Learn about Cogneato, a pony from Canterlot who's come to help out in Ponyville
It isn't a surprise that moving a first-rate magic student to a tiny city would result in mayhem. Find out about one pony whose engineering and tenacity are needed to keep the city from falling apart.
Author's Note: Aside from the first one, which sets the stage, each chapter is intended to stand alone and is directly inspired by an episode. I intend to write more, but it's episodic nature allows me to grant it "completed" status.
Below the tall towers of Canterlot there lay several small hovels. In one of them was a cozy one-room home. Though the floor and walls were almost completely bare, a bed, desk, chair, and trunk decorated the room. At the desk was a pink Earth pony with light and dark brown hair. His cutie mark was a pink cogwheel and a yellow cogwheel fitting together. He sat on a stool with a pencil in his mouth, trying to sort out some calculations. Somepony on the other side of the frontdoor rustled and an envelope emerged through the mail slot. It fell to the ground with a flit and prominently displayed the intended recipient, “Cogneato”. The pony spun around in his stool. “What is this?” he mused to himself as he grabbed the envelope. He brought it back to the desk and opened it up with a knife. As he silently read the letter, his eyes went wide. He dashed out of the workshop.
“A transfer!” Cogneato cried out as he threw the letter on the table in front of him. His Earth pony friend, Anaville, picked up the letter to inspect it. She had a brown coat, silver hair, and a hammer and anvil cutie mark. Together they had been eating donuts at a cafe in Canterlot. “What is she thinking?” Cogneato continued, clearly dismayed at the news. Anaville finished reading it. “Directly from Princess Celestia too!” she commented, surprised. Cogneato shook his head. “I can’t believe it. I’m going to move to the middle of nowhere!” He took a big bite from his donut. “What does she expect me to do out there?” he continued with his mouth full. “I’m not a farmer, I’m an engineer!” Ana looked down at the paper. “Where is… Ponyville, again?” “It’s one of the towns near here.” Cogneato pointed out the window. “It’s known for its fresh produce. You can see it from the towers. I’m sure I’ll be working the fields!” Anaville glanced out the window as if looking for the foreign town. “This is rotten timing too. Tonight’s Moon Dancer’s party at the university, and you know what that means.” “Can’t we go a year without having to replace both the floor and ceiling of a house?” Cogneato waved his hoof while eating the last of his food. “Well, it looks like you won’t have to this year. You’ll be in Ponyville! The letter says you have to be there tonight, though she doesn’t say why.” She inspected the letter more carefully. “You’re supposed to meet some Mayor Mare.” Anaville looked at the clearly agitated Cogneato. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. There’s probably plenty of work for an engineer like you.” “I doubt that!” Cogneato rolled his eyes as he thought about all of the complexities of a farm plow. “Does the Princess even look at the cutie marks of the ponies she sends out?” Anaville shrugged helplessly. “I’m sure she has her reasons.” “I’m going to go ask her. Maybe she could send someone else instead?” Cogneato got up up from his seat and tossed some bits onto the counter for the shop owner. Anaville recognized the look of determination in Cogneato’s eyes when he got an idea in his head. “Good luck!” she called out after her friend as he walked out the door, “she’s probably busy getting ready for the Summer Sun Celebration.”
Celestia, being the supreme ruler she was, could generally be found in one of a few places. The first place Cogneato checked was the Great Hall. Generally open to the public, the Great Hall was the home of many ceremonial events as it could hold the most ponies. It seemed unlikely that she’d be there, but it was the easiest to check. Cogneato peeked his head in and looked around. The blue carpet and large stone pillars did indeed make the Hall great, but there was no sign of the princess. Next he checked all the parts of the Party Hall. This hall had several floors and areas and was best known for its use for the Grand Galloping Gala, but was often rented out to members of the upper crust for private concerts, garden parties, and the like. Glancing through windows and parting bushes quickly revealed to Cogneato that their ruler was not at any of these parties. The next place on his list was the Hall of Princesses. Known for its stained glass panels of history, this area was often a place where Princess Celestia would go to meditate on her decisions and responsibilities. Thus, it was often closed to the general public. As such, it was no surprise to him when, coming up the steps to the hall, two armored guards stopped him. “What business do you have with the Princess?” one asked. “I’ve got a letter!” He pulled the letter in question out of his saddlebag and thrust it toward the guard. “I want to know why I’ve been sent to Ponyville.” The guard looked down at the letter and back at Cogneato. “I’m sorry but she’s not accepting visitors today” he responded, pushing the letter back. “What?” Cogneato stuffed the letter back in his bag. “She just sent this! She can’t expect me to follow her orders without understanding why!” “I think she does,” said the other guard. “In fact, very few ponies in Equestria question her.” “Well I do!” “Good for you,” the first guard commented dismissively. “Now move along.” Cogneato turned and walked back down the steps.
A few hours later, on the far side of the hall, a grappling hook appeared over one of the rear walls. After some grunting, Cogneato tumbled over the top of the wall and onto the ground behind the hall. Dusting himself off, he looked around. There were surprisingly few guards around on this side. He quickly found a back door and entered into the Hall of the Princesses. The Hall was beautiful and had several stained glass windows illustrating the history of Equestria. Cogneato stood in awe as he had never actually been inside before. He’d had numerous opportunities to visit during special occasions and guided tours, but he had never bothered, even though they were open to the general public. On one side of the hall was the door that led outside. A long, red carpet stretched across the floor leading up to a throne, which was currently empty. Beside the throne on either side were hung several large intricate tapestries, framing the place where the Princess often sat. Suddenly he heard an echoing thud from across the hall. Somepony else had just come in! He dove behind a pillar along the wall and watched carefully. A figure cloaked in black walked down the carpet towards the throne, but then stopped halfway. Cogneato ducked back behind the pillar. After a moment, he peeked out again. The cloaked figure was now pointedly looking at his pillar. He ducked back again, hoping the pony hadn’t seen him.
“Are you trying to hide?” the pony asked, incredulously.
Knowing he was caught, Cogneato stepped out into the open. “I was just here to see the Princess,” he said matter-of-factly. “What are you doing here?” he asked, attempting to shift the focus to her.
“I’m also here to see the Princess,” the mare said proudly. “I am, after all, her number one student!” She pulled back her hood to reveal her orange and red mane.
Cogneato recognized her from the university. “You’re Sunset Shimmer!”
“That’s right,” she revelled in delight at the sound of her name. “I’m glad that some ponies are beginning recognize me.”
They both looked at each other awkwardly, knowing that they both had snuck in here. Cogneato decided to break the ice. “So, where is Princess Celestia?”
“How should I know?” she asked defensively. “Well, didn’t you say you were her number one student?” “Yes, but… ergh,” she stammered. “The Princess keeps me in the dark about a lot of things, and I think she’s done it again.” “What do you mean?” Cogneato’s curiosity was piqued. “Celestia has a way of keeping information to herself and sharing it only when it suits her plan.” Cogneato wondered if that’s why his letter was so cryptic. “But why is she having me move to Ponyville?” “What was that?” Sunset looked behind her and started to listen carefully. “I said, why-” suddenly Cogneato’s mouth was shut by Sunset’s magic as she continued to listen. Steps outside the hall were heard. Sunset grabbed Cogneato and hid with him behind the pillar, still keeping his mouth shut. A door opened and a pony slowly walked down the carpet, the sound of hoofs echoing through the hall. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a spearhead of one of the guards. Then Cogneato felt his whole body suddenly shift with magic.
A moment later, he and Sunset Shimmer were no longer in the castle. Cogneato was dizzy from the teleport, but his traveling companion didn’t seem phased. Cogneato shook himself off. He looked around and realized he was at a library near his home. “Thank you for saving me!” he cried. “I don’t know what they would have done if they had found me.” “Don’t mention it,” Sunset said. “Seriously, don’t mention it. We’ll both be in big trouble if anypony finds out.” “Yes ma’am! Your secret is safe with me.” Cogneato bowed low. “But, what is Princess Celestia up to?” he asked returning his thoughts back to his mission. Sunset shook her head. “I don’t know, but something is about to happen, and soon.” She looked up at one of the bookshelves. “The Princess has a plan and I intend to find it out.” She then levitated one of the books out of the shelves and started to read it. Cogneato stood there for a moment, wondering if she was going to talk to him anymore. She didn’t. “Well, I’d better get going then.” Sunset didn’t respond. “Right. Thanks for the rescue. Another time, then.”
Cogneato quietly left the library and wandered the streets. The setting sun painted the city in an orange glow. He thought about what Sunset Shimmer said and wondered about Celestia’s plan for him. Was she actually putting his skills to good use or was he going to end up plowing fields of … he shuddered … celery? He shook his head. No, he must have faith that Celestia knows what she’s doing. Even though he doesn’t understand it now, he should follow her orders and hope for the best. Satisfied with his resolution, he smiled as he trotted on home. When he arrived, he noticed that his door was open. “What?” He dashed inside to find the place covered in boxes filled with his belongings. The drawers to his desk were removed and placed on top of it. The culprits of the mess were two worker ponies in the middle of the room. One was a light brown Earth pony with a black mane sporting a corrugated box cutie mark, and the other was a darker brown unicorn with a white mane and a red dolly cutie mark. Cogneato watched in horror as one of them upturned his desk drawer. Erasers, pens, and pencils, previously organized in the drawer, fell haphazardly into a moving box.
“What are you doing?” he cried out, waving at them to stop.
They looked up, unconcerned. “We’re packing the room up. All this has to get to Ponyville by tomorrow.”
Cogneato slapped his hoof to his forehead. Celestia didn’t waste time when it came to moving ponies around her kingdom.
“I’m sorry,” the other one said. “We thought you had already left. It is a few hours away.” He picked up another drawer.
Cogneato’s eyes went wide. “Wait, that’s my-” he cut himself off as he watched the pony dump his hammer, screwdrivers, and other equipment into the same box.
Cogneato gritted his teeth at him. The pony frowned. “Sorry.”
Cogneato shook his head. “Could I just get something? Then I’ll be out of your mane.”
The workers shrugged. “Sure.”
Cogneato walked over to a trunk and opened the lid. He stuck his head in to the trunk to search for something. When he reemerged, he had a hard hat on with a flashlight affixed to it. He then walked back out the door.
It was quickly getting dark outside. The sky was a deep blue and the Mare in the Moon was bright in the sky. Cogneato trotted around his home. In the back was a vehicle he had created in his spare time. It was a sort of sled with pedals that had rotary helicopter blades on top. He switched on his helmet, got on board, and started peddling. Slowly the blades started moving and soon enough they were moving fast enough to lift him. Once he rose above most of the buildings, he leaned forward and headed towards the edge of Canterlot.
It was clear that the Princess wanted him to go to Ponyville, but he still had no idea why. The only other pony who might have an answer for him is the one who was meeting him there, Mayor Mare. In hopes she would shed some light on the issue, he traveled across the night sky to Ponyville. His silhouette was seen flying over the nearby snow-covered mountains and down into the valley.
After several hours, he set down near the outskirts of town. Despite it being late at night, the houses were filled with light and the loud thumping of music. Cogneato had nearly forgotten that tonight was the Summer Sun Celebration. He rolled his eyes when he remembered. Parties were never his thing. He was tired from his journey, but he didn’t have anywhere to stay right now. Instead he walked through the commons in the center of town, looking for Mayor Mare.
