The Iron Horse: Human After All

Chapters

Homework
Teachers
Video Killed the Radio Star
Falling for the First Time, Part 1
Falling for the First Time, Part 2
Black Magic Woman
The Game Has Changed
Epilogue

Homework

Author's Note

Hello everyone! Quick note here: if you've already read the prequel story The Iron Horse: Everything's Better With Robots!, this story takes place a few months after it.

If you haven't, I do suggest that you read it... but it's pretty long and I want everyone to enjoy this story, so you can also read this quick recap. Anyway, on with the story!...

Homework

The springtime warmth of the evening air felt like a blanket as she made her way down the path through the trees. Her heart gave a little jump at the sound of an owl, but still she pushed forward. The device in her hands ticked and crackled, and she paused, looking nervously around as she hugged herself. She had a flashlight, but the shadows it cast throughout the underbrush and the occasional glow of an animal’s eyes before it scurried away into the darkness made her question why she’d ever bothered to venture out so late at night.

It will be worth it… I’m so close!

She turned, and the device let out a squeal. The Geiger-counter-like sound was the strongest she’d heard all night. She stepped off the trail, making her way down a small hill as she tromped through the leaves and growth on the forest floor.

She continued in that direction until she spotted the glow. It wasn’t far now.

She squinted her eyes and saw the hollow trunk of a long-dead and broken tree. Inside it, she spied the wispy glowing ball she’d been seeking.

She reached behind her and removed another device from her backpack. It had a cone at one end and it was attached to a hose that snaked back into her bag.

There was a spiderweb blocking the hollow cavity of the tree. She shuddered and felt her flesh crawl as she swiped it away with her bare hand, so eager was she to get at her prize.

She held the device in front of the glowing ball and turned it on. With a loud whoosh, the ball was sucked into the cone and up the hose. She heard a beep that told her that she’d successfully contained it.

She set down the bag and reached into it. She pulled out a glass canister and held it aloft. The glowing ball was suspended within.

“Pure magic,” she whispered. The glow from it illuminated her tight, giddy smile.

She let out a delirious giggle. “I’m one step closer…”

***

Twilight Sparkle sipped her tea as she sat across from her friend. “I’m sorry to hear that things have been difficult for you, Turing Test,” she said. “But I want you to know that you have everyone in Ponyville supporting you. And not just here! All across Equestria, ponies are still talking about you: the robot who saved Canterlot!”

Turing Test bowed her head. “That is kind of you to say, Twilight Sparkle,” she said in her calm, synthetic voice. “Still, I wish that some of my colleagues would show me the same goodwill. It seems that gaining the trust of the ponies of Canterlot is an even greater challenge than it was to do so in Ponyville.”

She raised her hoof, looking at it in contemplation. She was indeed the robot that saved Canterlot but a robot nonetheless. Her titanium hull shined under the lights of the chandelier in Twilight’s dining room. Her LED eyes glowed violet as she examined her own reflection in her brass-colored hoof. Her ears moved up and down on their hinges and she even held up a coiled strand of her off-white polymer mane. The whirr of her servos was audible with each minute movement.

“Turing, just remember where you came from.” Twilight placed a hoof on Turing’s, patting it gently. “When we found you damaged and broken in Applejack’s orchard, none of us knew what to make of you.”

“A robot, of course,” Turing said. “What else could one make of me? Though, now that I think of it, I suppose my components could be utilized for a variety of other devices. I would make a lovely refrigerator.”

“I meant that none of us knew how to behave toward you,” Twilight said as she rolled her eyes. “But still, after I gave you the directive to make friends, you did just that. You made friends with me, with my friends, and then with almost everyone you met. You even managed to win over your father when nopony else could convince him that you were sapient and had real thoughts and feelings!”

Turing’s LED eyes made it look as though she was raising an eyebrow. “I am aware of that, Twilight Sparkle. As I have often stated, my memory is flawless.”

Twilight sighed. “What I mean is that you should be more confident in your ability to make friends,” she said. “It will just take some time and patience.”

Turing affected a mechanical sigh. “As of late, that seems to be my primary struggle. Everything I work for proceeds slower than I desire.”

Twilight frowned. “Tell me about it, Turing,” she said quietly. “I’m listening.”

Turing nodded. “The incident which brought my frustrations to a head occurred quite recently. I was at the Royal Council’s meeting, and my latest proposal had once again met with heavy resistance…”

“I tell you the farmers won’t stand for it! You’d understand that if you were a real pony!”

Turing Test, Equestria’s Minister of Technology, sat there as Barnstormer, the Minister of Agriculture, berated her. Her metal face was expressionless, and she simply sat impassively as he railed and pounded his hoof on the table.

At the head of the long table, Princess Celestia cleared her throat. “Minister Barnstormer,” she said, her voice calm but firm, “I believe I have told you before that I will not tolerate discriminatory language in my council room and certainly not toward one of my other Ministers.”

Barnstormer adjusted his tie and bowed to her as he sat back down. “My apologies, Your Majesty,” he said. “I only meant that Minister Turing is not an organic pony.”

“You should address your apology to her, then, rather than me,” Celestia said, turning to look at Turing Test.

Barnstormer grumbled. “Very well,” he said. “I’m sorry, Minister Turing.”

Turing gave him a small nod. “It is all right, Minister,” she said, her synthetic voice calm and precise. “I understand that many farmers may object to the government acquiring even a small portion of their land, but it will be necessary to construct a connected network of telephone lines. They will, of course, be compensated generously for their land and for any disruption caused by construction teams erecting the telephone poles.”

“Personally, I just shudder to think of our beautiful cities marred by all those telephone poles and wires,” said Sleepy Eyes, the Minister of Urban Development, in her usual laconic tone. “Why can’t we bury them like we did with the telegraph lines?”

“As I have stated several times before,” Turing said, “the cost and inconvenience of digging routes for underground lines to run under every street and home in Canterlot or Manehattan would be both costly and extremely disruptive.”

“I would just like to point out,” said Red Letter, the Postmaster General, “that there’s no need to have a national phone network in Equestria anyway. Why, we already have letters for long communiques between ponies - and who can deny the eloquence of a well-penned letter from a distant friend - and the telegraph for more urgent messages. All this business about blabbing off the top of your head on a telephone is… well, it’s uncivilized!”

Turing Test maintained her calm demeanor, but placed her brass-colored hooves on the table with an audible clanking sound as she looked at the aging Postmaster General. “That has also been discussed before,” she said. “Her Majesty ruled that there was value in ponies being able to speak to distant friends and relatives instantaneously.”

“Ah, that’s right,” he muttered as he trailed off. “Er, I mean, yes! But… well, I still wished to state my objection!”

“So noted,” Celestia said. She wore her usual smile, but Turing noted an almost imperceptible twitch of her eye, and her ears detected the Princess’s heart rate quickening ever so slightly.

“There’s more to this issue than all that,” Barnstormer said as he heaved a sigh. “Many of the farmers I’ve talked to about this are concerned. They wonder if having electrical phone lines running across their lands will have consequences for their health. They worry that if they speak too loudly around them, ponies on their telephones will hear them speaking and eavesdrop.”

Turing’s eyes shifted, making it look like she was narrowing them. “In the first place, such health concerns are unfounded: there is no evidence that proximity to telephone lines has any negative effects on ponies. In the second place, telephones do not work that way. Nopony would be able to listen to their conversations.”

“But the point is that many farmers think they can!” Barnstormer yelled. “You’re ignoring their concerns!”

“That is because they are ridiculous.”

“Why you cold, insensitive—”

Celestia rapped her hoof on the table. “That’s enough,” she said, and the room fell silent. “Minister Turing Test has more than made her case for this project to move forward. I have decided that we will proceed to construct this nationwide network of telephone lines. The benefit of connecting ponies all across Equestria is worth facing the potential consequences. Whenever possible, we will have phone lines run adjacent to train tracks. When needed, we will purchase land from farmers at double the estimated cost. Care will be taken to make this construction as minimally invasive as possible. However, it will proceed.”

The Ministers all bowed their heads.

“Now then, if there are no other matters?”

Everypony was silent.

“Then I hereby adjourn this meeting,” she said and stood, flaring her wings.

The Ministers all stood and began moving toward the door, many of them already gabbing about their next golf game, but Celestia cleared her throat and said “Ministers Turing Test and Barnstormer? A word, if I may?”

Turing and Barnstormer stayed as the others left, shutting the door to the large meeting room behind them.

“How can we assist you, Your Majesty?” Barnstormer asked.

“Actually, I would like to assist both of you,” Celestia said with a smile.

Barnstormer gulped. As usual, Turing Test only stood there in silence, her expression implacable.

“Barnstormer, I appreciate you advocating for the farmers under your jurisdiction,” she said. “You have served me for the last ten years, and I am grateful for your assistance. However, such prestige does not entitle you to belittle another of my ministers.”

Barnstormer raised his head, standing ramrod straight. “I did not mean to offend you, Your Majesty,” he said.

“Again, it is not me that you should be apologizing to,” she said, looking over at Turing Test. “Minister Turing Test has endured similar insults to her nature as a robot on at least three occasions—”

“Four, actually,” Turing said. “The first of which was—”

“The specifics are not necessary, Minister Turing,” Celestia said as she raised a hoof. “Minister Barnstormer, you registered your complaints against my decision to allow democratic elections of ministers and Turing Test’s eligibility as a candidate many months ago. I would have thought that you would respect her position by now. However, Turing Test has been the Minister of Technology for the last three months, and yet you still intimate that she is somehow less than worthy of her position by virtue of her status as an artificially-created being. I am very disappointed by this.”

Barnstormer shut his eyes, lowering his head. “I am sorry to have disappointed you, Your Majesty,” he said quietly.

“Then please treat Minister Turing Test as you would any other Minister,” she said. “She is, in fact, a ‘real’ pony, regardless of being a robot. Do I make myself clear?”

He nodded. “Yes,” he replied. He turned to Turing Test and said, “I’m very sorry, Minister Turing Test. I suppose I’m just entrenched in my way of thinking.”

“You are forgiven, Minister Barnstormer,” Turing said. “For my entire existence, I have encountered ponies that found it difficult to accept me as a sapient being. Many of them are now my friends. I hope that our work together will likewise improve our relations.”

He gave a quick nod and turned back to Celestia. “Is that all, Your Majesty?” he asked.

Celestia nodded back and said “Yes, Minister. You are dismissed.”

Barnstormer left, leaving only Turing Test and Celestia.

“I appreciate you intervening on my behalf, Princess Celestia,” Turing said.

“You’re welcome, Turing,” Celestia replied. “However, I still have some feedback for you.”

“Of course,” she said. “Has my performance been less than satisfactory?”

“Not at all. You’re doing a wonderful job! However, I think you are being too dismissive of the farmers’ concerns that Barnstormer brought up.”

Turing tilted her head. “But the concerns he mentioned were inconsequential.”

Celestia frowned. “Not to the farmers, they aren’t,” she said.

Turing Test simply stared back at her.

“Turing Test, I acknowledge that part of the reason for Equestria’s resistance to technological advancements is my own history of resistance to them,” Celestia said. “And I am grateful to you and Twilight, among others, for helping me overcome it. But that does not change the fact that many ponies need some reassurance that their world will not be uprooted by the innovations you champion. I suggest that you find ways to address these concerns, groundless or not. You will find that there is far more to being a Royal Minister than just policy.”

Turing Test bowed her head, her eyes shifting to look like they were shut in reverence. “I understand,” she said. “I will consider how to allay their fears.”

Celestia smiled. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said. “You are dismissed, Turing.”

Turing left the meeting hall, closing the doors behind her. She walked alone into the empty palace hallway, the whirring sound of her servos echoing in the cavernous expanse. She made her way outside to the streets of Canterlot as the sun set and began her trek home.

She reached her home, a small but pleasant ivory-colored house in a historic neighborhood, and walked in the door. She switched to U-Mode and her unicorn horn slid into place. She used her magic to remove the elegant crossover tie she wore at work as she stepped into the sparsely-decorated home.

She had some furniture that she rarely used, keepsakes from Ponyville on a shelf, and pictures on the wall. She went over to one of the photographs, a simple image of an unsmiling gray mare with a purple mane. She took it off the shelf and held it to her chest.

“I wish you were not so busy with your thesis as of late, Maud Pie,” she whispered. “I want to see you so badly right now.”

She replaced the photograph and went to her bedroom, which contained no bed but instead housed her charging alcove. It was powered by a windmill that extended over her house, and it stored power until Turing was ready to charge herself.

It wasn’t even late, but Turing simply found that there was nothing to do, so she connected herself to her charging alcove and went into sleep mode.

Twilight frowned. “I see what you mean,” she said. “Your new position has been challenging for you, hasn’t it?”

Turing nodded. “More than I thought it would be,” she replied. “I feel as though I am making very little progress with my fellow ministers. They do not seem to regard me as their equal and comrade despite my attempts to bond with them.”

“That describes a lot of Canterlot ponies, unfortunately,” Twilight said as she heaved a sigh. “Still, I’m confident that you will get through to them in time!”

“Still, I remain frustrated with the slow rate of progress I have made. Even with Celestia’s support, ponies are reluctant to adopt and support new technology. My only goal in becoming the Minister of Technology has been to improve their lives.

“I wanted to fulfill my father’s dream of a more advanced and enlightened nation. I took pride in being the first Royal Minister to be democratically elected. I was proud to be accepted as a leader despite my status as a robot. I hoped that I might ‘blaze a trail’ for future robots like myself.

“I thought that I was prepared for the challenges ahead.” She lowered her head. “Perhaps I was incorrect.”

Twilight went to her and gave her a tight hug. “I’m sorry that you are feeling unsure of yourself, Turing Test,” she said quietly. “Even so, you should give yourself more credit. In less than a year, you’ve gone from just being a scientific curiosity to becoming Equestria’s first democratically-elected national figure and one of Celestia’s most trusted advisors.

“Besides, thanks to you, ponies will soon be able to communicate across vast distances like never before! If nothing else, think about how great it will be to call and talk to everypony whenever you want! You should really be proud of yourself, Turing!”

Turing raised her head. “I suppose that is true,” she said. “I simply wish that things would advance more quickly.”

Twilight chuckled. “Canterlot wasn’t built in a day, Turing,” she said. “Just be patient.”

“I will try,” Turing said. “Perhaps I can formulate a solution to my dilemma. Thank you once again for your advice and for listening to my troubles, Twilight Spa—”

She paused, her ears twitching.

“Turing?” Twilight asked. “What is it?”

“I am not certain,” she replied. “I detect a strange vibrating sound coming from somewhere in the castle. Your room, if I am not mistaken. What could be producing it?”

Twilight rubbed her chin. “Nothing that I know—oh! Of course!”

She teleported away in a flash before returning again. She held a book in her hoof.

“I was right! Sunset Shimmer is sending me a message again!”

Twilight opened the book and Turing watched as she read from the page.

“A strange artifact,” Turing said. “I detect some strange magical energies emanating from that book. What is it?”

“Oh, it’s a book that sends messages between my friend Sunset Shimmer and me. When one of us writes in it, words appear in the other’s book!”

“Ah. I wonder if such technology could one day replace the telegraph…”

Twilight shook her head. “No way. These books only communicate between two ponies. And they’re hard and expensive to make.” She looked back down at the book and chuckled at what Sunset had written.

“Is something amusing?”

“Oh, just that Rainbow Dash sat on Sunset’s smartphone again and broke it, but Sunset’s actually happy because that means she can get a new one!”

Turing blinked, her LED eyes becoming thin lines for a split second. “Please confirm: Rainbow Dash sat on Sunset Shimmer’s ‘smartphone?’”

Twilight waved a hoof as she continued reading. “The other Rainbow Dash, not the one you know,” she said casually.

Turing stared back at her. “There is another Rainbow Dash?!”

Twilight stiffened and snapped the book shut. “Uhhhhhh…”

“And what exactly is a smartphone?”

Twilight gulped. “Okay, but this is going to be kind of a long story…”

***

When Twilight had finished regaling Turing Test with all her dealings at Canterlot High, Turing was still and oddly quiet.

“So, um… any questions, Turing?” Twilight asked.

“Quite a few,” Turing said, “but rather than exhaust you with them all, I will limit myself to one.”

“And that is…?”

“You knew of a place with highly advanced technology beyond anything that Equestria has seen and did not think to tell me?!”

Twilight chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. “Wellll, it wasn’t a conscious decision, Turing,” she said. “I just tend to think of the two worlds as separate entities.”

“You exchange communications with this world and make frequent visits to it.”

“Well, not really frequent,” Twilight said, waving her hoof dismissively. “Though the last time I was there, I did meet their world’s version of me.”

Turing’s pupils shrank. “There is another Twilight Sparkle? Is she also the Princess of Friendship? Ah… is there another me?!”

“Whoa, whoa, Turing!” Twilight cried. “Slow down! First of all, she’s not a princess at all! She’s a high school student. And from what I understand, a pretty good scientist. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure there’s no version of you over there. Honestly, I’m not even sure if they have robots at all.”

Turing sank, her eyes downcast. “Oh.”

Twilight frowned. “Hang on, let me ask Sunset.”

She found a quill and began writing in the book. A moment later, she had her answer.

Sure we have robots! the text in the book read. Twilight has built a few, actually. The other you, not you you.

Twilight and Turing Test exchanged an awed look. Twilight quickly wrote a response: Oh my gosh! What are they like? My friend Turing would love to know!

The response came a few moments later: Turing Test? That’s the friend of yours you were teaching friendship, right? Is she into science and technology?

“Tell her that I am science and technology!” Turing said excitedly.

“Easy, Turing, I’m writing as fast as I can,” Twilight replied. She continued writing: Turing Test’s interested. She is a robot, after all.

There was a pause, followed by a single word that appeared in Twilight’s book: WHAT.

Twilight glanced over at Turing Test. Her robotic friend was narrowing her eyes. “You did not tell her that I was a robot, did you?”

“I, uh… I’m sure I did!” Twilight said. She began flipping through the pages. “Let’s see, I must have mentioned it somewhere—”

Turing Test seized the book and flipped through it rapidly, scanning it visually. “Analysis complete: you did not. Also, I agree, Pinkie Pie should, as you stated, ‘Lay off all the cupcakes.’ It is not healthy.”

“Turing!” Twilight shouted, snatching the book back. “Don’t just read my correspondence with Sunset without asking!”

Turing bowed her head. “My apologies, Twilight Sparkle. Still, I cannot believe how little you told Sunset Shimmer about me, given our history together.”

Twilight bit her lip. “I guess maybe I should have told her more. But I guess we usually just talk about what’s going on in her world instead of ours.”

They then noticed that the book was glowing and vibrating again. Twilight opened it and read the text inside:

You never told me your friend was an actual robot! That’s so cool!

Turing raised her head, putting a hoof to her chest. “She is right. I am, in fact, cool.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and continued reading.

Could she come visit us in this world? Sunset asked. I’d love to meet her! And we have robots, but, honestly, none of them are smart enough to make friends with.

Twilight frowned. “I’m not so sure…”

“Oh, please, Twilight Sparkle!” Turing shouted as she seized her by the shoulders. “It would be an excellent opportunity to learn more about technological advancements in other worlds.”

As the same time, Sunset wrote, Please say yes! It would be a great opportunity to learn about friendship!

Turing looked at the text and then back to Twilight. Her LED eyes did their best to look large and like that of puppy dogs as she knelt at Twilight’s hooves.

Twilight shut her eyes. “I… that is…” She heaved a sigh. “Oh, all right.”

Turing leaped to her hooves and embraced her. “Oh, thank you, Twilight Sparkle! I will not waste this opportunity!”

Twilight began writing to Sunset: All right. It looks like you’re both interested in the opportunity, and since there’s no version of Turing Test in your world, I guess it couldn’t do any harm. Just the same, you might need to find a way to explain Turing’s appearance, since I’m pretty sure not even a magic mirror transformation will change the fact that she’s a robot.

Sunset wrote back: Great! I’m sure I’ll figure something out! When can we meet up?

“Tell her that I can leave immediately, if necessary,” Turing said.

Twilight shook her head. “No, Turing,” she said. “She’ll need more time to plan. And you’re going to need to notify Princess Celestia that you’re going to be doing some research related to your position.”

“And if she denies me permission?” Turing asked.

Twilight chuckled. “She won’t. Celestia believes in letting ponies learn on their own,” she said. “Trust me, she knows the value of homework.”

***

Turing Test stood next to Twilight. The mirror before them was oval-shaped, but it was hooked up to various kinds of machinery and Twilight’s magic book.

“Y-you’re sure you’re ready?” Twilight asked.

Turing nodded. “I believe that I am prepared.”

“You don’t need a snack?”

“I do not eat.”

“Well, do you need a notebook to document your research?”

“I remember everything that I see, read, or hear with perfect accuracy. A notebook is not necessary.”

“Right, right…” Twilight gulped as she glanced over at the mirror.

“Twilight Sparkle, it will be all right,” Turing said. “Are you certain that you do not wish to accompany me?”

Twilight sighed. “No, I shouldn’t. I should probably limit my visits now that I know there’s another me. Besides, I have to help Starlight Glimmer with her own friendship studies today.”

At the sound of her name, Starlight glanced up from the magazine she was reading. “Hi, Turing,” she said.

“Hello,” Turing replied.

“Besides,” Twilight said, “I’m sure that Sunset will be able to help you in any way that you need.”

She hugged Turing, laying her head on her shoulder. “Good luck, Turing Test,” she said.

Turing returned the hug. “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle,” she said. “I promise that I will do my best for you and Equestria.”

Twilight nodded and stepped over to the machinery. She pulled a lever, and it activated. A moment later, the mirror’s reflective image disappeared, and a vortex appeared in its place.

Turing Test stepped forward. Without hesitation, she stepped into the swirling portal. The pull became irresistible, and she was drawn into the spiral of energy.

She heard the sound of metal connecting with the ground, and her sensors came alive with new feedback. Her eyes adjusted to the light and she looked up. A… creature of some sort was standing there.

It was bipedal, with yellow skin, a red and yellow mane, and aqua eyes. It was wearing clothes of some kind as well: a black jacket, a shirt with the image of the sun on it, a skirt, and boots.

It smiled and held out its hand.

“Hi there,” she said. “I’m Sunset Shimmer. You must be Turing Test.”

Turing Test stared back at her. “Ah,” she said. “Twilight Sparkle mentioned that you were a pony but that the mirror transformed you into a biped of some kind. However, my conjectures were inaccurate. You do not look as I had imagined.”

Sunset’s smile became strained. “That’s not a bad thing… is it?”

Turing shook her head. “It is not. I am also happy to meet you, though I ask your indulgence while I adjust. I am getting some strange readings from my limbs. The pressure sensors in my hooves, for example, are—”

She held up a hoof. It was not a hoof.

Where the blunt, brass shape of her hoof should have been, there were five spindly appendages at the end of her foreleg. Each individual joint was visible and covered with black rubber, just as the joints of her legs had been. She wiggled them, observing how they moved.

Then she glanced down and saw that she was wearing some sort of black shirt. She pulled it out and saw that it was emblazoned with the image of a… toaster?

“Umm, are you okay?” Sunset asked.

Turing looked back up. “Ah. Yes, I am fine. Thank you.” She took Sunset’s hand with her own and stood to her full height on two legs. Her new perspective was odd, but her body seemed to have been reconfigured sufficiently. It took less than a second to rebalance herself.

“I know it takes a little getting used to,” Sunset Shimmer said. “But don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it. Anyway—”

“Whoaaa!”

They turned and saw another biped - a human as Twilight called them - staring at her nearby. This human wore a hat and had a green mane that looked like thick strands of yarn.

“Is that a robot, Sunset?!” he asked.

Turing nodded. “Affirmative. I am a robot and—”

“It’s a great cosplay, isn’t it, Sandalwood?” Sunset said hurriedly, draping her arm over Turing’s shoulders. “She’s a pro!”

“Ohhh, that explains it,” the boy said as he relaxed. “Niiice job, dude,” he said, giving Turing a thumbs up.

Turing held out her hand and imitated the gesture.

“Thank you. I am quite proficient at this ‘cosplay’ you speak of.”

Sandalwood laughed. “Oh man, she’s super good. Well, catch ya later, Sunset!” he said as he walked off.

Sunset breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, at least we know people will buy our story.”

Turing held up her hands, examining them. “My apologies, Sunset Shimmer,” she said, “but if it is possible, could you direct me to a mirror? I wish to examine my own appearance.”

Sunset Shimmer grinned. “Sure!” she said. “Come on inside the school. The bathroom mirror should do the trick!”

***

Turing Test stood before the mirror. She stared back at the creature before her, and her mouth dropped open. And she realized that, for the first time, she actually had a mouth.

“I… I have a face!” Turing cried, watching her mouth move in awe as she spoke.

“Well, I mean, everyone has a face, right?” Sunset asked.

“But as a pony, my face lacked the ability to show expressions! I had no mouth, and therefore I had no ability to smile or frown or produce any other similar expression. But now I look completely different!”

She gaped at the image before her as she held up her hands. Her awed expression changed to one of pure joy.

Her face was the same metallic color as her ‘skin,’ but it was made of some sort of synthetic, pliable material that allowed her to change her expression as easily as any organic being.

“Observe, I have a tongue! Blehlehlehlehleh!” She waggled her tongue in the mirror, trying it out. “Ha ha! I love you, new tongue! I love you, new face! I love you, new me!”

Sunset couldn’t help but chuckle, but she covered her mouth politely. “Yeah, it’s pretty neat, all right.”

“You understate the experience, Sunset Shimmer. This is truly incredible!” she cried. “The only thing that could make this better is if I…”

She frowned, her eyes closing halfway. Then she suddenly stiffened. Her LED eyes became star-shaped.

“Eyelids!” she shrieked.

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Um… what about them? What’s so special about—whoa!” she cried as Turing embraced her.

“I have eyelids!” she cried. “Oh, this is so wonderful! I cannot believe that I did not come here sooner! I can finally express my emotions as I wish to!”

Sunset gasped. “Too… hard!”

Turing released her immediately. “Oh, my apologies, Sunset Shimmer!” she said. “It appears that even in this form, my strength is notable. I will be more careful in the future.”

Sunset patted her on the shoulder. “It’s fine, Turing,” she said with a smile. “I’m just glad I could be here to help you. So, Twilight tells me you have a few days to do your research. What do you want to learn about first?”

Turing Test clenched her fists together and grinned as she brimmed with excitement. She leaped into the air with elation. “Everything!” she shouted.

To be continued...

Teachers

Sunset Shimmer exited the restroom with Turing Test in tow. “Sorry to say, Turing,” she said, “but right now I can’t show you much of anything. I’ve got one more class before I get out for the weekend. You could walk around campus for a bit, I guess, but it might be best if you just join me for class.”

“I see,” Turing said as she tapped her chin.

Sunset noticed with some amusement that she was doing so with her whole fist as she held it similar to how a pony would hold their hoof.

“Hold on, Turing,” she said, lightly touching her wrist to get her attention. “I think you’re still in ‘pony-mode,’ so to speak. Here, try it like this…”

Sunset cradled her chin between her thumb and index finger, looking slightly up while pursing her lips. “Hmm,” she murmured, striking the perfect ‘thinking’ pose.

“Oh, that is very helpful, Sunset Shimmer,” Turing said. “Allow me to attempt to imitate you.”

She struck the same pose, even making the same “Hmm” noise as Sunset to complete the effect.

“Not bad!” Sunset said. “So, what’s your decision?”

Turing blinked. “Ah. I was focusing on the correct way of indicating thinking, not on the act of thinking itself. One moment more, please,” she said before immediately doing her ‘thinking pose’ yet again.

“Hmm,” Turing said, oblivious to Sunset trying not to laugh at the overwrought display. “I will join you for your class, Sunset Shimmer.”

“Great!” she said. “Normally, I’d have study hall at this hour, but they let me out to go pick up a friend from ‘out of town.’” She gave Turing a knowing wink.

“Ah. You are referring to me,” Turing said, pointing to herself with her fist before looking down at her hand and, making a frown, switching to using just one finger. She looked back up to Sunset and returned her wink.

“Great,” Sunset said. “Then let’s—”

“Oh, that was my first real wink!” Turing exclaimed, gleefully clapping her metallic hands together. “This new body is truly wonderful!”

“Okay, okay, Turing,” Sunset said, looking around nervously. “Now, let’s get to math class before—”

The bell rang. A moment later, the hallway filled with Canterlot High’s students. Though most of them were too busy chatting with friends or getting to class to notice Sunset’s new companion, a few slowed their pace or glanced up from their phones to look at the silver-skinned girl among them.

Turing, meanwhile, was utterly enthralled with the sight of so many humans around her and simply looked all around in wonder.

“Sunset Shimmer,” Turing said, “you did not inform me that there were so many humans here. They are all so different!”

“Turing…”

“And they are all wearing clothes!”

This last utterance attracted numerous stares from the other students until Sunset quickly seized Turing by the shoulders and practically dragged her to math class.

***

Sunset only breathed a sigh of relief once they reached the mostly empty classroom. She took Turing to a desk near the back of the classroom and they both took their seats. She groaned, sinking back into her chair. She shut her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

“Sunset Shimmer?” Turing asked quietly.

Sunset opened her eyes and looked over at Turing. The robot girl was frowning.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked cautiously. “I did not mean to cause you any trouble.”

Sunset sat up and gave her a gentle smile. “No, not really,” she said. “It’s really not a big deal, Turing. I’m just trying to avoid causing too much of a scene. I mean, you being from Equestria isn’t such a big deal - at least not anymore - but being a robot might draw more attention than you want.”

Turing nodded. “I see. I will attempt to act in a way more befitting of an organic.”

Sunset forced herself to smile. “Great,” she said.

“Though I do have an inquiry, if it is all right,” Turing said.

“Sure. What is it, Turing?”

“Many of the humans seemed startled by my observation about wearing clothing. I simply assumed that humans were very fashionable. Was I incorrect?”

“Well, some are,” Sunset said. “But clothes aren’t really optional here. Everyone wears them.”

“Ah, I see,” Turing said. “Then it was fortuitous that the mirror granted me clothing upon entry to this world. Still, I do not understand the reasoning. Are the humans cold? Is it because, unlike ponies, they lack sufficient fur to keep warm?”

Sunset shook her head. “Humans are just kind of squeamish about… um… parts showing.”

Turing continued to stare at her, an expectant and completely oblivious smile on her face.

Sunset sighed. She looked around and then beckoned for Turing to lean in closer. She whispered something in her ear.

Turing tilted her head to the side after Sunset’s explanation. “How strange… ponies have the same parts, of course. Yet they see no need to cover them. I would not know of such urges, however, as I lack such anatomical features.”

Sunset kept silent as she tried to smile back politely. “O-oh yeah?”

Turing nodded. Then her eyes widened. “Oh! But as I now have other features that I previously lacked, perhaps I now have them. Commencing self diagnostic!” She began to remove her shirt.

“Turing, stop!” Sunset hissed through gritted teeth, grabbing Turing’s hands before she could get any further. A few students entering the room gave them an odd look on the way to their seats. “Do that kind of thing later, at least! Not in public!”

Turing nodded. “Understood, Sunset Shimmer,” she said, bowing to her. “I am fortunate to have your guidance in this world. I am not certain how I would cope otherwise.”

You’d either be in jail or a science lab, if I had to guess, Sunset thought. Aloud, she said, “You’re welcome, Turing. Now let’s just hope Mr. Cranky is in a good mood.”

“Mr. Cranky?”

“Yes?”

They both looked up. Mr. Cranky Doodle had just walked into the classroom as the bell in the hall rang. His features were definitely human, but Turing Test recognized his voice in an instant.

“Cranky Doodle!” Turing exclaimed as she stood up.

The students all froze. Cranky narrowed his eyes.

“Not sure who you are, young lady,” he said, “but around here it’s ‘Mr. Cranky’ to all concerned.”

Turing nodded, her mood apparently not dampened by his response. “Understood, Mr. Cranky.”

The older man went to his desk, keeping an eye on her. “Hm… you don’t look familiar. Are you new? A transfer student? It’s kind of late in the school year for that.”

Sunset stood up next to her. “She’s just a friend visiting me for the day, sir!” Sunset said. “I told her she could come to class with me today. Is that all right?”

Cranky shrugged. “As long as she doesn’t disturb today’s lesson, it’s fine by me,” he said as he took his seat. “On that note, what is she wearing? She looks like a robot or something.”

“It’s cosplay,” Sunset said quickly.

“Very cosplay,” Turing added.

“I have no idea what that is,” he said, taking a sip from his coffee mug (which read ‘I hate days that end in Y’). “But it sounds like it means you’re wearing a costume.”

Sunset opened her mouth to respond when another voice said “That’s correct, sir!”

They both looked to see that a boy in a yellow shirt with purple skin and glasses had taken a seat on the other side of Turing Test.

“But cosplay usually means that she’s dressed as a character from a TV show, comic book, movie, or something else.” He looked up at Turing. “It’s very realistic, too! You did a great job on your look!”

“Thank you,” she said. “Though much of my design came from my father.”

“Oh, he’s into cosplay too? That’s so cool! I wish my parents were more supportive of my geekier hobbies.”

“All right, all right!” Cranky snapped. “Everyone just take your seats and bring out your homework. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can start thinking about how to spend my weekend.”

“Are you planning to enjoy your free time with Matilda, Mr. Cranky?” Turing asked.

“What the… who told you my wife’s name?” Cranky demanded.

Turing blinked. “Sunset Shimmer told me about you, sir. She enjoys discussing her most favored teachers.”

Mr. Cranky gave a start, looking over at Sunset who sheepishly waved back, and cracked a smile. “Well… how about that? Didn’t know you felt that way, Sunset.”

“Oh, ha ha, well, um… you know…”

Cranky wore his grin as he went to the board to write something on the blackboard.

“I’m Microchips, by the way,” the boy whispered to Turing Test. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and offered her his hand. She looked down at it and then back at Sunset for help. She mimed shaking hands, so Turing Test turned back to Microchips and shook his hand.

“I am Turing Test,” she replied.

“Well, you sure seem committed to your part,” he said. “What character are you playing?”

“Ah… that is—”

“She’s from a book!” Sunset interjected. “It’s called… um…” She looked to Turing Test for help.

“It is called ‘The Iron Horse.’”

“The what?”

“Maiden!” Sunset said quickly. “Yep, ‘The Iron Maiden!’ She’s the title character.”

“Hm… I’ve never heard of it,” he said. “Is it good?”

“It’s decent but a little too long,” Sunset said hurriedly.

Microchips shrugged. “Well, anyway, it’s a really good cosplay, Turing Test.”

She smiled. “You truly think so?” she asked, pointing to herself. “Do you find my appearance attractive?”

The boy blushed profusely. He muttered something, chuckling nervously as he took out his homework.

After Cranky had collected everyone’s homework, he took a stack of papers out of his desk. “Okay, everyone… that homework should have helped you refine your skills in algebra. So, to make sure you’re ready for final exams, I’m giving you all a pop quiz.”

A groan went up from the whole class. “Grumble all you want, but one day you’ll be glad you learned these skills because of how useful they are in your daily life.”

“Mr. Cranky, is that true?” asked one girl near the front.

“Probably not, but a lot of college majors ask you to do it before you get a job at a place that can afford computers to do it for you. Now, enough questions, here are your quizzes.”

Cranky distributed the quizzes facedown and walked back up to the front of the room. “Turn over your quizzes and start. Raise your hand when you’re finished. You’ve got twenty-five minutes to finish. Good lu—”

Turing raised her hand.

“Yes?” Cranky asked. “Look, I know you’re not a student, but unless you want to just sit there in silence, you might as well try your hand at that quiz.”

“Understood, sir,” Turing said. “But I am raising my hand because I have finished.”

The entire room turned around to stare at her.

“What the… well, I’ll just see about that,” Cranky said, storming over to her and taking the quiz. “Now let’s see here…”

He read her answers. His eyes bulged. Every single answer was right. She had written the solution for every single one in under 10 seconds.

“W-what?!” he stammered. “How? Wait a minute, do you have a calculator?!”

