Chell was in a dull, white room, holding a portal gun in her hand. There was nothing here, nothing but tests upon endless tests. She spent hours flinging herself through portals and flying through the air across gaps. On every occasion, she would sprint across some orange propulsion gel, or bounce on top blue repulsion gel. Many times, she found herself drifting through a swirling excursion funnel or walking atop a bridge made of light.
It was all the same, though: an endless sensation of disorientation from portalling. Chell knew not how long it would last, but there was some sleepy comfort from the repetition. It was all she had ever known. But what was she doing this for?
Wait. Was that… an EXIT sign? Yes! Yes! It was! Chell ran towards the dim green letters in the distance, but was trapped in frustrating slowness, like running through water. And the closer she got, the more that got in her way. Walls, lasers, crushers, turrets, even energy pellets… everything was trying to kill her. But she was fast, and she was nimble. There was nothing that could stop her. She found a way to dodge every one of them. She timed her way past crushers, slid past lasers, dodged energy pellets, and portalled around turrets.
Finally, she made it to the exit. At the end of the room was a single plain door. A bright light permeated through the door’s perimeter. She was no longer holding the portal gun, so she put her right hand on the handle. She pushed down and opened the door, opening to the brightness beyond. To… outside.
The first thing that she saw was a beautiful, taintless blue sky. She was standing on a lush green field that stretched far beyond the eye could see. The air was sweet and filled with the pleasant sound of birds chirping. There was no testing here, no portals, nothing. Even the door itself was gone. Chell was all alone.
But then, a small yellow creature slowly approached. It was… a pony? Yes! It was Fluttershy, her friend. Following her, a slew of familiar faces arrived. There was Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, and finally, Ditzy Doo. She knew all of them, and she knew them well. And what happened before did not matter. All that did matter was her friends. She wanted to tell them how much she loved them, how much they meant to her, but she couldn’t speak. What time she had to spend with them was far too short.
“Who are you kidding? You don’t have any friends,” said a cold, mechanical voice. It was… her… A daunting, towing mechanical alicorn stood in front of Chell. “You know, you were never supposed to be here. It’s just a delusion to make yourself feel better; a happy lie to hide the pain, the pain of being alone and unloved. Your entire life in this stupid, pony-filled place has been one big, nauseating mistake. But don’t worry, I’m going to fix that for you.”
Her eyes turned red and emitted powerful beams of intense fire, which scorched the landscape in a blazing inferno. Everything around Chell was burning except for her, her friends, and the machine. The ponies panicked, trying to escape the raging flames, but there was no escape from her rage. She effortlessly levitated them with some telekinetic force.
“You won’t need these anymore.” Using her telekinesis, she brutally eviscerated each and every one of Chell’s friends.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Their blood-curdling screams were filled with pure terror.
Chell sat upright in her bed, finding out that the scream was her own, or rather it came from her necklace, which she had forgotten to take off before going to bed. Her heart was racing, and sweat was pouring down her face. She put her hooves in front of her, just to make sure that she was still a pony and not human again.
She looked over to Ditzy in the other bed, who had been awakened by the scream. Ditzy’s front hooves were over her ears. She groaned in frustration, but slowly became aware of her surroundings. Ditzy noticed Chell sitting up in her bed and saw the look of terror on her face. “What’s wrong, Chell?” she asked with concern.
Chell couldn’t control her anxiety, but found relief seeing Ditzy alive and in one piece. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay!” She stumbled out of bed and onto Ditzy’s, squeezing her in a frightened hug.
“What happened? Bad dream?”
Chell nodded her head, then pulled away from the embrace to look Ditzy in the eyes, which was a little difficult on account of Ditzy’s condition.
Chell was panting. “She… killed you. She killed all of you. All my friends, they were dead. And Equestria burned. There was nothing left.”
“Aw, Chell, it’ll be alright,” Ditzy consoled. “I’m here. I’ll always be here for you.”
It was then that Chell remembered Fluttershy… and Twilight. She wished for their misfortunes to only be part of the dream, but unfortunately, the reality was otherwise.
