My Brave Pony Starfleet Magic: Season II

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 10: Goddess of Gold: Part 1

EPISODE TEN

One day, Rarity was posing in one of her newly completed gowns. It was so lovely an elegant on her. It had long blue sparkling satin sleeves, a beautiful turquoise body decorated with tiny with white and purple diamonds around the edges, and a long beautiful indigo skirt with white ruffles that flowed all around her. Artie saw her as he passed by, and he was just bedazzled so, that he asked if she’d pose for him while he painted her picture. Of course, Rarity was only delighted. She stood elegantly on a stool and held herself perfectly still while Artie carefully painted.

After a while, “Almost done…” Artie said.

“Oh, please hurry.” said Rarity “I just can’t wait to see the elegance of elegance portrayed in such an exquisite form of art.”

Arite looked confused, but continued to paint. “And… finished!” he said. Rarity hopped off from her pedestal, and leapt with glee over to the canvas to see a beautiful work of art. “Oh… it’s more beautiful than I ever imagined.” she cried for joy.

“I take it you like it then?” Artie asked rhetorically, and Rarity only responded by hugging the painting, forgetting that the paint was still wet! “Oh, no! I’m ruined! RUINED!!” she cried. She had a few streaks of purple and blue on her face and the painting looked a little messed up now. “Okay, don’t panic. I can fix this.” Artie said. To him, this was kiddy play-- easily repaired. Using his special skills and talents with art, he fixed up the painting easily and gave Rarity a rag to wipe her face with.

Spike came along and gazed at the painting and then at Rarity wearing her new dress. “Wow!” he said with hearts moving around his head “So… beautiful…”

Rarity fluttered her eyes at him in thanks, and Spike snapped out of his trance. He just came over to give Rarity and Artie invitation from Twilight. She was inviting all her friends and the Starfleet team to a picnic lunch in the fields the next day.

Rarity and Artie were excited and were really looking forward to it.

Artie packed up his things and left, while Spike decided to stay and give Rarity a hand with the painting. Artie’s paint dried quickly if not touched right after appliance, and now Rarity wanted it perfectly placed in the foyer of her store so all her customers would see it and hopefully take a shine to it and want to buy the new dress and others like it she had recently finished.

“A bit to the right, Spike…” Rarity guided “A little more. No, no, to the left a little. Hold it! Perfect! Thank you, Spike.”

“Ah, it was nothing.” Spike said acting all macho.

Rarity then removed her dress, revealing her normal casual outfit underneath, and placed the dress on the pony-mannequin in a long line of dresses waiting to be bought. That’s when the door opened and three rich and prestigious looking mares came right in. Rarity thought this was her lucky day, and welcomed the three mares with an open heart but a prestigious attitude. “May I help you fine ladies out?”

“Yes.” said one of the mares “We’ve been invited to one of the many fine galas in New Canterlot and require something of high sophistication to wear.”

Rarity assured the mares they had come to the right place, and showed them her inventory, including her new line of dresses, but the mares felt outraged to be presented with such “Commoner wear.”

“Excuse me?” Rarity asked in shock. One after another, the mares snobbishly explained how unfit for wealthy and prestigious they were. “Only a common poor pony would present us with disgraceful items as these.” All the outfits and accessories in the store were. “Hey, they’re not bad at all.” snapped Spike. He was trying his best to help defend Rarity’s work, but the mares gazed down at him and one of them rudely said “And what kind of pony who claims to own a rich and prestigious shop would have a dragon as a helper?” sneered one of the mares “How dreadfully wretched!”

Spike felt his anger boiling, but it was Rarity who spoke for him “How dare you call my little Spikey Wikey wretched!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk! My, such temper.” said another mare. “It seems we were wrong to think that this place was of sophistication and prestige. It is merely another common discount shop, run by a fairly common pony and her disgraceful dragon boy.”

Rarity felt heart-struck, and as the mares left chuckling, she just stood there unable to believe what she just heard. “Rarity, are you okay?” Spike asked.

