//------------------------------// // 5. Experiments 007 & 005 // Story: Experiment Saga // by Cinor //------------------------------// Richard Pound In: Experiment 007 + 005 “Morning, Richard,” said a semi-familiar voice. I opened my eyes. Twilight and I had been allowed to stay at the castle since our house had burned. Sunny was here too, he was staying in an adjacent room. I looked next to me for Twilight, yet something inside me told me it wasn’t going to be. “The way you said it was awfully sinister, bug, I mean Big,” said Cleisthenes. Big growled. her. I saw Big Richard lying on the covers next to me. Hurray. “What do you want, Big?” I asked. It was far too early to deal with this guy. “We’re not going to be here long, Dick. Just wanted to let you know we all support you.” He said cheerfully. I looked around the room. In addition to foreign pony, we now had Gemini and Cleisthenes. “So you’re all friends? That’s good,” I said wearily. “Important question for all of you, why are you here?” Mare Gemini spoke up, “You love us, that’s why.” Stallion Gemini nodded. Cleisthenes spoke next, “Well Richard, you could say we are your voters and” Big stopped him. “You know what I said about your analogies,” Big said. Cleisthenes looked dour. “So Richard,” he said, turning back to me, “how is life in the magical and wonderful world of Equestria?” “Lay off him,” said Stallion Gemini. “He had a good reason. “I’m not saying that he didn’t. I didn’t say anything! I just wanted an answer,” Big explained. “Gentlemen, can you all calm down?” I asked. They were getting on my nerves. “I guess we could… if you brought us back to Equestria,” said Big. I knew he’d be the one to say it. “Is that what everyone wants?” I asked. There was a mix of ‘yes’s’ and a ‘si’. “I guess I could ask Celestia if she could do anything.” There was a small cheer. Mare Gemini trotted up and gave me a kiss. I woke up next to Twilight. I gave her a quick kiss to dispel my inner notions of cheating on her. She smiled in her sleep. I guess it was time to see Celestia. I got up, stretching my back. There was a loud pop. I grabbed for my hat instinctively. It wasn’t there. The hat had burned up in the library. The princess had said she would get a new library build up as soon as possible. Will it be the same? That’s the house I’ve known for years. Yet now the house was gone, and all its memories with it. The hallway was mostly empty. Only one attendant was shuffling between the rooms. I stopped him. “Morning friend. Do you know where the princess is?” I asked. “Hmm, I think she’s eating breakfast with Princess Luna right now,” he said. I thanked him for his time and headed to the dining hall. The Princesses were sitting at the end of the table, talking. They stopped when they saw me approach. “Good morning, Richard. I hope you’re not here to abscond with my sister,” said Celestia. Luna blushed. “No, nothing like that,” I said. Luna looked at me with smile. “Maybe tomorrow though.” She sighed. “This has been fun, sister. But I’ve got royal duties to attend to,” said Luna grumpily. She got up and flew away. “She seems angry this morning,” I remarked. I hadn’t met much of Luna except when she had tried to take over Equestria. “I think she likes you,” joked Celestia. I hoped it was joke. “Good one, Celestia. Everypony’s laughing,” I said. “Have anything on any other humans out there?” “I’ve got two actually. They live together in a city,” she said after thinking quickly. “What city?” “I believe it was Fillydelphia. Yes, that’s the place. I believe the stallion, 7, is a storyteller. He and his wife are both humans.” “It’s strange how they are both human. That seems unlikely,” I remarked. “5, 6, and 7 came here at about the same time. 5 and 7 made fast friends. Like you and Twilight did. 6… didn’t make very many friends at all. She was too preoccupied to make real friends, much like Twilight was.” “Where is 6?” I asked. “I don’t know, yet. But I will soon enough. Now, about 5 and 7, you can get them tonight. 7 is having a storytelling session in one of the libraries tonight for the little fillies of his neighborhood. I can teleport you there and you just follow him home and get them there. Does that sound good?” “Sounds fine,” I admitted. Normally Celestia didn’t have the best plans. This one, however, seemed good. “Great. I can send you over later today. Perhaps you and Twilight could do some making up together while you wait.” “Sounds good, Celestia. I’m going to see how she is,” I said. Celestia gave a small smile. “I’ll tell the attendants to stay out of earshot. I want you to have privacy.” Sometimes I hated her. It was raining in Fillydelphia. The rain pounded, creating racket as it splashed down to the ground. Rain poured down my face, making it hard to see. I wish I had my hat. I had been able to sit on 7’s last story. It had been about a land called Scotland. I remembered Scotland from school. I had never gone or had any intention of going. America was all I had needed. He told about his clan, about his friend, Connor Macleod, and how he had died and come back to life. I thought it to be an incredible fairy tale. I wish my parents had told me something like that. After the story he had packed up quickly. He wished a few fillies goodnight and bid farewell. He still hasn’t seen me following. That was good. He had been walking for five minutes before he trotted up to an