“How can you be sure of that?” Chell panicked. “She already took Fluttershy from us, and then Twilight. How can I know if we'll ever see them again? She could just as easily hurt any one of my other friends, including you. I have no reason to believe that she won't fulfill her word.”
“Do you want me to help you stop her?” Ditzy offered.
“No, Ditzy. I can’t risk harm coming to my friends, I need to face her alone.”
“What?” Ditzy retorted. “I can’t let you go by yourself. We’re all going to suffer if she isn’t stopped, anyway. You need somepony who will have your back.”
“You don’t get it, Ditzy!” Chell snapped. “She’s extremely dangerous, and she wants nothing more than to hurt my friends. You’re putting yourself in danger by coming with me. She can manipulate me just by threatening you. I can’t… lose another friend to that monster. That’s why I must go alone.”
“She’s not just your responsibility. She’s taken something from all of us. I don’t know what I’d do if she took my muffin from me. But I don’t want to argue with you. We’ll figure out what to do with the princesses tomorrow, okay? Let’s just get back to sleep.”
“I… I can’t sleep. Not after what I just saw. I can’t face those nightmares, again.”
Ditzy placed a hoof on Chell’s shoulder. “I know it’s hard for you, but you’re not alone. We’ll get through this together.”
“I’m not sure I can even sleep alone. Ditzy, can you… stay with me tonight?”
“Of course,” Ditzy replied without hesitation. Chell moved back into her bed and scooted over to make room for Ditzy. Chell turned away, facing the wall. Ditzy moved onto the bed beside her friend. She could feel Chell’s anxiety from how close she was. She leaned a hoof on her shoulder in calming assurance. “Shhhh…” Ditzy whispered. “I promise that we’ll get through this together.”
Ditzy remembered an old lullaby that she knew. She never thought of herself as much of a singer, but she sang as sweetly and as delicately as she could.
“Goodnight, my friend.
Let this long day end.
Don’t be afraid,
For I will protect you.
Close your eyes,
Until the sun will rise.
Don’t cry.
I will make sure
You will be alright.
So, listen gently
To this goodnight.”
Ditzy gently hummed the next part of the melody before singing the last verse.
“Let all your dreams
Provide you with peace.
I will protect you.
Nightmares will cease.
Go to sleep.
Don’t make a single peep.
Don’t weep.
I will make sure
You will be okay.
So, goodnight, dear Chell.
Until next day.”
Chell was fast asleep. The remainder of her night would be free from nightmares, but the worry still lingered in the back of her mind. Nothing was certain besides one thing: having Ditzy by her side made her feel a bit better, if only for the while that it lasted.
The next morning greeted Equestria with a harsh, red glow from the east. The crimson sun glared ominously across the landscape, casting dark long shadows from every home, every tree, and every mountain. It contrasted fiercely against the deep shades of red that bathed the land, almost as if foreshadowing a fiery destruction. The strange red light shone through the bedroom window, casting the room in its hue.
Chell woke up to the sight of her friend, who was still asleep. For the moment, she forgot about everything, who she was, where she was, or what was happening. All that mattered was that she was with someone that she cared about. The sight of Ditzy was calming. Nothing else was important. There was nowhere to be or nothing to do, but be here, safe and cozy in bed.
But that red light. There was something… off about it. At first, Chell didn’t think about it, but the longer her eyes were open, the more it bothered her. Something wasn’t right. Wait! Could it be? Was it too late? Chell rolled off the bed and onto the floor. She galloped to the window and looked outside, expecting to see everything on fire. Instead, she only saw a particularly red sunrise.
Chell felt relief at first, but then the odd color of the sun started bothering her. It was just not what sunrises looked like in Equestria. As she wondered why the sun looked like so, she heard a knocking on the door. She walked downstairs and opened the door, to be greeted by Princess Celestia… again.
