Equestria: A retelling of the story.by xombiekillaChaptersPrologue: The beginning of a new evilChapter One: The doctor and the elements meetChapter Two: The first fight against a mechanical beast.Chapter Three: A terrible meeting and a terrible planChapter Four: Taking down the fiery TortoiseChapter Five: Fast forward a few months... give or take a few hours.Chapter Six: Racing the Speedster, conquering the doctor's scheme.Chapter Eight: A tutor-bot's twisted turmoil, a doctor's scheme foiled.Chapter Nine: The aftermath of Tutor-Bot, progression of the day.Chapter Ten: The Canterlot Wedding (Part one)Chapter Eleven: The Canterlot Wedding (Part two)Chapter Twelve: The Canterlot Wedding (Part three)Chapter Thirteen: Wedding aftermath and celebration of love's union.Chapter Fourteen: An inside ploy with elitist nobles.Chapter Seven: You can always tell with a tutor-bot, the doctor's next plan.Prologue: The beginning of a new evil"Greetings and salutations, everybody! I humbly welcome everyone to this incredible event: The world-class major inventors' assembly." The host, a well-known inventor himself, was adjusting his tie and cleared his throat as he addressed the crowd in front of him. He saw him to the right of the vast ocean of other like-minded individuals. He visibly scowled upon seeing him there. He knew that the most remarkable inventions on display here were not made by him or anybody else but by the man he was looking at. With short black hair and a light mustache and beard, that was enough for him to stroke it without it being too unkempt. He had hazel eyes almost always covered by heavily tinted glasses. He wore a white lab coat and black pants like everyone else. "Well, it is with my esteemed pleasure that I announce the winners of this event. Please approach the podium and take your positions for those with their tickets and designated numbers." The one who earned the host's ire was stroking his chin in mild suspicion; these machines looked an awful lot like the ones based on his blueprints in his office of this building, but why? "That's funny. These look like my designs, and every machine is displayed here. Their resemblance is uncanny. What is that slime ball up to this time, I wonder?" The man muttered to himself under his breath. "Unfortunately, those who did not receive a ticket with a number were sadly not chosen as the winners of this national event. They will then at least be able to enjoy our banquet with everyone else, prepared by our cooks." The man grew increasingly suspicious, realizing he hadn't been given a ticket. "Now, wait just a minute here!" he yelled, which got the attention of everybody in the auditorium. "These machines look like they're based on my designs. You didn't think I wouldn't be able to recognize my creations, did you, professor?" "That is absurd, Doctor Bruner. These were indeed designed by our contestants here. I'm sure you're upset that you were never chosen." The professor carried his trademark smug look over his face as he addressed his once colleague and rival. "I can guarantee you that these were all mine; I have the blueprints of each in my office." This made the professor smirk, "How dare you steal my work and masquerade it off as theirs when neither you nor they put any effort into their designs whatsoever." "If what you say is true, producing these blueprints shouldn't be too difficult for you to do, should it?" "Not at all. I'll show you, You pompous charlatan." The Doctor then made his way down through one of the sprawling corridors of their facility, leading to his office to check up on his work. Upon opening the door to his room, he discovered something terrible: all his blueprints were missing. "What?! Inconceivable. They were all here before this event—I ensured that myself. I knew that snake was up to no good." The Doctor was anything but pleased right now; he knew that he needed to return to the event. "So then, Good Doctor, do you have the blueprints you speak of? Please present them to us," the professor asked upon seeing the Doctor return. "What have you done with my blueprints? I watermarked them, you know. I have every legal right to them. I knew you would cause some trouble for somebody, so I showed up tonight." "I have no idea what you're talking about, Doctor Bruner. There's no recorded evidence that I walked into your office to take them, is there?" "Damn, you. You planned this out thoroughly; that look on your face is all too obvious- the look of blatant satisfaction." "If you do not cease this nonsense immediately, then I'll have no choice but to have you forcibly removed from this building by site security." "That won't be necessary; I'll see myself out. All of you in this facility are dishonest charlatans, fakers, pretenders, and embellishers of someone else's genius. You're all an embarrassment to good inventors everywhere. I hope you enjoy that which you coveted for yourselves. I quit working in this haven of hypocrites." "Then, by all means, Good Doctor. The door is that way." The professor gestured to the exit door; many people there were also snickering, obviously aware of the professor's foul play. "None of you are even as close to being as capable of even a quarter of the level of intelligence and genius that I possess, and none of you ever will be, either—not anybody in this crowd or this entire building. This whole event was a farce—a means to get rid of me, and you know it." "A very bold accusation coming from somebody unable to prove that I did anything. As you said, Good Doctor, you shall see yourself out; we'll ensure your belongings are delivered to your residence within three business days. I wish you luck in your future endeavors." "Spare me your honeyed words; you always were much better at groveling to your superiors than thinking anyway. This entire planet isn't worth living on anymore. There's no such thing as an honest individual nowadays." "In my professional opinion, that might be a premonition of cognitive depression and schizophrenia. Always remember that help is just a phone call away, Good Doctor." "I hope this entire world and the human species may rot as it deserves." Doctor Bruner then slammed the door, exiting the facility and cementing his resignation from within that company. "I'm so pleased to have you back with us, Luna. It's been so long, and I've missed you." Celestia then unfurled her wings and brought her sister into her embrace. The younger alicorn accepts it as she melts into her older sister's embrace. "I'm so glad to be back finally. I am so sorry I've lost myself to such madness for so long." Luna, relieved to be back finally, was eager to have a fresh start as everyone cheered for her redemption. "I'm so glad you two can rekindle your friendship after a thousand years, Princess Cel- I mean Celestia. I can't imagine what this must have been like for either of you." Twilight snuggled up to Celestia as the rest of her friends soon joined in. "Darn right, Twilight. I reckon that we all did a good job." "Oh yeah, we did, AJ. We all were awesome, purging the evil right out of her." "We should all have a welcome back Luna party! I'll make the cake!" Pinkie was hopping in place as everyone giggled at her goofy display. "That sounds like a marvelous idea, Pinkie; a short reprieve from my work would be better on my nerves." "Oh, I'd love it if Pinkie also had an assortment of bird seeds for the lovely little birds. I'll want to provide a little.. w-well gift for Luna's return to Equestria." "Oh yeah, Futtershy. I will have all of the seeds... all of them..." "Oh, that sounds just lovely, Pinkie." They all enjoyed gathering together as they made way for Sugarcube Corner for their nighttime party before their night had ended and the morning began for Equestria. "I can't believe this. Those cretins were all scheming behind my back; this entire species cannot even do a single thing legitimately, can they? No matter, this new invention should be able to provide for me a world of which I can occupy and command." Dr. Bruner was glossing over the blueprints of his new prototype, a machine that can bend matter and atom particles to accelerate said matter on the molecular level. The Doctor removed his white lab coat and put on his red uniformed top, an equal mix of science and dictator in style. If he planned on ruling a different world, he might as well look the part of a ruler. "It's... beautiful. Untested, sure, but beautiful. I call it the Bruner Tech Hyper-Dimension Scrambler and Seeder Device. With this machine, I can leave this pathetic excuse of civilization behind and establish a new and better one that I will monitor." It was risky even to consider testing it on himself, but the Doctor was confident in his work, sure it would succeed. "What's progress without some risks, as they say in science." The door slid open to the right as the machine waited to be used. "Somehow, I feel this might be a mistake. But I'm already too deep to cancel it all now." The doctor steels himself for his excursion. He switched the machine to its activated feature as it whirred to life, a cascade of beeping and clicking to signal that it was ready for service. "Excellent. Alright, Device, activate coordinate protocol immediately!" The Doctor stepped in as the sliding door corralled the Doctor into its matter transfer chamber; it did as instructed. Suddenly, the machine's caution alarm went off, "W-What's this? What's going on here?! Device! Open this door up at once! I order you!" The machine was blowing up as it forced too much matter to transfer all at once; the Doctor could not escape from his creation as his vision turned white. Just like that, he was gone, and the now broken machine was all that remained. Twilight woke up from her bed in her treehouse home as she exited and stretched her muscles. She shook herself awake with a yawn and trotted to Spike's basket bed to wake him up. "Good morning, Spike. You want to go and have some breakfast with me?" Spike stirred from his slumber as he stretched and, with a yawn, addressed his friend next to him. "Sure thing, Twilight. That sounds great right about now." "Wonderful. That'll be the first thing we do to check off our list, among the other things we've planned for today." "So I couldn't dig into those tasty cupcakes from Pinkie's party last night?" "Spike, no, you can't. Cupcakes are not for breakfast, making you have an even pudgier belly." "Hey now, my belly ain't pudgy; it's nice and fluffy like a pillow." "Right. Sure it is, Spike. Just be careful what you eat, okay? I want my best assistant to be happy and healthy." "Of course. Thanks, Twilight. So I guess I'm just as ready as ever." "Alright then. Let's get some grub, Spike. I'm starving." The flashing then subsided in favor of an ear-splitting headache. "O-Ohh man... my head. What happened? What is this? Is this the afterlife? Am I dead?" He found that his breathing was regular. "Normal breathing? It's a sure sign that I'm alive. But uhh. Where am I?" The Doctor was taking in his surroundings, trying to gather his bearings as he observed the grassland terrain. "Alright then, focus. I'll first need to establish a new base of operations. But where? That is the question." With such luck that there was a supply warehouse not too far from where he was, it was very fortunate for him. "Wonderful. I shall begin construction of my new base immediately." The Doctor grinned as he then went to work making his new base out of that warehouse. "Oh boy. I'll admit, that stuff does look pretty good, Twilight." Spike saw the goods in the display window of a nearby cafe in Ponyville. They both went inside to order something good for breakfast. "I have to agree, Spike. Mmm. And smell that coffee and those cinnamon rolls." "Oh sure, because a cinnamon roll has more benefits than a cupcake." "Spike, don't you pick a fight with me, mister, or so help me, I'll make you read three chapters with me... with no breaks whatsoever." Spike gulped and then stayed compliant with Twilight. "Okay, then, maybe a cinnamon roll is not all that expensive. Would you like to go and buy one?" "Sure, Spike. Let's enjoy breakfast; then we'll move on with today's rest of our list." Spike and Twilight then ordered their meals and sat down to eat them, blissfully unaware of the potential new threat that had just arrived in Equestria not too long ago. Chapter One: The doctor and the elements meet"Hello there, it's a pleasure to meet every... eh... one here. Did I get that right?" The human greeted all the workers here present as they saw this very tall man slowly approaching them; he was at least level height with Celestia herself. "Do not fear; I am not your enemy here. I am new here and hope to lend you my engineering talents. That's if you would have me, of course." "Sure thing, Partner. What all can you, uh. Do?" The foreman of this warehouse asked. "Perhaps a demonstration would be in order, yes?" The doctor replied with a now wider grin. "All I require from you, fine gentlemen, is some resources for my work. That wouldn't be asking for too much, would it?" "No. Not at all. How soon can you start, anyway?" "Immediately," the doctor said with a sinister grin. Twilight's teeth sunk into the warmth and softness of the toasty, sweet cinnamon roll as she sighed in bliss. "Oh man, these have to be the best this town offers us." "O-oh yes, for real. But Pinkie's sweets are still top-notch, though. These are pretty close." Spike was savoring the morning sweet as if he were its judge; sadly, it could not measure up to what one would typically have at Sugarcube Corner. "But for just a few bits, would you say it was worth it?" "Hmm... yup." Then came the coffee for the both of them. They thought the roll was good, and the coffee was much better. "My goodness, Spike. This coffee is better than the sweet roll. After breakfast, our next stop is Canterlot. I need to discuss something with Celestia, and it cannot wait." "What's wrong this time? She forgot to give you your monthly issue of magic anomalies, and you again?" "No, Spike. I agreed to study the more advanced magic with her that not even the students at her school were ready to tackle. Can you imagine how exciting that is?" "Well, considering I'm a dragon, dragons don't use magic... not really." They both finished their breakfasts and left the server a two-bit tip as they left the cafe and went to board their train to Canterlot. "So then, how durable would you estimate this glass to be? For uh- research purposes." "Oh? This glass is some of the most durable and damage-resistant in this warehouse; why, aside from just research?" "Oh, the more you know, the better off you'll be; that's all. The more durable a machine is, the safer it'll be for everyone." "That's... agreeable, Sir. It's nice to see somebody who values safety above all else." The doctor then took a look at what he was able to use and grinned. "Oh my... these materials will do. I'll get to work once I get the tools I need." The doctor then looked at a case filled with the required tools for his work. "Watch and be amazed, gentlemen." He went to work as a group of world-class mechanics would have, leaving everyone speechless. "By Celestia's bright mane, how can you do all this?" "And so fast, too. He doesn't even need any of our help here. But what exactly is he making." "Yeah, it does look interesting." Then, after about thirty to forty-five minutes, he was finished. "Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to a machine I would like to call The Bruner Mobile." It looked almost like an egg-shaped pod, hovering on what appeared to be some form of temporary energy. "This is the absolute go-to for mobility to those that would be otherwise physically challenged to do so." He sat in its cockpit and pushed the take-off button as it rose higher and lower. He got the standard 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from his standing ovation. "Incredible. And is this device also capable of protecting the pilot?" "Of course it is. This machine is designed to be durable enough to withstand the force of nearly three hundred pounds of pressure per square inch. This titanium-alloy hull can absorb damage and rebound it away as more energy for faster travel." He closed the glass window on it to shield himself as the built-in speaker played his voice as he spoke into the mobile's microphone. "And it can protect whoever is it in from anything above them while providing a clean and unrestricted view of your surroundings." "I-Incredible. This is truly impressive. A bit rotund, but otherwise very practical in terms of functionality." "The roundness was necessary for maintaining its parts and keeping it more like a mobile shield." The doctor then unfurled the window as he jumped out of his machine and dug into his left coat pocket to pull out a series of tiny data chips. "What're those supposed to be?" "Digital schematic data chips. Each has sufficient data to transform modern scrap into basic repair and design bots. Observe!" The doctor then threw them over to a pile of reusable scrap as they attached themselves, pulling and absorbing the materials to form their bodies. Five robots were there in total. "And these robots are capable of professional carpentry and designing?" "Indeed. And they can mass-produce scrap and resources for me to use in abundance. Loyal to only their creator, you understand." The robot at the center then threw a net over the pony mechanics, trapping them. "W-What is the meaning of this!? What do you think you're doing!?" "This place will suffice as my new base of operations. You lot, however, your services are no longer needed. Capture bot, dispose of these pests!" With a crass but gentle wave of his hand, he dismissed those he deemed unuseful to his plans. It beeped as if to suggest that it understood its orders as it carried them away. "You won't get away with whatever it is you're planning. The elements will stop you dead in your tracks!" "Elements? Don't be ridiculous; now I bid you a good day, gentlemen." The doctor then laughed as he danced about the workshop. "Yes. Most excellent, indeed. My plans to create a new utopia have already begun; whoopee, ha-ha!." "Alright, Celestia. We've made it here. I'm ready to do whatever it takes to make you proud of me!" Twilight and Spike have made it to see both Celestia and Luna. "Wow, Luna. You look a bit.. older." "Much more blue." Spike jested as he saw her body. "But nice-looking, overall, Princess." "We thank thee both for thine compliments. But I'm also learning about our new world before us. So much has changed in a thousand years." Luna was then looking at her older sister as she spoke. "It's honestly not as bad as you'd think, Luna. Not much has changed aside from our magic and technology." "Ooh, I would love to see that." Luna was lightly hopping her hooves in a place like an excited filly. Then, the sudden burst, a pony wearing a pair of blue overalls stormed into the throne room. "P-Princesses... Danger! Big trouble!" The pony then collapsed over the marble flooring as Celestia got up and approached her subject. "Big trouble? Who? Who's responsible for this? I will see that whoever's doing this will be stopped." "H-He's very tall, and he took over our warehouse; I was probably the only one that got away from that robot he used to capture us with." "Excuse me, Fair Subject. But did thou say robot?" Her short brevity took Luna aback upon hearing him say this. "Y-Yes, Your Highness. There were five in total." Then he fainted from exhaustion. "You there! Make sure this one gets a cozy bed. Twilight, get your friends; we might be in trouble here. We can always use the help." The guard saluted as he carried the tired pony away, and Twilight then spoke up. "Of course, Celestia. We'll be ready for whoever this guy is." "Oh my... this place is truly magnificent- a place that I'm proud to call my new fortified base of operations." With a cheerful gait to his step, the doctor directed himself to the giant machine he was building. "And with this bad boy, I'll be able to start leveling a few acres of those trees to make room for a new parking lot, perhaps." The falcon-like avian machine had a smooth and durable chrome plating exterior that he was positive could rebound anything. The plating itself, however, was tinted in different hues of red and black juxtaposed to the colors of his uniform and armed with the ability to launch temperature-guided missiles and a harsh beam that could cut through even metal to level the acres of trees. The jets and their wings could guide the machine through the air efficiently and keep it airborne so it wouldn't crash. "I'll call this masterpiece the Bruner Albatross Avian Excavator." Then he heard some explosions from outside as only three of his five machines had returned. "What's this? Who would dare to destroy my work?!" ~ Five minutes ago... "Alright then, Twilight, where exactly is this place we're looking for?" Rarity looked over to her friend for an answer. "Well, according to that guy, we managed to get its location right as he woke up. It shouldn't be too far now." Twilight says as all six elements and the two princesses were on their way to that usurped warehouse to see that it now resembled a giant industrial factory. "Well, whoever this chump is, he sure did pick the wrong place to try to cause trouble!" Rainbow proclaimed with a bump to her chest with her left hoof. "Darn tootin', Sugarcube. Let's give this guy an all-around Equestrian welcome!" "Hey guys, I wondered if he liked having parties?" Everyone gave Pinkie a strange look. "What? Just in case we manage to reform him, guys. I gotta ask these things." "Well, I highly doubt we'll be able to go that far, Pinkie. Making his life better does sound nice, though." Celestia said as they neared the front of the factory. "Wow.. big place this intruder has." "It's so high-tech, though. It has a nerdy feel to it. Not that I'm against that kind of aesthetic detail." Twilight was gawking at the building, and then they saw the net that contained the ponies that were initially there, hanging from a tree as they were squirming to get out of it. "Hey! We're over here! Get us out of this stupid net, please." They were squirming as Celestia used her magic to cut the net's threads to free them as they flopped to the ground. Then, five robots came out of the two small doors at the front entrance and assembled in a defensive line, blocking the front way in. "Hey! Get out of our way, you oversized trash cans!" Rainbow then dived right into one, causing it to explode; she kicked the other one and sent it flying over to Applejack as she backed up and bucked it into the air, causing that one to explode. The other three beeped in Morse code as they retreated into the factory. ~ Present time... "What's this? Who would dare to destroy my work?!" The figure then came out from the factory door as it opened up, and the steam escaped from the door, making it look like a mist billowing out everywhere. He was slowly walking towards the group of ponies with his arms behind his back. Then, the doctor reached out his arms to show off as he introduced himself. "Greetings, mysterious creatures of this unknown world. I've come in peace to declare a bright and new beginning; I am Dr. Bruner, and I aim to create a new empire—The Bruner Empire. But rest assured, I am a benevolent and compassionate man." The doctor did his best to maintain his ruse of politeness and tranquility to the alien creatures around him. "All those who actively work with me shall, of course, be treated very well." Twilight then stepped up to speak to him. "First of all, this isn't an unknown world; this is called Equestria, and it already has a ruler—two, in fact," Twilight said. She was the first to oppose the doctor as they both locked their gazes at each other. The doctor had deduced that this pony was the thinker of their group based on how she carried herself. "Yes, that would be both Luna and me," Celestia spoke as she stomped her right hoof in mild frustration. "If you're going to be a threat to Equestria. Then I'm afraid that you're no longer welcome here. Leave at once!" Both taller equines then stood by Twilight's side as the doctor quickly saw that these two were figures of authority of higher standing. Then, the doctor let out a hearty laugh as he couldn't believe this. These ponies- this had to be a joke. "Oh, really now? How very intimidating. I am talking to little, colorful horses. Trying to oppose my new vision- my new world order. How very twee." As he collected himself, a blue pegasus flew up to introduce herself. "Yeah. We are. So buzz off, you weird, two-legged thing." Rainbow shot back at him sharply. Their eyes connected as the doctor knew by looking at her that she would be the most trouble for him. The glare he gave back to Rainbow wasn't making the hot-tempered pegasus feel better. All this did was make her even angrier. "Just so we're clear, horse-" She got in his face to argue with the doctor as he went to clarify what he felt was a fact. "Ponies. That's what we're called." Rainbow immediately corrected the doctor, not that he cared much about the correction. "Right then. I am what you would call a human. If we cannot negotiate peacefully, I have no other choice here." The doctor then summoned his mobile mech and hopped into it. First, he closed the mobile window before activating its shield and floating high in the air. "Last warning. Abandon this frivolous act of heroism, or else! I'll have to do things by force, the hard way!" Chapter Two: The first fight against a mechanical beast."You're nuts if you think we'll just give up like that, pal," Rainbow said as she got close to his mobile device. It sent a small current of electricity into her to knock her back. "Wah!? Oof. Hey, ouch. That was uncool. That hurt." "Well, it's about to get even more uncool if you intend to be persistent." The doctor then pressed a button, the entire factory roof opened up, and a vast bird-like machine rose from it. Dr. Bruner approached it and placed his mobile device into its head like a control terminal. "This beautiful creature of advanced engineering is called the Bruner Albatross Avian Excavator." The machine was floating above the group of ponies. "This machine isn't exactly my first choice, but it'll still get the job done." "Tia. I understand that we're not supposed to like this guy. But that thing is soo cool!" Luna was gawking up at the marvelous mechanical beast above everyone. "Luna. Time and place. Now, it is neither of the two. This is your last chance to concede, Dr. Bruner. Or we must bring you down!" Celestia then went for an opportunity to use her magic. But each blast had only bounced off of the shiny exterior of the flying metal bird. "W-What?! That thing is immune to magic?" "Is that what you ponies are calling that stuff? Interesting. Nice light show, by the way, didn't do a thing to my Albatross, but points for effort." "Celestia. If magic will only rebound off of its exterior, then why not try to use it to restrain that thing instead?" "Well, that is not a bad idea. But how can we do that, Twilight? Flying will only bring us up to its level, but we'll get shocked if we ever touch it." "Y-Yeah. I learned that one the hard way." Rainbow then tried to shake it off. "Great, singed feathers. I'm going to need to get good preening after this." "I'll turn you all into a crater before that happens. Missiles away!" The doctor gave the order as a volley of guided missiles was aimed at the ponies below. "Oh no. Everypony, gather up to me, now!" Celestia then raised her golden-yellow shield to block all his missiles; it was enough to crack her magic, making her flinch. "Grr." "Are you okay, Celestia?" Twilight asked in obvious concern. "Yes, Twilight, I am. But I definitely cannot keep tanking those." The Bruner Albatross then changed its position as it fired away beams of energy at the ponies below. One of the beams sliced through a nearby tree, causing it to fall over Fluttershy as she stood there, shaking like a leaf. "I got you, Fluttershy; hold on!" Rainbow swooped in to grab Fluttershy right as the tree slammed down, narrowly avoiding it as Fluttershy hugged Rainbow. "It's okay, Fluts, we got you." Rainbow then looked up at the Bruner Albatross and scowled. "Fun fact: This baby was designed for excavations, not combat." "Could have fooled me, being immune to magic and being armed to the teeth like that," Celestia said with a rugged and stoic look. "Wait, Celestia, let him fire his missiles again." Twilight started as she looked at Applejack. "You got your lasso ready, Applejack?" "I always carry my rope with me; why?" "Twilight. I hope you know what you're doing here. I will admit, those things gave my magic a beating." "What is she planning down there?" The doctor muttered under his breath as he readied his missiles again. "Not that it would make a difference; all missiles at the ready! Open Fire!" Another volley of missiles then shot out as they headed toward the ponies. "Applejack, use your lasso on one of those missiles and return it to sender! If we can penetrate his hull, our magic may hurt it." "I'm on it, Sugarcube." Applejack's rope caught one of the missiles as she spoke through the string in her mouth. "H-Here you go, you nasty varmint! You can have your missile back!" Applejack then flung the missile back into the bottom of the Bruner Albatross, making a small hole in its steel belly. "Gah!? No way! How did she do that? The hull has been breached!" This caused him to retreat, "Fall back and assess the situation, Bruner Albatross!" It beeped to affirm its new order as it backed away from the ponies. "My goodness, that plan worked." The short brevity slightly overtook Celestia before focusing on the current task: defeating their new enemy. Rainbow Dash then looked at everyone and grinned. "Hey guys, let's try something new cause I'm still mad about my singed feathers. Twilight. All of you channel your magic into me. I don't know if this will work, but it should be enough to total that metal bird." "So you're suggesting we charge you like a magical battery?" Twilight asked her friend. "Yeah, then I'll spear right through that thing; it will be awesome!" "You know that too much magic at once can be dangerous for you, right?" Twilight was unsure if this was a good idea. "Well, it's either that or get blasted to a pulp by those." Rainbow pointed at the new volley of missiles headed straight for them. "Everypony! Duck!" Rarity screamed as they did, and the rockets flew right over them and blasted down a few trees. "Okay then. Stand at the center, Rainbow; we got you." Twilight, the other elements, and the two princesses have joined to charge Rainbow's body. Incredible amounts of energy coursed through her body all at once, making her go into a new form; her mane was more prolonged, her fur was merged with the colors of a rainbow, and her magic aura was brimming with energy. Rainbow-colored static was coursing through her body as well. "Holy hay! This feels so awesome! Alright then, Doc. I'm coming to get you!" Rainbow then wasted no more time as she darted for the hole Applejack created onto the Albatross's belly. "W-What in the name of- She's aiming right for the hole they made. Oh no." Rainbow's body then impaled the Albatross as it was about to explode and fall apart. "Aagh! My machine is totaled. It's time to abort. Eject! Now!" The doctor then released his mobile pod from the head of the broken Albatross as its body was falling and threatening to cause massive damage. "Hold on; we got this, Everypony." Luna and Celestia had corralled the falling bird into their magic as it exploded. It was enough to break their magical hold, but their magic was also enough to shield the blast. Then, they saw Rainbow chasing after the fleeing doctor. "That was for the singed feathers. And this is for being a jerk!" Rainbow then rushed to the doctor to deliver a kick to his machine. "No! M-Mercy!" With a crash, her kick sent the Bruner Mobile flying away with him in it. "Augh! I-I can't believe I just lost!" Then, all they saw was a tiny star in the distance. Rainbow then floated back down as that power left her. They all cheered for her. "Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh! Rainbow! You bounced him away like big ol' steel and titanium-alloy beach ball!" Pinkie was hopping in place. "Um, Pinkie. How did you know that the machine was made from titanium?" Twilight asked her. "Um... just a lucky guess," Pinkie said nervously. "Well, the good news is that he's been dealt with. Unfortunately, My little ponies, I do not believe this will be the last we'll see of that Doctor Bruner. If he ever returns, we must be ready for him." Celestia said with confidence and concern. "Then, we'll all work together and send him flying away again, just like last time." Rainbow then bowed to Celestia, to which she returned. "Sure. I suppose we can always do that, Rainbow." Celestia returned Rainbow's comment with a giggle of her own. "So then, I suppose we can go about the rest of our day now that he's been dealt with. Tia, wasn't there something important you needed to do today?" Luna asked her sister. "Oh, ponyfeathers, that's right. Luna and I have to go and see to a diplomatic meeting with the chief of the Griffon Kingdom to maintain our peace ties with both places." "It's alright, Celestia. Do what needs to be done. I can always continue my lessons next time." "I'm so sorry, Twilight. We would have started today. But what with our little skirmish with the doctor and such." "Don't worry about it, Celestia. I'll go and find something else to do with Spike. Oh, that's right, he's still at the castle, right?" "I do believe so, Twilight." "Well then, I better go and get to him then. He's probably scared out of his mind right now." "Or probably bored and sleeping." Rainbow butted in. "Or maybe that, too." They all left the factory back to the workers, defacing the doctor's symbol on the side of the building and snickering. "Aaaughhh!? Oh! Oof! Ouch! Guh!" The doctor hit branch after branch as he plummeted inside his Bruner Mobile. "Oh man... my aching head. How did they trounce my precious Albatross? It was designed for excavating, sure. But it was still strong enough to turn them all into pulp. This makes no sense. They haven't seen the last of me, that's for sure." Then he opened his glass window, rolled out of it, and ran to the nearest bush to vomit. "Hey, Twilight. There you are. So, did you get that weird guy?" Spike saw Twilight enter with her friends and the two princesses. "Yes, we did, Spike. He goes by the name of Dr. Bruner." Twilight said to the drake as everyone gathered to rejoice in their victory. "The dude was a total loser. He threatened Fluttershy by nearly crushing her under a tree. Oh, and Rarity, as much as I hate to say it, I think I may need to have a.." The Rainbow sputtered a bit. "Yes, Rainbow? I know what you'll say, but say it anyway." "A-A spa day with you." Rainbow got that out with extra difficulty on her end. "But only just preening my wings, okay? None of that girly stuff." "Oh, Darling, please. Do you think that I'd do anything to make you uncomfortable deliberately? You wound me sometimes." "I'm going to tend to an Apple Family banquet, then work on the zap apple harvest." "I'm going to go help Pinkie finish with her pastries. I promised Angel Bunny a piece of carrot cake for his good behavior lately." "Oh, and before we leave Twilight. Here's both the most recent issue of Magic Anomalies and You. And a study guide for the few spells I wish to teach you this week. Tomorrow, we shall get together to study." Celestia set the books down with her magic as she and Luna left the Throne Room. "I'll be sure to develop a new plan next time. And an even nastier machine. I do learn from my mistakes, Ponies." The doctor had more schematic data chips to build upon the new land. "I'll be sure to create laboratories all over Equestria in preparation for the worst-case scenario. Next time we meet, I will be victorious!" The doctor then used a small radio to summon the three robots who hadn't yet been destroyed and had to take the trip to their creator. Once they did, however, the doctor got to work by drawing up new schematics for new bases at choice-specific locations around the country. "Yes, I'll be very victorious next time." Chapter Three: A terrible meeting and a terrible plan"Tia. You do know how dreadful the griffins are known for being. I know that this will not end well for us." "Never mind that, Sister. Just remember always to be polite. We do not need them to be upset with us." Came an admonishment from Celestia as they both took a deep breath and braced for the worst as they walked in to start the meeting. "Good evening, Chief and Ambassador of Griffonia; we're so pleased to have you here tonight." Celestia and Luna bowed to show their respect even though only the ambassador did, not the Chief. "Yes. I'm sure you're happy to have me here. So then, let's get down to business; Ambassador Blackwing, will you do the honors?" "Yes, Chief. We hope to strengthen economic trade and commerce ties between your nation and ours. We feel it's time to take steps toward a stronger bond between us, Princesses." "Why certainly, Mister Blackwing. And please, call me Celestia. Since we're going to be strong allies, formalities aren't necessary. So then, what is it that you're willing to negotiate?" "Brokering in goods as far as imported meats, treasures, and spices, among other things." The Chief then spoke up. "That and, I suppose in exchange, we'll accept the various commodities from your nation as well. I'm certain that griffons live in Equestria, yes?" "I'm pretty sure there are, Chief. I suppose it couldn't hurt. In times of war, having good aviary soldiers assisting us would benefit Equestria." Celestia was still a bit wary of the griffon chief but was willing to do anything for her nation; Luna was still indecisive. "Eventually, princesses, we would like to request that we build a few of our forts in your land; they'll not be owned by you, of course, but they will still be loyal to you so long as we'll be permitted to remain in your land, you'll also, likewise, be welcome in Griffonia." Luna leans her head close to her sister's to whisper to her, "But Tia, how do we know we can trust them? I don't mean that in a disrespectful tone. But we recently had an attack from someone completely foreign to our country; allowing the griffons to quite literally surround us like this? Art thou sure this is wise, sister?" "I understand your concerns, Luna. But we'll have to take our chances here. It's either that or a possible war we could be facing with them." "Yes, Sister. I understand, clearly." "Are you princesses questioning the trustworthiness of a proud griffon chief?" The Chief suddenly spoke up, angry at both alicorns. "No, no, we are not. We'd never do that to you. Isn't that right, Luna?" Celestia looked at her sister as she spoke up. "Yes. That is very much correct, Tia. We'd never think of you as anything short of being trustworthy." Luna fixed her posture and cleared her throat as she addressed the griffon chief. "Let us hope that is the case; now, if we got nothing else to discuss, we shall take our leave." The gruff griffon leader bade his farewell, "Come, Blackwing; to my aid; we're leaving." "Thank you, princesses, for your time," Blackwing said as he bowed in respect to them before leaving to join the griffon chief. "Tis not any trouble at all, Fair Ambassador." Luna then left with Celestia after the two griffon officials left the meeting room. "I'll have to consider land with an abundance of minerals greatly. Perhaps a mine shaft will do. Yes. I could easily lift that slice of land into a new laboratory. Oh, how excellent." The Doctor was looking to expand his reach nationwide, starting with a few empty quarries that could contain valuable minerals for his machines. "The lab, of course, will be built on more stable ground next to the quarry. It should work out nicely." Then he began to draw his fresh blueprints and built up his first laboratory and warehouse complex neck-deep in Everfree territory. "A good portion of this land can do well with good deforestation. A small acre or two missing would hardly be noticed, right?" The small two-acre cut of land was built next to the quarry as he sent in his robots to excavate and retrieve more minerals and other various gemstones. "How many geodes are in there by any chance, Digger-bot?" "Calculating results from the most recent excursion: There's approximately forty-seven unchecked and twenty harvested, Doctor." The Digger-bot then opened up its chest compartment, filled to the brim with sparkling gem shards and other various crystals, sparking with collected energy. "My my, these are charged with latent energy. Marvelous." The Doctor was laughing evilly as he held them into the palms of his hands. "I can feel the energy coursing through these. My next machine may be the best one yet." The Doctor had adopted a sinister look as he devised his next invention. As night fell, Celestia was sitting next to Luna atop their balcony. "Oh? Why, hello there, Sister. Tis a great night, is it not?" "Indeed it is, Luna. So, doing some stargazing before night court, huh?" "Yes, I am, Sister. It's a lovely night, you know. Tis be a crime not to enjoy it before my duties." "I do agree; they look lovely this night. W-What's that over there, Luna? Focus your telescope towards Everfree." Luna does as they both see what looks like a massive tower with searchlights mounted onto the top of the building. "Hmm... It looks like that Doctor is at it again. He's probably scheming right now." "I give him credit, Tia; the human is well prepared." "Unfortunately so, Sister," Celestia said as they watched to see what the Doctor could be up to. "Oh yeah! Jammin' to that beat, all right!" The Doctor was listening to a radio while working on his newest mech. "Jammin' to that beat, all night, all right!" A few tweaks here and there and the mech was mainly finished. "There we go. This new baby can use a renewable amount of energy from the plating by smelting those energy-infused geode crystals. It can collect and unleash solar energy to fry them like fish in a skillet." "I am a genius. Ha ha! Let's see them use that kind of energy against a mech with an equal amount of that energy and then some. Now for its name, something hot and full of energy; it's shaped like a giant mechanical snapper turtle, so... I got it. The Molten Hot Toasty Tortoise. Perfect!" The mech's eyes then glowed red as it was operational and ready for service. The following day rolled by, and Luna had just finished her nightly duties as Celestia began to wake up. "Good Morning, Luna. Tired, huh?" "Yeah, Tia. I had to help out a very demanding nightmare last night, and right after, I had night court, too." "Sounds stressful. You look like you could sleep for ages." "Believe me; I probably could. I have a question for thee before I retire, though." "And that would be?" "Does Blueblood know that nighttime is typically meant for sleeping?" "That bad, huh?" Luna's look at Celestia told her everything she needed to know. "I'm going to lower my moon so you can raise your sun, Sister." "Right, you do that then. Um, have a good sleep, Dear sister." "Yes, Tia. Of course, I shall." As Luna walked to the balcony to lower her moon, Celestia paused for thought; what was that Doctor planning? This was bothering her. "I hope Twilight and her friends would be available on such short notice. I did not expect the Doctor to work on his vengeance so fast." "Are the preparations set for the robot's launch?" The Doctor was running some final checks on his new tortoise machine as it was curled up in its metallic shell, for now, deactivated. "Yes, Doctor. Final tests have been performed, and the machine is clear for deployment." The chipper voice of the AI in his supercomputer said to him. "Excellent! This is wonderful news. I'll make sure that I'm successful this time." "With confidence and glory for the Bruner Empire, Doctor." The supercomputer said to Dr. Bruner. "So, where did they come from exactly?" "Two cities, Doctor: Ponyville and Canterlot." "I see. So Canterlot, is that castle hanging off of that mountain then?" "Affirmative, Doctor." The Supercomputer said as the doctor grinned. "Then, that'll be the first place I hit today." The doctor cackled as he pressed the switch to turn his new machine on. "Come along then, Toasty Tortoise. We've got some pulled pony flambé to make." "I need to send a message over to Twilight. I have a terrible feeling that something bad is coming our way." Celestia then made her letter, put the emergency seal over it, and sent it to Twilight's home. "What's that in the distance? Oh no, it's him." Celestia then walked out onto her balcony to speak to the doctor. She was now looking up at the doctor who was looming high above her as she stared at him stoically. "Doctor Bruner, you're not welcome here in Canterlot. Leave at once!" "Ah, yes. This is your home, eh? It's pretty nice, if not a bit too bright on the eyes." "This is your last warning, Doctor. Leave now, or I will call the guards." "Go ahead and try it, Your Highness. It'll be funny to see them lit on fire." "You wouldn't dare." "Oh? Do you want to be the one who finds that out the hard way? Bring those elements to me. Now! I have a score to settle with them." "It was hilarious to see Rainbow giving you free flying lessons, Doctor." "The nerve of them and you for rubbing that in my face. I was careless last time. I never fully understood your abilities. That was rectified, of course." "You're bluffing." "Am I? Take a look at this beauty, then; I call it the Molten Hot Toasty Tortoise." It beeped at attention, ready for its first order. "How's about I sweeten the pot for you then? Bring those elements to me, or I'll send Mr. Tortoise here on a fiery rampage through your city." Celestia gasped in shock at the calloused threat, "And bring harm to my little ponies?! You will do no such thing." She glares at the doctor, but with some reluctance, she caves. "Very well then, you win. I'll make sure the elements are here." "I'm not known much for my patience; tell them to hurry up!" "A letter from Celestia?! It's got the emergency seal on it, too. Not good." Twilight opened the letter without delay and read it, "It says that there's something terrible headed toward Canterlot, and our help is needed. Doctor Bruner is back. Oh no. My family is at Canterlot, Spike. We have to go there." "I'll get everyone gathered up then. It looks like this guy never learned his lesson from last time." "Well, I guess he needs to be taught another one then. Let's go, Spike!" Twilight and Spike then made haste to gather her friends as they made their way to Canterlot. "So then, the Doc's back again, huh? Didn't we destroy his machine yesterday or something?" "Yes, Rainbow, and please take this more seriously. My mom, dad, and big brother are in Canterlot now." "Oh, don't worry, Twilight. I'm pumped and ready to launch that guy into orbit again." "My word, doesn't that ruffian know when to quit? We already defeated him, and now he's back for more." "Looks that way, Rarity. Shucks, we beat him before; we can do it again." "Oh yeah. I'm so with you girls all the way!" Pinkie hopped and bounded with them with glee. "We cannot let him get away with this. I-It's scary, but it's our job to be Equestria's defenders. And with my friends with me, I think we can do this." Fluttershy suddenly had a look of confidence on her. "Yeah, you preach it, Fluttershy! I know you're still mad about yesterday. I can't blame you for that." Rainbow said as she comforted the butter pegasus. "I-I am Rainbow. That tree nearly landed on me. I could have died right then and there." Fluttershy shuddered as she had to recall that awful memory. "There's the train; it's about to depart for Canterlot. We must hurry," Twilight said as everyone boarded the train and headed to Canterlot to stop Doctor Bruner from destroying it. Chapter Four: Taking down the fiery Tortoise"Alright. We made it to Canterlot. There he is, Doctor Bruner. Let's go, girls." Twilight and her friends then raced through the crowd of worried ponies, looking up to the castle to see the doctor there threatening Celestia. "Celestia! If they don't show up now, this city will be full of barbecued ponies!" "They will be here, Doctor. You do not need to take your vendetta out on those innocent ponies; they didn't do a thing to you." "Oh, I don't have anything against them. I'm just giving you some incentive to get me what I want. If I have to, I'll have no choice but to release Mr. Tortoise onto them." "Stop right there, Doctor Bruner!" Twilight shouts to get their attention. Celestia sighed in relief. "Oh, thank the stars that you're here, Twilight; I didn't know how much longer I could hold him back." "It's alright, Celestia. We came as fast as we could." Twilight then saw the Doctor and scowled. "I'd have hoped being defeated once would have set you straight, Doctor. I guess I was wrong." "So what's that thing supposed to be, a giant turtle?" "Actually, yes, you prismatic pest! This newest number is called the Molten Hot Toasty Tortoise." The machine shot out its limbs from its shell, and steam blasted out from its nostrils; it almost sounded like a train horn. "There's something special about this one that the Albatross doesn't have." "What? It can't even fly. Just look at it. It's grounded." Rainbow was laughing as she was mocking it, as its head was turning a lighter shade of scarlet. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." "Why not? I'd like to see him try to come up here to get me." "Well, you heard the mare, right, Toasty! Go get her!" The tortoise huffed as more scalding steam blew from its nose. It then used the bottoms of its feet as jets to fly up after her. "H-Huh?! Uh oh." "What was that phrase we used to say back on earth? Don't throw stones at glass houses." The tortoise then opened its mouth to charge a fireball and hurled it towards Rainbow, who saw it gulped in fear as she dove out of the way. "W-Woah now! That one nearly grazed my fur. Hey!" The stray fireball then flew up to Celestia's balcony. As she shielded it by passing in front of it and bracing herself. "Aauughh!" Celestia took the blast as the fireball exploded onto her and sent her flying back into her balcony, making cracks form as her body fell to the ground. "Oh? You hit one of them, eh, Toasty? Nice shot." "Celestia?! No! I'm coming to help you." Twilight rushed to her aid and saw her standing with slightly shaky legs. "A-Are you okay, Celestia?" "Y-Yes, Twilight. That was no ordinary fireball." "Oh? So you've noticed, huh?" The doctor then flew down to talk to Celestia. "Yes. I am the princess of the sun; I would know solar energy if I ever felt it." "Interesting. Oh, Toasty, make sure to rev up your heat. I need my shield, just in case." The tortoise complied as it charged its body, and a shield of energy was forming around the Bruner Mobile. "It's always great to think ahead, wouldn't you agree?" Celestia huffed as she looked towards the tortoise; it retracted its limbs and spun like a top as it rammed into Rainbow, sending her flying high. "Aug!" "No! Rainbow!" Twilight was racing to her friend's aid before Celestia stopped her. "No, Twilight. That thing is too dangerous to get close to." "But we have to help Rainbow; she's taking a beating out there." "Yes, Twilight, but think about the energy it's using momentarily." "Solar energy. That would mean it'll need to recharge after expelling enough of it." "That is correct, Twilight." "So, we'll have to make him angrier then. Let him burn out all he's got, then flog him." Another strike and Rainbow was wincing in pain as she gritted her teeth. "Hey, you oversized microwave, you're so slow you give snails a bad name." Twilight tried to insult it as it was steaming. "It's working, Celestia." "T-Twilight?! In what way is this a good plan? No!" Rainbow got rammed again. "Aaaughh!" "Everyone. Lay your insults down on it. Let's make him burn himself out!" Twilight declared. "You're so big and bulky that you're never going to be a one-size-fits-all, Darling." This made him even angrier. "What? That's the best you got, Rares? Watch a pro at work!" Applejack said confidently. "Hey, you big varmint! You're so ugly that you'd make a freight train take a dirt road!" The tortoise was red-hot, nearly overheated, and then released it all to calm down. "W- What're you guys planning? You cannot stop him, so don't bother with that." The doctor was dismissively waving his hand at them as he was lounging back on his mobile while watching them hopefully fail. "Doctor, how much heat and energy can it absorb before it cools off?" Celestia asked out of curiosity. "About five thousand degrees Celsius; why?" "Oh, no reason. Twilight, make him angry again, so he charges up!" "You got a plan?" "I do. Once he's about to cool down, I'll blast him with my magic; he'll absorb too much of a good thing." "Ooh... that might work. Alright then, Everypony. Lay your best insults down on it. Make him mad!" Rainbow landed on its shell before she ran off him while he cooled down. "Ouch ouch ouch. Oof, that hurt." Rainbow rubbed her sore flanks with her hooves as she stumbled away from the cooled-down tortoise. "Alright then. I'll try one." Celestia said as she stepped up to insult the mech tortoise, "You're so ugly that when you look into a mirror, your reflection walks away!" This caused the tortoise to get steamed again. "Ooh. Ouch, that one was bad." Twilight said as she tried one, "Calling you an idiot would insult all stupid ponies." Now, it was getting red; its whole body was charging with sun heat. "That's your best one, Sugarcube? I'll do you one better. You're so lazy. Molasses wouldn't even run down your stubby legs." Now it was getting more pissed off and vibrating like an engine. "I'll put all of yours to shame, Darlings." Rarity cleared her throat as she spoke. "You have two parts of your brain: Left and right. On the left side, there's nothing right. On the right side, there's nothing left." That did it, as the tortoise was getting so pumped up that it needed to cool down. "Alright then, Celestia, blast him now!" Twilight said as Celestia blasted out a beam of concentrated solar magic into its body, as it was then unable to release all of it. "W-What're you guys doing to him? Toasty! You need to have more fight in you than this!" The mech was groaning from all the heat; it was too much to take at once. "I hope you're hungry, Toasty, 'cause I got a lot of magic for you to dine on." "Gah!? B-But that's too much heat for it to handle... oh no." The tortoise was starting to blow up on the inside as it was trying to cool itself off out of desperation. "No! You will not be trounced, Toasty!" It gave up as the machine groaned one final time before it exploded, and the doctor's shield then disappeared. "Aaughhh?! T-Toasty! Nooo! Now, who will be able to make for me the best steak?" While the ponies and Celestia were all cheering, Doctor Bruner took this as an opportunity to flee. "Well, when the going gets tough, you must make like a tree and leave." As he moved to fly away, his mobile was caught and locked into a golden magical aura, and the doctor winced; he looked back to see Celestia's angry face staring back at him and gulping. "Not so fast, Doctor!" "U-Umm... m-maybe we could negotiate this peacefully over a picnic and a cup of tea?" The doctor was twiddling his thumbs together, and Celestia's scowl never left her face as she glared at him. "No!" Celestia began swinging his mobile around in circles, making the doctor dizzy. "G-Gah!? S-Stop that... I get motion sick." He went round and round as if in slow motion as his face slammed into his window—his cheeks smeared against the glass as he tried not to throw up right before Celestia launched his mobile away from the castle. "Aaaughhh! This is not possible." His mobile then became a star in the distance. "When you reach your destination, Doctor. Don't forget to write back." Celestia and everyone waved off to the doctor as he flew away into the sky. "Aw yeah! Sweet justice dealing! Now, does anypony have a bag of ice for my flanks?" Everyone looked at Rainbow with looks of both disbelief and pity. "UUaarughh! Oof! O-Ouch... bad l-landing..." The Doctor then popped open his mobile as he rolled out of the machine and cracked his stiff back while groaning in discomfort. "Augh! M-My back. I hate those elements. They have made enemies with the wrong scientific genius." The doctor tried vainly to soothe his back as he sighed, "I'll be back for them one day; I'll take some extra time to plan everything out more thoroughly. They have not seen the last of me!" The doctor then raised his fist towards Canterlot and shook it vehemently. "Do you hear that, Celestia? All of you will feel my wrath!" The doctor yelled out in frustration at losing to them. "Oh boy. We won again against that big meanie doctor. This calls for a party!" Pinkie said in joy as she hopped around everypony, everyone giggling at her bright display. "I agree. We all should party." Twilight said as everyone voiced their agreement as well. "And everypony is invited, even you, Celestia!" Pinkie chimed in as she was even in the mood for some relaxation after what happened today. "Well then, after our party. I'll have to get back to help prepare Luna and get some shut-eye. That is to say, Pinkie. Where are we going to be having our party, anyways?" "In here, silly. I got it all planned out. Trust the expert here." Pinkie played it off cooly as she dug into her mane, pulled out a whistle, and blew it down. Everypony briefly closed their ears with their hooves as the doors that led into the room with the balcony opened suddenly, and a team of professional workers was moving in party supplies and tons of snacks. "P-Pinkie... where and how did you get the help of all of these ponies?" Rainbow asked her as she shrugged and stated. "Oh, that's easy. I helped them with their graduation party, and they owed me a favor. They're also invited, too." "And umm... t-this is kinda embarrassing, Pinks, but... a-about that ice pack?" "It's that bad, huh?" "Well, try to get punted around like a soccer ball and see if you'd like it." "Getting bounced around like a ball sounds like I'd be having a ball. Get it?" Rainbow had a look of cringe at the corny joke. "Y-Yes, Pinkie. I get it." Rainbow then saw an icebox being carried in with tons of refreshing drinks, and a nurse was also summoned. She had an icepack in her hooves for Rainbow. "Oh, thank you, Faustia above." Rainbow then sat down on the icepack and sighed in relief as everyone laughed at how extreme she was acting. Chapter Five: Fast forward a few months... give or take a few hours."Well, it has been four months since that incident with Dr. Bruner. Things have been rather peaceful in Equestria as of late, which does make Celestia's and our job easier." Twilight was thinking aloud as she wrote in her journal to keep track of the events that had occurred so far. "It's nice not to worry about fighting some gigantic machine or robot for a change. It gives me plenty of time to plan what I want to do in the meantime." Then, satisfied with her work in her journal, she closed her book and trotted downstairs to see Spike cooking breakfast. "Ah, there she is." Spike greeted Twilight as she stepped down to meet with him. "I'm sure you'd be hungry. So I took the liberty of making you your favorite pancakes." Spike then set the hot plate on the table for her. Twilight wasted no time but to take a seat. "Oh wow. These are so good. Blueberry pancakes. Yum." Twilight was hopping in place excitedly in her seat. "Spike, my eyes are bigger than my stomach right now." "I'm sure they are. Enjoy." Twilight used her magic to drizzle some maple syrup over her flapjacks as she dined on them. After breakfast, the drake and the unicorn ventured out from their tree home to explore Ponyville. "Alright then, Spike. What's the first thing we should do today since we expect nothing significant?" Twilight and Spike were walking through the streets of Ponyville, talking to each other. "I dunno. Maybe go to continue training with Celestia or something?" "As much as I'd enjoy doing that, Spike. I've been doing that for the past few months, and maybe she'd want a break." "You? Passing up an opportunity to learn with your mentor? Who're you, and what have you done with Twilight?" "Everything is fine, Spike. I'm all still me. But I must consider Celestia, as her job is sometimes difficult." "Well, I'm glad you're taking this as well as you were then." "Of course, Spike. I'm not unreasonable, you know." "Yes, of course. I'll be sure to approve the commissioning for your new orphanage." "Thank you, Your Highness." One of the mares said in Celestia's day court as she bowed before leaving. 'Isn't this nice so far? A wonderful morning, a greeting to my beloved sister, a delicious breakfast, and now I'm opening an orphanage for my little ponies. And—oh no. Not the nobles. Just when you thought your day was going swimmingly, well, at least we don't have to deal with that doctor right now. The silver lining, I suppose.' "Yes, Your Highness. We're hoping you can amend the taxes the wealthier must pay to the crown." 'Typical, greedy nobles. There was a reason why I had agreed to this before.' With a roll of her eyes, something that didn't go unnoticed by the noble currently being heard. "I know this might not be what you want to hear, My princess—" 'Understatement of the century, my annoying noble.' "—But it was unanimously decided by our social circle to allow for lesser taxes onto us and balanced taxes onto the middle class of Equestrians." 'My my, you all act as if your social circle makes all the important decisions in Equestria. So what am I, chopped liver?' "So then, with your permission, Your Highness, we'd love to continue with the amendment to the tax bracket." "No." "I-I beg your pardon?" "I do believe that I was abundantly clear with you. No amendments shall be made to the tax bracket as that'll make your lives easier but at the expense of other hard-working ponies who, honestly, pay for your lifestyle as it is now." "B-But, Your Highness... please, if you'd reconsider, you wouldn't regret this decision." "This is no longer up for negotiation. I do believe that we're done here." The noble then scoffed visibly as he trotted away, head hung in dejected shame as he was escorted out of the throne room. "And this would conclude daytime court for me. I'll tend to the papers to confirm the orders for constructing that orphanage. Good day, my loyal soldiers." They all saluted as Celestia left the throne room and was then on her way to her office. Meanwhile, at the Doctor's Everfree Headquarters... "Of course, this is brilliant after nearly four months of preparation. I have found a way to stop that wretched Rainbow Dash for good! But, to complete this, I'll need some friends to do some of the work of operating my machines. If they can have friends with them, I see no reason why I can't." The doctor reasoned to himself as he was then mulling over the designs for two henchbots that'll be brave, intelligent, loyal, strong, and most of all, belong to him and him only. "Perfect. I believe I've got just the robots in mind to make. I'll call them Decoe and Bocoe. They're perfect for the job." The doctor then went to work making his two new companions. One was shorter and grey, while the other was taller and yellow-colored. After he finished building them, they were completed; they just needed some form of energy to keep themselves alive. "There's only one problem right now: finding a reliable energy source to keep them both alive indefinitely." The doctor stroked his chin in deep contemplation as he remembered that he still had some leftover crystals from that toasty tortoise mech that was most recently destroyed. "Yes, those just might work out nicely." The doctor then retrieved two of his crystals with some remaining solar energy converted into magic to place into both robots. As they both came to life, they sat up and looked around the room; then, they fixed on the doctor. "Are you the one that created us?" Said the shorter and grey one, who was known as Decoe. "I am. You two have a grand purpose of serving. I am delighted that you two are aboard the train to the Bruner Empire." The doctor exclaimed with glee. "We're happy to serve you, Doctor. What will you have of us?" The yellow-plated one, Bocoe said. "I have a special plan for a very unpleasant blue pegasus. She's a mare of action, adventure, and competition. I could capitalize on this by taking advantage of her ego. I was taking the first two months of preparation to stake out Ponyville—to defeat thy enemy, one must know thy enemy." "Pardon us, Doctor-" Bocoe said as he continued, "But blue pegasus?" "Her name is Rainbow Dash, and believe me, you'll know her when you see her." "Yes, Doctor. So then, what's your plan?" Bocoe asked as they both looked to the doctor for his guidance. "Simple. We challenge Rainbow Dash to a race." The doctor chuckled as he continued, "It'll be rigged, of course. I now understand her greatest strength—her intense speed." "So you're deciding to take advantage of her competitive streak and then find a way of slowing her down, Doctor?" "Exactly, Bocoe. I'll create a special mecha-muck as an adhesive and bonding agent. It'll stick her hooves to the ground like flypaper. Then, my mobile shall be outfitted with a wrecking ball to squash her like the bug she is. I call it the Checker Wrecking Ball." "Kinda brutal and slightly ironic, isn't it, Doctor?" Bocoe asked as he slightly cringed at the potential irony of defeating someone with a high ego using their ego against them. "Well, the ends justify the means, Bocoe." "I guess so. So then, when shall we depart?" "Patience, you two. I'll need first to establish the racing track for her. It'll loop around Canterlot, so it'll feel like a genuine race track. Then, I'll create a racing robot that will carry the mecha-muck used to glue her to the ground. Then, you two will be piloting that racing mech. I'll be waiting in ambush when she gets stuck, then no more pesky pegasus!" "Brilliant, Doctor, we'll be ready when you're," Bocoe said as both robots were ready to receive their first order. Rainbow Dash was yawning as she woke from lounging on a branch in the Apple Family Orchard. She stretched as she flew down to see Applejack bucking trees and apples falling into the barrels below the trees. "Hey there, AJ. Working hard as always, eh?" "Yes, I am, Rainbow. Care to help me out? I'll make sure you get some ice-cold cider as a reward." Applejack's offer couldn't be refused. "Aw, sweet. I'm totally in then." Rainbow wasted no more time as she got busy and helped Applejack with her chores. A few hours of work later, they were taking a break. "How about some nice, ice-cold cider for all your trouble, Rainbow?" "You don't have to ask me twice." Rainbow then grabbed the frosty beverage; she took a sip and cooed at its cold and frothy texture, then sighed in bliss. "This drink is the greatest." "You darn tootin' it is, Rainbow." "Alright then, the racing track is completed. Is the Speedster-O-Matic ready yet?" "Yes, Doctor, we're in position and ready to burn some rubber!" Decoe said as Bocoe was checking the mecha-muck tanks in the racing mech. "Provisions have been thoroughly checked and primed, Doctor," Bocoe said as he confirmed that everything was ready. "Excellent. Then my plan is ready to be put into action." The doctor prided himself as he prepared a message bot to be delivered to Rainbow Dash. "So then, AJ, after working, what are your plans for the rest of today?" "Nothing much. I'm just kickin' back and relaxing after a day of hard work. Huh- what's that in the sky up there?" Applejack squinted as she focused on the slight anomaly gradually approaching them. "Well, it looks like it's here for a reason." The message bot arrived shortly over to Sweet Apple Acres as it stood before Rainbow Dash and set down a TV in front of her while slowly backing away. "Hehe. Message for you. It's from Dr. Bruner." The message bot said in its cheerful voice. "Oh? This ought to be good." Rainbow huffed irritatedly as the screen came to life, and she saw the face of the doctor. "Hello there. I assume this message has successfully reached Rainbow Dash, so I'll make this brief; I hereby challenge you to a race to show me exactly what you're made of. Refuse, and all you'll have to lose is your honor and dignity; win, and... well, there is no winning this race." "So then, do you think you have what it takes to be the fastest flyer in Equestria?" The television began to tick as if counting down, "This message was brought to you by the Bruner Empire and is not responsible for any of its content, except this part." The television began to spark as it blew up in Rainbow's face. "G-Gah!?" BOOM! Rainbow's entire body was covered up in soot as she coughed some of it and growled, steam was billowing from her nostrils. "Grr... Doctor Bruner is going to regret that!" "The nerve of that guy. Are you okay, Sugarcube?" "I'm fine. So then, Doc wants another helping of humble pie, eh? I'll be happy to give that to him." Rainbow shook her body to get all the soot off of her as she flew up and saw what appeared to be a flare shooting up, marking its position for her. "You're even marking where you want me to go, too? You're making this way too easy for me. I'll be right back, Applejack, after I teach the Doc some manners!" "You go get him, Sugarcube!" Applejack watched Rainbow dart out like a bolt of rainbow electricity toward her destination. Chapter Six: Racing the Speedster, conquering the doctor's scheme.Like a colorful blur, Rainbow landed on what appeared to be a racetrack made of concrete. "Ah, good, you're here. I was worried that you'd be late." The doctor exclaimed, staring down at his foe. "I'll never be late for an opportunity to kick your flank, Doc." "Oh, how very twee; I'd like to introduce to you your competition—Rainbow Dash, meet the Speedster-O-Matic. The perfect machine to match your speed." Two new robots were waving at the ready to begin. "So then, who are your new friends, huh? Couldn't find any real ones, so you made your own?" "Very funny. As an advocate of friendship, I had hoped you'd see the value of fellowship. They also serve as my two assistants. Meet Decoe and Bocoe." In contrast to the doctor, the two robots happily waved to Rainbow. "Alright then, Rainbow. The track begins here, loops around Canterlot, cuts through the Everfree, and then back here. Your job is easy. Complete one lap around the track and beat the Speedster-O-Matic." Rainbow then raised her brow in mild suspicion. "Seems too easy to me; what's the catch?" "Nope. No catch; it is your standard race to show you that my machines are superior; nothing more, nothing less." "Somehow, I have a hard time believing that." "So then, getting cold hooves? I never thought that the great Rainbow Dash was a chicken." The doctor carried a smug look as he raised his eyebrow. "What did you say to me?! I am not a chicken. I'll show you! Let's get this over with." Rainbow approached the starting line and huffed angrily at being called a chicken. "Wonderful. Alright then, start your engines! On your marks... get set... go!" The doctor then shot a loud pop- it was much like a gun with a racing flag that came out from it. Both contestants were off; the Speedster-O-Matic was keeping pace with Rainbow. "Heh. Not bad for a clunker made by the Doc." Rainbow maintained pace with the machine until it flared up its back engine. "Set it into turbo mode, Bocoe!" Decoe said as they pulled down the lever, which caused the machine to boost past Rainbow. "Nuh-uh, I don't think so." The speed at which both were racing had caught the attention of both princesses as they watched from their balcony. "Look at that, Tia! It looks like a race is going on." Luna said in amusement as they both spectated. "Yes, but who's that racing Rainbow? Oh no, I'd recognize that technology anywhere. Doctor Bruner." "Is that guy still trying to take over Equestria?" "Unfortunately, yes, Luna. I suppose my flinging him away has taught him nothing but vengeance." "You flung him away? And why wasn't I present to witness this?" "You were asleep after serving your nightly duties, Luna. I did not wish to disturb you." "But that would have made my day- err, night." "Apologies, Luna, but if it's any consolation, it was fun to spin him around." "Hmph. I swear, Sister, you get to have all of the fun. Next time, it'll be my turn to teach him some manners." Celestia then saw the doctor on his mobile and focused on him. "Luna, there he is. What's he up to? Why is he hiding behind those bushes?" "I do not know, Tia, but those look a bit too big to be normal bushes." They both then returned their focus to the racing. "She's gaining upon us, Bocoe!" Decoe said that The Speedster could not go any faster as Rainbow gradually got closer. "We're out of the turbo fuel. I'm unsure if the doctor had planned on us using more than one tank." Bocoe said to his robotic brother. "It doesn't matter now; just release the mecha-muck trap!" "Roger that, Bro!" The back compartment opened up in front of Rainbow as she squinted her eyes in mild suspicion. "W-What the? Gah!?" Splat! "Ugh, w-what is this stuff? Well, whatever it is, I can't move. Not good." Then those bushes the doctor was hiding in rustled off as he lifted into an even bigger mobile. The bottom opened, and a vast metal wrecking ball on a chain emerged. "E-Eep. Okay. Not cool. I knew this race was screwy." "It's time to say goodbye, Rainbow Dash! Meet my Checker Wrecking Ball." The doctor was laughing victoriously. "Oh, ponyfeathers! I walked right into this trap, didn't I? I should have seen this coming from someone like him." "Luna! Look! Rainbow is in trouble. We've got to help her." Celestia said in a panic. "I want to teach him some manners now!" "Luna. Do your worst to him." "You got it, Tia!" Luna then flew down, racing to Rainbow's rescue. "I do hope that I am not too late for her." "Any last words before you're crushed into paste?" Rainbow looked and saw Luna rushing to her aid and smirked. "Yeah. Look behind you!" "What are you—" The doctor gasped as he saw Luna using her magic on his wrecking ball. "—You!? I did not calculate on this happening." "Well then, that's just too bad for you, huh?" The doctor was trying to pull his wrecking ball loose from her grip but wasn't succeeding. "Why you... let go of my Checker Wrecking Ball!" "Okay," Luna said in malicious compliance as she let go but forced the ball to fly up; the chain kept the wrecking ball from moving anywhere except for up, right above the doctor's head. He looked as if all color had faded from his face. "Huh!? Waahhh!!" SMASH! The wrecking ball had crashed in the cockpit, crushing the doctor under its weight as he screamed, but it was muffled under the mass of metal as the mobile itself was grounded. "MMuaagghhh!! I... hate those elements!" The doctor cried out as Celestia saw this from their balcony. "Yes! Nice job, Luna!" Celestia cheered as she flew down to free Rainbow from the muck trap. "Hold on, Rainbow, I'll get you out." "Please hurry; I can feel this stuff gunking up my wings." Rainbow wretched in disgust as she tried to fly up but was still glued to the ground. Celestia then blasted the muck with her magic, making it dissolve away, freeing Rainbow. "Doctor Bruner!? We'll save you!" Decoe and Bocoe used a controller to retract the chain, lifting the wrecking ball from the doctor as he rose to breathe in oxygen; the wrecking ball slammed onto the ground with a heavy thud. "Gah!? Grr... I hate those elements. So badly!" The doctor then released his smaller mobile from the larger one. "You have not seen the last of me! Mark my words!" Decoe and Bocoe then jumped into the cockpit to join their doctor as he tried to flee. Then his mobile stopped moving as he saw a golden glowing around it and gulped. "Uh oh, not this again." "What's happening, Doctor?" Decoe said. "Yeah. What is this stuff keeping us in place?" Bocoe said as they both looked worried. "Boys. I hope you're ready for a flight." The doctor said forlornly. "I hope you weren't forgetting about your goodbye takeoff, Doctor." Celestia was prepared to relaunch the doctor. "No... of course not. Why I wouldn't dream of it." The doctor replied with a defeated huff. "Great then, happy trails!" Celestia then used her magic to fling the doctor away off into the distance as he screamed out in panic. "AAuurrghhh!! I'll get you yet, elements of harmony!" then his mobile became a star in the distance as they all cheered for his defeat. "So, Rainbow, how exactly did the doctor get to you so easily?" Luna asked her. "He.. well, he challenged me to a race. He said that I was a chicken. That got to me. I'm not a chicken; I'm the fastest flyer in Equestria." "You may relax now, Rainbow. He is defeated... for now." "Yeah. I'll admit. If you two hadn't shown up, I would have been toast. It did kinda scare me a bit." "I understand your concerns; fear just has that effect on everypony and creature," Luna stated. "Well... I may need to lie down for a bit in my bed. Just some alone time, okay?" Rainbow said, still trying to shake off the near-death experience she had. She flew up and made way for her cloud home. "Well, Sister. I think that went rather well, all things considered." Celestia replied in a chipper tone. "Indeed. Rainbow's life was saved. She's an element of harmony; she must remain protected by us." Luna stated with confidence. "Agreed, Luna. They're Equestria's only best defense." Celestia said as they flew back to their balcony to finish their day. "Uuuaagghhh!!!" The doctor and both robots yelled together as they landed roughly again onto a grass plain. "Oof. Ugh... I hate those landings." The doctor said as they landed and the mobile window opened up. "Us, too," Bocoe said as they all three rolled out from the mobile, trying to fix their dizziness. The doctor then stood up and paced around. "How? How could I have failed again? Of course... When I looped the track around Canterlot, I should have expected those two princesses to arrive. How could I not have seen this coming?" The doctor was contemplating his most recent failure. "Well, if it'll help you feel better, you did come close to succeeding, Doctor," Bocoe said in his robotic, chipper voice. "Well, close isn't good enough, now is it? Next time, I'll avoid that place, lest I get flung away again. I'll have to go for... that plan. Yes. I'll create a robot to teach the younger ponies to accept me as their new ruler." The doctor then cheered himself on for his brilliance. "Yes. That's a good plan, Doctor. We're here to assist in any way we can." Bocoe said as both robots were standing alongside the doctor. "Excellent. We'll be successful yet." "Hey, Twilight, I see Rainbow flying over to her home. I wonder if everything's okay." Spike said as he was walking next to Twilight. "I'm not sure, but she's usually that fast when she's upset; we should go and check up on her, Spike." "Yeah." The drake and the unicorn then made haste for Rainbow Dash's house. When they both got there, they saw her shaking like a leaf. "Hey! Rainbow Dash! Are you okay?" Twilight yelled to get her attention as she flew down to see Twilight. "Not really. I had a run-in with the Doc." "Him again? What did he do this time?" "He challenged me to a race and then used a weird box-like device to deliver his message, which turned out to be a bomb just to tick me off. Then, when I arrived, he goaded me by calling me a chicken. I was foolish enough to fall for it, letting my anger cloud my judgment." "Then, his machine and I raced, but it was an elaborate trap. He took advantage of my desire for competition. I nearly died today, Twilight, and if it weren't for Luna, I would have been squashed into mush." "Oh dear, that sounds awful, Rainbow. I had no idea. I'm sorry about what happened. Is there anything we can do for you as your friends?" "I-I just want to have some alone time for now. Thank you guys for caring about me; I appreciate it." Before Rainbow could fly back up, Spike had something to say. "Hey, Rainbow. I just got one question for you." "Yeah?" "Did the doctor get flung off into orbit again?" "Yeah, little buddy, he did." "Yes!" Spike cheered as he jumped in place. "It's always funny when the bad guys get theirs in the end." "It sure is, Spike. Well, I'll see you guys later, okay?" "It's alright. Have a good rest, Rainbow. Bye for now." Twilight said as she and Spike were off to finish their day. Chapter Eight: A tutor-bot's twisted turmoil, a doctor's scheme foiled."Okay. We'll talk. Just please don't hurt us." Bocoe said as they were both shaking in fear. "I can't guarantee that." Rainbow stepped over them as they were lying on their backs between her front forelegs, and she glared at them. "Now, keep talking!" She ordered as they both nodded. "T-The doctor wants to reeducate the youth to accept him as Equestria's ruler. We were trying to hide this mare's body in the bushes. She's not dead, we swear." Bocoe continues to reveal the doctor's plan. "For your sake, she better not be. So what diabolical machine is he using this time, huh?" "We'd hardly use the word diabolical; It's a new robot that can teach education to be fun. He's called the Tutor-Bot." Decoe said as they continued to spill everything to Rainbow. "Is that everything? Cause if you're holding out on me..." Rainbow raised her eyebrow in suspicion. "We swear. That's everything! Honest." Decoe said as his robotic brother agreed. They both nodded in affirmation. "You two better be telling the truth. Because I'll sic Applejack on you if you're lying." "Who's that? And why does that still sound terrifying?" Decoe asked Rainbow. "Every liar's worst nightmare. And the element of honesty." Rainbow said in a tone to intimidate the two robots, which wasn't at all challenging to manage. "As I said, you two better be telling the truth here. I'll watch to see what this Tutor-Bot is doing to them." "Sure you can, Rainbow. You'll see that we're being honest." Decoe said to reassure his brother next to him. "I don't recall ever needing to ask you two for your permission here. I'll do whatever I feel like doing." Rainbow said as she got off them, "Get up, you two, and let's go to the Schoolhouse. You're not out of trouble yet." "Y-Yes, ma'am," Bocoe said as both complied with her order and followed her. "When you're finished with your test, leave your pencil on your desk and raise your hoof to signal me," Tutor-Bot said as Applebloom was the first to finish. She raised her hoof and set her pencil down. "Oh? Are you first to be done then? Are you sure you wouldn't want to double-check your answers? It's always a good idea to make sure you're thorough." "I'm ready, Mr. Tutor-Bot. I'm finished." "Wonderful. If you're feeling confident, then come on down! And to sweeten the pot for the rest of you, I'll even offer a grand prize to the one that can get one hundred percent on their exam first." This gave motivation for the entire class to give it their all. Applebloom submitted her test to the Tutor-Bot as he looked it over. After about a couple of minutes, the results were finished. "Amazing job, Applebloom; you scored a close ninety-eight percent." She looked defeated as she hung her head low, and Diamond smirked smugly at her in her general direction. "Aww. Don't feel glum. There's still hope for you. If nobody can achieve a perfect score, the one with the highest score will win." This brightened her up as Tutor-Bot leered at Diamond smugly as she glared back at the robot. "Now, does that look like he's causing terror, unimaginable?" Decoe asked Rainbow. "Well... no." "He wasn't designed to be a battle bot; he was designed to be a tutor bot, hence his name. He enjoys his job." Bocoe said. "I can see that. He honestly seems... quite nice. Like an actual good teacher." "Exactly. So does this mean that we're off the hook then?" Decoe asked in hope. "Nope. Not until the Doc returns to his crummy lab, and you two follow him." "Well, it was worth a shot, brother," Bocoe said as he consoled his robotic brother. "I'll have you know; my lab isn't crummy." Then, a tall figure approached Rainbow and revealed himself as the doctor. "Dr. Bruner. What're you up to now, huh? Are you trying to force little fillies and colts to accept you? Really?" "Yes. That's exactly what my plan is." The doctor said as Decoe and Bocoe rushed to the doctor's side. "As if that'll ever happen." "Are you sure about that, Rainbow? You should know how easy it is to control many when you control what they learn. When you control language and knowledge, you control thought and emotions." "So that's your game, huh? Hindering their minds, they know only enough to function in your little society?" "Exactly. And it's effective, too." "Well, so that you know, Doc. They're succeeding in there." "What?! Inconceivable. All they need to know is what I want them to know and nothing more." "I guess your new robot enjoys his job a bit too much. So, how's your big plan working out for you then?" "I'll have to show that robot what he has to do. I will not have my machines disobey me! Note to self: Don't install an emotional AI chip in my newest models." "Woah, now, what're you going to do?" Rainbow asked the doctor. "What does it look like? I'm going to guide Tutor-Bot in the right direction: Mine." "Everyone's tests are submitted? Excellent. Sadly, none of you have made it to a perfect score. But there are two that are close. Scootaloo and Applebloom! You two are tied at having a ninety-eight on your tests. Ooh... the anticipation is killing me." Tutor-Bot then continued, "Time for a tie-breaker!" "Woah. Applebloom. You've been studying, too, huh?" Scootaloo asked her friend. "Sure have. I've been working hard all week to pass. So whatever happens, may the best pony win." "You know it!" Both ponies bumped their hooves together as a form of mutual respect. "Time for the tie-breaker round of your tests! Your question is- What is two-point-two plus three-point eight?" 'Aww, horsefeathers. I have never studied decimals yet. Well, it is addition, so it shouldn't be too hard.' Applebloom thought to herself. 