//------------------------------// // A Stallion Called Delta // Story: Crackshot: New Beginnings // by Cold Cuts the batpony //------------------------------// “Delta, you have a minute?” I asked stepping into the workroom. The unicorn was bent over a large drafting table, his stool lying on the floor behind him, apparently knocked over and forgot at some point during the drawing. He held a T-square with one hoof, and magically directing a pen across a sheet of mylar. Several other instruments were suspended in the air in front of him, occasionally drifting down to the drawing to be used, before floating back up. “Oh, sorry, you’re busy.” “Mmmffmfmffsssk,” Delta replied incoherently. He spit out the pencil he’d been holding in his mouth, leaving deep tooth marks in the soft wood. “No. I’ll just be a bit. I’m almost finished. Make yourself comfortable.” Delta had been setting up ever since the move and I had seen very little of him. Taking a moment to look about the room, I had to admit the unicorn had done a good job with what he had. The workroom was one large space, with tall windows along one wall and a high raftered ceiling. Along the windowed wall, three desks were spaced, presumably one for each of them. On the opposite wall stood a work bench, soldering station, and even a small forge, I was sure I could find use of the forge. The back wall was lined with shelves and cabinets. In one corner, almost appearing out of place, sat a large sofa, and a small table and chairs, apparently for relaxing and dining during long projects. A record player sat on a small shelf and upbeat music played softly, amplified by the room’s wooden construction. Just then a piece of folded paper swooped low over my head, causing me to jump. I watched it with growing astonishment as it banked and soared back up to the rafters where it glided in peaceful circles. Bomber Belle was lying on one of the beams wearing a mischievous grin. She winked and beckoned me up. Declining the invitation, I shook my head and moved to the corner with the seats. I found myself wishing I had joined the mare as Delta’s ‘bit’ stretched into half an hour, and was well on its way to forty five minutes before the sound of a stool being drug across the floor drew my attention. I looked up to see the unicorn straightening his workspace before trotting over to the join me. “Sorry about that. What time is it?” he looked at a clock on the wall, “Oh my, that late? I hope you weren’t getting impatient. I sometimes get lost when I’m working.” “Not in the least,” I replied suppressing a yawn. “It gave me a chance to look around some.” “Excellent! Well, I’m going to call it a day at any rate. Would you care for refreshment?” Delta opened a cabinet and summoned a couple bottles and tumblers. “Whiskey, gin, vodka? Or I could get something soft if you prefer?” “I’ll take whiskey if you’d be so kind.” “Right away, I hope you don’t mind it straight up,” I shook my head, “I don’t keep an ice chest in here.” Delta poured two generous helping of the caramel colored alcohol into a pair a glasses and passed one to me before taking a slow swallow from his, sighing contentedly and relaxing into his chair. “I get stiff leaning over that table too long. Belle!” he called out, looking around the room. “Up here,” she replied, rolling from the beam and gliding to the floor. “Would you like anything?” “No thanks. If we’re done for the day I’m going to go for a fly. Ya know, stretch the wings, work up a sweat. I’ll meet you guys for dinner,” rolling her shoulders and flexing her wings, she left the room and we sat in silence for a short period. “So,” Delta expounded, breaking the silence, “what’d you want to see me about?” “Well,” I started, “If we’re going to be working together for a while, I thought we should get to know each other a touch more.” “Fair enough,” the unicorn replied, “What do you want to know?” “Whatever you’re willing to tell. I don’t want to pry, but honestly, I don’t know much about you or your history. Y’all know mine and I know Belle’s, but you’re still pretty well a mystery ta me.” “I may have been a unicorn raised by pegasi, but my life has been practically boring compared to yours. Shortly after I was born, by mother was transferred to ground duty, so I never felt out of place, at least not physically,” he shrugged, “In other aspects, I did struggle a little.” “Our natural magic works in strange ways that not even the Princesses have a complete understanding of. That is the magic inherent to all ponies, not just unicorn abilities which the word is usual attributed to. In respects to unicorns, we each have a natural affinity for a narrow aspect of magic. It is perhaps the most recognizable manifestation of a pony’s special talent. And there is a lot of magical theory, and cutie mark theory that I won’t get into because that is an exhausting subject on its own.” I nodded, preferring to avoid the headache. “My special talent was flying magic, but it wasn’t for years that I realized it wasn’t just as simple as having a special talent. I was almost completely gifted with the natural abilities of a pegasus, but rather than having wings and being able to fly, I could project it as a unicorn.” “One of my early teachers recognized my unique understanding of my talent and convinced my mother to send me to Canterlot Academy. I don’t think I was necessarily more gifted than other unicorns, but maybe more in tune with my abilities. For my entrance exam, I demonstrated a spell of my own creation,” Delta whistled and the folded piece of paper glided over and landed on the table. “The same spell on this, I call it a paper airplane, though I’ve modified and improved it over the years. At the time I didn’t see anything special about it. It was just a silly thing I’d come up with while bored in class, but the board of examiners thought it was quite impressive. From then on my education was directed to the study of flight,” he paused a moment to take another drink. “Most of my schooling was easy, my instructors having little more than a theoretical understanding of the subject. After graduating the academy as joint valedictorian, I could have gone to any university in Equestira. I ended up at Marechusetts Institute of Technology. After my first few semesters, I completed my studies in Cloudsdale, working mostly with the Wonderbolts.” I raised an eyebrow, impressed. “While in the pegasus city, my