Chapter 1 - The Secret of The Mechanical Pony
The Forgotten Pony
Chapter 1 - The Secret of The Mechanical Pony
“Okay, I just need to add two drops of this into the mixture, no more.” Twilight Sparkle said to herself as she carefully began to add the drops from her phial but then the sound of her door opening and the loud voice of Rainbow Dash.
“Where are you Twilight?” startled her and she poured the entire phial into the mixture.
“Oh uh.” She yelp before jumping away from the violently reacting mixture, right before it exploded and buried her under some of her equipment.
“Yer okay, Twilight?” she heard Applejack call as her friends came down into her basement.
“Yeah I’m fine,” Twilight said as they help her out from under all of her equipment, “thank you for the help.” She said and smiled at them.
“Hey Twilight, when did you get another door in your basement?” Pinkie Pie asked and Twilight and the others looked at her.
“What are you talking about Pinkie, I haven’t gotten another door down here.” Twilight said but Pinkie Pie just pointed at a section of the wall, that had been damaged and a door could be seen behind it, and said.
“Then what about this door, it wasn’t here before.” And began to jump around them while humming to herself.
“I don’t know where it come from but I guess it must have been here from before I moved here, come we must check it out.” Twilight Sparkle said as she walked over to the damaged wall and used her magic to remove the rest of the wall covering the door.
“Well I guess you are right, dear.” Rarity said while throwing her mane back.
“Um…I, um…guess so…” Flutershy said in a low voice, while Pinkie Pie still jumped happily around.
“Yeah it’ll be just like a Daring Do adventure!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she made a loop in the air before landing beside Twilight Sparkle.
“He he, I don’t think it will be that exciding Rainbow Dash, but who knows.” Twilight Sparkle said with a smiled as she and Applejack opened the door and she used her magic to make a light as she lead them through the door and into a long tunnel, that went slightly downward.
***
After a few minutes of walking they came to another door. “Wonder what’s behind it?” Twilight asked before lifting her left hoof to open the door but Rainbow Dash stopped her.
“Be careful Twilight, it could be booby trapped.” She said before beginning to examine the door.
“Oh come on, Rainbow Dash, this is not one of you books.” Rarity said but Twilight Sparkle interrupted her.
“No she could be right, this is old and we don’t know who build it or why, so caution is advisable.” Twilight Sparkle said before being interrupted by Pinkie Pie.
“But Rainbow Dash don’t know how to see if the door is booby trapped, or how to disable it if it is.” She said in a sing-song voice making all of the others freeze, before Rainbow turn back to them with a sheepish smile on her muzzle.
“He he, sorry.” She said and the others laughed with her.
“Let me Rainbow Dash,” Twilight Sparkle said as she focused her magic on the door for a few moments, “there is not traps on it but it seems it is locked somehow and I don’t know…” she said, and stopped in surprise, as the door opened before ending her sentence, “…how to unlock it.” She looked at her friends, and they looked at her, in surprise before regaining her composure.
“How did Ya do tha’, Twilight?” Applejack asked her but she just shook her head.
“Don’t know, while I was using my magic it just…opened op, but never mind that, let’s take a look inside.” She said as she pushed the door more open and stepped inside and stared in wonder, alongside her friends, at the numerous machines and mountains of books, scrolls and papers.
“What is all this,” Rarity said as she looked closer at a stack of book, before turning her head away with a frown, “this place is dreadful. Has somepony never heard of cleaning up, the place is a mess!” Applejack just shook her head and said.
“Rarity, more than likely there haven’ been anypony here in hundreds of years.” But Twilight Sparkle interrupted her.
“I think it may be more like a thousand or more years.” They looked at her as she was looking at a book.
“Why do Yer think that, Twilight?” Applejack asked and Twilight Sparkle pointed at the book she was looking at.
“This is a First Edition of ‘Magical Alternative Theory’ and it is over two thousand years old and as far as I know nopony has seen a First Edition of this, except inside of a collector’s collection, in over one thousand years.” She said and the others looked around in awe at the old book and strange machines.
“What is this?” they heard Pinkie Pie ask and looked over at her and saw her standing in front of another door.
“What is what, Pinkie?” Twilight Sparkle asked and walked over to her, with the others behind her.
“That.” She said pointing into the room, Twilight Sparkle looked inside and her eyes went wide.
