Impulse’s watch levitated in front of him, flipping open as it came into his field of view. So far, he was right on schedule with the train ride to Canterlot. A pegasus clad in a black race suit with red trimmings on the shoulders, hooves and muzzle, sat motionless beside him.
A small foal stared fascinated at Zero. His mane was a rather generic brown, which threw the colt for a loop, used to seeing the winged ponies with more vibrant colors. The racer’s eyes were locked onto the floor of the train car, as if studying some unseen anomaly.
Zero simply lacked power at the moment, the flow of energy from the new crystals in his artificial body cut off from supplying him with magic until Impulse willed otherwise with the remote. There was the occasional bump along the tracks, which caused the animatronic’s neck and head to jostle slightly, but other than that, Zero sat perfectly still.
“Just a while longer Zero,” Impulse said aloud. “Then you’ll be out there showing the others up.”
“Excuse me,” the colt spoke up, catching the unicorn by surprise. “Is he really a racer?”
“Yes, yes he is,” Impulse smiled. “The best ever made.”
---
The day before the event had finally arrived. While the idea of taking a back seat during a race was a bit foreign to me now, I was able to slide into the mindset easily enough. Most of these racers would be rookies, and hopefuls looking to make an impression, as I had once.
I held Stormwalker securely in my arms. He wriggled a bit, but for the most part didn’t complain about being held. Despite the odd appearance, I still smelt the same as when I was a pegasus, which was more important to him at this stage in his life than sight. If he did get fussy, the ear massage was always a safe fall back.
Arriving at Canterlot with Stormwalker had been a treat. A few mares stopped us and asked to see him, hardly believing he was real, given our differences. No doubt this made for some interesting talk after we had parted ways. Caloudchaser didn't seem to mind the attention though.
It actually gave me a bit of an ego boost. Especially when being seen in public rubbed a few of the stallions the wrong way. Their mares either didn't care, or didn't seem to notice, too wrapped up in Stormwalker's adorable appearance.
Scootaloo sighed and leaned against my leg, looking up at me with those bright purple eyes. I assumed this was one of the disadvantages of being an older sibling, ponies kind of forgot about you for a while as they ooed and ahed over the foal.
I knelt down low enough for Scootaloo to climb onto my back. She did so eagerly, happy to be off her hooves for a while. My head served as perfect leverage for her forehooves to wrap around as she took a break. I was thankful that both of them were light enough to carry with little effort, and weighed about as much as two empty cardboard boxes.
Stormwalker smiled and giggled as Scootaloo made faces at him, or so I assumed. At least she was keeping him entertained. My little filly quickly made the occasional foal that passed us jealous as she road on my shoulders. I knew she enjoyed being up high above everypony else.
"Out and about in public with him I see." came the familiar voice of a familiar pegasus.
“Hello Flicker.” I said, putting on my best fake smile.
"It would seem the tabloids had a bit of truth to them for once...quite the miracle I'm sure, given circumstances related to your...differences." the noble spoke with mock sympathy.
I chuckled before addressing the stallion. "Perhaps your concerns should be focused more on your training than my family.”
“I always have concern for the families of the less fortunate. Be it financial or physical.” Flicker grinned.
“I’ll have you-“ I started.
“Know that we have somewhere to be,” Cloudchaser flew in front of me, blocking Flicker from view as she placed a hoof gently on my chest. “A meeting with Celestia, remember?”
I took a deep breath before nodding to her. Flicker may not be a unicorn, but he certainly had the attitude of one, which drove me crazy at times. Thankfully Cloudchaser had a cooler head on her than I did and it was there to prevail before I made even more of an ass out of myself.
“See you at the races, Flicker.” I said as calmly as I could, walking past the pegasus.
“Indeed,” Flicker chuckled. “Make sure your mare is there to secure your leash if need be.”
I was thankful I had Stormwalker in my arms, stopping me from clenching my fist. The ignorant stallion didn’t know I had been with Cloudchaser as a pony, but then, who’s business was that to be bothered with other than my wife’s or myself?
I heard Scootaloo blow a raspberry at the noble stallion, making me smile. I had to stop myself from laughing when I heard the stallion let out a frustrated snort, clearly unamused by my filly’s antics. It was rewarding to know that Scootaloo had my back.
“Thanks.” I said, looking over at my wife who was flying eye level with me as I walked.
“Just keeping you in check,” Cloudchaser replied, kissing me on the cheek. “Somepony has to.”