'Dang. Applebloom might get this one. I'll... go with my gut on this.' Scootaloo thought as she spoke up, "The answer is Five." "Sorry, but that's incorrect, Scootaloo." "I got the answer, Mr. Tutor-Bot. I think I figured it out." "Well then, I'm all ears." "The answer is six." "That's correct! Applebloom wins the test!" Tutor-Bot shot some confetti as his small stereo, then played a victory jingle. "Yes! I won. That was close, Scoots." "Yeah. It was. Good job. You've earned it." "And as promised... your grand prize!" Tutor-Bot's chest cabinet opened as a small drone held a ticket in its little claw and gave it to her. "It's a ticket to this season's Grand Galloping Gala." Applebloom was exploding with glee. "All the business we'll be able to make this season. Thank you, Tutor-Bot. You're the best." Applebloom then hugged Tutor-Bot as he was spinning around in emotional joy. "All these tender emotions are flooding my sensitive, emotional receptors. I'm so happy for everyone here." Tutor-Bot was reaching his arms for everyone, "Come here and bring it in, everyone!" They all hugged Tutor-Bot as he beeped in joy at the affection. "Let's all go out for recess; you've all earned it." They all cheered as everyone left the Schoolhouse interior and went to its playground. "Aha. So this is what you were doing to them?" The sharp and commanding voice of the doctor said to them. "D-Doctor. Hi there. I-I was just.. well, you know, doing my job- what I was programmed to do by you." "No! You breakaway bumpkin! You were supposed to coerce them to accept me as Equestria's new ruler. That was what you were designed to do, Tutor-Bot." "But... I love helping these precious little ones. It's truly a privilege for me." Then, the three Crusaders protected Tutor-Bot by blocking him from the doctor. "We may not exactly know who you are. But it's clear to us that you've got nefarious intentions. Leave him alone! He didn't do anything wrong. He's our new friend." Applebloom spoke up for Tutor-Bot. "A friend? You guys view me as your friend?" Tutor-Bot said in true happiness. "Yeah! We do. You're so awesome, Tutor-Bot. You made today out to be so much fun." Sweetie Belle said in their bid to protect him. "Oh... I love you guys so much. I'm honored to be here to help you all succeed." "Aww.. well, isn't that just sweet? But you're my creation, and you'll do what I say!" The doctor pulled a belt adorned with tools around his waist as he cackled evilly. "Ahahaha! The good doctor puts you together, and the bad doctor can take you apart! It's dismantling time! Muhahaha!" "No! Please, doctor. Don't dismantle me. I'll do better for you, I promise." Tutor-Bot was backing away in sheer fright. "No, you won't! You won't hurt our friend." Scootaloo spoke up in protest. "Perhaps you do not fully understand who you're dealing with here. Then consider this as your educational experience." The doctor pulled out a switch in his coat pocket with a red button on it. "All I have to do is press this button, and Tutor-Bot becomes a ticking timebomb of scrap and faulty wiring." "No way! You stinker! That's not fair! You're not giving him a choice; you're forcing him to obey." Scootaloo growled. "Hello... villain. It's kind of what I do. Last chance, Tutor-Bot, attack and kill Rainbow Dash! Now! That's an order!" Tutor-Bot then tilted his head, his body jittering as his monitor-shaped head rose back up with beaming red eyes instead of his usual yellow ones. "Yes, sir!" He responded in a deeper robotic tone as his wrists detached, and two gun barrels were there as he wheeled his way over to Rainbow. The doctor was grinning smugly in victory. "Tutor-Bot! No! Don't fight her! You'll be destroyed." Scootaloo yelled out to Tutor-Bot, tears welling up in her eyes. "Call him off, please! He can't handle a fight with her." "I know. What a failure he turned out to be. Disappointing. But to achieve progress, one must make necessary sacrifices." The doctor exclaimed. "You monster! You horrible, rotten, evil monster!" Applebloom was in tears, crying as she was pounding her little hooves onto the doctor's legs as he shooed her off him. "Get off of me, you pest!" The doctor lightly kicked her off as he watched Tutor-Bot's execution. "You know what, Tutor-Bot, even though the Doc made you, you were a good robot. I'm sorry to have to do this to you, buddy. You were pretty cool for a clunker." Even though he was approaching Rainbow, he was shaking- it looked as if he was saddened but knew this was the end for him. He had deliberately held himself back, "Either face your inevitable demise peacefully or go out fighting; it doesn't matter to me what you do so long as you do it. What a waste of a good robot." Tutor-Bot refused to shoot Rainbow as she prepared to rush at him for a strike. Her body was glowing a spectrum of rainbow colors, and she sped right through him as he screamed, about to explode. A bright cascade of flashing white lights had sparked from the impalement wound on his chest. "AAAUGHHH!!! OOOOUGHHAAA!!!" KA-BOOM! Pieces of small metal scrap were all left of him after he exploded. "NO! TUTOR-BOT!!! No... he was our friend." Applebloom then hugged her two friends as she cried into their shoulders. "That's what happens to recusant robots. Insubordination will not be tolerated!" Then Applebloom, in her saddened rage, ran up and pounded onto the doctor's legs again. "I hate you! You're mean, rotten, horrible, and cruel." "Flattery means nothing to me, you little gnat. Now release my leg at once!" He kicked her off as he signaled for his Bruner Mobile to come to him. "Adieu, My greatest enemy. And thank you for taking out the trash for me." Decoe and Bocoe then hopped in as the doctor laughed heartily and fled. Rainbow decided to console the young ones instead of chasing down the doctor. "You get away with it this time, Doc," Rainbow said as she glared at the fleeing doctor in raw contempt. Chapter Nine: The aftermath of Tutor-Bot, progression of the day.Applebloom rummaged through the scrap that was once Tutor-Bot and saw the burnt remains of his emotional AI chip. She then picked it up and clutched it tight to her chest while sobbing, a few stray tears tapping onto the ruined emotion chip as Applebloom saw a part of her reflection in the still shiny piece of the chip metal staring back at her. "He was incredible. I'll be the best that I can be... for him. It's what he would have wanted for us." "Rainbow," Scootaloo said to get her attention. "What's up, squirt?" "Next time you see that lousy doctor. Give him a rainboom rush for us!" "You got it. I'll send him off into orbit. And who knows, maybe you'll be there to watch." "Awesome!" Scootaloo nuzzled her head up to Rainbow in the form of affection as she returned the gesture in kind. "Oh, ponyfeathers! I forgot about Ms. Cheerlie. I'll be right back." Rainbow prepared her wings and took flight. Rainbow then flew off to where she first caught both Decoe and Bocoe. She looked in the bushes to see her still squirming in the burlap sack they trapped her in and trying to talk as the gag muffled her complaints. "I got you, don't worry. I'm sorry this happened to you." Rainbow then took the bag off her body and ungagged her as she stretched her limbs. "What in the name of Equestria just happened? Where are the tots? Are they okay? What was that strange creature that knocked me out?" Questions were flying out at Rainbow as Cheerlie was understandably panicked. "Woah there. Calm down. It was a robot made by the Doc. But he wasn't a bad robot." Rainbow said to her as she ran over as fast as possible to the Schoolhouse. "I'll explain everything to you, Okay?" "Sure, while we're on our way will suffice. What happened?" "Dr. Bruner wanted to brainwash the colts and fillies with his propaganda for his new utopia while using Tutor-Bot as his proxy to do the job. But Tutor-Bot never wanted to harm anyone; he only wanted to help others succeed." Rainbow explained as she continued, "All he ever really wanted was a friend. The Doc forced him to fight me, knowing he was no match for me, most likely because the Tutor-Bot had failed in his mission." "Oh... That doesn't sound very pleasant. And did you... Well, you know?" "I didn't have a choice, and neither did he. He used his love for his new friends as his only last wall of resistance against the Doc. I could see it in his robotic eyes. He wanted me to end him so the Doc wouldn't detonate him. I knew what had to be done, and so did he, so I did my best to make it quick for him." "He was only doing what he was built to do: Teaching. I guess I can't hold that against him." Cheerlie somberly said upon discovery that Tutor-Bot never intended to put anybody's life at risk. "Well, the important thing is that the Doc's plan was scrambled. And if he ever returns- which I know he will eventually, we'll always be ready to send him flying back to that lab of his." "Wouldn't that get boring after a while, though?" Cheerlie asked with a raised eyebrow to Rainbow as they both saw the Schoolhouse come into view. "What? No. It's always fun to kick evil butt! I'll make it my new job in the world, just for the Doc." "We heard a huge explosion coming from here. Is everypony okay?" Twilight said as she and Spike rushed over along with Rarity and Applejack. Applejack saw her sister crying and quickly said, "Hey, sugarcube, what's wrong, little filly? Talk to me." "Oh, Applejack. It's just terrible. This tall figure tried to use a robot to force us to learn to accept him. But in truth, all that robot ever wanted was to have a friend." "Tall figure? Robot? That sounds like Dr. Bruner to me. What did that varmint do? Where is he now?" "He's gone; he left after he destroyed our new friend." "New friend? Applebloom, you realize that anything that guy makes can not and should never be considered a friend." Just then, Rainbow and Cheerlie rushed to the scene to explain. "No, Applejack, she's right. He was cool. He didn't want to do what he was made for; he truly cared for these guys and accepted his end to keep the school from being destroyed by the Doc. I witnessed it myself, and I was the one that had to destroy him." Rainbow said to clarify things with Applejack. "Is that so? Oh. It shows that not every created robot from that doctor is bad, just misunderstood. Now I kinda feel bad for thinking the worst." Applebloom then hugged her big sis. "Don't worry about it. You didn't know, sis. And I won the test. I got a ninety-eight percent." "I got a ninety-eight too, you know, Applebloom. We both were in a tie-breaker round, and Applebloom won a ticket from Tutor-Bot." Scootaloo pointed out that she was also pleased about her friend's victory. "That's great, you guys. And... a ticket? What kind of ticket?" "Take a look for yourself, Sis." Applebloom showed her ticket to her big sister; her grin turned wide quickly. "Land sakes, Sugarcube, he just gave us an official ticket to this season's Grand Galloping Gala?! You're kidding me?" "Nope. I'm unsure how he managed to get this, but he did. Now, we can rack in so many bits for our labor. This'll be great." "You darn tootin' it will be. We can now afford all the plywood and paint supplies needed for our barn repair. Yee-haw!" Applejack was cheering and kicking her legs out in happiness at that prospect. "Well, so long as everyone's okay. That's what matters. I still find it difficult to believe, darlings. Is one of those doctor's machines being good? But then again, seeing is believing, and it looks like this was the case." Rarity said as if affirming her beliefs and contemplating what had just happened. Then, to the Crusaders' surprise, Diamond approached them to say something they never expected. "Hey, Applebloom. I know that Tutor-Bot and I never really got along. But what I saw... that was seriously messed up. He didn't deserve that." "D-Diamond?! What's with the sudden attitude change?" "Well, I do not always feel like this, so don't expect this to become a habit. But nopony ever deserves to be manipulated, then threatened like that." Diamond got that bit out with albeit some minor difficulty. "It's fine, Diamond. I know you liked having him around, deep down. And... thanks for trying to help to console me." "After today, we're returning to hating each other's guts. This is only a temporary truce between us." "That's fine. Even though I wish it weren't, It's sad how things should be anyway." Diamond then walked away, thinking, ' if only I could tell her... If only we could be friends. Maybe one day, when my mother no longer cares about them, I can do that.' Diamond looked back briefly before she tilted her head up in an arrogant and haughty posture to keep up appearances. "Come on, Silver Spoon. Let's leave these blank flank losers behind." Applejack scowled at them, "Up-tight, no good, varmints. I don't blame Diamond for her bigoted mother and elitist mentality. The poor girl's mind is getting poisoned by biased hatred. That's going to work against her one of these days." "Yeah. I know, Sis. I think she's still a nice pony underneath it all. I have a feeling that she'll come around someday." Applebloom was confident in her beliefs for Diamond. Once school was over and everypony went home, Twilight walked back home with Spike. "It would have been great to reform him- that Tutor-Bot. Imagine what potential he could have had for the benefit of Equestria. It's sad; some of the doctor's robots are quite neat. Too bad he'd rather use his skills for evil instead of good." "Yeah. I hear you, Twilight. But what can you do? You can't control what someone else chooses to do." Spike said with a sad smile. "I know, Spike. I know. One mare can dream, can't she, though?" "I guess so." Spike and Twilight went back to their home as they went to look over Twilight's list for that day. Meanwhile, at the Doctor's Everfree Base... "I narrowly escaped them only because of their stupid little morals. Why can none of my plans ever succeed?" The doctor griped to himself as he passed back and forth across his metallic floor. "I'll need more time to plan my next scheme. It will be successful. I'll be sure to consider every variable in my plan." "Of course, Doctor. So then, any ideas on your next scheme?" Decoe asked the doctor. "If re-educating the youth didn't work, I may be doing everything wrong. The art of war is often won through deception." He momentarily contemplated, "I could always try to take advantage of the naiveté of those wealthy misers and political officials to move waves within my new rule. Or, I could make a robot that can disguise itself as a guard to enter their castle to blend in and gather intel back to me. Casing the joint so I may find some weaknesses within its structure." "Both sound like viable alternatives, Doctor," Bocoe said. "Why not try one, then try the other if the first fails?" Decoe suggested. "Hmm? Which one should I try first since this was your idea, Decoe?" "Oh? I-I guess the disguised robot would be the least strong of the two plans and might even gain us some leeway to planning." "Hmm... I like the way your robotic mind ticks, Decoe." In a moment of gratitude, the robotic brother dances at gaining the doctor's favor. "Then my newest machine will be a chameleon-series mech. This new number will be fueled on magic and be able to change its form to whatever it can scan." "Brilliant, Doctor. This will fool them." "However, It can only scan lifeforms in regular pony size. So, nothing bigger nor smaller can do." "That should still work, Doc. It'll be easy as they're probably too stupid to be able to tell the difference." Decoe said to the doctor, who chuckled. "Heh. Yeah. They think that they've got me down pat, eh? We'll see about that." The light glistened off of the doctor's glasses as they covered his eyes as he grinned at his new plan. At Canterlot Castle, they were preparing for Cadence's Wedding. Celestia and Luna were assembling everything with the help of their advisors. "All advisors, front and center, please," Celestia said as the five advisors came to her call. One of them looked a bit... off to Celestia, but she didn't overthink it. "Alright then, everypony, this wedding is fast approaching, and we must get everything ready for Princess Cadence's arrival." "Yes, ma'am," they all said in unison as she nodded. "Very good. The wedding is tomorrow, and we're taking today to prepare everything, so we'll be set." Then, she saw the strange one's eyes flash for a millisecond before the robot's gaze returned to normal and faced Celestia. Her eyes squinted in suspicion, but she only had that and nothing else. "Alright then, I'm counting on everypony here. Make me proud!" Chapter Ten: The Canterlot Wedding (Part one)Morning arrived, and the official wedding is happening today; Cadence and Shining are about to tie the knot together, which marks a significant step in strengthening ties with the Crystal Empire and Canterlot. "Alright, everypony. We've got a big ceremony planned for today. I'm so proud of all of you for doing your very best to prepare. This is too important to ruin. Are all stations ready?" Celestia asked as everyone saluted. "Yes, Ma'am!" Every captain of every station said as they all waited for Cadence's arrival. "I can't wait to see my big brother have his special day. It's also going to be so nice to see my foalsitter again. I wonder how Cadence has been doing as of late?" Twilight was ecstatic, lightly hopping in place and excited to see Cadence. "I think she'll be just as happy to see you, too, Sugarcube." Applejack sat next to Rainbow, across from Twilight, and Rarity was next to Twilight. "Darling. You two are close, from what I can recall. Why it'd be strange for her not to be excited." Rarity said in her typical posh yet pleasant voice. "This is going to be one awesome party. And best of all, no meanie pants doctor to ruin it for us." Pinkie cheered as the train car approached Canterlot. "Uh... Pinkie. Maybe it's best not to jinx today, huh?" Rainbow said to Pinkie. "Oh no. I'm sorry, wouldn't want to do that, now would we?" "It's okay, Pinkie; you didn't know. Let's all try to enjoy today, right?" Fluttershy said in her calm and angelic voice. "Totally. Sadly, Spike couldn't make it; maybe next time we have a ceremony, we'll be sure to have him come." "Twilight... It's a wedding. The odds of Spike enjoying this would be just as good as me becoming an egghead, like you or that stupid doctor." "Hey now, being curious and bright is never a bad thing. You should try it sometime." "Yuck. And make me into a nerd? No thanks, Twi. But thanks for the offer." Twilight made a mildly annoyed huff in resignation as the train reached its destination. The doctor yawned as he raised himself from the bed to stretch and sighed, "Another day, another failed attempt at realizing my dream." Then Decoe and Bocoe arrived to greet the doctor. "Good morning, Doctor. We've got news for you. It's about our enemies." Decoe said to the doctor as he went to sit on his swivel chair. "What kind of information, Decoe? This had better be good." "Oh, it most certainly is interesting, Doctor. According to our disguised chameleon-mech, they're hosting a wedding party for a new princess." The doctor then fell out of the chair he was sitting in out of shock. "W-What!? Another princess? How many of these assembly-line ponies made princesses have they got exactly?" The doctor brushed himself off as he stood up and looked toward Decoe, expecting an answer. "I have no idea, Doctor. So what're your orders then?" "Hmm... Keep the chameleon mech in there; let's see how long we can maintain our bluff to gain as much information as possible." "Aye, aye, Doctor!" Decoe saluted the doctor as they watched the screen linked to their mech. "Welcome to Canterlot, Princess Cadence, Captain Shining. We're expecting you." The guard at the front gate greeted both guests as Cadence cheerfully replied. "I'm so happy to be here, too. We'll make our way in then. Come on, Shining, let's go!" Cadence then semi-aggressively tugged onto Shining's left forearm as he followed suit. "Y-Yes, m-ma'am. Right away, ma'am." Shining looked as if he was minorly zoning out and somewhere else mentally. The stationed guard just shrugged it off as pre-marital stress. Then, the mane six had shown up about five minutes later. Twilight led her group as they saw the guard and showed him their invitations. "You're all set; please relax and enjoy." "Alright then, Cadence should be here at any moment now. Oh, just seeing her happy is giving me goosebumps; I'm excited." Celestia said as Luna came in to greet her older sister. "Greetings, Tia. Tis a lovely wedding that this'll be, I'm sure." "Of course, Luna. I've been waiting for this moment to happen for a long time; Cadence is finally finding that special somepony in her life." "I hear you, Tia. I cannot wait much longer. When are we going to begin?" "Very soon, Luna." Both sisters were waiting in the main ballroom to begin the ceremony as Cadence was on her way to be prepared for the wedding. "Hey there, Cadence. It's so great to see you again." Twilight was excitedly hopping in place. "Yes. Of course... Um, and you're?" "Oh, don't act like we're strangers. What about our traditional greeting?" Twilight then went over to Cadence and did her greeting, "Sunshine, Sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little... shake?" Twilight saw Cadence looking at her as if she had grown three heads. "You're supposed to shake with me at that last part, Cadence." "U-Uh... right, I forgot. That's all. I'm just a bit too focused on the wedding right now. So, if you'll excuse me, I must be off." Cadence then trotted away, thinking, ' this mare might be some trouble to my grand scheme. I'll have to do something about her if she continues to meddle in where she shouldn't.' As Cadence walked away, Twilight noticed that Shining followed behind like a zombie would its master. "Hey guys, that was too weird. That wasn't Cadence- at least not the one I'm familiar with." "Aw, shucks, Twilight. This day is important to her; you cannot blame her for that, Sugarcube." Applejack said in an act of dismissiveness as Twilight tilted her head down in slight melancholy. "You'll have to bear with her, Darling. I think the stress is starting to affect you, too, as it is her." Rarity replied to Twilight. "No. That didn't feel like her at all. I'll give you the benefit of your doubt, but I'll be watching her." Cadence walked into the room where Pinkie and Applejack were tasked with the baked goods, "So you two are in charge of making the desserts, huh?" "We sure are Your Highness. Please tell me what you think. Apple cakes, apple pie, and, of course, apple cheesecake." "That's... a lot of apples. Well, at least you live up to your name." "I beg your pardon?" "I meant to say that your desserts match the color of your mane." She asked Pinkie, "Let me guess, more apple-related desserts?" "Hehe. No way, José. These are an assortment of chocolate cakes, cookies, danishes, and, of course, the biggest wedding cake in honor of your special day." ' By the name of Faustia, these ponies are obsessed over pastries. It's no wonder they're all gaining weight and getting slower. This invasion should be all too easy for me.' She grinned and said, "Everything looks great, ladies. Keep up the good work." "Mighty nice of you to say, Your Highness. Thank you kindly." Applejack bowed to Cadence as she did so in return before walking out to see a hair and make-up specialist approach her. "Right this way, Your Highness, you've got to be fitted into your dress and your mane styled for tonight." "I'll be right there now; I just have to... freshen up quickly. Come on, Shining!" "Y-Yes.. ma'am. I'm coming." Shining droned off as he followed her into their guest room. Twilight was secretly tailing her to discover what this Cadence look-a-like was up to. "So, Doctor, you've got a plan by now?" Decoe asked the doctor. "I do. But it'll have to happen after their stupid little wedding; too many prying eyes there. We want my Chameleon-Mech to remain undetected." "Yes, Doctor. We'll have an ambush at the ready. You have the schematics of their interior structure?" Bocoe asked the doctor. "I do. We'll wait for the right moment to strike." "Yes! We'll be successful yet, Doctor." Decoe said, cheering the doctor on his brilliance. "Alright then, Shining, dear. I'm beginning to get hungry. Lay down on the bed, now!" Shining obeyed with a dopey look as Cadence climbed onto him and began to lean her face close to his before siphoning away a stream of his love energy from his mouth into hers. He groaned in discomfort as this was happening to him. Cadence then licked her lips with her... forked tongue. "Lovely, Shining, dear. Just as delicious as ever." "Oh my goodness, that is terrible. I knew that wasn't Cadence. But who is she?" Twilight muttered to herself as she peeked through the slightly opened door and saw the event unfolding before her. Cadence then slowly turned her head towards the door and chuckled as Twilight yelped and dashed away as fast as she could. "S-She didn't see me, did she? Oh man, poor big bro. I have to do something to help him." Twilight turned around to slip away as she bumped into Cadence and gulped. "Eep. H-Hi there, Cadence. Lovely wedding this is, isn't it?" She sheepishly giggled as she slowly stepped back. "Twilight, was it? You're far too nosy for your own good. But it won't matter cause nopony would ever believe that sweet and delicate Cadence could be capable of such villainy. And there's nothing you can do to prove it, either." "I'll find a way to save my big brother and stop you. I don't know how yet, but I will. You won't get away with this, You faker." "Hmm... I'm pretty sure I will. Thank goodness that everypony here is gullible and dumb. It makes what I'm about to do today easier than taking candy from a foal." "We're not as dumb and helpless as you think, whoever you're." "Yes, yes, I'm sure. I dare you to make a scene during the reception. Embarrass yourself in front of many ponies and the princesses." Cadence cackled as Twilight then ran away to her friends. "How precious and so predictable. Tell your friends if you want, but it won't do you any good." Cadence then made her way out, with Shining following behind as she made her way to get her mane and dress fitted on her. "Luna, it's almost time for the reception to begin. Is Cadence ready yet?" "Just about. She's getting her mane decorated and prepared for tonight." Luna said to her sister. "And her dress? It'll be good, right? I'm only worried that this'll be the best for her. It must be the best for our niece." "Try not to worry yourself too much, Tia; it'll age you faster." Celestia huffed in mild annoyance. "I'll have you know that I'm only three-thousand years old, Sister. Not eight-thousand." "I know you're. I'm just teasing you, Tia." "I want my mane to look the best; show me what you can do then," Cadence said as she laid her head back and let the specialist perform her work. "Your Highness. It'll look incredible when I'm done." The curtain covered the specialist and Cadence as her work began. This doppelganger believed herself untouchable, confident that her plan would succeed. "I have to do something. My friends can help me. I can only hope that they'll be willing to listen to me. This is very serious." Twilight was rushing down the hallways and out to the courtyard where her friends were sitting and chilling, "There you guys are. You'll probably never believe me if I told you this, but that lady isn't Cadence. I don't know who she is, but I was right all along." Chapter Eleven: The Canterlot Wedding (Part two)"Woah, now, back up. Were you right about Cadence not being Cadence? Are you sure about that, Twilight?" Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow. "Rainbow, why would I lie about that?" "Because I think you might be jealous of Cadence, to a small degree." "Rainbow! That's ridiculous. Why in Equestria would I get jealous of my best foalsitter ever? You must have known something strange about her, right Applejack?" "I'm stayin' out of this, Twilight, and you need not make a fuss during this wedding." "Here, here, Darling. Twilight. I know you're stressed out, but please don't make this a bad day for us." "Yeah. No lousy attitudes allowed!" Pinkie bellowed out. "Oh my, I'm sorry, Twilight, but I kinda agree with everypony else on this," Fluttershy said to Twilight. "I can't believe my friends wouldn't even believe me. This is crazy." Twilight got up from where she sat with her friends and left their table. "No, Twilight. I think you're the one who's crazy here. You better not be trying to start anything during this wedding." Rainbow shouted towards her as she huffed and walked away. "You know what? Trying to bring something to your attention was a waste of my time. I'll have to handle this myself." Twilight walked away, on the verge of welling tears in her eyes. "Uh, you think we were too hard on her?" Applejack asked the group. "Nah. She's just got a chip on her shoulder. After today, everything will be fine." Rainbow responded. "How does your hair and dress look, Your Highness?" The make-up specialist asked Cadence. "It's great... r-really it is." 'Ugh. This thing is hideous. It's way too girly for my tastes.' "Thank you so much for this." Cadence forced a grin and did her best to bear this. "Are we finished with this yet?" "We certainly are, Princess. Now, you'll be ready for your groom-to-be." "Excellent." Cadence grinned evilly as she walked out and pulled Shining along. "It's almost time, Shining, dear. Come on!" "Y-Yes, Ma'am." He droned on in a haze, swooning as he followed her close behind. "Now, for the moment, we're all waiting for Cadence's wedding to begin. I, for one, am very excited about this. And we've got our bride and groom right now." Celestia welcomed them as the flower maids were showering them with beautiful flowers. They both walked down the aisle as, in the far distance, the Chameleon-Mech was observing the event. Celestia then proceeded to speak to bless them both before Twilight stormed in, to the annoyance of her friends. "Don't do it, Celestia; she's a snake disguised as Cadence. That mare is a fraud!" Everyone gasped at Twilight for her sudden intrusion; Rainbow rolled her eyes at the scene. "Twilight Sparkle! If what you say is true, then surely you have some proof of this claim, yes?" Celestia said with a stern look. "Well, no. I technically don't. In hindsight, I can see where and how this would be a problem." "Auntie, Celestia. Twilight's being so mean right now. All I wanted was a nice wedding today, and she's ruining it for both me and Shining." Cadence was making crocodile tears and trying to fake weeping. This sadly worked on Celestia. "Twilight Sparkle! You will cease this nonsense right now! Do I make myself clear?" Celestia said as Shining approached Twilight with glazed-over green eyes. "I d-do not want her in here at all. Twilight d-doesn't even deserve to be a b-bride maid for t-this." He struggled to get it out, a clear sign that something was wrong, yet nobody would believe Twilight. "But, Shining. I'm your little sister. You can't be serious." Twilight was crying at the cruel rejection by her manipulated big brother. "You heard him, Twilight. We told you not to make a scene, and what did you do? You made a scene." Rainbow shouted out, which did not help to make Twilight feel better. Celestia was right next to Shining, giving Twilight a look of disapproval. "B-But, Celestia-" "We have much to discuss after this wedding, Twilight." Celestia was glaring at Twilight as Twilight backed away and ran from the ballroom, crying. Cadence was grinning in satisfaction as she spoke up. "I need to use the restroom before we continue, if that'll be okay, Auntie." "Of course, Cadence. We'll be waiting for you." "Oh my. The drama, the intensity, the heartache. There's never a dull moment in that castle, I see." The doctor was eating popcorn while sitting in his swivel chair and watching Twilight's intrusion as if it were a satirical film. "No, there doesn't appear to be, Doctor," Decoe said as they watched. The doctor sat up and walked away. "I'm going to make myself a smoothie. A man can get parched, you know." "Whatever sounds good to you, Doctor. I think I'll enjoy a drink of some chilled motor oil, the organic kind; gotta stay in shape, bro." Decoe said as he walked away. "It's not my fault I was designed to look wide, brother." Bocoe protested. "Every robot has an excuse, I guess." Bocoe scoffed after Decoe shrugged and said he went into the robot rec room. Twilight was crying into the pillow in Cadence's guest room as Cadence walked in and saw her lying on the bed. With teary eyes, she looked up to see her and scowled. "Come back to gloat, you foul demon?" "Tempting, but no. I'm here to patch up a leak, as it were." Cadence's eyes were glowing bright green as she summoned a ring of lime-green flames to corral Twilight. "Goodbye, Twilight. Have fun with the real Cadence underneath the castle." "W-What? No! Don't do this..." Twilight yelped out as the flame consumed her, and she disappeared. Satisfied with her work, Cadence returned to the ballroom to finish her wedding. "I'm back, everypony! Let's finish this up, shall we?" She chirped. "Hey guys, you noticed that Cadence suddenly had to use the restroom no sooner after Twilight left? We might have made a mistake here." Rainbow said as Cadence and Shining stood parallel, facing each other. "Now, if there are no further interruptions, let us proceed. Cadence, Do you take Shining Armor to be your lawfully wedded husband?" "I do." "And Shining Armor, do you take Cadence as your lawfully wedded wife?" "I-I do.." "Then, by the power vested in me as the Princess of Equestria, I declare you both to be husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Cadence then moved in and siphoned away every drop of love energy from Shining Armor. He looked weakened like an empty husk and collapsed onto the floor as everyone gasped in surprise. Cadence's body then began to glow a bright green aura. "You should have listened to your precious little student, Celestia." "W-What is the meaning of this? Cad- no, you're not Cadence; who're you?" The disguised mare then revealed herself to have an obsidian-charcoal chitin shelling as her lithe and sleek body, long and swampy-green hair draped over her shoulders. She had a long and forked tongue, sharp fangs, insectoid wings, and a crooked horn with holes throughout her body. She cackled as she stood before Celestia, who stood her ground. "I am Chrysalis, queen of the changelings. It is my job to provide food for my subjects." "Well then, I owe Twilight an apology. Now that you so foolishly have revealed yourself, I'll deal with you." Luna joined in. "Sister, we can both take her on." "No, Luna, get the others to safety. I'll handle this imposter." "Alright then, Tia. Show her who's boss!" Luna cheered as they both stood for a magic duel. "Well then, Celestia. I've got all the charged-up power that I need. Go ahead, take your shot!" "Arrogant, aren't you, Chrysalis? Very well then, you asked for this!" Celestia fired her magic beam as Chrysalis fired hers; they clashed together as Chrysalis's beam was much stronger than Celestia's. The magic beam was glowing green and expanding as it raced towards Celestia. As she gasped. In moments, Celestia was thrown to the ground with a burnt horn, her crown inches away from her reach as she lay sprawled over the floor. "Tia! No!" Luna cried out as Chrysalis summoned her minions as they smashed through the windows and flooded the ballroom. "You have lost this fight, Celestia. My children, Wrap her up into a cocoon! I want her to watch her kingdom's demise." As they fired their sticky green goo all over her to glue her body to the floor, she wretched and gagged in disgust as some goo went into her mouth. "Blegh. That tastes so disgusting. Luna! Get help. Any help will do. Equestria's in trouble, and you're our only hope!" The sticky changeling goo wrapped all over Celestia's body as she squirmed and struggled in vain until a green fluid filled the cocoon, making her body slack from the numbness, and her voice muffled. "Yes, Tia. You can count on me! I shall return with help." Luna flew up, dodging some shots of green goo as they splattered onto the floor, and she flew out of the window. "This could be a problem. After her, my children. Hunt her down!" Luna was frantically flying away to search for help for Equestria's salvation. "Go now, My children! Feed!" Many fled to feed upon the ponies as Twilight's friends left to fight them. While everyone was being raided and captured during the Canterlot Wedding disaster, Luna had no choice but to flee as she was flying away from the castle to get help. Dr. Bruner was drinking out of a fruit smoothie, watching the invasion from a lawn chair atop his balcony at his Everfree Base. "Ahh... I need to make these smoothies more often. I don't have to do anything about those pesky Elements; whoever this queen is can do all the work for me. Then, when I'm ready, I'll storm in to create the Bruner Empire." "There you are, doctor. I cannot believe that I'm saying this... But we're in need of your help." Luna said as she landed on his balcony. The doctor then spat out his drink and coughed to clear his throat upon hearing this. "And why should I ever help out my enemies, huh? The back of my head still hurts from that Checker Wrecking Ball!" The doctor raised his brow as he listened to Luna. "Because Chrysalis truly is a wicked creature. Do you think she'll stop at us? She'll want to conquer everything, even you." "Ha. Hahaha. Oh, I would love to see her try it. I'd also love to see her as a crater on my front lawn." Just then, a stray changeling landed on the doctor's balcony pursuing Luna, and saw one of the machines he was working on. "Hey you, get away from that!" It stuck out its tongue as it shot some magic into it, causing it to blow up and fall apart, making the doctor's left eye twitch, "Why you, insignificant, little insect!" A fire was in the doctor's eyes as Luna leaned against him. "Is that motivation enough for thee?" Luna said as she saw the doctor brandish his energy gun, set it to non-fatal, and fire it at the changeling; as it fried his body, making him shriek and convulse in place before passing out. "Ouch. That looked harsh." "He should be thankful that it was just shy of being lethal. Nobody messes with my machines." The doctor replied angrily. "So, you'll be ready to fight with us then?" "Grr... y-yes, I will be. Decoe, Bocoe, Prepare my Bruner Mobile. System... Get my prototype mech suit ready. I'm going exterminating." "Aye, aye, Doctor!" Both robots said as they saluted him, and he stepped into his mechanical wardrobe unit. The steel curtains covered him up as Luna looked on with interest and heard the various sparks and beeping of the suit assembled onto the doctor's body. Chapter Twelve: The Canterlot Wedding (Part three)The assembly was completed as the steel curtains lifted, and Luna saw his giant mech suit. "Ooh... look at you, doctor." Luna was gawking at the case in amazement. "Chrysalis won't stand a chance now! Huzzah!" "Accompany me or not. I honestly don't care, but I want you out of my base!" "Fine then, I shall." Luna then flew up onto his shoulder and tagged along with him. "I'm here to make sure you don't kill anypony." "Just don't get in my way, and you have nothing to fear from me." The shutter door opened as he deployed his mechsuit body and journeyed towards Canterlot. Drones were trying to rush them as he fired a volley of guided heat-seeking missiles. They whistled as they hit each one, making them all fall and hit the ground with soft and meaty thuds. "Okay. I have to admit, that was pretty cool." "Hmph. Of course, they were cool; I designed them to be cool." "Manners cost nothing, you know. A simple thank you wouldn't have gone amiss." "I'm only polite to my allies, not my foes." "Well, like it or not, we're both allies now. So deal with it, doctor." "This is only a temporary truce; understand that, Princess. I'm not doing this because I care. I'm doing this because I stand up for my empire's honor." "Ugh... my head. W-Where am I? C-Cadence? Is that you? Oh my goodness, it is. I'm so sorry that this happened." "I-It's fine, Twily. She had everypony fooled." "Who is she anyway?" "Queen Chrysalis. She comes from a race known as the Changelings. They feed off of positive emotions to stay alive and to get stronger. Love magic is the strongest of positive emotions, Twilight." "Right, I can see why she targeted you," Twilight muttered as she looked up to Cadence and hugged her. "This is looking pretty bad, Cadence. I'm not sure that we'll be able to win this." "Don't say that, Twilight. Where there's love, there's hope." "I hope you're right, Cadence, for the sake of our home." Chrysalis approached Celestia in her cocoon-bound form, "So then, Celestia—time to rub it in. You were so fooled; you had no idea that it was Shining's magic that prevented my children from entering. The only reason why I could get in was that I disguised myself as that stupid love princess." "Mmmpth!" Celestia was muffling in aggression as she was helplessly suspended into the cocoon. "And what makes this even more delicious? Shining was such a banquet of love energy that I had more magic in me than you could handle. I picked the right moment to strike when your guard was down, and you were most vulnerable." "Mmmpth..." Celestia muffled in forlorn protest as her eyes became saddened at the thought that Equestria was finished. "That's right, Celestia. I won. And now, I shall rule all of Equestria. And look," she picks up Celestia's crown, "a new trophy for my conquest; how very thoughtful. Thank you, Princess." Chrysalis was tittering in delight at hearing Celestia's whines and sobs of defeat as she was immobile and powerless and forced to watch everything unfold. "I'll be sure to take good care of it." The elements, minus Twilight, were fighting off the changelings as they were surrounded. "Right, okay. We should have listened to Twilight. Maybe then this wouldn't have happened." Rainbow said that as the army moved in, they had no choice but to fight. "Yeah, we'll apologize once we find her; now, let's kick some bad guy flank!" Applejack yelled out as she back-kicked one and sent it flying towards the crowd. But try as they might, there were too many of them as they formed together and spat out their green goo; one glob smacked into Rarity's body as she shrieked. "No! This stuff is in my mane. Eww, eww, eww!" Rarity was glued to the ground as she struggled. Fluttershy rushed to her aid. "I got you, Rarity- Oh?!" Fluttershy got plastered by their goo as she was stuck to Rarity with an embarrassed huff. "O-Oh... dear." "You tried your best, Darling." Rarity said to lift her spirits. "Pinkie. Now would be a good time for your crazy hoo-hah." Rainbow said as she looked over to see Pinkie's legs wiggling out of a sizable glob of changeling goo and sighed. "Right. Of course, you'd be stuck, too. Because really, why not?" "I guess this just leaves us, Rainbow. Back to back." Applejack said. "Fighting impossible odds together as friends. Oh yeah!" Rainbow said as she and Applejack did their best to fight them off. The doctor and Luna were en route to the usurped castle as more changelings ambushed them. "Doctor! Look out!" A glob of their goo hit his chest plate as the mechanical hand peeled it off like a web and then flicked it away like a booger. "Whoever was the one that shot that, you'll be the first to get mangled." That changeling hissed as he charged the doctor, only for his mechanical arms to reach up and grab him mid-flight and hold him by his head as he struggled. "So, you're the first one to die, huh? Nice enough for you to volunteer; I'll crush your skull like a walnut." The more pressure he applied, the more the changeling cried in pain and kicked in desperation for freedom. "Doctor! Stop it! You'll kill him if you do that!" Luna yelled at him as he then let him go. "Today's your lucky day. Get out of my sight, you vermin, before I change my mind!" The changeling nodded furiously as he bolted for the sky, clutching his head from the ordeal. "That was too mean, doctor. There was no reason to take it that far." "If you show your enemies mercy, they tread all over you." Luna then scanned her surroundings and grinned. "Good news, I have located the magical signatures of both Cadence and Twilight. It's coming from over there, at that mountainside." "Then let's get digging! Excavation module, activate!" His left mech hand morphed into a steel drill, drilling a hole through the rocky surface. "We'll have to find a way out of here, Cadence. Can you stand up?" Twilight asked her friend next to her. "Yes, I