king last! Come child, let us prepare for the impending toastpocalypse!” Turing Toast cheered, galloping for the stairs.Sunset and Turing stared in horror at the wraith floating over them.
“What’s wrong?” Gadget asked with a sneer as she placed her hands on her hips. “You were worried about my safety, but as you can see, I’ve never felt better!”
Sunset swallowed. “Okay, Gadget, just listen to me—”
“Excuse me?” Gadget asked. “You still think you can boss me around? You think you’ll convince me to give this up? Well, sorry, but I think I’ll keep this power because this feels… incredible!”
“I know how it feels, Gadget. I’ve been where you are right now. But if you don’t stop yourself right now, you’ll regret it, I swear!”
Gadget snickered. “Was that a threat?”
“No! I mean that the decisions you make now will come back to haunt you! I don’t want anyone else to carry the kind of burden I’m carrying, so please whatever you’re planning to do with this power, don’t do it!”
“Do?” Gadget pursed her lips. “Actually, that’s a good question. What should I do with these new powers?” Then her expression shifted back into a devious grin. “Maybe I should conduct a little experiment with these powers to see just what I can do. After all… I have two perfect guinea pigs right in front of me.”
Turing got to her feet. “I am not a guinea pig,” she said, narrowing her eyes at Gadget. “And while I have no desire to harm you, Gadget, I will defend myself and Sunset Shimmer if necessary.”
Gadget gently floated to the ground. She jutted out her chin, pointing at it. “It’s very necessary, Turing Test,” she said. “Go ahead. Hit me with your best shot.”
Turing bowed her head. “Very well. I am sorry, Gadget,” she said quietly. She moved to grab Gadget, intending to subdue her.
Gadget held up a glowing hand and Turing suddenly froze in place, grinding to a halt.
“Turing?!” Sunset cried.
“Ah… Sunset Shimmer, I cannot move!” Turing exclaimed, finding only her face and mouth were capable of movement.
Gadget walked over to Turing, levitating just high enough to look at her face to face, their noses almost touching. She placed a hand on Turing’s cheek, patting her gently.
“Aww, what’s the matter, Turing? Can’t move? Is the poor nerdy girl you wanted to steal from suddenly not so defenseless?” Then she frowned. “Well, against my new abilities, Turing, you’re powerless. I can control you even without my gauntlet now. I can feel a connection to every machine around me, including you, and that means that I can control every mechanism in your body.
“You betrayed me as a friend, Turing. But I think you’ll make a really fun toy instead.”
Turing’s eyes widened. “Sunset Shimmer, run!” she shouted.
“Turing, no, I—”
“Go! Get help before it is too late!”
Sunset paused a moment, then turned and dashed out of the small room, intending to sprint across Gadget’s lab to the stairs to escape.
As she ran, however, the wires strewn about the room suddenly came to life and ensnared her by the leg. She fell to the floor and tried to struggle, but the wires quickly bound her arms and legs, tying her up so completely that she couldn’t move.
She heard steps behind her. A green magical aura levitated her and turned her around to face Gadget, who held her in her magic.
Gadget raised an eyebrow. “Going somewhere?” she asked. “You may not be a machine, Sunset, but you’re still going to listen to me!”
Sunset began to sweat. “Gadget, please,” she whispered, “I’m sorry for what I said. I never wanted to hurt you. Neither of us did.”
“Oh, sure you’re sorry now,” Gadget said, rolling her eyes. “Now that I can stop you. Now that I’m a threat. Now that I can do something to stop you from stealing my research!”
As Gadget clenched her fist in anger, the wires constricted around Sunset.
“Gadget… I…” Sunset gasped. “I can’t… breathe!”
“Oh my gosh!” Gadget cried, letting Sunset drop to the floor, the wires going more slack, though still binding her. “Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. Still getting used to these powers, you know?”
Sunset was panting, trying to catch her breath.
“Hey, listen, I’m sorry,” Gadget said, rubbing the back of her neck. “I was only trying to scare you. I mean, I don’t really want to hurt either of you. I don’t want your fear… I want your respect. And with these powers, I’ll do great things! You’ll see! Soon everyone in the world will respect me because I—”
She heard a creaking sound behind her and glanced over her shoulder.
Turing Test was slowly edging towards her, reaching for her stiffly as she managed to fight through Gadget’s control. Her hand was only a few inches away.
“Whoa!” Gadget cried, leaping back. She stared back in shock at first, but then her expression changed to anger. “How in the world were you able to fight through my control?!”
Turing was gritting her teeth, concentrating all her power on overriding the magic that controlled her limbs. “Leave Sunset Shimmer alone!” she shouted.
Gadget sighed. “Okay, I guess a machine with its own will would be harder to control than a few wires. Guess I’ll have to try something else… ooh, I know! Let’s see if this works!”
“Gadget? Whatever you are going to do, do not—”
Gadget suddenly flew at Turing and seemed to collide with her, a green flash of light momentarily blinding Sunset as she watched on.
When the light cleared, there was only Turing Test standing there, her arms hanging loose and her upper body slumped over.
“Turing?” Sunset asked.
Turing raised her head, looking around. She looked down, examining herself, and smiled. She extended one metal arm and wiggled her fingers playfully.
Sunset tilted her head. “Turing?” she asked.
Turing looked down at her and smirked. “Sorry, Turing’s not in right now,” Gadget’s voice said as Turing’s mouth moved. “Can I take a message?”
“Gadget?!” Sunset exclaimed. “You… you stole Turing’s body?!”
“Well, ‘stole’ is an ugly word. I’m just temporarily piloting it. You know, like a rental car!” She took a few unsteady steps, flailing her arms about before coming to a halt. “Whoa, this is kinda hard to do… a little awkward since I can’t feel anything. It’s like controlling a game character.”
“Gadget, you can’t do this to her!”
“Uh, pretty sure I can,” Gadget said, putting her hands on her hips. “And… oh, wow, Turing has some nice hips. Kind of unfair to get a figure this nice without having to endure puberty.” She reached around to Turing’s rear.
“Take your hands off my robodonkadonk!” Turing’s voice suddenly shouted.
Gadget shook her head. “Ah, jeez, you’re still giving me trouble? I’ll have to do something about that…”
Sunset struggled, managing to sit up from her position on the floor. “Gadget, that’s enough! Turing Test’s not just a machine, she’s a person! You can’t treat her like this! I’m begging you, let her go!”
“Oh don’t worry, I’ll let her go,” Gadget said, going over to Sunset and kneeling down. “Just as soon as I figure out what to do next.” She held up a finger in front of Sunset’s face. “‘Kay?”
