Crystal power(ed)
Twilight piked up Applebloom in her magic. And Before the little Apple had the chance to protest, both she and Twilight disappeared in a flash.
Spike also disappeared back to the kitchen in order to clean himself up.
That left Sweetie standing alone in the throne room. She might have walked back to Twilight lab. Had she not been to tired to move.
Not that she minded being alone. She was lost in her own little world.
She pondered about what had happened. She was sure the magic in the levitation crystal would have been enough for days. But she had burned through it all in less than a minute.
Perhaps she was wrong about how long magic energy really lasted. She had no means to to compare magic energy to her own cybernetic electricity. Other then the time by which how fast her battery had drained compared to the magic charge inside the crystal.
She had used nothing but her own energy to drive the magic in the crystal. Yet it had burned out before she did. Not that it was by that much of a marginal. The little energy meter in her vission told her that she would run out in a matter of minutes – even in sleepy mode.
The levitation crystal had my no means been as large of a charge as the shrinking spell that fit in her newly acquired screwdriver. But it had still felt like a lot. It came from Twilight Sparkle of all ponies. But then again, Twilight had just spent a few seconds charging that crystal with levitation magic.
A few second of magic – Compared to how long sweetie had been able to self levitate - Divided by the time that sweetie had burned through it – Square times the amount of energy that sweetie had spent in doing so.
Sweetie looked down on her leg and the socket containing her new component. What had felt like all the energy in Celestia’s sun suddenly did not seem to last nearly as long as she had original hoped.
Comparing magic charge in levitation crystal to screwdriver component – Applying calculations – Divide by minimum energy spent per use - Estimated run time for screwdriver adding up to...
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Her calculator was working slowly, as it too was affected by he sleepy mode. And thinking to hard about this apparently matter took more energy than it was worth.
To conserve energy she laid down on the floor.
She looked up at Rarity's throne. The the big blue crystals that symbolized her sisters mark made her cybernetic gland shoot water into her mouth.
There was a flash and a shout from the kitchen. Sweeties ears registered Spikes disconcerted voice:
“But … Those are my cherries!”
“Sorry Spike. Science can't wait.”
There was another flash, and Twilight presumably disappeared with the rest of spikes baking crystals. She was on a scientific roll today, and could not be stopped. Not even to help little Sweetie, who remained lying in the throne room, with eyelids that were becoming really hard to keep open.
Twilight entire interest must have shifted to Applebloom for some reason. (may celestia have mercy on her soul)
Then her ears registered the sound of claws against the marble castle floor. And she saw pike enter the throne room, dressed in an apron and stirring a bucket of frosting.
“Aw man. She took the Cherry's” he complained.
Sweetie could smell the crystals in the frosting from a mile away.
“Spike. Give me the frosting. Its an emergency!”
Spike reluctantly continued to stir.
“What is it with you? Does everypony want to take my ingredients today? I thought you wanted victory cake?”
“Spike. Am am about to shut down. I need something to recharge with!”
“Cant you wait for the cake? It sill be ready in just a few minutes.”
After a few minutes
“You liked my horn! I'm gonna tell RARITY unless you give me that frosting NOW!”
A look of horror washed over Spikes face. Without further argue he put the bucket under sweeties nose and allowed her to greedy lick the bucket clean.
Once frosty crystal frosting filled her stomach, her sleepy mode disengaged automatically. She rose to her hooves, already able to hear her systems powering up.
“Thank you Spike. You are a true friend.” She said, as she hugged and nuzzled him with a face full of frosting.
“Sure” he said. As the frosting smudged off onto his cheek. “You wont tell anypony about this, right?”
“Not tell anypony what? I have no idea what you are talking about?”
“Right.” Spike said, and blinked at sweetie. But she was already running back to the lab. Leaving him to lick the delicious frosting of the side of his face.
Sweetie barely made it to the lab in time to see what Twilight was doing with all of the gems she had taken from spikes cake. And what had become of her friend of course.
If her fellow crusader had ever thought of getting a mark in the field of ' guinea-pig in theoretical science' – then today was certainly her chance to get that mark. Applebloom had found herself strapped in an odd looking helmet connected by wires to a ever stranger looking machine with lots of lights dials and buttons.
Twilight walked back and forth in front of her, sorting between the crystals she had taken, in her magic, and was talking out loud about how her little science project could move onto “Phase three.”
“.. I need to figure out if other kinds of magic can be compatible with a cybernetic harmonizer – Like the subtle magic of earth ponies.” She said. Not even looking at the confused and more then al little distressed filly.
“Applebloom. I need you to hold this gem for me.” Said Twilight, and shoved a crystal clear gem in the fillies hooves.
“What are you going to do?” Applebloom asked
“Basically, I'm am going to suck out a little bit or your inherent earth pony magic.”
“What?”
“Don't worry you'll get it back. Its just like sucking out a little blood”
“WHAT!?”
Applebloom recoiled in the same fear that a lot of fillies would react to the though of a big scary needle decending to pierce their skin.
Twilight, who in her hyperactive state only now realized she was distressing the little filly, simply smiled and said in a calming voice:
“Don't worry , I wont be taking any of your blood.”
Applebloom sighed in relief.