“Good morning, Chell,” the princess said. Her voice was slow and solemn. She closed her eyes briefly before resuming. “I’m sorry to wake you up so early. I admit I have been less than patient regarding the current situation. But there is something important that you should see.”
“That’s alright. I actually just woke up.” Chell said. Although in truth, she was feeling drowsy and lacked coordination, and her eyes were heavy with sleep, none of that was apparent from the way she spoke, since talking was an effortless action for her.
“Could you please come to the castle with me?” Celestia requested. “This situation is very urgent.”
Chell squinted her eyes, trying to wake herself up. “Right… of course. Um… does this have anything to do with the sun? Why is it red?”
“Oh, that.” Celestia chuckled awkwardly. “No, it doesn’t. Not directly, anyway. The red color of the sunrise is nothing to worry about. I just thought I would let Luna raise the sun this morning. She still needs practice, but I am proud of her, nonetheless.”
Something didn’t seem right about all of this to Chell. There was something that Celestia wasn’t saying. Why would she be letting her sister raise the sun? Unless…
“Chell, there’s a lot I must tell you, and I’d rather tell you in the privacy of the castle. For every minute that goes by, Twilight is suffering. You know that she is very dear to me. It was difficult enough to make it through the night. I desperately wanted to act, but there is something that you must see first. I thought it would be best to wait until the morning to show you.”
Chell lowered her head, closed her eyes, and sighed heavily. After she gathered her wits, she glanced back up at the princess. “Okay, but let me tell Ditzy, first.”
“Of course. I’ll take us back to the castle afterwards. There, I will explain everything,” Celestia said.
Chell walked back upstairs. She quietly entered the bedroom, where Ditzy was still sound asleep. The red sunlight was casting an orange hue on her blonde mane, but it did not wake her. Chell gently nudged the sleeping pegasus. “Good morning, Ditzy.”
“Huh… mmmmm...” Ditzy moaned. She squinted from the harsh light on her face. In response, Chell closed the shades. Although Ditzy was awake, she didn’t feel like getting out of bed yet. The postmare was used to waking up early, but yesterday’s events left her exhausted.
“I have to go to the castle with Celestia,” Chell explained. “I’m not quite sure what’s going on, but I should be back sometime later. I just want you to know.”
“Mmm… okay…” It took a while for Ditzy to actually comprehend what Chell was saying. “Wait. Did she say what for?” Ditzy asked after gathering her wits.
“No, but she said it was important. I imagine it has something to do with GLaDOS or Twilight. I’ll let you know what’s going on when I get back. Just get some more sleep.” Chell paused for a moment, thinking about how Ditzy gave her comfort the night before.
“And Ditzy…. Thanks for last night. Where did you learn that song?”
Ditzy opened her unfocused, golden eyes. “My mother… used to sing it for me when I was a filly, with slightly different words, of course. I always wanted to sing it for Dinky, but I never could because of my spatch problem. So, thank you… for giving me a voice.”
Chell’s heart melted a little bit, and her eyes teared a little. “Thank you, Ditzy, for being there for me… when I needed you. I’ll see you later,” Chell said as she left the room.
Back downstairs, Celestia was waiting by the door.
“Okay, Celestia. I’m ready to go,” Chell told her.
The princess closed her eyes and prepared the teleportation spell. A bright flash of light enveloped both Chell and Celestia, and they were gone.
Chell found herself appearing in the in the majestic towering halls of Canterlot Castle. “What’s going on, Princess?” Chell asked. “What did you want to show me?”
“Follow me,” Celestia said, as she walked through the hall, allowing Chell to follow by her side. As they walked, Celestia turned her head to Chell. “Last night, something peculiar happened. Do you remember telling me about that core, Wheatley?”
Chell’s ears perked up from hearing that name. She tilted her head a little bit. “Ye — yes, but what does that have to… do you mean?”
“Indeed. Last night, he and two other cores suddenly appeared on the moon. It seems to be a result of something that GLaDOS had done.”
Chell was further perplexed. “The moon? Wait, GLaDOS? How do you know that she did that?”