“What in the name of Celestia…” She said as she took a few steps inside, followed by her friend, while Pinkie Pie went over to one of the machines, that had a glowing screen and seeing it had a lot of letters began to type, while talking out loud.
“Party!” and a red symbol appeared on the glowing screen with the words ‘Access Denied’ below, “okay then, Surprise Party!” she typed, with the result.
“What is that, Twilight dear?” Rarity asked as they all looked at a life-size mechanical Earth Pony, that was connected to a couple of other machines.
“Um how about, Cupcakes!” Pinkie Pie tried with the same results as before.
“I…I don’t really know, it seems to be a mechanic pony but that doesn’t make sense.” Twilight said and the other looked at her.
“Ehm, Sun!” Pinkie Pie tried without any luck.
“What do Yer mean, Twilight?” Applejack asked confused.
“Hem, Celestia?” Pinkie Pie tried…with the same result as before.
“For the first, why would anypony make a mechanical pony?” Twilight Sparkle asked and they looked at her and wonder about that themselves.
“Let’s try, Moon?” Pinkie Pie tried again without success.
“And secondly that kind of technology didn’t exist over a thousand years ago, for that matter I don’t even think it exist in this day…at least not as advanced as this.” She said and they all looked back at the mechanic pony.
“Okay then, Luna?” Pinkie Pie tried and was already about to try again when the red symbol turned green and the words changed to ‘Access Granted’ for a moment she just look at the screen, with her hooves dangling, before jumping up and down saying. “I did it, I did it,” over and over for a moment, before looking back at the screen and called to the other, “hey girls, you might want to look at this.” They looked at her and saw her standing in front of a glowing screen with a lot of symbols on it.
“What in Tarnation is that?” Applejack asked as they all walked over to Pinkie Pie.
“Not sure but,” Twilight said as she looked at the screen, “I think that there,” she pointed to one of the symbols, “is a diary,” and touched the symbol, which opened it up and revealed dated entries, “and it seemed I was right,” she then hit the last entry and another screen was open up on the screen, “this was the last entry, let’s see what happened.” She said as the room they were in appeared on the screen and a blue/white Earth Pony stallion, with light green eyes and a mane of white/gray, brown, blue and red blending together, appeared, looking very depressed.
“So many years has passed since the accident…for so long after it happen I couldn’t face her…it’s so many years since I send her my message, I had hoped she would come but…she never did, she has forgotten me.” He then looked up and they saw a few tears in his eyes. “For so many years I have waited for her but the pain has grown too much for me to bear,” he turned and walk away from the screen while still talking, “I’m activating the ‘Lock Down Protocol Alpha Moon’ if you have finally come for me, the knowledge to deactivate the lock down is in the message I send you so long ago,” he then turn back and looked into the screen, “if the instructions have been lost, remember no matter what, you are the only one who can overwrite ‘Alpha Moon’.” He then looks away from the screen again and seem to be staring into empty space. “Even if you have forgotten me, I could never forget you, I will remain here waiting for you, as I have for all those years and I will till the end of time. This is the last entry from Metamorphgious until the ‘Lock Down’ has been deactivated.” As he said the last sentence something strange was happening to him and after a few moments they all turn around to look at the mechanical pony, as on the screen behind them now stood a mechanical pony, with Metamerphgious’s clolour scheme.
“By Celestia, how did he do that?” Applejack asked in shock and turned to Twilight Sparkle, like all of the others, but Twilight Sparkle just shook her head.
“I don’t know, I’ve never even heard of something like this.” Twilight Sparkle said and the others turned back to the mechanic pony, while she went back over to the diary entries.
“It’s sad.” Fluttershy softly said which made the others look at her.
“What do you mean, Fluttershy, dear?” Rarity asked and Fluttershy lowered her head and looked back at the mechanic pony.
“He waited for somepony for so many years, alone here, that he must have grown delirious before doing this to himself, believing she would come for him…and now she is probably long dead…” Fluttershy said in a low sad voice but Twilight Sparkle interrupted her.
“I’m not so sure about that Fluttershy.” She said making Fluttershy peek up.
“Really?” she asked and looked at Twilight in wonder, “why?”
Twilight motioned for them to come over to her before pointing at the screen. “See here this last entry, it’s from around 1346 years ago,” she then scrolled down the screen to the first entry, “but this entry is around 763 years before the last entry.” Her friends just looked at her.
