Twilight sat at her kitchen table in the silence of the early morning. A book sat open on the table before her as she leisurely sipped from a mug of tea she held in a purple aura.
The library was quiet, much like the rest of the town at such an early hour. It was too early in the morning for most others to be awake, something Rarity and Spike would have agreed with if they weren’t still asleep.
Twilight would have been asleep too, however, she was expecting a visitor. The visitor wasn’t due to arrive for another half hour, which was why Twilight was surprised to hear someone knocking on her door.
“Just a minute!” Twilight called from her kitchen, trying to make her voice loud enough to be heard but not loud enough to wake her sleeping friends upstairs. She put down her mug as she stood up and left the kitchen. After a short walk through the library, Twilight opened the front door using her magic, revealing a tall dark blue mare.
“Princess Luna, you’re early, please come in.” Twilight said with a bow as she stepped aside, allowing the alicorn entry. She was followed by two Solar Guards in their standard-issue golden armor, something that Twilight felt was odd. Princess Luna was usually escorted by her own Lunar Guard.
“We wish to thank thee, Twilight.” Luna said as she motioned for the unicorn to stand, “We appreciate thy willingness to rise so early in this morn to-”However, the dark alicorn paused abruptly, realizing she let her speech slip again.
“How are you, Twilight Sparkle?” Luna asked, beginning again. She was determined to modernize her speech, but still slipped up often enough.
“I’m fine Princess, and it’s no problem at all.” Twilight replied, a small smile forming on her face. She was glad to see the night alicorn again. If the two weren’t friends, then they were at least on friendly terms. “I understand that your sleep schedule makes meeting with ponies later in the day a bit more difficult for you.”
“It is of no difficulty,” Luna replied, enthusiasm slowly growing. “The night is beautiful and I would never trade it for the day”
“Besides,” Luna remarked. “Blueblood is asleep during the night, if the simpleton were to pester my night court with the trivialities he plagues upon my sister, I’d send him to the moon.”
Twilight give a short laugh. “Well, I’m also happy to make myself available to meet with you whenever you need it, Princess,” Twilight replied.
“I must apologize though, Twilight,” Luna continued. “I should correspond with you more often, that isn’t to say I haven’t read the letters you’ve sent to my sister. But I should take the time to write to you myself.”
“I would appreciate that your highness,” Twilight answered, her smile growing a little more. Though, it didn’t last, as she recalled Celestia’s last letter. “Though, the last letter Princess Celestia sent was sort of vague,” Twilight recalled, with slight confusion in her voice. “Other than informing me of your visit this morning, she didn’t say much ...”
“Yes, I know,” Luna said as she glanced around the room, as though weary of an eavesdropper, though she knew there were none. “My sister has decided we should take a more cautious approach toward the situation at the hospital involving the changelings.”
“Why?” Twilight said in surprise. “Has something happened?”
“The changelings attacked the guards at the hospital early last night.” Luna began to explain. “Four of them attacked the guards who were watching over the device and the two detained changeling prisoners. Unfortunately, they managed to free their captured kin.”
“They attacked the guards directly?” Twilight asked, almost confused. Despite changelings demonstrating a willingness to launch a forward assault, it was highly unusual.
“Yes,” Luna explained. “I know it is rather unusual for changelings to attack guards openly. Other than their invasion at your brother’s wedding, they normally use deception and subterfuge to accomplish their goals.” The night princess turned toward the window to glimpse at the sunrise. “Which is why I think Celestia is being cautious now.”
“Cautious?” Twilight asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.
“I’m sorry, I should explain better.” Luna replied, turning back toward Twilight. “These two are for you.” Luna said, motioning toward the two solar guards that had followed her in.
“You’re assigning guards to me?” Twilight asked, slightly taken back in surprise. “Isn’t that a bit much?”
“I would agree, it seems excessive, “Luna admitted. “But sister was insistent, and, I understand her reasons. The changelings wouldn’t have openly assaulted our guards unless they felt it was extremely important. With that being said, Sister felt assigning guards to you was a wise precaution.”
“Yes, but I doubt they would do anything …” Twilight continued.
“Changelings have shown a clear willingness to foalnap ponies before,” Luna explained, “And you possess the only knowledge we were able to glean from the device. That makes you a target for them.”
“Well, what about the device itself?” Twilight asked. “If anything they’d go after it before trying to-“
“The device was destroyed.” Luna said, interrupting Twilight before she could finish her question. “With absolutely no chance of gleaning any more information about how it worked.”
“What?” Twilight asked, her eyes widening in surprise. “Destroyed?”
“Yes,” Luna repeated, before explaining. “The device is now completely unrecognizable. It was exposed extreme heat, several components were melted or vaporized. There is no chance of learning anything further by studying it, for there is literally nothing left to study.”
“What? No no no!” Twilight shouted, causing Luna to blink in surprise at the unicorn’s sudden outburst. Her words were apparently loud enough to wake one of the sleeping individuals upstairs, as she could hear someone getting up and walking in a room above. “That device was incredible! We could have learned so much from it, and not just about detecting changelings.”
Luna stood silent for a moment, still slightly taken aback. Her subjects rarely ever spoke in such a manner around her, let alone having an outburst. Though, she actually found it slightly amusing. Twilight’s eagerness to learn, as well as curiosity, was as insatiable as Celestia had so fondly described.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Princess.” Twilight quickly apologized when she realized her outburst.
Luna merely chuckled in response. “Tis quiet alright, Twilight Sparkle. We- I share the same feelings as you do on the matter.”
Twilight sighed in frustration as she walked over toward one of the library’s tables. She glanced at a scroll, a letter that Celestia had sent the night before which was resting on top of the table.
“Maybe it’s not all lost,” Twilight said thinking aloud. However, noticing Luna’s curious gaze prompted her to explain. “There’s a colt, named Dexter, who might know something about where the device came from.”
“Yes, I am aware of your suspicions,” Luna answered. “I was with Celestia when she received your letter.”
“But, Celestia remains... skeptical,” Luna went on. “At first, I was willing to question the foal immediately. However, after discussing it with Celestia, we’ve decided investigate the situation objectively.”
“Huh? Does that mean you’re not going to talk to him?” Twilight began, trying to think of the best way to voice her objection. “Considering the circumstances, I don’t think his proximity to the device was all coincidence.”
“I agree, Twilight,” Luna replied. “But Sister wishes to avoid turning the foal into a target. Questioning him would draw the changelings’ attention.” Luna explained. “The colt is one of our subjects, and a foal no less. We don’t want him put at risk without good cause. Such a reason requires stronger evidence than circumstance.”
“Trust me, Princess,” Twilight went on. “That colt is one of the most curious foals I’ve ever met; there is no way a device as advanced as the ‘Mark One’ was sitting in his room without him getting a look at it.”
“I believe you, Twilight,” Luna answered, trying to reassure the mare. “But there are many things that need to be investigated. I will question him if that is where my investigation leads me.”
---
On the other side of Ponyville ...
The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Applejack had finally managed to usher Applebloom and Dexter out the front door. Dexter, as always, was eager for school and another opportunity to learn. However, Applebloom was a different story. In her opinion, waking up anytime in the morning for school was too early.
“C’mon Applebloom,” Applejack said, nudging the filly forward. “Quit draggin’ yer hooves.”
Applebloom muttered something unintelligible in response. It was evident by the expression on her face that she would rather be anywhere else at the moment, so long as she was asleep while she was there.
“Please hurry, Appleboom.” Dexter chimed in. “Your delay shall impede our efforts for scholastic edification.”
“Huh?” the tired filly said, shooting a drowsy look of confusion at the colt.
“We’re going to be late if you don’t hurry up, and might miss something important.” Dexter translated.
“In fact, Applebloom.” Applejack continued, nudging the filly forward again. “You go on ahead, Ah want ta have a word with Dexter.”
That, however, seemed to catch the filly’s attention, causing her to look up at Applejack. “What fer?” she asked groggily. Dexter reacted by merely tilting his head, curious as to why Applejack wanted to talk to him so early.
“Go on,” Applejack said, motioning the filly forward. “We’ll catch up in a bit.” She intentionally avoided answering the filly’s question.
Applebloom responded with a nod before quickening her pace slightly, putting her well ahead of the colt and mare. However, Dexter didn’t wait for her to get very far ahead before he voiced his question.
“What is it that you want to talk to me about, Miss Applejack?” Dexter asked, keeping his tone polite.
“It’s jus Applejack, Dex.” The mare replied, keeping her voice even. They continued to walk for a few moments in silence, before Applejack glanced at the colt and began again. “Dex, is there something bothering you? Is there something ya’d like ta talk about?”
“Umm … no, why?” Dexter asked, confused by the question. He didn’t know why Applejack would be asking.
“Are ya sure?” Applejack pressed.