“It's more like a take a piece of your spiritual energy”
“YOU GONNA TAKE A PIECE OF MY SOUL!?”
That gave the over enthusiastic scientist pause.
“What … No. I'm just going to stimulate your core using a harmonic resonator.”
“My what?”
Twilight pulled forth a thick white screen on wheels and placed it behind Applebloom. Simultaneously, she magically pulled down a large white box that sort of looked like a camera attached to the roof by a series of arms. She told Applebloom to rise and hold her forehooves above her head.
The filly barely had time to rise before the 'chamera' made a clicking sound and Twilight told her to sit down again. The camera disappeared back up to the roof, and the white screen was pulled out from behind Applebloom and turned around so they could see, that on the others side, there had appeared an x-ray image of Applebloom's skeleton.
The skeleton might still have been wearing a weird helmet and holding a crystal with one hoof, But twilight Directed the attention down towards the torso.
She pointed towards a specific piece of bone, located on the in the mid region, was a small apple shaped organ that shone just as bright white as the bones around it, symbolizing that the lights of the X rays had trouble penetrating it.
“This.” Said Twilight “Is what is believed to be the core of innate pony magic. Everypony has a core, yet it might look a little different for ever pony. Its basically what gives a pony their ability to interact with the world on the level we do.”
She Pulled down a chart from nowhere. It showed an X ray of a pegasi skeleton. Amongst the bones was a cloud shaped object located the midriff of the pony.
“... Like the pegasi ability to interact with clouds and air. And gives the earth pony their ability to interact with the earth.” She continued.
Applebloom stared at the images, then down on her belly, then at twilight.
“Does unicorns have any core?” she asked.
“Yes we do. Ours is the most obvious of them all.”
She gave her horn a few taps for emphasis.
“My horn makes it easy for me to extract the desired magical frequensys, All I have to do is essentially to cast a spell, and make sure that the energy passes through the desired container. Like this crystal.”
She grabbed Appleblooms hooves and made her hold onto the gem with both hooves again.
“But … I don't know how to use my magic.” the filly complained “I don't have my cutie mark yet.”
“Good thing I'm not looking for your special talent then – Just that little touch of that subtle earth pony magic.”
“But how …?”
Twilight was already pulling forth another strange device. Upon a wheeled stand sat a big black thing that looked like a 20 sided dice. From every side protruded a big, 20 – sided light bulb, each in a different color. The thing was covered in so many wires that Sweetie would be excused for thinking that a big mechanical spider had made its nest inside the strange devise.
“I'm gonna use this Harmonizer to stimulate your core, that should provide enough wayward magic to charge the crystal.” Twilight said as she started pulling some wires from the device. “You just hold it in between your hooves. And make sure to keep both hooves on the crystal. Its sort of as important as connecting the plus and the minus ports on a battery.”
Applebloom held on to the crystal like her life depended on it. Which - hopefully - it didn't.
A few dozen of the wires twilight was tinkering with ended in suction cups, she pulled out these ends from the 'harmonizer' and begun to place them on strategic points on Applebloom.
All the while she kept talking.
“Did you know: The most common exit point for your innate energy is actually your hooves. except for us unicorns, who most commonly uses out horn.”
“But … You are not a unicorn anymore Twilight.” Applebloom said “At least, not just a unicorn.”
She had clearly begun to ponder something.
“Twilight, Is it true that a Alicorn is like a combination of all three pony-types?
Twilight smiled.
“Well, It is true since that with these wings, I also gained the ability to walk on clouds without using a cloud walking spell. So I must have a little pegasi in me nowadays. I've yet to confirm how much earth pony there might be. Why?”
“Since you became an Alicorn – Do you have multiple cores inside you?”
That gave Twilight pause, and she actually looked down on herself before shaking her head. She refocused on the task of hooking up the machine To Applebloom - while she in her magic scribbled some notes.
“Remember: Preform full X-ray examination on self.”
Sweetie looked down on herself. She wondered what an X ray of her would look like, if the x rays could penetrate the metalic alloys. Presumably it would look like a schematic. A see through image reveling all her little moving parts and pieces.
She did not need a schematic to know where her cores sat, or what they looked like.
Unlike most ponies – Except alicorn perhaps – Sweetie had two cores, Her primary cybercore was A sphere shaped object located in her head. It housed all her thoughts an memories. It was her Her logic center and processor. It was her brain. The mainframe which ran her body.
Down in her chest. There sat a second heart-shaped core. Her Heart-drive, that housed all the emotions. Her feeling and fears. Her dreams aw well as her nightmares. These two components combined was what made her who she was. They were the were the source of her cybernetic magic.
Magic that was incompatible with the energies of 'fleshies'.
Sweeties thought were distracted as a rainbow of colors filled the room. Twilight had finished knotting up the last few wires to Applebloom, and turned on the machine. All of the 20 light bulbs on the harmonizer shone like a disco ball, and the thing gave of an almost rhythmic thrumming.
Sparks of lightning started to jump between the light bulbs with increasing frequency until a steady stream of energy had formed around the machine. The air was filled with an electronic hum that made twilight's mane stand on edge as she fiddled with the levers on a small control panel.
The x ray camera dropped down from the roof and came down behind Applebloom and activated. Casting a new image of the skeletal filly on the white panel that now stood in front of her.
