"FLY"by ThePianoManChaptersI. Family ReunionII. Changing The WorldIII. Secret BookIV. A WrinkleI. Family ReunionIt was a lovely day in Canterlot. The sky was blue, the weather fair, and the city was bustling with summer delight. It was the perfect day for a family reunion. It was supposed to be the perfect day, but the fates said otherwise. Twilight Velvet froze up in her chair as she looked at it. It buzzed and it twitched as it regurgitated it's own stomach contents to feast on the stray sugarcube it had found. "Mom?" Twilight Velvet couldn't hear her daughter. It was still there. That creature was still staring at her with its many eyes. "Mother, what's the matter?" Her son held no more attention than her daughter. It was still taunting her. Maybe, she could almost hear it laughing. "I got it." Twilight Velvet's husband, Night Light, finally smothered it with a napkin and disposed of it in the nearest trash receptacle. "Thank you honey." Twilight Velvet finally looked up and faced the stares of disbelief from her children. "No problem," Night Light brushed passed her and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, "ready for lunch Velvet?" Everyone had grown accustomed to calling her Velvet since she and her daughter shared the first name. "Yes dear." Velvet was trying not to think too much on the recent incident, but it was easier said than done. Twilight Sparkle, Velvet's daughter, spoke up, "Since when were you afraid of flies mom?" Velvet looked to her son, Shining Armor, "It's a long story." "Oh come on mom, you know I love long stories!" Twilight nudged her big brother. "Remember when mom used to tell us all sorts of stories and adventures." Shining chuckled inside a bit. "Yeah those were good times. Well, why not another one? What do you say mom?" Velvet was nervous to speak. Thankfully her husband came in on time. "The casserole is ready." A burning smell drifted through the air to everyone's noses. "It might be a little crispy." "It's black." Shining clamped his nose and spoke in a nasally voice, "Dad, as much as I love you, there's a reason why some stallions shouldn't cook." "I'm not that bad, I can cook some things!" "Dad," Twilight used her magic to get rid of the burnt casserole, "peanut butter and jelly sandwiches don't count." A bright flash of pink light preceded the appearance of a pink alicorn carrying familiar white boxes on her back. "Hi everypony! I brought pizza!" Shining got up and rushed over to his wife. "Cadence? I thought you were going to stay back in the Crystal Empire." "I left Quarts in charge of the fair preparations while Sunburst looks after Flurry Heart." Cadence smiled as she hugged her husband. "And besides, I wouldn't want to miss out on your family reunion." "She's just as part of this family as the rest of us," Night Light pointed out, "And, she brought pizza." "Yes, I just happened to teleport right in front of the pizza place so I thought, why not?" Cadence smiled. Shining raised a brow sarcastically and muttered, "Alicorns." Twilight laughed at her brother. "You are just jealous that alicorns are far more superior when it comes to teleportation." "Ohh." Shining pretended to sound interested. "If only you could fly." Twilight was not amused by that comment. "I can fly." "Yeah, like a chicken." Shining laughed at Twilight's angry face. "Okay honey that's enough," Cadence wrapped a wing around Shining, arousing him enough to turn his attention away from teasing his sister. "Let's just all agree," Nightlight interrupted as he took the pizzas from Cadence's back, "that both unicorns and alicorns alike are equally unique in their ability to teleport." "Nice save dad," Twilight said as she aided her father in opening the pizza boxes to sort out who wanted what toppings. Velvet had sat and watched silently, but decided that she should break her silence. "What about earth ponies?" They all looked up. Shining, Cadence, and Twilight looked like they were about to laugh, but Night Light just gave her a look that asked if she was sure. Twilight held her laugh in as she spoke, "Well, I know that my friend Rainbow Dash can reach supersonic speeds which would allow her near instantaneous travel, but she’s a pegasus. I have to say it's impossible for anyone, other than an alicorn or unicorn, to teleport." Velvet looked crushed. "You're wrong." Her husband saw a glimpse of rage pass through his wife's eyes as she slammed her hooves onto the table. "You're wrong!" Her cry of anger frightened everyone in the room. "Honey," Night Light rushed to his wife's side, "please calm down. You don't have to talk about what happened." "No! I will not calm down and I do have to talk about what happened. I can't do it! I can hide the truth from my own children anymore! I'm tired of not being able to tell them what really happened. I'm tired of lying to Twilight, and I'm tired of lying to Shining about who his real father is!" Velvet dropped her head as she tried to catch her breath after losing it in her panic. Shining looked at his mother in shock. "What are you talking about mom." Velvet looked up at her son only to silently fall to tears. "You look so much like him." "Yes, he does," Night Light added. Twilight looked at her parents. "No. This can't be true. Shining is my brother." Night Light let out a heavy sigh. "He's your half brother." "But, I have called you father for my entire life. Does that mean nothing?" Shining would have lashed out more, but the comfort of Cadence by his side persuaded him otherwise. "I raised you as my son, and in love I still am your father. But, you need to know that I am not your biological father. Your mother wanted to tell you. I'm surprised she didn't when you were old enough to understand." Night Light wrapped a hoof around Velvet as she looked up at her son. "It was really complicated. It wasn't easy to tell you." Velvet looked at Twilight. "Now I have to tell you all about how he..." "Died?" Twilight asked. "Yes," Velvet confirmed, "how he died." She was hesitant to continue, but with Night Light by her side, she found the words again. "Shining, you share part of his name." "What was his name?" Shining took a seat across from his mother. Twilight and Cadence sat on either side of him. "His name was Shining Star," Night Light said, "and he was my best friend." Shining was surprised to hear this from the one he called father. "You knew him in Canterlot?" Night Light nodded. "He must have been a great unicorn." Velvet shook her head. "No, your father wasn't a unicorn." "What do you mean? I'm a unicorn." Shining looked confused as much of what he had come to know about himself slipped out of his grasp. "Shining, you're much bigger in build than the other unicorns that were on the royal guard and by far the strongest unicorn I've ever known." Twilight pondered on what she explained. "Mother, does that mean that Shining Star was-." "-Yes." Velvet interrupted Twilight. She had to tell her son herself. "His biological father was an earth pony." II. Changing The WorldIt was a long time ago. At the time I was attending the University. It wasn’t my idea, but my parents wanted the best for me. Their concept of the “best” was debatable. I wanted to go to the Junior College with all my friends, but my parents had the money. So, the choice was theirs. However, they were lenient in regards to my career choices. They let me pursue a career in journalism. The class was small, and the teacher was questionable. Though, it took a lot to understand why Professor Quill made his assignments the way he did. He would praise a student for their craft in words, and then he would turn around and give them assignments that seemed to yield horrible writing opportunities. I was one such case. He explained it as a challenge to see how good we were at finding stories. To be honest, the University’s fair for Scientific And Magical Advancements seemed like a death sentence for my project. It was easy to report on an interesting idea, but I needed to find a good story. A much younger Twilight Velvet walked towards the doors to the University’s gymnasium. It was the largest space that could hold the SAMA fair other than the ballroom. In the past the ballroom was the usual location for the fair, but as it was