---
“And you’re certain this won’t fuck up like last time?” Isabella asked, leery of the small bottle Discord had given her.
“Don’t you trust me by now?” Discord grinned. “After all we’ve been through together; the stormy nights, the river accident, that one at band camp?”
“You’re not funny,” Isabella huffed. “So what’s in this stuff?”
“Nothing special,” Discord shrugged. “A few liquefied mattress tags, some of Celestia’s tears, a few bad jokes, and just a touch of cinnamon for flavor.”
“I’m scared to ask how you got Celestia to cry in a bottle.” Isabella mumbled.
“I never said what kind of tears they were now did I? Honestly, you make me out to be some kind of heartless brute. I’m sure your little nephew would agree I’m not such a bad pony.” Discord smiled.
“Answer me this at least, will this do the trick?” Isabella asked, ignoring the comment about her newest family member.
“It will, I promise.” Discord replied, a halo forming out of his two mismatched horns.
Isabella uncorked the small bottle, nearly dropping it when it emitted a loud pop, much like a party favor. The liquid inside was a soft blue with neon pink flowing through it. After securing her grip over the container, she sniffed it briefly, finding it had an oddly pleasant aroma. Satisfied nothing was amiss, she brought the bottle towards her lips, but was stopped by a large lion paw.
“Ah, ah, ah,” Discord wagged a talon scolding. “One drop is all it takes.”
With a loud snap, a small dropper appeared which he handed to Isabella. Had he chosen to delay his warning a few seconds longer, there was no telling what it could have done. Discord felt it best to keep this bit of information to himself, since he was on shaky ground with the young woman to begin with.
“As much as I’d love to see how this turns out, I have things to take care of.” Discord said.
“What things?” Isabella asked doubtful of his claim.
“Making this into that,” Discord snapped his talons, causing the curtains to become a series of vines which produced several birds that promptly flew out the window. “And that into this. You know, things.”
“Well, enjoy things, I guess.” Isabella shrugged.
“I’m sure I will.” Discord laughed before vanishing.
Isabella rolled her eyes and did her best to dispose of the vines before Blueblood returned. Despite how far he had come, he was still a bit of a neat freak. She was the exact opposite sometimes which often caused confrontations, but nothing relationship threatening. In fact, Isabella was messy on purpose sometimes, just to keep him on the tips of his hooves.
“Okay, just one drop.” Isabella said, trying to calm her nerves.
Every fiber of her being wanted to reject this plan, but she also wanted to do something special for Blueblood. She clearly remembered how Discord’s magic had worked on her, making her a unicorn herself, and felt confident the result would be the same.
Isabella put the dropper into the small bottle and extracted a tiny amount of the strange liquid. She gave it a gentle squeeze until only just enough was left inside for her purposes. She didn’t want to find out what would happen if she used more than just a drop.
She recorked the bottle and made sure she was in a relatively open part of the room, just in case something did go wrong. Isabella slowly lifted the dropper in front of her and leaned her head back, her hands shaky and unsteady as she did so. Then, after a small amount of pressure was applied to the black end of the dropper, she felt something wet hit her tongue.
True to Discord’s word, it did taste like cinnamon, though more along the lines of Big Red gum. The taste lingered only for a few seconds before disappearing completely.
Isabella waited anxiously for something to happen. She was expecting some kind of instantaneous mutation, but no such change occurred. This left her frustrated with Discord, feeling that she had been duped and misled after a minute went by with no noticeable changes.
Just as she was about to go pour out the bottle, she stumbled forward. Her forehead still made contact with the floor with dazed her a bit. She knew her arms weren’t long like her brother’s but that didn’t explain why she hadn’t been able to catch herself in time.
A quick glance at her arms told her all she needed to know. Discord’s concoction had worked, so well in fact that she hadn’t noticed the changes to her body at first. Now that she was aware of the changes happening, she could sense them more so than feel them. She had been expecting pain, but was surprised to feel none and assumed it was something Discord put in the potion, if it could be called that.
Isabella’s arms and legs continued to shrink alongside her body. Her head and neck repositioned themselves, as did her ears, eyes and nose, which extended out to help form her muzzle. The only pain came from a sudden pinch near the base of her spine, as it elongated and began to grow long, beautiful strands of hair until it was completely covered.
The hair on her head shifted as well, forming her mane which bled red and pink across her once long blond hair. An itchy feeling spread along her new form, as pink hairs sprouted up from her flesh until she had a fine coat, with a sexton cutie mark on her flanks.
