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“AUGH!” Celestia’s human knight threw off his sheets in a fit of rage and rolled out of bed. He stumbled slightly before righting himself and stomping over to where the sound originated from, the nearby dresser.
A small, bird-like object was dipping its beak into a bowl of water and then swinging back up, occasionally letting a drop fall back into the dish. Dex stared at it for a few moments as he put on his glasses and sneered. He looked towards a window with its curtains closed and saw the sun’s light just beginning to peek through.
“Celestia,” he said with a shake of his head and headed over to let the light into the room. A quick draw back of the curtains, and Dex could see Canterlot just beginning to wake up.
A few ponies were awake at the early hour, setting up outdoor stalls or trotting to their place of work. The fountain in the town square continued spewing water into the air, occasionally catching a tossed coin, and the grounds of the castle lay silent, morning dew resting on every surface. He spotted an early messenger walk towards the castle gates and be allowed entry without a fuss. Sighing in a mix of lost sleep and peaceful serenity, the man turned around to regard his room.
He had left it quite a mess the previous night, having been up late and messing with one thing or another. Poorly drawn sketches and blueprints were scattered around every available surface and his clothes were thrown in a pile against his wardrobe. Candle wax had piled up upon the plates meant to hold it and had begun to seep over the edges on each piece of furniture that had candles placed. His workbench saw the worst of it though, over four melted candles and piles of paperwork strewn about covered every inch while tools and parts of various projects held the papers down.
Dex walked back to his dresser with the water drinker still dipping away. He left it to its machinations and looked into his mirror, only to find scribbles written on his face. Little spirals of ink were on his cheeks and his nose was a solid black, while his forehead had the words ‘Morning sunshine’ spelled out. The knight’s growing red beard kept the remainder of his face from being dealt a similar blow.
“Celestia, ” he snarled. He didn’t like anyone messing with him while he slept, princesses included. Unable to get revenge against his foe, the man sighed for the second time that morning and was thankful that permanent markers hadn’t been invented yet. A large basin of water sat next to him to wash his face, just as he had done many times before.
Having cleaned the ink off, he quickly got dressed from some clothes in his wardrobe and left his room quietly, making sure not to create any wind to disturb his mess. The standard blue jeans and t-shirt the knight’s usual outfit, but today, as he strolled through the large halls of the castle, guards and servants saw him in a loose fitting black robe with another white one beneath it. A belt around his waist held his ever-present katana as he entered a small dining hall.
The smell of pancakes wafted towards him as he strolled through the room and seating himself next to the princess of the sun’s chair. Not a moment later, Celestia and Luna entered, the first for breakfast and the other for dinner. Only the sound of their shoes clacking against the marble floors, then the thump of them hitting carpet, filled the area as the two rulers took their seats on either side of the small table.
“Good morning, Dex,” Celestia said as she settled herself for a meal. “I take it your sleep was restful?”
How can she say that with a straight face? “Hmm, as restful as can be inside a castle with troublesome princesses,” the knight responded, turning towards her with a bored, yet irritated look. “A good morning to you as well, Your Highness.” He then looked over at Luna with a small smile. “Good morning, Princess Luna.” She nodded a reply, tired from the long night she had.
Celestia looked to Dex in mock hurt. “Me? Troublesome? Whatever do you mean?” she inquired as a butler stepped out of the kitchens. Dex said nothing in return until the stallion had their orders and left them alone again.
“Between the thirsty bird and the writing on my face, I could have sworn you had something to do with it,” the knight said, baiting the princess to crack a smile and prove her guilt. Instead, she looked across the table to her sister. The two rulers stared at eachother for a few moments before they broke eye contact, Luna looking towards the ceiling and Celestia smirking a bit at the kitchen door. “I see,” was all the man said at their actions.
Still looking away from her knight, the princess of the sun spoke up. “Your room could use a bit of tidying up.”
“Indeed. We hadst trouble navigating thine room,” Luna added, knowing the secret was out.
Little moments like those always put a smile on Dex’s face. Most of the time, he was the brunt of the pranks pulled, but he was happy to oblige them if it meant they spent more time together and relaxed. So, with a small smile of his own, the man decided to get a little payback, psychologically.
“How could you two? I don’t like it when someone messes with me while I sleep,” he said in an accusatory tone before putting on a more somber one and drooping his head. “I can’t relax or sleep if I know someone will do something. I’ll never be comfortable here at this rate.”
It had only been a few weeks since Dex learned of his permanent residency in Equestria and became a knight, so the wounds of losing his family and all comforts from before were still fresh in his mind. The princesses knew that and played right into the man’s joke.
“Ah! Dex, no,” Celestia stumbled to say.
"Yes, what mine sister mean’st is...” Luna attempted to continue for her sister. They looked at each other and collected their thoughts, then turned to Dex and said in unison,
“We are sorry.”
“We did not mean to make you uncomfortable, Dex. Please forgive us,” Celestia said as she drew her face closer to her knight.
