At the Castle of Friendship, a very excited purple alicorn waited next to the door, behind her an indifferent Moondancer and an annoyed Sunburst waited with her the arrival of Professor Tube Tester.
“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe Professor Tube Tester is coming to study on one of my own projects.”
“I still can’t understand what do you find so exciting about minotaur technology Twilight, anything they can do, we can do it with magic or magical artifacts. In fact when Professor Tube Tester left the magic school for gifted unicorns, Minotaur technology and Applications of Minotaur Technologies became optatives instead of mandatories, right Sun… Sunburst are you ok? You seem angry.”
“It’s nothing really, I just wish Professor Tester left the school earlier, I’d probably wouldn’t have flunked out if those were optatives when I was attending.”
Twilight turned back from the door, “come on Sunburst, you can’t blame the Professor for that.”
“I know, I know, I’m just a bit annoyed since it was Tester the last teacher I saw at the college, she seemed quite angry when I saw her so I ran out of the school without looking back.”
“Oh Sunburst, I’m sorry,” Moondancer put a hoof on his shoulder, and he returned a weak smile.
“Sunburst, I’m terribly sorry about it I had no idea you felt that way…” Twilight said when a sound came from the door while it was opened, Twilight quickly turned back screaming, ”WELCOME!!” at the entrance a startled Starlight and Spike watched the alicorn scream at their faces, “oh is just you two.”
Spike covered his mouth laughing meanwhile Starlight rolled her eyes while entering the castle and closing the door, “gee, thanks. I guess the new teacher hasn’t arrived yet… hey what’s wrong with Sunburst?”
He feels down because Tube Tester was the last teacher he saw before leaving the school of magic, hey you know what could probably make you feel better?” Sunburst looked at Twilight wondering what she had in mind, “knowing that despite you flunking out of magic school, now you are vice-headstallion of the School of Friendship.”
That actually made Sunburst feel better, “yeah.”
Moondancer wrapped her hoof around his shoulder rubbing her cheek against his, “not just that, technically you are her superior now.”
“Oh my gosh you are right.”
Suddenly something clicked on Moondancers head, she separated herself from Sunburst like she was burning from his touch, “t-t-that makes you my boss too,” Moondancer looked at Starlight with pleading eyes.
She immediately got what Moondancer was asking, she cleared her throat and said, “hey Twilight, you never set any rules against fraternization on the staff of the school right?”
“No, I didn’t think that would be a problem since, at least at the beginning, it was just you girls, Spike and me, why?”
“Nothing, just curious, I don’t think that will change in the future.”
Moondancer let out a sigh of relief while Twilight looked confused and Spike watched the Stallion and Moondancer smiling knowingly while the door creaked again announcing another guest arrival, Twilight rushed between Spike and Starlight to the door screaming, “WELCOME,” again.
“Well, being greeted by the sole regent of Equestria, I can’t find anything less worthy of the Great and Powerful Trixie’s attention,” Trixie was at the door with a few boxes of hard cider on her back, “so I heard we’ll have a new guest so I thought I could refill the supplies of fun juice.”
“If I remember her correctly, those boxes will only serve for an hour, remember she is a minotaur, big and thirsty.”
“Spike, don’t be rude, she might be a minotaur but that doesn’t mean all of them drink that much,” Twilight scolded Spike who kept laughing and took the hard cider to the kitchen with Trixie. Then they heard a knock at the door, “alright, everypony is here now then that must be her,” she opened the door and shouted, “WELCOME!” once more.
“Oh Princess Twilight, didn’t know you were back, I just came to see if Starlight will renew her subscription for um… Horse Metal… Spinning Stone… and Playcolt magazines,” the wall eyed pegasus said with a smile on her face.
At the sound of that Starlight quickly summoned a bag of bits and ran next to the mailmare, “oh yeah probably the wrong address, let me help you find the right one,” she pushed Derpy.
“But it’s right here, it says right here Starlight at the A113 Castle of Friendship, Ponyville, Equestria...” Derpy responded with her sweet bubbly voice while she was being pulled by Starlight.
Twilight turned back to her friends, “you know what I give up, I don’t even care anymore who appears at the door this time.”
“That actually hurts Twilight, we came all the way from Laburynthos and that’s the way you receive us, maybe I ought to go back now.”
Twilight slowly turned back to see the imponent Minotauress, a bit over five years since the last time she saw her and she looked right the same, years were kind with the woman as her face varely show aging at all. Anyone could say she looked no older than twenty five even if she was in her late thirties, minotaur anatomy was always interesting for Twilight, her body resembled the shape of an hourglass, her face was smoother than that of the last minotaur she met, Iron Will and her muzzle was shorter, she was wearing a tank top as customary of females of the race to wear tops instead of going completely nude as the males, it still showed enough of the woman’s body to see how toned her muscles were.
“So are you going to say hi or are you going to stay there staring at us all day, will I have to call your parents like the first time you met me at magic elementary?”
Twilight pouted at being reminded of that embarrassing day when she met Tube Tester for the first time, it was the first time many of the students saw a minotaur as well but Twilight was in the front row staring directly at the teacher, “you didn’t have to bring that up… wait, you said we?”