currently occupied by dancers preparing for a ballet, the gymnasium played host this year. Velvet was surprised as a sudden flash nearly blinded her. “Gah! What the?” “Oh, sorry.” A rather lean blue unicorn stallion with a camera stood in front of Velvet. “This blasted flash! I forgot to turn it off.” Once Velvet recovered from the bright light, she could see the stallion’s sincerity through his yellow eyes. “Water under the bridge. What’s with the camera anyway? Are you one of those yearbook students?” “Who me?” The blue stallion shook his head. “No. I’m here on assignment from the photography class. I know, it’s small.” “I’m not poking fun. I’m studying journalism, so we’re kind of in the same boat.” Velvet had to laugh to herself. “So, you’re on an assignment? What for?” “Ah.” The blue stallion wound his camera up for the next picture. This time he removed his flash. “We’re supposed to help out the journalist students, actually. Say, you wouldn’t happen to be Twilight Velvet, would you?” Velvet sighed. She remembered her assignment mentioning something about being helped by a photographer. “I am, and you must be Night Light. Am I right?” Night Light smiled. “Yeah. That’s me. I’m actually better at taking night pictures. Hence, the flash.” The two made their way into the gymnasium. Once they breached the doors, their eyes were bombarded by the multitudes of magnificent displays. Night was fascinated by each and every one of the projects that were being presented by the very ponies who orchestrated them. The various devices, experiments, and newly printed spell books were greeted by the click of Night’s camera while Velvet held a more reserved reaction. Velvet was looking for the best display. It had to be something with a juicy story behind it. She also looked at the ponies themselves. It was very possible that any one of them could have an inspirational life journey that led them to this very moment at the University. But, a good journalist doesn’t just follow his or her own nose; they ask around. “Hey, Night Light.” Velvet tapped on the stallion’s shoulder. After he had taken a picture of a hydroponics experiment, Night wound up his camera again as he turned to face Velvet. “What’s up? See anything you like?” “Actually, I was going to ask you that. I can tell you’re pretty fascinated by all this, but is there anything you find interesting in particular. Or, have you heard of any displays that were going to be good?” Velvet watched as Night smiled. “As a matter of fact, I do know of one that might pique your interest. Follow me.” Night led Velvet a different direction. “My friend has been telling me for weeks that he’s had a breakthrough. Though, he never told me what it was.” Eventually, Night and Velvet arrived at a booth. In the center, there was a long table covered by a white sheet. From under the sheet, a plethora of wires ran to a series of electrical machines. Off to the side, there was a rather large object that was also masked by a white sheet. Above there was a sign that read, “Innovation In Transportation.” The rest of the display wasn’t as decorative as some of the others, but it certainly was mysterious enough that a crowd was gathering. Velvet along with the gathering crowd flinched at the sudden vroom of the machines which had switched on. “Night Light?” Velvet readied her notebook and pen with her magic as she watched someone fiddling with some of the machines behind the display. “How long have you known this pony?” “We go way back. We’ve been friends since we were kids. I guess you could say we’re almost like brothers.” Night readied his camera. “Oh here he comes now!” Velvet watched as a white stallion walked to the front of the display. He had a handsome face with a blue mane and sky blue eyes. His lab coat had seen good use as it was an offset white with a few frayed spots. He caught sight of Velvet looking at him. The stallion passively winked at her before tending to his display. “Ladies, and Gentlecolts. My name is Shining Star. And, I’m here to show you the future.” Before he continued there was a shout from the crowd. “Yeah, yeah! We’ve heard that before from other ponies.” Shining Star smiled. “Yes, I’m sure you have. But, how many of those ponies were actually working on something that could change the world as we know it?” Velvet spoke up. “Well, they say they are.” Shining Star laughed. “Yeah,” his face calmed to a look that could be attributed to a pony who held the mysteries to the universe in his back pocket, “but they’re lying.” He moved over to the long table. “Under this sheet, there is a device of my own creation. It will soon revolutionize the way we perceive distance.” He looked across the way to a display for non stick pots and pans. He had the attention of the pony working the display. “Excuse me, miss? Yes, you. Would you mind if I borrowed one of your pans for a little demonstration.” The mare blushed a bit as she grabbed one of her smaller pots and brought it up to him. “Thank you.” Velvet heard a few mares giggle like fillies. She gathered that Shining Star was seen as suave around mares. His confidence did make a certain impression on Velvet. Shining Star yanked the sheet off of the table. Underneath there were two small cylindrical pods with hatch doors. A small pothole was lit up from the light inside. “Everyone, this pot I hold before you is about to make history. But first, may I direct your attention to the table. As you can see, there are no trap doors,” he walked to the other end of the table, “and the second chamber is empty.” He opened the hatch to the pod to show it was empty. He then reclosed the hatch and walked back to the first pod. He opened it. “So picture this! You were cooking in your kitchen,” Shining Star gestured to the general area of the second pod, “and you realize that that caramelizing sugar isn’t coming out of the pot. And you think, darn I should have gotten that non stick pot.” The mare at the other display giggled as he showed off her pot. “So, wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to drive all the way to the store? That way, you could just keep cooking without having to take time to go buy a new pot. Let’s imagine, the store puts a new pot in at their end.” He put the pot in the pod and closed the hatch. “Then, at the flip of a switch.” Shining star flipped a breaker switch that was set up next to the table. After a strange electrical sound emitting from the machines, there was an audible pop. It was like a bubble bursting. A bright light flashed in the second pod accompanied by the sound of a metallic thud. Velvet watched as Shining Star approached the second pod. “Ladies and Gentlecolts, as you can see, I am an earth pony. So naturally, I possess no magic that is like a unicorn’s. Particularly, teleportation. This is no trick, and this is no gag.” Shining Star opened the hatch to the second pod and pulled out the same pot that had previously been on the other end. “Behold! The first item to publicly be teleported without the assistance of unicorn magic.” A series of awes and gasps escaped the watching crowd. The mare from before came up and retrieved her pot. Velvet couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She raised her hoof to get Shining Star’s attention. “Excuse me, but is that all it does?” Shining Star chuckled a bit. “You mean other than transport kitchenware?” He walked over to the large object that had been covered by the white sheet. Yanking off the white sheet with his teeth, he turned to Velvet. It was like the pods on the table, only pony sized. “How does transporting a full grown pony across the continent within seconds sound? Trains will be a thing of the past. Nopony will have to worry about being late for work. Hospitals could receive critical patients faster than ever! Distance between relatives and loved ones can be sealed at the flip of a switch.” Another round of astoundment echoed through the crowd like a tidal wave of fascination. Then the mare with her pot burst out. “Hey it’s backwards!” “Excuse me, miss?” Shining Star asked. The mare was halfway in between distraught and amused. “The insignia on my pot. It’s backwards.” The crowd burst into laughter as a crash of scoffs and groans disbanded the