My Brave Pony Starfleet Magic: Season IV

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 7: A Broken Art

Author's Note:

I only just threw Artie's story and his parents into the fray at random.

Just picked this boring old cliche about Disapproving snobbery parents and to hell with it.

Even if it may SEEM to you like it's character growth and stuff like that... I pretty much don't give a damn. I'm not interested in such things

EPISODE SEVEN

The worldwide Earth Pony scanning was conducted. The planet was made aware prior to the first search, and everyone complied allowing Starfleet to visit each home, and scan every single Earth Pony with their visors and magic-detectors.

The Phantom of Magic used modern magic that couldn’t hide from detection. So far, not a single Earth Pony was detected to have any magic of any kind. They were simply scanned, and it was over just like that. “Thank you for your time.” the officers would say. The ponies didn’t mind a bit. They felt they were practically helping Starfleet out...

The more ponies that checked out clean, meant they were getting closer to the phantom… they hoped!

Teams were even sent to visit other planets to help further the search, in case if the phantom’s hideout was not on United Equestria. One of those planets was Monotane, a planet inhabited by prestigious rich creatures, and even ponies, including ones originally from Unicornicopia.

It was protected by a small Starfleet outpost, but they required a little extra help to scan all the Earth Ponies on the planet. So Lightning and a few of the others came to help out. Rarity was ever-so exciting to be visiting a planet where the rich and the proud did dwell, but Spike felt a little insignificant in going.

“Oh, really Spike.” said Rarity “If anyone asked you’ll be… my servant-boy.”

“Rarity!” snapped Starla.

“No, it’s okay, Starla.” said Spike. He gazed up at Rarity almost lovingly “I wouldn’t mind being Rarity’s servant.”

Rarity smiled down at him, and Spike looked away feeling all shy. Starla and Lightning gazed at each other and playfully rolled their eyes, knowing how shy Spike still was about his song, but that wasn’t important to think about now.

Artie was with them as well, but he didn’t seem very thrilled about coming to Monotane. When asked why, he didn’t seem to be up to talking about it. “You know, if you’re not feeling up to it, you can go back if you want.” Lightning offered.

“No, no…” Artie simply said “I’m going to carry out my duties and put personal feelings aside. It’s what makes a good officer.”

The others could really sense something bothering him now, and whatever it was, they were sure to find out.

They arrived on the planet, and Rarity’s eyes glistened at the stunning beauty; so many mansions, prestigious hotels and classy clubs. “Only a small portion of this place puts New Canterlot to shame!” she cried.

She was so enraptured, she almost drooled with envy. Lightning then reminded “Captain, Keep in mind, we are here on reconnaissance mission.”

Rarity never thought it so hard to keep her mind focussed. Nevertheless, they rendezvoused with the Starfleet outpost, and then everyone set to work. They set up several small posts and all the Earth Ponies were to line up and take turns being scanned and checked clean.

Spike got to work with Rarity, while she scanned the ponies, he would check them off the list. Rarity found it hard to concentrate as she couldn’t stop admiring the sights of the wonderful buildings, not to mention how lovely and dressed the ponies looked. She had so many ideas for new fashion trends.

Spike checked off the list as she ponies were cleared. It made him happy to help her, but a little sad as well. It reminded him of the many times he would checklists for Twilight.

A small tear fell onto the clipboard.

“Spike, are you alright?” asked Rarity.

Spike wiped his eyes clean. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

The checkouts went smoothly, and all the Earth Ponies checked out clean. Most of them were very cooperative, but some acted rather pompous and rude towards it all.

“This is most outrageous!” a lady complained “Scanning us like we’re products, and suspecting us like criminals.”

“I’m sorry ma’am, but we have our orders, and under the terms of Starfleet derestriction in his guardant, you must comply.” Lightning said. Starla nodded and said “We are searching for an evil pony that is terrorizing others, and this may be our own lead to tracking him down. Refusal to comply with our terms may result in further suspicion and interrogation under close arrest.”

The lady was forced to comply and be scanned. She checked out clean.

Another pompous pony rudely said “I have no clue as to why you Starfleet personal think you have to rights to invade our privacy like this.”

Starla glared at him angrily, but softly said “We sent the message in advanced sir. This is not peering into your private lives, but if you have any other suggestions, we’re all ears.”

The stallion had no other ideas, and just got on with his checkout.

