Project Cyba

by Lord King Cocoon

Chapter 00: Prologue

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~Prologue~
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“What are we here for again?” Spike asked as he looked around at all the old books. He and Twilight were in the Canterlot library where they used to stay before they moved to Ponyville. Spike was feeling overwhelmed with a sense of nostalgia.

“How many times do I have to tell you this?” Twilight said with a slightly irritated tone. Twilight was feeling nostalgic as well. But not nearly as distracted as Spike. She then motioned for him to follow her into a closed off passage, “Do you remember a few years ago when I was working on a project with one of the students from the Cloudsdale Institute of Robotics and Technology?”

Spike followed the lavender unicorn into the passage that she opened up with her magic, “Oh yeah. I remember now,” Spike said as the memories came back to him, “What was his name again? Wasn't it Dork Angel, or something like that?”

“And ponies have always wondered why I never liked that 'innocent baby dwagon',” a voice said sarcastically from the room that the passage way led to. As the two entered, they saw a black pegasus with dark red eyes and a slightly scruffy fiery red mane and tail to match. His hooves were dark red and his wings had a dark red lining. On his flank was a pair of black angel wings for a cutie mark. He wore a sly grin as he sat on his haunches in the shadows and looked at the two, “So Twi, you finally managed to potty train your 'number one' assistant?”

“STOP CALLING ME THAT!” Spike shouted. Then under his breath in an embarrassed tone, he said, “...It was just that one time...”

“I see you haven't changed much, Angel,” Twilight said with a sly grin that mirrored the pegasus, “Still the foalish pegasus who never takes anything or anypony seriously and is a complete technogeek.”

“And I see you haven't changed much either,” Dark Angel replied with an equally sly grin, “Still the bookworm unicorn who would prefer to study about the life cycle of the dragonweed than to go out and be social.”

“As a matter of fact, I have too become social,” Twilight said with pride in the fact that she was knocking her old friend down a few pegs, “I have made many friends since I moved to Ponyville. And I have been more social as well.”

“She is still a bookworm though,” Spike said with a grin.

“SPIKE!!!” Twilight shouted. When she turned back to Dark Angel, he was holding a piece of paper...a diploma

“As a matter of fact, I have too been taking things more seriously,” Dark Angel said with pride in the fact that his old friend failed in knocking him down a few begs, “I have been taking my studies very seriously. And I've even graduated top of my class. And I've always taken you seriously. I just never show it.”

“He is still a foalish technogeek though,” a young feminine voice said. From behind one of the tables came a female gryphon who was no older than Spike. Most of her body was a forest green. Her beak, talons, and tail were an earthy brown. Her talons, instead of having a scaly appearance, instead had a more rocky form. Her eyes were a golden orange color, like the color of a sunset, “Hi, my name's Ferra. I'm Angel's 'perfect little helper'!”

“Well, it's nice to meet you, Ferra,” Twilight said with a warm smile, “My name's Twilight Sparkle. And this here is my 'number one assistant', Spike... Spike?” Twilight saw that Spike was just looking blankly at Ferra. Spike seemed to be entranced by Ferra.

Dark Angel giggled when he noticed a slight blush on the baby dragon's cheeks, “I think he likes her,” Dark Angel said to Twilight, making sure that the two children didn't hear. Ferra saw how Spike looked at her. She couldn't help but let out a giggle. Because she liked him too. But they didn't actually realized that the others liked them.

“It seems that she likes him too,” Twilight whispered to Dark Angel, noticing how she giggled at him, “Maybe this will help Spike to get rid of his crush on Rarity.”

“Isn't Rarity the fashionista that put on that fashion show that amazed even Hoity Toity himself?” Dark Angel asked in amazement, “You're actually friends with a celebrity?! ...I'm gonna need proof. If you really are friends with Rarity, then you're gonna have to prove it to me by introducing me to her.”

“Come on. Rarity isn't that famous,” Twilight said in disbelief of what Dark Angel said, “...is she?”

“Trust me. If you can impress Hoity Toity himself, you're known all throughout Equestria,” Dark Angel said.

“I'll introduce you then. But right now, I would like to ask you a couple questions,” Twilight said almost accusingly, “First of all, what are you doing here?”

“I'm here for what I assume is the same reason you're here,” Dark Angel said, “I'm here to get the prototype design of the project we were working on. I figured it might be a bit much for just one pony to carry. Besides, you didn't think I would let you continue the project without me, did you?”

“I suppose that's a fair enough answer,” Twilight said, “Second, how did you get in here?! When we put out project on hold, we sealed off this room so that only I could reopen it with my magic! There is no way...”

“Do you remember that eccentric pony, Doctor Whooves?” Dark Angel said, interrupting Twilight, “Well he helped me develop a time travel device. I am actually from the future at a time after you opened up that passage way. I came in while it was open, and traveled back in time to wait. However, I miscalculated and went back fifteen hours instead of fifteen minutes. So technically, me and Ferra aren't even here yet.”

“But I was gonna close the passage off again when I left,” Twilight said. “So if in the future, it's still closed off, how did you get in?”