Tube turned showing she was giving a piggyback to a sound sleep young abyssinian, “here, Tinker we arrived… come on my boy, you’ve slept the entire way here,” she moved her adoptive son a bit to wake him up.
The boy mumbled a bit, “give me just five more minutes mom...”
“Wake up boy I want to introduce you to one of my best students,” the child scratched his ear with a paw and then rubbed his face on Tube’s back, “alright that’s it,” she grabbed him by the scruff and shook him up a bit.
“Ok ok I’m awake… where are we? Where is my bed?”
“We are in Equestria boy, we are here to study the alien device… oh and I’ll teach at the school of Friendship and you are going to study there too,” she moved him to face the ponies, still hanging from his scruff.
“Oh hi I’m Tinker Claw, I’m Tube Tester’s adopted son slash assistant, nice to meet you.”
The group greeted the duo, “Professor Tester, wasn’t Luna and Celestia with you?”
“Come on Twilight, you are Princess of Equestria and we’ve known each other for awhile, you can call me Tube and those two left for Silver Shores already, I bet they are planning to leave soon.”
“Oh ok Tube, here this is Starlight and Trixie, they are the Headmare and Counselor respectively, and this is-”
“Moondancer girl, how have you been?” Tube Tester let go of her son who fell on his four legs standing up in two of them later, she extended her hand to Moondancer, “even if I know you didn’t think much of my class you and Twilight were two of my best students, let me guess, you are the vice-headmare, I knew you were going to go far girl.”
This took her by surprise, she didn’t expect for Tube Tester to remember her, “um… ah… I… I’m actually just a teacher, he is the vice-headmare I mean stallion,” she pointed to a blushing Sunburst who waved to the minotaur.
“And you are?” Sunburst was going to respond but Tube interrupted him, “wait, that disheveled mane, those glasses and the cape… you are Sunburst aren’t you boy?”
Nopony was more surprised than Sunburst that she remember him, “Imma, Imma, Imma.”
“Well look at you. Flunked out of magic school and now you are vice-headmare, good for you, maybe it was a good thing that you ran away from me and didn’t let me give you the extra work so you could pass.”
“Yeah… wait what?”
“Yeah, back in those years, I even had to… pressure the big boss,” she said while menacingly cracked her knuckles, “to let me give you some work for extra credits, but when I saw you, you ran away and didn’t let me tell you.”
“Are you telling me that I could’ve kept attending school? That I was at least good enough?” the minotaur nodded.
“But I guess it's too late already, but hey look at us now you are the boss and all,” she patted Sunburst on the back, “and you let your beard grow, you look good boy,” Sunburst blushed as he wasn’t used to receive compliments, “now why don’t you show here my son the kitchen, I feel like having tea and only he knows how I like it.”
“Yes ma’am,” he said with a smile and took Tinker Claw to the kitchen and behind them .
When they were out of the room, Tube let out a laugh, “males are so easy to wrap around your finger, so Twilight I guess you will show me the device.”
“Um… miss Tube Tester.”
“Please call me Tube too, we are colleagues now.”
“Ok, Tube, as far as I know it was impossible to save Sunburst, I investigated and extra work might not have been enough to keep him in, are you sure what you told him is true?”
“I had more pull on that school than you might think Moondancer.”
“But is it true?”
“Does it really matter? It was several years ago and it made him feel good now, don’t you think that’s enough?”
Moondancer opened her mouth but then closed it thinking about what she meant and she was right.
~♥~♦~♣~♠~
Reaching the Castle Studio they were joined by an excited Tinker Claw carrying an annoyed Spike on this arms, behind him Trixie and Sunburst carried the tea and some treats.
“PROFESSOR LOOK WHAT I FOUND! A talking lizard, can we keep it?”
“Hey! I’m a dragon, DRA-GON, not lizard. I don't do that tongue thing,” he immediately flips his tongue at the abyssinian.
“Down boy, let the dragon go, Spike, long time no see still a shortie I see,” Tinker let go of Spike who flew to grab Tube’s hand, “oh wings, that’s new, Twilight here was showing me the… how do you call it? Oh yeah Music Box,” she pointed at the device on the pedestal.
Tinker approached the white device and was practically drooling, “Mom, I… I need to disassemble this… I haven’t felt so pushed to take apart a machine since when we met,” he said but still didn’t dare to touch the device.
“Um… I think we should let Tube study it first.”
“Relax Twilight, believe me, it pains me to say it but Tinker here is better than me at disassemble equipment.”
“Ok, but wouldn’t you like to listen to it first, we don’t know, even with two experts, that the device will survive the operation.”
“I’m pretty sure it will be ok, but if you insist, how does it work.”
Some time later they were around the music box ready to start it as usual, “professor, can I press it first, PWEASE” the abyssinian put on big round eyes and begging with his paws under his chin.
“Atta boy, you know that stopped working on me for a while now, but sure I don’t see why not, press it.”
The catboy pressed the button and sounds came from it, like something was hitting a microphone.
