Pixel Wavelength was once alone as she stood against Ferris Spark and his army of lawyers. She was alone in the beginning because none wanted to stand by the side of somepony that would oppose such a beloved celebrity as he. She remained undeterred, refusing to even consider changing her mind, no matter how difficult things seemed and how unlikely the courts would hear her suit against him. Ferris never attempted to pay her into silence or even try to convince her to go away. He knew as well as she that neither could relent. Not in that battle. They couldn’t stop her as she had so much evidence but they dragged it on for nine grueling years.
Part of it was because the capital where the litigation carried on was assaulted. The recent upheavals in the empire was a nightmare that made things far worse but there was a silver lining. She ended up having her old friend, Potato Mash, represent her at many hearings. He had become a lawyer and he really knew the law. The last time they were together, she met his son, Button Mash. The young colt suffered a lot from bullies for his blank flank and even for his love of games. Pixel really sympathized with him.
Soon, the judges recommended a royal court to take the case and make a final decision. It usually meant Princess Celestia but with the return of Princess Luna, who knew what would happen. By then, she was very weary but with the end in sight, she couldn’t say that it was not worth it.
Pixel relaxes in her private car on the train ride towards the capital. She and her husband ride together often and love traveling around Equestria. It’s one of their favorite things. Their children sit on the seat across from them. Sunstone, the college student, reads one of her romance novels. Little Prism Wavelength leans back until her hooves touches Pixel’s seat and kicks them up and down in boredom. It disturbs Pixel from her work. She’s transfixed on her business reports until her daughter broke her concentration so annoyingly.
“Please sit still. Mommy is working,” she tells her without looking up. The five year old filly, a pretty white pony with a light silvery mane, sits back up. She’s a bit more of a hoof-full than her sister was at that age, a little firecracker. Always hungering for adventure. She may be a Pegasus pony like her sister but she’s still a ways off from being able to fly properly.
Sapphire leans over and nudges his glasses closer to his eyes. “Still at it, I see?”
“Yes, dear. It’s the Las Pegasus account,” she murmurs.
“You should get at least a little rest. The sun is coming down. Maybe we can get some dinner before we go to bed?” He reaches over and puts his hoof on her shoulder.
“In ten minutes.” She does a little last minute checks of her finances before shutting the binder and putting it in her briefcase. It holds pretty much everything she needs to keep her business in order while she’s away. Ever since leaving Ferris, she still had to work. Her dream was still in her head and it would have kept her up at night unless she kept working at it every day. And she does; her company ended up manufacturing the computer of her dreams and the ponies sure do love it. She gets more fan letters than she ever used to and barely receives anything negative. But it’s still hard going as long as she’s still in conflict with Spark Industries.
She gets up and the family goes to the dining car. Her sister in law and mother are there, talking at a booth. Her father had died five years prior, having barely met Prism before his last day. By then, he was in ill health and mostly bedridden. She still thinks about him and goes to visit his grave once a year.
She isn’t very hungry and eats little, opting to drink plenty of tea instead. After a chat with her mother and Diamond, they all return to the cabin as night falls. She sleeps, but she is restless and wakes intermittently. The train beds are barely enough for her and Sapphire to lie down and often, one of her legs would slip out or slowly cramp on her. She reaches for a small fan and tries to cool herself from the summer heat. She thinks about having to go to court again tomorrow. She wishes that she was as calm as her husband which sleeps peacefully next to her, his snoring filling the room.
She wakes first and opens the curtains to spy Canterlot approaching over the horizon. The sun filters through the tall woods as the train heads up a winding mountain pass.
Her family eats in the dining car for breakfast. She looks out the window while the attendant brings her a fresh muffin and butter. She smiles and says thanks.
“I’ve not been to Canterlot in years,” Sapphire reminisces. “I bet it’s changed quite a bit.”
“No. Cities like that don’t tend to change often; they’re rooted in history,” her mother says. Anypony that looks at her can tell that she has changed. She needs part time care in her house since she’s grown weaker. Her hair isn’t as sharp and her muscles sag.
