My Little Hero: Saving is Friendshipby Pump It UpChaptersRise of the Cookies: Chapter 1 — Accidental New Beginnings Always Start With StupidityRise of the Cookies: Chapter 2 — Unexpected Visitors. Six, in FactRise of the Cookies: Chapter 3 — Settling inRise of the Cookies: Chapter 1 — Accidental New Beginnings Always Start With Stupidity“Hey Twilight!” “Turn the matrix, replace that one… Spike, water!” “Twilight!” “Hm? Oh, hey Derpy.” Twilight’s horn stopped glowing, and she looked up from the ground outside her library house. “What can I do for you? Would you like to check out a book?” The blond maned Pegasus shook her head. “I want to show you something!” She pushed her mane off her forehead, revealing, of all things, a horn. “Derpy, is that real?” Twilight asked skeptically. “Yep!” “So you’re…?” “Yep!” Twilight sighed. “This will turn out well.” ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ “This will turn out real well,” Stormer said sarcastically. “Come on. Don’t you like it?” asked Surge in his high-pitched voice. Alpha Team-1 was currently in the weapons testing room at Hero Factory. Everyone — Stormer, Stringer, Bulk, Furno, and Breez — had to be present whenever Surge had a new invention he wanted to show off. Normally Quaddle, the main technology 'bot, was there, but he was busy doing something else. “We would like it much better if it wasn’t powered by cheese,” Breez said. “I’m covered in it. And so are the walls. Surge, this thing expelled cheese everywhere." That was very true. The normally futuristic, white walls were covered in all sorts of different cheeses. “Well, my jetpacks are only powered by the finest ingredients.” “Then why don’t you use your electricity?” Surge hugged his weapon close. “Not my food!” “Surge, how did you get your weapon out? That room is strong enough to keep me out!” said Bulk, the, well, bulkiest and strongest of the group. “Electricity, a duh. Also, at least I didn't use cut cheese.” Breez looked up from trying to get the melted cheese off. “Cut cheese?” “Gas.” The room was silent for a few moments. Stormer spoke first. “Surge, we don’t even eat food.” “I do! I eat electricity!” “Surge,” Stringer said calmly with his cowboy accent, “you have the most unholy obsession with electricity.” Furno nodded. “It’s been only a few weeks since we were created, and already you’re doing weird things.” “Weird. Adjective. Odd, unusual.” That was Surge. “Like that.” Surge went up to Stormer. “Would you like to try my cheesepack?” “No.” “Come on. What’s the harm?” ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ “What would be the harm?” “Derpy, I will not allow you to use magic! You are highly inexperienced!” “Derpy? Oh, I’m still wearing my costume!” “Huh?” Twilight looked in confusion and then shock as Derpy took her horn and pulled it over her face. Pinkie Pie emerged from the body suit. “Whew! It was getting a bit hot in there!” “Pinkie, how were you able to…? Never mind.” Twilight shook her head. “I can’t believe I fell for that. Very rarely do pegasi become alicorns because of their inexperience with magic.” The lavender pony heard a snicker. She looked over to where Pinkie Pie was, and saw Rainbow Dash. “Where’d Pinkie Pie go?” Then Rainbow Dash burst out laughing. “We… we got her, Pinkie!” The pink pony bounced out from the bushes, giggling. “That really was a good one, eh Dashie!” “Yeah!” Rainbow Dash stopped laughing. “Did you just say ‘eh’?” Just then, Pinkie’s whole body shuddered, and she said, “Twitchy tail!” Twilight asked, “Pinkie, what does that mean?” Pinkie Pie’s tone grew serious. “We must gather EVERYONE together.” ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ “We have to gather everyone together to see my amazing invention!” “NO!” everyone shouted. “But why-ie?” “Surge, nothing powered by cheese will work,” said Bulk “When I pressed the ignition, cheese sprayed out,” added Breez. “Cheese. Noun. The curd of milk usually pressed into cakes and cured for use as food," the blue Hero said monotously. “Stop doing that!” “What? You don’t want me to be smart?” “That’s not what I meant! Just… stop saying the definition unless we ask you.” “Fine.” Surge crossed his arms. “Be that way.” He pulled out a very odd machine seemingly out of nowhere. Is was a cube, and it pulsed colors as if it were to flow out. “I will now activate my machine!” “Whoa, Surge!” Furno exclaimed. “That’s your amazing invention?! It’s, well, amazing!” “Why thank you.” “What’s it do?” the red armored Hero inquired. “I have no clue.” As this information processed through the Heroes’ brains, Surge said, “We’re off to press the button…” “No, Surge!” everyone cried as a large BOOM filled the room. Rise of the Cookies: Chapter 2 — Unexpected Visitors. Six, in FactTen minutes earlier “Pinkie Pie, darling, what is the emergency? Did we really have to meet now? I was in the middle of a dress.” “Something momentous is about to happen!” “Really Pinkie,” Twilight said dryly, “and what might that be?” The pink mare pulled out a stack of papers. “Says here ‘Mane Six are pulled via teleporter to Makuhero City.’” “What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Rainbow Dash. She got her answer a few seconds later. BOOM! ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ BOOM! All the Heroes coughed. “Did anything happen?” wheezed Stringer. Surge sucked some electricity from his weapon and pulled out a stack of papers. “‘Mane Six have just been transportpood. Surge sucks electricity from his weapoon —’” “Surge, what did you just pull out?” “A script.” “Wha?” Surge’s eyes then met a certain bouncy pony’s eyes. “It worked!” both exclaimed. Pinkie pie gasped. “This is so cool! I can’t believe you exist!” She stopped prancing. “What are you?” “I’m a fully dec-dec- outfitted Hero!” “What he means to say is that he is a Hero from Hero Factory,” Stormer stated as he walked over to greet the pony. “My name is Preston Stormer.” “That’s right! The script said that Hero Factory was in Makuhero City!” Pinkie pulled out the script and read it over quickly. “Which one of you is —” “YOU have one TOO?!” Surge exclaimed. “Yahoo! One of my inventions did work!” “Shouldn’t you have celebrated before?” Bulk asked. “What’s the point of doing it all over again?” “…What?” “No!” The blue armored Hero pulled out his script. “You’re supposed to say… oh, wait. You are supposed to say that.” He put it away. “My good.” “Don’t you mean…? Never mind.” The bearer of the Element of Laughter read, “‘Pinkie Pie starts to speak, but is interrupted by —’” “Stop referring to the scripts!” Breez yelled. She tossed the cheese-covered contraption she had onto the ground. “You’re irritating the readers!” Everyone stared at Breez. “Way to break the fourth wall, Breez.” The green Hero face palmed and then glared at Surge. Unlike Pinkie Pie, the other five ponies had not recovered as quickly after teleporting who-knows-how-many-light-years by a random (albeit cool-looking) box. Pinkie Pie might have known that (because of the script), but she was still surprised to see them take so long to awaken. “What took you guys so long?” “Oh, mah head… Who did Ah land on?” “That would be me,” wheezed Twilight as she got up. “Sorry sugar cube.” Fluttershy was the first of the five to see the Heroes. “Oh, oh my.” “Hey guys!” Pinkie Pie bounded over. “Meet my new bipedal friends!” “Pinkie,” Twilight asked, “how do you know these are your friends?” “Weeellll… This one here—” she pointed to Surge “—has the same script I have!” “DON’T PULL IT OUT!” screeched Breez. Furno gently coaxed her away, saying “It’s alright, it’s alright, stay calm.” “But the animals are getting irritated with Surge…” As Breez and Furno walked away, Pinkie Pie said, “So Presi, what are we going to do?” “Yeah Presi!” Surge echoed. “Surge, don’t call me Presi. If you do, there will be… no cheese or electricity for dinner.” “No! Not my sus-sus- food!” “Then don’t call me Presi.” “Yes Stormie,” Surge squeaked. Stormer resisted slapping his hand to his face. “Well, you…” “Ponies,” Twilight filled in. “You ponies should probably come with me to see Zib. He’d probably be interested in meeting you.” “Yay Zibbo!” both hyper creatures exclaimed. Stormer sighed. ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ “Well, this certainly is an interesting new species.” Zib’s assistant, Quaddle, was looking at one of the mares while Zib spoke. Quaddle pressed on Pinkie’s belly. “Hey, that tickles!” “What’s with your voice?” Rainbow Dash asked. “My voice?” Zib repeated. “His voice is switching between British and normal-ish!” Surge said happily, popping up out of nowhere. Twilight jumped. "You know, even though Pinkie does that all the time, I’m still startled when that happens.” “I’m startled too!” Pinkie Pie popped up beside Surge. “Ah!” Twilight jumped again. “Pinkie!” “Whaaat?” Twilight used Cadence’s calming technique. Breathe in, hoof to chest, hold, breathe out, hoof out. “So what do you call yourselves?” “Ponies.” “No, the scientific name.” “Oh, I should have figured… We are Equus viverra.” “I’ll have Quaddle enter that into the database. Quaddle?” The rotund robot saluted and hovered away. “Alright, so who or what are you?” Rainbow Dash asked. “We obviously aren’t in Equestria.” “We are robots,” Stormer said. “What’s a robot?” “We’re made of metal.” “Ooo! Like a train?” “Yes, except we can think and feel.” “The reason why we wanted to examine you,” Zib said, “is because there are very little organisms that are purely organic. Most are biomechanical.” The ponies stared at him. “That means it has organic and mechanical components.” All the ponies went “oooh” and nodded their heads. ‘’Now, I need one of you to come over here so that I can take an x-ray—” “Alright, this has been luvely an’ all, but Rainbow, Pinkie, can’t ya stop this prank?” Pinkie Pie looked at Applejack. “This isn’t a prank silly, this is real! Right Surgy?” She looked beside her. “Surgy?” “Disappeared again…” mumbled Stormer. “Anyways,” continued the party pony, “this is very, very, VERY real!” At each “very,” Pinkie Pie got closer and closer to Applejack’s face. “Alright sugar cube, Ah get it. Yuh don’ haft uh get in mah face.” She shoved Pinkie’s face away. “Ahem.” Zib