//------------------------------// // Episode 11: Friendship My Foot! // Story: My Brave Pony Starfleet Magic: Season III // by DakariKingMykan //------------------------------// EPISODE ELEVEN Twilight didn’t get much sleep in the past few days. Ever since the events at the palace she was worried about Celestia’s safety. What really got her frazzled and frustrated was the fact that she was ordered by the Queen and the Grand Ruler not to interfere. They didn’t know who this assassin was, and why she was after Celestia, but judging from previous incidents, he or she was extremely powerful, most likely even stronger than their best fighters! their majesties didn’t want others to get involved for fear of them getting hurt, especially since Shining Armor had nearly lost his life. Now Twilight often had recurring nightmares in fear of Celestia’s safety, and her mind was rigged with the mysteries. Who was this assassin? Why did she want to kill Celestia? Most importantly, how was he or she so powerful that she was able to sneak past all the security of the royal palace? She was so baggy-eyed that she didn’t even touch her toast and honey at breakfast. “Uh, you gonna finish that?” Spike asked. Twilight just sagged down in her seat and let her head hit the table. So, Spike just took it as a yes and ate the toast in one gulp. Starla came along helping poor Lightning into his seat. He looked just as tired. “His horn was glowing again, it kept him awake.” Starla said. Twilight yawned and rubbed her eyes “Think you should see a doctor about that?” she asked groggily. “I did…” Lightning said “But Penny’s never seen anything like this before, no doctor has. I even checked in every book possible-- nothing. What’s happening to me?” “At least you’ve got it easy.” Twilight said “I don’t get why Queen Celestia won’t let us help fight against the assassin.” “We have our orders, Twilight, and as much as I don’t like it. I’m going to follow them and so are you. …End of conversation.” Twilight sighed, and slumped down again, that’s when Pinkie Pie hopped over. “Hiya, friends!” she giggled “What’s up?” but she could see that Lightning and Twilight seemed down. “Aw, come on it’s a beautiful day. This is no time to frown.” “Uh, oh…” Twilight playfully groaned. “I think we know what’s coming now…” added Lightning, and indeed Pinkie Pie began to sing her “Smile” song.  Lots of creatures joined in the song, even Applejack who was passing through town selling apples from her cart, and Buddy Rose, who was selling fresh picked vegetables from his garden. “…SMILE!!” shouted Pinkie as everyone sang and danced. “…Come on and Smile!” That’s when she noticed someone still wasn’t smiling. Sitting at table away from everyone else, a lone pony dressed in a ragged brown cloak and hood was eating a stale bread-roll without even any butter. He seemed to chew angrily and made soft growling sounds.  “Uh, oh, someone needs cheering up.” Pinkie said. She playfully cracked her knuckles, and had a dramatic moment like being a superhero “Pinkie Pie to the rescue.” “Pinkie, wait!” cried Twilight. “…Oh, boy! Start the countdown.” Spike said. Pinkie hopped merrily over to the hooded pony. “Hi there!” she said, but the pony didn’t even look at her and just ate away at his roll. “So, you eat stale bread?” Pinkie asked. Still, the pony didn’t answer. “Gee, you look like a guy who could really use a friend.” Finally, the pony responded, but very angrily-- he glared at Pinkie through the darkness of his hood and growled feircly. “I don’t want any friends!” His loud voice blew Pinkie’s mane, and everyone was staring at them, and the hooded pony angrily walked away. Pinkie fell flat on the ground all a dazed and confused. “What was that all about?” she asked. Buddy Rose and Applejack came over and helped her up. “I think that buckaroo’s had one too many bad apples today, whoever he is.” Applejack said. Pinkie snapped out of her trance and realized “Looks like I’ve got a new objective to accomplish.” she said. “Hold it, Pinkie!” Starla said “Don’t you remember what you learned the last time you tried like this.” Naturally she was referring to Cranky Doodle, and how she barely won his friendship. “Oh, I remember.” Pinkie said “Besides, it can’t hurt to try and figure out why he doesn’t want friends, and that’s just what I intend to do.” and off she went. Lightning and Twilight both gave a heavy yawn. “I hope Pinkie doesn’t go to extremes this time.” Lightning said. “At least she’s wide awake and all that.” groaned Twilight. “Aw, buck up, sugar-cube.” Applejack said. “Why don’t y’all come over to the farm and spend the night? Farm work always keeps us wide awake, and you’ll sleep just like a log, come nightfall.” Buddy Rose agreed “Besides, we could all use some help. Chores have gotten a little out of hand since the last harvest.” Lightning and Twilight yawned again and decided anything was better than yawning all day. Starla decided to come too. She didn’t have much to do that