With a soft noise of metal sliding against metal, it turned. Easy had the wires going up to her horn. The fact that she could figure out negative and positive after a little trying was a pleasant surprise. Sure, she had no idea which part of her horn was which, but they were separated out, allowing the power to flow through the wire and create motion in the crude little example of human innovation.

Tight had his forehooves together as he leaned in, his head thrust over those hooves, gawking at the motion. "It isn't glowing," he noted as if that was the most important part of the entire thing. "It isn't glowing, not even a little."

He wasn't wrong. It wasn't glowing at all. No unicorn magic was operating on it, not directly at least. "We could make this turn without even her borrowed spark, but it'd be a lot slower. Electricity isn't magic, and that is what is powering this."

"Imagine if you did this with the wheels of a cart!" Tight blurted, eyes starry with visions of the future.

"That is skipping a few steps." Though valid, I silently admitted. "More immediately, imagine it attached to pumps and bellows. Imagine it lighting the darkness."

His cheer dimmed. "I just finished sayin' it wasn't glowing and there you go bringing glowing right back into it." His hooves came apart to point at me accusingly. "Are you tugging at hoof?"

It slowed to a stop, Easy huffing softly. "That isn't as easy as I make it look. Cute as it is, what was the point of that?"

"What was the point?" thundered Tight, hopping to his hooves. "We just saw the future and you ask what the point is?! But there are so many questions behind it..." He fixed his eyes on me squarely. "You obviously know about this. How do you get electricity without a unicorn working at it? If you need that, ain't much different than magic in the end."

Easy rolled a hoof with a smirk. "A great question. I'm your manager, not your sparky pony."

Water leaned against me from where she was laying just beside me. "I will handle making sparks."

I was at least 80% certain that was innuendo. "There are as many ways to make electricity as there are things that move or burn. Let's not get ahead of ourselves." I carefully picked up the little motor that could and set it on a small bed-side desk. "This will work as a demonstration. We have water to handle."

"Water moves." Tight nodded softly, looking quite self-pleased. "Can it make electricity?"

Well... "Sure. But you'll slow the water down doing it, so I don't want to put a generator on the pipe we're making for the city. Unless you think the water pressure's too high as it is?"

Tight shook his head quickly at that. "No! No... It's good, but there's other water flowing. We could tap that, right? Make electricity for the town. That'd surprise everyone! They think we're bringing water, and we will, but bam something new!"

I was about to shoot him down, but it hit me. This was a pony getting not only invested but legitimately excited about science and its practical uses. That wasn't something to discourage. He was exactly what I wanted to make happen. "Tight Fit."

"Yeah?" He cocked an ear towards me before turning. "'Bout to tell me why that won't work?"

"No. This obviously interests you. Do you want to know how it works? Knowing how it works will let you work with it, and use it."

He smiled so hard and so fast, a soft squeak escaped his cheeks in an adorable little exclamation of his joy. "You'll share your secrets? I figured you'd want to hold that tight."

Paf, my hand came down on his head, his horn going up between my pointer and middle finger as I began to pet him without thinking about it. "I would be delighted to take you on as a student. You'll be the first pony to understand the concept of electromagnetism."

"I'm honored." He scooched back, removing his mane and head from the petting. "But there's only one mare fer me, even if her time ran out. Ah'm a loyal stallion."

Easy applied a hoof to her face. "Dad! He just... does that. He thinks all ponies like being pet for some reason, no dirtiness behind it."

That left me with a new bit of sad information. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to bring up a sore point."

"That was a long while ago." He looked away, turning instead to the motor. "I made peace, but don't plan to replace her none. 'sides, got a daughter to keep an eye on. No matter how large she gets, she finds new things to get all involved in."

Easy set her hooves on her hips, standing up to do so. "The same thing you're throwing yourself into!"

Tight stuck out his tongue, though he wasn't facing her. "I didn't say it was a bad habit. Now, pardon me, but I need some sleep. This is fascinating, but my late night days are behind me." He started for the door, his tail wagging cheerfully with his steps. It was a subtle difference, but I was starting to learn their little body cues.

"One thing," I called to his retreating form. "You're the first, but you won't be the only pony. This will do no one any good if we keep it too close. We want all of Equestria to have this."

His steps faltered. "All... You dream big, Mister Langerman." A soft smile spread on his lips. "But I like those dreams." And off he went, closing the door behind himself with a faint glow of magic.

Easy hopped up onto his bed. "He brought it up first, but it isn't a bad idea. Good night! Have fun if you're doing that."

Water had the good manners to blush with me, but she didn't argue it either. We all settled for bed, confident that the day had been well spent.

"Where dig?" The head of the diamond dogs was there, arms crossed. It was an unusual pleasure to be dealing with a fellow biped. "Ready."

