My Brave Pony Starfleet Magic: Season II

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 8: Right as Wrong

EPISODE EIGHT

New Sweet Apple Acres, just as beautiful and as peaceful as it was before Equestria was destroyed and United Equestria was created. Only now it was much bigger with a lot more land than it had before, which meant there were tons and tons of apple orchards which meant it would take a lot longer to buck them all off, unless of course Buddy Rose was there.

Applejack and Big Mac had been up since dawn putting all the baskets under each and every single tree, and Buddy Rose was working in his garden waiting for Applejack to give him the signal. “Okay, Buddy, let ‘em have it!” she called.

Buddy Rose nodded and flew high over the orchards. “LEAF SWARM!” He sent swarms of razor-leafs at the trees, skillfully cutting all the apples off at once and landing them in the baskets, and with his super speed and others helping out, whole orchards of trees would be stripped of their apples within minutes.

Of course on occasion, Applejack and family still liked to buck-kick the trees the old fashion, but were grateful to have Buddy Rose living with on the land them. “Boy sure hasn’t lost his touch.” Applejack said.

“Eeyup…” said her brother. “Wish I could do that fancy stuff of his.”

Buddy Rose was just glad he could help out, especially when Apple Bloom and DD weren’t around. They had gone into town because one of Apple Bloom’s favorite singers was performing in New Ponyville town square…

There was even a poster of him in Apple Bloom’s bedroom-- Hayden Jammings, a grey Earth Pony with a light brown mane-- A renowned country and western singer. Applejack and Big Mac were fond of him too, and even had one of his posters hanging up by the barn, but sadly they couldn’t go with all the work there was, and they did have to watch Granny Smith, which today seemed easy as she just sat in her chair and kept gazing heavenly at the poster of Hayden. “Ah, The ripest apple of the bunch” she would call him.

The others rolled their eyes typically, and then got back to work.

By the time they were halfway through hauling the apple baskets in, did a very glum looking Apple Bloom and DD come walking by with their head hanging low. “Hey, sis.” said Applejack “What’cha doin’ home so early for?”

Apple Bloom looked up at her sister and didn’t have the heart to say, but DD looked and answered “The concert was canceled.”

“What?!” snapped Applejack “What do you mean it was canceled?” added Buddy Rose.

Apple Bloom explained that Hayden never showed up and no one knew where he had gone. So the show was canceled, but at least everyone who came got their money back for their tickets refunded. “I just wanna to go my room.” said Apple Bloom and off she went with a face bluer than a wet weekend. DD sighed, and just sat down on a chair.

Buddy Rose and Big Mac saw everything “Poor girls” Buddy Rose said “It doesn’t make sense. Why would Hayden not show up?”

Big Mac shrugged and shook his head.

DD still felt disappointed, but she decided to help out with the apple harvest to take her mind off of things, but Apple Bloom spent most of the day in her room as quiet as a mouse. Every now and then she’d hear a knock at the door followed by someone asking if she was okay. Eventually Applejack came in and had a heart-to-heart talk with her sister and it helped perk her spirits up a bit. Eventually she Apple Bloom out of her room to help the others with the apple hauling, and by sundown the work was all done, and everyone sure felt bushed, but there was still a whole lot more work to do in the morning. Some of the apples had to be shipped, others turned into sauce, cider, Granny Smith’s famous apple butter. Buddy Rose even had some crops to pick and then plant new seeds.

Life wasn’t easy on the farm, but everyone sat together all curled up by the fireplace for a nice relaxing fire, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. “Bells, bells, all I hear is bells.” said Granny.

Applejack went to answer the door and saw an exhausted, starving and dehydrated pony who wore a ragged old trench coat in the warm night. “Sweet Mercy Me!” cried Applejack.

The pony looked very desperate. “Please, I need help.” he cried in a tired voice, with a southern accent. He seemed pretty harmless, and the only thing he seemed to have on hi was a guitar. Applejack was quick to bring him in. “Thank you!” he cried “Thank you so much! I don’t know where else to turn to.”

