Popcorn and Zoey.by Popcorn PonyChaptersIntroduction.Season 1, Episode 1, part 1, The orb...Season 1, Episode 1, part 2, The orb...Season 1, episode 2, Whats this?season 1, episode 3, she hit her!Introduction.Author's Note This in not the sequel to Popcorn. This is a intro to a separate mini-series I have planned after I complete my OC's novel, Popcorn. I plan to write this in the form of episodes like the MLP show rather than chapters in a attempt to keep wait times between episodes short. If you reading this and have not read any of my other work, please do so. However, reading Popcorn is not essential to understand this mini-series, but certain things I have planned will be written under the assumption that you have a fundamental understanding of certain characters, how I portray them, and their relationships. Obviously, Pocornia and her friends being a big one! Introduction. Pocornia combed her hair, watching herself take care of her beautiful blonde popcorn puff ended mane. "Brush, brush, brush...brushy, brush, brush." She rhythmically chimed. "I like to be brushed..." "Popcorn!" Pocornia turned to the doorway, Sapphire, her lawfully wedded wife stood there. "Good morning sweet heart." "Hiiiiieeee!" Pocornia replied, smiling widely and warmly. Sapphire smiled, she always admired Pocornia's occasional child like demeanor. "I made breakfast, come and get it when your ready." "Did you make food for the kitty?" Pocornia asked worriedly. Sapphire dismissively waved her hoof. "Oh no, I let him out so he could do his thing." "Oh okay." Pocornia replied. Sapphire went downstairs while Pocornia continued to brush her hair. "Brush, brush, brush, pretty ponies brush their hair..." Pocornia sang happily. A wonderful scent lofted within Pocornia's range of smell. She put her brush down then made her way downstairs and entered the kitchen. "Mmmmmm, I know what that is!" Pocornia happily declared. "Blueberry pancakes with a banana oatmeal mix mash layerd with maple syrup, your favorite!" Sapphire acknowledged. Pocornia smiled ear to ear, her eyes widening with delight. "You know me so well." Sapphire brought her hoof to her mouth. "Oh I am so silly, I forgot your orange juice sweet heart. I'll be right back." Sapphire dashed out the front door, knowing time to be short. She needed to know her wife would be ready for the day that lay ahead of her, making her way to the garden alongside their home. She plucked a few oranges, spotting a brown eight legged arachnid roaming the garden. "Hey, go back inside." The spider's length resembled a dinner plate, it hastily raced back inside the home alongside Sapphire who quickly juiced the oranges for Pocornia. "So, tell me about your day again." Pocornia's did not respond, making sure to chew the pancake that filled her mouth. Sapphire looked over her shoulder at Pocornia. "With the princesses and that magic ball you used to save every pony?" Pocornia gulped her mushy pancake down then went to speak. "Princess Celestia wants me to master the orb so I can use it to fight the Dark Pony if he ever shows up again..." "Oh, right, yeah that..." Sapphire hesitantly replied. "Whats wrong?" Pocornia inquired. "Oh, its nothing." Sapphire sheepishly answered. "I know when your not being honest..." Pocornia retorted. "Well, its just that I don't think messing around with an object that can alter time is a good idea!" Sapphire argued. "and that is why she wants me to do it, I already have some experience with it." Pocornia defended. Sapphire leveled her eyes with Pocornia's gaze. "The princess will listen to you, tell her you don't think its a good idea." Sapphire suggested. "Sapphire, we live under a benevolent yet autocratic monarchy..." Pocornia countered. "Meaning what?" Sapphire rejected. "Meaning...I can't tell a princess no when she tells me to do something and neither can you." Pocornia explained. Sapphire clicked her tongue. "I'm sure if you said you wanted to spend more time with the mare you love, she would understand." Pocornia scratched her chin, uncertain of how to respond until it finally hit her. "But the mare you love is a hero now...but i'll find a way to do both!" Pocornia confidently cheered. Sapphire watched Pocornia scarf down her meal and juice then followed her throughout the house as she packed a bag, pleadingly begging Pocornia to stay home. Pocornia made her way to the door, turning to give Sapphire a kiss on the cheek. "I'm a hero now, but I'll find a way to play with the orb and keep you happy. I promise!" Pocornia happily chimed. "Okay..." Sapphire muttered. Pocornia went outside, Sapphire shutting the door behind her. Sapphire made her way to the living room window and watched Pocornia walk down the street. "Well...when she says she'll do it all, she normally does, but I still want her home with me." Sapphire thought. Pocornia continued down the street, walking along it as the sun shined down on her, butterflies floated around her, the cooling wind softly blew against her. She started humming a soft tune, gradually breaking into a dance as she walked. "Nah nah nah knee nah nah, I'm a hero pony, Nah nah knee nah nah, on her way to Canterlot Nah nah nah knee nah nah, maybe i'll make some friends!" Pocornia looked around while she walked, noticing the healthy green grass, the pretty flowers and the many insects moving, jumping, buzzing all around. As she neared a turn in the road, bushes ahead of her began to rustle. She neared the rustling bushes, looking at them suspiciously. A bright pink pony leaped out from them, landing in front of her. The pony was a mare and she had a serious look on her face, Pocornia did not know what the pink mare was about to do, but it was clear to her that she was about to do something. Pocornia watched the pink pony's squint her eyes, grit her teeth, snarl her lips and nose, drawing a long breath of the fresh Equestrian air before shouting "NYAGH!" Pocornia mirrored the pink ponies facial expression, shouting "NYAGH!" back at the pink pony. "NYAAAGH!" The pink pony fired back. "NYAAAGH, NYAAAGH, NYAAAGH!" Pocornia retorted. "Hi Popcorn." The pink mare replied. "Hey Pinkie, whats up?" Pocornia asked. "Oh...I was just looking in the bushes for something to do." Pinkie answered. Pocornia gave Pinkie Pie a empathetic look then asked. "Are you bored?" Pinkie hung her head low. "Yes..." "Want to come with me to Canterlot to see the princesses?" Pocornia asked. "I'ed love to!" Pinkie Pie cheerfully declared. "Great, lets go." Pocornia said, moving up the path with Pinkie Pie alongside her. "Why do the Princesses want to see you, Popcorn?" Pinkie Pie asked. Pocornia went to speak. "I..." "Is it because you used your knowledge as a entrepreneur to create a self balancing unicycle you could have built at a low cost making it affordable to every pony?" Pinkie asked. Pocornia gave pinkie a humored look. "No..., but that is a good idea." Pinkie went to speak. "Is it..." "Alright, we are going to do this the whole