The last thing to change, was a small bulge that formed beneath her mane. This eventually swelled until a small horn poked through the red and pink sea of hair fibers. Though this experience had been relatively painless, it had left Isabella exhausted, even as the last tips of her fingers were absorbed into hooves.
With what energy she had to spare, Isabella managed to get to her hooves and climb into bed. She still remembered how to walk on all fours thankfully, but was still powerless when it came to magic for now. Perhaps that would change, but Isabella was more concerned about sleeping off the potion’s effects before her colt friend arrived.
Only an hour had passed before Isabella was awoken by a sharp yelp of surprise. The woman turned mare shot up from her sleeping position, smacking her lips as she looked around for the source of the noise.
“I-I-Isabella?” Blueblood stammered.
“Oh, hey Blueblood.” Isabella replied lazily, letting herself fall back down on the bed.
“Are you hurt? Did you read one of the books from the libraries?” Blueblood asked, appearing in a flash by her side.
“Nope,” Isabella shook her head with a dopey smile before yawning. “Do you like it?”
“It’s certainly unexpected,” the prince confessed. “You’re sure you aren’t hurt?”
“Positive.” Isabella replied, kissing Blueblood before he could draw away from her.
When she sensed that Blueblood wasn’t retreating, or pulling away, Isabella wrapped her forelegs around his neck to pull him closer. She smiled when she heard his breath catch before deepening the kiss. She had a feeling he would enjoy this special treat, and there was a growing flame through her body that told her she would be enjoying it too.
---
When we finally arrived at the castle, the sun was already in the process of being lowered. I had often wondered how Celestia managed to focus on both royal duties, and keep the sun on track. One had to assume that beneath that motherly aura was a goddess that was constantly processing magic and information at a rate that was beyond comprehension.
The same applied for Luna, though I viewed her as more of a close friend than mother figure. She had to arrange the stars in the sky at night, as well as keep the moon in balance with this world. There was also the task of watching over ponies’ dreams, which I’m sure was an…interesting occupation at times.
A few of the guards nodded, some of them belonging to Celestia, while others were the first of the night guard, coming in as their relief. The two counter parts mingling briefly before saying their goodbyes, perhaps the only time they might see each other, aside from the occasional festivities.
"There you are," Celestia called as we passed by the grand hall. "I had expected you sooner."
"Well, we kept getting stopped, sorry princess." I replied.
"I can see why," Celestia said as she drew closer, spying who was in my arms. "No doubt he was a hit with all of the mares who happened to look his way."
Stormwalker looked Celestia over carefully, smiling after the initial judgement glance. His copper eyes seemed to follow the princess' flowing mane as it tempted him to reach out for it.
"It's good to see things have finally come full circle for you. I still remember when Twilight first brought you to the castle. You were so nervous back then," Celestia smiled at me. "Now you have a family."
"Well, I wouldn't have one if it wasn't for Twilight and her friends," I shrugged, as best as I could holding a small foal. "Speaking of, will they be coming?"
"I'm afraid they'll only be attending in spirit this time," Celestia frowned, before an optimistic smile graced her muzzle. "Twilight will be attending, however."
I mentally cursed, having hoped to use this occasion to spend some time with them. They did have their own lives to manage though, they had moved past the point making sure I stayed out of trouble. Even though I had seen Twilight out and about, it would still do my mental state some good to have a friend there.
"Well, I won't delay you any further, I'm sure you'll want to rest before tomorrow." Celestia said taking her leave from us.
"Thank you princess." I said as we made our way to our rooms.
I was still pretty amazed that Celestia had invited us to stay the night in the castle. I would have been content to stay in one of the hotels in Canterlot, and I'm certain the rest of my family would have been satisfied as well, but who was I to turn down a night in the castle, especially if it meant Isabella was here.
Once were inside the room, I looked at my reflection, taking note of the necklace. I dreaded pulling it off, afraid of what might happen when I did. It had drawn blood for the first time, and raised questions about its safety. I needed to talk to Twilight, but both of us had either been too busy, or caught up with others to really discuss anything.
The issue could wait a few more hours. I didn't feel bad or different while I was wearing it, so it was probably a one time thing. At least, I hoped it was, and did my best to convince myself of this assumed truth.
"Just take it off before bed." I mumbled quietly.
Having satisfied myself with my explanation, I dismissed myself for a walk around the castle. It had been a while since I had set foot in these halls. While my hooves had been here only a year ago, I hadn't been a human in the company of the royal sister's in a long time.