Celestia explained: “A bright pillar of light shot out from the mountains to the southeast last night. The light spanned from the tallest peak of Mt. Withers to the moon itself. The event caused a portal from your world to appear on the moon, which brought Wheatley and those other two to this world. Luna went up to the moon to investigate, and saw the cores there. I know GLaDOS is responsible because I felt Twilight’s magic was behind the event. Now, there is no doubt where GLaDOS is hiding, although in hindsight, it’s rather obvious. Those mountains are not too far from Sky Mirror Lake, and the Diamond Dogs live around there. You did say that is was the Diamond Dogs that took Twilight, correct?”
“Yeah, it was,” Chell verified, “but I think GLaDOS did something to them. They looked like they were being controlled. I hope she isn’t doing something similar to Twilight.”
That very suggestion caused Celestia to stop and ponder. The sad face she made caused Chell to regret saying that.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”
“No, it’s alright,” Celestia dismissed as she resumed walking. “We must expect any possibility. I worry gravely for Twilight. I’m sure you know how much she means to me. I had difficulty sleeping from thinking about what GLaDOS is doing to her.”
“I had trouble sleeping, too,” Chell admitted. “I was having nightmares about not being able to stop GLaDOS, and then losing both Equestria and my friends. I don’t think I would have been able to sleep if Ditzy hadn’t been there for me.”
“You know, she cares very much about you. You’ve been a dedicated friend to her these past few months. She never really had a friend before. I’m glad you two have gotten to know each other. Last night, it was Luna who kept me calm. Quite amazing how a little sister can do such big things. I don’t know how I survived a thousand years without her.”
“So, now that we know where GLaDOS is, we can take care of her, right?”
Celestia said nothing for a while. “Yes… we will.”
“Okay, so how are we going to do this, then?” Chell asked.
Celestia thought carefully about what she would say. “GLaDOS must be stopped. Even Luna and I were no match for her sheer technological might when she first attacked.”
Celestia took a moment to reflect on the events that caused her to be captured three months ago. “Those flying drones took us completely by surprise. They swarmed the castle en masse and captured ponies left and right. My entire guard disappeared right before my eyes; even the pegasi couldn’t escape. The destinations on the other ends of the portals were depressurized, so the ponies were sucked right in. Any pegasi that were already off the ground were shot with tranquilizer darts. It was only a few seconds before they would land on the ground, where capturing them was even easier.
“But my sister and I did not go down without a fight. We fought against those drones using our magic, eliminating hundreds of them. But they were almost infinite in numbers, and we could not hold them off forever. A few of them were equipped with rockets, and they fired them at us. Although we could block the rockets with our magic, they exploded when they contacted our barriers. The drones bombarded us endlessly, and after absorbing countless explosions, Luna’s magic failed, and she collapsed. But I held out the bombardment as long as I could, protecting Luna as well as myself. However, It was only a matter of time, before I too, succumbed to exhaustion, and my shield was shattered. I fell alongside my sister on the floor, and the next thing I felt was the piercings of a hundred darts. They swarmed around us and carried us off to Sky Mirror Lake.
“Once I was there, I could no longer use my magic. I was powerless and afraid, and I let that monster get the better of me. But after meditating on GLaDOS’s weaknesses, I managed to exploit them. I’ll admit that I had quite a fun time doing so, but deep down, I truly feared what she could do, especially to my sister.
“Had I been prepared for such an attack, I probably would have defeated her. It was only because she had the element of surprise that she was able to capture me. She doesn’t have nearly as many assets as before, but she is the same as when you faced her, and she nearly killed you then. It was only because of Caroline that GLaDOS was defeated and you survived.
“Princess,” Chell inquired, “What exactly are you getting at?”
“Yesterday, a dark unicorn met with me. I had never seen him before, but he stopped time itself just to talk to me, and then he appeared out of thin air. His powers were beyond anything I had ever seen. I am almost certain that he does not come from this world. He is the one who mentioned that something would happen on the moon, which is the only reason why we expected that. He also told me… he told me that something bad will happen if you try to fight her. You cannot defeat her.”
