Chapters In a huge building, lights everywhere, ponies clamored to themselves. In this auditorium, was the public service announcement that was given once every year.
This was a mandatory assembly as the ponies had been promised an update on the empire’s standing from their leader. Out of the curtains, a gray stallion with white hair and a short white beard trotted forward. His body looked beaten and his face was worn with the times.
War.
Cigar in mouth, the stallion moved it over to one side, and stepped to the podium. He cleared his throat, “Every place in the universe needs balance. No matter how good something is, there has to be something somewhere to balance it. This is a necessary part of our lives”, he said emphatically,” Our nation – our universe – is in desperate need of that balance. We live in a world where magic has evolved past its users and has risen to new technological heights; things that ponies before us only dreamed of making. But that has not come without hard work and dedicated ponies.”
A wave of cheers erupted over the crowd.
“The balance we seek is close and you can help us achieve that. You, my ponies, are going to be the ones to help that happen. You, my ponies, will be the ones that bring that order!”
The ponies in the crowd stomped their hooves in applause. The gray earth pony waved his hoof, and smiled at his crowd as he blew a smoke circle in the air. He then stepped back behind the curtain to a dark brown unicorn mare with glasses and a white lab coat waiting for him.
“Fools.” The gray stallion snorted and looked to the dark brown unicorn, “Is the extraction process ready, Motherboard?”
“Yes Commander. The selected unicorns in the crowd are being sent to the training camp as we speak.”
As Motherboard said this, stallions with sunglasses emerged from behind the curtain making their way to the crowd. Some ponies knew what this meant and stood upright. They were proud. This was a sign of loyalty to the ponies; to serve the empire. A shining medal with an electrical bolt for an emblem was pinned on a select few unicorns as they were escorted to several carriages outside of the assembly hall. The other ponies cheered them away as the rest of the ponies left the assembly.
This was the balance that the Commander was talking about. Some ponies, whether they knew it or not, had to be modified to maintain the lifestyle that was the status-quo. The unicorns in the crowd that were of age were escorted away from assembly, and sent to a training camp. But that was far from the truth. The ponies were taken to gated building with spotlights around it. Above the gates on the building was sign made with the same cold metal as the building and it said ‘Training Camp for The Commander’s Army’. From the windows, ponies could see workout machines and other ponies doing different training regimens, but this was a ruse. The ponies were actually being sent underground where the real purpose for the rest of their lives would be determined.
Only underground could the screams of the unicorn be heard as they were systematically tortured and siphoned of their magic, treated like batteries. The Commander did his best to keep it silent in the form an army recruitment rally.
***
The empire he had now was not the empire The Commander wanted. Being a former member of Celestia’s royal guard, he knew something of magic from the talks with Celestia and her star pupil. Also, being an earth pony, he couldn’t do magic himself but studied enough of the texts, some of them forbidden, to find magic more advanced than Celestia’s rising of the sun. He proposed the use of this magic to better all ponies and was immediately denied. Celestia explained the sacrifice that using that type of magic would have on her kingdom and wouldn’t have that.
Celestia knew that she couldn’t have ponies spreading ideas like that around and exiled him from Equestria. This banishment gave the Commander time to think and time to plan. That plan lead to Technicolt, his empire.
***
Motherboard was a very lucky pony in her own way. Being born as a unicorn in Technicolt, she knew she would most likely be drafted unless she showed another way to be useful to The Commander. She had seen her friends and some of her family separated with no real reason except to ‘serve the empire and The Commander’ and the Training Camp. She couldn’t help but notice that everypony that went there never came back. The only explanation that was ever told was that the soldiers were being sent off to fight and expand the empire. Motherboard noticed that the borders of Technicolt never expanded nor did was there really ever a mention of fighting or a war. Motherboard wanted answers.
One day, she went to the library in hopes of finding something that suggests wars or heroes or anything of the sort. In the history section, she found only references to founding of the empire but not anything about fighting wars at all. There wasn’t even a list of the ponies that had been sent to the camp. It was as if it never happened. Motherboard didn’t want to believe that. There had to be an explanation. Ponies just don’t disappear without any record of it.
Motherboard trotted to the center of the library and rang a small silver bell. An older mare with glasses and two sticks in her mane, holding her bun in place, trotted over to her. “May I help you?”
“Yes, I am looking for anything you have on the wars we fought or the soldiers of Technicolt.”
“Oh dearie”, the librarian said in a sweet voice, “That kind of information is at the Training Camp. The Commander wants to make sure that his army is well trained not only of the body but of the mind.” The librarian patted her head. “You will know about all of that in good time.”
“But we don’t have any records here?” Motherboard hesitated to ask more. She seemed to be redirected to the same place that she was trying to avoid. With no help from the librarian, she was put back in the same boat. Something would lead her to some answers. It had to! Perhaps she was looking in the wrong area.
Motherboard poked her up to the desk again, “Where is the magical section located again? I kinda lost my place last time?”
“That’s no problem.” She pushed her glasses up and pointed down what seemed to be an endless hallway of shelves. “It’s just past the seventeenth shelf on the right, against the wall.”
“Thank you.” Motherboard trotted over that direction and scanned down each book until she noticed that there was a book out of place.
“That’s weird. Maybe someone checked it out.” Motherboard looked at the empty space and noticed there wasn’t a card for the book placed there so it wasn’t a place for a book. Ever more curious, Motherboard climbed on the shelves and lifted herself up to the exact spot. The spot was covered in dust. She blew the dust off and coughed as some dust went in the other direction. That cough caused her to bump her head on the shelf above, and as she fell down she heard a faint click.
“That hurt”, she said, wiping the rest of the dust from her face. “What was that sound?” She looked around her else had fallen but the shelf she was climbing jutted out just a bit. Looking behind her to make sure nopony else noticed, she pulled the shelf to reveal a door. Checking her surrounding again, she entered the door, closing the shelf behind her. She was amazed to find just one book sitting in a dark room. She trotted over to it and noticed pieces of parchment next to the book and a still wet quill with ink. Somepony had been in here not too long ago. She lifted the book with her magic and read the title along the spine, “Advanced Magic with Mystical Properties: Canterlot Archives”.
“Canterlot Archives? I’ve never seen a book from them before.” This was just getting stranger for Motherboard. She took upon herself to read where the last pony left off in the book.
Reading through the chapter, Motherboard noticed an addendum to the chapter.
Notice: The magic described in this chapter is forbidden under
Motherboard, still curious to get the bottom of whatever was going on continued reading. In the book, there were a series of words underlined in red ink.
“…fatal spell.”
“…life force.”
Not trying to take more time than she had, she closed the book back and left the hidden passage. Luckily enough, no pony was there and she was able to sneak out and walk out of the library. The walk back to her house let mind try to piece together what she read about. Why would The Commander have kept something like that private? Was he trying to use that kind of magic?
It would be normal for a unicorn to try and practice this magic but The Commander wouldn’t really understand the long term effects. The book talked about are workarounds for earth ponies to use some type of magic, such as the hidden magic each earth pony has with the earth. She concluded that The Commander must have tried to use other unicorns to help him with the spells and they failed. The failure, she read, lead to a magical backfire taking the magical force from the users but tenfold. Since the commander was an earth pony, without unicorn magic, what was taken was his life force. The Commander was dying, and she knew it now.