“Indeed! ‘Tia assured Us the ‘pranking’ wouldst make thou feel better, not worse!” Luna added fitfully.
“Heh. Heheh.” The man began to chuckle openly, stunning the two princesses. After a moment, his amusement died down when he realized the mares were looking at him with unreadable expressions. “Sorry you two. Had to get my revenge somehow,” he said, hoping to play off his actual feelings as the joke he intended. “You two are too good for physical pranks, so I have to resort to psychology.”
An awkward silence followed the knight’s words until the kitchen doors opened. The same butler from earlier appeared, pushing along a small metal cart with three covered dishes, cups, and two pitchers, all made of silver. As the stallion set everyone’s selected food and drink in front of them, conversation started up about anything other than the prank.
Breakfast went by with small talk and Luna bid the two good day. Celestia and Dex went their separate ways outside of the dining room a few moments later, her to the throne room and him to the training grounds.
The knight decided to take his training easy for the day and practiced a few sword swings in front of, and on, a practice dummy. The katana left nicks in the thick wooden post as it cut through the hay shaped like a rearing pony. He didn’t bother to worry about dulling the blade on the hard beam, since the weapon seemed to never dull or bend in the first place.
Halfway through his morning practice, he was interrupted by a castle messenger. The princess was requesting her knight’s presence within the throne room. Sheathing his blade and wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, Dex followed the page back into the castle. As he crossed the threshold between the grounds and stone halls, a cling could be heard.
A small golden coin, the standard Equestrian bit, rolled around the corner ahead and headed straight for the man and his escort. Upon reaching the two, in continued it roll in a circle around them before dropping to one side in front of them. It wobbled for a moment before laying still, with Dex waiting for the owner to come chasing after it. When no such person came, the stallion proceeded to reach for it as the knight stared on.
The page bit the coin and placed it in a small pouch at his left shoulder before trotting onwards. The man said nothing as he followed, thinking the coin as a prank or lost by its owner that didn’t notice. The two made it through two more intersections without finding another soul outside of guards that spoke of no missing bits. Deciding that answering the princess’s summons was more important than finding the owner of one measly bit, the two continued onwards, reaching the large ornate doors of the throne room spread open for the day’s open discussion.
Dex strolled forward, passing ponies in discussions and reaching the white marble and black obsidian thrones where Celestia stood. Her signature calm smile graced her features as he approached and knelt before her.
“Sir Dex, how lovely it is to see you,” she said as he rose. “I have need of your input.” She turned and nodded towards an aged stallion next to a blackboard to her right.
Mathematical equations surrounded chalk drawings that Dex couldn’t decipher in the middle of the board. He looked inquisitively between the unicorn and alicorn for a few moments. When no answer was forthcoming, he decided to take a step closer and speak.
“What exactly am I looking at, Your Highness? I don’t see how my input could help in whatever subject you are currently on.”
With another nod from Celestia, the old pony spoke. “These are preliminary plans for improvements to the castle and city walls.” He then divulged into technical information Dex could only gleam parts of while pointing out key features.
“Shouldn’t this be taken to the captain of the guard instead of me, Princess?” the man asked when the engineer ended his lecture.
“True, but I think there is potential in you, Dex. Tell me what you think.”
The knight drew closer to the board, the basic premise of the information now known helped him understand more. Pulling all the knowledge he could of feudal eras on Earth, he scoured the data set before him for weaknesses and strengths. His basic understanding of technological advances and strategy helped him further in his pursuit. After an extended amount of time, he pulled away from the chalkboard and smiled at the princess.
“These improvements cover several flaws and allow greater maneuverability and adaptability, but they create their own problems as well. They cannot be fixed with the current technology I have seen ponies use, but at the same time, it shouldn’t be a problem for a long time.” He kept secret the fact that the ponies were developing their technology at a much slower pace, for he would rather not see the horrors that could entail.
“I see,” Celestia responded. “What of your people’s technology? Could it not improve upon the design?”
“It could, but I would rather not introduce too much from my world into this one.”
The princess nodded sagely. “Yes, it is best to innovate and evolve on your own.”
There was a moment of silence where both of them were deep in thought. Dex’s mind was filled with the past from the mention of Earth, but he shook it off so as to not upset Celestia. “Is that all, Your Majesty?” He slipped into the stiff knight he was when something bothered him or the situation called for it. At that moment, he was concerned for his continued existence outside his world. The royal mare caught on to this, but hid it well.
“Yes, you may go. Thank you for your input, Dex.” The knight bowed and turned to leave, but Celestia caught him before he took more than two steps. “Oh! Did you happen to find a coin on your way here?”
Without turning around, he responded. “Yes, yes I did. Is it yours?” He reached into a sleeve.
A small ‘pop’ sounded within the hall, confusing a few of the debaters. Soon, a green smoke began to waft into the air, starting near a young page attempting to throw his pouch off. At that point, Dex looked back at the princess with a smirk to match her own.