“I can at least try!”
“No. If you fight her… it will only make things worse.”
“How? How does this guy know any of this?” Chell asked.
“I — I don’t know, but he was right about the moon, and I have little reason to doubt that what he said about you is the truth. But there is one other thing. He said… you… will die.”
“Then I’ll die! I would rather lose my life than lose Equestria.”
“Chell, I cannot let you do this.”
“I have to stop her. There is no way I can let her destroy this place.”
“Chell, she is not your burden. Equestria is my responsibility. You have no obligation to sacrifice your own life for ours.”
“If I hadn’t risked my life before, you would still be in that place, and so would everypony else. Is that what you want for Equestria? Do you know what my previous life was like? There was nothing! I remember nothing! All I remember is GLaDOS waking me up to do testing. I don’t know anything about who I was before. I don’t even know my own last name. Why do you even care about me? You barely know me, so why does my life even matter to you? What am I but another face in your long, immortal life?”
“Every life matters to me. But I do care about you, Chell. Several millennia of life has granted me the intuition to read a pony’s heart, and I can see all that you’ve been through. Your tale is a painful one, and yet your character remains strong and true. You had never been given the chance of happiness in your previous life, and yet you found it here in Equestria. And when that happiness was threatened just a short while ago, you risked your life to protect that happiness — to protect us. And now that Equestria is threatened once more, you selflessly offer your life again for the good of all of us.”
“Thanks, but… I’m no hero. I just want to be happy, and I can’t let GLaDOS take that away from me. Please, I need to do this. What would you suggest instead?”
“I don’t know, Chell, I don’t know.”
The two mares continued walking until they reached a small room where all three of the cores were being stored. Chell was feeling somewhat nervous about the concept of facing Wheatley again. Not that she was afraid he could do any harm, but she wasn’t particularly in the mood to hear his long-winded rants. The princess opened the door and entered, Chell following apprehensively.
The Space Core was the first to notice them. He gasped. “Poni poni poni poni poni ponee ponaaaaayyyyy!”
It woke the other cores up. The Adventure Core was not pleased. “Aw, damnit! Why couldn’t they keep me away from Space Cadet over here?”
“Space.”
The adventure core noticed the two ponies entering the room and fixed his gaze upon Celestia. “’Ey, you! Magic unicorn rainbow princess! I thought I told you Ah wanted mah own damn room!”
Celestia ignored those two cores and looked at the one with the blue eye. “Wheatley, I brought someone for you.”
He looked at the small orange pony who was standing behind Celestia. “What is that, you brought in a cute little horse? What, do you want me to ride it or something?”
“Wheatley?” Chell peeped.
“Woah! Who said that?” Wheatley exclaimed upon hearing the voice from Chell’s necklace gem.
Chell came out from behind Celestia and approached the blue core. “Wheatley, it’s me, Chell.”
“Chell? No, she doesn’t talk. Who’s saying that? Oh, I see what’s going on, here. Someone’s speaking into a microphone somewhere, and it’s coming out of the speaker around this horse’s neck, right?”
“Wheatley, it’s me. I’m a pony, now. This necklace lets me speak.” Chell looked into his eye, assuring him that she indeed was the one speaking.
“Whoa, this is getting weird. Stop looking at me like that. Nope, nope, nope, this is just too crazy. I’m in a land of magical talking horses, and one of them tells me that she’s Chell. How can Chell be a pony? She’s human! Did you people take her brain out or something and put her in this pony body? ‘Cause that would be really cool… and weird. So, what exactly’s going on here?”
“Heya, wait a minute. So, you’re that pretty little gal from before?” The Adventure Core said. “Well, let me just say you’re lookin’ mighty fine as a pony. Still just as beautiful, if ya’ don’t mind me sayin’. Ya’ know, I don’t really care what species you are. So whatdaya’ say we go have ourselves a little adventure later, if you catch my drift?”