***
Her eighteenth birthday; she passed by the assembly hall and noticed a pony around the corner. It was The Commander. But what she saw when she got there wasn’t the strong Commander everypony loved but a weak and sickly one. Motherboard kept quiet behind the corner of the building as she saw the Commander with one hoof on the side of the building, coughing up blood. She knew that this meant she was right and that he was dying.
She decided to make her move. “Umm, Sir?”
The Commander wiped the blood from his mouth and turned to the small unicorn. With a gruff, he looked to the mare, “Who are you? What do you want? The assembly doesn’t start for another few hours.” Even though this, he could not keep the crimson beads falling from his mouth. He looked like a mess and Motherboard felt compelled to help.
“I know that you have a condition. I know that, slowly, part of you is dying. I know of where we can get a cure to heal you.”
“How could a small unicorn like you know anything of the sort?”
“I have had a great deal of time to study, Sir. I..” she paused, “..wanted to prove my usefulness to you. Let me, Sir.”
The Commander had a bit to think about. She could take on this unicorn and at least see what she knew. If she was useful, she would stay alive. If she wasn’t, it was off to the pods with her. On the other hand, he could just kill her and nothing would be gained or lost. But that was the problem; nothing would be gained. The Commander knew he was running out of time on a clock he couldn’t stop or reset, but this pony be able to assist with that. Considering that she had the gall to confront him means that she was either very determined or very stupid.
“Let me make something very clear; if you what you say is true, then I will keep you with me. You will be my assistant of sorts and you will make it your life’s goal to find a cure. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I do not want any distractions. I know you are a young filly but as long as you are with me, which will be for the rest of your life, there will be no distractions. I will not tolerate it. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir. I understand completely.”
***
PRESENT DAY
Motherboard levitated a clipboard and a quill checking something off of her list. “Sir? I have just been informed that my- your project is ready for its demonstration. It’s waiting for you in the Operations room.”
“Then let’s go. I wanted this thing to be up and running yesterday.”
Motherboard nodded her head and the two ponies continued backstage, coming to a door and trotted outside to a carriage. They stepped inside, “To the office”, the Commander said as the chauffeur trotted off.
Through the tinted windows of the carriage, the Commander looked to his ponies. Some young, some old but all cheering the Commander carriage as it went by. Some earth ponies were putting up poster’s that read ‘What you do, you for The Commander’. The Commander smiled at this. Though his empire wasn’t complete, he had the ponies eating out of his hooves. He would make sure that never changed. Nopony said a word for the whole ride until Motherboard broke the silence with a sigh.
“What is it?”, asked the Commander flatly.
“Nothing sir. I just wonder how long things will be like this. It isn’t healthy and I just wonder how long we can keep this charade up.”
“Well, if this little toy of your works, then we won’t have to worry about that will we?”
“Of course not, Sir. I just worry about them.”
The Commander just raised a hoof at her. “Don’t. Let me about those fools and you worry about this toy of yours, lest you’ve forgotten how I deal with failure.”
Motherboard shook her head, “Understood, Sir.”
Swallowing a lump in her throat, By Celestia, I hope it does work.
The chauffeur let them know that they had arrived. They trotted out to a large gray building with a number pad on the side of the front door. The Commander muttered to himself as his punched in the numbers, “6331. And open.”
The doors opened to an elevator the two ponies trotted and descended deeper into the basement of the building.
DING
The doors opened and soon ponies gathered around the Commander giving him documents to sign and, pen in mouth, he signed them. Both of them trotted to a room labeled “Operations Room A” and pushed the doors open. It was a laboratory with flickering screens along the walls and tubes filled with blue energy hung along the walls. The tubes tangled and connected to a small circular device on the operating table.
Motherboard took her position next to a large lever and awaited the signal of the Commander. The Commander was behind a thick magic proof glass in preparation of another failed attempt. This had been the fifteenth trial they had gone through, and it was Motherboard’s last chance. She had to keep good on her word to The Commander; that promise she made to him when she was eighteen.
Behind the glass, The Commander put his muzzle to the intercom, “Ready? Begin the sequence.”
Motherboard nodded and pulled the lever. Electricity crackled in the room slowly. As the energy poured from the tubes in the room, it leaked out of its protective tubing shot of like a bolt of lightning. Beakers were exploding and ponies ducked behind cover, all but Motherboard. She stood still focused on the device on the table.
Work, work!
“Turn it off!”, one of the ponies yelled.
Motherboard stood her ground, “No! It just needs more power! Just a little more!” She gripped the level tighter, holding it down. She winced when a small bolt of electricity shocked her flank.
Work! Come on, dammit, work!
Through the noise, the Commander stood still watching the chaos, not moving a muscle.
A cold calculating voice came on the intercom, “Process complete.” The circular device was lifted and placed into what looked to be a holding shell where it was closed up and eyes of the shell opened and glowed. The shell was a metallic pony, a cyberpony. This cyber pony was gray, like the metal it was made from, but had gray and blue streaks in its mane with black tipped highlights.
Motherboard pushed the lever back up and fell to her flank. She tried to catch her breath before the Commander came from behind the wall. He trotted through the broken glass and frightened ponies to the operating table. “So, what is it now?”
Motherboard picked herself up and trotted slowly to the table. “Sir, may introduce to you, the H.E.A.R.T.; Health Energy Autonomous Response Terminal. With this, we can-
“Prep it. I want that piece of metal working completely by sundown,” the Commander interrupted.
“But Sir, we haven’t run any of the diagnostic checks on him!” Motherboard exclaimed.
The Commander raised an eyebrow, “Him? When did this thing become a him?”
“It-It didn’t, Sir. I just named him. His name is Circuit Wave.”
“So you named him too?” The Commander put a hoof to his forehead, “Don’t get attached, Motherboard. This is a tool.” The Commander made a dismissive gesture with his hoof toward the sleeping Circuit Wave. “Tools get used and put away. Did you finish the memory matrix?”
“Yes, I have the three months of data you requested. But don’t you think that he will need a bit more than just the military aspects you have requested?”
“Explain.”
“Well, sir. If we send him-”
“Motherboard.”
“-it,” she corrected, “outside as an empty shell don’t you think that will cause some unneeded attention. No pony has ever seen anything like this and we don’t want any unneeded questions, especially not from Celestia. I know you don’t want an assassin to kill the ponies. You want somepony that can gather intel on the group and hopefully be able to find the source of their power; the power that can cure you, Sir.”
The Commander knew where Motherboard was coming from but time was of the essence and it was never on his side. “Fine. Do what you will. But I when I arrive tomorrow, this piece of metal had better be running and ready for transport.”
“Yes, Sir. It will be ready.”
“Good.” With that, The Commander left the room and the other ponies finally took a deep breath.
“Good job, everypony.” said Motherboard, “I will take of the last installation sequence and have it ready for The Commander.”