“Well,” Dexter began. “I have to admit, I am a little concerned that Miss Cheerilee still thinks of me as average.” Dexter said as he scratched his head with a hoof as small traces of annoyance seeped into his tone.
He had once taken an intelligence test which, by mistake, rated him as average. That turned his whole world upside down, as he tried and failed miserably to do ‘average’ things. Eventually he found out the truth, but not before he had several experiences he wished he could forget.
But all that happened on his own world, he couldn’t even begin to explain it to Applejack.
“Other than that, I am fine,” Dexter replied, earning a glance from the mare.
“Well then, can ya tell me why you’ve been actin’ up lately?” Applejack asked, earning another look of confusion from the colt.
“What? I haven’t done anything wrong!” Dexter replied hastily. His tone was defensive and his words were rushed. “What makes you say that?”
“Well ...” Applejack began with a sigh. “I know tha mess at Rarity’s boutique wasn’t entirely yer fault, but in tha four days I’ve been watching ya, ya talked bad about the Princess, ya were disrespectful to yer teacher, ya lied to a pair of royal guards of all ponies, and ya blew up at Pinkie Pie.”
Dexter continued to walk in silence as he processed Applejack’s words. The mare in question glanced over at Dexter, waiting for a reply. In retrospect, he had to admit that the past four days had a number of blunders.
“You’re correct Miss Appl-er, Applejack,” Dexter acknowledged. “And I am under the impression that I have already presented sufficient verbal reconciliation for my lack of discretion toward Pinkie Pie.”
Applejack glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.
“I already apologized,” Dexter replied.
“Why’d she make you so upset?” Applejack asked, concern in her voice as her gaze scrutinized the colt. Not in a harsh manner, but rather trying to see if there was something visibly wrong with him.
“I ... well,” Dexter began, unsure of how to respond. “She reminded me of my sister.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow skeptically.
“My sister and I don’t get along very well,” Dexter explained.
“Ya treat yer sister like that?!” Applejack asked in surprise.
“Umm ... yes?” Dexter affirmed, causing Applejack to frown. “It’s not like she doesn’t deserve it.”
“No pony deserves tah be treated like that!” Applejack rebutted indignantly.
“You never knew my sister,” Dexter replied simply, recalling the numerous times his older sister had destroyed his lab or put someone’s life, typically his, in danger.
“It don’t matter, Pinkie Pie doesn’t deserve to be treated like that and yer sister especially shouldn’t be treated like that,” Applejack said in frustration. Dexter, wisely, chose not to reply. “By tha time they find yer parents, ah’m gonna make sure ya know how ya treat family!” The mare declared, which only received a few moments of silence before Dexter replied.
“Very well,” The colt said, trying to keep his reply neutral. He wasn’t inclined to explain his feelings, nor was he about to explain his history with Dee Dee. “If that is all then you may rest assured that-”
“That ain’t all of it, Dex.” Applejack said, cutting him off. “Pinkie Pie reminding ya of yer sister doesn’t explain some of the other things ya’ve done.”
Dexter groaned internally, he half expected something like this to come up.
“Forgive me Applejack,” Dexter began. “But it doesn’t matter how many ponies say it, or whatever amount of propaganda are in the books at the library, I still don’t believe that a equine princess can move the sun,” Dexter said in a firm tone, but still trying to not sound confrontational.
“What?” Applejack asked, slightly confused. “No, this ain’t about that at all. Though we’d probably should get ta it sooner er later,” Applejack replied. “This is about how ya lied ta the guard the other day after I took ya to meet Cheerilee.”
“Huh?” Dexter replied, it was his turn to be confused.
“Ya lied ta the guard, Dex,” Applejack bluntly stated.
“What? I never lied!” Dexter protested, starting to feel a little nervous. Unfortunately though, his protest was another lie. He could recall lying to the guard; he had done so out of a combination of fear, as the guards were slightly intimidating to the eight year old, and the desire to keep his astonishing ability to create feats of science a secret.
“Aaannd that’s a lie,” Applejack replied with a frown.
“No, I didn’t lie. Honest!” Dexter replied, earning an aggravated sigh from the mare who also face-hoofed.
“Dexter, ya don’t know tha meaning of tha word ‘honest’ like ah do,” she answered before looking back at the colt.
“Um ... heh,” Dexter audibly gulped, trying to think up something to say. “Which part did I lie about?”
“Dexter, you know about which part,” Applejack said, glancing ahead. They were approaching the school.
“How come you’re so sure I was lying?” Dexter replied defensively. If he still walked on two legs he would have folded his arms in indignation. “You’ve only known me for four days now, and you think you can already tell when I am lying.”
“How ah know yer lying is beside tha point, Dex,” Applejack replied. Being the Element of Honesty, she had confronted a few lies before.
“Well, even if I did lie,” Dexter began. “I’m not saying I did lie, but if I did, then how can you be sure I didn’t lie simply because I knew that the guards wouldn’t find what I had to say important,” Dexter replied, his question was just another distraction. Having kept his lab a secret for many years, he had learned to be rather evasive.
“Dexter,” Applejack sighed. Dragging the truth out of others could be like pulling teeth. “That’s not something fer an eight year old foal like you tah decide,” Applejack went on. “Now, Ah can understand if yer a little intimidated by tha guard. So, if you know something ya can just tell me an’ ah’ll go an’ tell em fer you,” Applejack offered. “They asked ya if yah knew something about a device or somethin.”
“Well, maybe I don’t trust them,” Dexter retorted.
“Dexter ...” Applejack said in a warning tone. “The guards are investigating changelings, and that’s a serious matter,” Applejack replied. “I know ‘cause I’ve had to deal with those varmints before.”
“Really?” Dexter asked, a bit skeptical. Though, apparently Applejack was a level of honest above him. If not several. So he didn’t immediately assume she was lying. “And what about these ‘changelings’ make them so formidable?”
“Dexter, trust me when ah say they’re dangerous,” Applejack replied.
However, despite believing that Applejack wasn’t lying, he still didn’t believe her.
Dexter had read a little bit on changelings during his visit to the library, and what he read scared him. But not in the way Applejack would expect.
“With respect Applejack,” Dexter began. “I feel that whole changeling threat is a hoax. I mean, according you your history, changelings were mere myth until only just recently. I find it more than convenient that this threat, which was considered mere myth a few years ago, suddenly appears and grants the princesses and the military the ability to round up anyone they please on suspicion alone.”
“No, No, Dex,” Applejack replied. “Ya got it all wrong, changelings are real. Ah was in Canterlot when they attacked tha city ...” Applejack began. She soon gave a brief recount of what happened to her and her friends during the changeling attack.
They had attempted to take over Canterlot by force, after sneaking an entire army of infiltrators into the city. The changeling queen, Chrysalis, lead the assault. However, the attack failed because of a strategic blunder, or oversight, on part of the changeling queen.
If it wasn’t for that blunder, Equestria might have lost.
“So ya see Dex, tha changelings ain’t the sort tah be trifled with,” Applejack said, as she finished her recollection of the attack.
“Wait, wait, wait ...” Dexter said, after processing what Applejack had told him. “You’re telling me,” he began skeptically. “You’re telling me, that the changeling queen, who was the tactical genius to sneak an entire army of her soldiers into the capital, lost because she failed to spare a few soldiers to guard the one prisoner who’s freedom was the only real threat to her plans?”
Applejack blinked as she processed Dexter’s words, but Dexter continued before she could respond.
“And that this queen, who was stronger than the alicorn that could supposedly move the sun, was defeated by the power of ‘love’?” Dexter finished rhetorically. “Your story is not only inconsistent, it sounds like a fairy tale.”
“Ya really don’t believe me, Dex?” Applejack asked, astonishment at the colt’s skepticism slipping into her voice despite her attempts to hide it. “Ah know what ah saw Dex, ah was there.”
“Applejack,” Dexter responded, cutting her off before she could say more. “Do you still believe that your princess can move the sun, an object over which is over three hundred thousand times the size of the planet you’re standing on?”
Applejack merely let out a frustrated sigh as she rubbed a hoof to her forehead. Though, before she could say anything else, the sound of the school bell ringing in the distance met their ears.
“There’s the bell,” Dexter said as he quickened his pace.
However, he had only made it a few paces before he heard Applejack’s voice.
“Dexter,” Applejack said firmly, causing the colt to stop and look back. “We’re not finished, Ah wanna know the truth of what you lied ta the guards about.” Her voice was even, though firm. “Ya understand?”
“I understand,” Dexter replied, carefully choosing his words.
“Now go on, get ta class.” She said as he motioned with her head, at which point Dexter continued toward the school.
The colt wasn’t entirely sure how she could tell that he was lying, but he was confident that he could get out of it.
Dexter continued into the schoolhouse where, much to his surprise, he found Applebloom waiting for him. She appeared much more awake and alert now.
“Hey, Dex?” Applebloom said to the colt as he passed by her.
“Yes, Applebloom?” Dexter sighed.
