Conduits in Equestria: The Four Aces

“In just the past two days since the humans arrived, all three initiates have shown vast improvements in their abilities and control. My own training with Ms. Chanelle has helped me discover new ways of improving my own abilities as well.”

More good news. That’s what Celestia was happy to hear. Although surprising and unexpected at first, the arrival of the other three humans, along with Sam, have been a pleasant boon. Each of them were unique and a pleasure to get to know, when she got the time.

Natie, as she likes to be called, was a wellspring of knowledge and very level-headed. Lu, although rough and very crass, was loyal to his values. Isabelle was rather timid, but she has a fiery passion to help those around her.

Then, there was Sam. When she had heard what had happened on the first day, she became worried, both for Gabriel and Sam alike. The princess wanted to offer her wisdom to the matter, but before she could, word came to her that everything had worked out. Celestia was once again glad that Sam had such reliable friends at his side that he could turn to, both from his world and Equestria.

“Thank you for your report, Administrator Aegis Flare,” Celestia bowed her head in gratitude to the stoic pegasus, “It’s good to hear the program is working well for everyone involved.”

Aegis Flare grunted in agreeance. He had expected a lot more obstacles in this endeavor, if not from Sam and his lack of skill in teaching, then from the public’s opinion. It was hard not to see the uncertainty everypony had with such a paradigm shift in their understanding of the world around them. They may have had a couple years to cope, but such a change was bound to leave lingering doubts and concerns to consider.

Of course, that is why the princesses and him had developed the new department within the royal guard for him to preside over. At first, it wasn’t difficult, nor particularly demanding, and the good Admin merely had to take on a few extra responsibilities while still acting as a royal guard captain. That changed when the anomalies started to become a lot more common, and one pony suddenly became very aware of his latent powers. That pony was Aegis Flare.

When he became an activated conduit during a training exercise a few months after Sam’s departure, it came as a shock to everypony, including himself. He was scared, confused, and unable to cope with the suddenness of it all. Were it not for his time during the incidents with Visionary Dusk, and with the help and encouragement of Princess Twilight Sparkle, he was unsure if he would’ve been able to recover as he did. It took him weeks with the help of the newly crowned Princess of Friendship to understand and wrest control of his newly discovered abilities. Even then, it was a challenge.

Though as his control became more natural, another pony became activated. He was a petty thief who was harassing victims in Hoofington before, but with his newfound powers, he carved a devastating path through the streets. Although not nearly on the same level as their human ally, the brave Admin couldn’t just let this criminal continue to do harm. With the princesses’ blessings, he led his first ever mission against a malevolent conduit since the Canterlot Crisis. It was difficult, and left a lot to be desired, but he and the guards he led were able to apprehend the criminal conduit in the end.

It wasn’t over, as another pony conduit popped up in another city and was causing trouble. Aegis Flare apprehended him, too. His success in his missions made him the ideal candidate to become the mentor of the next pony conduit that became activated, but wished no ill-will. He helped as much as he could, but this was not something he was trained to do. When the next pony conduit appeared, that’s when Twilight and the other princesses decided that they needed help from an old friend.

“Administrator?”

Aegis Flare inhaled sharply, having not realized that he had been zoning out for the past few minutes.

“My apologies, your majesty,” Aegis bowed, “I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

The solar diarch tittered cheerfully. It wasn’t often she got to see the ever-focused pegasus before her with his head in the clouds.

“It’s alright, Administrator,” Celestia replied, “Please, rise. I was just merely thanking you for your time in delivering me such good news.”

Aegis Flare chastised himself mentally for his lack of focus, but still felt a hint of pride from the princess’ praise.

Celestia was about to dismiss the Administrator so he could get back to his duties, when a quiet knock on her chamber’s door came. A meek looking royal guard came in and bowed before the princess and admin, before standing at attention. The guard looked worried, which in turn, made the princess and admin worried.

Aegis was afraid to ask, but had no choice, “Report?”

The earth pony guard gulped and shakily replied, “Your highness! Sir! Samuel Reed and Isabelle Wilmott have slipped away from their escorts and left the castle grounds. Reports from the City Guard place them in the eastern section of the second ring.”

