//------------------------------//
// Chapter The Fourth 
// Story: The Nine Trials 
// by InspectorSharpWit 
//------------------------------//


Chapter the Fourth, or “In Which the Mind Games Begin”

I find myself in a completely blank room, surrounded by nothing but utter whiteness… God, this is like going to the Republican National Convention, I smirk to myself as I get up and dust myself off. Hmmm… For some reason, I think I’m forgetting something… I wonder what it is… For that matter, I wonder who I am… And where am I? And what am I doing here?
A bolt of lightning automatically strikes me, sending a jolt through my bones. I stagger to the ground as all of my memories come rushing painfully back into my skull. “Well, that solves that question,” I groan, rubbing my forehead. “But where’s Discord?”
“Right here, handsome,” a smooth voice croons. I turn to find a giant pencil scribbling an outline on the blank walls and floor of the room. The lines soon form a perfect stencil of Discord, smugly grinning at me from what appeared to be a bar stool in the shape of a chicken’s foot. “Have a seat, won’t you?” he says sweetly.
I find myself being pushed into a comfy leather sofa as Discord regains color. “Now, I bet you’ve got a lot of questions for me, and no doubt you want them answered, but before I get to that part, let me explain to you what the lowdown is right now.” He snaps his fingers, and with a white flash, a projector and projection screen show up. “Right now, you’re friends are freaking out because you’re in what I like to call a ‘Smile Coma’.” He snaps his fingers again, and a projection of the group crowded around me shows up. For some reason, I have a creepy Joker-esque grin on my face, stretching literally from ear to ear.
I shudder at the image. “God, I look awful…”
“Yeah, I still haven’t been able to work that particular kink out of the armor,” he says apologetically. “But I digress. Just shut up and listen.” He snaps his fingers a third time and a pair of speaker phones show up beside the projection screen.
“-and Discord will stay here until we drive him out ourselves,” concluded Princess Celestia, who was still caught in the trap.
“But how do we do that?” Fluttershy asks worriedly. “Is there some sort of spell involved?”
“Tis not as simple as that,” sighed Luna, who was being freed from her straps by Nurse Redheart. “You must actually enter Sebastian’s mind in order to free him from Discord’s influence. There, you shall travel through aspects of his personality until you reach where Discord has the most influence, and that is where you must defeat the chaos god.”
“Pardon me for saying, but you seem to be rather familiar with this process,” Rarity pointed out.
Luna looked away quickly. “Tis none of thy business!” she declared a little too loudly. “What we NEED to focus on in how to exorcise the blasted demon from Sebastian!”
Discord turns to me with a grin. “Watch this, it’ll be hysterical,” he chuckles as a microphone appears in his hand. He taps the top, and points me to the screen. He begins to speak, and to my surprise his voice comes out of my deranged smile. “Don’t worry about Sebby, he’s alive and well! In fact, come inside and hang out for a spell!” A portal appears next to my body, swirling with a mix of different colors.
The group looks at me, horrified. “So are we just supposed to follow Discord blindly through Sebastian’s mind?!” Applejack asks in horror.
“I know it may seem bad, but this situation might be for the best.” Twilight explains optimistically. “Now that Discord’s in Sebastian’s mind, it’ll be Sebastian that has control, right?”
Luna bites her lip. “Well, yes… But remember, Discord is a master of temptation. He might delude Sebastian into turning against you, so you must be very cautious.”
“Hey, Sebastian’s our friend, so there’s no way that dopy Discord can shake his loyalty!” Rainbow Dash says confidently.
“Ah dunno, Rainbow,” Applejack says reluctantly. “The Princess has a point here, so we oughta be extra-carful before we do this.”
“Do you think we should bring the Elements with us?” Twilight asks Princess Celestia.
The Princess shakes her head. “They would do no good there, seeing as it is only a realm of imagination. You must simply use whatever skills Sebastian grants you in his world.”
“What are we waiting for, then?!” Pinkie declares. “Let’s bring it on like Donkey Kong!” and without a second thought, she does a graceful swan dive into the portal.
