“Let me make sure I heard you right dearie. You want one dozen vanilla cupcakes, one dozen chocolate cupcakes, and three platters of assorted cookies?” Mrs. Cake read over her notepad as she leaned over the counter in Sugarcube Corner.
Starlight nodded in appreciation, knowing that taking a big order this late in the day might inconvenience the bakers. “And you can go ahead and put all of that on Twilight’s tab.”
“Alrighty then, will do. This might take a bit, but you’re free to sit in the dining area in the meantime if you like.” The older mare disappeared into the kitchen as Starlight returned to the table that Trixie had saved for them.
The blue mare stretched her forehooves across the table and cast a sullen gaze upon the lunchbox.
Starlight scoffed and rubbed her temple. “And why did you bring the lunchbox? We’re literally in a bakery. You can get something sweet and fresh.”
“It’s not the same. It’s not even about the pastry anymore, it's about the principle.” Trixie whined, pawing at the box with a limp hoof.
Starlight moaned as she propped her head up with a hoof. “Fine, go ahead. Eat the doom twinkie and get food poisoning.”
While Trixie perked up and plucked the dessert from the lunchbox, Starlight studied its other contents. She pushed the open bag of chips to the side and pulled out the sheet of paper. The edges were rigid and uneven as if they were plucked from a notebook. Five simple words in black ink were written in the center, they read: A Journey You Must Make.
Starlight considered asking for Trixie’s input, but she soon found herself fighting off the urge to gag as Trixie shoved the entire twinkie into her mouth. The blue unicorn smiled triumphantly as she chewed. And then she began to choke.
Starlight wasn’t really sure of what to do. On one hoof, karmic justice like this was rarely this timely or on point. On the other hoof, her best friend was quite literally choking. Trixie lurched forward and let out a grotesque cough, prompting Starlight to rush to her side. A firm slap to the back managed to dislodge the object that was clogging the magician’s throat. A soft clink was emitted by the key as it hit the table, leaving two mares extremely confused.
“That was a terrible twinkie.” Trixie stuck out her tongue and wagged it around as if that would rid her senses of the rusty key’s taste.
Starlight could only look on in shock as Mr. Cake made his way over to the table. The co-owner of Sugarcube Corner was known for having a nervousness that was comparable to Twilight. A trait that could be understood when having to oversee a successful business, two rambunctious foals, and a Pinkie Pie. He placed a comforting hoof on Trixie’s withers and offered a glass of water.
“She’ll be fine Mr. Cake. She just had to learn a valuable lesson about eating desserts from mysterious lunchboxes.” Starlight pointed to the aforementioned lunchbox to contextualize her point. She wasn’t expecting Mr. Cake to gasp as he locked eyes with the metal container. What followed was even more unexpected.
Mr. Cake cleared his throat and broadened his stance. He put on his best announcer voice as he called out, “Fillies and colts your attention please! We will now transport you to a world of steam and steel!”
Without warning, Mrs. Cake bustled out of the kitchen and mimicked the cadence and tone of her husband, “To a world where the greatest magic presides in the minds and thoughts of young promising ponies!”
Mr. Cake picked up without hesitation, “Where one pony stands against the odds to make a name for himself!”
“He’s craftier!” Shouted the wife.
“And he’s smarter!” Responded the husband.
The couple had made their way to the center of the nearly empty dining room and pressed their hooves together. They recited the final lines in tandem with vigor, “And he works much, much harder! The greatest inventor around! Auto Maton, pony of Steamquestria!”
The couple began giggling despite needing to catch their breaths after their impromptu performance. Starlight wasn’t certain if she should clap or flee. She decided to do neither and simply asked a clarifying question, “Um…what?”
The Cakes weren't discouraged by Starlight’s lackluster response. They made their way over to the table as Mr. Cake pointed at the lunchbox, Mrs. Cake squealed in excitement at the sight of it.
“Oh dear, you two aren’t fans of the Amazing Auto Maton?” After seeing the younger ponies’ continued confusion, Mrs. Cake explained further. She pointed to the cartoon on the box, “This here is Auto Maton. He was a very popular character a few years ago. He had comics, books, and even a movie.”
Starlight took a moment to actually study the character. He was a brown earth pony with a silver mane. Goggles adorned his head, and he wore a vest full of tools and gears. He rode atop a hovercraft, flying over a city emitting dirt and smog.