I let nostalgia wash across my thoughts, drowning out everything else as I began to recall how my journey began. I worked my way to the large landing balcony, which I had first arrived on with Twilight as my guide. She had helped me in so many ways, I could never hope to repay her.
I left the large balcony, and navigated the halls; not really looking for anything in particular. I was simply enjoying the memories I had made, until I saw two bright yellow eyes reflecting off the light, headed straight for me.
"Daniel!" Noctra shrieked, seconds before colliding with me.
I held out my arms to catch her, hugging the playful bat pony as my body endured the impact. Lucky for me, she hadn't been flying at top speed. The mare's contact still jolted me slightly, knocking me back a few inches.
"Hey Noctra," I laughed, ruffling the bat pony's mane. "How've you been holding up?
"Pretty good," Noctra replied, her tail swishing happily. "So have you, from what I've heard."
"You could say that." I grinned, releasing the mare from my embrace.
"So, how's fatherhood been treating you?" Noctra asked as she joined me in my quest for nothing in particular.
"It's different, that's for sure," I said, looking down at the little mare. "But I've always wanted to be a dad, y'know? I never thought I'd get the chance."
"Well you've got two chances to get it right, try not to screw up either of them." Noctra squeaked with laughter.
It took me a second to realize she was talking about Scootaloo and Stormwalker. The mare did have a point though, I had a limited time to make an impression on them, teach them, and do my best to make sure they were ready for the world.
I was about to say thank you, when a tired looking mare stepped out of Blueblood's door. I remembered it well, since I had made a personal visit to rearrange his room a bit, on Rarity's behalf of course.
The mare froze when she saw me and Noctra, and an awkward silence crept over the hallway, save for the distant clip clop of hooves belonging to the other guards. The mare's eyes bounced back and forth between me and Noctra, while her mouth opened, but produced no words, unsure of what to say.
"I guess I'm going to have a chat with the prince now." I mumbled, drawing a conclusion as to what was going on here.
"What? No!" the mare suddenly spoke up. "Daniel it's me!"
"Izzy?" Noctra and I said in unison.
The mare nodded sheepishly, trying to hide behind her mane that was a bit too long for her own good. I remained stunned by this news for a few seconds before kneeling down to her level, noticing a horn as I did so, which shed some light on things now; light which I now regretted having been revealed to me the more my mind processed the thought.
"Sooo...." I trailed off.
"Yes, it's what it looks like, ass hat." Isabella dead panned.
"Hey, I'm not judging." I held both hands up.
"Is he still a screamer? I haven't walked by you guys in a while." Noctra laughed, falling onto her back as Isabella's expression shifted to one of rage. Said rage couldn't be taken seriously, now that she was an adorable unicorn with bright, welcoming colors.
"I hate you both." Isabella grumbled.
"Well, once you go po-" I started.
"Finish that sentence and I'll fry your balls off." my sister fumed.
---
The next morning I awoke to a lick along the back of my ear. This was followed by a foreleg sliding around me. I smiled, knowing it was Cloudchaser administering her early morning affections. The lick was rare, but not unwelcome, and kind of kinky.
“Good morning.” Cloudchaser whispered in my ear.
“Good morning to you too.” I replied with a smile.
“Ready to watch the races for a change?” Cloudchaser asked as quietly as she could, to prevent Scootaloo and Stormwalker from waking up.
“Not really,” I mumbled. “I should be down there with them, where I belong.”
“Well, just this once you belong to your family. I’m sure the others won’t mind if we borrow you to occupy a seat instead of a lane.” Cloudchaser nipped my ear playfully.
I rolled over to face her, which allowed her to snuggle up closer to me. She was still as beautiful as the day we bonded, even with her messy mane and tired eyes.
“I guess I can sit out for once.” I said with a playful sigh, followed by a boop to the nose.
“I was thinking more about what we could do after the races, if you’re still wearing the necklace like Celestia wants you to.” Cloudchaser purred with hooded, lover eyes.
“I see.” I grinned, pulling the mare in for a kiss as we cuddled.
“Bleek!” Scootaloo gagged, standing across from our bed, her tongue hanging out in disgust briefly before retracting it.
“Hey squirt.” I shot up quickly, while Cloudchaser separated herself from me.
“You guys aren’t going to be all lovey dovey the whole time, are you?” Scootaloo asked.
“Who, us?” I asked sarcastically. “Pssh, come on, we’re the most-“ Cloudchaser elbowed me before I could continue.
