//------------------------------//
// The Lionhearted, Part 1 
// Story: The Iron Horse: Everything's Better With Robots! 
// by The Hat Man 
//------------------------------//

“Aaaand we’re clear!” said the pony operating the camera.

Cobbler relaxed as the bulky video camera was lowered and the stage lights were turned down. The small media room where he and the crew were gathered was near the bridge and had been designed specifically to allow them to project their live broadcasts over a wide area. Assuming all had gone well, all of Canterlot was now absorbing their message.

“Excellent work, Mr. President!” Commander Hiker said, coming over to him with a warm smile. “We should be getting reports any minute now from agents on the ground.”

“Very good,” Cobbler said, adjusting his hat. “If the transmission was as clear as we’d hoped, then Celestia and the rest of the royal palace will be giving us an answer.”

“What do we do if she refuses to listen, sir?” Hiker asked.

“Celestia isn’t one to run or hide. That’s one thing I’ll give her,” Cobbler replied, chuckling. “Just give her a few minutes and--”

“Mr. President! Commander Hiker!” shouted the communications officer as she ran into the media room. “Reports on the ground indicate that the transmission was perfectly clear. The entire city heard the message!”

The crew in the media room erupted into cheers. Cobbler’s chest swelled with pride.

“Well done, my friends,” Cobbler said. “Prepare to broadcast the technology showcases. Once we’ve contacted Celestia and issued our demands, we’ll also begin broadcasting our pro-democratic messages. Have our secret agents on the ground gauge the public’s response and attempt to steer any conversations in a more positive direction.”

“Not to worry, sir,” the communications officer said. “I’m certain everypony knows their role in all this!”

“Well, a little ol’ reminder won’t hurt anypony,” Cobbler said jovially. “Commander Hiker, please return to the bridge and see to it our special message arrives just outside the ballroom. If you’ll excuse me, I need a moment to prepare myself in my cabin.”

Hiker nodded, but paused before turning to go. “Sorry, sir, but your cabin? Are you all right?” he asked.

Cobbler laughed, waving him off. “Oh, don’t worry yourself about me,” he said. “I just need a few minutes to prepare myself to address Celestia and the delegates. I’ve found that taking a few minutes to catch one’s breath before an important meeting has its benefits. I must admit I’m a bit tense now that this moment has arrived. I have been anticipating it for the last ten years, after all.”

Hiker bowed his head. “Of course, sir,” he said. “I’ll notify you when we’re ready.”

Cobbler tipped his hat to Hiker and made his way to his private cabin while the others continued to make preparations.

Once he was alone, Cobbler sat down at the small desk placed in the corner of the small room. Though he was privileged to have his own quarters to himself, the cabin wasn’t much larger than anypony else’s. It contained a sink, a small closet, a toilet, a bed, and his writing desk.

Sitting at the desk, he took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. He exhaled slowly, relaxing as he waited for the bridge to message him.

After a few moments of quiet, he reached into his coat and removed a small locket on a chain. He opened it, revealing a picture of his daughter inside.

“We’re almost there, Georgia,” he whispered. “It won’t be long now before I finally get you the justice you deserve. The ponies of Equestria will know what you died for.”

He shut his eyes, holding the locket to his heart.

“Soon, we will all be free.”

It won’t work.

He jerked his head back, looking around in surprise. He’d just heard a voice. A whisper, really.

Only one way.

He felt a dull ache in his head. It swiftly grew into a sharp, stabbing pain, and he winced, shutting his eyes as he rubbed his temple.

“What--” he gasped. “What’s happening--”

You know. Do it. Only one way...

The pain suddenly vanished, and he gasped, feeling as though he’d just surfaced after a long dive. But not only was the pain gone, but in its place there was a strangely tranquil feeling. He felt serene, driven, and almost euphoric.

His eye twitched, and for a moment there was a flash of color before his eyes.

There was a knock at the door.

He shut the locket and put it back in his coat. “Yes?” he called.

Commander Hiker opened the door. “We’re ready for you, sir,” he said. “If you’re feeling ready, that is.”

He grinned broadly as he got to his hooves. He went over to Hiker and put his hoof on his shoulder.

“Why, Mr. Hiker… I’ve never felt better!”


***


Turing Test quickly assessed the situation: Sergeant Sea Hawk was still holding Twilight Sparkle, a spear held to her neck. Though it was possible for her to act quickly enough to knock the spear away, she calculated that there was approximately a 46% chance that Sea Hawk would react in time and possibly injure Twilight.

Or worse, she realized. The risk is too great. Furthermore, even if I am able to free Twilight Sparkle, the other Royal Guards may retaliate by harming Spike the Dragon, Rarity, or Fluttershy. I cannot allow that. I cannot act.

She heard more sounds coming from the open bay from which the New Dawn had risen. Over the rim, she saw a group of TechQuestrian security forces emerging. They seemed to be calling for more help.

“It seems reinforcements are arriving,” Sea Hawk said, noticing them as well. “Hold steady, guards!”

“Sir, yes sir!” they all replied.

“Take your hooves off me!” Rarity shrieked, struggling as Orange Slice held her. “It’s bad enough being captured by brainwashed Royal Guards, but you smell as though you haven’t bathed since yesterday!”

“I’m not brainwashed!” Orange Slice snarled, his cheeks reddening. “Besides, we couldn’t take a bath because we were up all night guarding Celestia’s new cruise ship! And you punks are gonna pay when those cabana boys in gray show up!”

“Oh come on!” Spike groaned, rolling his eyes. “Don’t tell me you all still think--hrk!”

“That’s enough out of you, scaly!” Violet Wisp growled, gripping him in an even tighter chokehold.

“Spike!” Twilight cried. “Don’t you dare hurt him!”

“You do and you’ll regret it!” Gadget added, raising her mechanical arms menacingly.

“Don’t even think about it, you eight-limbed traitor!” Violet Wisp shouted back, sneering at her. “After this is over, you’ll wish you still had four extra hands to help with all the hard labor you’ll be doing!”

Fluttershy, meanwhile, opted for simply tapping her captor, Buttercup, on the foreleg. Granted, the massive pony was simply holding her in said foreleg like a bundle of sticks, pinning her wings.

“Um, Mr. Buttercup, sir?” she asked. “Do you think you could loosen your grip a little? It’s hard to breathe.”

He frowned down at her. “Oh, I’m sorry, Miss, but I have orders to hold you as tight as I can until we take you in,” he replied. “Really sorry, but it’s my job.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I understand,” she said. “I’m sorry for asking.”

“No, I’m sorry I made you ask.”

“I’m sorry that--”

“Enough with the sorries!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Can’t you idiots see those ponies in the gray uniforms aren’t cabana boys?! Those are TechQuestrian guards! They’re trying to take over Equestria!”

“Nice try, traitor,” Sea Hawk scoffed. “Listen, we don’t want to hurt anypony. Everyone just relax and this will all go much easier.”

“But those just can’t be cabana boys!” Pinkie cried, pointing at the advancing security forces. “They all look super mean and they’re wearing gray! Cabana boys don’t wear gray!”

“True,” Rarity added, tapping her chin. “In my experience, they’re usually dressed in semi-casual uniforms, or striped naval shirts. Although, I once went to this private estate where they were all wearing-- ah, but perhaps this isn’t the best time to discuss it.” She wore a grin, however, and her cheeks colored as she got a far-off dreamy look.

“Oh for crying out loud,” Umahara groaned, smacking himself in the forehead. “I always heard the Elements of Harmony were some great warriors, but we’re about to be captured and you’re arguing about what cabana boys wear!”

“Banana hammocks!” 001 cried.

Umahara’s eye twitched.

“Well, I don’t see you coming up with any ideas either!” Gadget snapped, never taking her eyes off the guards even as the security forces neared them.

“Perhaps some of us could repel the oncoming security guards,” Turing suggested.

“You’ll stay right there!” Sea Hawk barked. “You make even one move, and you’ll regret it!” He poked Twilight with the tip of the spear, drawing a tiny dot of blood just to make his point clear.

“No hurt!” 001 shouted, about to run at him. “No hurt Tailai!”

“001, do not move!” Turing shouted, seeing that she was about to pounce forward.

She looked to her sister and then to Twilight and then back again, tilting her head in confusion. “He hurt Tailai! Me stop him!”

Twilight gulped, but tried to smile. “I-it’s okay, 001,” she said. “Really, I’m fine!”

“This is getting out of hoof,” Gadget whispered to Umahara. “Isn’t there anything we can do?”

“Not so long as they’re brainwashed!” he hissed back.

“Well, isn’t there some way we can snap them out of it?” she cried, raising her voice.

“Like what?!” he snapped.

“How should I know?!” she shot back. “I already tried yelling ‘It is as Celestia wills it: stop being brainwashed!’ and that sure didn’t work!”

He gawked at her. “Why the heck would that ever work?!” he yelled, giving up all pretense of whispering to her. “You really thought it would be as easy as saying ‘It is as Celestia wills it: stop being brainwashed!’?!”

The four Royal Guards’ eyes momentarily went blank, and they began to blink. Their grips loosened.