I feel a sudden headache coming on as this happens. “Please tell me she’s not in there now,” I groan. “God know what Pinkie Pie could change in there unsupervised!”
Discord chuckles. “No, she’ll be floating in limbo till I let her in. What you’re feeling right now is the mental block preventing her from doing so. That being said,” he adds, glancing at the screen, “it appears that your friends are following suit, so it looks like we’ll have to start early!”
“Wait, start what early?” I ask, suddenly nervous.
“Haven’t you been hearing anything?!” Discord asks incredulously. “They’re supposed to be ‘freeing’ you!”
“Well, how long could it take?!”
“See, the thing is, time is relative,” he explains, suddenly growing a white mustache and blowing a pipe of bubbles. “As long as they’re in here, the limits of the outside world have no effect on what’s going on over here, so maybe… an hour outside.”
I sigh. “So what happens now?”
Discord grins. “Now,” he begins, making a door magically appear on the previously blank wall, “is when you join them!”
I step forward to open the door, only to find that it leads to a dark fall down. “I don’t know about this…“ I say cautiously, looking deep into the darkness. “Isn’t there some other way to get down? I mean, can’t you just make some-“
“TOO LATE!” Discord cackles, kicking me down the abyss. He cackles wildly as I fall deeper and deeper, screaming bloody murder from the top of my lungs.
I suddenly wake up, sweating bullets and panting loudly. “I have a feeling that I’m going to be doing this a lot,” I groan as I wipe the sweat from my forehead. I look around, trying to see the world around me. It’s so dark that only thing visible is a slight glowing object in front of me. I reach out to touch it, only to find it expand into a holographic screen of neon green.
“Good morning, sir,” it drones politely. “What would you like to do?”
I stare at it a bit before answering. “Uh… Turn on the lights?”
The lights suddenly turn on, revealing that the entire room seemed to be made of chrome. “Show outside,” I command, getting a little more confident.
A window opens up, revealing nothing but blackness and stars. Suddenly, we pass an enormous ball of red and orange light, swirling around endlessly. “What is that?!” I ask, alarmed.
“That would be the sun Artham, sir,” the screen answers. A picture of a solar system shows up, each dot representing the planets. “Right now, we are in the Kioch system, trying to get to the planet Jamine-B, which is the third planet from the sun.” A little green dot appears on the screen, moving rapidly across the diagram. “The green dot represents the ship, and we will be arriving in five hours.
I stare at the screen, unable to believe what’s going on. “And why are we doing this?”
“The inhabitants, the Jamines, have violated a Federation embargo, and we are on a scouting mission to discover why,” the screen explains. “If the Jamines refuse to cooperate, the Federation will send reinforcements to maintain the peace.”
I keep staring at the screen, trying to find a logical conclusion. Finally, an idea pops into my head. “Computer,” I say slowly, clearing my throat. “What is today and what is the name of the ship?”
“It is Stardate 73945, and you are on the Enterprise VI,” the computer drones.
I stand there in shock and denial. Dear God… This can’t be happening to me!
“Oh, it is!” a familiar voice chuckles. I turn to see Discord in a black head-dress and blood-red robes. A jewel of deep crimson hangs from his neck. “Welcome to the Enterprise VI, Captain Espinosa!”
I fall back onto my bed, holding my head. “You did this?!” I ask in amazement.
Discord’s tooth smile is replaced with a look of annoyance. “Don’t you listen to ANYTHING I tell you?” he asks incredulously. “This is YOUR mind! I’m simply taking bits of your imagination and repurposing them! And I gotta say,” he adds, swishing around in his fancy robes, “I’m LOVING your taste so far!”
I hold my head in my hands and sigh. “So what now?”
“Whatever you want to!” he declares jovially, floating around my room. “After all, you’re the boss! In fact, I guess you could say that you’re the ‘captain’ of this ship!”
I look to him in alarm. “What did you just say?!”
“Well, I better leave you alone! After all, your crew needs you!” he cackles as he snaps his fingers. In a flash of white light he teleports away, leaving me alone with the news.