Although it was dark, he was pretty sure he had found the town hall. It was the tallest structure in town and had a large banner up for the Summer Sun Celebration. Stepping inside, Cogneato found dozens of ponies dancing and talking over loud music. He walked around trying to find someone who might be the mayor, but every pony was a stranger to him. Near the sound system, his eyes came upon the only familiar face there. He didn’t know her real name but at function like these she went by DJ Pon-3. She had performed at several functions in Canterlot and must have come out to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration.
Cogneato walked over to DJ’s stand. It had two spinning records on it and several audio cables coming out the back of it. She had a huge smile and bobbed her head to the beat. Cogneato could scarcely be heard as he yelled over the music. “Do you know where the mayor is?”
DJ didn’t seem to hear him as she kept bobbing her head.
Cogneato yelled louder. “Do you know where the mayor is?”
DJ didn’t stop bobbing her head, but pointed across the room. Cogneato looked in that direction and saw a brown pony with silver hair, glasses, and a scroll cutie mark. He was certain this was Mayor Mare.
“Thank you!” he yelled at DJ Pon-3, who continued to dance.
The music was quieter in this corner and the mayor was talking to another pony. Cogneato waited for a lull in the conversation before speaking up. “Are you Mayor Mare?” he asked loudly.
Mare spun around. “Why yes, I am!” she confirmed. “And who might you be?”
“I’m Cogneato, I just came in from Canterlot.”
“Oh, you’re Cogneato!” Mayor Mare smiled with excitement. “I’m so glad you made it. I was worried you might have gotten lost!”
Cogneato was relieved to have finally met the mayor, but it was also clear that now was not the time to have the sort of conversation he wanted. Feeling his exhaustion from his trip, he settled on a different approach. “So do you know where I am sleeping tonight?” he asked. “I’m very tired.”
The mayor looked concerned. “Are you sure? The Summer Sun Celebration Ceremony is going to be in a few hours. Princess Celestia will be there.”
Cogneato’s ears perked up, but he immediately remembered his exhaustion. “I’ll come back for that. I just need a little nap.”
Mare nodded. “Alright, let me show you to your new home.” She led him through the front doors.
Outside the music from inside could still be heard and Cogneato’s ears were ringing. As they walked across town, Cogneato ventured to quell his curiosity. “So, do you know why Princess Celestia asked me to live here?”
“Oh yes!” she said matter-of-factly. “She asked you because I asked for you.”
“What?” Cogneato was confused. “I don’t even know you. How could you have asked for me?”
“Well,” she began, “Princess Celestia asked Twilight Sparkle to move to Ponyville, so we need your services.”
“Who is Twilight Sparkle?” he asked, exasperated. The name sounded familiar but he couldn’t place it. “And why do you need me?” All these unanswered questions were driving him crazy.
“Twilight is one of Celestia’s students, and we need you because of your special talents.” Mayor Mare stopped outside of a house. “And here is where you’re staying!” She grandly opened the door to a dark room. In the corner were dusty several wooden crates covered in old cobwebs. A plain straw bed sat in the corner next to a fireplace. An old red and green holey oval carpet covered the wooden floor.
Cogneato’s head was spinning. “Why is Twilight Sparkle special?” He would also ask about what she needed from him but he was a little afraid of what the answer might be. For now, he assumed it had to do something with his skills in engineering.
Mayor Mare looked at him face to face. “You do seem tired from your trip.” She patted him on his back. “Why don’t you go to sleep and we can talk about it in the morning.”
“Fine.” Cogneato grunted. “But I still want to attend the Celebration.” He doubted that he would be able to talk to the Princess that night, but it was certainly worth a shot.
“Okay, see you in a few hours!” she said and trotted back to the hall.
Cogneato tiptoed past the dust in the room and flopped onto the bed. He mentally noted that he needed to wake up in three hours and fell right to sleep.
As if an alarm clock went off in his head, he woke up after three hours on the dot. He considered this sleeping habit to be one of his special talents, though he told very few others. He quickly sat up and rubbed his eyes. It was still dark but the sun would be up soon, just in time for the ceremony. He trotted back to town hall down the moonlit streets. The hall was filled with the chatter of ponies as they waited for the ceremony to begin. There were also several of Celestia’s guards on duty, standing at attention. Soon Mayor Mare took the stand. “Fillies and gentlecolts,” she began. “As mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!” Ponyville cheered. It was a great honor for Celestia to have chosen Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration. Cogneato wondered why Ponyville was chosen as the Mayor continued her introduction. “In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year! And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria......Princess Celestia!” On a balcony above the stage, curtains drew back and a spotlight was focused, but there was nopony there. Cogneato was surprised, but not shocked. It seemed Celestia came and went as she pleased. Perhaps this was part of her plan? “Remain calm, everypony, there must be a reasonable explanation!” Mayor Mare said, trying to maintain her composure. High above, a black cloud gathered, and a dark armored alicorn mare appeared on the balcony. “Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little sun-loving faces.” “What did you do with our Princess?!” somepony cried out. The dark mare cackled. “Why, am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?” The alicorn gracefully flew down to the stage. “Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?” Legend? Signs? Cogneato wondered if this is what Sunset Shimmer was onto in Canterlot. Perhaps she had read the legend and knew how to defeat her. Too bad no one else studied the legend. “I did.” A young purple unicorn in the front declared. Cogneato thought she seemed familiar. “And I know who you are,” she continued. “You're the Mare in the Moon – Nightmare Moon!” Everypony gasped. Even Cogneato knew of Nightmare Moon. Everypony did. When he was a colt, sometimes he had bad dreams. At the time, he was told that it was Nightmare Moon who caused them. Of course as he got older, he stopped believing in Nightmare Moon. Could she be telling the truth? he wondered. “Well well well, somepony who remembers me.” Nightmare Moon seemed amused. “Then you also know why I'm here.” The young unicorn knew what was going to happen, but could only sputter. Nightmare Moon laughed. “Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!” She continued to laugh maniacally. “Seize her!” Mayor Mare yelled. “Only she knows where the Princess is!” Several guards darted at her, but were thrown back by a lighting bolt. “Stand back, you foals!” Nightmare laughed and disappeared into the same black cloud that made her appear. “Find her!” Mayor Mare ordered the guards. “We must find Princess Celestia!” The guards and almost everypony else left the hall. Cogneato came bounding up to Mayor Mare. “What are we going to do?” “I don’t know!” Mare was clearly on the verge of panic, but was still managing to hold it together. “What are we going to do without the sun? This is terrible!”
“There is nothing to be afraid of,” a voice from behind them said coolly. Cogneato spun around and looked into the hall. Most of the ponies had left, but some were still standing, unsure of what to do. However, about a dozen of them were wearing dark blue hooded cloaks, and they slowly approached the stage. The look of them sent a shiver down Cogneato’s spine. Mayor Mare didn’t like the look of them either. As they filed onto the stage, one of them approached the podium. “There is nothing to fear!” she declared. “Nightmare Moon isn’t evil. She is Celestia’s sister, Princess Luna!” This sent a murmur over the rest of the ponies in the audience. Nopony had ever heard of Princess Luna before. “What do you mean?” Mayor Mare stepped forward. These ponies seemed like they were up to no good. “Nightmare Moon has taken the princess and put Equestria in eternal night!” “Let me tell you the tale of Princess Luna,” the cloaked pony began. “Over a millennium ago, a great enemy, whose name was Chaos, lay waste to the land. The two most powerful ponies in the land were able to defeat him, but Equestria was still in ruin. “The sisters discussed how to restore harmony. The younger princess, Luna, wanted to divide the land, allowing each to have a place to rule. The elder sister, Celestia, forbade it. Instead they divided the kingdom by time. Celestia would use her powers to raise the sun in the day and Luna would rule by night. They thought they could maintain balance for their kingdom and all their subjects. “However, the ponies relished and played in the elder sister’s day, and shunned and slept through the younger one’s night. Luna became resentful of Celestia until one fateful day, Luna demanded to keep the moon up until all ponies celebrated her night as they did the day. Celestia refused, and banished her to the moon. “Luna, was unable to leave the moon, but still sought to have us remember and celebrate her. She had no choice but to speak to us in our dreams. I’m sure all of us have been visited by “Nightmare Moon” more than once.” One at a time, the cloaked ponies stepped forward and spoke. “Most ponies do not listen to her.” “But we do.” “We have heard her calling.” “And we honor her.” “We are…” “The Children Of The Night!”
“That’s an interesting theory,” Mayor Mare started, delicately. “I’m sure Nightmare Moon appreciates your dedication to her, but right now we need to decide what to do about Princess Celestia.” The speaker for the Children Of The Night glared at Mare, who shifted uncomfortably. “If the sun doesn’t rise, then we won’t be able to grow any food.” The speaker shook her head. “The time for playing in the sun has passed. Nightmare Moon has returned and has asked us to praise her and shower her with gifts,” she leaned forward on the podium, “or feel her wrath!” Cogneato was scared but Mayor Mare stood fast. “Praising Nightmare Moon is irresponsible! We need the sun and we need food!” The speaker’s unseen eyes seemed to focus on the Mayor. “Children, remove this heathen from the hall!” Mayor Mare looked at Cogneato and they both ran out of the hall before the Children could get off the stage. The crazed cultists of Nightmare Moon seemed bent carrying out the orders that they dreamed, believing it was from their true princess. Outside, many other ponies were spooked and running around, yelling. The panic in the streets saddened Mayor Mare, but she needed some time to think before trying to calm everypony down. “I suggest we not go to your house,” Cogneato offered. “The Children of the Night might decide to visit you there, and the townsfolk are probably not very happy with you right now.” “I completely agree,” she replied. She then led him to his new home and shut the door behind them. Inside, things were much quieter and less hectic. “This is quite the pickle we’re in,” she stated with concern. Cogneato was exasperated. “Could you please tell me what’s going on? Who is Twilight Sparkle?” Cogneato demanded. Mayor Mare took a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll tell you everything I know. A few weeks ago, Princess Celestia decided on Ponyville to be host of the Summer Sun Celebration.” Cogneato thought it odd that such a small town would be host to such a big event. “I was told she’d send an important somepony to help with the preparations, but didn’t tell me who until yesterday.” Cogneato nodded. “And that somepony was me?” “No, it was Twilight Sparkle.” Cogneato frowned. “The princess sent her number one prized pupil to Ponyville to oversee the preparations.” Cogneato blinked. It seemed their ruler had more than one “number one” student. “Celestia herself told me that she has great potential and asked me to make Ponyville her home. Of course, I did my research.” Mayor Mare thought back to the yearbooks she had rifled through. “Students from the School for Gifted Unicorns are notorious for causing a great deal of property damage.” “Tell me about it!” Cogneato understood all too well what it was like to put together a dorm room after it had been torn apart by a failed homework assignment. “Wait, are you saying…” “So” she continued “I asked her to send the best engineer she had to help keep the town in one piece. She obliged and you were sent here.” Cogneato was floored and amazed. “Really, the best?” He wanted to be sure he heard that right. Mare nodded. “Those were my exact words.” Cogneato’s face lit up. He was the best engineer Celestia knew! He smiled as he thought of all of the projects he’d worked on, keeping the school together. He was also relieved. This meant he certainly was NOT going to be working the farms but instead doing what he does best: engineering! Beaming with pride, he said, “I won’t let you down, ma’am!” He saluted. “Well I’m glad you’re onboard for taking care of Ponyville,” Mayor Mare said, “but right now things are a mess.” A pony ran by the window, calling out in a panic. “Without Celestia, the Equestrian government will fall to pieces, and the Children of the Night have taken over Town Hall.” “Alright, first thing’s first. Where is Celestia?” “Nightmare Moon has her!” Mare declared. Cogneato thought for a moment. “Really? Did we actually see Celestia get taken?” The mayor frowned. “No, but she was supposed to be on the balcony.” “Did you meet her earlier in the night?” “Well,” Mayor Mare hesitated as she thought back. “Now that you mention it, I didn’t. I expected to see her at the party at Town Hall but she never showed up.” “Is it possible she never arrived?” “No!” Her eyes darted back and forth as she thought about it. “The guards, they said…” it was clear from her face that she never saw Celestia in Ponyville. Cogneato thought back to the ceremony. “What about that unicorn, that was Twilight Sparkle, right?” Mare nodded. “How did she know about Nightmare Moon?” “I don’t know.” She shook her head. “But she seemed to know a lot. Should we find her?” “Yes, I think so. Where is she now?” Mayor Mare blinked. “I have no idea. I last saw her in the hall, and she left in a hurry. Maybe she’s at the library?” Cogneato shook his head. “The library? Why there?” “Princess Celestia asked for it. She said Twilight feels most comfortable around books.” Cogneato thought it strange, but then, Sunset Shimmer also seemed to reside in a library in Canterlot. “Let’s go to the library then!”