way to Canterlot because I want to hear all of the silly guesses you can think up." Pocornia said, adding a delighted giggle. Pocornia and Pinkie Pie continued their journey, Pocornia listening and laughing at all of Pinkie Pie's absurd guesses on why the princesses of Equestria wanted to see her... Season 1, Episode 1, part 1, The orb...Author's Note Just to clarify, I have toned down my usual writing finesse because I am trying to focus more on getting the story setup and out the door. That is why this episode has been broken up into two parts. Give this mini-series a few episodes before you like or dislike it. I am going to spice up part 2. I am just trying to get this out the door. Remember, I spend weeks at a time thinking out every little detail in my novel Popcorn, here I am doing something very new to me. Writing stories on the fly while trying to make them read well, this is new to me. But I don't want to compromise the standard I have set. I have to find a new way to flow with this kind of writing. With all that said, hopefully, you enjoyed this little intro and will enjoy future episodes! Season 1, Episode 1, part 1, The orb... Pocornia and Pinkie Pie neared the outskirts of Canterlot. Pocornia heaved, her stomach hurting from laughing so hard at some of Pinkie Pie's insane guesses as to why the they were on their way to Canterlot. They approached city's gate, Pocornia giving the gate keeper a quick nod as they entered. Their hooves tapped along the city's stone paths, many other ponies around them going about their day. "Canterlot is an interesting place..." Pinkie Pie looked all around, at the buildings and the stores. "And the buildings are so tall, maybe not as tall as the buildings in Manehatten or Baltimare. And another thing thats cool is some of the old army buildings are still here like that Barracks over there!" Pinkie pointed out. Pocornia turned her head, eyeing the barracks. It looked rather large, for square towers on each end of the square building connected by reinforced walls. She thought it looked like a smaller castle, her eyes watched the Equestrian guards patrolling the barrack's walls. "Yeah, that does look cool." "Popcorn, so why are we really here?" Pinkie questioned. "He isn't back is he?" Pocornia shook her head. "No, thats not why..." "Whats it about then?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Okay so...Princess Celestia wants me to start practicing with the orb. I figure she will give it to me and i'll just take it home." Pocornia answered. "Hmmmmmmm..." Pinkie Pie hummed. "I'm not sure how that would work because the magical scars I got disappeared after I came back to this timeline. "Pocornia answered. "Up here!" Pocornia pointed at a stone stairway ahead. Pocornia and Pinkie Pie approached Canterlot castle then ascended the courtyard stairway. Two Equestrian guards stood between them and the castle's entrance. "Oh my gosh, Pocornia, I have such a super awesome idea!" "Whats that?" Pocornia asked. "Lets use the orb to go timeline surfing!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "that'll cause so many problems..." Pocornia deadpanned. "Like...now is the time to get serious Pinkie." Pinkie Pie went to speak till Pocornia cut her off. "And besides, that is not how the orb works. Its not the multi-verse theory here...It doesn't just cross dimensions, its used to time travel, but doing something that changes the past would change everything else thus creating an alternate timeline!" Pinkie Pie reeled her head back a bit, a saddened look replacing her once enthusiastic smile. "So, we're not doing that!" Pocornia growled angrily. "Well, what are you yelling at me for?" Pinkie shot back. Pocornia squinted her eyes, proceeding to rub her face as she spoke. "I'm sorry, its just...I still haven't gotten over everything that happened." Pinkie Pie relaxed her frown. "I should have known that Pocornia, upsetting friends is never fun..." Pocornia rolled her eyes. "And the princesses want me to practice with the orb?" Pinkie Pie rushed ahead, opening a door for Pocornia. "That why we're here right?" Pocornia walked through the doorway, motioning for Pinkie to follower her into the castle foyer. "Yeah...Sapphire was right, I think its a bad idea." Pinkie Pie walked alongside Pocornia, giving her undivided attention. Pocornia shook her head. "I don't think I can use it anyway, the scars are gone and even if I could, what if I change time by accident or if I bring something from the past to the present or from the future?" "I don't think Princess Celestia would ask you to do this if she did not think you could handle it." Pinkie Pie affirmed. "She dunno..." Pocornia retorted, shaking her head. "She wasn't there in the gauntlet with me, Luna doesn't know that either!" "You mean the dream world?" Pinkie Pie questioned. "Spirit world, yeah..." Pocornia answered. "Well Pocornia, me and my friends have gone on lots of adventures throughout Equestria. Sometimes it was because she asked us too, other times it was Twilight's idea and we occasionally just ended up going on a adventure just because..." Pinkie Pie explained. "Because what?" Pocornia asked. "Just because!" Pinkie Pie chimed. "Just because..." Pocornia groaned. "What I mean is, if you don't think this is a good idea, you should say something. Princess Celestia will give it some thought, shes really good at that!" Pinkie Pie encouraged. "I'm just not used to the hero thing..." Pocornia sadly. Pocornia walked in silence, directing her attention on the hall leading to the throne room. Pinkie Pie followed behind her as they approached the throne room's door. "Its like her super power!" Pinkie Pie happily exclaimed. "What?" Pocornia replied, turning to look at Pinkie who wore a exaggerated smile, her eyes as wide as saucers. "oooooOOOOOOoooooo" Pinkie cooed. Pocornia snorted, choking on her own giggle. "There we go, that is what I wanted to see!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "Now relax and go do your thing for Equestria." Pocornia opened the throne room door. "Okay!" She replied, shutting the door behind her. She quickly turned the the three thrones, Celestia sat on the center throne with Luna to her left and Twilight to her right. "I didn't think I'ed be seeing all three of you!" Pocornia said with a smile. Pocornia approached Celestia, eyeing the orb atop a simple wooden cart. It stood between her and Celestia, everyone's gaze centered on it. Pocornia watched the smoke serpents contained within the orb slither around without deliberate direction. "Alright..." She muttered. "I need to say something." "And we are here to listen." Celestia acknowledged. "Why not lock it up and forget about it? Out of sight, out of mind..." Pocornia debated. Celestia leaned back in her throne, resting her hooves atop of each other. "As my once faithful student can tell you, I attempted to do that with the elements of harmony." "But then discord stole and hid them before me