“Whoa,” Violet Wisp muttered, letting Spike drop from her grasp. “I just got a weird head rush.”

“Yeah, me too,” Orange Slice said, rubbing his temple. “Hey, anyone feel less brainwashed all of a sudden?”

“Oh, I sure do!” Buttercup exclaimed, raising his hoof and waving it wildly (dropping Fluttershy in the process). “I feel pretty good, actually! Not brainwashed at all!”

“What the… Private Buttercup!” Sea Hawk shouted. “Were you carrying that mare under your foreleg like common luggage?!”

Buttercup looked down at Fluttershy, who was picking herself off the ground and dusting herself off. “I-it’s okay,” she said, smiling up at him. “You didn’t hurt me, Mr. Buttercup!”

“Oh! Oh my goodness!” Buttercup gasped as he covered his mouth in horror. “Oh, I am so so sorry! I don’t know how that happened!”

“Ha!” Violet Wisp laughed. “Hey, Orange Slice, looks like even Buttercup is better at ‘picking up’ girls than you!”

“Sh-shut up!” Orange Slice shot back.

“A-hem,” Rarity said, making a pointed cough as she elbowed Orange Slice in the ribs.

“What the--whoa!” Orange Slice said, letting Rarity go as Violet Wisp held her belly with laughter. “Oh, jeez, I’m sorry, Miss.”

“That’s quite all right,” Rarity said, waving him off. “Not your fault, Private Orange Slice.”

“Well she might forgive you, but I don’t!” Sea Hawk bellowed. “Two of my officers found mare-handling two of the Elements of Harmony, our personal guests! When I get through with you two--”

“Uh, Sarge?” Buttercup said, clearing his throat. “You, um… might want to look down…”

Sea Hawk blinked, then looked down. He was holding Princess Twilight Sparkle and pointing a spear at her throat.

“Oh,” he breathed, releasing his magical hold on the spear, letting it drop to the ground. He then dropped to his knees, bowing deeply. “Princess Twilight! I’m terribly sorry! I don’t know how this happened! Guards, on your knees!”

They all snapped to attention and knelt before Twilight, who quickly urged them to get back to their hooves.

Meanwhile, Gadget broke out into a wide smile. “You did it, Umahara! Nice thinking!”

She turned to him and saw that he was staring at the scene with his jaw hanging open. A small croak escaped him as he tried to think of what to say.

“Um, Umahara?”

“HOW?!” he shouted abruptly. “How in the world did that actually work?!”

“I guess they were still programmed to think of you as a member of TechQuestria,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Don’t let it get to you, just be happy it worked!”

“I…” He heaved a sigh, giving her a smile. “I guess you’re right.”

“Well, I’m glad that that’s settled,” Rainbow Dash said, hovering just above them. “Now, uh, maybe we should take care of these guys.”

Sea Hawk looked up at her. “What guys, Miss Rainbow Dash?”

“I believe she is referring to the large group of security guards who are about to overtake us,” Turing Test replied, pointing with her hoof.

Sea Hawk and the others turned and stared at the dozens of guards charging at them across the grassy field.

“They mad?” 001 asked, looking to Applejack.

“They sure look that way, sugarcube,” Applejack sighed, patting her on the head.

Sea Hawk gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes.


“Princess Twilight,” he whispered. “I apologize for not being up on the current situation, but I take it these ponies wish to do you harm and were responsible for the abduction of your friend?”

Twilight nodded.

“Then, for now, that’s all I need to know.” He brought his hoof to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. “Royal Guards! Defensive positions!”

“Sir, yes sir!” they shouted in reply.

The four guards formed a line before Twilight and the others in an instant.

“Guards, protect the princess and the others at all costs! We must not let them come to harm under any circumstances! We will regain our honor as Royal Guards and make these criminals pay for using us!”

“Sir, yes sir!” they shouted, digging in their feet as they prepared to meet the attackers head on.

But just before sounding the charge, Sea Hawk saw Turing Test stand beside him.

“Though your bravery is admirable,” she said, “you will require assistance. I will be glad to help you.” She paused a moment, then put out her hoof to him. “I am Turing Test, by the way. When this is over, I hope we can become friends.”

Sea Hawk looked at her for a moment, then smiled, bumping her hoof. “Pleased to meet you. I hear you pack a wallop.”

“I am not familiar with ‘wallop’ as a unit of measurement.”

“I think he just means you can kick some flank,” Gadget explained, standing next to her, swapping her mechanical hands out for her weapons. “I could go for a little flank-kicking myself,” she added, smirking

“Now we’re talking!” Rainbow Dash said, landing next to Orange Slice, cracking her neck.

Soon they were all standing in a line, even as Sea Hawk tried to protest.

“You’re civilians!” he exclaimed. “Please, leave this to us and--”

“Sergeant Sea Hawk,” Twilight said, placing her hoof on his shoulder. “I’ve learned to place my trust in my friends. I’d advise you to do the same.” She smiled warmly.

He returned the smile. “As you wish, Your Highness,” he said. “All right then, everypony, let’s teach them a lesson! Begin charge on my command!

“Three… two… one… ch--”

“Cheese balls!!” 001 shouted, suddenly running ahead of them.

Sea Hawk blinked. “Well, come on, everypony, you heard her! Cheese balls!”

They ran at the enemy to meet them head on.


***


As the ponies of Canterlot stood in the streets or stayed in their homes watching the gigantic airship circling overhead, they saw the screens come to life as a new broadcast began.

The image displayed text that read “What Do We Stand For?” as upbeat music began to play.

A stylishly dressed mare and stallion appeared on the screen, smiling at the audience.

“Hello there, everypony!” said the stallion. “I’m Sprocket Rocket, and today I’m going to answer some questions you’re probably asking right now! Things like ‘Who are these ponies?’ and ‘What do they want?’ Well, not to worry, because I’m here to explain it all!”

The scene then changed to show a photograph of Dearborn Crumble’s farming automaton.

“See this mechanical pony?” Sprocket Rocket asked. “Sure is funny looking, isn’t it? But a hundred years ago, a pony named Dearborn Crumble created it to help farmers plow their fields.”

A clip of the farming automaton in action as it plowed a field was shown.

“By some estimates, farmers could have gotten 20% more work done just with this device. More work done, more tasty food, like the kind you and I enjoy every day!”

The image changed to a picture of a happy family of ponies sitting down to a bountiful dinner.

“But Princess Celestia dismissed it, discouraging the technology from ever taking off…”

A picture of Princess Celestia was displayed as the music became dissonant and tense.

“She worried that reliance on machines would put ponies out of jobs and cause widespread poverty. But now I’d like you to look at this…”

The picture showed a bowl of peaches.

“Tasty peaches!” Sprocket continued as the image shifted to show more peach products. “Canned peaches! Dried peaches! And for some of you older ponies, maybe a little bit of peach brandy? What do they all have in common, you might ask?

“Well, if you’ve enjoyed any of these, chances are they came from the Mustang Peach family orchard in Mustangia! That’s right, over 90% of all peaches come from one place in Equestria! How is that possible? The answer is our old friend technology!”

The screen showed clips of the harvesters rumbling between rows of trees. The pony driving a harvester tipped his hat and smiled to the camera. There was a transition, and the screen displayed Cobbler’s busy canning factory at work.

“Thanks to technology, more peaches can be grown, picked, and processed now than at any time before in history! And just look at all these ponies working hard to make it happen! They sure aren’t out of a job, are they? In fact, by expanding production through automation, even more ponies are employed than ever! And you might be surprised to hear that they’re better paid than any other farm workers in Equestria! Why, many of them make even more than a laborer right here in Canterlot!”

Down below, some of the common laborers who’d been listening halfheartedly took a new interest. A bootblack here, a street sweeper there, a few restaurant workers, gardeners, and others all began to wonder how a mere farmhoof or factory worker could do better than they could in Equestria’s most illustrious city.

“So much for technology putting ponies out of work!” Sprocket said, giving a shrug as he looked pointedly into the camera. “But of course that’s just for farm workers. Many of you might be wondering what technology could do for you. Well, let me ask: how many of you have friends or family in other places in Equestria? Wouldn’t you like to talk to them more often without waiting for a letter or paying the price for an impersonal telegram? What if you could speak to them whenever you want?”

The screen showed an elderly unicorn mare sitting in her chair as a telephone next to her rang. She picked it up and said “Hello?”

The screen split and showed a young stallion speaking on the other end. “Hi, Mom!” he said. “I just wanted to say happy birthday!”

“Why son, that’s so nice of you! It’s good to hear your voice all the way in Vanhoover!”

“And I’ve got wonderful news: you’re going to be a grandmare!”

“Oh!” the elder mare cried, putting her hoof over her heart. “I’m so happy to hear that! I love you, son…”

The ponies watching below were transfixed. Many of them did indeed have relatives who lived far away, and waiting days and weeks for letters suddenly just seemed so… slow.

Sprocket Rocket appeared on screen again, this time walking down the main street of Mustang City. “Sound like a fantasy? In fact, it’s very real! It’s called the ‘telephone,’ and right here in Mustangia, it’s a part of daily life!”

