Paradise
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What Could Have Been: Director Sugar Hoof

Paradise

I was standing in a lab most unlike my others. Where once the solidity of root and dirt would accompany my hoofsteps, now only the clangs of metals and plastics could be heard. I didn't like it, but I knew it was a necessary evil. Tables with new
futuristic bastardizations on them stood on both sides of the room, ready for enchanting, alchemy, runesmithing, whatever magical theory I had could be fulfilled here. In the center of the room, a cauldron with multiple screens and button panels waited for me to begin again.

Pretty blue jars looked out longingly, they met my gaze and followed like hungry hounds waiting for meat. I only growled at them, automatic lazy susans, programmed to follow one's line of sight. That was a new word I had to learn recently, programmed. We used to just call it mind control, or brainwashing, but no, for machines it's programming.

It was not easy to build this place and I was not to be credited these technological advancements, the late Poplar was, instead. I never had a head for that scientific method mumbo-jumbo, but I knew my treants were capable of it. All it took was a few months of training and spellcasting, before they were technically smarter than me, when it came to technology anyway. They figured out how to truly protect this place, how to best meld machine and magic together to form this dome, my tower. It's upside down of course, and buried quite far underground, but that only serves to protect it more.

"Ah, here we are." I said as I found the reagents I needed.

"Crystalized anger, mouth warts, an uncut diamond, 50g of sage..." I read off as I threw the ingredients into the cauldron, causing sparks of magic to radiate from the cauldron.

The smell was oddly pleasant, and when potions smell nice, it's probably illegal. But there are no magic police on the planet, at least none that I know of. I drank from my brew and analyzed it's effects on myself with a spell and was quite pleased to feel my age rate slow down even further. I was not alone, however.

"Congratulations, master, you've managed to extend your life by tens of thousands of years." A voice greeted cheerily.

The home computer was the steward of the household. I would've preferred a treant, but the science division made quite the compelling argument for why these computers would be a benefit to the town. Every house was equipped with one, of course, mine was the most advanced, but still.

"My work is not yet completed..." I spoke to the machine simply.

"When do you suppose it will be done, master?" It asked.

"When I am immune to death and age." I replied.

The machine didn't reply for a while, long enough for me to take down some notes and clean up the potion. I would need to see if the effects were temporary or not, but I was happy with how things were now.

"Master, I would be more than happy to clean up the mess myself, I am installed with cleaning protocols, after all."

The machine had been like this since It was installed, it hated whenever I'd do things for myself, cooking, cleaning, even my work would sometimes spur it into attempting to take control, "A good wizard keeps a tidy work area." I explained.

"As you wish, master, perhaps you'd like to relax until your meeting with the division heads? You work yourself to death nearly everyday."

The computer had been insistent on me relaxing for at least a month now. If I even dared sit down in one of my own chairs, it would insist on placing a pillow behind my head and forcing my hindhooves up on an ottoman. I didn't dislike it, of course, but I would often find myself falling asleep at unfortunate times, times when I needed to be meeting somebody or going somewhere. But nobody ever disturbed me, I've watched the recordings, the computer would simply state that I was resting, and the person outside would understand completely. Which I could understand if everybody who lived down here was a thrall or robot, but a lot of people who try to visit are ponies and griffons who practically begged me to get to live down here with us.

"I have an hour, right? I'd like to get some enchanting done, so leave me be until the division heads arrive." I ordered, to which the machine stood silently, as if in thought.

After a few seconds, it responded, "Yes, master."

I didn't know what was wrong with it, but it refused to leave me alone. While I enchanted some horseshoes, The room grew warmer, while I was laying runes out in preparation for a new machine the science division needed, the lights would progressively get dimmer at such a rate that I could barely even notice. A yawn escaped me and some soothing background music began to play. I don't know how I suddenly got so tired, but I found myself unable to focus, and knew that it was time to leave.

"Computer." I said, attempting to sound sharp, which it quickly responded.

"Yes, master?" A screen descended from the ceiling, showing a bubbly circle that acted as the computer's face.

"How much longer until the meeting?" The machine was linked to all the clocks in the house, you see.

"Three minutes, shall I fetch you some coffee?" He asked, with a tone of mirth in his robotic voice.

"Yes, please." I said, leaving my lab and entering into my living room.

My living room wasn't exactly glamourous, but it was very futuristic. A soft white carpet under a soft white sofa, with a small fireplace roaring beside it. I sat down in my command chair (which was really just an average living chair, but I always sat in it when I was awake for these meetings.) and immediately felt the heat from the fireplace increase. The computer wasted no time, turning on the fireplace and then the radio, a new invention in Equestria designed to produce pre-recorded music, shot to life and began playing something akin to wind chimes in a summer forest.

"Might I suggest a bit of freshening up, master?" The computer asked, but didn't wait for a reply as a mirror rose up from the ground and I got a good look at myself. Nobody would've even been able to tell that I was once that small colt from the desert, for beyond my fur color and cutie mark, there were no similarities.