She poked Sunset’s forehead, and suddenly Turing’s purple eyes flashed white.
“What the… what was that?!” Gadget exclaimed. “I just saw you and Turing… painting last night?”
Sunset swallowed, but kept her mouth shut.
“Wait a second… Turing can read minds? How did this happen? Did you know?!”
Sunset kept silent.
“Not telling, eh?” Gadget asked, smirking. “Well, luckily enough, I just figured out that I don’t need you to talk.”
She put her hand on Sunset’s forehead again, her eyes flashing white once again, this time for several moments.
“Whew!” Gadget exclaimed. “What a head rush! But now I know everything… I know she got this power from you, Sunset! And she got super speed from Rainbow Dash! And I know your other friends have powers too! And I know…”
Gadget grinned broadly, a twisted smile appearing on Turing’s face.
“...I know where the portal is.”
Sunset blanched.
“Oh oh oh, I think I just came up with a brilliant idea—”
She suddenly punched herself in the face.
“Ugh… nice try, Turing, but I can’t even feel pain while I’m in your body anyway, remember?” Gadget said, seizing herself by the wrist as Turing continued trying to control the arm. “Okay, first thing’s first, though. I need to take care of you.”
She held out a hand which glowed green with her magic, and a strange glowing orb emerged from Turing’s body’s forehead. It coalesced into a ball of swirling runic characters.
“What are you doing to her?!” Sunset shouted.
“I’m afraid I’m going to need Turing’s help for my plan, and I can’t stay in her body while I’m doing my part,” Gadget replied. “So I used my magic to extract a portion of her mind, her will, in order to keep her docile.”
Gadget emerged from Turing’s body, taking the glowing runic ball and spinning it on her finger like a basketball.
Turing’s body stood stiff at attention.
“Well, Turing Test, are you functioning normally?”
The robot nodded. “All functions are nominal, Mistress,” Turing said in a stiff, monotone voice.
“Good,” Gadget said as she turned her attention to the glowing ball. “Now as for this…”
“Gadget, I swear,” Sunset growled, “if you do anything to Turing’s mind, I’ll never forgive you for it!”
Gadget ignored her and looked around her workshop. “Vessel, vessel, need someplace to put this… oh! Ohohoho, I’ve got it!”
Sunset watched as Gadget went over to her automated toaster. She levitated it in her magic and then quickly jammed the glowing ball into one of the bread slots. “Now, I’ll just make a few adjustments…”
Beams of magic shot from Gadget’s hands and the toaster began to change shape. It suddenly grew a small tail that resembled the one Turing had as a pony and the legs took on a brass color, not unlike Turing’s hooves. Last of all, a pair of large purple LED eyes appeared on the front end of the toaster.
“Hello there, Turing Test,” Gadget said to the toaster. “Are you in there?”
“Negative,” said the toaster. “I am not Turing Test. I have changed my designation to Turing Toast.”
Gadget burst out laughing. “Oh, this is perfect! It looks like Turing’s will has melded with the original programming of the toaster!”
She walked over to Sunset who watched the whole scene unfolding with abject horror.
“You see what happens when you mess with a genius, Sunset?” Gadget asked, shoving Turing Toast in her face. “Turing used to be the most advanced robot in the world. And now she’s a kitchen appliance!”
“Hey, I hate to interrupt your maniacal gloating,” Turing Toast said, “but if you could shove some bread in me, I could be doing something productive.”
Gadget frowned. “Huh. And she’s got an attitude.” She shrugged. “Oh well, not a lot of good it’ll do her.”
She placed Turing Toast on the ground in front of Sunset. “Why don’t you two stay here and get to know each other. Turing Test and I have some errands to run.” She grinned. “Oh, and spoiler alert, Sunset Shimmer: these errands involve your friends.”
Sunset’s eyes bulged. “No,” she breathed.
“Anyway, bye!” Gadget said, turning away.
“Gadget, wait!” Sunset shouted.
“Oh, Sunset, I can’t just stick around. You see, I am going to use this power to usher in a new age. An age of technology and magic! Humans and ponies alike are going to have me to thank for the bold new world they find themselves in. I’ve become the embodiment of the the fusion of technology and magic, and that’s why, from now on, you don’t need to call me ‘Gadget.’ That was the name of a weak, scared little girl who let everyone around her pick on her and take advantage of her. From now on, you can just call me… Technomancer.”
She beamed at Sunset, the magical aura around her glowing brightly.
“Hey, great name!” Turing Toast said. “This calls for a toast! Eh? Ehhhh?”
Gadget blinked. “Welp, moment ruined. Okay, that’s it, you two stay here while Turing and I go make history.”
She turned and levitated up the stairs, Turing Test following stiffly behind.
“Gadget, no!” Sunset shouted, struggling against her bonds. “Get back here!”
“Yeah, and bring some damn marmalade!” Turing Toast added.
***
Outside of the house, Gadget looked up at the gray, overcast sky.
“Storms can be destructive,” she muttered. “But they can also rejuvenate. Kind of appropriate, don’t you think, Turing?”
Turing merely stood there, a blank expression on her face.
She sighed. “You know, you’re a way worse conversationalist now,” she said. The she frowned. “For what it’s worth, I really wanted to be your friend, Turing. It felt… nice.”
Turing remained silent.
Gadget grit her teeth. “I didn’t want to do this, you know! I wanted…” She trailed off, seeing Turing’s unresponsive expression and realizing that nothing she said was sinking in. “Never mind. Well, let’s get to it. Turing, I want you to find those other girls and copy their powers as well. Use your speed to make it go faster. Start with Applejack… that super strength will come in handy if they put up a fight.
“When you’re finished with that, meet me at Canterlot High. Understood?”
Turing nodded. “Understood, Mistress,” she said.
“Good! Now, go!”
Turing sped off and was soon out of sight. Gadget grinned and looked up at the sky.
“As for me, I’ve got a building project to start,” she said, cracking a smile. She swiftly rose into the air until she was high above the ground. She rubbed her hands together and the magic aura around her grew brighter. A moment later, she spread her arms wide and a ring of magical energy spread out over the entire city.
“That ought to keep them occupied,” she said, snickering to herself, and flew off toward Canterlot High.
***
Sunset made every effort to move, but all she succeeded in doing was crawling like a caterpillar for a few feet.
“My friends… no,” she moaned, burying her face in the floor.
Then she felt a little tap on her head. She raised her eyes and saw that Turing Toast was patting her on the head with one of her stubby little legs.
“There there, Bacon Hair,” she said. “I can see you’re in a real jam. Speaking of which, what is your preference: strawberry or grape?”
