Chapter 6: Stripes and Strings
Midnight looked at the note Luna had given him. “This looks like the place.”
He and Twilight approached the building and, reading the sign telling them to do so, knocked on the door.
“What do you want?” asked a strong, Stalliongrad accented voice from a small box to the left of the door.
Midnight looked at Twilight who could only shrug, equally perplexed by the device. “Uh... My name's Midnight Star. Princess Luna told us that you might have the mechanical skills we need.”
“Midnight Star? The guy that is making the 'Little Helper' automatons?” the voice asked.
“That's correct,” Midnight responded.
“Come right in, comrade.” A hissing sound came from the door just before it slid to the side. “I'm almost finishing with something, but you can wait inside. Down the hall, second door to the right.”
The couple made their way through the plain, unadorned white hallway and entered the room they were directed to. Inside was a stark contrast to the hall. The place was, for lack of a better word, a mess. Doohickeys, bobbles, thingamajigs, and contraptions were piled along every side of the room, hiding any evidence of walls. In the middle of the room sat a single work desk with a large box sitting on top. The sounds of tinkering alerted Midnight and Twilight to the presence of the one they sought.
“I'll be right with you... why is this even in here?” the voice asked no one in particular moments before some component went soaring through the air, crashing into one of the piles. “Could one of you hand me that 5/8ths inch wrench to your left?”
Twilight spotted the tool in need. “Ah, here you go.” her lavender aura lifted the wrench and deposited it, not in a hoof like expected, but a white-furred paw.
“Oh, we were expecting a pony,” Twilight admitted. “So, you're a diamond dog?”
“Nope, sorry you lose,” the mystery voice said as he shifted the box aside, revealing a snow white coat adorned by solid black stripes and a feline face. “The name's Shiro. What is it that brings you fine ponies to my shop?”
“I... didn't realize a tiger was living in Canterlot,” Twilight said.
“I'm here on account of my wife. She's a pony, and Tigeria is not easy place for ponies to live. It's cold, and any oats and sugars have to be imported, so food is costly. It is much easier to get meat for me here, so this is where we live,” the tiger explained. “Besides, she loves teaching at the University.”
At the mention of a professor at the university, Twilight's eyes widened, a sparkle shining in their depths.
“So,” Shiro continued before Twilight could say anything else, “what is it you want me for? No doubt something for this Dawn Shield thing of yours.”
“So you recognized me as more than just an entrepreneur?” Midnight asked with a smirk.
“I used to be in a very similar business,” Shiro said. “I used to hunt monsters that had developed a taste for pony flesh. Tia used to pay me good bits, too.”
Twilight looked at the tiger with a mildly upset expression, “Are you always so informal with Celestia?”
“Oh, she gets quite 'informal' after a few shots of Minoan whiskey.” Shiro laughed at the unicorn's surprise. “Yes, she is a friend. Lulu too.”
“She's never mentioned you,” Twilight stated.
“Probably because she doesn't want you talking to me. Afraid I'll tell you about the time she, the wife, and I got drunk and had a threesome on her throne.”
“So” Twilight said loudly, quickly changing the subject before the image could sear itself into her brain, “you used to hunt monsters?”
“That's right,” replied the feline. “I was one of the best. They called me 'The Spear of the North'.”
The spark of recognition hit Midnight, “I've heard of you. You once took down three feral dragons at once. You know, we could use a guy with your talents in the Dawn Shield.”
Shiro smiled a bit sadly. “I would love that. The thrill of battle, the adrenalin, but...” the cat reached down and wheeled himself out from around the desk, the ponies' eyes latching onto his hind legs... Or rather the lack thereof. Everything from the knees down were simply not there. “I was sent to handle a wyvern near the southern border. Turned out to be a whole nest. I got them all, but the last one bit my legs clean off before taking my spear to his eye.”
“I'm sorry to hear that,” Twilight said. “That must have been difficult.”
“I adjusted,” the tiger shrugged. “Besides, the missus helps.”
The cat was silent for a time, a warm smile gracing his lips, before clapping his paws together and rubbing them in excitement. “So! What do you need?”
Midnight cleared his throat, “What is about to be discussed is classified, so-”
“The invasion, I take it?” Shiro said, cutting him off. At the confused looks, he explained, “I told you, Tia and Lulu are friends, they told me about it at dinner yesterday.”
“Well, that saves an explanation,” Midnight said with a chuckle. “Anyway, I need the help of an expert engineer to build a war golem. It needs to be able to withstand heavy battle and dish out death. The weapons systems I plan on using are not to be used for any other reason, without express permission from both princesses.”
“That powerful, eh?” Shiro mused. “I doubt I would have any use for them then. I trust you have schematics drawn up already.”
“I do.” Midnight activated his seal and pulled a stack of papers from his pocket dimension.
“That looks useful,” Shiro commented before taking the diagrams and looking them over. “Hmm, quite complex. We may need to bring-”
“Shiro, I’m home!” called a voice.
“Ah, speak of Discord and he shall wake.”