cleared his throat. “I still need a voluntee—” “Me, me!” Pinkie Pie shouted, waving her hoof in the air. “Good, just follow me…” “Wow, that was fast! But it’s kinda hard to bounce with this clothing on.” “Pinkie, you were supposed to take it off.” “Aw.” Zib shook his head. “So much like Surge…” “Hey Fluttershy! How are you doing? Huh?” “Pinkie…” “Yeah?” “You asked me that this morning.” “Oh, yeah. Well, the answer could have changed, right?” “I would like to take x-rays or you two—” Zib pointed to Twilight and Rainbow Dash “—but I must get back to work. Stormer, could you take them to… Room O?” “Sure,” Stormer replied. “Come this way.” As they walked down the hallway to the elevator, Heroes from all teams raced by. “Hello, Unifett. Good afternoon, Cirrus.” “Hey, that’s a cool name,” whispered Rainbow Dash to Rarity. “I think I should call my foal that!” They got the end of the hall, and the elevator doors opened. None of the ponies moved. “Walk in,” Stormer said, and the mares did so. When all the ponies were inside, Stormer pressed a button, and the elevator started moving. “What is this thing?” Twilight asked. “This is an elevator. It uses pulleys to move up and down.” “Hm.” Twilight put her hoof to her chin. “Maybe I could operate this using magic…” “Please don’t.” The elevator dinged. “We’re here.” As they stepped out of the elevator, something beeped. Stormer tapped his helmet. “Stormer here. Yes. You’ve got to be kidding me… Alright, I’ll be there.” Stormer tapped his helmet again and looked at the ponies. “Sorry, I have to go deal with a problem. You’ll have to go to the room yourselves. Go down the hall and take a left. Room O should be on your right.” Then the white armored Hero went back into the elevator, muttering, “Surge, Surge, Surge…” As the elevator doors closed, Rarity remarked, “Well, that was certainly abrupt.” “Well, what are we waitin’ for? Let’s go!” Applejack said. The group started walking down the stark, whit hallway. Well, most of them did. Rainbow Dash flew and Pinkie Pie bounced. When they turned the corner, they saw Room O right away, just like Stormer had said. Twilight opened the door. “Girls?” “Yeah?” “I think I know what ‘O’ stands for.” “What?” “Organisms.” Author's Note Zib's voice predicament is because in the Hero Factory episodes he's voiced by Henry Winkler, and on the earlier online promotions he's British. Because Hero Factory itself hasn’t been explored all too much, I was able to invent things like Room O. Rise of the Cookies: Chapter 3 — Settling in“Surge, how many times do we have ta tell you, we don’ eat.” “But I do. I eat electricity and cheese.” “How are you even able ta eat that?” “I have no clue.” Stringer sighed and shook his head. Then he saw Stormer come into the stark, white cafeteria. “Stormer, you trah ‘n’ talk some sense inta Surge.” “Sure.” He glanced over to where Surge was — or, at least, where he was two seconds ago. Stormer looked around the cafeteria and saw him by a group of bots that looked and acted like children. “Oh no…” “So the reason why we have a cafeteria is because Mr. Makuro—” Surge leaned in conspiratorially “— is really an organism!” “No, he’s not,” Stormer said to the child-bots, coming up behind Surge. “It’s a place for Heroes to hang out and charge up if they don’t want to go to the charging station.” The teacher bot nodded. “That makes much more sense than what he was saying.” She gestured to Surge. “He’s… special.” “Why thank you,” Surge said. “That wasn’t a compliment.” “I know.” “Then why did you say ‘thank you’?” “Because.” “Because why?” “Because.” Stormer sighed and took Surge by the arm. “Have a nice day,” Stormer said to the teacher. “Thank you, you too.” Stormer led Surge away. “What did I say about talking to school groups?” “To interact with them!” Surge replied happily. “To NOT interact with them.” “Oh.” “Since I had to come over here to deal with you, you’re coming with me to see how the equines are faring.” Stormer started walking out of the pristine cafeteria. “Okay! This’ll be fun!” ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ “This’ll be fun!” “No it won’t Pinkie, not if you bounce all over the place like that,” Twilight said to the pink party pony as the six tried to navigate through the room. On every wall there were cages, and most were filled. It was assumed by most of the ponies that they were hostile, as many other creatures were underfoot. The room was alternatively light and dark, depending on where you were and the individual organism’s needs. Pinkie Pie went up to a creature that was in a cage that reminded her of Wyona. “Hiya puppy!” She went to pet is, but it turned into a nasty-looking and mean reptile. “Bad puppy!” As they walked farther into the room, there were less and less cages. Instead, there were now doors, each of them with a label. From some rooms, noises could just barely be heard. From one, labeled Canis; Excitable, they heard barking and even some meowing; from another, which had no writing on its label, a noise was heard that sounded like crying, screaming, laughing, and farting all at once; it was quite disturbing. Finally they came to a door labeled Intelligent. Twilight, who was at the front of the group, decided to go in; after all, they were intelligent. So she opened the door, any everypony saw — • more doors. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” the lavender unicorn muttered. So they walked down the new hallway, looking at yet more labels, when they found many doors that said Unknown, Friendly. They tried the first door, and it opened without problem. The six mares walked into a room that looked like a living room. “Well, this is interesting,” Rarity said. She glanced at the wall and saw a box with buttons. “Would that be of any help to us?” “Most likely.” Twilight went over to it and pressed the button labeled ON. The screen lit up. “He-llo,” the machine said. “I am G3ITB8-9T. But you can call me Bill-y” “Okaaay then…” Rainbow Dash said. “Please en-ter your spe-cies.” Twilight pushed the letters that spelled out Equus viverra. “A-just-ing room.” And faster than you could say a Pinkie Promise, the room transformed to the right height for the ponies, with couches and chairs better suited for them to sit on. “If you would like to a-just the. Six. Rooms, please go to a room and turn on a Billy com-pan-ion. Thank. You.” The light shut off. ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ The light flickered off in the hallway. “I’ll have to ask Zib to replace that,” Stormer muttered to himself. Surge used his weapon (why he still had it was anyone’s guess) to shoot some electricity at the light, and it turned back on. “Huh.” Stormer glanced at the light, but turned his gaze back to the hall. “Come on, Surge.” “ ’Kay!” Surge ran and slid, but ended up sliding to the wall. Stormer walked past him and opened the door to Room O. “Stay out here,” he ordered Surge. Did he listen? No. But instead of ordering Surge back into the hallway, Stormer just said, “Stay close.” And he did, surprisingly. Then they got to the door labeled Unknown, Friendly. Stormer opened the door, and Surge barreled in. Stormer walked in and closed the door. “How are you adjusting?” he called out. He got no answer, except from one creature, per se. “Gud!” Surge called out. He sounded like he was in one of the rooms. “I wasn’t asking you.” “You weren’t?” “No.” “Oh.” Stormer walked by each of the ponies’ rooms. The first was the purple unicorn’s (he would have to get her name later, along with any of the others he didn’t know). Her room was filled from floor to ceiling with books, and she was currently reading one. Stormer couldn’t see the walls, but the floor was wooden. Next was Fluttershy’s room. Hers looked like a cottage interior, with wooden floors and walls. She had a mock staircase (as it led to nowhere) on the wall, and a bunch of critters from the hallway and outer room were in her room. Fluttershy was currently giving them the rules of her room, and they seemed to be listening. Stormer heard Surge’s voice coming from the next room. “I like parties too! I think. With electricity and cheese!” 3 guesses whose room he’s in, and the first two don’t count, Stormer thought. The room looked like a party store had thrown up; the walls were pink, neon pink, neon orange, neon yellow, and baby blue, and there was confetti all over. The floors were plush-looking, and Stormer watched Pinkie Pie and Surge bounce using the floor, like the room was a bounce house. The room was pretty much filled with party supplies, some of which had electricity crackling on them. “Be careful Surge,” Stormer told the blue Hero. “What?” A noise was heard of metal against wall. “Ow!” Stormer shook his head and went to the next room, only to find the door shut. He placed his audio receptor near the door and turned the sensitivity up. He could hear the sound of a pony sleeping. Better leave her alone, he thought. So he turned down the sensitivity and moved on to the next room. There wasn’t a pony in there. In fact, the only thing that had changed way that the room was light blue. Then Stormer felt something WOOSH past him, and Rainbow was in front of him with a cloud. “Nothing like a cloud bed,” she said aloud as she flopped onto it. The last room was the orange pony’s. Her walls and floors were also wood, but she had another door opposite her bed that led to a holographic apple orchard. Most of the trees were holograms, but there were quite a few real trees. The pony was hitting the trees with her hind hooves, which (to Stormer) seemed to have no purpose. His tour and checking in of the ponies and their rooms complete, Stormer headed back to the front. “I’m leaving now,” the Alpha Team leader yelled. “Surge, you coming?” “Nope. I’m gud,” Surge yelled back. So Stormer walked out the door, never even noticing the pale blue object following him. Author's Note For those of you who don’t read the details, here are the ponies’ rooms, in order: • Twilight’s room is like the library. • Fluttershy’s is like her cottage. • Pinkie Pie’s is like bounce house, with walls that are pretty much all neon and party supplies all over. • Rarity is sleeping. • Rainbow Dash’s is sky blue with a cloud bed. • Applejack’s is similar to her house, but she put in an apple orchard so that she could keep bucking trees.