“Turing Test! You can move!”
“Incorrect.”
“Yes you can, I’m looking at you now, you’re moving!”
“No, I meant that my name is Turing Toast. But yes, I can move.”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “Look, if you can move, then maybe you can untie me!”
Turing Toast looked down at her little legs, from one to the other, and back to Sunset. “Yeah, I do not see that happening.”
“Well… maybe you can go and get help! Find one of Gadget’s family members! Like her brother!”
“Not much, he’s a little brat.”
“I meant that you could ask him to untie me!” Sunset shouted.
“Ehhh, I could,” Turing Toast said. “But what’s in it for me?”
Sunset narrowed her eyes at the little toaster. “I promise that I’ll make toast with you if you do.”
“Now we’re talking!” Turing Toast said, and galloped as fast as a toaster could to the stairs, gradually making her way up them in a manner not unlike a very small and inexperienced puppy.
Sunset took a deep breath. It’s okay, Sunset, she told herself. You’ll get out of here, you’ll stop whatever plan Gadget’s come up with, return her to normal, and Twilight will definitely not go ballistic on you for letting her robot friend get transformed into a toaster.
Sunset exhaled slowly. She felt marginally calmer. She just hoped that Turing Toast would find help soon.
Several minutes later, she heard some commotion upstairs followed by the sound of footsteps descending the stairs.
“Um, hello?” called Fall Leaf as he reached the bottom, Turing Toast in his arms. “Sis, are you here? Did you have a fight with your friends? And did you make another dumb talking toaster? This one was in the front yard. It was chasing the neighbors dog, asking it if it wanted any toast.”
“Fall Leaf!” Sunset called. “I’m over here!”
Fall Leaf followed the voice and found Sunset tied up on the floor. His jaw dropped.
“Thank goodness you’re here!” Sunset said. “I need you to untie me right now, okay?”
Fall Leaf continued staring at her. “Did Sis do this to you?” he asked.
“Um, sort of, but that doesn’t matter! We need—”
“Did she get the idea from one of her gross comics?” he asked. “Um… if she did… which one?”
“Quit staring and untie me, Fall Leaf!” Sunset shouted.
Fall Leaf pouted. “You don’t have to be mean about it,” he grumbled.
Sunset forced herself to smile. “Okay, you’re right. Could you untie me pleeeease?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.
“Well… okay!” he said, and began helping her to get free.
Once she was free, she quickly took out her journal and started writing an urgent message to Twilight:
Twilight, make sure the portal is closed! It’s an emergency! Don’t open it again until I message you again!
Sunset breathed a sigh of relief. She just hoped Twilight saw the message in time.
She then took out her cell phone and dialed her friends. Applejack was at the top of her list of friends, so she called her first.
She held the phone to her ear. But instead of hearing it ring, she heard a string of ones and zeroes being spoken in a very familiar, if distorted voice:
“01001000 01100001 01101001 01101100 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01000111 01101111 01100100 01100100 01100101 01110011 01110011 00101100 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110010 00100000 01110011 01101000 01100101 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01100111 01101100 01101111 01110010 01101001 01101111 01110101 01110011 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01101011 01100001 01110111 01100001 01101001 01101001 00100001”
“What the heck is that?!” Sunset asked.
“It is binary coding,” Turing Toast said. “It’s saying, put down the phone and make some toast.”
Sunset scowled at her. “It does not.”
“Maybe not, but still, you promised me that you would!” the little toaster said, pointing one leg at her accusingly.
“Look, we don’t have time for that!”
“Hey, if you promised, Miss Sunset,” Fall Leaf said, crossing his arms, “then you have to do it.”
Sunset smacked her forehead. “Ugh, this is a disaster… okay, listen, Fall Leaf, something happened to your sister.”
Fall Leaf’s eyes widened. “W-what do you mean? Where’s Sis now?”
Sunset swallowed. “Listen, she’s in trouble. My friends and I can save her, but we don’t have much time, so it’s really important that we act fast!”
Fall Leaf swallowed. “Okay, Miss Sunset. What should we do?”
“I…” Sunset paused. She suddenly realized that she wasn’t sure what to do.
“Well, you know, I don’t have to be plugged in to work,” Turing Toast said. “Fall Leaf and I can gather up some bread and things to make toast as we go wherever you decide we’re going.”
Sunset sighed. “Fine.”
“At fking last! Come child, let us prepare for the impending toastpocalypse!” Turing Toast cheered, galloping for the stairs.
“Miss Sunset,” Fall Leaf said, turning to look at her. “I’m scared.”
“I don’t think you need to worry,” Sunset said, smirking. “Turing Toast just has a one-track mind.”
But Fall Leaf shook his head. “I meant about my sister,” he whispered. “Gadget’s not gonna get hurt is she?”
Sunset put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. “I don’t think so,” she said. “Now you go help Turing Toast. I’ll be up in just a minute.”
He nodded and even managed a smile before running up the steps.
Once she was alone, Sunset massaged her temples. Okay, let me think… Twilight usually keeps the portal closed anyway, so even if she didn’t see my message, Gadget’s probably not going to enter Equestria anytime soon. Just the same, though, she came up with her plan after she learned where the portal is, so it must be involved somehow. And if she learned that Turing can copy our geode powers, then…
It dawned on her. She was going to have Turing copy the rest of their powers too!
This could be a disaster! She’s a genius, she can control technology, and she’s got magical powers, and soon she might have a robot henchwoman with multiple super powers. Still, there’s got to be a way to stop her…
Wait, the best way to do that might be to counter her at each step! She grinned. And I know just who to turn to!
***
Gadget stood before the pedestal in front of Canterlot High that once held the famous Canterlot Wondercolt statue. She’d seen it before and now, from Sunset’s memories, she knew exactly where the portal would be.
She put out her hand. “Now, let’s see…”
The flat front of the pedestal was solid as stone.
“Seems the portal is closed,” she surmised. She shut her eyes. “But I can sense the magic here. So much magic just beyond this barrier. Yes, this must be where the border between our worlds is thinnest. And beyond it is all the magic humanity could ever need.”
She grinned. “Well,” she said, rubbing her hands together, “I didn’t think it would be easy. Time to tap this well!”
She levitated up and floated over to the windows of the school. “Let’s see, computer lab, computer lab… ah, here we go!” She spotted the lab through the window. “This ought to be a good start!”
With a motion of her hand, the computers in the lab all floated up. With another, they all came rushing at the window, breaking through it and floating out around her. She slowly began to disassemble them, taking them apart piece by piece.