Prism leans towards the window. “Grandma, look. I see the castle!”
“It’s beautiful,” Pixel’s mother says. “The princess lives there.”
Prism turns around. “I want to see Cadance.” She mumbles a lot and it’s cute when she does so.
“I think we’ll go to a flower garden. Don’t you like that, Prism?” Diamond asks.
Diamond’s little niece looks pouty; she does not understand that she won’t be able to see the princesses at the castle. They will be at the courthouse where her mother is headed to. At noon, she will be there for the final day of statements where cases will be rested. Pixel has done everything she can in her own defense of her ownership of the Wave OS. If she fails then everything she had done might be for nothing.
“I’m sure you will. Just be patient and eat your food,” Pixel says.
Things go smoothly until they reach the train station. A ton of ponies are waiting for her. As she leaves out with her family, there are lots of cheering. Some are holding signs like one saying “I <3 our Princess of the Internet”. After all that time, she is still holding on to that title. That’s because she is working so hard to do some good and to maybe even undo some of the damage that Ferris had caused. He is utterly powerless to take it back even as he presents so much resistance against her plans to end his ridiculous monopoly.
Pixel waves and smiles at her adoring fans. She considers them all to be her friends and if she could pack the courtroom with them then she would. They are all a testament to what she is able to use the internet for. While they head to their waiting chauffer, a few ponies also calls out Diamond’s name. She grins and waves at them before stepping into the long car.
They take Diamond, Prism and her mother to the castle area. Prism looks happy to see the towering royal home so close to her. She barely notices or seems to care as Pixel leaves; but Pixel watches the smiling filly until she is out of sight. Soon, they arrive at the place, a large brick building with grey pillars. There are fans even there as they get out. Photographers take their pictures. Pixel mostly tries to ignore them until the family is safe in the quiet cold of the courthouse. Their hoof steps on the marble floors echo in the long hallway.
A stallion with a shirt and tie walks down the hall. He looks very professional.
“Excuse me, we’re looking for Court 302…can you help us?” Pixel inquires kindly. “I’ve never been to this particular place before.”
“Ah, I am the main court clerk. I was expecting you, Mrs. Wavelength,” he replies. “I’ll take you and your family there.”
“Thank you.”
Pixel and the others enter the courtroom. It’s large with old murals of ponies with things written in the old languages. There are a few ponies sitting in long wooden benches but she doesn’t know who they are. An elevated platform is obviously where the judge or in this case, the princesses, will go.
“Your family may sit in the area behind you,” the clerk informs Pixel. He leads them to the area.
“Thank you. Shouldn’t Mr. Spark also be here?”
“I wouldn’t know. Have a good day.” The clerk leaves. As he does, Ferris arrives through another door as if on cue. He goes down the main aisle and glances at her before sinking into the defendant’s chair. Pixel isn’t sure what to feel about him anymore. He’s aged so much that his eyes have grown dark and his hair is peppered with grey now that he’s 46. Something almost like pity tugs at her heart. She’s brought more ponies along than he. He has no lawyers or family or even his filly friend. That relationship he had perhaps ended long ago. She can’t know for certain. She does everything in her power to avoid knowing anything about him.
Still, she starts to feel bad for him and as the princesses are not there, she decides to walk to him. She sees that he wears a formal suit and tie but nothing too fancy. He probably snuck in through the back.
“Hello, Ferris,” she says. She doesn’t manage a smile. There’s nothing happy about their meeting.
“Hello. How’s the family?”
“We’re well. And yourself?”
He shrugs. “I’ve seen better days. It’s been quite the birthday. Things aren’t as I thought they would be at my age. You looking forward to 50?”
“I am. Me and my husband will go somewhere nice,” she says proudly.
“At least life’s treated you well. I’ve been hemorrhaging money, losing friends and…I’m even losing sleep. Nothing’s right anymore.”