The filly was holding on to the crystal in her hooves like her life depended on it. Which – Hopefully - It didn't.
Applebloom was visible unaffected by the experience. But the core on the X-ray screen began to vibrate, slowly at first, then with increasing velocity. Then the rest of the skeleton started to vibrate.
Sweetie did not know if the X-ray screen was glitched or something, because Applebloom was looking just was looking just fine where she sat, completely still, and possibly horrified, unlike the bones on the screen, which looked like they had begun to dance conga.
After just a few seconds of the particular light-show, Twilight pulled the switch. The machine died down and the room returned to its regular color.
“See. It did not hurt one bit. Did it?”
Applebloom did not answer. She was too busy staring awestruck at the crystal in her hooves. It was glowing with a bright red color (that reminded Sweetie more of the color an apple, rather then blood.)
"I made a ruby?" She said in disbelief.
"You certainly helped" Twilight said with a proud smile. As she removed the wires from Applebloom “though its not a ruby, its a crystallized magic jar that you have helped fill with energy. If I'm correct, the inherent magic of every pony will have a different color for everypony. Yours just happens to look as red as a...”
WOOOOSH!
As Twilight removed the helmet from Applebloom's head - Her red mane stood out on edge like a ball of red hair. And her bow tie went flying off.
Applebloom did not mind her afro too much, As she ripped the wires from her body and begun hopping around the lab, chanting:
"I made a ruby, I made a ruby, I made a ruby!"
She looked down on her flank in eager anticipation, Only to look away in disappointment over her still blank rear.
"Aw."
Sweetie walked up and put a hoof on her friends shoulder. Ever since getting her own mark she had been feeling like she had an unfair advantage to the other girls, who were still looking for their true purpose. And she suspected her friends were actually becoming a little bit desperate in their search for their marks out of fear to be 'left behind'. Tough Sweetie doubted that finding the true shape of your core of the color of your magic was enough to actually discover your true self – the way she had done it. Most ponies were not unique in the way that she was...
“Sweetie – Your hoof please.”
Twilight called out from over by the table. She had already magically spit the crystal in four equally large, red pieces. And was in the process of inserting them into sockets of four metallic hooves that she had prepared for this occasion.
Sweetie walked over and reached up her hoof. Whereupon Twilight levitated over a series of tools that in an instant were able to detach Sweeties hoof and replace it with the new one.
Sweetie registered the new component as she extended herself into it. The crystal was not in the bottom of the hoof. That would have caused it to break when she walked on it – rather it was closer to the fetlock. Yet the construction of the hoof would allow her to channel the energy from the crystal out through the hoof.
Applebloom's energy.
A quick test drive did however not make her hoof glow with red energy. Earth pony magic did not have an aura after all.
Sweetie manually remover the rest of her hooves and set the new ones in place, as Applemloob straightened out her mane and retied her bow.
When they asked Twilight what this would be good for, the alicorn scientist grabbed a scanner, (a small portable device she used for simple data analysis out in the field) and took the who fillies under her hooves.
“Now girls. We are going to do a little field study.”
In a flash, Twilight teleported them all out to Sweet Apple Acres.
The trip made Sweetie realize that teleportation was a spell she was not in any hurry to try out. Being pushed through the nonexistent doorway of subspace made her systems go haywire.
Her repair system basically screamed in shock as she had – In a way – ceased to exist for the duration of a second. During which every atom of her body was pulled apart as her mass was reduced to energy in a way that allowed her being to transcend the limitations of normal physics and instantaneously move from one place to another.
The system needed to be rebooted in order to stop screaming, and check that all the parts and pieces were still there. And that her cybercore had not switched place with her rectum.
Beside her, Applebloom was no better of for ware, and it took a few seconds for the two fillies to get their bearings.
“What do you even need those wings for, princess?” Applebloom asked, and tucked on the purple feathers that were sticking out from underneath twilight's labcoat.
“Oh. They come in handy from time to time” Twilight explained as they walked into the acres.
“Really? Cause they appear a little arbitrary. A mean, you teleport wherever you go, so whats the point of them new wings of yours? Cause it looks to me like they would mostly be in the way” Applebloom said, contemplating the fact that Twilight labcoat had no holes for the wings.
“That is just a heath precaution that's prevents any feathers from getting into any sensitive equipment. You now. Like when a baker is wearing a bakers hat to prevent any hair from getting into their cakes.”
“Really? I thought they were just part of the outfit, cause out manes always stick out from underneath those things. How are they suppose to prevent our hair from falling of if they don't cover out entire head?”
Twilight went silent for a while, looking for answers she did not have.
“Well … you see … Oh hey Applejack!” she blunted out, clearly wanting to change topic.
The diversion came in form Applebloom's elder sister, whom they spotted coming out from the woods, carrying a big basket of newly harvested apples on her back.
“Hi Twilight. Hi girls.” The farmer answered “What brings you out here?”
“We are running a little science experiment!” Applebloom answered with enthusiasm.
“Experiments you say, I did not expect you to get roped up in some science project when you went to return a book.”
“A didn't either, but then Twilight was doing something with Sweetie belle. And then she got me to put this weird helmet on, and she showed me that I got a core inside me that looked like an apple, and then there were some more wires and then she sucked out a part of my soul and put it in Sweetie belle.”