“These should help,” Gadget murmured. “Now I’ll need some power…”
She looked over at the nearby power lines running alongside the street. She grinned.
***
A few blocks away, a pair of police officers were sitting in their squad car.
“Man, Violet Wisp,” said one, “patrolling for speeders must be the most boring job in the world.”
“Shut it, Orange Slice,” Violet Wisp said, narrowing her eyes. “A speedster could come speeding by any minute. Sarge said this place has had lots of complaints about drag racing, so when one of these punks comes by, we’ll be ready.”
“Ugh, fine,” Orange Slice said. “Just the same, I’m getting sick of all the dull things that happen in this town. I wish something exciting would happen.”
Just then, they hear a strange sound and looked out the window. All the power lines nearby were wiggling like some invisible force was playing jump rope with them.
“What the heck?” Orange Slice asked. “Is it an earthquake?!”
“I sure don’t feel any tremors,” Violet Wisp said. “But then, what’s making them do that?”
A moment later, the lines went taut and something pulled them in one direction. After a moment, there was a metallic sound and the wires snapped off their moorings, drawn rapidly up the street as though they were being sucked up like noodles from a giant diner just over the horizon.
The two looked at each other.
“Let’s roll!” Orange Slice shouted.
“You know it!” Violet Wisp said.
She shoved the key in the ignition and turned it… only to find that the car was utterly unresponsive.
“Try the gas!” Orange Slice shouted.
“I am!” Violet Wisp snapped. “Darn it, the engine’s not even responding! It worked an hour ago, what’s wrong with this thing?!”
“Budget cuts? Maybe we got this patrol car from some junkyard?”
“Not helping!” she shouted. “Ugh, this is pointless. We’ll have to hoof it!”
“All right, but we’d better call it in,” Orange Slice said, taking hold of the radio. “This is Officer Orange Slice! Officer Violet Wisp and I are in car 54 at our post on Clover Street! We’ve just witnessed something happen to the power lines! We’re about to investigate! Over!”
There was static from the other end.
“Uh, dispatch, do you copy?” he asked.
A moment later, the sound of “Everybody’s Working for the Weekend” by Loverboy came through the speakers.
The two officers looked at each other.
“Something’s up,” said Violet.
“It sure is,” Orange agreed.
They grinned at each other.
“Let’s roll!” they said in unison.
They went to open the doors. The doors didn’t budge.
“Uh, what’s going on here?” Violet Wisp asked.
“They’re stuck! Why are they stuck?!” Orange Slice shouted. “I can’t even get the lock to move!”
“Ugh… okay, guess we’ll have to break out. Where’d you put the window punch?”
Orange Slice started to sweat.
“Orange Slice?” Violet Wisp asked, narrowing her eyes. “That tool we use to smash in windows and rescue people or arrest them if they won’t come out… the window punch… where is it?”
Orange Slice grinned sheepishly. “In the trunk,” he replied.
Violet Wisp pounded her head against the steering wheel.
***
Applejack rode her horse Brownie back to her barn and dismounted, patting the stallion along his neck.
“Good boy, Brownie,” she said, scratching him behind his ears. The horse gave a contented nicker as she strolled over to the barn doors, preparing to lead him inside.
A moment later she felt a rush of wind, and Turing Test was suddenly in front of her.
“What the…?!” Applejack cried as she jumped back in surprise. “Lan’ sakes, Turing Test! You scared the daylights outta me! Where’d you come from?”
“Gadget’s house.”
“Who?”
“That is not important right now,” she said. “Please lift something heavy for me.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Beg pardon?”
“I would like you to lift something abnormally heavy as a demonstration of your geode power.”
“Oh, I see,” Applejack said. “Well, I dunno… after what happened with Rainbow overusin’ her speed an’ all, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. I’m tryin’ to avoid usin’ it fer no reason.”
Turing Test glanced around. Her eyes settled on a large machine nearby. “Applejack, what is that device?”
Applejack followed her gaze. “That? Oh, that’s our tractor. Guess y’all don’t have those in Equestria either, right? Well, let me show it to ya. See, we use it to—”
Turing immediately zipped over to the large vehicle and began to heft it up on one side with all the strength she could muster. The machine rose up on its two side wheels until it was about to tip over.
“Whoa, what the hey?! Stop that!” Applejack shouted, running over to her.
Turing gave one final push and the tractor began to tip over.
Applejack braced herself and caught the upended cabin of the tractor before it completely tumbled over. Her geode glowed and she felt her strength grow. Her straining muscles instantly halted the tractors fall. With a simple push, the tractor landed back on its wheels, bouncing slightly but otherwise undamaged.
Applejack breathed a sigh of relief as she wiped the sweat from her brow. She turned and saw Turing Test watching her.
“Turing, what were you thinkin’?!” she shouted. “That tractor cost good money! Why’d you do that?!”
Turing only stared back. “Magic analyzed,” she said. She went to the tractor and lifted it easily with one hand. “Enhanced strength emulated.” She put the tractor down roughly, but not enough to damage it.
Applejack stared back at her. Her mouth dropped open. “Wait… did you… did you just copy that power from me? You can do that?!”
Turing nodded. “Affirmative. I have already acquired Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash’s powers. I have been commanded to do the same to the rest of our friends’ powers as well.”
Applejack blinked. “Commanded by who, exactly?” she asked, noticing Turing’s blank expression and stilted language at last.
“Gadget,” Turing said. “Though she seems to prefer the designation ‘Technomancer’ now. She is my new mistress, and I must obey her will. I apologize for the inconvenience.”
Applejack stared back at her. “Wait… Mistress? You almost sound like yer bein’ controlled or somethin’.”
“That is correct. She put my will to resist in a toaster.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “A… toaster?”
“Correct. If you feel the need to resist, I plan to target Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle, in that order. You may gather them together and form a counterattack if you wish.”
“Wait, but if yer bein’ controlled,” Applejack said, “then why are ya tellin’ me all this?”
“Gadget did not instruct me not to tell you.
“Also, just because I am being forced to do this does not mean that I enjoy it,” she said. “In actuality, I hate doing this and hope you are able to rescue me in the near future.”
“Turing,” Applejack breathed. Then she gave her a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry, Turing. We’ll save you soon, okay?”
Turing nodded. “Your compliance is appreciated. I will leave instructions with the rest of our friends. Please hurry.”
Without another word, she turned and ran… about 20 feet over to where Brownie was still standing.
“Also, you ride ponies in this world?” she asked. “That is bizarre.”
Brownie neighed.
“Well, as long as the humans treat you well, I suppose it is all right.”
