Control Group

Exciting Backstory: Explain

Nurse Redheart had been caring for P254 (Excitement) all day and was exhausted. She really riled her up, and all she wanted was a nice cup of coffee and to go back home. Maybe visit the kids. But that wouldn’t happen till next week, and she still had P255 to deal with. He always depressed her. She really wished she hadn’t been selected. Ah well, at least it was Friday, dandelion sandwiches were on the café menu.

She missed home.

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Moving back about 63 years, Equestria was the same happy place we know and love.  Ponyville was still bustling, the sun and moon sisters still ruled and Canterlot was still recovering from the damage caused by the wedding invasion. Otherwise the world was content. However, the representatives of Manehattan and Hoofington had begun to see the danger constantly waiting in the shadows. A conference was held.  The mayors of each city were summoned to royal court discuss what Equestria could do to further protect its inhabitants.

“You’re all mad,” said the mayor of Baltimare, “There’s nothing wrong with Equestria dammit! We’ve survived perfectly for hundreds of not thousands of years! Why should this be a problem now?”

“And what exactly was the report of changeling sightings in Baltimare, Sir Williams?” retorted the mayor of Ponyville.

“That’s completely irrelevant. The recent changeling sightings have only been due to the fact that SOMEONE couldn’t kill all the changelings instead of simply forcing them out of Canterlot!” he gave a look of disdain toward the recently wed Shining Armor, who was trying to keep himself from losing his cool while on highest guard duty for the princesses.

No one had really liked the new mayor of Baltimare; he was a new candidate and had used heavy mudslinging and bribery to get to his position, although he’d never admit it. He was a stately red unicorn with a blonde mane and polished hooves, which was rare for a stallion to have. He had a vendetta against change and progress, and was often the cause of the discouragement of technology in Equestria.

“While I’m sure Sir Williams would take much enjoyment from the extermination of ANOTHER race I think it’d just be best to keep a lookout for any imposters.” Stated the laid back mayor of Las Pegasus.

“There’s still the matter of national security.” Said the representative from Canterlot “We can’t put the royal guard into every town, and the changelings have started to become hostile.”

“What about the elements?” came a voice in the back of the room. it was the Mailmare from Fillydelphia, Swift Wing, who had brought a message to the mayor of the town. He was a curious blue Pegasus with a black mane.  He had overheard the conversation and decided to make an input.

“Dammit we can’t just rely on the elements of harmony for every emergency we have in Equestria!” yelled Sir Williams, thinking the comment came from one of the other mayors.

“That is true,” stated the mayor of Ponyville, “The bearers do have lives of their own, and are quite inaccessible for emergencies in other cities.”

“Now hold on…” an unheard voice came from the far side of the room. It had an accent with remnants of a dead language. “The elements are powered by emotions, no? Then why don’t we simply find a way to use those emotions in every city?”

“That’s insane.” Inputted Princess Celestia. “I cannot be responsible for that kind of magic being used by the public.”

“Aha, not magic, Madame…” a cloaked figure revealed himself to the court. He removed his hood to reveal a somewhat cybernetic face, half gray unicorn and half blinking lights and clear plastic to reveal his inner workings.

“Technology!” he shouted happily. The majority of the court was shocked at his appearance, some questioned his motives under their breaths. Celestia didn’t bat a royal eyelash. She calmly inquired as to how he planned to solve this predicament.

“You see Madame; I have done extensive research on what you have dubbed ‘the magic of friendship…’”

This actually shocked Celestia. Twilight sparkle was the only one of her students she had even mentioned the subject to. As he rambled on about how he had done research on how to use the power of equine emotions to power certain technologies, she wondered how he had even known the concept of the magic of friendship. She listened closely.

“…And if we can simply find enough pure emotions in the inhabitants, we can potentially power a city!”

“One question, mister…” said the mayor of Ponyville, who was cut off abruptly.

“Ambroise. My name… is Ambroise.”

“…Mister Ambroise. How do you plan on converging the emotions of the masses into power? Surely it would require some type of machine, would you have this court suggest putting a large piece of machinery over every town?”

“Aha, no. the recipient city of the emotional power will require a length of special wire encircling the city, which can easily be buried and forgotten.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

“Yes, of course! I would be honored to be the first to introduce to you…” he had a black earth pony roll something covered by a curtain into the room. It had a suspenseful air to it. It made Swift Wing move closer to the court floor out of curiosity. When it was by Ambroise, he unmasked it.

“The Emotitron 7004!” it was a glass container with many intriguing attachments to the top and a screen and monitor on the front. A panel on the side could be slid to gain entrance to the chamber.

“YOU THERE! With the mail bag!” Ambroise pointed to Swift Wing. He was surprised he was going to be included in something. “Come closer so that I may demonstrate the power of technology!”

Being ushered toward the contraption by the royal guard, swift wing was only more amazed at its complexity. There were at least 20 different contraptions attached to the top. He felt a little claustrophobic, but it was easy to move into the chamber. Ambroise moved over to the screen at the front. He typed in commands with tiny mechanical hands protruding from his neck, while the contraptions on top began to fidget. After about 2 minutes of prep, Swift was struck with many harmless bolts of multicolored lightning, some staying attached to him. He panicked at first, but he got used to the feeling of light. By the time the bolts had ceased Swift had felt no different. He exited the chamber to find Ambroise holding a vial to the court, who was oohing and aahing over it.

“This, mares and gentlecolts, is a pure emotion! It is the emotion of curiosity! The one most prominent in this colt who has been ever so helpful.” The vial contained a light green liquid. Swift was having mixed emotions right now. Curiosity, as to what the heck this “pure emotion” does, embarrassment, since being curious isn’t exactly the best quality to have when you handle people’s personal letters and belongings, and sheer amazement because they just TOOK IT OUT of him and he didn’t even feel anything.

“I move we integrate this new machine immediately!” shouted the mayor of Hoofington.

Roars of “I second!” flooded the court.

It was the dawning of a new era…

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Dearest reader, I would love to tell you the story of how the evil behind Ambroise’s plans was put to silence by the wielders of the elements of harmony and how peace was restored to the world, but that is a story for another time.

No, the story you are about to be told is one of sadness, darkness, tragedy, and the unfairness of life. It begins 60 years from this meeting. Ambroise has taken control of the world’s power. It hadn’t been enough. With civilians avoiding the machines in protest, ponies were bred in order to meet the requirements.

A pink earth pony and a yellow earth pony were forced to mate. They created a joy power source. A brown unicorn and an orange earth pony were bred to produce an honesty power source. A white Pegasus and a cyan colored Pegasus were bred to produce a confidence power source and so on.

The story begins in a laboratory outside Manehattan. Many ponies are bred for their emotions. One, however, had been there for the longest time and had no idea why. He was a gray earth pony with a messy black mane and a short tail. He hears the stories of the others kept here, called mainly by their names of emotions, some called lust, sadness, anger, etc.

These are their stories.

And the story of the one pony.

He called himself Gray.

That was the only name he’d known.