“Really?” Applejack raised a skeptical eyebrow.
Twilight sighed.
“It was not your soul Applebloom. I just borrowed a piece of your energy and bound it to a crystal. Its nothing permanent. Your energy is after all something that will be replenished with just a few minutes of rest.”
“Its Ok. I wanted to be part of it.” Applebloom added, seeing how her sister was raising her other eyebrow at twilight. “I hoped it might get me my cutie mark in lab assistant. Sadly, noting.”
Sweetie uncomfortably scratched her leg.
“Well … As long as nopony got hurt or anything.” Applejack said while rubbing her little sister on the head.
“Don't worry applejack. You know I would never do anything that might pose a risk to these girls”
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. Then she noticed applejack was giving her an odd look. Sweetie hated that look, it was a look of unfamiliarity that made her uncomfortable. The look of somepony who wasn't used to see her without her without her fleshy exterior, and it made Sweetie suddenly aware of how 'naked' she was without any mane or tail.
“How about you Sweetie Belle? Twi here Ain't forcing ya to do anything agains your will ain't she?”
“What? No. NO! Never!”
Applejack cracked a smile.
“Well. Just don't go overboard with whatever you are doing.”
Sweetie lowered her head, somepony had clearly not forgotten that hoofball game.
“We wont.” Said Twilight ”We are just gonna see if Sweetie here is able to use some earth pony magic.
“And how do you suppose ye are gonna be able to do that?”
“Follow me” Said Twilight. “I explain on the way.”
“Not me” Said Applejack “A still got me some work ta do.”
She wiped her hoof across her forehead, clearly sweating in the hot summer sun.
“Why don't you tell me all about it at lunch today sis?”
She gave her sister a hug before heading off on her way while the three of them headed off into the forest of apple trees.
Applejack might blame the work, but Sweetie suspected she secretly did not want to get 'roped up' in their 'science project'. Besides, she appreciated the privacy. After this mornings magical misshatch, sweetie did not want too many ponies around in case she failed again.
Explain, Twilight did, as they walked past rows of already harvested trees.
“... you see. You know that when you buck a tree, all the apples come falling out of it. That's because when you buck. You are actually transferring some of your innate magic through your hooves to the tree. Essentially sending a signal telling it to release all its apples. Not only that, but you are making them land neatly in little baskets when they would otherwise be falling all over. So you are not just telling the tree to drop its apples – but how to drop them.”
“That's true” Said Applebloom. “Even the apples that are hanging outside the brim of the basket tend to fling themselves to land inside. But how does the tree know where I have placed the baskets? Does the trees have eyes or something?”
She looked around, as it the trees she had known her whole life would suddenly sprout eyeballs.
“No, they don't.” said Twilight. “But you do. You know where you place your baskets. And therefore you know where you want the apples to land.”
Applebloom looked like a question mark.
“So I am making the trees throw them apples into the baskets, by willing it?”
“Exactly. You are transferring your will to the tree by your hooves, effectively telling the tree where to drop its fruit. The connection between you and the tree is so short and so subconscious, that most ponies don't even notice it. Its sort of like how the pegasi can control the weather by transferring their energy to the clouds.”
So this here energy in my hooves is gonna make me as good at applebucking as Applebloom? Sweetie asked.
She had never assumed that magic had anything to do with it. And clearly, neither had Applebloom.
“That's what we are here to find out.” Said Twilight “Oh look! Here is a perfect specimen, suitable for out research.”
The specimen in question, was your average apple tree. With a solid brown trunk and a crown of green leaves, dotted with several red apples that had yet to he harvested.
“Now Sweetie, I want you to give that tree a good solid kick, without activating your crystals, just for future reference” Twilight said as she raised her scanner. An antenna protrude from the gizmo, and Sweetie knew she that she was now being recorded for the sake of data collection.
Sweetie did as she was told. She walked up to the tree and gave it a good kick with her backlegs, like she had seen the apple family do it. The tree shook. And a few leaves rustled. But otherwise nothing.
She kicked again. Harder this time. But her efforts wielded no results other a few marks in the bark.
Sweetie had never been good at apple-harvesting. She and Scootaloo had on some occasions tried to help out on the farm (cutie mark related reasons or otherwise) but they had not been able to harvest any where near as fluidly as their red haired friend. Most of it had been written of as them not having the same level of training or strength as Applebloom did. And had resulted to just climbing the trees to pick the apples by hoof.
If strength was what was supposed to matter – The Sweeties iron mulches had plenty more to give.
A third kick. Harder still. Some birds started screaming at her for disturbing their peace. But the tree refused to surrender its fruit.
Sweetie looked up at the tree, then down on her hoof. A small realization dawned on her. As a machine, she did not poses the same connection with the world around her that other ponies seemed to have. Not as a pegasi – Not as an earth pony - And not as a unicorn.
One overripe apple came loose from a branch right above Sweetie. The soft fruit struck her right between the ears. Splashing into moist applesauce over her bald scalp.
That made it personal.
Sweetie Belle charged and bucked the tree as hard as she could.