Brownie gave a whinny.
“I currently already have a significant other, but your compliment is appreciated. Goodbye.”
She then dashed off, becoming a blur as she sped along the road that led back out of the orchard and toward the city.
Applejack sighed. “Welp, today’s gonna be an interestin’ day, that’s fer sure…”
***
Twilight sat in bed while reading a book, a hot cup of tea next to her, when she heard frantic knock at the door.
“I got it, Twily!” Shining Armor called.
She heard voices from the front of the house, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. A moment later, Shining Armor poked his head in through her door.
“Uh, Twily… you might want to come to the door.”
Twilight made a face. She was in her bathrobe and still not in the best condition.
“It’s Sunset and, um… that robot friend of hers. Sorta.”
“‘Sorta?’” Twilight echoed. “Well, is it her or not?”
He made a face. “You should probably just come here and talk to her,” he said.
She nodded, shutting her book as she got up and got out of bed. She went to the door and found Sunset standing there.
“Twilight,” Sunset said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Listen, I know you’re not feeling well, but this is an emergency. We need your help.”
Twilight looked down and saw that Sunset was carrying a toaster with large purple eyes. She continued looking down and saw a little boy standing behind her and peering around her shyly.
Twilight blinked. “Sunset, why are you holding a toaster that looks like Turing Test?”
“Because Turing Test had part of her mind removed by a magically-transformed villain and put inside this toaster which insists that I call it ‘Turing Toast.’”
“You know, if you’re not feeling well,” Turing Toast remarked, “a nice meal of dry toast and tea will make you feel better.”
“O...kay,” Twilight said slowly, sniffling as she slowly absorbed what Sunset said. “And who’s that little boy?”
“I’m Fall Leaf,” he said.
“Hi, Fall Leaf,” she said, waving to him. To Sunset, she said “So why is he with you?”
“To make toast.”
“Quiet, you,” Sunset growled at Turing Toast. “Sorry, Twilight. He’s Gadget’s little brother.”
“Who’s Gadget?” Twilight asked.
“She’s my big sister,” Fall Leaf said.
“I got that, I mean—”
“I’ll handle this you two,” Sunset said. “Listen, Twilight, we may not have a lot of time. Gadget is another girl who was teaching Turing Test about technology since you were sick, but she was gathering and experimenting with Equestrian magic, just like you were. Turing and I decided that we needed to take it from her to protect her from it, but she overheard us talking and thought we were going to steal it and then she freaked out and one thing led to another and now she’s transformed into a monster that can control technology and if we don’t stop her both this world and Equestria could be in real danger!”
Twilight stared back, her eyes wide.
Then she sneezed.
“Ugh,” she grunted, reaching for a tissue. “That’s a lot to take in, but what can I do to help? I’m still sick, remember?”
“I know, Twilight, and I’m sorry,” Sunset said. “But you might be in danger for one thing, and for another, I’ve got something that only you could help with.”
Sunset reached over to something she’d placed just outside the door frame. She held it up, and Twilight saw that it was a metallic gauntlet.
“I need you to fix this, Twilight,” Sunset continued. “It might be the only way we can fight against Gadget now. It’s a device that can control technology that Gadget invented. And it’s not an ordinary machine; it runs on magic.”
She reached into her backpack and removed a jar with a glowing ball of magic that she’d taken from Gadget’s collection. Twilight took a step back when she saw it.
“You’re the only other person besides Gadget who knows about technology and magic,” Sunset said, “so if you can’t fix this thing, I don’t know anyone else who can.”
Twilight swallowed. “Well, I might be able to help. I haven’t really made any magic-based things since, um… the Friendship Games.”
Sunset nodded. She went over to Twilight and put her hand on her shoulder. “I know, and I’m sorry to ask you this,” she said, “but there’s no one else. Can’t you at least try?”
Twilight grinned. Then her expression changed and she covered her face with her sleeve as she went into a sneezing fit. When she was finished, she gave Sunset a noticeably weaker smile as she adjusted her glasses.
“You can count on me,” she said.
“Uh, I didn’t meant to eavesdrop,” Shining Armor said from the next room, “but I think you might want to come in here: there’s a news story that might be related to what you’re talking about.”
The group followed his voice to the living room. The television was on and a newscaster was sitting behind a desk. Shining Armor turned up the volume so they could hear what he was saying:
“Continuing with our top story today, Canterlot City is in the middle of a strange phenomenon that appears to be selectively affecting technology across the city. Cell phones seem to be returning a strange set of zeroes and ones rather than connecting calls and texts, non emergency vehicles have suddenly stopped working, and in some cases even police cars seem to be affected, causing a large number of citizens to suddenly become stranded, some even being locked in their cars. According to reports, however, ambulances are functioning as normal. Police and other paramedics are swamped trying to assist citizens, though no injuries have been reported.
“The internet and other telecommunication lines also seem to be partially affected, and all video recording devices seem to be impaired. In fact, we’ve gotten reports that large areas of the city are unable to even receive our broadca—”
The screen suddenly flashed green and a distorted chuckle came through the speakers before the screen filled with static.
Twilight’s eyes bulged.
“Meet me in my workshop out back,” she said. “Shining Armor, I’ll need tea and more DayQuil. I’m going to change into my lab coat and then we’re going to fix this before it’s too late.”
***
Rarity ran out of the boutique, nearly slipping on the sidewalk as she ran from her pursuer. She only got a short distance down the sidewalk before said pursuer burst through the display window of the shop she’d just escaped from.
“I just finished arranging that display, you know!” Rarity shouted over her shoulder.
Turing Test stood up after landing and locked eyes on her target. She used her speed to easily catch up to Rarity and cut her off, blocking her path.
“Defend yourself,” Turing said.
“Turing, really!” Rarity said as she backed away. “I don’t know why you’re attacking me! Was it something I said? Did I offend you by being disgusted when you spat out that samosa the other day? I promise that I wasn’t judging you for it! And we got along swimmingly at band practice last night!”
“It is not personal.” She raised a fist. “Defend yourself.”
She threw a punch.
Rarity screamed and shielded herself by raising her arms. In doing so, she literally shielded herself as her geode power took hold and a magical barrier blocked Turing’s punch.
Turing drew back. “Magic analyzed and emulated,” she said. She raised a hand and created a small shield to test the new ability.
“You know, you could have just asked if you wanted me to use my power!” Rarity shouted. “I thought you were our friend, so why on earth are you acting this way?”
“I am very sorry,” Turing replied. She wore a blank expression, but for some reason, Rarity believed her. “I am not in full control of my actions. I must now go on to my next target, but Applejack will explain everything when she arrives.”
