> Rise > by Darth Atrox > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > The Experiment > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a work of total fiction, made entirely for entertainment purposes. No money is gained from the production of this prose. Twilight magically tightened the leather straps around the Human's wrists and ankles. The female looked about, seemingly curious as to it's masters intentions. She hissed at the coldness of the steel slab she was laid on and struggled against the bonds, not liking the situation. She huffed and growled, but it was to late for her to muscle her way out of the situation. "Sorry about this, Sunshine." Said Twilight. "Your super strength means nothing without the leverage to build up any energy." She commented offhandedly. Twilight spoke more to herself than the human. She couldn't understand a word, anyway. Finally done strapping Sunshine down, Twilight turned to the center of her basement where a Super 8 camera sat. Magically flipping the switch, Twilight spoke to the Camera. "This is Twilight Sparkle. So far, all of my attempts to return sapience to the Human species have been unsuccessful. Despite these failures, I have learned much about these creatures. From my understanding so far, it's not that the Humans are unintelligent, it is that they cannot access their cognitive brain. For some reason, absolutely no synapse can make it's way into the frontal cortex of the Human brain. As we all know, the frontal cortex is the hub of Cognitive ability. "I have developed a serum," Twilight levitated a glass vial with a sickly green substance. "That, theoretically, can force electrical impulses in the brain. An internal defibrillator, if you will. By focusing this electrical activity in the frontal cortex, it is my hope that with these new synapses, the frontal cortex will be able to be "jump started" and connect with the rest of the brain. For more information on this serum, see Lab Book number 8." Twilight turned her back on the camera and made her way over to Sunshine, who had finally calmed down. "If this doesn't work..." Twilight began. "Then I'm so sorry." She gently placed a kiss on the Sunshine's temple. Twilight took the vial and placed it in a steel syringe. "This is test number one using the serum, and the Human named Sunshine is Experiment number Six-Two-Five. Subject is Twenty-one years old, female. One hundred sixty-five centimeters tall and one hundred twelve pounds. Fair skin, red hair and green eyes." Twilight magically wrapped a rubber band around Sunshine's arm, exposing a vein. "I am administering the serum now." Slowly, the syringe floated over Sunshine's arm before piercing her skin. The plunger was magically pushed down and Twilight removed the syringe. Then she waited. Sunshine began to whimper, her face reflecting discomfort. She shook her head, as though she were trying to shake a thought away. Her whimpers became squeaks and her squeaks became screams. Twilight could only watch. Not understanding, Sunshine turned towards her only possible aid, and looked Twilight right in eye as she continued screaming. Slowly, blood began to leak out of her nose and ears. Nothing but pain could be detected by the poor human creature. Then her whole body began to shake violently. All the while, her screams never stopped. Seizure... Thought Twilight. Finally it all stopped. The seizure, the shaking, the yelling, the crying. Sunshine's body laid unmoving. Twilight approached slowly and rolled Sunshine's head over. Gasping, Twilight turned and bolted out of the basement. The only thing watching Sunshine's body was the Super 8 camera. It looked right into her face which was twisted into the visage of agony. Her eyes had rolled back into her head and blood slowly dripped from them and her nose and ears. Sunshine was no more. A month had gone by since Experiment Six-Two-Five had passed on. Twilight had thrown herself into her work, hoping to forget. Well that was half true. Twilight wanted to forget, but she hardly threw herself into her work. After autopsying Sunshine, she saw that her brain was slowly cooked from the electrical impulses that her serum had placed there. So, she halfheartedly decided that her Serum worked too well, and cut it's potency by ninety percent. Same formula, same everything, just a severe lack of power. She was tired. Over six hundred humans dead, all for her quest to bring them out of their feral hell. She didn't even remember why she got involved in this convoluted project in the first place. Intelligent humans were an old pony tale. They never existed! That's what they said about Nightmare Moon... Her subconscious challenged. And King Sombra and the Crystal Empire. And the God of Chaos, Discord. And--- Twilight shook her head roughly. "Arrggh! I get it!" She acquiesced. "Twilight? Are you alright?" Asked Spike. He was in his apron, walking out of the kitchen with a stack of pancakes. "Not really, Spike." She mumbled. Spike saw her depressed state and knew immediately what happened. "Still thinking about Sunshine, huh?" He guessed. Twilight