With the help of the storm king's staff, I was able to set my age up to twenty, roughly seventy years younger than what I truthfully was. If someone had told me while I was still an eighty-nine year old wizard searching for immortality, that I would become a bright green miniature horse, I was liable to begin treatment for insanity. I was no longer a mere unicorn, as I was when I first arrived, instead my horn was joined by a pair of wings, making me an alicorn instead. If those two things weren't enough, my horribly mangled mane certainly was. I could no longer brush my hair, it was ethereal. I had a deep green ethereal mane that would occasionally brighten to show beautiful shades of green leaves inside of it. I mimicked Celestia and Luna in all ways except height, and hopefully with my age remaining twenty for at least two thousand more years, I never will match them there.

I looked clean, but the computer still asked, "If you would like to have a bath, master, I'm sure the division heads will wait."

"No, it's just a minute or two left." After I watched the recordings of them when they arrive to find that I'm asleep, I noticed that they are never early or late, and always arrive right on time.

A green mug filled with coffee was gently placed beside me on a metal table covered in white plastic.

"If you would like me to administer the drink, I would be happy too." the computer said in it's usual robotic voice.

My mouth immediately hung open as I didn't want to think too hard about what the computer just said. Clearing my throat quickly, I said, "No, thanks." Before grabbing the mug and drinking it myself.

I expected to taste freshly brewed coffee mixed with cream and an abundance of sugar. The last two parts I got right, but instead of coffee, I was drinking hot chocolate.

"This is hot chocolate, not coffee." I stated before looking at the computer's screen.

"Forgive me master, we've run out of coffee." I almost dropped my mug at that, since it didn't make any sense.

"What about the farms I ordered be maintained? We should be the world's largest producer of coffee beans." I said, setting my mug back on the table with a small thud.

The machine began making a whirring noise as it immediately changed the subject, "The division heads are here, and the grocery truck is here as well." grocery truck? What even is a truck?

The door swung open and the chill of the outside clashed with the warmth the computer had filled my home with. A number of creatures entered, most I recognized, and one I did not.

Birch entered first, one of the first treants I created back in the desert, he had been an easy choice for 'head of security', he was wearing a golden chestplate with matching pauldrons, and hid his lower half with a long green loincloth that reached to his tree trunk ankles.

Sarah followed suit, fluttering in on her fairy wings with grace. She was the head of my spy network back in the desert, and seemed to take back to her duties with pride. Her orange hair was back in it's usual pony tail, and she was wearing a bright orange and green jumpsuit that all my spies wore.

Bedivere walked in next, he carried himself quietly, his footpads never making even the slightest noise. Gone were the days of yore when he would wear armor and go by ser. Since he rejoined me, he's donned a new role, as chief bodyguard. While Birch would watch The Glistening Tower as a whole, Bedivere and his subordinates were solely to guard me. He was wearing a fine-fitting black tuxedo, his sword still kept at his side.

Blossom followed suit, the new Poplar. Since Poplar's death when I decided to vacate the throne of the desert, Bloom took over the mage's guild and eventually renamed it to the science division. They still did magic, just they worked on unifying the arcane and the technological instead of keeping them apart. Her bark was a lighter tone, and her leaves were a bright pink instead of green. A white lab coat was the only clothing she wore.

Finally, someone I didn't recognize entered behind the lot of them. A griffon with bright blue feathers, a vast difference from the few griffons I had met before. He was wearing a light blue tuxedo and bowed upon entering the room while the rest of the division heads just took their seats.

"I see we have a new member today, but before we get on with business, how are our coffee plantations? ." I asked Birch.

"Running at peak efficiency, as you ordered, master." Birch said. Before I could ask something else, multiple treants, ponies, and griffons entered the room, carrying big bags of grounded coffee beans into the kitchen and towards the pantry.

"The computer served hot chocolate when it offered coffee, earlier, could it be that it's programming is faulty?" I asked.

Blossom offered up, "I shall take a look at it's core processor when we are done, master." She said in a kind, elderly voice.

"And who is this griffon?" I motioned towards the still kneeling griffon.

He crawled onto the carpet in front of me, "Master, my name is Gallus, I am one of the lucky few who you permitted live inside The Glistening Tower and have been selected as mayor over the townsfolk." He said, never rising.

"I was unaware such things were required, our non-thrall population is miniscule, surely they don't have so many problems as to require a mayor." I said, lifting the griffon up with my magic and sitting him next to Bedivere on the sofa, opposite me.

"They are just trifles, master, unworthy of your time." Birch said, calmly.

"Alright, now that we're here, what's the first order of business?" I said, sitting up in my seat, before noticing a pillow going behind my head and the green mug of hot chocolate being refilled.