Rise of the Cookies: Chapter 1 — Accidental New Beginnings Always Start With Stupidity“Hey Twilight!” “Turn the matrix, replace that one… Spike, water!” “Twilight!” “Hm? Oh, hey Derpy.” Twilight’s horn stopped glowing, and she looked up from the ground outside her library house. “What can I do for you? Would you like to check out a book?” The blond maned Pegasus shook her head. “I want to show you something!” She pushed her mane off her forehead, revealing, of all things, a horn. “Derpy, is that real?” Twilight asked skeptically. “Yep!” “So you’re…?” “Yep!” Twilight sighed. “This will turn out well.” ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ “This will turn out real well,” Stormer said sarcastically. “Come on. Don’t you like it?” asked Surge in his high-pitched voice. Alpha Team-1 was currently in the weapons testing room at Hero Factory. Everyone — Stormer, Stringer, Bulk, Furno, and Breez — had to be present whenever Surge had a new invention he wanted to show off. Normally Quaddle, the main technology 'bot, was there, but he was busy doing something else. “We would like it much better if it wasn’t powered by cheese,” Breez said. “I’m covered in it. And so are the walls. Surge, this thing expelled cheese everywhere." That was very true. The normally futuristic, white walls were covered in all sorts of different cheeses. “Well, my jetpacks are only powered by the finest ingredients.” “Then why don’t you use your electricity?” Surge hugged his weapon close. “Not my food!” “Surge, how did you get your weapon out? That room is strong enough to keep me out!” said Bulk, the, well, bulkiest and strongest of the group. “Electricity, a duh. Also, at least I didn't use cut cheese.” Breez looked up from trying to get the melted cheese off. “Cut cheese?” “Gas.” The room was silent for a few moments. Stormer spoke first. “Surge, we don’t even eat food.” “I do! I eat electricity!” “Surge,” Stringer said calmly with his cowboy accent, “you have the most unholy obsession with electricity.” Furno nodded. “It’s been only a few weeks since we were created, and already you’re doing weird things.” “Weird. Adjective. Odd, unusual.” That was Surge. “Like that.” Surge went up to Stormer. “Would you like to try my cheesepack?” “No.” “Come on. What’s the harm?” ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ “What would be the harm?” “Derpy, I will not allow you to use magic! You are highly inexperienced!” “Derpy? Oh, I’m still wearing my costume!” “Huh?” Twilight looked in confusion and then shock as Derpy took her horn and pulled it over her face. Pinkie Pie emerged from the body suit. “Whew! It was getting a bit hot in there!” “Pinkie, how were you able to…? Never mind.” Twilight shook her head. “I can’t believe I fell for that. Very rarely do pegasi become alicorns because of their inexperience with magic.” The lavender pony heard a snicker. She looked over to where Pinkie Pie was, and saw Rainbow Dash. “Where’d Pinkie Pie go?” Then Rainbow Dash burst out laughing. “We… we got her, Pinkie!” The pink pony bounced out from the bushes, giggling. “That really was a good one, eh Dashie!” “Yeah!” Rainbow Dash stopped laughing. “Did you just say ‘eh’?” Just then, Pinkie’s whole body shuddered, and she said, “Twitchy tail!” Twilight asked, “Pinkie, what does that mean?” Pinkie Pie’s tone grew serious. “We must gather EVERYONE together.” ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ “We have to gather everyone together to see my amazing invention!” “NO!” everyone shouted. “But why-ie?” “Surge, nothing powered by cheese will work,” said Bulk “When I pressed the ignition, cheese sprayed out,” added Breez. “Cheese. Noun. The curd of milk usually pressed into cakes and cured for use as food," the blue Hero said monotously. “Stop doing that!” “What? You don’t want me to be smart?” “That’s not what I meant! Just… stop saying the definition unless we ask you.” “Fine.” Surge crossed his arms. “Be that way.” He pulled out a very odd machine seemingly out of nowhere. Is was a cube, and it pulsed colors as if it were to flow out. “I will now activate my machine!” “Whoa, Surge!” Furno exclaimed. “That’s your amazing invention?! It’s, well, amazing!” “Why thank you.” “What’s it do?” the red armored Hero inquired. “I have no clue.” As this information processed through the Heroes’ brains, Surge said, “We’re off to press the button…” “No, Surge!” everyone cried as a large BOOM filled the room.