“Well played,” was all Celestia said as she watched the ponies reactions. The man had learned from the morning that she was in a pranking mood and was keeping up his guard. He shook his head with the smile still on his face and walked out of the throne room, the smoke slowly filling the area and hiding more and more ponies.
Dex continued his leisurely walk through hall after hall, lost in thought. He soon found himself in the castle gardens. The spring had set in fully, blooming a multitude of flowers and leaves on the trees and shrubs. Animals paid the man little mind, only scurrying away if he were to get too close. He roamed the gardens, inspecting the occasional statue or plant, until his legs got tired and he lay upon a bench within the garden maze.
The sun had begun to set, casting the clouds in shades of orange, pink, red, and violet. Twilight set in as a few of Luna’s early stars shone through the waning sunlight. “What a perfect sunset for such an average day,” the man said aloud, letting his eyes close with the breeze. The smell of early bloom flowers danced across him and the occasional bird sang a late melody.
“Sometimes,” Celestia’s voice only added to the serenity, “a beautiful sunset is all you need to make a great day.” She slowly walked next to the bench and sat down. The sounds of the twilight hours were all that was heard for a few moments. “How are you really, Dex?”
“Hmm.” The knight opened his eyes and propped himself up on his elbows to view the sky once more. “I miss them.”
“I know.” Another moment of silence passed. “The pain will fade, but you will never forget them.”
“I know.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“Can I ask you a question, Celestia?”
“Of course.”
“...”
“...”
“Will you be my family?”
“...”
“...”
“I can be a friend.”
“...”
“Sorry.”
Celestia’s grand chariot began its descent upon the small town of Slade. The golden siding glinted in the sunlight as two strong pegasi steadied the descent. The occupants of the airborne craft, Princess Celestia and her constant companion, Sir Dex, Knight of the Solar Guard, jerked slightly as the ride touched down upon the soft soil.
The only human to grace Equestria’s land stepped out first, scanning the gathered villagers and scenery for threats. His serious expression and armed stature led the ponies to grow a little concerned. After a brief nod towards the chariot, Celestia stepped out and greeted her subjects by spreading her wings and giving a soft smile. In return, the ponies bowed in reverence until she asked them to rise.
There was no particular reason for the sudden visit by the princess of the sun. Occasionally, she would take a day off to see her subjects and reacquaint herself with their lives. The only thing different about this visit, was the odd being standing beside her, looking both excited and bored at the same time.
The looks Dex was receiving ranged across the full spectrum: from fear to curiosity. He had gotten used to such looks on previous missions with his liege and regarded the ponies in a neutral expression he was sure they’d confuse. I wonder how long I can keep this up this time, he thought. As he was about to lose his nerve, Celestia spoke up.
“My dear citizens, it is wonderful to see you all again.”
A grey pony with black hair was pushed forward from the gathering and he gave a quick bow before responding. “Your Majesty, we are honored by your presence. I am the new mayor of Slade, Slate Grey.” How appropriate. “May I ask what the being is beside your royal presence?” Can this guy get anymore stiff?
The princess had enough praise and folded her wings back before relaxing her stature a bit. “Please, do not be alarmed, my little ponies. This man beside is one of my knights, Sir Dex of the Solar Guard, and I would like you all to treat him as you would anypony.”
At her words, most of the ponies gathered had relaxed and gave Dex a few smiles, or waves by the younger ones. Seeing the little fillies and colts in the group brought a smile on the young knight’s face, for they reminded him of his own world slightly. He threw caution and etiquette to the wind and stepped forward, releasing the grip on his sword. Psh, that didn’t take long.
“Hello, everyone. It’s good to meet y’all. The princess and I are here to visit, so make yourselves comfortable. Stiff ponies make for poor conversation after all.” The man’s voice was loud enough to reach everypony’s ears, but soft enough to bring his emotions across. He had learned that if he didn’t take the lead, Celestia would allow her subjects to remain as they were and slip a few jokes in at their actions.
Between the princess’s request and her knight’s own, the ponies couldn’t hold back any longer and slacked entirely. Some turned and went about their business, while others would come up to ask a few questions or exchange greetings with the royalty in their presence.
“Dex, go along and mingle. Everything is fine here,” the princess said during a lull in conversation.
“Alright, but where will you be?” he responded.
“We will meet again easily enough, do not worry.”
Trusting in Celestia’s judgement, the knight bowed before her and stepped through the crowd as it parted for him. As he was just entering the town’s border, a young voice could be heard nearby.
“Numbers!”
“Huh?! Wha?” Dex snapped out of his reminiscing when he heard his young friend shout. He took a moment to shake out of the daydream before looking over at the source of the voice. “What is it, Riches?”