Everyone helped the stranger inside and sat him down in the living room. Then the stranger took off his hat and coat and everyone gasped especially Apple Bloom and DD. Apple Bloom stammered “Why-- you’re… you’re…!

“…Hayden Jammings!” cried DD.

Hayden nodded, and as much as everyone felt their insides leaping with astonishment, they remembered Hayden needed help. They all gave him some warm soup and some cool water, and Hayden felt a little better and he asked if he could have lodgings for the night as he didn’t have any place to go as he couldn’t face all the ponies and creatures he let down at the concert who were bound to be mad at him for just running off.

“Hold the phone here. You just ran off?” asked Applejack.

“Yeah.” replied Hayden. “I know it was downright rotten to do, but I just couldn’t perform. Please, can’t ya’ll let me stay here, I won’t be too much trouble, and I really need this. Please!”

Seeing the desperation in his eyes, and he obviously meant no threat-- the others just couldn’t refuse and Buddy Rose allowed Hayden to stay at his house across the way from Applejack’s, but before retiring for the night, Apple Bloom asked Hayden why he skipped his concert.

Hayden looked as sad as if he had lost his best friend and answered “Well… I guess… my heart just wasn’t all that together.” That’s when he left to retire for the night and the others now understood why he left the concert-- obviously having a broken heart. The only question was what hurt him so much and would Hayden not be up to discussing it?

The next morning, Hayden felt a little better, and even offered to help everyone with their chores as payment for their generosity. He used to be an old farm boy himself and had a knack of gardening and taking care of livestock. He even helped Apple Bloom and DD with their chores, even showing them some tricks he learned as a colt to help her make harder chores seem easier, like tossing hay loads into the upper area of the barn, or an old horse whispering trick to get disobedient animals to behave themselves, like the sheep. “Ya could’a just a-a-a-asked.” the sheep would reply.

Applejack and the boys couldn’t help but think it was cute the way the girls and Hayden were getting along so well, but all three of them still were curious about what upset Hayden to make him skip the concert. Yet every time they tried to ask him, Hayden didn’t seem too keen on telling them. “I don’t wanna be a bother. It’s my problem, I should face it alone.”

“Horse feathers!” said Applejack “Ya know if you’ve got a problem you should tell someone, or else how can they help ya?”

“Well that’s just it…” said Hayden “I don’t reckon anyone out there can help, not with this problem.”

“How do you know that for sure?” asked Buddy Rose.

Hayden admitted he didn’t know “I guess you could say I’m nervous like a dormouse scared of the barnyard cat.” Then he went off to get back to work, and that’s when something fell out from pants pocket. It was a small list of the names of mares. Seven names and all of them were crossed out. “What is this?” Buddy Rose wondered aloud

“Some kind’a list maybe.” said Big Mac.

“Who are all those ponies?” wondered Applejack.

All the rest of that day, Hayden helped everyone, and by midafternoon he announced that he was going to takeoff and try and head home. “I think I’ve taken up enough of your generosity hospitality.”

“Do you think you’ll go on another concert?” asked DD.

“I don’t think so, missy.” Hayden said “If anything, I think it’s time for this old stallion to head out to pasture.” Everyone gasped at that sentence. What he really meant was, he was thinking of retiring from music altogether.

“Come again…?” asked Granny “Really, I didn’t hear ya.”

“But you can’t just retire.” said Apple Bloom.

“Oh, sure I can. All the great stars know when their time has come to step aside and let someone else have the spotlight.”

“Or maybe you’re just running from it…” said Buddy Rose. He, Applejack and Big Mac stood with narrowed eyes at him. “Admit it, Hayden. You’re tryin’ run away from somethin’.”

Hayden felt insulted “I ain’t runnin’ from no one and nothin’.”

