ACT ONE
It all started about a week ago.
It was Early September, and Twilight was welcoming her students back for another term at her school of friendship.
“Welcome, Every-Creature, it’s so nice to have you all back again for another term of learning the values and depths of Friendship and how it can bring us all that much closer together.”
Some of the creatures were excited, but others were not as was expected, and looked away from one another, mostly the new students.
Starlight cleared her throat, “Well, as Councillor of this school, I will do my best to make sure you all feel welcome and can find your calling here.
So, who’s up for a welcoming feast?”
All the students cheered at the idea of a big feast, especially when the great meals was then unveiled before their eyes in the main hall, and they dove right into it.
Since this was only the first day of school, not too much had gone on, but Twilight was busy as ever making all the schedules, lesson plans, field trip ideas.
Spike was growing tired filing all the finished paperwork, and yet the number of stacks never seemed to go down.
“Twilight, don’t you think it’s time to call it quits?” he groaned “It’s only the first day.”
Twilight knew he was right, but she found it really hard to put down her quill.
Starlight came in, looking a little beat and yawned, “I didn’t expect there to be that many papers to do on the first day.”
Twilight finally managed to put her quill down.
“We better go; we still have chores to do at the castle.”
Spike and Starlight both groaned.
“You’re getting to be a work-a-holic.” Starlight teased.
Twilight took no offense to this, “What can I say? I think hard work and doing a great job can really bring out the best in us.
Just look at every pony-else.”
She referred to her friends and other ponies all over Equestria, doing their jobs.
Why even little children with their school work, or volunteering to help other ponies with chores, or their parents at their own workplaces.
Rarity was sewing new outfits for her upcoming classes, and Sweetie Belle was helping her.
Rainbow Dash was training hard for her P.E classes, which seemed more like fun to her, but it was still work.
Applejack had left the building and was pulling her wagon of apples to sell at the market, and then go back to Sweet Apple Acres to do some farming.
Fluttershy was also at her Animal Sanctuary.
As for Pinkie Pie, she came into the office with a cake she had just baked with sparkling candles.
“Happy End of the First Day of School!” she hollered, followed by a bunch of confetti.
Twilight, Starlight and Spike jumped in shock.
Then Twilight noted the sparkling candles on the cake, and she had just enough time to gasp…
…followed by a big BOOM!
Cake batter was everywhere-- on the walls, on the floor, on the friends, and all Pinkie could do was giggle nervously, “Looks like I went and did it again.”
The other three nodded at her with narrowed expressions, and Twilight levitated a mop to Pinkie asking her to clean up the mess, which Pinkie was obliged to do.
Soon, all four of them left the school together, and Pinkie was bouncing merrily declaring, “Well, aside from the cake mishap, it feels great to finally get out of there.
Who likes to do nothing but work all day anyway?”
Twilight was about to protest, but Starlight and Spike gave her a look and shook their heads telling her not to give that lecture again about good-work.
But then, Snails and Snips, who were coming along from grocery shopping for their respective families, overheard what Pinkie said, and Snails answered, “I can think of one pony who hates working.”
“So can I.” added Snips.
Twilight gawked at the two boys and asked, “What pony is that?”
“You ever heard of “Silver Nickle?” asked Snips.
Twilight knew who that was, but only by reputation.
“She’s some really rich mare who owns that big business outside of Ponyville and near La-Pegasus.
She makes steel, household appliances, and wagons for all working ponies in all of Equestria.
Why many ponies would be lost without her.”
Then she realized what the boys had said, “Wait! You said that she doesn’t like working?”
“That’s right,” answered Snails “From what we’ve heard, she’s always in such a nasty mood-- like she’s been in a scrap with someone.
She doesn’t like her job, and she’s never seen having fun or doing anything enjoyable either.”
Pinkie Pie gasped “No fun? How can any pony not want to have any fun?”
Twilight pondered as well, “How can a well-to-do business pony hate her work?”
The boys just shrugged and went on their way.
While Starlight noticed Twilight was still deep in thought.
“Twilight,” said Starlight “…Much as I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we have work to do. It’s best not to think about it.”
Twilight was inclined to agreed, “I guess so. Silver may hate working, but the boys did say it was what they heard. They could be wrong.
Besides, there doesn’t seem to be any harm involved.”
Spike softly sighed in relief, feeling thankful that, for once, Twilight wasn’t about to go off on one of her Self-appointed Friendship-Missions and butt into another pony’s business or privacy.
“But wait…!” cried Pinkie “…What about the part where she doesn’t want to have any fun?”
“Let it go, Pinkie.” said Spike “It could all just be a hoax.”
For his sake, and for the sake of every pony-else, he hoped it was a hoax.
…But the next day it was proved not to be a hoax!
As Twilight was working in her office looking through application documents for new teachers at her school,
She noticed there were quite a few, and according to their resumes, they had all previously worked for Silver Nickle; all were fired as was stated in their pleas for a job as they were desperate.
She began to look over the person notes she made optional to applicants to help her find out more about them.
“I was fired by Silver Nickle; just up and kicked out the door, and I need a job to support my family.”
“Working is my greatest ambition, and Silver Nickle just took it from me in a fit of rage.”
“Please let me have this job, now that Silver Nickle has fired me, just because I was optimistic and having a swell time, I have nothing better to do.”
The more Twilight read on, the more it seemed as if the applicants were all fired by Silver, and all for the same petty reasons.
-Being happy
-Being optimistic
-Being positive
…Yet Silver just up and chucked them out.
Rather than address the applicants right away, she bolted upright in her chair.
“Twilight,” Starlight called as she came in through the doors, “Aren’t you coming to lunch? You’ve been in here all morning.”
She then could see the strong expression Twilight had.
“Twilight…”
Twilight finally looked at her, “Starlight, something just came up, can you look after the school for a while.”
Then she just irresponsibly teleported herself outside and began to fly off in the direction of Las-Pegasus.
“Twilight…!” Starlight called.
Spike passed by the office having heard her, and given that Twilight was gone, it didn’t much for him to realize, “Yep, here we go again.”