“You’ve been staring into space for a while now. I thought you were going to help me with my chores?” The little golden coated filly looked up at him with wide eyes, her silver hair falling to one side of her head like a waterfall that reached beyond her shoulders. She put on a pout to increase the effectiveness of her guilt trip.
“Gah! Sorry, I’m sorry! Stop that!” the knight said in response, turning his head in any direction he could to avoid looking at the young pony.
Seeing that her ploy had worked, she immediately reverted to her bossy nature. “Hup to it then. You have to move all the boxes here up to the kitchens,” she said as she set one upon her back and started for the stairs.
Dex looked around the cellar to see a mountain of boxes, ranging from foods to supplies any tavern would need. He shook his head slowly, remembering that he brought the situation upon himself. Setting the box he was carrying on top of a stack he had made earlier, he bent down and lifted the five piled crates as one and headed for the stairs. His mind fell back into his daydream, but kept the work on his subconscious as he didn’t want to face his friend’s wrath again.
The voice the knight had heard earlier devolved into a scream. Wasting no time, he ran towards the sound and ended up between two of the wooden buildings in town. Inside the narrow alleyway, he could see two colts stalking closer to a trembling little filly, but the shadows didn’t let him catch any colors from the assailants or their victim.
“Aw, why you crying? Little orphan can’t take care of herself once she’s cornered?” one of the colts mocked while the other snickered. “How about I teach you how to get some money?” he continued, nudging his accomplice at the innuendo before laughing as well.
It was at that point that Dex realized they were older than he first thought. With anger boiling in his veins, he stepped closer to the duo, making sure his footfalls were loud. Between the soft soil and the colts’ laughter, they didn’t hear him approach and he placed a hand on either pony. They froze on the contact.
“I’ve got a better idea,” the man said in as dark a voice he could muster. “How about I teach two young stallions some manners?” The two turned slowly to view a large creature standing on two legs they had never seen before with a sword at his side. They screamed at the perceived monster before running full tilt out of the alleyway.
Dex let the colts go and walked slowly over to the still cowering filly. Some light streamed through a cloud so he could see her golden coat and silver hair. She was covered in dirt and was in need of a good brushing. “Hey, they’re gone now. It’s safe,” he spoke softly, kneeling and attempting to get her to stop shaking in fear.
The filly slowly pulled her head away from her body to look up at the man, but didn’t react as the others had. Her ruby eyes darted between Dex and the empty alley behind him before she abruptly stood up and attempted to brush off some dirt. “I-I could have taken care of them,” she said in a sweet, harmonic voice that struggled to sound tough. “I didn’t need any help.”
The knight started to add everything he had heard together, and didn’t mind the filly’s brash attitude. “You’ve been alone for awhile haven’t you?” he asked, still crouched with a sympathetic smile on his face.
“I don’t need your pity,” she spat as she shakily stood and started towards the entrance to the alley. Her bones could be seen slightly through her skin, as if she hadn’t eaten in some time. “I can take care of myself just fine.”
Dex disagreed with her statement and swept her up before she passed him entirely. “Yeah, not buying it kid.”
“Hey!” she struggled for a minute before the man’s strength overpowered her own. The filly seemed to accept her fate and settled in his arms like a cat.
“I’m going to get you some food, and then we are going to talk. There’s no way I’m letting an orphan stay that way under my watch,” Dex said as he walked out of the alley and towards the local tavern. In the distance, Celestia noticed her knight carrying a dirty filly and smiled to herself before talking more with the town’s residents.
The last box had been brought up from the cellar when Riches ran over to him. “Numbers!” She took a moment to breathe before continuing. “We have a situation at the bar!”
Dex stood from setting the box down and cracked his neck. “Barfight?” he asked as he grabbed his sword from next to the doorway to the basement. He normally wouldn’t need it, but it was always good to have for intimidation purposes.
“Worse,” was the only reply before she started pushing him towards the kitchen door. He indulged her for a moment before relenting and walking on his own. As soon as he entered the tavern’s main hall, with the filly trailing behind him, he could see the problem. A few of the local stallions had started up a little gang and was attempting to extort the owners for ‘protection’ money.
“Now, now. We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to this establishment, would we?” spoke a familiar looking pony. Riches gasped when she managed to get a better look at him.
“That’s one of the colts that always bothered me!” she said in a loud whisper. “What is he doing here?”
The stallion had heard Riches speak and turned to see her. His eyes grew a bit before cuckling. “Well if it isn’t the little orphan!” He looked beside her to the knight. “And the monster! Isn’t this interesting. I can show this old stallion we mean business and get my revenge at the same time!” He then nodded towards his compatriots. “Get him, fellas. I want the little one for myself.”
Dex stood calmly while the ponies started towards him slowly, knocking tables and chairs out of the way while working into a circle around him and the filly. When he spoke, it was in complete confidence and command. “As a knight of Princess Celestia’s Solar Guard, I ask you just this once to cease your activities or be brought to justice.”
