Chapters There is a beach house built on the dunes only meters away from the beautiful seas that break upon Equestrian soil. The view is gorgeous; from large paned windows, a visitor can look to the north and see the far flung bluffs where the old lighthouse still stands. But the owner of this house isn’t enjoying the view or the house itself. It’s a million bit home of technological marvels and it gives her such little pleasure that she sits in the dark instead of basking in its immense warmth.
Pixel Wavelength does not yearn for the sea or the crystal air of night. For once, silence is more than enough. She honesty believes that she wouldn’t be melancholy to never again see the bright blue light of technology or to hear the tone that a voice she can only see has arrived at her two hooves. If it did come, she would know who it is in an instant. As she sits outside on her balcony, she turns a bottle of wine in her hoof so she can look at the label. She could have guessed that it’s his favorite. The same pony that she last spoke to. The one so resourceful as to have something like that waiting for her at her doorstep before she even arrived herself. That’s who he is, the kind of pony that can give her anything she pleases without a second thought. But that is no longer enough. In fact, the darkness is making her understand how little it means to her.
She can’t remember the last time one of her old friends had visited. She has never had them stay overnight because her house has a server room but not a guest room. Her technological bastion is best suited for parties with its bar and modern furniture from the city. Conversations and memories then become so fleeting like a sandcastle on the beach, the kind she likes to see foals make. Depriving herself of her own technology and she can barely recall the faces of her guests much less their telephone numbers. She wouldn’t want to call them anyway. The company of seagulls is good enough for a mare like her; the kind that has others tell her what kind of wine she would love. She won’t open it. Not until he’s in her company which is exactly what he expects. A note for her makes it clear that she will love it as much as he does.
The wind pushes against her and it feels chilly. But she would rather stay out than go back in where it’s nothing but dead air. At least from the balcony, she can see the lights of the city. Each twinkles in the distance, unassuming and plain. But closer still, each home has the blue light of her technology. None can escape it. When she thinks about how softly it can beckon, it reminds her of the sea. The tug is gentle at first but then it becomes so much more until one reaches a point where it’s impossible to escape. Even now, the sea reflects the moonlight as it breaks on the shore but beyond is a vast grey expanse.
The guilt becomes so strong that she wants to drown it out by crying. The edges of her eyes are already darkened as if smudged by grease. It’s impossible to forget those she has hurt even if she can’t see them. She should be angry but it can’t come to that. Who would want to add more anger to the world? So then, what can a mare with such guilt do? She feels like it has deprived her of her independence and she hates it. If only she had been more careful. But blaming herself for not seeing the future is hardly productive and she knows it.
Filly Feather St. (Part 1)
A couple of lean Pegasus ponies trotted up the crumbling sidewalk of Filly Feather St. It went up a hill where lots of old wooden houses were built long ago. The sparkling waves of the sea with a long white ribbon of sand where tourists and locals alike played are behind them. The sea went on until the horizon and the vast nothingness beyond.
It was still the early hot days of summer and every bit of coolness wasn’t taken for granted. Sprinklers that watered lawns, little pools for young foals, or just meandering through the shade of the trees that lined every street in the old town of Sweetie Shores. The two of them, a colt and a filly, were enjoying their mornings of getting up late and eating something other than the plain yogurt they had at the elementary school.
They were headed towards a friend’s house. They didn’t live on Filly Feather St. Their house was at a nicer part of town near the beach where the sidewalks were not so bad and the shops lacked bars on the windows, but it wasn’t as if the colt minded. He was wound up and eager for one of their usual races up the hill since they left home. He prodded his sister with a tap on her shoulder while she was looking at some songbirds above.
“I feel like running. You think you can beat me there without having to use your wings?” He grinned arrogantly at her but the filly could only sigh and acquiesce to his challenge. They burst into a full on gallop while a couple old ponies looked up, drawn from their flower pruning. The colt was named Sapphire Skies, a well-built foal in every sense of the word. His legs were springs that carried him further and faster than most others, even Earth ponies in their class. Even though his sister may have tried her best, her cheeks growing so red and puffy with every breath, he could overtake her in an instant if he wished. It was about having fun; each tree root that broke through the cement was an obstacle to overcome and no matter who won, it was just about breathing in the salt air and bathing in the sunlight.
They stopped and panted in the shade after. On the other side of the street, a mail pony was doing her rounds. The filly, Diamond Skies, stretched her hooves.
“Well, that was fun as usual but I hope I’m not going to start smelling now,” she complained. “The last thing I want is to smell like a colt.”
“I don’t need to be a colt to win at things,” Diamond said indignantly.
“But would you still smell as good?”
Diamond huffed. “How would I know? Go smell them yourself.”
“Alright….I get it. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll be back to normal in a few minutes. Smell doesn’t last in the dry heat, you know.”
“Yeah and it probably won’t even matter if it didn’t.”
He knew what she meant and said nothing more as they passed the fence and walked across the dry grass and concrete stepping stones towards the front door of that typical two story house with a steep triangle roof. Every home had a porch and were painted white, light blue or sometimes a sandy color. This one had chairs to sit on and a wind chime that lightly rang from the air that blew in from the sea. Sapphire reached and knocked on the door. Diamond waved flies away from her face and groaned.
When the knock went unanswered, he tried again.
“There’s no way she’s not here.” He pounded on it impatiently until he felt a tug on his mane. “Quit it!”
“How about instead of putting a hole in their door, you read what’s in front of your face?” She pointed to a taped note to the left which told visitors to ring a buzzer. His expression soured as most children did when told what to do but he went and quickly slapped the buzzer. A voice came from a black speaker slightly above his level.
“Hello? Who’s there?!” It was their filly friend although she sounded muffled as if caught chewing something.
“It’s us. Let us in already.”
Right away, a screeching sound emitted from above and they heard hard mechanical clicks from behind the door like some kind of insect. Instead of opening normally, the door flung itself open, revealing none standing behind.
“Oh boy, I wonder what this is,” Sapphire said with more annoyance than interest. They both knew it had to be something Pixel Wavelength had conjured up from that strange mind of hers. When they looked behind the door, they saw a complex contraption: a large piston, long bars and gears attached to the door and the adjacent wall. Much of it looked like old steel cut and soldered. Diamond saw it and being aware of how dangerous that was, she swallowed anxiously.
“I hope she’s okay.”
The two of them went down the hall towards the basement door. It was cooler inside than in the heat of day with most of the curtains draped but they could already smell the things the filly and her father kept in the basement. That day, it was smoky. Other days, it smelled like rubber, oil or some other fumes. As they opened the door and went down, the smoke nearly made their eyes water. At the bottom of the wooden stairs, they saw Pixel hunched over something large and complex looking. It had a fan and pipes and a ton of wires. It looked like it was being operated on.
The filly’s long electric blue mane was pulled back and bunched together like a bundle of wheat. Her hooves were out of the way as she looked at some kind of electronic component. She tapped the brittle green board on the metal as if contemplating how to use it. She had a wrench gripped between her teeth but soon took it out.
“Hello, you two. What brings you by?” She looked up and smiled as they approached. She put down the delicate electronics and the wrench and grabbed a fresh towel to wipe her hooves.
“Well, we haven’t seen you since break started and we tried stopping by before. I guess we just want to know where you’ve been,”
“If you missed me then I was probably at the junkyard.”
“Why would you go to someplace like that? I mean, there’s that old stallion and that dog that chases any pony that jumps the fence,” Diamond said, her face scrunched in perplexity.
“First of all, the old stallion doesn’t bother me but that’s because I ask nicely before going there. I don’t jump the fence,” Pixel said matter-of-factly. “And I was there because I needed raw materials for my newest projects.”
“You mean, all of this electronic stuff?” As usual, Sapphire was oblivious to what her stuff could do. “What’s the point? You have magic. I mean, aren’t these things for ponies that don’t have magic?” He made a weird face, emphasizing the last part about not having magic as if saying that technology wasn’t for her. Pixel sort of felt like protesting but she knew it could only start some drawn out argument about him being shortsighted or about how technology makes pony life much better. There’s not much she can do since he’s just a foal and yet, he could come around when he learns more about Pegasus life beyond flying. At least she hoped that he would. It’s good that he and his sister have ambition but she always saw it as the childish kind. There’s not much depth in just wanting to be like some pony else. And until they figure out what they want, those two are just going to be getting up at 9:30 every morning and wasting the day reading comics or hanging out at the beach. They just don’t understand.
“Don’t worry about it. I just have a lot to do. Dad and I have projects to work on until summer is practically over.”
“Yeah but what about us? Are you saying that you don’t have as much time for friends anymore?”
He did have a point. There would be days where Pixel would be cooped up in her basement, working on her projects, and consumed by them. She collected circuitry like children her age normally did with toys. She’s only ten and she’d already pushed things like childhood friendships to the margins of her life. At least at school, she would see them at lunch or in the halls. She listened to them talk about simple things. Sapphire dreamed of being like his father and joining the town flying squadron. It’s not glamorous like the big city flyers but in any town with half Pegasus ponies, it’s still a high priority. And it has been so long that she didn’t know whether he was still interested in that all Pegasus academy over at Las Pegasus. Maybe spending some time away from her cluttered lab is a good idea after all.
“You are important to me. I’ve just been distracted lately.” She gave him a very friendly smile. “Just let me clean up down here and I’ll come meet you upstairs?”
“Okay. Are your parents gone?” Diamond asked.
“Yes. Both are working.” They nodded and clopped back up the tall steps. Pixel turned to the white sink and started to wash her hooves. The blue aura of her magic dispelled the grime that clung to her, turning brilliant white hair back to unblemished perfection. She then sprayed a fine mist that smelled like lavender into the air and let it settle upon her mane. She never shied away from grease or dirt but it didn’t mean that she wouldn’t try to look her best when going out.
She went upstairs and found her friends waiting in the family room. They sat on some old hoof chairs and Sapphire played with the bead jar. As Pixel grabbed her sunglasses and hat from the rack, she smiled. They are certainly a playful pair. Sapphire’s once convinced her that those beads were rare pearls and that foals came from eggs. He was her first playdate back in elementary school. He teased her often but he knew when to stop and he never made her cry. They were just good friends. Pixel learned that some ponies are like those horrible hall monitors back at school that were like statues with their icy stares. Her friends weren’t like that. They did those things because they cared enough to pay attention. Even at that age, it was clear to her. It’s why she loved being around them.
The three of them decided to go to a nearby ice cream parlor that the neighborhood foals went to often in the afternoons. It wasn’t far from the movie theater or the park. Pixel knew that she had a thousand places to find a friend if she really wanted.
A few other foals had the same idea and was crowding around the counter. They stared at the array of buckets with various ice cream flavors ready to be scooped up into a cone for only a few bits. The owner, Mr. Swirl, was bent over into the chilly looking freezer to get one of the fillies her vanilla ice cream with extra sprinkles. None of the foals knew his first name. It wasn’t that they didn’t like him. He was known by every young pony in the neighborhood. But it was normal for them to just not care or even question it.
Pixel ignored the chatter of the other children and thought about what she wanted. Her favorite was strawberry and she seldom picked any other flavor. That usually annoyed Sapphire. His ice cream was always a mishmash of random flavors smashed together in an ugly colorful blend. It was the same with everything he ate. He was the one that got the rest of the class sticking their hay fries into their milkshakes a month prior. Pixel definitely preferred a routine but she had to admit that his unusual ways did work out once in a while.
The thing that Potato had targeted were burns that were on Pixel’s white coat, going along her forelegs. Pixel always hated that ponies distrusted technology and ponies used to stare at the inconsequential burns she used to suffer when she just started to flirt with the melting of simple wires. Ponies just didn’t accept what they couldn’t grasp and that included a foal caring about such things most of all. It used to feel like a burn on her heart. One of the worst things a pony could say about technology was to call it just another form of magic. When an older pony said something like that, she hated it worse than when Potato insinuated that she was a danger to herself and others with her robotic toys she liked to bring to class. Somehow, comparing it to magic hurt deeper than when Potato tried to have the toys built by hoof banned from the school once. When he did, Sapphire and Diamond were the only ones that stood up for her. Sapphire was her greatest defender and was always her closest ally. He always threatened to stomp her bullies into dust but she could always calm him if she needed to.
But the only reason why she could stand to look at that colt was that it came to an end. She caught him once after class and kept bringing the issue up until one afternoon, he broke down and conversed with her. Being moody but non-violent, he ended up telling her about a lot of things. About his family’s lost farm and losing all his friends and his old life when he had to move to the coast. At that age, there’s nothing worse than having to move away. Ever since then, they spoke sometimes when eating lunch together or when they saw each other at the beach. She’s hesitant to call him a friend but if it wasn’t for her ability to empathize, he might have turned out to be anything but a friend.
Pixel began to feel the return of summer, the signs familiar and welcoming, one of the only constants she knew. The other was her creative mind, the thing that was always with her, something she would never fail to indulge. Like a furnace fed on wood, her mind craved what she could conceive and build in her basement. Unlike how most children saw it, Pixel believed that leaving school was only another chance to learn more things. But even though it was still spring, she was already focused solely on experimenting with electronics as if it was summer. The salty air, warm winds and thoughts of ice cream and snow cones were nothing more than background noise in her years of change.
And each change was something that made her life a little harder. She didn’t face such trials like most children did; hers never seemed to rest. Pixel only had herself to thank and occasionally blame for how things became so different year after year and mostly in summer. She just didn’t care much for special someponies, the newest fashion or gossip. She became skilled with technology and it soon outpaced what little ability her father had. He was a hooves on kind of pony, the kind that loved the smell of fresh oil on wood and lubricants. When she left most of that old fashioned technology behind, he just couldn’t keep up. Her eye looked for everything small: conductors, wires, transistors. It was so much that she acquired more things to work with it like her magnifying glass attached to a rod to help her see really small things. She was using it on one spring day in her basement. The entire table was clear except for the things she needed. Working on delicate tech required a near meditative patience and absolute stability. With her skill allowing her to deal with smaller things, she needed much more space until soon enough, her dad just ceded the entire basement to her last summer. He called it a very early birthday present.
Pixel could feel the minutes ticking by. Her eye twitched from the strain as she finished the last part of her day’s work. It was coming together so nicely that she was even ahead of schedule, a rarity she loved to have happen. She lifted her head and wiped her face with a towel. She smiled confidently as she took one last look at the complex innards of what would be her newest prototype. It was sharp, gleaming and beautiful. A technological achievement for a 17 year old.
