//------------------------------// // Hopeful Journey Gets a Job // Story: Friendship is Weird // by Local Loco //------------------------------// Outside of Ponyville resides a quarry filled with gems hidden in the rocks. Rare few Ponyville citizens come to this location. One such pony is Rarity, here to find the perfect gem for an order for Sapphire Shores, one of her clients. She isn’t alone on her mining expedition. Dragging a cart with him is Hopeful Journey, ever smiling as he helps his friend. Inside the cart is Scales the dragon, lazing around the cart as if waiting for something to happen where he needs to help. “Thanks for giving me this job opportunity, Rarity.” Hope said with his usual eagerness, smile, and optimism as he looks around the quarry. “Think nothing of it, darling. I’d need a couple of big strong boys like yourselves to help me bring the perfect gems back to Ponyville.” Rarity replied to the stallion as she looked at the stones around them readying her pickaxe. “I think nothing of this. EC just wants me to ‘work for the community’ after the whole Razer incident. Need to boost a positive point of view about dragons here.” Scales says with a sigh. “Oh, darling, your previous actions for the town have just gone unnoticed for far too long. Such as the time when…” Rarity took a moment to think before speaking up again. “That time you did a well good makeover on Cookies at my boutique.” As she is about to strike a rock with her pick axe, the ground below her rumbled as a hole formed nearby and a bunch of gray dogs with red vests pop out and grabbed Rarity, dragging her into the darkness as she screams. Hope and Scales look on in horror as their friend and current boss gets dragged into the darkness. “Oh no.” Scales said annoyed as he stood up on his hind legs. “Hope, call for help. I’m going in!” Scales dove headfirst into the hole, leaving Hope by himself. In a panic, the stallion ran away leaving the wagon and hole behind. “COOOOOKIEEEEEEEEEES!” Hope bursts through the doors of Sugar Cube Corner with tears trickling down his snout. The customers inside gave the stallion odd looks and raised eyebrows as he reached the counter that Cookies was manning. “They took Rarity into this large hole and Scales went after them and now I don’t have a job, but Rarity is in trouble and I can’t do anything please Cookies I know you can do something about it please.” Hope messily garbled. A tall yellow lanky stallion came out from the baking area to check what all the commotion was about. “Cookies, if you need to step out, I can assure you that my wife and I can handle things here.” Cookies looks over at the yellow stallion with a smile. “I appreciate the sentiment, Mr. Cake. I’ll make it up to you somehow.” Cookies steps away from the counter to console his crying friend. “Now, my dear Hope, could you SLOWLY tell me where I can find Rarity?” The two exit the confectionary together as the white unicorn asks his friend. “W-we were in the quarry… A-and…” A sudden shocked look appears on Hope’s face. “I LEFT THE WAGON BY THE HOLE THERE!” Hope tries to dart away but is stopped by Cookies magic. “Calm yourself. Emotionally you’re in no condition to do something so heroic. If Rarity is that way then I will go that way. You stay here and try not to cause a panic. I can sort things out for you. You can trust in me.” Cookies gave a reassuring smile to his trembling friend before he left him in the middle of Ponyville to head off in the direction he was sent to. Hope sat there with a dribble of snot coming down his nose. He shook his head before running off towards the library. Inside are two Pegasus ponies with similar color schemes. One was Hope’s friend, Mareian, and the other was her brother. South Pole. “I’m telling you, North. Business started booming after the Summer Sun Celebration. Ponies are ACTUALLY READING.” The green stallion said to his sister. “MAREIAN!” Hope cried out before hugging his friend while sobbing uncontrollably, causing South Pole to chuckle a bit. “Can it Polo.” She said glaring daggers at her brother before wrapping her hoof around Hope. “Hey, hey take it easy. You’re safe here in the library now. No need for snot bubbles.” Hope slowly but surely was able to calm himself down to only a few hiccups. “That’s better, now what’s the problem today?” She asked her friend in a reassuring voice. “Today?” South Pole said and immediately received a slap on the hoof for his response by Mareian. “I wanted to have my very own job and be a responsible pony so I worked for Rarity and