//------------------------------// // 2: The Mechanical Dilemma // Story: A Clash of Magic and Steam // by law abiding pony //------------------------------// Two years had passed since Twilight lept from that cloud.  With formal education off the table, she dedicated herself to learning her parents’ crafts and her tutor's lessons.  While the filly had a head for numbers and accounting, it was in her father’s laboratory that she found her passion.  Where birth had robbed her of a functional horn, her father had introduced her to a form of magic that Equestria shunned: that of steel and steam. It was going to be a busy day.  Twilight Sparkle wore a purple leather suit covering her from neck to tail that had old stains making it look almost patchwork.  Even for a lab rat such as herself, she was still a noble and her mane and coat needed to avoid the harsh washing that grease and oil stains would require.  Not that it bothered her anymore.  Her mane was carefully wrapped up in a bun while in the lab, and a glass shield protected her face.  That at least, was kept crystal clear.   Her father was in a similar outfit and was standing thirty feet away and in front of a massive steam engine the royal army had absconded with during the last war. It was composed of three parts that were so large the laboratory had to be custom built to house it. The water and coal tanks took up a sizable portion of the east side of the laboratory whereas the three sets of cylindrical boilers took up the most space.  At present, only two of the boilers were being fed by a pair of fireboxes, the last one was in a state of disassembly.  Lastly came the engine itself, a row of pistons connected to a crankshaft which, through a series of other gears and shafts, let to a water pump outside the biulding. All of it, save the tanks, were crowded together, befitting its naval origins.  Night Light was supervising two earth ponies who were shoveling coal into the fireboxes, waiting for enough steam to build up, for today was a momentous occasion.  The queen herself had arrived and wanted to see Night Light’s work in person. “Hurry now, my wife can only entertain the queen for so long!  I need that pressure up to-” He didn’t get another word before the loud bang of a lance rapped the granite floor.  Both Twilight and Night Light were pulled away from the engine towards an imposing unicorn royal guard in resplendent golden armor.  “Announcing the arrival of Their Highnesses, Queen Corona, and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!” The new princess? Twilight shot down into a deep bow with her eyes cast down, but curiosity urged her to steal a glance at the new arrivals.  The golden furred unicorn queen took a firm step into the laboratory.  Her ivory dress had iconography of a unicorn head flanked by embroidered wings along her chest and back.  It was of the ageless fashion of the Equestrian crown, as no one else was allowed to have attire with such markings.  Her poise was of refined elegance, and her eyes bore a calculating wisdom. Queen Corona was the very picture of regality.  Coming in behind her, however,  was who really took Twilight’s breath away: Cadenza. A true alicorn, the first to be seen in nearly a thousand years. Twilight had been eagerly wishing to meet her after the coronation ceremony. She thought just being in the same room with her would make Twilight feel elated with holy light.  Strangely however, the pink furred alicorn’s casual posture and welcoming smile made her feel approachable, kind actually, far more than the queen who carried her crown with calm grace. Cadenza's expression shattered quickly once the foreign noise of the engine hit her in full force, and she was left flattening her ears and wincing from the sheer volume of it all.  The final arrival was a warmage, complete with a rune and ruby adorned staff marching with self importance behind the royalty. He scanned the room, and gave a brief but respectful bow towards Twilight and her father.   “You may rise,” Corona yelled over the engine while lifting a hoof. As soon as Twilight and Night Light obeyed, Corona loosely covered her nose, though she seemed loath to betray such sensibilities.  She flattened her ears at the ear-splitting machine. “Please tell me you have some way of silencing that horrid thing!” Night Light sweated nervously, but he kept his tone level enough. He nodded and pointed to an observation room above the entrance. “Naturally, your highness. Please, the lifting platform is over there.  It is much quieter within.” Seeing the platform, Corona didn’t wait for Night Light, and walked over. “Horrid things.  Indulge me, but I would prefer waiting to speak until I can hear myself think.”   A hasty agreement later, everyone boarded the platform which started rising thanks to some staff coming over to pull it up with chains.  Twilight was giddy when she maneuvered herself to stand next to Cadenza. During the transit up, Cadenza glanced back at Twilight, making the filly freeze.  She’s looking right at me. Oh Celestia above she’s actually looking at me!   “You look pretty in that fancy suit,” Cadenza said with a rural accent.  Fancy? Twilight’s jaw went lax. She speaks like a commoner. A split second later the compliment registered. She blushed furiously. “T-thank you, your Holiness!”  