and my friends could use them against him." Twilight interjected. "Before he was reformed by Fluttershy!" Luna insisted. "Pocornia, while I understand your concerns. There is simply no other qualified pony in Equestria to handle the orb besides you." Celestia explained. "I'm not even sure if I can anymore, the scars are gone!" Pocornia countered. "Why just...I dunno, smash it?" "Something sentient inhabits the orb, destroying the beings vessel could destroy it or it may set it free. Knowing this, it cannot be out of sight, out of mind as you say." Luna argued. "and when the Dark Pony returns, using it against him will be the quickest way to end the battle." Pocornia lowered her shoulders, sighing heavily. She stared at the orb, watching the serpents encircling each other. "What if I do something to time..." Celestia offered Pocornia a friendly smile. "I am confident in your abilities." "Trust me, she is a very good teacher." Twilight added. "Can I practice at home?" Pocornia asked, giving Celestia a pleading look. Celestia nodded. "Of course." Pocornia sighed. "Alright..." Pocornia approached the cart, slowly raising one hoof over the orb. She held her hoof over it. Her mind aggressively drifted off, returning to the moment where she first touched the orb. She remembered the feeling, of it not being something meant to be touched, of it being an evil object capable of terrible things. She looked up at the princesses again, hating the thought of using the orb again... Season 1, Episode 1, part 2, The orb...Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Season 1, episode 2, Whats this?Sapphire hastily opened the home's screen door. "Pocornia, listen to me. This is not what we should be doing!" Pocornia growled as she hauled the unconscious winged creature into the house. "Its, the, right, thing, to do!" She huffed. "We have no idea what that is, what if its dangerous!" Sapphire countered. Pocornia dragged the creature into their living room then carefully positioned it on the couch, resting its head under a soft pillow. "It might be dead, i dunno..." She mentioned as she covered the creature with blankets. Sapphire watched Pocornia as she tended to the creature. She quietly considered the unprecedented situation, for she knew that nothing like what Pocornia had just dragged into their home existed in Equestria. "What is it?" Pocornia silently replied with an uncertain gaze. "Don't you think we should tell the princesses?" Sapphire questioned. Pocornia shook her head. "I can't make another trip to Canterlot right now, but what I can do is get Fluttershy or Pinkie Pie to send Princess Twilight over here, it'll have to wait till the morning tho." Pocornia answered. "uuuhhhhhggghh." The creature groaned. Sapphire widened her eyes, covering her shocked face with her hoof. "Its waking up!" "Shhhh!" Pocornia countered. The creatures tightly gripped its face and groaned loudly. "Ugggh...what, where..." Sapphire felt her body shake while she watched the creature awaken, it moved its lengthy limbs around and flexed its incredibly large wings. "Its going to hurt us!" She squealed as she ran into the kitchen. Pocornia quietly watched the creature awaken, it threw the blankets off and setup on the couch. "Do you want food or a hot drink?" The creature hung its head while it rubbed its eyes. "All I remember is a shock, what happened?" "Honestly, I don't know." Pocornia flatly answered in a dull tone. The creature lifted its gaze to Pocornia, she stared at her for several seconds before quirking an eyebrow at her "What are you?" "I'm a pony, what are you?" Pocornia replied, her squeaky voice sounding saturated in bewilderment. "Ponies do not talk." The creature rebuked. "Maybe they don't where you come from..." Pocornia contested. The creature reached for its offended ears, the piercing pitch of the pony's voice agitated it to no end and she did not want conversate with such a simple farm animal any longer than necessary. "Stop squawking pony!" Sapphire peaked from around the kitchen corner. "I told you it would hurt us!" "Don't worry, I got it." Pocornia replied. "What are you, whats your name?" The creature centered its gaze on Pocornia. She thought the mare gave off a peculiar impression with her long blonde hair that puffed up at the ends like popcorn balls. "What are you?" Pocornia sat down then unfurled her wings for show. "My name is Pocornia and I am a Pegasus." She answered before turning to point out Sapphire whom timidly hid around a doorways corner. "And that is my wife Sapphire and she is very scared of you so if you could smile and wave, that would be great..." Pocornia explained in a gimmicky tone before letting her voice trail off. It did not know where it was or how it had gotten there, what the first thing it needed to do or what events were going to come to pass so it settled for taking a wait and see approach to the situation it was in. With that in mind, it waved a hand at Sapphire and smiled. "Hi...I'm not going to hurt you, my name is Zoey and your name is Sapphire?" Sapphire nodded at Zoey. "What are you, why did you have a sword?" Zoey rested her hands on her knees. "I am a Valkyrie...I was home until a bright green light surrounded me. I panicked and rushed for my sword before it overwhelmed me." Pocornia anxiously rubbed the back of her head. "Um..." Zoey looked down on Pocornia harshly, giving her a set of dagger eyes. "You..." "It was an accident!" Pocornia sheepishly confessed. "She didn't know what she was doing, we swear!" Sapphire cried. Zoey stood up from the couch, clenching her fists as she flashed her teeth between her stretching lips. "I ought to smite you where you stand!" She growled. Pocornia flailed her front legs wildly as she stumbled backward, landing hard on her rump as she scooped her own puffy tail up to use as a shield. "Why would we take you from your home, we didn't know, we swear!" Pocornia shrieked. "I have traded blows with armies from far away lands, spilled the blood of knights upon scorched battlefields, countered magic so terrifying that its use would be deemed punishable by death AND YOU A MERE PONY expect me to believe that you brought me here by accident?" Zoey shouted, leaning over her, speaking softly with scorn. "Do you take me for a fool?" Pocornia arms and legs shook, she hastily reached for a bowl of Mac and Cheese left out by Sapphire and presented it to Zoey, holding it before her angry eyes. "We were trying to help you!" Pocornia peered into Zoey's eyes, trying to rationalize the Valkyries anger. Just as she went to speak, she heard a loud ding and watched Zoey's eyes roll back into her head as she collapsed to the ground. Sapphire stood over Zoey, clutching a frying pan for dear life. "This chick is crazy!" "Um, Um, um..." Pocornia stuttered. "Tie her legs up and we're put her in the basement!" Sapphire anxiously suggested. Pocornia decided not to debate the issue with Sapphire, not that she thought she needed think it