excitement. Ponies began to mutter about it being dangerous or stupid. “No way in tartarus am I getting in that thing,” one said. Shining Stars smile faded as his crowd began to walk off, one by one. “Come on. It just needs a few adjustments.” Despite his attempts to persuade everypony, he had lost them. Shining Star eyed a passing judge who was writing what undoubtedly seemed to be a bad review of his display. Groaning in defeat, he bowed his head and went to work on his machines. Velvet remained. She stepped forward and looked up and down at the large pod. Experimentally, she tapped its surface. She was surprised that it was metal and not just a display piece. There was no window to see inside, which she found curious. “That’s a prototype.” Shining Star was gradually breaking down his machines and packing them into boxes. “I have two more in my lab.” He walked over to Velvet. “Here.” After rotating a safe like lock on the hatch, he swung it open. Velvet looked around the inside. There was a grid of some sort that lined the walls, the roof and the floor. “May I?” Shining Star gestured for her to go right ahead. Stepping into the pod, Velvet felt overwhelmed by a certain giddiness. She imagined what it would be like to be in Manehattan one moment and then suddenly be in Las Pegasus the next. The fact that she was standing in the supposedly working prototype also gave her a sense of fear that she might suddenly disappear. “You probably think this is all some crazy and stupid idea, don’t you?” Shining Star seemed genuinely downhearted. Though, he still held onto a weak smile. Velvet poked her head out of the pod. “I don’t think you’re crazy.” She was glad to see that her comment improved Shing Star’s mood a bit. “Hey, Star.” Night readied his camera. “Pose next to the pretty future journalist so I can get nice picture.” Shining Star rolled his eyes. “You know how much I hate my picture.” “Wait, pretty?” Velvet was still pondering on that comment. “You certainly are.” Shining Star’s comment actually flustered Velvet then and there. “Smile for the camera.” III. Secret BookVelvet smiled at the memory. “He never did like his picture being taken.” NIght Light and Cadence had begun to pick up the empty pizza boxes at this point. A strange silence surrounded Twilight and Shining as they remained seated and shocked. Shining was overcome by his emotions. The idea that his father was not a unicorn, but in fact an earth pony, had rocked his simple understanding of his small world. Not only was his true father an earth pony; he was also a scientist. That was more of Twilight’s field, so he felt even more alienated from this parent that he never got the chance to know. Twilight paid careful attention to detail. The fact that an earth pony had somehow harnessed the power to teleport, without unicorn magic, was simply inspired. But, she knew that this technology was not a widespread luxury. She was confused as to why such technology had even been censored. Then it struck Twilight. This Shining Star was no longer around. Something must have happened to him. Maybe it was a competitor who did it, or maybe something went wrong with the machine. Twilight had to know the truth. Her brother needed to know the truth now. “Mom, what happened to Shining Star?” Twilight asked. Velvet’s eyes grew in horror until she forced them shut to do away with the memory. “It’s complicated.” Shining stared at his mother. There was a twitch of anger, but also a deep feeling of shame for that anger. Seeing how torn up his mother was, he couldn’t dare to show his anger. “What was he like?” “Star?” Velvet looked to Night Light for comfort. He saw her gesture and quickly made his way to her side. Melting into the embrace of her husband, she recollected herself. “He was amazing. He was brave, smart, and he was dedicated to his family. He was a lot like you are, son.” Night Light found himself smiling at the memory of his friend. “Shining, believe me when I say this. I couldn’t be prouder of the stallion you’ve become. Every moment that looked you as you grew, I saw your father staring back at me. It made me all the more proud to raise the son of my dearest friend.” Shining felt a surge of gratitude towards Night Light. “You both loved him. I can tell.” “And, he would have loved you all the same if he were still here.” Velvet released a much overdue sigh. “I neglected to tell you about your father because I didn’t know if you’d ever be ready to handle what happened. It’s not something to be taken lightly.” “If only he had more time.” Night Light shook his head. “Who knows what he could have accomplished. He mind have even found a way to fix his condition.” Velvet saw the look of discomfort on Twilight’s face. She knew her daughter must have felt offended by that remark. Night Light didn’t mean it that way, but it was almost a wish that Twilight was never born. “He had his time. It was his choice in the end.” Much to Velvet’s comfort, Twilight’s expression had softened. Though, twilight’s new perplexed look was not comforting either. “What do you mean when you say ‘it was his choice’?” Twilight asked. Velvet immediately regretted her poor choice in words. “He asked to be destroyed. It had changed him so much, it was hard to tell if there was anything left of him.” Shining remembered his mother’s strange response to what was merely a common house fly. “What was it?” When Velvet couldn’t bring herself to say it, Night Light stepped in. “The fly.” “The fly?” Twilight raised a brow. “How could a fly have brought Shining Star to want to destroy himself?” Velvet felt herself struggling to find her words. “Night, please bring me the book.” There was immediate protest in Night Light’s voice. “No, you promised we would never let it see the light of day again!” “Night Light!” Velvet turned on her husband. Her sudden stance forced him to draw back. “That book belongs to Star’s son. It belongs to Shining Armor. He has every right to it, and you know it. If anything, he can keep it safer than us.” “What is this book?” Cadence dared to chime in as she sauntered up to her husband’s side. Velvet looked to Shining. “I kept your father’s work. He’s long since destroyed his prototype’s early journals, but I managed to save this one. It has everything you could need to know. He wrote everything. He wrote about the science, and he would write about us.” Velvet covered her mouth to stifle her crying. Fresh tears escaped her eyes. “You were only a baby then.” Night Light soon returned with a heavy look on his face. His magic enveloped an old book that was tattered by time, and yet, its bindings held firm. “Here. Here’s the thing that stole my friend from me.” Night Light let the book fall from his magic and slam on the table. Storming out of the room he made only one final remark, “Good riddance.” Cadence and Twilight looked nervously at Night Light and back to Velvet. Velvet simply grabbed the book with her magic. “Give him time.” She cracked open the book to its first few pages and silently scanned through to about halfway through the book. “I remember now. Everything started in the spring. We had just moved into our new home. It was were the old printing press used to be.” IV. A WrinkleShining Star found the place. It was equipped with a perfectly functional living space. It was a bit old fashioned. It was like a real house, but the printing press area was just a door away. That was when they still built factories to accommodate their owners. It was perfect for us to raise a family and for him to continue his research. He set up his work in the main work floor. It provided an adequate space for his ample machines. It was actually a business pony who funded his research. I never met him personally, but I knew that Star’s display had caught his attention. Star was thrilled to have his research fully funded without restrictions. He was even more thrilled after you were born. Shining Star’s eyes were full of awe as he gazed down at the white foal that the nurse had given him. “It’s a boy.” Velvet smiled at her husband as he returned to her side. “He has your eyes.” “He has your horn. Our boy is a unicorn, just like his mother.” Shining Star handed the foal back to its mother. “What should we call him.” Velvet hummed in