can, Twilight. But r-running is out of the question. That horrible bug queen bled me dry." "Ponyfeathers. Well, I'll carry you over my shoulders then." Twilight lifted Cadence onto her back and brought her to a room with loads of geodes of lime crystals, each one forming a picture of Chrysalis. "Whatever you two are planning, don't bother. There's no hope for your pathetic little kingdom anymore. I made sure of that myself." "We'll find a way out of here; just wait. And once we do. You'll be sorry." Twilight said in defiance. "So, I was listening to your little speech out of boredom. It's amusing, I'll admit. Goodbye for now. I've got a kingdom to conquer." The queen cackled as her face vanished from the crystals that hung around the cavernous room. "She's starting to bug me. No pun intended, Cadence." "It was a pretty good one, Twilight- Wait a minute. Is that... drilling, I hear? Where is it coming from?" Cadence listened for it as the sound got closer, "Over there, Twilight. At that wall." "I hear it, too. And there are voices... Luna and... someone else." "I'm placing a charge into the cavity to breach the wall open. Stand clear, Luna!" The muffled voice sounded familiar to Twilight; then, she knew who was with her and scowled. "Oh no, Cadence. It's him. Doctor Bruner." "Who's that, Twilight?" "Unfortunately, you're about to meet him." Twilight heard the beeping of a bomb as she rushed away from the wall. As fast as she could. The bomb then went off. KA-BOOM! A gigantic hole was created, sunlight bled into the caves as a mechanical hand gripped the cave wall, and the doctor and Luna entered the interior. "You two, let's go and save this stupid kingdom so I can return to trying to seize it." "Nice to see you too, doctor." Twilight scowled at the doctor, who did the same in return. "So, I think it's safe to say you both know each other." "Yes, we do!" They both said at the same time to Cadence. "Well then, Let's follow Luna and the doctor, Twilight. Unless you've got a better plan." Cadence then left the caves, shielded her eyes from the sunlight as she breathed in the fresh air, and sighed in relief. "Sweet freedom, Twilight. And it feels incredible. Let's stop Chrysalis and save my wedding and my Shiny-Bear!" Cadence cheered as the heroic convoy made their way to the front gates of the castle entrance. "Okay, Rainbow! I think this is as far as we can go. These nasty critters are too much to handle." Applejack said as she was getting exhausted. "I hate to say it, but I think you're right, AJ. This is going to bruise my pride, alright." Rainbow and Applejack were then assaulted by a wave of their goo and glued with the rest of their friends like a sticky green net and were lifted off the ground and brought into the ballroom. "Well, it looks like the pathetic recusancy was finally captured. Good!" Chrysalis giggled like a filly at her triumphant moment, "Stick them onto the wall over there, next to Celestia." The doctor, Twilight, Luna, and Cadence were on their way to the Royal Ballroom, fighting through the hordes of changelings that charged them. "Is this seriously the best that these little bugs can do? I'm disappointed." The doctor said as he picked one up and punched it away into the nearest wall. "Yes. Because those guys versus someone in a gigantic mech suit is fighting fair, huh?" Twilight shot back to the doctor. "Well, you can't argue with the results, can you?" The doctor had a smug look on his face as they were now at the ballroom entrance. "If only Mother Metamorphosis could see me now, she'd be proud." Chrysalis squinted her eyes as she saw the doors to the ballroom forced open and a giant mechanical monster holding a changeling in its hand. As it let him go, the changeling looked terrified as he flew over and hugged the queen. "My q-queen. M-Monster... that thing is a metallic monster. We cannot stop it." "What is the meaning of this? Who're you?" "One word: Pissed! You have transgressed against the Bruner Empire and are now considered an enemy." The doctor readied his arms and weapons, "Surrender now, and maybe I'll offer you some mercy." "You think you're in a position to be demanding anything from me?" The queen snapped angrily. Celestia was delighted to see the doctor for once. "My enforcer, your queen needs you." Then, a vast and muscled changeling strides into the fray to size up the giant mech. "So, you have a bigger bug to fight me, eh? Fine then." They both approached each other. "I'll leave this to you, buddy. Go get him!" Twilight said as she guided both Luna and Cadence away. "Gee, thanks. Useless ponies." Then, they both clashed, metallic fists to brawny hooves together at an impasse. "Let's see what you got then!" "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but... go, Doctor Bruner," Rainbow said. The brute punched his hoof into the chest place, which caused it to dent, and the paint where the Bruner Empire symbol got smudged. "I'll have you know, that paint job wasn't easy to get just right." The brute grinned smugly as the doctor sprayed a mace that was in his mech's arm to burn his eyes; he shielded his face, walking back as he roared in pain. "Now I'm mad. It's time for the good doctor to leave and the bad one to take you apart." The doctor then connected a swift punch to its jaw to knock the brute down and pinned him onto his stomach with his metallic foot. "Buzzsaw module. activate!" The hand that sprayed that gas then morphed into a buzzsaw as he moved it over the brute's face, and the ponies were trying not to look as they saw sparks flying everywhere. The doctor then morphed his hand back to normal as he pried open the chitinous face plating that was the brute changeling's face, exposing the meat of his face. "Tenderizer module, activate!" That hand that was the buzzsaw then morphed into a steel meat tenderizer. It then rapidly punched him like a piston as he cried out for mercy. Cadence then went over to Shining and kissed him to restore his love energy. "It's okay, Shiny. I got you." He was revitalized as he returned to his senses. "W-What? It's that witch! Cadence? What happened?" "We got this, Shining. Chrysalis won't win this." Everyone looked at the brute as the doctor stopped. The brute was defeated as small amounts of his green blood could be seen, and he groaned in pain before passing out. "Consider this an act of mercy that your subject still draws breath. Now then. Let's negotiate our terms for monarchy!" The doctor got up and then approached the queen as she backed away. "You're nothing to me. Do you hear that? I'm a queen, your superior; I am your better. You'll never be any more, nor any better than I am—" She was abruptly cut off with a swift punch to her face as she collapsed and fell unconscious. "Shut up!" The doctor said with a deadpanned expression as he used his buzzsaw to free the others, starting with Celestia, "I'm not doing this for you cause I like you." The cocoon then spilled open as Celestia came falling out of it and panting, spitting up some of its goo with disgust. "T-Thank you... That was so... r-revolting in there." Celestia was shuddering from the awful experience. "Don't mention it... ever." As Cadence and Shining were standing, Celestia was helped back up by both Luna and Twilight. Then, through their power of love, they were charging up a gigantic pink wave of love energy as Chrysalis came to, only to see the wave of energy rushing towards her. "W-What is that?! But that's too much to take in! Noo!" Chrysalis then shielded her face with her forehooves as she and all her children were blasted away from the castle and even Canterlot. "AAAUGHHH!!! I'll have my revenge on you all!!!" Were Chrysalis's last words before her takeoff as her body became a shining star in the distance. "I hope you enjoy your flight, Queenie. Make sure you angle yourself so you land on your left shoulder! It'll help to cushion your fall." The doctor yelled out before laughing mirthfully. The queen was then defeated, and Equestria was saved. Chapter Thirteen: Wedding aftermath and celebration of love's union.After Chrysalis and her drones had disappeared, what was left was being cleaned up by castle staff. Even the facial carapace on that brute's face was split in half and onto the glazed marble floor. "Now then, our truce is officially over. My vengeance on those insects has been sated; I shall take my leave." The doctor stepped out of his mech suit and signaled his Bruner Mobile as it drifted through the broken window and landed. Everyone saw both Decoe and Bocoe pop up out of it. "Need a lift, Doctor?" Bocoe asked. "Aww. Those two little guys look so cute. They're built like toys. I wanna snuggle them so badly." Cadence said as she saw them. Her comment made them both blush. "Of course, Bocoe." He looks back to Celestia and says, "Consider this a... personal day off." She nodded. "And when you're back and at it, doctor, we'll always be ready to stop you," Celestia said with a cheerful look, delighted to be out of that awful cocoon. Her mane, tail, and fur were still slightly matted in changeling slime, much to her dismay. "Right, of course, you will be. Decoe, activate the crane mounted onto the underside of the mobile! Let's bring my mech suit home." The doctor's mobile hovered over the suit as the crane grabbed it and lifted it so it would go with them as they flew up and away from the castle through the window. Twilight approached her friends as they all had looks of mixed regret on their faces. "Twilight Sparkle. I want to be the first to apologize for not listening to you when you got suspicious and tried to warn us. I speak for us all when I truly thank you for your desire to defend Equestria. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Celestia asked her student. "But, Celestia, of course, I forgive you. I could never be mad at you guys. Sure, the situation did sting a bit, and I felt helpless. But we still won. I hate to say it—and I mean I really hate to say it, but I don't think that we'd have been able to have won this without the doctor's help." "Do not worry, Twilight. We'll be sure to compensate him for his services to our country, even if he initially didn't want to do so." Celestia said as she left the room with Luna. "This is a bit awkward, but it has to be said. I'm sorry, Twilight, for not listening to you when you were right all along." Rainbow said to Twilight as her friends all came up to hug her. "It's fine, girls. It was an important day. The stress did get to us all. It's not worth it to forever hold it over our heads like a grudge. I'm just happy that everything ended well for us all." The doctor then made it back to his base in the Everfree Forest he set his mobile down and stepped out of it. "Now that I can plan without the fear of a new tyrant, everything will go along much easier, I suppose." The doctor said as Decoe and Bocoe hopped out from the mobile to address the doctor. "Well then, doctor. What plans do you have this time? Something involving that Chameleon-Mech, I'm sure?" Decoe asked. "Oh? Is that thing still there? I nearly forgot about it when I was with that lunar princess." The doctor then chuckled, "Yes. I believe I have enough information on their interior structure to locate a weakened part of their throne room walling. Though risky, slipping in a mini-scrap dispenser will be a good strategy. Slowly, I can make my army there and strike them when they least expect it." The doctor laughed heartily. "All right, Doctor Bruner!" Both robots then cheered for their creator. Both princesses were walking down their hallway corridor to reach their throne chambers for a small private discussion. "I do need to discuss something with you, Luna. But privately, if you wouldn't mind." Celestia said as Luna nodded her head and followed. "Of course, Sister." They made it to the throne chambers, and then Luna asked, "What is it you wish to discuss with me, Tia?" "We're being watched, Luna. The doctor is staking us out." "How can you tell, Tia?" "When we were preparing yesterday. I got suspicious of that one strange servant who rarely did anything except watch us. Then, his eyes glazed over like the lens of a camera before they clicked. It was then I realized that he was watching us, probably for scheming." "What shall we do, Tia?" Luna asked her sister, who just grinned smugly. "Absolutely nothing, Luna. I have a plan of my own." "Do tell, Sister." Luna was looking at Celestia, interested to hear what she had to say. "Let's keep his little disguised robot here; it'll be great for delivering messages to him. I'll assume he must be using it if he's staking out the castle." "Ooh... can I use it too? To send messages as well?" "If you want to, Luna. Although, I've not the faintest idea as to why you'd ever want to do this." "Well, my job gets boring, and sometimes it's great to joke around, even if it'll rouse the doctor's ire." "Well then, let's run a little test on it, shall we?" Celestia said as Luna held her hoof over her nose and spoke to Celestia. "After you and I both take a trip to the hot spa. That cocoon has made you smell most... unpleasant, Tia." Celestia then sniffed herself and gagged. "Dear me, that awful queen and her wretched cocoon she had me in. You're right. First, we'll have our hot bath and test out his little machine." Celestia ran as fast as her legs could carry her, holding her breath after smelling herself as Luna followed shortly behind while giggling. It's great to be on the train back home, girls. I can't believe the day we just had. But seeing the actual Cadence kissing Shining was the highlight of that day, not that phony, Chrysalis." "I agree with you, Twi." "Absolutely, sugarcube." "Yippee. I love happy endings." "I couldn't agree more with you, Darling." "Oh, why yes, I agree with that, too." "Awesome, girls. I still cannot believe that Doctor Bruner was helping us to keep Equestria safe." Twilight said in a moment of brief shock. "I know he only did it so then he wouldn't have any competition, but still, if it weren't for him-" "Darling, I do not want to imagine myself in one of those awful cocoons." Rarity interjected to say. "I don't blame you, Rarity. Let's go home and try to enjoy the rest of today." All the girls had agreed as they arrived at their destination; Ponyville. "Oh my... oooh. That's better." Celestia then dipped into the hot spa water as the cleansing waters washed away the putrid slime of that cocoon in her prison cell. Luna then joined her bigger sister as they both relaxed in the steaming waters of the spa. The water was rising to their necks as they sighed in bliss. "Verily, Dear sister, I do agree. This is most marvelous." "So then, Luna. A bit of time in here, then. We'll prepare a gift for the doctor and torment him." "You like to see that human angry, don't you, Tia?" "Maybe..." Celestia then let the bubbly soap and hot water wash through her mane to make it all wet and drape over her back and shoulders. The slime now entirely off of her body, Celestia took this moment to relax thoroughly. "I hope Twilight and her friends have made it back home safely." "I'm fairly certain that they have, Tia." "Land sakes, it's getting late in the day, and I gotta get back home to the farm. I'll see you tomorrow." Applejack said as she dismissed herself from their group." "Yeah, I gotta eat dinner and then turn in for the night. I'm doing Wonderbolts training, and I gotta be at my peak performance." "I've got a big day ahead of me, Darlings. I'll have to turn in early." "And I got a significant and awesome birthday party to do for a special colt that requested me. A growing pony does need her rest for such festivities." "And I need to get Angel Bunny to his vet appointment early in the morning. He gets fussy, and I need the energy to deal with him." "Then it's settled; we'll all go our separate ways for today. I'll see your girls tomorrow; let me know how practice goes for you, Rainbow." "You bet I will, Twi." Everyone then split up and went home for the rest of the day. The princesses then finished with their spa treatment as they left the room and went down the corridors of their castle. Then, they approached the entrance of the royal canteen to take a step into the kitchen and speak to their head chef, Gusteau the Griffon. "Greetings, Gusteau. Does your day go by well today?" Luna asked him to start things off. "Salutations, dearest princesses. What is it that the best chef can do for you today?" This earned a few small huffs from the other cooks to varying degrees of irritation. "We need you to make us a big cake as a thank you present for certain... someone. A chocolate cake with all the bells and whistles. Go generous on the topping, too." "At once, Celestia. I will provide my best work." The head chef saluted the princesses as he reached out for the materials. "Alright then, cooks. We got a big order to fill for a deluxe chocolate cake. All the trimmings. Let's get this done then." They all cheered for their cook as they all got busy. After about an hour, the cake was ready for delivery as Gusteau, and his cooks showed both princesses the cake. "Is this to your likings, your majesties?" "Oh my... that does look tasty," Luna said in awe and wonderment. "It's so... perfect. Thank you, Gusteau. I'll have a letter and this cake delivered to the doctor's address for his service to Equestria." "Au revoir then, Princesses. Delighted to be of service." "Grr... I can't believe that I helped them through this. Letting that bug queen take things over would have made things much easier for me. More so when I consider how easy it was for me to fight them." "It's not the worst thing to have happened. Look at it this way, Doc: You have shown that queen who was boss." Decoe said to cheer up the doctor. "Yes. I suppose so. I'll continue my plans for total conquest in the morning." There was a ring at the front door of his base as both Decoe and Bocoe approached the entrance to answer it. After about a minute, Decoe returned to the doctor with a big package. "This is for you, doctor. It looks big." Decoe said as he laid the box down in front of the doctor. An understandably confused on his face. "What's this?" The doctor then opened the box to see a golden light shining from inside the box itself to look inside he gasped in shock, "This looks beautiful. This came from a culinary artisan. And chocolate, my favorite flavor." The doctor then cut a slice for himself to take a bite. His taste buds went off onto Cloud Nine. "My god. The rich flavor... pure heaven on the tongue, and the silky texture. It's so.. sinful. Dark chocolate mixed with delightful caramel filling layers with this delectable vanilla cream that merges well. This was made with love by each molecule of its very creation. P-Pure... perfection." The cake had written in icing, "Thank you for your service to Equestria." Then, a stray tear rolled down his cheek as he felt a panoply of emotions. Was this.. sadness, or was it joy? He felt something pure welling up within his chest- a robust set of feelings hard to describe. "Hey doctor, is that a tear? Are you feeling okay?" Bocoe asked in concern for his creator. "What? A tear? On my face?" The doctor felt his face as there was a tear on his left cheek as he scowled. "H-How dare they... manipulate my emotions as if I were some mere bauble in their hooves? They have a lot of nerve. I am done eating." "Hello there, doctor." The screen on the primary monitor in his lab clicked to life as the faces of both Celestia and Luna could be seen, "We just finished our hot bath and decided to send you a little gift. I trust that you've accepted it. Being a good guy wasn't that bad, now was it?" Celestia had a smug look from her side as she goaded the doctor for his reaction. "Indeed. I hath had the most fun with you in saving the very nation you've dedicated yourself to destroying and seizing." Luna has snickered along with Celestia. The doctor huffed as he took the slice he bit into and placed it back on the cake. He then carried it out over to the balcony of his base. He was infuriated; best yet, the princesses were being treated to this by the drone that the doctor had initially sent into their castle to act as a spy. Getting ready to toss it off his balcony, he yelled, "I hate those princesses... And I hate those elements!" He yelled out his frustration as he threw the cake off his balcony, sending it away to its splattered grave. Chapter Fourteen: An inside ploy with elitist nobles."Good morning, Equestria! You're listening to the melodious morning voice of Mister Mic Most, coming at you live from Manehattan here on MAGIC 107.9; the best beats and greets of the nation." The radio blared as it woke up. The now groggy doctor promptly turned the radio off and groaned. "Ugh. Morning radio is not my cup of tea. Decoe, is that chameleon-mech still in their castle?" "Yes, doctor. They still have not gotten rid of it yet." "Good. I'll have my shower first, then get ready for my day." "Aye aye, doctor." Decoe and Bocoe saluted the doctor as he went in to freshen up for his day. "Sister. It is time for thee to wake up." Luna woke up Celestia after lowering her moon and raising the sun. She felt refreshed and ready to begin her daytime duties as Luna went to sleep to get rested for her nightly responsibilities later on. "Good night, Tia." Luna bade her sister farewell as she made her way to her room out of Celestia's Room. "Yes. Good night to you, dearest sister. Sleep well." Celestia waved her sister goodbye as she stretched her limbs, back, and neck to only partially wake up. "Mnh... I need my coffee now. I hope they didn't run out of that mocha flavor yet." Celestia then shuffled into the kitchen to greet her cooks and chef. "Good morning, Princess." "Yes... Do you still have that mocha coffee that Luna had last night?" "We certainly do, Your Highness," one of the cooks replied. "Oh. That sounds lovely. Can I get a cup of that, please?" Celestia yawned as she covered her mouth with her hoof. "Yes, Your Highness!" They all then saluted as they began to brew the coffee immediately. "Thank you so much." As Celestia and the doctor began their day, Twilight was already eating breakfast with Spike and reading the Ponyville Daily Newspaper. "It says here that the nobles of Canterlot are trying to fight to raise taxes on the rest of Equestria but still have not gotten Princess Celestia's approval yet." "Gee, I wonder why." Spike was drinking coffee and eating a muffin. "And look who's on the cover, Blueblood." "Why am I not surprised?" "Why does that guy keep trying to make life difficult for everypony else? What on Equestria does he need all that extra money for, anyway?" "A new pair of hoof shoes? What?" Twilight gave Spike an awkward look. "Doesn't he have like fifty-four of those already? Yes, I kept count of his possessions." "You... seriously need to find better hobbies, Twilight." "I'll let that remark slide because I'm too tired to care right now, Spike." "So, Are you creating your scrap dispenser now... or?" "After I have my breakfast, Decoe. I cannot scheme properly on an empty stomach." The doctor said with a grumble to his voice. "Of course, doctor. It wasn't brilliant of me to ask. So having that first, then you'll further along with your plan. Sounds good to me." After at least forty-five minutes, the doctor finished his morning meal. "Okay then, I have formulated a brilliant plan. That Chameleon Mech shall play a great role in keeping tabs on the interior foundations as it provides me with all the important real-time data I need to work around their schedule. Oddly enough, Celestia begins her breakfast at around the same time I do. Nine O'Clock in the morning. I can see why, as it's the ideal time for thinking. And reading off of its acquired data... At around Six O'Clock in the evening, she eats dinner and then goes to rest as Luna begins her duties." "So you've got their times for their duties, doctor?" "I do, Decoe. Between the hours of six and eight in the approaching morning, Luna retires, and Celestia wakes. From that, I can concur when it'll be the best time to strike them. Preferably during the daytime. I can use the Chameleon Mech to smuggle in the mini-dispenser. From there, I can create a robot that can destroy their foundations from the inside out." "Using a schematic, I assume?" "You know me too well, I suppose." Then the data came back with a conversation in the Throne Room where the mech was placed after the events from the wedding. "Hmm? What's this?" "This is unbelievable; Celestia doesn't see the beauty of our plan together as a community. It's an outrage to pay more than necessary to the lesser folk of Equestria. It's downright sacrilege." Blueblood was speaking privately with three other nobles who had shared interests with him. "Yeah. There can be many other more productive ways to use the extra bits paid to them. Such as expanding the nation and providing us with better luxuries as well- the luxuries being a nice little bonus." replied Silverblood, who was the cousin of Blueblood along with Big Gains, a wealthy entrepreneur, and stockholder of nearly a quarter of Equestria's wealth. Lady Fortune is big in real estate and is the owner of most of the major entertainment venues in Canterlot and Manehattan. "Seconded on that, Silverblood. As solid advice from me, Big Gains, I can certainly see the benefit of working together with you three." In a slightly gruff southern accent, Big Gains then looked to their female comrade. "Whatever will secure and also expand my entertainment empire. I'm more concerned with what we can accomplish here as a group. I would even go so far as to say that our plan will be better than Celestia's if she ever spent any time making one, that is." "I'd best be careful of what I'd say in a place where punishment ain't too far away, milady," Big Gains admonished her, to which she just shrugged off. "Why should you be worried, Gains? You're just as big as we are. What could she do to us that wouldn't also hurt the future of this country? Nothing. And she knows it. We have her dead to rights financially." "Well, now, isn't this an interesting little conversation? I hope you four didn't mind that I've heard everything you're saying. Treason in the very place that you've sworn allegiance towards? My goodness." A radio voice sounded off from the pony-like robot in the Throne Room where they were as a holographic image of the doctor manifested itself from its mouth. "What in tarnation? That thing can talk?!" Big Gains recoiled back in shock as he composed himself. "I'm surprised that hunk of junk can talk, let alone display any visuals. I thought it was a cheap knick-knack that Celestia had bought somewhere." This retort grated the doctor's nerves. "How dare you call my masterful machine a cheap knick-knack. Of course, I was thinking of assisting you as long as you've assisted me. But with that greeting, I'm not so sure now." "Never mind the lady; she's a bit skeptical from the sudden intrusion. I'm Big Gains. And you are?" "Doctor Bruner. Eccentric genius inventor and scientific engineer. At your service. I do apologize for the rather crude means of intrusion. But I couldn't help but notice that you've got a problem that very well might be more than you could handle." "I'll have you know that we're more than capable of handling ourselves, thank you." Fortune snapped back. "Shame. Then I suppose I'll have to fall back on my second plan. Good day-." "Wait! Don't leave. I might need your help here, Doctor Bruner." Blueblood spoke up, shocking the rest of them. "Accepting his help, someone we just met?! You're not serious, Blueblood?! Wait, what am I saying? Of course, you are." "Fortune. Think of what we'll have here. He's got the technology we'll need to make our dreams a reality. I believe he's worth adding to our team." He looked towards the pony chameleon machine that the doctor was using to communicate with them, "I agree to add you to our cause. What do you want in return? This wasn't done for altruism's sake. You're after something." "You're right. I am. My proposition is simple: I'll provide you with four mechs to use as you see fit. All I ask for in return is an opportunity to destroy Celestia, Luna, and those detestable elements." He cleared his throat, "so then, do we have a deal?" "But isn't raising and lowering the sun and moon their job? How would we be able to do that?" Silverblood asked the Doctor. "Leave that to me. I'll prepare a weather machine that can also use gravity, combined with their magic to control the celestial bodies." "You're bluffing. You can't create that." Lady Fortune scoffed with disdain as the doctor laughed with delight. "You think so, eh? Observe. Chameleon-Mech. Send over the dispenser." The machine bleeped in confirmation as it sent the dispenser to them, and it began to fire a beam onto the ground to generate both the dispenser and create fresh scrap and materials, "as you can see. This dispenser was designed to create the machines based on the schematics from my home base in the Everfree." The doctor then sent over his first schematic as it went towards the dispenser, and the dispenser created its first machine, a small robot that could act as an engineer to tend to the dispenser. "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. That's pretty nifty, doctor," Big Gains whistled in awe as he saw the little engineer worker going to town on the fresh scrap and other materials to create more engineer bots and for the machine to work correctly, speeding up the process. It took about five minutes as all four nobles watched in astonishment. The device looked like a portable computer with a massive tank on its back, two prongs where the tank was, and a signal beacon on its top. "For simplicity's sake, the controls on the terminal were made easy for you to command from your location. That tank is where the princesses' magic goes into. The beacon part is what broadcasts the weather and gravity changes. It'll take some time between each use, so it'll have to be planned since this wasn't designed to be durable through overuse." The doctor then looked to Blueblood, "Either operate it manually or allow my engineer bots to do so automatically. It's your choice." "How will we be able to pull their magic from them? I can't imagine them just willingly giving that to us." Blueblood pondered to himself as he kept his focus on the doctor. "We'll bait them into a trap. You four will use the specially designed machines provided to corral those two princesses, get them close to that weather machine I showed you earlier, and let that machine work its magic by taking theirs." "That's... a pretty cruel but effective plan. So about these four machines for us." Fortune then raised her brow, curious if she would even get one. "Patience, Miss Fortune. I'll be sure to beam those in right now." No sooner had he said this than the dispenser beamed in four machines that looked more like conventional weapons. "What are we supposed to do with these?" "Create panic and then goad them out into the open, Miss Fortune. Once they appear in this room, one of you will hit that red button to begin the machine's magic siphoning function. However, they must be close enough for the machine's rays to reach them." "So, lure them in here by creating chaos?" Blueblood then looked to his weapon, a firecracker launcher that could attach itself to his left forehoof. "So why in blue blazes do we have these well... less than spectacular gizmos? What's this one meant to do, anyway?" Big Gains looked to see that his weapon was a paintball launcher. "Looks like these are more like tools to create mischief with. So what do we do with these, annoy the princesses with them?" Silverblood wondered as he looked at his weapon, a smoke grenade thrower temporarily creating a smog with white phosphorus powder to blind them. "And mine looks to be stupid. What am I supposed to do with this?" Fortune's weapon looked like it launched bombs filled with itching powder. "All your tools at your disposal all have one thing in common; they're capable of causing chaos and angering others immensely. Perfect for luring them into a trap with." The doctor then chuckled, "Trust me. You'll find much success with those two unable to use any of their magic whatsoever." Chapter Seven: You can always tell with a tutor-bot, the doctor's next plan.It was the evening for Equestria; after the race with the doctor and Rainbow Dash, everything seemed to be settled for a time. Rainbow woke up from her nap as she stretched in her bed. "Well, at least I feel better. I will be more cautious now, that's for sure." Rainbow then jumped out of bed and stepped outside; she looked over to Twilight's treehouse and flew there. When she landed on the doorstep, she knocked to let Twilight know she was there. The door opened up to reveal Twilight there. "Oh, Rainbow. Are you feeling better now? I hope so." "Yeah. I am a bit. Can I come in to hang with you?" "Sure, you can. I'll get some warm tea ready." "Thanks, Twilight. I am in the mood for some tea." Meanwhile, at the Doctor's Everfree Base... "It's unbelievable how I've lost again. But what if I was going about everything the wrong way? Maybe all that's needed is to educate the minds of the youth, one place at a time. Get them to accept me as their new ruler." The doctor then stroked his beard as he came up with a plan. "Yes, I'll create a robot that can teach them all about the glory of the Bruner Empire." "That's great, Doctor!" Bocoe said "So, what'll its name be?" Decoe asked. "I'll call him Tutor-bot, a simple yet effective name." The doctor said, "his job will be straightforward as their minds are also simple; keep them only as intelligent as I want them to be." "Well, that shouldn't be too difficult to do, Doctor." "Precisely, my robotic companions!" The doctor was making his newest robot for the evening, ready for the next day. Rainbow sipped the warm tea and sighed satisfactorily, "Oh boy, this is nice. I don't normally drink tea, but this stuff is pretty good." "I'm glad you think so, Rainbow. This tea was ordered from Canterlot; Celestia had some and wanted me to try it, so I see no reason why I can't share it." "Well, I am feeling a bit better. Thanks for this, Twilight." "Not a problem. If you want, you can sleep here tonight. Spike and I might be up for a bit longer." "Well, slight problem with that, Twilight. I'd have to decline that offer as I already had rested, so I guess I'll be headed back home after tea." "That's alright, Rainbow. If you ever need to come here, you know where here is." "Yeah, totally, Twi. Thanks again for being there for me; I appreciate it." "It's no problem at all; come back anytime you'd like- at a reasonable time, of course." "Sure thing. Cya, Twilight, Spike." Rainbow then finished her tea, got up, set the cup on the table next to her, and left. She flew up towards her home. The next morning approached as everyone woke up to start their day. Twilight wasn't in the mood for that; she wanted to sleep instead. "Hey, Twilight? You were up all night reading again, weren't you?" "Grughh... No. Five more minutes, please." Came the irritated reply from the tired unicorn. "Yep. You've been up all night again. Twilight, what am I going to do with you?" Spike decided just to let her sleep in as there was no point in rousing her when she was like this. "Well, I'll make breakfast when you wake up." "But I don't wanna go to school for that dumb test, Applejack." "Like it or not, filly, that's where you're going. If I gotta lasso you over there and make you go, you're going to school, missy." "Hmph." Applebloom then folded her forehooves as she had a chip on her shoulder. Realizing that there was no getting out of it, she complied. "It won't be that bad. And besides, I can make you a tasty apple cake when you return, Applebloom." Applebloom then raced to school; she didn't waste any time then. "Heh, love you too, sis." "You gotta go to school, Squirt. That's how you're going to be awesome, like me." Rainbow said to cheer up Scootaloo. "Yeah. I know I won't like it, but it's gotta be done." "That's a good attitude to have. Sometimes, to be awesome, you gotta do what you gotta do, even if what you gotta do ain't pleasant." "Yeah, I get it. I'll ace this test; you watch." Scootaloo then went to the schoolhouse to meet up with everyone. "Ugh. Yeah, yeah, I'll go to school, Sis." "You better, Sweetie, darling. You need your education, and making friends there is also important." "Or you want me out of your mane for a little while." Rarity frowned at Sweetie Belle. "Well, it's true, sis." "Sweetie Belle, get going, okay? And if those two bratty girls ever mess with you, remember to talk to Ms. Cheerlie about it." "Yes, Sis." Sweetie Belle said as she went to school to begin her day. All three crusaders then met eyes as they rushed over to each other. "Hey, Scootaloo, Applebloom. How're you guys?" Sweetie Belle waved over to her two friends as they waved back in unison. "We're here; I guess that's what's important. So you ready for that test, Sweetie?" Applebloom asked. "No. But, like it or not, it has to be done. Math is not my greatest subject, but it's not my worst." "Well, let's go, guys. The test awaits." Scootaloo says to her friends as the trio enters the schoolhouse. Five minutes before class begins... "Why, hello there; you seem lost. Can I help you with anything?" Ms. Cheerlie asked as she approached what appeared to be a robot with a graduation cap and gown as decoration on his body. He wheeled himself into the room, and he exclaimed to her with a robotic yet cheerful voice. "Why yes, I'll be usurping your position as an instructor for today, madam." "I-I'm sorry, what? No, will you not-" A tranquilizer dart was shot into her neck, cutting her off mid-sentence as she collapsed onto the schoolhouse floor. "Y-You... b-bucket of b-bolts... ugh." "Nighty night, and please, do not take this personally." Then, Dr. Bruner, Decoe, and Bocoe stood there next to the Tutor-Bot as her eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep. "Those little brats are headed right for this building. Tutor-Bot, do your work!" "Aye, aye, Doctor." Tutor-Bot then saluted the doctor as he got ready for class. Decoe and Bocoe then wrapped up Cheerlie in a large burlap bag and put a gag in her mouth so she'd be mute. They tied up the load but left holes in it so she could breathe. "Alright, you two. Dispose of the garbage for me, won't you?" The doctor dismissively waved his hand away to order them to complete their task. "Yes, Doctor Bruner, sir!" Bocoe said as both robot brothers left through the back, lifted her away, and hid her in some bushes, facing away from the schoolhouse, so nobody got suspicious. "Perfect. I'll leave everything in your capable hands, Tutor-Bot." The doctor then left from the back door as going out through the front would gather too much attention. fast-forward to the present... "Well, let's go, guys. The test awaits." Scootaloo says to her friends as the trio enters the schoolhouse. As she pushed open the doors, she was greeted with a surprise; instead of Ms. Cheerlie, there was a robot in her stead. "Huh? Who's this?" "Why hello and good morning, my lovely students. I'll substitute for Ms. Cheerlie today as she's not feeling quite like herself." The robot then adjusted his red bowtie, cleared his robotic throat, and humbly welcomed his students. "I love my job." He muttered under his breath. "Well... okay then. We gotta finish school; it doesn't matter who teaches us, I guess." Scootaloo reasoned as every colt and filly filled up the room. "Exactly. I couldn't agree more with you. One moment while I scan you for identification." Tutor-Bot then flashed a transparent blue light on her as he finished. "Results completed! Name Scootaloo. Race: Pegasus. Personality: Courageous, adventurous, and bold. Thank you for joining us today, Scootaloo. Please have a seat, and we'll begin shortly." "Right then, mister." "Please, call me Tutor-Bot. Everyone else does." "He's too cheerful; even Ms. Cheerlie isn't that happy to do her job. I don't like him." Applebloom said as he looked over to the three Crusaders and waved happily to them as they waved back nervously. "So what's with the tin can wearing the funny hat? Did Ms. Cheerlie finally get tired of doing her job?" Diamond Tiara said as she scoffed as she and Silverspoon went to their seats. He glared over at her with a perceived frown as he wheeled his way around to her. "Initializing scan for identification." The blue light shone over her for a few seconds before it vanished, "Results completed! Name: Diamond Tiara. Race: Earth Pony. Personality: Spoiled rotten. Judging by your lineage, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Tutor-Bot said the words spoiled rotten in a more drawn-out and dramatic tone. "I'm sorry. Do you know who you're talking to, you metallic numbskull?" "I take it back, girls. I think he's pretty cool." Applebloom said to her friends after his jest towards Diamond Tiara. "Threats mean nothing to me, young lady; do I have to arrange a parent-teacher conference for your inability to be considerate towards your peers?" "Just do your job, and we'll get along just fine, Okay?" She leered at him as he was still just as cheerful as ever. "Absolutely. That's what I was built for." He wheeled himself to the front of the class to begin his lesson. "Alrighty, class. This is a math test, unfortunately. I know that's not too great, but your teacher kept me caught up on everything I need to know for today." The students all had groans of disapproval upon the mention of the word math. He then opened up his chest like a cabinet as smaller drones came out, held the tests' papers, and dropped them onto each table. Every colt and filly was looking at the smaller drones with looks of awe and wonderment. "For this test, there shall be no time limit. You're doomed to failure when you're pressured to succeed, which I will never condone for my class." "This isn't your class; this is Cheerlie's," Diamond muttered. "Unnecessary comments from the peanut gallery will be both acknowledged and reprimanded. Now, please, no talking during the test unless you require a restroom break." All she could do was glare at him hatefully. Diamond and Tutor-Bot didn't get along, but it was mostly one-sided. "The test shall begin... right now! Good Luck, and may you all get perfect scores." The Crusaders just giggled in Diamond's general direction as she groaned in aggravation from not having things done her way. "Alright then, Bocoe, is she completely concealed?" Decoe asked his robotic brother. "She is, indeed, bro—no possible chance of being seen. Hey, look, it's that Rainbow pony from yesterday. Uh oh." Bocoe said as he looked nervous in Decoe's direction. "Try to remain hidden, okay? If we can't see her, she can't see us." Decoe stated as they both tried to ignore Rainbow. "Hey, you two! What're you up to, huh? You thought that I wouldn't notice, eh?" "U-Uh... hey there, Rainbow Dash. No, everything's fine, just fine. The doctor isn't here with us; we're out for a day on the town." Bocoe said to try to maintain their bluff. "Uh-huh. Sure you are. You're out for a day in the town... behind the schoolhouse, trying to hide something in the bushes. Do I look stupid to you two?" "Are we supposed to answer that?" Decoe asked Rainbow. "No! And if you do, I'll play airborne soccer with your heads." They both gulped and then came clean. "We're sorry. It was all the doctor's planning. We're just carrying out his orders. We swear." They both say together, bowing and on their knees, begging for mercy. "What is the doc planning? Tell me everything you know right now!" Rainbow was trying to probe them for information as the young may very well be in trouble.