“Applejack?” Rarity asked. “Wait, target? What’s going on?!”
“Goodbye, Rarity,” Turing said as she turned to go. “I will see you again soon.”
Turing dashed off without another word. Rarity stood there, dumbfounded. As she did so, she noticed that the people all along the street were furiously trying to get into their cars or holding up their cell phones as though trying to find a signal. She checked her own and decided to call Sunset Shimmer, only to hear a voice reading out a sequence of ones and zeroes.
“What is going oooon?!” she cried to the heavens, wishing she had a couch to faint on dramatically.
Just then she heard a strange noise. It was a rapid clattering staccato that sounded almost like coconut shells being clacked together.
Or a horse galloping on concrete.
She turned and saw a figure coming toward her. As it got closer, she saw it was Applejack riding toward her on horseback.
“Whoa, Brownie!” Applejack said, slowing the horse as she came up to Rarity. “There ya are, Rarity!”
“Yes, here I am,” Rarity said. “Applejack, why are you riding your horse on a city street?”
“Don’t know if you noticed, but none of the cars in the city are workin’, an’ this was the fastest way to chase after Turing Test.”
“Yes, but why a horse?” Rarity asked. “Why not a bicycle or skates or some more conventional way?”
“Horse was faster an’ Brownie was right there, so—wait, never mind, we gotta go after Turing Test! She’s bein’ controlled by someone else with Equestrian magic!”
“Ugh, I might have known,” Rarity said.
“Well, you got a bike or some skates yerself?” Applejack asked.
Rarity blushed. “Ah, I… I took the bus to my part-time job,” she said.
Applejack smirked and held out a hand. “I’ll give ya a lift,” she said.
***
Twilight peered closely at the innards of the gauntlet on her table. “Hmm,” she said, sticking out her tongue slightly as she concentrated. She and the others were all gathered in the small workshop/laboratory she’d set up in her shed in the backyard. Electronic devices, instruments, and computer parts were on different shelves all over the place, though there was a distinct kind of order to everything.
Sunset had been there before and now that she’d seen Gadget’s workspace, she actually had to appreciate how much neater and more organized Twilight’s was. Tools were organized, wires were kept out of the way, and machine parts had their own place. Gadget’s basement, by contrast, had felt dark, cluttered, and somehow claustrophobic despite the area actually being bigger than Twilight’s shed.
“Well, can you fix it?” Sunset asked.
“I think so,” Twilight said. “It looks like it burned out some of its components. I just need to replace these wires and one or two other things and it should be ready to go.”
She reached for a tissue and blew her nose. “Ugh, sorry,” she groaned. “Anyway, this is actually really fascinating! It’s well made and the integration of the magical energy conversion unit is the kind of thing I wanted to create before… um…”
Sunset frowned. “Twilight—”
“I know, I know, I’m not dwelling on it,” Twilight said, waving her hand. “I mean, not really. Look, when I transformed into a monster back at the Friendship Games, it gave me a newfound respect for magic. But it also left me with a lot of fear, which is why it was hard for me to accept my own powers when they first appeared.” A screwdriver on the other side of the work table took on a purple glow as she used her magic to levitate it over to herself. “Of course, I’ve gotten over that fear now, but just the same, I’ve never gone back to my experiments integrating magic into technology.”
“And judging by what happened with Gadget,” Sunset said, “you made the right decision. I tried to tell her that.”
Twilight glanced over at her. “Honestly, part of me still thinks about experimenting with it,” she said.
Sunset’s eyes went wide. “Twilight, no, it’s—”
“Too dangerous, I know that’s what you’re going to say,” she said. “But discovery is about risk. Science advances because of risk sometimes. You were right to want to protect Gadget, but that doesn’t mean that the principle of her work was wrong. Magic could be unbelievably helpful if it could be used safely, and the only way it will ever become safe is if someone finds a way.”
“But… I mean, look what happened to her! She’s a monster now, Twilight!”
They both heard a whimper and turned to see Fall Leaf sitting in the corner. He wore a frown as he held a partially eaten piece of toast. Turing Toast stood next to him, toasting a few more slices of bread.
“Sis isn’t a monster,” he said. “She’s a dork. And we fight sometimes. But Sis isn’t a monster.” He looked up at Sunset. “Why’d she get so mad at you, Miss Sunset?” he asked. “Did you bully her? Sis got picked on a lot at school. She hates bullies.”
“I didn’t bully her!” Sunset cried. “I’m not a bully! I’m… I’m not a bully anymore.”
She heaved a sigh. “I’m not a bully,” she repeated softly.
Twilight looked away. They all fell into silence.
Then there was a loud pop and they all gave a start.
“Toast is done!” Turing Toast exclaimed. “Now, who wants some?”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll take this one. Maybe with some cinnamon and sugar.”
“That’s the spirit!” Turing Toast said. “Let’s keep riding this roller toaster! Who wants next?”
“Actually, I could go for something a bit heavier,” Twilight said. “How about some Pop Tarts?”
Turing Toast froze. “I am going to pretend that I didn’t hear that,” she said. Her eyes began to glow red. “Now, I am going to make you some toast. You like toast, right?”
“Y-yeah,” Twilight said.
“Say it,” Turing Toast growled, approaching her slowly. “SAY IT!”
“I like toast!” Twilight cried, taking a step back.
“Hey!” Sunset said, picking Turing Toast up. “Behave yourself, or else I’ll go and make… pancakes.”
Turing Toast gave a synthetic gasp, her tiny legs stiffening. “You wouldn’t dare!”
Sunset smirked.
Turing Toast looked down. “Fine,” she said in a defeated tone. “But only if I can cook your blasphemy pastries on light. I don’t want those abominations inside me any longer than necessary.”
Sunset glanced over at Twilight. “This is easily the weirdest conversation I’ve ever had,” she said.
Fall Leaf started to chuckle. Soon they all joined in.
Then they heard a knock on the door.
“Attention occupants,” they heard Turing Test say on the other side of the door. “I am here for Twilight Sparkle. Please open the door.”
Sunset and Twilight stared at each other. The room went completely silent.
***
Turing Test stood on the other side of the door. She heard noises coming from inside the shed, but waited until things went silent again.
“You do not seem to be opening the door. I will now enter without your permission,” she said.
She found that the door was locked, but she didn’t even need to use the strength she’d copied from Applejack to pry the door open.
She stepped inside and saw Turing Toast on the ground looking up at her.
“Hello, Turing Toast,” Turing Test said.