she got kidnapped by some dogs and now I think I’m unemployed and now I feel like a horrible pony who can’t do well for society. Hope said, wincing at the mistakes he made. “Did you tell Cookies about it?” “Yes I told Cookies about it.” “Well let’s not dwell on the past then. Find a new job.” A devious smirk appeared on Mareian’s face. “Say, Polo, weren’t you telling me how business savvy you are? Why not teach Hope here how to make it in the employment market?” A lightbulb popped above Mareian’s head. “In the form of a song.” “What!?” South Pole exclaimed. “OOOOH educational songs, I love those. Teach me! TEACH ME!” Hope said going from teary eyed to excited. Sparkles in his eyes and a smile as grand as the sea. “Here, Polo, let me drop a beat on you.” Mareian starts to beatbox. Uhhhh Yeah I guess we’re doing this? Alright Five days a week you get the 40 hours of them Not including the mandatory half hour luncheon I’m gonna tell you about supply and demand Make a lot of bits with a lemonade stand Though my knowledge and degree is based on cartography I dip into business skills so we can pay our bills So that the government doesn’t take our house away I am now upper management because I now can pay the rent I’ll tell you how to do you job, trust me kid you won’t get robbed Because I’m sure the check will come in the mail some day But the bits aren’t the issue I just want to contribute to society as a whole. Well in that case... In order to not be a slob you got to form a resume The companies have a job to put you to work day by day Grab the door by the knob and make your path your own way You shall not be a blob so enjoy hip hip horray. That’s good to know and all, but do you know of any jobs here to apply to? While Mareian continues beat boxing, South Pole looks over at his sister with an annoyed look before looking back over at Hope. “Look kid, I live in Buckfield, not Ponyville. Go around and ask.” “Isn’t that what I am doing?” Hope asks as the two siblings stare at each other, Mareian having stopped her beatboxing, snickering at her brother. “North, can you stop your coltfriend from bothering me?” South Pole asked Mareian who just blushed in response. “H-he’s not my coltfriend!” Mareian stammered. “We’re not friends?” Hope said with his eyes tearing up, quivering his lips as he looks over at Mareian. “I-I mean that you’re a STALLION friend. You’re not a colt anymore just like that comic with Cheese Mare and the Onion Stallion or something along those lines and Polo PLEASE DO NOT DISTRESS HOPE LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN or I will give you an earful that you won’t be able to think straight for weeks.” Mareian caught herself while threatening her brother. “That makes sense!” Hope wraps his hooves around Mareian and South Pole with a smile. “I’m your stallion friend! I’m your stallion friend!” The stallion friend chanted. At that moment a pony enters through the library doors. With an exhausted or perhaps a bored look on her face. Lucky Horseshoes, the daisy yellow earth pony, sighs her way inside the library. She pulls out a book from one of the shelves and opens it while lying down in a pillowy corner of the library, despite the fact the book she has is upside-down. “Buhhh.” Was the only word to escape her lips. Mareian pushed herself out of the hug that Hope had her and her brother in. “Nothing happening today, Lucky?” “Very much so, but every pony else be havin’ things t’ do. Passed by Crem ‘rlier lookin’ all serious an’ stuff, but he said he had e’rythang is in control. An’ then Big Macintosh I see buckin’ the trees with a limp, but his sister went off on me wen I tried to offer’em help. Don’t blame her considerin’ I uprooted a tree las’ time I bucked one of dem trees.” Lucky sighed as she turned the page. “Wen do the pictures come in?” Mareian sighs before taking the book away from Lucky, giving it back to her the correct way up. “Daring Doo is not a picture book. You have to use your imagination for that.” Mareian looks over to Hope who is curiously looking back at her while strangling her brother with a hug. “Looks like applications are open at Sweet Apple Acres. Why not pay them a visit and lend them a hoof.” Hope smile beamed with excitement that can only ever be seen on the faces of foals during the festive holidays. “THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!” Letting go of South Pole, Hope rushed out of the library in a flashy blur. “You’re welcome.” Mareian said patting her brother on the back as he finally gets air back in his lungs. Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyvillle’s bountiful source for fresh apples. On one of the hills along the pathway to the Apple family Farm is Applejack, setting up a couple of baskets underneath the tree in order to catch the apples from the tree. With a quick buck from her, the apples landed perfectly in each basket. Applejack wipes a bead of sweat off her brow as Hope approaches her. “Hey Applejack!” Hope surprised the mare. “Oh, howdy Sugarcube.” Applejack greeted the stallion. “What can I help ya out with, partner?” “I had heard from Lucky that-” “No! She is capital B BANNED!” Applejack interrupted with a bit of a scoff. “We’ll… sort that out some other time, but I’m here to be a productive member of society!” Hope exclaimed with a salute. “What in tarnation are you on about?” “ooh Applejack I want to help. Please let me be a helper I just want a job. Pretty please?” Hope begged Applejack. His face getting as teary as an abandoned puppy. Applejack tries to look away by covering her face with her hat, but it’s too late. The image of a begging Hope is already ingrained in her mind. “I can’t say that ya don’t have a charm to ya.” Applejack admits while holding out her hoof. “Welcome to the family there, Hope.” Hope’s smile grew three sizes at that moment. The sun sparkles in his eyes as he wraps his hoof around Applejack’s for a firm shake. “Thank you so much I promise that I will work as hard as you need me to I won’t let you down.” “Calm down there, Sugarcube.” Applejack pressed her other hoof against Hope’s snout to calm him down. “Les’ see how ya buckin’, ya look like ya’ll could buck a tree no problem.” The two of them approached an unbucked tree. “Well now don’t ya’ll go gawkin’. Get at it.” Hope looked unsure as he approached the tree, patting the base with his hoof while nervously laughing. “Sorry about this tree.” Hope readies himself, setting his hind legs directed towards the tree. He closes his eyes as he lifts one of his legs and kicks at the tree. At the tree, but missing. “Ya got the force, but not the dorm Sugarcube. Use both yer legs and give it a try.” Applejack advised Hope. The stallion nodded at her before closing his eyes again and going for a wind-up. Instead of bucking the tree, Hope plants his body to the ground. “No, ya gotta be quick about it, else ya plant yerself flat on yer face. Now geddup once more.” Hope takes a deep breath. “Both legs…” He whispered to himself. “Got the force…” Hope took one last deep breath. “GOTTA BE QUICK!” With swift motion, Hope’s hindlegs struck the base of the tree, shaking it to the core and causing all the apples to fall. “YAHOO! Ya did it!” Applejack cheered. Hope’s nervousness turned into an excited smile. “Come now, we got an entire orchard t’ do!” And so, the duo had spent the rest of the day bucking apples off of each tree that they went to, collecting apples as they do so. By sunset a good quarter of the orchard had been collected. Both of them wiping the sweat of their brows before waving each other goodbye. Over at the ‘Cream Summer Home’, Cookies is opening all the cupboards in the kitchen, his eyes looked somewhat glazed over and unblinking. Hope enters through the front door, with an exhausted pant. He sees his small unicorn friend searching for something. “Hey Cookies! You looking for something?” Cookies jumped in surprise before turning around to look at Hope. “Ah yes, my fair…” Cookies took a look at his hoof before speaking again. “My fair Hopeful Journey. Do you happen to know where I happened to left my spell book?” The unicorn asked. “Hmmm.” Hope took a moment to look around the room, but all that was in the kitchen are cook books. “Have you checked your room?” He pointed up the stairs. Cookies slapped his hoof on his forehead. “Ah yes, how careless of me. Thank you Hopeful Journey.” The unicorn eagerly struts his way up stairs before coming back down with the spell book he got from Buckfield. There is a four-leaf clover bookmark in wedged in it. Cookies pulls out the bookmark revealing it to be seven chained clovers pressed in an airtight seal. “What a magnificent bookmark.” “Huh?” Hope looked at Cookies with a raised eyebrow and a pant. “It was your idea to turn Lucky’s gift into that.” “Ahh yes…” Cookies said, his eyes darting from Hope to the bookmark. “I was just admiring. Can’t let a wonderful gift go to waste and all that.” Cookies opens the book to a random page, his eyebrow. “Memory sharing spell?” Cookies looks back over to Hope who had laid down on the pillow couch that they had. “Would