Rise of the Cookies: Chapter 2 — Unexpected Visitors. Six, in FactTen minutes earlier “Pinkie Pie, darling, what is the emergency? Did we really have to meet now? I was in the middle of a dress.” “Something momentous is about to happen!” “Really Pinkie,” Twilight said dryly, “and what might that be?” The pink mare pulled out a stack of papers. “Says here ‘Mane Six are pulled via teleporter to Makuhero City.’” “What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Rainbow Dash. She got her answer a few seconds later. BOOM! ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ BOOM! All the Heroes coughed. “Did anything happen?” wheezed Stringer. Surge sucked some electricity from his weapon and pulled out a stack of papers. “‘Mane Six have just been transportpood. Surge sucks electricity from his weapoon —’” “Surge, what did you just pull out?” “A script.” “Wha?” Surge’s eyes then met a certain bouncy pony’s eyes. “It worked!” both exclaimed. Pinkie pie gasped. “This is so cool! I can’t believe you exist!” She stopped prancing. “What are you?” “I’m a fully dec-dec- outfitted Hero!” “What he means to say is that he is a Hero from Hero Factory,” Stormer stated as he walked over to greet the pony. “My name is Preston Stormer.” “That’s right! The script said that Hero Factory was in Makuhero City!” Pinkie pulled out the script and read it over quickly. “Which one of you is —” “YOU have one TOO?!” Surge exclaimed. “Yahoo! One of my inventions did work!” “Shouldn’t you have celebrated before?” Bulk asked. “What’s the point of doing it all over again?” “…What?” “No!” The blue armored Hero pulled out his script. “You’re supposed to say… oh, wait. You are supposed to say that.” He put it away. “My good.” “Don’t you mean…? Never mind.” The bearer of the Element of Laughter read, “‘Pinkie Pie starts to speak, but is interrupted by —’” “Stop referring to the scripts!” Breez yelled. She tossed the cheese-covered contraption she had onto the ground. “You’re irritating the readers!” Everyone stared at Breez. “Way to break the fourth wall, Breez.” The green Hero face palmed and then glared at Surge. Unlike Pinkie Pie, the other five ponies had not recovered as quickly after teleporting who-knows-how-many-light-years by a random (albeit cool-looking) box. Pinkie Pie might have known that (because of the script), but she was still surprised to see them take so long to awaken. “What took you guys so long?” “Oh, mah head… Who did Ah land on?” “That would be me,” wheezed Twilight as she got up. “Sorry sugar cube.” Fluttershy was the first of the five to see the Heroes. “Oh, oh my.” “Hey guys!” Pinkie Pie bounded over. “Meet my new bipedal friends!” “Pinkie,” Twilight asked, “how do you know these are your friends?” “Weeellll… This one here—” she pointed to Surge “—has the same script I have!” “DON’T PULL IT OUT!” screeched Breez. Furno gently coaxed her away, saying “It’s alright, it’s alright, stay calm.” “But the animals are getting irritated with Surge…” As Breez and Furno walked away, Pinkie Pie said, “So Presi, what are we going to do?” “Yeah Presi!” Surge echoed. “Surge, don’t call me Presi. If you do, there will be… no cheese or electricity for dinner.” “No! Not my sus-sus- food!” “Then don’t call me Presi.” “Yes Stormie,” Surge squeaked. Stormer resisted slapping his hand to his face. “Well, you…” “Ponies,” Twilight filled in. “You ponies should probably come with me to see Zib. He’d probably be interested in meeting you.” “Yay Zibbo!” both hyper creatures exclaimed. Stormer sighed. ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ “Well, this certainly is an interesting new species.” Zib’s assistant, Quaddle, was looking at one of the mares while Zib spoke. Quaddle pressed on Pinkie’s belly. “Hey, that tickles!” “What’s with your voice?” Rainbow Dash asked. “My voice?” Zib repeated. “His voice is switching between British and normal-ish!” Surge said happily, popping up out of nowhere. Twilight jumped. "You know, even though Pinkie does that all the time, I’m still startled when that happens.” “I’m startled too!” Pinkie Pie popped up beside Surge. “Ah!” Twilight jumped again. “Pinkie!” “Whaaat?” Twilight used Cadence’s calming technique. Breathe in, hoof to chest, hold, breathe out, hoof out. “So what do you call yourselves?” “Ponies.” “No, the scientific name.” “Oh, I should have figured… We are Equus viverra.” “I’ll have Quaddle enter that into the database. Quaddle?” The rotund robot saluted and hovered away. “Alright, so who or what are you?” Rainbow Dash asked. “We obviously aren’t in Equestria.” “We are robots,” Stormer said. “What’s a robot?” “We’re made of metal.” “Ooo! Like a train?” “Yes, except we can think and feel.” “The reason why we wanted to examine you,” Zib said, “is because there are very little organisms that are purely organic. Most are biomechanical.” The ponies stared at him. “That means it has organic and mechanical components.” All the ponies went “oooh” and nodded their heads. ‘’Now, I need one of you to come over here so that I can take an x-ray—” “Alright, this has been luvely an’ all, but Rainbow, Pinkie, can’t ya stop this prank?” Pinkie Pie looked at Applejack. “This isn’t a prank silly, this is real! Right Surgy?” She looked beside her. “Surgy?” “Disappeared again…” mumbled Stormer. “Anyways,” continued the party pony, “this is very, very, VERY real!” At each “very,” Pinkie Pie got closer and closer to Applejack’s face. “Alright sugar cube, Ah get it. Yuh don’ haft uh get in mah face.” She shoved Pinkie’s face away. “Ahem.” Zib cleared his throat. “I still need a voluntee—” “Me, me!” Pinkie Pie shouted, waving her hoof in the air. “Good, just follow