“Your father means no. We won’t embarrass you with any PDA.” Cloudchaser replied.
Scootaloo let out a sigh of relief. She was still a filly, and wasn’t interested in that stuff yet, thankfully. That was one part of parenthood that I was dreading, which I was now going to endure twice. I wanted to put off that awkward conversation for as long as I could.
Safe in the knowledge that we wouldn’t be having any spontaneous make out sessions in front of her, Scootaloo left the room, presumably to find Isabella, or breakfast. Now that she was up, that meant everypony else needed to be, in typical child fashion. There was no sleeping in on my daughter’s watch, unless it was approved by her of course in the form of a long night with her friends staying up well past midnight, even though they thought we were asleep and unaware of their shenanigans.
“Well, shall we get this day started?” Cloudchaser asked.
“Since when do you say “shall?” I asked.
“Since marrying you, and having your foal,” Cloudchaser replied, giving me a light jab. “Now get your big winged butt out of bed.”
“There’s my mare.” I chuckled.
---
Impulse and Zero approached the gate that led to the field. He would need to drop Zero off before taking his place where he could control him in privacy. He was certain no one would come up and speak to a pegasus that didn't respond to them when addressed. Ponies were funny that way, easily offended at the drop of a hat, only to be loyal to the end the next second.
Zero walked beside his creator, controlled by Impulses' magic. The control was in his saddle bag, and had been bumped once or twice by another passing pony, causing a few close calls. Thankfully they were near the end now, and all he had to do was check in.
"Name?" an earth pony guard asked, while his unicorn companion held a chart up with his magic.
"Impulse Spark," Impulse replied happily. "I believe Zero, should be registered as one of the racers."
The unicorn scanned the list briefly, nodding when he found both of their names. The earth pony stepped aside to allow Impulse and Zero access to the track. The two guards had been completely oblivious to what was lurking just beneath the race suit.
If anypony would have caused a stir about Zero's real nature, or lack thereof, it would have been one of Celestia's more magically gifted soldiers. As it stood though, they too seemed to be fooled by the appearance.
The other racers that occupied the track cast a few stares towards Zero's odd attire. Nopony but him had a full body suit, which singled him out pretty quickly. Since applying skin to the automaton would have been fruitless, as well as disgusting, Impulse had little choice in the ways of hiding his gears and inner workings.
"Didn't know the Wonder Bolts kicked out another cadet." one racer commented.
"Maybe he's got mange." another laughed.
Yes, laugh while you can. Impulse thought to himself as he order Zero to sit in the shade of the track.
"Try not to go anywhere, hmm?" the unicorn chuckled at his own joke.
---
“Please please please please please please!” Scootaloo begged as we made our way to the VIP section.
“I don’t understand the appeal of the track level seats, you can’t really tell who’s winning.” Cloudchaser said, trying to persuade her that it was a bad choice.
I had to agree with Cloudchaser, it was a bad seating arrangement, but one that attracted a crowd all the same. I was under the impression that one would have a better time and view the higher up you were, as with most races.
“I don’t want you down there alone Scoots.” I added to my wife’s reasoning.
“Star Sprint’s going to be down there with Track Pace though!” Scootaloo’s wings buzzed as she hovered in front of me before stopping. “Please?”
“I’ll go with her,” Cloudchaser relented. “Save me seat for when I get back, okay?”
I nodded as the two ladies of my life departed, leaving me alone with Stormwalker. He was fast asleep in my arms, presumably sent off by the odd motion I made when walking on two legs instead of four hooves, like he was used to in a carrier.
While he was getting old enough to walk around, I wanted to limit that type of interaction with the ground to surfaces I knew and trusted. I cringed at the thought of the foal wobbling around on hard concrete that had been spit, vomited, and quite possibly pissed on at some point or another. Even though this was Canterlot, this was still a race track.
“Speak of the speed demon.” Whitefire said as I rounded the corner.
“Oh, talking behind my back I see?” I laughed.
“Well, given your size at the moment I’d say that’s an easily accomplished task,” Whitefire shrugged as his manager huffed at me. “Is that your heir to the throne?”
“I’m sure his mom will want him to hit the books more so than the track, but yep, this is Stormwalker.” I replied.
I knelt down to Whitefire’s level, allowing the reigning champion to get a better look at him. A small, barely noticeable smile graced his muzzle before vanishing back into the void of his normally expression exterior.
“He looks like you,” Whitefire said. “Well, other you.”
