Golden Sun and Sunset Shimmer were being introduced to the various machines and contraptions stored in the B.R.E.W..
"This is the Hybridization Module." said Professor Fusion, standing next to an apparatus that consisted of a metallic cylinder with glass tubes full of various liquids. "We just finished the final model a couple of weeks ago. It can transplant or splice different species of animals together."
"How amazing!" Golden Sun exclaimed.
Sunset cringed; she remembered her own experiences in the human world, and how Zanzibar Firewing had become the vile Bloodwing at Fort Echidna.
"Are you okay, dear?" Golden Sun asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." said Sunset. "I just hope that thing works all right. Not that I plan on using it anyway, but still..."
"Oh, don't worry." said Turbo Fusion. " It's perfectly harmless...so far."
"What have you tested it with?" asked Golden Sun.
"A few animals." said Fusion. "Bears, insects, and the like. It allows us to see how creatures with the characteristics of more than one species can survive in certain environments."
"Have you ever done it with ponies?" asked Sunset.
"Well, we have sometimes applied the DNA of ponies to other animals, but never the other way around." said Fusion.
"Sounds like you've got a Dr. Moreau sorta thing going on." Sunset said.
"Doctor...who?"
"Never mind." said Sunset. "So, you could give other animals pony-like features with that thing?"
"Not just that, but you could also change their entire bodies to look equine, size and all."
Bathilda climbed out from under Sunset's mane, her ears twitching. She was intrigued by this, but lamented that she was unable to speak her mind on the subject.
"Problem is, though, that we've been running low on donors for the project." said Turbo Fusion. "Both for test subjects, and DNA samples."
"Test subjects?" asked Sunset.
"Animals to test on." said Fusion.
Sunset Shimmer instantly thought about a movie that she watched a few months ago in the human world about animals that were experimented on in a lab to gain human-like intelligence.
"That's...interesting." Sunset said, trying hard not to cringe.
"Now, how about I show you how we made that Mechasprite?"
"Sure, why not?" asked Sunset.
Turbo Fusion let Sunset Shimmer and Golden Sun over to a machine that was long and rectangular with two glass domes on the top. In one of the domes was a duplicate of the Mechasprite. In the other was the most decrepit-looking Parasprite they had even seen.
"Only an hour left to live, this one." Turbo noted. "Parasprites usually only have a week or so before they kick the bucket. No doubt their rapid reproduction more than makes up for it."
Their were sensors and cables attached to the top of the Parasprite's body/head, and similar cables were attached to the Mechasprite's body.
"You ready in there, ol' girl?" asked Turbo, leaning to look into the Parasprite's exhausted eyes.
The Parasprite made no response, but its body was still breathing.
"Right." Fusion said. "Here we go."
He flicked a switch on the side of the machine, which started to hum and vibrate. The glass domes began to flash with light.
"That's the transfer sequence." explained Fusion, speaking loudly over the humming. "In a few sec--there we go!"
There was a ding! like a microwave that had finished cooking food, along with an accompanying smell. The flashes ceased, and the Parasprite's body was laying lifelessly in its dome.
"The brainwaves have vacated the organic body." said Fusion, who now pressed a button that said "Eject".
The miniature platforms inside the domes lowered into the machine, and then emerged from small doors in the sides. The Parasprite was blown to the ground by a gust of wind, but the Mechasprite stood still.
"So how do you like yourself now?" Fusion asked it, holding up a mirror. "Go ahead, give those new wings of yours a try."
The Mechasprite's visor lit up with pale blue light. It shifted itself in place and started to whir and beep excitedly as it started flying around the room. Bathilda kept turning her head around and around to follow the Mechasprite, but she got dizzy and cross-eyed.
"I think she's pretty happy." said Golden Sun, in reference to the Mechasprite.
"Yeah..." hesitated Sunset, looking down at the dead Parasprite on the ground. "What happens to the old body, though."
"We take it down to the Biology lab for research purposes."
"You're going to dissect it, aren't you?" Sunset deduced.
"Not necessarily." said Turbo.
"I imagine it must've taken a lot of power to transfer the Parasprite's brainwaves." Golden Sun remarked.
"Not really." Turbo told him. "Parasprites actually have very tiny brains and don't take up much space to begin with. It's like changing a light bulb, really. And speaking of which, it would take three."
"Ah...interesting." Golden Sun chuckled.
Turbo whistled for the Mechasprite to return to him. It hovered beside his right ear awaiting a response.
"What do you do with them once they're in their mechanical bodies?" asked Sunset.
"We like to keep them around the University for research purposes." said Turbo.
"They don't fly off?"
"No." said Turbo. "They actually like it around here."