The leader laughed once more. “As if the princess would employ a monster like you! Get him.” The stallions began to rush him at his command.
“Very well,” was all that the knight said before taking a defensive stance and removing his sword from his side, keeping it sheathed to prevent serious injury. Two of the four ponies reached him at once.
Dex threw a punch to the right while swinging his weapon to the left, knocking both colts back and allowing the other two to try. The stallion on the left about faced and attempted to buck the man, but lost his balance as the human sidestepped to attack the other pony. As the knight delivered a two-handed swing across the face of his newest opponent, he heard a scream from behind him. The leader had stepped around the brawl to grab Riches and started dragging her towards the kitchen.
Hell, no. Dex felt anger rush through him as it had the day he met the golden filly. Instead of holding it back, he embraced the emotion. Release.
The human was a blur of motion, as he quickly slammed a foot across the head of the stallion just getting up from his tumble, followed by a quick jab to the first two colts as they blocked his way. The man burst through the doorway to find the leader holding the young mare down. Without a second thought, Dex slammed into the stallion and pushed him into the wall behind him. Flicking his thumb across the guard of his sword, the sheath fell away to show a deadly sharp katana. The knight pointed the tip straight at the pony’s face and pulled back the blade for a quick thrust.
“Stop!” came the cry of the filly behind him. The blade halted its progress a mere centimeter from the colt’s eye.
“Why?” Dex said, venom dripping from his voice.
“It’s alright.” Riches paused as she walked up to the enraged knight and looked up at him. Her head only came up to his stomach, but he could see her nonetheless. She had tears in her eyes as she spoke. “Remember what you said the day we met?”
The noise of the tavern was drowned out by the utter silence surrounding the man and filly sitting at a table on the far side of the room. Plates of food had been brought over, only to sit and cool as the two continued their silence. The filly would look over the food and up at the man, only to look back down at her hooves, while the knight would sit still and watch her quietly. One of the waitresses came over at one point to ask if they needed anything else as she surveyed the mess of uneaten food, only to be waved off by Dex.
“What’s your name, little one?” the human finally asked, only to receive nothing in reply. Well... “If you won’t tell me your name, I guess I’ll have to give you one.” The golden filly looked up at him and opened her mouth for a moment, then closed it and looked at the food. “You can eat whatever you see here, no need to be shy.”
“I’m not shy!” she suddenly blurted. Her eyes grew a bit at her outburst before fighting through the words. “I don’t want your pity, and now you’re torturing me by putting all this food in front of me.”
The man sighed slowly and grabbed a plate of fries he had specifically ordered to be made from potatoes. “Look, I’m not pitying you. I want to help you, so eat and help me help you,” he said before throwing a few fries in his mouth.
The filly looked down and mumbled for a moment, much to the human’s chagrin. “I didn’t catch that.” She spoke a little louder, but it was still muffled. “Come again?” Once more, she said something the knight couldn’t understand. “Could you look at me when you speak? I can’t understand you.”
“Precious Metal!” she yelled, a bit too loud than she wanted. Some of the patrons on the tavern looked over at the duo, but were waved off by the knight.
“Precious Metal? That’s your name?” I really don’t want to laugh, but really? The young mare seemed to understand the man’s thought process, as she glared at him.
“Yes, my parents gave me that name. You have a problem with it?” she bit back.
“No, no. It’s cute.” He smiled at her, only making her more irritated.
“This is why I don’t tell anypony my name.” She huffed and looked away.
“How about I call you Riches, then?”
“Riches?”
“Because of your colors: gold, silver, and ruby. Riches.”
“Hmph, what’s your name?” she asked as she turned back to the knight.
“Dex.”
“Then I’ll call you Numbers.”
“Numbers?” The man had to admit, it was sort of catchy.
“Because a dex is a base set of numbers, like two dex is ten to the second power.”
“You’re smarter than you look.” GRAHHH! The man began screaming in his head at what he had just done.
“And how smart do I look?” she asked indignantly.
As smart as Precious. Pff. Okay, calm down. The smirk returned to the man’s face at the thought and attempted to calm the situation. “It was a slip of the tongue. In my world, it was a compliment.”
“Uhuh.” She didn’t buy it, but let it go as she took a bite of egg from a nearby plate. “Well, Numbers , what do you do since you can afford all this?” The man was surprised at her quick change of mood and smiled at the progress he was making.
“I’m a knight of the princess,” he responded. “Can you tell me why you were being assaulted?” The filly looked away. “You don’t have to-”
“They always taunt me, ever since my parents...” Dex waited patiently for the Riches to continue. The table was silent except for his occasional grab at food. The young mare began to eat after some time and the knight wondered if he would get any more information from her. As she finished off her second plate, originally covered in hay fries, she spoke up again. “My parents passed away a few years ago. Nopony bothered to take me in, so I’ve been taking care of myself since then.”