day. “I wonder how Pinkie’s getting on.” she wondered. Pinkie Pie followed the hooded pony across New Ponyville, still trying to get him to at least talk to her. “Go away!” he growled “I don’t want to talk to anyone.” “But won’t you at least, tell me what’s wrong? That’s what friendship is all about, the magic of getting along and helping others.” “Friendship is magic my foot!” growled the pony “And if you don’t stop bothering me, I’ll call the police on you.” Unfortunately for him as Pinkie was a member of Starfleet, “I happen to be the police.” she stood tall and saluted. “That’s me, Lieutenant Pinkie Pie; Starfleet.” The hooded pony growled and continued to try and avoid her. “Hey! Wait up!” called Pinkie. “Why do you hate friendship so much?” “Because I do, so there, now, leave me alone!” and he dashed on ahead, desperate to avoid her, but Pinkie wasn’t willing to give in, and decided to use her own special ability…  …aside from her Pinkie Sense, everywhere the pony went to try and get away from her, there she was; always popping up and asking over and over. “Why do you hate friendship?” “Why do you hate friendship?” “Why do you hate friendship?” Eventually, for the first time, Pinkie lost sight of him. “Yoo-hoo…! Where’d you go?” She searched all around and didn’t even notice the poster on one of the trees of a missing pony, one that pretty much nobody recognized. Meanwhile, aboard Sombra’s ship, the minions were hard at training to beef up their skills for the upcoming trails, ahead, and Phaedra was really going hard at it. She swung her sword around swiftly, but her anger was defiantly showing, she was scaring Frost-Eye to shivers that he hid behind Melantha. “I’m right behind you. D-D-D-Don’t be afraid.” Melantha simply scoffed and marched over to Phaedra right as she swung her sword and grabbed her arm, stopping her. “Let go!” growled Phaedra. “Not until you cool off a bit.” Melantha sneered Phaedra angrily took her sword back. “You got some nerve!” she grumbled. “Well, so do you!” snapped Frost-Eye “…throwing your sword around like some crazed pony who’s lost her colt-friend.” If only Frost-Eye knew the truth, he wouldn’t right then be pinned to the wall of the ship with Phaedra staring him dead in the eyes and holding her sword to his neck. “DON’T YOU EVER SAY THAT TO ME AGAIN!! …UNDERSTAND!!!” Frost-Eye was so shaken with shock and fear that he couldn’t bring himself to answer. That’s when Harkin came in and pulled Phaedra away softly “Now, now, Phaedra. You don’t have to take that attitude with us. King Sombra has found another heart shard, and told me personally to send you to go after it.” Phaedra obeyed and thought a good chance to get back at the ponies. She cast a sharp look at Frost-Eye before she left the ship “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you.” Then she was gone, and Frost-Eye gulped. “What is with her?” he asked. “Do I look like I know, or care?” said Melantha. Twilight and Lightning soon found themselves waking up, as there was a lot of work to do on the farm and no time to complain. Buddy Rose’s garden needed weeding and the soil had to be packed and fertilized before he could plant any new crops. Hay needed to be rolled into big logs. The orchard acres needed to be mowed and the trees to have their branches trimmed, and sprayed with bug repellent to keep the hungry insects away from the apples that were due for picking soon. Spike got the fun job, smashing the bruised and bad apples into mush for the hogs. He jumped about and marched playfully, and rolled about, splashing the mush all over the place. He, Applebloom and DD had loads of fun, and they splashed a little mush on Applejack and Big Mac as they were passing by. They could only smile and sigh. “Kids, what can ya do with ‘em” said Applejack. “Eeyup.” replied her brother “Looks like Lightnin’ and Twilight are getting their winds back.” Twilight along with Starla had finished rolling up the last of the hay into logs, and without using magic, and Lightning helped Buddy Rose plow Buddy Rose’s entire massive garden, by hand, without the use of tools, and his garden covered a good width of the land on his side of the acres. “Just what are you planting, an army?” he teased. “Well, United Equestria is a big kingdom after all.” said Buddy Rose “But thanks for helping. I should be done planting by nightfall now.” The girls were glad to be off work too, and Applejack got some fresh cider and apple-pie for everyone. “Come and get it!” she hollered. Applebloom, DD and Spike were already seated at the picnic table, and as the others came to join them, the mail-carrier came by. Starla accepted it, and gave them to Applejack.  