Voluntary : Friendship is a Light in the Darkness
“Voluntary : Friendship is a Light in the Darkness
Show Plot : In the land of “Nullasocii” or “Earth”, inhabited by hairless monkeys, named “humans”, the “Ilio Nation” is falling apart : after a long war between this nation and another one, named “Achrean League”, lost by Ilio, an uprising exploded, and succeeded to pass the command staff passed from the old but wise “Secretary” to the hands of the “Premier”, a tyrant with a big ego and speech skill but very small ruling ability; and thus, letting the nation falling in a “Tech Middle Age”; where the only way to survive without begin an high-class citizen is rob and kill who has money... and maybe even rack the supplies up from the poor.
But in a city, named “Anchisea”, a group of friends, tired of seeing the world shattering under the deeds of incompetent bureaucrats and miscellaneous crimes, rounds up, and decided to create the “Silver Shield”, a self-sustaining organization with the goal of improving the life of the inhabitants of the city and the nation :composed by volunteers, the group is seek ed by the criminals for meddling with their business, and they struggle for surviving almost everyday.
The main characters are :
Marika Yesbrat : a 24-years old woman who works as architect on her own : she was the one that gave the impulse to the whole project, and works in the Silver Shield as leader and architect for the civil infrastructures : in fact, she is the only architect that gave projects for hospitals, schools and other, while the other architects just gave blueprints for luxury houses and stuffs like that; her personality is the one of an energetic and yet rational one, but her pride causes some problem about how to act correctly in some situations.
Simon Patern : a 25 years old man working as medic in the only hospital in the range of 50km: his work in the organization is of Medical Trainer : basically, he gives the base medical training at every person above the age of 18 that wanted to be a medic but could not afford study in the University and didn't had the (scarce) “Statal Bonuses”; his personality is very cold the most of the times, but he is capable of melting sometimes.
Roger Hamilton : the oldest element, 30 years old, is a businessman owning a food chain that organize Soup Kitchens once in a month : he supplies the organization with his money and supplies; he is very lazy, but is also diplomatic, and this made him the “Face of the Silver Shield”, and their finest diplomatic.
Mark Grevi: A 26 years old with a big textile industry, not long before one of the favorite factories of the greatest fashion designers, before that Mark passed his production in more cheaper but more moral basic shirts and pants; His personality is eccentric and he is a drama king, however, he is always ready to offer some help.
Victor Yesbrat, a 17-years old, brother of Marika : he study in the one few schools that were still standing after ten years of continued raze. He isn't propley a member, considering that he doesn’t gives an handful skill to the community, but because still wanted to do his part in the sister's group, he does some hours a week of work in the hospital in the Pediatrics sector as Group Consuler : he comes in the rooms, and pass bed to bed, trying to make the children relax and maybe forgetting how they got that injuries; his personality isn't something that someone could grasp, however, it was never seen depressed or furious, and his tendency to pull pranks cheer the elements up.
History of the show : at first only a dark subversion of Equestria, where the war and the serious crimes are an everyday thing; the show got off from the target audience, the young adult stallions, for moving on to a bigger target : the constant bloodshed of every episode was changed to a more hope-filled show and with an aesop in every episode, sometimes quite controversial, like :
“Sometimes the violence is the only way to act without begin crushed”, “If the opportunity is given, the oppressed can be more cruel than the oppressor” and “Peer pressure is good because makes you try new things.”
At first the hardcore fans complained, but when the creators started to show some “winks” about this, they got along with it and now the fans, called “Humares” are growing in number day to day more.....”
Sweetie Belle launched away the pamphlet given by Scootaloo about the new show aired on television : she could believe that such a bloody thing could be liked by the fillies, or to a pony in general for that matter :she felt the whole thing quite wrong, but after all, trying wasn't going to hurt, so she simply headed for the Applebloom's house, knocked the door and waited an answer.
A minute later, Applebloom and Scootaloo opened : Appelbloom had a shirt with this phrase written on :
“Every time a step ahead...”, while Scootaloo had a disguise composed by a fake beard resembling the one of a goat and a flamboyant shirt, Sweetie Belle sighed and sat down on the coach of Applebloom's house and relaxed : after two minutes, the opening started
An organ started to play slowly, on the screen the imagine of a building full of colored windows showed up, and a male chorus sung
“The Hope Light is lit up
and we,
the Silver Shield,
are going to
protect this Light
until it will be
so wide that will engulf
in its flames the wrongs
and purify them....”