Twilight would be eternally grateful her girlish squeals were mistaken for engine noise by the others.  Once the platform arrived Night Light quickly ushered everyone into the observation room. It held a commanding view over the engine, and half of the room had a dense cluster of dials and levers. There were also gauges from the engine itself reading everything from boiler pressure to the crank’s speed. Corona sighed in relief that the stench of soot and lubricants were diminished along with the noise to a bearable level. “As I stated in my letter, I am here to see this disruption field for myself. I hope all the noise means the machine is prepared.  Yes?” “It should be. Admittedly, it can be combative at times.”  Night Light turned to Twilight and nodded towards the control station. “How are the readings?” Of all eyes that fell upon her, the queen’s iron gaze chilled Twilight’s nerves to the core. Her first instinct was to cover her face with her wings to hide and cow away. It was only after she was peeking between her fingers that her brain caught up with her. Shame burned her face at revealing her deformed wings in front of both her queen and princess.   “Please don’t be scared,” Cadenza said with a soothing voice that seemed to cut through Twilight’s panic attack before it could get worse. “You’re very brave to work with this awful thing.  The crown thanks you.” To Twilight’s utter surprise, the alicorn didn’t seem to be fazed in the slightest at her featherless wings. Queen Corona arched a disapproving eyebrow, but kept her feelings quiet. “Y-you’re welcome, Princess.” Scurrying as fast as her jittery nerves would allow, Twilight reached her station. It was a panel of gauges and dials adjacent to a collection of levers and crank wheels that were jerry rigged to the engine roughly fifteen meters away. It took her only a moment to check everything was in working order, as she had done eight times already before the queen arrived. “Pressure is steady, and the number four piston isn’t wobbly. It’s ready, father.” “Excellent.”  Night Light waved at the warstaff bearing unicorn. “High Mage, would you kindly go down to the chalk line down below? Since speaking stones don’t work while the engine is active, there is a speaking tube next to the line for you to hear us.” Sure enough, the horn shaped object sitting near Twilight's controls had a tube that snaked its way to the test line. The mage was a stallion with the same taller than normal stature many Canterlotian unicorns possessed. In fact, he matched Cadenza in height. He inclined his weapon along with his head in respect. “As you say, High Doctor.  Anything I can do to aid the crown’s efforts for the next conflict is my pleasure.” Night Light returned the gesture and moved over to Twilight’s side, causing the the mage to hesitate before leaving. By now, Twilight had her wing fingers resting above some of the levers and knobs, waiting for her father’s orders. “Your Highness and Holiness, Sir, allow me to introduce my daughter: Miss Twilight Sparkle.” Corona gave a brisk nod, keeping her interaction minimal. “Charmed.” Swift Spell gave much the same response, but Cadenza was the only one to show genuine warmth and addressed the filly directly. “A lovely name to match such a pretty face. I’m sure you will give your parents no end of trouble with suitors in a few years.” Twilight couldn’t stop herself from tilting her head and letting one ear droop.  She did, however, move to face her fully and smiled at the confusing compliment. Off to the side, Night Light blushed for her. “Thank you, your Holiness. You’re very pretty too.” “Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” Corona called out with a note of disappointment. “I remind you that sort of humor is frowned upon in polite society.” Unabashed, Cadenza glanced back and quietly apologized before returning her attention to Twilight. “I had a demicorn friend back in Brightshire. He used to work at the windmill farm, and always made the best sweet rolls.” Twilight was stunned by the admission. In truth, she had never seen anyone else like herself, and half believed she was the only one. But the hope remained: Cadenza didn’t mind her being a half-breed.  Outside of her household, she didn’t think anybody else would.  “You were really friends with somepony like me?” She asked with desperate hope. Twilight could still see the laughter in the academy interviewers’ eyes. How other children were pulled away by their parents before they could talk to her. Many of those children started acting that way on their own. Twilight was too smart for her own good, and remembered it all.  A sympathetic, morose frown crossed Cadenza's face. She knew those fears all too well. She used a wing to push Twilight’s face protector up so she could brush Twilight’s cheek with the same wing. The filly froze at such close contact with an alicorn. And found her gaze was locked within Cadenza’s kind eyes. “Don’t let anypony fool you, Miss Twilight. You are not broken until you allow it to happen. I only wish my friend had known that.” Broken. It was the same word she heard whispered behind her back at house parties, on the street, and sometimes whispered by the family’s very own employees.  Before anyone could see it, Cadenza’s wing brushed away a painful tear from Twilight’s eye. The filly found no words to say. Not that she could risk it without her voice cracking.  “You are far and above too kind,” Night Light said with genuine gratitude. He stepped over and roped Twilight in with a foreleg, allowing Cadenza a chance to stand normally. “Twilight has been a major help in my work. She’ll undoubtedly surpass me one day.” Corona applied a practiced, regal smile and all but shoved herself in between them. “A sentiment I wish more parents possessed. Now, both her Holiness and myself have many other pressing engagements today. Perhaps we can share such pleasantries another time.” “Sad but true,” Cadenza confirmed with an unbecoming weak pout.  Night Light pulled away from Twilight in renewed haste. “Then we shall make it as expedient as possible.  Twilly, take your post.  Warmage, at your leisure.” “Before I start,” Swift interrupted with a raised hoof. “I believe her majesty mentioned wanting to know about the engine’s effect on eathers and pegasi on the carriage ride over here.” Corona hummed in mild impatience, and nodded slowly. “That I did. Time being what it is, I suppose it would be prudent to follow through. The Duke of Trottingdale will simply have to settle for second fiddle.” “Did I not present my findings to the crown and mage corps?” Night Light offered as respectfully as possible.   “You did,” Corona nodded tiredly at the whole thing. “But seeing is believing.  If I witness it with my own eyes, I can better comprehend the magnitude of the danger these newer machines pose. Something that never seemed to trouble my generals until the last war’s blunders. If this machine proves to be as worrisome as your report claimed, I will require your engine be part of a larger demonstration.”   The news brought a wide grin upon Night Light, and he bowed to her.  “Thank you for taking my warnings seriously, your highness.  Were this any other circumstance, I’d say you won’t be disappointed.”  Night Light politely slid past his guests to pull on a string, ringing a bell near the entrance below.  Opening a window he stuck his head out to yell down at Green Fields below. “Hoofmare, collect Diamoera and Summer Skies, and make it quick.” “Aye, Milord.” As they waited, Twilight was thrilled from both the attention Cadenza regularly directed her way, and being able to chime in a word or two in support of her father.  Yet most of her focus was taken by keeping an eye on the temperamental engine.  The soldiers who ripped the thing from the grounded vessel it came from failed to procure a manual, and the engineers had been traded away in the peace treaty. As such, most of the father-daughter duo’s study on it was trial and error. Over time the engine had begun wearing out due to their efforts. With the spare parts they acquired for it not working as well as the original parts did, it made the engine increasingly unstable without supervision.  She took no small amount of pride that her father trusted her completely with that task as he kept the guests preoccupied with details he didn’t have time to show them previously.  Down below, she watched an aide push an archery target stand directly in front of the engine and between a line of chalk and the pistons section of the machine.  A bit early now since we have to wait. Nevertheless within short order Green Fields returned with the two requested employees. Neither of them having the out of place, garish stripes in their manes that Pinkamena had. Twilight eased a dial to the left as the pressure was inching too high.  I hope the queen will take daddy seriously after this. She wrinkled her brow and cast the thought from her mind. Now was not the time for distraction. Seeing the staff had arrived and knew enough to stand near the ground level speaking tube, Night Light gave orders from his end of the tube.  “Summer Skies, please hover above the pistons, but away from the outlets, unless you want to lose a wing like Dirt Dobber did.”  Night Light made no attempt to hide his concern, not that it seemed to bother Corona nor the warmage in the slightest.  Cadenza was far more open with her curiosity and was nearly plastering her face against the window. Twilight already knew what to do, and once Night Light finished guiding the pegasus to the best location by waving his forelegs one way or the other, she slowly brought the machine up to maximum safe limits. There was something feral about the engine in Twilight’s eyes. It was the heart of a metal beast Equestrians had stolen. Every time she pushed the right lever, it raged in impotent fury, unable to cause its captors harm. It served only now to help its creator’s enemies, and pump water up to the manor’s water tower. But at the same time, it was a magic all of its own. A form of magic Twilight could touch and manipulate.  Each piece played a role that she craved to understand. Hearing the hiss of steam, the boilers thrum, and pistons moving was akin to growls and roars of an animal. All of it made her all the more eager to explore the machine’s every bolt and screw all over again.  The test pegasus had no difficulty staying aloft, but her wing beats became noticeably faster towards the upper limits of the engine’s output.  “As you can see, your highness,” Night Light started with clinical dryness. “Pegasus flight is only slightly hampered by the dampening effects of engines. As mentioned in the original report, this engine was pulled off one of their naval ships.  