Prologue: The beginning of a new evil"Greetings and salutations, everybody! I humbly welcome everyone to this incredible event: The world-class major inventors' assembly." The host, a well-known inventor himself, was adjusting his tie and cleared his throat as he addressed the crowd in front of him. He saw him to the right of the vast ocean of other like-minded individuals. He visibly scowled upon seeing him there. He knew that the most remarkable inventions on display here were not made by him or anybody else but by the man he was looking at. With short black hair and a light mustache and beard, that was enough for him to stroke it without it being too unkempt. He had hazel eyes almost always covered by heavily tinted glasses. He wore a white lab coat and black pants like everyone else. "Well, it is with my esteemed pleasure that I announce the winners of this event. Please approach the podium and take your positions for those with their tickets and designated numbers." The one who earned the host's ire was stroking his chin in mild suspicion; these machines looked an awful lot like the ones based on his blueprints in his office of this building, but why? "That's funny. These look like my designs, and every machine is displayed here. Their resemblance is uncanny. What is that slime ball up to this time, I wonder?" The man muttered to himself under his breath. "Unfortunately, those who did not receive a ticket with a number were sadly not chosen as the winners of this national event. They will then at least be able to enjoy our banquet with everyone else, prepared by our cooks." The man grew increasingly suspicious, realizing he hadn't been given a ticket. "Now, wait just a minute here!" he yelled, which got the attention of everybody in the auditorium. "These machines look like they're based on my designs. You didn't think I wouldn't be able to recognize my creations, did you, professor?" "That is absurd, Doctor Bruner. These were indeed designed by our contestants here. I'm sure you're upset that you were never chosen." The professor carried his trademark smug look over his face as he addressed his once colleague and rival. "I can guarantee you that these were all mine; I have the blueprints of each in my office." This made the professor smirk, "How dare you steal my work and masquerade it off as theirs when neither you nor they put any effort into their designs whatsoever." "If what you say is true, producing these blueprints shouldn't be too difficult for you to do, should it?" "Not at all. I'll show you, You pompous charlatan." The Doctor then made his way down through one of the sprawling corridors of their facility, leading to his office to check up on his work. Upon opening the door to his room, he discovered something terrible: all his blueprints were missing. "What?! Inconceivable. They were all here before this event—I ensured that myself. I knew that snake was up to no good." The Doctor was anything but pleased right now; he knew that he needed to return to the event. "So then, Good Doctor, do you have the blueprints you speak of? Please present them to us," the professor asked upon seeing the Doctor return. "What have you done with my blueprints? I watermarked them, you know. I have every legal right to them. I knew you would cause some trouble for somebody, so I showed up tonight." "I have no idea what you're talking about, Doctor Bruner. There's no recorded evidence that I walked into your office to take them, is there?" "Damn, you. You planned this out thoroughly; that look on your face is all too obvious- the look of blatant satisfaction." "If you do not cease this nonsense immediately, then I'll have no choice but to have you forcibly removed from this building by site security." "That won't be necessary; I'll see myself out. All of you in this facility are dishonest charlatans, fakers, pretenders, and embellishers of someone else's genius. You're all an embarrassment to good inventors everywhere. I hope you enjoy that which you coveted for yourselves. I quit working in this haven of hypocrites." "Then, by all means, Good Doctor. The door is that way." The professor gestured to the exit door; many people there were also snickering, obviously aware of the professor's foul play. "None of you are even as close to being as capable of even a quarter of the level of intelligence and genius that I possess, and none of you ever will be, either—not anybody in this crowd or this entire building. This whole event was a farce—a means to get rid of me, and you know it." "A very bold accusation coming from somebody unable to prove that I did anything. As you said, Good Doctor, you shall see yourself out; we'll ensure your belongings are delivered to your residence within three business days. I wish you luck in your future endeavors." "Spare me your honeyed words; you always were much better at groveling to your superiors than thinking anyway. This entire planet isn't worth living on anymore. There's no such thing as an honest individual nowadays." "In my professional opinion, that might be a premonition of cognitive depression and schizophrenia. Always remember that help is just a phone call away, Good Doctor." "I hope this entire world and the human species may rot as it deserves." Doctor Bruner then slammed the door, exiting the facility and cementing his resignation from within that company. "I'm so pleased to have you back with us, Luna. It's been so long, and I've missed you." Celestia then unfurled her wings and brought her sister into her embrace. The younger alicorn accepts it as she melts into her older sister's embrace. "I'm so glad to be back finally. I am so sorry I've lost myself to such madness for so long." Luna, relieved to be back finally, was eager to have a fresh start as everyone cheered for her redemption. "I'm so glad you two can rekindle your friendship after a thousand years, Princess Cel- I mean Celestia. I can't imagine what this must have been like for either of you." Twilight snuggled up to Celestia as the rest of her friends soon joined in. "Darn right, Twilight. I reckon that we all did a good job." "Oh yeah, we did, AJ. We all were awesome, purging the evil right out of her." "We should all have a welcome back Luna party! I'll make the cake!" Pinkie was hopping in place as everyone giggled at her goofy display. "That sounds like a marvelous idea, Pinkie; a short reprieve from my work would be better on my nerves." "Oh, I'd love it if Pinkie also had an assortment of bird seeds for the lovely little birds. I'll want to provide a little.. w-well gift for Luna's return to Equestria." "Oh yeah, Futtershy. I will have all of the seeds... all of them..." "Oh, that sounds just lovely, Pinkie." They all enjoyed gathering together as they made way for Sugarcube Corner for their nighttime party before their night had ended and the morning began for Equestria. "I can't believe this. Those cretins were all scheming behind my back; this entire species cannot even do a single thing legitimately, can they? No matter, this new invention should be able to provide for me a world of which I can occupy and command." Dr. Bruner was glossing over the blueprints of his new prototype, a machine that can bend matter and atom particles to accelerate said matter on the molecular level. The Doctor removed his white lab coat and put on his red uniformed top, an equal mix of science and dictator in style. If he planned on ruling a different world, he might as well look the part of a ruler. "It's... beautiful. Untested, sure, but beautiful. I call it the Bruner Tech Hyper-Dimension Scrambler and Seeder Device. With this machine, I can leave this pathetic excuse of civilization behind and establish a new and better one that I will monitor." It was risky even to consider testing it on himself, but the Doctor was confident in his work, sure it would succeed. "What's progress without some risks, as they say in science." The door slid open to the right as the machine waited to be used. "Somehow, I feel this might be a mistake. But I'm already too deep to cancel it all now." The doctor steels himself for his excursion. He switched the machine to its activated feature as it whirred to life, a cascade of beeping and clicking to signal that it was ready for service. "Excellent. Alright, Device, activate coordinate protocol immediately!" The Doctor stepped in as the sliding door corralled the Doctor into its matter transfer chamber; it did as instructed. Suddenly, the machine's caution alarm went off, "W-What's this? What's going on here?! Device! Open this door up at once! I order you!" The machine was blowing up as it forced too much matter to transfer all at once; the Doctor could not escape from his creation as his vision turned white. Just like that, he was gone, and the now broken machine was all that remained. Twilight woke up from her bed in her treehouse home as she exited and stretched her muscles. She shook herself awake with a yawn and trotted to Spike's basket bed to wake him up. "Good morning, Spike. You want to go and have some breakfast with me?" Spike stirred from his slumber as he stretched and, with a yawn, addressed his friend next to him. "Sure thing, Twilight. That sounds great right about now." "Wonderful. That'll be the first thing we do to check off our list, among the other things we've planned for today." "So I couldn't dig into those tasty cupcakes from Pinkie's party last night?" "Spike, no, you can't. Cupcakes are not for breakfast, making you have an even pudgier belly." "Hey now, my belly ain't pudgy; it's nice and fluffy like a pillow." "Right. Sure it is, Spike. Just be careful what you eat, okay? I want my best assistant to be happy and healthy." "Of course. Thanks, Twilight. So I guess I'm just as ready as ever." "Alright then. Let's get some grub, Spike. I'm starving." The flashing then subsided in favor of an ear-splitting headache. "O-Ohh man... my head. What happened? What is this? Is this the afterlife? Am I dead?" He found that his breathing was regular. "Normal breathing? It's a sure sign that I'm alive. But uhh. Where am I?" The Doctor was taking in his surroundings, trying to gather his bearings as he observed the grassland terrain. "Alright then, focus. I'll first need to establish a new base of operations. But where? That is the question." With such luck that there was a supply warehouse not too far from where he was, it was very fortunate for him. "Wonderful. I shall begin construction of my new base immediately." The Doctor grinned as he then went to work making his new base out of that warehouse. "Oh boy. I'll admit, that stuff does look pretty good, Twilight." Spike saw the goods in the display window of a nearby cafe in Ponyville. They both went inside to order something good for breakfast. "I have to agree, Spike. Mmm. And smell that coffee and those cinnamon rolls." "Oh sure, because a cinnamon roll has more benefits than a cupcake." "Spike, don't you pick a fight with me, mister, or so help me, I'll make you read three chapters with me... with no breaks whatsoever." Spike gulped and then stayed compliant with Twilight. "Okay, then, maybe a cinnamon roll is not all that expensive. Would you like to go and buy one?" "Sure, Spike. Let's enjoy breakfast; then we'll move on with today's rest of our list." Spike and Twilight then ordered their meals and sat down to eat them, blissfully unaware of the potential new threat that had just arrived in Equestria not too long ago.
Chapter One: The doctor and the elements meet"Hello there, it's a pleasure to meet every... eh... one here. Did I get that right?" The human greeted all the workers here present as they saw this very tall man slowly approaching them; he was at least level height with Celestia herself. "Do not fear; I am not your enemy here. I am new here and hope to lend you my engineering talents. That's if you would have me, of course." "Sure thing, Partner. What all can you, uh. Do?" The foreman of this warehouse asked. "Perhaps a demonstration would be in order, yes?" The doctor replied with a now wider grin. "All I require from you, fine gentlemen, is some resources for my work. That wouldn't be asking for too much, would it?" "No. Not at all. How soon can you start, anyway?" "Immediately," the doctor said with a sinister grin. Twilight's teeth sunk into the warmth and softness of the toasty, sweet cinnamon roll as she sighed in bliss. "Oh man, these have to be the best this town offers us." "O-oh yes, for real. But Pinkie's sweets are still top-notch, though. These are pretty close." Spike was savoring the morning sweet as if he were its judge; sadly, it could not measure up to what one would typically have at Sugarcube Corner. "But for just a few bits, would you say it was worth it?" "Hmm... yup." Then came the coffee for the both of them. They thought the roll was good, and the coffee was much better. "My goodness, Spike. This coffee is better than the sweet roll. After breakfast, our next stop is Canterlot. I need to discuss something with Celestia, and it cannot wait." "What's wrong this time? She forgot to give you your monthly issue of magic anomalies, and you again?" "No, Spike. I agreed to study the more advanced magic with her that not even the students at her school were ready to tackle. Can you imagine how exciting that is?" "Well, considering I'm a dragon, dragons don't use magic... not really." They both finished their breakfasts and left the server a two-bit tip as they left the cafe and went to board their train to Canterlot. "So then, how durable would you estimate this glass to be? For uh- research purposes." "Oh? This glass is some of the most durable and damage-resistant in this warehouse; why, aside from just research?" "Oh, the more you know, the better off you'll be; that's all. The more durable a machine is, the safer it'll be for everyone." "That's... agreeable, Sir. It's nice to see somebody who values safety above all else." The doctor then took a look at what he was able to use and grinned. "Oh my... these materials will do. I'll get to work once I get the tools I need." The doctor then looked at a case filled with the required tools for his work. "Watch and be amazed, gentlemen." He went to work as a group of world-class mechanics would have, leaving everyone speechless. "By Celestia's bright mane, how can you do all this?" "And so fast, too. He doesn't even need any of our help here. But what exactly is he making." "Yeah, it does look interesting." Then, after about thirty to forty-five minutes, he was finished. "Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to a machine I would like to call The Bruner Mobile." It looked almost like an egg-shaped pod, hovering on what appeared to be some form of temporary energy. "This is the absolute go-to for mobility to those that would be otherwise physically challenged to do so." He sat in its cockpit and pushed the take-off button as it rose higher and lower. He got the standard 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from his standing ovation. "Incredible. And is this device also capable of protecting the pilot?" "Of course it is. This machine is designed to be durable enough to withstand the force of nearly three hundred pounds of pressure per square inch. This titanium-alloy hull can absorb damage and rebound it away as more energy for faster travel." He closed the glass window on it to shield himself as the built-in speaker played his voice as he spoke into the mobile's microphone. "And it can protect whoever is it in from anything above them while providing a clean and unrestricted view of your surroundings." "I-Incredible. This is truly impressive. A bit rotund, but otherwise very practical in terms of functionality." "The roundness was necessary for maintaining its parts and keeping it more like a mobile shield." The doctor then unfurled the window as he jumped out of his machine and dug into his left coat pocket to pull out a series of tiny data chips. "What're those supposed to be?" "Digital schematic data chips. Each has sufficient data to transform modern scrap into basic repair and design bots. Observe!" The doctor then threw them over to a pile of reusable scrap as they attached themselves, pulling and absorbing the materials to form their bodies. Five robots were there in total. "And these robots are capable of professional carpentry and designing?" "Indeed. And they can mass-produce scrap and resources for me to use in abundance. Loyal to only their creator, you understand." The robot at the center then threw a net over the pony mechanics, trapping them. "W-What is the meaning of this!? What do you think you're doing!?" "This place will suffice as my new base of operations. You lot, however, your services are no longer needed. Capture bot, dispose of these pests!" With a crass but gentle wave of his hand, he dismissed those he deemed unuseful to his plans. It beeped as if to suggest that it understood its orders as it carried them away. "You won't get away with whatever it is you're planning. The elements will stop you dead in your tracks!" "Elements? Don't be ridiculous; now I bid you a good day, gentlemen." The doctor then laughed as he danced about the workshop. "Yes. Most excellent, indeed. My plans to create a new utopia have already begun; whoopee, ha-ha!." "Alright, Celestia. We've made it here. I'm ready to do whatever it takes to make you proud of me!" Twilight and Spike have made it to see both Celestia and Luna. "Wow, Luna. You look a bit.. older." "Much more blue." Spike jested as he saw her body. "But nice-looking, overall, Princess." "We thank thee both for thine compliments. But I'm also learning about our new world before us. So much has changed in a thousand years." Luna was then looking at her older sister as she spoke. "It's honestly not as bad as you'd think, Luna. Not much has changed aside from our magic and technology." "Ooh, I would love to see that." Luna was lightly hopping her hooves in a place like an excited filly. Then, the sudden burst, a pony wearing a pair of blue overalls stormed into the throne room. "P-Princesses... Danger! Big trouble!" The pony then collapsed over the marble flooring as Celestia got up and approached her subject. "Big trouble? Who? Who's responsible for this? I will see that whoever's doing this will be stopped." "H-He's very tall, and he took over our warehouse; I was probably the only one that got away from that robot he used to capture us with." "Excuse me, Fair Subject. But did thou say robot?" Her short brevity took Luna aback upon hearing him say this. "Y-Yes, Your Highness. There were five in total." Then he fainted from exhaustion. "You there! Make sure this one gets a cozy bed. Twilight, get your friends; we might be in trouble here. We can always use the help." The guard saluted as he carried the tired pony away, and Twilight then spoke up. "Of course, Celestia. We'll be ready for whoever this guy is." "Oh my... this place is truly magnificent- a place that I'm proud to call my new fortified base of operations." With a cheerful gait to his step, the doctor directed himself to the giant machine he was building. "And with this bad boy, I'll be able to start leveling a few acres of those trees to make room for a new parking lot, perhaps." The falcon-like avian machine had a smooth and durable chrome plating exterior that he was positive could rebound anything. The plating itself, however, was tinted in different hues of red and black juxtaposed to the colors of his uniform and armed with the ability to launch temperature-guided missiles and a harsh beam that could cut through even metal to level the acres of trees. The jets and their wings could guide the machine through the air efficiently and keep it airborne so it wouldn't crash. "I'll call this masterpiece the Bruner Albatross Avian Excavator." Then he heard some explosions from outside as only three of his five machines had returned. "What's this? Who would dare to destroy my work?!" ~ Five minutes ago... "Alright then, Twilight, where exactly is this place we're looking for?" Rarity looked over to her friend for an answer. "Well, according to that guy, we managed to get its location right as he woke up. It shouldn't be too far now." Twilight says as all six elements and the two princesses were on their way to that usurped warehouse to see that it now resembled a giant industrial factory. "Well, whoever this chump is, he sure did pick the wrong place to try to cause trouble!" Rainbow proclaimed with a bump to her chest with her left hoof. "Darn tootin', Sugarcube. Let's give this guy an all-around Equestrian welcome!" "Hey guys, I wondered if he liked having parties?" Everyone gave Pinkie a strange look. "What? Just in case we manage to reform him, guys. I gotta ask these things." "Well, I highly doubt we'll be able to go that far, Pinkie. Making his life better does sound nice, though." Celestia said as they neared the front of the factory. "Wow.. big place this intruder has." "It's so high-tech, though. It has a nerdy feel to it. Not that I'm against that kind of aesthetic detail." Twilight was gawking at the building, and then they saw the net that contained the ponies that were initially there, hanging from a tree as they were squirming to get out of it. "Hey! We're over here! Get us out of this stupid net, please." They were squirming as Celestia used her magic to cut the net's threads to free them as they flopped to the ground. Then, five robots came out of the two small doors at the front entrance and assembled in a defensive line, blocking the front way in. "Hey! Get out of our way, you oversized trash cans!" Rainbow then dived right into one, causing it to explode; she kicked the other one and sent it flying over to Applejack as she backed up and bucked it into the air, causing that one to explode. The other three beeped in Morse code as they retreated into the factory. ~ Present time... "What's this? Who would dare to destroy my work?!" The figure then came out from the factory door as it opened up, and the steam escaped from the door, making it look like a mist billowing out everywhere. He was slowly walking towards the group of ponies with his arms behind his back. Then, the doctor reached out his arms to show off as he introduced himself. "Greetings, mysterious creatures of this unknown world. I've come in peace to declare a bright and new beginning; I am Dr. Bruner, and I aim to create a new empire—The Bruner Empire. But rest assured, I am a benevolent and compassionate man." The doctor did his best to maintain his ruse of politeness and tranquility to the alien creatures around him. "All those who actively work with me shall, of course, be treated very well." Twilight then stepped up to speak to him. "First of all, this isn't an unknown world; this is called Equestria, and it already has a ruler—two, in fact," Twilight said. She was the first to oppose the doctor as they both locked their gazes at each other. The doctor had deduced that this pony was the thinker of their group based on how she carried herself. "Yes, that would be both Luna and me," Celestia spoke as she stomped her right hoof in mild frustration. "If you're going to be a threat to Equestria. Then I'm afraid that you're no longer welcome here. Leave at once!" Both taller equines then stood by Twilight's side as the doctor quickly saw that these two were figures of authority of higher standing. Then, the doctor let out a hearty laugh as he couldn't believe this. These ponies- this had to be a joke. "Oh, really now? How very intimidating. I am talking to little, colorful horses. Trying to oppose my new vision- my new world order. How very twee." As he collected himself, a blue pegasus flew up to introduce herself. "Yeah. We are. So buzz off, you weird, two-legged thing." Rainbow shot back at him sharply. Their eyes connected as the doctor knew by looking at her that she would be the most trouble for him. The glare he gave back to Rainbow wasn't making the hot-tempered pegasus feel better. All this did was make her even angrier. "Just so we're clear, horse-" She got in his face to argue with the doctor as he went to clarify what he felt was a fact. "Ponies. That's what we're called." Rainbow immediately corrected the doctor, not that he cared much about the correction. "Right then. I am what you would call a human. If we cannot negotiate peacefully, I have no other choice here." The doctor then summoned his mobile mech and hopped into it. First, he closed the mobile window before activating its shield and floating high in the air. "Last warning. Abandon this frivolous act of heroism, or else! I'll have to do things by force, the hard way!"
Chapter Two: The first fight against a mechanical beast."You're nuts if you think we'll just give up like that, pal," Rainbow said as she got close to his mobile device. It sent a small current of electricity into her to knock her back. "Wah!? Oof. Hey, ouch. That was uncool. That hurt." "Well, it's about to get even more uncool if you intend to be persistent." The doctor then pressed a button, the entire factory roof opened up, and a vast bird-like machine rose from it. Dr. Bruner approached it and placed his mobile device into its head like a control terminal. "This beautiful creature of advanced engineering is called the Bruner Albatross Avian Excavator." The machine was floating above the group of ponies. "This machine isn't exactly my first choice, but it'll still get the job done." "Tia. I understand that we're not supposed to like this guy. But that thing is soo cool!" Luna was gawking up at the marvelous mechanical beast above everyone. "Luna. Time and place. Now, it is neither of the two. This is your last chance to concede, Dr. Bruner. Or we must bring you down!" Celestia then went for an opportunity to use her magic. But each blast had only bounced off of the shiny exterior of the flying metal bird. "W-What?! That thing is immune to magic?" "Is that what you ponies are calling that stuff? Interesting. Nice light show, by the way, didn't do a thing to my Albatross, but points for effort." "Celestia. If magic will only rebound off of its exterior, then why not try to use it to restrain that thing instead?" "Well, that is not a bad idea. But how can we do that, Twilight? Flying will only bring us up to its level, but we'll get shocked if we ever touch it." "Y-Yeah. I learned that one the hard way." Rainbow then tried to shake it off. "Great, singed feathers. I'm going to need to get good preening after this." "I'll turn you all into a crater before that happens. Missiles away!" The doctor gave the order as a volley of guided missiles was aimed at the ponies below. "Oh no. Everypony, gather up to me, now!" Celestia then raised her golden-yellow shield to block all his missiles; it was enough to crack her magic, making her flinch. "Grr." "Are you okay, Celestia?" Twilight asked in obvious concern. "Yes, Twilight, I am. But I definitely cannot keep tanking those." The Bruner Albatross then changed its position as it fired away beams of energy at the ponies below. One of the beams sliced through a nearby tree, causing it to fall over Fluttershy as she stood there, shaking like a leaf. "I got you, Fluttershy; hold on!" Rainbow swooped in to grab Fluttershy right as the tree slammed down, narrowly avoiding it as Fluttershy hugged Rainbow. "It's okay, Fluts, we got you." Rainbow then looked up at the Bruner Albatross and scowled. "Fun fact: This baby was designed for excavations, not combat." "Could have fooled me, being immune to magic and being armed to the teeth like that," Celestia said with a rugged and stoic look. "Wait, Celestia, let him fire his missiles again." Twilight started as she looked at Applejack. "You got your lasso ready, Applejack?" "I always carry my rope with me; why?" "Twilight. I hope you know what you're doing here. I will admit, those things gave my magic a beating." "What is she planning down there?" The doctor muttered under his breath as he readied his missiles again. "Not that it would make a difference; all missiles at the ready! Open Fire!" Another volley of missiles then shot out as they headed toward the ponies. "Applejack, use your lasso on one of those missiles and return it to sender! If we can penetrate his hull, our magic may hurt it." "I'm on it, Sugarcube." Applejack's rope caught one of the missiles as she spoke through the string in her mouth. "H-Here you go, you nasty varmint! You can have your missile back!" Applejack then flung the missile back into the bottom of the Bruner Albatross, making a small hole in its steel belly. "Gah!? No way! How did she do that? The hull has been breached!" This caused him to retreat, "Fall back and assess the situation, Bruner Albatross!" It beeped to affirm its new order as it backed away from the ponies. "My goodness, that plan worked." The short brevity slightly overtook Celestia before focusing on the current task: defeating their new enemy. Rainbow Dash then looked at everyone and grinned. "Hey guys, let's try something new cause I'm still mad about my singed feathers. Twilight. All of you channel your magic into me. I don't know if this will work, but it should be enough to total that metal bird." "So you're suggesting we charge you like a magical battery?" Twilight asked her friend. "Yeah, then I'll spear right through that thing; it will be awesome!" "You know that too much magic at once can be dangerous for you, right?" Twilight was unsure if this was a good idea. "Well, it's either that or get blasted to a pulp by those." Rainbow pointed at the new volley of missiles headed straight for them. "Everypony! Duck!" Rarity screamed as they did, and the rockets flew right over them and blasted down a few trees. "Okay then. Stand at the center, Rainbow; we got you." Twilight, the other elements, and the two princesses have joined to charge Rainbow's body. Incredible amounts of energy coursed through her body all at once, making her go into a new form; her mane was more prolonged, her fur was merged with the colors of a rainbow, and her magic aura was brimming with energy. Rainbow-colored static was coursing through her body as well. "Holy hay! This feels so awesome! Alright then, Doc. I'm coming to get you!" Rainbow then wasted no more time as she darted for the hole Applejack created onto the Albatross's belly. "W-What in the name of- She's aiming right for the hole they made. Oh no." Rainbow's body then impaled the Albatross as it was about to explode and fall apart. "Aagh! My machine is totaled. It's time to abort. Eject! Now!" The doctor then released his mobile pod from the head of the broken Albatross as its body was falling and threatening to cause massive damage. "Hold on; we got this, Everypony." Luna and Celestia had corralled the falling bird into their magic as it exploded. It was enough to break their magical hold, but their magic was also enough to shield the blast. Then, they saw Rainbow chasing after the fleeing doctor. "That was for the singed feathers. And this is for being a jerk!" Rainbow then rushed to the doctor to deliver a kick to his machine. "No! M-Mercy!" With a crash, her kick sent the Bruner Mobile flying away with him in it. "Augh! I-I can't believe I just lost!" Then, all they saw was a tiny star in the distance. Rainbow then floated back down as that power left her. They all cheered for her. "Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh! Rainbow! You bounced him away like big ol' steel and titanium-alloy beach ball!" Pinkie was hopping in place. "Um, Pinkie. How did you know that the machine was made from titanium?" Twilight asked her. "Um... just a lucky guess," Pinkie said nervously. "Well, the good news is that he's been dealt with. Unfortunately, My little ponies, I do not believe this will be the last we'll see of that Doctor Bruner. If he ever returns, we must be ready for him." Celestia said with confidence and concern. "Then, we'll all work together and send him flying away again, just like last time." Rainbow then bowed to Celestia, to which she returned. "Sure. I suppose we can always do that, Rainbow." Celestia returned Rainbow's comment with a giggle of her own. "So then, I suppose we can go about the rest of our day now that he's been dealt with. Tia, wasn't there something important you needed to do today?" Luna asked her sister. "Oh, ponyfeathers, that's right. Luna and I have to go and see to a diplomatic meeting with the chief of the Griffon Kingdom to maintain our peace ties with both places." "It's alright, Celestia. Do what needs to be done. I can always continue my lessons next time." "I'm so sorry, Twilight. We would have started today. But what with our little skirmish with the doctor and such." "Don't worry about it, Celestia. I'll go and find something else to do with Spike. Oh, that's right, he's still at the castle, right?" "I do believe so, Twilight." "Well then, I better go and get to him then. He's probably scared out of his mind right now." "Or probably bored and sleeping." Rainbow butted in. "Or maybe that, too." They all left the factory back to the workers, defacing the doctor's symbol on the side of the building and snickering. "Aaaughhh!? Oh! Oof! Ouch! Guh!" The doctor hit branch after branch as he plummeted inside his Bruner Mobile. "Oh man... my aching head. How did they trounce my precious Albatross? It was designed for excavating, sure. But it was still strong enough to turn them all into pulp. This makes no sense. They haven't seen the last of me, that's for sure." Then he opened his glass window, rolled out of it, and ran to the nearest bush to vomit. "Hey, Twilight. There you are. So, did you get that weird guy?" Spike saw Twilight enter with her friends and the two princesses. "Yes, we did, Spike. He goes by the name of Dr. Bruner." Twilight said to the drake as everyone gathered to rejoice in their victory. "The dude was a total loser. He threatened Fluttershy by nearly crushing her under a tree. Oh, and Rarity, as much as I hate to say it, I think I may need to have a.." The Rainbow sputtered a bit. "Yes, Rainbow? I know what you'll say, but say it anyway." "A-A spa day with you." Rainbow got that out with extra difficulty on her end. "But only just preening my wings, okay? None of that girly stuff." "Oh, Darling, please. Do you think that I'd do anything to make you uncomfortable deliberately? You wound me sometimes." "I'm going to tend to an Apple Family banquet, then work on the zap apple harvest." "I'm going to go help Pinkie finish with her pastries. I promised Angel Bunny a piece of carrot cake for his good behavior lately." "Oh, and before we leave Twilight. Here's both the most recent issue of Magic Anomalies and You. And a study guide for the few spells I wish to teach you this week. Tomorrow, we shall get together to study." Celestia set the books down with her magic as she and Luna left the Throne Room. "I'll be sure to develop a new plan next time. And an even nastier machine. I do learn from my mistakes, Ponies." The doctor had more schematic data chips to build upon the new land. "I'll be sure to create laboratories all over Equestria in preparation for the worst-case scenario. Next time we meet, I will be victorious!" The doctor then used a small radio to summon the three robots who hadn't yet been destroyed and had to take the trip to their creator. Once they did, however, the doctor got to work by drawing up new schematics for new bases at choice-specific locations around the country. "Yes, I'll be very victorious next time."
Chapter Three: A terrible meeting and a terrible plan"Tia. You do know how dreadful the griffins are known for being. I know that this will not end well for us." "Never mind that, Sister. Just remember always to be polite. We do not need them to be upset with us." Came an admonishment from Celestia as they both took a deep breath and braced for the worst as they walked in to start the meeting. "Good evening, Chief and Ambassador of Griffonia; we're so pleased to have you here tonight." Celestia and Luna bowed to show their respect even though only the ambassador did, not the Chief. "Yes. I'm sure you're happy to have me here. So then, let's get down to business; Ambassador Blackwing, will you do the honors?" "Yes, Chief. We hope to strengthen economic trade and commerce ties between your nation and ours. We feel it's time to take steps toward a stronger bond between us, Princesses." "Why certainly, Mister Blackwing. And please, call me Celestia. Since we're going to be strong allies, formalities aren't necessary. So then, what is it that you're willing to negotiate?" "Brokering in goods as far as imported meats, treasures, and spices, among other things." The Chief then spoke up. "That and, I suppose in exchange, we'll accept the various commodities from your nation as well. I'm certain that griffons live in Equestria, yes?" "I'm pretty sure there are, Chief. I suppose it couldn't hurt. In times of war, having good aviary soldiers assisting us would benefit Equestria." Celestia was still a bit wary of the griffon chief but was willing to do anything for her nation; Luna was still indecisive. "Eventually, princesses, we would like to request that we build a few of our forts in your land; they'll not be owned by you, of course, but they will still be loyal to you so long as we'll be permitted to remain in your land, you'll also, likewise, be welcome in Griffonia." Luna leans her head close to her sister's to whisper to her, "But Tia, how do we know we can trust them? I don't mean that in a disrespectful tone. But we recently had an attack from someone completely foreign to our country; allowing the griffons to quite literally surround us like this? Art thou sure this is wise, sister?" "I understand your concerns, Luna. But we'll have to take our chances here. It's either that or a possible war we could be facing with them." "Yes, Sister. I understand, clearly." "Are you princesses questioning the trustworthiness of a proud griffon chief?" The Chief suddenly spoke up, angry at both alicorns. "No, no, we are not. We'd never do that to you. Isn't that right, Luna?" Celestia looked at her sister as she spoke up. "Yes. That is very much correct, Tia. We'd never think of you as anything short of being trustworthy." Luna fixed her posture and cleared her throat as she addressed the griffon chief. "Let us hope that is the case; now, if we got nothing else to discuss, we shall take our leave." The gruff griffon leader bade his farewell, "Come, Blackwing; to my aid; we're leaving." "Thank you, princesses, for your time," Blackwing said as he bowed in respect to them before leaving to join the griffon chief. "Tis not any trouble at all, Fair Ambassador." Luna then left with Celestia after the two griffon officials left the meeting room. "I'll have to consider land with an abundance of minerals greatly. Perhaps a mine shaft will do. Yes. I could easily lift that slice of land into a new laboratory. Oh, how excellent." The Doctor was looking to expand his reach nationwide, starting with a few empty quarries that could contain valuable minerals for his machines. "The lab, of course, will be built on more stable ground next to the quarry. It should work out nicely." Then he began to draw his fresh blueprints and built up his first laboratory and warehouse complex neck-deep in Everfree territory. "A good portion of this land can do well with good deforestation. A small acre or two missing would hardly be noticed, right?" The small two-acre cut of land was built next to the quarry as he sent in his robots to excavate and retrieve more minerals and other various gemstones. "How many geodes are in there by any chance, Digger-bot?" "Calculating results from the most recent excursion: There's approximately forty-seven unchecked and twenty harvested, Doctor." The Digger-bot then opened up its chest compartment, filled to the brim with sparkling gem shards and other various crystals, sparking with collected energy. "My my, these are charged with latent energy. Marvelous." The Doctor was laughing evilly as he held them into the palms of his hands. "I can feel the energy coursing through these. My next machine may be the best one yet." The Doctor had adopted a sinister look as he devised his next invention. As night fell, Celestia was sitting next to Luna atop their balcony. "Oh? Why, hello there, Sister. Tis a great night, is it not?" "Indeed it is, Luna. So, doing some stargazing before night court, huh?" "Yes, I am, Sister. It's a lovely night, you know. Tis be a crime not to enjoy it before my duties." "I do agree; they look lovely this night. W-What's that over there, Luna? Focus your telescope towards Everfree." Luna does as they both see what looks like a massive tower with searchlights mounted onto the top of the building. "Hmm... It looks like that Doctor is at it again. He's probably scheming right now." "I give him credit, Tia; the human is well prepared." "Unfortunately so, Sister," Celestia said as they watched to see what the Doctor could be up to. "Oh yeah! Jammin' to that beat, all right!" The Doctor was listening to a radio while working on his newest mech. "Jammin' to that beat, all night, all right!" A few tweaks here and there and the mech was mainly finished. "There we go. This new baby can use a renewable amount of energy from the plating by smelting those energy-infused geode crystals. It can collect and unleash solar energy to fry them like fish in a skillet." "I am a genius. Ha ha! Let's see them use that kind of energy against a mech with an equal amount of that energy and then some. Now for its name, something hot and full of energy; it's shaped like a giant mechanical snapper turtle, so... I got it. The Molten Hot Toasty Tortoise. Perfect!" The mech's eyes then glowed red as it was operational and ready for service. The following day rolled by, and Luna had just finished her nightly duties as Celestia began to wake up. "Good Morning, Luna. Tired, huh?" "Yeah, Tia. I had to help out a very demanding nightmare last night, and right after, I had night court, too." "Sounds stressful. You look like you could sleep for ages." "Believe me; I probably could. I have a question for thee before I retire, though." "And that would be?" "Does Blueblood know that nighttime is typically meant for sleeping?" "That bad, huh?" Luna's look at Celestia told her everything she needed to know. "I'm going to lower my moon so you can raise your sun, Sister." "Right, you do that then. Um, have a good sleep, Dear sister." "Yes, Tia. Of course, I shall." As Luna walked to the balcony to lower her moon, Celestia paused for thought; what was that Doctor planning? This was bothering her. "I hope Twilight and her friends would be available on such short notice. I did not expect the Doctor to work on his vengeance so fast." "Are the preparations set for the robot's launch?" The Doctor was running some final checks on his new tortoise machine as it was curled up in its metallic shell, for now, deactivated. "Yes, Doctor. Final tests have been performed, and the machine is clear for deployment." The chipper voice of the AI in his supercomputer said to him. "Excellent! This is wonderful news. I'll make sure that I'm successful this time." "With confidence and glory for the Bruner Empire, Doctor." The supercomputer said to Dr. Bruner. "So, where did they come from exactly?" "Two cities, Doctor: Ponyville and Canterlot." "I see. So Canterlot, is that castle hanging off of that mountain then?" "Affirmative, Doctor." The Supercomputer said as the doctor grinned. "Then, that'll be the first place I hit today." The doctor cackled as he pressed the switch to turn his new machine on. "Come along then, Toasty Tortoise. We've got some pulled pony flambé to make." "I need to send a message over to Twilight. I have a terrible feeling that something bad is coming our way." Celestia then made her letter, put the emergency seal over it, and sent it to Twilight's home. "What's that in the distance? Oh no, it's him." Celestia then walked out onto her balcony to speak to the doctor. She was now looking up at the doctor who was looming high above her as she stared at him stoically. "Doctor Bruner, you're not welcome here in Canterlot. Leave at once!" "Ah, yes. This is your home, eh? It's pretty nice, if not a bit too bright on the eyes." "This is your last warning, Doctor. Leave now, or I will call the guards." "Go ahead and try it, Your Highness. It'll be funny to see them lit on fire." "You wouldn't dare." "Oh? Do you want to be the one who finds that out the hard way? Bring those elements to me. Now! I have a score to settle with them." "It was hilarious to see Rainbow giving you free flying lessons, Doctor." "The nerve of them and you for rubbing that in my face. I was careless last time. I never fully understood your abilities. That was rectified, of course." "You're bluffing." "Am I? Take a look at this beauty, then; I call it the Molten Hot Toasty Tortoise." It beeped at attention, ready for its first order. "How's about I sweeten the pot for you then? Bring those elements to me, or I'll send Mr. Tortoise here on a fiery rampage through your city." Celestia gasped in shock at the calloused threat, "And bring harm to my little ponies?! You will do no such thing." She glares at the doctor, but with some reluctance, she caves. "Very well then, you win. I'll make sure the elements are here." "I'm not known much for my patience; tell them to hurry up!" "A letter from Celestia?! It's got the emergency seal on it, too. Not good." Twilight opened the letter without delay and read it, "It says that there's something terrible headed toward Canterlot, and our help is needed. Doctor Bruner is back. Oh no. My family is at Canterlot, Spike. We have to go there." "I'll get everyone gathered up then. It looks like this guy never learned his lesson from last time." "Well, I guess he needs to be taught another one then. Let's go, Spike!" Twilight and Spike then made haste to gather her friends as they made their way to Canterlot. "So then, the Doc's back again, huh? Didn't we destroy his machine yesterday or something?" "Yes, Rainbow, and please take this more seriously. My mom, dad, and big brother are in Canterlot now." "Oh, don't worry, Twilight. I'm pumped and ready to launch that guy into orbit again." "My word, doesn't that ruffian know when to quit? We already defeated him, and now he's back for more." "Looks that way, Rarity. Shucks, we beat him before; we can do it again." "Oh yeah. I'm so with you girls all the way!" Pinkie hopped and bounded with them with glee. "We cannot let him get away with this. I-It's scary, but it's our job to be Equestria's defenders. And with my friends with me, I think we can do this." Fluttershy suddenly had a look of confidence on her. "Yeah, you preach it, Fluttershy! I know you're still mad about yesterday. I can't blame you for that." Rainbow said as she comforted the butter pegasus. "I-I am Rainbow. That tree nearly landed on me. I could have died right then and there." Fluttershy shuddered as she had to recall that awful memory. "There's the train; it's about to depart for Canterlot. We must hurry," Twilight said as everyone boarded the train and headed to Canterlot to stop Doctor Bruner from destroying it.
