//------------------------------// // Episode 7: Work on You // Story: My Brave Pony: Starfleet Magic Season XII // by DakariKingMykan //------------------------------// EPISODE SEVEN Daphne Dill was working in a construction zone, as part of her Starfleet Training. Here she would build up muscle, strength, and increase her endurance and speed, and… at Buddy Rose’s suggestion… “…It’ll help you work off a paycheck, as well pull some weight. You’re sixteen years old now, and you ought to get a part-time job to start paying your ways like a responsible pony. Starfleet may be fine, and the pay is good, but you should do more and make extra money for yourself.” The catch was that she wasn’t allowed to use any magic or power-tools. She would dig using only shovels, picks, or hand-held drill-heads. She would lift heavy loads in her arms alone. She would level off roads, but pushing grating shovels in front of her, and dragging a large steel leveling drum behind her. The other workers were astounded by how proficient she was. She was doing almost double the work at double the speed that they ever could with all their magic and tools. By the end of the workday, she was feeling tuckered out. Her muscles were very tough and strong, and she collected her pay, but only minimum wage as were the rules since she was a minor. On her way home, she ran into her friends, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, just getting out of High School for the day. “Hey girls.” “Hey, yourself.” said Applebloom. She couldn’t help but stare at DD’s strong looking arms. “And I thought doing farmwork built muscles.” “It’s more than that,” said DD. “Bud says that, pretty soon, I’ll be able to take my first real Patrol. If I pass at that, I’ll be much closer to graduating and be a full-fledged cadet.” The girls all jumped for joy. “We’ve got big news also.” said Sweetie. “We’re starting our new part-time jobs today.” “Part-time jobs? All three of you?” Scootaloo nodded, “We got needs, and money doesn’t just grow on trees.” “Well, that and Rarity talked me into it.” added Sweetie, and she recalled from memory her sister telling her. “You’re getting to be big now, Sweetie. You’re not a little filly anymore. Have you put any thoughts into your future, how you will make you dreams happen, or support yourself in the long run?” “She was right,” agreed Applebloom. “Being Crusaders is fun and all, but it doesn’t pay much, and I can’t just make money from farming neither.” DD then asked, “Where are you working anyway?” Soon, all four of the girls were at Rhymey’s Café, “Rhyme Time.” Where Rhymey was taking down the “Now Hiring” sign. “Here?” asked DD. “Why not?” said Sweetie. “How hard can it be? We serve the drinks, the food, we clean the tables and the dishes. What would be easier.” Rhymey chuckled and said, “Oh, ho, trust me when I say, A few hours here will feel like a day. The work isn’t all that easy going, Especially for today’s poetry showing. Now come inside, let’s get ready, It’s your first day, make it steady.” He gave the three girls aprons to wear and their very own nametags. The girls felt really grown up now wearing these. “You look cool.” said DD. The girls smiled. “Just the same, Rhymey…” said Applebloom. “Thanks for giving us this job.” Rhymey smiled and said, “Well, you’ve gotten big, all of you, And I need more helpers, yes, I do. So, let’s get started, you three. And pay for you, there will be.” “Yes, sir!” the trio said to their new boss, and they were off to work while singing a song through a montage. Taking orders, pouring drinks, and trying to get other drinks correct. Giving out muffins and pastries. Workforce! Workforce! Workforce! Workforce! [Sweetie] Take your order and another or two, [Applebloom] Coming up but there’s more to do. [Scootaloo] Just when we think we’re done another comes right through. [All] I think I just dug myself into a pot of stew! You can bet they made a few mistakes along the way. Like giving one pony an empty coffee mug. Pouring coffee on the cream instead of the other way around. Giving orders to the wrong customers. Spilling a bit of overfilled drinks. …And the dishes! Oh, the dishes! There are just so many of them to take to the kitchen and wash. Sweetie Belle very nearly dropped a whole bunch but used her magic to steady everything, but it didn’t matter, because there were always more dishes by the pileups. [Sweetie] Scrubbing all this scum’s enough to make my heart blow. Will dishes ever stop piling, I just don’t know. [Applebloom] You’d like a coffee and a muffin, and you would like some tea. Two orders, table, or was it two, or was it three? [Scootloo] Pinch of sugar, hold the cream, cinnamon