thought as she nuzzled the nose of her child. “I thought we could name him after you.” “Really?” Shining Star asked with a bashful smile. “I thought you wanted to name our foal after you grandfather if it was a boy.” “I know, but Rusty Armor doesn’t seem to suit him.” Velvet pulled the blanket back a little to see her son’s face. “His coat is more like yours.” Shining Star tapped his hoof against his chin as an idea came to him. “Why not combine his name and mine?” “Rusty Star?” Velvet furrowed her brow at the that idea. Shining Star quickly shook his head. “What? No. I mean Shining Armor. How about that?” A gentle smile grew on Velvet’s face. “That sounds wonderful.” After staying by Velvet’s side for so long, Shining Star was eventually pulled away by the hospital nurses. He was joined by Night Light who had been waiting in the hospital wing. Since Night Light had been curious about the married couple’s home, Shining Star felt obligated to take him there. The two caught a taxi to the place which was about four or five blocks from the hospital. When they arrived, Night Light looked in amazement. “Wow. I know you said it was big, but this place is like a mansion.” Night Light followed Shining star through the front door. “Yeah,” Shining Star agreed, “but the old printing press next door is kind of an eye sore.” Night Light nodded in agreement as the visual was quite odd. The house was rather attractive with a somewhat antique style about it. Its brick walls which had been painted white were a striking contrast to the red brick building whose walls had been blackened by time and the accumulation of dust and the effects of acidic rain. The inside was a different story. Night Light found the inside to be somewhat darker. Though there was some eye candy to be found in the wedding portraits of Shining Star and Twilight Velvet, the over excessive amount of stained wood that framed the entrance had a dampening effect on the spirits. The light was also strange. “That light’s a little dim, don’t you think?” Night Light pointed out the low yellow glow of the chandelier hanging above them. Shining Star sighed as he looked up. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been meaning to fix that. It’s just that the wiring is so old that I’d have to replace it all if I wanted it to be brighter. I already had a run in with this problem when we were fixing up the baby room. The house is hooked up to the city’s new power grid, but it has a few installments that prevent the voltage from being to high. Velvet wanted the light in the baby room to be brighter. And when I tried disabling the installments, the wires just melted when I flipped on the switch.” “Gosh, sounds like a killer current.” Night Light looked anxiously at the lights. Shining Star shook his head. “I’m glad the wire was exposed so I could see it smoking. If I hadn’t seen the smoke, I would have burned the house down. I’ve hired a guy to redo the wiring, but it’s gonna take a long while. I didn’t want him destroying the walls, so it’s a delicate process. But, it’s worth it. You don’t find houses like this anymore.” Night Light gave a rather sarcastic hum at the idea of his friend’s taste in housing. “Where’s the lab at?” “Oh, follow me.” Shining Star led Night Light through a narrow hallway that ended with a heavy steel door. Night Light watched as his friend effortlessly opened the door. What Night Light saw on the other side was not what he had been expecting. The walls were mostly if not all white. Countertops were littered with bits of machinery and wires. The white and grey checkered linoleum floor was marred only by a few skid marks. Though the space had mostly been cleaned up, there were still remnants of the old printing press. “Those things still work?” Night Light asked. Shining Star laughed a little. “Sort of. They have some funky hydraulics. I was puttering around with them while I was waiting for some parts to arrive, but I couldn’t fix the limiter. It’s basically just a giant hydraulic press now.” Night Light turned his attention to the two pony sized pods in the center of Shining Star’s makeshift lab. Both had moderately large glass view ports. A purplish pink light glowed from the inside of each pod. “So there it is. The future!” Shining Star’s smile faded. “Yeah. The future.” “What’s eating you?” Night Light was a bit confused by the tone in his friend’s voice. “You’re married. You got a beautiful son, from what I hear. And to top it all off, you’re going to revolutionize the world with the technology you’ve created! You should feel proud of yourself.” Shining Star shifted towards one of the drawers under a counter with various cages that held lab rats. “I’ve actually hit a snag.” Pulling open the drawer, he pulled out a jar. “Something isn’t going right.” Night Light’s eyes grew in amazement. “Woah! Where’d you get one of those.” He took a closer look at the two headed rat that was floating in a mixture of formaldehyde and water. “These are rare!” Shining Star looked nervously at the pods. “I made it.” Night Light gave a weak half hearted laugh. “What?” “It’s the problem with the machine. It has trouble differentiating two distinct life forms. It’s not a rat with two heads. It’s two rats with one body. At first they were fine. They were still alive, I mean. But, they gradually lost their hair. Their genes almost seemed to infect each other like a cancer. Then, they just died.” Shining Star returned the jar to the drawer and pulled out a different jar. “I tried fixing this problem. But, the results were even more discouraging.” Night Light forced himself to look away and cover his mouth before he gagged. “What in the name of Celestia?” He gradually gained the courage to look at it again. “Is that?” “Yeah,” Shining Star let out a depressed sigh, “it’s a snake and a rat.” The creature in the jar was horrible. The body of the rat was distinguished, but the snake’s tail replaced the rat’s. The rat had the snake’s slitted eyes. Part of the snake’s head and neck protruded from where the rat’s left foreleg should have been. The red bulbous eyed snake head was still clasped onto the neck of the rat. The rat’s mouth was still open from the pain. Night Light could make out a distinguished fang piercing the lower lip of the rat’s lower lip where his other front tooth should have been. “Star,” Night Light stared in horror at the jar, “what have you done?” “I don’t know!” Shining Star slid the jar back into the drawer and slammed it shut. “I can’t figure out what’s gone wrong.” “What about single transportation? Does that work okay?” Night Light sat down on his haunches to take in a few stabilizing breaths. “Of course. Any singular teleportation works just fine.” Shining Star looked at the rats that had been separated into two cages. The control group was in one cage while the successfully teleported group was in another. “Flawlessly.” “Then that’s enough. Just slap a regulation sticker on the side saying one pony at a time.” Night Light could see the growing pain on his friend’s face. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re not serious.” “Why wouldn’t I be.” Night Light shook his head at his friend. “What happened to your foster parents wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have saved them from that fire.” “I could have! If I was a unicorn I could have!” Shining Star stormed off over to the pods. Brushing a hoof against one he clenched his eyes shut. “I couldn’t. And, I’ve had to live with that.” He shook his head. “One at a time, the firefighter said. They had me go first. The moment I got out, backdraft. They never found them.” NIght Light gave his friend a comforting hoof on the back. “Hey. It’s all in the past. Even if you were born a unicorn and you saved them by teleporting them out of that fire, what about Velvet? If you hadn’t lost your parents, you would never have been inspired to build all this. You would never have met Twilight Velvet, and you would never have had a son with her. Would you give up the family you’ve made by changing the past?” “No. I wouldn’t give Velvet or Shining up for anything in the world.” Night Light pat his friend on the back. “The past is already written. But, your future is yours to write.” Shining Star smiled. “Then I’ll have to work hard to get it right.”