Chapter Four: Taking down the fiery Tortoise"Alright. We made it to Canterlot. There he is, Doctor Bruner. Let's go, girls." Twilight and her friends then raced through the crowd of worried ponies, looking up to the castle to see the doctor there threatening Celestia. "Celestia! If they don't show up now, this city will be full of barbecued ponies!" "They will be here, Doctor. You do not need to take your vendetta out on those innocent ponies; they didn't do a thing to you." "Oh, I don't have anything against them. I'm just giving you some incentive to get me what I want. If I have to, I'll have no choice but to release Mr. Tortoise onto them." "Stop right there, Doctor Bruner!" Twilight shouts to get their attention. Celestia sighed in relief. "Oh, thank the stars that you're here, Twilight; I didn't know how much longer I could hold him back." "It's alright, Celestia. We came as fast as we could." Twilight then saw the Doctor and scowled. "I'd have hoped being defeated once would have set you straight, Doctor. I guess I was wrong." "So what's that thing supposed to be, a giant turtle?" "Actually, yes, you prismatic pest! This newest number is called the Molten Hot Toasty Tortoise." The machine shot out its limbs from its shell, and steam blasted out from its nostrils; it almost sounded like a train horn. "There's something special about this one that the Albatross doesn't have." "What? It can't even fly. Just look at it. It's grounded." Rainbow was laughing as she was mocking it, as its head was turning a lighter shade of scarlet. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." "Why not? I'd like to see him try to come up here to get me." "Well, you heard the mare, right, Toasty! Go get her!" The tortoise huffed as more scalding steam blew from its nose. It then used the bottoms of its feet as jets to fly up after her. "H-Huh?! Uh oh." "What was that phrase we used to say back on earth? Don't throw stones at glass houses." The tortoise then opened its mouth to charge a fireball and hurled it towards Rainbow, who saw it gulped in fear as she dove out of the way. "W-Woah now! That one nearly grazed my fur. Hey!" The stray fireball then flew up to Celestia's balcony. As she shielded it by passing in front of it and bracing herself. "Aauughh!" Celestia took the blast as the fireball exploded onto her and sent her flying back into her balcony, making cracks form as her body fell to the ground. "Oh? You hit one of them, eh, Toasty? Nice shot." "Celestia?! No! I'm coming to help you." Twilight rushed to her aid and saw her standing with slightly shaky legs. "A-Are you okay, Celestia?" "Y-Yes, Twilight. That was no ordinary fireball." "Oh? So you've noticed, huh?" The doctor then flew down to talk to Celestia. "Yes. I am the princess of the sun; I would know solar energy if I ever felt it." "Interesting. Oh, Toasty, make sure to rev up your heat. I need my shield, just in case." The tortoise complied as it charged its body, and a shield of energy was forming around the Bruner Mobile. "It's always great to think ahead, wouldn't you agree?" Celestia huffed as she looked towards the tortoise; it retracted its limbs and spun like a top as it rammed into Rainbow, sending her flying high. "Aug!" "No! Rainbow!" Twilight was racing to her friend's aid before Celestia stopped her. "No, Twilight. That thing is too dangerous to get close to." "But we have to help Rainbow; she's taking a beating out there." "Yes, Twilight, but think about the energy it's using momentarily." "Solar energy. That would mean it'll need to recharge after expelling enough of it." "That is correct, Twilight." "So, we'll have to make him angrier then. Let him burn out all he's got, then flog him." Another strike and Rainbow was wincing in pain as she gritted her teeth. "Hey, you oversized microwave, you're so slow you give snails a bad name." Twilight tried to insult it as it was steaming. "It's working, Celestia." "T-Twilight?! In what way is this a good plan? No!" Rainbow got rammed again. "Aaaughh!" "Everyone. Lay your insults down on it. Let's make him burn himself out!" Twilight declared. "You're so big and bulky that you're never going to be a one-size-fits-all, Darling." This made him even angrier. "What? That's the best you got, Rares? Watch a pro at work!" Applejack said confidently. "Hey, you big varmint! You're so ugly that you'd make a freight train take a dirt road!" The tortoise was red-hot, nearly overheated, and then released it all to calm down. "W- What're you guys planning? You cannot stop him, so don't bother with that." The doctor was dismissively waving his hand at them as he was lounging back on his mobile while watching them hopefully fail. "Doctor, how much heat and energy can it absorb before it cools off?" Celestia asked out of curiosity. "About five thousand degrees Celsius; why?" "Oh, no reason. Twilight, make him angry again, so he charges up!" "You got a plan?" "I do. Once he's about to cool down, I'll blast him with my magic; he'll absorb too much of a good thing." "Ooh... that might work. Alright then, Everypony. Lay your best insults down on it. Make him mad!" Rainbow landed on its shell before she ran off him while he cooled down. "Ouch ouch ouch. Oof, that hurt." Rainbow rubbed her sore flanks with her hooves as she stumbled away from the cooled-down tortoise. "Alright then. I'll try one." Celestia said as she stepped up to insult the mech tortoise, "You're so ugly that when you look into a mirror, your reflection walks away!" This caused the tortoise to get steamed again. "Ooh. Ouch, that one was bad." Twilight said as she tried one, "Calling you an idiot would insult all stupid ponies." Now, it was getting red; its whole body was charging with sun heat. "That's your best one, Sugarcube? I'll do you one better. You're so lazy. Molasses wouldn't even run down your stubby legs." Now it was getting more pissed off and vibrating like an engine. "I'll put all of yours to shame, Darlings." Rarity cleared her throat as she spoke. "You have two parts of your brain: Left and right. On the left side, there's nothing right. On the right side, there's nothing left." That did it, as the tortoise was getting so pumped up that it needed to cool down. "Alright then, Celestia, blast him now!" Twilight said as Celestia blasted out a beam of concentrated solar magic into its body, as it was then unable to release all of it. "W-What're you guys doing to him? Toasty! You need to have more fight in you than this!" The mech was groaning from all the heat; it was too much to take at once. "I hope you're hungry, Toasty, 'cause I got a lot of magic for you to dine on." "Gah!? B-But that's too much heat for it to handle... oh no." The tortoise was starting to blow up on the inside as it was trying to cool itself off out of desperation. "No! You will not be trounced, Toasty!" It gave up as the machine groaned one final time before it exploded, and the doctor's shield then disappeared. "Aaughhh?! T-Toasty! Nooo! Now, who will be able to make for me the best steak?" While the ponies and Celestia were all cheering, Doctor Bruner took this as an opportunity to flee. "Well, when the going gets tough, you must make like a tree and leave." As he moved to fly away, his mobile was caught and locked into a golden magical aura, and the doctor winced; he looked back to see Celestia's angry face staring back at him and gulping. "Not so fast, Doctor!" "U-Umm... m-maybe we could negotiate this peacefully over a picnic and a cup of tea?" The doctor was twiddling his thumbs together, and Celestia's scowl never left her face as she glared at him. "No!" Celestia began swinging his mobile around in circles, making the doctor dizzy. "G-Gah!? S-Stop that... I get motion sick." He went round and round as if in slow motion as his face slammed into his window—his cheeks smeared against the glass as he tried not to throw up right before Celestia launched his mobile away from the castle. "Aaaughhh! This is not possible." His mobile then became a star in the distance. "When you reach your destination, Doctor. Don't forget to write back." Celestia and everyone waved off to the doctor as he flew away into the sky. "Aw yeah! Sweet justice dealing! Now, does anypony have a bag of ice for my flanks?" Everyone looked at Rainbow with looks of both disbelief and pity. "UUaarughh! Oof! O-Ouch... bad l-landing..." The Doctor then popped open his mobile as he rolled out of the machine and cracked his stiff back while groaning in discomfort. "Augh! M-My back. I hate those elements. They have made enemies with the wrong scientific genius." The doctor tried vainly to soothe his back as he sighed, "I'll be back for them one day; I'll take some extra time to plan everything out more thoroughly. They have not seen the last of me!" The doctor then raised his fist towards Canterlot and shook it vehemently. "Do you hear that, Celestia? All of you will feel my wrath!" The doctor yelled out in frustration at losing to them. "Oh boy. We won again against that big meanie doctor. This calls for a party!" Pinkie said in joy as she hopped around everypony, everyone giggling at her bright display. "I agree. We all should party." Twilight said as everyone voiced their agreement as well. "And everypony is invited, even you, Celestia!" Pinkie chimed in as she was even in the mood for some relaxation after what happened today. "Well then, after our party. I'll have to get back to help prepare Luna and get some shut-eye. That is to say, Pinkie. Where are we going to be having our party, anyways?" "In here, silly. I got it all planned out. Trust the expert here." Pinkie played it off cooly as she dug into her mane, pulled out a whistle, and blew it down. Everypony briefly closed their ears with their hooves as the doors that led into the room with the balcony opened suddenly, and a team of professional workers was moving in party supplies and tons of snacks. "P-Pinkie... where and how did you get the help of all of these ponies?" Rainbow asked her as she shrugged and stated. "Oh, that's easy. I helped them with their graduation party, and they owed me a favor. They're also invited, too." "And umm... t-this is kinda embarrassing, Pinks, but... a-about that ice pack?" "It's that bad, huh?" "Well, try to get punted around like a soccer ball and see if you'd like it." "Getting bounced around like a ball sounds like I'd be having a ball. Get it?" Rainbow had a look of cringe at the corny joke. "Y-Yes, Pinkie. I get it." Rainbow then saw an icebox being carried in with tons of refreshing drinks, and a nurse was also summoned. She had an icepack in her hooves for Rainbow. "Oh, thank you, Faustia above." Rainbow then sat down on the icepack and sighed in relief as everyone laughed at how extreme she was acting.
Chapter Five: Fast forward a few months... give or take a few hours."Well, it has been four months since that incident with Dr. Bruner. Things have been rather peaceful in Equestria as of late, which does make Celestia's and our job easier." Twilight was thinking aloud as she wrote in her journal to keep track of the events that had occurred so far. "It's nice not to worry about fighting some gigantic machine or robot for a change. It gives me plenty of time to plan what I want to do in the meantime." Then, satisfied with her work in her journal, she closed her book and trotted downstairs to see Spike cooking breakfast. "Ah, there she is." Spike greeted Twilight as she stepped down to meet with him. "I'm sure you'd be hungry. So I took the liberty of making you your favorite pancakes." Spike then set the hot plate on the table for her. Twilight wasted no time but to take a seat. "Oh wow. These are so good. Blueberry pancakes. Yum." Twilight was hopping in place excitedly in her seat. "Spike, my eyes are bigger than my stomach right now." "I'm sure they are. Enjoy." Twilight used her magic to drizzle some maple syrup over her flapjacks as she dined on them. After breakfast, the drake and the unicorn ventured out from their tree home to explore Ponyville. "Alright then, Spike. What's the first thing we should do today since we expect nothing significant?" Twilight and Spike were walking through the streets of Ponyville, talking to each other. "I dunno. Maybe go to continue training with Celestia or something?" "As much as I'd enjoy doing that, Spike. I've been doing that for the past few months, and maybe she'd want a break." "You? Passing up an opportunity to learn with your mentor? Who're you, and what have you done with Twilight?" "Everything is fine, Spike. I'm all still me. But I must consider Celestia, as her job is sometimes difficult." "Well, I'm glad you're taking this as well as you were then." "Of course, Spike. I'm not unreasonable, you know." "Yes, of course. I'll be sure to approve the commissioning for your new orphanage." "Thank you, Your Highness." One of the mares said in Celestia's day court as she bowed before leaving. 'Isn't this nice so far? A wonderful morning, a greeting to my beloved sister, a delicious breakfast, and now I'm opening an orphanage for my little ponies. And—oh no. Not the nobles. Just when you thought your day was going swimmingly, well, at least we don't have to deal with that doctor right now. The silver lining, I suppose.' "Yes, Your Highness. We're hoping you can amend the taxes the wealthier must pay to the crown." 'Typical, greedy nobles. There was a reason why I had agreed to this before.' With a roll of her eyes, something that didn't go unnoticed by the noble currently being heard. "I know this might not be what you want to hear, My princess—" 'Understatement of the century, my annoying noble.' "—But it was unanimously decided by our social circle to allow for lesser taxes onto us and balanced taxes onto the middle class of Equestrians." 'My my, you all act as if your social circle makes all the important decisions in Equestria. So what am I, chopped liver?' "So then, with your permission, Your Highness, we'd love to continue with the amendment to the tax bracket." "No." "I-I beg your pardon?" "I do believe that I was abundantly clear with you. No amendments shall be made to the tax bracket as that'll make your lives easier but at the expense of other hard-working ponies who, honestly, pay for your lifestyle as it is now." "B-But, Your Highness... please, if you'd reconsider, you wouldn't regret this decision." "This is no longer up for negotiation. I do believe that we're done here." The noble then scoffed visibly as he trotted away, head hung in dejected shame as he was escorted out of the throne room. "And this would conclude daytime court for me. I'll tend to the papers to confirm the orders for constructing that orphanage. Good day, my loyal soldiers." They all saluted as Celestia left the throne room and was then on her way to her office. Meanwhile, at the Doctor's Everfree Headquarters... "Of course, this is brilliant after nearly four months of preparation. I have found a way to stop that wretched Rainbow Dash for good! But, to complete this, I'll need some friends to do some of the work of operating my machines. If they can have friends with them, I see no reason why I can't." The doctor reasoned to himself as he was then mulling over the designs for two henchbots that'll be brave, intelligent, loyal, strong, and most of all, belong to him and him only. "Perfect. I believe I've got just the robots in mind to make. I'll call them Decoe and Bocoe. They're perfect for the job." The doctor then went to work making his two new companions. One was shorter and grey, while the other was taller and yellow-colored. After he finished building them, they were completed; they just needed some form of energy to keep themselves alive. "There's only one problem right now: finding a reliable energy source to keep them both alive indefinitely." The doctor stroked his chin in deep contemplation as he remembered that he still had some leftover crystals from that toasty tortoise mech that was most recently destroyed. "Yes, those just might work out nicely." The doctor then retrieved two of his crystals with some remaining solar energy converted into magic to place into both robots. As they both came to life, they sat up and looked around the room; then, they fixed on the doctor. "Are you the one that created us?" Said the shorter and grey one, who was known as Decoe. "I am. You two have a grand purpose of serving. I am delighted that you two are aboard the train to the Bruner Empire." The doctor exclaimed with glee. "We're happy to serve you, Doctor. What will you have of us?" The yellow-plated one, Bocoe said. "I have a special plan for a very unpleasant blue pegasus. She's a mare of action, adventure, and competition. I could capitalize on this by taking advantage of her ego. I was taking the first two months of preparation to stake out Ponyville—to defeat thy enemy, one must know thy enemy." "Pardon us, Doctor-" Bocoe said as he continued, "But blue pegasus?" "Her name is Rainbow Dash, and believe me, you'll know her when you see her." "Yes, Doctor. So then, what's your plan?" Bocoe asked as they both looked to the doctor for his guidance. "Simple. We challenge Rainbow Dash to a race." The doctor chuckled as he continued, "It'll be rigged, of course. I now understand her greatest strength—her intense speed." "So you're deciding to take advantage of her competitive streak and then find a way of slowing her down, Doctor?" "Exactly, Bocoe. I'll create a special mecha-muck as an adhesive and bonding agent. It'll stick her hooves to the ground like flypaper. Then, my mobile shall be outfitted with a wrecking ball to squash her like the bug she is. I call it the Checker Wrecking Ball." "Kinda brutal and slightly ironic, isn't it, Doctor?" Bocoe asked as he slightly cringed at the potential irony of defeating someone with a high ego using their ego against them. "Well, the ends justify the means, Bocoe." "I guess so. So then, when shall we depart?" "Patience, you two. I'll need first to establish the racing track for her. It'll loop around Canterlot, so it'll feel like a genuine race track. Then, I'll create a racing robot that will carry the mecha-muck used to glue her to the ground. Then, you two will be piloting that racing mech. I'll be waiting in ambush when she gets stuck, then no more pesky pegasus!" "Brilliant, Doctor, we'll be ready when you're," Bocoe said as both robots were ready to receive their first order. Rainbow Dash was yawning as she woke from lounging on a branch in the Apple Family Orchard. She stretched as she flew down to see Applejack bucking trees and apples falling into the barrels below the trees. "Hey there, AJ. Working hard as always, eh?" "Yes, I am, Rainbow. Care to help me out? I'll make sure you get some ice-cold cider as a reward." Applejack's offer couldn't be refused. "Aw, sweet. I'm totally in then." Rainbow wasted no more time as she got busy and helped Applejack with her chores. A few hours of work later, they were taking a break. "How about some nice, ice-cold cider for all your trouble, Rainbow?" "You don't have to ask me twice." Rainbow then grabbed the frosty beverage; she took a sip and cooed at its cold and frothy texture, then sighed in bliss. "This drink is the greatest." "You darn tootin' it is, Rainbow." "Alright then, the racing track is completed. Is the Speedster-O-Matic ready yet?" "Yes, Doctor, we're in position and ready to burn some rubber!" Decoe said as Bocoe was checking the mecha-muck tanks in the racing mech. "Provisions have been thoroughly checked and primed, Doctor," Bocoe said as he confirmed that everything was ready. "Excellent. Then my plan is ready to be put into action." The doctor prided himself as he prepared a message bot to be delivered to Rainbow Dash. "So then, AJ, after working, what are your plans for the rest of today?" "Nothing much. I'm just kickin' back and relaxing after a day of hard work. Huh- what's that in the sky up there?" Applejack squinted as she focused on the slight anomaly gradually approaching them. "Well, it looks like it's here for a reason." The message bot arrived shortly over to Sweet Apple Acres as it stood before Rainbow Dash and set down a TV in front of her while slowly backing away. "Hehe. Message for you. It's from Dr. Bruner." The message bot said in its cheerful voice. "Oh? This ought to be good." Rainbow huffed irritatedly as the screen came to life, and she saw the face of the doctor. "Hello there. I assume this message has successfully reached Rainbow Dash, so I'll make this brief; I hereby challenge you to a race to show me exactly what you're made of. Refuse, and all you'll have to lose is your honor and dignity; win, and... well, there is no winning this race." "So then, do you think you have what it takes to be the fastest flyer in Equestria?" The television began to tick as if counting down, "This message was brought to you by the Bruner Empire and is not responsible for any of its content, except this part." The television began to spark as it blew up in Rainbow's face. "G-Gah!?" BOOM! Rainbow's entire body was covered up in soot as she coughed some of it and growled, steam was billowing from her nostrils. "Grr... Doctor Bruner is going to regret that!" "The nerve of that guy. Are you okay, Sugarcube?" "I'm fine. So then, Doc wants another helping of humble pie, eh? I'll be happy to give that to him." Rainbow shook her body to get all the soot off of her as she flew up and saw what appeared to be a flare shooting up, marking its position for her. "You're even marking where you want me to go, too? You're making this way too easy for me. I'll be right back, Applejack, after I teach the Doc some manners!" "You go get him, Sugarcube!" Applejack watched Rainbow dart out like a bolt of rainbow electricity toward her destination.
Chapter Six: Racing the Speedster, conquering the doctor's scheme.Like a colorful blur, Rainbow landed on what appeared to be a racetrack made of concrete. "Ah, good, you're here. I was worried that you'd be late." The doctor exclaimed, staring down at his foe. "I'll never be late for an opportunity to kick your flank, Doc." "Oh, how very twee; I'd like to introduce to you your competition—Rainbow Dash, meet the Speedster-O-Matic. The perfect machine to match your speed." Two new robots were waving at the ready to begin. "So then, who are your new friends, huh? Couldn't find any real ones, so you made your own?" "Very funny. As an advocate of friendship, I had hoped you'd see the value of fellowship. They also serve as my two assistants. Meet Decoe and Bocoe." In contrast to the doctor, the two robots happily waved to Rainbow. "Alright then, Rainbow. The track begins here, loops around Canterlot, cuts through the Everfree, and then back here. Your job is easy. Complete one lap around the track and beat the Speedster-O-Matic." Rainbow then raised her brow in mild suspicion. "Seems too easy to me; what's the catch?" "Nope. No catch; it is your standard race to show you that my machines are superior; nothing more, nothing less." "Somehow, I have a hard time believing that." "So then, getting cold hooves? I never thought that the great Rainbow Dash was a chicken." The doctor carried a smug look as he raised his eyebrow. "What did you say to me?! I am not a chicken. I'll show you! Let's get this over with." Rainbow approached the starting line and huffed angrily at being called a chicken. "Wonderful. Alright then, start your engines! On your marks... get set... go!" The doctor then shot a loud pop- it was much like a gun with a racing flag that came out from it. Both contestants were off; the Speedster-O-Matic was keeping pace with Rainbow. "Heh. Not bad for a clunker made by the Doc." Rainbow maintained pace with the machine until it flared up its back engine. "Set it into turbo mode, Bocoe!" Decoe said as they pulled down the lever, which caused the machine to boost past Rainbow. "Nuh-uh, I don't think so." The speed at which both were racing had caught the attention of both princesses as they watched from their balcony. "Look at that, Tia! It looks like a race is going on." Luna said in amusement as they both spectated. "Yes, but who's that racing Rainbow? Oh no, I'd recognize that technology anywhere. Doctor Bruner." "Is that guy still trying to take over Equestria?" "Unfortunately, yes, Luna. I suppose my flinging him away has taught him nothing but vengeance." "You flung him away? And why wasn't I present to witness this?" "You were asleep after serving your nightly duties, Luna. I did not wish to disturb you." "But that would have made my day- err, night." "Apologies, Luna, but if it's any consolation, it was fun to spin him around." "Hmph. I swear, Sister, you get to have all of the fun. Next time, it'll be my turn to teach him some manners." Celestia then saw the doctor on his mobile and focused on him. "Luna, there he is. What's he up to? Why is he hiding behind those bushes?" "I do not know, Tia, but those look a bit too big to be normal bushes." They both then returned their focus to the racing. "She's gaining upon us, Bocoe!" Decoe said that The Speedster could not go any faster as Rainbow gradually got closer. "We're out of the turbo fuel. I'm unsure if the doctor had planned on us using more than one tank." Bocoe said to his robotic brother. "It doesn't matter now; just release the mecha-muck trap!" "Roger that, Bro!" The back compartment opened up in front of Rainbow as she squinted her eyes in mild suspicion. "W-What the? Gah!?" Splat! "Ugh, w-what is this stuff? Well, whatever it is, I can't move. Not good." Then those bushes the doctor was hiding in rustled off as he lifted into an even bigger mobile. The bottom opened, and a vast metal wrecking ball on a chain emerged. "E-Eep. Okay. Not cool. I knew this race was screwy." "It's time to say goodbye, Rainbow Dash! Meet my Checker Wrecking Ball." The doctor was laughing victoriously. "Oh, ponyfeathers! I walked right into this trap, didn't I? I should have seen this coming from someone like him." "Luna! Look! Rainbow is in trouble. We've got to help her." Celestia said in a panic. "I want to teach him some manners now!" "Luna. Do your worst to him." "You got it, Tia!" Luna then flew down, racing to Rainbow's rescue. "I do hope that I am not too late for her." "Any last words before you're crushed into paste?" Rainbow looked and saw Luna rushing to her aid and smirked. "Yeah. Look behind you!" "What are you—" The doctor gasped as he saw Luna using her magic on his wrecking ball. "—You!? I did not calculate on this happening." "Well then, that's just too bad for you, huh?" The doctor was trying to pull his wrecking ball loose from her grip but wasn't succeeding. "Why you... let go of my Checker Wrecking Ball!" "Okay," Luna said in malicious compliance as she let go but forced the ball to fly up; the chain kept the wrecking ball from moving anywhere except for up, right above the doctor's head. He looked as if all color had faded from his face. "Huh!? Waahhh!!" SMASH! The wrecking ball had crashed in the cockpit, crushing the doctor under its weight as he screamed, but it was muffled under the mass of metal as the mobile itself was grounded. "MMuaagghhh!! I... hate those elements!" The doctor cried out as Celestia saw this from their balcony. "Yes! Nice job, Luna!" Celestia cheered as she flew down to free Rainbow from the muck trap. "Hold on, Rainbow, I'll get you out." "Please hurry; I can feel this stuff gunking up my wings." Rainbow wretched in disgust as she tried to fly up but was still glued to the ground. Celestia then blasted the muck with her magic, making it dissolve away, freeing Rainbow. "Doctor Bruner!? We'll save you!" Decoe and Bocoe used a controller to retract the chain, lifting the wrecking ball from the doctor as he rose to breathe in oxygen; the wrecking ball slammed onto the ground with a heavy thud. "Gah!? Grr... I hate those elements. So badly!" The doctor then released his smaller mobile from the larger one. "You have not seen the last of me! Mark my words!" Decoe and Bocoe then jumped into the cockpit to join their doctor as he tried to flee. Then his mobile stopped moving as he saw a golden glowing around it and gulped. "Uh oh, not this again." "What's happening, Doctor?" Decoe said. "Yeah. What is this stuff keeping us in place?" Bocoe said as they both looked worried. "Boys. I hope you're ready for a flight." The doctor said forlornly. "I hope you weren't forgetting about your goodbye takeoff, Doctor." Celestia was prepared to relaunch the doctor. "No... of course not. Why I wouldn't dream of it." The doctor replied with a defeated huff. "Great then, happy trails!" Celestia then used her magic to fling the doctor away off into the distance as he screamed out in panic. "AAuurrghhh!! I'll get you yet, elements of harmony!" then his mobile became a star in the distance as they all cheered for his defeat. "So, Rainbow, how exactly did the doctor get to you so easily?" Luna asked her. "He.. well, he challenged me to a race. He said that I was a chicken. That got to me. I'm not a chicken; I'm the fastest flyer in Equestria." "You may relax now, Rainbow. He is defeated... for now." "Yeah. I'll admit. If you two hadn't shown up, I would have been toast. It did kinda scare me a bit." "I understand your concerns; fear just has that effect on everypony and creature," Luna stated. "Well... I may need to lie down for a bit in my bed. Just some alone time, okay?" Rainbow said, still trying to shake off the near-death experience she had. She flew up and made way for her cloud home. "Well, Sister. I think that went rather well, all things considered." Celestia replied in a chipper tone. "Indeed. Rainbow's life was saved. She's an element of harmony; she must remain protected by us." Luna stated with confidence. "Agreed, Luna. They're Equestria's only best defense." Celestia said as they flew back to their balcony to finish their day. "Uuuaagghhh!!!" The doctor and both robots yelled together as they landed roughly again onto a grass plain. "Oof. Ugh... I hate those landings." The doctor said as they landed and the mobile window opened up. "Us, too," Bocoe said as they all three rolled out from the mobile, trying to fix their dizziness. The doctor then stood up and paced around. "How? How could I have failed again? Of course... When I looped the track around Canterlot, I should have expected those two princesses to arrive. How could I not have seen this coming?" The doctor was contemplating his most recent failure. "Well, if it'll help you feel better, you did come close to succeeding, Doctor," Bocoe said in his robotic, chipper voice. "Well, close isn't good enough, now is it? Next time, I'll avoid that place, lest I get flung away again. I'll have to go for... that plan. Yes. I'll create a robot to teach the younger ponies to accept me as their new ruler." The doctor then cheered himself on for his brilliance. "Yes. That's a good plan, Doctor. We're here to assist in any way we can." Bocoe said as both robots were standing alongside the doctor. "Excellent. We'll be successful yet." "Hey, Twilight, I see Rainbow flying over to her home. I wonder if everything's okay." Spike said as he was walking next to Twilight. "I'm not sure, but she's usually that fast when she's upset; we should go and check up on her, Spike." "Yeah." The drake and the unicorn then made haste for Rainbow Dash's house. When they both got there, they saw her shaking like a leaf. "Hey! Rainbow Dash! Are you okay?" Twilight yelled to get her attention as she flew down to see Twilight. "Not really. I had a run-in with the Doc." "Him again? What did he do this time?" "He challenged me to a race and then used a weird box-like device to deliver his message, which turned out to be a bomb just to tick me off. Then, when I arrived, he goaded me by calling me a chicken. I was foolish enough to fall for it, letting my anger cloud my judgment." "Then, his machine and I raced, but it was an elaborate trap. He took advantage of my desire for competition. I nearly died today, Twilight, and if it weren't for Luna, I would have been squashed into mush." "Oh dear, that sounds awful, Rainbow. I had no idea. I'm sorry about what happened. Is there anything we can do for you as your friends?" "I-I just want to have some alone time for now. Thank you guys for caring about me; I appreciate it." Before Rainbow could fly back up, Spike had something to say. "Hey, Rainbow. I just got one question for you." "Yeah?" "Did the doctor get flung off into orbit again?" "Yeah, little buddy, he did." "Yes!" Spike cheered as he jumped in place. "It's always funny when the bad guys get theirs in the end." "It sure is, Spike. Well, I'll see you guys later, okay?" "It's alright. Have a good rest, Rainbow. Bye for now." Twilight said as she and Spike were off to finish their day.
Chapter Eight: A tutor-bot's twisted turmoil, a doctor's scheme foiled."Okay. We'll talk. Just please don't hurt us." Bocoe said as they were both shaking in fear. "I can't guarantee that." Rainbow stepped over them as they were lying on their backs between her front forelegs, and she glared at them. "Now, keep talking!" She ordered as they both nodded. "T-The doctor wants to reeducate the youth to accept him as Equestria's ruler. We were trying to hide this mare's body in the bushes. She's not dead, we swear." Bocoe continues to reveal the doctor's plan. "For your sake, she better not be. So what diabolical machine is he using this time, huh?" "We'd hardly use the word diabolical; It's a new robot that can teach education to be fun. He's called the Tutor-Bot." Decoe said as they continued to spill everything to Rainbow. "Is that everything? Cause if you're holding out on me..." Rainbow raised her eyebrow in suspicion. "We swear. That's everything! Honest." Decoe said as his robotic brother agreed. They both nodded in affirmation. "You two better be telling the truth. Because I'll sic Applejack on you if you're lying." "Who's that? And why does that still sound terrifying?" Decoe asked Rainbow. "Every liar's worst nightmare. And the element of honesty." Rainbow said in a tone to intimidate the two robots, which wasn't at all challenging to manage. "As I said, you two better be telling the truth here. I'll watch to see what this Tutor-Bot is doing to them." "Sure you can, Rainbow. You'll see that we're being honest." Decoe said to reassure his brother next to him. "I don't recall ever needing to ask you two for your permission here. I'll do whatever I feel like doing." Rainbow said as she got off them, "Get up, you two, and let's go to the Schoolhouse. You're not out of trouble yet." "Y-Yes, ma'am," Bocoe said as both complied with her order and followed her. "When you're finished with your test, leave your pencil on your desk and raise your hoof to signal me," Tutor-Bot said as Applebloom was the first to finish. She raised her hoof and set her pencil down. "Oh? Are you first to be done then? Are you sure you wouldn't want to double-check your answers? It's always a good idea to make sure you're thorough." "I'm ready, Mr. Tutor-Bot. I'm finished." "Wonderful. If you're feeling confident, then come on down! And to sweeten the pot for the rest of you, I'll even offer a grand prize to the one that can get one hundred percent on their exam first." This gave motivation for the entire class to give it their all. Applebloom submitted her test to the Tutor-Bot as he looked it over. After about a couple of minutes, the results were finished. "Amazing job, Applebloom; you scored a close ninety-eight percent." She looked defeated as she hung her head low, and Diamond smirked smugly at her in her general direction. "Aww. Don't feel glum. There's still hope for you. If nobody can achieve a perfect score, the one with the highest score will win." This brightened her up as Tutor-Bot leered at Diamond smugly as she glared back at the robot. "Now, does that look like he's causing terror, unimaginable?" Decoe asked Rainbow. "Well... no." "He wasn't designed to be a battle bot; he was designed to be a tutor bot, hence his name. He enjoys his job." Bocoe said. "I can see that. He honestly seems... quite nice. Like an actual good teacher." "Exactly. So does this mean that we're off the hook then?" Decoe asked in hope. "Nope. Not until the Doc returns to his crummy lab, and you two follow him." "Well, it was worth a shot, brother," Bocoe said as he consoled his robotic brother. "I'll have you know; my lab isn't crummy." Then, a tall figure approached Rainbow and revealed himself as the doctor. "Dr. Bruner. What're you up to now, huh? Are you trying to force little fillies and colts to accept you? Really?" "Yes. That's exactly what my plan is." The doctor said as Decoe and Bocoe rushed to the doctor's side. "As if that'll ever happen." "Are you sure about that, Rainbow? You should know how easy it is to control many when you control what they learn. When you control language and knowledge, you control thought and emotions." "So that's your game, huh? Hindering their minds, they know only enough to function in your little society?" "Exactly. And it's effective, too." "Well, so that you know, Doc. They're succeeding in there." "What?! Inconceivable. All they need to know is what I want them to know and nothing more." "I guess your new robot enjoys his job a bit too much. So, how's your big plan working out for you then?" "I'll have to show that robot what he has to do. I will not have my machines disobey me! Note to self: Don't install an emotional AI chip in my newest models." "Woah, now, what're you going to do?" Rainbow asked the doctor. "What does it look like? I'm going to guide Tutor-Bot in the right direction: Mine." "Everyone's tests are submitted? Excellent. Sadly, none of you have made it to a perfect score. But there are two that are close. Scootaloo and Applebloom! You two are tied at having a ninety-eight on your tests. Ooh... the anticipation is killing me." Tutor-Bot then continued, "Time for a tie-breaker!" "Woah. Applebloom. You've been studying, too, huh?" Scootaloo asked her friend. "Sure have. I've been working hard all week to pass. So whatever happens, may the best pony win." "You know it!" Both ponies bumped their hooves together as a form of mutual respect. "Time for the tie-breaker round of your tests! Your question is- What is two-point-two plus three-point eight?" 'Aww, horsefeathers. I have never studied decimals yet. Well, it is addition, so it shouldn't be too hard.' Applebloom thought to herself. 'Dang. Applebloom might get this one. I'll... go with my gut on this.' Scootaloo thought as she spoke up, "The answer is Five." "Sorry, but that's incorrect, Scootaloo." "I got the answer, Mr. Tutor-Bot. I think I figured it out." "Well then, I'm all ears." "The answer is six." "That's correct! Applebloom wins the test!" Tutor-Bot shot some confetti as his small stereo, then played a victory jingle. "Yes! I won. That was close, Scoots." "Yeah. It was. Good job. You've earned it." "And as promised... your grand prize!" Tutor-Bot's chest cabinet opened as a small drone held a ticket in its little claw and gave it to her. "It's a ticket to this season's Grand Galloping Gala." Applebloom was exploding with glee. "All the business we'll be able to make this season. Thank you, Tutor-Bot. You're the best." Applebloom then hugged Tutor-Bot as he was spinning around in emotional joy. "All these tender emotions are flooding my sensitive, emotional receptors. I'm so happy for everyone here." Tutor-Bot was reaching his arms for everyone, "Come here and bring it in, everyone!" They all hugged Tutor-Bot as he beeped in joy at the affection. "Let's all go out for recess; you've all earned it." They all cheered as everyone left the Schoolhouse interior and went to its playground. "Aha. So this is what you were doing to them?" The sharp and commanding voice of the doctor said to them. "D-Doctor. Hi there. I-I was just.. well, you know, doing my job- what I was programmed to do by you." "No! You breakaway bumpkin! You were supposed to coerce them to accept me as Equestria's new ruler. That was what you were designed to do, Tutor-Bot." "But... I love helping these precious little ones. It's truly a privilege for me." Then, the three Crusaders protected Tutor-Bot by blocking him from the doctor. "We may not exactly know who you are. But it's clear to us that you've got nefarious intentions. Leave him alone! He didn't do anything wrong. He's our new friend." Applebloom spoke up for Tutor-Bot. "A friend? You guys view me as your friend?" Tutor-Bot said in true happiness. "Yeah! We do. You're so awesome, Tutor-Bot. You made today out to be so much fun." Sweetie Belle said in their bid to protect him. "Oh... I love you guys so much. I'm honored to be here to help you all succeed." "Aww.. well, isn't that just sweet? But you're my creation, and you'll do what I say!" The doctor pulled a belt adorned with tools around his waist as he cackled evilly. "Ahahaha! The good doctor puts you together, and the bad doctor can take you apart! It's dismantling time! Muhahaha!" "No! Please, doctor. Don't dismantle me. I'll do better for you, I promise." Tutor-Bot was backing away in sheer fright. "No, you won't! You won't hurt our friend." Scootaloo spoke up in protest. "Perhaps you do not fully understand who you're dealing with here. Then consider this as your educational experience." The doctor pulled out a switch in his coat pocket with a red button on it. "All I have to do is press this button, and Tutor-Bot becomes a ticking timebomb of scrap and faulty wiring." "No way! You stinker! That's not fair! You're not giving him a choice; you're forcing him to obey." Scootaloo growled. "Hello... villain. It's kind of what I do. Last chance, Tutor-Bot, attack and kill Rainbow Dash! Now! That's an order!" Tutor-Bot then tilted his head, his body jittering as his monitor-shaped head rose back up with beaming red eyes instead of his usual yellow ones. "Yes, sir!" He responded in a deeper robotic tone as his wrists detached, and two gun barrels were there as he wheeled his way over to Rainbow. The doctor was grinning smugly in victory. "Tutor-Bot! No! Don't fight her! You'll be destroyed." Scootaloo yelled out to Tutor-Bot, tears welling up in her eyes. "Call him off, please! He can't handle a fight with her." "I know. What a failure he turned out to be. Disappointing. But to achieve progress, one must make necessary sacrifices." The doctor exclaimed. "You monster! You horrible, rotten, evil monster!" Applebloom was in tears, crying as she was pounding her little hooves onto the doctor's legs as he shooed her off him. "Get off of me, you pest!" The doctor lightly kicked her off as he watched Tutor-Bot's execution. "You know what, Tutor-Bot, even though the Doc made you, you were a good robot. I'm sorry to have to do this to you, buddy. You were pretty cool for a clunker." Even though he was approaching Rainbow, he was shaking- it looked as if he was saddened but knew this was the end for him. He had deliberately held himself back, "Either face your inevitable demise peacefully or go out fighting; it doesn't matter to me what you do so long as you do it. What a waste of a good robot." Tutor-Bot refused to shoot Rainbow as she prepared to rush at him for a strike. Her body was glowing a spectrum of rainbow colors, and she sped right through him as he screamed, about to explode. A bright cascade of flashing white lights had sparked from the impalement wound on his chest. "AAAUGHHH!!! OOOOUGHHAAA!!!" KA-BOOM! Pieces of small metal scrap were all left of him after he exploded. "NO! TUTOR-BOT!!! No... he was our friend." Applebloom then hugged her two friends as she cried into their shoulders. "That's what happens to recusant robots. Insubordination will not be tolerated!" Then Applebloom, in her saddened rage, ran up and pounded onto the doctor's legs again. "I hate you! You're mean, rotten, horrible, and cruel." "Flattery means nothing to me, you little gnat. Now release my leg at once!" He kicked her off as he signaled for his Bruner Mobile to come to him. "Adieu, My greatest enemy. And thank you for taking out the trash for me." Decoe and Bocoe then hopped in as the doctor laughed heartily and fled. Rainbow decided to console the young ones instead of chasing down the doctor. "You get away with it this time, Doc," Rainbow said as she glared at the fleeing doctor in raw contempt.