One of the other ponies spoke up, “Shouldn’t you be going home? You took a pretty nasty shock there during the boot up. Don’t you want to get checked out?”
“Now, don’t worry about me. I will be fine. It wasn’t the first time. I will be fine. Go on home.”
The concerned pony patted her on the haunches, “Good night, Motherboard.” He and the other ponies left and there was only Motherboard with the un-moving Circuit Wave. Motherboard hugged the cyberpony and tears fell from her eyes.
“I didn’t think it would work but here you are, Circuit Wave. After years of attempts, you are alive. I know you can’t hear me yet but you can’t stay here. You need to have a better life. I want a better life for you.”
She trotted to a black filing cabinet. The cabinet had taken a bit of beating during the small electrical storm in the room with lower half of the cabinet singed. She opened the top most cabinet and filed through the folders and levitated one called ‘Circuit Special’. She turned the folder upside-down and a single yellow disk fell out. It was labeled, ‘Memory Matrix I’ but there was a small ‘MB’ written at the bottom of the label. The pushed a button on the H.E.A.R.T. and inserted the disk.
“At least, you will have some sort of personality, Circuit. And maybe you could really just get away from him. At any rate, do your best.”
Motherboard looked for a response from the metallic pony but there was only silence. She knew he couldn’t speak yet but she still hoped and held onto it.
As she finished the last of diagnostic checks, the screen to the right of the metallic shell read, ‘Matrix Installation Complete: Please wait 10 hours until full system use.’
“Done.” she breathed. She went over the door and flipped of the light switch. The only light in the room now was the cyberpony’s eyes, until they closed.
“Goodnight, Circuit. I love you, my son.”
Author's Note
Thank you MistressSarah-kun for the edits upon edits...upon edits.
Chapter 1 - Boot Up Sequence
It was early in the morning for most ponies, but not for Motherboard. Celestia had not done her morning greeting of the sun to her subjects. Most ponies would still be tucked safely in their beds, under the watch of goddess of the moon. That was a luxury some ponies could afford, but not Motherboard. She did not sleep very well, if at all. A nasty recurring dream of failure kept stealing her slumber. The thought of being sent to 'Training Camp'; the battery pods, a terrible fate for anypony.
***
She dreams of herself being magically dragged from the room, overpowered by The Commander’s guards. She is kicking and screaming, fighting with all she has to try and stop them. She looks at the guards asking, pleading, with them to stop and let her go. Tears well up in her eyes. She shakes her head violently, pleading with them again, hoping for some type of emotional response. There isn’t one. The guards are stoic and stone-faced, uncaring of the fate they are sending her to.
The guards bring her through two white doors. She is thrown on her back against a cold metal slab, an operating table similar to the one Circuit was ‘born’ on but with a much more sinister purpose. Still held down by the guards’ magical grip, she can’t resist as one side of the slab rises, until the table is vertical. Leather straps wrap around her hooves, locking her in place. Still trying to fight, Motherboard pulls at the bindings, but to no avail. The guards let go their magical hold, seeing that their job is done. They leave, opening the doors just as the Commander and two unicorns wearing blood stained lab coats walk in. The doors slam shut.
The Commander nods to the unicorns with him and they move off to long tables on each side of the one on which Motherboard is trapped. These tables are lined with medical tools and vials filled with different colored chemicals. The unicorns, ignoring Motherboard’s cries, float syringes from one vial to another and carefully fill them with a very precise dose of each. They stop, turning to attention, waiting for The Commander’s orders.
A huge surgical light is brought down from the ceiling above and turned on. Motherboard shuts her eyes against its harsh glare, then squints to see as she hears The Commander walking toward her.
“You shouldn’t have failed me, Motherboard. I gave you chance after chance and you continue to disappoint!”, barks The Commander.
“Sir! Please, don’t do this! Please!”, Motherboard screams in terror.
She looks directly into the Commander’s eyes, pleadingly, but he raises his hoof and smacks Motherboard across the face, knocking her glasses off. “Silence! I have had enough of your excuses. I have had enough of your failures. I should have done this a long time ago.” The Commander gives a nod to each of the unicorns.
The ponies flick at the needles of their individual syringes and inject Motherboard with the strange dose. The chemicals have a quick effect on her as she immediately vomits on the floor. Small drops of it fall from her mouth onto herself. Motherboard's head hangs down as she struggles to keep herself calm. The ponies walk away from her and stand in front of her.
Motherboard screams, "W-what?! What are you doing to meeeeee! Ahhhhh!". Her horn glows involuntarily and she screams even louder as she feels the essence of her magic slowly separating from her body. The other unicorns and The Commander watch impassively as Motherboard violently spasms against her restraints. The spasms turn into an all out seizure for what feels like hours for Motherboard. Finally, her spasms stop and she is able to catch her breath. But now her eyes are wide open, as she can’t close them of her own volition. They quickly dart left and right, no longer affected by the light shining on her. Her brown magical aura has now engulfed her entire body. Her heart is pounding out of her chest, both with fear and the unknown chemical making its way through her whole body. Like a virus, it takes over her body and her magic as small sparks shoot from her horn.
The Commander turns around, crushing Motherboard's glasses under his hooves. He walks away from her and stops just before he reaches the doors. "Make sure you get every last drop from her", he says to the unicorns, "She has been useless to me from the beginning. At least now she will be good for something..." At this, he stalks from the room.
Nodding to each other, one of the ponies hits a button on the wall and a loud alarm is set off. The wall behind the drugged out Motherboard is opened and the slab she is strapped to pulls away into the darkness.
***
“No! Please! I’m sorry!”
Motherboard’s head shot up from her cot, sweating and panting. Awakened from her nightmare, she put her hoof to her heart and to her arm where she was ‘injected’. She breathed a sigh of relief, finally realizing that it wasn’t real.
Thank Luna...
Getting off her cot she slowly trotted to the coffee maker, her best friend during this time of night. With the coffee grounds already in the machine she tapped a button and let the machine do its work.
Motherboard normally slept in the break room, with the cot being a special addition for her. The Commander was very demanding with just about everything with Motherboard, and this did not give her time to sleep in her own empty house.
The Commander had held true to his word all those years ago. Her life was placed in his hooves, as tightly clenched as they were. Every moment had to be not only useful, but useful to him. Every idea she had, had to be for making Technicolt or - more importantly - him better. There was no room for fun and barely time to relax. The closest she ever got to a break was whenever The Commander didn’t need her, which was rare.
For now, Motherboard just stood next to the coffeemaker lost in her thoughts, her eyes half open until she heard the ding of the machine and poured herself a cup. After mixing her cream and sugar, she smiled at her mug. She took a big sip and exhaled happily, “I needed that...”
Levitating the coffee mug next to her mouth and a clipboard right below, she made her way to the room where Circuit was. Turning on the light with her free hoof, illuminating the room where her son was sleeping, she trotted to the desk next to him and looked at the monitor.
PROCESS COMPLETE. READY TO INITIALIZE.
“Good. All the checks went well.”, she said.
This project had to go without a hitch. It was less of a project to her at this point and more of a new beginning for her son.