over much given that the Valkyrie intended to do her harm. She helped Sapphire secure Zoey with a power cord, the two of them proceeding to manhandle Zoey down a flight of stairs. "Lift your end up!" Pocornia stated, like her and Sapphire were moving a packed possession into storage. "What are we going to do with her?" Sapphire asked. "I should have listened to you, she is dangerous and I have to get the princesses involved fast!" Pocornia admitted. Author's Note Okay so, things are starting to settle down a bit. The world is crazy enough as it is right now, but things on my end have been truly insane with work, family things and other things. I'm sure a lot of people are in this position. I am learning how to use a video program called shotcut so I can start making youtube videos about writing fiction. I don't think I am a amazing writer, in fact, I think my writing is...flawed, but I do think I "hit a gem" at times...I think others could benefit if I talked about writing. season 1, episode 3, she hit her!Pocornia is walking along the path with the princesses in tow. "And then she was talking about battlefields and spells punishable by death!" She says to Celestia. "Oh dear..." Twilight whined. "Tell us more" Luna insisted. "I tried to give her mac and cheese, but then she got really angry and that was when Sapphire bonked her on the head" Pocornia atested. Princess Celestia shot Sapphire a passive aggressive sneer/glare to which Sapphire slightly hung her head "You knocked her out?" Celestia asked for verification. "How was I suppose to know she wasn't going to shoot magic out her eyes!" Sapphire retorted All the ponies descend on Pocornia's home, Equestrian guards surrounding the home. "And then we carried her into the basement..." Pocornia sheepishly confessed. "pray tell us she does not have a lump on her head." Luna cried. "I'm sure a ice pack will clear that up in no time." Twilight reassured. "Well I...hit her pretty hard." Sapphire admitted. All of the ponies entered Pocornia's home, sprawling out so that they all would fit into the somewhat small home. "Let me get the key." Pocornia said as she searched her home for the basement door key. Princess Celestia, Luna and Twilight huddled together, exchanging worried looks amongst one another. "What is a Valkyrie?" "I went through my library very briefly before we came here and I don't think I have any books on Valkyries." Twilight answered. "As I said, this is unusual and I am very concerned." Celestia added. "Celestia, you haven't told me about the orb, what it does or why you gave it to Pocornia. What is going on here?" Twilight boldly questioned. "It is a long story Twilight. I will tell it to you another time." Celestia answered with indignation in her voice. "I got the key!" Pocornia declared, moving towards the basement door. Pocornia, the princesses and their entourage of guard ponies made their way down the flight of stairs. They all assembled in front of the support beam the Valkyrie was tied too. The Valkyrie sat, unconscious, her hair hanging over her face. "Hello?" Pocornia cooed. Some of the guard ponies approached the Valkyrie. They tugged on her shoulders in an effort to awaken her, but their touch did not seem to affect her. Celestia, Luna and Twilight stood in awe of the Valkyrie. Despite Celestia and Luna's long life and Twilight's many hours of study, neither of them had ever laid their eyes on such a creature before or any creature of similar description. "I...have a counter magic spell in mind." Twilight announced. Celestia looked around the basement, she quickly noticed that every pony was accounted for except Pocornia. Her eyes darted to Sapphire. "Where is Pocornia?" The stairway's floorboards creaked in succession, Pocornia descending the stairs with a warm bowl of steaming mac and cheese. She approached Zoey and held the bowl under her nose, allowing the smell of mac and cheese to tempt Zoey's nostrils. Zoey begun to wiggle around, trying to work against the rope holding her to the support beam. "Why am I..." She murmured, confusion dulling at her senses. "Its okay..." Pocornia assured "We won't hurt you, again..." Pocornia explained while glaring at Sapphire disapprovingly. "How about some mac and cheese?" Pocornia asked "Hmmm?" Zoey centered her gaze on the seemingly carefree pony before her. It smiled warmly at her as it presented the meal to her, looking at her with its gentle eyes. She quietly considered the possibility that she may have gotten confrontational with the pony without a credible justification. "tell me where I am and why I am here." Zoey inquired. Pocornia lowered her mac and cheese begrudgingly, her mouth forming a sad frown. "Well, you see...I made a mistake with a magical orb. I didn't know what I was doing. Its my fault." "I don't understand." Zoey rebutted. "Its a long story, but one thing at a time." Pocornia replied. Pocornia stepped back to give Pocornia some space. She allowed Zoey a moment to look around, watching her gaze hop across all the different ponies in the room. Pocornia decided to introduce them all. "That is princess Celestia." Pocornia said with a quick point of her hoof. "How do you do?" Celestia politely asked. Pocornia pointed Luna out. "And that is princess Luna." "Glad tidings, we are friendly." Luna explained. Zoey arched her back and struggled against her binds. "I want to be released now." she stated in a flat tone. Twilight stepped forward and gave Zoey a gentle nod. "My name is Twilight Sparkle and I am the princess of friendship. My friends and I are really excited to spend time with you." "I just want to return to my home." Zoey angrily pleaded. Pocornia quickly shielded herself with her arms. "Don't worry, If i can get you here then I can send you back. I just have to figure out how, but it'll take awhile." Zoey never considered finding herself in a situation such as the one she was now in. It made her question the very reason of her being. She was a Valkyrie, a winged battle maiden charged with the purpose of delivering judgement and death to the unclean in the most barbaric manner describable. Her world, the world she was removed from, can't possibly be anything like the one governed by the common animals surrounding her. She had to momentarily ponder how she could end up in such a world. "I need to return to my home, I have a duty to my people." Celestia stepped forth and gave Zoey a empathetic nod. "I understand more than you know and I assure you that we will do everything within our power to return you to your world as quickly as possible. However, we must first investigate the matter of how you got here and how we can mitigate any potential problems that may arise from your presence here. Our world is not a place of misery, violence and war..." Celestia explained while she shifted her gaze to Pocornia. "My subject will bring us the orb for us to inspect. "I'll go get it..." Pocornia interjected while she purposefully made her way up the basement stairs. Author's Note The next chapter will cover Zoey as a character in more detail.