me…” “Wow, that was fast! But it’s kinda hard to bounce with this clothing on.” “Pinkie, you were supposed to take it off.” “Aw.” Zib shook his head. “So much like Surge…” “Hey Fluttershy! How are you doing? Huh?” “Pinkie…” “Yeah?” “You asked me that this morning.” “Oh, yeah. Well, the answer could have changed, right?” “I would like to take x-rays or you two—” Zib pointed to Twilight and Rainbow Dash “—but I must get back to work. Stormer, could you take them to… Room O?” “Sure,” Stormer replied. “Come this way.” As they walked down the hallway to the elevator, Heroes from all teams raced by. “Hello, Unifett. Good afternoon, Cirrus.” “Hey, that’s a cool name,” whispered Rainbow Dash to Rarity. “I think I should call my foal that!” They got the end of the hall, and the elevator doors opened. None of the ponies moved. “Walk in,” Stormer said, and the mares did so. When all the ponies were inside, Stormer pressed a button, and the elevator started moving. “What is this thing?” Twilight asked. “This is an elevator. It uses pulleys to move up and down.” “Hm.” Twilight put her hoof to her chin. “Maybe I could operate this using magic…” “Please don’t.” The elevator dinged. “We’re here.” As they stepped out of the elevator, something beeped. Stormer tapped his helmet. “Stormer here. Yes. You’ve got to be kidding me… Alright, I’ll be there.” Stormer tapped his helmet again and looked at the ponies. “Sorry, I have to go deal with a problem. You’ll have to go to the room yourselves. Go down the hall and take a left. Room O should be on your right.” Then the white armored Hero went back into the elevator, muttering, “Surge, Surge, Surge…” As the elevator doors closed, Rarity remarked, “Well, that was certainly abrupt.” “Well, what are we waitin’ for? Let’s go!” Applejack said. The group started walking down the stark, whit hallway. Well, most of them did. Rainbow Dash flew and Pinkie Pie bounced. When they turned the corner, they saw Room O right away, just like Stormer had said. Twilight opened the door. “Girls?” “Yeah?” “I think I know what ‘O’ stands for.” “What?” “Organisms.” Author's Note Zib's voice predicament is because in the Hero Factory episodes he's voiced by Henry Winkler, and on the earlier online promotions he's British. Because Hero Factory itself hasn’t been explored all too much, I was able to invent things like Room O.
Rise of the Cookies: Chapter 3 — Settling in“Surge, how many times do we have ta tell you, we don’ eat.” “But I do. I eat electricity and cheese.” “How are you even able ta eat that?” “I have no clue.” Stringer sighed and shook his head. Then he saw Stormer come into the stark, white cafeteria. “Stormer, you trah ‘n’ talk some sense inta Surge.” “Sure.” He glanced over to where Surge was — or, at least, where he was two seconds ago. Stormer looked around the cafeteria and saw him by a group of bots that looked and acted like children. “Oh no…” “So the reason why we have a cafeteria is because Mr. Makuro—” Surge leaned in conspiratorially “— is really an organism!” “No, he’s not,” Stormer said to the child-bots, coming up behind Surge. “It’s a place for Heroes to hang out and charge up if they don’t want to go to the charging station.” The teacher bot nodded. “That makes much more sense than what he was saying.” She gestured to Surge. “He’s… special.” “Why thank you,” Surge said. “That wasn’t a compliment.” “I know.” “Then why did you say ‘thank you’?” “Because.” “Because why?” “Because.” Stormer sighed and took Surge by the arm. “Have a nice day,” Stormer said to the teacher. “Thank you, you too.” Stormer led Surge away. “What did I say about talking to school groups?” “To interact with them!” Surge replied happily. “To NOT interact with them.” “Oh.” “Since I had to come over here to deal with you, you’re coming with me to see how the equines are faring.” Stormer started walking out of the pristine cafeteria. “Okay! This’ll be fun!” ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ “This’ll be fun!” “No it won’t Pinkie, not if you bounce all over the place like that,” Twilight said to the pink party pony as the six tried to navigate through the room. On every wall there were cages, and most were filled. It was assumed by most of the ponies that they were hostile, as many other creatures were underfoot. The room was alternatively light and dark, depending on where you were and the individual organism’s needs. Pinkie Pie went up to a creature that was in a cage that reminded her of Wyona. “Hiya puppy!” She went to pet is, but it turned into a nasty-looking and mean reptile. “Bad puppy!” As they walked farther into the room, there were less and less cages. Instead, there were now doors, each of them with a label. From some rooms, noises could just barely be heard. From one, labeled Canis; Excitable, they heard barking and even some meowing; from another, which had no writing on its label, a noise was heard that sounded like crying, screaming, laughing, and farting all at once; it was quite disturbing. Finally they came to a door labeled Intelligent. Twilight, who was at the front of the group, decided to go in; after all, they were intelligent. So she opened the door, any everypony saw — • more doors. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” the lavender unicorn muttered. So they walked down the new hallway, looking at yet more labels, when they found many doors that said Unknown, Friendly. They tried the first door, and it opened without problem. The six mares walked into a room that looked like a living room. “Well, this is interesting,” Rarity said. She glanced at the wall and saw a box with buttons. “Would that be of any help to us?” “Most likely.” Twilight went over to it and pressed the button labeled ON. The screen lit up. “He-llo,” the machine said. “I am G3ITB8-9T. But you can call me Bill-y” “Okaaay then…” Rainbow Dash said. “Please en-ter your spe-cies.” Twilight pushed the letters that spelled out Equus viverra. “A-just-ing room.” And faster than you could say a Pinkie Promise, the room transformed to the right height for the ponies, with couches and chairs better suited for them to sit on. “If you would like to a-just the. Six. Rooms, please go to a room and turn on a Billy com-pan-ion. Thank. You.” The light shut off. ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ The light flickered off in the hallway. “I’ll have to ask Zib to replace that,” Stormer muttered to himself. Surge used his weapon (why he still had it was anyone’s guess) to shoot some electricity at the light, and it turned back on. “Huh.” Stormer glanced at the light, but turned his gaze back to the hall. “Come on, Surge.” “ ’Kay!” Surge ran and slid, but ended up sliding to the wall. Stormer walked past him and opened the door to Room O. “Stay out here,” he ordered Surge. Did he listen? No. But instead of ordering Surge back into the hallway, Stormer just said, “Stay close.” And he did, surprisingly. Then they got to the door labeled Unknown, Friendly. Stormer opened the door, and Surge barreled in. Stormer walked in and closed the door. “How are you adjusting?” he called out. He got no answer, except from one creature, per se. “Gud!” Surge called out. He sounded like he was in one of the rooms. “I wasn’t asking you.” “You weren’t?” “No.” “Oh.” Stormer walked by each of the ponies’ rooms. The first was the purple unicorn’s (he would have to get her name later, along with any of the others he didn’t know). Her room was filled from floor to ceiling with books, and she was currently reading one. Stormer couldn’t see the walls, but the floor was wooden. Next was Fluttershy’s room. Hers looked like a cottage interior, with wooden floors and walls. She had a mock staircase (as it led to nowhere) on the wall, and a bunch of critters from the hallway and outer room were in her room. Fluttershy was currently giving them the rules of her room, and they seemed to be listening. Stormer heard Surge’s voice coming from the next room. “I like parties too! I think. With electricity and cheese!” 3 guesses whose room he’s in, and the first two don’t count, Stormer thought. The room looked like a party store had thrown up; the walls were pink, neon pink, neon orange, neon yellow, and baby blue, and there was confetti all over. The floors were plush-looking, and Stormer watched Pinkie Pie and Surge bounce using the floor, like the room was a bounce house. The room was pretty much filled with party supplies, some of which had electricity crackling on them. “Be careful Surge,” Stormer told the blue Hero. “What?” A noise was heard of metal against wall. “Ow!” Stormer shook his head and went to the next room, only to find the door shut. He placed his audio receptor near the door and turned the sensitivity up. He could hear the sound of a pony sleeping. Better leave her alone, he thought. So he turned down the sensitivity and moved on to the next room. There wasn’t a pony in there. In fact, the only thing that had changed way that the room was light blue. Then Stormer felt something WOOSH past him, and Rainbow was in front of him with a cloud. “Nothing like a cloud bed,” she said aloud as she flopped onto it. The last room was the orange pony’s. Her walls and floors were also wood, but she had another door opposite her bed that led to a holographic apple orchard. Most of the trees were holograms, but there were quite a few real trees. The pony was hitting the trees with her hind hooves, which (to Stormer) seemed to have no purpose. His tour and checking in of the ponies and their rooms complete, Stormer headed back to the front. “I’m leaving now,” the Alpha Team leader yelled. “Surge, you coming?” “Nope. I’m gud,” Surge yelled back. So Stormer walked out the door, never even noticing the pale blue object following him. Author's Note For those of you who don’t read the details, here are the ponies’ rooms, in order: • Twilight’s room is like the library. • Fluttershy’s is like her cottage. • Pinkie Pie’s is like bounce house, with walls that are pretty much all neon and party supplies all over. • Rarity is sleeping. • Rainbow Dash’s is sky blue with a cloud bed. • Applejack’s is similar to her house, but she put in an apple orchard so that she could keep bucking trees.