She felt like getting washed then helping her mother with dinner that day. She would probably ask for some kind of pasta. She knew her dad loved the rich green basil sauce the most. Every time she did something for him, it was like a little thank you for everything he had accepted and frankly tolerated just so she could grow into the pony she had become. And it wasn’t merely the loss of his basement so she could work in peace. A father worries about his daughter and she was no exception. As things grew harder for her, he must have been concerned every time there was an accident in the basement or some bully teased her in class for what she loved to do. He wasn’t alone of course; her mother was often beside him and must have worried about her too and yet, Pixel didn’t connect with mom equally as with dad. Only another pony that appreciated the future could understand who she was. He’s quick to show how much he cared when they’re together. He would point out the electronic cash register she made for the ice cream store; Mr. Swirl’s device was the first in the entire town and it helped with his brittle hooves. And there was the electronic crosswalk and the computer system to replace old fashioned indexes at the public library. Every time the town was convinced to add something new, it was an uphill battle and dad was proudest when by her side.
And not every change was something her dad could prepare for or even understand. As she got older, magazines piled up, and she wasn’t very good at keeping organized. He would cover for her when she forgot to clean the dishes or pick up her magazines. Within reason of course; she still had lots of chores to do, project or no project.
While he liked many of the magazines she got about innovative technology or science, a few were more in line with a growing daughter. Pixel was a young mare and had spent more time looking in the mirror in the mornings. Her femininity could fill a room and she could see that unlike her many objects, her body was anything but rough and unpolished. It was complex, refined, and becoming more beautiful as she grew.
She noticed that a new face on her familiar magazine started appearing on a regular basis. He was Ferris Spark, and the heir to the rising Spark Industries, the biggest face of new technology in all of Equestria. He just wasn’t any pretty colt heir but he was still a colt that could make Pixel stop and take a second look. His body was likely just as glossy as the magazine cover made him out to be, his rich brown hair contrasted with his fine features and classy glasses and suit. Even his lovely cobalt eyes stared warmly into the camera. But beyond looks, Ferris was the star of the show. He was the one to talk with reporters about Equestria’s first hydroelectric dam. He was also an inventor in his own right and a graduate of Canterlot’s university at only 22. Pixel couldn’t help but be enthralled by everything a colt like him had to offer but his brains most of all made her think about him at night.
Pixel walked into the kitchen to rummage in the refrigerator and saw her mom leaning against the counter with her latest magazine in her hooves. She hated it when ponies touched her stuff.
“Mom, what are you doing? That’s mine.”
She reached as if to try and take it back but her mom pressed it against her chest. “What did I tell you about taking things like that?” She clicked her tongue but didn’t raise her voice. She was the kind of pony that always spoke softly to the point where she sounded perpetually sedated.
“It’s mine, mom. You didn’t ask.”
“I did ask you to clean up after yourself, didn’t I?”
“That has nothing to do with it.” Annoyed, Pixel rolled her eyes and went to the refrigerator. “What are you doing with it anyway? You said you couldn’t really get past the technical terminology.”
“Yes but I sure don’t need it here.” She pointed to the cover. “It’s that really rich colt that you like to listen to on the radio. He had a new interview that I was reading. I like how he talks.” She had an amused smile.
Pixel took some milk out and poured herself a glass before looking for some snacks. She hates talking to her mother about anything relating to the opposite sex. “I hadn’t gotten to that part yet. I’ve been too busy to finish the issue.”
“Really? You always finish them.”
“I just got it yesterday.”
“Oh, well if you hadn’t read it then I assume you don’t know about that contest he’s doing or whatever it was called?” Pixel shook her head. “Yeah…the interview was mostly about his unveiling of something about advertisements in Fillydelphia but at the end, he talks about a contest for ponies your age to win a scholarship worth a whole lot of money. You should take a look.”
That definitely piqued Pixel’s interest more than anything in a long time. She’s heard of scholarships worth a few hundred bits here and there but few really appealed. One held by one of the most interesting and smartest ponies out there would be worth looking into. She already had a giddy feeling inside even though she hadn’t read it yet; for all she knew, it was only for Earth ponies or those in tech schools or just anything that wasn’t her small town so she tried not to look too excited. Sometimes Unicorns would be overlooked for such things.
“Sure. That sounds great.” Pixel reached into the cupboard and got a bag of chips.
“Sweetie, dinner should be done in an hour.”
“I know. I’m having my friends over later so the snacks are for them.”
Her mother nodded. “Oh, right. I forgot. How are they?”
“Very well for themselves. They’re doing pretty good in school.”
“I spoke to that colt’s father…Sapphire’s I mean. He said that he was taking his son over to Canterlot in a few months to see the Summer Sun Celebration. I was wondering if going sounds like something you would want to do.”
Pixel didn’t want to talk about that. Whenever anything was brought up about spending on things they didn’t need, she felt depressed. Her father wasn’t getting raises at work as often as he used to and with things getting tighter at home, going to the 977th anniversary of the Summer Sun Celebration just didn’t seem possible.
“Mom…you should talk with dad about it. I’ll trust that you both do the right thing.” They were mostly silent after that as they prepared dinner. There were a lot of words Pixel never heard and for good reason. Some would call it the right thing. She wasn’t sure but if doing something for one’s family counted then she would never mind the cost. Even if it meant missing out on a lot of things.
Neither Pixel nor her mother mentioned the magazine at dinner. Her father had come home and was as irritable as ever. At the table, he rambled on about how tough things were getting at the carpentry. He sat on a chair that he built with his own two hooves while spreading butter over a dinner roll. He became quieter after a while as his favorite food settled in his stomach but it still wasn’t prudent to bring up things related to college. He often said that Pixel would be a pretty good carpenter if she came to the shop every now and then. Pixel knew that they were only the most subtle of hints that her family wouldn’t be able to afford to send her to some college. Pixel saw so much promise in the scholarship but there was no telling how her father would react towards her accepting money from Spark Industries. He wasn’t a fan of them, having had blamed them for years for trying to replace carpenters with automated machines as computers became more of a thing in the manufacturing sector. He must have hated the feeling of having his industry stepped on and his livelihood potentially threatened.
While Pixel sympathized with her father, she also thought he was overreacting to something good. She saw the things she made as something that helped ponies. In the magazine, the article listed accomplishment after accomplishment by Ferris Spark. She could only imagine how many she could help by making a similar revolution as he had done with manufacturing.
And the scholarship did sound impressive, run directly by Ferris Spark himself. She thought that it would be lovely to meet him, even if only for a moment as he judged her newest invention. She didn’t want to kid herself that she would stand a chance against those at San Palomino Tech or over in Cloudsdale. But perhaps he would complement her intelligence or even invite her over to his private lab.
Her two friends came walking downstairs. It was so easy to tell that they were siblings. Both were quite tall with velvety blue feathers on their wings. Pixel enjoyed seeing them in motion, especially Sapphire. The colt’s lithe frame helped him a lot when he played for their school’s athletic teams. Of course, Diamond was also a lightweight which allowed her to add dancing to her singing, acting and modeling. They had so many mementos in their house like trophies, pictures, and certificates. They’ve always been show offs but Pixel made sure to always give them equal attention. Leave the competition at home, she would say.
“Hey, you two. I’m glad you’re back. I wanted to show you something,” she said.
They pulled up chairs and sat across from her.
Sapphire let his head rest on his hooves with them pressed in his soft cheeks. His long bangs fell over his face. “Is your project finally done?”
“It’s getting there. But there’s good news. I’ve found a way for me to go to a really good university after I graduate. Maybe finally get away from this boring town.” Pixel raised the magazine to show them the cover.
“A billionaire, huh? He’s a bit young for that, don’t you think?” Sapphire teased. He received a smack on the head from his sister for that.
Pixel grinned awkwardly as if she wasn’t thinking the same thing earlier. “Well…he is cute and all. I guess. But….I was talking about his company’s scholarship he’s doing in western Equestria. It’s 100,000 bits, the most I’ve ever seen.”
Mentioning such a large amount of money captured their attention at once. “That’s amazing. You can really go anywhere with that,” Diamond said. She started to giggle as if picturing a huge pile of golden bits.
“I know. I’ve been thinking about entering the electric typography transmitter. Well, once I finish the outer shell.”
“The electric…what now?” Pixel knew her terminology was a mouthful but she didn’t expect it to provoke near discomfort from Sapphire. “Is that like a telephone?”
“Sort of.” She had to think about it. The telephone was invented in her grandmother’s time but it didn’t have a lot of fans due to ponies still preferring the letter in nearly all cases of formal contact. She never understood why that was the way things were. “I was definitely taking a page from the telephone and a few others too; the actual device should stand on its own merit.”
Pixel removed a white sheet placed there to protect it and revealed the tight system of computer chips, wires and delicate glass coated plate that was about the size of her hoof. It was still exposed with no plastic covering of its own.
“Before you tell us about it, I really think you should work on the name. It will turn off ponies if they don’t even get what it is at first glance,” Sapphire suggested seriously.
Pixel thought it was a bit silly since it just sounded natural to her to have her things given the most accurate names possible. But instead of arguing, she pondered for a moment.
“Well…how about the ‘electronic letter’?” There was no way those two would reject that. It was as simple and to the point as she could think of without sounding patronizing. To her relief, they both perked up.
“Now that, we can both get,” Diamond said. “And it sounds really cool…like something that’ll interest ponies.”
Pixel felt a knot loosen in her chest and she smiled. “Thanks. I’m glad you two like it.”
Sapphire laughed. “We like the name at least.”
“Oh, yes. I’ll show you what this thing can do!”
Pixel held the device upright and turned it on with a press of her hoof on the side. A blue dot of light flashed a few times while the CPU booted up. It whirred a little and the glass plate turned white which surprised her friends. She pressed a few buttons on the little keyboard until she got to the message to find a receiver.
“We’re nearly there but I need one of you to help me demonstrate what it can do. One of you, whichever agrees, can go up into my yard and wait a minute or so until the device I give you asks you to open a message. You can read it on the screen and when it happens, come back here.”
Sapphire volunteered to take the second device and went to the yard to wait. Pixel turned on the wireless signal and in mere seconds, it told her that it found the other device. She then opened the main program and typed a message and sent it. Right away, Sapphire was back.
“Hey, your thing here beeped and buzzed and stuff.”
Pixel beamed and took it from his hooves. “Excellent. Let’s just see what kind of message you got today.” She looked at them as an electrical feeling passed down her spine. “This is really cool, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, definitely. That’s exactly what I would say,” Diamond agreed. Pixel knew she had seen nothing yet. The best was about to come.
She found the messages cache and located the message to be opened and read.
“It says, ‘You’ve received your first text message’….isn’t it awesome?” Pixel declared.
Her friends smiled and congratulated her. Pixel could tell that they liked it but were also probably underwhelmed and their excitement was mostly forced despite them both staring at it intently. She sort of expected it since they hardly understood the technology and most likely saw it as little more than an interesting trick. But she didn’t want anything forced. Only their genuine opinions would do.
“I would really like to know what you really think of it,” Pixel said. “Try to ask questions like I might get at the scholarship pre-judging.”
A few minutes passed while they thought of something. Sapphire then clapped his hooves together. “I got one!” he said. “Pixel, we learn about magic a lot. Does this thing run on magic? I mean, I don’t smell fuel or see any way that something is running it.”
“That’s a great question,” Pixel replied. She explained how the device ran on an internal battery charged by clean electricity from solar panels. A lot of the raw materials came from scrapyards from town and a few things imported, bought by some of her weekly allowance. The screens were a couple that some rich ponies discarded in Las Pegasus and was found by one of her father’s friends that ended up in Pixel’s hooves. They were put to good use because of how rare they were. She also mentioned that the difference between magic and electricity was the source of the power. Also, she loved to use electricity despite its difficulty because it could be used by all ponies.
“I get it. You’ve worked with electricity for forever and I bet plenty of ponies have too. But it’s just a messaging thing and we have letters already. I don’t know any pony that has something like this. It’s small and hard to look at,” Diamond said. She was now against a true challenge: Diamond’s skepticism. It represented more than one pony’s thoughts. Inventions succeeded or sank depending on whether they were liked or not. It was good that Pixel knew how to counter it.
“Yes, it’s a messaging system and we have telephones and letters already, right? Well, I definitely don’t want my invention to clash with them. Each one fills its own niche, its own purpose in our world. So can mine. Telephones are good for hearing other ponies in real time talk. Letters are for the intimate and the friendly and so much more. It’s the way we’ve done things for a long time. Mine sort of puts them together. To communicate quickly with text will be the next great thing.”
“How do you know that ponies will even want this?”
Pixel looked at her invention. It already held the combined three previous years of her life in everything that made it up. And in all likelihood, none might show any interest in it after all. It might end up nothing more than a reminder of the past, a dusty forgotten thing that used to have potential. Sometimes at night, Pixel got a bad feeling that being rejected could have been her fate. Ponies certainly took extra time staring at her when she was in kindergarten and she was just lucky that most ponies were able to look beyond her interests and could see the filly behind it all. They may have been gracious in the past but she really couldn’t tell if ponies would want that device of hers. She could make predictions on spreadsheets and graphs and it wouldn’t matter one bit if everypony else lacks her vision. At least her best friends did, especially Sapphire. Even when he had no idea what she was talking about, he would always be enthusiastic for her strange ideas. They supported each other like few others did.
Once Pixel’s friends were on board, they couldn’t be persuaded to leave her side. Over a month passed, full of restless nights and long hours. On top of finals and her cumulative school project that came at the end of the year, she had to finish her prototype. She totally underestimated how much went just into a presentation. But her friends weren’t about to let her down and gave her countless proposals to make something that will catch the eye of anypony instead of just blending into the rest. Sapphire helped rewrite her ideas with really concise and flashy words and phrases that still emphasized what Pixel wanted to say. And instead of looking as dull as a road sign, Diamond added splashes of color to her board. Not only that, she said that a pretty casing would help her prototype stand out. Pixel didn’t want anything too bold like neon but she did like the metallic blue plastic.
The day before her invention would be put to the test, she and her friends sat together at the ice cream shop. It was the least she could do to show how much they meant to her. Without those familiar voices advising her, she could have been too afraid to even enter the contest at all. She couldn’t fathom it being any other way. Living without friends would be like dwelling in silence and no amount of books or technology could replace it. She believed that it was the same for anypony else.
“This is so good….thanks for the treat!” Diamond said. She slowly put the spoon in her mouth and hummed happily.
“You’re welcome.” Pixel licked some off her spoon too. The rich coolness was already taking the place of the heavy feeling in her stomach. It wasn’t long before she felt little again; before she invented the electric crosswalk and so much else. Back then, it was kind of difficult for ponies carrying carts to know when ponies were going to get in the way. But that’s how it usually was. There was hardly a clear path for the future; a cutie mark was only a guiding hoof. Everything that reminded her of what she loved about her town was still something she could be looking at in ten years. She could be walking the same streets to the same shops and it would be her friends so far away. It’s all change; the same kind that allows each Pixel and Ferris of the world to exist. She couldn’t dwell on it too long. She knew more than most that time doesn’t wait for anypony.