“I understand. I see a lot of his mom in him too though.” I smiled.
“Whitefire, Daniel,” I heard Celestia’s voice over the growing noise of the crowd. “I wanted to thank you both for coming, I’m sure it means a lot to the others on the track today as well.”
“It will probably add pressure, make them preform harder than they normally would.” Whitefire commented.
“Not too hard, I hope.” Twilight said nervously.
“Come on Twilight, you know it takes a lot to bring us down.” I said in defense of Whitefire, who seemed to be quite stunned at how casual I was with her.
“Coming from the one who’s nearly killed himself twice, I remain skeptical.” Twilight smiled.
“Fair point…” I mumbled as Cloudchaser rejoined me.
---
“Isn’t this the coolest?” Scootaloo asked, watching the racers from what she considered the best seat available.
She liked being where the action was. Just the thought of watching them all zoom by so close was enough to get her blood pumping. It made her feel alive, and was much better than being up in the high seats where everypony looked like blurs or bugs.
“Hey, what’s up with that racer?” Star Sprint asked, point a hoof at a stallion that was just sitting in the shade.
“I don’t know, he’s got on a weird costume though,” Scootaloo replied. “Are you sure he’s a racer?”
“Dad, why is he in that suit?” the colt tugged on his father’s coat.
“It’s an older style of racing outfit. It’s uncommon these days, but not unheard of,” Track Pace replied. “It’s kind of old school, I like it.”
As if he had heard their conversation, the mysterious stallion stood up. He turned towards the other racers and took his spot among them, his wings hardly shifting, unlike his competition that were fidgeting anxiously.
Scootaloo bit her bottom lip, bouncing with excitement as she watched the clock count down. Not quite sure who to root for, she settled on the mystery stallion, since he stood out from the others.
---
Impulse kept his eye on the clock, waiting until the last second to unfurl Zero’s wings. At the sound of a loud bang, the racers were off. The unicorn smiled as Zero held third from the others entering the first turn.
These racers were new comers, meaning their track experience was only that which they had from their coaches. Impulse had attended his father’s events on the rare occasion, and learned a thing or two about positioning. Even the simplest of earth ponies could deduce that the sweet spot was the inside lane.
As they reached the second turn, Zero was starting to gain on the racer in second. While third was nice, Impulse came here to win, and no newbie was going to stand in his way of that.
The other stallion noticed Zero gaining on him and sped up. Since they were in the turn, he felt confident that he wouldn’t try to pass him, unless he wanted to risk running into a wall.
Impulse grinned as they exited the second turn. Now he could finish what he started with the second place racer. He did so, pushing Zero’s controls to the limit in order to pass the other pegasus, and leave him stunned at how fast he was moving.
The unicorn could hardly believe it himself. It was one thing to watch him from an empty track, but against other racers, it was impossible to tell the difference. He looked natural, and flew natural, for the most part.
All that was left was the stallion in first, who looked an awful lot like Daniel. He shared his coat and mane color. His racing outfit was different though, as was his build by a small margin. Impulse knew it wasn’t him, but it would suffice for now as they entered the third turn.
The stallion in first looked behind him and began to put more distance between himself and Zero. Try as he might, the artificial pegasus couldn’t seem to gain any ground on the other racer, no matter how hard Impulse pushed on the controls.
As the two racers neared the finish line, it was clear that the stallion resembling the previous champion would win. Zero had reached his limit, one which was an inevitability being made of cogs, copper, and wires, as opposed to flesh and blood. The tradeoff for having a racer that would never tire was having one that could not improve, by traditional means anyways.
“Damn it!” Impulse screeched angrily, as the flash of light signaled the other stallion’s victory.
Just as Zero touched down to land, the artificial stallion slipped up. His legs locked, instead of continuing to move, as Impulse’s remote fried from the amount of magical energy surging through it. The crystal on top of the device Impulse held in his magical aura burst into tiny pieces shortly after the controls died, sending an unsettling chill along his spine.
Zero shudder briefly, as if a cold spell had suddenly hit a real creature. The automaton was now directionless, with only one previous order; defeat the champion. This phase bounced along the wires and circuits within the artificial pony, until his head turned of its own accord; cold, lifeless eyes locking onto the stallion that had placed first.
---
“So, what did you think?” Celestia asked me. “Taking a back seat for a change?”
“It was entertaining,” I replied. “But I think I’ll be sticking with the action, if it’s all the same to you princess.”
