My Little Pony: Third Gear

Chapters

1B. Journey To the Dusk
2A. Arrival In the Brilliant City
2B. Heart of Light and Dark
3. Inheritance
4. Pinkopalypse Now
5. Delivering Hope
6. Revenge of the Magician
7. Thirdson Gearhead and the Artificer's Will
8. Basic Training
9. War Gaming the System
10. Storm Watch
12. A Dragon's Honour
13. Depths of the Abyss
14. When the Nightmare Comes To Light
15. Brain Children
16. Just a Program
17. Planning For Chaos
18. When Chaos Is Your Friend
19. They Came From the Rift
20. Life Reflected In Words
21. Life Reflected Through Mirrors
22. Reflections of the Self
23. Distorted Reflections
24. Moments to Reflect With Doc Wolf (MRWDW)
25. The Battle for Reflected Canterlot
1A. Preparations From the Dawn
11. Enter the Arena
26. The Battle of the Reflected Everfree

1B. Journey To the Dusk

Chapter 1B: Journey to the Dusk

Twilight Sparkle and her friends had gone to Canterlot plenty of times, and she had seen Princess Celestia fairly often since her move to Ponyville, but tests always made Twilight nervous. She could not help pacing a little even as Spike and her friends helped her out by quizzing her on magic during the train ride. And while riding with Gearhead usually meant getting to their destination more quickly, the Unicorn was glad to have more time with which to prepare.

When the train arrived at Canterlot Station, Twilight insisted on going ahead of the others, while Spike tagged along. At the palace, Twilight became uncertain when she saw Luna heading out, a stern expression on her face.

“Thank you for coming so quickly, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight turned her full attention to her mentor. “You said you wanted to see me? To give me a test? I brought my own quills, and plenty of extra paper to show my work!” She dropped her saddlebags, which were filled to overflowing, and a long roll of paper bounced out and started unrolling directly toward the princess. “Sorry!” Twilight scrambled to roll it back up.

“This is a different sort of test,” Princess Celestia said, quickly but smoothly lifting the parchment with her magic and rolling it back up before replacing it in Twilight’s bag. “It seems the Crystal Empire has returned.”

“Crystal Empire?” Twilight used her own magic to levitate a number of geography and history books, but she could not remember any of them so much as mentioning that location, which was strange if it was powerful enough to be called an empire. “I’m sorry, I don’t seem to have any mention of it in any of my books.”

“You wouldn’t, and this is, as I said, a different sort of test.” Princess Celestia scooped the books out of Twilight’s control, and put them away. She led her pupil closer to the throne, and lifted a large, distinctively shaped crystal from besides the throne. “Few even remember the empire ever existed.” The princess set the large ingot on the floor between herself and Twilight, and sent her magic into it.

The magic-light hologram that shone forth from the crystal showed a thriving, circular city with buildings, especially a large palace, built of crystal. Crystal Ponies were even shown happily walking the streets. “This once-thriving city was the crown jewel of Equestria, but then a dark and powerful Unicorn who sought only power took control in a bloody coupe.”

In the hologram, a grey Unicorn with a black, flowing mane and eyes that shone with green and purple energy appeared. His horn was curved, tipped in red, and his armour was ridged, with four short horns on the helm. “Sombra, whose soul was blacker than the night, was a true tyrant, enslaving the Crystal Ponies for his own desires.” The palace changed so it was made of dark blue, jagged crystals. The other previously-shining crystal structures were grey or black and dull. The ponies’ coats lost most of their colour and sparkle, and their manes drooped as they trudged past the palace in chains, some of which had dried blood on it. Sombra only laughed in seeming satisfaction as he looked on from a tower.

“Luna and I managed to defeat King Sombra, turning him to shadow and sealing him in the arctic ice. But Sombra was belligerent to the end, placing a curse on the Crystal Empire, so that when he vanished, it went with him, together with all the Crystal Ponies who were caught within its bounds at the time. Now the Crystal Empire has returned, and we fear Sombra means to re-conquer it.

“This cannot be allowed to happen, for while the Crystal Empire is full of light and hope,” Princess Celestia shot a rainbow spectrum through the hologram, and Twilight watched it light up the room. “Those qualities are reflected across Equestria. However if fear and hate take hold...” Twilight watched in fascination as Princess Celestia struggled against her better nature. The Unicorn used Shift Focus, and saw her teacher’s golden aura become muddy, until it was black. Then green and purple magic bubbled from her horn and eyes. The dark blast found the hologram’s center, and from it sprang a dark crystal. Two shadows stretched from that, and two more crystals rose from the floor, causing Twilight to backpedal quickly. Princess Celestia shifted her magic again, shattering the dark crystals with a quick wave of Light Magic.

Both mares stood in silence for a moment. “What can I do?”

“You can start by going to the Crystal Empire. Princess Cadence and Shining Armour are already there,”

“My brother’s there?” Twilight immediately perked up.

“Yes. It will be your job to find a way to protect the Crystal Empire from King Sombra. And you won’t be doing it alone: your friends from Ponyville will all be joining you.” Princess Celestia walked Twilight to the doors that led to the castle courtyard, where Luna met them again. “I cannot stress enough the importance of this task. Are you up for it, Twilight Sparkle?”

“Yes, of course. I won’t fail you!”

“Good, because you must be the one to find a feasible defence for the Empire. Succeed in this task, and you will be ready for the next step.”

“But what if I do fail?”

“Hold to your resolve, and I’m certain you will succeed. Now go, and good luck.” Princess Celestia turned, and the doors closed between teacher and student.

“Well, I certainly wasn’t prepared for this,” Twilight said ruefully. She turned away from the doors, and deliberated methodically over the information the princess had given to her.

“So what happened? Did you pass?” Spike asked.

“It wasn’t a written test,”

“What, then?”

“I’ll explain when we get to the others,” Twilight said, and Spike went to follow.

“It looks like they decided to come to us,” Spike said, pointing as the five other mares became visible, walking through one of the more open sections in front of the palace.

“So what happened?” Dash asked.

“Do we get to celebrate your passing with flying colours?” Pinkie asked. She aimed her Party Canon straight up and fired it.

“I didn’t pass,”

The others gasped. Pinke's confetti somehow returned to their canon.

“Because it’s not that kind of test.”

“Oh thank Celestia,” Fluttershy said.

“What then?” Rarity asked.

“We’re going to the Crystal Empire,” Twilight proclaimed. The others gave her blank expressions to match the one that must have been on her face when Princess Celestia mentioned it: they did not know about it either.

Just then they heard a low-volume, high whine coming from above the palace behind Twilight. They turned to watch as a large silver form flew overhead. It slowed as it seemed to skid through the air, orienting on them even as it descended. Past the others’ disbelieving, dropped jaws, Twilight noticed the distinctive pinpricks of light coming off of the stern, and more prominently from the fan-like turbines on the wings, which were curving up past the object’s body. As it came in for a landing, they could all see that it was made of metal, which was good because Twilight did not know how Fluttershy would have reacted to the sight of a ramp being lowered from a living creature of that size!

Snowbelle was waiting at the top of the ramp. After the craft landed on its struts, she did a flip, and then jerked her head, indicating they should all come aboard. “It looks like our ride is here,” Twilight said.

“Then what’re we waiting for?” Dash asked, flying up the ramp and into the ship. Applejack shrugged, and then followed.

“It’d be a shame not to be able to see this reflecting the sunlight,” Rarity said, but she pranced after her friends anyway. Pinkie let out a happy gasp and zipped right up, getting aboard before Applejack made it. Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged a glance, and then decided that this could not possibly be worse than the train. When they were all aboard, Snowbelle pushed a button with her break that raised the ramp. A second button made a section of floor slide quickly into place above the ramp. It locked into place with a hiss, then Snowbelle took wing again to lead the others forward.

As Snowbelle led them forward, the mares glanced all around, at the clean grey and blue hall, interspersed with doorways. The Arctic Dragon opened a door not very far ahead of them, to show a cockpit done in grey and red. The courtyard and the palace were visible through the viewport in the front. Gearhead was seated at a station near the center of the room. “Welcome aboard MEV-EP,” he said.

“Mevep?” Rainbow asked sceptically?

“You can call her Silver Wind if you prefer,” Gearhead said. “I know I do.”

“’Her?’” Rarity asked.

“All ships of the line are ‘hers,’ apparently,” the stallion shrugged.

“Forgive the interruption, she’s very impressive, truly. But do you know where we’re heading?” Twilight asked.

“I do not have an exactly location: Princess Celestia told me to be here for a pick-up, and she gave me a heading. I am guessing that you six are the Wind’s first cargo.”

"Seven," Spike said, and Gearhead nodded.

“In that case, could you maybe take off? We’re pressed for time, unfortunately. I’ll explain as we fly.”

“Understood,” Gearhead said. “Everyone, please take a seat at one of the stations and strap in for lift-off: it may be a little unsettling until we get to cruising speed, especially for first-time flyers.” The stations lined both the starboard and port walls as they curved toward the viewscreen.

While the others were more sedate about which of the eight available chairs they chose for the journey, Dash looped into one near the front of the cockpit, and Pinkie bounced right into the one she claimed as hers. “Ooh, what does this button do?”

“Pinkie, don’t—“ But Twilight was too late, and Pinkie was already making the keys release their little tones on the bridge.

“It is okay, Twilight: the controls will not do anything except make noise until I unlock their access to those stations. And all being well, I will not have occasion to do so.”

“Okay then,” Twilight said as they all fastened their four-point restraints. Snowbelle adjusted her size and took a seat beside Spike, who gave her a claw-up.

Sitting with his back firmly against his chair’s acceleration padding, Gearhead rested his forehooves atop a pair of glowing balls on long sticks. He pressed down on them slightly, and then when he raised his legs, the balls went with him. The Engines whined slightly, and as the slight force of motion pushed them into their seats, they saw the palace and courtyard begin to slowly fall away from the ship.

“Walls are scanning clear,” Gearhead said aloud. “Raising landing struts. Raised.” He rotated the whole ship on its near-vertical ascent (and now Twilight realized they were advancing slowly as well), until they were oriented almost directly north. “Adjusting wings for full flight... set. Silver Wind will now depart Canterlot for...”

“The Crystal Empire,” Twilight said.

“I guess I do not have to wonder why Princess Celestia gave me a heading and not a destination: that is not a location I recall being on the map.”

“That’s because it’s not. But we’re going there anyway.”

“Very good. Silver Wind, heading out.” Gearhead pushed both balls forward slightly, and Silver Wind began to accelerate. The Earth Pony had to make a slight jog to the right to get around the palace’s tallest tower, and then they were clear, but he kept climbing for awhile anyway. “We are now at cruising altitude and speed. You may feel free to move about the cockpit.”

Luna sidled up beside her sister as they watched the Silver Wind rise and then pivot before accelerating, even as it began to climb. Although it disappeared over the castle, the Alicorns continued to hear the low volume whine for another minute. “I am glad he is on our side,” the younger sister shivered.

“It is a little chilling, knowing he was able to build such a large ship without anypony knowing about it, but we can hold faith.”

“Speaking of faith, are you certain you do not want me to accompany them?”

“This is something Twilight and her friends must be able to accomplish themselves, if Equestria’s future is to be assured. And when they succeed, we will know that Twilight Sparkle is that much closer to being ready.”

“I hope you are correct, Sister.”

“Yes, I know.”

* * *

Their course and speed locked into the autopilot, Gearhead got up and stretched. “Should we brief each other now?” He asked.

“We may as well,” Twilight said, and she and the others turned their chairs around to face center.

“Ooh, story time!” Pinkie said.

“First, lets hear what we have to work with,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, I’d like to know what we’ve got at our hooves here,” Applejack said.

“Like, how fast can this bucket of bolts fly?” Dash asked.

“This is how you’re going to take Snowbelle home, isn’t it?” Fluttershy asked.

“It is,”

“Really?” Dash asked.

“Indeed. I started designing the Multipurpose Exploration Vehicle just after I got Snowbelle’s egg, but I also wanted the ship to be able to perform other tasks and go to other places when needed, thus the designation.”

“And ‘EP?’” Applejack asked.

“’Experimental Prototype,’ although I do not imagine I would be building another one anytime soon. Anyway, on the inside she is mostly adaptable cargo space, with berths for up to twelve pony-sized passengers. Right now I have it configured with the dividers for ten mares and two stallions, so awkwardness could be avoided there if we were in for an overnight flight. What are not adjustable are the galley, lavatory, and sani-steam station because their appliances must be fixed in place and properly installed to function.”

“What, pray tell, is a ‘sani-steam?’” Rarity asked.

“It is like a shower, but it uses steam to clean. That makes it easier to manage, especially since the dual-core Alicorn Engine means we do not have any power-related problems. Actually, I am experimenting with conducive fibres to bring that power directly to the ship’s different systems. If that works, and the defensive arrays work, I can imagine using them to power whole cities when they are not under siege.”

“Wait a sec, you said ‘dual core’ just now. Don’t you normally use a twin engine?” Dash asked.

“Yes, however a full-size Engine is about the size of Ponyville’s water tower, the same size I am using for the Alicorn Array. ‘Awkward’ would be the least of my worries in trying to carry something of that size. I am working on miniaturizing the complete system, but the best I have so far is still a partial render. That is why I call what I use the Twin Engine.”

“So what I hear you saying’s that even after everything you pulled out against Chrysalis you still weren’t running your Engine at its full power?!” Dash said.

“Of course, there are always tweaks. I cannot imagine getting to full power.”

“Is it just me, or is he completely nuts?”

“It’s probably him,” Applejack said.

“I think it’s awesome,” Spike said.

“You would,” Dash said.

“Lets just be glad he’s on our side,” Twilight said.

“I am right here,” Gearhead said flatly.

“Anyway, you were saying?”

“Yes. Silver Wind’s design is supposed to take strong winds from almost any direction and divide it above and below in such a way as to maintain its own flight. To help all that, we have the adjustable, retractable wings, which can be pulled completely into the hull if we get into a really tempestuous zone. The verniers on the wings not only allow faster deployment of a particle field, but they also increase this bird’s agility by over 60%. She basically could fly like I do, but not everypony might maintain consciousness that way.”

“Oh my,”

“On the defensive side, we not only have particle shields and the option of deploying large defensive magic, but the specially-designed armour. I had my assembly machines layer small ‘scales’ of dragonfired adamantine to the hull. The effect is that any force that gets through the shields will be spread and defused all along the hull. Weaker blows will simply have their force vanish. The strongest ones might run throughout the ship’s skin, and if we get hit in multiple places, the scaling will detach and isolate the defusion waves to ensure none of them reinforce another. Nothing we have encountered thus far has enough power to even do that, but it does not hurt to be too careful.”

“Oh, I appreciate that,” Fluttershy said.

“Fine, so we have invincible armour, but what do we have to hit back with?” Dash asked.

“First, not invincible. But we can take a fair hit before requiring repairs. Second, there are four short-barrel turrets on both sides of the hull. They can be controlled from any of the stations, and when a Unicorn plugs in, the blasts can even be enhanced by that caster’s magic. And not for nothing did I design the prow like a sword.”

“But isn’t that dangerous?” Applejack asked. “I mean, we are in the front of the ship, right?”

Gearhead looked out the viewport, from which all they could see was the landscape and sky as they flew between both. “I can see why you might think that. No, the essential portions of the ship are located close to its center-hull for the highest degree or protection. That includes the Dual Engines, as well as this cockpit. Computer, please open the panoramic view.”

“[Acknowledged.]” The wall panels in front of the stations suddenly seemed to become as transparent as the viewscreen in the front of the room.

“We can see outside the hull using a recording and playback method similar to the one I used before, so we can see what is happening all around the ship whenever we want to, and all without compromising the hull’s integrity with anything like windows. I mean, I tried to come up with a number of alternatives that would let us do that and still have good integrity. I could never see through them well enough, so that is probably something for the future.”

“Oh, is that all?” Pinkie feigned disappointment.

“Just about,”

“I was joking,”

“Yes, well, I never joke about my work.”

“I knew that,”

“Your turn, Miss Twilight. What is our mission?”

“Our mission is to go to the Crystal Empire and help my brother and Princess Cadence find a way to protect it from the dark Unicorn who once ruled there. The Empire apparently has a powerful magic that allows it to spread either hope and light or hate and despair across Equestria. Princess Celestia said that I’m responsible for finding out how to defend the Empire, and that we can’t let Sombra retake it.”

“Is that all?” Dash asked. “We handled Nightmare Moon and Discord, and we even protected Canterlot from the Changelings – mostly that was Twilight, but yeah, I think we can handle this one.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Rainbow, but I can’t help but feel like we’re going into this with a lot less information than we should have.”

“We’ll just have to see what we can dig up,” Applejack said.

“You’re right, Applejack. I just wish we had more going in.”

“Apropos to that, we have one of the prototype turbines for the Alicorn Array aboard,” Gearhead said.

“Don’t you need, like, ten of them?” Spike asked.

“Fortunately the total number of relays required is a mere four, due in large part to how the particles from each turbine resonate with each other.”

“That leaves three more,” Rarity said.

“It’s still much better than nothing,” Twilight said.

Over the next few minutes, the landscape became more flat, with trees becoming hardier or being replaced by shrubs. Wind blew, and then they hit the snow, but Silver Wind pressed on without showing any signs of slowing. As the conditions grew more turbulent, Gearhead put the wings into a swept-back configuration he called ‘Delta,’ explaining to the others that there was an ancient letter shaped like a triangle.

Twilight had time to tell the others about Sombra, whom they might have to face. Since the group could not know what to expect when they got to the Crystal Empire, they could not come up with more than a working plan, which was to ask around about old methods of defence. It was not the sort of plan that Twilight or Gearhead liked to act upon, but Dash did not have any complaints. Any issues the others might have had faded to the background when the computer beeped twice.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said as Gearhead got into his chair.

“Not to worry: that was to notify us of a non-threatening magical detection within the sensor’s range.”

“Is it the Crystal Empire?” Rarity asked.

“I would not expect to have reached it so soon – and we have a library match. Oh Miss Twilight, would you please go back to the ramp and bring him in?”

“’Him?’” Twilight brightened and cantered right to the ramp. She pushed the buttons in reverse order from how she had seen Snowbelle do it, and the deck plating hissed open before the ramp lowered. Through the snow, Twilight spotted a stallion. He was wearing a thick grey scarf and snow blinders, but she would recognize that distinctive blue mane anywhere. She immediately called on her magic to teleport him up and onto the ramp in front of her.

“Twily! I was worried there for a sec, but I knew there was only one pony who could come up with this sort of thing. And if he’s here, that had to mean all of the help Princess Celestia promised to send was on its way.”

“Well, you were right, BBBFF.” Twilight hugged Shining Armour back. “Come on,” she said, and then she remembered to button up the hull again, and quickly pressed each button in turn.

“One of these days, Gearhead, you’re gonna stop surprising me.”

“I doubt that, Prince Armour. Situation?”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting reinforcements so soon, but I’m definitely glad for it: we’re in a desperate situation that requires regular patrols, and I’m the only one who can go out. I think, though, that it’d be better to finish explaining everything once we’re back at the Crystal Palace.”

“Crystal Palace?!”

“Oh yeah, you’re gonna like it there, Rarity. Now lets get moving: we don’t want to be out here when night falls.”

Something howled, or wailed. It was a sound like half of both.

“I don’t want to be out here right now,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“What is it?” Twilight asked as everypony sat down, and Gearhead got the ship moving again.

“Cadence and I think it’s the king who used to rule here, trying to get back into the Empire.”

“So, a Dark Magic-using Unicorn who has a thousand-year grudge for being turned to shadow and being sealed in ice wants to retake a people and city we cannot afford to lose. Or so your sister said.”

“Exactly,” Armour nodded to Gearhead.

The computer buzzed repeatedly, and Gearhead scanned his curved displays. “Then that is what we have on our scope, directly on our tail.”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said when Gearhead activated the display: he closed the door so that it, and the rear wall, could serve as an unbroken screen. Even the stations nearest it filled with a black smoke, and green eyes peered out from the center.

“Here he comes,” Armour said, as the smoky being advanced on them.

“Twilight. Armour, please acquaint yourself with the two stations nearest that wall: I will enable fire control for turrets seven and eight.”

“Couldn’t you just have your fancy computer do it?” Applejack asked.

“Yes, however the computer cannot imbue the canon blasts with the qualities of Unicorn magic. If Sombra is a user of the Dark Arts, he should be most vulnerable to Light Magic.”

“Of which you have two users,” Twilight said, experimentally moving the levers and dials that had popped up out of the console.

“I think I have the hang of this,” Armour said.

“And Mom said we were wasting our time with games,” Twilight said.

“You two are such dorks,” Dash said.

“And proud of it,” Armour said. As Sombra closed, he centered his targeting reticule over the large form and squeezed the trigger. The bolts came out dark purple instead of Gearhead’s usual green or turquoise. As soon as Twilight saw that it was working, she joined her brother in his efforts. Sombra roared, and charged even faster. “I think we made him angry!”

“Or angrier,” Dash said.

“Then it is time to get going ourselves,” Gearhead said, and he pressed down on the pedals at his hooves. The Wind leaped forward, leaving a double-halo of turquoise particles behind.

“Hey, ease up a little, huh?” Applejack said.

“You kidding?” Dash said, “we slow down and he’ll catch up to us for sure!”

“Whee!” Pinkie squealed.

“He’s gaining,” Twilight called.

“Deploying particle shield,” Gearhead said, and on the screens that looked past the hull, the silvery armour took on a blue-green hue. The sensors buzzed again, and he threw the ship into curving arcs to avoid the smoke and obsidian pillars Sombra was throwing at them.

“I thought you said this thing could take a hit,” Spike said.

“As if we should bother with taking hits,” Dash said.

“Settle down a little bit, at least. Please?”

“Sorry,” Gearhead said, and then he executed a spinning roll to avoid a group of three pillars that had spring up just in front of them. When they came out upright again, Spike put his claws in front of his mouth. Dash and Pinkie whooped.

“Warn me next time you’re gonna do that!”

“Did I not?”

“When?” Rarity asked.

“When I said that Silver Wind can fly like I do,”

“But your cargo doesn’t,” Applejack said.

“It is solidly tied down,”

“Be that as it may, we are not, so a little gentler next time, please.”

“I shall fly as gently as I can so as to avoid our destruction.”

“Again, not very reassuring,” Rarity said.

“Could you girls pipe down for a moment? We’re trying to hit this thing,” Twilight said.

“I’ll be honest: I’m not sure we’re doing much good,” Armour said.

“Maybe there is a limit to how close he can get without it stinging too badly,” Gearhead suggested.

“That would be nice,” Fluttershy said.

“Not nice,” Dash said, pointing to the jagged reef of obsidian crystals rising up in their path. Gearhead set the forward sensors to a more focused examination of the obstacle as it began to rise high above them, even though they were still just under a minute away from it.

“I am detecting large amounts of Dark Magic within the structure, which may indicate an intention to trap us further if we try to go over it.”

“We don’t have the time to go around it,” Armour said.

“If we cannot go over or under,” Gearhead said, scanning for a mostly-direct path that had air pockets within it, formed by the irregular shape of the obelisks, “that leaves one option.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Spike asked.

“Oh, haven’t we had enough excitement for one day?” Fluttershy asked.

“But we haven’t even landed yet!” Pinkie said.

“I am open to suggestion, but we are also running out of sky.”

“So we’re just gonna ram it?” Applejack asked, incredulous.

“One, when do I ever ‘just’ do something? And ‘two,’ this is why the prow is shaped as it is.” Gearhead switched the forward monitor so it showed the blade-shaped prow in full. “But first, let us test my hypothesis.”

Gearhead descended until he had the Wind just meters above the ground as they raced ahead of Sombra. Nothing happened, so the stallion decided to take his ship up, as though to pass over the mass of obelisks. Still no response from behind them.

“I’d say we’re between some rocks and a smoky place.”

“This is no time for jokes, Rainbow Dash!”

“Oh Rarity, it’s the perfect time for jokes,” Pinkie snorted.

“How do we even know this is going to work?” Twilight asked.

“We do not,” Gearhead said. “On my signal, cease firing.”

“What? We’re stopping?” Twilight asked, turning from her terminal.

“Acknowledged,” Armour said. “I’m ready to resume, too.”

“No time to explain. Cease fire!” Armour, and then Twilight, stopped, and Gearhead retracted the canons. “Releasing 90% of stored particles to the blade in three,”

“Oh, now I get it,” Twilight said as Gearhead pushed the throttles until they were just below the emergency stops.

“Two,” Gearhead said, putting the Wind into a descending path that had a slight curve to it. In the rear viewscreen, Sombra seemed to have his eyes locked onto them. “One,” Gearhead said. As Sombra licked his lips, Gearhead twitched the controls to send them toward his real access point, and took his hooves off of the flight controls just long enough to tap the keys that glowed right in front of his face.

At first there were only thin lines of turquoise energy running up the blade toward the tip. They jogged and zigged and zagged crazily like lightning, but did not start to return until they were all the way at the end, and then they returned along the edges or core. The blade lit up then, almost too brightly to look at. Fortunately the viewscreen compensated almost immediately, with the side effect that the obelisks that they were heading toward looked pitch black.

“I can’t watch!” Fluttershy said, hiding her eyes in her wings.

“Me neither,” Spike said. Twilight and the others, however, had their eyes locked on the forward viewer, while Gearhead stared at his own display. He levelled off and pulled the wings completely into the ship, and then the prow was slicing through obsidian. Every time they hit a new pocket they heard the screech of metal on crystal, and when he saw the speedometer drop a little, he pushed the throttle all the way past the emergency stops, and even redirected power from the weapons to the aft verniers.

There were moments when they could only see light reflected off of the driven snowflakes through the air pockets, otherwise all they saw was the glowing nose and black. And then they punched through yet more crystal and into the blinding white of a blizzard, and the viewscreen adjusted again.

“Yahoo!” Pinkie jumped in her seat.

“Did we make it?” Fluttershy asked.

“I think we’re alive,” Spike said, while Snowbelle made sounds resembling laughter.

Gearhead checked the rear viewscreen to see the obsidian brambles crumbling, and then he called up a still shot from the moment just before they had entered it. “You will want to see this,” he said, sending it to the screens above the side terminals.

“What are we looking at, Darling?”

“I get it,” Twilight said. “It’s the particles: they started eroding the dark crystals before the nose even touched them!”

“What’s that mean?” Dash asked.

“What it means,” Armour said as Gearhead enabled the turrets’ control systems again, “is that Sombra’s main weakness really is Light Magic.”

“That’s useful,” Applejack said.

Sombra suddenly burst through the still-collapsing obelisks and sent thick columns of what appeared to be black lightning right at the still-recovering craft. Gearhead had already started to pull up, and his attempt to manoeuvre without the wings to carve into the wind rotated the ship a little too slowly.

“Grah!” Armour jerked away from his controls as they sparked, the Wind having taken the brunt of the attack around his turret.

“Shining Armour, your horn!” Twilight left her station to get to her brother’s side.

“Do not touch that!” Gearhead yelled.

“For Celestia’s sake, we’ll get your magic samples later,” Twilight said. “We have to help Shining Armour now.”

“And what about if it is still spreading?” Gearhead nodded to the black crystal shards now embedded in the other stallion’s horn. “We will collect samples after we ensure it does not get any further. Let me test this,” he said, putting Silver Wind back on a level and fast flight path.

“Sensors say the contamination to the ship has been contained in the turret compartment, so let us see if it can be purged by flooding it with particles. Since I already used all the particles from the condensers, I will have to run them directly from the Dual Core.”

“Just don’t drop us out of the sky when you do,” Dash said.

“That is not a concern,” Gearhead said. They watched as a flood of particles began to flow out from around the turret, making black shards flake off until none remained. “Contamination is confirmed as completely purged. Armour, please follow Snowbelle to the station. It has the correct systems built in. Twilight, you can go with him.”

“What about Sombra?” Twilight asked.

“We have a direct vector to the city now,” Gearhead said, nodding at the forward viewscreen, where a light aqua dome had become visible. Beside that, the computer showed a profile picture.

“Princess Cadence is doing that?” Rarity asked.

“It is her magic,” Armour said.

“Where do you want me to land?”

“As close to the plaza under the palace as you can bring us,”

“Roger that,” Gearhead said, and he returned his full attention to his flying. Snowbelle led Twilight and Armour back through the ship.

As Sombra renewed his chase, Gearhead snapped the wings back out into their delta configuration and eased the throttles back up until they were below the stops again. He aimed directly for the dome, only letting up enough to juke just enough to evade Sombra’s attacks while the condensers built their store slowly back up.

And then they were suddenly through the shield, and the air was bright, sunny, and clear. Even Gearhead had to blink, and by the time he started banking to come back around, Silver Wind was already at the other end of the city. He slowly pulled the throttle back and set the wings forward to their regular setting, then tapped a new command.

“Are you really scanning the Empire now?” Spike asked.

“Oh, I agree,” Rarity said. “Use your regular eyes just this once and you shan’t be disappointed!”

“I like to know with what I am working,” Gearhead said, as he slowly guided the ship closer to the palace.

“It’s sparkle-rific!” Pinkie said.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Rarity said.

“It’s alright,” Dash said, blasé.

“’Alright?’” Rarity huffed. “Why—“

“Gotcha,”

“Oh, very funny, Rainbow Dash.”

Applejack chuckled softly even as Gearhead brought them in, curving the wings upward, just as he had when he had landed in Canterlot. He managed to orient the nose partway toward where he saw the main gates to the palace, so getting to either of the ship’s doors would not be too arduous. With the landing struts down, he landed gentle as a breeze, and then put the systems into the cycle through standby mode. The last thing he did was to pick up his Twin Engine from where it had been stowed below his seat, and strap it on: to sit in the chair with it on would have been uncomfortable. He would have to fix that, in case he needed to deploy on a future flight.

When Shining Armour led his small group to the ramp he was completely clear of the black shards. “Unfortunately my mana seems to have already been mostly drained,” he said.

“At least now you can get it back by resting,” Rarity said.

“I’m not sure Sombra will give us much of a chance to rest,” Armour said. “But thanks anyway. On that note, I’ll take you to see Cadence now.”

Gearhead grabbed a pair of scrolls from a nearby cabinet and put them into one of his pouches. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Twilight said. Gearhead nodded to Snowbelle, who pecked the buttons. A whoosh and a mechanical whine announced the small group’s arrival in the Crystal Empire.

2A. Arrival In the Brilliant City

Chapter 2A: Arrival In the Brilliant City

“Twilight!” The fatigue vanished instantly from Cadence’s face as soon as she saw the younger mare. The two of them rushed together, and started doing some ‘Sunshine Sunshine’ dance. I cannot figure on grown mares doing such a thing, Gearhead thought. It is probably a carry-over from the time when Cadence used to foalsit Twilight. Thinking about it, Gearhead could only imagine older fillies teaching younger fillies the rhyme. He could imagine Big Sister Ivy teaching it to Dawn or Prism, but he could not imagine Dawn doing it now. He chuckled softly at the mental image even as he tried to finish up the visualization for the turbine placement on his glasses.

“We really should get together more when the fate of Equestria isn’t hanging in the balance,” Cadence said, and for a moment she struggled to hold her shield together.

“What is the full situation?” Twilight asked.

“We’re fairly certain that when the Crystal Empire returned, so did King Sombra,” Cadence said. “Princess Celestia probably knew this would happen, and sent us to hold the city until a more permanent means of defence could be found.”

“Unfortunately Sombra has already countered my protection spell,” Armour said. “Cadence seems to be able to keep him at bay by spreading a field of Love and Light, but she barely eats or sleeps, so she won’t be able to keep this up for much longer.”

“If the Crystal Empire’s so important, it must’ve had some sort of protection back in the day,” Applejack said.

“We think so too,” Armour said, “but neither of us have had a real chance to investigate, with Sombra’s roaming siege of the place. As you saw before, he keeps me busy on patrols while Cadence provides the shield. We really couldn’t do much else until the nine of you got here.”

Twilight lit up with an idea. “A research paper!”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry, Big Bro, I’m really good at this sort of thing. We’ll find out about the Empire’s ancient defence system for you.”

“Thanks, Twily,”

“In the meantime,” Gearhead said, “Snowbelle and I can see about putting together a new system as backup.”

“I was wondering when that’d come up,” Applejack said.

“Now, while you are looking for clues, is as good a time as any.”

“In that case, we’ll leave you to it,” Twilight said, and she started to lead the others back outside.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Gearhead said, taking out a small case. “If we are going to split up, we will probably want to stay in touch. I made these for situations where a strong telepath would not be available.”

Twilight and Rarity lifted the small, bone white devices out of the cases. “How do they work?” Rarity asked.

“You put them in your ear like so, with this wire tucked above and around. Then your touch your hoof to the piece in your ear or click your tongue to turn it on. If you only want to speak to somepony specific, just say her name first.”

“They may not be the most fashionable accessory, but at least they’re functional.”

“Yes, they should enable faster communication. But let me know if you find any problems.”

“You mean like catching fire?” Pinkie asked. Rarity looked like she wanted to pull hers out of her ear and throw it on the ground.

“Cooling is not a problem, but the signals might get mixed up occasionally. This is still an experimental magic for me.”

“Okay, thanks,” Twilight said, and she led the others off.

“Now, what did you have in mind?” Armour asked.

Gearhead deployed his cores horizontally so they could deploy particles to form a holographic picture. He showed the Crystal Empire, and then placed three circular icons equidistant from each other at the city’s borders, so they formed a triangle. A larger circle appeared just below the main plaza outside the palace.

“The smaller circles are the full-sized turbines that form the backbone of the defensive array. The bigger circle at the center is a combined condenser and control room unit. Neither unit needs to be any larger than a water tower, because they only need to generate and deploy particle fields.”

Gearhead changed the image to show a more simplified picture where he could show the conical turbines and the cylindrical condenser. “After the turbines charge the condenser, they can deploy their particle fields together. Each turbine generates particles at different, high-powered frequencies. The turbines cast their fields in shells from the ground, while the condenser casts its field straight up so it can cascade down and out from directly over the city’s center. As they do so, the particle fields mix, strengthening each other into a more solid and unified shell.” The hologram showed the particles deploying, and how the fields were not solid until they mixed together. “The energies’ resonance between each other allows for them to function without needing more units. This is how my concept for the Alicorn Array stands right now.

“The particles my Alicorn Engine and Alicorn Array generate are varieties of Light energy, so it naturally follows that they are most effective against Dark Magic users. I can also naturally program in exceptions, so members of the Conclave and Luna can enter protected areas. The Array should be effective against Sombra, however I must voice the disclaimer that in practice I have not actually tested it against such a threat.”

“Except for that last stretch of the flight here,” Armour said.

“True, we did see that the particles tend to degrade Sombra’s dark crystal constructs, exactly as Light Magic should.”

“You had a run-in with King Sombra?”

“Yes, but we’re fine, Honey.”

“But this means he could have an idea of what to expect, and try to counter it.”

“He can try, but I doubt he will be any more successful than he was when Princess Celestia and Luna defeated him the last time,” Gearhead said. “But even if he does, I am sure that we can defeat him in battle as long as we fight smart.”

“I don’t suppose you brought the parts needed for your Array with you, by any chance?” Cadence asked hopefully.

“I brought the parts for one turbine, so I could demonstrate the concept to your aunts, but I never got the chance. I can deploy it to one of the three key positions,” Gearhead brought the map from the beginning back up, “but I will need more pure gemstones for the rest of them. If we had more time I could arrange for the new Defence Alliance to send a portion of the parts, but they would never arrive in time for them to matter in our current situation.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the buildings here are kind of all made of gemstones. I think we can manage to provide for our own defence,” Cadence said. “In fact,” she glanced at Armour.

“In fact,” he continued, “you can consider whatever you need at your disposal, on our joint authority as the Empire’s stewards.”

“I am glad you said that, however I would like that on contract,” Gearhead said, pulling one of the rolled parchments from a pouch with his tail. He opened it, and held it out for Armour to take and peruse. “This contract is based on the one that Father and the rest of the D.A. approved. It grants me access to the mineral resources required to complete the Array, even from the treasury if necessary, with compensation from the D.A.’s stores possible afterwards. It is tailor made for high-pressure jobs, so that all you have to do is sign directly onto the contract. I also had Midnight and Nightstar enchant it so it will be magically-binding on me as the one building the Array.”

“Why would you do that?” Cadence asked.

“So there would not be any chances of me ‘misplacing’ any of the gems.”

“You wouldn’t ever do that anyway!”

“Dear, we’re probably going to have to deal with a lot of foreign powers as long as we’re here. We may as well start practising our political savvy on somepony we know we can trust.”

“Yes, fine, but I still don’t like treating a friend like we can’t trust him.”

“Can I make a few changes?” Armour asked.

“Such as?”

“This mentions ‘mineral resources,’ an obvious reference to the gemstones you’ll be using, but what about ponypower? Couldn’t you use some help in putting these things together?”

“Great idea, Shining Armour,” Cadence said, forgetting her anger. “Taking a look at some of the buildings in the city it’s clear they’re specialists at working with gemstones. They could help Gearhead like nopony else could.”

“What do you think?” Armour asked Gearhead.

“Given how we do not know how much longer Cadence can keep the shield up, I do not see any reason to object, although the Crystal Ponies might.”

“They won’t,” Armour said, using a quill to add to the contract. “They don’t want a return to Sombra’s rule any more than we want him to come back. There.”

“There is something else, a possibility I thought of after what Cadence said.”

“Yes?”

“Would it be possible to use a part of the palace tower as the condenser room, rather than trying to build it on the edge of the plaza?”

“Why would you put it at the edge, anyway?” Armour asked.

“It is just an impression, but I think that the plaza might be part of an array for the city’s original defence. If it is, the condenser could end up interfering with it if I tried to place it at the most ideal location, which is the plaza center. But an unused palace room would not get in the way.”

“And it would be a better use of the space,” Cadence said.

“Okay, approved,” Armour said, adding that little detail. He signed the contract, and then passed it to Cadence, who immediately added her own mark. Lastly, Gearhead signed with the hat-wearing gear that served as his shop’s sign.

“Time to get to work,” the Earth Pony said to his Dragon daughter, who trilled her response. But when they reached the door, he stopped and turned back. “Another idea occurs,” he said.

“I’m all for ideas,” Shining Armour said. “What is it?”

“Since both of you are running on part-mana, I believe we could use every boost we can get access to, and there is one that we have not made use of from Spring Onion’s spellbooks.” Like Starswirl the Bearded, Spring Onion the Fieldmaster was a legendary Magister Magi of Equestria’s court. Spring Onion specialized in combat spells, including the unincanted and delayed versions of some of the spells that Gearhead used. He had also trained away from the model of the fragile traditional mage, and toward that of a combat mage, able to hold a combat line without need for a partner to take the melee side of a battle. But most mages were like the princesses, in that they could cast powerful spells, but they were vulnerable to physical attacks, especially while they casted. That was why they often had Attendants to protect them.

“You don’t mean... the Master-Attendant Contract?” Cadence asked.

“Why not? The two of you are already married, so you should not have an issue with being Partners as well.”

“But at our age the Contract will be permanent, and in full effect. What if it’s not as powerful as it could be because we don’t have full mana?” Armour asked.

“And...” Cadence exchanged a glance with Armour, “who would be the Master, and who the Attendant?”

“If I can modify the magic circle to inject some of my mana into the Contract, there should not be a problem with the its level.” After the siege on Canterlot, the princesses had insisted on getting another measure for how large Gearhead’s manapool was. They did this by having him cast Magic Arrows until he ran out of mana. The first time he had done that exercise he topped out at just over 2,400 arrows. That, on its own, was not anything to sneeze at, however after repelling the Changelings, his power seemed to have quadrupled!

Training on its own could not account for such a great amount of growth, and none of the princesses could come up with a reason that was any more logical than his own. The first possible explanation was that all the continuing exposure that Gearhead was taking to his Engines’ particles was the culprit – but blaming that for an increase to 9,600 arrows was more than just a bit of a stretch. The explanation that Gearhead disliked and did not trust was that his time as an Alicorn had permanently grown his manapool. He did not like that because it meant he had gained power by losing control over his magic, and he had spent most of his life learning how to control it. Perhaps it was a combination of these things, and his regular training: Gearhead had not missed a day yet, even if he had to train later in the day.

Gearhead brought his thoughts back to the matter at hoof. “In this situation, we want Cadence to get the mana boost, which means she needs to be the Attendant.”

“Problem,” Armour said, “she’s definitely more powerful than me, and the position of Master usually goes to whoever’s more powerful, right?”

“That is correct, unless I specify who gets what post in the magic circle itself, and fortunately I know how to do that. It would be even more ideal if we could make it a two-way Contract, but if we cannot do that we can still add on the other direction later, when you are at full power.”

“It should work, since we’re the same two ponies,” Cadence said.

“Then should I get started?”

“The sooner the better,” Armour said, nodding.

Gearhead moved down to the floor at the foot of the stairs the led to the throne, where Cadence was sitting. He and Armour moved the carpet out of the way, then Gearhead used his steel dagger, and Snowbelle used her claws, to mark out the magic circle on the floor. They made it oversized so it would be easy to check the details, and then Gearhead used his Geomancy to raise the circle in the form of a fine dust.

Cadence and Shining Armour stepped into the middle of the circle, which contained a six-pointed star made up of two triangles. The one with the point downward was the Shield, representing the Attendant. The triangle with the point upward was the Dagger, representing the Master. Gearhead had inscribed both ponies’ names into both areas, so that when they kissed lip-to-lip and activated the magic, they would get the benefits from both sides of the Contract.

When the warm light finished washing over the couple and faded, the dust and etchings in the floor had disappeared, but now the Unicorn and Alicorn were holding a pair of long cards in their magic. “The Contracts have been successfully completed,” Gearhead said.

“Shall we give it a try?” Cadence asked.

“Definitely. Sis tua mea pars Ministra Magi Cadentiae.” Cadence winced slightly as a portion of Armour’s magic flowed into her, but then she opened her eyes wide and stood straighter.

“This is amazing! Now, your turn. Sis tua mea pars Minister Magi Armatura Nitida.” Even though he had seen what getting the boost was like, it still startled Armour.

“I feel so light,” he marvelled.

“Then the Contracts are doing what they should. And so should we,” Gearhead said. He helped the others put the carpet back in place, and then went outside.

Outside, Gearhead passed the unfurled and completed construction contract for Snowbelle to hold aloft. “Good ponies of the Crystal Empire, I am Thirdson Gearhead, and this is Snowbelle. We are going to build a defensive array for the city, and would like to invite you to help. We are in need of ponies who know how to mine and refine the best pure gemstones, ponies who can work and assemble those gemstones, and ponies who know the city well.

“The contract my daughter is holding grants us access to the gemstones we will need to complete construction and deployment on the array. It also grants me permission to recruit volunteers to help me do this. Actually, you could see this as an invitation not only to help establish a new defence system for the Empire, but also to join me in the Defence Alliance’s employ for the duration of this project, with the option for extension where appropriate.

“Who among you has the skills and knowledge to help? Who has the desire to protect your city, your loved ones, and yourselves?”

“Young stallion,” an older stallion said, “what did you say your name was?”

“I am Thirdson Gearhead,”

“That’s a Herd designation. Which one? And does your ‘Defence Alliance’ have any relation to the Alliance of old?”

“Indeed, the D.A. is the new iteration of the Alliance, and I am the Black Sheep of Herd Verdant. This is the sort of thing I build,” Gearhead indicated the Silver Wind with a hoof.

“Can it be? A member of the Green here, representing the Azure, Shadow, and Verdant?” Another pony said.

“It is,” Gearhead answered.

“This... this could be our way out of the curse!”

“Curse?”

“I’m sorry,” a mare said, “we can’t remember anything from before King Sombra, and we don’t want to remember anything from his rule!” The whole group grimaced, as though trying to keep a vision back.

“That is a powerful curse. I am sorry I do not have the power to lift it from you all directly. But at least together we can protect each other,” Gearhead said.

“I can’t remember the last time anything sounded so good,” another stallion said, and his coat immediately shimmered, and he lit up, mane at all. Some of the others around him followed suit, but not many.

“I can show ya where the good gemstones are,” a gruff-looking mare who had been restored said.

“And how is that, so suddenly?”

“I couldn’t remember ‘till just now, but I’m a mining supervisor, turns out!” Other ponies chimed in, wanting to sign on and contribute.

“Excellent,” Gearhead said, nodding to Snowbelle who rolled up the contract. “Come aboard the Silver Wind, and I will show you what we are building so you will know for what to look in the mines.” He gave the command to open up the cargo bay doors, and after only a moment’s hesitation, a group of ponies followed him aboard.

Gearhead opened the crates up. They were too large for anyone to see into from the deck, but there was a lattice of mobile catwalks helping to keep them stationary. Gearhead used his Twin Engines to fly up, which caused the gathered Crystal Ponies to ‘ooh’ or ‘aah.’ Some of the more adventurous ones found their own access to the catwalks so they could join Gearhead right away. For the sake of those who did not follow their colleagues, Gearhead drew his dagger with his tail and cast his spell.

“Quattuor Magnae Spiritus invoco. Lux transmutare alas.” The Crystal Ponies exclaimed in awe again when they saw Gearhead lift the large gemstone pieces from the crate in long threads of Light Magic. He guided the pieces around to the different supervisors and foreponies, so they could see the kinds of gemstones he used.

“Okay, no time to waste now,” one of the ponies said. “Lets get a move on!”

“Could I, perhaps, fly us to the mine entrances faster using the ship?” Gearhead asked.

“No offence, sir, but these are secret ways, for Crystal Ponies only.”

“Snowbelle and I will at least need to know where to go to pick the gemstones up,” Gearhead pointed out.

“True enough,” the same mare said. She took out a map, and Gearhead came down to look. The miner took a few moments to think of the ideal location to use, and then she jabbed at the map with a hoof. “Here. This’s where you can pick up all the gems we bring up for this shield.” She looked up at Gearhead, a massive grin on her face. “You just focus on the building, and leave the mining to us!”

“That sounds like an excellent plan,” Gearhead said. He followed the other ponies outside to the bottom of the ramp.

“Alright, miners, follow your bosses. We’re gonna provide Mr. Gearhead with the best the Crystal Empire’s mines have to offer, and we’re gonna do it so fast he’ll wonder at our magic!”

The ponies cheered, more of them shining as they regained their spirit, and marched off.

I have to match that? Gearhead thought. “Alright, everypony on the build teams, we are going to take the parts I have to the first site. Who is ready to fly?”

Cheering like the ponies who had already vanished among the crystal buildings, more ponies followed Snowbelle aboard the Wind. Minutes later Gearhead lifted off for the west-most build site.

* * *

During the short flight to the first site, Gearhead decided to call Twilight to let her know about the Crystal Ponies regaining the sheen to their coats. “I wish I was having that sort of luck, but anypony I ask is under a memory curse,” the Unicorn said, her voice tinny in Gearhead’s ear.

“Actually, in the rush to recruit helpers I forgot to ask,” Gearhead said, blushing. He half-turned in his seat to address the Crystal Ponies who had joined him in the cockpit. They were marvelling at the stations about as much as they were the panoramic view of their own city. “Does anypony here remember how the Empire used to protect itself?”

“No, sorry!” That was the general chorus from those who spoke up.

“It seems we can put them in a good mood without having them also recover their memories,” Gearhead said.

“Ah well, thank you telling me about their coats,” Twilight said.

“I shall keep you posted,”

“I’d appreciate that. Twilight out.”

Gearhead clicked the channel closed, then took the Wind in for a gentle landing.

Unloading the crates from the ship was simple, and once that was done Gearhead let Snowbelle fly the Silver Wind to the loading zone: if anything happened at the mines and anypony wanted to contact him, they could use the ship’s communication array to do it. Snowbelle would also be able to fly the ship back out once it was loaded.

Unpacking the turbine components was more difficult: Gearhead had arranged the parts so that if anypony stole them they could not infer how to put the turbine together, but he had also kept them in an order that was logical to him. This meant that while the Crystal Ponies were eager to begin, he had to keep a close eye on them so they did not end up mixing the parts up.

Some of the parts were small enough that several of them could be carried in one hoof. Some were as big around as a pony’s neck, and most of them curved. Gearhead had to carefully direct the Crystal Ponies as they laid out the contents of the three crates.

The manager of a nearby building gave permission for them to construct the turbine on the roof. Normally such a proposal would have made Gearhead nervous, but since the structures in the Empire were all made out of durable gemstones themselves, he did not have to concern himself about things like collapse, and the turbine would protect the building from any direct attacks. Gearhead’s team built a scaffold stair to take the parts up, and watched as he used his magic to levitate the base up, and then secure it to the roof.

Piece by piece, at Gearhead’s direction, they started to assemble the first ring. Each piece clicked together when assembled correctly. Some of the pieces became sandwiched inside others, making them completely invisible. Others wrapped almost entirely around other pieces like sleeves. By the time the ring was assembled, it was as tall as a pony, and Gearhead was the only one who could lift it. He took it up to the base, used his Geomancy to solidify the bonds, and then locked it into the base before turning it both ways to ensure it would turn freely.

The second and third rings went up in similar fashion, Gearhead checking to ensure they would spin in both directions before moving on to a subsequent ring. He had just set the rings spinning counter to each other when nine more Crystal Ponies arrived. They had brought a pair of small, mobile cranes and a forklift. At first Gearhead wondered how they would get their machines to the rooftop, but then he got to watch as they disassembled them into pieces light enough for them to carry.

Thanks to the newest arrivals, the team was able to set up each of the remaining four rings more quickly and more smoothly than before. The ponies with the forklift would carry the large pieces to a staging area close to the partly-assembled turbine, where Gearhead instructed the others in their assembly. Once the ring was complete, Gearhead would use his magic to lift it onto a pallet, which the forklift would then pick up. The Crystal Ponies quickly attached cables to opposite sides of the ring, so the cranes could lift it into position after double-checking the lines’ integrity. The cranes then lowered the ring, moving slowly to ensure they could lock it securely in place. Finally Gearhead, the only one present who was able to spin the rings quickly enough with his flight, spun all the rings again.

The seventh ring, the one that was a cone, was the trickiest to assemble, but due to its relatively small size, it was also the easiest to lift into place. Once the final check was complete, Gearhead spun the rings. The Crystal Ponies cheered, expecting that that was all they had to do. With a loud ‘THUMP!’ Gearhead engaged the turbine’s drivers, causing the rings to stop spinning freely. He then turned his own cores on the turbine, and let his turquoise tornados flow right into its center.

The stacked rings began to glow, and then they started to turn, albeit slowly. The Crystal Ponies watched in silent awe for a moment, and then they broke out in renewed cheers. Most of them now had crystal coats that shone, and in that shine something Gearhead had not been expecting happened: the particles he had used for his demonstration flowed out of the turbine, and jumped from pony to pony, actually moving through each one and causing them to shine a little brighter – and as though in exchange, the particle blast grew in intensity before shooting off across the city.

“I did not expect that,” Gearhead said.

“Considering our lack of memories, we’re full of surprises today,” one of the mares said.

“I will not argue that,” Gearhead said, and then he clicked his communicator active. “Twilight, Gearhead. I just test-fired the first turbine.”

“I hear you, Gearhead. You had the expected results, I hope?”

“And something else unexpected: these Crystal Ponies just reflected and strengthened the energy I used in the test.”

“And nopony got hurt?”

“They seem to be in high spirits, actually.”

“I see. Anything else?”

“I will let you know.”

“I appreciate that. It’s time to wrap up our pony-to-pony investigations. Twilight out.”

Gearhead did not know how the others were faring, but from Twilight’s tone it seemed she was not having great luck so far.

“Gearhead, Silver Wind. We are now ready to pick you up and make our way to the second site.” It took a moment for Gearhead to recognize the voice of one of the mine’s overseers. It made sense that she would be giving Gearhead the message instead of Snowbelle, considering both the desire to take part and the fact that Snowbelle was still resisting speaking in front of other.

“Silver Wind, Gearhead acknowledges. Thank you, and see you soon, Snowbelle.”

The Dragoness chirped her reply, and then the signal switched off. Gearhead could imagine the overseer and the rest of her team making their way off the ship to return to the mines. Even though they had already gathered what the build team needed for the second turbine, they still had much to do.

Gearhead had one final step for his team to complete as well, but it was an easy one: lowering the assembled housing over the stacked rings, and then securing them in place. From now on, with all systems connected, the turbine could only be activated from the condenser room – as well as remotely by Gearhead’s own command, once the proper relays were all in place.

Minutes later, the Wind arrived. Snowbelle kept it in a holding position above the roof so the Crystal Ponies could board, along with their cranes and forklift. Once everypony was aboard, Gearhead closed the sliding plate and secured the hatch. Instead of moving forward to the cabin, he went to the section of the cargo hold where the miners had dogged down the crates with the new component crystals. Being careful to maintain his balance, Gearhead opened the nearest crate and took a look – after all, if they had too many defective parts they may as well return to the mine’s rallying point instead of moving on to the southern build site.

Gearhead needn’t have worried, since the parts the mining team had capably gathered and refined for him were perfect for the job. In the few minutes of the flight, Gearhead started working through the shaped gemstones in that first crate. The way the mining team had processed them, there were only a few minor changes to make in order to create a perfect match with the components on Turbine-1.

But Gearhead was not building a single match between the three turbines. Not only would some of the components be shaped differently, but they would be in a different configuration as well. This was an integral part of the array’s design, to be able to depend upon three different types of high-potency particles at the same time. Their combination was what would make the defensive field so difficult to penetrate.

Gearhead had already given Snowbelle the coordinates for Turbine-2’s site, so she was able to guide the Wind in for a landing right away. The build team rolled out, taking all of the crates with them, so Snowbelle could return to the rally point. Here again, Gearhead directed his team on where to place each component for the final processing, which he accomplished purely through an application of his Geomancy.

“Sir, can I ask a question?” The sub-boss asked. She had a sky-blue mane, done in that distinctively ornate style that Crystal Mares seemed to favour. Her coat was eggshell-white, and her eyes were the blue of a deep ocean. Her cutie mark was a span of crystal latticework rendered in ruby, emerald, and quartz.

“Certainly you may, and please call me ‘Gearhead.’”

“Jewelled Lattice. You can call me 'Latty.' What are these etchings for? I mean, I know they were in the first set of components, but why mark the parts like this?”

“An excellent question. These topological defects, when properly lined up, allow the core to produce even more energy for that little extra, emergency push. The Crystal Empire may never need so much power, but it will be there and available, rather than having to take the turbines offline to add them in a true crisis.”

“How can a ‘defect’ increase the power?”

“It is about the amount of surface area available. The channels themselves increase the area, and that increases the power.” And what is more, since these turbines are scaled-up versions of my Engines, the channels are smaller by comparison, allowing me to add in more of them. Head-to-head a full-size turbine would be more powerful than an Engine’s core, however these turbines are intended for defensive purposes only.

Jewelled Lattice nodded. “Thank you for your time, Gearhead.”

“Not at all, Lattice: You citizens of the Crystal Empire will be the ones who would be most concerned with the Array’s performance. Any answer I can give that can help to reassure you is one I will be glad to give.” And with that, the work proceeded.

Naturally, as attuned to their gemstones as the Crystal Ponies were, they noticed how these components sometimes differed from those with which they had dealt with. It did not interrupt their flow as they helped Gearhead to assemble the rings, yet he saw the recognition in their eyes: they could not use all of the lessons gleaned at the previous site for the next one.

As with the rings for Turbine-1, the team used the forklift and cranes to lower these rings into position, and they checked for spin the same way Gearhead had done, allowing him to do his thing when the rings got higher. They did not encounter any problems, because Gearhead was painstakingly descriptive in his directions, and the Crystal Ponies were as accurate as he was when dealing with the processing and assembly of the crystal rings.

2B. Heart of Light and Dark

Chapter 2B: Heart of Light and Dark

When the team started to arrange the components for Turbine-3, Gearhead noticed that there was a growing hubbub in the streets. Taking a look through his glasses, Gearhead zoomed in to see that somepony had raised pennants and banners all around the city’s main streets, and especially in the plaza around the palace. Zooming in further revealed this to be the work of the Elemental Six, so they had to have found something about the city’s ancient defence system. And it had something to do with some sort of festival.

“What do you make of that?” Gearhead asked the nearby ponies, nodding toward the city center.

Those around him took a moment to stare or compose their thoughts, and then somepony blurted, “it’s the Crystal Fair!”

“Crystal Fair?”

“Yes. It used to happen every year. The Fair raised our spirits, so we could power the Crystal Heart.”

“To power it? The Crystal Heart must be a powerful Artifact.”

“Yes, and King Sombra said he hid it where nopony’d ever find it. To think that your friends found it so easily..!”

Despite the dread in the pit of his stomach, Gearhead suggested working in shifts so his crew could enjoy the Fair as well. So Lattice and the other bosses divided the group into smaller teams and gave them a timetable to follow. Each group would be small, and they would rotate quickly to avoid disturbing either the workflow or the festivities.

Gearhead clicked his communicator on. “Gearhead to all points. Has anypony heard of a powerful Artifact called the ‘Crystal Heart?” He asked softly.

“A what now?” Pinkie Pie’s voice called.

“Oh no,” Twilight said.

“Rainbow Dash here with AJ. Yeah, I think we’re in trouble here ‘cause the Crystal Ponies keep mentioning it.”

“My team says Sombra hid it where no one would find it.”

“Yeah, that’s what the librarian says,” Applejack said. “Twilight, you didn’t by any chance..?”

“I just carved it out with my magic. Could you girls keep the Crystal Ponies entertained while I go look for the real thing?”

“That’s my specialty!” Pinkie said.

“Thanks, girls. Really. Gearhead, what’s your progress?”

“We are assembling Turbine-3 now.”

“So three quarters done already?”

“We will still have to calibrate and charge, but we are nearly at the point where we can do that.”

“Good, because I don’t know how much longer Cadence’s shield can hold out.”

That was something else that Gearhead had noticed: with the shield surrounding them, Gearhead had had plenty of opportunities to establish a running reading. In regards to Twilight’s question, they were in better shape than they would have been if they had arrived a day or more later by train. While Armour and Cadence could not use their new Contract powers all the time, their power nearly became cubed for the few minutes when they did, and did not decrease in any way compared to normal levels. When they deactivated the mana transfer loop, Armour was able to rest and recover a bit, however Cadence’s levels started to decrease slightly again.

“We should be fine for some time yet,” Gearhead said. “I will keep an eye on the shield while I lead the construction of the Array. You worry about the Fair and the Heart.”

“Given what we’re facing right now,” Twilight said, “that sounds like a plan.” The others agreed, and then signed off. “I’m taking Spike with me. Twilight out.”

* * *

In order to convert part of the palace into a combined condenser and control unit, Gearhead had to go in and see what they would need, before he could ask the mining team for any further metal or gemstone resources.

Unfortunately he could not simply leave the build team to survey the palace while they put the finishing touches on Turbine-3. Fortunately they now had the process down to a fine science, or a precise art if that was your preference. The part of the process that took the longest was refining the turbine’s unique components.

Gearhead found a set of rooms in the central tower that would be perfect for the control center. “Why hesitate?” Armour asked. Gearhead had sent one of the build members down to the balcony where the royals were watching the Fair, to ask the new prince to come up and take a look. Before agreeing to do so, Armour and Cadence had reactivated their Contract magic to reinforce her already-flagging strength.

“Do any of you know what these rooms are designed for?”

“I would just as soon assume they were additional guest or servant quarters,” Armour said.

“Sorry, Gearhead.” Lattice rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed.

“You do not need to apologize for not having regained your memories,” Gearhead said. The other Crystal Ponies brightened at that.

“I can’t see any reason you couldn’t use this space as the central module,” Armour said, looking around. “Nothing in here jumps out as being particularly unique or vital.”

“I just think that if the palace is part of the defensive array together with the Crystal Heart, altering it could affect its functionality. Do we dare take the chance?”

“I think the issue is more daring not to take the chance,” Armour said. “I’m making an executive decision as one of the senior officers on duty: dare to do it. And let me know if you need anything else,” he said, leaving to return to his wife’s side.

“Aye, sir,” Gearhead said, knocking off a quick salute. “You heard the prince,” he said, turning to the others. “Our first step will be to integrate the walls separating the chambers into the ceilings or floors. Next we can put in the particle wiring, miniature condensers, and the terminals. The ceiling here, and the floor in the floor above us will be required in the main condenser unit.”

“Yes sir!” The Crystal Ponies chimed. They got right to the first task. While they did that, Gearhead wrote out a list and gave it to Snowbelle to take to the miners. The new list of components included copper and other metals, a good number of them more common than not. Gearhead would mix them into alloys, to create the relays and pathways the particles would use in powering the whole array.

“But I don’t understand,” Twilight’s voice suddenly came through Gearhead’s earpiece. “What happened? How could I fail?”

“Twilight, Gearhead. Can you hear me?”

“I... I can hear you, but where are you?”

“Twilight, it’s Applejack. What do ya see?”

“It’s the Throne Room back in Canterlot Castle, but... I’ve failed. At everything.”

“Twilight, Rainbow Dash. How’d ya get back to Canterlot so fast?”

“I... huh? I don’t remember. I don’t even remember leaving the Crystal Empire. But that would mean...”

Gearhead brought up everypony’s locations by looking for their communicators’ signals. “Twilight, Gearhead again. I have your signal as coming from below or near the Throne Room here in the Crystal Palace.”

“Then I’m not really in Canterlot? Wait, could your equipment detect me at this range?”

“You are correct: even now I am using the turbines and the Wind as nodes to expand the sensor and communication range.”

“So talking like we are now,” Fluttershy said, “wouldn’t even be possible if Twilight was in Canterlot. Which means...”

“Ah, I’m okay now. Spike came down to get me. There’s a powerful illusion-type trap over the door. Give me a moment.” Twilight clicked her channel closed.

“It’s a good thing all that was just in her head,” Applejack said while Gearhead started to help the Crystal Ponies.

“Yes, but an illusion so complete must be incredibly powerful,” Rarity said. “If we underestimate Sombra’s traps any further, it could be more dangerous than anything else we’ve faced before.”

“Makes sense he’d set traps to stop anypony from getting near the Heart,” Dash said.

“In that case, should we send anyone to go help Twilight out?” Fluttershy asked.

“We each have our appointed tasks,” Rarity said, “even if it’s just to provide backup for the prince and princess.”

“Right! So lets trust Twilight and Spike to do their part, while we do ours,” Applejack said.

“By the way, is anypony else kinda getting thrown off by holding a conversation without actually seeing each other?” Dash asked.

“Kinda, yeah,” Applejack said.

“It’s very useful though,” Rarity said.

“And cool!” Pinkie said.

“I think it’s like being like a telepath,” Fluttershy said. “I’ve always wondered what it was like to speak like this.”

“Except it’s not truly mind-to-mind, like the battle link Luna helped us build,” Rarity said.

“It’s still more like what Gearhead and Snowbelle do than anything else we could experience,” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah, just not as fast,” Dash said.

“Back,” Twilight said. “Spike confirmed it for me: the trap over the door showed whoever looked into it after opening it with Dark Magic their worst nightmare.”

“Why would anypony want to use Dark Magic?” Pinkie asked.

“I needed to do it to reveal the staircase down here. Princess Celestia showed me how.”

“Did it hurt?” Fluttershy asked.

“It kind of gives me a headache, but otherwise I’m fine. Besides, I had to use Light Magic to open the door properly. Or I think it’s properly. I’m having a hard time telling whether or not it’s another of Sombra’s traps.”

“Why, what’s through that door?” Dash asked.

“More stairs. A lot more. This could take awhile.”

“Good luck, Sugar Cube.”

“Thanks. Twilight out.”

“Speaking of how long things could take, how’re we doing on everything else?” Dash asked.

“I think I’m starting to run low on materials for the traditional hats booth,” Rarity said.

“I don’t think I can hold off these Crystal Ponies’ curiosity for much longer. It’d take just one of ‘em to figure out this ain’t the real Crystal Heart. But at least Princess Cadence seems to be hanging in there.”

Gearhead enlarged the sensor take on Cadence’s shield. “She is holding the defences at 72%.”

“That’s great!” Dash said.

“To tell the truth, if the integrity goes below 52% Sombra could force his way through, causing the shield to fail. So there is much less room than you would think.”

“Then I hope it doesn’t fall,” Dash said.

“But just in case, it wouldn’t hurt to wrap things up: even I can’t keep this party going on forever!” Pinkie said. “Whoa!”

“Wait, Pinkie, what’re you--!” Gearhead could not see what was happening, but apparently Pinkie was roving around cheering ponies up. It was a pretty good plan, except she seemed to have wandered closer to where Applejack was covering for the fake Heart, and stumbled. So then of course, the Universe at large would have the Heart become uncovered.

“Oh, thanks! That was a close one,” Pinkie said.

“What happened?” Gearhead asked.

“Pinkie almost knocked the Heart from its stand, but some Crystal Ponies caught her as they were walkin’ through. Odd, I didn’t see where they came from. The palace? So that means...”

“They are members of my crew, come down to enjoy the Fair. I set them on rotation.”

“Well, that was lucky,” Applejack said. “I just hope it continues to hold.”

“How long until you’re ready up there, Darling?”

“We have a fair amount of work to do up here, and then we need to synchronize the turbines and charge the condensers. I would say we have about two more hours.”

“You think the princess’ll hold out that long?” Dash asked.

“We can hope,” Gearhead said. In truth it was too difficult to tell, since the shield rose and fell in strength. It was only as strong as it was because of the Contract. If the group had arrived by train, the shield would have probably already fallen by the time Gearhead completed Turbine-3.

Once the conversation with the others was over, and everypony returned to her own task, Gearhead used his Geomancy to help dig out the small troughs in the walls and floor for the power lines and relay points. The team had worked to flawlessly reconfigure the three rooms into a single cylindrical module.

Minutes later Snowbelle returned with the components for the conduits and the computers, and Gearhead directed six ponies from the build team in their installation. He wondered whether his manapool would have held up so long if it had not grown so much. It was just one more thing for which to be thankful.

On the other hoof, Cadence’s strength was beginning to flag more quickly now, and she and Armour were obviously having to activate the Contract more sparingly: Over the past half hour or so, the shield’s strength had varied from 68% with the Contract active to 59% without it. Any additional stress would surely compromise it to the point where Sombra might attempt an incursion.

Naturally, that was when the fake Heart got knocked from its pedestal, and the Crystal Ponies took notice immediately. Gearhead did not want to rush his team and compromise the quality of their work, but soon they might not have much of a choice. He watched them put up the last section of monitoring crystal on the curving wall, and then turned his efforts to connecting the last terminal to its respective conduits. The sooner they got the system online, the better. That is, unless Twilight finds the real Heart soon, Gearhead thought.

“Guys, I think I’ve finally found it,” Twilight’s voice said. “It’s here!”

“Alright, Twilight!” Dash said.

“Now all you’ve gotta do is bring it on home,” Applejack said.

“But be careful,” Fluttershy said.

“After all this time and effort – oh no!”

“What?”

“It-krz-trap! I-zrt-eag-ktz.”

“What’s going on?” Pinkie asked. “Did anypony understand any of that?”

“Something is interfering with the signal,” Gearhead said, “but if there is a way out, Twilight should figure it out in a few moments.” Gearhead and a pair of Crystal Ponies secured the terminal in place, and then he walked over to a wall with a small socket and plugged in his dagger by its pommel to provide the system with a starting charge.

“Should we send help now?” Fluttershy asked.

“Interference rising in the vicinity of the Throne Room. I am not getting a signal at all from Twilight’s earpiece now.”

“I’ll go check it out,” Applejack said. “Rarity, you and Pinkie hold down the fort.”

“Oh joy,” Rarity said flatly in contrast to Pinkie’s loud “yippee!”

Gearhead used Read to make sure everything was connected the way it was supposed to be. “Let us start the system up,” he said to the Crystal Ponies around him. Just as he had instructed them earlier, they pressed and released the three-button combination required to start-up each of the five consoles. The control center came alive with cool white and blue light, so Gearhead sheathed his dagger and took his place at the central console.

“It is time to begin configuring the array,” he announced to the others. “Control relays will not yet be in place, so team members standing by at each turbine will have to use the built-in manual controls. Turbine teams, do you copy?” Fortunately while Gearhead had waited on some parts, the mining team had provided him with the material he needed to create three more earpieces. He set them to a secondary frequency, and had Snowbelle take them out to the teams of three waiting at each turbine. Only the team leaders would get a communicator, but at least this way they could coordinate properly.

“Turbine-1 copies and is ready,”

“Two is ready,”

“Three good to go.”

“Go on initial activation at 20% capacity on my one-mark,” Gearhead said. “Acknowledge.”

“Acknowledged,”

“Waiting for your one-mark,”

“Ready,”

“Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Mark!” The instruments showed each turbine coming online. Now came the tricky part, where they had to match output levels on all three turbines. Fortunately, Gearhead still remembered how Twilight had helped him to come up with a method for synchronizing his twin cores.

“Gearhead, it’s Applejack. There ain’t no stairs or door in here!”

“They must have sealed shut when Twilight triggered the trap. If you could figure out where in the city she is, you can try to help her,” Gearhead said.

“On it!” Dash said, and Gearhead could picture her flying off to search for their missing friends.

“One, decrease power two percent. Two, increase power by one percent. Three, increase power by 15%.” All three teams acknowledged. After that, the only further adjustment was minor.

“Turbines show as matched,” Lattice said.

“Lock it in,”

“Locked at One,”

“Locked at Two,”

“Locked at Three,”

“Locked at Central.”

“Configuration is complete,” Gearhead said. “Well done, teams. You can come in now. As for us here, it is time for us to spool the turbines up to full. Set output to charge all condensers.”

“Set,”

“And, activating.” Gearhead tapped the command, and two and a half seconds later, the large condensers in the floor and ceiling began to glow slightly. “Now we wait.” Hopefully not for long, he thought, seeing Cadence’s shield at 56%. And we still have not heard back from Twilight.

With the shield down to 54% strength, and still no word from Twilight, it seemed clear to Gearhead that the city’s best course of action would be to prepare for battle against Sombra. Currently he, Snowbelle, and the Elemental Six were the only defenders of significant strength the Crystal Empire possessed, thanks to the fact that Cadence was nearly exhausted, and Armour was staying by her side. Sombra’s only known defeat had been at the hoofs of the Royal Sisters, so it only made sense to prepare as much strength as was possible.

“Computer, Config-4.”

“[Acknowledged.]”

“What was that?” Lattice asked.

“I am simply preparing for battle,”

“So then, should we try deploying our defences early?”

“It would be ideal if we could wait for the condensers to charge fully, but realistically I do not know if we have the time for that. We need to be prepared, in case our airspace is breached before we can raise our own shields. Keep an eye on those levels.”

“Yes sir,”

“Rainbow Dash, Gearhead. Have you had any luck tracking Twilight and Spike down?”

“Not yet,”

“I’m so sorry,” Fluttershy said.

“Um, I had her join the search,”

“That is fine, and a good call given you can sweep the whole city from the skies.”

“And you couldn’t have just tracked Twilight’s location like before?”

“Their location jumped when they went through the door, and the trace never caught up. Now I am not receiving any signal at all from Twilight’s communicator, so it cannot be done from here.”

“You gonna join us?”

“No, I have to monitor the Central Condenser.”

“Shouldn’t you be able to use whatever’s interfering with the signal to track Twilight’s location?”

“Excellent idea, Dash. But just in case, please keep looking.”

“Roger that! Rainbow Dash out.”

“We’ll be okay, won’t we?”

“That is the plan, Fluttershy. Good luck.”

“Ah, thank you.” And she also clicked off.

Gearhead would bet that the source of the interference was more dark crystal or cloud matter, similar to what they had encountered on the flight to the city. If he looked for similar signatures throughout the city, he should be able to find Twilight, and then vector the Pegasi in on her to give her whatever assistance she needed.

“Gearhead, the condensers aren’t charging at the same rate as before, and we can’t sense some of the palace’s crystalwork anymore,” Lattice said.

“There must be some impurities present now. Perhaps that is what is interfering with Twilight’s efforts. There, we have them on the sensors. It is not an exact match, but it looks a lot like Sombra’s work,” Gearhead said, comparing the readings.

“King Sombra? Is he back?!”

“That is what we are here to defend against,” Gearhead said.

“[Alert: City shields integrity at 50% and compromised.]”

“Looks like fight time is coming early. Computer, time the stabilizer’s launch from Silver Wind so it can dock with me when the reconfiguration completes.”

“[Acknowledged.]”

“Are you going to go out there?”

“I am, so set the array’s activation to 'Wide Purge Mode,' please. It looks like the charge will not go much higher than it is now.”

“Will 75% be enough?”

“Not for full function, but we know that Sombra does not like the light particles. The more we can slow him down, the better.”

“[Alert: City shields have failed.]”

“Please activate the Alicorn Array.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Thirdson Gearhead, Twin Engine. Heading out,” Gearhead trotted out of the room’s door, and headed down toward the nearest window. By now, regardless of the fields being deployed by the turbines and the condenser, Sombra was exploiting Cadence’s exhaustion to breech the city limits. Gearhead wanted to have a response prepared.

“Quattuor Magnae Spiritus invoco. Veni Spiritus Lumenet undecim ducenti. Colligite et efficiamini mei ensis. Tardes enim maxime triginta secondis.” Now, unfortunately, Gearhead had only 30 seconds to deliver the blast, or he would lose the spell completely. But he had every faith that Sombra’s ego was large enough that he would show himself without any hesitation.

When Gearhead flew outside, he realized how correct he had been in his estimation of Sombra’s self-image, if not his powers: there were dark crystal towers rising everywhere, and Crystal Ponies were fleeing everywhere in their panic – except for those whom the former-king approached closely. Then they could only tremble in terror. And as their fear and despair grew, as marked by the loss of shine in more and more of the Crystal Ponies’ coats, the more powerful Sombra grew. As he rode on an extending crystal pillar, his shadow body swirled more tightly around him, revealing his armoured physical body.

Sombra was far from the only game in town now: Gold, silver, and white particle fields were opening up to wrap around the city from all sides. Above and behind Gearhead, a tower of light as thick as the Central Condenser unit was firing into the sky in order to deploy its particle field from above. Gearhead looked around long enough to see that some of the dark crystal that had been eroding the palace’s bright facets had already been shattered.

Gearhead could not help thinking that Sombra made the perfect target. He locked on with his bladecasters and compressed some of the particles stored in his chest condenser before rearing up to give his weapons a direct line-of-sight on the target. “Malleus Lux,” he said as he fired, and was both surprised and pleased when the bright blue-white of his spell merged with the turquoise particles. They streaked so quickly toward Sombra that they shattered three magi-sonic barriers, and he did not have time to evade. The blasts knocked him from his pillar, but the Dark Unicorn quickly recovered.

“Surprise, Horn-head,” Gearhead said, charging in with his weapons in sword mode. They crackled against the black pike that Sombra was suddenly wielding. With a roar, Sombra pushed Gearhead back a few meters.

“I am surprised, given you’ve decided to challenge me without even as much power as your little airship. If you wish to join my crystal slaves or die, I’ll happily grant that request.”

“Sorry, I am not here for that,” Gearhead said. Somewhere above him, Spike called out. Sombra heard him, and suddenly his expression became both angry and hungry. Gearhead fired several quick shots into him, and then flew in with a double-cross slash. “I shall, however, be your opponent.”

[Warning: Stored particles at 60%.] Gearhead promised himself to keep that in mind even as the different fields mixed and shimmered around the city. According to his HUD, the particle field was at 190% and rising, but the threat was already inside. “Computer, acquire Link.”

[Processing...] Even if the Twin Engine was too busy with the reconfiguration to generate new particles, the Alicorn Array was producing plenty of them, and at different purity levels, all higher than Gearhead’s standard. Using the Link function would draw those particles into the Twin Engine’s condensers, but the Array would be unable to restrict and eject the invader.

“You dare to continue to interfere?”

“Of course,”

“Then you are a fool,” Sombra launched a vicious wave of dark crystals at Gearhead, who flew to evade some of them. Others he had to fend off with his bladecasters and Geargem Dagger, but the ones that nearly got through clashed up against his defensive magic, and then his particle shield.

[Warning: Stored particles at 30%.]

“Let us make it count,” Gearhead brought his bladecasters in front of his chest condenser again, and charged up for another shot. Sombra elected to ignore him, and tried to use his dark crystals to shield himself while he launched toward Spike. Gearhead was right there, however, unleashing his shot into Sombra’s left flank and knocking him down again.

“Good news, youngling: I’ve decided to kill you,” Sombra said as he got back up.

[Warning: Stored particles at 5%].

“Now would be a really good time for a trick or two,” Gearhead said.

“[Alert: Stabilizer inbound].”

“Such small tricks won’t work on me,” Sombra grinned.

“This one is not exactly small, considering it means that one of my earlier preparations has nearly completed.” The cones at Gearhead’s sides swivelled into position, and whined to life. The system immediately purged the remaining stored turquoise particles so they could be replaced by the golden and blue ones now being produced.

The cores switched again, so they were facing directly behind Gearhead, and the stabilizer swooped in at high speed. So it would not risk breaking his back, Gearhead flew up ahead of it. The stabilizer transformed from Flight Mode to Docking Mode, and the pylons connected directly to both cores. Gold and blue energy lit each of the four wings, which extended from behind his shoulders, before seeming to be expelled from the tips as though to make them even longer. Two of those wings carried enhancile bits for the bladecasters that attached to both sides and gave them their tips.

[Twin Stabilizer online and ready].

“Just in time, too,” Gearhead muttered. “We will not need the Link anymore.” He came around in time to fire a withering salvo at Sombra, who had chosen to take the opportunity to try to get at Spike again. This time instead of letting Gearhead flank him, he used his magic to fly and met the younger challenger polearm to blade. This time Sombra did not push Gearhead back.

This time as well, Gearhead did not let up simply with one round of attacks. He turned and came around again, slashing or stabbing when he got close, and firing when he was further out. He attacked so much more thickly now compared to before that Sombra clearly did not have the time to consider going after Spike again. And yet the Unicorn was chuckling.

“You think you can defeat me with just that much power?”

“I am flattered that you think I might, truly. But that is not my purpose. Before I reveal it, though, please do answer a question of mine.”

“Oh? You seek knowledge even in the midst of battle. That is respectable, if foolish. Ask, then!”

“I will. Have you ever trapped any Ice Dragons in the vicinity of Canterlot?”

“Ice Dragons?” Sombra looked past Gearhead’s shoulder, to where the latter sensed Snowbelle approaching.

“I see. Yes, I did. But it only worked with that foolish dragoness because of her greed. So, where is she now? Dead, I’m guessing, because otherwise she would be taking care of her own. I’m right, aren’t I? You’re angry, aren’t you?”

“You are wrong about my mother,” Snowbelle said softly. “She loved us, all my brothers and sisters and me. Now I am the last one to carry her legacy, and everything she did to provide for even one of us. I know, because I shared time with her. So you cannot turn our affection into fuel, Sombra. All the same, I have a message for you from my mother.”

Snowbelle grew slightly in size even as she inhaled, and then she unleashed a tightly-packed snowblast. Sombra sneered as he dodged it at first, but Snowbelle continued to track him, and Gearhead resumed firing. Sombra encased himself in a spiked ball of dark crystal, and then used another pillar, striking the ball to launch it into the air, in Spike’s direction.

“OverBoost,” Gearhead growled as he flew after his opponent.

[OverBoost Mode activated. Operational time limit: 120 seconds].

“Keep it on the HUD,” Gearhead said as the particles covered him from head to the tip of his tail. He got ahead of Sombra’s ball, unleashed blasts from his top and bottom railguns, turned, and executed six quick slashes before looping out of the way and flying to get ahead of it again. This time he slashed it two more times as he passed it, and then he went back to firing mode and charged up as much as he could before stopping in Sombra’s path again. The blast peeled the shell away along the lines he had cut earlier, leaving the Unicorn exposed. Snowbelle was there instantly, blasting him with her breath attack and sending him plunging back down to the ground.

Sombra never made it to the ground, twisting on the air to land on another of his pillars. Gearhead was there an instant later, pressing his opponent with slash after slash. “Even this much power will fail you,” Sombra said.

“Oh, but like I was about to say, I am not out to defeat you, Sombra. After all, I am just the distraction.”

“Distract--?” Sombra seemed to finally realize what Gearhead was admitting to, and he returned his attention to Spike, but only for a moment as Gearhead shot him again.

“Just the same, I am not a distraction you can afford to ignore.”

“That goes for me as well,” Snowbelle said, swooping in to attack with her claws even as she passed Sombra. She flew away just as soon as she felt Gearhead’s warning, so Sombra completely missed her in his retaliation.

A small field of particles came down from directly above Sombra and wrapped around his left foreleg. Another took his right foreleg. The Unicorn roared, as if burned. “It looks like the Array’s restriction program has come online,” Gearhead said. “Next is ‘ejection.’”

Sombra stared at Gearhead.

“It is why the field matters even though you are already in the city. So prepare to say goodbye to every Crystal pony, Sombra.”

Except that that was when a massive wave of Light Magic energy of multiple colours hit. If the particles stung Sombra, this had to be pure agony. Gearhead watched in sheer fascination as cracks spread, and then Sombra seemed to shatter, not even leaving any shadow behind. There were some pieces of him being flung away, however the particle field around them all tended to seek these out and destroy them.

“Scan for residual Dark Magic energies,” Gearhead said. “Return the stabilizer to the Wind and back down from the Boost if we are clear.”

“[Scanning...]”

While Gearhead waited, his clock continued to count down on his OverBoost. He did not have to wait for long before it deactivated, the stabilizer detached, and even the Array’s shield began to lower into passive mode. “[Scanners and nodes report 0 Dark Magic energy signatures detected. Area is clear of threats.]”

Gearhead breathed a sigh of relief, and after he flew up to retrieve Twilight from the tower where she had watched everything unfold, he led Snowbelle in making a quick landing. In looking around, he saw that all of the dark crystal that Sombra had raised had been purged.

Gearhead was surprised to see that Cadence and Shining Armour were standing in the plaza with renewed vigour, but he was more surprised to see that everypony, even Spike, had somehow gained crystaline forms. Rarity, he noticed, was in a state of pure bliss showing her mane off.

“Oh, I wonder why you didn’t get a crystal form too, Darling. Still, I love what you’ve done with your mane.”

“Pardon me?” Gearhead was confused, since he had not done anything, until Rarity held up a small mirror. He saw that instead of a single turquoise streak, he now seemed to have three. One was on one of his longer bangs, which hung down to frame the left side of his face. The second one ran from the top of that streak along a lock of hair there, directly across the top of his face to the right. The third streak ran straight back, and repeated more thickly in his tail.

“I think it suits you,” Fluttershy said.

“Aw yeah! Now you look more your own speed,” Dash said.

“If this happens every time you douse yourself in particles, you’ll have to watch out before you get more green than red,” Twilight winked.

“For my part, I am wondering if your crystallization is permanent. Because as of now, you may be harder and sharper than some of your furniture.”

“The book didn’t say anything about this,” Twilight said. “But it didn’t mention a lot of things. I’m just glad it’s all over, even if...”

“Don’t worry, Twilight: I’m sure Princess Celestia’ll let you take another test,” Spike said. He got a whack upside the head from Applejack for his troubles.

“It’s alright, Spike, even if the Princess doesn’t give me another test. We still accomplished everything we came for.”

* * *

It was clear even before they took off that the crystallizations were not permanent. What could not be clear, until after they landed at Canterlot Castle, was what Princess Celestia would say to Twilight as a result of her performance in the Crystal Empire – which Gearhead thought was more of a city-state, and with Cadence permanently installed as the Crystal Princess and Armour at her side, it was now part of Equestria.

It turned out that Princess Celestia was pleased with Twilight for finding a solution to her problem that did not put the Crystal Ponies at risk. With the Crystal Empire saved, the others congratulated Twilight on passing a test of character and ability, rather than a paper test of percentages or pass/fail results.

Their business completed, the friends boarded the Silver Wind again, and Gearhead flew them home. He would have to fly the ship backwards through the launch ramp in order to stow it away again, but that was a small thing compared to the journey on which he was about to embark.

3. Inheritance

Chapter 3: Inheritance

The Crystal Heart’s aurora effect was visible throughout Equestria for a full week. According to Luna’s telepathic communications, curious ponies continued to stream steadily into Crystal City for the week that followed, before finally beginning to taper off. The sisters themselves took turns, so one of them was always covering their royal duties in Canterlot, while the other surveyed the ancient empire, to see what it needed as a newly-returned city-state.

Sombra had not been one for standard infrastructure, caring only for the mines and a standing army. The library was the one thing that the evil king had insisted on keeping that the princesses could approve of, as it was a storehouse of knowledge, magical and otherwise. Naturally the mines were still important to the empire, and to Equestria and the wider world, however there was more to consider. There were government service offices, schools, homes, and shops to build. The Crystal Ponies pitched in with a will, eager to cast off the shadow of the previous regime, and claim their freedom.

At Princess Celestia’s suggestion, Armour was recruiting for the Guards Corps from throughout Equestria. Soldiers who still wanted to serve in the armed services would have to be retrained to achieve the same standards as the Canterlot Royal Guards, so they would not thoughtlessly throw their lives away. New recruits would be trained up completely from the basics. Armour was building a single corps responsible for guarding the city and himself and his wife, and he wanted his brothers-in-arms to believe that they could stand side-by-side with Equestria’s best. That was why Armour would be resuming the mantle of ‘Captain,’ alongside his new rank as a prince.

One of the other things the princesses had stopped to inspect was the Alicorn Array, of which Jewelled Lattice’s build team had become experts, even teaching Armour and Cadence how to operate it.

There were some doubts as to the efficacy of the Array since Sombra had already been inside the shield when it finally became operational, however Gearhead himself cleared that up by remotely removing Luna from the exceptions list for five minutes. She was promptly captured by particle tendrils and flung from the city, but without getting hurt. When she flew back, she could not get through the shield, and she even had to retreat beyond sensor range so Gearhead could add her back to the list.

Things would quickly become busier for Gearhead, as Princess Celestia and Luna wanted him to install arrays in several cities and towns, from Hoofington in the west to Canterlot to Manehattan in the east. They even wanted him to come up with a way to be able to install the Array on cloud matter, so he could deploy it in Cloudsdale and Los Pegasus.

The past fortnight had already been busy for Gearhead: he operated the shop for half a day every day in order to keep up with normal business. He spent the other half-day either gathering resources or going over data from the whole Crystal Empire affair in order to modify his equipment, the way he always did after working out the kinks of a first run. One thing that Gearhead knew absolutely was that he never wanted the Wind’s shields to become overwhelmed, the way they had on the run in to the Crystal Empire, especially on the upcoming flight into the Crystal Mountains.

Given a choice, Gearhead would not risk having to give Snowbelle up. It was certainly a choice Fluttershy would not have made, not because she was not strong enough to let the young Dragoness go, but because she loved her so deeply. Understanding this, Gearhead encouraged the two of them to spend as much time together as possible. When you got down to it, however, Snowbelle also understood that this might be her last chance to fly with Dash, prank with Pinkie, or read with Twilight and Spike for some time. The result was that she spent the weeks with more than just one of her close pony friends, and Gearhead was happy to see that.

When it came to the decision of whether to go, Gearhead felt it was imperative that he fulfill the promise he had made to Snowbelle’s mother as soon as possible, especially when her sacrifice and final wishes were still so fresh and clear in his and Snowbelle’s minds.

Normally a child Snowbelle’s age would not be mature enough to have a say in such a matter, however she had a good share of Gearhead’s knowledge, so she was mature far beyond her months of experience. The Dragoness understood everything that was going on, and the choice before her. While she had discovered something of being a Dragon when she accompanied Spike on his journey, this was still an excellent opportunity for her to interact with her birth clan. Snowbelle decided to go.

In order to prepare for the journey, Gearhead was going over the Silver Wind from prow to tail-fins to repair and seal any possible weak points, and to modify what needed modifying. He thought about removing the wings even though they gave the ship its name, but could not come up with another place to put the turbine-type verniers. In the end he only had to beef up the buffering in the turret blisters, and he added another condenser so the ship could still power the shields even after purging most of its stored particles into the blade. Gearhead also ensured they would have enough provisions to last a month – at which point the perishables would spoil anyway.

Fluttershy wanted to come so she could give Snowbelle a last goodbye before they parted, however Gearhead did not believe that would be a good idea: they would be flying into a Dragon’s nest in unknown, possibly hostile territory. While Fluttershy had once been able to reduce a drake to tears by lecturing him, this would be a whole group of Dragons, in their own home. In an environment that could probably freeze blood solid if one was to try to walk out unprotected. Gearhead had his Twin Engines, and if necessary, the accompanying stabilizer. While Gearhead was working on an all-weather, full-cover jacket, it was not yet ready. Besides, they could not predict how things might turn out if they became overly emotional in front of the other Dragons. Fluttershy reluctantly agreed, holding Snowbelle close and nuzzling her all the while.

That was why, when it came time to pick Snowbelle up, Gearhead brought some reinforcements. “I don’t understand why she absolutely has to go,” Fluttershy said, near tears. “You don’t have to take her away and keep that promise!”

“This is not just for the promise to her mother,” Gearhead said, already struggling to keep his calm. He hated that his actions were upsetting Fluttershy, and that he might be coming across as uncaring. All the same, he knew that if he did not do this now, it could only get worse as she became more attached to Snowbelle as her surrogate mother. “This is also Snowbelle’s choice.”

The Dragon in question nipped at one of Fluttershy’s ears playfully, then put one icy blue paw on the Pegasus’s chest. “She is choosing to go,” Gearhead said, “to explore her roots and find out more about what it means to be an Arctic Dragon.”

“But she went with Spike that time!”

“Yeah, but that didn’t help either of us find out what our families were like,” Spike said. “It just showed me that teenage dragons are jerks, and I’d prefer to be with you as my family. But Snowbelle knows where her family is. If I had this opportunity, I’d take it.”

Twilight put a leg around Spike’s small shoulders. The purple and green land dragon was not just her Number One Assistant, but a part of her family, too, standing somewhere between a son and a little brother. That said, Gearhead could only see Spike’s crush on Rarity as being strange – not so much because they were of different species, but because Spike was closer in age to Sweetie Belle than he was to Rarity.

“What if you get lost? Or frozen? Or lost and frozen?!”

“Hey, this is starting to sound like one of your meltdowns,” Spike said, perking up. Twilight nudged him, but gently.

“Snowbelle’s mother showed her exactly how to get to the nest, and she showed me. As for freezing, it is the climate that Snowbelle was supposed to be born into. And as for me, I can rely upon the particles’ protection, with a little help from Snowbelle.”

“And it’s not as if they’ll be hoofing it,” Spike said. “I sorta wish I hadn’t had to either.”

“Indeed,” Gearhead nodded. “Once the reconditioning on the Silver Wind is complete, we will be able to launch on a journey. The way in may take is up to four days. Depending on the Dragons’ culture, negotiations could be measured or decisive.”

“So maybe give it a couple more days, just to be on the safe side,” Twilight said.

“And then it’s back to Ponyville in four days again,” Spike said.

“What if the Dragons decide to eat you?”

“The Dragons I have met have not yet decided to do so,” Gearhead said. “I would also like to think that my status as a Dragonfriend provides me with the protection I would need. And as for Snowbelle, why would she need any such protection, when she is one of their own? But if things did go sideways, I am certain we could outrun a couple dozen Dragons by moving quickly enough. I am certain, however, that it shall not come to that, because Snowbelle and I will negotiate with the Dragons for her to study with them. Between Shadow Wright and Snowbelle’s mother, I believe that the Arctic Dragons will appreciate an attitude of readiness to learn.”

“But do you have to go now?”

“The sooner the better, for various reasons. One of those reasons is that the sooner we go, the sooner I will be able to go to get her back, at which point you should be able to mother her all you want – unless she becomes a moody teen by then.”

Snowbelle chuffed a laugh, but Fluttershy looked utterly horrified at the prospect. “Do not worry,” Snowbelle said. “I will be back, just like Father says.”

“How is her first word a complete sentence?” Spike asked Twilight.

“I don’t know,” Twilight said, clearly shocked.

“Oh, Snowbelle’s been able to speak for some time,” Fluttershy said. “Remember, she had some time to pick up some things from Gearhead through their link, so she’s smarter and more mature than she would be normally.”

“Smarter than me, you mean,” Spike said. “But don’t ya think that’s another perfect reason to let her go learn to be a Dragon from her own folks?”

“I suppose so,” Fluttershy said, and her hold on the little Dragon loosened. “But that still doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“No, I suppose not,” Gearhead said, “but this still is not the last time we will be seeing her.”

“I want to come with,”

“Into a Dragon’s nest? Through a storm?”

Fluttershy’s expression became cloudy, as a stormy conflict raged within her.

* * *

“[Supply loading complete. Now closing Cargo Bay doors.]”

“Final pre-launch system check, please.”

“[Confirmed: Starting final system check...]” When Gearhead did not countermand the announcement, the computer proceeded. Gearhead himself could see that the ship’s outline and fill were both in blue on the status boards, but he wanted to ensure every possible aspect was checked thoroughly before take-off. It would be far too late to affect repairs once they were in the mountains.

“[Cargo Bay doors closed and secured. Airlocks engaged and secured.]”

“Check seals, please.”

“[Confirmed: Checking seals...]” Gearhead glanced at Snowbelle, who was sitting at a smaller co-pilot station that he had added to the cockpit for this purpose. As a result of this addition, the pilot station was more to the left of the room, while the co-pilot’s chair was more to the right. Snowbelle chirped readiness.

“[Seals optimal. All boards blue. All systems standing by.]”

“Engage shutter system, please.”

“[Confirmed: Engaging shutter system...]”

All at once, the construction robots began to retract toward the Hangar’s walls. Metal shutters slid down to seal them in against any fallout from any malfunction that might occur. The floor under the Wind tilted, in order to angle it as much as possible in the massive, but still restricted space. A panel in the ceiling slid open, revealing a long tunnel, and behind the ship a floor panel shifted into place with a THUNK!

“[Shutter system engaged. Launch timing has been transferred to MEV-P01.]”

“Thirdson Gearhead has the con. MEV-One, Silver Wind, is launching.” Gearhead rested his hooves lightly on the glowing controls, and gently pressed down on the pedals with his rear hooves. The Wind’s Dual Core whined a little higher, propelling it and its passengers into the tunnel. Behind them, the ship’s cradle immediately began to lower back into place.

Gearhead pushed the throttles forward a little more, and the ship responded instantly be increasing its speed just that much more. The Hangar’s panel slid shut, and then the surface panel popped open, with less than a second before the Wind hit the same space, and then it was climbing beside the winding river that bordered the Everfree Forest. Gearhead set the ship circling as it climbed, making three complete circuits of Ponyville before heading north at full speed: there was not any point in delaying their departure. He knew Fluttershy would be disappointed to see them leaving, but he had reminded her, hopefully with success, that Snowbelle would be returning to Ponyville after she had learned what she could.

Gearhead and Snowbelle took turns flying the ship and entering different parts of their course into the auto-pilot. Soon Canterlot became visible. “Do you want to make a salute?”

Snowbelle chirped, and Gearhead transferred control back to her station. As Silver Wind’s starboard side became visible to the city and the palace at its center, the little Dragon rotated the ship nearly ninety degrees. The sun flashed off the full length of the hull, and then the ship left the city behind with only overlapping particle trails to remember it by. Snowbelle righted the ship, and exchanged a grin with her father. They did not even know which princess was home, but it did not matter.

The flight to Crystal City airspace was uneventful, and managed entirely by the auto-pilot while the ship’s only two occupants (and yes, they had scanned for stowaways before take-off, even though it should have been impossible for a Crusader or Fluttershy to reach the Hangar) watched and played some games to pass the time.

From the looks of things, the efforts to build up Crystal City’s infrastructure was making great strides, as a number of new buildings were already up. At higher magnification, Gearhead spotted a schoolhouse and some training centers, which would be useful for those still stuck in a slave mentality. Most importantly, at least in Gearhead’s opinion, the city was not under attack of any kind that he could see from the air, and the Array was in Passive Mode, ready to fully deploy the shield in moments. The Wind stayed long enough to complete its scan, and then it flew through the clear skies toward the foothills.

In the howling wind and driven snow, Silver Wind’s wings would have become more a detriment to its flight than a help without the particle field to protect it. The auto-pilot had long since become useless, since it could not compensate for turbulence the way a living pilot could. Now Gearhead was glad that he had had the foresight to install the second pilot station, because it was taking considerable strength, endurance, and focus to navigate the higher crags and passes. Without being able to instantly switch out with Snowbelle, Gearhead would have had to find a place to land so he could rest for awhile, before continuing onward.

Soon conditions were so fierce that to call it a blizzard would have been the grossest of understatements. Gearhead deployed another layer of particle lining using the turbine-type verniers, and then he retracted the wings completely into the fuselage. Reducing drag and air resistance even a little became crucial, as father and daughter drove their ship deeper into the Crystal Mountains.

In these conditions, visual detection was impossible. Even the sensors’ effectiveness was greatly reduced, so the only ways to tell what was around them became to either expand a wide particle field with a high enough control so the particles would not get blown away, or to rely on Snowbelle’s senses. Using a particle field would have been slow and hazardous, should the field give out, since it was the only shielding they had against the elements, impact, and attacks all at the same time. Fortunately, as they flew the ship further into the deep passes, Snowbelle said she ‘remembered’ more of where to go. If this had been knowledge that her mother had passed to her before passing on, Gearhead would have gained it as well. Instead, this seemed more like ancestral memory. It was either that, or someone else, preferably another Arctic Dragon from the same tribe as Snowbelle, was piggybacking on her psychic link and guiding her in. Either way, when Gearhead flew he had to follow Snowbelle’s guidance, and while he rested he did not have any choice but to rely on whatever agency kept them from crashing.

Surrounded by screaming wind and streaming snow and ice pellets, the only way Gearhead had to mark time’s passage was the ship’s chronometer, showing steadily in his console’s corner. The only sense left of anything existing outside the ship was the steady pelting of the elements against the shields, and very infrequently, against the hull.

And then, with disorienting suddenness, Snowbelle was rapidly decelerating to avoid hitting walls or Dragons: they had found the entrance to the cave network that housed the nest. Gearhead vaulted into his seat and extended the landing struts. He extended the wings to expose the verniers again, just in case they needed the extra manoeuvrability or protection, and then put the Wind into Standby Mode.

“Are you ready?”

“I... I think so,” Snowbelle said, swallowing uncertainly.

“It is okay: this is also your family. If nothing else, I am certain they will honour the deal.”

<You aboard the metal beast,> a new voice rang out in Gearhead’s mind, and he knew instantly that Snowbelle had indeed been guided here. <Come out now.> The stern tone implied a threat, although even with more than one Dragon, Gearhead wondered what damage they could do to his tough little ship. It was not designed for battle, but it could certainly hold its own. <You dare to challenge the Tribe, little pony?>

<Nevertheless,> Gearhead thought with a genuine smile, <there is purpose behind our journey here, and so we will indeed disembark.>

“I am ready,” Snowbelle said, and Gearhead could see the determination on her face.

“Then let us go meet your Tribe.”

Snowbelle had never felt so nervous, not knowing what to expect, or even quite frankly whether they would leave the cave alive: although the other Dragons had guided her here, this was a sacred place that had never, in living memory (and Dragons lived a long, long time) been violated by outsiders. Not even the Ponies’ eternal princesses had dared to come here.

But, as Father says, we have a purpose here. One that cannot be fulfilled elsewhere. Snowbelle glided down the Wind’s ramp at her father’s side. There were other beings lining the walls, hidden mostly in shadow, and a passage that led deeper into the cavern system. Protected from the cold by Snowbelle, as well as by a thin particle field, Father intrepidly took the lead, two paces ahead of Snowbelle. Feeling ashamed for her trepidation, Snowbelle flapped her wings harder to catch up.

No being moved until Father and Snowbelle were near the middle of the next room, a vast open chamber with a floor as smooth as mirrorglass, sheer ice-blue walls, and strong pillars that had stood for millennia. This was Dragonhome.

Snowbelle had only ever seen a similar gathering of unique and powerful beings during the Dragon Migration. Here, too, there were all kinds of Dragons, all specializing in a different method of surviving the harshest cold in the world: some were sleek flyers like her (or she like them), while others had wings that were thin and knife-like with multiple projections. Still others sported flukes and fins for swimming, and some were massive land-dwellers like Spike. They also came in a variety of colours, from snow-white to grey to blue to black.

“We see a pony and a pony who looks like a dragon,” a large White Flyer said. “You would hardly make for a light snack for just a couple of our young. Tell us why we should not do so anyway.”

Father opened his mouth to speak.

“Do not speak,” the White said, and the assembled Dragons assaulted Father with their Dragonfear. Snowbelle had never considered herself able to protect Father from anything but extreme heat or cold, but now she realized that she had a dampening effect on Dragonfear. She, meanwhile, was completely immune to it, being a Dragon herself.

Father was far from immune from the fear. His legs wobbled as he fought against his ‘fight or flight’ instincts, as well as the urge to simply fall. His tail twitched toward his sheathed Geargem Dagger, but through their link, Snowbelle knew that he realized that the Dragons would use the slightest excuse to eat him, including any ‘threatening’ gesture he might make. Besides, contrary to his previous confidence about surviving a fight here, he now knew that these Dragons could kill him in seconds, with their power and numbers. He twitched his tail away from his weapons and, taking a slow, deep breath, regained his composure by pitting all of his discipline against the fear he felt. Resolve shone in his heart and in his eyes.

As his daughter, she could do no less. “I am Snowbelle. This is—“

“What need have we to name our snacks?”

“This is Thirdson Gearhead of Herd Verdant,” Snowbelle continued. “My mother gave me to him as an egg to ensure that while I alone survived from among all my siblings, I would have a chance to return to Dragonhome. For getting me this far, he is my father, regardless of any other factors.”

“Indeed, you did survive the Killing Cold. But tread softly upon that thin ice, for to call one such as him your father is to sully our kin. Continue, but be wary: you are inches from being eaten.”

“Chief among the reasons for coming here,” Snowbelle said, undeterred, “is to learn the wisdom of my kin, and what it means to be a Dragon.”

“To brave the Killing Cold for knowledge and wisdom alone would be foolish. Your other reason?”

“Father brought me here to honour the promise he made with Mother. He has brought me here, to Dragonhome, and therefore he has completely honoured that promise. Is he not worthy, then, of some consideration?”

“An honourable snack, then?” The White grinned, and several others boomed as they chuckled. “Let us see how honourable a pony can be!” He drew back, and three Dragons the size of Father’s head darted toward him. Snowbelle did not know how to react, but she thought for certain that Father would draw his weapons then. Instead, he breathed deeply and waited while the Dragons flitted about him, sniffing and prodding. Finally, they returned to the White. Now that she was looking, Snowbelle could see where they, and others of their kind, were perched all about the chamber. “An honourable Pony indeed. Very well, we will acknowledge the heart of this Dragonfriend who stands before us.” Snowbelle sighed in relief. “But we are unconvinced regarding teaching you, Dragon-Pony. Why should we honour the memory and spawn of a fool who allowed herself to get trapped?”

“Is it not my right as a survivor, to learn what it truly means to be an Arctic Dragon? To be a member of this Tribe? Should I not have the chance for which my mother forged this promise?”

“You, who stink of Ponies and summer believe you are worthy of this chance?”

“I know I am. Mother told me so before she passed, and Father has told me so every day since.”

“So we not only have to avenge your mother’s foolishness in getting trapped, but her death as well?”

“Vengeance has already been taken,”

“Indeed? Upon whom?”

“Upon Sombra, who trapped her, and Chrysalis, who delivered the killing blow.”

“What form has this soft pony vengeance taken?”

“Sombra is dead, ripped apart at the hooves of the Crystal Ponies whom he oppressed. Chrysalis and her Changeling Soldiers were exiled far from Equestria. And Father’s was the principle sword in both cases.”

“Oh? And what sword would that be?”

Father took that as an invitation, drawing the Geargem Dagger and expanding it to his full length, even causing it to open, but not drawing on any of the ambient mana. The assembled Dragons gasped or muttered in appreciation: no other class of being in the world could appreciate fine jewels quite as well as a Dragon. The Geargem Dagger was a single piece, despite being forged from several different gemstones. And, until recently, it had been in perfect condition. Now there was only a sliver of imperfection, where it had chipped during the battle against Sombra. Father had used another amber emerald to repair the sliver, but it did not fit exactly, and so the blemish remained despite the sword being stronger than it would have been without the patch. Still, the Dragons admired the blade.

“Father forged this sword with his own power, his own strength, and his own knowledge. He continues to use it to help others at need, and my mother and I are not the first Dragons he has helped. Nor will we probably be the last. Is it not preferable to have allies in the wider world?”

“And do you, as all true Dragonkin do, have a Soul Name?”

“I do,”

The White waited, but Snowbelle did not give it.

“Good, only those you trust completely should have it.”

“Father does,”

“Oh, how interesting,” the White said.

“Let us consider,” a Grey Windknife said.

“There’s nothing to consider,” a Blue Dragon-Shark said. “We should honour the promise.” The chamber echoed with agreement.

“Very well,” the White Flyer said. “We will honour the promise, and in its fulfilment, the shame of her name shall pass into myth.” He turned to face Snowbelle, and Gearhead behind her, even as he was returning his dagger to its scabbard. “We will teach you the wisdom and the ways of the Frost. We shall teach you what it means to be an Arctic Dragon as you wished for it – however! We shall only teach you what you are willing and able to learn. On the minute of the day when you cease being willing or able to learn anything new, we will use your link to contact the Dragonfriend. He will then have two days to come and collect you, otherwise we will do with you as we will. Do you have any objections?” The White looked between them.

“What if I am engaged in a crisis at the time?” Father dared to ask. “Do you expect me to be able to disengage and leave all those I would be protecting to deal with the remainder?”

“We will use the link to ascertain whether you are in crisis, and whether an extension is necessary. If it is, we will grant it.”

Father’s doubt vanished, and Snowbelle knew he would come for her, regardless of when she finished her education here. “We accept,” she said.

“Then let us solidify the agreement,” the White said. “Come forward, both of you.” When they were mere meters from the hulking Dragon, he said “do as I do, then touch them together.” He flicked a claw, and dug it into the fleshy part of his paw, drawing blood, before holding it out in front of him.

Father drew his dagger again, and cut a small slit in his left foreleg just above where his shoe ended, and held it out too. Snowbelle grimaced as she followed suit.

Red blood and blue-white blood ran together, coalescing into a pair of gemstones right in the middle of the small group. The White gathered both gems, breathed frost onto them, and then he set the red one into Snowbelle’s forehead, where it stuck. The other, he simply held out for Father to take. When the Earth Pony reached out, both Dragons saw that the small cut he had made had already healed, courtesy of his particles.

“The agreement is made. Let us now keep it, lest the Cold take all of our blood.”

“Let us keep it, then,” Father said.

The Dragons nodded or grunted their agreement.

“Now go, and leave nothing else behind,” the White Flyer said. “Do not even look, until the day you return. If you return.”

“I will,” Father said, turning. He walked, but did not run, back to the Silver Wind, with all the Dragons watching, Snowbelle from afar. She watched him march up the ramp, and she watched the ramp rise into the secured position. Moments later, the Wind lifted gently off of the cavern floor. Even as Father began to back it up, he retracted the landing struts and adjusted the wings so that only the verniers were visible.

As soon as he had deployed a thick particle shield, Father pushed the ship that little bit further out of the cave. Several Dragons gasped or chuckled as the wind caught the Wind, spinning it quickly about. Snowbelle remained silent, calm in the knowledge that Father was using the wind to come about more quickly than normal.

And then, in twin turquoise rings, Silver Wind vanished into the blizzard, to traverse the pass known to Dragonkin as the Killing Cold once again. Is that how that looks? Snowbelle asked herself, tilting her head. Cool!

“And now we can begin, young one,” the White said.

“I look forward to working with you,’ Snowbelle, daughter of Blizzard and Gearhead, said.

* * *

Gearhead quickly wiped his tears away and returned his hoof to the steering ball to focus completely on making it out of the pass. He was glad the White Flyer had forced him to avoid looking back, otherwise he might have broken out in tears much earlier, marring Snowbelle’s opportunity, as well as a solemn, one-of-a-kind accord.

Not being able to see Snowbelle until the day he came to take her home was not as big a deal to Gearhead as it would be for Fluttershy, considering he was the one with the telepathic link. He could feel Snowbelle in the world, and her eagerness to learn. He might allow her to know when he missed her, but he should not show her sadness: They were both still alive.

Now that he was on his way out, the Crystal Mountains, and the Killing Cold in particular, seemed to get behind the Wind’s stern, pushing it out all the faster. The ship ran easily and quickly, without any of the difficulties Gearhead had noted on the way in. It made a twisted sort of sense, especially if the elements (or was it ‘Elements?)’ were arranged to protect the Tribe of Frost from outsiders. That would explain why Princess Celestia and Luna had never made it to Dragonhome, although they probably could have made it if they really wanted to.

Gearhead glanced for a moment at the now-empty co-pilot chair, and decided he would make an adjusting track, so it could be stowed aside, and his chair could be placed in the center again. Sure, he felt lonely without his daughter, but it was not like he would never get her back. With such a thought, he left the Killing Cold behind.

* * *

Gearhead did not think he could ever be so glad to see green grass, flourishing flowers, and streaming sunlight – nor to see Ponyville’s distinctive buildings as he approached. He backed out of supersonic speed, and savoured the approach. He took the Wind in low as he approached Gearhead’s Gadgets, and then sent the ship into a quick 180 degree spin, so the aft was facing the launch tunnels when it opened up. This was a delicate operation, since he could easily end up crashing into one of the tunnel walls if he was not careful and conscientious. But he always was.

Fluttershy was waiting for Gearhead when he stepped out of the shop entrance for a breath of fresh, warm Ponyville air. Gearhead worried that she might yell at him for taking Snowbelle away from her, or worse, that she might cry. Instead, she walked gingerly up to him and wrapped him in a warm hug, wings and all.

“It’s alright, you can miss her too,” the Pegasus said softly.

Gearhead surprised himself, breaking out into wracking sobs and crying silently while Fluttershy held him – not like a mother consoling her child, but like a peer who deeply understood the feelings he was trying to keep buried deep down, where they would not show.

Gearhead did not know how long it lasted, but when he finally stopped sobbing, he thought it strange at first to feel relieved, like he had been released of some form of stress about which he had not even been aware. “It is alright,” he told Fluttershy. “She will learn all she can, and then I will bring her back home.”

“You had better,” Fluttershy said, smiling through her tears.

4. Pinkopalypse Now

Chapter 4: Pinkopalypse Now

Gearhead did not know who was checking in on whom more, between himself and Fluttershy. They both must have appeared to be somewhat off-kilter to their friends, but together they seemed to be able to keep each other balanced, so neither became depressed during those crucial first few days after Gearhead had taken Snowbelle to Frost Dragonhome.

Soon business picked up again for Gearhead, particularly since the princesses had signed on to the defence contract, and Princess Celestia wanted the first few Alicorn Arrays installed as soon as possible. She and Luna had chosen Canterlot, Ponyville, and Hollow Shades as the first three sites to follow in Crystal City’s hoofsteps.

In order to get the gemstones he needed to those locations as quickly as possible, Gearhead hired a Pony Express Pegasus to deliver the order details to Hoofington. He would have used Sending magic if he could, but that required a certain Dragon to work. Cloudsdale dispatched Hasty Hoof, the Wonderbolts’ fastest flyer, to make the delivery.

Security had been a concern from early on, since even unprocessed the jewels made an extremely tempting target for banditry, and there was a large quantity to be sent to each city or town where Gearhead would process the materiel to make the turbines and core condenser.

That was why Gearhead had recommended an escort of fixed strength: two Flights and three Unicorns per wagon in any given caravan. Some wagons could carry enough gemstones for two components, but Wing Commander Windwalker liked the idea of splitting up the resources, just in case. That also meant assigning a larger escort to the entire caravan. Midnight approved of sending a whole Squadron out, complimented by an equal number of Unicorns. Father wanted to be absolutely sure the deliveries were secure, so he assigned two tough-looking Earth Ponies to tag along, although neither would be a warrior.

As it turned out, at least this time, the sight of such a large group of ponies travelling together was sufficient deterrent against any highwayponies that might have been stalking them. Hasty Hoof made the order delivery in three and a half days, and the D.A.’s coordinators took a day and a half to assemble all the materiel and ponysonnel for the caravan. If the supplies had been coming from the Western Storehouse, it would have taken eleven days to arrive at Ponyville. Instead, Hasty Hoof brought the order dispatch to the Central Storehouse in five days, and the caravan arrived in two more days. The escort, riding and flying hard, got to Ponyville a few hours later.