The knight listened intently as the filly continued her story. There were moments he cringed and others where he laughed along with whatever the girl had found funny. Within a few hours, the empty plates piled up and the sun had begun its descent across the sky. Dex paid for the meal and wandered towards the entrance, beckoning the filly to follow. When they stepped out into the afternoon sun, he spoke up.
“What do you say we find those young stallions that bothered you?” His face was empty of all emotion, not letting the filly see what he had planned.
“They... they don’t deserve the attention,” she responded, trying to avoid a confrontation with the colts twice in one day.
“I think you deserve some revenge,” he continued with coldness starting to seep into his voice.
“No!” Her response shocked the knight out of his thoughts. “Numbers, I want you to promise me something,” she said as she stepped in front of him and looked him in the eyes.
“I am a man of my word, so if I don’t believe I can do it, I won’t promise it.”
“Promise me, Dex. Promise me that you will not harm the ponies who attacked me.”
“Why are you so adamant about not bringing them to justice?”
Riches shook her head. “No questions. Just promise me.” She looked at him and brought her ultimate weapon against him. Her eyes grew wide and misted with tears while she pouted and tilted her head to one side.
How is it that it doesn’t work with me if they’re human, but these ponies can make me do anything with that look? The knight sighed deeply and resigned himself to his fate. “I promise I will not seriously harm the ponies who assaulted you.”
“That’s not what exactly what I asked!”
“Because if they attack you again, I need some leeway to defend you. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to them unless they start something again.”
Satisfied with his explanation, she smiled and started walking off to the left. “Good, we will get cleaned up.”
Bossy ain’t she?
The man looked between the young mare and stallion for a few moments before retracting his blade from his opponent’s face. The colt let out a breath of relief before the man’s face was in his own.
“You will leave this town, never to darken a doorway or assault another pony again. Do. You. Hear. Me?” the knight said as he glared directly into the stallion’s eyes.
“Y-yes sir!” the pony responded with a shaky nod.
Dex released the stallion and watched him dart out of the kitchen and then the tavern itself, ignoring his teammates in favor of escaping. The human then turned to look down at the filly and picked her up. “I told you I’m a man of my word,” he said as he did his best interpretation of a nuzzle. She giggled in relief and let him carry her back into the main hall.
Upon seeing the man, the other stallions quickly stood and ran out of the building as well. The owner of the establishment trotted over to the knight and bowed his head.
“Thank you, Sir Dex. You have done more than we ever expected as always.”
“It's no problem, Tall Glass.” He looked down at the filly snuggled under his head that he had helped so much in the past and smiled. Dex had finally come to a conclusion. “It’s the least I can do for you giving my sister a home.”
Riches looked up at him in shock, before tears began to well up and she smiled happily.
Sweat dripped from the man’s forehead as he drug his feet through the soil towards Sweet Apple Acres’ main gate. He held a bar in front of him that reached around him and attached to a peculiar wagon. It was made mostly of wood, with wooden wheels and steel axles. There was no top to the contraption, allowing passersby to see two seats and an odd circular object attached to the front board. Stone, a large grey stallion with red hair, sat in one of the seats and held the wheel. Behind him, a metal engine sat.
“C’mon boy! You’ve still got another two hundred yards before we’re there!” the stallion hollered over the human’s grunts of effort. Dex didn’t respond, dedicating all of his energy to moving the heavy cart. “Be glad we got some lads to help us get it this far!”
The two had commissioned a couple stallions to help them move the machine from Canterlot to Ponyville, and now they were stuck taking turns of their own to get it the rest of the way to their destination. The purpose of their move was the distillery at Applejack’s farm, having not gotten assistance from the breweries around the capital city. A secondary objective was the large, open area around the farm Dex could use to test the vehicle.
With a final grunt of effort, the man brought the wagon to a halt next to the farm’s entrance. He expected it to be safe there, as he did not want to attempt the climb to the house and barn a few acres away. Stone hopped out of the cart and watched Dex as he held himself up with the bar he had used to move the machine, breathing heavily.
“You did it, boy. I knew you could go at least part of the way.”
“Huff. Huff. Yeah. Just. Much less. Than you,” the man said in short bursts of air. The excessive strenuous effort was making him nauseous as well and he was taking deep gulps to alleviate the feeling.
“Well Ah’ll be. Ya made it after all.” The voice of Applejack traveled to their ears from the entrance. They turned their heads to see her trotting down the lane towards them with a pair of saddlebags.
“Miss Applejack, how’ve you been?” Stone said in as cultured a tone he could manage with his gruff voice.
“Now don’t you start that again,” came the reply. The two looked at each other and started chuckling.
“Just why did you bring me along, again?” Stone asked as he and Dex shuffled in the train car.
“For the last time, Stone, I wanted you to come with so you would take a day off,” the knight responded.