Its purpose is to spin what the PoWs called a crankshaft for mechanical work, not exclusively to dampen unicorn magic.  That is, in their words, ‘a pleasant bonus’.”  “How does it affect their control over the weather?” Cadenza inquired as she briefly looked up to the ceiling. A hole had to be cut into the roof to allow the exhaust to flow out. “We haven’t been able to test for that,” Night Light replied with a reverent bow.  “As you can see, the lab is too small for such tests and we must keep the interior as dry as possible due to rust concerns.  As of yet, we have seen only inconclusive evidence the dampening effect escapes the walls of the lab.  But given the altitude and distances involved, I doubt weather manipulation is an issue.  Even with those zeppelins of theirs, weather systems are too vast for a single airship, or engine in this case, to cause real disruption. “Interesting,” the warmage said with only passing sincerity.  Corona kept her council to herself at the moment.  “Perhaps collapsing buildings or throwing boulders on top of machines could be a viable strategy. Please, continue to the earther.” “Gladly. Diamorera! Would you kindly gather your plants.”  As the gardener rushed to obey, Light continued to address his guests. “We’ve detected only marginal effects on earther strength or endurance.  As to why that is, we have yet to determine.” The earth pony mare went the long way and ran up the stairs on the far end of the laboratory to reach the observatory room with two potted plants nestled into a pair of saddlebags. When she presented them, Corona tried to claim the vibrant and healthy sunflower in her magic, but her telekinesis wobbled and quaked.  To escape embarrassment, she took the pot with a foreleg instead.  Cadenza took the pitifully sick looking sprout in a foreleg as well.  It was barely out of the soil and was a little limp.  “Both were kept in sunlight for the past twoweeks,” Night Light explained with a touch more dramatic fearmongering than he’d normally convey.  “The unhealthy one was handled by our groundskeeper only when it was near the active engine.” I hope that’s not the flower she keeps hidden in the tool shed, Twilight mused irritably.  She argued with herself on confronting the groundskeeper about it, but the risk of being wrong and embarrassing her father in front of the queen and Cadenza of all ponies held her tongue. Cadenza offered the pot to Swift who smirked and telekinetically grabbed the weakened pot.  His magic at least was strong enough to not appear flimsy.  “Some good news. They won’t be able to use their machines to improve crop productivity. If anything they might face food shortages if they try.”  A deep jealous scowl crept up on Corona at seeing how easily the mage held the plant, but she quickly brought her face back to a more graceful neutrality. “At the very least it further proves this technology is not a direct attack against unicorns,” Twilight called out from her console, trying to get a word in with the adults.  All of the attention going her way caused her horn to spark, making her cheeks burn.  “A-as daddy said.” Swift Spell eyed the filly with a stern glare. “Don’t be so sure of that, young miss. Compared to Equestria, Lunaria barely has a unicorn population at all.” “Traitors, even worse than the other tribes,” Corona added with bitter resentment.  “More than ever now that they stand against her Holiness.” Looking to Cadenza for a response, Twilight only saw quiet sadness from the pink alicorn.   “I’m sure the common pony will rise up against the emperor once they learn of you, your Holiness,”  Night Light nodded in solemn agreement.  Cadenza only gave a minimal response, making Night Light continue on with a brief stutter. “Provided he didn't command the newspapers to ban all mention of you. But back to the matter at hoof, that population difference has been our greatest strength against them.  Traitors they may be, the Lunarians are not fools.   The last war saw them using a dozen land-mobile engines in the last season or so. I only wish our soldiers had not been so zealous in destroying every last one that had been abandoned.  How much longer do you think it’ll be before those land-engines are strong enough to mount more than a few infantry?” Twilight wilted a little, and was surprised by the fearful reactions from the guests.  Not even daddy likes the engine.  They can be used for good too.  Just like how this one powers the pumps for our water.  It’s just a tool.  A big complicated tool.  Young though she was, Twilight was too scared of the queen and mage to voice her objection.  She looked to Cadenza for any sign of agreement, but the alicorn showed only reserved concern.  If anything, she was deeply saddened by something Twilight could only guess at as Cadenza stared ahead with a distant gaze.  All too eager to press home the true danger of his findings, Night Light tapped the ground for polite attention. “I hope I have satisfied your curiosity on non-unicorn magic.” Corona waved to the others to return the plants to the groundskeeper. “Yes, this demonstration is most telling. Please move on.”  Muffled though it was, the rhythmic chugging of the engine was still quite noticeable.  