you like to help me out with this spell my fair Hopeful Journey?” Hope sat in a more proper position before smiling at his friend. “Oh course! What do you need me to do?” Cookies approached Hope with the spell book in tow. “It says that the target must think really hard about a past event.” He looks back at Hope, who has an eager smile on his face. “Have you thought of one already?” “I want to know who my parents were.” The seriousness of Hope’s statement had Cookies caught in surprise. “But your parents are…” “I know that I am a part of their family, but this has been a mystery eating at me my entire life, Cookies.” Hope gets up and pulls out the basket with his name woven into it from out of the corner. “I just want some closure in my life.” Hope sits back down on the couch with the basket next to him. He stares back at Cookies, unblinking. “I’m ready, Cookies.” With a sigh and a bit of a concerned look, Cookies lights up his horn, his magic enveloping Hope’s head. A bit later, the magic started to produce sound, rain. The magic attempted to show a visual representation, but it was mostly a static blur. Nothing stood out and there were no other sounds then the hoof steps and the rain. Cookies released his magic, letting out a bit of a strained grunt. Hope stared at where the magic was, a tear trickling down his face as any form of optimism went away. “Rain… such a soothing sound.” Hope said, a bit glum. “Hey don’t be like that.” Cookies reassured his friend. “How about some happy memories? Like when you and I first met?” The frown that Hope had slowly turned upside-down as he nodded at Cookies offer. Cookies would do the same as he did before. This time an image of a somewhat empty bedroom was visible. “Hey that’s my old room!” Hope stated, wiping a tear from his eye. The magic played out the scene as a knock could be heard, there was a blur before the image of a door opening up was shown. Behind the door peaked out a rather large Pegasus mare in a blue bodysuit. Her mane looking like it was stuck blowing through the wind looking a faded blueish white. Her wings were visibly blue as well as other parts of her body not covered by the suit such as her snout. “Come on out, kiddo.” The mare said. “The neighbor’s kid’s here. Make a friend.” When the mare said ‘friend’ the visuals started to blur before changing the scene two see a two blue Pegasus foals. One of them is playing nursery rhyme songs on the violin while the other is eating a pancake. “One pancake ready for you, madam.” A white unicorn colt came into the room, setting down a plate with a small singular pancake. The unicorn looked into the perspective view. “Hello there! Welcome to Chef Fancy. Do you have any reservations?” There was a bit of silence before the Pegasus started whispering. “Pst, Hope. Tell him your name.” “I-I am Hope.” “Your full name, mister Hope?” The young unicorn had pulled out a pad and pen with his magic. “H-Hopeful Journey! My name is Hopeful Journey.” “I see. Well Mr. Hopeful Journey, you shall be seated with Ms Sky Sonata. My name is Cookies Neapolitan Cream, your waiter and chef. Charmed to meet you.” “Charmed!” The blue filly at the table raised her empty glass into the air. “Charmed!” The blue colt playing the violin raised his bow in the air. “Charmed!” “I will be back soon with your pancake.” The colt walked away to a toy oven, making motions of preparing food. “My dear, Hope. Would you please pass the buttah?” The filly across the table asked in a rather posh accent with her lips pursed to make her face look slimmer. It was at this point that the magic started to fade. Cookies sighed. “Takes a lot out of one to cast that spell it seems.” The unicorn smiled as he looked over at his earth pony friend. “Thanks Cookies, reminiscing with you really brightened my day. Glad you found such a spell.” Hope’s smile then turned into a surprised look. “Oh! Did you manage to save Rarity from those dogs?” “Who?” Cookies said before slapping his mouth with his hoof. “OH! It was a bit of diplomacy is all. You’d be surprised how reasonable they can be with a well-made cake. It’s a trade deal that I won’t bore you with, my fair Hopeful Journey.” “Oh, that’s good. Thanks for being there for me Cookies. You’re a good friend.” Hope said with a smile that beamed brighter than the sun’s rays. “Thank you for being my friend.” Cookies’ eyes remained glazed over as a smile appears on his face as well. “Our friendship is a rather unique one, it seems, but it would never bother me if any pony say that our friendship is weird.”