The screen showed images of ponies in their homes and businesses in Mustangia chatting happily on their phones interspersed with an animation showing how their conversations were transmitted over electrical phone lines.

“Would you believe that Princess Celestia called this modern miracle, and here I quote, ‘A toy’?” He shook his head pityingly. “What a loss for Equestria… but it doesn’t have to be that way.

“We, the ponies of TechQuestria, saw the potential for this wonder, and we want to bring it, and many others, to all of you! But it sure makes you wonder… what other innovations have you been missing? How powerful could our nation have become if technology had been allowed to flourish?

“That’s the question our President, Cobbler Mustang, has been asking,” Sprocket Rocket said. “And he didn’t let anypony tell him to stop dreaming! And so he kept up his family tradition of building automata… and I bet you all know what he built…”

The newspaper front page with a picture of Turing Test was displayed, the headline calling her by the sensationalized name, “The Iron Horse.” A montage of images of Turing Test played shortly after.

“It looks like the Mustang family tradition is still going strong,” Sprocket continued. “So imagine a world with labor-saving automata, greater wealth, more leisure time, and the ability to communicate with your loved ones no matter where they are. It’s just the first step towards the future we’re bringing to you, the citizens of Equestria!”

The clip ended. The ponies below began to talk...


***


“An interesting film,” Luna remarked, scowling. She looked up at her sister standing next to her. “It seems they aren’t holding back on you, sister.”

Celestia sighed. “No,” she replied. “It seems not.”

The two princesses stood in the Royal Ballroom before the ornately gilded double doors leading out into the gardens, a group of Royal Guards standing before them, ready for whatever message or messenger to be sent from the gargantuan ship looming above.

The delegates of the National Conference were gathered in the room behind them. Most had grouped into small clusters and were talking amongst themselves in hushed tones about the film they’d watched from the windows of the castle, radio drones circling the palace playing the audio for them, as well as whatever the TechQuestrians had in store.

Celestia heard the words they whispered, perhaps thinking that she didn’t hear them: “coup,” “terrorists,” “attack,” “prisoners,” and one more word that was said the most quietly, but which filled her with more dread than all the others…

“War.”

She shut her eyes, taking a deep breath.

“I hear them as well, Celestia,” Luna whispered without looking at her. “They are frightened.”

“I do not blame them,” Celestia whispered back. “But we must show no fear in front of them. Our strength will be theirs.”

“Indeed,” Luna said. Then, strangely, she grinned. “Part of me almost wants to hear what sort of outlandish demands these ponies intend to make. Is that what they now call ‘morbid curiosity?’”

Celestia did not return her grin. “I doubt we will find their demands very amusing, Luna,” she said. “And if we deny them, their retaliation could be even worse than what we’ve seen.”

Luna fell silent as she looked away. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I didn’t mean--”

“It’s all right,” Celestia said, giving her a calm smile. “No matter how dire things get, I feel much better having you here, Luna. In years past, I was not always so fortunate.”

Luna relaxed and smiled back.

But their smiles vanished as a guard shouted, “Incoming object sighted!”

The two princesses stiffened, looking out through the windows as the guards readied their spears and swords, standing at the ready. Some of the unicorns among them had already energized their magic, horns glowing as they engaged shield spells. Many of the delegates let out cries of panic and some darted back from the windows.

Through the glow of the magical shields and the tall windows of the ballroom, they spotted an object slowly descending from the ship. It was another of the strange machines - drones - that flew using a propeller. This one was fairly large, however, standing almost as tall as Celestia herself, and was covered in gold-colored plating. It was vaguely cylindrical in shape and bulkier than the others as well, and it bore the large emblem of TechQuestria on its front.

They all watched as the machine slowly came down, the buzz from the spinning propeller atop it grew louder and louder and the wind it kicked up made the windows rattle. When it at last landed, the blades began to slow until they stopped entirely. They then folded up neatly and retracted into the machine. The machine was on caterpillar treads, and it slowly began to roll up to the doors of the ballroom.

When nopony opened the doors, a panel on the side of it slid open and a mechanical arm extended. It raised a mechanical hand and knocked on the door as if it were no more than a neighbor come to borrow a cup of sugar.

The captain of the guards looked back at Celestia.

“Keep the shields up, but open the doors for it,” Celestia said.

The captain nodded. “Understood, Your Majesty,” he said.

He undid the lock on the doors and opened them.

The machine moved more quietly than they would have expected, given its size, but it still whirred as it entered the room and came to a stop just before the line of guards, their magical shields still up.

A speaker on the front of the cylindrical machine crackled and came to life. A voice came through it.

“Good morning, my dear friends!” came Cobbler’s jovial drawl. “I am delighted that you’ve chosen to receive our ‘messenger.’”

Celestia narrowed her eyes. It wasn’t as though you gave us a choice, she thought, but kept such words to herself.

“Now then,” Cobbler said, clearing his throat, “I do believe we should get to business. I take it Celestia is there?”

The guards all looked to Celestia, but their princess did not move from her spot.

“Come now, Celestia, I may not be able to see you, but I can hear the mutterings in that room,” Cobbler said, chuckling to himself. “You wouldn’t leave a guest talking to himself, now would you? You have my word that there’s no danger; I only wish to talk.”

Celestia raised her hoof, and the guards parted way for her as she approached the machine.

“Hello, Professor Mustang,” she said quietly. “It’s been a long time.”

There was a pause.

“Yes. It most certainly has. Over ten long years.” Another pause. “I wonder, does it seem like a long time to you? It’s a sixth of my life, but to one as long-lived as you… well, it must seem like it was just yesterday.”

“I remember our meeting very well, Professor,” she said, “if that’s what you’re asking.”

“As do I,” Cobbler replied. “Of course, I realized that you remembered me when you sent your guards to investigate me shortly after Unit 003 was discovered. And again after the incident in Manehattan. You had suspicions of me from the beginning… was it a guilty conscience, I wonder?

“And yet, despite your suspicions, your guards were never able to discover our little operation.”

Celestia heard chuckles over the radio, no doubt the ponies nearby laughing at Cobbler’s pointed observation.

“You certainly must have kept yourselves well-hidden,” Celestia said. Then she smiled. “You’re apparently very good at hiding.”

“I like to think that we were ‘secluded,’ and in doing so we’ve bettered ourselves through our science and training. Unlike your forces, which we’ve overwhelmed with ease.”

Celestia’s smile vanished. “For the moment,” she said.

“Well, we’ll just see how long this lasts,” Cobber said. “Let’s move on to business--”

“First,” Celestia said sternly, cutting him off, “where are Twilight Sparkle and her friends?”

“They’re fine, I assure you,” Cobbler replied. “I must admit, they gave us a bit of trouble, but they’re back in our custody. You needn’t worry: we did not harm her or her friends, nor do we intend to. My compliments on your protégée, Celestia; Princess Twilight is a remarkable young mare.”

“Yes. Yes, she is,” Celestia said darkly. “And what of Turing Test?”

Cobbler sighed. “That’s not important to--”

“It most certainly is!” Celestia shouted. “You abducted a citizen of Equestria, Professor Mustang! Whether you built her or not is irrelevant!”

“Unit 003 is a machine,” Cobbler said, and though she couldn’t see him, Celestia could almost hear him rolling his eyes. “Surely you’re not saying that for all your low opinions of technology that you seriously equate an automaton with a real pony?”

“Just a moment!” cried a new voice.

Celestia and the guards turned to see Fancy Pants emerging from the crowd.

“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty,” he said, bowing to her, “but as I understand it, this stallion is Turing Test’s creator, isn’t he?”

“It would seem so,” Celestia replied.

“I am indeed,” Cobbler said, “but who exactly are you?”

“My name is Fancy Pants,” he said, “and I am the chosen delegate for the city of Canterlot!”

“Ah,” Cobbler said, scoffing audibly. “Another one of the Canterlot elite.”

Fancy Pants puffed himself up at Cobbler’s mocking tone. “Whatever you think of me is irrelevant,” he said, “but I take exception at your disregard for Miss Turing Test! She helped to save my life several months ago! Were it not for her and Miss Rainbow Dash, my companions and I would surely have died in the mountains. I consider her a friend, and I demand to know her whereabouts and her condition!”

“That is not why we--”

“I agree with Fancy Pants!” said a new voice.

They turned and saw that Mayor Mare had come to Fancy’s side.

“This is Mayor Mare of Ponyville!” she declared. “You’ve abducted several valued members of our community! Nearly every pony in town came to Turing Test’s aid when she was in danger, and that other robot you sent injured several Ponyville citizens! I don’t know who you are and what you want, but I also demand you tell us where Turing Test is!”

Celestia smirked. “Well, Professor Mustang?” she asked. “It seems your creation has made quite a few friends.”

Cobbler was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, there was a dark edge to his voice.

“So much sentiment over a machine,” he said. “Even you, Celestia. I wonder… where was that compassion when it came to my family? Especially my daughter.”

Celestia narrowed her eyes, heaving a sigh. “Professor Mustang… I am sorry for what happened to her.”

“I wonder,” Cobbler continued, “how many of your subjects gathered there know what you did? I wonder how you’ll explain yourself when everypony knows.”