The door to the Golden Oak Library opened. It was dark inside and nopony seemed to be around. “Hello?” Mayor Mare called in. “Is Twilight there?” They both stepped inside and closed the door. Mare waited by the door and scanned the walls, trying to see in the dark. Cogneato stepped further into the room, but tripped over some books, letting out a yelp. “Who’s there?” came a voice from the dark. A moment later, a short green flame appeared, lighting a candle which, in turn, lit the room. A foot away from Cogneato was a tired-looking purple baby dragon with green spikes, holding the lit candle. “Oh my goodness it’s a dragon!” Cogneato jumped high into the air and ran for the door. “Calm down, it’s just Spike,” Mayor Mare soothed. “He’s Twilight’s assistant.” Cogneato skidded to a halt in front of the door and turned to the mayor. “Twilight Sparkle’s assistant is a dragon?” “Yup,” Spike said, stifling a yawn. “What can I do for you?” “We were wondering,” Mare began, “if you knew where Twilight was?” “She’s out, somewhere.” Spike yawned again. “I was asleep.” “Do you know where?” “Nope.” Spike shrugged and started walking towards his bed. “I’m going back to bed.” “Wait!” Cogneato called out. “Do you know how Twilight knew about Nightmare Moon?” “Oh yeah.” Spike stopped and turned around. “She read it in a book.” The little dragon yawned again and scratched his stomach. “She tried to tell Princess Celestia about it too, but-” “When?” Cogneato cut him off, but he seemed to be thinking hard about something else. “Well, just yesterday.” The pieces were coming together in Cogneato’s mind. His eyes glazed over as he was lost in thought. After a moment, he yelled out “I’ve got it!” “You do?” the mayor stepped closer. “Tell me in the morning,” Spike said, settling back down to sleep. “Celestia must have known about Nightmare Moon,” Cogneato explained. “After all, she’s constantly keeping an eye out for threats to Equestria.” “But couldn’t she have missed this one? Nightmare Moon was just an old mare’s tale until now.” Cogneato smiled. “I thought so too, but as Spike just told us, Twilight herself told Celestia about Nightmare Moon.” “She could have dismissed it.” Mare didn’t disbelieve him, but was simply arguing against him so he’d prove his point. “No, there have been too many strange occurrences. First Twilight was suddenly moved to Ponyville, on a day’s notice, to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. I’m guessing everything was already more or less finished?” Mayor Mare nodded. “Of course! Before Princes Celestia assigned anyone, I was personally handling things.” “Then she doesn’t even show up to the Summer Sun Celebration.” Mare shook her head. “I could have sworn the guards told me she was ready.” “But why Ponyville? If she knew of Nightmare Moon’s return, why would she have chosen Ponyville? And why send Twilight?” Mayor Mare looked down at an open book that was on the floor. “The Everfree forest?” she exclaimed in surprise. “What’s that?” “Look.” Mayor Mare grabbed the candle as Cogneato moved closer and looked at the book. “The elements of harmony… the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now the Everfree Forest.” “What’s the Everfree Forest?” Cogneato asked. “It’s a wild forest near here, it’s not safe though.” “That can’t be a coincidence.” Mayor Mare looked at the book some more. “I would guess that Twilight Sparkle has gone into the Everfree forest to find these “Elements of Harmony.” Perhaps they will help her defeat Nightmare Moon?” “We can only hope that Celestia knew this would happen.” “But what about the Children of the Night?” “I don’t know.” Cogneato shook his head. “I don’t think Celestia was prepared for this.” Suddenly Mayor Mare looked at Cogneato with determination. “Or maybe she had faith that we would take care of things.” “What? Us?” The engineer was anxious at the thought of dealing with a crowd. She nodded. “Yes, this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with unhappy citizens in Ponyville, and Celestia was quick to move you here too.” “That’s true,” he said thoughtfully. “Then let’s solve this problem, together.” They both smiled at each other in agreement. Cogneato switched into engineering mode. He started pacing around the library. “So what do the Children of the Night want?” “They want to praise Nightmare Moon.” “Hm… and how do we praise Princess Celestia?” The mayor thought for a moment. “We have holidays, parades, and festivals.” “Okay. Could we do the same thing for Nightmare Moon?” Mare looked at Cogneato with shock, but then slowly understood. “Yes, I think we could. That would certainly satisfy the Children of the Night.” Cogneato nodded. “Serving the Children of the Night, at least for now, is sure to restore order and peace to Ponyville. We must have faith that Twilight Sparkle will find the Elements of Harmony and stop Nightmare Moon.” “Alright, I know what to do to calm Ponyville.” Mayor Mare confidently trotted out the door.
Mayor Mare and Cogneato both stepped into the Town Hall. The audience was much fuller than before. Evidently, several of the panicked ponies from outside had decided to seek answers from the Ponyville government. However, the Children of the Night did not seem to be faring well. “... and offerings of food and bits will be collected daily.” The audience grumbled and were visibly upset, but were still too scared to speak out against the Children. Mayor Mare walked directly towards the side of the stage, followed closely by Cogneato. As she did, ponies backed up, making a path for her. When she stepped onto the stage, the grumbling stopped. “So the heathen is back!” the speaker scoffed. “Are you ready to embrace our new Princess of the Night?” Mare sighed, gathering her composure, and stepped forward. “Yes.” The audience gasped. The Children of the Night on stage were also aghast. Some whispered to each other in astonishment. “What?” The speaker sounded skeptical. “For too long we have forgotten about the princess of the night. Nightmare Moon, or rather, Princess Luna, deserves our attention and praise.” The Children of the Night nodded in agreement but the audience seemed uneasy. “Long ago, Celestia and Luna ruled over Equestria together as sisters, sharing equally the day and the night. As the Children of the Night have reminded us, we too must celebrate day and night.” Mayor Mare looked directly at the speaker of the Children. “I would like to dedicate a day, er, night, to praise our new princess of darkness. I propose a dance be held, games be played, and food be cooked and shared on this night.” The audience began to smile. They were still scared of course, but the idea of such a holiday did sound appealing. “What say you, Children of the Night?” The speaker looked at the mayor, and then looked back at the other Children on the stage. “One moment,” she said and quickly they huddled together. As they discussed one of them popped their head up. “Could we dress up?” Mayor Mare nodded. “Yes, we can encourage all ponies to wear costumes.” Another popped her head up. “What about candy? Could we have homemade goodies to eat?” “Standard with every holiday!” “And what about the children?” another spoke up. “Can we teach the children to fear and respect Nightmare Moon?” Mayor Mare looked confused. “You want to scare the children into respecting Nightmare Moon?” They all nodded. That explains the creepy outfits Cogneato thought. The mayor shrugged. “As long as nopony gets hurt,” she conceded. The Children of the Night broke the huddle and returned to their lineup. The speaker stepped forward. “We accept your proposal for a holiday, and we shall call it Nightmare Moon Night!” The ponies in the crowd cheered at the resolution. As if on cue, the town hall suddenly filled with light as the sun rose into the sky. “They did it!” Cogneato cried. He knew Twilight Sparkle was the one who saved Equestria from eternal night. Mayor Mare smiled widely, looking Cogneato in praise. The Children of the Night looked at the sun, looked at each other, and then began to move towards the exit from the stage. “Wait!” Mayor Mare called out. “What about Nightmare Moon Night?” The Children stopped and the speaker turned around. “But the sun is up. Nightmare Moon…” she hesitated to think what must have happened. “Even if Celestia has returned,” Mayor Mare offered, “we can still celebrate Nightmare Moon Night. Here in Ponyville, we respect all holidays and celebrations, for everypony.” This statement from the mayor really struck a chord in her. “Really? We will be accepted even if we praise Nightmare Moon?” Mayor Mare nodded her head. “Yes, we will welcome you.” Cogneato found himself nodding in agreement. The speaker looked out to the crowd of ponies. Some of them hesitated, but eventually they were all nodding as well. She looked at her fellow Children, and looked back to Mayor Mare. Then she pulled back her hood, revealing her sky blue mane and lemon yellow fur. Her cheeks were were streaked with tears from her magenta-colored eyes. “Thank you, Ponyville, for accepting us.” The other Children also took off their hoods too. They all looked as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders. “Let us take a recess until tonight,” Mare suggested. “We shall convene after the sun has gone down.” She looked over at the Children of the Night. “Then we shall plan our very first Nightmare Moon Celebration!” The crowd and Children cheered. “Praise Celestia!” Cogneato jumped up and down in excitement. He looked over at Mayor Mare and blushed. “And Luna too!”
Cogneato walked down the street when he was suddenly knocked over by a blue pegasus with rainbow hair. The pegasus jumped up and shook herself off. “Heh, sorry about that” she apologized. Cogneato got up too. “It’s no problem. What were you doing?” “I was trying to do my signature move, the Double Dash Loop-the-loop, but I couldn’t get enough speed.” “Hm…” Cogneato immediately started thinking of a solution. “Well, how do you get your speed now?” “Now? I fly up really high and then come down as fast as I can. Then I turn quickly into the loop.” An idea came into Cogneato’s mind. “I think I have something that can help you. It’s a catapult!” “A cata-wha?” “A catapult. You would sit on one side and somepony else would jump on the other” Cogneato had his hoof on his chin in thought. “It would send you flying up with a lot of speed.” “That sounds amazing!” The pegasus cheered. “I’m Rainbow Dash, by-the-way.” “I’m Cogneato. Pleased to meet you!” Cogneato nodded at Rainbow Dash. “I’ll need to do some calculations, but then I can set it up in the commons. How about we meet back in two days?” “You got it!” Rainbow Dash was thrilled. Smiling, Cogneato continued on his way. A moment later the whole city started shaking. Rainbow Dash look up and saw something coming over the hills. “Stampede!” she yelled out.
The next day, Cogneato walked to the library. He opened the door and stepped in. “Excuse me?” he asked. Twilight spun around. “Who are you?” Twilight blurted out of curiosity. “Oh, I’m Cogneato. Are you Twilight Sparkle?” “Why yes, yes I am!” Twilight revelled in how her name has been getting around town. Suddenly Cogneato ran up to her, looked over her mane and spoke very quickly “Oh my goodness! Is it true that you’re Princess Celestia’s personal student? Was it really you who defeated Nightmare Moon? I can’t believe that you found that in an old book! You must read a whole lot of books! Well, you must love books a lot, because you live in a library, right? So you must read a lot…” “Woah there!” Twilight said, calming him down. “Yes, I am Princess Celestia’s student, and, though I read about Nightmare Moon’s return, it was with my friends and the elements of harmony that we were able to defeat Nightmare Moon.” “That’s amazing!”