I turn to the screen. “What is the crew of the Starship Enterprise VI?”
The screen shows six familiar ladies, each in Federation uniforms. “Head of Communications: Twilight Sparkle. Head Mechanic: Applejack. Head Pilot: Rainbow Dash. Head Navigator: Pinkie Pie. Head Medic: Fluttershy. First Mate: Rarity.”
Then a particularly handsome man popped up at the top, sporting a dashing smile. “Captain of the Ship: Sebastian Fabio Espinosa de Salvador.”
I stare at the screen, mouth wide open. “I’m the captain.” I say to myself. “I’m the captain…” A grin starts to gradually grow on my face. “I’m the captain! I’m the captain! WOOHOO, I’M THE MOTHER-FUCKING CAPTAIN, BITCHES!!” I laugh manically before slapping myself on the face. “Alright, Sebastian, let’s not get crazy here.” I say to myself. I run to the mirror and stare at myself. Alright, here’s what we’re going to do: We’re going to finish the mission, figure out how to get out of here, and then do whatever it is we need to do to defeat Discord! Are we clear?
I give myself a winning grin. Whatever you say, Captain Sebastian!
With that, I turn to the screen. “Call forth the Heads of the Departments and my First Mate to the bridge for a meeting in ten minutes!” I command.
“Yes, sir,” the screen says obediently.
I chuckle and begin to head out the room before noticing something was missing. “I should probably put on some clothes before I go outside,” I say sheepishly to myself.
Oh my God, we’re doomed! A part of me cackles.

Ten Minutes Later…

I spin around in my nice big swivel chair, examining the shiny gold cuffs on my yellow captain’s uniform. “Captain Sebastian Espinosa,” I say to myself for the millionth time, grinning as I do so. “God, this day couldn’t get any better!”
Suddenly, I hear the little whoosh-y noise from the doors. Sitting up quickly, I find that Twilight had arrived, wearing a rather tight maroon Federation uniform (like the one Uhura wore). “Sebastian?” she asks, obviously alarmed. “You’re the captain?”
“I know, right?!” I say ecstatically, jumping up from my chair. “This was my dream when I was a teenager!”
She laughs nervously and looks around the ship. “I just can’t get over how futuristic this place is! I mean, everything’s all… Chrome-y!”
“You know, you have the best way with words, Miss Sparkle,” I croon, channeling William Shatner. “It’s going to be a pleasure working with you!”
She giggles and blushes. “Well, according to the screen, I’m basically a space-secretary,” she admits.
I chuckle and put my arms around her waist. “Well then, you’ll do marvelously at this job!”
She sighs. “Sometimes, I forget how sweet you can- NO NO NO!” she cries, jumping out of my arms.
“What happened?” I ask, alarmed.
“I’m still mad at you for what happened before!” she pouts, folding her arms around her chest.
“What?! COME ON, TWI!!” I cry in exasperation. “Is this really the time to carry a grudge?!”
“I dunno, is this really the time to put the moves on me?!” she retorts.
“… Ok, you have a point there…” I admit. “Can we just pretend this never happened?”
“Only if you promise to stop feeling me up every chance you get!”
“I do not ‘feel you up’!” I protest. “I… Get friendly with you!”
“Well, the next time you try to ‘get friendly’ with me, I’ll have my foot ‘get friendly’ with your face!” she snarls
“Uh… Is this a bad time?” a timid voice asks. We both turn to see that Fluttershy was standing nervously at the door, wearing a blue Federation uniform and skirt.
We both sigh. “It’s nothing, Shy, just a friendly conversation,” I assure her.
She looks at the both of us seriously. “Look, Discord wants to test our teamwork here, so if we’re going to get him out of Sebastian’s head, we’ll have to work together. That means having to put our differences aside, at least for now. Is that ok?”
I look to Twilight. “Well, is it?”
She sighs. “I suppose so…” She puts out her hand. “Truce?”
“Well, I was never mad at you to begin with, so… I suppose so,” I grin, putting my hand in hers.
Fluttershy smiles approvingly. “See? Was that so hard?”