“That doesn’t mean you had to make it sound like an emergency, boy.” The stallion had been tricked into coming along when the man rushed by him during training, telling him to hurry up or they’d be late. Thinking he had forgotten a meeting or drill, Stone had run after Dex, but when they reached the train station, he was shoved inside the locomotive moments before the whistle blew and he was stuck riding it. Stone was irritated at first, but calmed down later in the trip.
Dex scoffed at the stallion’s words. “As if you would have willingly taken the day off. Just relax and meet some friends of mine from when I first arrived.”
“I already know of them. The bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I saw them during the ceremony when they defeated Discord.”
“You know of them, but not they themselves. Anyway, we’re only going to meet with Applejack today for a little side work I’m doing if you really don’t want to see them all.”
The train began to slow for Ponyville Station. As the momentum was coming to a halt, the wheels squealed upon the tracks and the whistle blew. Dex stood and headed for the nearby door with Stone following behind him. After a few seconds of waiting, the train completed its stopping procedure and the doors opened, letting the two step out onto the station’s landing.
The knight drew a few looks as he walked through the streets, but none of them were the frightened glances he’d gotten when he first appeared outside of town months ago. Ponyville was the first stop he and Celestia took in introducing him to the populace and they had grown used to seeing the human around as he would visit occasionally to meet the ‘mane 6’ as he called them.
Wasting no time, Dex headed straight for Sweet Apple Acres, wanting to get his business taken care of before enjoying his time. Stone followed after with a small frown; it was not like him to take a day off and the lack of work bored him.
They reached the farm shortly, with the knight heading right down the path at the entrance to the farmhouse. Granny Smith was sitting in her rocking chair on the porch as they approached and waved them over.
“Well now, here’s two boys Ah haven’t seen before. Name’s Granny Smith. What can Ah do for you two fellers?” she said as they entered conversational distance and continued her rocking.
“Hey, Granny, it’s Dex. You know where Applejack is?” the knight answered back, knowing his presence wasn’t strange to the old mare in the least.
“Dex? Ahh, the feller Applejack keeps talkin’ about. She’s aroun’ back, in the barn Ah reckon.”
“Thanks Granny, we’ll talk more in a moment.” The two walked over to the barn as Granny Smith waved them on and relaxed into an afternoon nap. As they reached it, they found the doors open and Applejack tossing some apple buckets onto a two-wheeled cart. They let her finish loading before interrupting her.
“Hey, Applejack!” Dex said. Her body tensed, surprised at the call, before relaxing and turning around.
“Howdy, Dex.” She turned her head to the side a bit to see the stallion next to the man. “Who’s yer friend?”
“This is Stone,” he said simply, allowing Stone to introduce himself.
“Good evening, ma’am. My name is Stone, lieutenant of the Solar Guard. Miss Applejack, was it?” the stallion said stiffly, unsure of how to act in front of one of the Elements, and extended a hoof to her.
Applejack put up an amused smile and trotted over to him. “Aw, shucks. No need to be fancy with me. Just call me Applejack,” she said as she took his hoof in both of her own and shook him vigorously. The combination of the forceful hoofshake and her demeanor loosened him up. From then on, if Stone acted stiff in front of her, she’d shake him out of it.
“So what’re ya here for?” Applejack asked to Dex when introductions were over.
“Alcohol,” the man responded.
When the two calmed down from their chuckling, Applejack spoke up again. “Ah’ve been fine. Farm’s doin’ well, too.”
Dex managed to catch his breath a moment later. “So, you have the fuel?” he said as he climbed up into the wagon.
Applejack pulled a small flask out of her saddlebags and placed it on the side step of the cart. “Sure do, here’s some of it, but the rest you’ll have ta come up to the farm ta get,” she said and walked to the back of the vehicle. Dex was inspecting the motor while she looked the whole contraption over for a few moments. “What is this supposed ta do again?”
“You’ll see,” was all the response she got as he finished his inspection and reached over for the fuel. “Stand back.”
Dex poured some of the transparent yellow fluid into a small dish on top of the motor before grabbing a handle on the side and yanking. Pops, and the whirr of internal parts sliding against their shell, sounded from the machine as the man let the handle, and cord attached to it, retract. He pulled a second and third time, getting the same results before adding more fuel. Two more pulls, and the engine’s pops got louder, eventually reaching a hum that echoed in the empty air. Black smoke puffed out of a different pipe at regular intervals.
“YES!” Dex exclaimed as the machine died down into silence once more. “Yesyesyesyesyesyes!” He hopped off the vehicle and started strutting around it. “Haha! Take that! I did it, I did it, I did it!” he yelled joyously into the air. As he rounded the machine again, he stopped at the two confused ponies. “C’mon! Let’s get the rest of the gas and get this puppy moving!”
It took time. A lot of time. A lot of effort too, but time was the largest part of the project.
One day, Dex woke up with the wild idea to make a car. He sketched plans, researched materials, and asked around for information until he finally had some semblance of a design.