I. Family ReunionIt was a lovely day in Canterlot. The sky was blue, the weather fair, and the city was bustling with summer delight. It was the perfect day for a family reunion. It was supposed to be the perfect day, but the fates said otherwise. Twilight Velvet froze up in her chair as she looked at it. It buzzed and it twitched as it regurgitated it's own stomach contents to feast on the stray sugarcube it had found. "Mom?" Twilight Velvet couldn't hear her daughter. It was still there. That creature was still staring at her with its many eyes. "Mother, what's the matter?" Her son held no more attention than her daughter. It was still taunting her. Maybe, she could almost hear it laughing. "I got it." Twilight Velvet's husband, Night Light, finally smothered it with a napkin and disposed of it in the nearest trash receptacle. "Thank you honey." Twilight Velvet finally looked up and faced the stares of disbelief from her children. "No problem," Night Light brushed passed her and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, "ready for lunch Velvet?" Everyone had grown accustomed to calling her Velvet since she and her daughter shared the first name. "Yes dear." Velvet was trying not to think too much on the recent incident, but it was easier said than done. Twilight Sparkle, Velvet's daughter, spoke up, "Since when were you afraid of flies mom?" Velvet looked to her son, Shining Armor, "It's a long story." "Oh come on mom, you know I love long stories!" Twilight nudged her big brother. "Remember when mom used to tell us all sorts of stories and adventures." Shining chuckled inside a bit. "Yeah those were good times. Well, why not another one? What do you say mom?" Velvet was nervous to speak. Thankfully her husband came in on time. "The casserole is ready." A burning smell drifted through the air to everyone's noses. "It might be a little crispy." "It's black." Shining clamped his nose and spoke in a nasally voice, "Dad, as much as I love you, there's a reason why some stallions shouldn't cook." "I'm not that bad, I can cook some things!" "Dad," Twilight used her magic to get rid of the burnt casserole, "peanut butter and jelly sandwiches don't count." A bright flash of pink light preceded the appearance of a pink alicorn carrying familiar white boxes on her back. "Hi everypony! I brought pizza!" Shining got up and rushed over to his wife. "Cadence? I thought you were going to stay back in the Crystal Empire." "I left Quarts in charge of the fair preparations while Sunburst looks after Flurry Heart." Cadence smiled as she hugged her husband. "And besides, I wouldn't want to miss out on your family reunion." "She's just as part of this family as the rest of us," Night Light pointed out, "And, she brought pizza." "Yes, I just happened to teleport right in front of the pizza place so I thought, why not?" Cadence smiled. Shining raised a brow sarcastically and muttered, "Alicorns." Twilight laughed at her brother. "You are just jealous that alicorns are far more superior when it comes to teleportation." "Ohh." Shining pretended to sound interested. "If only you could fly." Twilight was not amused by that comment. "I can fly." "Yeah, like a chicken." Shining laughed at Twilight's angry face. "Okay honey that's enough," Cadence wrapped a wing around Shining, arousing him enough to turn his attention away from teasing his sister. "Let's just all agree," Nightlight interrupted as he took the pizzas from Cadence's back, "that both unicorns and alicorns alike are equally unique in their ability to teleport." "Nice save dad," Twilight said as she aided her father in opening the pizza boxes to sort out who wanted what toppings. Velvet had sat and watched silently, but decided that she should break her silence. "What about earth ponies?" They all looked up. Shining, Cadence, and Twilight looked like they were about to laugh, but Night Light just gave her a look that asked if she was sure. Twilight held her laugh in as she spoke, "Well, I know that my friend Rainbow Dash can reach supersonic speeds which would allow her near instantaneous travel, but she’s a pegasus. I have to say it's impossible for anyone, other than an alicorn or unicorn, to teleport." Velvet looked crushed. "You're wrong." Her husband saw a glimpse of rage pass through his wife's eyes as she slammed her hooves onto the table. "You're wrong!" Her cry of anger frightened everyone in the room. "Honey," Night Light rushed to his wife's side, "please calm down. You don't have to talk about what happened." "No! I will not calm down and I do have to talk about what happened. I can't do it! I can hide the truth from my own children anymore! I'm tired of not being able to tell them what really happened. I'm tired of lying to Twilight, and I'm tired of lying to Shining about who his real father is!" Velvet dropped her head as she tried to catch her breath after losing it in her panic. Shining looked at his mother in shock. "What are you talking about mom." Velvet looked up at her son only to silently fall to tears. "You look so much like him." "Yes, he does," Night Light added. Twilight looked at her parents. "No. This can't be true. Shining is my brother." Night Light let out a heavy sigh. "He's your half brother." "But, I have called you father for my entire life. Does that mean nothing?" Shining would have lashed out more, but the comfort of Cadence by his side persuaded him otherwise. "I raised you as my son, and in love I still am your father. But, you need to know that I am not your biological father. Your mother wanted to tell you. I'm surprised she didn't when you were old enough to understand." Night Light wrapped a hoof around Velvet as she looked up at her son. "It was really complicated. It wasn't easy to tell you." Velvet looked at Twilight. "Now I have to tell you all about how he..." "Died?" Twilight asked. "Yes," Velvet confirmed, "how he died." She was hesitant to continue, but with Night Light by her side, she found the words again. "Shining, you share part of his name." "What was his name?" Shining took a seat across from his mother. Twilight and Cadence sat on either side of him. "His name was Shining Star," Night Light said, "and he was my best friend." Shining was surprised to hear this from the one he called father. "You knew him in Canterlot?" Night Light nodded. "He must have been a great unicorn." Velvet shook her head. "No, your father wasn't a unicorn." "What do you mean? I'm a unicorn." Shining looked confused as much of what he had come to know about himself slipped out of his grasp. "Shining, you're much bigger in build than the other unicorns that were on the royal guard and by far the strongest unicorn I've ever known." Twilight pondered on what she explained. "Mother, does that mean that Shining Star was-." "-Yes." Velvet interrupted Twilight. She had to tell her son herself. "His biological father was an earth pony."
II. Changing The WorldIt was a long time ago. At the time I was attending the University. It wasn’t my idea, but my parents wanted the best for me. Their concept of the “best” was debatable. I wanted to go to the Junior College with all my friends, but my parents had the money. So, the choice was theirs. However, they were lenient in regards to my career choices. They let me pursue a career in journalism. The class was small, and the teacher was questionable. Though, it took a lot to understand why Professor Quill made his assignments the way he did. He would praise a student for their craft in words, and then he would turn around and give them assignments that seemed to yield horrible writing opportunities. I was one such case. He explained it as a challenge to see how good we were at finding stories. To be honest, the University’s fair for Scientific And Magical Advancements seemed like a death sentence for my project. It was easy to report on an interesting idea, but I needed to find a good story. A much younger Twilight Velvet walked towards the doors to the University’s gymnasium. It was the largest space that could hold the SAMA fair other than the ballroom. In the past the ballroom was the usual location for the fair, but as it was currently occupied by dancers preparing for a