Before either of us could respond, the door opens to reveal Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash was wearing her regulation uniform (pants, not skirt), but Rarity seemed to have made some… adjustments to the other girls’ uniforms. Some very FLATTERING adjustments.
“Wow… That’s a pretty low cut collar you’ve got there, girls,” Twilight observes.
“Well, I had to do something!” Rarity protests. “These uniforms are elegant, but they leave so little breathing space.”
“Yeah, and besides, it’s boilin’ in the engine room!” Applejack adds. “I’d be burnin’ up down there if it weren’t for this!”
“We can only wish,” Twilight mutters.
Applejack glares at her. “Ah’m sorry, did y’all say somethin’?”
“Nothing!” Twilight says innocently.
“Ah thought so,” the blonde says smugly before turning to me. “Now, what was it that y’all wanted us here for, sugar?”
I find my eyes slipping lower and lower on her chest. “Uh...”
She grins. “My eyes are up here, sugar-cube,” she teases, pulling my chin up.
I shake my head. “Right! Well, what we have here is a Class C confrontation,” I begin, pulling up the holographic screen. “The Jamine government has purchased large amounts of osha-10, a highly controlled substance throughout the Federation. Osha-10 is mostly used in creating planetary destroyers as well as simulating small black holes, so the amount that was bought was definitely a bit of a scare. Our plan is to simply go to the planet Jamine-B, confiscate the osha-10, and be on our merry way. If the Jamines want to play hardball, we call Starfleet to come for back-up. Any questions?”
Pinkie Pie holds her hand up high and jumps up and down. “Ooh, ooh, pick me!”
I roll my eyes. “No, Pinkie, we aren’t going to throw a party afterwards.”
She deflates. “Aww… Well, what about-“
“No, we are not going to throw one before, either!” I say impatiently.
She looks at me, annoyed. “What I was GOING to ask is what happened to Jamine-A?”
“… That’s actually a pretty good question,” I admit, turning to the screen. “Computer?”
A diagram of a large planet splitting in half appears on the screen. “The Jamines were once a powerful species of warriors, known for conquering entire solar systems within a matter of months,” the computer explains. “During a nearly galactic revolution of all of its colony planets, the Jamine planet was split completely in two by the combined forces of the rebel armada. Miraculously, the Jamines managed to not only to survive the attack, but also somehow used the pieces of their broken planet to make two new planets to reside on. Jamine-A is now designated for the lower class Jamines, mostly agriculturalists and low-wage workers, while Jamine-B is a planet-wide metropolis of higher learning and big business. Jamine-B is considered to be the ‘rulers’ of Jamine-A, and the rigid class-structure of the Jamine culture prevents little (if any) opportunity for a citizen of Jamine-A to gain entry into Jamine-B.”
“Wait, why would B be better than A?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Isn’t A supposed to be number one?”
“Well, I guess you could argue that B is a step up from A,” Rarity offers. “After all, A could be basic, while B could mean an upgrade!”
“Never mind that, let’s just get this over with!” I sigh in exasperation. “We’ve got about six hours and forty minutes left before we have to confront the Jamines, so I suggest you go to your positions and get used to them. I’ll be checking each of you guys shortly before we get to the planet Jamine-B, and we’ll take it from there, got it?”
Everyone nods, giving me a chance to let out a sigh. “Look guys, I know this probably isn’t what you had in mind when you wanted to free me, but I think we better play through this if we’re going to beat Discord. If everything goes according to plan, we’ll be out of here before you know it!”
Rarity puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, darling. With the smashing crew that we have here, whatever Discord has in store won’t do any good!”
I chuckle. “I suppose you’re right… But anyways, enough time has been wasted! To your stations everyone!”
Everyone gives me a quick salute before marching to their posts. I grin to myself as I sit down in my chair. “It’s good to be captain,” I chuckle.

Two Hours Later…

I look at my holographic screen, marveling at the vastness of space. It’s all just so… Beautiful… Almost like God painted it himself…
“You like the sky too, huh?” a voice says next to me. I turn to see that Twilight was standing next to me with the same wide-eyed expression on her face. “I’ve always admired the way Princess Luna arranged the stars. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Princess Celestia did a good job too, but Princess Luna… She just made it so much better!”