sticks. These orders are confusing like a box of magic tricks! [Sweetie] Watch that dish! Don’t let it drop! [Applebloom] Wrong order. Another flop! [Scootloo] Fill it up right to the top! [All] DOES IT EVER STOP?! Their first day on the job was really wearing them down, and it had only been thirty minutes, meaning the workday was far from over. Rhymey sighed at the mistakes the girls had made, but it was expected as they were only new, as it said on their nametags, and he had respect for people who made simple mistakes. He was pleased to see the girls still doing their best to keep at work. Workforce! Workforce! Workforce! Workforce! The girls were growing exhausted already due to their unfamiliarity with such excessive workloads. [Sweetie] Was that the last dish? [Applebloom] Did I fulfil your wish? [Scootaloo] Pour the coffee, make it splish [All] MY BRAIN IS GONNA SQUISH!! Workforce! Workforce! Workforce! Workforce! Workforce! Workforce! Workforce! Workforce! The song faded out… A few hours later. The girls’ shifts were over. All three of them were sitting slumped down on the couch near the stage, looking frazzled. “I don’t think my fingers will ever be the same!” Sweetie complained as she looked at her dishpan hands. “You were wearing rubber gloves!” protested Scootaloo. Applebloom took off her shoes to air her aching feet. “I thought this would be easy.” Rhymey then came up to them with paychecks. “Well done girls, here is your pay. And I hope you’ll do more another day.” The girls were thrilled to have their pay, even if it was small, but they couldn’t help but groan and faint, remembering to work at the café a few days each week after school. They still had homework to do, baths to take… Applebloom even had planet of chores to help get the farm ready for the night. “Poor things,” chuckled DD. “They’ll get used to it.” Rhymey couldn’t help but chuckle too. After a few times of working, the girls got the better hang of things. They even got to serve Pyron and Glaceia who stopped over for a hot drink. They made fewer mistakes and managed to organize their time and balance work and school. One afternoon some of the friends came over to the café. Fluttershy brought over Button Fly wanting to see how well he was with the girls, which she could see was going very well-- the girls were working so efficiently. “You’ve really treated them well. That much I can tell.” Her husband blushed. Button Fly could only clap funnily and go… “Goo… Coo… Blue… Hey, you.” He was learning his rhymes. Next came Applejack, Buddy and Tree Hugger, with DD and little Seedling. “How come you’re all here?” asked Sweetie. DD chuckled, “Tree Hugger’s performing in the poetry reading tonight, and I thought I’d come check on my friends.” Applejack wiped a tear from her eye. “Just you look you, Applebloom. My little sis, working a job.” Applebloom acted tough. “Cut it out sis, or you’ll make me cry too.” Everyone laughed. “I’m proud to see all you girls working like this.” said Buddy “You’ve all come a long way since you were kids, and even then, you did a lot, all four of you.” The girls knew exactly what he referred to, but there was no time to talk it over. The girls had work to do before the show, and Tree Hugger had to get ready. “Good luck, honey.” Buddy said, and he pecked his wife, and she replied “I don’t need luck. I’ve got the bliss.” Later, as it was just about time for the show to begin, another customer entered the café, Blitzy Heart, and she didn’t look too thrilled. She was here having a break from her stay in New Canterlot. Fluttershy noticed her instantly. “Isn’t that Lightning’s friend, The one that hates Starfleet to no end?” Rhymey nodded, “That is her, I can see, But why she’s here is a mystery. Regardless, she is a customer, It is proper that we come to serve her.” Soon, Blitz sat at a table, alone, away from the stage and the noise. She had a cup of tea and a muffin which Applebloom had served her. The majority of the patrons were all gathered by the stage, and Rhymey gave his traditional welcome to Open Stage Night. “And now I’d like to share my dream The stage is open-- start the theme. The guests are here and just like me… They wish to share with their poetry.” The patrons all applauded, and Tree Hugger was bathed in spotlight, kneeling on stage in a meditative pose, and she began to her poem through deep, yet soft and blissful music. “Bliss… it’s the light of the air, the zone which we know. Life… creates it, gives us all that it has to show. Love… the sonic waves that I hear, in the colorful scene, Giving… all to me the keys to life and what it will mean.” As she continued, DD was waiting for her friends to