Windwalker and Midnight would have liked a faster turnabout, since the presence of the escort meant the assigned ponies were not available for anything else. Nightstar suggested trying teleportation rings, although their stability could not be guaranteed. They would have the best chance if Midnight, Nightstar, Dusk, and Dawn casted them together, but still, they could only guarantee that inanimate objects would make it through the rings intact. They would also need one on the receiving end, and until they arrived in Canterlot, for example, they could not plant the second ring. Nor could they easily open both ends from anywhere other than the Shadow Estates, where their power was greatest.

The last possibility was that Gearhead himself would pick up and deliver all the materiel using the Silver Wind. The problem with this was that he would have to take two trips, and during the second trip he would be leaving the gemstones he had delivered on the first run under whatever guard the city or town could spare. In Canterlot this might not be a big issue, but in Ponyville and other small towns, it most definitely would be.

Given all this, the Defence Alliance chose to send their resources by caravan, the old fashioned way. All of this meant that it took twelve days instead of the original estimate of sixteen, before Gearhead could even begin processing the material into the forms he needed to assemble each part of the Array. It was not as though he had expected the smaller towns to be able to provide the material themselves, however he could not help being somewhat disappointed when he compared the experience to the Crystal Ponies’ efficiency and competence – but then, they had had two advantages that none of the other settlements in Equestria seemed to have: a rich mining facility, and an uncanny understanding of all minerals.

Mayor Mare went with Gearhead to meet the caravan as it arrived in Ponyville, and offered the escort a place to rest and get refreshed. All of the guards, however, insisted on staying with the material until Gearhead was finished securing them by anchoring them to the ground or a nearby building, just as he and the Crystal Ponies had done. The guards kept all curious onlookers and spectators well away from the parts, so they would not see anything but the housing to be able to guess what lay within or how it was assembled.

Just as before, Gearhead led the team in building the Array in sequence: first the turbines, then the central condenser. Unlike in Crystal City, however, that last component became a free-standing building of its own. It took three hours to refine and assemble the parts for a single turbine, and half an hour to install it. By the time Ponyville’s Array was operational, both Gearhead and the guards were ready to bed down for the night.

* * *

At sunrise, Gearhead helped to load most of the gemstones onto the Friendship Express. While the escort took up their stations inside, on top of, and around the train Gearhead took to the air, racing ahead of the train to ensure the tunnels were clear of any obstacles or sabotage.

Although he could have arrived in Canterlot well ahead of the train, Gearhead wanted to prevent anything from going wrong on this venture because they were establishing everything that they would do for every other city or town in Equestria. It was important to show that this sort of thing could be done at all.

Again, Gearhead guided the guards to each site for the three turbines in turn. He assembled the parts while the princesses, having returned from their tour of Crystal City, watched. This time, having seen the whole process done once before, the guards took turns pitching in, so that while the work went faster, the other gemstones were never left unattended by the team representing the D.A.. Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns coordinated to lift heavy pieces into place, although Gearhead could have done it all with his own magic. Still, he understood the need to own part of the project, and encouraged pitching in.

The whole team was on the two o’clock train to Hollow Shades, which stood to the east of Canterlot. They arrived in the evening, and took the remaining jewels to a secure storage facility, which they would guard overnight. While the town’s mayor wanted to offer the escort comfortable beds to sleep in, they would not depart from their mission parameters. They would, however, accept a warm meal.

* * *

This time the team waited until mid-morning before they started assembling the first turbine, so they could avoid disturbing most ponies’ sleep. Because they were more experienced, the guards managed to cut assembly time down to two hours, and Gearhead had selected the sites for each turbine, as well as for the central condenser, before breakfast, so they knew exactly where to go. Once the central condenser was online, Gearhead granted permission for the escort to return home ahead of him. He did not know whether the team would split up to take advantage of its tribal advantages, and was somewhat surprised when they stayed together. After that, however, he was not surprised when he saw them teleport out of Hollow Shades.

Once he was able to confirm that all systems were running as expected, and he had trained some of the municipal officers on the use of the controls, Gearhead was able to follow the escorts, at least part of the way home. Unlike them, however, he would be flying, and unlike before, he could make full use of the Twin Engine’s power now that he did not have any cargo about which to worry.

* * *

Before returning to Ponyville, Gearhead checked in with the princesses in Canterlot to let them know that everything had gone smoothly.

“How is your progress on equipping the Array to the Pegasus cities?” Princess Celestia asked.

“I could easily rig the turbines and central condenser to hover, but that would divert some of the power, and if the mechanism was destroyed, you would then have a falling piece, and a failing shield. I think it has to be a mechanism natural to those cities.”

“Why not try inspecting some of the solid items the Pegasi use?” Luna asked.

“Would that be permitted?”

"We shall give you a letter authorizing you to inspect anything you believe would help,” Luna said.

“That’s an excellent idea,” Princess Celestia said. “If you can understand how the Pegasi keep solid objects from falling through their cloud cities, you’ll probably be able to learn how to replicate it.”

“We shall get that to you right away,” Luna said. “But for now, would you like a snack?”

“I have been travelling a little on the light side these past couple of days,” Gearhead admitted.

* * *

Just as when he flew to the west to visit his family, the Pegasi saw him coming from a long way off – and in Cloudsdale, very few ponies were not Pegasi, since only those with the right spells could keep from falling through the clouds. Unfortunately, such spells expired in a matter of days. It was not as though they could not be applied to the Array, but they would have to be renewed quite frequently. That would be impossible, if Unicorns who knew the spell were unavailable.

Gearhead was surprised to see that Cloudsdale sent a contingent from the Wonderbolts to escort him into the city, but then given the importance of his mission and the princesses’ involvement, perhaps he should not have been surprised.

“Welcome to Cloudsdale, the greatest city above the earth,” Hasty Hoof said to Gearhead, once they had landed. Since the proper spell would have been exhausting to cast, Gearhead was using the Twin Engine to remain at the proper altitude.

“Should you not be resting after your long flight?”

“I have rested! The Captain wants me to see to your needs for the first few hours so you get started on the right hoof.”

“Do you mean somepony else might not be able to do that?”

“Well, you didn’t hear it from me,” Hast Hoof said, leaning close, “but a lot of the Pegasi here are sort of in awe of you ‘cause of how much and how fast you can fly.”

“So they would be distracted,”

“Yup. As for Soarin,’ we’re both pretty sure he would spend most of the time just showing you all the tourist traps in the city without showing you anything of real consequence.”

“So... he would goof off.”

“You said it, not me,” Hasty Hoof said with a grin. “Now c’mon. As much as I would like to give you the two-bit tour, we have a task to focus on.”

“Yes,” Gearhead said, following the mare. “I need to know how it is possible to make solid objects so they do not literally fall through the ground.”

“Well, getting a variety of tools to study should be pretty easy.”

“Why is that?”

“Weren’t you paying attention? It’s because so many Pegasi idolize you for your flying skills. Not to mention, I am a Wonderbolt.”

“That you are,” Gearhead grinned.

It turned out to be as easy as asking for an item: a paperweight, a jackhammer, a pen, and even a wooden desk quickly became items of interest. Gearhead scanned them three ways to Moonday in order to find the answer for which he was looking, and each item seemed to offer up a clue, but not the complete picture.

The first way Gearhead had of examining any given object was with the scanners and sensors built into his glasses and the Twin Engine system. The second way was to use Shift Focus to detect the types of magic being enacted on the objects. The third method was to simply touch the object to let his Geomancy do its thing through Read.

It was obvious from the start that the reason Pegasi could have objects that were not made of cloud matter in a cloud city was through some magic. The question was what type of magic it was. Gearhead’s thorough scans each brought in a piece of the puzzle, but he could only begin to see the larger picture once he had scanned a dozen items and interrupted the normal work schedules of dozens of busy Pegasi.

While Gearhead took a short break, he pondered how he could redesign the turbines and central condenser units so they could best project the particle shield both above and below the cities at equal strength. He could build them double-facing, with the part that attached to the cloud in the middle. Bisecting a turbine would be far from ideal, but if he just made it a band embedded and hidden somewhere on the outside of the housing, that should work. But first he needed a proof of concept.

Looking at the cores on his shoulders, Gearhead realized how important it was to get the directional projection issue sorted: a shield thrown in the wrong direction could end up facilitating an infiltration or attack instead of preventing it, and the Twin Engines tended to be very directionally-specific. Heck, that was one of its strengths in performance over the Single-Core Engine.

Gearhead asked Hasty Hoof for some gemstones so he could try some small-scale experiments. Cloudsdale had a smaller supply of gemstones than most ground-based towns like Ponyville, but Spitfire seemed happy to oblige. Gearhead even ended up with a small audience. One which, he was pleased to see, was more than happy to offer its own opinions on a given configuration – and just as important, they offered suggestions as to how to overcome a specific challenge.

As it happened, Gearhead’s small-scale experiments also helped him to understand the magic behind the ability to keep solid objects on top of cloud-state matter. It was, he realized, an important aspect of a Pegasus’s magic, since they interacted with and used solid objects all the time, from toiletries and food to weapons and armour. They needed to be able to live without having to worry about losing their possessions, so they naturally developed this passive type of magic that changed the mass and density of the object to make it lighter and more diffuse, but not all the way. At the same time, it also made the cloud matter it touched more dense. So that bit of cloud did not fall out from the rest, matter further away also got changed, until there was little or no difference to speak of. And with each type of matter meeting the other partway, neither became too disparate from its original state to cause an operational problem – or at least that was the way Gearhead made sense of it.

Research completed, Gearhead thanked everypony for their cooperation and took flight again, this time heading for Ponyville and home.

* * *

Regardless of what else might happen, Gearhead had a mental image of Ponyville as a calm, neat small town where little seemed to be happening. In reality, it was a nexus for trouble since it was so close to both Canterlot and the Everfree Forest. But Gearhead could never have expected the sight that greeted him as he flew toward his shop.

To confirm the reality of what he was seeing, Gearhead flew down, matching the apparent stampede’s speed and heading. “Excuse me,” he said over the group’s chatter, “where are you all going in such a hurry?”

“To have fun, of course!”

“Fun! Fun! Fun!” The nearby pink ponies chorused, setting off a chain reaction within the rest of the herd.

“Yes, but where and with whom?”

“Fun! Fun! Fun!” The group chanted.

“Hey, wanna have some fun with us?” This was the first of the pink ponies who had spoken up.

“But that’s not Applejohn or Fluttershutter,” another one several ponies away objected.

Do they really not know something as elementary as the original’s friends’ names? “I am Gearhead, another friend,” he said.

“He says he’s another friend,” Toha Pinkie said.

“Then we can have fun with him, right? Buth Pinkie said.

“Fun! Fun! Fun!” As one, the group stopped and oriented on the flying Earth Pony.

Uh-oh, Gearhead suddenly had the impression that he had sprung his own trap. He knew that he did not have any chances of outrunning a determined Pinkie if he kept going along the ground, so as the Pinkies pounced, he flew straight up, as fast as he could. The particle rings the Twin Engines made flowed right through the copies without having any effect on them. Of course, if they would have had any effect, Ponyville’s Alicorn Array would have activated before now. Indeed, by connecting to the array network, Gearhead could see that the sensors were not detecting any sort of threat in any of the places where he had an operational Array.

Gearhead stopped, turned around, and inspected the Pinkie copies once more, but this time he scanned them through his glasses as best as he could from as safe distance. He saw, however, that the safety he enjoyed was about to be put into jeopardy as several of the copies began to build odd flying machines out of whatever they found lying around. Gearhead turned again and immediately went back to full speed, heading for the Golden Oak Library.

* * *

To Gearhead’s dismay, he found the library locked, the lights off, and nopony was visible inside through any of the windows. He had not seen a single pony who was not pink and did not have three balloons for a cutie mark since returning to Ponyville, but it was too soon to conclude that the town had been abandoned. Still, the situation required confirmation.

Before the copies could catch up to him on their wacky flying machines, Gearhead went ahead and checked Fluttershy’s cottage. Unlike the library, it was not locked, however not a single animal remained in residence, nevermind their gold-coated minder. As long as she is with the others, she is safe, Gearhead thought.

There were a limited number of places the Elemental Six would go to hide, especially if they were in the company of anypony else from the town. One of those places was the library, already confirmed as empty, and another was Sweet Apple Acres. Gearhead doubled back as soon as he saw that it had been abandoned mid-barn raising: Given a choice, the Apples would never leave their work undone, which meant they were elsewhere.

It was a stretch, but Dash’s cloud castle was one of the less accessible places, even for an unusual Earth Pony like Pinkie Pie. Gearhead flew up, and through the open halls, to confirm in moments that it was also empty.

If his friends were not at the library, farm, or hiding on a cloud, one alternative the fun-seeking copies would likely never check was the Everfree Forest. The problem was where in the Everfree to check. Fluttershy might have wanted to calm herself at the Butterfly Glade, but it lacked sufficient clear space for more than a couple ponies, so it would never do as a refuge for more. If the Pegasus had found a useable hiding place, it was likely Gearhead would pass it over completely as he flew. He was better off spending his time and efforts elsewhere.

Gearhead looped around and dove on a zig-zagging flight path toward his shop. He pulled up with barely enough time to buzz the grass, and then stopped in front of the door. After he unlocked it, he got inside as quickly as possible, and then locked it back up. The shop’s interior was darkened and empty, but there was not such a thing as being too careful in the case of Pinkie Pie or one of her copies. Gearhead flew upstairs first and confirmed his living space as being empty. Only then did he go downstairs to the Workshop.

What Ponyville needed at the moment was a reliable way of rounding up the Pinkie Pie copies. Such a method would have to be able to contain the copies despite their logic-breaking abilities. A normal net would never do the trick, but what if Gearhead tricked it out eight ways to Sunday? It would have to be an 'Eight,' Gearhead decided, thinking of the different levels signified by how many sides and points a star had when incorporated into its spell circle.

To put the theory simply, each spell had a level or ‘star’ designation. The most common ones were four-star spells, and if you looked at Rarity’s diamond mark, you could see a four-sided star in each of them. Twilight’s mark was centered around a six-pointed star, the Equestrian symbol for magic itself. Dawn, however, had a simplified magic circle with an eight-pointed star on it. This did not mean that Rarity could not perform a six-star spell, nor Twilight an eight-star, since they were just examples. Besides, a star could probably have up to ten points before it started to become too complex to make anything out.

Gearhead started with a sturdy mesh net. It needed to be woven tightly enough to keep the subject or subjects inside, but ideally without injuring them by cutting into them, bruising, or even holding them too uncomfortably. He then came up with a system of imbuing the nets with elemental magic against a Pinkie-style escape. For this, he used small gemstones, like the cobalt he had added to Spike’s lance. Just not as rare or expensive.

Gearhead also needed a means of delivery that ideally would not take that long to load, and that would be easy to power. He built a mid-sized air-powered canon that he could strap to a harness. When moving, he could sling it on his back between his cores. Then he would have to stop and swing it in front of himself while standing up on his rear legs. He could aim the gun with a combination of his magic and his forehooves, all while pivoting the butt of the gun against his barrel.

After several failed attempts, Gearhead came up with a way of loading the nets that meant pushing the nets, folded into a six-inch long bundle secured around three staves, either into a port on the gun’s back, or a longer slide along its top. Pulling a hoof-adapted slide on the barrel’s underside pushed the netting forward, and cued the three air intakes to vigorously and loudly suck air into the internal canisters. Once optimum air pressure was achieved, Gearhead could pull the trigger. As long as he could see a bit of the target above the top-center intake, he could almost guarantee a capture.

Gearhead needed a quiver in which to keep a decent number of nets, so he built a simple one for his sides that could carry twenty of them between them, and which he could have his Stabilizer carry out to him. He made a second set of quivers, and arranged a simple assembly line to keep himself armed, just in case there were more copies than he had arrows.

Since the Stabilizer could not stay aloft for long without its own core, Gearhead tasked the Wind to oversight operations, launching it on auto-pilot. He had to hope the copies would be too busy to notice it until after it was too high for them to reach. He then made his way to the center of Ponyville for some live, field testing. He did not have to wait for long for his first few targets of opportunity.

The first few pink ponies bouncing along spotted Gearhead instantly, and began to bounce his way. Gearhead put Town Hall behind him and placed one of his quivers on the ground beside himself. He swung his gun around to his front, and planted his hooves for the best balance possible, forehooves firmly on the aiming rails. As the copies grew close, he flipped the safety off.

“Hey, what’cha doing?”

Gearhead nearly popped out of his own skin when a Pinkie popped up to his left, and he could not be certain it was a copy and not the real thing.

“I was looking for the others,” he said.

“Really? So are we!” Now there were other copies trotting up behind this first one. “It’s like everypony’s playing Hide-and-Seek, and we’re It. But that would mean you’re It too.” The copy snorted.

“Sweet Apple Acres looked like a mess. Did the Apples already all get found?”

“Sweet what who? I like sweets!”

FUMP! Gearhead managed to swivel himself and his canon. He did not even really have to aim that much, given how close his target was. A thick black stick shot out, the staves separating and spreading the mesh wide even as it came alive with silvery-white energy. Heywha Pinkie was completely enveloped and went tumbling a couple strides before the stakes got caught in the ground and prevented her from moving further.

“Fun? Fun? Fun!” The approaching copies picked up speed, and Gearhead lowered his gun’s barrel even as he wrapped his tail around the next arrow and shoved it into the gun’s rear port. He quickly cocked the gun and raised it to sight in on the approaching horde. I was certain there were less of these before, he thought as the air intakes whirred. Even the three-quarter second it took to fill the canister seemed like a long time to watch the approaching pink doom.

“Say ‘hello’ to my little pop gun,” Gearhead muttered.

“Fun?”

“Gun,” Gearhead pushed the trigger and his second missile was off with a FUMP! just like the first. This time since there were more copies grouped closely together, the single shot took five or six at once (it was difficult to count). As soon as he had made the shot, Gearhead loaded the next round.

“Fun?”

Gearhead glanced flatly at the group of Pinkies approaching from the left. FUMP! “Not particularly,” he said, and then he slung his gun, picked up his quiver, and hot-hoofed it for a place that was not quite so badly surrounded. With three successful captures, I think we can call this build a success, he thought.

* * *

Between his hooves and the Twin Engines he was still wearing, Gearhead made the sign for the Golden Oak Library with plenty of space to spare. According to the Wind’s sensors, being displayed on his glasses, this part of Ponyville should be Pinkie-free for a couple minutes more, with the exception of the crowd still following him. Gearhead set his quiver down again and got into firing position.

FUMP! Reach. Reload. Cock. WHIR. Aim. FUMP! Repeat. It was a fast sequence, but not fast enough to hold any position against such a large, energetic horde. The data relay beeped at Gearhead, and he shifted his focus even as he reloaded for the eighth time: multiple coloured blips had become visible within the edge of the Everfree. The computer quickly made library matches at full fidelity and placed pictures of five familiar faces along the display’s left edge.

“Brilliant. Wind, target the five for extraction, please.”

“[Confirmed: Silver Wind to pick up targets – Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle. Now leaving station].”

“I will live,” Gearhead said, although he would prefer to have adequate coverage. FUMP! He reached his side with his tail to reload from his hip while he used his magic to start swapping the quivers around. He paused for half a second, realizing that he would become overrun before he could do much more, and returned his mostly-full quiver to his side. He turned in the direction he remembered being the most open and started to hobble that way, gun and quivers bouncing against him. Thinking better of his mobility, he quickly reverted to relying on the Twin Engines.

* * *

Resolving to find a way to return the Pinkie copies to the Mirror Pool, the five friends left the warren, grateful to Fluttershy’s critter friends for sheltering them as long as they had. Twilight did not like the possibility of having to confront the real Pinkie Pie, but before they did anything else they had to find what they could about the Legend of the Mirror Pool – assuming there was any written record of the local myth.

As the group was cantering out of the Everfree Forest, the Silver Wind swooped in and spun, quickly turning to offer the rapidly-opening cargo bay doors as an entry. The friends paused, and then charged aboard. “’Bout time you showed up,” Dash said.

“[Rapid acceleration in 15 seconds. Please grab a hold.]”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said, biting down on a nearby strap.

Twilight glanced back and saw that the bay doors were staying open. “You don’t think..?”

“A fast drop,” Dash grinned.

“Is Gearhead aboard?”

“[Negative].”

“And we’re flying on auto-pilot,” Applejack said.

“I’d grab onto something if I was you,” Dash said.

“I’m afraid I’m with Fluttershy on this one,” Rarity said, then she grabbed a strap while Spike braced himself between her and Twilight.

“Here we go,” the Dragon said. And on cue, the ship lurched forward and upward, offering a uniquely terrifying and yet thrilling view to its passengers.

“[Drop in 10 seconds].”

“I’m glad we don’t have to go far,” Fluttershy said.

“I just wonder what’s waiting for us there,” Applejack said.

“We already know,” Spike said. “It’s more Pinkies.”

“I just hope the real one’s okay,” Rarity said, and the Wind dove.

“[Rapid deceleration and drop in five. Four. Three. Two. One. Mark].” The ‘deceleration’ was gut-wrenching, but then the ship’s nose came up, and it became even more so. Twilight looked out the open door to find Gearhead fighting the Pinkies off with some gadget he had cobbled together, and she understood that they were meant to be his reinforcements. They were only a dozen or so meters above them when the ship said ‘mark,’ and Dash led the charge out into the air.

“This is a really bad idea,” Fluttershy said.

“You can fly,” Applejack said, deadpan.

“Oh, but—“ Rarity was cut off in the sudden rising of a silvery, magical wind, and the friends were delivered to a soft landing. The wind also pushed the Pinkies back a bit. Overhead, the Wind’s bay door closed, and it launched into a higher altitude.

“What’s it doing? It could’ve gotten us out of here,” Spike said.

FUMP! “Since we do not have another flying telepath at the moment, the Wind is providing oversight intelligence. And if we cannot hold off or capture these copies, Ponyville will not be the last town to fall to their numbers, or so I suspect.” FUMP!

“Hey, that’s neat,” Spike said.

“And it may be just what we need, or at least part of it,” Twilight said. “We need to get to the library.”

“That space was overrun a minute ago, but we may be able to force our way through, or even sneak back to it.” Gearhead held up the two empty quivers in his magic, and his Stabilizer came flying in from behind to deposit a pair of fresh, fully-loaded ones. It latched onto the empties’ straps and whisked them off. The stallion put on the new hip quivers, reloaded from the left-hoof one, and nodded. “Lead the way,” he said over the gun’s whirring.

With the Elemental Six at his side, fighting while staying mobile became incredibly easy: not only could Rarity and Twilight hold some of the copies off with their magic, but they could also hold one or both of his quivers and help him reload. This meant that he only had to worry about keeping the gun in firing condition, aiming, and firing. When they regained the library, Twilight quickly unlocked the door to let everypony inside before barring the door back up.

“Okay, there’s got to be something on the Mirror Pool here,” Twilight said, and everypony spread out to search. Gearhead flicked the gun’s safety back on and put it and the quivers down on a nearby table to help with the search.

Gearhead’s results were as disappointing as those of the others, with each of them coming up empty until Spike shouted in surprise. They all turned to see the Dragon holding a book. “Good job, Spike,” Twilight said when she located the proper page. “Let me see...” While the Unicorn read up on the legend, the others prepared to go back out into the Pinkie storm, as Dash put it.

“Hey, you think you could let me get in on that action?” Dash asked Gearhead as he began to strap the pop gun back on.

“Let us see if you can comfortably carry the weight first,” Gearhead said, and Dash came down to give it a try. By keeping it aimed diagonally down while flying, the Pegasus could cover a larger area than Gearhead had thought to do. “How does it feel?”

“In a word, awesome. I’m ready.”

“Not quite,” Rarity said, holding the quivers magically. “I’ll support you.”

“Thanks,”

“Okay,” Gearhead said, giving the Stabilizer the command to make and take deliveries to the gun’s location instead of to that of the Engines, “that will do it.”

“Girls – and colts – I have some good news and bad news,” Twilight said, closing the book and returning it to Spike.

“What’s the good news?” Fluttershy asked.

“I learned a spell that will return the copies to the Mirror Pool,”

“So what’s the bad news?”

“The spell can even take our Pinkie to the Mirror Pool, so we have to be careful.”

“But the copies or whatever look exactly like the real deal,” Applejack said.

“And act a lot like her,” Dash added.

“But not close enough,” Gearhead said.

“Oh yeah: some of them just chant ‘fun’ over and over,” Spike said. “It’s really starting to wear on my nerves.”

“Mine too,” Rarity said, gently patting Spike on the head.

“I think I heard one get some of our names wrong, too,” Dash said.

“Which means that whatever the Mirror Pool does, it does not give the copies the original’s knowledge and memories. They can be tricked.” Gearhead said.

“But how will we trick them so we can be absolutely sure?” Fluttershy asked.

“We’ll test them, using knowledge only the real Pinkie would know,” Twilight said. “But first we have to gather them up into one place.”

“All of them?” Dash asked.

“We have to be absolutely sure we’re not sending our Pinkie away by mistake,” Twilight said. “We need to gather up all the Pinkies.”

“I just hope none of them left Ponyville,” Rarity said.

Dash groaned.

* * *

Despite her griping, Dash was definitely into the Pinkie copy capture mission, especially armed with the pop gun and aided by Rarity. While they went off for the high-speed, high-tech route, Applejack went into action armed only with her trusty lasso. Gearhead, Spike, and Twilight went and collected all of the copies Gearhead had already captured with his netting, which held up surprisingly well. Fluttershy had the easiest time capturing the copies out of all of them, because the copies would just follow her out of sheer fascination, staring at her bobbing, swinging tail, transfixed like a cat. Maybe that was why Opal took to Fluttershy so completely.

It was on their way back out to retrieve more netted copies that Gearhead, Twilight, and Spike saw a most unusual sight: a Pinkie was sitting with her head on a table, looking dejected and sad, her ears flat to her head. “I don’t suppose you’re the real Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said.

“I am!” Another one popped up, and Twilight immediately captured it in her telekinetic hold.

“Oh, that’s just what all the other Pinkie Pies would say,” the sad Pinkie moped. “What if I’m not the real Pinkie Pie? Oh, who in the world is Pinkie Pie?”

“That’s just what we’re going to try to find out,” Spike said.

“Well, good luck trying to do that,” Pinkie snorted. “Every single one of us acts the same, making it pretty much impossible to sort all of us out.”

“’Impossible?’ Do you not do such things on a regular basis?” Gearhead asked.

“Yeah well, this is a whole new level. And I feel just awful for letting it happen, because instead of being happy like everypony’s supposed to be, all my friends are miserable, and that makes me miserable. Waaaaaaaaa!”

Twilight shielded herself from Pinkie’s fountaining tears. “If you could stay and make everypony happy again, would you?”

“I don’t see how, but... if I could?”

“Uh-huh,”

“I’d do anything for my friends, even if it was something that would be really hard for a Pinkie to do. I really wanna fix this mess!”

“Pinkie, are you going to be here for awhile?” Twilight asked, exchanging glances with Spike and Gearhead.

“I might poke at some holes, but I probably won’t get anywhere far.”

“We’ll be back, I promise. We just have to go pick up all of the copies first.”

“Okay. I’ll be here, or close. Not that it particularly matters.”

“Wow, she’s really down,” Spike said. “Now I’ve seen everything.”

“Not yet, Spike. But I think now I have a workable plan. Lets keep gathering the copies into Town Hall. Gearhead, can you keep on eye on the sad Pinkie?”

Gearhead nodded. “I have already tasked the Wind to do just that.”

“Then lets get this all wrapped up.”

* * *

It was simple to find the Pinkie copies, but what was challenging was not getting swept away by them when they came charging at you. Earlier, Gearhead had used the simple solution of falling back, but there had always been a limited amount of space through which to retreat. Now, however, the real Pinkie was the only member of the Elemental Six not pitching in, for understandable reasons. Gearhead was nearly certain that the Pinkie who was moping was the real one, but he did not have solid proof. Fortunately, they would be getting that as soon as he, Fluttershy, and Dash completed their sweeps of Ponyville airspace to retrieve any stragglers and wanderers.

Soon Pinkie copies were crowded into the main assembly area inside Town Hall. Gearhead was leading the sad Pinkie up the left side of the stage, where the others were waiting. Dash, meanwhile, closed and barred the doors to prevent any mid-test escapes. Once Pinkie was sitting on the stage beside him, hidden from the audience by a thick curtain, Gearhead nodded to Twilight.

“Alright Pinkies,” Twilight started. “I’ve...” The Unicorn trailed off, realizing that the copies were continuing to chat noisily amongst themselves and not paying her any attention. “Could I please have your attention?” She asked quietly. “Excuse me,” she said more loudly, but that did not work either. “QUIET!” The Pinkies snapped their mouths shut and stared directly at the Unicorn at center stage. “That’s better,” she said.

“Alright Pinkies, I’ve gathered you all here for a simple test. Pass it, and you get to stay. It’s that simple,” Twilight said, as Gearhead gave the Pinkie beside him a stack of placards and a set of markers. “The test is something you should enjoy doing: it’s a Friendship Quiz. I’ll ask all of you a question, and if you know the answer shout it out. If you get it right you get to move on to the next round, until only one of you is left.”

Gearhead looked into Pinkie’s eyes and touched a hoof to his lips. She nodded in understanding, her ears perking up.

“Everypony ready?” Twilight asked.

“This is gonna be good,” Spike said, sitting down with a tub of popcorn. Dash and Fluttershy took up guarding positions and waited, with Applejack acting as another enforcer. Rarity kept sweeping the captive audience with her discerning eyes. The Pinkies cheered. In front of Gearhead, only one Pinkie remained silent, intent on her stack of blank placards, marker held tightly in her mouth.

“First question: which of you and your best friends have siblings? Name them from oldest to youngest.”

“Applejohn--!” Zap!

“Elus--!” Zap!

“Purple Smart... Oh wait, she’s—“ Zap!

As Twilight continued to zap away the copies with incorrect answers, and this was a vast majority, Gearhead checked what Pinkie was scrawling:

Big McIntosh, Applejack, Apple Bloom

Vines, Ivy, Gearhead, Roselle, Bean, Coriander

Maud, Pinkie, Limestone and Marble

Rarity and Sweetie Belle

Shining Armour, and Twilight Sparkle, Spike

It was good that Pinkie had remembered to include both her own family and his. Including Spike just to be on the safe side was a nice touch as well. When she looked up from her writing, Gearhead nodded. Pinkie dropped her first placard to the floor with a sigh, and tensed for the next question. In the middle of the stage, Twilight blew on her overheating horn, having just eliminated all but five copies.

“Whoa, that was intense!” Spike said.

“Second question,” Twilight said. “What are each of you and your friends’ pets and their species?”

“We have pets?!”

“How fun!”

Zap! Zap!

“The Apples have Winona. She’s a – hey, is that a frog crossed with an orange?” Zap!

“Um, uh... I don’t remember!”

Zap!

Apple Family: Winona (dog)

Fluttershy: Angel Bunny (bunny)

* Verdants don’t have a pet!

Pinkie Pie: Gummy Gator (toothless alligator)

Rainbow Dash: Tank (tortoise)

Rarity: Opalescence (fancy house cat)

Twilight Sparkle: Owlolicious (owl)

There were a couple of attempts with incorrect spelling, but Gearhead nodded because Pinkie tried hard enough to eventually get it right. Now there was only one other Pinkie near the middle of the floor.

“Question three: who is your best friend in the whole world?”

“Um...” The copy started to pant, wiping off her own lather. “Is it... no, that’s not right. Hm, I... hang on, hang on!” She held out a hoof to stall Twilight.

“Enough, no more!” Pinkie jumped to her hooves, scattering her placards everywhere and throwing her marker across the room. “I don’t wanna see anypony else suffer because of me. It’s a trick question anyway, because nopony and everypony’s my best friend!”

“Thank you, Pinkie Pie. But the copy’s still got to go.”

“I know,” the copy said, surprising everyone. “We were only trying to have fun, but we ruined everything. I’m so sorry, Pinkie.” She looked at Twilight, and then at all the others in turn. “I don’t wanna see anyone sad either.”

“I’m just going to send you home,” Twilight said.

“I saw how the others blew up,” Pinkie said. “That’s scary and I don’t know if it did, but it looked like it hurt!”

“It’s okay. I’m ready.”

“But--!”

Before anything else could be said, Twilight fired off a focused blast, this one appearing softer than any of the others. The last copy glowed, becoming fuzzy, before shooting off as pink energy. “Bye, other me,” Pinkie Pie said. “I’m sorry, everypony.”

“It’s alright, Pinkie,” Twilight said.

“We all know that seeing everypony happy makes you happy,” Fluttershy said.

“Still, even though it was kinda cool seeing more of you, I’m more than happy enough with just the one,” Dash said.

“The one and only true Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said.

“I hear that,” Spike said.

“And now things can start to return to as normal as they get around here,” Gearhead said.

“Not quite,” Twilight said.

* * *

Twilight had Pinkie show them the way to the Mirror Pool, so they could figure out how to deal with it. Gearhead scanned it and took a sample for further study, then Twilight decided to seal it off because it contained powerful magic and its results would always be unpredictable.

Rarity and Gearhead found a good sized boulder, and together with Twilight and Applejack, they lowered it into place. The boulder perfectly and completely filled the hole through which Pinkie had fallen to find the Mirror Pool in the first place.

Pinkie revealed that she had only intended on creating a couple copies, but the copies had copied themselves, resulting in the degradation that Gearhead had noted earlier. Still, he mentioned how amazed he was that the copies’ magical signatures were too similar to notice any differences at all. If they had not been so wild, they could have fulfilled Pinkie’s wishes to have Ponyville covered.

“But how would you have experienced the fun they had? It is not as though their experiences ever returned to you, even when Twilight sent them home.” Gearhead asked as they walked through Ponyville, where the other ponies were resurfacing from hiding.

“Hey, you’re right! But they would have told me about everything that happened. I had that figured out.” Pinkie sighed. “It’s too bad, though: I don’t think any of us ended up having any fun at all.”

“Well, how about a nice picnic?” Fluttershy asked.

“That does sound fun,” Pinkie said, opening the door to Sugar Cube Corner. “But if you really wanna know, there’s only one thing I really wanna do right now.”

“Oh?”

Pinkie fainted, dead asleep on her back and began to snore.

“That does looks like fun,” Fluttershy said.

“Come on,” Twilight said, “lets leave her be.”

“I shall help with the clean-up,” Gearhead said.

“That’s much appreciated,” Applejack said.

“I’m exhausted too, but I’d feel remiss if I didn’t also render some assistance,” Rarity said.

“I’m in,” Dash said.

“Number One Assistant, right here,” Spike said, producing a broom.

“Where did you get that?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I had it on me almost the whole time,”

“But you were eating popcorn before,”

“Huh. I never thought about how often we just seem to pull things from nowhere before,” Spike said. “I guess it’s not just Pinkie.”

5. Delivering Hope

Chapter 5: Delivering Hope

Although he was busy, it took the barest slice of a second for Gearhead to direct his attention to where he felt Snowbelle’s presence. Sensing him reaching out to her, his daughter reached back, and for just that long, they embraced through their psychic link, never knowing whether or not the other Dragons knew about this.

At first Gearhead had wondered whether Snowbelle would begin to feel homesick, however she seemed to be content and curious, and willing to learn almost anything and everything the Dragons of the Frost threw at her. She was not willing to consume meat, however that was her only limit. It was not Gearhead’s place to probe further into the culture and magic she was learning, so he let it go at that, happy that his daughter was doing so well.

And he was busy with other things: he had to continue to supply Gearhead’s Gadgets as more beings, Pony and otherwise, came to Ponyville having heard about his wares. Princess Celestia was also keeping him busy with the logistics of deploying Alicorn Arrays to as many of the other towns and cities as possible. Despite the fact that they had not been tested in actual battle, or siege conditions, both princesses insisted on having them operational as soon as possible.

One problem with which Gearhead was wrestling was adapting Pegasus magic to allow him to deploy the Array to cities like Cloudsdale and Los Pegasus. Splitting a turbine might allow him to build it in halves which sat above and below a cloud, however he saw such an arrangement as being needlessly complicated, where he wanted to keep things as simple as possible. Besides that, there was no guarantee that a cloud he selected as the build site would be thinner than a turbine, or even that it would stay that way, since cloud matter tended to shift if it was not maintained for a specific purpose. Gearhead wanted the Array’s arrangement to be as light on maintenance as possible, but if the situation left him without any other choice, so be it.

He intended on getting around the problem by using the same miniaturization processes on the cloud-bound Arrays as he used on the cores he put on his own back. He would then double up the cores, with one facing down and the other side facing up. Thanks to his automated fabrication robots, Gearhead was almost ready to take a test unit to Cloudsdale to see if his theory could work.

Another problem was one inherent in mobilizing so many resources so quickly: the budget. To be honest, the Principality of Equestria could not afford to deploy Alicorn Arrays to every settlement it contained, especially if the Defence Alliance supplied most of the gemstones Gearhead used to build its parts. According to the terms specified in the defence contract to which Princess Celestia and Luna had agreed, they could defray some of the cost by providing a share of the materiel, however most towns did not have enough mined and ready for their contributions to make a significant dent. The Houses from which the D.A. was comprised was considering buying Arrays for the cities and towns in Western Equestria outright. This made sense, since the Alliance had always been the organization primarily responsible for defence and supply of the region. The only issue was getting all three Houses to agree to the plan when they each had a different budget from which to operate.

Finances should not be so limiting for the Houses, considering how big a deal the defence contract with the Crown was turning out to be: not only did the princesses have to cover the cost of the gemstones Gearhead used, but the other building materials and a small fee for the guards. After that, there was a minimum monthly fee for them to pay just for having the Arrays present and operational. Gearhead was mulling only having that fee rise if there was a heavy attack.

After installing Alicorn Arrays in Crystal City, Canterlot, Ponyville, Neighagra-on-the-Lake, Hollow Shades, Manehattan, and Fillydelphia Gearhead came to realize that he was dealing in a far larger sum of money than he had previously thought – so much so that he did not know what he could possibly do with a quarter of the profits as specified in his own contract with the D.A. This would bear further discussion with Father, and the other House leaders in Western Equestria.

Gearhead was doing some fine tuning in the Workshop when the shop bell rang. He had closed up for the rest of the day, so he wondered who was calling and for what purpose. It would however, be extremely bad business to keep a potential client waiting – and even worse, if a friend had come to check in on him, it would be just plain rude to stall. He was both relieved and surprised to find that his caller was Spike, Twilight’s faithful Dragon assistant.

“You’ve gotta come to the library right away,” Spike said as soon as Gearhead opened the door. “You may want to bring your Alicorn Engine.”

“Is there trouble?”

“No, just a certain somepony decided to drop by for a visit with you.” Something in the Dragon’s tone, as well as the situation, told Gearhead that Spike was understating things. He did as he was asked and locked up.

“Shall we fly?”

“I think that’d be the wisest course,” Spike said, and he mounted up between the cores. Despite the situation, whatever it was, Gearhead’s young friend seemed very eager for the new flying experience. As soon as he knew his passenger was secure, Gearhead took off and looped around toward the center of Ponyville.

* * *

“Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh!” Rainbow Dash gushed, having evidently failed at containing her enthusiasm. Fluttershy’s attempts were not being at all fruitful either. “I can’t believe you’re actually here, Spitfire.”

“You know, Rainbow Dash, you’ve done plenty worthy of recognition yourself,” Spitfire said. She had skipped the Wonderbolts flight suit, but she was wearing a pair of goggles which were pushed up against her forehead.

“But you’re the Captain of the Wonderbolts!”

“Yes I am, Miss Best Young Flyer, Ponyville Weather Manager, and Top-Five Fastest Flyer.”

The other Pegasus could only blush, while the others wondered, and worried, whether ‘Friendly Neighbourhood Rainbow Dash’ would make a reappearance. That was when Gearhead cleared his throat, making his presence known, Spike having dismounted outside.

“Oh good, you’re finally here,” Spitfire said. “I have a mission for you, Gearhead.”

“Why not me?” Dash asked, and it was obvious she had asked this question before.

“Because I need a pony with a specific connection,” Spitfire said, pointing to an envelope she had placed on a table earlier.

Gearhead only had to glance at it to see the addressee’s name. “So is it because we were childhood friends, or because you noticed that she has a knack for following me around?”

“Look, I know you’re not the type to give anypony the run-around, so I’m just gonna tell you what I’d like you to do.”

“I would appreciate that,”

“The straight case is that more than just her crush on you is evident to anyone with the right skills at observation. In my line of work, one of the things I have to know is how to spot a flyer who could be one of the elite. The Azure has a distinguished history of training, instructing, and serving with the ‘Bolts, and this seems to be a situation where we could be looking at one of this generation’s best and brightest missing the biggest chance of her career.”

“What about me?”

“I said ‘one of,’ Rainbow Dash. Also, this is for a special assignment with the Academy.”

“I don’t qualify?” Dash looked crestfallen.

“Frankly, very few qualify for this special program, and they’re all in the Azure. They’re the only ones who grow up in a paramilitary family and learn formation-level teamwork from foalhood. And speaking of teams, it would be worse in this case because if Prism doesn’t fly with us, it’s not just her career she’d be stalling out, but also those of her Flight-mates.

“Gearhead, your mission is to find out what it is that’s holding Prism Azure back from joining the program, and to help her make her decision. I want to be able to expect Prism Flight in my office at the Academy within nine days. Can you do it?”

“The choice is really Prism’s, but I could speak with her. But then you knew that, and you also seem to already know that I am one, if not the only, reason she would hold back.”

“Okay, I’ll admit that’s one reason I want to send you. But this’d also be an excellent opportunity to test your latest theory on Array tech. You could probably even put one down in Hoofington if you wanted to.”

“I do have some business with my parents and their friends to which I would like to attend.”

“Surely he doesn’t have to go alone,” Fluttershy said.

“As long as you don’t slow him down, I don’t see why you couldn’t go for moral support, or whatever,” Spitfire said.

“If I am taking supplies for an Array experiment, I would be taking the Silver Wind anyway. It can carry an extra Pegasus easily enough.”

“What about me?” Dash said. “I’d like to check out Hoofington too!”

“Gearhead?”

“It will not be a problem,”

“Then I don’t see why the three of you can’t all go, but that’s all. Besides, you won’t be going to Hoofington, at least not right away.”

“So where to?” Dash asked.

“Los Pegasus. Prism Flight is in Los Pegasus.”

“Never been there before,” Dash grinned.

“Now I get why nopony else would be going,” Spike said. “It’s a cloud city.”

* * *

While Dash and Fluttershy went to quickly pack a few things, Gearhead hot-hoofed it to the Hangar so he could launch Silver Wind without having to worry about either of them tailing him. All of Ponyville was still unaware of the buildings buried deep underground, and while Gearhead might let a hint drop if asked about it, he did not intend on telling anyone else about the secure structures. Only he and Snowbelle had ever had access to the Laboratory and Hangar, which was why he had set up a display terminal in the Workshop.

Ten minutes later, while Dash hopped anxiously from hoof to hoof at the bottom of the extended ramp, Fluttershy emerged from her cottage to join the small group. Gearhead double-checked that he had the envelope. He would have led the way aboard, but Dash zipped ahead of him as soon as Fluttershy made her friend's old position.

As Gearhead raised the ramp, Fluttershy looked aft, toward the hold. “Pardon my asking, but are you expecting trouble?” She asked, looking at the Stabilizer, where it sat, ready to launch at a moment’s need.

“No, but I am prepared for it,” Gearhead said, patting her on the shoulder. “Are you ready?”

The yellow Pegasus smiled and nodded. Gearhead led the way to the cockpit, where Dash was swaying side-to-side in the portside forward station. Fluttershy joined her, and Gearhead took the pilot’s seat. He switched the communicator’s frequency so he would be talking to the Central Condenser in Canterlot.

“Canterlot, this is Silver Wind now departing for Los Pegasus from Ponyville.”

There was a pause, probably as the message was relayed to Princess Celestia. Captain Spitfire had told Gearhead that she had informed the princesses of the mission, and that they should have a clear flight path all the way to their destination. Naturally most of that was because of the higher altitude at which they would be cruising, however it was much nicer to be certain that there would not be any incidents involving other flyers.

“Silver Wind,” Luna’s voice came back, loud and clear. “Cleared for departure. May the winds be with you.” Gearhead exchanged startled glances with the others, knowing that this was not Luna’s usual time to be guarding the principality. But it was still comforting to know that one of the princesses had the overwatch covered.

“Thank you, Canterlot. Wind out.” Gearhead closed the channel, and then focused on his vertical take-off. Seconds later, he was climbing for altitude while Dash whooped and Fluttershy wrapped her wings around the seat rests, despite being firmly strapped in. Finally Gearhead straightened out his course and pushed the throttles forward. They remained climbing for another minute, but by then Ponyville was out of sight, far behind them. They were well on their way to Los Pegasus.

* * *

Considering how perilous the first flight to the Crystal Empire, and the later journey to Frost Dragonhome had been, Gearhead was glad to be able to put an uneventful flight under his belt. Here, finally, was a pleasant experience where he could let the auto-pilot do most of the flying, and enjoy the view and the company he was keeping instead.

While Fluttershy seemed to be focused on ensuring Gearhead had as little alone time as possible, Dash was eager to learn the function of each of the cockpit’s station. She was especially excited when Gearhead showed her how the flight controls worked, and he agreed to do so because there could be times when he would not be able to rely on the computer to guide the ship -- such as the flight through the Killing Cold, when an advanced artificial intelligence would not have been able to detect some of the subtleties in the wind, or intuit the proximity of a mountain slope or crag. There were simply some things a computer could not do.

Fluttershy was also happy when the Wind approached Los Pegasus without incident. Gearhead slowed the ship to a more normal velocity, and descended for the approach. A squadron quickly appeared to guide them in. “Who are these guys?” Dash asked, looking at their flight suits. Where the Wonderbolts used a mid-grade blue and a yellow, these ones were light blue on the outside, and black on the inside.

“Given you are not from the area, I realize you have a very good reason for not recognizing them. So may I present a flying squadron of the Azure Wing’s elite flyers, the Bolts from the Blue.”

“So these are the guys that’re like the Wonderbolts?”

“It is the other way around, Dash,” Gearhead grinned.

“What?!”

“The Skybolts predate the Wonderbolts by at least a thousand years.”

“That’s...”

“Amazing?” Fluttershy supplied.

“Lets go with that.”

* * *

Gearhead had expected Prism to meet them, and perhaps even for her to tackle him as he got off the ship. Instead a young stallion with a faded blue coat was just landing at the end of the ramp. His mane was navy blue with mauve stripes, held in a style similar to that of Vinyl Scratch. His eyes were slightly darker than his coat, and he had freckles on his cheeks. The young mare who followed him had a faded purple coat and a deep blue mane. Her tail was long and slightly wave, but her mane itself was cropped to fall to where her neck met her head. She had bright green eyes.

“You sure know how to make an entry,” the stallion said.

“But you sure you’ll be okay on the clouds?” The mare asked.

“I will keep aloft,” Gearhead promised. He did intend on using the Twin Engines to stay in the air, and although it was effectively parked, the Wind was performing similarly, although in its case the auto-plot was holding it in a single position relative to the cloud beneath it. “Can I assume you know who I am?”

“We’ve seen you before, although I guess you wouldn’t remember us,” the mare said. “I always see you coming, though this time you were bigger than normal. Obviously because of this,” she nodded to the Wind.

“Yeah yeah,” the stallion waved one hoof. “You’re Thirdson Gearhead of the Verdant, and you’re probably looking for my big sister, right?”

“Correct,”

“And you want to take these two with you?”

“Of course. These are Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, who accompanied me from Ponyville.”

“The Rainbow Dash?” Gearhead was set back to see both Pegasi with their eyes shining. “The Best Young Flyer and one of the defenders during the Changeling Invasion?”

“The very same,” Dash said. “But hey, you can just call me ‘Rainbow Dash’ if you want. I’m not picky.”

“It’s an honour to meet you!”

“Really it is,” the mare added.

“And who, exactly, am I meeting?”

“Oh, sorry. I’m Spring Azure, and this is one of my Flight-mates,”

“Radar Blue at your service,” the mare performed a quick bow.

“So you must be Con’s sister,” Dash said. “Pleased to meet you both.”

Radar blushed, while Spring rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

“Forgive the interruption, but can I assume that Uncle Windwalker chose to send the two of you out to meet us?” Gearhead asked.

“Right! Dad – I mean the Wing Commander says he might send us as representatives to help you out at your shop. So he decided that the sooner we got to meet you, the better.” Spring said.

“Sorry Torrent’s not here yet,” Radar said. “He just sort or ran off to look something up at the last minute.”

“I’m sure he had to look for something really important,” Dash said, “but the reason we’re here..?”

“Oh right, we’ll take you to see Sis now,” Spring said. “Follow us!” The two younger Pegasi turned and took flight, and the others had to hurry to follow, Gearhead securing the ship’s hatch at the last moment.

Like Cloudsdale, Los Pegasus was a city made of cloud matter, with some more solid parts mixed in for when Pegasi would not have to worry about using their magic to stay in or on the city. Nearly all the architecture in Los Pegasus was grand and showy in a more modern way, whereas Cloudsdale had a very classical look to it, with arches, pillars, and a coliseum. Los Pegasus had more squared and angular buildings, and even a couple pyramids. Spring and Radar led Gearhead, Dash, and Fluttershy toward the largest pyramid, which stood near the city’s center.

As they entered through a high gateway, the three new arrivals read a sign in large, stylized text that proclaimed the building as ‘Azure Wing Central Base.’ A pair of guards were posted outside, and while they were wearing much of their full armour, the more uncomfortable parts, including the helm, lay within easy reach. If an actual emergency arose, the guards could reattach their plating and don their helmets in under thirty seconds without compromising their comfort. The guards watched the small procession with keen interest, but recognized the newcomers’ escort instantly.

The hallways were done in dark blue here, with warm lights lining the top and bottom corners, so that no matter the time of day or night, it would be well-lit. Spring and Radar led the way unerringly through the maze of corridors. The colour used in the hallway changed through robin egg blue and a slightly darker shade, and then into forest green. “The colours indicate zones,” Spring said. “This zone houses the quarters, recreation areas, and the library.”

“Is the library here like the Azure Library?” Gearhead asked

“Sorry to say that while you were there,” Spring half-turned to grin at Gearhead, all while he continued to fly down the corridor, “the Landed Library’s got nothing on the Airborne.”

“And I am sorry to say that I expected as much,” Gearhead said. “Of course you would want to keep the best resources close to home.”

“I’m not sure any of it would have helped you any more than what you got,” Radar said. “You had to have looked into the Hidden Library for anything useful.”

“I did,”

“And?”

“Not in the traditional sense, although Dusk and Dawn helped me to gain a better general understanding of magic.”

“Clearly you’ve made progress, though.”

“Recently, yes,” Gearhead said, glancing at his two companions.

“Then that’s good,” Spring said. “We’re here.”

The library was done up to provide a relaxing environment, thus the forest green. But not so relaxing that everypony who visited it simply fell asleep: the green was shot through here and there with vibrant blues and whites.

Radar took the lead, weaving between tables and down aisles as they strode into the deeper parts of the library. Fluttershy looked around with moderate interest, but Dash went from shelf to shelf, reading random titles off of a book’s spine here or there. It was not Daring Do, but flight tactics, history, and techniques that these volumes contained. Although Dash had dropped out of Flight Camp, she was a natural flyer, and skilled and intuitive enough to have earned her place as Ponyville’s Weather Manager.

They found Prism Flight seated at a corner table. Rook had volumes stacked high to his left, and was reading one with interest. Contrail was napping, his head nestled between his forelegs. Prism was staring deeply into a book, her nose nearly touching the page. She was emitting a low growl of focus: “Mu-mu-mu-mu-mu... I don’t get it!” She hissed, flattening the book into the table in front of her. Then she blinked, instantly registering their visitors.

“Gearhead!” The white coated, blue maned mare launched herself into the air and aimed herself directly at the Earth Pony. In response, he took the envelope he had been carrying out of his saddlebag with his magic, and thrust it directly in front of Prism’s nose. “What’s this?” Prism put on the airbrakes and ground to a stop in the air, which was a pretty interesting grammatical trick.

“It’s not a love letter,” Contrail said, having woken up. He had his head tilted to read the other side of the envelope.

“Another message from the Wonderbolts?” Rook asked. Gearhead nodded to him, but Prism did not miss the gesture.

Prism tossed the letter onto the table beside her discarded book. “This is ridiculous,” she said. “It’s not the first time Captain Spitfire’s written me about the Academy since we helped defeat the Changelings.” She looked up at Gearhead. “And now she’s sending you in after me. Why’d you ever agree to this?”

“It was an opportunity,”

“What kind?” Prism asked, eyebrow raised.

“To see Los Pegasus and maybe to race,” Dash said.

“To see a new city and new ponies and flora and fauna?” Fluttershy said.

“To test theories and get some answers,” Gearhead said.

“What theories?”

“Have you heard of the Alicorn Array?”

“Everypony’s heard of that crazy thing,” Contrail said.

“Does it work?” Rook asked.

“I have not found any reasons why it should not,” Gearhead said. “But it is a little difficult to deploy it to the Pegasus cities.”

“But you think you have an idea as to how to do it,” Prism said.

“Yes. Do you want to help?”

“Only if it doesn’t get me conscripted,”

“I promise it will not do so. I would like some help with the models I made. ‘Peg-assistance,’ as Pinkie Pie would put it.”

“Okay, but about Spitfire’s letter..?”

“Would it be okay to talk about this in your home?”

Prism looked around, at the glances they were getting from the odd Pegasus who had chosen to get some studying in. They varied from foals to the elderly.

“Good idea,” Rook said, while Prism blushed a bit.

“This guy seems to be full of them,” Dash said.

* * *

“So,” Windwalker, Wing Commander for all of Azure Wing said from his position at the round table, “can I assume you’ve come all the way out here for more than one reason?” He was a burly Pegasus with a silver coat. His mane was swept-back, with a light blue near the roots and purple on the half closer to the tips. Gearhead knew him as ‘Uncle Windwalker,’ the Pegasus patriarch who was always willing to help, and always ready with a smile or a belly-laugh. Today, however, he might be in a bit of a foul mood because Gearhead had insisted on bothering his wife with attending this impromptu meeting. Or maybe it was because the Azures were looking forward to seeing Snowbelle again, and were disappointed that Gearhead had not swung in their direction on the way to Dragonhome.

Aerial Azure had a tan coat and a purple wavy mane with light pink highlights. She wore a blue cloak through which she sometimes slipped her left wing, but she was careful to always keep her injured right wing hidden. Despite having perfect vision, she also wore tinted glasses, their round lenses keeping the constant pain in her eyes from being visible to those who did not look closely. Gearhead was one of those who could see that she did not have the light of joy in her eyes, and she had not had it for as long as he had known her. Even the reassuring smile she habitually wore conveyed some of her pain, if you knew how to look, as Windwalker and the others close to her did.

“Yes, I have multiple purposes here. First, I am conducting an experiment that will hopefully allow me to deploy the Alicorn Array in Pegasus cities like this one.”

“That might take some of the strain away from the defensive squadrons,” Aerial said, nodding.

“Not that we’d train any less vigorously,” Windwalker said, nodding for Gearhead to continue.

“Second, to deliver a message from Captain Spitfire to Prism.”

“And you’ve done that, although I still wonder why you’d agree to be used like this,” Prism said sourly. “Even taking your experiment into consideration, couldn’t you have conducted that at Cloudsdale, it being much closer to Ponyville than us?”

“Location is an issue that is germane to reason number three: the opportunity to install Alicorn Arrays in Hoofington and possibly at Verdant Fields.”

“Ah, that’d be why there’re escort groups already mobilizing,” Windwalker said.

“They will meet me in Hoofington once we are finished here,” Gearhead said. “But we will not be for awhile, because I am a naturally curious pony, and something that Spitfire said has me very curious indeed.”

Fluttershy and Dash looked surprised. “We didn’t notice anything particularly curious,” Fluttershy said.

“You need to think like Gearhead to know what’ll peak his interest,” Prism said.

“And you can do that? That’s incredible!”

“Actually, even I can’t. Remember: we knew each other for a very short time, but we got to know each other because we’re both liable to give in to our curiosity.”

“The matter of interest at hoof,” Gearhead said, bringing their attention back, “is whether you think I am holding back. I am particularly interested in your thoughts, Prism.”

“I think a little perspective’s in order,” Windwalker said. “What do you ladies think of our young friend.”

“It’s hard to think he’s holding back,” Dash said while Fluttershy thought it over. “He’s running a million-bit business, is constantly tinkering and improving his inventions, and he’s awesome in battle. I’d speak to his magic, but I don’t have the knowledge.”

“I can’t say I’ve seen much of it either,” Prism said. “But I’d definitely say he holds back in battle, almost like he’s afraid of delivering the coup de grace.”

“Really? He looked pretty vicious fighting Chrysalis, and you didn’t see him lay into Sombra.”

“I agree with Prism,” Fluttershy said. “It might even be unconscious, but I think he’s constantly holding back from finishing any major fights so we can do it.” She turned to Gearhead. “Do you somehow sense how the battle will flow and end?”

“I cannot claim that I do, however it is an interesting thought.”

“We also all know that you send most of your profits to your family, and even then you must have a small fortune by now, yet you not only live by modest means, but you also save on further costs by building almost everything yourself. Or... am I wrong?”

“I got that impression as well, when we visited around Hearts and Hooves Day,” Windwalker said. “Speaking of, if you don’t mind me asking, how’s it going between the two of you?”

Fluttershy blushed, and tried to hide her face behind her forehooves, which she had on the table.

“Fluttershy helped me with Snowbelle, and now we are dating again,” Gearhead said. Prism looked crestfallen, but quickly regained her determination.

“We both held back for a long time, afraid of hurting each other. We realized that we were hurting each other, and Snowbelle, anyway. Even with her there, he held back from getting close with me. But we have gotten closer since.”

“As for inventions,” Aerial said, “I wouldn’t be surprised to learn there were things you were avoiding building.”

“That would include things designed to harm others, I would guess,” Windwalker said. “I think it’s pretty representative that your first Alicorn Engine doesn’t have a weapon of its own, and I’ve no idea how careful you were in designing and calculating things so the energy it makes wouldn’t be harmful.”

“I specifically locked out the configurations that produce red and purple particles, so your guess is right on,” Gearhead said.

“So you’re saying that whenever you’ve got to make a weapon, you wait almost until it’s needed?” Dash asked.

“Subconsciously, perhaps. Just as Fluttershy said, I hesitate on the delivery. Or at least, that seems to be a strong possibility.”

“That means you hold back in your professional and personal life, as well as in combat, invention, and innovation – all of the areas that Rainbow Dash mentioned,” Windwalker said, ticking the points off on the feathers of his left wing. “I’m sure none of us realized it until you brought it up, though.”

“Given all that,” Gearhead said, turning to Prism, “what do you think of somepony who holds back?”

“It depends on the situation, but in battle it means you’ve got to have somepony else who’s willing to make the last blow. Professionally, you might not push as far as you could. And, speaking as another mare with her heart on the line, if you think holding back can make us happy, you’re dead wrong.” Prism paused. “You could end up hurting more than helping, and who knows how many of your goals you end up accomplishing.”

“That said, do you think you are holding back from accomplishing the best you possibly can, Prism Azure?”

“Well, I have one too many choices right now, but I feel like leaving would be a big mistake right now as well,” Prism glanced across the table, and Aerial gave her another reassuring smile, letting her know it was okay for her to continue. Gearhead did not miss either gesture. “I know Dad already decided to send Spring Flight to help you, but I want to have that option open as well, if I can.”

“We talked about this,” Windwalker put some steel in his voice. “Your best chance for advancement is to go to Wonderbolts Academy, and you’re even being offered an early spot. Not just you, either, but Rook and Contrail as well. Spring Flight will have Gearhead’s Gadgets covered, and at the same time they can gain important experience too, despite being too young to attend the Academy.”

“I still don’t like the idea of burning this bridge,” Prism said.

“Sometimes one has to make a difficult decision, fortunately I believe I can be of some service here,” Gearhead said. “I believe one of the things holding you back is your concern for your mother and her condition. You are right to be concerned, however I believe I can alleviate it somewhat, with permission from all of you, of course.”

“We already tried every type of medical and magical treatment under the moon and sun. What can you do that hasn’t already been tried?” Windwalker asked.

“My magic is of a different type, so it may work where the others failed. If you will let me make the attempts, that is.” Gearhead looked directly at Aerial. “If you will let me help you to overcome the trauma of your past, Auntie Aerial, I would be more than happy to do so.”

* * *

Aerial View was a Los Pegasus filly, however there had never been any question of her natural flying ability. When Lightning Strike, the then-Captain of the Wonderbolts, approached her with an offer to train, and the opportunity to become a Wonderbolt herself, Lightning Strike had admitted that it was because her fluid, graceful style conveyed zero hesitation, meaning she was a fearless flyer.

Being vetted by Lightning Strike and her twin brother, Thunder Strike, was merely Aerial’s ‘in’ for approaching the Wonderbolts. She trained hard at Wonderbolts Academy. And it seemed as though she was only moments away from getting her first taste of command when *he arrived.*

Windwalker had been muscular even then, but he flew with a grace and speed that defied all that bulk. More importantly, he had been training to fly and serve practically from foalhood. Being from Los Pegasus, Aerial knew that Windwalker had a reputation as a proven flyer and leader, making him an easy choice for the next Wing Commander. As it turned out, this gave him extra consideration after Basic Training.

Once the Top Twelve were solidly established within the training squad, Lightning Strike and Thunder Strike performed a thorough analysis of their abilities, including how well they worked within a team. They then formed Sun Squadron and appointed Windwalker as Lead. As for Aerial, she was designated Sun Five. This infuriated her, until she realized that Windwalker organized the squadron into Flights of four, so there were three Flights in all, all composed of two Leader-Mate pairs. As Sun Five, Aerial would also be Two Flight Lead, so she was still being given a chance to prove herself.

Windwalker trained his squadron hard, but did not ask anything of them that he did not do himself, proving that he was a tough but fair commander. He was also daring in his planning and not afraid of hearing out his subordinates’ suggestions, which become more and more useful as Sun Squadron wargamed scenarios with and against the Captain’s Blitz Squadron and his twin’s Storm Squadron.

Windwalker taught everypony else every manoeuvre he could, tailoring his lessons to each Flight’s and each Duo’s capabilities as much as he could. As Aerial trained more with him, they both became more aware of each other’s strengths. The mare quickly learned that even though he had been born into Azure Wing, Windwalker had only become so capable through his hard work and constant effort. By contrast, Aerial had only received formal training after the twins recruited her into the Wonderbolts.

The rivalry that developed between Aerial and Windwalker could easily have devolved into a war between hard-won skill and natural talent, but instead they drove each other to further heights and higher speeds than they would have achieved alone. Aerial pushed herself as hard as she dared in order to be capable of carrying out every move in Windwalker’s repertoire, and Windwalker trained to fly with greater intuitive fluidity and grace. Even considered against all the other members of the squadron, there were simply some techniques the stallion could only teach to Aerial.

Windwalker and Aerial were together so often, and for so long, that rumours spread through the Academy that they were courting even while they were on duty. At first Aerial did not let the rumours bother her, but when some of her friends, new recruits Hasty Hoof and Spitfire, started to tease her she started to take it more seriously. Aerial did start to wonder when Windwalker realized that their teamwork was great enough to move her to Sun Two, making her his direct Wingmare.

* * *

Sun Squadron had just returned from a mock battle against both Blitz and Storm Squadron, and Windwalker and Aerial were both still glowing from their victory, especially since they had both saved each other from situations that should have been irrecoverable.

Walking toward the mess hall together, Aerial simply blurted the question that had been on her mind for days. She recalled the glow of the moment suffusing her mind with good feelings, and the moment itself was something of a blur over which she felt she had little control. From the looks of things, Windwalker had been feeling similarly, and it did not help that he was a straightforward pony. As soon as he responded with exactly what was on his mind, all Aerial could remember was the heat rushing to her face, the too-loud thumping in her chest, and the sudden disbelief that that had just happened.

But it had, and in that moment, right in front of the rest of Sun Squadron, Windwalker and Aerial began their official courtship. For Aerial, no matter the hazard or boredom of a given mission, as long as they were together it was two months of bliss. Unfortunately, even such a good thing was not meant to last. Windwalker was following part of a long-held Azure tradition by training and flying with the Wonderbolts. Once his tour was over, he had to return to Los Pegasus to train with the Skybolts. It was then that Aerial realized that since the Wonderbolts and the Skybolts were responsible for two different sectors, as long as she was a Wonderbolt she would be unable to spend the time she wanted with her beau.

She hated that, but she did not know what to do about it. Not at first, anyway. Once again it was Hasty Hoof and Spitfire to the rescue. Although Aerial would have never given up in any case, their suggestion was to use her talent to build up her skill to such a degree that she would catch the Azure’s Wing Commander’s attention, the same way she had for Lightning and Thunder. If she did well enough, the Skybolts would be sure to accept her request for a transfer, even though she was not of the Azure. It was, after all, a family built on merit as much as on blood.

* * *

Two and a half weeks later, the Captain called all the Squadron and Flight Leads to the main briefing room: a massive hurricane supercell was heading straight for Cloudsdale, and the city would not be able to fully evacuate in time if nopony provided any assistance. A city could be rebuilt, but a life lost would last forever. Lightning Strike and Thunder Strike were ordering a full deployment of all battle-ready units in order to assist with the evacuation. They gave explicit orders not to engage the superstorm.

Aerial led Sun Squadron in its first real field deployment. Despite all the training they had been through, nothing could truly prepare them for the storm’s full ferocity, as the wind threatened to knock them out of the sky even as the twister itself was still miles away. With their orders clear and their options limited, Aerial pushed her squadron into Cloudsdale to expedite the evacuation as much as possible.

Unfortunately, the superstorm was bent on destroying lives, or so it seemed as it approached Cloudsdale far faster than had been calculated and allowed for back at the briefing room. Looking out at it as the citizens of Cloudsdale hurried and tried to keep as calm as possible, Aerial realized that no matter what else they did, at this rate the day would end with loss of life.

Just that thought was enough to push the young mare into the decision that would change her life forever after: there was an experimental technique that could severely blunt a storm’s rage. Using it might be enough to give Cloudsdale the time it needed. The only problem should have been that the technique could only be used by Pegasi who trusted each other fully, otherwise their coordination would be off and the technique would fail.

With the screaming wind and the muck and dust and debris being thrown around, it was little wonder that Aerial forgot that the one with whom she shared a close enough bond was not present. She did not remember until she was already launching into the *Storm Breaker, and she realized that she was doing it completely unaided. By that time it was already too late.*

Aerial made the first slightly-curving dive and then swung back up and around, climbing to her limits before swinging around again, on the same axis, to dive again. She repeated the motion over and over again, rotating on the opposite axis to the twister to create a system that would have an opposing rotation. After five passes, accelerating after each completed loop, Aerial created a weak purple and pink spiral that was the only thing standing between the superstorm and Cloudsdale. She hurried to strengthen it as much as possible, pushing herself beyond every one of her previously-known limits.

And then the superstorm tore her from her path, and everything was a confusion of sky, cloud, and ground. Darkness came.

* * *

When Aerial came to, she was staring up at a sterile white ceiling. She waited for her mind to catch up, and then started to try to move around. She realized then that she was in an extensive body cast, intravenous drips plugged in at various places. Despite the clarity of knowing that she had survived, and despite having been injured, she only felt slightly warm, sluggish, and fuzzy. It took a few hours before she was aware enough to ask what had happened.

Firstly, while her *Storm Breaker had not worked as designed, it had succeeded in lessening the superstorm’s strength somewhat. It had also pushed the hurricane onto a northern path. It was an open path, along which the storm spent its energy before finally tearing itself apart.*

Cloudsdale had not escaped completely unscathed, with whole sections of the city having been ripped away, but the city itself still floated in the sky. It would not take nearly as much time, effort, or money to restore it to its former glory. More importantly, no fatalities had been recorded.

Apart from some minor bruising that would go away on its own, Aerial was injured the worst, having been tossed around and bludgeoned against many of the objects within the hurricane’s grip. She was, frankly, lucky to be alive, especially after pulling a stunt like that.

Hearing that, Aerial was afraid that Lightning Strike would court marshal her and either imprison her or have her ejected from the Wonderbolts altogether. She needn’t have worried, seeing as how her doctors, the finest in Equestria as assembled by Princess Celestia herself, said that her injuries were deep and extensive, especially to her right wing. Despite their best healers, and those of healing mages from across the kingdom, she would probably never fly again.

Painkillers could not dull the sheer despair that Aerial felt then, as she realized that what the doctors were saying was that she should forget about her dream of joining Windwalker: she would never fly again. Those words echoed in her mind until Windwalker came to Cloudsdale to take her back to Los Pegasus.

Aerial would have the marriage she wanted, and she would become an Azure and an honoured guest instructor at Wonderbolts Academy, but she was certain that, no matter how much she wanted it, she would never be able to become a Skybolt.

* * *

Aerial blinked rapidly, trying to erase the tears that had begun to stream down her face. “What? How did you do that?”

“What is this?” Windwalker growled.

“My apologies if anyone sees this as invasive. When Luna taught me how to shield my thoughts and knowledge from Snowbelle, she also taught me how to cast my awareness into others’ thoughts.”

“So you’re a telepath now too?” Prism scowled.

“Partly, I suppose, and entirely because of the psychic link between myself and Snowbelle. In all truthfulness, while I can always feel her presence I always want her back.” Gearhead turned back to Aerial. “I suppose it is the pain itself that has done it, however it still bears saying that I have never seen such formidable mental defences. The only way I thought I had a chance of getting through was if I directed your thoughts toward the incident in question, forcing those thoughts to the surface.”

“You manipulative little biter, you are turning into a politician,” Windwalker said in disgust.

“I would rather not, but this is not about what I want, Wing Commander. Aerial, I already believe I know it, but I would understand if you feel safe as you are, and do not want to take the risk of failure once again. But to be perfectly clear, I want to hear it from your own mouth: what is it you most want?”

Aerial glanced around the table, meeting the gaze of all those assembled. “The memories are so fresh now,” she said, closing her eyes. “I can feel and taste the wind and the sun on my wings and in my mane. I can feel the freedom,” she opened her eyes, and the fierce fire from within displaced the emptiness that had been there before. “I was so convinced that it’d been lost to me for good.” Tears streamed down her face, but now there was also a genuine smile as well. “Celestia help me, I want it so badly.”

“Can you do it? Really, I mean,” Windwalker said.

“I believe I can, but more important is whether she believes we can,” Gearhead said. “If you let me get my Stabilizer, we can get started."

* * *

It was not hard to find a suitable chamber to use, despite the pyramidal shape of the building. It had to be open to the sky and have curving walls, rather than having sharp corners. Uncle Windwalker and Aunt Aerial knew of one such room near the top, so they had Prism guide him up after he got the Stabilizer from the Wind. The couple themselves took the opportunity to go ahead and make their way up alone together. Fluttershy asked if she and Dash should wait below, but neither of the older Pegasi minded their presence.

Gearhead started by drawing an intricate magic circle on the floor with a piece of gold-coloured graphite. He heard a slight gasp from Windwalker and Aerial when he completed the eight-pointed star around which the rest of the magic runes centered, but neither interrupted his efforts: they were familiar enough with the workings of magic to know what the star meant, it seemed. He completed the circle by inscribing a much smaller circle where he would stand as the caster, placing it on the edge but still directly in the sun’s light.

Once he was done with the magic circle, Gearhead gestured for Aerial to sit with him outside it. “Regardless of anything else,” he said, “all you have to do for the spell to work is to relax as much as possible and breath normally.” Gearhead reared up gently and placed his forehooves lightly on Aerial’s shoulders. He was certain that nopony missed the faint turquoise glow as he tried to use Read to get some sort of sense for what was going on with the injury before he got started. It took a great deal of focus to pick anything out, because Gearhead’s Geomancy seemed only to work on inorganic and mineral matter. Still, he could see the way the bones in her wing and even her shoulder were cracked, and how they did not quite fit together. “Okay?”

“I’ll try,” Aerial nodded, determination plain on her face.

“Do it,” Windwalker said.

Gearhead showed Aerial where to stand, and then he took up his position in the caster’s circle. He had considered what he would require in order to maximize the chances of success here, and determined that using Config-4 was unnecessary. At the same time, keeping any other restrictions in play would be the height of foolishness. He drew the Geargem Dagger with his tail and expanded it to its full length, then checked to ensure the Twin Engines were running at optimum levels.

“One – The spark for limiter removal is released. Two – The needle that points true. Three – Application of vector and objective. Four – the moral compass comes forth. Five – the basics of magic ignited. Six – Will and Strength unite. Seven – the solidarity of union. Eight – Advanced connection established. Limiter successfully removed, and target set.” With each of the eight steps, another point and line illuminated with the star on the magic circle. When Gearhead reached ‘eight,’ the entire circle glowed faintly in silvery turquoise.

Now that the main limiter was lifted, Gearhead could release his magic power fully. “Cantus Bellax, plenum potestatem.” With a faint FUMP! A strong turquoise aura exploded around Gearhead for a moment, before fading from visibility. So far so good, he thought, checking all of his levels and then the Engines' readiness one more time.

“Quattuor Magnae Spiritus invoco. Zi̱tó̱ apó Diós, vasiliá tou ouranoú, na paracho̱rí̱sei megalýteri̱ ev̱logía tou páno̱ o̱chró sýntrofos. To dikó mou. Chorí̱gi̱si̱ epoúlo̱si̱s sas kai na epanaférete af̱tí̱n sti̱n pli̱résteri̱ dynatí̱ af̱tí̱n. Spáste af̱tí̱ pou esfalména spareí. Epidiórtho̱si̱ af̱tí̱ pou eínai spasména. Apalýnei af̱tó pou eínai flegmoní̱ kai erethisméno. Prosféro̱ ti̱ mía méros ti̱s athánati̱s psychí̱s. To dikó mou epáno̱ se af̱tí̱n ti̱n prosef̱chí̱, óti sýntrofós mou tha échei ópo̱s échei provleftheí ypó fo̱teinó ouranó sas. Kai ó̱ste na boró̱ epikalestheí Ev̱logíes to̱n Ouranó̱n.”

As Blessings of Heaven began to activate, Gearhead noticed the slight red glow on his upraised hooves, and suppressed his reaction to the slight pain as the spell took the small cost for the spell from him. Using an eye command as he looked into his lenses, he activated the Twin Engine’s ‘OverBoost,’ making its particles suffuse his whole form. Gearhead quickly redirected his cores to face Aerial directly, and collected and compressed the particles it was now emitting faster than it could generate them. As near as he could tell, both the particle bath and the spell would be ready in the same moment.

The spell was ready first, however even though it released first it also moved more slowly than Spiral Purification on OverBoost. The two energies, one deeply turquoise and the other gold, wrapped around each other before enveloping Aerial. The magic circle glowed so fiercely that everypony had to look away and close their eyes to avoid being blinded. Gearhead collapsed to a lying position the instant his casting was complete and panted to recover his breath. “Cancel OverBoost,” he muttered, and the Twin Engines went back to normal.

“Is it done?” Aerial asked as their vision cleared.

“Yes, it should be completed,” Gearhead said. “How do you feel?”

“I don’t know,” Aerial said, looking down at her hooves. She gasped, noticing that the magic circle had completely vanished.

“It was a one-time use circle,” Gearhead said. “In any case, if that failed we would need to try a different spell, and we would have to wait a couple hours.”

“The magic immunity again?” Windwalker asked.

“I did use my particles, after all.”

“How about it, Honey? Feel like spreading your wings?”

“Oh,” Aerial looked back as she used muscles that had remained neglected for nearly two decades, and yet they had been finely massaged back into fitness. As she spread her wings open fully, the older mare threw her cloak off her shoulders. “Oh my,” she said, while Fluttershy sat back and covered her mouth with her hooves. Prism looked like she was close to tears.

“That is not enough proof of success,” Gearhead said.

“It’s too early to be hard on yourself,” Aerial said.

“I think he means that he wants you to fly,” Dash said. “How ‘bout it?”

Aerial looked around the room, finally settling on Windwalker, who looked from the opening in the ceiling to his beloved wife. He blinked, and could not keep the grin from his face. “Do it,” he said. Aerial crouched and spread her wings high and wide, then she pumped them down hard even as she leaped into the air, leaving only a disturbed wind behind in her wake. Windwalker was only the first to take off after her.

As Prism cried out in happiness, Fluttershy helped Gearhead back up to his hooves. The remaining four friends exchanged glances. “What’re we waiting for?” Dash asked, and she took off too, attracted by Aerial’s delighted calls. Prism, Fluttershy, and Gearhead followed suit.

Above and ahead of them, Aerial and Windwalker were flying wild spirals and helixes as they continued to climb. They turned sharply, rolling into a back-to-back powerdive. Windwalker rolled out of his inverted position first and pulled easily out. Aerial waited an instant longer, and pulled up in time to trot across the ground below their cloud city. Then they were climbing back up.

Dash, Prism, Gearhead, and Fluttershy formed up into their own diamond as they flew on an intercept course for the two joyously-celebrating parents.

“Oh thank you,” Aerial said, still breathless as she hugged Gearhead. “Really, thank you so much for giving all this back to me!”

“I think you mean ‘to us,’” Windwalker said, giving Gearhead a fantastic imitation of a bear hug.

“You are quite welcome, Auntie. Uncle. I am extremely happy that it worked.”

“That’s right,” Aerial said. “I feel like I’m finally moving again, too, and it feels great!” As she flew off again, Gearhead realized that more than her cloak was missing: she had lost her glasses, and her hair was loose instead of being tightly tied.

“Is it true?” Spring asked as he flew up, accompanied by a whole crowd of other Pegasi. “She’s back?”

“She is!” Prism said, hugging her little brother.

“So, who’s up for a celebration race?” Contrail asked.

“Oh, you dare?” Rook asked.

“Of course!”

“Then lets do it,” Prism said.

“And no holding back,” Dash said.

Aerial and Windwalker looped back and hovered in front of their children, nieces, and nephews. “Yeah, no holding back,” Windwalker said.

“You don’t stand a chance against us otherwise,” Aerial said, winking.

* * *

The family lay, exhausted but satisfied, in a cloudy field in Los Pegasus. The race had gotten so confused and involved that nopony knew who had won, and it did not even matter, they had had so much fun. “That. Was. Awesome!” Dash said.

“Well, if you follow your dreams and train right you might be able to get half as good as me,” Aerial said, smiling from ear to ear. As Gearhead looked, he did not find a single trace of the dead-eyed, pained fatigue that had dogged the mare for so long.

“You’re on,” Dash said.

“Mind you, I’ve got a long way to go now too,” Aerial said, “or I do if I’m going to be a Skybolt after all.”

“You will,” Windwalker said, nuzzling her.

Prism rolled onto her stomach and looked around at her friends and family. “That’s what all this is about, isn’t it? I feel so stupid now. Of course I’ve been holding us all back. Sorry, guys,” she said to Contrail and Rook.

“Don’t worry about it,” Contrail said.

“You’re Lead, and we’re your friends. Mind you, we’ve always been aiming for more,” Rook said.

“But now you might actually get it,” Prism said, sighing. “Mom. Dad. We’re going to Wonderbolts Academy.”

“Congratulations,” Aerial said, wrapping all three of the Flight in a tight hug.

“Maybe we’ll see you there,” Windwalker said.

“We’ll look forward to it,” Rook said.

6. Revenge of the Magician

Chapter 6: Revenge of the Magician

Gearhead could not find any reasons to reject Aerial’s offer of a place to stay for the night, so that evening he was sitting on the veranda behind the set of rooms where he and the others were staying when Prism flew over and found him. “Fancy seeing you out here,” she said.

“I am simply enjoying the night air,” Gearhead said.

“Ah, so it’s not just Pegasi.”

“I have a little in me anyway, remember?”

“You know,” Prism said, her suddenly-serious tone making Gearhead turn to face her, “I’d like to thank you for what you did. But taking such a huge risk makes it a lot harder for me to do that.”

“How do you mean?”

“I started studying Latin and Greek so I could understand the basics of the spells you were trying to cast. I know that ‘athánati̱ psychí̱’ means ‘immortal soul.’”

“Then I am lucky I cast such a small spell, where the portion required would be much less significant than it could have been. Besides, souls should be able to recover, like a flame. Especially if new foals get a portion of their souls from their parents. It would not make sense otherwise.”

“I just hope you’re right. Still, I can’t be dating the stallion who put some of his soul into my mom – that sounds really weird. I also need to focus on my career, now that I’m gonna be a Wonderbolt. No time for romance if I want to be a Skybolt, with the others, so...”

Prism suddenly lunged into Gearhead, wrapping her wings around him and pushed her lips against his. He was very much aware of her scent and warmth in that moment, but he was also stunned, and unable to do anything except steady himself physically so he did not fall down, even when she pressed against him a little more fully.

“What was that?” Gearhead asked a couple moments after Prism broke off the kiss.

“That was me giving up on us being together.”

“That is a strange way of giving up,” Gearhead said wryly.

“Well, I certainly wasn’t going to get a kiss from you any other way. Except now I can see that I was being foolish, attaching to you so completely on so little. The books always say something about a spark or instant connection, but it just felt kinda... warm.”

“Time to move on?”

“Time to grow up,” Prism said.

“Well, I hope you do not judge Contrail or Rook based on a kiss,” Gearhead said.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

* * *

Prism Flight left for Cloudsdale the following morning. Gearhead stayed to finish his business in the region, while Fluttershy and Dash did some sightseeing.

Installing the Alicorn Arrays at Hoofington and San Palamino was easy. Father and the Council even approved building one to protect Verdant Fields, since it was outside of Hoofington, but he made sure it was hidden from sight so it would not attract unwanted attention. It was also nice to visit with his family, although Vines ignored him, and Bean and Cori had started to act coldly toward him. Mother, Big Sister Ivy, and Roselle were still overjoyed to see Gearhead.

Staying at Los Pegasus had given Gearhead more time in which to tinker with his cloud-borne designs. In the end, he decided to go with the simplest design possible: a single piece the same size as a normal turbine, but with the bottom half shaped to project the particles it produced downward, the same way a normal turbine projected them up and outward.

Each turbine would be mounted onto a bracket made out of cloud-stable metals, and attached directly to the city’s cloud matter. The bracket allowed the Pegasi stationed at the Central Condenser to change the turbine’s orientation and angle, effectively allowing them to steer the whole city.

A cloud city would not be able to move anywhere near as well as the Silver Wind, the next-largest object to be equipped with Alicorn Engine technology, other than the immobile ground-based cities that already had the Array. Regardless, Gearhead could only imagine some prospective invader’s jaw dropping when Cloudsdale and Los Pegasus arrived to help protect Canterlot or Crystal City.

As another bonus, Windwalker agreed to take part in another of Gearhead’s experiments, this one involving the condusive cabling that he used to transfer power throughout the Wind. He connected the cable to the Central Condenser, and ran it to the pyramid containing Azure Wing Central Base. Windwalker and Spring helped to disconnect everything that ran on Unicorn magic from its crystal-contained power source, and connect it to the Array through the new wire. Within an hour and a half, the pyramid was running on power that was being generated in the city. And the Array’s turbines only seemed to have to spin for a couple of seconds to provide the power necessary for an hour’s worth of operations.

Despite the experiment’s apparent success, Gearhead insisted on leaving everything in a state where it would be easy to revert to the old Unicorn power sources, and continue the experiment over the upcoming months before going any further. His business concluded, Gearhead gathered Dash and Fluttershy, and soon they were once again aboard the Wind, heading for Ponyville.

* * *

Gearhead was happy to be back to ‘business as usual,’ primarily because tinkering with the gadgets he sold to other ponies was simple and straightforward. Helping Princess Celestia and Luna set up a country-wide defence network, and dealing with the logistics and the large sums of money involved, was complicated. The simple act of dealing with ordinary, happy customers almost seemed cleansing by comparison.

The next morning, Gearhead allowed himself a few moments to unwind as he lay on the roof after his usual training session. He was just looking up at the sky, enjoying the breeze, when he caught an odd glint out of the corner of his eye. He rolled to his stomach and oriented himself to the west. Even through his glasses, he did not immediately see anything, but he sat up and tensed, just in case it was the sort of thing he had anticipated being able to catch in the Ponyville Array.

This time Gearhead saw the puff of light, but it was also much closer than the last one he had seen. Unfortunately he did not know what to make of it, and it had not been visible even for half a second before vanishing, so the sensors embedded in his glasses had barely begun to get a reading.

“Look out!” The feminine voice just barely got the words out when the bearer’s mass tumbled right into Gearhead, and they rolled backwards together. He ended up flat on his back, a fall of light, near-white, wavy blonde hair completely obscuring his vision. Her coat was blonde, her eyes light amethyst, and she had the faint smell of lilacs on her. The newcomer brushed and prodded his legs and barrel with her hooves as she snorted lightly, pressing her muzzle against his neck for just a moment before taking a light leap back. Gearhead got a good look at her, although she probably wanted to smooth her mane out a bit after the teleportation run she had just been through. Her cutie mark was a magic circle with an eight-sided star that contained a four-sided star, all done in the same purple as her eyes.

“Legs, check. Neck., check. Head, check. I can hardly believe my luck that everything still seems to be in good order.” The Unicorn mare sat back on her haunches and held her forelegs out for Gearhead. He hooked his legs around hers, and leaned into her so she could pull him up to a sitting position. “Sorry about that,” she said sheepishly. He knew she would not be acting so informally and relaxed if anypony else had been around.

“Would you care to tell me what that was all about, Dawn?”

“Oh, I wanted to be here as soon as I could, so I used a serial teleportation spell. But I may have gotten 'slipped' a little on the last two re-entries, which made my exit do... that. Sorry. Oh, and there’s probably one or two more things to address.”

“What—“ The sudden appearance of five suitcases cut off the question, and both mages had to scramble to catch the baggage before they tumbled off the roof.

“Dusk may have sent them before I could give the all-clear,” Dawn said.

“But why?”

“Oh, right. The D.A. finally made it official, who they wanted to send to help you out with the shop. They decided they did not need to send another Verdant, since you are one, but I get to represent the Shadow, so Dusk gets a little more room at home.”

“And the Azure are sending Spring Flight?”

“Officially. I find myself surprised Prism did not insist on coming.”

“Prism Flight is going to Wonderbolt Academy. They are going to buckle down on their flying.”

“

Then I guess she is fulfilling the promise you said she made when we were all foals.”

“It is kind of funny that she forgot about it when I went to Los Pegasus with Spitfire’s message.”

“A mare remembers what she wants to,” Dawn said. “Is it true you healed up Auntie Aerial?”

“It is,”

“Good job,” Dawn said, wrapping him in a light hug. “But here is a good question: where should I unpack?”

* * *

While Dawn might have been eager to see whether Gearhead suggested common accommodations between the two of them, he also knew that she was well aware of the impropriety carrying that out would entail, even if they were both daring enough to go through with it. The solution was to build a house, similar to the shop, five meters down the river and slightly closer to Ponyville.

The reason behind having a separate building was that Gearhead would have to house three Pegasi in addition to Dawn, and he wanted to ensure they all had their separate space. As it was, the limited space in the shop would never serve, even if he was to split the top floor with one of his new employees: He would still have to build a new space for the rest of them.

Like Gearhead’s Gadgets, the house had three floors. Unlike the shop, the top and basement floors were given over entirely to bedroom space that whoever claimed the two rooms on either floor could use as she or he saw fit. The middle floor was a common area with everything they needed to make a house a liveable space, including a kitchen, spaces for washing the various things that needed washing, storage, and even a lounge / dining area. What the house did not have that the shop had was specialized equipment and a display / sales area, but then it hardly needed that sort of thing – although Gearhead could see Dawn turning part of her room into a spellcrafting laboratory.

“I think we did rather well,” Dawn said, standing back to admire their work.

“Oh, this was much easier than my first build thanks to you,” Gearhead said, “so thank you.” Dawn giggled and smiled.

The levity, however, got cut short as particle fields wound up from around Ponyville, and cascaded down from the air above City Hall in its center. Gearhead quickly nodded his head to shake his glasses from his forehead, and then adjusted how they sat on his muzzle with one hoof. He also used his Light Magic to retrieve his communicator clip from one of his harness pockets so he could put it on. Dawn sidled closer so she could hear.

“Central, Gearhead. Situation report, please.”

“Gearhead, Central,” Flitter said. “Sorry, I doubt you’re seeing anything different from what we are: one contact, confirmed as a Dark Magic user. It never got a chance to get close to Ponyville before the force field came up.” Gearhead could indeed see that one blip, rendered in red. It approached the shield from the southeast, and then stopped. A slight ripple that one could only see if one was watching for it marked an impact. “The field is holding. The turbines haven’t even ramped up since they deployed their energy.”

“Our new ‘guest’ may not be challenging the Array yet, but that could easily change. Just one contact could mean anything.” Gearhead exchanged a glance with Dawn, then deployed his cores so she would have space to lie between them if she decided to come with him.

The Unicorn nodded, carefully climbing onto his back when he crouched down, finally wrapping her legs around him to secure herself as much as possible. Or just to give him a hug. Under the circumstance, Gearhead did not have the opportunity to ask. “We are coming your way,” Gearhead said, taking off with a burst of energy. Dawn gasped softly at the sudden motion, but quickly got used to the speed, even shifting her position so she could see better.

“Gearhead, Twilight. Did you just say ‘we?’”

“Twilight, Gearhead. Yes I did: my first employee arrived not an hour ago.”

“Well, introductions will have to wait. The Six are headed out to investigate.”

“Well then, the rest of us can breathe a little easier. I will monitor the situation from Central. Please keep us appraised.”

“Acknowledged, Gearhead. Twilight out.”

“Well, that seems to work wonderfully,” Dawn said into Gearhead’s other ear.

“It does,”

“So when do I get mine?”

“When I have the time to make another set,”

“Fair enough,” Dawn settled down, but Gearhead was already descending and decelerating for a landing. The Central Condenser was a small cylindrical white building with blue accents, situated three meters from City Hall, so that if it became a target the municipal offices would remain unaffected for a little longer. This planning had not made sense to Gearhead, since everything would be damaged if an enemy could get inside the shield, however he had followed Mayor Mare’s request on the matter.

Gearhead landed just outside the door to let Dawn dismount from his back, then he returned immediately to business, opening the door and striding into the room, with Dawn following him inside. All three princesses had determined that there should always be at least three ponies on-duty at all times inside each defended city’s or town’s central condenser. If possible, those who were on-duty would represent the different tribes, something that was tricky in most cities, but not in Ponyville. That morning Flitter, Vinyl Scratch, and Time Turner were present.

“Well, that was fast,” Time Turner said.

“I have a fast watch,” Gearhead said. “Also, I can fly.”

“Very good. The contact hasn’t moved, but whoever it is doesn’t seem ready to give up anytime soon.”

“The vibrations are getting more intense, though,” Vinyl said. “I can dig a certain beat, but whoever’s out there doesn’t seem to have a good sense of rhythm.”

“Whoever it is really wants to get inside,” Flitter said.

“Contact Canterlot and ask them to have reinforcements at the ready if necessary. We are dealing with a magic user, so other casters would be desirable.”

“Right on,” Vinyl said, and she immediately opened a channel to Canterlot Central.

“Central, Twilight.”

“Twilight, Central. Gearhead here.”

“It’s hard to believe, but I’d recognize that voice and that speech pattern anywhere: our mystery assailant is Trixie.”

“That, and she said her name like a million times. Oh, this is Rainbow Dash, Central.”

“I hear you, Twilight and Dash.” Gearhead paused. “I was not aware that Trixie used Dark Magic, or that hers was particularly powerful, but judging from these readings we are heading into dangerous territory here.”

“Still, somepony’s gotta talk to her to figure out what’s what,” Applejack said.

“And that somepony is us,” Twilight said.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said.

“I’m with Fluttershy: certainly you don’t need all of us to go out there?”

“Rarity, if Trixie sees us all standing together, I think she’s less likely to try anything,” Twilight said. “We can walk through the shield safely, can’t we?”

“You can,” Gearhead said, “plus certain Dark Magic users on the Exceptions List. Trixie, however, cannot. Please assure her that this shield is not coming down unless we are certain it is safe to lower it.”

“Right,” Twilight said.

“Twilight Sparkle, Canterlot Central here,” Princess Celestia said. “You have carte blanche as far as negotiations go, and you are free to engage only if attacked. I have Wonderbolts reinforcements standing by if necessary, but I leave overall command of the situation to you.”

“Twilight, Crystal Central,” Cadence said. “Please, all of you, be careful.”

“Miss Sparkle, Hoofington Central,” Nightstar said. “Since this is the first real test of the Alicorn Array, if you could provoke Miss Lulamoon into a full-power attack on the shield, we would appreciate it. But only while you’re within the protective bounds.”

“Is everypony listening in?” Twilight asked.

Gearhead checked the boards. “No, that is actually ‘it.’”

“I love a high-pressure situation!” Pinkie piped up.

Dawn winced at the volume. “Pardon me, but why did you give her an earpiece?”

“It seemed like a good idea,” Gearhead said. “Also, for tracking purposes.”

“I can’t tell if you’re kidding,”

“Oh, he’s not,” Fluttershy said. “Pinkie can get to places nopony would ever think of, so it’s useful having an easy way to find her.”

“You could just call for me, silly!”

“Except for that one time we couldn’t,” Dash said.

“Focus, girls. We’re about to find out why Trixie’s come to Ponyville.” At Twilight’s reminder, all the radio chatter died down.

* * *

“Ooh, tingly!” Pinkie said as she hopped through the particle shield.

“And warm,” Fluttershy added.

Twilight admitted that it was far from an unpleasant sensation, and an improvement over the shivering, however slight, she had felt going through Shining Armour’s city-scale shield on the train. This time, since the group was ‘hoofing it,’ their passage through the barrier took a moment longer.

And on the other side stood a hooded pale blue Unicorn, a massive battering ram made of red energy raised to strike. She was wearing a curious pendant which showed an Alicorn in red and black. “Hello, Trixie. Under the circumstances, I don’t think it’s appropriate to say that it’s nice to see you again.”

“Well well, if it isn’t Twilight Sparkle herself,” Trixie said. “Finally come out of your cosy shell to say ‘hello?’ And with your little friends, too.”

“What d’you mean ‘little?’” Rainbow Dash asked. “We’re all the same size, more or less.”

“Oh, but the Great and Powerful Trixie is so much larger than any of you: my magic’s gotten better since I was here last.”

“And why are you here?” Twilight asked.

“A rematch, Twilight Sparkle. The last time I was here you humiliated me with that Ursa Minor. That turned me into a laughingstock, and I couldn’t get a show anywhere. I had to get a job on a rock farm just to earn a living. But lets see who is the most powerful Unicorn now. Trixie challenges you to a Magic Duel. The winner stays, but the loser leaves Ponyville forever!”

“No,”

“What do you mean ‘no?’ Oh, you’re scared, aren’t you? Scared that the Great and Powerful Trixie will show you up in front of your friends, and then you’ll never be able to live it down. Or at least, not in Ponyville. Hmph.” Trixie smiled in satisfaction.

“What I meant is that I don’t have a reason to fight you, Trixie. I won’t duel you.”

“Good job, Twily,” Shining Armour said softly over the comm. Twilight did not completely succeed in suppressing a blush at the praise, so it was a good thing that he was not actually there to see it.

“No reason, eh? Then Trixie will give you a reason to fight!” Without further warning, Trixie zapped Rainbow and Rarity. Dash’s right wing was suddenly massive, and flapping it like normal made the normally-agile Pegasus veer all over the place, shouting as she fought her own body for equilibrium. Rarity was suddenly in a dress that was full of loud, zig-zagging patterning.

Rarity screamed. “You monster! This shade of brown should only be used for accents.” Applejack caught her friend as she began to faint.

“Quick,” Pinkie zipped alongside her friends. “Lets get into a soothing shade of pink, stat!” She and Applejack retreated through the shield, the latter carrying Rarity on her back.

“That’s enough, Trixie. Undo your magic. Please.”

“Where’s your little dragon friend, Twilight Sparkle? I had such plans for him.”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said ‘undo it!’”

“Say you’ll accept my challenge, Twilight Sparkle. Say you’ll duel me.”

“She doesn’t have to do anything you want,” Pinkie said returning.

“I think you’ve said enough,” Trixie summoned a small pink arrow. It latched onto Pinkie’s muzzle and somehow separated it from the rest of her face, only to deposit it into a trash can that immediately vanished. “There. Nothing is impossible for the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Pinkie fumbled where her mouth used to be, and then burst out crying: she could neither eat nor speak as long as Trixie’s spell was active.

“Fine, Trixie.”

“What was that?”

“I’ll duel you, Trixie!”

“That’s better,” Trixie hit Rainbow with another beam, turning her wing back to normal. Rarity was no longer around, so the spell on her could not be undone, however she still left Pinkie mouthless and indignant. “Your annoying friend can have her muzzle back if you manage to beat me, Twilight Sparkle. But I can practically guarantee that you won’t. Now, draw!”

* * *

Trixie and Twilight took up opposing positions a distance from the edge of Ponyville’s shield so they would have plenty of room for their spellcasting.

After a couple of seconds, Trixie catapulted a cart at Twilight. It was filled with barrels of apples, and Twilight did not know who had left it there, but she or he probably wanted it intact. She reached out and telekinetically guided all of the produce back onto the wagon, even as she guided it to a safe landing further away from the dueling Unicorns.

Twilight returned her attention to Trixie in time to see that she had summoned a volley of pies that she clearly intended to use to humiliate Twilight. Fortunately, she had an idea that was just crazy enough to work, summoning a single Parasprite to eat the pies, and then banishing the original and its second before they could become a problem. The others applauded, but Trixie merely growled.

Trixie started off the third round as well, gathering a thick fall of snow to thoroughly bury Twilight, who responded by intensifying and directing the sun’s heat to quickly melt it all away.

“Now that we’ve dealt with the warm-up, lets get to the serious stuff,” Trixie said. “Trixie would prefer to cast this spell on the two colts who brought the Ursa Minor, but your friends will have to do instead.”

“Trixie, wait! What are you—“

“Ha! Fooled you, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie said, catching her in the spell instead. Energy swirled around her, and when she landed she could barely move her aching joints, and her vision was cloudy. “Nothing would please me more than a spell you couldn’t undo,” Trixie said while the others, particularly a recently-returned Rarity, gasped.

“W-what is it?” Twilight asked shakily.

“Oh, um,” Fluttershy stammered.

“You’re old,” Applejack said. “Really old.”

“But at least you age well, I think,” Rarity added.

“And it doesn’t just go the one way either,” Trixie said. She caught Fluttershy with the next spell, and when it resolved even Twilight could see that her friend was but an adorable newborn foal. “Well? Can you undo this?”

Twilight decided to try. Maybe her advanced age would even help her. Despite her best efforts, however, she failed to turn herself and Fluttershy back to their original ages, or even to revert them a little. Exhausted, she had to let both herself and Fluttershy out of her magical grip, and the latter started to cry.

“Give up, Twilight Sparkle?”

The aged Unicorn groaned weakly. “But... that spell... impossible. Highest...”

“You fool: Trixie is the highest-level Unicorn!” She laughed. “Now that you’ve lost, I suppose it’s only fair to return you to normal,” Trixie said, hitting Twilight and Fluttershy again.

Now Twilight was able to get back up, and her friends rallied around her. She had never felt so completely helpless before, and she didn’t like it. But more importantly, she was worried about what Trixie might do to her friends if Twilight was forced to honour the terms of the duel after all.

“And now, Twilight Sparkle, you will leave Ponyville forever!”

“Stop this madness, Trixie,” Rarity said. “You can’t expect Twilight to actually go away, can you?”

“You fool, she’s already gone!” Trixie picked Twilight up in a powerful telekinetic grip and slung her all the way to the nearest entry to the Everfree Forest before releasing her. While the others ran to meet her, Trixie summoned a giant force field in the shape of an inverted fishbowl and lowered it to the ground. It was so massive it enveloped the town, the shield that was already present, and the five remaining members of the Elemental Six.

“Don’t go, Twilight,” Fluttershy said.

“Don’t worry, guys. I’ll find a way to undo what Trixie’s done. But I am a little concerned, seeing how little she seems to be acting like herself. Something’s off, and I’m going to find out what. Keep an eye on things while I’m gone, okay?”

* * *

“She’s really going,” Applejack said as they watched Twilight sprint into the Everfree Forest.

“What choice is there?” Rainbow asked. “If she can’t break this force field right now, then she has to go somewhere where she can learn to do it.”

“Zecora’s,” Pinkie said.

“Well, then there’s hope, as long as we do what Twilight asked us to do,” Rarity said.

“And Trixie still has to get through the shield to get into Ponyville,” Fluttershy said.

“Oh yes, this frustrating shield,” Trixie said, catching up. “I wonder why it’s still here, even after I beat Twilight Sparkle.” The Unicorn summoned her battering ram and cracked it against the edge of the shield to punctuate her question: “How. Is It. Still standing?!”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said. “Please calm down—“

“I won’t calm down! I beat Twilight Sparkle, and that makes me the most powerful Unicorn in Ponyville – except that I’m not in Ponyville, even though I won the duel. So do what you have to to get me inside. And do it now!” Trixie raised the ram threateningly.

“I have a dangerous rise in Trixie’s signature,” Gearhead said. “Get yourselves inside now!”

“Sounds like a plan,” Applejack said, and she and the others wheeled about to sprint for safety.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Trixie reached out, plucking the slowest of the friends, Fluttershy, from formation and dragging her back.

“Fluttershy!” Dash called.

“We’ll get her back,” Applejack said, “somehow. Keep running ‘less you have a plan!”

“Oh, I do so hate leaving her behind,” Rarity said.

“Mm-mm!”

“I hear ya, Pinkie. But there’s nothing we can do ‘xcept avoid getting caught ourselves.” Applajack dove into the field first, followed by Pinkie and Rarity. Dash hung back, making sure the others were okay, before she charged through herself.

* * *

“So they ran and left you behind,” Trixie brought Fluttershy to float right in front of her. “Some ‘friends.’”

“They’re great friends,” Fluttershy said. “They’ll come up with a plan to save me, and then—“

“I’ll be sorry? I think not. But I have a plan. You’re talking with somepony inside the barrier right now, aren’t you? Tell them to lower it, or I’ll start doing horrible things to you. On the other hoof, lower the force field, and I’ll let you go. See? The Great and Powerful Trixie will show you mercy even though you all tried to double-cross me and go against the terms of the duel.”

“Oh, um...”

“What is it? Speak up!”

“I don’t have an earpiece, so I can’t tell them.”

For a moment, Trixie was speechless. “Then I’ll just have to tell them clearly in my terms,” she said, raising the battering ram again.

* * *

“Field successfully expanded,” Flitter said. “I don’t think she even noticed.”

“And it looks like the others made it,” Vinyl said.

“Too bad Fluttershy got captured, but sometimes this sort of thing does happen,” Time Turner said. “What?” He asked, when the others glared at him.

“We will get her back,” Gearhead said. “Okay, as soon as the others have cleared to the normal zone we can release the field to its normal area of coverage...”

“What’s that?” Dawn asked, nodding to a reading on the main display.

“High-density Dark Magic? This doesn’t make any—“

“Put the Array into Passive Standby now!” Gearhead said, cutting Time Turner off.

“But the shield--!”

“Now, please,” Gearhead said.

“Okay then,” Time Turner and the others entered the necessary command, and the turbines stopped sending energy into the fields, instead filling the condensers until they were full before going quiet.

* * *

Fluttershy watched in horrified fascination as Trixie slammed the battering ram into the shield for the third time, the ram a brilliant red. Where cracks would have spread on any other field, particles simply dispersed from the point of impact, the effect quickly spreading over the entire dome. The farther apart the particles flew, the less visible they became.

As soon as the opening was large enough, Trixie stepped through. She breathed deeply and smiled. “This is Trixie’s home now,” she said.

“Um...”

“Oh yes, I no longer need you,” Trixie said, throwing Fluttershy aside. The Pegasus tumbled, but was unhurt due to the softness of the grass.

Fluttershy watched as Trixie slowly began a deliberate march toward City Hall. “Oh no,” she whimpered.

* * *

“We’re clear of all feedback distortions,” Vinyl said. “Should we power back up?”

“Negative,” Gearhead said. “We can learn more about what is going on with Trixie and why she seems to have changed so much compared to her last visit if we make her believe she has won. For now, we just stay vigilant and remain here, assuming Trixie does not know about the Array, or what this building is.”

“How long can we assume that?” Dawn asked.

“I suppose it depends on how well she has kept up with the news,” Gearhead said.

“You saw those too? I thought they were unflattering articles.”

“Well, I never gave them many details.”

“Work with what you’ve got,” Vinyl said.

“Precisely. And we can rain down particles any time we want, but Trixie may not know that.”

* * *

The mood in Ponyville changed drastically once Trixie took control. Part of that was because her Dark Magic kept generating thunderheads, and her force field kept them contained in the skies above the town. The other factor was the purely oppressive atmosphere, with Trixie demanding whatever difficult or impossible thing seemed to come into her head, like forcing Applejack to make jelly for a facial, having Rarity sew banners for her new regime, or forcing Pinkie, still mouthless, to dance.

Princess Celestia could have sent the reinforcements from Cloudsdale at any time, however since the Elemental Six had not yet learned the reason behind the drastic change in Trixie’s demeanour, she agreed to hold off for now. But if Trixie’s demands went too far, against anypony in Ponyville and not just the six friends or the mayor, the princess wanted to intervene. “I promise,” Gearhead said, “before it comes to help from outside the town, I will take a hoof in this myself.”

Of course, making such a promise was easy: Gearhead was safely out of Trixie’s eyes, and therefore out of mind, in the Central Condenser together with Dawn, Flitter, Time Turner, and Vinyl Scratch. Twilight had already been defeated and was in forced exile, but with Zecora’s help they could come up with an answer to what had changed Trixie.

The rest of the Elemental Six was on the front lines, and therefore in the most dangerous position. If Trixie caught them doing something she did not like, she could reprimand them however she liked, and Gearhead doubted she was into small telekinetic tricks that hogtied or embarrassed their victims anymore.

Fortunately Trixie did not need everypony to see to her puerile desires all the time. When Trixie gave them all a break, the five friends immediately headed for the Golden Oak Library to conduct research. Whatever she was doing, Twilight had her communicator off, making her impossible to contact except physically. Since the librarian among them was unavailable for guidance, Gearhead and Dawn pitched in instead, guiding the others remotely.

* * *

After nearly two hour of fruitless searching, everypony was tired and hungry, and more than that, they were all upset over Twilight’s exile and Trixie’s rule. Applejack’s chest still hurt from all the tickle torture. Rarity was recovering from pricking herself in the hoof while sewing banners. Pinkie was still unable to eat or speak, and it was driving everypony else, except Applejack who seemed to understand her, batty.

“I’m pretty sure Twilight wouldn’t approve of all this mess,” Spike said from where he had collapsed among the piles of discarded books, which did not contain anything of use.

“Oh, I wish we had to worry about such a thing, instead of worrying about Trixie’s next demands,” Rarity whined.

“The words ‘lost cause’ keep popping into my head,” Rainbow said.

“Well, stop it,” Applejack said.

“I can’t help it! Besides, Spike said it first.”

“I’m definitely regretting it now.”

“Excuse me everypony,” Fluttershy said softly.

“I suppose we’ll just have to get used to this,” Rarity said.

“Girls?”

“Life in the new Trixie-led Ponyville may not be easy, but it’s the only one we’ve got.”

“Girls,”

“B’sides, this is our home. We’re not gonna let Trixie ruin Ponyville forever,” Rainbow said.

THUNK! Everypony turned see that Fluttershy had just dropped the wooden horse-head bust onto its table. She was holding a book open to a page that showed a picture of the same necklace that Trixie was wearing. “This looks like Trixie’s necklace,” Fluttershy said.

“Lets see...?” Rarity and the others crowded around.

“The Alicorn Amulet greatly increases the wearer’s magical power,” Spike said.

“However the more it’s used, the more it corrupts the user,” Rarity said.

“But we can’t take it off her,” Fluttershy said.

“She has to be the one to take it off? How’re we gonna manage that?”

“Twilight would find a way,” Spike said.

“But she’s out there, and we’re in here,” Rarity said.

“Then we’ve gotta get a message out to her,” Applejack said.

“Yes, but how?”

“I’ve got an idea,” Rainbow said, “of who has the goods to get into those woods.”

“Who?”

“Fluttershy!”

“Me?! I‘ll crack under the pressure. I’ll snap like a twig! Trixie already had her eye on me from earlier, and I don’t want to think about what she’d do if she catches me again.”

“If I may interject?”

“Oh, thank Celestia!” Fluttershy fluttered her wings. “I mean, what is it, Gearhead?”

“Twilight’s comms just came back online.”

“Then I don’t have to go out into the Everfree Forest?”

“Correct,”

“And I had just the perfect idea for a Dangerous Mission Outfit too,” Rarity pouted.

“But only if you speak up before she goes and turns it back off,” Dawn said.

"Eep!" The usually-timid Pegasus zipped across to Gearhead to speak into the device in his ear. “Twilight? Twilight, it’s Fluttershy!”

“Fluttershy, it’s Twilight. Are you okay?”

“Oh yes, fine. Um. We just found some information about the Amulet that Trixie has.”

“Well then, I’m all ears.”

“Oh, and Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“I hope you don’t get mad, but the library’s a bit of a mess here at the moment.”

“... since it’s in the name of defeating Trixie and getting Ponyville back to normal, I’ll overlook it. But time is probably of the essence, more for you than for me. The information?”

“Oh, right,” Fluttershy said, and then the friends took turns telling Twilight about the Alicorn Amulet and everything that had happened in Ponyville since Trixie had kicked her out.

“It’ll take time to bring all of the elements together for this plan,” Twilight said. “We’ll need somepony else to stall Trixie while we do it, or it’ll never work.”

“Please leave that to me,” Gearhead said. “I believe Trixie owes a little compensation for the things she has done.”

* * *

“There’s something missing,” Trixie mused aloud.

“Oh no,” Snips wailed.

“I wonder what’s next?” Snails said.

“Don’t ask, Snails!” Whereas the two of them had merely been admiring gophers during Trixie’s previous visit, this time they were being used very cruelly: Whenever Trixie wanted or needed to go somewhere, she summoned a land-bound platform and hitched it to the colts. That would not have been so bad if even the chariot had had wheels, but it did not. And it got worse, since whatever Trixie used became bigger and heavier with each journey, and yet Snips and Snails were expected to take Trixie everywhere anyway.

“Ah yes, the inventor pony. Take me to him!”

“But Great and Powerful Trixie, that’s all the way on the other end of town,” Snails protested.

“On the edge of the other end of town,” Snips added.

“Why do I hear protesting when I should be hearing pulling?” Trixie asked, raising a riding crop in her magic grip.

“Nevermind!” Snails said, and he started pulling.

“That will not be necessary,” Gearhead said, landing right in front of them.

“Oh thank Luna,” Snips said, and he and his friend collapsed to the ground.

“Ah, perfect. You will make me the Alicorn Engine Trixie has heard so much about.”

“I cannot do that,”

“Why not?”

“Do you have any idea of the resources required for a single core? Ponyville does not possess the required amount.”

“Then give Trixie yours,”

“It will never work for you,”

“Why not? Trixie is the Greatest and Most Powerful-est of them all!”

“It is not about power, or at least not in that sense.”

“Explain,”

“I was going to. Please have patience. The main reason it would not work for you is because you are not me, and the Engine is keyed specifically to me. If anypony else, yourself included, tried to use it, it would not even start up. And force-starting it,” Gearhead continued, cutting off an incipient protest before it could begin. “Well...” He sat back on his haunches and made a quick exploding motion with his forehooves, complete with a little “Ka-boom.”

“Why would you build something that just... explodes?”

“They are called ‘safeguards,’ Trixie. They would not be very good at being safeguards if they did not work so completely. Moreover, I never intended to weaponize the Engine into what you may be aware of through the news. I decided a long time ago that I would be the only one who was ready for such power.”

“You speak of power before the Greatest and Most Powerful Unicorn of all?”

“Ah yes, the ‘power’ argument. As an added safeguard, anypony who chiefly uses Dark Magic to dark purpose would get a purification treatment. It might be good for the original you, but not for any Dark Magic Artifacts you may or may not be wearing. I guess you could see it as an ‘either / or’ deal.”