nodded. "Twilight, I know this might sound a little rough," he said gently. "But you need to get over this." "How could you say that!?" Twilight yelled. "You didn't see what I saw, Spike! You didn't cause her suffering., I did!" "I'm sorry that you had to go through that, Twilight. The fact of the matter, however, is that she's dead and the only thing you can do is learn from the failure. You've done this six hundred and four times before, and you've moved on. It's time for you to move on again. Take what you learned, and start again." He said. Twilight thought about the serum. She had five new bottles of it in the refrigerator in the basement. Honestly, she could start again at any time. All she needed was a new subject. "The serum started to work, Spike." Whispered Twilight. Spike looked up at her from his seat. "What do you mean?" He asked. "Humans don't display emotion. Not outside of anger, at least. Before things went wrong, Sunshine looked at me. I don't mean that she was looking at me, I mean...she looked at me, Spike. She couldn't do anything other than yell, but her eyes..." Twilight shivered. "She was begging me for help, Spike. She didn't want to die. I gave her the intelligence to understand she was going to die. I can't imagine how horrible it must have been for her, to understand what was happening." "Twilight...if you want to stop, you can. You don't have to continue with this research." Spike said. "You've been doing this for years, you don't have to keep going." That was true as well. This didn't have to be her life's work. She could do more with her life. Twilight shook her head. "No Spike. One more. I owe it to Sunshine to at least try the Serum once more, especially if worked." "Okay, Twilight. One more." He agreed. The Apples weren't only the best Apple growers in all of Equestria, but they also had the best Human Farms in the country as well. If you wanted a highly trained human of any kind, there was nowhere better to go for one. Coming up on the hill where Sweet Apple Acres was located, Twilight could see buildings coming into view. First the Apple Family home and barn. Then she saw the large grey building where all the humans were kept. Every so often, Twilight would see a human doing some odd job, or just resting in the shade of the large apple trees. "Howdy, Twilight! What can I do you for?" Applejack called out with her typical southern twang. "Hi, Applejack. I'm looking to buy a Human." Applejack rubbed the brim of her hat with a hoof. "'Nother one? Wat happened to old Sunshine?" Asked Applejack. Twilight knew she wasn't going to get over Sunshine anytime soon, so the tears springing to her eyes were expected. "Sunshine...got into some live wires in my basement." Twilight sniffled. "She was electrocuted a month ago." It may not have been how it happened, but there was enough truth to get by Applejack's lie detection skills. Sensing only Twilight's sincere regret and grief, Applejack comforted her. "C'mere, sugarcube." She wrapped her forelegs around Twilight. "So sorry to hear that, Twi." "Thank you for your condolences, Applejack. Unfortunately, the work that I'm doing requires a human, so I have to get another one soon. I hope you don't think that's cold of me." "Course I don't, sweetheart. I understand perfectly. It's just bad luck that old Sunshine...went away." She said gently. After a few minutes of comfort, Twilight removed herself from Applejack. "So, Applejack," Twilight gave a halfhearted smile. "Got any specials going on right now?" Applejack smiled, then it quickly became a frown. Hearing a commotion behind her, Twilight followed Applejack's gaze behind her and saw a conglomeration of humans surrounding what looked like...a fight. "Damn it, not again." Bolting in their direction, Twilight watched as Applejack ran into a crowd of excited humans. Nervous for her friend, she followed after her. From inside the group of Humans, Applejack let out a piercing whistle which gathered all of their attention. "HEEL!" She cried. The effect was instantaneous. Every human in the vicinity immediately sank to their knees and bowed their heads. Looking at the fighters, Applejack shook her head. "Poor Orion." "Applejack! What happened!?" Asked Twilight. "Just a stupid fight." She responded. "Can you do me a favor and carry these two over to the Habitats?" Applejack gestured to two male humans. Applejack herself was herding one bloody male on her own. Using her magic to lift the both of them, Twilight and Applejack made their way to the Habitat. The rest of the humans scattered. "You were asking earlier about any deals? I'll give you Orion, here, for half price." Said Applejack "Nothing but trouble follows him around." She huffed. "I don't think I have much use for an undisciplined---" "Undisciplined!? Orion here is one of the most behaved humans around!" Applejack corrected. "Then why does trouble follow him around?" "Orion here is a budding Alpha Male. Seems other males around don't like him cause all the womenfolk follow him around." Looking up at him, Twilight saw what Applejack was talking about. Orion was