I raise an eyebrow at her. “I thought you were still mad at me?”
She glares at me. “Oh trust me, I’m still pretty ticked,” she assures me, “but I guess I had to get over it sometime…”
I chuckle. “No time like the present!”
She rolls her eyes, but puts her hand on my shoulder. “Did you get a load of the Engine room?” she asks.
“No, what’s going on there?”
“Well, it’s pretty much all guys down there, so Applejack’s little… ‘Uniform adjustment’ is driving them wild!”
I grin. “Why are you so interested in Applejack’s uniform adjustment?”
She shrugs. “Just an interesting piece of info I thought I’d share with you. After all, you and she have a thing, don’t you?”
“Ok, when I say ‘it’s strictly sexual’, it means it’s strictly sexual!” I groan in exasperation. “I honestly don’t think it’s all that serious, and neither should you!”
“Well, aren’t you at least a little concerned?! After all, she’s nearly undressing in front of them!”
“Ok, now you’re just being mean!” I laugh. “Why are you so determined to make Applejack look bad to me? I thought she was your friend!”
Twilight sighs. “I thought she was too…”
“What are you saying here, Twi?” I ask in alarm.
She gives me a tired smile. “It’s nothing, alright?” she says a little too calmly.
“No seriously Twi!”
“It’s nothing!” she assures me a little too quickly. “Just focus on your job and see if we can’t make this go any faster!”
I look at her one last time before getting up. “I’m going to check up on everyone. You start alerting the Jamines that we’re about to arrive on Jamine-B.”
She gives me a salute and turns back to her station. I groan and look to the front of the room, where Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are staring intently at the screen. “How’s it going over here?” I ask.
Rainbow Dash turns to me, hiding the screen behind her back. “Doing great here, Captain!” she says a little too loudly. “Nothing going on over here!”
I raise an eyebrow. “Really now, so you won’t mind me checking what’s on the screen?”
Pinkie Pie jumps up, blocking her screen as well. “Actually, it’s some top secret pilot and navigator stuff! No one’s allowed to see it!”
“Not even the Captain?” I ask, suspicious.
Pinkie Pie shrugs. “I don’t make the rules, boss, I just follow them!”
I sigh and shove them out of the way of the screen to reveal a horrifying secret. “YOU GUYS WERE LOOKING AT ALIEN PORN?!?!” I cry.
“Not to jack off or anything!” Rainbow Dash says defensively. “We were just curious what kind of porn they’d have in space!”
“Turns out, dolphins are the universal standard for beauty!” Pinkie adds. “Kind of obvious, once you think about it.”
I look at the screen in disgust. “How the hell is that girl doing it with that weird octopus thing?!”
“Tentacles, Sebastian,” Pinkie Pie says seriously. “Lots and lots of tentacles.”
I shudder before continuing. “Look, you guys, we’ve got to stay focused! I mean, what happens if we hit an asteroid belt of something?!”
“Relax, the last asteroid belt was a few light years away!” Rainbow Dash laughs. “The path’s so smooth from here, I could just keep the ship on autopilot from here on out!”
I groan. “Fine, if you’re going to look up your weird tentacle porn, at least keep the controls and map on the other window.”
“Will do, Captain!” Pinkie grins with a chipper salute.
I take one last look at the disgusting video before walking out of the bridge. There, I see Rarity chatting up a young looking worker in a red shirt. “-and honestly, darling, you COULD use a bit of a trim… After all, when you’re as powerful as you are, you’ve got to look your best!”
The young man smiles. “Thank you Miss Rarity, but I’m just a repairman…”
Rarity looks at him in a manner of utmost awe. “YOU’RE the man responsible for this finely tuned machine! Why, you’re practically the most important man on the ship! Any fool can own a cheap bucket in the sky, but YOU make this deus-ex-machina shine!”
He blushes. “Oh, you’re just saying that,” he says modestly.