Rarity shook her head and felt her tears coming, and she finally collapsed to her knees and overdramatically, but understandingly began to weep.

Later, Spike told everything to Twilight, Lightning and Krysta when he got back to the library, “And then Rarity just said “I’m just a common pony?”…And she was crying all morning and then just asked me to leave her.”

“Oh, my!” cried Krysta.

“Poor Rarity.” said Twilight.

Lightning felt very bad for Rarity, and very angry at those three mares. “Why can’t the rich ever accept others for who they are instead of being so pompous?”

The others all felt the same.

Soon, the door opened and there was Rarity. Her eyes were red with streak marks down her cheek form crying so much, but she had a very serious expression on her face and she moved over to the history section, which wasn’t very large. United Equestria hadn’t been around for very long, but there were still books about Equestria and Unicornicopia before they were destroyed, but Rarity still scrambled through the books looking for something very important.

“Uh… can I help you, Rarity?” asked Twilight.

“Yes.” said Rarity “I’m looking for any books that may contain the location of fantastic treasures.” and before anyone asked why, Rarity explained, “Those mares made me realize that I am not as wealthy and prestigious as I had always envisioned I was, and if I am to fit in with their standard expectations, I have decided to seek a fortune.”

“In other words you’re planning to go on a wild treasure hunt to increase you’re wealth just because of what a few ponies said.” said Krysta. She didn’t sound a bit amused, and the others felt the same. “Rarity, you shouldn’t let what those ponies said get to you.” Lightning said.

“Besides, we like you just the way you are.” added Twilight, but Rarity gazed at her sharply. “You may, but I no longer see myself in that place. No! If I’m to properly prove I am not just some common pony I must do this. I will do this!”

Seeing it pointless to argue with her, Twilight helped her look through the books, but as expected, they didn’t contain the information required. Spike suggested Rarity just go jewel hunting and collect more than what she usually gathered. “I’ll even help you.”

Rarity thanked him kindly for the offer, but she was after something far more precious than diamonds and jewels. “I am attempting to search for a single, most magical, greatest treasure in all of United Equestria-- One that even the Queen and Grand Ruler do not possess.”

This did interest the others, but there was no information in any book. “The only one I can think of who would know such a thing is, Zecora.” said Twilight. Hearing those words, Rarity dashed out of the house like a speeding comet. “Rarity!” called Lightning. “Come on, let’s follow her!”

Only Twilight stayed behind, and slapped her forehead. “Why am I feeling this isn’t going to end well?”

Once at Zecora’s hut in Everfree Forest, the wise zebra had everyone gaze into her cauldron as she prepared a spell to contact the spirits for information that Rarity sought. She chanted…

“To find da treasure dat you seek,
Listen to da spirits as dey speak
Open your mind, open it well
And hear what da spirits have to tell.”

She hummed long and soft in a trance and threw a dash of powder into the cauldron causing a flash of light and a puff of smoke, and then… nothing.

“Nothing happened.” said Spike, but Zecora hushed everyone to be quiet.

“Just listen, dey are here,
I can feel the spirits are near.
Da information dat you wish
It can be heard on da winds swish.”

Then suddenly, a disembodied spiritual male’s voice was heard. “You wish information?” it asked. At first Rarity was nervous but replied “Yes. I do.”

“Then ask your question.

Rarity took in a deep cleansing and asked “Where can I find the single most magical, greatest treasure on the planet? Can you tell me?”

“Many before you have sought this answer. They were creatures of greed who were not sane of mind. All met with misfortune. All paid a grievous price from which they were never exempted from.”

This worried the others, but Rarity didn’t seem to care and demanded to be told the answer, to which the voice responded “Before I answer you, think deeply;

...Will you settle for untold wealth above all things?”

“Whoa! Rarity, no!” cried Lightning “Don’t do it.” added Krysta. It was in vain that others tried to tell Rarity not to go for it. “I’m very sorry, but if only you knew how it felt to be rejected and ridiculed by those you thought were on your side, and to be mocked in the face of society for your standard principles.”

