My Little Pony: Third Gear

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.