A fast tune of electric guitar broke the solemn tune, the location changed to a green park in the middle of an under construction area and the chorus went faster
“The way of spreading ? It doesn’t matter.
Whatever if
it's placing a band aid on a wound
or fend off an aggressor,
feeding someone
or helping a soul
to reach higher planes
we are here to help
and see the Hope brighting up
for a more just world
for a better life...
a more just world
a better life...” the chorus stopped, and a jocking voice said
“Be satisfied or be refund !”.
Then the episode started : the initial situation showed Victor going to the hospital volunteering by his signature three-wheeled vehicle with a platform for carrying objects behind the driver's seat.
When he arrived and went down his vehicle, he greeted Simon Patern exiting from the hospital by bowing and saying :
“Good morning Simon, what's going on up there ? From your face I can tell that something of strange happened !”
Simon said in an unusual playful tone : “Nothing of too much special: just operated a talking horse”
Victor laughed and said “Ahah, you are so funny Simon! Come on, what happened next ? Did you found in his guts some explosive confetti ?”
“Well kind of.. anyway, time to go: see you later, assistant”, then Simon took a “car” and went away.
Later, Victor was showed while he was a hospital room while doing his “job” : hearing the kid's concerns and try to get them relaxed.
While he was sitting near a kid called Rinaldo, who was wounded on the lip, Victor asked “So, Rinaldo, do you have something to talk about with me ? I'm all for you in this twenty minutes”
Rinaldo watched Victor like a savior, and this was exaggerated by a sound effect of a brief trumpet, he said “Well, Victor... I am quite angry about what that mean doctor did to me...”
“What ?”
“He closed my lip wound while I was fully aware, without the possibility of countering or having some pain pills”
Victor sweated cold, and flashbacks of his past appeared on the screen : Victor when was a one year old, with his lip reduced to pulp, and a group of surgeons sewing the mess with Victor trying to flee from the operators bed.
Applebloom said while the imagines passed on screen : “So far, what do you think about it, Sweetie Belle ?”
“Mmmm, I'm starting to like it, however, I feel strange about seeing it...”
“It's normal : after all, it was designed for young colts, not fillies, and thinking about it have its shock value”
“Yes, yes, but now could you stop please ?” said Scootaloo
Sweetie Belle passed her attention on the TV again : this time, the ambient was the Victor's room at night : the scene depicted Victor while he tried to sleep, thinking about the encounter with the lip-damaged kid.
Victor was shown trying the impossible to sleep, passing from taking some chamomile tea to banging his head on the wall : nothing worked, the flashbacks of the operation still tormented him, until.. he broke the fourth wall :
“God, someone could help me ? Like... erasing this memoir ? It's embarrassing begin depicted as a nostalgic grandpa or a psychopath instead of a quite cheerful but tormented boy !”
Then Sweetie Belle didn't felt anymore the coach: thinking that she was sitting for too much time, she tried to stand up, but nothing happened : she felt nailed to the coach, she said :
“Applebloom ? Scootaloo ? Do you feel nailed to the coach ? “
Applebloom answered “Yes... and it seems that the room is shattering : what's going on?”
“I have no idea!” said Scootaloo
“Well, then it's better find out how to go away fr... OH MY CELESTIA THE SKY IS TURNING IN TO THE COSMIC NOTHING!” said Sweetie Belle before losing awareness
“SWEETIE BELLE! SCOOTALOO!” : that were the last words that were heard before all the three fillies went down.
Voluntary : Friendship is a Light in the Darkness
When Sweetie Belle awoke, she found herself in the middle of a lawn, under a light rain that caused her tremble of cold.
She rotated her head for see her surroundings : dead trees covered by musk where almost everywhere, some empty needles where scattered around Sweetie Belle and her friends and a bipedal shadow was lurking in the middle of the bushes.
Sweetie Belle tried to slap herself with an hoof for check if she was dreaming, but nothing happened : the shadow was still there, and so was the scenery.
The white filly tried to wake up her companions : she screamed “Applebloom ! Scootaloo ! Wake up! We are in the middle of a forest !”
Scootaloo was the first to wake up at the Sweetie Belle's scream, she watched her surroundings and said :
”I recognize this place... and it seems that we are in trouble”, pointing to the shadow, who was running without coordination to Applebloom screaming :
“Dove è la mia dose ? Dove è ? Ah sì, ce l'avete voi !” : the shadow got from, and seemed a human, and he was pulling off a knife, seeming determined to attack Applebloom still unconscious.