Soon, all the ponies had been checked out, and they all checked clean. “I never knew so many ponies could be so ignorant and rude.” said Spike. Rarity would have protested, but she agreed with him. “If were one of them, I would gladly have taken my time to help others do their job.”

Lightning and Starla giggled softly.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, come on, Rarity. When you were first in training, you acted just as they did.” said Lightning.

Rarity blushed in embarrassment, remembering all the times she whined and complained about the training being too tough and too dirty for her to handle. “Yes, well, I learned, and I became better since then.”

“Oh, is that why you just stepped in mud?” Starla teased.

“What…?! Mud?!” cried Rarity, and she began to fuss and whine about, but when she gazed down at her boots and found they were perfectly dry, there was no mud, the others couldn’t help but laugh at her softly. Spike did all he could to burst out from laughing.

Suddenly, they noticed Artie wasn’t with them.

Then they saw him up ahead. He was gazing at a large mansion in the distance, gazing at it deeply with a queer look on his face, part anger, part sad, but mostly of disappointment. Just as the friends were about to approach him and question him, a big coach pulled up near him. Two prestigious space alicorns peeked through the windows. “Arthur!” the stallion called.

Artie turned to gaze at them, and his expression stiffed, but he approached them calmly and nodded at them. “Mom… Dad…”

The others could hear, and were amazed. “His parents.” pepped Starla, and it made them all realize this was where Artie used to live.

His mother, Marigold Belle Bristles, a marigold colored alicorn, and her ID-Code was WK6Y, and her husband, Dune-Bank Bristles, a yellowish orange alicorn, and his ID Code was VJ5X. Both were very rich, but gazed at their son very strangely, with no less than disapproval and disappointment in their eyes. “So, this is why you left us to join Starfleet, so you could get into messes and get mixed in other tiny problems?” his mother asked, in a down-hearted tone.

Artie shook his head “It’s a good life, and I’m actually helping to sort out bigger problems. I’m proud of what I do, and deep down I know you both are proud of me too.”

His parents sighed, and his father could only say with the same down-hearted attitude, “All we couldn’t be is more disappointed.” Then they sat back in their coach, and signaled the driver to go ahead, right up to their house, leaving poor Artie to gaze disappointingly until they were out of sight.

“Artie…?” Lightning said.

“I know…” he said “The truth comes out at last. I used to be rich, used to live here. I just never told anyone because… well, I don’t like to think about it, and I just didn’t want anyone to start pitying me or anything.”

“Is it really that bad?” asked Starla.

Artie shut his eyes tight and decided to tell them everything when they got back to his place in United Equestria.

That evening, after returning home, delivering their reports, and being off duty, they went to Artie’s and he invited them into his basement. He blew dust off an old box. Rarity coughed and sneezed softly.

“This is a box where I keep paintings that I just didn’t have the heart to complete.” said Artie as he went through them “…Especially this one.” He pulled out an incomplete painting, showing his old house on Monotane and the beginnings of what obviously where that of his folks, and himself as a colt, and there was one other painting too, which was that of an elderly pony “…My grandfather.”

It all started way back…

*Artie’s POV*

My grandfather was a former Starfleet fighter. He served many years in the service, but was also a well-to-do pony, always a polite young gentleman; he had many jobs and worked each day to the fullest helping other out.

With all his many jobs and loyalty to the force, he accumulated quite a fortune. After many years of serving Unicornicopia well, he decided to retire, and he moved to Monotane to live in peace, taking his daughter, my mother, Marigold with him.

Monotane was discovered many years ago by astronautic-missions to find new worlds to inhabit or live a part on. Monotane became known as the “Rich People’s Planet” everyone always so wealthy and living it soft. Many of them were well-to-do like grandpa.

Sadly, my mother was always like the few others, spoiled and often caring more about money and profit, and acting boorish and pompous to other who were different. Eventually, grandpa lost patience, and decided to teach his daughter the value of money and to be a good pony, through hard work and understanding, but most of all through sharing and caring.

…it failed, and my mother remained as spoiled as ever, so badly, grandpa disowned her, and threw her out of his home for her bad behaviour. By that time, she already had met my dad, who shared her points of view with money. So, she moved in with him, and they started their own business of trading and exchanging, and even auctioning, but their attitudes remained as worse than ever. Even when they got married, to them marriage was equally more a business than a joy.

