• Published 30th May 2013
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Educating Equestria - GnollReader



The humans have travelled to Equestria to share their knowledge with the ponies. However, what the human scholars bring with them quickly turns out to be a bit much for the simple-minded locals.

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Chapter 3: Experiment

"Alright..." Barsley mumbled as he fixed another bolt, "Ignition is ready... compressor is warmed up... That should do it!"

To the side, Celestia and Penceleigh were watching him go about his contraption with mixed feelings. The machine was huge, taking up a good part of the improvised lab Barsley had set up in the storage room beneath the Canterlot university. What worried her was the fact that Barsley had not slept in days. He had been constantly climbing around his contraption, barely eating anything or resting for even a single moment.

"What exactly is that machine going to do?" Celestia asked with a quiet voice, still anxious after the 'incident' two days ago. After her first use of the royal voice in years, some of her subject had actually fled in terror, shouting that the world was about to end... and the humans... they had made jokes about it.

"I think it's some sort of engine..." Penceleigh replied with a sigh, "At least you got him to do the basic math course... when will it start?"

"We agreed that he would start within the next week..." she eyed the contraption again, "Are you sure this is safe?"

Penceleigh rubbed her chin before calling out, "Barsley, where are the safety goggles?"

Barsley looked up from the countless little bolts, screws and levers, "The what now?"

"Safety goggles?" Penceleigh repeated herself with a sigh, "The things that protect your eyes?"

Barsley gave her an skeptical gaze, "What would I need those for?" before returning to his work again.

Penceleigh shook her head and turned to Celestia, "Better take a few steps back, princess..."

"There you are!" Henningston called out as he stepped into the room, "I have been..." he paused as he saw Barsley work on his contraption, "Oh... is he trying to get that thing running again?"

"Exactly what is that machine?" Celestia asked with a frown.

"It's an engine similar to those used in the airships..." Henningston replied without taking his eyes of the machine, "He's been trying to make one strong enough to power an aircraft without the need of hot air."

"A new flying machine?" Celestia replied with wonder, "How would it work?"

"Simple!" Barsley replied from the back, "You just add wings for aerodynamics, then this little beauty here for power and you're off!" he made a soaring motion with his hand, "Free like a bird!" he returned his attention to the engine with a maniacal frenzy.

For a moment, Celestia imagined Barsley on top of a huge machine with mechanical wings, the wings flapping up and down furiously, "Like a bird?"

"Not what you think..." Henningston replied with a groan, "Didn't you see the gliders when you visited the capital?"

Celestia thought back to her last visit, "I did... though I never saw them in action."

"Basically, because of their low weight and the form of their wings, they allow a controlled descent or even flight if you can catch a good air current..." Penceleigh explained, "There has been the idea to fix an engine to them for years now, but no one was able to build one with enough power to outmatch its weight..." she gave Barsley a skeptical gaze, "... yet."

Princess Celestia studied the machine, "Do you think it will work?"

Next to her, Henningston gave off a laugh, "It blew up the last three times he tried to start it... though if anyone can do it, it's that lunatic." he gave Penceleigh a smirk, "Ten pieces of silver say it blows up..."

"Deal." Penceleigh replied without hesitating.

Celestia eyed the two humans with disbelief, "If you are so certain it will blow up, why are we standing so close..."

Before she could finish her question, Barsley gave off a shout, "IGNITION!" and the machine lurched to life.

---

Captain Bluefire paced up and down the yard of Canterlot university with nervous steps, these last weeks... from the very point that the humans had arrived he had felt anxious. He didn't like them, the stories he had heard about their military power, their seemingly unending resourcefulness... their hunger. Bluefire could see it in their eyes, they constantly hungered for more, and it unnerved him. He had accompanied princess Celestia on her journeys to the human capital once, and the sheer sight of their city had put fear into him.

Not to mention the fact that the humans were known as being omnivores.

"Captain?" one of his guards spoke up, "Is everything alright?"

"It is nothing." Bluefire replied quickly, "I just don't like it when the princess is without our protection..." that, and he did not approve at all of her fascination with the humans. He shook his head, who was he to question his princess? He would support and protect in any way possible. But still... only a hundred years had passed since the banishment of her sister, and he knew it still weighed heavily upon her.

His thoughts were interrupted though, as a thunder storm was seemingly set lose inside the university. The very ground shook beneath his hooves, and countless thunderclaps roared out of the windows and washed over him and the other guards, making them hold their ears as the deafening storm continued.

Then, an explosion shook the university and black smoke started to rise from several of the lower windows... followed by a terrible silence.

"Quickly!" Bluefire sprang to his hooves, "Find the princess! We have to..."

His shouting of orders came to an abrupt end as the doors to the university were thrown open, and a coughing Celestia accompanied by the three humans stepped out into the open.

All of them were covered in soot, and their clothes as well as Celestia's flowing mane had several burn marks.

"Is this going to happen a lot?!" Celestia managed to choke out between coughs. Her voice was strangely high-pitched, as her ears were still ringing from the explosion. How Barsley had managed not to go deaf over the years of his research was a mystery to her at this point.

"Only if the building can withstand it." Henningston almost shouted before turning to Penceleigh, "You owe me ten silver pieces!" he started to twist his fingers in his ears.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Barsley's whole face was black, the only thing standing out being his sparkling eyes and his white teeth as he grinned, "That was fantastic! Not only ignition, but also four seconds of operation!" he clapped his hands in glee, "Just a few more tests and it'll be ready for field studies!"

"Thankfully you'll have to repair it first..." Celestia mumbled as she tried to wipe more soot from her face. She hoped it would take him a few days to repair the smoking remains in the bowels of the university... the sheer volume and the ferocity of the machine had shocked her.

"Not at all!" Barsley grinned, "I have two more engines waiting for tests!"

"Oh heavens no..." Celestia sighed and hung her head.

"What was that?" Barsley held a hand to one of his ears, "You have to talk louder!"

A few yards to the side, captain Bluefire was grinding his teeth in desperation, having a hard time not to let his temper fly off the handle.

He lost the fight with himself though, when Barsley put his fist to his sides and proclaimed with a grinning face, "What fun! Now where do I get a good steak around here? I could eat a horse!"