ballet, the gymnasium played host this year. Velvet was surprised as a sudden flash nearly blinded her. “Gah! What the?” “Oh, sorry.” A rather lean blue unicorn stallion with a camera stood in front of Velvet. “This blasted flash! I forgot to turn it off.” Once Velvet recovered from the bright light, she could see the stallion’s sincerity through his yellow eyes. “Water under the bridge. What’s with the camera anyway? Are you one of those yearbook students?” “Who me?” The blue stallion shook his head. “No. I’m here on assignment from the photography class. I know, it’s small.” “I’m not poking fun. I’m studying journalism, so we’re kind of in the same boat.” Velvet had to laugh to herself. “So, you’re on an assignment? What for?” “Ah.” The blue stallion wound his camera up for the next picture. This time he removed his flash. “We’re supposed to help out the journalist students, actually. Say, you wouldn’t happen to be Twilight Velvet, would you?” Velvet sighed. She remembered her assignment mentioning something about being helped by a photographer. “I am, and you must be Night Light. Am I right?” Night Light smiled. “Yeah. That’s me. I’m actually better at taking night pictures. Hence, the flash.” The two made their way into the gymnasium. Once they breached the doors, their eyes were bombarded by the multitudes of magnificent displays. Night was fascinated by each and every one of the projects that were being presented by the very ponies who orchestrated them. The various devices, experiments, and newly printed spell books were greeted by the click of Night’s camera while Velvet held a more reserved reaction. Velvet was looking for the best display. It had to be something with a juicy story behind it. She also looked at the ponies themselves. It was very possible that any one of them could have an inspirational life journey that led them to this very moment at the University. But, a good journalist doesn’t just follow his or her own nose; they ask around. “Hey, Night Light.” Velvet tapped on the stallion’s shoulder. After he had taken a picture of a hydroponics experiment, Night wound up his camera again as he turned to face Velvet. “What’s up? See anything you like?” “Actually, I was going to ask you that. I can tell you’re pretty fascinated by all this, but is there anything you find interesting in particular. Or, have you heard of any displays that were going to be good?” Velvet watched as Night smiled. “As a matter of fact, I do know of one that might pique your interest. Follow me.” Night led Velvet a different direction. “My friend has been telling me for weeks that he’s had a breakthrough. Though, he never told me what it was.” Eventually, Night and Velvet arrived at a booth. In the center, there was a long table covered by a white sheet. From under the sheet, a plethora of wires ran to a series of electrical machines. Off to the side, there was a rather large object that was also masked by a white sheet. Above there was a sign that read, “Innovation In Transportation.” The rest of the display wasn’t as decorative as some of the others, but it certainly was mysterious enough that a crowd was gathering. Velvet along with the gathering crowd flinched at the sudden vroom of the machines which had switched on. “Night Light?” Velvet readied her notebook and pen with her magic as she watched someone fiddling with some of the machines behind the display. “How long have you known this pony?” “We go way back. We’ve been friends since we were kids. I guess you could say we’re almost like brothers.” Night readied his camera. “Oh here he comes now!” Velvet watched as a white stallion walked to the front of the display. He had a handsome face with a blue mane and sky blue eyes. His lab coat had seen good use as it was an offset white with a few frayed spots. He caught sight of Velvet looking at him. The stallion passively winked at her before tending to his display. “Ladies, and Gentlecolts. My name is Shining Star. And, I’m here to show you the future.” Before he continued there was a shout from the crowd. “Yeah, yeah! We’ve heard that before from other ponies.” Shining Star smiled. “Yes, I’m sure you have. But, how many of those ponies were actually working on something that could change the world as we know it?” Velvet spoke up. “Well, they say they are.” Shining Star laughed. “Yeah,” his face calmed to a look that could be attributed to a pony who held the mysteries to the universe in his back pocket, “but they’re lying.” He moved over to the long table. “Under this sheet, there is a device of my own creation. It will soon revolutionize the way we perceive distance.” He looked across the way to a display for non stick pots and pans. He had the attention of the pony working the display. “Excuse me, miss? Yes, you. Would you mind if I borrowed one of your pans for a little demonstration.” The mare blushed a bit as she grabbed one of her smaller pots and brought it up to him. “Thank you.” Velvet heard a few mares giggle like fillies. She gathered that Shining Star was seen as suave around mares. His confidence did make a certain impression on Velvet. Shining Star yanked the sheet off of the table. Underneath there were two small cylindrical pods with hatch doors. A small pothole was lit up from the light inside. “Everyone, this pot I hold before you is about to make history. But first, may I direct your attention to the table. As you can see, there are no trap doors,” he walked to the other end of the table, “and the second chamber is empty.” He opened the hatch to the pod to show it was empty. He then reclosed the hatch and walked back to the first pod. He opened it. “So picture this! You were cooking in your kitchen,” Shining Star gestured to the general area of the second pod, “and you realize that that caramelizing sugar isn’t coming out of the pot. And you think, darn I should have gotten that non stick pot.” The mare at the other display giggled as he showed off her pot. “So, wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to drive all the way to the store? That way, you could just keep cooking without having to take time to go buy a new pot. Let’s imagine, the store puts a new pot in at their end.” He put the pot in the pod and closed the hatch. “Then, at the flip of a switch.” Shining star flipped a breaker switch that was set up next to the table. After a strange electrical sound emitting from the machines, there was an audible pop. It was like a bubble bursting. A bright light flashed in the second pod accompanied by the sound of a metallic thud. Velvet watched as Shining Star approached the second pod. “Ladies and Gentlecolts, as you can see, I am an earth pony. So naturally, I possess no magic that is like a unicorn’s. Particularly, teleportation. This is no trick, and this is no gag.” Shining Star opened the hatch to the second pod and pulled out the same pot that had previously been on the other end. “Behold! The first item to publicly be teleported without the assistance of unicorn magic.” A series of awes and gasps escaped the watching crowd. The mare from before came up and retrieved her pot. Velvet couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She raised her hoof to get Shining Star’s attention. “Excuse me, but is that all it does?” Shining Star chuckled a bit. “You mean other than transport kitchenware?” He walked over to the large object that had been covered by the white sheet. Yanking off the white sheet with his teeth, he turned to Velvet. It was like the pods on the table, only pony sized. “How does transporting a full grown pony across the continent within seconds sound? Trains will be a thing of the past. Nopony will have to worry about being late for work. Hospitals could receive critical patients faster than ever! Distance between relatives and loved ones can be sealed at the flip of a switch.” Another round of astoundment echoed through the crowd like a tidal wave of fascination. Then the mare with her pot burst out. “Hey it’s backwards!” “Excuse me, miss?” Shining Star asked. The mare was halfway in between distraught and amused. “The insignia on my pot. It’s backwards.” The crowd burst into laughter as a crash of scoffs and groans disbanded the excitement. Ponies began to mutter about it being dangerous