“No,” Turing replied, shaking her head as she maintained her smile. “Though, in a manner of speaking, I am a calculator.”

“Well… well, you still need to show your work!” he said, putting it down on her desk.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I mean you need to show me the steps you took to get the answer.”

She nodded. “Understood.”

The class went back to their quizzes as Cranky made his way back up the aisle.

“Done!”

The entire class turned back to her in shock. Cranky practically sprinted back to Turing’s desk and snatched the quiz from her desk. “Let me see that! Nobody’s that fast!”

He checked each answer. The class watched him with bated breath.

He stood in stunned silence. His fingers loosened and the paper fluttered to the floor. “P-perfect,” he whispered. “Absolutely perfect. Wow…”

His typical frown dissipated and a serene smile appeared on his face. He took on a faraway, dreamy look. “Huh… I never thought I’d live to see something like that.”

He walked back to his desk and began packing up his things. “You know what, kids? When you’re my age, not much surprises you anymore. But when it happens, it puts things in perspective. So, since it’s nearly the weekend, and I’m in too good a mood to spend mine grading your quizzes, class is dismissed early.”

The students looked at each other as Cranky got up and walked to the door.

“Sir, is this a joke?” Sunset asked.

“Nope! I’m going home early to spend time with my wife. See you all Monday!” he said, and with that, he was gone.

The class continued to sit in silence before erupting in cheers.

***

Sunset and Turing Test finally made it outside after getting away from the rest of the students, all of whom wanted to either thank Turing or ask her for tutoring.

“Well, that was an experience,” Sunset said.

“Is not everything an experience, Sunset Shimmer?” Turing asked.

“Fair point,” she said. Then she smiled. “Still, that was pretty cool! And I guess now that class is over, we can start your research!”

“That would be wonderful,” Turing said. “How shall we begin?”

“Well, I guess I could introduce you to the technology of this world, for one thing. Let’s see… oh, of course!”

She took Turing’s hand and led her to the front of the school, right up to the street.

Turing looked at the road, casting her eyes in either direction. She turned to face Sunset. “Sunset Shimmer, while I find the smoothness of this road to be impressive, it is nothing that could not be achieved in Equestria, should the need arise.”

“It’s not the road, Turing, it’s… oh, here we go.”

Turing saw something coming. A strange machine with glass windows and four round, black wheels swiftly approached, then passed them. Turing Test stared after it.

“A vehicle!” she exclaimed. “My father used such automated vehicles on his orchard, but they did not have such speed. That machine was traveling nearly 50 kilometers per hour, and most ponies can only achieve that speed at a gallop if they are athletic.”

“Honestly, if you think that’s impressive, I should take you to a highway,” Sunset said as she cracked a smile. “The speed limit there is 80 miles per hour.”

“Miles?”

“Oh, uh… let’s see… about 130 kilometers per hour.”

Turing’s eyes went wide. “For land speeds, that is quite fast. And these human vehicles travel such speeds commonly?”

Sunset nodded. “They sure do. We just call them ‘cars,’ though. Here, I’ll take you to the parking lot.”

She took Turing behind the school, where there was a strange area filled with these ‘cars.’

“Amazing!” Turing exclaimed. “And students are permitted to operate these vehicles?”

“They sure are,” Sunset said. She then heaved a sigh. “I guess I should get my license one of these days. Maybe this summer. Or maybe next year.”

“How do the cars work?” Turing asked.

“Oh, uh, they’re powered by internal combustion engines,” Sunset replied.

“Ah. My friend Gadget was experimenting with such devices.”

“Really? They didn’t have those in Equestria when I was there. At least not as far as I knew. Even so, you might want to be careful with them.”

“Oh? For what reason?”

Sunset sighed. “Honestly, machines that burn gasoline or other fossil fuels might be changing the climate.”

“They are? How?”

Sunset explained as Turing listened.

“I see,” she said. “If this is well known, then why do humans still use them?”

“Honestly, because our society pretty much depends on them,” Sunset said. “And right now, we don’t have better alternatives. At least not ones that are common, convenient, or affordable.”

“Then the issue is more complex than I had realized. Despite the advantages of this technology, there is a significant downside.” She gave a solemn nod. “Thank you for teaching me about this, Sunset Shimmer. Ponies would be wise to be cautious when adopting such technology.”

“You’re welcome,” Sunset said. “Well, Twilight said that you found out about all this because I got a new smartphone, so, since you were curious…”

She reached into her jacket and brought out her phone.

“I see… it does not look at all like the phones we have,” Turing said, peering closely at it. “What is the purpose of this glass on the front?”

“Oh, that’s the screen. Here, let me show you.” Sunset pressed a button and the screen lit up, displaying her home page. It displayed the time and weather as well as several icons.

“I see,” Turing said, narrowing her eyes at it. “But is this truly a phone? I do not see how it works.”

“It’s actually pretty easy,” Sunset said. “You just find the icon of the app you want, like this, see?” She used her finger to change screens as Turing watched in fascination. “Like, if I want to use a calculator, I just use this app.” She tapped the icon, bringing it up, and did a quick equation to show Turing. “Or if I want to take a picture…”

She held up the phone in front of Turing Test and pressed a button, startling her with a flash of light. She showed Turing the screen.

“You have taken a photograph of me!” Turing cried excitedly. “But the image is not printed. How was it produced?”

“Honestly, I’m not even sure,” Sunset replied. “But it works. And that’s not even close to all it can do. It can even play music if I want to.”

She moved her finger a few more times when, quite suddenly, music emanated from the phone.

We've just got the day to get ready
And there's only so much time to lose
Because tonight, yeah, we're here to party
So let's think of something fun to do…

“That’s one of the Rainbooms’ songs and—”

“How did you get a phonograph record inside such a small device?” she asked. “Or is it radio? That technology is being developed in Equestria as well.”

Sunset shook her head. “No, it’s just digital information. You know, stored electronically? After all, since you’re a robot, your head must be filled with that kind of stuff.”

“Yes, but the technology used to create me is based on magic,” Turing said. “Twilight Sparkle informed me that magic was fairly scarce in this world.”

“Well, humans found a way,” Sunset said with a shrug. “I’ve got lots of songs on here, if you want to hear something else.”

“How many songs do you have?”

Sunset shrugged. “I don’t know… a few hundred?”

Turing gawked at her. “A few hundred?! And you carry them all on such a tiny device?”

“Yep!” Sunset said. “Oh, and, of course, it’s still a phone. Speaking of which...”

She moved her finger a few more times and the sound of ringing was heard. A moment later, a familiar voice said “Helloooo!”

“Hi, Pinkie,” Sunset said, speaking into the phone.

“Ah, hello, human Pinkie Pie,” Turing said, recognizing the voice.

“Hi, strange voice I’ve never heard before! What are you and Sunset doing today?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Sunset said. “I’m just showing Turing Test here my phone. She’s from, um, ‘out of town.’”

“She’s another pony? Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to meet her!”

“In actuality, Pinkie Pie, I am not simply a pony,” she said, “I am also a robot.”

“Neat!”

“Why don’t you come out and meet us, Pinkie?” Sunset asked.

“I’d love to, but I’m still in class right now. I’m listening to Miss Cheerilee talk about stuff… oh, now she’s coming over here! And now she’s making a frowny face. And now she’s telling me to put the phone away because I’m still in class and shouldn’t be talking on my phone! And now she’s telling me to stop narrating everything that’s happening! Now she’s—”

“Miss Pie, hang up that phone or you’ll be continuing that conversation in detention!”

“Oops! Looks like I have to go. Are we still meeting you at the Tasty Treat later?”

“Uh, sure!”

“Great! I hope I can meet you and your new robot frie—”

“PINKIE, PUT THAT PHONE AWAY!”

The phone went silent.

“Well, that’s Pinkie Pie,” Sunset said. “I’ve never met the pony version of her, but Twilight says they’re pretty similar.”

“Indeed. Everything that exists has a specific nature. Each entity has characteristics that are part of what it is. A is A. And no matter what reality she calls home, Pinkie Pie is Pinkie Pie.”

“I… guess that’s one way to put it, sure.”

“It seems that we are joining your friends later as well, Sunset Shimmer. I look forward to meeting them as humans. In the meantime, can you explain to me how this ‘smartphone’ works?”

Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. “I hate to say this, Turing, but I don’t really know,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m no slouch when it comes to technology, but a lot of stuff around here is just stuff I take for granted. But don’t worry, when we meet the others, Twilight will probably be able to explain it all! She loves this kind of thing! I bet she’ll be surprised to see you too!”

***

Later that afternoon, Sunset took Turing Test to a restaurant with an elephant on the front. They entered and took in the sight of the colorful interior before finding their friends already seated at a booth.

“Oh good, you’re here!” Sunset said as she approached them. “Hm, except for Twilight… where is she?”

“I’m afraid no one’s seen her since this morning,” Rarity said. “But I’m sure she’ll be along soon. We’ve all texted her, after all.”

“In the meantime,” Applejack said, “what’s this about a new friend from Equestria comin’ to visit?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Sunset said with a smile. “Turing Test, come on over and meet everyone!”

She waved Turing over. The robot girl came to the table and was greeted by wide-eyed stares.

“Greetings, everyone,” she said, folding her hands as she gave a small bow. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Turing Test. I am very pleased to meet you all.”

“Whoa,” Rainbow Dash said breathlessly. “She’s a robot? For real?!”

“Correct. I am a robot, Rainbow Dash,” she replied. “And I am indeed for real.”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Awesome!”

“Eeee, listen to her voice!” Pinkie squealed, kicking her legs giddily. “It’s all echo-y and stuff! Say something else!”

“Very well,” Turing said. “What shall I say?”

“Ummm… say pickle barrel!”

“Pickle barrel.”

“Now say kumquat!”

“Kumquat?”

A flash of annoyance appeared on Applejack’s face. “Pinkie…”

“Now say them both three times!”

“Pickle barrel, kumquat. Pickle barrel, kumquat. Pickle—”

“All right, all right, sheesh!” Applejack snapped. “Maybe y’all should just sit down. Yer kinda causin’ a scene.”

Sunset noticed that Applejack was right; quite a few customers were starting to stare. They took their seats on opposite sides of the booth.

Turing saw she would be seated next to Fluttershy and hesitated. Fluttershy stiffened slightly and hid her face behind her hair as Turing looked at her.

“Is it all right if I sit next to you?” she asked. “I do not wish to disturb you. I can sit somewhere else if you wish.”

Fluttershy blinked, not expecting the strange girl before her to be so polite. She smiled. “No, it’s all right,” she said. “If you’re a friend of Sunset’s and Princess Twilight’s then, um, I guess it’s fine with me.”

Turing smiled and sat down as Fluttershy scooted over, making room for her.

“I am relieved to see that you are not frightened of me,” Turing Test said. “Regrettably, my first encounter with your counterpart in my world was less than ideal. She found me somewhat intimidating, though we eventually became friends.”

“Oh, I see,” Fluttershy said softly. “Well… you don’t seem like a scary robot to me. You actually seem really nice!” She gave Turing a smile, which Turing returned.

“Excuse me, ladies,” said a new voice. They turned to see an orange-colored young woman with large gold hooped earrings and voluminous hair the color of dark raspberries.

“Good afternoon, Saffron!” Rarity said. “So nice to see you again!”

“And you as well, my friends!” she said brightly. “And you have a new friend today!”

“Hello,” Turing said. “I am Turing Test. Ah, please forgive my appearance today… I am ‘cosplaying.’”

“And I am Saffron Masala,” she said, apparently nonplussed by Turing’s looks. “It is very nice to meet you as well.”

“Enough chit-chat!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I’m starving! How about some masala, Masala!”

Saffron chuckled. “Of course. And what else can I get you?”

They placed their orders for some naan, curry, samosas, and a few bowls of flat noodle soup. When the food arrived and they all began digging in, they noticed that Turing hadn’t ordered anything.

“What’s wrong, Turing?” Pinkie asked. “Don’t you want anything? It’s really yummy!”

Turing shook her head. “I am afraid that I cannot eat anything. I lack any sort of digestive organs, so eating is not possible.”

“Oh? But you have a mouth, dear,” Rarity said, furrowing her brow. “I mean, if you have a tongue, you must be able to at least taste it, don’t you think?” Rarity passed her plate over to her. “Here, try some!”

Turing stroked her chin. “Perhaps you are right. I will experiment.”

She took a samosa from Rarity’s plate and put it in her mouth, beginning to chew it.

The others leaned in, watching her intently.

Turing frowned. “Noffing,” she sighed. “It feems Ah still lack tafte buds even in dis fom.”

“Er, please don’t talk with your mouth full, darling,” Rarity said. “We get enough of that from Pinkie Pie.”

“Whaggya mean?” Pinkie asked, her cheeks bulging with food.

“My apologies,” Turing said. With that, she spat the samosa right back onto Rarity’s plate. “I was explaining that it seems that I still lack taste buds, despite my mouth’s relatively normal appearance.”

She cleaned her tongue with a napkin before passing the plate back over to Rarity, who made a face at the slightly chewed samosa and wrapped it up in a napkin, setting it aside.

“Hey, you’re not going to eat that?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Not after it’s been chewed!” Rarity exclaimed.

“You need not worry about contamination,” Turing said. “I lack salivary glands and I assure you that my mouth is quite sterile. Aside from being slightly damaged, that item should still be edible.”

“Yes, but it was in your mouth, darling!” Rarity protested, making a face. “Who would eat pre-chewed food?!”

“Yoink!” Rainbow Dash said, snatching the samosa from Rarity. She then unwrapped it and shoved it into her mouth.

“Ewww!” the other girls cried.

“You’re all too—” She paused, gulping. “—squeamish. It tasted fine!”

“An’ folks say I’m the one with no class,” Applejack muttered.

“So, Turing,” Pinkie began, but then she paused, scrunching her nose. “Actually, it feels like you ought to have a nickname. Umm…”

“Perhaps you could call me ‘Rinny?’” Turing asked with a knowing smile.

“Hey, that’s perfect!” Pinkie exclaimed. “So, Rinny, I was wondering… what’s it like to be a robot?”

Turing tilted her head. “What is it like? It is difficult to say. I have always been a robot. I did once have a vision of what it would be like to be an organic being. It felt so strange to have a body that was so… squishy. And I do not know how organic beings deal with having uncontrollable biological actions, such as laughing or crying or blushing.

“Still, the ability to process sensations like taste and touch were truly wonderful. I can only hope that one day I can reproduce such things in reality. It is my fondest dream.”

“Wow,” Fluttershy said. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to not be able to touch things.”

“Or taste them!” Pinkie added. “Can you feel things now that you’re a human, Rinny?”

Turing shook her head. “I regret to say that I cannot.” She extended her hand, spreading her fingers. “I am able to sense pressure and can easily tell the texture of something, but it is merely data. To say that I ‘feel’ it, however, would be misleading. One may consider it as the difference between reading an account of burning oneself while cooking and actually doing it.”

“Hmm,” Sunset said. “Interesting. Even so, I kind of wish I could understand… oh, wait, that’s right!”

She reached around her neck and drew out a necklace that bore the symbol of a red and yellow sun, similar to the one she wore on her shirt. She clutched it with one hand and then grasped Turing’s wrist with the other.

Her eyes momentarily flashed white before she released Turing’s wrist.

Magic detected, Turing’s sensors told her as she stared at Sunset’s necklace.

“Whoa! I just saw your memories of when Twilight was testing your strength, Turing!” Sunset said. “I had no idea you were so strong!”

Turing continued to stare at Sunset’s necklace. “How curious,” she said. “Twilight Sparkle explained some of the magic you have wielded before when playing music or embodying your respective elements, but she did not mention that you were in possession of magical artifacts. And yet I detect magic emanating from your necklace, Sunset Shimmer.”

“Oh, right, our geodes,” Sunset said. “We all got them at Camp Everfree. You see, it all began when a woman named Gloriosa Daisy—”

“They give us superpowers!” Pinkie shouted. “Rainbow’s fast, Twilight floats stuff, Rarity can make shields and stuff, AJ’s really strong, Sunset can read minds and memories, Fluttershy can talk to animals, and my power makes things explodey!”

Sunset sighed. “Yeah, that’s the gist of it. I guess I’ll give you the full story later, Turing,” she said.

“Very well,” Turing said. “In the meantime, I have an observation: unlike your pony counterparts, you all were very accepting of my status as a robot. The fact that the word ‘robot’ is so familiar to you is also surprising. Many ponies I encounter require an explanation of what I am, and a fairly large number are unfamiliar with the word ‘robot’ as well.”

“That's because we have robots in our world,” Rarity said. “They do all sorts of things for us, and they're just getting smarter and smarter.”

“Well, I don’t think we have any robots that act quite like you,” Rainbow Dash said. “I mean, not for real. There are a bunch of different robots in movies though.”

“There are?” Turing asked. “Fascinating. I would be very interested to see how humans view robots.”

“Oh my gosh, I just got a great idea!” Pinkie exclaimed. “We should have a sleepover at my house and have a robot movie marathon!”

The others quickly expressed their excitement at the idea.

Turing grinned. “That would be wonderful. I have only attended one other sleepover before with Twilight Sparkle and my friend Gadget, and it was quite an enjoyable experience.”

“Hey, speakin’ o’ Twilight,” Applejack said, “just where the heck is she? Wasn’t she supposed to be here by now?”

Sunset frowned. “Yeah… I wonder what happened to her?”

***

Sunset knocked on the door of the house. It opened a moment later and they were greeted by a white-skinned human male with blue hair and eyes.

“Oh, hi Sunset!” the man said.

Turing recognized his voice and realized who he was. “You are Shining Armor?” she asked.

“Huh? Uh, yes,” he said. “Have we met before?”

“Well, in a manner of speaking—”

“She means that I mentioned you and Twilight to her!” Sunset said hurriedly. “Anyway, sorry to come by unannounced, but is Twilight here? She hasn’t been responding to our texts.”

“Oh, that’s because Mom took her phone away so she could rest,” Shining Armor said.

“Rest? Why?”

“She caught a pretty nasty bug. Poor Twily’s been sick all day.”

“Oh no!” Sunset exclaimed. “But she really wanted to meet Turing Test!”

Just then, there was a commotion inside the house. A moment later, Twilight shoved Shining Armor aside.

“Sunset Shimmer! Is she here? Did you bring—”

She stared at Turing Test, her eye filling with tears. “It’s true… a real robot girl from Equestria… It’s so… I can’t…”

Sunset’s smile became forced. Twilight looked absolutely awful: her eyes were puffy and red, her voice was a harsh rasp, her nose was red and obviously runny if the tissues she had wadded in her hands were any indication. Her hair was matted down as well and she looked to be sweating. She took a step back.

“Hello, Twilight Sparkle,” Turing said, giving her a smile. “I am glad to finally meet you. I am sorry that you are not feeling well.”

“What, this? Pfft!” Twilight said, forcing herself to smile as she leaned against the doorframe. “It’s nothing! Come on, let’s go back to my workshop! I’d love to learn all about—”

She was interrupted by a severe coughing fit.

“Uh, maybe we should come back another time,” Sunset said as she backed away.

“W-what? And miss this opportunity?!”

Shining Armor sighed. “Sunset’s right, Twily,” he said. “I know you’re excited, but you’re just too sick right now.”

“N-no! I’m fine! I feel great! I’m ah… ah… achoo!”

She began sneezing into her wad of tissues before blowing her nose loudly.

“Come on, Twily, we’d better get you back to bed,” Shining Armor sighed, leading her away.

“No! Robots! Science from beyond! Don’t take this away from meeee!” Twilight screamed as she latched onto the doorframe, resisting Shining Armor’s efforts to drag her away.

Turing gently put her hand on Twilight’s, causing her to meet her eyes. “There is no need to worry, Twilight Sparkle,” Turing said quietly. “I am disappointed that you are not healthy enough to spend time with me, but I will be glad to visit again in the future. Your counterpart, after all, is my best friend, and I will look forward to getting to know you as well.”

Twilight relaxed. “All right,” she said. “I’ll see you soon, then, I suppose. It was nice meeting you, Turing Test.”

“Likewise, Twilight Sparkle.”

Shining Armor led Twilight back inside, leaving Turing and Sunset alone on the front porch. They turned to go, walking back up the lane to the house.

“Well, sorry this part of the plan didn’t work out, Turing,” Sunset said. “I was really hoping Twilight would be able to help you learn as much as possible about technology in this world. She was perfect for the job. I hope you’re not too disappointed.”

Turing shook her head. “Now that I know of the existence of this world, I will be able to come on other occasions to do more research, if need be. Furthermore, I am very much looking forward to this ‘robot movie marathon’ Pinkie Pie proposed. And, of course, befriending you and the others has been a very positive experience. Therefore, while I am disappointed that Twilight Sparkle is unavailable, this visit is still providing me with a wealth of information.”

“If you think the stuff I’ve shown you is neat, wait ‘til I show you the internet,” Sunset said.

“What is ‘the internet?’”

Sunset grinned. “I think I’ve got some time to show you a few things before the sleepover,” she said.

***

Turing Test sat in front of the device. It had a wide, flat screen and took up the majority of Sunset’s desk in her apartment. The image on the screen was the word “Google” with an empty “search bar” (as Sunset called it) below.

“This is the ‘Internet?’” Turing asked as she stared at the image. “Forgive me, but you made it sound more intriguing than what we are viewing.”

Sunset chuckled. “No, Turing, this is just a search engine. So, remember how I told you that the Internet is just a bunch of interconnected computers and networks?”

Turing nodded.

“Well, this is a way to look for public information or media on any of those networks anywhere in the world. Just type in the things you want to look for and it will give you a list of different websites or images. It’s easy!”

Turing nodded. “I believe I understand. What should I search for?”

Sunset shrugged. “Anything you want. What do you want to know more about?”

Turing paused, stroking her chin in the way Sunset had shown her. Then she turned and looked up at Sunset with a smile. “I want to know more about humans,” she replied.

Sunset almost cooed. Sweet Celestia, she’s almost like a child. It’s adorable!

Out loud she said “Sure! Here, let me get you started!”

Sunset reached around Turing Test, showing her how to type on the keyboard, and simply typed “Humans.”

A moment later, a list of results came up. Sunset selected one page from something called “Wikipedia.”

“Here, Turing,” she said, relinquishing control of the computer. “This page has lots of information. You can take some time to read it and then—”

Turing scrolled through the page quickly, scanning it.

“Information assimilated,” she said. “However, many terms are unfamiliar to me. Shall we use the Google to research them?”

Sunset shook her head. “Actually, if you just click on a blue word, this website will teach you about it.”

“How may I ‘click’ on it?”

Sunset showed her how to use the mouse.

“Understood. This inorganic mouse is very helpful. It is very well suited for hands. I wonder if a similar device could be made practical for ponies.”

“Well, unless you need something else, you should be able to find anything else you need,” Sunset said. “If you want, Google has a section for just pictures, if that helps you understand better. I’m going to try to get a little homework done before we go to Pinkie’s house for the sleepover. Let me know if you need any help, okay?”

Turing nodded. “Affirmative,” she said. “Visual aids would be very helpful. Thank you, Sunset Shimmer.”

“No problem!” Sunset said and climbed the stairs to her loft. She sat down on her bed and began taking her books from her book bag. From the floor below, she heard Turing Test rapidly typing as she began her research on humans and human technology.

She sure learns fast, Sunset thought as she opened a notebook. Hopefully, she’ll be able to find what she wants to know. I wish I had known about the internet when I first came to this world; it would have answered so many questions. I had to learn so much about it just by figuring things out for myself or by making a bunch of dumb mistakes. But with all the things on the internet, she should… wait, there might be some things she’s not ready for. She might not know how to tell what’s true and what isn’t. And…

Her eyes went wide and she sat bolt upright. Oh sweet Celestia, did I turn on SafeSearch?!

“Turing?!” Sunset cried as she peered down from her loft.

“I found more images detailing human anatomy, Sunset Shimmer,” Turing said cheerfully. “They seem to be a very affectionate species. Look: everybody is hugging!”

Sunset cringed. Juuust great, she thought. Twilight’s going to kill me when she finds out I corrupted her robot friend.

***

The girl stepped down the stairs into her basement dwelling. She set her instruments and backpack on a chair. She reached into the bag and removed a jar that contained her latest acquisition: another glowing orb of magic.

The dimly-lit room was cluttered with various computer parts and homemade machinery, and numerous multi-colored wires crisscrossed the ceiling. Knickknacks and figurines and a variety of books - mostly a mishmash of engineering books, technical manuals, and manga - lined the shelves or were stacked haphazardly in towers along the floor. Posters and wall scrolls depicting robots, handsome swordsmen, or magical girls were on every wall.

She strolled over to her computer, which was already on, and checked the numbers on the programs she was running. It was connected to a mishmash of other machinery with another orb of magic contained within. She’d attached numerous sensors to the thing, including a thermometer, a multimeter, and a Geiger counter.

“Temperature seems normal… power output is still high… estimated power remaining? Ooh, impressive! Wish I could find a way to make it more consistent, though. Sample is still nonradioactive… mild electromagnetic output…”

She checked the status closely and then nodded with a grin. “My my my, you really are my most stable sample yet!” she said. “Much better than the one that made my hair come to life.”

She turned off the equipment and removed the jar, holding it close as she rubbed her cheek against it. “Mmm, such a good sample! Yes you are! Mama’s got big plans for you!”

She then took the newest sample and placed it into the machine, restarting the program on her computer as it began to take data. Once it was in place, she took the jar with the sample she’d just measured and wrote “#23” on top of the lid.

Her belly rumbled, so she patted it while making a face. “Ugh, I’ve been skipping too many meals. Toaster!”

There was a whirring noise, and a modified chrome toaster connected to some other machinery beeped. A stiff mechanical voice said “Ready.”

“Medium-dark with butter annnnd…” she paused, tapping the side of her chin as she pursed her lips “...marmalade.”

“Medium-dark. Butter-and-marmalade. Confirm?”

“Confirm!”

“Now-toasting.”

A compartment near the toaster opened, and tiny mechanical arms removed some bread, depositing two slices into the toaster, which began toasting them immediately.

While her automatic toaster began working, she took sample #23 over to a door. She opened it and stepped into the darkened room, which was not much bigger than a walk-in closet. It had once been a place where someone had kept tools or paint or perhaps used it as a cupboard to keep emergency canned food supplies in the 1950s. Either way, the room now served another purpose.

She reached up, standing on her tiptoes, and placed the jar of magic on a high shelf alongside nearly two dozen others on various other shelves.

“Soon I’ll have enough for a representative sample size,” she said as she rubbed her hands together. “And when my research gets published, it’ll be the first step toward a brand new world...”

She smiled, her face bathed in the soft glow emanating from all the magic she’d meticulously gathered from around the city. There was more power in this tiny room than anyone could possibly imagine.

She eyed one sample she’d labeled with a gold star. “I think you’re ready for greater things, #8,” she said, patting the lid of its jar like it was an obedient child. “Project Technomancer is just about ready for the testing phase… right after some Crunchyroll and a few hours of gaming.”

She heard a ding from the room behind her and the faint voice of her automatic toaster as it called her.

“Your-toast-is-ready. Please-enjoy, Gadget.”

Gadget turned, a grin on her face. It was going to be a good day to be a genius.

To be continued…

Author's Note

Thanks everyone for the warm reception to this story so far! I had no idea it was going to be so successful as a spin-off/sequel to the original, but I'm glad so many of you seem to enjoy it.

Welp, time to bring back a time-honored tradition here at "The Iron Horse": References!

The first, and most obvious, is the story's title, "Human After All," which is the name of Daft Punk's third album and a track on said album.

This keeps up the ongoing tradition of references to the robot-themed EDM duo in The Iron Horse.

Chapter 1:

The chapter's title, "Homework," is the name of Daft Punk's first album. Not my favorite by a long shot, but it does have some good tracks on it!
Sleepy Eyes, the Minister of Urban Development, is an oblique reference to Ben Carson, the current (as of this writing), perpetually sleepy-eyed Secretary of Urban Development of the United States. Not a political statement, btw, just a little light teasing.
The Toaster on Human!Turing's shirt is a long-running gag that started with the original version of "Human After All," an April Fool's chapter of The Iron Horse wherein Twilight and Turing Test go to the human world and Turing is transformed into a toaster instead of a human that identifies herself as "Turing Toast." Looks like the fans who wanted a real EQG arc finally got their wish in the end!

Chapter 2:

The title of this chapter, "Teachers," is, you guessed it, another Daft Punk song.
Turing Test's "Pinkie Pie is Pinkie Pie" comment is a reference to a brief speech made by The Question in the animated TV show "Justice League Unlimited." It's one of my favorites. You can watch it here, if you want!
Turing's "Everybody's hugging!" line is a reference to The Simpsons, specifically the episode when Ralph Wiggum wanders into the "adult" section of the local video store. Huh... and I realize what an anachronism that is now.
The illustration of Gadget shows a few other things on the shelves, including a toy version of Ellie and Lloyd, my illustrator Greenfinger's original characters. Check out his DeviantArt page or Twitter and, should you be interested, he does take commissions.

That's all for now. See you next chapter...

Video Killed the Radio Star

Pinkie opened the door and grinned when she saw Sunset and Turing Test standing there.

“Hi, Pinkie,” Sunset said. “We’re here!”

“Yay, you’re here!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“I would also like to acknowledge that we are here,” Turing said. “I am also looking forward to this sleepover, Pinkie Pie.”

“Me too! Come on in, everybody’s already here!”

Pinkie led them back to her room where, indeed, everyone else was already there.

“Hey, you’re finally here!” Rainbow Dash said, springing to her feet from her sitting position on the floor.

Turing looked at Sunset. “Is it a common custom of humans to comment on their ‘here’-ness?”

“Their what?” Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing, never mind,” Sunset said, waving a hand. “Anyway, I brought Turing Test and a robot-themed movie of my choice, just like we decided.”

“We’re glad you were able to find one, at least,” Rarity said, glancing over at Applejack. “Applejack came empty-handed.”

Applejack crossed her arms indignantly. “No, I brought some sparklin’ apple soda. That ain’t what I call empty-handed,” she said. “I just didn’t bring a movie… the family doesn’t have many anyway, an’ the ones we do sure don’t have robots in ‘em.”

“Don’t worry, Applejack,” Fluttershy said as she put a hand gently on her shoulder. “We’ve got plenty of movies to watch tonight anyway. I just wish Twilight could be here.”

“Yeah, it’s too bad that she was sick,” Sunset said. “In the meantime, Turing’s been doing a lot of research into our world. She spent most of the afternoon on the internet.”

“It was very informative,” Turing remarked. “I learned a great deal of useful information about human society, technological advances, and culture. You truly are an amazing species.”

“Aww, well ain’t that a nice thing to say?” Applejack said.

“I also learned that the internet is filled with cats, that several franchises are ruined forever, and found many oblique references to some protocol designated ‘Rule 34’ that Sunset Shimmer informed me I was not ready to learn about.”

The others looked over to Sunset and gave her a simultaneous nod of approval.

“Anyway, what movies are we going to watch?” Sunset asked.

“Well, since we all brought one (minus AJ, but thanks for the soda just the same),” Pinkie began, “I was thinking we could all vote on which one to watch first! Or else we could just pull names out of a hat. Ooh, but we need a hat first!”

She rushed outside suddenly and returned with a wide-brimmed black hat.

“Okay, I got one!”

From down the hall, a man’s voice shouted “Pinkamena Diane Pie, you return my hat this instant!”

“I’ll bring it back in just a minute, Dad, I promise!” she shouted back. To the others, she said “Someone write down the names and we’ll put ‘em in!”

Applejack decided that she would be the designated scribe since she hadn’t brought a movie.

“I brought Wall-E,” Sunset said.

“I brought both Terminator movies,” Rainbow Dash said, “but honestly we can just skip to T2.”

“I have Short Circuit 2,” Rarity said. “Not my taste, but Sweetie Belle and the other CMCs recommended it.”

“I can attest that they have good taste in movies,” Turing commented. “At least the ones in my world do.”

“I brought The Iron Giant!” Pinkie squealed.

“And, um… I brought…” Fluttershy gingerly held up the DVD she was holding.

“Ugh,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “You brought Ghost in the Shell? The old anime one? That snoozefest?! Seriously?!”

“W-well, I like it!” Fluttershy said, puffing herself up indignantly. “And since Turing Test was interested in robots who had more human bodies, I thought it might be a good one for her to watch! At least better than a movie about robots who try to blow each other to smithereens!”

“Okay, okay!” Sunset exclaimed, stepping between them. “Look, Turing wanted to watch a bunch of different depictions of robots, so maybe it’s good that we all picked such different movies.”

“Still wish someone brought Robocop,” Rainbow grumbled.

“Welp, that’s all of ‘em,” Applejack said, writing the last of the titles on the list. She tore the note into separate strips of paper and tossed them into Pinkie’s father’s hat. “Now, to make it official, wanna pull ‘em out of the hat, Turing Test? You can do the honors since you’re our guest after all.”

The other girls smiled at her, and Turing smiled back. “Very well,” she replied. “Please mix them up thoroughly behind my back so I cannot calculate their position in the hat. I will pull them out randomly, and we may commence watching them.”

She was about to turn when she paused and said, “Actually, I wish to first state my gratitude to you all. You accepted me as a friend and companion so readily, even though I am neither an organic being nor even of your world. That you would all form an activity to satisfy my curiosity about human culture is truly touching. Thank you.”

They all stared back at her for a moment before uttering a collective “Awwwww!”

“Well, let’s get this party started!” Pinkie said. “Come on, Rinny, and pull a movie title out of the hat!”

Turing nodded and reached up to the hat that Pinkie held aloft. The movie marathon was about to begin…

***

The Iron Giant

“I personally identify with the theme of the robot and the organics forming a basis of friendship and understanding even with some misunderstanding and fear as obstacles. A truly wonderful film.”

Short Circuit 2

“I can attest that the experience of being a sapient robot is indeed similar to that of the main character. In many ways, his story parallels my own life. Though I fail to see why you all laughed so frequently during this extremely serious portrayal of a fellow robot coming into his own.”

“Whatever, ‘Number 5,’” Rainbow said with a snicker.

“I will have you know that my designated number is 003.”

“Wait, what?”

Wall-E

“A stirring love story. If I were capable of tears, I would have shed them at the point that it seemed Wall-E had lost his memory. The love between the main characters was stirring, and I likewise enjoyed the idea of the humans and robots working to rebuild society. It also made me wish that my significant other was present.”

“Ooh,” Rarity cooed. “I didn’t think that you would have a special someone. Who’s the lucky fellow?”

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Pinkie answered it. Turing’s eyes went wide when she saw who it was.

“Hello Pinkie,” Maud Pie said in her usual deadpan as she stood in the doorway in her nightshirt. “Hello everyone else. I just wanted to ask if I could have a slice of your plain cheese pizza.”

“Sure!” Pinkie said. “Oh, hey, come meet Rinny!”

“Rinny?” Maud asked.

Turing instantly rose to her feet and walked to greet her. “Ah. Hello Maud Pie,” she said. “I am very glad to see you.”

Maud blinked slowly.

“Oh, forgive me. I am Turing Test, though your sister refers to me as ‘Rinny.’ I am a robot horse from another dimension who has come to learn about human culture and technology.”

Maud blinked again as the others just stared at her.

“That’s cool,” Maud said calmly. “So, you’re made of metal?”

Turing nodded.

Maud reached for her arm. “May I?”

“Yes, you may.”

Maud lifted Turing’s arm and ran her finger along its surface. She sniffed it. “Titanium,” Maud whispered, letting her gaze wander up the arm to Turing’s shoulder, neck, and finally meeting her eyes. “Along with vanadium and molybdenum.”

Turing smiled, her face almost dreamy. “Correct as always, Maud Pie.”

Maud let Turing’s arm go and brushed her hair back as her cheeks colored ever-so-slightly, a ghost of a smile on her lips. “Well, it was nice to meet you,” she said. “Have fun, Pinkie.”

Pinkie went over to Turing Test and noticed that her LED eyes were in the shape of hearts.