That’s when Applejack gave Hayden back the list they had found. “Oh!” Hayden said “My list.”

“Mind tellin’ us what it’s for?” asked Applejack.

Hayden just hesitated and felt nervous. “Come on, fella…” said Big Mac “Let’s put our clothes on the line to dry now-- Tell us what eatin’ ya.”

For once, Hayden felt he couldn’t hold it back anymore. So he decided to explain, and what’s more, he decided to do it through a song he had written but never actually sang to anyone before.

Apple Bloom and DD leapt for joy that Hayden was going to sing. “Oh, you won’t be cheerin’ much when I sing you this one.” Hayden said “It’s a song I made up because I was feeling downhearted and blue. When I started to feel my hopes runnin’ dry like a wishin’ well that’s go no wishes left.”

He tuned his guitar up, and while he did he explained how he was grateful of having many adoring fans, but, when it came down to it, he was as lonely as a giant redwood tree on a green hilltop. He longed to find that special someone, and maybe start a family of his own and make a life outside of his music, but in the past few years it just never worked out for him. It turned out that each and every mare was just after him for granted, only wanting him for the fame and fortune that came with him, or some totally didn’t understand him at all, and then just up and left him abruptly or simply realizing they made a mistake, and that hurt him, a lot!

That list the others found was the names of all the wives he had.

“You were married seven times?” asked Applejack, almost unable to believe it.

“Yep.” replied Hayden “And neither one of them worked out for me. That’s why they’re all crossed out. That’s how I made up this song. Y’all ready?”

The others nodded and gave him their full attention, and he started playing, while reminiscing to the day of his very first wedding to his first wife, and main word he used was the exact title of his song.

As Hayden played and sang his woes, the others felt awful, and by the end of his song, Hayden recited a moral of his song, about whenever you thought things were all okay, and your life would be gold… “Wrong!”

The song finished, and the rest was pretty much read for itself. Hayden’s seventh wife had left him on the night of the concert, and poor Hayden was so heartbroken that he was finally accepting his hopelessness, that maybe he’d never find himself a steady wife. He was in no condition to perform that night, but didn’t want to face the crowds and break the bad news to them. So he just ran off, too ashamed and too embarrassed to confront the fans he had obviously disappointed.

He never told anyone about his martial issues as he didn’t want anyone to worry about him, and go out of their way to try and help him in a situation that he felt they couldn’t. That’s why Hayden was thinking of quitting music. It was reminding him too much of all his failed marriages and kept making him upset.

The others couldn’t blame him for wanting to quit, but insisted he not do it. “You’d just be running away from your problems. That doesn’t mean you’ll escape from them.” said DD. “And what about all your many fans?” asked Apple Bloom “Surely ya don’t wanna be lettin’ them down.”

“Uh… well… No, I don’t. But if they found out my problem--”

“…But they haven’t.” Applejack said “Ya haven’t actually told anyone how ya feel. Ya need to be more open with others. It’s the only way they’ll ever understand.”

Now that Hayden thought about, apart from his “Wrong” song, he did have a few other songs he wrote about how badly he felt after his wives left him, but never actually sang them to anyone else.

“Think of it this way.” Buddy Rose said “What would ya rather have-- A whole world full of fans that just love you and would understand you, or some cheesy wife who doesn’t even love you for who you are?”

Hayden nervously twiddled his thumbs pondering over what to do, but ultimately decided “All right. I’ll do it, but only if y’all will help me.”

Everyone’s eyes lit up and they were quick in saying yes.

Hayden stayed at the acres for a few more days as he and the others worked together to start another concert, to make up for Hayden’s last one. Only this time, they wouldn’t charge any admission fees to make up for last time, and it was bound to bring more to the concert.

All together, they built a stage and set everything up in the open fields, and set up posters all over the town, saying a performance was given but not who was performing, just that he was an extra special guest.

