To Save our Legacy

*… and, that’s pretty much all I can tell you, Alexander. Our observations mirror yours, but we’re still getting used to having magic back again, so nothing too convoluted can be performed by our experts for the time being. Most of our analysis comes from whatever old books and manuscripts that were kept preserved well enough to be used, but none of our current machinery is designed to acquire readings like the ones you propose… not that Bridlewood has a lot of technology in the first place. It’s almost a miracle we’re having this conversation at all!*

Those weren’t the news I was looking forward to hearing, but it was the news I had been expecting. Of course, hundreds of years without magic would have made any magic-relaying technology useless and not worth keeping. This day, however, just when I needed it most, that technology was exceedingly hard to acquire. Ironic, if you consider how things were when I first arrived in Equestria.

I sighed to myself and thanked the elderly unicorn stallion behind the screen. “Well, there’s nothing we can do about that. Until the technology is rescued and reassembled, this is all we can get. Thanks for the effort, Alastor, I really appreciate the help.”

If the old unicorn historian, one of the very few who had actually bothered to learn and preserve the history of Equestria to a degree, had no more answers to give me in addition to those that I had sought for myself, then there was little more I could do on this end. Whatever magic, whatever spells the Unity Crystals contained that made them work, I would have to keep guessing at how they worked from an outsider's perspective, peeking and prodding without going too far, else I end up messing it up worse than Discord. I wasn’t, under any condition, going to try invasive methods like Twilight tended to gravitate towards, for some reason… Whatever the case, Faust knows how that could end up. Whatever bits of knowledge I had acquired surely were more than what I had when I woke up, but it wasn’t nearly enough for my liking. It was, however, nearly enough information to allow me to seek alternative paths to enact the plan.

*It’s been a true pleasure, Alexander. If you need anything else in the future, you can count on me! If I’m allowed to say, this might well be the most exacting thing that has ever happened to me!*

The old historian sure looked positively excited. I guessed that, taking into account how unicorns were prior to the reactivation of the crystals, any little thing, even rummaging through old tomes, would be considered ‘exciting.’ As long as he had fun and I had results, I wasn’t going to complain.

“Until next time, Alastor.”

*See you next time!*

After exchanging goodbyes, I closed my laptop and leaned back in my plastic chair with a tired groan, sending my arms high over my head on a lazy stretch. The twins, Syntax and Boolean, pegasi technology prodigies those two, had finally cracked the remaining compatibility issues and had sent me a modified operating system to install in my old laptop that would be compatible with Equestria’s new software. I had to admit, they were brilliant in their work, if not a bit over-excited by the chance of being able to work with me. They were VERY adamant that I had to visit them at Zephyr Heights at some point. I knew I would have to go eventually, but their enthusiasm wasn’t something I was looking forward to.

They reminded me of my old pal and his computer-junkie fixation, he was a bit creepy too sometimes. Faust, how I still miss them all…

The good news was that I could now use most of the modern programs that ponies ran on their computers. The even better news was that I would be able to reproduce all the things I had carried from Earth using the new programs. The conversion process’ only downside was that all of my media files were considerably larger in file size when converted to Equestria’s media formats, containers and codecs, but that wouldn’t be a problem in the short term, as I had plenty of storage capacity on the external hard drive.

The bad news was that the technology that would have helped me study the crystals in-depth was very outdated, and the technology needed to get precise readings didn’t seem to even exist at the moment; the lack of complex spells that would serve similar functions also left me with barely a lick of knowledge about the Unity Crystals to interpret. Ultimately, I was left with a mixture of what I could remember and what I could guess from observation.

‘It’s evident that their main purpose remains the same. But they weren’t designed to hold defensive mechanisms in the first place. Or to rebuild a lighthouse with a crystalline appearance out of a whim. Or to grant triggerable alicorn powers to anypony. We conceived of them to protect the ponies from themselves by removing their connection to the world’s magic when harmony was compromised. But what else are you trying to protect them from, Twilight? What could warrant the appearance of another alicorn, especially when I made sure that that field of study was NOT to be pursued?’

So many questions remained unanswered, and Discord's revelations weren’t making things smoother. Top it off with Harmony’s warning about an incoming threat, and you had an overstressed human who had barely had any shuteye while spending the last two days cooped up in the crystals’ room doing little more than glaring at them while racking his brains in search of answers.

‘Luna’s teats! This is not my field of expertise!’

I was in serious need of a unicorn smartypants. They’d come up in pairs back then, now they were all but extinct.

Once I had eased the knots on my poor articulations, just as I had done yesterday, and the day before that, I turned in my seat to regard the glowing crystals yet again, who under my excruciating gaze continued to pour their Prisbeam energy into the sky, utterly and completely indifferent to my scowling presence.

‘There are many who would like to try to take all Equestria’s magic for themselves. Heck, I know three whose whereabouts are currently unknown to me and all of whom I hope, with all my heart, have succumbed to old age. Stealing magic is kinda a recurring theme here, just like the rainbows when dealing with harmonious magic…Tacky.’

“… Alex!!”

So absorbed was I in my musings that I had completely missed Sunny stepping off the elevator. She looked a bit disturbed, most likely from the glare I was giving the crystals.

Almost falling off my chair, I addressed the worried-looking mare. “Oh, sorry about that, Sunny, I was lost in thought. Do you need something?” I asked while shaking my head in an effort to return to the present.

“Um… w-well, I just wanted to ask how you were doing, and…”

She looked hesitant to approach me, nervously pawing at the pristine floor while avoiding meeting my gaze. Luckily for me, years of dealing with ponies had allowed me to read them like an open book and easily recognize these kinds of knick knacks. Just as I had discovered it was the best approach, I decided to force the issue to its evident conclusion.

“Sunny… I owe you and everypony an apology. These last few days have been very hard on me… in addition to my arrival here and all the jazz, it just… it just became a bit too much. I lost my cool and I acted like a jerk…” I spoke from the bottom of my heart, toying with my thumbs as I wetted my lips. “And you guys don’t deserve that from me. I-I’m… I’m just a scientist at the end of the day, Sunny. Not a soldier, o-or some kind of legendary hero.” I cut her off as I saw her about to retort. “And I don’t care what stories they tell about me. Just a simple guy who should under NO circumstances be prepared to deal with these kinds of things. As much as I have found myself in similar situations in my past ventures, it hasn’t become easier for me.” I swallowed hard and me her prying gaze, full of sympathy I felt I didn't deserve. “But please, please don’t feel like you can’t approach me. That’s the last thing I want with you guys. Do you forgive me?” I asked with shame, knowing well her heart was too pure to hold a grudge on me. But still it was the proper way of going through things.