“Good morning, Circuit”, she said trotting past him, “I know you can’t hear me or see me and I want to say that’s for the best right now. I don’t want you to know of this place. If I had my choice, we wouldn't be having this conversation. It would just be another beautiful, Celestia-filled day. I would wake up and make you oatmeal before you went off to school.” Motherboard sighed and a small smile flitted across her lips before she shook her head. “But we can’t have everything we want and we must work with the cards that fate has dealt us. No matter how bad they are.”
Motherboard went to her terminal computer and logged herself in. All the computers, and just about any piece of technology in Technicolt, had been fashioned in such a way that everypony could use it. From special mouse peripherals attached to the hooves to touch screens, when The Commander found a use for this new ‘technology’ from his magical accident, he wanted every pony to be able use it.
She went to the folder that stored all of the memories that Circuit would have when he woke up; military regimens, training protocols, weapons specification, guerrilla tactics. These were things for a soldier going to war, not for a pony trying to blend in. She deleted all of those folders and went to her filing cabinet. Shifting through the folders, she picked up a disk labeled ‘Synchros’, went back to her computer, and inserted the disk to run the software. The loading bar moved slowly across the screen and she turned to face Circuit.
She felt terrible for putting her son in this position; to be The Commander’s tool, as he put it. But without the freedom or ability to have foals of her own, this was the only way to ever come close to having children. The computer blinked ‘75% completed’. Motherboard sighed, “Don’t think I ever wanted this for you, Circuit. Please don’t blame me. I really am so sorry.” Tears were welling up in her eyes and she hugged her cold son, expecting a hug back but received nothing. “I do love you with all my heart.”
The computer had finished installing the software and disk was ejected. Motherboard wiped away her tears and made her way back to her desk, “And now I have a way to protect and be with you at all times.”
At her desk, there was a small drawer. She pulled it open, revealing a silver collar-style necklace with a brown gem in the center. The gem was pony-made of micro-level machinery, similar to Circuit’s. It was very shiny against his gray coat as Motherboard put it around Circuit’s neck. There was a clicking sound as she set in place and the gem glowed before dimming back down.
Motherboard heard a faint ding from the elevator which meant that The Commander would be coming any second. Motherboard quickly shut down her terminal, closed her desk, and turned to the door to welcome The Commander.
“Morning, Motherboard.”, The Commander gruffed. He didn’t seem to have the best of nights himself. His mane was more disheveled than usual and there was dried blood he had forgotten to wipe off in the corner of his lips. He was coughing terribly, with no indication that he was getting better.
“Good morning, Sir. I have finished all of the checks and he..”, Motherboard caught herself, forcing it out, “-it is ready for transport.”
“Excellent.” The Commander walked around Circuit, giving him a good look. “Very nice, Motherboard. I dare say he almost looks like a regular pony.”
He is...
“But”, The Commander questioned, “What is this little piece of jewelry around his neck? We don’t need it to be some of sort of fashion pony.”
“It is not merely decoration, Sir. It simply another monitoring module to assist with the-”
“Ok, I get it.”, The Commander interrupted, “I will get a team together to wheel it to Mission Control.”
Motherboard shook her head, “That won’t be necessary, Sir. I will take of care that. I have been with this project too close not to handle this with my own hooves.”
“All right. Get it done. I will see you there.” And with that, The Commander left the room, giving Motherboard an opportunity to breathe.
And Celestia be damned if I am going to let anypony else handle my son!
Taking a deep breath with a determined look on her face, Motherboard levitated Circuit carefully onto a dolly and wheeled him to the elevator, down to Mission Control. In Mission Control, there were monitors all around the walls, with ponies at different terminals. They were discussing all of the different graphs and charts on their monitors, making sure the transport sequence went perfectly. At the center of the room, in front of The Commander, was a huge map of Equestria.
When the elevator doors opened, the sea of ponies parted, letting her through, and she placed Circuit on a bright white platform. Huge circles descended from above, around Circuit, scanning him. Once those checks were complete, Motherboard took her position below The Commander’s chair, at her terminal, and sat waiting for his command.
“Is everything ready?”, The Commander asked
“Yes, Sir. Everything is in place and awaiting your orders. The remote activation system has been tested and it will start only moments after successful transport.”, Motherboard replied.
The Commander nodded, “Good. On my mark...”
“Everypony at the ready.” ordered Motherboard
“Now....”
Be safe, Circuit
“ENGAGE!”
Author's Note
It takes a lot to give you guys perfection or the closest I can come to it. Enjoy.
Chapter 2 - Reset To Factory
CIRCUIT
PROTOCOLS RUNNING
RUNNING ‘WAKE UP’ CHECKS
CHECKS...ERROR CODE 51647
H.E.A.R.T....OK!
‘SYNCROS’....OK!
POWER ON...
Geez...Did somepony get the name of that chariot? And since when was the sun so damn bright? If you wanted to tone it down Celestia, that’d be great.
I opened my eyes halfway to see that I was stuck in an apple tree. Quite literally stuck. My hooves were somehow tangled amongst the branches. I struggled to get myself free from the terrible entanglement but it was no use. My head was throbbing with one of Equestria’s worst headaches. I had no idea what had happened, but I wanted it to stop.
So, within only minutes of waking up, I have a headache from something I know nothing about, stuck in an apple tree in Celestia knows where, and can’t remember what the buck happened to me.
Great... just great
While I was stewing in my own pain, my ears twitched to the sound of somepony in the distance.
“Ah just got this one here and we should be good to go!”, the unfamiliar voice yelled
The voice sounded pretty close to me and I could hear hoofsteps coming closer. I wanted to struggle harder in the tree hoping that maybe with enough force I would just fall out. Or maybe this pony would cut me loose. Before I could yell for help, the tree was violently shaken, like somepony was taking a sledgehammer to its trunk.
“Hey!”, I yelled.
“Who’s up there?!”, the voice yelled.
“The names’ C-”
My reply was cut off by another loud thump and the shaking of the tree. This shake was strong enough to shake me and the rest of the apples loose. This was the good news. I landed right on my back, rolled backwards, and banged my already throbbing head against the trunk of the tree. The bad news- I would find that out when I woke up, because everything suddenly went black.
***
A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER
All the ponies in Mission Control cheered. The port-out sequence had been successful after their first and only test. Even the Commander was able to crack a smile, small as it was.
Looking up at The Commander behind her Motherboard murmured, “Transport was successful, Sir. I am pulling up his data on my screen right now.”
The Commander nodded and trotted to the other ponies, congratulating them on what he called a ‘successful first step’. Motherboard glanced at Circuit’s diagnostics on her screen and her heart nearly stopped as she saw the error message. She knew she had to clear the message before The Commander got back.
“Error 51647? What was that one again?”, Motherboard searched through Circuit’s database on her computer and found the error. “...51646, 51647! Found it.”
Motherboard read through the lines of blinking text and cursed to herself.
Dammit! I thought I had taken care of that. I’ll have to log this in for later. But then he will ask about it... Dammit!
Still at her terminal, she opened Circuit’s system files and found the corrupt folder.
Ok. I just have to restore the old files and all of his checks should clear. Then...