“Thank you” Twilight was still preening. “You’ve got to be the most powerful unicorn in all of equestria! No wonder Mayor Mare paid to move me here from Canterlot.” “Mayor Mare?” “Yes. The Mayor specifically asked me to live in Ponyville, just in case.” “Just in case of what?” Twilight asked suspiciously. “Well, uh, in case of any catastrophes.” Cogneato looks at the ground, avoiding eye-contact. “What do you mean, Cogneato?” Twilight confronted. “Um, well, when a student of your talent is honing her skills, sometimes … things happen.” “Like what?” Twilight was both taken aback and desperately curious. Cogneato crouched back timidly. “Nothing big, really. Or at least, nothing that couldn’t be fixed. When you lived in Canterlot, sometimes rooms were wrecked and need to be put back together, or buildings were damaged and needed to be repaired.” “I guess that’s true.” Twilight backed off, contemplating what kind of messes she might have made. Spike chimed in, “Remember that time you blew off the roof of the classroom?” “Oh, right.” Twilight looked away, embarrassed. “I remember, I fixed that!” Cogneato stood up. “Sorry about that.” Twilight crouched back. “It’s okay, it was easy to fix.” Cogneato said proudly. “The roof landed in an empty road. It was only a matter of balancing the aligning mechanism on another building, moving the roof back into place, and patching it back on. It took less than a day.” Cogneato was beaming so much that Twilight couldn’t help but feel better. “I’m glad that I didn’t cause too much trouble.” “It was my pleasure!”
“So what brings you here? Besides meeting Celestia’s best student, I mean.” “Well, you live in a library. I was wondering, do you lend out books?” “Oh, I’m not sure! I guess I can lend out a book, as long as you promise to give it back.” “I promise!” “Alright! Is there a specific book you’re interested in?” “I was looking for a book about engineering. There are a few equations that I want to look up.” “Hm…” Twilight looked up at the shelves thoughtfully. She used her magic to levitate one of the books down and held it in front of Cogneato. “How about this one?” “Concepts and Applications of Engineering, that’s perfect.” “Great!” Twilight turned to Spike. “Spike, take a note. The book Concepts and Applications of Engineering was lent to Cogneato.” “Got it!” “Thank you so much!” Cogneato cheered. “I’ll return it in two weeks” Cogneato grabbed the book out of the air with his mouth. “Due back in two weeks” she continued. Twilight then levitated the parchment and filed it into a folder and placed the folder in a shelf. “Enjoy your book!” Cogneato walked out of the library, happy.
The next day, Cogneato brought the catapult out to the commons, along with a diving ladder. A moment later, Rainbow Dash arrived. “So how does that work?” she asked, skeptically. Cogneato pointed as he explained “You’re going to sit on that spot there, and I’m going to climb up to the top of the ladder and jump on to this point here.” Rainbow nodded. “That should send you flying much faster.” “Awesome! Let’s do it!” Rainbow cheered as she got into position. Cogneato climbed the ladder and jumped off, landing squarely onto the catapult, launching Rainbow Dash into the sky. She began her trick but stalled out and crashed into Cogneato. “What went wrong?” Cogneato asked, after brushing himself off. “Well, I think your do-hickey worked, but I still didn’t get enough speed.” “Hm…” Cogneato grabbed a nearby stick and started drawing some equations in the loose dirt. Rainbow Dash thought too. They both came to a conclusion at the same time. “I think I need a cheerleader.” “I think you need more mass.” “More what?” “You need a what?” “I need somepony to cheer me on!” Rainbow Dash said excitedly. “No offense, but I’m not exactly inspired by your cheers.” “But I wasn’t cheering…” Cogneato protested with confusion “Exactly!” “I think you need more mass. Something heavier needs to hit the catapult.” “What exactly are you saying?” Rainbow seemed defensive. “Um…” Cogneato hesitated “I mean, you need somepony who’s stronger than me to hit the catapult.” Rainbow nodded as Cogneato continued “Somepony who works out a lot and stays close to the ground. Probably an athlete.” “I know just the pony!” Rainbow dash said excitedly. “Could you leave the cata-pult here for a while until I can use it again?” “Sure thing, Rainbow Dash!” “Thanks again, Cogneato!”
A week later, Cogneato all but forgot about the catapult, but one day he looked out his window and saw Rainbow dash flying through the sky. He immediately jumped up and ran out to the commons to see the maneuver. But by the time he got there, nopony was there. “Rainbow Dash!” Cogneato called out. Soon, Rainbow Dash appeared. “Oh hi Cogneato!” “I saw you fly through the air. Did you get the speed you wanted?” “No!” Rainbow Dash was upset. “I got the best most dependable pony in Ponyville out here and she launched me when I wasn’t ready!” “Oh dear” Cogneato imagined the crash-landing it must have caused. “Are you alright?” “Yeah, I’m fine” but she still seemed upset. “Maybe you could show me what your trick is supposed to look like?” Cogneato offered. “But I can’t do it!” “No” he pointed at the dirt “I mean draw it in the dirt.” Rainbow Dash seemed confused “Okay, I guess I can do that.” She took a stick and drew the trajectory of her trick. Afterwards, she explained “See, to do these upward loops, I need to have enough speed to make a whirlwind. Then I can fly through it sideways.” Cogneato nodded. “And its these upward loops that are the problem?” “Yeah! I can do them, of course, but not fast enough to make the whirlwind.” Cogneato thought for a moment. “What if you made them downward loops?” “What?” Rainbow Dash was a little confused. Cogneato drew in the dirt the same maneuver with the downward loops. “If you made them downward loops, your increased speed would probably give you the wind you want.” “Hey, you know, that might work!” Rainbow got excited again. “I’m going to try it right now.” Suddenly she took off and was high in the sky. She came down and then dropped down even faster through the downward loops, causing a whirlwind. She then flung herself into it sideways where it carried her. She then flew fast in a different direction, creating a very sharp angle in her rainbow trail. She then landed softly in front of Cogneato. Cogneato clomped the ground as he cheered. “Bravo! Well done!” “Thank you! Thank you!” Rainbow Dash bowed. She then stood up. “Really thank you Cogneato! Without you I wouldn’t have been able to do it!” “You are welcome!” “Now I’m off to do another trick!” she took off.
(Occurs between S1E4 Applebuck Season and S1E5 Griffon the Brush Off)
Cogneato stared intently at the gizmo on his desk. Sporting his multi-lens magnifying glasses, he expertly spun a screwdriver in his mouth to tighten some screws. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. “Special delivery” came a voice from the other side.
Cogneato walked across his empty one-bedroom apartment and opened the door. “Special delivery for Cogneato” the gray delivery pegasus said. Cogneato signed his name and brought the box inside, thanking the delivery pony for her hard work.
He could hardly contain his excitement as he ran to the other room and brought back a large contraption. It had two wheels with a bulldozer-shaped funnel on the front and a sort of spout on the top. Cogneato opened a door on the contraption and then turned towards the box. He smiled and excitedly peeled off the tape, pulled back the flaps, and revealed the contents in the air, like it was some great prize. What he pulled was a large black and yellow gem, cut into a globular shape. He pushed it into the contraption, threw the door closed, and flipped on the switch. The device whirred and shook and slowed down to a steady vibration. “Yes!” Cogneato pumped his hoof into the air. He grabbed the contraption and ran out the door.
“Is this your solution for the destroyed plants in Ponyville?” Mayor Mare asked with reservation. They were standing at the remains of a garden having been ravaged by a horde of rabbits. The plot’s owner, Rose, was standing nearby looking very sad. “Yes” Cogneato said excitedly. “I call it, the ‘Retiller’”. The mayor nodded. “See, the funnel scoops up the dirt and plants. Inside, the dirt is enriched and the plants rejuvenated, and the spout puts the dirt back with the plants on top.” Mayor Mare looked on with glazed over eyes. “It should work on 80% of all the damaged crops.” “Let’s just see it how it works” Mare suggested. “With pleasure!” Cogneato flipped the switch and the Retiller sprang to life. He pushed it across the dirt where it sucked up all the loose dirt and remaining plants. “Now watch this!” he said as he excitedly flipped the switch again. The machine started shaking and started spouting out the dirt and plants, propelling it backwards the way it came. The dirt appeared darker and more fertile, and the plants planted themselves into the ground. He turned off the Retiller and looked at Rose. She hesitated for a moment as she looked at the rejuvenated plants in her garden. Suddenly she jumped up smiling. “You did it! You fixed my garden!” She cried out, throwing her hooves around Cogneato in a celebratory hug. Cogneato blushed and put his hoof behind his head. “It was nothing, really.” “Great job!” Mayor Mare praised. “With this, it won’t take long for the flora to recover! Cogneato, please use this on every garden in the city.” Cogneato beamed. “Yes ma’am!” he saluted.
Over the course of several hours, Cogneato used the Retiller on countless gardens. The garden owners watched with delight as their destroyed crops were replanted and made healthier. He used it on misshapen shrubs that were replanted straight and clean. He even used it on a flower in a field to unbend its stem. After he was done, he looked back at Ponyville and smiled at all of the pristine shrubbery. He then took the Retiller across the bridge to the outskirts of town, to Sweet Apple Acres.
At the farm, Applejack was using a hoe to till the soil near some juvenile plants. Cogneato rolled up with his Retiller. “Hello there, I was wondering if I might be able to help you with your crops.” “No thanks, I got it covered.” Applejack replied, not looking up. Cogneato was taken aback, as this was his first rejection all day. “Um… really? There’s no charge. I could retill this section in just a minute.” Applejack looked up “You must be new in town. I’m Applejack. Pleased to meet you!” “Oh, um, I’m pleased to meet you too. I’m Cogneato.” Applejack smiled. “As for your contraption there, we don’t need it. Here at Sweet Apple Acres, we take pride in everything we do, from tilling the soil to selling the produce.” “But…” Cogneato looked passionate “this contraption does more than just till. It takes the damaged plants, sorts out the good parts, rejuvenates them, and then plants them back in the ground! Really, it does a lot of good. Everyone in Ponyville loved it.” “Everypony in Ponyville?” Applejack looked impressed. “Yes! Mayor Mare asked me to build this because of the herd of rabbits.” Cogneato looked proud. “Oh, right, that.” Applejack looked embarrassed as she remembered how her attempt to herd the rabbits caused the catastrophe. “So are you sure you don’t need help?” “Well, I guess you can do this section, since you worked so hard on it and all.” “Great!” Cogneato was so excited to use the Retiller that Applejack couldn’t help but laugh. He began retilling, scooping up the dirt and replanting the plants. “Amazing!” Applejack was impressed. About half-way through, Cogneato again pressed the switch to turn on the spout, but when it propelled backwards, it hit a rock. The Retiller was knocked off it’s course and tumbled into an oil can. The oil can was scooped up and the Retiller started throwing oil everywhere. Soon it sputtered even harder, and after a loud snap, it stopped, pouring out black smoke.
