//------------------------------// // Grubber's Place // Story: Fizzlepop's Number One Assistant // by milesprower06 //------------------------------// With a stretch, Grubber opened his eyes and awoke to the poking and prodding of dragon claws. "Come on, Grubber. Get up. I've got a bath getting warmed up for you." He heard Spike tell him as he tossed the covers aside, and winced at the sunrise coming in through the window. He managed to glance at the clock and saw it was 9 AM. "Huh? Bath?" Grubber groaned. "Yep. You've been requested in the throne room, so you've got to look presentable, and you've overslept as it is." Spike told him, practically pushing him out of bed towards the bathroom. Indeed, once they were there and Grubber had his balance on his two feet, the first thing he saw was the bathtub absolutely full of suds, moments before he was lifted up and tossed in with a splash. Needless to say, he was awake now. He had barely popped his head above the water and blew away the surrounding bubbles before Spike was all over him with a brush. "Gonna tell me what this is about?" The hedgehog asked as the dragon worked into his fur with the stiff bristles. "They didn't tell me. Once the clock hit 8:55, they sent me up here and told me to get you ready as soon as possible." It didn't take Spike long. Only a couple minutes cleaning Grubber's coat while the hedgehog took a glob of shampoo and lathered up his white-gray mane that went all the way down his back to his tail. A total of seven minutes later, Spike popped the drain plug out, and Grubber hopped out and shook the excess water off right before Spike tossed him a towel. He dried his hair as best as he could, then ran a comb through it. Looking in the mirror, his coat and mane definitely had a cleaner shine than it did ten minutes ago. "You look good to me, come on, let's go!" Spike hurried him along. He tugged on his shirt on the way out the door, and the two of them went down the hall towards the throne room. All the while, he was wondering what Princess Twilight wanted with him. When they walked through the double doors, Princess Twilight and her friends stood near the map table, along with Major Fizzlepop in her full armor. "Good morning, Grubber. Sorry we sent Spike to get you up. But with what Princess Twilight is prepared to offer you, it might be a good idea to get used to early mornings." Fizzlepop told him. Now his curiosity was fully piqued. "What can I do for you, Princess?" "Grubber, I told you if Major Fizzlepop couldn't find a spot for you in the Ponyville E.U.P., that I'd do everything within my power to help you find something, and it's largely thanks to her and Spike that we figured something out so soon." "Yeah, we think we figured out what you're really good at, even if you aren't quite aware of it. Those nachos you made yesterday for lunch? Those were amazing." Spike told him. "And that salad you let me have the rest of? Well, I only had a couple bites... because I took the rest to Twilight and Spike and they immediately agreed; one of the best they've had. Then when we took the dishes back, we saw all the recipe books you'd been flipping through." Major Fizzlepop told him. "Yeah, I should really get better at putting everything away, sorry about that." Grubber apologized. "Well, there's one way we came up with that could help you with that. How would you like to be put in charge of the kitchen on a more permanent basis?" Princess Twilight asked. "In... charge?" "Grubber, I'd like to offer you the position of Head Chef of my castle kitchen." Princess Twilight announced, as formally as she could. Grubber couldn't keep his mouth closed. "Your duties would include planning and coordinating menus with Ponyville catering teams for special events that are hosted here. We usually have one of those at least once a month." Twilight told him. Fizzlepop took a step forward. "And also, you'd be responsible for providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the Ponyville E.U.P. You'd be doing that on a daily basis." The orchid unicorn told him. "And you'll have your work cut out for you. My troops have quite the appetites." Those words made Grubber's heart skip a beat. Here it was; the best of both worlds. His love for delicious food, and it was a great way to be involved with Fizzlepop's squad. "Wow... I mean... Wow! Yes, yes, Princess, I accept!" He excitedly answered with a curt bow. Twilight gave him a smile. "In that case, he's all yours, Rarity." Twilight said, turning to the white fashionista. "Grubber, darling. Please meet me out front in a few minutes and I'll take you over to Carousel Boutique and get you measured for the most exquisite chef's uniform." Grubber nodded excitedly as Rarity made her way out of the throne room, and Fizzlepop came up to him. "Well, I know it may not be quite what you wanted, but I hope you like it." She said. "A-Are you kidding, Fizzlepop? This is perfect! Just you wait. I'm gonna put together the healthiest, tastiest, most energy-packed meals your squad has ever had." Grubber exclaimed, nearly jumping up and down. Fizzlepop chuckled, knelt down, and brought him into a hug. "Anything for a friend." As she released him, she noticed her cutie marks begin to glow again. "Whoa, what's going on there?" Grubber asked, looking back at her flank. She smiled as the pink and blue fireworks glowed off and on momentarily, then returned to normal. "Just another day in the Kingdom of Friendship. Now go on, you don't want to keep Rarity waiting. Can't wait to see you in that new uniform!" Grubber gave her a toothy grin before turning and ran out of the throne room, hot in pursuit of the unicorn that would make him the most dashing chef's whites ever. "Congratulations, Chef Grubber."