Good Intentions

2
"Beautiful Machine"

The laboratory was right outside of Ponyville, but no pony knew about it. The six and a few family members, they knew, and they were going to keep it that way. A deceptively secure, yet very dilapidated-looking shed housed it. The windows, dark and boarded up, had the first floor actuality beneath the ground... it looked as though the shed had almost collapsed. Dead trees, mud and muck surrounded it. This was ideal, as no pony would want to explore anywhere near it, not even the bravest of idle colts.

Twilight would go there at night or very early in the morning at regular intervals. She would work with wires, tempered glass, machines, welding tools, and crystals... her friends brought everything she needed that she couldn't easily get herself. Big Mac's strength certainly came in handy, totting all things back and forth. Now, that would begin to stop... the machine was complete enough to work.

One of the first things the purple Unicorn did the day after the party was stick the red crystal above her machine and forget about it. The second thing she did was sort through what else she had brought -- small trinkets and tools to try out. No pony, but Spike, was to be present the first time. If one thing went wrong, it would not leave the room.. if it went right, Twilight's friends would be welcome the next time to watch.

She tried first to clone a simple ring. Spike brought her the tiny object and behind the glass it went. She pushed on a single crystal and they all glowed together, making a cacophony of sounds... music almost, and that's all it took. Magic was the rest, superseding logic in its application. Behind the other glass, feet away was another ring... exactly the same.

"Success!" Twilight cried as Spike went to hoof bump her with his claws.

Spike now had two fine rings to wear, the first one curiosity of Rarity.

Next Twilight tried something a little more practical... a broom. She put the nearly pony-length object behind the glass and pushed on the crystal. The same pattern of sounds came from the machine and, in seconds after the great glow, she had yet another broom for Spike to work with.

Spike had an idea... he set a Bit down beneath the glass and turned to Twilight, eyes pleading with the studious Unicorn.

"Absolutely not!" she scowled. "Spike, that's totally unethical and highly illegal! If you don't want me to kick your little tail out of her, you will remove that Bit right now."

"Okay, okay," Spike said, dejectedly pulling the Bit from the glass. "How 'bout a... ruby then?"

"I don't know, Spike," said Twilight, seriously considering it. "Some ponies trade gems for money. It doesn't seem right."

"I'm just going to eat it!" Spike replied, laughing hardly. "You said you wanted to see if it could really clone food, why not have me be your guinea pig? What's the worst that can happen?"

"Seriously?" Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yeah!"

"For a baby dragon eating a gem...? Oh, just flaming diarrhea."

Spike shuttered:

"Seriously?"

Twilight nodded, while Spike pondered the few advantages of that condition:

"Would that get me out of work today?"

"Oh, yeah." Twilight chuckled. "Big time, Spike."

"Well, I'll try it," replied the dragon, while patting his chest and showing no fear.

"Alright, then," Twilight couldn't believe she was allowing this. "You asked for it!"

The budding Unicorn Scientist took a small gem from Spike and placed it behind the glass. She followed the same pattern as she had to clone the other trinkets and soon enough... there were two gems beneath the glass.

"Eat it slowly, Spike," said Twilight firmly, as the dragon's eyes grew wide looking at his new treat. "And tell me if it tastes any different from the other gems you've had."

The Unicorn took the newly recreated gem from beneath the glass and passed it to Spike. His mouth watered as his greedy claws grasped it... it looked better, less tarnished than the original. He did not take Twilight's advice, eating half the gem in one bite.

"Hey! I said slowly!" Twilight snapped.

"Oh." Spike smiled, swallowing. "Sorry."

"Well, don't come crying to me if you get a stomach ache or worse," Twilight said, trying not to sound too angry. "How does it taste?"

The dragon paused for a moment, considering the question... licking his lips, checking his taste buds. He could summarize it in just a few words:

"It's wonderful, Twilight!" A grin spread itself across his face. "It has the consistency of a fresh gem, but the taste of an aged one... the best of both worlds!"

Spike ate the other half while Twilight pondered the meaning of this new data.

"It's say most likely mission accomplished, Spike," she finally said, as she watched Spike grab the original gem from behind the glass and lick his lips. "We just have to monitor your symptoms and, if you're fine... I'll just have to test it on myself next."

"Good, good," Spike said, taking a bite of his gem. He swallowed it, and grinned. "This gem tastes like most other gems... not as wonderful as the last one, though."

Spike got ready to eat the other half when Twilight stopped him:

"Hey Spike, can I borrow that gem for just a few more minutes?"

"Alright," Spike said, handing it over to her magic, "but what would you want with a half-eaten gem?"

"You'll see," Twilight responded, setting the bit jewel behind the glass again.

She followed nearly the same sequence again, but this time she pushed a yellow gem at the end instead of a green. Spike watched curiously as the machine glowed yet again, emitting a slightly different tune.

On the other side, behind the glass, was the gem as it was before Spike took a bite from it.

Both pony and dragon's eyes went wide, but for different reasons. Spike was happy to have another treat, and Twilight... with this machine Twilight was going to make a lot of hungry ponies in Equestria feel very full, very quickly, with very little.

"Can I have it, Twilight?" Spike asked, the same gem lust in his eyes.

"Sure, Spike," said the Unicorn, opening both glasses to the dragon. "But that's it for cloning gems today... I wouldn't want to make your symptoms any worse, if you're going to have any. We have to watch you for now."

Spike wasn't listening. He was already digging in to the clone gem... savoring every second. Again, it's texture was strong and new, but its taste sweet and aged. It was perfection.

Twilight worked over her machine for a few hours and watched him while she did so... she never noticed any peculiar symptoms. If anything, his demeanor was ordinary.

That evening Spike took a letter expressing the good news to the Princesses. Celestia wrote back and she was enthralled, but said it would take more time and testing. Twilight had, after all, a very small-scaled version of what Celestia was envisioning for her kingdom... making an endless supply of food for all her people. Celestia herself wanted to see what the machine could do before she'd allow it into the Canterlot Laboratories. The machine was experimental yet, which was why she wished to keep it so quiet... for now.

* * *

Days passed with different things cloned. The machine would make a near perfect copy of what was placed beneath the glass.... near perfect because it was better than perfect:

"Extraordinary," Twilight commented.

Anything older placed beneath the glass, like an antique watch, would come out with still many of the aesthetic imperfections... but the guts would be strong as if it was brand new. Another broom placed beneath the glass with old bristles came out with the bristles broken in, but strong as ever. Tarnished Silverware, old outfits of Rarity's, and more still looked as though they were owned, but were no longer tarnished by age. This machine could make perfection.

It was then that Twilight decided to clone pony food. She took a cupcake from the bakery, left it out all night, and placed it beneath the glass the very next day. It came out on the other side, looking identical.

"Here goes nothing," the Unicorn said, levitating a fork and opening the glass.

She sampled the clone cupcake with Spike. The icing did not taste a day old, but rather as though the cake was just made. The substance itself had a texture that was strong, homemade... just like Mrs. Cake's recipe, if it were fresh.

Twilight then tried the other cake, only half. The icing was less moist, the cake a bit dryer... it tasted like a day old cupcake.

"Wow!" The Unicorn grinned. "I've got to share this machine with the world!"

She then replicated the whole cake yet again for safe measure, and enjoyed it once more with Spike. Neither the Unicorn, nor the reptile got sick... and both felt sated. Twilight was excited! She had to step it up... clone a larger number of things at one time.