Night Shade was examining the Timegate late at night. Going over it with a saddle mounted diagnostic device attached to a robot arm. “Just 48 more hours girl.” He said. “48 hours and one more spin up and you’re free to stop working.”
“I HOPE that thing doesn’t stop working.” Said the voice of Phyllis. “Do you have any idea how useful that thing can be for research purposes?” She asked as she came up behind Night Shade.
Night Shade smiled. “Sure, it would be GREAT if the Timegate continued to work. But what I’m saying is that it HAS to work for one more spin up. Getting Sparkler and her family home.” He explained. “Every time after that is a nice bonus.”
Phyllis nodded and looked at the gate. “You never told me you were descended from royalty.” She commented. “Dr Night Mare and Princess Luna.”
“I try NOT to let my bloodlines dictate my life. Think, if my application mentioned anything about royalty, you’d probably have hired me right there without so much as an interview.” Night Shade responded.
“Fair enough.” Phyllis responded. “Your ancestors would be proud of you.”
“Yeah. Because I helped stop a dark future for Twilight Sparkle.” Night Shade shivered. “That day in Detrot really spooked me.” He revealed.
After a moment, Night Shade completed his diagnostics and it was all green across the board. “Right, done with my inspection. We can get out of here.” He said.
Meanwhile, in a deeper part of Canterlogic HQ, Sprout was welding something under a cloth. He smiled under his face mask. “Almost done. Just a few more hours and all Unicorns and Pegasi are as good as gone.” He said.
“Sprout!” He heard his mother say through the intercom. “Night Shade and I are leaving, time to come up.”
“Ugh. Yes mom.” Sprout begrudgingly said as he put down the welder and left his lair. Tomorrow, Earth Ponies come out on top. He thought.
“Ok! I’m off to work! Have fun with Pipp Sunny and Izzy!” Sparkler called out to her kids. “See you later for dinner.” She added as she walked out the door. She smiled as she walked into Maretime Bay. “Alright. Last day at the Medley Deli. Let’s make it a good one Sparkler.” She told herself.
“Oh I have no doubt it will be a good day. If what Winter’s told me is any indication.” A voice said from behind.
Sparkler turned her head to the source of the familiar voice and saw a pony she hadn’t seen in a while. “Hey! Harmone!” She smiled and waved.
Harmone smiled as he came up beside Sparkler. “Morning Sparkler. I hear you’re doing well.” He said.
“A few bumps but now my family and I are 43 hours away from being home.” Sparkler responded.
“Yeah Winter did mention something about a recharge happening with a Timegate.”
“You know Winter?” Sparkler asked.
“Family friends.” Harmone responded. “What? Our two families are tight. And that relationship continues.”
“Well that’s good at least.” Sparkler responded.
They walked together to the Medley Deli. “So. What brings you here?” Sparkler asked.
“Thought I’d visit and see you off back to your time.” Harmone responded. “Thought I’d head to the Medley Deli for meals today.”
“Maybe I can get Gloria on the playlist today.” Sparkler joked.
Harmone chuckled. “If ya do, give me a heads up and I’ll sing it with ya.” He nudged Sparkler playfully.
Sparkler chuckled as she went in. And so the work day began.
Meanwhile, at Canterlogic HQ, Sprout returned to his lair and had continued his little project. “Mwahaha. Wait until they get a load of my new Earth Pony defense system. Hehehe.” He said.
Over the course of the day, Sparkler tended to patron’s needs, served food and drinks, and of course performed whenever Winter called for a performance. While there were some hiccups with messed up orders and such, it wasn’t anything that was anywhere near as bad as the first grand opening. So overall, by the time dinner rolled around, Sparkler could chalk this up to a high note to end off on.
Soon enough, Sparkler had seated her kids and their foalsitters at the table. Had their drink orders, and told Bender the orders when Winter took the stage. “Hey hey hey everypony! How’s everypony doing this fine evening?” She asked.
Everypony cheered to show their satisfaction. Winter smiled. “Good. Tonight is actually a bittersweet night for the Medley Deli. Because this marks the last day for our Head Waitress Sparkling Medley. It’s her last day working here. Can I get a spotlight on Sparkler please?”
On cue, a spotlight shined on Sparkler. All eyes turned to her as Winter continued. “Sparkler, your time with us may have been short. But it was certainly sweet. Quite frankly, I’m pleasantly surprised you lasted so long. We’ve had at least one resignation so far, thanks to a certain cliche of ponies who seem to think they’re above everypony else. But you Sparkler, you probably weathered that cliche at its worst. Plus, you’re a talented musical performer, a superb waitress. And on behalf of everypony here at the Medley Deli, I thank you. Can I get a round of applause for our star waitress?” She asked.
The crowd cheered and applauded Sparkler, who blushed, smiled sheepishly, and waved. “Thanks everypony. It’s been fun working here. I almost wish I could stick around, but alas, life demands I move on.” Back to my own time and away from the insanity that is a pair of mothers apparently. She subconsciously continued in her mind. It still baffled her how any parent could do what Haven and Copperbottom did. She understood that Homophobia was a thing and all, but that was no excuse. And Copperbottom, Sparkler shivered at the thought that she had ANYTHING in common with that witch. For all intents and purposes I am now considered an egg donor to kids. She thought.