For someone wholly unused to such noise, it was grating on the guests’ nerves, Corona especially started to let her regal air slip. “That cacophony your machine is making is about to give me a migraine.” That was a sentiment Twilight couldn’t disagree with more. The steady work of the pistons, hiss of steam, and the roaring of the boiler called to the musical side of her.  If anything, she found it relaxing, and was one of the few places the erratic sparks from her horn calmed down. I sometimes sleep in here when it’s running. Why can’t ponies see how beautiful machines can be? “As you wish, your highness. Warmage would you please go to the chalk line and start off with a regular spell bolt at the target?” “Yes, yes, of course.”  Swift jerked a bit as he opened the door to receive the full blast of the engine’s noise. He shrugged it off as best he could and made his way down.  Night Light smiled at the earth mare and waved for her to leave. “Thank you, Diamnera. You may go now.  Twilight!  As per our usual test strength, bring the engine down to one half!” All too eager to escape from the adults’ condemnation of the engine, Twilight pulled on the steam release lever and carefully watched the gauges. Daydreams of how pulling just this one lever could cause a whole ship to slow down felt like real power. At least power she could actually use.  Soon enough though, the gauges arrived at the desired levels. “It’s ready father, I’ll hold it steady.”  An excited spark of lightning escaped her horn, to Twilight’s embarrassment, in front of the others. Satisfied, Night Light yelled through the speak tube to the warmage. “You may attack, Sir.  One spell no faster than every five seconds. We should start slow before working our way up.” “Just like back at the academy.” Swift leveled his horn at the target. He fired a dozen volleys before he was requested to stop. For each one, Night Light had a house staff mark the distance the spell bolts traveled by chalking the granite floor.  Not one made it even halfway to the straw archery target before dissipating.  “Very good, Sir. Now try your spells at full strength without the staff again.” A dozen more spells went off, yet they only made it two or three additional feet before fading away as well.  Night Light scribbled on a notepad every time the spells were defeated.  “You may stop now,” he yelled through before rounding on the two mares. “Results are within expected ranges,” Night Light stated sourly. “Granted this engine was used in a naval vessel, but the Lunarians already deployed those adapted trains of theirs to operate without rail lines several months before the end of the war. If we tarry in making a proper response to these developments, I dare say Equestria's days are short indeed. This oversight needs to stop today.” “And you say that thing is only working at half?” Corona shivered with genuine fear at the infernal device, hardening her expression.  “Afraid so.  We’re operating under the assumption that it would be the most likely level of disruption caused by the trains I mentioned. The caveat is that our engine here tends to breakdown rather quickly when stressed beyond the half-power point for anything longer than an hour or so. The engine is not exactly in perfect shape anymore since we can’t replicate parts for it in the same manner as the Lunarians.  We work with best guesses when it comes to the alloy composition for instance.” Corona took his council in silence. She stared at the chalk marks and the fuming mage who was tapping his staff on the floor with impatient, wounded pride. “High Doctor, might I request you turn the accursed thing off so I can see how even a dead machine disrupts our power,” Corona ordered with freshly kindled energy. She was now a pony with clear danger to face. “Too many of my brave soldiers died thinking these machines being quiet meant that the Lunarians were vulnerable, as they were in the past.” Night Light thought it over a moment before calling Twilight, “Bring it down to minimum activity!”  Corona frowned bemusedly at him, but not harshly enough to incite fear. “My apologies, but shutting the engine down cold would mean it would take an hour to get enough steam to resume the test. I would not want to unduly burden your schedule even further.” She hummed thoughtfully.  “It takes that long?” “Yes, your highness,” Night Light answered as he searched his notes for another chart.  “Even when I first acquired the engine, it could take hours to go from cold to full steam.  Granted one of the three boilers has never worked right for me, but on winter nights it takes up to eight hours.” Corona took the offered chart in a clipboard.  A brief read evoked a thread-bare grin.  “Thank you, High Doctor.  I pray my generals already know this.”  She paused, closing her eyes to think a moment. The diminishing racket coming from the engine as Twilight worked the control made Corona's features harden.  She waved a hoof at the filly. “Child, stop!" She turned to Night Light. "You say the accursed engine is at half power, yes?” He glanced at the readings, standing over Twilight as she scrambled to reverse the release order to the staff before by ringing the bells. "It was, but the pressure hasn't been fully released yet, we can get it back shortly."  Corona snapped to attention as if taken by sudden vigor.  “Not good enough, I want that thing as high as it will go." Knowing Night Light would protest, she leveled an iron gaze upon him. "You will have your grant money for any repairs needed, High Doctor, and I will ensure you have the services of some of the royal smiths to expedite things.  Now, child, bring that metal monster up to full strength.” Twilight was caught flatfooted at being addressed directly so many times in such quick succession, but when the queen eyed her after noticing the filly’s hesitation, Twilight scrambled to obey.  She worked the controls and rang the bell two times for the staff to shovel in more fuel and water for the boilers.  “I-it will take some time for the steam pressure to rise.” “I can wait.”  Corona studied Night Light, searching for any sign of objection.  “Well?” “Far be it for me to try and deny the queen her satisfaction.”  Night Light pulled over a quill and his clipboard.  “If it must be destroyed, I might as well take whatever notes I can.” “High Doctor, if there was ever a time I wish to be misinformed by a scholar, it would be today.”  Corona took a moment to look critically at Night Light, studying his every twitch and unconscious gesture.  “But I fear I won’t be.” “I loathe being right on this, your highness.  If I may though, while we wait for the machine to quicken, there is something else you should know.  As I touched upon earlier, my research into the older firearms and machines they've used confirmed my theory that increased complexity and something in how the Lunarians produce their metals is what is causing the disruption.  It’s the only logical reason they would put seemingly superfluous gearwork on their rifles.” “Yes, I was already informed about the rifles, but you are the first to mention their metals.” Corona stated with surprised interest.  She once more gazed down upon the boilers and engine, trying to see if the steel looked unusual.  “How is that relevant?  A soldier’s armor is easily enchantable, weapons too.  In fact I believe the only non-metal piece of the mage’s staff is the crystal head.” “True, but here’s the detail I think the other scholars are overlooking,” Night Light had been well prepared and sniffed around the desk in the back of the room for a chart and gave it to the queen.  "My engine’s ability to resist spells has weakened over the years.  While I’m sure part of it can be attributed to having slight imperfections in the replacement parts I’ve used over time, the only other factor has to be how the metal is forged, and the composition of the metal itself.” She took the chart which illustrated much of the same thing.  “I had always been told Lunarian metalworking was generally subpar since they have so few unicorns.  It would be untenable to require every last one of them in the empire to specialize in thaumaturgic forging.” “Earthers are more than capable of forging metals,” Cadenza rebutted, breaking the two apart a bit by her sudden intrusion.  She shook her head in restrained irritation at the dismissal of the other tribes. “They were the first ones to forge bronze and brass long before unicorns took the spotlight in metalworking.” Night Light backed off a bit, and tried to placate Cadenza with an apologetic tone.  “Forgive me for any insult, I assure you I only try to speak factually.  It’s true earther smiths still account for much for both nations, but I’m not talking about basic metal for silverware or farming tools. The alloys from the engine’s original parts are unlike anything I’ve ever seen from earther forging methods, I can promise you that.  The replacement parts I’ve commissioned over the years have significantly weaker disruption effects than what I started with.”   Corona turned to look at the morose alicorn. She let off a resigned sigh and gently interposed herself between Night Light and Cadenza. “Then clearly something else is at play here.  I will have to inform my spies to look into the matter of Lunarian forging. It’s entirely possible we already know and it was overlooked as unimportant, like so much you have shown me today,” she added bitterly.  Corona hesitated as a new idea struck her.  She turned back to the window and down to the engine that still grinded on her nerves with its cacophony, then to the warmage who was pacing impatiently.  He was desperately trying to endure the noise without covering his ears.   Corona’s thoughts went up in smoke as she watched him.  Memories of the war came back to her.  Ever since stepping hoof inside the laboratory, the engine’s noise mocked her, taunted her.  The thousands , no hundreds of thousands of death notifications she’d written or signed to the families of dead soldiers from the last war.  How many more were maimed forever?  All because the generals continued to ignore the danger these machines posed.  “They were supposed to warn me, it was their damn job.” The queen’s words had been intended for no one to hear, but years of acclimating to the engine noise allowed Twilight and her father to pick it up.  Night Light’s ears went flat, and he took a half step back.  He wasn’t sure if saying anything was a good idea. It ended up being Twilight who broke the long silence.  “Daddy, the engine is stalling at the red line.  I don’t think we can go much higher without that last boiler.” She had said it loud enough for everyone to hear.  