“We’re really lucky that the first challenge is a cooking duel!” Snowy exclaimed as she high winged Azure, who looked happier about the fact that she was going to taste great food rather than the challenge being easy for Mirage.
“Midnight should have done her research better! You’re going to kick her ass with that one,” Rune encouraged Mirage as she slapped her back. However, the unicorn still looked uncertain.
They were all in Mirage’s apartment after waiting for her to receive the information about her duel with Midnight. As it turned out, the first one was a cooking event, which was Mirage’s specialty.
“Are you okay, Mirage?” Blueberry inquired as Mirage shook her head, then sighed.
“No, I’m not. Frankly, I don’t work well under pressure, and I only have two days to think of a good enough meal…” Mirage answered as Azure raised an eyebrow.
“What are you talking about? You’re the best cook I’ve ever seen! You can just get anything from your shop and that should be enough!” Azure reassured her as the other girls focused back their attention on their friend.
“I can’t just take something random out of my store! Judges from all over Equestria will come to taste what I’ll cook, it needs to be something special! Besides, I don’t think Midnight would have issued this event if she wasn’t any good at cooking,” Mirage explained as Snowy put a hoof under her chin.
“Actually, I think I have an idea of what you could prepare for the challenge!” Snowy commented as Mirage turned her head to her. “A grilled seaquestrian eel! It’s a royal meal accompanied by potatoes from gryffonstone as well as serpentine sauce. The dessert that usually goes along with it is really great, too! Golden chocolate-flavored crystals from the Crystal Empire!” Snowy explained as Rune’s mouth started watering in hunger right before Azure’s did the same.
“You’re making me hungry just by talking about it, Snowy,” Rune said while licking her lips.
“I’ve never heard of that dish before…” Mirage pointed out while pondering about the meal.
“It’s not surprising. As I said, it’s a royal meal only the Queen would enjoy. And even then, she only gets one prepared once every decade or so because of the rarity of the ingredients,” Snowy explained while Rune nodded.
“Snowy and I were actually lucky enough to get a taste of it, it was so good! From what I’ve heard, only a really talented cook can make it without ruining it, so you already got this in the bag,” The unicorn added as Mirage paced around.
“I don’t mind trying to cook it, but… how am I going to find these ingredients? I need to have them in two days, so there’s no way we can buy any of these in time,” Mirage sighed as Snowy smiled and put a wing over her neck.
“Don’t worry about it, I can take care of that! Working personally with the Queen herself kinda has its benefits!” Snowy replied with an eager smile.
“You would really do that?” Mirage inquired.
“Of course! Meanwhile, the girls can help you research how to cook that meal! I… um… wasn’t very successful at preparing it myself… Her Majesty kinda saved the castle’s kitchen from being burned down,”
“You cooked with Her Majesty?!”
“Of course! Is that hard to believe?” Snowy responded as Mirage snickered.
“Well no, but I never thought Her Majesty would ever do the cooking herself. Honestly, I’d be interested in cooking with her someday! It would be such an honor…” Mirage retorted, making Snowy smile.
“I’ll definitely tell her about it! I’m sure she wouldn’t mind taking a break from her royal duties. They must be tiring,”
“I sure wouldn’t mind tasting whatever you two would prepare!” Azure commented with her watering mouth. “A meal from the Queen herself… must be yummy!” She added dreamily
“I think you should send a message to the Queen right away, Snowy. Better not waste too much time,” Rune pointed out as Blueberry widened her eyes at the mention of wasting time.
“I’m so glad to have you all… but I don’t think I like having such an unfair advantage. I basically have the Queen herself helping me out!” Mirage lamented while Azure was trying to hold Blueberry back from running off to her job.
“It won’t be. Believe me, you’ll need all the help you can get. I don’t like it either, but when it comes to Midnight, there’s no such thing as unfair,” Snowy explained as Mirage raised an eyebrow.
“Snowy’s right. It doesn’t look like it if you don’t know Midnight as we do. But she has the same connections as her family. And she’ll use them all just to find the rarest ingredients she can. I wouldn’t be surprised if she cooks something even rarer than our dish! As hard as that sounds,” Rune added, making Mirage sigh in acceptance.