“I did what I had to do,” she said. “Or, at least, what I thought was right.”

“So… no regrets?” Cobbler asked quietly.

“I didn’t say that,” Celestia replied. “I simply made choices I felt were best at the time. I’ve learned that it’s often wise to make peace with the past.”

Here she glanced at Luna, smiling at her. Then she looked back at the machine.

“I would have hoped that you’d do the same.”

Again, there was silence, but when Cobbler spoke, his voice was like ice.

“You murdered my daughter, Celestia.”

The crowd of ponies gasped, and an eerie silence fell over the ballroom.

“No,” Celestia said, narrowing her eyes. “I did not.”

“It wasn’t enough that you ruined my granddad’s life’s work,” Cobbler continued. “Your stance against technological progress set this country back a century, but the fact that you stood in the way of me saving my child convinced me that you are a threat to us all.

“I created a technology that might have saved Georgia. Indeed, it actually did save her, for a time. If you had allowed it to be tested properly, she might be alive now. But at every turn, you made decisions that stood in the way. The artificial heart could have saved countless ponies’ lives, including Georgia’s.

“I watched my sweet baby girl die right in front of me, Celestia,” he said, his voice momentarily strained. “I wonder how many other ponies lost their families because of you. Oh, I’m glad to hear you remember me, Celestia… because I won’t ever forget you.”

Celestia shut her eyes. “So… this is about revenge?”

Cobbler gave a short, mirthless laugh. “No,” he said. “Make no mistake, Celestia… I despise you, and part of me would like nothing more than to see you suffer for what you did to my daughter.

“But I am simply here as the voice of a group of ponies who’ve suffered and languished under your rule. Their desire for freedom and prosperity for the nation is far greater than my thirst for revenge, so I shall put my feelings aside. We will offer you as much mercy and kindness as possible, Princess, but make no mistake: today is the very last day of your rule. No, we are here not for personal revenge, but for the benefit of all the ponies of the nation.”

Celestia drew in a breath, fixating her eyes on the machine. “Then what are your demands?”

“Simply put, we wish to reformulate Equestria’s government as a democratic republic.”

Luna burst out laughing, drawing stares from the others.

“Ah… I apologize,” she said. “It’s just that… a democracy? For an entire nation? The very idea that such a chaotic, disorganized form of governance for a nation our size would be effective is sheer lunacy!”

Some of the delegates began to mutter amongst themselves. Luna looked around, hearing the grumbles from others. Celestia gave her a disapproving look.

“Did… did I say something wrong?” she asked. “Sister, do you not agree with me?”

“It is not a matter of agreement or disagreement,” Celestia said. “But perhaps we should exercise a bit of discretion and diplomacy, sister.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that, Celestia,” Cobbler said. “Though I suspect that you share your younger sibling’s sentiments. In any case, we have something we’d like you to take a look at…”

A few compartments opened on the front of the drone. Drawers extended, revealing several papers folded and sealed with TechQuestria’s symbol.

Celestia levitated one of the documents out, opening it. She read the words at the top:


The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Equestria


“So,” Celestia said, scanning the document as she spoke, “this is the constitution for the new government you’re proposing?”

“Exactly,” Cobbler replied. “It describes the election of representatives from different regions of Equestria, the passing of laws, the integration of the courts, and the election of a president. No more of this archaic aristocratic nonsense that we’ve clung to since the days of Princess Platinum. No more princesses at all, in fact.”

Luna was gritting her teeth, but she held her tongue.

Celestia had no outward reaction, but simply stood there, continuing to read the document.

“You want me to sign this?” Celestia asked.

“Indeed, we do,” Cobbler said. “Consider it your last act as Princess. Oh, and we’ll want Princess Luna to sign it as well.”

Luna’s nostrils flared, and she reared up, stomping her forehooves. “You would dare to dictate--”

“Luna!” Celestia said sharply. “Please…”

Luna shook her head. “Celestia, I will not cooperate with this! I cannot! To have this mad scientist threaten us and dictate such terms is intolerable!”

“I know how you feel,” Celestia said quietly. “But if we do not negotiate a peaceful end to this, I fear the outcome for our subjects. Please think of them, and hold your tongue, at least for now.”

Luna took a breath, about to say something back, but then she looked behind her at all the ponies gathered in that room. She realized her sister was right. As much as it hurt her pride to have Cobbler demand that she give up her title, she had to think of her subjects first and see if a solution could be found without provoking him.

“Very well,” Luna said, bowing her head. “Proceed.”

Celestia smiled. “Thank you,” she said. Then, turning back to the device, she said, “Professor Mustang, might I make a counterproposal?”

Cobbler hummed, apparently thinking it over. “Very well,” he said.

“I understand why you and your followers object to me,” she said. “In fact, in light of recent events, I… I have begun to question many of my past decisions. But there is no need for others to suffer for my actions.

“What if I were to surrender myself to you, and let Luna assume my role?”

A gasp went up from the crowd.

“Celestia, no!” Luna shouted.

Celestia raised her head, ignoring them. “Well, Professor Mustang? Will you accept me as a prisoner? Will that dissuade you from this course of action?”

There was silence on the other side. Then, after a moment, Cobbler began to chuckle.

“I must admit, Celestia, your proposal caught me off guard. I expected that you’d either acquiesce to our demands or outright reject them. But while your offer is a tempting one, at least to me personally, I’m afraid I cannot accept.

“While I won’t deny my personal vendetta, I am not here merely as a leader. As I said, I am here to represent the ponies that chose me. And what we want is a democracy. Nothing less will do. Besides, with all due respect, your sister is even less qualified to rule than you are.”

Luna kept her silence, but a vein in her forehead began to bulge.

“I don’t mean to insult you, Princess Luna,” Cobbler said. “But your duties as Princess of the Night haven’t exactly prepared you for a role in day-to-day governance. And you’re still about a thousand years out of date in the modern world. And, let’s not forget, you were once the villain known as Nightmare Moon.”

Luna paused. “I have not forgotten,” she whispered. “But I have made peace with it.”

“Good for you,” Cobbler said. “But you’re still unqualified to rule alone. And we oppose any rule by royalty, no matter who it is. No kings, no queens, no princes, no princesses.

“And now that we’ve addressed that, there’s one more thing to discuss…”

He cleared his throat, then spoke again, loud enough to be heard clearly across the ballroom. “Attention delegates of the National Convention! In the compartments of our drone, you’ll find multiple copies of the constitution. As you were chosen by your respective townships, cities, provinces, and regions, we ask that you serve your nation by signing this constitution as well.”

The crowd began to murmur. Some scoffed. Others loudly protested. Others voiced quiet misgivings. And still others simply kept quiet, waiting to hear Cobbler continue.

“Many of you, from what I can hear, are less than pleased with the prospect of signing this constitution. Well, you will be given some time to consider it. We will allow you two hours to read the document carefully, discuss it amongst yourselves, and then decide if you wish to sign it or not. We hope that you will agree to it, and then you’ll be allowed to return to your homes and inform them of the new government. Anypony who signs will be treated as an honorable representative and ambassador to their hometown.”

The mayor of Manehattan stepped forward. “And what if we say no?” he asked.

“That is your choice,” he said. “But if you aren’t willing to cooperate, then you may need to be taken into custody. And then we’ll bring your home regions into the new nation without your input. I think we can all agree that use of force is the last thing we want.”

The sounds of protest quieted down.

“Celestia, Luna, my dear delegates,” Cobbler continued, “I will make this plain: cooperate and we will not harm you. We will make certain that you are treated respectfully and made comfortable during this transition. But if you resist, I assure you that we are prepared to use force. You have yet to see even close to the full fury of our ship, and we know that the palace is not prepared to face our forces. If our demands are not met, we will invade Canterlot Castle and place all resistors under arrest.

“Keep that in mind, Celestia… civilian life in exile with your sister sounds quite a bit better than a dungeon, doesn’t it? We’ll even let you continue to raise the sun and moon if you wish. Of course, if you refuse or think that your abilities are a bargaining chip--”

“You have your device,” Celestia said. “You can raise the sun and moon yourself.”

“Precisely,” he said. “Now, we’ll leave you to discuss the matter. There’s a button on the side of the drone. Press it if you wish to contact us with any questions or the like. Otherwise, you have two hours. We hope you will choose what is best for the ponies of Equestria… and one day, you may all be celebrated for your role in the birth of a new nation.”

The transmission ended. Ponies began to clamor, shouting over one another as the room erupted into panic. The guards spread out, trying to quiet the delegates down.

Luna watched all this with rising fury. Finally she could take it no more and took a deep breath, reeling back.

“BE SILENT!!” she shouted in the Royal Canterlot Voice, bellowing loud enough to be mistaken for cannon fire.

The crowd all froze, staring at her.

“There,” she said, heaving a sigh. “Citizens of Equestria, whatever we do, we must be calm! Now then…”

She turned to Celestia, who still had her back to the crowd.

“Celestia?” Luna asked. “What do you think we should do?”

Celestia turned slowly to face them all. Her expression was still calm, but now there was a gravity to it.