“Oh. My. Gosh!” she squealed. “You mean to say that my sister—”

“Ah,” Turing said, turning back to her friends, ignoring their curious stares to take her seat next to Sunset and Rarity. “Forgive me. Let us return to our viewing.”

Rarity chuckled. “As you wish, darling,” she said. “Though I think we all just got quite the show already.”

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

“My sister 002 would enjoy this movie. I must make it a point to never show it to her.”

Ghost in the Shell

“While I believe I understand the rudimentary themes of the film, I do not see why the main character cares so little for her body. If I were to possess a body of similar construction to hers, I would treat it with a great deal more care.”

***

It was quite late at night (or early in the morning, to be more accurate) when the final film was watched. The other girls who had managed to make it through the final movie quickly fell asleep, leaving Turing Test to her own devices. She noted that she hadn’t recharged since her arrival, and decided to find a power source before she went into sleep mode for the night.

She quietly made her way from Pinkie’s bedroom into the darkened hallway. She’d previously discovered at Sunset’s house that the compartment on her back was still present in her current form, but that it now contained an extendable electrical cord with a series of metal prongs at the end. Sunset had informed her that she could plug it into an “outlet,” but she had neglected to describe or locate one for her before they departed for the sleepover.

Fortunately, she spotted one in the Pie family living room next to a sofa and realized that the pattern of holes in the outlet perfectly matched the prongs of the electrical cord. She plugged herself in and took a seat on the couch. She decided that such a place might be the best place to spend the night, as returning to the room could possibly wake her new friends.

“Oh. It’s you.”

Turing looked up and saw Maud Pie standing at the doorway between the living room and the kitchen.

“Good evening, Maud Pie,” she said. “My apologies if I disturbed you. I was merely attempting to find a means of recharging myself.”

“It’s fine. I was just getting a glass of water for myself,” Maud said. “And a snack for Boulder.”

Turing smiled. “I see. Well, then I suppose you will return to bed.”

“I was planning to,” Maud said as she turned to go.

Turing watched her turn to leave, but then said, “Before you go, Maud Pie… would you like to hear a joke?”

Maud turned to look at her, her expression still perfectly blank. “Sure.”

“A pony - ah, perhaps I should modify the joke to be more species-appropriate - a human walked up to me and loudly exclaimed ‘I am a teepee! I am a wigwam! I am a teepee! I am a wigwam!’ I alerted the authorities and they escorted the human to a mental institution. With proper medication he will likely recover.”

Maud gave a tiny smile that Turing would recognize anywhere. She came over to Turing and sat down next to her. “That was pretty good. My turn: what do you call a dog with three legs?”

“I do not know.”

“A dog. Having three legs doesn’t change that.”

Turing nodded. “Very true. Would you like to continue to tell jokes in this manner?”

Maud nodded back to her. “Your turn.”

“Very well. What do you call…”

***

A knock. A woman’s voice.

“Gadget? Honey, are you coming up?”

She stirred. “Yes, senpai… right... there…” she moaned.

The door atop the basement stairs opened, casting the morning light into the area below.

“Gadget! Oh, sweetie, did you fall asleep at your workbench again?!”

Gadget groaned, slowly raising her head - her dark brown hair a tangled mess engulfing it - from where she was hunched over the surface of her workbench.

“Ugh… what… what time is it?”

“Nine o’clock,” her mother replied from atop the steps. “Honestly, Gadget, you should take a break sometimes.”

“I break sometimes,” she muttered.

“What was that, sweetie?”

“Nothing,” she said more loudly. “I mean, nine o’clock is early for a Saturday.”

“Do weekends mean anything for someone in an independent study program?” her mother asked.

“Weekends are sacred, Mama,” she said, standing up and stretching her stiff back. “Nothing can change that.”

“Nevertheless, you have a bedroom upstairs, so you might as well sleep in it. For now, come on up. I’ll make you breakfast. I’m certain I can do better than your toaster.”

“Toaster - is - active,” the automated toaster said.

“No, no,” Gadget said. “No toast.”

“Command - for - plain - toast - accepted. Now - toasting.”

“Darn it!” Gadget growled, running over to the toaster to unplug it. “Mon Dieu, why did I make it so sensitive?”

“So, I take it you want pancakes?” her mother asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

“Yes, that sounds nice,” she said, letting her eyes wander back over to the result of her work lying on the workbench. A bulky, metallic gauntlet designed to cover the whole forearm was there, palm up, wires were laced along the length of the arm and down to the fingertips. “I’ll need to keep up my strength. I have a lot of work today.”

She went upstairs, shielding her eyes with her arm against the bright light. The tidy little kitchen of her house was already set, and the smell of pancakes on the electric griddle made her mouth water. She saw her little brother, Fall Leaf, was already seated at the table, his short orange and brown-streaked hair sticking out at odd angles. He had a handheld video game system at the table and didn’t acknowledge her until she sat down next to him.

He sniffed the air. “P.U., you stink, Sis!” he said, waving the air.

“Shut up, Fall Leaf, I do not!” she shot back at him.

“Yeah you do!” he said, holding his nose. “You smell like you’ve been up all night playing video games and watching your weird cartoons again.”

“It wasn’t all night!” she shouted. She shook her head. “I mean, they’re not cartoons, they’re ‘anime!’”

“You were probably up reading those gross comics, too,” Fall Leaf added, a sadistic grin on his face.

Her face turned bright red. “Th-they’re not gross! I mean, n-no I wasn’t!”

“All right, that’s enough out of you both!” their mother snapped. She heaved a long sigh. “Honestly, you both need a shower, for one. And for two, if you don’t stop fighting, I’m tossing the pancake batter down the drain and feeding you plain shredded wheat.”

They both fell silent, smoldering as they sat next to each other. As soon as their mother turned her back, though, Fall Leaf stuck his tongue out at Gadget.

She grit her teeth and managed to ignore him as she waited for breakfast. She decided that she wasn’t going to waste her energy fighting her bratty brother.

After all, she told herself with a smirk, today is a fine day for science!

***

Sunset found Turing Test standing in the Pie family’s backyard the next morning. She was staring up at the sky.

“Scanning,” she muttered. Then, without turning around, she said “Good morning, Sunset Shimmer. Did you sleep well?”

“How did you know it was me?” Sunset asked.

“The rhythm of your footsteps and regular rhythm of your heartbeat. I record such data whenever I interact with others. By detecting when others are approaching and identifying them preemptively, I can anticipate their needs.”

“Well, that’s neat,” Sunset said as she came up alongside her and likewise looked up at the sky. "Did you sleep well?"

"No. I do not sleep."

"I meant—"

"I did have a very enjoyable time speaking with Maud Pie," she added.

"Oh?" Sunset asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Do not misunderstand. We only spoke together. Though she is a different version of Maud Pie, she is not the Maud Pie with whom I currently share a relationship. I would not be unfaithful to her, even if I were to cheat on her with her."

Sunset blinked. "Somehow I think Twilight would have understood that conversation better."

"Pony Twilight Sparkle or human Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yes." She shook her head. “Er, anyway, what are you looking at out here?”

“That object,” Turing said, pointing upward.

Sunset followed with her eyes and saw that she was pointing at a jet plane passing high overhead.

“The jet plane?” Sunset asked. “Ah, that makes sense. I couldn’t really believe them the first time I saw one up close.”

“I am able to measure its size, distance, and speed,” she said. “It appears as though it would be quite massive. By that I mean both that it is large and also that it has great mass. Yet it is able to fly.”

“Well, they sure don’t have anything like that in Equestria, do they?” Sunset asked.

“Not on a large scale, no,” Turing said. “In my pony form, I am capable of switching to what has been termed ‘P-form,’ in which I am able to fly utilizing jet engines combined with magic from my thaumatrium reserves. Yet humans are able to create machines so much larger and yet capable of incredible speeds without the use of any magic at all. They are so clever!”

Sunset chuckled. “Yeah, I guess they make do without magic pretty well,” she said. “Well, I came out here to say that we’re probably going to leave after breakfast. I’ve been trying to think about what to show you next, but I think I’ve got a great idea.”

“I look forward to seeing your idea,” she said. Then she paused. “Actually, Sunset Shimmer, may I be permitted to conduct a short experiment of my own?”

Sunset raised her eyebrow. “Uh, what do you mean?”

“I’ve explored my functions and discovered that I lack any of my normal modes,” she said. “Yet I seem to have other functions, the nature of which I have yet to discover. However, based on my reaction to something I encountered yesterday, I believe that I—”

“Uh, Turing, maybe you should just show me what you mean,” Sunset said flatly.

“Understood. One moment please,” she said, and suddenly took hold of Sunset’s wrist.

“Turing Test?” Sunset asked. “What are you—”

Then she saw as Turing’s eyes flashed white, much like hers did when she used her geode’s power.

A moment later, Turing released her arm. “Experiment was successful. You wish to take me to a place called a ‘supermarket!’” she exclaimed with a smile. “My scan was incomplete, but I was able to discern your intention!”

“You… you stole my power?” Sunset breathed.

Turing’s eyes widened, her pupils shrinking. “No, not at all, Sunset Shimmer,” she said, holding up her hands. “You still retain your power. Still, when I witnessed you using your power yesterday, I realized that I still had the ability to scan magic powers and emulate them using my internal thaumatrium systems. Though I lack your degree of control, I think that I can emulate it more perfectly with time.”

“That’s… I mean, that’s impressive,” Sunset said. She frowned. “I guess I don’t know how I feel about the idea of you being able to just copy something I thought was unique to me.”

Turing blinked. “Ah. I see.” She bowed her head. “I understand. Twilight Sparkle had a similar reaction when she first learned that I could copy her spells.”

Sunset bit her lip. “Well, I mean, I don’t want to tell you not to use your unique gifts,” she said. “I just… I guess I’m not sure how I feel about it yet. Um… do you think you could keep your abilities under wraps for now?”

Turing looked down at herself. “Under wraps? But Sunset Shimmer, I am already wearing clothing.”

Sunset snickered. “Um, no, Turing, I meant that I’d like you to keep this a secret for a little bit. Just until I have time to think it over. Please?”

Turing smiled. “Very well, Sunset Shimmer. I will exercise restraint.”

“Great. Then let’s go back inside. Fluttershy said she’d drive us all over to the nearest supermarket, so you’ll get to ride in your first car!”

“I cannot wait!” Turing said as she walked with her back to the house. “I was speaking figuratively, of course. I can, in fact, wait the required amount of time.”

Sunset laughed. “Glad to hear it, Turing,” she said.

***

Gadget adjusted the last wire on the gauntlet and tightened a few screws. She looked it over, and gave an approving nod. “Okay, I think that ought to do it. Well, no point in putting things off any longer…”

She went to the other side of the room and switched on the camcorder she’d set up. She walked back to her workbench and stood before it.

“Uh, hello world!” she said, chuckling nervously. “I mean… um, hi, this is Gadgette Giroux. But, er, you can call me Gadget. Uh, right. Um…”

She shook her head and went over to the camera, switching it off before starting it again.

It’s just a camera, Gadget, she told herself. It’s not a person. Don’t think about people watching it. Or, if you do, think about how amazed they’ll be!

She cleared her throat. “Hello,” she said. “My name is Gadgette Giroux. I’m 15, and as part of my research in the Everton Independent Study Program, I’m researching, um… m-magic.”

She braced herself, taking a deep breath. “I know that must sound fantastic,” she told her future audience, “but I have documented evidence proving its existence. Though many in our community and the government have deemed the numerous events in Canterlot City to be nothing more than a pattern of elaborate hoaxes, not unlike crop circles or the like, I have made it my goal to study the evidence and seek to understand the phenomena surrounding these so-called hoaxes. The majority of these events centered around the local high school Canterlot High, and it was there that I first detected strange electromagnetic signatures that were far outside what could be considered normal. I designed my own method of tracking such signatures, and I eventually managed to find, well…”

She reached off to the side and retrieved a jar with a glowing ball of magic she’d placed nearby.

“...this.” She held it up proudly. “What you are seeing is not an illusion or a special effect of any kind. This is an orb of magic. I have been collecting many such orbs and studying their properties for months, and I believe I will soon have a representative sample size sufficient to reasonably estimate the average properties of these orbs and make reasonable predictions following the scientific method. I will document such things in other research logs and papers to follow.

“For now, however, I will attempt an experiment in which I will not merely measure magic’s properties, but test its potential applications. I have therefore designed this,” she continued, gesturing to the gauntlet on her workbench. “This device is the result of ‘Project Technomancer,’ my ongoing experiments toward the use of magic-powered technology. I have already used magic for rudimentary purposes, such as generating electricity and magnetizing substances, and while undirected magic is sometimes chaotic, I have discovered that it can be controlled if given direction. This gauntlet, if my hypothesis is correct, will allow me to remotely control technological devices of any kind through my own will.

“The applications and potential benefits of such technology are extensive: one of the greatest obstacles to the use of any complex machine is learning its operation. Technomancer will make it so that anyone may command a machine merely by thinking about it.”

She smiled. “But of course, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. In this video, I will begin to document my experiments, thereby providing that evidence. I will now commence the experiment.”

She set the jar marked #8 next to the gauntlet. She donned a pair of heavy rubber gloves and pulled a pair of goggles over her face. She removed the lid and gently poured the orb into the compartment on the back of the gauntlet’s hand. She locked it into place, and the machine began to emit a low hum. It subsided after a moment, and the parts on it briefly glowed.

“Magic power source has been installed,” she said. “Now, to begin my experiment, I will attempt to activate and manipulate a simple machine. In this case, I will be using this old cassette stereo,” she said, holding up an antiquated boombox with a tape cassette inserted into it. “I’ve designated this stereo as ‘Subject 1.’ I will now attempt to activate Subject 1. If I am successful, it should begin to play the tape, which is a recording of the album Moving Pictures, by Rush, donated by my papa who probably won’t mind since he has it on vinyl, CD, and even 8-track. Okay, so here we go…”

She held out her hand toward the stereo. At first, nothing happened, and she narrowed her eyes focusing her gaze on it. “Come on,” she whispered, her brow furrowing. “Come on…”

The overhead lights flickered, but she didn’t even notice as she stared intently at the stereo. Sweat formed on her brow.

Then, ever so slowly, the tape spindles began to move. The garbled sound of music was low at first, but it began to gain speed.

Gadget gasped. “I-it’s working!”

Soon the tape was up to normal speed and the synthetic sounds of “Tom Sawyer” filled the room.

Though his mind is not for rent
Don't put him down as arrogant
He reserves the quiet defense
Riding out the day's events...

“It worked!” she exclaimed. She began to laugh. “I did it! Oh, wait, let’s try it backwards!”

The song stopped momentarily before playing in reverse.

“Forward again! Double speed!”

The stereo complied, turning the song into a squeaky cacophony.

“Success!” she cried, raising a triumphant fist into the air.

The lights momentarily flared before going out completely, the power throughout the house failing.

“...Oops.”

“Gadget… honey did you knock out the power again?”

“Ah! Just a second, Mama!” Gadget shouted back in the darkness. “Jeez, where’s the fuse box… I just need to turn the lights back on—”

The lights went back on instantly. Gadget looked around, bewildered. “I… did I do that?”

She then looked down at the stereo and gasped. She held it up for the camera to show her discovery: it wasn’t plugged in. On closer inspection, there were no batteries in the back compartment either.

“I… I forgot to plug it in and yet it still worked?” she breathed, staring down at the stereo. “This… this is…”

She grinned broadly. A giggle escaped her lips as her eyes slowly shifted back to the camera.

“This is so cool!” she shouted. She seized the camera, her face so close to it that her breath began to fog up the lens. “This calls for more experiments! I’ll need to collect as much magic as possible for future developments like this. Until next time!”

She switched the camera off.

***

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were in the front seats of the car while Sunset and Turing Test sat in the back.

“Geez, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash grumbled, “can’t this thing go any faster?”

“Yes,” Fluttershy said, “but I believe in obeying the speed limit.”

“Aw, come on, just a little faster?” Rainbow asked. “I hear that it saves on gas the faster you go!”

“Oh, I’m not worried about that,” Fluttershy said with a serene smile. “It’s a hybrid!”

“Is that so?” Turing asked. “What sort of cars were its parents?”

Sunset and Fluttershy burst out laughing while Rainbow smoldered.

“Er, maybe we should listen to the radio,” Sunset said.

“Oh, that’s a good idea!” Fluttershy said. “Here, Turing, this is my favorite radio station!”

A song began to play over the speakers:

Pink fluffy unicorns
dancing on rainbows!
Pink fluffy unicorns
dancing on rainbows!

Rainbow gawked. “Forget this,” she said, opening the car door once they arrived at an intersection. “I’m just gonna run there!”

Before any of them could protest, she used her geode power and sped off out of sight on foot.

Magic detected, Turing’s systems told her.

“Well, that was rude,” Fluttershy said indignantly. “But at least you two like my music!”

Sunset forced herself to grin. As a former unicorn myself, this song is just humiliating, but I’ll let it slide for Fluttershy.

It wasn’t so bad until Turing and Fluttershy both started singing along.

***

Gadget was making her way toward town, her magic detector in hand. As she stood at an intersection, a car pulled up on the street next to her.

The blue-haired girl inside was nodding her head as a rumbling, thunderous bass shook the trunk of her car.

Gadget made a face. Dubstep was a long way from her favorite type of music. If only she could reach in and change the station.

Then a thought occurred to her: if she’d had the gauntlet with her, she could change the girl’s radio station without her even knowing. Why, with enough power, she could control all the radio in the city—

She shook her head. Huh, that was weird. I wonder why I thought of that all of a sudden.

Just then, something shot by her like a rocket, visible only as a rainbow-colored streak as it blew past her, kicking up a gust of wind that flipped up her hair.

Though she was startled and confused, she noticed her magic detector momentarily flared to life before the signal died back down. But then it picked up another signal, this one approaching a bit more slowly. A little purple compact car pulled up to the intersection as well. She pointed her detector at it, adjusting her glasses.

The signal’s coming from there? Why would it be mobile?

The light changed and the car continued on its way.

“Ah, wait!” Gadget cried, sprinting through the crosswalk after it. There’s a lot of magic coming from there. I have to know what it is!

***

Once they met up with Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack, Rainbow pondered what the point of going to a supermarket was, but Sunset said that it would become evident quickly.

They soon found that she was right. Though none of them actually needed anything from the store, Turing was absolutely enthralled.

“You mean to tell me,” she said after examining the whole of the produce section, “that all of these items can be gathered and purchased at once from the ‘clerks’ at the front of the store? And all of these items are fresh?”

“That’s one of the cool things about the human world, Turing,” Sunset said. “Thanks to farming methods and transportation and storage advancements, you can buy just about anything all year!”

“You mean to tell me,” Rarity said, “that Equestria doesn’t have supermarkets?”

“Allow me to clarify: larger stores like this do exist,” Turing said. “However, such stores offer nonperishable supplies almost exclusively. For instance, in Ponyville, where I spent my early life, all goods such as these were purchased from an open-air market, while farming supplies and items with a long shelf life - such as canned goods or fruit preserves - were often found at Barnyard Bargains. But this place, with its variety and temperature control, would be impossible in Equestria.”

“Huh,” Pinkie said. “I never thought of it that way. But wow, if she thinks this is something special, imagine if she ever saw a mall!”

Turing tilted her head to the side. “What is a ‘mall?’”

Rarity gasped, a sparkle in her eyes. “Well, that settles it, Sunset Shimmer! We simply must take Turing to the mall!”

Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m… not so sure that’s a good idea,” she said. “I mean, exposing her to such a public place? And I don’t want her to think that human society is just dominated by consumerism?”

“Well, it’s your call,” Rainbow Dash said while she was spinning a honeydew melon on her finger like a basketball. “But, honestly, it might be one of her last chances to see a mall anyway. You know, before internet shopping kills it for good.”

“You hold your tongue, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity hissed.

Sunset held up her hands in mock surrender. “All right, fine, we’ll go to the mall. It makes sense anyway, since we all talked about getting summer jobs over there anyway. I hear the sushi place is hiring, actually.”

“What is sushi?” Turing asked.

“One thing at a time, sugarcube,” Applejack chuckled.

***

Gadget was out of breath and starting to sweat as she made her way to the supermarket parking lot. She’d managed to follow the signal, almost losing it when it went out of range, but it seemed that she’d actually managed to catch up.

She stood up proudly, raising her chin as she stood before the supermarket entrance.

“All right, magic!” she said, pointing a finger at the supermarket (completely oblivious to the odd looks she was getting). “I’ve finally tracked you down! This time I’ll—”

The compact car drove right past her, the magic signal again flaring up and fading as it drove away.

“Ah! Not again!” she screamed. Luckily, this time she saw that a bus was pulling up to the bus stop across the street. She ran to it and boarded the bus as soon as it stopped.

“Follow that car!” she shouted to the driver.

The driver glared at her. “This is a public bus, miss,” he said. “I’ve got other stops to make for the folks on the bus. Now, you still want a ride, that’ll be $1.25.”

Gadget blinked. “Ah. R-right,” she said, blushing as she rummaged through her pockets for change.

***

The girls had made their way through the mall, each making stops in turn at stores they wanted to apply to for summer jobs.

Turing Test was still in disbelief at the size and spectacle of the place. This ‘mall’ was a massive building with internal climate controls, teeming with machines she’d never seen, each store playing its own music.

“You sure yer havin’ fun, Turing?” Applejack asked. “I mean, it’s just a shoppin’ mall. Nothin’ special.”

Turing shook her head. “You are incorrect in that assessment, at least from my perspective,” she said. “Similar to the supermarket, having so many items in one centralized indoor location would be unheard of in Equestria. The infrastructure required to make such a place a reality must truly be staggering. It seems such a triumph…”

She frowned.

“What’s wrong, Rinny?” Pinkie asked.

“Despite all this, Rainbow Dash indicated that internet shopping is ‘killing’ such locations?”

“Oh, puh-kk-fft!” Rarity scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. “Please, does this place look like it’s on the verge of extinction?”

“Yeah, not yet,” Rainbow said as she crossed her arms. “But that’s because almost all the stores sell food or clothes. You don’t buy a smoothie on the internet, like that place AJ applied to. And people like you, Rarity…”

Rarity narrowed her gaze.

“...like to try on clothes, and that’s cool!” Rainbow said, giving her a warm smile. “Which you also can’t do online.”

“Oh, well, yes, I suppose part of the fun of clothes shopping is in trying them all on,” Rarity admitted.

“My point is that there used to be an arcade next to the food court when I was eight years old, and now it’s a shop that sells scented candles!”

“Well, I like scented candles,” Fluttershy said.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Anyone remember the music shop? They shut down a looong time ago.”

“I don’t remember it, that’s for sure,” Sunset said. “So it was before I ever came to this world.”

“Exactly! This place is doing pretty well, but remember the other mall on the other side of town? They closed for good last year!”

“Well, if that’s how ya feel,” Applejack said, “then why’d ya bother applyin’ for a summer job here?”

“Because the sporting goods store is still kinda cool and because having a job close to my friends sounded a lot better than mowing lawns or something lame like that. Just the same, I’d rather find something I want online and order it instead of bothering to go out and find it.”

Sunset smiled. “Well, I can’t argue with that logic,” Sunset said. “Still, it’s kind of weird to hear this coming from you, Dash.”

“Oh. W-well, I’m kinda thinking of studying business in college,” she said. “I figure I could start my own business or something. Y’know… in case the whole sports-star-or-stuntwoman thing doesn’t work out.”

Turing Test affected a thinking pose. “You bring up some interesting points, Rainbow Dash,” she said. “According to what you say, a place like this is already becoming somewhat obsolete. It is so strange to think of something so grandiose and innovative as this ‘mall’ as being outdated. I must consider this.”

“Well, it sounds like you’re getting lots of data,” Sunset said as the group continued on their way. “That’s good at least.”

“Yes. Even so, I wish that Twilight Sparkle were not indisposed during my visit,” she said. “I have many questions about how this world’s technology works, and doing my own research will take a considerable amount of time, even with the internet. If I had assistance, I could accelerate my studies.”

“What’s wrong with Sunset teaching you, Rinny?” Pinkie asked. “She’s super smart!”

“That’s nice of you to say, Pinkie,” Sunset said with a warm smile, “and I’m doing my best to help, but I’m no Twilight when it comes to technology. Guess you’re stuck with me, Turing.”

Turing shook her head. “Do not worry, Sunset Shimmer. The amount of help you and everyone else has provided has been substantial.”

“Well, then,” Rarity said, “now that we’re done slandering one of my favorite hangouts, could we stop by Hemline’s so that I may apply? If they’re hiring for the summer, that is.”

“Long as you’re not plannin’ to try on too many clothes while yer at it,” Applejack added.

Rarity chuckled. “Oh Applejack, darling, please!” she scoffed. “Trying on ‘too many clothes?’ There’s no such thing!”

They were about to move in that direction when Turing spotted something.

Sunset saw that Turing was dawdling and walked over to her.

“What is it, Turing?” Sunset asked.

Turing pointed at the store a short distance away. It was a game shop.

“Oh, yeah!” Sunset said. “I forgot about that place! Actually, I might want to apply there too. I’ve kinda been getting into games lately.”

“It does not appear to be an arcade, however, Sunset Shimmer,” Turing said.

“Oh, no, you see, humans can play video games at home,” she said. “They don’t run on magic or need large cabinets like they do in Equestria.”

“I see,” Turing said. “Then they must operate similarly to the computers that—”

“A-hem,” Rarity said, prompting them both to look her way. She stood tapping her foot as the others stood nearby. “Are you both coming? I’m certain with a little looking, we could find you something to wear as well, Turing Test.”

“But I am already wearing clothing,” Turing said.

“Well, yes, but it’s just one outfit,” Rarity said.

“That is true. It seems adequate for my needs, however, and you personally commented that you liked it. Have you amended that opinion?”

“No, not at all! I just… well, never mind. I suppose if that’s all you care to wear for now, then it’ll do.”

Turing nodded. “Also, a thought has occurred to me: perhaps the portal between our worlds would provide me with a different set of clothing if I went through a second time. If I left my current clothes here and went through, it seems likely that it would, at least, recreate the same clothing.”

“Now this is a scientific theory I’d love to research!” Rarity exclaimed.

“Yeah, that’d be great!” Pinkie shouted. “Except when you had to go back through the mirror. Then you’d be totally naked, Rarity!”

Rarity made a face and crossed her arms in front of herself. “Ick,” she said. “Never mind. It just lost its appeal.”

“Uh, anyway, Rarity,” Sunset said, interrupting their exchange, “I was going to show Turing Test the game shop. Can we meet up with you all somewhere else?”

“I don’t see why not,” Rarity said. “Let’s meet back at the fountain at the center of the mall once we’ve finished.”

They all agreed and went their separate ways.

***

Gadget made her way into the mall, magic detector still in hand. The signal she’d detected was weak, but getting stronger. She hadn’t even been sure if she was going the right way until she spotted the little compact car in the parking lot. Now, at least, she was certain that she was in the right place.

She walked by a clothing store and froze. She recognized some of the girls inside. They were from her old school.

“She brought an action figure to school. It’s like, you know… get some real friends!”

She swallowed and moved to the other side of the area.

“Did you hear what she said? She… oh, hang on, here she comes.”

Her heart was starting to race. She felt hot all of a sudden.

“Why would I take your glasses? I mean, you could just buy new ones. Maybe nice ones this time.”

She took a deep breath.

“Is it normal to be that short? I’m just saying, you eat so much, it can’t be malnutrition. Did your mom do something when she was pregnant with you?”

She picked up her pace and risked a glance over her shoulder. They hadn’t seen her. She slowly let out the breath she had been holding.

“I’m okay,” she whispered to herself. “I’m okay…”

Her detector pinged, and she turned her attention back to the task at hand. It wasn’t far now.

She was closing in.

***

“Turing?” Sunset Shimmer called as she held the application form.

“I am here, Sunset Shimmer!” Turing Test called as she reached her hand up and waved to Sunset from over a display rack filled with games.

Sunset went to her and saw her marvelling at the handheld game system on display.

“Look at this machine, Sunset Shimmer! This is almost as small as your phone! It is so cute!”

“Cute?” Sunset repeated, chuckling at her use of the word. “Well, feel free to try it out if you want. I’m going to fill this out really quick, okay?”

Turing nodded. “Understood. I will attempt to learn this game by the time you return.”

Sunset nodded and went back to the front counter to begin filling out the application. Turing, meanwhile, turned her attention back to the game before her.

Though she had played Equestrian arcade games with Button Mash before, this game was significantly more complex. Still, she was able to determine what to do and react quickly while she played. All around her, the sounds of advertisements for new games mixed in with music from the overhead speakers intermingled with the sound of chatter and the various sounds of display games being played.

But she soon heard another sound. It was a strange clicking, and at first she thought it was a sound effect from one of the games being played, but then she heard it moving. She looked up and saw that a human girl was walking toward her. She had her head down and thus Turing could not see her face.

The sound was coming from the device the girl held in her hands, and it was getting louder and louder as she approached. She apparently wasn’t watching where she was going because she finally bumped into Turing Test, nearly dropping the device.

“Ah, s-sorry,” she muttered, sidestepping her as she walked around her.

Turing’s auditory systems noted that the voice seemed familiar, so she continued watching the girl who paused when the signal from her device got quieter. The girl turned around and began walking toward Turing Test.

“It should be right…” She trailed off as she looked up and met Turing Test’s gaze. “...here.”

Turing’s eyes went wide. “Gadget?”

Gadget took a step back. “H-how do you know my name? Who are you? And why are you dressed…”

Turing smiled. “Please do not be alarmed,” she said. “I know your name because we have met before.”

Gadget frowned. “I don’t believe that,” she said. “I’d remember someone who looked like you. Unless you weren’t wearing that costume, at the time. That’s…”

She furrowed her brow, peering at Turing more closely.

“Ah. Please do not stare at me so closely. I have been told that it is rude to do so.”

Gadget ignored her and suddenly grabbed Turing by the wrist, examining her fingers carefully.

“I am glad that you enjoy my cosplay, but I must ask you to release me now, please.”

“The craftsmanship on these fingers,” she mumbled. She tapped on Turing’s arm. “This is real metal. With rubber on every joint!”

Turing stepped back. “Sunset Shimmer, could you please come here?” she asked. “I believe that I need your assistance.”

Sunset came around the corner to see Gadget holding Turing Test’s face with both hands, poking the robot girl’s cheeks with her thumbs and observing the faint glow from her LED eyes.

“Turing?” Sunset asked as she came to her side. “What’s going on? Who is she?”

“This girl is—”

As Turing was speaking, Gadget poked her fingers into Turing’s mouth, surprising both Turing and Sunset. Gadget, meanwhile, seemed totally oblivious to Sunset’s presence and she rubbed her fingers together.

“No saliva,” she said. “You’re not even warm.”

She raised her head, her mouth dropping open as she gave Turing a starry-eyed look.

“This isn’t a costume at all. You’re real,” she breathed. “You’re real! You’re a real, live robot girl!”

Sunset Shimmer and Turing exchanged a fearful look.

“Ah, that is…”

She saw that Gadget was still staring at her with eager, hopeful eyes.

Turing shrugged her shoulders. “You are correct. I am, in fact, a robot.”

“Turing!” Sunset hissed through her teeth. “You can’t just—”

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! This is incredible!” Gadget exclaimed as she suddenly seized Turing’s hands with her own. “Please please please, Robot-san, let me study you!”

Silence fell over the store. Sunset gawked at her. Customers moved away from the spectacle. The clerk at the front desk went back to looking at his cell phone.

Turing merely blinked and said “I beg your pardon?”

To be continued...

Author's Note

Science marches on!

She blinded me with References!

The title of the chapter references the famous song by the Buggles. Of note, the music video for the song was the first one played on MTV back in 1981. It references technology that was once fascinating and cutting edge becoming obsolete and getting replaced. (Ironically, MTV no longer does music videos, while radio is still around in both traditional and new forms.) Here's a live version of the song, which, I'll mention, is one of my personal favorites.

* Rather than an indirect allusion, each of the movies the girls watch is a real movie that had at least partial influence on The Iron Horse. They aren't the only ones, but they were among my favorites. Each one was chosen to somewhat reflect the chooser's personality (at least loosely), with the notable one being... * Fluttershy choosing the anime film, Ghost in the Shell. The reason for her choice is an oblique reference to her homemade cutout figures in the episode "The Scaremaster," each of which is a ponified version of an old-school anime character. (In case you've forgotten.) * Rule 34 is a rule originating in the infamous website 4-chan, and it states, "If it exists, there is porn of it. No exceptions." * Turing Test replying to Rainbow Dash calling her "Number 5" by saying her designated number is 003 is, of course, in reference to her number given to her in the original story before she had a name. That numbering system itself was a reference to the numbering system in the anime Cyborg 009. * Gadget uses the word "Mon Dieu" which is French for "My God." This is because Gadget's last name is Giroux, referencing that she and her family are French Canadian. (In Equestria, Pony!Gadget is from Vanhoover, which is basically pony Canada.) As a side note, this is part of the reason why her father has a tape cassette of the album Moving Pictures, by Rush, a Canadian prog-rock group. * Gadget thinks "Today is a fine day for science!" This is a reference to a common line spoken by Dexter, title character of the animated TV show Dexter's Laboratory. * The song "Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing on Rainbows" is based on the famous (infamous?) video by pony community member Fluffymixer (original song by Andrew Huang). I won't link it here, but you probably know the one I mean. * Yes, the girl Gadget sees in the car is, in fact, Vinyl Scratch. * The places the girls are working at references the jobs they had in the Summer shorts in 2017 (ex. Sunset working at a sushi place, AJ at the smoothie shop, etc.) * Rarity saying "Oh, puh-kk-ftt!" is... honestly the best I can do to reproduce that sound. If you didn't click the link when you saw it, well...

* And finally, the image of Gadget and Turing near the end of the chapter is meant as a slight homage to the first picture of them together in that joke chapter in the original story, though without quite so heavy shipping implications... at least that's what we were going for.

Okay, that'll do for now. See you next time, folks!

Falling for the First Time, Part 1

Sunset watched the scene unfolding between Turing Test and the newcomer with the beaming, almost manic smile and decided to step in.

She put her hands on top of Gadget’s and gave her a hard look.

“H-huh?” Gadget said as though she’d forgotten her standing there. Then her eyes went wide. “Ah, you… you’re…”

“Maybe we should take this outside,” Sunset said quietly through grit teeth, “so we can talk about it more privately.”

Gadget released Turing’s hands and nodded.

The three of them stepped outside and made their way to the nearby food court. They found a small table away from the rest of the mall-goers and sat down together.

“Okay, just who are you?” Sunset asked Gadget.

Gadget looked down. “I…” she muttered, “I’m—”

“Sunset Shimmer, this is Gadget,” Turing Test said as she gave Sunset a reassuring smile. “I know her.”

“You mean you know the other… um…” Sunset paused, tightening her lips. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to say in front of this stranger.

“I think I get it now,” Gadget said, nodding to herself. “You’re from that other world, aren’t you!”

Sunset and Turing exchanged a look.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Gadget said, crossing her arms and giving them a smug look. “No wonder I was able to detect you.”

“What do you mean?” Sunset asked.

Gadget looked startled and looked away. “That’s… that’s not important right now.”

A bit of a blabbermouth, eh? Sunset noted. I’ll let it go for now, though, and see if she’ll just tell us what she was up to later. Or just blabs it by mistake.

“Fine, you got us,” Sunset said nonchalantly as she flipped her hair behind her shoulder. “Now I want to know something: what did you mean when you told my friend that you wanted to ‘study’ her?”

Gadget grinned. “Just that!” she said excitedly. “A real robot, out and about independently, walking and talking like anyone else! She must be incredibly advanced! Your world must have incredible technology!”

“Actually, that is not correct,” Turing said. “Our world is quite far behind what can be found here. I am merely the exception, a result of a very specific set of circumstances and breakthroughs.”

“Really?” Gadget said, furrowing her brow. “Huh. Well, that answers that. Still, at least as far as you’re concerned, Miss Robot, your world is way ahead of this one!”

