"FLY"

It 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.”