Chapter Nine: The aftermath of Tutor-Bot, progression of the day.Applebloom rummaged through the scrap that was once Tutor-Bot and saw the burnt remains of his emotional AI chip. She then picked it up and clutched it tight to her chest while sobbing, a few stray tears tapping onto the ruined emotion chip as Applebloom saw a part of her reflection in the still shiny piece of the chip metal staring back at her. "He was incredible. I'll be the best that I can be... for him. It's what he would have wanted for us." "Rainbow," Scootaloo said to get her attention. "What's up, squirt?" "Next time you see that lousy doctor. Give him a rainboom rush for us!" "You got it. I'll send him off into orbit. And who knows, maybe you'll be there to watch." "Awesome!" Scootaloo nuzzled her head up to Rainbow in the form of affection as she returned the gesture in kind. "Oh, ponyfeathers! I forgot about Ms. Cheerlie. I'll be right back." Rainbow prepared her wings and took flight. Rainbow then flew off to where she first caught both Decoe and Bocoe. She looked in the bushes to see her still squirming in the burlap sack they trapped her in and trying to talk as the gag muffled her complaints. "I got you, don't worry. I'm sorry this happened to you." Rainbow then took the bag off her body and ungagged her as she stretched her limbs. "What in the name of Equestria just happened? Where are the tots? Are they okay? What was that strange creature that knocked me out?" Questions were flying out at Rainbow as Cheerlie was understandably panicked. "Woah there. Calm down. It was a robot made by the Doc. But he wasn't a bad robot." Rainbow said to her as she ran over as fast as possible to the Schoolhouse. "I'll explain everything to you, Okay?" "Sure, while we're on our way will suffice. What happened?" "Dr. Bruner wanted to brainwash the colts and fillies with his propaganda for his new utopia while using Tutor-Bot as his proxy to do the job. But Tutor-Bot never wanted to harm anyone; he only wanted to help others succeed." Rainbow explained as she continued, "All he ever really wanted was a friend. The Doc forced him to fight me, knowing he was no match for me, most likely because the Tutor-Bot had failed in his mission." "Oh... That doesn't sound very pleasant. And did you... Well, you know?" "I didn't have a choice, and neither did he. He used his love for his new friends as his only last wall of resistance against the Doc. I could see it in his robotic eyes. He wanted me to end him so the Doc wouldn't detonate him. I knew what had to be done, and so did he, so I did my best to make it quick for him." "He was only doing what he was built to do: Teaching. I guess I can't hold that against him." Cheerlie somberly said upon discovery that Tutor-Bot never intended to put anybody's life at risk. "Well, the important thing is that the Doc's plan was scrambled. And if he ever returns- which I know he will eventually, we'll always be ready to send him flying back to that lab of his." "Wouldn't that get boring after a while, though?" Cheerlie asked with a raised eyebrow to Rainbow as they both saw the Schoolhouse come into view. "What? No. It's always fun to kick evil butt! I'll make it my new job in the world, just for the Doc." "We heard a huge explosion coming from here. Is everypony okay?" Twilight said as she and Spike rushed over along with Rarity and Applejack. Applejack saw her sister crying and quickly said, "Hey, sugarcube, what's wrong, little filly? Talk to me." "Oh, Applejack. It's just terrible. This tall figure tried to use a robot to force us to learn to accept him. But in truth, all that robot ever wanted was to have a friend." "Tall figure? Robot? That sounds like Dr. Bruner to me. What did that varmint do? Where is he now?" "He's gone; he left after he destroyed our new friend." "New friend? Applebloom, you realize that anything that guy makes can not and should never be considered a friend." Just then, Rainbow and Cheerlie rushed to the scene to explain. "No, Applejack, she's right. He was cool. He didn't want to do what he was made for; he truly cared for these guys and accepted his end to keep the school from being destroyed by the Doc. I witnessed it myself, and I was the one that had to destroy him." Rainbow said to clarify things with Applejack. "Is that so? Oh. It shows that not every created robot from that doctor is bad, just misunderstood. Now I kinda feel bad for thinking the worst." Applebloom then hugged her big sis. "Don't worry about it. You didn't know, sis. And I won the test. I got a ninety-eight percent." "I got a ninety-eight too, you know, Applebloom. We both were in a tie-breaker round, and Applebloom won a ticket from Tutor-Bot." Scootaloo pointed out that she was also pleased about her friend's victory. "That's great, you guys. And... a ticket? What kind of ticket?" "Take a look for yourself, Sis." Applebloom showed her ticket to her big sister; her grin turned wide quickly. "Land sakes, Sugarcube, he just gave us an official ticket to this season's Grand Galloping Gala?! You're kidding me?" "Nope. I'm unsure how he managed to get this, but he did. Now, we can rack in so many bits for our labor. This'll be great." "You darn tootin' it will be. We can now afford all the plywood and paint supplies needed for our barn repair. Yee-haw!" Applejack was cheering and kicking her legs out in happiness at that prospect. "Well, so long as everyone's okay. That's what matters. I still find it difficult to believe, darlings. Is one of those doctor's machines being good? But then again, seeing is believing, and it looks like this was the case." Rarity said as if affirming her beliefs and contemplating what had just happened. Then, to the Crusaders' surprise, Diamond approached them to say something they never expected. "Hey, Applebloom. I know that Tutor-Bot and I never really got along. But what I saw... that was seriously messed up. He didn't deserve that." "D-Diamond?! What's with the sudden attitude change?" "Well, I do not always feel like this, so don't expect this to become a habit. But nopony ever deserves to be manipulated, then threatened like that." Diamond got that bit out with albeit some minor difficulty. "It's fine, Diamond. I know you liked having him around, deep down. And... thanks for trying to help to console me." "After today, we're returning to hating each other's guts. This is only a temporary truce between us." "That's fine. Even though I wish it weren't, It's sad how things should be anyway." Diamond then walked away, thinking, ' if only I could tell her... If only we could be friends. Maybe one day, when my mother no longer cares about them, I can do that.' Diamond looked back briefly before she tilted her head up in an arrogant and haughty posture to keep up appearances. "Come on, Silver Spoon. Let's leave these blank flank losers behind." Applejack scowled at them, "Up-tight, no good, varmints. I don't blame Diamond for her bigoted mother and elitist mentality. The poor girl's mind is getting poisoned by biased hatred. That's going to work against her one of these days." "Yeah. I know, Sis. I think she's still a nice pony underneath it all. I have a feeling that she'll come around someday." Applebloom was confident in her beliefs for Diamond. Once school was over and everypony went home, Twilight walked back home with Spike. "It would have been great to reform him- that Tutor-Bot. Imagine what potential he could have had for the benefit of Equestria. It's sad; some of the doctor's robots are quite neat. Too bad he'd rather use his skills for evil instead of good." "Yeah. I hear you, Twilight. But what can you do? You can't control what someone else chooses to do." Spike said with a sad smile. "I know, Spike. I know. One mare can dream, can't she, though?" "I guess so." Spike and Twilight went back to their home as they went to look over Twilight's list for that day. Meanwhile, at the Doctor's Everfree Base... "I narrowly escaped them only because of their stupid little morals. Why can none of my plans ever succeed?" The doctor griped to himself as he passed back and forth across his metallic floor. "I'll need more time to plan my next scheme. It will be successful. I'll be sure to consider every variable in my plan." "Of course, Doctor. So then, any ideas on your next scheme?" Decoe asked the doctor. "If re-educating the youth didn't work, I may be doing everything wrong. The art of war is often won through deception." He momentarily contemplated, "I could always try to take advantage of the naiveté of those wealthy misers and political officials to move waves within my new rule. Or, I could make a robot that can disguise itself as a guard to enter their castle to blend in and gather intel back to me. Casing the joint so I may find some weaknesses within its structure." "Both sound like viable alternatives, Doctor," Bocoe said. "Why not try one, then try the other if the first fails?" Decoe suggested. "Hmm? Which one should I try first since this was your idea, Decoe?" "Oh? I-I guess the disguised robot would be the least strong of the two plans and might even gain us some leeway to planning." "Hmm... I like the way your robotic mind ticks, Decoe." In a moment of gratitude, the robotic brother dances at gaining the doctor's favor. "Then my newest machine will be a chameleon-series mech. This new number will be fueled on magic and be able to change its form to whatever it can scan." "Brilliant, Doctor. This will fool them." "However, It can only scan lifeforms in regular pony size. So, nothing bigger nor smaller can do." "That should still work, Doc. It'll be easy as they're probably too stupid to be able to tell the difference." Decoe said to the doctor, who chuckled. "Heh. Yeah. They think that they've got me down pat, eh? We'll see about that." The light glistened off of the doctor's glasses as they covered his eyes as he grinned at his new plan. At Canterlot Castle, they were preparing for Cadence's Wedding. Celestia and Luna were assembling everything with the help of their advisors. "All advisors, front and center, please," Celestia said as the five advisors came to her call. One of them looked a bit... off to Celestia, but she didn't overthink it. "Alright then, everypony, this wedding is fast approaching, and we must get everything ready for Princess Cadence's arrival." "Yes, ma'am," they all said in unison as she nodded. "Very good. The wedding is tomorrow, and we're taking today to prepare everything, so we'll be set." Then, she saw the strange one's eyes flash for a millisecond before the robot's gaze returned to normal and faced Celestia. Her eyes squinted in suspicion, but she only had that and nothing else. "Alright then, I'm counting on everypony here. Make me proud!"
Chapter Ten: The Canterlot Wedding (Part one)Morning arrived, and the official wedding is happening today; Cadence and Shining are about to tie the knot together, which marks a significant step in strengthening ties with the Crystal Empire and Canterlot. "Alright, everypony. We've got a big ceremony planned for today. I'm so proud of all of you for doing your very best to prepare. This is too important to ruin. Are all stations ready?" Celestia asked as everyone saluted. "Yes, Ma'am!" Every captain of every station said as they all waited for Cadence's arrival. "I can't wait to see my big brother have his special day. It's also going to be so nice to see my foalsitter again. I wonder how Cadence has been doing as of late?" Twilight was ecstatic, lightly hopping in place and excited to see Cadence. "I think she'll be just as happy to see you, too, Sugarcube." Applejack sat next to Rainbow, across from Twilight, and Rarity was next to Twilight. "Darling. You two are close, from what I can recall. Why it'd be strange for her not to be excited." Rarity said in her typical posh yet pleasant voice. "This is going to be one awesome party. And best of all, no meanie pants doctor to ruin it for us." Pinkie cheered as the train car approached Canterlot. "Uh... Pinkie. Maybe it's best not to jinx today, huh?" Rainbow said to Pinkie. "Oh no. I'm sorry, wouldn't want to do that, now would we?" "It's okay, Pinkie; you didn't know. Let's all try to enjoy today, right?" Fluttershy said in her calm and angelic voice. "Totally. Sadly, Spike couldn't make it; maybe next time we have a ceremony, we'll be sure to have him come." "Twilight... It's a wedding. The odds of Spike enjoying this would be just as good as me becoming an egghead, like you or that stupid doctor." "Hey now, being curious and bright is never a bad thing. You should try it sometime." "Yuck. And make me into a nerd? No thanks, Twi. But thanks for the offer." Twilight made a mildly annoyed huff in resignation as the train reached its destination. The doctor yawned as he raised himself from the bed to stretch and sighed, "Another day, another failed attempt at realizing my dream." Then Decoe and Bocoe arrived to greet the doctor. "Good morning, Doctor. We've got news for you. It's about our enemies." Decoe said to the doctor as he went to sit on his swivel chair. "What kind of information, Decoe? This had better be good." "Oh, it most certainly is interesting, Doctor. According to our disguised chameleon-mech, they're hosting a wedding party for a new princess." The doctor then fell out of the chair he was sitting in out of shock. "W-What!? Another princess? How many of these assembly-line ponies made princesses have they got exactly?" The doctor brushed himself off as he stood up and looked toward Decoe, expecting an answer. "I have no idea, Doctor. So what're your orders then?" "Hmm... Keep the chameleon mech in there; let's see how long we can maintain our bluff to gain as much information as possible." "Aye, aye, Doctor!" Decoe saluted the doctor as they watched the screen linked to their mech. "Welcome to Canterlot, Princess Cadence, Captain Shining. We're expecting you." The guard at the front gate greeted both guests as Cadence cheerfully replied. "I'm so happy to be here, too. We'll make our way in then. Come on, Shining, let's go!" Cadence then semi-aggressively tugged onto Shining's left forearm as he followed suit. "Y-Yes, m-ma'am. Right away, ma'am." Shining looked as if he was minorly zoning out and somewhere else mentally. The stationed guard just shrugged it off as pre-marital stress. Then, the mane six had shown up about five minutes later. Twilight led her group as they saw the guard and showed him their invitations. "You're all set; please relax and enjoy." "Alright then, Cadence should be here at any moment now. Oh, just seeing her happy is giving me goosebumps; I'm excited." Celestia said as Luna came in to greet her older sister. "Greetings, Tia. Tis a lovely wedding that this'll be, I'm sure." "Of course, Luna. I've been waiting for this moment to happen for a long time; Cadence is finally finding that special somepony in her life." "I hear you, Tia. I cannot wait much longer. When are we going to begin?" "Very soon, Luna." Both sisters were waiting in the main ballroom to begin the ceremony as Cadence was on her way to be prepared for the wedding. "Hey there, Cadence. It's so great to see you again." Twilight was excitedly hopping in place. "Yes. Of course... Um, and you're?" "Oh, don't act like we're strangers. What about our traditional greeting?" Twilight then went over to Cadence and did her greeting, "Sunshine, Sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little... shake?" Twilight saw Cadence looking at her as if she had grown three heads. "You're supposed to shake with me at that last part, Cadence." "U-Uh... right, I forgot. That's all. I'm just a bit too focused on the wedding right now. So, if you'll excuse me, I must be off." Cadence then trotted away, thinking, ' this mare might be some trouble to my grand scheme. I'll have to do something about her if she continues to meddle in where she shouldn't.' As Cadence walked away, Twilight noticed that Shining followed behind like a zombie would its master. "Hey guys, that was too weird. That wasn't Cadence- at least not the one I'm familiar with." "Aw, shucks, Twilight. This day is important to her; you cannot blame her for that, Sugarcube." Applejack said in an act of dismissiveness as Twilight tilted her head down in slight melancholy. "You'll have to bear with her, Darling. I think the stress is starting to affect you, too, as it is her." Rarity replied to Twilight. "No. That didn't feel like her at all. I'll give you the benefit of your doubt, but I'll be watching her." Cadence walked into the room where Pinkie and Applejack were tasked with the baked goods, "So you two are in charge of making the desserts, huh?" "We sure are Your Highness. Please tell me what you think. Apple cakes, apple pie, and, of course, apple cheesecake." "That's... a lot of apples. Well, at least you live up to your name." "I beg your pardon?" "I meant to say that your desserts match the color of your mane." She asked Pinkie, "Let me guess, more apple-related desserts?" "Hehe. No way, José. These are an assortment of chocolate cakes, cookies, danishes, and, of course, the biggest wedding cake in honor of your special day." ' By the name of Faustia, these ponies are obsessed over pastries. It's no wonder they're all gaining weight and getting slower. This invasion should be all too easy for me.' She grinned and said, "Everything looks great, ladies. Keep up the good work." "Mighty nice of you to say, Your Highness. Thank you kindly." Applejack bowed to Cadence as she did so in return before walking out to see a hair and make-up specialist approach her. "Right this way, Your Highness, you've got to be fitted into your dress and your mane styled for tonight." "I'll be right there now; I just have to... freshen up quickly. Come on, Shining!" "Y-Yes.. ma'am. I'm coming." Shining droned off as he followed her into their guest room. Twilight was secretly tailing her to discover what this Cadence look-a-like was up to. "So, Doctor, you've got a plan by now?" Decoe asked the doctor. "I do. But it'll have to happen after their stupid little wedding; too many prying eyes there. We want my Chameleon-Mech to remain undetected." "Yes, Doctor. We'll have an ambush at the ready. You have the schematics of their interior structure?" Bocoe asked the doctor. "I do. We'll wait for the right moment to strike." "Yes! We'll be successful yet, Doctor." Decoe said, cheering the doctor on his brilliance. "Alright then, Shining, dear. I'm beginning to get hungry. Lay down on the bed, now!" Shining obeyed with a dopey look as Cadence climbed onto him and began to lean her face close to his before siphoning away a stream of his love energy from his mouth into hers. He groaned in discomfort as this was happening to him. Cadence then licked her lips with her... forked tongue. "Lovely, Shining, dear. Just as delicious as ever." "Oh my goodness, that is terrible. I knew that wasn't Cadence. But who is she?" Twilight muttered to herself as she peeked through the slightly opened door and saw the event unfolding before her. Cadence then slowly turned her head towards the door and chuckled as Twilight yelped and dashed away as fast as she could. "S-She didn't see me, did she? Oh man, poor big bro. I have to do something to help him." Twilight turned around to slip away as she bumped into Cadence and gulped. "Eep. H-Hi there, Cadence. Lovely wedding this is, isn't it?" She sheepishly giggled as she slowly stepped back. "Twilight, was it? You're far too nosy for your own good. But it won't matter cause nopony would ever believe that sweet and delicate Cadence could be capable of such villainy. And there's nothing you can do to prove it, either." "I'll find a way to save my big brother and stop you. I don't know how yet, but I will. You won't get away with this, You faker." "Hmm... I'm pretty sure I will. Thank goodness that everypony here is gullible and dumb. It makes what I'm about to do today easier than taking candy from a foal." "We're not as dumb and helpless as you think, whoever you're." "Yes, yes, I'm sure. I dare you to make a scene during the reception. Embarrass yourself in front of many ponies and the princesses." Cadence cackled as Twilight then ran away to her friends. "How precious and so predictable. Tell your friends if you want, but it won't do you any good." Cadence then made her way out, with Shining following behind as she made her way to get her mane and dress fitted on her. "Luna, it's almost time for the reception to begin. Is Cadence ready yet?" "Just about. She's getting her mane decorated and prepared for tonight." Luna said to her sister. "And her dress? It'll be good, right? I'm only worried that this'll be the best for her. It must be the best for our niece." "Try not to worry yourself too much, Tia; it'll age you faster." Celestia huffed in mild annoyance. "I'll have you know that I'm only three-thousand years old, Sister. Not eight-thousand." "I know you're. I'm just teasing you, Tia." "I want my mane to look the best; show me what you can do then," Cadence said as she laid her head back and let the specialist perform her work. "Your Highness. It'll look incredible when I'm done." The curtain covered the specialist and Cadence as her work began. This doppelganger believed herself untouchable, confident that her plan would succeed. "I have to do something. My friends can help me. I can only hope that they'll be willing to listen to me. This is very serious." Twilight was rushing down the hallways and out to the courtyard where her friends were sitting and chilling, "There you guys are. You'll probably never believe me if I told you this, but that lady isn't Cadence. I don't know who she is, but I was right all along."
Chapter Eleven: The Canterlot Wedding (Part two)"Woah, now, back up. Were you right about Cadence not being Cadence? Are you sure about that, Twilight?" Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow. "Rainbow, why would I lie about that?" "Because I think you might be jealous of Cadence, to a small degree." "Rainbow! That's ridiculous. Why in Equestria would I get jealous of my best foalsitter ever? You must have known something strange about her, right Applejack?" "I'm stayin' out of this, Twilight, and you need not make a fuss during this wedding." "Here, here, Darling. Twilight. I know you're stressed out, but please don't make this a bad day for us." "Yeah. No lousy attitudes allowed!" Pinkie bellowed out. "Oh my, I'm sorry, Twilight, but I kinda agree with everypony else on this," Fluttershy said to Twilight. "I can't believe my friends wouldn't even believe me. This is crazy." Twilight got up from where she sat with her friends and left their table. "No, Twilight. I think you're the one who's crazy here. You better not be trying to start anything during this wedding." Rainbow shouted towards her as she huffed and walked away. "You know what? Trying to bring something to your attention was a waste of my time. I'll have to handle this myself." Twilight walked away, on the verge of welling tears in her eyes. "Uh, you think we were too hard on her?" Applejack asked the group. "Nah. She's just got a chip on her shoulder. After today, everything will be fine." Rainbow responded. "How does your hair and dress look, Your Highness?" The make-up specialist asked Cadence. "It's great... r-really it is." 'Ugh. This thing is hideous. It's way too girly for my tastes.' "Thank you so much for this." Cadence forced a grin and did her best to bear this. "Are we finished with this yet?" "We certainly are, Princess. Now, you'll be ready for your groom-to-be." "Excellent." Cadence grinned evilly as she walked out and pulled Shining along. "It's almost time, Shining, dear. Come on!" "Y-Yes, Ma'am." He droned on in a haze, swooning as he followed her close behind. "Now, for the moment, we're all waiting for Cadence's wedding to begin. I, for one, am very excited about this. And we've got our bride and groom right now." Celestia welcomed them as the flower maids were showering them with beautiful flowers. They both walked down the aisle as, in the far distance, the Chameleon-Mech was observing the event. Celestia then proceeded to speak to bless them both before Twilight stormed in, to the annoyance of her friends. "Don't do it, Celestia; she's a snake disguised as Cadence. That mare is a fraud!" Everyone gasped at Twilight for her sudden intrusion; Rainbow rolled her eyes at the scene. "Twilight Sparkle! If what you say is true, then surely you have some proof of this claim, yes?" Celestia said with a stern look. "Well, no. I technically don't. In hindsight, I can see where and how this would be a problem." "Auntie, Celestia. Twilight's being so mean right now. All I wanted was a nice wedding today, and she's ruining it for both me and Shining." Cadence was making crocodile tears and trying to fake weeping. This sadly worked on Celestia. "Twilight Sparkle! You will cease this nonsense right now! Do I make myself clear?" Celestia said as Shining approached Twilight with glazed-over green eyes. "I d-do not want her in here at all. Twilight d-doesn't even deserve to be a b-bride maid for t-this." He struggled to get it out, a clear sign that something was wrong, yet nobody would believe Twilight. "But, Shining. I'm your little sister. You can't be serious." Twilight was crying at the cruel rejection by her manipulated big brother. "You heard him, Twilight. We told you not to make a scene, and what did you do? You made a scene." Rainbow shouted out, which did not help to make Twilight feel better. Celestia was right next to Shining, giving Twilight a look of disapproval. "B-But, Celestia-" "We have much to discuss after this wedding, Twilight." Celestia was glaring at Twilight as Twilight backed away and ran from the ballroom, crying. Cadence was grinning in satisfaction as she spoke up. "I need to use the restroom before we continue, if that'll be okay, Auntie." "Of course, Cadence. We'll be waiting for you." "Oh my. The drama, the intensity, the heartache. There's never a dull moment in that castle, I see." The doctor was eating popcorn while sitting in his swivel chair and watching Twilight's intrusion as if it were a satirical film. "No, there doesn't appear to be, Doctor," Decoe said as they watched. The doctor sat up and walked away. "I'm going to make myself a smoothie. A man can get parched, you know." "Whatever sounds good to you, Doctor. I think I'll enjoy a drink of some chilled motor oil, the organic kind; gotta stay in shape, bro." Decoe said as he walked away. "It's not my fault I was designed to look wide, brother." Bocoe protested. "Every robot has an excuse, I guess." Bocoe scoffed after Decoe shrugged and said he went into the robot rec room. Twilight was crying into the pillow in Cadence's guest room as Cadence walked in and saw her lying on the bed. With teary eyes, she looked up to see her and scowled. "Come back to gloat, you foul demon?" "Tempting, but no. I'm here to patch up a leak, as it were." Cadence's eyes were glowing bright green as she summoned a ring of lime-green flames to corral Twilight. "Goodbye, Twilight. Have fun with the real Cadence underneath the castle." "W-What? No! Don't do this..." Twilight yelped out as the flame consumed her, and she disappeared. Satisfied with her work, Cadence returned to the ballroom to finish her wedding. "I'm back, everypony! Let's finish this up, shall we?" She chirped. "Hey guys, you noticed that Cadence suddenly had to use the restroom no sooner after Twilight left? We might have made a mistake here." Rainbow said as Cadence and Shining stood parallel, facing each other. "Now, if there are no further interruptions, let us proceed. Cadence, Do you take Shining Armor to be your lawfully wedded husband?" "I do." "And Shining Armor, do you take Cadence as your lawfully wedded wife?" "I-I do.." "Then, by the power vested in me as the Princess of Equestria, I declare you both to be husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Cadence then moved in and siphoned away every drop of love energy from Shining Armor. He looked weakened like an empty husk and collapsed onto the floor as everyone gasped in surprise. Cadence's body then began to glow a bright green aura. "You should have listened to your precious little student, Celestia." "W-What is the meaning of this? Cad- no, you're not Cadence; who're you?" The disguised mare then revealed herself to have an obsidian-charcoal chitin shelling as her lithe and sleek body, long and swampy-green hair draped over her shoulders. She had a long and forked tongue, sharp fangs, insectoid wings, and a crooked horn with holes throughout her body. She cackled as she stood before Celestia, who stood her ground. "I am Chrysalis, queen of the changelings. It is my job to provide food for my subjects." "Well then, I owe Twilight an apology. Now that you so foolishly have revealed yourself, I'll deal with you." Luna joined in. "Sister, we can both take her on." "No, Luna, get the others to safety. I'll handle this imposter." "Alright then, Tia. Show her who's boss!" Luna cheered as they both stood for a magic duel. "Well then, Celestia. I've got all the charged-up power that I need. Go ahead, take your shot!" "Arrogant, aren't you, Chrysalis? Very well then, you asked for this!" Celestia fired her magic beam as Chrysalis fired hers; they clashed together as Chrysalis's beam was much stronger than Celestia's. The magic beam was glowing green and expanding as it raced towards Celestia. As she gasped. In moments, Celestia was thrown to the ground with a burnt horn, her crown inches away from her reach as she lay sprawled over the floor. "Tia! No!" Luna cried out as Chrysalis summoned her minions as they smashed through the windows and flooded the ballroom. "You have lost this fight, Celestia. My children, Wrap her up into a cocoon! I want her to watch her kingdom's demise." As they fired their sticky green goo all over her to glue her body to the floor, she wretched and gagged in disgust as some goo went into her mouth. "Blegh. That tastes so disgusting. Luna! Get help. Any help will do. Equestria's in trouble, and you're our only hope!" The sticky changeling goo wrapped all over Celestia's body as she squirmed and struggled in vain until a green fluid filled the cocoon, making her body slack from the numbness, and her voice muffled. "Yes, Tia. You can count on me! I shall return with help." Luna flew up, dodging some shots of green goo as they splattered onto the floor, and she flew out of the window. "This could be a problem. After her, my children. Hunt her down!" Luna was frantically flying away to search for help for Equestria's salvation. "Go now, My children! Feed!" Many fled to feed upon the ponies as Twilight's friends left to fight them. While everyone was being raided and captured during the Canterlot Wedding disaster, Luna had no choice but to flee as she was flying away from the castle to get help. Dr. Bruner was drinking out of a fruit smoothie, watching the invasion from a lawn chair atop his balcony at his Everfree Base. "Ahh... I need to make these smoothies more often. I don't have to do anything about those pesky Elements; whoever this queen is can do all the work for me. Then, when I'm ready, I'll storm in to create the Bruner Empire." "There you are, doctor. I cannot believe that I'm saying this... But we're in need of your help." Luna said as she landed on his balcony. The doctor then spat out his drink and coughed to clear his throat upon hearing this. "And why should I ever help out my enemies, huh? The back of my head still hurts from that Checker Wrecking Ball!" The doctor raised his brow as he listened to Luna. "Because Chrysalis truly is a wicked creature. Do you think she'll stop at us? She'll want to conquer everything, even you." "Ha. Hahaha. Oh, I would love to see her try it. I'd also love to see her as a crater on my front lawn." Just then, a stray changeling landed on the doctor's balcony pursuing Luna, and saw one of the machines he was working on. "Hey you, get away from that!" It stuck out its tongue as it shot some magic into it, causing it to blow up and fall apart, making the doctor's left eye twitch, "Why you, insignificant, little insect!" A fire was in the doctor's eyes as Luna leaned against him. "Is that motivation enough for thee?" Luna said as she saw the doctor brandish his energy gun, set it to non-fatal, and fire it at the changeling; as it fried his body, making him shriek and convulse in place before passing out. "Ouch. That looked harsh." "He should be thankful that it was just shy of being lethal. Nobody messes with my machines." The doctor replied angrily. "So, you'll be ready to fight with us then?" "Grr... y-yes, I will be. Decoe, Bocoe, Prepare my Bruner Mobile. System... Get my prototype mech suit ready. I'm going exterminating." "Aye, aye, Doctor!" Both robots said as they saluted him, and he stepped into his mechanical wardrobe unit. The steel curtains covered him up as Luna looked on with interest and heard the various sparks and beeping of the suit assembled onto the doctor's body.