They were all sitting down to their snack when Pinkie Pie came to the table, and she looked pretty tired. Her mane was all in a frizzle, and she looked dehydrated. She had been chasing that hooded pony all over the place and lost sight of him. “Here, sugar-cube, drink up…” Applejack said offering her a glass of cider. She felt a little better “He wouldn’t tell me why he hates friendship.” she said sadly. “I’m sure he has his reasons, Pinkie, but maybe you should just let him be.” said Twilight. Pinkie wasn’t sure she wanted to agree, but decided to leave the hooded pony alone, wherever he was… for the moment. As everyone drank their cider and had their pie, Applejack went through the mail and came across a piece of junk-mail; a poster of a missing pony. It had his name, Royce Rolls. “That name, I swear I’ve heard that before.” said Twilight. The others couldn’t figure it out, but there was a huge promised reward for the safe return of Royce. Spike practically drooled over the price written. “This guy must be filthy rich.” said Applebloom “I’m gonna keep my eyes open for him.” Lightning examined the poster and according to it, Royce had been reported missing for a couple of years, and he was last seen when Equestria of old was still intact before it was destroyed, and it was after United Equestria was formed that he disappeared and had been missing ever since. “Wouldn’t someone have spotted him some point by now?” Lightning asked. This began to spark an interest from the others as well, and so they all decided to add that mystery to their rather non-to-critical importance list. It wasn’t as if focusing on that mystery alone would help them in their quest for the remaining heart shards. “We’ll find them. I know we will.” Starla said. That’s when her, Lightning and Buddy Rose’s horns began to glow, even Twilight’s was glowing. “I think we may have just found another.” Buddy Rose said. That’s when the shadowbolts appeared in vast numbers. Applebloom and DD screamed and hid behind Applejack and Buddy Rose. “Easy now, Applebloom. We’ll take care of ‘em.” Her brother escorted the girls and Spike inside, and they watched from the windows. “Great, stuck inside again.” groaned Spike, wishing he could be out there where the action was, but Applebloom and DD had gone from scared to excited, even though they were aware of the seriousness and danger. “Gosh, a real battle…!” Applebloom cried with joy. “Eeyup.” her brother said eager to see the excitement. Even DD herself couldn’t wait to see and was preparing to take notes so she’d be able to make a good fighter in the future. The friends stood in two groups of three, and transformed.  “STARFLEET MAGIC!!” “HARMONY HOUR, FRIENDSHIP POWER!!” “Let’s go, and keep an eye out for the shard.” said Lightning. The others nodded and they all dashed into battle with the shadowbolts.  Pinkie and Applejack grabbed two big wheelbarrows and dashed along. “Coming through…!” Pinkie hollered as she knocked the shadowbolts down like bowling-pins. “YE-HAW, strike!” cried Applejack. Twilight and Starla found themselves surrounded by a whole ring of shadowbolts, and they were closing in for a big beating. The girls gazed at each other and nodded, and waited until the last second as the shadowbolts all dove at them, Twilight teleported herself and Starla out of there causing the shadowbolts to knock into and fall all over each other. “STARLIGHT ARROW” Starla shouted as she blasted them all into smoke with that single shot. She gave her bow a twang “Gotta love it!” While the battle continued, someone was peeking from behind a small brush of trees and bushes near Buddy Rose’s house on the other side of the road from Applejack’s, and then he saw Phaedra appear. He gasped softly and his heart skipped several beats. “It can’t be!” He reached into his robes and pulled out a single old, and worn out picture of a female unicorn he once knew and gazed back and forth comparing the picture to Phaedra. Phaedra could tell where the shard was, somewhere under the soil of Buddy Rose’s garden. She raised her sword ready to blast the ground, when Lightning and Buddy Rose landed and stood behind her. “Blow up my garden; I don’t think so.” hissed Buddy Rose. Phaedra gazed at the boys and angrily charged at them, and the boys dashed at her. They evaded her blade swings and threw their fists and kicked their feet at her, to which she blocked and dodged easily. Finally she got a good opening and bashed them both hard sending them skidding along the ground. “Is that the best you’ve got!” roared Phaedra. “You okay, Buddy?” asked Lightning. “Yeah, but I’ve never seen her fight this fiercely before, or this angrily.” Whatever she was angry about, it seemed to be boosting her agility and strength, like being on a rampage. “You want a piece of me some more?” she growled as she held her blade “BLADE-BLASTER” and she fired her projectiles causing massive explosions. Lightning and Buddy Rose dodged them. The hooded pony could hardly believe what he was seeing, but his eyes never left Phaedra. The girls all rushed over to the boys. “You guy’s okay?” asked Applejack. “We’re fine, but Phaedra’s really blowing her top.” said Lightning, and Phaedra blasted them all again, everyone dodged the blasts. Phaedra was angrily panting, and