"How were you able to build those bodies for them, anyway?" asked Sunset. "I didn't think Equestria was advanced enough to build its own robots."
"Like I said, they aren't able to control themselves." said Turbo. "They need brainwaves from a living being in order to function. And it's been easy to build a mechanical body for a Parasprite because of how small and simple their bodies are. Of course, 'easy' is a loose description."
"How do they keep going though?"
"They have battery packs installed in their bodies." said Turbo. "As long as they plug themselves into a power source once in a while, they can recharge."
Later that night, Sunset Shimmer was resting in bed, in an unused dormitory room at the university. Bathilda was sleeping among the curly locks of her mane. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Huh? Who is it?" Sunset asked sleepily.
The door opened. It was Golden Sun.
"Oh, you're asleep." he said. "Sorry, I guess I'll check with you in the morning."
"No, it's okay." Sunset told him. "Please come in, dad."
Golden Sun went inside, and sat on a chair. Sunset yawned, and then got out of bed and sat on the chair next to him.
"Sunset, I'm really sorry if my colleagues...disturbed you, at all." he told her. "They're not a bad bunch, honestly. They're just very ambitious, and desperate to put their theories and experiments to the test."
"I know." said Sunset, bluntly. "Doesn't make it any less...weird. Not bad, just weird."
"I know what you mean." said Golden Sun. "Weirdness has been such a regular occurrence in my life, that I've almost forgotten what it's like to live normally. You see a lot of strange things when you spend so many years at the University of Baltimare. And the strangeness never seems to leave. And that's not even getting into what it was like after I met your mother."
He sighed.
"Life is weird."
Bathilda sleepily made a clicking sound with her fangs, before rustling around to make herself comfy.
"Having a nice dream, sweetie?" Sunset asked.
Bathilda was snoozing on.
"You know, Sunset, I have to wonder if you usually sleep with your bat tangled in your mane like that?" Golden Sun wondered aloud. "It doesn't seem very hygienic..."
"She's a bat, daddy. She tangles herself in stuff all the time." said Sunset.
"I mean, for your sake." corrected Golden Sun. "Are you sure that Bathilda's had her vaccinations?"
"Of course she has." said Sunset. "I'd do anything to keep her healthy. She's practically my baby."
"Very well." said Golden Sun. "See you in the morning, Sunset."
"Good night."
Sunset Shimmer was running along a vast grassy field under an early afternoon sky. It felt so good to feel the soft texture of the plants beneath her. A welcome contrast to the rough, hot sand of Saddle Arabia. After a while, she started to roll into flower-beds and patches of tall grass, giggling like a little filly. She just started climbing out of a massive blanket of dandelions, when suddenly--
"Hello, Sunset." said a familiar voice.
Sunset looked around, and saw none other than--
"Princess Luna!" said Sunset. "It's so great to see you again."
"Likewise, my student." said Luna. "I'm sorry that I wasn't able to keep in touch with you, but there were some problems that my sister and I had to deal with. I'm relieved to hear that you and your friends made the return back to Equestria. But the news about what happened to your airship concerns me."
"Yeah..." said Sunset. "We were attacked. Some mercenaries somehow got aboard the Summerstar and ambushed us. We were all lucky to make it out of there. Does 'Squadron Omega' mean anything? They're the ones that did it."
"I don't recall hearing that name before, but I appreciate that you were able to tell me." said Luna. "I'll be sure to let the Shadowbolts know about this. And just as soon as Lightning Dust comes back, I will send them out."
"Thanks."
"And I'm also looking forward to seeing how your brother will fare as the new captain of the Night Guard." Luna added.
"Me too, princess." said Sunset. "And I'm looking forward to new lessons with you."
"Of course." said Luna. "My sister and I have both been looking forward to it. But first, I think there's something you should know."
"About what?"
"Well, about Princess Twilight Sparkle." said Luna. "Much has changed since you and your compatriots departed overseas. In Ponyville, there is now a--"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Sunset opened her eyes, and lurched sideways in her bed: A Mechasprite was hovering just above her head, and making a noise like an alarm clock.
"You interrupted the princess, you stupid little--!" Sunset growled.
The Mechasprite started making some sad beeping noises.
"Good morning, Miss Shimmer." said Turbo Fusion, who was standing in the doorway. "I hope you didn't mind, but the university uses Mechasprites to wake the personnel up. Sorry if I forgot to mention it."
"Yeah, you kinda did." said Sunset. "And right when Princess Luna was sending me a message."
"I'm terribly sorry." said Turbo.
"Well, it's not going to make much of a difference now." said Sunset. "I'm going to be seeing her in a little bit when we all get back to Canterlot."