“That may be so,” Turing admitted. “Also, I would prefer it if you did not address me as ‘Miss Robot.’ My name is Turing Test.”

She extended her hand, and Gadget shook it eagerly. “And I’m Gadget… ah, b-but you knew that already.”

She chuckled, and Turing gave her warm smile in return.

“Hold on, hold on!” Sunset said, interrupting them both. “Turing, exactly how do you know who she is?”

“Gadget in our world is a scientist and inventor,” Turing replied. “She performed maintenance on me on a few occasions and she is one of my good friends. I believe that this Gadget is a scientist and inventor as well. Am I correct?”

Gadget nodded eagerly. “That’s right! I’m in the Everton Independent Study Program, and I’m studying programming, engineering, robotics, physics, and a lot more. I’m really interested in artificial intelligence, though, and I’ve always been interested in robots.” She clapped her hands together and bowed her head at Turing. “Oh please, Miss Turing Test, please let me learn more about you! It would be a dream come true if you said yes!”

Sunset sighed. “Look, Gadget, I get that you’re interested in Turing,” she said, “but Turing’s a real pon—er, person. She’s not just someone’s science project.”

“Well, in a manner of speaking, I sort of am.”

“I mean you can’t just be someone’s guinea pig!”

“Perhaps not. Though I was once a butterfly.”

“What?” Gadget and Sunset asked simultaneously.

“It is a long story.”

“In any case,” Sunset said, “I’m sorry, Gadget, but there’s no way that we can agree to this.”

Gadget visibly sagged, her mouth dropping open. “B-but… but I—”

“One moment, Sunset Shimmer,” Turing said, turning to face her. “I do believe that such a thing would be my decision.”

Sunset blinked. “Well, I mean, yes,” she stammered. “But Twilight asked me to watch out for you. What would she say if I just let you agree to some crazy girl’s scientific experiment?!”

“Hey, I’m not ‘some crazy girl!’” Gadget cried indignantly.

“Said the girl I found manhandling a stranger and sticking fingers in her mouth,” Sunset scoffed.

“I was not ‘manhandling’ her!” Gadget shouted, her cheeks turning red.

“That is true, Sunset,” Turing said. “She is female. Therefore, she was ‘womanhandling’ me.”

Sunset’s eye twitched. “The point is—”

“Forgive me, Sunset, but while I understand your point, the most pertinent factor to consider is that it is my body, and I will decide who handles it.”

Now both girls began to blush.

“Ah. Have I mistakenly said something embarrassing?”

“It’s not important,” Sunset said, shaking her head as she regained her composure. “Look, you’re right that it is your decision, and I’m sorry for acting otherwise. But still, we’ve got a job to do, and helping Gadget with her studies would just take away from that.”

“I have considered that,” Turing said, “and therefore I propose an exchange.”

“An exchange?” Gadget asked, leaning forward. “Well… I mean, I’m not sure what I can give you. I don’t really have any money or anything.”

Turing shook her head. “Monetary compensation is unnecessary. I am referring to an exchange of knowledge, Gadget.

“You see, in my world, I am a government official charged with aiding the technological advancement of my nation. Many of the advancements made by humans would be beneficial to us, but without a deeper understanding of how they function, we could not replicate them for ourselves. I am in need of an expert, and I believe you may qualify.”

Gadget’s eyes lit up. “I see! You want me to teach you about technology in this world, and you let me learn about you in return!”

“Correct, Gadget,” Turing said. To Sunset, she added, “Is that not an ideal solution to our problem, Sunset Shimmer?”

Sunset bit her lip. “I… I guess that’s true,” she said. “I mean, with Twilight sick, and only a little bit of time before you have to go back…”

Gadget and Turing Test both grinned at her expectantly.

“Ugh, fine,” Sunset sighed. “I’m not really happy about it, but it might be the best solution for right now.”

“Agreed,” Turing said. “It seems we have an agreement, Gadget.”

“Oh, thank you, Turing Test!” Gadget said, leaping up and shaking Turing’s hand vigorously. “Thank you so much! I promise that I’ll be very careful and teach you everything you want to know!”

“That sounds wonderful,” Turing said. “However, if we could delay this until this afternoon or possibly tomorrow, that might be for the best. Sunset Shimmer and I have friends who will be expecting us soon.”

“In that case, let me give you my contact information,” Gadget said as she took out her cell phone. “What’s your number? I can text it to you!”

Turing shook her head. “I do not possess a smartphone, unfortunately,” she said. “Ah, but perhaps, Sunset Shimmer, you could assist me?”

Sunset sighed, taking out her own phone. “Fine… I can’t believe I’m being a party to this, but… fine. My number is 867…”

***

Turing stepped up to the front door of the one-story brick house later that day. Gadget had noticeably not invited Sunset to accompany her; the two of them didn’t seem to get along particularly well, but Turing supposed that perhaps they simply weren’t very compatible and decided to not let it bother her.

Just the same, Sunset’s distrust of Gadget was obvious. Sunset insisted that Turing bring what she called a “pre-paid” phone with her and told her that she should call Sunset every hour to check in. What Sunset thought Gadget might be up to, she couldn’t say, but she agreed anyway. There was no harm in being cautious, she supposed, though she had to admit that Sunset’s protectiveness was mildly bothersome.

She knocked on the door and waited patiently. She heard movement inside the house. A moment later, the door opened and Gadget stood there.

“You’re here!” Gadget cried.

“I can confirm that I am here,” Turing said, trying to observe what she took to be human custom.

Gadget raised an eyebrow at the odd comment, but quickly regained her composure and took Turing by the hand, leading her inside the house.

It wasn’t terribly different from Pinkie’s house, she noted, though it was a bit smaller. Gadget didn’t seem interested in giving her the tour, however, as she quickly led her through the living room, back to the kitchen, and then to a door that led down into the basement.

“Are we going to your room, Gadget?” Turing said.

“No, everything we need is in my workshop downstairs,” Gadget said, beckoning Turing to follow her. “I have all my tools and I picked out a lot of technical manuals for you to look through. And I can answer any questions you have about any technology you want to understand.” She grinned broadly. “Ooh, today’s going to be so much fun!”

“Gadget?” said a new voice.

Gadget whirled around, coming back to the top of the steps to face the speaker.

An adult human female was standing there. She had short orange hair and off-white skin similar to her daughter.

“Ah, Mama, I… I brought a friend over!” Gadget said hurriedly.

Gadget’s mother’s eyes went wide and her lips parted slightly. “Really?” she asked. “Oh, that’s… well, that’s great, sweetie!”

She grinned broadly and put her hand out to Turing Test. “Hello, I’m Marmalade Cream, Gadget’s mother. Welcome to our home.”

Turing smiled and shook her hand. “And I am Turing Test. It is my pleasure to meet you.”

Marmalade Cream smiled, but her expression changed when she felt Turing’s cold, metal hand in hers. “Um, so… what are you girls doing?” she asked.

“Just… hanging out, Mama!” Gadget said.

“Well, fine, but… well, why’s she dressed like that?”

Gadget and Turing looked to each other before turning back to her mother. “Cosplay,” they both answered at the same time.

“Oh. Well, that makes sense,” Marmalade said. “You know, Turing Test, Gadget is quite into cosplay. Last year, she bought this adorable sailor suit—”

“M-Mama, she doesn’t need to know about that!” Gadget yelled, her cheeks reddening. “Anyway, we’ll be downstairs all afternoon, okay?”

Marmalade smiled. “All right, honey,” she said. “You two have fun, all right? And let me know if you need anything. Like a snack or something, okay?”

“Right, sure, we will!” Gadget said quickly as she made her way down the stairs.

“It was nice meeting you, ma’am,” Turing said, bowing to her slightly before following Gadget, shutting the door behind her.

Once she had reached the bottom, she took in the sight of Gadget’s workshop. The area was cluttered, but that wasn’t really surprising. After all, the Gadget she knew in Equestria was likewise messy, but it never seemed to hurt her productivity.

“Well, now that that’s over with,” Gadget said as she gathered some texts from her bookshelf, “we can get started!”

She brought the books over to Turing Test and held them out.

“These are the technical manuals you spoke of?” Turing asked.

Gadget nodded. “Basics of programming, some DIY guides on building radios and stuff like that, and a few other things I thought you might be interested. Even a few issues of Wired magazine, too!”

“That sounds very helpful,” Turing said. “Thank you, Gadget. I will now read them.”

“Oh, well, I thought you’d actually take them home,” Gadget said. “I mean, I don’t mind lending them to you for a little—”

Turing opened the first book and flipped through it rapidly. “Information scanned… incorporating… and now I know BASIC.”

Gadget blinked. “Wow,” she breathed. “Okay, never mind, I guess this will go a lot faster than I thought! But that’s even better! We can get so much more done!”

“That is good to know. I have several questions about terms that were not mentioned in the book, as well, so if you would not mind explaining them to me, I would be quite grateful.”

Gadget nodded eagerly. “Sure, ask away!”

“To begin, I see that several of these books are labeled as manuals for programming languages. Would it not be more prudent to learn a single language? Why are there so many?”

“Ah, good question!” Gadget said, holding one finger up as she held an arm behind her back in a pose she intended to look professorial. “All modern digital computers run on a binary system. It’s all just zeroes and ones that tell the transistors in the system to be off or on, respectively. But since there are potentially billions of transistors in a single computer, coding languages simplify things so we can read and understand what’s going on much more easily. But different languages are better for different things. Some are good for simple desktop software, others are good for web pages, and so on. Does that help?”

Turing nodded. “I see. Equestrian computers are not common, but they operate on a system that is quite dissimilar to what you’ve described.”

“Oh? What do you mean?”

“They are based upon the same technology that allows me to operate,” Turing explained. “My neural net is actually composed of a highly complex network of very small magical runes. The system was based on an older form of runic technology discovered by my father and then developed into something more sophisticated. It is that system that grants me sentience.”

Gadget listened breathlessly. “Wow… so, you literally run on magic!”

“More accurately, I run on electricity which energizes the runes in my neural net. Still, the system is remarkably complex and not easy to teach or learn. The coding systems you describe seem much simpler. Perhaps my world could adopt them for future computers.”

“Heh,” Gadget chuckled. “It still cracks me up that your world figured out sapient robots before they figured out digital computers.”

“To be more accurate, non-runic computers do exist,” Turing said. “I once met a group of scientists that were building a very large computer in the basement of a university. Yet the computers in this world are so much more efficient and take up much less space. How were you able to decrease the size of the vacuum tubes?”

Gadget covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “I’m sorry, did you say ‘vacuum tubes?’”

“Affirmative,” she said. “Do you not understand? Vacuum tubes are—”

“I know what they are, Turing,” Gadget said, rolling her eyes. “It’s just that room-sized computers that use vacuum tubes haven’t been used in decades! They’re completely obsolete! Now we use microchips.”

Turing leaned forward. “And what are they?”

“Well,” Gadget said, “remember how we were talking about transistors a minute ago? Microchips are basically a bunch of really tiny ones put together.”

“Ah. Then they regulate the flow of electricity more efficiently than the vacuum tubes. Ingenious! I am already learning so much!”

Gadget couldn’t keep the grin from her face. “I’m so glad I’m able to help you, Turing,” she said. “It’s nice to be appreciated for a change.”

Turing paused, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘for a change,’ Gadget?” she asked.

Gadget dropped her eyes to the side and bit her lip. “Never mind,” she said. “It’s not important.”

Turing frowned. “In my admittedly limited experience,” she said, “I have found that discussing thoughts and feelings with others often helps alleviate some of the problems associated with them. If you are reluctant, you have my assurance that I will keep our discussion private.”

Gadget sighed and pulled up a nearby swivel chair. She gestured to an old, beat up chair close to her and bade Turing sit down.

“Well, like I said, I’m studying with the Everton Independent Study Program,” she said. “But it wasn’t always this way. Until about a year ago, I went to a normal school like most of the other kids. The classes were all super easy, and I really wanted to just take my GED and skip school entirely. You know, go straight to college? But Mama and Papa said I shouldn’t. They said I wasn’t ‘mature’ enough.” She rolled her eyes at that. “So I stayed in school. And I hated it.”

Turing said nothing, but she continued to listen as Gadget went on.

“The other kids used to tease me a lot. The girls mostly. They’d make fun of my height or my weight, or my glasses. They used to talk about me just loud enough to hear and then giggle when I looked their way. They’d pretend to be friendly one day, get me to tell them about something, and the next thing I knew I’d told them something they’d just laugh at with their friends the very next day. They just…”

She swallowed.

“...they just made me feel like garbage. I’d come home every day and Mama and Papa would make me feel good again about being smart, but then it’d start back up the next day. I was just the geeky girl who couldn’t shut up about her weird hobbies, or the teacher’s pet who thought she was better than everyone.”

She folded her arms, hugging herself as she heaved a sigh. “So, when I heard about the Everton program and learned that I could study on my own without any classmates and work on things that were actually challenging, I applied and got accepted. And now I can study whatever I want… but sometimes, when I’m just building or researching down here, I feel like I’ve just been buried away, where nobody knows about me or cares and where nothing I do really matters.”

Turing frowned. “I see,” she said. “And so you feel unappreciated, despite your efforts.”

Gadget gave her a mirthless smile. “Yeah,” she said. “That’s why it’s nice to be able to help you. I feel like maybe all my knowledge isn’t just a big waste of time.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, I don't mean to waste your time. This all probably sounds pathetic to you, doesn’t it?”

“It is not a waste of my time,” Turing said. “Furthermore, it does not sound pathetic. In fact, I know how you feel.”

Gadget raised an eyebrow at that.

“Your expression indicates that you doubt me, but I assure you that it is true. For most of my existence, I have been the subject of ridicule, fear, or mistrust. Others would often express fear at my appearance, or doubt my sapience, or refer to me by names such as ‘junk heap’ or ‘rust bucket.’ In the early days after my operation, such terms did not bother me. Now that I have developed a greater sense of myself in relation to others, however, I find the memory of such insults… unpleasant.”

Gadget’s jaw dropped. “What?” she cried. “People used to make fun of you?!”

“In fact,” Turing said, “they still do. I often find that my peers do not treat me the same way as they do each other. Now that I have a more public position, others have made efforts to harass me in the streets or otherwise characterize me as a lesser being to organics. While I have many friends and know that I am no different from them in my thoughts and feelings, I still find such treatment very hurtful.

“In fact, I must confess that I had an ulterior motive for traveling to this world. Simply put, I wished to get away from my responsibilities for a short time. The fact that I seem to be appreciated more in this world has made this a very enjoyable visit. I hope to travel here more often.”

Gadget was still staring back at her in shock. “I just can’t believe anyone would make fun of you for being a robot,” she said.

“I find that organics often ridicule others that are different from themselves.”

“But robots are so cool!” Gadget cried, suddenly leaping out of her chair and seizing Turing by the shoulders. “How could anyone make fun of you, Turing?”

Turing blinked. “You think I am… cool?”

Gadget grinned. “Yeah! In fact, I kind of always wanted to… um…”

She let Turing’s shoulders go and backed away as she trailed off.

“Wanted to what?” Turing asked.

“I… well, don’t laugh,” she said, “but I… I always wanted to be a robot.”

Turing’s eyes widened, her pupils shrinking. “I cannot imagine why. In truth, I wish that I were organic.”

“Oh, pfft,” Gadget scoffed. “Why would you want to be like us? You can do things no human could do! You’re stronger, you’re faster, and you’re smarter than us!”

“Perhaps, but organics can touch and taste and feel.”

“Yeah, but you don’t age.”

“You can experience dreams.”

Gadget wrinkled her nose. “Oh yeah? Well, you never have to worry about bad breath or B.O.!” she shouted.

“I would accept such worries if I could appreciate the scent of a flower!” Turing fired back.

“You can’t feel pain!”

“Organics can have org—”

There was a sharp knock on the door at the top of the stairs.

“What are you two yelling about down there?!” Marmalade Cream shouted.

“N-nothing, Mama!” Gadget shouted back. “Sorry, we were just having a discussion and it got out of hand!”

“Well, calm down, I can hear it from up here!”

They listened and heard the sound of her footsteps walking away.

Once things were quiet again, Gadget suddenly burst out laughing.

“Well, I think you probably would have won the argument with that last one.”

Turing crossed her arms and gave her a decidedly smug look. “Of course. I knew that ‘organic offspring’ was the best answer.”

Gadget blinked. She raised a finger, then reconsidered her question and put her hand back down. “No, never mind.”

“In that case, since we have discussed our mutual envy of each other’s attributes,” Turing said, “perhaps we should move on.”

“Okay, then what do you want to learn next?” Gadget asked.

“Since I can read the rest of these texts quickly and speak to you while you are occupied with another activity, perhaps I should fulfill my end of our bargain.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You asked if you could ‘study’ me,” Turing said. “I am willing to assist you, if you wish.”

Gadget broke into a wide grin. “That’s great! I have so many questions! And… um, you’re okay with me studying your, uh… inner workings?”

“I reasoned that a mere description of my internal functions would be inadequate,” Turing said. “Therefore, provided you follow my directions and exercise proper care, I will allow you to examine me.”

Gadget was practically shaking with excitement. “Great! I’ll get my tools!” she said, rushing off to find them.

“What shall I do to assist you?” Turing asked, raising her hand to her mouth so Gadget could hear her.

“Take off your clothes and help me find your screw holes!”

***

Sunset reclined on her bed reading a book. Her phone was on the table nearby and she caught herself eyeing it for the fifth time.

Just be patient, she told herself. Turing said she’d call in an hour, so if she hasn’t called, then it hasn’t been an hour.

She turned back to her book. She read a paragraph and realized that she’d already read it before.

“Ugh,” she moaned, massaging the bridge of her nose as she shut her eyes.

You’re being overprotective, she told herself. Twilight asked you to help Turing Test, not babysit her. For Celestia’s sake, she’s a government official in Equestria, not a child.

Then again, maybe I’m worrying about her because she acts like a child in a lot of ways. Everything here is so new to her, and she doesn’t understand a lot about humans. I mean, they aren’t that different from ponies, I suppose, but still…

She heard a vibrating sound and reached for her phone… only to find that it wasn’t ringing.

Oh, right. It’s not set to vibrate. Then what…

Then it struck her. She reached into her backpack. Sure enough, she found the magical journal that linked to the one Twilight had. She opened it and read Twilight’s message:

Hi, Sunset!

I just wanted to check in with you to see how Turing Test is doing. I bet she’s having a lot of fun learning about all the new technology in that world. I hope she’s not too much to handle, though; she can be a bit of a hoof-ful sometimes, even if she means well.

Sunset couldn’t help but grin. Twilight had the right of it: Turing was a bit much to handle with her enthusiasm and curiosity and her unique way of expressing things.

Still… except for this business with Gadget, it had really been a fun visit. Watching movies with her, letting her experience the wonders the human world had to offer, and getting to see things through a newcomer’s eyes, just as she had years ago, all made spending time with Turing Test genuinely fun.

She took out her pen and began writing:

Turing’s doing just fine! She’s learning a lot, she’s having fun, and she’s getting along with our friends really well! I think she’ll bring a lot of new ideas back to Equestria that will really help improve ponies’ lives.

She paused, wondering if she should say more. She ran her tongue around her cheek and made her decision.

One question, though: do you know somepony named Gadget?

Twilight wrote back a moment later:

Gadget? Sure I do! Did Turing mention her?

Sunset decided to press forward.

Yes, but more to the point, we met this world’s Gadget. She figured out that Turing was a robot pretty quickly. Since our world’s Twilight isn’t feeling well, Turing decided to ask Gadget to teach her about technology.

Twilight replied:

That makes sense. Gadget in our world is great with technology, so it figures that she’d be the same in your world.

Sunset felt herself relaxing.

Well, if you think it’s a good idea, she wrote, then I won’t worry.

What? Why would you worry?

Well, she just seems a little unhinged.

Yeah, that sounds like Gadget. I wouldn’t worry about it.

Oh, good, Sunset wrote. I was a little worried when she said she wanted to study Turing.

There was a pause and she wondered if that was the end of their conversation when suddenly there was a burst of new text, and Twilight’s hornwriting became noticeably sloppier.

Wait, what? I thought Gadget was going to teach her about technology, not the other way around! What do you mean she’s going to “study” Turing?

Sunset gulped as she wrote her response: Well, it sounds like Gadget wants to find out how she works.

Twilight’s long response followed:

That might not be a good idea. Turing’s the result of some very strange circumstances. I’m not sure it’s a good idea for humans to have machines that can think for themselves. While I’m glad that Turing Test and her siblings were born, it’s been an uphill battle to fight for the rights of the few artificial beings we have.

But humans can build machines much faster and better than we can. If Gadget can replicate the process and figure out how to create sapient robots, humans might be able to make a lot in a short time. Is your world really ready for a bunch of artificial beings to be born all at once? Will they be treated well? Will the robots treat them well in return? Heck, one of Turing’s siblings already hates organics, and it makes me nervous having just one of her! Imagine if there were hundreds or thousands!

Sunset swallowed. She broke into a cold sweat. With a shaky hand, she wrote back, You think I should stop Gadget from studying Turing?

Just then, the phone rang. Sunset lunged at it, snatching it up as she answered.

“Hello?!” she cried.

“Hello, Sunset Shimmer,” Turing’s voice said over the phone. “It has been one hour and two minutes. I apologize for my tardiness in calling, but I momentarily set your phone aside and was not immediately able to retrieve it.”

Sunset breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t know why, but Turing’s calm synthetic voice put her at ease.

“No, it’s all right, Turing,” she assured her. “Is everything going well?”

“Very well! Gadget has provided me with a great deal of information about computer operations and programming. I am also making inquiries about the operation of cellular phone systems and radio. Perhaps later we may discuss methods of power generation or the use of the internet. She is truly what they call a ‘fount of knowledge.’ It is fortunate that we encountered her.”

“Well, that’s great, Turing. But listen, I think that—”

“Turing, could you lift your arm up a little? I can’t quite see the joint.”

Sunset paused. “Uh, Turing, what was that?” she asked.

“That was Gadget. She is examining my internal machinery. That is the reason I was unable to call you at the specified time; I had left my cellular phone with my clothing, which I had to shed so Gadget could remove my exterior casing.”

Sunset’s eyes bulged. “Uh, Turing, are you sure that’s such a good idea?” she asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

Behind her, the magical journal was vibrating again. Twilight was sending her a message.

“Is this not what we had discussed, Sunset Shimmer?” Turing asked. “After all, Gadget showed me her body of knowledge, so it is only fitting that I show her mine.”

Sunset smacked her own forehead. “Just, um… make sure that she’s careful,” she said, not knowing what else to say, now that it was too late.

“We are being very careful, Sunset Shimmer. I assure you that we are using proper protection.”

“What?”

“Gadget has taken every precaution to neutralize static electricity discharges that might harm my internal systems and is wearing something she calls anti-static wristbands. I am confident that I am in good hands.”

Sunset sighed. “Well, just… just learn all that you can. I’ll talk to you in another hour or so, okay?”

“Affirmative, Sunset Shimmer. I will speak with you later. Goodbye.”

As soon as Turing had hung up the phone, Sunset returned to the journal, opening it to see Twilight’s message.

I guess it’s not a big deal if she does. After all, you said your world already has robots. The tricky part is building an electronic brain, and I don’t think humans could do it the same way we did in Equestria anyway. The runic technology that makes Turing Test work relies on magic, and humans don’t really have magic on a big enough scale anyway.

If it helps them build better non-sentient robots, then it’s probably fine. I’m sorry, I guess I was freaking out over nothing.

Sunset?

Sunset, are you still there?

Sunset breathed a sigh of relief. Twilight had a point. Without magic, there really wasn’t anything at stake, especially since Turing was obviously not in danger. She was just worried about nothing after all.

Yes, I’m still here, she wrote. I was just talking to Turing Test. She’s doing fine. And I guess you’re right that there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll keep an eye on things and let you know if anything goes wrong, but I think things are going just fine.

Twilight replied:

Glad to hear it! Well, take care, Sunset!

You too, Twilight! she wrote, a smile on her lips.

Sunset closed the book and took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly and letting her tension drain away. As strange as this all was, in the end, it was just an exchange of information, and that was something to be celebrated, after all.

She took up her book again and resumed reading. She glanced over at the picture of her friends gathered around her and smiled.

I should just relax and be grateful that I can help, Sunset thought. I have so many good friends, and Turing is one more. I should be nicer to Gadget, too. Tomorrow, I think I’ll go over with Turing Test and apologize to Gadget for treating her the way I did, and I’ll try to help them study instead. I might even learn something in the process!

She lay down on the bed, resuming her reading.

***

Turing adjusted her shirt and turned to Gadget, who was writing down the last of her notes. They’d finished a short while ago, and Gadget had reattached Turing’s outer casing perfectly.

“I certainly hope that was helpful for you, Gadget,” she said.

“It really was!” Gadget said, looking up at her and giving her a smile. “A lot of the machinery that makes you work is similar to what we have in this world, but some of it is all new! That thaumium—”

“Thaumatrium,” Turing corrected.

“Right, thaumatrium. That system you use is absolutely incredible! We don’t have anything like that yet!”

“It may be difficult to replicate. Magic does not seem to exist in this world outside of a few instances, which means that thaumatrium would be impractical to produce.”

Gadget sighed. “You may be right,” she said. “Still, what intrigues me most is how your neural network functions. If I could only figure it out, I might be able to recreate it.”

“You mean,” Turing said, raising her eyebrow, “that you wish to create new beings capable of sapience like myself?”

“Or at least smart enough to handle the kinds of tasks humans need them to do,” Gadget replied. “See, we have A.I., and we have machines that can do things really well now that we never thought possible, but we haven’t gotten to the point of just being able to let them operate independently and do just about anything. If we could design a perfect A.I., it could help us with so much! Safer cars, safer medicine, more reliable weather predictions—”

“Why would you need to predict the weather? You could simply ask your weather manufacturers.”

Gadget blinked. “Our what now?”

Turing tilted her head to the side. “In Equestria, the weather is produced and managed by pegasi. They create and maintain weather systems. All storms and seasonal changes are tightly scheduled and regulated. Do humans not have an equivalent system?”

Gadget shook her head. “No. I mean… wow. Wait, pegasi?! As in, the plural of pegasus?”

Turing nodded.

“So… wait, I think I missed some things here,” she said. “Turing, would you mind telling me about your world?”

Turing smiled. “Not at all, Gadget. I will do my best to explain Equestria in broad terms, but please stop me if you have further questions…”

Gadget listened as Turing went on to explain everything about Equestria, from its citizens and society, to magic, to the rule by the princesses, to the rise of TechQuestria, to the beings inhabiting the land, and so on.

After an hour and another customary check-in with Sunset Shimmer, they’d discussed so much about Equestria that Gadget finally had to stop, feeling utterly overwhelmed with the knowledge she’d received.

“Wow,” she breathed. “It all sounds so nice. I mean, even without the technological innovations we have here, it sounds like a wonderful place to live.”

“It certainly is,” Turing said with a smile. “While it has many problems, I am very glad to call it my home. In fact, discussing it with you has made me more aware of how much I appreciate it. I want to help to make it a better place more than ever before. Thank you, Gadget.”

“No, I should be thanking you!” Gadget said as she leaped to her feet. “You’ve taught me so much about your home and yourself and… and, I mean, I feel like I’ve barely done anything at all.”

“You allowed me to peruse your texts and answered all my questions even as you were examining my internal machinery,” Turing remarked. “The information I have gained could advance Equestria’s development by decades. Potentially a century or more! You need not be humble, Gadget.”

Gadget’s jaw dropped. Then, to Turing’s surprise, she began to tear up. She lifted her glasses to wipe her eyes.

“Gadget?” Turing asked. “Are you all right? I did not mean to distress you.”

“It’s just that,” she said, laughing in spite of herself, “I really feel special right now. To think that I might be helping an entire nation, or maybe a whole other world to become something better… it’s something I’ve dreamed of for a long time.” She heaved a sigh. “That other Gadget must be pretty lucky.”

Turing nodded. “She is indeed fortunate,” she said. “With her mentor’s help and the support of her friends, she has accomplished much. I believe she will accomplish much more in the future.” She went to Gadget and took her hand. “And so will you.”

Gadget sniffled. “Oh man… Turing, I… I’m glad to call you a friend. I mean, if you want to call me yours, that is.”

Turing grinned. “Of course, Gadget. I will be happy to call you a friend as well.”

Gadget swallowed a lump in her throat and suddenly embraced her. “You don’t know how much this means to me,” she whispered.

Turing returned the hug. “On the contrary,” Turing said quietly, “I know precisely what it means.”

***

Later that evening, after Turing had gone back to Sunset’s, Gadget found herself alone with all the information she’d gathered. She thought about what she’d learned that day and what Turing had learned from her in turn.

An exchange between worlds, she thought as she leaned back in her chair. Turing Test is benefitting from all the things our world has to offer. And I’m learning more about their robotics. But without magic, creating A.I. like that here will be impossible. In fact, Equestria seems to rely a lot on magic to make up for things they lack.

She looked over to the door on the other side of the room, the one she hadn’t shown Turing Test. Behind it were the two dozen containers of magic that had leaked into her world from Equestria and that she’d collected.

There are more applications for this sort of technology than I realized. If I could just find a way to utilize it…

She looked down at her notes again. She smiled.

I should come clean to Turing Test. I’ll tell her what I’ve been studying, and we can set up a more even exchange: Equestria gets human tech, and we can get magic! With the kinds of things I can build with more magical power and expertise, they’ll have to invent a new kind of Nobel Prize to give to me!

She kicked her legs excitedly. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

***

Sunset examined the painting on the easel before her. She hadn’t really been into art back in Equestria or even when she’d first arrived at Canterlot High. Still, art classes had lit a fire in her, and she found it therapeutic to draw or paint when she was feeling stressed. She’d even been studying graffiti artists and considered creating some works of her own, though for now, a simple still life would be adequate.

There was a knock on her door, and she raised an eyebrow. “Turing, is that you?” she called.

“Affirmative,” Turing called back.

Sunset let her in and said, “So, did everything go okay with Gadget?”

Turing nodded. “It was very productive,” she said. “However, adapting some of this information to Equestria will require a great deal of infrastructure. In the meantime, I hope you were not upset about not participating.”

“I kept myself busy,” Sunset replied.

“Ah. You have something on your hands and face. Is that paint?”

Sunset nodded.

“I did not know you were interested in art, Sunset Shimmer. In fact, I do not believe I have any close friends with an interest in painting. What have you been creating?”

Sunset beckoned for Turing to follow her into the corner of her apartment and showed her the painting she was doing of a bowl of fruit.

“Simple, I know, but I really like painting things like this,” Sunset said as she picked up her pallet. She applied a few more brushstrokes to a pear, peering around the easel to look more carefully at real bowl she was using as a model.

“You seem to be creating it with a high degree of accuracy, Sunset Shimmer,” Turing said.

“Does that mean that you like it?” Sunset asked.

Turing assumed her thinking posture. “It is difficult for me to say,” she said. “I lack the same sense of aesthetics that many organics have. Colors and shapes are neither positive nor negative to me. I suppose that I enjoy familiar imagery, however. I have many photographs of my friends in my home, even though my memory is perfectly photographic itself.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow at that. “So, you’re not really an art fan?”

“I suppose that I simply do not grasp the concept well enough to appreciate it in the same way that you can,” she said. She frowned. “I am sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Sunset said, returning to her painting. “Not everyone likes the same things. Still, this gives me an idea.”

She took the painting off the easel and took the fruit back to the kitchen. She then led Turing Test over to the table where she’d placed the bowl of fruit and told her to stand still.

“Like this?” Turing asked.

“Actually, if you could fold your hands in front of you and tilt your head slightly to your left… there, that’s perfect!”

“Sunset Shimmer, do you intend to paint… me?”

“I thought it might help you gain a little more appreciation for art after a day of pure science,” she said with a chuckle. “And even if it doesn’t, I’d kind of like to have a painting of you.”

“I am not certain why, but if it will please you, then I will comply,” Turing said.

Turing made for a great model, Sunset found, as she was able to stand perfectly still in the same pose. She was lucky to have just enough gray and silver paint to quickly put the portrait down. While she painted, she talked to Turing Test about her day with Gadget, her time at the grocery store and the mall, and about the movies they’d watched. Turing even surprised her with a few of her odd jokes.

After a while, Sunset paused and gave the painting one more look. She nodded, smiling to herself. It might not have been perfect, but she thought it wasn’t half bad for a simple wet-on-wet portrait.

“Okay, Turing, come take a look!” she said.

Turing Test went over to her and took in the sight of the finished product.

Her eyes went wide and she broke into a broad smile.

“Oh, Sunset Shimmer! You have recreated my image, and yet… it is somehow different!”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that it is slightly inaccurate, though still quite close,” Turing replied. “But I also mean that you have utilized color and shading to give my image qualities that it does not normally possess. It is both me… and not me.”

“So, um,” Sunset said, furrowing her brow, “does that mean you like it?”

She turned to Sunset. “I do!” she said. “Though I have seen paintings before, I have never been able to connect an emotional attachment to one until this moment. Now, however, it is as though I am seeing myself as you see me. How wonderful!”

Sunset laughed, blushing slightly. “I’m glad you like it, but please stop complimenting me so much,” she said. “You’re starting to embarrass me.”

Turing bowed her head slightly. “My apologies,” she said. “I did not wish to embarrass you. Ah, actually, Sunset I feel I should apologize to you.”

Sunset blinked. “Funny, I actually think that I should be the one apologizing,” she said. “I should have trusted you earlier today. And Gadget as well. I was just worrying over nothing, I guess.”

“And I, in turn, believe that I should have insisted on your participation today,” Turing said. “If I had, then perhaps you and Gadget could have become friends as well. I will insist on your participation tomorrow if you wish to join me.”

Sunset smiled. “Well, I don’t want you to make demands,” she said. “But actually, I was going to ask if I could come too. I guess the answer’s yes.”

“Correct,” Turing said. “I believe that you, as the only longtime citizen of both this world and Equestria, could bring a great deal of insight to our discussions. Also, you are my friend and I want you there.”

“Aw, that’s sweet,” Sunset said. “Well, you have the rest of the evening. Is there anything I can help you study? I told the others that I would skip band practice tonight to help you out if I could.”

“Actually, I believe that I have gained sufficient information for a single day,” Turing said. “However, I greatly enjoy music and would love to hear you and the rest of our friends practice. Is it too late to join them?”

Sunset grinned. “I don’t think so,” she said. “Let me give them a call!”

To be continued...

Author's Note

A cultural exchange seems like it's going better than expected. Next time, Sunset tries to mend fences with Gadget...

References:

First off, the title is named after a song by Canadian band, Barenaked Ladies. Bonus fun fact: the song is more or less Gadget's unofficial theme song, with its unhinged, contradictory exuberance perfectly encapsulating her personality.

* When Turing says "I was once a butterfly," she's referring to that time in Everything's Better With Robots! when Discord transformed her into a butterfly in an effort to help her ingratiate herself with Fluttershy * Sunset begins to give her number as "867...". This is a reference to the Tommy Tutone song "Jenny," better known by its chorus. Link here if you don't mind getting it stuck in your head. * Okay, this is probably the most obscure reference joke I've ever dropped, but... Marmalade Cream, Gadget's mother, is named after a song on the old Nickelodeon show "The Adventures of Pete and Pete," that was itself a reference to the song "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain.

* Gadget buying a "sailor suit" is a reference to the "sailor" uniforms worn by girls in Japanese schools, referencing Gadget's love for manga, anime, and cosplay. Maybe I'll make Greenfinger draw Gadget in that... * Wired magazine is a magazine published in the USA, if you didn't know. It mainly publishes articles centered around computers, the internet, and geek culture.

Hope you all enjoyed this! See you next time!

Falling for the First Time, Part 2

Sunset and Turing knocked on the door to Gadget’s house the next morning. The door opened, but it wasn’t Gadget who stood there or even one of her parents, but a little boy with orange and brown hair.

“Uh, hello,” Sunset said to the boy. “We’re here to see Gadget.”

The boy stared up at Sunset, his mouth dropping open.