or stupid. “No way in tartarus am I getting in that thing,” one said. Shining Stars smile faded as his crowd began to walk off, one by one. “Come on. It just needs a few adjustments.” Despite his attempts to persuade everypony, he had lost them. Shining Star eyed a passing judge who was writing what undoubtedly seemed to be a bad review of his display. Groaning in defeat, he bowed his head and went to work on his machines. Velvet remained. She stepped forward and looked up and down at the large pod. Experimentally, she tapped its surface. She was surprised that it was metal and not just a display piece. There was no window to see inside, which she found curious. “That’s a prototype.” Shining Star was gradually breaking down his machines and packing them into boxes. “I have two more in my lab.” He walked over to Velvet. “Here.” After rotating a safe like lock on the hatch, he swung it open. Velvet looked around the inside. There was a grid of some sort that lined the walls, the roof and the floor. “May I?” Shining Star gestured for her to go right ahead. Stepping into the pod, Velvet felt overwhelmed by a certain giddiness. She imagined what it would be like to be in Manehattan one moment and then suddenly be in Las Pegasus the next. The fact that she was standing in the supposedly working prototype also gave her a sense of fear that she might suddenly disappear. “You probably think this is all some crazy and stupid idea, don’t you?” Shining Star seemed genuinely downhearted. Though, he still held onto a weak smile. Velvet poked her head out of the pod. “I don’t think you’re crazy.” She was glad to see that her comment improved Shing Star’s mood a bit. “Hey, Star.” Night readied his camera. “Pose next to the pretty future journalist so I can get nice picture.” Shining Star rolled his eyes. “You know how much I hate my picture.” “Wait, pretty?” Velvet was still pondering on that comment. “You certainly are.” Shining Star’s comment actually flustered Velvet then and there. “Smile for the camera.”
III. Secret BookVelvet smiled at the memory. “He never did like his picture being taken.” NIght Light and Cadence had begun to pick up the empty pizza boxes at this point. A strange silence surrounded Twilight and Shining as they remained seated and shocked. Shining was overcome by his emotions. The idea that his father was not a unicorn, but in fact an earth pony, had rocked his simple understanding of his small world. Not only was his true father an earth pony; he was also a scientist. That was more of Twilight’s field, so he felt even more alienated from this parent that he never got the chance to know. Twilight paid careful attention to detail. The fact that an earth pony had somehow harnessed the power to teleport, without unicorn magic, was simply inspired. But, she knew that this technology was not a widespread luxury. She was confused as to why such technology had even been censored. Then it struck Twilight. This Shining Star was no longer around. Something must have happened to him. Maybe it was a competitor who did it, or maybe something went wrong with the machine. Twilight had to know the truth. Her brother needed to know the truth now. “Mom, what happened to Shining Star?” Twilight asked. Velvet’s eyes grew in horror until she forced them shut to do away with the memory. “It’s complicated.” Shining stared at his mother. There was a twitch of anger, but also a deep feeling of shame for that anger. Seeing how torn up his mother was, he couldn’t dare to show his anger. “What was he like?” “Star?” Velvet looked to Night Light for comfort. He saw her gesture and quickly made his way to her side. Melting into the embrace of her husband, she recollected herself. “He was amazing. He was brave, smart, and he was dedicated to his family. He was a lot like you are, son.” Night Light found himself smiling at the memory of his friend. “Shining, believe me when I say this. I couldn’t be prouder of the stallion you’ve become. Every moment that looked you as you grew, I saw your father staring back at me. It made me all the more proud to raise the son of my dearest friend.” Shining felt a surge of gratitude towards Night Light. “You both loved him. I can tell.” “And, he would have loved you all the same if he were still here.” Velvet released a much overdue sigh. “I neglected to tell you about your father because I didn’t know if you’d ever be ready to handle what happened. It’s not something to be taken lightly.” “If only he had more time.” Night Light shook his head. “Who knows what he could have accomplished. He mind have even found a way to fix his condition.” Velvet saw the look of discomfort on Twilight’s face. She knew her daughter must have felt offended by that remark. Night Light didn’t mean it that way, but it was almost a wish that Twilight was never born. “He had his time. It was his choice in the end.” Much to Velvet’s comfort, Twilight’s expression had softened. Though, twilight’s new perplexed look was not comforting either. “What do you mean when you say ‘it was his choice’?” Twilight asked. Velvet immediately regretted her poor choice in words. “He asked to be destroyed. It had changed him so much, it was hard to tell if there was anything left of him.” Shining remembered his mother’s strange response to what was merely a common house fly. “What was it?” When Velvet couldn’t bring herself to say it, Night Light stepped in. “The fly.” “The fly?” Twilight raised a brow. “How could a fly have brought Shining Star to want to destroy himself?” Velvet felt herself struggling to find her words. “Night, please bring me the book.” There was immediate protest in Night Light’s voice. “No, you promised we would never let it see the light of day again!” “Night Light!” Velvet turned on her husband. Her sudden stance forced him to draw back. “That book belongs to Star’s son. It belongs to Shining Armor. He has every right to it, and you know it. If anything, he can keep it safer than us.” “What is this book?” Cadence dared to chime in as she sauntered up to her husband’s side. Velvet looked to Shining. “I kept your father’s work. He’s long since destroyed his prototype’s early journals, but I managed to save this one. It has everything you could need to know. He wrote everything. He wrote about the science, and he would write about us.” Velvet covered her mouth to stifle her crying. Fresh tears escaped her eyes. “You were only a baby then.” Night Light soon returned with a heavy look on his face. His magic enveloped an old book that was tattered by time, and yet, its bindings held firm. “Here. Here’s the thing that stole my friend from me.” Night Light let the book fall from his magic and slam on the table. Storming out of the room he made only one final remark, “Good riddance.” Cadence and Twilight looked nervously at Night Light and back to Velvet. Velvet simply grabbed the book with her magic. “Give him time.” She cracked open the book to its first few pages and silently scanned through to about halfway through the book. “I remember now. Everything started in the spring. We had just moved into our new home. It was were the old printing press used to be.”