Scootaloo tried to charge his leg, but nothing happened : the drugged was still running towards Applebloom, pursuing his “dose”, Sweetie Belle screamed scared “HELP! HELP!”, while the human arrived on Applebloom and cutted her left foreleg quite deep.
Awaken by the pain, Applebloom screamed of pain and tried to run away chased by the drugged who landed blows on the ground.
After some seconds of fighting, when all seemed lost, a deep and yet young voice was heard in the woods :
“Smettila, o questa sarà la tua ultima Betitudine Artificiale !”
The human stopped to attack Applebloom for running to the voice in the woods, and from the woods appeared... Victor Yesbrat ?
Yes, he was him, and was right there saving Applebloom and the others from a painful fate by using a weapon called “butterfly knife”.
The drugged human jumped over Victor with the knife pointed at him, but failed and hit the ground, while Victor landed a blow over his leg and cut open it : the human started to growl and counter-attacked, hitting the Victor's foot : Victor screamed of pain, but seeing an opportunity for stop the drugged, Victor kicked the human's face and landed a blow over its back: the drugged stopped dead in his tracks and said :
“Pagherai per avermi ucciso...”
“Non ti ho ucciso, ti ho semplicemente immobilizzato” Victor used a flare and said “ buoyant prigione!”, then Victor did a sign of go to the fillies, before realizing that were horses : his face seemed surprised, but soon after wards he shrugged off and did the sign again, but the three fillies didn't moved : they had an emotion between the scared and the surprised in their faces: after all, they got saved by a TV character, and the most peaceful one, no less.
Victor went near them doing some strange sounds with his mouth, this kept going until Scootaloo said :
“Hey, why you are doing this ? Is your way to threat the fillies ? Well, then you need to change your way, Victor”
Victor gasped of surprise and said “What ? You can talk ? And how you know my name ?”
“Of course we talk, silly! And I know your name because you are famous !”
“I am famous ? Well, that's a news ! Ora, dove accidenti ho lasciato l' antidoto per la droga ?”
“What did you said ?”
“Nothing, nothing... non sembrano allucinazioni.... bhè, è il momento di chiamare mia sorella...” Victor took off from his trench coat a little black box called “radio”, with the distinctive silver shield on the back, Victor opened the box, adjusted some knobs, then placed it near his mouth and said :
“Qui Aristotele, riporto tre cavalli parlanti attaccati da una persona sotto effetto di sostanze stupefacenti...
No Marika, non sono io il drogato e sono serio, cosa faccio ? Li porto al Dormitorio ?....
Ok, ricevuto, passo e chiudo”, Victor closed the radio, then said :
“Alright, what are your names, little ponies ? My name is Victor ”
“Mine it's Scootaloo, nice to meet you”
“My name is Sweetie Belle, and I am glad to meet you”
“My name is Applebloom, where we are going ?”
Victor coughed for clear the voice, then said :
“Well, first we will pass to the First Aid for the Applebloom's wound, then I will find a place for you to stay”
“Thanks Victor! You are so kind”
“No need to thank me, it's my duty “ : he took Applebloom in his arms and said to follow him to the “Ape”, who was later revealed by the three wheeled vehicle used many times during the show.
Victor placed carefully Applebloom on the pillowed seat near the driver's seat, while the others sat down on the borders, still taking some rain in the process.
During the travel, the three fillies talked about the just passed event, Scootaloo was the first to talk :
“Wow ! That was impressive! We got teleported in Nullasocii, and we got saved by one of the main character ! How cool is that ? I mean, many stereotyped fics about “Pony on Nullasocii” where like this, but, wow, when you feel it really for the first time is a shot!”
“I guess that sometimes reality is unrealistic ! Anyway, Applebloom, why you are trembling “
“It's cold... now I get why the humans wear clothes : they suffer the cold”
“Clearly, Applebloom, here the weather goes by its own rules, and it's unlikely to see the sun”
“Well, I hope to find a warm place soon: I don't want to catch a serious cold !”.
That said, the “Ape” stopped in front of a big, gray building : the Divided Dice Shelter !
Victor went down the vehicle and said to the fillies to wait some assistance in carrying them : after five minutes, two female volunteers exited along with Victor : the volunteers took Applebloom carefully and carried her in the building , while Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle followed Victor for make them see the dormitory of the building : the two fillies were watched with curiosity by the “guests”, especially the little kids, who tried more than once to go over them and asking questions like :
“Can I pet her ?” , “How...” and “Where they come from ?”.