I opened my arms to welcome the hesitant mare, who now sporting a more relaxed air around her, crossed the distance between us and climbed into my lap to give me a big hug of her own.

Buried under my embrace I caught her mutter from within my clothes. “Of course I forgive you, Alex. It’s been a rough week for all of us. But after the confrontation with Discord and the days you’ve kept yourself up here, barely coming down to even grab something to eat… We’d begun fearing for you…”

I winced inwardly, chastising myself for making them worry over nothing. “I’m sorry, Sunny. I shouldn’t have made you worry like that. It’s true I needed some time for myself, but not at the price of your well-being. So no more mister ‘angry human’ around the house. I won’t bite…” I purred naughtily.

I felt Sunny snuggle deeper into the hug in pursuit of my warmth, a relieved sigh escaping her nostrils.

“… much.” I surprised her with a gentle nip to her orange-furred ear. Sunny released a small ‘eep!’ of surprise, a rosy tint adoring her cheeks all the way to her fidgety ears when she extracted her head to give me a flustered look.

“What?” I returned my most innocent shrug, “It’s been a while since I had Doritos.” An honest truth, not that she was gonna get it.

“…T-The what?”

Thought as much.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Human reference. So, what else did you want to ask me?” I silently laughed at their flustered yet confused expression, patting her croup twice to let her know I was just playing. Ponies were always very expressive like that. It was amusing to mess with them a bit sometimes.

“O-Oh, yeah, um…” Burying down whatever thoughts were running through her pretty little head, Sunny decided to not waste any more time and took a moment to recall her previous question, the blush never leaving her muzzle. “I-I was going to ask if you were up for a relaxing hike this afternoon. We can find a good spot and roast some marshmallows under the stars. I think we all could use it to unwind. What do you think?” She asked with big, hopeful eyes.

How could I say no to that? It also sounded like a great idea. I could really use the chance to go out and park the crystals out of my mind for a few hours.

“Count me in!” I gave her an enthusiastic go-ahead to her plan. Not wanting to let go of her yet, I began to rub my hands all over her scalp, behind her ears and under her chin. The trinity of a pony’s soft spots. I wanted to return some of the affection I had denied her with my bad mood. And also, I enjoyed the sight of her dreamy eyes and goofy smile when she was showered with a good dose of human cuddles. Nopony could blame me for a little self-indulgence now and again.

“Did you tell the others?” I asked, expecting her to invite all the group.

“Ah… y-yeah, I’m… mmmmmm, gonna t-text them later t-to let them know… mmmmng, Celestia so goOoOod…”

She had trouble concentrating under my mind-numbing ministrations. It was a funny sight and it did wonders to help me calm down and focus on more positive things. As I’ve said before, it was therapeutic for me.

I continued for a few more minutes, letting Sunny bask in my touch and free herself of a few nasty knots on the place I ran my fingers through.. But when my hands were growing tired, I reluctantly had to stop. At that moment, an idea of my own popped into my head to add to hers.

“Hey, Sunny… now that you’ve mentioned a hike, I think I could first use a nice walk around town to stretch my legs and air myself a bit, see if I can clear the cobwebs from the attic to get a fresh start later. I’ve been stewing in here for the last two days. And, if I keep going, I swear I’ll end up drilling an actual hole on those crystals from glaring at them. Mind accompanying me? There are a few things I want to talk about with you on the way. I think it might help me.”

After a good shake to regain her bearings, Sunny was all too willing to accompany me. “Of course!! I also think it will be great for you to get some fresh air… And you can talk with me about anything you want to.” She answered with an eager smile.

I thanked her with a short nuzzle on her snout, eliciting a cute giggle out of her and another blush. I was ready to get up and get going on our walk, but Sunny seemed to have forgotten the fact she was still monopolizing my lap, just remaining there while showing me with her beautiful eyes full of affection.

“Soooo, are we going for that stroll?” I asked cheekily while pointing with my eyes at her straddling position. With an embarrassed laugh, she lowered herself back to the floor and waited for me to join her.

I took a moment to collect my things and leave the scattered notes a little bit more organized over the desk for my next research session, which I wasn’t looking forward to doing, not gonna lie. But alas, that’s the plight of the scientist, to answer questions that no one else is bothered enough to.

Should’ve listened to mom and NOT gone to college.

Once I was happy with the results, I rejoined Sunny, and together we made our way past the levitating crystals and into the elevator. As we walked side by side, I felt her pushing her head against my hanging hand to try and resume the previous session.

“Hehe, slow down the LTP there, Sunny.” I spoke with a small laugh, thinking about putting my smart-pants on for a spell.

“LTP?” She inquired with a curious tilt of her head, upon which my hand was inevitably resting.

“‘Long-term potentiation’. Synaptic rewiring to enhance response to repetitive stimuli. It’s the neurological base of growing addictions.” I satisfied her curiosity with my best professor's voice.

Of course, Sunny took big offense. “I-I’m not addicted!” She exclaimed boldly, deeply flustered, yet making no effort to remove my hand to prove her point.

I raised a suspicious eyebrow at her claim.

“I am NOT!!” She reaffirmed with a stomp, still not freeing my hand from her mane.

I shrugged and let her with her own convictions. “I’m not the one you need to convince, Sunny…”

I was rewarded for my cockiness with a hip smack and a small pout, which quickly melted under a few more gentle rubs behind her ears. We rode the elevator down and exited the girls’ bedroom. No sound could be discerned from the hall. It looked like everypony was out and about on this sunny day. What I did see from the hall was a bunch of dirty dishes which somepony had forgotten to wash. A somepony whose identity I knew perfectly well.

‘Oh, when I get my hands on her…’

Sunny, not noticing or not caring about the mess in the kitchen, quickly trotted to the living room to retrieve her phone and texted the rest about this afternoon’s hike. With nothing else tying us in the house, we made our way out of the brighthouse and into the road that would lead us into town.