Aegis Flare could feel the old discomfort of the long forgotten headaches the wire conduit had put him through coming back. He had to repress the urge to angrily sigh as he heard the report. Perhaps it was too much to think that Sam had become more mature since he last saw him. Though to hear the other girl, Isabelle, following in his antics was a surprise. Celestia was of the same mind, although she trusted that their human guests wouldn’t be causing trouble, but rather just exploring their environment.

Another knock came and, unexpectedly, it was the other human female that entered this time. She looked angry.

“I’m sorry for barging in, your highness,” she apologized, before huffing, “I heard what happened. Can you tell where Sam and Isabelle are? More specifically, Sam?”

It seemed that Aegis and Celestia weren’t the only ones who’ve had to deal with a certain wire conduit’s antics, and that somehow made them feel sympathetic to the electric conduit’s frustration.

--o0o--

“Sam, I know the princesses said we were free to see the city,” Isabelle tried to sound annoyed, even as her wonder for her surroundings filled her, “but I know you’re lying that we were supposed to meet up with our escorts out here.”

Sam tried to act as innocent as possible. Isabelle had known him for too long to be deceived for very long, and gave him a disapproving look.

“What?” Sam tried to feign ignorance, “I know what I was told. We were to meet them out here in ten minutes. That’s why I said we had to hurry and vault the castle grounds’ walls just to make it here on time. Honest!”

Isabelle stepped in front of Sam’s path and narrowed her gaze on him. Sam tried once more to look innocent, but it seemed that Isabelle had had enough.

“Ok, ok,” Sam relented, “but, isn’t it better not having an armed escort following us around? Wouldn’t it send the wrong message of why we’re here?”

Isabelle looked around once more. Although weary, the ponies of this city seemed to be abuzz in their presence. Even a scant few had braved the trek closer to them to exchange a few greetings before scampering away.

“I still don’t like being lied to, Sam,” Isabelle huffed.

Sam knew she’d be mad for a little while and decided not to argue with Isabelle. He also knew she’d forgive him after he showed her that one donut shop just down the road from where they were standing. ‘Joe’s’ as he remembered it being called, an uncharacteristically non-pony name for a shop in a place like this. Just like the pony who ran the shop himself, also named ‘Joe’. Sam just hoped it was still there.

Canterlot was largely the same as he remembered it from the last time, lots of brilliant architecture on either side of it’s cobblestone roads. The upper ring was filled with the elite and aristocrats, while the second ring they now were in, was populated by the working middle-class mostly. Shops and businesses that were just as abundant as the apartment style homes surrounded them on all sides.

Though now, unlike last time, it appeared more modern, like a post industrialized England township. Power lines crisscrossed overhead, supplying the capital's populace with magically powered everyday amenities. Most of the shops with outdoor services had radios that played a mixture of jazzy tunes, an occasional radio show, or daily news. Street lamps that originally used to be oil and wick were replaced by poles with magic-powered light crystals. Sam saw a couple more innovations that gave the city a more modern look from the previous time he stayed here, but he and the rest of the human conduits had had the luxury of a ‘Twilight Lecture’ to fill them in.

In the end, Sam promised not to lie to Isabelle again while they were here as long as he got to show her what they came out into the city for.

“Alright, but you better keep your promise, Sam,” Isabelle sighed.

Sam was happy to get his way for exactly two point thirty-eight seconds before all color drained from his face. He spotted her before she called out to him in a very angry tone.

“Samuel Reed!”

Isabelle turned around to see just who she expected from the familiar voice. It was Natie, and she was pissed. Ponies were giving her a wide berth as she stormed down the street toward the other two humans.

“N-Natie, hey! We- I was just about to head back to let you know-”

“Can it, Sam,” Natie growled.

Forgetting her own anger toward Sam, Isabelle placed herself between him and Natie.

Isabelle pleaded with the furious electric conduit, “Wait, Natie! Please don’t be angry. It’s not his fault.”

Natie stopped just a few feet from them and crossed her arms, “He left the castle without his escort, and by what I’ve been told, this isn’t the first time he’s done it. Isabelle, please tell me you at least didn’t know about this.”