The other gazed back and forth at each other in confusion, and then the voice was heard again “You wished information?”

“Yes.” replied Rarity “Tell me where this treasure lies.”

“It is you again. I had hoped you had changed your mind.”

Rarity was starting to lose her patience and demanded to know where the treasure was. “Tell me now!” she thundered. “Very well, but it is only fair that I give you this warning; Use what you shall receive with wisdom. Do not let greed be your master.

Are you prepared?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Very well. Step outside the hut.”

Rarity and the others did as they were told and stepped out the doorway.

"Look down by your feet."

Then, down by Rarity’s boots, a white glowing line started to stretch along the ground, and head out into the forest. “Follow the white line. It shall lead you to what you seek.” said the voice “When you come to the end of the line, the treasure shall be right there. I will say no more.”

Rarity and the others, except Zecora left the hut and followed the line. Zecora, however, was hoping Rarity knew what she was doing. It was never a good thing to ignore a spirit’s advice or warnings.

The gang followed the white line as it stretched along its way, through the forest, past the meadows and into the rocky terrains where Rarity and Spike often went jewel hunting. They ran into some Diamond Dogs on the way. The big brutes were prepared to bust them all them all good for trespassing on their turf, but Lightning made quick works out of them and gave them quite the beatings they deserved. Rarity also knocked some of them unconscious too. Her Starfleet training was starting to show its colors.

Then they continued to follow the line, which had led them all to a single small rock formation before it stopped and then vanished. “The treasure must be around here.” Rarity said, and at that moment, she could see a small box wedged in a crack in the stone. “Stand back.” said Lightning and he smashed the rock open with a good kick freeing the box. “Treasure!” cried Rarity “The greatest treasure in all of United Equestria.”

The box wasn’t locked, and the others gathered round as Rarity slowly lifted the cover, to reveal nothing more than an ordinary metal ring, about the size of a dog collar. “That doesn’t look like any great treasure.” said Krysta.

Rarity felt outraged “I’ve been deceived!”

Lightning inspected the ring, “It’s just common stainless steel. It doesn’t look very valuable.”

Lightning and Krysta decided to leave it with Rarity, and go back and do their patrol rounds and get ready for the picnic the next day. “We should get back too.” Spike suggested.

Rarity felt upset that she didn’t seem to get the treasure she wanted, but brought the ring with her and kept trying to figure out what it was for. The spirit wouldn’t have led her to it if it was really nothing. “Perhaps it must be worn?” she wondered, and that’s when it was noticed that the ring had a hinge and a catch on it, allowing it to be opened.

The ring was too big to fit round her arm, so Rarity clipped the ring round her neck instead. She even tried closing her eyes and wishing riches, but nothing happened. “Even I’m starting to think this was all just a big waste of time.” Spike said.

Rarity picked a wild flower outside the door to her place and just clutched it frustratingly. “I’m sorry, Spike. I don’t what to do.” she said.

“It’s okay, Rarity.” Spike said “I like you anyway.”

Rarity smiled at Spike and then Spike headed back to the library leaving Rarity on her own. She sniffed the flower. “Hmm… it seems to have lost its fragrance.” She said, and then suddenly--ZAP--“Oh!” Rarity nervously threw the flower out of her glove. She gazed down at the flower, picked it up, and realized that it had turned into “Gold! It’s solid, genuine gold!”

She then noticed that the ring around her neck was glowing, pulsating, brightly. She picked up a small stone on the ground and it, too, changed into platinum in the palm of her hand. She had discovered the secret to the ring’s power. She had the golden touch!

She wasted no time in turning many of her things into gold-- her bed sheets, her furniture, her dishes and eating utensils, even some of her dresses. It was incredible to her. She was bound to become one of the richest ponies on the entire planet now.

She couldn’t wait to show her friends.