“But Twilight, that’s not possible.” Applejack said and Rainbow Dash nodded.
“She’s right he can’t be the sa…” she began but stopped mid-sentence and stared in wonder, together with her friends, when Twilight Sparkle started the first entry and they saw the same pony from the last entry.
“This is my first entry since fleeing here,” he looked hunted, “6 months and 26 days has passed since the accident that took everything from me, I…I can’t look her in the eyes, not…now, maybe some time later,” he looked away from the screen and they saw a tear run down his cheek, “I’m sorry for disappearing without a word but I have no choice,” he then seemed to regain his composure, “I just wanted to make this entry to mark the completion of my secret laboratory here in the quite town of Everfree Spring, named after the fabled Everfree Dream Forest that it lays by…” he got a melancholy look on his face, “wonder if I’ll ever again walk though it by her side and Dream with her again,” then a tear ran down his cheek and he said, “Metamorphgious out.” And the entry stopped.
“But how could he be alive after more than 600 years without even looking a day older.” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I don’t know but I won’t mind knowing his secret to keep looking so young.” Rarity said and Rainbow Dash hooffaced herself.
“I don’t know but he keeps referring to some kind of accident, that may be the answer to that question but there is another more pressing question,” Twilight Sparkle said and her friends looked at her, “Who is it he is talking about that he is sure is still alive, I personally can only think of two ponies…the princesses, they may know more.”
“You are right Twilight the Princesses must learn of this, they must know something.” Rainbow Dash said and the others nodded in agreement.
“Okay then let’s return to my home and send a letter for Princess Celestia and take the first train to Canterlot to speak with them.” Twilight said as she led them back to her home.
***
“SPIKE, where are you.” Twilight Sparkle called on her assistant.
“Right here.” The little purple dragon said as he came running to her from the top floor.
“I need you to take a letter for the Princess at once,” she said before turning to her friends, “go and prepare for a trip to Canterlot.” They nodded and went on home to themselves, she then turned to Spike.
“Ready.” He said holding a scroll and a quill in his claw-hands.
“Dear Princess Celestia
I had an accident in my basement today that damaged one of the walls revealing a door that lead to a strange underground secret laboratory belonging to a pony from around 2000 years ago that I think either one or both of you and Luna knew and if that is right then there is something you need to know a.s.a.p., so me and my friends are coming to Canterlot as soon as we can and I request an audience with you and Luna as soon as you can permit it.
Your Faithfull Student Twilight Sparkle.”
She looked at Spike. “Did you get it all?” he looked at it for a moment and nodded, “then send it, we are going to Canterlot.” She said as she packed a quick saddleback.
“Ok Twilight.” He said before blowing his magical green flames over the scroll sending it to Princess Celestia.
***
“Where are they?” Twilight asked as she stood at the train station waiting.
“There they are.” Spike said and pointed at five ponies walking towards them.
“Howdy, we’re not late, are we?” Applejack asked as they reached Twilight Sparkle and Spike.
“No not at all,” Twilight said as the train entered the station, “let’s get aboard.” She said as they all went inside and found their seats and waited for the train to continue.
Just then Spike belched and from his green flames a scroll dropped, he swiftly took it up and opened it and began to read.
“My Most Faithfull Student Twilight Sparkle.
You letter has me and Luna very intrigued and we are awaiting you and your friends in the throne room, please hurry.
Princess Celestia.”
“Phew, I was afraid we might would have had to wait.” She said and relaxed somewhat and talked with her friends on the rest of the trip.
***
After reaching Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle and her friends hurried up to the castle to meet the Princesses.
“Ah Twilight Sparkle you have arrived, now please tell me what has happened.” Princess Celestia said, her multi coloured mane flowing in an non-existing wind, sitting with her sister beside her.
“Well as I said in my letter I had an accident with an experiment I was doing and it caused a small explosion to accrue in my basement, revealing a hidden door leading to a tunnel. We followed it until we came to another door it was lock in some why I don’t understand but it opened on its own, when I used my magic to examine it. On the other side of the door were a lot of strange machines and mountains of books, scrolls and papers, there was another door that led into another room where there was a mechanical pony, and Pinkie Pie,” she smiled at Pinkie Pie, “somehow managed to break a passcode for one of the machines in the room and I found a diary from the one who made the place, he said he had been waiting for somepony, somepony he was sure was still alive, and he said his name was,” Twilight Sparkle said and looked at the Princesses, they both looked very interested and Luna even looked somewhat uncomfortable like she was getting a bad feeling, “Metamorphgious.”