Mrs. Cake smiled fondly. “He also had the radio show, which we would listen to all the time when Pinkie first came to Ponyville. She adored the character. We would recite the opening announcement when the broadcast aired and drink hot cocoa as we listened.” Mrs. Cake’s eyes seemed shinier than before, “It was one of the first things that we really bonded with her about.”
Starlight wasn’t sure what to say, so she went with what she knew. “Well, we came across this lunchbox… um recently. And we’re not sure who it belongs to. But we did find this weird note.”
The couple overlooked the note placed in front of them. Starlight didn’t know what to expect from them, but it was worth a shot. Mrs. Cake lifted the sheet in her hooves and pulled it close to her eyes, then she lifted it to the ceiling. She gasped as the fluorescent light shined on the paper. “Take a look at this ginger snap.”
Mr. Cake joined his wife in earnest and looked up in awe. “Wow! It looks like you girls may have an Auto Maton level quest ahead of you.”
“I think I know exactly what you girls need. Be back in a jiff.” Mrs. Cake charged upstairs as Mr. Cake showed the paper to Starlight. It looked exactly the same as before.
“Auto Maton wasn’t only an inventor. He was a bit of an explorer, superhero, and detective wrapped into one. Foals could buy all types of gadgets straight from the show and use them to decode messages in and out of the series.” He explained.
Mrs. Cake returned with a pen in her muzzle. An image of Auto Maton holding a magnifying glass was wrapped around it. Mr. Cake placed the paper in front of his wife, and the trio of ponies watched her scribble around the existing message.
Words began to appear within the black scribbles, revealing a longer message. Mrs. Cake flashed a proud grin and clicked the pen. “A message in invisible ink. Only decipherable to those in possession of an Auto Maton patented pen.”
Mr. Cake gave his wife a quick kiss on the cheek before sliding the paper toward Trixie and Starlight. There was significantly more on the paper than originally believed. This was certainly an interesting development.
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It was only fair that Starlight offered the quest to the Cakes since they were the ones that solved the mystery. She was somewhat relieved when they declined her offer, stating that their busy schedule prevented them from going on an off-the-rails adventure. They did concede that they would appreciate hearing all about it though and set the mares on their way with the completed order. Trixie absent-mindedly munched on a cookie while Starlight reread the message:
Where moss and acid meet
In a place filled with peat
A grand treasure is hidden
Where solar drops have fallen
There a gift of bits ready to take
But A Journey You Must Make
And yet there is more
If you are willing to explore
Below is a counter to the night
A star that will ignite
Good Luck Little Pony!
Remnants of cookie flew out of Trixie’s mouth as she spoke, “Now this is something befitting of Trixie’s time and effort. I’d much rather unearth a bunch of bits than help Twilight construct an underwater gymnasium.”
Starlight sighed as she steadied the boxes of cupcakes balancing on her back. “Trixie you know that it’s a lab being built and not a gym. And Twilight wants to get this whole mess situated as quickly as possible. She’s probably ready to put that thing back in the ground by now.”
The pair entered the castle where the faint sound of voices and laughter echoed throughout the otherwise vacant corridors. They had stumbled into a wildly different atmosphere when they returned to the room that was temporarily housing the time capsule. A movie projector at the center of the room displayed a video while Twilight, Spike, and the volunteers laid about on their own pillows and blankets. The capsule was being used as an improvised screen while the smell of fresh popcorn wafted through the air. Starlight almost didn’t want to disturb the comfortable scene, but she really needed to speak with Twilight.
“Hey everycreature, we’re back! And we brought cookies and cupcakes!” She shouted, hastily placing down the boxes of pastries and pushing Trixie aside to evade the oncoming stampede. They stood to the side and watched Twilight apprehend two chocolate cupcakes for herself and Spike. The little dragon uttered a, “thank you,” before rushing to return to his seat, Twilight watched him go before joining Starlight and Trixie.
“Thanks, girls. I owe you one.”
Trixie looked at her surroundings skeptically. “And whatever happened to getting this project done quickly and safely? To think, using the items meant for future Ponyvillians as quick entertainment. For shame Princess Twilight, for shame.”
Twilight grew flustered at Trixie’s accusation. “W-well some stuff came up. I feel like I need to plan this whole thing out a little better. We have no idea what we’re dealing with here. I mean, we found an entire crossbow and a set of arrows just sitting in a pile! Why would somepony even do that! And clearly, somepony in the past thought it would be a good idea to throw some very suggestive posters and magazines in there too! And the students are on their break, and they deserve some fun. This could be a great learning experience, once we iron out the kinks. Just look.” She directed the mares’ attention to the video playing behind them.