Pixel entered the auditorium with her things. The place was buzzing with students and their parents. Each of them had a place reserved with their name on a card so they could set up quickly. She put her backpack down on the flimsy wooden table and gently laid two containers down. It had the two devices in it. It didn’t take long to finish with the rest, the presentation board and all. It was still an hour away from the formal tour where Ferris himself would walk in her very school. She looked around her. There were students being helped with their boards and a mother or two wiping the mouths of their annoyed children out of habit. She was alone since only family was allowed to be present to avoid the modest sized place from being too full. Hers were working as usual. Even with that restriction, it felt sweltering even in the morning with so many bodies present. It wasn’t just the students but the teachers, parents, the superintendent of the district and even some media that was following the story of the tech leader’s visit.
Sweetie Shores wasn’t far from the big city but it was a sleepy town and few celebrities ever passed through so it was a big deal and even an honor for such an up and coming pony to grace them with his presence. She could tell that he was mere moments from arriving as the murmuring increased around her. A few last minute readiness was dealt with by most of the students except her. She’s done everything she could; whether she would succeed or fail was no longer in her hooves.
A young mare in a black dress laced with sequins stepped in first. Her color was the same rich brown as Ferris Spark. The place went quiet except for the sounds of a few cameras getting ready. The mare took a water bottle and took a drink while she and a couple others stepped aside. Then the star himself entered. He wore a black suit with a crimson tie. Behind his pointy bangs were a pair of reflective electric blue glasses.
Pixel watched as he went down the line of presentations. What looked like an assistant was practically tethered to his sweeping tail and whispered in his ear from time to time. Ferris didn’t have pencils exposed in his pocket or carry a clipboard. He expressed himself with authority, gesturing freely and speaking, pointing, laughing or smiling as he pleased. Pixel could tell right away that he was a stallion in control of everything around him.
As he continued, he mostly watched silently as each of the students did their best to show off what they brought. Pixel wondered what thoughts ran thought his head. He could have been in a daze of boredom for all she knew. He only occasionally spoke directly to them and in each brief encounter, only shook one hoof and mostly nodded. When he came to her at last, he didn’t seem to notice the board. She stumbled through a quick hello and managed to open the boxes in a flash. As she did, the rote regurgitation spilled out. She didn’t know if it was good that he took off his sunglasses and folded them neatly as he held it. She could barely hear her own voice over her heartbeat. She stared into his cobalt eyes which gazed unflinchingly downward into the devices. And in the last moment, his eyes didn’t blink at all as if he was staring into her heart itself.
“What was the program you used to transmit this message?” he inquired. His voice was clear and direct. He was now looking at her and she gulped air.
“Well, it doesn’t have a name. I created a custom system for this wireless device.”
“How long did it take?”
“Um, about a month.”
He reached over and gave her a firm and friendly pat on her shoulder and like the rest, hers was over already. She had smelled his earthy cologne when he was so close. As he left her sight, she leaned against the table and only then did she realize that her transmitter still beeped with a new message.
Pixel felt oddly content as she strolled home after it was all over. Maybe because she was alone with her own thoughts instead of being lectured by obsessive parents like most foals had to deal with. She did all she could and that was enough. She knew that Ferris Spark couldn’t have spoken with her for long really. He must have had lots of towns to visit and many students to see.
She thought of going out to lunch with her friends and telling them about what the colt looked like and what impression he gave to her. His image was still fresh in her mind; so fresh that she thought that she was seeing things when she turned one corner and saw what looked like him leaning against a fence. But her eyes never deceived her before. It was him, staring up at the clouds as if he had no care in the world and he was just another local dreaming of someplace else. He turned and saw her. He walked towards her briskly like he truly recognized her.
She didn’t know what to do. Whether to gasp, stammer in surprise…run away? None would be that appropriate for a stallion merely giving his hoof to shake. She did, albeit slowly as he smiled at her.
“I always loved the smell of the sea. The west is unique just like the east though. When I’m at one, I miss the other,” he said.
So many thoughts must have ran though Pixel’s head but only one stood out. “Who was that mare that wore the black glittery dress?”
Ferris chuckled, clearly amused, and she felt her cheeks warm up as she avoided eye contact. What kind of a question did she think that was? “What? No gleeful laughing or praising from the bottom of your nervous heart? I’m almost disappointed.”
For some reason, she wanted to recover from what she said. “I have seen you many times on the cover of magazines.”
“At least you’re a fan. But the mare you saw was my wonderfully helpful and not at all overbearing older sister of mine.”
Somehow it made it sound even weirder for him to be there all alone. “Mr. Spark, how did you know where I was going?”
“I have my way of things as do you I imagine?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll learn soon enough. You’re so unique. I hadn’t really seen a filly like you before. Is there any chance I may take your photograph?”
Pixel hesitated but obliged, putting her bag down and smiling faintly.
“Perfect. Hold it.” He took out a small camera and snapped a picture.
Pixel swallows nervously.
“Don’t worry,” he said calmly. “I wanted your photo so I can show my sister what kind of promising pony I’ve found.”
“What are you saying? Do you think I’ll actually win?”
“What I’m saying is that I keep ponies on short lists,” he emphasized. “I’ve been to 20 cities and towns and I have only a few more to go. The ponies here built me what they thought my company wanted. Even the students at the tech schools used my operating system. Probably to flatter me. But you didn’t. You built your own from scratch.” He put the camera away and put his glasses on. He seemed to be in such a hurry. “I want to ask you something before I go. I assume you dream, don’t you? Well, what’s one of your biggest dreams?”
It was quite the question to ask, she thought. She remembered her father coming back home after a long day’s work with something new he built. Her friends loved talking about what they would do when they were older. Everypony had dreams, even those that were never meant to be realized. Her father must have dreamed about what she would do. He gave her the name ‘Wavelength’. When she was born, Pixel would sleep and her tiny horn would glow. Not glow normally but along the spiral groove of her horn, going upwards slowly with a serene light. A lot of times, her horn would do that when she’s working on something, glowing brightly in a wave rather than all at once like normal Unicorns. It was her special thing.
Pixel looked into his eyes. “I want to create a computer but not like any that’s out there now. Someday, this computer will be able to give the same access to any kind of pony. Pegasus, Earth Pony and Unicorn alike will share in its progress. I guess I always hoped I would be the one to make it into something real.” It was strange to talk about something so personal with a pony she’s only known on magazines but what if they shared the same dreams somehow? It could be possible.
“You have a wonderful dream. I know you have the power to follow it. Just believe in yourself. You’ll see.” He said goodbye and then left towards a motorized cart sitting some distance off as if their encounter wasn’t completely weird. Strangely, as she stared at him, she was the one that felt as though she was being watched.
There was a lovely party held in Pixel Wavelength’s honor. With so many friends and family, there were no shortages of pats on the back, hoof shakes or friendly smiles. There were all there to celebrate her acceptance of the 100,000 bit scholarship from Spark Industries. Pixel decided already that she wanted to go to Manehattan where the university there was highly lauded by the company which headquartered at the city.
With everypony assembled in the backyard, two long folding tables were put end to end to seat them all. Her father decided to read the acceptance letter and then a short speech after. Pixel was a bit overwhelmed by it all but it was normal for her family to celebrate big when they found something to celebrate over. They even bought a cake with a picture of her on it of course. It was when she was small with smears of dark grease on her face like the mechanic she could have been if things had turned out differently. It was all worth just seeing his happy face. He didn’t look like a weighted and troubled stallion but he was the stallion he used to be. It was a most unexpected but favorite guest.
A couple of her old teachers were there; they were kind friends that taught her math and science. A few pals from the school clubs came too. There were no hard feelings from those that also wanted that scholarship. Even Potato Mash, who she had befriended some years ago, had come to her in private and had given her his personal congratulations for finally escaping the quicksand like grip the town had on ponies. Last but not least, her best friends were there the entire time. They rehashed and spoke of old times while gazing at the sunset. Pixel even tried to take a photo of it but realized that she had run out of film. One hundred photos already taken on close ups with her guests and family, and of herself with the certificate, wireless device, and the cake of course.
She excused herself from her friends which lazed on lawn chairs and went inside the house where her mother was in the kitchen.
“What are you doing inside?” she asked as Pixel closed the door. “Where are your friends?”
“I ran out of film so I came to get some more.”
“That’s good. Got to save those memories.” She then pulled a glass bottle from one of the lower cupboards where she was crouching down. It was a bottle of Pink Quartz Champagne from the Horseshoe Bay. It was pretty expensive as far as those things went.
Pixel was surprised to see her pull it out but did laugh. “Mom? I thought you were saving that for your fiftieth anniversary?”
Her mother looked at it as if it was as full of memories as carbonation. “I know, dear. But all things considered, we can always get another bottle. We want to celebrate something as unprecedented as this and your father and aunt remembered that we had this lying around.”
“Okay. Save me a glass,” Pixel said half-jokingly. Her mother merely nodded and Pixel headed upstairs to search for some film in her room. It had more boxes now than furniture as she was so excited already for her imminent move. She went and sorted through her effects in her dresser but found none. She did find the personal letter she received from Ferris. She knew that the hoof writing inside wasn’t from a secretary. She could still smell something like wood polish as if he had put the paper down on a newly cleaned desk and the faint trace of smoke. He told her inside that he well awaited what she would do with that 100,000 bits and more than that, to develop a new version of her operating system and maybe even come up with a name for it.
Not finding any film, she sighed. She considered all the places a spare roll might be and ended up considering her parent’s room. Their short bureau was a good place to start looking. She brushed aside some items on top until she found a roll of film but at the end of the bureau, she saw an open letter. It was addressed to her dad which was strange; he seldom got mail. Her natural curiosity took over and she skimmed it. But soon, her very heart sank. The letter was a notice of termination. Her dad, a stallion that gave over 20 years of his life to the company, was let go like a child would with a stray animal. She didn’t know what to do. Her dad obviously wouldn’t wish to speak of it. He was a prideful stallion, one not relying on emotion too often. But her family didn’t reject his faults. They would be there for him even if he only wished to surround himself with the better memories of the last twenty years. Because after all that time, there was nothing left for him but family. She would be there too. She put the letter down and blinked her eyes until they were once again dry. Then she recomposed herself and went out again and laughed and enjoyed herself until the early morning.
One day, Pixel was in her workshop, typing away on her laptop computer. She had been in the lower floor a lot lately. It’s mostly an underground place for her to work on her projects and experiment with various technologies. Everything was chiefly designed by her; it linked to her new server room and was covered in brilliant white tiles. Her computer was sitting on a steel table along with a few other devices while large white light fixtures illuminated the entire area.
Her house CPU told her that Ferris had arrived and had let himself in. She had been waiting for him that morning. He flew in by helicopter and she could hear a faint whirring from outside.
He walked down the steps until he was in sight. He was 32 and not only was he more handsome with his trimmed beard and toned muscles but he was just as spontaneous even as CEO of Spark Industries. Most rich stallions would start to settle down at his age but he was just getting warmed up. He went on adventures every other week, parasailing or snorkeling or mountain climbing. He partied and drank with his rich friends all the time in his executive apartment. Sometimes mares would spend the night with him. Pixel herself still found herself distracted by the elegance that emanated by the way he carried himself; but as much as he was still attractive, she never thought herself as wanting to pursue anything with him. They had a bond of course but she wanted to think it was closer to a friendship that came from their shared time. He would visit her at the university occasionally; and she was quite familiar with his lab too where he built new prototypes for all sorts of things. He’s always given her more than her share of time and attention and she’s appreciated that from him.
“How’s the place treating you?” he said. It was a casual day for him as he didn’t have a suit on although he had a pair of glasses and a single black leather saddlebag on his left.
“I love it. The server room especially. I know it will really help with OS development.” When he approached her, they both shook hooves briefly. She thought of him as a friend but when it came to work, she always wanted their relationship to maintain some level of professionalism. She came to understand once how easily things could change. When he gave her that house, it was something from out of the blue; she remembered the joy perhaps being too much to where she wanted to break down and cry, joyfully of course, and hug him. But she had to restrain herself. It wasn’t just for her after all. It was good for the company too that she had her own place to work like he did. Not to mention that one moment he could be transfixed on what she was doing then the next, he would appear aloof after a phone call. She didn’t really want to irritate or bother him.
“Excellent. How is the maintenance cycle on the Wave OS 2.0?” One thing she didn’t like was that he could be a nagging boss at times. When he wanted things done, they always took precedence, even when there were other projects. She was especially concerned to have to put her pet project on hold. She’s been reminding him since she joined his company that she wanted to develop her main computer line using the original Wave OS. He ended up rejecting it, saying that it wasn’t going to be good enough. She disagreed and even tried arguing her case but in the end, he made it clear that the Wave OS 2.0 was far more profitable and lucrative in his eyes.
“It’s going well enough. A lot of the protocols and such you came up with is ambitious,” Pixel said.
“But for a brilliant mare like you, it’s more than doable.”
She smiled politely. “Yes, but without knowing some kind of end goal, it’s hard to grasp the scale of what the OS should be capable of.”
“I understand completely.” His tone turned serious. “I suppose I should be able to finally bring you up to speed. I’ve kept this secret from everypony but it’s kind of like your dream. A vision I’ve had since I was young.” He asked if he could clear the table of everything and she agreed. Her stuff was swept to the end and he pulled out a folder from his saddlebag. From it, he layered a bunch of papers on the table. Each was covered in diagrams and writings in blue ink. Even without him speaking, she could see the symbol of the Wave OS, three bright blue squiggly lines on top of each other, on one of them.
“What’s all this for?”
His hooves were spread apart and pressed against the table as he leaned against it. He gazed downward at the papers as if taking it all in or even admiring it. At first glance, it looked awfully complex with lines streaking across the pages, seemingly at random like the paths of comets.
“It’s something completely new. Nopony in our world has seen anything like it. In fact, some won’t believe it’s anything but magic.”
“Some people still think what we do is magic but I don’t hold it against them. What is this you’re working on?”
“Well, it’s more like what we’re working on. Before your OS, what I have now was just an idea floating around in my head. But a lot’s changed. What you see before you is a bunch of ideas that if put together, becomes a singular that I call the “internet”.”
“The internet? Sounds interesting.”
She’s rarely seen him so pumped up since she first got her first phone off the ground at her first tech show. He moved papers and gestured wildly when really motivated. This internet he spoke of was, according to him, going to redesign how ponies did pretty much everything. Communication and information technology that would run through computers and phones, and would all be connected through a central location.
“Spark Industries Tower would be fitting to be the core of this new project. It would start small at first but spread all over the place, to every major city. With wireless tech, there’s no place it wouldn’t be able to reach in the end,” he explained excitedly.
For a moment, she quietly peered over the papers. The maps and charts showed how each city would be linked to one another. The towers he was building being integral to it. After a while, she needed to put it down. It was the most ambitious project she’s ever seen and was too much to take in all at once. She felt like going outside and letting the wind cool her.
“I like that look. I bet you’re as eager to see this technology in action as I am,” Ferris said confidently.
“It’s incredible. But, is all this infrastructure caught up to what you have in mind?”
