My Brave Pony: Starfleet Magic Season XII

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 11: Promotional Protest: Part 1

EPISODE ELEVEN

The big day had arrived, all Starfleet officers and cadets were up at the crack of dawn and reporting to town halls, test centers or wherever else the Promotional Exams were being held, buy most of the major exams were being held in New Canterlot.

First came the written exams: A ten-page assignment requiring multiple-choice answering, filling in the blanks, and even writing up opinions of what to do in certain situations.

To further keep things fair and in order, all the cadets were required to use specially enchanted quills that would be able to tell if someone was trying to cheat on their exam-- copying, hiding notes, or using special magic.

How much of a score was required depended upon the rank and position a Cadet or Officer was aiming for.

Cadets just graduating to full-ranked Lieutenant required a Seventy-Five Percent minimum. Other positions and ranks required higher.

These written tests were only part of it. Then came the field tests, which Lightning and his friends oversaw for many officers.

All Cadets and officers were required to go through simulating experiences…

-Monster battles
-Obstacle Courses
-Arrests
-Rescue

…And a final verbal revaluation, in which the subject was brought before Lightning or one of the others and asked simple questions.

Lightning asked, “If I were to assign you to a superior officer, would follow their orders?”

“Yes, sir”

Starla then asked, “If I were to appoint you as the head of a unit, would you treat all your subordinates with respect and discipline only when necessary?”

“Yes, General. I would.”

Buddy asked, “What does a true Starfleet Fighter stand for?”

“Fighting in defense, maintaining peace and order. Never for power, fame, or glory, Sir!”

With so many officers and so many to train, observe, and question, the exams went on for days and days, and then it would take just as many days for the tests to all be carefully graded and the results mailed out.

Some ponies were not the least bit pleased with all the fuss, especially Brick Wallen as he saw Sun Setter taking her field test from far away.

He was still very enraged that she chose to be with Starfleet instead of him.

“She’s a fool! An Idiot!” he grumbled. “Well, she’s going to realize the mistake she made putting her loyalty with these losers.”

A pony passed by behind him carrying a basket of flowers, and as she did, he felt her pass him a little piece of paper. Then she just stopped waiting for the traffic light to change so she could cross the street.

The note read…

“We’re all set and ready to go…

Just give the word.”

Brick grinned, and he quietly slipped a little green ball into the mare’s basket, which was the signal she needed to know. She nodded at him, and then crossed the street when the light turned green.

“It’s time!” thought Brick.

Swift Star could only watch helplessly from his single-room home. His head had healed nicely, and his stiches were gone, but his arm was still in a sling and would be for another few days until the doctor gave him the go ahead, and he was still ordered to stay away from battles and stress, and that included the tests.

He wasn’t even allowed to go on patrol, which meant all he did all this time was sit at home or just go for plain walks.

He had read every book and magazine he had; he had done a few jigsaw puzzles, and he was growing very annoyed.

“Ugh! I’ve never been so bored in my life!” he groaned to himself. He began to pace around the room again hoping to relieve his boredom, but to no avail.

How he wished he was out there taking his test, and then at least he would relieve some of his anxiety.

He was so frustrated he felt like hitting something, and he almost slammed his bad arm on the table, which he stopped at once.

“I’m losing my mind.” he said to himself. “Maybe I should just go for another walk and clear my head.

Yeah, go for another walk… like I did yesterday, and the day before, and the day before!”

Seeing it better than staying cooped up all day, he headed for the door, and when he opened it, he received a big surprise…!

There stood Blitzy, and she jumped when he opened the door before she even knocked.

“Oh!”

Swift’s cheeks went pink at the sight of her, “D… D… Doctor Heart…? Um… why are you here?”

Blitzy cleared her throat and said, “I came to check up on your arm, and see how your head is coming too.”

Swift’s heart began to race, and he thought, “She’s here… in my home… with me?! This is so neat!” He felt like he was floating on air.

“So, can I come in?” Blitz called to him, snapping him back into reality, and he let her in.

Swift was soon sitting on his bed which made good for an exam table, she felt along his head to check for swelling, and the feel of her hand against his-- even wrapped in a rubber glove-- he could still feel the warmth, and it sure made his temperature rise, but he managed to keep still.