There was the sound of splintering wood as her iron hooves connected with the bark. For a moment there, Sweetie had forgotten that the restrictions, which would normally limit her power to that of an average filly, had been removed. - The whole three shook. And a few leaves and loose apples were shaken down from their branches. But the result was nothing more then a pair of deep, hoof shaped marks in the trunk.
“Whoa nelly!” Shouted Applebloom. “Don't go tearing up the whole tree with the roots!”
Sweetie wiped the apple moisture from her head, and looked at her handiwork. The tree had indeed begun to lean a little from the force of the impact. That same force that had kicked a hoofball so hard into someponys face that he had been hospitalized.
“Sorry.”
"Its alright" Twilight reassured. "I'm sure well be able to fix that."
She nervously corrected her science goggles.
"Now lets try that with the crystal energy turned on."
Sweetie nodded her head and sent an appropriate spark of energy through the components in her back legs to awaken the magic.
Her hooves did not start glowing in a red aura. Sweetie assumed that unicorn magic might be the only magic that gave of a distinct color.
She also noticed that Applebloom's energy felt so much smaller then Twilight's. It was perhaps not surprising. Given that Twilight was a powerful magician, and Applebloom was just a little filly. Sweetie was afraid that her friends energy might not be enough. Then again. She might not need that much if all she needed to do was to send a signal to the tree to drop its apples.
If muscles had been the only thing needed, The previous tree could attest to her strength.
Not wanting to hurt the previous tree any further. Sweetie walked up to the next appletree, and gave it a good solid buck.
There was another sound of splintering wood. Not because Sweetie's hoofs sank deep into the trunk. But because the whole trunk bent like rubber from the shockwave that erupted from her back hooves.
Sweetie stood there shocked over what she had just done. Her legs had not been kicking at maximum power, just enough for an average filly. But the energy that had been running through the crystal component had emptied it charge upon impact, and sent the whole charge out her hooves.
The force of her kick had been amplified by the release of earth pony magic.
Sweetie looked over at Applebloom, who was standing there with her mouth hanging open. Twilight too was looking down at the filly with a lot of questions on her face. Just how much magic was involved in the simple act of apple bucking?
It hit Sweetie that Applebloom had no control over how much of her subtle magic she released with a buck. The two fillies had not even though magic was involved until today. But Sweetie did control the charge. And she had overcharged it, thinking the apple magic was too weak.
Apparently pony magic was not so easy to compare from one to another.
On the bright side. The tree did release all its apples. even if the trunk now was bent like a 'C'
"Too much?"
"Too much." Twilight nodded.
“I don't think ma Sister is going to like this.” Applebloom cringed.
“WATHAREYOUDOING!”
A loud voice rang out. Making them all jump and trip over their own legs.
From above a nearby tree came a distinct laughter. The looked up to see a distinct rainbow colored tail hanging down between the leaves.
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight shouted “You nearly scared us half to death.
“Serves you right for disturbing my morning rest.” the pegasi answered.
“Resting? It's well past morning! - Why aren't you at work clearing the skies today?”
“Already been there, already done that.” Dash said nonchalantly. Before rolling over to lay on her back on the branch she was occupying.
She gestured up towards a sky that was as blue as she was. Not a cloud was in sight.
“Seeing that I had finished my shift, I though to take a well deserved nap. That was, until you ponies came around.
“For your information. Our work is far from done in ten seconds or less.” Twilight said with some levels of irritation. “Why are you even out here in the orchard?”
“Oh, Applejack just called in a favor and had me bring her some of those rain-clouds in order to water her trees.” She said as nonchalant as before. “The same trees you are now trying to tear down with your bare hooves. Pretty awesome work by the way, Sweetie.”
Sweeties ears flattened.
Rainbow shrugged before pulling down a nearby apple, and taking a bite out of it. Causing applebloom to protest:
“Hey! I don't think ma sister would appreciate you taking any freebees”
“Hey, I've earned it.” Rainbow said with another shrug before throwing down the finished applecore. ”But I really don't think Applejack would appreciate what you are doing to her trees Unless you got her permission or something to do … whatever it is you are doing. What are you even doing?”
Twilight tried to explained what they where doing. But pretty much the instant she opened her mouth, Rainbow let out a big yawn and rolled over on her treebranch, mumbling something about how 'egghead talk was the perfect sleeping pill'
“And then she sucked out part of my soul” Applebloom added.
“WHAT!”
In an instant, Rainbow rolled back on her branch, wide awake and fully interested in the subject.
“Don't worry. She said It would grow back.”
“No I did not say that” Twilight corrected, drawing a sigh from Dash “I said I borrowed a little bit of your earth pony magic. And when I tried to explain what that meant you thought I was talking about your soul.”
“Princess. When you are addressing the everymare, you got to use the everymares words as to not confuse your subjects, less your intentions can be misinterpreted” Applebloom said with a strait face.
Everypony stared in silence. Confused that she managed to word that statement so 'correctly'.
“Basically, DON'T SPEAK IN FANCY” She finished.
“Anyway. She then took a part of the thing that makes me able to buck them apple trees and put it in Sweetie Belle”
“To see if she to can buck apples”
“And can you, squirt?”
“Yes” said Sweetie. Whereupon she reared up, and delivered another hard buck to the tree rainbow was occupying, sending an appropriate scaled spark through the component, to release a large enough amount of energy.