“You will make Trixie one that will work for her, even if you have to take yours apart to do it.”

“I am not sorry to say that I do not possess the components to do so,” Gearhead said.

“Then what good are you?!”

“I am good at so many things, just not for your sake. For example, I am very good at protecting my friends from moderate and even severe harm. You have threatened them, ergo I will now challenge you to a Magic Duel.”

“You? An Earth Pony? How absurd. Trixie is the Highest-Level Unicorn!”

“So I have heard, but if you are not going to accept the challenge, does that mean I win by default? If so, I would like to clarify the conditions.”

“What?”

“If you win, I leave Ponyville, same as Twilight. If I win, Twilight gets to return to Ponyville. And since you forfeit –“

“Trixie never forfeited! You’re an Earth Pony, so having a Magic Duel with you would be absurd.”

“Earth Ponies just have a different kind of magic, that is all. Do you accept? Oh, I can throw in an Alicorn Engine if that would make the deal more attractive.”

“But you just said... nevermind. You’re on!”

* * *

Trixie and Gearhead relocated to an open field, and so did a much of Ponyville, as their fate rested in the balance. As they faced each other, Gearhead used Shift Focus to get a clearer idea of the forces with which he was dealing. He also called in his Stabilizer just in case he needed the additional power. Trixie said she was not impressed by the addition of wings.

“You talk a big game, but Trixie doubts you can even handle basic magic. So lets find out!” She unleashed an uncharged magic blast from her horn. With a thought, Gearhead directed his cores to face forward and deploy a thin particle shield ahead of him. The blast splashed against it and dispersed without leaving a mark.

“Unimpressive,” Trixie said, and she charged her blast this time. It was much faster and much more powerful than the first bolt, but Gearhead used the twin spiral shield to deal with it.

“If you are going to continue firing,” Gearhead said, “I had better ensure there are not any chances of collateral damage.” He took off to hover several meters up, with nothing but sky and Trixie’s force field behind him.

“You can fly?”

“Of course,”

“So it was never a trick of the camera,”

“Of course not,”

“No matter. Trixie is still more powerful. Snips! Snails! Come here,”

“Now what?” Snails asked.

“I told you not to ask that,” Snips said.

“Sorry!”

“You will be,” Snips said, and he was abruptly cut off by Trixie’s spell, turning him into a foal and Snips into an old stallion.

“Ha! Lets see how you deal with real magic,” Trixie said.

“Indeed, this must be the ageing spell with which you defeated Twilght. So then what I should do is...” Gearhead compressed the particles coming from both his cores, but did not so much as brandish his bladecasters. Instead he launched the twin Purifying Spirals from the cores themselves, using the Stablilizer’s wings as focusers. The turquoise energy slammed into Snips and Snails, surrounding them completely. Gearhead kept the particle shower going, and when five seconds passed without anything seeming to happen, Trixie broke out laughing.

“And with this, you’ve also lost to Trixie, the Great and --!” Trixie came up short, as she saw black dust fall away behind the two colts – and indeed they had returned to their original colt forms.

“Have some patience,” Gearhead said, returning the cores to their resting position. “I was working on it.”

“Yes well, all that time and effort and you’ll be back to Square One in a moment.”

“Oh no,” Snails said as he and Snips got caught in the red aura again. Only they did not transform. They did not even get lifted off the ground.

“What’s happening? Why isn’t it working?” Trixie put more and more effort into her spell, but still nothing happened.

“I guess the article missed a couple details,” Gearhead said, all while Trixie continued to try to age the colts. “Such as side-effects. They include healing, recovery, banishment of a foreign status such as an illness or even a curse, and also something else that it should have included because of its role in the Changeling invasion.”

“What’s... that..?” Trixie scrunched her face in concentration, sending greater amounts of power at Snips and Snails by the moment.

“Partial immunity to magic,”

“Partial...? This whole time? This whole time I’ve been wasting my energy?” Trixie gasped as she pulled away, and her two targets took the opportunity to flee the scene.

“That would be the case,”

“You --!”

“Ah, but I have only demonstrated my counter. Granny Smith, could you possibly be willing to take part in my demonstration?”

“Anything to shut this whippersnapper’s mouth for a moment,” the elder pony came forward, step by step, to stand just a few paces in front of Gearhead. “Now what do I do?”

“All you have to do is stand there, relax, and look pretty.”

“Ha! Not easy at my age, don’t you know? I’m a little long in the get-along.” Again, Gearhead compressed his particles, but this time he had the two particle streams merge into one before they reached Granny, enveloping her. “Y’know,” she said from amidst all the energy, “I was skeptical when you said to relax, but this is... quite relaxing.” In the audience, several ponies who knew Granny well exchanged glances, having caught a change in her tone and pitch.

The explanation was forthcoming, as soon as Gearhead judged the process completed and he stopped the particle bath. The remaining particles took their time scattering, but when they did in Granny Smith’s place there was a young light-green mare with light blonde locks. Only the pie cutie mark was exactly the same as before: Smith looked out at the gathered crowd with bright amber eyes. She looked down at her young, slick coat.

And then she kicked, experimentally, with her hindquarters, bracing for the pain when they came back down. And blinked. “Well I’d... I got my get-along back!” Young Smith started bouncing, prancing, and dancing around the battlefield. “About how long would you say this’d last?”

“I suppose if you wanted a refresher I could always give you another particle bath. If it started to wear off, that is. Basically, I think it is permanent.”

“Well ain’t that a great boon to the family? Yee-hee! I thought youth was wasted on the young ‘cause only the old could appreciate it after it was gone. Turns out you can be both at the same time!”

“I am sure Princess Celestia and Luna would appreciate such a sentiment, although they never aged so far, comparatively speaking.”

“Older but younger? Sounds about right,”

“Now hold it right there!” Trixie caught Smith in her hold – or she tried to: the particles’ temporary immunity also let Smith break free of the hold and dance off behind the crowd, leaving Trixie blinking and confused. “Trixie cannot be beaten. Trixie is the Highest-level Unicorn. Trixie has not been beaten!” Red and black energy rippled out from around Trixie.

“Ah well, looks like this ‘duel’ is starting to go sideways after all,” Gearhead said. Now he unlimbered the bladecasters, and the Stabilizer snapped the end-halves into place. “Trixie, I would recommend that you calm down,” he said, going airbourne again.

“Calm down? Calm down? Trixie is calm!”

Gearhead compressed particles in front of his chest condenser and looked down at Trixie from between both barrels. “Not from where I stand,” he said softly. And then he unleashed the blast.

* * *

The plan was finally ready to be put into motion. Twilight walked up to the force field with Zecora in tow, and was just about to ‘knock’ on it and summon Trixie when the Unicorn herself came from further in – except she was skidding with her back to Twilight, and by using Shift Focus, Twilight could see the dark energies writhing around her.

“Around that one a deeper darkness swirls. Who knows what intent this unfurls,” Zecora said.

“I think I know,” Twilight said, spotting Gearhead as he flew toward Trixie, bladecasters drawn and firing. She could see that Gearhead was speaking to Trixie, but from this side of the barrier, and from so far away, she could not tell what he was trying to say. His intent did become obvious a couple moments later, though, when Trixie half-turned and spotted the two visitors outside the force field.

“What are you doing here?” Trixie asked scornfully.

“Oh, I thought you might be interested in a rematch,” Twilight said, while Gearhead held position and remained on guard.

“Why would I do that? I’ve already banished you.”

“Yeah, once maybe, but can you do it again?” Twilight lifted an amulet of her own into plain sight. It had a gold band and a jade stone that sported swirls on it. A single glance with Shift Focus would have revealed the necklace’s nature, but Twilight was betting that Trixie was being too proud and stubborn, and was too far corrupted by the Alicorn Amulet to see the truth at this point. “Zecora gave it to me, and it’s even more powerful than your Alicorn Amulet.”

“Nothing is more powerful than the Alicorn Amulet,”

“I don’t know about that,” Twilight said, “after all it contains powerful and mysterious magic from beyond the Everfree Forest. But if you’re not interested...” Twilight turned to go.

“Wait!” Trixie dismissed the barrier and teleported beside Twilight. “Fine, a rematch.”

* * *

Gearhead supposed that the first surprise came with the revelation that Granny Smith was no longer ‘Granny,’ and could not participate in Twilight’s rematch. “Sorry, y’all,” she said sheepishly.

“That’s okay, Gran—err, I mean... what d’we call you now?” Applejack said. Mac and Apple Bloom were struggling equally hard.

“Just ‘Smith’ is fine,”

“No, really, you must’ve been called something else when you were as old as you look,” Apple Bloom said.

“Ann,”

“What?”

“M’name was ‘Ann Smith.’”

“Oh,” the others chorused.

* * *

Later, when Twilight unveiled her series of ‘transformation,’ the second surprise kicked in: having received a thorough bashing in the ego, Trixie fell far more easily than any of the Elemental Six had expected, given how hard she had been fighting earlier. But being put on the ropes by an Earth Pony could be very demoralizing if you considered yourself ‘the Highest-level Unicorn.’ Gearhead was surprised Trixie had never considered the opposition she was bound to face from a certain trio of Alicorns, although he was not surprised at all that she did not know not to consider him an Earth Pony, at least not when it came to magic.

Pinkie got a kick out of delivering the final blow, unveiling the hodgepodge of instruments she had cobbled together to fight the Parasprite Swarm all those moons ago. Trixie looked the most set back by the pink Earth Pony’s ability to play those ten instruments at once, especially as she still did not have her mouth back. And the kicker, as Twilight delivered afterwards, that it did not have anything to do with traditional magic: it was just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie.

Gearhead could only guess at what was going through Trixie’s mind as Twilight ‘turned’ Applejack and Rarity into fillies, then turned Applejack into a stallion before ‘doubling’ Rainbow Dash. Her previous duel with Gearhead might have had something to do with the action Trixie decided to take, but then it could have been completely unrelated: she could have been thinking about his ‘either / or’ comment, or she could have just been greedy. Whatever the case, she snatched the necklace from around Twilight’s neck and took off the Alicorn Amulet to put the other item on.

At which point, the Amulet began to lose its hold on Trixie. Just to be sure, Dash swooped in and snatched up the Amulet. She took a blast from Trixie, but that only tickled her. Soon the dangerous Dark Magic Artifact was in a box in Zecora’s keeping. While Gearhead had some hopes it would never surface again, he did not hold to them.

* * *

Even in the aftermath of the incident with the Alicorn Amulet, there was not any time in which to rest: Princess Celestia was giving a tour to delegates from Saddle Arabia, and she had charged Twilight with coming up with a magical display to entertain them.

The display, floating a brace of Fluttershy’s animal friends in a Moebius strip, was very impressive in its own right, but lacked the polish of a ‘big finish.’ That is, until Trixie supplied it with a fireworks display. Fortunately her ego had shrunk to the point where she could ask for forgiveness. Just as fortunately, Twilight was not the type to withhold said forgiveness, allowing Trixie to leave Ponyville with a clean slate, instead of with a grudge like the one that had pushed her to seeking the Amulet in the first place.

During Twilight’s performance, Fluttershy had been on her last nerve with fright at the prospect of her animal friends getting hurt. Gearhead, for once not wearing his Twin Engines, gently held and comforted her. “You know you are missing quite the sight,” he told her.

“No thanks, I’ve seen it,” she squeaked. Nevertheless, she did manage to take a peak, and was hooked until the very end.

There was another spectacle, of course, in explaining to the Elemental Six and some of the other townsponies that Dawn would be staying in Ponyville for the foreseeable future. Gearhead explained that she, and three Pegasi from the Azure, would be helping him as full employees of Gearhead’s Gadgets. He assured them all that he and Dawn had built a house for the purpose of accommodating the newcomers.

Gearhead also asked Pinkie to save the welcome party for the Pegasi’s arrival. She happily agreed.

7. Thirdson Gearhead and the Artificer's Will

Chapter 7: Thirdson Gearhead and the Artificer’s Will

Gearhead noticed almost immediately that adding Dawn to his staff had an interesting effect – two, if you counted the different effects her manestyle had on the clientele:

When Dawn drew her mane up into a bun of any kind, other ponies tended to hesitate. The tighter the bun, the more likely it was they would just run. Both ponies determined that it was too severe and likely to scare customers away.

On the other hoof, a regular ponytail had the least amount of impact, although the ponies who were more likely to want to come closer to Dawn also seemed wary of being hit by the mass of hair whenever Dawn turned her head. That was ridiculous: Dawn was perfectly aware of where her hair was, so she never would have hit anypony.

Twintails also had in interesting effect on the clientele, but Gearhead did not much care for it: lots of stallions and adolescent colts would come into the shop. They busied themselves by looking like they were looking at the merchandise, but both Gearhead and Dawn herself caught them looking at her most of the time. Worse, the amount of male ponies seemed to be making potiential female clients uncomfortable: they would see who was in the shop and in what numbers, freeze, then run. At one point the stallions became so numerous that Dawn herself was uncomfortable with them, and Gearhead had to come onto the floor to relieve her, sending her upstairs where she could recover. After that, Dawn only wore her main in twintails in private, possibly to tease Gearhead about it.

The best manestyle for Dawn seemed to be her natural one, with her flowing, wavy near-white hair gently framing her face. The softness of her presence then set the shop’s customers at ease. In this more relaxed state, they were more likely to make a rational decision about what they needed or wanted to buy, and they were less likely to make trouble for Dawn. Both males and females responded equally well to Dawn when she was being natural and helping them.

Dawn was a natural at sales, in contrast to Gearhead who had spent years learning how to either get his customers to tell him, in detail, what they wanted him to build and sell, or to read it from their body language. Dawn had grown up with court manners, and they transferred into sales by showing everypony a gentle, quiet respect regardless of their age, tribe, or even their species.

One thing that Gearhead also noticed was that Dawn had retained some of the cute looks she had had when he had been studying with her and Dusk at the Hidden Library. Sometimes just to be looked at in the eye with those big amethyst eyes, and a tilt of the head, which she mostly did whenever she wanted clarification, was enough for a customer to want to satisfy whatever Dawn was asking of him or her.

Most devastating of the weapons at Dawn’s disposal was her smile. Open, genuine, and absurdly bright, watching a customer who was trying to get one out of her was like watching an adult with a child: they would do almost anything for just one smile, and when they did get one they seemed to feel the utmost satisfaction. When Dawn asked about whether or not, and how, she should smile one evening after dinner, Gearhead told her that a sales smile was least well suited for her. She should feel free to smile whenever she felt like it, and to just let it come and go whenever she wanted to. Gearhead said this knowing that many customers could smell a false smile, and one thing he did not want Dawn to be was false.

Word about the new salesmare at Gearhead’s Gadgets spread quickly. Even with her mane down, there were many stallions who seemed to come to the shop just to get a look at her. Gearhead could not completely blame them, because Dawn was a beautiful mare who did everything with practiced grace – in public. In private, or at least with him, she still often slipped back into that wide-eyed puff of cuteness whom Gearhead had met nearly eleven years previously. In moments like those, he had to remind himself of the number of Changelings Dawn had proven herself capable of zapping.

The others quickly grew reacquainted and comfortable with Dawn: Applejack liked her because she did not shirk her duties or go short on her efforts. Pinkie Pie was always happy to make a new friend, especially when she saw how full of heart Dawn’s smiles were. It did not hurt that the Unicorn also had a fair sweet tooth, unlike Gearhead. Rainbow Dash and Rarity always appreciated another set of helping hooves, and Rarity especially appreciated Dawn’s style. She would have wished that Dawn had more of a public persona since the fashionista was always in need of models, however at least Dawn was not so shy she would run away from most things. Twilight enjoyed having somepony else around with whom she could talk magic shop – apparently there was some magic she did not feel free to share with Gearhead around, so maybe it was a matter for filly-talk. The stallion did not press the matter.

Dawn’s relationship with Fluttershy was complicated by their rivalry over Gearhead, despite him being a Black Sheep. They had practically declared war on each other at Cadence’s and Armour’s wedding, and since Prism had recently refocused her efforts on being a Wonderbolt, that gave the two remaining mares more time within which to focus on each other.

Neither mare probably knew that Gearhead knew how they were taking measures for how far each had gone with him, but that was one of the gifts with which Snowbelle had left him before she started her education at Frost Dragonhome: not many other ponies knew or remembered that Snowbelle had been able to speak perfectly well with Gearhead, if not verbally than mind-to-mind. Since they forgot, they often talked about certain relationships in Ponyville, and if Snowbelle had been feeling like sharing it with him, she had. This was how Gearhead knew that Dawn and Fluttershy were actively competing with each other. What he did not know was how far they had gotten, now that Snowbelle could no longer report to him about it. So he took it all with the proverbial grain of salt.

In public and in Gearhead’s presence, Dawn and Fluttershy were companionable enough, but he could not rightly tell what was happening between them behind closed doors. He hoped it was nothing serious or damaging, considering what both mares were capable of doing to themselves and each other. Hopefully they would learn to get along, because Dawn would be in town for the foreseeable future.

While the Azure would be sending a Flight to help out at the shop as well, it was extremely unlikely that Gearhead would become romantically entangled with the female member or members of whichever Flight Windwalker and Aerial ended up sending. That would most probably be Spring Flight. Gearhead knew that Radar was not interested in him in that way, so he would be in the clear.

During the first few days while Dawn adjusted to her new role as an employee, Gearhead would only absent himself by going upstairs where he would monitor the situation from one place’s removal while he studied or went over some information through his glasses.

Once Dawn was comfortable enough that she no longer called upon Gearhead for back-up, he started going to the Workshop more often, and later to the Lab or the Hangar. At first he was worried she would start asking about where he went, but she never did even though she must have known he was no longer in the building. It probably went back to that first day when he had given her a tour of the shop.

“I notice there’s not a single Engine in sight,” Dawn had said.

“That’s one of the safeguards,” Gearhead said, slipping into more casual speech as he had done with Dusk and Dawn as a colt. “And of course, one of the best safeguards is to hide even the other safeguards from view.”

“So... in the floor?” Dawn had tapped the stone floor lightly with a forehoof, and they both chuckled, but Gearhead believed that she knew that she was looking in the right direction – after all, where else could he go? That very train of thought was why Gearhead had so painstakingly dug and reinforced the tunnel system, laying in a network of cable-cars for ease of transport. These tunnels were so much longer than they needed to be, and there were so many false tunnels, all with cable-cars, that they formed their own subterranean maze. It would be simplicity itself to get lost, even if anypony else could find the entrance. And Gearhead made absolutely certain he was not being watched when he opened it up.

Gearhead was in the Hangar when he heard Dawn chiming him a couple days later. The way the bell sounded, she was hitting the button a little harder than usual. Gearhead put the Twin Engine on as quickly as he could and used the Wind’s launch tunnel to get to the surface more quickly before looping around to the top-floor window nearest his own bed. Once inside, with the window shut, he glided downstairs, hoping that there was not any real danger.

Fortunately, he could not see the old stallion who was standing in front of the service desk of being a physical danger. Unfortunately, he did not understand why Dawn had rung the bell so urgently. Gearhead made his way down the stairs and onto the floor at a deliberate pace to find out exactly that. “May I help you, sir?”

“’Sir,’ huh? I’ve certainly been called worse.” Looking at the Unicorn stallion, Gearhead could not even begin to guess at his age. His whole body was bent and knarled and both his hindquarters had been replaced or augmented with prosthetics – it was hard to tell which. He had a dirty grey coat, steel blue eyes, and an armourer’s hammer in a five-star magic circle for a cutie mark.

When Gearhead remained silent and attentive, the elder Unicorn continued. “As you may’ve guessed, I’m looking for something. I’m hoping to find it here.”

“Between the two of us,” Gearhead nodded to Dawn, “I am positive we will be able to find, or make, whatever it is you are seeking.”

“Well, whether or not you can,” the elder said with a sly look, “depends on a great many things. For one thing, are you the owner of this establishment?”

“I am,”

“And you’re the inventor of that cockamamie thing on your back?”

“That is not how I would describe it, but yes. I am Gearhead.”

“There someplace we can talk, in private?”

“If there is something you wish to say that you do not wish my good friend here to overhear, we could go upstairs to my quarters, or downstairs to my Workshop. It is your preference.”

“That your way of saying ‘whichever’s easiest on your legs? ‘Cause these work just fine!” The elder lifted and thumped his hindquarters on the floor for emphasis.

“The choice is still yours, sir.”

“Then ‘up’ it is: lets see how the genius lives.”

“Very well,” Gearhead said, and he led the way upstairs, leaving Dawn to mind the shop, although she clearly wanted to hear what the other Unicorn had to say.

* * *

Gearhead offered his guest the choice between sitting on the bed, and sitting on one of the chairs. “If I sit down on that,” the elder nodded to the bed, “I won’t be able to get back up for hours!” He then plunked himself down, into one of the chairs, and accepted the glass of water that Gearhead offered him. “I’ve a tale to tell, so make yourself comfortable.”

Gearhead thought better of putting the water jug away, and put it on the table in front of the elder instead, before taking his place across from him.

“Name’s Archibald Swift, although I was never particularly swift. The colts called me ‘Bald’ or ‘Baldie,’ even though I never was, and I prefer ‘Archie,’ even though I’m no longer one for arches in general.”

“It is a pleasure to formally meet you, Archie,” Gearhead said.

“Yeah, well, you can judge that for yourself once we’re done here.”

Gearhead inclined his head.

“I was one of the top Artificers of my day. That’s not really saying much, considering I was also one of the only Artificers in the area. I was young, and foolish, though, so I thought I was some sort of genius, just starting to make my mark on the world. I made great inroads, creating devices never before seen. As a young stallion I was in my element and in my prime. I married, and even caught Celestia’s eye. She appointed me Court Artificer, and I couldn’t have been prouder.

“I never achieved the same heights again.

“Sure, I was still inventing, and still making Artifacts, and they were all useful in some way, but none of them had the impact of the ones I made when I was first appointed. Within two years I started questioning whether I deserved that appointment. So I asked Celestia for permission to go on a research quest. If I’d been smart I’d have asked my wife, but if I’d actually been the genius I once claimed to be, I’d never have gone.

“Celestia granted me permission, and I told my wife what I was planning on doing. I should’ve realized her reluctance then, but I was too self-absorbed. Two more years passed, and during my journey throughout Equestria a letter finally caught up with me.

“It was from my wife, asking for a divorce. I thought it was unfair to make her wait when I didn’t know when I’d be coming back. Shoulda thought ‘if’ instead of ‘when.’ Woulda been even smarter if I’d just come running, crawling back to her. Instead, like a complete and utter fool, I agreed. Left her alone, and my son and daughter fatherless until my ex-wife remarried.

“After that, I couldn’t return to Canterlot without something, anything, to show Celestia. But my journey continued, on and on. I went to some of the lands outside of Equestria too, but never found my answer. And then, even though it’s been over a century, even though I hadn’t found an answer, and even though I didn’t have a home to return to, I decided to come back.

“I came back to Canterlot to find that so much had changed: Celestia was happier than I’d ever seen her, undoubtedly in part because of her sister’s return. The Elements of Harmony’d been rediscovered and used to great purpose – yes, I know about them. After all, because they exist I thought it was possible to create other Artifacts of similar power. And then there’s your Alicorn Array. Such wondrous devices, and built expressly for defence. Well, I just had to find the maker. Fortunately from Canterlot it’s not that far at all.”

Archie raised a hoof and pointed it squarely at Gearhead. “After all the decades I spent traveling and researching, I’ve found many pieces of a puzzle, or maybe of multiple puzzles. If you’re the young stallion I think you are, you’ll help me find ways to fit those pieces together. You can be the one who completes the legacy I started building when I turned my back on my family. Don’t do that, by the way, especially if you’re planning on starting something with the pretty young thing downstairs.” The Unicorn tilted his head questioningly.

“I am the Black Sheep of the Verdant. I do not have that right.”

“Selling yourself short, huh? Celestia said you would. But know this: I may have lived a long life, but I’ve made no lasting mark on the world. I can’t possibly live much longer, but I’ve no desire to leave this world without leaving some sort of legacy. Think you can help me with that?”

“I do not see how I could help the greatest Artificer of an era, but I can try.”

“’Try’ nothing: do or don’t! It’s that simple. You in or not?”

“I am an inventor, not an Artificer, however I will help you if I can.”

“’Not an Artificer,’ he says. Lets test that, then. Celestia told me you made a dagger out of gemstones. Show me.”

“Are you certain?”

“Embarrassed? Not any more than I am, I’d wager!”

With a sigh that Archie did not miss, Gearhead drew the Geargem Dagger and, at further request, deployed it at full size.

“See, part of your problem is you can’t recognize your own achievements. This here’s a mid-level Artifact, and nearly as good as my own best. Your little backpack and the Arrays protecting Canterlot and other cities? Also Artifacts.” When Gearhead gave Archie a skeptical look, he merely said, “take it from somepony who’s made them his whole life.”

“Let us say I accepted that,” Gearhead said. “What then? What is it you want me to help you do?”

“I’d have thought that’d be obvious by now: we’re gonna make high-level Artifacts – the likes of which haven’t been seen since the Elements of Harmony themselves. That’s what I was always after, and that’ll be my legacy, whether or not I die in the doing.”

“I think we should avoid that last bit.”

“Not all things’re avoidable, m’boy. You’ll learn that by my age, if you survive that long.”

“Very well. What is our first step?”

“First, I gotta see what we’re working with. Material, not skill-wise: you made that dagger and all that Alicorn stuff, so you’ve obviously got the knack.”

Gearhead grinned. “That is what I called what I can do, before a friend came up with a better name for it.”

“So I’ve heard. So lets get cracking: what d’you have that we can work with? Oh, and you’d better not tell your fillyfriend what we’re up to, at least until we’re done: who can say whether she’ll stick with you otherwise.”

“Is the romance in my life really that much of a concern to you, sir?”

“Just trying to help you avoid making my mistake, Boy.”

“I am a Verdant, and that means that nothing is more important to me than family.”

“Good. Keep it that way.”

* * *

Taking a look at Gearhead’s building materiel would mean going to the Workshop in the basement. Archie merely grinned beneath a raised eyebrow. Before they got started, Gearhead took out a case from a hidden compartment in the wall behind his headboard and placed it in a saddlebag. Then Archie proved that going down stairs was not a problem for him, thanks to his prosthetics and the practice he had gotten in using them.

In the Workshop, Archie carefully inspected everything, from the forge to the full material bins. He inspected the terminal pretty closely too, but could not make sense of it so he moved on. The whole process took just over an hour, during which time Gearhead switched with Dawn to let her get a break.

Once Archie had completed his inventory, and Gearhead was back, he started outlining some possibilities of which he had thought. All of them consisted of at most three pieces, and they were either weapons like Gearhead’s daggers or necklaces like the Elements themselves.

“It’s a shame you used up your Dragonstone finding out how to make dragonfired adamantine, but it can’t be helped – not that a magical Artifact needs to be especially durable on the physical end of things. Even base metals have properties that’d make ‘em useful in a given build: Conductivity, tensile strength and flexibility, durability. If such things could be combined, it’d make the ultimate magical tool.”

That reminded Gearhead of the Fireheart Gemstone. After asking Princess Cadence if she would put a sample of her magic into it, to join those already present from Princess Celestia, Luna, Philomena, and of course the dragon Shadow Wright, Gearhead had put the powerful item away for safekeeping. He no longer carried it around with him wherever he went because, in most cases, his Twin Engine and the Stabilzer gave him enough power. If the princesses sent the group on a mission where he was uncertain, then he would bring the Gemstone. Archie approved of that plan, and said that by its description they could not use it in an Artifact, because it contained so much power.

“

I could try using my Geomancy to fuse the metals without compromising their properties. They would form internal networks inside the pieces.” He made a crude blueprint on the terminal to illustrate his point, showing a web of colour-coded lines on a necklace.”

“The main part could still be adamantine for strength, but what about the stone?”

“None of these will do?” Gearhead indicated the bins with a sweep of a foreleg.

“Not pure enough, not compared to the Elements. I wish they’d been active in my time so I could’ve studied them.”

“Then you may yet be in luck,” Gearhead said, moving off. He brought back a cluster of three condensers and connected it to the terminal. Then he brought up some information. One at a time, four translucent holographic screens popped up from the small array, populated by information and graphics about each separate Element of Harmony. The last one showed them working together.

“Lets see what you have, then... the shapes are different from the image I had of them, but you have material composition on the bands and settings. Frequencies. Signatures. Harmonics. Magic-type analyses. It may all be from a single sample, but that you got all this at all is pretty darned impressive, Boy. How’s you manage it?”

“My Engine happened to copy the magic signatures onto itself the one time I was around when the Elements were activated. For the rest, well, I had to ask for permission from Princess Celestia.”

“And she let you?!”

“As a student of hers, it is not as though she does not know whether she can trust me,”

“You might think that, but that’s not always the case – depends on the student.”

“Also, I was working on various projects and I think that she hoped seeing the Elements and analyzing them would help. Now that you have counted my Engines and dagger as Artifacts, I believe that that is the only reason she needed to do so.”

“Well, with all this information we could probably create something several orders below, but what about the gems of power?”

“I think we should examine all available options, and besides I do not think we have everything that we need.”

“Oh, but we do, my young student. Because I have the remaining missing pieces up here,” Archie tapped his head. “All but one, that is. But if you don’t have it already, we’ll either go out until we find it, or we’ll have to make do with the best we can find. And I ain’t getting any younger.”

“Maybe we will know for certain once we have all the pieces in front of us,” Gearhead said.

“Yes, of course: I wouldn’t have taken my most precious resources out in front of a stranger either.”

“I believe it is important to know all one can before acting upon the information one has, especially with a limited resource. If I had dragonstone, for example, I would want to ensure I could use it as effectively as possible in the final product, or products.”

“Oh? And how many would that be, then?”

“Six, or maybe even seven. There are six Elements, after all.”

“Six, but they’ve got to be together in order to work, eh?”

“They must also all be in resonance, and within a mindset to embody their elements. If even one is out of step, the activation fails.”

“Sounds rough,”

“True,”

“Also sounds like you’ve seen it,”

“I did say I was around during an activation, so yes.”

“Well, there’s no point in duplicating what’s already available. Why not make ‘em so they can function even alone?”

“And protect them from magical and other outside interference,”

“May as well. Ah, but you know who to give them all to, don’t you?”

“The other reason Princess Celestia knew to trust me is because I am friends with the Elemental Six.”

“And you couldn’t steal from a friend, nevermind six of them.”

“Fortunately, theft is not a possibility for me. I am a businesspony, after all.”

“True, you are. But you’re also a Geomancer and an inventor. And by the time we’re done, maybe you’ll even be an Artificer like me. But unlike me, you won’t be making such mistakes. Now, I wouldn’t mind meeting some of these friends of yours.”

“All but one live a distance from here, in Ponyville proper. I could bring them here sometime.”

“Well, there’s no rush to do it now. Lets get to the designing!”

* * *

“The problem here,” Archie said, “is that we need to know the composition and characteristics of all the pieces in order to draw them together so we can bring out the items’ best abilities. We have most of the materials for the bands, but nothing good enough for the gems. As I said, meeting your friends might give me a better idea of which of my puzzle pieces to use here.”

“All of them,”

“Sorry, I thought you said to use all of them, but –“

“I did say that. We will use all the secrets, otherwise we will never surpass either of our best works.”

“But... all that effort and focus on a single set of works? That’s insane!”

“Looking at the conductivity, harness, flexibility, insulation, magical potential, and connectivity between all of the materials we have available to us, why hold back at this point? Indeed, I cannot see a point to that.” Gearhead took out the case he had brought down with him, and set them on the little table where he was sitting with Archie. The monitor still showed the Elements’ data, as well as some of the tentative designs for the stand-alone versions the two of them were trying to make.

“The question I have been asking over and over again is ‘who made the Elements of Harmony?’ Once that is known, it would be easier to divine his or her methods and how to surpass them.”

“So, the mystery of the Elements’ Artificer, eh?” Archie closed his eyes for a moment. “Sorry, s’far as I know they weren’t made at all.”

“That is not possible! Somepony has to have made such powerful items.”

“But there’s no mark, is there? B’sides, you said it yourself: they’ve changed from their original form, so how can you tell if the Artificer’s mark didn’t change or vanish when their forms changed? Not only that, I’ve never seen any record of an Artifact that can change its form the way these ones have.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. That’s part of the mystery I failed to uncover. Maybe Celestia knows, and maybe she doesn’t. Starswirl might know, but he’s always been a tricky stallion to get ahold of.”

“You talk like he is still alive,”

“Well, given how he messed with time and ageing spells, who knows? But this origin mystery... sorry. I spent much of my life trying to track down an Artificer that might not have ever existed.”

“Gemstones, as we find them, form naturally. Is it possible that some of those might have attracted ambient magic to them for long enough to become Artifacts just as naturally?”

“Who could say what is and isn’t possible in this world? So. Not knowing where the Elements come from, can we still do this, d’you figure?”

Gearhead grinned. “Not having knowledge we did not have in the first place does not change our situation. One must always work with what one has. One of those resources today...” He unlocked the box, then spun it so it would open facing his guest.

When the old stallion did open it, his expression, with his eyes and mouth going wide open at the sight of the objects within, was something Gearhead enjoyed seeing on anypony’s face: childlike awe and fascination. “How’d you ever get your hooves on a full set of Rainbow Gemstones?

“I helped a Dragon, and he agreed not to eat me,”

“You’re a Dragonfriend too?”

“No, I am a Dragonfather, although she is at her ancestral home at the moment.”

“A Dragon, being raised by a Pony? What I wouldn’t give to see that!”

“Oh, that can be arranged.”

“Your daughter?”

“No. Twilight Sparkle. I thought you had spoken with Princess Celestia before coming here?”

“Oh, that’s her current pupil, other than you. I forgot, although Celestia never mentioned a Dragon.”

“She should have. His name is Spike.”

“That’s appropriate for a Dragon,”

“Do you want to go meet them now?”

“Not now. Right now I can feel the possibilities burning a flame in my head. The metals, the ones that lend to flexibility and everything else other than simple strength? They’d be like veins and arteries, running throughout the items.”

“Wrapped around by the harder and tougher stuff,”

“And you wanted the items to have magical protection, so a thin membrane might do the trick. If we’re gonna make Artifacts for life and the living to use through the coming generations, nothing’s better than materials that come alive for the users. And seven it is. Let me teach you the final secrets.”

“Very well,” Gearhead said, nodding.

* * *

When Gearhead insisted on forging the parts that they could, he expected some resistance from Archie, given both his advanced age and his access to Unicorn magic. To the Earth Pony’s surprise, the other stallion grinned enthusiastically as his student turned up the heat.

It was an interesting experience, working with somepony who had more than a half-century of experience with the tools and tricks of a blacksmith. Certainly Gearhead had trained under an experienced tradespony back in Hoofingon, but he had been in his thirties, and Gearhead had worked alone most of the time since. The exception to that had been when he worked with the Crusaders to add an spell stone to Spike’s gemstone lance, and he had done that as Dusty.

Archie was an altogether different pony from those with whom Gearhead had worked before. He was experienced and knowledgeable in ways that made his age seem to vanish. Most of the time Gearhead would be working the hammer while Archie held the piece they were working over steady with the tongs. Occasionally, however, Archie would get a ‘hunch,’ and tell Gearhead to swap with him. The Unicorn’s swings could be rapidfire and gentle, or strong and loud but he was always accurate and sure of those swings.

Gearhead made copious notes about their process because whatever they did to the prototype piece they would have to do, more or less the same, six more times. He marvelled at how his plan to use the special metals as veins and arteries within each piece panned out: each piece had a different pattern of circuits tracing their way through its center to radiate to the edges.

They set the stone after they shaped the secure casing for it, but before they lay the first and second inner shells, that way the gem would be secure inside the piece. Once they attached the front and rear halves, an outer shell went on. Finally Gearhead applied his Geomancy, uniting all of the parts and ensuring everything was in its proper place, with the reinforcing and conducive circuits flowing freely throughout.

It took three days to complete all seven pieces. During this time, Gearhead still operated the shop and collected resources with Dawn. He still went about his normal business in Ponyville, and Archie got to have short conversations with all of his friends. It took awhile for Fluttershy to warm up to him, but Twilight and Rarity were happy to talk shop with him at any time. He even had some lengthy discussions with Spike about the things he did for Twilight, although Gearhead was not privy to the exact content of those conversations.

When the new pieces were complete, they took on an unexpected appearance. All seven of them consisted of short bands with the stones set in circular recesses. What was unexpected, as Gearhead and Archie turned them over and over to inspect them, was that the bands had turned a metallic grey, and the gems showed as either blue, purple, or black themselves. The whole thing gave the items a rather sinister appearance, but that was because of all of the layers of protection. At the same time, the fact that they looked like they were not made of silver or gold, or set with precious gemstones, made them look... cheap. If that meant that fewer thieves would be after them, that was fine with Gearhead.

The all-important question now, though, was whether or not they worked.

* * *

“You want to give us these?” Twilight asked Gearhead as the group sat around a table in Fluttershy’s cottage. He and Archie had brought the untested bracelets in a single case, since they were fairly small.

“They look kind of, well, I’m trying not to be rude here...” Rarity looked sceptical at the least.

“Frightening?” Fluttershy said.

“Sinister?” Twilight added.

“Creepy,” Dash said.

“These things wouldn’t suit us at all,” Applejack said.

“Well, I cannot fault you for thinking so,” Gearhead said. “By the way, those are all excellent ways to describe these bands, given their appearance after applying several lays of protection.”

“If you’re not going to take offence, can I add one more?”

“Go ahead,”

“Tacky,”

“Well, one way or another we were going to ensure no one would try to steal them,” Gearhead said.

“If other ponies thought they were just cheap knick-knacks or children’s toys there’s no way they’d go to any effort to steal ‘em,” Archie said.

“So, what do they do, after all that time and effort you put into them?” Twilight asked.

“They’re like the Elements of Harmony, we hope,” Archie said.

“You mean you’re not sure?” Dash asked.

“Well, we need to test them first, of course,” Archie said.

“Why are there seven?” Pinkie asked, having counted the bracelets several times just to be sure.

“Well, it’d been a waste not to use the complete set,” Archie said.

“Set of what?” Rarity asked.

“The gems, of course,”

Rarity peered more closely at the stones. “Forgive me, but I can’t seem to see anything special about them.”

“Not in their casing, you can’t.”

“You know, this would go much more simply if we went right to the testing. We can use the same field I use when I want to be discrete in testing new equipment,” Gearhead said.

“No offence,” Twilight said, “but I’m not sure I feel comfortable putting something like that on, especially after we saw what the Alicorn Amulet did to Trixie.”

“I agree with Twilight,” Rarity said.

“Me too,” Fluttershy said.

“Well, I certainly cannot make you do it, although I did have an idea of testing them out against a rock golem.”

“I think I’d like to see that, actually,” Rarity said.

Spike came up to the table and pulled himself up to look at the bracelets. “They don’t look that bad,” he said. “I mean, they don’t have any spikes or anything on them, so they could be better, but still: not bad.”

“I suppose we could give it a try, and if things started to go bad we could pull each other out,” Twilight said.

“You could,” Archie said, “if we’d put any dark mana into them, which we didn’t. But yeah, if it’d help you to agree to test ‘em, you could.”

* * *

Gearhead led the way to the field. There were the rocks and other dummy targets, and wooded areas on three sides to insulate the surrounding areas from whatever went on. Some of the ground was still lightly furrowed from when Gearhead had tested the Stabilizer’s railgun setting, and been unable to completely smooth things over, even with his Geomancy. One grouping of three rocks seemed to be darker than the others.

Besides the case with the bracelets, Gearhead was wearing his Twin Engine, complete with the Stabilizer, just in case something did go wrong. He placed the case on the ground and opened it up. “Who would like to go first?”

“Ooh, ooh!” Pinkie reached out for one of the bracelets with a hoof, and everypony watched in surprise when she suddenly seemed to change her mind and aim for another. She picked the item up in her hoof, and then flipped it more fully onto her wrist, the band automatically adjusting to fit snugly without being constricting.

“Well?” Twilight asked, clearly trying to brace for a sudden attack from Pinkie.

“It kinda felt warm for a second, but now it feels normal.” She turned to Gearhead. “What now?”

“Now you need a target,” he said. Gearhead drew his dagger and thrust the extended blade into the ground. The three dark boulders slowly got up, revealing a bipedal, winged gargoyle. It was complete with fangs, claws, a spiked tail, and glowing red eyes.

“Ooh,” Pinkie said as it took a step toward her. “What do I do now?”

“Jus’ do what you normally would with the Elements, but make it snappy,” Archie said.

“But it’s normally all of us using the Elements,” Applejack pointed out, “and all the power usually goes through Twilight. We’ve no idea what we’d do if we had to activate one alone!”

“One shot alone can still be an arrow well-shot,” Gearhead said.

“’Arrow?’ I could take that thing out with a Sonic Rainboom!”

“If that’s what we were trying to do,” Archie said. “By the way, that thing’s gotten much closer now.”

At the reminder, the others grabbed the other bracelets, leaving only the spare, which Gearhead pocketed. They all had to leap or dive in order to avoid the giant gargoyle’s first wild swipe, which left a small crater in the ground. Gearhead had kicked the case as he spun away, grabbing his dagger with his tail.

“It’s not working!” Applejack said, tapping hers against the ground.

“You have to focus,” Gearhead said. The gargoyle turned and started to advance on Twilight. The others regrouped around her, ready to defend her as best they could, but then an indicator light flashed to green on Gearhead’s HUD, and he stopped the test.

“What happened?” Pinkie asked.

“Hold on,” Gearhead said, turning the volume on his communicator up. “Gearhead here,” he said into the pick-up.

“Oh thank Celestia,” a familiar voice said. “This’s Stalwart Shield at Canterlot Central. We have a situation.”

“I can see that the Array is active for myself, but I do not have a detection visible.”

“Well, I can assure you there’s something big out there,” Shield said. “Keeps banging on the barrier so we can’t tell if we should try to get anypony out. Think you could get that thing off of us long enough for us to get a force outside?”

“We could,” Gearhead said, calling on the Wind.

“Oh wait, the Wonderbolts’ve arrived. Lets see...” Gearhead waited several seconds. “Unbelievable,” Shield breathed. “The ‘Bolts just passed right through that thing and then got slapped aside!”

“It sounds like engaging it physically is impossible,”

“And they barely even distracted it for a second. We can’t try a magic force, but at least your shield’s keeping it outside Canterlot,” Stalwart Shield said. “Got any suggestions?”

“You already found out that you cannot fight it with physical power,” Gearhead said. “What else do you have?”

“Not much, not with the princesses trying to keep everyone’s morale high. But if we can’t fight this thing...”

“There may be a way,”

“Yeah, if you could get your Elemental Six in here to get the Elements out there, we could test magic.”

“Well, that is close to what we intend to do. Stay safe and keep us posted,” Gearhead said. The Silver Wind arrived then, sweeping across the field until it could hover, the ramp extended. Gearhead turned to the others. “We are going to use the bracelets to defend Canterlot,” he said.

* * *

The flight to Canterlot was quick and easy, with the Elemental Six putting their weekly practice at the Wind’s controls and instruments to good use. Archie, meanwhile, looked everything in the cockpit over with his inscrutable eye.

Canterlot’s attacker was quickly visible, and Gearhead guided the Wind into a holding position while Twilight put the sensor array to the task of determining its nature. The Wonderbolts remained in position nearby, just in case the creature decided to attack someplace else.

The creature was massive, standing nearly as tall as the barrier the Array projected to protect Canterlot. It seemed to be a solid, purple mass, and while it stood up on its hindquarters, it continuously batted at the shield with its forelegs. Other than those appendages and a pair of short stubs at the top of its head that might be ears, it was an unidentified blob. Each of its strikes reverberated through the shield, but did not do much damage.

Twilight shook her head. “This doesn’t make sense: I’m getting contradictory readings here.”

“Parse it out. Try smaller sections,” Gearhead said, activating the auto-pilot so he could move about and support whoever needed guidance.

“Ah, okay,” Twilight started entering in new instructions.

“Why don’t we just go and kick it?” Dash asked.

“The Wonderbolts already tried that,”

“Magically, then,”

“We still do not know what it is we are facing, but that may be a valid approach, provided magic can hurt it at all.”

“Zero physical response. Minimal magical response. The largest reading is coming from some of the same set of frequencies that the Elements use.”

“But they’re in the vault in Canterlot Tower,” Fluttershy said.

“Maybe we should recommend to Princess Celestia that she put them somewhere else?” Rarity said.

“Wouldn’t matter where they were as long as they were still in Canterlot,” Applejack said. “Meanwhile, we’re still out here.”

“No time like the present to test out those presents,” Archie said.

“You two didn’t set this up, did you?” Dash asked.

“Gotta admit, this looks a little too convenient,” Applejack said.

“Rather elaborate for a set-up, though, don’t ya think?”

“The only thing directly behind that thing is the mountain, and the caverns,” Gearhead said. “I hate to say it, but maybe..?”

“Poor rabbits,” Fluttershy said.

“’Rabbits?’ Of course! But that would mean...”

“Mean what?, Twilight?” Dash asked.

“Well, we did not exactly lay them to rest properly,”

“We did not know how,”

“Who’s that now?” Archie asked.

“The Jackrabbits. They were slaughtered by the Changelings.”

“So then why attack Canterlot?” Applejack asked.

“Maybe they think the Changelings won,” Rarity said.

“Or maybe they’re just lashing out at the closest available target,” Dash said.

“Either way, we may have a chance of putting an end to this,” Gearhead said, returning to his pilot’s seat so he could activate each station’s magic-channelling rod. “Hit it with enough energy from the bracelets, and it should be enough like the real Elements to send them to rest.”

“Hopefully,” Fluttershy said.

“Unless anypony has a better idea,”

“Party?” Pinkie hazarded a guess. “What, you never know until you try!”

“We do not know what the creature might or might not sense, but firing the bracelets’ energies through the ship might do the trick.”

Twilight sighed. “We don’t know how much longer the shield might last, so lets get this started.”

“As long as you put your feeling into it,” Archie said.

“Sorry. It’s hard to be enthusiastic about something so uncertain,” Rarity said.

“And you think I did not worry that my Engine was going to explode the first time I turned it on?” Gearhead asked. “Incidentally we are using two of them to fly right now.”

“True,” Dash said.

“So lets do this!” Pinkie said.

* * *

“Remember, girls, we’re doing this for Canterlot, but we’re also doing this for the Jackrabbits,” Twilight said.

“So they can pass on properly,” Fluttershy said.

“Without regretting what might have been,” Gearhead added from his own station.

“I think we got it,” Dash said.

“In that case, do not hold back. I will be channelling all of the energy through the prow, just like when we rammed through Sombra’s crystal blockade.”

“But we’re not even aiming the right way,” Rarity said.

“And that is why I shall be taking us in, at least part of the way.”

“No pressure, though,” Dash said.

“Well, I doubt that amalgamation of negative energy’ll notice us ‘till you gals get started,” Archie said.

“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said.

“That just means we do it right the first time,” Pinkie said, throwing a hoof into the air.

“Ready? Just like we’re in formation,” Twilight said. “In three. Two. One...”

The fur on the back of Gearhead’s neck stood on end the instant the Elemental Six began to focus their energies through their bracelets, even though that energy was going directly into the Wind’s weapon system. Unlike when Twilight and Armour had been plugged into the turrets, they were sending all their energy forward, past the cockpit and into the blade-like bow.

Gearhead dipped the Wind’s nose slightly, but more than that he brought the ship swooping in low. He brought the nose back up as he dropped his altitude so they were still pointing at the purple mass, and then they were aiming right at its center-mass – if the spirit form had any mass at all.

Set within each bracelet, six gems glowed, first in Gearhead’s signature turquoise, then in each Element’s proper colour. Lines of magic energy spiderwebbed along the bands from each gem, until they connected in the back, and then suddenly the bands changed colour: Applejack’s and Dash’s were gold, Rarity’s and Pinkie’s silver, and Fluttershy’s and Twilight’s were white gold.

Energy flowed freely into the ship through the channelling rods, collecting in the prow before being released in a bright rainbow-coloured bolt that struck the spirit rabbit dead center. It stumbled sideways, away from the shield, and turned toward the source of its pain, but that was when the sustained blast hit.

While the Elemental Six concentrated on sustaining their attack, Gearhead struggled to keep the ship level and stable against all the power that was coming off of its nose. He angled the wing turbines forty-five degrees back to counteract the thrust the forward stream was generating, and even increased the thrust on the main engines slightly. The mares started to pant with exertion, and just when it seemed their efforts would be in vain and they would collapse without a positive result, the spirit rabbit fell back, dissolving in a wave of blue-white energy.

Without a target upon which to fix their energies, the bracelets immediately shut down, returning to their dormant states. Gearhead returned the throttles and turbines to normal and climbed gently to scan the area. Before he even finished, however, the Array returned to Standby Mode, answering the question for him: the threat had been dealt with.

* * *

“Based on these readings,” Gearhead said as he finished scrolling through the report, “the Array performed perfectly, even holding up against a significant and unyielding barrage.” He was using the terminal he had installed in Princess Celestia’s personal office. Luna had one just like it, so both princesses could monitor the situation without having to go all the way to the Central Condenser Room.

“While that’s true, shouldn’t it have detected the spirit much sooner, as it did when Trixie tried to take Ponyville?” Princess Celestia asked from over Gearhead’s shoulder, where she had watched to see what readings he was using to judge the Alicorn Array’s performance.

“True, it could have detected the threat sooner. I shall make adjustments to maximize the sensors’ effectiveness, especially now that we have a sample reading from a spirit other than Discord.”

“Well, since you say that, I guess we are fortunate the spirit was detected at all.”

“I hate to think of the damage it could have done if it had gotten into Canterlot,” Rarity said.

“But why did it attack?” Fluttershy asked.

“Clearly our guess at Jackrabbit burial rites was wrong,” Twilight said.

“Unfortunately we still don’t know enough about their culture to do more than guess,” Princess Celestia said.

“Ain’t that what we did the first time?” Applejack asked.

“Pretty sure it is,” Dash said.

“We can’t ask, so... what do we do?” Pinkie asked. “Guess again?”

“Do yer own version, but make the memorial obvious,” Archie said. “B’sides, it’s unlikely... to get a repeat performance... after that blast.”

“Are you okay?” Gearhead asked.

“Me? I’m old, Boy. Happens to most of the best of us.”

“You should rest, Arcing Light,” Princess Celestia said.

“’Arcing Light?’” The others chorused.

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re back to using that other name, my old friend.”

“’Course I am,”

“You’ve nothing to be ashamed of, especially today.”

“Aye, I’ve finally done... what I set out to... but didn’t do what... I most wanted. And what I did, was only with help.”

“Then it is good that you finally recognized the need for help.”

“And right now, I’ve the need... for rest,” Arcing Light wheezed.

* * *

A week passed, and Gearhead made his modifications, to all of the Alicorn Arrays he had already installed, so the sensor array network could detect malicious spiritual energies from longer ranges. He also added a subroutine that would allow an Array to contain single threats, or a single threat group, in a sphere of particles. This would contain the problem while also allowing ponies and materiel to pass into and out of the besieged city – or even eliminate siege conditions altogether. But one thing it guaranteed was the successful containment of most threats, until somepony powerful enough could arrive and deal with it more directly.

The ones who came to deal with those threats were more likely to be a mixed team like the escort groups who guarded the array components on their way to a new city, or like the Elemental Six and Gearhead – especially now that they had high-class Artifacts that could function like the Elements of Harmony.

Princess Celestia had wanted a demonstration that they did work independent of each other, but only in the right hooves. Kibitz gave it a try with the Magic Bracelet, to no avail, but then Twilight was able to make it shift to its active appearance and produce a globe of light.

“So they do work,” Princess Celestia said.

“Of course,” Arc said. “They’re worthy of being... a legacy.”

“And what shall you call them?”

“I haven’t the foggiest,” Arc grinned.

“Then let us ask your protégé,”

Gearhead shrugged. “As it may have begun to occur to you, I am not much for names on my own.”

“Do you mind if I give it a try then, Darling?”

“Please be my guest, Miss Rarity,” Gearhead said, giving her a courtly bow.

“Then how about ‘Elemental Anklet?”

“Not ‘bracelet?’” Twilight asked.

“They’re more of the former, don’t you think? Also, it just rolls off the tongue better.”

“Oh, I agree,” Pinkie said, and then she proceeded to say it ten times fast.

“Then you have a name for your Artifact,” Princess Celestia said to Arcing Light and Gearhead.

Gearhead was also working on applying his experiments with conductive technologies into a power network. Connected to the Central Condenser in any city or town with an Alicorn Array installed and running, the network could theoretically supply the entire city with renewable, clean power that was not limited to what Unicorns had – and without the hazards inherent in a hydro-magical dam, like the one outside of Ponyville.

While the fire of pursuit quickly faded from Arcing Light, he was not so weak an old stallion that he would die simply from having one of his lifelong pursuits fulfilled. When he decided to retire, Princess Celestia invited him to stay at a residence for those who had faithfully served Equestria in their lifetime. While Arcing Light expressed doubt that he was worthy of such treatment, the princess would not allow him to refuse the offer.

With the Elemental Anklets now available, the royal sisters no longer felt so pressed to find a solution for having the Elements of Harmony locked in Canterlot, however they told the Six and Gearhead that they wanted to review their options: even the Anklets could not measure up to the originals’ power, yet they did not do any good where the Six could not use them, just like during the Changeling Invasion.

8. Basic Training

Chapter 8: Basic Training

Spring Flight arrived in Ponyville a mere two days after the Elemental Six and Gearhead returned. Fluttershy, Gearhead, and Dash had met Spring and Radar before, but Torrent Sapphire was an entirely new face, and all three were new faces to Pinkie Pie. The welcome party quickly turned into a ‘Hurray For Being Accepted Into the Wonderbolts Academy’ party.

Torrent was not as bulky as his older brother, but he still had wiry muscles in his more compact frame. His coat was the same tone of blue as the open sky in midday. His navy blue mane was swept back, with a shock of fiery-red running down the center. The impression, whether or not he was wearing his dark blue flight suit when he flew, was of a meteor falling. If anything, that meant that the type of torrent he represented was a fire storm.

While Spring Flight appreciated the fact that they had accommodations waiting for them upon their arrival, and that Dawn could act as the receiver when Dusk started to send their meagre luggage through a portal so the bags could go exactly where they should, they made some changes to Gearhead’s and Dawn’s original set-up.

First, Spring and Torrent wanted to bunk together, neither using a lot of room individually. Since they were like brothers as wingponies, that was not a problem.

Second, this allowed Radar to take up the room across from the one the young stallions were using. Apparently if they could have chosen a place for themselves, they would have made it out of clouds like Dash’s cloud castle. The top floor of a building was always second-best to a Pegasus, but it still worked.

Since Spring Flight had relocated entirely to the top floor, that meant Dawn could use the entire basement as her own space – and converted the second bedroom into her own laboratory.

Gearhead let Dash and Fluttershy give the three new Pegasi a tour of Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres, while he set things up with Dawn. When Spring Flight returned, Gearhead and Dawn gave the three of them a tour of Gearhead’s Gadgets.

“I would like you to find ways in which to make the best use of your talents,” Gearhead told them, “so I will not restrict you to the shop when you are working. Rather, I think you might be effective in searching out the types of resources we use for all the different gadgets.” They knew what these were from looking in the storage bins in the Workshop.

“I might be able to detect them,” Radar said.

“You did find illusions and traps in the maze section of the race,” Spring said. Although Spring Flight had been moving more slowly than a lot of the other teams and racing individuals, because Radar could easily find a sure path through any obstacles, they had finished the Hoofington F1 in seventh, eighth, and ninth place. Only Prism Flight, Gearhead, and two other hard flyers had beaten them out – which was a great showing for the youngest of the Azure’s flights.

“Just in case, I can make up a pair of goggles or glasses to augment your ability,” Gearhead said.

“I rather like the glasses,” Radar said, grinning.

“Then I shall see that you have a pair before I leave,”

“Don’t let Big Sis beat you too badly,” Spring said.

“I cannot make any promises, provided our training overlaps.”

“Hedging your bets?” Radar asked.

“Sounds smart to me,” Torrent said.

“In any case, you three will be discovering what you can do as you go, however you will always be helping Dawn out in the running of the shop. I do not know how you did it at the Azure, but you might find you get more out of the experience the more you learn you can do.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Spring said.

“In that case, let us get started while I am still here to give advice.” They returned to the shop floor.

* * *

The invitation for Fluttershy had been a surprise to everypony except for Gearhead, who kept seeing and mentioning improvements whenever they went to the Butterfly Glade together.

This was a clearing within the Everfree Forest that was full of vibrant flowers and small wildlife. The clearing centered on a large flower whose petals were shaped like a butterfly’s wings, shimmering soft pink with blue filigree. When Gearhead had first taken Fluttershy there, it had only had flowers. Now it had a greater variety of flowers, plus insects and other small fauna, giving the impression that it had only truly come alive with Fluttershy’s presence. The Glade had even seemed to regress during the time when she and Gearhead had not been in a relationship, and thus Fluttershy had not asked him to take her there.

The Glade was Fluttershy’s favourite place to relax, however one could only easily access it by flying over the forest, and because it was in the Everfree, of all places, Fluttershy never flew there alone. Whenever she and Gearhead did go, the latter made it a point to make a game of the flight over. They twisted and turned, spun and flipped, climbed and dove over the trees. Gearhead was constantly looking for ways in which to push Fluttershy’s abilities, both in fast and slow flight – and Spitfire had taken notice, perhaps in overflying the forest on her way to complete a mission with the other Wonderbolts.

Fluttershy and Gearhead had stopped in at Dash’s castle to ask if she wanted to fly to Wonderbolts Academy with them, but she said she wanted to make one last check of her gear before she left Ponyville, and would catch up later anyway. Fluttershy was still unsure of her speed, so she agreed that leaving earlier would be better for her. She and Gearhead left with only two saddlebags, lightly-packed. Gearhead also had his Twin Engines, the Geargem Dagger, his glasses, three Anklets, and a comm clip that he could use to keep in touch with the others.

According to the training invitations, the first test was to make it to the site under their own power. This meant that even though it was available, they would not be using the Silver Wind to get there. Gearhead went even further, using his Wind Wings to fly instead of the Twin Engine, although he wore it just in case its power did end up being needed. When Fluttershy expressed her surprise at this change, Gearhead just said, “I already know I can use the Engines to fly between Ponyville and Hoofington, so this is a test of my magic wings.”

There were times when Fluttershy’s stamina flagged, and she seemed like she might quit, but Gearhead was right beside her with some encouraging words – and alternatively to catch her if she did suddenly lose whatever strength remained to her.

And then Dash caught up. “Hey, not bad, you guys! Now I know why Captain Spitfire invited you, huh Fluttershy? Been hiding some of your skills?”

“No, not at all...”

“Don’t forget that you made a major difference in getting that water to Cloudsdale. You won’t do yourself any favours selling yourself short.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy said, quietly.

“Look, there it is,” Gearhead said, pointing ahead as they passed through a cloud bank. The camp was a large cluster of clouds, the largest of which held runways, barracks, offices, and hangars. There was a significant amount of flight activity already underway, and Pegasi were still arriving by the minute. Dash took the lead, and followed the traffic controllers’ signals to land using the central runway. The three friends then proceeded to check-in with administration at a row of three tables set up for this purpose. They were then directed to make their way directly to the mid-left field for orientation.

“Remember, Fluttershy,” Dash said, “Spitfire will probably do the Nasty Drill Sergeant thing, but she’s always been cool otherwise. Think you can tough it out?”

“I’ll try, Dashie.”

“I think you can do better than ‘try,”

“Really?”

“Otherwise there’d be no point in you coming. Prove there’s a reason Spitfire invited you.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy whispered. Gearhead gave her an encouraging, soft pat on the shoulder.

* * *

Fluttershy, Gearhead, and Dash joined a line of seven other stallions and mares, all of whom at least glanced at the newcomers. Chances were high that some of them recognized Gearhead, Dash, or both of them. It was also likely that they were curious about what could bring an Earth Pony to train with them. Looking down the line, Gearhead recognized Cloudchaser, Snowflake, and Thunderlane from Ponyville. He also recognized Lightning Dust, the mare who had cut him off during the Hoofington F1. Maybe she turned her act around enough to get an invitation, Gearhead thought.

“Alright, listen up,” Spitfire advanced on the newcomers with two stallions backing her up. Spitfire was in dress uniform, and the stallions appeared to be accompanying her for more administrative purposes, carrying clipboards and forms which they turned over to the assembled recruits.

“The Wonderbolts is one of Equestria’s elite flying squads. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna call on us for the dangerous missions that nopony else dares. You may think that you’re special,” Spitfire glared at Snowflake, who wilted visibly, “and you may think that you’ve got what it takes,” she turned her glare onto a pink-coated mare, “but I’m here to tell you that you don’t. If you had what it took, you’d already have been a Wonderbolt!”

“Yes, ma’am!” The recruits responded, exactly as their invitations prompted them to have done.

“And you,” Spitfire turned her attention onto Dash. “I bet you’re the worst flyer of them all. I bet you’ll quit on the first week.”

“No, ma’am! I’d never quit.”

Good for you, Dash, taking the grilling in stride. Gearhead knew that Spitfire was doing this for the sake of form and to avoid any perception of favouritism, because contrary to her accusation she already knew that Dash was capable of both as a solo act, and as a team leader.

“What about you?” Spitfire turned her Drill Sergeant act onto Lightning Dust. “Bet you don’t have anything left in the tank after flying up here. Bet you’re used to being on the ground.”

“Try me, ma’am,”

Spitfire’s expression turned to steel. “’Try me?’ Listen and listen well, recruit: If you want to make it as a Wonderbolt you’ll have to prove that you have nothing you want to prove. You want to push and test yourself, fine. Do it on your own time, because at the end of the day this is a team. You can’t work with your team, you’re out. That includes knowing how and when to follow orders. Insubordination of the type you just displayed will get you ejected faster than Hasty Hoof’s top speed. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lightning Dust did not quite appear to be repentant, in Gearhead’s opinion, but maybe they had a starting point now.

“You think your machine can replace real wings and real heart?” Spitfire came to Gearhead.

“No, ma’am,” Gearhead said.

“Well then, lets see what heart all of you have. Give me five hundred laps, and give ‘em to me now! That means you move, recruits!”

Some of the others groaned, but everypony was soon in the sky. Dash and Lightning Dusk took the lead early on and never let anypony else come close. Gearhead stayed with Fluttershy and ran a two-pony draft with her. He also used the time to recover some more of his mana by using his Twin Engine to fly this part.

Once everypony had completed his or her five hundredth lap, Spitfire sent them to the barracks to claim the bunks they would be using for their stay in the camp. It was also an opportunity for them to stow their gear, which Spitfire’s assistants, Fast Clip and Whiplash, had inspected for contraband during the recruits’ flying laps.

* * *

When the cadets reassembled on the field, they were dressed in the half-suits assigned to them. Each of them also had a pair of flying goggles as well, since they would naturally need them against high winds and other irritants. The new kit was not a problem for the others, but Gearhead had some issues.

Gearhead understood the importance of the concept of a uniform, thus he wanted to avoid using his non-standard equipment as much as possible. He could stow his glasses away and use the goggles easily enough, but since he decided not to use the Twin Engine to fly, he would have to rely on his magic instead.

Casting spells without a spell medium was not impossible, but it was extremely difficult and tiring, costing a part of one’s vitality if one was not going to use a Unicorn’s horn or a substitute like a wand, or the Geargem Dagger. Unfortunately the cadet flight suit did not have any pockets on it. Gearhead could sew on some of his own, but they had to be fairly small, and none of them could accommodate the Dagger’s scabbard, as small as it was. Fortunately, it seemed that Gearhead could use the spare Elemental Anklet as a substitute spell medium, and what was more, it would not occupy his mouth or tail the way his Dagger did. He put it on under his suit so the effect on his aerodynamics would be minimized.

“Not using your Engine to fly?” Spitfire asked him discretely.

“I have my magic for that, so please do not worry.”

“For your sake I hope you’re right.”

Once Spitfire had everypony’s attention, she nodded over her shoulder at a large mechanism standing in the middle of the field. “This is the Dizzitron. It will make you very disoriented. Spin-outs happen all the time, and you will be responsible for your own recovery when it does. Your first task, cadets, is to demonstrate how well you can recover from a spin-out by regaining control and landing back here. Who’s first?”

Dash and Lightning Dust both raised their hooves, but Spitfire chose Flowershine, the mare standing at the right-most end of the line. “You’re up,”

“Me? Okay,” Flowershine hesitantly lowered herself into the middle of the Dizzitron, where a bar and centrifugal force would be her only support.

“Ready?”

Flowershine swallowed, then quickly lowered her goggles into place. “I think so,”

Despite the expressed uncertainty, Spitfire signalled for Whiplash to start the machine. The big wheel spun the smaller wheel on a track, while the smaller wheel, surrounding Flowershine, spun her even more. “Now!” Spitfire called after a couple of seconds, and Whiplash pulled a lever that released the bar holding Flowershine inside the ride.

Flowershine shot off, spiralling crazily into the sky. She struggled against the forces still acting on her, and after a couple of seconds she managed to regain control. Sort of. Still dizzy, she did the flying equivalent of stumbling back to the tarmac and landed.

“Oh... my...” Fluttershy shuddered.

“Just pretend you’re rescuing a critter friend and you’ll be fine,” Dash whispered.

“I’ll try,”

“Fair,” Spitfire said, and Fast Clip made a note.

Dash was next. She was able to quickly gain control, landing with a six-second record. “That’s pretty impressive, but watch this,” Lightning Dust said as she flew away to get into the Dizzitron. “Ma’am, could you set the Dizzitron to its maximum setting since this isn’t a group exercise?”

“That’s true,” Spitfire said. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’d like to really test my limits.”

“Your funeral,” Spitfire said, nodding to Whiplash, who pulled the lever to set the machine to its third and hardest setting. Soon Lightning Dust was away in a blue and yellow streak. She went with the spin before pulling out, folded her wings to drop to the deck, and came back to a firm landing like a screaming bat. “Six point five seconds! Not bad, newbie. Cadet Fluttershy, you’re up!”

“Oh, I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” Fluttershy said, shaking visibly. Gearhead mimed taking a long, deep breath, and Fluttershy did exactly that three times. “Okay,” she said, more steadily before getting into the Dizzitron. “Um... might there be a minimum setting, please?”

“Right,” Whiplash said, switching back to the normal setting.

“Oh, I--!” Fluttershy cut herself off as her comment turned into a quiet yell. For a pair of moments Spitfire just blinked, perhaps in disbelief that such a thing was possible. Finally, she shouted “Pull!” and Whiplash was able to release Fluttershy.

Startlingly, once she was airborne it was like she knew exactly what to do. Fluttershy kept flapping just the wing that was oriented to the left if she had been flying upright the whole time, until she pulled out of her spin. Then she entered a steep dive, pulling a hairpin turn just as she reached the halfway point. She continued her descent, and landed right in front of Spitfire. She looked at her empty hooves, but sighed in relief.

“Good job, Cadet,” Spitfire said. As Fluttershy returned, blushing, to the line, Gearhead noticed that except for himself and Dash, the rest of the Ponyville contingent had to pick up their jaws. “Now, lets see if the wingless wonder can do as good.”

“How’re you even gonna get up there?” Cloudchaser asked.

“Oh, I plan on asking for a boost,”

“Huh?”

Gearhead started walking up to the Dizzitron, and heard Fluttershy gasp in realization behind him: she had just spotted his zipped-up horseshoes. Naturally they were the only non-standard equipment he absolutely could not do without. As Gearhead approached his target, the tarmac underneath his hooves suddenly became very springy. He jumped once, twice, thrice, and then bounded with a flip that landed him almost precisely behind the bar.

“You’re absolutely sure you’re going to fly?” Spitfire asked.

“Oh yes, I would not want you to feel responsible for a pavement splat – which I shall not do.” Gearhead put his goggles into place. “Ready! Oh,” he added to Whiplash, “is there anypony you would like me to put in her place?”

“Just for that...” Whiplash switched to the medium setting. As soon as Spitifire gave the command, Gearhead made an image in his mind’s eye of the magic circle for Wind Wings. As long as it was a long-duration spell he commonly used, he could cast it this way instead of using the incantation. The idea had come from Snowbelle and her ability to transmit her needs through impressions just after she hatched. If the baby dragon was able to use that method for communication with a member of a completely different species, why not use it to cast spells? But that still proved to be beyond Gearhead’s abilities with combat magic.

The Wind Wings expanded from Gearhead’s back, becoming larger as they caught the gust created by the spin and rotation in Gearhead’s ‘flight.’ The large wings carved into the air, and within three beats he had enough control to use the rotation that remained to turn himself back around, and descend for a landing. With his zippered hooves back on the tarmac, Gearhead inhaled deeply. His wings furled before being absorbed back into himself. When he exhaled, eyes open, they were completely gone.

Most of the others were slack-jawed in shock. “I did not know he could do that,” Thunderlane said.

“YEAH!”

“Yay,” Fluttershy said, clapping her forehooves gamely together.

“Yeah, I did too,” Dash said. “Guy never loses a morning of training, after all.”

“That’ll come in useful,” Spitfire said. “You cadets wake at the break of dawn for training each day.”

Most of the cadets groaned, including Dash. For Gearhead this was not any different from the usual. If he needed extra time for his usual training, he would wake up even earlier.

“C’mon you slugs, lets finish this off!” Spitfire heckled the remaining ponies into motion. When the exercise was complete, the top performers were easily visible. “Decent job, all of you. Make your way to the mess hall for the meal you deserve. When you come back, we’ll break you up into the teams you’ll be training with for the rest of your session here. Dismissed!”

* * *

“Now that you’re all back, I can introduce you to your new team of leaders, Lieutenant Prism Azure and Second Lieutenants Rook Sapphire and Contrail Blue.” The three Pegasi landed just as Spitfire called their names. Each wore the full Wonderbolts flight suits. “These three will be in direct charge of your training from now on. You obey and respect them as you would me. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“They’re all yours,” Spitfire stepped back.

“Thank you, Captain,” Prism said before turning to the assembled cadets. “Teamwork is extremely important, whether what we’re doing is putting on an air show for the Princesses and the Canterlot elite, busting clouds, or intervening in a conflict or disaster.

“The remaining exercises will test your teamwork as well as your individual limits. At the end of each week we’ll test what you’ve learned in war games on a squadron versus squadron level. Your challenge will be to master in weeks what Contrail, Rook, and I had years to accomplish growing up in Azure Wing.

“We’re dividing you into three squadrons, and the three of us in Prism Flight’ll each take command and oversight of one squadron. Your performance in the upcoming exercise will determine your squadron line-ups.

“The exercise in question is Capture the Flag. You’re first divided into two teams, Red and Blue. Your objective will be to find as many of the opposing team’s flags as possible, bringing them back here.

“There are some rules to keep in mind: One – you will be divided into pairs within your teams. Each pair can only carry one flag at a time. Two – the pairs must stay together at all times. Get split up and any flags you find won’t count, until after you get back together. Three – you’ve been divided into Lead Pony and Wing Pony for the exercise. Conduct the entire exercise according to your understanding of those roles.”

“The pairs are as follows, with the first in a pair being Lead Pony,” Rook said, picking the instructions up from his commander. “Blue Team: Cloudchaser and Snowflake. Thunderlane and Flowershine. Starry Eyes and Pizzelle. Red Team: Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash. Gearhead and Fluttershy.”

“If you have any objections over your pairing, you can either see Captain Spitfire now or, as I’d recommend, after the exercise,” Contrail said. “Time’s a-wasting, though, so take off and get to it!”

“Exercise, start,” Prism said.

“C’mon, what’re you waiting for?” Gearhead turned to see Lightning Dust waving Dash to come over so they could get started. Dash shook off her hesitation while muttering something, and then Lightning Dust leaped into the air ahead of her. Dash had to follow her quickly, or any flags they did spot would not be of any use to them.

“Is everything alright?” Fluttershy asked.

Gearhead turned back to her. “I am uncertain as to how Dash’s and Lightning Dust’s teamwork will work out, but I guess we shall soon find out.”

“Why is it a problem?”

“That is the mare how cut me off at the Hoofington F1. If she is as reckless with Dash as she was then, and with the Dizzitron, it could turn into a problem.”

“I hope it doesn’t,” Fluttershy said, and Gearhead could see that all the other pairs had taken off.

“Something the matter, Cadet?” Prism asked, winking so only he and Fluttershy could see.

“You may want to keep an eye on Lightning Dust, Lieutenant.”

“And why would that be? Nothing personal, I hope?”

“Well, we shall see.” Gearhead called upon his Wind Magic again, and as soon as he had his wings he led Fluttershy in taking off.

Since they were on the Red Team with Lightning Dust and Dash, Gearhead and Fluttershy had to find blue flags. Up here there were not any birds to help Fluttershy locate them more quickly, and Gearhead could not be certain that he would only tag blue flags if he tried to use his magic. Besides that, it would be cheating. Gearhead made certain Fluttershy was right on his wing as they swooped hither and yon looking for a splash of blue somewhere on the ground.

An air horn signalled the recovery of the first flag. While Gearhead wondered which team had drawn first blood, he continued to focus on scanning the ground for a target.

“Over there,” Fluttershy said, pointing.

“Alright, let us take it nice and slow,” Gearhead said, banking into a descent. Fluttershy followed him down until they were lined up to fly underneath the rock outcropping under which a blue flag was just barely visible. As Gearhead swept by, he tried and failed to knock the flag loose with his right-side hooves, and then his tail. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, did get the loosened flag. “Good job,” Gearhead said, and then they ascended so they could make their way back to the airstrip where Prism was waiting.

When they landed, Fluttershy and Gearhead saw that there was one blue flag already waiting in a stand, so the horn had obviously been for Lightning Dust and Dash. As Fluttershy surrendered the flag she had brought back, Gearhead thought that the other pair’s teamwork must have been working after all – until they came diving in, and it was visually obvious that Dash was favouring one wing.

“Alright, three to one!” Lightning Dust said as she dropped her second flag onto the table. “Not bad, you two, but lets get the lead out so they can’t catch up!” She went right back into the air. Dash looked back at the others, then followed.

“Is it just me,” Gearhead said, “or is Lightning Dust missing the point of the exercise?”

“She probably is,” Rook said. “I’ll let the Captain know to keep an eye on her.”

“Thank you,” Gearhead said as Fast Clip blew the horn two more times. The Earth Pony nodded to his partner, and then led her back into the air.

The game ended seven to two in favour of the Red Team, however Dash appeared to be both injured and winded. “Do you want to talk it out with Spitfire?” Fluttershy asked her.

“I think I’ll try to tough it out a little longer,” Dash said. “I’m sure Lightning Dust’s just not used to being in a leadership role yet. She’ll figure it out.”

“I guess we shall see,” Gearhead said. He wondered, though, if he was saying that a little too much lately.

“Good job everypony,” Prism said. “Now go grab some dinner. We start our exercises bright and early tomorrow morning. Dismissed.”

* * *

If Gearhead had been concerned about losing even part of his normal training time, Prism allayed them by telling him exactly when she and the others would be giving the cadets their wake-up call. A single extra hour allowed him to get his full training routine in, and the cool pre-dawn air dried the lather from his coat.

On the field, Prism led everypony in morning warm-up stretches and exercises. Over the groaning when that was finished, she called for everypony’s attention again. “We’ll now be assigning you to your squadrons. Listen for your name from your commanding officer.”

“Listen up,” Contrail said. “Cloudchaser, Snowflake, Lightning Dust, Rainbow Dash, and Midnight Strike are Slipstream Squadron under myself.”

“Who’s Midnight Strike, sir?” Cloudchaser asked.

“Oh, we may have forgotten to mention: just the eight of you don’t come close to even single-squadron strength, so we’re pooling from other cadet groups so we have enough flyers for the three squadrons we need. We still fall short, but at least we’re balanced.”

“Understood, sir.” As Cloudchaser spoke, six more Pegasi arrived. Tha black one with a yellow stripe had to be Midnight Strike.

“Then I shall continue,” Rook said. “Pizzelle, Starry Eyes, Fluttershy, Gearhead, and Sightseer are Fortress Squadron under my command.”

“Which leaves Flowershine, Thunderlane, Starbust, Wild Fire, and Lime Jelly with me as Illusive Squadron,” Prism said. "By default your assignments as Lead and Wing Ponies are still in effect, however you’ll have to decide for yourselves how your new group dynamics work. Contrail, Rook, and I command only in so far as keeping everypony on track to the objective at hoof. You decide how well we do, and even whether we pass or fail an exercise.”

“First exercise of the day,” Contrail said. “As weather manipulators it’s essential that we provide entire regions with the weather that’s needed for the day, whether that’s rain or shine. Those of you who’re already on weather management teams already know that to do this we have to get up early, most often before Princess Celestia raises the sun, to get the job done.

“Your first exercise as a squadron, even if it is at half-squadron strength, is to coral a group of errant and misbehaving clouds into a defined area. Any questions? In that case, all squadrons follow your Lead to your rally points. Dismissed!” Contrail said, then he, Rook, and Prism took off in three different directions.

Gearhead and Fluttershy left Lightning Dust and Dash to follow Contrail, while they went after Rook. Gearhead was still a little surprised that Prism had not put him on her squadron, but then, if anypony else knew about their friendly relationship prior to this, she might have been accused of favouritism. The choice also reflected Prism’s decision in letting Gearhead go in order to pursue her potential as a ‘Bolt.

Looking past Rook, Gearhead pointed out the cluster of white, fluffy clouds that were, even then, drifting further apart in all directions. There was also a floating square outlined in bright yellow and orange where they were clearly supposed to place the clouds. A thunderhead floated five meters above it, rumbling and ready to unleash its lightning bolts at the unwary.

“How’re we supposed to catch that?” Sightseer, who had a telescope cutie mark just like Gearhead, asked.

“Carefully, probably,” Pizzelle said.

“So, Fortress Squadron, what’s our first order of business?” Rook asked. That triggered the first problem that Gearhead knew was coming, as Pizzelle and Starry Eyes tried to talk over one another.

“Those clouds are not getting any closer together,” Gearhead said, “however I have never seen Rainbow Dash’s weather team coral clouds as solo flyers.” He carefully glanced at Fluttershy to keep her quiet about doing just that with Discord’s cotton candy clouds. That had been an unusual circumstance anyway.

“Then I suppose you have a plan?” Starry Eyes asked.

“It is more of an idea at this point,” Gearhead admitted.

“It better not be just to ask Second Lieutenant Sapphire for an order,” Starry Eyes said.

“Maybe we should consider that Plan B?”

Fluttershy stifled a giggle.

“What is your idea?” Pizzelle asked, when nopony else spoke up.

“Since we are already used to working in pairs, we would split up and start herding the clouds back toward the box. We would deploy in a crescent, and move slowly, so the clouds should be unable to escape.”

“Using those windy wings won’t blow them all away?”

“Fair point, Sightseer,” Gearhead said, and with a few muttered words, he switched to Light Wings, dismissing the Wind Wings once the second set was summoned so he would not fall.

“Then it seems like a good plan to me,” Sightseer said, and one by one the others began to agree.

“You shall be with me,” Rook said, grabbing Sightseer, who nodded in assent. You just didn’t refuse the big Pegasus, at least not without a working plan.

If their efforts did not go quickly, at least they went smoothly – right up until they drew close to the square, and the thunderhead boomed a warning. “Looks like it won’t just let us do this,” Pizzelle said. “What’s the plan?”

“I can put up magical shields, so I will act as the decoy,” Gearhead said. “When it is clear that that thunderhead is focused only on me, somepony fast should come in and knock the thunder right out of it.”

“The rest of us can try to keep the clouds we’ve already gathered contained,” Starry Eyes said.

“Oh, I don’t like this,” Fluttershy said. “What if somepony gets hurt?”

“We have medics available to treat any and all lightning burns,” Rook said. “In fact, they expect to have to.”

Gearhead looked more closely at Rook. “You have done this before, have you not?”

“I have,”

“Then it is possible to do it without magic,”

“It is, if you think like a Pegasus, or rather, if you think like an Azure.”

“You are the team’s Shield,” Gearhead said. “Your talent is protection, including of yourself.”

“What are you thinking?” Fluttershy asked.

“A decoy with two flyers will be far more effective than with one,” Gearhead said. “Will you join me, Lead?”

“If this is the plan to which you all agree,” Rook said.

“Are you both so sure this’ll work?” Pizzelle said.

“This is not my first dealing with magical lightning, although it is my first time with the weather. I am not ‘certain’ of anything.”

Rook grinned. “Who shall be the Striker?”

Pizzelle, Starry Eyes, and Sightseer exchanged glances. “I don’t want anyone getting hurt,” Fluttershy said, “even a little.” The other three looked downcast. “I’ll do it,” she said, and they looked back up at her, shocked.

“Then let us set it up,” Gearhead said, patting Fluttershy.

In moments, Gearhead and Rook were flying circuits around the thunderhead, just outside its established range. Fluttershy, Pizzelle, Starry Eyes, and Sightseer all worked together to get the clouds they had been herding back into position, because they had started to wander again while Fortress Squadron strategized. The rearguard four pushed the clouds into position just out of the thunderhead’s reach, and that was the signal.

Gearhead and Rook both angled in toward the cloud, speeding up as they streaked past. The storm cloud immediately began slinging its lightning bolts at them, so they juked left and right, spun and dropped to keep from getting hit and shocked. The more they manoeuvred and the closer to the black cloud they managed to get, the more defensive it became.

Soon Gearhead had to focus more completely on his own efforts to evade the bolts. “Cantus Bellax,” he said, hoping to bolster his defensive shield. And then he was finally too close to evade every bolt. The cloud rumbled in satisfaction when a bolt lanced directly toward Gearhead, and he did not have any hope of evading. The bolt splashed against his barrier-shield, sending little tendrils of electricity all over the orb. Gearhead rolled, then poured on the power to close even further.

Rook came from the other side, lightning spiderwebbing across his chest but seeming not to have any effect against him. The cloud hit him three times in a row, then Rook also rolled and dove to pass under the cloud. It shot a mad storm of lightning directly out from underneath itself, trying to catch the two offensive flyers where they would not have any protection.

Which was when Fluttershy hit it at her full speed, pressing her forehooves into the cloud. According to her plan, she had been sneaking closer and closer to the thunderhead as the stallions distracted it. Once she ran out of clouds to use as cover, she merely glided closer to it, moving so slowly that the air did not even stir around her. Compared to Gearhead, with his Light Wings shining in the air, Fluttershy had not had any presence at all, at least until she was five meters away, and pushed with all her might to charge the storm cloud.

Fluttershy pressed the wind right out of the thunderhead, and shuddering, pulled it closer to her. Several thunderbolts dropped straight down, and the cloud shrunk within her embrace. It dropped right into the box, and when Fluttershy looked the cloud could barely be called grey. She sighed in relief, the cloud having been defused.

With the threat removed, Fluttershy joined the others in bringing the rest of the clouds in. The exercise became simple, and they were even able to finish it more quickly, adapting their speed to individual clutches of clouds instead of always moving at a crawl. The box glowed bright green once all the clouds were inside, and a group of monitoring Pegasi came to remove the apparatus.

“Congratulations, Fortress Squadron,” Rook said. “You have just completed your first group exercise.”

“I think you mean ‘we,’ Lead,” Sightseer said, and the others cheered.

“Actually, I do,” Rook said. “Now, do you want to go see how the others are doing?”

“Does it really matter? I’m sure they’ll tell us after,” Pizzelle said.

“Oh, I just hope everypony’s safe,” Fluttershy said.

“We could go quickly to check in on them,” Gearhead said.

“Oh, but then that’d mean we didn’t believe in them enough,” Fluttershy said, and her expression, which had just brightened, darkened again.

“Then lets go wait for them,” Starry Eyes said.

* * *

Illusive Squadron was next to return to the mess hall for lunch after Fortress Squadron. All six Pegasi had gone in to distract their thunderhead, creating the opening that Thunderlane and Wild Fire needed to charge it, instead of the other way around. They had then gathered their clouds. Starburst and Lime Jelly looked a little singed, the latter just on her tail, but otherwise they were fine and able to laugh it off as they traded stories with Fortress.

Slipstream Squadron was the last of the three to return. Lightning Dust looked like she had gone three rounds with a full storm, and it stood to reason when it turned out she had tries to take on the thunderhead on her own. A couple dodges did not make a victory, however, and she was struck down before she could touch the cloud. Dash had had to go after her, making sure to wait until the lightning stopped flickering all over her Lead Pony before catching and carrying her back to the others.

While they tried to come up with a strategy for taking on the thunderhead, the rest of the squadron worked on gathering the clouds in. Dash realized that while Snowflake could act as Slipstream’s tank, he did not have enough experience taking the sort of hits he would have to for the exercise.

The only option left to them was the sort of dash that would be too fast for the thunderhead to catch – like lightning itself. A Sonic Rainboom might have done the trick, if they were not worried about busting the clouds they were gathering in the processes. Lightning Dust, having recovered, wanted to bust some clouds anyway, just out of frustration over embarrassing herself earlier, but Cloudchaser would not let go of the objective and stopped her cold.

That was when Dash remembered that they had another option available: Contrail Booster. With Contrail’s skill, any team member could be super-accelerated to extreme high speed in moments. It was an ability that could only work on other ponies, ones whom Contrail trusted, so it was not suited to Lightning Dust’s current attitude. Dash did not want to risk creating a powerful shockwave, so she was out as well. Snowflake was out because he was too big. That left Cloudchaser or Midnight Strike, and given the time of day, Midnight Strike might be more visible to the cloud.

While the others waited with their clouds, Contrail set up with Cloudchaser on a short run toward the thunderhead. Dash had only seen the Contrail Booster work a couple times, but it was enough to know what was required to use it. She acted as the loader, pushing Cloudchaser onto Contrail’s tail until she launched.

Cloudchaser busted through the thunderhead in a single pass, and Slipstream was able to complete the exercise, but Contrail insisted on sending Lightning Dust to the medics to get looked after before returning to the mess hall for a late lunch.

“Thank Celestia nopony was seriously hurt,” Fluttershy said, sighing in relief.

“We cut it a bit close,” Cloudchaser said.

“If I’d have been a little faster I could’ve done it,” Lightning Dust said. Gearhead and Dash exchanged glances: if Lightning Dust did not curb her competitive tendencies, she could put Slipstream in danger. They both hoped that if they had not been watching her before, Prism and Spitfire were watching her closely now.

9. War Gaming the System

Chapter 9: War Gaming The System

For much of the remainder of the week they did formation exercises. They practised manoeuvres, both famous and not, but all in the Wonderbolts playbook. They conducted mock battles against balloon and straw targets. Most importantly, they slowly got to know each other’s skills, weaknesses, and eccentricities. Lightning Dust still pushed herself beyond the capabilities of everypony except for Dash and their instructors, but at least she became willing to work with the other members of Slipstream.

On the last day of the week, they had but one exercise scheduled. Spitfire herself came out to watch and grade them on their performance in their first war game. “Congratulations on making it this far. I’m sure you’re all on the way to becoming good friends,” Spitfire said. “That said, I have some bad news for you: for this war game, you’ll be fighting each other. It’ll be 'last pony flying,' with the blunted paint weapons we use in all the other mock battles. You have fifteen minutes to get into position. Exercise, start!”

Everypony scrambled to get a paint smock and a weapon, and then they leaped for sky, some going in separate directions from the rest of their squadron for a few moments. These ponies quickly realized their error and caught up, but that cost them precious seconds.

The fifteen minutes that Spitfire had given them was not just to find a good patch of sky from which to start. It was also time in which the different squadrons could come up with their strategies. In a crisis, they could not expect to have so much time in which to prepare, so they had to learn how to make the most of the time they had.

Fortress Squadron began their strategy session by analyzing their opponents.

Slipstream had two speedsters, two above-average multi-role flyers, a tank, and Contrail. They would have the advantage in both long-range and close dogfights, but if Fortress could pin Lightning Dust and Dash in somewhere, they would be unable to use their speed advantage. And if Contrail was separated from the others, that would make his ability unavailable to anypony to use. The problem then became Cloudchaser and Midnight Strike, because Snowflake could be overwhelmed. Fortress would just have to find another way to outperform the two flyers.

Illusive Squadron was mostly an unknown quality to Gearhead and the others. While Rook had access to all the cadets’ files, he was not able to share their information, and likewise for Prism and Contrail. What they did know was that Flowershine had grown more confident in herself as the training progressed, Thunderlane was daring but never left a teammate behind, and Wild Fire liked to push everypony to do better. If Fortress could not separate them in battle, they would have to do their best to adapt on the fly.

Fortress Squadron decided to stay together and fly while using the cloud banks as cover as much as possible. They would try to analyze each situation carefully, in order to avoid any traps that might be presented as opportunities. They would use a diamond formation, with Gearhead at the van and Rook in the rear, so that regardless of whether they were attacked head-on or from behind, they could turn and adapt quickly. If they were flanked, Gearhead and Rook would have to scramble to get into a blocking posture. The others had become fairly skilled in formation flying, so it was possible that they could try to use that to their advantage. Gearhead would not use any magic besides his various wings and a defensive shield, and he would not be calling upon the Twin Engine.

The fifteen minutes expired all too soon, and with a blast of a set of air horns, the war game was on. Gearhead had grabbed a wooden sword as his weapon, its blade painted in bright green. Starry Eyes and Sightseer both had compact bows and quivers with arrows. Pizzelle had opted for a lance, which was a traditional Pegasus weapon, and Fluttershy had a staff. Rook was unarmed, but that did not remove his threat.

Flying in a criss-cross pattern, Fortress encountered Illusive first, as Thunderlane and Lime Jelly popped their heads through the clouds just six meters to Gearhead’s eleven o’clock. Gearhead signalled a charge, not wanting Prism to be able to counter them at their position, and Starry Eyes and Sightseer quickly nocked their arrows and let loose, aiming for where the two targets’ center masses, and their smocks, would be.

Thunderlane managed to duck clear of Starry Eyes’s arrow, but there was a THUNK! and Spitfire shouted “out!” at Lime Jelly. She responded with an “aww,” but retired without further objection.

Now that Fortress’s position was known, they climbed to distance themselves from the clouds, and oriented their formation downward, with Gearhead still in the lead. Thunderlane and Wild Fire came weaving out of the clouds at a wild sprint, and Fortress’s archers reloaded, but held their arrows as their targets juked wildly. Gearhead noticed Flowershine come out of the clouds to head directly toward them. It was a suicide play, unless it was a distraction for something else.

Prism shot out of a high cloud half a kilometer away and rocketed toward them, a diamond of targets clearly available to her. “Target, up!” Pizzelle called, and Sightseer reoriented on her. Prism held her speed and heading until she was halfway up Sightseer’s range, and then, when he opened fire, she spiralled and dodged all over the place.

“Hold fire,” Rook called. “She’s making you waste your ammo.” He adjusted his position, just barely getting in front of Prism’s sudden charge before she could reach Pizzelle and knock her out with her own lance, which Rook caught between his forehooves. He sent Prism reeling with a swift, but softened headbutt, and Prism vanished into the cloud, calling a retreat.

Fortress had made it though its first engagement without any losses, but Sightseer and Starry Eyes had both used over half their arrows, and Pizzelle was shaken with how close she had come to being eliminated. Their position was also known now, so Rook had them move off rapidly through the clouds.

* * *

Gearhead felt the wind’s flow suddenly change, becoming harsher and more turbulent. Some of the others also felt the disturbance in their feathers and scanned for the source. Radiating a rainbow of light, Dash was on them in an instant, followed by Lightning Dust. Rook shouted “scatter!” as he and Gearhead moved to block the quick attack.

Gearhead braced himself against Dash using the sword he was wielding with his mouth as well as his hooves. She pushed him five meters from the group and the expanding shock wave that had formed at impact, and then he delivered a stinging spinning slash even as he angled his weapon to deflect Dash’s grip on him to one side. “Quattuor Magnae Spiritus invoco,” he started, watching Dash fall for a dozen meters before she started gliding again.

“Pizzelle. Sightseer, out!”

Gearhead looked back toward where the rest of Fortress was, and saw that Pizzelle and Sightseer were both falling away. Medics flew up to catch them before they could fall too far. “Ignis transmutare alas.” Lightning Dust was also falling, Rook just having delivered a four-hoof piledriver to her shoulders.

“Rainbow Dash. Lightning Dust, out!”

As his Fire Wings took form, Gearhead sent the magic of his Wind Wings toward his hooves instead of dispersing it or absorbing it. The speed boost launched him forward, closing the few meters quickly. Lightning Dust had only managed to push Rook back three meters, but considering his defensive magic that was impressive enough.

Wreathed in bright blue flames for a moment, Gearhead grazed Midnight Strike, and connected more fully with a swing of his sword, before coming about to rejoin the others, the flames vanishing from around his body to compress about his wings instead, with a slight swirling effect near the middle.

“Midnight Strike, out!”

“Slip, lets go!” Contrail called. Cloudchaser and Snowflake turned from where they had also started to close on Fortress, but Starry Eyes picked his target and loosed his last arrow. He took Snowflake between the wings.

“Snowflake, out!”

With only Cloudchaser as his Wing Pony, Contrail retreated. “That’s for Sightseer and Pizzelle,” Starry Eyes said.

“One, nice shot,” Rook said. “Two, we are not going out for revenge every time we lose a teammate. Consider what is best for the entire squadron first, like whether or not we could have used that arrow later.”

“I understand, sir.”

“Good, because now that we’re down to four I’ll need your full attention here and around us. I will be your shield, and Gearhead will be Fluttershy’s, but we had better hope Slipstream and Illusive fall into their roles, or we’re done.”

“What is the plan, Commander?” Gearhead asked.

“Well, what is your analysis, Cadet?”

“We cannot take another ambush, but it would also be unwise to keep flying around in partial cover. We are more vulnerable without Pizzelle and Sightseer to spot with us,” Gearhead said.

“We need more room and time to react,” Starry Eyes said.

“Which is exactly why we’ll fly around, slowly, and in the open,” Rook said. “Double-Deus Formation, if you would be so kind,”

“Sir, yes sir!”

* * *

“That was well done,” Prism said as she lay in a nearby cloud for cover. She and Starburst were watching as the remains of Fortress began to fly out in the open skies in two pairs of two flyers. Thunderlane and Wild Fire were out scouting, while Flowershine maintained the rear perimeter.

“They’re out in the open, now,” Starburst said.

“Yes, and?”

“And it smells of a set-up.”

“That’s because it is a set-up,” Prism said. “Two Tanks and two defensive flyers, one of them an archer. What do you think our chances are of getting through Rook and Gearhead after seeing how they dealt with Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust?”

“They’ll block for sure, and take out whoever we send to charge. We could use them as a diversion, but then it’s an expensive diversion. We only have one more flyer than they do, I don’t think we can afford the losses.”

“We have two possible plays,” Prism said, nodding. “We either focus on just one of the Tanks and force him down with overwhelming brute force, or we wait for Con to attack. What are the problems with both plays?”

“Whoever we attack, the rest won’t just hover in place. If we’re gonna go with Plan A, we need to do it in a way that’s certain and swift,” Starburst said. “As far as Plan B, if we can see the trap from here and know that it’s unlikely we’ll come out on top, how much more for Slipstream, which has half as many flyers as Fortress?”

“So we wait and see if we can establish a truce. Combined, we’d have seven, and the best chance of success.”

* * *

Contrail and Cloudchaser were not as well hidden as they thought they were, lying in a cloud bank to Fortress’s port. Gearhead softly called them out to the others, and continued to scan for Illusive Squadron. He knew they still had five members to Fortress’s four, which gave them an advantage, but that advantage was reduced by the distance they would have to travel to attack Fortress.

Gearhead watched as Contrail and Cloudchaser took to the sky. They flew as though to circle ahead of Fortress, then probably around the squadron if they did not come in for a head-on attack – and if they were not going to flank the foursome, why would they attack straight-on?

“Um, behind us,” Fluttershy said. Gearhead and the others looked to find Illusive Squadron flying in a chevron. Like Slipstream they were circling, but slowly closing the distance.

“They got us good,” Rook said.

“How?” Gearhead asked. “They would still have to come all the way out here to attack us.”

“And if we let them do that it will be a battle that’s seven to four. Not favourable odds. At the same time, we don’t want to chase either group and tire ourselves out more than we are already from flying constantly.”

“They got us,” Starry Eyes said.

“Except if we’re patient and clever,” Rook said. He changed his heading slightly, and the others moved to match him. “Instead of them drawing us into their zone, we can still draw them into ours.”

“We just change the zone a little,” Fluttershy said, seeing what was going on.

* * *

It was a long time coming, but finally the three circling squadrons came into proximity of each other. First it was Fortress, slowly angling toward Slipstream, and then angling back out, and not changing their speed until a few minutes ago. Slipstream, in response, kept adjusting their own heading to more closely match that of Fortress, even while they kept their leisurely pace so they would be rested when the battle began. Illusive kept closing while circling, or trying to, because for every meter they might have gained the speed change from Fortress was making them lose one and a bit.

Then Fortress leaped up to flank speed, and Illusive scrambled to match them. Slipstream wheeled about to try to open the distance, but the only way they really could do that was if Cloudchaser was willing to leave Contrail behind and be boosted by him. That would not happen, if Gearhead had anything to say about it, rocketing ahead as he was on wings of dark blue flame with Fluttershy right behind him.

No matter how Contrail tried to move, Gearhead matched him. Because the Fire Magic he was using kept cycling itself through itself, it did not expend its energy very quickly. When it started to drain, he would just pour more mana into the wings, reinforcing them. It was not as if he had much else to put his magic power into anyway.

Contrail finally flipped and turned to fight, lance to sword. With a twist that he did by using his tail, Contrail separated his lance into two parts, one which he could use with his mouth and a shorter piece for his tail. Gearhead drew his sword and sent some magic into it. Fluttershy ascended, but also moved back so she would be out of the way, but highly visible to Cloudchaser.

At first clash, it seemed that Contrail would be able to overwhelm Gearhead because he had two weapons to Gearhead’s one, but the former found handling a second weapon against this opponent to be awkward, and generally a no-go: Gearhead angled his head to take both blows and deflect them, or he would simply turn his body to avoid a thrust, and in the first place the lance was only suited for thrust-based attacks, and not swings.

Gearhead had two chief advantages, one being that he was extremely used to fighting with a sword, and this was also because of the second advantage: he had extensive battle training under Prince-Captain Shining Armour, and now Captain Stalwart Shield. He had a decent amount of actual combat experience as well, and although he tried to use it as little as possible during his Wonderbolts training, he also had a great deal of magic at his disposal.

While Contrail and Gearhead continued to fly at each other, Rook and Starry Eyes caught up with Fluttershy to chase Cloudchaser down. The plan here was to eliminate Slipstream before Illusive could arrive, however Contrail was just adept enough at flying in battle to make it difficult for Gearhead to connect more often than one in every ten or so swings, and not with enough strength to put him out of the fight. Cloudchaser, on the other hoof, was agile enough to give Rook and Starry Eyes a worthy chase, while Fluttershy started to fall behind due to fatigue.

Gearhead and Contrail were in a spiralling, climbing clash, so they both saw in turn when Illusive finally drew close. The other four launched and spread out from Prism, who held the center position in their charging formation. They ignored Fluttershy in favour of running Rook and Starry Eyes down. Prism herself came blasting up at Contrail and Gearhead, although neither could guess who her first target was.

They never found out, because that was when Fluttershy intercepted Prism with her staff. Gearhead had to return his full attention to Contrail, because the other began attacking with the longer mouth lance again. He could hear the mares grunting or yelling as they fought, but could not afford to pay them any more attention than that at the moment.

Gearhead angled his sword to deflect a lance high and to the left, then he slid along the lance’s cone, and slashed down. His sword grazed Contrail’s tail, and with a yelp the latter dropped the smaller portion of his lance before turning to face his opponent again. It was just as well that he did, because Gearhead flipped and charged right back in. It was not as sharp a turn as he would have had with the Twin Engine, but then nothing was exactly the same, and the move was much closer to what could be expected of a Wonderbolt.

This time Gearhead folded his wings and dropped for a full second when he was within striking distance of Contrail. He launched from directly below him as the Pegasus was recovering from extending against the suddenly-empty air. Gearhead accelerated hard, and as a result he slashed Contrail across both of his left legs and grazed his chest. Only his shield stopped Contrail from scoring a hit of his own on Gearhead’s left shoulder.

“Thunderlane. Starburst. Flowershine. Starry Eyes. Contrail. Cloudchaser – out!”

“Well, that stung,” Contrail said, sinking slightly even then.

“You going to get that looked at?”

“Yeah...”

“What is it?”

“You tell me,” Contrail said, still descending.

Gearhead turned to see that Fluttershy and Prism were flying practically together, in as much as they were using precisely the same moves, but they were also keeping a meter and a half between them. As they turned, Gearhead caught a glimpse of Prism’s shimmering eyes, and noticed that they were locked wide open even as his Shift Focus technique took hold. Contrail flapped his wings harder, trying to keep up, but he was still hurting form the blows that Gearhead had given him. He went in for a landing instead.

With Shift Focus, Gearhead could see that a sphere of translucent green and near-grey magic was in effect around the two mares. As Rook drew close, he was drawn in to the sphere, and took up a holding position on Fluttershy’s wing, his eyes wide open like Prism and Fluttershy herself. “Hello? Anypony in there?” Gearhead called.

After a couple more weaving dives and climbs, Gearhead realized that all three Pegasi were in a trance, and that Rook had widened Prism’s and Fluttershy’s magic sphere. Probably the only reason Gearhead had not already joined them was that his unique grasp of magic, and Shift Focus, granted him enough resistance. Judging by their empty-eyed looks, the trance had something to do with what they were all seeing.

So Gearhead swooped in to kick Rook out of the sphere and cover Fluttershy’s eyes while looking down at the top of her head instead of across at Prism. The sphere quickly collapsed, Fluttershy shuddering in a way that Gearhead could feel because he was practically standing on her back.

Fluttershy and Prism both were flapping their wings too feebly to fly, but Gearhead could only carry one of them. Fortunately Rook had recovered enough to carry Prism on his own back, while Gearhead exchanged his harmful Fire Wings for Light Wings.

* * *

“After reviewing the reports I assigned for you to submit, Lieutenant Azure, Second Lieutenants Sapphire and Blue, and I have come to an agreement,” Spitfire said. She had ordered everypony to report to one of the Academy’s briefing rooms. It was an oval room with a long, oval table in its center. Everything, including that table, was cloud-white with silver linings, and while the walls could be made translucent or transparent at need, at the moment they were opaque.

After that first war game, Spitfire had waited only as long as it took for everypony to regain consciousness before issuing her order that everypony write a report detailing their full experience during the exercise, which she was calling ‘Mist Castle’ in honour of the last two squadrons on the field. Now, three days later, Spitfire looked ready to lambaste all of the cadets.

“It was a disaster,” Spitfire said. “The only possible way it could have gone any worse is if you’d lost every single pony, and you came uncomfortably close to doing just that! What do you ponies think would’ve happened if that’d been real, and not an exercise? Let me put this another way: Cadet Dash, if Cadet Thirdson had been equipped as usual and you were really enemies, would you have attacked him?”

“No ma’am,” Dash said, hardly even pausing to think about it.

“And why not? You seemed fairly eager here,”

“Ma’am, Gearhead would never even try to harm me, or any of his friends. He also wasn’t armed as usual, but if he was, and he was able to use everything at his disposal, like his magic and the Twin Engine’s bladecasters, there’s no way we’d have even gotten close enough to attack him. Not only that, but he’s gotten a lot of combat training.”

“Information, Cadet Dash, that might’ve dissuaded Cadet Dust from her own attempt to attack, don’t you think?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Tsch,” Lightning Dust herself merely clicked her tongue, keeping her forelegs crossed and looked bored.

“Cadet Dust, this is mainly for your benefit,” Spitfire said. “Your action in charging in at Fortress Squadron, the only group with dedicated Tanks, cost Slipstream, your own squadron, four flyers, including yourself. That’s two-thirds of your entire force.”

“It’s their fault they couldn’t keep up with me. Even Dash. Imagine how disappointed I feel!”

“You want disappointed, Cadet? Your next outburst earns you a suspension, and there’re plenty of other Pegasi willing to take your slot, even this late in the program. Do you understand me?”

“Yes ma’am,”

“Be sure that you do – all of you – because in this case your Commanders were under strict orders not to volunteer any intel. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t share, but you needed to think to ask them for it.

“In your case, Cadet Dust, while planning an attack on Fortress you could have thought to ask Second Lieutenant Blue what he knows about Second Lieutenant Sapphire. And even if you didn’t know about their connection with Cadet Thirdson, you could’ve asked Cadet Dash about him.

“At least then you’d know that Cadet Thirdson has received the combat training Cadet Dash mentioned, and from no less than Prince-Captain Shining Armour and Captain Stalwart Shield. At the very least, you’d know Cadet Thirdson’s part in repelling the Changelings, and as for the Second Lieutenant, defence is his magic. Real combat or exercise, with one in three members having defence as a specialty, you might have reconsidered your attack, wouldn’t you?”

“With due respect, ma’am, this was an exercise, and I always push myself. It’s the only way to get better.”

“Then from now on you’ll treat our exercises as if real lives are on the line, no matter whose. All of you will. Because you kill or get killed, and that pony’ll be ejected from the Academy. Is that understood?”

“Whoa, isn’t that a little harsh?!” Dash said.

“Cadet Dash, we do what we must in order for all of you to take what we’re trying to teach you seriously. The Wonderbolts is an elite flying and aerobatic team. If you can’t crack it, you’d better leave. Now, everypony, am I making myself clear?”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!”

“Good. You’ll begin your next exercise as soon as you get outside. It’s our famous obstacle course, and you’ll run it in your Lead / Wing pairs, or as full squadrons. There’re checkpoints scattered throughout the course, so no skipping. This should be familiar to every one of you who participated in the Hoofington F1. And here’s the only rule: each pair must go through each checkpoint, and cross the finish line, together. The penalty for not following this rule is a disqualification in your grade. This is not a race!”

Lightning Dust grinned across at Dash, as though the debriefing they had all just sat through had never happened.

“Oh, one more thing before I forget: Cadets Dash and Thirdson, you’re swapping squadrons, and partners.”

“What?!” Dash and Lightning Dust both leaped to their wings, incredulous. Gearhead raised an eyebrow, but he had wondered if something like this was coming, after the way Lightning Dust had performed recently.

“Relax, it’s just on a trial basis. Probably for this exercise only. Since you and your new partners share old roles, lets have you work out who will lead and who will follow between yourselves, and then have you switch roles halfway through the course. Fast Clip’ll give you a signal you can’t hope to miss.”

“This is a joke, right? You can’t actually be pinning the Earth Pony on me!”

“I’m the Captain, and I am, Cadet Dust. Final warning, by the way.”

“Come on,” Lightning Dust grumbled, “lets get this over with already.” Gearhead shrugged, and followed, noting that Fluttershy was pleased to be partnered with Dash this time around. Maybe she intended on showing her oldest friend what she could really do now.

* * *

“Oh, come on!” Lightning Dust seemed to complain a lot, and it did not help matters that she and Gearhead found themselves trapped behind Flowershine and Thunderlane.

“Captain Spitfire did say that this is not a race,” Gearhead said, using his Light Wings again to avoid having his Wind Magic disrupt the obstacle course, given its cloudy composition, as well as to avoid throwing the other flyers off their rhythm.

“It still bites that they’re so slow,” Lightning Dust put real venom in her words, but the two up front did not seem to care what she said.

“We will just have to be patient until the course opens up enough to pass them safely, is all,”

“I’m out of patience!”

“Well then, why not score some extra points with some loops through the hoops? If we do them in synchronization, I bet Captain Spitfire will be impressed.”

“I hope you’re right, ‘cause if I don’t get at least one warning wiped because of this, I’m gonna make sure you pay!” Despite the hostility, they started pulling loops after all. Gearhead and Lightning Dust could pull off three in a row before they had to move forward, to the next loop. And then the course widened, and Lightning Dust jumped at the chance to push through the pair ahead of them.

“Wait,” Gearhead called, as Flowershine and Thunderlane went spinning toward the clouds. Lightning Dust was not listening, sprinting ahead, so Gearhead launched himself after her, muttering an incantation as he went. Before the two ponies whom Lightning Dust had forced aside could hit the cloud barrier, Gearhead’s Capturing Wind Arrows wound gently around their legs and barrels and pulled them back just enough to gentle their impact, and then they let go. Gearhead turned back to face front, since he had had to fly backwards in order to keep up with his Lead Pony even as he affected the rescue.

“What took you?” Lightning Dust asked when Gearhead caught up, a few seconds later.

“I had to deal with the ponies you forced off the course,” Gearhead said. “If you could be gentler—“

“I don’t have time to be gentle,” Lightning Dust said, “and neither do you. Now lets win this!”

“Not. A. Race,” Gearhead said, rolling his eyes, but he had to chase Lightning Dust down anyway.

* * *

Dawn was out to get some things from the store when she had to stop and take a few steps back. “Ah, Pinkie Pie? Whatever are you doing out here?”

“What do you think?” Pinkie asked without taking her gaze from a single object right in front of her.

“Well, it looks like you’re staring at a mailbox as though it would spontaneously sprout a letter.”

“You mean it won’t?”

“Seriously? Not unless it has a similar enchantment to what Spike can do. Does it?”

“Don’t I wish it did! Then Rainbow Dash’s letter would get here sooner.”

“Oh, so you’re waiting for a letter from the Academy. But from the look of you, you’ve been waiting awhile.”

“Ten days and counting,”

Dawn nearly fell flat on her face. “Don’t you need to eat or sleep or anything?”

“But if I leave and Rainbow Dash’s letter comes when I’m gone, I won’t be able to respond right away,” Pinkie’s other friends started to arrive. From their expressions, they’d all heard this particular tirade before. “If I don’t respond right away, she might get worried that something’s wrong. If she’s worried she won’t be able to focus on her training, and she won’t pass as a Wonderbolt. She’ll never get to live her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt, and it’ll be all my fault!”

“I told her to at least let RD get settled in first, but she won’t leave the mailbox at all,” Applejack said.

“Nope, I’m sticking to it!” Pinkie said.

“If Rainbow Dash is focused on her training like she should be, it could be some time before she writes anything,” Dawn said. “Are you going to stay here the whole time?”

“Yep!”

“You know,” Twilight said, “you could always write something to her. Tell her how things are going back in Ponyville?”

“That’s a great idea! No, wait: what if that makes her worry? We could send her something, but nothing to make her worry. Maybe she’s low on sweets?”

“A care package,” Rarity brightened.

“Ooh, that’s a great idea! No wait, what if it gets lost in the mail? And then we’ll be like ‘so did you get the care package we sent you?’ and Rainbow Dash’ll be like ‘what care package?’ and she’ll worry about when it’s coming, and then...”

“Here we go again,” Twilight said.

“Wait! We can deliver it ourselves, and say ‘hi’ at the same time!”

“Now there’s an idea I can get behind,” Applejack said.

“Oh, I agree,” Rarity said.

“It sounds perfect,” Twilight said. “I’ll prep the balloon.”

“Actually, we do have a faster way to get to the Academy and back,” Dawn said.

“Faster’s good,” Pinkie said, “but I don’t think a single Engine could lift all of us.”

“Then it’s a good thing we’ll have two: Gearhead gave me a code that lets me summon the Silver Wind. We can fly to the Academy in safety and style.”

“Will we really be okay?” Rarity asked.

“True, I only have a hundred hours logged flying it, and most of that’s in simulation,” Twilight said.

“We’ll be fine,” Dawn said. “I have confidence in my ability.”

“Oh, so you’ve been training too?” Rarity asked.

“I have one hundred and three hours!” Dawn smiled, her eyes sparkling.

“That’s...” Twilight seemed to struggle between saying something snarky and saying something supportive, and the hope Dawn was radiating was not helping. “A good plan,” Twilight said finally.

“I’ll go tell Spring Flight that we’ll be going. Somepony can come tell me when everypony and the package is ready to go. Oh, but I came out to shop, so I’d better finish doing that first.” Dawn cantered merrily away.

* * *

“D’you suppose she does that on purpose?” Applejack asked, blinking the radiance from her eyes.

“I have no idea,” Twilight said.

“You must be joking,” Rarity said. “That is all-natural sweetness. I can’t even begin to imagine what terror she wreaked as a filly.”

“Hey, are we forgetting something?” Pinkie asked.

“Right, we’d better get started on that care package,” Applejack said.

“Wait: who’s gonna watch the mailbox?!”

Twilight and Rarity groaned in exacerbation. Applejack collapsed to the ground.

