//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: The Test // Story: Lost // by Cyanjames2819 //------------------------------// Nebula was silent the whole trip, just looking out window and into the horizon. Luna, looked at Fluttershy, sitting beside him, "So how is your wing, Fluttershy?" she asked. "It'll be fine" she stretched and flapped it a few times, "But I'm not flying for a couple of days, just to be safe" she answered. After a few more minutes, they landed down just outside the castle doors. They all got out and started going towards the doors, the guards opened it for them. The princesses got through, but then the guards suddenly pointed their spears at them. Nebula then put up a shield around him and Fluttershy and glared at them. They then pulled their spears back and stood at attention. "Come in then" Celestia said to them. They both got in, shield still circling them. The doors closed and the shield disappeared around. Fluttershy was about to say something to Celestia, but then an arrow landed right in front of her. Nebula covered her up and scanned around the room and found the threat with a crossbow standing on the windows edge. He took away the crossbow and crushed it and wrapped up the pony with his magic. The pony then fell, but was slowed down and landed not hard on the floor. Fluttershy looked at Celestia, still hiding under Nebula's wing, "What's going on here?" she asked, a little scared now. Celestia smiled, "No need to fear" she answered and started going through the hall with her sister. They both followed, Fluttershy still hiding under his wing, just to be safe. A few more tried to take Nebula down, but they all got tied up and left to struggle on the floor. They then got to a large room. It was the science lab, where they tried to figure out what went loose in Equestria. There were tables everywhere filled with papers and other scientific items with different kinds of ponies working. And at the back was the glassed ground, contained in a small glass box with a door, a light illuminating it. Celestia stopped, but Luna always had curiosity about this room and looked around. She looked at Nebula, "You may let them go now" she said to him. And in the hall, all the ponies that were tied up were now released. "You passed the first test" she congratulated him. Fluttershy slowly got out, "What was the first test?" she asked and looked around the room. "The first test was stopping the threat without killing them, and I believed he would've passed that easily. But if you weren't there to be protected by him, then I didn't know what would've happened" she said to her. "You see, he only gets orders from you, and you alone. But take you away, who knows what would have happened" she finished. "So… he passed then?" she asked again and Celestia nodded. She turned, "Now the next test" she started going in the middle of the room and they both followed her. They got to the middle and a few scientists pulled out a few random items. A couch, a plank of wood, a sapphire, a pillow, a chair, a plush manikin Rarity uses on making her dresses, a floating white cloud and a large block of steel. Celestia looked at Nebula, "These items you can chose to do yourself" she said to him. "Do what exactly?" he asked. "Anything" she answered and went to the side with the other scientist, all ready to write down on their note paper. Nebula went up to the random items and then heard the voice, but it was more direct. "Play time now? Please?" he followed the voices and they all wondered what he was listening to. The voices lead up to the plush manikin. "Play time? Please?" he heard. He thought for a moment and Celestia did say he could do Anything and he started looking around the room. Fluttershy went up to him, "Are you okay?" she asked. He then saw the glassed ground. He used his magic to levitated the thing the forced it through the glass box, shattering it. Ponies docked down from the flying glass. Before the shattered glass could land on anypony, every piece stopped and went back together in a flash. The guards tried to go, but was stopped by Celestia. Nebula levitated the mass closer to him. Then the whole thing started to crack and the glass shattered from it and the large diamond was left. He then concentrated on it and started compressing the near indestructible crystal smaller and shaped it. He finished with it and it was in the shape of a heart. He then started transferring power in the crystal heart and it started glowing. He let out a breath and levitated the glowing crystal in front of him. He looked at the manikin and went over to it, "Time for play time" he said to it. He then made a small cut on the fabric and grabbed the heart. He put the heart in and positioned it a little deeper. He quickly patched it up and closed the opening. The