“...You'll see...” Dark Angel said cryptically, “So now, since I answered your questions, would it be alright if you did something for me, 'Princess'?”

“So...you've heard...” Twilight said sheepishly.

“You were made a Princess. Of course I heard about it,” Dark Angel said with a grin, “So, why don't you show me your 'new additions'.”

Twilight glared at Dark Angel at the request. Not because she didn't want to, but because several ponies have asked her to show them. But Dark Angel was a good friend of her's, and they were in private. Plus, she knew him well enough that he wouldn't start bugging her about it...that its unless he wanted to play one of his foalish games with her.

“I'll show you mine if you show me yours,” Twilight countered.

Dark Angel then released a spell he had cast, revealing that he had a horn on his head, “So how did you know?”

“My specialty is magic. So I sensed the aura of magic around your horn,” Twilight pointed out, “You'll have to tell me about that later. But for now, I believe it's my turn.” Twilight then released the spell she had cast on herself. It was an image spell, the same that Dark Angel had on his horn. Once the spell was released, Twilight unfurled her wings.

“Impressive. Very impressive. But knowing you, you probably don't use them that much,” The black pegasus teased as he turned around, “So, shale we get this tin can out of here then?”

“Uh...sure...” Twilight said in a bit of confusion. She was still trying to understand what Dark Angel meant by 'you'll see'. Twilight than recast her image spell, hiding her wings once again. Dark Angel also recast his image spell around his horn. Then Twilight followed Dark Angel to the metallic pony-shaped statue.

Dark Angel lifted the statue onto his back while Twilight used her magic to lighten the load. Spike and Ferra followed them as they headed back down the passage way.

“I see that you don't use your horn that much either,” Twilight teased, countering Dark Angel's comment.

But on their way through the passage way, they came across...Dark Angel and Ferra?! Twilight looked back and forth between the two Dark Angels. The Dark Angel that was carrying the android lifted his hoof and said, “Hi.” While the other Dark Angel replied by also saying, “Hi.”

As the new Dark Angel and Ferra passed by, the two Ferra's looked at each other in confusion, not sure what to think.

A few moments after they passed by, they heard a sort of grinding noise. When Twilight looked back to see the other Dark Angel and Ferra, they were gone as if they were never there.

“Time travel is confusing,” Ferra said as they left the passage way.

Twilight then sealed it up again. She now understood how Dark Angel did what he did. She just didn't understand how it was possible. “How is it that meeting yourself didn't cause a paradox?” Twilight asked.

“It was planned,” Dark Angel said, “I had that meeting planned since before...that Dark Angel and Ferra came through, and staged it in a way that basically avoided the paradox factor. And before you ask about Ferra being confused, she was prepared for this as well. She was just confused because, like she said, time travel is confusing.”

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After a long trip back to Ponyville, the four of them went to the Golden Oaks library...Twilight's home. Dark Angel put the pony android down and looked around, “So, you live in a library. No surprise there I suppose,” Dark Angel said sarcastically, “But being in a tree and the wooden surroundings gives the place a nice touch. Not exactly what I'd expect of a princess though.”

“I assume you would've preferred a computer lab?” Twilight asked rhetorically, “Let's get this prototype down to my lab in the basement...before...”

“TWILIGHT!!!” a young silver filly cheered as she suddenly tackled Twilight, knocking her over and causing her to lose her focus and release her image spell on her wings.

“Angel, I'd like you to meet Daxelia. Dax, this is my old friend, Dark Angel,” Twilight grunted as she lay pinned on the floor, “Dax here has just officially become a Cutie Mark Crusader.”

“How did you know that?” Dax asked curiously, “I only just became a member today while you were gone.”

“When somepony becomes a Cutie Mark Crusader, everypony knows,” Twilight said.

“For being such a little village, you certainly picked an interesting one,” Dark Angel said.

“Now I'm gonna have to put up with Dork Angel again,” Spike whined.

“As much as I used to tease you...and as much as I'm certain to continue teasing you, the fact is that it's just that...teasing. If you want my honest opinion, it's good to see you again, buddy,” Dark Angel said, giving the baby dragon an honest grin before turning back to Twilight, “Well, if you're gonna just lie around and do nothing, I guess I'll have to take the android down to the lab myself,” Dark Angel teased, seeing Twilight pinned. Dark Angel then released the spell on his horn so he could focus on picking up the android with his magic.

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Later that night...

Dark Angel was working on a computer, getting everything all set, “Everything's ready to go Twi,” Dark Angel said as he got off the computer, “Are we ready to begin?”

“I'm as ready as I'll ever be, Angel!” Twilight exclaimed as she stood over the android, “And it's good to see you again.”

“It's good to see you too,” Dark Angel replied, “Now let's get this started. Let's continue...”

Twilight and Dark Angel then spoke in unison...

“PROJECT CYBA!”

Author's Note:

The Cyba prototype model is only in this story as a cameo. But here is the design for the original model. I couldn't make him look anymore robotic than that.