“Hello, Turing Test,” Turing Toast said. “So, how’s being a semi-mindless minion working out for you?”
“By Gadget’s terms, fairly well,” she said. “I have copied all of my friends’ powers by now except for Twilight Sparkle’s. By my own standards, however, this is not going well at all. I do not enjoy doing this and want it to end soon.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Affirmative. How is being the housing for my displaced will working out for you?”
Turing Toast did the best a toaster could do to shrug. “It’s not bad. Since your will was given to a device whose soul purpose was to make toast, it makes things simple. It’s when people ask me to do something other than make toast that things get complicated. Like when they ask me to make Pop Tarts. Or when they ask me to mislead you while they hide in the rafters. They’re hiding in the rafters, by the way.”
“Oh, thanks a lot, Turing Toast!”
Turing looked up to see that Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, and Fall Leaf had all managed to climb up into the rafters in the shed.
“You need not be angry at Turing Toast,” Turing Test said. “I detected that you were up there the instant that I entered the shed. My hearing is very accurate.”
Twilight swallowed. “What do you want with me?” she asked.
“As stated, I have been copying the powers of the others,” Turing said. “I now have Sunset Shimmer’s ability to read minds, Rainbow Dash’s speed, Applejack’s enhanced strength, Pinkie Pie’s ability to charge objects with unstable kinetic energy - or making them ‘explodey’ as she puts it - Rarity’s ability to create magical barriers, and Fluttershy’s ability to speak to animals. Your levitation abilities are my final target. Will you please levitate something?”
“No!” Twilight shouted.
“Understood,” Turing said. Then she leaped into the air and planted a kick into the rafter they were all perched on, cracking it.
The impact and their surprise caused them all to lose their grips and they fell from the rafter.
With a fearful shout as they approached the ground, Twilight reacted without thinking and suddenly found herself and the others floating just a few inches above the ground, her magical aura enveloping them all.
“Oh no,” Twilight said. She dropped them all roughly to the ground.
“Magic analyzed,” Turing said. “My apologies, but I must carry out my orders.
“However, I have not been ordered to tell you that you may find Gadget at Canterlot High.”
Sunset looked up at her. “Wait, Canterlot High? Why?”
“I am not certain,” Turing said. “But you and the others should go there as quickly as possible. I am to go there as well. I have informed the others of this, and they should be arriving shortly.”
Sunset stood and met Turing’s eyes. “Turing,” she said sadly. “Listen… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen to you! I’m so sorry, but I’m going to fix this! I promise!”
Turing stared back at her blankly. “That is my hope as well. You need not blame yourself, however, as the fault lies with me as well. Regardless, I hope you will be able to return me to normal. In the meantime, please take care of your friends and Turing Toast. She is a part of me, after all.”
“That’s true,” Turing Toast said. “I’m like the warm, toasty center of her heart. Or something. Look, will someone just shove some bread in me?”
Sunset glared down at the toaster, but then turned back to Turing Test. “I will, Turing. Just hang in there, okay?”
“Understood. I must go now. I will see you soon.”
With that, Turing Test simply dashed out of the room, vanishing in a blur.
“W-was that really Miss Turing?” Fall Leaf asked. “She’s so different…”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Sunset replied. “But it looks like at least part of her is still trying to fight your sister’s control. That might be the key to stopping all this!”
“Well, then I should finish my part,” Twilight said before erupting into a coughing fit. “That is,” she said, catching her breath, “if I don’t asphyxiate first.”
She went back to the gauntlet, replacing the remaining components. “There… it should work now. I incorporated the magic orb you brought, Sunset. But, um… if you don’t mind, maybe you should wield it.” She held it out for her.
Sunset took a step back. “Why me?”
“You’re the one who’s seen it work, right?” Twilight asked. “Besides, I’m already trying my best to focus through this illness. I’m surprised I even got my power to work, considering how bad I feel right now. If anyone besides Gadget is going to get it to work, it should be you.”
Sunset sighed and took the gauntlet. “Fine. But only if we need it.”
It was then that they heard a sound outside the shed, one that Sunset in particular found unmistakeable: galloping hooves.
They walked outside the shed and saw Applejack riding up on her horse, Rarity holding onto her as the horse came to a stop. Behind them were Pinkie Pie on skates as well as Fluttershy on her bicycle.
“Well, glad we found ya!” Applejack said. “So, I guess Turing Test was already here?”
They all nodded.
“And it looks like she’s copied all of our abilities, too,” Sunset said.
“Hey, come to think of it,” Applejack asked, rubbing her chin, “I never did ask Fluttershy and Pinkie how she copied theirs.”
“Oh, um, well,” Fluttershy said, “I was just in my yard and talking to the songbirds when Turing Test suddenly stopped in front of my house. She watched me for a second, then left. I didn’t know what happened until Applejack and Rarity came.”
“And I was just in my house decorating a cake when Rinny came in and was like ‘Hello - Pinkie - Pie,’” Pinkie Pie said, doing an exaggerated impression of Turing’s mechanical voice, “and I said ‘Hi, Rinny!’ and then she said ‘Could - you - please - blow - something - up - for - me - while - I - watch?’ and I was like ‘Sure!’ and then I used my ability on some sprinkles and threw them at the cake I was making and the cake was all like ‘BLOOSH!’ and Rinny said ‘Thank - you,’ and my mom was like ‘Pinkamena Diane Pie why is there cake all over the kitchen walls?’ and I said that I exploded it and—”
“An’ then we found you,” Applejack surmised, cutting her off. “Welp, that explains the cake all over the place.”
“Getting back to the point, please tell us Turing Test mentioned where to go next,” Rarity said. “And also that you have a bicycle or something I can borrow? Not to be crude, but riding this horse is starting to bruise my, er, backside…”
She blushed as Applejack rolled her eyes. “I thought you liked horses,” she said.
“I do, darling,” Rarity said as she dismounted. “I just don’t have much experience riding them. Which, now that I think about it, seems a bit odd considering we all get pony ears when we transform.”
“And now you know how I felt when I learned about horses in this world,” Sunset said, rolling her eyes. She patted Brownie on the muzzle and he neighed appreciatively. “But anyway, that’s not important. Listen: Turing Test said that Gadget was at Canterlot High. She must want to do something to the portal!”
“Like what?” Fluttershy asked. “Is it like, um, what Twilight did?”
Twilight winced.
“Ooh, ooh, or like when Sunset tried to brainwash everyone and create a teenage zombie army?” Pinkie Pie asked. “If she is, then she picked a lousy day for it. It’s Sunday, so nobody’s even going to be there!”