“Of course. I’ve been planning this for years. Even before I met you back in that town of yours. Like I said, it’s been a long dream.”
As excited as she wanted to feel, Pixel did let a bit of disappointment slip through. The internet sounded like it would take years to realize. “I’m willing to lend a hoof to all this but I still wanted to get my work handled at some point. I’m still behind as it is.”
A pony like Ferris knew exactly what to do to get what he wanted from others. He must have learned it from his father, who wooed investors into making his company what it was. Ferris could get any mare to like him or any stallion to put his faith in what he offered. When he applied the charm, it was quick to draw them in and to make them feel as though they needed Ferris more than he needed them.
“I see.” He scooped up the papers and didn’t look her in the eye as he was about to put them away. But she stopped him suddenly. Just the thought of losing out on an opportunity put a chill through her. She was already drawn in and knew that she was bound to accept it. It was like seeing that contest in the magazine. That was done for her benefit. And how many others could something like the internet help? After all, she knew him well enough to at least give him some benefit of the doubt.
He looked so appreciative. His face and posture softened near instantly.
“If you help me with this project, I’ll promise that you’ll get that computer developed eventually.”
For her, it sounded as good a compromise as any. A stallion like he, she thought, always kept to his word. “Then it’s settled.” She reached to shake his hoof but as he gripped it, he went forward a bit and gave her a hug. It was unexpected but she reciprocated. She had forgotten how warm he could be if he really wanted. It was one of her favorite traits that he had but also one he never revealed often enough.
He didn’t go home that week or the week after that. She let him stay at her house and he slept on her sofa since she didn’t have a spare room. He didn’t mind and they both slept little for those weeks anyway. They spent the majority of their time downstairs where their work was done. The bulk was computer programming and such, dealing with ways the technology interacted in systems and all kinds of other technical issues that 99% of ponies wouldn’t be able to understand. It was mind breaking rather than back breaking and just as frustrating when things didn’t go as planned which happened a lot when dealing with things new and untested.
At the end of those two weeks, Ferris returned to Manehattan. He had business to deal with personally but he left her a list of things to test in his absence. She agreed but she wouldn’t start without taking a break from all her work. Her birthday was coming up. She was born in summer and it was that time of year that made her a bit more homesick than usual. So she arranged a day to go and visit some friends and family, some she hadn’t seen in a long time.
It had been nearly 11 years to the day since Pixel Wavelength had stepped in Sapphire and Diamond’s house. Her old friends. She had called them in advance and asked when the best time for her to come and see them. She picked one day on the weekend. It was a bit dreary with dense rainclouds up above. The air was moist and heavy and Pixel’s breath often made it fog on the windows as she drove. When she arrived, she parked and got out.
Change came to summer as it always had. Children were probably getting new phones, a popular thing for parents to buy as gifts after a good school year. They must be using it to contact friends and get together. Yet, Pixel could tell that things were different from when she was young. When she would shop in the city, nearly every foal had a phone. The fillies had ones with gaudy jewels and the colts with logos of their favorite sports teams. She noticed how little they spoke to each other as long as they had a screen to gaze into.
But lots of things remained the same. Sapphire lived in his old house again. He had moved back to take care of his aging mother. Or so he said in his recent text. He relied on texting a lot, especially to his 8 year old daughter. It was one of her favorite things. He told her that she was a strong flyer like he was before he got injured one day flying in a storm. It wasn’t too serious but it was hard for him to stay fit for such a job when there were so many that wanted it. He knew it was time for him to quit and when he did, he found a nice job teaching physical fitness at the local elementary school.
She walked up and knocked. When he opened the door, they embraced. It had been a long time and she missed him. Her muzzle graced his neck and she smelled a faint odor of cheese.
“Pixel, I’m so glad you’re here. Please come in.” She walked in and saw his filly at the top of the stairs. She had a pretty white coat and a yellow mane layered in roundish patches like petals. She was looking down, somewhat confused by the stranger in her house. “Sweetie, please come downstairs. Our guest has arrived.” The filly nodded and went down the hall.
“Does she know to wash her hooves before eating?” Pixel said in amusement.
“She’s just getting her phone, I think.”
“Her phone? You let her do that at dinner?”
Sapphire shrugged. “I suppose. She likes to talk to her friends and I guess I don’t mind. Do you like spaghetti?”
“I do.” She giggled. “I thought I smelt a little something on you.”
“That would be the parmesan. It’s my little Sunstone’s favorite.”
They reached the kitchen. The table was covered by a simple cloth and had a little vase with flowers in it. Sapphire turned off the stove elements before serving the food up in dishes. There were lots of posters. Some photographs of pretty landscapes like Northern Equestria. Some motivational ones too that a gym teacher would be into. And still, the achievements of two foals still adorned the walls.
Pixel sat down as he set her food in front of her. A minute later, the bouncy filly nearly leapt into her seat and put her phone down on the table while her dad served her the bowl and lemonade. They were going to eat without Diamond because she wasn’t expected to arrive until late.
The filly had little sparkles in her mane and coat. It looked pretty in the light.
“What’s your name?” she asked while chewing. Her eyes were wide and curious.
“You should wait until your mouth’s empty before talking,” Sapphire said somewhat sternly. “I know your mom might not care too much about it but I do.”
Pixel had been at his wedding. He married young and had his child at only 20. The mother was a mare named Sunshine Daisy. Most would say it was too soon but he was like that. He wanted to be the first at everything and he ended up with a marriage that didn’t work to a mare that was anything other than what her name suggested she would be. But he didn’t look unhappy really. He was just a typical father now. He picked up his daughter’s toys and gave her little snippets of wisdom.
“It’s alright. My name is Pixel Wavelength. I’ve met you before but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”
“I have to tell you my name though,” she said, boastfully knowing the rules. “My name is Sunstone. And you know daddy, I think.” She smiled then took a bite of her toast.
Pixel thought that Sunstone was the cutest filly she had ever seen. Far more than the pampered and prettied up actresses of the big city or even their foals. It’s amazing that such a stallion like he could slow down and live the life of a sweet and loving father. She wondered how much of it was because of how bad his marriage had run. Maybe it was after such an unlucky love life when that little bit of good was enough to make him see things differently. Nopony could have such a beautiful filly and not change.
Pixel took a bite from her meal. It was warm with herbs and a hint of spiciness. “You’re a good cook,” she complimented.
“Thanks. I do what I can. As long as it’s pasta, I can count on my filly going to bed full, isn’t that right?”
“Uh huh…pasta’s my favorite! What’s yours?” Sunstone said.
She looked at the filly as Sapphire gave her some extra wine. “I suppose I like spaghetti. And I bet you like macaroni.”
“We eat it sometimes. You know it matches my mane?”
“I’m sure it does.” Pixel drank a bit of her wine. “Do you like wine often, Sapphire?”
The question seemed to take him by surprise. “Uh, I guess. You can say that I’ve learned over the years when I’ve had enough.”
“I see.”
She glanced at him and their eyes met. It was strange but she saw something in them. A certain warmth and it wasn’t the reflection of the flickering candles. If his change was so obvious then what did he see in her? The mare before him wasn’t little anymore. She was somepony special, the kind that owned luxurious things and had friends in high places. Perhaps as they looked at each other, they saw a little of what they were and wished when they were young and maybe even their future at the same time. She never doubted that he still had a wonderful future ahead of him.
“Are you and Ferris Spark pretty close?”
Pixel started, almost spilling her wine. She didn’t expect to hear that name come up. She felt embarrassed and was starting to feel drowsy. “Yeah. We’re good friends and we’ve known each other for so long that we work together really well.”
“I’m glad. I just read about him in magazines sometimes and he seems like quite the stallion.”
“You do? Why?”
“I guess because my little filly has grown up with technology that they make for her entire life. I kind of wanted to know more about him and his company especially since you’re such a close part of it. In a way, you’ve always been a part of her life even though you’ve rarely seen her.”
Sunstone yawned and clicked the buttons on her phone.
“I suppose it’s about time for bed,” Sapphire said.
“But what about my friends?” The filly looked disappointed. Her eyes betrayed her weariness by sagging.
“Your friends will be there tomorrow so say goodbye.” He stood up. “Pixel, I’ll be back in a moment.” He took his daughter upstairs. Pixel finished her drink then got up. She wandered into the family room and stared at the old pictures from when Sapphire and his sister were foals. She hadn’t seen Diamond in years but she knew that the mare was doing well for herself. She moved to Las Pegasus and became an actress. No A-list celebrity but she did movies and voice work for cartoons once in a while.
Pixel heard some muffled voices. Sapphire probably told Sunstone that he loved her as he pulled the covers over her. Soon, he was back downstairs. He sighed and sat down on the couch then looked at her.
“Pixel, are you alright?” He must have noticed that she wobbled a bit. After managing to down three glasses, the world was beginning to sway. “You may come and join me if you want.”
It sounded like a good idea so she nodded and sat next to him. She yawned lightly and stretched her forelegs. They always felt stiff when she drank but driving in that car didn’t help either. She also was unusually nervous. Words she would usually never say threatened to spill out.
“Thanks for everything. You’re such a sweet stallion.” As soon as she did, she could hardly breathe. But it was too late. She already thought that she had said something which perhaps should have been left alone. Her feelings are like summer’s change. It’s hard to anticipate them. She never expected to see that side of him, that family stallion. He was the same but different somehow and it was all so mysterious.
“I know it’s been a long time,” he said. His voice was soothing and warm. “I still remember when we were in school and you were going back home from the project fair.” He laughed and even that was comforting. “I remember where I stood when you met Mr. Spark.”
She looked at him in confusion. As far as she knew, nopony else was there. She knew that he was the kind of friend to know when to not interfere with her but did he know about her and Spark the entire time? Why had he never brought it up?
“Yeah, that was a long time ago.”
“I just wanted to talk to you about what happened. When you two met, I was actually watching. I’m sure you wouldn’t have liked it and of course by now you two must be pretty close so it must have been a good thing that I didn’t approach you.”
“Close? Kind of but not as much as you might think.” Pixel’s shoulder stiffened again and she groaned lightly.
“Are you feeling sore?”
“It’s just my muscles. They get that way sometimes in summer.”
“Pixel, why don’t I help with that? It would be no trouble,” he offered.
She was unsure what to think but his voice did sound kind and genuine enough…on top of having to know physical therapy….so she accepted. When his hooves first touched her back, it sent electrical waves through her. It came in pulses as he pressed down and rubbed the soreness out. It reminded her of summer storms that used to frighten her as a foal, the kinds that made her wish for sleep.
“Pixel, do you like foals?”
“Of course I do.” The question made her frown and her back almost tighten again. He must have noticed as he shushed quietly.
“Sorry…I was just wondering.”
“I just don’t know when I want them…not that I don’t want them at all.” When most mares spoke of children they didn’t have, they would often blush if they really wanted it and was just too coy to speak of it. She almost felt tears coming. But he stopped touching her and she could lean upward; the pain she had felt was gone.
When she looked at him, she could only gaze into his eyes. Those eyes of his watched change unfold before them and in a way, it was much more difficult for him. He watched his friend leave him, leaving a part of him empty. It was such a big change in her life but it wasn’t just hers. Summer affected them both and it was obviously unreasonable to ever expect things to return to what they used to be. Even if she came back, those eyes of his would only see more change. The hotheaded now cooked homemade meals and the idealized was quiet.
“I’m tired,” she said.
“I’ll take you to your room. C’mon.”
Pixel had heard that love required sacrifice. But for every sacrifice she knew about, there was another kept secret and another she hadn’t yet made. As he escorted her upstairs, she thought about his sacrifice. It was so kind and she could hardly forgive herself for not knowing about it. He told her where the room was; it was next to his daughter’s room and across the hall from the washroom. She knew she had always loved him but back then, it was smaller. And what she had to sacrifice was so little, only her time and attention. She felt so very tired but in the threshold of the doorway, she stalled. She didn’t want to be alone and she hoped that he didn’t either. When she pulled him closer, she felt as though she was burning. He kissed her on the cheek and told her good night and then she closed her eyes. When she did, it was dark. She was going to get used to the darkness. That and the ever present heat of change.
Pixel Wavelength wouldn’t just visit Sapphire once during her birthday weekend. She returned every other week. Everything was uncertain at first. Love was somewhat of an experiment in of itself. They grew into a routine to make things feel normal like the idea that Sapphire was something more than a friend even though he had always been in a way. After enough times, Sunstone was waiting with a homemade cupcake the next time she arrived. She took every chance she could to take some time off from that major project with Ferris. By then, summer was mild and the days often breezy and good for kite flying. She wanted to spend more time with Sunstone, to get to know her more and to let her get comfortable with Pixel’s presence.
Sunstone felt like going to the park and must have asked a hundred times because Sapphire was tired of hearing of it all week. Often while she went and played, the two of them would walk and talk. They were getting familiar with the last ten years. They also tested the conversation waters. Sapphire could talk about his little one for hours but stray too close to his failed marriage and he might clam up. She too couldn’t talk about what she was up to with Spark Industries, not for a lack of trying from Sapphire as they laid in bed. It was harder for her to talk about other things though, seeing that she had so few interests outside of work.
But they did have lots in common. They loved ice cream and playing board games. Watching Pegasus flight contests on television too. They also loved the company of foals, especially Sunstone, the brightest of them all. As soon as they reached the park, she went into full gallop towards the other end with playground equipment.
“Is it okay that she takes off without even stretching her legs?” Pixel asked with some worry.
“It’s no problem,” Sapphire assured her. “Most coaches like me now recommend that we stretch after exercising. It prevents unnecessary injuries and such.” He watched closely until the filly turned a corner over the hill.
“Sapphire, have you ever thought about moving to someplace new?”
“I hadn’t really since Sunstone was born. This is my home. I guess if Sunstone ever learns to fly like I did, she would be a great shoe in to the town squadron someday. Why? Were you wanting to move back?” His ears suddenly perked upward.
The idea had floated to her occasionally while she was working or daydreaming with Sapphire and Sunstone beside her. She definitely missed the town and seeing her retired parents every day. But she didn’t want to say something definitive and end up disappointing him. She knew that it would be wrong.
“That would be lovely but I do like my house up north,” she said somewhat regretfully.
“I understand.” He used his hoof to stroke her mane gently. “If I had a house like that, I might not want to leave either.”
“Yes, it’s really nice. You ought to see it. Of course it’s just a thing and that’s not what’s really important.”
“I suppose it would be the ponies that gives us things?”
He knew her so well that he might as well be able to read her mind. How could he had known that she thought that way? It was true that if she left then it would be like she abandoned Ferris. Even leaving home for her own benefit had been trying and the one thing that helped her to go to college was the fact that her father had sacrificed so much to make it happen. She embraced change but she didn’t do it lightly. Even so, it made a lot of sense.
She smiled at him and they held hooves. Every moment with him was something to cherish, she thought.