“The National Conference was designed to be a chance for delegates and representatives to offer feedback and discuss matters of importance with their rulers,” Celestia said. “Right now, it seems we have a new topic to address.

“Guards, distribute the copies of this constitution to the delegates. We will all need to read exactly what they want us to agree to.”

The guards complied, taking up the documents and passing them out. In the center of it all, Celestia and Luna walked alongside one another.

“Should we prepare a counterattack?” Luna whispered to Celestia.

“As a precaution,” Celestia said. “But we should still read this document Professor Mustang sent us.”

Luna’s eyes bulged. “You mean you actually plan to consider this treacherous tract?!” she hissed.

“Luna,” she said tiredly, “don’t you understand that our actions today could result in a war?”

Luna blinked. “Yes, of course I do.”

“Then we should think very carefully about what we might be going to war over,” Celestia said.

There was the sound of a pony clearing her throat behind them, and they turned to see a short mare approaching them.

“I’m very sorry, Your Majesties,” she said. “I’m the delegate from Vanhoover, and I… I’m sorry, but that pony, Professor Mustang, said that he created an artificial heart to save his daughter’s life. And that you held it back, Princess Celestia. Is… is that true?”

Celestia frowned. “It is a bit more complicated than that, but… yes,” she said. “It is true.”

The delegate bowed her head, shutting her eyes. “Your Majesty, my cousin was recently diagnosed with a heart condition,” she said. “They say the waiting list for a new heart is very long. Could that pony’s artificial heart save his life?”

Celestia swallowed. “Perhaps,” she replied.

The delegate drew in a deep breath. “Thank you for telling me the truth, Your Majesty,” she said. “Forgive me for bothering you.”

She bowed as she walked away.

Luna looked up to Celestia and saw the pained expression on her face. “Celestia…”

“Come, Luna,” Celestia said, leading her away. “We have work to do.”


***


Sergeant Sea Hawk wiped the sweat from his brow as he caught his breath. All around him were the defeated, unconscious forms of the TechQuestrian security guards. The battle had been long and hard, but he and his soldiers had fought with everything they had and, in the end, they had won.

“I think that’s the last of them!” he said, raising his head. He allowed himself a smile. “Good work, guards! You make me proud to be your commanding officer!”

Buttercup, Violet Wisp, and Orange Slice all saluted him. “Sir, yes sir!”

“At ease,” he said, seeing they were just as out of breath as he.

Twilight came over to him, Turing Test at her side.

“Thank you for your help, Sergeant,” Twilight said.

“We just did our duty, Your Highness,” Sea Hawk replied, bowing to her. “Honestly, you and your friends are tougher than you look. I’ve never seen anypony as adept with magic as you, Princess Twilight.” He then turned to Turing Test. “And you lived up to your reputation as well. You moved so fast I could barely keep track of you!”

“That is true,” she said. “Organic speed and reflexes are noticeably inferior to robots’.”

“Turing,” Twilight said, giving her a sour look.

Turing tilted her head. “Have I said something inappropriate? I only spoke the truth.” She tapped her chin, then raised her hoof again. “Ah. Did my assertion seem like I was bragging? I apologize, I did not intend to.”

But Sea Hawk just chuckled. “Honestly, I’m just glad you were too fast for these villains, let alone myself,” he said. He extended a hoof. “But like I said earlier, it’s good to make your acquaintance, and it was an honor to fight alongside you as well.”

Turing bumped his hoof in return. “Thank you, Sergeant Sea Hawk,” she said.

“You know, with skills like those, you could go far in the Royal Guard,” he said.

This drew a frown from Twilight, but Turing shook her head before Twilight could respond.

“While I appreciate your esteem, and indeed my original purpose was to assume the role of Twilight Sparkle’s bodyguard while gathering information on her, I would not be happy as a guard. Though I have proficiency with combat, I find all violence distasteful, even when necessary.”

Twilight smiled and put her foreleg over Turing’s shoulder, resting her head on her robotic companion. “I’m glad to hear you say that, Turing,” she said. “I think I would worry about you all the time if you were a member of the Royal Guard.”

“Ha!” Orange Slice guffawed, overhearing the conversation. “You sound like my mom, Princess Twilight!”

Twilight blushed and shot him a look that silenced him immediately.

“Well, that’s fair,” Sea Hawk said to Turing Test. “But in that case, what do you want to do with your life?”

Turing’s eyes constricted for a moment. “Do?” she repeated. “I… I am not certain. Twilight Sparkle is still my end user and caretaker, but I believe she would allow me to do anything I wished, and…”

“Turing,” Twilight said quietly. “You don’t have to decide right now. You can do anything you want.”

“Even join the Royal Guard?” she asked, raising one ear.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Even join the Royal Guard,” she sighed.

Once everypony had a chance to recover, they began to gather together.

“All right,” Twilight said, addressing them all. “Now that we’ve beaten back those guards, we need to figure out what to do.”

“I’ll tell you what we do!” Rainbow Dash shouted, taking to the air as she punched one hoof into the other. “We get to Canterlot and take Cobbler and the rest of his cronies down!”

“Yeah!” Orange Slice yelled, raising a hoof as he took to the air and chest-bumped Rainbow Dash enthusiastically.

“I agree,” Twilight said, “but the question is how?”

Rainbow Dash and Orange Slice fell silent. Indeed, nopony had anything to say to that.

“Well,” Applejack began, “couldn’t ya teleport us back to Canterlot yerself, Twilight?”

Twilight shook her head. “Teleporting this many ponies at once would be pretty difficult even for a short distance, let alone all the way to Canterlot,” Twilight said.

“Oh! Oh!” Gadget cried, waving a mechanical hand wildly. “I know! We could use those transmission towers, like the TechQuestrians did with their ship! That way we could--”

Twilight shook her head at that as well. “Too risky. My guess is that the TechQuestrians already had their course laid in and calculated. While I might be able to teleport us, getting it perfect  from one tower to the next would be next to impossible.”

“Well, we could always take the train back,” Fluttershy suggested.

“By the time you got there at that rate,” Umahara said, “the conflict would already be over.”

“Also, I’m pretty sure we already arrested your train conductor on some fake charge,” Violet Wisp said, blushing as she rubbed the back of her neck.

“Um,” Spike began, “my dragonfire magic might be back. I could send a message to Celestia, if you think it would help? We might be able to think of something if we can communicate with each other!”

“It’s a good idea, Spike, but unless it’s been 24 hours, your magic isn’t back yet,” Umahara said, shaking his head. “If you ask me, we should get out of Mustangia and try to find somewhere safe to regroup. Maybe the Crystal Empire…”

“Come on, everypony, don’t give up yet!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Maybe we just need to think outside the box! Ooh, I’ll bet 001 has an awesome, unique idea that none of us would have thought of in a million years!”

They all turned to 001, who looked back and forth at them, seeing she was at the center of attention. She sat down, tapping herself on the side of the head as she thought long and hard about the answer. At last, she rose to her hooves again, raising her head excitedly as she blurted out her answer:

“Bicycles!!”

They all stared back at her.

“Okay, mayyyybe not,” Pinkie said, chuckling nervously. She patted 001 on the head. “But, um… good try anyway, 001.”

001 crossed her forelegs, turning her head to the side indignantly. “Me ahead of me time.”

“Now hold on,” Rarity said, rubbing her chin. “Maybe Gadget was onto something with that teleportation idea. If Twilight can’t calculate the correct path, then perhaps we simply need somepony who can! And it just so happens that we have such a pony here: Turing Test!”

They all looked to Turing.

“That may be possible,” she said. “Teleportation is a skill I have yet to master. With more information, however, I suppose it would be possible to make such a jump utilizing the transmission towers--”

“Wait a minute,” Umahara said, his eyes widening. “Oh no.. oh, that’s right, you all don’t know about… oh, I’m an idiot!” he shouted, smacking himself in the forehead.

“What is it, Umahara?” Twilight asked.

“I forgot that the New Dawn is projecting a massive magical shield around Canterlot. It’s similar to the one your brother was projecting around the city prior to his wedding and the changeling invasion, but this one is backed by a huge amount of power. It’s totally impenetrable, so whether we go by train or teleportation--”

“Bicycles!”

“--yes, or bicycles,” he said, shooting 001 a sour look, “the point is that we couldn’t possibly get in. It would repel any physical or magical force attempting to get inside. By isolating Canterlot, they’ve cut it off from any reinforcements and prevented Celestia and Luna from escaping. Trust me… Canterlot is lost.”

Twilight shook her head. “No!” she shouted. “I won’t accept that!”

“We could always use the power of the Elements,” Fluttershy said. “That ‘Rainbow Power’ was powerful enough to stop almost anything, even Tirek when we used it.”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “‘Rainbow Power,’” she said, repeating the phrase. “I always did like that name.”

“Hey, that might work!” Spike exclaimed. “Twilight, do you think you and the others can pull it off?”

Twilight pursed her lips. “Maybe… I think whatever they hit us with just temporarily disabled our power, instead of stripping it away.”

“You’re forgetting that they can detect it!” Umahara shouted. “As soon as they detect you, they’ll counter it! That’s the whole reason they built the Harmonic Drive! I’m telling you, there’s no way through that barrier!” He heaved a sigh, bowing his head. “We… we lost.”