then in a blinding rage she blasted the soil in the garden hard, much to Buddy Rose’s horror “Oh, no! I just got it packed the way I wanted!” Suddenly, the heart shard levitated up from the ground. “No! The shard!” cried Twilight, but Phaedra had already snatched it in her hand. She laughed wickedly “Too bad, suckers.” she sneered “That’s one more shard for King Sombra.” “Give us that shard, Phaedra!” Lightning demanded. Phaedra snickered wickedly “I’ve got something better to give you…” and she tossed the monster gem she had into an apple tree that was growing near the garden. The tree became a fierce and snarling monster known as Crabby-Tree! It growled loudly and was ready for a fight. Lightning scanned the monster with his visor; its defense was pretty high, it wasn’t vulnerable to fire or ice on the outside, and it could throw high-explosive apple-bombs at them. Realizing the full seriousness, and since Phaedra already had the shard, the team decided to take on the monster. The tree grabbed two apples off of its upper tuft and threw them. “Look out!” shouted Twilight and everyone leapt out of the way just as the bombs exploded and made small craters where they were standing before. “Whoa! I’ve had my share of bad apples, but this is a doozy!” cried Applejack. “Let’s get him!” shouted Pinkie Pie, and she leapt over dodging the tree’s massive limbs as it swung them at her.  “…You missed me!”  “…Missed me again” She popped up and blew a raspberry at the beast, only to get swatted hard like a fly and knocking her down hard. “Pinkie!” cried Starla as she and Lightning helped her up, and the monster threw more bombs at them, but Lightning blasted them with a small shot of the uniforce from his horn. “We’ve got to get rid of all those apples.” he said. “I’m on it.” said Buddy Rose. “I’ll help you.” added Twilight. She would distract the monster while Buddy Rose would ready himself for a clear shot. The monster swung its limbs at Twilight and she dodged every last one of them. When the monster threw a bomb at her, she blasted it with her magic, or shielded herself with a barrier. “Here I come!” shouted Buddy Rose as he soared down from the sky. “LEAF SWARM” and he unleashed his razor-leafs at the tree’s tuft, exploding all the apples and seemingly harming the monster. The team was joyful for a moment, but much to their horror, the tuft and the apples grew back instantly.  “Take cover!” shouted Lightning as more bombs were tossed. Some of them struck the hayfields and blew the hay-logs into ash. “Ugh! I spent all day rolling those up!” growled Twilight. Phaedra was really enjoying seeing all the suffering and anguish. “More!” she growled under her breath “More suffering, more pain!” She decided maybe to run in and join the fun and destroy the team for good, but as soon as she armed her sword ready to fire more projectiles. “Fay! Don’t do this!” someone shouted. “Huh?” snapped Phaedra as she turned to face the hooded pony. The others could see him. “It’s him!” cried Pinkie. “Hey, you get out of here!” shouted Lightning, but the hooded pony refused to move, and pulled his hood away revealing the face of a unicorn, slightly deserved, but recognizable by the team. “It’s him!” cried Starla. Phaedra almost dropped her sword. “No! It can’t be!” she cried “…Royce?” Royce nodded, but Phaedra shook her head. “No. IT’S NOT TRUE…!” she shouted as she fired her projectiles at him. Sparks flew all over and Royce fell off his feet. “Fay, stop this! What’s happened to you?” Hearing his voice, and that name only made Phaedra angrier and she looked ready to blast him again for the kill! The others tried to race over and help him, but were held up by the monster; except Pinkie. She raced over shouting “No!!” as she leapt over and knocked Royce out of the way hard before Phaedra blasted him again. “You?!” cried Royce. “Are you alright?” asked Pinkie, but Royce was at a loss for words, especially when Pinkie stood up in front to shield him. Phaedra didn’t care and decided to zap them both, when suddenly the sky grew dark and Sombra’s evil voice echoed “That is quite enough, Phaedra!”  “…Sombra!” Twilight sneered under her breath. “Sire?” cried Phaedra “You have the shard, now return to the ship! I won’t tell you again!” The darkness faded and Phaedra glared angrily at Royce, still not believing it was really him, and she vanished and was gone. “Fay, wait!” shouted Royce, but it was no use. He fell to his knees and angrily pounded the ground. “What was that all about?” Pinkie asked. Royce angrily stood up, replaced his hood and began to run. “Wait!” shouted Pinkie “There are things I want to ask you.” “Leave me alone!” growled Royce “I don’t want help, and don’t want any friends. This isn’t about friendship anyway.” Then he ran off much to Pinkie’s annoyance and concern. “Pinkie!” shouted Lightning “Get over here!” Pinkie dashed to help the others with the monster, just as it bashed Lightning hard in the chest and knocking him down. “Lightning, are