a tall human. One hundred and eighty centimeters tall. His body was fit and muscular. All classic signs of a human Alpha Male. Looking up at his face, she saw strong masculine features, strong, squared jaw, angular face. His brown, messy, medium length hair shone in the light and bounced with every step he took. His deep brown eyes shone in the sunlight... Twilight could easily see why the female humans would seek him out. "Poor Orion will just be minding his own business, them WHAM! Some other male will start beating on him because his woman was looking at Orion instead of him. Only sixteen and he's been in more fights than any two humans combined." Applejack shook her head sadly. Locking up the two offending humans in the cages, Twilight and Applejack led Orion to the infirmary. "Can he follow basic commands?" Asked Twilight. Applejack started cleaning up Orion's wounds. "Yup. He's all set for adoption, if you want him. He needs to get away from such a huge number of males. To them, he's a threat. Half-price, Twilight. Take him Twilight. Give him a safe place to live in." She asked. Safe place? There's a chance I'm going to kill him. Twilight thought to herself sarcastically. But, he was being offered at half price. Twilight nodded. "Alright. I'll take him off your hands, Applejack. I promise I'll take good care of him." She said. Applejack grinned. "You hear that Orion? You're getting yourself a home!" Twilight magically tightened the leather straps around Orion's wrists and ankles. The human looked about, seemingly curious as to it's masters intentions. He hissed at the coldness of the steel slab he was laid on and struggled against the bonds, not liking the situation. He huffed and growled, but it was to late for him to muscle his way out of the situation. "Sorry about this, Orion." Said Twilight. "Your super strength means nothing without the leverage to build up any energy." She commented offhandedly. Twilight spoke more to herself than the human. He couldn't understand a word, anyway. Finally done strapping Orion down, Twilight turned to the center of her basement where a Super 8 camera sat. Magically flipping the switch, Twilight spoke to the Camera. "This is Twilight Sparkle. My last attempt with my serum...did not end well. After performing an autopsy, I was able to determine that the serum had partial success. The frontal cortex was beginning to...activate. Unfortunately, I never set up a fail-safe for the serum, and experiment six-two-five was essentially...electrocuted from the inside-out." Twilight looked at the camera, recalling the aforementioned events with a shiver. "However, I have modified the serum. This serum has been altered to only use ten percent of it's original power, while maintaining it's original objective." Twilight turned and stepped towards Orion, who was still struggling in his bonds. Magically tying a rubber band around his muscular arm, a vein was exposed. "I hope this works, otherwise there's going to be a lot of disappointed women out there." Twilight tried to joke. "Please be safe, Orion." She kissed his temple. "This is test number two using the serum, test number one using the Serum two-point-oh. The Human named Orion is Experiment number Six-Two-Six. Subject is sixteen years old, male. One hundred eighty centimeters tall and one hundred ninety-seven pounds. Tan skin, brown hair and brown eyes.I am administering the serum now." Once again, the syringe full of the serum was stuck into the human's arm, and the plunger was pushed down. Removing the needle and stepping away, Twilight simply observed. It began the same way. Orion slowly began to become aware of an uncomfortable feeling in his head. Logically he began to shake it, hard. Then the pain came, and he could only scream. He screamed from his very soul, and he turned to look at Twilight. Bleeding from the nose, ears and...eyes. Looks like another failure. Suddenly, his body jerked and began to shake violently. The seizure... She mentally checked off. Finally, it all stopped. Orion's body laid still on the steel table and Twilight began to approach it. His head laid in a pool of blood, and his skin was flushed, but otherwise...he looked dead. Twilight managed to choke down a sob. That was it. Total failure. Years of research, all down the drain. She was such a fool. "AAARRRGGGHH!" A roaring scream scared Twilight from her funk and she looked down into Orion's face. His eyes were open. Bloodshot, but still open. "STOP! Stop! Stopstopstop---MAMA! Mamamamamamamama..." He cried until he couldn't anymore. Too exhausted and too traumatized, he slowly fell back into unconsciousness. Twilight couldn't believe it. Orion survived...and he spoke! He knew he wanted something...and he was intelligent enough to verbalize it! She had succeeded! Twilight Sparkle had made a Human Being sapient! > Hush now, quiet now... > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a work of total fiction, made entirely for entertainment purposes. No money is gained from the production of this prose. I have made a grievous error in my quest to aid the Humans. I