“Okay, I believe you. I’ll use all the help I can get then,” She conceded as Snowy lit a horn and teleported away before coming back several seconds later with a book in her magic grab.
“I have the recipe in this book, so I guess you should start by learning it while I talk to the Queen,” The white alicorn explained as Mirage took the book.
“Thank you, Snowy,” She grinned as she opened it.
The other girls soon joined them to see the recipe, too while Snowy watched them with fondness. This reminded her of a time when she was only a filly. When she had been the Queen’s student for a couple of years and when she decided to cook something herself for the first time. Those were such good memories…
Several years ago
“Oh, my Twilight! Please, Lady Dawn, let me help you!” The cook, a green male unicorn, said worriedly. He was Chef Strudel, the Queen’s personal cook.
“Y-You said you would just oversee what I’m doing in case I hurt myself! It won’t be a good gift if I don’t make those cupcakes on my own!” A small filly lamented with a sad look on her face while the cook looked nervous.
“You will have to excuse me, Lady Dawn, but I wasn’t expecting you to make so many fires! The whole castle will burn at some point,” The cook replied as he looked down at the black and burned cupcakes, then at the burn marks all over the kitchen. “Let me bake those cupcakes, and you can tell the Queen you made them yourself when you give them to her,” He added as Snowy had a downcast expression.
“But… I-” Snowy fumbled before she was cut off by someone else.
“There will be no need for that,” A regal voice spoke up, startling the two ponies. Snowy’s lips curled upwards as she recognized who it was while the Strudel gasped in fear.
“Y-Your Highness!” He exclaimed as he nearly fell on his butt before swiftly regaining his composure. “I-I didn’t mean to fool you or anything! I…” He started explaining himself only for Twilight to raise a wing.
“Do not worry, my little pony. You have done nothing wrong. You only wanted to help my dear student, after all, didn’t you?” She reassured him as he nodded, albeit a bit hesitantly. “It is noble of you, but I will take it from here. You may leave and take a rest for the trouble she caused you,”
Snowy watched with awe as the cook left after bowing and thanking the Queen. She was always impressed with Twilight. She was mighty and stood proudly in a manner that inspired respect and devotion. Yet, she was kinder and gentler than anyone Snowy had met before.
The Queen looked around the kitchen, noticing the burn marks and the failed attempts at cooking cupcakes while Snowy fidgeted nervously.
“Uhm… This was supposed to be a surprise… I’m sorry if I ruined your kitchen, Your Majesty…” Snowy apologized as Twilight’s cold expression turned warmful.
“Don’t worry about the kitchen. As long as you are safe, it’s alright,” She replied before lighting her horn. Snowy opened her mouth, amazed, while Twilight’s light enveloped the whole room and fixed all the burned pieces of furniture. “Good as new! Now, about that surprise… May I know what warranted it? I don’t think I did anything to deserve cupcakes specifically prepared by my student,” She added while Snowy blushed.
“Of course, you deserve it, Your Majesty! You made me your student, and… You’re always so kind to me. Even if you’re harsh with your lessons sometimes,” Snowy explained as Twilight looked at her with soft eyes. Snowy wasn’t used to it much since the Queen was always cold and showed little emotion during lessons or in the presence of other subjects. But Snowy knew the real her… Every time they were enjoying some time off alone, Twilight would be kind and understanding. She would be a good listener while Snowy talked about her problems at school, and she would even hug her sometimes. The young filly never had anyone to do all those things for her. No one to reassure or comfort her during hard times. Still, she wished for more. She knew it was selfish, but the Queen rarely talked about her talent in magic. She never said she was proud of her. She never congratulated her when an assignment was done. She wondered if the Queen was even satisfied with the unicorn’s abilities… “Plus, tomorrow is your birthday, and I thought sweets would be an awesome gift,” Twilight widened her eyes in surprise at that.
“My birthday… I forgot it was tomorrow, but it certainly would have been a nice surprise, Snowy,”
“You forgot? But it’s a national holiday! Ponies in all of Equestria celebrate it every year!” Snowy exclaimed in surprise as Twilight chuckled.
