//------------------------------// // Mr. Spark // Story: Summers of Change // by Silver Letter //------------------------------// Once Pixel’s friends were on board, they couldn’t be persuaded to leave her side. Over a month passed, full of restless nights and long hours. On top of finals and her cumulative school project that came at the end of the year, she had to finish her prototype. She totally underestimated how much went just into a presentation. But her friends weren’t about to let her down and gave her countless proposals to make something that will catch the eye of anypony instead of just blending into the rest. Sapphire helped rewrite her ideas with really concise and flashy words and phrases that still emphasized what Pixel wanted to say. And instead of looking as dull as a road sign, Diamond added splashes of color to her board. Not only that, she said that a pretty casing would help her prototype stand out. Pixel didn’t want anything too bold like neon but she did like the metallic blue plastic. The day before her invention would be put to the test, she and her friends sat together at the ice cream shop. It was the least she could do to show how much they meant to her. Without those familiar voices advising her, she could have been too afraid to even enter the contest at all. She couldn’t fathom it being any other way. Living without friends would be like dwelling in silence and no amount of books or technology could replace it. She believed that it was the same for anypony else. “This is so good….thanks for the treat!” Diamond said. She slowly put the spoon in her mouth and hummed happily. “You’re welcome.” Pixel licked some off her spoon too. The rich coolness was already taking the place of the heavy feeling in her stomach. It wasn’t long before she felt little again; before she invented the electric crosswalk and so much else. Back then, it was kind of difficult for ponies carrying carts to know when ponies were going to get in the way. But that’s how it usually was. There was hardly a clear path for the future; a cutie mark was only a guiding hoof. Everything that reminded her of what she loved about her town was still something she could be looking at in ten years. She could be walking the same streets to the same shops and it would be her friends so far away. It’s all change; the same kind that allows each Pixel and Ferris of the world to exist. She couldn’t dwell on it too long. She knew more than most that time doesn’t wait for anypony. Pixel entered the auditorium with her things. The place was buzzing with students and their parents. Each of them had a place reserved with their name on a card so they could set up quickly. She put her backpack down on the flimsy wooden table and gently laid two containers down. It had the two devices in it. It didn’t take long to finish with the rest, the presentation board and all. It was still an hour away from the formal tour where Ferris himself would walk in her very school. She looked around her. There were students being helped with their boards and a mother or two wiping the mouths of their annoyed children out of habit. She was alone since only family was allowed to be present to avoid the modest sized place from being too full. Hers were working as usual. Even with that restriction, it felt sweltering even in the morning with so many bodies present. It wasn’t just the students but the teachers, parents, the superintendent of the district and even some media that was following the story of the tech leader’s visit. Sweetie Shores wasn’t far from the big city but it was a sleepy town and few celebrities ever passed through so it was a big deal and even an honor for such an up and coming pony to grace them with his presence. She could tell that he was mere moments from arriving as the murmuring increased around her. A few last minute readiness was dealt with by most of the students except her. She’s done everything she could; whether she would succeed or fail was no longer in her hooves. A young mare in a black dress laced with sequins stepped in first. Her color was the same rich brown as Ferris Spark. The place went quiet except for the sounds of a few cameras getting ready. The mare took a water bottle and took a drink while she and a couple others stepped aside. Then the star himself entered. He wore a black suit with a crimson tie. Behind his pointy bangs were a pair of reflective electric blue glasses. Pixel watched as he went down the line of presentations. What looked like an assistant was practically tethered to his sweeping tail and whispered in his ear from time to time. Ferris didn’t have pencils exposed in his pocket or carry a clipboard. He expressed himself with authority, gesturing freely and speaking, pointing, laughing or smiling as he pleased. Pixel could tell right away that he was a stallion in control of everything around him. As he continued, he mostly watched silently as each of the students did their best to show off what they brought. Pixel wondered what thoughts ran thought his head. He could have been in a daze of boredom for all she knew. He only occasionally spoke directly to them and in each brief encounter, only shook one hoof and mostly nodded. When he came to her at last, he didn’t seem to notice the board. She stumbled through a quick hello and managed to open the boxes in a flash. As she did, the rote regurgitation spilled out. She didn’t know if it was good that he took off