“You’re pretty!” he said to her with a big grin on his face.

“Oh, uh… thanks?” she said.

The boy grinned. “I’m Fall Leaf! Why do you want to see Sis?”

“Sis?” Turing asked. “Ah, does this mean that you are Gadget’s brother?”

He nodded.

“We are here to study with Gadget. We hope to—”

“Your voice sounds funny,” he said, making a face.

“Ah. Well…”

“Now, that wasn’t very nice,” Sunset said, crossing her arms and looking down at Fall Leaf disdainfully.

“But it does!” Fall Leaf said. “And she looks kinda weird too. Is it because she’s a robot?”

“Actually, this is cos—”

“Oh the heck with it,” Sunset said, cutting her off. “Yes, she’s a robot. And I happen to like how her voice sounds and how she looks. How would you like it if someone said something mean like that to you?”

He looked down, pouting. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I was just kidding anyway.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Well, you should apologize to her, not me.”

He sighed. “I’m sorry, Miss Robot,” he said, not meeting her eyes.

Turing shook her head. “It is all right. Still, if we could, we really must find your sister. And my name is Turing Test, by the way.”

“And I’m Sunset Shimmer,” she said, extending her hand to the boy.

Fall Leaf grinned, taking her hand. “Okay, Sunset. Come this way, I’ll take you to see Sis!”

He abruptly took off toward the basement door, yanking Sunset so hard she nearly lost her footing.

“Sis!” he shouted, pounding on her door. “Sis, open up!”

The sound of feel clamoring up the steps was heard and Gadget opened the door a moment later.

“Darn it, Fall Leaf!” she shouted. “Can’t you just knock like a normal per…son?” Her anger faded and her eyes went wide when she saw Sunset there in addition to Turing Test.

“Hello, Gadget,” Turing said. “I brought Sunset Shimmer with me today.”

Sunset turned to her. “Wait, you didn’t tell her that I was coming?” she asked.

“No, she certainly didn’t,” Gadget said, crossing her arms.

“I have heard it said that it is often easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission,” Turing said with a grin.

“That’s kind of underhanded, Turing,” Sunset said.

“It sure is,” Gadget said, scowling at her.

“You should just be glad someone wanted to hang out with you, Sis,” Fall Leaf said.

“Fall Leaf, I swear—”

“Usually she just hangs out alone in the basement all day,” he said, undaunted as he wore a bratty grin.

“Okay, that’s enough! Fall Leaf, mind your own business!” she shouted. To Sunset and Turing, she said, “You two: just come downstairs with me so we can talk about this in a brother-free zone.”

Sunset and Turing followed her down into the work area. Before Sunset could even properly take in the sight of the room, Gadget whirled on them both.

“Okay, why is she here?” she asked Turing Test, narrowing her eyes as she pointed at Sunset.

“Ah. You are more upset than I had anticipated,” Turing said. “Allow me to explain—”

“No, Turing,” Sunset said calmly, stepping toward Gadget. “Allow me.”

Gadget looked her up and down, eyeing her with distrust while taking a step back from her.

“I’m listening,” she said.

Sunset sighed. “Gadget, I wanted to apologize,” she said. “I treated you with more suspicion than I should have. And I was being overprotective of Turing Test. You didn’t deserve to be treated that way, and I’m sorry for acting the way I did.”

Gadget blinked. “R-really?” she asked.

Sunset smiled. “Really,” she said. “And I’m glad that you’ve been helping Turing Test so much. I’m here today because I want to help her too. And you, if that’s okay.”

Gadget put her hand to her chest. She gave them both a warm smile. “Y-you really want to help?” she asked.

Sunset nodded. Turing stepped beside her.

“I apologize for not telling you of her visit,” Turing said. “But you both have helped me on this trip so much that I thought it would be best if we could all work together. Still, I hope you can forgive me for omitting the truth.”

“Well,” Gadget said with a smile, “I guess you were right: it really is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. All right, I forgive you, Turing. And Sunset, you’re welcome in my home too.”

“I’m so glad,” Sunset said, returning the smile. “And now that we’ve got that over with, maybe it’s time you came clean to us as well.”

Gadget gave a start. “W-what do you mean?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “You never did say how you detected Turing with that device of yours,” she said. “Or how you knew about Equestria. Or at least that there was another world. And something tells me that you knew who I was, too.”

Gadget gulped.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Sunset said, crossing her arms as she gave Gadget a smug look. “It’s okay, but now that we’re all working together, you should probably tell the truth.”

Gadget heaved a sigh. “All right, you got me. I have been researching your world. Even if everyone outside the teenagers in this town thinks all the incidents surrounding Canterlot High are hoaxes, I know the truth. I’ve seen footage from the Musical Showcase and the Friendship Games that people took on their cell phones.

“I recognized your face as soon as I saw you, Sunset Shimmer. I knew you were present at both of those events, and probably involved in them both too.”

“Well, it’s a long story, but I’ll be happy to tell you everything,” Sunset said.

Gadget grinned. Then she paused, looking thoughtful. “So, that means you’re both… horse women?”

“Uh, ‘ponies’ will do just fine, but yeah.”

Gadget looked Sunset over from head to toe.

“Something wrong?” Sunset asked as she raised an eyebrow.

“I’m just having a hard time picturing you both as ho—er, ponies,” she said. Then she started to giggle. “Heh. But then again, there’s a pony version of me too. That’s so weird! I mean, what would I even look like with a tail?”

Her giggles became full-blown laughter, and soon Sunset couldn’t help but join in. The more they thought about it, the sillier it all seemed.

“Oh wow,” Gadget said after they’d calmed down. “Well, I should just tell you about everything I’ve been working on. I need to get some things first, but would you like a snack in the meantime?”

“A snack?” Sunset asked. “Um, sure, why not?”

Gadget grinned. “Watch this,” she said. “Ahem… Toaster!”

The mechanical toaster next to her workbench came to life. “Toaster - is - ready,” it intoned.

“Oh my!” Turing exclaimed. “You created a robot toaster?”

“Yep!” Gadget said proudly as she tossed her head back and placed her hands on her hips. “Sunset, just tell it how dark you want it and if you want anything on it.”

“Uh, okay,” she said. “I guess light toast with peanut butter?”

“Light. Peanut - butter. Confirm?”

“Confirm,” Gadget said.

“Now - toasting.”

“Pretty neat, eh?” Gadget asked. “It’s nothing compared to a robot like you, Turing, but I’m still pretty proud of it. Anyway, wait right here.”

She ducked into the next room, leaving Turing and Sunset alone.

“I am glad to see you both getting along,” Turing said to Sunset quietly.

“Yeah, she actually seems nice,” Sunset said. “I wonder what kind of research she’s been doing, though.”

Gadget returned a moment later, her arms filled with several devices and notebooks. She placed them all on her workbench and beckoned them over. She left again and returned with something that was inside a duffel bag that had been zipped shut.

“All right, Sunset, Turing Test… this is what I’ve been working on!” she proudly declared.

The two looked at each other, then back at Gadget.

“I believe you will have to explain further,” Turing said.

Gadget grinned. “Of course,” she said. “You see not long after I started with Everton, I caught wind of the things happening at Canterlot High. There were rumors and there was evidence, but it took me a while before I finally believed what they were telling me. They all came back to this one word: magic.”

Sunset’s patient smile vanished. “What?” she asked.

“Magic!” Gadget cried. “I built this device to detect it, and this one to capture it, and some of the others to measure its heat, radiation, and temperature. I’ve kept videos and notes about all my findings.”

“And you… found some?” Sunset asked, trying to stay calm.

“Heh,” Gadget chuckled, unzipping the duffel bag. “Feast your eyes!”

She opened the bag, revealing a glass jar with a glowing orb of pure magic levitating inside it.

“Ah,” Turing said. “Analyzing… results confirmed: it is indeed magic of Equestrian origin. It appears stable, though I have never seen such a concentration of neutral magical energy in one spot like this.”

“Oh really?” Gadget said, scratching her head. “I figured this stuff was just lying all over the place in your world. It wasn’t hard to find.”

Sunset swallowed. “It… doesn’t work in this world the same way as it does in Equestria,” she said. “So… you’ve been running experiments on this orb?”

Gadget wagged her finger, giving her a wink. “Not just this one,” she said.

Sunset’s throat went dry. “Y-you found more?”

“Lots more!” she cried. “I’ll show you!”

She led them both to the closet nearby and opened the door. She pulled the light switch and revealed the small pantry. The room was lined with wooden shelves, and on every one, there were more jars of magic.

“You certainly have been busy,” Turing remarked, her calm smile standing in contrast to the wide-eyed look Sunset wore. “Where did you find so much magic?”

“I’ve been collecting it from all around the city,” Gadget said. “I found the first one not far from Canterlot High and managed to capture it. I wish I had a better way to store it, but glass seems to be the only safe, non-reactive container available.

“Anyway, once I learned more about the first orb, I modified a Geiger counter to detect the unique energies it gave off. I’ve been searching all over to find more, and that’s how I found you, Turing. It turns out your thaumatrium reserves set it off by mistake.”

“It was fortunate that they did,” Turing said. “If they had not, we might not have met.”

“Good point!” Gadget laughed.

Turing then turned to face Sunset. “Sunset Shimmer? Are you well? I detect that your heart rate has increased dramatically. Are you perhaps excited about Gadget’s discoveries?”

Sunset tried to remain calm. “Excited… that’s… well, I’m certainly surprised,” she said. “Um, Gadget… what are you planning to do with all this magic?”

“Do?” Gadget echoed. “Are you kidding? Especially after what Turing’s told me, there may be no limit to what can be done! Magic-based computers, vehicles, generators, and maybe even more intelligent machines like Turing Test! With human engineering and Equestrian magic, we could create things no one ever thought possible! I bet I could rig up some kind of gun that would shoot rainbow-colored lasers like you and your friends used against those weird Siren girls!”

“Ah,” Turing Test said, her expression changing. “I would advise against utilizing magic for combat purposes.”

“Well, that was just an example,” Gadget said with a shrug. “We can talk about other applications later. Still, isn’t it exciting?! The possibilities are endless!”

Sunset only stared back at her. She was silent, but everything she and Twilight had discussed came back to her, flooding her mind.

A race of intelligent machines built practically overnight… Equestrian magic everywhere, available to every human in the world… she’s even nonchalantly talking about weaponizing it!

“Uh, hey, Sunset?” Gadget asked, frowning as she went over to her. “Are you okay? You look kind of pale.”

Sunset snapped out of it and focused on the girl in front of her. “Uh… sure,” she said slowly. “Hey, Gadget, do you mind if I talk to Turing Test for a few minutes? Alone?”

Gadget blinked. “Alone? Wait, why?”

Sunset forced herself to smile. “Just something I thought of that I wanted to discuss with Turing in private.”

Gadget bit her lip. “Oh, um… sure, that’s fine I guess.”

They exited the closet and found that the mechanical toaster had already popped the toast and a mechanical arm was spreading peanut butter on it.

“I’ll just go upstairs and let you two talk,” Gadget said, giving them an uncertain look over her shoulder. “Enjoy your snack, Sunset. I’ll be back soon.”

She made her way up the stairs and shut the door behind her.

Sunset sighed, taking the toast and taking a bite. She sank into a nearby chair, chewing thoughtfully.

“Sunset Shimmer?” Turing asked. “You are acting very strangely. What is wrong?”

Sunset swallowed and looked Turing in the eye. “Turing,” she whispered. “I’m sorry, but we cannot let Gadget keep this magic.”

Turing’s eyes widened. “What? Why not?”

***

Upstairs, Gadget went to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She sat down on her bed, took out her cell phone, and found a certain app. It connected with the hidden cameras she’d set up to catch her brother in case he started snooping around to mess with her things or steal her comics. Her finger hovered over the app.

I shouldn’t snoop, she thought. I’m just being paranoid. Turing is my friend now, and Sunset apologized… I should trust them.

And then a memory came to her…

“Hey, um, it’s Gadget, right?” said a voice over Gadget’s shoulder as she sat alone in the school library.

Gadget swallowed. “H-huh? Why do you want to know?”

“I’m really sorry,” the girl said with a warm smile on her face, “but this assignment is really tough. You don’t look like you’re having any problem in science class, though… could I ask for your help?” She blushed. “I guess I’m kinda dumb when it comes to this stuff, but my mom and dad are going to ground me if I fail the next science test.”

Gadget bit her lip. The girl was pretty, popular, and almost always surrounded by a huge group of friends. She ran with a different crowd, and she certainly had never spoken to her.

“I… I don’t know,” Gadget muttered, turning away.

“Please?” the girl asked plaintively. “I’d really appreciate it. It won’t even take too long, I promise!”

Gadget swallowed. The girl seemed so genuine. And her own parents had repeatedly urged her to try to make friends…

“Well… all right,” Gadget said, smiling back at her.

“Oh my gosh, thank you so much!” the girl said, pulling out a chair next to her. “By the way, my name’s Fair Weather.”

Gadget grinned. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “So, what’s the problem?”

And look at how that turned out, she though, shutting her eyes. But Sunset is… she wouldn’t be like that. Turing isn’t like that either. I should trust them…

Just the same, her paranoia wouldn’t leave her. Almost without thought, her finger hit the app, and the hidden cameras in her workspace turned on.

She selected one of the camera views and enabled the audio. She leaned in close. She heard every word.

***

“I’ll tell you why, Turing,” Sunset replied. “Two reasons: first of all, I’m honestly not sure this world is ready for magic. Maybe it never will be.”

“But Sunset Shimmer, you utilize magic.”

Sunset lightly touched the geode she wore around her neck. “That’s different,” she said. “This is magic that chose us. My friends and I only got these powers by using the magic of friendship, and we use it to help people and stop others who might misuse it.”

“You believe that Gadget will misuse the magic that she’s discovered?” Turing asked. She frowned. “I do not believe that. Gadget has only spoken of how she may help others with it.”

“It’s not necessarily her that I’m worried about, though,” Sunset said. “The other thing that worries me is the fact that magic in this world just doesn’t work the same way as it does in Equestria. It’s unstable and unpredictable. It reacts in strange ways, and a lot of humans who’ve tried to use magic for the wrong reasons end up transformed by it.”

She heaved a sigh. “I should know,” she said softly. “I was one of them.”

Turing’s expression turned from one of scorn to one of surprise.

“You, Sunset Shimmer?” she asked. “Twilight Sparkle informed that your first meeting with her was when you attempted to steal the Element of Magic, but she only stated that she recovered it. She did not mention any transformation.”

“I suppose I’d normally be glad about that,” Sunset said, “but this time I think you need to know the truth. When I finally got my hands on the Element, because of my corrupt desire to use it to get what I wanted, it warped me into a monster. And I mean that literally: an actual winged she-demon. And I wasn’t the last to have that happen.

“Turing… it happened to this world’s Twilight.”

Turing took a step back. “Twilight Sparkle? But how could that have happened?”

“She wanted to understand magic, just like Gadget, but others around her pressured her to use it recklessly to take advantage of the power she’d accumulated. Just like me, she became a shadow of herself. A lot of people could have been hurt… both worlds could have been put in jeopardy, and Twilight is normally one of the kindest, least threatening people I know. The point is that magic, even if it can be used in all the ways Gadget says, could easily bond to someone else, take their corrupt desires, and do something horrible to them too!

“That’s why we should take it from Gadget, Turing. Just like Twilight, she wants to understand magic no matter what the cost. But magic bonds to people with strong feelings, and Gadget’s obsession with it might be even greater than Twilight’s ever was! If the magic ever gets loose, Gadget might not be able to help herself, and then we could all be in danger.”

Turing paused, thinking that over. “Gadget seems to be taking every precaution,” she said. “Can we not trust her?”

“Turing, think about what her work might mean. It was hard enough for you to make your own way in Equestria with a princess helping you. If Gadget creates more robots like you in this world with magic, how will they be treated? Isn’t it possible they might be treated worse? And unlike you, if she sells her designs or someone steals them, there could be hundreds or thousands of robots like that! They could end up slaves, Turing Test.

“And to top it all off, Gadget didn’t even bat an eye when she suggested weaponizing magic! You heard what she said: laser guns!”

Turing shut her eyes and bowed her head. "I admit that such a thought disturbed me as well," she said quietly. "My father also attempted to use technology to weaponize magic, and his attempts also began to corrupt his mind and placed Equestria in great danger. Please recall, however, that Gadget gave that only as an example based on what she had seen. We may well be able to convince her not to pursue such applications. Would that not be sufficient?"

Sunset sighed. “I’m not sure that it would be, Turing,” she said softly. “You might think of her as the same Gadget you know in Equestria, but she’s not. The truth is that this Gadget is… well, she’s isolated and unhinged and obsessive. I know what it’s like to be all of those things, and that’s why we just can’t trust her with all this magic. Even with the best of intentions, the temptation to use this kind of power could overwhelm her. And even if she were strong enough to resist it, other humans might not be, and the damage could be irreversible. And with technology on their side and the allure of magic, they might turn their attention to the origin of that magic.”

Turing’s eyes widened. “Equestria,” she surmised. “They may come to Equestria to seek more.”

“If one human corrupted by magic was a threat, imagine hundreds,” Sunset said, narrowing her eyes. “Or thousands. We have to protect Equestria from humans and protect the humans from themselves, and that starts by stopping Gadget’s research before it gets out of control.”

Turing said nothing for a moment. Then she shut her eyes and bowed her head. “Understood,” she said quietly. “Very well, Sunset Shimmer. When Gadget returns, we must convince her to allow us to take the magic she has collected back to Equestria. It is the best thing for the safety of everyone involved.”

***

Gadget stared at the screen. Her chest felt tight. She covered her mouth, stifling the sob that was threatening to escape her.

“Not again,” she whispered. “Turing Test, Sunset… I thought you were different…”

“Hey, Fair Weather!” Gadget called, waving to her new friend when she spotted her down the hallway.

Fair Weather was surrounded by her friends, all laughing at some joke or funny story that they’d just heard. At the sound of Gadget’s voice, however, Fair Weather froze and glanced over her shoulder at her. But as soon as she saw her, she turned back, as if she hadn’t heard.

Gadget blinked. Had Fair Weather not seen her? She shrugged, maintaining her smile, and went over to her.

“Fair Weather!” she said, coming up behind her. “Hey, Fair Weather! How did it go?”

Fair Weather turned to look at her. Before she could say anything, another of her friends said, “Um, excuse you, this is a private conversation.”

“O-oh,” Gadget said, holding her books tightly to her chest. “I’m, um… I’m sorry, I just wanted to ask Fair Weather about the test, and—”

“Oh my gosh, do you, like, think about anything else besides tests?” said another girl. “Or playing with dumb toys?” she added snidely, getting a laugh from the others.

Gadget’s cheeks burned. “I, um,” she mumbled. “Yes, I do, b-but… well, I helped Fair Weather study, and I, um…”

They slowly turned to look at her before giving Fair Weather a questioning look.

“Well, it was no big deal,” Fair Weather said, giving them a shrug. “My parents said I had to pass or they wouldn’t let me go on that trip during the break. I just asked her for a little help.”

It hadn’t been “a little.” It had been a few hours of tutoring after school.

“Anyway, I passed,” Fair Weather said. “So, thanks, okay?”

She turned away.

“W-well, about the trip,” Gadget said. “You said if you passed the test and could go, that I could go too, remember?”

The other girls all gawked at Fair Weather.

Fair Weather remained calm. She only glanced back over her shoulder at Gadget.

“I said maybe you could go,” she said. “Well, what do you all think? Should we take her with us?”

“No way,” one said flatly.

“You’re joking, right?” said another.

Yet another just laughed. The others joined in.

Gadget felt hot. She could feel her cheeks flushing and knew she must be turning bright red, which made her even more self-conscious.

“Guess the answer’s no,” Fair Weather said, with a shrug. “Thanks for the help, though. Anyway, bye.”

Gadget only stood there. Her voice caught in her throat, but she opened her mouth, working her jaw to say something. Her eyes began to sting.

Fair Weather raised her head and looked over her shoulder at her once again, not even bothering to turn to face her. “You can go now,” she said.

Gadget slowly backed away. Her lip began to quiver, so she turned away and left hurriedly, hearing more laughter behind her. As she went down the hallway, she felt everyone’s eyes on her as she tried to avoid bursting into tears.

As the vivid memory played out, she could still feel the anger and humiliation of that day when she realized that she’d just been used. She swore that she’d never be so gullible as to let someone manipulate her like that again. But now...

She stared back at the image on the screen of Turing Test and Sunset. Thinking back on the incident with Fair Weather, she wondered if the girl had ever been her friend, or if she’d felt pressured into betraying Gadget by her petty friends.

Petty, hostile girls who thought they could just treat others any way they pleased.

Girls like Sunset Shimmer, who had turned Turing Test against her.

“Turing,” she breathed, feeling a lump in her throat. “I thought you understood…”

She swallowed and turned off her phone. She got up and exited her room.

“Sis?” Fall Leaf asked as she passed by his room. “I thought you were downstairs with your friends.”

She turned to face him. Whatever smart-mouthed comment he had for her died away the instant he saw her face.

“S-sis?” he asked, seeing the tears welling up in her eyes.

“Fall Leaf, could you go play with your friends next door?” she asked quietly.

“Umm… why do you—”

“Fall Leaf, please,” she breathed.

He swallowed and nodded, deciding it was best not to argue. He ran past her, out through the front door, shutting it behind him.

Feeling numb and lightheaded, she clenched her fists and took a deep breath to steel herself.

I won’t let them treat me this way, she said. I won’t let them take this away from me too!

She made her way to the basement door and began descending the steps.

“Ah. Gadget, you have returned,” Turing said, getting up to greet her. “Sunset Shimmer and I were discussing something—”

“I know,” she mumbled, walking right past her.

Turing watched her closely. She could hear her beating heart’s quickened pace, and her oddly tense posture was obvious to them both.

“Gadget, are you well?” she asked.

Gadget didn’t reply as she went to her workbench. She placed her hands on it, bracing herself as she heaved a sigh. She glanced at one of the devices she’d brought out among the others earlier: the gauntlet.

If they try to steal my research from me… I have to be ready to stop them…

Sunset watched her carefully. “Gadget, listen, there’s something we need to talk to you about,” she said slowly.

Gadget scowled. “I’ll bet you do,” she said, as she removed the gauntlet, pulling it over her hand and down over her forearm. She flexed her fingers gingerly. She picked up the jar of magic she’d left there.

“Gadget, are you sure you’re okay?” Sunset asked. “You’re… acting kind of strange right now.”

“You don’t have to pretend that you care about me,” she said. “I know you want to steal my research.”

Sunset blanched. “You… you heard us?”

Gadget pointed at a tiny camera placed in the rafters just above them.

Sunset gawked. “Turing, didn’t you notice those?!” she cried.

“I did,” Turing replied, “but I did not know that she would activate them.”

Gadget grit her teeth. Her anger flaring up inside her. “Well, I did. And I heard everything you said.” She turned to glare at them, then made her way to the pantry. She reached up to place the orb back on the shelf.

“Gadget, we are sorry,” Turing said as she followed her. She stood in the doorway.

“Sorry?!” Gadget cried, whirling around on her. “Turing, I thought you understood me! I thought we were going to help each other!”

Turing frowned. She placed a hand to her chest. “Gadget, that is still true,” she said. “I am trying to help you now.”

“No you aren’t,” Gadget said, scowling at her. “You’re just trying to make yourself feel better about stabbing me in the back!”

Sunset came up behind Turing, and Gadget’s expression darkened.

“And it’s all your fault!” Gadget shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Sunset.

Sunset gave a start and stared back at her. “Me?! Gadget, I—”

“I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you! You’re just like everyone else; you just want to take advantage of me and then leave once you’ve got what you want!”

“What? Gadget what are you talking abou—”

“Don’t you dare pretend like you don’t know!” Gadget shouted. “Get out of my house! Both of you!”

Sunset opened her mouth to speak, but Turing spoke first, cutting her off. “Gadget, please listen to us. I apologize for upsetting you. However, if you heard our conversation, then you must know that we are concerned about your wellbeing.”

Gadget bared her teeth. “My wellbeing?!” she shouted. “My research is the most important thing in my life, and you’re planning to take it away from me! Do you know how much time I’ve put into this?! Do you know what Everton would do if I came up empty-handed for my next report?! What am I supposed to do if you take it all away?!”

Sunset sighed. “Gadget, I know this seems cruel, but listen—”

“No, you listen!” she shouted, pointing an accusing finger at them both. “I trusted you both, I let you into my home, and you betrayed me! Turing, y-you…” She sucked in a breath, angry tears spilling out and running down her cheeks. “I th-thought… I thought you were my friend!”

Turing frowned. “I am, Gadget,” she said quietly. “Please believe me when I say that I am. It is because you are my friend that I do not wish to see you hurt. Perhaps if we could discuss this matter, we could find a solution to our dilemma.”

“I’m not discussing anything with you!” she screamed. “You’re both liars! You think you can just come here and steal human technology, but you won’t share what your world has to offer? That you can just take what you want and leave?! You’re only looking out for yourselves! I heard what you said: ‘We have to protect Equestria from humans and protect the humans from themselves,’ right?”

Sunset winced. “Gadget, what I meant was—”

“Well, if you think you can just look down your nose at us humans and take advantage of us without giving us anything back, then think again!”

“But Gadget, if I wished to take advantage of you,” Turing said, “then why would I have taught you about my inner workings?”

“And how exactly am I supposed to replicate the technology that makes you sapient without magic?” Gadget asked.

Turing fell silent. They both knew that she’d never be able to do so without the magical runic encoding that Turing utilized.

“That’s what I thought,” Gadget scoffed. She grinned in spite of herself. “Well, I’m going to use this magic to make this world a better place, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”

“Gadget, you have it all wrong,” Turing said, moving toward her. She reached out with a hand.

Gadget gasped. “K-keep away from me!” she shouted and held up a gauntleted hand, her palm outstretched.

All at once, Turing’s body froze, her joints locking up. She only stood there like a statue.

“Turing?” Sunset asked. “What’s happening?!”

“My body has become unresponsive!” Turing cried. “I cannot move!” She managed to focus her eyes on the gauntlet Gadget wore. “Magic… I detect a magical signature coming from that device.”

“I didn’t want to use this,” Gadget said, fixing her eyes on Turing. “But now you know what we humans are capable of. I call this machine ‘The Technomancer.’ It’s a device that allows me to control any machine I want with my thoughts. I didn’t want to use it on you, Turing, but you’re not leaving me any choice!”

“Gadget, let her go!” Sunset shouted. She moved to step around Turing in the tiny pantry.

“Stay back!” Gadget shouted, clenching her gauntleted fist.

Turing suddenly moved, elbowing Sunset hard in the stomach as she attempted to pass by, causing her to stagger back as she gasped for air. She collapsed to her knees.

“Sunset Shimmer!” Turing cried. “I am so sorry! I did not mean to do that!”

Sunset only clutched her stomach but glared up at Gadget. “Let… let her go…” she wheezed.

Turing narrowed her eyes. “Gadget,” she said sternly, “no matter what you may think, I will not allow you to harm my friends. And I certainly will not allow you to force me to do so either.”

Overriding system control. Diverting power to servos…

Slowly, stiffly, Turing began to move forward like a soldier trudging through thick mud.

“W-what?” Gadget cried. “How? Stay back! You keep away from me!”

Turing felt her controls resist her even more and channeled as much power as she could into her limbs to counter it.

“Stop!” Gadget pleaded, growing ever more hysterical. “I won’t let you take my research away! I won’t let you! Stop! Please, stop!”

All at once the gauntlet made a loud popping sound and sent a shower of sparks flying. All the resistance Turing felt was gone and she lurched forward without control. She slammed hard into Gadget, smashing her against the wooden shelves before stumbling backward, her balance lost and her systems trying to compensate.

Gadget slumped to the floor with a groan.

“Ugh,” she moaned. Then she looked up. The jars of magic lined on the shelf above had been knocked over and were rolling around. She watched as a few of the jars seemed to roll in slow motion over the edge. They tumbled down toward her.

She shielded herself with her arms as the jars crashed all around her, the glass shattering. She was surrounded by the uncontained orbs which began to glow ever brighter. They moved toward her.

“No,” she whimpered, her eyes wide with fear. “No no no no no no no—”

There was a flash of light, and the whole house went dark. Turing’s systems momentarily glitched out, and she nearly lost power. Through the chaos, she saw the gauntlet began to spark and glow and in the momentary showers of sparks caught sight of Gadget’s body convulsing.

Then everything went black. There was silence.

“Gadget,” Sunset whispered, her throat dry and her stomach still aching. “Are you okay?”

Out of the darkness, there came a low chuckle, followed by the sound of her breathing. They both heard the sound of shoes scraping on the floor as she took a few steps toward them. They heard the gauntlet clatter on the ground as Gadget shed it. In the darkness, they saw her hand. It was glowing.

“You want to know if I’m… ‘okay?’” said a strange, synthetic-sounding voice that crackled with distortion.

The lights slowly flickered on. Gadget stood before them like some sort of wraith, a shadow of the meek girl they knew. A giggle escaped her as she gave them an uneven, twisted grin. She began to levitate off the ground, a strange energy billowing about her, tossing her jacket and hair wildly as if she rode upon some ethereal wind. Her glasses seemed to glow pure white, obscuring her eyes as she looked down at them. The entire left side of her body, from her face down to her toes, was covered in scrolling ones and zeroes that glowed green.

“I feel much better than just ‘okay’,” she laughed, her voice a distorted electronic crackle that rapidly changed in pitch. In a more even voice, she said: “In fact, I feel like everything is going to go my way from now on...”

To be continued…

Author's Note

Next time: Now corrupted by magic, Gadget hatches a new plan that may have grave consequences for both worlds... right after she deals with two 'traitors'...

References:

The title's double meaning becomes more obvious in this chapter: in addition to the reasoning behind the choice discussed in the last chapter, here we see Gadget's fall as she's corrupted by the magic she's accumulated.
Gadget refers to Sunset and Turing as "horse women." This references the "Friendship is Witchcraft" parody of Equestria Girls, entitled - you guessed it - "Horse Women." A shame it'll probably never be completed. Oh well... "Pony Princess good; High School great!"
Fair Weather's name is derived from the term "fair-weather friend," meaning "One who is friendly, helpful, or available only when it is convenient to be so." This reflects that she's only nice to Gadget when she needs help, and abandons her once she doesn't need help anymore.

See you next time!

Black Magic Woman

Sunset and Turing stared in horror at the wraith floating over them.

“What’s wrong?” Gadget asked with a sneer as she placed her hands on her hips. “You were worried about my safety, but as you can see, I’ve never felt better!”

Sunset swallowed. “Okay, Gadget, just listen to me—”

“Excuse me?” Gadget asked. “You still think you can boss me around? You think you’ll convince me to give this up? Well, sorry, but I think I’ll keep this power because this feels… incredible!”

“I know how it feels, Gadget. I’ve been where you are right now. But if you don’t stop yourself right now, you’ll regret it, I swear!”

Gadget snickered. “Was that a threat?”

“No! I mean that the decisions you make now will come back to haunt you! I don’t want anyone else to carry the kind of burden I’m carrying, so please whatever you’re planning to do with this power, don’t do it!”

“Do?” Gadget pursed her lips. “Actually, that’s a good question. What should I do with these new powers?” Then her expression shifted back into a devious grin. “Maybe I should conduct a little experiment with these powers to see just what I can do. After all… I have two perfect guinea pigs right in front of me.”

Turing got to her feet. “I am not a guinea pig,” she said, narrowing her eyes at Gadget. “And while I have no desire to harm you, Gadget, I will defend myself and Sunset Shimmer if necessary.”

Gadget gently floated to the ground. She jutted out her chin, pointing at it. “It’s very necessary, Turing Test,” she said. “Go ahead. Hit me with your best shot.”

Turing bowed her head. “Very well. I am sorry, Gadget,” she said quietly. She moved to grab Gadget, intending to subdue her.

Gadget held up a glowing hand and Turing suddenly froze in place, grinding to a halt.

“Turing?!” Sunset cried.

“Ah… Sunset Shimmer, I cannot move!” Turing exclaimed, finding only her face and mouth were capable of movement.

Gadget walked over to Turing, levitating just high enough to look at her face to face, their noses almost touching. She placed a hand on Turing’s cheek, patting her gently.

“Aww, what’s the matter, Turing? Can’t move? Is the poor nerdy girl you wanted to steal from suddenly not so defenseless?” Then she frowned. “Well, against my new abilities, Turing, you’re powerless. I can control you even without my gauntlet now. I can feel a connection to every machine around me, including you, and that means that I can control every mechanism in your body.

“You betrayed me as a friend, Turing. But I think you’ll make a really fun toy instead.”

Turing’s eyes widened. “Sunset Shimmer, run!” she shouted.

“Turing, no, I—”

“Go! Get help before it is too late!”

Sunset paused a moment, then turned and dashed out of the small room, intending to sprint across Gadget’s lab to the stairs to escape.

As she ran, however, the wires strewn about the room suddenly came to life and ensnared her by the leg. She fell to the floor and tried to struggle, but the wires quickly bound her arms and legs, tying her up so completely that she couldn’t move.

She heard steps behind her. A green magical aura levitated her and turned her around to face Gadget, who held her in her magic.

Gadget raised an eyebrow. “Going somewhere?” she asked. “You may not be a machine, Sunset, but you’re still going to listen to me!”

Sunset began to sweat. “Gadget, please,” she whispered, “I’m sorry for what I said. I never wanted to hurt you. Neither of us did.”

“Oh, sure you’re sorry now,” Gadget said, rolling her eyes. “Now that I can stop you. Now that I’m a threat. Now that I can do something to stop you from stealing my research!”

As Gadget clenched her fist in anger, the wires constricted around Sunset.

“Gadget… I…” Sunset gasped. “I can’t… breathe!”

“Oh my gosh!” Gadget cried, letting Sunset drop to the floor, the wires going more slack, though still binding her. “Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. Still getting used to these powers, you know?”

Sunset was panting, trying to catch her breath.

“Hey, listen, I’m sorry,” Gadget said, rubbing the back of her neck. “I was only trying to scare you. I mean, I don’t really want to hurt either of you. I don’t want your fear… I want your respect. And with these powers, I’ll do great things! You’ll see! Soon everyone in the world will respect me because I—”

She heard a creaking sound behind her and glanced over her shoulder.

Turing Test was slowly edging towards her, reaching for her stiffly as she managed to fight through Gadget’s control. Her hand was only a few inches away.

“Whoa!” Gadget cried, leaping back. She stared back in shock at first, but then her expression changed to anger. “How in the world were you able to fight through my control?!”

Turing was gritting her teeth, concentrating all her power on overriding the magic that controlled her limbs. “Leave Sunset Shimmer alone!” she shouted.

Gadget sighed. “Okay, I guess a machine with its own will would be harder to control than a few wires. Guess I’ll have to try something else… ooh, I know! Let’s see if this works!”

“Gadget? Whatever you are going to do, do not—”

Gadget suddenly flew at Turing and seemed to collide with her, a green flash of light momentarily blinding Sunset as she watched on.

When the light cleared, there was only Turing Test standing there, her arms hanging loose and her upper body slumped over.

“Turing?” Sunset asked.

Turing raised her head, looking around. She looked down, examining herself, and smiled. She extended one metal arm and wiggled her fingers playfully.

Sunset tilted her head. “Turing?” she asked.

Turing looked down at her and smirked. “Sorry, Turing’s not in right now,” Gadget’s voice said as Turing’s mouth moved. “Can I take a message?”

“Gadget?!” Sunset exclaimed. “You… you stole Turing’s body?!”

“Well, ‘stole’ is an ugly word. I’m just temporarily piloting it. You know, like a rental car!” She took a few unsteady steps, flailing her arms about before coming to a halt. “Whoa, this is kinda hard to do… a little awkward since I can’t feel anything. It’s like controlling a game character.”

“Gadget, you can’t do this to her!”

“Uh, pretty sure I can,” Gadget said, putting her hands on her hips. “And… oh, wow, Turing has some nice hips. Kind of unfair to get a figure this nice without having to endure puberty.” She reached around to Turing’s rear.