Isabelle bit the inside of her cheek. Torn between not wanting to see her friends fight, and still being angry with Sam. The wire conduit, on the other hand, was frantically looking for a way out of this situation. The city was a little different, but he was sure he knew the streets better than any of his other friends. It was about time he tested his theory of outrunning their strongest member of the The Four Aces, like he hoped.

“I had a good reason, I promise! Tell you later! Bye!” Sam cried out as he sprinted off in the opposite direction of the other two conduits.

Natie shot after him while Isabelle tried to call out for them to stop. She sighed, as neither of them heeded her words. She then casually took off after them, following the path of confused pony faces that gawked after the first two humans.

Sam may have had the advantage of knowing the terrain, but Natie was always faster and stronger. He barely kept his lead on her as they ran down the streets and back alleys. Him, shouting out apologies, while Natie pushed herself to catch up to her quarry. Knowing full well what would happen to him if she did catch up was the only thing keeping him from slowing down, even around sharp corners.

Sam’s frightful sprint would ultimately doom him, as the next alley he sprinted out of opened up into a semi-populated street. He was able to bob and weave through the foot traffic with a few stumbles, but luckily without bumping into any of the startled ponies. His final mistake was taking his eyes off the path in front of him to see where Natie was. He faced forward only to have a split second to cry out in surprise before crashing bodily into a unicorn who had her face buried in a book. The two tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs while onlookers winced in sympathy.

Sam recovered first, shaking off the few scraps he got from falling to the cobblestone ground. He looked down to see the unicorn underneath him having suffered more.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry! Are you okay?!” Sam apologized.

He helped the little pony to her hooves and kept her steady as she regained her balance. In that time, Sam got a good look at the unicorn pony that he had inconveniently run into. She was a beige color that was mostly covered with a somewhat baggy, and ratty looking dark-purple sweater that had a few loosely sewn on pink buttons. Her mane and tail were a washed out reddish hue with two tone lavender highlight streaks. The forelock of her mane was tied up into a weird ‘braid’, which Sam could only guess to help keep it out of her eyes. The last accessory she had was a pair of thick-rimmed glasses that had seen better days haphazardly hanging off her muzzle, obviously dislodged from the collision.

The disoriented unicorn had finally returned to her senses and was looking about her surroundings. Sam tried assuring her that she didn’t appear to be severely injured, but was willing to see her to a medical center if needed.

“My books!” the unicorn finally gasped in shock.

That was not exactly the response Sam had expected, neither did he expect to be shoved out of the way to make room for the mystery unicorn to scramble to a pile of fallen literature a few feet away. She tried to salvage the books from the dirty roadside, but the damage was already done. As she levitated them out of a muddy puddle, a good number of them had had their pages soaked with murky waters already.

Her shock and horror quickly turned to anger as she rounded on the wire conduit with a growl, “You!”

Sam had just finished dusting himself off when he was confronted with the accusatory hoof in his face, “Me?”

“No, the other brain-dead lunatic that carelessly slammed into me. Of course, you!” she all but screeched in his face.

Sam could understand why she was upset. He’d be mad, too, if someone bowled him over, but she didn’t have to yell so loud.

“Look, I’m sorry. It was an accident, and I’m sure-” Sam began, before being cut off.

With a stomp of her already outstretched hoof, the beige unicorn screamed some more, “Oh, so just because it was an accident, that makes it okay?! Do you even realize what sort of books these are?!”

Sam, even though taken aback, glanced at one of the titles being shoved in his face, “‘The Complete Compendium of Morphogenetic Materia’?”

“Gold star to the monkey that can actually read,” the unicorn snorted snidely.

At that, Sam got a little offended, “H-hey, I’m not a monkey, you know? I’m actually-”

“I know what and who you are,” the bespeckled pony cut him off once again, “Samuel Reed, one of those conduits the princesses brought from the other world.”

Sam figured that it was probably already common knowledge in regards to he and his fellow human companions’ arrival, but the way this unicorn had said the word ‘conduits’ made him a little annoyed.

“You’re the one that was here two years ago as well and was involved in the Canterlot Crisis,” the unicorn continued with a roll of her eyes, “You’re also the one that fought against the discredited Visionary Dusk across nearly a quarter of the city, leveling quite a few businesses and homes, one of which was mine. Thanks for that, by the way!”