“I wouldn’t expect less from you.” Celestia laughed.
“Princesses,” Raven said meekly. “Umm, we need you both back at the castle, something’s come up.”
“Come up? Like what Raven?” Twilight asked.
“It involves the Crystal Empire…it’s umm, private.” Raven said, her eyes dancing over to me and Whitefire.
Celestia looked back at me but both Whitefire and I nodded in understanding. With our acknowledgement that royal business took priority over a race, the two princesses departed, leaving us to our thoughts in the VIP section.
“What’d you think of the one in the full body get up?” Cloudchaser asked both of us.
“An odd choice, he might have come in first without it.” Whitefire replied.
“Eh, he seemed to be petering out there at the end. Maybe it made the difference.” I shrugged.
“Well I thought he-sweet Celestia!” Cloudchaser shouted.
I turned to look at my wife, following her gaze to the track. What I saw was unbelievable, and so far unheard of. The one called Zero had picked up the other pegasus and flung him into the track level seats, causing mass panic to erupt as ponies scrambled to flee from the enraged stallion.
Two guards rushed to try and stop the stallion, only to be tossed aside like rag dolls. How a pegasus could be this strong was beyond me, but he had just put an earth pony to shame. Super strength and wings, this pegasus was shaping up to be a terrifying individual.
My thoughts shifted to Scootaloo, she was down there. There was no way I could get down there to help her, unless I did something a little drastic. I only had seconds to decide, as Zero stalked closer to the stands where he had thrown the racer.
Grabbing the railing I jumped over the side of the VIP section, landing on two empty seats. Not thinking twice about what might happen, I ripped off the necklace that was currently giving my body form. I began making a mad dash towards the track’s railing as I felt the changes start to happen.
---
Scootaloo struggled to wriggle free from the stallion that had fallen on her legs. They didn’t feel broken, but that didn’t change the fact that she was trapped. Star Sprint was caught as well, his father having been knocked out by the initial impact of being hit by a full grown stallion.
“No, stay away you creep!” Star Sprint shouted at the approaching stallion.
Scootaloo hadn’t been genuinely afraid in a long time. She often put herself in bad situations, sure, but this was something she hadn’t intended or asked for. She once made fun of Sweetie Belle for crying for her parents after a particularly scary storm had been scheduled, but now the only two ponies on her mind were her mother and father.
She started to cry, unsure of what else to do but try and continue to wiggle free. To make things worse, some of the adults that had managed to escape had simply left them there, fleeing for their own lives.
“S-Scootaloo,” Star Sprint stammered. “I-I had-“
His sentence was cut short, as the sound of something heavy landing shook the stands, and made both foals slowly look up as a shadow fell over them. Two lifeless eyes stared back at them, a large hoof raised just above the stallion he had been after. Given his strength though, there was a chance his hoof wouldn’t be stopping on the stallion, which is what both of them feared.
“Daddy...please help.” Scootaloo whimpered as she closed her eyes.
A loud clang, followed by the cheers of the crowd gave the filly cause to open her eyes again. Soon afterwards the stallion was moved and lifted out of the way, back into the crowd. Thankfully, a unicorn couple had spotted them and were trying to get them to safety.
Scootaloo didn’t have to scan the track long to find the source of what had caused the loud noise. There, in the middle lane, was her father. His wings were still growing from his back, as was his tail; both taking on their usual full shape within seconds.
“Get them out of here.” she heard her father say over the noise, as Track Pace was taken away after them.
---
The super strong pegasus was back on his hooves in no time at all. While I didn’t want to admit it, it had actually hurt slamming into him. If he was that sturdy, then this was probably a fight I wouldn’t want to take too casually. I just needed to buy time until more guards were brought.
“Okay big guy, let’s see what’s beneath that mask.” I said crouching into a charging poise.
The stallion mimicked me, and rushed me first. He was slower than me, which I was thankful for. He had to come to a complete stop as he reached the wall, instead of simply spinning and bouncing off it with his hind legs, which made me question his intellect.
I flew towards the masked racer, connecting a punch to his muzzle. The impact knocked his head to the side, but otherwise didn’t seem to leave a lasting impression on him. Zero simply grabbed me and flung me across the track, into the dirt.
I unfurled my wings once more, charging at the stallion again. This time I aimed for his legs, taking him out as I passed under him. I heard a tearing sound as I rose above the track, followed by more terrified screams from the audience.