his sunglasses and folded them neatly as he held it. She could barely hear her own voice over her heartbeat. She stared into his cobalt eyes which gazed unflinchingly downward into the devices. And in the last moment, his eyes didn’t blink at all as if he was staring into her heart itself. “What was the program you used to transmit this message?” he inquired. His voice was clear and direct. He was now looking at her and she gulped air. “Well, it doesn’t have a name. I created a custom system for this wireless device.” “How long did it take?” “Um, about a month.” He reached over and gave her a firm and friendly pat on her shoulder and like the rest, hers was over already. She had smelled his earthy cologne when he was so close. As he left her sight, she leaned against the table and only then did she realize that her transmitter still beeped with a new message. Pixel felt oddly content as she strolled home after it was all over. Maybe because she was alone with her own thoughts instead of being lectured by obsessive parents like most foals had to deal with. She did all she could and that was enough. She knew that Ferris Spark couldn’t have spoken with her for long really. He must have had lots of towns to visit and many students to see. She thought of going out to lunch with her friends and telling them about what the colt looked like and what impression he gave to her. His image was still fresh in her mind; so fresh that she thought that she was seeing things when she turned one corner and saw what looked like him leaning against a fence. But her eyes never deceived her before. It was him, staring up at the clouds as if he had no care in the world and he was just another local dreaming of someplace else. He turned and saw her. He walked towards her briskly like he truly recognized her. She didn’t know what to do. Whether to gasp, stammer in surprise…run away? None would be that appropriate for a stallion merely giving his hoof to shake. She did, albeit slowly as he smiled at her. “I always loved the smell of the sea. The west is unique just like the east though. When I’m at one, I miss the other,” he said. So many thoughts must have ran though Pixel’s head but only one stood out. “Who was that mare that wore the black glittery dress?” Ferris chuckled, clearly amused, and she felt her cheeks warm up as she avoided eye contact. What kind of a question did she think that was? “What? No gleeful laughing or praising from the bottom of your nervous heart? I’m almost disappointed.” For some reason, she wanted to recover from what she said. “I have seen you many times on the cover of magazines.” “At least you’re a fan. But the mare you saw was my wonderfully helpful and not at all overbearing older sister of mine.” Somehow it made it sound even weirder for him to be there all alone. “Mr. Spark, how did you know where I was going?” “I have my way of things as do you I imagine?” “What do you mean?” “You’ll learn soon enough. You’re so unique. I hadn’t really seen a filly like you before. Is there any chance I may take your photograph?” Pixel hesitated but obliged, putting her bag down and smiling faintly. “Perfect. Hold it.” He took out a small camera and snapped a picture. Pixel swallows nervously. “Don’t worry,” he said calmly. “I wanted your photo so I can show my sister what kind of promising pony I’ve found.” “What are you saying? Do you think I’ll actually win?” “What I’m saying is that I keep ponies on short lists,” he emphasized. “I’ve been to 20 cities and towns and I have only a few more to go. The ponies here built me what they thought my company wanted. Even the students at the tech schools used my operating system. Probably to flatter me. But you didn’t. You built your own from scratch.” He put the camera away and put his glasses on. He seemed to be in such a hurry. “I want to ask you something before I go. I assume you dream, don’t you? Well, what’s one of your biggest dreams?” It was quite the question to ask, she thought. She remembered her father coming back home after a long day’s work with something new he built. Her friends loved talking about what they would do when they were older. Everypony had dreams, even those that were never meant to be realized. Her father must have dreamed about what she would do. He gave her the name ‘Wavelength’. When she was born, Pixel would sleep and her tiny horn would glow. Not glow normally but along the spiral groove of her horn, going upwards slowly with a serene light. A lot of times, her horn would do that when she’s working on something, glowing brightly in a wave rather than all at once like normal Unicorns. It was her special thing. Pixel looked into his eyes. “I want to create a computer but not like any that’s out there now. Someday, this computer will be able to give the same access to any kind of pony. Pegasus, Earth Pony and Unicorn alike will share in its progress. I guess I always hoped I would be the one to make it into something real.” It was strange to talk about something so personal with a pony she’s only known on magazines but what if they shared the same dreams somehow? It could be possible. “You have a wonderful dream. I know you have the power to follow it. Just believe in yourself. You’ll see.” He said goodbye and then left towards a motorized cart sitting some distance off as if their encounter wasn’t completely weird. Strangely, as she stared at him, she was the one that felt as though she was being watched.