The Sagely, Industrious, Illustrious, and Incomparable BEN was indeed having a splendid time. Not only had he slain both the bothersome Administrator and Announcer in five seconds, he had gained access to all of the Mann. Co. resources. After promptly renaming the company Benn co, and setting up Silver Speech as the announcer, he paused to collect his thoughts and to ponder what he would do next. He finally decided on examing the RED team for potential servants, and teleported to the RED base.
Applebloom and Sweetie Bell’s lives had been absolutely miserable the last few days. After Scootaloo’s escape, the RED team no longer held back in their beatings and taunts. Applebloom quickly glanced over to Sweetie Bell to see how she was holding up, and instantly regretted it. Sweetie’s normally snow white coat was darkened and swollen from nasty bruises and she had several large cuts on her flank and along her back. Applebloom wanted to comfort her friend, but her own injuries, mainly her now broken right fore hoof ( thanks to the beating the RED Engineer’s wrench gave her when she had accidently dropped a collection of metal scraps in his work shop) and the fact that she was locked in a cage awaiting further punishment.
“Ah wish Scootaloo was here, she was always bragging about how Dash had teached her how ta pick locks, and ah miss her just being here at all…”
Applebloom found it difficult not to be a little jealous of Scootaloo; here they were stuck in the RED base, getting beaten to the point of death until the RED Medic healed them, just to begin the beatings again. Meanwhile, Scootaloo was with her sister and the other ponies, getting to relax and have a full night sleep. But ah shouldn’t be thinkin that, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are friends forever and stick with each other no matter what… right? Applebloom scolded herself again for thinking such thoughts, but still she could feel that if they weren’t rescued soon, she might give in to the RED team’s will in exchange for peace. She wanted to be strong and never give in to anything, like her big sister Applejack or Big Mac, but everypony had their limits, and Applebloom was still only a filly. Applebloom was awoken from her dark thoughts when she heard a loud boom from somewhere further inside the base. Had Applejack, Scootaloo and the others finally come to save them?
Ben was very disappointed, and was losing his patience very quickly. He had arrived in a spectacular show of lights and music, and announced his intentions of looking for recruits to join his esteemed and legendary Army of Honorary Companions. Of course, no servant would ever rise in power and favor enough to become a true companion, as it was the ever sagely Ben’s policy that none were worthy of that tile unless they could at least match his power single handedly. Only the accursed rebel Luna had ever been close, and she was blinded by greed and foolishness. Luna had tried to convince Ben that the Moon belonged to her! Needless to say, that argument sparked the war that lasted a thousand years, until she cowardly fled back to Equestria. But in any case, the RED team had the gull to attempt to attack Ben, had they no idea who they were dealing with? After dispatching them in their feeble attempt to slay him, Ben decided to explore the rest of the base in search of more RED team members to crush. It was then that he discovered the two beaten and nearly broken fillies in the cage. Ben was even surprised how after recovering from the initial viewing of such an Omni powerful being as himself, the filly with a red mane glared at him challengingly. This may be because they are on the brink of death he guessed, still, seeing how two fillies had proved to be more intelligent than the entire RED team combined; Ben was willing to give them a chance.
‘Um… just who are ya Mr. Dragon?”
Ben smiled and gave her a view of his fangs, still stained with blood after snacking on the RED Heavy.
“I am the Sagely, Industrious, Illustrious, and Incomparable BEN! And I have a proposition for you…”
The fillies glanced at each other.
“And what would that be?” asked the white coated filly beside her, though her body was covered in so many dark welts that even Ben had trouble discerning her true color.
“It is simple really; you shall have the esteemed honor of becoming one of my servants and shall do whatever I wish until a time comes to pass when I no longer require your services any longer.”
The young fillies whispered to each other through their cages and after a moment, the nodded and turned back to the waiting dragon.
“Well, ah suppose serving you can’t be any worse than living with the RED team, so we will join you I guess…”
Ben grinned, pleased at the thought of having new recruits, albeit young ones.
“Well then young ponies, what are your names?”
“My name is Sweetie Bell, and my friend over there is Applebloom, we are part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, questing to-”
Suddenly she froze in mid-sentence, a small knife was sticking out of her back and she slowly started to bleed what little blood remaining in her body. An injured RED Spy laughed as he uncloaked.
“That is what you get for not being loyal, you brat!”
At that moment the Spy was engulfed in a fiery vortex. As his body disappeared, all that remained was a scorch mark and the smell of brimstone. An enraged Ben screamed,
“How dare you harm those under my employ and protection!”
Ben quickly muttered a few words and Sweetie Bell’s body jolted as life was restored to her. Ben then spoke another spell silently and both fillies were surrounded by a swirling red light. When it faded, the fillies discovered that all their wounds had been healed. With shocked expressions on their faces, they both started to endlessly thank and compliment Ben. After a moment of ego inflation, he stopped them with a raised claw and pronounced,
“Now then my Cutie Mark Cultists, you shall join me as we go and see how your fellow servants are doing with their tasks.”
Applebloom and Sweetie Bell looked at each other. They briefly pondered the idea of telling the dragon their correct name, but soon realized that such defiance might anger him, and neither wished to share the fate of the RED Spy or the rest of his team. They nodded to each other in agreement and followed Ben into the portal to take them Celestia knows where, happy to finally leave the accursed base. And throughout the brief journey that took place as they traveled between worlds to his other servants, Ben couldn’t stop smiling. The young fillies already knew not to challenge his will. They would soon be able to be appointed to tasks and take on the responsibilities required of them, and best of all, they were learning fast…