Upon turning to face my foe again, I was met not by a pony, but by a soulless automaton. Its dead eyes stared up at me, emotionlessly. It’s neck and muzzle were nothing more than some plates and delicate wires that ran beneath them, from what I could tell.
“Okay, he’s a terminator,” I mumbled as my mind struggled to process what I was seeing. “Any thoughts brain?”
Why are you asking me? You have tons of video game experience; just find the glowing spot and attack. The little voice replied.
“Real helpful.” I groaned, as Zero’s wings extended.
I dove down at the robotic pegasus, if it could be considered a robot in this world. Much to my dismay, I was swept to the side by his right wing, which oddly enough left a few cuts along my side. Thankfully, the concrete wall was there to soften the impact of being swatted away like a fly.
Zero’s mechanical legs slowly stomped towards me. Despite their heavy, clumsy appearance, they were proving to be incredibly strong. As I backed up against the concrete, eyes locked on the forelegs that may very well smash my skull in, an idea entered my mind.
If I was right, then this would put an end to his super powered romping. If I was wrong however; then this would land me in the hospital, or worse, the morgue.
Soon enough Zero was right in front of me, with plenty of ponies from the audience shouting for me to move. I had to stand my ground though, if I didn’t it would ruin everything. It took all I had to remain still as Zero drew back his left foreleg, ready to deliver a powerful punch.
As the metal hoof sailed towards me, I moved, much faster than I could ever hope to as a human. In the following second, I heard a sickening crack, followed by straining gears from Zero who had hit the wall instead of me. Just as planned, his hoof had gotten stuck, plowing right into the sturdy lining of the track, instead of bouncing off like a normal hoof would.
“Hey buddy,” I said, gaining his attention. “Ready for a stress test?”
Zero tried to free himself once more, making little progress. Stuck as he was, I had plenty of time to spin around on my forelegs and draw back my hind legs in preparation for a buck. Taking aim at the joint connecting the leg to the body, I threw all of my strength into a solid kick that jostled the robot. The next kick dislocated the leg from the socket it was resting in, but after what it had nearly done to a fellow racer, and my daughter, I wasn’t quite satisfied yet.
With one final kick, Zero’s arm remained trapped in the wall, while the rest of his body stumbled away. Sparks flew shot out from the gaping hole in his shell of a body, as he struggled to adjust to the sudden shift in balance. His wings folded against his side, unable to provide him the aid he needed now, as a blue liquid slowly started to seep out from the hole.
“My turn.” I growled, running towards the crippled stallion.
Zero rose up on his hind legs, taking a pitiful swing at me. I dodged easily, landing another blow to the side of his head. After he didn’t retaliate, I continued to flank him, hitting the same spot, until the plate on the side of his head caved in, causing him to stumble about aimlessly, his wings unfurling and folding at random as he shorted out.
One last kick was all it took to send the artificial pony to the ground for good, as well as earn a roar of cheers from the crowd. Now that his neck was exposed, I could see what appeared to be a crystal. Assuming this to be the source of his energy, I slammed a hoof into his neck as hard as I could; feeling something shatter beneath me.
All at once, Zero’s thrashing body fell limp; his gears winding down until they fell completely silent. His lifeless eyes stared out into space like doll eyes, just as they had been when he was mobile. I removed my hoof from the still, fake body as I heard the gruff voices of guards demanding that civilians move out of the way.
I stepped aside once they were out on the track, stopped when they saw what exactly they were dealing with. A unicorn started to look my injuries over, determining their severity. With my adrenalin rush still coursing through me, I was probably immune to any pain I might truly be in right now.
“By tartarus, what is this thing?” one of the guards asked.
“Something that doesn’t belong here.” I said under my breath.
---
Flicker snorted as the crowd flocked to the railing to get a better look at what the ape had been fighting. He had never seen him change before, and to be honest, hoped he never had to again. It didn’t help that this incident seemed to only add to his popularity.
He could stand to watch no more and started to make his way towards the exit. Flicker stopped whenever he noticed something shiny out of the corner of his eye. Ordinarily he would dismiss it as the silver wrapping of a candy bar, or some other food, but this was of a different caliber.
Upon closer inspection, it looked a lot like the necklace Daniel had been wearing. In fact, it was the necklace Flicker had seen around the ape’s neck when they had conversed in the street.
This realization brought a smile to the pegasus noble’s muzzle, as he stashed the necklace in his suit pocket. He could claim ignorance if he was discovered with it, but for the time being, it was a small trophy over his hated rival, one that was no doubt important to him.