At Canterlogic HQ, Night Shade was about to head down to the Medley Deli when he noticed something on a screen. A red error message. Meaning something was wrong with the Timegate. “What?” He asked as he glanced out at the gate. “What’s up with you?”
“Ahem. Now, if we may be allowed to indulge ourselves just a little bit.” Winter said. “We’d like to share with you some of our favorite performances with Sparkler. And to help us out, I called a very special friend who helped Sparkler be the excellent staff member she is today.”
While Winter called up Harmone and Sparkler had a pretty good idea what song was coming, she felt her watch go off on vibrations. She glanced at the watch face and saw a rather alarming message on it, from Night Shade.
Night Shade: We got a problem, get here now!
A problem with the Gate? He told me all was good this morning. Sparkler thought as she glanced back up at Winter, who was looking right at her.
Winter saw Sparkler glancing at her watch, and the look of confusion and slight panic told her all she needed to know. Winter nodded at Sparkler, who nodded back, and, after leaving everything but the shirt with Bender, she hurriedly left the restaurant. On the way she passed by the kids table. “Sunny, you girls get the kids back to the house. It’s farther away from the Timegate.” She whispered as she left.
Sunny and everypony else at the table raised eyebrows. “The hay is going on?” Light asked.
Harmone and Winter meanwhile exchanged looks. “Hope everything’s alright.” Harmone commented.
Sparkler came in for a landing outside Canterlogic HQ to find Night Shade standing there by the door, probably to let her through to the gate. “Night Shade, what’s going on?” She asked.
“I don’t know.” Night Shade responded as he gestured for them to go inside. “I was just making sure everything was nominal before coming to the Medley Deli for your send off party when the gate started spewing out an error. But when I checked the systems everything WAS nominal.” He said.
“Was it a system glitch?” Sparkler asked.
“I don’t know. But just to be on the safe side, let’s get the magical signatures out of there before—“ Night Shade was cut off when the alarms started blazing. Night Shade gasped. “Oh no.”
“What?” Sparkler asked.
“Unauthorized access to the Gate Room!” Night Shade exclaimed. “Somepony’s breaking in!”
That was all the explanation Sparkler needed for her to take off in a sprint. Night Shade quickly followed. I swear to Faust if those magical signatures are gone… Sparkler knew that most of the signatures were replaceable, but she also knew that five were NOT replaceable. The magical signatures from Detrot. And even if the contributing Alicorns WERE out there somewhere, she certainly was not going to find Twilight, thanks to that dark future she saw. “We have to save those five magical signatures.” She said. Panic, urgency, fear, and anger clear.
“Wholeheartedly Seconded.” Night Shade responded as they continued to run.
They reached the gate room and saw exactly what caused the alarm. A bunch of mechanical ponies in front of the gate, and they were in time to see one of them make off with the Magical Signatures! “Oh hay no!” Sparkler growled.
Before she could take off after the mechanical thief, the others in the room lit up their eyes and started firing lasers at them. Sparkler lit her horn and formed a shield around herself and Night Shade. She grunted as the lasers hit her shield. “Grah! Dang it are we seriously being assaulted by poninators?!” She growled.
“Apparently?!” Night Shade responded. “Activate defense system! Tango Oscar 01299!” He called out.
Right then, the ceiling opened and several turret drones dropped down and unloaded lasers on the robots, destroying all of them. Once all of them were dead, Sparkler dropped her shield and dashed over to the Gate, which now LACKED the one thing it needed to work. “What the HAY just happened!” She growled.
“We were robbed.” Night Shade responded. “Those things took the magical signatures.”
“What could they possibly want them for?” Sparkler asked. “And more importantly, WHO SENT THEM!” She roared.
At that moment, the ground started rumbling. Night Shade glanced at the clear hole in the wall the robots used, and then Sparkler. “Something tells me we’re about to find out!” He said as he and Sparkler dashed out the door to go outside. They soon rushed outside the building, and what they saw made them stop in their tracks and gasp in absolute horror.
What they were looking at was a MASSIVE mechanical pony that was a spitting image of. “SPROUT!” Sparkler roared in the Royal Canterlot Voice in pure rage. She noticed several robots surrounding the massive robot and deduced what had happened. “That little pinbrain! He stole the magical signatures!” She growled.
“And if I had to guess, that’s cause he needed them to power that thing!” Night Shade exclaimed in response.
All around Maretime Bay, ponies all around could see the giant mechapony. Winter and her siblings and Harmone watched from the Medley Deli. “Whoa. Is that Sprout?” Foxtrot asked.
“He’s gone insane.” Sparkle said.
“Guys.” Winter said. “Sparkler’s gonna need help.” She told them.
“Are we going to call on Reflect?” Sparkle asked.
“We have to.” Winter responded.
Inside the Mechapony, Sprout was laughing maniacally as his creation powered up. “Mwahahaha! At last! Now Pegasi and Unicorns will be extinct! And Earth Ponies will reign supreme forever!” He shouted. “Behold Ultimate Sprouticus Maximus!”
To be continued…