The door swung open and a khaki color unicorn with a black mane and tail, with a blue ribbon braided into both walked in. Twilight's eyes instantly widened with recognition at the eyed pyramid cutie mark.
“Y-you're Jynx Charm, the leading expert on pre-Discordian magic,” said the purple mare.
Jynx shared a similar expression, “And you're Twilight Sparkle. You've invented more spells than anypony since Star Swirl. Not to mention you’re the most powerful unicorn in the whole world. It's an honor to actually meet you.”
Twilight blushed at the praise. “I-I'm not that special. I mean, you're a professor at Canterlot U, and I'm just a librarian.”
“A librarian that improved Star Swirl's flash teleportation so it uses far less mana. You've made one of the highest level spells accessible for the common unicorn,” the professor pointed out, her cheeks as red as Twilight's.
“It would seem our wives are both amazing mares,” Shiro said.
“We're lucky guys,” Midnight agreed.
“Yes. So, shall we get started?”
And so, as the mares debated who was was the most accomplished – each arguing the other held that title – the males went over the schematic, deciding on needed materials and procedures.
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“Alright, let's see if it works,” Jacob said to himself.
With a deep breath, he flipped the switch. Much to his delight, there was no resounding ka-boom, but the whir of a mana turbine.
“Yes! I am amazing!” he threw his hands in the air, praising himself. “Now to put you to work.”
The human picked up three cylinders, each about a foot long – or two hooves, using the local unit of measurement – and placed them in three of the six slots. He would have to ask Rarity about acquiring the required gems for more batteries, but three should be enough to finish remaining recruits the next day.
“Done. Now...” Jacob looked at the clock to see it was 12:13 pm. “What the hell is there to do in this town?”
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The ponies of Ponyville had gotten used to Jacob rather quick. He attributed it to his big brother. The guy didn't hide what he used to be, and according to him, everyone in town knew he wasn't always a quadruped. The residents of the quaint, little town waved to him with a smile, which he gladly returned.
With every day, he understood more of the reasons David loved this world. He was getting there quickly himself. The ponies were kind and caring, the land was beautiful, and war was far less common. That last one was what he loved most. War had torn his family apart. It took his parents, turned his brother into a monster, and made him build things that took countless lives.
And now it thinks it'll do it again? I don't th- “Ack!” His inner musings were cut off as he headbutted a low hanging sign. “Goddess dammit!”
He looked up at the offending wooden display and quickly forgot the pain at the sight of three candies carved into it. “Oh... a sweet shop.”
The princesses had already paid him, so he decided to go ahead see what he could get. Upon entering, his eyes nearly burst from his head. The sight of so many candies was like gazing upon the glorious form of the goddess.
“Thank you, Mina, for delivering your child unto this paradise,” he said to the air.
“Hello, how may I help... you...” a beige earth pony emerged and stared at him dumbfounded. “Oh, it's you.”
Jacob looked at the pony with a little irritation. “Yes, me. That's not a problem, is it?”
The pony shook her head, her pink and blue mane being tossed back and forth. “Oh no, I didn't mean it like that. It's just, my sister has kind of an obsession with mythical creatures, especially humans. I'm just worried she'll see you and... scare you away.”
“Humans are myth here?”
“Well, not anymore,” the mare said. “There were some ruins found about nine years ago that belonged to humans, so we know they did exist.”
“Huh, maybe I should talk to your sister,” Jacob mused. “I wouldn't mind learning about humans here.”
The mare winced and said, “I don't know. She can be a bit... Enthusiastic.”
Jacob grinned wide enough to make Pinkie proud. “So am I. By the way, the name's Jacob.” He stuck out his hand in greeting.
“Oh, where are my manners. I'm Bonbon, my sister, as you'll likely meet her, is Lyra. How can I help you?”
“Candy.”
Bonbon's lips curled up into a smile. “I can definitely help with that. My little helper and I are the best candy makers in Ponyville. Anything in particular you're looking for?”
Jacob looked at the shelves of candy, his mouth watering at the sight, but not seeing what he really wanted. “Tell me you have lemon drops in this world.”
Bonbon thought for a moment. “My assistant, was working on a batch. I'll see if she's done.”
With that, the mare disappeared into the back, yelling, “Hey, Twist, you got those-” The door cut her off, leaving Jacob to browse the other candies. Some chocolate mints caught his eye. At four for a bit, he decided he would go ahead and grab four and placed a coin on the counter. As he was enjoying his candy, the door opened and a mint green unicorn stepped in.
“Hey Bons, somepony said the human was... here...” the unicorn's eyes widened when they landed on Jacob.
Jacob looked at her and said, “You must be Lyra. Heard you like humans.”
The unicorn cleared her throat and recomposed herself. “Yes, I am Lyra Heartstrings, and I do have an interest in humans.”
Jacob could see the excitement bubbling under the surface. “Well, I'm human. What do you want to know?”
“W-well, humans of your world are different from the ones that once lived here, but I think you might be the same biologically.”
Jacob smirked slyly. “So, you want to study my body?”