Introduction.Author's Note This in not the sequel to Popcorn. This is a intro to a separate mini-series I have planned after I complete my OC's novel, Popcorn. I plan to write this in the form of episodes like the MLP show rather than chapters in a attempt to keep wait times between episodes short. If you reading this and have not read any of my other work, please do so. However, reading Popcorn is not essential to understand this mini-series, but certain things I have planned will be written under the assumption that you have a fundamental understanding of certain characters, how I portray them, and their relationships. Obviously, Pocornia and her friends being a big one! Introduction. Pocornia combed her hair, watching herself take care of her beautiful blonde popcorn puff ended mane. "Brush, brush, brush...brushy, brush, brush." She rhythmically chimed. "I like to be brushed..." "Popcorn!" Pocornia turned to the doorway, Sapphire, her lawfully wedded wife stood there. "Good morning sweet heart." "Hiiiiieeee!" Pocornia replied, smiling widely and warmly. Sapphire smiled, she always admired Pocornia's occasional child like demeanor. "I made breakfast, come and get it when your ready." "Did you make food for the kitty?" Pocornia asked worriedly. Sapphire dismissively waved her hoof. "Oh no, I let him out so he could do his thing." "Oh okay." Pocornia replied. Sapphire went downstairs while Pocornia continued to brush her hair. "Brush, brush, brush, pretty ponies brush their hair..." Pocornia sang happily. A wonderful scent lofted within Pocornia's range of smell. She put her brush down then made her way downstairs and entered the kitchen. "Mmmmmm, I know what that is!" Pocornia happily declared. "Blueberry pancakes with a banana oatmeal mix mash layerd with maple syrup, your favorite!" Sapphire acknowledged. Pocornia smiled ear to ear, her eyes widening with delight. "You know me so well." Sapphire brought her hoof to her mouth. "Oh I am so silly, I forgot your orange juice sweet heart. I'll be right back." Sapphire dashed out the front door, knowing time to be short. She needed to know her wife would be ready for the day that lay ahead of her, making her way to the garden alongside their home. She plucked a few oranges, spotting a brown eight legged arachnid roaming the garden. "Hey, go back inside." The spider's length resembled a dinner plate, it hastily raced back inside the home alongside Sapphire who quickly juiced the oranges for Pocornia. "So, tell me about your day again." Pocornia's did not respond, making sure to chew the pancake that filled her mouth. Sapphire looked over her shoulder at Pocornia. "With the princesses and that magic ball you used to save every pony?" Pocornia gulped her mushy pancake down then went to speak. "Princess Celestia wants me to master the orb so I can use it to fight the Dark Pony if he ever shows up again..." "Oh, right, yeah that..." Sapphire hesitantly replied. "Whats wrong?" Pocornia inquired. "Oh, its nothing." Sapphire sheepishly answered. "I know when your not being honest..." Pocornia retorted. "Well, its just that I don't think messing around with an object that can alter time is a good idea!" Sapphire argued. "and that is why she wants me to do it, I already have some experience with it." Pocornia defended. Sapphire leveled her eyes with Pocornia's gaze. "The princess will listen to you, tell her you don't think its a good idea." Sapphire suggested. "Sapphire, we live under a benevolent yet autocratic monarchy..." Pocornia countered. "Meaning what?" Sapphire rejected. "Meaning...I can't tell a princess no when she tells me to do something and neither can you." Pocornia explained. Sapphire clicked her tongue. "I'm sure if you said you wanted to spend more time with the mare you love, she would understand." Pocornia scratched her chin, uncertain of how to respond until it finally hit her. "But the mare you love is a hero now...but i'll find a way to do both!" Pocornia confidently cheered. Sapphire watched Pocornia scarf down her meal and juice then followed her throughout the house as she packed a bag, pleadingly begging Pocornia to stay home. Pocornia made her way to the door, turning to give Sapphire a kiss on the cheek. "I'm a hero now, but I'll find a way to play with the orb and keep you happy. I promise!" Pocornia happily chimed. "Okay..." Sapphire muttered. Pocornia went outside, Sapphire shutting the door behind her. Sapphire made her way to the living room window and watched Pocornia walk down the street. "Well...when she says she'll do it all, she normally does, but I still want her home with me." Sapphire thought. Pocornia continued down the street, walking along it as the sun shined down on her, butterflies floated around her, the cooling wind softly blew against her. She started humming a soft tune, gradually breaking into a dance as she walked. "Nah nah nah knee nah nah, I'm a hero pony, Nah nah knee nah nah, on her way to Canterlot Nah nah nah knee nah nah, maybe i'll make some friends!" Pocornia looked around while she walked, noticing the healthy green grass, the pretty flowers and the many insects moving, jumping, buzzing all around. As she neared a turn in the road, bushes ahead of her began to rustle. She neared the rustling bushes, looking at them suspiciously. A bright pink pony leaped out from them, landing in front of her. The pony was a mare and she had a serious look on her face, Pocornia did not know what the pink mare was about to do, but it was clear to her that she was about to do something. Pocornia watched the pink pony's squint her eyes, grit her teeth, snarl her lips and nose, drawing a long breath of the fresh Equestrian air before shouting "NYAGH!" Pocornia mirrored the pink ponies facial expression, shouting "NYAGH!" back at the pink pony. "NYAAAGH!" The pink pony fired back. "NYAAAGH, NYAAAGH, NYAAAGH!" Pocornia retorted. "Hi Popcorn." The pink mare replied. "Hey Pinkie, whats up?" Pocornia asked. "Oh...I was just looking in the bushes for something to do." Pinkie answered. Pocornia gave Pinkie Pie a empathetic look then asked. "Are you bored?" Pinkie hung her head low. "Yes..." "Want to come with me to Canterlot to see the princesses?" Pocornia asked. "I'ed love to!" Pinkie Pie cheerfully declared. "Great, lets go." Pocornia said, moving up the path with Pinkie Pie alongside her. "Why do the Princesses want to see you, Popcorn?" Pinkie Pie asked. Pocornia went to speak. "I..." "Is it because you used your knowledge as a entrepreneur to create a self balancing unicycle you could have built at a low cost making it affordable to every pony?" Pinkie asked. Pocornia gave pinkie a humored look. "No..., but that is a good idea." Pinkie went to speak. "Is it..." "Alright, we are going to do this the whole way to Canterlot because I want to hear all of the silly guesses you can think up." Pocornia said, adding a delighted giggle. Pocornia and Pinkie Pie continued their journey, Pocornia listening and laughing at all of Pinkie Pie's absurd guesses on why the princesses of Equestria wanted to see her...