Suddenly, Sapphire’s phone began to emit a light melody. He held it up and pressed the main button, a sphere with the Wave OS symbol in glowing blue lines, to respond. He said hello but for some reason, they both heard muffled grunts and then a sharp cry. He looked towards the ridge where the park trail curved around and out of sight.
“What happened? Is everything alright?” Pixel said. He stood, his face very tense.
“I don’t know but that was Sunstone’s number.” They both got up and ran off, going around the small pond that would take them to the playground faster than by running. Pixel observed Sapphire closely. She saw that he was tired and his legs looked weak. The last thing they needed was them cramping on him and sending him into the ground. But she wouldn’t be shocked if that wasn’t on his mind.
They spotted her easily. She was like a little flower, squatted in the wood chips, her muzzle pointed downward and her mane obscuring the top of her face. When Sapphire landed and reached her, Pixel saw trails of silver on her cheeks. Her upper back leg had a scrape that looked like a dark smudge.
“Sweetie, what happened?” He checked for injuries but there seemed to be nothing else wrong. The filly tried to speak but the sounds bubbled out between her raspy breaths.
“Daddy….my phone is gone!” she cried. They both tried to get more out of her but she couldn’t say much. Pixel was livid. What sort of pony would steal from a little filly? It wasn’t just beyond the pale but also beyond her comprehension. She ran across the park, and she quickly spotted several colts running off and rushed after them, cutting them off at an alley.
The tall colt looked almost frozen at seeing a mare bear against them so swiftly. Pixel looked as intimidating as a pony like her could bear, her neck lowered and horn angled low. He still had the phone in his hoof. She felt powerful as if she could crush them in one step if she so chose.
The tall colt tried to regain some of his composure and glared up at her. He, like his friends, had coats riddled with matted patches and dirt. They must have been town locals from the less fortunate areas. She would usually feel sorry for them but not at that moment. They needed to be punished.
“Who are you?!” the colt exclaimed. She thought he sounded more scared than anything else.
“Why did you hurt that filly? What had she done to you?”
“She just insulted us so we showed her who’s boss around here.”
Pixel snorted in anger. She wanted to throw those colts into space but she somehow kept her cool. “She’s not one to insult. You must have started something.”
“Yeah, right.” He threw the phone to her and she caught it. “Here’s the blank flank’s stupid phone back. You going to let us go?”
“First you tell me what in Celestia’s name a blank flank is.”
The colts laughed at her. “It means ponies that don’t have their special talents yet.”
Pixel’s heart raced out of anger and confusion. “Did you three come up with that on your own?”
“We wish. A friend told it to us. I guess some ponies in Ponyville or some place in central Equestria came up with it last year.”
“Just go. Now.” Those three didn’t waste any time and sprinted down the alley. Pixel stood there alone until she calmed down and walked back towards the park. What foals could come up with always depressed her at times, even when she was one of them; yet, blank flank was obviously something new and more pervasive than ever. The idea grew in her mind that texting had allowed the cruel phrase to spread like bacteria from the rural towns to the coast and perhaps even the big cities beyond. She felt helpless and other than going to comfort the filly, she had no idea what to do.
She returned to Sapphire. The stallion told her that he was taking her to her doctor to get her bruise looked at then to see her mother. She understood completely and asked if she could get some needed rest at his place. A little walking alone would do some good. As the two left, she watched and sighed. She missed them already.
When she arrived at the house, she saw a letter near the door. She picked it up and saw that the note attached to it had her name written in ink. She opened it and pulled out the letter. The words she read were few and to the point. She was needed right away back at her house. If she didn’t, her task would be assigned to somepony else. Her heart felt heavy. It wasn’t in his hoof writing but his name was still at the bottom. She didn’t hear his voice when she read it but she knew that his mind had thought it. The day she had was harsh, full of blank flanks and empty hearts that came to her from her own invention. She had to go. Sapphire would understand. Pixel had Sunstone’s phone. A crack ran across the top part of the screen. At least she would have it fixed and mailed back really soon. It couldn’t be any easier.
Pixel Wavelength remembered the lights the most. They were so strong, the flashes somehow embedding themselves into her eyes even after she blinked. The sounds of countless cameras going off and the voices of many were just deafening. The press event she attended attracted every major news organization. It was a coronation, some would say without a hint of sarcasm. The stallion doing the crowning none other than Ferris Spark.
The biggest paper of Manehattan had the words in massive font on the front page: The Princess of the Internet. Her kingdom was as unknown as she was but she knew that being anonymous was a thing of the past. Every phone call and letter reminded her that she could no more remain hidden than the thing she created alongside Ferris. Why did she get so much attention? She had Ferris to thank of course. Only the Wave OS 3.0 could handle the technology which would be sold to the wealthiest ponies early next year.
The event was such a shock that the quiet of her lab was like a sanctuary. She expected some media but not the utter circus that crowded the main foyer of Spark Industry Tower. She and Ferris stood at the top of some stairs and spoke into microphones. She hadn’t known what to say but it was easier when she was able to answer questions from reporters.
Ferris said that they loved her when he was driving her to her hotel afterwards. That her popularity would skyrocket as the public face of the OS and Spark’s internet. But it was hard to believe until she saw herself right there on the front page. She really did look like a princess in her shimmering silk dress.
When she first moved into her house, it had always been like her heart was elsewhere. But after a few years, she began to grow into a sense of comfort and everything about it seemed familiar every time she came home. And so it was with her life beyond. A popular mare like her could be invited to any party or social gathering of her choosing from Las Pegasus to Baltimare if she wished. She would be asked to go yachting or to a gala once in a while. It was so glamorous that she could hardly resist going.
Ferris dropped by from time to time, but mostly her house was empty during the day. It’s alright; Pixel understood that he had his own life and he always did his own thing. He got a new mare friend lately. A model if she recalled correctly and she wasn’t really dumb at all. The hazel colored mare with a sweeping jet black mane even made her stumble with a couple questions about the internet when Pixel last saw her at a dinner party. Pixel was good at answering questions and promoting the internet whenever she traveled or was interviewed. She even started going to the opening ceremonies of company offices as they expanded to new places. But most of the time, she felt like she was handled with foal gloves. Ferris went so far as to severely discourage her going on the company website to talk on their forums. He told her that they would pry into what they didn’t need to know.
She had always thought of doing some investigating of her own into the internet and Spark’s control over it. His company owned most of the major interconnected hubs or as they are colloquially called, “websites”. But with everything taking so much of her time, that got pushed aside. Her job came first then it was Sapphire and Sunstone. After that, her friends.
As time passed, she took up drawing. She hadn’t worked on a whole lot of projects lately so she wanted to occupy her time making something pretty. She loved to draw or sometimes paint on the balcony. She made each dark stroke from memory until the shape of Sunstone took form. She was already 12 and had grown taller and her wings longer. She was like her father, smart, kind and quick. Pixel made sure to include the golden locket she gave her for her birthday. It was a heart with her picture in it. A fitting gesture to a filly that always said I love you to her when they met. She hadn’t been called “mom” but Pixel knew that a day like that might come.
The filly was more beautiful when seen with her own eyes. Slowly growing into a fine young mare like she had been. Pixel was more than glad to help with her mental growth too. When her dad was busy coaching after school, they would go to the nearby park where there was a secluded picnic table near the pond. Whenever Pixel visited, she made it a priority to help her do homework. And it was no exception when the filly asked her to help with a project.
The air was quiet and the pond still save for some ducks paddling within the green waters. The place was shaded and cool in late spring and butterflies and bees were about as usual.
Sunstone sat across from her. The filly had a pink backpack adorned with stickers and patches of cartoon characters. Her locket hung from her neck. As she looked over her notebook, she slouched; Pixel felt an urge to tell her to sit up straight but she hesitated. She knew the filly would listen but it really wasn’t her place. At least not yet.
“So this assignment is about a pony, I hear?” Pixel said. Sunstone lifted her head up and nodded.
“It’s supposed to be about important ponies. And you’re really important. To me and dad but to pretty much everypony too. I thought it would be great to write about you and the things you’ve done.”
Pixel thought it was both sweet and terribly amusing. She hadn’t even planned to write any memoirs but there was a filly wanting to write about her. She felt appreciated and special even though she was mostly just a public face for somepony else’s invention.
“Thank you, sweetie. Do you have an idea of what we should work on?”
“I wanted to talk about the making of the internet and how it affects ponies.”
Pixel furrowed her brow in thought. “I can’t really bring up a lot concerning how it was built since your teacher is liable to be seeing this, right? I don’t think I should.”
Sunstone seemed to understand fully and it didn’t discourage her. “The technical stuff is a bit dull for a paper that I want to make. Let’s have it be about you and what you envisioned the internet to be for ponies,” she said enthusiastically.
“What do you mean? I don’t really follow.”
Sunstone tapped her pen on the table a few times as she tried to come up with something. “You know….why the internet is the way it is today. How ponies communicate differently. I’m sure there’s lots to write about without having to bring up anything you might not be allowed to talk about.”
Even though Pixel was still unsure as to what she could contribute, she wasn’t going to disappoint Sunstone either. The filly would never get Ferris or somepony else to interview so it had to be her. After all, she’s worked with the internet for years but it was always behind the scenes. In all her years, she’s actually never did much crawling around in the vast network of websites and programs that connected Equestria. After a while, it became clear to her that she needed to find out more for herself. When Sunstone laughed with every ill-thought assumption, it was especially apparent.
They went back to the house when they started to get hungry. When the door was opened, Pixel could smell fresh bread. Sapphire was making dinner. They ended up eating the toasted sandwiches and cool salad together. Sapphire asked how their day went and was impressed to hear how far Sunstone was coming with her report.
After, Sunstone cleared the table and washed the dishes. Pixel went upstairs. She was soon met by Sapphire and he smiled warmly.
“I’ve been thinking about you all week,” he whispered. Pixel relaxed as he nuzzled her white neck. With his warm touch, she was as soft as clay.
“I couldn’t wait to come back. After I’m done helping Sunstone, we’ll have the night to spend together,” she said. They embraced again then she went into Sunstone’s room. Pixel moved a plush bear from the chair and gently moved aside girly beauty products to make room for her large forearms. Soon, Sunstone entered the room.
“You’re welcome to get on my computer anytime,” she said. She didn’t look embarrassed at the state of her room but she did pick up a few things.
“I think you have a password.” Pixel moved aside and Sunstone came closer.
“Sorry.” She pressed down on the small keys, making some mistakes, but she put in a password in and the computer went to the main screen. “The keys are too small for my hooves and kind of hard to press down.”
“Does it bother you?”
Sunstone shrugged. “It can…but Earth Ponies have real problems. Sometimes, they can crack phone screens by pressing down too hard. We sort of have the opposite effect; we Pegasus are a bit weaker. But all things considered, I like my computer.”
Despite the filly’s upbeat attitude, Pixel’s concerns were not assuaged. That was exactly the sort of thing she wanted to prevent. But surely the internet wouldn’t be as bad as all that. It was just difficulties in hardware. Pixel opened up the EEI or Equestrian Empire Internet browser, Spark Industries’ flagship product in their internet expansion.
“Let’s get started,” Sunstone said. It didn’t take long for Pixel to realize that she was in unfamiliar waters. Sunstone asked her about websites she didn’t know about and going there wasn’t something she had prepared for in the least. The first was a video sharing website. The filly had videos about ponies and their lives that played out before their eyes. It was hit or miss; some made the filly cry tears of laughter while Pixel herself could feel nothing as if they were inside jokes. A few videos of ponies doing silly things did draw reactions though and it amused her although she wondered why they would have put themselves in such a spotlight in the first place. The whole idea appeared so foreign.
Even when she had watched enough to become accustomed to it, she scrolled the screen down to see ponies and the things they posted in reaction. Not knowing the average pony on the internet, she was taken aback. Lots of negative things were written, uncalled for text and such. The words they left behind were a minefield of broken words as carelessly scattered as carrion left to decay. It made her stomach churn and she had Sunstone take her away from that site. It left her gasping for air.
“Are you okay, Pixel?” Sunstone said seriously.
Pixel finally recovered. “I’m alright, dear. It’s just surprising. I had known so little about the internet. It’s hard to believe that it’s like that…unless it’s just that one site?” She looked at Sunstone but she frowned. It probably wasn’t as simple as that.
“Are you sure you want to keep going? I can just think of something else to do,” Sunstone said half-heartedly.
“No need. I want to continue. In fact, I know where I must go and I even know the place. Should the Princess of the Internet shy away from her duties?” For once, the title carried some weight in her heart. It wasn’t just something that gave her privileges but something that reminded her of what she should have been doing all along. Sunstone watched as Pixel went straight for her own company’s website. She had to search until she found their own forums. She clicked on it and read though. There were a lot of problems from her phones and computers. Each main pony species were having troubles and users expressed outrage over it. Soon, she felt her back stiffen again when she grew agitated.
Pixel stood up. She felt weary and it was difficult to speak. “I promise that I’ll get that report to you.” She turned towards the filly. “But I must go. Can you tell your father something for me?”
She nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
“Please tell him that…I’ll come back as soon as I can. And remember that I love you, okay?”
They said their goodbyes and she left into the night. The moon was out and the air was cold. She drove her car to the nearest airport. She was going to go straight for Manehattan. But she didn’t feel that angry after she left their house. It was like something was lifted from her mind after all the years since she stared into those cobalt eyes of a pretty colt. And she was herself again, at last free to see the world as it had become. And she did hate it. Ponies were ruder and cruder than ever before. She was so willing to overlook so much. How foals made fun of one another, how adults were so hurtful to each other and even what happened to Sunstone before was taken as an isolated incident; but what the internet exposed was a culture too vast to ignore. She was going to the city because she had to disown it. It wasn’t hers; if anything, it belonged to that Spark family and Ferris himself.
It’s incredible how a change in perspective puts everything in a new light. Pixel Wavelength once saw Spark Industries as a center of progress; but as she walked through its halls, it never looked more confined and shut off from the world. Stallions of vision were always the most stubborn sort. If only it didn’t take her decades to figure that out.
She ignored the receptionist that told her to wait and stormed into his lab by flashing her security card on the scanner. Inside, Ferris was entertaining his filly friend. She sat on the couch with a glass of something dark, maybe whiskey, and flicked her mane from her eyes as she noticed Pixel enter. Ferris looked up, mildly surprised.
“Uh…Pixel! What are you doing here?” He got up and approached her.
“Dispense with the small talk and any flattery you might have stored up. I’ve come to make things clear to you.” Pixel knew that her voice was cutting and not at all kind but she hardly cared.
“I suppose. What happened to yours though? You must save it up for your colt friend and that little filly of his.”
“You are having me followed? That’s too much, Ferris.” His hardened eyes looked at her without sympathy.
“Followed? Not exactly. You’re too watchful for that.”
She figured it out almost immediately and it angered her in a way that seethed under her skin. “You’ve been having my communications searched! I thought you trusted me.”