“Don’t try ta lie ta Applejack,” The filly advised. “She can always tell when somepony’s lyin’.”
“Oh really? And how’s that?” Dexter asked.
“She’s tha Element of Honesty, Dex. It has somethin’ ta do with magic ...”
---
The school day had gone quickly for Dexter. He didn’t have to deal with a certain bully anymore, as Diamond Tiara was absent. The filly was probably too embarrassed to show up at school with a burnt tiara and mane. But she wasn’t the only pony absent.
The class’s teacher, Cheerilee, was also absent. Apparently she was out sick. The substitute teacher happened to be Avid Aura, and would be filling in for Cheerilee over the next new few days.
Dexter was actually surprised to see the counselor. Apparently some recent activity at the hospital had made ponies weary of going there lately, leading to a number of cancelled appointments for her . She had apparently been a substitute teacher before, on the few occasions that the school needed one.
The unicorn was glad to see that Dexter was doing fine, though she still didn’t have any news for him about his parents. Obviously, Dexter didn’t expect any.
The rest of the day had proceeded normally, at least until Dexter ran into the Cutie Mark Crusaders after school let out. It seems that they didn’t have as much homework, Cheerilee wasn’t around to assign more.
Which meant the fillies were going crusading, and Dexter didn’t need to guess who they wanted to drag along.
“Alright, alright! I’ll come crusading with you...” Dexter succumbed with a sigh, eliciting a cheer from the fillies. Being single-minded, Dexter wanted to spend his time either reading, pursuing science, or working on his lab. But his lack of materials made building the lab slow, and he wasn’t about to go to the library to read. The risk of meeting Rarity or Pinkie Pie again was too great.
However, the fillies were also persistent. Each of them shared Applebloom’s horror that Dexter ‘didn’t know his special talent.’ He knew he should probably find out how to get out of that lie, as doing so might get the fillies to back off. But until that time, he found the fillies to be unrelenting. So he finally yielded to the children’s unending invitations to go ‘crusading’.
A small part of him was optimistic though, the excursion could lend some insight into the pony’s cutie mark phenomenon.
“So long as we don’t go anywhere near the boutique,” He declared. “I don’t want to do anything that could get us in trouble.”
“Don’t worry Dexter. Rarity said the boutique is off limits until it’s fixed.” Sweetie Belle reassured him. “Well, no. She said it was off limits until ‘the end of time.’ But I’m pretty sure she just meant until it was fixed.”
“So what did you girls have in mind this time?” Dexter asked, with a small amount of hesitation hidden within his tone.
“Well ... actually we haven’t figured that part out yet.” Scootaloo replied, causing Dexter to facehoof. “Hey girls, what do you think we should try? Or try again? Any of you feeling like you know what your cutie mark is going to be?”
The other two fillies grimaced in thought as Scootaloo tapped a hoof to her chin in concentration. Dexter merely rolled his eyes and sat on his haunches, waiting. He began counting the seconds until one of them spoke again.
“What about bungee jumpin’?” Applebloom suggested hopefully, looking at the other two fillies.
“That sounds fun,” Sweetie Belle replied, sounding slightly hesitant. Dexter could understand why, considering what he’s heard about the fillies’ attempts at various tasks. A failure at Bungee Jumping could result in nothing but a long drop and a very abrupt stop.
“Nah, I don’t think so,” Scootaloo replied, earning slightly confused looks from the other fillies. “Falling doesn’t mean the same thing to us pegasi as it does to ponies without wings,” she said, flexing the masses of feathers attached to her sides.
“What? Why?” Applebloom began with a raised eyebrow. “It’s not like you can fly.”
That earned Appleboom a look of annoyance from Scootaloo, who was about to respond when Dexter cut in.
“I agree with Scootaloo, ” Dexter said with a grimace. He took a moment to let his imagination run wild. He envisioned telling the fillies the precise length the bungee cord should be, but because of another lapse in following directions, splat. “I think we should try something else.”
“Okay, fine,” Applebloom conceded.
“How about welding?” Sweetie Belle suggested to the other fillies, who seemed to approve. However, Dexter’s mind was suddenly filled with images of burning fillies with an oxy acetylene tank also bathing in fire, ready to make Rarity’s boutique a crater.
“No way,” Dexter said, earning grimaces of disappointment from the other foals.
“What about wood chipping?” Applebloom replied. “There is some acreage on the border between tha farm and tha everfree that needs clear’n.” Applebloom explained, excitement growing in her voice.
There was another flash of imagery in Dexter’s mind; a trio of fillies were hopelessly tangled in the branches of a tree as it was slowly consumed by an industrial sized wood chipper.
“Nope! Pick something else,” Dexter demanded, fighting away the horrifying imagery. ‘These girls are going to add a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘succeed or die trying, ’’ he thought.
“How about we try being candy makers?” Sweetie Belle suggested, finally voicing an idea Dexter could agree with. But it didn’t last.
“Yah, maybe we can get Pinkie Pie to help us with making treats; she really good at it and can probably show us how too! ” Scootaloo replied eagerly.
“Wait what?” Dexter abruptly interrupted the orange filly, a look of near panic on his face. “Did you say Pinkie Pie?”
“Yes ...” Scootaloo nodded, puzzled by Dexter’s reaction.
“No,” Dexter shook his head, his voice rang with unrelenting certainty. “No. Nope. No ... Never. Nope.”
“Well why not?” Sweetie Belle asked, starting to get annoyed with the negative colt.
“Yah, ya been shooting down all our ideas, but yer not suggesting any,” Applebloom added.
“Well, I must admit I haven’t given it much thought,” Dexter answered hesitantly.
“Then it’s settled, we’ll go find Pinkie Pie and she’ll show us how to-“ Applebloom began again only to be cut off.
“No! Just … just let me think of something,” Dexter replied quickly, a hint of annoyance in his tone as he turned away from the trio of fillies.
He wouldn’t mind letting them go bake sweets with Pinkie Pie, but the fillies were insistent that he join them, and his sanity might not survive round two with the Pink Monstrosity .
Only if their enthusiasm could be put to good use, then maybe he might at least do something productive while the girls dragged him out on these excursions. Dexter had even planned out a few experiments with magic that Sweetie Belle could help him with, assuming the young unicorn was willing. But, alas, his lab was far from complete. He was still in desperate need of raw materials.
That’s when the colt let out an audible gasp.
“THAT’S IT!” Dexter cheered. An idea had struck. The fillies only looked at him in confusion, startled by his sudden outburst. “Heh … I mean, girls, have you ever tried getting a cutie mark in ‘salvage ’?”
---
“Tell me, why are we collecting this junk again?” Scootaloo asked, though her tone could be mistaken for a complaint. The three fillies and Dexter had spent the past three hours running around Ponyville, collecting whatever discarded items Dexter deemed possibly useful.
He had selected mostly metal object or devices, like broken toasters that had been discarded. Needless to say, metallic objects tended to be heavy when collected in large numbers. Though the fillies wouldn’t be deterred easily, and much to Dexter’s surprise, they were actually finding a decent amount of material Dexter could recycle.
That is, until they hit the jackpot.
Eventually they came across the Ponyville clinic, the place where Dexter began his life in Equestria. Fortunately for the foals ’ endeavors, the hospital had thrown out all of the medical devices Dexter had meddled with five days ago when he built his ‘Medical Diagnostic Module.’
The unwanted equipment was a gold mine as far as Dexter was concerned.
So the foals managed to haul their findings back to the farm, not raising so much as an eyebrow from any of the townsfolk. Apparently the Cutie Mark Crusaders had built up quite a reputation for shenanigans in their quest to obtain cutie marks, and no one thought twice when they saw the fillies hauling a strange assortment of objects in their miniature wagon.
However, Dexter spotted one pony who seemed to take notice. It was their teacher, Cheerilee. The purple mare had spotted the foals outside the hospital. She was staring at them, or more specifically at Dexter, with an almost scrutinizing gaze. However, her expression changed to a pleasant smile followed by a friendly wave when the foals noticed her.
By the time they were done, the foals had accumulated a large pile of what appeared to be junk and other random and broken objects at the base of the CMC’s club treehouse.
“Seriously? Why do we have this pile of junk?” Scootaloo repeated, As far as she was concerned, they had spent the entire afternoon playing ‘trashmare.’
“Weren’t ya listenin’ ta Dexter?” Applebloom said, responding to Scootaloo’s question. “We’re trying to see if we have special talents at salvagn’ stuff. You know, taking what’s broke or unwanted and fixin’ it up to make it useful again.”
“Yah, Scootaloo,” Sweetie belle piped in. “We haven’t even gotten to the salvaging part of it yet.”
“Well, I’m already beat,” the orange filly complained. “And to be honest, I don’t think I want a Cutie Mark in collecting garbage, salvage or not.”