“Take your hands off my robodonkadonk!” Turing’s voice suddenly shouted.

Gadget shook her head. “Ah, jeez, you’re still giving me trouble? I’ll have to do something about that…”

Sunset struggled, managing to sit up from her position on the floor. “Gadget, that’s enough! Turing Test’s not just a machine, she’s a person! You can’t treat her like this! I’m begging you, let her go!”

“Oh don’t worry, I’ll let her go,” Gadget said, going over to Sunset and kneeling down. “Just as soon as I figure out what to do next.” She held up a finger in front of Sunset’s face. “‘Kay?”

She poked Sunset’s forehead, and suddenly Turing’s purple eyes flashed white.

“What the… what was that?!” Gadget exclaimed. “I just saw you and Turing… painting last night?”

Sunset swallowed, but kept her mouth shut.

“Wait a second… Turing can read minds? How did this happen? Did you know?!”

Sunset kept silent.

“Not telling, eh?” Gadget asked, smirking. “Well, luckily enough, I just figured out that I don’t need you to talk.”

She put her hand on Sunset’s forehead again, her eyes flashing white once again, this time for several moments.

“Whew!” Gadget exclaimed. “What a head rush! But now I know everything… I know she got this power from you, Sunset! And she got super speed from Rainbow Dash! And I know your other friends have powers too! And I know…”

Gadget grinned broadly, a twisted smile appearing on Turing’s face.

“...I know where the portal is.”

Sunset blanched.

“Oh oh oh, I think I just came up with a brilliant idea—”

She suddenly punched herself in the face.

“Ugh… nice try, Turing, but I can’t even feel pain while I’m in your body anyway, remember?” Gadget said, seizing herself by the wrist as Turing continued trying to control the arm. “Okay, first thing’s first, though. I need to take care of you.”

She held out a hand which glowed green with her magic, and a strange glowing orb emerged from Turing’s body’s forehead. It coalesced into a ball of swirling runic characters.

“What are you doing to her?!” Sunset shouted.

“I’m afraid I’m going to need Turing’s help for my plan, and I can’t stay in her body while I’m doing my part,” Gadget replied. “So I used my magic to extract a portion of her mind, her will, in order to keep her docile.”

Gadget emerged from Turing’s body, taking the glowing runic ball and spinning it on her finger like a basketball.

Turing’s body stood stiff at attention.

“Well, Turing Test, are you functioning normally?”

The robot nodded. “All functions are nominal, Mistress,” Turing said in a stiff, monotone voice.

“Good,” Gadget said as she turned her attention to the glowing ball. “Now as for this…”

“Gadget, I swear,” Sunset growled, “if you do anything to Turing’s mind, I’ll never forgive you for it!”

Gadget ignored her and looked around her workshop. “Vessel, vessel, need someplace to put this… oh! Ohohoho, I’ve got it!”

Sunset watched as Gadget went over to her automated toaster. She levitated it in her magic and then quickly jammed the glowing ball into one of the bread slots. “Now, I’ll just make a few adjustments…”

Beams of magic shot from Gadget’s hands and the toaster began to change shape. It suddenly grew a small tail that resembled the one Turing had as a pony and the legs took on a brass color, not unlike Turing’s hooves. Last of all, a pair of large purple LED eyes appeared on the front end of the toaster.

“Hello there, Turing Test,” Gadget said to the toaster. “Are you in there?”

“Negative,” said the toaster. “I am not Turing Test. I have changed my designation to Turing Toast.”

Gadget burst out laughing. “Oh, this is perfect! It looks like Turing’s will has melded with the original programming of the toaster!”

She walked over to Sunset who watched the whole scene unfolding with abject horror.

“You see what happens when you mess with a genius, Sunset?” Gadget asked, shoving Turing Toast in her face. “Turing used to be the most advanced robot in the world. And now she’s a kitchen appliance!”

“Hey, I hate to interrupt your maniacal gloating,” Turing Toast said, “but if you could shove some bread in me, I could be doing something productive.”

Gadget frowned. “Huh. And she’s got an attitude.” She shrugged. “Oh well, not a lot of good it’ll do her.”

She placed Turing Toast on the ground in front of Sunset. “Why don’t you two stay here and get to know each other. Turing Test and I have some errands to run.” She grinned. “Oh, and spoiler alert, Sunset Shimmer: these errands involve your friends.”

Sunset’s eyes bulged. “No,” she breathed.

“Anyway, bye!” Gadget said, turning away.

“Gadget, wait!” Sunset shouted.

“Oh, Sunset, I can’t just stick around. You see, I am going to use this power to usher in a new age. An age of technology and magic! Humans and ponies alike are going to have me to thank for the bold new world they find themselves in. I’ve become the embodiment of the the fusion of technology and magic, and that’s why, from now on, you don’t need to call me ‘Gadget.’ That was the name of a weak, scared little girl who let everyone around her pick on her and take advantage of her. From now on, you can just call me… Technomancer.”

She beamed at Sunset, the magical aura around her glowing brightly.

“Hey, great name!” Turing Toast said. “This calls for a toast! Eh? Ehhhh?”

Gadget blinked. “Welp, moment ruined. Okay, that’s it, you two stay here while Turing and I go make history.”

She turned and levitated up the stairs, Turing Test following stiffly behind.

“Gadget, no!” Sunset shouted, struggling against her bonds. “Get back here!”

“Yeah, and bring some damn marmalade!” Turing Toast added.

***

Outside of the house, Gadget looked up at the gray, overcast sky.

“Storms can be destructive,” she muttered. “But they can also rejuvenate. Kind of appropriate, don’t you think, Turing?”

Turing merely stood there, a blank expression on her face.

She sighed. “You know, you’re a way worse conversationalist now,” she said. The she frowned. “For what it’s worth, I really wanted to be your friend, Turing. It felt… nice.”

Turing remained silent.

Gadget grit her teeth. “I didn’t want to do this, you know! I wanted…” She trailed off, seeing Turing’s unresponsive expression and realizing that nothing she said was sinking in. “Never mind. Well, let’s get to it. Turing, I want you to find those other girls and copy their powers as well. Use your speed to make it go faster. Start with Applejack… that super strength will come in handy if they put up a fight.

“When you’re finished with that, meet me at Canterlot High. Understood?”

Turing nodded. “Understood, Mistress,” she said.

“Good! Now, go!”

Turing sped off and was soon out of sight. Gadget grinned and looked up at the sky.

“As for me, I’ve got a building project to start,” she said, cracking a smile. She swiftly rose into the air until she was high above the ground. She rubbed her hands together and the magic aura around her grew brighter. A moment later, she spread her arms wide and a ring of magical energy spread out over the entire city.

“That ought to keep them occupied,” she said, snickering to herself, and flew off toward Canterlot High.

***

Sunset made every effort to move, but all she succeeded in doing was crawling like a caterpillar for a few feet.

“My friends… no,” she moaned, burying her face in the floor.

Then she felt a little tap on her head. She raised her eyes and saw that Turing Toast was patting her on the head with one of her stubby little legs.

“There there, Bacon Hair,” she said. “I can see you’re in a real jam. Speaking of which, what is your preference: strawberry or grape?”

“Turing Test! You can move!”

“Incorrect.”

“Yes you can, I’m looking at you now, you’re moving!”

“No, I meant that my name is Turing Toast. But yes, I can move.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Look, if you can move, then maybe you can untie me!”

Turing Toast looked down at her little legs, from one to the other, and back to Sunset. “Yeah, I do not see that happening.”

“Well… maybe you can go and get help! Find one of Gadget’s family members! Like her brother!”

“Not much, he’s a little brat.”

“I meant that you could ask him to untie me!” Sunset shouted.

“Ehhh, I could,” Turing Toast said. “But what’s in it for me?”

Sunset narrowed her eyes at the little toaster. “I promise that I’ll make toast with you if you do.”

“Now we’re talking!” Turing Toast said, and galloped as fast as a toaster could to the stairs, gradually making her way up them in a manner not unlike a very small and inexperienced puppy.

Sunset took a deep breath. It’s okay, Sunset, she told herself. You’ll get out of here, you’ll stop whatever plan Gadget’s come up with, return her to normal, and Twilight will definitely not go ballistic on you for letting her robot friend get transformed into a toaster.

Sunset exhaled slowly. She felt marginally calmer. She just hoped that Turing Toast would find help soon.

Several minutes later, she heard some commotion upstairs followed by the sound of footsteps descending the stairs.

“Um, hello?” called Fall Leaf as he reached the bottom, Turing Toast in his arms. “Sis, are you here? Did you have a fight with your friends? And did you make another dumb talking toaster? This one was in the front yard. It was chasing the neighbors dog, asking it if it wanted any toast.”

“Fall Leaf!” Sunset called. “I’m over here!”

Fall Leaf followed the voice and found Sunset tied up on the floor. His jaw dropped.

“Thank goodness you’re here!” Sunset said. “I need you to untie me right now, okay?”

Fall Leaf continued staring at her. “Did Sis do this to you?” he asked.

“Um, sort of, but that doesn’t matter! We need—”

“Did she get the idea from one of her gross comics?” he asked. “Um… if she did… which one?”

“Quit staring and untie me, Fall Leaf!” Sunset shouted.

Fall Leaf pouted. “You don’t have to be mean about it,” he grumbled.

Sunset forced herself to smile. “Okay, you’re right. Could you untie me pleeeease?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.

“Well… okay!” he said, and began helping her to get free.

Once she was free, she quickly took out her journal and started writing an urgent message to Twilight:

Twilight, make sure the portal is closed! It’s an emergency! Don’t open it again until I message you again!

Sunset breathed a sigh of relief. She just hoped Twilight saw the message in time.

She then took out her cell phone and dialed her friends. Applejack was at the top of her list of friends, so she called her first.

She held the phone to her ear. But instead of hearing it ring, she heard a string of ones and zeroes being spoken in a very familiar, if distorted voice:

“01001000 01100001 01101001 01101100 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01000111 01101111 01100100 01100100 01100101 01110011 01110011 00101100 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110010 00100000 01110011 01101000 01100101 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01100111 01101100 01101111 01110010 01101001 01101111 01110101 01110011 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01101011 01100001 01110111 01100001 01101001 01101001 00100001”

“What the heck is that?!” Sunset asked.

“It is binary coding,” Turing Toast said. “It’s saying, put down the phone and make some toast.”

Sunset scowled at her. “It does not.”

“Maybe not, but still, you promised me that you would!” the little toaster said, pointing one leg at her accusingly.

“Look, we don’t have time for that!”

“Hey, if you promised, Miss Sunset,” Fall Leaf said, crossing his arms, “then you have to do it.”

Sunset smacked her forehead. “Ugh, this is a disaster… okay, listen, Fall Leaf, something happened to your sister.”

Fall Leaf’s eyes widened. “W-what do you mean? Where’s Sis now?”

Sunset swallowed. “Listen, she’s in trouble. My friends and I can save her, but we don’t have much time, so it’s really important that we act fast!”

Fall Leaf swallowed. “Okay, Miss Sunset. What should we do?”

“I…” Sunset paused. She suddenly realized that she wasn’t sure what to do.

“Well, you know, I don’t have to be plugged in to work,” Turing Toast said. “Fall Leaf and I can gather up some bread and things to make toast as we go wherever you decide we’re going.”

Sunset sighed. “Fine.”

“At f :yay: king last! Come child, let us prepare for the impending toastpocalypse!” Turing Toast cheered, galloping for the stairs.

“Miss Sunset,” Fall Leaf said, turning to look at her. “I’m scared.”

“I don’t think you need to worry,” Sunset said, smirking. “Turing Toast just has a one-track mind.”

But Fall Leaf shook his head. “I meant about my sister,” he whispered. “Gadget’s not gonna get hurt is she?”

Sunset put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. “I don’t think so,” she said. “Now you go help Turing Toast. I’ll be up in just a minute.”

He nodded and even managed a smile before running up the steps.

Once she was alone, Sunset massaged her temples. Okay, let me think… Twilight usually keeps the portal closed anyway, so even if she didn’t see my message, Gadget’s probably not going to enter Equestria anytime soon. Just the same, though, she came up with her plan after she learned where the portal is, so it must be involved somehow. And if she learned that Turing can copy our geode powers, then…

It dawned on her. She was going to have Turing copy the rest of their powers too!

This could be a disaster! She’s a genius, she can control technology, and she’s got magical powers, and soon she might have a robot henchwoman with multiple super powers. Still, there’s got to be a way to stop her…

Wait, the best way to do that might be to counter her at each step! She grinned. And I know just who to turn to!

***

Gadget stood before the pedestal in front of Canterlot High that once held the famous Canterlot Wondercolt statue. She’d seen it before and now, from Sunset’s memories, she knew exactly where the portal would be.

She put out her hand. “Now, let’s see…”

The flat front of the pedestal was solid as stone.

“Seems the portal is closed,” she surmised. She shut her eyes. “But I can sense the magic here. So much magic just beyond this barrier. Yes, this must be where the border between our worlds is thinnest. And beyond it is all the magic humanity could ever need.”

She grinned. “Well,” she said, rubbing her hands together, “I didn’t think it would be easy. Time to tap this well!”

She levitated up and floated over to the windows of the school. “Let’s see, computer lab, computer lab… ah, here we go!” She spotted the lab through the window. “This ought to be a good start!”

With a motion of her hand, the computers in the lab all floated up. With another, they all came rushing at the window, breaking through it and floating out around her. She slowly began to disassemble them, taking them apart piece by piece.

“These should help,” Gadget murmured. “Now I’ll need some power…”

She looked over at the nearby power lines running alongside the street. She grinned.

***

A few blocks away, a pair of police officers were sitting in their squad car.

“Man, Violet Wisp,” said one, “patrolling for speeders must be the most boring job in the world.”

“Shut it, Orange Slice,” Violet Wisp said, narrowing her eyes. “A speedster could come speeding by any minute. Sarge said this place has had lots of complaints about drag racing, so when one of these punks comes by, we’ll be ready.”

“Ugh, fine,” Orange Slice said. “Just the same, I’m getting sick of all the dull things that happen in this town. I wish something exciting would happen.”

Just then, they hear a strange sound and looked out the window. All the power lines nearby were wiggling like some invisible force was playing jump rope with them.

“What the heck?” Orange Slice asked. “Is it an earthquake?!”

“I sure don’t feel any tremors,” Violet Wisp said. “But then, what’s making them do that?”

A moment later, the lines went taut and something pulled them in one direction. After a moment, there was a metallic sound and the wires snapped off their moorings, drawn rapidly up the street as though they were being sucked up like noodles from a giant diner just over the horizon.

The two looked at each other.

“Let’s roll!” Orange Slice shouted.

“You know it!” Violet Wisp said.

She shoved the key in the ignition and turned it… only to find that the car was utterly unresponsive.

“Try the gas!” Orange Slice shouted.

“I am!” Violet Wisp snapped. “Darn it, the engine’s not even responding! It worked an hour ago, what’s wrong with this thing?!”

“Budget cuts? Maybe we got this patrol car from some junkyard?”

“Not helping!” she shouted. “Ugh, this is pointless. We’ll have to hoof it!”

“All right, but we’d better call it in,” Orange Slice said, taking hold of the radio. “This is Officer Orange Slice! Officer Violet Wisp and I are in car 54 at our post on Clover Street! We’ve just witnessed something happen to the power lines! We’re about to investigate! Over!”

There was static from the other end.

“Uh, dispatch, do you copy?” he asked.

A moment later, the sound of “Everybody’s Working for the Weekend” by Loverboy came through the speakers.

The two officers looked at each other.

“Something’s up,” said Violet.

“It sure is,” Orange agreed.

They grinned at each other.

“Let’s roll!” they said in unison.

They went to open the doors. The doors didn’t budge.

“Uh, what’s going on here?” Violet Wisp asked.

“They’re stuck! Why are they stuck?!” Orange Slice shouted. “I can’t even get the lock to move!”

“Ugh… okay, guess we’ll have to break out. Where’d you put the window punch?”

Orange Slice started to sweat.

“Orange Slice?” Violet Wisp asked, narrowing her eyes. “That tool we use to smash in windows and rescue people or arrest them if they won’t come out… the window punch… where is it?”

Orange Slice grinned sheepishly. “In the trunk,” he replied.

Violet Wisp pounded her head against the steering wheel.

***

Applejack rode her horse Brownie back to her barn and dismounted, patting the stallion along his neck.

“Good boy, Brownie,” she said, scratching him behind his ears. The horse gave a contented nicker as she strolled over to the barn doors, preparing to lead him inside.

A moment later she felt a rush of wind, and Turing Test was suddenly in front of her.

“What the…?!” Applejack cried as she jumped back in surprise. “Lan’ sakes, Turing Test! You scared the daylights outta me! Where’d you come from?”

“Gadget’s house.”

“Who?”

“That is not important right now,” she said. “Please lift something heavy for me.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Beg pardon?”

“I would like you to lift something abnormally heavy as a demonstration of your geode power.”

“Oh, I see,” Applejack said. “Well, I dunno… after what happened with Rainbow overusin’ her speed an’ all, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. I’m tryin’ to avoid usin’ it fer no reason.”

Turing Test glanced around. Her eyes settled on a large machine nearby. “Applejack, what is that device?”

Applejack followed her gaze. “That? Oh, that’s our tractor. Guess y’all don’t have those in Equestria either, right? Well, let me show it to ya. See, we use it to—”

Turing immediately zipped over to the large vehicle and began to heft it up on one side with all the strength she could muster. The machine rose up on its two side wheels until it was about to tip over.

“Whoa, what the hey?! Stop that!” Applejack shouted, running over to her.

Turing gave one final push and the tractor began to tip over.

Applejack braced herself and caught the upended cabin of the tractor before it completely tumbled over. Her geode glowed and she felt her strength grow. Her straining muscles instantly halted the tractors fall. With a simple push, the tractor landed back on its wheels, bouncing slightly but otherwise undamaged.

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief as she wiped the sweat from her brow. She turned and saw Turing Test watching her.

“Turing, what were you thinkin’?!” she shouted. “That tractor cost good money! Why’d you do that?!”

Turing only stared back. “Magic analyzed,” she said. She went to the tractor and lifted it easily with one hand. “Enhanced strength emulated.” She put the tractor down roughly, but not enough to damage it.

Applejack stared back at her. Her mouth dropped open. “Wait… did you… did you just copy that power from me? You can do that?!”

Turing nodded. “Affirmative. I have already acquired Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash’s powers. I have been commanded to do the same to the rest of our friends’ powers as well.”

Applejack blinked. “Commanded by who, exactly?” she asked, noticing Turing’s blank expression and stilted language at last.

“Gadget,” Turing said. “Though she seems to prefer the designation ‘Technomancer’ now. She is my new mistress, and I must obey her will. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

Applejack stared back at her. “Wait… Mistress? You almost sound like yer bein’ controlled or somethin’.”

“That is correct. She put my will to resist in a toaster.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “A… toaster?”

“Correct. If you feel the need to resist, I plan to target Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle, in that order. You may gather them together and form a counterattack if you wish.”

“Wait, but if yer bein’ controlled,” Applejack said, “then why are ya tellin’ me all this?”

“Gadget did not instruct me not to tell you.

“Also, just because I am being forced to do this does not mean that I enjoy it,” she said. “In actuality, I hate doing this and hope you are able to rescue me in the near future.”

“Turing,” Applejack breathed. Then she gave her a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry, Turing. We’ll save you soon, okay?”

Turing nodded. “Your compliance is appreciated. I will leave instructions with the rest of our friends. Please hurry.”

Without another word, she turned and ran… about 20 feet over to where Brownie was still standing.

“Also, you ride ponies in this world?” she asked. “That is bizarre.”

Brownie neighed.

“Well, as long as the humans treat you well, I suppose it is all right.”

Brownie gave a whinny.

“I currently already have a significant other, but your compliment is appreciated. Goodbye.”

She then dashed off, becoming a blur as she sped along the road that led back out of the orchard and toward the city.

Applejack sighed. “Welp, today’s gonna be an interestin’ day, that’s fer sure…”

***

Twilight sat in bed while reading a book, a hot cup of tea next to her, when she heard frantic knock at the door.

“I got it, Twily!” Shining Armor called.

She heard voices from the front of the house, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. A moment later, Shining Armor poked his head in through her door.

“Uh, Twily… you might want to come to the door.”

Twilight made a face. She was in her bathrobe and still not in the best condition.

“It’s Sunset and, um… that robot friend of hers. Sorta.”

“‘Sorta?’” Twilight echoed. “Well, is it her or not?”

He made a face. “You should probably just come here and talk to her,” he said.

She nodded, shutting her book as she got up and got out of bed. She went to the door and found Sunset standing there.

“Twilight,” Sunset said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Listen, I know you’re not feeling well, but this is an emergency. We need your help.”

Twilight looked down and saw that Sunset was carrying a toaster with large purple eyes. She continued looking down and saw a little boy standing behind her and peering around her shyly.

Twilight blinked. “Sunset, why are you holding a toaster that looks like Turing Test?”

“Because Turing Test had part of her mind removed by a magically-transformed villain and put inside this toaster which insists that I call it ‘Turing Toast.’”

“You know, if you’re not feeling well,” Turing Toast remarked, “a nice meal of dry toast and tea will make you feel better.”

“O...kay,” Twilight said slowly, sniffling as she slowly absorbed what Sunset said. “And who’s that little boy?”

“I’m Fall Leaf,” he said.

“Hi, Fall Leaf,” she said, waving to him. To Sunset, she said “So why is he with you?”

“To make toast.”

“Quiet, you,” Sunset growled at Turing Toast. “Sorry, Twilight. He’s Gadget’s little brother.”

“Who’s Gadget?” Twilight asked.

“She’s my big sister,” Fall Leaf said.

“I got that, I mean—”

“I’ll handle this you two,” Sunset said. “Listen, Twilight, we may not have a lot of time. Gadget is another girl who was teaching Turing Test about technology since you were sick, but she was gathering and experimenting with Equestrian magic, just like you were. Turing and I decided that we needed to take it from her to protect her from it, but she overheard us talking and thought we were going to steal it and then she freaked out and one thing led to another and now she’s transformed into a monster that can control technology and if we don’t stop her both this world and Equestria could be in real danger!”

Twilight stared back, her eyes wide.

Then she sneezed.

“Ugh,” she grunted, reaching for a tissue. “That’s a lot to take in, but what can I do to help? I’m still sick, remember?”

“I know, Twilight, and I’m sorry,” Sunset said. “But you might be in danger for one thing, and for another, I’ve got something that only you could help with.”

Sunset reached over to something she’d placed just outside the door frame. She held it up, and Twilight saw that it was a metallic gauntlet.

“I need you to fix this, Twilight,” Sunset continued. “It might be the only way we can fight against Gadget now. It’s a device that can control technology that Gadget invented. And it’s not an ordinary machine; it runs on magic.”

She reached into her backpack and removed a jar with a glowing ball of magic that she’d taken from Gadget’s collection. Twilight took a step back when she saw it.

“You’re the only other person besides Gadget who knows about technology and magic,” Sunset said, “so if you can’t fix this thing, I don’t know anyone else who can.”

Twilight swallowed. “Well, I might be able to help. I haven’t really made any magic-based things since, um… the Friendship Games.”

Sunset nodded. She went over to Twilight and put her hand on her shoulder. “I know, and I’m sorry to ask you this,” she said, “but there’s no one else. Can’t you at least try?”

Twilight grinned. Then her expression changed and she covered her face with her sleeve as she went into a sneezing fit. When she was finished, she gave Sunset a noticeably weaker smile as she adjusted her glasses.

“You can count on me,” she said.

“Uh, I didn’t meant to eavesdrop,” Shining Armor said from the next room, “but I think you might want to come in here: there’s a news story that might be related to what you’re talking about.”

The group followed his voice to the living room. The television was on and a newscaster was sitting behind a desk. Shining Armor turned up the volume so they could hear what he was saying:

“Continuing with our top story today, Canterlot City is in the middle of a strange phenomenon that appears to be selectively affecting technology across the city. Cell phones seem to be returning a strange set of zeroes and ones rather than connecting calls and texts, non emergency vehicles have suddenly stopped working, and in some cases even police cars seem to be affected, causing a large number of citizens to suddenly become stranded, some even being locked in their cars. According to reports, however, ambulances are functioning as normal. Police and other paramedics are swamped trying to assist citizens, though no injuries have been reported.

“The internet and other telecommunication lines also seem to be partially affected, and all video recording devices seem to be impaired. In fact, we’ve gotten reports that large areas of the city are unable to even receive our broadca—”

The screen suddenly flashed green and a distorted chuckle came through the speakers before the screen filled with static.

Twilight’s eyes bulged.

“Meet me in my workshop out back,” she said. “Shining Armor, I’ll need tea and more DayQuil. I’m going to change into my lab coat and then we’re going to fix this before it’s too late.”

***

Rarity ran out of the boutique, nearly slipping on the sidewalk as she ran from her pursuer. She only got a short distance down the sidewalk before said pursuer burst through the display window of the shop she’d just escaped from.

“I just finished arranging that display, you know!” Rarity shouted over her shoulder.

Turing Test stood up after landing and locked eyes on her target. She used her speed to easily catch up to Rarity and cut her off, blocking her path.

“Defend yourself,” Turing said.

“Turing, really!” Rarity said as she backed away. “I don’t know why you’re attacking me! Was it something I said? Did I offend you by being disgusted when you spat out that samosa the other day? I promise that I wasn’t judging you for it! And we got along swimmingly at band practice last night!”

“It is not personal.” She raised a fist. “Defend yourself.”

She threw a punch.

Rarity screamed and shielded herself by raising her arms. In doing so, she literally shielded herself as her geode power took hold and a magical barrier blocked Turing’s punch.

Turing drew back. “Magic analyzed and emulated,” she said. She raised a hand and created a small shield to test the new ability.

“You know, you could have just asked if you wanted me to use my power!” Rarity shouted. “I thought you were our friend, so why on earth are you acting this way?”

“I am very sorry,” Turing replied. She wore a blank expression, but for some reason, Rarity believed her. “I am not in full control of my actions. I must now go on to my next target, but Applejack will explain everything when she arrives.”

“Applejack?” Rarity asked. “Wait, target? What’s going on?!”

“Goodbye, Rarity,” Turing said as she turned to go. “I will see you again soon.”

Turing dashed off without another word. Rarity stood there, dumbfounded. As she did so, she noticed that the people all along the street were furiously trying to get into their cars or holding up their cell phones as though trying to find a signal. She checked her own and decided to call Sunset Shimmer, only to hear a voice reading out a sequence of ones and zeroes.

“What is going oooon?!” she cried to the heavens, wishing she had a couch to faint on dramatically.

Just then she heard a strange noise. It was a rapid clattering staccato that sounded almost like coconut shells being clacked together.

Or a horse galloping on concrete.

She turned and saw a figure coming toward her. As it got closer, she saw it was Applejack riding toward her on horseback.

“Whoa, Brownie!” Applejack said, slowing the horse as she came up to Rarity. “There ya are, Rarity!”

“Yes, here I am,” Rarity said. “Applejack, why are you riding your horse on a city street?”

“Don’t know if you noticed, but none of the cars in the city are workin’, an’ this was the fastest way to chase after Turing Test.”

“Yes, but why a horse?” Rarity asked. “Why not a bicycle or skates or some more conventional way?”

“Horse was faster an’ Brownie was right there, so—wait, never mind, we gotta go after Turing Test! She’s bein’ controlled by someone else with Equestrian magic!”

“Ugh, I might have known,” Rarity said.

“Well, you got a bike or some skates yerself?” Applejack asked.

Rarity blushed. “Ah, I… I took the bus to my part-time job,” she said.

Applejack smirked and held out a hand. “I’ll give ya a lift,” she said.

***

Twilight peered closely at the innards of the gauntlet on her table. “Hmm,” she said, sticking out her tongue slightly as she concentrated. She and the others were all gathered in the small workshop/laboratory she’d set up in her shed in the backyard. Electronic devices, instruments, and computer parts were on different shelves all over the place, though there was a distinct kind of order to everything.

Sunset had been there before and now that she’d seen Gadget’s workspace, she actually had to appreciate how much neater and more organized Twilight’s was. Tools were organized, wires were kept out of the way, and machine parts had their own place. Gadget’s basement, by contrast, had felt dark, cluttered, and somehow claustrophobic despite the area actually being bigger than Twilight’s shed.

“Well, can you fix it?” Sunset asked.

“I think so,” Twilight said. “It looks like it burned out some of its components. I just need to replace these wires and one or two other things and it should be ready to go.”

She reached for a tissue and blew her nose. “Ugh, sorry,” she groaned. “Anyway, this is actually really fascinating! It’s well made and the integration of the magical energy conversion unit is the kind of thing I wanted to create before… um…”

Sunset frowned. “Twilight—”

“I know, I know, I’m not dwelling on it,” Twilight said, waving her hand. “I mean, not really. Look, when I transformed into a monster back at the Friendship Games, it gave me a newfound respect for magic. But it also left me with a lot of fear, which is why it was hard for me to accept my own powers when they first appeared.” A screwdriver on the other side of the work table took on a purple glow as she used her magic to levitate it over to herself. “Of course, I’ve gotten over that fear now, but just the same, I’ve never gone back to my experiments integrating magic into technology.”

“And judging by what happened with Gadget,” Sunset said, “you made the right decision. I tried to tell her that.”

Twilight glanced over at her. “Honestly, part of me still thinks about experimenting with it,” she said.

Sunset’s eyes went wide. “Twilight, no, it’s—”

“Too dangerous, I know that’s what you’re going to say,” she said. “But discovery is about risk. Science advances because of risk sometimes. You were right to want to protect Gadget, but that doesn’t mean that the principle of her work was wrong. Magic could be unbelievably helpful if it could be used safely, and the only way it will ever become safe is if someone finds a way.”

“But… I mean, look what happened to her! She’s a monster now, Twilight!”

They both heard a whimper and turned to see Fall Leaf sitting in the corner. He wore a frown as he held a partially eaten piece of toast. Turing Toast stood next to him, toasting a few more slices of bread.

“Sis isn’t a monster,” he said. “She’s a dork. And we fight sometimes. But Sis isn’t a monster.” He looked up at Sunset. “Why’d she get so mad at you, Miss Sunset?” he asked. “Did you bully her? Sis got picked on a lot at school. She hates bullies.”

“I didn’t bully her!” Sunset cried. “I’m not a bully! I’m… I’m not a bully anymore.”

She heaved a sigh. “I’m not a bully,” she repeated softly.

Twilight looked away. They all fell into silence.

Then there was a loud pop and they all gave a start.

“Toast is done!” Turing Toast exclaimed. “Now, who wants some?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll take this one. Maybe with some cinnamon and sugar.”

“That’s the spirit!” Turing Toast said. “Let’s keep riding this roller toaster! Who wants next?”

“Actually, I could go for something a bit heavier,” Twilight said. “How about some Pop Tarts?”

Turing Toast froze. “I am going to pretend that I didn’t hear that,” she said. Her eyes began to glow red. “Now, I am going to make you some toast. You like toast, right?”

“Y-yeah,” Twilight said.

“Say it,” Turing Toast growled, approaching her slowly. “SAY IT!”

“I like toast!” Twilight cried, taking a step back.

“Hey!” Sunset said, picking Turing Toast up. “Behave yourself, or else I’ll go and make… pancakes.”

Turing Toast gave a synthetic gasp, her tiny legs stiffening. “You wouldn’t dare!”

Sunset smirked.

Turing Toast looked down. “Fine,” she said in a defeated tone. “But only if I can cook your blasphemy pastries on light. I don’t want those abominations inside me any longer than necessary.”

Sunset glanced over at Twilight. “This is easily the weirdest conversation I’ve ever had,” she said.

Fall Leaf started to chuckle. Soon they all joined in.

Then they heard a knock on the door.

“Attention occupants,” they heard Turing Test say on the other side of the door. “I am here for Twilight Sparkle. Please open the door.”

Sunset and Twilight stared at each other. The room went completely silent.

***

Turing Test stood on the other side of the door. She heard noises coming from inside the shed, but waited until things went silent again.

“You do not seem to be opening the door. I will now enter without your permission,” she said.

She found that the door was locked, but she didn’t even need to use the strength she’d copied from Applejack to pry the door open.

She stepped inside and saw Turing Toast on the ground looking up at her.

“Hello, Turing Toast,” Turing Test said.

“Hello, Turing Test,” Turing Toast said. “So, how’s being a semi-mindless minion working out for you?”

“By Gadget’s terms, fairly well,” she said. “I have copied all of my friends’ powers by now except for Twilight Sparkle’s. By my own standards, however, this is not going well at all. I do not enjoy doing this and want it to end soon.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Affirmative. How is being the housing for my displaced will working out for you?”

Turing Toast did the best a toaster could do to shrug. “It’s not bad. Since your will was given to a device whose soul purpose was to make toast, it makes things simple. It’s when people ask me to do something other than make toast that things get complicated. Like when they ask me to make Pop Tarts. Or when they ask me to mislead you while they hide in the rafters. They’re hiding in the rafters, by the way.”

“Oh, thanks a lot, Turing Toast!”

Turing looked up to see that Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, and Fall Leaf had all managed to climb up into the rafters in the shed.

“You need not be angry at Turing Toast,” Turing Test said. “I detected that you were up there the instant that I entered the shed. My hearing is very accurate.”

Twilight swallowed. “What do you want with me?” she asked.

“As stated, I have been copying the powers of the others,” Turing said. “I now have Sunset Shimmer’s ability to read minds, Rainbow Dash’s speed, Applejack’s enhanced strength, Pinkie Pie’s ability to charge objects with unstable kinetic energy - or making them ‘explodey’ as she puts it - Rarity’s ability to create magical barriers, and Fluttershy’s ability to speak to animals. Your levitation abilities are my final target. Will you please levitate something?”

“No!” Twilight shouted.

“Understood,” Turing said. Then she leaped into the air and planted a kick into the rafter they were all perched on, cracking it.

The impact and their surprise caused them all to lose their grips and they fell from the rafter.

With a fearful shout as they approached the ground, Twilight reacted without thinking and suddenly found herself and the others floating just a few inches above the ground, her magical aura enveloping them all.

“Oh no,” Twilight said. She dropped them all roughly to the ground.

“Magic analyzed,” Turing said. “My apologies, but I must carry out my orders.

“However, I have not been ordered to tell you that you may find Gadget at Canterlot High.”

Sunset looked up at her. “Wait, Canterlot High? Why?”

“I am not certain,” Turing said. “But you and the others should go there as quickly as possible. I am to go there as well. I have informed the others of this, and they should be arriving shortly.”

Sunset stood and met Turing’s eyes. “Turing,” she said sadly. “Listen… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen to you! I’m so sorry, but I’m going to fix this! I promise!”

Turing stared back at her blankly. “That is my hope as well. You need not blame yourself, however, as the fault lies with me as well. Regardless, I hope you will be able to return me to normal. In the meantime, please take care of your friends and Turing Toast. She is a part of me, after all.”

“That’s true,” Turing Toast said. “I’m like the warm, toasty center of her heart. Or something. Look, will someone just shove some bread in me?”

Sunset glared down at the toaster, but then turned back to Turing Test. “I will, Turing. Just hang in there, okay?”

“Understood. I must go now. I will see you soon.”

With that, Turing Test simply dashed out of the room, vanishing in a blur.

“W-was that really Miss Turing?” Fall Leaf asked. “She’s so different…”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Sunset replied. “But it looks like at least part of her is still trying to fight your sister’s control. That might be the key to stopping all this!”

“Well, then I should finish my part,” Twilight said before erupting into a coughing fit. “That is,” she said, catching her breath, “if I don’t asphyxiate first.”

She went back to the gauntlet, replacing the remaining components. “There… it should work now. I incorporated the magic orb you brought, Sunset. But, um… if you don’t mind, maybe you should wield it.” She held it out for her.

Sunset took a step back. “Why me?”

“You’re the one who’s seen it work, right?” Twilight asked. “Besides, I’m already trying my best to focus through this illness. I’m surprised I even got my power to work, considering how bad I feel right now. If anyone besides Gadget is going to get it to work, it should be you.”