Cogneato stepped up to the retiller to inspect it. He frowned as he waved away the smoke. When he turned around, he saw that Applejack and all of the freshly retilled crops were covered in oil. Applejack frowned under the oil and wiped her face off. “Sorry” Cogneato said timidly. Applejack’s frown turned into a smile. “It’s alright. Accidents happen.” Cogneato nodded with resignation. “Just help me clean up this mess and we’ll be even Steven.” Applejack dashed into the shed and Cogneato looked at the Retiller, still dripping oil from it’s spout. He then looked over at the plants covered in oil. Finally, his gaze traveled to the bottom of the plants where the soil was… and the oil was not. An idea popped into his head and he opened a compartment on the Retiller and started messing with things in it. Applejack came back and set down a bucket filled with soap and water. Cogneato closed the compartment and looked at Applejack with a gleam in his eye. “Wha…” Applejack began, but suddenly Cogneato grabbed the bucket and dumped it into the Retiller. Applejack objected as Cogneato flipped the switch. The Retiller shuddered and spat and suddenly began spewing the soap and water all over the plants, cleaning them. “Wow, that was fast!” Applejack remarked. Cogneato grinned back. “Well, thanks for your help tilling ‘n all” Applejack looked at the Retiller. “But I prefer the dependability of my own two hooves.” “Of course! I completely understand.” Cogneato smiled. “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused.” He grabbed the Retiller and started walking away. “It was no trouble at all, and good luck with your other inventions” Applejack called out. Cogneato looked back and Applejack waved goodbye.
Cogneato crossed over the bridge to Ponyville with his Retiller. “Hey there!” came a high-pitched voice. Cogneato looked up and saw a pink pony with pink hair standing there, smiling. “Hello” Cogneato smiled but continued his trek home. “I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your name?” “I’m Cogneato. Nice to meet you.” “Whatcha doin’?” “I’m going home. It’s been a long day.” “Home?” Pinkie Pie looked confused “In Ponyville? I thought I knew everyone in Ponyville.” “I don’t get out much.” Cogneato replied with a bit of regret. “Hm… how did I miss you though?” Pinkie Pie sat and thought for a moment. Cogneato stopped. “I must have one of those faces.” Cogneato offered. Pinkie Pie pressed her forehead to Cogneato’s and stared at his face. “You have long eyelashes!” Cogneato looked embarrassed. “Um… yeah? So I do.” “You’d look just like a mare in the right clothes.” Beads of sweat started pouring down Cogneato’s face. “Oh, would I?” Pinkie Pie stepped back. “Yep!” she grinned. Cogneato starting walking away quickly. Pinkie followed with her typical bouncing trot.
“So what is that thing you have there?” “It’s a Retiller. Or it was. It’s broken now.” “A Retiller? What’s that?” Pinkie Pie sounded excited. “It digs up damaged plants and soil, rejuvenates them, and then replants them.” Pinkie Pie smiled. “That sounds great! Can I take a look?” “Um…” Cogneato hesitated “it’s broken.” “Let me see!” Cogneato let Pinkie Pie grab it. “It’s not working right now.” Pinkie Pie flipped the switch and the Retiller spewed out water onto some nearby bushes. “Hm…” “I told you, it’s not working. I just-” “Oh, here’s your problem!” Pinkie had opened the compartment and pulled out the gem. The yellow-black gem had faded to a green-blue. “Your gem is all used up.” Cogneato looked at Pinkie in awe. “You’ll need a new one if you want it to sort plants.” She put the gem back and closed the compartment. “But in the meantime, you can do this!” Pinkie Pie suddenly disappeared and reappeared with a bottle of pink liquid. She turned the Retiller on its side and poured the bottle into the funnel and then turned it on. It sputtered and shot out the pink liquid into the air where it landed perfectly on the leaves of the nearby bushes, turning them pink. Cogneato looked at the now pink bushes slackjawed. Pinkie looked at Cogneato with concern. “But I guess that’s not really useful unless you want to paint a whole bunch of trees.” She handed the Retiller back to Cogneato. “Pinkie, wha… I mean, how… … how did you do that?” “Weren’t you watching?” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “I poured in the bottle of pink ink and turned it on.” Cogneato shook his head. “No, I saw that. I mean, I thought the Retiller was broken, but it turns out it’s just a Repainter now.” Cogneato’s face lit up with excitement. “You’ve made my day!” “I did?” Pinkie grinned. “Yes!” Cogneato composed himself. “Even though I thought this was a piece of junk, it still had a use that I hadn’t thought of! Thank you so much!” “You’re welcome!” “Here, would you like it?” Cogneato offered the Retiller/Repainter to Pinkie. “It’s served its purpose and I want to give it to you.” Pinkie Pie swelled with happiness. “Really, you do?” “Yes, it’s my present to you!” “I love presents! Thank you Cogneato!” Pinkie took the Retiller and hopped gleefully away. Cogneato smiled as he headed the rest of the way home.
It had been two weeks since anything catastrophic had occurred in Ponyville, and that left Cogneato with little to do. A message from Mayor Mare arrived and delightfully explained that the town was undamaged and Cogneato’s services were not needed at this time. She would keep him informed, but until then he had no official work to do. Fortunately he had lots of projects he’s was working on. One of his most elusive research projects was the study of magic. Through all of his inventions and ideas, Cogneato had the most difficult time understanding magic. Perhaps today was the day to chat with Twilight Sparkle and learn more. She was, after all, the one who defeated Nightmare Moon. He threw some books he had borrowed into his saddle bags. He then grabbed a pencil and a notebook and headed towards the library. “Come one, come all!” a voice called from the main commons. Cogneato looked in the direction and saw a crowd gathered in front of a fold out wagon. He stepped up to the back of the crowd so he could see. “Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” A blue unicorn with a lighter blue mane stood on stage, presumably Trixie. Her purple pointy star hat and matching cape flared out behind her as she continued her announcements. “Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!” Cogneato got excited. Although he had never understood magic he always enjoyed a good magic show. He pulled out his notebook and held it in one hoof and his pencil in his mouth so he could write down the spectacular feats that were to come. Some pony in the front of the crowd booed. “Well, well, well, it seems we have some neighsayers in the audience. Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie?” It seemed Trixie didn’t appreciate the heckling. Cogneato frowned at the idea of having to go up on stage. “Do they not know that they're in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?” Cogneato rolled his eyes at her hyperbole as he immediately thought of Celestia, Nightmare Moon, and Twilight Sparkle as likely candidates for that title. A hush fell over the crowd. Applejack stepped on to the stage and showed off her rope tricks, pulling an apple from a tree with her lasso. Trixie returned by levitating the same rope and tying up Applejack. Cogneato jotted down notes as Applejack hopped off the stage. Then Rainbow Dash rushed onto the stage to defend Applejack’s honor. She did a very impressive feat of take sharp turns, flying through several clouds, collecting rain in her trail, and ending on stage with a splash, casting a rainbow above her. The crowd oohed and awed at the impressive feat of Rainbow Dash. Not to be shown up, Trixie took Rainbow Dash’s rainbow and spun it around her in a whirlwind, making her very dizzy. Cogneato looked on in awe. He had never seen magic used in such a way before. He frowned as he took notes, hoping Rainbow Dash and Applejack weren’t too embarrassed. He looked up excitedly for more. Next Rarity took the stage. Ah, another unicorn! Cogneato was eager to watch a magic duel between unicorns. Rarity used her magic to pull off the stage curtains and make a costume for herself right on stage. Cogneato wrote with excitement about its speedy construction, considering the time and effort usually needed to make something of such complexity. But crafty Trixie chose to again attack her opponent by messing up Rarity’s hair and turning it temporarily green. Everypony gasped as they all knew that this was about the worst thing to do to her. She demanded a mirror and soon ran crying from the stage. After such thorough mockery of her opponents, nopony else challenged her. Trixie laughed heartily. “I’m sure you were all amazed at the magical talent of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” She raised up on her hind hooves and the crowd cheered. “Trixie is going to take a break now, but if you are in awe of the great pony before you, you can come to the stage and receive a signed hoofprint for just five bits.” Trixie bowed once more on the stage and the crowd began to disperse. Cogneato threw his notebook and pencil back into this bag and headed towards the stage. A small line of ponies formed and Cogneato stepped in back of it. One at a time, the ponies in front of him left, leaving him alone with Trixie and two young unicorn colts who had decided they hadn’t had enough of her. “Are you here to bask in the glory of the Great and Powerful Trixie?” she asked Cogneato. “Er, well, yes I am!” He smiled. “I’ve always been fascinated with magic and I wanted you to tell me everything you know about it.” “Hmph!” Trixie scorned him. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not tell the secrets of her magic.” “Yeah!” one of the colts agreed. “Trixie’s magic is a mystery.” “She’ll only show you when the time is right” the other mused. Cogneato seemed confused. “But, magic is everywhere. Even these colts can use magic.” “Trixie will show you some magic IF you bring her a peanut butter sandwich.” She said this like it was a command. “Uh, yes ma’am” Cogneato said hesitantly. He galloped off to buy one from the local sandwich shop. Behind him he heard the colts bicker about wanting to get her something too.
Cogneato returned holding a plate with a sandwich on it. Trixie already had a glass of milk and bowl of salad. “What took you so long?” she snapped at him. He put down the plate. “Sorry, there was a line!” “Now Trixie will show you some magic.” Cogneato excitedly prepared to take notes. She levitated the sandwich into the air and took a bite of it. After chewing a few times, she lifted the glass and drank from it. She put them down and bowed like it was an amazing feat. “That’s just a levitation spell!” Cogneato yelled incredulously, dropping his pencil. “Doesn’t every unicorn know how to do that?” “I don’t” one of the colts said, shamefully. “Yeah!” the other one quipped. “Even if other ponies can levitate, only Trixie knows how to really levitate.” “What does that even mean?” “Trixie sees that you aren’t as dumb as you look” she smiled. “I will show you one other trick.” She put down her food and cast another spell. A puff of smoke and suddenly there was a piece of paper floating in the air. Trixie moved it onto the ground and then stepped on it, leaving a hoofprint on it like a stamp. Finally, she took a quill pen and signed her name next to it. The two colts cheered. “That was amazing!” Trixie offered the paper to Cogneato. “That’s for you, for all your trouble.” Cogneato rolled his eyes, but put it into his bag, along with this notes and pencil. “No need to thank me” Trixie cackled “Doing magic is its own reward.” The colts cheered again as Cogneato trotted off.
Cogneato stepped into the library. Twilight Sparkle looked up from a book she was reading. “Oh, hello Cogneato. Here to return the book?” Twilight didn’t seem to be in the best of spirits. “Yes I am!” He pulled the book out and tossed it onto a pile of books on the floor. “Great!” She pulled out a pen and marked something on a paper. She put the pen back and continued reading her book. Cogneato didn’t leave. “Did you need anything else?” She asked, not looking up. “Well, I wanted to ask you about magic…” he said hesitantly. “What, magic?” Twilight looked up. She seemed anxious about the topic. “I don’t know that much. I’m just a student!” “What are you talking about?” Spike walked over. “Twilight, you know more magic than anypony!” “AND” Cogneato said “you defeated Nightmare Moon!” “I told you before, that wasn’t just me, it was the Elements of Harmony and the magic of friendship.” Twilight was irritated. “And Spike, I’m no more talented than the next pony.” “I’m not saying you’re more talented, just more talented in magic. It’s your Cutie Mark afterall!” “You’re probably more talented than Trixie.” Cogneato chimed in. She shook her head. “No I’m not!” she screamed. “And I’m not going to talk to you about magic! I have some studying to do!” She grabbed her book and pointedly sat in the corner. Cogneato looked upset and sad. “But…” “Come on, Cogneato.” Spike walked towards the door. “Let’s leave her alone. She needs to clear her head.”