“Is this thing on? Oh, sorry new microphone, this is Walter J. Shortman, personal log number… thirtytwo.”
“Ugh, not another one of those…”
“What do you mean Spike? This is the first time we heard something that isn’t a song.”
“Um… nothing I meant… another of this biscuits, yeah that…”
“But you made them.”
“Oh… he started again, let’s listen.”
“So Mr. Musk ordered me to re-design the program for the arcs, ugh, sometimes I wish I could squish that man, how dare he approve the programs if he is going to change the specs just like that anyway, at least I have the consolation that Suzy is working with me so I guess it won’t be that bad, sometimes I think I would be lost on this job without her and I’m not saying it since we practically grew together, soooo, I suppose I should start soon bye for now.”
“That was really different, that was more personal, he was talking directly to the machine like he was writing an entry on his diary or a journal.”
“Indeed Twilight, it seems that not only music is recorded on the device, this would be really interesting if we could hear more of their culture directly like this,” Moondander said while fixing her glasses.
“Really interesting Twilight, I believe that alien meant re-design a program in a computer or something of the sort, you were right, they seem to be similar to minotaurs if they handle this advance technology without the need of magic.”
“Uh, why don't you try pressing the button miss Tester,” Sunburst asked the woman.
“Just call me Tube boy, you are my boss after all, sure why not let’s see what it shows now.”
She pressed the button and a soft guitar started playing.
“Oooh that’s more like it, Trixie loves this tune.”
“Yea it’s pleasing,” Moondancer said while fixing her glasses.
“But it sounds kinda sad, it seems the singer lost his special someone.”
“Yeah you are right Sunburst, he sounds heartbroken and for the lyrics it sounds that it might have ended in a bad way,” said Spike eating another cookie.
Moondancer cleaned her glasses as an excuse to also clear a tear from her eye, “oh no, he is out of love, that must feel horrible, losing your other half must be truly painful.”
Twilight sipped her tea, “yeah I don’t wish that to any creature, I bet is feels like knives stabbing you in the heart, what do you think Tube? Tube?”
The minotaur had a neutral face while her hand rested on her chest, playing with something inside her tank top, like a necklace. Twilight could see something shining near her eye, “sorry I have to cut this short, but I need to see if they brought my luggage, please excuse me,” she walked to the door.
“Oh I can help you.”
Tinker grabbed Twilight by the shoulder, she turned back and he shook his head and whispered, “she wants to be alone, believe me I’ve seen her like this, she will be ok but needs her time now.”
Twilight understood and returned to her cushion, the group enjoyed the remaining of the song.
~♥~♦~♣~♠~
A few hours later Tube, Tinker and Twilight were at a special room prepared to disassemble the music box to learn about its components, they were wearing special suits and gloves, Tinker was wearing special gloves with hardened tips so he could use his claws while everyone else was outside watching the operation from the window.
After Tinker successfully removed the outer capsule, Tube lifted an equipment and asked Twilight to levitate it on top of the music box.
“Now this is really interesting, I think I recognize some of the components but most of these are completely foreign to me, now steady Twilight, I’ll turn it on and it will vibrate a bit, don’t let it move too much,” Tube pressed a button and a light scanned the music box, “alright, Tinker remove that panel… slow and steady, Twilight keep the scanner steady too… good,” she pressed the button again, “ok, I think that’s enough for now, let’s close it and call it a day.”
Tinker masterfully put all the components he removed on the same spot they were before, and finally closing the music box case.
“Ok, let’s see if we didn’t kill Twilight’s toy, Tinker fetch me the conector cable.”
“Yes professor.”
Tube opened the music box, connected it to the console and pressed the button, some weird sounds came from it.
Twilight was confused, “that sounds weird, OH NO, DO YOU THINK WE CORRUPTED THE DATA INSIDE? Oh no, oh no, oh no, what have we done!” Then the piano started playing followed by the drums and then the vocals.
Tube let out a laugh, first quietly but then increasing until it became a maniacal laugh, “IT’S ALIVE ALIVE! BWAHAHAHAHA!”
“And it seems that it has a charming voice, I like this song, I don’t think I understand what they mean by teenage wasteland, but it sounds nice anyway.”
“You are right Tinker my boy, maybe they are literal and they are just singing about a wasteland in their teens, no idea why would they sing about it.”
Twilight removed her mask “well I guess we can safely take apart the machine next time.”
Tube also removed her mask, “mmhmm and for what I could see, if we can find out how they store that data, we might be able to copy all that data on my computer to study it properly, that way even if we end up ruining the device the data will be secure, but after we study what the scanner found out about the components I might be able to reverse engineer this music box.”
“That would be great, are you sure about it?”
“Yeah, is weird, it was internally build like the one building it wanted to do it as simple as possible so anyone could understand it, maybe that was the purpose, I’m sure we will find out in the future… anyway, I’m starving, why don't we discuss this during dinner.”
They wrapped up everything and then left to have dinner, their hopes for the future getting even brighter by the minute and hoping they could learn as much as possible from the music box.
To be continued