“Oh, that’s sweet… and… kinda creepy. So, sorry,” Chell politely declined.
“Oh! It’s the space lady. Hey, space lady. Space, lady! I love you ‘cause you sent me to space, and I really, really love space. SPACE! I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Space!”
“Um, Celestia, would you mind if we took this conversation somewhere else?” Chell asked the princess.
“Sure,” Celestia said to Chell before turning her attention to the cores. “I hope you don’t mind, but we need a little privacy right now.”
“Of course I mind!” yelled the Adventure Core. “How about a little privacy for me from crazy Spacey over here?”
Princess Celestia granted the Adventure Core’s request by putting him and the space core into two separate rooms. At last, the only ones remaining were Chell, Wheatley, and the princess. Finally, Chell could talk freely to the core who had betrayed her so long ago.
“It’s me,” Chell told Wheatley, hoping that he would finally see who she was. “Remember the time you told me to turn around so you could ‘hack’ the door, but you really just smashed it? Or when you first turned on your flashlight and thought it would kill you? Or when you first came off the rail, and I tried to catch you but fumbled? You may have been a bit dense at times, but you always had good ideas. Remember how it was you who thought of corrupting the turret line and destroying the neurotoxin generator? We were such a great team. You and I both managed to defeat GLaDOS that one time, and then you almost let me go free, but then you didn’t. Why?”
Wheatley finally understood who he was speaking to. He didn’t know how it happened, but he believed that this indeed really was Chell.
“All I ever wanted was to be free. Wasn’t that the whole point of you helping me? So, why did you keep me there, and why did you say those horrible things? I never called you a moron, and I never thought you were one, so why did you take it out on me? The things you said… hurt me. And I couldn’t even say anything back to you. I couldn’t even tell you how much you were hurting me. You hurt me because I trusted you. You were the only one who ever cared about me, so why did you betray me?”
“Listen, luv, I want to apologize for the terrible things I've said to you. Because I've said lots of terrible things. Lots and lots of things. Oh, and trying to kill you! That was wrong... trying to kill you... I apologize... from the bottom of my heart... because I tried to kill you... which was wrong… and I'm sorry. I'm... so, so sorry. So very, very sorry. I mean, I don't know why I acted like that. Most of what I said wasn't even true. I don’t even know why I said those things.”
“But why?”
“I don’t know, I don’t know. I just did. All I can say is that I feel really bad about all those things I said and did, and I just wish I could take it all back.”
Chell was having trouble deciding whether she could forgive Wheatley so easily.
“I know I hurt you, and I hate myself for it. I spent every minute on the moon thinking about it, wishing I could go back and redo everything, because, given the chance, I’d take it all back.”
Celestia interjected with her own insight. “Chell, last night, Wheatley explained that his new body was rewarding certain behaviors with a pleasure response. It seems very reminiscent of a chemically induced addiction. Wheatley, explain to Chell how you felt when you assumed control over the facility.”
“Well, it was like, I was the biggest thing in the world, like I could do everything. And you became so tiny. Everything else was just so insignificant. It was like nothing I did really mattered, since I had the power to do anything. It was way too much power. It — it all went to my head… or sphere… or computer… or whatever my thinky thingy is called. I couldn’t even see what I was doing because it was so overwhelming.
“And then the desire to test came in. I had to test you, because it felt sooo good whenever you solved a test. But as I became used to the sensation, it just — I needed it more. It didn’t feel quite as good, but I was going mad without it. It was driving me insane. And I felt as if the whole world was working against me. I thought that you never cared about me, because why should you? Why should anyone care about stupid little Wheatley? Nobody ever loves Wheatley. I was in pain, and I could only imagine that you didn’t care about me. Nobody ever did. Nobody ever saw me as anything except the stupid moron that I was made to be… and nothing else… nothing at all.”
Chell couldn’t help but feel sorry for Wheatley as he recounted his bitter feelings. Her eyes were getting watery, but Wheatley hadn’t noticed.