The film reel detailed a day in the life of the average pony in Ponyville, although it was apparent that the video was more of an introduction than a point-of-view. The ponies present behaved amicably, smiling and waving to the camera. They spoke about their lives and answered questions about what the future might look like. The filmmaker, a young stallion named Steadicam, could be heard behind the camera asking questions and talking to the host. Twilight didn’t recognize Steadicam from the brief glimpses that she saw of him, but she did know the host. The familiar voice of Pinkie Pie blared out of the speakers as she reappeared in front of the camera.
She held a microphone that may or may not have been picking up audio. She still wore the same pair of bulky glasses that obscured her face, and she donned a mustache that she rubbed her hoof across.
“Wowie, those dance moves sure were wonderific Cheerlie! The ponies of the future will be totally impressed by your tubular choreography.”
The camera zoomed out as Pinkie skipped away from Cheerlie. She hummed a quick tune into the mic while searching for her next segment.
“Now let’s see what else this wonderful town of Ponyville has to offer us dear future ponies. Let’s se- Ohmygoodnesslookatthat!”
A scuffle could be heard as Pinkie slammed into the camera and swung it in the opposite direction. Steadicam could be heard in a low mumble, “Hey watch the camera Pinks this is fine equip- oh woah!”
The camera zoomed in on the sky where a trail of rainbows rapidly appeared. The sound of galloping overtook the audio as the duo made their way to a small clearing.
The rainbow trail formed a figure eight in the sky and then descended towards the ground. Rainbow Dash stumbled a bit upon landing, an expression of panic crossed her face before she steadied herself. She looked up at the camera and gave her best attempt at her signature cocky grin.
In the present day, the watchers of the clip were becoming more animated. Whispers regarding, ‘Professor Dash,’ were spoken among the many miniature groups that littered the floor. Twilight knew for a fact that this was Professor Dash a few years ago. She beckoned Starlight and Trixie to join her and Spike’s spot as she watched her friend’s interaction. Rarity wasn’t kidding about Dash having a ‘unique,’ manecut. Dash’s hair was even shorter than its current state and it was wilder and shaggier than ever. She wore black lightning bolt earrings in her ears. And she seemed to have taken the time to circle her eyes with black eyeliner.
Pinkie crawled over to the pegasus as she held a paper bag to her muzzle. She might have been trying to speak, but her words were suppressed by her hyperventilating. Rainbow Dash paid her little attention, swooping up the mic with one swift move of her wing.
“Alright folks, quiet down now. I know you’re all probably surprised to see a pony as important as myself hanging out in this little town, but don’t worry I’m just visiting a friend. I know what you’re probably thinking. Is that, The Rainbow Dash? You’ll be happy to know that yeah I am The Rainbow Dash, greatest Wonderbolt of all time and breaker of the sound barrier.”
Steadicam snorted from behind the camera. “Yeah right.”
Rainbow stepped forward with a frown. “What did you say? Are you doubting The Dash? Listen pal let’s race right here, right now!” Rainbow’s hooves stomped the ground as she put her game face on.
Steadicam took a step back. “Woah I can’t race you. I got a masterpiece to film. And I don’t even have wings, I’m a unicorn.”
Rainbow Dash backed up with a smug look on her face. She held up the mic and looked around at an imagined audience, “You hear that folks. This pony right here is too chicken to back up his words. I got other things to do anyway. Later eggheads.” Rainbow snickered as she launched herself into the air.
Steadicam groaned and muttered to himself, “If only I could have gotten footage of one of her ten billion crash landings. She’s left potholes all over the place.”
Pinkie gasped and picked up the mic. She came face-to-face with the camera showing off her massive cyan eyes. “Wasn’t that SPECTACULAR everypony. She was all woosh and zoom and blam. Then she was all, ‘I’m The Dash,’ she’s so cool. Fluttershy’s sooooo lucky to know her well. Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! We NEED to find Fluttershy. She’s suuuuper quiet but she can talk to animals. She’s probably with Rarity right now. Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! We NEED to find Rarity. She’s one of the most prettiest and fashionable ponies in all Equestria. We told her we’d stop by while filming the video. Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! Do you think she’s waiting for us? Do you think she’s sitting around wondering when we’ll stop by? Do you think that she’s mad at me for making her wait and wonder when we’re stopping by? We have to go right now Cammy, there’s no time to waste.”