Twilight gawked at him, her jaw dropping and her ears folding back as she sank to the ground. “Then… there’s nothing we can do? Nothing at all?”

Turing Test stood by the whole time, taking all of this in.

Assessing situation: the barrier around Canterlot is impenetrable through normal means, and reaching Canterlot with expedience is impractical. A solution must be found which allows us to travel to Canterlot and penetrate the barrier without being detected by the TechQuestrian forces. Scanning data for solutions… 1 match found.

“I may have an idea,” Turing said, drawing their attention. “However, it is contingent on one thing.”

Twilight stood. “And that is?” she asked breathlessly.

Turing turned to Umahara. “Umahara, do you know the location of the device TechQuestria used to manipulate the sun and moon?”

“The Sun Sphere?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Sure, I was there for the test. But how does that help us?”

“I recall what Twilight Sparkle told me about that night…”

She explained her plan. As she did so, their eyes lit up. When she was finished, Twilight cheered, embracing her.

“That’s perfect, Turing!” Twilight exclaimed. “In that case, there’s no time to waste! Umahara, lead the way!”

“I think we can go through the docking bay,” Umahara said, pointing at the opening in the earth from which the New Dawn had launched. “We’ll follow a tunnel to the secret observatory where the Sun Sphere’s located, but that means going back through TechQuestria. We’re bound to run into more security forces to fight off.”

They looked at the defeated forces laid out around them.

Sea Hawk smirked. “Something tells me they won’t be a problem,” he said.


***


The massive screens on either side of the New Dawn lit up again, and the ponies of Canterlot once more looked to the sky.

“Hello again, everypony!” Sprocket Rocket exclaimed, smiling warmly at the audience. “It’s time for Part 2 of ‘What We Stand For.’ In Part 1, we talked about technology, how it enriches our lives, and how life could be better if the country embraced it more!

“But now, we’ll talk about something just as important…”

The screen changed and showed a title card, displaying one word in all capital letters as the music played a triumphant fanfare:

“DEMOCRACY!”


The image changed to an animation of several ponies sitting in a classroom.

“Do you remember voting for your class president in school?” Sprocket asked as the cartoon fillies and colts slipped pieces of paper into a box on the teacher’s desk. “We bet you do! Or how about voting for school board president? Or even voting for your favorite restaurant or boutique in Canterlot Magazine?” The images showed each of these things animated in sequence. “You want to make the best choice, of course. It isn’t always perfect, but everypony should get a say, don’t you think? Well, that’s an example of democracy!”

The image changed again to show live action of ponies lining up in front of outdoor voting booths next to a small town city hall.

“Did you know that almost every city, town, and village votes for a mayor? It’s true! Canterlot doesn’t have a mayor, but you did vote for your own representative at the National Conference. Again, isn’t it fair when everypony gets a say? Isn’t your opinion worth something? Don’t you want somepony you trust making the tough decisions?”

The image showed the schoolponies all raising their hooves. It then transitioned to live-action footage of a large group of proud, smiling ponies all raising their hooves as well.

“So, with all that, don’t you have to ask yourself… why is our country’s leader a princess that nopony voted for?” Sprocket asked.

The image changed to footage of Celestia riding in her royal chariot down the streets of Canterlot, ponies bowing to her as she went by.

“Many of you probably never even thought about it,” Sprocket continued. “Princess Celestia has just always been there. Why would it be any other way? But think about all some of the things we talked about in Part 1… a hundred years of mistrust in technology like automata and telephones… all the wonderful things Equestria could have had… is it really fair that just one pony made that decision for all of us?”

The footage of Celestia froze as she seemed to glance over at the camera, a large question mark appearing over her face as a haunting tone sounded.

“What about the other things that have happened to Equestria recently under her watch? Nightmare Moon? Discord? Tirek?” The image showed pictures of each of these villains in turn. “What about the invasion of Canterlot itself by Queen Chrysalis and the changeling horde? How many of you were there for that…?”

As footage played of the changelings overrunning Canterlot from the invasion last year, of the strange insectoid creatures snatching up loved ones and cocooning them in gelatinous cells, many of the ponies began to shudder. Some looked away, the horrible memories fresh in their minds.

“Even now, the Royal Guard and the Night Guard have been overwhelmed by our forces. Even with inferior numbers, our technology has allowed us to quickly overwhelm them and lock down Canterlot. Now, don’t worry, we don’t plan to hurt anypony… but what if we weren’t so benevolent? Wouldn’t it be terrible that Canterlot was left so vulnerable? Shouldn’t the leader whose complacency left it so behind the times be held accountable? We sure think so…”

The image showed Rocket Sprocket looking at the screen, his face kind, but sad. “A few minutes ago, we issued our terms to Princess Celestia. We’re calling for her and Princess Luna to step down peacefully and to establish a national representative democracy. Now, don’t worry, we’re not out to hurt the princesses; we just want to put the power to choose back in your hooves. Yes, you,” he said, pointing directly at the viewer. “You have a voice in the new Equestria.

“Thank you for your attention, and bless the nation of Equestria!”

The film ended again. The streets erupted as ponies began shouting about what they’d just seen. Some denounced the traitors who dared question Her Majesty.

But a growing number of voices did just that. They asked how anypony could just ignore what they’d heard. And they grew louder…


***


A pair of doors stood before them. A trail of beaten guards behind lay behind them.

“It’s in here?” Sea Hawk asked.

“This is it,” Umahara said, nodding.

“I’ll go first, just in case there are more guards inside, Your Highness,” Sea Hawk said, glancing back at Twilight.

“All right, but please be careful,” Twilight said.

Sea Hawk tried the doors, but they wouldn’t budge. Voices were heard from inside.

“Sounds like they’re waiting for us,” Sea Hawk surmised, narrowing his eyes. “All right, guards, we’ll have to break the door down. We’ll take the point so Princess Twilight can--”

“Pardon me,” Turing said as she walked by him, “but I believe there is a simpler solution.”

“And that is?” Sea Hawk asked.

She lowered her head. “Activating E-Mode.”

As her leg pistons engaged, she dashed forward, crashing through the doors and the items barricading them, smashing them all to bits.

“Breach!” shouted one of the security guards inside. The guards blindly drew their shock batons and fired bolts of electricity on their target.

Of course, Turing Test simply stood there, totally immune to the electrical shock. A moment later, she was darting around the room, quickly landing disabling blows on each of the guards. In less than ten seconds, every guard in the room was unconscious.

“The area is secure, my friends,” she said, standing before them.

“Great work, Turing!” Twilight said, the others similarly voicing their agreement.

“Ha!” Orange Slice laughed. “Sarge is right, robot… you’d make a great soldier. Too bad you’re not interested.”

“Hm, maybe we could recruit her sister,” Violet Wisp suggested.

The two pegasi looked to 001, who met their gaze.

“Roger Wilco!” she exclaimed, saluting so hard she hit herself in the head, producing a loud clang as she did so. “Bravo Zulu! Hakuna Matata!”

“Aww, she sounds like you when you joined, Orange Slice!” Violet Wisp said, elbowing him in the ribs.

While Orange Slice grumbled, the two of them walked into the room now that Turing Test had cleared the way.

They all fell silent for a moment before Twilight broke the silence with a breathless “Wow…”

The room was a dome-shaped area. A slit in the roof and the various star charts and maps of the sky surrounding them made it seem like an observatory. But in the center was a device that truly caught their attention.

The machine was in the shape of a giant telescope, with its long, cylindrical scope that stretched upwards at a diagonal angle. However, at the upper end, the scope terminated not in a lens, but a massive sphere etched with astronomical symbols. Most striking was that the machine was covered in gold plating, and the lights around it had been strategically placed to shine upward, making it appear to glow in the otherwise dimly-lit room.

“So that’s the thing that you guys used to move the sun and moon that one time?” Rainbow Dash asked, glancing over at Umahara.

“That’s right,” he said, and he was unable to keep himself from swelling with pride. “We had a fancy name for it throughout development, but nowadays we just call it ‘The Sun Sphere.’”

“Well, I hate to admit it,” Rarity said, brushing her mane back, “but for such an insidious device, it really is quite stunning.”

“It’s not insidious,” Umahara snapped. “If something ever happens to Celestia and Luna, you’ll be glad we can still move the sun and moon without putting other ponies at risk!”

“Oh yeah, right!” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “I’m so sure you ponies made this thing just to be safe and not, you know, so you could take down the princesses guilt free!”

“That’s enough, all of you,” Twilight said. “We can’t afford to waste time bickering. Umahara, can you activate it?”

He nodded. “Yes, but I’ll need a hand.”

Gadget slid up next to him, wiggling her mechanical fingers. “How about four?”

He sighed, shaking his head, but couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, come with me,” he said. “You know, one day you’ll get sick of jokes like that.”

“Pfft! Not likely!” she laughed.

Twilight turned to Spike. “Spike, you help too, please.”

“I’m on it!” he said, rushing after them.

She then turned to Sea Hawk. “Sergeant, please stand watch and let us know if you see any more guards coming.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” Sea Hawk said, bowing to her. “You heard her, guards. Take up positions at the entrance.”