apartment building and walked inside. I followed suit. “Why ah’ ya’ following me?” he asked as I stepped in. “Me? I’m not following you,” I lied. “Ach, yes you are! I saw you at the library. Why are you following me?” He had a thick accent. It was hard to understand him. “What? I’m not following you, I swear.” He reached into his long socks. I just realized he had been wearing a plaid skirt. “Nice skirt,” I remarked. He pulled back with a dagger in his mouth. “I’ll ask ya’ one mah’ time. Why ye’ following me?” This was getting serious. “Relax, I’m here on royal duty,” I said firmly. I had to think of a lie quickly/ He reared up and drove the dagger at me. I dodged to the side. We were in a small hallway. Stairs at the opposite end, the walls lined with four doors. Two doors on each side and some mailboxes. I slammed against the wall and ran behind him. I tried to side swipe his back legs but he delivered a kick to my chest. The wind was knocked out of me as I fell on my back. “Ah’ll kill ya’!” he yelled. He stood over me with the dagger. I pushed up with all my strength. I think I heard a rib crack. The dagger tumbled out of his mouth a few feet away from his limp body. “Not so tough now are you?” I asked. I dug around for a pill in my saddlebag and grabbed it. 7 was coming to. “Wha’ hi’ me?” he asked. I dashed over and put a hoof to his throat. “What apartment are you?” I asked. “Wha’ ah’ ya’ doin’ ya’ crazy fool?” he asked. I increased the pressure on his neck. He gagged a little. “Now, you need to calm down. I want… to know… where… you… live. Okay?” He nodded. I released his neck. He rubbed it tenderly. “Crazy fool,” he muttered. I jabbed him in the chest. He winced with a small yelp. “Fine, Ah’ll tell ya’. Apar’men’ 4, secon’ floor.” I gave him a small smile, “Was that so hard?” I put my hoof back to his throat and put the pill in his mouth. I moved my hooves to keep his mouth shut. He struggled but eventually he swallowed. He closed his eyes for the last time and his body went limp. It was time to see the woman. I knocked on the door to apartment 4. I heard a small voice from the inside. “You forget your key, honey?” The door opened. A surprised mare stood on the other side. “Oh, hello,” she said warily. I pushed her back and walked in. “Help!” She yelled. I closed the door. “Stop screaming,” I said. She looked at me with wide eyes. “Why?! You’re going to kill me!” She was hysteric. “No, I’m not. I’m here to talk. About you, about me, about 7.” She stopped her wailing. “What have you done?” she asked. “I’ve dealt with him already. I have to deal with you.” “It’s always up to the men to deal with the women huh? Isn’t that just like a man?” “What? No. I’ve been told by Celestia to get rid of all the humans in Equestria,” I tried to explain. She cut me off. “Oh, Celestia. Ugh, her. She thinks she some sort of god; her and her sister.” “They don’t think that,” I said. She gave me a look. “Of course they do! They live in their little palace and the ponies WORSHIP them.” “Well,” I say, “They do raise the sun and moon.” She scoffed, “Yeah, right. They may be princesses, but they aren’t ‘all powerful’. Don’t you know that the sun and moon orbit Equestria? It’s basic science.” “I don’t know much about science, but they do have magic here.” “If I can’t see it or explain it, it’s not real,” she said adamantly. “You can’t say that though.” “Why not? Prove why they are Goddesses.” She paused, waiting for an argument. “See? You don’t have one.” I pushed her to the ground, tired of her endless arguing. “Be quiet,” I yelled at her. I grabbed a pill quickly. “See the flaws inherent in the system!” she screamed as I stuck it in her mouth. She choked a little as she swallowed. Her body became limp. “Sorry about that,” I muttered. She had rustled my jimmies. The train ride back to Canterlot was long. Celestia had forgotten to mention a way back. I spent my own dime on the ticket. It wasn’t cheap. A pony with a moustache sat next to me. His cutie mark stood out to me, it was a Mexican flag. “Hey, buddy, where are you from?” I asked him. “Nowhere,” he said quickly. “Well, I hope you don’t see me as nosey, but your cutie mark reminded of something from my home. A flag.” He looked at me curiously. “A flag for what, amigo?” he asked. “A little place called Mexico,” I said softly. His expression didn’t change. “I see, Mexico huh. Where did you say you were from?” “The U.S.,” I told him. He showed a slight smile. “Never thought I’d meet a northerner here.” “I never thought I’d meet you,” I said. He raised his hoof to shake them. It had the number 4 on it. I shook it. “I’m Gerardo. I was a soldier, but now I just protect the trains from bandits and the like.” “I’m Richard. I’m a detective.” Slowly I grabbed a pill from the saddlebags. I took great care to make it discrete. “Just look at the landscape,” he said, gazing out the windows. I dropped the pill into his drink. It dissolved instantly. He turned back and took a sip. “It does look pretty great here,” I agreed. He continued to drink. Is it still going to work? “Canterlot in three minutes!” yelled the conductor. Gerardo was yawning. “Ah, perhaps I shall take a nap on the trip back,” he said. “Perhaps,” I said. We pulled up to Canterlot and I trotted off the train. Somepony back on the train screamed, calling for a doctor. Gerardo had succumbed to it just as we entered the city. Only four more to go.