come off shift so they could all go and watch the show together. Scootaloo and Sweetie had already taken off their uniforms and were waiting for Applebloom, who was dealing with her last order, checking up on Blitz. “May I take your dishes, ma’am?” she asked politely. Blitz just nodded grimly, and Applebloom took the dishes and left them on the counter for the next shift to take. Then she was officially off work. She and the girls then noticed that Blitz seemed very miserable. “Is everything okay?” Applebloom asked. Blitz politely tried to brush her off. “I’m afraid you wouldn’t understand.” Applebloom didn’t buy it. “You have only two days left to make up your mind if you stay or leave, and you still don’t want to leave without Lightning Dawn because you still think Starfleet is bad for him.” Blitz was astounded. “How in the world did you…?” The rest of the girls approached her. “We know all about you.” said Sweetie, and one-by-one the girls introduced themselves and revealed that many of them were related to Starfleet officers, and that DD was a cadent in-training. “I don’t believe this!” Blitz groaned, trying not to shout during the poetry show. “Does Starfleet truly have to infect everything, including young minds?” The girls were confused, but they remembered what their families had told them about Blitz being completely resentful towards the force. “Pardon my asking, but what do you mean by “Infect?” asked DD. “You don’t seriously believe that Starfleet is responsible for all that goes on here.” “What am I supposed to believe?” replied Blitz. “I’ve seen what Starfleet gets into-- all that fighting and destruction and chaos. I’ve treated many of their soldiers on my travels.” She paused and held her head in frustration. “Why do they always attract all this evil, all this trouble, and why do they bring all this suffering amongst the innocent?” The girls had heard enough. “They don’t!” they all said together. “Starfleet doesn’t cause all the evil to just come to them.” said Swetie Belle. “…At least they don’t create in a sense.” “Evil is its own thing. It comes and goes as it pleases.” remarked Scootaloo. “Starfleet didn’t create all this evil, it’s more the other way around.” Blitz remained unconvinced. “Then why is it most places I go, Starfleet is there?” DD said, “It’s because the planet they’re on is facing some crisis that the populace just can’t stand up to, and they need help.” Applebloom agreed, “I still remember all the evils and nasties that happened on Equestria long before Starfleet came along.” Blitz was suddenly intrigued. The girls recounted all the evil bad guys like Nightmare Moon, Discord, The Changelings, King Sombra… And in a series of flashbacks, they reminisced all the time those creeps were up to no good. “They were all a nasty bunch.” said Applebloom. “Always out to cause trouble and chaos unimaginable.” “If it wasn’t for Twilight Sparkle and her friends,” said Sweetie “We would have all been doomed long ago.” More flashbacks of Twilight and friends with the elements of harmony, or Crystal Magic, pushing the evil ones back and restoring peace to Equestria. “So, you see…?” said Scootaloo. “Evil exists in some shape or form, and it can always strike when you least expect it.” Blitz was astounded to hear that-- a world like Equestria, that dealt in friendship, love, and harmony-- almost like Harmonius-- had such creeps and bad beings. “But you didn’t need Starfleet to help you then, did you?” she pointed out. “If you were able to beat such villains on your own, why would you ever need Starfleet.” “Like we said before,” said DD, “Sometimes you may end up coming across enemies that are far more than you can handle, and if you can’t… it could cost you dearly.” The other three girls couldn’t have agreed with her more. They all remembered that terrible day when it happened… Super Nightmare Moon! She was back and stronger than ever, and she brought along Titan’s minions by her side. Twilight’s forces-- the entire Equestrian Empire-- were totally helpless to even scratch the villains. They were just too strong, and unlike anything ever seen before. Equestria was enslaved with an iron fist and the populace forced into slavery. “I still have nightmares of that.” said Scootaloo. “Being chained up and caged like an animal. Being forced to wait on and serve our masters day and night, and watching them beat, whip, and push the adults round the clock, and making them work tirelessly! It was the worse times Equestria had ever known.” Sweetie and Applebloom cringed softly, remembering all the pain they had suffered. “If Starfleet hadn’t come, we wouldn’t have been here telling this story today.” said