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, Sunny began voicing a question, dripping with hesitation. “Hey, Alex… um, are you sure that you’re alright?”

I lost sight of the blue horizon and peered down at her concerned orbs, and decided to not dance around the issue, as it wouldn’t do anyone good to do so. I had given them enough reason to fuss over me.

“I-I’m not sure Sunny. I’m definitely better than I have been in the past week. But, after everything that’s happened, and what Discord told me, it’s just… it’s been difficult to take it all in. As I told you earlier, I’m just your average run-of-the-mill guy. For as many adventures I’ve been involved in, it doesn’t really get any easier.” A bold understatement of the truth behind my past actions and ventures, a side of me I’d want to keep hidden for as long as I could, forever if I could help it.

“Ha! I think you’re more than just your ‘average’ pony, your literal highness. Even if they’re just honorary titles!” She cheered me up with a mock bow. Her playful mockery actually gave me the perfect excuse to talk about one little tidbit of info which I hadn’t been completely honest about when telling them about it. It was a nugget I wasn't gonna be able to hide for much longer, anyhow. Not the worst they could learn about me.

“About that, Sunny… I… I miiiight not have been entirely honest with you guys about the ‘being a prince’ thing.”

“Huh?” Her fuzzy head cocked to the side.

“... Sigh, fine.” I signaled her to stop for a moment and gave her a serious look. “I will tell you under one condition. You do NOT change the way you treat me or behave around me after you learn. I am Alex, the weird human who turned up from nowhere and happens to be your friend. Nothing more, nothing less, am I clear?”

She returned a puzzled nod, and we resumed our walk, Sunny quickening her pace to catch up. giving me her full attention. I didn't feel comfortable in the slightest sharing this part of me, but I thought they deserved to know straight from the source. It was very likely that they would have found out eventually, so I deemed it better to just get it out of the way before it had the chance to become an issue.

“Do you remember how I told you guys about Equestria's leading figures? Not nobility per se mind you. How were they chosen by the acts they performed and the traits they best represented? The best of the best that would lead Equestria into a better future?”

Sunny nodded, familiar with the principle. “Yeah, you said something like that, about how you and the other bearers possessed traits that could be deemed worthy of the title of prince or princess.”

“That’s it. So, when I was first offered the choice, I refused, claiming I didn’t feel comfortable with that kind of responsibility, and fearing how my friends would react and how they would change the way they acted around me if I became a leading figure of Equestria. ‘Science, not politics.’ was my motto, and I intended to keep it that way. That is, until the following winter’s festivities, when I was officially adopted by the Sparkle family.”

Sunny almost tripped over her own hooves at hearing this. “T-The Sparkle family? L-Like, Twilight Sparkle’s family?!” She sounded genuinely baffled, wide eyes regarding me in a new light. I would have thought the history books would have mentioned this, but it’s also true that we didn’t make it a very public event either.

“Well, excuse you! I don’t see anything wrong with that!” I retorted in offense, although I was just messing with her.

As I expected, she sputtered an apology at what she thought was my offended reaction. “N-No! That’s not what I meant at all! It’s just…”

“Sunny, I’m teasing.” I calmed her down with a playful grin and a tap on her flank.

“Ugh, you’re impossible!” She protested with a tail-slap back at my butt.

“Ouch! Okay, no more joking! But, yes, after a few Christmasses celebrating on my own without a family, they decided to officially name me as one of their own. Alexander Kintobor Sparkle, first of his name. Not bad, am I right?” I wiggled my eyebrows, winking at the stunned mare.

“Christmas?” Of course she would ask about that, her ever-curious mind zeroing in about the smallest of things.

“They’re Winter celebrations back in my world. I’m sure you have another name for them. So, that’s why they decided to adopt me. That, and, you know, the fact I was dating their daughter…”

If the previous query had made her skip a step, this brought her dead halt on her hooves, her jaw almost touching the floor from the sheer astonishment her features reflected.

“Y-Y-You were h-her coltfriend?!!!”

Another thing I’d thought the annals of history had recorded. Oh, well, what can you do about it?

“Boyfriend. And yes, I was. Didn’t you already know that?” Another thing I’d thought the annals of history had recorded. Oh, well, what can you do about it?

Sunny sputtered out her answer. “N-No! I mean, I knew you were close with all the element bearers, but I didn’t know that you two were actually a couple!”

Not a happy subject to talk about, so I wanted to keep it as brief as possible. “Well, we were. For a few years before… before the fall. I mean, we were very much alike. Two eggheads in a pot, and we found ourselves in a lot of tight spots that did nothing but help drive us closer aaaaaand what’s with that look?”

In between the astonishment and disbelief, I glimpsed in her eyes what I thought was… disappointment, I guessed?

Sunny quickly caught herself. Ears drooping, her gaze lowered to the ground. “Oh! S-Sorry, it’s… well I’m now realizing that… with you being here and… not there…”

That was a can of worms I wasn’t looking forward to opening, so I decided to skip the issue and offer her the short version with a melancholic sigh. I didn't wish for the sting in my heart to ruin such a beautiful day.

“Yeah... We were very happy together, until her ascension to the crown of Equestria and all the problems we had with the citizens… it kinda built up. And, after I found myself strongly opposed to her idea of using the Unity Crystals as the only solution… I guess it could have ended better than it did. But I just couldn’t stay put and see all of ponykind denied of their most precious gift. The sheer amount of damage it would do, the unthinkable consequences it might entail… I made an impossible choice that day, Sunny… and now, I’m here.”

Sunny, bless her soul, was quick to wrap me in a comforting hug, nuzzling her snout against my shirt. “I’m so sorry, Alex. That you had to make such a choice… we don’t deserve it…”

Alarm bells struck ten in the morning in my head. “Ho oh, yeah, no, that’s not how it works, Sunny. You, all of you, deserve the chance to live peacefully, and enjoy the gifts of magic you’ve been granted. It was I who got you into this mess in the first place. I’m willing to give my LIFE, Sunny, to see the damage I’ve done fixed. It is I who don’t deserve all the sympathy and support you guys have given me.”