The two stepped outside. “I can’t believe her!” Spike was furious. “She’s great at magic! She could do all of Trixie’s tricks and then some!” Cogneato still looked defeated. “Do you think Twilight is upset with me?” “What? No! She just needs time. Let her cool down.” “I think she’s upset with me.” Cogneato put his head down. “Don’t worry about her. Let’s go talk to Trixie. I wanna give her a piece of my mind.” Cogneato half lifted his head “I’ve had my fill of Trixie for the day. I think I’ll go for a walk.” Spike shrugged. “Suit yourself!”
Cogneato wandered aimlessly around town. The sun was going down and most of the shops were closing up for the night. Feeling depressed, Cogneato walked to a bridge and looked out over the hills that surround Ponyville. He sighed as he watched the sun go down. He vaguely wondered if Celestia turned out the sun every night, or if it was just moved to a place where he couldn’t see. “Um, excuse me.” It probably was turned out he thought to himself. Twilight didn’t last long. “Excuse me, mister” But what about the moon? Did it go out too? How were the phases of the moon handled? Suddenly Cogneato felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun around and saw a yellow pegasus pony with pink hair. “I’m sorry to bother you, sir, but I was wondering if I could get by, please?” He realized he was taking up the whole bridge through the entire sunset. “I’m so sorry!” he apologized. “I didn’t mean to block your path.” He stepped aside. “It’s okay.” She stepped onto the bridge but stopped in the middle, looking out over the hills. “Are you okay?” Cogneato asked her. “Well…” she hesitated. “I live over there and I forgot to leave a light on for myself.” “Oh dear, and you can’t find it without it?” Cogneato ventured a guess. “No… it’s just…” she looked down, ashamed. “I’m afraid of the dark.” “There’s no reason-” Cogneato looked at her; she was petrified. “um.. how about I walk you home?” She perked up. “Oh would you?” she asked kindly in a soothing voice. “Of course.”
They began to walk in the dark. “I’m Cogneato. What’s your name?” “I’m Fluttershy.” “Sorry, I didn’t catch that?” “Fluttershy.” “Once more, please?” A twig snapped behind them, causing her to yell her name, “Fluttershy!”. She then hid behind Cogneato, concealing her whole body. After a moment, she looked out from behind him. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” She said, regaining her composure. “It’s just Snips and Snails.” The two colts from before, Snips and Snails, trotted up to them. “Hello! We were wondering…” “which way is the Everfree Forest?” Fluttershy pointed down the road. “It’s that way, but I wouldn’t go in there at night.” She shook. “It has a lot of dangerous creatures, like timberwolves and cockatrices…” “Thank you!” Snips cut her off, cheerfully. “We’re going to find an Ursa Major.” “Yeah! Then Trixie can beat it and everyone will know how great she is!” “Oh, no, you definitely don’t want...” Fluttershy began, but they were already down the road. Fluttershy looked at Cogneato. “Do you think they’ll be okay?” she asked. “They’ll be fine.” Cogneato waved his hoof at her. “They’re just silly colts that are exploring. When they get to the forest, they’ll probably just turn around and head home.” “If you say so.” Fluttershy conceded.
It wasn’t so dark that they couldn’t see, but it certainly wouldn’t be pleasant for someone who was afraid of the dark. Fortunately, they soon walked up to Fluttershy’s cottage. She stepped inside and turned on the lights. Angel, her pet rabbit, had been fast asleep in his bed. The light woke him up, but he rolled over and went back to sleep. “Thank you, Cogneato, for walking me home.” She said. “It was no problem. It was nice to meet you, Fluttershy.” They smiled awkwardly at each other for a moment. “I’d better get going. It is dark, afterall.” “Oh yes, of course. Good night!” Cogneato walked down the road towards home. Suddenly he heard a terrible roar. Looking behind him, he saw a very large, translucent bear bounding towards Ponyville. Just in front of it were Snips and Snails, galloping as fast as they could. Cogneato’s eyes went wide and then he bolted into town. “Is that the Usra Major they were looking for?” he wondered to himself. “And what am I going to do?” He decided not to start yelling. Maybe the creature will stop, or maybe the colts would be wise enough to lead it away from the city. In either case, yelling and causing panic would not help things. In hopes of finding Mayor Mare, he dashed to the town hall. He ran up to the door only to find it closed and locked. “Drat!” As he contemplated his next move, he watched in horror as the Ursa marched right into Ponyville. “Trixie, of course!” In the back of Cogneato’s mind, he knew Trixie was outmatched for this sort of thing, but in his panic, it seemed like a good idea. However he arrived at Trixie’s wagon too late: it had been crushed by the monster. Fortunately Trixie was safe outside. He watched with a sinking feeling as she tried all of her spells on it. It snapped rope like it was nothing, and even lightning didn’t scratch it. It began to gnaw on one of the nearby buildings. “I’m probably going to get a letter from Mayor Mare for this one…” Cogneato thought morbidly to himself as the beast ripped a hole in the roof. The commotion had drawn several ponies into the street where they watched powerlessly as the Ursa destroyed their homes. Near the edge of the line of spectating ponies, Cogneato spotted Twilight and Spike. Cogneato bounded over to them but suddenly Twilight started casting a spell. He stopped, not wanting to interrupt her. The spell caused a wind that played natural music and put the Ursa to sleep. Cogneato looked in awe for a moment at the awesome power of the lullaby spell, but then quickly shook himself. “I need to write this down for my research!” He pulled out his journal and started writing in it. Twilight then used a powerful levitation spell and uprooted the top of the water tower from its base. I’m sure the construction ponies can handle that. She carefully manipulated the tower into an Ursa-sized baby bottle and gave it to the Ursa. Then, as her final feat, she floated both the Ursa and the bottle away. Everypony was amazed. “Did… did she levitate it all the way back to the forest?” Cogneato stammered aloud. He couldn’t believe his eyes, but quickly jotted down these amazing events.
Things calmed down, Twilight had some words with Trixie and Trixie ran off. The crowd dispersed and Cogneato ran up to Twilight. “Um, Miss Twilight Sparkle?” Cogneato was feeling particularly reverent after she had just saved the town. “Oh, Cogneato” Twilight said happily. “I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier.” “What? Oh, that?” Cogneato was caught off guard and felt embarrassed. “But, you saved the town with your magic. I’m sure you were busy.” Twilight shook her head. “Being busy is no excuse for forgetting my manners.” “Well… um…” Cogneato shook his head “what I mean is... Thank you. Thank you for saving the town and thank you for apologizing.” “You’re welcome.” “Could we talk tomorrow about magic?” he asked sheepishly. “Of course!” She smiled at him and then trotted towards the library “Good night!” “Good night!”
Cogneato walked into the town hall. Most of the ponies in Ponyville cared little for the city’s politics, but today’s meeting included more ponies than usual. Seeing so many other ponies made him nervous. If he wasn’t required to be here, he’d probably have just left. Instead, he found a place in the back away from everypony else. The other ponies seemed to be engaged talking to each other, so he tried his best to relax. He didn’t know why Mayor Mare asked him to be present, but he hoped it wasn’t to speak in front of this crowd. Mayor Mare stepped up to the podium on the stage and the ponies went silent. “Princess Celestia has granted us funds to restore the railroad from Ponyville to Canterlot. The new line of transport, “The Friendship Express”, will boost tourism and commerce in Ponyville.” Mayor Mare pointed to a map of Ponyville that was already set up on the stage behind her. “Right now, we plan to build the station here, on the outskirts of town.” Several of the ponies nodded in agreement, but Golden Harvest, a yellow pony with orange hair and a carrot cutie mark, stood up. “But Mayor, that’s awfully close to my farm. Couldn’t we put it on the otherside of town where it used to be, near Sweet Apple Acres instead? My carrots need peace and quiet to grow and the noisy train is anything but! Why does it need to be so close to my farm?” Mayor Mare scrunched her face in thought. “I don’t remember the reason exactly. But Cogneato knows.” Cogneato who nearly jumped out of his seat at the mention of his name. Mayor Mare looked right at him, in the back. “Cogneato, why won't the tracks go by Sweet Apple Acres instead?” Everypony in the audience turned around and looked at him. His body froze and his mind went blank. He felt a rush of adrenaline and beads of sweat appeared on his head. His stomach tensed and he held his breath. He knew the answer, but he knew words wouldn’t come. Instead, the whole hall was silent and Cogneato bore everypony’s stares. Panicked, his gaze darted around to several different ponies. Mayor Mare’s face was curious and welcoming. Golden Harvest’s was upset and ready for an argument. Cogneato thought about trying to speak again when suddenly the door to the main hall was flung open. Everypony’s eyes shifted away from Cogneato and he felt like he could breath again.
“Mayor Mare!” Twilight Sparkle called, dashing up to the podium. She levitated an open scroll with her. “I’ve just received word from Princess Celestia that there is an elder dragon that has taken up residence on a mountain near Ponyville.” Ponies in the hall gasped. “Let me see!” Mayor Mare took the scroll and read it over. “Hm… it seems haze caused by the dragon’s snoring is too much for the pegasus ponies to handle.” “If it goes on, all of Equestria will be covered in darkness for the next 100 years!” Twilight sounded alarmed, and that caused murmurs of unrest amongst the other ponies. Golden Harvest seemed particularly concerned. “What will become of my carrots?” She wondered aloud. “But,” the mayor said calmly, “Princess Celestia has full faith that Twilight Sparkle and her friends will be able to use the power of friendship to persuade the dragon to find another place to sleep.” This seemed to calm everypony down. “Given the circumstances, I believe we can end this town meeting early.” Nopony objected. “I’m going to go tell the townsfolk!” Twilight declared as she dashed off. Everypony else started talking amongst themselves. Although everypony's attention was no longer on Cogneato, his heart was still beating fast. He decided to duck out before anyone could talk to him. Outside the day was sunny, but it was clear that the dragon's smog had already begun to affect Ponyville. Dark clouds lined the sky and everypony was weary. Cogneato quickly went home and closed the door behind him. He sighed in relief to be alone again when suddenly there was a knock at the door. He jumped in surprise. “Cogneato, could I please speak to you?” Mayor Mare was on the other side. He cautiously cracked the door and looked at Mayor Mare. She looked grim and in need of assistance. Even though he was socially spent, he pushed himself to talk to her. “Yes, how can I help you?” he asked. “I’d like to speak with you inside please.” Cogneato mentally slapped his head. No doubt she had another task for him. He really didn’t want to deal with it right now, but Mare’s tone made it clear that this couldn’t wait. He opened the door and she stepped inside. She waited until he closed the door before continuing. “I have an important task for you. There is a chance that Twilight Sparkle won't be able to convince the dragon to sleep elsewhere, and in that case we will need a back up plan." Cogneato sighed with relief. Planning and constructing was his forte. "You can count on me, Mayor!" "Great! I need you to come up with ideas on how to handle the smog and give a presentation on it to the townsfolk." Cogneato heart sank like a rock. “You want me to… give a presentation?” He gulped audibly. “Yes, we need to let Ponyville weigh the options. No one pony can make this decision.” Cogneato was shaking with anxiety. “Couldn’t you just give the presentation?” “Hm…” Mayor Mare wasn’t blind to his situation. She saw how he reacted in the hall, but she had thought he was just caught off-guard. It was clear that this was a serious issue. “Well, I could do the presenting, but I would still need you to answer questions. You’ve very good at thinking on your hooves.” Cogneato smiled weakly at the compliment but it quickly faded. “I’m not sure though.” Mare frowned. “I guess I could find somepony else to do the job.” She moved towards the door. “No, I’ll do it,” Cogneato asserted. “I know I can, it will just be … difficult.” The mayor smiled at him. “I’m glad I can count on you, Cogneato. I know you won’t let me down. Meet me tomorrow at my office to tell me your plan.” With that she headed out.