“Searched, blocked, screened. Whatever you want to call it,” he said nonchalantly. “I didn’t trust that you would keep our secrets safe. I didn’t trust that your good nature wouldn’t do something that wasn’t in the best interest of my company.”
“Blocked! So you hid the truth.”
He took a sip of his drink. “Yes. I did what had to be done. I sort of knew this day would come.” He put his drink down. “Which is why I took steps to prevent it at least until enough time had passed so that you wouldn’t overreact.”
Pixel never felt more furious than at that moment. She saw that pompous fool before her and wanted to punish him like Princess Celestia would to her most dangerous enemies. To banish him to the ends of the world. But she couldn’t. He still stood there, and proudly no less of all the things he’s done.
“You do this with our invention?!”
“What are you talking about?”
“The internet! You manipulate it to serve your own ends…and your own corrupt agenda.”
Ferris smirked wide. “It’s my invention and I’ll do with it as I please. Yes, I will reserve the right to dictate what ponies can and can’t see. I will monitor as I please and there’s nothing anypony can do about it.”
“I’ll go to the press!”
Ferris rushed forward and came nose to nose with her. “You’re out of your mind. Go home and let yourself cool off. You don’t want to be fired over this.”
“I’m the Princess of the internet….I’ll…”
“You are the princess of nothing! I gave you that title so you could feel important! You may have your face on billboards but you have no power, no prestige that I don’t grant and no relevance outside this company. I could have left you in that town to rot but I didn’t. Everything you are and will be is because of me!” Each thing he said was another blow to her. He was like a cobra, lashing as fast as he could until she was backed into the wall with nowhere to go. He was so formidable with his eyes staring down at her.
“I gave you things too,” she said softly. “I needed you to help me in return. Whatever happened to my dreams?” Her head hung heavily. Her anger had been drenched and her eyes were wet.
“I fulfilled them.”
“No, those weren’t it. My dream was to help ponies. I wanted to build a computer to be used by anypony but you won’t do it.”
“I made a decision not to pursue that.”
Pixel stood up fully and gazed into his eyes. “You broke your promise.”
He sighed as if for once, he had some regret or it was just annoyance at her continued questioning. “I had no choice. Building a computer like that would cost us sales. Our current system allows us to sell a computer to each pony race at cost and then we earn so much from repairs and other services. This is more important. It’s even bigger than you or me.”
“No, I refuse to believe it. I’m sorry but your system goes against what I believe in. I want to help ponies. You just want to make money at their expense.”
He suddenly cursed at her and he tightened his jaw as he reached at her. He tried to grip her shoulder and force her down. She wasn’t scared but knowing that danger was near, she used her powers to reach the safety of the door instantly. He slipped and fell while Pixel summoned flames to heat up the sprinkler above him. It blew, drenching him in water. He cursed more but out of fear or spite. Everything was undone. The water revealed him for what he was or at least became. He must have known that he made a mistake. One that he couldn’t undo.
She opened the door. She was never as strong as she was then, taking her first step away. “Take your own advice, Ferris. Princess Celestia won’t be fond of your outbursts in court.” She ran off down the hall and away from him.
She will never see that lab of his again. She had rejected his hostility and his pathetic attempt to keep her from leaving. What a pity for she really liked his lab. But it doesn’t matter. She doesn’t need him to build and plan things again as she used to do. She may be older but dreams never die. She will go where she really belongs with her family. And somehow, when she’s ready, she will put a stop to Ferris’ stranglehold on the internet. It’s for the good of the ponies. She may not be ready to see that old blue light again for a while but when things are better, she’ll grow to love it once more. It was hers after all. None can take it away.
Pixel Wavelength was once alone as she stood against Ferris Spark and his army of lawyers. She was alone in the beginning because none wanted to stand by the side of somepony that would oppose such a beloved celebrity as he. She remained undeterred, refusing to even consider changing her mind, no matter how difficult things seemed and how unlikely the courts would hear her suit against him. Ferris never attempted to pay her into silence or even try to convince her to go away. He knew as well as she that neither could relent. Not in that battle. They couldn’t stop her as she had so much evidence but they dragged it on for nine grueling years.
Part of it was because the capital where the litigation carried on was assaulted. The recent upheavals in the empire was a nightmare that made things far worse but there was a silver lining. She ended up having her old friend, Potato Mash, represent her at many hearings. He had become a lawyer and he really knew the law. The last time they were together, she met his son, Button Mash. The young colt suffered a lot from bullies for his blank flank and even for his love of games. Pixel really sympathized with him.
Soon, the judges recommended a royal court to take the case and make a final decision. It usually meant Princess Celestia but with the return of Princess Luna, who knew what would happen. By then, she was very weary but with the end in sight, she couldn’t say that it was not worth it.
Pixel relaxes in her private car on the train ride towards the capital. She and her husband ride together often and love traveling around Equestria. It’s one of their favorite things. Their children sit on the seat across from them. Sunstone, the college student, reads one of her romance novels. Little Prism Wavelength leans back until her hooves touches Pixel’s seat and kicks them up and down in boredom. It disturbs Pixel from her work. She’s transfixed on her business reports until her daughter broke her concentration so annoyingly.
“Please sit still. Mommy is working,” she tells her without looking up. The five year old filly, a pretty white pony with a light silvery mane, sits back up. She’s a bit more of a hoof-full than her sister was at that age, a little firecracker. Always hungering for adventure. She may be a Pegasus pony like her sister but she’s still a ways off from being able to fly properly.
Sapphire leans over and nudges his glasses closer to his eyes. “Still at it, I see?”
“Yes, dear. It’s the Las Pegasus account,” she murmurs.
“You should get at least a little rest. The sun is coming down. Maybe we can get some dinner before we go to bed?” He reaches over and puts his hoof on her shoulder.
“In ten minutes.” She does a little last minute checks of her finances before shutting the binder and putting it in her briefcase. It holds pretty much everything she needs to keep her business in order while she’s away. Ever since leaving Ferris, she still had to work. Her dream was still in her head and it would have kept her up at night unless she kept working at it every day. And she does; her company ended up manufacturing the computer of her dreams and the ponies sure do love it. She gets more fan letters than she ever used to and barely receives anything negative. But it’s still hard going as long as she’s still in conflict with Spark Industries.
She gets up and the family goes to the dining car. Her sister in law and mother are there, talking at a booth. Her father had died five years prior, having barely met Prism before his last day. By then, he was in ill health and mostly bedridden. She still thinks about him and goes to visit his grave once a year.
She isn’t very hungry and eats little, opting to drink plenty of tea instead. After a chat with her mother and Diamond, they all return to the cabin as night falls. She sleeps, but she is restless and wakes intermittently. The train beds are barely enough for her and Sapphire to lie down and often, one of her legs would slip out or slowly cramp on her. She reaches for a small fan and tries to cool herself from the summer heat. She thinks about having to go to court again tomorrow. She wishes that she was as calm as her husband which sleeps peacefully next to her, his snoring filling the room.
She wakes first and opens the curtains to spy Canterlot approaching over the horizon. The sun filters through the tall woods as the train heads up a winding mountain pass.
Her family eats in the dining car for breakfast. She looks out the window while the attendant brings her a fresh muffin and butter. She smiles and says thanks.
“I’ve not been to Canterlot in years,” Sapphire reminisces. “I bet it’s changed quite a bit.”
“No. Cities like that don’t tend to change often; they’re rooted in history,” her mother says. Anypony that looks at her can tell that she has changed. She needs part time care in her house since she’s grown weaker. Her hair isn’t as sharp and her muscles sag.
Prism leans towards the window. “Grandma, look. I see the castle!”
“It’s beautiful,” Pixel’s mother says. “The princess lives there.”
Prism turns around. “I want to see Cadance.” She mumbles a lot and it’s cute when she does so.
“I think we’ll go to a flower garden. Don’t you like that, Prism?” Diamond asks.
Diamond’s little niece looks pouty; she does not understand that she won’t be able to see the princesses at the castle. They will be at the courthouse where her mother is headed to. At noon, she will be there for the final day of statements where cases will be rested. Pixel has done everything she can in her own defense of her ownership of the Wave OS. If she fails then everything she had done might be for nothing.
“I’m sure you will. Just be patient and eat your food,” Pixel says.
Things go smoothly until they reach the train station. A ton of ponies are waiting for her. As she leaves out with her family, there are lots of cheering. Some are holding signs like one saying “I <3 our Princess of the Internet”. After all that time, she is still holding on to that title. That’s because she is working so hard to do some good and to maybe even undo some of the damage that Ferris had caused. He is utterly powerless to take it back even as he presents so much resistance against her plans to end his ridiculous monopoly.
Pixel waves and smiles at her adoring fans. She considers them all to be her friends and if she could pack the courtroom with them then she would. They are all a testament to what she is able to use the internet for. While they head to their waiting chauffer, a few ponies also calls out Diamond’s name. She grins and waves at them before stepping into the long car.
They take Diamond, Prism and her mother to the castle area. Prism looks happy to see the towering royal home so close to her. She barely notices or seems to care as Pixel leaves; but Pixel watches the smiling filly until she is out of sight. Soon, they arrive at the place, a large brick building with grey pillars. There are fans even there as they get out. Photographers take their pictures. Pixel mostly tries to ignore them until the family is safe in the quiet cold of the courthouse. Their hoof steps on the marble floors echo in the long hallway.
A stallion with a shirt and tie walks down the hall. He looks very professional.
“Excuse me, we’re looking for Court 302…can you help us?” Pixel inquires kindly. “I’ve never been to this particular place before.”
“Ah, I am the main court clerk. I was expecting you, Mrs. Wavelength,” he replies. “I’ll take you and your family there.”
“Thank you.”
Pixel and the others enter the courtroom. It’s large with old murals of ponies with things written in the old languages. There are a few ponies sitting in long wooden benches but she doesn’t know who they are. An elevated platform is obviously where the judge or in this case, the princesses, will go.
“Your family may sit in the area behind you,” the clerk informs Pixel. He leads them to the area.
“Thank you. Shouldn’t Mr. Spark also be here?”
“I wouldn’t know. Have a good day.” The clerk leaves. As he does, Ferris arrives through another door as if on cue. He goes down the main aisle and glances at her before sinking into the defendant’s chair. Pixel isn’t sure what to feel about him anymore. He’s aged so much that his eyes have grown dark and his hair is peppered with grey now that he’s 46. Something almost like pity tugs at her heart. She’s brought more ponies along than he. He has no lawyers or family or even his filly friend. That relationship he had perhaps ended long ago. She can’t know for certain. She does everything in her power to avoid knowing anything about him.
Still, she starts to feel bad for him and as the princesses are not there, she decides to walk to him. She sees that he wears a formal suit and tie but nothing too fancy. He probably snuck in through the back.
“Hello, Ferris,” she says. She doesn’t manage a smile. There’s nothing happy about their meeting.
“Hello. How’s the family?”
“We’re well. And yourself?”
He shrugs. “I’ve seen better days. It’s been quite the birthday. Things aren’t as I thought they would be at my age. You looking forward to 50?”
“I am. Me and my husband will go somewhere nice,” she says proudly.
“At least life’s treated you well. I’ve been hemorrhaging money, losing friends and…I’m even losing sleep. Nothing’s right anymore.”
“Change does come to everypony.”
“Right. Look at things now. We got four princesses all of a sudden. Strange world, Pixel. I was even here in the capital last summer when that new one was crowned.”
“Well, I hope things turn out better for you.”
“They could if I didn’t have to go to court.” His voice is faint as if what he said is just the whisper of a desire. She feels sorry for him.
Pixel sighs. “That can’t happen.” She turns around and returns to her area only minutes before the princesses file in. The royal guard calls the court to order and all bow before their glorious leaders.
“Please be seated,” Celestia says, her voice powerful. “Now, I and the other three princesses before you have looked at the case that the lower courts recommended to be seen. The sole reason that we have all assembled is due to its very nature, something which concerns not only two agencies but in a way, the whole of Equestria.” She looks at Princess Twilight, a mare that Pixel is not familiar with in any way; she’s a purple mare with a straight cut mane and a body even smaller than Pixel’s.
This mare starts to speak. “I’ve grown up in an age of technological brilliance. The idea of technology affecting the lives of many is something I’ve worked with for a long time and I am well aware of you both and what you’ve contributed to the science of communication. But as we know, there is an issue as to how this technology can be used and who can ultimately benefit from it. There may not be more said of the specifics regarding value and of dates. We four have gathered together in advance and came to a conclusion as to the sole ownership of what is known as the Wave Operating System or Wave OP for short.”
Cadance clears her throat. “It is not in dispute that the mare, Pixel Wavelength, was the first to conceive of the Wave OS and will from this day forward, be the sole proprietor of it. Spark Industries must surrender control immediately.”
Pixel is so overjoyed that she wants to shout and dance and even go and hug her daughter and husband. There are even murmurs in the ponies behind her at such a quick verdict. However, she knows that it’s not over yet.
Princess Luna looks at her. They had never met before and her eyes are quite beautiful, she thinks; and so is rest of her regal form, her flowing mane and sparkly coat. “It is now time for a final plea to be called forth. Which of you can convince us that your cause is just? Let it be known to the court this day,” Luna says firmly.
The defendant had been chosen as the one to speak first as it is normal to do so. Ferris adjusts his microphone and looks up almost as a pony would do to plead for some spare change on the street. It may be fake or it may just be real but either way, he isn’t in command and his voice isn’t the one that draws ponies in. But Pixel listens carefully for his words can still be sharp.
“Princesses, I stand before you to speak of my rights today. I may cede that the Wave OS was invented by my former partner which is suing me. And yet, it allows me to speak on my behalf as to my right to stand firm to protect my very real claim. The internet is a technology I dreamed of first. Who may dispute that? Who may dispute my right to do with it as I see fit? To regulate my inventions as I wish? Pixel Wavelength seeks not to reclaim what’s hers but to limit what’s mine. To bring the internet to fruition was a substantial burden on myself and my company. It must not be allowed for our efforts to be wasted.” He falls silent, his little speech ending as concise as a stallion as he can muster. Princess Celestia looks at Pixel.
“Mrs. Wavelength…or should I say Princess Pixel, I believe you also have something to say.” The princess smiles amusingly as Pixel concentrates. When she does, all the negativity in her mind seems to vanish. Pixel draws her will from a filly that lived so long ago.
“Princesses, I had a dream too. But not a dream like the one that Mr. Spark had. What he wants is nothing pure and genuine. His kind sees the world as revolving around them, and acts accordingly. The internet is meant to benefit his company and no others. It’s why he wishes to rule it and to dictate how ponies live through it. But my dream was the opposite. I’ve loved ponies so much that to see them as nothing more than consumers is too alien for me to understand. The internet is a tool and like any tool, it can be used for good or ill. He says he owns the internet. But he can’t. It’s grown beyond him now, beyond his company. It’s something that is so new to the world that generations will grow up in its grasp. We must ensure that they not be held prisoner to the whims of those that want to control them. Princesses, it’s vital that you free the internet. It must be done for the good of Equestria.”