“Change does come to everypony.”
“Right. Look at things now. We got four princesses all of a sudden. Strange world, Pixel. I was even here in the capital last summer when that new one was crowned.”
“Well, I hope things turn out better for you.”
“They could if I didn’t have to go to court.” His voice is faint as if what he said is just the whisper of a desire. She feels sorry for him.
Pixel sighs. “That can’t happen.” She turns around and returns to her area only minutes before the princesses file in. The royal guard calls the court to order and all bow before their glorious leaders.
“Please be seated,” Celestia says, her voice powerful. “Now, I and the other three princesses before you have looked at the case that the lower courts recommended to be seen. The sole reason that we have all assembled is due to its very nature, something which concerns not only two agencies but in a way, the whole of Equestria.” She looks at Princess Twilight, a mare that Pixel is not familiar with in any way; she’s a purple mare with a straight cut mane and a body even smaller than Pixel’s.
This mare starts to speak. “I’ve grown up in an age of technological brilliance. The idea of technology affecting the lives of many is something I’ve worked with for a long time and I am well aware of you both and what you’ve contributed to the science of communication. But as we know, there is an issue as to how this technology can be used and who can ultimately benefit from it. There may not be more said of the specifics regarding value and of dates. We four have gathered together in advance and came to a conclusion as to the sole ownership of what is known as the Wave Operating System or Wave OP for short.”
Cadance clears her throat. “It is not in dispute that the mare, Pixel Wavelength, was the first to conceive of the Wave OS and will from this day forward, be the sole proprietor of it. Spark Industries must surrender control immediately.”
Pixel is so overjoyed that she wants to shout and dance and even go and hug her daughter and husband. There are even murmurs in the ponies behind her at such a quick verdict. However, she knows that it’s not over yet.
Princess Luna looks at her. They had never met before and her eyes are quite beautiful, she thinks; and so is rest of her regal form, her flowing mane and sparkly coat. “It is now time for a final plea to be called forth. Which of you can convince us that your cause is just? Let it be known to the court this day,” Luna says firmly.
The defendant had been chosen as the one to speak first as it is normal to do so. Ferris adjusts his microphone and looks up almost as a pony would do to plead for some spare change on the street. It may be fake or it may just be real but either way, he isn’t in command and his voice isn’t the one that draws ponies in. But Pixel listens carefully for his words can still be sharp.
“Princesses, I stand before you to speak of my rights today. I may cede that the Wave OS was invented by my former partner which is suing me. And yet, it allows me to speak on my behalf as to my right to stand firm to protect my very real claim. The internet is a technology I dreamed of first. Who may dispute that? Who may dispute my right to do with it as I see fit? To regulate my inventions as I wish? Pixel Wavelength seeks not to reclaim what’s hers but to limit what’s mine. To bring the internet to fruition was a substantial burden on myself and my company. It must not be allowed for our efforts to be wasted.” He falls silent, his little speech ending as concise as a stallion as he can muster. Princess Celestia looks at Pixel.
“Mrs. Wavelength…or should I say Princess Pixel, I believe you also have something to say.” The princess smiles amusingly as Pixel concentrates. When she does, all the negativity in her mind seems to vanish. Pixel draws her will from a filly that lived so long ago.
“Princesses, I had a dream too. But not a dream like the one that Mr. Spark had. What he wants is nothing pure and genuine. His kind sees the world as revolving around them, and acts accordingly. The internet is meant to benefit his company and no others. It’s why he wishes to rule it and to dictate how ponies live through it. But my dream was the opposite. I’ve loved ponies so much that to see them as nothing more than consumers is too alien for me to understand. The internet is a tool and like any tool, it can be used for good or ill. He says he owns the internet. But he can’t. It’s grown beyond him now, beyond his company. It’s something that is so new to the world that generations will grow up in its grasp. We must ensure that they not be held prisoner to the whims of those that want to control them. Princesses, it’s vital that you free the internet. It must be done for the good of Equestria.”