Sunset made a face. “You know, you guys don’t have to bring that up so often,” she said. “And no, I don’t know what Gadget’s up to. Turing didn’t say.”
“Well, then let’s head over to the school!” Applejack shouted.
“Shouldn’t we find Rainbow Dash first?” Fluttershy asked.
A moment later there was a blur and Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt in front of them, her shoes digging into the dirt of Twilight’s lawn.
“There you guys are!” Rainbow exclaimed. “I’ve been trying to call, I checked your houses, but you weren’t there! Don’t tell me you were here at Twilight’s this whole time!”
“We just got here,” Rarity said. “But it seems that you missed some things, so we’ll have to fill you in.”
“Uh, judging from all the weird stuff that’s happening, I’m guessing there’s a new bad guy with magic powers messing with everyone’s phones and cars and stuff, right?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Pretty much,” Sunset said. “I’ll tell you everything that’s happened, but for now we need to get to the school!”
***
“Okay, ma’am,” Violet Wisp said to the woman shrieking at her from inside her car, “I’m going to have to ask you to stay calm. We’re going to smash your window in and get you out.”
The woman inside started shouting and shaking her head.
“Looks like she doesn’t want us to,” Orange Slice said. “We should just go and investigate where those power lines disappeared to.”
“We can’t just leave a citizen stranded,” Violet Wisp said, shooting him a sharp look. “It’s cloudy and cool now, but if we leave her in there and the sun comes out, she could overheat or something!”
“She’s gonna be mad and threaten to sue us if you do, Violet,” Orange Slice said. “I mean, is there a rule about rescuing someone if they don’t want to be rescued? Like that one Pixar movie?”
“She wants to be rescued, Orange Slice,” Violet Wisp said. “She just doesn’t want us to break her windows to do it.”
“Uhhh, so… what should we do?”
Violet Wisp raised an eyebrow. “Smash her windows, of course,” she said. “I didn’t get into this job to not rescue people.”
“And if she sues?”
“Then she sues,” Violet Wisp said with a shrug. “The better question is, how are we going to look if the press finds out we left a middle-aged woman trapped in her car?”
“That’s… I mean…”
“Exactly.” She tapped on the window. “Ma’am, please shield your eyes. I’m about to break your window.”
The woman inside began shouting and shaking her head. Then she froze and mouthed something, though they still couldn’t quite hear her.
“Wait, what’d she say?” Orange Slice asked. “‘Curl is the worst’?”
“No, I think it was ‘Push on the roof.’”
“That doesn’t make sense!”
“And ‘Curl is the worst’ does?!”
Just then, a rainbow-colored blur sped by them. It was followed by several girls on bikes and a girl riding a horse.
“Huh,” Violet Wisp said “A girl on a horse.”
“Ohhh, that’s what it was!” Orange Slice said, smacking his forehead. “‘Girl on a horse!’”
“Oh, you’re right!” Violet Wisp said.
They both shared a laugh. The woman trapped in her car wore a smug look.
“Anyway,” Violet Wisp said, removing the window punch and reeling back, “shield your eyes, ma’am.”
The smug look vanished.
***
They came within half a block of the school when Sunset shouted “Everyone, hold on!”
They came to a stop. Rainbow Dash, who’d been carrying Rarity, breathed a sigh of relief and put her down.
“Finally!” Rarity said. “No offense, Rainbow Dash, but I think I preferred the horse.”
“Hey, it was your idea!” Rainbow shouted. “I only went along with it because you insisted. It’s not like I usually carry around that much weight when I run.”
“W-weight?! Just what are you implying?!”
Sunset ignored them and turned to Fall Leaf. “Listen, Fall Leaf,” she said, “I know you’re worried about your sister, but this might get kind of dangerous. We don’t know what she’s up to, so why don’t you stay here?”
“But—”
“Listen,” she said, crouching down and putting her hand on his shoulder, “I know you want to help, but Gadget will want someone familiar around her if we manage to turn her back to normal. Until then, we need to keep you safe, okay?”
Fall Leaf pouted, but gave a nod.
“Thanks, Fall Leaf,” she said, giving him a smile. “Don’t worry. We’ll get your sister back.”
“Well, good luck!” Turing Toast said.
“You’re coming too,” Sunset said, picking her up.
“Good thinking,” Turing Toast said as Sunset carried her toward the school, “you might get hungry along the way.”
They left Fall Leaf and Brownie behind as they walked the rest of the way to the school. Once they got closer, they saw the overturned remains of cars littering the street, their engines and other parts removed. They saw a strange green glow over Canterlot High.
When they finally arrived, they saw what Gadget had constructed.
Atop the pedestal that housed the portal was a strange mishmash of things combined into a strange, asymmetrical tower.
The construct had been built from the machinery of cars, presumably the ones they’d seen along the way, computer parts and monitors, and old UHF antennae from nearby houses, among other things. The parts were all connected with power lines ripped from their utility poles. In fact, a utility pole itself formed the base of the structure. The whole tower glowed with a strange green energy and gave off a low humming sound.
At the foot of the construct, they spotted Turing Test standing guard.
“Turing!” Sunset shouted.
“Hello, my friends,” Turing said, staring at them blankly.
Then another voice said “Oh, you finally showed up!”
They all looked up and saw Gadget reclining in one of the alcoves made of an antenna near the top of the tower. One of her legs was dangling lazily as she stared up at the sky.
“Gadget,” Sunset whispered. More loudly, she called up to her, “Just what do you think you’re doing with all this stuff?!”
“Do you like it?” Gadget asked as she raised her head. She smirked. “It’s my latest invention. It may not be pretty, but I bet it’ll take first place in the science fair.”
Sunset glared up at her. “What exactly are you doing with it?” she asked.
Gadget sat up, stretching for a moment before she simply hopped off the tower and began to levitate.
“It’s a magic siphon,” she said, sweeping her arm at it dramatically. “Even though the portal is closed, the barrier between this world and Equestria is weakest at this point. I built this device to start drawing magic from your world at an accelerated rate. Then, after it draws the magic out, it starts sending it back at a different frequency. This creates a kind of distortion that will destabilize the portal. Soon, it will become so destabilized that it will simply rupture and tear open a portal that can never be closed again!”
They all gawked at her. The color drained from Sunset’s face. “No…”
“You stood in the way of progress, Sunset,” Gadget said with a sneer. “Well, now both worlds are going to be dragged kicking and screaming into the future. But don’t worry; once they’ve calmed down, they’ll have a new glorious gleaming goddess of both magic and technology to guide them into the future.
“And it all begins today… the day I flood the entire city with Equestrian magic!”
To be continued…