I was positive Sunny would not side with me on this. But, thankfully, she chose to leave the issue at rest for the time being. “F-Fine. So, what were you saying about being a prince?” She ushered me after breaking the embrace.

I cleared the dust in my mind and resumed my storytelling. “So, when I became part of the family, I also became part of Equestria’s newest ‘royal family.’ There were a bunch of princes and princesses in the family after my incorporation, and with Twilight inheriting the throne… Well, you can see how it was. I started receiving pressure from the nobility and outside parties to take up the title and rule by Twilight’s side as Consort. My discoveries, and at that moment, my position was recognized both nationally and internationally. That’s not something you can just brush under the rug and sing a merry tune to it…”

“That… must have been complicated.” Sunny winced in sympathy.

I couldn’t help but give her a resigned chuckle. “You can’t imagine how much so. Under the pressure of the nobility and both the national and international panorama, against my better judgment, I decided to accept the title, but under one condition!” I lifted a finger in emphasis. “I would be granted the title of ‘Prince of Knowledge’ in recognition of all my contributions to the advancement and improvement of the nation, with all of the privileges and obligations attached. BUT! I would NOT involve myself in the day to day governing of the nation further than what my position of lead scientist of the ISIT project would require. I AM a prince. I was crowned as one, but I did NOT rule Equestria. That’s for the true royal family, the family composed of the… uh, ‘eternal’ alicorns under whose abundant experience and guidance the country is better led. Yes?”

“Wow… so, you ARE the Prince of Knowledge.” Sunny mumbled, eyes two dark pools of wonder.

I could hear the gears screeching in her head, and the small changes in her posture and the look she was giving me…

I was quick to rectify it.

“Hey! Hey!” I snapped my fingers in front of her, breaking her out of her amazement. “What did I tell you? All this prince business doesn’t mean anything now! I never wanted the royal treatment. It felt SO uncomfortable to see my loved ones bow before me. I hated it. I hated it a lot! So I don’t want to see you or anypony else giving me any of that, you hear me?!”

I didn’t want to sound too sour about it, but I reeeeally despised all the royal drama and nonsense that came with the position. I had had enough of it in Canterlot to see my new friends bow out of habit to have more of the same from my new friends. For all current intents and purposes, I was a mere human scientist working hard to fix his most terrible sin. Zipp and Pipp embodied as much royalty as there would ever be in the brighthouse.

“So … Just like Zipp?” Sunny offered unsurely.

‘Now she gets it!’

I snapped my fingers. “Exactly. Just like Zipp. If I’m completely honest Sunny. I don’t really think I deserve that title, or any title, after what I did. I want to take the chance to have a fresh start, you know?”

She wasn’t fully bought by my request, but thankfully agreed to my wishes. “Very well… Alex. No royal treatment whatsoever from any of us. Alex, the human scientist who gives the best hugs in all of Equestria.”

That got a good laugh out of me. “Ha! Now that’s a title I can get behind. Although, I would say I give the best hugs in all of Westria.”

“Westria?” She asked once again with a curious flick of her tail.

“Yeah, you know? The continent we’re currently stepping on?” No reaction came from her but a short blink. “Westria? Essia, on the other side of the Celestial Sea?” Not a sign of recognition in her. “Farisia in the south? Mithyana? Skyros? The Summer Islands?... Nothing?”

Sunny could only gaze at me with equal parts confusion and awe, her tail flicking behind her like a filly in sight of one of Pinkie’s delicious treats.

“Luna’s rump, what do they teach in school nowadays…” I rubbed my temples tiredly. The ashamed expression that quickly dominated her features made me backtrack. “Yeah, no. Don’t need to answer that, I can take a guess.”

“I-I’m sure the teachers will make drastic changes in education for new foals now that we’re all friends again!” She proudly exclaimed, losing her apprehension with a new light. It was good news indeed. See the minds of the old changing and the minds of the young not being molded around the notions about the other tribes being the enemy, a reining topic during the past centuries.

It was a slow change, but a change, nonetheless.

We continued our stroll through the upper level of the town, taking in the beautiful sights of the Celestial Sea beyond, whose waves slowly but surely rolled over a beach full of eager ponies having fun under the warm, summer sun. Everything pointed towards the day being just another quiet, summer day. The townsponies went over their daily routines, freely enjoying the magic which was their birthright, cheerfully greeting each other when they crossed paths in the streets, earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi alike, and not a shadow of conflict or mistrust tainting the homely feeling permeating the road. It was a beautiful sight, a sight that had become more and more rare as the weeks passed before the fall.

We sought refuge from the scorching sun under the shade of a tree of a nearby park which stretched between the railing of the upper level and the main street that crossed the town from north to south. We sat against the rough trunk of the old tree, its size providing enough shadow for us and another couple of earth ponies also resting a few steps away from us.

Immersed in a comfortable silence only breached by the far-off rolling of the waves, we rested for a couple of minutes, just watching the townponies come and go; a few of them who recognized us flashing us warm greetings that we happily returned. Some of them also cast us endearing smiles when they saw us sitting together, with Sunny scooched over me and resting against my side with my arm holding her in a one-sided hug. Their teasing smirks elicited an adorable blush from her every time, but she made no effort to change her position.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? The sights, I mean.” I softly murmured, referring to the view of the numerous townsponies going on about their day without issue.

I felt her nod against my shoulder. “It’s a familiar sight for me. But seeing unicorns and pegasi amongst the earth ponies makes it a hundred times better.” She finished with a dreamy sigh and a small nuzzle on my shoulder.

“Everything you ever dreamed of, right?” I sent her a side-look.

Once again, I felt her nod. “Yes. My dream, and the dream of my father; an Equestria where everypony lived together in harmony, where anypony could be anything they wanted… if only he was here to see it…”

I gave her a reassuring squeeze, not wishing to spoil the moment dwelling in the past, for both of us had more than enough pain to dig through. “I’m sure he’s very proud of you, Sunny. This was all thanks to you, and our friends of course; but it was you who made it possible.”

“Thank you…” She rewarded me with one of her beautiful smiles that I had grown to adore. I felt her scooch a little bit closer after, a gesture which only expanded the warmth I was feeling on my chest wherever I found myself sharing a moment with her.

“… Do you know what I see?” I asked in a subdued tone, returning my focus to the passerby ponies.