“But none of that is any excuse for the way I treated you. That entire time, I spent thinking of how I wronged you. And nothing was worse than knowing that I’d never get the opportunity to apologize. I don’t know how you or I ended up here, but I’m so thankful to be given this opportunity. Please, Chell. I’m sorry. I really am. I understand if you can’t forgive me, but—”
Any resentment that Chell had for Wheatley vanished like a thin piece paper burning into smoke and ash. Her heart was overcome with joy as it was voided of animosity and bitterness. The lifted weight provided a breath of elation, which flooded her heart as her eyes flooded with tears. She lunged toward Wheatley and wrapped her hooves around the core as tightly as she could.
“Of course I forgive you, Wheatley.”
“What? Wait… you — you do?”
Chell wiped a tear. “What happened wasn’t your fault. You were corrupted the same way GLaDOS was.”
The utterance of her name reminded Chell of the current circumstance. “GLaDOS!”
“Wait! What? What about GLaDOS?” Wheatley asked.
“Celestia, have you told Wheatley about what’s going on?”
The princess winced bashfully. “No, I haven’t. I thought I’d let him speak with you first. Would you like to get him up to speed yourself, or would you rather I tell him?”
“I’ll tell him.” Although Chell could breathe and talk at the same time, she took a deep breath anyway. She took the time to explain how she found herself and the entire Enrichment Center falling through a giant portal into Equestria, how she adjusted to her new life, and how two weeks later, GLaDOS gathered hundreds of ponies as test subjects. She told of their confrontation and Aperture's ultimate destruction. She then told Wheatley about the more recent events that happened in the past day.
After Chell finished, Celestia chimed in. “It’s also likely that she intentionally brought you here, although for what exact reason, I am not aware. She is using my student, Twilight to harness her powerful, magical energy. I believe she will do something with consequences that will affect all of Equestria. I fear for what she will do to my kingdom.”
“Did — did I just hear you say magic? Magic? Oh, so that explains the whole talking ponies thing. Oh, also, E-ques-tri-a. Love the name. It’s such a funny… pun… punny. Actually, I did not make that up, sadly.”
“Wheatley!” Chell stormed. “Did you just hear a thing that we just said? GLaDOS is going to destroy this world unless we do something to stop her!”
“Wha — whaaaaa? I thought you were just joking with me, because the last time I remember, she and you were best buddies, teaming up against me… calling be a moron. Yep, you two were palling around, sending me to the bloody moon.”
Chell gritted her teeth and stomped her front hooves on the ground. “I just forgave you, and then you immediately start acting like a jerk again!” She looked up at Celestia. “You see, this is why I have such a hard time trusting anyone. It’s this type of backstabbing that made me become so miserable.”
“Chell, calm yourself,” Celestia scolded.
“Wait, no, she’s right,” Wheatley said. “I’m… I’m so sorry, I… don’t know why I acted like that. I can be so bloody selfish at times. I forget that everything I did was my own fault. Ever since I’ve had that taste of power, sometimes I forget who I am. I never meant to hurt you. It’s just…”
…
“Yes?” Chell pryed.
“Nothing. It’s nothing. Just — just forget it. It wasn’t really important. But, I never wanted to hurt you, so, I’m really, really sorry. I just can’t believe I’m actually seeing you again. I was just, I was afraid that I never would.”
“Wheatley, is that why you wouldn’t let me go free?”
The core didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. His eyelid closed partway, expressing a genuine sadness.
“I will do anything to make it up to you. Just let me know, and consider it done.”
“Would you confront GLaDOS with me?” Chell rhetorically asked.
Wheatley’s rolled back within his chassis from shock. “Her? You want me to see her again? What if she crushes me again? You know how crushable I am. What if she brought me here just so she could crush me, then fix me and crush me again, so she could have her revenge on me for turning her into a potato? Or what if she puts me into a potato or some other fruit?”
“Don’t worry Wheatley, you will not have to face GLaDOS. I will make sure of that,” Celestia told him.