Long after I was born, my folks tried to model me into a version of them; to think and behave just like them. Strangely enough, I didn’t see money the way they did. I knew out of all the things it could bring, I knew it couldn’t buy love, true happiness, or even the right kind of safety.

My folks didn’t have much time for me, which was how they preferred it as. The only times we were together they would only talk about business, plans, and of course more money. They even decided for me that I was going to follow in their footsteps and carry out the family business, but I was already more than displeased with the way they treated me. Yet whenever I spoke up for myself, or questioned their ways, they scolded me very badly and often sent me to my room.

Of course, I was allowed to visit with grandpa. That was my favorite place to be. I liked hearing his stories about Starfleet, and all his adventures. He showed me the love and happiness I craved, better than my parents ever did. He even showed me how to channel frustration into activities like drawing. He used to draw a lot whenever he got upset, so I had a go at it, and that’s when I first began to develop my passion for art. I practiced constantly, and as I got older, I got better and then switched to painting.

Grandpa also taught me some of his old martial arts moves, to help channel more of my anger, in times if I felt really angry in ways that art couldn’t help me with alone, and with this training I began to develop my regular alicorn magic.

Grandpa thought I was really talented, but needless to say my folks were less than thrilled, and claimed grandpa was filling my head with dreams and fantasies that were all a waste of time and effort, and that really hurt me a lot, especially since one of my incomplete paintings was that of me standing with them. I wanted to paint our picture to show that they were still my parents, and that deep down I hoped they actually love me like a real son.

…It seemed as if it was all for naught.

I just couldn’t finish the painting. It meant nothing to my folks, and it only filled my heart with more sadness. So I began to paint a picture of grandpa…

(Music EXTENDED, as Artie sings and paints)

Being rich… it looks nice,
But when you really see…
It’s not all that fun…
If you are like me
Money is fine, well… sort of
It buys many things, but there up above
One thing I know is…
Money can’t buy love.

(Instrumental part)

Some say money is all, and makes you smile
It brings you some joy… that only lasts… awhile

I wish for other things,
To aim my life high
Friends and the joys…
…Things that money can’t buy
Helping the world, and give the bad a shove
And help to bring peace… just like a dove.
These must be earned… ‘cause
Money can’t buy love…

…Money… can’t buy… Love.

*POV Ends*

Lightning and Starla felt sore for Artie, and Rarity was sobbing softly and dabbing her eyes with a hankie.

Artie continued with his story

*Artie's POV*

Before I could finish grandpa’s painting he had passed away, and a part of me died with him. My parents only seemed only equally devastated, but again they seemed more concerned about how much everything would cost them. I couldn’t believe they had such empty hearts.

Finally, there came a day when they pushed me too far!

That very night, I sat in my room sulking, my parents were off at gatherings with business partners of theirs to go over and discuss the tragic events. and feeling maybe it would had be better if I just left home to make my own life, and maybe even join Starfleet to help carry on grandpa’s legacy.

Suddenly, a rock was thrown through my window with a note attached to it; a blackmailers note. Our planet had been invaded by thieves from outer space, and they had captured my parents along with many other ponies and were holding them hostage at town hall. The note read…

“If you ever want to see your parents and the others alive again, bring ten-million in gold coins to town hall by midnight!

My blood turned cold with worry. My folks weren’t very nice, but even I felt they didn’t deserve to get hurt. I could even see town hall from afar. Starfleet wasn’t as developed as it was back then, and there weren’t too many forces outside the building. Obviously, they hostages were being held by the thieves inside, and had threatened the officers not to make any moves or they’d kill!

I couldn’t let this happen, not to my folks, and not to all the others that had been captured. So, I did what I thought was right, I loaded the amount of gold demanded form our safe into a briefcase, and I set out on my own.

I managed to sneak in through a back entrance of town hall which was left unguarded. “Hello!” I called out “I have the money!”

In a split second later, the lights came on, and I found myself staring face-to-face with five boar-like creatures, armed huge laser guns. “So, you got the cash, eh?” snorted the boss “Fork it over!”

I opened the case, showing them the gold. Their eyes glistened with greed, and a couple of them drooled like the sloppy pigs they were. The boss took the case from me to count the gold, and ordered his boys to send me into the main hall with all the others… and kill me along with everyone!