“What?” She softly inquired.

“… Legacy.”

“Huh?” She scooched back to fully address me.

“Legacy.” I repeated, keeping my gaze on the street. “The legacy my friends and I fought so hard to build. The gift my arrival and my work would become for the next generations to come. A new Equestria, where the magic that runs deep within ponykind coexisted with the technology I helped to envision. A mirror of the world I left behind. A better one, not tainted by the mistakes of my people, for all the creatures from the countries that joined forces to make it a reality.”

I soberly turned my sight towards the brighthouse and the Prisbeam energy that endlessly poured from its top. “But that’s not the legacy my actions left behind.”

Sunny followed my gaze to the crystalline tower that rose over the top of the cliff that marked the edge of the bay. She didn't utter a word, but I knew from her expression that she wasn't quite following.

“It was my idea in the first place, you know?” I confessed with heart-wrenching guilt. “The basic concept behind the Unity Crystals’ purpose. The pain I felt after the Incident made me consider some more… ‘drastic’ approaches to solve the escalation that only worsened with each passing day… I was quick to realize the monstrosity that was my original proposition, but the idea had already latched in Twilight. For as much as I tried to reason with her, it was already too late…” I sniffled hard and squeezed my knees tight. “Do you know how they work? The crystals, I mean.”

She shook her head in a firm ‘no’. “Most of the information about them, not to mention their entire existence, has been lost to history. You know where we found each of them during our search, right? Aside from my dad, I don’t think anypony knew exactly what they were holding onto. Most of what we know comes from what you’ve shown us.”

Not what I had hoped, but it would have to do. Time for another small lesson. “Hmm, let’s see if I can explain it to you in laymare’s terms…”

“Hey!” She flashed me an annoyed frown. “I might not be an egghead like you, but I don’t think I need it to be explained to me like I’m a foal!”

“Are you an expert on advanced thaumaturgy applied to crystalline substances?” I asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“… No.”

“Neither am I.” I answered nonchalantly, which elicited a funny reaction that screamed bewilderment. “That’s why I prefer the simpler approach. Okay, imagine a simple electrical circuit composed of a battery, a wire and a lightbulb, yes?”

“Seems simple enough.” She answered, her posture straightening in concentration, giving me her full attention.

“Great. So, you connect the wire to the battery and to the lightbulb, and the energy from the battery runs through the cable to light up the lightbulb, right?”

“Mhm!”

“Wrong.”

“W-What?” She reeled back a bit.

I proceeded to clarify with a tiny smirk., knowing I was gonna get her. “The lightbulb has to be connected to the battery, too. The energy needs to complete a circuit. That’s why the battery has two poles, so energy can flow from the negative to the positive. The electrons run through the wire, into the lightbulb and back to the battery. A part of their energy is left behind to heat the lightbulb and emit light, but it needs to be a closed circuit, understand?”

“Yeah… I see what you mean.” She rolled it on her mind for a moment or two.

“Awesome. For this example, the battery would be the Äether, the place slash dimension slash whatever it is that magical energy comes from and ultimately returns to. The wire would be the leylines which stretch across the whole world, carrying the magical energy from and to the Äether. Different leylines differ in the essence of the magical energy that flows through them, but they’re similar in their basic characteristics. The lightbulb would be a pony, or any other magic-wielding creature, who taps into the flow of magic and uses it however they wish. It is raw energy, given purpose through will, which then returns to the Äether in a different way than when it came out, but it’s ultimately still energy, you following?”

She had her muzzle scrunched up cutely in concentration, but it seemed she was following well enough.

“Okay. What happens when you add a switch to the circuit, how would that work?”

“W-Well,” She wetted her lips. “When you add a switch, you can block or allow the flow of energy through the circuit. If the switch is off, the light bulb doesn’t light up. The moment you switch it on, the energy can flow and complete the circuit, right?”

“Exactly, Sunny.” I tussled her mane playfully, earning a small, triumphant giggle “That’s how a switch works, and that’s exactly how the Unity Crystals work, at least in their most basic aspects. The array of spells they contain is meant to be waaay more complex than that, but that’s basically the gist of it. A switch which only triggers when certain requirements are met.”

“Peace and harmony between the pony tribes.” She muttered.

Dead on. “Exactly. I don't know the actual mechanism behind them, nor their current source of power, but they were designed to only work when those requirements were met. As long as the three tribes lived in harmony, magic would flow through the land, completing the circuit. If not, it would remain… how to say it... stagnant? I don't know if that's the best way to put it. It would not disappear completely, of course. That would have very catastrophic consequences for the planet in general. It would remain… unmoving, but not necessarily unchanging. Hmm…” I pondered for a moment. Only ponies were to be left without magic, meaning the rest of Equus’ species would retain their access to magic. “That was Twilight’s field of expertise more than mine, if I’m honest. I had a hard time trying to keep up with her when we initially began to design the crystals.”

Sunny slowly nodded in understanding. “I… I see what you mean… And, I also can see how that wouldn’t be a good idea…”

“It’s pretty obvious in retrospect, right? Force the ponies to behave and be good to each other, or there won’t be more magic to play with. By forcing the issue, you only worsen the breach, and when magic is cut off, the issues between races don’t magically follow, they only get worse… We both knew it was a terrible thing to do. I think, deep down, all that Twilight wanted was to teach them a lesson, somehow, like Celestia did from time to time with her ponies. Sometimes, it almost seemed like a case of a mother scolding her children to behave… Fuck, we were all inexperienced and unprepared. I highly doubt anything we could have tried would have worked in the end.” I sighed heavily through my nostrils.

Sunny returned to snuggle into my side, pawing my calves and nuzzling my chest affectionately in friendly support. I absentmindedly scratched behind her ears in appreciation, my mind too engrossed in my thoughts. So much for trying to keep the mood for the day.

“… I could just have told them to fuck off, you know?” I felt her wince at my harsh language, yet her silence ushered me to continue. “I could have just grabbed my things, searched for a quiet place to settle with my loved ones, and left them to tear their own country apart in their stupidity. Just up sticks and give up on them, just as it seemed they had given up on us.”

“… But you didn’t give up on us… that’s why you’re here, right?”