Her father nodded with a frown.  “Which we have no way to fix.  Your highness, this is the best we can do.” “So it is. Mi Amore Cadenza,” Corona added with sharp intent and gesturing to the alicorn to join her at the viewing window.  “We both need to see this.” “Me?” Cadenza was flummoxed by so much of the test she squeezed her eyes shut.  “I was just a weather pegasus a month ago.  I don’t know the first thing about war magic or any of this.” “This isn’t about knowing high magic, it’s about whether or not we can adapt to the new world Lunaria is thrusting us into.”  Corona reached for the speak tube, her voice took on the same force of will that led a nation.  “Swift Spell, prepare that staff of yours.  When the Lights give the signal, attack the moving parts with everything you have.” A dangerous smirk came on the mage’s face.  He thumped his chest with the staff in salute.  “By your will, my queen.” The engine started to squeal and protest in a way only Twilight and Night Light could pick up on.  In truth, they could probably push past the red line, but that would put too much strain on the whole system.  Twilight was tapping the release lever every few seconds or so as the needle on the pressure gauge told her what the groaning engine noise was already doing.  Come on, Steam Buddy, just hold it together.  “I don’t know how long I can keep this up before something pops.” “Humbling, knowing it can hold itself together while containing such power,” Night Light stated as he checked the readings himself for a moment before patting Twilight on the head in support.  “Well done, Little Spark.  Keep an eye on it.” Twilight’s joy was short-lived once Night Light rang the bell.  She pushed up onto the control board in time to see Swift Spell stand firm with his staff levitating beside him.  Deep, angry red light poured from the ruby head of the staff before a weaving pair of glowing rings formed around him. Within, four large runes appeared, causing the edges of the rings to become inflamed, frosted, wreathed in darkness, or dazzle in energetic purples and whites.  In a sudden jolt, four pony sized bolts of magic of fire, frost, purple raw energy, and deep shadow exploded upward from the runes before raining down on the rapidly moving pistons.  The bright purple bolt disintegrated shortly after changing direction.  The shadowy bolt dissipated only two meters away from the first.  The firebolt fizzled out into a short-lived column of smoke.  The frostbolt however, hit the engine right in the center, and exploded in a shower of crystal.  All of a sudden, there was an ear-screeching groan of steel piston arms bent like the housing was too short.  Another piston housing erupted completely.  Steam pipes broke, tearing at the more delicate parts of the engine.  Twilight frantically yanked on the release lever and warning bell.  Emergency valves popped open, only to snap at the sheer pressure it was releasing.  Workers threw open the firebox doors and hosed the fires down with water from the tank.   Swift Spell collapsed as his strength failed him.  The staff had taken so much out of him he was barely conscious. With the steam pressure gone, and the engine dead, the only noise that remained were the hoses and the workers coordinating them.  Queen Corona and the others made their way down to the mage.  He was barely able to force himself to stand by the time they got there.  “Damn thing, I should have that artificer jailed for this.” He feebly tried to wave Twilight away from helping him get back up.  But muscle weakness and the fact that she was a child kept him from pressing the issue.  “Appreciated, Little Miss.  This is what I get for not having my storage gems.” Night Light gave his daughter a brief approving smile but most of his attention was on the remains of his bent and broken engine. “Thoroughly ruined.  It’ll take days just to assess if anything can be salvaged.”   “Which is far more time than the miserable soldiers using such weapons would have,” Corona was practically gleeful at the stillness now that the workers cut the hoses so they wouldn’t disturb the royal guests.  Corona ignored the wet floor as she marched up to the broken machine.  “Ahh, blissful silence.”  She scanned the broken pieces and twisted metal with a satisfied grin.  There was still great deal of popping coming from cooling metal, but comparatively, the laboratory was indeed much quieter. “So the great concert is not over yet…”   A pair of gentle hoofsteps through the thin layer of water came up behind her.  Cadenza and Twilight joined her side, after Cadenza prodded the filly to join her.  All three surveyed the damage.  Cadenza didn’t share the queen’s reserved pride.  Now that the engine was little more than bent pistons and broken housing, it almost saddened her how easy it had come to ruin.  “That was unreal.  I never thought magic could be so weak against such a thing.” Twilight didn’t dare show it, but she was devastated.  Where once a beautiful and wondrous engine stood, now its remains smoked and creaked as nothing more than cooling metal wreckage.  Days, weeks, more time than she could recall, she had studied and worked around the machine that was her magic.  True, others created and built it, but everyone in Equestria either hated or disliked it.  Everyone but one sympathetic filly.   