* * *

Spitfire stood with Contrail as they watched the cadets fly the obstacle course. Prism and Rook had taken up positions overlooking other portions of the course, also taking command of their own emergency response team in case somepony got stuck in the clouds, or scalded by the hot vapour jets.

“What’re your thoughts on Lightning Dust?” Spitfire asked, frowning.

“She’s impulsive and seems to refuse to acknowledge even her partner, let alone the rest of her team, but she’s one of the fastest and most agile flyers in the whole group, so it’d be a shame to have to expel her. To be honest, Captain, she reminds me of me.”

“Unfortunately for her, if she can’t work as part of a team she can’t be a Wonderbolt, no matter how skilled she is. If you want to see her succeed, you’ll have to work with her.”

“Figures that’d be the case, since Gearhead’s not having any effect on her.”

“She’s not even waiting up for him, is she?”

“Not at all,”

“Well, this week’s war game will give a rude awakening if she’s not with the program by then.”

“So we’re going ahead with it after all,”

“Of course. We’re not gonna wait for just one or three recruits to catch up to the rest. Not if we’re gonna augment the active Wonderbolts roster with a reserve unit.”

“Something we seem to need after the last few outings against serious threats?” Contrail raised an eyebrow.

“Unfortunately, yes: We’re supposed to be the elite of the elite, but we’re being taken less seriously than the Elemental Six, and few beings even know the full extent of what they’ve done. If not for our pride as Pegasi, then we certainly have to do it as Princess Celestia’s best.”

“I’ll do what I can to help, Captain, even though Prism Flight is bound to return to the west.”

“I appreciate your efforts, Second Lieutenant, so show me that Cadet Dust isn’t a lost cause.”

“Yes ma’am,” Contrail gave her a salute.

* * *

“Looks like you two set an academy record for speed,” Contrail said when Lightning Dust and Gearhead came in.

“Thanks,” the former grinned.

“As well as a record for allies downed,”

“How’s that my fault?”

“Captain Spitfire told everypony at the outset that this exercise is not a race. She also told you to treat every threat as though it was real, with real lives on the line. So tell me, Cadet, what’s the most important thing to you?”

Lightning Dust stood straight. “Winning, of course!”

“The Wonderbolts is a team. An assemblage. You have until the end of the week to get with the program, Cadet Dust. All this training has real stakes, especially for you since you’re on the wire, so I hope you’ll start treating it that way, instead of treating everypony like they’re competition.”

“Of course they’re competition: you only have so many slots on the Wonderbolts roster! Only the best can be a part of it, and the best includes me.”

“Ah, now I understand how you’re seeing things here: While that is true of the active unit, the Captain is planning on starting a much larger, and more open reserve unit. The Reserves will augment the main unit’s fighting forces for those emergencies the princesses’ other special forces cannot handle alone. So even if you stow your competitive spirit, you can make the Reserve even if you don’t make the main unit.”

“I don’t believe you,”

“No? Lets see how long that lasts then, Cadet Dust. For the remainder of the week you’re to meet me on the field for additional exercises two hours before morning muster. If necessary, we will also meet for an additional two hours after lights-out. You want to be the best, I’ll train with you to help you become the best of what makes a Wonderbolt.”

“Four hours less sleep?”

“Can’t hack it, Cadet?”

“I’ll show you who’s the hack!” Lightning Dust stalked off.

“Is that not dangerous for her?” Gearhead asked.

“It’s far less dangerous than her current attitude is for everypony, including herself. Sorry, Gearhead.”

“For what?” Gearhead turned his surprise onto his friend.

“Partnering the two of you doesn’t seem to have helped at all, what with her dragging you all over the place.”

“It was worth the attempt,”

“Yes, well, we’ll be trying something else, so I hope you don’t mind us using you again, in order to make a point.”

“If it sticks, I won’t mind at all,” Gearhead said, grinning. “What did you have in mind?”

“Oh, the method itself shouldn’t change anything you already do. Just keep up your morning training sessions. Lets see if we can’t impress our Little Missy Dust with your efforts.”

“I am so glad you did not use ‘Dusty’ with her,”

“You’ve no idea how tempting it is, though.”

* * *

It was still pitch-dark out when Lt. Blue came for Lightning, and she was yawning past her morning grogginess as they headed out. Blue led her back around the barracks to a small clearing that was enclosed on all sides by clouds or buildings, so what was happening inside was mostly shielded from view.

And what was happening inside the cleared space was the Earth Pony, who thought he was so special he had to try out for the Wonderbolts. The same one, Lightning had realized awhile ago, she had cut off in the Hoofington race to try to knock him down a peg. How her efforts had backfired, she didn’t know, but she figured him for a cheater.

Thirdson was deep into some routine of his, flipping and spinning through an admittedly solid-looking stream of magic blasts. As far as Lightning could tell, he should’ve already been hit, or maybe he was cheating. Thirdson flipped over a trio of close missiles, and as he did so he brought his sword across in a wide swing, sending two more blasts high into the air. He spun with the swing, stepping quickly and using his magic wings for extra speed and balance, yet the rain of wind and light blasts continued to creep closer.

One after another, Thirdson slashed the missiles away. He backed off to buy himself some time, and yet they continued to close. Suddenly they were on him, drilling past his swing, and he took them in his shield. Lightning remembered then that she had bounced off something similar in the race – as well as the stopping power Lt. Sapphire had shown during the last war game.

“If showing me this was your plan, I’m not impressed,” Lightning said.

“In that case, lets join in,” Blue said.

“You mean ‘interrupt,’” Lightning scoffed. “That seems like a bad idea. B’sides, in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t play well with others.”

“That’s why this’ll be good. Hey Gearhead, can you deal us in?”

“If you are certain,” Thirdson had regained his balance and fended off the last dozen blasts.

“I am, she’s not,” Blue nodded to Lightning.

“Hey! I can do anything you can,”

“Show me,”

“So what’s the point of all this?” Lightning asked Thirdson.

“Agility and endurance training. Simply deflect or evade the blasts. I will shield you if they get too close.”

“I don’t need your pity protection, or anything, really.”

“Suit yourself,” Thirdson said, and then he started muttering something that Lightning couldn’t understand. Some circle with a star inside of it glowed behind Thirdson’s sword, which also glowed, and then hundreds of those magic blasts flew off in every direction.

“Hey Gearhead?” Blue said, watching the missiles fly.

“What is it, Contrail?”

“I’ve an idea: Oriented from where you were facing before, you cover our two to five. I’ll take six to nine, and our friend Lightning Dust here will cover ten to one. Deal?”

“Not your friend,” Lightning growled. “B’sides, we don’t have any weapons.”

“Virga,” Thirdson said, and two long, metal staves flew through the air for the two Pegasi to grab. “You are now armed.”

“Get ready, because here they come!” Blue said. And just like that the rain was upon them, and Lightning was swinging at the stinging blasts for all she was worth. Even with all of her effort focused on the missiles coming at her from the front, she still struggled to get her staff into line. But she would never admit that Blue and Thirdson were keeping anything off of her. After all, the other blasts were going for them, not her.

Lightning lost track of time, and at some point they started doing the exercise while airborne. She was stung a few times by missiles that snuck through the trio’s defences, but considering the number of projectiles, she ended up surprisingly unharmed. “Same time tomorrow?” Blue asked.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Lightning said. “You want to do that again?”

“I found it bracing,” Blue started leading them to the field for muster.

“You’re insane,”

“Then I must have completely lost my marbles,” Thirdson said.

“And you just figured this out now?” Blue said, elbowing the Earth Pony. “I mean, you’ve been doing this every morning for how long?”

Thirdson shrugged. “I have been doing some morning training for up on ten years, but I guess it has been about a year since I started including this sort of magic.”

“Why?” Lightning asked, and was surprised by herself.

“Because I need to learn how to control my powers,” Thirdson said, not showing any sign of hesitation.

“You seem to control them just fine. In fact, that was your magic, so couldn’t you have just made it all miss?”

“If that was the point of it all, yes. But I am constantly testing myself, on my own time.”

“I test myself too,”

“On your own time?”

“Mostly, yeah! You’re not the only one who trains off the clock, you know!”

“Perhaps you could show me sometime?”

“No way, Earth Pony.”

“Actually, I have some Pegasus in me,”

“No way,”

“It’s true,” Blue said. “Unicorn too.”

“Then you’re as strange as they come,”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yeah,”

“My thanks,”

“That wasn’t a compliment!”

“I shall still take it as such,” Thirdson said with a light smile. Lightning didn’t know what to say to that, so she went quiet instead.

10. Storm Watch

Chapter 10: Storm Watch

“Tomorrow we’ll be holding the biggest war gaming event of these training sessions,” Spitfire said two mornings later. “Today, an easier group/duo exercise: cloud clearing. Whiplash and Fast Clip will be helping to keep a tally of the number of clouds you manage to clear, both individually, and as groups. At the end you’ll be ranked according to the number you each managed to clear. And again, this is not a race, so feel free to take it at an easy pace.

“You’re all back to your original partners, so there will be no complains about keeping up. Questions? No? I’ll be in my office doing paperwork. Lieutenants Azure and Blue are in charge in my absence. Now get going!”

“Yes, ma’am!” The cadets saluted, and then got into the air, two-by-two. From what Gearhead could see, Lightning Dust was glad to have Dash back on her wing. While Fluttershy had been tickled pink about flying with Dash for the previous exercise, she was also happy to be flying with Gearhead again, even giving him a light hug before they took off.

While Fluttershy usually shied from using violent means, she only hesitated a little before diving into her first cloud to hug it apart. Gearhead could have used his Wind Wings her, but he still did not want to disrupt the others’ efforts too much. At the same time, he was trying something a little new: wings made of sound energy. These Sonic Wings created slight ripples up to a third of a hoof around their own physical manifestation, but since Gearhead was not flying that close to anypony else, nobody showed any mind.

While most of the others were moving slowly and methodically through the cloud banks, Dash and Lightning Dust rocketed about another section of sky. Gearhead saw them slice or punch through cloud after cloud, racking up more points than anypony else. Gearhead looked from the fast flyers back to the rest of the group, up at his wings as he ‘flapped’ them, and then at Fluttershy. He felt the grin sneak onto his face.

“Fluttershy, would you be willing to try something?”

“What is it?”

“An experiment in sound. All you would have to do is say something into the cup created by my wings as they come to the top or bottom of their swing. They should act like a megaphone and amplify the strength of your voice, but I do not know for certain if it will work at all.”

“That sounds... embarrassing.”

“You do not have to say much: just one word to test it, I think.”

“Then, let me try to think of something,”

“Thank you,”

Fluttershy smiled, and when she was ready, she flew up so she was looking at a group of clouds through the tunnel of Gearhead’s rippling, silvery wings. “Yay,” she said.

“YAY-AY-AY-AY!” A tunnel of rippling sound energy shot out, expanding and diffusing as it shot out toward the clouds, which came apart in startled puffs. Other ponies turned, startled, to see a long shaft of clear space in the larger cloud bank: the sonic energy had gone into it without coming out the other end.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said, covering her muzzle with her hooves.

“I would say that was a perfect success,” Gearhead said. “It was strong enough to break the clouds, but not to harm anypony. I think that is a fitting method for you.”

“But a little embarrassing,”

“Okay, we do not have to use it again so soon.”

Fluttershy seemed to think about it. “But maybe later?”

“If you are up for it,” Gearhead said, smiling.

* * *

“Just like that mad Earth Pony to come up with something crazy like that,” Lightning Dust said.

“Come on, he’s one of my friends too,” Rainbow said. “And anyway, don’t you think we’re far enough ahead already? We can take it easy and still nopony’ll catch up to us.”

“You think we can be the best by ‘taking it easy?’ C’mon, Dash, lets blow all these other ponies out of the sky – and I think I have just the ticket.”

“Seriously?”

“Look, if you don’t wanna push yourself that’s fine by me. I can do this on my own. So decide, Dash: Are you in or out?”

Rainbow remembered what Spitfire had said about why she had given the Lead Pony position to Lightning Dust instead of to Rainbow Dash: Lightning Dust liked to push herself a little harder than anypony else. Her methods were aggressive, but as long as nopony ended up being hurt... “I’m in,” Rainbow decided.

“Alright! Now follow my lead,” Lightning Dust said, and then she started flying in a quick, horizontal circle. After a moment’s more hesitation, Rainbow joined in: she had made her own tornadoes for various purposes before, including to dry Twilight Sparkle’s mane. Admittedly, the most powerful one had been done with help from most of Ponyville’s Pegasi, but Rainbow still had good control over those powerful winds. This should be easy, and it’ll let me understand why Spitfire likes Lightning Dust’s style more than mine, Rainbow thought.

As Lightning Dust sped up, Rainbow matching her, the tornado took shape. It was larger and more fierce than anything Rainbow had made on her own. This sort of strength was more than enough for some clouds, but if this was the sort of thing Lightning Dust did to win, as long as the two of them could control it, it seemed to also be the sort of thing Spitfire approved of.

With her high degree of focus on the project at hoof, Rainbow noticed as soon as the tornado started to wobble. Stray gusts and little sparks started to spray out. “Hey Lightning Dust, could you slow down a bit?”

“You speed up! I’ve got this. I can still control this thing!”

“But it’s getting unstable. Lightning Dust, if we don’t back off now...”

“Stop squawking and speed up! Don’t lose your nerves now, Rainbow Dash!”

A gust came across Rainbow’s flank, sending her on a short skid. She recovered before she could be thrown from the tornado, but in the time it took for her to regain control over her own flight, Lightning Dust had thrown the whole wind system off-kilter. More lightning developed, and barely missed them. Unfortunately, by dodging they got caught more fully by the wild wind, and the tornado threw them out.

“Why didn’t you speed up?!” Lightning Dust glowered at her partner.

“You think that matters now? We need to shut that thing down!”

“Why? It’s clearing out the clouds just like we wanted.”

“That’s not all it’ll clear out,” Rainbow said as Fast Clip had to beat some rapid wings so he didn’t join his chalkboard inside the tornado.

“So it’s made some minor damage,” Lightning Dust said. “Everything’ll be fine once it spends itself out.” They watched the tornado slowly turn, and then it was advancing toward the edge of the Academy, and the open sky beyond.

“I’m not sure it’s getting any weaker,” Rainbow said, frowning.

“It does not look that way,” Gearhead said, coming to land nearby. He was using his magic to place his comm clip into his ear.

“What’re you gonna do with that?” Rainbow asked.

“I need something with the right sensors, so I am calling my Engine.”

“You mean you didn’t modify your goggles?” Rainbow asked.

“If I did that, what would be the point of getting standard-issue equipment?”

“It sure would be useful now,”

“Remedying that should only take a minute.”

“What’s that?” Rainbow asked, pointing to something that glinted in the clouds ahead of the tornado.

* * *

Gearhead finished tuning his earpiece and sent the code to remote-launch the Twin Engines. He followed Dash’s outstretched hoof with his eyes, and found the same rounded, silvery hull, only now two tail-fins and the tips of the wings were also visible. Gearhead used his hoof to tune his comms again, only this time he was looking for a channel that would have a live pony on the other end.

“Silver Wind, Gearhead. You have incoming.”

“Gearhead, Silver Wind. We see it,” Twilight said after a short pause.

“We had no idea you’d be having some crazy tornado drill,” Applejack said. The Twin Engine finally came in, slowing down as it transformed from flight mode to its own version of docking mode. Gearhead used his wings to hold himself aloft so he could easily shrug into the vest-like harness. He noticed that when his wings blended with the cores, the cores caused his magic to swirl around them. But that was a detail for later, as Gearhead used his Light Magic to take his glasses from their case. He pulled his goggles down around his neck, and replaced them with his glasses. Once they were synchronized with the Engine, he looked at the tornado again. “This was not on the schedule,” Gearhead said.

“Well, now it is,” Twilight said.

“Gearhead, we can still evade,” Dawn said.

He was a little startled to find that Dawn was aboard the Wind, but then he had given her the access code, so she could get the Wind to launch and pick her and the others up on the surface if the need arose. Even if it was only by a little, she had also trained on the Wind the most out of all Gearhead’s friends. But knowing Dawn was in danger still made Gearhead’s heart sink. Still, his sensors were showing him other concerns.

“Negative, Dawn. That tornado could turn into a supercell in a matter of minutes if the strength continues to build. Please keep ahead of it so you can warn anypony of its approach. But stay far enough ahead that you can still use the wing turbines for as long as you can.”

“Acknowledged. What will you be doing?”

“Trying to find a way to stop that monster before it turns into a nightmare.”

“I have an idea,” Prism said, and Gearhead turned to see that the others were approaching too. “Rainbow Dash, could you please get the Captain?”

“Yes ma’am,” Dash flew off at top speed.

“What do you have in mind?” Gearhead asked. “Nothing too risky, I hope.”

“As you said, that’s gonna be a superstorm in a minute or two, just like the one Mom sacrificed her flight to stop. We have the opportunity to stop this before it causes any further damage.”

“It’s not that big a deal,” Lightning Dust said. “Now would be a good time to use your magic, Thirdson.”

“I do not have the right magic for that, not on my own, and not from here.”

“None of us are on our own,” Rook said. “This is different from Cloudsdale. Almost completely different.”

“Lucky us,” Contrail grinned.

“Okay,” Spitfire said as she and Dash returned, “Dash explained most of what’s going on, so what’s your plan?”

Prism looked at the flight suit that Spitfire was only partially changed into. “You mean you don’t have a plan, Captain?”

“I’m almost certain it’s the same one as yours, but it’d be more fitting for you to take the lead on this, provided I’m right. So tell me.”

“Okay. Captain, permission to use the Storm Breaker.”

“I thought you’d say that, but it’s still something else hearing it for real. You sure about this?”

“That’s right,” Contrail said, “we just got Auntie’s –“

“What better way to completely defeat the past than to conquer it again today?” Prism asked. “Besides, as you guys already pointed out, nopony’s about to attempt it alone this time. So I know we’ll pull this off perfectly, if we go all-in.”

“Lieutenant Azure, permission granted.”

“Thank you, Captain. Now who’s with me?”

It was not just Rook, Contrail, and Gearhead, or even the rest of the three squadrons of trainees. More squadrons who were training at the same time, together with their instructors, shouted their approval and support. Gearhead had not even noticed them coming in, but now they were shouting “Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah – Storm Breaker!” over and over again.

“Thank you,” Prism said, addressing their full force. Including the instructors they had twenty-four ponies, enough for two squadrons. But today they would form a complete force. “All flyers, follow my lead!”

“Hoo-rah!”

Prism led off in the launch, hurrying to chase the tornado down. The others immediately started to take to the air after her, but first Gearhead used his magic to fish two more objects out of his belt pouches and pass them to Dash and Fluttershy.

“You’re sure these’ll work without all the others?”

“Positive, but they may not have to,” Gearhead said, as they joined the flow. “Wind, Gearhead. Did you, by any chance, bring your Anklets?”

“Why yes, we did decide to bring them, just in case,” Rarity said.

“Then I recommend putting them on, just in case the tornado becomes a supercell before we catch up,” Gearhead said.

“Actually,” Twilight said, “we’ve been wearing them this whole time.”

“Not me,” Applejack said, “harder to work in.”

“And the design’s hard to get used to,” Rarity said. “Why can’t it stay looking like it did when it was active?”

“What are you talking about?” Dawn asked.

“Please focus on the storm,” Gearhead said. “Hopefully we will not even need to use the Anklets.”

“It never hurt to be prepared, though,” Twilight said.

“Oh, I agree,” Dawn said. “Now what were you talking about?”

Gearhead sighed. “I helped make Artifacts of lesser power compared to the Elements of Harmony. These are the Anklets. But I am still hoping we will not have to use them, because that would mean the Storm Breaker alone is not enough.”

“What’s a Storm Breaker?” Pinkie asked. “Is it like a Jawbreaker?”

“It is a special technique Pegasi have for dealing with high-strength tornadoes. It requires high focus, and a number of Pegasi to succeed.”

“I don’t remember seeing anything like that in my books,” Twilight said.

“That is because it is recorded in the Azure Library. The last one to use it was Aerial View, who is Prism’s and the rest’s mother.”

“But you just said it needs a number of Pegasi to work,” Twilight said.

“Which is why she ended up getting injured. I only healed her recently, but now Prism wants to attempt it. So I appreciate having some insurance.”

“Just don’t let Prism hear you say that,” Dash said. “She needs to know that everypony has faith in her for this.”

“Rainbow Dash is right,” Dawn said. “Prism’s mental impression will greatly affect our chances of success here. Having everypony supporting her should do a lot to improve that, but that’s especially true of her closest friends.”

“Speaking of friends or not, has anypony seen Lightning Dust?” Contrail asked.

“Don’t tell me she slipped away,” Rook said.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cloudchaser, who was behind them, said. “You don’t see Fluttershy trying to worm her way out of this.”

“I will do my part,” the normally-shy Pegasus said, determination etched on her face.

“Maybe she is merely further behind us,” Gearhead said. “It took some time for all of us to take off.”

“Well, if you don’t catch the tornado soon it’ll touch down near a town already,” Applejack said.

“How long?” Dash asked.

“Five minutes.”

* * *

It was certainly an eye-catching, strange procession: anypony who looked in the right direction would see the metal bird surrounded by blue-green energy. From there, the giant tornado that seemed to follow the bird (which was itself fair-sized) naturally drew the eye. The alarm was readily sounded, and an emergency town meeting convened in light of the coming disaster.

The town that the tornado was heading toward was smaller even than Ponyville. It had enough money and resources to thrive without struggling unduly, but not enough to be of strategic value to potential invaders. The princesses, Celestia and Luna, had therefore determined that it should not need the protection of an Alicorn Array. Any problems it did encounter could most likely be handled by the staff and cadets at the nearby Wonderbolts Academy.

Except the tornado did not care for such considerations. The ponies who lived in the straightforwardly-named Green Field therefore quickly determined that nothing and nopony could stop the tornado. It would be far better to evacuate and save their own lives, and then rebuild the town later than it would be to risk their lives – well, all but the extremely old and infirm agreed. They had to be wrestled out of town, which was the only reason the evacuation took as long as it did.

What was not easily visible was the squadron of Pegasi flying in a tight chevron formation to catch up to the twister, which no longer resembled the little tornado that Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash had made together: The tornado stretched easily from sky to ground, the earth and plant life it had sucked into itself marking it with browns, greys, and greens. The initially-silvery winds had turned dark grey and black. Jagged streamers of golden and bright blue lightning lit up the interior, and occasionally shot out from the funnel. It had become a superstorm, and it had done so before Applejack had estimated it would.

Unfortunately, although the squadron wanted to strike at the tornado there was the issue of its higher traveling speed, which interfered with their ability to aim the Storm Breaker effectively. In addition, while the technique enjoyed a legendary status among Pegasi, especially those who wanted to become Wonderbolts or Skybolts, few Pegasi actually knew the requirements for pulling it off. As a result Prism, Contrail, and Rook had to explain it to all the other members of the emergency response team that had formed around them.

The team could fly around the tornado to hit it from the same side as Silver Wind, but to do so they would have to fly around it at such a distance as to waste all their remaining time before the storm reached the town. While Green Field was finishing up its evacuation, the more buildings they could save the less time the townsponies would have to spend rebuilding. The team would also lose the advantage of having another unit on the other side of the target.

The other option they had was for Dawn to bring the Wind about so the rest of the Elemental Six could strike the storm with their Anklets. They would have to hope the resulting energy wave could slow it down and maybe even weaken it, and that being subjected to the energy would not allow the tornado to adapt for the big blast Prism also had planned. If the Wind could slow the storm enough, the Pegasi could unleash the Storm Breaker.

By the time the Pegasi all knew the plan and they were flying just outside the tornado’s range, they were already over the town. The twister tossed signs and buildings in every direction, sucking up what it could. Fortunately Rarity reported that the sensors had the townsponies fleeing to a safe distance on a path that was perpendicular to the tornado’s path.

“When should we go?” Cloudchaser asked.

“It’s still moving too fast,” Contrail said. “We need to slow it down first.”

“And then we get started exactly on my mark,” Prism said. “We succeed only when we’re in this together.”

“YEAH!” Snowflake shouted.

“Hoo-rah!” The others responded.

“Gearhead, tell Dawn to signal the others. They should fire on ‘three.’”

“Will do, Lieutenant.” Gearhead had had his comms on standby while the Pegasi hashed out their plan. Now he opened the channel back up. “Wind, Gearhead. Please get everypony ready to hit the tornado with their Elemental power on the ‘three’ count.”

“Gearhead, Wind,” Dawn said. “Okay, I’ve activated the interfaces for them, and we’re charging up. Stand by.”

“Well?” Prism, who did not have an earpiece with her, said.

“They are charging,” Gearhead said. Meanwhile, the tornado continued to chew a path toward Town Square.

“Well, ready or not, we have to move. One...”

The tornado made a hard left turn.

“Eh?” Starry Eyes said.

“Well that’s new,” Contrail said.

“Where’s it..?” Spitfire asked.

“No time,” Prism said, “hit it now! Mark. Three. Go!”

“She is right,” Gearhead said as the Pegasi came about. “It lost most of its speed on that turn alone.”

“Can we hit it?” Spitfire asked.

“Yes, if we launch now.”

“Then do it,”

“YEAH!”

Prism led the team, climbing and spiralling upward. Then she flipped and inverted, heading back down. Midway down, she crossed over her path upward, only to pull up and invert near the ground, before climbing back up. The others followed, all the while trying to maintain their forward momentum so they would not lose their target. Their wind- and tail-trails extended and expanded, bleeding together to create a multi-coloured storm system that had a rotation uniquely opposite to that of the tornado they faced. “Almost,” Prism said. “Keep pushing faster, everypony!”

* * *

Aboard the Silver Wind Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, and Twilight continued to charge their mana through their Anklets and into the ship’s weapon systems. Dawn brought the ship around in a tight circle and headed directly toward the tornado’s center. She pumped power out through the wing turbines so they would have more particles on the outside before she would have to retract the wings into the fuselage so they did not get torn off.

* * *

Still flanking, rather than following, the tornado because of its sudden and sharp turn, the Pegasus team was still having trouble putting enough power into the Storm Breaker. Without sufficient power, they would not be able to defeat the superstorm. “If we don’t take this now, it’ll pull away from us again,” Wild Fire said.

“Also,” Gearhead said, “it appears to be heading directly for Cloudsdale now.”

“Can we get a second opinion?” Pinkie asked.

“You five have the same map I do,” Gearhead said.

“I confirm its heading,” Twilight said.

“But it won’t get that far,” Dash said. “Lets do this!”

“Yay,” Dash and Fluttershy both pressed ahead as strongly as they could. Their Anklets lit up, transforming from dark and sinister to golden and luminescent. The aura that came off their Artifacts changed gradually from omnidirectional, imbuing those around them with greater power, to focused, gathering at their wings and giving the two of them specifically greater speed boosts.

“More power,” Prism said. “No holding back!”

“Wow, it looks like you really can’t do this without me,” Lightning Dust said, dropping into the flow.

“So you were here after all,” Rook said.

“You said you needed power? Well, here I am!”

“Actually, some of us thought you’d split,” Spitfire said. “I’m glad to be proven wrong, this time.”

“You still owe me five,” Contrail said.

“You made a bet?”

“It seemed fair, considering your attitude,” Rook said.

“Wait, was Blue the only one who bet on me?”

“No, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Gearhead did as well,” Rook said.

“When you’re a Wonderbolt, others matter,” Contrail said.

“Now lets knock this little storm out,” Prism said.

“HOO-RAH!”

* * *

Wings fully secured, the Silver Wind plunged into the supertornado. Dawn turned slightly to follow the wind so she would not have to fight it completely, working her way to the eye. Once there, she redeployed the wings and put the ship into a holding position, so that it only moved as the tornado was.

Energy flowed along the superconducting conduits into the blade of the prow, but instead of shooting a beam, it radiated the gems’ light in all directions. The winds all around the ship became less furious. The storm began to lose its grip on some of the detritus it had created and picked up, even as its lightning bolts began to splash against the Wind’s particle shields.

* * *

The multi-coloured Storm Breaker wound its way into the tornado’s side, digging in as it spun. It interfered with the storm’s rage, sending some wisps of wind into the air and to freedom. The Pegasi kept digging in, and they kept flying so their technique would continue to merge with their target. As they did, the storm slowed down, became less furious, and shrank. Within moments it had markedly less lightning to sling at its attackers, and the ponies were able to fly much closer to it without being flung away.

And then the tornado split apart into silvery ribbons, the last clumps of dirt and pulverized trees and bushes falling to the ground. “We’re gonna have to clean that up, aren’t we?” Dash asked.

“That would be the responsible thing,” Spitfire said.

Dash and Lightning Dust sighed in exaggerated frustration.

“The sooner we get started, the sooner we finish,” Gearhead said.

“Can’t we do it tomorrow?” Lightning Dust asked.

“And spoil a day of R&R?” Spitfire asked.

“What, really?”

“I admit that taking on a superstorm like this is very fatiguing. Even though two of you caused the thing, you still deserve some rest before this week’s war games. You get an extra day, no more. What you do with that day is up to you completely, but you will clean up this mess. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

* * *

There were other consequences for the tornado, but Lightning Dust would face most of them alone. On the one hoof, Dash had to help clean up the mess their tornado had made. On the other, there were others, like Gearhead and Fluttershy, who pitched in anyway.

Because she had been the brains behind the storm, Spitfire was demoting Lightning to ‘trainee’ and making her Dash’s Wing Pony. “You’re standing on a quarter of a chance, on Contrail’s word but also on your own merit in dealing with the storm. Don’t waste it,” Spitfire said.

Lightning Dust was determined to make it count.

* * *

“Since everypony’s here,” Spitfire said, “lets get this briefing for the graduation war games underway. Yes, the results here’ll determine whether you can move to the next stage. These war games will use everything you’ve learned, and every rule we’ve brought into the Academy to test you to your limits. It’s a squadron-level exercise, so I hope you’re ready for some tight teamwork.

“As before, this war game is about combat and tactics. Your opponents this time well be, well, us,” Spitfire said. With a wing she indicated all the other Pegasi who had been coming in to stand on either side of her: High Winds, Silver Linings, and Rapidfire; Misty Fly, Lightning Streak, and, Fire Streak, Surprise, Wave Chill, and Blaze; Soarin,’ Hasty Hoof, and of course, Spitfire herself – all of the active Wonderbolts. All twelve of them formed a single squadron.

“Oh come on,” Midnight Strike said, “how’re we supposed to compete with actual Wonderbolts?”

“However you can,” Spitfire said. “You have five hours to gather any and all resources you can. After that, only those things you bring with you to the arena can be used, and a member of your sqaudron has to be using the object, so you can’t get another cadet or officer to hold it and still have it count. Certainly not non-trainees,” Spitfire said, referring to Dawn and the others who had arrived aboard the Wind.

“So it does not matter what it is, as long as we carry it with us?” Gearhead asked.

“We’re Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s elite flyers. You think we can’t handle a few spells? On second thought, I’m ordering you now to leave the big ones out of it. Also, we’ll be adding your COs to our ranks.”

“Why?” Flowershine asked.

“We’re Wonderbolts too,” Prism said. “I thought you knew. No? Well, now you do.”

“How do we do this without those three against the Wonderbolts?” Thunderlane asked.

“Don’t forget,” Contrail said over his shoulder as he and the others in Prism Flight joined the other officers, “you’re all Wonderbolt cadets. That means something.”

“You have five hours to figure out your strategies and tactics, starting from now,” Prism said. “The arena’s coordinates will be on a flimsy we’ll send you an hour before start time.”

“You’d best get going,” Soarin’ said.

* * *

It took nearly fifteen minutes for everypony to agree to conducting the pre-mission briefing in the barracks. After another five minutes wasted with everypony shouting at each other, Gearhead let the lightning that shot off his stamped hoof speak for his opinion of how things were going. “Pardon me, I do believe I have a way of using our limited time wisely,” he said.

“Do you really think we have a chance of beating the real Wonderbolts even with five hours of planning?” Midnight Strike asked.

“It is actually three hours, thirty-eight minutes.”

“Where’d we lose an hour?” Lightning Dust asked.

“Oh right,” Dash said, “when they send us the flimsy with the location.”

“Three and a half hours should still be enough time for whatever planning we can do,” Cloudchaser said.

“And preparation?” Gearhead asked.

“That depends on the plan.”

“Indeed, so would you like to hear by what mechanisms we can discuss our strategy for defeating the Wonderbolts elite squadron?”

“I’m listening, and all I’m hearing is that you’re crazy enough to think we might actually win,” Midnight Strike said.

“Maybe we ought to hear him out,” Pizzelle said.

“You misunderstand: I may contribute to the overall strategy, but it should come from all of us. I would simply like to share what I believe to be the best method for arriving there.”

“At this point, I’m just tired of all the yelling,” Fluttershy said.

“YEAH!” Snowflake led the others in agreeing.

“Very well. In this case, we can use a simplified version of the parliamentary procedures that Verdant Herd Council uses in their discussions of legislature. We do have the advantage of having a smaller group for these discussions, so they should go more quickly as long as follow the procedure as best as we can. So here is a quick outline:

“One pony will be the Chair for the proceedings. That pony facilitates without controlling, so any time she or he wishes to add something, he or she must temporarily turn control of the meeting to another pony. Only one pony can speak at a time, and that is the pony officially recognized by the Chair, verbally or with a clear gesture. The Chair has the ability to call for a recess if necessary, as well as calling the meeting back to order and adjourning it. The Chair also calls for votes, and for time’s sake I think we should make them open votes with raised hooves, instead of secret ballots.

“Once recognized by the Chair, a pony may rise to make a motion, to make an amendment to the motion that is on the table, to make a Point of Information, or a Point of Order regarding proper procedure.”

“This is sounding a little familiar,” Dash said, nudging Fluttershy gently.

“Is that because of the fan club meeting you were eavesdropping on?” Gearhead asked.

“And how would you know about that?”

“Perhaps a blond colt told me,”

“Touché,”

“Returning to the procedure, to make a motion you just say ‘I move to,’ or ‘I move that’ and then clearly state your motion. The Chair then asks for somepony to second the motion, indicating interest. If nopony seconds, the motion is dropped. If there is a seconder, the pony who made the motion speaks to it, and then there is a discussion, still using the procedure of recognition from the Chair to keep the meeting under control.

“An amendment is when somepony wishes to change, remove, or add a word or small phrase to the motion without changing its nature. Up to two amendments can be made to the same motion, however the most recent one is always resolved first, and then the next-recent one until we get back to the original motion. Once an amendment, or amendment to an amendment, has been passed or defeated another one can be made.

“If we stray too far from the point, anypony may call Orders of the Day, to point us back to where we should be. Normally this would related to a time on an agenda, but our only agenda is this strategy meeting, so perhaps we could make it the original motion and calling a vote on it?”

The others did not know what else to say, so they simply nodded.

“We should also appoint a Secretary to record the motions and amendments, so that when we vote we have a clear idea of how they come down. Apart from Orders of the Day, which we can keep as a non-voting motion, we can use a simple majority ruling for all motions.”

“Wait, what if we want to continue discussions?” Cloudchaser asked.

“In that case, the Chair can ask if there are any objections to Orders of the Day. If there is even one, we can vote to continue the discussion for a further two minutes. This vote would normally need a two-thirds majority to continue. Other questions? Then for a practice exercise in parliamentary procedure, let us vote on whether or not to use parliamentary procedure for the remainder of this meeting. All in favour?”

There was some hesitation, but once hooves started rising most of them quickly followed suit. Gearhead called for ‘opposed’ and ‘abstentions,’ mostly so everypony would know that those were also options. Lightning Dust played Discord’s Advocate, voting in opposition, but she did not have a better idea that would get them anywhere fast either.

“I’d like to make a motion,” Dash said, raising a hoof.

Gearhead blinked, not expecting them to start so soon. “Then as acting-Chair, I recognize Rainbow Dash.”

“I move that Verdant Gearhead act as Chair for this meeting.”

“I second that,” Fluttershy said, softly raising her hoof.

“One minor correction: it is ‘Thirdson Gearhead.’ Also, we could use a Secretary, but that is another motion. Rainbow Dash, would you like to speak to your motion?”

“I would. I think everypony would agree that Gearhead’s the only one here who knows these procedures well enough to keep us from shouting at each other again, so he should be Chairpony.”

“Would anypony else like to speak for or against the motion?” Gearhead waited a couple seconds, but everypony else was silent, so he called for a vote, which was unanimous, making him the Chair. “Is there any other business? Yes, Thunderlane?”

“Mister Chair, I move that we vote on Pizzelle as the Secretary.”

“Elections usually work slightly differently, but why not keep things simple, right? Pizzelle, will you stand for the position?”

“I will,”

“Just as an aside, this will count as the seconder. Are there any other nominations from the floor?”

“Mister Chair, I nominate Fluttershy,” Cloudchaser said.

“Oh my,” the yellow Pegasus said.

Oh, I guess she may not accept, Gearhead thought. “Fluttershy, will you stand for the position?”

“I, um... I will,” Fluttershy said, putting a look of determination on her face. By the gasp around the room, it seemed nopony else had foreseen this, not even Cloudchaser.

“Are there any other nominations from the floor?”

“Mister Chair, I’d like to withdraw if that’s alright. I think Fluttershy would do the better job,” Pizzelle said.

“That is allowed, if you are certain.”

“I am,”

“Then if there are not any other nominations, congratulations Fluttershy: today you are the Secretary.”

“Good job, Fluttershy!” Dash said, patting her on the back.

“I just want to help,” she said quietly.

* * *

“Now that we have our meeting positions squared away,” Gearhead said, “we should probably proceed to our actual strategy session. Are there any objections? There being none, I would like to first lay the foundation with some information before I resume my position as Chair. We could call this the opening remarks, unless anyone objects? No?

“Our situation, as presented with only facts and without speculation, is that we are expected to enter combat against the Wonderbolt elite at a location that is currently unknown to us.” Some of the other ponies whimpered in discomfort at the prospect, and Gearhead could not blame them.

“The fact on the ground, or in the air as it were, is that we number fifteen flyers, and the Wonderbolt elite number... fifteen flyers.” Nearly all the Pegasi gasped, not having realized that the numbers were only even when they were flying against Prism Flight. But Spitfire’s team had known that from the beginning, and had planned accordingly, at least in Gearhead’s opinion.

“Captain Spitfire gave us a total of five hours’ preparation time, however during the final hour she will send notice to us on a flimsy regarding the location of the match. This really gave us four hours’ preparation time, of which three hours, twenty-eight minutes remain. We can use this time for both planning and preparation of whatever we may think we need and can prepare from the resources available to us. Captain Spitfire has further specified that we can use nearly any means, as long as a member of our squadron is attached to that means. Large-scale and powerful spells are explicitly forbidden.

“The rules of engagement are the same as those we used previously, except that there are fifteen on both sides, and that if you would recall, the Captain wants us to treat all situations as truly putting lives on the line: A kill in the war game will equal a kill for real.

“And those are our facts, upon which I believe we can base our team organization and strategy. The floor is now open to motions.”

* * *

“Chair recognizes Rainbow Dash,” Gearhead said, nodding her way when he saw her raise a hoof.

“I move that we reorganize our three squadrons into a single fifteen-pony squadron.”

“

Does anypony second the motion?”

“I SECOND IT!” Snowflake shouted.

The assembled ponies cleared their ears of the ringing. “Rainbow Dash, would you like to speak to your motion?”

“Yeah I will. As you yourself said, our forces will be even, but only if we work together as a united group do we stand a chance of coming out on top. That’s why I think we need to reorganize into a single squadron.”

“Would anypony like to speak for or against the motion to reform into one squadron?”

“Mister Chair, what about leadership and group breakdown?” Lightning Dust asked.

“We can address those after, in their own motions.”

“If we need to make these motions on each little detail, this could take forever!”

“It would take longer to achieve even one step if we were all shouting at each other like before. This way we can use our time more effectively, and plan properly. I believe that nothing less than complete planning can lead us to victory.” Lightning Dust could only shrug, and since none of the others had anything to add, Gearhead called for a vote, which passed with only Lightning Dust and Wild Fire opposing it. Neither had any alternative suggestions that would not end up weakening their forces by dividing them at cross purposes, especially if each group had to come up with its own plans, and Cloudchaser said so. The result was that they kept the group together.

The next pony to raise a hoof was Sightseer. “I move that we subdivide the squadron into three Flights of five, using our previous squadron line-ups.”

“I second that,” Midnight Strike said.

“Sightseer, would you like to speak to your motion?”

“Yes. I think that using the squadrons we’re already used to is the best way to define our Flights. Since we’re already used to flying and fighting beside each other, we’ll take the least time to adjust that way.”

“Would anypony like to speak for or against the motion? Thunderlane?”

“I speak against the motion, Mister Chair. Slipstream, Fortress, and Illusive were assigned and defined by our COs, who are included in the force opposing us. They’ll probably expect it, and what’s more they used to be part of those formations. Not only do they know our weaknesses and strengths, but we could forget they’re not there, and open up gaps ourselves in the heat of battle. I can’t think of a better example of this than Fortress Squadron, which used to have two flyers capable of taking a great amount of punishment. Now it only has one, and he’s a multi-role flyer.”

“Thank you, Thunderlane. Anypony else?”

“Mister Chair, can I make an amendment?”

“Chair recognizes Starburst,”

“Thank you. I move that we subdivide the squadron into five Flights of three each.”

“Seconded,” Lime Jelly said.

“Starburst, would you please speak to your amendment?”

Starburst nodded. “I think that if we divide the squadron further to create more groups we can use our resources more efficiently, in order to carry out wider-ranging plans. Naturally, we can also regroup for when we need a larger force, but if we divide down to smaller numbers, we can think about how to act under less favourable situations, and adapt more easily to different scenarios, which is a skill I think we’ll need in an unknown battlefield. We can also optimize the Flights at the same time, removing the weaknesses that Thunderlane pointed out earlier.”

“Would anypony like to speak for or against the amendment? No? I should take this opportunity to inform you all that in order for an amendment to pass, the original motion must also pass. The motion will then pass as amended, so in this case both options of a three-flight squadron and a five-flight squadron are still on the table. But first, the five-flight squadron.”

Gearhead had Fluttershy read back the amendment, and called for a vote. It passed 13-1 with Midnight Strike opposing. The vote for the main motion passed 12-2, with Lightning Dust and Midnight Strike both opposing. Gearhead did not vote in either case.

Pizzelle rose to move that they elect the new Flight Leads from the pre-existing squadrons and allow them to pre-select the members of their new squadrons. When it looked like many of the others would oppose the motion because of what Starburst had said earlier, Fluttershy made an amendment removing the pre-selection from the table, and that passed 10-2 with two abstentions. The main motion passed only because it was needed for Fluttershy’s amendment to work.

The next step was to actually elect the Flight Lead. “I nominate Rainbow Dash,” Cloudchaser said.

“And I’ll accept,” Dash said.

“I NOMINATE CLOUDCHASER!”

“That’s sweet, Snowflake, but I’ll decline.”

“Yeah yeah, you’re all so sweet,” Lightning Dust said, “why won’t anypony nominate me?”

“Lightning Dust, this is not a conductive comment,” Gearhead said.

“Mister Chair, can I tell her why?” Dash asked.

“Go ahead, Rainbow Dash, with your Point of Information.”

“Thanks. Understand, I’m not trying to be mean here, Lightning Dust. You’re a great flyer,”

“Thank you,”

“As long as you’re flying solo, that is.”

“Excuse me?!”

“I understand your need to push yourself and exceed your limits, but every time you’ve done that since your arrival here, you’ve pushed others aside, sometimes risking hurting them while you did. Especially with that tornado.”

“Then you should’ve objected more strongly,” Lightning Dust sneered.

“Yeah, I should’ve known to refuse, but I thought Spitfire was looking for more flyers who push themselves, like you. But if it’s at the expense of others, that’s not the sort of team I’d want to be a part of, even if that team was called ‘the Wonderbolts.’ Lightning Dust, it’s been my dream since I was a foal to join the Wonderbolts, but I won’t follow you unless you learn to be a team flyer. Right here and now, and when we go up against Spitfire and the others, you gotta know that you can’t win alone. These war games? They’re designed to demonstrate the importance of teamwork. I won’t sacrifice others to advance myself. Not my teammates, not my friends, and not innocent civilians.”

“Hey, sometimes you’ve got to break a few eggs,”

“There’s always a choice, always a better way.”

“Accidents happen,”

“This may sound ironic coming from somepony who’s as much of a daredevil as me, but accidents are avoidable. If you pay attention to the things happening around you. Almost all of us were born to fly, so we take to it more or less naturally. We know how to pay attention to the important details and file the rest away for later. It should be just as natural to you, as long as you can see how important it is to care about other ponies.”

“Well... maybe I’ll consider it,” Lightning Dust said.

“Shall we proceed?” Gearhead asked. The others nodded, and Rainbow Dash became One Flight Lead with Lightning Dust and Fluttershy as her Wing Ponies. Cloudchaser became Lead to Snowflake and Midnight Strike. Gearhead would lead Pizzelle and Flowershine, Thunderlane would lead Starry Eyes and Lime Jelly, and Wild Fire would lead Sightseer and Starburst. While some of them wondered why both Dash and Lightning Dust should be in the same Flight, and with one of the slower ponies, Dash explained:

“Captain Spitfire said she wanted us to learn how to use intelligence and the resources available to us to the fullest, so I say we do just that – because there’s one resource of intel sitting outside this building right now. Gearhead, how many of those comm clips do we have?”

“Enough to supply the Leads, plus a few extras, but not enough to equip everypony.”

“That’s enough. One of the Captain’s rules is that we can use anything as long as it’s a member of the squadron who’s using it. Of those here, only Gearhead, Fluttershy, and I know how to fly it, and I’d prefer two hooves for this thing. B’sides, I’d feel more comfortable not removing our most versatile fighter from the board.”

“Just to clarify, we’re using it only for intel?” Thunderlane asked.

“That’s right,”

“I do not see any reason why it cannot be done,” Gearhead said, “unless... Fluttershy?”

“I’ll do it!”

“Which brings us to the Captain’s last rule, that we treat any kills as real. That being the case, I have a special request for all of you, and especially for our resident inventor,” Dash said. “Think you’re up for it?”

“Always, but just to be sure, let us try to make some plans and divide them into phases.”

“That would help us know where we are in the plan,” Cloudchaser nodded.

“Then lets get to it,” Lightning Dust said.

* * *

They tried to plan for as many different types of battlefields as possible, so they could adapt those plans to any situation: open spaces like the one where the last phase of the previous war game had taken place, places with cloud cover and storms, cities, towns, and villages, and even another tornado. They also made plans for navigating mazes while maintaining a combat-ready stance, and even specific plans for fighting in major cities like Cloudsdale, Canterlot, and Crystal City.

There was also one other step that Cloudchaser insisted was important, and that was to come up with a name for their new squadron. The Fortress, Illusive, and Slipstream Squadrons were gone, a part of their history at Wonderbolts Academy, but not who they would be in the coming engagement. Once again they collaborated to come up with a worthy name, but with the amount of time they had left, Gearhead felt it would be more productive to call for a recess.

The cadets ate quickly, making sure they had enough to take them through the coming trial without also overdoing it. Gearhead then boarded the Wind to start on the special equipment they would be using. Thunderlane and Wild Fire deployed Starry Eyes and Sightseer with their own comms to watch for any Wonderbolt carrying the notice they were all expecting to arrive soon.

* * *

When Gearhead took his next break, they were already ten minutes into the final hour. He walked off the Wind’s ramp, where Dash cantered out to meet him. “Spitfire still hasn’t sent us anything,” she said. “This is probably part of the war game too.”

“I agree. Most likely they are still setting things up for the exercise. But that also means they have the advantage of knowing what the venue is like.” Gearhead thought for a moment. “I would like to send Fluttershy to scout the area with the Wind. The more we can discover about the situation, the more even we can make things.”

“Should we recall the others?”

“Not yet,”

“Okay, I’ll go get Fluttershy,” Dash said, turning.

“I will off-load some of the completed armours just in case,” Gearhead said.

“You think something will happen?”

“I doubt it, but then we do not know what the elite are up to.” Gearhead turned and got back to work. Fluttershy came out in just a couple minutes, and he explained that he only wanted her to poke around a bit. “Please look for anything out of easy sight of the camp, and pay attention in particular to locations with cloud cover. You can use the Memory Recording system as well, to bring back anything you might have a hard time remembering if you suddenly need to run. Can you do this on your own?”

“But I’m not on my own if Dawn and the others are aboard,”

“That is true, however they should not be using any of the controls, just in case this really is part of the exercise.”

“I understand,” Fluttershy drew herself up straight. “I’ll be right back.”

“Fly straight,” Gearhead said.

“Yes sir!” Fluttershy piped, and then she was double-stepping up the ramp.

“She’s gotten much more confident,” Dash said.

“You are right,”

“You’d best be careful, or she might get more aggressive, too.”

“This is Fluttershy, so I am not worried,” Gearhead smiled. “For now, though, we have more work to do.”

Dash nodded and led the way back to the barracks. Behind them, the Wind closed up and lifted off. Fluttershy had begun her mission.

* * *

Fluttershy only took twelve minutes to complete her mission, and there did not end up being any issues regarding attacks on the Wind. The recording she had made, and was showing the others through a portable projector, showed the venue to be a large cylindrical structure constructed high in the clouds. Fluttershy had found it almost immediately by looking for odd cloud formations while flying in a spiral path away from the training camp.

The structure could have been compared to a coliseum if it had been solid all the way through, but there were irregular spokes, channels, and gaps everywhere. The stone-like material from which the arena had been made was apparently impervious to the Wind’s sensor sweeps, so Fluttershy was unable to take a peek inside, however some of its interior structure could be inferred from its exterior appearance. She also pointed out two large gateways, one facing slightly away from the camp, and the other opposite. The arena was slowly rotating, so that when the final hour was nearly up, it would be facing the camp almost exactly, making it the door they were supposed to enter the war game by.

“Nice work, Fluttershy,” Cloudchaser said, and the others chimed in, agreeing with her. The other mare blushed, while Dash hugged her.

“With this intel we can likely discard most of our plans dealing with large, open spaces, although there could still be a few inside here,” Gearhead said. He used his forehooves to manipulate the projected image, focusing first on the top and then on the bottom. “There seem to be matching freight-style entryways on the top and the bottom.”

“The bottom entry might be more exposed, with most ponies automatically looking down,” Lime Jelly said.

“But there might not be that much cover from the top entry either,” Flowershine said.

“We’ll just have to improvise as we go,” Dash said, “and use our plans whenever we can.”

“I’m starting to get nervous,” Fluttershy said.

“Aren’t we all?” Dash admitted. “We’re about to face off against the best flyers in Equestria!”

“Well, if we win we deserve to be called ‘the best,’” Lightning Dust said.

“We’re not there yet, but maybe we will be,” Dash said.

Gearhead sat back from studying the image and rubbed his eyes. “I am going to go through some final preparations,” he said.

“You know,” Dash said, “a power nap might not hurt as a ‘final preparation,” she said. Some of the others laughed, but then more of them thought that might not be a bad idea. First, though, they would send somepony to relieve Sightseer, who was standing guard in the briefing room in case the Wonderbolts left the notice there.

* * *

There was a mere half an hour before the scheduled start time for the war game when Gearhead finished pulling together everything he wanted to, and still nopony had heard or seen any sign from the Wonderbolts elite. The cadets therefore decided, by a vote of 13-1-1 in favour, to take a trip to the arena on their own initiative – the final vote was Fluttershy abstaining, and Snowflake wanted to wait, so he opposed the motion.

As Fluttershy flew the Silver Wind in closer to the arena, Gearhead called up the sensor readings and compared them to the previous set. “The only thing that seems to have changed is the orientation, due to how much it has rotated since your earlier visit,” he said.

“We were far enough away that I doubt anypony noticed us before, Twilight said, as she and the other members sat at the secondary stations, sworn not to interfere unless some catastrophe was to happen – and given the earlier tornado, it paid to be prepared.

“They may notice us now,” Gearhead said, setting off an active ping. Energy waves reverberated outward from the ship. They struck the arena’s outer wall without any ill effect, but now the readings revealed the outer passage, which opened onto a spacious chamber with fifteen passageways just barely visible. The active sensors were unable to penetrate any further, but it was enough. “Call it, Squadron Leader.”

“I say we take the elite’s invitation, and send our main force through the front gate,” Dash said. She was One Flight Lead, and that made her the squadron’s leader. “The bottom entry is too visible, and the top entry’ll be tricky,” she looked at Fluttershy, who hesitated a moment, but nodded. “I think we can handle it. Two Lead?”

“The elite has had a lot of time to set things up in there,” Cloudchaser said. “I’d expect them to be waiting for us, now that we know that they might’ve never intended on setting us notice. Watch your backs and take care of each other.” She nodded to Gearhead.

“I do not doubt that some of us will be priority targets due to our performances in previous exercises. I will make myself into a highly visible target, and Lightning Dust can do the same.”

Taking part in Four Flight, Lightning Dust nodded. Thunderlane spoke up. “Take on what you can, and use sound judgement. Follow the plan, but be flexible in recognizing its flaws. Stay safe, and remember to take each life seriously.”

“Above all, remember that we’re a single squadron,” Wild Fire said. “We’re only a strong as our weakest, most brash flyer. We’re only as smart as our slowest reaction.”

“That said,” Gearhead spoke up again, “I have prepared a few gadgets to help bridge the gap between our skill levels and those of our opponents. Our tools are waiting for us in the hold.”

* * *

Gearhead led the way to the Wind’s rear section, where rows of metallic exo-suits were waiting on a rack. With the ship holding steady and on auto-pilot, Dash and Fluttershy followed.

“I designed these armours mostly as defensive tools,” Gearhead said. “The main part consists of these sheaths, which fit around your wings.” Gearhead helped Dash snap one on. “By positioning your wings in front or behind yourself, you can form your own shield to take a hit. I should caution you, however, regarding the concussive force of larger hits, which can throw you from flight regardless of whether your take damage.

“You will note that while most of these suits have chestplates, Dash’s and Lightning Dust’s do not, because they are designed to promote speed. Hopefully they will be evading hits more than taking them, and I did not want to risk a drop in mobility.

“Additionally I made a special adaptation for Snowflake’s set: he is our main Tank, so I extended and enlarged his wing sheaths to make them into effective shields – the largest of the whole set. He will be able to control them through mechanisms adapted from my Engine’s actuators.

“Regardless, you will notice the gems mounted in the armour – in the chestplate, or in the collar. These contain capture magic, which you can fire at an opponent to render them bound. The spell will fully materialize, and as solid as it is, it is highly unlikely the captured flyers will be able to break free. However I would advise against taking chances, so please be sure to disarm those we capture.

“I have also added helmets with visors. Each suit is connected through a comm system similar to the one we have been using to remain in contact with our sentries waiting for the flimsy. There is also a small sensory array built into the helmet, and all information will be displayed through your visors’ heads-up displays. You may want to take a few moments to get used to them.”

“What’s that one for?” Sightseer asked. Whereas all the other helmets had visors in the shape of a shallow ‘V,’ there was one sitting on a rack with a long visor that went from forehead to nose.

“That one is mine. Since I am used to dealing with large quantities of data, I can use much more of it at once. I will be the secondary battlefield commander and coordinator. Also, each suit includes a small condenser for additional protection as well as being able to power the communication and sensor arrays. Try to use that, and the capture magic, sparingly: I cannot recharge your condensers on the fly, however I can only recharge the capture magic if you are near me and our opponents give us the time to do so.”

“I’d just as soon not give them the opportunity to give us the opportunity,” Dash said. The others nodded in agreement. “Alright everypony, suit up! Quick Silver Squadron launches in five.”

12. A Dragon's Honour

Chapter 12: A Dragon’s Honour

Gearhead definitely preferred the simplicity of running his shop over the power politics he had started to see during Basic, but even here he was starting to realize how far politics penetrated into the way he lived.

Gearhead’s Gadgets was no longer just his shop anymore. Certainly he still operated it, but by the conditions of his contract he was also Verdant Redwood’s employee, and Father had to report new developments not only to Herd Council, but to the Defence Alliance Council too. The things Gearhead developed and sold, and the ways in which he did it now affected some of the things that happened within the DA.

Fortunately it was not all bad news, and Gearhead did not consider things to be all that bad to start with, since he trusted his parents, Uncle Windwalker and Aunt Aerial, and Midnight and Nightstar. The only one whom Gearhead was trying to watch was Vines, but that was pretty well impossible from such a large distance.

Gearhead now had four employees of his own. Dawn represented the Shadows, and Spring Flight represented the Azure. Dawn, Torrent, and Radar proved their skill in working the floor, while Spring tended to be a little on the shy side, although he could also handle the sales aspect of the job well enough.

Where Dawn was welcoming and calming, Torrent was charismatic and able to convince a potential customer to buy something about which she or he had been holding doubts. Gearhead had to convince him not to try to sell anything that a customer did not actually need. Radar had started off a little on the aggressive side, but Gearhead had asked her to temper that by waiting for some sign from a customer that he or she was confused or needed assistance. Since then, she had gotten much better at working with the customers, although she was still disappointed whenever she did not close a sale. By contrast Spring never seemed to get disappointed, and he always allowed customers enough time to try to make a decision on their own. In his case, the customers often approached him for help, instead of the other way around, and that worked fine. Gearhead was not okay with ‘fine,’ so he encouraged Spring to try to be more proactive with the customers, when he saw they were in a quandary.

Before Dawn and the Elemental Six had gone to Wonderbolts Academy to deliver Pinkie’s care package, Spring Flight would go out to collect resources together. While they flew around the area, Radar did the detecting. Spring gently pushed aside any plant life that might be in the way, but could remain undisturbed, and then Torrent did the digging. With Dawn gone, they would take turns with Spring or Torrent minding the shop. They always took advantage of Radar’s detection abilities, but sometimes they would use Spring’s gentler extraction techniques, and sometimes Torrent would simply dig things up. Spring Flight kept the shop well-stocked, and they sold gadgets fairly well.

The most surprising contribution came from Dawn, but then Gearhead had expected that they would have to get around a shortage of gadgets sometime while he went through training. On the second morning since his return, he walked into the Workshop and finally found out why the shop had not run out of merchandise during his absence.

There was Dawn, standing in front of the forge. Her mane and tail were tied tight to her head and body respectively to keep them as clean as possible. Even though she was using her magic to levitate the tools and parts with which she was working, Gearhead noticed that her face and neck still had some grease smudges from her work.

Gearhead continued downstairs, and decided to lend Dawn a hoof. Dawn accepted silently, and both of them focused on the piece until they had it completed. “This is a pleasant surprise,” Gearhead finally said.

“You didn’t honestly expect us to just sit around while we ran out of stock, did you?” Dawn poked his chest with a hoof.

“No, I did not expect this.”

“Because I’m a mare?” Gearhead thought a moment. “What’s with the hesitation?” Dawn asked archly, tilting her head a bit.

“I was going to say that it does not fit your image, but then I thought that it sort of does.”

“Eh?”

“You are a mage, and I have seen your work in your laboratory, so why would you be unable to get dirty making machines as well as potions and spells?”

“That’s true, I do get dirty making magic,”

“And cause explosions,”

“Hey!”

“It is why the house has added suspension,” Gearhead said, shrugging.

“Well, the kids aren’t up to this sort of thing yet,” Dawn said, sniffing. “Somepony has to do this sort of thing.”

“I appreciate it,”

“You’re welcome,”

“Now,” Gearhead took a cloth between his hooves, and sitting back on his hind legs, he wiped a smudge from Dawn’s nearest cheek. “I think we should both get cleaned up so we can open up shop.”

“Agreed,” Dawn said, blushing.

* * *

Morning burned higher, and Spring Flight joined Gearhead and Dawn in the shop. The three Pegasi always seemed ready for adventure, and while they would never admit it in front of Gearhead, he knew that they would often get bored just standing around, waiting for somepony to help.

That was why he asked Radar and Torrent to go look for some usable carpenter’s wood in the Everfree. Ordinarily, as a responsible stallion, he might have felt uneasy about sending adolescent ponies into a dangerous place like the Everfree Forest, but these were Azure Wing trainees, and even short sticks were enough for most threats. They even had small hoof mirrors among their gear, in case of an encounter with a Cockatrice.

Gearhead headed out for another section of the Everfree. He took the Twin Engine but not the Stabilizer, and both of his daggers, so he would have room for saddlebags without unduly affecting his weight.

Metals might be harder and more durable than woods most of the time, but there were some types of wood that were better for the jobs Gearhead had in mind than their closest possible fits in any other material. Cedar, elm, and yew all had different flexibility and tensile strengths, as well as different textures and scents. Pretty much all metal became brittle and unbending after you worked with them in the forge, and they always had to be refined before you could use them. Woods had to be treated and cured, but they already possessed some desired qualities naturally.

Ironwood was another good choice, with the surface durability and flexibility of both its namesakes. Naturally, there was a trick to finding ironwood trees, which were among the oldest in any area. Thanks in no small part to his Twin Engine, Gearhead could fly out, above the Everfree, and spot a healthy ironwood tree from a distance. He would then descend to harvest some good branches, while leaving the tree itself healthy and intact to grow even more.

It was while flying out to one such spot that Gearhead spotted the Sparkle Balloon. It was not so extraordinary for somepony to want to get in a morning flight while it was cool and the air was fresh, but normally there was at least one rider visible in the basket. Gearhead quickly reversed direction and flew in closer to investigate.

By the time he arrived, someone had already tied the balloon to a branch so it would not fly away again. The rider was not visible in the immediate area, but a familiar voice called out for help from nearby. Gearhead took to the air again, flying over some bushes to get to the scene faster, incanting a salvo of Capturing Wind Arrows while he had time in which to prepare.

Gearhead found Spike trying to hold off a pack of Timberwolves with increasingly small jets of dragonfire, so Gearhead released a round of seven Wind Arrows, all impacting the ground around the Timberwolves. “That was a warning, my friends. Mind yew, something looks familiar. Might I have beaten some of yew twigs with a length of earth and wood some months ago? I have grown quiete the repertoire of resources since then.”

The Timberwolves growled. It might have been the wood pun, but Gearhead brandished the expanded Geargem Dagger and took a stance to release the rest of his prepared arrows. In the process he made sure the magic circle was visible behind him. The biggest wolf gave a huff, then decided to turn and run deeper into the forest. The others followed.

“Thanks,” Spike said. “I owe you one, really.”

“We are friends, are we not?” Gearhead smiled at the little Dragon.

“Yeah, but you really saved my life there. Even with the puns.”

“It us what they understand best. What are you doing all the way out here, anyway?”

“It’s a long story, Bro. Suffice it to say the balloon got away from me. I didn’t realize where I was until too late, and then the Timberwolves came.”

“And your Dragonfire?” Gearhead started to walk back toward the balloon, with Spike following him.

“I guess I was too scared to use it,” Spike said, looking crestfallen. “And have you ever tried to light wet, mossy wood on fire? It’s hard. And stinky. Yup, I won’t be forgetting that smell anytime soon.”

“It is a good thing the balloon did not take you too much further into the forest, or it would have taken much longer to get back. Not to mention, you could have encountered worse than those wolves.”

“Still, you came and saved me, and that means I owe you a life debt.”

“Oh, you do not owe me anything, Spike. I was in the area anyway, looking for different wood.”

“That definitely explains why you’re here,” Spike said, looking at Gearhead’s saddlebags. “Doesn’t look like you found much, though.”

“Nevermind that: Twilight would have been understandably upset if I did not bring you back to her.”

“No,” Spike grabbed Gearhead’s nearest leg, stopping him. “I owe you a debt for saving my life, and I won’t rest until I’ve paid it back in full.”

“That sounds very noble, Spike, but it is unnecessary. I already have four employees to help me out. In fact, I have Radar and Torrent out looking for more wood right now.”

“But if I don’t pay you back, how will I know I’m a noble Dragon? How will I know if I can’t follow my own Dragon Code?”

“If it really means that much to you, you can come to the shop later. But you should definitely tell Twilight about what is going on here, and make sure it is okay with her.”

“Oh yeah, I’ll have to tell her I can’t be her assistant anymore!”

“Pardon me, but ‘what?!’ I thought this was just for today, or a few days. You make it sound like this is a deal for life.”

“A life debt deserves life-long dedication – or its equivalent.”

“I cannot imagine Twilight giving you up,” Gearhead said, shaking his head. He and Spike made sure the balloon was securely tied to his barrel, and then Spike got saddled comfortably between Gearhead’s cores so he could take off.

“She gave me the day off today. I just didn’t imagine things turning out this way when I stepped out the door.”

“I can honestly say that neither did I, Spike.” Gearhead sighed as he ascended and turned toward Ponyville. “I guess we can take this one thing at a time. I will return the balloon, and then go to the shop to see what I can arrange. I will trust you to talk to Twilight, and tell her everything she needs to know about the situation.”

“You can count on me!”

* * *

Since the others were staying in the second house, Gearhead had decided to change the way he was using his space on the top floor of the shop. Half of that floor was now dedicated to showroom space, while the other half was divided between living space and Gearhead’s office. It was here that Spike found him, going through cabinets and files with Spring.

“What’re you doing?” Spike asked.

“We are looking for the best contract to fit the situation,” Gearhead said.

“Assuming Miss Sparkle gave the okay,” Spring added.

“She did,”

“What did she say?” Gearhead asked, turning to Spike. One thing the Earth Pony liked about the young Dragon was how easy he was to read, making him refreshing by comparison to the power politics at Basic or with Vines. At the moment, Spike looked a little worried – most of the younger ponies would describe the expression on his face as ‘freaked out.’

“She said it was okay, I mean, those weren’t her exact words, but that was the spirit of her words.”

“What were her exact words?”

“’Sounds good’ was what she said.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Spring said, looking up from the files he was examining.

“Right?”

Gearhead did not believe he was imagining the hopeful look on Spike’s face. He is probably having trouble processing why Twilight would let him go after his many years of faithful service. Besides, they are also like family, so it really does not make any sense. “Was she distracted when you went to speak with her?”

“She was reading. That’s why she gave me the day off: Princess Celestia gave her a whole weekend’s worth of reading material.”

“And by your experience, is Twilight receptive to whatever one might tell her while she is reading?”

“Well, no,”

“Then she probably did not actually listen to what you were telling her, so I believe you should not consider yourself a free agent just yet.”

“So then should I go back and..?”

“I cannot see it doing any good to repeat the same action, expecting a different response. But if you can wait until Twilight at least takes a break from reading, we can get to the heart of the matter. In the meantime, we can at least get started at repaying the debt you insist you owe me.”

“How do you start repaying a life debt?”

“In increments,” Gearhead nodded to Spring, who pushed a still-rolled scroll across the desk to his boss for a quick look. Gearhead placed it into a paper holder on his desk, which held it flat without damaging the paper. “This is a temporary contract, which runs for one month, the shortest timeframe I had the foresight to ask for approval from the DA.”

“What’s that again?”

“The Defence Alliance, which is made up of the Verdant, Azure, and the Shadows. I work for my father, the Patriarch, who reports to Herd Council and Alliance Council. This means that everyone who works for me also works for the DA.”

“That sounds cool. So you have a contract too?”

“I do, and since I drafted the first version before we had any ideas of what the profits would be from the Alicorn Arrays, it has already been revised once, and is currently under review once again. But because there are a number of management issues that you do not have to deal with, your contract is much more straightforward, and does not have to change.”

“Okay,” Spike said, coming to sit down when Gearhead nodded toward one of the empty chairs. Spring also took a seat, acting as a witness.

“While this contract is only for a month, it is also renewable, so if things are working out well we can continue working together. I will give you no more than twenty hours per week, and your shifts will range between three and seven hours long, depending on your availability.

“You will be required to take a break at least once every five hours. With your shorter shifts you will get one paid fifteen minute break. Longer shifts come with two paid fifteen minute breaks and one unpaid half-hour meal break.

“Since we are unaware of your skills, other than housekeeping which you do very well, we can work out your specific duties later.

“Benefits for this position include a 7.5 bit hourly salary and a twenty percent in-house employee discount. We will also contribute up to 700 bits to any and all medical expenses annually. You will earn one hour paid vacation hours for every month of service beyond your probationary period – ten days, given the shortened term of the initial contract. You will have seven days of sick and bereavement days combined, just in case, but I would advise against using them before your probation is up.

“For those tasks for which you may not yet have the required skills, but would like to learn to do, you will receive on-the-job training from another member of the staff who has completed her or his training. While you are employed here, you will only be permitted to use the equipment with which you have completed training, and with which you can demonstrate competence and comfort in unsupervised use.

“You may use the grounds as space in which to take your breaks, and the facilities are available to you in case you need them. You will also have a space available for any gear and supplies, such as a lunch, which you might bring with you. You may not solicit any non-shop material, product, or service while you are on duty or on the grounds. Also, try not to flirt too much with Miss Rarity while you are working.”

“What?”

“It is sort of like not being able to date someone who is working in the same department, only because our staff is so small, I simplified it by saying now 'while you are working.’”

“What about you and Dawn?”

“You think we flirt?”

“Yeah,”

“But not while we are on duty,”

“You sort of do,”

“Really?”

“Yeah, kind of,” Spring said.

“I did not know that. I shall have to correct that.”

“I hope that doesn’t get Miss Dawn into trouble,” Spring said.

“If she and I are breaking the rules, then we both shall be in trouble.”

“You can’t fire yourself though,” Spike said.

“That would be difficult,” Gearhead rubbed his chin with a hoof. “Any questions, Spike?”

“You sure I should sign before I try to talk to Twilight again?”

“What else will you be doing for the weekend?”

“Good point,” Spike said, and Gearhead spun the page holder, so Spike could sign and date the contract. Gearhead signed and added his notary stamp, and Spring signed as witness.

“Welcome to the Gearhead’s Gadgets staff, Spike.”

“Thanks! What should I do first?”

“There is not a lot I can train you on until Radar and Torrent get back, so I believe first I should give you the tour, and then we can get you started on tasks with which you are already familiar – the sort of thing you already do for Twilight.”

“Okay!”

* * *

As it turned out, Spike was able to smell that something was not quite right with the Workshop. “That where you keep all your Alicorn Engine stuff?”

Gearhead reared high enough to put his legs across Spike’s shoulders and steer him from looking at the part of the wall that opened into the tunnel maze. “It may be, but what it is is very important that you not know precisely where any of my more dangerous inventions and innovations are kept. And not just you: no one here but myself has been where I keep them. I keep things this way so that if anyone comes here looking for the location, and they look in ponies’ heads, they cannot find the locations that way.”

“If nopony knows, how did Twilight help you that one time?” Spike asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I set up an information relay to the terminal there. I displayed enough information for Twilight to get started, but I never showed her the devices themselves, or my progress. Most of what I had at the time were diagrams and calculations anyway, but the wrong (or right) mind could have interpreted them to create a pirated Engine if she or he was creative enough. That is why every layer and stage of the technology is itself protected by more than one later of safeguard.”

“Oh, okay. In that case, you’d better not tell me anything more.”

“Smart Dragon,”

“Yup!”

* * *

Between Spike and Spring, Gearhead’s Gadgets became cleaner and more accessible than it had ever been. Spike cleaned and cleared everything extraneous away, moving through the building from top to bottom in a way that Gearhead had never been able to appreciate before.

Spring, meanwhile, reorganized everything from Gearhead’s files to where the gadgets were displayed on the main floor. Gearhead had not thought that his default set-up needed so much work, but it obviously was not as intuitive and accessible as it could be, to judge from his customers’ reactions, as they began to compliment him on how easy it was to find whatever it was they had come to him to get. And for each compliment, Gearhead gave credit exactly where it was due.

By the time Radar and Torrent got back, their saddlebags filled to capacity with wood, Spike had already finished sweeping and meticulously washing the top floor to a shine. He was working his way down the stairs to the main floor.

“What’s going on here?” Radar asked.

“She means she knows it’s cleaning, but why is Spike cleaning up here?” Torrent said.

“He’ll be working with us for awhile, at least until some matters with Twilight can be straightened out,” Dawn said, working the counter.

“Seriously?” Radar asked. “What is it, a fight?”

“It is not a fight, but it could be just as serious if it goes beyond a misunderstanding,” Gearhead said as he helped Spring with the swapping of some of the gadgets: Pegasi could occasionally use their wingtips to grip and hold objects in ways that could make some Earth Ponies envy them, but only a Unicorn’s telekinesis could match Gearhead’s Light Magic Fingers for precision.

“So what about what you’re doing?” Torrent said. “If you rearrange where everything is, we’ll have to memorize the layout all over again.”

“Trust me,” Spring said, “this’ll be much easier to remember.”

“Again, boss: Seriously?” Radar asked.

Gearhead chuckled. “If you do not believe him yet, perhaps you would care to take a look at my filing system now?”

“But only once you’ve washed and taken care of all the pine needles and other stuff from the Everfree,” Spike said. “I don’t need to wash things all over again when I just finished it.”

“So we’ll go up later,” Radar rolled her eyes.

“While you’re at it, could you take all that wood down now? I’m cleaning the Workshop after, so I only have to do it once today.”

“You mean you plan on doing the whole shop in one day?” Torrent asked.

“This is nothing compared to the library, so yeah, I will.” Spike said it so confidently that neither Radar nor Torrent had anything more to say to that. They went back outside to brush each other off, then they came back in and took the wood downstairs so they could sort it all. The next thing they knew, it was time for lunch.

Gearhead had determined that they would take their lunches in two shifts. He sent Dawn on break first because she had spent so long working the floor already, and he sent Radar and Torrent with her because they would be the most fatigued after a morning spent flying around the Everfree harvesting wood.

Spring continued to reorganize the display cases while Spike’s progress took him out onto the floor. The Dragon decided that the best way to progress would be to follow Spring, so they would not have to remove an item twice to clean the display case. Gearhead took up his station behind the counter. Spike fastidiously observed how he handled customers even as the former kept on working with Spring.

When Dawn, Radar, and Torrent returned, Gearhead, Spike, and Spring took their break. They went to sit behind the shop so they could eat by the river. Even though business was doing well because Gearhead was sending advertisements to other towns and cities, the rest of the day seemed to be fairly calm and quiet.

“Oh there you are,” Fluttershy said, landing softly nearby. Dash was less subtle, choosing a spot that bisected the distance between Fluttershy and the others.

“Been wondering why the library’s been so quiet, but if you’re here, Spike, of course it would be... hey, where’s Twilight?” Dash asked.

“She’s at the library,”

“But I knocked and nopony answered.”

“Twilight is a little absorbed in her reading,” Gearhead supplied.

“I got the day off,” Spike said proudly. He deflated almost immediately. “Then a bunch of stuff happened.”

“And that led to you being here how?” Dash asked.

“Gearhead saved me from the Timberwolves, and now I owe him a life debt according to the Spike the Dragon Code.”

“So I hired him on, at least until we can talk to Twilight when her muzzle is not in a book,” Gearhead said.

“You do realize that you could’ve just had him as a servant, right? Not that I’d do it. I’m just... checking,” Dash said sheepishly.

“I would have just said I didn’t have anything I wanted him to do,” Fluttershy said.

“Oh, but what if you wanted something, but didn’t know you wanted it yet?” Spike asked. He stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth.

“You’be ne’er haf a maggaga by Fise!”

“What?”

Spike held up a claw as he finished chewing his food, and then he swallowed. “You’ve never had a massage by Spike!” He wiped the remaining crumbs off of himself, jumped behind Fluttershy, and started massaging her behind her wings.

“Oh my, that feels wonderful, Spike.”

“See? And what if you wanted help with something else?”

“Like what?” Dash asked.

“Like... breathing? Okay, that’s a weak example, but you wouldn’t ask just anything of anypony, would you? But you could ask me to do anything.”

“That’s... something alright,” Dash said, grimacing.

“I did not think that far afield, to be honest. I just thought it would be easier to hire him. Besides, neither I nor the Verdant nor the DA approve of indentured servitude. A temporary contract position was the easiest solution I could think of, and Spring here helped me to find exactly the right contract for Spike.”

“That’s all well and good,” Dash said, “but I hope you’ve got the guts to tell him when he gets in the way.”

“Do I get in the way?” Gearhead had not had any idea a Dragon’s eyes could look so big and mournful. Even Snowbelle had never done this to Gearhead, but then she had not needed to due to their link.

“Of course not, Spike.” Gearhead gathered up his things. “Come on in and I will show you what he has done for me so far.”

* * *

“My eyes!” Dash had to use her wings to block out the reflected light until the door swung closed again.

“Amazing,” Fluttershy managed to gasp. “If only my cottage ever looked so clean and orderly.”

“With all your critter friends, that could be the ultimate test of my cleaning skills,” Spike said.

“Let us just start with the shop, shall we?” Gearhead said.

“Okay, but just say the word,” Spike said.

“I’d call foul on that,” Dawn said, walking out form behind the counter. “We can’t have Spike cleaning our houses for us.”

“You’re right, that would be unfair,” Fluttershy said. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Fluttershy. I’d volunteer. Especially if Rarity asked.”

“For now, Spike, I would like you to stick with the shop. After all, there is always plenty to do here,” Gearhead said.

“So, does Twilight even know the little guy’s here?” Dash asked.

“Not if she was in a reading trance,” Dawn said.

“Maybe one of you could keep an eye on the library for me,” Gearhead said. “Let me know when she takes a break so I can speak with her.”

“We’ll make sure she knows ASAP,” Dash said.

“But not too soon, I hope,” Spring said, “Spike does an awesome job.”

“Thanks!”

“There was one other thing,” Dash said.

“What might that be?” Gearhead asked.

Dash fished in her saddlebag and brought out an envelope with the Wonderbolts insignia on it. “Don’t worry: I don’t think it’s about the next level of training. Not yet, anyway.”

Gearhead opened the letter and scanned through it, re-reading it fully in a few moments. “Is it not. This is an official commission from Spitfire. She wants me to refine the Wonderbolts flight suit, incorporating the armour and capture gem designs with which I equipped Quick Silver Squadron.”

“Oh cool,” Dash said. “How long d’you think that might take you?”

“Not that much longer,”

“You already got started,” Fluttershy said.

“Don’t tell me you’re done already? You said our armours were rough.”

“They were, and I am not done yet. I have several possibilities. Perhaps you could help me to pick one on which I can focus the rest of my efforts?”

“Now that would be awesome,” Dash said.

“What about you, Fluttershy?”

“If I can help,”

“You are a flyer and a Wonderbolt too, so yes.”

“I’ll come too,” Spike said.

Dash, Radar, and Torrent gave him some sceptical raised eyebrows.

“I have very keen eyes,” Spike held his claws around them, forming glasses frames.

“I do not see why not,” Gearhead said.

* * *

Gearhead brought the diagrams up on the Workshop’s terminal. First he showed each design’s overall view displaying side-by-side, then he brought each one up in turn so they could examine each option together. Each one featured a capture gem either in the chest or the collar.

“Option One uses the least amount of change, simply inserting a layer of micromesh in a metal or alloy of choice into existing flight suits. This would cover everything the suits currently cover, so the ears and muzzle are still vulnerable. The wing-sheaths are now smoother. I removed the internal edges, so while they cannot cut they also cannot grind against each other or get locked the way the preliminary set did a couple of times, especially in testing. A variant on this option would be to replace the existing hood with a helmet, also like we used.” Gearhead pressed a key, and the display showed the helmet.

“It looks hard,” Fluttershy said.

“I think you mean ‘rigid,’” Dash said.

“If we’re talking about looks,” Spike said, “the two don’t mesh well together because the helmet is like a rigid shell, but the suit looks as flexible as ever,” Spike said. “What? I pick up a few things.”

“I guess we shouldn’t be surprised,” Dash chuckled.

“So, a probable pass on One,” Gearhead said. “Option Two goes partial-hard-shell based on the standard armours we used. I rounded and smoothed them out, just like with the wings. I can even extend coverage where needed. Basically the only other design change would be to apply the Wonderbolt Blue and Yellow colour scheme.

“Two’s ‘B’ variant is the one for speedsters like Dash. Minimal armour again, but this time I shave the design down so we do not get any strange bulges from going from armoured section to unarmoured underneath the flight suit. The ‘C’ variant is for Shield units like Snowflake and Rook, with larger plate-style armour covering everything. It will look heavy because it will be the heaviest set, but it will also be able to take considerable damage.”

“I don’t think you should go with just one,” Fluttershy said.

“So that is a ‘no?’”

“I think she means that since each flyer is different, you could use all three variants. Spitfire could order them based on everypony’s flying and fighting styles.”

“Yes, after all you never thought of giving us just one style,” Fluttershy said.

“In that case, we have a ‘possible’ for Option Two, all variants.

“Option Three does not change much in appearance, but it uses a choice of metal or alloy in a flexible plate configuration, and comes with an undersuit for comfort. I would apply the Wonderbolts colour scheme to the outside directly, and it would be a one-style-covers-all deal, although in light of what you have said about Option One, I can also add variants where the armour is lighter or heavier depending on style and skill set.”

“You know, with the longer helmet this set looks more like everything was designed to fit together, instead of coming together by accident,” Spike said.

Dash and Fluttershy looked surprised. “I think he’s right,” Fluttershy said.

“And more coverage means more protection,” Dash added. “That’d help flyers like me and Lightning Dust.”

“So Three over Two. And the variants?”

“Go for it,” Dash said.

“Option Four, and the last that I have set, replaces the existing flight suits with micro-scaling, as taken from the Silver Wind’s armour. But in the metal or alloy of choice, again. The smaller the scales, the longer each armour would take to produce, and the more expensive it would be, however it would also be stronger, lighter, and more comfortable. There is a threshold by which an undersuit is no longer required for comfort, and the flyer can wear it without anything else, keeping in mind that when a scale becomes too damaged, it automatically ejects itself to avoid shattering into its own wearer. An undersuit or other protection may be advisable for particularly difficult missions. Option Four also returns to the hood, with detachable goggles, and again I would paint the Wonderbolts colours directly onto the micro-scale.

“And that is it,”

“Three sounds like it’d be more affordable, but...” Spike said.

“Spitfire’s gonna go for Option Four, I just know it,” Dash grinned.

“I’d vote for Four,” Fluttershy said.

“Then I shall finish the design based on Option Four. Dash, if I give you a letter could you deliver it to Spitfire?”

“Yeah..! I mean, it’d be alright with me, if I have the time.”

“Then we are set,” Gearhead said.

* * *

That same evening, Dash brought Gearhead to the library to speak with Twilight while she rested her eyes. “It is a wonder you do not need glasses,” Gearhead said wryly.

“A lot of Unicorns can compensate for the strain with our magic,” Twilight said. “Cadence does it all the time, and I’m sure Dusk and Dawn do it too.”

“Perhaps. But that is a topic for another time. I wanted to talk with you about Spike.”

“Did he get into trouble during his day off? What happened? Is he alright?”

“He is alright, so please do calm down.” They both breathed in deeply, sighing, and then they laughed. “He encountered some Timberwolves,” Gearhead said.

“How far into the Everfree did he go?”

“It was a fair ways before he got the balloon to touch down, but now that you mention it that was much closer to Ponyville than I remember them coming.”

“Maybe we should keep an eye on that, but go on.”

Gearhead nodded. “I happened to be collecting wood in the area, and saw the balloon, so I was able to save him. Now Spike is convinced that he has to honour his code through a life debt.”

“That code of his is incredibly important to him, especially since most of the examples he has of what it means to be a Dragon are rude, greedy, and dishonourable. The last thing I want for him is for him to think he’s like them, so if you can, honour the code, please.”

“I will. After all, it is because of similar Dragon Codes that I am still alive.”

“Oh right, that’s how you became Dragonfriend and Dragonfather.” Twilight tilted her head. “But that’s not the end of the story, is it?” She asked flatly.

“No, it is not, because Spike came to you asking if you would let him go so he could serve me and repay his life debt to me.”

“Oh no! I don’t remember that at all. Is it possible I got so caught up in my reading that I didn’t notice what was going on?!”

“More than likely, but now that you know, would it be possible to take it back?”

“I can’t! That would make Spike break his code, and I already explained how important it is to him.”

“In that case, we could continue along our current course of action, although I do not know how long it would be until Spike feels like he has repaid the debt in full.”

“A life debt is for life, Gearhead. Wait, what are we doing now?”

“I gave Spike a temporary, renewable contract with the shop.”

“So... you gave him a job?”

“Yes,”

“That’s... not actually that bad. But it won’t get the debt repaid. To do that, you’ve got to get Spike to save your life somehow.”

Gearhead blinked at Twilight for a few moments. “As powerful and versatile as I am, do you really believe that a situation that I cannot save myself, but he can, will come to pass?”

“Yeah, even I don’t believe that’s very likely. Especially if they involve Timberwolves. But then it could be a threat that your magic, Geomancy, swords, and Engines won’t work on. Something overwhelming, but not physically dangerous?”

Gearhead suddenly flashed back to the mob that had surrounded him at Cherry Hill Ranch, and how they had poked, prodded, and pulled. Anything to get at him, or to even get a piece of him. He had never suspected that Ponies could possess that kind of rabid ferocity, and that had been toward somepony whom they supposedly liked. Gearhead would have hated to see what they might have done to something they despised. Just thinking about what they had done made him shudder involuntarily, and he had to physically shake himself loose to return to normal.

“You okay?” Twilight asked.

“I just remembered when I got surrounded by fans when we went after Applejack,” Gearhead shuddered again.

“Okay, so you don’t like mobs. Duly noted.” Twilight suddenly turned thoughtful.

“No,” Gearhead told her flatly.

“But it’s not a physical danger, and it’s not something you can counter easily,” she said.

“Do you want to know how I got free of the mob? Because I am not fond of it, but I will use it if I have to.”

“Yes?”

“I used my Wind Magic to throw them all off of me,” Gearhead said.

“Well, that seems like a small thing,”

“Well, I am not fond of having to use my magic on ordinary folk,”

“Even for self-defence?”

“Unless I absolutely have to,”

“Well, I can respect that,” Twilight said.

“Good, because I do not want you to even consider arranging a mob as a final resort, because the situation is not nearly so bad as to require it.”

“So what do we do about Spike?”

“Twenty hours,” Gearhead said, “that is his maximum allowable time with me per week. I do not have to give him the full measure, however the rest of the time he would be yours, of course, as he always has been. So we need not pretend that this is a mutally-exclusive deal.”

“But he’s just a baby dragon,” Twilight said. “He shouldn’t have to hold down one job, let alone two!”

“He is more mature than you think, and some of that he learned from you. Maybe we should give him the chance to choose, especially since his code is so important to him.”

“You mean like you gave Snowbelle a choice?”

“Very similarly to that, yes.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without Spike,” Twilight looked down and pawed at the floor.

“Then it is a good thing you have not lost him. Even if, against all reason and odds, he chose to work exclusively at the shop, he would not be there all the time. And besides, you still hatched and raised him. You know what that means, do you not?”

“What?” Twilight sniffled.

“It means you are family, just as you affirmed you were when he and Snowbelle followed the other Dragons.

“We are family,” Twilight said. “I should have paid better attention, and not let this happen at all!”

“But now that it has, we have to deal with it.”

Twilight sighed. “I suppose so, and I guess having another job will be good for him. Is he cleaning? Cooking?”

“So far he has cleaned, and excessively well, but the longer he keeps working for me, the more he will expand his skills.”

“I guess we’ll see how it turns out,” Twilight said pensively.

“And no mobs,” Gearhead said sternly.

“Okay, I get it. I wouldn’t like it if somepony used my one weakness against me either.”

“I have others, but at this rate it would be better not to tell you,” Gearhead said.

“Ah-ha-ha,” Twilight gave him a mock laugh. “Now is that the whole story?”

“It is, so far.”

“Well, now that I know what’s going on, I want to help you watch over Spike.”

“I think you should finish your reading first,” Gearhead said.

“Oh, I’ll finish it alright. Faster than you could.”

“We shall see,” Gearhead said.

“Gearhead,”

“Yes?”

“Thanks, for taking care of my family.”

“You are very welcome.”

“I hope you can go get Snowbelle soon,”

“Thank you. I will go to her when she makes her decision.”

* * *

The next day, the sensors attached to the Ponyville Array detected a magical anomaly. Gearhead closed the shop and led Spring Flight and Dawn to investigate. Since Spike refused to be left behind, Gearhead let him ride between his cores again, while Spring Flight airlifted Dawn.

“Are you kidding me? These guys again?” Spike asked when they got close enough to identify the pack of six Timberwolves.

“They are animated by potent magic, and not to be underestimated.”

“Yeah well, this time I bet I could light them on fire.”

“Twilight trusts me with your safety, so I would prefer to deal with them in a safer, more conclusive way.”

“Then that’s your choice of course,” Spike said as they came in for a landing ten meters ahead of the Timberwolves.

“You are entering the Ponyville town limits,” Gearhead said, amplifying his voice. “Turn back or we will answer with force.” The wolves went from an easy lope into a full-out, snarling charge.

“Well, that didn’t work,” Spike said.

“Clearly,” Gearhead said. “Lean forward, please.” While Spike did so, Gearhead got his bladecasters ready. He lifted off slightly and trained his weapons on the two leading wolves. Spring Flight looped around, falling into a battle formation while Dawn summoned a magic circle indicating a set of Light Arrows on the way. “Final warning, wolves,” Gearhead said. “Turn back or we will open fire.”

The Timberwolves did not turn back, or even slow down. Spring Flight kept looping back around so they would keep their momentum, but they continued to restrain themselves from attacking without orders. Gearhead let the wolves close to three meters of Spring Flight’s most forward turning point, and then he shouted at the top of his lungs, “open fire!”

Despite this final warning and the obvious appearance of the defenders’ countermeasures, the attackers did not truly have more than a second and a half in which to respond to the first round that came at them. These measures consisted of Gearhead’s caster bolts from the airborne front, and Dawn’s Light Arrows, which rained down from the rear.

Gearhead easily tore the lead wolf apart with his bladecasters, although it tenaciously kept going until the blasts had ripped it completely apart. Dawn’s deadly rain did much the same to the following three wolves before she ran out of first-wave arrows. Torrent vectored in between Spring and Radar, punching through another wolf in a red spiral wind. Gearhead and Dawn both reoriented, and their blasts hit the remaining wolf at the same time.

“Dawn, we need to push the debris back with wind,” Gearhead said, landing on the edge of the area that was now full of twigs and foliage.

“Why go so far?” Spike asked as Spring Flight reformed.

“Because,” Dawn said as the sticks glowed green and started to levitate, “the magic animating them causes them to reform in due time.” This was already happening, although it looked much larger and fiercer than Gearhead had ever seen it before. They all took several steps back, as the material from six Timberwolves reformed into a single Dire Timberwolf.

“I didn’t know they could do that,” Radar said.

“Neither did I,” Gearhead said as the Direwolf issued a low, growling challenge.

“A little wind won’t do any good now,” Dawn said.

“How much longer would it take to blast apart like before?” Torrent asked.

“I do not know, but it is the only plan I have,” Gearhead said.

“Better make that a retreating strike,” Dawn said.

“Agreed,” Gearhead said.

That was when the Dire Timberwolf charged. Gearhead took up his bladecasters again, firing nonstop into the great beast, Dawn’s Light Arrows soon joining in, unincanted. Spring Flight charged in together when they could, careful to pull back and avoid claws and teeth, knowing full well what an infection from their attacker would do. And that was if it did not simply kill or eat them!

As the defenders retreated, they broke more and more pieces off of the Dire Timberwolf, but it drew some of those pieces back, and called other wood and leaves to itself from their surroundings. Gearhead used a charged, compressed particle blast, but that only blew away a larger chunk of material without causing the beast to pause for more than a second.

The battle drew closer and closer to Ponyville by the second. The Array’s sensors still did not know what to make of the Timberwolf’s animating magic, so even activating it remotely might not do anything to protect the town, but Gearhead had to try. He spared a moment to issue the command, and the particle shield began to deploy. Gearhead then returned his attention to sending a steady stream of weaponized particles at the attacking beast.

Spike looked over his shoulder at Ponyville, then around him at his friends’ desperation, and finally at the still-advancing great wolf. Gearhead felt Spike shift as he unslung his lance, but Gearhead could not look to see what the Dragon was doing without losing track of the still-closing wolf. “Gearhead, get us as close to that thing as you can. But can we please not get eaten or hit?”

If he has a plan... “It shall be done,” Gearhead said, and he started to advance instead of retreating. To his surprise, the Dire Timberwolf scrabbled for traction until it came to a stop, staring high into the air, past Gearhead’s head. Suddenly a mass of green energy lanced past the Earth Pony’s head, fanning out in a cone as it went. It struck the wolf, enveloping it whole. The beast howled and bayed, but when Spike stopped sending his Dragonfire through his lance, the Dire Timberwolf was entirely burned to cinders.

“Thank you, Spike,” Gearhead said.

“I just did what I could,” Spike said.

“You still saved everypony, myself included,” Gearhead said. “Say, could we consider ourselves even now?”

“I guess, but I think I’d like to keep learning at the shop.”

“If that is okay with Twilight it is okay with me,” Gearhead said.

“In that case, you got a deal,” Spike said.

When Gearhead flew by the library with Spike, Twilight was overjoyed to hear that the debt was repaid, and also that the town was safe from attack. She happily agreed to let Spike keep working at Gearhead’s Gadgets.

13. Depths of the Abyss

Chapter 13: Depths of the Abyss

Things picked up even more at Gearhead’s Gadgets, in no small part because he now had help. Gearhead and Dawn worked out a shift schedule for everypony that would optimize their abilities both inside and outside of the shop, regardless of whether or not Gearhead was off on some adventure. Which was a good thing because beings came from far and wide, attracted to Ponyville because of Gearhead’s advertisements, and because of word-of-mouth from his repeat customers. Less cautious creatures could even place orders remotely by approaching anypony who worked at a town or city’s Alicorn Array.

Even the principality had a limit on its budget, so Princess Celestia and Luna picked and prioritized centrally-placed cities over the smaller towns for Array installation. Each one became a node that Gearhead could use as a combined sensor and communication array, making news travel even faster than it had before. To lower costs, the DA offered some significant discounts, however the princesses refused to let them pay the costs for a network that would ultimately benefit everypony.

The Dire Timberwolf attack the other day was just another illustration of how important a viable defence was. It was because Spike was quick-witted enough to think of focusing his Dragonfire through his lance that Ponyville had not been damaged at all. Gearhead had taken a more thorough look at the scene, and reprogrammed his Arrays to screen a wider array of threats, but for now it seemed that whatever had brought the Timberwolves so close to Ponyville had moved on, at least for the moment.

Gearhead had always accepted a request to install a new Allicorn Array, so he had not stopped to think about what he should do with his portion of the money once he sent the lion’s share off to the DA. Even after he paid his staff, he had many more times the amount he would need for his daily expenses well into old age, provided a future threat did not kill him first.

It took awhile, but Gearhead quickly remembered that the Crown was only hesitating to equip all of Equestria with Arrays because they could not afford to immediately do so. Neither the princesses nor the towns themselves would accept anything they might regard as charity, so Gearhead set up multiple funds, each one named for a different region within Equestria. He divided 90% of his excess funds into each Lifestyle Fund, and then set them up to automatically make monthly donations to one or two regional municipalities on rotation.

At the same time, Gearhead knew that he was far from the only scientific mind working on different issues throughout Equestria. In Ponyville alone, Twilight herself, as well as Time Turner, Pinkie Pie, and a few others, dabbled in inventions and innovations of some description. It was difficult to believe that no one else would come up with a defence at least as effective as the Alicorn Array in its own right. That was why he wanted to create a conference to encourage invention and innovation. Of course, there was also Dawn’s earlier comment about sharing Engine technology to consider. Gearhead had thus sent an outline with the basic idea being the conference to the princesses for revision and eventual approval.

Gearhead was not surprised when Spike came to the shop bearing some letters from the princesses (who seemed to prefer this method over speaking over the Array-wide comms, at least when there was not an emergency at hoof). What did surprise Gearhead was that there was a letter asking him to come to Canterlot within the next few days. The truly surprising part was that the letter asked him to bring every one of his assets that could be useful to him in battle.

Gearhead was an inquisitive sort, and thusfar the princesses had never seemed to mind his questions. This time, though, when he wrote back asking for clarification, all he got in return was a quick ‘you’ll see.’

It was never a good idea to deny one of the princesses’ requests, or even to keep them waiting for very long.

* * *

Gearhead took the Stabilized Twin Engine, making quick work of the already-small distance between Ponyville and Canterlot. He was somewhat surprised when the Royal Guard, and then Kibitz, pointed him in the direction of the princesses’ private practice chamber without so much as checking to see what equipment he had on him.

As the princesses had advised in their letter, Gearhead not only had the Twin Engine and its Stabilizer, but the Geargem Dagger, his metal dagger, the seventh Elemental Anklet, and the Fireheart Gemstone, which he had been keeping safely hidden in the Laboratory for some time.

Gearhead folded the Stabilizer’s wings as the corridor that led to the practice room forced him into tighter quarters. At the door, he used the entry sequence Princess Celestia had taught him, and entered cautiously, almost expecting an ambush.

“Ah, you have arrived,” Princess Celestia said. She and Luna were lying in a magic circle near the center of the large, circular room, a sure sign that he had left them waiting. The sisters nodded to each other, and then Luna went to the wall to Gearhead’s right and retrieved a small black box.

“Could you please tell me why you called me here, and told me to bring... everything?”

“With everything that has happened recently, my sister and I agreed that it is high time to assess what you are truly capable of,” Princess Celestia said, working on the magic circle.

“But we have inventoried my manapool numerous times. I thought you agreed with Cadence’s and Shining Armour’s assessment.”

“This is about ability, not power. There is a distinct difference,” Luna said, her horn alight as she did something to the box.

“I would not normally presume to measure myself against even one of you,” Gearhead said.

“Yes, we are aware,” Luna continued. “Just as we are aware that you have been holding yourself back. Not only is it clear that you have surpassed Cadence, and her husband, to some measure, but it would be rude to continue to test yourself against a mare who is with foal.”

“Pardon?”

Princess Celestia and Luna stopped to exchange a look. “Oh my, it would seem we’ve revealed something that they haven’t told you just yet.”

“It is a little late to try to cover it up now, Sister.”

“True enough, so here it is, Gearhead: Princess Cadence will likely give birth to her and Shining Armour’s first foal in a few months.”

“I doubt they would be able to avoid mentioning it when they invite you and the others to the Naming,” Luna said, grinning.

“But this is huge news! How could Twilight manage to keep it to herself for so long?”

“In that regard, if she has not told you it is probably because she does not yet know it for herself,” Princess Celestia said. “After all, it is unlikely she would be able to keep it to herself, as you have already concluded.”

“After the wedding I do not think she should hear about this from anypony other than her brother,” Gearhead mused aloud.

“Agreed,” Princess Celestia said.

“So... why have you called me here, and fully armed?”

“Ah yes, the test.”

“We have devised a way to fully test your current abilities, however it carries its own risks. We would therefore like you to be as fully prepared for this as you can be,” Luna said. Princess Celestia had finished making the magic circle. She carefully stepped around the markings until she and Luna were almost nose to nose, with the edge of the circle between them. Luna opened the box and used a wing to lift out the object within.

“Beg pardon, but what are you doing with what looks like the Alicorn Amulet?”

“It is the Alicorn Amulet,” Princess Celestia said as she took it, and very gingerly lifted it to her own neck.

“One: that is dangerous, and two: despite the danger I do believe you would be able to fully control the Dark Magic.”

“I can,” Princess Celestia said.

“Which is why my sister will be in a trance-like state the entire time, allowing her more instinctual self full control.”

“That does not sound like a good idea,”

“And yet it is the easiest way to see of what you are truly capable, considering you even held back against Queen Chrysalis and King Sombra. Even more recently, you continue to let those around you make the deciding moves, despite surely having the ability to do it yourself.”

“And here we thought you had settled the matter with Prism,” Luna said.

“I guess it is a reflex,”

“Then you’ll need to learn to overcome that reflex, because there will come a time when you’ll need your full power. Your friends will need you to do so, and most probably all of Equestria. You need to decide, here and now, whether you’re capable of stepping up when needed.”

“And this is the only way?”

“It is the best way. All other methods are yet more complicated and risky.”

“If that is the case, I am glad the biggest risk is merely a corruption of the soul,” Gearhead said archly. “How can you believe it is worth all that?”

“Because if you possess the power we believe you to possess, it will be worth it,” Princess Celestia said.

“But you need to be willing to answer the call when it is made. You need to be ready, and this will help you to become ready.”

“I still do not like it,”

“Well, that is not the point here.”

“We both have faith in you anyway,” Princess Celestia said. She put the Amulet on, and gave a little sigh as its magic flowed into her. She seemed to be unchanged as she opened her eyes and then made her way into the center of the circle.

“Prepare thyself,” Luna said, reverting briefly to old form. “I am now putting my sister’s consciousness into a deep sleep.” Princess Celestia’s eyelids slid shut, and her head fell low as though she was really sleeping. “Until you defeat her, only one being will answer in her place.”

Already there were physical changes taking place, as Princess Celestia’s multicoloured mane shifted, becoming more intense and brighter, but also more uniform. It shifted colours through orange and gold to hold with intense white in the middle. Even the princess’s regalia became sharper, with hotter colours. Most telling of all, an intense wave of Dark Magic flowed off of her in shockwaves.

“This is a side of my sister no others have seen, and why Stalwart Shield does not accompany us,” Luna said. “This is all of her guilt, regret, resentment, hatred and anger. This is the part that my sister keeps buried in the deepest, darkest part of herself.”

“Should I feel honoured?” Gearhead asked, taking a half-step back.

“Perhaps, but are you prepared?”

“No,”

“She is coming anyway.”

Gearhead did not need either Shift Focus or the sensors wired into his glasses to tell that Princess Celestia was far more powerful, and more of a threat, than usual. The intense pressure coming off of her was beginning to make it hard to even breathe, so Gearhead invoked Cantus Bellax to compensate until he had a thick enough particle layer to act as a stable shield.

“My sister will not sense me, however I highly recommend you make further preparations for the coming battle,” Luna said. “This is a test of your abilities, so I shall not be acting in support of either of you.”

“I would prefer not to fight at all,”

“I, however, don’t have such qualms,” Princess Celestia said sharply, only when she looked up and gazed at Gearhead with her intense purple-blue eyes, he could tell that the majestic pony with whom he normally dealt would not be found there. “You have two choices: kneel and pledge your undying (or dying) loyalty, or present enough of a challenge to at least whet my appetite.” The white mare licked her lips, and her eyes glowed a faint red before returning to their altered state.

Waves of knife-like killing intent mixed with Princess Celestia’s dark aura and slammed into Gearhead, one after the other. With each wave, Gearhead and his Engine’s computers were getting a more complete sense of Princess Celestia’s unfettered powers. It seemed that without any sense of compassion or morals to hold her back, she was more powerful than Queen Chrysalis and King Sombra, perhaps even combined. Now Gearhead could fully appreciate why the princesses had asked him to bring everything he had: anything less and he would surely be doomed, and Princess Celestia clearly intended great harm against him.

* * *

Luna watched her sister as she continued to descend into darkness, and she watched Gearhead, who was clearly beginning to see how serious the sisters were about this test. Luna especially expected great things of the Geomancer, even if he did not see great things in himself despite his recent experiences as a combat mage, Artificer, and as a Wonderbolt. Luna knew that his greatest and only ambition was to become a farmer, as his family expected him to do, however both she and Cellie saw much more than that in him.

As Dark Celestia continued to bombard Gearhead with pressure waves, he drew and expanded the Geargem Dagger and started his first incantation, although quietly, and poised to evade any surprise attacks. Celestia waited impatiently for Gearhead to make the first move, and was rewarded by an expanding field of fog that concealed and muffled sound.

“Ah, one of your favourite opening gambits,” Dark Celestia said, using her magic to amplify her own voice so Gearhead could hear her anyway. “If memory serves, you used this to set up a multi-pronged attack. But,” and here her tone turned dark, “you seem to be mistaking me for somepony who has patience for such tactics.” She wrapped her wings tightly about her body. “Just who do you think I am?” She roared, unfurling her wings with all her rage, until they were spread to their full and impressive span. That one move sent Dragon’s Wind streaming to the edges of the room, ripping itself apart as it went. “I am Abyssal Trance, and I will not be taken in by such petty tricks!” Trance’s fiery mane burned a more intense blue, and more of the fog burned away.

But Gearhead was not easily visible in any part of the room. Luna kept scanning all along the floor, and then the ceiling. Apparently Trance was doing the same thing, because she spotted the pod wedged into a little alcove beside one of the supporting pillars at about the same time that Luna did.

“A transformation cocoon? Lets see if you can complete it under the full heat of my wrath,” Trance spread her wings and lifted into the air, to settle at the same altitude as the cocoon, without having moved any closer to it. She charged up her horn, and unleashed a steady, withering beam of intense violet-white magic. The cocoon’s outer shell immediately began to bubble and peel away. Luna swallowed, focusing all of her will on the prayer that he would make it in time.

Just before the cocoon exploded, Luna just barely spotted the blur of motion marking Gearhead’s timely escape from destruction, but she did not see him until he came to a hovering stop near the ceiling. Gearhead had indeed just completed the transformation to Agile Form, however unlike the other times when he had worn his black longcoat over everything else, this time the Twin Engine’s vest was over top of that. He slid the Geargem Dagger into a scabbard under the Stabilizer’s wings for just long enough to tie his hair into a single ponytail so it would stay out of his eyes. As he reached for his main weapon’s hilt again, his shields shimmered back into view, turquoise and blue, thin but flexible. The particles from his Engine were so faint, Luna had a hard time telling their colour.

“So you succeeded. I’m not impressed, though, given how you could’ve done it much faster. Observe: Forma Agilis!” A flower made of purple, blue, gold, and red energy formed and wrapped around Trance, obscuring her form for just an instant. When it peeled back and dispersed under her feet, Trance also had the Agile Form. “Remember where you learned that spell,” she admonished Gearhead. “Did you really think you were the only one to have mastered it?”

* * *

“I had hoped,” Gearhead said, shrugging. Still, Trance made an impressive figure once she was transformed. Her hair flowed to her waist, which was narrow compared to both her bust and hips, but the difference was not so great that it could be called exaggerated. On another being, her figure might have been called ‘matronly,’ and if Gearhead was not convinced she was about to tear him apart, he might have even considered her desirable, wrapped in a white skirt which nevertheless was covered in all the places that mattered in a golden plate armour, ridged and spiked for maximum impact.

While Trance retained her wings, now also armoured, her horn was gone from her head. Instead she brandished a full-length staff that was topped with a wicked-looking triple-bladed orb, in which Gearhead could see the rising sun. “I’d like to see what your best shot is actually worth, but I’ll only give you to the count of twenty to do it. After that, I’ll do whatever I want. To whomever I want.”

Gearhead had been thinking about that, and he concluded that anything on the level of Magic Arrows would be useless. He needed a more powerful attack, but could not rely on getting the time needed to charge it, nevermind guessing whether or not he would actually score a hit – and whether or not that hit would get through Trance’s shields. But now he had an opportunity, and there was no way he was going to waste it.

Gearhead flicked through the eye commands to unlock and activate what he was tentatively calling the ‘Hyper Railgun,’ and then he reached back for his bladecasters. As he brought them up and around, the Stabilizer’s wings each added a strip or section, creating half a barrel on both bladecasters instead of the more complete long blades that they normally deployed. When Gearhead brought the weapons together in front of his chest, the barrel halves clicked and joined together seamlessly before the last few sections could also lock into place. This created the meter-long square barrel of the central chamber and the thirty centimeter round barrel that floated in its center.

In the following instant, the Stabilizer’s wings spread wide behind him, each wingtip opening up into three long, thin sections. Three slats also fell open on the bottom of his gun’s square barrel, staying open at a forty-five degree angle that nevertheless was angled back toward him, rather than toward the target directly in front of him, so only he saw the complex circuit-like pathways on the barrel as it, and the wings, drew in mana from the surrounding area.

“So far not impressed,” Trance said. “But do me a favour, and when you do fire, make sure you aim right here.” She lay her free hand over her chest, and then laughed.

Gearhead was not impressed by this either, but then he was focusing more on what his sensors were telling him: Ninety-percent of the C-Particles and L-Particles the Twin Engine was producing flowed through his chest condenser and into the canon. Energy flow was optimal and stable for the moment, and even externally the sensors were not picking up any change in the flow of mana around Gearhead, so Trance had not yet decided that she had waited long enough. That said, he could really use all the energy boosts he could get.

“Quattuor Magnae Spiritus. Evoco quad centum et nonaginta novem. Stagnet et integrare in mea manus.” One thing that Gearhead had concluded was unique to him was his efforts to make his use of mana more efficient. Most Unicorns, and even the princesses, wasted their power on sound and light energy, even when the spell they were using did not have any direct effects relating to sound or light. Gearhead had thus been focusing a significant portion of his training on directing whatever mana he used in a spell into that spell’s effects, so when he called on (between them) 499 Spirits of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water all of his mana for that spell would go into effects that were directly related.

What helped Gearhead to further cloak his efforts was that he was calling those spirits to his hands, which were already hidden within the railgun extension pieces. There was where he refined them until he could also load them into the railgun itself. Even the Twin Engine was not producing many visible particles, partly because most of them were going into the railgun as well, and partly because the Stabilizer’s wings were dispersing the rest to be too far apart to be easily visible.

As Gearhead finished his incantation he focused on the single round held within his weapon. Inspired in no small part by the Spiral Blast with which he had destroyed the witch’s barrier, the bullet was composed of four parts. The first part was a conical head crafted from most of the Earth Spirits that Gearhead had called. It was designed to penetrate armour and safely carry the payload into the target, nothing more. The second part carried most of the payload, that being most of the particle and magical energy. Directly behind that was a small empty compartment supported by four fragile pillars, at the back of which, in the middle, was a small pin. On impact, the pillars would collapse, causing the fourth and final section to come forward and strike the pin. That last section carried most of the Fire Spirits, and it would combust on impact with the striking pin.

On top of all this energy, Gearhead had managed to transmute most of the Fire Magic into Light Magic, and Wind Magic into Lightning Magic, so that, assuming the bullet hit at all, it would be that much more effective. Assuming I fire quickly enough to hit.

During the incantation, Gearhead was careful to take three deep, calming breaths. He knew he did not have that much time with which to strike (nine seconds to be precise, although anyone who took him seriously would not wait while he charged his attack), but he absolutely had to make this count, so he was allowing the railgun to charge as much as he possibly could – even though he did not completely trust that Trance would give him all twenty seconds.

With seven seconds left, Gearhead’s instruments told him that he had enough power to breach the minimum threshhold for the shot. He waited another two seconds before he started to pull the trigger, though, just to give himself a little bit of an extra chance at success, for whatever that was worth.

With the trigger halfway pressed, the three panels on the bottom of the railgun snapped closed, and Trance finally stopped yawning with one gauntleted hand over her mouth, although her hold on her staff remained an easy one. The Stabilizer’s wings continued to draw ambient mana, while the Engines also continues to send power to the weapons.

At three seconds, Gearhead pulled the trigger all the way back, releasing the bullet with a hiss of escaping, pressurized gasses and a great, shattering thunderclap, the shockwave of which pushed him back three meters, where he stabilized himself by kicking off of the wall behind him with one foot. Even before the results made themselves apparent, Gearhead started to return the separated bladecasters to his back, while the wings reclaimed their borrowed parts.

Gearhead’s bullet, super-accelerated to just beyond lightning speeds through the railgun’s power, traveled the gap between him and Abyssal Trance in far less time than it takes to blink, yet Trance herself began to spin her staff one-handed, all the while a lazy expression was pasted to her face. When she realized how close the shot was, she brought her weapon up in a quick, underhand swing, and caught it on the single blade that was mounted to the side of the sun-like ball, slicing into it and, at the same time, deflecting it upwards, so that instead of flying at her chest as requested, it was going for her face.

* * *

There was not even a second between the crack of Gearhead firing and Trance’s scream when the Fire Magic exploded in front of her, and all the other energy went right into her face, lightning dancing all over her body. She stumbled backward, clutching at her face with her free hand while Luna watched in shock, hoping against all odds that Gearhead had not managed to permanently scar her sister with that one strike. The coldness that Luna suddenly felt in the pit of her stomach clawed at her. If she is harmed, this is all my fault!

* * *

Gearhead had been about to draw the Geargem Dagger with his right hand when he noticed that Trance had closed half the distance between them. Given how quickly she had moved to cut his bolt, he had expected that if she moved at all, it would be much faster than this. “Cantus Bellax, plenum potestatem. Vente!” He swung the Geargem Dagger in a close arc even as he drew it, followed by a similar swing with a bladecaster in his other hand, attachments not yet added.