“WHAT DID YOU SAY,” Princess Luna shouted and Twilight could see a rage in her eye, and then she blinked as she saw tears in her eyes, “METAMORPHGIOUS IS DEAD, HE DIED IN A TERRIABLE ACCIDENT, I…I NEVER…I never…I never saw him again.” She broke down at the end as the rage left her and she just lay there beside her sister crying, Twilight Sparkle just sat with wide eyes, shocked into stillness from Princess Luna’s outburst, and following breakdown. Her friends had taken a few steps back in fear at Luna’s outburst, Fluttershy had just covered her head with her hooves but when Luna broke down in tears her kind nature made her go to her and gently placed her hoof caringly on her made trying to comfort her.
Celestia smiled at Fluttershy before turning back to Twilight Sparkle. “Luna speaks the true, nopony have seen or heard from him since the accident, so anypony have thought him dead but you say you have learned he didn’t die in the accident?” she asked puzzled, Twilight Sparkle nodded.
“I am certain Princess, he mentioned an accident many time but didn’t say much about it, only that it had taken everything from him.” Celestia pondered her words for a few moments.
“How did he look?” She finally asked while Luna, under Fluttershy’s gentle comfort had regained some of her composure and listen to Twilight Sparkle as she began to describe the pony.
“His coat was a blue/white, his eyes a light green, his mane a blending of the colours; white/gray, brown, blue and red, and his Cutie Mark is a strange symbol with a circle around it with symbols of Air, Earth, Water and Fire on it.” As she finished describing the pony Lune broke down crying again and Celestia look down with a sorrowful look in her eyes.
“That was Metamorphgious, so he survived but why did he disappear after the accident?” Celestia wondered while her sister cried beside her, she gently place one wing over her Luna.
“Don’t know Princess, his diary may hold the answer, but…” she cast a careful glance at Luna, “he may be able to answer it better himself.” Her words made both Princesses stiffen and Lune seemed about to decent down on Twilight Sparkle with all her fury but Celestia blocked her with her wing.
“Peace sister,” she said to Luna before looking back at Twilight Sparkle, “explain Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight Sparkle looked a little worried but continued.
“First I must ask you something,” Celestia looked interested down at her, “was Metamorphgious…immortal?” Luna stiffened again but Celestia just shook her head.
“No, like all ponies he was mortal,” she then lower her head as she said in a low voice, “but even though that he was to have been Luna’s consort, that’s why she reacts the way she do, it still hurt her…hurt us both,” she then looked back at Twilight Sparkle, “but why do you ask you should know that already?” she asked and Twilight Sparkle look around a little uncomfortable.
“I think whatever the ‘accident’ was it somehow made him immortal,” she held up her hoof to stop both Princesses from interrupting her, “his diary entries span around 760 years and he don’t seem to have aged a day in all those years. Also about not having heard anything from him I don’t understand as he said in his diary that he had send a message to you, Luna, sometime after the accident, and he waited for you for hundreds of years and…he is still waiting.” Her words made Luna gasp and she stood up and looked at Twilight Sparkle.
“What do you mean, if he is still waiting why didn’t you take him with you?” she asked but Twilight Sparkle shook her head.
“Because we couldn’t, somehow he changed himself into a machine pony that don’t react to anything, he said that the waiting had become too painful and that he was going to activate ‘Lock Down Protocol Alpha Moon’ and that the only way to deactivate the lock down was in the messaged he send you.” At her word Luna fell back to the ground and cried.
“It’s hopeless then…I’ve lost him again.” She sobbed to herself. Celestia sighed before going down to her sister.
“Maybe not sister, remember there was a time, sometime after the accident, where we were very busy, it is possible that the messaged was lost among all of the reports from that time and if so we just need to look through them to find it, as all reports have been saved. Come sister we’ll all help you look.” She said and looked at Twilight and her friends and they all nodded. Luna smiled.
“Thank you but we have a lot of work ahead of us.” She said as she followed after Celestia down the corridors of Canterlot castle with the ponies behind her, as she walked she swore to herself. ‘I will find it and bring you back to me…I will not lose you again. ’
The end of chapter 1 keep an eye out for chapter 2 ‘A Lunatic Reunion’