I couldn’t believe how double-crossed I was, but I was dragged into the next room, where I found my parents and the many others all tied up and gagged, and I was to be down there with them, but luckily I had a break. The four other boars began to argue over who would get to tie me up, and their boss was far too busy counting up the money, with his back turned.

While the boars continued to argue, I remembered all the training grandpa taught me, I swiftly kicked them all hard in a quadruple play, and actually sent them skidding along the floor, knocking one of them unconscious.

The boss turned round, but I had dashed over and snatched the briefcase back, and used it to bash him hard in the face. “GET THAT KID!!” he shouted. The boards tried to gang up on me and began to fire at me with their guns, but I swiftly dodged their every move, and began to take them out each one-by-one.

I forced one shoot at me, but I ducked causing him to break a large column that fell on him.

Another one had run out of ammo, and I decided “All right, let’s make this interesting.” and I stood ready for a fight. The boar sloppy combat skills and slow speed made him easy for me to clunk out.

The last one pointed his gun up against my head, and told me not to move, I turned round softly with my hands up high acting scared. The boar prepared to kill me at the count of three. “One… Two…”

“...Three!” I shouted and I used my magic to flip flick the gun from his hand and hit him in the face, knocking him out cold too. I quickly grabbed their guns and tossed them out and open window, hoping the Starfleet officers would see it and think the boars were surrendering so they could come in…

…but I had forgotten about the boss. He snatched the briefcase I had set down and began to make off with it. “Hey!” I shouted, and I chased after him out the back way I came in, at the same time, the Starfleet officers came in to free the hostages.

I had chased the boss onto a hill top with a lone tree and demanded he hand over the briefcase. “You gonna make me, punk?!” he snarled at me. I clenched my fists, and broke off a thick long branch from a tree and wielded it like a staff, showing off my many moves and skills I had learned.

The boar just gave in and surrendered in fear of me beating him up worse. He handed over the briefcase and just ran right back, begging the officers to lock him up. “Just get me away from that crazy kid!”

As for me, I couldn’t believe what I had done. I just single-handedly saved everyone, and I had never felt so scared in my life. It took me a short while to pick myself up and head home. When I got there, I saw that my folks were home safe and sound, but the second they saw me, they really let me have it.

“Arthur! How dare you use money from our safe to barter with those awful boars!” dad shouted.

I was shocked by his tone of voice “I was just trying to help, and besides we can easily spare it.”

“ENOUGH!!” Mom shouted “You had no right to take this money, or even get involved, and you’re going to have an awful long time to think about it, and start planning for your future!”

Dad angrily opened the case to examine the coins “There better not be a single coin missing!”

Right there... that was the very last straw. Every last ounce of care and respect I had for them had completely diminished!

Just then there was a knock at the door, I answered it and found a huge gathering of reporters at the door along with all the others I helped to save. “That’s him!” one of them shouted “That’s the kid who saved us!”

The reporters went crazy, taking my picture and asking me questions a-hundred miles an hour. My folks came to the door, and the reporters began to question them.

“How does it feel to have such a clever son?”

“Are you proud of your hero son?”

My parents were shocked and amazed by all this, but they answered “Yes…”

“We are proud, and glad he helped, and saved our money.”

That’s when I stepped up an announced “In fact, they are so grateful, that my parents have decided to donate the money that I used to the children’s foundation of our town, to promote a good source of help and productive contributions to making our world a better place.”

My parents were shocked, but were applauded and giving handshakes and had their pictures taken multiple times, actually going along with the idea. Then I shook my father’s hand, and patted my mother’s shoulder as I quietly told them “You can keep all your money and plans to yourselves. I’m going to make a life of my own.”

That was the last time I had ever spoken to them in a very long time.

I went to the Starfleet outpost requesting to be taken to Unicornicopia as I was interested in joining Starfleet. The officers were willing to let me do so, as compensation for my heroism, but of course they had to get approval from Grand Ruler.

They sent him an intergalactic message, and in almost no time at all, he himself had come to the planet expressing his approval for my outstanding bravery, my caring and my capabilities. He gladly invited me and escorted me to Unicornicopia to attend the academy.

As if that weren’t enough, he was charmed by my artistic talents, and bought some of my paintings. He paid a handsome fee for them, enough to allow me to buy my own home, and open my own gallery.