Trance roared as Gearhead turned her first thrust aside, and then a swing. “I’ll kill you: look what you’ve done to my face!”

“I do not see anything,” Gearhead said, flipping the Dagger into a reversed grip and transforming it into its conical lance form to start it charging: the Hyper Railgun was clearly not powerful enough to deal with this foe, and he only possessed one thing more powerful than that.

“Then you’re not looking closely enough,”

“You may have a point,” Gearhead said, and before Trance could voice her confusion, Gearhead moved to fly closer, and past those wicked blades of hers. Trance saw this, and backed off a fair ways.

“Hey, what’s that you’re holding there?” Trance’s entire manner transformed again. “Hey, let me see!” She zigged this way, and then zagged another to try to get behind Gearhead’s back, and now he was the one who was backpedalling to keep some distance. A small extra spurt, however, and Trance had him by both wrists. She pulled on his right arm until she had a better view of the lance. “Who’s being a naughty young man? Maybe it’s time for a punishment?” She licked her lips, then leaned in while Gearhead continued to struggle to break free. I did not expect such physical strength, he thought as her lips closed with his.

A sudden chill darkness entered Gearhead from between Trance’s lips as she tried to send some of her Dark Magic into him. Unfortunately for her, there was more than just a mass of Light Magic already inside him, and most of that was from the particle energy he had absorbed since first creating the Alicorn Engine. It surrounded the darkness and chased it out, even extending far enough for some of it to flow out the other way, and into Trance until she pulled back, releasing Gearhead.

“Coy,” Trance said, trying to spit the particles out, but her body had already absorbed them. Between that and the earlier assault of Light and Lightning Magic, she would probably be much slower than usual. “If you think that’ll give you the time to charge your little lance there, you’re mistaken.”

“The only way to know is to try,” Gearhead said, and now his Stabilizer had added the proper sword attachments to his bladecaster. The seventh and largest ring on his lance was fully charged.

“Oh, still up for some fun. I see. Then I hope you like your deaths slow.” Trance charged again, and Gearhead met her. He rolled as he came in, slipping his bladecaster in under the tip of her staff and batting it up over her head, then spun as he closed even further. Trance seemed to notice that he was within her reach again, and she backed off rapidly in response, trying to get to where she could use her blades again. Gearhead continued his pursuit, but Trance was just a little bit faster.

Trance leaped backward, landing on the floor near the room’s edge a couple seconds later, having opened up enough of a distance that she felt safe firing off three magic blasts. Gearhead evaded, and came in with an overhead slash that gouged the floor when Trance flew low to the left to evade. Gearhead turned his momentum to the right, following through with a complete clockwise circle before pursuing Trance across the floor, but each slash was just a little too late. The sixth and fifth rings were charged.

“I don’t know what you think you’re up to, but you can’t seriously expect to beat me with that kind of speed or power,” Trance said. “How’s about I just finish this for both of us?” When Gearhead merely slashed at her again, Trance evaded and pouted pensively. “Or perhaps I ought to just ‘try it,’ as you said?” When Gearhead still did not respond with anything new, she charged up a more powerful blast, and when he was mere meters from her, she unleashed it on him.

* * *

That was when Gearhead called upon the Elemental Anklet he had brought with him, but only enough to activate its magic circuits to help him process mana that much faster. He also called out “OverBoost,” making the Twin Engine’s core rings rotate quickly, and each one in the direction counter to the one next to it. From head to toe, Gearhead was quickly enveloped in a green glow – even the weapons he held. He also accelerated instantly to three times his normal speed, spiralling around Trance’s blast.

Trance retreated as fast as she could move, but Gearhead closed with her anyway. When she swung her staff to ward him off, he merely batted it aside with his lance’s long shaft. Gearhead bobbed in his flight, dipping close to the floor before coming up closer to Trance. He was almost in arm’s reach – so she kicked out at him since he still had his guard up against her staff. Gearhead took the hit with his left wrist, and even though Trance did not think she had hit him that hard, he rolled across the floor. He let go of his weapons for long enough to cross his arms and push off the floor to regain his feet, then he called out magically to regain both weapons in time to evade a torrent of attacks from Trance, again to the right.

14. When the Nightmare Comes To Light

Chapter 14: When the Nightmare Comes to Light

Luna, still watching, could not help feeling that Gearhead was wasting too much time launching petty attacks at close range instead of testing Trance’s defences against his Engine’s mid-tier weapons. At the same time, though, she continued to worry that he would harm her sister, so she vacillated in her support of both combatants. She wanted to see Gearhead succeed, but she didn’t want to see Cellie hurt. Or did she?

* * *

“Are you trying to toy with me, boy? Because this feels like the stalling game.” They were again within striking distance of each other, but now Trance was able to keep her staff in play. At the same time, for each swing or thrust she made, he easily deflected it with his bladecaster. The inhibiting effect from the earlier Lightning and Light Magic explosions did not show any signs of wearing off anytime soon. Worse, Trance did not know when Gearhead’s OverBoost would run out. His fourth ring, on the other hand, was fully charged.

“What, pray tell, tipped you off that I have been playing for time? Was it the steadily-growing glow of the big stick I carry, perhaps?”

“And now he jokes. I should’ve torn you apart from the start!”

“Hindsight and all that,”

“I could have done it easily,”

“I would not have stood still for that,” Gearhead promised.

“Yes well, lets see whether you have a choice,” Trance said, and she teleported across the room. His senses augmented by his sensors, Gearhead quickly turned to face her, although he did not immediately move to close the distance. “You don’t have the power to end this,” Trance said, raising her staff in a two-handed hold to start charging her next attack. “And I won’t give you the time to generate it!”

The roiling ball of Fire and Lightning Magic grew rapidly by the moment, until the only way Trance could still see her target and make sure he was still there was to raise her staff high above her head with both hands. The energy continued to grow, and even though it filled much of the room, Gearhead was not doing anything to counter that Trance could see. That did not, however, mean that he wasn’t doing anything at all, Trance knew. She remained on guard against sudden attacks from any direction, but then her attack was as large as she dared to make it. She swung her staff down in front of herself, throwing it at her enemy. It was far too large to evade, so this should finish everything.

* * *

Luna was nearly blinded by the light of Trance’s attack. Its heat burned her coat and mane and skin, and she sought refuge from it any way she could. Is this really my sister? She wondered

Yes it is, she thought, suddenly proud as she pulled cold darkness up to shield herself from the coming attack.

* * *

Trance was correct: there was not any way Gearhead could produce enough power to charge his lance in such a way and in such a timeframe to matter to this battle. That was why his biggest, best plan with which to counter Trance’s power was to press her to do... this. Still, while the big ball of fire that was falling toward him was impressive, Gearhead was worried about the toll this bout was taking on all of them – not least of all was Luna, who had wrapped herself in a cocoon of deep Dark Magic for protection. If not for Shift Focus, which he was using constantly, and the filters in his glasses, Gearhead would have had to shut his eyes or be blinded a long time ago.

In addition, if this crazy plan did not happen to work out, it would end up hurting. A lot. But according to everything Gearhead had read and calculated, it should work. Well, not everything he had read: Gearhead had decided to go as off-book as possible in fighting Trance, since she seemed to possess Princess Celestia’s knowledge and memories. That meant that she likely knew every spell and technique that Gearhead had found in the Canterlot Library, along with some he had not found there. But since the Alicorn Engine was new technology, she should not have an easy counter for it or its abilities – nor, come to think of it, Gearhead and his very non-standard abilities.

Gearhead placed two magical shields five meters in front of his position so they created a wedge that pointed directly toward Trance. He also swivelled his cores to point the same way, putting up his spiralling particle wall. Finally he crossed his bladecasters in front of himself, pointing both toward the floor, while he continued to charge his transformed dagger.

On impact with Gearhead’s two shields, some of the flame and fury split off, striking the floors and walls to both sides of him before the blast itself bent and broke the shields. “Deflexio dua,” Gearhead quickly muttered, putting up a second set half a meter closer. Again, the blast shattered his shields, but his shields bled off some of the power. Again and again, Gearhead repeated the process until the blast was too close to put up the complete wedge.

At this point, Gearhead switched to a triple-layer flat shield, but the blast busted through each of those very quickly. He wrapped himself in a personal shield and had his actuators thrust his bladecasters into the ground. The blast ground up against his particles, which held the still-giant ball at bay for a full three seconds before being blown back and away.

Gearhead suddenly brought his lance forward, putting it into a horizontal hold in front of himself that could not look defensively strong at all. He pushed his arm through the energy still swirling into the lance as it continued to spin, palm open and facing downward and simply called out “Corona Absorbet!” just as the heat from the blast started to become intolerable.

A magic circle, nearly as large as the entire room, rose out of the floor where Gearhead had been engraving it with his bladecaster earlier. It oriented itself to Gearhead’s outstretched hand, and once it was in position, its light changed from silver to his signature turquoise, just in time for Trance’s blast to hit it.

And to be stopped completely in its flight. After nearly one second of grinding up against this unfamiliar spell, energy from the blast began to flow in streamers into the magic circle. While Gearhead’s layered and wedged shields had only shrunk the massive ball a little, his magic circle was shrinking it visibly, and more quickly. After a couple more seconds of absorbing Trance’s brilliant golden-white energy, the magic circle started to send that same energy into Gearhead’s lance. With the connection fully established, the young stallion-turned-man’s weapon seemed to become ravenous, quickly consuming more and more energy and continuing to shrink Trance’s attack at a remarkable rate.

Clearly coming to a conclusion about what was about to happen, Trance teleported herself behind Gearhead and came in with a fast thrust aiming to stab him between his ribs. But both Gearhead and his sensors found the attack, and since his bladecasters had already done their job of helping to transmit the magic circle into the air, Gearhead took up one in his left hand again, while the actuator on his other side took up the other one.

Gearhead directed the actuator to knock Trance’s thrust just a little toward the other side, where Gearhead could thrust his own blade underneath that of his attacker, and with a reverse-held roll, make it come out between a pair of his wings instead of striking his back. When Trance ran out of momentum and started to pull her weapon back, Gearhead directed his wings to wrap themselves around the orb part of the staff, trapping it for a couple seconds.

Gearhead’s lance shone as he turned to face Trance head-on once again. He first raised it in the air, allowing it to radiate for a moment to show that all six rings and the topping cone were completely full now. Then he lowered it to point directly at Trance, who leaped back to retreat several meters.

This time when Gearhead pursued he put all of the Engine’s power into thrust, and quickly closed the distance. Trance seemed to decide that fleeing was pointless, and reversed direction. She also unleashed a merciless wave of magical blasts from her staff as she and Gearhead closed on each other, the latter using a two-handed grip on his lance for once.

Gearhead spun and spiralled around the incoming magic blasts, sometimes moving so swiftly that he seemed to be jumping in mid-air, but he never wasted the effort to return fire, knowing that even if one of his blasts had a side-effect, like his earlier Lightning Magic had, their actual physical damage would be negligible. Not only that, if he was concentrating on hitting Trance with his long-range weapons, he might not hit her with his mid-range weapon – because between Trance’s staff and his lance, the staff had the advantage in reach, but the lance had the power.

Gearhead and Trance finally clashed head-on as their individual charges met. Trance decided at the last moment to turn her thrust into a swing, so when her staff went out wide, Gearhead pressed his throttle past their emergency stops, making him leap forward in a bright spray of overlapping particle circles. “Hello, Sunshine,” he called.

Even hampered by the earlier attacks, Trance managed to swing fast enough to catch Gearhead with her side-blade in the ribs, but when she tried to move her staff away from him to strike again, he glided forward, onto the shaft instead and used his free arm to clamp down on the staff, trapping it there.

Gearhead had already brought his lance back as far as it would go. Now he thrust it forward, and it went into Abyssal Trance’s chest up to the third ring, energy swirling and spiralling as its wielder made his attack. “Your principality needs you, princess. Time to wake up!” He finished, and on cue the lance released all of the energy that it had been storing and containing up to this point, an explosion of turquoise, gold, silver, and near-white yellow.

As Trance screamed in agony, Gearhead held her close and refused to let go, the Light Magic bombarding her from within and without. Her armour cracked and fell away. Thick black dust got blasted from her body, and the screaming suddenly stopped entirely. Her head slumped forward, and her mane returned to its multi-coloured state, but as Gearhead returned them to the ground, deactivating OverBoost, he could not be absolutely certain that Trance was completely under the princess’s control again. The only thing that was certain was that with the Geargem Dagger returned to its sword state, Gearhead could not make another attempt anytime soon.

Gearhead lay the princess gently on the ground, and directed a puff of wind into her face. Her eyelids fluttered open, and then she focused on his face. He could not suppress a sigh of relief when he saw the concern, compassion, and wisdom there. “Welcome back, Princess Celestia.”

“I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t interesting, but did you have to go so far?”

Gearhead arched an eyebrow, but then he followed the princess’s gaze, to the line of exposed flesh in his armoured vest, where the microscaling had turned to dust and fallen out. Even as Gearhead looked, though, he could only see light bruising because the particles in his body were already nearly done healing the wound. “Certain leverage was required,” was the only thing he could say in response.

“You need to take better care of yourself, or you’ll worry those who wait for you.”

Gearhead felt it in the same moment the red arrow flashed in the corner of his left lens. He gathered Princess Celestia into his arms and leaped across the room as far as he could, his Engine kicking in partway through, so he could turn them around before landing and skidding to a halt. “Shall I begin with that?” He asked, setting Princess Celestia down on her feet.

“Oh Luna, not again!”

“Ironic isn’t it? In the moment my sister falls, I rise,” Nightmare Moon said. “How, then, shall you defeat me?”

Princess Celestia put a hand to the Alicorn Amulet. When Gearhead saw her grip it, he put a hand over hers. “Let us not give her any more ammunition.”

“Okay, but it’s taking most of my remaining power to suppress it.”

“Then leave the rest of this to me. Mea virga.” Called magically, the Geargem Dagger flew from where Gearhead had left it, directly into his waiting hand.

“Can you make your lance again?” Princess Celestia asked.

“No,”

“Use OverBoost?”

“It is too soon, Princess.

“How many plans do you have?”

“Just one more,”

“What were the chances of your having a hold-over from our fight?”

“What a pity you have no Elements this time,” Nightmare Moon interrupted them, having just changed to Agile Form. Nightmare Moon wore a light-looking robe that left her forearms exposed, as well as her legs from above the knee. She had light purple armour on her shoulders as well as bracers and anklets, but nothing else marked her dark purple robes, other than the blue edging. It was probably more important that Gearhead focus on Nightmare Moon’s nasty-looking scimitars, given how the blades seemed to absorb light, rather than how her figure was nearly the equal of that of Princess Celestia’s It did occur to Gearhead that it was probably strange for Nightmare Moon to be larger than Luna in any respect, since they were the same being, but it was not like he could ask about that. Also, if she had said something about Elements...

“We have one, sort of.”

“A what? And what do you mean ‘sort of?’”

“This,” Gearhead pulled his right sleeve back slightly, revealing the black Anklet he had been wearing as a bracelet.

“And that is supposed to take the place of your Lance of Light and boosted Engine? You’re kidding me, right?”

“I did not think I was known for my humour,” Gearhead said, deciding at the same time that it was best to end this as quickly as possible, instead of trying to stall until he could use OverBoost again. He would just have to hope he had enough magic left to compensate.

“We’ll see how funny you think it is when I’m done with you,” Nightmare Moon said, brandishing her scimitars.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Princess Celestia said, kneeling behind Gearhead.

“Me too. Here goes.” Gearhead focused his emotions and desires of the moment, and even placed his left hand over the jewel set into the bracelet to help his focus. The magic circuits reactivated, but this time he let them flow through, bringing the Anklet into its activated state with the band a white-gold and the gem flashing red, then indigo, then green. “Prolato,” Gearhead said quietly, and the Anklet became wide enough that Princess Celestia could have used it as an anklet on an upper leg.

“Arma fusionem,” Gearhead said, and the Anklet spun over the length of his sword, flowing and blending with it until it turned the sword gold, marked the entire blade with runes, and set its gem into the pommel. The gear-shaped guard had also been changed so that it was divided into a left and right side, with one arc shaped like a half-sun, and the other like a crescent moon.

“Am I supposed to be impressed?” Nightmare Moon blew a puff of air past her bangs.

“In all honesty I do not know, since this is the first time I have put this to practical use. But if you desire a fight, we shall have the opportunity to put it to the test.”

“It’d go easier for you if you’d just surrender.”

“No thank you,” Gearhead said, quietly but clearly. “Ah, there is one more thing.”

Nightmare Moon lowered her blades in exasperation. “You were about to fight me without an asset? This is why I can’t take you ‘heroes’ seriously!”

“I am only carrying this by special request anyway,” Gearhead said, reaching beneath his vest and longcoat. After a moment, he came back out with the Fireheart Gemstone. The half-sun and moon guards spun, so that the sun was on the side under the leading edge of the blade, while the moon was on the trailing edge. This created a space in the middle, where Gearhead was able to place the Fireheart Gemstone. A wave of energies traveled throughout the sword, and into Gearhead’s hand, which it used to travel throughout his body before seeming to vanish.

Gearhead took a couple experimental swings to test the weight of his transformed sword, and had to struggle to keep the energy from rippling out. The balance was perfect, and the weight seemed to adjust when he thought of it as being ‘too light.’ It fit in his hand like the most perfect extension to his body he could have imagined, and seemed to respond at the speed of his thoughts. But these were things a swordmaster was supposed to be able to do through skill and practice. Still, it could be useful against a powerful foe, like Nightmare Moon.

“Are you ready now?”

“Ready,” Gearhead said, taking a stance. He wondered if this iteration of Nightmare Moon had any telepathic powers, so he opened up a small window in his mental defences. If she did go after his mind, Gearhead was certain his fortifications would slow her down enough to matter in this fight. After all, it would mean dividing her attention between two battlefields. Even though Luna had taught Gearhead how to build a secure place in his mind, Nightmare Moon was a horse of a different colour. There was little chance she could get all the way through Gearhead’s citadel before their fight out in realspace was over.

“You’re sure there’s nothing else?”

“With all respect, are you coming to me, or am I coming to you?”

Nightmare Moon snorted, so Gearhead launched himself at her with two quick pumps of his legs. He planned to merely use his Engines to take over and accelerate his charge mid-way, but his body flew easily over the intervening ground, and he was soon trading slashes with Nightmare Moon instead.

“Ha! Finally a challenge presents itself,” Nightmare Moon said as Gearhead forced her back with a series of three slashes, which he did by spinning his whole body rapidly through three whole rotations.

“I think I have it now,” Gearhead said quietly. He planted himself, then lunged with his whole body. As he extended his arm, Nightmare Moon deflected his sword over her left shoulder. Gearhead gathered mana to the soles of his shoes, then jumped into another spin, aided by his Engines. Nightmare Moon went tumbling to the ground, only to check her neck when she got back up. Instead of being sliced, it had changed to a lighter purple. Gearhead felt the set of three waves as his opponent lashed out mentally: she had taken the bait.

“Joke’s over,” Nightmare Moon got back up and jumped back into the fight. She slashed brutally at Gearhead, her scimitars flashing rapidly between normal holds and reverse-holds to make her strikes seem more random. Because dual-wielding almost always required a specific set of timing not to get in one’s own way, Gearhead was able to pick out patterns and duck or jump out of the way some of the time, while he moved to deflect blows before they got to him at other times. A couple of times he even caught one sword with his blade, and the other with his pommel, making it bounce back.

When Nightmare Moon noticed that Gearhead was using his previous combat training to pick off her techniques before she could complete them, she changed them up, first striking low with her right hand while she struck high with her left hand, then spinning to add fury and power to her every strike.

Unfortunately, while Nightmare Moon seemed to have forgotten about Gearhead’s bladecasters, he had not. When she tried a double cross-down to knock Gerahead’s right sword arm wide, both bladecasters came out on his actuators to make a double-thrust down the middle, forcing Nightmare Moon’s diagonally-slashing blades back apart, and wide. Because they still had the Stabilizer’s extensions, the bladecasters made temporary dents in Nightmare Moon’s magic shields, even as she leaped back.

“Three swords? You think three swords will win this for you?”

“I do not recall using them to deliver the finishing blow in my last duel,” Gearhead said. While his right-hand actuator returned that side’s bladecaster to its back-mounted scabbard, he took up his other bladecaster in his left hand. “Better?”

“Frankly, no,” Nightmare Moon said, but she charged in anyway. Gearhead met her slash for slash and thrust for thrust as they leaped, flew, dove, and dashed across the room. They spun, flipped, and clashed most often in mid-air as they passed each other, picking up speed all the time until Princess Celestia had to have been straining to keep following their action.

As the two combatants flew at each other again near the ceiling, Nightmare Moon tried another double cross-down from an upside down position. Gearhead countered this by turning both of his swords so they were edge-up at opposite angles, and thrust them both from past his shoulders at the same time. This move not only forced Nightmare Moon’s arms out wide, it also broke her momentum and forced her to fly back on her heels.

With Nightmare Moon on the defensive, Gearhead followed through with a direct charge. As he did so he brought his right arm all the way back behind his own back. Nightmare Moon quickly set herself to catch his curved blade between both of her own, with a mind to then bounce it back in Gearhead’s face. That arm came back around, and as it did Gearhead used his Wind Magic to accelerate himself again, closing the distance a little faster.

* * *

Nightmare Moon adjusted her defences and her stance for stability, catching Gearhead’s blade perfectly between her own. She flexed her arms and legs, ready to push Gearhead back and off of his balance, then she looked at the sword that was wedged between her scimitars more closely: it was long, triangular, and straight-edged.

“Wrong..?” Nightmare Moon felt the shock, realizing that that transformed Geargem Dagger was already just a handful of centimetres from her abdomen. Gearhead had flipped his weapons, swapping hands so smoothly that she had completely missed any clues that might have given the move away. By committing to push her opponent back on his easy swing, she had also minimized her chances of evading a follow-up. She had not thought she was mistaken in doing this, because none of Gearhead’s other swords could do significant damage to her, but the Geargem Dagger might be able to force her out of this body.

If Nightmare Moon had any hope of surviving, it was by quickly obtaining the Alicorn Amulet after she received damage from this attack and pulled away, but the sight of the Amulet still around Princess Celestia’s neck dashed that hope.

* * *

Gearhead pulled his own mental probe back from Nightmare Moon’s waking dreamscape and finished the thrust through her stomach, calling out “awaken!” as he did so. This time orange, gold, pink, blue, and green energies exploded in all directions from the blade. The explosions started to resemble petals, which closed up toward Nightmare Moon’s head before exploding again to disperse both itself and the black dust that represented Nightmare Moon.

Gearhead had to dive to catch Luna before she could hit the ground. Her robes had changed to blue with silver edging, and her armour was gone, but other than that her frame also seemed to have changed, becoming more slight compared to that of her sister.

Princess Celestia ran over to where Gearhead had landed with Luna. As she began to examine her unconscious sister, Gearhead noticed that the elder princess was no longer wearing the Alicorn Amulet. “Where..?” Princess Celestia merely nodded to the box on the floor, once again closed and magically locked. “Is it over?”

“Yes, finally.” Princess Celestia sat back on her heels, gently cradling her sister’s head.

“That was a mistake,” Gearhead said, returning the Anklet, the Fireheart Gemstone, and the Geargem Dagger to their rightful places.

“I think not,” Princess Celestia said. “We learned more in just a few minutes, both about you and ourselves, than we could have otherwise.”

“But the risk –“

“Was worth it to teach you the value of pushing yourself this much farther than you previously thought you could go. Now we know for certain that you are capable of, and should, finish threats to Equestria if and when they reveal themselves.”

“You mean there are more?”

“There are always more,”

“That is not a comforting thought,”

“But if you continue your training, you will become powerful and wise enough to face practically anything.”

“Except for Discord,”

“Thankfully he seems to come with his own set of rules, if we could only understand them better.”

“I am not certain I wish to understand him,” Gearhead said. “Now, I believe we should be able to revert to normal as well.”

“Oh, why spoil the fun?” Luna asked from Princess Celestia’s lap. She had one eye open, and was watching their faces from below. “There are one or two things we can do this way that we can’t do so well normally.”

“I hesitate to ask,” Gearhead said, deadpan.

“Then I shall give you an example,” Luna said, turning over. She pounced on her older sister, and proceeded to tickle her.

“Bwa-ha-ha! Luna... ha! Stop, ha-ha! Please,” Princess Celestia begged around her own laughter.

“I do not know if I could look at you two the same way again,” Gearhead said, getting to his feet. That got Luna’s attention, but Gearhead did not like the gleam in her eye.

“Shall we make it even?” Princess Celestia gasped, recovering her breath.

“Lets,” Luna said, turning.

“Oh bother,” Gearhead muttered as the two princesses pounced on him. But soon he was laughing helplessly too.

* * *

Over the next two months, whenever the princesses summoned Gearhead to Canterlot for training, he took them both very seriously. Unlike their dark personas, Celestia and Luna did not wait for him to charge up his major spells, and anything less did not have much of an effect on them, apart from the stunning and slowing effects of Lightning Magic – and neither princess would let him score a hit with the same tactic twice, nevermind with the same spell!

Gearhead relied heavily on his Twin Engine to evade and counter the princesses’ attacks as he completed his incantations, however his sparring partners often proved to be faster and more competent at cornering him than he was at cornering them, and he sometimes ended up biting his tongue, which made his spells fizzle out completely. He considered his options.

Gearhead simply could not use unincanted spells, because he did not have enough Unicorn magic in him to have grown a horn. Delayed spells were difficult, but doable, as long as he did not have to store their magic in his body or Geargem Dagger for more than fifteen minutes: he tended to absorb what mana he stored completely into his manapool after awhile, and the Dagger seemed liable to shoot off any energy left over from a previous effort, so Gearhead discharged it himself.

The best solution seemed to be to imagine a given spell’s magic circle in his mind’s eye, and cast it that way. He still needed to use his activation key and the spell’s name on mid-level spells, and he could not cast high-level spells this way yet, but the princesses worked with him to fix that. Of course, Gearhead could also try drawing the magic circle into the air or onto the ground as he had with Absorbing Ring, but any cautious opponent would be able to see what it was he was going for and counter it. The same could be said for any incanted magic, which was why Gearhead did his best to cast quietly.

Twilight Sparkle sometimes joined in the practice sessions, but usually they involved manipulating mana in non-combat situations. Twilight was completely uncomfortable with the prospect of attacking her mentor and her younger sister, and Celestia would not force her to do so. She did, however, spar with Gearhead on occasion, as long as he only used magic and not his Twin Engine.

When the princesses summoned Gearhead without asking him to bring his Engine, he became curious enough to ask what was going on as soon as the pleasantries were out of the way. “Oh that’s right,” Celestia said, “we found a better venue for your conference. It’s nearly set up if you would like to go take a look.”

“And where might that be, Princess?”

Luna grinned. “It’s in Fillydelphia.”

15. Brain Children

Chapter 15: Brain Children

“Ladies and gentlebeings,” Gearhead said from the stage, “welcome to Fillydelphia. Welcome to the first ever Sorcery and Science Symposium!” The audience roared with approval, the Ponies among them stamping their hooves. There were members of different species present, including some Gryphon and even a couple of the smaller species of Dragons. Gearhead smiled and smoothed out his formal blacks.

“I have invited the scientific and magical minds in and around Equestria to assemble to discuss and develop the advancements, both scientific and sorcerous, that will carry us into a new age.

“While many of you may already be enthusiastic about the discussions that are about to commence,” here Gearhead had to pause for more cheering, “in all likelihood there is one subject about which you came to hear. No doubt all of you are eager to have its secrets shared with you as part of these discussions.”

The hall became completely silent.

“The Alicorn Engine magi-tech is most responsible for my desire to create the SorSci Symposium,” Gearhead said, “because I know that its development has prompted many to attempt similar results.”

The loudest cheering and applause yet.

“I am therefore announcing here and now, before you all,” Gearhead said, over the continuing noise, “that all direct Alicorn Engine magi-tech is officially off the table.”

For a moment, the cheering continued unabated, then the assembled beings started to quiet as the words slowly sank in. Somewhere in the back, somepony yelled “WHAT?!” so loudly Gearhead could have sworn the stallion responsible was right in front of him. Then his audience turned from curious to furious, shouting that he was keeping the secret to himself, all so only he would profit and possess the power the Engine magi-tech gave him. Gearhead raised a hoof for silence, and kept it raised until everyone had, if not calmed down, quieted down.

“I freely admit that I cheated and used an outside resource when I created the original prototype, however I was also making it out of curiosity for what it could do. By the time I realized it was weaponizable that was because of threats against Equestria. I quickly realized how dangerous it was, and besides that, the cost of equipping more than a dozen ponies with their own Engines would be prohibitive. By the time we equipped a town the size of Ponyville, we would all be in financial trouble. We would also have hundreds of ponies untrained in their use, capable of flying to, or into, pretty much anywhere. So I adapted the design to defence instead – and indeed, Fillydelphia is protected by its own Alicorn Array, on top of its own extremely capable City Guard.

“While I am not here to give you excuses or reasons why the Alicorn Engine will not be made publicly available, nor its designs open for acquisition, I do believe it is appropriate to address it here: the technology and magic of it is an inspiration for those who wish to transcend their tribal or racial limitations – and I doubt any among you have not seen an Earth Pony fly by now.

“Most appropriately of all, the Alicorn Engine is both the foil and the framing device for the whole of SorSci: what better challenge than to come up with inventions and innovations of a similar order in magnitude and advancement? I charge you all to push each other to go beyond what might have been possible working alone or in your laboratory research and development groups. Compete and advance, just as athletes do, and help to make our world a better place for those advancements.

“I must warn you, though, that if your work seems to be heading in a harmful direction I may have to put a stop to said project for the safety of all. This is why there are so many safeguards layered into the Alicorn Engine magi-tech, so it cannot go out of control or harm anypony. This is also why it is so well protected and sealed. And believe me, with a half dozen attempts to cut through the casings on Arrays across Equestria, seventeen attempts to overtake the Defence Alliance’s escort teams, and no less than thirty-seven attempts to discover the Engine’s location at Gearhead’s Gadgets there is every reason for those safeguards to exist.

“Interest in the science and magic most definitely exists, so what better way to unlock it for others, by means that will make it more available, than to gather our best minds together? And of course, while we are here I think it would be beneficial to pursue other avenues of advancement. So it is here, with permission from Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and the Mayor and Council of Fillydelphia, that we have this opportunity to do just that.

“Over the next three months, I encourage everyone to explore, collaborate, and expand our understanding of knowledge within out world – what we know, as well as what we do not know. If this endeavour is deemed successful, we can look forward to further gatherings in the coming years – in Vanhoover in the west and in Dodge Junction in Central Equestria.

“Any questions before you begin?”

“I have one: if you’re going to determine what is and isn’t harmful, how do we know you’re not going to just scrap a project because you’re afraid of what it might do, or because you don’t want someone taking over your territory?”

“Flim, was it? I have to tell you that when I saw your and your brother’s Cider Squeezy there were some aspects of it that I admired, yet I also noticed some flaws in the design. Had I made certain suggestions, do you not think you could have improved it further so that it would not have broken down? That is, of course, assuming an openness to listen to such suggestions.”

“Well yes, but...”

“And to answer your original question, Flim, I would not be making the decision alone: I will be consulting at all times with either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, who will present the Principality of Equestria. Likewise, Princess Cadence or Prince Shining Armour will represent the Crystal Kingdom, and Prince Blueblood will act as representative for the First Conclave of Shielding Light. Further, Midnight and Nightstar of the Third Conclave of Flowing Shadows, Windwalker and Aerial Azure, and Redwood and Sweet Pepper of Herd Verdant represent the interests of the Defence Alliance. So there are plenty of safeguards in place to ensure I do not become a danger to anyone.”

“Oh sure, safeguards who are all your friends!” Someone shouted.

“Are we friends, Prince Blueblood?” Gearhead asked, cocking his head.

“Not likely,” Blueblood sniffed, “although you are... respectable.”

“Well then, all I can ask for is respect, and that is something each of you should hold for the other, because for the next three months you are, if not companions, then colleagues.”

* * *

“Ah, Doctor Sparks, welcome back. I trust your first few days at the Symposium were properly edifying?” The Unicorn stallion seated at the head of the long table had an impeccably maintained white coat, short blond mane, and bright blue eyes. While Dr. Sparks had met with Steel Blue before, he had never met the eleven other Unicorns who were assembled now.

“It was not as I had hoped, but still fascinating, milord.”

“If you have details pertaining to the project, I would like to ask that you include it in your report. And since there are a number of officials here who are unfamiliar with it, please start from the beginning. Full disclosure of pertinent details is permitted.”

“Of course, milord,” Dr. Sparks said. Steel Blue might act amiably in front of others, but he was extremely strict with his subordinates and his expectations regarding their performance. He allowed only so much failure, and each one came with its own punishment. There were plenty of reasons for the nickname that nopony had dared to use to his face: the subordinates who knew their lord’s true nature called him ‘Steelblood,’ combining his name with that of his better-known son, Prince Blueblood.

‘Full disclosure’ meant that all of the Unicorns in this secret chamber knew about the project of which Dr. Sparks was the chief developer. Naturally that also meant that they were members of the First Conclave of Shielding Light, and thus of the same royal blood as King Bullion and Princess Platinum, the last Unicorns to hold independent rule of the land – although not over Equestria itself, but Unicornia which had preceded it.

Dr. Sparks closed the door and came to stand at the foot of the table, looking down the left side, then the right, before looking right down the middle at Steel Blue again. He used his magic to levitate an imaging crystal onto the table, and then began:

“My lords and ladies, after the Hoofington F1 my research and development group was commissioned to try to obtain similar, if not identical, results to those displayed by Thirdson Gearhead’s Alicorn Engines.” Here the crystal displayed a close-up projection of Gearhead flying his single-core Engine in the aforementioned race.

“While my group continued to encounter problems, some of which I will detail, the public became more aware of the original and its changes over time.” The picture switched, showing the same picture of the shield around Canterlot failing that the newspapers had used, only with another flick of his horn, Sparks switched to an enhanced image that only showed Gearhead and the two-core system.

“The issues which my group encountered centered around the issue of having to guess how the Engine worked without possessing any clues about it. We decided to find out what we could from the original source, however getting close to Gearhead and not asking too many questions without arousing his suspicions proved too difficult. Nor, when we placed agents at Gearhead’s Gadgets, could we locate the Engine’s storage, with only the main floor and the observation area on the top floor being accessible to customers. It was clear, however, that the Engine was not present there at any time. And Gearhead has never made any version of the Engine itself available for purchase.

“What appeared to be a new opportunity arose with the innovation now known as the Alicorn Array.” Sparks changed the picture so that a schematic of Canterlot was visible, the placement of all three turbines and the central condenser clear to all. “With a few exceptions, resources for the Arrays are always shipped from a storage facility that Herd Verdant owns, and operates jointly as a part of the Alliance, or Defence Alliance as it is now called. There are multiple such facilities throughout Equestria, so the DA can choose the one closest to a town or city for which Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have ordered an Alicorn Array for installation. An escort team meets the convoy there, and stays with the materiel until installation is complete.

“There is never an opening to even see what material the turbines are composed of, as the escort forms a wide perimeter during construction. The Unicorns among them even cast anti-scrying spells to keep out any interested eyes, and again asking questions begets suspicions. We even approached raiders asking for the possibility of taking the materiel, but after completing the reconnaissance phase of the mission their leader simply returned the fee they had asked for. One such mission ended as soon as one of the team spotted Gearhead.”

Sparks changed the picture to show Gearhead on the stage at SorSci. The photographer was clearly in the audience. “At the Symposium opening, Gearhead made it clear to all that he does not have any intention of releasing a general-purpose Alicorn Engine, fearing its misuse – and since no one can say who might get their hooves on one if he did, I cannot fully disagree. He framed it as a challenge to create a similar magi-technological jump on the strength of our own minds and cooperation with others. He even admitted to cheating by using some outside resource to create his first Alicorn Engine, but as to what that might be...”

Sparks changed the picture again, and this time it showed a fair close up of a single turbine. The photographer had taken it so that some of the towers from Canterlot Castle were visible behind the cone. “The turbines themselves are not guarded once construction is complete, but then they do not need to be guarded all the time when the outer shells are made with adamantine, they can deploy particle shields around themselves during times of threat, and the City Guard responds to even tapping on the shells in a matter of minutes. All of this means that we still do not know what their material composition is, or how they are arranged within the shells.

“As to how Gearhead might have cheated?” Sparks shrugged even as he changed the display to show a profile on the stallion. “The third-born son of Herd Verdant’s current generation, Gearhead is an accomplished inventor, and a skilled salespony. He left Verdant Fields at the age of eight, and has been supporting himself on his own since, and besides that, sent money back home.

“He has been shown, on many occasions, to be capable of using a more overt style of magic than his tribe is known for, most notably during a duel against Prince Blueblood during the recent Gala, and against the Changelings during their invasion. He has been training, both in magic and in combat, with Prince Shining Armour, Princess Cadence, Captain Stalwart Shield, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. Further, he holds Flight Officer rank with the Wonderbolts as a reserve member, and he has been seen in some places with a small Dragon. This does not leave a lot of possibilities for ‘external resources,’ however he is not known for the ability to outright lie, as that would probably be bad for his business.”

“With the dearth of information, we did not have a choice, other than to proceed on our own. Unfortunately, even with the full group focusing on the project, we could not create a turbine system that would generate its own power as it worked. We can create propeller systems and those that use wind and even water for propulsion, but they always require Unicorn magic as a power source, and eventually deplete the crystal matrix being used as the power source. Since we were not making that much progress while focusing on just one aspect of the project, we decided to separate the project itself into parts, and work on each one separately. Thus did we finally name Project TRINITY.

“The first team of Project TRINITY, Bright Wings, would still cover propulsion and power. The second team, Great Shield, would be responsible for coming up with a better, more comfortable armour. The third team, Inspiring Mind, was to design the system for operating everything.

“While progress was slow or stalled for Bright Wings, Great Shield came up with a way to provide a pilot with a lining that would cushion the force of any blow that landed. Naturally, they recommended adamantine plating until Gearhead released his microscale armour for the Wonderbolts and Guards Corps. This armour is highly customizable, but also purchasable, as long as you can prove it will be used in defence of the Principality.”

“So you bought some,” Silver Mane, who sat to Steel Blue’s right, said.

“No, we were unable to provide sufficient proof for a purchase of our own. We do, however, have access through the Guards, so examining the microscale was never a problem. Unfortunately, we lack the precision to make it ourselves, and I doubt we would be able to steal any without Stalwart Shield or one of the princesses noticing.”

“The principality’s safety is top priority,” Steel Blue said. “What about efforts to co-opt those on the Arrays’ crews?”

“Also not going to happen, considering the tight conditions of their contracts. Princess Luna even places a mental shield on them so their minds cannot be read. Compromising those shields by trying to force our way in would only alert her to our intentions. As to placing an agent, the screening and hiring process is most rigorous. Of all the Arrays already in place, we only have one agent in place, and that in Canterlot. Unfortunately, even while in place this agent does not have access to the information we want.”

“And the Inspiring Mind team? Surely last night’s incident means you’ve made big strides,” Silver Mane asked.

“To understand what happened then, I will provide some background first. In trying to design an effective control system for what we hoped would be as successful an Engine as the originals, we decided that copying a Unicorn’s mind would be the most effective strategy – after all, any being’s mind controls her or his body most precisely.

“The mind scan process had some unintended consequences from the beginning, with medium- and low-intelligence minds being unable to fully control even a simple suit of armour. High-intelligence copies quickly became aware of their new limits as bodiless beings, and wished for a quick death.

“We discovered through trial that by linking the scans together we could compensate for low intelligence, and they would not become aware and suffer. We continued to explore along this avenue, and while we found we had rudimentary control, the interface we created was still too crude for fine control.

“Then, three months, two weeks, and three days ago, a scan cluster suddenly linked to our research and development network and started pulling data. It designed its own body, ordered parts, and created its own work orders for fabrication. We followed along out of simple curiosity, never expecting all that much, and since it did not work immediately our first impression seemed accurate.

“When the cluster’s redesigns started to come together as intended, however, we took note and started inserting safeguards of our own. The cluster rejected most of them, but we managed to slip one in near its core, the heart. Or we think we managed it, because the cluster quickly put in a shielding layer, so we do not actually know if the shut down procedure would work.

“Still, when the cluster’s progress slowed to a crawl, we thought it was safe to proceed with our own plans. I also thought it was safe to make the trip to Fillydelphia, and made it in time for the opening ceremonies three days ago.”

“Lucky for us it was easy to set up a teleportation relay,” Steel Blue said. “Tell us what you found out about last night, Doctor.”

“As you wish, milord. Around midnight last night, the cluster completed transfer of itself into the armoured unit it had designed for itself, and which we obliged in building. Shortly thereafter, it launched from the facility, and we have been unable to detect it since.”

“Should we be worried about it going rogue and killing Ponies?” Silver Mane asked.

“My team and I believe not, milady, primarily because the only thing we know it has been doing since is following its programming. Also, it did not do any damage at all, either on its way out, or since.”

“What programming is it following, then? And how do you know it’s following it?”

“We know what it is doing because it continues to transmit status updates to a terminal in the laboratory. This is part of the integral design that we managed to slip in, or that the cluster did not mind letting us put in.

"As to the programming, we gave the cluster four directives that will guide all of its actions. Each directive is inviolable.

“Directive One: Locate and acquire Alicorn Engine magi-technology.

“Directive Two: Safeguard the origin’s secret.

“Directive Three: Follow conduct according to the rules and laws of the Principality, except where doing so would violate Directive Two.

“Directive Four: If a single action can lead to immediate success in Directive One, disregard Directive Three.”

“So it can use force to bring an Alicorn Engine back to us for study?” Steel Blue asked.

“Only when it comes to interactions with Gearhead himself. But the true test of this will be when it encounters someone else, whether it chooses to engage in combat or retreat.”

“It could end up destroyed,” Silver Mane said. “What’s your plan if it falls into Gearhead’s hooves?”

“If the unit is destroyed, it is programmed to transmit all of the data it has collected to us. Additionally, it carries a significant amount of explosive energy, with which it would carry out Directive Two to avoid capture, if capture was to become inevitable. Either way, it will leave not a screw for Gearhead to examine.”

“What course of action do you recommend, Doctor?”

“None, other than to observe what it does next, because if it does follow its programming as we intend for it to do, we may have achieved a great leap in magic and technology, even beyond the Alicorn Engine. After all, we may have just created an autonomous mechanized unit.”

* * *

“I am impressed,” Gearhead said, watching 8-bit, Gizmo, Gaffer, and Shining Armour as they worked together. They had created a new type of armour that was flexible and lightweight like any other fabric most of the time, but which could absorb and ablate the impact of most hits in much the same way as Gearhead’s own microscale armour. Their new armourweave, on the other hoof, had the advantage that it could be worn just about anywhere. Its one weakness was that when an impact did come, the whole thing hardened to absorb it, restricting movement. The team was now working on a way to minimize what would be a severe weakness for any soldier.

“Have you seen our other work?” Twilight asked from beside Gearhead.

“’Other?’ If you mean the assist system, I am waiting until it is complete enough to be used with a frame in a practical demonstration before looking into it. But I do approve of an ‘assist,’ rather than a ‘control’ system. You would be surprised how many beings mistake one for the other.”

“Yes well, most of us here are at least smart enough to realize the difference. But do you really think this’ll work? I mean, working at these kinds of projects for as short as three months?”

“This is just the kick-start. I fully expect everyone to continue their development after they leave SorSci. Also, considering the rough start after my announcement everyone’s progress is very nice to see.” Gearhead had a complete listing of all the projects every being was working on, and he checked in with them throughout the day to check on their progress, as well as to see if they needed anything. Some of the participants seemed to have vanished, but he had every confidence they would be back to finish what they had started.

“That makes sense,” Twilight said. “Most ponies can’t just finish things in a matter of months. Innovation is a process, and it’s ongoing. As long as we keep chasing the shadow of perfection it’s an infinite process.”

“Which means that we must know when to stop obsessing over just the one thing and move on to another, because ‘perfect’ does not exist. To that end, we are doing well.”

“Are you worried someone might surpass your Twin Engine because of your challenge?”

“I would be surprised indeed if anyone did, but then that was the challenge. No, as long as it is not dangerous I look forward to seeing such a thing.” Gearhead’s earclip beeped at him, and the call’s information became visible. Since he had the glass set to ‘transparent,’ Twilight saw it too.

“Good news, I hope,” she said.

“Me too. Dawn, Gearhead. Go ahead.”

“Gearhead, we have a situation,” Dawn said, panic evident in her voice.

“Breathe deep, and give me the details, please.”

“This metal I-don’t-know flew in out of I-don’t-know where, and forced his way into the shop. He looked for something upstairs, and now he’s going down, to the basement.”

“Has he attacked anyone?”

“No, but if he tries much more I’m afraid Spring Flight might take exception.”

“Do not engage unless he acts aggressively. Stay out of his way at least until you know what he wants, and even then, only act against him if what he wants is dangerous to you: we can replace and repair items and property, but not lives.”

A moment passed, then Dawn said “understood,” and Gearhead knew that the Pegasi were with her.

* * *

The grey figure in armour had a pony’s head, but it was more lithe and long, like a tiger, and it most certainly had the claws to back that predatory appearance up. It also sported a pair of large wings, now folded, but Dawn and the others had seen the nozzles at the ends, which spouted plasma and hot air as the creature flew.

The creature had simply walked right into the shop, and Dawn and Spring, who had been on duty, had not known how to deal with him. He looked around, and then strode toward the stairs. When Dawn saw that, she tried blocking his path, but the creature merely kept moving, forcing her to get out of the way. Upstairs it had not done more than look around, but now it was heading downstairs, and neither Pony knew what to do, which was why Dawn grabbed her clip to call Gearhead.

Dawn knew that if it came to blows, Gearhead would not be able to get back from Fillydelphia for nearly a day, unless she teleported there, and then teleported back with him. But as long as she could tell him what was going on, he would know if the unknown creature was getting close to something critical, and whether she should step in and stop him. So far, Gearhead just wanted her to observe, and not place herself in peril.

In the basement, the creature looked around again, while advancing into the middle of the room. He didn’t even pause for long at any of the bins, so Dawn concluded that it wasn’t after any of the gems or metals. That pretty much left only one possibility, especially considering how most ponies knew that the Silver Wind was with Gearhead in Fillydelphia: the single-core Alicorn Engine.

The creature turned one complete circuit on the stone floor, and then it unsheathed the claws on all of its paws and started digging. Dawn and Spring watched, fascinated, as it tore through the stone, sinking into the floor. “Now he’s digging into the ground from the basement,” Dawn said.

“Shouldn’t we stop this?” Spring asked.

“I want to try something,” Gearhead said. “Please go find Spike and ask him to send a letter to Princess Celestia asking for an injunction to stop digging and intruding on private and/or commercial property. If this thing stops, we will know, by whatever logic he might possess, that he is law-abiding.”

“Spring, do you want to stay and watch or go?”

“You’re faster,”

“Okay, I’ll be right back. You keep reporting to Gearhead.”

“Done,” Spring adjusted his own clip. Dawn was gone in a flash.

“Don’t start anything without us,” Radar said as she and Torrent were on their way back from a run to the Everfree Forest.

“You don’t have to worry on that count,” Spring said. “I don’t have anything I could attack him with.”

“Fair point,” Torrent said.

As Spring watched, the creature continued to dig, and soon he had created a shaft at least a dozen meters deep that only went straight down. And he was still going.

“It sounds like he is trying to dig deep enough to be able to find a room with certain depth requirements – which would usually translate as height,” Gearhead said.

“Like a place you could house the Wind?”

“That would do it,”

“But we’re not stopping him,” Spring said.

Radar and Torrent came bounding into the room. “That is deep,” Torrent said when he saw the creature’s progress.

“Twenty-seven meters and counting,” Radar said.

“So... did the Array react to him at all?”

“Not that we saw or heard,” Torrent said.

“I could barely sense him, like he’s not all there,” Radar said.

“He must be something new then, like the Jackrabbit spirit was.”

“That’s disturbing,” Spring said.

“At least he hasn’t hurt anyone,” Gearhead said.

“Yes, but now we have a hole in the floor to fill,” Torrent said.

Dawn came trotting down the stairs, and ran up to the hole. “Hey, I have something here you have to see,” she shouted down at the creature. “Are you coming up, or am I coming down?” She took a scroll out of the saddlebag she had not been wearing earlier, and it was clear from Twilight’s cutie mark on the flap that she was just borrowing it.

The creature’s eyes glowed bright blue as he seemed to look up and consider, and then there was a different tone to his activities. Soon he came up over the lip of the hole. “Present for scanning,” he said, his voice oddly flat as it echoed, not in the room but in his own head, or so it seemed.

Dawn cracked the scroll’s seal and unrolled it with her magic.

“Scanning... authenticating... verified as 100% authentic writ. Ceasing activities at this location. Procede to alternate location to carry out Directive One.” The creature started up the stairs.

“Hey, who’s going to clean all this up?!” Spring called.

“And what is ‘Directive One?’” Dawn asked.

But the creature had lost interest in them all. After a moment of stunned silence, Dawn led the way back upstairs, but even when they went outside, the creature was nowhere to be seen.

“What did you bring back to stop him anyway?” Radar asked.

Dawn turned the scroll over to read it. “An injunction, like Gearhead asked. Signed by Princess Celestia...”

“... and Princess Luna?” Torrent asked.

“How does one stallion get approval from both princesses?” Spring asked.

“And on short notice,” Spring said.

“Well,” Gearhead said, still listening through his own comm, “I am one of their students. Now, if only we knew what it was after.”

“What happened to ‘he?’” Spring asked.

“It got knocked off the table when it spoke like a computer, or at least with less personality than mine,” Gearhead said. “Now, Radar, can you track it?”

“I can try. I mean, it appeared very suddenly, and I felt something was wrong. That’s how we knew to come back.”

“I do not like that the Array did not detect it. That means we may not know where it will appear next until it is already there.”

“At least its range should be limited,” Dawn said.

“Should be,” Torrent agreed, looking at Dawn.

“Right. We need to be able to respond to it quickly if this is not a one-time occurrence.”

“If I talk to Mom and Dad we could set up a teleportation relay that’ll take us wherever we need to be.”

“And use up lots of mana,” Gearhead said. “It may not be the smartest set-up, but it may be necessary instead. Okay, but close the store first.”

“We’d better fix the hole, too,” Spring said. “I wonder how close it got?”

Dawn teleported to the bottom of the shaft, and used her horn to summon a light. Once she was back in the Workshop, she explained: “It started digging in a spiral.”

“That’s a good search pattern,” Spring said.

“And still it would not have gotten close. Okay, can we fill it back in before we go anywhere else?”

“You got it, Boss.”

* * *

“Good morning,” Gearhead said to those who had answered his call. He had taken over one of the side conference rooms for this short meeting of the minds. “A situation has come up with an unknown entity who appears to be targeting Alicorn Engine magi-tech. I would like to ask for your assistance in stopping it.”

“Why and how?” One stallion asked.

“Why: because this magi-tech in the wrong hooves can be extremely dangerous. How: separately many of your projects are impressive enough. Assembled together, you could create something akin to an Engine.”

“And we’re just supposed to pull it all together like we know what we’re doing, and we’re okay with others using our stuff?”

“SorSci is all about collaboration, and the only reason we do not know ‘what we are doing’ is because we have yet to do it. But that also means that our potential thief will not know what to expect, and given what it has already displayed it knows, I would appreciate having a wild card.”

“’It?’ This isn’t a pony we’re dealing with?”

“I do not yet know its nature, however it behaves like one my computers, like a machine. If it is, then it is simply following its programming or orders. Just knowing that could lead to the ones behind this trouble.”

“What will you be doing all this time?”

“I will go back to Ponyville, where a chain has been established to get me where I will need to go to have a talk with the thief. I want to ascertain its purpose, so hopefully it will not directly develop into a fight. However, since it knows about the Engine it probably has countermeasures prepared for it. I will try to do things it does not expect, and buy you the time you would need if you are prepared to fight beside me. If not, I will find a way to deal with it.”

“How can you expect us to build something we haven’t even designed yet?”

“I will be leaving the Silver Wind in its hangar. It has a small fabricator aboard. You will be able to use that.”

“You sure it’s smart, leaving one of your biggest guns behind when you’re probably heading into a fight?”

“The Wind is more exploratory vessel than ‘gun.’ The Engine is my ‘big gun,’ as you describe it, but if this creatures has countermeasures against it specifically, I will need to have alternates available. You are one of those, if you want to be. But I can improvise.”

“You’re a planner; you hate improvising.”

“That said, are you with me?”

16. Just a Program

Chapter 16: Just a Program

Gearhead spent the rest of that day coordinating with the Shadows through Dawn in order to establish the teleportation network to match the communication network already in place between each city and town’s Central Condenser. The idea was that instead of one or a few Unicorns exhausting their mana repeatedly teleporting themselves, Gearhead, and whatever equipment he decided to take, they would each take him and his gear on short hops forward. The next Unicorn would then ‘catch’ Gearhead and lob him forward for the next pony in line to catch, and so on until he reached whatever city the machine was attacking.

Of Gearhead’s several available measures, he was most afraid of the machine countering his Twin Engine somehow, before he had a chance to effectively use it. That would make it impossible to use either of his Stabilizers and leave him holding considerable dead weight. Worse, if he took the Engine off because it was no longer operational, the machine could try to take it and run. Gearhead had thus determined that he would take it on just with his magic this time, provided things came to blows.

On the second day, Dawn teleported Gearhead back to Fillydelphia where he checked in on everyone’s progress – not just his wild card team, but the other brilliant minds who were attending SorSci Filly. Some of them had come up with some interesting innovations that would help ponies live more at ease, including a different method of motion for carts from Gearhead’s chain-and-gear system.

Team Wild Card had hit a snag when it came to the distribution of power throughout the armour that was beginning to take shape. The problem came from trying to find a material that could fit underneath the external armour without compromising movement.

Fortunately Gaffer and Gizmo were messing around with some copper, and found by trial-and-error that it was conducive to electricity. Gearhead suggested treating it with heat and magic in a specific way, and then chiselling off the residue and shaping that into small, tight tubules. Twilight noted that the graphite in the pencils Spike sometimes used had a similar make-up, although the two materials were treated differently. The group decided to call the new transparent and durable material ‘graphene.’ Truth to tell, Gearhead had already used a similar material to wire the Wind, but the older stuff was not as flexible or conducive. Maybe he would get the opportunity to replace it later.

Gearhead spent the third day helping out at the shop, where Dawn and the others had already filled in the shaft the machine had dug. In the late afternoon, they finally got a hit: the creature was attacking Vanhoover’s Turbine-1. To travel that far west and north, Gearhead would need a long teleporter chain. “Should we do this outside?” He asked.

“That might be a good idea,” Dawn admitted.

“And should I take a run at it?”

“That could actually help, yes.”

“Okay then,” Gearhead said, leading the way outside.

“What should we do?” Radar asked.

“Keep the shop open unless something happens and we tell you to close. And try to establish a track: I would like to know where this thing goes between hits. Especially so far from the original point of contact.”

“Yes, sir,” Radar said, and she and the others threw off a salute.

Gearhead and Dawn chose an open stretch of path. Dawn took up position ten meters ahead of him, and slightly to his left. “Ready?”

Dawn tilted her head slightly, listening to something he could not hear because he was not part of her family’s telepathic network. “Ready,” she said finally. “Get straight to a canter, and no matter what, keep looking forward and keep moving forward, okay?”

“Understood.”

“On my ‘mark.’ Three... two... one... mark!”

Gearhead launched himself onto a path that would take him right past Dawn. Suddenly the ground was no longer solid, and his surroundings blurred away from the edges inward. As he got closer, Gearhead saw Dawn blur into a dozen different ponies, all of them dark-coated or dark-maned. He suddenly remembered to focus forward, and kept moving on reflex even though he no longer had the sensation of striking his hooves against any surface.

And then he was suddenly on solid ground again, and his surroundings came rushing back, together with the general sound. Gearhead stumbled, and the Unicorn waiting for him caught him, easing him to the ground even as he used his magic to determine whether an abnormality had formed, or if he had been injured in the transit process. “Receipt successful,” the stallion said finally.

Gearhead shook his head clear and reactivated his glasses and earpiece. “Central, Gearhead. Situation?”

“Gearhead, Vanhoover Central. This thing is just tearing at the casing. Fortunately the sensors aren’t logging any progress. The immediate area has been evacuated, and the City Guard has established a perimeter just in case it can’t be talked down.”

“I hope it can,” Gearhead said, and then he trotted toward Turbine-1, while the Unicorn who had served as the final link in his chain stood back and watched.

* * *

“I would thank you not to damage any part if the city’s defences,” Gearhead said as he slowed in his approach. The machine was standing up on its hind legs, although the joints were still articulated like that of a pony, rather than anything resembling Agile Form. It had been slashing at a single precise spot on the conical casing, and while so far it only showed minor scoring and scratched paint, the turbine was fine. Nevertheless, if the machine continued, it could conceivably get through. That was undesirable.

The machine stopped slashing and took one step to turn and face him. “Scanning... Subject not found in ‘Authorized’ listing. Scanning... Identity confirmed: Subject is Verdant Gearhead, creator of the Alicorn Engine.”

“If you are striving for accuracy then it is actually ‘Thirdson Gearhead of Herd Verdant,” Gearhead said dryly.

“Acknowledged. Updating database... update complete. Addendum: Subject ‘Thirdson Gearhead’ constitutes a direct step to fulfilling Directive One.”

“And what is Directive One?”

“Directive One: Locate and acquire Alicorn Engine magi-technology. Unit’s attempt to directly locate and acquire Alicorn Engine terminated prematurely due to royal writ. Unit’s attempt to acquire Alicorn Engine magi-technology indirectly by acquiring Alicorn Array turbine is ongoing. Logical corollary: Unit can acquire Alicorn Engine magi-technology directly by acquiring Subject ‘Thirdson Gearhead.’ Unit will now attempt to complete Directive 1-C.”

“Did you just alter your programming?”

“Affirmative.”

“That is impressive,” Gearhead said. The machine leaned forward, its ‘arms’ bending until they were legs again, and it was able to advance in quadrupedal mode. It took three steps toward him, then stopped, lifting one paw.

“Will Subject ‘Thirdson Gearhead’ accompany unit to origin?”

“What and where is ‘origin?’”

“Unable to transmit due to Directive Three. Will Subject ‘Thirdson Gearhead’ accompany unit to origin?”

“For what purpose?”

“Subject ‘Thirdson Gearhead’ will build or give Alicorn Engine to origin.”

“That technology is not for sale or distribution. Besides, I cannot trust an organization that first sends a machine out to do its work, trespassing and damaging property without even attempting direct communication or negotiation.”

“Directive One must be completed.” The machine took three more steps forward. Gearhead took one step back. “Subject ‘Thirdson Gearhead will come with unit?”

“What do I even call you?”

“Unit is ‘unit.’”

“Do you have anything that cannot refer to any other being?”

“Negative.”

“You are an automaton in armour, so how about ‘Otto?’”

“’Otto?’”

“Well, ‘Tom’ was already taken, may it rock in pieces. So ‘Otto M. Tonne,’ perhaps?”

“Unit does not have any need for a name, however if it will help Subject ‘Thirdson Gearhead’ to trust unit, Subject ‘Thirdson Gearhead’ may call unit that.”

“And Otto can call me ‘Gearhead.’”

“Very well, Subject Gearhead. Has trust been established? Will Subject ‘Gearhead’ come with ‘Otto?’

“Mister, you have a long way to go if you genuinely want to earn my trust. You did not even apologize for digging up my floor and trespassing, nevermind attacking one of my successful installations.”

“’Otto’ will fulfill Directive One. If Subject ‘Gearhead’ will not come with ‘Otto,’ then ‘Otto’ will bring Subject ‘Gearhead.’”

“That would be abduction, and it is against the law.”

“Directive Four conditions have been met. ‘Otto’ will now complete Directive One.”

How many of these directives does this thing have? As Otto charged on all fours, Gearhead drew the Geargem Dagger with his tail so he could call on his magic for physical reinforcement. He called a single Light Spirit into being and directed it into the small blade, then side-stepped as Otto came at him, slapping the machine across its side as it passed.

“Self-defence has been established,” Otto said as it skidded to a halt, only then to fully reorient on Gearhead. It unsheathed the claws on its forepaws.

“You are kidding me, correct? After you dug into my home, attacked my Array, and charged at me?” Unfortunately that ring of impact is fairly unmistakable: whatever or whoever this ‘origin’ is, they did not spare any expense on Otto’s armour: it is adamantine. He used the sensors built into his glasses to confirm that the machine’s armour was entirely made of the material. While it was not dragonfired like the turbine’s shell, it was still extremely durable. The Geargem Dagger would not cut through it unless Gearhead enchanted it rather heavily.

Otto pounced, but Gearhead called on his Light Wings to quickly gain some distance and altitude while he started to chant his next spell. Otto, however, had other ideas, immediately pursuing, and Gearhead was surprised to see that its wings used plasma-producing engines, similar to the ones Fixit had sported.

Gearhead decided to try another tactic, turning so he faced Otto, holding his extended blade between them. “Quattuor Magnae Spiritus invoco Sagitta Magica undecim Lucis.” Behind his mind’s eye, he imagined the corresponding magic circle. It appeared, firing off the eleven Light Arrows. Otto responded not by evading as Gearhead most expected, but by bringing its six wingtips forward. The Light Arrows unwound and got sucked into those wingtips without harming the automaton at all.

“You can absorb magic,” Gearhead said.

“Affirmative. Will Subject ‘Gearhead’ come..?”

“You have the ability, let us see what you can do with it,” Gearhead said. He called on his Anklet to activate its magic circuits, but not to call upon its fully-activated abilities. “Quattuor Magnae Spiritus invoco. Spiritus Fulgor, evoco ex vacuo et percutiam me inimucus. Fulgor Securis!”

“Subject ‘Gearhead’ struggles in futility. Subject ‘Gearhead’ will be injured, but recoverable. ‘Otto’ will now act to fulfill Directives 1-C and Four.” Otto continued to charge, while Gearhead continued to fly backwards, sliding left or right if it seemed like he could sneak in some more distance as the lightning energy gathered to his sword.

Gearhead created a charging circuit between himself, the Geargem Dagger, and his Elemental Anklet, with its circuits open to conducting and building up more mana than Gearhead could cope with on his own. Whatever Otto’s capacity, it had to be lower than what Gearhead had at his disposal, especially if it could not keep up with the demands entailed in absorbing magic power.

Gearhead unleashed a continuous blast of magical lightning directly at Otto. Again, the automaton slowed and angled its wingtips to absorb the energy, charging and protecting itself at the same time. To do this, however, it had to go through several steps with the single large beam: the energies had to be unbraided from each other and unbound. They had to be converted into useful energy that would not do any damage. Only then could the power be cycled into storage or use.

Even though the point where the blast energy was being visibly unbraided started out five meters in front of Otto, that point was slowly closing the distance as the machine could not keep up with the steady, unyielding flow. Perhaps it continued in its efforts in anticipation of the point when Gearhead would run out of mana, or when he would at least let up with his spell. Unfortunately that was not Gearhead’s plan, and the barely-visible, harmful part of the spell was soon centimeters from Otto’s wingtips.

Otto rolled to minimize the damage, trying to slip away, but an explosion signalled success for Gearhead and failure for the machine. “Error: Batteries at overcapacity. Wing-3 destroyed. Wing-4 medium damaged. Batteries leaking. Must deploy countermeasures. Must fulfill Directive Three.”

Gearhead had only understood part of that, and those consisted of the parts where he was beating Otto, but Otto was about to counterattack. Gearhead reinforced his shielding and prepared to launch a follow-up attack.

Otto’s left forepaw receded into its leg, revealing a large barrel, from which he shot a golden sphere. The sphere exploded with light and fury, even to the point of temporarily overwhelming the filters on Gearhead’s glasses. Even as he shook his eyes clear, and twitched his ears to try to clear the ringing, he zigged and zagged about the sky to avoid any attacks that might be coming.

Once Gearhead’s vision and hearing were back, however, he was able to see that Otto was gone, having fled the scene. If the automaton still was carrying some of Gearhead’s mana, the latter might have been able to track it, but the trail soon ran out, the machine having bled it all out, together with some of the mana it had originally been using as power. “Control, Gearhead. Do you have a track?”

“I’m sorry, sir. It went silent and completely invisible right after it released that flash bomb. It’s gone.”

“At least we learned a few things about it,” although it is hard to imagine how I could defeat it alone, and it learned plenty about me too.

“Yes sir,”

“It is getting late. Is the chain ready to send me back to Ponyville?”

“Yes sir,”

“In that case, I have some planning to do.”

* * *

How could Gearhead defeat an automaton that did not tire, could become undetectable, and which was armoured completely in adamantine? He needed something that would allow him to get underneath that armour, but the Geargem Dagger was not up to the job: it was designed more for energy delivery than for cutting, despite its form as a bladed weapon, and its diamond-hard surface had already been chipped. What was needed here was a blade that could cut even diamond with ease.

The prospect of such a weapon made Gearhead uncomfortable, but it seemed as though it would be necessary. To help avoid chances of anyone else using it with any ease, Gearhead went about designing the new weapon to only be compatible while using the Full Armour Stabilizer. At nearly thrice a normal pony’s size, even a Griffin would find it unwieldy, but many Dragons could still use it for a toothpick. There was not much Gearhead could do to mitigate that.

Gearhead used every trick available to him in order to ensure the cutting blade could only be used when certain conditions were met, and to pile on as many conditions as he could. He mounted it within a long, oval tower shield so it had to be released and swung into a locking position on the bottom of the shield, which was itself fairly large, but he also made it so he could wield it with the butt of the shield pointing off the end of his hand, so obviously it was best used in Agile Form. It was not impossible to use normally, if only as a lance.

To maximize the chances that the new sword would do damage without taking as much to itself, Gearhead crafted it from dragonfired adamantine with condenser gemstones, but he also used graphene along the support lattices for strength and conductivity. It was also double-edged, so more like Silver Wind’s prow than like the Geargem Dagger, that way Gearhead could use it to strike with backhand slashes as well as forehand ones. He fully expected to have to be as fast as possible to be able to hit Otto next time.

In Fillydelphia, Team Wild Card was trying to complete the final stages as quickly as possible, so they cut corners on development when and where they could: when it came to armour, they used several elements from Gearhead’s microscale for inspiration.

For power, they decided that it would be best to keep the armour as charged as possible by having a high-level Unicorn use it, and there was only one there who was also acclimated to moving in Agile Form, which would increase the armour’s effectiveness. They also mounted some canons and blades as back-up weapons, however the armour’s primary weapon would be a dagger and shield set, specially customized for the wearer.

Gearhead asked his network to keep all their senses peeled for any news of Otto, as well as any signs that it might still be suffering from having its batteries damaged. In all likelihood it needed to recharge, on top of requiring repairs, and any news on that front would lead to confronting it all the sooner.

* * *

Four days after Otto’s attack on Vanhoover, Gearhead had already moved all of his assets, stationing them in Canterlot. As central as the capital was to Equestria, the Shadow’s mages would be able to move him and his partner out to any point on the map equally fast. It would not matter where Otto attacked that way.

It was just as well that all that remained for the second armour was its fine tuning, since Gearhead decided to move them by flying Silver Wind to Canterlot. He had also added some parameters to the Arrays’ activation conditions, so they should be able to detect Otto before he started his attack. It was also just as well that Gearhead had decided to station himself in Central Equestria, freeing up all of the Unicorns who were stationed along all of the lines that did not lead to whichever city Otto attacked, because it would require two or three of them to teleport the Full Armour for him.

As it turned out, Otto targeted Hollow Shades, a town and one of the first that Gearhead had chosen to equip with the Alicorn Engine. Its smaller size relative even to Ponyville meant that it could be evacuated more easily. It was also located between Canterlot and Fillydelphia – closer to the latter, however the teleportation line would have had to have started there in the first place.

When Dawn launched Gearhead, the other armour was not ready yet, but Gearhead was confident he could stall Otto long enough for his wild card to arrive: he had come up with a few strategies to deal with the troublesome automaton that did not include the use of his Full Sword, however they required a great deal of casting time. To try to buy that, Gearhead ‘ported in wearing only his Twin Engine to start, although he was already in Agile Form so he did not need to take the time to change later.

“Subject ‘Gearhead’ detected. Target ‘Twin Core Alicorn Engine’ detected. Directive One will be fulfilled now.” Otto had gone from six wings to twelve, six on each side, all spread wide and acting as support for the two half-disks now mounted to his back, the barrels of a pair of canons sticking up past its head. Ottis lowered both barrels, and Gearhead saw the cones of light as they charged. He climbed, so there was nothing behind him that the blasts could hit when he flew a spiral path to dodge them both.

“Quattuor Magnae Spiritus invoco. Evoco Spiritus Lux et Spiritus Solis. Maturarent procella Ventis Austrinos. Torquent Aquae Aquilonis gelida. Congregate, et efficiamini mei ensis. Iovem Tempestas!” Otto simply hovered and waited while Gearhead completed the incantation, even opening fire with both of his bladecasters for good measure. The bolts splashed harmlessly against Otto’s adamantine armour, but it opened up several large vents in both disks to absorb the power from Jove’s Thunderstorm, which Gearhead continued to fire for a full ten seconds before letting up.

“Unit fully charged. No tactics will work a second time. Fighting is useless. Surrender now.”

“It is called testing the waters,” Gearhead said. “Cantus Bellax, plenum potestatem.” He flew up into the air, and then used his activation key again. Seeing this, Otto charged, moving twice as fast as before. Gearhead went into a spin, still wielding both bladecasters, but in sword mode now, and feeding them a constant, if small, stream of Light Magic to augment their strength.

Otto had swords of its own, extending from its arms after it transformed to bipedal mode. They showed little in the way of damage as Gearhead blocked Otto’s flurry of slashes and thrusts: while they were delivered at high speeds that stretched the capabilities of what a normal pony could do, they were also textbook attacks, and therefore predictable. They also lacked a certain energy, so Gearhead easily turned them aside, even if Otto was, at least at first, able to move slightly faster than him.

Gearhead countered one spinning move by crossing his arms all around his body and slashing up and across with both at the same time. He then followed through with a double-downward slash, but then broke into independent left and rights slashes where he aimed for an arm or a leg or Otto’s torso seemingly at random. Rather than having to keep up with the barrage, Otto backed off.

That was when the Full Armour, which Midnight and Dusk had sent barely a minute before, swooped in in docking mode, having scanned for, and found, the perfect opportunity. In flyer mode, the armour was one and a half times Gearhead’s own size, and somewhat resembled a bird with its wings on backwards. When it docked with the Twin Engine, however, the armour plating quickly swung and locked into place, with Gearhead sitting in the middle so his arms and legs only reached partway down each corresponding limb. His own head still sat in the head part of the armour, and he looked through a full helmet that was very similar to the one he had worn at Wonderbolts Academy.

The Full Armour had eight wings just like the smaller Stabilizer. The major difference was that it provided protection to the entire body, where the Twin Core’s harness only protected the torso. Apart from being large enough to accommodate Snowbelle, it also packed more power. Gearhead had painted it white with forest green and turquoise trim so it would stand out, even discounting its size. He adjusted the shield on his arm so it was positioned for easy access to the Full Sword if he ended up needing it.

“What’s that on its back?” Shining Armour asked, flying in to hover five meters to Gearhead’s right. Like Gearhead, he was in Agile Form, but unlike Gearhead, his armour made him normal sized. It was done in Armour’s colour scheme, two blade-like wings projecting from the shoulders, with a smooth, shallow pod that emitted a pale white light sitting between them. Armour wore his shield strapped to his left arm, but he had not yet drawn his own dagger. He had also borrowed the shallow V visor from the Wonderbolts design.

“I believe it is a high-capacity energy storage device. Possibly it can even emit that energy as well, just in case I try the same strategy as before.”

“But you never use the same strategy twice,” Armour said.

“Indeed not. Shall we see how much casting time you can buy me?”

“Absolutely,” Shining drew his dagger, growing it to sword size. Likewise, he changed his shield to long tower-style instead of the original buckler shape. Gearhead put his shield back the way it had been and switched to his bladecasters, made larger and more powerful by the Full Armour’s attachments, just like with his other Stabilizer.

“Two will not make any difference,” Otto said even as Armour and Gearhead charged together, Gearhead offering cover fire to his friend and former-teacher. Armour was also able to fire single blasts from his sword, but he used that sparingly, as though he could not use it often.

Several large vents opened up in Otto’s backpack as the two casters advanced on it, and then the air was suddenly filled with energy beams, an overwhelming fusillade. Both attackers continued to fly behind their shields, which took or deflected the beams they could not dodge. At close range, Otto switched to his blades, and had to deal with Armour attacking on one side and Gearhead still firing from the other.

Otto tried manoeuvring closer to Gearhead and further from Shining Armour, trying to manage them by their attack types, and even as turquoise particles began to fill the air around them, Armour pressed his attacks all the harder.

Suddenly Armour lunged for Otto’s back, and it turned to compensate. It opened up an emitter in the palm of its paw, and fired. In the same instant, Gearhead lurched closer to Otto, his shield rotating slightly. The Full Sword clicked free of its sheath within the shield even as Gearhead swung the armour’s arm faster. Otto slid to the left and back, making his shot graze Armour, but the Full Sword also grazed its own armour, putting more than a simple mark in its paint. It locked into place with another click, and then Gearhead was able to send particles and mana into the blade through the graphite channels.

Gearhead could practically see the calculations flying through Otto’s electronic mind, or whatever passed for it. The inevitable conclusion was that it was more dangerous to let Gearhead get close to it with the Full Sword than anything else. And while Otto wanted to steal the Twin Engine, if he could not do that without getting bifurcated, then that would not do any good. Better to see if it could wear Gearhead out, and then incapacitate him and take the Engine, as well as Gearhead himself.

As Otto spiralled and flipped and slid for space, Gearhead stowed his sword and shield, instead going for his bladecasters and the attachments that allowed him to use the Hyper Railgun. While Armour continued to press Otto alone, Gearhead flew little evasive patterns and charged for the shot, just as he had against Abyssal Trance.

Below, Otto tried to siphon Armour’s mana, but it could only get wisps of whatever was coming off of the prince’s sword or shield whenever they came into contact with Otto or its weapons. Otto switched to its full fusillade to try to push Armour back, but he just used his shield again. Gearhead was far enough away, and agile enough, to dodge the blasts that would have reached him.

When Otto stopped firing to try to flank Armour in his shielded position, Armour spun and stabbed his sword out over the lip of his shield, catching Otto and forcing it back into a defensive posture. Like the Geargem Dagger, Armour’s sword could not do more than dent Otto’s armour one swing at a time, but Armour was infusing it with magic for a much bigger impact. His armour was also supercharging his magic and feeding it back to him as boosted power.

The three panels on Gearhead’s rifle snapped shut, and he blinked in the command to let Armour know that he was ready. It was now Armour’s job to keep Otto fighting in one place and vulnerable to attack long enough for the bullet to hit. Gearhead glided slowly forward to make his partner’s job a little easier, and then he took his anchoring stance.

There was the echoing boom when Gearhead fired, the shockwaves as the bullet ripped through the magi-sound barriers during the acceleration phase, and Otto was half-turning to see what was going on. The bullet entered through the long radial of the right disk, and Otto jerked slightly as the shell buried into its shoulder. Then there was the secondary explosion of magical energy, even as Armour turned and flew as fast as he could for distance. The damaged disk exploded, releasing all of the mana it had previously contained, and delivering major damage to the wings on that side. Otto lurched at the explosion of energy in its shoulder as well, and then began to turn toward Gearhead.

The Earth Pony had already returned the attachments to his back, and he was deep into his spellcasting again, bladecasters held crossed in front of him. The air around him shivered as the energy responded to his call, and Otto charged. Almost immediately it got knocked off course by Shining Armour, charging in at full speed to strike its damaged left side and sheer away more adamantine plating. Otto tried to bring its blades into play against the Unicorn, and apparently realized that Armour was in under its range, so it reverted to using its claws.

In the same moment that it started to swing, Armour kicked off with both feet to launch himself away from Otto faster. He moved his shield quickly into position, and then shield rushed the damaged automaton. The impact was jarring, but this time Armour disengaged more quickly, flipping around to attack with his sword this time.

As though frustrated and determined to win this time, Otto threw all his claws and all of his swords into a furious dance. Razor-sharp adamantine surrounded Armour in all directions, closing fast. Even his microscale would not allow him to escape unscathed, and once Otto latched on, it would not let go until Armour did not have any will remaining to resist.

The two blade-like wings on Armour’s back opened up into halves, each completed by a dark purple blade of its own, and suddenly he was not in Otto’s attack range at all. Armour reappeared five meters above and behind Otto, who turned as soon as it detected the interloper, expecting an attack. Armour did not move, though. In fact, he was in the same ready stance as before, so Otto flew around to his right to flank him, but before even one blade could land, Armour blinked out of existence again. He reappeared five meters away, in the opposite direction.

Otto stalked closer, possibly trying to calculate what was going on. Suddenly the air around it became intensely cold. Ice formed all around it, but not as arrows are javelins with which it might have been attacked. It was as if the very air was freezing. Otto turned and scanned for a safe place, and detected that even Armour was getting caught in the flash freeze. Only he was not caught at all, vanishing and reappearing beside Gearhead, from whom an intense blue energy was pouring.

The spell suddenly coalesced and completed, encasing Otto in a thick shell of ice the size of Ponyville’s Town Hall. It did not even fall, but floated there, as if the very laws of physics had been broken – as indeed they had: Gearhead had completed casting a High Ancient Ice Spell. Absolute Zero did what should have been physically impossible and lowered the very temperature to the point where the bonds that held objects and even living things together were robbed of the energy they needed to move and stay together. This was a temperature called ‘absolute zero,’ and where movement on a micro scale was prevented, things shattered.

As indeed, the iced area did, with Otto still caught inside it.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Armour said, for although its wings and disk were gone, Otto remained, although in a much slimmer form now that its adamantine armour had been destroyed. Its eyes shone red, and it launched itself at Armour and Gearhead on a pillar of flame, long blades extended as it sought the kill.

Armour’s wings closed, the ability, engineered by Time Turner, to shift space around him, exhausted. Even though Armour powered his armour with his mana, and it amplified and fed it back to him, the effort he had put into fighting Otto had all but exhausted him. He could still fly, and he could rely on his shield for protection, but he could not fight this charging force of metal fury.

Gearhead was similarly exhausted after the preliminary fight, firing his Hyper Railgun, and then casting Absolute Zero, a spell he was not used to using with an element for which he did not have high affinity. But the Twin Engine had been mostly unaffected by the energy demands that he had placed on it this time, and the Full Armour offered him many options when it came to arms and protection. Gearhead only needed one.

As Otto charged unerringly toward them, Gearhead flew forward just one pace to meet him, swinging his rotating shield around, and down. The Full Sword swung into place, locking itself in, and became energized. That single quick slash severed Otto form left hip to right shoulder, and then both combat mages had to get down behind their shields again to save themselves from the explosion.

* * *

Doctor Sparks jumped in his seat when the console beeped at him, but then he sighed in relief: the receiver had recovered all of the information before it could get lost. Sparks quickly went about loading it all onto one small data crystal, and a couple minutes later he left the otherwise empty laboratory.

Naturally it was only a matter of time before the Defence Alliance found this secret installation. They would find it empty, and if they could lift any useful clues from it, they deserved it. If not, if they just skipped over anything Sparks had forgotten to take, then they deserved nothing, not even his respect, and the facilities could be used again: few ponies checked the same place twice, after all, and there was nothing more useful than a secret laboratory with prime real estate.

The last thing Sparks did was to unplug two thick wires that fed into two big tanks filled with flowing blue-white energy. He plugged each wire into its partners port, and cantered from the room. Minutes later he was outside, and all of the circuits inside the facility were completely overloaded by a massive feedback loop, rendering them useless.

Sparks patted his jacket pocket one more time to ensure the cluster’s final present was still there. While it had ultimately failed to recover a working Alicorn Engine or Array, or to bring back Gearhead himself, it had transmitted all the data it had gathered on the way an Alicorn Engine might work. Of special interest was the make-up of those warm, turquoise energy specks that the Engines and Arrays all produced. If Sparks could determine what they were, that was a step closer to discovering how they were made.

The sacrifice of a single mechanical unit was well worth that major step forward. Besides, they now knew that the cluster design worked. Their armour design worked. It all worked well beyond what Sparks had dreamed it would, even to the point of fighting hoof to hoof with Gearhead and his Twin Engine. All he and his team had to do was adjust some of the programming so it would not go wild, and they would have the perfect tool.

Sparks believed his lord and lady would be pleased at the unparalleled success they had won from a bad situation. TRINITY was finally ready to move forward, and best of all, neither Gearhead nor the DA nor even the princesses knew anything about the organization behind it all.

The cluster may have failed to fulfill one of its directives, but it had succeeded everywhere else. The data it had gleaned and sent might even lead to completing Directive One the way Sparks had originally intended.

* * *

Gearhead was fascinated by the concept of an autonomous, programmed being, but he would never create one himself. The systems he used to help control his Alicorn Engines, to control his automated fabrication machines, and to monitor and control the Alicorn Arrays were all programmed just for their specific tasks, and nothing else. They could never become self-aware the way Otto had, because they were there to assist, and would thus never have control.

Very few pieces remained from the automaton, as fully destroyed as it had been. There was, however, one small orb made of highly durable adamantine. When Gearhead carefully cracked it open, he discovered an arrangement of three cradles and the powdered remnants of three corresponding crystals.

Since the crystals had been protected by adamantine, and the only internal components to be so protected, it was easy to conclude that they were important. Gearhead scanned the powder and found that the crystals that used to be there were used to store data. Given how large they were, it had been a massive amount of data. He knew that Otto had been pre-programmed, and that it had learned as it experienced things. It had, apart from some very basic building blocks, operated independently, and could have easily gone beyond its original programming. All of that required a high degree of skill, which Gearhead had never seen before.

It also required the capacity to store the fruits of any labour using that skill. Gearhead was left guessing what means this apparent genius might have used. No being at SorSci was working on anything even remotely similar.

And that was fine with Gearhead, who watched as Armour and the others removed the borrowed elements from their armour and finished the project their way. Although SorSci still had much of three months to go, he already thought of it as a big success.

On the other hoof, the three heads of the DA, the royal sisters, and Gearhead himself wanted to discover who had made Otto. While Gearhead wanted to ask the creator some questions, he also agreed that there was a need for justice.

17. Planning For Chaos

Chapter 17: Planning For Chaos

Crown Investigations and the DA began their search two days after Otto’s last attack, since nobody came forth to claim responsibility. In a way it was a shame, since it was a great scientific and magical achievement in the fields of independent intelligence and automation, however with the crimes Otto had committed everypony from Princess Celestia to Gearhead understood why nobody with power would want to claim responsibility. And it had to be some being with a great deal of power and resources, to have that much adamantine and magic available for a single unit.

When a CI unit discovered the secret laboratory complex in the Canterlot Caves, not far from where Chrysalis had held her prisoners, they also confirmed that it took a high amount of resources to do what the responsible party had done. The complex itself was a third the size of the city, and while every room had been stripped clean and the wiring melted to ensure none of the larger equipment could be used, the structures themselves remained intact.

Princess Luna brought Gearhead and Twilight into the investigation to see what they could recover, but with everything remaining scrapped, all Gearhead could tell the investigators was how to remove and replace the wiring if they intended on making use of the complex from then on. It was, after all, a usable space.

The one thing that Gearhead knew for certain was that development of Otto had not had any boosts from his own magi-tech. While chances were great that it had been inspired by the Alicorn Engine, none of Gearhead’s signature touches had been on Otto, nor any of his safeguards. Even as Otto had attacked an Array, his original safeguards had thwarted its efforts. Still, the DA insisted on investigating every possibility.

Gearhead returned to Ponyville, and for the rest of SorSci he would spend one day of each week checking in on each project’s progress. The rest of the time, he continued to run Gearhead’s Gadgets and work on his own innovations.

One innovation Gearhead hoped would never see the light of day again was the Full Sword. He removed it from the Full Armour and placed it in a deep vault build underneath the Hangar. If he ever used it again, it would be against a foe too powerful for any half-measures, or even for the Elements of Harmony.

* * *

As he flew out to the field just north of Ponyville, Gearhead wondered why Princess Celestia always seemed to keep her summons so vague and cryptic. This morning was not any different, since according to the letter to Twilight, the princess had only asked that Gearhead join the Elemental Six there, and further that he bring the Stabilized Twin Engine.

The one thing he did know was that it was wise to take such things seriously, as warnings, and prepare as best as possible. To that end, Gearhead had only left the Fireheart Gemstone behind, once again secured after his battle with Abyssal Trance and Nightmare Moon.

When Gearhead landed in the field, only Applejack, Fluttershy, and Dash were missing. Princess Celestia had already arrived, and from the distinctive form she had had a second team of Royal Guards fly in, Gearhead could not readily blame Twilight for chewing her mentor out, even as respectful as she was being in the process.

“I believe that there should be a way to reform Discord,” Celestia was saying. “If you can convince him to use his powers for the greater good instead of evil, I have a purpose for them.”

“And how are we meant to control him?” Rarity asked.

“I believe Fluttershy may hold the key to that,” Celestia said. “Where might she be?”

“She’s helping Applejack over at Sweet Apple Acres,” Pinkie said.

“I already sent Rainbow Dash to bring both of them back here,” Twilight said. “They should be back shortly.”

“I am sorry to place this kind of pressure on you and your friends once again, Twilight. I have to return to Canterlot for the Royal Summit, yet the sooner we have Discord on our side the better.”

“Again with all due respect, Princess, I don’t know how we can do this, but we’ll try our best. I suppose at worst we could just turn him back to stone using the Elements.”

“That is true, although it would be unfortunate for us all,” Celestia said.

“Unfortunately I do not currently trust him as far as Fluttershy could throw him,” Gearhead said. “I know this mysterious purpose you have in mind will be worth the effort we are about to go through, or you would not ask this of us.”

“That is correct,” Celestia said. “And speaking of ‘correct,’ Discord seems to follow his own set of rules, provided you can make any sense of them.”

“Really?” Rarity asked.

“I didn’t get that sense at all,” Twilight said.

* * *

Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy arrived a couple minutes later. “Discord? Seriously?” Dash asked.

“Seriously,” Celestia said with an absolutely straight face. “As I just finished explaining, I hope that all of you will be able to work together to reform him, motivating him to use his magic for good. Fluttershy, because of your skills managing different creatures I believe you are the natural choice to lead in this effort.”

“Again, seriously?” Dash said.

Celestia ignored that jibe. “Fluttershy, if you are willing to do this, I would be highly grateful.”

“Do you really think I could tame Discord?”

“I do,” Celestia said softly, and Fluttershy blushed.

“Then I’ll do my best, together with everypony else.”

“Then I guess I’d better go run to get the Elements,” Spike said. He only got a couple of steps, however, before Celestia revealed that she had brought them with her in a chest, and even enchanted them with protection against Discord’s meddling. She then left for the return flight to Canterlot.

“I guess we had better get this over with,” Twilight said, distributing the Elements. Gearhead noticed that they were all also wearing their Anklets as backup, although like his they were in their black inactive mode.

“I really wish we didn’t,” Spike said.

“We have to at least try,” Twilight said.

“Even if it makes no sense,” Dash said as she and the others got into position around the still-petrified Draconequus.

“Of course it doesn’t make any sense,” Rarity said, “it’s Discord we’re talking about here.”

“Maybe we can get a little chocolate rain? With whipped cream?” Pinkie said.

“Focus, please. Lets give this our all, even if we just end up re-sealing him,” Twilight said.

With all six mares in position and focused, the gems set in their necklaces and Twilight’s tiara shone with power. The mars lifted into the air, and then prisms of energy wound out to surround the statue. Once the target was set and his status thoroughly read, the Elements connected with each other through a ribbon of rainbow-coloured magic that met around the gem in the tiara. The circle of Artifacts flashed with blinding light, and then Gearhead was watching cracks form in the statue, and Discord’s roar turned into a yawn. The Earth Pony’s vision became sharper, and his thoughts became clearer as the magic within him resonated with Discord’s.

Discord started stretching. “Finally,” the Draconequus said, “it’s about time somepony got me out of there..” He wiggled every which way, then leaned over and back, looking Twilight directly in the eye.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Twilight asked.

“Stretching, of course. As a creature of pure chaos, a stone prison isn’t typically my go-to fashion choice.” He snapped his claw, and a rabbit turned alarmingly buff. With a snap of his paw, Discord also similarly transformed a squirrel, which immediately broke off the branch on the tree below it.

“You turn them back to normal now, Dipcord!” Dash said.

“Or what? You don’t dare disappoint your precious princess.”

“What do you know about it?” Twilight said.

“Oh please. Being turned to stone doesn’t mean I don’t hear everything you, or Celestia, say, although it does make rolling my eyes a challenge.” Discord took his eyes out of his head with his paw, and rolled them into a pair of holes in the ground, from which he materialized, rising back up.

“You heard everything?” Twilight asked.

“Including how you think this one can be the one to ‘tame’ me,” Discord said chuckling in Fluttershy's direction. “You’re just too cute, I could pinch your cheeks!”

“Sorry, I am still on the fact that you were aware of everything that was going on around you,” Gearhead said. “For over a thousand years?”

“What do you expect? It’s not like the spell was perfect.”

“Is that why you’re the way you are?” Pinkie asked.

“Oh my, no! I’ve always been this fun. Ha! Mind you, I did go sane for a few hundred years there.”

“I may be starting to see why Princess Celestia insisted that we do this for her, and you,” Gearhead said.

“I think you mean ‘try,’ Gearhead. No matter how smart you might think you are, there’s no way you’ll be able to control me.”

“Well then, if it turns out we can’t, I’m sure the princesses would understand why we would have to return you to stone!” Twilight said.

“Yes, I suppose that’s correct,” Discord said. He snapped his claw, returning the rabbit and squirrel to normal size, only to have the squirrel’s makeshift club crash down in his head, and the rabbit fall to the ground. Discord shrugged, but then he snapped his tail. Gearhead felt the air shiver with magic, but did not see any changes. “Oopsie,” the Draconequus said to nothing behind him.

“Lets get started,” Twilight said.

“Oh yes,” Discord said. “Lets do that, and I believe I know where I’ll be staying for the duration.” He warped Fluttershy into his arms. “With you,” the Spirit of Chaos said, laughing.

“Oh... my,” Fluttershy had to have been wondering what she could do, but then Princess Celestia had placed most of the burden on her anyway. It was time to start brainstorming ideas.

“Oh hey, Discord?”

“What is it, Gearhead?” Discord found himself looking down the length of the Geargem Dagger.

“Claws and paws off my marefriend, if you please, unless she gives consent for, say, hugs.”

“My bad,” Discord said, immediately letting go. If he expected Fluttershy to drop directly to the ground, he was mistaken, as she reflexively started to fly again. “Oh poo,” he muttered.

“It seems to me you know not with whom you are dealing anymore,” Gearhead said, sheathing his weapon.

“We shall see who knows whom best,” Discord said.

* * *

“Are you sure about this, Fluttershy? We don’t even know how long this will take.” As Twilight spoke she could not help tracking Discord after he materialized on the couch in the cottage, appropriating Angel’s favourite spot in one neat move.

“It’s alright, Twilight. We should be able to think of ways to let him see that it’s better to behave well as we watch over him.”

“I can’t keep watching this,” Dash said, wincing as Discord continued to tease Angel.

“We’ll be outside,” Rarity said.

“But if you need anything at all, just whisper ‘help’ and we’ll come running,” Twilight said.

“Okay,”

“Gearhead, are you coming?”

“One moment,” the stallion said before he turned away from Discord to follow the others outside.

“I don’t like this,” Rarity said. “I’d really prefer to have a Plan B in place just in case.”

“Yeah, I don’t wanna leave Fluttershy to do this alone, but I just can’t stand that guy,” Dash said.

“I think I have an idea,” Twilight said. “I just need to find the right book.”

“A spell?” Gearhead asked. “Are you certain magical manipulation would be a good idea?”

“I’m sure I could find something that’d work even on Discord.”

“But how would that make us any different from him?”

“You’re right: we shouldn’t force it on him, as long as he gives us a choice. On top of that, who knows how long it’d last, and what he’d do after breaking free.”

“He’d probably be pretty pissed off at us,” Dash said.

“We don’t want him angry, we want him happy!” Pinkie said.

“So, any bright ideas, Gearhead?” Applejack asked.

“Since we want him to take our side, the most basic aspect would be to show him that there is more value in being our friend than in being our enemy.”

“Considering the alternative is to be locked away in stone, that should be easy,” Rarity said.

“But he’ll try to make it impossible for us to use the Elements and seal him again, I’m sure of it,” Dash said.

“Not that that should matter now that we also have the Anklets,” Gearhead said.

“You know, I’ve never made a real friend by threatening them before,” Pinkie said.

After a moment Twilight said, “you’re right: threatening Discord should be a last resort at best, if we really want to make the best example possible of what friendship with us could bring him.”

“So what does that leave us, taking away all the threats?” Dash asked. “Do we just do nothing at all while he changes everything around us?”

“No. Like Gearhead said, we demonstrate the values of friendship ourselves. Even if we do it one at a time instead of all together he should be able to see the benefits if somepony just shows it to him instead of sealing him away,” Twilight said.

“And you know,” Dash said, “tag teaming him could help us extend our endurance against him.”

“Not to mention our sanity,” Rarity said.

“What was that?” Pinkie asked, bouncing on the spot.

“Nevermind,” the others chimed.

“But we should also be firm,” Twilight said, “that way we also show what’s at stake.”

“That said, I can’t see leaving him alone with Fluttershy being a good idea,” Applejack said.

“Agreed,” Gearhead said, “which is why I am going back in.”

“Isn’t that going to be awkward, being in the same place with the mare you’re dating while trying to teach a chaos spirit about friendship?”

“The awkwardness does not matter compared to Fluttershy. Besides,” Gearhead turned back to the others, looking each in the eye, “apparently my resonance with Discord lets me see things others cannot. He casted one more spell before we came here, but I have not seen the results yet. I would like to keep up my vigilance, just in case.”

“Ah, okay,” Dash said.

“Well then, good luck,” Rarity said.

Gearhead waved a hoof as the others left, then he went back into the cottage.

“You’re back?” Fluttershy asked, wide-eyed in surprise.

“Yes, I changed my mind: I will act as your second, unless that gets in the way of your plans?”

“Not at all, I appreciate it.”

“What’s this, don’t trust me, Gearhead?” Discord asked from the couch. Gearhead could already see that the lamp that had been on the table beside it had been replaced with one shaped like Discord.

“Trust is something that beings earn even as they become friends, Discord, and at the moment I do not trust you. You have yet to do anything to earn my trust, but hopefully soon you will.”

“And here I thought lecturing was Twilight Sparkle’s thing,”

“Do not worry, Discord: we all have lessons to impart to you. Each of us, in turn, will play our part in your reformation.”

“Aren’t friendship lessons Twilight’s thing again?”

“Actually,” Fluttershy said, “Princess Celestia lets all of us do them. She has since just after you came along.”

Discord looked directly at Gearhead and Fluttershy. “Oh joy,” he said flatly.

“Maybe,” Gearhead said. “In any case, we are currently in a stage of experimentation. We are going to try different things to see what passes with you, and drop the things that do not. While we do so, we would also like you to take note of the things that do not pass with us as well.”

“You do realize who you’re talking to, right? What ‘passes’ for me is that I do what I want. Or is that too complicated for you?”

“I believe you are going to learn fairly quickly that you cannot always do or have what you want,” Gearhead said. “Friendship is as much about compromising to reach a comfortable middle ground as it is about trust and respect, among other things.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to make me do trust exercises,”

“I do not believe you would be ready for those,” Gearhead said.

“For now, lets see how we all adjust to being in the same space with each other, okay?” Fluttershy said.

* * *

At first Fluttershy nervously watched Discord and Gearhead out of the corner of her eyes as she prepared tea and snacks for them. To her, it felt as though they could spring into a fight at any moment, especially since Gearhead’s green eyes had seemed brighter and sharper ever since they had released Discord. And Gearhead seemed to be making a point of letting his opposite number know it, by keeping his glasses propped up on his bangs as they sat and talked.

Naturally, Discord could not remain silent or still for even a moment, and he spent most of his time picking on Angel in little ways, probably knowing that Gearhead would not let anything else slip by. Fluttershy, however, intervened by asking Discord to help her see to her animal friends, and closely guided him in dispensing their food and drink.

“I think I understand you a little better now,” Gearhead said when Discord sat back down.

“Do you mean to tell me that you’ve been trying to make sense... of me?”

“Indeed,”

“Well then by all means, lets see what your amateur psychoanalysis can reveal, shall we?”

“Amateur indeed. Really, the only things I have to go by are my observations of you, and while I doubt I could understand a long-living spirit’s methods or motivations very well, I do understand that most, if not all, living beings have many needs in common.”

“Like friendship?” Discord rolled his eyes.

“To an extent, yes, many of us are social. There are those who are solitary creatures as well, but that generally does not do well when it comes to the continued existence of a community. Naturally I do not know if you ever belonged to one, since the earliest any of us knows about you comes from the princesses’ confrontation with you.

“Similarly, when we caught up to you in Ponyville all you were doing was making changes and watching to see what would happen. You barely interacted with anypony, except for us and one or two ponies on whom you used your powers to prank.

“And you kept changing nature, and pulling pranks, never seeming to be satisfied with anything you had done before.”

“You think that’s strange? I’m the Master of Chaos. I can make anything happen at a mere snap.”

“Which is why I find your choice of actions so fascinating. By comparison, Nightmare Moon tried to usurp the throne. Chrysalis was after conquest to fulfill the needs of her subjects. Sombra ruled through cruelty and fear to serve his own ends. You altered day and night, reversed gravity in isolated pockets, and made chocolate milk explode. You can do great things with your power, but of course you would have to want to do them.”

“Which is what all this is about. Yes yes, I heard Celestia. That doesn’t mean I’ll go along with it, though.”

“Thank you for the warning, and speaking of, who or what do you think Princess Celestia has in mind when she says she has a purpose for your power?”

“Some eldritch foe from a millennium or more ago, I imagine. Just like all of the rest of her enemies.” Discord sat up and leaned forward. “Don’t you ever get tired of cleaning up her messes for her?”

“In all honesty, I find it challenging.”

“You want a challenge, eh?”

“Within a certain range, I suppose I should say. Really, I would like to avoid causing you to get serious.”

“And here I thought you designed that for me,” Discord indicated the Twin Engine with a wave of his paw. Gearhead had detached the Stabilizer and set it beside his chair so he could sit more comfortably, but he could dock with it again in moments.

“I did, but I would prefer to hold off on that sort of testing, if you do not mind.”

“Do I mind? You tell me, young stallion: what have you found?”

“Some of the things you do are large-scale, like moving the sun and moon, however most of them are far smaller, even if they are in the order of spot gravitational inversions. That you make change after change is similar to the way you are unable to remain still, like you are motion and change, never resting or satisfied. And I believe that lies at the core of your motivation. To put it simply,” Gearhead leaned forward. Discord and Fluttershy did likewise. “You are bored.”

Fluttershy blinked rapidly. "Bored? Is something like boredom so powerful that it can drive a being to torment others just to relieve it?"

Discord burst out laughing. “Is that so?” He asked between breaths. “Is that what you think?” Suddenly he was not laughing at all. “And why would you think that?”

“Because the things you do with your power are as limited as they are, and yet you hardly ever stop these little changes – like with the Verdant, Azure, and Shadows.”

“Beg pardon? I know what I did to you, but those other two..?”

“Prism is the firstborn daughter of the Azure Wing. In a generation where she should have a season for her name, it instead relates to the pigment of her eyes. Dawn is the second-born daughter of the Third Conclave of Flowing Shadows. As her name would indicate, she is a rising star amidst a dark, all-encompassing sky. And me? The third-born son of the Herd Verdant, who has high mechanical skills instead of farming skills. Did you not hit all three of us?”

“Did I now? Let me think.” Discord rubbed his chin, pulled on his goatee, and rubbed the top of his head. “Ah yes, the big three of the Alliance,” he said, his eyes actually brightening up a bit as the memory connected. “Your families put such a damper on my fun, and I knew they had to be proud of it, so I put a little wrench of my own into the works. And then forgot about it. I guess you were right to call it a small thing, eh?”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said, worried again.

“You mad?”

“I am not even mad,” Gearhead smiled, “because that helped make us who we all are. It just took me awhile to realize the pattern, just like it took me awhile to realize that even though Princess Celestia said you tormented all three pony tribes, you seem not to have ruled any of them. It just was not something you were concerned with.”

“’Rule’ means rules and order, so of course I wouldn’t do such a thing. I’d have thought that’d be obvious.”

“Did it not leave you feeling lonely?”

Discord shrugged.

“I have the feeling that your experiences in the coming days will relieve your boredom,” Gearhead said.

“Wouldn’t that be fascinating,” Discord said.

Fluttershy shuddered.

* * *

It only took a couple of hours before Applejack returned. “Howdy, y’all. I’m here to take Discord to where I’ll teach him his first lesson.”

“Do you want us to come with you?” Gearhead asked.

“And I can’t help noticing you’re not wearing your Element,” Discord said.

“Oh, we’ve decided we don’t want you worried about ‘em, so we put ‘em all away. Don’t bother lookin’ for ‘em, though.”

“So then they’re not completely off the table,” Discord said flatly.

“Look, the Elements don’t matter none beside what you’re gonna learn. So come on, we’re wastin’ daylight.” Applejack turned from the doorway and started walking away. Fluttershy and Gearhead moved to follow. “Oh, you two don’t need to come. Fluttershy, you should take the opportunity to go see Twilight.”

“Okay,”

“Gearhead, you’ve got some staff to keep informed.”

“Understood,”

Discord glanced back at Fluttershy and Gearhead, uncertain at this new direction. Gearhead nodded, and Fluttershy waved a hoof for him to go on and follow Applejack, so he did.

* * *

Applejack took Discord to Sweet Apple Acres, the new growth of the West Field heavy with apples. Having evidentially seen the two of them coming, the other Apples assembled in front of the house. “Listen up,” Applejack said to the others. “For the next few hours, Discord here’s gonna be helpin’ us with our harvest. I hope y’all will lend him your guidance whenever necessary.”

“I’m going to help? At least be realistic here, Applejack. Or lie creatively.”

“It’s no lie,” Applejack said. “Mac, what’s your lookin’ through them fields tell ya?”

“We got ourselves a good little bumper crop of cider-making apples, but we’d best hurry and harvest ‘em all today, before they start spoiling on their trees.”

“After the last time, I hope we can make enough cider for everypony,” Apple Bloom said.

“That sorta thing’s exactly why we’re workin’ on a bumper crop now, ahead of the next cider season,” Ann said. “We won’t have those foul brothers prodding us on, so we gotta do all the work ourselves and make our supply match our demand.”

“I’m sorry, who’re you?”

“Granny Smith. ‘Course this may be your first time seein’ me like this. Best get used to it. And call me ‘Ann,’ not ‘Granny.’”

“Yes, well, when you have millennials for adversaries you get used to beings who don’t look their age.”

“I’m a centurion, son.”

“I’m a millennial, and that makes you a baby in my eyes.”

“We’re wastin’ time,” Mac said.

“Right! Pair up and start your harvesting. We’ll work our way through the field one row at a time. Since it worked so well against Flim and Flam, we’ll use Gearhead’s wheeled basket and big hamper, but we won’t start usin’ the mill ‘till we’ve gathered all we can. We clear? Move out!” Applejack called, and the rest of her little clan burst into motion.

“Come on, Discord, you’re with me today.” Applejack was just as fast moving toward the field. Discord rolled his eyes, but followed her anyway.

“So, Apple picking, is it? That’s your lesson?”

“Make fun all you want, there may have been a time in your life when you had to earn a living through real work. Just in case you’ve forgotten what that feels like, I thought I’d give you a quick refresher. So yes, my lesson to you is nothing fancy. But do this right the first time and I won’t force you to again.”

“Fine,” Discord landed and uses his hoof-and-paw to keep following his ‘teacher’ instead. What followed was a lot of kicking trees in just the right spot, catching apples in baskets, running with baskets, and picking up apples that missed their baskets. It was not long before Discord tries a shortcut, and used his magic to harvest several trees at once.

“Hold it there, mister: that tree’s not ready yet,” Ann said pointing a hoof to a tree near the middle of a cluster of seven on which Discord was exerting his considerable magical might.

“And how can you tell?”

“Experience, but if ya bucked it like you’re supposed to, you’d be able to tell too. Give it a try.”

“Very well,” Discord strode up to the tree, turn around, and swiftly gave it a kick. “Hm, that does sound different.”

“There now, now you know what to listen for for next time, yeah? Maybe now you won’t pick willy-nilly and use that head of yours instead.”

“If I was picking ‘willy-nilly’ you’d know,” Discord said, raising one paw.

“I could use a little help over here!” Apple Bloom called.

Discord sighed, but he warped over anyway. “What is –“ He suddenly had to flail like crazy to catch all the falling apples, juggling some and dumping others into Apple Bloom’s basket even as his hooves pedalled backwards and forwards in an effort not to lose a single apple. When they were all in the basket, Discord wiped the sweat from his brow. “Now what did you do that for?”

“I’m sorry! I just thought I’d be able to make it go faster is all.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought of a shortcut, but you have to be care... what do I care whether you’re careful? I’m Discord!”

“Thanks for worrying anyway,” Apple Bloom gave Discord’s nearest leg a little hug, then she went back to work.

“What was that?”

“I been spendin’ AB’s whole life tryin’ to figure that out,” Applejack said, coming up from their end of the field. “I think it’s just the sort of thing the younger fillies can do automatically-like. Now c’mon, lets try an’ see what else we can do before lunch.”

* * *

As fast as they were going, Applejack soon realized that they were ranging far enough from the big hamper that they were starting to run out of available baskets. She started having the others pile the apples as high as they would go before bringing them back to be dumped into the hamper, but she also knew they would run out of space long before they were done with the field. At the same time, she did not want to send Apple Bloom or Granny back to the hamper unnecessarily to unload a basket, only to have to do it all over again a couple minutes later.

Discord looked at the piled-up apples and snapped a claw.

“Square, huh? Certainly easier to stack such a regular shape, plus it don’t matter if they get a little squished since they’ll just be cider soon anyhow. Wonder how they taste?”

“Lets try this shape,” Discord snapped his claw again, and they turned into stars, causing them to explode into even higher piles. From Applejack’s expression, she was far from pleased, but she made every effort to maintain control over her temper, and to Discord’s disappointment, she won.

Applejack took one of the star-shaped apples and tried a bit. “Oh wow, so sweet! Too bad we can’t sell ‘em like this, but think of the quality of the cider!”

I just can’t win, Discord thought, and decided to go along with it for now. He went back to work on gathering more apples, and it was a surprisingly short time before the others invited him to join them for lunch. He had never had such an invitation from such a lively family before, and they kept up a steady, comfy chatter going all through the meal.

“There now,” Applejack said when the meal was done. “What’re your impressions on a job well done? You like eatin’ your work?”

“But you said..?”

“Most was for the cider, but as a special treat I included some of it in your lunch.”

“Letting me taste the ‘fruits of my labour,’”

“Ain’t nothing like the satisfaction of a good, honest day’s work,” Mac said.

“Well good, ‘cause we have a whole lot more to do before our day’s done,” Ann said.

“Yes ma’am!” Apple Bloom and Mac said.

“Y’see?” Applejack asked.

“Maybe,”

“Good, ‘cause I see Pinkie Pie coming along, so it looks like that’s all you’ll be gettin’ from me today.”

“What, already?”

“I can’t very well stop her. You?”

The pink Pony popped up between the two, cutting off Discord’s answer. “Enough farmwork, it’s time to spread some fun!” She grabbed Discord, pulling him after her. “To Sugar Cube Corner!”

* * *

Gearhead decided to close the shop while he invited his staff to a lunch meeting. “This has to be important for you to do this sort of thing,” Spring said.

“Things do not get much more important than dealing with Discord,” Gearhead said.

“’Discord?’ I didn’t see any fighting,” Torrent said.

“No, Discord is the Spirit of Chaos. He is a Draconequus who can bend reality to his will,” Dawn said.

“Oh,” Torrent nearly dropped his food. “So how do you fight that?”

“We do not,” Gearhead said. “We are trying to get him to see the value of our company as greater than even the threat of being sealed in stone -- which is why we have removed the tools for doing so from sight.”

“It’s a shame you don’t need the Elements to do that anymore,” Dawn said.

Gearhead nodded. “Which is why we shall not spread it around. More importantly, if you do encounter Discord, give him a chance and approach him as a friend first, not as an enemy. He might come to prefer it.”

“What about you?” Radar asked. “Are you going to be able to forgive him for what he’s done to you?”

“There is nothing for which to forgive him,” Dawn said. “The changes he has made have helped us to be who we are.”

“We can show our thanks by making an honest attempt at befriending him instead of trying to fight him. It is slightly ironic, given his words the last time we encountered him.”

“He is a chaotic being, after all,” Dawn said.

“So we’re seriously going to do this?” Torrent asked.

“That is correct,” Gearhead said.

“In that case, we may as well give it all we have,” Torrent said.

* * *

At Sugar Cube Corner, Carrot and Cup Cake stepped back to give Pinkie the room she would need for her baking. They barely took Discord’s presence into account at all, and soon he realized why.

Pinkie Pie, it seemed, had a habit of zipping all about the kitchen as she finished her prep work on all the sweets she had decided to make together with Discord. While she moved, Discord made some banana peels appear to try to slip her up, but Pinkie was too quick, merely tossing the bananas themselves into mixing bowls. “Great idea, Discord: who doesn’t like banana chocolate chip cake?”

“Not exactly what I was going for, but...”

“No come on: time to get with the baking.” Pinkie pulled Discord into the middle of the kitchen and started instructing him on what should happen with what pie or cake or pan of cookies next. She might tell him what to do, but beyond showing him her baking techniques the first time she left the how completely up to the Draconequus. And it turned out his lion’s paw was perfect for mixing, while his talon could do the cutting. The one thing Pinkie insisted upon absolutely was that he wash properly before starting.

With the kitchen in complete chaos, the Cakes retreated to the shop until the oven dinged for the last time, and the two frenzied bakers came out with their creations. Everypony there was astounded with the sheer volume of cakes, pies, muffins, cookies, and other sweets the two had made in such a short amount of time – and better yet, they were all fresh!

Soon ponies were streaming in from Canterlot, Appleloosia, and even Dodge Junction for a taste of sweetness. Even if they intended on going home before trying what they had purchased, Pinkie insisted that these ponies at least try a bite in the shop. Oh, how even the greatest scowl melted away into a massive grin! As each customer left, he or she waved and thanked Pinkie and Discord for their great creations.

“So, what do you think?” Pinkie asked when the last of their creations was going out the door with Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara.

“I have to admit I’ve never heard so many ‘thank you’s’ or seen so many smiles before. It’s kind of nice. But I don’t expect it to become a regular thing,” Discord said.

“It could be, if you don’t mind lending me some of your skip-forward magic again.”

“We’ll see. I didn’t realize so many ponies had sweet teeth.”

“Oh, everypony has one once they get a taste of just the right treat, and I aim to find it for every single being in Equestria!”

“Why go so far?”

“For their smiles, of course!”

18. When Chaos Is Your Friend

Chapter 18: When Chaos Is Your Friend

That evening Applejack, Fluttershy, and Dawn all conspired to put on a dinner in Discord’s honour at Fluttershy’s cottage. There was a large, round table with settings for everyone, and apart from their plates, the table itself was piled high with all manner of food.

“As though I would fall for such a basic trick as bribery by food,” Discord said, dismissing the gesture at first.

“Oh come on: who passes up free food?” Pinkie asked. She gave herself a generous helping of vegetable sticks, then passed it to Dash, who was sitting to her left.

“I think you’d better eat up, Discord: You’re going to have a full day again tomorrow and you’ll need your energy,” Fluttershy said, passing him the mashed potatoes.

“Oh very well,” Discord snapped his fingers, animating the gravy boat. It panted as it ran up to Discord’s plate and tilted forward to spread some gravy there. “Oh, would anypony else like some too?”

“Yes please!” Pinkie said, and the gravy boat-dog went her way.

“Don’t blame me if I’m still a little skeptical about all this,” Dash said.

“Oh, you’re far from the only one,” Discord said.

“I have to admit all this seems unlikely,” Rarity said.