“Looks good, there’s no more swelling. Now, let me kiss you.”

He blinked in near shock. “What? What did you say?”

Blitz looked confused, “I said, “Let me check your arm.”

Swift felt stupid, but with Blitzy’s help they looked at his arm, and while Swift assured her it didn’t hurt nearly as much anymore, Blitz was taking no chances.

“In a few more days we’ll take the sling away, and you should be all better.” She gave him a soft smile, making him blush again, and as she gathered her things up, she seemed to be slowing down, which made Swift think something else was up.

“Doc… is there something wrong?”

“Wrong?”

“Why did you come here to see me when I could’ve just come to the hospital?”

“Lightning asked if I’d check on you, that’s all.”

“Oh…”

Swift was starting to feel a bit disappointed, but as Blitzy turned to leave, she stopped just before the front door.

She turned round an asked, “I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I really need to talk to someone about this, other than Lightning.”

Swift invited her to sit down at the table.

“I just don’t know what to think or how to feel about all this…

I’ve seen Starfleet, and it’s not what I thought it was, and I’ve seen the things Lightning does and how appreciated and needed he is.”

Swift could get what she was saying, “You don’t want to try and get him away from all this anymore?”

“Yes… No…” Blitz paused, “I just don’t know anymore. I mean, I’m leaning to the fact that he belongs here, but there’s a part of me that’s saying “You’re a fool. Don’t give in.”

She grabbed her hair and grumbled softly. “What’s wrong with me?”

“I don’t think anything’s wrong.” said Swift. “You’re trying to look for a quick answer to this hard question because you feel compelled, still, but just now you’re starting to realize that there’s so much more to things than how you thought.”

Blitz was astounded by his deep, strong speech again.

Swift continued by saying, “This sort of thing you can’t get a fast answer to, no matter how much you want it. You’ll have to figure it out for yourself and see if you can overcome yourself.

That’s the biggest problem we all have; combating against ourselves and trying to decide what is truly right or wrong, and in the end, it’s up to us and only use to make those decisions and let it shape our lives.”

Blitz clenched her fists softly, but she knew Swift was right.

She looked at him deeply, and Swift became lost in her eyes again, and she became lost in his too.

They both just kept staring at each other, until the moment was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door.

Swift got up and answered. It was Lightning with Krysta.

“Just here on my lunchbreak. I thought I’d see how you’re doing.”

Then he could see Blitz over at the table. She got up and came to the door to leave, “He’ll be fine in a few more days.” Then she left, walking down the street.

“Oh, rats!” Swift grumbled in thought “I thought we actually had a moment there.”

Lightning noted the way Swift looked at Blitz as she walked off, and this confirmed Krysta’s theory.

“See, I told you.” she whispered into his ear. “He’s got the hots for her.”

Lightning nodded, but he didn’t say anything about this.

“Gad to see you’re getting better, Swift. I’ll still hold off your test until your fully approved to take it.”

Swift nodded, “Thank you, Sir.”

With that, Lightning left down the street to talk to Blitz leaving Swift to shut the door and punch it softly with his good fist. “Blitzy…” he said as he envisioned her again.

By now, he was reaching the peak of his crush. “Maybe I should ask her out, and finally clear the air of this.”

Then he felt ready to smack himself for thinking that. “What am I thinking? She’s more than five years older than me, and it’s against hospital policies for a doctor to date her patient.”

Now he was stuck with a hard question he couldn’t get a quick answer too. “…Sometimes I hate being right.”

Lightning saw Blitzy turn a corner, and he zipped round the corner to catch up with her, only to find she was nowhere to be seen.

“Blitz?”

“Where did she go?” wondered Krysta.

Suddenly, Lightning saw a small black bag just lying on the sidewalk. It was Blitzy’s doctor bag with all her tools in it, and now there was no doubt in his mind. “Something must’ve happened to her. It’s like she just was just transported away.”

“But how, she has no magic to do that with.”

“Lightning…!” someone called to him. It was Mykan Stevens.

*Mykan’s POV*

I had been flying around looking for Lightning or somebody, and it was a good thing I saw him and Krysta.

“Thank goodness I found you.” I could barely speak; I was all in a panic.

“Mykan what’s wrong?” he asked me.