“And what about us, Twilight?” Pinkie asked.

“Right now, I’d say to just try to relax,” Twilight said, letting out a sigh as she sat down. “After today, I feel like I’ve just run a marathon.”

“Oh thank goodness!” Rarity moaned, sitting down on the floor. Then she immediately got back up, shivering. “Ugh! This floor is freezing, and it’s simply filthy! I’ll see if one of these chairs is a bit more comfortable.”

“Heh,” Rainbow Dash chuckled as she watched her go. She stretched out on the concrete floor. “Not me! I’m gonna catch some shuteye while Umahara and Gadget get this thing working.”

Applejack nodded, likewise finding a nice spot. “Sounds good to me,” she said. “Come on over here, 001, an’--”

“Me help nerdy ponies!” 001 shouted, bounding over to one of the nearby consoles as she began pounding on the buttons randomly.

“Whoa, whoa, you come back here!” Applejack shouted, running after her.

As the others all either settled in to relax, helped Gadget and Umahara, or just took a look around the room, Twilight found herself almost nodding off as she sat by herself.

But then she heard the sound of metal hooves scraping on the concrete and a soft clang as Turing sat down next to her.

“Am I disturbing you, Twilight Sparkle?” she asked.

Twilight rubbed her eyes, yawning. “No, not really,” she said. “I’m tired, but I don’t think I could sleep with all that’s going on anyway.” She smiled at her robotic friend. “What’s on your mind?”

Turing tapped her chin, producing the familiar metallic rhythm. “In truth, many things are occupying my thoughts,” she replied.

Twilight gave Turing her full attention. “Such as…?”

“Firstly, I am concerned about what to do should our plan be unsuccessful,” she said.

“If it is, we’ll think of something else,” Twilight replied.

“Perhaps so,” Turing said. “But I have already considered all other possibilities, and no other method could produce similarly ideal results.”

“You can’t always get an ideal result,” Twilight said soberly. “But no matter what, we’ll keep doing what we have to.”

“Of that, I have no doubt,” Turing said, nodding. She was quiet for another moment, but then asked, “Twilight Sparkle, what are the Elements of Harmony?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at that. “I’m pretty sure I’ve told you about them in all the time we’ve spent together,” she said.

“I am aware that the Elements were once gemstone-like artifacts that had originally been gathered from the Tree of Harmony,” Turing said, “and that you eventually had to return them to save the Tree after it had lost too much power to repel magically-enhanced vines, and that you were eventually granted the power of the Elements including the Map which allows you and your friends to locate ‘friendship problems,’ as you call them.”

Twilight’s eyebrow did not lower. “Yes, that’s all true,” she said. “So what’s the point?”

“Is it not clear? I apologize,” she said. “But, again, I know only what the Elements do, not what they are.”

“Ahh, now I see,” Twilight said, nodding her head. “Well, the truth is, Turing, that I’m not really certain myself. You’re right that they look like gemstones, and I tried my best to analyze them when I still had them, but I never figured out exactly what they were. And the same goes for the Tree of Harmony. I have no idea what to classify it as, since it’s not like any other tree in any known book. I’m not even totally sure it’s actually a tree!”

“I see,” Turing said, lowering her head. “How very puzzling.”

Twilight frowned. “What do you mean?”

Turing met her gaze. “When you and your friends utilized the power of the Elements, I detected a strange signal. My auditory systems registered something almost like a voice… and yet I find that I am unable to recreate the sound and I have no matching data to identify it. Furthermore, I detected something similar when the TechQuestrians used their weapon, the Harmonic Drive. However, the signal was less clear, as though something else was interfering with it.”

Twilight said nothing, but rubbed her chin. “I… I’ve never heard of that before,” she said. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a ‘voice’ when we’ve used the Elements. I don’t know how to explain it…” Then she brightened. “But it sounds like a great research project!”

Turing nodded, looking away for a moment at Umahara and Gadget making the final adjustments to the Sun Sphere. Then she spoke again, abruptly:

“Twilight Sparkle?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, Turing?”

The robot moved closer, leaning against Twilight, laying her head on her shoulder. “I’m afraid,” she whispered. “I am so afraid of what may happen to us. To you. To me. To my friends here and across Equestria…”

Twilight put her forelegs around her and held her. “Shhh,” she said, patting her on the head like a mother comforting a filly. “I know you are, Turing. We all are, but we have to be brave.”

“But how can I simply stop my emotion?” she asked. “How can organic ponies choose not to feel something?”

“Being brave doesn’t mean not feeling fear,” Twilight answered. “It means going forward even though you’re afraid. Do you understand?”

Turing was still at first, but then nodded. She embraced Twilight in return. “Understood, Twilight Sparkle,” she said softly. “I will be brave. But it will not be easy.”

“No,” Twilight said, patting her gently. “Being brave is never easy.”

“Okay, I think we’ve got it!” Umahara shouted, pulling one last switch on the Sun Sphere’s controls.

The slit in the dome above them slid open, and the dome itself began to turn as well with a metallic groan. Eventually it lined up with the morning sun, and the Sun Sphere rotated and locked onto it as well.

“How much do you think we should move the sun?” Gadget asked.

“Ooh, we should make it bounce in time with some music!” Pinkie exclaimed. “It’ll be the ultimate light show!”

“Pinkie, no,” Twilight said sternly. To Umahara and Gadget, she said, “Just turn it on and give it the smallest nudge you can. I don’t want anypony to notice, if possible.”

Umahara nodded, entering the minor change in coordinates into the main console at the base of the Sun Sphere. “Okay then, here we go!”

The Sun Sphere made a low, reverberating noise that echoed throughout the chamber. The sound brought the guards back into the room.

Rainbow Dash took to the air, shielding her eyes to avoid looking directly at the sun. But just the same, she noted how the sun seemed to momentarily jerk upward a tiny bit.


***


In Canterlot, Celestia was with Luna, conferring with her military advisers, when she felt a shiver and gasped, raising her head.

“Your Majesty!” the captain cried.

“Sister!” Luna exclaimed. “Are you all right?”

“I…” she began, glancing out the nearest window. “Yes, it’s just that… the sun is…”

Then she paused. Her look of confusion was suddenly replaced with a smile as what had happened dawned on her. She put a hoof over her mouth as she chuckled.

“Celestia?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” she said. “I’m not certain, but I think Twilight Sparkle is still out there, and I think she and her friends have a plan.”


***


“Aaaand, movement complete!” Umahara exclaimed.

The others all cheered.

Then there was utter silence.

“Um,” Fluttershy began, raising a hoof tentatively, “did it not work? Maybe he--”

There was a bright flash of light, and a new figure stood in their midst.

“I have you now, evil-doers!” the creature shouted, rising up tall above them as he held a clawed hand up dramatically. “For now you face the wrath of--”

“Discord!!” they all shouted, cheering. Fluttershy threw her forelegs around him, embracing him.

“Fluttershy?” Discord asked, blinking as he looked around at all of them. “Hm? Well, I certainly didn’t expect to see all of you here,” he said, slumping and giving a pout. “Not that I’m disappointed… I just expected a room full of mad scientist evil-doers, is all. I even put on this costume just for the occasion!”

They noticed that he was wearing a blue suit with a yellow and red emblem on his chest. He also had a cape and a pair of underwear that he was wearing over his pants.

“Well, you can still help us,” Twilight said. “We need--”

“Hold that thought,” Discord said, putting a finger to her lips as he noticed the Sun Sphere. “Is this the gizmo that made the sun twitch just now?” He teleported onto the sphere, reclining upon it casually. “Not bad for a pseudo-doomsday device, all things considered. Very flashy.”

“It’s called the Sun Sphere,” Umahara said. “It’s what we used to manipulate the sun’s movement--”

Discord suddenly teleported back down and got right in Umahara’s face, his red eyes glowing like hot coals. “We?” he asked. “So you’re the mad scientist I’m looking for?”

“Hey, he’s not with them anymore!” Gadget exclaimed, going to his side.

“What the… are you some kind of octopus-pony hybrid?!” he gasped. “If so, you’re not committing to the look…”

He snapped his fingers, and Gadget’s mechanical arms were replaced with four slimy purple tentacles.

They all gawked at her as she froze, her expression a mixture of surprise and utter revulsion.



“Look, Gadget,” Turing said, “it seems you’ve become like one of the characters in your Neighponese com--”

“Stop talking!” Gadget shrieked, her face turning bright red as her tentacles flailed about.

Spike and Umahara started snickering before Gadget seized them both around the necks, lifting them up. “You two shut up! And you,” she shouted, looking up at Discord, “change these back!”

“Oh, but it’s such an improvement--”

“Discord,” Fluttershy said, giving him a disapproving look.

“Oh, fine,” he said, snapping his fingers as Gadget’s limbs returned to normal. “But anyway, what are you all doing here?”

“Ugh,” Twilight groaned. “Look, Discord, we came here to help Turing Test after she was kidnapped--”

“Kidnapped?!” he exclaimed. He swiftly went over to Turing, picking her up and raising his fist heroically. “Never fear, my robotic friend! I, Discord, the Master of Chaos, shall save you!”