Pixel’s rather satisfied with her closing remarks. The princesses adjourn for half an hour to finalize their rulings. Meanwhile, Pixel starts to feel dizzy and she sweats. Only taking deep breaths and fanning herself seems to help. She goes back to her family and they talk briefly but they mostly remain silent except that they tell her how proud of how bravely she stood against a pony as big as Ferris Spark.
Across from her, Ferris doesn’t look all that scared and he checks his phone as if he has no cares at all. The half hour practically lasts forever until the princess finally return. Celestia tells her and Ferris to stand for their ultimate ruling.
“We’ve taken your points of views into consideration,” she says. Her voice is heavy. “We understand that this is a situation that is fluid and also unpredictable. Even I have little knowledge of this concept known as the internet in my long life. But as usual, what I believe comes from a desire to do what is right for not only one pony but for all when the situation requires. If this suit was for anything less then perhaps we would have seen things differently. Spark Industries is commendable for spreading the technology. If it wasn’t for them then perhaps it wouldn’t exist in its current form and the court acknowledges it. Despite this, we accept Pixel Wavelength’s argument as well. The internet has grown so rapidly that we have no choice but to recognize its greater impact on pony society even as we attempt to glean greater understanding of it. We jointly decree that the internet is to be taken under the jurisdiction of the crown. We allow for ponies to utilize it without requiring the consent of any one group but, also, we recognize the right of companies to sell the technology. I hope that the internet begins its rightful place in our world in the pursuit of knowledge and friendship.” With that, it’s over. Nine years of struggle over with the crack of a royal gavel. The crown has spoken.
After they leave, Ferris rises and exits the courtroom. Pixel will remember what he looks like as it will be the last time she sees him. The stallion goes out into an uncertain future. He perhaps doesn’t know if his company will last much longer or even if he will last. Pixel’s heart fills with pity for him but there’s nothing she can do. But it’s not all bad. He has a lot of money left and a whole lot of dignity still intact. In her mind, she wishes him all the luck in the world. He’ll need it to regain his former self someday and that might be the toughest change of all.
Later, her family is at the royal gardens at the castle. Prism is given the wonderful opportunity to ride on Princess Cadance as she floats in the sky. She’s having the time of her life. The others chat with Celestia and Luna while she walks with Princess Twilight. It was Twilight’s idea that they all gather together at the castle on such a fine afternoon. The clouds are brilliant white and the sun shines brightly.
The two of them talk casually about things. Computers, science, books; it’s overwhelming to speak to such an approachable princess as she. She wields the title as if it’s mere formality and doesn’t seem to mind if ponies are lax with protocol or if they even observe it at all. But Pixel can’t dream of it. She certainly bowed to her.
“In a way, you’ve been a princess far longer than I,” she says with a giggle. “I must have been very young when you worked for Spark Industries.”
“That’s true, princess.” Pixel nods meekly. Twilight notices and smiles.
“Don’t discount yourself. The internet is very real even though we can’t touch it directly. You may not wear a crown but if any is fit to be a leader in that world then it has to be you.”
Pixel decides to bring up something that’s been merely an idea in her head for quite a while. Being that they’re so similar, she finds it appropriate to bring it up.
“What do you think of me creating a grand hub for ponies to connect and reach one another in the spirit of friendship and harmony? Wouldn’t this be a very valuable task to take?”
Twilight looks at her curiously. “What would it be?”
“I call it Poniverse.”
The two heads off into the gardens to talk about it in depth. It’s quite the summer, the time where everything has changed. She would never forget it like she never forgot any of those summers before. It’s the same for everypony else. Prism will end up in school for the first time next year. Sunstone would graduate college. Even Ferris would see better days. His loss perhaps inspires him as he ends up building a powerful suit of armor and fights against an invading horde of Changelings in the second Pony-Changeling War. Things just can’t stay the same forever. Nopony can predict change or even understand it sometimes but we all know it when we see it.
THE END