“Yes, that’s why I’m here… I lost a world already, and I didn’t want to lose another. I saw a lot of potential in ponykind. To reach, and even surpass my own kind eventually…. but against all my efforts, it seemed some part of Earth ended up coming to this world with me.”

“What do you mean?” Sunny wondered, her big eyes peering up at me with a glimmer of sadness.

“It’s just,” I turned in place to find a more comfortable position, not losing my grasp on Sunny who patiently attended the pity party. “What happened with Equestria and the other countries, that’s something that you would see back on Earth more often than not. As much as humankind has advanced in its thousands of years of collective history, there are some things that stick with us no matter how hard we try to get rid of them. I never expected to see that kind of behavior in the ponies, much less under the sisters’ rule… It really, REALLY caught us by surprise. What countless villains had attempted to achieve in the last two thousand years of Equestria’s existence, its own ponies managed to accomplish in less than two years… it sounds ridiculous.”

I craned my neck to peer down at her sad eyes. “But now that you and the gang are on the case, we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again, right?”

She answered with the most affirmative nod I’d ever seen from her. “Right! No more fighting, no more senseless hate. We’re together again, and we’re going to keep it that way!” She bumped her forehooves together with a sealing clop.

Her determination was contagious, as I found myself lifting my closed hand in a fist. Sunny understood immediately and we shared a pony-patented ‘hoof bump,’ sealing the promise that we would do all we could to make Equestria whole again.

After that, we returned to our previous positions, just letting the time pass as we focused on the ponies passing by. A few fillies were playing with a frisbee nearby, which ended up flying off of their reach to land near my feet. With an inviting smile, I got up from my seated position, took the frisbee and signaled for the foals to run further into the park, as I was going to make a strong throw. With laughs of merriment, the foals quickly scampered in pursuit of the frisbee I threw with enough force to send it to the other side of the park. I heard Sunny giggling at the endearing sight.

With the sun at its zenith, I realized we had spent the better part of the morning hanging out. As much as I wish we weren’t, it happened that we were two responsible adults with responsibilities to uphold. With a fair amount of resignation, I turned to warn Sunny that we had to end our walk prematurely.

Needless to say, she wasn’t pleased, as I immediately found myself pinned under her while she lay on top of me, using her weight to prevent me from standing up. Time to resort to diplomacy.

“Come on, Sunny. We both have places to be.”

“Mmmmmm.” Was her negative response, keeping her snout high in the air.

“Sunny, come on, get off.”

“Mmmmmmmno!” She fillishly rebutted, hugging my body tighter, a stubborn twinkle in her eyes which regarded me with defiance.

I switched tactics. “But, just think of all those poor souls in search of a fresh smoothie to save them from the unforgiving sun! So many ponies suffering under the unrelenting heat, blindly searching for a cool refreshment to help them wander these desolate plains!” I dramatically voiced.

“It’s a five-minute trot to the beach, they can drink all they want from there.”

A surprised chuckle escaped my lips at her snarky rebuttal. It seemed talking wasn’t going to get me anywhere. “Very well, Sunny. I tried the easy way.”

My wiggling fingers soon found her ticklish spots, the earth pony squirming in delight under my assault, trying her hardest to secure her hold on me. But, the power of my fingers was too much, as she eventually had to release her hold to protect her ticklish sides from me.

When I felt satisfied, I desisted from my attack and allowed her to catch her breath. “Ah… ah… y-you… c-cheater… ah…”

I answered with the smuggest of grins, which elicited an eye roll from her. After a few more gasps of air, Sunny finally saw reason. Pushing herself with her front legs, she changed her position to sit atop me.

“Fiiiiine, I’ll go and open the smoothie stand. You’re right; the warm temperatures surely will attract a lot of customers. It’s so nice of you to be so concerned for us little ponies.” She spoke with a half-serious tone.

“W-Well, you know me…”

On any other occasion, I would have answered with a witty retort of my own. Sadly…. well, not really sadly, if I’m honest, when choosing to sit on top of me, she had chosen a very specific point to plant her rump. That, combined with the fact the thin cloth of my pants left little to the imagination of what was located on her sacred spot, forced me to use the emergency mantra for these occasions, else she’d feel the poke and throw a number.

It happened to me once, funny afternoon.

‘I’m a righteous man. I own my body. My body doesn’t own me…’

Sunny sighed in mock defeat. “Well, I guess I’ll see you later… Oh! Don’t you forget about the hike this afternoon, mister!” She nudged me in the chest with her hoof to get her point across.

“A-As the Dorito pony c-commands!”

Still not getting my earther nonsense, her response was a small giggle and a happy wiggle of her body, which only helped worsen my situation.

‘I’M A RIGHTEOUS MAN. I OWN MY BODY. MY BODY DOESN’T OWN ME!!!’

“Okay then. See you later!” She finally stood up and proceeded to make her way down the street with a pep in her step. Myself? I just remained there, suddenly finding the leaves of the tree under which we had sat VERY interesting, enough to capture my gaze and not allow it to deviate towards a particular part of the mare that was currently making her way away from me, her happy, wagging tail almost making it too tempting to resist.

‘You’ve done great, Alex. You deserve one, no, TWO cookies when you return to the brighthouse… and maybe a cold shower.’

And, return to the brighthouse I did. Since it was a weekend, I didn’t have to work at the lab until the day after tomorrow, not that I was particularly looking forward to it. As much as I love joyed lab work, the Unity Crystals were still my foremost priority.

Taking a minute to re-sheath the sword and silently cursing the testosterone that flowed through my veins, I made my way up the road we came and back into my new permanent residence.

Once inside, I made a beeline for the kitchen to get my two cookies, partially because I could use the snack, mostly because I COMPLETELY deserved it.

While munching on my impromptu breakfast, I heard a ruckus coming from the other side of the hall. A ruckus I had grown accustomed to in my short stay with the ponies.

‘Hmm, guess she’s back. Let’s see about those dirty dishes…’

I silently walked across the hall and entered Izzy’s small workshop. The mare in question was hard at work, seemingly fussing over a few loose pieces of junk, all of them circular in shape. At the side of their work desk, a ragged-looking lantern stood. It looked like she was working on fixing it.

“Knock, Knock.” I spoke while tapping twice on the nearby wall.