whole thing then started glowing and formed glowing blue eyes. Then it made a bright flash of light, blinking everypony in the room. Nebula looked and smiled. There was an all-white little pony with a short grey mane and tail, lying on the floor. He slowly went up to her; she started waking up and yawned adorably. She opened her eyes and they were sapphire blue just like him. She looked up at him, he smiled, "Good morning, Playtime" he greeted. She smiled brightly and inched closer to him to wrap her head around him. She then started getting up with wobbly legs. He then noticed a mark on her flank. He looked and saw it was a blue heart with a smiling face. He helped her up and kept her from falling over on the floor. She then looked around the room and saw Fluttershy sitting down behind her. She turned herself around and slowly started going towards her in determination. Fluttershy looked around to whom she was going to, but she was the only one there. She almost stumbled a few times but kept her balance. She giggled while doing this and kept on going towards Fluttershy. She got to her and accidently fell forward onto her. They both got on the floor and she looked at Fluttershy and giggled. She then felt her soft coat and cuddled closer to her. Fluttershy blushed and looked at Nebula then right back at her. She sat up with her and she was just stock to her now, feeling her soft coat and wings. After a moment, she finally got distracted at the random items and wobbled over to them. First, she got on the couch and rolling around on it and feeling the cushiony pad under her. Celestia went up to Nebula, watching the new comer play around on the couch. She sat down beside him, "Well, you did do something, but I never thought of you creating something like this" she said to him. "Playtime, wanted to play" he answered, watching the white pony. Playtime then licked the couch and instantly started wiping her tongue in disgust. Celestia chuckled, "But she is rather adorable" she smiled at her. Playtime slowly got off the couch and wobbled up to her hooves. She got closer to the plank of wood and slowly pocked it with her hooves. She then started moving it around, then balanced it on her muzzle and started walking, trying to balance it on her nose. She managed to get over to Nebula and smiled at him. He smiled back and patted her head. She walked off and dropped the plank on the floor. She then found the pillow on the floor. She stepped on it and then flopped down on it. She smiled and hugged it tightly. Celestia looked back at Luna and the scientists and nodded. She looked at Nebula, "Last test… would you dethrone me and my sister is you had a chance?" she asked him. He thought for a moment, "I can't say, I am still developing my personality, but if Miss Fluttershy orders me so, I would" he answered. She smiled, "I thought so" she said. Playtime then went over to the block of steel, curious of what it is. She pocked it, smelled it and even licked it. She then got on top and looked at it and stumps down. She got back down and flipped the block of metal with ease. Everypony in the room jaws dropped at what she did. Playtime sat down and lifted the block with her fore hooves and examined it. She sniffed it once more and then just put the thing down with a loud metallic thud. She then yawned and looked around for the pillow. She slowly went over to the pillow on the floor she played with and rested her head down. Nebula went over to her; she looked up at him with sleepy eyes and smiled. He then levitated her on his back with the pillow. She got herself comfortable, yawned one more time and went to sleep. Luna and Fluttershy went up to them and looked at the filly on Nebula's back, "She's strong for a filly" Luna said to him. "She looks so young" Fluttershy said and leaned in to get a better look at the filly. Playtime cracked open her eyes and saw Fluttershy. She leaned in and nuzzled her nose with hers and went right back to sleep. Fluttershy pulled back, a little surprised. Nebula looks at her, "She likes you" he said to her and looked at the sleeping filly on his back. "Well… you created a living being out of fabric and a diamond. Never thought of seeing that today" Luna said to him, "How strong is she anyways?" she asked. "Unknown" he answered, "But she can control her strength" he finished. Fluttershy looked at Celestia, "So, what's going to happen to him?" she asked hopefully. Celestia looked at her with a sly smile, "Well my little pony, if he and the little filly were to stay, they most know their place in life" she leaned in, "Care to guide and help them?" she asked, her smile widening. Fluttershy smiled brightly and bowed, "I'll do my best, Princess" she answered and stood back up to look at Nebula, resting down on the floor, and taking care of Playtime.