The unicorn’s rant had gained the attention of a crowd, and with it, the faint whispers of debate. Some were in protest of the negative words, but more were muttering in agreeance of the damage caused being an unnecessary tragedy. More than a few harsh words were slung his way. Although trying to appear unaffected by the words, Sam couldn’t help but feel a small pang of guilt for his actions two years ago. Determined to make up for his perceived mistakes, Sam knelt down beside the unicorn and sifted through the dirt to help pick up the remaining books.

“Look, I’m sorry,” Sam tried salvaging his optimistic demeanor, “Why don’t I help get these books up and cleaned for ya, huh?”

Before the unicorn could protest, Sam plucked one of the books up off the ground. Cleaning up the cover’s hard exterior was easy enough with a few swipes, but when he flipped it open he made another mistake. The pages were wet and covered in mud, so he tried brushing them off the same easy as the cover. The pages were too soggy for the rough treatment and with audible, squelching tears, they fell apart. Sam cringed and looked up to see the unicorn fuming and gnashing her teeth. She tried grabbing the book out of his hand with her magic, but she just became frustrated with every attempt just fizzling out and failing.

“I think you’ve helped enough,” the beige unicorn snorted, having to snatch the ruined book out of his hand with a hoof.

Just as Sam was about to insist on some kind of restitution, an icy shiver ran up his spine as he felt a malevolent presence right behind him. Before he could move out of the way, a firm hand grasped collar of his shirt.

“Causing more trouble, Samuel?” Natie growled as her grip tightened on his shirt.

It was no use now. If Sam tried to escape now, he’d only make his punishment worse.

“Natie, hey!” Sam tried to sound innocent, “Have you met my new friend, uh...psst, a little help?”

“I’m not your friend!” the beige unicorn growled.

Natie sighed, bowing her head apologetically, “I’m sorry if he was bothering you, miss. It won’t happen again.”

Natie heard the unicorn snort dismissively and glanced up in time to see her glaring daggers at the both of them before turning to leave. Even Natie felt the contemptuous response was bit on the rude side.

“Whatever. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have better things to do than be harassed by the likes of you.”

With that, the disgruntled unicorn swept the rest of her damaged books from the dirt and stuffed them back into her saddlebags. She then stomped off in the opposite direction, which was more than a clue for the bystanders to stop gawking and disperse. This just left the two conduits, now made three with the arrival of Isabelle having finally caught up, to finish their own dispute.

“So, how are you liking the city, Natie? Gah!” the electric conduit hoisted the wire conduit into a one-armed headlock while she continued to glare down at him.

In a seething tone, Natie unleashed her pent up frustration, “Don’t you dare try to change the subject here! What the hell were you thinking?! Do you have any idea how much stress your little stunt put on the princesses?!”

“To be fair, we were told we could go out into the city anytime we wanted- Hurk!”

The headlock grew tighter at his blatant twisting of the words of the permission they were granted by the powers that be in this world. Natie started dragging the incapacitated wire conduit back in the direction of the castle.

“Wait! I was the one that wanted to come out and see the city to begin with. Sam shouldn’t be the only one punished,” Isabelle tried to defend.

Natie flashed a disapproving look in the meeker conduit’s direction. Isabelle shrunk back.

“The princesses said we were allowed out into the city under supervision, for everyone’s protection. Isabelle, I’m disappointed that you’d be the one to break their trust like that, but...” Natie gave the wire conduit in her grip another good squeeze, eliciting another gasp of discomfort, “...we both know it was his idea to sneak outside the castle’s grounds without our escorts.”

Isabelle looked down at her feet dejectedly, feeling guilty for her actions. Natie sighed, having felt sorry for upsetting her friend like so, but still needing to make sure their mistakes were clearly known.

“Come on, Isabelle,” Natie trudged on ahead, “We’re all going back and apologizing to our hosts. And we’re not going to let this happen again!”

That last statement was more directed to the struggling wire conduit in her grasp, who was trying everything he could not to get choked out and failing. Isabelle fell in behind Natie as they made their way down the streets. Pony passerbys watched in confused trepidation, but thought it best to not get involved with the human that could easily hold down their ‘Wire Wraith’.

Natie let out another exasperated sigh and thought to herself, ‘why do I feel like it’s going to be one of those days?