“I was just asking a hypothetical question. What I really want you to do is to meet my friends.”
“Oh, okay. That should be fun, I’m kind of stuck here, unless someone can lift me.”
“I think I’ll be able to take care of that. I have a special gift for you that I think you will enjoy. Allow me to get it for you,” Celestia said. She trotted into an adjacent room and came back after a short time, levitating what appeared to be a small helicopter rotor connected to a dome-like surface with a belt strap. It was the same type of device used to allow Rainbow Dash’s tortoise, Tank, to fly.
Wheatley’s eye lit up when he saw it. “So, that would allow me to fly?”
“Correct, you will be able to go anywhere you want. You will have full control of the rotor. Would you like me to put this on?”
“Aw, yes please!”
Celestia placed the dome on the top of Wheatley and secured it in place by fastening the strap around his sides. “Now, in order for this to work, I will have to enchant it.” She focused her magic onto the shaft connecting the rotor to the dome, as well as Wheatley himself. She linked his mind to the rotor, and poured some of her magical energy into the device. The shaft glowed the golden color of Celestia’s magic, even after she stopped casting the spell. The rotor started spinning, and Wheatley found himself hovering off the ground.
“Wow! This is incredible! I could go anywhere, now!” Wheatley’s flying was rather unstable, as he struggled to maintain a steady position. His movements were heavily exaggerated, to which he responded by overcompensating in the opposite direction. The result produced unpredictable swerving maneuvers that sent him into Chell’s direction. She ducked her head, narrowly avoiding a bump in the head or a manecut.
“Careful!” she called to him. “Just take it nice and easy. Try slowing down a little.”
“I don’t know how!” Wheatley screamed as he was losing control. He was uncontrollably ascending higher while flying close to a wall. “Get me down, get me down, get me — ahhhhh!” The rotor struck the wall, causing Wheatley to spin and fall to the floor. When he landed, the rotor was no longer spinning, although the golden aurora was still present.
“Try again, Wheatley,” Celestia said. “I’ll guide you.” The rotor activated again, causing Wheatley to ascend once more. Although he still didn’t have control over his movements, Celestia used her magic to hold him in place. This allowed him to feel how controlling the thrust of the rotor pulled him in a certain direction, without actually moving. After somewhere between five to ten minutes, he became comfortable with the control, and he was able to fly on his own without much trouble.
“I would avoid giving that to that crazy space one,” Chell joked.
“Wheatley, why don’t you try following us back?” Celestia suggested. As the two mares walked, Wheatley followed closely behind. Although sometimes, he would be a little impatient and fly around an open space when he had the chance. It was not too long before they reached Luna’s bedroom. There, Luna was waiting impatiently for Celestia to return. She was surprised to see Wheatley flying, but there was more on her mind, which kept her reaction minimal. “So, Chell, have you made peace with Wheatley?” Luna asked.
“Yes… Yes I have,” Chell responded.
“And what of you, dear sister? So you still insist on going out facing GLaDOS?”
“Hold on, wait!” Chell reacted.
Celestia took a breath. “Yes, for every minute that goes by, Twilight continues to suffer. I have been patient through the night, but I can wait no longer. GLaDOS will pay for this treachery. I must stop her now.”
“You're not going by yourself, are you? Let me come with you.”
Celestia looked down on Chell with heavy eyes. “I'm sorry, but you know why I won't allow that.”
Luna’s eyes met her sister’s with a somber gaze. “But… what if you can’t stop GLaDOS on your own?” she whispered.
Celestia walked out onto the balcony, overlooking the landscape below. “Luna, there is a reason why I had you raise the sun this morning. I am granting you complete reign over the kingdom in my absence. If I do not return, you must decide what is to be done. I know it is a big responsibility, but I have faith in you.” A tear formed from one of her eyes, but she dared not let Luna see. “Farewell, my dear, little sister. Watch over Chell… and Equestria.”
“Wait! Don’t go!” Luna cried, but it was too late. Celestia had already jumped off the balcony and was flying towards the mountains to the south.