Pixel’s rather satisfied with her closing remarks. The princesses adjourn for half an hour to finalize their rulings. Meanwhile, Pixel starts to feel dizzy and she sweats. Only taking deep breaths and fanning herself seems to help. She goes back to her family and they talk briefly but they mostly remain silent except that they tell her how proud of how bravely she stood against a pony as big as Ferris Spark.
Across from her, Ferris doesn’t look all that scared and he checks his phone as if he has no cares at all. The half hour practically lasts forever until the princess finally return. Celestia tells her and Ferris to stand for their ultimate ruling.
“We’ve taken your points of views into consideration,” she says. Her voice is heavy. “We understand that this is a situation that is fluid and also unpredictable. Even I have little knowledge of this concept known as the internet in my long life. But as usual, what I believe comes from a desire to do what is right for not only one pony but for all when the situation requires. If this suit was for anything less then perhaps we would have seen things differently. Spark Industries is commendable for spreading the technology. If it wasn’t for them then perhaps it wouldn’t exist in its current form and the court acknowledges it. Despite this, we accept Pixel Wavelength’s argument as well. The internet has grown so rapidly that we have no choice but to recognize its greater impact on pony society even as we attempt to glean greater understanding of it. We jointly decree that the internet is to be taken under the jurisdiction of the crown. We allow for ponies to utilize it without requiring the consent of any one group but, also, we recognize the right of companies to sell the technology. I hope that the internet begins its rightful place in our world in the pursuit of knowledge and friendship.” With that, it’s over. Nine years of struggle over with the crack of a royal gavel. The crown has spoken.
After they leave, Ferris rises and exits the courtroom. Pixel will remember what he looks like as it will be the last time she sees him. The stallion goes out into an uncertain future. He perhaps doesn’t know if his company will last much longer or even if he will last. Pixel’s heart fills with pity for him but there’s nothing she can do. But it’s not all bad. He has a lot of money left and a whole lot of dignity still intact. In her mind, she wishes him all the luck in the world. He’ll need it to regain his former self someday and that might be the toughest change of all.
Later, her family is at the royal gardens at the castle. Prism is given the wonderful opportunity to ride on Princess Cadance as she floats in the sky. She’s having the time of her life. The others chat with Celestia and Luna while she walks with Princess Twilight. It was Twilight’s idea that they all gather together at the castle on such a fine afternoon. The clouds are brilliant white and the sun shines brightly.
The two of them talk casually about things. Computers, science, books; it’s overwhelming to speak to such an approachable princess as she. She wields the title as if it’s mere formality and doesn’t seem to mind if ponies are lax with protocol or if they even observe it at all. But Pixel can’t dream of it. She certainly bowed to her.
“In a way, you’ve been a princess far longer than I,” she says with a giggle. “I must have been very young when you worked for Spark Industries.”
“That’s true, princess.” Pixel nods meekly. Twilight notices and smiles.
“Don’t discount yourself. The internet is very real even though we can’t touch it directly. You may not wear a crown but if any is fit to be a leader in that world then it has to be you.”
Pixel decides to bring up something that’s been merely an idea in her head for quite a while. Being that they’re so similar, she finds it appropriate to bring it up.
“What do you think of me creating a grand hub for ponies to connect and reach one another in the spirit of friendship and harmony? Wouldn’t this be a very valuable task to take?”
Twilight looks at her curiously. “What would it be?”
“I call it Poniverse.”
The two heads off into the gardens to talk about it in depth. It’s quite the summer, the time where everything has changed. She would never forget it like she never forgot any of those summers before. It’s the same for everypony else. Prism will end up in school for the first time next year. Sunstone would graduate college. Even Ferris would see better days. His loss perhaps inspires him as he ends up building a powerful suit of armor and fights against an invading horde of Changelings in the second Pony-Changeling War. Things just can’t stay the same forever. Nopony can predict change or even understand it sometimes but we all know it when we see it.
THE END
Author's Note
If I had any errors or If you have any questions, please PM me at anytime. I hope you enjoyed the story and liked my interpretation of Pixel Wavelength. Have a nice day!
Pixel Wavelength goes to bed after drinking too much wine one night at home. As soon as her eyes close, she falls in a deep dream, the kind where her whole body is totally relaxed. It’s something that’s happened to her a lot in her life. There are unusual dreams, not like the kind most ponies have. She would dream of Ferris before she even met him. When they were apart, she would dream of her future husband.
She’s a child often in these dreams. While many ponies stop reflecting on their youth, it only comes back to her stronger. Her dad is there more and more. Sometimes reliving their camping trips together or building a machine together. It’s always something she remembers. But this dream is different than the rest.
She can tell right away because she can’t recognize anything. She’s in some shed she’s never seen before. She also can’t control herself which is not something she’s used to. Her head looks around. There is a field of wheat off in the distance, golden in the sun. A house stands not far off. The shed –or is it a garage- is full of tools. A stallion stands before her. It’s her dad but he’s so young. Younger than she’s ever seen him, even in pictures. He scrapes a chisel against a piece of wood and blows dust away. Pixel tries to speak but her commands fail to move her lips.
Her dad picks up the piece of wood, a kind of curved thing like a crown. It has Pixel’s wavy emblem in the front.
“Princess…this is for you.”
He holds it towards her head with his eyes staring at her lovingly. She wants to scream at him to stop it but it is no use. She wants to resist what he’s saying. She wasn’t a princess! She was his daughter! It is put on her head and it is so heavy. There is a mirror behind her dad. In it, she sees a fuzzy image in one of the windows of the house. She tries to focus on it. A purple head and a long flowing mane just like the one Princess Luna has. It’s far and she can’t tell if it’s her or not. Suddenly, two mechanical hooves grips her shoulders and forces her to gaze into the eyes of Ferris Spark. They are black pools. Pixel is thrown back into the darkness of her bedroom. Her eyes are wide and unblinking. She sits up and takes a deep breath. Her dad was there….Ferris was there….what happened?
She gets up. Her heart is pounding and she has a terrible headache. Her husband is still sleeping like a foal. She goes to the kitchen and starts a pot of coffee.
The first thing she does is to turn on her computer. The blue screen lights up the family room at 4:30 in the morning. It boots up quickly and she types up the address to a major social hub on the internet. Ferris had made his most recent status update at 12:30. He’s still in dragon country apparently. Good for him, she thinks.
Satisfied that she hasn’t seen some kind of bad future, she decides to check up on Poniverse early today. She drinks her coffee and updates her blog. She does that every day to talk about the things she’s into and how her company is doing. Her internet company is one of the most popular in the empire and there is no shortage of praise towards her being the “princess of the internet” after all those years. She may be beloved in the industry and by ponies all over Equestria but she never lets it go to her head. Her updates are of things close to her. She loves it when ponies congratulate her daughter on passing a grade or being in the elementary school play. She won’t pass up an opportunity to do the same to her fans. She’ll show her love for them in more ways than one.
While she’s responding to a message on her forums, she notices that her mom has sent her a message on her personal page at the Poniverse social network. She had no idea that her mom would be up so early. She types back. One of the things Pixel never got into was shorthand texting on the internet. It makes sense in a way. Royalty always have to be proper.
Pixel sips her coffee as her mother types. The speech indicator moves.
Words appear. “Up early?” Smiley face.
Furious typing. “I had a nightmare. Aren’t you up early?”
“Nope…i’m ok. Older ponies like me don’t mind watching the sun rise…what do you mean about a nightmare? You ok?”
“It was just weird, mom. Never had anything like that before. I must have had too much to drink.”
“dad and I always told you to watch it”
“I’m almost 40, mom. Strangely enough, I was in this garage. Dad was there but he was really young. Did he ever have long bangs over his eyes?”
A few seconds pass and Pixel takes a long gulp of coffee.
“As a matter of fact he did! He must have told you”
“Nopony ever did. The oldest photo I’ve seen is after he met you. Anyway, he was carving his old wooden crown. It was totally weird. He always made practical stuff.”
Pixel waits for her mother’s reply but for some reason, it doesn’t arrive. She then notices that the little status icon has changed, telling her that her mother’s gone. She sighs and stares at her empty coffee cup. She doesn’t know why her mother left like that but she’s not going to worry. She replies to the pony on her forums then gets up.
A few hours later, the normal bustle fills her small kitchen. She has made breakfast for her family. Fried potatoes and eggs. Little Prism is eating some with a fork and her husband is reading the daily paper.
“Diamond is thinking about coming for a visit soon,” he says casually. “I haven’t seen her since the Summer Sun Celebration.”
Pixel barely hears him. “That will be nice, dear.”
After Prism eats, Pixel escorts her to the bus stop and she goes to school. Then she goes and cleans up after the family while her husband is getting his things. He still works for the school so he’ll be gone just like her daughter for most of the day.
After her husband leaves, Pixel cleans up around the house. She dusts the furniture, rubs oil over the wooden table, and mops the floor. She goes into Prism’s room and picks up a few toys and her pink blanket. Then she goes over some reports on the company’s expenses. She uses her computer to enter various figures on a virtual spreadsheet.
By then, it’s the afternoon. She wanted to get to cleaning the windows but that can wait until tomorrow. She’ll go pick up Prism in an hour. She decides to go and nap in her bed and catch up on some sleep. She lies in her dark room and sets the alarm.
When her head meets the pillow, she falls into a deep slumber. Pixel doesn’t even feel a transition. One second, she’s in the waking world and then it’s gone. She’s in her old house again and she’s no longer tall. Judging from her height, she must be about ten years old. The house is dark and there are no sounds of her parents. She can move this time and goes to lift one of the curtains from a window but she can’t look outside. The light is blinding. She lowers it and moves around until she comes across the door leading downstairs to the basement. The door is ajar and a faint blue light emanates from below.
Pixel is merely curious of the light and follows it downstairs. There, she finds her old workbench. The basement is like it used to be with her many tools and diagrams hanging from wires from a pipe crossing the ceiling. In the middle is the old box she had for her first significant invention, sitting alone like a gift.
The memories flood her mind. She lived her entire childhood in that basement. Her main companion was her dad and he’s nowhere to be found. But at least she can still see the precious device that helped to make her. She steps heavily on the stairs and reaches the table. The box is coated in dust. She lifts the lid off and is taken aback to see that wooden crown inside instead.
With all her strength, she shoves it away and it slides across the table like it could reach out and bite her. She backs up and stumbles on her hooves. She thinks she is going to hit the hard wall behind her but instead she is caught by a wall of warmth. But as she does, the blue light goes out and she can see nothing. She is held by two arms, their thick coat that prickles her soft body is like her father used to be. It shushes her but there is no breath from whatever it is. She screams into the darkness. The buzzing of her clock forces her awake. A blue light flashes like a strobe in her room until she turns it off.
Pixel is totally confused but she can’t sit and ruminate about that second dream of hers. She has to go and pick up Prism. She drives to the school and finds her waiting with some friends. She waits for Sapphire and takes them both home.
“How was your day, dear?” he inquires.
Pixel is still on edge even as she scans the road for foals. “It was normal. Not much happened,” she lies.
She asks Sapphire to make dinner today so she can go to a small appointment. He says it would be no problem to make something. Pixel drives to her mother’s house. She parks and gets out. It’s windy and leaves fly down the neat and repaired sidewalk. The house is surrounded by a yard full of flowers these days. Her mother spends most of her time gardening and talking about gardening. She’s always loved to take care of things.
Pixel opens the front door and sees her mother in the kitchen. She is wearing an apron.
“Hello, Pixel. It’s so nice for you to come and visit,” she says.
“I know. I’m sorry I haven’t come as much as I should.”
Her mother looks amused and her cheeks wrinkle as she smiles. “That’s nonsense, dear. You are the busiest pony I know.”
Her mother was always the cheery one in the house. She and her husband were like night and day sometimes. Every now and then, they would clash but not by anything like arguing or, Celestia forbid, fighting. It was just kind of by existing. Still, Pixel would be in the middle of it in her own solitary island of seriousness. It’s the same now even though Pixel’s father has been gone for years but she’s still a serious filly.
“Are you making pie?” Pixel looks at her apron that has flour on it.
“It’s for the bake sale,” her mother says. “I have extra if you want a piece.”
“I suppose that sounds good. Go ahead and cut me one. I’ll be right back.”
Pixel walks down the hall and creeps up to the basement door. It’s shut tight. She opens it and turns on the light so she can see down the stairs. It’s been given a light blue carpeting. At the bottom, she looks around at the renovated place that was once the home of her childhood. Her mother has turned it into a guest bedroom and a central coffee table and a potted plant lies where her worktable once was. A computer sits on a desk next to the far wall. The only thing left from the past is the metal pipe above her.
Later, the two of them are eating pie in the kitchen. Pixel uses her fork to stab through the flaky crust. Her mother always had a knack for baking. Pixel used to think that she should have been a chef but she never pursued anything like that. She had no ambition.
“How is the computer?” Pixel asks.
Her mother swallows then pats her mouth with a towel. “Well, I like it. I like talking to ponies on it.”
Pixel throws a pointed glance at her mother. “Well, you sort of stopped talking to me this morning if you recall.”
“I guess I was just a bit tired. That does happen to ponies my age, you know.” Pixel can hear a flustered tone in her voice.
“Sure but it’s just a bit strange that you did that right after talking about dad. But maybe it was just nothing. And again, there was this dream I had, remember? I talked to you about seeing dad and he was young. Do you have any pictures of him I can see?”
Her mother’s head sinks and she sighs. “I’m afraid not. His old photos were lost in an accident before you were born. He was a very strong stallion back then. He wanted to be rich in both wealth and life experience. At least one of those came to pass.”
Pixel can feel her composure weakening. She misses her dad a lot but she has to stay strong. “He used to talk to me about being a princess. Well, I wanted to when I was young. I think he just loved to humor his little girl at times but maybe it was something more.” Pixel looks at her mother’s sad eyes. “Did he ever make me a crown made of wood?”
To Pixel’s surprise, her mother shook her head firmly. “The crown was made for his first love and that would be me.”
“Can you tell me where that was?”
A nostalgic smirk grows on her face. “I can tell you the exact spot where I got it.”
Pixel knows that this is a very strange journey she is going on. She is going to find that crown. Ever since she found out it existed, she has thought of the many reasons why her father would have made it. If it belongs to her mother then in a way, it belongs to her too.
This town she sees is where her father was born. She never knew much about it other than it was a very lonely town where little happened. Pixel doesn’t believe it though. That has to be things ponies say about a place they’ve never been to. But as a carriage takes her through the town past town hall along Mane Street, she can’t be certain that there’s anything worth seeing in such a place.
It’s so rural that the carriage is all they had to take her from the regional airport to town. She feels hungry so she has it stop near a very lively looking bakery. She buys a couple donuts and coffee and consumes them on the way to her destination.