Izzy was startled by my call. She carefully left the ring-shaped pieces and removed her goofy working glasses. She flashed me a warm smile when she saw me leaning on the wall behind her.

“Well, well. If it isn’t Mr. Two-legged…” She greeted me with a mocking tone and a wink.

“And a pleasant morning to you Ms. Four-legged.” I greeted back, making us both laugh at our antics.

“So, what are you up to?” I asked while moving away from the wall to stand at her side. As usual, her working desk was full of pieces of scrap which, judging by the lingering smell, she had obtained from the garbage.

‘Faust above, how can she work with that smell…’

“Weeell, I’ve spent all morning searching for a piece that would fit Sunny’s old lantern. I wanted to repair it and give it to her as a Maretime Bay Day present! Or perhaps for her birthday?... Nah, I’ll think of something else to give her for her birthday. I have a LOT of stuff around I need to unicycle, what do you think she’ll like the most?”

‘Ah, yes, the festival in honor of the town. If I remember correctly, it should be in… three days, I think? I’ll ask Sunny later.’

I was happy to see the unicorn was keeping herself busy. “Sounds great, Izzy. Although, about Sunny’s preference for a birthday gift… I don’t really know what to tell you. I’m sure anything you come up with will be more than enough for her, as long as it comes from you. You know how she is.”

A determined look grew on her features. With a bold voice, she exclaimed. “Well, I’m going to make sure she receives the BESTEST gift she’s EVER been gifted! It’s my first time wishing a best friend a happy birthday and giving them a gift! I have to make it special!”

‘Wow, that’s… actually very sad.’

I chose not to dwell on it and take the wind out of her sails. “I’m sure you will, Izzy, you have the mind and the hooves for it.” I encouraged her with a playful tussle of her mane.

However, there was still something I needed to check. “Hey, Izzy. When is Sunny’s birthday by the way? You sounded like it was coming soon.”

She was already busy fussing over the different pieces, trying them one by one over the rim of Sunny’s lantern to see if they would fit. “Exactly two weeks from now. Pipp and I are already planning a BIG party for her here in the brighthouse. Ooooh, it’s going to be so cool!!!”

‘Exactly two weeks from now, that would put it in… oh. Now that’s a funny coincidence!’

“Thanks for the heads-up, Izzy. I’ll be sure to get her a nice present, too.”

She peered back at me over her shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll love it, Alex! I hope you’ll be just as thoughtful when MY birthday comes up, hmm?”

Under her inquisitive look, I could only salute. “Yes, ma’am. One thoughtful gift coming right up!”

“Good human.” She said with a smirk while giving me a condescending pat on my shin with her rear hoof. After that, she returned to her crafting, levitating numerous pieces and checking them over with analytical eyes.

Unfortunately for her, I wasn’t quite finished.

“Although, I’m not sure if a certain pony should ask for thoughtful gifts if they can’t even remember to take care of the morning chores when it’s their turn…” I tossed the comment into the air, but Izzy knew exactly who I was referring to.

So frozen she became that her levitating grasp on the numerous pieces failed, tossing them around the work desk. She slowly turned her head to regard my inquisitive look with a guilty one of her own.

“U-um, I’m so sorry, Alex. I-I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about…” She swallowed loudly, her eyes darting around the room in search of inspiration… or an escape route. “I-Isn’t it Zipp’s turn today? I swore I saw her name on today’s ch-chores calendar.”

“Oh, is it?” I didn’t cease my inquisitive glare towards the unicorn, causing her to grow even more nervous.

“Y-Yes! Yes, I’m positive. I can even picture the moment I saw it marked on the calendar this morning.” She closed her eyes and scrunched her muzzle in thought, seemingly recalling the memory. Of course, the act was forced, and I wasn’t convinced in the slightest, but I didn’t feel like being the bad guy that day.

I raised a suspicious eyebrow at her feeble ploy, Izzy flashing me a fake smile that clashed with the apprehension in her eyes. After a few more tense moments, I decided that that was enough messing around with her.

“Very well. I’m sure Zipp must have been too busy today and just forgot about it, no biggie. I’ll leave you with your work. Be sure to check your phone later, Sunny has a proposition for a plan this afternoon.”

“O-okay! Will do! See you around, bestest friend whom I love very much and would never do anything to make him mad!” She rewarded me with her brightest smile and a vigorous wave of her hoof. Her attempts to butter me up were amusing, so I decided to let it pass this time. I turned around and began making my way out of her workshop…

“Pheeew…”

I heard her relieved exhalation, prompting me to suddenly turn my head to regard her accusingly once again, making her jump in surprise.

“I-I mean, pheeeew, so hot today, uh? The summer sure is kicking, eh? Hehe… eh.” She fanned herself with her hoof while blurting her petty little correction.

I narrowed my eyes at her toothy smile and kept it for a few seconds. I was having a blast messing around with her. It’s one of those comical situations you would only find in Equestria. I made a mental note to make it up to her later.

“… Yes, Izzy. It IS very hot today. Well, I won’t bother you any longer, see ya later.”

I finished exiting her corner of the hall and headed up the ramp, thinking about heading to my room for a bit and checking over a few things with the phone Pipp had most graciously gifted me to better stay in touch with the gang. With all the Discord mess from earlier I’d barely had any chance to seriously check it over in depth. Also, many years living in Equestria had ‘detoxified’ me when it came to spending time over one’s phone, so I didn’t really give it much thought even when I had a new one to use.

“Three, two, one…” Right on time, I heard the hurried trot of a pony crossing the hall, immediately followed by the sound of rushing water and the clink-clank of dishes being hastily washed and left to dry on the rack.

‘What am I going to do with you, Izzy…’

With an amused shake of my head, I finished walking up the ramp and turned to head over to my room. Or at least I would have, if a frustrated grumble hadn’t interrupted me, prompting me to look over to the girl’s bedroom.

Intrigued, I rolled on my heels to face the bedroom and silently peeked inside. There, rolling over her bed while muttering silent obscenities was Pipp, with her trusty laptop opened in front of her. By what little I could discern of her mutterings and the prominent scowl she was wearing; something wasn’t going right with her day.

I knocked twice on the door frame to get her attention. “Hey, Pipp, is everything alright?”