I told him that I was on my way to school to teach my class that afternoon, “And when I got there, Cheerilee and the students, they weren’t there.

I just walked inside, and nobody was there at all.”

Lightning and Krysta thought this was becoming quite suspicious.

“Maybe they just stepped out for a while?” suggested Krysta, but I shook my head. “I saw them. As I flew in, I could see Cheerilee and some of the kids through the windows, but when I walked through the door… they were gone.”

Lightning looked down at Blitzy’s bag.

Just then, Starla appeared in the forum of a hologram. “Lightning, you need to come back to the palace, now, we’ve got a big emergency.”

Lightning could already guess what it was. “Alright, I’m on my way.”

Starla vanished.

“I’m going too.” I insisted, “I want to find out what this is all about.”

Lightning agreed, and then Krysta teleported us both to New Canterlot.

Once there we found the entire unit waiting for us, and their majesties briefed everyone on the strange occurrences.

Grand Ruler explained, “In the past few hours we have been receiving emergency reports. Ponies and other creatures have been apparently vanishing from every corner of the planet without a trace.”

He showed magical images of many of the missing beings. women and children, teachers, doctors, scientists, and creatures of different trades.

Rarity gasped, “Not the fashion ponies! I know them all.”

Spike calmed her from going into a panic. “Take it easy. We’ll find them… I hope.”

“Maybe they just walked through the inivisports by mistake?” suggested Applejack.

Artie shook his head, “Not likely. Everyone was told to keep away from them, and there haven’t been any signs of alien attacks either. So, they’re ruled out.”

“It’s not just beings that are vanishing.” said Dyno.

“Si, a lot of tools were taken from our mines as well.” added Myte.

Everyone one of us gawked at the Twins and began to compare stories.

“We sent out for a delivery of Flour Bags today,” said Pinkie. “But they never arrived, and we’re starting to run low. We can’t bake our goods without flour.”

Buddy then remembered, “I was shopping at the market for more seeds and plants to put in my garden, but the pony said someone had bought out her entire stock.”

Suddenly, Captain Shaina entered with a small stack of papers. “Latest reports, your majesties.”

Then she left.

Celestia looked over the reports. “More stores and shops have been reported on missing their stocks of inventory, and others report their deliveries didn’t make it.

-Groceries stores
-Pharmacies
-Hardware departments, and more.”

Her husband checked the papers. “What in the universe is going on?”

Lightning began to sense a sinister plot. “Food, plants, building supplies, tools, medicines…

All these things and all these people disappearing at once. It sounds like someone’s gathering all these things for some kind of trip or something.”

“Sounds like more than just a trip to me.” said Starla. “Hasn’t anyone noticed that no Starfleet Ponies have been abducted?”

Their majesties checked over the reports again and confirmed not a single Space Pony was reported missing, but it still didn’t help with much of the current situation.

“Who would want to take all this,
And kidnap beings that others would miss?” asked Fluttershy.

“I don’t know, but we better hop it,
Find out what they’re doing and stop it.” said Rhymey.

“Our thoughts, exactly.” said Celestia.

Grand Ruler agreed.

“But what about the exams?” asked Rainbow.

“Never mind that,” said his majesty. “Other officers will be assigned. Right now, you all have some investigating to do. We’ll give you your assignments and offer any available search teams that we can.

We’ll get to the bottom of this. We’ve got to.”

*POV Pause*


Meanwhile, Blitzy awoke, and found herself in a dark chamber along with so many other civilians-- women, children, and all the various missing creatures.

Children were crying and scared, while their moms or teachers comforted them.

“What am I doing here?” asked a Minotaur.

“I was just out walking and then… Here I am,” said a pony.

“What’s going on?”

“What are we all doing here?”

Several children huddled around Cheerliee in fear, and she comforted them, though she was in fear herself.

Suddenly, lights lit up all around revealing everyone standing in a big white room, with no doors or windows. Just white squares everywhere, all along the ceiling, walls, and floor.

“Welcome, one and all…” a voice called.

“Who said that?” hollered Blitz.

Then, on one of the walls appeared a holographic image of none other than Brick Wallen, whom many recognized at once.

“Now, calm down.” said Brick. “You’re all safe. You were teleported here by my friends, who studied hard in magic.