I clear my throat loudly. “Shouldn’t you be at your post, young man?” I ask sternly.
The poor guy goes pale with fear. “I’m sorry, captain!” he stutters. “I was just going there now!” and with a fearful salute, he scurries off.
Rarity slaps me on the chest. “Well what was that for?!” she asks indignantly.
I laugh. “THAT was me abusing my power! You know, kind of like you were abusing yours?”
She chuckles. “Oh, come now, darling! He obviously enjoyed the attention!”
“Hey, I’m just making sure that someone doesn’t file a sexual harassment charge on you.”
“Please, who would file a complaint on this?” she winked, running her hand over her body.
I clench a little before continuing. “I’m just saying that maybe you should tone it down a bit, alright? I’ve got enough trouble with your little ‘uniform adjustments’, especially down in the engine room with Applejack.”
“Honestly, darling, both you and I know that Applejack is a perfectly capable woman. If anyone can keep those ruffians in line, she definitely can!”
I shake my head. “Whatever you say. Anyways, I’ve got to go check on Fluttershy and see how she’s doing on the sick bay.”
“I’ll come with you.” Rarity says brightly, wrapping her arm around mine. “I must see Fluttershy about something anyways.”
I chuckle and walk down to a bright white door with her. “Hey Shy you in there?” I call, knocking on the door.
Someone in a hazmat suit comes walking out, letting steam get relead by the door. “Oh, it’s you guys!” Fluttershy’s voice says as she takes off the helmet. “Is it time to go to Jamine-B already?”
“Nah, I’m just checking up on you for a little bit. How’s it going in here?” I ask.
“Oh, wonderful!” she squeals, slipping out of the hazmat suit to reveal that Rarity had apparently left her mark on her uniform. “The patients here are so easy to treat, and everything’s so organized!”
I stare at Fluttershy’s chest for a little. “Uh… I see you’ve made an adjustment to the uniform,” I observe.
Looking at my line of sight, she blushes and covers herself. “I’m sorry, but it was just so tight in here, and I needed some way to breath.” she said sheepishly.
Rarity pats Fluttershy’s arm comfortingly. “No need to feel embarrassed, darling. With a bust as big as yours, the change was practically necessary.” she assures her.
I shake my head and try to get back to the conversation at hand. “Right, so would you mind giving us a little look of the hospital ward?”
She nods, still blushing, and puts on her hazmat suit again. She pushes a button on the wall and two other suits come flying out. “You’ll have to put it on while you’re in there,” she explains as she adjusts her mask. “Sorry, it’s Starfleet protocol.”
“Ugh, what a garish shade of white!” Rarity says in disgust as she pulls it on. “And it’s almost as if they went out of the way to make the suit as unflattering to the figure as possible! Oh, and don’t even get me started on the material-“
“Rarity, now’s really not the time for your whole fashionistia thing, so if you could turn off the switch a bit, that’d be great,” I smirk as I zip up the hazmat suit.
She gives me a look of scorn. “There’s no ‘off switch’ for my fashionista thing. Just sit back and be enlightened!” “She says with dignity before putting on her helmet.
I chuckle as we step into the decontamination shower, where pressure and steam is blasted at us at 60 mph winds. “Sorry, another protocol!” Fluttershy calls over the roar of the air.
We finally get to the sick ward, where I’m surprised to find that only two beds were filled. “Isn’t all this protocol a bit excessive?” I ask Fluttershy.
She shrugs. “The Starfleet Medical Instructional Manual was kind of specific on how things were done. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it, I suppose.” She walks over to a pale patient who was sweating profusely. “How are we doing, Miss Evoch?”
She smiles weakly. “Oh, just fine, Princess.” she titters. “I’m about to get married to the King.”
Fluttershy pats her comfortingly on the shoulder before turning to us. “Poor Miss Evoch… We thought it might be simple space delirium, but we got worried when the sweat began to turn green,” she explains.
Rarity, meanwhile, had been looking around the hospital ward with a critical eye. “Have you ever thought of making this place a little cheerier?” she asks as she scans the bare walls. “I’m sorry, but it looks so dreadfully dreary!”