“...to Motherboard!”, The Commander finished his little speech and surprised Motherboard. She shot her head up and her hooves slammed against the keyboard in shock at hearing her name. Garbled code scrolled across the screen, and Motherboard just shut off her terminal without giving it a second look.
“Sir!?”, Motherboard stammered to The Commander.
“I was just saying that this project was all thanks to you. It was a sign of appreciation. Pay attention, Motherboard.”
“...yes, Sir.”
Motherboard turned her terminal back to just in time to see the words ‘PROCESS COMPLETE’ blinking on her screen.
Process? What process?
She didn’t have time to look it up. The Commander was returning to his position at the podium.
“Once more, good job everypony! Now, the next phase of our plan can start. I want a location on it now. Timing is key and I don’t want to miss anything.”, The Commander barked.
***
CIRCUIT WAVE
I woke up again and at least this time I wasn't in a tree. I was in somepony’s room, in somepony’s bed with an ice pack on my head. At least my head wasn’t killing me anymore. I took off the ice pack and trotted over to the window, wondering where in Equestria I could possibly be.
Lots of apple trees...So I’m on a farm?
On the other side of the door, I could hear two voices raised in some sort of argument. I put my ear to the door and listened in.
“Awww, come on! I just wanna see if he’s ok.”, a high, childish voice whined.
“Nope.”, a deep voice replied.
“Why not?”
“‘Cause he restin’.”
“I won’t be too loud. I promise!”
“You know AJ already said no.”
“Pleeeease.”
“Nope.”
So if there aren’t any other mysterious ponies roaming about the place, they must be talking about me.
As the voices quieted, I decided to make my entrance. There were two ponies on the other side of the door. A little filly with a pink bow in her red mane and a huge red stallion.
“See, he ain’t restin’ anymore.”, the filly said
“Umm no.”, I said, “Anypony know where...”
Before I could finish my statement. I was being bombarded with questions from the little one. It was as if she hadn’t seen a pony before. She was circling, pointing and staring at me like I was some sort of science experiement.
“Hey! What your name? Where are ya from? What’s that thing around yer neck? Why were ya up in our tree? How old are ya? Where’s yer cutie mark? How did ya -?”
Seriously, does she ever turn off?
I was really getting annoyed now. I didn’t want my headache to come back but this yellow bundle of “joy” could easily be the catalyst for a new one.
“It’s Circuit Wave, ummm...”
“Her name‘s Applebloom.”
I turned to the huge draft horse of a stallion. I was surprised he even spoke. Somehow I had thought he was just going to stand there, staring. Not curiously like the little one, mind you. His stare was more of a ‘beat you in a dark alley’ stare.
I raised my eyebrow. “And you are?”
“Big Macintosh.”
Stallion of many words, this one.
“Ok then. Well, where am I?”
The little one piped up again. “Ya don’t know where ya are?”
That would be the reason I asked the question...
“No, I don’t.”
“This here is Sweet Apple Acres; our home. That’s mah brother, Big Mac. Mah sister Applejack is downstairs fixin’ supper with Granny Smith. And...”
The little one began to enthusiastically tell me the whole Apple family tree, and each members’ life story. I think she would have if I had given her the chance. As the history lesson continued, I was escorted to the dining room with Applebloom smiling and chattering away in front of me and Big Macintosh glowering ominously behind me. I was getting the distinct impression that he didn’t like me, didn’t trust me, or both.
At the table, there were two other ponies sitting and waiting; an old green mare just about as rickety as the chair she was rocking in and an orange filly wearing a stetson. I looked around at all of them when we got to the table and just waited.
The orange pony, Applejack, I assumed, was the first to speak up to me. “Well, ain’t ya hungry?”
When I actually thought about it, I hadn’t eaten since...Come to think of it, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. Wierd. I mean, I wasn’t starving or anything but I just couldn’t remember when I ate or what I had eaten.
I chuckled and joked, “I just expected another game of 20 questions before I could eat.”
“First ya eat, then ya can tell me how ya got so caught up in one of our trees that I had to buck ya out of it.”
“Gotcha...”
So after first, second, and third helpings of food, I was stuffed. I don’t think I ever had that many apples in one sitting but I wasn’t about to turn down a free meal. One by one, the other ponies left the table until it was just Applejack and I. But before I could let the food coma set in, I knew that I had some explaining to do. She must have seen my eyes drooping, because the questions began right as I was contemplating escape.
“So? Circuit, was it?”, I nodded, “How in the hay did ya end up in one of our apple trees?”
All I could really do was shrug. “I wish I knew.”
“Come again?”
I wasn’t kidding with her on this one. I did wish I knew I why. Not remembering when the last time I ate was bad enough, but not remembering why I was tangled in an apple tree was a rather disturbing prospect.
“I’m being serious. I really don’t know why I was in your tree. And when you bucked me out of it, I didn’t exactly get a chance to explain myself.”
“Sorry ‘bout that. Can ya at least tell me where you’re from?”, Applejack asked calmly.
Now I was getting annoyed again, but not by Applejack and her questions. I was annoyed by my lack of memory.
Why the buck can’t I remember anything?!
“I..don’t know where. I really don’t. The earliest memory I can come up with is waking up with a headache from Nightmare Moon herself, tangled in your tree. Before that, my mind is literally a blank. At least I know my name.”
“Yeah, I guess. Well, I suppose we can’t just have ya roaming Ponyville not knowin’ who ya are.”
That would be less than optimal.
“So we’ll put ya up in the guest room fer now, and see what we can do about yer memory tomorrow.”
“Thanks. So what do I owe you?”
“Not a bit. Now git up them stairs and git some sleep, we have a big day tomorrow.”
Bossy, but... “All right. Thanks AppleJack.”
I wasn’t exactly sure what she meant by ‘big day’ but she had fed me and given me a room, so she couldn’t be that bad. On the plus side, she did look kinda cute but that could have been my busted head.
Back in the guest room, I laid down, just staring at the ceiling.
What in Luna’s name happened to me?
Author's Note
I wish I could have gotten this chapter out earlier. Much earlier. But sometimes life shits on you, but I won't let you down.
I own the characters Circuit Wave, Motherboard, and The Commander
Chapter 3 - Twlght_Sprkl.lib
Chapter 3 - Twlght_Sprkl.lib
In a huge forest, surrounded by trees that seemed to stretch to the heavens, I opened my eyes and was blinded by Celestia’s sun yet again. I squinted my eyes and cursed out, “Fuck, Celestia. Make it brighter why don’cha, seriously?”
Even with these trees everywhere, I still had to shield my eyes. I didn’t even know where the buck I was. I got off my back just started trotting in a direction. I didn’t know where I was going but a well-worn path of grass seemed to be forming just past where my eyes could see, so I followed it.
Walking for what seemed like hours. I was getting a bit concerned. “Anypony here?”, I yelled. There was nothing. No sound but my own echo.
What’s going on here? Seriously, is there nopony else here?
Now I was going from concerned to a bit of a panic. No bugs. No birds. No nothing, just forest and a path. I continued on, given all the choice I had. Just then, my ears perked up to some sound beyond the shrubbery in front of me.