The next day, Twilight had come to the meadows early to set up for the picnic. Artie, Lightning, Spike and Krysta were helping. Artie kept trying to sneak a bite of food from the basket, only to be stopped by Twilight or one of the others. “Can’t you wait?”

“Only fooling.” he would joke.

Spike brought his own little bag of snacking gems, which he constantly kept eating. “Spike, you’ll never eat lunch if you keep nibbling like that.” said Lightning.

“You just watch me.” Spike teased.

Soon, Rarity came along “Magnificent afternoon everyone.” She said happily with pride in her features. “Wow, someone seems happy today.” said Krysta.

“And with good reason that I should be.” replied Rarity. That’s when Spike noticed she was still wearing the ring they had found the other day. “That’s right.” Rarity said “You happen to be addressing, Madame Rarity, the goddess of gold.”

The others weren’t sure whether or not to believe her, until she demonstrated her new power by turning an ordinary paper plate into solid gold right before their eyes. “Galloping Galaxies!” exclaimed Lightning as he examined the plate. “It’s the real thing.”

Artie seemed to love it most. “It’s so inspiring and exquisite. I could paint many pictures if I had this color.”

Twilight was amazed too. She never found any magic that could do things like this before. “Well, I do think it’s nice, Rarity, but I prefer my paper plates the way they are.”

Rarity explained that so far her new powers had done quite a lot. She turned many of her fabrics into gold that customers were eager to buy them. Even those three rich mares that insulted her the other day returned to see what all the fuss was about, and owed Rarity an apology, and even decided to invite her to their club sometime.

“You might want to be careful with that ring, Rarity.” Lightning said “Grand Ruler once taught me it’s better to have fewer desires.”

Twilight agreed, “Queen Celestia taught me the same thing. She said that you should be thankful for what you have.”

Rarity claimed to understand. “But surely having the golden touch can’t be all that dangerous.” She claimed, but that’s when things began to go horribly wrong!

As she helped Twilight set the picnic up, she grabbed a bowl of apples in her hands-- ZAP-- the bowl, and all the apples in it turned to solid gold.

“Rarity, what have you done?” asked Twilight.

Rarity felt concerned “There must be something wrong.” she said. She sat down the bench, but the minute her hands touched the wood, the whole table turned to gold too “Oh, dear!” she cried.

“Rarity, I think you better take that ring off.” Artie suggested.

“Yes, of course.” Rarity agreed, but when she tried, the ring wouldn’t come off. “Something’s wrong. I can’t seem to find the clip.” she cried. “Help me!”

Krysta flew in close to Rarity’s neck to try and help her, but to her discovery. “Why it’s just a solid metal ring; It has no catch.”

“There must be!” Rarity cried “Get it off me! Get it off!” She was panicking and struggling madly to try and get the ring off, but it wouldn’t budge. “Rarity, calm down!” cried Twilight. She tried to give Rarity a cup of lemonade so she’d settle down, but the minute Rarity touched the cup, it and the liquid turned to gold. By this time, everyone was as horrified as she was. “Oh, Rarity!” cried Spike.

Rarity threw the solid cup away. “No! No!!” she cried “This can’t be happening to me! It isn’t possible!”

Rarity couldn’t get the ring off, and everything she touched would to turn to platinum. Everything! She wouldn’t be able to eat either, and if she couldn’t eat… she’d die! She was Rarity, the mare with the gold touch.

To Be Continued…!

(Promo)

In our next episode, Rarity’s situation worsens, and out of fear and shame she decided to leave everyone. While her friends desperately search for her, their search is interrupted when the Diamond Dogs return in attempt to invade New Ponyville. Spike also finds Rarity and tries desperately to convince her to come back only to meet with certain misfortune on Rarity’s part.

Can the friends stave off the Diamond Dogs? Will Rarity ever be freed from her dreadful curse?

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

(Next episode: “Goddess of Gold: Part 2”)

Comments

[DakariKingMykan]

8200827

I intend to... I just want to make a cool intro vid of it, like I did with Starpops