“To put it lightly,” Twilight added.

“And yet here we are, giving it a chance anyway,” Dawn said.

“Forgive me, but who are you?” Discord asked.

“I guess I cannot blame you for failing to recognize your handiwork again,” Gearhead said.

“Really?”

“I’m Dawn. Dawn Shadow.”

“What an odd name,”

“I’m very odd for my family,”

“Oh so that’s why Gearhead asked me about the Shadow and Azure.” Discord turned to the stallion. “But wait, I thought you said Fluttershy was your marefriend.”

“She is,” Gearhead said without hesitation, and Fluttershy blushed. “Dawn is a very close friend from a long time ago, and now she has come to Ponyville to help me with my shop.”

“Come now, even I can see there’s more to it than that, and I’ve not even been here a day.”

“Can we please talk about something other than Gearhead’s mushy love life?” Dash asked.

“I’d actually like to hear more,” Rarity said with a grin.

“Oh, but this could get very interesting indeed,” Discord said.

“It gets more interesting: there’s another Pegasus mare who’s interested in him,” Rarity stage-whispered.

“Was,” Gearhead said. “Prism is focusing on her career. In any case, while Fluttershy and I are officially dating, I cannot marry until I am quit of my Black Sheep status.”

“Oh, how’s that going so far?” Twilight asked.

“I still cannot grow a thing,” Gearhead shook his head. “But I shall not give up.”

“’Course not,” Dash said, “you’re almost as stubborn as Twilight is.”

“No, I think he’s got me beat,” Twilight said.

“Well, I have a feeling you’d best hurry up before things get even more complicated for you,” Discord said, munching on some food. “Just a feeling, mind you. Mm, my compliments to the chef.”

“Thank you, but I think you mean ‘chefs,’” Fluttershy said.

“Oh, helping hooves, is it?”

“We had to have everything ready for after you and Pinkie got done,” Applejack said. “We cut it pretty close, but we made it.”

“Well, you did masterfully,” Discord said. “I certainly don’t eat like this normally. Then again, I don’t have to eat at all, being me.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy looked down at her plate.

“It is a pleasure, though.”

“Thank goodness,” Fluttershy beamed. Discord smiled a little too, and none of the others missed that.

“By the way, your Elements..?”

“Well hidden and out of the way,” Twilight said.

“We want you to feel free to enjoy your time in Ponyville with us,” Rarity said.

“And that’s all there is from now on,” Twilight said.

“We’ll see whether or not that’s true soon enough,” Discord muttered.

* * *

The following morning, Dash’s plans became derailed when, flying over Sweet Apple Acres as part of her pre-duty checks, she found it flooded. The Pegasus went to alert Applejack so she did not step into the water by accident, but she didn’t have to worry, since her friend was well aware of her farm’s situation. The question was what to do about it.

While the Apples looked for a way off their property, Dash went looking for the source of the flood. When she found the beefed-up beavers, she immediately concluded that a certain level of chaos magic was involved. It wasn’t as if her hunch was without cause either, since she had just watched Fluttershy deal with the critters under more normal circumstances yesterday.

Dash went to get Fluttershy, and since Discord and Gearhead were both at her cottage, they came along immediately. In sweeping through Ponyville, they picked up their other friends. Twilight’s jaw dropped open, and Rarity and Fluttershy both gasped. “What a disaster!” Rarity said.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Discord said. “Change is a part of life. You’ve really got to be able to roll, and make the best of the situation when it happens. For example...” Discord pulled a flip and snapped a claw. When he landed on the water, he had a pair of laminated boards strapped to his hindquarters, and a pair of fish-shaped soup terrines appeared to tow him at high speed all around the flooded area.

“I can appreciate wanting to have fun, but this is ridiculous,” Pinkie said. “What?”

“No, I just don’t think anyone expected to hear that from you, Pinkie,” Twilight said. “But you’re right,”

“And, no surprise, Discord’s taking advantage of the situation,” Rarity said.

“Then I guess it’s time we tested him with the situation,” Fluttershy said.

“Yes, if he does not return the farm and beavers to normal, then we will have a day of it,” Gearhead said.

“That’s all? I mean, if we could get things back to normal in time for dinner, why not?” Pinkie asked.

“Because we can’t call Discord ‘reformed’ until he wants to fix this sort of thing,” Twilight said.

“And not do it in the first place, I hope,” Fluttershy added. “Okay, here I go,” Fluttershy spread her wings to fly from the hill where the friends were congregated, to where Discord was being pulled around the impromptu lake.

“Hold up,” Dash said. “Let me try, guys.”

“You have a plan?” Gearhead asked.

“Yup,”

“Then I’m all for it,” Twilight said.

“Me too,” Fluttershy stepped back from the water and sat down, sighing in relief.

* * *

As Dash flew out to Discord, Applejack was joining the others. The Pegasus focused on catching up with the Draconequus, and soon she was flying above and beside him. “Hey Discord,”

“Rainbow Dash? I was expecting Fluttershy,” Discord did not slow down in the slightest, but Dash was a fast flyer, so this was fine with her.

“Sorry, you don’t get her yet.”

“So what do you want?”

“You know you’ll have to turn the farm and the beavers back to normal, right?”

“I don’t have to do anything. Besides, if the beavers want to build a dam, who am I to get in their way?”

“Look, I get it: you want to have fun. Pinkie and I both pull pranks on others all the time. Especially on our other friends. But there’s a big difference between our pranks and... this.” Dash indicated the flooded farm with a sweep of her forehooves. “Your powers are practically custom-made for pranking, so how about we put ‘em to good use?”

“I am putting them to good use: Water skiing.”

“See, this is the difference between pranks and your jokes, Discord: things like this put others at a disadvantage, and they have a good chance of hurting one or more ponies. Pranks are called ‘practical jokes’ because even though they’re usually at somepony’s expense they don’t hurt them or harm their livelihood. Not only is this flooding hurting Applejack’s earning ability, but it’s also endangering the other animals that live on the farm. A prank’s target can laugh about it, but do you see any of the Apples, or the animals living here, laughing?”

“No, I suppose not,”

“But pranking’s pretty easy to learn. I’ll teach you, if you clean up here first.”

“That might be more amusing,” Discord said, stroking his goatee thoughtfully with his paw, while he still held on to the tow rope. “Very well,” he said, coming to a decision. The terrines pulled him over to where the others were, and he stepped out of his skis with ease. Discord snapped his claws, and the water vanished.

“The beavers too, please,” Fluttershy said when Discord looked expectantly at Dash.

“Fine,” Discord did an off-claw snap, and the beavers shrunk to their smaller, more usual size, the red leaving their eyes, which they blinked as they regained their senses.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but thanks, Discord,” Applejack said.

“Oh, I can’t believe it either,” Discord said, “so don’t thank me yet: the day has just begun!”

“Then lets go,” Dash said, taking wing. She led Discord back into Ponyville, where they stopped at the joke shop for supplies.

* * *

“The first thing you gotta know about pranking,” Dash said as she and Discord flew back out, “is to only do it to a pony who can take the joke. Even just hurt feelings is enough to set a good prankster back, because the point is for everyone to be able to laugh about it, not just the prankster. ‘Till recently that meant we couldn’t prank Fluttershy, but she’s gotten much tougher lately, so we can.”

“Who’s ‘we?’”

“Me of course, plus Pinkie Pie, and until recently, Snowbelle.”

“The big, white stallion with the tiny wings?”

“You’re thinking of Snowflake. Snowbelle’s someone way different.”

“Oh, you mean the little, white filly with the two-coloured hair,”

“I don’t think so,” Dash said, having to connect the description with the pony. “That’s Sweetie Belle.”

“The bigger, white mare with two-coloured hair?”

“That’s Bon Bon. You’re not even connecting them now, are you?”

“What do you mean I’m not... you know what? Nevermind. I don’t think I’ve ever seen or met this other pony before, though. New in town?”

“Snowbelle’s not even a Pony: she’s a Dragon. A baby one, actually, and the reason you’ve never met her is because Gearhead recently took her to her home in the north. She’s a really good prankster ‘cause her small size lets her get away with a lot. Most ponies don’t even know she can pull pranks. But at the same time trying to prank her was never my or Pinkie’s best idea.”

“Why not?”

“Snowbelle and Gearhead are linked. That means that she can send him an alarm instantly, and he doesn’t like anyone picking on her: Snowbelle’s sort of his daughter. Adopted.”

“But if Snowbelle’s not in Ponyville it should be easy to prank Gearhead, then. Right?”

“Actually, we were never able to pull one off ‘cause his magic tells him something’s coming. Same deal for his friend, Dawn, as well as for Radar, who helps him at the shop.”

“And Twilight Sparkle?”

“No, we’ve gotten her a couple of times, like with disappearing ink and other non-magic things. But the instant Gearhead touches something he knows what it is, and then the prank doesn’t work.”

“Hm,” Discord rubbed his goatee.

“You have an idea,” Dash grinned.

“I might,” Discord allowed, and he had a loopy, lopsided grin of his own.

* * *

It started with a paper bird, which Discord folded into a shape that more closely resembled the Silver Wind. Dash created a wind to carry it all the way to Gearhead’s Gadgets, and Discord sent it flying. The paper craft wove and looped through the air, catching the eye of various ponies along the way.

Nearly an hour after the original toss, the paper bird floated into the shop through the door, which a customer opened as she left. Torrent watched the bird’s lazy flight as it swayed this way and that over the display shelves and made its way into the stairwell.

The instant the paper bird flew into the middle of the stairwell, it got grabbed by a curious updraft and rose swiftly to the top floor. The paper of the wings made a cracking sound as the wind pushed at them. Out of the stairwell, the bird went into a faster flight, where it took a widening spiral. Eating his lunch, Gearhead looked up in curiosity and watched the craft’s flight – until it was directly over the table and did a nose dive into his half-finished sandwich.

As Gearhead examined the downed bird, his curiosity only increased. He found a loose flap, and pulled on it gently with his Light Magic. This allowed him to unfurl the bird, and it revealed a message written within. The message asked him to come to a spring that was close to Fluttershy’s cottage, and it looked very much like her writing. Skeptical, Gearhead nevertheless decided to follow it.

* * *

Gearhead was surprised to find that the spring in question was a hot spring, the water heavily-laden with steam. He zipped a shoe up to get a solid Read on the water, and found that it had many healing and relaxing properties. Even so, he was surprised that there did not seem to be anyone else taking advantage of it at the moment.

Gearhead walked around the edge of the spring until he found a likely spot to leave his vest, shoes, glasses, and dagger. Once he had taken everything off, he slowly got into the pool and lay down into the water to enjoy it, wondering if and when Fluttershy would arrive.

Since Dash and Discord had gone off to pull pranks, Gearhead had been focusing on keeping his guard up, but the water was so soothing he found this a challenge. At one point he nodded off, and when he came to all he saw was steam. Figuring he could not have drifted far, he merely started to swim gently in the direction he thought he had come.

Gearhead thought he heard something unusual lapping in the water ahead of him, so he stopped and focused ahead, twitching an ear to the sound. A few moments later, a silhouette began to emerge, and by the way its outline was shaped, Gearhead immediately concluded that the newcomer was female. Suddenly he became aware of a louder lapping from behind, and half-turned so he could see what was approaching from behind.

In an instant, the steam thinned considerably, revealing Dawn on one side and Fluttershy on the other, with Gearhead caught in the middle, and looking curiously from one mare to the other. He looked up at the sky, then down toward his hooves as he treaded water.

Gearhead looked up when he heard some more vigorous movement ahead of him, just in time for Dawn to ‘boop’ him on the muzzle with a hoof. He could not stifle the snicker. He saw Dawn smiling past his shoulder at Fluttershy, and none of them could resist the laughter. “Of course,” Gearhead said when the mares told him about the paper birds that had visited them.

Even given the spring’s rather large size, it did not take them much longer to find the edge so they could get out and dry off when they wanted to get out and return to work. But first, they relaxed for just a little bit longer: since they were all ponies and their coats gave them ample coverage, no harm had been done in catching each other in the hot spring. Rather, they eventually emerged feeling refreshed, and they had had a good laugh too.

* * *

Dash and Discord decided that since the beavers had already flooded Sweet Apple Acres, they didn’t need to subject Applejack to any sort of prank. Similarly, they had caught Fluttershy at the same time as Gearhead and Dawn, so they moved directly on to Pinkie.

At first, given how random Pinkie was, they did not know how they should prank her. Then Dash suggested loading a cake with confetti, and Pinkie’s party canon with cake. They also replaced a whole tube of icing with non-toxic modeling plastic. Pinkie stared at it all for a few moments, then tasted it. Watching her twist her eyes and mouth in reaction was well worth her wanting in on some of the other pranks.

Pinkie, Dash, and Discord hit Rarity by turning one third of her materials inside out. Not doing the same thing to all of her materials meant she would not have to spend very long turning everything back the right way around, but at the same time it made her do a double-take the first time she saw it. And it even ended up inspiring her further, so she laughed with Discord and the others rather easily.

When it came to pranking Twilight and Spike, Dash insisted on balancing the act with being considerate toward Twilight, so she would not have to spend that much time putting things right again. So they simply rearranged small sections of the shelves in the library, turning books upside-down or setting them with their spines inward. Discord had a little more fun watching Twilight when she realized that part of her fiction collection had been arranged chronologically by publication date instead of alphabetically by author – although for a moment it even looked like she was considering keeping it that way.

Seeing that the prank targets could have just as much fun with a proper prank as the prankster, Discord decided to give it a few more tries, while Dash watched. After a couple more attempts, he got the idea that a prank would not do any harm, and Dash decided that the lesson was done.

* * *

It was late afternoon when Rarity came to get Discord, taking him back to Carousel Boutique. “I hope you don’t intend on trying to make me pretty,” Discord said, gagging.

“While I would welcome the challenge, that wouldn’t exactly be a fitting angle, now would it? No, as a clothier it’s my privilege to find designs that fit my clients’ tastes and image. Since everyone is different, each being who walks through those doors has different tastes, and a different palette to fit her or his image. Naturally, my strengths lean more toward clothing fillies and mares, but I can design raiments for colts and stallions just as well. As for you, darling, I could hardly wish for a client more unique.”

“I already guessed you’d be making something for me,” Discord said, exasperated.

“Well, not yet. First I’d like your help filling some orders. Then, if we have time, we’ll see exactly how dashing we can make a Draconequus.”

“Oh good, all I have to do is make sure we don’t have the time,” Discord said. But Rarity was already leading the way into the showroom, where some customers were already looking around.

Most of the customers were mares or mothers with daughters, although Discord did not recognize all of them. Rarity’s reputation was strong enough to pull her own customers from out of town, but some ponies also had a look around after coming to look at the wares available at Gearhead’s Gadgets. The two businesses were very good for one another.

Discord hung back a bit and watched as Rarity met with and spoke with each customer in turn to find out what preferences each one held. His mind wandering, Discord quickly got bored, and started materializing different, random objects just to see how the customers would react. He did not summon anything dangerous or inappropriate, but they were definitely put together out of order, or simply mismatched.

Unfortunately for him, some of these objects seemed to catch some customers’ eye, and those ponies soon walked away with some very strange-looking garments. Discord shrugged: he could make more any time.

As Celestia started to lower the sun, Rarity finally closed up shop, and they went into the back so Rarity could quickly take Discord’s measurements. Looking at him, though, and remembering the designs on some of the things he had summoned, she went on her own designing spree. Soon Discord had a suit that accentuated his flowing, serpentine body, the colours flowing and transitioning as they went from limb to limb. This made the suit as different, mismatched, and unique as Discord himself.

And Discord did not immediately hate it.

“Yes, I’m very satisfied with it myself,” Rarity said in response to Discord’s comment. “The part of my job that I enjoy the most is being able to see the beauty that’s there and bringing it out to best advantage, for all Equestria to see if my client should wish it. I enjoy it most when my customers come to see what I have seen in them all along.”

“Bringing inner beauty out, eh?”

“Indeed so,” Rarity said, looking at Discord’s reflection in the mirror from beside him. “And don’t you think you look dashing?”

* * *

Not everyone knew how to react when Discord came back to Fluttershy’s cottage for dinner, wearing his new suit. Fluttershy recovered the fastest, saying “you look really nice.”

“Why thank you, Fluttershy. I owe it to Rarity this time around.”

“Isn’t it kinda a hassle standing still to be measured, though?” Dash asked.

“It’s not that bad,” Discord said, waving the comment off.

“Oh, you didn’t complain that much the last time,” Rarity said.

“But they didn’t need to know,” Dash hissed.

“Are you secretly a model, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked.

“Nope. Absolutely not.” The others laughed.

The friends spent some of dinner talking about the pranks Dash and Discord had pulled on them throughout the day, and then they spoke about what they were going to do tomorrow. “I guess we might finish our lessons then,” Twilight said.

“Are we in a rush or something?” Discord asked.

“Only if you are,” Dash said.

“Not particularly, to be honest: I haven’t been threatened with being turned to stone lately, and I rather like that.”

“And hopefully we can keep that up,” Gearhead said.

“Of course, you’ve gone and hidden your Elements, but that means it’d take time for you to get them before you can react to anything I might do.”

“Don’t you worry about that,” Dash said.

“I’m starting to think we won’t even need the Elements,” Fluttershy said.

“We’ll see,” Discord said slyly.

* * *

Gearhead was barely finished his morning training when Twilight came to get Discord: It was now her turn to give the Spirit of Chaos his friendship lesson. She decided first to lead him through the collection at the Golden Oak Library to see what suggestions he might have for its shelving order. He had one that worked according to specific subject classification which could work well for the non-fiction items, but he also suggested author and series organization for fiction. He also mentioned something called ‘Eyes Bean,’ but Twilight did not know what that was. But she did know what the Unicorn Dewey Decimal had been known for: organization!

Once they could be certain that the rest of Ponyville was waking up, Twilight took Discord into town. When he asked her what they were doing, she said to keep an eye out for anyone who might need help, no matter how big or how small the task. When they found a pony who could use some extra hooves to hold a board in place so she could nail it down, Twilight motioned for Discord to come forward and lend a paw.

When the Cutie Mark Crusaders wanted to set up an impossible jump for Scootaloo to make, Discord popped up and held the ramp in place, even reinforcing it. He also put an extra-cushiony mattress below for when the Crusaders crashed, since they were taking turns.

Twilight and Discord walked through most of Ponyville solving minor problems, and each time Discord was able to help either with his effortless flight or with a snap of a paw or claw. “Why just minor stuff?” Discord asked.

“This is the sort of thing that usually pops up,” Twilight said. “Not every day in Ponyville is end-of-the-world severe, yet it’s still important that these everyday situations get resolved. There are a few ponies like you and me with exceptional power, and I think that where we can make a difference, we should.”

“Blah blah power, blah blah responsibility,”

“That’s... pretty much it, yeah. You know, as quickly as you’ve been picking up all our lessons I think that you might have already known them, but it’s been a long time since you’ve been able to apply them.”

“I have been locked in stone for over a thousand years,”

“Which means it’s good that we’re able to help you remember,” Twilight said, “but even if you weren’t already a friend to other ponies before, you can be now, if you want to be.”

“Well, the jury’s still out on that one,” Discord shrugged, and behind him, twelve other Discords sat in a double-row bench, each of them with puzzled expressions. One of them had swirly eyes, and another was holding up a giant placard with a question mark on it.

* * *

“So what lesson do you have for me?” Discord strode toward Gearhead, who was sitting in front of a long coffee table in the middle of Fluttershy’s cottage. The Pegasus herself closed the bottom half of her door, leaving the top open because it was a nice day.

“It would be nice to know, would it not?”

“You mean you don’t? How very odd.”

“I have been thinking about it for awhile, after all I helped come up with this plan,” Gearhead said as Fluttershy walked around the table to sit beside him.

“So what’s the problem, wise guy? Finally find something you can’t invent your way out of?”

“In a way: Most of the things I value are outright useless to you, so it would not make sense to try to teach you about them. Even I am still learning what it means to be a productive and social member of a community, considering I have been a town-to-town salespony for so long. So when I ask myself what sort of lesson I could teach you that would be useful for you to have now...” Gearhead shrugged. “Sorry, I do not have an answer.”

“You’ve been trying so hard,” Fluttershy said.

“At least you’re not worrying yourself silly over it,” Discord said, snorting. “Still, I’m disappointed you didn’t come up something for us to do, other than to test how far you’ve come in an all-out match.”

“Oh, I would not say that,”

“But you just said..?”

“I do not have a lesson, true, however I still have something in mind for us to do that will not end in tearing up the landscape and reality as we know it.”

“And here I was so looking forward to that,”

“We can still play a game, though,” Gearhead said, waving a hoof at the playing cards that were sitting in the middle of the coffee table.

“I hope it’s at least an interesting game,”

“I shall leave that to your judgement. Have you ever heard of ‘Crazy Eights?’”

“Of course I have: it has the word ‘crazy’ in it.”

“Good, then I will not have to explain all the rules.

“The game is called ‘Wild Card.’ Just like in Crazy Eights, the objective is to get rid of all of your cards, starting with a hoof of seven. The game can be played with at least two players, but I would not recommend it for more than four, considering there are only fifty-two cards in a deck, not including the Jokers.”

“Oh, but I like the Jokers,”

“This game is flexible, so we can add them back in if we have more players. With just two players, they would lead to excessive switching.”

“Do you mind if I play, then?” Fluttershy asked.

“Not at all,” Gearhead said.

“Ooh, me too!” Dawn said from the doorway.

“Four players? That will certainly make things move more quickly. What do you think?” Gearhead asked Discord.

“I’m interested,” Discord said as Fluttershy went and let Dawn in.

“Then perhaps we shall get a little payback for your and Dash’s prank on us,” Gearhead said.

“Just a little,” Fluttershy said.

“Wait, prank?”

“You do not have to play innocent: you may have triggered it from a distance, but your and Dash’s signatures were all over your note. I just had to look at it closely enough, which I did once Dawn and I got back to the shop.”

“It was well-planned,” Dawn said. “So many moving parts, though. The degree of control that had to have required was amazing.”

“Well, I can’t speak to that,” Discord said, waving the compliment off. “Anyway, the game?”

“Right. As I was saying, you need to play all of your cards in order to win. You can play one card as long as it has the same number or suit as the top-most face-up card, which is the card in play on that turn. If you cannot play a card, you must pick up a card from the face-down deck until you can, no matter how many cards you end up picking up in the process – although the game would be over by default if there are not any more cards to pick up, even if the face-up pile is reshuffled. Fortunately, it is possible to simply restart the game and go from there.

“The reason the game is called ‘Wild Card’ is because there is always a suit that is ‘wild,’ and therefore can be played even if it is also a number that is different from the active card. The player who uses a wild card also changes the active suit to any suit of choice, however any time a wild card is played, the entire wild suit changes on to the next one. This means that there are not always the same number of wild cards left in the deck, and you can never tell how the game will play out. It also means we will be tracking which suit is wild so we do not get mixed up. The order is Spades, Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades again. The first wild suit is also the first face-up card.

“Since we have four players, the two Jokers will be full wild cards, meaning they can act as any card you want. In addition, they are the only card that allows you to play one more card on the same turn.”

“So no playing a set of threes, for example?” Discord asked.

“Let us say that we do not use chain play in the main game, however if we add a time limit, then after we have exceeded it chaining would be allowed in order to finish the game more quickly.”

“And what did you have in mind for tracking the wild suit?” Dawn asked.

“We have one of the most powerful beings in this world as a player. Why not a magic display we can all see?”

“I can do that without a sweat,” Discord said, and a big spade appeared to hover over the table. “Oh wait, wrong one,” Discord said, and with a snap of his cloven hoof (somehow), the card symbol replaced the gardening implement.

“Thank you, Discord,” Fluttershy said.

“If everyone will take one side of the table, I shall deal for the round,” Gearhead said. As the others moved, he continued, “if you want this can be a practice round, and then we will play a single real round.”

“Good plan,” Discord said, “it lets us get used to the game and all the rules.” The others agreed, so Gearhead used his magic to telekinetically deal the cards.

The practice round went quickly, with the wild suit changing frequently for the first five minutes before slowing down just slightly. Even Dawn and Gearhead got caught having to draw more cards when they were ready to play out and win. “Everyone get the idea?” Gearhead asked. It had only taken twelve minutes for Discord and Dawn to play out, leaving Gearhead to fend off Fluttershy.

“Uh-huh,” Dawn said, and Fluttershy nodded.

“Definitely interesting,” Discord said.

“In that case, we shall go for real this time,” Gearhead said.

“My deal,” Dawn said, taking control of the deck in order to distribute everyone’s hooves for the round. She flipped the first card from the deck face-up, revealing the Eight of Hearts. Fluttershy led with the Three of Hearts, declaring ‘Diamonds’ as the new active suit. At the same time, the wild suit went to Spades because Fluttershy had played a wild card. Discord played the Seven of Diamonds. Gearhead followed with the Two of Diamonds, and then Dawn completed the first circuit with her Ace of Diamonds.

They kept playing, and again they kept coming close without being able to play out. The game went on long enough that they had to use chaining to end it quickly. In the end, Fluttershy won, with Gearhead following closely. Discord just barely beat out Dawn, who, for the fun of it, played her last card on the following turn.

Discord had tried to cheat a couple of times, but he was unsuccessful because Dawn and Gearhead were both cheating in their own way, by counting cards. When Dawn played a Joker-Ace combination, Discord gave up on cheating and started to play the game straight. It was then that he actually started to play better, and then too, because the wild suit kept changing, he was having more fun: the game was unpredictable enough without anyone trying to making it more so by cheating.

* * *

While Dawn and Gearhead played another round, Fluttershy took Discord around to the section of her cottage where she took care of her wounded and sick animal friends. As Discord watched, the forest critters became more relaxed and happy for every moment that Fluttershy spoke to them in her gentle, quiet voice.

While she was tending to a squirrel’s bite, Fluttershy motioned for Discord come over. The Draconequus looked at her, curious but uncomfortable being around so many injured and ill animals. Without any hesitation or doubt at all, the Pegasus was just as gentle in the way she guided Discord through cleaning and dressing the wound. The squirrel chittered in thanks, and was soon on his way.

There were many others to tend to, from rats to foxes to a bear. Fluttershy showed Discord what to do, only taking the lead with the most difficult cases, or when Discord refused to get too close to an alligator with a coughing fit.

“Oh my, you’re running such a fever,” Fluttershy said to one house fly.

“I’m surprised you can tell,” Discord said, “but really, that one’s easy.” He snapped a claw, and with a little puff of smoke that rose out of the fly’s head, she recovered and flew off.

“How wonderful!” Fluttershy said, clapping her forehooves together. “But then, why didn’t you do the same for the alligator?”

“Please, everyone knows there’s no cure for the common cold but time,” Discord said.

“True, we have to have patience, whether it’s us or someone else who has gotten sick or hurt. The best thing we can do, in any case, is to be there for them.”

“I’ll remember that,” Discord said, and indeed his patience was put to the ultimate test as he continued to assist Fluttershy in tending to the sick and hurt animals, until none were left.

“You know,” he said when the waiting room was empty, “I’m surprised you don’t have to turn anyone away.”

“Oh, Angel is always making sure there aren’t more animals here than I can handle.” Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin, thoughtful. “You know, I think there were more friends here today than before.” She looked Discord right in the eye. “And you know what? I think you had something to do with it.” She gave him a big smile, which made the Draconequus blink, before he looked quickly away.

“Yes, well,” Discord cleared his throat. “I’m happy to be able to help.”

“Me too,” Fluttershy said, giggling. “That’s most of why I do it.”

* * *

Dear Princess Luna,

I think that Discord has surprised everypony with his willingness to learn whatever lesson we have to offer him, even if he originally intended, and still plans to, make further trouble for us. It is his openness to us that has set us all back, and yet we must still meet his expectations.

I wonder, then, why I have so much trouble coming up with my own lesson plan for him, despite being one of those who contributed to this overall plan? As I told Discord himself, most of what holds high value to me is not useful for him – and more, could lead him in a negative spiral if he is vulnerable to the conclusions that some of my values might hold for him: what is ‘family’ when you do not have, or might never have had, any comrades of the same species? What is the discipline of control to a being who represents chaos, and yet has perfect control over his power? What are responsibility, fairness, and accountability to a being who can raise the sun and the moon as soon as think it?

None of my lessons could hold value for Discord, until he chooses to see enough value in our friendship, and in committing to being a part of the community – whether this is as small a thing as the Elemental Six or Ponyville, or even as large as the whole of Equestria. This, I still believe, is the key to convincing Discord to use his powers for our sake.

And yet I still do not have an answer.

But maybe not knowing is okay: there are always limits to our understanding, wisdom, and knowledge, and it can be wiser to acknowledge those limits than to keep trying to surpass it on one’s own. That way lies an intellectual rut, and not expansion of one’s wisdom. I do not believe such a thing can happen to a being living alone, in isolation from all. True wisdom happens most often within a community of like-minded beings.

Such as the wisdom of knowing that there are moments when we do not know the answer.

Your student,

- Thirdson Gearhead

* * *

“So then, it’s been a few days,” Discord had his forelimbs crossed as he stared down at Gearhead and the Elemental Six standing in front of him in the field outside of Ponyville. “How do you see me?”

“I tell ya, I didn’t think you’d ever be anything better than a nuisance. But ya surprised me in the best way: you’re all kinds of useful to have around, and ya made things lots easier for me, Big Mac, and AB,” Applejack said.

“You’re a good baker,” Pinkie said, “and surprisingly good at following a recipe. For a creature of chaos, I mean. I’d share my kitchen with you again any day!”

“You’re definitely more fun to be around than I thought,” Dash said.

“And more than just being dashing, you’re the most creative being I’ve ever worked on or with. Darling, you’re welcome back at Carousel Boutique any time. Of the day. A girl needs her beauty sleep, you know.”

“Granted,” Discord winked.

“I think you’ve learned a lot, but whether or not you use what you’ve learned is up to you,” Twilight said. “But if you want to talk magic, I’m always up for it.”

“I admit, I had a lot more fun that I thought I would,” Spike said.

“Oh, I am always up for a challenge,” Discord said.

“I think we might be ready to call it,” Gearhead said. “What do you think, Fluttershy?”

“I said at the beginning of all this what I thought was the best approach to fulfilling Princess Celestia’s wishes, and I do agree with you all now.”

“Which is basically agreeing with you,” Dash said.

“Good, I’m glad you all see that giving Discord a chance was a good idea. It meant that we gave him the opportunity to prove that he could be a good friend. So, Discord, I hope that you keep giving us opportunities to prove that we can be great friends for you as well.”

“Well, I’ve never had ‘great’ friends before. I guess we’ll just have to play it by ear, eh? As long as doing things this way lowers the chances that I’ll be wearing a stone jacket again anytime soon.”

“One thing you can count on, Discord: we don’t harm our friends,” Twilight said. “That’s why we didn’t even bring the Elements out today.”

“I noticed. Say, any chance you could tell me where you’ve put them?”

“Friendship and trust takes more than three days to earn. We don’t quite know what you could get up to next, even if the Elements are protected against you,” Gearhead said.

“That goes both ways,” Discord said.

“That’s fair,” Applejack said.

Discord thought a moment, then nodded. “You can call Celestia: I may not always be on Equestria’s side, but I like having friends. I’m ready to listen to what she wants me to do with my power.”

“Spike?”

“Already on it,” the little Dragon held up a set of rolled parchments, and sent them on their way with a breath.

* * *

Four hours later, they were back out on the field to receive Princess Celestia and her Royal Guard escort. Gearhead was wearing the Stabilized Engines for the first time in three days, but otherwise they had decided to leave the Elements and Anklets behind, avoiding giving Discord any sense of a threat so he could commit himself as fully as he was able to to the princess’s cause.

“Are you truly ready to get started?” Princess Celestia asked.

“Yes, I’m ready to use my powers for good... most of the time,” Discord said.

“Considering no one is ‘good’ all of the time, I believe that is a perfect starting place. Now then, I believe congratulations are in order for all of you,” Princess Celestia said, turning to the others. “You have found an alternate path and convinced Discord of the value of friendship. I am grateful that you were able to go beyond even my instructions. You all have my full commendations. Especially you, Fluttershy.”

“No, I enjoyed getting to know Discord better, and becoming friends.”

“Yes, well, I didn’t exactly hate it either,” Discord said.

“You can be a real sweetheart when you want to be,” Fluttershy said with a smile. The others just glanced around nervously.

Discord cleared his throat. “Shall we be off, then, Celestia?”

“After you,” the princess indicated the second chariot that her guards had brought along.

There was a sudden, strong gust of wind from the direction of the Everfree Forest. As Discord wiggled like crazy, everypony else turned and looked toward its source, to see a massive multicoloured energy beam climbing slowly through the treetops, shooting directly skyward.

“That’s coming from where—“ Pinkie started, in horror.

“To be visible from so far –“ Gearhead shook his glasses into place. “My sensors cannot quantify it.”

“I have a really bad feeling about this,” Twilight said.

“Join the club,” Discord said, finally able to stop his strange dance. “I can’t believe I’ll have to actually work now,” he muttered.

“Should we check it out?” Dash asked, spreading her wings. The beam seemed to strike something, so high up that everyone had to crane her or his neck to watch. The energy seemed to radiate outward in a disk-shaped pattern.

“Don’t bother: they’ll come to us,” Discord said.

“’They?’” Princess Celestia, Pinkie, and Twilight chorused.

19. They Came From the Rift

Chapter 18: They Came From the Rift

The first thing they noticed was that suddenly there were neither chairs nor a floor underneath their hooves, paws, talons, or flanks. Then there was the sensation of moving directly downward, at increasing speeds, until those speeds started to become alarming. And the faster they fell, the more the wind howled in their ears.

“Oh, this is just great,” the Earth Pony said. He had a dark brown coat with lighter brown spots around his hooves and muzzle, a pale blue mane with a slightly darker blue marking the center, and blue eyes. He was wearing a black vest, rectangular-rimmed glasses, and had a globe held in upraised hooves for a cutie mark. He also spoke with a distinct accent, which residents of Equestria would find difficult to describe. “We just had to agree to be the guinea pigs.”

“Who could have known this could happen?” The white wolf asked, searching their surroundings with his bright green eyes. He wore a dark purple vest over a white dress shirt, black shorts, and a lighter purple cravat. “He seemed so... certain.”

“Which is when he’s at his most dangerous, I might note,” the Hippogriff said. Like all of his kind his forward half was that of an eagle, while the latter portion was that of a pony, therefore his feather cutie mark was not such a strange thing. The feathers on his bird-body were a dark brown, while his pony flank was a lighter brown. He had a curl of feathers in his bangs, and a short fall of darker, grey feathers at the back of his head, where most of his head feathers were white. He started to look further down with his pale blue eyes.

“I note that we’re still falling. Shouldn’t we have been brought back already?” This was from the light turquoise Pegasus. Her mane was brown with a blonde streak, and she had three cards, splayed and displaying one heart and a redheaded pony’s face, for a cutie mark.

“It’s gonna be really tough getting back,” the white Unicorn with the stylized eight-pointed star noted. She had a long, flowing dark purple mane and slightly lighter eyes. Her horn was also curved slightly upward. “Portal’s closed. Are we in trouble, do you think?”

“I wonder how much this is costing,” the Hippogriff said.

“I don’t think that’s the issue we should be focusing on, Silver Quill,” the Earth Pony said.

“Well, what, then, Smart Alec?”

“Oh, maybe the ground and the fact that we’re still falling toward it?” Alec growled.

Silver Quill glanced down. “Oh, would you look at that,”

“Huh. And here I expected –“

“Aaaaaaaaaaah! What do we do? What do we do?!” Quill cut the Pegasus off.

“There we go,” the Hipporiff nodded at the reaction.

“Mister Quill,” the wolf said, gently but firmly.

“Yeah, Doc?”

“You. Have. Wings. Now would be a great opportunity to put them to use.”

“You’re probably right. I just keep forgetting that I have them: I never actually use them, after all.”

“Ground,” Alec said.

“Hey Silver Quill, doesn’t that look like Ponyville Town Hall?” The Unicorn asked.

“Hey wait, I see a windmill. And a forest. Is that Sweet Apple Acres?” Alec asked, turning and looking around.

“I see Canterlot,” Doc Wolf said.

“I see the future Castle de Quill,”

“I see Discord-sempai!”

“KP, that shouldn’t be possible – oh wait, I see him too. And Celestia. But who in Luna’s name is that?” Alec said.

“Wait, shouldn’t we be concerned that we still haven’t slowed down yet? Doc asked.

“Me and Silver Quill have wings, but that means we can only lift two of you, right?”

“You underestimate my prowess as a handsome Hippogriff, KP: I should be able to do two.”

“Okay, which ones?”

“You all seem to have forgotten one thing,” the Unicorn said.

“And what’s that, Mage?” Alec shouted more than asked, but considering how much closer they were to the ground, his rising stress was perfectly understandable. Mage closed her eyes for a moment to focus, and her horn lit up with bright pink magic. She immediately slowed down, and the others continued to plummet past her.

“Oh right,” Alec said, and an instant later KP was carrying him with just a bit of effort.

“Whatever you’ve been eating, you need to lay off it a bit,” KP said.

“But the chocolate,” Alec groaned

Meanwhile, the Hippogriff carried the wolf in his talons. “No offense, Doc, but claws.”

“None taken. I’m just relieved you’ve finally decided to give your wings a try.”

“Hey, flying’s fun. Woo-hoo!” Quill spread his wings, and started to glide toward the hill where Celestia’s astral mane was still visible. KP joined him.

Mage flew in between them. “Need any help, KP?”

“No, thanks, I... got him.”

“You sure? That seems like a lot of effort,”

“Thoughts of meeting Sempai are filling me with strength. Lets do this!” KP flapped her wings even harder, and started to pull ahead.

“Is this a race? Are we racing?” Quill asked.

“Not everything needs to be a race,” Doc said, but Quill and Mage were already chasing after KP and Alec.

* * *

By the time the new arrivals reached the hill, Spring Flight had already brought Dawn there, having detected the massive magical surge. The Hippogriff and Pegasus set their passengers down. While most of the five companions stood several meters way, staring at the gathering, the Pegasus took several slow, tentative steps forward.

“See? I told you they’d come to us,” Discord said.

“Sempai?”

Discord sighed. “Lets make this fast,” he said, and then he snapped the prongs on his tail, his talons, and his paw. There was a strange pulse, and the world’s colour seemed to dull slightly.

“Hey, did Celestia’s mane run out of batteries again?” The Earth Pony asked.

“This pressure..? This is time-stop magic,” the Unicorn said. “Right?”

“So awesome!” The Pegasus said.

“Good, you catch on quick,” Discord said. “That’s good news, since it won’t be long before the natural laws of the world force the time in this space to revert to normal. Plus, you’re making me work. So listen closely:

“As first-time inter-dimensional travelers there’re a few simple but critical rules for you to follow. The only reason you need to know why you should follow them is because you’re an alien existence, an imbalance, in this universe. Nature always seeks to correct imbalances: it fills voids, erases anomalies. That sort of thing. The less you break the rules, the less likely the universe’ll notice your presence, and maybe you’ll last long enough to return home.”

“Ooh, ominous,” the Hippogriff said past his grin. “I’m getting shivers.”

“The rule’s simple in concept, but I’m thinking it’ll probably be a challenge for the likes of you: don’t interfere with the natural flow of progression in this dimension. That goes for breaking the fourth wall as often as it does spoilers. You’ll get warnings, but do it too often and you’ll simply get erased. It’s that simple.”

“What nonsense is that?” The Earth Pony asked. “Sunset Shimmer and Twilight changed a whole bunch of stuff, and neither of them got erased.”

“That hasn’t happened yet, so that’s spoiler territory,” Discord said. “Fortunately for you we’re in zero time, so none of them could have heard you.” The Draconequus pointed a thumb at the ponies behind him. “Try pulling this sort of thing in normal time and you’ll be duly punished. Make me work harder at your peril: I hate working. Fun is my thing.”

“Wait, we’re in the show but we haven’t gotten to Equestria Girls yet?” The Earth Pony asked.

“Now that you mention it, I see Twilight’s still a Unicorn. We’re in the show timeline, but earlier than the story we’re aware of. Is that why there’s a rule against spoilers?” The Unicorn said.

“Don’t be conceited: people who spoil are much older than you, so the rule predates you by a couple thousand years. Anyway, follow the rules and you’ll survive.” Discord snapped again, and colour returned to normal. Everything started to move again all at once.

* * *

“Five new beings? Five new friends. Yippee!” Pinkie said.

“Who are you?” Dash asked.

“And how did you get here?” Twilight asked.

“It’s kind of a mystery to us too,” the wolf said. “I mean, it’s not as if we were trying to get here, specifically.”

“But we’re pumped to be here,” KP said. “This is Equestria, isn’t it? And you’re Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and Discord? Heh-heh.”

“It is, and we are,” Princess Celestia said. “How is it that you know of us?”

“Oh, that’s easy: we wa—“ With no more warning than a twitchy Pinkie tail, a metal wash basin fell from the sky and landed on the Hippogriff’s head, interrupting him.

“That’s odd: I don’t see Derpy anywhere,” the wolf said, looking at the surrounding sky.

“I guess not everything that falls out of the sky comes from her,” the Pegasus said.

“Oh come on! Why didn’t he get one?” The Hippogriff asked.

“You figure it out,” Discord said. “You already have everything you need to do that.”

“We have a lot to figure out here,” Twilight said, “like how you all got here, and where you came from in the first place.”

“Lets call ‘how we got here’ an experiment gone horribly wrong, or right, depending on your perspective,” the Earth Pony said. “I’m Smart Alec, but you can just call me ‘Alec.’ The Hippogriff is Silver Quill,”

“Handsome Hippogriff,”

“Whatever,” Alec rolled his eyes. “The one making eyes at Discord is KP.”

“I’m a huge fan,”

“Yes, I got that,” Discord said.

“I’m Doc Wolf,”

“You’re a real wolf,” Fluttershy said, “and you stand on your hind legs?”

“Indeed. Does that bother you?”

“No, not at all. It’s... fascinating.”

“And you are a dapper dresser,” Rarity added.

“Hey, what about my vest?”

“It definitely suits you, Darling.”

“Hear that? Rarity likes my vest,” Alec said.

“Yes, it makes me wish I wore clothes,” Silver Quill said with a wink.

“Wait, do you or don’t you?” Spike asked.

“Does it matter? Ponyville’s a nudist colony. Ba-dum-dum, tis!”

“You do your own rimshots? Seriously?” Spike asked.

“Someone has to: my smart—“

“Twitchy tail!”

“Thanks for the warning, Pinkie Pie,” Quill said, side-stepping one falling wash basin. “Ah-hah! Fool me once—“ But a second basin got him.

“Careful with those rules,” Discord said, “they don’t like being played with – odd as that might be to hear from me.”

“Wash basins are falling from the sky. That’s not odd at all, at least by comparison,” KP said.

“I would say your Unicorn friend is about as odd as the rest of you, having that much power,” Gearhead said.

“You can see it?”

“I taught him that,” Dawn said.

“Hey buddy,” Quill said, siddling up beside Gearhead. “What’s the scout--?” DONG! “Will you give it a rest? That was a reference, not a fourth wall break!”

“It’s a copyright issue,” Discord said, looking at his paw. “Not to mention way too overused.”

“I have no idea what’s going on, but you guys are hilarious!” Pinkie said.

“Weren’t you about to introduce yourself?” Dawn asked the Unicorn member of the new party.

“Oh right,” she said. “I’m Aurora Mage, and...” She reached forward with a hoof and booped Dawn on the nose. “Touch.”

“Yeah, she does that,” Quill said. “’You will be touched.’ Oh wait, that sort of thing doesn’t earn a basin to the head? Okay, then. Hey, Princess Celestia, you don’t mind if I make some renovations to your old castle in the Everfree Forest, do you?”

“May I ask why?”

“It’s not like anyone else is using it,” Quill winked.

“Actually, I meant that you’ll want to be finding a way home, right?”

“Oh, that? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on what we can get away with while we’re here.”

“You forgot to wink,” Doc said.

“That’s ‘cause I didn’t mean to,” Quill said.

“Forgive our friend, Your Highness: he’s taken one too many basins to the head,” Alec said.

“No I have not!”

“See what I mean?”

“Regardless, you cannot stay here for long,” Princess Celestia said. “The world will try to correct itself from any imbalance any way it can, so it is in your best interests to be able to find a way back home.”

“Where is your home?” Applejack asked.

“It’s a sort of electronic pocket dimension that exists beside another physical dimension like this one,” Doc said.

“I don’t get it,” Pinkie said.

“Neither did I,” Fluttershy said. “Did you, Gearhead?”

“I understood the bit about power and data,” Gearhead said, “but travel between worlds is beyond me. This requires research.”

“I doubt we’ll find anything useful at the library,” Twilight said.

“Wait, the library? Is your treehouse library still --?”

“Twitchy tail! Wow, that’s happening a lot today,” Pinkie said as Alec recovered from the basin-drop.

“Did something happen to my library?” Twilight asked.

“We... cannot say. Sorry,” Alec said, and he really was.

“It is unlikely you will find anything useful at the old castle, or in the Canterlot Library,” Princess Celestia said, watching the newcomers more carefully.

“Surely there’s something,” Twilight said.

“There is, but it’s dangerous knowledge, therefore Starswirl the Bearded guarded it very carefully. I can show it to only a select few of you. Only those I can trust completely.”

“Understood, Your Majesty,” Twilight said, bowing.

“You too, Gearhead,”

“Actually, I was thinking of taking a parallel path,” Gearhead said. “They said they were from another world, one of data and electricity. That means their signatures should be very different from ours, since we are made from physical material. I would like to build a sensor array that can read their signatures, and then scan some of our other friends here. By running some comparison readings, I should be able to come closer to finding their home world so we can send them home sooner.”

“Very well,”

“We’ll have to work on generating all the energy needed to break the barrier between worlds, too,” Twilight said.

“Now that you mention it, the air is unusually clear of auras now,” Dawn said. “It must have taken most of the ambient magical power to open up that portal. Creating that much power again won’t be easy.”

“That is an understatement,” Discord said. “Someone on the other end was reaching out, and that’s why the energy from here connected so easily to the energy there.”

“Maybe they’ll keep reaching out until they get their friends back?” Fluttershy said.

“You may not want to depend on that,” Discord said. “Not that I doubt the power of friendship, but who knows how long it’ll take to create a new dimensional doorway?”

“Couldn’t you do that?” Rarity asked.

“I can create a dimensional door, but I can’t guarantee it’ll open where you want it to. I’m the Spirit of Chaos, after all.”

“We will go with Gearhead’s plan first,” Princess Celestia decided, “but if an idea occurs to you, please do not hesitate to share it. Twilight, please choose two more of your friends, and I’ll transport you to Canterlot.”

“Rainbow Dash?”

“I’m in,”

“Applejack?”

“Sorry, gotta help at the farm after what happened before.”

“Then, Pinkie?”

“Okay, but we’re throwing the welcome party right after we get back!”

* * *

As Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity gave a tour to the newcomers, Gearhead flew down to the Hangar to get started on the sensor chamber. Fortunately he already had a working basis, with the sani-station he had built into the Wind. While that was mostly designed to purge impurities, such as unwanted Dark Magic, it was already equipped with various sensors in order to get the initial reading anyway.

Gearhead instructed his automated assembly equipment to go aboard the Wind and remove the sani-station so he could start upgrading it. He also programmed them to modify the stall slot to accommodate a much larger and complete sensor package.

The task that was before Gearhead was to try to find some marker within the five other-dimension visitors that the ponies of this dimension did not possess. This marker would allow the group to identify which doorway led to the world from which the five visitors hailed – in theory, at least. The only one Gearhead knew of who had experience in interdimensional travel was Discord, and he was not talking.

Gearhead did not know what he would be looking for, so he simply decided to modify the chamber and stall to scan for everything of which he could think to scan. Of course, this omitted the things of which he could not comprehend. Fortunately, he had five visitors from another world from whom to draw inspiration, assuming they were able to cooperate. After all, he did not want them to suffer a shower of wash basins violating the rules Discord had mentioned, even if Gearhead himself was unaware of what they were.

Gearhead modified the chamber from its original cylindrical shape so that it became nearly spherical, and then he set his sensors into cluster arrays to surround whoever stood inside the chamber. Naturally he still had to ensure the sanitary equipment remained intact, otherwise he would be removing one of the chamber’s key functions in the process of fulfilling a role that might not be as useful, least of all on a sealed vessel.

Reinstalling the chamber on the Wind seemed prudent because that allowed the sensor chamber to be both mobile and secure, while also being accessible, since he could not bring anyone to the Hangar or Laboratory and still maintain his security in either room. For now, Gearhead had his assembly equipment secure the chamber in the hold, in case the visitors really did have any useful feedback for expanding its sensor array.

Thinking of sensors and sensor arrays, Gearhead thought it would be prudent to check for residual signatures over by the portal site. With the sani-sensor chamber connected to the Wind’s sensor array, he put the assembly equipment back into standby, then boarded the Wind and launched.

* * *

Discord cleared his throat.

“Oh, sorry,” KP wiped her muzzle and shook her head clear. “I’m trying to be cool about this, I swear.”

“Yes well, if I’m going to be stuck with you, I’d appreciate a little less drool in my mane, thank you.”

“Maybe there’ll be less if we get flying,” Silver Quill suggested.

“That may depend on our flight order,” Discord said. “I’ll take the lead.”

“That sounds fine,” KP said, and they took off. “Where are we going?”

“My guess is ‘anywhere but here,’” Quill said.

“You’re determined to talk your way into trouble, aren’t you?” Discord asked.

“And why not?”

“It’s part of his thing,” KP added.

“Because that’s my thing,”

“Discord, you don’t talk your way into trouble: you are trouble.”

“Oh no, you’ve discovered my true nature,” Discord said, deadpan.

“Actually...”

“Whoa!” That was KP, noticing the sun glint off of an approaching object (or were they approaching it?) before it came in close. It was massive compared to them, with a long, blade-like prow, great wings, and a double-V tail. And it was made of metal and shedding some sort of light dust from turbines on the wings.

“What is that?” Quill asked as the pilot threw the craft into an airbourne skid to negotiate around the three flyers.

“Oh, that’s just Gearhead’s flyer. The Silver something, I think.”

“But I’m a ‘Silver something,’”

“With the way names are in this place, you’d hardly be the only one, Quill,”

“Duly noted,”

“I am going to get a quick reading at the portal site,” Gearhead’s voice said over a loudspeaker hidden somewhere amidst all the armour. “I shall return shortly.”

“You may as well take us with you, if you’re going somewhere nearby anyway,” Discord said.

“Very well,” Gearhead said, and he lowered the ramp, “but any remaining signature will be fading, so please board now.”

* * *

“Now this is worth the trip,” Smart Alec grinned as he looked around inside the Golden Oak Library.

“Pardon me, but the Carousel Boutique is much better decorated than a library,” Rarity said.

“We’ll forgive you, since you wouldn’t have noticed how special this place is, having lived with it all your life,” Mage said.

“As opposed to y’all, who’ve just arrived?” Applejack asked.

“Think about it: every town or city has a town hall or castle at its center, and as its symbol,” Alec said. “How many other places do you think have their library inside a tree, and so centrally located?”

“Haven’t thought to ask,” Applejack said.

“But now that you mention it, none of the other towns or cities I’ve delivered my couture to have anything like this,” Rarity said. “Still, I built the Carousel Boutique from the ground up, and its design is as unique as the clothes I sell.”

“I don’t think there are many who would disagree with that,” Mage said, “but Town Hall is more emblematic of Ponyville than your store. But this library? Not only is it inside a tree, but its asymmetrical design is pleasant, and it has a warm, homey feeling. It fits Ponyville’s thatch roof houses very well.”

“And as a bonus, it’s bigger on the inside,” Alec grinned more widely. Then he suddenly became sombre.

“What is it?” Rarity asked.

“Just wondering something. You know, with all that’s already happened from inside this library you’d expect at least a commemorative plaque.”

“How would you know what’s happened here?” Applejack asked.

“Lets just say we’ve had eyes-on for some time, and leave it at that,”

“From where?”

“The other side of the portal, of course.”

“Actually, that makes a strange kind of sense: I mean, why else would we end up in Equestria unless it was nearest to the Rift? Since the walls were weaker, we came through easily,” Mage said.

“Still doesn’t explain why we appeared in the sky,” Alec said.

“’Rule of Funny,’ maybe?”

“Among other factors. But can you imagine where else we could’ve been sent?”

“I don’t want to,” Mage shuddered, “so topic change: Touch!”

“What’cha do that for?” Applejack asked, while Rarity giggled.

“This I proclaim before Celestia and Luna: I shall collect all the boops!”

“That could land you in trouble someday,” Rarity said.

“Me?” Mage tilted her head and batted her eyes.

“You know, you’re very good at that,”

“Thank you,” Mage smiled. Then she turned, seeing something shine in the window. “What was that?”

“One of Gearhead’s test flights? He’s always going off somewhere, but he’ll be back soon enough,” Applejack said. “Actually, he can get places a lot faster than most ponies.”

“Is that a challenge?” Mage asked.

“With a Unicorn who can levitate instead of walking, and not worry about fatigue, you could probably teleport ahead of him, provided you knew where he was going.”

“Oh, there is that, isn’t there?”

“You’ll just have to wait ‘till he gets back,” Applejack said, shrugging.

“I can wait,” Alec said.

* * *

“You’ve been smiling at me for an awfully long time, Miss Fluttershy,” Doc said. While the others were moving toward the center of town, Fluttershy had balked, so Doc had agreed to walk with her toward her cottage and the Everfree Forest, where there were less crowds.

“Yes, well, I’m always excited to meet a new critter friend, although you can also talk like a pony can. I mean, of course my critter friends can talk, and I can understand them, most of the time. But not quite like this.”

“I understand. I’m quite unusual for a wolf.”

“Not that I’ve met very many wolves, them being pack animals and rarely straying from their own territories – except for the Timberwolves, sometimes, but they’re different.”

“Ah yes, of course. Ponyville is always lucky when it comes to such encounters, it seems.”

“There are lots of ponies around who can help protect it, from powerful Unicorns like Twilight, to fast Pegasi like Dashie, and strong Earth Ponies like Applejack. Then there’s Gearhead, who creates an endless series of instruments that also help. Compared to them I... sorry, I’m rambling.”

“No, I don’t mind listening at all. In fact, it’s exactly the sort of thing I do back where I come from.” Doc spotted some choice logs that could serve as chairs, and sat on one. “Why don’t you have a seat, and tell me what’s on your mind, Miss Fluttershy? You may feel better simply talking it out.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy lay down on a long log, and looked at Doc past her bangs. “Where should I start?”

“Wherever you feel most comfortable,”

“Well, it’s like I said before: everypony else contributes to Ponyville’s and Equestria’s well-being in big ways, and they accomplish great things practically every day. But I’m not sure what I do that another pony couldn’t. Would it be so bad if I gave my Element to a braver pony?”

“I’m hearing that you’ve become uncertain of your contribution to your friends and the place where you live, but can you look around you and truly say that you don’t see your impact everywhere?”

“I... don’t know. Nopony’s as impressive as Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, but I wish I was more than the one who hides behind everypony else or stares a hard-to-tame animal down.”

“Miss Fluttershy, with all due respect I doubt even you really define yourself by your fears, and you’re far, far more than the Element of Kindness and The Stare. If you looked around for the kinds of changes you’ve brought to others’ lives, pony and forest critter alike, I think you would agree.

“Of course, you yourself are your harshest critic, and the closer you are to something, anything, the harder it is to step back far enough to see the full picture. And there’s nothing in the world you’re closer to than your own self. That means that it’s hardest for a pony to see her own value, so comparing yourself to others really isn’t fair. At least not until you’ve trained yourself to step back and see your whole value.”

“But how do I do that?”

“Perhaps you could look around at everyone you encounter, in every place you go, and specifically look for things that you know are different. Now, this will be more challenging for you since you’ve lived with the changes for so long, you’ve probably forgotten the way things were originally. So you may have to ask others so you can get a point of comparison. Do you think you could give that a try, Miss Fluttershy?”

“Well, I might... no, I can do it! Oh, I’m sorry, did I startle you?”

“I’m just taken aback by your self-assurance, especially in light of what you’ve just said. You’re even braver than I thought you were.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy blushed. “I’ve been challenging myself a lot more lately.”

“Well then, if you keep on doing that I’m sure you will be able to see your value even more easily.”

“Thank you, Doc Wolf. I feel much better now.”

“In that case, should we continue same time next week? Assuming my group is still in Equestria then?”

“Okay,” Fluttershy smiled. She got up, and started to lead Doc again. While her back was turned to him, Doc breathed in with a paw on his chest, then breathed out, hand extended to the side.

“It’s good to be helping,” he said softly.

Which was when a decent sized aircraft flew above their heads, heading toward the Everfree Forest. “That was unexpected,” Doc said.

“It’s Gearhead,” Fluttershy said, her eyes gleaming. “He’s going to see if the sensors can pick up anything useful. Discord and your friends, KP and Silver Quill are also aboard.”

“How do you know all that?”

Fluttershy turned her head. Doc could now see the little earpiece, with its little green light glowing. “Another one of Gearhead’s inventions. It lets us talk even without more magic. My other friends also have them, and so do Dawn and the Pegasi helping Gearhead at his shop.”

“That’s certainly useful,” Doc said. No wonder she has issues with her self-confidence, when an Earth Pony can make such convenient and futuristic items.

“He’s probably the best inventor in Equestria, but all he really wants to do is farm, like the rest of his family. He doesn’t see what he does as being anything special.” Fluttershy looked up. “Oh, that’s just like me not seeing my own value!”

“It is,” Doc said, pleased Fluttershy was getting the point so quickly. He liked her a lot, so he was happy to see that she was so happy.

* * *

“Pretty convenient, being able to talk with Fluttershy without having to slow down,” Quill said. While Gearhead focused on his flying, the others had taken up some of the stations. Discord remained standing a couple meters behind Gearhead.

“The comms are very useful that way, connecting us regardless of the situation. As long as there is a node nearby we can communicate with a speed on par with Spike’s Sending.”

“You’re slowing us down? Are we near the location already?” KP asked.

“We are near enough that we would risk contaminating or purifying whatever traces might remain with the Wind’s particle energy.”

“Ah, okay. Wait, you said ‘nodes?’ So what did you do, drop probes all over Equestria?” KP asked.

“That is not a bad idea, considering not every town or city wants or can afford an Alicorn Array.”

“Can we assume from the name that this is a variation on your Alicorn Engine?” Quill asked.

“You can, and that is astute of you to notice. Where the Engine provides power and propulsion, and can only be used by a highly-proficient individual, the Array is composed of four structures that work together to erect a barrier. The scale of the barrier varies depending on the town or city to be protected, but so far it is fairly effective.”

“Don’t you want them to be fully effective?” KP asked.

“That’d be ideal,” Discord said.

“However,” Gearhead continued, “the Arrays can only protect against existences for which it knows to search. They have a history of not knowing what to do with new types of possible threats. And that is part of the reason why I do not rely on remote or automated defences, despite their speed in reacting to known threats. So I take the time to train a crew to control their home’s Array, as well as to communicate with other towns and cities.”

“Wait, what about me?” Discord asked.

“Of course your signature got added to the exceptions list. That was not the case when you were a rogue agent.”

“I’m still a rogue,”

“Thus the ‘agent’ bit,” Gearhead said wryly. “We are here.” He put the Wind into a hover, and started sweeping the area with every sensor he had, including the ones based on his Read and Shift Focus abilities. “No residue down here,” he said, and moved the ship forward, displaying their surroundings on the wrap-around screen, with the sensor readings overlaid.

“In fact, there’s little or no magic residue here at all,” Discord said.

“But given where we are, would that mean..?” Gearhead put the feed from a belly camera up on the main screen. It pointed down a hole and through a long, busted-out tube into a cavern. A cavern which the camera’s zoom function and filters seemed to indicate was empty.

“Pardon me, but what are we looking at, exactly?” Quill asked.

“You seem to know much about this world. Are you, perhaps, also familiar with the Legend of the Mirror Pool?”

KP and Quill were silent for a long moment. “That’s it?” KP asked finally. “But it looks empty!”

“’Looks’ being the operative. We can go down once our scans are complete, just to be sure.” Gearhead started taking the ship up, scanning all around them, and then directly upwards. “I recommend you all buckle up: I am taking us up to the portal’s altitude.”

“That was a long way up,” KP said. “Oh ponyfeathers.” She quickly sat down and strapped herself in.

“What do you mean?” Quill asked, while Discord simply stood by and grinned.

“We’re going up, fast,” KP said, and then Gearhead had changed the Engine mode to maximize their climb. Where the aft verniers usually provided thrust, and the wing turbines supporting lift, now the wing turbines were doing most of the work. Quill grunted as he felt himself being pressed into the ground, Discord crowing as he stood his ground. Quill was just reduced to lying belly to the deck when Gearhead eased up enough for the Hippogriff to float weightless for a moment, and then he touched back down.

“I’d appreciate a little more warning next time!”

Gearhead started the detailed scans. “You know, there have been few enough times I have felt compelled to do something I could not explain. Few enough I could count it on a hoof. Now this happens, and this time Pinkie Pie is not singing. So far as I know. What could this be?”

“Karma?” KP said.

“What is that?”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll learn about it later.”

“Well, I hope this trip is worth that,” Quill said.

“I could not say,” Gearhead said. “There is a wealth of data to sift through first, just as there will be from your body scans.” His console beeped. “The scan is complete. Now we can go back down and have a look at the Mirror Pool cave.”

“Oh wait, that means –“ Quill dove for a seat. He almost had it, but then the force of the ship’s dive had him sailing toward the ceiling.

“Please do not scratch the paint,” Gearhead said.

“Easy for you to say!”

“You do realize--”

“What?!”

“You have wings,”

There was a pause. “Oh yeah,” Quill spread them, but flapped them wrong, launching himself into the ceiling even faster.

“That one was completely on you,” Discord said.

“I think I got it this time,” Quill said shakily, and he launched himself toward the floor.

“But you’re already on the ceiling,” KP said.

“I guess I should really be thinking in three dimensions, huh?”

“One would almost think you are not used to being a Hippogriff,” Gearhead said.

“Yes, almost,” Quill said dryly.

“Stopping,” Gearhead called.

“Oh,” Quill flipped, braked, and landed perfectly on the deck. “A perfect landing!”

“I’ll admit that wasn’t bad as a landing,” Discord said, “although I’m disappointed you didn’t get hit by the Rule of Three.”

“Well, there’s humour and then there’s beating a dead tree. Not everyone gets decide which one is fair,” Quill said.

“I will not begrudge him a win,” Gearhead said, setting the auto-pilot to hold their position. “Now, let us go see what we have.”

Two minutes later, Discord summed up their findings: “Nothing. A whole lot of nothing.” And he was mostly right, since the pool was empty.

“You think all that magic vapourized it?” KP asked.

“As in, turned from a liquid to a gas?” Quill flew up near the rocky ceiling and felt the rock with a talon. “It’s slick with moisture.”

“Then KP is correct,” Gearhead said from the bottom of the empty pool. “The gathered magic evaporated the water. But other than around the area that was covered with the boulder, which was blasted apart by the release of magic, the vapour is condensing against the rock. And returning.” He flew back up, out of the pool. “That confirms that part of the magic that contributed to the portal opening came from the pent-up Mirror Pool.”

“That’s a decent amount of energy,” Discord said.

“As is your own, and every other residual scrap left behind in the area from various encounters. The Alicorn Amulet. Otto. Possibly the Elements and Anklets too.”

“And don’t forget your precious Engines and Arrays,” Discord said.

“Yes, I would have discounted them as a factor, but it is possible. I will have to crunch the numbers, and then we will have a benchmark for the minimum amount of energy required to open another portal.”

“’Minimum?’ Why don’t I like that you said that?” Quill asked.

“Experience,” KP said flatly. “But can you really come up with that much power?”

“The amount should not be an issue, since we have the Engines and Array at our disposal. I just have to store it all in condensers. I would actually prefer it if my Engines were a factor, so I will not have to convert energy types. But I can do that if necessary. No, ‘power’ is not a factor that is in question here. What we need to discover is how to identify your home dimension among all the unknown number of possibilities.”

“Infinite,” Discord said.

“Really?” Gearhead asked.

“Yes, ‘really.’ Because not every dimension needs to be so entirely different from one another. Just one different decision is enough to create a different world with a new timeline in some cases. And that is why there are an infinite number of dimensions, making the matrix of existence immeasurable. Oh, I’m sorry, does that make you feel small? Insignificant? Distressed? Depressed?” Discord grinned maliciously.

“If there are truly infinity possibilities, then they fill me with awe. I could not visit them all during my lifetime, but I certainly would like to visit some of them.”

“Which means that you probably will,” Quill said. “Hey, no tub!”

“Guesses aren’t spoilers, I guess,” KP said.

20. Life Reflected In Words

Chapter 20: Life Reflected In Words

Princess Celestia led Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash into the catacombs underneath Canterlot Castle. They were not far from where Chrysalis had tried to imprison the mares who got in her way, but these caverns had an altogether different feel to them, which helped Twilight be less skeptical about where they were going.

If Princess Celestia knew of any resources that might be useful in getting the five dimension jumpers back home, Twilight would hold faith that the possibility was there. Still, Twilight was on her guard against anything that might look like the princess had come under someone else’s control again.

While Twilight had once held absolute trust in her mentor, she now was beginning to question whether Princess Celestia really had Equestria’s best interests at heart all the time. Besides being under Chrysalis’s influence, the princess did not exactly have the best record when it came to decisions which changed the course of life in the principality. Yes, the quality life was generally good, but it never seemed to be very long between the re-emergence of yet another ancient threat. Twilight had thought that Princess Celestia knew as much as she needed to, and was the most powerful being and thus able to protect Equestria from any threat. Recent events had proven otherwise, especially with Chrysalis overpowering her.

The caverns became a maze, but Princess Celestia led the small group unerringly forward. Twilight could see why, as Starswirl had posted directional signs everywhere. If he had any security measures in place at all, it was in the signs’ language.

“I’m surprised all this and the three colonies fit into the mountain,” Twilight said.

“Oh, it doesn’t,” Princess Celestia said. “Starswirl created a pocket dimension that exists two steps from our reality. That way his libraries, the Jackrabbits, moles, and Goblin Ponies could all exist in the same space, and not even know it.”

“Well, that’s not a concern anymore,” Rainbow said. “When’s the last time this library’s even been used?”

“I am afraid only I have used it, and only occasionally,” Princess Celestia said. “I sometimes wish I could go more often, but my duties prevent me. Also, with Luna back I have felt the need to go less.”

“Who wouldn’t want to read Starswirl’s research?” Twilight asked.

“Me,” Rainbow said, “if it’s not an adventure story like Daring Do.”

“Well, I guess it would matter a lot less to you, not being into magic theory and that sort of thing,” Twilight allowed.

“We’re here,” Princess Celestia said, as they approached a large set of heavy-looking double doors.

“’Athenaeum?’ I thought we were looking for a library,”

“Rainbow Dash, that’s what it means. I gave you a thesaurus for your birthday, so why didn’t you read it?”

“Because it’s a thesaurus,” Rainbow said dryly.

Twilight rolled her eyes, but Princess Celestia merely smiled as she led the way inside. “Oh my,” Twilight said, “would you look at that? It’s Starswirl’s cape and hat – his actual hat! And—“

“Let me guess: every book he’s famous for?” Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“We’re in his library after all,” Pinkie said. “I bet you’d sound the same if we found a house with lots of Daring Do stuff, Dashie.”

“You kidding? I’d be totally cool!”

“Yeah right,” Twilight said, but her friends had already helped her to refocus.

“Much of Starswirl’s later research is given over to the magicks of time and space,” Princess Celestia said. “It is a large amount of material through which to comb.”

“Ooh, we should have brought Rarity!”

“Not that kind of combing, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said, smiling. “But it’s a good thing I brought you two along to help: it’ll make the search that much faster.”

“More reading? I bet it’s as stimulating that history stuff for the Crystal Empire.”

“We don’t know magic, so probably less?” Pinkie suggested.

“Oh yeah: it’ll probably be in some ancient gibberish.”

“Only some magic is written in gibberish,” Twilight said, haughtily, “and you’d know that if you’d read the Equestrian-Magic language dictionary I gave you for Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

“Who reads a dictionary? Oh wait, yeah I see where this is going.”

“Lets just get reading,” Twilight said, and they spread out to search, Twilight more than a little star struck from being in Starswirl’s library.

* * *

While Fluttershy and Discord watched, the others inspected Gearhead’s upgraded sani-station. They were all standing in the cargo bay, the Wind having returned from its short flight. The newcomers had all wanted a tour of the ship, but then they quickly became bored since everything looked just about the same, and they seemed to have seen at least one thing similar to the Wind before.

Aurora Mage was the most interested in the sensor chamber out of all of them, asking Gearhead what ‘this’ or ‘that’ scanned for, or in her words, “what does this one do?” Gearhead gamely answered each time, until he started having to repeat himself. Fortunately Mage quickly recognized each sensor type based on its appearance and location on each cluster, so she stopped having to ask each question.

Doc Wolf and Silver Quill, meanwhile, were scrolling through the display readout that Gearhead had installed beside the chamber. Besides the controls, it also had a listing of each sensor, and when either of them read off a sensor’s name or designation, Gearhead supplied its purpose.

Mage and Doc made the most suggestions of other things for which Gearhead could scan. They were things he had never heard of, like neutrinos, tachyon particles, and positrons, but once they were explained to him, he could build devices that could scan for them. From there, he could miniaturize those sensors, and mount them into the sani-station’s sensor clusters.

KP also had her suggestions to make, but she spent a surprising amount of time looking at the armours secured in the hold, or in the cockpit, playing with the controls even though they would not respond to her. The armours were refined versions of the ones Gearhead had created during basic training at the Wonderbolts Academy. Should the Elemental Six need more protection than they generally had, these suits would provide it.

At first Fluttershy was jealous of the ease Gearhead seemed to have with Mage, but then Fluttershy realized that the Unicorn was simply a friendly, comforting pony who was like this with most, if not all, others. The Pegasus became jealous of that social ease, until Mage booped her on the nose, making her giggle at the absurdity of it all. Fluttershy knew that Mage wanted to get home as badly as the rest of her group, and that none of them could stay here. It was odd to think that anything could happen, when she was merely being friendly. If anypony might try to steal Gearhead away from Fluttershy, it was Dawn, and they had an understanding.

Mage had already booped everyone on the ship. It was usually preceded by her staring straight at her target’s face. Then she would slowly creep up, lift a forehoof, and then softly say “touch” as she did it. Gearhead had had the most amusing reaction, looking at his muzzle as he twitched it, so his glasses fell into place from off of his forehead. Fluttershy would have thought that Mage would need to jump up to do the same to Discord, but as the Draconequus stared across at the Unicorn, she had simply hovered in the air using her magic.

“Don’t you dare,” Discord had warned.

Mage smiled, approaching ever so slowly, and staring intently all the while.

“Don’t,”

“Eh-heh,”

“I said...”

“Touch,”

“You did it,” Discord said flatly.

“Hey Mage,” KP trotted up beside her.

“Yeah?”

“Lift your hoof for a sec?”

“Like this?”

“Yeah. Indirect touch,”

“Oh, okay,” Mage put her hoof back down.

“Are we done here?” KP asked Gearhead.

“Just about,” Gearhead said.

“Good, then lets get on with it,”

“By which I mean we have done all we can for the day,” Gearhead said. “The chamber will not be complete for a couple more days while my system manufactures the parts we need.”

“Bored now. Hey, what’re these for?” KP lifted a hoof toward the nearest hanging armour.

“Are you interested in trying one out?”

“I might be,”

“Oh, me too,” Quill said.

“Even Snowflake’s armour would not fit you, sir,” Gearhead said. “I shall have to make a custom suit for you.”

“I blame my Griffon parts,”

“Oh, it is not too much of a problem. It will merely take time,”

“Time is something that we have,” Doc said. “Please take all the time you need, in order to make everything properly the first time.”

“I do believe that is the wisest course,” Gearhead said. Fluttershy also knew that that was the entire way he operated his store.

* * *

Starswirl the Bearded had conducted exhaustive research on many things, including the celestial bodies and how they affect the world around them, and time. Such a copious amount of notes would probably take decades, or even a century, to read thoroughly. Fortunately, since Princess Celestia had helped Starswirl in some of his research, she was familiar with where to look for his material on alternate planes of reality and how to get to them.

Starswirl had created a number of mirrors to act as the anchors for interdimensional travel. According to the renowned mage’s notes, the corridor that connected one world to another existed within the space between the worlds. There were portals that were always open, but sometimes new portals opened too. Instruments like mirrors, or certain fixtures within the landscape, could be enchanted to act as anchors for stable portals, creating a long-lasting passage between worlds.

Starswirl had chosen mirrors because they were the easiest to use, and required one of the lowest amounts of magical power to open and hold portals stable. Their size also limited what kind of creatures could successfully use the portals, as well as what the users could bring with them.

Starswirl and Princess Celestia had created two types of mirror portals. The first used a great amount of magic to open the portal. The second borrowed power from the celestial bodies to accomplish the same task. The first type of portal could be opened at any time, but there was always the risk of draining the caster of his or her power. The second type of portal relied on the movements and phases of a given celestial body, such as the moon, and could not be opened at any other time, according to the research Twilight had found so far.

By altering the spell slightly the first time a mirror portal was activated, one could change the destination. The same mirror could not be used for more than one destination, therefore in order to sever the connection between worlds, it had to be either sealed, or the mirror acting as the anchor had to be destroyed. There were set spells for that as well, since destroying an anchor could release a great amount of energy. On the other hoof, unsealing a portal was also possible with a greater amount of magical power.

Starswirl had taken copious notes of each world he had visited, and there were so many that Twilight found fascinating. She would have liked to visit each one in turn, however there were some that the old mage had deemed too dangerous, and so he had sealed or destroyed the anchor as appropriate.

“Each time Starswirl and Princess Celestia visited a new world for the first time neither had any idea what they would find,” Twilight said to the others. “It’s likely that because they didn’t have any destination in mind, they anchored to the portals randomly.”

“Trying to connect to a specific world that way will take way too long,” Rainbow said, “unless we let Pinkie choose and she gets lucky again.”

“Hm?” The Earth Pony in question looked up at her name.

“I have to admit, Pinkie, you do have the knack for finding exactly what we’re looking for.”

“Thanks!”

“I’m not sure we’ll want to take that much of a chance with our new friends, though: someone will have to test each portal each time, which means going through. I’m not sure if any of us would recognize their home world, and we don’t know what’ll happen to them if we send them anyway.”

“In other words, we want to be sure,” Rainbow said. “In that case, we’ll have to wait to see what Gearhead’s crazy contraptions turn up.”

“In the meantime, it wouldn’t hurt to keep looking for clues,”

“Speak for yourself, Twilight,” Rainbow massaged her temples with her feathers. “My head hurts from all this reading.”

“I suppose we could take a break,” Twilight said. Rainbow sighed as she collapsed into her chair, closing her eyes for a moment. Even Pinkie seemed to relax a bit.

* * *

While they waited for the sani-sensor chamber to be finished, the visitors had a look around town. First, of course, they went down the Wind’s ramp and into Gearhead’s Gadgets to have a quick look at all the devices he had on sale. Unfortunately none of the five had any bits to use to buy anything at the moment, so they could not actually purchase anything.

Not knowing how long they would be staying in Equestria, the new friends nevertheless started looking for ways they could help out and earn some spending money.

Alec decided that the town newspaper would be the best place for his acerbic wit to shine.

Fluttershy agreed to let Doc turn the back of her cottage into a temporary office, where ponies could come and consult with him for a moment or three.

KP went from job to job, but it was not as though she was not good at them, because she was good at all of them. And that was the problem: everypony wanted her help, so none of them could hold her for very long. And that was just in a single day.

* * *

Rarity hired Mage to help her with her designs, fittings, and crafting. When Sweetie Belle visited Carousel Boutique for the first time since the newcomers had arrived, the filly did a double-take because both white-coated, purple-maned Unicorns were working furiously. “Why didn’t you tell me I had another older sister?” Sweetie Belle piped.

“Oh Sweetie Belle, we’re not sisters... are we?” Rarity raised an eyebrow toward her counterpart, and stopped patting the top of Sweetie’s head.

“Not that I know of,” Mage tilted her head, thinking. “I guess we could be a kind of sister, since we’re from different worlds.”

“Hey! I never said I didn’t want two older sisters,” Sweetie Belle said from between the two.

Mage got down lower to the floor and looked Sweetie Belle straight in the eyes. “Would you like to be sisters?”

“Gee, let me think. You’re pretty and talented just like Rarity, but you’re also mysterious – so yeah, I think I do.”

“Okay then, we’re sisters. My name is Aurora Mage, but you can just call me ‘Mage.’”

“I’m Sweetie Belle, but then you already knew that.”

“Yes, I was paying attention just now.”

“Oh, but I heard you know all sorts of things!”

“And who did you hear that from?”

“Discord,”

“Oh, you know better than to believe everything he says,” Rarity said.

“Except when it’s true,” Mage mused. “He can be very helpful when he wants to be. You just have to make him want to help.”

“Funny, that’s how Fluttershy and Gearhead suggested we turn him to our side.”

“And?”

“I have to admit it seems to be working so far. But we’ll see if it holds when the next big thing comes up.”

“Like inter-dimensional visitors falling into your lap?”

“No, more like an attack from a horrible monster that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sealed away a thousand years ago.”

“Why does that happen so often?”

“Maybe it has something to do with the Elements. That’s a question to ask Twilight, since I’m sure we’ll never get a straight answer out of Princess Celestia.”

“Oh come on, it can’t happen that often,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Wait and see, Little Sister,” Mage said. “In the meantime, there’s one little thing we must do before we can be sisters for real.”

“What’s that?”

“Touch,” Mage said with a smile. Sweetie Belle wiggled her muzzle, and then giggled.

* * *

As for Silver Quill, he offered to help Cheerilee out at the school. “I’m not sure ‘buck the bully’ is an appropriate lesson,” Cheerilee said.

“Well, I’m no coin-operated ride either, missy. I’ll look elsewhere for employment, but thank you for the opportunity.”

Quill traded verbal jabs with Discord for awhile, and when they both tired of that they started pulling pranks on the Ponyvile citizens, which got old for the ponies really fast. Still, Discord’s pranks were far tamer than Quill expected.

The Hippogriff ended up spending half the day helping at the library, and the other half helping at Sweet Apple Acres. “Thanks for your help, Silver Quill,” Spike said. “It’s awesome to have someone who can reach the high shelves without a ladder.”

“I’m glad to help reduce the incidents of your pratfalls, Spike. Especially if I can help get some work done.”

“It’s a shame Twilight and the princess had to leave us behind,” Spike said.

“Yes, I don’t trust the idea of splitting the party. But we’re getting more done, so there’s that.”

“And if something happens?”

“I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to be a defender of Equestria,” Quill said, puffing out his chest.

“No, I mean in Canterlot,”

“Well,” Quill deflated, “I’m sure the princesses will send a letter if they need reinforcements. And you’re the fastest way to get a message across any distance.”

“That’s not completely true anymore,”

“Beg pardon?”

“Any city or town with an Alicorn Array can talk with each other. So unless there’s something Twilight or the princess don’t wanna talk about in semi-public, they’ll use Gearhead’s comm network.”

“But if it’s ‘your eyes only,’ you’ll be spitting out a scroll,” Quill said.

* * *

At Sweet Apple Acres, Quill helped with the harvesting. Since he was bigger even than Big McIntosh, Quill could carry more apples in his baskets, and as long as he flew stably he would not spill his cargo. That meant he could carry more fruit to the big hampers, faster than any Apple. This was great, until Mac caught him sneaking the odd apple. “I guess that’s it for me,” Quill said.

“Beg pardon?” Mac asked.

“I know these apples are your livelihood, so I kind of, sort of, feel bad for sneaking some here and there. And yet, they’re so delicious. I’ll go before I end up bankrupting you guys.”

“That there’s a nonsense excuse and you know it,” Mac said. “Even we apples snack on the odd apple here or there, so you don’t have to feel bad about it.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m a bit bigger than you,”

“So?”

“That means a bigger appetite,”

“So? You’re worth your weight as an extra farm-hoof, considering your speed and carrying capacity.”

“Thanks, but I think I’d better find something better suited to me,” Quill said.

“You’re welcome back anytime,” Mac called.

“Oh, I have a feeling I’ll be challenging that later,” Quill said as he left.

Quill was halfway through Ponyville when he heard Rarity complaining from the street outside the Boutique. “What seems to be the problem?” Quill asked, coming in through the unlocked door, since the shop was open for business.

“Oh, hi Silver,” Mage said. “Why the long face? I mean, we’re the horses, so it doesn’t make as much sense on you.”

“Oh no, Missy, you first.”

“It’s quite simple: we’ve run out of shiny stuff to put on the dresses.”

“That’s surprising,” Quill said. “I guess you have to go looking for gems even more often than you already do.”

“The problem,” Rarity said, “is that when we’re both in the zone we tend to work and go through all of our materials quite quickly. Even my fabric supplies are beginning to run low, but it’s the gems that take the longest to find.”

“Even with your magic?”

“Yes, even then. Wait, did I ever tell you about my magic?”

“It’s just another of those things we know,” Mage said.

“Ah, I see. Anyway, it takes even longer because Gearhead and Spring Flight have mined nearly all of the good deposits that are nearby. I simply can’t go traipsing off into the Everfree Forest and guarantee getting close enough to enough deposits to restock. And I wouldn’t dream of asking Gearhead for some of his, not when he works so hard.” Rarity rubbed her chin with a forehoof, and quietly said, “I get my revenge by teasing him anyway.” Mage, who heard her, giggled.

“Why not see if I can help you out?” Quill asked.

“You want to help out a dress shop?” Rarity asked.

“With the gem gathering? Because I’m a flyer, I have longer range than a Unicorn on hoof.”

“That would give your wings some exercise,” Mage said.

“Yes, well, not all of us use our gifts as a matter of course.”

Mage merely smiled.

“Curse your cuteness. So how ‘bout it, Rarity?”

“I suppose I’ve not got anything to lose by accepting your offer. Very well. See what you can find, but be very careful. I don’t want you exposing yourself to further risk than a few hours in the Everfree would get you.”

“Oh come on: Apple Bloom goes to Zecora’s on her own, so how dangerous could it be?”

“Zecora’s hut is a short distance away on a defined and protected path. You’d be flying a further distance. And again, you know of this because you know?”

“Exactly,” Quill said, grinning. “So, wanna give it a try?”

“Very well,” Rarity said. She left the room, returning a couple minutes later with a custom harness lined with saddlebags. She used her magic to fit it precisely to Quill. “How’s that for a spot job?”

“It fits like a... horseshoe, I guess.”

Rarity nodded. “Oh, and if you happen to hit enough mother lodes, do be sure to send some Gearhead’s way.”

“Even though he’s got a good stockpile going?”

“It lets me be more merciless in my teasing.”

“Ah, understood,” Quill said, and he took off.

* * *

The following day, Gearhead and his automated assembly system finished upgrading the sani-sensor chamber, and installed it back into the Silver Wind’s cargo bay. He did not want to put it back into the modified stall just yet, although that was a matter of convenience for those about to be scanned: if he did put it back, they would have to walk through the ship to get to the stall, and then walk all the way back out. This way they only had to walk up the cargo bay ramp, go to the section where the chamber was anchored and plugged in, and stand through the scanning procedure before they walked back out.

Naturally, in order to ensure the chamber worked as desired, Gearhead tested it on himself before he even put it back aboard the ship. The results he got back in the Hangar indicated that the sensors gleaned a wealth of information from him. The Earth Pony scanned through it all once, and decided that the test was successful enough that he might as well get right to the main task at hoof.

Gearhead had considered the problem of getting baseline scans before he asked Alec’s group to take their scans: he wanted to gather information from the more average citizens of Ponyville, on top of the scan profiles he got from those who were exceptions or exceptionally gifted among their tribes. Gearhead himself possessed magicks that were entirely different from his tribe’s specialties, making him an exception. Dawn was both an exception as a Light Mage, and exceptional, as a gifted mage. Spring and Torrent were more average than Prism and her flight, however Radar had a preternatural awareness of the things around her.

The Elemental Six, or those still present, were exceptional as well: Applejack for her growing ability, Fluttershy for her rapport with animals, and Rarity for her precision with telekinesis, as swell as for her vision. Of course, Pinkie was exceptional on a level that allowed her to disobey what were generally considered the laws of physics, and her Pinkie Sense did not do anything to dissuade other ponies of that impression. Dash had her exceptional speed and agility, while Twilight could master practically any spell you put in front of her. All of this was without mentioning their connections to their respective Elements.

While Gearhead, Dawn, and Spring discussed how they might go about recruiting ponies for the scan, they opened up shop, and the answer came naturally: Gearhead was always adding something new to his stock, so even though he had been in Ponyville for awhile already, he often had repeat customers who would come in just to check if he had anything now. On top of that, there were those who came from out of town. He would not ask first-time visitors to submit themselves to being experimented upon, however Gearhead could tell when a customer was comfortable with the shop and with him or one of his other staff. Those were the ponies he, Dawn, Spring, or Radar asked to contribute to the library of profiles.

The greatest majority of Gearhead’s customers agreed, more than happy with his service as well as the products he sold. Even Cranky Donkey did not complain overly much about the premium prices, given how durable the devices were, so he became the archetype for a Donkey. Likewise Zecora gave Gearhead the only Zebra profile available from this side of the Everfree Forest.

Gearhead wanted an even sample of mature and young profiles, from all three tribes represented in Ponyville. Maybe later he would ask the princesses to add some data points from the Alicorn tribe. Unfortunately no one was available to provide baseline profiles for Hippogriffs or Wolves to be compared to Silver Quill and Doc Wolf. Gearhead had to make do, working with what was available.

Lovestruck, Lyra, and Vinyl Scratch represented the adult Unicorns, while Snips, Snails, and Sweetie Belle volunteered to be scanned for the foals. Bon Bon, who had come with Lyra, Nurse Redheart, and Toe-Tapper were the adult Earth Ponies, with Apple Bloom, Button Mash, and Pipsqueak representing the foals. Blossomforth, Snowflake, and Thunderlane weighed in for the adult Pegasi, with little brother Rumble, Featherweight, and Scootaloo contributing in the name of the foals. The Crusaders had come together, while Button had brought his own friends along.

It was a good sampling, given how much data the sensors got from each scan, and it got bolstered further when Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity insisted that Gearhead scan them as well. Finally Gearhead was able to ask Alec’s group to come be scanned.

Last to go through the process was Silver Quill, who was just barely able to squeeze through the doorway. He turned around to face Gearhead at the control panel, and Mage had to stifle a giggle because the poor Hippogriff was having to balance with his talons on the transparent walls. He adjusted the light-filtering glasses Gearhead had lent him with one talon. “Do not worry: you will not break this glass,” Gearhead tried to assure Quill.

“I can break anything, unfortunately. Mostly by accident.”

“Not anything I have made,”

“Is that a boast?” Dawn asked, jaw dropping.

“Is it?” Gearhead asked, blinking. In short, deft movements he activated the sensors. Light burst in waves from the sensor clusters, seemingly at random, and yet there was a well-defined sequence in play. It allowed any residual waves to fade before the next cluster fired, so interference between the sensors became minimized. Quill stood as still as he could, but found himself blinking against the light bursts despite the sunglasses. Mage and the others continued to encourage him until the scan was complete.

“Well done,” Doc said when the door opened and Quill just barely avoided spilling out in relief.

“I think I’ve had enough of cramped accommodations,” Quill groaned.

“I do apologize: I could not make the chamber any larger and still have it fit in its original stall,” Gearhead said. “Still, I do believe we accomplished exactly what we set out to do, and now we have a complete set of data for your profiles.”

“Wait, fit where?” Alec asked, looking around the cargo bay.

“Well, the chamber is modified from the original sani-station I designed for the Wind. The stall is between the cabins and the cockpit.”

“And what was it for?” KP asked.

“Something no lady should live without,” Rarity said helpfully.

“So ‘sani’ as in... a shower?” Doc asked.

“Exactly,” Applejack said.

“Um... it also helped Shining Armour,” Fluttershy said.

“Oh right, on our first trip to the Crystal Empire. I forgot all about that,” Applejack said.

“Wait, what else did he do in it other than shower? Or do we wanna know?” KP asked.

“It is also ‘sani’ as in ‘purification,’” Gearhead said. “We encountered some Dark Magic, and Shining Armour needed it removed. We removed it.”

“Useful, that,” Alec said. “So what’s next?”

“I added some processors and storage to help handle the massive quantity of data my computer system now has to process and file. This part is going to take some time. How long, I am afraid I do not know: We took every possible point of data we could in these scans. We now need to compare those data points for similarities and differences based on tribe or species and home origin. If we end up with a marker that we can use to identify your home dimension, we can then use the energy we are generating and storing to connect the portal directly.”

“And send us home,” KP said.

“Or at least, that’s the idea,” Rarity said.

“Unless another plan comes to light, it is the best we have,” Doc said, “and I believe it will work.”

“Not that we don’t enjoy your company, we do, but we want you all to get home safely, please,” Fluttershy said.

“That’d be nice,” KP said.

“Right now I’d just like a nice stretch,” Quill said.

“And some fresh air,” Mage added, beginning to float toward the open bay door. The others followed her outside, where night had already fallen.

“Perhaps a good night’s sleep is in order,” Doc said.

“Oh, I agree,” Fluttershy yawned.

“I will fly you home,” Gearhead said. He secured the Wind once everyone had disembarked. Dawn went into the shop to help Spring Flight finish up the clean-up, and the others went to their assigned shared accomodations.

Given the amount of space available, Silver Quill was sleeping in the house beside the shop, now called ‘Dawn Flight Place.’ Gearhead and Dawn had re-raised the walls for the second room in the basement, so while Dawn had to give up her laboratory space, it was still the best place for the Hippogriff.

Fluttershy had invited Mage and KP to stay with her and her critter friends, but only Mage accepted. KP wanted to stay with Rainbow Dash in her cloud castle, and since the Pegasus was away, she had the space all to herself, permission asked for and granted through Spike.

Likewise, Alec and Doc got permission to stay at the Golden Oak Library, using the second room on the main floor rather than the main section or the loft, where Twilight slept. Quills and Sofas made a bit of business on the visitors’ sleeping needs while they were in Ponyville, since they also sold beds.

* * *

Now that they had completed the scans, they did not have anything left to do as they waited but explore Ponyville and its environs, although Applejack told Alec and his group that they would probably want to stay close, in case news of some discovery came back from Canterlot.

And it was true that they would want to respond quickly to such news. As long-time observers, however, they wanted that chance to explore the world they admired so deeply, so all of them hoped the answer to their problem did not come too quickly.

Just to be on the safe side, Gearhead set aside some earpieces they could use to stay in touch if some of them decided to go exploring further afield. Quill decided it was imperative that he take one whenever he went looking for gems – and discovered that he had a knack for the task. Maybe it was something positive for which he could credit his Griffon parts.

21. Life Reflected Through Mirrors

Chapter 21: Life Reflected Through Mirrors

“Wake up, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Wha..?” The Unicorn slowly opened her eyes at her mentor’s voice. She saw the princess’s aurora-like mane through blurry eyes. “Princess Celestia!” Twilight sat bolt upright, and immediately regretted it as stiff muscles protested against the sudden movement. She had, she realized, fallen asleep at the table while continuing to do her research. She suddenly had the horrible thought that she might have gotten some saliva on one of Starswirl’s irreplaceable books, but saw that somepony had pushed the nearest volumes clear of her head. “I’m so sorry,” Twilight said, mortified at having had her mentor see her in this state. Again.

“Your secret’s safe with me, Twilight,” Princess Celestia said with a wistful smile. From the look on her face, the princess must have been thinking of old times. “I want you to write a letter for me.”

“But you’re right here,”

“Not a friendship letter, and not to me. To your friends, through Spike.”

“Surely you can do that yourself?”

“I would like this request to come in your writing style. Is that alright?”

“Of course, Princess.” Twilight pulled quill, ink, and parchment closer to herself. “Ready, Princess Celestia.”

“Dear friends,” the Alicorn began, and Twilight began to write.

* * *

Dear Friends,

Princess Celestia has discovered a possible threat, and asks for your help in order to resolve it. The nature of this threat will be revealed once you arrive. Princess Luna can show you the entry passage, but you will need Gearhead’s specialized knowledge to get to the library.

In order to respond appropriately to the threat, Princess Celestia is asking to bring all assets, except for the Elements and the Gemstone.

Please arrive as quickly as possible.

Your friend,

Twilight Sparkle

While Spike went about gathering the others, Gearhead went into the Hangar to prep the Silver Wind for flight. He knew to be careful about what he brought aboard because Princess Celestia had been specific about not bringing the Elements of Harmony or the Fireheart Gemstone. Apparently, however, the Elemental Anklets were below the threshold for what might be too noticeably powerful to bring.

Assuming meeting the threat would necessitate hard combat, Gearhead loaded a full set of capture armour aboard. His latest modifications made them more streamlined, with better integration between the parts, than the originals – although that was also the difference between improvising with the parts he had had available aboard the Wind, and having the time to build his own custom parts.

Gearhead also decided that maximizing his own preparation would be the better part of valour in this case. He took one of the two remaining Dragon Soul Gems and, sewed it, together with three Baby Dragon Tears, into the forelegs of his own armour between the outer and inner layers. Since he did not know what kind of spells he was likely to need, he did not load them yet, instead making it possible to access them by removing a few choice scales.

Gearhead made one last round of the Hangar, looking for other assets he might have otherwise missed. Again and again, he found his gaze drawn to his core prototype, modified not only to keep its magi-tech in line with what he was using on his Twin Engines, but also to fit the colour scheme that belonged to the most likely candidate with whom he would entrust this power. Gearhead nodded to himself. And it would not do to leave the Stabilizer behind, he thought.

* * *

By the time he landed the Wind beside the shop, the others had already arrived. Discord was standing with Fluttershy, with Rarity and Applejack still watching him somewhat warily. Spike stood in the middle, with Doc, KP, Mage, Silver Quill, and Smart Alec on his other side, opposite the three Ponyville ‘natives.’ Dawn and Spring Flight were also watching from beside the shop’s door as Discord read the letter.

“I believe it’s in all of our best interests if I sit this one out,” Discord said.

“Really?” Fluttershy gave the Draconequus a full blast of her big-eyed hopeful look, and several of the others had to look away. Gearhead noticed that she was once again wearing the hairclip he had given her.

“I’m sorry, but I can smell the bad combination from here. Besides, you should be able to manage without me. Good luck. Really.” Discord snapped a talon and vanished.

“That’s too bad,” Fluttershy said.

“Well, we shouldn’t have to worry about him, at any rate,” Applejack said.

“Not for now, anyway,” Alec said.

“Let's just go find out what’s what,” KP said. “I’m sure we’re about to hear another long explanation about whatever happened, and then it’ll be time to clean up the princess’s mess.”

“Oh, I’m certain it’s not quite like that this time,” Rarity said.

“Exactly how much would you be willing to bet on that?” Quill asked.

“Why? What do you know?”

“About this one, surprisingly little, I think.”

“We seem to be in unfamiliar territory,” Doc said. “But that does not mean our chances of success are any lower.”

Gearhead turned to Dawn and the others. “Of course we’ll take care of things while you’re gone,” Dawn said. “You focus on whatever’s going on in Canterlot, and we’ll focus on Ponyville for you.”

“Please use the Array comms if something comes up,”

“Of course,”

“Alright,” Gearhead said, turning back to the others. “Everyone who is going aboard, please do so now. Once we get to cruising speed, I want you all to take the opportunity to train with your suits in case the threat becomes time-sensitive.”

“Oh, I hope it’s not,” Fluttershy said.

“Judging by past experience, it could be,” Applejack said as she led the way up the main ramp.

“Well then, here’s hoping for something a little more straightforward, where we can –“

Mage was at Rarity’s side in an instant to stuff a forehoof into the other’s mouth. “Don’t say it!”

“Mph?”

“No jinxing,” Quill said. “That’s my job.”

* * *

During the flight to Canterlot, Fluttershy helped Gearhead demonstrate how to put on and use the suits, which provided full body coverage. Naturally since few of them were Pegasi, these suits were different from the originals in that they had extensions for horns or a completely sealed appearance as appropriate for Unicorns and Earth Ponies. Gearhead had even redesigned the ones for Quill and Doc to fit their different body types more fully.

Most of the suits were dark blue on the top and light blue on the belly, but the ones Gearhead had made for Fluttershy and Dash were in the appropriate colours for members of the Wonderbolts Reserve. The most visible part of any suit, regardless of its size or the species it was designed for, was the jewel embedded into the chest. Most of the group needed further training with it even after they landed outside Canterlot Castle, however Gearhead only needed to teach Mage the spell, leaving her without the need to have a capture gem on her suit – so it became a backup device.

* * *

Luna was waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp when they disembarked. She nodded approvingly when she saw everyone wearing their capture suits, their helmets attached to the hinges on the collar, but flipped open for the moment. Applejack was carring Pinkie’s and Dash’s empty suits, while Gearhead carried the single-core Engine himself, the core itself perfectly balanced on his back.

“My sister sent me a message telling me to expect you,” Luna said. “I fear we must move quickly.”

“I think she looks taller in the flesh,” KP whispered to Alec.

“We’re just used to a different scale,” Alec said.

“And perspective,” Doc said.

Some time later they stood in front of a set of heavy looking double doors. “This is the entrance to the labyrinth that leads to Starswirl the Bearded’s library. I was never able to get there unguided, however my sister seems to think you can navigate it. Are you ready?”

“No,” Fluttershy squeaked.

“I’m looking forward to this,” Alec said, grinning.

“Let us not waste time,” Gearhead said.

“Very well,” Luna said, and she opened the gates, revealing a wide passage, down which she started walking.

“Are you sure you ought to be coming?” Quill asked. “I mean, the letter mentioned something from around the time all that Nightmare Moon stuff went down. This could be bad for you.”

“Whatever this is, I refuse to stand by while my sister, and possibly the rest of Equestria, is in danger.”

“That, and you’ll get to gloat if it’s her fault,” Alec said.

“I love my sister! I would never...” Luna raised an eyebrow. “You are trying to get a rise out of me, are you not?”

“And it worked,”

Luna took a deep breath. “I will take that as a lesson.”

“That is probably best,” Doc said, glaring at Alec as they came to the first fork.

“Next lesson: where do we go from here?” Luna asked, looking all around them at the signs.

“I believe we go this way,” Gearhead said, quickly choosing one path.

“How can you tell?” Applejack asked.

“I believe it is because the sign says so,” Gearhead said, nodding to the clearly-marked routes.

“I don’t see anything that says ‘library,’” Alec said.

“You might if you read Latin,” Gearhead said.

“This must be what Celestia – I mean what Princess Celestia meant when she said we’d need some ‘specialized knowledge,’” KP said.

“I was hoping for something more spectacular,” Mage said.

“I was hoping for explosions,” Quill said.

“Perhaps later,” Doc said as Gearhead took the lead. “Now that I’m looking for the signs, everything looks so clearly marked. It’s like a librarian made all this.”

“I always thought Starswirl was a little too into books,” Luna said, “but I never paid it much mind. Now his hat? It had such bells on it that even a thousand years would not dull my memory of it.”

* * *

“Luna? What are you doing here?” Celestia asked when she spotted the group approaching the table where Twilight and the others were continuing to do their research.

“I had to see it all myself, Sister. Besides, I could not possibly leave after showing them the way.”

“Very well, since you’re already here. But we must be careful.”

“Fine,”

“So what’s going on?” Applejack asked as she and Gearhead put the extra gear on the floor.

“I am afraid that much of what will likely come is my fault,” Celestia said. “You see, I used to help Starswirl the Bearded in his research of other worlds.” The princess turned to Twilight, who was grinning from ear to ear, and even bouncing a bit in her seat. “Would you like to explain about the portals, Twilight?”

“Can I?” At Celestia’s nod, Twilight cleared her throat, and sat up straight. “It’s really quite amazing. Starswirl and Princess Celestia worked powerful enchantments into mirrors, so that each one would become a portal tied to a specific world. In each case, they took precise notes about the worlds they visited, including one inhabited by giant, carnivorous lizards.”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said.

“If the world was too dangerous, they didn’t visit it again, but there were some they visited multiple times. Like one where Sombra was the king of Equestria. From Starswirl’s notes, it looks like they had a drink called ‘coffee’ that he really liked.”

“And from the princess’s expression, it looks like there was something she really liked,” KP said.

Celestia cleared her throat, and stopped blushing. “Yes, I did find some missing companionship in King Sombra’s world.” She looked at her hooves. “This was not long after I banished my own sister to the moon, so I was lonely and depressed. King Sombra offered me solace from my guilt...” She looked up at her sister. “As did talking with that world’s Luna.”

“You replaced me?”

“You know I would never seek to do that. You are my one and only dear sister, Luna. But I could not speak with you. All I could remember were those last angry words, and after banishing you, there was not anything I could do, or so I thought. When I went to that other world, though, there was another you, kind and loving. And there, too, was Sombra.

“But as time wore on and we continued to visit, Starswirl noticed strange coincidences that would occur. It was small things at first, like somepony on Sombra’s world deciding to cook something, and then the same pony here cooking the same thing. But then the changes began to carry more impact. Starswirl decided to seal the portal rather than risk the two worlds converging and clashing – to what end, who can guess?”

“Here we go,” Alec said.

“To my shame, I continued to sneak off to be with King Sombra, even going behind my friend’s back and lying to him about it. I risked both worlds’ stability because I could not bear to be apart from him. I thought that a short visit every now and again would not have such a great impact, but then Starswirl caught me, and we have never spoken of that other world since. Sometimes I am not even sure we are still friends.”

“You mean Starswirl is still alive?” Doc asked.

“Starswirl the Bearded is a powerful Unicorn who specializes in many different kinds of magicks. This includes time magic, making him capable of surviving the millennia in an entirely different manner from my or Luna’s longevity. So while I have not seen him in some time, I do believe he is alive.

“In any case, I did not use the mirror for decades at a time after that, although I wanted to. Recently, however, you six returned my sister to me, and so I have not been nearly so lonely. But I decided to visit King Sombra just to see how he and his Equestria were doing. Unfortunately, the news is not good, because like that world’s version of me, that Luna is also now evil as well.”

“The timing on the other Luna turning from good to evil can’t be coincidence,” Twilight said. “Just like the other Sombra is a mirror of ours, the second Celestia and Luna are also mirror-like reflections, at least to some degree, according to these notes.”

“I fear that the dark versions of myself and Luna are plotting something with Sombra’s Equestria, and worse it could have something to do with our own world as well. This might not be so bad for us if the mirror had remained completely sealed, but when I checked on it last night, the portal was very close to being reopened. Unlike the large amount of magical energy it would normally take to open the portal, the current amount required would be comparatively little. It would be sheer disaster if the other me found and opened it. I also fear that, sensing the change, Sombra’s Equestria may not have much time before they put their plan into action.”

“So we’ll be up against an evil Celestia and an evil Luna? Sounds like a lot of opportunity for fun,” Quill said.

“You may not have as many opportunities as you might want,” Celestia said. “It is quite possible, with this timing, that the portal is resonating with the energy released by the portal that brought you five here, in which case it is impossible to tell if and when the portal’s stability could change. On top of that, the resonance may have already affected the worlds’ convergence. If they become too close, it could lead to disaster between linked beings.

“Twilight Sparkle, please lead your friends in an effort to help King Sombra and save Equestria from the evil versions of myself and my sister.”

“You can count on us, Princess Celestia.”

“What’re the chances we’ll come across mirror us’es?” Mage asked.

“We don’t even know if you have counterparts who exist in our world,” Twilight said. “You might not have any there either, in which case you’d be unaffected by the convergence. But we exist here.” Twilight looked at Gearhead, and did not have to finish the sentence aloud: if the royal sisters were evil in the other world, they could expect their Elemental Six, and Gearhead, to be evil as well.

“Wait, why doesn’t Sombra just use his world’s Elements of Harmony to fix things, like we did on Luna?” Pinkie asked.

“Unfortunately, as far as I know the Elements do not exist in that world. Nor can we risk taking the Elements we have into that world, lest they destabilize the balance, or fall into the wrong hooves.”

“How long do we have before the situation becomes critical?” Gearhead asked.

“The portal on the other side has not been opened yet, but it may be a matter of days before it is found if King Sombra’s guards cannot keep the curious away. What do you have in mind?”

“Assuming a link between ponies in both worlds, we cannot use direct force on your counterparts without risking injuring you. Nor, from the sound of it, can we simply purify them of their evil. But we have alternate equipment capable of neutralizing an opponent without harming her.”

“The capture suits,” Dash said, grinning.

“Yes. However you, Fluttershy, and I are the only ones here with experience using them. I have begun the others’ training, but it would be more ideal if we had more time in which to allow for more complete mastery. And there is one more who needs training with a special piece of equipment.” Gearhead looked at the Alicorn Engine on the floor, the purple of the main vest and the pink filigree seeming to shimmer slightly in the light.

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked after a couple of seconds of staring at it. “I thought you weren’t going to let anyone else have them. That’s why you stopped that automated one, right?”

“I stopped the harmful one. You, Twilight Sparkle, I trust with my life. We eight, including Spike, have been through many trying situations, and we have come out of their fires and storms weathered but stronger. I chose you in particular because you know what it is like to have great power, and to have none. Also, you cannot normally fly so this would give you that advantage. And you have seen me use it. Given the situation, I believe releasing the Alicorn Engine to your use is appropriate.”

“I’m honoured,” Twilight said, bowing.

“In that case, we will also need a set of plans which you can invoke with a simple letter and numbered phase system, to which the rest of us can quickly respond.”

“If we’re going to do this quickly, we had best keep it simple to avoid confusion,” Doc said.

“And practice,” KP said.

“I do not think you have many days in which to prepare,” Celestia admitted.

“How many do we have then, Princess?” Applejack asked.

“Three, perhaps.”

“’Perhaps?’ I don’t like the way she said that,” Alec said.

“Yes well, this latest development with the portal is new. It is... unpredictable.”

“We should grant them as many days as we can, and keep watch over the portal in case of changes,” Luna said. “I should like to go myself as well.”

“Except for the stability issue, so would I, Sister.”

“Then the best we can do is to send you twelve, with Spike being able to send messages between your party and my sister and me here,” Luna said.

Twilight nodded. “Then we have a basic plan.”

“Well, this may go better than if we’d just rushed on in,” Quill said.

“Sort of like how we just dropped out of the sky?” Alec asked.

“Exactly,” Quill grinned.

“Fortunately we have some leeway here, even if it is not as much as we would like,” Gearhead said.

“That said, I believe it would be wise to get started,” Celestia said.

* * *

Fluttershy and Dash took over training the others to use the capture suits, with some help from Applejack, Rarity, and Doc’s group, since they had a slight lead from practising while en route to Canterlot – not a lot of practice, since the Wind flew quickly, and there was not much distance between the city and the town.

Gearhead worked with Twilight, teaching her how to use the Single Core and its Stabilizer. For the sake of preventing word from getting out, they used the space inside of, and around, the library, only going deeper into the cavern system, instead of closer to the castle. Gearhead tried to tune the Engine so it would react better to Twilight’s developing flight style, and for her part, Twilight was a fairly quick study, perhaps because she did not have any preconceived notions on how to fly.

Gearhead had replaced the original vest-type harness with microscale armour, and for the purpose of this mission, decided to swap out any partial coverage another version might have offered for a cover-all solution. Likewise he had replaced the goggles with a more rounded version of the tinted HUD glasses he wore. The core itself was slightly more compact and rounded, making it four inches shorter, but no smaller. Nor did it have any less than the original six rings and one conical section within the housing.

Now that Gearhead knew they would be going up against versions of the princesses, he also knew that if it came to battle, he would want to have some spells readily available that would make them take notice, so perhaps the others could make the capture. Unfortunately, evil princesses were less likely to allow Gearhead enough time to transform or reconfigure his cores. Fortunately, there were dozens of tomes right there filled with time-related spells. Gearhead perused them and chose a set he could use. Then he loaded an extremely selective time advancement spell into the Baby Dragon Tears he had brought. That would allow him to transform more quickly, or to finish loading his magic bullet if it came to that.

Whenever they needed a break, the twelve of them took it together so they could all contribute to the plan, remembering to keep things simple and memorable. The group brainstormed several, and then arranged them according to how ideal the situation would be, allowing each plan to launch. They then broke each plan down to short, actionable sections to create the numbered phases. For coordination purposes, Gearhead ensured he had a comm for every member of the team, both an earpiece and the one built into each suit’s helmet.

Three days after Gearhead and the others had arrived, Princess Celestia came before them again. “It’s time,” she said, the slight bags under her eyes showing how carefully she had been watching the portal.

* * *

The room in which the portal had been kept until now was more like a long closet, secured with a heavy door on which Starswirl had placed many magical wards and locks. Princess Celestia, however, had long since gotten through those locks. Now she and Luna had moved the mirror into one of the more open sections near the back of the library so they would have more room, and still remain fairly undisturbed if anyone did happen upon the library, unlikely as that might be.

Princess Celestia had arranged the group into three concentric rings of four around the mirror while she prepared to open it the rest of the way. “Remember, my ponies, your actions may have consequences in this world as well, so take as much care as you possibly can. But if it does come down to it, do not hold back, for the sake of both Equestrias.”

“We’ll remember,” Twilight said over Quill’s objection that he was, in fact, a Hippogriff. The Unicorn turned to the others. “We don’t know what to expect, so brace yourself for anything.”

“What if I turn into a Unicorn?” Dash asked.

“You could also turn into an Earth Pony,” Applejack said.

“We’ll deal with it if it happens,” Twilight said, although she was clearly uncomfortable with the chance that she could lose her magic. “Gearhead, this could be an opportunity to get some readings on how the portal works.”

“Or its energies could overload the suits, rendering them useless. I believe it would be wise to use Hermetic Mode during the first transit. Then we can run a diagnosis on the other side to see whether the system could withstand a second transit in Regular Mode.”

“I’d like to see an overload,” KP said.

“No you don’t,” Mage said.

“Ah, you’re right.”

“Helmets on, please,” Gearhead said, nodding sharply to knock his own helmet into place. As at the Academy, his had the longer display area. “Using remote access to switch to Hermetic Mode.” Their displays went dark, as the systems isolated themselves from all powerful influences, going to a safe mode that was deeper than Standby Mode.

“Opening the portal,” Princess Celestia said, and her horn lit up in a swirl of gold and blue. Her magic connected with the mirror’s frame, and the surface area in the middle rippled, then shimmered. “It’s open. Good luck.”

“Here we go,” Twilight said. She took a deep breath, then charged right at the portal. Despite this, Pinkie was the first one through, Spike holding tightly to her tail. The mirror was only wide enough for one pony at a time, so everyone followed her or his leader in the line, until they were all inside.

With the swirling, mixing, and constantly changing colours, it was impossible to see much within the corridor. Sometimes it was even difficult to see the others as they fell and flowed through. At one point Gearhead marked Rarity from her distinctive hairstyle, rather than her colours because she was not white and purple anymore. Finding this display more confusing than anything else Gearhead decided to focus purely on what was directly ahead of him. That was probably how he spotted the opening and spun his whole body with a Wind spell coming easily to mind.

Everyone spilled out of the portal and flopped onto the ground in a complete tangle. Everyone except for Mage, who started to levitate herself clear as soon as she was out of the portal and back in normal space, and Gearhead, who was prepared when he hit normal space, his spell blasting him clear of the pile. “System scan, please.”

“[Scanning... all boards blue].” The computerized voice said, its activity only visible through a small, flashing blue light.

“Exit mode, please.”

“[Exiting Hermetic Mode],” Gearhead’s HUD lit up as his systems came back up to their normal levels. His Engines spun for a moment to refill the condensers, and then the sensors on all the suits scanned the area, resonating off of each other for an overlapping picture – especially since some of the others were still in the pile. “[System now running in Normal Mode, all boards blue].”

“'Blue?' Is that why I can’t feel my legs?” Quill asked, sitting up with his talons resting against a pair of tan forelegs.

“Those are mine,” Alec said, grimacing slightly. “Get off, you heavy Hippogriff.”

“Nice alliteration, although I prefer ‘handsome,’” Quill got up anyway, and extended a forelimb to help Alec up.

“I know you do,” Alec said, while Doc helped KP.

“Was your portal like this too?” Dash asked.

“I think it was less bumpy,” KP said.

“Also, we fell straight down, not sideways,” Mage said. “Anyway, this place looks...”