On the night of the concert, Applejack invited Twilight, Lightning and all the others early to give them front row seats. “What’s all this about again?” asked Lightning.

Krysta wanted to know the same thing “Is it a concert for charity?”

“And why weren’t we charged with admission?” asked Twilight

“Who cares? We got the best seats.” said Spike as he relaxed with his bag of small diamonds “…And good snacking.”

Soon, the place was packed with lots of ponies, and the larger creatures sat way in back. The concert was ready to begin, as Apple Bloom and Applejack came out to welcome everyone.

“Now you must be wonderin’ what y’all are doin’ here tonight? Well, we’ve all got a special treat for you.”

“Let’s put our hands, claws or whatever you may have for our own special guest… Hayden Jammings!”

At first everyone was surprised, but then cheered loudly and wildly as Hayden stepped out on stage. He thanked everyone for coming and apologized for his behaviour at the last concert, and then he explained why, and everyone, though surprised, understood and found it easy to forgive him.

He also took the opportunity to thank Applejack and the others for helping him and admitted that he was thinking about quitting. This made the crowd gasp and fall silent. “Well, I know none of you would like that.” he said “Come to think of it, neither would I. I know y’all have a hard time understandin’ and ol’ country horse like me. Sometimes I do myself, but one thing I know now-- If were to give up my music, I’d be givin’ up on life itself, like an old race horse done with livin’ and bein’ put out to pasture… and only do I realize… that I got way too many songs to sing and plenty of you fans to please to be ready for that now!”

The crowd cheered again, and Hayden began his first song, as the concert continued, he let Applejack and friends sing and dance with him on stage. Hayden also sang a few of those sad songs including his “Wrong” song, but at the end of each one, he began to feel lighter, a little more cheerful thanks to getting all that stress out of him and telling lots of others.

The concert was a huge hit, and it was almost as if everyone had found a whole newfound level of respect for Hayden, even though no admission was charged, a lot of the creatures threw him gold coins and even flowers as their way of expressing their pity over all his failed marriages. Hayden felt incredible for the first time. “Well, don’t that be doggoned.”

Early the next morning, Hayden really decided to leave, but he thanked Applejack and the gang one last time. “Never would’a found my backbone if weren’t for y’all believing in me and showin’ me the light.

“It’s what we’re here for.” said Buddy Rose.

“Eeyup!” agreed Big Mac.

“You take care of yourself now, young Jammings.” said Applejack “And remember what we told ya…”

Hayden promised he’d be more open with some of his feelings, especially if it meant he might get some help whenever he was feeling down. Just before he left, Apple Bloom and DD asked “Will you ever come back sometime and visit?” asked DD. “And I hope you’ll play us more music.” added Apple Bloom.

Hayden smiled and patted their heads “Girls, you got yourself a done deal.”

As Hayden headed off into the early morning, he wrote his report…

“Dear Queen Celestia and Grand Ruler Celesto…

Aside from bein’ married and divorced, I reckon there’s hardly anything that haven’t seen or done twice, but I have learned today that it ain’t right to keep your feelin’s all cooped up to yourself. No one can help or even understand ya if ya don’t let’em know, and worse than that, ya may not even be able to help yourself and ya may end up making mistakes you’ll regret later but ya may not be so lucky to correct.

Maybe I will find me a real steady wife one day, I just gotta believe, but in the meantime I’d much rather be happier with many folks who do love me than just one that don’t. Heh, I think might make a song about that.”

And he did, and it was a real hit with all his fans all over United Equestria, and it wasn’t long before Hayden was married for the eighth time, and this time… it looked like it was for keeps.

(Promo)

In our next episode, Lightning and Starla are court martialed and are having to answer to charges of recent reckless actions from a previous involvement, including an almost falling out in their relationship, which nearly caused a lot of massive trouble for the entire kingdom.

What happened between Lightning and Starla, and will their story sustain them well under the charges bough on them?

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

(Next Episode: “Trial of Misjudgment”)