Sweetie. Scootaloo shut her eyes tightly remembering, “The planet began to crumple after all the evil was beaten, but with Starfleet forces combined with our own Equestrian forces, the two worlds were combined, revived, and we’ve all lived together ever since.” Blitz had heard of Unicornicopia being destroyed from the Starfleet fighters she tended to on other planets, but she never thought it was that dreadful. Even the Space Ponies were nearly wiped out. “Many of us are very proud of Starfleet.” explained DD. “I am especially. That’s why I’m training to join them. So, I can continue to help others and stave off evil forces. And I can tell you, there have been an awful load of them over the years I’ve seen.” She and the girls continued going on of the many other evils United Equestria had to face over the years, and some of which were old Equestrian villains. Like The Changelings and Sombra. “They were back,” said Applebloom. “They were far meaner, and nastier than ever, and much harder to beat without Starfleet’s help.” “That’s why Princess Twilight and friends joined the force.” said Sweetie. “Nobody forced them to, they wanted to join to help the cause.” The girls then looked sad. Scootaloo said, “We even remember the terrible day when Twilight Sparkle was struck down!” The flashbacks occurred of the evil assassin, Raven, battling Twilight and Lightning, and Twilight was struck down and left to die in Lightning’s arms. “Twilight! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” Blitz was heart-struck. “Just like that? She died before his eyes?” The girls nodded. “He really took it hard.” said DD. “He lost his will for a while, but those are the risks of joining the force. Anyone is likely to perish at any time, and with all the enemies that kept coming our way, those odds never tip.” She recounted more enemies… The Dark King of the Future. The Insecto Armada Seinna the Treasure Hunter Stammadon The Devils The Nightmares themselves…! “Evil just comes and goes.” DD continued to explain. “It’s not Starfleet who created them, but rather the other way around. Without Starfleet to fight them, who will? It’s a dangerous job, but it has to be done.” She looked out the window and saw how it was starting to get dark out. “Every Starfleet fighter, or even civilian worries that if the sunset they see now may be their last.” “That’s my point!” Blitz said, almost raising her voice. “I get it now. Starfleet needs to do what it does, but why get civilians involved? Why place them all in danger?” The girls shook their heads. “Because their ain’t really no safe place to be.” replied Applebloom. Sweetie agreed, “Like we said: Evil is everywhere. If you try to run from it, that doesn’t mean you’ll escape it.” “And if it catches up with you, and you’re all alone, you may as well say your prayers.” added Scootaloo. DD nodded, “At least by being so close to Starfleet, we know that action will be taken immediately. Not just to stop the bad guys, but to protect the innocent and reduce casualties, but the civilians must play their part too. They have to follow the rules and regulations and know never to disobey orders when danger is afoot.” Blitz began to think back to when Swift Star had insulted her about Planet Harmonius and how it was defenseless. “Your people lived in total peace, harmony, and all the things many of us strive for as well, but the big mistake you made was giving up any ways to defend yourself. You had no magic, weapons, armies, or any connections with anyone or anything that could save you or jump into actions to help you, and as soon as your planet was attacked, that was it. It was destroyed as easily as stepping on an insect while you walk.” She then had flashbacks of the day Harmonius was attacked, and everyone killed! “You okay, Doc?” asked Applebloom. Blitz rubbed her eyes, still finding it hard to accept all this. “And you girls… are you really okay with all of this?” “Well, it depends.” said Applebloom. “We don’t like all the danger and chaos that comes.” “But we know Starfleet does their best to protect us all.” added Sweetie Belle. “We know this all too well,” said Scootaloo. “We Crusaders actually helped them many times in the past.” “Excuse me?!” Blitz asked, hardly able to believe her ears, “You girls actually helped Starfleet, and you’re not even part of the force?” The girls nodded, and recounted the many times they helped save the world. “An evil black Dragon Knight captured our friends and family.” said DD. “So, we followed her into the danger, even though we were warned not to.” “Things were super scary and tense, I tell you.” added Applebloom, “But it was a good thing we got involved, because we were