Chapter Twelve: The Canterlot Wedding (Part three)The assembly was completed as the steel curtains lifted, and Luna saw his giant mech suit. "Ooh... look at you, doctor." Luna was gawking at the case in amazement. "Chrysalis won't stand a chance now! Huzzah!" "Accompany me or not. I honestly don't care, but I want you out of my base!" "Fine then, I shall." Luna then flew up onto his shoulder and tagged along with him. "I'm here to make sure you don't kill anypony." "Just don't get in my way, and you have nothing to fear from me." The shutter door opened as he deployed his mechsuit body and journeyed towards Canterlot. Drones were trying to rush them as he fired a volley of guided heat-seeking missiles. They whistled as they hit each one, making them all fall and hit the ground with soft and meaty thuds. "Okay. I have to admit, that was pretty cool." "Hmph. Of course, they were cool; I designed them to be cool." "Manners cost nothing, you know. A simple thank you wouldn't have gone amiss." "I'm only polite to my allies, not my foes." "Well, like it or not, we're both allies now. So deal with it, doctor." "This is only a temporary truce; understand that, Princess. I'm not doing this because I care. I'm doing this because I stand up for my empire's honor." "Ugh... my head. W-Where am I? C-Cadence? Is that you? Oh my goodness, it is. I'm so sorry that this happened." "I-It's fine, Twily. She had everypony fooled." "Who is she anyway?" "Queen Chrysalis. She comes from a race known as the Changelings. They feed off of positive emotions to stay alive and to get stronger. Love magic is the strongest of positive emotions, Twilight." "Right, I can see why she targeted you," Twilight muttered as she looked up to Cadence and hugged her. "This is looking pretty bad, Cadence. I'm not sure that we'll be able to win this." "Don't say that, Twilight. Where there's love, there's hope." "I hope you're right, Cadence, for the sake of our home." Chrysalis approached Celestia in her cocoon-bound form, "So then, Celestia—time to rub it in. You were so fooled; you had no idea that it was Shining's magic that prevented my children from entering. The only reason why I could get in was that I disguised myself as that stupid love princess." "Mmmpth!" Celestia was muffling in aggression as she was helplessly suspended into the cocoon. "And what makes this even more delicious? Shining was such a banquet of love energy that I had more magic in me than you could handle. I picked the right moment to strike when your guard was down, and you were most vulnerable." "Mmmpth..." Celestia muffled in forlorn protest as her eyes became saddened at the thought that Equestria was finished. "That's right, Celestia. I won. And now, I shall rule all of Equestria. And look," she picks up Celestia's crown, "a new trophy for my conquest; how very thoughtful. Thank you, Princess." Chrysalis was tittering in delight at hearing Celestia's whines and sobs of defeat as she was immobile and powerless and forced to watch everything unfold. "I'll be sure to take good care of it." The elements, minus Twilight, were fighting off the changelings as they were surrounded. "Right, okay. We should have listened to Twilight. Maybe then this wouldn't have happened." Rainbow said that as the army moved in, they had no choice but to fight. "Yeah, we'll apologize once we find her; now, let's kick some bad guy flank!" Applejack yelled out as she back-kicked one and sent it flying towards the crowd. But try as they might, there were too many of them as they formed together and spat out their green goo; one glob smacked into Rarity's body as she shrieked. "No! This stuff is in my mane. Eww, eww, eww!" Rarity was glued to the ground as she struggled. Fluttershy rushed to her aid. "I got you, Rarity- Oh?!" Fluttershy got plastered by their goo as she was stuck to Rarity with an embarrassed huff. "O-Oh... dear." "You tried your best, Darling." Rarity said to lift her spirits. "Pinkie. Now would be a good time for your crazy hoo-hah." Rainbow said as she looked over to see Pinkie's legs wiggling out of a sizable glob of changeling goo and sighed. "Right. Of course, you'd be stuck, too. Because really, why not?" "I guess this just leaves us, Rainbow. Back to back." Applejack said. "Fighting impossible odds together as friends. Oh yeah!" Rainbow said as she and Applejack did their best to fight them off. The doctor and Luna were en route to the usurped castle as more changelings ambushed them. "Doctor! Look out!" A glob of their goo hit his chest plate as the mechanical hand peeled it off like a web and then flicked it away like a booger. "Whoever was the one that shot that, you'll be the first to get mangled." That changeling hissed as he charged the doctor, only for his mechanical arms to reach up and grab him mid-flight and hold him by his head as he struggled. "So, you're the first one to die, huh? Nice enough for you to volunteer; I'll crush your skull like a walnut." The more pressure he applied, the more the changeling cried in pain and kicked in desperation for freedom. "Doctor! Stop it! You'll kill him if you do that!" Luna yelled at him as he then let him go. "Today's your lucky day. Get out of my sight, you vermin, before I change my mind!" The changeling nodded furiously as he bolted for the sky, clutching his head from the ordeal. "That was too mean, doctor. There was no reason to take it that far." "If you show your enemies mercy, they tread all over you." Luna then scanned her surroundings and grinned. "Good news, I have located the magical signatures of both Cadence and Twilight. It's coming from over there, at that mountainside." "Then let's get digging! Excavation module, activate!" His left mech hand morphed into a steel drill, drilling a hole through the rocky surface. "We'll have to find a way out of here, Cadence. Can you stand up?" Twilight asked her friend next to her. "Yes, I can, Twilight. But r-running is out of the question. That horrible bug queen bled me dry." "Ponyfeathers. Well, I'll carry you over my shoulders then." Twilight lifted Cadence onto her back and brought her to a room with loads of geodes of lime crystals, each one forming a picture of Chrysalis. "Whatever you two are planning, don't bother. There's no hope for your pathetic little kingdom anymore. I made sure of that myself." "We'll find a way out of here; just wait. And once we do. You'll be sorry." Twilight said in defiance. "So, I was listening to your little speech out of boredom. It's amusing, I'll admit. Goodbye for now. I've got a kingdom to conquer." The queen cackled as her face vanished from the crystals that hung around the cavernous room. "She's starting to bug me. No pun intended, Cadence." "It was a pretty good one, Twilight- Wait a minute. Is that... drilling, I hear? Where is it coming from?" Cadence listened for it as the sound got closer, "Over there, Twilight. At that wall." "I hear it, too. And there are voices... Luna and... someone else." "I'm placing a charge into the cavity to breach the wall open. Stand clear, Luna!" The muffled voice sounded familiar to Twilight; then, she knew who was with her and scowled. "Oh no, Cadence. It's him. Doctor Bruner." "Who's that, Twilight?" "Unfortunately, you're about to meet him." Twilight heard the beeping of a bomb as she rushed away from the wall. As fast as she could. The bomb then went off. KA-BOOM! A gigantic hole was created, sunlight bled into the caves as a mechanical hand gripped the cave wall, and the doctor and Luna entered the interior. "You two, let's go and save this stupid kingdom so I can return to trying to seize it." "Nice to see you too, doctor." Twilight scowled at the doctor, who did the same in return. "So, I think it's safe to say you both know each other." "Yes, we do!" They both said at the same time to Cadence. "Well then, Let's follow Luna and the doctor, Twilight. Unless you've got a better plan." Cadence then left the caves, shielded her eyes from the sunlight as she breathed in the fresh air, and sighed in relief. "Sweet freedom, Twilight. And it feels incredible. Let's stop Chrysalis and save my wedding and my Shiny-Bear!" Cadence cheered as the heroic convoy made their way to the front gates of the castle entrance. "Okay, Rainbow! I think this is as far as we can go. These nasty critters are too much to handle." Applejack said as she was getting exhausted. "I hate to say it, but I think you're right, AJ. This is going to bruise my pride, alright." Rainbow and Applejack were then assaulted by a wave of their goo and glued with the rest of their friends like a sticky green net and were lifted off the ground and brought into the ballroom. "Well, it looks like the pathetic recusancy was finally captured. Good!" Chrysalis giggled like a filly at her triumphant moment, "Stick them onto the wall over there, next to Celestia." The doctor, Twilight, Luna, and Cadence were on their way to the Royal Ballroom, fighting through the hordes of changelings that charged them. "Is this seriously the best that these little bugs can do? I'm disappointed." The doctor said as he picked one up and punched it away into the nearest wall. "Yes. Because those guys versus someone in a gigantic mech suit is fighting fair, huh?" Twilight shot back to the doctor. "Well, you can't argue with the results, can you?" The doctor had a smug look on his face as they were now at the ballroom entrance. "If only Mother Metamorphosis could see me now, she'd be proud." Chrysalis squinted her eyes as she saw the doors to the ballroom forced open and a giant mechanical monster holding a changeling in its hand. As it let him go, the changeling looked terrified as he flew over and hugged the queen. "My q-queen. M-Monster... that thing is a metallic monster. We cannot stop it." "What is the meaning of this? Who're you?" "One word: Pissed! You have transgressed against the Bruner Empire and are now considered an enemy." The doctor readied his arms and weapons, "Surrender now, and maybe I'll offer you some mercy." "You think you're in a position to be demanding anything from me?" The queen snapped angrily. Celestia was delighted to see the doctor for once. "My enforcer, your queen needs you." Then, a vast and muscled changeling strides into the fray to size up the giant mech. "So, you have a bigger bug to fight me, eh? Fine then." They both approached each other. "I'll leave this to you, buddy. Go get him!" Twilight said as she guided both Luna and Cadence away. "Gee, thanks. Useless ponies." Then, they both clashed, metallic fists to brawny hooves together at an impasse. "Let's see what you got then!" "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but... go, Doctor Bruner," Rainbow said. The brute punched his hoof into the chest place, which caused it to dent, and the paint where the Bruner Empire symbol got smudged. "I'll have you know, that paint job wasn't easy to get just right." The brute grinned smugly as the doctor sprayed a mace that was in his mech's arm to burn his eyes; he shielded his face, walking back as he roared in pain. "Now I'm mad. It's time for the good doctor to leave and the bad one to take you apart." The doctor then connected a swift punch to its jaw to knock the brute down and pinned him onto his stomach with his metallic foot. "Buzzsaw module. activate!" The hand that sprayed that gas then morphed into a buzzsaw as he moved it over the brute's face, and the ponies were trying not to look as they saw sparks flying everywhere. The doctor then morphed his hand back to normal as he pried open the chitinous face plating that was the brute changeling's face, exposing the meat of his face. "Tenderizer module, activate!" That hand that was the buzzsaw then morphed into a steel meat tenderizer. It then rapidly punched him like a piston as he cried out for mercy. Cadence then went over to Shining and kissed him to restore his love energy. "It's okay, Shiny. I got you." He was revitalized as he returned to his senses. "W-What? It's that witch! Cadence? What happened?" "We got this, Shining. Chrysalis won't win this." Everyone looked at the brute as the doctor stopped. The brute was defeated as small amounts of his green blood could be seen, and he groaned in pain before passing out. "Consider this an act of mercy that your subject still draws breath. Now then. Let's negotiate our terms for monarchy!" The doctor got up and then approached the queen as she backed away. "You're nothing to me. Do you hear that? I'm a queen, your superior; I am your better. You'll never be any more, nor any better than I am—" She was abruptly cut off with a swift punch to her face as she collapsed and fell unconscious. "Shut up!" The doctor said with a deadpanned expression as he used his buzzsaw to free the others, starting with Celestia, "I'm not doing this for you cause I like you." The cocoon then spilled open as Celestia came falling out of it and panting, spitting up some of its goo with disgust. "T-Thank you... That was so... r-revolting in there." Celestia was shuddering from the awful experience. "Don't mention it... ever." As Cadence and Shining were standing, Celestia was helped back up by both Luna and Twilight. Then, through their power of love, they were charging up a gigantic pink wave of love energy as Chrysalis came to, only to see the wave of energy rushing towards her. "W-What is that?! But that's too much to take in! Noo!" Chrysalis then shielded her face with her forehooves as she and all her children were blasted away from the castle and even Canterlot. "AAAUGHHH!!! I'll have my revenge on you all!!!" Were Chrysalis's last words before her takeoff as her body became a shining star in the distance. "I hope you enjoy your flight, Queenie. Make sure you angle yourself so you land on your left shoulder! It'll help to cushion your fall." The doctor yelled out before laughing mirthfully. The queen was then defeated, and Equestria was saved.
Chapter Thirteen: Wedding aftermath and celebration of love's union.After Chrysalis and her drones had disappeared, what was left was being cleaned up by castle staff. Even the facial carapace on that brute's face was split in half and onto the glazed marble floor. "Now then, our truce is officially over. My vengeance on those insects has been sated; I shall take my leave." The doctor stepped out of his mech suit and signaled his Bruner Mobile as it drifted through the broken window and landed. Everyone saw both Decoe and Bocoe pop up out of it. "Need a lift, Doctor?" Bocoe asked. "Aww. Those two little guys look so cute. They're built like toys. I wanna snuggle them so badly." Cadence said as she saw them. Her comment made them both blush. "Of course, Bocoe." He looks back to Celestia and says, "Consider this a... personal day off." She nodded. "And when you're back and at it, doctor, we'll always be ready to stop you," Celestia said with a cheerful look, delighted to be out of that awful cocoon. Her mane, tail, and fur were still slightly matted in changeling slime, much to her dismay. "Right, of course, you will be. Decoe, activate the crane mounted onto the underside of the mobile! Let's bring my mech suit home." The doctor's mobile hovered over the suit as the crane grabbed it and lifted it so it would go with them as they flew up and away from the castle through the window. Twilight approached her friends as they all had looks of mixed regret on their faces. "Twilight Sparkle. I want to be the first to apologize for not listening to you when you got suspicious and tried to warn us. I speak for us all when I truly thank you for your desire to defend Equestria. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Celestia asked her student. "But, Celestia, of course, I forgive you. I could never be mad at you guys. Sure, the situation did sting a bit, and I felt helpless. But we still won. I hate to say it—and I mean I really hate to say it, but I don't think that we'd have been able to have won this without the doctor's help." "Do not worry, Twilight. We'll be sure to compensate him for his services to our country, even if he initially didn't want to do so." Celestia said as she left the room with Luna. "This is a bit awkward, but it has to be said. I'm sorry, Twilight, for not listening to you when you were right all along." Rainbow said to Twilight as her friends all came up to hug her. "It's fine, girls. It was an important day. The stress did get to us all. It's not worth it to forever hold it over our heads like a grudge. I'm just happy that everything ended well for us all." The doctor then made it back to his base in the Everfree Forest he set his mobile down and stepped out of it. "Now that I can plan without the fear of a new tyrant, everything will go along much easier, I suppose." The doctor said as Decoe and Bocoe hopped out from the mobile to address the doctor. "Well then, doctor. What plans do you have this time? Something involving that Chameleon-Mech, I'm sure?" Decoe asked. "Oh? Is that thing still there? I nearly forgot about it when I was with that lunar princess." The doctor then chuckled, "Yes. I believe I have enough information on their interior structure to locate a weakened part of their throne room walling. Though risky, slipping in a mini-scrap dispenser will be a good strategy. Slowly, I can make my army there and strike them when they least expect it." The doctor laughed heartily. "All right, Doctor Bruner!" Both robots then cheered for their creator. Both princesses were walking down their hallway corridor to reach their throne chambers for a small private discussion. "I do need to discuss something with you, Luna. But privately, if you wouldn't mind." Celestia said as Luna nodded her head and followed. "Of course, Sister." They made it to the throne chambers, and then Luna asked, "What is it you wish to discuss with me, Tia?" "We're being watched, Luna. The doctor is staking us out." "How can you tell, Tia?" "When we were preparing yesterday. I got suspicious of that one strange servant who rarely did anything except watch us. Then, his eyes glazed over like the lens of a camera before they clicked. It was then I realized that he was watching us, probably for scheming." "What shall we do, Tia?" Luna asked her sister, who just grinned smugly. "Absolutely nothing, Luna. I have a plan of my own." "Do tell, Sister." Luna was looking at Celestia, interested to hear what she had to say. "Let's keep his little disguised robot here; it'll be great for delivering messages to him. I'll assume he must be using it if he's staking out the castle." "Ooh... can I use it too? To send messages as well?" "If you want to, Luna. Although, I've not the faintest idea as to why you'd ever want to do this." "Well, my job gets boring, and sometimes it's great to joke around, even if it'll rouse the doctor's ire." "Well then, let's run a little test on it, shall we?" Celestia said as Luna held her hoof over her nose and spoke to Celestia. "After you and I both take a trip to the hot spa. That cocoon has made you smell most... unpleasant, Tia." Celestia then sniffed herself and gagged. "Dear me, that awful queen and her wretched cocoon she had me in. You're right. First, we'll have our hot bath and test out his little machine." Celestia ran as fast as her legs could carry her, holding her breath after smelling herself as Luna followed shortly behind while giggling. It's great to be on the train back home, girls. I can't believe the day we just had. But seeing the actual Cadence kissing Shining was the highlight of that day, not that phony, Chrysalis." "I agree with you, Twi." "Absolutely, sugarcube." "Yippee. I love happy endings." "I couldn't agree more with you, Darling." "Oh, why yes, I agree with that, too." "Awesome, girls. I still cannot believe that Doctor Bruner was helping us to keep Equestria safe." Twilight said in a moment of brief shock. "I know he only did it so then he wouldn't have any competition, but still, if it weren't for him-" "Darling, I do not want to imagine myself in one of those awful cocoons." Rarity interjected to say. "I don't blame you, Rarity. Let's go home and try to enjoy the rest of today." All the girls had agreed as they arrived at their destination; Ponyville. "Oh my... oooh. That's better." Celestia then dipped into the hot spa water as the cleansing waters washed away the putrid slime of that cocoon in her prison cell. Luna then joined her bigger sister as they both relaxed in the steaming waters of the spa. The water was rising to their necks as they sighed in bliss. "Verily, Dear sister, I do agree. This is most marvelous." "So then, Luna. A bit of time in here, then. We'll prepare a gift for the doctor and torment him." "You like to see that human angry, don't you, Tia?" "Maybe..." Celestia then let the bubbly soap and hot water wash through her mane to make it all wet and drape over her back and shoulders. The slime now entirely off of her body, Celestia took this moment to relax thoroughly. "I hope Twilight and her friends have made it back home safely." "I'm fairly certain that they have, Tia." "Land sakes, it's getting late in the day, and I gotta get back home to the farm. I'll see you tomorrow." Applejack said as she dismissed herself from their group." "Yeah, I gotta eat dinner and then turn in for the night. I'm doing Wonderbolts training, and I gotta be at my peak performance." "I've got a big day ahead of me, Darlings. I'll have to turn in early." "And I got a significant and awesome birthday party to do for a special colt that requested me. A growing pony does need her rest for such festivities." "And I need to get Angel Bunny to his vet appointment early in the morning. He gets fussy, and I need the energy to deal with him." "Then it's settled; we'll all go our separate ways for today. I'll see your girls tomorrow; let me know how practice goes for you, Rainbow." "You bet I will, Twi." Everyone then split up and went home for the rest of the day. The princesses then finished with their spa treatment as they left the room and went down the corridors of their castle. Then, they approached the entrance of the royal canteen to take a step into the kitchen and speak to their head chef, Gusteau the Griffon. "Greetings, Gusteau. Does your day go by well today?" Luna asked him to start things off. "Salutations, dearest princesses. What is it that the best chef can do for you today?" This earned a few small huffs from the other cooks to varying degrees of irritation. "We need you to make us a big cake as a thank you present for certain... someone. A chocolate cake with all the bells and whistles. Go generous on the topping, too." "At once, Celestia. I will provide my best work." The head chef saluted the princesses as he reached out for the materials. "Alright then, cooks. We got a big order to fill for a deluxe chocolate cake. All the trimmings. Let's get this done then." They all cheered for their cook as they all got busy. After about an hour, the cake was ready for delivery as Gusteau, and his cooks showed both princesses the cake. "Is this to your likings, your majesties?" "Oh my... that does look tasty," Luna said in awe and wonderment. "It's so... perfect. Thank you, Gusteau. I'll have a letter and this cake delivered to the doctor's address for his service to Equestria." "Au revoir then, Princesses. Delighted to be of service." "Grr... I can't believe that I helped them through this. Letting that bug queen take things over would have made things much easier for me. More so when I consider how easy it was for me to fight them." "It's not the worst thing to have happened. Look at it this way, Doc: You have shown that queen who was boss." Decoe said to cheer up the doctor. "Yes. I suppose so. I'll continue my plans for total conquest in the morning." There was a ring at the front door of his base as both Decoe and Bocoe approached the entrance to answer it. After about a minute, Decoe returned to the doctor with a big package. "This is for you, doctor. It looks big." Decoe said as he laid the box down in front of the doctor. An understandably confused on his face. "What's this?" The doctor then opened the box to see a golden light shining from inside the box itself to look inside he gasped in shock, "This looks beautiful. This came from a culinary artisan. And chocolate, my favorite flavor." The doctor then cut a slice for himself to take a bite. His taste buds went off onto Cloud Nine. "My god. The rich flavor... pure heaven on the tongue, and the silky texture. It's so.. sinful. Dark chocolate mixed with delightful caramel filling layers with this delectable vanilla cream that merges well. This was made with love by each molecule of its very creation. P-Pure... perfection." The cake had written in icing, "Thank you for your service to Equestria." Then, a stray tear rolled down his cheek as he felt a panoply of emotions. Was this.. sadness, or was it joy? He felt something pure welling up within his chest- a robust set of feelings hard to describe. "Hey doctor, is that a tear? Are you feeling okay?" Bocoe asked in concern for his creator. "What? A tear? On my face?" The doctor felt his face as there was a tear on his left cheek as he scowled. "H-How dare they... manipulate my emotions as if I were some mere bauble in their hooves? They have a lot of nerve. I am done eating." "Hello there, doctor." The screen on the primary monitor in his lab clicked to life as the faces of both Celestia and Luna could be seen, "We just finished our hot bath and decided to send you a little gift. I trust that you've accepted it. Being a good guy wasn't that bad, now was it?" Celestia had a smug look from her side as she goaded the doctor for his reaction. "Indeed. I hath had the most fun with you in saving the very nation you've dedicated yourself to destroying and seizing." Luna has snickered along with Celestia. The doctor huffed as he took the slice he bit into and placed it back on the cake. He then carried it out over to the balcony of his base. He was infuriated; best yet, the princesses were being treated to this by the drone that the doctor had initially sent into their castle to act as a spy. Getting ready to toss it off his balcony, he yelled, "I hate those princesses... And I hate those elements!" He yelled out his frustration as he threw the cake off his balcony, sending it away to its splattered grave.
Chapter Fourteen: An inside ploy with elitist nobles."Good morning, Equestria! You're listening to the melodious morning voice of Mister Mic Most, coming at you live from Manehattan here on MAGIC 107.9; the best beats and greets of the nation." The radio blared as it woke up. The now groggy doctor promptly turned the radio off and groaned. "Ugh. Morning radio is not my cup of tea. Decoe, is that chameleon-mech still in their castle?" "Yes, doctor. They still have not gotten rid of it yet." "Good. I'll have my shower first, then get ready for my day." "Aye aye, doctor." Decoe and Bocoe saluted the doctor as he went in to freshen up for his day. "Sister. It is time for thee to wake up." Luna woke up Celestia after lowering her moon and raising the sun. She felt refreshed and ready to begin her daytime duties as Luna went to sleep to get rested for her nightly responsibilities later on. "Good night, Tia." Luna bade her sister farewell as she made her way to her room out of Celestia's Room. "Yes. Good night to you, dearest sister. Sleep well." Celestia waved her sister goodbye as she stretched her limbs, back, and neck to only partially wake up. "Mnh... I need my coffee now. I hope they didn't run out of that mocha flavor yet." Celestia then shuffled into the kitchen to greet her cooks and chef. "Good morning, Princess." "Yes... Do you still have that mocha coffee that Luna had last night?" "We certainly do, Your Highness," one of the cooks replied. "Oh. That sounds lovely. Can I get a cup of that, please?" Celestia yawned as she covered her mouth with her hoof. "Yes, Your Highness!" They all then saluted as they began to brew the coffee immediately. "Thank you so much." As Celestia and the doctor began their day, Twilight was already eating breakfast with Spike and reading the Ponyville Daily Newspaper. "It says here that the nobles of Canterlot are trying to fight to raise taxes on the rest of Equestria but still have not gotten Princess Celestia's approval yet." "Gee, I wonder why." Spike was drinking coffee and eating a muffin. "And look who's on the cover, Blueblood." "Why am I not surprised?" "Why does that guy keep trying to make life difficult for everypony else? What on Equestria does he need all that extra money for, anyway?" "A new pair of hoof shoes? What?" Twilight gave Spike an awkward look. "Doesn't he have like fifty-four of those already? Yes, I kept count of his possessions." "You... seriously need to find better hobbies, Twilight." "I'll let that remark slide because I'm too tired to care right now, Spike." "So, Are you creating your scrap dispenser now... or?" "After I have my breakfast, Decoe. I cannot scheme properly on an empty stomach." The doctor said with a grumble to his voice. "Of course, doctor. It wasn't brilliant of me to ask. So having that first, then you'll further along with your plan. Sounds good to me." After at least forty-five minutes, the doctor finished his morning meal. "Okay then, I have formulated a brilliant plan. That Chameleon Mech shall play a great role in keeping tabs on the interior foundations as it provides me with all the important real-time data I need to work around their schedule. Oddly enough, Celestia begins her breakfast at around the same time I do. Nine O'Clock in the morning. I can see why, as it's the ideal time for thinking. And reading off of its acquired data... At around Six O'Clock in the evening, she eats dinner and then goes to rest as Luna begins her duties." "So you've got their times for their duties, doctor?" "I do, Decoe. Between the hours of six and eight in the approaching morning, Luna retires, and Celestia wakes. From that, I can concur when it'll be the best time to strike them. Preferably during the daytime. I can use the Chameleon Mech to smuggle in the mini-dispenser. From there, I can create a robot that can destroy their foundations from the inside out." "Using a schematic, I assume?" "You know me too well, I suppose." Then the data came back with a conversation in the Throne Room where the mech was placed after the events from the wedding. "Hmm? What's this?" "This is unbelievable; Celestia doesn't see the beauty of our plan together as a community. It's an outrage to pay more than necessary to the lesser folk of Equestria. It's downright sacrilege." Blueblood was speaking privately with three other nobles who had shared interests with him. "Yeah. There can be many other more productive ways to use the extra bits paid to them. Such as expanding the nation and providing us with better luxuries as well- the luxuries being a nice little bonus." replied Silverblood, who was the cousin of Blueblood along with Big Gains, a wealthy entrepreneur, and stockholder of nearly a quarter of Equestria's wealth. Lady Fortune is big in real estate and is the owner of most of the major entertainment venues in Canterlot and Manehattan. "Seconded on that, Silverblood. As solid advice from me, Big Gains, I can certainly see the benefit of working together with you three." In a slightly gruff southern accent, Big Gains then looked to their female comrade. "Whatever will secure and also expand my entertainment empire. I'm more concerned with what we can accomplish here as a group. I would even go so far as to say that our plan will be better than Celestia's if she ever spent any time making one, that is." "I'd best be careful of what I'd say in a place where punishment ain't too far away, milady," Big Gains admonished her, to which she just shrugged off. "Why should you be worried, Gains? You're just as big as we are. What could she do to us that wouldn't also hurt the future of this country? Nothing. And she knows it. We have her dead to rights financially." "Well, now, isn't this an interesting little conversation? I hope you four didn't mind that I've heard everything you're saying. Treason in the very place that you've sworn allegiance towards? My goodness." A radio voice sounded off from the pony-like robot in the Throne Room where they were as a holographic image of the doctor manifested itself from its mouth. "What in tarnation? That thing can talk?!" Big Gains recoiled back in shock as he composed himself. "I'm surprised that hunk of junk can talk, let alone display any visuals. I thought it was a cheap knick-knack that Celestia had bought somewhere." This retort grated the doctor's nerves. "How dare you call my masterful machine a cheap knick-knack. Of course, I was thinking of assisting you as long as you've assisted me. But with that greeting, I'm not so sure now." "Never mind the lady; she's a bit skeptical from the sudden intrusion. I'm Big Gains. And you are?" "Doctor Bruner. Eccentric genius inventor and scientific engineer. At your service. I do apologize for the rather crude means of intrusion. But I couldn't help but notice that you've got a problem that very well might be more than you could handle." "I'll have you know that we're more than capable of handling ourselves, thank you." Fortune snapped back. "Shame. Then I suppose I'll have to fall back on my second plan. Good day-." "Wait! Don't leave. I might need your help here, Doctor Bruner." Blueblood spoke up, shocking the rest of them. "Accepting his help, someone we just met?! You're not serious, Blueblood?! Wait, what am I saying? Of course, you are." "Fortune. Think of what we'll have here. He's got the technology we'll need to make our dreams a reality. I believe he's worth adding to our team." He looked towards the pony chameleon machine that the doctor was using to communicate with them, "I agree to add you to our cause. What do you want in return? This wasn't done for altruism's sake. You're after something." "You're right. I am. My proposition is simple: I'll provide you with four mechs to use as you see fit. All I ask for in return is an opportunity to destroy Celestia, Luna, and those detestable elements." He cleared his throat, "so then, do we have a deal?" "But isn't raising and lowering the sun and moon their job? How would we be able to do that?" Silverblood asked the Doctor. "Leave that to me. I'll prepare a weather machine that can also use gravity, combined with their magic to control the celestial bodies." "You're bluffing. You can't create that." Lady Fortune scoffed with disdain as the doctor laughed with delight. "You think so, eh? Observe. Chameleon-Mech. Send over the dispenser." The machine bleeped in confirmation as it sent the dispenser to them, and it began to fire a beam onto the ground to generate both the dispenser and create fresh scrap and materials, "as you can see. This dispenser was designed to create the machines based on the schematics from my home base in the Everfree." The doctor then sent over his first schematic as it went towards the dispenser, and the dispenser created its first machine, a small robot that could act as an engineer to tend to the dispenser. "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. That's pretty nifty, doctor," Big Gains whistled in awe as he saw the little engineer worker going to town on the fresh scrap and other materials to create more engineer bots and for the machine to work correctly, speeding up the process. It took about five minutes as all four nobles watched in astonishment. The device looked like a portable computer with a massive tank on its back, two prongs where the tank was, and a signal beacon on its top. "For simplicity's sake, the controls on the terminal were made easy for you to command from your location. That tank is where the princesses' magic goes into. The beacon part is what broadcasts the weather and gravity changes. It'll take some time between each use, so it'll have to be planned since this wasn't designed to be durable through overuse." The doctor then looked to Blueblood, "Either operate it manually or allow my engineer bots to do so automatically. It's your choice." "How will we be able to pull their magic from them? I can't imagine them just willingly giving that to us." Blueblood pondered to himself as he kept his focus on the doctor. "We'll bait them into a trap. You four will use the specially designed machines provided to corral those two princesses, get them close to that weather machine I showed you earlier, and let that machine work its magic by taking theirs." "That's... a pretty cruel but effective plan. So about these four machines for us." Fortune then raised her brow, curious if she would even get one. "Patience, Miss Fortune. I'll be sure to beam those in right now." No sooner had he said this than the dispenser beamed in four machines that looked more like conventional weapons. "What are we supposed to do with these?" "Create panic and then goad them out into the open, Miss Fortune. Once they appear in this room, one of you will hit that red button to begin the machine's magic siphoning function. However, they must be close enough for the machine's rays to reach them." "So, lure them in here by creating chaos?" Blueblood then looked to his weapon, a firecracker launcher that could attach itself to his left forehoof. "So why in blue blazes do we have these well... less than spectacular gizmos? What's this one meant to do, anyway?" Big Gains looked to see that his weapon was a paintball launcher. "Looks like these are more like tools to create mischief with. So what do we do with these, annoy the princesses with them?" Silverblood wondered as he looked at his weapon, a smoke grenade thrower temporarily creating a smog with white phosphorus powder to blind them. "And mine looks to be stupid. What am I supposed to do with this?" Fortune's weapon looked like it launched bombs filled with itching powder. "All your tools at your disposal all have one thing in common; they're capable of causing chaos and angering others immensely. Perfect for luring them into a trap with." The doctor then chuckled, "Trust me. You'll find much success with those two unable to use any of their magic whatsoever."
Chapter Seven: You can always tell with a tutor-bot, the doctor's next plan.It was the evening for Equestria; after the race with the doctor and Rainbow Dash, everything seemed to be settled for a time. Rainbow woke up from her nap as she stretched in her bed. "Well, at least I feel better. I will be more cautious now, that's for sure." Rainbow then jumped out of bed and stepped outside; she looked over to Twilight's treehouse and flew there. When she landed on the doorstep, she knocked to let Twilight know she was there. The door opened up to reveal Twilight there. "Oh, Rainbow. Are you feeling better now? I hope so." "Yeah. I am a bit. Can I come in to hang with you?" "Sure, you can. I'll get some warm tea ready." "Thanks, Twilight. I am in the mood for some tea." Meanwhile, at the Doctor's Everfree Base... "It's unbelievable how I've lost again. But what if I was going about everything the wrong way? Maybe all that's needed is to educate the minds of the youth, one place at a time. Get them to accept me as their new ruler." The doctor then stroked his beard as he came up with a plan. "Yes, I'll create a robot that can teach them all about the glory of the Bruner Empire." "That's great, Doctor!" Bocoe said "So, what'll its name be?" Decoe asked. "I'll call him Tutor-bot, a simple yet effective name." The doctor said, "his job will be straightforward as their minds are also simple; keep them only as intelligent as I want them to be." "Well, that shouldn't be too difficult to do, Doctor." "Precisely, my robotic companions!" The doctor was making his newest robot for the evening, ready for the next day. Rainbow sipped the warm tea and sighed satisfactorily, "Oh boy, this is nice. I don't normally drink tea, but this stuff is pretty good." "I'm glad you think so, Rainbow. This tea was ordered from Canterlot; Celestia had some and wanted me to try it, so I see no reason why I can't share it." "Well, I am feeling a bit better. Thanks for this, Twilight." "Not a problem. If you want, you can sleep here tonight. Spike and I might be up for a bit longer." "Well, slight problem with that, Twilight. I'd have to decline that offer as I already had rested, so I guess I'll be headed back home after tea." "That's alright, Rainbow. If you ever need to come here, you know where here is." "Yeah, totally, Twi. Thanks again for being there for me; I appreciate it." "It's no problem at all; come back anytime you'd like- at a reasonable time, of course." "Sure thing. Cya, Twilight, Spike." Rainbow then finished her tea, got up, set the cup on the table next to her, and left. She flew up towards her home. The next morning approached as everyone woke up to start their day. Twilight wasn't in the mood for that; she wanted to sleep instead. "Hey, Twilight? You were up all night reading again, weren't you?" "Grughh... No. Five more minutes, please." Came the irritated reply from the tired unicorn. "Yep. You've been up all night again. Twilight, what am I going to do with you?" Spike decided just to let her sleep in as there was no point in rousing her when she was like this. "Well, I'll make breakfast when you wake up." "But I don't wanna go to school for that dumb test, Applejack." "Like it or not, filly, that's where you're going. If I gotta lasso you over there and make you go, you're going to school, missy." "Hmph." Applebloom then folded her forehooves as she had a chip on her shoulder. Realizing that there was no getting out of it, she complied. "It won't be that bad. And besides, I can make you a tasty apple cake when you return, Applebloom." Applebloom then raced to school; she didn't waste any time then. "Heh, love you too, sis." "You gotta go to school, Squirt. That's how you're going to be awesome, like me." Rainbow said to cheer up Scootaloo. "Yeah. I know I won't like it, but it's gotta be done." "That's a good attitude to have. Sometimes, to be awesome, you gotta do what you gotta do, even if what you gotta do ain't pleasant." "Yeah, I get it. I'll ace this test; you watch." Scootaloo then went to the schoolhouse to meet up with everyone. "Ugh. Yeah, yeah, I'll go to school, Sis." "You better, Sweetie, darling. You need your education, and making friends there is also important." "Or you want me out of your mane for a little while." Rarity frowned at Sweetie Belle. "Well, it's true, sis." "Sweetie Belle, get going, okay? And if those two bratty girls ever mess with you, remember to talk to Ms. Cheerlie about it." "Yes, Sis." Sweetie Belle said as she went to school to begin her day. All three crusaders then met eyes as they rushed over to each other. "Hey, Scootaloo, Applebloom. How're you guys?" Sweetie Belle waved over to her two friends as they waved back in unison. "We're here; I guess that's what's important. So you ready for that test, Sweetie?" Applebloom asked. "No. But, like it or not, it has to be done. Math is not my greatest subject, but it's not my worst." "Well, let's go, guys. The test awaits." Scootaloo says to her friends as the trio enters the schoolhouse. Five minutes before class begins... "Why, hello there; you seem lost. Can I help you with anything?" Ms. Cheerlie asked as she approached what appeared to be a robot with a graduation cap and gown as decoration on his body. He wheeled himself into the room, and he exclaimed to her with a robotic yet cheerful voice. "Why yes, I'll be usurping your position as an instructor for today, madam." "I-I'm sorry, what? No, will you not-" A tranquilizer dart was shot into her neck, cutting her off mid-sentence as she collapsed onto the schoolhouse floor. "Y-You... b-bucket of b-bolts... ugh." "Nighty night, and please, do not take this personally." Then, Dr. Bruner, Decoe, and Bocoe stood there next to the Tutor-Bot as her eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep. "Those little brats are headed right for this building. Tutor-Bot, do your work!" "Aye, aye, Doctor." Tutor-Bot then saluted the doctor as he got ready for class. Decoe and Bocoe then wrapped up Cheerlie in a large burlap bag and put a gag in her mouth so she'd be mute. They tied up the load but left holes in it so she could breathe. "Alright, you two. Dispose of the garbage for me, won't you?" The doctor dismissively waved his hand away to order them to complete their task. "Yes, Doctor Bruner, sir!" Bocoe said as both robot brothers left through the back, lifted her away, and hid her in some bushes, facing away from the schoolhouse, so nobody got suspicious. "Perfect. I'll leave everything in your capable hands, Tutor-Bot." The doctor then left from the back door as going out through the front would gather too much attention. fast-forward to the present... "Well, let's go, guys. The test awaits." Scootaloo says to her friends as the trio enters the schoolhouse. As she pushed open the doors, she was greeted with a surprise; instead of Ms. Cheerlie, there was a robot in her stead. "Huh? Who's this?" "Why hello and good morning, my lovely students. I'll substitute for Ms. Cheerlie today as she's not feeling quite like herself." The robot then adjusted his red bowtie, cleared his robotic throat, and humbly welcomed his students. "I love my job." He muttered under his breath. "Well... okay then. We gotta finish school; it doesn't matter who teaches us, I guess." Scootaloo reasoned as every colt and filly filled up the room. "Exactly. I couldn't agree more with you. One moment while I scan you for identification." Tutor-Bot then flashed a transparent blue light on her as he finished. "Results completed! Name Scootaloo. Race: Pegasus. Personality: Courageous, adventurous, and bold. Thank you for joining us today, Scootaloo. Please have a seat, and we'll begin shortly." "Right then, mister." "Please, call me Tutor-Bot. Everyone else does." "He's too cheerful; even Ms. Cheerlie isn't that happy to do her job. I don't like him." Applebloom said as he looked over to the three Crusaders and waved happily to them as they waved back nervously. "So what's with the tin can wearing the funny hat? Did Ms. Cheerlie finally get tired of doing her job?" Diamond Tiara said as she scoffed as she and Silverspoon went to their seats. He glared over at her with a perceived frown as he wheeled his way around to her. "Initializing scan for identification." The blue light shone over her for a few seconds before it vanished, "Results completed! Name: Diamond Tiara. Race: Earth Pony. Personality: Spoiled rotten. Judging by your lineage, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Tutor-Bot said the words spoiled rotten in a more drawn-out and dramatic tone. "I'm sorry. Do you know who you're talking to, you metallic numbskull?" "I take it back, girls. I think he's pretty cool." Applebloom said to her friends after his jest towards Diamond Tiara. "Threats mean nothing to me, young lady; do I have to arrange a parent-teacher conference for your inability to be considerate towards your peers?" "Just do your job, and we'll get along just fine, Okay?" She leered at him as he was still just as cheerful as ever. "Absolutely. That's what I was built for." He wheeled himself to the front of the class to begin his lesson. "Alrighty, class. This is a math test, unfortunately. I know that's not too great, but your teacher kept me caught up on everything I need to know for today." The students all had groans of disapproval upon the mention of the word math. He then opened up his chest like a cabinet as smaller drones came out, held the tests' papers, and dropped them onto each table. Every colt and filly was looking at the smaller drones with looks of awe and wonderment. "For this test, there shall be no time limit. You're doomed to failure when you're pressured to succeed, which I will never condone for my class." "This isn't your class; this is Cheerlie's," Diamond muttered. "Unnecessary comments from the peanut gallery will be both acknowledged and reprimanded. Now, please, no talking during the test unless you require a restroom break." All she could do was glare at him hatefully. Diamond and Tutor-Bot didn't get along, but it was mostly one-sided. "The test shall begin... right now! Good Luck, and may you all get perfect scores." The Crusaders just giggled in Diamond's general direction as she groaned in aggravation from not having things done her way. "Alright then, Bocoe, is she completely concealed?" Decoe asked his robotic brother. "She is, indeed, bro—no possible chance of being seen. Hey, look, it's that Rainbow pony from yesterday. Uh oh." Bocoe said as he looked nervous in Decoe's direction. "Try to remain hidden, okay? If we can't see her, she can't see us." Decoe stated as they both tried to ignore Rainbow. "Hey, you two! What're you up to, huh? You thought that I wouldn't notice, eh?" "U-Uh... hey there, Rainbow Dash. No, everything's fine, just fine. The doctor isn't here with us; we're out for a day on the town." Bocoe said to try to maintain their bluff. "Uh-huh. Sure you are. You're out for a day in the town... behind the schoolhouse, trying to hide something in the bushes. Do I look stupid to you two?" "Are we supposed to answer that?" Decoe asked Rainbow. "No! And if you do, I'll play airborne soccer with your heads." They both gulped and then came clean. "We're sorry. It was all the doctor's planning. We're just carrying out his orders. We swear." They both say together, bowing and on their knees, begging for mercy. "What is the doc planning? Tell me everything you know right now!" Rainbow was trying to probe them for information as the young may very well be in trouble.