Sunset sighed and took the gauntlet. “Fine. But only if we need it.”

It was then that they heard a sound outside the shed, one that Sunset in particular found unmistakeable: galloping hooves.

They walked outside the shed and saw Applejack riding up on her horse, Rarity holding onto her as the horse came to a stop. Behind them were Pinkie Pie on skates as well as Fluttershy on her bicycle.

“Well, glad we found ya!” Applejack said. “So, I guess Turing Test was already here?”

They all nodded.

“And it looks like she’s copied all of our abilities, too,” Sunset said.

“Hey, come to think of it,” Applejack asked, rubbing her chin, “I never did ask Fluttershy and Pinkie how she copied theirs.”

“Oh, um, well,” Fluttershy said, “I was just in my yard and talking to the songbirds when Turing Test suddenly stopped in front of my house. She watched me for a second, then left. I didn’t know what happened until Applejack and Rarity came.”

“And I was just in my house decorating a cake when Rinny came in and was like ‘Hello - Pinkie - Pie,’” Pinkie Pie said, doing an exaggerated impression of Turing’s mechanical voice, “and I said ‘Hi, Rinny!’ and then she said ‘Could - you - please - blow - something - up - for - me - while - I - watch?’ and I was like ‘Sure!’ and then I used my ability on some sprinkles and threw them at the cake I was making and the cake was all like ‘BLOOSH!’ and Rinny said ‘Thank - you,’ and my mom was like ‘Pinkamena Diane Pie why is there cake all over the kitchen walls?’ and I said that I exploded it and—”

“An’ then we found you,” Applejack surmised, cutting her off. “Welp, that explains the cake all over the place.”

“Getting back to the point, please tell us Turing Test mentioned where to go next,” Rarity said. “And also that you have a bicycle or something I can borrow? Not to be crude, but riding this horse is starting to bruise my, er, backside…”

She blushed as Applejack rolled her eyes. “I thought you liked horses,” she said.

“I do, darling,” Rarity said as she dismounted. “I just don’t have much experience riding them. Which, now that I think about it, seems a bit odd considering we all get pony ears when we transform.”

“And now you know how I felt when I learned about horses in this world,” Sunset said, rolling her eyes. She patted Brownie on the muzzle and he neighed appreciatively. “But anyway, that’s not important. Listen: Turing Test said that Gadget was at Canterlot High. She must want to do something to the portal!”

“Like what?” Fluttershy asked. “Is it like, um, what Twilight did?”

Twilight winced.

“Ooh, ooh, or like when Sunset tried to brainwash everyone and create a teenage zombie army?” Pinkie Pie asked. “If she is, then she picked a lousy day for it. It’s Sunday, so nobody’s even going to be there!”

Sunset made a face. “You know, you guys don’t have to bring that up so often,” she said. “And no, I don’t know what Gadget’s up to. Turing didn’t say.”

“Well, then let’s head over to the school!” Applejack shouted.

“Shouldn’t we find Rainbow Dash first?” Fluttershy asked.

A moment later there was a blur and Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt in front of them, her shoes digging into the dirt of Twilight’s lawn.

“There you guys are!” Rainbow exclaimed. “I’ve been trying to call, I checked your houses, but you weren’t there! Don’t tell me you were here at Twilight’s this whole time!”

“We just got here,” Rarity said. “But it seems that you missed some things, so we’ll have to fill you in.”

“Uh, judging from all the weird stuff that’s happening, I’m guessing there’s a new bad guy with magic powers messing with everyone’s phones and cars and stuff, right?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Pretty much,” Sunset said. “I’ll tell you everything that’s happened, but for now we need to get to the school!”

***

“Okay, ma’am,” Violet Wisp said to the woman shrieking at her from inside her car, “I’m going to have to ask you to stay calm. We’re going to smash your window in and get you out.”

The woman inside started shouting and shaking her head.

“Looks like she doesn’t want us to,” Orange Slice said. “We should just go and investigate where those power lines disappeared to.”

“We can’t just leave a citizen stranded,” Violet Wisp said, shooting him a sharp look. “It’s cloudy and cool now, but if we leave her in there and the sun comes out, she could overheat or something!”

“She’s gonna be mad and threaten to sue us if you do, Violet,” Orange Slice said. “I mean, is there a rule about rescuing someone if they don’t want to be rescued? Like that one Pixar movie?”

“She wants to be rescued, Orange Slice,” Violet Wisp said. “She just doesn’t want us to break her windows to do it.”

“Uhhh, so… what should we do?”

Violet Wisp raised an eyebrow. “Smash her windows, of course,” she said. “I didn’t get into this job to not rescue people.”

“And if she sues?”

“Then she sues,” Violet Wisp said with a shrug. “The better question is, how are we going to look if the press finds out we left a middle-aged woman trapped in her car?”

“That’s… I mean…”

“Exactly.” She tapped on the window. “Ma’am, please shield your eyes. I’m about to break your window.”

The woman inside began shouting and shaking her head. Then she froze and mouthed something, though they still couldn’t quite hear her.

“Wait, what’d she say?” Orange Slice asked. “‘Curl is the worst’?”

“No, I think it was ‘Push on the roof.’”

“That doesn’t make sense!”

“And ‘Curl is the worst’ does?!”

Just then, a rainbow-colored blur sped by them. It was followed by several girls on bikes and a girl riding a horse.

“Huh,” Violet Wisp said “A girl on a horse.”

“Ohhh, that’s what it was!” Orange Slice said, smacking his forehead. “‘Girl on a horse!’”

“Oh, you’re right!” Violet Wisp said.

They both shared a laugh. The woman trapped in her car wore a smug look.

“Anyway,” Violet Wisp said, removing the window punch and reeling back, “shield your eyes, ma’am.”

The smug look vanished.

***

They came within half a block of the school when Sunset shouted “Everyone, hold on!”

They came to a stop. Rainbow Dash, who’d been carrying Rarity, breathed a sigh of relief and put her down.

“Finally!” Rarity said. “No offense, Rainbow Dash, but I think I preferred the horse.”

“Hey, it was your idea!” Rainbow shouted. “I only went along with it because you insisted. It’s not like I usually carry around that much weight when I run.”

“W-weight?! Just what are you implying?!”

Sunset ignored them and turned to Fall Leaf. “Listen, Fall Leaf,” she said, “I know you’re worried about your sister, but this might get kind of dangerous. We don’t know what she’s up to, so why don’t you stay here?”

“But—”

“Listen,” she said, crouching down and putting her hand on his shoulder, “I know you want to help, but Gadget will want someone familiar around her if we manage to turn her back to normal. Until then, we need to keep you safe, okay?”

Fall Leaf pouted, but gave a nod.

“Thanks, Fall Leaf,” she said, giving him a smile. “Don’t worry. We’ll get your sister back.”

“Well, good luck!” Turing Toast said.

“You’re coming too,” Sunset said, picking her up.

“Good thinking,” Turing Toast said as Sunset carried her toward the school, “you might get hungry along the way.”

They left Fall Leaf and Brownie behind as they walked the rest of the way to the school. Once they got closer, they saw the overturned remains of cars littering the street, their engines and other parts removed. They saw a strange green glow over Canterlot High.

When they finally arrived, they saw what Gadget had constructed.

Atop the pedestal that housed the portal was a strange mishmash of things combined into a strange, asymmetrical tower.

The construct had been built from the machinery of cars, presumably the ones they’d seen along the way, computer parts and monitors, and old UHF antennae from nearby houses, among other things. The parts were all connected with power lines ripped from their utility poles. In fact, a utility pole itself formed the base of the structure. The whole tower glowed with a strange green energy and gave off a low humming sound.

At the foot of the construct, they spotted Turing Test standing guard.

“Turing!” Sunset shouted.

“Hello, my friends,” Turing said, staring at them blankly.

Then another voice said “Oh, you finally showed up!”

They all looked up and saw Gadget reclining in one of the alcoves made of an antenna near the top of the tower. One of her legs was dangling lazily as she stared up at the sky.

“Gadget,” Sunset whispered. More loudly, she called up to her, “Just what do you think you’re doing with all this stuff?!”

“Do you like it?” Gadget asked as she raised her head. She smirked. “It’s my latest invention. It may not be pretty, but I bet it’ll take first place in the science fair.”

Sunset glared up at her. “What exactly are you doing with it?” she asked.

Gadget sat up, stretching for a moment before she simply hopped off the tower and began to levitate.

“It’s a magic siphon,” she said, sweeping her arm at it dramatically. “Even though the portal is closed, the barrier between this world and Equestria is weakest at this point. I built this device to start drawing magic from your world at an accelerated rate. Then, after it draws the magic out, it starts sending it back at a different frequency. This creates a kind of distortion that will destabilize the portal. Soon, it will become so destabilized that it will simply rupture and tear open a portal that can never be closed again!”

They all gawked at her. The color drained from Sunset’s face. “No…”

“You stood in the way of progress, Sunset,” Gadget said with a sneer. “Well, now both worlds are going to be dragged kicking and screaming into the future. But don’t worry; once they’ve calmed down, they’ll have a new glorious gleaming goddess of both magic and technology to guide them into the future.

“And it all begins today… the day I flood the entire city with Equestrian magic!”

To be continued…

Author's Note

Things are ~~getting toasty~~ heating up. Next time, can Sunset and the others stop Gadget, or are they all ~~toast~~ doomed?

References:

Our title today is the name a song by Fleetwood Mac, but I'm much more familiar with the Santana version, so here it is for your listening pleasure.

* Several things in this chapter reference things in the original story: Turing's use of the word "robodonkadonk," Orange Slice and Violet Wisp were members of the Royal Guard deployed in Mustangia, and Turing Toast was originally Turing's form when she came through the mirror in the joke chapter "Human After All." * The message that plays over Sunset's phone is indeed binary. It says "Hail to your Goddess, for she is glorious and kawaii!" * The song "Working for the Weekend" is by Loverboy, a Canadian band. Gadget's nothing if not patriotic.

* The horse Applejack rides (which I've named "Brownie") is the horse you see Sunset riding in the EQG short "Friendship Through the Ages."

* Twilight's lab is the one seen in the EQG short "Mad Twience." Yes, it does have rafters. I checked.

...Damn, that's cute. * "That one Pixar movie" Orange Slice was referencing was The Incredibles, in which the decline of superheroes begins with Mr. Incredible being sued by someone who was injured by him after being saved unwillingly.

That's it for now. See you next time folks!

The Game Has Changed

Staring up at Gadget, Sunset swallowed and opened her mouth to speak when she heard Twilight cry out first.

“Gadget, listen!” Twilight shouted. Her voice gave out and she went into a coughing fit. When she recovered, she continued. “If this is about getting more magic, then trust me, it’s not worth it! I was affected by Equestrian magic too, just like you are now, and what you’re doing could cause harm to both worlds!”

“Okay, first of all,” Gadget said, “you can all stop calling me ‘Gadget.’ Gadget was a mousy, weak little nobody who was foolish enough to trust everyone around her. I, by contrast, am bold and powerful and won’t be held back by anyone ever again! The name isn’t Gadget… it’s ‘Technomancer!’”

“Pfft,” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Lame!”

“What?!” Gadget shouted, her magical aura suddenly flaring out brightly.

“Yeah, that’s right, I said your dumb supervillain name is lame!” Rainbow shouted up to her, cupping her hands to her mouth. “Heck, even ‘Midnight Sparkle’ was a better name for Twilight’s evil form, and at least she didn’t call herself that!”

“I don’t know why, but I feel like I should be offended,” Twilight muttered.

“It is not lame!” Gadget shouted, clenching her fists.

“Also, while we’re critiquing,” Rarity said, “I, ah, don’t mean to be crude, dear, but… when you fly over us like you are right now… you may want to reconsider wearing a skirt.”

Gadget crossed her legs and blushed, the green numerals on half of her body momentarily turning red. “Sh-shut up, all of you!”

“Yeah, girls, maybe we shouldn’t be antagonizing her!” Sunset growled through gritted teeth.

“Yes, let’s give her a peace offering,” Turing Toast said. “A peace… of toast offering! Eh? Ehhh??”

They all groaned.

“As I was saying,” Gadget continued, narrowing her eyes at them, “there’s a big difference between me and either you, Twilight, or you, Sunset: I’m not doing this for myself. I’ve already got all the magic I need. By flooding this world with magic, I can make it a readily available resource to everyone! And not only that, but once Equestria is accessible to all of humanity, I can share all of humanity’s technological advances with them in return! It’ll be a new era of magical and technological innovation that will revolutionize both worlds!”

Turing Test’s eyes shifted. “Ah,” she said to herself quietly.

Meanwhile, Sunset gasped. “But that… Gadget, you can’t do that!”

“Oh, I think I can,” Gadget said as she folded her arms. “But I guess you want to explain why, right? Well, don’t bother.” Her expression turned sour. “Girls like you always act sweet and friendly, but it’s all an act. You just see people as a means to an end. Or else use them as pawns in your schemes!”

“Gadget, you’re literally using Turing Test as a pawn in your scheme!” Sunset shouted. “Look at her! She’s a living, thinking being! And you’ve made her your slave!”

Gadget froze, glancing down at Turing Test as she stood there, her expression still blank.

“I… I’ll let her go once I’ve done what I need to do!” she cried. “I only did this to her because I had to!”

“Why?!” Sunset shouted back. “What possible reason could you have for this?”

“Because I knew that you’d try your little trick where you transform, get your cute little pony ears and pony tails and zap me with your rainbow-colored magic to take away my power,” Gadget replied. “Well, I’m too smart for that. I had Turing Test copy your abilities so that she could beat you at your own game! She’s smarter, faster, and stronger than any normal human. And now that she’s copied your powers, she can counter anything you throw at her!

“So, what do you say? Why don’t you just surrender and let me unleash the magic of Equestria upon the world?”

Sunset stared at her, but then the defiance in her eyes died away. “Gadget… I want you to know that I’m sorry,” she said. Then, suddenly, her eyes popped open.

“Everyone, transform! Now!”

“Finally!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she clenched her fists, a fierce grin on her face.

“Turing, stop them!” Gadget shouted.

Turing Test tensed up, ready to spring into action. “Understood.”

Sunset and the others began to glow and lift off the ground as they began to transform to unlock their full powers. As they did, Turing Test sprang forward and tackled Sunset, pinning her to the ground. The connection lost, the others fell to the ground as well.

Sunset struggled as Turing pinned her arms to the ground.

“Turing, stop!” she shouted.

“My apologies, Sunset Shimmer,” Turing said quietly. “But I cannot.”

Rarity saw Turing holding Sunset down and was the first to act. She put out her hands and put a shield around Sunset, breaking Turing’s grip on her.

Turing immediately turned to Rarity and rushed toward her at superhuman speed as she channeled Rainbow Dash’s power. Rarity screamed and put up a shield to defend herself just in time before Turing could get to her.

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack shouted. “Hold her down for a second!”

“I’m on it!” Rainbow shouted back.

She ran at Turing with her own super speed, but at every turn, Turing seemed to dodge her. The two of them seemed to almost blink in and out of existence to the others as Rainbow lunged at her only to find that Turing had changed positions.

Rainbow grit her teeth. “Darn it, hold still!” she yelled.

“If you wish,” Turing replied, momentarily pausing.

Rainbow Dash grinned. She rushed forward and grabbed Turing’s wrist.

“Applejack!” Rainbow shouted.

“I got ‘er now!” Applejack said, running at Turing to grab her free arm. “I’m sorry to do this Turing,” she said, holding her firmly with her super strength, “but we gotta stop this. I hope ya understand.”

“I do, Applejack,” Turing said. “And I am sorry too.”

She then lifted Rainbow Dash over her head.

“Hey, what are you—”

Turing latched onto Rainbow’s wrist and proceeded to use her like a cudgel, hitting Applejack over the head repeatedly with her until she released her grip.

Now that Applejack was subdued, groaning in pain, she dropped the likewise incapacitated Rainbow Dash on her fallen comrade.

Gadget burst out laughing. “Was that really the best you had?” she managed to ask between laughter. “I sure hope you have something else up your sleeve, or else this is going to be pretty embarrassing!”

“Um,” Fluttershy whimpered. “I don’t want to hurt you, Turing, but…”

She took in a deep breath and seemed to scream, but no sound came out. A moment later, Turing was swarmed by a cloud of aggressive, terrifying…

...butterflies.

(“Ay, our girl over there says we oughta stomp yo’ metal butt!”) one butterfly said.

Turing stood there impassively. She opened her mouth and mimicked Fluttershy’s ability to communicate with animals.

(“Chill out, homie,”) Turing said in butterfly-speak. (“Dat girl is feeding you some straight-up jacked nectar! I ain’t no punk! Word is, dat girl says yo wings is basic AF.”)

The butterflies paused in their assault. (“Fo real? Oh naw she din’t!”)

They flew at Fluttershy, who screamed her apologies as she was (not so effectively) assaulted by the swarm of butterflies.

Gadget smirked. “Oooh, talking to animals… you really are the Aquaman of the group,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Sunset looked to Twilight, who was frozen with fear as her friends were effortlessly defeated one by one.

“Twilight, just suspend her in the air!” Sunset shouted.

Twilight snapped back to reality and held out her arm. An aura enveloped Turing Test, lifting her off the ground where her super speed and strength were useless.

“Mobility compromised,” Turing said.

Gadget frowned, but then froze as she noticed that there was one girl missing among the group of them.

Wait… where’s the pink one?! she asked herself.

She whirled around and saw Pinkie Pie shaking candy sprinkles into her hand. She gripped them tightly and they began to glow. She reeled back and tossed them at the tower.

The explosion tore the tower in two, leaving only some metal stubs latched onto the pedestal where the Equestrian portal lay.

“Nice job, Pinkie!” Sunset shouted.

“Hmph,” Gadget said, rolling her eyes. “Well, that’s inconvenient.”

She raised her hand and it glowed with her magic. Instantly, the tower began to reassemble itself. It was complete a moment later, as though Pinkie had done nothing at all.

“Aww!” Pinkie cried.

Gadget turned her gaze to Turing Test, still suspended in the air. “Will you please take care of them, Turing?” she asked. “I don’t want to have to keep rebuilding my tower!”

Turing nodded. “Understood.”

Turing raised her hands, mirroring Twilight, and the other girls found themselves suddenly levitating off the ground.

“All targets neutralized,” Turing said flatly.

“Hey! Put us down!” Rainbow Dash shouted, her legs churning uselessly in midair.

Gadget smirked. “Much better, Turing,” she said. “Just hold them there a little longer. The process is almost complete… the tower has almost gathered enough magic to create a perfect feedback loop!”

Sunset did her best to move, mimicking swimming motions as she tried to propel herself toward Turing or Gadget, but the magical aura held her fast.

Well, no choice now, she thought to herself as she reached for her backpack. She undid the zipper and pulled out the gauntlet that Twilight had repaired earlier. She pulled it over her hand and shut her eyes, focusing only on Turing Test.

Turing Test stiffened, gripped in the power of the gauntlet, and the girls all crashed to the ground as her powers were cut off.

“Now!” Sunset shouted as she got to her feet. “While we still have a chance!”

They rose into the air once again as they began to glow.

Gadget’s eyes widened. “My own invention… they…” Her expression darkened. “You would dare to use my own invention against me?!”

She turned her gaze to the tower as Sunset and the others began to transform. She flew to the top if the structure and placed her hand on the apex of it. She could feel the magic that was accumulating there. She focused and began drawing it into herself, feeling it coursing through veins as though her very blood had turned to electricity.

The green glow of her own magic grew in intensity until it was almost blinding.

“͡Ènoug͠h̵!̛”

Gadget released a burst of energy, and suddenly the girls crashed to the ground, their transformation incomplete. Turing was still suspended in the air, however, as Twilight managed to continue levitating her.

“Twilight, keep holding her!”

Twilight coughed, gritting her teeth as she struggled to keep her focus. “I’m… trying!”

“͝Wai̸t͞ j͞u̴st́ a͠ se͝c̢oǹd,̷” Gadget said, looking down at her hand, a fiendish grin on her face. “͏Thiş ͠m͏a͏gi̵c̢… I ͢think͘ t̴hąt ̕I҉ ̢ca̕n…”

She pointed a finger at Twilight.

Twilight felt a jolt run through her; the aura she was holding over Turing Test dissipated, and the robot fell to the ground with a loud clang.

“̧O̶h҉oḩohò, I͟ d̨on’t ̶b͠elie͜ve thi͏s,”̢ Gadget exclaimed, a smile spreading across her face. “Ap҉a̸g͡and͝o ̨l͠a͜s ͟l̕u͡c̷es̀!͘” She snapped her fingers, and all the girls felt a similar jolt run through them.

Rainbow Dash got to her feet and prepared to rush at Turing only to find herself running at normal speed. “What the… what just happened?!”

“͠I͜ ҉ćan ͏HACḰ ̧y̧óur màgic!̨” Gadget laughed. “̶I̸ ̢thought ̷I’̕d̵ r͝ea̢ched m̶y҉ ́pea̢k, ̕bu͠t I͜ ̕j͏u͟s̛t͏ u͡sed the e͠xces̨s ͞m͢agic ͟i̛n ͡m͠y to̵wer t͜ó ͏overc͡l҉oc҉ḱ ̧my p̕òw̶e̷rs!͜”

Sunset gawked at her. Gadget’s voice had taken on an even more distorted and unearthly tone. The girl was cackling madly, kicking her legs gleefully as she levitated over them.

“W̴ait wai̧t̸… c͘h̕eck͜ ̕t͠h͡i͞s ҉o̡ut̷… Co̕ntr̴ol ̡+ ͠C…͟ and͟ now… C͜o̴n̴trol ̸+ ͢V!͝”͠

A moment later, two dozen green, ethereal identical images of Gadget appeared around them.

Sunset gasped and began to back away. “Gadget, stop—”

She was suddenly tackled by a group of the copies. A few of them held their hands over her mouth as they restrained her. Others yanked the gauntlet from her hand, breaking her hold over Turing Test. All around her, her friends were likewise being overwhelmed and pinned down by the clones.

“Y͟o͘ư ̢see tha͜t͠, S҉uns̴e͡t̵ S̨h̴imm͞ęr͞?̨!” Gadget laughed, floating down to the ground. She sneered as she approached her. “Í’m͞ n͢ot ͜li͜k͟e a͡ny̡thi̸n͞g̕ y҉ou͡’ve͢ f͝a͘çe͘d͡ befo͢r̶e… ҉I̢’͡m̕ too ̵s̕ma͠r͘t ̵to͞ ͏f͜a͞ll ̡f̨o҉r y̧our̀ si͢m̕p̴l͜e t͏r͏ìcks̵!̛ ̨I̵’͞m t̢h͏ȩ n͘ew̸ go͢d̀des͢s̢ ̢of ̕t̴h̕is ͏ẃorl̡d! ͝I͠ ̡w͜i͏l̡l͞ sho͜w̨ ev̛e͢r͢yon͏e҉ w̛hat I̢’m͟ ma͟d͠e͞ ͘óf̧, ͘an͝d̨ ̴I͘ wi͟l͏l̵ ne̛ver͠ ҉EV̛ER b͝e ҉di͏s͝r͘èspe̡c͏t̨ed͞ ̕a͏gai͝n!̛!͞”͡

She seized Sunset around the chin as her clones all snickered in a bizarre, distorted harmony. Sunset could only whimper as Gadget locked eyes with her.

“Sis!”

Gadget released Sunset and stiffened as she heard the familiar voice. She slowly turned around to see Fall Leaf standing nearby. Turing Toast stood next to him.

“Hmph. What are you doing here, Fall Leaf?” she asked, floating over to them, her voice assuming a slightly more normal tone.

Turing Toast jumped in front of Fall Leaf. “Stay back, or you’re toast!” she shouted. She ejected a slice of toast from her back directly at Gadget.

Gadget caught the toast easily and took a bite. She made a face. “It’s burnt,” she grumbled.

“Learn with the toast, burn with the toast,” Turing Toast said bitterly.

Gadget rolled her eyes. With a wave of her hand, she levitated Turing Toast. “Turing Test, hold this for me, would you?” she asked, tossing the little toaster over to Turing Test, who caught her easily. Gadget then turned her attention back to her little brother, who stared back at her with widened eyes.

“What do you think, Fall Leaf?” she asked, sweeping her arm out dramatically at the scene unfolding all around them. “I’m not such a dork anymore, am I? Don’t you think your big sister’s cool now?”

Fall Leaf only stared back at her, though she could see from the rise and fall of his chest that he was breathing hard.

She frowned when he remained silent. “Well?!” she shouted.

That seemed to jolt him back to reality, and he opened his mouth to say something. “I… I…”

Gadget grinned expectantly.

Then Fall Leaf’s eyes filled with tears as he broke down crying. “Y-you’re not my Sis!”

She froze. “What?! What do you mean, of course I am!”

He shook his head. “No, you’re not!” he shouted back. “You’re hurting everyone! Miss Sunset told me to stay back, but then I came here and I saw you… and… and the way you started acting… y-you’re making that robot lady do bad things even though she doesn’t want to!”

Gadget swallowed. “Listen, I’m only doing this until the tower can destroy the barrier between this world and the next one,” she said, offering him a weak smile. “That way, all the ponies can learn from humans, and humans will all get magic… just like me! Don’t you want to have your own superpowers, Fall Leaf? You’ll be like a superhero!”

She reached out for him, but he slapped her hand away.

“No!” he screamed. “I don’t wanna be like you! You’re not a superhero! You’re a monster!”

Gadget grit her teeth. “̴W̨h̵at ͜di͟d ̵y͟o҉u ͞sa͘y?̸”͠

He sniffled, but he looked at her through his tears with sudden anger in his eyes. “I got mad at Sunset when she said you were a monster, but… but she was right! Sis wouldn’t do this! Gadget got picked on at school so much she used to come home crying! She’d never be a bully, but that’s what you are!”

“That’s… but they were…” Gadget stammered, looking all around her. She saw the looks of fear on the faces of the other girls and remembered the feeling herself. She swallowed. “L-look, it’s not like I want to hurt anyone. I’m doing this in the name of progress… it’ll be okay, you’ll see!”

Applejack scoffed, still struggling against the group of clones holding her back. “You sure are enjoyin’ yerself fer a gal who doesn’t wanna hurt anyone!” she shouted.

Gadget stared at her. “That’s… I mean, you… I didn’t even hurt any of you that badly!”

Sunset managed to jerk her head around and get her mouth free. “What about Turing Test?!” she shouted.

Gadget glared at her. She snapped her fingers and the clones holding Sunset down vanished. “What about her?” she asked.

“Gadget, please, let Turing go,” Sunset pleaded, holding her hand to her chest. “I’m sorry that things went so badly between us, and believe me when I say that I know how good it can feel to lash out and take your frustrations on other people. But nothing justifies manipulating Turing’s mind and making her a slave!”

Gadget took a step back at the word “slave.” She put on a weak smile. “Stop saying that. It’s not like that,” she said. “I mean, I removed her will, so it’s not like she actually minds it. Isn’t that right, Turing?”

“That is not correct,” Turing replied.

Gadget whirled around. “Wait, what did you say?”

“I am indicating that I do, in fact, mind what you are doing to me,” Turing said. Her expression was still blank, her voice still uneven, but that just made her words all the more unsettling. “I am suffering greatly because you are making me fight my friends by combating them with their own powers. I hate it, but I am unable to resist your commands since you placed my will into this small toaster which resembles me.”

“Tch. I have a name, thank you very much,” Turing Toast said, rolling her eyes.

“I am also greatly saddened to see what has happened to you, Gadget,” Turing continued. “I do not wish to see any harm come to my friends, and yet my involvement has unintentionally led to your transformation.”

Gadget grit her teeth. “Don’t lie to me,” she said. “I know you don’t really think of me as a friend. You were just using me!”

“Gadget,” Sunset said quietly, “think about it: without her own will, she doesn’t have the ability to lie to you. If you’re uncertain, you could just order her to tell the truth, and she’d have no choice but to do it.”

Gadget swallowed. “That’s… that’s true, I guess,” she muttered. “So, Turing? You really did think of me as a friend?”

“Correct,” Turing said. “When Sunset Shimmer described the dangers of the magic you were collecting, I was terrified that something would happen to you. I have greatly enjoyed learning about this world from you and Sunset and my other friends, and I wished to avoid a disaster that would endanger it. I care a great deal about you, and I hope you will forgive me one day for not being able to save you.”

Gadget held her hand over her mouth and swallowed a lump in her throat.

She looked around and saw everyone staring at her. She saw the sadness on the girls’ faces as they heard Turing pour her heart out in such an emotionless tone. She watched as Sunset went over to Turing and put her hand on the robot girl’s shoulder. And she turned to see that Fall Leaf was still crying…

Her own baby brother was terrified of her.

Monster, she thought, and looked down at her hands. One glowed with a green aura of magic, the other was lined with scrolling ones and zeroes. My own brother called me a monster… and he’s right.

I really am a monster.

Gadget hung her head. She slowly began to rise into the air. The others watched as she flew high over them all and took a deep breath. She gathered as much magic as she could muster between her hands, forming an intensely glowing ball. Then, with a guttural shriek, she released it, the magic exploding outward and washing over them with blinding light.

Sunset raised her arm, shielding her eyes, but when she looked again, she saw that the tower over the portal was completely gone. The power lines were back on their utility poles, the computers were back in the Canterlot High computer lab, and the windows were intact once again, as though they’d never been smashed at all. The clones were all gone as well, and her friends all got to their feet.

She looked at Turing Test. At first, her expression was still blank, but then she blinked and turned to face Sunset. She broke into a warm smile.

“All systems nominal, Sunset Shimmer,” she said. “It seems as though my will has been reinstalled.”

“Turing!” Sunset cried, throwing her arms around her. “You’re all right!”

The others all rushed over as well, forming a group hug.

“I am glad to have returned to normal, my friends,” she said. “However, perhaps we should not all be in close proximity. You seem to have forgotten that Twilight Sparkle is still sick.”

They all jumped back, offering their apologies to Twilight, who blushed even as she tried to stifle a cough.

“Sorry, everyone,” Twilight said. “I hope I’m not still contagious!”

“As do I,” Turing said. “I do not wish to contract a computer virus.”

They all groaned at that, except for Pinkie, who burst out laughing. “Good one, Rinny!” she said. “I’ll have to remember that one. What’d you think of it, Turing To...oh.”

Her expression changed and they all looked to see that Turing was holding Gadget’s mechanical toaster.

“Ah. It seems that when my will returned, Turing Toast reverted to her original form as well,” Turing said.

“Aww, I’m gonna miss her,” Pinkie said, frowning.

“However, strangely enough,” Turing continued, “I seem to have all her memories and experiences. In a manner of speaking, she is still present. However, I also have a strange compulsion to shove slices of bread into myself. Perhaps I will ask Father to make some modifications to me.”

“Ick,” Rarity said, making a face. “That sounds garish. I mean, for starters, where would you even insert the bread?”

Rainbow Dash started to snicker, barely stifling her laughter.

“What?” Rarity asked. Then her expression changed as it dawned on her, and her cheeks reddened. “Oh, really now, Rainbow Dash, grow up!”

“Wait a minute!”

They all looked and saw Fall Leaf was nearby, a panicked look on his face.

“Where’s Sis?” he asked. “I don’t see her anywhere!”

They glanced around and saw that Fall Leaf was right. Gadget had simply vanished.

“Where could she have gone?” Fluttershy asked.

Sunset pursed her lips, considering the question. “I think I have a pretty good idea where she went…”

***

The cloudy sky overhead had just begun to let the rain loose as they arrived at Gadget’s house. It was a light drizzle, and they all packed into the living room. The house was so quiet, that at first, Sunset began to wonder if she’d been mistaken about where Gadget had gone.

“Sis?” Fall Leaf shouted.

At first, there was no response, but then they heard a voice call out, “I’m down here.”

They all moved toward the basement door, but Sunset paused. “Hang on, everyone,” she said, holding up a hand. “Maybe we shouldn’t crowd her. I’ve gone through this before, and having some space can make things easier. Why don’t you all wait up here while Turing, Fall Leaf, and I go see if she’s okay.”

Fall Leaf frowned. “Um… maybe I should stay here.” He swallowed. “W-what if she’s mad at me?”

Sunset put a hand on his shoulder. “I think she’ll want to see you, but we can check up on her first, all right?”

He nodded.

That settled, Sunset and Turing Test made their way down the stairs. Gadget was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall. She was curled up, hugging her legs to herself. Her eyes were red and her hair was messy, but she looked normal otherwise, all hints of her transformation gone.

“Hello, Gadget,” Turing said. “Are you all right?”

She heaved a sigh. “No,” she said quietly.

Turing frowned and stepped closer to her. It was then that she noticed the boxes she’d placed nearby. Inside were the jars containing the magical orbs she’d gathered before.

“You were right,” Gadget said. She swallowed and looked up at Sunset. “Everything you said was right. You said the temptation to use the magic would be too much. You said that it could turn me into a monster. You said I was isolated, unhinged, and obsessive, and so I couldn’t be trusted with it. And all those things were right.”

She pointed to the boxes.

“Take them with you,” she said, her voice breaking. “I… I don’t want them anymore. I’ll just end up hurting people.”

Sunset bowed her head. “I’m sorry I said those things about you, Gadget,” she said.

Gadget laughed mirthlessly. “What for? You were right,” she said. “Maybe this is why I got bullied so much… maybe I really deserved it all along for being such garbage as a human being.”

Turing’s eyes went wide. She crouched down to meet Gadget’s eyes. “Gadget! You must not say that! No one deserves to be abused in that manner.”

“Well, if I didn’t before, I sure do now,” Gadget grumbled. Her lip began to quiver, and she looked at Turing Test with tears in her eyes. “I… I took a piece of your mind from you, Turing! I forced you to do what I wanted. I used you, and you just wanted to keep me safe!” She sniffled, trying to speak between sobs. “S-so don’t tell me that you forgive me or… or that you still want to be friends because I don’t deserve it!”

She hugged herself even tighter.

“Just take the magic and leave me alone. You’re better off forgetting about me. The world would be better off forgetting about me! Everyone would be better off if I was dead!”

She scrunched her eyes shut, unable to hold back her tears anymore. Then she felt a pair of arms enfold her and hug her close. Her eyes popped open she saw that Turing was resting her head on her.

“Please do not say that, Gadget,” she said quietly. “Whether you wish it or not, I do forgive you. And I do wish to continue being your friend. If you want to cause me pain, the worst thing you could do, far worse than anything else you have have done, would be to refuse my friendship.”

Gadget looked at her in shock for a moment. But then she choked back another sob and hugged her back, crying on her shirt.

“Turing Test… I’m so so sorry!” she cried.

Sunset sat down on Gadget’s left. She put her hand on her shoulder. “Listen, Gadget,” she said. “I know how you feel right now. It may have been even worse because when I was transformed back, I had to deal with the aftermath of the monster I’d turned into and realize what a rotten person I was before that. But there are two things I ought to tell you.

“First, it wasn’t all your fault. When people get corrupted by magic, it twists their minds. They get so focused on their goals that they forget about almost everything around them. I’m not saying that it didn’t find a darker part of you to latch onto, but you are not Technomancer. She’s just a shadow of yourself.”

“Like in Persona?” Gadget asked quietly.

“You play Persona?!” Sunset exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. Then she blinked. “Er, back to the subject…

“The other thing you should know is that… this was just as much my fault as it was yours.”

Gadget paused to look at her. “What? No, I’m the one who—”

“I know what you’re going to say, Gadget, but let me explain,” she said, holding up her hand. “After all my encounters with Equestrian magic, I’ve grown so fearful about people abusing it and obsessing over it that I never really even gave you a fair chance. I just saw the way you obsessed over Turing Test, and then saw what you were doing with magic and panicked. I said I wanted to be your friend, but then I turned right around and made a decision with Turing Test behind your back. I should have explained my fears to you and tried to help instead. You should have been part of the discussion.”