“Ah’m all fer calln’ it quits.” Applebloom agreed, as she slid onto the ground and laid down on her stomach. “An still no cutie mark,” she said, with a quick check of her flank.
“You know,” Dexter said, rubbing his chin. He had been listening to the filly’s conversation as he sorted through the pile of junk, and something they said brought a question to mind. “I’ve been wondering, do ponies get cutie marks only in something they like, or can it be anything?”
“You tell us,” Applebloom answered, as she stretched her legs. “Yer tha one with the cutie mark.”
Dexter face contorted in contemplation, “Here, let me try something.” He said, before turning to the pile of junk and rifling through it. He eventually came back with a lens.
He turned to the closest of the foals, who turned out to be Scootaloo.
“Hold still,” he instructed as he started looking at her coat through the lens, inspecting various parts of her fur before focusing on where her cutie mark would be.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Scootaloo protested with a frown as she shifted uncomfortably under the colt’s gaze.
“Hold still,” Dexter instructed again. “I’m trying to see if there is a way to tell what your cutie mark is going to be.”
“Huh?” Sweetie Belle said, tilting her head in confusing. “Isn’t that supposed to be not possible?”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Dexter began. “The hair follicles which produce the fur for a cutie mark should be observably different from the rest of your fur. Even before your cutie mark appears,” Dexter speculated.
“Nah Dex, Sweetie’s right. From what ah’ve been told, it’s magic,” Applebloom responded, resting her head on the grass. “Ya can’t tell what yer cutie mark is gonna be before ya get it. It appears on yer flank by magic. Before that, there just aint nothin’ there.”
“I very much doubt that. ” Dexter rolled his eyes. “I suspect there may be a way to discern which fur follicles are different,” Dexter continued, taking a moment to inspect his own cutie mark. “And if I can determine which patches of skin have different fur, I might be able to get an outline of your cutie mark before it appears.”
That seemed to get the fillies attention, though they weren’t exactly confident about what Dexter said.
“Nah, it won’t work,” Applebloom replied. “Ah asked if anythin’ like that was possible, and they told me it wasn’t. It’s supposed ta be magic”
“Yes, well, I suspect that you equines label anything that isn’t readily explainable as magic,” he said. “Just let me take a look.”
The next few minutes passed in silence as Dexter inspected the spot on Scootaloo’s fur where her cutie mark should be. The other fillies just watched in silence, inwardly grateful for the break from hauling junk across ponyville.
The magnifying lense wasn’t revealing much to Dexter. He had brushed Scootaloo’s fur several times, slowly pushing the fur to the side in order to see the skin underneath. However, despite his efforts, no discernable pattern was revealed to him. However his concentration was broken by the sound of another pony. A stallion to be precise.
“Ya like what ya see there, Dex?” He asked, it was Big Macintosh. The farmpony had been working the orchard as usual, when he happened upon a familiar sight - a mess at the base of the Cutie Mark Crusaders club house. He was about to tell the fillies to clean it up, before he spotted a much more peculiar sight. A young colt, in this case Dexter, was staring intently at a filly’s flank with some sort of lense.
It didn’t take much for Big Mac to guess what was happening. The foals were trying to see if there was a way to find out what a cutie mark was before it appeared. But he couldn’t help taking the opportunity to tease the colt a little.
“You havin’ fun look’n at Scootaloo’s flank?” he asked, his slightly playful tone betraying his intent to goad the young colt.
“Huh, what?” Dexter asked as he raised an eyebrow, looking up at the farmpony. He was slightly surprised at the red stallion’s sudden appearance. “Umm, I guess? As much fun as a boy genius could when looking for a cutie mark.”
“Oh, Ah’ve heard the whole inspectn’ a cutie mark excuse before,” Big Mac continued his ruse, despite it going completely over Dexter’s head. Though the red stallion was sure Dexter would figure it out soon enough. “But that excuse only works when she actually has a cutie mark ...”
That got a confused Dexter to glance at Big Macintosh again. Though he was only met with with Big Macintosh’s retreating form.
Applebloom, however, picked up on her older brother’s meaning. She had seen that type of teasing before, whenever the older colts of her extended family paid the town a visit.
Stifling a snicker, Applebloom whispered something in Sweetie Belle’s ear. Whatever it was, it caused the other filly to giggle before whispering back. This repeated several times, each time succeeded in annoying Dexter more than the last. Normally, he would tune it out, but his new pony ears seemed to move on their own, and direct themselves in the fillies’ direction.
“Girls?” Dexter said, trying to hide the annoyance in his tone. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“I dunno,” Sweetie Belle replied, snickering. “Would it be okay with Scootaloo?” She mocked.
“Huh?” The orange filly asked in confusion.
“Yah,” Applebloom chimed in. “She might not want ta let go of her new coltfriend!” The yellow filly joined in the teasing.
“Coltfriend?!” Scootaloo protested, suddenly backing away from Dexter. A blush growing on her face.
Dexter, however, took a few moments too stand stupidly in silence before he realized what ‘coltfriend’ meant.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dexter said, backing away from the fillies. “I am not anyone’s ‘colt’ friend!” The eight year old rebutted. “Nope, no way, no how. I’m not ever gonna do that!” Typical of a child his age, the whole concept of romance was gross. “Never!”
“What? Never? Don’t you like girls?” Sweetie Belle chimed in, before flicking her mane and striking a pose. It was something she had seen Rarity do on a number of occasions, an act which she imitated rather accurately.
“No!” He blurted out, before catching himself. “I mean Yes! - No! I mean- I mean-”
Dexter’s slow and hesitant retreat was halted as he backed into the pile of salvage. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were still snickering, before fixing Dexter back in their gaze while grinning. Unfortunately, their huge pony eyes brought back a memory for Dexter. It was a rather bad experience with romance.
---
“Dee Dee!” Dexter said, as he rushed in through the front door of his family’s suburban home. His sister was there at the door the great him, holding it open as he passed through the threshold.
“Man, I’ve had the creeeepiest day,” Dexter said, as he walked in and put his backpack on the floor. His hands gestured wildly as if he were drawing pictures with his words as he quickly walked over to the living room coffee table. “Everywhere I went this little girl kept staring and staring at me, and she had these huge creepy eyes … eeeewwww” Dexter felt a chill crawl down his spine.
“Any mail for me?” Dexter asked, hoping to move on with his life and never look back.
“Noo ...” Dee Dee responded cheerfully, before slamming the door shut to reveal a previously hidden figure. “But you have a visitor!”
“Oh ... Hi-” Dexter turned to greet the newcomer, only to be met with the gaze of those creepy eyes. “-ayyyee ayyeee ayeeeee!!!” Dexter began to scream his less than manly little boy scream as he made a panicky run up the stairs and into his room, his arms flailing above his head the whole way.
Little did he know, the little girl merely had a crush on him, so to speak.
The moment he reached the top of the staircase he darted into his room, slamming the door shut behind him.
“He’s up in his top secret lab ...” Dee Dee said, revealing Dexter’s secret sanctuary. It was ultimately the secrecy of his lab that the creepy-eyed girl would use to blackmail the boy into a relationship.
Luckily though, Dee Dee would provide the solution to his newfound problem.
---
“Hellloooo, Dee Dee!’ Dexter greeted, as he walked into the kitchen. His sister was sitting at the, table , devouring a bowl of cereal.
“What are you so happy about?” Dee Dee asked, in almost a mocking tone. “Is it because you’re in love?” She knew full well Dexter was having issues with a creepy-eyed girl at the moment. Said creepy girl was apparently relentless in her pursuit of the boy genius who , needless to say, didn’t return her advances.
“No No, you silly girl,” Dexter reassured her with a wave of his hand. “I’m happy because ...” He began. However, instant those words left his mouth, his pleasant smile contorted into an expression of equal parts panic and maniac glee.
“I FINALLY FOUND MAH LASER GUN!!!” Dexter shouted hysterically as he wiped out what looked like a space aged pistol, presenting it to his sister. It whined with the sound of capacitors charging.
Dee Dee, however, was so surprised by the sudden change in the boy genius that she spat out the cereal in her mouth, spraying it all over Dexter and his laser pistol.
“Dexter!” She shouted, before slapping him across the face. The strike was strong enough to bring him back to reality. “Violence is not the answer ...”
---
In retrospect, Dexter knew the subconscious reason why had gone to Dee Dee - in the hopes she would stop him from doing something regrettable.
Of course, the ponies would happen to also have huge eyes. They were the same ‘creepy’ eyes, now that Dexter thought about it. Were his new pony eyes just as big and creepy too?
Unfortunately for Dexter, Dee Dee wasn’t here to help him. And fortunately for the bantering fillies, Dexter didn’t have a laser gun. Yet.
Dexter drew a deep breath, his mind racing to come up with the right thing to say.