“Circuit.”, some random voice echoed
“What? Hello? Is somepony there?”, I inquired
“…he would have grown to be quite the stallion.”
I walked closer to the sound. I didn’t know what was going on and since there wasn’t anypony else here, I had to be the one he-she-whatever was talking about.
“Yes, ‘Circuit Wave’. That’s a fine name for him. It fits him well.”
I jumped up and pushed the shrubbery to side. “HA!”, I yelled, but nopony was there. I looked all around, darting my eyes, making sure I wasn’t being ambushed or something. I got myself low to the ground, kept silent.
“You don’t have to be scared, Circuit. I won’t bite.”
There was voice coming from somewhere but I couldn’t exactly pinpoint where it was coming from, whoever it was could obviously see me. This was a problem.
“Who are you? Where are you? How do you know me? Where the hell am I?”, I shot these questions out faster as my level of panic rose.
This omnipresent voice was laughing. “So many questions, Circuit. I will answer all of them in due time. First, my name is…”
The voice faded into incoherent mumbling after that as the ground began shaking. I was watching the clouds dissipate as if some filly was popping them like bubbles. I grabbed on to the nearest tree and shouted, “What? Tell me! What is your name?!”
“Mmmggetup....”. That was the only word I could make out. The shaking continued and got more intense. Soon, I was shaken off of the tree and right onto the ground.
* * * * *
“Come on now, git up! We just got the sun and Ah don’t wanna waste a minute of it!”
That was when my eyes quickly opened and I saw Applebloom towering over me. I was somehow shifted off of the soft comforting bed to under the way-too-chipper filly, laying on my back. She had a huge smile on her face. I got myself off of the floor and her attention diverted from my face to my flank. It was a bit weird but my grogginess made calling out her rudeness less of a priority.
“Ah tried to to be gentle but you can sure sleep when ya want to. A gentle buck did the trick though.”
Thanks , Applejack. I glanced at the mare in question standing on the opposite side of the bed from her sister and I, and inwardly groaned.
I don’t know if there were a special set of apples these ponies had in their rooms or something but there was nothing normal about her and her sister being this damn cheerful this damn early.
If they have all this energy, we don’t we just have them power Equestria or something. Who in Tartarus gets up this early?!
Her and Applebloom trotted from the room like mares on a mission, and I groaned. As quickly as my aching body would allow, I threw the covers back on the bed. I slowly trotted downstairs and saw the Apple Family already digging into breakfast.
It’s gotta be the apples...
I sat myself at the only chair available at the table, next to Applebloom. She finished her set of pancakes just as I was digging into mine.
As soon as the last bite went down her little throat, she asked the question that seemed to be burning her little mind since I woke up. “So...where’s your cutie mark?”
“My wha?”, with apple pancakes still thick in my mouth, it was hard to get the words out.
“Your cutie mark. Y’know, that special symbol that’s supposed to show your special talent.”
I just shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess I don’t have one.” Adding that to the list of things I don’t have...
“Whadda mean you don’t have one? Everypony gets one. Your supposed to get it when you find out that special something you can do.”
“So where’s yours?”
“I don’t have one yet.” She didn’t seemed phased at all by that question. “Everyone says that I’m too small and I need to wait...” Applejack nodded from across the table “but my friends and I are working real hard to find our talents! I mean, if we just keep trying different things, we are bound to get our cutie marks sooner than later. That’s why we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders !”
Those late three words bellowed from her mouth like some kind of speaker set way too high. When the ringing in my ears stopped, I replied, “Well, I hope you get it soon.”
“Yeah, maybe you can help us too! You don’t have yours either and you're a lot older than us.”
Honestly, I don’t know how to feel about that. Thanks?
“Now Applebloom, don’t go gettin’ Circuit wrapped up in your club when he has his own problems. I am sure he can help you girls later.”
“...Ok.” Applebloom seemed a little deflated by that. I guess she thought that I held some magical key to her cutie mark.
After a very uncomfortable breakfast, Granny Smith slowly cleared the table and Applejack informed us all what we would be doing today.
“Now, Ah know that we’re excited about this visitor but we still got chores that need doin’.”
Applebloom groaned, “But Sis, somepony needs to properly introduce him and we can’t have him doin’ our chores.”
“Right you are,” Applejack replied, “but on the same hoof, somepony and her friends wanted to get their cutie marks in campin’ and now the clubhouse is a half-burned mess. There ain’t no time like the present to get it cleaned up.”
“Aw phooey...” Applebloom kicked at the floor.
“Now while you clean your mess and Big Mac gets plowin’...”
“Eeyup.”
“...I’ll take Circuit over to Twilight's before I hit the apple stall. Maybe she can get some questions answered for you.” She nudged me and I yawned. It was still too early for normal ponies to be up.
“Well come on now! Time’s a wastin’!”
I still didn’t quite understand how a pony could have this much energy so early in the morning. Maybe it was something in the apples. I’m not sure. One thing I did know what was that she was the closest thing to help I had so I kinda had to deal with it.
The well-worn road leading from Sweet Apple Acres to Ponyville was a long one. The trot to town did wake me up and I was able to take in the scenery a little better than I had yesterday. The trees were tall and sporting a full set of leaves, perfect for sleeping under. That one tree giving you enough shade to set your flank down and be completely covered while the cool breeze on top of the warm sun made the perfect temperature to put me right into a nice nap. I could so go for some more sleep right now...
The grass was especially green and the soft wind was making the already beautiful flowers dance a little. I didn’t know whether or not I was still suffering under some type of concussion but things were just really...pretty.
Applejack led me through town and there were just so many ponies just up and about. They were all so friendly as well. I was getting, “Hi”s and “Hello”s all the way through. I didn’t know any of them so I just cocked half a smile and nodded.
“So where is this Twilight that you said could help me?”
“She actually lives right here.” Applejack stopped and pointed to the largest tree I had ever seen. There was a little patio deck and a door on the front. I looked around the sides and it didn’t seem to be anything more than a tree but I didn’t understand how anypony could actually live inside the trunk of a tree.
Applejack went through the solid oak doors and I followed suit. Inside, I could have sworn that I walked through some sort of portal. The inside of the tree was huge with books everywhere and a wooden bust of somepony dominating the center of the room. I stood there for a bit with my eyes wide open just staring at it all with a dumb look on my face. I went back to the door and stuck my head out, making sure it wasn’t a trick or anything.
It wasn’t. Somehow the tree was just bigger on the inside. While I was admiring the view, Applejack disappeared up a set of stairs, calling for Twilight.
Good thing I know where I am...
A little annoyed at her sudden departure, I decided to inspect the massive selection of books. Whoever lived here had a meticulous eye for detail. Trotting around this massive library, I could see that each area of books had been ordered by category and alphabetically, in that order. There wasn’t a book out of place nor was there a speck of dust on the outer spine of any of them. It was as if somepony dusted each book individually.