“N-no!”Lyra's cheeks flared with heat. “I-I-I mean, uh hehe, I guess if you-”
“Lyra!” Bonbon's voice called from behind the counter. “You better not be hassling our customer!”
Jacob laughed as he said, “No, Miss Bonbon. It was actually the other way around.” He turned towards the unicorn. “I apologize, Miss Lyra. I shouldn't have teased you like that. I apologize.”
“Okay,” Bonbon said, slightly confused. “Well, sir, Twist just finished the lemon drops. They're five bits a pound.”
“Deal.” Jacob pulled out five bits and tossed them next to the one he put up there earlier. “Oh, I grabbed four of those chocolate mints.”
“Oh, I was wondering what this was,” Bonbon said, picking up the bit that was already there.
“Miss Lyra,” Jacob said, turning toward the unicorn. “Would you care to join me? I'd love to hear about humans of this world.”
“O-okay,” she replied. “Wait right here. I have something to get.” The minty mare ran through a side door and up some stairs. Not a minute later, she came barreling back down, a case nearly as long as she was strapped to her back.
“What's that?” Jacob asked.
“You'll see,” Lyra said and leaned in closer so her sister couldn't hear her whisper. “Did you mean what you said about studying your body?”
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“Come on, Minty, where are we going?” Jacob asked for the fifth time.
Lyra rolled her eyes as she said in a teasing tone, “So we're on pet names now?”
“Unless you wanna go further,” Jacob lowered his voice to a more husky tone.
The unicorn laughed out loud at that. “Just because I find humans fascinating doesn't mean I’d date one, so put those thoughts out of mind. It won't happen.”
“I'm just messing with you,” Jacob laughed.
“Maybe a friendly rut,” Lyra said nonchalantly, as Jacob’s brain crashed briefly. “Anyway, here we are.”
They arrived in a large clearing just outside town. It was mostly grass with the exception of a thick oak towering overhead. As Lyra pulled out a large, rolled up piece of paper, she began explaining.
“Nine years ago, when I was still at the University, some strange ruins were discovered. These ruins were human in origin. Now, up until then, humans were myth, so naturally cryptozoologists were called in to study them. My class was invited to join the excavation.”
The unicorn reached the tree and unrolled the paper, revealing a target, and pinning it up. Jacob looked on in curiosity as she continued.
“After three days of excavating, a historic discovery was made by none other than me. You see, humans in this world had no magic at all, relying on technology in their everyday lives. That's why it was so significant when I discovered twelve magic human artifacts.” The unicorn sat down and placed the case she was carrying on the ground at her hooves. “This suggests that either humans had somehow managed to use magic, or that they were allied with unicorns.”
Jacob looked down at the case and said, “Okay, so what's that got to do with this?”
Lyra's smile widened. “This is one of those artifacts.”
With a golden glow, Lyra opened the package and lifted the contents. It was a long, recurved bow made of some kind of black material. The runic writing along the sides drew Jacobs attention, wondering what they meant. They definitely weren’t seal runes.
“This is a dragon horn bow, and one of only three that were released to the public. The other two went for twelve-thousand and fifteen-thousand bits at auction, but since I found them, I got to keep one. The enchantments, as far as anypony can tell, make it unbreakable as well as increase the power of the shot.”
A quiver of five arrows lifted from the case and was placed around the mare's neck. She then stood up on her hind legs as a gold glow surrounded her fore-hooves. The glow molded into five little fingers, similar to the spell Midnight often used.
“I developed this spell after seeing your brother's version. I wanted to learn to use the bow the same way humans did.”
With that, she grabbed the bow in her left magic hand and drew an arrow with the right. Lyra took a deep breath as she notched the arrow, and pulled back as she exhaled. Jacob saw the look of focus in her eye as she took am and released. The arrow flew straight and true, burying itself in the center of the bulls-eye.
Jacob whistled at the impressive display. “You're good.”
“Thanks. I've been practicing daily since I got it, and using the hands for almost five years.”
“It shows,” Jacob said as he went over to the tree to inspect the shot. The arrow was buried halfway in. “That's got some power.”
“Yeah,” Lyra said as she pulled the arrow out. “I need arrows enchanted for durability or else they break after one shot.”
“With that much power, I don't doubt it.”
The two sat in silence for a few seconds before Jacob spoke again, “So, cryptozoology? That's the study of mythical animals, right? I take it human's are your favorite?”
Lyra chuckled. “Most ponies think that because of how excited I get about them, but that's just because we've actually found human ruins. No, my favorite is another one that has recently been discovered to be real; changelings.”
“I read a little about them,” Jacob stated. “Evil, parasites that drain your love until you're a bitter husk.”
Lyra scowled a little. “That's bull. Just because the only official record of them is the Canterlot invasion doesn't mean they're all like that. I hate how ponies judge an entire race by one encounter. You know, I bet there are a lot of good, kind changelings that live in peace with ponies, but they're too afraid to show themselves because they'll be arrested just for being a changeling.”
Jacob raised an eyebrow at the mare. “Sounds like you speak from experience.”
“Wh-what?! No! I don't know any changelings.”
Jacob smirked. “Sure you don't.”