*POV ends*

Artie gazed down at his unfinished paintings. “I really feel like I’ve made a difference, that’s why I don’t let my past get to me, but deep down I still bear resentment to my folks hoping they would see the light and change their ways, but obviously they haven’t. So I just continue to live the way I am.”

Lightning walked over and patted his friend on the back “You’re a good guy, Artie, and if your folks can’t see that, it’s their problem.”

The others nodded in agreement, and Artie smiled warmly at them all, but suddenly Krysta burst in unexpectedly. “Guys, guys!” she cried.

“Krysta, what’s wrong?” asked Lightning. Krysta took a moment to catch her breath, and explained how she and her fairies were also carrying out surveys on the Grand Ruler’s orders, to double check the planets and mark them as checked, she and her guards were on Monotane after Lightning and the team left, but as they were about to leave the planet was attacked by the phantom!

“WHAT?!” everyone shouted.

“He can warp through space as well?!” snapped Lightning.

“Apparently!” cried Krysta “We tried ti evacuate the ponies to safety, but we didn’t get them all out in time.”

“Well, come on, let’s go!” cried Starla.

Krysta was about to warp them all to Monotane, when the alarms went off. “What now?” snapped Spike. Thinking fast, Lightning split the team up. “Starla and I will stay here, you guys head back to Monotane.”

The teams agreed and split up.

Lightning and Starla ran outside and met up with the rest of the gang. “What’s going on?” Starla asked.

“Look sharp now, the phantom’s on the loose.” said Applejack.

Starla and Lightning were shocked and confused right then.

Meanwhile, the others made it back to Monotane, and could already see the damages done. Several ponies had their cutie marks and magic stolen, not just the Earth Ponies, but the pegasi and unicorns as well. Many of them were okay, just badly shocked, but others had gotten beat up and were on stretchers and the paramedics looked after them.

“Oh, my!” cried Rarity “How much more can this go on for?”

Artie questioned one of the Starfleet officers, and was told the rest of the force had the phantom trapped at town hall. “We managed to seal off the space portals. He can’t leave the planet. He’s already tried.”

“Good, that’s what we needed to know.” said Artie, then he, Rarity and Spike transformed and headed off. “Another mission at town hall; boy does that take me back.” Artie mumbled.

They reached town hall in almost no time. Artie spoke with the Captain, confirming the phantom was inside, but that he had hostages with him. “When he found out that we sealed off the space ports, we took some ponies in with him. He’ll only release them if we open the space ports for him.”

The friends gazed at the building, all of them worried about the hostages. “There’s worse to come, Major.” the captain said “Your parents are in there too.”

“What?!” snapped Artie.

Rarity and Spike gasped.

Inside, the phantom was gazing out the window. “Look at them…” he hissed “All they’re doing is prolonging the inevitable.” He turned to gaze at his hostages, all tied up and gagged. Some were ponies he had already stolen their magic from, but now they a log with the others were his bargaining chip.

While back on United Equestria, a second phantom was holding Mrs. Cake by the neck and forcing her back into a wall. “Give me your power!” he demanded “There is no resistance.” And he was about to absorb her power…!

“Hold it!” shouted Lightning.

The phantom turned and saw him and the others glaring at him. “Oh, no, not you guys again. This is getting so tiresome. When will you realize that you’ll never stop me?”

“I guess we’re just as stubborn as you are.” said Lightning “Now let her go!”

“Certainly, certainly… right after I get what I came for.” and the next thing, Mrs. Cake screamed as her cutie mark was stolen. The phantom put her down snickering wickedly.

“Let’s get him!” shouted Lightning, and they gave chase. As they chased him, Lightning and Starla couldn’t understand how the phantom was here and not on Monotane. He couldn’t have traveled that fast!

Artie wasn’t willing to just sit and wait any longer. “I’m going in. Spike, Rarity, you come as backup.”

The others agreed, and followed him around to the same old back entrance he knew. Just like before, it was unguarded, not even a barrier was put up. “Some phantom he is; doesn’t even make it hard.” Spike whispered.

This struck Artie and Rarity as odd too; nevertheless they made it inside the dark room, Rarity and Artie using their visors night-visions to see, and Spike using his dragon-senses. “Okay, spread out, and be careful.” Artie whispered.