I heard hoofsteps coming down the stairs and Applejack came down with a lavender pony. She had a multi-colored mane and some type of star on her flank. It was in the same spot where Applejack had her set of apples. That must be what Applebloom was talking about earlier, the “Cutie Mark.” I could gather that Applejack’s talent had to with apples, being on the farm and all. But this other pony just had a six pointed star. I couldn’t make that out but I wasn’t going to ask her out of the blue.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, their conversation seemed to be ending, “...and that’s why Ah came to you, Twi. I figured that if anypony could give us a hint about where he came from, it’d be you.”
“Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence, Applejack. I will surely do my best.”, the lavender one, who by now I realised must be Twilight, replied, “But honestly, I don’t where to start with him. I am going to need a little more information.”
“You can get it from him yourself. This here is Circuit Wave.”, gesturing to me, “And Circuit, this is Twilight Sparkle, the smartest pony Ah know...”
Twilight interrupted her with a slight blush coming to her cheeks,“Applejack, I’m not that smart. I am sure there are other ponies smarter than me.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow and smiled,” And saved Equestria three times already?”
Trying not to be the center of attention, Twilight was looking for an escape, “Thank you, Applejack. I know you have a stall to get to and I will do my best with Circuit.”
Applejack nodded and quickly trotted out the door after saying, “Thanks, Twi!”
The door slammed shut and Twilight turned to me and smiled, “So Circuit I know introductions have already been made but It’s nice to meet you. My name is Twilight Sparkle.”
Author's Note
It was actually a hard thing trying to get this chapter out. I was debating whether or not I was putting in too much detail. Then, my editor fixed that and here we are.
Thanks to my editor, Mistress_SarahKun
As usual, I know Circuit Wave, Motherboard, "The Commander" and nopony else.
View Online
Chapter 4 - Are you sure you want to convert this file?...Y/N
Motherboard woke up to sharp knocking on the break room door. Groggily, she trotted to the door and opened it to see the Commander standing there. Without a gesture for entry, The Commander walked forward, past Motherboard and placed his hoof on the break room table.
Concerned, Motherboard asked,“Sir? It is 02:00 hours. Don’t you have to wake up for your monthly meeting with the masses?”
“That can and will wait, Motherboard. We have more pressing issues.” The Commander wasn’t even giving Motherboard eye contact but instead was looking away and at the coffee maker.
Motherboard trotted over to The Commander. Seeing his glance at the coffee maker she asked, “Would you like some coffee, Sir?”
With his slow nod, Motherboard prepared the coffee and The Commander continued. “I want you to begin work on another cyberpony.”
Motherboard nodded, “Understood, Sir.”
Thinking about it for a moment, she tilted her head slightly. “But don’t you think that it is too soon to send another model out into the field?” Motherboard was only slightly surprised by The Commander’s request. Circuit had not even had enough time to report in so she knew that he couldn’t have run into any problems.
She hoped he hadn’t run into any problems.
Motherboard finished preparing his coffee and had levitated it to the table beside him.. Taking another small sip, “I know that we don’t want to spook anypony or give away Cir- the cyberpony.”
For a small moment, The Commander chuckled and reagined his serious demeanor ,“That you don’t have to worry about, Motherboard. This cyberpony won’t be in the field. The cyberpony will be me.”
Motherboard’s eyes widened. The coffee cup fell out of her grip and shattered on the break room floor. “Sir?! You can’t be serious!”
“I am dead serious, Motherboard. You know me well enough. I never joke.”, his voice deepened to emphasise the last sentence. “It has been years since I took you up on your offer to find a way to heal me. I had thoughts of sending you to camp, had you not come up with a solution.”
Motherboard swallowed down the lump in her throat. Trying not to allow visions of her nightmares to surface in front of The Commander, she defended herself, “Sir, you know that I have been working hard on finding a cure for you!”
“Cease your yelling, Motherboard. I know you don’t want to fail me. That wouldn’t be in your best interest. I am giving you a simple...redirection. I want you to split your efforts between watching the prototype and working on my new body. Don’t you see? I mean, it’s perfect. This body will rot and decay away with whatever is killing...”, The Commander had to pause to cough up more blood into his hoof but he continued, “Ahem...is killing me but my mind will live on and soon I will prove to that idiot Celestia what I have done and what I can do!”
“O-of course, Sir.”
Ending his tirade, The Commander saw Motherboard staring into her coffee. “Motherboard, what is your problem?”
“N-nothing, Sir. I was lost in thought. I will begin work on your new body immediately.”
“Yes you will. You and I will be working much closer on this project due to the specifications I have for you. This won’t be a problem. I know you will make time.”
Automatically Motherboard responded, “Of course, Sir.” She knew that she didn’t have a choice. The Commander had made up his mind, and there was no changing it. It was now just a matter of making it happen.
“Well, now that we have that out of the way, I will let you sleep. You have the weekend off. I expect good things from you, Motherboard.”
With that, The Commander left the room and closed the door behind him. Motherboard immediately fell to her haunches, releasing the tension that showing the restraint she had to have in front of The Commander imposed upon her body. Life was hard for her, but at the same time, she was the most privileged unicorn in Technicolt. Living directly under his hoof wasn’t as bad as outside the complex. But on the other hoof, being run ragged would kill her before the Commander’s curse could run its course.
“Oh, Luna”, she sobbed, “What am I going to do?”, She said this while staring into her coffee, her reflection, as if asking it for guidance.
You know exactly what you’re going to do.
“But I know the process isn’t even close to ready. I don’t think we have the technology for that. He isn’t thinking straight.”
Obviously, that’s why you have to make it.
“But it could kill him.”
It could.
“I don’t want him to die.”
You don’t? After all he has done to you?
“No. He has taken care of me.”
No. He made you his slave.
“No he hasn’t! I am protected and he cares about me. I am important to him.”
You are a tool to him.
“No, I am more than that!” She paused,” He needs me. He needs me...”
The reflection did not offer any retort. Now, she was left unsure about herself. She knew where her place was. It was with The Commander. She was safe with him. She was protected with him. She knew that The Commander only takes care of the things he cared about, so he must care about her.
Motherboard was willing to prove that.
Author's Note
Still here. And working on getting more of this out to your eyeholes.
Enjoy and comment!
Chapter 5 - System Restore Failed
I don’t know why Applejack thought that this librarian could help me figure out who I was. This pony had to be crazy or at least, not all together. I am not exactly sure what type of pony has a secret lab under a bigger-on-the-inside tree trunk that doubles as her home and a library but I am going to assume that it’s a pony that shouldn’t be messed with.
That was where she led me after an hour or two of Twenty Questions to which most of my answers were ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t remember”. I didn’t know what else to tell her but I couldn’t tell her something I just didn’t know. I was as upset as she was but she seemed to be taking it personal.
“So you don’t have any clue where you’re from? No hints at all?”, she questioned
“Nope. Same as fifteen minutes ago, Twilight...”, I said annoyed. I wasn’t trying to be short with her.
OK, that’s a lie. I was.
I was getting annoyed with being strapped up to this weird chair like I was being interrogated. There was a helmet on my head with lights on it, glowing like stupid Hearth’s Warming Tree.