“When you are as old as I am, you tend to forget your birthdays. I’m not even sure that’s even the correct date anymore, but it is the one I gave to my previous counselors,” Twilight explained as Snowy fell silent. She could hardly imagine forgetting her own birthday. That was sad… But The Queen didn’t seem to mind so much, so she supposed it probably wasn’t that bad. “Well? What are you waiting for? Go get the ingredients we need from the storage room, those cupcakes won’t be made themselves,”
“A-Are you going to help me?” Snowy asked in shock and surprise.
“Of course. It could be entertaining, and I wouldn’t mind helping my student,” She answered as her student gasped.
“N-No! I shouldn’t make you do this! Y-You’re a queen, Your Majesty! It’s…” Snowy started rambling only to be stopped when Twilight put a wing on her shoulder.
“A queen I may be, I am also your mentor. You need help, don’t you?” Twilight’s eyes met hers as the small unicorn opened her mouth in stupefaction and stayed silent for a couple of seconds.
“Y-You really won’t mind helping me?” She questioned. Twilight shook her head before walking toward the dirty kitchen counter and cleaning it with a single spell.
“Since the cook isn’t here anymore, I don’t have much of a choice, do I? Besides, I actually wanted to make some cupcakes, too. It is quite a strange coincidence, don’t you think?” Twilight retorted as Snowy understood the message soon enough.
“O-Ok! I’ll get what we need!” The unicorn said excitedly as she ran to the storage room.
She came back a couple of minutes later and set the ingredients on the counter.
“Good. Why don’t we start by putting flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl and mixing it?” Twilight suggested as Snowy followed her instructions. “Be careful not to spill any,”
“You even know how to cook… How are you so good at everything, Your Majesty?”
“I wouldn’t say I’m good at everything, but the longer you live, the more skills you tend to learn,” Twilight answered as Snowy sighed.
“I wish I knew how to make cupcakes, at least… Every attempt was a disaster. So, I don’t think I’ll ever get better, no matter how much time passes,” She said desperately.
“I didn’t know you could see the future. You’ll have to teach me some time,” Twilight smiled as Snowy widened her eyes.
“What? I… I don’t know how to see the future…” She mumbled hesitantly.
“Then how can you be so sure you will never improve?”
“Well…”
“This may surprise you, but I was actually in your shoes once. I had no idea how to cook and nearly burned down every kitchen I was in. If it weren’t for some of my friends doing the cooking for me, I would have starved,” She chuckled under her breath.
“I don’t mean to offend you, Your Majesty. But I have a hard time believing you…” Snowy replied as Twilight put a wing over the filly’s back.
“I am not as perfect as you may think… But you still have a lot of time to understand it. Why don’t we focus on those cupcakes?”
Snowy had no retort as she continued following Twilight’s instructions. Naturally, the Queen helped her several times throughout the process, especially when it came to using the oven and making sure nothing was getting on fire. Cooking with her had been more fun than she thought it would be. It was true that she was strict a lot of times, and sometimes more easygoing. However, for the first time, she acted like a friend. Snowy wouldn’t dare call her a friend to her face, though, since Twilight was her mentor and queen. Still, it didn’t stop her from thinking of her that way.
“All we have to do now is wait,” Twilight said as she turned the over on.
Snowy stayed silent for several seconds. She didn’t honestly know what to say since she didn’t spend that much time with the Queen usually. Especially not to have fun like this. She couldn’t help but look up, and before she knew it, she spoke.
“Your Majesty,” She called out to her, attracting her attention.
“Yes?”
“Earlier you said that you forgot your birthday… I guess it’s hard for me to imagine because… I don’t even know how long you’ve lived… But it must have been a lot… Did you forget other things, too?”
“Of course. I can’t remember every single detail of my life just as nopony else could,” Twilight replied as Snowy looked hesitant.
“No… I mean… You talked about your friends, so I was wondering if there are ponies you forgot, too. It’s the first time you talked about your personal life…”
“It is, isn’t it?” Twilight whispered as she looked up in thought. “Obviously, I forgot small and unimportant matters over time. I’ve done and seen so much in my life. The friends I had. The ponies I knew. They aren’t small or unimportant. I can safely say that I remember every single one of them,” She answered.
“All of them?”