had assumed that, once one hundred percent brain function was returned to them, they would be just as intelligent as a pony. This is not the case. Immediately after waking up, Orion became aggressive and erratic. I knew that he was confused and terrified, but I also could see a sense of wonder and curiosity not found in feral Humans. I had to assert dominance over him many times. "Orion! Stop it!" Yelled Twilight. Orion had found his way into her stash of ink and quills and had decided on scribbling all over her books and notes. Luckily, it wasn't anything she couldn't replace. Charging up her horn, Twilight levitated the larger Human into his bed which rested in the corner of the library basement. "It's eleven-thirty, you can't have this much energy!" Twilight complained. Looking over his restless body, Twilight cast a simple sleeping spell on him. Immediately, he relaxed. He seemed confused as to his sudden change in attitude, but didn't seem too alarmed by it. He blinked several times, trying to fight off the exhaustion but failed. Twilight leaned up and gently pulled the blankets over him. When she neared him, he reached over and lifted her into the bed with him, ignoring her startled yelp. He slowly petted her mane and ran his hands over her wings. "Sleepy mommy." He said with a drowsy smile. Twilight smiled at him. "Yes, it's sleepy time now." She said. She reached over with a hoof and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from his eyes. "Hush now, quiet now it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now quiet now it's time to go to bed..." Slowly, Orion's eyes fluttered shut. A small smile stayed on his face as he drifted off into Luna's realm. "Night...mommy..." He's an infant in a Human's body. That alone makes him incredibly dangerous. However, Humans are primates, and like all apes, there is a strong Mother/Child relationship. Orion is instinctively seeking out comfort from his mother. Unfortunately, I do not know what kind of affects introducing an intelligent human to feral humans could have. There is a chance of rejection that could scar Orion for life. He is much too delicate to feel alienated in such a way. I have decided to be become Orion's mother. I will provide him with comfort, and teach him as best I can. He is very important, and he will change the world. > A day on the town... > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a work of total fiction, made entirely for entertainment purposes. No money is gained from the production of this prose. It's been a little over 3 weeks since the Experiment and I have been monitoring Orion's progress almost religiously. It is an astounding leap from non-sapience to sapience, and one that I have been most privileged to witness. In a little less than a week, Orion's IQ has doubled. Now he averages ninety points. Ninety! That's ten points less than the national average of Equestria! Orion himself is very eager to use his new found intelligence. He reads anything he can get his hands on. He's learned the language very well, and I've also taught him to write. He still has the mindset of a child, but he is progressing rapidly. I expect him to fully mature in a month, at the least. If his intelligence continues to grow, especially at the rate it has been going, than I may not have created the first sapient human, but the first Super Genius of his kind. Or rather, the first one in millennia. The legends do say that Humanity was a highly advanced species before...whatever it was that happened to them. "Do you understand what I've explained to you, Orion?" The Human nodded his head rapidly. "Yes mom. No talking, keep my face impassive and stay calm." He repeated. Twilight nodded. "Remember, you're going to see other Humans out there, but they are not like you. Try not to interact with them, especially older males because they might attack you. Ponies might very well be the bigger issue. They might talk at you and even try and touch you. You can't allow yourself to react to any of these gestures, alright?" Orion nodded again. He really was paying attention, but he was just very excited as well. This was the first time in his life (well, intelligent life) that he was being allowed outside! He had never seen another being besides Mom and Spike and was very excited to see others. As far back as he could remember, he had lived in the basement, away from prying eyes. Sometimes, late at night, Mom allowed him upstairs into the library, but it was only after she was certain no one would be coming over did she allow it. "Alright, are you ready?" She asked. Orion looked down at himself. He was showered, brushed hair and teeth and had been deodorized. He had on a simple pair of tan pants and black work boots. He didn't wear a shirt, exposing his fit upper body and on his back was a magical image imprinted on his skin. Twilight's cutie mark. Twilight didn't like the idea of burning her mark into Orion's flesh, but she did magically impress it on his skin. Okay before we go out..." Twilight levitated something over to them. It was a leash and collar. "I'm sorry