She mustn’t cry for it, not here around the others, so she held back her tears as best she could.  Don’t worry, I’ll be sure you get rebuilt as good as new.  No matter what. “Weak, but not useless,” Corona corrected with measured enthusiasm.”  She adopted a stern demeanor when she finally returned her attention to Night Light who was busy talking to the staff and called out to him.  “High Doctor!”  Night Light jumped, and ran over to listen.  “You have my thanks for allowing the demonstration.  It has been most enlightening.” “I’m glad I could have been at service, your highness.  I hope our boys in gold will benefit from this.” “Do not worry yourself, Doctor.” Corona walked up to him and went to rest a reassuring hoof on his shoulder, but thought better of it after remembering it was wet.  “I feel the discounted threat of engines like this is a symptom of a larger problem in the general staff.  It seems I have my work cut out for me, High Doctor.”  She turned to leave, and waved for Cadenza and Swift Spell to follow after her.  “Do what it takes to get that machine back in working order, it will be needed as a training implement as soon as possible.” A stern, but confident nod was his first response.  “You have my word, your highness.” An hour or so after seeing to the queen’s departure from the grounds and annotating what useful notes he was able to make, Night Light returned to the lab. There he found Twilight had already taken several dozen of the smaller damaged engine parts out and had laid them out on cloth for easy identification. Some had moderate damage and looked salvageable to his eyes, while others were a total loss. The worst being the bigger pieces Twilight couldn’t remove on her own.   The filly did not see his approach, but Pinkamena, who was penning down the list of damaged components tugged on Twilight’s back right leg, making the purple filly wiggle to pull her head out of the waterlogged interior. She followed Pinkamena’s silent point to Night Light. “Thanks,” she whispered before addressing her father and pulling her lubricant covered facemask off. Her face was wet, due to dunking her face in water so her tears wouldn’t show.  Thankfully, the delay in Night Light’s return had given her voice time to recover.  “Daddy, as you expected, I haven’t found any real water damage per se. I don’t know why, but everything looks like overpressure damage, I can’t figure out how an ice rock could do that kind of destruction.  It’s going to be such a chore to find all the little fragments of broken casing.” Night Light first scrutinized Pinkamena’s stripes being so close to the inert machine, but they seemed unchanged.  That allowed him to dismiss the servant from his concern, and shine a proud smile at his daughter’s thoroughness. “Well done.  Don’t worry about the fragments, we’re going to have to pull absolutely everything out anyway.   Completely rebuild it from the ground up  Just make sure to pass the damage list to Gold Hammer so he can outsource the work to whoever is capable.” “Yes, papa.” Light was about to leave when he caught the frown on her face, and the momentary droop in her ears. “What’s wrong? There’s a lot of needless extra work to do now, but the test went well enough.” The amount of work was of no issue to Twilight.  If anything she’d work night and day to fix the engine. No, it was something that had rubbed her wrong for the entire demonstration.  “Why doesn’t anypony like the engine?” Twilight looked up at him with red rimmed eyes that betrayed everything.  “It didn’t do anything wrong.” Night Light grew very sober, and gestured for Pinkamena to leave.  The pink filly slunk away, giving Night Light a chance to speak more freely.  “Twily, the engine itself is not bad.  But it is something we Equestrians can’t use.” “But - but we already use it!” Twilight cried, with tears freely flowing.  “We use it to get water to the house, but that’s it.  Why can’t we do other things with it like the Lunarians do?” “Twily, we only pump water so the engine has some resistance to work against.  It’s not that we can’t think of more uses, we simply aren’t supposed to.”  Night Light hugged her tightly for a spell, giving the filly time to compose herself.  “And we shouldn’t go looking for more uses anyway.  Magic is used for everything in Equestria, from growing the food we eat to keeping houses together.  If we started bringing machines into our homes and cities…”  He sighed and let her go.  “In any case, the queen has decreed that we must never use machines or else we may grow dependent on them, and I agree with her.  I’ll have to get with Misty Greens to get water up here for the time being.” That was it then.  Her father wouldn’t budge, and Twilight had no idea how to make him do otherwise.  She hung her head in defeat.  “Yes, papa.” “Why don’t you head to the kitchens and grab some cinnamon buns?  Fresh Cake should be putting the icing on them now.” The thought cheered her up a bit, and might have done more for other children, but Twilight couldn’t let go.  The stubborn fire of her pegasus blood, and the yearning for knowledge of her unicorn heritage refused to let this lie.  She scampered away from her father and the ruined engine that she had taken care of for the last two years, and had watched for many more prior.  If nopony wants to like you, engine, then I will.