desire for flight was rekindled. The theory was no longer enough. My inner pegasus wanted out, wanted to leap free from the bonds of gravity and ride the wind. I decided it was my purpose to achieve this goal. To invent flying machines. Upon graduating I moved to Las Pegasus to get my graduates degree in mechanics. I think this disappointed most of my professors, as well as many of the ponies I looked up to. Soarin’ however, whom I had become good friends with, encouraged me to go for it. He was still a cadet at the time and did many of his mandatory volunteer hours in my research program,” he explained. “After school I spent a little while apprenticed under an airshipwright. But zeppelins were too slow, too bulky and cumbersome. So I decided to go off on my own as an inventor,” Delta’s eyes lit up with the same fire i had seen that day in the “Cloud 9”. “The day I opened my first office was one of the proudest of my life. My name on the door, all the space inside devoted to the creation of my ideas. No one to tell me what to do. No one to tell me that my dream was pointless. A bold statement to all the naysayers. Delta Wing: Inventor of Flying Devices!” “At first things looked like they might work out. I got my first personal flying platform built. I was getting royalties from the publishing of my master’s thesis. There was a steady trickle of commissions, though some of them were rather odd. One pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail wanted me build here a flying harness for her pet tortoise.” “I know that pony!” I cut in, “She lives in my town. Well, sort of, I lived in the forest outside of the town. But I’m interrupting. please continue.” “The bills started piling up, and I didn’t have enough work to cover them. I canceled the lease on my apartment and moved into my office, not being able to afford both, and too stubborn to give up. Many days I went without meals. I was about ready to turn in the keys and write some old contacts for work when I finally got a break,” he sighed, reminiscent. “It came in the form of a letter, from no pony other than my father, whom I had never been close with. He said that there was an injured pegasus in his unit who, he thought, my inventions might be able to help. The Guard was willing to pay me a salary under contract as a civilian consultant. Naturally I accepted immediately.” “It was at the Royal Guard hospital in Fillydelphia where I met Bombardier Belle. She was in pretty bad condition. Not so much physically, the doctors having done a good job with the amputation, but mentally. I could imagine how she felt. I’d been trapped on the ground my whole life and I learned to live with it, but she had had the chance to fly, and it had been taken away. I don’t know if I ever worked so hard on a project, spending many sleepless nights devising the mechanics, the spells, and the integration. Seeing her in that bed, so detached from the world and wrapped in her inner sorrow was heartbreaking. I spent the little free time I had talking with her.” “All the long hours were worth it when we finally got the prosthesis attached. Seeing expression and joy the first time she was able to get off the ground after the accident was such an uplifting feeling. Finally knowing that I had done something useful and truly important for another pony,” Delta smiled to himself. “After spending a few weeks at the hospital, helping with the rehab, and making adjustments to the wing I returned to my office. But there I found it empty, lonely, and still didn’t have any work. I found myself often thinking about Belle and wondering how the wing was working out. I was planning to visit her soon when I got a letter from the hospital. Her recovery had been going well when I left, but now two weeks later, she had quit improving, and was actually beginning to regress. I loaded some gear and left fearing that I had miscalculated the wing’s design, or some aspect of the spell. When I learned the problem, I found it simpler than that, but at the same time much more complicated to repair,” his brow furrowed as he prepared to explain, “The spell which allows the wing to work relies on the users desire to fly. Belle had been told she would not be able to rejoin the Guard and had become depressed and had lost much of her drive to recover. I didn’t know how to fix this. I talked with the psychologist, I spent long hours talking with Belle, but couldn’t find a solution.” “One night, or very early morning, I can’t remember, I was sleepless, struggling over the problem, and found myself walking the lawn under the stars. I became aware that a pony walked beside me, though I hadn’t noticed their approach. When I looked to see who it was I was astonished to find Princess Luna.” “You know the Princess too?” I asked, wondering if this wasn’t the true reason she saved me. Delta shrugged, “We had an extended conversation, discussing many subjects, not only the trouble with Belle, but also my worries about my work. It was she who convinced me to return to my research and with her encouragement I published my first book. It was also the Princess who suggested that I offer Belle a job assisting with my research and invention. She has incredible insight into the psyche and desires of ponies.” I nodded in agreement. “The next day I offered Belle the position, and she accepted eagerly. From that day forward we’ve been working together, inventing, experimenting, delving deep into the ancient libraries of the Crystal Empire and Everfree Castle. But the mysteries of pony magic don’t give themselves up easily. I kept in contact with the princess, and during one of our regular correspondences she suggested another pegasus with a curious talent who she thought might be able to help. And that’s how I found you.” I nodded again, mulling this over. With difficulty, I dispelled the thought that the princesses were just using me, like everypony else had. “Well I still don’t know how I’ll be of much use,” this thought had been circling my brain ever since I had taken this job. “That will have to be a conversation for another night,” Delta said, gazing at the clock. it was well past midnight, “I believe we should return home and get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll be putting that talent of yours to work.” Delta returned the tumblers to their cupboard and we both rose, extinguishing the lights as we exited the building.