Season 1, Episode 1, part 1, The orb...Author's Note Just to clarify, I have toned down my usual writing finesse because I am trying to focus more on getting the story setup and out the door. That is why this episode has been broken up into two parts. Give this mini-series a few episodes before you like or dislike it. I am going to spice up part 2. I am just trying to get this out the door. Remember, I spend weeks at a time thinking out every little detail in my novel Popcorn, here I am doing something very new to me. Writing stories on the fly while trying to make them read well, this is new to me. But I don't want to compromise the standard I have set. I have to find a new way to flow with this kind of writing. With all that said, hopefully, you enjoyed this little intro and will enjoy future episodes! Season 1, Episode 1, part 1, The orb... Pocornia and Pinkie Pie neared the outskirts of Canterlot. Pocornia heaved, her stomach hurting from laughing so hard at some of Pinkie Pie's insane guesses as to why the they were on their way to Canterlot. They approached city's gate, Pocornia giving the gate keeper a quick nod as they entered. Their hooves tapped along the city's stone paths, many other ponies around them going about their day. "Canterlot is an interesting place..." Pinkie Pie looked all around, at the buildings and the stores. "And the buildings are so tall, maybe not as tall as the buildings in Manehatten or Baltimare. And another thing thats cool is some of the old army buildings are still here like that Barracks over there!" Pinkie pointed out. Pocornia turned her head, eyeing the barracks. It looked rather large, for square towers on each end of the square building connected by reinforced walls. She thought it looked like a smaller castle, her eyes watched the Equestrian guards patrolling the barrack's walls. "Yeah, that does look cool." "Popcorn, so why are we really here?" Pinkie questioned. "He isn't back is he?" Pocornia shook her head. "No, thats not why..." "Whats it about then?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Okay so...Princess Celestia wants me to start practicing with the orb. I figure she will give it to me and i'll just take it home." Pocornia answered. "Hmmmmmmm..." Pinkie Pie hummed. "I'm not sure how that would work because the magical scars I got disappeared after I came back to this timeline. "Pocornia answered. "Up here!" Pocornia pointed at a stone stairway ahead. Pocornia and Pinkie Pie approached Canterlot castle then ascended the courtyard stairway. Two Equestrian guards stood between them and the castle's entrance. "Oh my gosh, Pocornia, I have such a super awesome idea!" "Whats that?" Pocornia asked. "Lets use the orb to go timeline surfing!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "that'll cause so many problems..." Pocornia deadpanned. "Like...now is the time to get serious Pinkie." Pinkie Pie went to speak till Pocornia cut her off. "And besides, that is not how the orb works. Its not the multi-verse theory here...It doesn't just cross dimensions, its used to time travel, but doing something that changes the past would change everything else thus creating an alternate timeline!" Pinkie Pie reeled her head back a bit, a saddened look replacing her once enthusiastic smile. "So, we're not doing that!" Pocornia growled angrily. "Well, what are you yelling at me for?" Pinkie shot back. Pocornia squinted her eyes, proceeding to rub her face as she spoke. "I'm sorry, its just...I still haven't gotten over everything that happened." Pinkie Pie relaxed her frown. "I should have known that Pocornia, upsetting friends is never fun..." Pocornia rolled her eyes. "And the princesses want me to practice with the orb?" Pinkie Pie rushed ahead, opening a door for Pocornia. "That why we're here right?" Pocornia walked through the doorway, motioning for Pinkie to follower her into the castle foyer. "Yeah...Sapphire was right, I think its a bad idea." Pinkie Pie walked alongside Pocornia, giving her undivided attention. Pocornia shook her head. "I don't think I can use it anyway, the scars are gone and even if I could, what if I change time by accident or if I bring something from the past to the present or from the future?" "I don't think Princess Celestia would ask you to do this if she did not think you could handle it." Pinkie Pie affirmed. "She dunno..." Pocornia retorted, shaking her head. "She wasn't there in the gauntlet with me, Luna doesn't know that either!" "You mean the dream world?" Pinkie Pie questioned. "Spirit world, yeah..." Pocornia answered. "Well Pocornia, me and my friends have gone on lots of adventures throughout Equestria. Sometimes it was because she asked us too, other times it was Twilight's idea and we occasionally just ended up going on a adventure just because..." Pinkie Pie explained. "Because what?" Pocornia asked. "Just because!" Pinkie Pie chimed. "Just because..." Pocornia groaned. "What I mean is, if you don't think this is a good idea, you should say something. Princess Celestia will give it some thought, shes really good at that!" Pinkie Pie encouraged. "I'm just not used to the hero thing..." Pocornia sadly. Pocornia walked in silence, directing her attention on the hall leading to the throne room. Pinkie Pie followed behind her as they approached the throne room's door. "Its like her super power!" Pinkie Pie happily exclaimed. "What?" Pocornia replied, turning to look at Pinkie who wore a exaggerated smile, her eyes as wide as saucers. "oooooOOOOOOoooooo" Pinkie cooed. Pocornia snorted, choking on her own giggle. "There we go, that is what I wanted to see!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "Now relax and go do your thing for Equestria." Pocornia opened the throne room door. "Okay!" She replied, shutting the door behind her. She quickly turned the the three thrones, Celestia sat on the center throne with Luna to her left and Twilight to her right. "I didn't think I'ed be seeing all three of you!" Pocornia said with a smile. Pocornia approached Celestia, eyeing the orb atop a simple wooden cart. It stood between her and Celestia, everyone's gaze centered on it. Pocornia watched the smoke serpents contained within the orb slither around without deliberate direction. "Alright..." She muttered. "I need to say something." "And we are here to listen." Celestia acknowledged. "Why not lock it up and forget about it? Out of sight, out of mind..." Pocornia debated. Celestia leaned back in her throne, resting her hooves atop of each other. "As my once faithful student can tell you, I attempted to do that with the elements of harmony." "But then discord stole and hid them before me and my friends could use them against him." Twilight interjected. "Before he was reformed by