“Oh, yes. Around five centuries ago. There was a mare named Summer Wood who owned a music shop here in Canterlot. She loved playing violin and even taught me a few things. Our lessons were quite entertaining,” Twilight spoke fondly as Snowy listened to her in silence. “I had a student named Star Chaser. Now that was millennials ago, but I still remember how shy and introverted he was at first. Even more than you! He was quite clumsy, too. And I think he had a crush on me. He was quite good at elemental magic,” She continued as she remember his apprenticeship under her. “And Spike… He stood by my side for thousands of years and protected Equestria for just as long. He was kind and cared about his friends more than his life. He was strong, but him being a gigantic dragon probably helped,”
“A dragon?!” Snowy exclaimed in shock.
“Indeed,”
“I thought they were extinct…”
“He was the last, unfortunately,” Twilight’s expression turned somber as Snowy seemed deep in thought. “What is the matter, my little pony?”
“Well… It’s just so weird to me… All those ponies -and that dragon!- lived so long ago. Yet you talk about them like you just saw them yesterday,” Snowy answered as Twilight remained silent. The small unicorn smiled. “They must have been amazing!” The Queen nearly widened her eyes in surprise, truly not expecting such a response.
She swiftly regained her composure and placed a wing on Snowy’s back while giving her student a small smile.
“They were,” She replied. Both master and pupil stayed silent for a few seconds until the silence was broken by the sound of ringing.
“Oh! That must mean the cupcakes are ready! Right?” Snowy inquired as Twilight nodded and lit her horn, turning the oven off and getting the cupcakes out of it.
“Yes, and they look delicious,” She said as she handed them to the short unicorn, letting her smell them. “Today may not be my birthday, but since the surprise is already ruined, we may as well feast now. What do you think, dear student?” The Queen asked as Snowy froze for a second, surprised by the suggestion, before quickly nodding in excitement.
She could safely say that up to this point, this had been the greatest of her life as even her mother had never done anything this nice with her, which was why she still remembered it years later.
Back to the present day, Snowy continued to watch her friends in amusement as they discussed the challenge Mirage will have to face.
“You know, the magic duel may not be an automatic loss. I’ve got nice moves I can teach you! Plus… If none of them work, I’ve got a secret strategy that works every time,” Azure stated as she leaned down and whispered the last part in Mirage’s ear. Unfortunately for her, Rune was already aware of what she was about to say.
“How many times do I have to say that farting in your opponent’s face isn’t a real or viable strategy. It literally never worked every time you’ve tried it!” Rune slapped her own face as she said it while Azure rolled her eyes and huffed.
“That’s because it still needs some improvements! But it’ll work you’ll see,” She retorted while Blueberry walked up to Mirage.
“I don’t know much about fights, but can you bring a weapon in that duel?” The earth pony inquired as Rune stopped her discussion with Azure the moment she heard the word ‘weapon’.
“I didn’t even think of that! I could definitely lend you something!” The unicorn exclaimed while Mirage rubbed her chin.
“I don’t know… Isn’t it supposed to be a magic duel? Can I really use a weapon?” Mirage questioned until Snowy put a hoof on her shoulder.
“I’ll ask Her Majesty if you’d like,” She suggested as her friend smiled.
“Thank you, Snowy. That will help so much,”
“Great! Now that’s settled, let’s talk about this recipe! I can’t wait to see how a royal meal is cooked!” Azure licked her lips as she lifted herself a few feet off the ground by flapping her wings.
While the five friends were enjoying their time alone and preparing Mirage for her challenge against Midnight. A lone stallion walked the streets of Equestria, far from their location. The street was littered with trash while several ponies slept on the ground with ragged bed sheets to cover themselves with, and bottles of alcohol. The buildings were also smaller than in Canterlot and had multiple cracks running across them.
“So this is a district?” Celestia asked inside Dyson’s head.
“Yep. You never been to one?” He inquired out loud. Even if most ponies would find it weird, the ones living there didn’t care about each other’s business. And they certainly wouldn’t question Dyson if they thought he was crazy.
“The idea to set up districts was brought up only a few years before my imprisonment. This place really looks like garbage, though, compared to Canterlot,”
“Not surprising. District F is located in the south, which has fewer resources and received less development. And the fact that it borders Changeling Kingdom’s territory sure doesn’t help,” Dyson explained as he kicked an empty can out of the way.