"About that." I turned my gaze to Tight who was there with Easy. "Alright, the goal is to get the water in and all through the city. Water likes flowing downhill. Any time we try to force it uphill, it's going to slow down, and eventually stop. We don't want it to stop before it's already in someone's home."

"Right, I've been thinking about that." His horn glowed, producing a rather large sheet of paper that he unfurled between us all. On it was a great map of the city, little lines darting all over it. "Here's what I have. I can't dig the larger holes, that's where you come in." He pointed at the canine leader. "Never saw somethin' like you before, but the Boss says you dig good."

"Best diggers," he agreed, leaning in to study all the marks on the paper. "Hmmm... How big?" He held his hands up apart.

"Depends on the color." He pointed to a black line. "Black's the widest. This big." He spread his hooves out wide, then frowned. "Bigger then I can reach..." He turned to the side. "Two of me wide."

"Big," agreed the diamond dog foreman. "Okay. We dig. We dig good. Start big, ask when done." He turned to look at the city, then looked over his shoulder at the plans and back at the city. "Yes. We--"

"One more thing." He ran a hoof along some hatchetlines. "This shows how high it is. See how it gets thicker as it gets away from the start? That's how it goes down. Flat here, see? Can you do that?"

"Mmm?" He dropped into a squat facing the paper, examining the subtle hatches. "Hmm... What deepest?" He thrust a finger at where the hatches seemed to be the most dense.

"That should come right out the bottom of the far side of the city." He pointed the way. "That's the deepest, where everything should lead. Note that system is separate. We don't want clean water and sewage water touching. Talk about nasty tasting."

"Bad water," he agreed. "Not want. Keep apart." He nodded once firmly. "Got it. Come on, let's go!" The others began to bark and cheer, looking ready to go. I was expecting more talk among them, but the one in charge began to bark out orders and the others dove into the earth and stone, vanishing from sight, but only briefly. What started as a lump rapidly began to grow into a proper hole, then expand far more rapidly than I imagine anything short of a fully mechanized digger could manage. The tunnels were officially underway. We'd have our water system and sewage system.

"You look happy," noted Easy with a smirk. "Watching them with that dopey smile on your face."

Had I been? I gently tamped down that expression. I had an image to uphold! "It's good to see such solid progress. The end feels like it's a lot closer than it was even a day ago." To think the far descendants of those dogs would lose this will to perform great deeds, sinking to depravity and greed. Could I change that trajectory? Should I? My self-appointed job was to safeguard the future of Equestria, which meant not changing bits of it to my taste, even the unfortunate parts.

There would be consequences to every action, magnified over and over as a millenia passed by. Saving the children's children's children's and so on of these dogs could cause something new to go horribly awry, and how would I even predict where that would happen? At the very least, it would change what happens in the future. Rarity would never be pony-napped and showcase her unique problem solving, which could affect other things.

"Tight?"

"Yesir?"

I gestured at the growing hole. "Do you need to monitor that, or are they good to go for now?"

"Don't reckon I could monitor this in any real way besides watchin' and waitin'." He shrugged softly. "Why?"

"Shall we continue our lessons?"

That got his attention, tail wagging. "Sounds like a fine idea. Now what was that about magicetic fields?"

"Magnetic fields," I corrected as I lead him away towards a place more conducive to study.

"I'll keep an eye," shouted Easy behind us. "Kind of my job." It was good to have a manager. I raised a hand in a wave as I went, thankful to have her around.

A glowing sponge worked over my body. Water was smiling as she performed her duty of cleansing, obviously enjoying working on my furless parts. It was a habit we'd gotten into, since technically it was one of her many duties, and it let us be together at the same time.

The door opened without a knock. Both of our eyes went towards it. Water was on her hooves instantly. "The bath is in use," she called in her gentle but firm way.

"I am certain he will not object too strongly to my presence." In came Celestia, the door closing behind her. "You can be a difficult creature to get alone without formal invitation."

We both tensed at the sudden intrusion, not that she seemed very worked up about it. She casually worked off her horseshoes and took off her jewelry. "But I do need to speak with you, ask a few questions. I see the diamond dogs have arrived and have begun their work. Are they to your satisfaction?"

"More than that." I gestured to the portion of the tub I wasn't in. There was room enough for us both, we'd tested that before. "Their work should shorten the time this takes considerably."

"Excellent." She stepped down into the tub one hoof at a time, the water raising rapidly with her great bulk. "Now, tell me what else you have been working on."

Author's Note

Celestia has ears around the castle, and she demands information. Will you deny your big slightly-pink-but-mostly-white overlord?

Written early for patreons who got this ahead of everyone else. Want to get early chapters, or even your own story written? atreon!

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