We’re all in a secret bunker, underground outside of New Ponyville. that I built over a year ago for a project I’ve been planning, and we’ve chosen you all to help us with a daring and great project I know you’re going to love, and not even Starfleet will be able to stop us.

…They don’t even know we’re here.”

He chuckled softly. The image faded, and then some of the white glowing squares on the wall changed their lighting to reveal pieces of a large picture, with a magical animated story.

This story was generated by unicorn ponies that were standing with Brick in a dark room that none of the captives could see.

As the animation progressed, Brick laid it all on the line…

“Many of us are sick and tired of Starfleet; always making the rules, acting like they own us all, and always wrecking our lives.”

He was still angered that Sun Setter chose Starfleet over him.

“Well, we have the answer to all your problems.”

The people were confused now.

“Problems?”

“We don’t have problems.”

“What’s he talking about?”

Brick explained, “We’ve all decided that if Starfleet won’t go away, we’ll do what others would do, and leave the planet. We’ll start our own society, on another planet we know of, and you’re all invited to participate.

After all, we need important others-- like doctors, teachers, strong types, to help make it possible.

We’ll live happy and free, and no one will ever tell us how to live again.”

The captives could already tell that he was insane.

“No way!” the Minotaur growled. “I like it right here on United Equestria.”

“This is my home, and I won’t leave it!” insisted Cheerilee.

The children all squealed. “WE WANT TO GO HOME!!”

The more the captives protested, Blitz could see their seriousness and how their lives that they loved were being threatened. This put her more in mind of the way she acted before-- wanting Lightning to be taken away from it all.

“Come on!” Brick bellowed “I’m offering you all the chance of a lifetime. We’re going to be free! We’re going to show who’s really in charge.”

The captives wanted no part of his crazy scheme!

“Let us out of here!”

“You’re crazy!”

“Your plan will never work!”

“WE WANT TO GO HOME!!”

Brick clenched his fists.

“They’re not buying it.” said one of his friends.

“Oh, they will.” said Brick. “I hoped it wouldn’t come to this but, so be it. This will get their minds off their ideas… literally.”

He pressed on a switch on a remote control…

…At the same time, gas began to spew into the room with the captives.

“Gas!” cried Blitz, and before anyone could panic, they were all knocked out cold.

“Suckers.” said one of Brick’s friends. “Good thing I took those magic classes on potions.”

Brick gave him a smirk, and said, “Give them the other gas.”

“With pleasure.”

More gas filled into the captives’ room forming a non-lethal, bluish mist. The cloud softly curled over the captives, much to Brick’s delight.

“When they wake up, things will be different.

Meanwhile, we still need more supplies and we’ve got round up a few more people.”

“Leave that to us.” one of the friends said, and the group of other friends grinned wickedly.

With all the officers’ children at daycare or at home with other relatives, and with other forces looking after the exams, the team split into groups assigned by their majesties.

The first thing was to question all the business owners, shop dealers, and any eyewitnesses who had either seen things or beings vanishing, or if they knew something was wrong.

Mykan assisted in the search as well-- questioning people and taking their stories, but so far it was the same story everywhere.

“He was walking along, and then he just disappeared.”

“One minute she was there, the next she wasn’t.”

“They were supposed to come to work, but they haven’t been seen for days.”

Many of the citizens were very worried for their friends, loved ones or co-workers.

The officers tried to scan the area for any traces of magic, but they could find nothing. Even Krysta couldn’t detect anything. “Whatever was here that yanked them away was fast. It just happened and then it was gone.”

“Well, that doesn’t help much.” said Starla.

Lightning agreed, “We’re not beaten yet. We’ll try Plan-B.”

Starla and Krysta nodded, and all the others had the same idea too.

The team tried to scan for the life-sign readings of the missing ponies, like Cheeriliee, or Blitzy, or anyone who’s DNA or vital signs were on record.

Even Mykan was given a special pair of sunglasses to wear which serves him as the same functions of a Starfleet Visor, and they made him look snazzy too.

“Come on, Cheerilee, where are you?” he said as he searched all around, but he, like the others, couldn’t seem to detect anything, as if whatever the captives where the signals couldn’t get through.

As the search continued, Swift had gone out for a walk, not knowing of the danger at hand.

“Gee, the streets sure are quiet.” he said. “Then again, a lot of the officers are at the exams. I wish I was there too.”