“I do like girls but I am no one’s boyfri-er ‘coltfriend.’” Dexter began hesitantly, his ears splayed back in nervousness. However, he drew a deep breath before unleashing a torrent of nervous and very rushed words. “and while I understand the function of romance for a sentient species I will not be entertaining any romantic notions whatsoever - furtheremore I will not be participating in any flirtatious behavior, childish crushes, nor any other behavior derived from a species need for procreation - especially when said behaviors can be considered romantic.”
The three fillies merely stared at him in confusion, not understanding a word he said. Though Dexter didn’t pick up on their confusion, as far as he could tell, he was still being stared down by three little girls with creepy large eyes.
“Heh heh,” Dexter let out a nervous chuckle. “Hey LOOK SALVAGE!” He shouted after he suddenly spun around and poked a hoof at the large pile of junk before him. “I BETTER FIND SOMETHING TO FIX!” In a matter of a few seconds, but what felt like hours to Dexter, he scrambled up the mound of junk and unceremoniously flung himself over to the other side where he landed with an audible crash.
After another moment of confused silence, the fillies glanced at one another.
“Boys are weird sometimes,” Applebloom commented, earning a nod of agreement from Scootaloo.
“What was that word he said?” Sweetie Belle asked with a raised eyebrow.
“‘Which word’ is more like it.” Scootaloo replied sarcastically.
“Dexter said the word ‘pro creation,’ any idea what it means?” asked the oblivious white filly.
“Don’ look at me,” Applebloom replied. “Ah don’t know.”
Sweetie Belle looked to Scootaloo.
“Pfff,’ Scootaloo rolled her eyes. She didn’t share the white unicorn’s affinity for learning new words. “Who cares, I could probably guess the definition.”
“I care,” Sweetie Belle protested. “And if you’re so smart, then what does it mean?”
“Hmm,” Scootaloo didn’t actually count on being asked. “If I had to guess, it means professional creator, kind of like how ‘pro flyer’ means professional flyer, or ‘pro’ hoofball player means professional hoofball player.”
“That’s not a dictionary definition!” Sweetie Belle protested again.
“Yah, it definitely ain’t an official definition, Scoots.” Applebloom agreed with the unicorn. “An I’d like tah know what it means ‘cause Ah aint ever heard it before an it might be somethin’ we look inta fer a cutie mark.”
“Well, if you’re so determined to find out, why don’t you ask Dexter?” Scootaloo said, taking an aggressive stance toward the other fillies. “He used it, so he knows what it means. And I bet you he agrees with me!”
. . .
“Hey Dexter?” The boy genius found himself surrounded once again by three fillies. He had left them only moments ago, still kind of weirded out by their teasing and large creepy eyes.
Someone would need to discuss appropriate responses with the colt.Though, thoroughly committed to pretending the last few moments never happened, Dexter didn’t hesitate to turn and reply to the fillies.
“Y-yes?” he asked.
“The girls and ah have never tried getting a cutie mark in ‘pro’ creation,” Applebloom began.
Dexter felt his heart stop.
“But fer that, the girls an I are gonna need-” Applebloom didn’t get to finish, she was cut off by a hysterical scream of panic from the young colt.
What exactly would the girls need for that? A small voice in his mind asked before the filly could finish. He did not like the answer said voice gave.
He bolted immediately. Dexter was sure a fast runner as a pony.
“-need tah know what ‘pro’ creation means ...” The yellow filly finished pitifully, watching the colt racing away through the orchard.
“Well, now how are we going to find out what it means?” Sweetie Belle complained, confused by the colt’s reaction. “And why is he acting so weird?”
“I don’t know about Dexter,” Scootaloo answered. “But I know how we can find what that word means, and prove I’m right for sure.”
“You mean, check a dictionary?” Sweetie Belle half-mocked.
“Wait and see,” Scootaloo said confidently. “You’ll see that we don’t need a dictionary.”
---
It was a calm afternoon at the golden oak’s library. Applejack had returned with Rarity to the library, after a day of working to repair the boutique. However, quitting time came sooner than expected, as Rarity managed to hurt her back while pulling some furniture .
Of course, Applejack thought it was all relatively easy work. But then again, the farm pony had to admit, she was far more used to manual labor. At the very least, Applejack didn’t have to drag Rarity away this time. So they returned to the library early, and just spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out.
“Well, I am glad to hear it Applejack.” Rarity said, continuing a conversation that was started hours ago. “I was afraid that Dexter may have been a little traumatized by the other night. I’ve been meaning to apologize to him when I can get the chance.”
“Well, ya should be able to at tha party Pinkie Pie is plan’n fer ‘em.” Applejack replied. “Is that why yer making a scarf?” Applejack pointed to the garment in question; held in Rarity’s magical grasp as she crafted it. It had the image of Dexter’s cutie mark on it.
“It is not a scarf!” Rarity protested hotly, “it’s a fashionable Neckerchief. ” She stated with a hint of indignance.
Applejack merely rolled her eyes.
“But to answer your question, yes.” Rarity admitted. “I want to give him a peace offering. I know I did go a bit overboard that night, and I wanted him to know that I am not that angry with him anymore. So I decided to make him something decent. After all, I figured he’d want to fit in with the Apple family, seeing how you all wear some form of clothing.”
“Wait, what?” Applejack replied. However, after a moment of thinking about it, she realized that Rarity was actually right. Even Granny Smith made a habit of wearing some clothing accessories.
“Well, Ah’m sure it’ll do. He didn’t seem too broke up about that night anyway.” Applejack answered.
Rarity, however, was about to reply when the library door swung open. Three fillies stood in the doorway, no longer appearing tired but rather recharged.
“Hey big sis!” Applebloom greeted the orange mare, then turned toward the other two elements. “Hi Twilight, Hi Miss Rarity.” The other fillies greeted the mares as well, Sweetie Belle giving her older sister a hug.
“What are ya’ll up to?” Applejack asked the fillies. “Try’n ta get yer cutie mark’s again, ah assume?”
“Yah,” Applebloom answered. “An’ we need a dictionary, please,” she said to Twilight, who nodded in reply and summoned a book from a nearby shelf with her magic. She set the book down in front of the trio, and Sweetie Belle instantly seized it with her magic and started flipping through pages. The other children crowded around her.
“Figures,” Applejack chuckled. “What are ya’ll try’n fer this time?”
“‘pro’ creation,” Scootaloo said simply, causing the entire library to fall silent as four pairs of eyes fixed upon the fillies. Rarity’s face contorted into equal parts shock and horror.
“But first we need to settle something about it’s definition,” Sweetie Belle was cut off as a blue, more powerful, aura of magic caused the dictionary to snap shut before making it burst into flames.
“Hey!?” Sweetie Belle griped, She had seen the specific aura of magic numerous times before . “What did you do that for?” She directed her objection toward her older sister.
“Heh,” Rarity let out a creepy chuckle, “Girls? Where did you hear about ... you know.”
“‘pro’ creation?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Yes, that!” Rarity said quickly, as if trying to shoo the word away.
Applejack merely facehoofed before letting out a sigh. “its pra’nounced, ‘pro-creation,’ one word.” She replied, earning the filly’s attention.
“No, No!” Rarity said, shooting a hoof in Applejack’s direction. “You, be silent!” Rarity demanded. She hoped to preserve the fillies’ innocence. “You’re element is not wanted here at the moment, Applejack.”
“What’s pro-creation?” came a male voice. It was Spike, who had finally stopped what he was doing to listen in. However, his question provoked a rather rapid response from Twilight, who seized the baby dragon in her aura of magic.
“Whoa, Spike! Look at the time!” Twilight said quickly, suddenly hurried for some reason. “We’ve got to go do that thing I kept off the checklist, and we’ve got to go the other side of town to do it right now!”
“Wait? What thing?” The baby dragon asked, thoroughly confused. “You never keep things ‘off the checklist.’” However, his question went unanswered as Twilight cast a teleportation spell. With a purple flash and a loud pop, they disappeared from the library entirely.
The fillies merely blinked in confusion at the spot Twilight and Spike used to be standing.
“We uh, we heard about it from Dexter. Though he didn’t explain what it meant.” Scootaloo finally answered, shifting her gaze toward the mares.
“Dexter?!” Rarity said, venom dripping from her voice. The ‘neckerhief’ she held in her magical grasp also burst into flames.
“Dexter, wherever you are, this means war! It. Is. ON.” Rarity muttered underneath her breath. However, after noticing the reactionary look of shock on the fillies faces, she quickly vanquished the fire consuming the scarf before forcing a more polite tone.
“I mean, did you say Dexter told you about this?” Rarity asked, her pleasantness was rigid.
“Umm… yes?” Sweetie Belle answered. “Something wrong?”
“Ah think ya’d better start from tha top,” Applejack replied simply while motioning with a hoof.
And so the fillies recounted the entire chain of events that lead them to the library. The story caused Rarity to let out a sigh of relief, while Applejack kept having to fight back a laugh.