Sweetie had to work on her scale. The energy discharged made the whole tree shudder. The branches cracked like whips and threw the apples Skyward. Along with the rainbow maned inhabitant.
Dash tried to spread her wings to break her fall. But found herself bombarded by apples, bout on the way up, and on the way down as gravity got hold of them again. And she plummeted to the ground along with the big red fruits.
“Oh, looks like you produced a Zap Apple.” Applebloom smirked, as Rainbow poked her head out from a pile of red apples.
Sweetie scratched the back of her head with a nervous grin on her face.
“Sorry, I guess I still used a little to much magic force.”
Rainbow did not look angry as she climbed out of the pile of apples. After she spat out an apple she had gotten in her mouth, she declared he awe:
“That was awesome! You never see Applejack buck a tree like that.”
“If she did. It would be a hazard for low flying pegasi.” Twilight said.
Rainbow paid her no mind, She was busy prancing around Sweetie
“Are you telling me can you can gain the ability of every pony we put into you?”
“In theory yes” Said Twilight.
“Wow! Cool. Do me! DO ME!”
“You know, I don't understand the point of a secret room if everypony knows about it, Twi.”
Back in the laboratory. Twilight's new test subject sure had a lot of questions regarding the workplace. - Less in the sense of safety and more in the sense of a filly not being able to stop poking at everything while going “whats this? – whats this? - whats this?”
Sweetie and Applebloom should know. As they were supposed to be the fillies here.
Finally Twilight had managed to strap the Over energetic mare down to the same cables and helmet that Applebloom had adorned.
Though, that had not stopped her questioning.
“The three of Harmony made it this way.” Twilight sighed. “I simply made it my lab because it was closest to what I had the library. I was planing on removing the secret shelved doorway until I realized that it was an effective lock that keeps everypony out of my lab.
“Yea. A good lock for eggheads” Rainbow mocked.
Sweetie did not know It Twilight cranked the 'harmonizer' machine up to a higher setting, Or if rainbow was just more sensitive to the treatment. Either way, her X ray made it look like her cloud shaped core switched place with her pelvis and then back again.
“Ok its done.”
Rainbows energy was (perhaps not too surprising) a rainbow array of colors that swirled inside the crystal like a light had been shone through a prism.
Twilight took the crystal, broke it down into four parts, and installed one in each of Sweetie's legs.
"So ... Is this supposed to make ma able to walk on clouds" Sweetie asked.
No sooner had twilight finished Inserting the crystals, then Rainbow Dash leaped into action. Throwing of her helmet ( rainbow was sprouting the same afro that Applebloom had gained from the procedure ) she flew up from the monitor, and seeped up the newly upgraded Sweetie Belle in her hooves before flying up the stairs.
“Lets find out!”
Rainbow zipped threw the caste at least two times before she found an opening, and flew out through the castle balcony. (Sweetie was amazed that rainbow didn't collide with anything.)
She was flying so fast that her afro was straightened out into her ordinary sleek mane. Higher and higher they rose into the clear blue sky above Ponyvile. Not a cloud occupied the airspace over the town, as they all seemed to be currently hanging low over a corner of Sweet apple acres. Yet, Rainbow wasn't heading in that direction.
"What are you doing!? What are we even doing up here!" Sweetie called out.
"Were gonna see if my awesomeness have rubbed of on you!" Rainbow answered.
"You mean pegasi Magic!"
"Same thing!"
A horrid though entered Sweetie's mind.
"Don't you dare! drop me! I'm not gonna be able to sprout wings just because we sucked out a bit of your energy!"
“Don't worry about the height.” Rainbow joked. “You could probably survive it right? Anypony else fell from this height they be flat as a pancake. Except pinkie pie. I'm sure she would find a way ta survive... Somehow.”
It was probably true. But that didn't mean she wanted to fall. (Breaking into a million pieces was not something she counted as 'fun'.)
“But wings are not a bad idea." Rainbow continued, "I've been meaning to ask you something squirt, Have you ever thought about giving yourself a pair of wings? Cause that would be so awesome. You could be like a cybernetic alicorn.”
“I have not thought about it.” Sweetie said. “It would probably be to much trouble. And I wouldn't like to make Scootaloo jealous.“
If rainbow had a reply, she swallowed it at the mentioning of Scootaloo.
"You know what would not make little Loo jealous? You telling her that you'll be able to join her up at my place."
Soon they reached their destination. Rainbows home in the sky.
“There it is. The Cloudominium” Rainbow called out with a sense of pride. “My little home.”
Sweetie didn't think it looked 'little' at all. It looked like a small temple. A multi-stored tower built into a tall cloud in such a way that it looked like it had been excavated from it.
Pillars and marble that looked as solid as stone woven in with the fluffy clouds.
It even had its own rainbows woven into the architecture. Sweetie wondered if those where actually flowing rivers, or fixed accessories.
The Cloudominium floated over a valley just at the edge of Ponyville. Sweetie always wondered what magic that kept a house made of cloud from drifting away with the wind. What kind of magic that kept the pegasus capital of Cloudsdale in a fixed enough position to be drawn on the Equestia map. Sometimes she wondered if Rainbows home was a mobile home. Like living in a wagon. If rainbow wanted to move she could probably just push the house to a new location. The only thing that would get in trouble from that was the mail.