The petite pegasus stopped her rolling at my call, focusing on my standing form while being upside-down. It would have been an endearing sight if it weren’t for the scowl which slowly morphed into surprise when she recognized me.

“Oh, good morning, Alex. No, I’m afraid everything’s not alright!”

“Mm, wanna talk about it?” I offered.

She took a few moments to mull it, beckoning me to approach her with her hoof when she made the decision. With a thankful nod, I crossed the bedroom, bordering the imposing column of glass which encased the Prisbeam energy that flowed towards the sky.

I took a moment to check over each of the girl’s beds, all of them customized to each of their personal preferences, providing the room with a curious atmosphere. It was obvious each of the girls had their own tastes. I had to congratulate Izzy on her little corner of the room. Most of the decorations that lined her ‘hammock’ were hoof-made by her. I had half a mind to ask her for some decorations for my own room.

Making sure not to bump against the small speaker she had placed near her desk I neared her bed, sitting at the border when Pipp scooted over to grant me access.

“So, what’s ruffling your feathers?”

“My feathers are just fine, thank you very much.” She answered while taking a dignified pose. “It’s my social media which is giving me headaches…”

‘Oh, boy…’

“Well, what’s wrong? The last hit might not have met the standards, but I thought that it was a great song by the way.” I wasn’t lying, she had a great singing voice, which I knew for a fact it wasn’t thanks to whatever the ponies called Autotune here. She had a habit of singing around the house when she felt like it. She had a lot of talent.

“Awww, that’s so sweet, thank you, Alex…” She batted her eyelids cutely. “No, the song went great… and that’s actually what’s bothering me.”

I was genuinely confused by her stance. “Huh?”

“You remember the post I talked to you about the other week? The one where I wrote about how I felt when everypony discovered I couldn’t fly?”

‘Wow, I completely forgot about that, not gonna lie.’ I felt a bit ashamed.

“Yeah, sure. You ended up uploading it, I saw.”

“I did! But…. It's been almost a week already and… I just… ugh!! It’s better if I just show you!”

She reached over the foot of the bed and took the laptop between her hooves, furiously typing in search of the post. A few seconds later, she turned the screen to show me the analytics of it.

“Look!”

And look I did. It didn’t take me long to find the issue. “Hmm, fewer views in general compared to your other posts, almost nopony sharing the link elsewhere, and it’s been quickly overshadowed by the posts about Discord you published the day after… it seems that your pippsqueaks weren’t very interested in your story.” I offered sincerely, already smelling the familiar issue.

“YES!! That's exactly it! And I don’t understand why! I-I go to all the trouble to open my heart up to them, a-and they just treat it like some sob story which they would rather just scroll over! J-Just, they’re preferring the cheerleading-influencing pop princess post over the simple pegasus who just wants to share a little bit of herself with her fans! It’s… it’s just so…. arghh!!”

She sank her head on one of her numerous pillows to muffle her frustrated screams.

I could see where she was coming from. Several similar cases had filled Earth’s social media over the years. “Something similar happened back on Earth to people. Influencing figures rarely opened up to their audiences, remaining most of the time ‘in character,’ entertaining their fans in whichever way they did without getting personal with them. Most of their fanbase wouldn’t even give a thought about the person behind the online content, choosing to ignore those little occasions where the content creator would approach them in a more personal way, and just look for more entertainment instead. The Internet's always being kinda impersonal like that, I can’t say I’m surprised, Pipp. I guess it works similarly here, too.”

“B-But,” She removed her head from the pillow to give me a saddened look, “I show them the real me, making myself so vulnerable to them, trying to share my story to see if it would help somepony, just like you told me…”

“Did somepony answer you back?” I asked.

“Y-Yeah, a few shared their own stories with me.” She reached out to change the page and show me the comments to her post. “I’ve spoken to a few of them. I think I’ve managed to help them, at least as best I could…”

“Then you got what you wanted, right?” I moved my hand to give her a few reassuring rubs on her back and between her cotton wings. “Don’t think too much about the numbers in these kinds of posts. It’s not worth it. You managed to help some of your pippsqueaks and got closer to them as a result. If the rest would rather consume your typical content and won’t give these a chance, then that’s their loss. But don’t think it was a waste of time or that it wasn’t worth it, ‘kay?”

It was apparent she was having a hard time over this. Her droopy ears were enough to indicate that, as much as she wanted to listen to my advice, the love she had for all her fans really took a hit when she found her post ignored by most of her fanbase. That’s just the internet, I guessed. Or the Canternet in their case. I still didn’t know how that worked. I had guessed it had something to do with transmitting info using the ambient magic as a conduit, just as humans would use electromagnetic waves for the same thing.

I used my index fingers to softly lift her droopy ears, trying to light up a bit the somber mood. Fortunately, my gesture got a little chuckle out of her. Straightening her position, she moved to lie against my side.

“Thanks, Alex. I guess… this was a new experience for me, and it didn’t come up as satisfactory as I’d wished...”

I rubbed her mane sympathetically. “Perhaps some new lyrics can come out of these feelings you’re experiencing now. I think a song might get the point across much better than an online post, yes?”

That got the gears to churn, and she went over the idea for a few minutes while half-humming the beginnings of the lyrics that had started to form in her head.

“Wow, yeah. That can DEFINITELY work. Oh, Alex, you’re a genius!”

“I AM a genius, Pipp. That’s the whole problem, isn’t it?”

Fortunately, she didn’t pay attention to my commentary. Instead, with a few flaps, she got out of bed and plopped her rump into the chair at her desk, now full into composing the new song.

Not wanting to break her creative streak, I reminded her to check over her phone for Sunny’s plan regarding the hike and quietly left her to do her thing.

Without any more distractions, I crossed the aisle towards my room, thinking about taking a rest until this afternoon’s trip to the nearby forest. I tried to avoid any thoughts about the Unity Crystals or Harmony’s warning or anything like them. I had had enough of that for the last few days. I wanted to just take a moment to relax and check over my new phone, and see what the ponies had made of the one I had brought from Earth, whose technology I was sure they had used to create these.

‘They’ve managed to create their own version of the internet, although much smaller and localized… did they come up with the ‘spicier’ webpages?... It doesn’t hurt to look, I guess…’