“They-” Applejack began, trying her hardest to suppress another bout of laughter. “They have no idea what it means.”
“Quite,” Rarity replied, casting a hard glance at Applejack. It didn’t take a genius to tell she wanted the Element of Honesty to keep her mouth shut. Though she’d be disappointed.
“Wait, so what does it mean?” Sweetie Belle asked, directing a triumphant grin at Scootaloo. “I knew Scootaloo was wrong about it.”
“Hey, it was a good guess!” Scootaloo defended, before looking at the mares.
Applejack drew a breath.
“Applejack, No!” Rarity wailed, cutting off her friend before she could speak. Rarity’s voice took on that familiar over dramatic tone.
And, much to Rarity’s horror, dread and dismay, Applejack spoke.
---
For the next few days, Dexter did nothing but work on reconstructing his lab. Immediately after school, he would sneak away from the other foals or Applejack and make his way to the hidden underground room that was to be his new lab. And thanks to the efforts of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Dexter had all the raw materials he would need to get started.
Dexter was no stranger rebuilding his lab, even from raw materials. The high frequency in which Dee Dee destroyed his original lab made him particularly adept at reconstructing it. Though under normal circumstances, he would have the assistance of his computer and a small army of robots.
However, without his robots, it would take a bit longer to rebuild.
But that wouldn’t be nearly enough to impede the boy genius. He wasn’t building the lab now just for his scientific pursuits, or answering questions about magic. The boy genius was thoroughly convinced that he would need a new and fully functioning laboratory in order to recreate the experiment that sent him to Equestria.
It was his only way home.
Dexter refused to admit it to himself, but he was starting to miss his family. He would catch himself reminiscing about his parents and his sister, remembering various humorous situations or adventures he had with them. And, as the days progressed, he found himself thinking about them more and more often.
Dexter, however, merely shrugged it off. He could still remember the many gripes he had with his family. The ones he had with his parents were usual, however he carried a particular dislike of his older sister. She had, in fact, been the one who caused the whole mess in the first place.
He didn’t know how many times he had told her not to interfere with his experiments, how dangerous they could be, and yet again, he found himself in a bizarre situation because of her.
It made Dexter angry just thinking about it.
So why couldn’t he stop thinking about her and the rest of his family?
However, he would merely continue to banish his thoughts about them. Thoroughly convinced that, whether he wished to see his family again or not, thinking about them wasn’t helping to accomplish his goals. He needed to build his lab.
By the end of the third day his lab had finally reached the point where it could begin to support the sophisticated science and technology the boy genius was accustomed too. However, it was also a profound point in time for the boy genius as well.
In order to have a fully functioning lab, he needed one crucial component.
A new computer.
Normally about now, he would be celebrating. Basking in the glory of his latest invention.
But not this time. Dexter found himself with many mixed feelings about his new creation. Of course he was proud, as usual. However, he also felt regret and even a hint of guilt, though he couldn’t exactly tell why.
For most people, replacing a computer wouldn’t be a big deal. However Dexter’s original computer, Quadraplex 3000, was a fully functioning and completely sentient artificial intelligence.
It was also one of Dexter’s only true friends, despite the fact that it was nearly emotionless.
He always wanted to keep his original friend, to never let the A.I. grow obsolete and be thrown away like many of his other outdated inventions.
Building a replacement was the first step on the road to doing exactly that, a step which Dexter had just finished. A small part of Dexter felt like he was betraying his closest friend, but banished the feeling as he reminded himself that a new lab, and a new computer, were necessary if he ever wanted to see his friend again.
His new computer had an extremely large screen, with a comically large keyboard. Each one of the keys was hoof sized, much to Dexter discomfort. However, it was a necessity, as he quickly discovered that typing on a regular sized keyboard was very difficult when using hooves.
“Well,” Dexter began. “Here we go . . .” He said as he flicked the power switch, causing the new computer to power up with a hum.
“Quadraplex forty-five hundred, initializing.” Came a cool feminine voice. It was very similar to his old computer’s voice. However, it sounded more natural. It wasn’t natural enough to pass as a regular person, but it flowed much more comfortably than his original computer’s voice.
“Hello, computer? Can you hear me?” Dexter asked, causing its display to flicker to life. His image appeared on the screen as a camera mounted to the monitor turned and focused on him.
A part of Dexter was still getting used to seeing himself as a pony.
“Subject Identified, Dexter, builder.” The computer identified him. “Affirmative, I can hear you.” They were the exact same words Quadraplex three thousand had said to him when she was first activated. The reminder made the stabbing sense of guilt in his heart to grow a little stronger.
“Yes, yes . . .” Dexter said, allowing his eyes to drift toward the floor. “That’s… that’s good.”
Dexter sighed, banishing the sense of guilt that he kept coming back. He looked back up at the computer. “Do you know who I am?”
“You are the one who built me.” The computer replied directly.
“That is correct.” Dexter replied. He could hardly keep his words from sounding a little hollow. “Listen, as your initialization process continues you should find that you have access to approximately two thousand terabytes of data. You need to assimilate all of it, as the data contains crucial details about me and this laboratory.
“It should also contain a list of tasks I wish you to complete” Dexter went on. “When you have assimilated sufficient data, take control of the robots I have built and complete the tasks.”
“Yes, Dexter.” The computer acknowledged. “Is there anything else you require of me?”
“There is,” Dexter confirmed, looking directly into the computer’s camera. “I know this is contained in the data I’ve given you, but I wanted you to hear it from me directly.”
“I am human,” Dexter stated firmly. “I merely have the physical form of an equine at the moment. I don’t know how I’ve taken this form, nor do I know how to change myself back. But, nonetheless, I am human, and nothing is going to change that. You should find information about humans contained in the data I’ve given you.”
The computer, strangely, took a few moments before responding. “Understood, Dexter.”
Dexter turned to leave, walking toward to lab exit. However, he was stopped halfway there by his computer speaking once again.
“Builder Dexter,” She addressed him, its voice displaying nearly no emotion at all. Though Dexter wondered if he could trace a small hint of some. “Have I disappointed you?”
The question alone got Dexter to freeze, in fact he was the computer asked at all.
“No,” Dexter said, turning back. “In fact, you’ve already exceeded my expectations. My old computer couldn’t pick up on my emotions so quickly after initialization.” He was quick to reassure the new A.I., not wanting it to get the wrong impression at a relatively young age.
There was another moment of silence. Outwardly, the computer looked dormant. But Dexter knew it was actually processing new information at a rate millions of times faster than any flesh and blood creature could.
“That is merely because I am newer than my predecessor.” She said. “Quadraplex three thousand is obsolete and should be decommissioned perma-.”
“Don’t!” Dexter nearly shouted, however he caught himself before he could let loose another word. That sense of stabbing guilt had returned, causing the eight year old to reach toward his chest only to find nothing was physically there.
“Don’t say that,” Dexter shook his head, being careful with his tone. He knew he shouldn’t have been bitter at the computer’s words, they were true after all. That, and the now moments old A.I. couldn’t possibly know why Dexter would be upset. “I’m going to go now, I’ll be back tomorrow.”
It was only a few moments before Dexter had exited the new lab, stepping out into the night air. He turned toward farm house, walking in silence.
His thoughts kept going back to memories of his family. His parents and his older sister.
Despite the numerous gripes he had with his family, Dexter was surprised to find that he now lacked the normal resentment he harbored for his older sister and his parents. His memories were now accompanied by a hollow ache in his chest, which seemed to grow in intensity each time another memory surfaced.
“Common Dexter, you should have more discipline than to let your emotions get the better of you,” the eight-year-old said to himself, fighting back the sensation in his chest. “This is a whole new world with wonders to explore, you can’t let yourself get distracted.” He said as he stomped one of his forelegs before continuing to walk forward.
Dexter looked up from the ground before him, seeking a distraction in his effort to fight back his feelings. He was fortunate enough to find one.
Far above him was the night sky, which he could see clearly. There were no clouds in the sky and the apple orchard was far enough away from any large lights that the stars could easily be seen.
It was beautiful, and astronomy happened to be one of Dexter’s favorite subjects. The sky above him was now completely new and would be littered with new wonders to explore and research.
Yet, a few moments of observation allowed Dexter to take note of something.
“I’m in another galaxy.” Dexter whispered in astonishment.
The Milkyway had received its name due to the unique pattern of stars that seemed to flow across the night sky. This flow of stars was one of the Milky ways’ spiral arms, creating what ancient astronomers called the ‘road of milk.’
But for Dexter, all that was gone. This didn’t mean that the night sky wasn’t beautiful, but it demonstrated how far away from home the little genius really was.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the type of distraction Dexter was looking for.
“The closest galaxy to the Milky way is Andromeda” Dexter muttered, taking a moment to remember his astronomy. “I am, at a minimum, over two and a half million light-years from…”
The moment he said those words, the reality of his situation hit him like a ton of bricks. Dexter felt a lead ball drop into his stomach as the hollow ache in his chest returned.