“Bleak,” Quill said.

“I certainly hope our Equestria doesn’t look like this if we fail,” Rarity said.

“Then we won’t fail,” Twilight said, raising an eyebrow at a statue of Discord wearing some sort of costume. “Come on, lets go see King Sombra. I can’t believe I just said that.”

“Neither can I,” Pinkie said.

As the group walked cautiously up toward the palace, Applejack pawed at the ground. “I can’t believe how neglected the earth has gotten,” she said.

“You mean ‘dry,’ right?” Rarity asked.

“No, it’s more like it hasn’t been tended to at all, in years.”

Gearhead watched as Twilight trained her sensors on the ground around them and took a reading. Because the suits were linked, Gearhead saw the sensor take on the right side of his right lens. “You’re right,” Twilight said, “all the nutrients needed to grow plants are here. But no one’s using it. And it’d take some work to dig down to it again.”

“Canterlot’s Earth Ponies let the ground go to seed, or were not allowed to tend the land as they usually would in our world,” Gearhead said. “That would mean whoever is providing the citizens with food is under additional strain to do so.”

“Their land, too,” Applejack said.

“What a waste,” Alec said.

“Well, we have a chance to change all that,” Dash said.

“You think this has something to do with this world’s version of the princesses?” Applejack asked.

“I doubt it’s ‘cause of Discord being ‘Captain Good Guy,’” Pinkie said.

“Is that what that was?” KP asked.

“We’ll know if we meet him,” Quill said.

“Oh please let us meet him,” KP said.

“I don’t think he’ll be that different,” Fluttershy said.

“Yes, but this is a Discord who is a hero without our influencing him,” Gearhead said.

“If Discord and Sombra are good guys here, then what about my brother and Cadence?”

“I suspect you don’t want to know, Prin—ow! Oh come on, even here?” Quill rubbed his head where the washbin had hit it and looked at the item as it settled on the hard, unworked ground. He groaned when he saw what was engraved around the rim.

“’Made in China.’ Where’s that?” Pinkie asked.

“Another world, unless there’s a ‘China’ in Equestria?” Mage said.

“Not that we’ve ever been there,” Twilight said. “What exactly were you trying to say there? It sounded like you were calling me a—“

“Nevermind that, Twilight, and just focus on the task at ha – I mean, at hoof. Heh,” Quill chuckled. “I have no idea how close I might’ve come that time, but I’m not taking chances anymore.”

“I don’t get it,”

“Luckily you don’t have to,” Alec said.

“Are you sure..?”

“Hey look, a guard!” Quill pointed ahead with a talon, and indeed there was a pair of guards stationed one step above the area where they were. Now Gearhead noticed how grey the buildings and road seemed. The image of the world being bleak was not at all helped by the plain, grey and white plate armour the guards wore.

* * *

“Who goes there?” One guard called. His partner turned and likewise levelled his spear at the approaching group.

“Hi, good morning. Or afternoon. It’s kind of hard to tell here, actually,” Twilight chuckled nervously to herself. “I’m kind of hoping you’re familiar with the other version of Princess Celestia who sometimes visited this world, maybe with a Unicorn wizard named Starswirl? Because she actually sent us here to help King Sombra with this world’s Celestia and Luna.”

The guards stared sceptically, clearly not buying a word of it. “Wait a minute,” one of them suddenly said, “some of these ponies look familiar.” He took out a parchment and looked down at it, then back up at the thirteen assembled beings. When he looked up, the other guard looked down at the paper, so that one of them always had his eyes on the suspicious newcomers.

“It’s the Malcontent Six!” The second guard said.

“Pardon me?” Rarity asked.

“Would you prefer ‘Malicious?’”

“No, thank you.”

“Murderous?”

“Oh Celestia, no!”

“Miserable?”

“This place looks it more than we do,” Alec said, grinning.

“Moldy?”

“Now you’re really stretching it,” Dash said.

“Lemme see that,” KP said, having quietly flown over so she could look at the page over the guards’ shoulders. “Hey Applejack, since when did you wear a black hat?”

“I ain’t no black hat-wearin’ cowpoke,” Applejack said.

“Never saw this expression on Fluttershy’s face either,” KP said. “Check it out,” she said, grabbing the page and flying it back to the others.

“Well, I’d never,” Rarity said.

“There’s only one thing to do,” Pinkie said, at which point the guards took up fighting stances. “We’ll have to turn those frowns upside down!”

“You’ll never – wait, what?” The first guard slumped forward slightly.

“We don’t have the time to wait, I think,” Twilight said. “While we’re out here, talking, the Celestia and Luna here are up to who-knows-what. We need to deal with them before they find a way to make things worse here, or find a way to our Equestria. That’s why we need to see King Sombra.”

“Your story is too incredible to be believed,” one guard said.

“Yeah, got any proof you’re not just spies?”

“You did say that Celestia and Luna sent you here. The only ones we know of are after the crown and some sort of spell.”

“I guess it’s been awhile since Princess Celestia was here,” Dash said to Twilight. “What now?”

“We need some sort of physical proof they’ll accept that we’re from a different world,” Twilight said.

“Or that we weren’t send here by their Celestia and Luna,” Fluttershy said.

“Like what?” Mage asked, cocking her head.

“Like Applejack’s hat?” Pinkie asked.

Twilight sighed. “Too bad we’ve already been over that,” she said. “Really, we don’t know anything about this world other than what our Celestia told us, what was in Starswirl’s journals, and what we can see in front of our faces.”

“I guess it’s too bad we couldn’t bring any of those journals with us,” Pinkie said.

“I would have liked to, but who knows who might’ve gotten their hooves on them,” Twilight said. “Ah-ha! The journals are the key in this situation.”

“But you just said you didn’t bring them,” Pinkie said.

“I didn’t, but there are a number of things one world has that the other doesn’t. We only need to have brought something simple from our world that doesn’t exist here.”

“I don’t see what the journal has to do with that,” Rarity said. “Also, we’re all wearing items that probably don’t exist here, and yet these guards clearly are not taking them as proof.”

“We’ve seen armour,” the first guard said, shrugging.

“I guess there is a me here too,” Gearhead said, “but that does not help us.”

“We just need something that’s common in our world, that we’d normally take for granted and overlook.”

Gearhead watched out of the corner of his eye as Rarity walked a short distance away to a flat rock and took a large pink cloth out of one of her saddlebags to lay on the rock. She then started to take out saucers, cups, and even a teapot.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Dash asked.

“Oh but Darling, we need to at least do something while we think of what proof to present to the guards. And this seems like the perfect opportunity for tea.”

“That’s it!” Twilight said, pointing.

“What’s it?” Dash asked.

“Tea!”

“Tea?” Alec, Applejack, and Dash all managed similar, skeptical expressions.

“Yes, tea. It’s one of the things Starswirl said this world doesn’t have.”

“Oh my, how could they ever get by without tea?!”

“They have coffee, made from a bean.”

“Why would anypony ever want to cough?”

“It’s another sort of pick-me-up drink,” Doc said. “It’s quite bitter plain, so an acquired taste, but it’s also a stimulant and good for you in small quantities.”

“Which is tricky to keep to because of the buzz,” Alec said.

“Starswirl liked it,” Twilight said. “A lot. King Sombra let him bring lots of it back to our Equestria, along with some other things. This world has coffee, but not tea. Rarity, would you mind sharing some of your tea with the guards?”

“Why, not at all, Twilight dear,” Rarity said, smiling. She poured two cups, and then levitated them over to the waiting guards. The guards shifted their grips on their weapons so they could take their sips.

“Wow, what a nice, mild flavour!” The first guard said.

“I tell you, I haven’t had tea at all in almost a year.”

“Wait, I thought this world didn’t have tea,” Doc said.

“King Sombra had some cultivated, but most of it has withered away,” the second guard said.

“Even that was never as good as this,” the first guard said.

“I think I know why the king wanted to grow more so badly,” the second guard said.

“Tea made with fresh leaves has the best, most refined flavour,” Rarity said. “Of course, mine has been in my saddlebags for a while, so it’s not as flavourful as it could be.”

“You’re kidding: better tea?”

“Darling, I don’t ‘kid’ about tea,” Rarity said.

“You do realize we would never have this sort of conversation with the Malcontents,” the second guard said.

“Yes, and do you realize that we wouldn’t be talking with them at all?”

“True. And it’s not just six of them, either,”

“Of course I realized that: they’re behaving way too differently compared to our versions.”

“Wait, don’t tell me you would’ve been satisfied just with what you could see,” Dash said.

“Well, yeah,” the first guard said.

“We’re not stupid. It’s just been ages since we’ve been able to have any fun around here,” the second guard said.

“Excuse me, sirs, but time is of the essence. Can we please see King Sombra now?” Twilight asked, somewhat archly.

“Oh, of course. Right away,” the first guard said.

Rarity sighed. “Of course now I must pack my tea back up.”

22. Reflections of the Self

Chapter 22: Reflections of the Self

“Alternatively,” the slightly-tinny voice from above and behind them said, “you could just leave it.” Everyone stopped in his or her tracks and began to turn toward the source of the sound. “Oh, stop there. That’s right. Now, turn all those newcomers over to me and I won’t vapourize you guards right here. How’s that? A generous offer, right?” The guards dropped the cups from which they had been drinking their tea, and Rarity reflexively stopped them from hitting the ground.

“Full Armour,” Gearhead muttered, spotting the newcomer hovering several meters away. The armour was three times his own size, painted dark red and steel-grey with navy blue accents. Although the shape’s design wasbipedal, its creator had clearly taken inspiration from a Dragon rather than from Agile Form as the armour sported a long tail, three horns on its head, and short claws at the ends of its hands.

“Lord Iron,” the first guard said, “this is unexpected.”

“Seems this is a day for unexpected things,” Iron said. “My sensors picked up an eerily similar energy signature, so I came right over to check it out, since I can’t very well have my tech on the loose unchecked. Lo and behold, here it is.”

Gearhead had already concluded that this world’s version of him had to be piloting the armour. There was the design, certain elements of which he could easily see himself creating as they were certainly reflected in his own version of the Full Armour. But now his sensors were also beginning to detect the particle energy the armour’s powerplant was emitting – similar, but also fundamentally different. Just as different in another way, the armour did not appear to use microscaling. Finally, while the Full Armour was Gearhead’s last resort when it came to a show of force, this 'Lord Iron' used it as his first response.

“Sec-scram-sec,” Gearhead muttered. The internal lighting on all of the suits’ HUDs went from blue to purple, and flashed a twelve-character alphanumeric string at the wearer, just slow enough for him or her to recite it back. The system used the new password together with voice prints and ocular scans to ensure no one but the intended wearer could use any of the suits. In addition, the purple status meant that the suits would be operating while connected only to each other, and not to any external nodes that might become available. This would prevent Iron from getting an easy external access, even if he had conceived of similar security measures himself. Based on the Full Armour’s particle emissions, however, Gearhead believed that Iron took whatever shortcuts he could to reduce costs, while also increasing his offensive power. That was probably why his version of the Alicorn Engine generated the harmful red particles that Gearhead himself had locked out of his Engines’ operations.

“What should we do?” Dash whispered to Twilight.

“Ah, no conspiring,” Iron adjusted the two bottom wings into line as railguns.

“So you cannot afford for similar Alicorn Engine technology to appear freely?” Gearhead asked.

“Smart pony. So you’ll see that surrender –“

“OverBurst,” Gearhead muttered, launching into the air. As he did so he snapped his head forward to pop his helmet down over his head, and then he accelerated past Iron as fast as he could go.

“You won’t get away,” Iron said as he turned to pursue. As he did so, Gearhead got a passing look at three oversized cores. Certainly they could produce a greater amount of power than Gearhead’s Twin Engines, but could he use it efficiently?

“We shall see,” Gearhead said, pushing his throttles to the emergency stops and leaping ahead as he continued to climb slightly, always aimed away from the palace and heading northward.

“True, I have to contend with greater mass, but you still won’t get away.” Iron sighed. “I was hoping you’d at least make this interesting, but if you won’t do that for me, then the ball returns to my court. And you’ve got a massive flaw that I lack.” Iron stopped and turned to level his shoulder railguns back at the palace. According to Gearhead’s sensors, he was targeted right over where his friends were.

Gearhead threw himself into a flip, head-over-heels, and accelerated as fast as he could directly at Iron, bladecasters aimed on their actuators and charging.

“You hero types’re all the same,” Iron said.

“OverBurst,” Gearhead said, again activating the boost mode for just a moment, both to close the distance and charge his attack just that much faster.

“Predictable,” Iron turned, too quickly for Gearhead to react effectively at this range, and clamped both of the armour’s claws tightly around Gearhead’s barrel, pinning both his casters to his sides. The Geargem Dagger was free in his tail, however Gearhead could not tell if it could do damage to Iron’s armour, similar to the case with Otto.

“Dead,” Iron said, squeezing. Gearhead grimaced, because even though his opponent could not see his expression through his visor he would be able to hear it in his voice when he spoke. The microscaling was keeping up with the pressure well, however if Gearhead could not get free quickly he would probably find more force levelled against him.

[Red Full Armour preliminary scan complete:]

[Plated armour is not dragonfired adamantine, but strength comparable.]

[Powerplant altered Triple-Core Alicorn Engine without safety/security mesh. Produces locked-out red particles that have a retarding effect on living tissue.]

[Warning: extended exposure may result in degeneration of tissues.]

It seemed that not using the Geargem Dagger was the correct response, and knowing what Iron used in his armour would be of great benefit. But surely he would notice if Gearhead went directly to that. He would need a distraction, something with a little flash.

“Fulgoratio!” Gearhead gritted out, and turquoise-white lightning shot out from him in all directions, until it was all attracted by the very ferrous frame of the Full Armour. Gearhead’s lightning enveloped them both, snaking inside the outer armour through the tiny gaps that had to exist over the joints.

“Ha! I’m surprised you can use magic, but did you really think I wouldn’t be prepared for such a small trick?”

“I hoped you had not,” Gearhead ground out as he turned his hooves inward for a moment so he could retract the armour around them without Iron seeing. He touched his hooves to his sides, then rotated them out, to touch his opponent’s claws, wrapped tightly around him and still squeezing away.

On contact, the lines of turquoise energy ran along the claws and into the wrists before lighting them up and peeling them back and away. Suddenly Gearhead was flying again, and Iron had to jump backwards to get out of range. Gearhead had gotten Iron up to midway up his forearms, that metal flowing and coiling into a large ball, which Gearhead kept aloft with a minor Light spell.

“You’ve caught me unprepared, but next time – wars are won and lost on less,” Iron said, and he took off at high speed. Gearhead raised a particle shield to protect himself from the red particles. Then he headed back to where the others were.

“You won?” The first guard asked after Gearhead landed.

“Aye, but Iron promised it would be different the next time,” Gearhead said, flipping his helmet back on its hinge. “I get the impression he means it.”

“I don’t know if bringing you to the king is such a good idea now,” the first guard said. “You’ve just made an extremely powerful enemy.”

“Aye again. And that enemy would almost certainly be this world’s version of myself, although he uses a different name.”

“On second thought, maybe we should let him see the king,” the second guard said.

* * *

“Welcome to Canterlot Castle,” King Sombra said. Gearhead was surprised by the grey-coated Unicorn’s appearance, as he completely lacked any aspect of the menace that had defined the version he had fought. This Sombra’s black mane did now flow with power, nor did his voice resonate with Dark Magic. If Gearhead had to name one thing that defined this Sombra as separate from the other it would probably be ‘normalcy.’

The others had surprising reactions as well, ranging from being disarmed to being charmed, especially in Rarity’s case. Watching the others speaking comfortably with the king, Gearhead had the impression that if not for the fact that they came from different worlds, they could have easily been close friends.

King Sombra received the group in a conference room that looked out into a courtyard, so everyone could be accommodated around a table, and he asked his staff to lay out a modest repast and refreshments. “We do not have much, but as Celestia sent you to help us with the current situation, please consider whatever we have to be at your disposal.”

“That’s very generous of you,” Twilight said. “I mean, are you sure?”

“Forgive my sayin’ so, Your Majesty, but it don’t seem like the earth could support much ‘round these parts,” Applejack said.

“Sadly, it is true. Celestia and Luna do not allow the Earth Ponies to grow their crops as they desire. Specifically, they have targeted all farming within proximity of all those under my protection. We have to range much further from Canterlot in order to get food, and we have to pay a premium for what we do get. But I, and my subjects, are grateful for your contributions to the cause.”

“Sounds pretty desperate out there,” Alec said.

“For the moment, yes. But if we can find a way to deal with the sisters then the situation can turn to our advantage again.”

“What is the situation?” Twilight asked. “I’m afraid Princess Celestia didn’t give us much detail, just that the Celestia here is evil, and that your Luna recently became evil. The princess also believes that the evil versions have designs on our own world.”

“But if what’s good is evil, aren’t all the evil beings good in this world? Shouldn’t that mean you have Discord and Chrysalis’s Changeling army?” KP asked.

“Yes, it is quite possible that all who are evil in your world are good here, including myself,” Sombra said. “Unfortunately the reverse is also true, and so I have asked Sir Discord to guard Northern Equestria, and Lady Chrysalis safeguards the south. As long as other threats press them, they will be unable to reinforce us here at Canterlot.”

“Threats like Shining Armour and Cadence?” Twilight asked.

“’Cadence?’ Oh, you must mean Duchess Cadenza and her consort Nova Blade. Yes, they harass the north almost continuously. It is only with Sir Discord’s great power that they have been repulsed successfully every time.”

Twilight looked down at the table.

“What is the matter?”

“It’s alright, Twilight,” Fluttershy wrapped her friend in a light hug. “No one can blame you for being sad that your brother is likely an enemy. But if he and Cadenza are up there, they won’t come down here.”

“I guess that’s right,” Twilight said.

“We also just encountered this world’s Gearhead, although he seems to be using the name ‘Iron’ here.”

“You mean your double? I did not realize he had another name,” King Sombra said.

“Could you please tell us what is known about Iron? Why is everypony so afraid of him?” Fluttershy asked.

“Unfortunately much of Lord Iron’s past is shrouded in mystery. He seemed to simply appear, selling his technology to whoever would be willing to pay the price. Most beings had only one of two reactions to suddenly possessing such power: they would become mysteriously ill, or they would go to war.

“Whenever anyone was smart enough to try to return the weapons and get a refund, Lord Iron refused and turned them away. Soon after, Iron’s customers started to find that their weapons no longer worked when they needed them to. Some of them tried to attack Lord Iron to get answers. He shut them down and stamped them out.

“None have seen Iron’s face in years: he does not appear at any formal occasion or event, only to fight or prevent others from achieving technological levels close to his own. For whatever reason, he has also stopped being a warmonger, and instead started hoarding his technology, only using it himself. Now he is the only one with the power to crush an entire nation on a whim.”

“Well, there’s one more now, although he’d never use his power that way,” Dash said.

“Two if you count Twilight,” KP said: both had their Engines.

“Iron makes quick use of the Full Armour where I would hesitate to do so. Could you please tell me if anything has happened to the Verdant that would make Iron turn his back on the world?”

“’Verdant?’ I am sorry, I do not recall... wait, actually there were a few of the older powers by that name, who attended the Gala until about a decade ago. They stopped attending all of a sudden, I think, but I had other matters on which to focus, so I never investigated, I am sorry to say.”

“Perhaps I will get the opportunity to ask the stallion himself,” Gearhead said. “Thank you for what information you had.”

“Also, you say you encountered his ‘full armour,’ but that is usually accompanied by some very demonstrative ground quaking. This had none of that.” King Sombra thought for a moment. “Was it eighteen meters tall?”

“No, I would say it was no more than five meters tall.”

“Then you cannot call it a ‘full’ armour, for Lord Iron’s complete armour is the one that can destroy nations.”

“In that case, I am going to need a bigger sword.” Fortunately I have some more material with which to work.

“In any case, we need a way to deal with the evil within both Celestia and Luna that will not end up affecting the versions from your world,” Sombra said. “How did you turn your Luna to good?”

“That won’t work,” Dash said, “especially since we didn’t bring the Elements of Harmony here. And the princess says your world doesn’t have them.”

“And we might turn our princesses to the dark side,” Pinkie said.

“But we have a plan that won’t bring in that risk,” Fluttershy said.

“As long as we can’t guarantee our actions won’t affect the Royal Sisters, we’ll keep things from getting physical and we won’t just try to purify them of the evil either,” Quill said.

“So we need to be able to act and observe the results,” Doc said. “If a particular action has a negative result, or just plain hurts one of the princesses, we’ll move on to the next plan.”

“And if something does happen to the princesses, they’ll send a message right away letting us know,” Spike said.

“While I appreciate all your efforts, I want you to know that I will absolutely not allow any harm to befall my beloved Celestia,” King Sombra said.

“Your..?” Applejack and Dash said.

“Beloved..?!” Rarity and Fluttershy said.

“I love her,” King Sombra said.

“Yes, I think we’ve established that relationship well enough,” Alec said. “Moving on? What do the evil sisters want from you that they haven’t already crushed this place that’s already so desperate?”

“Smart Alec!” Rarity, Fluttershy, Doc, and Mage all chorused.

“He speaks the truth, though,” King Sombra said. “We are on the edge, and Celestia is after one thing that stops her from attacking Canterlot.”

“Oh do tell,” came a sultry voice from outside. “Your tale is just getting interesting.”

* * *

King Sombra led the charge outside to the balcony, where two Alicorns were just alighting on the balcony. The larger one was quite obviously Celestia with her white coat and multicoloured mane, but she was wearing a horned crown, armour, and mascara that would have been out of place on the Celestia they all knew. The younger sister wore red armour, and both had their manes tied into ponytails so they would be out of the way.

“What are you here for, Celestia?” King Sombra asked.

“What, did you expect us not to come investigate after the hubbub your new friends created earlier?” Celestia asked.

“It’s also great fun to see on whom you pin your hopes,” Luna said. “I, for one, am not impressed.”

“Of course, you could circumvent all the nastiness of war by accepting my generous offer, so how about it, Sombra?” Celestia asked.

“What offer?” Quill asked.

“Oh of course, he was just getting to that part,” Luna said.

“I will give him safe passage and guaranteed conduct for his beloved good Princess Celestia in exchange for the spell to open the portal between worlds. Isn’t it great? The two lovebirds can finally live together forever!” Celestia said. “Well? What’s your answer.”

“I will never agree to those terms,” King Sombra said. “Not only would I never endanger her world, but I would never allow any possible harm to befall her. Also, I just do not trust you to leave this Equestria alone if you ever got what you wanted.”

“Such a shame. Well, it may not matter in a few days anyway. I honestly don’t know,” Celestia shrugged. “This is the first time I’ve ever witnessed so many cross from another world. Who knows how the balancers will react?.”

“It’s not like you could ever stop us when all you have is defensive magic,” Luna said. “And these others the other Celestia sent? What do they have that could do the job? It would be better for you to simply enjoy the spectacle.”

“That is not my way,” King Sombra said.

“Of course it isn’t,” Celestia said, “which is why we’re going to arrange for you to die honourably, just like you always wanted. Unless, of course, you can see that the only way to avoid your subjects’ suffering is not to fight at all.”

“Unfortunately you have never done anything to earn my trust,” King Sombra said.

“To my shame, I suppose. Not that it matters to me for long,” Celestia said. “Oh well.”

“Now that we’ve gotten all the unpleasantries out of the way, what will be your action now?”

“If you two want to retreat now, I will allow it,”

“Oh you, always so...”

“Chivalrous?” Rarity offered.

“Cowardly,” Celestia said, smirking.

“You ungrateful...” Rarity started.

“Lead, your call,” Gearhead said. He did not see any point in prolonging the prelude to battle, especially if they only had to deal with the Alicorn sisters, and not the evil Six and Iron on top of that. Not to mention any member of his own Alliance who might have been flipped evil.

Twilight thought for just a moment. “Plan A, start!” She said into the comms, apparently coming to the same conclusion as Gearhead.

“Roger,” came the answer from the others.

“OverBurst,” Gearhead nodded his head to close his helmet, and leaped right at Celestia even as his actuators crossed his ignited bladecasters in front of his chest. He caught the white Alicorn’s horn between the blades, and pushed, at first gently, to get her off the balcony. Then he steadily increased throttle, pushing Celestia ahead of himself as he angled shallowly upwards, similarly to how he had run from Iron.

“What a brave fool you are, thinking you can take me alone,” Celestia said, and with a burst of power, she threw Gearhead back. He used the momentum to gain a little more distance, and then flew with his bladecasters ready at his side, and the Geargem Dagger ready in his tail.

“Two Flight Lead, Phase 1 complete at 0.97 k.” As KP and Quill caught up, Gearhead continued, “Two Flight, starting Phase 2.”

“Roger,” KP and Quill answered as they spread out in an arc between Celestia and Canterlot.

* * *

“Sister?!” Luna reached out toward the shrinking turquoise specks as Gearhead carried Celestia further and further away.

“You have your own concerns right now,” Twilight said. With Silver Quill and KP helping Gearhead keep Celestia from joining back up with Luna, Twilight had a force that was split between ground and air, however it was also the larger force, consisting of Flights One, Three, and Four. Each Flight had a proven flyer, a powerful caster, and an impressive Earth Pony, although in Two Flight’s case, Gearhead fit all three roles under different circumstances. In surrounding Luna, Twilight had been certain to arrange the formation so that each of the remaining Earth Pony had a flyer or caster available to help out of Luna lashed out at them.

Luna chuckled. “Even with this display of force, you shall regret your defiance once my sister returns.”

“That’d take some doing, considering who she’s up against,” Dash said.

“But you don’t have to worry about that,” Doc said.

“Even so,” Luna sprang into the air, “I shall laugh last!”

And found herself paced, and still surrounded, by Twilight, Dash, Fluttershy, and Mage. Luna did a double-take to see two Unicorns flying, and the landbound Doc and Alec took the opportunity to use their capture gems, their lines tangling the Alicorn’s feet together.

Luna faltered under the unfamiliar weight and cool sensation of the magic cords, and the airbourne quartet were instantly on her, wrapping her wings and horn in more capture cable. Mage and Twilight ensured Luna was not hurt when they lowered her back to the balcony. “Lead, Phase 3 complete,” Twilight said.

King Sombra stared for a moment, then he ordered a group of guards forward. “Take her inside,” he said. “Treat her with respect, but do not undo her bonds under any circumstances.”

“Yes, sire!”

* * *

Any thoughts Celestia might have entertained that Two Flight might hold back against her because of her other self rapidly evaporated after Silver Quill and KP both bumped her, albeit gently, out of a direct flight path back to the palace. Gearhead did not hesitate in the least, launching a volley of 299 Wind Capture Arrows directly at her.

But she was Celestia, soon-to-be Queen of two Equestrias. She lay down a volley of her own magic blasts, not holding back so she could show her enemies what they were truly up against. Surprisingly, they did not blink or budge at all either.

* * *

Gearhead followed his Arrows in with his bladecasters aglow with his own particle energy. When Celestia knocked most of the Arrows out of the sky and then began to launch her own counter, he used the actuators on his cores to dodge magnificently, and then direct his particle fields ahead of himself to block blasts that would have gotten KP or Quill.

The three of them kept up the fight, keeping Celestia contained through their agility and willingness to get a little dirty bumping her off course again and again. Unfortunately for the completion of the plan, Celestia still did not remain still enough in her flight for any one of them to have her in their sights long enough to use a capture cable – and as she had demonstrated against Gearhead’s Arrows, she was perfectly capable of shooting them down before they got to her.

Gearhead decided to do something a bit different, and began to press in closer to Celestia to reduce the time in which she could react to his Flight’s strategies. Celestia suddenly glanced at something behind him, turned, and flew a short distance away before vanishing in a teleportation spell.

Gearhead scanned the area. “Two Flight Lead, Phase 4 failed. Target has exited the area.”

After a moment, Twilight replied. “Lead acknowledges. Please return.”

“Copy that, Lead. Two Flight out.” Gearhead, KP, and Quill turned toward the palace and started to fly at a more relaxed pace toward it. Plan A had been neither a complete success or failure, but at least now they were starting to make some headway.

* * *

“You certainly surprised me, leaping into action like that,” King Sombra said, when they were once again around the table.

“Gearhead suggested we make a number of plans for use just like this,” Twilight said.

“I think we can all see the point of that now,” Doc said.

“Although there’re some unpredictable situations too,” Quill said.

“We only had so much time before coming here,” Fluttershy said.

“Even I can’t prepare for everything,” Pinkie said. “What, I plan for things too!”

“In any case, I propose a toast to your success,” King Sombra raised a goblet. “Perhaps we can find a way to return Luna to her normal self.”

“As long as we can experiment slowly and methodically I know we can find a way,” Twilight said.

“It’s good that you have confidence in your friends, but I doubt Celestia will give us all the time we need,” King Sombra said. “Nor Lord Iron.”

“Your Majesty, may I request the use of your forges?” Gearhead asked.

“If you have something in mind that could help us in the struggle to come, I will put whatever resources you need at your disposal.”

“If I had the time I might build an Alicorn Array for Canterlot,” Gearhead said.

“And that’d just be for starters,” Dash said. “What, it’s true: he has a number of cities he’s protecting now, or at least he does back home.”

“Yes, Celestia would not find it an easy conquest,” Gearhead said. “But for now I am just thinking about how to counter Iron’s armours. I need arms akin to the Full Sword and Full Shield, but much improved. And we also need a way to pull the evil from Celestia and Luna without it being a purification, or otherwise risking wounding them.”

“Whoa, one thing at a time there,” Doc said. “I won’t argue that they are both problems we’ll need to deal with, but you need to focus on one objective at a time, or both your works will end up suffering.”

“Thank you, I know. I shall work on the weapons first, since Iron does not need to repair the Mid Armour just to fight us again. Your Majesty, if I give you a list of materials..?”

“I can get them for you, rest assured. And I do mean that: it has been a long day already.”

* * *

Luna was more surprised that the guards took her to her old room than her sister’s choice to leave her behind when the situation became disadvantageous. The guards also adjusted her restraints to hobble her legs instead of tying them completely together, however they left her wings and horn completely bound.

Since having her true self revealed and leaving the palace, Luna’s room had had bars and locks added to the windows. Now Sombra himself added a number of wards and other magical seals to keep her inside. But, Luna thought as she sat up straight on top of her bed, they underestimate the true power of an Alicorn if they think this can keep me here.

Indeed, if Luna had not wanted to be right where she was, she could have escaped instead of allowing the guards to bring her here. Strategically speaking, however, she was right where she wanted to be. Sombra was a sentimental fool, taking her to her old room. Perhaps he wanted to believe that being here would trigger some older memories and convince her to switch sides again, but in reality all it did was place her closer to the center of the palace, where she could strike out with equal ease in any direction she desired.

In other words, it was the perfect position from which to strike. If you want to blame anyone, blame yourself, Luna thought as she focused her mana tightly to herself, quickly surpassing the limits that the capture cables placed on her. It was just as well that examining the room and breaking the limits took as long as it did, given the time it would take until her targets were at their most vulnerable.

In this or any other world, Luna was among the most powerful psionicists and telepaths, with the power of an Alicorn to back her up. Previously she had been the Guardian of Dreams, but now she was in her true form as a Night Mare. She extended her awareness out beyond her current prison and out into the palace halls, floating from room to room in search of her targets.

* * *

Applejack always put her full effort into tending to her crops. It was all for the sake of her family, for the sake of their continued growth. The more crops she grew, and the hardier they grew, the better business became for Sweet Apple Acres. Soon ponies came from all over Equestria just to buy Apple family produce.

That was why Applejack was always happy to hear about a new method or crop that she could bring back with her to Sweet Apple Acres. Likewise, she was more than happy to take something from the orchards and transplant it elsewhere, both to help other farmers, and to grow the farm’s reputation for high-quality goods even further.

“Of course, there are limits to the ways of the Earth Ponies under the sun,” somepony said softly.

Applejack turned toward the sound, but could only make out a hazy, vaguely equine form through the mists. “Who are you?”

“One who wishes to help. After all, I love to taste of the most savoury fruit.”

“You’re welcome to try our produce,”

“That is mighty kind. Ah, how about a deal? I will show you the secret ways that I know. In exchange I ask only for a small favour.”

“Ah well,” shrouded in the deep mists, Applejack could not make out the form no matter how she moved, and while something nagged at the back of her mind about all this, she could not quite nail it down. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’d rather find these secrets myself, by my own hoof.”

The stranger sighed. “Very well,” it said, and then it melted away. The rest of Applejack’s sleep was dreamless.

* * *

The number of offices that Doc Wolf had in the Rift was undefined, but he made good use of them all in order to help others through their troubles, regardless of who or what they might be. It sometimes felt like he did not have many visitors, but at other times he would become very busy, sometimes with more than one being crashing in. And they did not always leave the office in the same condition in which they found it – thus the need for multiple offices.

Doc might be a wolf, a predator known for its hunting skills, but wolves were also pack animals, meaning that the social aspects of their lives were also very important to them. Being a lone wolf might sound cool, but in reality the lone wolves often died alone. That was part of why Doc felt it was so important to help others, and also why, among so many ponies, he had the form he did.

Among a sudden influx of beings of all types to help, Doc suddenly became aware of a mist that had overtaken his current office. Within it stood an equine of a form he could not quite distinguish. “How can I help you?” He asked, somewhat apprehensive about this unknown newcomer.

“Maybe I should ask you the same, Doc. I mean, you seem to have gotten so busy. Maybe I could help you sort through your cases, so you can use your time more meaningfully?”

“I appreciate the gesture, however I would prefer to see every being who comes to me for help. I believe their problems need to be taken as having equally-serious weight, to avoid it developing into something worse.”

“But taking them all so seriously could lead you to overwork? And who could you help if you succumbed to burn-out?”

“Fortunately I have found a way to balance things,”

“Yes, but to whom does Doc Wolf go when he needs a sounding board?”

A second Doc appeared beside the first. “Why, Doc Wolf, of course,” this blue-eyed creature said.

“Wait, how are you here?”

“What do you mean?”

“I haven’t been to the Mirror Pond recently,”

“Then this must be a dream,”

Realizing this, Doc looked around. More than half the crowd had vanished, together with the mysterious presence. “Huh. How about that?”

“Indeed,” the second Doc said.

“You know, there’s only really one way to take advantage of this situation,”

“Indeed I do know,” the second said.

And they both broke out into song.

* * *

Fluttershy flew among the trees, her animal friends all around her as she wove between the sunbeams on a pleasant breeze. Even though she was certain she was somewhere inside the Everfree Forest, there was an easy, comfortable feeling about the environment, and so she was very relaxed in her fight, moving easily and quickly, just as she had learned to do at the Academy, and through her many flights with Gearhead.

Even surrounded by critter friends, Fluttershy still felt as though there was a gap in her heart, which was when she became aware of another presence, hovering at the edge of her perception. When she turned to more fully face it, the presence shifted or vanished, only to reappear on the edge again. Fluttershy settled herself again, not wanting to spook the poor creature. “It’s okay, I’m a friend,” she said softly.

“Yes, but you want more than just a friend, do you not?” Another soft voice answered.

“Who are you?”

“While I am not the one you want, I can give you something to attain all that you desire. All it would take is a small favour.”

“And what could I possibly do for you?”

“It does not matter,” the presence said, in a voice that flooded over and through Fluttershy’s being. “All that matters is getting what you want.”

“But... that’s not very nice,” Fluttershy muttered, and was startled to find that the presence, and a fog she had not even noticed, were both gone. She looked around for them, always out of the corner of one of her eyes, but could not find them again, until her dreams resolved into the darkness of deeper sleep.

* * *

After abandoning her efforts against the one known as Fluttershy, Luna was surprised to find herself at the edge of a forest. Just ahead, she could see a large clearing, in the middle of which was a fortress that sat at the top of a mountain. She could see high walls and towers, all well-lit in the night.

Luna advanced, quickly flying around the fortress to look for any sally ports or any other easier way through. There had to be some sort of back door. But she could not find it, even after two complete circuits. She did not want to risk discovery by getting too close to the fortification, so she decided to leave this mind for later.

* * *

If the last mind was a well-organized and defended fortress, the next mind was a collection of ideas that were held in complete disarray. To make matters worse, Luna could not make any sense of the strange mash-ups between items and beings. And why are there so many cats? The dreamer also dreamed often of Discord, and a couple other beings seemingly related to him in some way that also did not make any sense.

After an interminable effort, Luna finally spotted her target, the Pegasus KP. She flew in and out of the mess of icons, never staying in one place for long, and often jumping between pieces that should not have been connected at all. The whole disorganized mess made her incredibly difficult to catch. Luna could have done it if she had all night, but she had others to visit. And besides, if this was an indication of how the pony’s mind worked, Luna’s logic might not work on her at all.

She decided to give up after three attempts to catch up to KP. Clearly there would not be any reasoning with her either. The fortress might be impregnable, but at least it was not a fluid dream-state colander.

* * *

“[Voice print identification, please.]”

“What does that mean?”

“[Processing identification...]”

Oh good, so it’s nothing, Luna sighed. For once, a mind that was not needlessly complicated!

A buzzing sound erupted all around her, and red lights flashed. “[Identification rejected. Please vacate this mindscape immediately. Security forces have been dispatched.]”

“I thought too soon,” Luna said aloud, flying quickly away.

Moments later a befanged, purple-maned figure arrived on the scene. “Ugh, I wouldn’t mind the role as long as I had something at the end of the road to eat,” Lethal Mage said. “Unfortunately, this latest intruder was too smart to stick around, although not smart enough not to stick her nose where it doesn’t belong.” Lethal floated over to the space that the intruder had just vacated and sniffed the air. “Hm, interesting. But, given the circumstances, I think I’ll keep it to myself, for now.”

* * *

“Excuse me... do you want... a way to... make new friends?” Finally Pinkie Pie stopped jumping, each jump bringing her to a new location. Each time she had jumped, the mysterious voice had followed her there, continuing with her question.

“Wow, an even faster way to make friends? That sounds great!”

“All I need is one little favour,”

“A favour?” Pinkie suddenly took a backwards hop. “Oh no no no! Granny Pie warned me about beings like you. I’m not exchanging friendship for any ‘favours.’ But if you wanna be friends outside of dreams, I’d be happy with that!”

But the presence was gone, even more quickly for the fact that Pinkie was aware she was dreaming...

* * *

“Would you like –“ The mysterious presence got rapidly spun about as Rainbow Dash flew right past her at high speed. She was wearing her Wonderbolts Reserve microscale armour, and flying in formation with the main Wonderbolts team. An entire army in flight seemed to be behind them as they flew in to intercept the Changeling army ahead of them.

The presence blinked. “This isn’t gonna work, is it?” Luna asked herself, and then she blinked out of the dream.

* * *

“Oh my goodness, thank you, Rarity. It’s just what I wanted!” Fluttershy had a huge smile on her face as she spun around in her gauzy, nature-inspired dress.

“I’m always happy to help out a friend,” Rarity said.

‘Course we all already knew that,” Applejack said, also in a new outfit that was sure to attract new business for both Sweet Apple Acres and Carousel Boutique.

“I don’t know what we’d do without you,” Twilight Sparkle said, her dress an interesting blending of her own colours and those of her mentor, Princess Celestia.

“Of course, you could do so much more, and set even more trends if you had more power,” a new voice said. “Then you wouldn’t have any competition at all.”

“But competition is healthy,” Gearhead said. “It pushes you behind your old limits.”

“And besides, it’s not power that lets Rarity stand out, but her inspiration,” Rainbow Dash said. “Plus she has lots of loyal customers.”

“And friends,” Pinkie Pie said.

The presence had long since vanished.

“Huh,” Gearhead said, “I guess that is it for her. See you in the morning, Miss Rarity.” He winked out too.

Rarity startled awake for a moment, but then she fell right back to sleep.

* * *

“How would you like unlimited power to do whatever you liked?”

“Lady, you’ve completely misread my character,” Silver Quill said. “Yes, my Griffon parts make me greedy, and yes I pull mean pranks more than just occasionally, but I always do things my own way. And that way is mischievous, not malicious. Huh. I think the guards missed an M-world.”

Quill had the distinct impression that the indistinct being was rolling her eyes, then she vanished, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

“Twilight Sparkle, it would help my sister greatly if you could accept some of her power and help her to rule Equestria.”

“That really doesn’t seem likely,”

“It is such power as you would never fail her, or her tests, ever again. You could become the greatest of defences.”

“It can’t come for free, though.”

“Indeed, there is a deal to be made. A very minor one.”

“Wait, why would you be offering me power now, when you know all about my friends and everything we’ve done together? Unless... you’re the other...” Twilight quickly fell into deep sleep and out of the dream.

Just who are these ponies who are so thick in the head? Luna asked herself as she left. She still had a couple more stops to make before the end of the night.

* * *

“Sombra my love, if you would only open the gate we could be together forever, just like we’ve always wanted.”

“But Celestia, we cannot take the risk.”

“For love, we can. Just say the word. You know I’m with you completely.”

“No, we have our duty to protect our lands. Our ponies. We cannot put ourselves first, ever. I thought we agreed about that?”

“All it would take is just a few words. Eternal happiness is just that close. Please.”

“Who are you, really?”

“The only one of us who isn’t a complete fool,” the image of Celestia said, vanishing. King Sombra felt like the ground had been pulled out from under his hooves, and he fell into the obliviousness of deep sleep.

* * *

Luna cursed her luck that her targets were either mentally stronger than she’d anticipated, or too stupid to realize what she was offering them. Her only optional target left was the mind laid out like a fortress on a hill, but when she went back to try it again, it was gone.

The dreamer, Luna realized, had woken up. She turned slightly to look outside one of her barred windows, and even veiled by the clouds she could tell that the sun had not yet begun to rise. It was just early morning, and yet her target had already woken up, possibly to evade her attempts at mental invasion. Luna turned her full attention to the door, expecting him to come charging in at any moment.

23. Distorted Reflections

Chapter 22: Distorted Reflections

“I’m coming in,” Celestia announced at the top of her lungs.

“Hey, say that before you bust down the door,” Fluttershy said, glaring daggers at the unwelcome and unexpected guest.

“Oh my. Is that any way to greet one such as I, when I grace you with my presence?” The Alicorn arched an eyebrow at the six ponies gathered in the room. It was not as if the space was small, but the fact of the matter was that besides the six of them, much of the space was also taken up by various articles of clothing, furniture, and valuables that the Malcontents had pilfered over their years together. And it was even more cramped with the door off its hinges.

“Forgive my friends’ rudeness, Your Majesty,” Applejack said as she pushed the door off of her back, to fall with a thud onto the floor. “Pray, tell us what brings you to our humble abode.”

“Prey?” Pinkamena Pie giggled, eyes glittering.

“Not that kind, you moron,” Rarity said, whacking her friend across the back of her head with a frying pan.

“’Pray’ indeed,” Celestia muttered. “I have a business proposition for you,” she said more loudly.

“Oh no,” Twilight Sparkle said from amidst a pile of flotsam. “The last time we agreed to your ‘business’ we ended up two hundred down, and licking our wounds for two more moons.”

“Come now, Sparkle,” Fluttershy said, “we might get to bring some more harm.”

“How about a simple job for once?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“That’s no fun,” Pinkamena said.

“Do you six ever stop?” Celestia asked, rolling her eyes.

“Never,” Applejack said.

“Well then, since you’re already here—“ Twilight started.

“And hopefully paying for the door,” Applejack added.

“Yeah, that too. What’s the job, Your Majesty?” Sparkle sneered when she used the title, making it clear that she was not showing Celestia any respect, but then it was a self-proclaimed title. At the moment, Celestia was willing to let the snub pass if it would let these fools believe they were in control. And Celestia herself would never forget or forgive any insult against her.

“My sister and I visited Sombra. Just now he’s called in some other ponies to help him. I want you six to take care of them.”

“Why should we help you?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, what’s in it for us?” Sparkle asked.

“And, where’s your sister now?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Luna let herself be taken, in accordance with one of our plans. Neither of us expected it to happen as quickly as it did, but apparently Sombra’s helpers have some Iron Tech, or whatever’s close to it. So I need your numbers to counter that.”

“Iron Tech? Forget it,” Sparkle said.

“Even I recognize that as a losing fight,” Fluttershy said.

“It’s a different kind of hurt,” Pinkamena said. “I don’t like it.”

“Well, fortunately for us these new faces’ve already had a run-in with Lord Iron. And they made him angry enough to demand vengeance. Most possibly even angry enough to deal with you six to get it,” Celestia said.

“Why, what’d they do, chop off the rest of his mane?” Pinkamena giggled.

“In his eyes maybe they might as well have, although not all of them were in on that action: they not only denied his demands and fought against him, but they stole some of his Dragon’s Claw armour.”

“That’s gotta sting,” Applejack said. “Still, why should we care?”

“Because six of the newcomers are dead ringers for the six of you. They even have a little purple dragon like you used to.”

“That sounds more like a reason to steer clear of them,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Well, if you take their dragon then you could use him instead. What’s more, if they’re after your place in this world, taking them out first would end their plans right there.” Celestia could see that she was not convincing these ponies. She sighed. “I wasn’t going to share this with you, but your doubles are clearly from another, parallel world. That’s a whole other world you could steal from. And since Sombra trusts these fools, that means they’re trusted back where they come from, doesn’t it?”

The ponies thought about it, then slowly began to agree with “yeah” and “I suppose.” They were moving slower than Celestia wanted, but she also wanted to have them completely behind her on this. “They’re trusted, which means that a target in their world..?”

“Easy pickings,” Fluttershy said.

“Easy prey,” Pinkamena added, licking her lips.

“’Trusted’ means we can get into anywhere they can,” Applejack said. “A couple easy heists and we could retire to the easy life, Iron or no Iron. Granted you and your sister can leave us alone.”

“I promise we will,” Celestia smiled. “Are you in?”

“You mentioned tech. We need tech,” Rarity said.

“You can leave that to me, ponies. I’ll recruit Lord Iron to our cause personally.”

The six exchanged several glances, then Applejack nodded. “We’re in, but on one condition: you have to get Iron on our side. And you have to make him promise on the only thing he cares about to leave us alone after we’re done.”

“That’s two promises,” Celestia said flatly.

“Those’re our terms, Your Majesty.” And now there was a bit of a mocking tone in Applejack’s voice.

“If I agree to your terms, there’ll be no backing out on your part, got it?”

“Yeah, we got it,” Sparkle said.

“Then I accept your terms. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done talking with Iron.” Celestia turned around and walked out the door.

“Hey, what about our door?!” Rarity shouted after her.

Celestia poked her head back inside and, scowling, picked the door up with her magic and slammed it into place, splintering it slightly.

“You’re paying additional damages,” Sparkle said, just before Celestia teleported out of the area, sighing again at the six’s greed. At least they’re easy to persuade, she thought.

* * *

“[How long’ve you known?]” The solid light picture on the other side of the lowered ceiling turrets flickered, almost imperceptibly, but Celestia was watching carefully. Very carefully.

As she had promised the Malcontent Six, Celestia had immediately gone off to ‘meet’ with ‘Lord’ Iron so she could persuade him to back her plan. Of course, there would be wheels within wheels in any agreement that formed between then, and so Celestia knew she had to use certain techniques to be successful here. She had to have several more wheels than Iron did.

In truth, Celestia and Luna had been tracking Iron ever since he first appeared in public to sell his Cone Drives. They knew when he first went on the offensive, and they knew perfectly well of what he was capable. They even had looked as far into his background as they dared, tracking him back to a ruined farm near the city of Hoofington in the west. Celestia and Luna knew quite a bit about the stallion who would sit astride the world, but in a war of information one never revealed all her cards.

So when Celestia came to this cave, which used to play host to a Dragon and his hoard, she had come prepared to reveal certain pieces of the information she knew. But not all of it. Not even close. “For some time,” she said, “you have been of interest to my sister and me.” She continued to watch the projected image past the guns, all illuminated by continuous bars of white light that ran along the top and bottom of every hexagon-shaped stretch of corridor this far into the mountain.

“[Of course you would be watching,]” The image tilted its helmeted head, which made it impossible to guess what its wearer might be thinking: even here, Iron wore armour, concealing his whole body. It was because of this that there were so many rumours about the types of disfigurement that had occurred to him. “[What do you want?]”

Now was the time to tease out a deal, little by little, but always keeping her opponent engaged and interested. “I have a deal to propose to you,” Celestia said coquettishly. “It involves those whom you very recently encountered.”

“[So you watched even that,]”

“He who sent you into retreat,”

The projection stared right at her, and Celestia could imagine him growling under that mask.

“I can help you attain a measure of vengeance against him. Against them all.”

“[And how is that any different from what I’d accomplish on my own, without incurring some debt with you?]”

“Numbers,”

“[That’s funny: I don’t see your sister there – and I would.]”

“Well, that’s in part where we can help. You see, Luna got herself captured.”

“[Capture? What merciful fools.]”

“Yes, Sombra in particular. Can you imagine where he would place her, his former-ally and friend?”

“[Not on the executioner’s block,]”

“Even should he have one,” Celestia said slyly.

“[Not even in the dungeon. A tower? A guest suite?]”

“Or even her old rooms, there at the center of the palace. An ideal place from which she can strike back, from within.”

“[Perfect positioning, but can she take full advantage of it? Will she be able to minimize our efforts properly?]”

“She’ll do what she can and what she must. Rest assured, Luna is no fool. And there’s more.”

“[You think you can turn some of them?]”

“That’s a possibility, but not a known factor. No, our plans don’t need to rely on such chance. Instead, I’m on the brink of recruiting the Six here.”

Iron actually chuckled. “[They’ll make no difference.]”

“They will, if the conditions are right. And they’ll only join us if they are.”

“[You dared come to bargain with me from a position of demanding conditions?]” Iron tilted his head the other way, and some of the turrets twitched. The way they covered her, if she had been a normal pony, they would have been able to tear her apart. Even with her Alicorn physiology and magic, however, she would end up recuperating for quite some time before she could become active once again, if she angered Iron enough to provoke him into ordering the guns to open fire.

“I dare to come to bargain, with the truth as my only weapon.”

“[Then let me hear the truth, and let's find out if you’ll be flying or in stitches for the next month.]”

“Very well. They have only two conditions: that you equip them, and that you stand down from vengeance once all is done.”

For a moment, Iron simply stared, daring her to say more. But she didn’t have anything more to say, until and unless he agreed. Finally the guns snapped into the ceiling, the hologram vanished, and a door opened at the end of the hallway. “[Lets discuss this further,]” Iron’s voice said from the walls.

* * *

After his usual morning training session, Gearhead went into the Everfree Forest to collect some resources he knew King Sombra was unlikely to have on hoof. One thing that Gearhead knew about Iron was that his armour was made with a material with similar durability and resistance to dragonfired adamantine. But it was not the same thing, and their strength did not match up precisely, according to Gearhead’s earlier Read on the new metal.

Iron’s reworked metal alloy had a slight reactive bounce-back, making a portion of the force from any impact reflect back at the attacker. At the same time, it also had a lower tolerance for extreme temperature changes, and was thus more brittle and less flexible. That made sense, since the only way to make dragonfired adamantine was to subject it to extremely high heat. Gearhead did not know exactly how Iron had come upon the reactive metal, but it certainly had its strengths and flaws. If there had not been a crisis, Gearhead would have loved to take the opportunity to study it further.

Instead of doing any of that, however, Gearhead looked for and harvested the different metals he would need to create more adamantine. In particular, he visited the Canterlot Caves, and the cave that Shadow Wright had long since vacated. Gearhead puzzled over the fact that the Canterlot Caves had been uninhabited for some time, but he did expect not to find Blizzard, since King Sombra was not evil in this world. He did find the extremely hot magma chamber, and some very useful metals, along with some already-processed dragonfired adamantine in Shadow Wright’s old cave – it was entirely possible that nopony had been brave enough to look for it.

Upon his return to Canterlot Castle, Gearhead got to work building a forge that would be capable of working adamantine. He had two projects to complete: something to give him an edge against Iron’s true Full Armour, and something with which he could get readings from Luna, and possibly Celestia.

The second project was the more straightforward one, since Gearhead had already created a sensory array for the sani-steam station. While any portable version he built would only be a fraction as thorough, he understood the necessity of building something he could carry with him, maybe even into battle. As a result he designed a long-barrelled gun, affixing as many miniaturized sensors to the barrel as he possibly could. He then encased the whole thing in armour so it would not be easily destroyed.

The first project would not be so easy: Gearhead did not have the resources, or probably the time, to build a second Full Armour for himself. Nor, truthfully, did he have the desire to do so. Given the unknown time restrictions before him, he decided to focus his energies on countering the strengths he had already seen in Iron’s triple-size armour, only amping the result up as much as he could. Gearhead decided what he needed most was a way to carve his way through the reactive armour, and a way to protect himself and others from the armour’s weaponry – a sword and a shield big and strong enough, and with enough powerful enchantments, would probably be the best bet.

But it would take some time to do, even when some of the castle staff came and insisted on helping out.

* * *

King Sombra nodded to Kibitz, who obligingly opened the now-unsealed door. A large, four-poster bed was nestled securely against the far wall, kitty-corner to the door. As King Sombra, Gearhead, Twilight, and KP walked in, Luna sat up in obvious surprise. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked, trying to recover her cool.

“Breakfast,” King Sombra said. Twilight and KP took up guarding positions nearby, while the king and Gearhead stopped a couple more meters inside the room. King Sombra nodded again toward the door, and Kibitz brought in a tray of warm toast, cold orange juice, and assorted oats. Two of the five Royal Guards who had also accompanied the group were visible through the door, augmented by two guards who had been reassigned from the dungeons for this duty. Kibitz placed the breakfast tray on the small table between the bed and the window, nodded to Luna, and left.

“Also, I would like to try to scan you,” Gearhead said.

“If I wasn’t tied up –“

“My apologies: the capture cables were not designed for long-term use. Unfortunately nothing else can hold you even this well. Do I have your permission to do the scan?”

“Permission? Do all your prisoners get the princess treatment, or just former-allies?”

“You were an ally once,” King Sombra said. “I was hoping you would return to my side once more, however it seems that was just a forlorn hope. A dream.”

“Ah, dreams, a subject near and dear to me,” Luna said with a wistful smile. Then she glared at Gearhead. “You want to take a scan? Make me take you seriously.”

“I was not going to say anything,” Gearhead said, wrapping his tail around the scanner rifle, “but if you insist. Mind you, I do believe you already do take me seriously. And after last night I can easily see that you are leaking. Magic, I mean.”

“It’s true,” Twilight said, her eyes also turning amber with the power of Shift Focus. As on the previous day she was in full Alicorn Engine gear. “The capture cables don’t seem to work as fully as we’d hoped, Gearhead. I’m surprised, considering the quality of everything else you make.” She winked. King Sombra widened his eyes in surprise, but then his expression returned to neutral. Gearhead guessed he was taking a mental note to ensure only guards who were protected from mental intrusions were on duty.

“We should be okay after a few adjustments, to compensate for the full power of a millennial Alicorn,” Gearhead said.

“I think I’ll eat that breakfast now,” Luna said, leaving the bed.

“By all means,” King Sombra said. “We shall take it as your tacit permission to do what we need to to ensure the safety of every being in this castle, yourself included.”

“That’s an odd thing to claim,” Luna sat down at the table and contemplated the meal that Kibitz had presented her. It was sparser than she remembered palace breakfasts being, but then she and her sister had made these times far harder for King Sombra and his subjects.

“A few extra wards should do it,” Twilight said. “Plus, we’ll be on-guard while we prepare for your sister.”

“And ‘Lord’ Iron?”

“And whomever they choose to bring along,” Gearhead said. As Luna raised the first bite to her lips, he brought the rifle’s barrel around, but he waited until he saw her swallow before starting with the scan. The sensors lit up all along the barrel, and it hummed slightly. Otherwise there was not much evidence that the device was working at all.

“It doesn’t even tingle,” Luna said.

“It should not,” Gearhead said.

“So, what is this scan of yours supposed to tell you? What are you looking for?”

“Differences,” Gearhead said.

“Such as..?”

“Such as why you would use your Dreamwalking as an invasive tool,” Twilight said.

“Because I’m an invasive pony. What kind are you?”

“The kind your sister’s sister would take as a student,”

“And you?” Luna asked, turning to Gearhead.

“The kind who learns from all of the best,”

“You know, you’re not as impregnable a fortress as you seem to think you are.” Luna turned a penetrating gaze onto the king. “That goes for this castle as well. When my sister and our forces come, you’ll regret all your defiance.”

“There are many things I regret,” King Sombra said, “defending my subjects and my land from you and your sister is not one of them.”

“It will be,” Luna promised.

“Done,” Gearhead said.

“Well then, let us be off,” King Sombra said, leading the way toward the door. “Knock on the door to let the guards know to summon Kibitz once you are done with breakfast. The rest of us have other business to address.” He stopped and turned halfway back to Luna. “Unless there’s something you would be willing to share about your sister’s plans?”

“Our plans,” Luna said, “and only a fool would willingly reveal herself.”

King Sombra shrugged, and led the way outside. He and Twilight replaced the wards on the room, and then they went to join the others for their own breakfast. “This is so tiring, treating a friend as an enemy,” the king said.

“If that’s how you treat all your enemies, sign me up,” KP said, winking. “Rooms like a five-star hotel, breakfast service, and top-notch security.”

“Except when it leaks,” King Sombra said. “Unless that was a bluff?”

“I would doubt that, since I had something of a visit last night,” Gearhead said.

“So did I,” Twilight said.

“Heck, me too,” KP said. “At least I think so. Can’t quite remember it.”

“If what our Luna taught me is also true here, then this Luna was using a lesser-used Dreamwalking technique, which renders one’s image, and the dreamer’s memory of you, as mist. Only a stronger, more disciplined mind could hold onto it for even a day.”

“You better not be saying what I think you’re saying,” KP said.

“He is not,” King Sombra said, “I was also visited, but I do not remember my visitor.”

“It was Luna,” Twilight said.

“How soon can you fix your cables?” King Sombra asked Gearhead.

“I shall need some time to calibrate it properly. If this is a higher priority than the anti-Iron equipment, I can have something ready for you before evening.”

“It is probably equally as important: neglect one and the other front will surely fall instead.”

“I can do it,” Twilight said.

“Seriously?” KP asked.

“What? I tinker.”

“Sure, you’ll 'do a science.' You could’ve spoken up.”

“I didn’t know there was a need. But if Gearhead can give me his notes, I can make a working inhibitor for Luna.”

“That we can do,” Gearhead said, “and I can focus on equally-important things.”

“Then it is settled,” King Sombra said. “Now, let is refresh ourselves at the table before we tackle whatever this day has in store for us.”

“I hope it’s a fight,” KP said.

“I hope we’re ready,” Twilight said.

* * *

“You know, Your Majesty,” Rarity said as everyone was eating, “naturally we all appreciate your willingness to share your food with us, but are you certain this is alright?” While far from luxurious, the selection for breakfast was still quite good. It was little different from what Kibitz had brought for Luna, which Gearhead thought was a fair expression of the king’s hopes that Luna would return to the side of good.

“Of course it is,” King Sombra said in his mellow tones. “None eat better or worse than another, and besides, the thirteen of you are my guests. Even without your efforts to save Equestria from Celestia’s plot, I would still give you at least this much as refreshment.”

“Well, now I feel a little less special,” Alec said.

“Hold it a minute there, your kingliness. You said ‘everyone.’ Does that mean you feed other kings and queens the same?” Quill asked.

“As a matter of fact, I do. It gives them good insight into the lives of my subjects, which inevitably causes them to consider their own.”

“That’s actually a pretty savvy move,” Doc said. “They compare their own lifestyles with those they see here, and wonder whether they should adjust it up or down accordingly.”

“Plus, they’d feel guilty if they were keeping all the good stuff to themselves, especially in times when everyone else is tightening their belts.” KP said.

“You give me too much credit,” King Sombra said.

“Or likely not enough,” Alec said. “Even though Celestia’s ruled for a thousand years on her own, she still spent a lot of her time and energy feeling guilty about banishing Luna as Nightmare Moon. But outside of those thousand years? The sisters ruled together, spreading the strain. You’ve ruled alone, and for how long?”

“Actually, that is a good point,” Mage said. “Or were you born in modern times, so the timeline’s actually different here?”

“I am afraid I do not understand,” King Sombra said.

“Well,” Twilight said, “our version of Sombra, the evil one, took control of the Crystal Empire more than a thousand years ago – that would be before Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon, and started visiting you here. And obviously you were here, unless this world’s time flows differently from our own?”

“I would believe the flow of time is the same on both sides,” King Sombra said.

“Our Sombra was amped up by Dark Magic,” Dash said.

“Then Princess Celestia and Princess Luna turned him to shadow,” Rarity said.

“And then they put him on ice,” Pinkie said, “you know, just to be on the safe side.”

“He could have survived because he was shadow, or because he was sealed,” Fluttershy mused.

“Or because he was just that powerful,” Mage said.

“So, Your Majesty, how did you?” Alec asked.

“Well,” King Sombra put down his utensils, looking down at them on the table. “The reason is quite simple.” He looked up, under half-lidded eyes and his simple crown at his guests. “It is because I am that powerful.” He smiled, relieving the tension. “In my case, in defensive magic, almost exclusively.

“Surviving the past thousand years together with my kingdom also gave me quite the perspective on life and rule, and so I try to be as wise a ruler as I can. Adversaries like Celestia and Cadenza complicate things, but allies like Chrysalis and your Princess Celestia do help a great deal, and so I feel I must advise you to be careful in all your dealings with the beings whom you think you know in this world. Those who are good in your world would probably sell your secrets for a hoof of bits here.”

“We take your meaning,” Doc said.

“And now I had best return to work,” Gearhead said, excusing himself to get up.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go check on your family in this world?” Fluttershy asked.

“While I would like to ensure they are alive, I am uncertain I would want to look upon their reflections.”

“I can go look for you,” Twilight said. “Now that I’ve got the hang of the Engine, the only thing that could catch me is another Engine.”

“Would that be safe?” King Sombra asked. “Iron has other armours.”

“If I was him, which I sort of am, I would still be preparing myself for the upcoming battle... with myself,” Gearhead said.

“I promise I’ll be fast, and careful. I’ll just take a quick look from high altitude.”

“It should be safe at this point,” Gearhead said.

“Very well, but do be careful, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I’ll be back in a day, two tops.” Twilight finished with her meal too, and followed Gearhead out into the halls. While he would be going back to his forge, Twilight would be heading out, flying at top speed using the single-core Alicorn Engine that Gearhead had lent to her for this mission.

* * *

“Let me be clear,” Iron said. “These armours are different from the ones you’re used to. They’re state-of-the-art, cutting edge technology. The best I have to offer. But your last betrayal is part of the reason I haven’t been offering their like for years. And outside of the current situation, you’d not be getting them now either.”

Iron was marching back and forth in front of the others, as they had assembled in an underground marshalling area where the floors and walls were grey with black trim. Iron waved with his left hoof, and three trolleys came rolling up, each carrying a ponyform with a suit of armour on it.

“You have three basic models to choose from: Light, Cross-Purpose, and Heavy.

“The Light Armour offers minimal protection, but can still take any basic attack without taking any damage. The main focus is in thrust and maneuverability.” Indeed, the wings on the Light Armour sported extra-large thruster nacelles. Vector thrusters were placed all along the wing, and they were even repeated on the belly and sides of the armour itself.

“Cross Armour is the median, with equal thrust and armour, so it specializes in neither. A standard-level unit for standard troops, so long as you can trust ‘em.” The Cross Armour lacked the nacelles, and there was a third the number of thrusters as there were on the Light Armour. The armour’s thickness looked the same, but having worn some of Iron’s tech before, each of the Six knew that it was how it felt while worn that mattered.

“Heavy Armour comes with extra-thick plating, as well as heavy anti-enchantment countermeasures. Any equipped unit is the one you want to take the hits for you, since it can even withstand the full force of a high-level mid-tier spell without taking any damage. But it’s also the slowest of the three types.” This despite having small nacelles and thrusters. Obviously there was a weight issue if it was equipped with too much, so Iron had decided to focus on the unit’s defence.

“Of course, you can also customize to your liking, so far as we still have enough time for me to change around the features.”

“Why not just build something that’s easy to change according to the job?” Applejack asked.

“Because if you can take parts off to switch them around, they won’t stay on as well when hit. It’s better to build something solid, at least if you want something like this to function properly,” Iron kicked the Heavy Armour. “A modular armour would be smart, but only for somepony who can handle it well enough to make getting hit a real challenge.

“To that end, I’d rather not bring you into battle green. Here are forms. Choose the custom jobs you want, so I can finish your armours ASAP. After that, it’s training time right up until Celestia over there says it’s go time. I assume Luna’ll give her a shout.”

Celestia shook her head. “We’re too far away from Canterlot Castle. With Luna’s magic suppressed as much as it is, I’d need to be within sight of the palace to catch any thoughts from her – assuming she’s still there at all.”

“That seems to be a rather large strategic oversight,” Dash said.

“Go in blind,” Pinkamena giggled.

“Let me worry about that,” Celestia said.

“Fine, you have the timetable. But I want at least two days to train these guys: they’re not up against novices, if what you said about them catching your sister is true.”

“It is,”

“And the last thing: even move in a way that looks like you’re going to betray me, and your armour will immediately shut down or purge, whichever best delivers me pre-emptive revenge. And regardless of which world we end up in, you don’t keep the armours, they’re only for rent, to be returned to me once the job’s over and done with.”

“Aww, even if we earn your trust?” Sparkle asked.

“You can never earn back my trust,” Iron said, glaring at them.

“Well, I’m glad you’re not holding back and being so very honest with us,” Rarity said.

“Then show it with your selections and your effort in training. And by serving all of our interests in the coming battle.”

* * *

Twilight Sparkle had never been to Hoofington before, never having had occasion to make the journey. Fortunately she knew it from Gearhead’s descriptions, just as she knew that thanks to the Alicorn Engine, the journey could be made in mere hours.

In order to stay safe, since she didn’t know who would be an ally, and who an enemy, Twilight flew above the normal altitude limit for Pegasi at full speed. She wore her helmet over her glasses, and the helmet’s built-in air filtration system kept up well, delivering cool, breathable air to keep her aware and conscious. But even if it had not done so, she would have used her magic, even if it meant being detected. On the other hoof, Iron had first appeared having detected an Alicorn Engine at the castle, so maybe it was too late for stealth now. Hopefully Gearhead was right, and Iron was still preparing for war.

Despite her high altitude and speed as she flew arrow-straight for Hoofington, Twilight was prepared to fight if she had to, armed with a single long-handle sword and the Stabilizer’s wing-like railguns. What she was completely unprepared for, approaching Hoofington, was the sight of decay.

Gearhead had described Hoofington as a thriving city, central to trade between members of the three pony tribes in the west, as well as being central to the Alliance for millennia. Its municipal government might be a little too much on the sly side for Gearhead’s preferences, but they were still essentially good ponies who knew the value of hard work.

This inverse Hoofington barely seemed to enjoy the success of Appleloosa back home: it was all dirt roads, although it kept its radial outline. It had only one ring outside of the hub, and when Twilight descended for a closer look she saw that everypony ran about their business without looking up.

And closer inspection revealed carbon scoring and the odd evidence of a building here or there that had suffered intense fire. Twilight quickly realized that in a way what she was seeing was success, with the city picking itself up after it had fallen under attack. By whom, she could guess. But how long ago? Maybe her next stop would provide her with some answers.

* * *

Verdant Fields had been with the Herd for longer than Gearhead had ever thought to mention. Perhaps he knew, but it was also likely that he didn’t. It was a massive farm, even compared to Sweet Apple Acres, which raised a great variety of crops, as well as raising productive farm animals.

It was also home to the main branch of Herd Verdant, which could trace itself back to centuries or millennia before the days of Hearth’s Warming Eve. It was a place steeped in long-standing tradition, raised and maintained with the sweat of all whose blood had founded it.

Twilight Sparkle was a student of many things, from history to magic to science. Knowing the Herd’s history, she could never have imagined Verdant Fields falling. The sight of it caused her to lose her composure, and she nearly crashed, but her proximity to the ground woke her out of the shock, and she flew quickly between the many raised, barren mounds to recover her equilibrium and some altitude so she could get a wider picture of the state of things.

Verdant Fields was no more. In its place were roiling hills made of mixed soil, grass, and loam. The land looked like it had been tossed, blended, and then frozen into place. Twilight had only read a little about farming after she became friends with Applejack, and a bit more after learning that Gearhead had grown up here, but on the other world. Still, she knew that land that could be worked did not look so... bumpy. And it was too wildly mixed, uneven, and yet overall flat to be used as a ski slope.

Twilight flew over the place where Gearhead had said the homestead would have stood. She spotted something brown poking out of the ground a ways to the north, and when she got closer she saw that it was one of many pieces of wooden plank strewn about, most twisted and split as they stuck up out of the frozen earth.

Desperate to make sure she could report something positive to Gearhead, she continued to inspect the property. To her relief, she found a patch in the northwest corner that had been cleared and leveled. It featured a small cabin that could probably accommodate no more than three horses, and a field merely three times that size.

Twilight ascended so that no one would see her by the unaided eye, and looked down to try to spot anypony who would be out, working the field. She was shocked to see that no one was out yet, considering how early farmers generally started their work. Cautiously, she descended to see what was going on.

Perplexed, the Unicorn was unable to find anyone outside, anywhere around the little cabin, although the back was clearly intended for storage, and not to be lived in. She used the Engine to hover so her hooves would not make a sound, and floated around the cabin walls to look inside each window in turn, hoping to catch sight of a brown, red, or green coat.

It took five more minutes, because Twilight was moving slowly to try to avoid getting caught. In the end she spotted two of the ponies, both lying in their beds in separate rooms. The first had a grey coat and golden hair. The second had a purple coat and blue hair. The third pony remained hidden, but neither of the visible ponies looked like they had any of the usual Verdant characteristics.

It might mean that the remaining Verdant had abandoned the farm for other, more fertile parts after Iron had left. By no means was the only possible conclusion that they had all fallen, or that Iron was involved in their disappearance. But if they were still in the area, Twilight had not noticed any sign of their presence.

She pondered her next course of action as she ascended again, for her own safety’s sake. She could spend some time looking around, trying to locate the remaining Verdant in the assumption that they were nearby. But even if they were, what good would it do in their current situation? It might lay Gearhead’s mind to rest, but it might also shake his confidence, if his family was inverted in some strange way. Now was not the time to introduce more uncertainty into her friend’s life.

Twilight came to a decision: she would fly back, knowing that if Iron detected her she could trigger an early battle. At the same time, she would keep an eye out below for any signs that the Verdant were around. But if she didn’t want any trouble, she’d move fast: she did not want to think what Dawn and Dusk or Prism and her Flight were like in this world.

That horrid thought in mind, Twilight pressed herself to full speed, her course taking her directly for Canterlot Castle, her altitude too high for all but the most desperate of Pegasi – and unfortunately, for Iron’s variation on the Alicorn Engine.

24. Moments to Reflect With Doc Wolf (MRWDW)

Chapter 23: Moments to Reflect With Doc Wolf (MRWDW)

“Another audience, so soon?” Luna asked from the bed after verbally answering the knocking at her door.

“Certain things tend to develop quickly,” Gearhead said as Mage took up a guarding position. Doc matched the stallion’s pace in approaching the Alicorn, while the guards closed and locked the door behind them.

“Quickly enough to grant you some extra confidence, it would seem,” Luna purred, glancing over the vest Gearhead had chosen to wear this time in apparent appreciation: it was not the more complete armour he had worn previously, nor did he expect to need his helmet.

“Battle preparations should take some time yet. I brought some backup in any case.”

“Her?” Luna’s skepticism probably came from the fact that despite looking focused and determined to do her job, Mage could not help looking cute as well. It was probably mostly due to her softer face and the flow of her mane, since her white and purple colourations made her resemble Rarity somewhat.

Over the past few days, Gearhead had come to know Mage as somepony who cultivated a cute image, but who could be relied upon for valuable, and sometimes biting, insight. Before coming through the portal with the rest of the group, she had also used her magic instead of walking most of the time, meaning that she had enough mana that she did not feel that such efforts would become wasted. This told Gearhead that it was best not to underestimate her simply because of the way she looked and frequently acted – no airhead, this mare.

“Indeed,” Gearhead said, removing the small case from atop his back with his Light Magic, and laying it on the bed beside the not-a-princess. Opening it revealed an assortment of silvery rings that, true to Luna’s currently-visible tastes, had a slight red tinge to them.

“So these are the seals that are supposed to keep me under control,” Luna said, returning immediately to a more businesslike manner.

“They will be both more effective at suppressing your power, and more comfortable,” Gearhead said, lifting a set of two rings that were connected by a series of four chains. He paused before putting them on Luna’s horn, but she did not show any sign of resisting.

“Because comfort is all-important when keeping prisoners,” Luna said, deadpan.

“We were hoping you would not remain so,” Doc said.

“I am as I was always meant to be,”

“Do you mean to say that you think your default state is with the darkness?” Doc asked as Gearhead fitted Luna with a set of wing braces. One set covered the joints in the main bend, while the other was a set of rings that closed around the base of both wings.

“Is that so hard to believe?” Luna flexed her wings as Gearhead backed away to give her room, passing over her discarded horseshoes as he did so. Both were careful to move slowly and non-threateningly.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Doc said. Gearhead noticed that despite Luna trying harder and harder, she was not taking off from the bed, and took that to mean that her flight magic was being blocked. He did not feel comfortable removing the cables entirely, so he used his Geomancy to reform them into anklets instead.

“This world wouldn’t have survived for long without the proper rhythms of the sun and moon to raise all the plants and animals,” Mage said. “And that doesn’t happen with cruel ponies as rulers.”

“And yet in this world, all beings are like mirror images to those who live in your world,” Luna said with a sneer.

“Well, we don’t know that the two worlds always shared such a close and complimentary relationship,” Doc said. “It could have happened when the link was established with the formation of the first portal.”

“All beings have some light and some darkness in them,” Mage said, “not just creatures in alternate dimensions.”

“That still does not change the fact that I was a mare of darkness for all but one thousand years – the same thousand years during which your precious Celestia pined for her version of me.”

“An interesting point, but not conclusive,” Gearhead said, stepping back from his work again.

“Then what about the evidence that is right before your eyes?”

“And that would be?” Mage asked.

“Am I not myself?”

“That is what we’re trying to determine,” Doc said.

“But I am Luna, and not this creature of terror called ‘Nightmare Moon’ whom your Celestia mentioned to Sombra.”

“True, you did not transform entirely,” Gearhead said.

“What do you mean?”

“One physical difference between you and Princess Luna is your cutie mark: hers has a near-white moon, while yours has the crimson of a Hunter’s Moon.”

“A mere reflection of the differences in our true natures, and nothing more. I am myself, regardless of anything else, and I will remain true to the plans my sister and I concocted. Soon enough you will regret your decision not to side with us.”

“We shall see,” Doc said, and he nodded to the others. Gearhead recovered his case while Mage went to signal the guards to open the door. As Doc and Gearhead moved toward the door, they turned away from Luna and left a large enough gap in their formation that they felt that if she was capable, she would have rushed right by them. She did not, possibly proving the inhibitors’ ability to more fully suppress her power.

Unless she was just playing along.

In either case, Luna missed her opportunity to stage an escape, as Doc, Mage, and then Gearhead filed out the door.

“Oh, one more thing,” Gearhead said, looking back over his shoulder. “This plan you and your sister have to invade our Equestria? It is set to fail thanks to the defences already in place.”

“Let me guess: you’d be willing to strike a bargain to let us pass, if only I promise to give you your heart’s desire?”

“It is quite impossible to shut them down from here, not that I would, for any price: what I want most is something you can never give me. No one can, except for me. I am telling you this because I have seen one such defensive system rip a pony made of Shadow Magic to pieces, up close and personal. Regardless of what you and your sister may have done in this world, you do not deserve the same fate.”

“You lie, to try to intimidate me and yet seem kind at the same time. It is the worst hypocracy.”

“Actually,” Mage stuck her head in from above Gearhead’s, “he’s telling the truth, as far as I can remember seeing it. That Pony of Shadows really got ripped apart.”

“Then he was weak,”

“He was our world’s Sombra,” Gearhead said, “and he was so powerful he enslaved an entire empire on his own. But once the defensive system was in place, he simply could not withstand its power. So the moment you step into the other world and into its range you may well doom yourself.”

“Just something to keep in mind,” Doc said, and then the door swung shut.

* * *

“Is that true about having seen the Crystal Heart rip apart the other Sombra?” Mage asked when they were out of earshot of even the guards.

“I was fighting him at the time, so yes.”

“You’re not some long-lost prince or relative of Twilight Sparkle, are you?” Doc asked.

“I hail from a long and very proud line of noble farmers,” Gearhead said, approximating a courtier’s raised chin and hoof stance. “Why do you ask?”

“Just checking,”

“My advantage comes from Discord mucking about with an ancestor’s magic. I guess it is borrowed power.”

“Pretty sure that after a few generations it becomes your own strength,” Mage said.

“Does it matter where your power comes from as long as you can use it to do what’s right?” Doc asked.

“I would try not to use evil magic, if I thought there was such a thing,” Gearhead said. “Means that sacrifices others, however, are clearly to be avoided.”

“Where possible,” Doc said. “There may come times when you will have to make some difficult decisions despite all your best intentions. Choosing between evils will not be easy. How can you possibly weigh loss against loss?”

“On a case-by-case basis, I suppose. For example, it may only be possible to return this world to its natural balance by destroying the link with my world. While this will allow everyone to return to their natural states, it will undoubtedly cause a lot of personal pain to Princess Celestia and King Sombra. But it will most likely have to be done.”

“Even if it means we get stuck here?” Mage asked.

“We will likely have to do it on our way out. After all, it only makes sense to destroy the portal from within the actual corridor.”

“And if we don’t manage to return in time, this world could reject us in order to return to a balanced state,” Doc said.

“That said, we still need to find a way to return you folks home,” Gearhead said.

“I have faith you can do it,” Mage said.

“As do I,” Doc paused, blinking. “By the way, what were you referring to when you told Luna you desired something?”

“It’s clearly not money or mares,” Mage said dryly.

“It is the ability to farm, which I should have had.”

“Ah, your ancestor’s magic. But do you think it will be worth it in the long run?”

“What do you mean, Doc?”

“You contributed to the defeat of Sombra, and I gather, others who would have conquered or destroyed parts of Equestria. I also gather that if you regained normal Earth Pony magic, you would do so by exchanging your current magic. Will it be worth the trade?”

“Which does Equestria need more?” Mage added.

“At the moment, my ability to invent and fight. But later, when a firmer defence is in place? I could retire into farming, I suppose.”

“If you think that would make you happy, what would stop you from doing so sooner?”

“Wondering whether Equestria was truly safe, I suppose. Honestly, though, I feel the Elemental Six could handle most situations without me. And there are also the Wonderbolts and Skybolts. It is not as though Equestria lacks the ability to protect itself.”

“As long as you feel you can contribute as much as you feel comfortable doing, I don’t think you can choose wrong. But in the meantime, we have other matters on which to focus our efforts. Will those of us without flight or magic even be effective against flyers?”

“The answer to that question is most likely to be found in our training, since effective teamwork can send you, Applejack, Pinkie, and Alec where our opponents would least expect you.”

“Speaking of ‘expecting,’ shouldn’t we have something in place so we know when they’re coming?” Mage asked.

“Do you have something in mind?”

“Something that would not mean sending out constant patrols to risk exposure to the red particles?” Gearhead asked.

“How about a cloud of extremely small sensors, programmed only to detect Dark Magic and the particle energy?”

Gearhead barely had to think about it. “I can work with that.”

“We’ll need a lot of them to cover a wide area,”

“I can send Twilight to help you with that,” Doc said.

“I would appreciate that,” Gearhead said. While he and Mage continued on to the workshop, Doc headed back toward the main hall. “It’s good to be helping,” he said.

* * *

Upon her return, Twilight took a quick shower to try to refresh her spirit, but afterwards she still felt depressed about what she had seen. She had not exactly known what to expect, but more of Equestria than she had first realized had been devastated either by the Royal Sisters’ dark course, or by the many fights involving Lord Iron’s red cores: the devastation in both cases left the land barren in more places than Twilight cared to count. Hopefully by returning Celestia and Luna to their true selves, the friends could also help Equestria begin to return to full health.

Despondent as she was, Twilight barely noticed where she was walking until Doc called out to her. She looked around, and was startled to find that she was in a hall that was both familiar and strange. I must have started to head toward the tower where I stayed while I was studying under Princess Celestia, she thought.

“I was saying that that was a quick flight,” Doc said, coming to stand just a couple meters away. A raised eyebrow and a bit of a smirk practically shouted that he knew Twilight’s mind had been elsewhere.

“There wasn’t much to see, unfortunately.” Twilight blinked. “I’m not sure Gearhead would appreciate being told what I have to say about Verdant Fields. Would it be worse to withhold the truth, or to tell it straight out?”

“I would find it hard to believe that he’d reach any conclusion other than bad news when you hesitate to tell him what you’ve found,” Doc said.

“So I should tell him,”

“The situation may call for slightly more restraint, considering how fully Gearhead needs to focus on any one of the tasks he’s set for himself.”

“So don’t tell him?” Twilight tilted her head to the side. “I should get it over, like removing a bandage. But that’s always painful.”

“So is taking it off slowly. Fortunately this situation is slightly different: Gearhead knows that there are many differences between this world and your own. He as much as said so before you even left.”

“So he might not get so upset knowing that his family’s not doing so well here. But I can still see him getting upset, even though the Verdants here aren’t the same ones as back home. This is confusing.”

“How about a compromise, then? You can tell him what you found if, and only if, he brings it up by asking.”

“So if he doesn’t ask, I don’t tell. But if he does ask…”

“If you can manage it, you can give him the whole truth.”

“That’s going to be hard,”

“But him asking would also be him expressing an interest in it. If he wants to know, then it could even bother him not to know. It may be painful, but in the long run it should allow him to turn his focus and efforts back to the things that matter the most.”

“Speaking of, do you know how far he’s gotten? Does he need some assistance?”

“The restraint system for Luna is done and in place. Now he and Mage are working on an early warning system so we’ll know when Celestia and Iron are headed our way. Would you feel comfortable going to help out?”

“That, I’ve no problem with, Doc. In fact, tinkering might help me get my head back into a more conducive space.”

“I’m always glad to have been of assistance,” Doc said. Twilight smiled, then double-timed it for the workshop. As she left she heard Doc breathe deeply in, and then out.

* * *

“This still seems like a really bad idea,” Smart Alec was saying to Silver Quill when Doc found them practicing with the rest of Binary Squadron, or at least those who were not, at the moment, helping Gearhead as he tried to finish his preparations for battle as effectively as he could. The others, assembled in the yard, were making their own preparations by drilling their movements into their minds to try to make them reflexive.

The group had agreed to name the squadron for the double-star because the group itself was composed of members from two different worlds: an alternate, but still closer to mainstream, Equestria and the Rift. That the electronic world of the Rift was made up of the computer language of binary was not lost on any of the analysts. At the same time, ‘Binary Squadron’ acknowledged both their service to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and the fact that their actions would alter two worlds at once.

Given what was at stake, everyone wanted to try to get as flawless as possible. Especially on critical maneuvers like this one. The idea was that a flyer would launch a landbound wingmate over, under, or at a target. The move took flavours from the classic Fastball Special as well as the Tuck and Bowl that Rainbow Dash had picked up from Soarin.’

The problem with this iteration of the Fastball was that depending on the grounded pony’s altitude when it was attempted, and how busy the squadron’s flyers were, an absent receiver could produce a very messy result. Thought of in such a light, Alec’s reluctance to cooperate with Quill, whose motives sometimes seemed questionable, was perfectly understandable.

That said, everyone on Binary Squadron would have to trust one another completely when it came time to fight Celestia and whoever else she and Iron brought into the battle. “This is exactly why practicing as much as we can makes sense,” Doc said in answer to both his thoughts and Alec’s words.

“Oh hey,” KP said, “what news from the big-wigs?”

“And where’s Mage?” Alec asked.

“Mage is helping Gearhead make some sort of sensor net so we have a way of knowing when Celestia is coming. Twilight too, now that she’s back from her flight.”

“I guess it’s been a busy day all around,” Quill said.

“And when the attack comes, it’ll get a lot busier,” Doc said. “So, what seems to be the issue?”

“I’m not sure you’d call it an issue,” Quill said, looking up and to the left. “More like poking fun.”

“You keep dropping me on the ground,” Alec said, deadpan. “At this height it’s harmless enough, until you do it enough times I start to bruise. But I can’t imagine Celestia not taking full advantage of her ability to fly in battle, so we’re probably going to end up flying much higher up. Even if you can swoop in to stop me from hitting the ground, there’s the little issue of essentially being sitting targets as we’re falling.”

“How’s that?” Applejack, who had been listening in for some time, walked up.

“I don’t know how much experience you have when it comes to falling from a great height, but you have little control over where you are when you do.”

“What about using your legs to steer a bit?” Dash asked, demonstrating by wobbling her legs closer or further from her body and leaning in the appropriate direction.

“That would make us slightly harder to hit,” Doc said. “Maybe buy our flyers enough time to reach us.”

“But not a lot,” Alec said. “We can also tuck in straight to speed up, or spread out to slow down. But none of that addresses the fundamental problem: our flyers need to be there for us non-flyers. We go ‘splat’ and we won’t be any more good in the fight, you know.”

“I’d like to avoid that as well,” Applejack said.

“Agreed,” Rarity said.

“I do like it more when the enemy is shooting at someone else instead of me,” Quill said.

“The only thing that should be shot at anypony is confetti,” Pinkie said.

“B’sides, if you can fly fast enough you can avoid the shot,” Rainbow said.

“I think you protect yourself best when you can also protect your partner and keep him in the fight,” Applejack said.

“In Basic we learned to use everyone’s strengths effectively against our opponent’s weaknesses,” Rainbow said, “but we also had a lot more time to learn to trust one another.”

“We don’t know everything about who we’re going to be facing,” Fluttershy said, “but at least we know some things, especially since we’re going to have to fight anyway… even though I don’t like fighting.”

“Not many of us do,” Doc said, “but that doesn’t change the fact that we will be at our most effective as a team whose members know we will be there for one another. Silver Quill, do you think you could demonstrate that even while we’re still on the ground?”

“Why Doctor, I’m half-horse, so of course I can.”

“Then Smart Alec can feel much relieved, once you have a good feel for completing the move with him.”

“You got it, Doc,” Quill said.

“You gonna practice too?” Rainbow asked.

“Of course,” Doc said. I just hope my partner is up to the task. All the ground-based members of the squadron had been given a flying partner to ride into battle and use as a launcher to get into the thick of things. Just as Alec was with Quill, Applejack was with Dash and Pinkie was with KP. Doc was just a little smaller than many ponies, making him the lightest of the group. It made sense, then, that his partner was Fluttershy. He just wasn’t sure she was ready, given how she was known not to be used to carrying more than a few small animal friends.

Doc didn’t mind being partnered with Fluttershy. He appreciated her, feeling a kinship toward her for her shyness, quiet strength, and her compassion. He did feel somewhat awkward being more than a little close to someone just like her back home, however in the last few days he had also gotten a lot more at ease with being around Fluttershy as a friend.

So when Fluttershy knelt so Doc could get on her back and get airborne, he nodded respectfully and did as the exercise asked. Once they were steady in the air, the pairs were to fly around at different targets set about the yard. The grounder would then shift to the flyer’s forelimbs for the throw. Each throw alternated between being aimed at the target, over the target, and under the target. Fluttershy had some problems with the exercise at first because she was afraid of hurting Doc, but the ground was not that far below them, and soft besides. At the same time, when Fluttershy thought someone was in danger of getting hurt, she zipped to him or her with amazing speed. It was a quick reminder that in this world she was a member of the Wonderbolts Reserve.

In planning, Twilight and Gearhead had not forgotten about Mage or Rarity, nor about each other. The funny thing was that with enough practice, a Unicorn could use her telekinetic magic on herself.

Mage already had herself covered since she used her magic for movement on a regular basis, so she could fly wherever she wanted on her own – and even catch others who were falling.

Rarity had enough fine control and focus to use her magic on multiple small items at once, with hardly any need to look at her targets. A target her own size was a different story, so she was not quite getting it on her own. But a gem charged with a levitation spell from Mage or Twilight augmented Rarity’s abilities quite nicely. As a backup, Quill could carry two ponies if he had to, and he did not have any problems backing Rarity up.

Twilight and Gearhead had the obvious solution thanks to their Alicorn Engines. Doc had been watching their performances with some skepticism, but he had noted that neither device offered their users any trouble. The Single-Core Engine only had its Stabilizer’s railguns as its included weapons, but a sword added some close combat capability to that, and Twilight had learned to control the unit’s flight very precisely since Gearhead had unlocked it for her.

Gearhead himself was a phenomenal pilot with his Twin Engines. Even before adding whatever version of the Full Sword and Full Shield he was working on, he had his bladecasters, magic dagger, and the railguns on his Stabilizer unit. Doc had a hard time believing that Gearhead would ever need to pull out his full ability, but then he reminded himself that they were up against Celestia, an evil version of Gearhead, and possibly the reversed Mane Six. Not a fun proposition, especially when Gearhead had only given everyone armour, and not the wings or Engines to go with them.

Which was why they were practicing, until the sun went down, and even by torchlight it was difficult to keep going. “I gotta admit I don’t feel completely comfortable myself,” Applejack said as they walked toward the castle, ready for dinner. “Even with this move, is it gonna be enough against those who can fly and use magic?”

“What other choices do we have?” Rainbow asked.

“Not being in the fight, if that’s a choice,” Spike, who had also participated with Fluttershy and Rainbow, said. He was an essential part of the team as well, able to tell the others if the connection between worlds became so strong that injuring Dark Celestia would also injure the other one.

“I don’t see these guys surrendering,” KP said.

“Unfortunately,” Alec said, “and yet without wings or magic we’re already at a disadvantage.”

“Oh, don’t be such a sourpuss,” Pinkie said. “You go down, you just get right back up, so long as you have the determination to keep getting up, even just one more time than you go down. I don’t know about wolves, but we Earth Ponies are good at getting back up.”

“I’d rather not put tribal durability to the test, if at all possible,” Alec said.

“If we want to keep Sombra’s guards as far away from the more dangerous fighting as we can, we’re going to need every one of us in the fight we can get,” Rarity said.

“So we expose ourselves to the danger instead? How is that fair?” Alec asked.

“A fair question, and it’s not,” Doc said. “There isn’t a lot about this world that you can call 'fair.' Even less than the other world, or our own. But at least here we can make things a little better, if we put in the effort and take the risk on as best we can. And that’s the crux of it all, isn’t it? Doing the best we can. Instead of focusing on how we can’t fly or cast spells, maybe we should focus on how we can aim ourselves and hit our targets. How fast we can move and get ready for the next maneuver. Maybe if we can do that, we can go home.”

“We’re not going to fail here,” Twilight said from her place at the table, and the others’ jaws dropped at the spread that Sombra had put out for them: instead of the usual modest fair, he had arranged for a greater assortment of fruits, vegetables, and grains.

“Eat up,” Sombra said from the head of the table. “Princess Celestia and I both need you to be as strong as possible, to make victory that much easier.”

Pinkie zipped over to her usual spot and licked her lips. “I’d be happy too!”

“You sure this is okay?” KP asked. “Your subjects..?”

“The royal pantries aren’t empty yet, and there isn’t a more appropriate time to treat the heroes. So dig in without reservations. Except for Pinkie Pie. Some restraint would be appreciated.”

“Aw,” Pinkie intoned with a knowing smile on her face.

“Oh, this is wonderful,” Fluttershy said. “I wonder how much longer we can enjoy days like this? Celestia could come at us at any time.”

“Not anymore,” Twilight said.

“Indeed not,” Sombra said. “My Pegasi just finished helping those three deploy their sensor net. We’ll know the instant Celestia crosses into their range, and be able to muster a response.”

“You know the effects of the red particles,” Gearhead said, sitting on Twilight’s other side. “Maybe you know it better than I do. Please keep your soldiers away from them as much as possible, Your Majesty.”

“As far as I can,” Sombra agreed, “but even including Spike you only number thirteen. Iron likes to attack en masse, with drones, and the sisters aren’t afraid of using their soldiers and guards as canon fodder either. You don’t want to be fighting a war of numbers here, not without reinforcements.”

“Oh, we’ve got the tactics to win,” Twilight said.

“And now to get the food to fuel them,” Pinkie said, digging in.

25. The Battle for Reflected Canterlot

Chapter 24: The Battle of Reflected Canterlot

The Everfree Forest teemed with hearty life, the trees either stout or flexible to survive the forces unleashed around them, and the animals’ senses tuned to the hum of magic and to the sight of red dust-like light. Every chirp and rustle conveyed some information, and that information allowed most of the forest’s denizens to survive, where the sisters’ or Iron’s targets did not.

In one moment, the near-constant symphony of humming, chirping, and calling ceased, followed by a long ‘whoosh’ as everything that could move sought the closest, best cover. A new, mechanical humming filled the air, tinged with a deep buzz. After only an instant, that warning fell away before a swarm of metal, flying beasts half the size of an average pony, a trail of that red dust marking their flight paths.

The leading drones did not lose any speed as they wove between the trees, spread out to protect the main force against any enemy who might try to pass through the line and flank them, or attack from behind. They passed through mottled grey and brown dust without any problem, not having detected any explosive or dangerous element among them, and continued onward, to the edge of the forest.

Behind the advance wave of drones was yet another, which Iron had deployed to stay closer to the main force. Behind them, the sight of Celestia, as well as Iron’s massive Great Dragon Armour, sent the hiding animals into a frenzy as they tried to dig more deeply into safety any way they could.

Celestia wore gold and red armour of her own design, covering any vulnerability while also curved to accentuate her statuesque figure. The Great Dragon, meanwhile, featured ridges, horns, teeth, claws, and golden baleful eyes that cast disdain from among the blood-red form. Twenty meters long from the tip of the beak-like blade on its nose to the nastily-barbed tail, and with a wingspan of twenty-one meters, the large armour was extremely imposing. The world still remembered the Battle of Los Pegasus when it had been used last.

Celestia flapped her wings just a little harder to push the dust or gnats away from herself, while Iron saw them with disinterest, but did not really look at the flower-shaped nodes. Thus it was that as the immense force pushed toward the edge of the Everfree Forest, they did not know that they had lost the element of surprise.

* * *

Each of the Flight Leaders had decided to train so they could more easily make use of the full tactical display that Gearhead had created for himself, also making something else for him to change, although the modification was done very quickly. While Gearhead continued to make his final preparations for battle in the borrowed forge, the others practiced maneuver after maneuver, time and time again, so that when it came time to actually do them, they could do so perfectly, regardless of how high or fast they were flying when they did so.

Despite having the sensor net in place, the last two days had been hard on everyone’s nerves, the tension rising every hour and every day. Even the guards expected Celestia to make her move at any moment, eyes darting toward their weapons every few seconds.

And yet when it came to practice, both the guards and Binary Squadron became focused on their task.

When the first node turned red, Twilight called out, “hold,” and caught Rarity, who was her partner at that moment. Everyone focused on her or his own display as they landed to watch more of the net become red. The arrays started sending more information, and Twilight half-turned toward King Sombra, who was watching the exercise from the parapet.

“Multiple small targets, red particles confirmed. It’s hard to pick out much of anything in that mass, but there’s also a large mass of Dark Magic energy, and a large red particle contact.”

“They’re coming,” Sombra said. “Archers and casters to the walls,” he called. “Ready all ballistae and trebuchets. I want a screening flight up ASAP!”

“Remember, you promised to keep them away from those particles,” Twilight said.

“As much as possible,” Sombra nodded. “What about Gearhead?”

Twilight knew that their friend was seeing the same sensor take everyone else in Binary, were. At that instant, a message flashed across her HUD. “We’ll have to buy him some time,” she said, turning back to the others. “Group up, everyone. We’re on Plan J. Skip every phase corresponding to Luna.”

As Twilight spoke, the others scrambled into standing formation. Each being checked to make sure her or his neighbour’s armour and weapon were all secure and did not show any signs of undue or repairable wear or damage. In Gearhead’s absence, his flightmates would be deployed to the other Flights. Rainbow Dash checked Twilight’s armour and Engine as she took up her place at the head of the formation, then she took her own place on Twilight’s wing as well. All movement ceased.

“Binary Squadron, launch!” And with that order, everyone leaped into the air, the flying members either taking the grounded ones up on their back, or carrying them by the forelimbs.

Unlike with Plan A, Plan J demanded that the Flights have as equal an amount of power as possible, so that once they were split up into Flight or duo levels they could still deploy their abilities effectively. Twilight possessed both flight and magical power, and it was fully expected that she and her Flight would be taking on Celestia directly. As a result she had Rarity, Silver Quill, and Smart Alec in her Flight.

Gearhead was Two Flight Lead. In his absence, Aurora Mage, Doc Wolf, and Fluttershy flew under Rainbow Dash’s command as Three Flight.

Four Flight therefore consisted of Applejack, KP, Pinkie Pie, and Spike. Pinkie flew using yet another of her contraptions, which she had whipped up seemingly out of nowhere. Four had originally been planned to be integrated into the other Flights, but Twilight had realized that was bunching things up a little too much, and decided to trust in Pinkie.

Plan J had two branching options: Option One included isolating Celestia from her allies and capturing her with the gem-implanted cable spells. If they could not do that, they could at least do Option Two and repel the enemy, forcing them into a retreat. Binary could then engage in battle with all preparations in place, at a time of their choosing. All of the Elemental Six agreed that the closer to the Castle of the Two Sisters they fought, the more likely they were to win, given the proximity to what they considered the origin of the Elements of Harmony.

Phase One in either case was to intercept the approaching army as far away from Canterlot Castle as they could. Twilight and Rainbow pulled ahead of the rest of the squadron to get eyes-on contact on the opposing force as early as they could, as well as to issue advance and final warning to the enemy.

Soon the two leaders had to stop to take a closer look at the approaching black swarm, flecked as it was with red. They used the sensors and cameras built into their helmets to get a better sense of what they faced. “Too small to be ponies,” Rainbow Dash said.

“They’re drones, just like I said,” Sombra said into one of the spare earpieces. “Them, you don’t have to worry about destroying.”

“At the very least they’ll help us demonstrate how serious we are,” Twilight said. She casted a spell to help project her voice past the enemy’s vanguard and to the waiting ears of any living thing nearby.

“Attention Celestia and Iron, this is your only warning. Turn back or surrender, or we will open fire to protect Canterlot and Equestria.”

There was barely a pause before Celestia responded with the boom of the Royal Canterlot Voice. “We’re not scared of you, little filly, but you should be scared of us!”

“That answers that,” Rainbow said, while Twilight cancelled her own voice amplification spell.

“Yeah it does.” Now that the last opportunity to avoid a fight had been rejected, the Unicorn flipped her shoulder- and hip-mounted railguns into firing position, raised their levels to the highest possible settings, and set her sights on the highest concentrations of drones. Unlike the Stabilizer’s original railguns, these were more compact and shorter when not in use to blend in better with the wing sections. When they charged, however, they extended and expanded, revealing the flicker and steadily-growing glow of the particle charge.

In order for this part of the plan to succeed, Binary Squadron needed to use enough force to completely halt their enemy’s advance. Twilight realized this was going to be extremely difficult given the vast number of drones Iron had brought. The sight of them reminded her of Chrysalis’s army. Then, Gearhead had vastly reduced their numbers by reflecting and refracting numerous beam attacks through falling shards of shield energy. This time the defenders did not have any of that.

But they had each other.

Twilight opened fire, four turquoise-and-purple blasts lancing out and punching their way through the swarm as it continued to close. Even drones that were not hit directly were caught by the energy and destroyed or disabled, but the blasts only left four deep columns of vacant space for a few moments.

Twilight let the railguns flip back to let them cool off a bit, and switched to the four canons, each of which fired a blast at about the same strength as a single Magic Arrow, and opened fire. It took two hits to take out a single drone, she soon discovered, and managed to fire one more salvo with her railguns before she and Rainbow had to start falling back to avoid being flanked or overtaken.

Fortunately that was when the rest of Binary Squadron caught up. Rarity and Mage began by unleashing their own magic blasts into the mass of drones. Flyers spun as they worked up the momentum to launch their earthbound charges right into the fray. Applejack, Doc, and Alec flew into the enemy with hooves or claws leading.

Applejack plowed right into her first drone hooves-first, and made enough of a dent in its armour to send sparks flying. Looking at all the other drones flying nearby, she had an idea. Instead of trying to jump out and return to KP, she jumped further in, kicking off hard with her hindquarters. Twilight saw the original drone explode, and a moment later Applejack was kicking into her second target.

Alec used the Tuck and Roll, bowling into his first target with enough speed, and with enough magic attached to his ballistic flight, that he radiated energy from his mane and tail. That aura only lasted long enough for him to bisect his first target, but when he found another drone flying in to intercept him, the stallion snapped open and planted all four hooves on the machine. He quickly jumped to a third target, leaving his exploding second behind.

Doc would not be outdone by either of his companions, although he lacked an Earth Pony’s legendary durability and strength. The bipedal wolf had, however, discovered that if he focused enough on one thing, if he took a swipe at it with his claws facing outward, he could cut steadily through it. Flying at his first target, Doc started by swinging away, again and again, with his forepaws, each swing digging deeper and deeper into the drone’s armour. When he finally landed on the thing, Doc started clawing away at it with his rear claws as well. He did not have to cut far, only far enough to reach one of the drone’s vital systems. With that out, Doc leaped back to give himself time to strategically choose his next target.

Pinkie had attached her Party Canon to the front of her whirligig, and smaller confetti canons to the sides and back, so that no matter where she was facing an enemy, she could blast it with the assortment of objects that she had stowed away – some, but not all of them, on her strange but wonderful machine. Right off the bat, Pinkie fired one steady shot of streamers into a group of drones, which just happened to draw a large quantity of the colourful and shiny material into themselves through their intakes. The drones coughed a couple times, and then their cores stopped and they fell out of the sky.

Keeping an eye out for their wingless friends, the flyers charged into the fray themselves, punching, kicking, or slashing away with their swords to decimate their enemy’s numbers as quickly as possible. Alec and Doc also remembered that they had weapons of their own, and switched to them to make jumping from target to target easier for them. While Alec, Applejack, and Doc could wade further into the group, the flyers had to stay ahead of the drones’ advance so they could pull back and regroup more easily, and also so their flying would not be hampered.

This, unfortunately, meant that they were constantly falling back, and losing a lot of the ground that the plan had originally given them.

Despite the loss in ground, no one flagged in their efforts for even a moment. When Twilight added her magic to her barrage, they only added more metal to the wrecks falling to the ground, and yet there were many, many more and no one had caught more than a glimpse of Celestia or Iron through the swarm. It was obvious then that their enemy’s plan was to simply roll over any defence Canterlot managed to mount.

“I won’t allow it,” Twilight growled. “Binary Squadron, regroup and push back with everything we have!”

“Roger that,” Rainbow said, and she was echoed by everyone else. Flyers recovered their living missiles. Unicorns recharged their magic.

Twilight aimed all of her Engine’s weapons right down the middle of the encroaching group. “Now!”

The air filled with energy and coiled muscle, and even as Twilight took stock of all the falling or exploded drones she spotted a flash of white as it raced past her in the direction of the castle. “Celestia!” Twilight flicked her eyes toward the scanner, but the Alicorn was cloaking her signature somehow. “Does anyone have eyes-on contact with Celestia?”

“Negative,”

“No,”

“Sorry, Twi,”

Twilight managed a deep breath. “Sombra, Binary Lead. You may have Celestia incoming.”

“Thank you, Twilight. Her, we’ll be ready for,” Sombra said, and Twilight understood: with the rest of Celestia’s forces engaged, and Luna still restrained, Celestia would be a far easier opponent on her own. In an all-out fight, of course Celestia had more offensive power, however this Sombra had a great deal of defensive power. Maybe he could contain her when she was on her own, without even the assistance of her own soldiers, nevermind her own sister, another Alicorn.

Or at least, Twilight hoped that was the case.

* * *

“Look at ‘em go through your drones,” Rarity said through a barely-hidden sneer. All six accomplices flew around Iron’s Great Dragon, waiting for him to give them the signal to attack.

“This is why I always bring so many,” Lord Iron said, his tone sibilant and impatient. He was starting to remember why he hated dealing with these six.

“Playing the long game?” Rainbow Dash asked. “There’s only one problem with that.”

“Someone else can get there first,” Pinkie said through her wicked grin. Like Fluttershy, she had filed her teeth to points, the better to gouge flesh and inflict more pain. Both of their helmets reflected this, in that they did not cover their mouths or chins.

“And there goes Celestia, off to get her personal revenge before anypony else,” Applejack said.

“Except that’s not where Sombra is,” Sparkle said.

“Ah, since they can’t use Luna’s placement to their advantage tall, light, and lousy’s out to get slightly less tall and dark back, and into the fight,” Iron said.

“You want to take a shot at Somby?” Pinkie asked.

“I don’t care for him, so the sisters can have their fill of the king. I only want my imposter.”

“Is he hiding, maybe?” Fluttershy asked.

“He didn’t seem like the cowardly type before. More likely he’s trying to finish making something. But it’ll be too little, too late.”

“Isn’t it about time you gave the go-ahead for us to get into the fight?” Applejack asked.

“Are you so eager?”

“Just curious,”

“Let them waste their energy and spells on the drones: that’s what they’re there for. In a few minutes we’ll be within striking distance of Canterlot, and that means more collateral. These are heroes. They’ll do anything to avoid loss of life.”

“Ah,” Pinkie said. “That’s another place we can hurt ‘em.”

“I know we haven’t even met, but the more I watch ‘em fight, the more I wanna rip ‘em apart,” Fluttershy said. Her eyes became flat, and she started to salivate. “I wanna go, I wanna go!”

“Soon,” Sparkle said, knowing that the further she could drive Fluttershy and Pinkie into their bloodlust, the more chaos they could cause for their enemies.

* * *

Sombra and his guards kept scanning the skies and the walls below and around them. “She’d be here by now,” one of the archers said.

“Maybe she doesn’t know where we are?” Another suggested.

“Of course she knows,” a third said.

Which means I am not Celestia’s target, Sombra thought. There wasn’t much else at the castle that could be of any importance to the white Alicorn, and so discerning her target was –

“Luna!” Sombra immediately turned, taking a detachment of guards in his wake as he trotted toward Luna’s room, where he had insisted she be kept under lock and key until she could be returned to the side of Good. I am such a fool to be taken in so easily: now they can strike out from within the castle if they choose!

* * *

Practice was one thing, but actual combat, and against a foe of such great numbers, was an entirely different beast of an entirely different colour. Binary Squadron had started out vastly outnumbered, and while they were carving through the drones, particularly when Twilight and Mage started using Magic Arrows and its multiple projectiles instead of single-blast magic, there were still more to take their place.

Where Binary Squadron had intercepted the attackers just short of the halfway point between the Everfree Forest’s edge and Canterlot Castle, they were now a stone’s throw from a number of buildings within the city. Twilight was not quite surprised that Sombra had not raised a protective shield, however he had not uttered a word about Celestia’s approach either. Had they engaged in battle so quickly that he did not have the opportunity to call, or had she chosen a different target instead?

Besides being pushed back so far, every member of Binary Squadron was also tired from fighting constantly, and from evading constantly.

When the drones got close enough they deployed a three-bladed weapon from their mouths and tried to ram a fighter. The Earth Ponies often side-stepped the attack and used their hooves to smash the blades, but that left red dust in the air for a few seconds. They also had to avoid getting behind a drone, where its core was, so they did not breath in any of the degenerative red flecks.

Mechanical drones did not tire, did not get hungry, and did not need rest of any kind. It might seem like for every unit the squadron shot down there were three more to take its place, but Twilight knew that nothing was infinite. She blocked three different drones with her magic barrier, then smashed the nearest with the barrier itself, shot the second with a blast, and focused her four arrow barrels at the last one to blast it apart.

Twilight barely got her shield back into line before the massive energy blast hit. She fed power from her Engine into her defences, and muddled through. With the red and black blast still ripping itself apart, she found herself looking down the barrel of a giant red dragon. Iron, she thought, before she turned her attention to the pony screaming, literally and figuratively, right at her.

And it was her.

Sort of. A reflection, this world’s version of her. A Twilight Sparkle with a different sense of the way the world worked existed, and yet she still had the same five friends, so she could not be all that different.

Except that she was firing at Twilight with the two railguns mounted to her hips. Since there were not any civilians detected in the blast’s path, Twilight evaded these attacks by throwing herself into a climbing spiral. She flipped up and over, and then came down on the other Unicorn with an overhand slash of her sword. Her attack got caught between a pair of wicked, serrated blades, and then she was pushed back.

“You must be Twilight Sparkle,” the other said.

“And you,”

“You won’t be taking anyone’s place,”

“We’re here to restore things, but then we’re going back.”

“Sorry, but we’ve been promised the opportunity to collect some great loot. And we won’t be disappointed.” Fluttershy came out from behind the other Twilight, and as she leaned forward Twilight was shocked to see that she had fangs. The Pegasus chomped down on Twilight’s shoulder, but the Unicorn did not feel it. Still, all she could see was that her friend’s reflection was trying to eat her, so she flew around and around to try and shake her loose.

And Fluttershy slid free, easily, her target’s micromail armour barely even scratched. Startled, the Pegasus felt around in her mouth, and then spat shredded material out. “My teeth! You’ll pay for this with your blood,” she said, charging again with metal claws extended.

Only to get partially wrapped by a capture cable. “Not happening, Darling,” Rarity said.

“Thanks,”

“I saw you could use the help, and I am your wingmare.”

“Right. Now lets see if we can stall them out,”

“Not happening,” a voice boomed, and the other Twilight grabbed the trussed Fluttershy and flew upward as fast as she could in order to avoid the large red blast from Iron.

Twilight and Rarity combined their power, and yet they were both pressed into the ground. Iron had clearly decided to raise his settings, as the blast shattered both their shields before it shredded itself away.

Twilight checked her status. It would take a moment for her Engine to get itself back up to speed. “Are you okay, Rarity?”

“Not for long, it seems,” Rarity said, staring up at Iron’s other barrel.

“The armour can take a hit,” Twilight said.

“In theory,”

Twilight blinked. Why rely solely on theory? She thought as she suddenly remembered that the armour came equipped with condensers for particle storage. Not a lot, she saw, but maybe enough. Around came her railguns, expanding to charge.

Iron chuckled, audibly. “It seems I can get some entertainment from this after all,” he said, and fired.

So did Twilight. Red and black clashed against turquoise and purple. After a moment when it seemed like they were roughly even, the darker energies started to wrap around the lighter ones, and suddenly both Unicorns became very worried.

“Percusserit me inimicus,” a familiar voice said as an unfamiliar silhouette became framed in the blast.” The stallion leaned his left shoulder and the actuator-mounted shield equipped there into the blast first. A silvery magic circle lit visibly from above the surface of the shield, and what energy the shield did not absorb from the blast flew harmlessly over all of them, following the curve of the triangular shield.

Gearhead swung the shield aside even as the last lingering effects from the attack got cleared away. “Magica Sagitta quingenti tres Lucis.”

Incantation completed, the five hundred and three Light Arrows lanced out from behind Gearhead’s bladecasters to clear away an equal number of drones and leave Iron and his companions with little immediate protection. He brandished his large sword, easily as large as the shield, for the first time as he stared right at Iron.

“Binary Squadron, please regroup on me, and push them all back!”

“Alright!”

“Lets do it!”

Perhaps fazed by the squadron’s renewed spirit, the opposing Six did fall back a bit, and even Iron hesitated to advance with a new factor on the field.

“Bwa-ha-ha!” The laughter rang out clear, and jarring, even as an explosion shook the city. Smoke and fire poured from one of the castle’s upper rooms, and Twilight saw that it was coming from one of the towers. She zoomed in just in time to see a blur shoot into the sky, followed by another, a white one.

“Regroup and brace,” Twilight called out, and Binary assumed a more defensive posture, trying to prepare to be hit by not one, but two Alicorns.

Only when Luna straightened out and put more power into her flight, she was going far too high and fast, and her course was angled incorrectly for her to be joining the fight effectively. Everyone held their breaths just in case, but the younger sister, and then the elder, flew overhead and past them all, heading directly toward their own castle.

No one moved for a few minutes, even then, just to be sure the mercurial Alicorns would not turn back and rejoin the fight anyway. Even the other Six and Iron seemed to be reserving much of their attention for the skies. Twilight checked all of her readouts, and then the skies herself. She looked at the remaining drones, then Iron.