Speaking of which, A small mailbox sat in the center of the valley, where Rainbow no doubt tad to fly down to get the mail every morning. Sweetie entertained herself with the thought of the cloud house being anchored to the mailbox by a form of magic invisible rope – like a balloon on a string.
Dash slowed down to hover above a small walkway in front of the door.
“Okey squirt. Here we go.”
Sweetie looked down on the landing pad. It looked no more solid then cotton, and were in fact even less so. Clouds were made up of nothing more then heated water.
“You wont drop me if I go through, Right? ”
“Squirt. If you fall through. I'm gonna catch you. Promise.”
Sweetie swallowed, and activated the crystals in all 4 hooves and let the energy flow continuously.
Rainbow lowered held Sweetie tight in her forehooves as she lowered her down. Sweetie nervously reached out with a forehoof and touched the cloudy surface. She had no idea what cloud was suppose to feel like, or how much energy was required to walk on it.
Her hoof touched the cloud. And the surface sort of wobbled like cotton under her. Carefully she set down all four hooves as Rainbow let go of her.
The cloud gave way, but only a little. It was like walking in sand on the beach. The ground giving way and the hoof sinking down a little with every step. Sweetie also found that there was a slight bouncy effect to the clouds, and tried to bounce a little.
Sweetie bounced over to the steps in front of the door, and found the shaped compact cloud to be much moresolid. Here, her hooves did not sink. And the could wasn’t bouncy.
Rainbow – who had hovered above her – set down in front of her.
“See. You are already walking like a pro. Why don't you come inside, and we celebrate this with some refreshments.”
She opened the door – but Sweetie stopped in the doorframe and put her hooves on the wall. It felt as solid as stone to a hoof that was running on pegasi magic. She then tried to put her face to the wall. And found that she couldn't. Her face – and her whole head. Simply went through the wall.
“How do you keep your privacy?” Sweetie asked. “Can't anypony just walk through the walls of your homes?”
“You are forgetting one thing squirt.” Rainbow said, and leaned on the wall with her whole body. “Pegasi can't do that.”
Sweetie had never been inside Rainbows home before (for obvious reasons).
Inside was a single round room with no more doors then the one they entered by. (all the other rooms where stacked above them)
A large staircase ran alongside the wall up to the next floor.
What was most surprising to sweetie was the furniture. She had half expected to find all the furniture made of cloud. But there where sofas and chairs and a large bed that all looked like they fit in every pony home.. There where a table and bookshelf made out of wood. And other accessories like a guitar a ball and blankets strewn across the floor. (in short it looked like some college students room)
“They are all made by Pegasi hoofs. A bit of our magic goes into the creation and makes them not fall through the floor – provided the floor is sturdy enough.”
She stomped her hoof on the floor a few times.
“But don't you borrow your Daring Do books from Twilight?” Sweetie said, and pointed at the bookshelves full with the series. (the series was about the only thing that had survived the destruction of the Golden Oaks Library on the contribution that every un-returned copy had been kept here.)
“They are fine as long as they stay in the shelf. Rainbow answered "Sine the shelf don't fall thru the floor, neither will anything that sits in it.”
Sweetie looked at a book that had fallen to the floor.
“And don't worry. These clouds are packed hard enough that small items don't risk going through.”
Rainbow took to the air again, and headed up the stairs.
“Now. You'll just wait here, and I go get us some smoothies” She said. And disappeared up on the second floor.
Sweetie contemplated the architecture. That every room must be stacked on top of each other rather then side by side. That means there must be one floor for the kitchen – one for the bedroom and so forth.
Sweetie thought to make her way over to the couch. But then she noticed her steps where becoming increasingly heavy.
She looked down to see that she was sinking. The floor, that had been solid as stone just a minute ago had turned to quicksand.
Once again. She had failed to notice that her energy readings were nosediving into depletion. The continuous use of pegasi magic was making her crystals loose energy fast.
Sweetie tried to jump to the sofa, or the bed or the table. Anything that she could climb up on that would support her. But the found nothing to step on to make the leap. The floor had turned to whip cream. and she was standing in it up to her belly.
"Rainbow Dash!" She called out But there was no answer.
As she tried to take a step but her front right hoof fell through the cloud like she had stepped in a hole in the floor. The component in her front hoof went out as its energy depleted. Then the crystal in her left back hoof went out. She was balancing on only two legs with cloud up to her head, and slowly sinking.
“RAINBOW DASH!” She screamed.
Then the third crystal went out in her other back leg.
She wailed her front legs as she fell, trying to grab something. But only caught more cloud with her still functional hoof.
She was now hanging underneath rainbows home with only one hoof to hold on by.
She could not climb up since the rest of her body just passed through the clouds. And she could feel the crystal in her hoof rapidly weaken as her grip on the cloud slowly vanished.
“RAINBOOOW DASSSSSH!”
The last crystal went out, and she fell.
As the air ruched in her ears. Sweetie had time to wonder how many pieces she would be in when she hit the ground.
Suddenly her vision was filled with the streak of a rainbow, and she came to a quick stop. Caught in a blue hoof.