He was so lost in his daydreams that when he turned a corner, he bumped into Pyron and Glaceia who were out for a stroll themselves.

“I am too,” said Pyron.

“Me too,” replied Swift. “To be honest, that’s the most exciting thing that’s happened to be in over a week.” he implied to his arm and his being off duty. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

The couple didn’t know what to say to him.

Suddenly, there was a cry out for help.

Swift couldn’t resist the urge to rush in to answer the call.

Pyron and Glaceia watched him head to the other side of the street where an Earth Pony mare was crying out by her fruit stand, which was empty.

“What’s the matter?” asked Swift.

“You’ve got to help me!” wailed the mare “I just turned my back to get something, and I turned around again, and all my fruit was gone-- vanished.”

Swift was about to examine the stand when two guards came along.

“Hold it, right there.” One of them said, and then he looked at Swift and said, “You’re supposed to be off duty. We’ll take it from here.”

Swift tried to protest, but the guards insisted he leave.

Swift stormed off in a huff.

Pyron and Glaceia felt bad for him and hurried to catch up with him.

Swift was so mad he kicked a small rock on the ground and sent it rolling down the street.

He was so upset he decided to sit on a bench to calm down, and what timing he had…! The moment he sat down, the bench vanished, and took him along with it.

Pyron and Glaceia saw it.

“He’s gone!” cried Glaceia.

“But… where did he go?” wondered Pyron.

Because Swift had Starfleet training, the force of the sudden teleportation didn’t knock him out.

“What the…?!”

He looked around to find himself in what appeared to be a massive room with the bench he sat on, along with piles and loads of all kinds of goods…

Food, ingredients, tools, plants and trees, medical supplies, hardware, and many more things.

“What’s all this?” he wondered in shock.

While Brick and his friends were shocked in the control ops.

“You idiots!” he balked at his friends. “You weren’t supposed to take that bench with someone sitting on it.”

The teleporters gave him a straight look.

“How were we supposed to know he’d sit there are the last second.”

“Yeah, these targets take time.”

Brick then noticed Swift’s cast, “Hey, that’s the guy from the hospital.”

He remembered arguing with Sun Setter outside of Swift’s room.

“Oh, great! You guys just captured a Starfleet pony! Now he knows where we are, and he’ll report to the rest of the force!”

“Wait a minute, look.” said another friend. “He’s not wearing one of those… transforming… badgey… thing-a-ma-jiggies.”

Brick saw this and he felt his good luck smiling upon him again. “Well, that’s something. He can’t alert his friends, but he knows what’s going on. We can’t let him leave here.”

His friends agreed.

“But what are we going to do with him.”

“We don’t want any Starfleet ponies coming with us.”

“And we can’t brainwash him either, he knows how to resist it.”

Brick gave them all a look-- a nasty, wicked look which told them all enough.

“No way!”

“You wouldn’t?!”

Brick held up his hand, “I wouldn’t, and you wouldn’t… and we don’t have to.”

He pressed on a switch which opened a door to the storeroom, much to Swift’s confusion.

“Hello?” he called. “What is this? Where am I?”

He got no answer, and he wasn’t sure whether to go through the door or not either. He didn’t have to because in marched Blitzy.

“Doctor Heart? What are you doing here? What’s all this about?”

Blitzy didn’t answer, she just glared at him with a look of fury in her eyes, the kind of look that said she hated his guts and was looking to take him down, which gave him a shivering feeling.

Blitz was suddenly joined by more ponies and other creatures filing into the room with her, and they all had the same snarling expressions as she did.

“You’re Starfleet!” Blitz growled.

“You’re not one of us!” yelled the Minotaur.

“You must be eliminated!” bellowed a griffin.

The crowd of creatures began to march towards him chanting. “No More Starfleet! No More Starfleet! No More Starfleet!”

To Be Continued…

In our next episode: Swift must manage to outmaneuver the brainwashed civilians and escape his fate from the insane ponies. Meanwhile, it’s Touch-and-Go for Lightning and his team to put an end to Brick’s plans before he leaves with the stolen goods and the missing citizens.

Is Swift doomed to meet his end? Will Brick surrender his plans?

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

(Next Episode: “Promotional Protest: Part 2”)