“Binary,” she called, “advance!”

Gearhead unloaded a focused blast from his railguns, and followed that up with Lightning Hammer, his fastest spell. Twilight joined him, and Mage and Rarity added their own magic blasts to their hard-light rain.

The Malcontent Six were slow to pull back at first, but when Iron turned his armour around and flew away at full speed, their motivation to continue the fight seemed to evaporate. The remaining drones closed in behind to act as a screen.

“Destroy as many drones as you can, please,” Gearhead called, switching back to Magic Arrows. Twilight could see his reason: the less there were of them at the end of this, the less Iron would have for the next battle.

And, despite this battle having ended with the attackers repelled, that next battle would come all too soon.

“Area secure,” Gearhead said.

Twilight took a deep breath. “Good job, Binary. Return to base.”

* * *

Celestia paused to close the door behind her, only turning to the waiting figures in the hall once she was certain the room was secure.

“So, care to share what that was all about?” Iron asked, not bothering to disguise his impatience or his anger, although his words were distorted, made tinny by his full-helm.

“Shh,” Celestia held one hoof to her lips. Her eyes were half-lidded, but Sparkle, standing with Rainbow and Pinkie, took three steps back, perhaps feeling the Alicorn’s magic aura batter against her. Iron, without a touch of magic of his own, didn’t feel a thing. “Not here,” Celestia said, and she led the way to the audience hall on silent hooves. The others followed.

When they arrived at the audience hall, only Rarity was present. As Celestia climbed to her throne, Sparkle and the others of her group came to stand with their last companion.

“How’s Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked.

“Still upset, although I don’t know what’s got her worse, her teeth being blunted or being blocked from getting a real taste of the enemy.” Rarity said.

“She’ll get over it,” Pinkie said, chuckling. “Still, even I recognize she’s not right in the head, the poor filly.”

“I don’t remember her being any other way,” Sparkle said, “but I guess she’s not the only one recovering.”

“Correct,” Celestia said, and although she spoke softly her voice carried to the furthest reaches of the room. “When I found Luna she was not herself. She decided to return here to recuperate, and I agreed.”

“More like you didn’t have a choice,” Sparkle said, “because it looked like you were chasing her. What could possibly have the Ruler of Night spooked?”

“Nothing important to us at the moment, I’m sure. It certainly wasn’t the restraining system Sombra’s new pets were using on her: She and I broke them with ease.”

“But she was running, and fast. No consideration given to rejoining the fight, or even for attacking Sombra head-on,” Iron said.

“You leave getting the whole story to me, once she wakes up,” Celestia said. “I understand if you’re upset about the drones you lost in the battle, however we must move forward from where we now stand.”

“You’re damned right I’m upset,” Iron said, “but more because we lost every tactical advantage we had: a hundred thousand units against a mere thirteen? We would have rolled right over them, given enough time.”

“Surely you can replace the lost units, even now?”

“I’ve already started, however our enemies will be better-prepared the next time around. The drones were easily defeated already. Sombra’s countermeasures, or rather those of my other self, will be even more effective now. I should know: I know how he thinks. And yet we have little information about his equipment.”

“And what do you suggest we do about that?”

Iron began to pace as he thought. “General modification won’t be enough. I need information on their capabilities if I’m going to prepare specific countermeasures of my own against Sombra’s allies.”

“My agents can’t get close to Canterlot Castle any longer. And your scout drones?”

“I haven’t used scouts in a long time. Haven’t had to. Besides, the other guy’ll be working deep in the castle to stay out of sight. That’s what I'd do.”

“Rainbow Dash?” Celestia asked.

“Sombra’s goons’ve been on the look-out for us for ages,” the Pegasus said. “We ain’t getting’ close either.”

Iron sighed. “That limits our options, but surely you can prepare a new, unknown team to infiltrate and get us some info. In the meantime, I can continue working based on what we do have, which admittedly is more about the others Sombra fielded than about the other me.”

“Then do so. Please. We must all prepare, and allow my sister her rest. We will take the pretender king in our next attack, and then we will be able to reach into sweet Princess Celestia’s soft world.”

* * *

Upon close inspection, Gearhead had not changed his equipment all that much. He had attached the Great Sword on an actuator that bent over and past the right-side wings on his Stabilizer.

The Great Shield was likewise attached to the left side. The shield was a massive triangular tower shield that could easily provide cover for Gearhead even when he held it at an angle. He had it done mostly in white, and trimmed in forest green instead of his signature turquoise. It took critical eyes to see the magic runes engraved in light silver all along the slightly-curved surface. As somepony who was knowledgeable in the field of magic, Twilight marveled at how the sigla for protection, ablation, reflection, and deflection were integrated, flowing from one to another. Clearly Gearhead had taken the time to invest great magicks in it, on top of the specific defensive spells with which he had imbued the Artifact.

The Great Sword’s width, height, and generally-triangular design made it the perfect companion piece to the Shield. It was slimmer even at the widest part, the guard, which tapered quickly before leading into the massive straight blade. The handle was cylindrical, so it could be wielded best either using actuators or in Agile Form. Like the shield, the sword was engraved with runes, but this time boosting offensive power and energy projection. The sword was done in white with blue filigree. Curiously, there were thick gold lines around the central lines of the blade and handle.

“So these are what you’ve been working on for so long,” Sombra said, looking them over.

“Well, not only,” Gearhead said. “Come, let me show you the rest of what Twilight, Mage, and I have been constructing.”

“You too, Twi?” Applejack asked, as they all walked toward the forge room together.

“As much as I could, which wasn’t quite as much as Mage,” Twilight admitted.

“You switched to practice early on, but I followed not long after,” Mage said. “The finished product is going to be a surprise for me too.”

“Still, I think you will be pleased by where I took the concepts you both shared with me,” Gearhead said. “Or, I suppose I should say, ‘concepts picked up here and there from everyone from the Rift.'”

“Is there a hammer? I hope there’s a battlehammer,” Alec said.

“Here we go,” Dash said as they approached a set of wide doors. The guards pushed them open for the group, to reveal a still-hot forge and a small mechanized assembly line.

“I like surprises,” Pinkie said. “Well, most of them.”

“These ones, at least, are to our benefit,” Gearhead said, and he waved a hoof to indicate what looked like a giant, slightly ovoid bullet and three camel humps.

“I don’t get it,” Fluttershy said, quietly.

“It’s okay, neither do I,” Pinkie said loudly.

“I like the drapes,” Rarity said, clearly trying to be helpful. When she followed Rarity as the other Unicorn trotted up to a large scaffold that was holding an even larger swath of material, Twilight could not help noticing that she could see the walls behind the scaffold through the fabric, but not the scaffold itself.

“These will help us get much closer to the Castle of the Two Sisters than Celestia's forces were able to get to Canterlot Castle.”

“So what you’re saying is that they’re back in the Everfree?” Doc asked.

“And you know this how?” Quill asked.

“He slipped a tracker into Luna’s crown, or shoes,” Mage said.

“It is both, and there are even some suppressors mixed in, so she will not be as much opposition as she was before.”

“Which is good ‘cause we’re not catching her by surprise again,” Dash said.

Twilight watched Rarity look behind the ‘curtains,’ and then all around them. When she moved them more quickly, they rippled and shimmered a bit more, but they still showed the wall.

“So, how is all this supposed to work, ideally?” Sombra asked.

“It is a shell game of sorts,” Gearhead said. “While we insert as quickly as we can under several layers of cover, we provide Celestia’s lookouts with a distraction.”

“Making them think we’re somewhere we’re not,” Rarity said.

“At the same time, because our opponents are the ones who are most capable of fighting us, we know they will come out to face us. We pick our ideal targets and engage them before they can adapt. Then we knock them out of the fight as quickly, and as painlessly, as we can.”

“They’re not gonna make that easy,” Applejack said.

“Which is why I have begun to integrate the data gathered during this last battle into some upgrades for your armour. They should provide you with better protection against red particles and Dark Magic, so you can fight without having to worry for longer.”

“But you’re still not going to let us fight Iron with you, are you?” Twilight asked.

“We have many targets, not least of all this world’s version of you six, and now Luna as well as Celestia. I foresee having to use our Flights to smart advantage. But I will probably require Two Flight’s help against Iron. Still, I will most likely be the most effective against his Great Dragon Armour. And if Iron is equipped with a transmitter of some sort of that allows him to control his drones, maybe I can shut them down in the process.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Twilight said.

“This all looks very complicated, but also worth the gamble. So I’m coming too,” Sombra said.

“But you’re the king,” Twilight said. “Don’t you need to stay here just in case?”

“There is a time to delegate and coordinate while you send in the best beings for the job. There is also a time when you are one of the best beings for the job. And I feel it would be for the best for me to be the one to deal with Celestia. I know my defensive power can tip the battle in our favour.”

“I guess that means you’re taking command then, Your Majesty,” Applejack said.

“No,”

“I’m sorry, say what?” Dash asked.

“You all chose Twilight Sparkle as your Wing Commander for a reason, so commander she will remain,” Sombra said.

“Me? But I don’t know how to command a king. I don’t even really want to!”

“Regardless of your personal preferences, though, I have seen you rise to the occasion,” Sombra said with a compassionate smile. “You, Twilight Sparkle, are growing into the role of leader brilliantly, and so I will support you as Princess Celestia has. As your friends do. So have confidence in yourself.”

“I don’t know,” Twilight said, pawing at the floor.

“I have studied beside you, watch you learn about techniques and technology quickly despite them staying beyond other Unicorns’ comprehension. You know my gear’s limits, but you also understand its potential. I am with you, Twilight Sparkle,” Gearhead said.

“You may freak out every now and again, but you’ve never let us down, Twilight,” Dash said.

“We’re friends because we love you,” Fluttershy said.

“We’ve seen what you can do,” Applejack said.

“We can’t wait to see what you do next,” Rarity said.

“In a way there is no greater burden than potential,” Doc said. “On the other hoof, there is no greater freedom either.”

“Through the Rift we’ve witnessed much of the same great growth as your friends here,” Alec said.

“It’s funny, but you’re barely recognizable by the way you were before. The things you can do so easily now would seem impossible to the you from back then. But hey, I don’t think there’s anyone who can tell you what is and isn’t possible,” KP said.

“So lead on, Twilight Sparkle, knowing that we, your comrades and friends, support you. Even if that means occasionally having to knock the sense back into you,” Quill said.

Twilight looked around at those gathered, her friends, old and new, and wiped away the few tears that had gathered. “Okay, so Plan D?”

“Modified, but essentially,” Gearhead said. “I have some more preparations to make, but they should be quick.” He went to a table and collected a folder. “I would recommend practicing the enclosed exercises for the insertion.”

Twilight took the folder, and opened it for a quick glance. Several of the others read over her shoulder.

“Ooh,” Pinkie said.

“How daring,” Rarity said.

“That’s pretty crazy looking,” Mage said. “A one-in-a-million shot they won’t be expecting.”

“I like it,” Alec said with a grin.

“Then lets get to it,” Twilight said, snapping the folder shut. They had their plans. They had preparations to make. The only other thing they needed was to turn the plan into action through practice.

1A. Preparations From the Dawn

Chapter 1A: Preparations From the Dawn

Waking before dawn was normal for Gearhead, having grown up in a farming family. Only what he did was different, because his abilities were different from those of the rest of his family. Over more than ten years, he had wandered through much of Western Equestria searching for any knowledge that might help him improve his control of his powers. The brown-coated Earth Pony had never once imagined that it could be because of something Discord had done over a thousand years earlier.

Gearhead would have chuckled, wondering if Discord was as entertained as he thought he would be, but he did not wish to risk enough noise to awaken his daughter. She was curled up, nose to tail, in her bed to the left of his own, covered comfortably by a snow blanket of her own creation. Like Gearhead, Snowbelle was another unusual creature, but she was an Arctic Dragon where he was a Pony. When her mother had asked him to take care of her, and made him promise to return her to her ancestral home, he had, of course agreed. But at least until Gearhead could find a way to survive the cold of the frozen north, he had adopted the baby dragon, to whom he was psychically bonded.

Gearhead moved silently as he got out of bed and began to perform his morning ablutions. The third and top floor of his shop was divided in half, with this half dedicated to living space, and the other to medium-sized demonstration items for the shop – things like telescopes and rolling cranes that could not be displayed properly downstairs. Gearhead’s and Snowbelle’s living quarters included the bedroom area with its bookshelves and dressers, a small bathroom, and a kitchenette with an eating area, where Gearhead ate a light breakfast.

After breakfast, Gearhead strapped on his Geargem Dagger and went up to the roof. While he had been hesitant to practice his magic in the open like this, he had also found that he made a better connection in the open air than he did underground in the Laboratory or Hangar. Besides, none of the creatures that made the nearby Everfree Forest their home had ever responded to his rising magical signature, and he was too far away to disturb Twilight Sparkle, or one of the princesses, who would have been able to detect him.

Gearhead sat on the roof and drew his Geargem Dagger with his tail. The curved emerald blade had blue diamond at its heart and edges. The flat, square handle was amber chased with ruby threading. The half-gear crosspiece was what gave the weapon its name, because it would spin and open up to accept and process collected magical energy.

Gearhead closed his eyes and slowed his breathing and heart rate, focusing entirely on the flow of mana around and within him. He slowly drew it all inward, toward him, to collect and refine it so it changed into the quality of power he used when he casted a spell. Unlike when he did cast a spell, however, his sole focus was in manipulating the energy, and seeing how much he could handle.

All ponies had some magic, regardless of their tribe. What Discord had done was to remove the Earth Pony magic from one of Gearhead’s ancestors, and replace it with twisted, inverted, and warped Unicorn and Pegasus magic.

By Herd Law, any member of the Verdant to display this magic was made a Black Sheep. The law protected these family members from exile and ridicule, at least to a certain extent, and it provided the motivation to move beyond one’s limitations by finding an alternate way to be useful on the farm.

Unfortunately, the only way to be rid of the Black Sheep title, which prevented the holder from being named Successor, and thus Herd Patriarch, was to be able to plant and harvest some variety of plant on the farm. Worse than not having any magical ability to grow things, Gearhead’s power had manifested by folding and tearing up the land anywhere he had walked without the special horseshoes he and his father had made to keep the power inside.

Gearhead himself did not have any ambition to become the next Patriarch, however Father was convinced that Firstson Vines would abuse the power that came with it, particularly the ability to alter and add to Herd Law, which would put any future Black Sheep into further peril. Father was also convinced that the way to improve the Verdant’s lifestyle was through innovation, whereas looking into the past, all he saw was stagnation – farm ponies living according to the same standards and practices for thousands upon thousands of years.

Touching a broken plough that Vines had probably set up near Gearhead’s room (although back then he had simply been known as ‘Thirdson),’ Gearhead had discovered his knack for ‘seeing’ how the plough came together, where it was broken, how to fix it, and how to improve upon it. Imagining it, he had discovered that he could make the improvement happen.

Pushing forward from this discovery, Gearhead began to look for clues about similar abilities. He apprenticed to carpenters, blacksmiths, and other metalworkers in the nearby city of Hoofington, and he gained knowledge in magic by studying with the best and brightest the Third Conclave of Flowing Shadows had, at their vaunted Hidden Library.

Back at Verdant Fields, the more other ponies saw of Gearhead’s modified equipment, the more they wanted some of their own. He obliged them, and following a notion, went into town to see what other needs his little innovations could fill. That was the start of Gearhead’s Gadgets, the shop he now owned and ran from Ponyville.

It had not been an easy road. Right from the start, it had taken a considerable amount of convincing for Gearhead to get Father and Mother to allow him to strike out on his own, especially since he was not of a mature age. But they had seen how unhappy he was, living on a farm without being able to help with his own four hooves. And although he tried to be circumspect about it, they still knew that Vines was bullying Gearhead. So they decided to let him go.

Truthfully, Gearhead could remember feeling hurt whenever Vines had called him a ‘walking disaster’ or ‘useless’ or a ‘waste of space.’ It hurt because Gearhead realized that his oldest sibling had been correct: there was not a thing that Gearhead could do to help out his family, not by trying to farm. His few attempts to do so had always ended in disaster. Gearhead absolutely hated the feeling of being useless most of all. He could even stand being powerless, but not that he could not do anything to help.

The journey, unfolding over more than a decade, had been eye-opening: Gearhead discovered that there were other ponies who had less than him, or were worse off than he was. Seeing them struggle, and seeing them succeed made him feel like if he did any less he would be placing a great shame on the name of his Herd.

Gearhead’s Gadgets grew from a small, two-wheel cart from which he sold items directly, to a four-wheel cart, to a wagon, to a small hut through Gearhead’s efforts. Before long he was setting up a solid structure whenever he stopped to sell his wares in a town or city. When he was not making and selling a gadget, Gearhead was at a library doing research. And when the townsponies had bought all it seemed they were going to, and Gearhead’s leads dried up, he would pack up and move on, leaving the store’s structure for whoever could use it.

This method had not given Gearhead much opportunity to make friends, and after the third town he had actually stopped trying. That did not mean he did not have any friends before coming to Ponyville, but he had been focusing on earning a decent amount of money to sustain a living, and on sending enough back home to support his family. In that plan, Gearhead had not put much importance on making friends with ponies he would be leaving behind.

Ironically, it had been Discord who had blown the lid off of the mystery, revealing Gearhead’s mixed and incomplete magical roots. The revelation allowed Gearhead to see himself and his capabilities differently, and so he had sought ways to complete what was incomplete.

With help from the princesses, Celestia and Luna, who were interested to see what form Gearhead’s power would take, Gearhead found how he could use magical energies. Then the biggest revelation came when Discord inverted him into a magic-wielding pony, and Gearhead realized he could use spells in their full form – as long as he used an activation key, an incantation, and a medium like his dagger. He was highly vulnerable while doing so, but it was a fantastic revelation given that he had thought of himself as a simple Earth Pony before.

To help with his vulnerability while casting, Shining Armour, former-Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard and now a prince through his marriage to Cadence, taught Gearhead some martial arts that included the same type of physical training the Royal Guard received, along with some techniques most of them had missed. This was the second part of Gearhead’s daily training regimen. He divided it further into two parts: half in his natural pony form, and the other half in his dexterous, bipedal Agile Form.

It was far harder to manipulate physical objects as a normal pony than it was in Agile Form, but then the vast majority of ponies had never experienced the benefits of having hands.

Although Gearhead could change form with a few quick words, he knew that he needed to be able to handle any situation in both forms. One reason was that it took time to complete the transformation, and while that was underway he was the only one being protected by the spell’s cocoon. A smart adversary would stop trying to attack Gearhead, and try to take his friends or a passerby as a hostage. Gearhead had therefore decided to only use the transformation when he could ensure no other beings would be put in danger by his sudden loss of mobility, temporary as it was.

To compliment the training Shining Armour gave Gearhead in pony-to-pony combat, Stalwart Shield also joined in. The former-King of the Pony Goblins had gratefully accepted Princess Celestia’s offer of the post of Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guards whenever Armour would vacate it. As the Goblin King, he had seemed grotesque with his hairless, bulging, giant form. Gearhead theorized that getting caught in the massive wave of Armour’s and Cadence’s Repel the Darkness spell had restored some of King’s ponyhood. Princess Celestia giving him his old name back seemed to have brought the process into full swing. So while he was smaller, with fewer strange boils and his coat and mane growing back in, Shield retained his bipedal structure, as well as his hands. This meant that he and Gearhead could train together as ambidextrous bipeds.

After Gearhead dismissed the collected mana back to its natural state, he took up his metal dagger in his tail and the Geargem Dagger in his mouth, and went through the motions of a practice routine, spinning and swinging faster as he went. The whole idea was not to finish quickly, but to move in perfect control and coordination. A warrior could overcome the instinctive movements of one’s tail and exert perfect control to produce strong, precise swings. Because of this, Gearhead was practising so he could use the appendage to cover his flank, literally, while he covered his forward arc with the Geargem Dagger.

The other part of the practice was hoofwork, again perfectly controlled and precise to minimize energy expenditure. Gearhead had to be able to move in a way that would be quick enough that his opponents would have a hard time reading his intent, so before he moved a leg he would shift his weight to another leg. This also made it so he could easily move back to that leg if his opponent did read the movement correctly. But if Gearhead’s opponent did not read the move ahead of time, he could lift his hoof off of the ground and stab it quickly at its new position.

By the time Gearhead got up to his full physical speed, he was dancing in circles, his daggers describing wide arcs, deceptive S-curves, and straight slashes, all in turn, and all less than half a second apart. He might swing with his head, and then with his tail as he recovered the first weapon to a ready position, all the while making calculated but fast movements.

Finally, panting in the early-morning air, Gearhead stretched and sat down to rest a bit. He took small sips from a waterskin he had brought up. For a few minutes, he just sat there enjoying the pre-dawn atmosphere. His breath recovered, Gearhead put his daggers away and got up.

“Quattuor Magnae Spiritus, da me Forma Agilis.” True, these days he just needed to say ‘Forma Agilis,’ but occasionally Gearhead liked to use the full incantation, and even his activation key – especially when he had the time, as he did now. A large four-petalled flower grew out of the roof and enveloped him. As his magic twisted his bones and muscles, changed his head, face, eyes, and removed most of his hair, Gearhead sensed the power in the four petals, each of one of the four main elements. This was a power representing the might of the Four Great Spirits: Demeter, Jove, Neptune, and Hephaestus.

When the petals fell away, Gearhead was clad in pants and a longcoat over a simple-looking tunic, all black. Even his horseshoes had changed shape to accommodate his new feet, and the ones on his forehooves had become a pair of gloves. These had zippers running through the backs of them so he could still use his Geomancy when he needed it.

Gearhead bent and picked up a long staff that he had stashed on the roof for his training. He tested its weight, and decided that it needed to be a little heavier, so he took out a small ingot of iron from one of his pouches. Holding the staff out horizontally in front of him, he tossed the ingot up into the air. With his temporarily-free hand, he unzipped his other glove and pulled it so it was wrapped, inverted, around his wrist. With the contact of skin against staff, Gearhead would complete the circuit necessary to use his magic – and that was why it had been so disastrous with his unshod hooves all those years ago. He snatched the stone out of the air and pressed it to the staff next to his bare hand. A soft turquoise light illuminated a small area around him, and the iron melted, flowing into the staff from end to end. Gearhead zipped his glove back up.

Now that the staff was a little heavier, Gearhead draw the Geargem Dagger and expanded it to full length again. This time when he started the exercise, he had to account for the staff’s longer reach as he spun and swung it through the air. At first this had seemed impossible, but he soon learned how to wield the weapon so it would not clash against his sword. Faster and faster Gearhead spun, swinging and slashing both weapons. He slid his hand to different grips on his staff to vary its length, which altered its balance in his hand.

His footwork was also different when compared to his previous hoofwork, because although he still could shift his weight and wait before he took a step, he could now spring off of the balls and toes of his feet. Gearhead learned that striking with his heel used more energy than using the cushioning from the balls of his feet, and so he always leaped and landed on that part of his foot.

Although he was not going to do it here on the roof, Gearhead could also move more quickly by directing mana or ki into his feet in the moment before he sprung into a step. Shining Armour called this type of technique ‘Instant Movement,’ and while it looked like teleportation to the untrained eye, it was far from it, and it required that there not be any obstacles between the entrance and exit points. A simple stone could throw the whole thing off. But the major reason Gearhead did not use it now was because he did not want to make enough noise to wake up Snowbelle.

Again at the pinnacle of his speed, Gearhead threw both of his weapons into the air and spun himself one hundred and eighty degrees. Now he caught the staff in his right hand instead of his left, and his sword went to his left hand. He repeated the movements he had made up until now, but in reverse, and even became slower and slower. The point there was to ensure both of his arms received the same workout, and he remained just as proficient with both hands, and both weapons.

Once again at rest, Gearhead took a deep breath. He put the staff away, and then started to practice flipping and spinning his sword with each hand in turn. Other than just rotating his wrist to adjust the blade’s angle, he also could spin or flip the whole thing over or under his hand. He did not know whether such skills would ever become practical, but it did not hurt to explore this form’s full range.

As the sun rose, Snowbelle joined Gearhead up on the roof, perhaps alerted of the event through their link. Luna had taught Gearhead how to compartmentalize and protect those thoughts he did not want others to see, including his own daughter, but surface thoughts were always the strongest – not that he particularly minded it when Snowbelle joined him up there, under Princess Celestia’s rising sun.

Other than enjoying the sunrise, Snowbelle would rarely miss her favourite part of her father’s dexterity practice. This was when he took out a set of small, rubber balls and juggled them. At first he had experimented with only two balls, but as he grew more skilled, he added another one. At the moment he was up to six balls using both hands. Snowbelle was not about to make this easy for him, however, occasionally swooping in to gently deflect a ball with her tail or a wing so Gearhead would have to scramble to keep going. Finally Gearhead would catch all the balls when the sun made it hard to see them arcing through the air. He took out a bit instead, and flipped the coin between his fingers. Snowbelle loved seeing the gold glint in the sun as it seemed to dance between her father’s hands.

This was the time during which Rainbow Dash would be leading the rest of Ponyville’s weather team in setting everything up for the morning. Sometimes Gearhead and Snowbelle got some flight practice in with the athlete, and by this time Gearhead was glad he ate lightly before practice, so he did not ‘bonk.’ This morning Dash seemed to be busy, so Gearhead summoned his Wind Wings and led Snowbelle through the routine himself.

Other than using his magic, Gearhead could also use an invention of his to fly. The Alicorn Engine was a harness-mounted core system that generated extremely potent particle-type energy. Originally Gearhead had only intended to use it as a form of transport, since it could even let him fly at speed, and perhaps to augment his spellcasting. In the end, the Alicorn Engine had turned into an extremely useful asset in battle – as long as he could avoid overloading the system, as he had when he had used it against Discord.

The heart of the Alicorn Engine was a system of gemstone rings, stacked to form a stepped cone inside the conical housing. By etching little channels into the rings in specific ways, Gearhead had created topological defects that increased the Engine’s effectiveness. He could also make the Engine run hotter by having the rings turn in the opposite direction to that of its neighbour.

Even that had seemed insufficient, so Gearhead went from a single large core mounted at an angle to his back to a twin-core system, where the cones were a third the size of the original. Mounted on shoulder actuators, the cones could be aimed at nearly any angle around Gearhead for increased effectiveness, and when they were aimed in the same direction, the energy tended to resonate, making it even more powerful.

Flying with the Twin Core was fun, but for a morning outing with Snowbelle, Gearhead preferred to stretch his legs and use his magic when he could afford it. Besides, whereas the Engines did not create any backlash, wings made of magical wind did, and Snowbelle loved to play in the turbulence. She might have much of Gearhead’s knowledge, but the Dragon was still a child, and he loved to see her that way. Especially when she still had moments when her grief over her mother’s passing still hit her hard.

As Gearhead and Snowbelle turned and flipped in the air, the stallion thought about Fluttershy, and how glad he was that she was willing to help him raise Snowbelle. The yellow-coated Pegasus was not trying to replace Snowbelle’s mother, and reminded the little Dragon of that nearly every time she looked after her in a way that only a mother would do for her child. Snowbelle never gave any indication of minding, since she and Gearhead both knew that Fluttershy sometimes felt the need to reassure herself.

As to romantic possibilities, that was complicated. Fluttershy and Gearhead had dated for a time, originally as a cover to ensure the Cutie Mark Crusaders listened when Gearhead told them how to safely use the equipment he lent them in their endeavours to earn their cutie marks. The previous Hearts and Hooves Day marked the first time Gearhead had taken Fluttershy on an actual date. It was the first time he took her to a clearing that was filled with flowers, insects, and smaller creatures. They called it the Butterfly Glade, and it was Fluttershy’s favourite place to visit that was outside of Ponyville. Unfortunately, since it was in the Everfree Forest, she was too timid to go alone, and she probably felt awkward asking anypony else to take her once she and Gearhead broke up.

Fluttershy and Gearhead had reconciled once they helped to repel the Changeling invasion of Canterlot, however they had decided to compromise, and settled on a more platonic relationship. This let them be alone together without feeling the pressure to prove themselves as romantic partners, and it let Fluttershy nurture Snowbelle, whom she loved. In a way, not having to prove anything brought the mare and stallion closer together than they had been when they had been dating, and certain that others were watching and judging them. Gearhead was certainly more relaxed, and he enjoyed Fluttershy’s company more than before. And he still flew with her to the Butterfly Glade.

Father had advised Gearhead to consider romantic possibilities for the case when he finally got rid of his Black Sheep title and become one of the most eligible bachelors in Equestria, due to his powers and the small fortune he had built up with his shop. Gearhead had given it some thought, but since the only way he could be rid of his title was to grow something, he felt he would have plenty of warning first.

One mare with whom Gearhead had been close, other than Fluttershy, was Prism Azure, heir apparent to the Azure Wing. The Pegasus family was one of the Verdant’s oldest allies, but even avoiding a marriage would not put any stress on their friendship. This was good, since Gearhead did not know whether Prism’s feelings for him were closer to a schoolfilly’s crush than to true love. Besides, she was in a place in her life where her training would be her main focus, and she had two other stallions to whom she was close: her Flightmates, Rook Sapphire and Contrail Blue.

The third and final mare with whom Gearhead considered to be a close friend and romantic possibility (again, only if he got rid of that title) was Dawn Shadow. The second-born of the Third Conclave of Flowing Shadows was about as powerful a Unicorn as her older brother, Dusk, but with Light Magic instead of Dark. She also had a bright personality, which had quite literally made an impression on Gearhead when they met as foals. Maturity had transformed Dawn’s high energy into something far more demure and ladylike, however she was an extremely reliable ally in battle: Dawn put everything she had into protecting those she loved, possibly because she had been surrounded by unconditional love and tough support all her life. Both Dusk and Dawn had straightforward personalities, however only Dusk was expected to take on the mantle of leadership for the Conclave. That left Dawn free to follow her heart’s desire, as long as it also allowed her to continued expanding the Conclave’s understanding of magic, something that was natural for a Light Mage among Dark Mages anyway.

If Gearhead had to choose between Fluttershy and Dawn, he knew he would be placed into a very tough spot, especially since he rarely saw Dawn. Recently he had been seeing her only at special occasions, and that was to be expected since she was all the way in Western Equestria and he was in Central Equestria. The distance made it impossible for them to see each other every day, and yet Gearhead considered her to be an absolutely lovely pony, inside and out. She even loved Snowbelle, mind most of the mares in Gearhead’s life seemed to enjoy at least playing with her. Gearhead also saw Fluttershy’s beauty, and he knew her strengths. Both mares were incredible impressive, and Gearhead could not make a choice between them just based on the moment. But, as Father had pointed out, it bore careful consideration, because Gearhead did not want to end up hurting either of his dear friends.

As to why Gearhead did not consider his other Ponyville friends as romantic possibilities, there were those like Pinkie Pie and Dash who were simply not interested, and those like Twilight Sparkle whom Gearhead respected greatly. And then there was Rarity, who seemed to have made teasing Gearhead into a favourite hobby of hers. If Gearhead ever found a reason to choose her, he knew he would never hear the end of it.

“Hey Gearhead,” Dash called as she flew in his direction. Snowbelle looped back to rejoin them.

“Good morning, Dash.”

“No time for the usual – sorry. Twilight wants everypony at the library ASAP!”

“Another summons from Princess Celestia?”

“We’re about to find out, so pick up Fluttershy on your way, would ya? I’m gonna go get AJ and Pinkie.”

“On it,” Are they still trying to set us back up? Gearhead wondered as he and Snowbelle wheeled around. He had built his shop in sight of Fluttershy’s cottage, which was the primary reason the others had chosen her to help Gearhead look after the Crusaders. Gearhead and Snowbelle sent the air rippling as they pushed up to full speed.

* * *

“Quills! I should bring extra quills,” Twilight Sparkle said. She leaped toward the drawer containing the writing instruments, and grabbed a whole clutch of them in her telekinetic grip before sending them flying across the room. Spike jumped into the air, catching the objects with practised ease in a bag.

Spike had not even landed before Twilight was off, grabbing books for Spike to catch. “I’m going to need The Magical Compendium Volume 38,” she said. “Ah!”

Even Gearhead had to gape at the size of the volume as Twilight pulled it off of the shelf. “Spike, I do not think—“ But down came the tome, and indeed it was so large it pressed the poor Dragon to the floor.

“Twilight, relax. It’s just a test.”

“Just a test? The pony who holds my fate in her hooves calls me in any it’s just a test?!”

Spike reached for some pillows and a pot leaning against a nearby wall. He tied the pillows to his body and put the pot on as a helmet. “Yes?”

“ARGH!” Twilight’s frustration was so powerful it blasted everypony else from their hooves (or claws). Snowbelle flew back to rest across Gearhead’s shoulders even as he helped Fluttershy back up. Fortunately when the pair had arrived at the cottage, the Pegasus had already been awake, so they had avoided any potential embarrassment. The same could not have been said if Dash had suggested that Gearhead pick up Pinkie or Rarity, apparently.

Gearhead got an idea, and he was not completely sure Snowbelle had not just waved it in front of his mind’s eye, since that happened sometimes. He turned and whispered a few short sentences and a question into Fluttershy’s ear. After a moment’s hesitation, she agreed with the plan.

“What’re you two conspirators whispering about over there?” Twilight asked archly.

“We have a deal to propose to you, Twilight,” Gearhead said. He and Fluttershy stood up so they were directly beside each other, facing the Unicorn, Gearhead on the right.

“Oh?”

“Yes. On behalf of the entire group, I will admit that this test is of world-ending proportions—“

“Which it is,”

Gearhead leaned across the Pegasus from behind, so he was balancing on her other side with a hoof on her shoulder. “—if, and only if, you can look into her face for a full ten seconds and still feel stressed and frustrated afterwards.”

“Should Twilight not also be putting up some sort of stake?” Rarity asked.

“I do not think that will be necessary,” Gearhead said.

“I don’t want to ask her for anything either,” Fluttershy said, blushing.

“Oh, she should definitely wager something,” Dash grinned.

“The question is what,” Rarity said.

“Let us simplify,” Gearhead said. “If Twilight loses she will have to fulfill one request from Fluttershy, no questions asked.”

“Oh, I don’t know if I could do that to her!”

“I know. That is why I am suggesting it.”

“Oh,”

“I’ll agree, as long as there’s no funny business from you.”

“I would not know how to go about that,”

“Don’t go stealing my thing,” Pinkie said.

“I would not dream of it. So, deal?”

“Deal,” Twilight went to stand directly across from Fluttershy, and Gearhead walked over with the others behind Twilight. Only Snowbelle and Spike remained on the other side of the room, watching from a respectful distance.

“This should be good,” the drake said to his counterpart, who cocked her head in acknowledgement: she only spoke when she had something really important to say, and even then usually only to Fluttershy or Gearhead. Normally, given sufficient time, she would use the link to tell Gearhead what she wanted to say so he could share it with the others. In this case, she thought it was impossible to look into Fluttershy’s eyes and still be angry or stressed out.

“Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Start!” Applejack said. Twilight and Fluttershy both opened their eyes and proceeded to stare at each other. Fluttershy kept her expression carefully neutral for three seconds, while the scowl Twilight had pasted on her face slowly began to melt away. Fluttershy coyly lowered her ears, but was otherwise neutral. Twilight winced. Seven seconds and Twilight was barely holding it together.

Eight seconds, and Fluttershy’s smile lit up the room. Twilight collapsed with a sigh. “I give up!”

“Oh my! I don’t know what I could possibly ask for.”

“Then you can save it for later,” Applejack said. “You won fair ‘n’ square, Sugar Cube.”

Twilight sighed. “Fine. Now we’d better get to Canterlot. Gearhead, the princess sent a separate letter for you. Spike?”

“Oh right, here you go!”

Gearhead opened and unrolled the letter. Snowbelle glided over, and Gearhead let her read it over his shoulder.

“You two coming?” Dash asked.

“Just as soon as we finish a couple things up for the Princesses,” Gearhead said.

“Okay. Just don’t take too long,” Twilight said.

Gearhead nodded, but then he had to follow the others outside so Twilight could lock up the library. He turned and headed back for the shop, Snowbelle gliding beside him. How does Princess Celestia always seem to know when a project is nearing completion? He asked of nopony in particular. If he had not been walking, he would have scratched his head. Maybe this was Luna’s doing. After all, she always helped him practice his telepathy once her job as a Night Mare was done for the night.

* * *

Gearhead closed and locked the shop door. He turned back to the interior as Snowbelle took wing, zigging and zagging across the rows of cases displaying the shop’s more standard wares. Each case was made with shatterproof transparent material to discourage potential theft. The service counter was in the rear-right corner as one faced the back of the shop, and beside that stood the entryway to the stairwell. Go up the stairs and you got to Gearhead’s and Snowbelle’s living space and the display area for medium-sized gadgets. Go down the stairs and you entered the Workshop.

The Workshop featured large bins for the resources that Gearhead used in fabricating his gadgets, from woods to metal ingots to gemstones. There was also a forge and a press, which the house’s waterwheel and windmill served. A small terminal sat against the wall furthest from the forge to avoid it getting damaged. Gearhead could use the terminal to look up all of his standard designs, and a few non-standard ones. He had used it to display his early Twin Engine designs when he had asked for Twilight’s help getting past the two cores’ lack of harmonization.

Gearhead strode up to a pair of bins, where Snowbelle joined him, and as the light from his Geomancy shone from an unshod forehoof, the bins slid aside, just enough to allow him to pass. The floor peeled back, revealing a stairwell just steep enough so that Gearhead’s head would not be visible if another pony was looking across the floor. Snowbelle had to perch on his back and shrink herself slightly to fit through the door that opened, leading them into a small elevator car.

While they were called ‘elevator’ cars, only two of the four transported their cargo vertically. Snowbelle nudged the door closed, and there was a slight ‘thunk’ as the stairs and bins slid back into place. Previously Gearhead had had to move the cars manually, unlocking and then securing a clamp to keep the cars from moving at each stop. Now he was able to power the elevators, so he moved them with a push-button system. The first, which he pressed and then let go of, released the clamp. The second one, which Snowbelle held down, moved the car: she knew as well as her father did the amount of time one had to keep moving to line up perfectly with the next car. To do otherwise would be to become lost in a small maze of iron-lined tunnels. This was the first layer of security Gearhead had built when he created the Laboratory.

As with the access door from the Workshop, the one with which the fourth car lined up was unmarked. The Laboratory was a large, steel-lined room. Like the Workshop it was lined with bins. Unlike the Workshop, it had a larger, more sophisticated computer control system with a higher level of access to Gearhead’s databases. The forge was also made of highest-grade dragonfired adamantine simply so it could withstand the heat necessary to produce more of the same. The entire room was suspended within a safety cushion of air springs to insulate against explosions and quakes. Fortunately the only explosions Gearhead had had in here were the smaller variety. The only big explosion he had had (so far) was when he overloaded the Alicorn Engine prototype while fighting Discord. It was the same particle explosion that had given Gearhead his green streak.

When Gearhead had built the Laboratory, he had not believed he would be in need of a larger, more complex facility, but then he had never believed he would be building anything larger than his cyclic wagon – and perhaps if he had never met the Elemental Six or the Princess Sisters, that would have remained true. Except that he had, so he moved to a specific spot on the floor, causing a trap door to open.

When dropped without light or any indication of what was going on, most beings would flail and scream, causing their bodies to rotate out of alignment. Gearhead and Snowbelle streaked silently between two sets of air springs, and through a hole that opened up in a different metal wall. A blast of air slowed their descent, and then when they stopped they were in the Hangar.

If the Laboratory had been considered large, the Hangar was truly cavernous. Yet nearly all the space within it was occupied, either by one of Gearhead’s more sensitive inventions, or by one of the many simple robots that formed the manufacturing line. To avoid any mishaps involving the machines questioning their limits, Gearhead had only given each one the programming necessary to do its job. The robots were not even connected to each other, nor were they gifted with anything beyond the sensors they needed to detect the next piece waiting for them to work on, and whether or not they had created a fault.

At the moment all of the machines designed to process and manufacture parts were silent, having completed their task. The only machines that were running were the ones that were still making the last connections, attaching the last few armour plates, and applying weather-proof sealant. Everything had to be perfect, because the Multipurpose Exploratory Vehicle had to be able to travel anywhere and everywhere.

The Multipurpose Exploratory Vehicle was modelled partly after a fish, and partly after a bird with sleek lines and curves. It was widest near the middle, tapering off slightly at the tail, with four fins projecting diagonally for control and stability. A pair of cones similar in design to Alicorn Engines showed through the very back between the fins, but they were merely emitters and verniers. The wings amidships were partially retracted into the fuselage, the second half articulated upward past the body. These parts of the wings had built in emitters that resembled turbines. Forward, the ship tapered into a blade-like nose, but more gently curved and blunted. The ‘neck’ was long, but not ridiculously so. Still, few would look at it and believe it could fly. The full-sized, true Dual Cores would ensure it had more than enough power to do just that.

Nopony would have believed an Earth Pony could fly either, but he could, whether by Wind Magic or by using his core turbine systems. He had the original single-core Alicorn Engine secured in a case against the wall to his left. Past that he saw its stabilizer, which attached by a ring-like collar to the cone-like core, which projected diagonally from a harness Gearhead would wear on his back.

The Twin Engine used a pair of third-sized cores in place of the single core. In this case, they attached to actuators that could be aimed all around, making the whole thing lighter, but also more potent when the cores could resonate with each other. Another pair of actuators were attached to the harness’s back, where they held a pair of bladecasters secure. These weapons resembled the handle and widest part of a sword that was missing two-thirds its length. But on top and below the flat of the blades they sported emitters. By focusing the Engine’s energy, Gearhead could deploy blades at full length, or fire on his enemies.

The Twin Engine also had its own stabilizers, which would attach directly to both cores using a pylon system, rather than a ring collar. Gearhead could wear the smaller one without changing his dimensions much, however the full-armour version would make him two and a half times as large as normal, because it had enough armour to cover him completely, it was equipped with four railgun-type canons, and it had a small cockpit that Snowbelle could use to ride inside. Like the previous stabilizer, both versions could fly over short distances, if Gearhead needed to summon them in battle.

There were also three large crates neatly filled with crystalline parts for a single turbine. It stood at dimensions that were slightly smaller than Ponyville’s water tower, and it was one of four components necessary for Gearhead’s Allicorn Array to function.

“Computer, please prepare to load the Twin Engine, Stabilizer-02, and the Turbine onto MEV-EP.” Although Gearhead doubted he would build any more of this rather large craft, the ‘EP’ stood for ‘Experimental Prototype.’

“[Acknowledged,]” came the simple reply, and mobile forklifts began to move into position to carry the named equipment up the ship’s cargo ramp in the tail section. There was another ramp in the bottom of the neck, and Gearhead and Snowbelle used that to board. It was time to test all the systems, circuits, and seams to ensure nothing would fail when they needed it most.

“Please initiate final check, stem to stern,” Gearhead said.

Snowbelle chirped in acknowledgement, and the computer gave its own response in kind. Gearhead himself zipped the shoes on his forehooves up, and stamped them against the deck to get a complete read. His soft, turquoise light ran throughout the whole vessel.

11. Enter the Arena

Chapter 11: Enter the Arena

There was no doubt in High Winds’s mind that she was bored waiting for the war game to start. There was also no doubt that the Wonderbolts’ more experienced flyers would win the war game: they always won, and not just because they knew the arena better. They simply came together more smoothly for better teamwork than the cadets, and they had the better plan.

The fact that the Wonderbolts had time in which to set things up inside the arena didn’t bother High Winds, because they were responsible for its construction and maintenance each season. In order to ensure no single member knew the entire layout, different Pegasi took on the arrangement of different sections within the arena, and they all came to change and fix things at different times.

This time the Captain had decided to wait until the final fifteen minutes of prep time before sending Fast Clip and Whiplash to deliver the arena’s coordinates to the cadets. This would give them minimal time to fly out and get inside before the doors closed. They might not even have any time in which to plan their strategy, if they had not done so already, and they certainly would not get much of an opportunity to do any planning once they were inside.

The Captain had assigned pairs from different Flights to watch each of the entrances for the cadets. High Winds and Silver Lining had high overwatch of the main entry on the cadets’ side, and expected them to enter at any moment. Until now, nothing had happened, but then they had a fairly unusual group of cadets this season.

While the cadets’ teamwork did not concern High Winds, some of its members had performed outstandingly this season according to the Captain’s dossiers on them. Of course there was Rainbow Dash, winner of the previous Best Young Flyer Competition. While she was fast and competitive, she had also shown a lot of understanding for her fellow cadets – unlike Lightning Dust, who was purely competitive. The below-average performers were Fluttershy, Flowershine, Lime Jelly, Sightseer, and Snowflake. They were still doing minimums, but only Fluttershy stood out – and that was because she had caught Prism with her Stare in the previous war game.

Rainbow Dash and Gearhead were this year’s wild cards, although the Captain had also advised that they watch out for Fluttershy, Cloudchaser, and Wild Fire. Dash’s strong suits were speed and agility, but she was also beginning to develop as a leader. Fluttershy was becoming a stronger flyer all the time, where Cloudchaser and Wild Fire were already strong flyers who could adapt quickly to new roles. It was Gearhead who concerned High Winds the most, not knowing what he could do with all of his equipment and magic. All anypony could do was to try to prepare for everything he was known to be able to do. To that end, everypony had reviewed the Earth Pony’s performances during his two races, the Changeling Invasion, and his entire career in Basic.

High Winds was going through it all for the hundredth time in her head when ponies started to stream through the large, open gate. They flew at speed, in conical formation where quite a few of the flyers were not evenly spaced, making it harder to take a definite count. High Winds tried anyway, despite the distraction that came from trying to make sense of their odd helmets and armour. The cadets split into three Flights just as they were approaching the cluster of tunnels in the wall, one going far left while the other two Flights chose tunnels that were slightly off from the center.

High Winds counted to three before she started to look for Silver Lining, who winged his way over to High Wind’s ledge. “Twelve?” The mare asked.

“No less than. Maybe even all,” Silver Lining said.

“Twelve to fifteen, then, but I’ll stay just in case.”

“Agreed. You spot Rainbow Dash?”

“Hard to say with those helmets, but I think not.”

“Me neither. But Gearhead was an easy spot.”

That was true. “It’s hard to miss that trail,” High Winds said.

“I’ll go now to report in, and send Rapidfire your way,” Silver Lining said, taking off.

“Appreciated,” High Winds said, then she watched him accelerate into one of the tunnels on the far right. It was the most direct one to the middle section of the arena, where the Captain had set up their forward base. The mare returned her full attention to the gate. Bored, she thought.

* * *

Gearhead kept a good part of his focus on his HUD as everypony’s sensor readings constantly helped to build a map of the maze within the arena. The tunnel he and his cohorts had chosen had a good amount of curvature in it, making them focus on how they were flying as they progressed along its length. Judging by the readings from the others, each of the tunnels was wide enough for three Pegasi to fly abreast, even with wings fully extended, however to do so would greatly reduce their agility in case of ambush.

It was because of these readings that Gearhead quickly realized that Four Flight was not heading toward the leftmost sector despite having chosen the leftmost path: they were starting to curve back toward the center, where they would probably rejoin the doubled-up Flights.

Ahead, the tunnel opened into a chamber that had many more tunnels feeding into it. When nopony attacked after everypony had flown into that more open space, Gearhead flew ahead of the others. Because his cores could generate their own energy, he did not hesitate to use an active sensor pulse close to each of the entries to help build their map more quickly. And since everypony on the squadron was getting the same readings from the sensors, Five Flight did not hesitate to take the tunnel that would take them around to the left.

Gearhead made a circular motion above his head, then pointed directly ahead of himself. The others split into their Flights, each one choosing a tunnel, and proceeded ahead without breaking their momentum. Gearhead rejoined Pizzelle and Flowershine to do the same, still selecting one of the more central tunnels: his objective would be to gather as much of their opponents’ attention as possible, a task made easier with his particle trail.

* * *

“Ma’am,” Silver Lining trotted into the central room, still catching his breath.

“Report,” Spitfire kept her tone light but business-like, and her subordinate knew to slow down and breath deeply.

“We have 12-15 of them, through their gate. We didn’t spot Rainbow Dash, but Gearhead’s with them. They took three tunnels.”

“So, we could have three Flights of four to five, or just a ruse if they suspected we would place sentries.”

“That, and they’re early,” Soarin’ said. “Apparently we don’t need to bother with the flimsies now.”

“Too late for that,” Spitfire said. “Still, I wonder where Dash is.”

“High Winds is still watching the gate, and I sent Rapidfire to back her up.”

“Good work, Silver Lining. Go get some rest while you can: I’m sure we’ll need you back out there soon enough.”

“Yes ma’am,” Silver Lining saluted and left.

“You think they’d try for a second gate?” Soarin’ asked.

“It’s possible,” Spitfire examined the big map that was spread out on a table, with colour-coded blocks to mark her ponies’ positions. “The bottom gate is too exposed for a traditional entry, but it would be possible for Dash, if she wanted to go for it. Some of those cadets might advocate for a sneak attack from behind, if they thought that would be enough. That just leaves the top.”

“But we can’t just discard the others as possibilities,” Hasty Hoof said. “That’d be what they’d want, if they’re going for a fake-out at all.”

“They could even use the front gate again,” Soarin’ said.

“Only for the next couple minutes,” Spitfire said. “In or not, the arena’s about to be sealed shut. And then the only way anypony can get in or out is for one side to win.”

* * *

In order to keep herself alert, High Winds kept rapidly switching between looking at the gate, the tunnel reinforcements would use, which the Wonderbolts called ‘the Messenger Run,’ and a couple of the other tunnels. High Winds doubted she would see any of the cadets return, but they could easily get turned around in the tunnels, and come back out in this first main cavern.

High Winds yawned, hoping something would happen, or at least that Spitfire would send a message saying everypony could regroup at the base, when somepony came out of the tunnel on the left-side wall. High Winds startled because the only reason she could expect such a thing to happen was if the cadets wanted it to. And the only reason they would want to come back was if they suspected their entry had been monitored, which meant that they had returned to check for ponies like High Winds, who was waiting to see who else would be coming through after Wild Fire. The answer appeared to be a light yellow-coated redhead who was flying backwards close on Wild Fire’s flank. A moment later, another stallion, this one grey-coated with a dull purple mane emerged from the tunnels.

After a moment the first stallion flipped to face front. While the second stallion continued to lag behind, Wild Fire and her direct escort accelerated directly toward High Winds, brandishing their short, wooden swords in their mouths. High Winds took off, but a moment later she heard a slight “PFFT,” and then she was wrapped in uncompromising metal cables, her legs secured snugly to her sides and her wings held straight back. There was even a strand wrapped around her muzzle, preventing her from raising the alarm.

Unable to fly, High Winds screamed as she plummeted toward the ground. The first stallion caught her, though, and returned her to her high perch, which now seemed much more like a ledge. “We’ll release you after, promise!” The stallion said as he rushed off to rejoin the others.

High Winds could only watch as Wild Fire’s Flight wheeled toward the Messenger’s Run, from which Rapidfire was only just emerging. He took one look at the trio of Pegasi who were charging at him and decided that the whole squadron was better off if he could divert his attackers down another tunnel, even if he couldn’t get away. Unfortunately it only took a moment before another “PFFT” resonated down the tunnel.

Ahead and to the left of High Winds, the great gate clanged shut, signalling the official start of the war game. Of course, the fact that the Wonderbolts already had two flyers down without even knowing it did not indicate what the rest of the exercise would have in store. If the Captain had anything to say about it, none of the others would fall prey to Wild Fire’s tactics.

Of course, High Winds’s own main concern was staying up on her ledge.

* * *

“Five Flight, Phase One complete,” Wild Fire said through the comms.

“Two Flight acknowledges,” Gearhead heard Cloudchaser say. Originally she had been the one who wanted to double back and check for observers, but the tunnels were not laid out the way they had expected. When Two Flight arrived at the same switch chamber that the others had been through earlier, they chose another unused tunnel. Now they were continuing to explore the tunnels, their guards raised against any attack.

“All Flights, please proceed to Phase Two,” Dash said.

“Acknowledged,”

Gearhead led Flowershine and Pizzelle out into a large cavern populated mostly by a number of squat, square buildings that sat on various grades, all the way down a hill that gradually became steeper. These were mirrored on the other side of an open, circular area. In all, this part of the arena was five hundred meters across, plenty of open space in which to get caught. Gearhead fell into the middle of his formation, so he could cover both Pizzelle and Flowershine when the need arose.

* * *

Lightning Streak startled at the sight of Gearhead’s distinctive particle trail so close. He glanced across at Fire Streak, similarly watching through the windows, which were just large enough to fly through. By the time either was looking back out the window, Gearhead had flown out of easy strike range, but now that they knew where this priority target was, they couldn’t just let him go!

Lightning Streak brought a long tube up to his shoulders, bracing it between his wings, and fired high into the air. The specialized cone-shaped round flew high and fast, although silently, and burst apart in a display of slowly cascading light. The signal given, Lightning Streak, Fire Streak, and Misty Fly, who had been sitting near the rear doorway, got up to make their retreat.

* * *

“What kind of signal is that?” Pizzelle asked.

“A beacon?” Flowershine asked.

“Correct. Captain Spitfire must have set priority targets on some of us,” Gearhead said, slowing down to scan the immediate area.

“Which basically means you,” Pizzelle said, while she and Flowershine followed suit.

“There, twenty degrees from where we came in,” Flowershine said. “Lucky we were going as fast as we were, or they could’ve sniped us,” she said when her sensors picked out two targets, both retreating.

“Not luck,” Gearhead said, turning around, “movement is safety.” And then he went straight to full thrust, leaving a double-halo behind himself as he charged toward the building where Spitfire’s spies had been watching them. As soon as he was through a window a moment later, he turned the cores and the wings surrounding them directly on the two closest Pegasi. Showered in particles and temporarily blinded, they stumbled and began to shout at each other. Gearhead turned his attention directly ahead in time to see a light blue tail disappear around a corner.

Flowershine and Pizzelle burst into the room through the windows and sighted on the two remaining Pegasi with the gems in their chestplates. With a slight puff and a bit of a glow, a single thick cable appeared in the air between the shooters and their targets. The rear sections of both lengths began to open up and curl forward almost immediately even as the cables flew toward their targets. They continued to curl forward, spinning slightly, as they wrapped around their targets, their force bearing them down to the ground.

“There was a third,” Gearhead said, inspecting the lines to ensure neither stallion could force his way free. They were, he quickly realized, secure.

“Two out of three isn’t bad,” Flowershine said.

“He, or she,” Gearhead noticed Lightning Streak’s ear twitch slightly at that second option, “will likely carry word of our strategy to Captain Spitfire. We should consider the element of surprise lost to us.”

“Also, thanks to that beacon we should expect incoming,” Flowershine said.

“I doubt we will be able to get clear before they arrive, so let us go see what they have for us, shall we?” Gearhead took to flight again, exiting through the windows they had just used to get inside. Flowershine shrugged, and then followed. Pizzelle gave Fire Streak a little pat on the shoulder, and also left.

* * *

“Looks like we have contact,” Hasty Hoof said, pointing out at the beacon.

“I wonder who it is,” Soarin’ said.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Spitfire said. “The sentries should be returning soon.”

“Strange how we haven’t heard anything about Rainbow Dash,” Hasty Hoof said.

“Maybe she snuck in from below after all,” Soarin’ said.

“Not her style,” Spitfire said. “I don’t know, and I don’t like it.” She turned to Crescent Moon, a brown stallion. “Get me Silver Lining. I want to know what’s going on at those gates.”

“Yes ma’am,” Crescent Moon saluted, and was off. While he wasn’t a fighting member of the Wonderbolts, he was central in ensuring the elite unit had everything they needed.

* * *

Wave Chill, a blue-coated stallion with a dark blue mane, looked down at the signal, wishing he could go. At the moment he was seated in a small alcove specially shaped to lie right underneath the access corridor to the top hatch for the arena. He had his constant Wing Pony, Blaze, sitting in a companion alcove across from him, while Surprise, the final member of their Flight played the messenger.

Wave Chill suddenly became aware of a faint floral scent, and then a cable was wrapping around him from out of nowhere. “I’m sorry I have to do this,” a feminine voice said, and Wave Chill looked up to see a pink-maned Pegasus standing on a lowered metal ramp, which was slowly sinking more and more into sight.

“I’m not sorry,” Rainbow Dash said, similarly reeling Blaze in from beside the ramp. Both captured Pegasi looked up to see Gearhead’s ship, the Silver Wind slowly descending through the access shaft. “I don’t see anypony else here,” Dash said.

“Then we’d better get back to the controls,” the other Pegasus said.

“You really think it’s safe to take these two with us?”

“Oh, I’m sure they won’t do anything bad,” the pretty one said, looking each in the eye in turn. Wave Chill nodded, stunned.

“I guess they’d want proof we’re not cheating, too,” Dash said as she and her companion pulled the bound Pegasi up the ramp, which Fluttershy quickly, and gladly secured.

Dash and her Wing Pony led the unresisting prisoners forward, until they came out in the cockpit. Wave Chill looked around and saw Dash’s friends all sitting at stations, watching, but not touching anything. He could see different things being displayed on the monitors, but he was not close enough to pick out any details.

Dash went and secured the loose end of both cables to a pair of hoofrails so Chill Wave and Blaze would not be able to go anywhere, and then vaulted into a station. The other pony went to the pilot’s chair and started pushing buttons.

“As you can see,” a purple Unicorn said, “we haven’t been touching anything.”

“Although to be honest it’s a bit unnerving just watching,” a tan Earth Pony said.

“Mm?”

“You hungry? I don’t blame you,” a pink Earth Pony said.

“We’re not going to feed Rainbow Dash’s opponents,” the first Unicorn said.

“Aww,”

“Besides, we should just place them in the back where they can’t interfere,” the first Earth Pony said.

“Not that we can interfere,” the other Unicorn said.

Oh, these must be those friends of Rainbow Dash’s. The ones who almost got caught in the tornado. So they came along, Chill Wave thought.

“By the way,” the white Unicorn got up and approached, until she was nose to nose with Chill Wave, removing his hood and goggles. “Don’t you think it was unsporting to come in here ahead of the cadets?”

“Mm!”

“Oh sorry, we can’t undo any of your bindings until this is over. Gearhead’s orders.”

“Need quiet, please,” the piloting Pegasus said.

“Sorry, Fluttershy darling.”

“No, it’s fine, Rarity. I have this under control.”

So that's Fluttershy, Chill Wave thought. That’s suitable. He remembered the faint scent she carried, despite having been in training for weeks.

* * *

“Ah no,” Gearhead muttered as he hovered between his wingmates and most of the forces that had caught up to them, because some of the others had ringed around behind them as well. Prism, Rook, and Contrail had cut them off from the front, with Misty Fly and Surprise being the flanking units. The only ones missing were the elite’s Top Three and Silver Lining, and they could be on their way at any moment.

Just Prism Flight was enough for Gearhead to consider Three Flight’s odds of surviving the encounter as long. Getting out without suffering a loss? Impossible, without a trick, and he did not like the look of the long tubes that most of the elites were carrying. “Exit please," he whispered into the comm.

“I think you need some sort of distraction,” Dash said.

“And go directly backwards,” Fluttershy added. “I’ll guide the others to a rendezvous point.”

“Please and thank you,” Gearhead said.

“If he so much as says one Latin word, you’re free to open fire,” Prism said. There was a lot of clicking from those unidentified tubes.

“In that case,” Gearhead said, “I shall be careful not to cast a thing.” But he would angle his cores at each other between his wings and engage OverBoost Mode. The particles expanded explosively, Flowershine and Pizzelle launching themselves into the air as soon as they saw it start to happen. The elites had to cover their eyes, and by the time they started blinking the light from their vision, Three Flight was already fleeing at full power. They gave chase anyway.

Gearhead fell to the back of the formation so he could shield the others from their pursuers’ attacks. They continuously wound their way through the streets, between and through buildings, and even through a tunnel network. At one point Fluttershy had to guide them through a section based on sensor data alone, as they dropped and doubled back after coming out of a tunnel, squeezing between cracks to get into a building. They rushed down a stairwell, and found a crack into which to vanish behind the building. From there they traveled underground a short distance before coming back up in a clearing that had only two tunnels. One of them took them to an exchange room, where the rest of Quick Silver Squadron was already assembling.

* * *

“How do they do it?” Spitfire asked after Prism and Misty Fly reported in. After losing Gearhead’s Flight, Prism had decided to call a tactical retreat. “It’s like they know where we are and exactly when we’re there.”

“Silver Linings, Misty Fly, and Surprise are the only survivors from their Flights, so we can form a new Flight from the three of them,” Hasty Hoof said.

“Their teamwork won’t be all that bad, since we’ve all worked as a full squadron before. We’re all familiar with each other’s styles,” Soarin’ said.

“We can’t afford to send anypony out alone. Not in pairs, and maybe not even in Flights at this point,” Spitfire said. “We need to strike the cadets together.” She chuckled. “To think they were good enough to push us to this point.”

“Their planning is fundamentally different compared to the way it was before,” Prism said. “They’re taking this seriously now, and using everything they’ve got. Can we do any less?”

“If only we knew how they were getting their intel,” Spitfire said. She walked to the window and looked out at the empty square below. An even field, no tricks. That was the sort of thing they needed to win, unless they could sneak up on the cadets. But that was a last resort. One thing was certain: they wanted the cadets where they could see them. “Set off a signal flare over the square,” Spitfire said, “the brightest one we have. Lets see how the cadets respond to a direct invitation.”

“Yes ma’am,” Crescent Moon hurried off.

“Got any stealthy ideas, Prism?” Spitfire asked.

“Not unless we know how they’re discovering our position,” Prism said. After a few moments, the signal flare took off on a rocket of smokeless fire. The light from it went everywhere, reflecting in everypony’s eyes. And on the bottom of some streamlined metal that should not have been in the sky. Spitfire could see Prism looking more closely, and did the same. She laughed.

“That’s how they did it, and that’s why we’ve never had any word of the full compliment.”

“But to think Rainbow Dash, of all ponies, would agree to restrict herself to flying a ship,” Prism said. “They took a huge gamble with this, removing one of their best flyers.”

“The Silver Wind has two ways to get aboard it, right?”

“Yes, but I doubt even Fluttershy would just open the door for us.”

“If we can catch it, we can let ourselves in. And we shouldn’t restrict ourselves to just support once we’re inside.”

“This plan is a massive gamble, ma’am.”

“We’re flyers, Prism. We always gamble. Gather everypony: it’s time for one last play.”

* * *

“Now what’re they doing?” Rainbow Dash asked, staring at her monitor.

“It looks like they’re coming right at us,” Pinkie said, prancing over.

“Why are they coming at us?” Twilight asked. Rainbow realized that she was right: it wasn’t as if the elite could force their way aboard... right?

“Doesn’t this mean they’ve seen us?” Rarity asked.

“Oh, they’ve seen us alright,” Dawn said. “That’s why they’re coming here, although what they’ll do once they get here I’ve no idea.”

“I could fly us back to the access way,” Fluttershy said. “There’s not a lot of room in there where they could make trouble for us.”

“I don’t think they’ve got a weapon that could get through our shields or armour, but if this situation was real, I wouldn’t want to give them the chance,” Rainbow said, thinking hard. “I’m thinking we go down and across, and keep crossing so they don’t catch up.”

“For how long?” Fluttershy asked.

“As long as we can, and for as long as they’re still interested. Just keep the engines pointed at least a little at them. And while you’re doing that, I’ll let Gearhead know what’s up.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy said, and she rotated the Wind clockwise slightly before putting power to the thrusters. Another small adjustment put them into a slowly-declining flight path.

* * *

“Gearhead, Silver Wind,” Dash’s voice came through the comms. It was the first time they had openly mentioned the ship, and that had to mean something. The rest of Quick Silver was holding an impromptu meeting in the tunnels, trying to come up with a strategy for dealing with the elite’s newly-united front.

“Gearhead here. What is your situation, Wind?”

“The elites just launched right at us. All of them.”

“Are they carrying long tubes?”

“One second... yes. Is that bad?”

“I do not know: we fled before we would give them a chance to use them. Of course, they are probably meant for us rather than for the Wind.”

“Or more particularly for you,” Dawn said.

“Did you say all of them had come out?” Cloudchaser asked.

“That’s right,”

“Then we know where they are now,”

“Yes...” Dash paused, and they all thought about what that meant: all of the remaining members of the Wonderbolts elite were flying toward the Wind. Did they mean to try to knock it out of the sky, now that they had probably concluded that Quick Silver was using it to watch everything? Did they intend on trying to force the doors open, board, and take the ship for their own? Or was it all a simple trap to lure Quick Silver into the open and finally turn the tables on them?

“We know where they are, but we do not know about all of their armaments,” Gearhead said.

“It’d be a big risk going out there,” Midnight Strike said.

“But a bigger risk not to,” Thunderlane said.

“YEAH!”

“Well, planning seems to have helped us on the ‘risk’ count,” Lightning Dust said. “I say we plan us much as we can, then we go after them.”

“Well then,” Gearhead said, mentally raising an eyebrow that it was Lightning Dust who was suggesting planning and acting together. She has learned in these few minutes – not even an hour since we started, really. This seems promising. “Shall we put it to a vote?”

“I’d record, but I’m sort of busy at the moment,” Fluttershy said.

“No need to apologize,” Gearhead said. “Thank you for keeping the elite occupied chasing your tail.”

“Um, yes.”

“Lightning Dust?”

“I move that we plan for five minutes, then strike,” Lightning Dust said.

“Second,” Cloudchaser said.

“All in favour?” Gearhead looked around quickly. “Motion passes unanimously. Let us get started.”

* * *

It took seven minutes to match altitude with the Wind, and even then everypony could tell that it was moving away from them. The pilot would fly the ship across the open cavern, bank to come about, and then dash in the other direction. The Wonderbolts pushed hard to close the distance, but the ship remained just out of reach as long as they continued to try to save their energy for combat.

Prism Flight could probably catch the Wind by using Contrail Booster, but then they would catch the ship alone, and without direct support from any direction. There was a simpler, less expensive way to force the pilot to change their course of action, so Spitfire sent Silver Lining, Misty Fly, and Surprise across the cavern on an intercept course.

If the Wind’s pilot tried to hug the wall to try to sneak past the Wonderbolts, they could force it even closer to the wall and into a choice between a collision and slowing down, allowing the Wonderbolts to catch it. If the pilot tried to fly over the center of the cavern, Spitfire could dispatch Prism Flight just as she had Surprise Flight.

When the pilot noticed that her pursuers had decided to split in two, she gamely increased speed and tried to rush between the two groups. Spitfire signalled to Prism – and that was when turquoise particle blasts started to pierce the air between the Wind and the Wonderbolts, wherever they had started to get close to the ship. Spitfire looked to see Gearhead and his Flight approaching from almost directly below, supported by the rest of his squadron, although none of the others opened fire.

In fact, they all seemed to be armed with some variant of sword, apart from the gems embedded in their armour that carried the capture spell Misty Fly had mentioned. The Wonderbolts momentarily forgot about the Wind in order to evade the blasts from Gearhead’s bladecasters even as they tried to get into position ahead of him.

* * *

Forcing the elites to stop pursuing the Wind was the easy part: with their opponents right in front of them and willingly throwing themselves into the trap, of course the elites would engage them in a head-to-head battle. Now, though, Quick Silver had to force the elites to fight on the former’s terms, and not on the latter’s own terms – not an easy feat when the elite had had over an hour in which to set the arena up to their liking.

The battle was thirteen to nine, so by the numbers the odds favoured Quick Silver Squadron. The nine flyers remaining to the elite, however, were their strongest and most experienced flyers. Quick Silver had therefore agreed to come at their opponents with non-traditional means, so their experience could be used against them.

One such non-traditional means was to force an immediate reaction to a rapid storm of fire from Gearhead’s bladecasters. Regrouping on one flank fell within one set of predictions, so Quick Silver followed Plan A, and regrouped around Gearhead, drawing their swords for close-quarters combat.

“Quattuor Magnae Spiritus invoco. Spiritus Fulgor, evoco ex vacuo et percutiam me inimucus. Fulgor Securis!” As the streak of lightning forked its way directly at the heart of the elite’s formation, Gearhead expected them to scatter, or to try to scatter: lightning was too fast for all of them to evade it completely. Bunching more closely together was most unexpected, since that would mean more of them would get caught in the blast. "Something is not right," Gearhead said.

The elites lifted their tubes, and there was a puff of smoke from all of them as they fired. The whole thing rubbed Gearhead the wrong way. “Scatter!” He shouted, reinforcing his magical shields and pushing his cores into their forward position to deploy the particle shield.

A moment passed, and the tubes’ payloads became visible: dull grey and blue disks that flew through the air at a speed that anypony should be able to avoid, and which seemed perfectly harmless if avoided. They exploded in mid-air, scattering blue and grey dust everywhere. Gearhead’s Lightning Axe came apart and vanished, and in another instant the dust was enveloping him, even as he tried to escape it. He watched in amazement as it seemed to float through and overwhelm both his shields, and it repeated that as it went though his second skin shields as well.

Suddenly Gearhead’s HUD showed him that his cores did not have enough particles to release them, and he was falling. But the circular meter in the bottom right corner of his big visor was quickly refilling, so he did not panic even as he fell. “Keep fighting!” He said through the comms, and the fact that it was still functional should have told the others a lot about their situation.

* * *

Cloudchaser watched, dumbfounded, as Gearhead fell out of the sky, but then his shouted order helped her snap her attention back into the here-and-now. “Regroup,” she said, forcing her voice to come out as calmly as possible. After Rainbow Dash and Gearhead, she was Squadron Leader, regardless of what might be happening to Gearhead. Also, there were his orders to carry out. “Charge! Don’t let them reload.”

Pizzelle and Flowershine joined the others in formation, and together they flew directly at the elites’ formation, watching carefully for those tubes to be raised again. They never did. Instead, the launchers followed Gearhead out of the sky, and the elites all opened fire with the bows attached to their right forelegs.

Quick Silver, in turn, took turns with each leading Flight member furling his or her wings in front of the whole group to deflect the missiles on their armour. They closed the distance and engaged, locking wooden sword against bow shaft, lance, or sword. Since the numbers still favoured the cadets, some of them doubled up on their opponents. Cloudchaser got to go up against Spitfire for a moment, but the veteran forced her back – until Dash dropped in.

“Thanks, Cloudchaser. I’d like to take it from here, if you don’t mind.”

“What about the ship?”

“Fluttershy’s handling it,” Dash said.

“In that case, Captain Spitfire’s all yours,” Cloudchaser said, and she turned to look for another opponent.

Prism Flight presented itself, still flying together and forcing its way through Quick Silver formations, which were doing well to protect each other despite the pressure. Eight more energy blasts split the air, and in the instant they were not paying close attention, Surprise Flight and Soarin’ got themselves captured. The opponents who did the capturing swooped in to catch them before they could fall too far, and did them the honour of making sure they landed safely.

“You’re fighting by numbers, not fairly,” Spitfire said to Dash.

“That’s because we’re treating this as a war, and war isn’t fair,” Dash said, trying to force Spitfire’s sword out wide with the ferocity of her slashes.

“Planning, intelligence, teamwork. Seems your group’s taken all of our lessons to heart.”

“Thank you for saying so, but flattery’ll get you nowhere, Captain,” Dash said.

“Ah, keeping your guard up. Excellent.”

* * *

“Hello, Gearhead,” Rook said, blocking the former’s attempt to get through to Prism.

“Rook,”

“Don’t forget me,” Contrail charged in from Gearhead’s left flank.

“Hard to,” Gearhead said, flipping and inverting. His tripled slashes from all three of his weapons came in across Contrail’s back, but Rook and Prism helped him defend himself.

“The dust was supposed to suppress your magic,” Prism said with a straightforward thrust.

“It did,” Gearhead blocked with his left bladecaster.

“So... this isn’t magic?” Contrail asked, aiming a series of seven slashes at his opponent.

“Correct,” Gearhead evaded the first three attracks, and deflected the rest with the Geargem Dagger.

“Technology,” Rook grunted. He charged with his whole body, but only managed to clip Gearhead’s left rear leg, and he never got past the particle shield. Pizzelle and Flowershine were waiting on the other end of the charge, and while Pizzelle’s three capture cables missed, two of Flowershine’s hit Rook directly. Both mares had to slow Rook’s descent, leaving Gearhead to fight on his own.

* * *

Rainbow kept her thrusts short and her slashes fluid, each one leading into another attack in order to keep Spitfire on her hooves and, more importantly, on the defensive. They both knew that Spitfire was the more experienced flyer, however Rainbow had been involved in more real life-and-death battles, especially lately.

Rainbow was starting to see how her own experiences and skills could bridge the gap with Spitfire’s skills and experiences. The younger mare had always placed the Wonderbolts, and their captain in particular, on a high pedestal, but now she was matching moves with her idol in her efforts to become a Wonderbolt. It made her chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” Spitfire asked as she fended off another series of four thrusts,

“I’m just thinking about how I just use to wish about becoming a Wonderbolt. It was always just a dream, something to aspire to. And you and the others were always the ponies I looked up to the most.”

“And now?”

“Now I know that you’re where you are ‘cause of a combination of ability, skill, and hard work – exactly like anypony else. Which means if you could do it, so can I.”

“Well, you’ll have to beat me first,”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,”

“Come again?”

“I don’t have to beat you to defeat you. I mean yeah, it used to be all about the competition and being the best, getting the glory and everything that comes with it. But if this was a real war, the only thing that’d matter is ‘how many lives can I save from disaster before this is over?’

“Good lesson. You gonna stop talking and fight now?”

“Yeah, you’re just about done.”

“Me?”

“You,” Rainbow raised one wing, catching Spitfire’s blade between her feather-shields. The metal dug into the wooden blade as Spitfire tried to yank her weapon free, but Rainbow pumped her free wing harder, putting her barrel to barrel with her idol. And then she fired her capture cable. “It’s not about beating you, just stopping you,” Rainbow said, flying Spitfire down for a safe landing.

* * *

“Did you ever notice how many of them there still are?” Contrail asked as he kept turning and fending off attacks from different mares and stallions.

“A bit busy,” Prism said, trying to get some distance from Gearhead’s furious three-bladed attacks. With him, distance was good because he obviously had not thought to include a gem with the capture spell in his harness, and his magic was still negated. “You don’t have a capture spell, do you?”

“I have not needed one,” Gearhead said, and with the distance he switched to gun mode on his casters. He used his blasts not to hit Prism, but to put her where he wanted her. “I do not have a single capture to my name.”

“You’re holding back again,” Prism flipped, evading perfectly. “I thought we promised not to do that.”

“Yes, well, I am not used to being the one to deliver the knock-down blow.”

“Maybe you should get used to it,” Prism said.

“Very well,” Gearhead charged a blast between his bladecasters. Prism ascended rapidly to evade it and put her at a higher altitude, but Contrail gurgled as the strike knocked him unconscious. “That was odd,” the Earth Pony said as Thunderlane went to catch the faster flyer.

“Guess it’s just you and me now, huh?” Prism set herself up for a charge.

“No, it is not,” Gearhead said, indicating the other Pegasi with a flick of his tail.

Prism looked around. “I could still win,”

“How?”

“Bring in your friend, Fluttershy, and we’ll see.”

“I think we have the superior numbers here,” Gearhead said.

“Then bring it on,” Prism said.

Gearhead shrugged, then came in with a spinning underhead thrust, which Prism met. The instant their weapons touched each other, however, Prism was wrapped in capture rope from the closest Pegasi.

Again? Prism’s expression said as Gearhead caught her.

“In war, it does not matter who strikes the final blow, least of all on an individual level.” A gong sounded three times, signalling the end of the war game.

* * *

Over the following week, the cadets continued to go through exercises and a regular training routine. The only difference was that now they were united as a squadron. Almost: While Lightning Dust had become better at playing with others, she still had a hard time slowing down for her wing-mates when they needed her to slow down. It took time to learn the different paces, however the competitive mare was slowly learning patience as well.

Spitfire ran another squadron-level war game, only this time Prism Flight was with the cadets, and they were pitted against the visiting Shadowbolts, Luna's new elite flying group. The Shadowbolts were more aggressive and improvisational than the Wonderbolts, however they were also more vulnerable to Gearhead’s light-based techno-magic, and he played a major role in overcoming their force this time.

* * *

At the beginning of the following week, everypony was assembled for a presentation in dress uniform. Spitfire stood on a raised platform, flanked by Soarin’ and Hasty Hoof. Everypony else stood in the audience. “Cadets and officials, welcome to this ceremony for the Class of Spring ’13,” Spitfire said. “We’re all busy so I’ll keep this short.

“Over the past couple months you have been shown the values that best reflect the Wonderbolts spirit. Most of you were able to reflect that spirit right back. Some of you performed better, and others took more time to learn. You should all be proud of what you’ve accomplished here.

“That said, there is much more to do. This was only Basic Training, and Advanced Training is yet to come. I highly recommend that you attend, however the choice of whether or not to continue will be yours. In addition to Advanced, there are other programs that would prepare you for duty as a Wonderbolt. Some of you will have my recommendation for some of these programs.

“It has also come to my attention that our current active roster is insufficient for some situations. We are therefore investigating the possibility of a reserve unit to back us up, and many of you will be among the first candidates for consideration. You will, however, be required to attend further courses and undergo further testing before you will be allowed to join.”

Spitfire half-turned away, gesturing to where Soarin’ and Hasty Hooves were pushing a lectern full of scrolls to their captain. “I will call your name and assign rank and commendations. When I do, come collect your award.

“Azure, Prism. Captain. Commendation to complete Advanced. Blue, Contrail. Lieutenant. Commendation to complete Advanced. Cloudchaser. Officer. Commendation to Advanced and Command School. Dash, Rainbow. Officer. Commendation to Advanced and Command School. Dust, Lightning. Cadet. Commendation to Advanced. Congratulations on earning back your wings.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Lightning Dust returned the salute, and everypony applauded.

“Eyes, Starry. Cadet. Commendation to Advanced. A little more time, maybe. Fire, Wild. Officer. Commendation to Advanced. Flowershine. Cadet. Commendation to Advanced. Fluttershy. Officer. Commendation to Advanced and Special Support Corps Academy. Jelly, Lime. Officer. Commendation to Advanced. Pizzelle. Cadet. Commendation to Advanced. Sapphire, Rook. Captain. Commendation to complete Advanced. Sightseer. Officer. Commendation to Advanced. Snowflake. Cadet. Commendation to Advanced. Starburst. Cadet. Commendation to Advanced. Strike, Midnight. Cadet. Commendation to Advanced. Thunderlane. Officer. Commendation to Advanced and Command School. Thirdson, Gearhead. Officer. Commendation to Advanced, Command School, and the Special R&D Corps.

“Some of you have not yet had the opportunity to achieve the level of commitment and performance required to go beyond the rank of Cadet. I believe that with a little more time, you might do so. Advanced Training could be seen as an opportunity to do just that.

“Your training has just begun, and should you complete it, I will look forward to serving with you.” Spitfire saluted the assembly, which responded in crisp kind. “Dismissed.”

26. The Battle of the Reflected Everfree

Chapter 25: Battle of the Reflected Everfree

The next evening, Celestia finally felt her sister stir. She was dismayed to find Luna lying meekly in the bed, helm and shoes still on the floor, unused. The elder sister used her magic to move the crown to Luna’s bedside, and she placed her sister’s shoes neatly beside the bed.

Even as she perfomed these menial tasks, Celestia watched Luna out of the corner of one eye, taking her measure. She recognized the look there all too well: Fear. My sister didn’t always fear me, she thought. Sombra and his allies are to blame! But being intense now will only do more damage.

Celestia went softly to Luna’s beside and sat on the edge. “Our allies are waiting. I fed them an excuse that I’m fairly certain they didn’t entirely buy, but I don’t need excuses. We’re sisters, and in our early days we shared everything. You can trust me with the truth. What happened to make you this way?”

“Nothing bad. They treated me with kindness. Too kind, for a prisoner,” Luna said, but she still looked uneasy.

“But something they said or did left you shaken.”

Luna did not say anything.

“Why else would you run from a fight instead of taking it to the head of the opposition?”

Still silent apprehension. Luna’s aura quivered in fear.

“Luna, you are my sister. No one knows you like I do, so I know you would not normally run. You can tell me why, but it would be best if you told me now, before our erstwhile allies become too impatient to be polite. No one of them can afford to be angry with you as long as I am here protecting you, however the Luna I know is also strong enough to protect herself.

“Luna, look into my eyes and tell me who you are.”

And Luna did look Celestia straight in the eyes. The elder sister let soothing waves of energy radiate from her violet-red eyes, seeping deep into her younger sister through her own deep blue eyes. The timidity faded from her expression, and her eyes became half-lidded.

“I am Luna, Ruler of Night, future co-Queen of Equestria.”

“Good. Now tell me what they did.”

“They treated me well, Sister. The fools are too gentle for their own good. But one of them, Gearhead by name, told me that our plan to conquer his Equestria is doomed to fail. They have some anti-Dark Magic defence in place that rips users to shreds. And he insinuated that our rule would not be shared.”

“And you believed him? Our enemy?”

“I did, but not anymore.”

“And why is that?”

“Because you, Big Sister, are the only one I can trust. The only one I need.”

“Good.” Celestia got up from the bed, but did not break eye contact. “Now, Little Sister, regarding our rule. Of course it will be shared, however our presence will be required between both worlds. Naturally, rule of the other Equestria will go to whoever does the most work and takes on the greater risks. And that means not leaving the field of battle.”

“Understood, Big Sister Celestia.”

“Excellent. Now, I fully expect you to make an appearance tomorrow morning. Our allies need to see both their rulers, or they will surely be saddened.”

“Yes, Sister,” Luna said, her eyelids sagging slightly. Celestia turned, breaking contact. She waited until Luna was fully asleep again before quietly leaving the room and securing the door once again.

Celestia turned to the guards she had posted outside the door, both to keep interlopers away from Luna, and to keep Luna inside the room. “Let me know of any changes immediately.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

* * *

The following morning, everypony was gathered in the dining hall. Ostensibly they were there to eat breakfast, however there was one among them who refused to eat then, since doing so would require that he remove his helm. “Has the Little Princess finally decided to join us?” Iron asked.

“Mock me not, for I have more power than you can ever dream to possess,” Luna said. “If you ever wished to usurp my place beside my sister, you missed your chance, for now I have returned to full power.”

“Good, because every instinct in me says we’ll need all the power we can get for the coming battle.”

“So you’ve already replenished your forces and made your modifications to your dragon?” Celestia asked.

“No, and if it were me coming I wouldn’t grant my enemy the chance. But we’ll see. If they don’t come by the end of the day, I’ll be back up to my original number of drones. If they do come, then we have the home battlefield advantage.”

“Why would they come here?” Sparkle asked between mouthfuls.

“Because by now they know we’re here. Where else could we be? But that’s fine: we’ll set the field.”

“A trap,” Celestia said. “Allow them in and then crush them where they stand.”

“Precisely,” Iron said.

* * *

Iron had co-opted some of the subterranean levels of the palace to create his working hangar and mass production array. The idea was to be able to design and then fabricate an item as soon as he thought of it. This way he had the room to safely work on his Great Dragon Armour as well.

While the assembly line added a new drone to his forces every ten seconds, Iron himself was working on adding a few more items to his main armour. In order to maximize the force he could level against his enemies, he already had long-range railguns and mass driver canons, and particle canons and guns. For mid-range he had whip-lines he could energize with drive energy, as well as curving ‘scythe’ beams. At close range he could use claws, gauntlet blades, and even the armour’s tail, horns, and its ridged armour.

Iron was adding an array of remotely-controlled units, each about the size of a foal. They were equipped with blades or a single canon each, and appropriately named ‘gunner fangs’ or ‘talons.’ Iron added whole parts to his armour that would be used in the whole process, from housing them in a sort of ammunition magazine to loading and firing them from barrels. Just as importantly, when they were not being deployed the armour closed a set of shutters in order to protect them. Finally, each fang carried a small explosive charge, allowing them to detonate and do even more damage to a target if they could no longer help in a fight.

Adding the fangs would make the Great Dragon Armour even more effective than it already was, as the fangs could be used both defensively and offensively. Iron could even add some more of them to his Red Dragon Armour, in case he needed the repaired unit: he should be more than fast and powerful enough to take on his doppelganger, but Iron didn’t know what the other was capable of, so it was better to err on the safe side here.

While Iron could allow himself to get lost in the process of modifying and creating new items, he had an array of sensors and readouts keeping close track of everything in and around the castle, or as much of it as the sisters allowed. When a perimeter alarm buzzed at him, he checked his clock to see that several hours had passed. Iron checked the scanners to see where the alarm had been tripped.

The scanners showed a single mid-sized contact. It was traveling much slower than Iron would expect a missile to fly, but too fast to be carrying many passengers. In moments it would be over the trees at the edge of the Everfree. Its trajectory clearly showed that its point of origin was Canterlot, perhaps even Canterlot Castle itself, which marked it as part of the enemy’s current play. All or part? Iron wondered as he tasked the nearest group of drones to intercept and investigate.

As the drones were equipped to record and send images and memory to Iron, he soon was able to see a visual representation of the incoming contact. It looked like what might happen if one took the bottom halves or so of two ships’ hulls and built them together, so somewhat like an ovoid bullet, except it had a set of small fins for steering on the aft end. It also did not have any windows, but Iron expected it was equipped with a similar camera system to the one he used. That meant he was aware of the drones.

Iron wondered what was inside the pod. Would it be explosives, troops, or some other distraction? And was this the only one to fly for the Castle of the Two Sisters, or were there more? Does it matter if they never get there? The one thing the pod could not contain was something that would be good for him or the sisters. He issued the order for the drones to blast it out of the sky.

The pod’s hull easily absorbed the energy from the dozen drones Iron had originally sent without showing any significant damage, so Iron assigned ever more to the task, even as the vessel’s flight brought it closer. Iron sent a steady flow of his units against the pod, and yet it did not slow or alter course, and still the sensors did not show any other contacts.

“[What is going on out there]?” Celestia’s voice demanded over an intercom system.

So she has her own bugs for observing her ‘allies,’ Iron thought. Naturally, I’ve done the same. “We’ve got one fast contact incoming. It’s large enough to be carrying a single troop, or a lot of explosives. Its armour’s impressive, but not impossible to gut open.”

“[Should we be worried]?”

“Unknown,”

“[Will you sortie]?”

Iron looked up at the Great Dragon Armour as his machines finished loading the fangs, and moved on to attaching the magazines and launchers to the unit. “Probably.” Just then there was a bright flash on the monitors as the drones melted away some of the pod’s armour. Curiously the drones’ beams started reflecting off of the hull, hitting and destroying other drones. “A reflective layer,” Iron muttered, and he ordered the drones to switch to blades.

The change in arms also meant that the drones had to ram or land on the pod in order to be effective. They flew in from all angles, swarming the pod as it continued toward its target, making the minute corrections necessary to stay on course almost immediately. The lack of delay told Iron that if it was being controlled remotely, then the controller was somewhere nearby, although there wasn’t anything else on his scanners.

The drones began to try to cut away or thrust through the pod’s armour, but it proved too strong for even a number of swings aimed at precisely the same spot. They switched to thrusts, attempting to dig between seams and pry plates loose, as though using a crowbar on concrete slabs. Several times, as the pod kept correcting for the drones’ activity, it shook some loose to flail uselessly past. Iron noted that whenever a drone passed directly behind the pod and went too close to the trail of silvery-blue particles, the cameras and sensors blanked, not recovering for several seconds even after the drone in question should have been clear of the particle flare’s corona. It was an odd quirk, but nothing remarkable, and Iron was certain from the long-distance side-take that the pod was not towing anything.

After a couple minutes, the drones did begin to see success in prying the first plates up and away. They sent small pieces of debris flying loose from the pod, but it stayed on course as before. Iron put the feed up on his HUD as he climbed into his armour and finished preparing for launch.

“[Should we come out too]?” Celestia asked.

“I’d wait on that, at least until we see where they are.”

“[The other you’s]?”

“The otherworld interlopers,” Iron said, and his cores started up with a high, tinkling whine, dispersing red particles behind and around his armour.

“[We’re ready already. In fact, some of the others are chomping at the bit].”

“Good, because I’ve a feeling we’re about to see combat.” He made one last check of the control surfaces as they responded to his movements on the control balls, then brought all of his systems up to full. “Lord Iron. Great Dragon Armour. Launching.” Iron went to flight mode, and lifted his forehooves up slightly. His armour responded by immediately lifting off from the deck. A long launch tunnel opened overhead. It wound around, and instead of opening up within the castle grounds, it breached the surface a little further away from the castle, so Iron would be flying at the enemy with the castle already between them – but he was fast enough that that would not make any difference at all.

Once outside the tunnel, Iron noticed that his drones had peeled the armour back from the pod’s nose cone, revealing a solid metal nosecone underneath the plating. Digging further revealed the open space he had been expecting, for there he would find the cockpit – only as Iron inspected the pod’s interior through the video take, the space held far too much shadow and appeared far too open. As the drones continued to peel the pod open, all he could see was empty space and bare metal walls, even to the aft wall as he used the controls to remotely look around. There were slight indents for the engine housings on the four back corners, but other than grid-like supports and some long grids along the floor and ceiling, the pod was completely empty.

Or not completely empty, Iron realized, as the plates and support struts broke apart, flying every which way and taking out any drone unfortunate enough to get caught in their sudden release. The nosecone started to enter a ballistic fall, but the four engine nacelles only accelerated, heading directly toward the castle without the pod’s weight to slow them down – and yes, they were being controlled in their flight.

Iron’s scanners still were not finding anything else unusual in the air or even on the ground nearby, but of course he could not let the nosecone, with its unknown payload, or the engines, land. He positioned his shoulder railguns and fired a single shot from each, destroying the nosecone. He expected to at least take out two of the engines, but one of them went into a sudden spiral, and evaded the attempt. The drones still could not get too close from behind, but they could still shoot the engines from any side, from above, or below. Nothing stopped them from ramming the engines either, blades out. These last were completely destroyed in explosions of silvery blue particles.

Wondering what the point of all that had been, Iron turned his drones to the task of covering the entire area in a sensor net so he could discover what else his heroic counterpart had just done. Iron himself continued to scan the sensors and the camera, looking for anything unusual while dismissing an onslaught of questions from the impatient would-be monarch.

“There you are,” Iron said with a grin when he spotted a sliver of pressure-treated wood somehow flying in the sky. As he watched, about to manually target the interloper, the tear widened, running along the flexed length of what was evidently a light-weight wing meant for low-speed gliding.

And it wasn’t just one, but three smaller flying targets, Iron realized, as the anti-detection shrouds tore away in the wind, and then the wooden wings were released at their attachment points, simple struts attached to each of the smaller transports’ long and tall fuselages. They fell several meters even as the wind carried the wooden wings high above them, and then small delta wings folded out from the sides of the hull, locking into place at forty-five degree angles. Small cluster-type engines came online, this time spreading greenish particles instead of blue ones, and the transports resumed flight.

The pod had only had enough room for a single squad, and there were only three transports, but when they were surrounded by enemies they needed to be controlled accurately in the moment, not remotely. Unless some of the transports were meant as diversions as well, they each had to have a trained pilot. Combined with the fact that Iron’s sensors still had not picked up anything else, and no other stealth shroud could survive this long at such speeds, Iron believed that meant he was looking at the true enemy this time – and forget about trying to march on the castle with a shroud, as the Everfree Forest would tear such a thing apart.

“We have our targets,” Iron said.

“[Then blast them from the sky,]”

“With pleasure,” Iron growled, and he tasked all of his drones to do just that, while he tried for a weapon lock from a distance.

* * *

“Mirage silk and gliding wings confirmed purged,” Doc said.

“On to Phase-2 of the insertion,” Twilight said.

“Looking at all those drones, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride,” Applejack said.

“Thus the armour,” Gearhead said, pushing the bridge of his glasses up on his shorter nose with his index finger. He flexed both hands before resting his right hand around the flight stick, and his left on the throttle lever. Each of his feet had a corresponding pedal with which he could control his transport’s pitch and elevation, but the main thing was that, having transformed before boarding, he need not concern himself with the time it would take to take Agile Form later. Even now, his Twin Engines were reconfiguring for a more powerful output. “Follow me.”

“Binary Two acknowledges,” Fluttershy said.

“Binary Eight, here we go,” Dash said, and the three pilots began to weave their craft between blades and blasts as the drones kept trying to shoot them down. Naturally the transports, which Fluttershy had nicknamed ‘Trout’ for their shape, were not as agile as individual Pegasi, but Fluttershy and Dash had adapted to their capabilities readily enough, both having previously enjoyed some flight time with the Silver Wind.

“Hey, it’s getting a little crowded out there,” Alec said, just before Gearhead had to throw his Trout into a tight spiral to avoid getting hit too badly. As it was, the fire was intense enough they had to rely on the armour to keep them safe, and the transports were not as heavily-armoured as the Bullet had been. “I’d appreciate some more warning before you do that again.”

“Me too,” Silver Quill said, shaking his head clear.

“I cannot promise as such,” Gearhead said. “But I agree things are heating up out there.”

“Not to mention the crowding in here,” Twilight said. It was true enough: with only three transports able to fit inside the bullet, each one had had to take on an extra squadron member, leaving them each a bit more cramped, so it was lucky they could all strap in.

It was also lucky that they had been able to deploy from the Bullet as planned, disguising their drop from the main craft as some of the armour that got peeled off. Each Trout’s gliding wings had been held back by the Bullet’s own hull, so when the Trout fell free, the wings swung slowly into place, spreading the mirage silk taut. That had kept the three transports hidden until the bigger transport had been destroyed.

“Acknowledged,” Gearhead said. “Prep for jump.” He glanced at his passengers. “Coming about,” he added, deciding to accommodate them before throwing the ship into a loop that put them as the third and last in the weaving formation.

On each Trout, the being nearest the doors set in both sides turned the corresponding latch and then let go, throwing themselves firmly against the nearby wall to avoid getting thrown out by the wind. Inertia and wind pulled the sliding doors all the way back to their stops, where they latched automatically in place.

“Jump in three. Two. One. Mark,” Twilight said, and immediately the beings of Binary Squadron started to abandon their flying vehicles out both doors. Flyers picked up their landbound companions, and they started to find a tight formation, still using the transports as shields as best they could. To that end, the vessels' flight were slaved remotely to each of the pilots’ helmets, until they got more than ten meters away from their respective craft.

Gearhead was the last one out of his craft, since he had to strap a harness on before he could put on his Stabilizer. He also wanted to be sure his cores were completely reconfigured and running before he jumped ship, and thankfully his computer reported success before he left his seat. Finally, he jumped, drawing the Stabilizer’s wings and his new sword and shield in closer to himself to ensure he cleared the door.

Once clear, Gearhead relaxed his control and thought to reorient himself to face forward, as per the plan. Unfortunately he had not yet had the chance to adjust to the strength of the white D-Particles yet, so he sent himself into a short spin before gaining full control.

Once back in full control, Gearhead put more power into his thrust, and when he started to pass his squadron-mates he deployed all four of the lines on his harness, so that he was trailing them two at each side from his body. The members of each flight clipped into each line, so they would stay together even if the drones managed to cut them loose, but Gearhead would be doing his utmost to prevent any interference at this phase in the plan. “Full throttle in two,” he said.

At the one mark, even as Gearhead grasped his great sword in his right hand and an expanded bladecaster in his left, he checked to ensure he had everyone behind him. Then he thrust both blades over and past his head as he flew, pointing out a path directly toward and over the castle as though he was an arrow. “Mark,” he said, and he opened his throttles all the way forward. The entire assemblage leaped from the spot in a double-cone of white energy.

Naturally, Gearhead knew that the enemy would intercept them, which was why he was sending a good portion of the Engines’ power forward and into his blades, just as he had done with the Wind’s prow. The cone of white quickly extended forward, creating a snowy spiral that flew sideways through the sky, and through any drone unfortunate enough to be caught in the attackers’ path. Even the ones that sought to get a shot in from a flank or from behind found themselves facing Unicorn fire, not that the drones could get past the particle field without more than a few seconds of contact, which they were not getting.

But the drones were slowing Binary Squadron down by intercepting their path directly: the more of them Gearhead was forced to crash through, the more momentum he lost, and so when they reached a point where the group could easily be flanked, he simply unclipped his harness and reverted to normal flight. The rest of the squadron also unclipped themselves before taking more normal flying formations.

* * *

Twilight watched Gearhead return his large sword to its actuator, exchanging it for a normal bladecaster. “Two Flight Lead, priority target Red-1 found,” he said.

“One Flight Lead acknowledges,” Twilight said, letting Gearhead lead Silver Quill, upon whose back Smart Alec now rode, to engage Iron directly.

One, Three, and Four Flight had their own tasks to complete according to the plan. Together, the squadron had agreed to make the plan more fluid by removing any order in which they would be taking on their opponents, and instead use a list of priority targets. Binary Squadron would try to engage each target one at a time, thereby focusing their forces.

One Flight in particular was responsible for this, with special priority given to containing Celestia and Luna, thus King Sombra’s presence in One Flight: his defensive magic was without peer in this world. In addition, Twilight had the best chance of fighting with either Alicorn evenly since she had her magic and the Single-Core Alicorn Engine, while Doc and Fluttershy both held unique perspectives, and seemed practically incorruptible. Spike, armed with his gemstone lance, provided Twilight with additional cover as he rode just ahead of the Alicorn Engine’s cone.

Two Flight was responsible for containing and neutralizing Lord Iron, in particular because Gearhead had the best protection against the red particles, and he had equipped himself to defeat Iron’s giant armours. The plan would have Gearhead engage his counterpart directly while Quill and Alec kept the skies clear of drones for him.

Three Flight would be backing One Flight up directly, providing support in whatever way was required. Based on their previous engagement, Twilight anticipated that Rainbow, AJ, and Mage would be preoccupied mostly with blunting attacks from the Malcontent Six.

Four Flight’s Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and KP would be knocking drones and enemy soldiers out of the sky, guarding the others’ flanks so they could focus on the bigger threats, as well as watching for any surprises their enemy might have in store. Twilight was hopeful that Rarity’s eye for detail, Pinkie’s randomness and Pinkie Sense, and KP’s own intuition and daring would be more than enough to do this.

The insertion part of the plan had succeeded as far as it could possibly go, apart from being in the Bullet when it hit the castle, although no one had expected that to work. “Phase-1 complete,” Twilight said. “Binary Squadron, start Phase-2.”

As the others acknowledged, One Flight led the way directly toward the castle, Three Flight on one wing while Four Flight took up the rear, firing backwards whenever they could with whatever they could. Naturally, with Pinkie that meant one of her propeller-driven gizmos, fully equipped with a pair of confetti canons.

* * *

While Twilight could cut through Iron’s drones with the Stabilizer’s blasts, Doc launched himself from Fluttershy’s back or forelegs to tear into them with the blades attached to his paws. With an armour plate out of the way, he could easily tear away at exposed wires, and then jump either to another nearby drone or back to Fluttershy, and repeat the process as necessary.

Fluttershy herself might have hesitated against a living opponent, but in her experience these drones reminded her most of Otto, and the trouble he had given Gearhead. More, they had been the main force in the recent attack against Canterlot, which made it far easier for Fluttershy to swoop in and pierce their armour with her long-tipped spear.

Spike blasted drones at long range, and stabbed through them at close range, thanks to his lance’s reach. He provided some extra defensive ability since the spell that had been loaded into the gem set in the pommel was a copy of Sombra’s shield spell.

Like Mage and Rarity, King Sombra had been practicing self-levitation magic. He ranged from the middle to the back of the formation, shielding the others so they did not have to worry about getting hit, and always keeping an eye out for Celestia and Luna, who had yet to make an appearance. He could already see the Malcontent Six approaching, at the head of a column of armoured Pegasi.

Rainbow and Applejack ably pulled off their adaptation of the tucking Fastball Special, the latter smashing her target neatly with her fore- or rearhooves before jumping to her next target. Applejack had longer range than Doc when it came to physical combat, but she always made her last jump in a series a little higher than the others so Dash could come in and catch her. And like AJ, Dash could kick out a drone with relative ease. She could knock out a score of them even more easily when she used the Sonic Rainboom.

Aurora Mage flew at the center of her formation, calmly sniping drones out of the air, or protecting her new friends from attacks that would have been near misses if not for her intervention. She was even able to zap drones flying further away from her than any of the other Unicorns on the team.

Rarity lacked the magical punch that Twilight and Mage possessed, but that did not mean she was entirely disarmed. She lay down illusion after illusion to fool the drones’ sensors, allowing her, Pinkie, and KP to get much closer to them for the knock-down blow.

Pinkie’s confetti thoroughly confused the drones she faced, and many of them even ended up sucking in some of the paper and foil bits. Given enough material, a drone could, and did, get clogged and fall.

KP kept switching between ramming and kicking her targets and fiddling with the panels on their backs or sides to get at their wires. Sometimes she just pulled them out, and sometimes she switched them around. When she was lucky, a drone she had just tampered with lost control and took several others with it as it crashed.

So it went with One, Three, and Four Flight until their greater opponents came within firing range, and they had to struggle a bit more to maintain formation under fire.

* * *

Gearhead kept his speed moderate so Silver Quill did not have to struggle so much to keep up, at least to start. Even with their armour, Gearhead had a big advantage over Quill and Smart Alec when it came to the capability to reach out and touch his opponents. While he focused mostly on the drones ahead of him within a specific firing arc, Gearhead alternated between his magi-tech weapons and his Magic Arrows, but he never stopped incanting, other than to take a breath.

With how quickly Gearhead was destroying drones, Quill and Alec were often surprised they had anything left to fight, but they did not let that take them off their guard – and every time Alec stamped a drone down, he did it with a big grin on his face. Quill similarly seemed to enjoy getting his talons dirty, but he also let his horse hooves have some fun.

Iron soon began to fire on Gearhead as Two Flight closed the distance between them. Gearhead came curving around one of Iron’s massive railgun beams and poured on the speed to close all the faster, quickly moving his shield or bladecasters into position so he could deflect a blast or return fire immediately. Even when a hundred drones were closing, Gearhead seemed untouchable, but the same could not be said for those drones, as they were soon wiped out by over a hundred Light Arrows.

Gearhead soon closed enough that Iron did not feel comfortable charging his railguns, and instead he filled the air with smaller, remote-controlled sword and archer drones. These were harder to hit than normal drones because of their size and greater speed, but Gearhead merely wove his way between them when he could, buying himself the time he needed to unleash another wave of Light Arrows.

“Will you shut up?!” Iron roared from his armour, unleashing a massive volley from his wingtip canons. Gearhead dove for the ground, and then rose quickly again. Quill went into a powerdive to evade, Alec holding on for his life as they left large and small drones in their wake, to be destroyed by friendly fire.

“That’d be a ‘no,’” Alec said for Gearhead.

“Hold still, imposter!” Iron directed his mini-drones and fire all around Gearhead, but even when he thought he had him, the latter just blocked with his shield, greatsword, and particles.

“The name is Thirdson Gearhead, and unfortunately I do not have the time to give you an exhaustive duel.” He held his greatsword out in his right hand, still supported by its actuator, and connected his shield, point first, to the sword behind his Stabilizer, which he folded flat to his back. White particles ejected at a high density from the top of the shield as it propelled Gearhead in two tight loops of a clockwise spiral, the second only slightly longer than the first. The crazy speed and path kept Iron from targeting Gearhead properly, especially as he was only ten or so meters away now.

“Sky Hammer!” Gearhead called as he exited the second loop, only to enter a third, much wider one. He angled his accelerated flight so he came in at Iron underneath his left wing. The greatsword pierced directly though the actuator arm that secured the left-side red core to Iron’s armour, causing it to fly up and backward before it lost its connection and started to fall down to earth.

But Gearhead’s flight did not stop there, and his greatsword pierced a conical mound set in the giant armour’s back. When he realized what was likely there, Gearhead quickly chanted, “Spiritus Fulgor, evoco ex vacuo et percutiam me inimucus. Fulgor Securis!” Intense turquoise-white lightning lanced from the sky, and shot through Gearhead’s weapons to overload some of Iron’s systems. It happened quickly, but then Gearhead had to pull his greatsword free and leap clear to avoid getting pinned by giant metal wings, or caught by clawed hands.

All the same, as Iron began to lose altitude Gearhead saw that he still had some opportunity to ensure the Great Dragon Armour was not used any further. He separated the shield and sword, and taking the latter in both hands, he charged across Iron’s back again and swung with all his strength.

A second core made a short flight, and this time Gearhead pursued, clapping his bare palms once to access his most fundamental power.

* * *

Iron entered command after command to reroute power as best he could, even as he felt he was falling out of the sky. Even having lost drives Two and Four he could have continued to operate the Great Dragon Armour – mind you, Iron was still shocked that Four had torn itself apart simply spinning into and through Gearhead’s sword. That the imposter had the gall to come back and chop Three off in the same minute has refocused Iron’s ire.

Iron had to focus, because the sudden loss of power had cut the Great Dragon Armour’s systems back to the bare essentials. Even external sensors were not reading more than what immediately surrounded the great red armour as it fell toward the ground – and Iron couldn’t remember how high up he had been flying.

One drive wasn’t enough for sustained flight. He might get one or two railgun blasts, but Iron couldn’t communicate with his drones, his base in the castle, or even control his remaining talons. But at least he could find a way to keep on fighting, at least until reinforcements arrived.

Iron heard and felt the dull thud of impact as the Great Dragon Armour hit the ground, a little harder than he had thought it would. He entered in the last of a series of commands, and systems began to come back online as power fed through the lines, completely avoiding the destroyed core set into the unit’s back.

The video feed came back online with the Armour straightening up from its previous bent posture, only to show Gearhead coming in extremely fast from ahead and above. He shield-slammed the Armour, knocking it off balance. Iron grit his teeth as his precious machine fell flat on its back.

“You won’t keep me down,” Iron growled, working the controls. A warm turquoise light came out, surrounding the camera, but Iron didn’t see any evidence of change, nor could he see Gearhead anymore.

But he remained pinned on his back, and couldn’t get the armour to sit up or roll onto its front so he could use its arms to push up. “What is...?” Iron finally saw all the breaches on the status display: earth, rock, and even plant matter were winding their way through the armour, and if they were coming into it through the small crack over Four’s housing, they were probably surrounding the armour’s arms and legs.

“That won’t stop me either,” Iron said, and he punched in the command to eject, at the same time, shrugging into his personal core unit. The last thing he did was to call for the Red Dragon Armour. It’ll probably take some time to dig my way out, but I won’t stay down.

* * *

The only crack that was audible when Gearhead’s lightning spell went off came from the intersection point when two of Twilight’s railgun blasts met – a workable solution to having to face living opposition, in the form of the screen of Pegasus soldiers that flew in behind a wave of drones. While they were slightly distracted by the oddly-straight lightning in the distance, Twilight Sparkle led her friends more deeply into enemy territory.

Fluttershy also had a solution for working with the Pegasi: after Doc leaped from her back to target points underneath their armour where he could stun them with one or two blows, the Pegasus did much the same, only with the flat of her sword, and usually to the side of a head or at a point between the wings. The soldiers were stunned for long enough to fall out of the fight, but not usually long enough to hit the ground, so they were able to pull up. Getting back into the fight was a complicated task, because Four Flight was sweeping through behind Three Flight, looking to keep the opposition to a minimum.

Stronger opposition soon charged right at Twilight, in the forms of the other Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, both in their own Engine-driven suits. Unlike the one that Gearhead had given to Twilight, these appeared to be armed with a pair of hip railguns, a single rifle, and a pair of swords. Like Gearhead’s first prototype, however, they were single-core engines.

Twilight did not really want to face herself or her friends, but she also did not want to face her teacher. At the same time, she knew these were not the ponies she knew and loved, and while she had to take them all seriously, Celestia’s and Luna’s appearance over the castle meant One Flight might not really have time with which to focus on the Malcontent Six.

Twilight reared back to bring all four of her railguns, and the wingtip rifles, to bear. “One Flight priority targets Gold-1 and Blue-1 found.” She fired so the incoming six ponies had to split up to avoid all her blasts, including the ones from her horn, and then leaned forward to go right back to full speed. “One Flight engaging Gold-1.”

“Three Flight acknowledges. Engaging Red-3,” Dash said.

* * *

As Twilight led the charge past the Malcontent Six, King Sombra put up a screening shield to cover their flanks. He need not have bothered, as Mage’s magic blasts knocked Pinkamena back, followed an instant later by Dash blasting past other-Fluttershy with her Sonic Rainboom.

Already airborne, Applejack hit other-Fluttershy with a pair of capture cables, stunning her further as she fell.

Dash wove between Sparkle and Pinkamena as she looped back to catch Applejack, easily evading their blasts.

“You--!” Pinkamena growled at Dash

“No, me,” KP said, shoulder-rushing the mad Earth Pony. “Pay attention.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“Naturally, not. I’m just the distraction.”

“Distraction from what?”

“Right question, wrong pony,” KP said as Rarity snuck up on Pinkamena’s left and hit her with a single neat capture cable.

“Hopefully that will keep her out of the fight for long enough,” Rarity said, watching out of one eye to make sure her opponent’s landing wasn’t too harsh.

“For a close friend, you don’t seem to remember that that’s Pinkie Pie,” KP said, and the two of them turned to see the real Pinkie giving the other Rarity a face full of confetti.

“Oh, right.”

“C’mon, we’re either keeping ‘em busy or taking ‘em out of the fight!” Dash said.

“On it,” KP said.

* * *

There were, Twilight noticed, less drones and soldiers flying around the closer One Flight got to Celestia and Luna. The reason made itself clear when the Alicorns’ magic blasts lit up the space between them, and Twilight and her wingponies all had to scramble to avoid being hit.

“Sombra?” Twilight asked, turning slightly to her left.

The king nodded. “Ready now,” he said.

“Then lets start Phase-3.”

“At your command,” King Sombra said, already charging his horn. His first task was to compress a set of barriers between Celestia and Luna. Once he had them in place, he expanded them at high speed, first the spherical one at the center, then the two cylindrical ones. The barriers pushed off of each other, and forced the Alicorns apart so they would be unable to provide cover for each other until they got back in range.

Once Luna was separated from Celestia, Twilight led the charge against the latter. Ideally they would shut her down quickly, but no one believed this would go easily.

“You really think you can defeat me?” Celestia sneered as the four ponies neared, only to have to dive and spin to evade a salvo from Twilight’s wing blasts. She came out of her spin and returned fire, only to have Sombra come up in front of Twilight and take the blast with his shield.

“We shall do our best,” Twilight said, and she leap frogged Sombra again, to fire with her shoulder railguns only. Celestia evaded that as well.

“Then you’ll have to be faster and more aggressive than that, before my sister gets back. But then, I doubt you have it in you.”

“I guess we’ll just have to show you,” Twilight said, focusing more on trading blasts with this pony who was not her dear teacher.

“Doesn’t matter what you try to do, not when you’re constantly holding back from hurting your ‘precious princess.’ You especially, Sombra. I don’t know whose fool plan this is, but you chose the wrong ponies for this job.”

“No, right ponies,” Fluttershy muttered as she popped up behind Celestia. Doc delivered a single slash and then jumped out to the left. Fluttershy swung out past Celestia to catch him, and then she flew quickly out to clear the Alicorn’s range.

“Daring, but foolish. Did you really think that would be enough?” Celestia turned and fired after Fluttershy, only to be hit by a set of Twilight’s and Spike’s magic blasts.

“Do you think you can read my strategies?” Twilight asked. “Also it’s a proof of concept: we can hit you.”

“This is your planning, then? More the fool, then.”

“That you think that proves you’re not the same as her,” Sombra said.

“Face it, Celestia: you’re just not as smart as you think you are,” Twilight said.

“Smart enough for you,” Celestia spread her wings, unleashing a wave of heat energy that resembled the rays of the sun.

“Not really, no,” Sombra covered himself and Twilight in a shield long enough for them to fly out of effective range.

“I have to agree,” Twilight said. “Princess Celestia would have seen all this coming. Not only that, she’d have a contingency plan in place to prevent its success. But we’ve already gotten so much further than your Six could have gotten against us.”

“And that’s forgetting for the moment the effectiveness of the Elements of Harmony,” Sombra added.

“Well, only someone who had listened to Princess Celestia would know about them,” Twilight said.

“Enough out of you two!” Celestia unleashed a direct horn blast, but the two Unicorns evaded her anger easily enough, which only made Celestia angrier. “I will crush you!”

“As Applejack’s brother often says, ‘nope,’” Twilight said, and she let Celestia taste a round of every weapon she had, knocking her back. This opened up some more distance between her and Luna when One Flight flew in to pursue.