“Gotja” Came rainbows smug voice. “Don't worry – I got you squirt.”
Sweetie looked up with a frown on her face.
“What took you so long! Why didn't you rescue me sooner? Why didn't you pull me up?”
Rainbow took a sip from the smoothie she was holding in her other hoof.
“Hey, I was busy mixing these delicious baby's” She said, offering the glass to Sweetie, who punched it away.
Besides, I owed you a ride after you kicked me out of that tree.
“THAT WASN'T MY FAULT!” Sweetie screamed. “At least … I didn't intend to”
As Rainbow Dash carried her back into the house. (sweetie in one hoof and a drink in the other) They found themselves with a fresh set of multi colored drinks on the table – and a very crossed looking Twilight, sitting on the couch waiting for them.
“Oh hey Twi” said Rainbow. Trying to sound as nonchalant as possible “When did you get here? And how?”
“I teleported” She said bluntly “I've been teleporting among every cloud on the outskirts of this town looking for you to after you just flew off. How am I suppose to preform any studies if you leave me behind?”
Both Sweetie and Rainbow mustered something about “Why do you even have wings?” and shared a smile. Then Sweetie remembered she was mad at dash and looked away.
Rainbow waved her hoof dismissively. Almost spilling her drink.
“Well excuse me princess. But everything went fine. Sweetie here walked on the clouds like she had done nothing else.” She said as she put Sweetie down on the couch next to Twilight. “Of course with my awesome energy inside her, was there ever any doubt”
“Really?” Twilight said in a tone of girly enthusiasm – that eminently changed back to a dark judging glare. “Then why were you carrying her?”
“SHE LET ME FALL!” Sweetie yelled.
“WHAT?!”
Rainbow waved dismissively again.
“Yea, so, the energy didn't last as long as I thought and she ended up going through the floor. But with me around there was never any chance of her hitting the ground.”
“You still let me Fall!”
“I needed time to finch the drinks – that blender isn't as fast as me.” Rainbow said, as she grabbed a drink from the table and handed it to sweetie. Hopping it would calm her down.
“That's not what you said to me” Sweetie muttered before taking a sip of the strawberry flavored smoothies. Then she turned to Twilight “She said it was because of me kicking her down from the tree.”
“What? That wasn't her fault!” said Twilight as some echo of Sweetie. "How irresponsible can you get Rainbow Dash!"
Twilight blinked out and in of existence right in front of Rainbows face. a heated argument ensued about responsibility and scientific safety. Rainbow argued back that Twilight wasn't exactly one to talk responsibility, as she used foals to test her untested, experimental mumbo - jumbo. Sweetie just sat back and took another sip from her drink.
“Can I go now?” Sweetie asked. She had had enough testing for one day.
“Yes Sweetie, you don't need to see me yell at my friend.” Twilight said, and lit up her horn.
In a purple flash, Sweetie found herself on the ground, next to a mailbox. Still with the drink in her hoof. The Couldominium hovered above. She could almost hear Twilight yelling from here.
After rebooting her screaming repair program, Sweetie finished the last of her drink, then put the glass with the straw in the mailbox.
As she walked away towards the town she was suddenly hit by a realization.
Twilight had forgotten to renew the Restriction spell on her!
Its been a while since my last update. Hope it was worth the wait.
They do say that all good things come to those who wait, do they not?
And Funny enough. If I had not been taking my sweet ass time with this chapter. I would not had seen that episode, which gave me the idea of 'the cores'
That's not an excuse, Its just a funny coincidence.
And I'm sorry if I made Twilight behave like Rick from 'Rick and Morthy.'
And Rainbow behave so irresponsibly.
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Sweetie Bell is op. Wonder what happens if she has chaos magic
I really want to see this happen.
7224674 It would probably ruin her circuits and/or unwrite her coding.
7235912
Wow. Auto correct really did me in there. Not even I am immune to typos.
Just like the prequel this story is well written, thought out and extremely under rated, eagerly awaiting more.
Twilight forgot to put on the restrictions, yes. But there's something else she forgot as well.
7224674
That would be a scary thought. But what would be scarier is if Sweetie Belle had Pinkie's magic.
orig00.deviantart.net/c8f5/f/2012/315/e/1/fluttershy_the_grammar_nazi_by_mrbeattyjr-d5kp4q1.png
HALT!
Ze Grammar Nazi is here to make a quick kontrolle. We'll see if you have good and correct grammar.
=======•=======G=======•=======
Your Ergebnisse are:
Schrecklich
For the love of Reich! Look out for your grammar! Ask for an Editor or something!
=======•=======G=======•=======
HEIL GRAMMAR!
DUDE. How the hell did you... did you even finish school? I'm Russian, and I don't make that many mistakes. Get it together, if you want to write.
9117756
It's not that - it's a lack of manual editing. I believe he just uses a basic spellcheck system, which is no replacement for an actual editor. I make similar silly mistakes if I'm typing as fast as I come up with the words.
The stories are excellent, but that is their biggest flaw.
Forgot about her "promotion" for a second did she?
i feel like hijinks are about to ensue
I can already tell there's gonna be some consequence and sweetie belle is probably gonna do something stupid, either that or she drains all her energy and she's just standing like a statue in the middle of nowhere.