“This will only make it easier for us. There is more easy prey here. Besides, I’m feeling an acceptable magic power in a nearby alley. Go to it now,” Celestia ordered as Dyson obeyed with no complaints.
Soon enough, he reached the alley Celestia directed him to and found a homeless-looking stallion going through a trash container. He was also accompanied by a smaller pony, which seemed to be a young filly. While the stallion was an earth pony, the filly’s horn was noticeable even in the dark.
“There were two of them! They’ll make a good meal, especially the unicorn. She has quite the potential in raw power,” She chuckled as Dyson gulped before walking closer to the two ponies. They seemed to have heard his steps since they quickly turned around.
“Sorry, buddy, but I was here first. There are some other trash containers further down the road if you want,” The stallion said before Dyson could speak while the filly hid behind the homeless pony’s legs.
“Sorry, but I’m no… Exactly here for trash,” Dyson replied as he looked remorseful. The other stallion narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
“Good. Don’t move, so I can cast the spell,”
“Do you need help, perhaps?” The homeless pony asked as he stepped back.
“Who is that, daddy?” The filly asked fearfully.
“I don’t… But you do,” Dyson said as his horn glowed in purple color.
“S-Sir… Stay back!” The homeless pony warned as a beam of magic was shot from Dyson’s horn and hit him straight in the chest while purple tendrils floated around his body. he screamed in pain as the filly widened her eyes in horror.
“D-Daddy!” She cried as she stood frozen in place only for another beam to hit her two while the first one was still connected to her father. “AAAAH!” A burning feeling went through her body as if she swallowed fire. The more time passed, the lighter she was. It was like they were removing something from her! She was getting weaker and weaker with no answer as to what was happening to her.
“I-I’m sorry!” Dyson apologized while siphoning their magic. Soon enough, both ponies he trapped opened their mouth and eyes wide while a blue smoke escaped from them and moved to his body.
“Good! More! We need to take all of it! Until they’re empty husks!” Celestia laughed in delight as her essence pulsated into Dyson’s head.
The royal guard’s lips quivered while his legs shook as he watched the filly and her father slowly dying. Their magic was getting weaker while their bodies started looking lifeless as if they’d been dried off any fluids. You thought he was happy about this?! He wasn’t! That looked terrifying and painful! He didn’t want anyone to suffer through that! And he wanted to inflict it on someone else even less! But it wasn’t like he could stop it, could he? Even if she was nothing but a voice in his head, Celestia was much more powerful than him. It was probably the most potent magic he felt besides’ the Queen’s. How could he ever hope to face something like this?
Finally, the stream of magic stopped as the bodies fell to the ground. Their eyes were blank, and their jaws hung down while their corpses looked dried up. They were nothing but empty husks, devoid of magic and life.
“That… Was scary…” Dyson commented as he suddenly felt a surge of power. “But I feel stronger!”
“Of course, you do! That was the point of absorbing their magic in the first place! When you get strong enough, you’ll be able to free me. Don’t get ahead of yourself, though. You’ll give me back everything you’ve absorbed when the time is right. This is my magic, after all,” Celestia answered as Dyson gulped and nodded, not wanting to anger her. “Good. Now let’s look for more prey. I can’t wait to get my revenge on the princess and that student of hers,” She chuckled as the royal guard looked uncertain.
“There’s something I’ve been wondering… Wouldn’t the Queen just turn you back to stone?” He inquired while Celestia stayed silent for a few seconds.
“Pfft! As if! I’ve had plenty of time to study the spell she’s used on me. I’ve got it all figured out already! Unfortunately, only Twilight knows how to cast it, but I still managed to learn to dispel it. I won’t be changed back to stone, I can assure you,” She answered smugly before leading him on another trail.
These two first victims weren’t enough to prepare him for what was to come because no amount of killing would ever make him used to it.
Bonus section
A day in Blueberry Marron’s life
Another morning, another day of work. Blueberry yawned as she climbed down from her bed after only a few hours of sleep.
“I better hurry up if I don’t want to be late…” She muttered as she grabbed a brush and brushed her brown coat and her yellow mane. Well… ‘Brushed’ was a strong word considering all she did was run her brush across herself a few times before stopping. She ignored the many unbrushed spots and left her bathroom.