you okay?” cried Starla. “I’m fine, but… watch out!” and everyone scattered just as the monster let fly with more bombs, and it roared loudly with its mouth opened wide, and everyone immediately happened upon the idea of how to beat the monster. “Get ready…” said Lightning as everyone stood together, and the monster launched a whole swarm of apples at them. “Go for it!” One by one everyone leapt up and caught the apples like baseballs and they all threw them right back and into the monster’s massive mouth, right down its throat. “Down!” shouted Twilight and everyone hit the dirt as big explosions and spark flared from the monster from the inside out really damaging it “Whoo-wee, if that ain’t one bad case of indigestion.” joked Applejack. When the smoke had cleared, the monster looked badly burnt and wheezed. Its tuft was in a mess and all its apples were burned off. “Let’s get him!” shouted Lightning. One-by-one, everyone leapt at the monster, kicking it hard, and mercilessly opening fire on it with their attacks and magic. Lightning dashed forth and socked the monster hard; sending it up, up into the sky. “STAR SHOWER” Starla’s stars bombarded the monster and sent it crashing hard to the ground. “Not, good enough…” Lightning said “We need more power.” “Allow me…! Payback for trashing my garden!” shouted Buddy Rose as he readied his whip and powered it up. “WHIPLASH STRIKE” and he lashed the monster hard. It roared loud as it leapt over backwards and exploded!  Applebloom cheered loudly from the house, along with her brother and Spike, and Granny Smith just woke up suddenly in her rocking chair “Wha… what’s goin’ on?” she asked “Is it a holiday?” The dark crystal shattered, and all that was left was a fallen apple tree, unburned, but it didn’t look so good, not to mention the big mess all around the acres, but no serious damage, but the team didn’t seem to mind and Twilight suddenly remembered about Royce. “I think he’s Phaedra’s long lost colt-friend.” “You sure?” asked Buddy Rose. Twilight wasn’t completely sure, but with all the evidence building up it seemed positive. “He said it wasn’t about friendship.” said Pinkie “That could explain a lot too, but he got away before I could ask him anything.” “I guess that leaves us with another mystery to go on.” said Starla “But as if we didn’t have enough to worry about already.” Lightning agreed, what with the remaining shards to find, the assassin that was after Queen Celestia, his golden horn glowing so mysteriously. Even the mysterious Dragon-Knight egg that Twilight still had, but that was only a minor mystery to everyone. “I don’t know what’s going here anymore than the rest of you, but we better start solving mysteries before we get any new ones, because I have a feeling the trials up ahead are going to be more fierce than ever.” The others all agreed. “For now, what say we all get to work and clean up around here?” Applejack suggested. When Phaedra returned to the ship, she was met with a good reception and commendation from Sombra, but she didn’t seem to be in much of a mood for their thanks or anything, and just wanted to be alone. She crept to a lonely and dark area of the ship and backed against a wall and slowly slid down to the floor on her tail. Her mind just kept showing her images of Royce as well as a whole bunch of old memoires, and pain she had tried for so long to subside. “It can’t be him.” she thought to herself “I can’t let myself believe it. I just can’t!” A single tear fell from her eye and splashed on the floor “…Oh, Royce!” It sure took some time for the friends to work and clean up the messes that were made, even after dinner there was still work to be done, but by nightfall, the holes in the ground were all patched and re-laid with fresh grass. Buddy Rose managed to help the poor tree and set it right again thanks to his expertise in planting. His garden was fixed, and the hayfields once again had fresh rolls of fresh packed hay. As for Lightning and Twilight, they had worked so hard, and the battle really wore them out, that they had fallen asleep outside the barn. They just sat on the ground upright against each other’s backs with their heads dropped down, and they snored softly. The others couldn’t help but be amused by them both. “What did I tell ya? Out like a light.” said Applejack. The others agreed and wrapped a couple of blankets around their friends, and just left them to sleep under the stars in the warm night. (Promo) In our next episode, Lightning is growing constantly annoyed with his failure to propose to Starla, especially when she is suddenly and mysteriously whisked off to another planet for an alleged arranged marriage to another. Now, Lightning and friends must rescue his love while facing the dangers and craziness of this rival of Lightning’s. Who will ultimately get the girl, and will Lightning ever propose to Starla? Don’t miss the next exciting episode of “Starfleet Magic” (Next Episode: “Arranged and Engaged!”)