Cogneato panicked. What was he going to do? He uncomfortably shuffled his hooves and his teeth chattered. The thought of standing on the stage and having all those ponies stare at him petrified him. He felt both trapped the need to run. He dove into his bed and hid himself under the fluffy covers. His pink body disappeared into a sea of baby blues. He vaguely wished he could hide and it would go away on its own, but he knew it wouldn’t. Poking his head out, he looked out the window. A group of six friends were listening as another spoke to them. He was perfectly fine with one or two ponies, but he could never manage a large group. How many ponies were too many? At what point did they become a crowd? Eight to ten Cogneato concluded. Depending on how well I know them. A quick mental calculation determined that there would be more than that many attending the meeting. He knew he’d only have to answer questions, but it was very likely that questions would come up. He wouldn’t have time to specify every aspect of a solution. Without precise details, people would ask questions, and with questions he’d have to answer to the crowd. He hid himself under the covers again and hoped a solution would present itself. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. He felt the same paralysis come over him. He pulled the covers tight and waited for them to go away. More knocking. “Hello?” The voice sounded familiar, but Cogneato couldn’t quite place it. The pony opened the door which creaked. Cogneato peeked a green eye out from his covers and looked at the mauve pony standing at the door. “Cogneato?” she asked inquisitively. It was apparent that he was hiding under the covers, but he continued to hide anyway. “Yes?” “Um, hello, my name is Cheerilee,” she said cautiously, looking at his eye. “Mayor Mare said you might be feeling some anxiety over public speaking?” “You could say that.” He recognized her now. She was the elementary school teacher at the school house. Her presence seemed to relieve him a bit and he visibly relaxed. “Would you like to talk about it?” she asked delicately. “I’ve helped several of my students through speech anxiety before.” “Really?” He pulled the blanket back revealing his head, but kept his body cloaked. “Nopony has ever tried to help me before.” “What?” Cheerilee was taken aback. “Not even in school when you were younger?” He shook his head. “I never had to give a speech.” “Hm…” she began to think. “What about answering questions? Didn’t you have to answer questions in front of the class?” “There were six other ponies in my class, seven including the teacher. Seven doesn’t make a crowd.” “I suppose not,” Cheerilee agreed tentatively, wondering how many ponies make up a crowd. “What happens when there is a crowd?” “I freeze up!” Cogneato lowered his head down and shook side to side. “I just can’t do or say anything.” “I see.” The teacher nodded with understanding. “What goes through your mind? What keeps you from doing anything?” “Nothing! Nothing goes through my head. I just blank out!” He stared at the ground in shame. “I’m just an awful pony and I can’t talk in front of crowds.” “You’re not an awful pony just because you can’t speak in front of crowds,” she soothed. “You’ve just moved to Ponyville and have already accomplished so much.” She looked out of the window at the water tower. “Wasn’t it you who recently redesigned the water tower to make it easier to rebuild?” “That wasn’t hard.” He looked up at her, excited at his engineering solution. “Besides, based on the statistics in Canterlot, the influx of ponies and ensuing accidents will mean the tower will be destroyed and rebuilt at least three times a year. Easier repair is just more efficient.” “But what about public speaking? Isn’t that an efficient way to communicate an idea to lots of ponies at once?” “Not always.” He shook his head vigorously. “I’d rather send a letter, or talk to each pony one on one.” “Well why not suggest that?” Cheerilee offered. “At least for now. You can write a report and explain to each pony what it means.” She knew it wouldn’t solve the problem, but now didn’t seem like the time to do it. “I tried, but Mayor Mare wants me to answer questions!” He moved the blanket over his head again, hiding himself from view. “They’re going to ask me questions and I’m just going to stare at them and embarrass myself and the mayor in front of the whole town!” “Hm…” Cheerilee thought about it. “Well, you can still ask.” “What do you mean?” he asked through the covers. “You could ask if you could write them a letter as an answer, or offer to talk to them one-on-one.” Cogneato poked his nose out. “Wouldn’t that be rude or impolite?” The teacher looked back at the talking blanket and smiled. “While it’s not conventional, we can’t all expect to be able to answer questions and solve problems when immediately asked. Sometimes it takes research, sometimes there is no answer, but it’s okay to ask for time before you answer.” The engineer shook the blanket off, revealing his head and shoulders. “Ask for more time?” Cheerilee nodded. “Yes. I know you hate being wrong...” Cogneato made a surprised face and pointed to himself as if to say “Who? Me?” Cheerilee gave him a knowing smile and continued. “Everypony hates to be wrong. That’s why they’ll understand if you need time to think about the question or answer it later.” “But won’t they still judge me for asking if I can get back to them later?” “They will only judge you if you don’t follow through.” Cheerilee looked very confident. “If you know the answer, but prefer to tell them in private, tell them. Just make sure you do.”
Cogneato nodded in understanding and stepped off his bed, leaving the blanket behind. “So all I need to do is ask to tell them in private at a later time?”
“Well, that’s one technique,” Cheerilee hesitated. “It will probably work for now, but we should probably have you go through some desensitizing exercises for a longer term solution." "Thank you so much for all your help. I feel a lot better." He shook himself off. "You're welcome!" Cheerilee turned around and stepped toward the door. "Um," Cogneato began, "are you busy this afternoon?" Cheerilee spun around. "No, school was canceled because of the emergency." She blinked twice. "Did you need something else?" Cogneato put a hoof behind his head and looked embarrassed. “Could I ask you to help me brainstorm a solution?” Cheerilee smiled and nodded.
A little while later, they walked into the school house. Since class wasn’t in session, the place was deserted. “Excellent, a chalkboard!” Cogneato walked up to the board and grabbed a piece of chalk with his mouth. Quickly he wrote on the board “Emergency Dragon Plan.” After a moment of thought, he drew a mountain with smoke coming off of it, and a few iconic houses at the foot of the mountain. “So the smoke is coming from the mountain and spreading over ponyville” Cogneato began. “Couldn’t we just move away? Maybe we can build a new city on the other side of another the mountain.” Cheerilee shook her head. “There is no way that the citizens of Ponyville would accept that. Besides, this is an Equestria-wide problem. The air will still have smoke, even in the new location.” “Maybe we could build a shield around Ponyville?” the engineer suggested. “It could prevent the dark clouds from getting in?” “Do you mean a magic shield?” Cheerilee asked. “That would take a very powerful unicorn to make a shield that was so high up.” He thought of Twilight. “I’m sure we have a resident unicorn with the power to make that kind of shield.” “You mean Twilight Sparkle?” Cogneato nodded. “I don’t know if she could make a shield that big. She would also get tired eventually.” “Couldn’t the other unicorns help her?” He offered. “I don’t know that much about magic.” “Neither do I,” Cheerilee admitted. “However, relying so heavily on a unicorn would go against our city’s traditions.” Cogneato was taken aback. “What? Are you saying the ponies of Ponyville have a prejudice against unicorns?” Such a thought had never occurred to him. “No, no,” Cheerilee explained, “the settlers founded Ponyville as a way to live a lifestyle where the Earth Ponies would be empowered.” Cogneato was very confused. “Aren’t they just as empowered as any other pony?” The teacher frowned at him. “While each pony has their strengths, and it’s true that now all ponies respect each other regardless of race, life in Equestria wasn’t always like that. Don’t you remember what Hearth's Warming Eve is all about?” “Er…” Cogneato was embarrassed. “I never really gave much thought to those old tales.” Cheerilee slapped her hoof against her forehead. “Without going into the history lesson, making Ponyville depend on unicorns for the next hundred years is not a good plan.” “Okay.” Both ponies sat back and stared at the board, waiting for more ideas to come.
“Hm...” Cheerilee thought. “If we can’t build a shield around Ponyville, maybe we could build one around the dragon.” Cogneato made a face. “What?” Cheerilee took the chalk and drew an oval around the top of the mountain. “The shield would surround the mountain and block the smoke from leaving at all.” “Okay.” He understood. “But wouldn’t the air inside the shield be filled with smoke? And wouldn’t that mean we’d still be dependant on a unicorn?” “Well,” Cheerilee looked defensive. “It would solve the problem for all of Equestria. And we already depend on Celestia for the sun each day.” Cogneato contemplated the suggestion. “I suppose it would be fixed for Equestria. But what about the smoke?” Cheerilee shrugged. “I’m not sure how to handle that. Maybe the pegasus ponies can remove the smoke somehow?” “I think it would still be too much smoke to handle.” Cogneato began to think. “Maybe… maybe we can build an air filter and filter out the air.” “That would be a very large air filter, wouldn’t it?” Cheerilee asked. “Yes, but I’m sure we could make it. We’d have time before the area inside the shield filled up, and we could have Earth ponies maintain it.” Cogneato smiled cheerfully. “Then every kind of pony would be able to help.” Cheerilee nodded. “Unicorns would hold the shield, and the others would clear the air. It would still be better if we could get the dragon to move, but that sounds like a good solution to me.”
Suddenly there was yelling outside. “That sounds like Apple Bloom!” Cheerilee commented. She and Cogneato ran outside to find out what the yelling was about. A little yellow filly with a red bow ran by the school house. “They did it they did it!” she cried. “What did they do, Apple Bloom?” Cheerilee asked, puzzled. “My sister and the others, they convinced the dragon to leave!” Upon hearing this, other ponies around came closer to listen to her. “How do you know?” Cogneato inquired. “Because,” she explained, “I was watching the mountain to see if I could see my sister and then I saw the dragon fly away.” “Wow!” Cheerilee exclaimed. “Look!” Apple Bloom pointed at the mountain. “There’s no more smoke coming from the mountain.” Everypony looked over. The dark clouds in the sky was already beginning to disperse and it was easy to see that the mountain was no longer pouring smoke. Everypony cheered. “That’s wonderful news!” Cheerilee patted Apple Bloom’s head. “We should hold a celebration for them when they return!” Everypony cheered again. Cogneato breathed a sigh of relief. “Whew! I’m glad that worked. I don’t know what I would have done if it hadn’t.” Cheerilee glanced sideways at him and shook her head.
Several days later, Mayor Mare was talking at the podium again. This time, she was explaining the plan for putting down the miles of railroad. “... and then we use this mechanism to move the rail from the cart onto the ground. Any questions?” A young unicorn stood up. “How exactly does that mechanism work?” “I don’t know,” she admitted. She looked to the back of the room where Cogneato was sitting. “Cogneato, how does it work?” Everypony turned around and set their eyes on Cogneato. He felt a wave of anxiety followed by the paralyzing fear. His eyes darted around the ponies in the crowd and he came across Cheerilee. Suddenly he remembered what she said and words returned to him. “Could… could I explain it to you later?” he asked. “It’s rather complicated.” “Sure, that would be great!” the unicorn replied, satisfied. Everypony turned around again and Mayor Mare continued. Cogneato wiped the sweat off his brow and let out a deep breath. Looking up, he saw Cheerilee wink at him. He smiled back.
(Occurs during S1E10 Swarm Of The Century) Pinkie Pie burst into Cogneato’s workshop. “Do you know where I could find a trombone?” The pink engineering pony spun around in his chair and looked up at the mare. Her curly hair seemed little more frazzled than usual, but it was difficult to tell. “A… trombone?” Cogneato was confused at the sudden request. “What do you need it for?” “For the parasprites!” Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes and started rummaging around in a chest next to the door. “The wha…?” Cogneato hesitated as he watched her toss broken gizmos, cracked widgets, and half-gadgets across the room. “You’re not going to find a trombone in there. In fact, I’m not much of a musician at all. Maybe you’d have better luck at Lyra’s?” “Oh, right!” The absent-minded baker stood up and looked at Cogneato. “Do you know how to automate an accordion?” “But I don’t have an accordion,” brown maned pony protested. “Not right now, if I gave you one. Could you make it play on its own?” Cogneato thought for a moment. “I think so. What song would you want it to play?” “I have the sheet music! I’ll be right back!” Pinkie Pie disappeared out the door in a small cloud of dust. A moment later she reappeared with an accordion and the sheet music. “When do you need it by?” the engineer asked. “As soon as possible!” she declared. “Now I’m going to go ask Applejack if she has a harmonica I can borrow.” “Okay, Pinkie.” Pinkie Pie left and Cogneato was rather confused. Fortunately, Cogneato wasn’t busy, so he shook his head and got down to work. He looked over the accordion, trying to think about how to automate it. Nothing came to him so he started cleaning up the room. One of the gizmos Pinkie had thrown happened to be a hand-cranked street organ. The bellows were ragged and beyond repair, but the rest of the mechanisms still worked. He picked it up to put away when an idea struck him. I could use the ratchet, axle, and spindle from this organ! Cogneato dropped the organ onto the floor. “I just need a way to automate the bellows!” he said aloud. Cogneato dashed to another chest, rummaging through it much like Pinkie Pie did. He tossed aside sprockets and belts and wires. Finally he pulled out a large metal spiral spring. “This should work!” He grabbed the accordion and started fiddling with it and the spring. When he was finished, the accordion was stretched out vertically from the spring inside. He waved the accordion up and down and it let out the sounds of random notes. Though the sound wasn’t good, he still cheered. “Yes! The bellows are working! Now let’s just put in the other pieces…” He grabbed the broken organ and took it to his tool bench. A cacophony of tool sounds, including hammers, ratchets, and sawing could be heard. Cogneato grabbed the accordion to his bench and more sounds were heard. Finally he was finished. On Cogneato’s desk was the accordion, looking much like it did before, but the buttons at the bottom were new. He took a deep breath for hope and shook it up and down. Much to his delight, it produced music. It was the chords and notes to the song the organ originally played, The Canterlot Polka. “Now to transcribe the music.”
A few hours later, Cogneato finished. He scooted back from his desk to reveal his work. He’d painstakingly insert countless pins and into a wooden cylinder. Cogneato wiped his brow. “Let’s see if it works.” He opened up the accordion, removed the old cylinder and put in his new one. Holding it from the bottom, he shook the accordion up and down, causing the bellows to squeeze air and turn the cylinder. The pins opened valves in certain pipes and the air rushed out, making the music Pinkie had given him. “Success!” he cheered. Almost as if she heard him, Pinkie Pie burst in. “Look what I got!” she cried. Cogneato was startled but quickly calmed down and looked at the instrument she was carrying. “A banjo? But how are you going to play it?” “The usual way.” Pinkie Pie winked. "Right.” Cogneato was unsure what she meant but moved on anyway. “I just finished the auto-accordion. ” He held it up proudly. “You should be able to play it just by bouncing up and down. I figure it would be natural for you since you are always bouncing.” He looked over to see Pinkie Pie bouncing with excitement. "Looks great!" The pink baker cheered as she inspected the accordion. "I'll pick it up later this afternoon." "But you're right here... " Cogneato tried. “I know,” Pinkie started explaining a mile a minute, “but there’s a party at sugar cube corner today and I know that if I just waltz in with an accordion on my back, the party guests will be all like ‘Oh Pinkie, what an amazing accordion’ ‘can we hear you play it?’ and it will just stop me from doing what’s really important.” “Um…” The engineer only understood about half of what she said. “And what is really important right now?” “Finding some maracas, of course!” “Okay.” Cogneato still had no idea what was going on. “I’ll hold onto the accordion for you.” “Great!” Pinkie grinned widely. “Could you also hold onto to my banjo? I’ll need it later.” “Sure, that’s not a problem.” “Oh, oh, and can you help me find a tuba?” Cogneato shrugged. “I suppose I could...” “Thank you!” Pinkie dropped the banjo and then dashed out the door. “What just happened?” he asked the empty room. After receiving no response, he put the banjo on his desk and left to search for the tuba.
Cogneato’s first stop was the house of the only musician he knew, Lyra. Though Lyra Heartstrings was known for her skills as a strings player, she might know somepony who was a horn player. After a quick trot across town, he stood on her doorstep. He knocked, but no one came to the door. After a few more tries, he gave up. Probably out with some of her friends, Cogneato thought to himself. He then wandered around and tried to think of any pony around town who might have a tuba they could spare. Walking through the park, he saw numerous ponies playing games and having picnics. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the mint-green white-maned unicorn he was looking for. He walked over to where she was sitting on the park bench. “Hello Lyra!” Cogneato called out cheerfully. Lyra looked up from a book she was reading. “Oh, hello Cogneato!” she smiled. This mare had a peculiar way of sitting on these park benches. Instead of folding her legs under, like most ponies, she sat on her rump with her legs forward, leaning on the back of the bench, much like Spike the dragon might sit. “I was wondering if you happen to know where I could find a tuba.” Lyra contorted her face in confusion. “A tuba? What do you need that for?” Cogneato bit his lip. “I don’t know.” The lyrist contemplated the reason this engineer would need a tuba, but gave up. “Well, I know a guy named Mel Brass. He should be able to help you.” “A… guy?” “It’s human slang. It means stallion.” “Alright. Where can I find him?” “He has a store off the main drag, behind Sofas and Quills.” Cogneato nodded, noting the location in his mind. “Tell him Lyra sent you.” She winked at him. Another pony spoke near him. “Good afternoon Lyra!” It was Bon Bon, a cream-colored pony and close friends with Lyra. Cogneato took this as his cue to leave. “Thanks for your help! I’ll be off!” “Bye!” Lyra called as he left. He over heard Bon Bon and Lyra discuss lunch plans before he was out of earshot.
Cogneato soon found himself outside the Brass Shop. A welcoming black and orange “open” sign hung in the window, so he stepped in. Inside, the walls were covered in various brass instruments. The trumpets, trombones, french horns, and other sound-making devices lined the walls. Cogneato searched for something suitable. He came across a marching tuba, or a sousaphone, hanging on the wall. He looked around but the shop owner was nowhere to be found. Deciding that this is what Pinkie needed, he reached out to pick it up. At that moment, a pony cleared his throat beside him and Cogneato jumped. There was an orange pony with a silver mane and a horn cutie mark standing there. Cogneato presumed he was Mel Brass and he didn’t seem too happy. “Can I help you with something?” he asked somewhat hostily. “Yes, I was wondering if I could borrow this sousaphone.” Cogneato was concerned, but he was a customer, after all. “We have rentals,” the owner said icily, “but they are quite expensive. How long do you need it for?” The engineer was stunned. He hadn’t thought of the cost. Perhaps this is why Pinkie hadn’t asked Mel. “I was just going to borrow it for a little while, I promise to give it right back.” He grinned hopefully. “Why should I believe you?” he asked gruffly. “Well…” he thought. “I’m friends with Lyra?” It sounded silly coming out but Mel seemed to warm up to him. “Lyra sent you?” he gave a toothy smile, showing off a gold tooth. “You must not be that bad then.” Cogneato wanted to ask questions, but he decided not to press his luck. “Then, could I borrow it?” He nodded. “Go ahead. Just bring it back when you’re done with it.” Cogneato smiled, grabbed the instrument, and walked out the door.
On his way home, a few groups of ponies galloped by. They seemed panicked and some were even screaming. Cogneato, however, was deep in thought. I wonder what Pinkie wants to do with all these instruments? Managing to ignore everypony else, he walked into his workshop, shut the door behind him, and placed all the instruments on the bed. He then went to his desk and started to read. Suddenly the door was flung open and Pinkie Pie ran through. She spat a tambourine onto the floor and yelled, “quick, Cogneato, I need the instruments now!” Before he could get a word out, a small spherical yellow creature with dragonfly wings fluttered in. He eyed it as it landed on his chest of junk. “Oh, how cute!” he said. The creature sniffed at the chest before opening it’s mouth wide and eating the chest in one bite. Cogneato’s eyes went wide. “What in Equestria is that?” “It’s a parasprite!” Pinkie exclaimed at super speed. “It usually eats food and makes more of itself and Twilight cast a spell to get them to stop eating food but instead she accidentally caused them to eat everything that’s not food!” Her words were so fast they seemed to slur together. As she explained, he saw out the window that the entire city seemed to be overrun with them. Carts, sales stands and even roof gutters were all being eaten. Inside, the yellow parasprite coughed and spat out a glob of blue goo. The goo rounded out, sprouted wings, and became a blue parasprite. Cogneato quickly grabbed a butterfly net and swung it over both of them. “Anyway, I’d like my accordion now,” Pinkie requested. “And the banjo.” “At a time like this?” Cogneato asked incredulously as the parasprites started biting through the net. He grabbed a glass jar, caught the parasprites, and quickly screwed the lid on. Pinkie frowned. “They didn’t get eaten, did they?” she asked. “What the instruments? No, they’re over there.” He pointed onto the bed where they were. “Oh, you found a tuba!” She cheered. “That should be everything I need!” Cogneato watched as the parasprites, unable to find a corner to bite, started banging against the inside of the jar. “Technically it’s a sousaphone, I borrowed it from the store” he explained, “but is now really the time to be playing around? Shouldn’t we be dealing with these things?” “I promise to give it back, I’m not playing around, and I am dealing with them.” Despite the desperate situation, Pinkie Pie managed to stay cheerful. She jumped onto the bed, fitting herself perfectly into the hole of the sousaphone. The accordion bounced up and fell into place on her right flank and the strap of the banjo fell perfectly over her neck. She pulled out a harmonica on a neck stand and two cymbals. She lept off the bed and stepped on the tambourine, causing it to fly into the air and land perfectly on her left flank. “I’ve got this!” she winked. Cogneato opened his mouth to say something but the bouncing Pinkie Pie had already started playing music. She had a determined look on her face as she danced into the street playing the music. The parasprites in the jar slammed into the glass hard enough to cause Cogneato to drop them and shatter the jar against the ground. To his surprise, the parasprites looked as if they too were dancing, and followed Pinkie Pie into the street. Out of sheer curiosity, he followed them to the door and stuck his head out. He watched as thousands of parasprites started pouring from every building, all following the one-pony band. Pinkie Pie led them down the road, out of Ponyville, and beyond to the Everfree Forest. Cogneato blinked twice. “I guess that takes care of that,” he said to himself as the music faded. “I just hope she returns those instruments when she’s done.” Suddenly a brown mare with glasses came bounding up to him. It was Mayor Mare. “Cogneato, we need your help!” she cried. He looked up at the broken rooftops and crumbling buildings where the parasprites had been chewing. “Let me guess, the city’s been destroyed?” “How did you know?” she asked. Cogneato couldn’t tell if she was joking, and so shrugged. “I’m sure we can fix this.” He said, confidently.