able to destroy the Knight’s power source, which freed our friends, and helped them to bring her down once and for all.” “And that’s when the most magical thing happened to us…” said Scootaloo. “We actually earned our cutie marks, which symbolized our bravery, our skills in helping others, but most of all, our friendship.” DD couldn’t get a cutie mark because she was a Space Pony, but she did the next best thing, and got a tattoo on her flank similar to a cutie mark, to prove her loyalty to her friends. “There was another time we helped someone…” said DD. “A poor and disheveled pony who resented help was being targeted and harassed by an insane mayor. This pony was so horrid that she planned worldwide genocide because she hated Starfleet.” The other crusaders remembered that horrible mayor, and how she and her men captured them all and the poor pony she was targeting. “It took us some time,” said Sweetie, “But we were able to prove our sincerity and help him find the strength to help us, and together, we were able to aid Starfleet to put an end to the mayor’s twisted plot.” Scootaloo clenched her fists. “But the greatest and most fearsome of our adventures lay ahead of us, as well as our former schoolteacher, Mykan Stevens.” Naturally, they referred to the time they and Mykan became the “Super Cyber Data Squad!” “Time to Digitize!” Mykan would shout as he became the cybernetic hero “Surfer!” “LET’S KICK SOME MEGA-BUTT!!” The girls would shout as they transported into the cockpits of their Cybernetic Data Beasts. Teaming up to battle the evil program, “Megadox” to stop his viruses from terrorizing electronic systems and causing disasters and havoc all over the world. “The final battle really took it out of us.” said Applebloom. “We had very nearly lost all we had, but in the end, we teamed up together and we blasted that Megadox into lost data.” “With the job done, we had to give it all up.” said Scootaloo. “But it still remains one of the most heroic times we ever had.” Blitz was positively astounded and amazed. She could hardly find words to say. “And do you… still long for more adventure, excitement, and things like this?” she had to ask. “Golly, No.” replied Applebloom. “It’s not cool to wish for trouble and danger like that.” Sweetie agreed, “All this danger and chaos is never fun.” Scootaloo considered, “Well… maybe sometimes it feels like it is, but we don’t like it. It’s scary stuff, but we’re always pleased to help, and that’s only if it’s needed, if we can, and if there’s no other way. Just our cutie marks say, we’re here to help those who need it.” DD stepped forth, “The whole point of this is, Starfleet and those associated with them do their best to fight off any and all evil that comes along, and even when that evil is stopped, it doesn’t seem to do any good because there are more and more bad guys that always seem to spark, and the cycle starts again. But one thing is certain-- at least I feel that and so do my friends… Starfleet is a fine force, and while you may not like it, and you’re free too, living amongst them, or counting on them is fat better than having nothing to do with them at all.” Blitzy’s eyes were open wide for the first time in a long time. “I always used to think that Starfleet were war-hungry conquerors that only cared about fighting and destroying. But they’re really fighting to help others, not just themselves.” The girls smiled at each other, figuring they had done well today. While they had seemed to convince her that Starfleet wasn’t as bad as she thought it was, she still insisted, “But Lightning still should not be part of it. He’s a Harmonian, and regardless of the things he’s done, I still believe he should quit now.” With that, she left some money on the table and left the café. The girls could only sigh and shake their heads. “Well, at least we made a small breakthrough.” said Applebloom. The others nodded, and they took the money to the cashier, and went off to join the poetry show with everyone else. While in the far corner away from the table, someone sat in the dark and overheard everthing. Lightning got up, and left some money, and while he was disappointed that Blitz was still determined to win him away, at least she was softening up. “There’s hope for her yet.” (Promo) In our next episode: Pyron and Glaceia have a heated argument which leads to a spell of silence for them both and causing stress for our heroes. Things worsen when a Flaming monster is sent and curses the planet to heat things up. Can our heroes resolve the conflict amongst their friends and the heating danger? Don’t miss the next exciting episode of “Starfleet Magic!” (Next Episode: “Heated Hearts”)