Would he ever be able to get back home, even if he rebuilt his lab? He didn't even know what went wrong with his experiment in the first place, or if it was even possible to recreate the accident exactly.
But he did know there was a good chance that he wouldn’t ever see his family again.
Dexter felt the hollow ache in his chest exploded with enough ferocity that it caused the eight year old to stop for a moment and press a foreleg to his chest.
They’re so far away they might as well be dead.
No, that was wrong. Dexter knew it was wrong, his family was alive.
But still, Dexter knew no matter where in the world he was on that he looked, he wouldn’t find them. If he called for them, they wouldn’t hear him. They wouldn't be there if he needed them.
“Maybe they think I’m dead,” the eight year old whispered to himself as his breathing became heavy and sharp.
“C’mon Dexter, you’re tougher than this,” he began in a much more assertive tone, however it waivered as he felt his eyes water.
---
“Dex! There you are!” It was Applejack, having appeared just outside the family house with her siblings in tow. “We were jus about ta come look’n for ya. What in tha world are ya doing in out here in tha middle of… Dex?”
Applejack trailed off as she approached the colt, finally getting a good look at him through the darkness.
The colt lay on his stomach, with his nose pressed against the ground as he gazed downward. His eyes were red and his ears drooped, the fur beneath his eyes were matted and wet. He remained silent, doing nothing to acknowledge Applejack’s words.
Applejack cast a quick glance at her older brother before moving to the colt’s side, pulling him into an embrace.
“Everything is gonna be alright, Dex” Applejack said as she held the colt.
“Everything’s fine!” The eight year old declared defensively, trying to turn away from the mare who held him against her barrel. However, he turned to find Big Macintosh had appeared and lay down at his other side.
“You miss yer family,” The big red stallion said simply, pointing out exactly what was wrong. “You miss yer parents an’ ya think you’ll never see 'em again.”
Dexter was actually surprised by how accurate he was.
“H-how did you know?” Dexter managed, finally looking up at Applejack.
“We’ve seen that look yer wear’n before… on each other an’ in the mirror once or twice.” Applejack explained with a hint of sadness slipping into her voice.
“I…” was all Dexter could manage before falling silent.
“Don’t worry Dex,” Applejack said quietly. “Ah can’t rightly say when yer gonna find yer parents, but… we’re gonna look after ya like you were one of our own until ya do.”
At those words, Dexter might have, just a little bit, returned the mare’s embrace.
However, he quickly found himself unable to let go. A certain filly, in her determination to not be left out, and unable to find her way through her older siblings, clambered up on the colt’s back and wrapped a pair of hooves around his neck, hugging him from behind.
But he knew they’d let go soon.
It was getting hard to breath.
---
.
The majority of the next day had proven to be largely uneventful for Dexter. Having gone to bed the previous night after the Apples found him, he went to school.
The school day also passed unremarkably. However, he did take note that Cheerilee had returned. She seemed just as amicable as ever, but had summoned Dexter to her desk just as school let out. She claimed that she needed to talk to the colt, though she needed him to wait in the classroom for her for a few minutes.
Dexter had pulled a chair up to her desk, and sat as he quietly waited for her return.
“Hello Dexter,’ Cheerilee said as she appeared in the doorway, moving to take her seat behind her desk. Dexter was already sitting down, waiting for her.
“I am glad to hear you behaved for Miss Aura while I was out,” she continued, her pleasant attitude adding to Dexter’s reassurance that he wasn’t in trouble. Maybe, despite the short time he has had with Cheerilee, the teacher was finally realizing how exceptional he was as a student.
“Well, you know me, your number one student,” Dexter said almost cheekily, his tone was dripping with self-confidence.
“Yes and no, Dexter,” Cheerilee smiled at the colt, slightly amused by his antics. “I don’t pick favorites, but you’re definitely a cut above the average student.”
Flattery. If Dexter wasn’t so full of himself, he might have suspected the teacher wanted something.
“I’m glad you see that!” Dexter replied excitedly. He was more than happy to agree with Cheerilee’s newfound conclusion.
Though, had he not been filled with his own self confidence on the matter, he might have noticed how odd it was for the teacher to shift her opinion of the colt so drastically in such a short period of time. He had only met her at the start of the week, most of which Cheerilee had been out and replaced by a substitute teacher.
“Of course I would, now that I’ve had the chance to take another look at your placement test,” Cheerilee went on, before changing the subject. “However, I didn’t call you here to talk about your standing in school.”
That got Dexter to tilt his head in confusion. A part of him was confused as to why Cheerilee seemed to have also changed her mind about the placement test, but as far as he was concerned it was a step in the right direction and didn’t question it.
“Well, then how may I provide assistance Miss Cheerilee?” the teacher’s pet asked.
“About five days ago, there was an incident at the hospital. One which the royal guard have been investigating for the past week,” Cheerilee began, almost too casually. However, once Dexter processed her words he physically felt himself tense up. “A device of unknown origin appeared in the hospital, and several ponies there wish to know where it came from.”
Dexter tilted his head in mock confusion.
“Would you know anything about that device or where it came from?” Cheerilee finished, her eyes now locked intently on to Dexter’s.
Dexter, who was momentarily put on edge by the question, couldn’t help wonder why the school teacher of all ponies was asking these questions. The first time it was the royal guard, then it was Applejack. But he at least knew the reason she asked, because she somehow knew he had lied to the guard about it.
“No, sorry, Miss Cheerilee,” Dexter replied, sounding as honest as he could. An art well practiced since he had lied countless times before in order to keep his lab a secret. “I don’t know anything about that device, or where it came from.”
“Now, Dexter,” she chastised lightly. “Don’t lie to your teacher, you can trust me.”
Again, Dexter found himself surprised by the mare. Had he suddenly become really bad at lying? Maybe it was something about his pony body that gave it away, 'a tell' of some sort. It made sense since he didn’t have a lot of experience with pony bodies.
“No, I am afraid you’re mistaken,” Dexter replied without missing a beat. “I have no knowledge, pertinent or otherwise, of any device of interest in the Ponyville hospital.”
Cheerilee let out an audible sigh, conveying her disappoint in Dexter’s refusal to answer her.
“Dexter,” Cheerilee began again, her tone remained pleasant. She was obviously a patient mare. “Please be honest. Avid Aura’s report said the device was found in the room you slept in, so you’ve got to know something. Now I know they didn’t believe you because you were diagnosed with Munchausen Syndrome, but I think you’ll find me a lot more receptive.”
“Wait a minute!” Dexter said hotly, almost interrupting the teacher. “How did you know that? Did Avid Aura tell you what I was diagnosed with?!”
Cheerilee paused for a moment before responding.
“Avid Aura and I have a professional relationship,” Cheerilee replied, glancing away from Dexter. “She, being one of the few child psychologists in this town, along with me being one of the few teachers, corresponds often about the foals we work with.”
“Yah, b-but! That’s no excuse!” Dexter replied, holding back his anger. He was still trying to get on the teacher's good side, and once he finally thought he was there, it turns out she knew he was regarded as a pathological liar.
Not the best thing for his reputation with the teacher.
“Well, Dexter, prove their diagnosis wrong by being honest with me now,” Cheerilee appealed. “What do you know?”
It was Dexter’s turn to be silent for a moment. The mare was rather persistent, wasn’t she?
“I’m sorry Miss Cheerilee,” Dexter replied, again keeping his tone even. “I don’t know anything about it. I can’t provide you with information that I don’t have, nor even knew existed.”
“The pony whom you spent the room with that night said he saw you interacting with it.” Cheerilee said, her tone becoming confrontational.
“What? How do you know that?” Dexter asked, trying to delay Cheerilee long enough to think of something to say.
“Remember the pony that you shared a room with in the hospital?” Cheerilee elaborated. “The one who had a lot of broken bones? You had to have seen him, because he remembers seeing you.”
Dexter found himself baffled again, how did Cheerilee know that he had spent the night in a room with another patient.
However, Dexter merely denied it again. Though he knew he was thoroughly caught in a lie, he’d much rather be caught as a liar and let Cheerilee speculate on what happened than reveal the whole truth to her.
However, Cheerilee didn’t give Dexter the time to act on his confusion.
“Dexter, you know something you’re not telling me,” Cheerilee said, fixing the colt in a harsh glare as she brought her head down on eye level with the colt. “I’m going to ask you one more time before I lose my manners, and this gets very, very unpleasant . . . what do you know about the device found in the hospital?”
Dexter’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates. He was now fully taken aback by the aggressiveness of his teacher, and sat in stunned silence for a few moments. Had this mare, who was always nice, just threatened him?
Either way, he had a decision to make. He felt he could try to avoid whatever ‘unpleasantness’ the mare had threatened by fessing up. But he knew the consequences of doing so could reach far beyond the classroom he was in.