She figures that she has arrived when she sees it. Her mother didn’t know the address but told her what to look for. An old white house and a garage. She gets out and pays the carriage stallion. As it leaves, she takes in her surroundings. The garage is next to a crest leading up to a decayed stone wall a couple feet high and then a bare tree with thick and twisted limbs. She walks towards the house and knocks.
“I last saw it in the garage,” her mother said. Pixel doesn’t know where to begin looking for it. There’s lots of places where something that small would be hiding. She first goes through places where a pony might overlook. She stands on a box and looks in the nooks next to the rafters then behind a steel cabinet coated in spider webs.
Pixel walks outside and breathes in the fresh air. She looks up and gazes at the old tree. She wonders if it’s still alive. She decides to walk up the stone strewn crest and steps over the wall. It is very peaceful up there so she sits and listens to the silence all around her.
She gets up. She doesn’t think that there is anything left to find in this place. It had all disappeared. But before she can turn to leave, something in the pile of rocks catches her eye. Kneeling, she pushes some of the rocks away and exposes a piece of wood. She hurries and rapidly uncovers what she was searching for. Her mark, the three waves, stares her right in the face. What an incredible find it is.
As a filly, she wondered what it would be like to wear a crown. Now, the same temptation is felt in her hooves. She picks up the crown and delicately balances it on her brow above her horn. It is cold and heavy. Suddenly, her entire body becomes stiff as if she is paralyzed. The world is consumed in blue and her horn charges full of electricity that courses through her. She begins to move against her will. There is a line of black smoke and she follows it like she is a bloodhound going on a hunt. It leads her away from the house and past the field. A forest she has never seen is in front of her.
It makes her walk through the forest, seemingly without end. She can’t stop, even for rest. Day and night comes but they barely make a difference in the blue infused light that she sees. There is no obstacle that gets in her way. She can see glowing eyes hiding out in the darkness but they seem to flee in terror.
She doesn’t know how many days pass. Maybe even a week is gone. Her body is absolutely frail by the time she comes across to a deep canyon. She doesn’t know if her body will drop off the edge and die. A bridge leads to ruins shrouded by fog. Her body walks down steep steps on its own, down to the bottom of the canyon.
Down there, at the very end, Pixel finds a cave and within it, her body finally collapses. Her lungs ache and she wheezes. Barely lifting her head, she sees another tree but not like any she’s seen before. It glows with a faint light. Trails of jewel-like orbs hang on glittering strings from its radiating branches. She can only gasp at its sight.
A star in the very center opens and a beam of light shoots towards the crown on her head and the world starts to spin.
Pixel blinks her eyes and her senses return. She staggers upward, bewildered. She is floating alone with rivers of light and stars all around. It is the most strange of worlds she can imagine.
“Pixel.”
She does an about face and there in front of her, is her father, the stallion she once knew and looked up to when things like that mattered most. He looks handsome, weathered, and strong. It is as if time has stopped for him.
Pixel can only beam at him. She could only ever beam since she feels no fear. “I have your crown, daddy,” she says.
“I can see and you look quite beautiful in it,” he says.
“It’s just a piece of wood though.”
He shakes his head. “It’s far more than that. It was made for a reason. Your mother was given it for a reason. Do you think it’s all been a coincidence? That your father would be a carpenter and would have made a crown and that his filly would grow to also become a princess but one born of good deeds, and not anything less. You are a self-made mare and have embraced your path in life. It’s the path of love, faith and the devotion that only a true princess carries.”
Pixel feels a sinking feeling in her chest as she stares at her father. His eyes are unusual, a shade of light blue.
“You never saw your granddaughter grow up or me going out on my own after I left Ferris,” she says.
He goes and takes her hoof in his. “Enough was seen. You can trust in the Tree of Harmony. If you didn’t think I was there for you, there wouldn’t have been enough love in your heart and where would you be then? Would you have wanted a daughter of your own? And the ponies…would you love them then?”
“I don’t know,” Pixel whispers. She closes her eyes shut.
“You have to believe. Believe in your crown.”
“I don’t know!”
“You have to. It was meant for you. Don’t believe it for me or your mother or anypony else. Do it for yourself.”
“The crown…yes.” She touches it with her hoof and removes it. When it enters her sight, she sees a brilliant silver crown. It barely weighs anything. Pixel is stunned. She’s never seen anything like that in her life. Even the wave symbol is made of diamonds.
“You are one of the chosen few to lead us in a new world,” her father says. “We will need you for this task.”
“Who has chosen me?”
“We have. You must understand that things were set into motion long ago. All it took was you overcoming the trials set before you.” He takes the crown and sets it on Pixel’s head. “A world without end or boundaries. A crown of silver, a throne of silicon, and a sword of knowledge. The line of Pixel Wavelength, the blood of a princess, shall continue on for an age.”
Her father then turns around and walks into the void. Pixel is smart enough to have realized that if the Tree of Harmony wanted to speak, it would find its own way to speak. She can’t lie and say that she wasn’t moved by seeing her father again but what was the tree and what was her real memories? They are one and the same in this strange dimension.
She finds herself alone in that cave with the tree. She feels strength flow in her veins and she stands tall. The tree is quiet. She’s seen Twilight’s coronation before. It was beautiful. If she is supposed to be a princess then it would have some kind of affair just like that. At least, that’s what she believes. Some princess she is. She walks out of the cave. The sun is setting. Pixel has no idea how to get out of the forest. She starts to worry that she may be trapped but she tries to get her mind off it. She would rather think of better things. She can see her loved ones when she closes her eyes. She thinks about her daughter. She imagines how it would be to just lift into the sky and go where she pleases. Her mind sends signals to wings she knows isn’t there and yet, there is a new feeling; something on her body moves without her saying so? It can’t be…wings? As it to try and prove herself wrong, she commands these wings to spread wide and as soon as she does, there is a whoosh of feathers and she can see them on both sides. They are as white and beautiful as her coat. It just can’t be true but it is! Only princesses have wings! Just like only a true father would call his daughter a princess even when he knows she isn’t. But those days are gone now. The filly she once was is just history. She probably can’t use her wings fully just yet. That would be naïve of her to think. But she’ll catch a favorable breeze. Ponyville is never that far away.
Pixel Wavelength was driving down a beachfront avenue at a crawl. It went along the beach, down a hill and going north for miles to the cliffs. She was looking for a particular address but with nopony else on the road but her, she took her time. She had a map on the other seat but she didn’t need it. She had the picture of the house in her mind. The homes were spaced more widely than her old home at Sweetie Shores. There were a few boutiques and cafes that lined it as well. It wasn’t a tourist trap; beachgoers might even be banned on the private sands.
A few older foals suddenly burst into view from the side. They rode on skateboards and bikes and went across the road towards the beach. Locals most likely but Pixel didn’t think about where they were from as she forced the motor vehicle to a lurching stop, nearly spilling her coffee.
“Stupid kids,” she muttered under her breath. A couple of them turned to look at the vehicle for a moment but rode off soon after. Motor cars were still rare but ponies did use them from time to time. They could get up to 80 kph so nopony could run as fast. There were airships but that’s mostly a rich pony’s thing and there weren’t any airports around anyway.
She kept going on the road that was as smooth as silk until she reached her destination, a round house at the edge of a sandy slope leading to the beach. She went to the curb and pulled the parking brake then turned it off. Even with her seat as far back as it could go, she felt squished. It wasn’t meant for a taller pony. She got out and let her legs settle to having to stand again. When she closed the door, she clipped a few stands of her mane and when she pulled it out, she winced.
She noticed that a couple middle aged ponies across the street were staring at her. She smiled and waved but they continued walking. It was certainly nothing normal about her that day and she could see how they might think her odd. She was a stranger for one but an alicorn too. And it wasn’t just the polished white car that set her apart but the phone she had in her right hoof. She raised it and took a photo of her new house. It was so big that it could have fit her old childhood house inside. She could see inside through large glass panels and the domed roof was grey.
She walked across the lawn towards the front door. To her sides, palm trees swayed in the wind and she smelled flowers and salt. When she got to the door, she hesitated. She never used a keycard before but the one that doubled as an I.D. for her work was meant to open it instead of needing a key. She slid it at the inconspicuous slot and the door whooshed open. A robotic voice welcomed her home and she smiled.
Her home was very modern and as open as could be. It was layered with the main floor filled with light by the large windows. The floors were hardwood and there were brick pillars that held up the roof. She could look over the glass siding of the walkway into the lower floor. She went on and passed the main room into the kitchen which looked state of the art. She later stood on the balcony and pulled out her phone as she looked at the sailboats that dotted the sea.
She went in her phone’s contact list. With everypony wanting a cellular phone, she now had nearly all her friends from home and the university on the list. She even convinced her parents to accept one last year as a gift. They still preferred the old style phone though. She called Ferris’s office.
“Hey, Pixel,” he said. His voice sounded somewhat gravely on the phone. Voice clarity was still an issue that had to be addressed by the company.
“I’m at the house. The view is so pretty from the balcony.”
“I’m glad you like it. I thought it would fit your tastes well.”
She realized that she was glad just to have him on the phone. It was a long drive to get to the west and that whole time on the highway, she hadn’t spoken to anypony. Whenever she went even a few hours without speaking to somepony, she would feel lonely. And Ferris was probably the one she would call first. He would always find time to listen. At the university, she would often call at night when she couldn’t sleep and he would never hang up or tell her to leave him alone.
“It’s too bad you couldn’t be here yourself,” Pixel said.
“You know, I had a meeting with some investors but I’ll fly over there as soon as I can. When have I let you down?”
Pixel chuckled amusingly. “You are a stallion of your word.”
After their conversation, she hung up and went back inside. She looked around the kitchen as she was already feeling hungry. The stainless steel refrigerator was empty and all her stuff were still in boxes. She figured that she would have to go out or starve.
It was becoming evening as she strolled out on the streets. The wind rolling in from the sea was cool. The sidewalks were neat and the lawns well maintained. A sprinkler system or two watered the grass.
When she had walked far enough, she saw that the place she reached was zoned for businesses. It was up a hill but not at the top. Homes layered the upper hillsides; with their lights on, they looked amazing even from there. She could turn and look at the sea but she took a photo of the rising moon. Celestia must have decided to bring it out early that evening. It was pretty. The sun looking shy behind the clouds, the moon slightly higher and a splash of stars up above.
Most businesses were closed up for the day but a few were still open. Some were sit down places where ponies with nice dresses and suits dined by candlelight. A fine café down the street looked promising but she didn’t think that it would be good enough to satisfy her that particular night. Finally, a pizza parlor caught her eye. More specifically, the “Artisan Pizza Parlor”. Frankly, in her experience, anypony that bothered to use such words were just showing off but that sounded like the best choice at the moment so she went inside.
The bell on the door ringed as she entered. The clientele seemed young, school age mostly. They were drinking sodas and milkshakes and talking about who knows what. A stallion in an apron was giving a pizza to one of the ponies at the counter. She looked around. Everything was smooth and clean. But she also felt the stares of those around her but it didn’t last. Strangers probably didn’t bother them too much and that helped to calm her nerves.
She stepped up and glanced at the menu above written in multicolored chalk.
“You’re from out of town?” the cashier inquired.
Pixel nodded. “Yeah. I sort of just moved here.”
“Where at?”
“The round house down by the beach.”
“Oh, that one? It’s been sitting there for years waiting for an owner. I’m glad the town council finally allowed somepony to move in to be honest.”
She ordered a couple slices of the pizza with several fried vegetables piled on. The cashier, which turned out to be the owner and a resident of the same street she was on, insisted on giving her a free drink. She thought it kind and accepted graciously. She then sat at a table and held the pizza. Its crust was brown with little seeds visible. The vegetables were also uncommon but after biting them, she thought they were exceptional. The crust was thin but delicious. The place obviously catered to the health conscious that many well off ponies bought into. It surprised her as to how good it was and she didn’t think she could go back to regular pizza after that. She would have even bought a whole one if it didn’t look weird.
A few foals entered suddenly. She glanced upward and recognized them as those from earlier when she was driving. They also noticed her after passing their preferred orders to the owner.
“Ah, it’s the white pony,” the foal said. He was a teenage colt with acne and bruises up and down his forearms. A skateboard tucked in his backpack looked like the culprit.
Pixel put down the pizza. “Excuse me?”
Before the colt could speak, a shorter unicorn colt tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention and said something under his breath.
“Hey, aren’t you Pixel Wavelength?” the older colt said.
“Yes, I am.” Pixel was slightly concerned at first but she didn’t think the colts presented a threat. “You’ve heard of me?”
“Weren’t you the one that was interviewed on Equestrian radio recently?”
She nodded and suddenly his demeanor changed into something resembling curiosity. She also relaxed as he told his friends to pull up chairs and they all sat down at her table.
“I know you work for Spark Industries. They have a presence here in town. For a few years at least,” he said.
Pixel wiped her hoof with a napkin. “I do work for them but I wasn’t really sure about what you mentioned. Is it about me?”
“No, at least I had no idea about you moving here. Spark Industries is building these tall towers all over Equestria. Including one here. From what I know, it’s about phone technology. The same kind you invented.”
Pixel smiled. “I suppose you listen to the radio?”
“Mostly for music,” another colt said. His hair looked greasy even though he hadn’t touched any pizza yet.
The older colt seemed fascinated about something other than food though.
“You have that prototype that you had when you were in Manehattan?”
“Wait a second.” She looked in her bag and touched her phone. She felt a bit excited to show it off and it was probably going to go well considering how the very idea drew their attention in. The radio program the colt mentioned was the Starlight Storm Personality Hour. She had agreed to go on their program a week before she left the city although it was quite a new experience for her. Storm was a tall mare with curly pink hair and nerves constantly burning. She was the kind of pony to pursue the newest and hottest interests and there was nothing hotter than mobile phones. The Wave OS was the first to hit the market. It was exclusive to Manehattan at first but soon, ponies all across the empire wanted one. Those colts in such a well off town would be begging their parents to get one, despite their rarity and cost. One could easily fetch a price of 1,000 bits.
When she did reveal the phone, the older colt could hardly sit still. She turned it on and showed them the reflective rectangular screen.
“I can’t believe I’m the first to see this. Can you really use it to call and send messages?” he said.
“Of course. I am in communication all the time.” She then showed how the screen moved when she pressed the buttons and she had a contact list, photo manager and even a music program. One of the colts asked if it ran on magic. The older colt sneered and corrected him by saying it was a battery.
They listened to her every word. She showed them a few pictures too. She stood with Starlight Storm’s hoof over her shoulder, both gazing happily into the camera while in her studio with photographs of famous ponies lined on the wall behind them. She liked that night. The ponies coming and ogling over her pictures with the famous and influential. Recognizing her name, her voice, her face. She liked feeling important and knowing that ponies saw her as important. It was like a wonderful dream that had come true.