IV. A WrinkleShining Star found the place. It was equipped with a perfectly functional living space. It was a bit old fashioned. It was like a real house, but the printing press area was just a door away. That was when they still built factories to accommodate their owners. It was perfect for us to raise a family and for him to continue his research. He set up his work in the main work floor. It provided an adequate space for his ample machines. It was actually a business pony who funded his research. I never met him personally, but I knew that Star’s display had caught his attention. Star was thrilled to have his research fully funded without restrictions. He was even more thrilled after you were born. Shining Star’s eyes were full of awe as he gazed down at the white foal that the nurse had given him. “It’s a boy.” Velvet smiled at her husband as he returned to her side. “He has your eyes.” “He has your horn. Our boy is a unicorn, just like his mother.” Shining Star handed the foal back to its mother. “What should we call him.” Velvet hummed in thought as she nuzzled the nose of her child. “I thought we could name him after you.” “Really?” Shining Star asked with a bashful smile. “I thought you wanted to name our foal after you grandfather if it was a boy.” “I know, but Rusty Armor doesn’t seem to suit him.” Velvet pulled the blanket back a little to see her son’s face. “His coat is more like yours.” Shining Star tapped his hoof against his chin as an idea came to him. “Why not combine his name and mine?” “Rusty Star?” Velvet furrowed her brow at the that idea. Shining Star quickly shook his head. “What? No. I mean Shining Armor. How about that?” A gentle smile grew on Velvet’s face. “That sounds wonderful.” After staying by Velvet’s side for so long, Shining Star was eventually pulled away by the hospital nurses. He was joined by Night Light who had been waiting in the hospital wing. Since Night Light had been curious about the married couple’s home, Shining Star felt obligated to take him there. The two caught a taxi to the place which was about four or five blocks from the hospital. When they arrived, Night Light looked in amazement. “Wow. I know you said it was big, but this place is like a mansion.” Night Light followed Shining star through the front door. “Yeah,” Shining Star agreed, “but the old printing press next door is kind of an eye sore.” Night Light nodded in agreement as the visual was quite odd. The house was rather attractive with a somewhat antique style about it. Its brick walls which had been painted white were a striking contrast to the red brick building whose walls had been blackened by time and the accumulation of dust and the effects of acidic rain. The inside was a different story. Night Light found the inside to be somewhat darker. Though there was some eye candy to be found in the wedding portraits of Shining Star and Twilight Velvet, the over excessive amount of stained wood that framed the entrance had a dampening effect on the spirits. The light was also strange. “That light’s a little dim, don’t you think?” Night Light pointed out the low yellow glow of the chandelier hanging above them. Shining Star sighed as he looked up. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been meaning to fix that. It’s just that the wiring is so old that I’d have to replace it all if I wanted it to be brighter. I already had a run in with this problem when we were fixing up the baby room. The house is hooked up to the city’s new power grid, but it has a few installments that prevent the voltage from being to high. Velvet wanted the light in the baby room to be brighter. And when I tried disabling the installments, the wires just melted when I flipped on the switch.” “Gosh, sounds like a killer current.” Night Light looked anxiously at the lights. Shining Star shook his head. “I’m glad the wire was exposed so I could see it smoking. If I hadn’t seen the smoke, I would have burned the house down. I’ve hired a guy to redo the wiring, but it’s gonna take a long while. I didn’t want him destroying the walls, so it’s a delicate process. But, it’s worth it. You don’t find houses like this anymore.” Night Light gave a rather sarcastic hum at the idea of his friend’s taste in housing. “Where’s the lab at?” “Oh, follow me.” Shining Star led Night Light through a narrow hallway that ended with a heavy steel door. Night Light watched as his friend effortlessly opened the door. What Night Light saw on the other side was not what he had been expecting. The walls were mostly if not all white. Countertops were littered with bits of machinery and wires. The white and grey checkered linoleum floor was marred only by a few skid marks. Though the space had mostly been cleaned up, there were still remnants of the old printing press. “Those things still work?” Night Light asked. Shining Star laughed a little. “Sort of. They have some funky hydraulics. I was puttering around with them while I was waiting for some parts to arrive, but I couldn’t fix the limiter. It’s basically just a giant hydraulic press now.” Night Light turned his attention to the two pony sized pods in the center of Shining Star’s makeshift lab. Both had moderately large glass view ports. A purplish pink light glowed from the inside of each pod. “So there it is. The future!” Shining Star’s smile faded. “Yeah. The future.” “What’s eating you?” Night Light was a bit confused by the tone in his friend’s voice. “You’re married. You got a beautiful son, from what I hear. And to top it all off, you’re going to revolutionize the world with the technology you’ve created! You should feel proud of yourself.” Shining Star shifted towards one of the drawers under a counter with various cages that held lab rats. “I’ve actually hit a snag.” Pulling open the drawer, he pulled out a jar. “Something isn’t going right.” Night Light’s eyes grew in amazement. “Woah! Where’d you get one of those.” He took a closer look at the two headed rat that was floating in a mixture of formaldehyde and water. “These are rare!” Shining Star looked nervously at the pods. “I made it.” Night Light gave a weak half hearted laugh. “What?” “It’s the problem with the machine. It has trouble differentiating two distinct life forms. It’s not a rat with two heads. It’s two rats with one body. At first they were fine. They were still alive, I mean. But, they gradually lost their hair. Their genes almost seemed to infect each other like a cancer. Then, they just died.” Shining Star returned the jar to the drawer and pulled out a different jar. “I tried fixing this problem. But, the results were even more discouraging.” Night Light forced himself to look away and cover his mouth before he gagged. “What in the name of Celestia?” He gradually gained the courage to look at it again. “Is that?” “Yeah,” Shining Star let out a depressed sigh, “it’s a snake and a rat.” The creature in the jar was horrible. The body of the rat was distinguished, but the snake’s tail replaced the rat’s. The rat had the snake’s slitted eyes. Part of the snake’s head and neck protruded from where the rat’s left foreleg should have been. The red bulbous eyed snake head was still clasped onto the neck of the rat. The rat’s mouth was still open from the pain. Night Light could make out a distinguished fang piercing the lower lip of the rat’s lower lip where his other front tooth should have been. “Star,” Night Light stared in horror at the jar, “what have you done?” “I don’t know!” Shining Star slid the jar back into the drawer and slammed it shut. “I can’t figure out what’s gone wrong.” “What about single transportation? Does that work okay?” Night Light sat down on his haunches to take in a few stabilizing breaths. “Of course. Any singular teleportation works just fine.” Shining Star looked at the rats that had been separated into two cages. The control group was in one cage while the successfully teleported group was in another. “Flawlessly.” “Then that’s enough. Just slap a regulation sticker on the side saying one pony at a time.” Night Light could see the growing pain on his friend’s face. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re not serious.” “Why wouldn’t I be.” Night Light shook his head at his friend. “What happened to your foster parents wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have saved them from that fire.” “I could have! If I was a unicorn I could have!” Shining Star stormed off over to the pods. Brushing a hoof against one he clenched his eyes shut. “I couldn’t. And, I’ve had to live with that.” He shook his head. “One at a time, the firefighter said. They had me go first. The moment I got out, backdraft. They never found them.” NIght Light gave his friend a comforting hoof on the back. “Hey. It’s all in the past. Even if you were born a unicorn and you saved them by teleporting them out of that fire, what about Velvet? If you hadn’t lost your parents, you would never have been inspired to build all this. You would never have met Twilight Velvet, and you would never have had a son with her. Would you give up the family you’ve made by changing the past?” “No. I wouldn’t give Velvet or Shining up for anything in the world.” Night Light pat his friend on the back. “The past is already written. But, your future is yours to write.” Shining Star smiled. “Then I’ll have to work hard to get it right.”