She was lucky to live in Canterlot; however, her job was in District E, which meant she had a long walk to it. Of course, they were many means of transport she could use, and she did. Unfortunately, none of them led her directly to the front of the factory she worked in.
She was one of the many workers in the Screw and Bolts Industry. You would think working in such a famed incorporation would be an honor and a privilege. She didn’t hate her job, but she wouldn’t exactly call it a privilege either. The factory she was in made various mechanical components for many machines throughout Equestria. Some were used in trains while others served as a power source for holding cells in prison. The fact that it was so varied also demanded versatile workers and a lot of time.
That was why she was expecting a potential promotion. She was hard working and spent most of her days in the factory, multi-tasking. As usual, she started working on engines. The factory was noisy and hot, which was why she never wore a uniform to shield herself from anything dirty. She could accept getting dirty if it meant she wouldn’t die of overheating. Moreover, she still wore a helmet!
“Hey! Blueberry! Get down here!” A pony shouted from down the stairs leading to her station. She looked down and immediately widened her eyes as she realized it was the manager.
“Y-Yes?” She responded hesitantly.
“The boss wants to see you! Don’t make him wait!” He replied before walking away, not leaving her any opportunity to answer.
The earth pony gulped as she went downstairs with her legs shaking. She didn’t meet any of her coworkers’ eyes. Mainly because most of them were busy with their own work to pay attention to her. But she was still expecting some comfort to reassure her. Usually, no one was called into the boss’ office to receive good news. It was the opposite. Still, she was hopeful since she had no idea what she could have done wrong.
His office was small and mostly empty. He only had a desk, a few chairs, and a computer. A large transparent glass allowed him to see most of the factory and its workers. Looking at it, Blueberry realized there was little that could escape his sight. She couldn’t help but wonder if he watched her sometimes. It was a scary thought. The pony sitting at the desk was a male earth pony with a grey coat and a few rocks as a cutie mark. His mane was only a darker shade of grey, and several wrinkles were spread out across his face. He called himself a business stallion, but he certainly didn’t look like it. Especially considering how ill-mannered he was. Still, his name was known by many: as Roder Pie Stone.
“Come in, come in,” He said as Blueberry closed the door behind her. “Sit down. Blackberry, is it?”
“Uhm… No. Actually, my name is Blue-” She started only for her boss to cut her off.
“Right! Right! Well, Blackberry, I have great news for you!” Roder exclaimed while smirking as Blueberry widened her eyes.
“Y-You do? I was… actually hoping… to-” It seemed the slow and tired way in which Blueberry spoke was quick to make Roder impatient as he cut her off again.
“I’ve been watching everypony’s progress closely, and I must say, you impress me! The logs say you’ve worked 24-hour shifts the last week!” Roder explained with excitement in his voice.
“Oh… I’m happy you noticed… I thought I could… do that every… two weeks… But…” Blueberry yawned, stopping mid-sentence.
“Yes, yes, and I think you deserve a reward. Here, we respect hard work and our workers! That is why I decided to name you ‘employee of the month’!” Roder said as he placed a framed picture of her on his desk. “I’ll ask Scottie to put it on the wall right away if you have no issues with this picture,”
It wasn’t that she had no issues. Frankly, that picture didn’t make her look good. Her hair was a mess, and it looked like she hadn’t slept in months. She didn’t care about her appearance, but if she knew her picture would be put up somewhere, she would have at least used some makeup. That wasn’t the main problem, though.
“That’s… great, sir…” She said hesitantly.
“Are you sure? You don’t look happy about it,”
“I am,”
“If you don’t like it, you can just say it, you know!” Roder retorted angrily as Blueberry shook her head.
“No, no, no! I like it… It’s just that… Well, I was expecting something else,” She admitted as Roder gained a look of realization.
“Of course! How could I forget? Here, take this,” He said as he threw a bag of bits in front of her, making Blueberry smile in delight as she looked through it.
“Uhm…” She started, nervous and hesitant. “That’s my usual pay,”
“Indeed! You get your pay three days in advance! Isn’t that great?”
“Well… I was hoping for a promotion or… Or a pay raise…” Blueberry explained while scratching the back of her head.
“A-A promotion?! A pay raise?! T-This must be a joke, right?!” Roder sputtered offendedly as Blueberry recoiled back.