That, and he wanted to keep his new secret laboratory a secret.
With a little hesitation, the eight year old merely shook his head again.
“That’s a lie.”
Dexter was about to object, to falsely proclaim his innocence. However, he was stopped at a rather strange sight.
He could swear he saw Cheerilee’s iris’s flash green.
Before Dexter could respond, the mare had grabbed the side of the desk between them and flung against the wall, spraying a stack of papers into the air. The desk hit the wall with a crash, collapsing from the force of the throw.
Panicked, and surprised by the sudden aggression, Dexter jumped back, tumbling out of his chair. However, by the time he stood up he felt something take hold of his neck.
It was an aura of green magic, and it lifted him up by his neck to eye level with an angry looking Cheerilee. Except, it wasn’t Cheerilee. The mare before Dexter looked mostly like Cheerilee, but now she had a set of green eyes as well as a pair of fangs. An aura of magic erupting from her the center of her head gave the impression of an invisible horn.
“Now, you’re going to tell me everything you know,” the mare demanded, as the aura tightened its grip. Her tone was laced with venom, each harsh word spoken sounded less like Cheerilee and raspier.
“And if you even think about lying to me again yo-ARH!” the raspy voice cut off as Dexter brought one of his free hooves up and quickly punched the mare in one of her giant green eyes. He then swung another hoof at the mare, who tried to turn away, causing Dexter’s hoof to hit the glowing aura of magic in the center of the mare’s forehead.
It felt as though he hit a horn; and the moment he did, the aura of magic around his neck vanished, causing him to fall to the floor.
Wasting no time, and in full blown panic mode, Dexter immediately scrambled to his hooves.
“Why you little-" The mare began, however she was cut off by the sound of a chair crashing against her head. Dexter had, as soon as the mare turned back to face him, grabbed the chair he was sitting on and swung it upwards as hard as he could. It made a solid connection with ‘Cheerilee’s’ face, catching the mare off-guard and causing her to fall over.
It surprised Dexter as well, he didn’t know he could swing hard enough to break the wooden chair against the ‘mare’s’ face.
After a moment of staring at ‘Cheerilee,’ or whatever the mare was, Dexter took a few hesitant steps back. His heart pounded as he nervously inspected the ‘mare,’ a part of him hoping that he didn’t hurt his teacher.
Though, he wasn’t sure if this was really his teacher.
However, the moment she let out a moan and started moving, Dexter grabbed his saddlebag and bolted.
Dexter ran, sprinting as fast as he could out the door as the ‘mare’ rose back to her hooves.
Making a few quick turns and another sprint down the school corridor, Dexter found the one of the school’s emergency fire exits.
“DEXTER!” a feminine voice from somewhere in the school raged with a rasp, terrifying the colt into looking back for a moment with wide eyes.
He was never more motivated to leave a school.
He tried to pull the door, opening the way to freedom. However, the doors wouldn’t budge. Taking a moment to look over the door, he discovered they were chained shut.
“What? Chains? How’d they get there?” Dexter said as he eyed the shackles, before glancing behind himself again. Holding his breath for a few moments, he had an idea.
Dexter turned toward his saddlebags, and began frantically searching through them. Though he didn’t need to look long to find what he wanted.
Pulling out his laser pen, he flicked it to its maximum setting and aimed it at the chains that were restricting the door.
At maximum setting, the laser made short work of the chain links. They released the door, unfettering it as it fell to the floor with a clank.
However, it wasn’t fast enough. Just as the last piece of chain fell to the floor, a green aura engulfed the door in its glow. The door refused to budge.
“What are you?” a voice behind him rasped. It sounded nothing like the happy teacher he had once tried to win the favor of.
Dexter slowly turned around to see the contorted image of Cheerilee floating in the middle of the hallway. A pair of bug like wings had appeared on her back and were now holding her in the air.
“You’re asking me?” Dexter replied rhetorically, as he looked at the flapping insectoid wings. “What the heck are you?”
“I can sense your emotions, little foal. I know what you’re feeling.” The changeling began as she hovered in the center of the hallway. “It’s how I knew you were lying, it’s how I could tell you ran here, and it’s how I know you’re not what you appear to be.”
“I’m a freaking pony, what does it look like?” Dexter replied hastily, stalling for time. He wasn’t so much concerned with tricking the ‘mare’ before him with another lie, something told him it probably wouldn’t work.
Though Dexter wasn’t aware of the irony those words held for the mare.
“A predator,” the changeling simply noted with her raspy voice. “Your emotional responses are more like that of a predator, an apex predator, than a prey animal like a pony. It confused me greatly when I first saw you three days ago, collecting trash with those fillies. I wasn’t sure at first, but now I am certain. Not every changeling would be able to sense it, but then again the Queen did send her best.”
“What makes you so certain?” Dexter asked, still stalling and unsure of what to do.
“A prey animal would have just fled the moment I grabbed them,” she replied. “But you immediately responded with aggression, punching me and hitting me with a chair, and you did it on instinct. You surprised me, but it won’t happen again.”
“I think I hit you with that chair harder than you thought, I’m obviously an equine unlike you.” Dexter replied cheekily, he most certainly wasn’t about to admit the changeling was right.
However, his response was met with a condescending laugh from the mare.
“Another lie,” she replied. “But enough stalling, your lies aren’t going to get you out of this. You’re going to tell me everything I want to know.”
The contorted doppelganger of Cheerilee landed in the center of the hallway with a clacking of hooves, before starting to approach Dexter. Her head lowered, aiming her invisible horn at the colt.
Without an idea of what else to do, Dexter flicked on his laser pen and swiped it across the mare’s chest. She responded with a howl of pain as she stumbled backward, away from the piercing stream of light that cut into her.
“What was that?! What did you just do!?” she rasped in fury, however when she looked up she could only spot Dexter’s tail as he bolted into one of the nearby doors.
Dexter appeared in what seemed to be a miniature auditorium, a place with a small stage where the school children came to perform plays or other theatrical acts.
“C’mon, Dexter, think!” he berated himself in panic. “That freak is about to come in here and get you at any second.” He said as he looked around, his gaze lingered on the stage. It was a pretty standard setup, curtains and some small scaffolding on the ceiling for lights. However, his brain was already formulating a plan.
However, it was the only place he could run to at this point.
Dexter had barely made it to the stage before he a raspy voice shouted, drawing his attention.
“I’M GOING TO GET YOU, YOU LITTLE RUNT!” The changeling rasped as she appeared in the doorway. She immediately took flight, careening at the colt.
However, Dexter was expecting this. With a flick of his laser pen, he cut the curtains above the stage, causing them to fall into the path of the attacking mare.
She flew straight into the falling curtains, getting entangled in the heavy fabric as she crashed into the center of the stage with a thud. She spent the next few moments struggling for her freedom from the heavy drapery.
Dexter, however, had left the stage and run halfway toward the exit before turning.
“Darn it,” Dexter said to himself. “She needs to be a little bit further back.”
The moment the changeling had finished wrestling her way out of the curtain, she stood up and turned toward the colt. The Cheerilee doppelganger gave a condescending smirk when she saw Dexter standing in the middle of the room.
“You should have kept running,” she said, taking on an aggressive stance. “Though I suppose it wouldn’t have helped.”
Dexter responded by aiming his laser pen at the doppelganger, letting loose a ray of red light. It cut into the mare, leaving a burn trail of black seeped with blood on whatever part of her body it traced.
The changeling hissed in pain as it raised a hoof to cover its eyes, backing away from the source of light the colt was holding. Every part of its skin that was exposed to the light felt like it was on fire.
After a few moments of hissing in pain while backing away from the colt, Dexter turned his gaze upward and aimed his laser.
The rafter which supported the stage lighting was held up by four thin chains. A quick swipe of caused two of the chains to break, releasing the rafter into a swing.
“When I’m through with you-" was all the changeling got to say before the rafting reached the bottom of its swing, colliding with her head. The crash let out an audible crack along with a clang, throwing the changeling to the floor.
Dexter stood in silence for a few moments, waiting for the pounding in his chest to subside before approaching the crumpled form before him. The ‘mare’ lay motionless, though Dexter made sure to pay close attention to any signs of life.
He was able to see that the ‘mare’ was still breathing, but other than that she remained completely motionless. Cautiously he approached her, taking a moment to check her other vitals. She was definitely alive, but was, at a bare minimum, knocked out.
“What the heck are you?” Dexter said, nudging the unconscious creature before him. “Is this one of the changeling creatures Applejack was talking about?”
Whatever it was, she had known that Dexter wasn’t exactly the little ‘colt’ he appeared to be. A fact he couldn’t let be exposed.
He had experience with removing memories before, but that didn’t solve the bigger issue. The ‘mare’ could tell he wasn’t really a pony somehow.
“It looks like Quadraplex forty five and I will be having a guest this evening . . .”
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