom chimed in, showing a grin with pieces of oats stuck to her teeth. “No they don’t! But you know what does? ADVENTURE!” “DANGER AND EXCITEMENT!” Scootaloo and Applebloom turned towards a shirking Sweetie Belle for her contribution. “Um”, she pondered. “How about good, clean…fun?” A brief pause and blank stares from her friends. She was about to apologize again when Scootaloo cut her off. “Now you’re talking! High-hoofs for the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" The three girls threw their free hoofs up in the air into a loud, three-way clap, scattering food crumbs into the air. “FOR ADVENTURE, EXCITEMENT, AND FUN!!!” they yelled in unison. Rarity sighed in resignation and leaned back in her seat. “If only good manners did lead to cutie marks. It might be good motivation for them to clean up their act”, she muttered to herself. “Probably not. It wouldn’t appeal to ‘em”, replied a low, male voice close by. Rarity snapped her head in surprise to the right, forgetting that Applebloom’s brother was sitting right next to her. He was a burly earth pony stallion with a deep red coat, an orange mane and tail which was cut short, suitable for his outdoor work. He had the image of a green apple sliced in half for a cutie mark, a shade of green that matched his eyes. “Oh, Big Macintosh, I-I-I am so sorry for such a callous remark! It was not my place to judge my sister…nor yours…or their manners! I didn’t mean it, I-“ Rarity’s blathering apology was halted by a single large hoof brought in front of her. When he lowered it, he had an understanding smile on his face. “Ain’t nothing to be sorry for, Miss Rarity. I know those girls can be as difficult to manage as a runaway wagon, but remember just how young they still are. They’re only trying to have fun in learning about themselves. Can’t fault ‘em for that”, Big Macintosh commented wisely. “Yes, absolutely”, the fashion-savvy unicorn beamed. They spent the next few seconds smiling at each other, looking into each others' eyes in silence until a grey-coated and blond-maned Pegasus, with severely misaligned yellow eyes, popped her head in between them from the back row, smiling. “Hooray, we’re almost there”, she cried. “I am so excited that they’re giving me my first performing role! The fans are the ones I have to thank for this! We are going to work so well together!” She wrapped both of her forelegs around the heads of Big Macintosh and Rarity, pulling them both in for a hug against her chest. After momentary looks of discomfort, they looked up in mutual glee. “Yes, Ditzy, this certainly is your moment. And I can’t wait for us to share the screen together,” Rarity coughed and managed to say in the constricting headlock. “Likewise," Big Macintosh strained. “Oh go ahead, you can call me Derpy! That’s the name fans gave me, and I will wear it with pride,” Derpy said happily. The bus’s last two occupants were an unusual pair. On the show, both supporting characters had never formally met, and the ponies they would normally go on these trips with were not back yet from Miami. The first one was an Alicorn, the rarest and most powerful species of pony in existence; they had the horn of a unicorn and the wings of a Pegasus. Although she has made only two confirmed appearances in the series, she plays a central part in its mythology as being the master of the moon’s orbit and life cycle. A goddess by design, her ethereal appearance can best be identified by a translucent cloak of a mane and tail, a dark blue coat color, and aquamarine eyes. She wore accessories that were modest yet effective at signifying royalty, such as a tiara and elegantly designed slippers on all four hooves. Her necklace bore a portrait of her cutie mark; a crescent moon swimming in the darkest night. She was sitting upright on a large custom-installed bed. Despite being a character of omniscient influence, the bed’s sole purpose was to accommodate her and the larger body of her older sister --another Alicorn-- together. In her absence sat a small wicker basket. The Princess of the Moon leaned over and peered through the see-through lid to see how her new traveling companion was doing. Curled up in a prolonged state of restlessness on a white pillow, next to a glass water dispenser, was a white male rabbit. He was the pet of one of the main stars, Fluttershy, who with great reluctance, decided to leave him at home when he proved to be too much trouble during a previous vacation. Although often mischievous and manipulative towards his passive owner, the rabbit did care very much for her. Distraught over the perceived abandonment, he started to wreak havoc throughout the house, offenses which included messing up the kitchen and dining room during mealtimes, gnawing on the shoes and furniture of his fellow occupants, and stealing every last roll of toilet paper and hiding them in various places. Twilight’s magic, Big Mac’s muscle, and even the Crusaders’ tenacity proved to be no match for the agile and surprisingly intelligent creature. Just when all hope that his rampage could be stopped was lost, the rabbit made one very big mistake…He tried to pilfer the younger Princess’ most prized possession. She brought the hammer of Justice down on the tiny animal with the “Royal Canterlot Voice” at full capacity, stamping him out of his crime spree once and for all. Once subdued, Mrs. Fyre-Flye granted her the responsibility of looking after the bunny. She cherished the opportunity to take care of a pet, which was quite easy now that he responded promptly to her, purely out of mortal fear, of course. It was the same kind of fear that gripped him right now as he huddled inside his basket, trembling, ears folded back with the Princess looking down upon him. Concerned, she opened the lid and reached inside to stroke his back to calm him down. “Angel, I’m sorry I scared with you with my loud voice. I was just so upset that I-,” she began to say. A small squeak of alarm was heard, and she stopped her foreleg in mid-air. Angel was shaking worse than ever and covering his eyes with his paws. The Princess withdrew her hoof, an all too familiar loneliness growing inside her heart. He fears my voice, and now my touch. How can I possibly reconcile with him? She suddenly had an idea, blinking away the tears that were beginning to form on the edge of her eyes. She brought a saddlebag in from the edge of the bed and reached inside with her muzzle. “Oh Angel, look what I have for you,” the Princess hissed gently through clenched teeth. Angel lowered his paws and looked up to find the most delicious-looking carrot he’d ever laid eyes on dangling from the face of the pony he’d been so afraid of just moments ago. “Since Applejack went on the trip with Fluttershy, I decided to look after her garden in the backyard too. I picked a fresh bunch this morning before we left,” she explained through her dental grip. The wide grin she unintentionally made in holding the carrot was so silly that it melted away his fear, causing him to smile in return. He held his arms up high to receive this wonderful gift, and the benevolent Princess slowly brought it down to him. Before taking the first bite, he remembered where the carrot came from, and looked up worriedly at her. “Don’t worry. If Applejack gets mad later, I’ll take the heat for it,” she reassured and winked at him. His face returning to a buck-toothed grin, he began to eat, making chewing noises, the midnight Alicorn watching him contentedly. Through the window to her left, three massive, 3-D letters rolled past in sequence.