Gadget adjusted her glasses. “Maybe so,” she said, “but I’m the one who spied on you. And then I overreacted like that… I guess, after so many people treated me that way, I just got used to putting up my defenses. I just thought you were another pretty, popular girl who wanted to get everything her way. But now I see that I was wrong.”

“You do not think Sunset Shimmer is pretty or popular?” Turing asked.

Gadget actually cracked a smile at that, while Sunset just rolled her eyes.

“In all seriousness, Gadget,” Turing said, “I should also apologize to you. When Sunset Shimmer informed me of the danger of your research, I thought only of the consequences, and not of how depriving you of your work would affect you. Furthermore, you pointed out the hypocrisy in my own actions: I was eager to learn all about human technology for use in Equestria, but let myself be convinced that Equestrian magic could not remain in human hands.”

“Yeah, but look what happened!” Gadget exclaimed. “Sunset was right; it is dangerous!”

“But taking it away from you would not solve the problem of it,” Turing said. “There is magic in this world now. Others may find it and use it for their own purposes as well. Your methodology was far from perfect, but you had managed to safely contain and study magic on your own. Denying you that knowledge would leave this world more vulnerable, not less.”

They both blinked at that.

“Oh my gosh,” Sunset said, smacking her forehead. “That’s right. You’re exactly right, Turing.”

The three of them sat, backs against the wall, with Sunset on the left, Gadget in the middle, and Turing Test on the right.

“So, basically,” Gadget said, “we’re all dumb.”

“Oh yeah. We are so dumb,” Sunset said.

“Perhaps so,” Turing said, placing her hand on Gadget’s shoulder, “but we should not dwell on our mistakes for too long. We are only human after all.”

Gadget had to smile in spite of herself. “I… I want to thank you both,” she said as she started to tear up again. “Thank you for being my friends. I’ll do my best to be worthy of it from now on.”

Sunset and Turing returned her smile and each put their hands on her shoulders.

“Jeez, look at me crying again,” Gadget said, raising her glasses to wipe her eyes on her sleeves. “I’m a mess today. But more importantly… what should we do now?”

Turing assumed her “thinking” pose the way Sunset had shown her. “I now realize my folly… in a strange way, I have managed to repeat the mistakes of both my father and also Princess Celestia.

“Like my father, I let my zeal for technology and progress blind me to the possible consequences. I realized it when I heard you, Gadget. You said you wanted to ‘revolutionize’ Equestria, which is exactly what I wished to do. The wonders of this world, this new, expressive body, the potential to revolutionize Equestria overnight - figuratively speaking - may have led me to overlook the dangers of disseminating the knowledge in a world that is not prepared for it. My own actions might have eventually become just as damaging as what Technomancer was planning.

“I must learn from this experience. So, if you are willing, would you both teach me not only about the advantages of human technology, but also about the negative impacts it has had?”

Sunset and Gadget smiled.

“Sure thing, Turing,” Sunset said.

“You can count on me, too!” Gadget said, giving her a thumbs-up.

Turing looked down at the gesture and then back at Gadget. She held up her own robotic hand and mirrored it.

“There is one more thing to discuss, however,” she said. “As I have stated, I have also made the same mistake as Princess Celestia: she feared the consequences of technology and went to extreme lengths to suppress it, while my fear of magic in this world caused me to take the same action. However, suppression would be just as dangerous as reckless progression. Therefore, Gadget, I believe that I should instruct you on proper ways to contain this magic so that you may continue your studies.”

Sunset and Gadget gawked at her.

“Turing,” Sunset breathed. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m with Sunset,” Gadget said. “How do you know that it’s the right thing to do?”

“I do not,” Turing said. “But we cannot simply pretend that the problem does not exist. Furthermore, you are now among the small number of humans who can truly respect the power of magic. Despite the risks, the potential benefits to the human world are very real, and I can think of no one better equipped to help discover them. What do you say?”

Gadget smiled, swallowing a lump in her throat. “I’ll do my best,” she said. “I promise.”

“Well, now that we’ve settled all that,” Sunset said, getting to her feet, “we should probably go talk to everyone upstairs before they start to worry.”

Gadget sighed. “Right,” she said as she got to her feet. “We might as well get it over with.”

A few moments later, the three of them came upstairs. They were greeted by silent, uneasy stares (and some coughing from Twilight).

“H-hello, everyone,” Gadget said, wringing her hands nervously. “I… I want you all to know that I’m really sorry about what happened.”

The group regarded her with silence. Gadget shrank inward, not meeting the judgment and condemnation she knew must be in their eyes.

“Eh, no biggie,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug.

Gadget stared at her. “I… what? I put two entire worlds in danger!”

“Been there, done that,” Twilight said, raising her hand.

“Look, if Turing Test forgives ya,” Applejack said, “then I ain’t gonna hold a grudge.”

“Not to mention how much your little brother believes in you!” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah, he’s a real sweetheart!” Pinkie said, ruffling Fall Leaf’s hair.

“Ew, I am not!” he protested. He then turned to face Gadget. “Um… are you okay, Sis?”

Gadget smiled. “Yeah,” she said. “I’m fine. And it’s all because you finally pulled me back to reality.” She walked to him and knelt down, hugging him tightly.

“Ugh. You don’t need to get so mushy, Sis,” he muttered, hugging her back. “You’re still a dork, by the way.”

“Yeah, but there’s worse things in the world,” she said. “I love you, Fall Leaf.” She then kissed him on the cheek.

“Eww, gross, Sis!” he said, and pulled himself free of her grasp before running to his room and slamming the door.

“Well, now that that’s settled,” Rarity said, “I believe we should get home. Especially poor Twilight, considering how ill she is.”

Gadget cleared her throat. “Actually, there is one more thing I forgot to mention,” she said. “Um… what should we do about... this?”

She held up her hand. It began to emit a green magical aura.

“Wait, you still have your magic?!” Sunset cried.

“I… I didn’t know how to get rid of it!” Gadget shouted. “Can you, I don’t know, zap me or something?”

“Hold on,” Twilight said, “you mean that you managed to untransform yourself? And you’re in control of your actions now?”

Gadget looked down at her hand. “I… I guess so…”

Twilight gaped at her. “That’s amazing!” she cried. “Gadget you’re incredi… ih…”

She then erupted into a sneezing fit.

Turing Test mulled this new development over and said, “Well, if you are controlling this power rather than it controlling you… then perhaps you should keep it. It may help you in your scientific research on magic to have magic of your own.”

“Research?!” Twilight cried once she’d stopped sneezing. She ran to Gadget and seized her hands. “Can I help?! I would love to research magical applications for technology with you!”

Gadget actually blushed. “I… well… you really want to study with me?”

“Yes! We’ll be study buddies! Er, once I’m well again, I mean,” Twilight said. She then looked down and saw that she’d accidentally pressed a used tissue into Gadget’s hands. “Oh. Um, sorry.”

“In that case,” Turing said. “Sunset Shimmer, would you please send Princess Twilight a message for me? I would like to extend my stay in this world a little longer in order to complete the work we discussed. And also… I would not mind attending Canterlot High one more day, if that is all right?”

The girls all wore excited expressions. It was going to be, as Pinkie Pie put it, “The best Monday ever!”

***

It was indeed one of the best Mondays ever. After spending the day studying and discussing technology with Gadget and Sunset the previous day, Turing spent the day at Canterlot High living as a normal human student.

She started the day in P.E. class and learned about a strange new game called “basketball.” After a few minutes of outrunning, outshooting, and perfectly passing the ball, the gym teacher decided it would be best for her to switch teams every five minutes. Turing didn’t mind as long as she was allowed to play. Unfortunately, it all came to an end when one of the students taught her something called a “slam dunk,” and Turing accidentally snapped the hoop right off the backboard with her substantial weight.

In home economics class, Pinkie showed her how to make a loaf of bread. It was a lot of fun until they sliced a finished loaf and Turing suddenly felt the urge to toast every slice the students made.

In science class, Turing was hearing a lecture from Dr. Time Turner about a human named Nicola Tesla. She got the entire class to laugh when Mr. Turner asked “Okay, class, who can name a machine they use every day?” and she raised her hand and responded with “Myself.”

Geography class went well enough, but Cheerilee had to tell Turing to be quiet when she kept trying to correct her on the names of people and places that didn’t sound “equine” enough. Unfortunately for Rainbow Dash, who shared the class with her, it seemed the pony-related names were easier to remember, which is why she failed her quiz at the end of the week by responding with answers like “Las Pegasus,” “Van Hoover,” and “Whinnyapolis.”

She met a lot of the other students at lunch, including that world’s versions of Bulk Biceps, Derpy, and Lyra and Bon Bon. It went very well right up until she found out what hamburgers were made out of.

In language class, Turing discovered that they were reading a book called Of Mice and Men. Turing hadn’t read it, so the teacher gave her a copy… which she flipped through and absorbed immediately, commenting with a sad look, “Ah… it is so sad that George was forced to shoot Lenny in the end.” Half the class was upset at being spoiled, the other half was relieved that they didn’t have to finish the book, and the teacher just groaned that she’d have to re-write the test.

Last of all, Turing found herself in Cranky’s class once again with Sunset.

“Oh, h-hi there, Turing Test!” Microchips said when he saw Turing take her seat next to him.

“Hello!” Turing said. “Are you well? You seem to be sweating significantly.”

He blushed and looked away, muttering something about the summer heat.

Cranky entered the room and saw Turing as well. “Well, you’re back,” he said.

“She decided to stay a little longer, sir,” Sunset said. “Is it all right if she attends your class again?”

Cranky, to everyone’s surprise, grinned. “Sure. Actually, I’ve got a little something for her to do,” he said. “Turing Test, you seem to be pretty gifted at math… maybe I should give you a really tough problem.”

“I would relish the challenge, sir,” Turing said, leaning forward eagerly. “What do you wish for me to do?”

“This is a little something called the ‘Collatz Conjecture.’ Start with any positive integer. If it’s even, divide it by two. If it’s odd, multiply it by three and then add one. Keep doing that and eventually you’ll come back to one every time… or so the conjecture says. I want you to see if you can find a number that doesn’t eventually lead back to one.”

Turing blinked. “That does sound difficult,” she said. Then she grinned. “I will do my best, sir.”

“I’ve been at it since I was a graduate student, but no human’s ever solved it. I’d love to know if there’s an answer. Good luck!

“Now, the rest of you turn to page 92…”

Turing, meanwhile, sat in silence, her eyes focused on nothing in particular. It got a bit worrisome for a few of the students when her internal machinery started making a noticeable humming noise (that Sunset played off as a bee she said she saw flying around).

At the end of the hour, the bell rang and Cranky went back to Turing Test as the other students got up to leave. “So, Turing? Did you find something?”

She blinked, her gaze refocusing, and she looked up at him. She frowned and said, “I apologize, but I was unable to find an exception.”

He sighed. “Oh well,” he said. “About how far did you get?”

“The greatest trajectory I reached following this process before stopping was three sextillion, one hundred seventy-nine quintillion, three hundred eighty-nine quadrillion, nine hundred eighty trillion, five hundred ninety-one billion, one hundred twenty-five million, four hundred and seven thousand, one hundred and sixty seven.”

He gawked at her. “I… wow.” He smiled. “Well, thanks for visiting my class. It was nice having you.”

As he walked away, Sunset leaned over to Turing and said “Wow, Turing… that must be a record!”

“You mean three sextillion, one hundred seventy-nine quintillion—”

“No, not that,” Sunset said quickly. “I mean a student getting Cranky Doodle to smile twice in a row.”

***

Despite the chaos of the previous day, the city seemed to carry on as though nothing much had happened. Scientists proposed that the odd things that had happened might be the effects of a solar flare, but there was no evidence remaining of what had happened. The police had no explanations either, but they did give awards to officers who had helped keep the public calm and rescue people trapped in their cars. Two officers in particular, Violet Wisp and Orange Slice, were recognized as achieving a new record in Canterlot City for the most windows smashed in the course of rescuing civilians.

They did not get a promotion for their work, but did receive the Golden Car Door award.

Which they had to share.

***

That evening, Sunset and Turing Test approached the portal. Turing carried a bag with books and schematics Gadget had given her and notes she’d taken to share with scientists in Equestria. Sunset, for some reason, was only carrying a cardboard tube.

“It was really nice getting to know you, Turing Test,” Sunset said.

“I enjoyed meeting you as well, Sunset Shimmer,” Turing replied. “Though it was a very chaotic visit, I will treasure the memories I have made here with you and the others. Enjoying this new, expressive body has been wonderful as well. I admit that I am slightly reluctant to return to Equestria, knowing my equine form will lack its features. Perhaps someday I will be able to upgrade it with the knowledge I’ve gained.”

“Well, it sounds like you got what you needed in the end,” Sunset said.

Turing nodded. “Correct. But I believe that one of the best lessons I learned came from Fall Leaf.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What do you mean?”

“Ultimately, it was his emotional connection to Gadget that decided our battle. It was not magical power or superior technology or anything else. In my own position as the Minister of Technology, I may have discounted the feelings of the citizens and focused solely on the benefits of the technology I have championed. My colleague, Barnstormer, has called me ‘cold’ and ‘insensitive.’ While I do believe he holds some bias against me as a robot, there may also have been some truth to his words. Princess Celestia herself advised me to consider how to allay the fears of the public, even if such fears are baseless, but I disregarded her advice in favor of pursuing even greater technological advances.

“Now I see that forming connections with my fellow beings will help forge a new path. Technology without consideration and compassion will only bring disaster. If I am to be successful in bringing all these new innovations to Equestria, I must find the ‘human’ connection, as they say here. Did I use that idiom correctly?”

Sunset grinned. “Perfectly,” she said.

The two of them stood before the portal.

“The are so many wonderful things technology has done for this world,” Turing said quietly. “And so many awful things as well. It affects the way you talk to each other, the way you navigate your world, and even the ways you wage war.”

“You really did seem shaken when Gadget and I explained the atomic bomb,” Sunset said.

“That such power is possible without magic is both incredible and terrifying. Such is the case with many things in this world.”

Sunset sighed. “I’m sorry if we burst your bubble,” she said.

But Turing shook her head and smiled at her. “My bubble is not burst, I assure you,” she said. “I have learned respect to balance my awe. And I have many ideas about how to introduce human technology to Equestria, albeit cautiously. It will not be easy, but I will live up to my responsibility as the Minister of Technology.

“You and the others have renewed my resolve, and I believe that I have a better understanding of how to proceed. Thank you, Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset grinned. “I’m glad I could help. Oh, and there’s one more thing… I have a present for you!”

Sunset held up the cardboard tube.

“Ah,” Turing said. “Thank you very much, but… while Equestrian technology is not at the level of this world, we do in fact possess cardboard.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. She removed a plastic lid from one end of the cardboard tube and pulled out the thing she’d placed inside. She unrolled it to reveal that it was the portrait of Turing Test she’d painted the other day.

Turing’s eyes lit up. “Oh! You are allowing me to keep this?” she asked.

“It’s a little something to remember me by,” Sunset said as she rolled it up and placed it back in the tube before giving it to Turing.

“I will treasure this gift, Sunset Shimmer!” she replied as she took the painting. “But do not worry: even without this gift, and even if I did not possess a perfect memory, I am certain that I would never forget this experience.”

The two friends embraced.

“Goodbye, Turing,” Sunset said. “And good luck in Equestria.”

“And good luck to you as well, Sunset Shimmer. I will visit you again very soon.”

With one final wave and a smile, Turing Test stepped through the portal, leaving Sunset behind as she went home to Equestria.

On the other side of the mirror, Turing found herself once again on four legs. She glanced down at her hoof, finding it somehow odd to not see a hand there.

She looked up and saw Twilight standing there, waiting for her. Twilight went over to her and gave her a hug.

“Did you have a nice visit, Turing Test? I know Princess Celestia will want to hear all about it!”

“I had a most wonderful visit, Twilight Sparkle,” she said, and tried to smile… only to realize that she lacked the mouth to do so.

She turned to face her reflection in the magic mirror she’d just passed through. Her familiar equine form looked back at her.

“Ah… I am going to miss that tongue.”

“That what?!” Twilight exclaimed.

***

It was a few weeks later when Gadget opened the door to her basement workshop. She raised her hand, and it glowed with magic for a moment. The overhead lights came on in an instant, as did her computer and a larger device off to the side of the room.

“Welcome back, Gadget!” said a small, synthetic voice. “Did you find anything?”

“I sure did!” Gadget said, a smile on her face as she reached into her backpack and retrieved another jar with a glowing orb of magic inside. “Better process it now. I can’t wait to tell Turing Test about everything that’s been happening lately!”

She carefully opened the jar and hooked it up to the device at the side of the room. With another wave of her hand, the machine sucked the orb up through a tube and into itself. It began to hum and whirr as pumps and motors worked in concert to add the necessary components.

While the machine worked, she went to her desk, which was the cleanest it had been in years, and picked up the book and pen she kept nearby. She opened the page and began writing.

Dear Turing Test,

This journal you gave me from Equestria really is amazing. I love it! Maybe I can find a way to make a more up-to-date version, though. I could find a way to send pictures or things, like a cell phone! Well, we’ll see.

Anyway, things are going pretty well. I’ve been offering some advice to Twilight about some project she’s been working on. Something about a robot dog. Neat, huh?

I’ve also started watching a lot of anime with Fluttershy. At first, I didn’t think she was ever gonna talk, but she really opened up when we found a series we both liked. And, just between us, she borrowed a couple of manga from my “private” selection too. ^_^

Well, I know we decided that it would be a bad idea to make my research on magic public for right now, but Everton sure wasn’t happy when I showed up empty-handed. The good news is that they didn’t kick me out of the program; they just put me on academic probation. Now I’m building some robots with a guy named Champ Umahara. It’s really fun, and we think we’ll make some great robots for future competitions.

...Also, he’s really cute. :heart:

All in all, things are going great. I’m still collecting magic and learning more every day. I’ll keep waiting for the day when I can share it with the world. And I owe it all to you and Sunset.

Thanks again, Turing.

Your friend,
Gadget

She smiled, then remembered something.

P.S. Good luck with your demonstration! I think it’s going to be a huge success!

She felt a nudge at her foot and looked down. “Aw, someone want some attention?”

“I miss you when you’re away!”

Gadget reached down and picked up the small thing. She held it aloft and cuddled it, rubbing her cheek against it before putting it in her lap.

The thing was a toaster, one with purple eyes and little legs and a tail. Turing Toast v2.0, or just “Toastie,” was the result of some of her own magic, the runic coding she received from Turing Test, and some of the special substance she was currently manufacturing. Best of all, Toastie was much sweeter than her predecessor, and didn’t pester her to make toast all the time.

“Hee hee… so, can I help you with anything? Maybe a snack…?”

Gadget rolled her eyes. “All right, Toastie,” she said. “I’ll have a little Nutella on white.”

“Yay! Coming right up!”

Gadget heard the machine running down, so she got up once Toastie had leaped off her lap and went to where the machine terminated in a small nozzle. There was another small jar under it and she watched as a purple, viscous substance exited the machine and poured into it.

“Another vial of refined thaumatrium,” Gadget said, putting a lid on the vial.

It wasn’t as powerful as raw magic, but it was infinitely more stable. A little bit had proven enough to fuel Toastie for months, and she wasn’t going to run out of thaumatrium anytime soon. When Turing showed her the process and helped her to construct the refining machine, it was almost too good to be true. And while she would have to keep it all safe and secure, she was finding more and more ways to use it with Twilight and Sunset’s help.

I’ll certainly need it for my next project, she mused, turning to a pegboard on her wall. There was a sketch and a blueprint there of what she hoped would be her next project.

It was labelled: “Mechanical Arms.”

***

Turing Test stood in the living room inside the small farmhouse. There were a few reporters and photographers from some of the most prominent newspapers in all of Equestria milling about. There were also a few government officials working in the next room, making final preparations for the demonstration. Nearby, curiously quiet, was Minister Barnstormer. And, at the center of it all, was a very nervous-looking earth pony stallion, along with his wife and son.

One of the officials came over to her and whispered, “Minister Turing Test? We’re ready for you now.”

She nodded and went over to the farmer and his family. “Mr. Wheat Germ?” she asked, getting his attention. “We are ready to begin, if that is all right with you.”

He gave her a long look, running his tongue around his mouth. The colt sitting at his mother’s knee kept staring at her.

“Right, now… Minister Barnstormer asked us to do this,” he said. “And I’m still up for it. But are you sure this is safe?”

“We have done multiple studies to show that it is,” she replied. “But I give you my word as a Royal Minister of Equestria that this is completely safe. I would never ask you to do something like this if I thought otherwise.” She bowed her head solemnly. “I believe this will be something that improves the lives of ponies everywhere, sir. In a few moments, I am confident you will agree.”

He looked to his wife, who smiled and nodded to him. He also looked to Barnstormer for reassurance, and Barnstormer also gave him a small nod.

“All right, let’s try this thing out,” he said.

The officials wheeled in the device on a trolley. It had a wire that went outside and then along to a series of wooden poles that continued on into the distance. The photographers had already taken several pictures of the scene, and the reporters were vigorously taking notes.

Turing pointed to the device on the tray: it was a black, candlestick-shaped telephone. Unlike other telephones, the earpiece had been modified to broadcast sound more loudly so that everyone gathered could hear it.

Wheat Germ took larger earpiece off the hook and set it down next to the phone. “Okay, now what?” he asked.

“Tap on the hook and it will notify the operator.”

Wheat Germ nodded and did as she said. A moment later, the operator on the other end’s voice came through the earpiece: “This is the operator! How may I direct your call?”

“Um… what do I say?” Wheat Germ asked.

Turing stepped forward. “Operator, please ring A001,” she said.

“Right away!” the operator cheerfully replied.

A moment later, they heard a ringing sound through the telephone.

“So, um,” Wheat Germ said, “what happens next?”

A moment later, however, the ringing stopped, and he heard a new voice. “Hello? Anypony there? Ya said someone was gonna start talking, right?”

Wheat Germ’s eyes bulged. “M-Ma? Ma, is that you?”

“Wait, Wheat Germ? Son? You’re the one who called me?”

The farmer wore a look of astonishment on his face. “Ma, you… you live near Lunar Bay!”

“I sure do. I’m here now!”

“But that’s halfway across Equestria!”

“You mean you’re back at the farm?!” his mother exclaimed. “Why, I… I didn’t think I’d get to talk to you until next Hearth’s Warming, son.”

The farmer put his hoof over his mouth. “Ma, I… it’s real nice to hear you.”

The excitable colt nearby shouted “Hi, Grandma!”

“Green Bean? Oh sweetie, are you there too?”

“We’re all here, Grandma!” Green Bean shouted. “Ma’s here too!”

“Hello, Mother,” Wheat Germ’s wife said.

“They didn’t tell us who we were supposed to be calling, Ma,” Wheat Germ said. “I… I can’t believe it! I… I don’t know what to say!”

“Oh, sweetheart, I can’t believe it either!” the older mare said on the other end of the line, her voice breaking slightly. “Well… why don’t you just tell me how everypony’s doing?”

Turing watched as Wheat Germ spoke to his mother clear across the nation, a distance that would take days to reach even by train. The reporters furiously took notes while their photographers took photograph after photograph, eagerly lapping up the scene.

Barnstormer watched in silence for a moment, then stepped outside, letting the heavy screen door shut loudly behind him.

Curious, Turing Test followed him. She found him standing off at the corner of the farmhouse.

“Minister Barnstormer?” she asked. “Are you feeling well?”

He looked over his shoulder at her and smirked. “Oh, I’m just fine,” he said. He turned back and looked out at the land around them, so Turing came up beside him and also took in the scenery.

All around them were seemingly endless fields of wheat. The softly rolling hills seemed to take on a golden hue as the sun began to set over the horizon.

“Beautiful out here,” he said. “Isn’t it?”

“I… I admit that I have a limited capacity to appreciate aesthetic beauty,” Turing said. “A friend of mine recently gave me a lesson in art that was very informative, however. I believe I still have a lot to learn in that respect.”

“Well… then just trust me: it’s beautiful,” Barnstormer said, chuckling to himself. “You know, I grew up on a farm like this. Just an ordinary colt who spent his days shucking corn and fishing and things like that. Then Daddy lost the farm. We couldn’t pay the bank back after a terrible blight that ruined our crops that year. It was just awful…”

Turing Test put her metallic hoof on Barnstormer’s shoulder. “I did not know that,” she said. “I am sorry.”

“It’s all right,” he said. “It was a long time ago. But just the same, I eventually took to city life. And even if it took me a few decades, I made it to where I am in life today: a personal advisor to Her Majesty herself! But then… you’ve had your own struggles too, I suppose.”

“Yes,” Turing replied. “I have.”

Barnstormer took a deep breath. “I always wanted to protect farmers like my father. I’ve always tried to ease their minds and help them not to worry. This whole ‘phone’ business… the government sticking big phone poles through land that could be used for crops. It really got to me. I hate to see anyone, be it banks or landlords or even the government bossing the average farmer around.

“But this stunt of yours… well, Minister Turing Test, I knew the instant I saw that farmer’s face light up, that very instant he heard his mother’s voice… I knew right then that you were right. This invention will make a lot of ponies’ lives better. And when the papers hit tomorrow, everyone in Equestria will know it.

“I used to think you only cared about some abstract idea of ‘progress’,” he said. “But you took the time to reassure that pony in there. And this will lay a lot of other ponies’ fears to rest, too. You didn’t have to do this, but you did. You took the time to care. So, thank you.”

Turing’s ears twitched. “Thank you for telling me that, Minister Barnstormer,” she replied.

He turned to smile at her. “Just Barnstormer,” he said. “That’s what my friends call me.” He put out his hoof.

Turing Test looked down at it, her pupils constricting, before her eyes shifted into upward curves to show her happiness. She shook his hoof. “Then you may simply call me ‘Turing,’” she replied.

There was a cough behind them. They turned to see a government worker standing there.

“Uh, Ministers, would you please come in?” she asked. “The reporters have a lot of questions for you!”

“Affirmative,” Turing said. “We will return momentarily.”

The worker nodded and went back inside.

“We shouldn’t keep them waiting, Turing,” Barnstormer said. “After all, we’ve got an awful lot of work to do together, and it all starts today.”

Turing nodded. “Agreed,” she said. “Let us begin.”

And so the two Ministers went inside the farmhouse. They would face the press, the ponies of Equestria, and even the Princesses in the coming days.

Turing’s demonstration seemed to transform things overnight. Her colleagues began to treat her with more respect, and the ponies of Canterlot, eager to experience the new sensation of the telephone, began to come to her with accolades, rather than rotten vegetables and insults.

Slowly but surely, Turing was finding a place in the hearts of the ponies of Equestria. Though there would be many obstacles, Turing decided to face them with determination as they all stepped towards a tantalizingly unknowable future.

Author's Note

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this story. I realize it was a much shorter adventure, but I hope it was satisfying nonetheless. Thank you so much for reading, everyone. At the time of this writing, I've been going through a rough patch, and the nice comments from readers has bolstered my spirits. :heart:

Reference time!

First of all, the title. We're back to more Daft Punk! And not only that, it's the first time the reference has been from the Tron: Legacy soundtrack, the black sheep out of their other studio albums. The title references the overall theme of this story, dealing with change (resisting it, lamenting it, and managing it), and indirectly refers to the concept of innovation and paradigm shifts in general, which is another major focus of the story.

* Gadget refers to Fluttershy as "the Aquaman of the group." This references the ongoing joke that Aquaman's ability to talk to fish isn't really useful given that the Justice League's enemies are usually land-based. * Gadget shouts "Apagando las luces!" which is Spanish for "Turning out the lights!" or "Lights out!" which references the line spoken by Sombra in the online game Overwatch. The ability disables all the abilities of the enemy team within range. Appropriate as Gadget uses her powers to disable the powers of the girls. * Control + C and Control + V are, obviously, the commands used in most applications to copy and paste text respectively, which is why Gadget says it before she makes clones of herself. * Less a reference than an echo. When Gadget says "Everyone would be better off if I was dead!” and Turing Test tries to convince her otherwise it's meant as a callback to the story arc "In Two Minds" from Everything's Better With Robots! in which Gadget likewise urges Turing Test to care about her own life. Only now, the roles have reversed. * Gadget references the video game Persona, in which characters occasionally confront shadow versions of themselves. Sunset seems to enjoy playing them, referencing that she does enjoy games, such as the short where she stands in line for a copy of "Tirek's Revenge." * Turing reads the story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. It's a great book, but if you haven't read it... yeah, I kind of spoiled it for you already. I mean, Turing did. * The Collatz Conjecture is a real unsolved math problem. If you're curious, you can read more about it here.

Well, all that's left is the epilogue. I hope you enjoy it. :raritywink:

Epilogue

A few weeks later...

It was a warm summer day, and though the late morning sun beat down, the weather was mild. In Canterlot City Park, a pair of figures strolled across the thick, lush grass before momentarily taking refuge in the shade of a large oak tree.

One of the figures was a young woman with gray, metallic skin and glowing violet eyes. The other was an older man, his face lined with wrinkles, his skin a ruddy reddish-orange, and his hair thinning and gray.

The older man wiped the sweat from his brow and looked down at his companion with a raised eyebrow.

“Turing, this is truly fascinating,” he said, his voice soft spoken and high-pitched, “but I am both out of shape and quite unused to this gangly, bipedal body. And you still haven’t told me why you petitioned for temporary release from Celestia only to bring me to a park of all things. Would you care to explain to me now why you’ve dragged me to this strange universe with nary an explanation?”

Turing Test looked up at Cobbler Mustang. He was dressed in a white shirt with an old-fashioned black string tie and a pair of gray pants and periodically wobbled to and fro on his two legs.

“I am sorry for the trouble, Father,” she said. “However, I believe that you will find that this was, in fact, worth the effort.”

“I suppose the strangeness of this world is made up for by its technology,” he said, “but you’ve already shared your notes with me. If I had known I’d have to change my very physiology… well, now that I think of it, I’d still prefer it to spending another day in that tower. Breaking up the monotony has proven quite a challenge.”

Turing bowed her head. “I assure you, Father, this will be a very special experience,” she said. She moved from the shade of the tree and beckoned for him to follow. He grumbled a bit but walked after her.

The area they walked to was a large garden filled with beds of roses, hedges trimmed into whimsical shapes, and vines that crawled over arches and bloomed with beautiful flowers.

“Well, this is all quite nice,” he said. “Still, other than my interest in peach trees, I’m not much for gardens. That was… well, that was your eldest sister’s area of expertise.”

“I am glad that you mentioned her, Father,” Turing said. Then she suddenly stopped and took his hand in both of her own. “Father, please listen to me: I have told you about the technology of this world. I have informed you and Princess Celestia of the ways that it is far beyond our own. While I do believe caution should be exercised, some of it has already proven invaluable. Among these discoveries is an invention which you were responsible for in our world: the artificial heart.”

Cobbler froze. “That… I take great pride in knowing that it may one day save other ponies’ lives,” he said, shutting his eyes. “I only wish that I had had the time to perfect it. Then perhaps Georgia… perhaps she might have lived.”

He opened his eyes, meeting hers. “Not that I would trade you for her, Turing Test,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. “I love you as my daughter because that is what you are. Robot or no, you are my very real daughter, and I love you with all my heart. I simply wish that you could have met Georgia Peach as she truly was.”

Turing smiled and hugged her father. “Few things give me greater happiness than hearing you say such things, Father,” she said quietly. Then she took a step back. “However, as I was saying, the artificial heart in this world was a much greater success. Many lives have already been saved by it. Though this world’s version of you was not its creator, it has nonetheless had a great impact.

“You see, Father… I…”

Turing trailed off before looking away in one direction, so Cobbler followed her gaze.

He froze. His jaw dropped.

A young woman was digging in a flower bed near the visitor’s center as she hummed a tune to herself.

She wore a pair of overalls and wide-brimmed hat, but when she took it off for a moment and mopped her brow with a handkerchief, her face, even as a human, was unmistakable.

It was Georgia Peach.

“Georgia…” Cobbler breathed. “It’s… it’s not possible…”

Turing held his arm. “She survived in this world, Father. I did a great deal of research with Sunset Shimmer and Gadget, and I was eventually able to learn her story. Her heart also began to fail her as a young woman. However, the doctors were able to give her an artificial heart while she waited for a donor. Due to advances in this world, she lived long enough to receive a new heart. She is now alive and healthy and works as a horticulturist for the city park.”

Cobbler clapped his hand over his mouth as tears ran down his face. “Georgia,” he whispered. “Oh… oh my sweet baby girl… she lived…”

Turing frowned. “Father… I am sorry. Is it too much for you? I did not mean—”

“No,” he said, embracing her again. “No, sweetheart, I… I never once thought I would see her alive again. And I know that she’s not truly my daughter and that she’s some other Cobbler Mustang’s daughter… but still… to see her like this… oh, my precious girl, this is the most wonderful gift I could ever have received!”

Turing beamed at him. “I am so glad, Father,” she said. “If you wish, there is time to speak to her.”

He froze. “I… but… won’t she… I mean, she has her own father…”

“You need not tell her the truth,” Turing whispered. “Simply tell her that you stopped by to say ‘hello.’ This world’s Cobbler Mustang is a professor at Vanderbull University. Like you, he is an expert on technology and robotics.”

Cobbler swallowed. “All right,” he said. “I… I’ll keep that in mind.”

He walked over to her. The young woman was so occupied in her work that she didn’t even notice him until his shadow crossed over the flower she was inspecting.

She turned and her large brown eyes lit up. She tossed away her hat, revealing her dark brown curly locks of hair.

“Daddy!” she exclaimed, breaking into a wide smile. “Why, what ever are you doing here?”

Cobbler managed a smile despite the lump forming in his throat. Her voice was just the same as his daughter’s had been.

“W-well, I… I was simply in the neighborhood, and I thought I’d pay you a visit,” he said. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Oh, don’t be silly!” she said. “I wish you had told me! I would have cleaned off all this dirt and tried to look a bit more presentable.”

Cobbler shook his head. “Georgia, don’t worry about that,” he said. “You look lovely, sweetheart, just doing what you do.”

She chuckled. “Well, you certainly are in a good mood, Daddy,” she said. “Well, do you have a little time today? My lunch break is in half an hour, so if you would care to join me…?”

Cobbler almost said yes, but then he remembered that he was on a strict time schedule. Turing had promised to have him back in less than an hour.

He swallowed. “I’d love to, Georgia, but I really must get going,” he said. “But… well… I j-just wanted to stop by and tell you… that I love you. I love you very much.”

Georgia’s lips parted. “Why, Daddy, are you crying?!” she gasped. “Oh, Daddy, I love you too. Don’t make such a fuss now, I’m right here!”

She went to him, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his chest.

He choked back a sob and returned the hug, trying and failing to stop the tears that came.

For a time, it was just the two of them there, father and daughter.

Together.

***

Cobbler made his way back to the portal, Turing Test at his side.

“Are you certain that you are all right, Father?” she asked.

“Oh, I know I got quite emotional back there,” he said, “but yes, Turing, I’m quite all right. Seeing Georgia like that, grown and happy and strong… doing what she always wanted to do… even though it made me miss my real daughter terribly, I am still so grateful to you for what you did today.”

He paused a moment, kissing her on the forehead.

“You gave me a chance to see her again, even if it was just for a brief moment,” he said. “That’s more than other fathers can say who’ve lost their child. I will cherish this memory for the rest of my days, and I have you to thank for it.”

Turing held him close, just as Georgia had held him a short while ago. “If it were not for your invention, Father, I would not have known to do research on this world to see if they had made similar advancements,” she said. “With the knowledge I have gained, Equestrian scientists can improve upon your design and save the lives of countless ponies. We will honor Georgia Peach’s memory by ensuring that one day no pony need share her fate.”

“That, my dear,” Cobbler said, turning to face the portal, “may be the second greatest part of my legacy.”

Turing tilted her head to the side. “The second greatest? What is the first?”

Cobbler winked. “Why, my children, of course,” he said. He took her by the shoulder and led her toward the portal.

It was time to leave the past. It was time to face their future. It was time to go home.

Author's Note

See you next time, everyone. 🎩