Fluttershy!" Luna insisted. "Pocornia, while I understand your concerns. There is simply no other qualified pony in Equestria to handle the orb besides you." Celestia explained. "I'm not even sure if I can anymore, the scars are gone!" Pocornia countered. "Why just...I dunno, smash it?" "Something sentient inhabits the orb, destroying the beings vessel could destroy it or it may set it free. Knowing this, it cannot be out of sight, out of mind as you say." Luna argued. "and when the Dark Pony returns, using it against him will be the quickest way to end the battle." Pocornia lowered her shoulders, sighing heavily. She stared at the orb, watching the serpents encircling each other. "What if I do something to time..." Celestia offered Pocornia a friendly smile. "I am confident in your abilities." "Trust me, she is a very good teacher." Twilight added. "Can I practice at home?" Pocornia asked, giving Celestia a pleading look. Celestia nodded. "Of course." Pocornia sighed. "Alright..." Pocornia approached the cart, slowly raising one hoof over the orb. She held her hoof over it. Her mind aggressively drifted off, returning to the moment where she first touched the orb. She remembered the feeling, of it not being something meant to be touched, of it being an evil object capable of terrible things. She looked up at the princesses again, hating the thought of using the orb again...
Season 1, Episode 1, part 2, The orb...Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Season 1, episode 2, Whats this?Sapphire hastily opened the home's screen door. "Pocornia, listen to me. This is not what we should be doing!" Pocornia growled as she hauled the unconscious winged creature into the house. "Its, the, right, thing, to do!" She huffed. "We have no idea what that is, what if its dangerous!" Sapphire countered. Pocornia dragged the creature into their living room then carefully positioned it on the couch, resting its head under a soft pillow. "It might be dead, i dunno..." She mentioned as she covered the creature with blankets. Sapphire watched Pocornia as she tended to the creature. She quietly considered the unprecedented situation, for she knew that nothing like what Pocornia had just dragged into their home existed in Equestria. "What is it?" Pocornia silently replied with an uncertain gaze. "Don't you think we should tell the princesses?" Sapphire questioned. Pocornia shook her head. "I can't make another trip to Canterlot right now, but what I can do is get Fluttershy or Pinkie Pie to send Princess Twilight over here, it'll have to wait till the morning tho." Pocornia answered. "uuuhhhhhggghh." The creature groaned. Sapphire widened her eyes, covering her shocked face with her hoof. "Its waking up!" "Shhhh!" Pocornia countered. The creatures tightly gripped its face and groaned loudly. "Ugggh...what, where..." Sapphire felt her body shake while she watched the creature awaken, it moved its lengthy limbs around and flexed its incredibly large wings. "Its going to hurt us!" She squealed as she ran into the kitchen. Pocornia quietly watched the creature awaken, it threw the blankets off and setup on the couch. "Do you want food or a hot drink?" The creature hung its head while it rubbed its eyes. "All I remember is a shock, what happened?" "Honestly, I don't know." Pocornia flatly answered in a dull tone. The creature lifted its gaze to Pocornia, she stared at her for several seconds before quirking an eyebrow at her "What are you?" "I'm a pony, what are you?" Pocornia replied, her squeaky voice sounding saturated in bewilderment. "Ponies do not talk." The creature rebuked. "Maybe they don't where you come from..." Pocornia contested. The creature reached for its offended ears, the piercing pitch of the pony's voice agitated it to no end and she did not want conversate with such a simple farm animal any longer than necessary. "Stop squawking pony!" Sapphire peaked from around the kitchen corner. "I told you it would hurt us!" "Don't worry, I got it." Pocornia replied. "What are you, whats your name?" The creature centered its gaze on Pocornia. She thought the mare gave off a peculiar impression with her long blonde hair that puffed up at the ends like popcorn balls. "What are you?" Pocornia sat down then unfurled her wings for show. "My name is Pocornia and I am a Pegasus." She answered before turning to point out Sapphire whom timidly hid around a doorways corner. "And that is my wife Sapphire and she is very scared of you so if you could smile and wave, that would be great..." Pocornia explained in a gimmicky tone before letting her voice trail off. It did not know where it was or how it had gotten there, what the first thing it needed to do or what events were going to come to pass so it settled for taking a wait and see approach to the situation it was in. With that in mind, it waved a hand at Sapphire and smiled. "Hi...I'm not going to hurt you, my name is Zoey and your name is Sapphire?" Sapphire nodded at Zoey. "What are you, why did you have a sword?" Zoey rested her hands on her knees. "I am a Valkyrie...I was home until a bright green light surrounded me. I panicked and rushed for my sword before it overwhelmed me." Pocornia anxiously rubbed the back of her head. "Um..." Zoey looked down on Pocornia harshly, giving her a set of dagger eyes. "You..." "It was an accident!" Pocornia sheepishly confessed. "She didn't know what she was doing, we swear!" Sapphire cried. Zoey stood up from the couch, clenching her fists as she flashed her teeth between her stretching lips. "I ought to smite you where you stand!" She growled. Pocornia flailed her front legs wildly as she stumbled backward, landing hard on her rump as she scooped her own puffy tail up to use as a shield. "Why would we take you from your home, we didn't know, we swear!" Pocornia shrieked. "I have traded blows with armies from far away lands, spilled the blood of knights upon scorched battlefields, countered magic so terrifying that its use would be deemed punishable by death AND YOU A MERE PONY expect me to believe that you brought me here by accident?" Zoey shouted, leaning over her, speaking softly with scorn. "Do you take me for a fool?" Pocornia arms and legs shook, she hastily reached for a bowl of Mac and Cheese left out by Sapphire and presented it to Zoey, holding it before her angry eyes. "We were trying to help you!" Pocornia peered into Zoey's eyes, trying to rationalize the Valkyries anger. Just as she went to speak, she heard a loud ding and watched Zoey's eyes roll back into her head as she collapsed to the ground. Sapphire stood over Zoey, clutching a frying pan for dear life. "This chick is crazy!" "Um, Um, um..." Pocornia stuttered. "Tie her legs up and we're put her in the basement!" Sapphire anxiously suggested. Pocornia decided not to debate the issue with Sapphire, not that she thought she needed think it over much given that the Valkyrie intended to do her harm. She helped Sapphire secure Zoey with a power cord, the two of them proceeding to manhandle Zoey down a flight of stairs. "Lift your end up!" Pocornia stated, like her and Sapphire were moving a packed possession into storage. "What are we going to do with her?" Sapphire asked. "I should have listened to you, she is dangerous and I have to get the princesses involved fast!" Pocornia admitted. Author's Note Okay so, things are starting to settle down a bit. The world is crazy enough as it is right now, but things on my end have been truly insane with work, family things and other things. I'm sure a lot of people are in this position. I am learning how to use a video program called shotcut so I can start making youtube videos about writing fiction. I don't think I am a amazing writer, in fact, I think my writing is...flawed, but I do think I "hit a gem" at times...I think others could benefit if I talked about writing.