“N-No… I thought that I deserved it… After all the work I’ve done… 24-hour shifts aren’t… easy,”
“Oh, please! Do you know how much I’ve worked? Back in my day, I would spend 27 hours a day in the factory! And I’ve never complained or demanded better pay!”
“27?”
“I’ll give you better pay or… a promotion when you deserve it, and it’s not gonna happen anytime soon with that attitude, missy!” Roder slammed a hoof on his desk as Blueberry looked downcast.
“Alright…” She said miserably while Roder stared at her with an eyebrow raised.
“Since I feel a little bad for you… Maybe we can have a deal. Extra work, and you’ll have a raise,” He suggested as Blueberry’s eyes lit up. “You see, sometimes I get a lot of work to do in this office. It’s long and tiring, and it really isn’t a thing someone my age should do. I think you could help from time to time. I’ll call you once or twice a day, and you can help me… relax. You see where I’m getting at?” Roder asked while smirking as Blueberry stared at him.
“No,” She said firmly as he cleared his throat.
“I have some things that need polishing-”
“No,” She said again as firmly as earlier.
“S-See… There are a lot of dirty spots underneath my desk that need cleaning,”
“No,” She repeated again before silence settled down for several seconds.
“Dammit! Here’s your raise! One bit! And nothing more!” He groaned as he threw the coin at her, which she caught between her teeth. “Now get the hell out of my office and get back to work!” He ordered her as the mare left his office.
The rest of the day went as usual for Blueberry. Doing the same repetitive tasks over and over again before transporting various goods on her own. It wasn’t that hard for her since it wasn’t her first day. She had a strong body, so manual work became easier and easier over time.
“No 24-hour shift today, Blueberry?” A coworker asked as Blueberry yawned.
“I’m kinda sleepy, so I thought it would be best if I went to sleep,” She answered.
“You should rest. You deserve it,”
Blueberry didn’t reply and simply quickly finished her work before checking out and leaving the factory with her bag of bits around her neck. She held the coin that was supposed to be her raise and sighed in disappointment. Right when she was about to put it back in the bag, a small hoof stopped her. She lowered her eyes to see a filly holding her leg.
“D-Do you have a coin, miss? I am so hungry,” She said while keeping her tattered rags from falling off her. Blueberry only stared at her eyes for a couple of seconds, but it was enough to persuade her. She dropped the big in the filly’s hoof, making her smile. “Thank you, miss!” She thanked her excitedly while Blueberry grinned.
“Please, miss. Do you have some for me, too?” Another pony said; this one was much older. He looked even more miserable than the homeless filly! And Blueberry couldn’t help but give him a bit, too. “Twilight bless you!” He thanked her.
“M-Me, too! Please,”
“Only enough to buy me a meal!”
Before she even knew it, she was surrounded by beggars, pleading to her with clear desperation in their voices. All she had to do was refuse and walk away. This was her hard-earned money, after all. However, she couldn’t. Their eyes were filled with sadness and despair. Who knew what they’d been through? And if she could make their day a little better, then she was happy. So she gave them bits. She gave them so many bits that all the beggars left, happy and content with what they got. Unfortunately for Blueberry, by the end of it, her bag was completely empty. She shook it upside down, hoping at least one bit would magically appear, but nothing came out except dust.
“I… Didn’t need it anyway…” She sighed as she threw the bag away. She was ready to go home. Suddenly, something beeped. She looked around while the beeping continued, then searched through her mane until she found a necklace. Suddenly, a green smoke came out and formed a small mirror depicting one of her friends, Mirage. “Oh, Mirage… What can I do for you?” She asked as the unicorn smiled.
“Rune just called me and apparently Snowy has a surprise for all of us! Do you think you can come? They’ll be in my home,” She said as Blueberry’s lips curled upwards.
“Of course! I just finished my work… I’ll get there as quick as I can…” She yawned as Mirage smiled happily.
“Great! We’ll be waiting for you! I’ll prepare some cupcakes, too!” Mirage replied as she hung up, the green mist fading away.
Blueberry put the necklace back in her mane and breathed out. This was a hard and long day. Maybe a little miserable and sad, too. Still, it couldn’t be so bad if she got to see her friends at the end of it. Sometimes, they were like the only lights she could see, and she was… kinda fine with it.