Fluttershy, who’s currently attending a furry little man with horns, looks over to the walls. “Well, I suppose you’re right…”
“Of course I’m right! How do you expect the patients to get better if they have to stare at this blank celling all day?” She turns to the furry little man, bending over to his eye level. “Everyone needs a little eye candy, don’t they?” she croons, tickling his chin.
Although the effect was slightly ruined by the fact she was wearing a hazmat suit, the little man reacted with several sharp barks and howls. Rarity giggles at his response. “I guess big things do come in little packages.” she laughs as she pats the little man on the head. He responds by bouncing up and down excitedly. “My, you’re a feisty little man, aren’t you?” she coos.
Fluttershy looks up from the clipboard on the side of the bed and checks something off. “Alright, you’re free to go Mr. Keow. Don’t hesitate to ask if that sore throat persists for two days or more.”
The little man gives a yip and scurries over to a small room in the corner of the ward. He comes out wearing a little blue Federation uniform, gives a salute to the three of us, and skips out of the room. Rarity giggles as she watches this. “Such a darling little thing,” she says fondly.
“Alright, before you and the Ewok there are lawfully wedded, let’s finish the tour of the ship, shall we?” I scoff. “Sorry Shy, we better get moving.”
She gives us a little wave. “Alright, goodbye!” she says cheerfully before turning back to Miss Evoch.
Rarity and I go through the decontamination shower, take off our hazmat suits, and put them in a disposal unit before we head down to the engine room. “You were SO jealous,” Rarity teased.
I scoff. “Of pipsqueak over there? Pfft, yeah right!”
She pushes me playfully. “You were! Aw, how sweet.”
“So help me God, Rarity, I’ll have you on the ship’s brig if you keep this up!”
“Oh, you’re no fun!” she pouts, crossing her arms around her chest.
I sigh as the temperature increase about a thousand degrees, signaling that we are entering the engine room. “I’m starting to see what Applejack was talking about,” I admit as I roll up my sleeves.
“Well, howdy there, Captain!” Applejack voice calls from farther up ahead. We go a little farther to find that she was tightening the bolts of a complex looking device with a large wrench. “How’s everythin’ on the bridge with Tight-Ass?”
I chuckle. “Everything’s good, so far,” I reply, wiping a bead of sweat off of my forehead. “Since when did you start calling her ‘Tight-Ass’?”
“Behind her back? Ages now,” she shrugs, leaning on the wall of the room. “She always was a bit strained, ya know?”
“Well… I guess…” I admit. “But I’m pretty sure she’s got a good heart. Anyways, why aren’t you pissed at me anymore?”
She sighs. “Ah dunno, Ah guess Ah don’t see much point in it after all this is happenin’…”
I give her a sly smile. “Well, why don’t you come upstairs sometime so that you can show that all’s forgiven? Maybe after all this is over?”
She giggles and gets close to me. “Oh, Ah wouldn’t count on that happenin’, Captin,” she croon, squeezing my nose playfully.
Rarity scoffs. “Honestly, it’s like I’m dealing with teenagers over here!” she say, exasperated.
I raise an eyebrow. “You’re one to talk, Mrs. Ewok!”
“I’m sure if I knew what you were referring to, I’d be dreadfully offended, but for this particular moment, I’m picking the bliss of ignorance,” she says, dignified.
Applejack rolls her eyes. “Anyways, there ain’t much to look at here… Just a bunch of engines, Ah got a few guys in storage, and then we’ve got the teleporter bay! Everythin’s in tip-top shape, as far as Ah know.”
Just then, a massive boom sounds through the ship, making the walls shake. “Dear God, what was that?!” I ask.
“Ah dunno!” Applejack says, obviously as alarmed as I was. “Everythin’ was perfect a second ago!”
A small beep from beside me alerts me that my communicator was ringing. I flip it open quickly. “What’s going on up there?!” I ask urgently.
“It’s the Jamines!” Twilight’s voice cries. “They've started a surprise attack!"