season 1, episode 3, she hit her!Pocornia is walking along the path with the princesses in tow. "And then she was talking about battlefields and spells punishable by death!" She says to Celestia. "Oh dear..." Twilight whined. "Tell us more" Luna insisted. "I tried to give her mac and cheese, but then she got really angry and that was when Sapphire bonked her on the head" Pocornia atested. Princess Celestia shot Sapphire a passive aggressive sneer/glare to which Sapphire slightly hung her head "You knocked her out?" Celestia asked for verification. "How was I suppose to know she wasn't going to shoot magic out her eyes!" Sapphire retorted All the ponies descend on Pocornia's home, Equestrian guards surrounding the home. "And then we carried her into the basement..." Pocornia sheepishly confessed. "pray tell us she does not have a lump on her head." Luna cried. "I'm sure a ice pack will clear that up in no time." Twilight reassured. "Well I...hit her pretty hard." Sapphire admitted. All of the ponies entered Pocornia's home, sprawling out so that they all would fit into the somewhat small home. "Let me get the key." Pocornia said as she searched her home for the basement door key. Princess Celestia, Luna and Twilight huddled together, exchanging worried looks amongst one another. "What is a Valkyrie?" "I went through my library very briefly before we came here and I don't think I have any books on Valkyries." Twilight answered. "As I said, this is unusual and I am very concerned." Celestia added. "Celestia, you haven't told me about the orb, what it does or why you gave it to Pocornia. What is going on here?" Twilight boldly questioned. "It is a long story Twilight. I will tell it to you another time." Celestia answered with indignation in her voice. "I got the key!" Pocornia declared, moving towards the basement door. Pocornia, the princesses and their entourage of guard ponies made their way down the flight of stairs. They all assembled in front of the support beam the Valkyrie was tied too. The Valkyrie sat, unconscious, her hair hanging over her face. "Hello?" Pocornia cooed. Some of the guard ponies approached the Valkyrie. They tugged on her shoulders in an effort to awaken her, but their touch did not seem to affect her. Celestia, Luna and Twilight stood in awe of the Valkyrie. Despite Celestia and Luna's long life and Twilight's many hours of study, neither of them had ever laid their eyes on such a creature before or any creature of similar description. "I...have a counter magic spell in mind." Twilight announced. Celestia looked around the basement, she quickly noticed that every pony was accounted for except Pocornia. Her eyes darted to Sapphire. "Where is Pocornia?" The stairway's floorboards creaked in succession, Pocornia descending the stairs with a warm bowl of steaming mac and cheese. She approached Zoey and held the bowl under her nose, allowing the smell of mac and cheese to tempt Zoey's nostrils. Zoey begun to wiggle around, trying to work against the rope holding her to the support beam. "Why am I..." She murmured, confusion dulling at her senses. "Its okay..." Pocornia assured "We won't hurt you, again..." Pocornia explained while glaring at Sapphire disapprovingly. "How about some mac and cheese?" Pocornia asked "Hmmm?" Zoey centered her gaze on the seemingly carefree pony before her. It smiled warmly at her as it presented the meal to her, looking at her with its gentle eyes. She quietly considered the possibility that she may have gotten confrontational with the pony without a credible justification. "tell me where I am and why I am here." Zoey inquired. Pocornia lowered her mac and cheese begrudgingly, her mouth forming a sad frown. "Well, you see...I made a mistake with a magical orb. I didn't know what I was doing. Its my fault." "I don't understand." Zoey rebutted. "Its a long story, but one thing at a time." Pocornia replied. Pocornia stepped back to give Pocornia some space. She allowed Zoey a moment to look around, watching her gaze hop across all the different ponies in the room. Pocornia decided to introduce them all. "That is princess Celestia." Pocornia said with a quick point of her hoof. "How do you do?" Celestia politely asked. Pocornia pointed Luna out. "And that is princess Luna." "Glad tidings, we are friendly." Luna explained. Zoey arched her back and struggled against her binds. "I want to be released now." she stated in a flat tone. Twilight stepped forward and gave Zoey a gentle nod. "My name is Twilight Sparkle and I am the princess of friendship. My friends and I are really excited to spend time with you." "I just want to return to my home." Zoey angrily pleaded. Pocornia quickly shielded herself with her arms. "Don't worry, If i can get you here then I can send you back. I just have to figure out how, but it'll take awhile." Zoey never considered finding herself in a situation such as the one she was now in. It made her question the very reason of her being. She was a Valkyrie, a winged battle maiden charged with the purpose of delivering judgement and death to the unclean in the most barbaric manner describable. Her world, the world she was removed from, can't possibly be anything like the one governed by the common animals surrounding her. She had to momentarily ponder how she could end up in such a world. "I need to return to my home, I have a duty to my people." Celestia stepped forth and gave Zoey a empathetic nod. "I understand more than you know and I assure you that we will do everything within our power to return you to your world as quickly as possible. However, we must first investigate the matter of how you got here and how we can mitigate any potential problems that may arise from your presence here. Our world is not a place of misery, violence and war..." Celestia explained while she shifted her gaze to Pocornia. "My subject will bring us the orb for us to inspect. "I'll go get it..." Pocornia interjected while she purposefully made her way up the basement stairs. Author's Note The next chapter will cover Zoey as a character in more detail.