The camera jerked forward as Pinkie grabbed Steadicam and entered a full throttle trot through town. He desperately tried to at least capture a little bit of the town with his camera as they plowed through. The flurry of movement only stopped when Pinkie emitted yet another earth-shattering gasp. She jumped into a backflip, which would have been impressive had she not completely failed at it. But Pinkie wasn’t fazed. She bounced back up to her hooves like a bouncy ball.
She dramatically slid into a familiar stall in what seemed to be Ponyville’s marketplace. One of her forelegs wrapped around Applejack’s neck as she sang out, “Applejack~ Is back~.”
Applejack didn’t just look unamused, she looked a little angry.
Twilight noticed that Applejack was lacking her signature hat and her mane was done up in two pigtails tied with the same red bands that she used currently. Aside from looking more than a little upset, she looked tired. Dark bags formed under her eyes, and her countenance lacked the subtle warmth that Twilight associated with her presence. Twilight couldn’t help but feel a pit form in her stomach in anticipation of some unknown disaster.
Pinkie’s joy was unwavering. She held up the mic to Applejack’s muzzle and offered her the opportunity to introduce herself. The young farmer only scowled at the apprentice baker, then scowled at the camera.
Pinkie pouted. “You really don’t want to be a part of the video Applejack?”
“Pinkie! I done told you that I ain’t got the time for this dumb video or nothin’!” Applejack snarled.
The pink filly continued to smile despite being discouraged by Applejack’s lack of excitement. “But what about the ponies of the future Applejack?” She whimpered.
Applejack scoffed. “The ponies of the future. The ponies of the future! I don’t care about no ponies of the future! Why would I waste my time on a bunch of ponies that don’t even exist yet? I’ll tell you what, I do got a message for them future dwellers. If you’re watchin’ this durin’ any time period, I just want you to know that you can ea-”
Twilight took the liberty of pausing the recording, much to the irritation of the enthralled audience. She clapped her hooves together. “Alright everycreature! It's been a long day and there’s still plenty of footage to watch and work to be done. So why don’t we turn in, rest up, and start up again tomorrow.”
She watched as the students collected their things and slowly sifted out of the room. Only Starlight, Trixie, and Twilight remained.
Starlight picked up one of the few remaining cookies and watched Twilight search the room for any trash. “Quite the sudden end to the film there Twilight. Are you alright?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good Starlight. Thank you for asking. After what I’ve seen today there are so many new questions that I want to ask my friends. I just feel like maybe I should just ask them when they get back instead of watching it all play out on screen.” She pawed at the ground as her thoughts rattled around in her head.
Trixie plopped onto her haunches and blew a raspberry. “You really can’t be away from them for too long, can you Sparkle?”
Starlight was relieved to see a soft smile return to Twilight’s face as she mulled over Trixie’s words. “Well Trixie, when you spend so much time going on wacky adventures with ponies, you start to develop an affinity for them.”
“Speaking of wacky adventures,” Starlight saw this as an opportunity to inform Twilight of their new obligations, “Trixie and I have had… uh something come up. An errand that we will need to take care of over the next day or so.”
Twilight brought her hoof up to her mouth to cover a yawn, “Sure thing Starlight. I am not going to pretend that I have enough restraint to not obsess over the treasure trove of history we found today. This might take a bit longer than originally hoped. Let me know if you need any help with your errand. I’m going to head to bed.”
The unicorns watched Twilight go, listening to her steps as they grew fainter and fainter.
“Trixie understands why you were so vague about the quest since Princess Sparkle might have tried to convince us to use our bits to build a laboratory at the center of the earth. However, maybe she could help us find some sort of spell that can perhaps… help us locate the treasure.”
“No Trixie, we won’t be using spells to complete this quest. We’re doing this Auto Maton style!” Starlight took a battle stance and held up a defiant hoof.
“Trixie hopes that this isn’t the result of what that rainbow one said the other day.”
“What. No way. I just feel like going magicless for this one honors the spirit of the adventure. We just have to be a little bit craftier, and smarter, and work much, much harder.”
An awkward silence enveloped the two ponies as the faint chirp of crickets could be heard from outside. Trixie let out a melodramatic sigh as she collapsed onto the ground.