They split up, searching all through the building, looking for the phantom or the hostages. Rarity and Artie used their visors to scan for pony DNA to lead them to the hostages, and Spike used his dragon’s super sense of smell to sniff them out.

Spike had a hard time slinking about due to his larger size in his armor. He kept thinking he was being followed by all the swishing sound she heard, which all turned out to be his cape brushing along the walls.

Rarity had it worse, getting dust from old boxes all over her clean battle suit and fogging up her visor, as well as making her sneeze, but she held it in every time. Easily, nothing was worse for her than bumping face first into a cobweb. She did all that she could force herself not to scream or make any sudden sounds! “Why couldn’t he have chosen someplace cleaner to hide in?” she whined softly to herself.

Artie crept forth, knowing his way around, but he remembered everything seeming much bigger when he was a kid. Following his visor-scanning, he found his way to the upper floors, and there they were, all tied up and gagged in the dark room, including his parents.

Their eyes met, and the all felt a bit strange seeing each other again after a short while since the daytime, but Artie just stood where he was, not making a move towards them. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

From right behind him, the moonlight shone through the windows illuminating the snickering phantom. “You’re quite the slippery one. I commend for making it this far. Unfortunately, it was all for nothing. You see, I already have what I came for, it doesn’t matter what happens now.”

Artie clenched his fists fiercely “Yeah, well in case you’ve forgotten, you still can’t leave this planet.”

“A problem that I only now just realize is also no longer a concern.” hissed the phantom. “Huh?” remarked Artie. “The only reason I am staying now is to prove to you how miserably in vain your efforts are.”

Artie lost the remains of his patience and lunged straight at the evil menace, but he swerved out of the way, and kicked him hard from down, sending him crashing up through the ceiling out onto the roof.

“Uhn…!” he groaned as he got up to his feet, and his opponent leapt out onto the roof. “You ponies are many a-like; you fight and struggle for what you think is right. Well, so am I.”

Artie felt a little mad. “Fighting for what’s right, by stealing other ponies magic and hurting others? Just what do you intend to accomplish and prove right with all this?”

The phantom laughed wickedly “You’ll find soon enough… if you live that long, but even then you and your friends and anyone else anywhere won’t be able to stop me… and the great power that I will control!”

“We’ll see about that!” snapped Artie and he quickly lunged again. The phantom swerved, but this time, Artie actually managed to spin kick him from midair, knocking across the roof. “I actually hit him…” he said softly to himself “I thought for sure he would paralyze me.”

The phantom got up, sniggering instead of groaning “Is that your best…? I thought you were capable of so much more.”

The fight waged on…

…while in United Equestria, the chase waged on. The gang had even split up to cover more ground, and so many other officers were already scattered about; waiting for the phantom to come by and try to detain him. He managed to avoid capture round every corner, but kept running into more officers, even having to fight a few of them.

Still, the officers weren’t willing to let him escape, not this time! “We’re closing in on him!” cried Lightning “Everyone, hold your ground!”

The phantom was finding it harder and harder to give the slip, and finally he leapt up, up, up for the rooftops, when he got ensnared by Applejack’s rope and Buddy Rose’s whip, and he pulled down hard, and other ponies fired magical streams form their horns to further bind him.

“WE GOT HIM!!” Pinkie cheered for joy.

“YEAH!!” Rainbow hollered.

“…Yay.” Fluttershy simply peeped.

After that, it was a very solemn yet silent moment as Lightning slowly approached the captive. “Now, let’s see who you really are.” He said as he reached for the phantom’s mask and pulled it right off…!

He gasped, and everyone gawked in horror at the sight! “I… don’t believe it!” Lightning cried.

Artie wielded his staff, swinging it madly at the phantom, but the phantom swerved and dodged each and every swing, and finally lunged at Artie, bashing him hard over the side, he was forced to grab onto the eaves-trough. There wasn’t enough room for him to get enough air under his wings to fly.

The phantom loomed over him and held out his hand ready to fire a magical shot. “Looks like you won’t live after all, but don’t worry, your friends will be joining you soon enough, and their fate shall be worse than yours.”

Artie tried to climb up, but couldn’t get any footing, but just as the phantom was ready to fire, Rarity came soaring in and kicked the phantom hard, sending him skidding along the roof. “Rarity!” cried Artie.

She helped him up.