The two fillies watched the kids running around, but they assumed that were just curios: after all, live in a totally gray building should be very boring, and certain every different thing should cause a massive backlash of interest.
When they arrived, Victor opened the door and showed the empty dormitory :
“The last one still empty, chose this because I'm not certain about how you will react to the behavior of some people”
“Well, it's nice from your part, but we can handle the chaos : as long they aren't mean to us...”
“This. I don't know the psychological profile of everyone, thus, this is your place until we manage to communicate to everyone to DO NOT ENTER in this room without permission.”
“Got it Victor” said Scootaloo, before seeing Applebloom returning in the arms of a woman : she was somehow sleeping, and had a smile on her little face, the woman just placed Applebloom down on the bed and went away.
Victor was going to say they should move away for not disturb Applebloom, for then seeing her awaking and saying : “That..was indeed pretty intense” .
Victor grinned, and sat down on a bed, preparing the questions for the three fillies :
“So, from where are you from ? I know it isn't this world, but...”
“From Equestria, a dimension where almost the 50% of the animals can talk and have complex emotions”
“I guess from the name that the horses and ponies are, between all sentient begins, the dominating.”
“Gotcha Victor”
“And well, you doesn’t seem totally equal : Scootaloo has wings and Sweetie Belle has an horn, care to explain me why ?”
“It's because Sweetie Belle is an unicorn and Scootaloo is a pegasus”
“And does it matters politically, if you know something about it ? I mean, does something change between pegasi, unicorns and “normal” ponies about their works ?”
“Actually, there are work differences : while the unicorns are more suited for works more connected to the mind; the Earth ponies, as the “normal” ponies are called, does mostly more sweaty work, they are suited to do every work not pertaining the sky; while the pegasi are mostly althles and weather controllers..”
“Uhm, got it, now, more about you again.... how did you knew my name ? Be honest, I can handle everything”
Sweetie Belle mumbled and said : “Well, it's because you and your friends are part of a TV show for young colts, a cartoon for the chronicle sake”
Victor widened his eyes, then he smiled and said : “ don't know if you are joking, but that's quite interesting ! Now I'm curios. Tell me: what is my role in that show ?”
“You are one of the main character : you are depicted as peaceful, funny human, with a great knowledge about almost everything, thought, no one can tell what will happen with you”
“They did a photography of me! I mean... it's awesome for me : at least my name is famous somewhere, even if it is a far dimension in a kid TV show !”
“Aaand... you are famous for your catchphrase “Every time a step Ahead” and “I saw the Hell around me... and tried to coll it down”
Victor giggled “My usual phrase in the morning and what I say when a kid ask me if I suffered his pains and I ma understanding his pain !”
“The other characters are your Sister Marika, the food chain store owner Roger Hamilton, the fashion addict Mark Grevi and finally the cold medic Simon Patern .”
“Well, they quite impressive that all the founders of the Silver Shield are part of this show as main characters... and there is something speculative on me and them ?”
Applebloom silenced and said : “Well... they did an infamous story where you do incest on your sister; a fic where you kill hospital kids just for fun and someone speculated, when you argued with Roger about his idea of turning the Silver Shield in a religious organization , that you are atheist and a bad example to every little foal”
“What's wrong about atheist ? Did your land is full of mad preachers ?”
“Not properly, but we are ruled by two psychical goodness, and begin atheist is considered high betrayal against the state from where I am from”
“Guess what, there God never shows himself, nor rule a nation, unless we are talking about ancients civilizations, and even there, they weren't gods : the kings were just kings treated as gods.
Plus, here we choose our leader... unless someone tried to take it by force, of course”
“ So you choose your leader ? How cool ! Did you tried to be elected ?”
Victor chuckled : “No, Scootaloo, only some people aged enough can be elected as leader, and I am not one of them, the others are just vote and chose “
“ Oh, pity, that would be interesting to see : leading this nation out of the darkness turning it into a shining example of the power of friendship in this war and crime-torn world”
“And that's why we are trying to her Roger elected : he is old enough, he has a great speech ability and he is used to the trick of the politics”, Victor watched his clock and said :
“Well, time's up, I must go to home, or else my sister will be worried, bye”
“Bye Victor”
“Bye”
“Bye, wanna-be medic!”.