Birch, as always, was the first to start, "As far as the security of the tower go, there is nothing new to report, however..." Birch went on about the tower and it's defenses, including what he has done to fortify the outer limits.

We were deep underground again, just without the hollowed out planet deal we had last time. We made sure that our tracks were covered and that it would be much too difficult to find us. We were on the bottom level of the tower, the town level, where every resident lived in safety. On the other side of town from my home, the tower began it's ascent, into the layers that only myself and my thralls were allowed. I don't even think I've seen all of the upper layers, I can't even remember the last time I left the town.

The treants sent out little teams of three or five to retrieve magical artifacts that the spy network learns about, and they bring them back here. Word of mouth spread about the treants who would come stealing items of great renown, and people would come looking for us. I let them stay if they remained unproblematic, and so far, everyone minded themselves.

Blossom rose from her chair, after Birch was done, "Master, After our success with the radio, those who are not of your ilk started talking about radios being used to play pre-recorded images as well as audio."

"Like a flip-book that plays music?" I asked.

"Precisely, but faster, clearer, and stronger, we've already developed a prototype." Blossom pulled out a white and green cylinder that appeared to have an emerald at it's top, and set it up opposite side of my chair. "This machine can record videos, store them on a network, and replay them at the press of a button anywhere in the tower using telepathic communication, and visual amplification enchantments. We call it, a television."

"I don't see much of a need for such a thing, what would we even do with it?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around this television junk. We already had a means of express communication, sending letters to each other via magic, this just seemed like a waste of resources.

"The townsfolk have suggested putting on plays, master." Blossom said.

"Plays..." I rolled my eyes, "Is that what the ponies and griffons who live here do? Waste their time with plays?"

"When they have finished the work that they have been assigned to, the townsfolk have taken to... creativity based activities." Blossom explained.

"Painting and writing, mostly." Gallus said with an unsure smile.

"Well as long as they finish their work first, and don't start... breaking things."

"With us treants watching everything, none shall live free very long if they tried." Birch replied.

"Alright, what's next?" I asked.

The division heads looked at each other before turning back towards me and saying, "Everything else is fine, master. No new developments." Birch said.

"Are the farms doing well?" I asked.

"Of course, master. The storerooms are overflowing with produce. We've increased supply of corn, carrots, and potatoes significantly since yesterday."

"How much exactly?" I narrowed my eyes at Birch.

"Well... I'm not exactly sure... I'll get one of the treants to do a count and have them attend the meeting tomorrow."

"Or, I could go and do the count myself." I jumped out of my chair and immediately felt calmer when the smell of lavender hit me. "At least then I'll get to do... something around here instead of just remaining home all the time."

With expert precision and grace, Birch reached onto the floor and grabbed me by the shoulders, "Master, you haven't been sleeping well... I'll get the treants to cover it, don't worry." I felt a warm blanket get wrapped around me and turned around to see that it was Bedivere who put it on before he wrapped his arms around me. In just a few seconds, I was sandwiched in-between Birch and Bedivere as the treant and badger hugged me.

"Hey get off!" I shouted as I kicked them, trying to get away, but to no avail. "I've been sleeping just fine!"

Birch shushed me and put a cloth that was clearly enchanted and smelled like more lavender to my muzzle. "You're okay, you're safe, we've got you." I couldn't talk anymore, my eyes struggled to stay open, and soon I could no longer stay awake.

"He'll understand." Bedivere said simply, as he watched Birch nuzzle Sugar Hoof's sleeping form.

"Computer." Birch growled at the machine, "You were supposed to ensure he was asleep before the meeting." Even as he spoke to the machine, he never let go of the green alicorn.

"I tried, sir, but no matter what I did, he wouldn't go to sleep." The machine explained desperately.

"Then you must try harder! Anything you have to! Keep the master comfortable, keep him happy, keep him here!" Birch ran his claw delicately across Sugar Hoof's cheek. "We can't lose him again."

He turned around to look at Blossom, "How goes Phase three?" He asks, hugging Sugar tighter.

"Massaging, feeding, bathing, carrying, and entertainment protocols are ready to be programmed on your command, Birch." Blossom said, with an understanding nod.

"Do it, as soon as you can, the less the master has to do, the better." Birch said, rising from the ground and holding his master.

"He clearly doesn't like the idea of not doing anything, shouldn't we fix this issue?" Gallus offered.

"How's the new arrivals turning out, Blossom?" Sarah asked, her small high-pitched voice piercing the room as a xylophone pierces silence.

"They will be ready tomorrow, though I doubt they will work on the master." Blossom said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"NA-SA1 will just need guidance." Birch stated, having fully figured out how to handle him. "What of the others, NA-SHM and NA-SHD?"

"Both are being prepped for their new job, don't worry, they'll ease the master into it." The smile returned to Blossom's face.

"Good... I'll get the master to bed, the rest of you, back to work." Birch said as he started going up the stairs to Sugar Hoof's bedroom.