The Phantom got up to strike again, but Spike leapt onto the roof and slashed at him several times with his sword. “Saber Ignite!” he shouted and powered his finisher move, slashing at the phantom, destroying him in a small blaze. No serious damage was done to the roof.

“Why did you guys do that?” snapped Artie “We didn’t want to destroy him.”

“He isn’t real.” Rarity said.

Spike nodded and pulled out from the burning ashes an enchanted puppet-block. “I already knew it wasn’t him as I got closer.” He sniffed the air deeply “I’d know the scent of a pony anyplace, and this was not it.”

All three of them felt pretty outraged to find they had been tricked. Worse, more ponies had lost their magic and marks. Still, at least the worst of the drama was over. “Come on, let’s go free the hostages.” said Artie.

Soon, the hostages were freed, many of them were very grateful, and didn’t mind the small damages done, nothing they couldn’t fix. A few ponies however were disgustingly outraged by their actions, especially Artie’s folks. “You still think what you fight for is good, Arthur.” Snapped his father “Look what you’ve done, you’ve cost the town more money to fix itself up, and others have lost their magic and cutie marks.”

“I helped save your lives, again!” Artie protested “Don’t you give me anymore of your lip.”

His mother looked ready to slap him in the mouth, “Arthur Bristles, how dare you talk to us that way!”

“Well, how dare you talk to me and my friends this way!” Artie sneered at her “I cannot believe you both, as well as those who think like you.” he referred to the few other snobbish ponies behind them. “You see this is why I left you. All you care about is money, more than the lives of others. All I ever wanted was to be loved and appreciated by you; to be seen as your son. You never saw me as that; all you saw was just another sack of gold. Just now I helped save you because despite the way you treated me before; I feel you don’t deserve to be hurt, and I still think in that.”

The ponies and his folks were speechless as if for the first time. Artie turned to leave, “Arthur, wait…” his father said “Please, can’t you see what you’ve become. You’re spouting a bunch of nonsense; you don’t know anything about our business.”

“There you go again...” Artie said with disappointment “It’s always about business. Well the life I made isn’t about all that, it’s about doing what you feel is right and other things that money and business don’t bring you. I hope someday you can learn to realize that.

Oh, and one last thing; it’s “Artie.”

He turned and walked away, not bothering to look back. Spike and Rarity looked at the ponies with shame. “I am very disappointed in all of you.” Rarity said. Spike agreed with her and they walked off. Finally Krysta gazed shamefully at the ponies “You have all this…” she motioned at all their mansions and prestigious places, but she pointed at her heart and scolded “…but you have nothing in here. You’re all disgusting!”

The ponies remained speechless, and deeply appalled at the way they were just treated, but even many of the other ponies finally saw them all as pariahs.

The others all warped back to United Equestria, to tell Lightning about their fake phantom, only to find they too had met with the same trickery-- their phantom was fake too. So, they had outsmarted, but at least they had learned more about him.

First: He could travel through space, if the portal were open. So the portals into space would have to be kept under tight surveillance with only proper authorization.

Secondly: It was obvious that he sent those puppet clones to protect his identity; obviously realizing how dangerous it would be with all the extra forces going about.

Finally, and of critical importance, their theories were justified. The Phantom was gathering the magic in hopes of gaining a great power, but whatever that power was remained a mystery.

For now, all they could do was keep alert.

A few days later, Artie held a special unveiling at his gala, where he revealed that he had finished the two paintings-- the one of his grandfather, and the other of his family. “These two paintings represent what was, and what could have been, and both help to create what is” He said to everyone, and he received applause for it all.

By this time, all the friends were aware of his past, and they were all amazed to see how well he was acting and taking the whole ordeal with his parents, and really he was happy. “I’d rather have a lot of friends who love me than two parents that don’t.” he said, and everyone came together to hug him warmly.

(Promo)

In our next episode, Spike is still working on his song for Rarity, but still remains unsure about his feelings for her. Things start to get complicated for him when a new pony comes to town, and seems to catch Rarity’s fancy, but this new pony seems to be a bit out of place, maybe even more than they realize.

Celestia seems to be getting more cramps, Cadance’s nightmares and stress continue to worsen, and Ergo returns for another stab at our heroes.

Can our heroes possibly deal with more trouble on top of trouble?

Don’t miss the next exciting episode of “Starfleet Magic!”

(Next episode: “Pig of Problems”)