The chassis was easy enough for him to acquire. All he did was run over to the nearby cart maker and asked him to make a wagon with four wheels, a strong frame, and steering ability on the front axle. When it was complete, he modified the way it turned to be controlled from in the cart instead of by being pulled in the direction it should go.
Dex’s second challenge was the transmission. He managed to find a gear manufacturer in Manehattan, but had no idea how to make a gearbox to fit his purposes. Working with his limited knowledge, he made a horrible gear transition design that would wear on the teeth with each use, but all he wanted to do is make the vehicle move and not move, so it was good enough for a test run or two.
The engine was a marvel of innovation on the knight’s part. He wanted an internal combustion engine, not a steam powered one, so he thought he had to work from scratch. As luck would have it, he had a chance to look at, and later purchase, a used steam engine some stallions had used for their mobile cider maker. He used most of the components from it, namely the block and valve system, and made a monstrosity. He reinforced the piston and connecting rod, changed the port positions, and drilled a new hole for a spark plug to fit in.
With all three major components collected, he assembled them into the vehicle he called ‘Model D’. He added one of the generators he made to the end of the engine and connected it to the spark plug. Pouring a dense food oil into the back half of the motor would help keep it cool enough for his later tests, he hoped. Finally, he added a rip cord to the generator’s large wheel with teeth so it wouldn’t get caught while the engine ran.
His intended fuel did not exist, so he was left hoping alcohol would work. Dex went to the local distillery, but had no luck getting the ponies there to help him create what he needed. It was for the best, however, because if he had gotten the fuel then, he would have had no room to drive the machine. That was when Applejack entered his mind.
“Alright, what in tarnation is this thing supposed ta do already?” Applejack said as the trio reached the vehicle with a keg. They heaved it into the contraption and Dex set about transferring the fluids to a tank, where it would be pressurized to reach the tube he poured the fuel into originally.
“You remember when the Flim Flam brothers came by in their machine to take your farm?” Dex asked as he sat down and stared at his creation with a smile on his face.
“How could Ah forget?” The farmer had learned not to ask how the knight knew of certain events, as he would continuously dodge the question or give some weak excuse for his knowledge, much to her chagrin.
“That machine of theirs ran on steam, a very difficult thing to do for a free moving vehicle. This one runs on the fuel you made and will be easier to use. If I can perfect the design, you could use one of these to plow your fields or carry all your apples back the farm.”
“Now hold on a minute. We don’t need some machine to do our work for us!”
“It will make it easier,” Dex insisted as made a few turns with his screwdriver against some bolts in the intake.
“We Apples pride ourselves in doing all our work by hoof. Ain’t no way Ah’d replace a hard working pony with some machine!”
“You don’t have to use it.” He quickly relented when he remembered the mare’s stubbornness. Besides, I’m pretty sure this technology is way too primitive to use well and you ponies are far away from improving on this.” He grabbed the pull cord. “Hop on if you wanna ride, or don’t.” He looked up for a moment before turning to the ponies. “It’d probably be safer if you don’t.”
“I helped you haul this thing here, boy. I want to see what it can do,” Stone said as he hopped on. Applejack merely stepped back and watched indignantly.
With a quick pull of the cord, the generator turned, creating energy and turning the piston and valve into place. The ethanol fuel pumped into the chamber as the valve closed behind it, letting the electricity travel to the spark plug and igniting the fuel. The massive expansion of energy forced the piston down, leaving enough momentum to return to expend the exhaust and start the process all over again.
The engine howled as Dex tested the throttle for more gas. A satisfied smirk played on his lips as he hopped into the seat where the steering wheel was in reach. A pedal on the floor of the cart was attached to the throttle by a cord and a lever sat to his right, used to change the gear in the box attached to the back of the engine and rear axle.
Revving the engine slightly, the man tensed his arm and slammed the lever forward. A grinding noise was followed by a ‘clank’ as the gears were forced to engage, making the engine bog down from the sudden increase in load. Sure enough, the vehicle started to move forward and Dex tested the steering as it crawled along at a snails pace.
“Watch the engine for me, Stone! If you see smoke or smell something burning, let me know!” the man yelled over the exhaust and motor noises. He pressed his foot down and opened the throttle more, allowing the engine to work faster and, consequently, the vehicle to move faster.
The vehicle ran down the dirt road outside of the farm at, what the man estimated as, five miles per hour. He dared not go faster, as he had neglected to add brakes and didn’t want to overwork the engine. Dex steered the machine back to Applejack and pulled the lever into its neutral position, letting the beast roll to a stop. He got up and pinched the fuel line, starving the engine of its precious energy source, until the noise stopped.
Dex hopped out of the vehicle and smiled widely. “I... am awesome.” Sir Dex, Knight of the Solar Guard, had just ‘invented’ the internal combustion engine for Equestria. He didn’t even care that oil was leaking out of some of the seams and it had used nearly half of the fuel for that small run, or that the transmission was nearly destroyed and smoke was rising out of the valve chamber.