“I am glad to see you as well, Discord,” Turing said. “But I have already been rescued.”

“Oh,” he said, looking crestfallen again as he set her down. “Well, if you’ve got this all taken care of, then what am I even doing here?!”

“Allow me to explain,” Turing replied. “I recalled that you promised Twilight Sparkle and the other Princesses that you would locate the device upon its next use. We therefore used it to summon you, as we knew you would feel the magical disturbance.”

“I gathered that,” he said, rolling his eyes. “But still, why call me?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!” Twilight shouted, flying up and getting in his face. “Discord, the ponies who built Turing Test are planning to take over Equestria! They’ve already left on a giant airship and have encased Canterlot in an impenetrable magic bubble!”

“‘Impenetrable,’ you say?” he asked, chuckling to himself. “Oh nonsense! With my magic, I could easily teleport you inside!”

“Yes,” Twilight said through gritted teeth. “That’s what--”

“Oh, what a wonderful idea, Discord!” Fluttershy cried. She looked to Twilight and winked. The message was clear: Just go with it, Twilight.

“Well then, let’s see,” he said, snapping his fingers and producing a stewardess uniform on his body. “Passengers include Fluttershy and her usual entourage of five, DJ Spikey-D, the mad scientist and the arachnid girl, a gaggle of guards, Turing Test, and then Turing Test again.”

He paused. “Wait, since when are there two of you, Turing Test?” he asked, pointing his lion paw finger at 001.

“This is my elder sister, Unit 001, Discord,” Turing replied.

“I didn’t know a robot could have a sister,” Discord said, rubbing his chin as he considered 001.

“You funny noodle,” 001 said, pointing up at him. “Funny noodle make Gazzet arms wiggly!”

Discord grinned, softening his expression in an instant while Gadget smoldered behind him. “Oh, but I think I like her!” he exclaimed. “Do you have any other family?”

“Affirmative,” Turing replied. “I have another sister named 002, but--”

Discord snapped his fingers, and 002 suddenly appeared before him.

“Oh,” Turing said nonchalantly as most of the others nearby bristled. “Hello again, Sister.”

“What? 003, is this your doing?” she asked, looking around.

“I apologize, Sister,” Turing said, “but I did not ask Discord to bring you here.”

Then she looked up and noticed Discord. “Oh… you. I’ve heard of you.”

“Ah, my reputation precedes me!” Discord exclaimed, putting a claw to his chest. He then snatched up 002, holding her with outstretched arms like a pet puppy. “I think we’re going to be good friends too!”

002 stared at him silently with her singular eye. “I didn’t think there was anything more disgusting than organics,” she hissed, “until I met you, a creature made up of several organics at once. The only activity I could imagine enjoying with you is your vivisection.”

Discord frowned. “My my… quite the little edgelord, aren’t we?”

“Send me back, or I will murder you in your sleep, you genetic jigsaw puzzle.”

“Oookayy, well, that’s enough of that!” Discord said quickly, snapping his fingers and sending 002 back where she came from. “For an even number, she’s certainly odd. Any other siblings, Turing Test?”

“Affirmative. I also have--”

“No!” Twilight shouted. “We don’t have time for this! Discord, please, we need to go to Canterlot!”

Discord rolled his eyes. “Oh please,” he scoffed, “what possible threat could a bunch of science-project winners pose?”

He snapped his fingers, and they all vanished in a flash of light.


***


Celestia and Luna had gone back to the ballroom to check on the delegates. Celestia was about to address them and ask for their input when there was a flash and the whole group from Mustangia suddenly appeared in front of her.

Unfortunately for them, Discord had mostly dumped them all together in a pile.

“Ugh,” Twilight groaned, hearing similar sounds of discomfort from her friends. “Please after all that, tell me we’re actually in Canterlot?”

“Twilight?!” Celestia gasped.

Twilight looked up and saw Celestia and Luna looking down at her.

“Celestia!” Twilight cried, going to her side. “Oh thank goodness! I was afraid something might have happened to you!”

“And I was worried for you too,” Celestia said, a beaming smile on her face. “And I see you brought your friends with you… including Turing Test!”

Turing stood and went to her, bowing before her. “I am glad to see you as well, Princess Celestia.”

Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. “And it seems that your memory is intact after all,” she said.

“That’s wonderful news,” Luna said, joining at Celestia’s side. “When we heard of your abduction, we feared the worst.”

“My memory was indeed removed,” Turing said, “but it was restored. Furthermore, I would like you both to meet my elder sister, 001.”

“Ah, a sister!” Luna exclaimed. “How wonderful! Where is she?”

Turing Test looked over her shoulder, but didn’t see 001 at first. “001? Are you present?”

001 burst from under the pile of the others, sending them flying before they could disentangle themselves. She bound over to stand next to Turing.

“001, these ponies are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” she said. “They are my friends and two of the rulers of Equestria.”

001 nodded. “Hi, Noona! Hi, Cholesterol! You really big!”

The two royal sisters’ smiles became forced.

“Ha ha!” Twilight laughed, putting herself between the pair of sisters. “Okay, well, now that introductions are over…”

Celestia nodded, turning serious. “Of course,” she said. “Twilight Sparkle, the situation is grave. The forces of TechQuestria have defeated almost every guard station, leaving only the castle. They’re broadcasting propaganda and they’ve demanded--”

“--That Equestria be turned into a democracy, I know,” Twilight said. “He tried to recruit me, too. But I refused.”

Luna raised her head, nodding approvingly. “I knew we could count on you and the others to be loyal,” she said. “And now that you are here, you can assist us in dealing with--”

“A-hem!” Discord snapped, teleporting himself into view. “Did somepony forget about yours truly? Why, with me around, who even needs guards or Elements? I’m the ultimate Deus Ex Machina!”

“Me never ask for this,” 001 said gravely.

“That’s… anyway,” Discord said, ignoring her, “where’s this airship that’s been giving you so much trouble?”

He looked around and then glanced out the window, finally spotting the New Dawn.

“That’s it?” he asked. “Sure it’s big, but it’s hardly an enterprise worth worrying about. I’ll go handle it.”

He raised his fingers.

“Discord, no!” Twilight shouted. “They’ve got--”

Discord snapped his fingers, vanishing again in a flash of light.


***


Cobbler sat in the captain’s chair when his top hat began to move atop his head.

“What in the world?” he asked, removing the hat.

Discord’s head popped out of the hat. “Guess who!” he shouted.

Cobbler dropped the hat, and all the crew members on the bridge of the New Dawn turned and gawked at the draconequus as he extracted himself from the piece of headwear.

“So, this is your big secret weapon?” Discord asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not impressed.”

“Intruder on the bridge!” the chief of security shouted into his microphone. “Security!”

“Say, what’s the name of this ship anyway?” Discord asked.

“For your information, it’s the New Dawn,” Hiker said, thrusting his chin out.

Discord made a face. “I’ve got a better name for it. How about… the Bismark!”

He snapped his fingers.


***


In the streets of Canterlot, the citizens all looked up and saw as the gigantic airship suddenly turned into a long jelly donut kept aloft with giant party balloons tied to it with string.


***


“Much improved!” Discord laughed.

“Sir!” the communications officer cried. “We’re getting reports that the lower decks are filled with jam!”

“Well, so ends this plan of conquest,” Discord said, polishing his claws on his chest. “A bit of an anticlimax, really. Well, at least I can sing a victory song!”

He teleported again and appeared on the (now much doughier) top deck of the ship. He was wearing a wig with curly black hair, a black faux-leather jacket, pantyhose, and high boots. As music began to play, he was surrounded by clones of himself wearing sailors’ uniforms.

“Ohhh, if I could turn back time…” he began to sing. The projector screens on the side of the ship broadcast the performance to the weirded-out ponies below.

While this went on, Cobbler, eye twitching, leaned over to Hiker. “Commander, is the Harmonic Drive still operational?” he asked in a whisper.

Hiker looked to the chief of security, who nodded.

“Somehow, sir,” he said.

“Good,” Cobbler said, standing by the pedestal. “On my mark…”


***


Twiight and the others all watched Discord’s bizarre performance when he paused, the music skipping. He took on a sudden expression of horror right before a massive burst of rainbow color blasted outward from the control tower of the New Dawn, overtaking him. For a moment, they saw him there, his expression frozen, locked in stone. Then the image terminated and the New Dawn returned to its normal form.

“Discord!” Fluttershy screamed.

A moment later, the messenger drone in the ballroom’s speaker came to life.

“Very funny, Celestia,” Cobbler snarled. “But not good enough. As you can see, we came prepared for everything… even the most chaotic being in Equestria. While I thank you very much for the new statue, I must ask you to not try something like that again.

He paused, sounding like he was trying to catch his breath. “You have ninety minutes left to make your decision. I strongly suggest you make the correct one.”

The communication ended. The delegates watching all this stood in stunned silence. Celestia bowed her head. The only sound was of Fluttershy sobbing and some of the others comforting her.

Turing Test looked to Twilight. In that instant, Turing knew that Twilight had been right… being brave was not easy.


To be continued…