about this Orion, but it's the law." She said sympathetically. Orion eyed the collar warily before nodding. "It's alright. There's nothing we can do about it now." He sighed. He took the collar from Twilight and wrapped it around his neck. Quickly fastening it, he handed the leash back to Twilight. It hadn't been a very eventful day. Nor was it expected to be. As excited as Orion was, he was not yet allowed to interact with either Ponies or Humans, for fear of being discovered. They had run some base errands, like purchasing more ink and quills, some light groceries and a quick stop at the bank. Now they rested in Sugarcube Corner. Sugarcube Corner was one of the few places that didn't have too many restrictions on humans. As long as they were well behaved, they were allowed inside. Currently, Orion sat with Twilight and Spike eating an ice cream cone. As mundane as it was, He had enjoyed himself, seeing the buildings and the ponies and humans going about their business, a huge change of pace from the basement. "So how'd you like your first day out?" Twilight whispered. Subtly, Orion nodded. He tried not to make his approval obvious, lest another pony suspect something. Finishing up their confections, the trio left the store. They didn't make it ten feet without disaster striking. "LOOK OUT!" Cried a random pony. Turning around, the trio saw a runaway cement cart speeding down the road. It sped down the hill, building momentum and heading straight for a small restaurant. Everypony moved out of it's path, pulling their belongings and their humans with them. The ponies at the sandwich shop immediately scattered, all desperate to make it to safety. Unfortunately, in their haste, a pony knocked over a steel cart that pinned a small human child beneath it. A small filly ran up beside her. "ZOEY!" Cried the filly. "C'mon girl, get out of there! You can do it!" She tried to coax her human out. Confused and scared, the human girl stayed pinned beneath the food cart. As young as she was, she probably hadn't grown into the tremendous strength humans possessed yet. "C'mon, Zoey!" Begged the filly. The cart, however, was relentless in it's path. Before she could do anything to help her human, the filly was picked up by another pony and carried from the danger zone. "NO, ZOEY!" Orion was frustrated. He wanted to go down and stop the cart, but he couldn't. Not without exposing himself, at least. The other humans were too stupid to understand the situation, and the ponies were too horrified to do anything. Not that they could do anything. At the rate the cart was going, any attempt to stop it would result in serious injury. Someone needed to toss that cart away and pull the human child to safety. It would be quick, just toss the cart away, and pull the girl five feet, left or right, and all would be well. To everypony's amazement, the food cart was violently flung away from the girl. Right before the speeding cement cart could collide with the human, she was pulled to the side, just outside the cement carts surface area. Slowly, everypony stepped towards the destruction. "ZOEY!" The filly cried out. She sped towards the small human and immediately nuzzled her. "You're safe! I thought I was gonna lose you!" She cried. The human girl accepted and returned the ponies affections. She buried her face into the ponies coat, appreciating the warmth. "Does anyone know what happened?" Asked a random pony. There were murmurs and head shakes throughout the crowd. "A unicorn must have used their magic to save the girl." Guessed somepony. This time there were murmurs of agreement. Twilight silently disagreed. When a unicorn used magic, it was always accompanied by a unique aura. While she had felt some magic being manipulated, there was no coloration. She looked around the area, wondering who could have saved the child when her eyes settled on Orion. His face was pale and though he tried to keep his face impassive, it was marred by surprise and confusion. Twilight blinked. And her mouth dropped open in shock. > Playdate *EDIT* > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT BLOG POST! PLEASE CLICK TO VIEW! This is a work of total fiction, made entirely for entertainment purposes. No money is gained from the production of this prose. Orion has displayed another jump in intelligence. His IQ has, once again, doubled to approximately one hundred and eighty points, well above 'genius' level. His ability to assimilate information has tripled, and his problem solving ability rivals my own. He spends his time working on puzzles and intellectual games, seemingly amazed by his own intellectual ability. Not only is his information gathering off the charts, but his ability to retain the information is one hundred percent! Orion has displayed a rare ability known as Total Recall. Any information assimilated is never forgotten, no matter how mundane. And then there is his magical ability... It's strange. Instead of collecting Magic and using it to power spells. Humans, or Orion at least, instead connect themselves to Ambient Magic. By 'becoming one' with the ambient Manna, they have the ability to control it with their minds. It's a sort of Psychokinesis, much like a Unicorn's, but it does not tire the caster out. Theoretically, Orion has an unlimited magical reserve. Orion sat in the center of the basement floor. His legs were crossed and his body rested in a relaxed posture. Around him, hundreds of silver ball bearings flew through the air, orbiting him. They came together and broke apart and formed complex shapes around him. "Orion?" Hearing his name shocked him out of his concentration, freeing all of the ball bearings to fall to the ground. The steel spheres rolled all around the ground, covering the entirety of the basement. Craning his neck, he turned towards the stairs. "Yes, mother?" He addressed Twilight. She stepped into the the basement, wary of the numerous ball bearings. "I was just wondering if you were ready to go?" After a few weeks of taking Orion out into Ponyville, Twilight decided that it was high time to introduce Orion to her friends. They were curious as to why Twilight had been scarce the last month and a half, and were eager to meet her. Of course, Twilight wanted to continue helping Orion learn about his magic and tried to offer a rain check, however her friends were having none of it and offered to turn it into a Human Play Date. Twilight didn't know when she would be revealing Orion and her Serum to her friends, but she decided that, for now, she should let them get used to him. "Yes, I am ready. I was simply practicing my control." Orion stood up as he spoke, gesturing to the shining spheres all over the ground. Slowly, he raised his hand, palm upward, and immediately every ball bearing rose into the air. He turned his wrist in a quick, dismissive motion and the spheres swiftly floated over to one corner of the basement and piled inside a wooden chest. "I'm up to six hundred individual ball bearings." "SIX HUNDRED!" Twilight cried. "That's amazing! And you can control each of them individually?" Orion nodded. "As they circled me, I had them circle each other as well as rotate in various directions." Twilight nodded. "That's good, and incredible. Keep this up and you'll master your Psychokinesis in no time. How are you doing with endurance?" She asked as they ascended the stairs. "What's the time?" He asked. Finally coming up to ground level, Twilight regarded Orion curiously before looking at the clock across the room. "It's three-twelve pm, why? What difference does that make?" "I was maintaining my Psychokinesis for over three hours. I'd say my endurance is pretty good." He commented with a grin. Twilight observed Orion with a shocked look. THREE HOURS! This definitely requires more testing! "And you aren't tired!?" "Not really." He commented offhandedly. "To be honest, I think I'm getting a bit of a headache. However, that stems from extended periods of concentration, not magical fatigue." Twilight stepped over to the kitchen, and opened up the pantry. Out floated a small, clear bottle that glowed with a purple aura. In it was numerous white pills. It made it's way to the counter where it settled, and the cap was twisted off. "Here, take a couple aspirin. We're late for the play date already, we don't want to miss it altogether." Twilight said. Orion nodded and grabbed the bottle. He poured two pills into his palm and quickly tossed them into his mouth, swallowing them. "Thanks." He resealed the bottle and levitated it back into the pantry. He looked down at himself, making sure he was presentable. All he had on were beige shorts and sandals. Summers in Ponyville were pretty hot, so he preferred as little clothing as possible. Twilight had asked him to simply go out naked, like all ponies and most of the humans, but he refused. "Mother?" He called out to Twilight. "When do you think we will be able to end this act so I can live normally?" He asked. Twilight hesitated, sincerely not knowing the answer. "I don't know Orion. Hopefully soon. There are just some things that I need to figure out, okay?" She said. Orion nodded, accepting her answer. Together they walked out of the Library. Twilight quickly trotted up to the rest of her friends. Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy all sat in the shade of the large oak tree in the middle of the Ponyville Park. They sat together on a red and white checkered blanket with various foodstuffs and confections. "Hello everyone!" She called out. A chorus of greetings were returned to her. Laying on the blanket, she looked around the tree, seeing a group of humans who seemed to be relaxing. She saw Winona, a petite brown skinned human female with dark brown hair and brown eyes wrestling with Cupcake, a fit, light skinned male human with black hair and green eyes. Winona and Cupcake belonged to Applejack and Pinkie Pie, respectively. Sitting in the shade, watching their fellow humans play was Opalescence, an athletic, light skinned female human with straight platinum blonde hair and deep blue eyes who rested in the arms of a much larger dark skinned human male with a shaved head and brown eyes. Opalescence belonged to Rarity, but she didn't recognize the black human. "Who's the big guy with Opalescence?" Asked Twilight. Rainbow Dash answered her, much to Twilight's surprise. "That's Tank. He belongs to my folks, but since they're in a middle of a move right now, they sent him to stay with me." "Oh..." She observed how Opalescence seemed very comfortable in the much larger male's embrace. "He's seemed to have...settled in well." She commented offhandedly. "Yes, my dear Opal seems very taken with Tank." Said Rarity. "She's never been so well behaved." Rainbow Dash snickered. "I told you all she needed was a good---" "Rainbow Dash!" Scolded Rarity. "Must you be so vulgar!?" Rainbow only threw her head back and laughed uproariously. "Say?" Asked Applejack. "Where's Orion? Didn't you agree to this playdate to introduce him to the others?" "Yes, he's right behind me." Twilight looked behind her, down the slope of the hill and saw Orion walking up at a relaxed pace. He had a passive look on his face, the same one he put on whenever he was trying to blend in with the rest of Ponyville. Stepping up beside Twilight, he let himself fall into a sitting position and regarded the ponies with a lazy expression. "Well, howdy Orion." Said Applejack. "I don't suppose you'd remember me, but I took care of you for quite a while." She said with a smile. He really didn't. But he turned to look at her, acknowledging her comment. "You look like Twilight's doing a good job of raising you. I knew you'd be in good hands." She gently patted his shoulder with her hoof. "W-wow Twilight. Orion sure is a strong looking human. And so young...he's not giving you any trouble is he?" Asked a concerned Fluttershy. "I know it's barbaric, but sometimes you have to neuter the stronger males or else they can be very destructive and violent." She squeaked, utterly hating herself for her comment. "No, he's remarkably obedient. He's very special." Said Twilight with a wistful smile on her face. All the mares shared a look. "Twilight, dear?" Called Rarity. "You aren't, um, you know..." She trailed off, unable to finish her question. "You aren't banging him are you!?" Pinkie questioned loudly. "PINKIE PIE!" "What? You were all thinking it." She said. She immediately turned to her picnic basket and devoured a cupcake. At this point Orion stood up and walked over to the nearby humans. That was an embarrassing conversation he did not want to hear. He saw the pair cuddling in the shade of the tree and avoided them. He did not want to get into another fight because some jealous male felt he needed to prove something. He also avoided the wrestling pair, not wanting to get involved in their game lest his headache return with full force. Finally he decided to lay in the grass underneath the shade of the tree, a few feet away from the other humans. He lied there, relaxing for a few minutes before he detected another presence beside him. Slowly, he opened his eyes and found himself face to face with a human female, one he did not see with the group. Surprised, he let out a yelp and rolled in the opposite direction, before settling in a crouch. He looked up at her and took in her appearance. She had a light brown complexion with brown hair and eyes, not unlike his own. She seemed to be fairly well developed physically and he found himself aroused by her. She had all the traits his biology was programmed to desire. Her body was full and curvy, with prominent breasts, a fit and narrow waist, wide hips and large buttocks. Her face was delicately shaped, with full lips and an adorable nose. Her eyes were large and expressive, and were honed right onto him. "Angel!" Called out a soft voice. Fluttershy flew into view and settled between Orion and the now identified Angel. "What have I told you about disturbing people when they are trying to rest? It's rude." She scolded. The rest of the ponies came out and watched the exchange. Angel seemed quite chastised, but quickly focused on Orion again. When she believed her admonishing to have been over, she quickly made her way over to the now standing Orion. Standing right in front of him, Orion saw how much smaller she was when compared to himself. She could have only been around one hundred and sixty centimeters. And judging by her looks, she was around his own age as well. Suddenly, without warning, Angel tackled Orion and they both fell to the ground. Immediately, Angel pressed herself into Orion's body. "Ha! Looks like Angel wants a little loving too! Seems she knows who she wants it from!" Laughed Rainbow Dash. "Oh, my... But you're so young Angel..." Fluttershy quietly lamented. Twilight only stared at the scene. For the others, it may have seemed like a joke, but this was much more serious than that. Orion was so alone right now. No only was he the only intelligent Human around, but he actually had to hide his uniqueness from ponies as well. What if he wanted to start a family someday? What if he does? Will the child be intelligent as well? Should she begin plans to fix more humans? More importantly, should she begin to tell ponies about her Serum?