Also, I had so many wires connected from me to another machine printing some useless result that I couldn’t even read. All I saw was some jagged lines and she would just read it and nod or just groan.
It was more groaning than anything.
The lab at this point was just littered with scrolls and books everywhere. She was trotting through her own results and I don’t think she even noticed. Her mane was out of sorts and choppy. I really think she was losing it and here I was stuck in this chair down here with her.
All I could do was follow her with my eyes as she went back and forth. “It’s like I said before, I can’t tell you what I don’t know. The first thing that I remember is waking up in apple tree on Applejack’s farm only to be promptly kicked out of it. I’ve got nothing before that.”
“But you have to have some other memories. Ponies just don’t appear out of nowhere. That’s not scientifically possible. You’re not scientifically possible. I mean you could have teleported. You are a unicorn. Do you know how to teleport?”
“I-“
She cut me off before I could get a word out. “Teleporting is possible. But that wouldn’t cause memory loss like this. Maybe slight headaches at the most for those not trained properly. There’s no case written like this in my books about this. Then again, I am only looking in my books. The Canterlot Archive might have something. Hmmm. Well, I guess I could try….” She showed no signs of stopping.
“Twi-“
“Twilight!”
I was cut off, again, this time by a small purple creature coming from the top of the stairs. “How long are you going to be down there? Pinkie Pie wanted to know if I could help her with some special cupcakes she wanted to make!”, the creature yelled.
Without even lifting her gaze to what looked to be a small purple dragon, she said “Sure Spike! Take whatever you need! Now where am I going to find…”
“No. She doesn’t need ingredients, she needs... Are you even listening?” The small dragon groaned himself and walked down the stairs. There seems to be a lot of groaning in this tree.
So a librarian has a dragon that can breathe fire in her library, in her tree; all of which are flammable. This makes complete sense.
The dragon got to the bottom of the stairs and yelled, “Equestria to Twilight!” That shook Twilight out of her trance as whatever scrolls she had in her telekinetic grasp scattered around her. One of them smacked me in the face and I blew it off.
“Spike? When did you get down here?”, Twilight asked
“Just now. I was trying to get your attention but you weren’t listening.”
Twilight shook her head, “Sorry Spike. I was trying to figure out help Circuit here with his memories and I wasn’t getting anywhere.”
“I could tell…”, he said under his breath. “Wait? Circuit? Who’s that?”, Spike questioned
Twilight pointed her hoof to me and I just said ‘Hey’. “So what’s wrong with his memories?”, Spike asked.
“That’s just the thing. I don’t know! I’ve looked through every book I have. I’ve gone through every record of Equestrian history I have and nothing! He doesn’t remember anything. Not a picture, not a person. All I have is an apple tree! And I just know that ponies just don’t appear out of thin air. I mean I know that Star Swirl…”
This time, both Spike and I yelled, “Twilight!” I was more than ready to get out of this chair when
I am not sure if Twilight broke again but she was really quiet for a while and then got the biggest smile on her face and instantly grabbed Spike and squeezed him. “Why didn’t I think of that?” What would I do without you, Spike!”
She lowered Spike down and he puffed out his chest. “Well, I am your number one assistant for a reason!”
“Yes, you are Spike. Now get me my crown and I will get Circuit out of this chair.”
“I’m on it!”, Spike said cheerfully
Thank Luna..
Spike ran upstairs and Twilight unlatched me from my interrogation chair. “About bucking time…”, I whispered. It wasn’t the right time or place to let her have it and it wasn’t even necessary but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t want to do it.
“Spike shouldn’t be too long and then we can finally solve your memory malady.”
I gave a small half grin. Perhaps only a quarter grin, even. “Gotcha. So what exactly is this spell going to do? I mean I really don’t remember anything else.”
“Well, I am sure you do remember everything actually. Your brain just needs to be reminded of it,”
“So what? it’s like restoring my brain to its proper state?”
“Actually that’s a very good way to put it. I had to use this spell when my friends were taken over by Discord.”
“Who’s Discord?”
“He’s the spirit of disharmony…”, Twilight rolled her eyes,”...the God of Chaos. About two years ago, he broke free from his prison and tried to let loose his chaotic reign on Ponyville. My friends and I had to use the Elements of Harmony to trap him again. But that wasn’t before he tricked us into fighting each other instead of him. I had to use the memory spell to remind my friends who they were so we could use the elements against him.”
“That sounds cool. So where is he trapped now?”
“Oh, he isn’t trapped anymore. I am sure that he is with Fluttershy at this time of day. They usually have tea together.”
Another one of her friends. Gotcha.
Spike came back down stairs with a golden crown with a lavender jewel similar to Twilight’s cutie mark. It was resting on a red pillow with golden tassels on each corner. It looked like it belonged to a princess.
Pointing to an empty area in the lab she asked me to stand still. She levitated the crown on top of her head and trotted close to me until our faces were only an inch or two apart.
“I am not sure exactly what will happen but I am at least 75% sure this will work. Just do your best to try and remember anything you can before the tree. Anything at all will help.”
I nodded. I can’t get much worse.
I did my best to trying to get anything since before the tree and I was getting nothing. It was just black but not a normal black. It was just fuzzy. Like looking at salt and pepper close up and it was moving in front of you.
Twilight’s horn glowed softly and I could feel something strange as her horn touched mine. I couldn’t describe it but my face scrunched up due to the uncomfortable feeling.
Suddenly my necklace made a sharp noise as a bolt of what looked like an electric surge shot forward out of the green gem and hit Twilight, knocking her down, pushing me back backward a little.
Spike ran to her immediately to check on her. “Hey Twilight! Are you ok?”
“Yes, I’m fine Spike. It didn’t hurt or anything. Whatever it was just stunned me a little bit.” Surprisingly, I was fine. I didn’t feel anything from that and whatever I was feeling was gone. I didn’t even have a headache which is what typically would have happened. I looked down at my necklace and the gem was just pulsing. Twilight got up and rubbed her head and looked at the crown on her head.
“At least nopony got hurt and the element didn’t get damaged.”, Twilight said
“Sure. Is it ok to call it day with this, Twilight? I don’t want anypony else to get hurt fixing my
“Of course. We can continue things another day. We’ve got some cleaning to do anyway.”
“Want some help?”, I asked
“Thanks but I have Spike. You can head back to Applejack’s place. We have things covered here.”
“All right then. Have a good one and sorry about that.” I walked back up the stairs and let myself out of the library but things were still happening downstairs.
* * *
Twilight took the crown off her head, set it back on the pillow and looked at Spike. “Please get a letter ready to the Princess.” He went to the podium and starting writing the letter.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I met a pony named Circuit Wave. Applejack had brought him over because he said that could not remember where he came from. I knew that he had to remember so after some tests, I eventually used the memory spell that I used during my friend’s and I fight with Discord. The problem was that the spell failed when our horns touched and I was knocked backwards by a gem attached to his necklace. I am fine but I am concerned because I have never seen anything like this. Whether it be an enchantment on the gem or otherwise, I do not know. Another thing that concerns me was that Circuit didn’t even recognize what happened, like he had no control of it. I would like to meet with you try and talk more about it. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle