The enhanced Stallion

by Shenzy

> A long time ago... main assembly chamber

Dimmed light with strokes of blue, cast long shadows behind him, while he tinkered with one of the artificial muscles. Replacing the two-way, with two single-way valves... - which might mean more parts, but overall made for simpler construction and therefore higher durability. Theoretical. One way or the other, it helped to clear his mind.

“...what are you doing?” it asked gently, yet giving him almost a heart attack as parts slipped away and fell onto the ground “heaven!” he reached for his chest.

“I didn't mean to frighten you” Muse said, starting to put everything back on the chair, hoofing him the screwdriver last.

“It's alright... just wasn't expecting anypony...” fumbling screwing the second valve to the steel rod, the prototypes equivalent of a bone. After all, it had to hold a lot of weight to carry and had to be sturdy beyond that.

The mare sadly shook her head “You are doing it again...”

He took a long breath to keep his nerves. The day had been quite exhausting “Doing what...?”

“Its upside down” the white hoof pointed, which had drawn the blueprints for this.

“So, it's true, isn't it?”

Tenet shut his eyes, taking in the moment he had been so afraid of “I... yes...”

“Then... i'm sorry. I shouldn't be mad at you. I thought, you just didn't care about any of this. I never figured it is because of... me”.

Muse got close to tap him on the shoulder, searching eye contact. He tried to crack a smile, but it didn't turn out as good he hoped... and looking her like that – let him reach out for her cheek, to gently pull her close... allowing himself for a soft kiss on the lips, only after which she turned away.

His face seemed more than confused, as he thought about the sensation of her lips.

It wasn't unpleasant, but... didn't make him feel any better for some reason. He always imagined it being an incredible feeling - sending rushes down his skin, a moment he would remember all his life... but it was nothing near that and as if she could read his mind, as he looked at her in utter confusion, she replied “...it's because I love him”.

“I guess...” it sulked “... I just don't understand why?”

“Why him and not you?” the mare took a step and sat down, leaning against the metal leg. “I guess, it's because...” how to put it? “... why we are here. Doing what we are doing.”

“That isn't a real answer” it snapped, before trying again “We are just here to make it work. We want to help pony's – that's. Cause we like to help others? You know, I work here for free too, unlike Swift-Move, who-”

“Stop right there! Don't drag Ace into this – he didn't get one bit from my husband, just you know!”

“Oh, come on. I saw it... - I saw how he gave him a howl bag of bits... - and all he does around here is nagging!”

A grouchy “That's nottrue.” was thrown in.

“- why don't you just go down the hallway and ask him about it!? - or about today, when I carried his sorry flank back here, before freezing to death. Didn't mention that, did he!? … instead he-“You just won't listen”-he assaulted me!”

The mare stood up and got in half a hoofs distance, looking up to his face.

“Do you even know, why I have to look up to you? - cause we mares barely get to go outside!” it poked his chest “-we are the ones, waiting for you” poking him again “to come home - just like his mother does! SHE sits right now at her window... waiting every single day for HIM to come home – and I'm not just talking about Ace; i'm also talking about his father you insensitive clot!” as angry tears ran down her cheeks “...something, that isn't going to happen!”

“... I... I di-...”

“Because you don't ask! You just don't care, otherwise, you would!” her voice became more quiet, but not less bitter “... and... what about me? Go ahead, i can take it”

Tenet... had no answer for that either, clueless shaking his head.

“Thought so” it nodded, while she tried to smirk away some of those pesky tears, in order to see something “And Jack? ... don't you tell me, you don't know either?” it came even more sour, despite her attempt to fetch herself.

This one Tenet actually knew.

When he was young, Bottle-Jack lived next door. They hadn't any real contact since he wants to talk to other kids. He just didn't feel like it. Once in a while, Jack came over and knocked- asking something stupid... like, if he had seen his pet frog, or what he thought clouds taste like. He always had been a weirdo in that regard. Another reason he didn't want to talk to him. Not even the school bully's wanted to pick on him, since half the time he didn't get it... - which just wasn't fun if the victim laughed along. So they picked on him instead. The third reason, not to spend time with him, or in fact – a pretty good one to not like him at all...

Then... there was this one day on which he knocked. Tap-tata-tap. Always the same rhythm. Like nails on a chalkboard. Tap-tata-tap. Tap-tata-tap. - till somepony opened the door and said “Leave me alone” - to get a cheerful “See you tomor-” before the door slammed shut. So... he opened the door and found this glued on weirdo smile... holding a chemist set. “Look what I got! My mom said I can use it, when she comes back... but I thought we co-” the door slammed shut “See you tomorrow” it came muted. - ugh!

He shook his head one more time, over the naive nature of this blank flank... and got himself a glass of milk. Taking a quick look at the neighbors house from the kitchen window... hoping he might be to busy the next days, playing chemist. After this, he went for the stairs, in order to get back to his room, in which a half-finished windup toy sat. His parents had given him a book with instructions... he just had to follow the steps and make a hull after. Something to put in... like a mice or something. That would be the actual hard part since he was terrible with that kinda stuff.

Halfway upstairs, the house suddenly shook violently and threw him flat on the stomach, spilling the milk all over the place – including his face “What the-!?” it stumbled quickly down again, as he took a look around. Some stuff had been knocked over, which made him realized that the noise must have come from outside! As he ran for the nearest window and in fact- the neighbor's house was short one floor...

- after a couple more seconds of standing around with dropped jaw, he suddenly ran for the wardrobe, grabbed his scarf and tripped over it- wound it two more times around his neck and ran outside- “JACK!? - J-ACK!?” he shouted, stumbling along the frozen pavement to reach his door... which was laying a couple meters away, from the tilted frame. “JACK!? A-ARE YOU HERE?” he shouted into the house, but couldn't hear anything else than moaning coming from the walls, which tried to keep the house upright. “JACK!?” it shouted one more time, while taking first steps inside, looking towards the ceiling, watching as planks fell down, every now and then.

“... I then found him in his father's room, cowering under the table. Turned out, he had forgotten something downstairs” which made unwillingly laugh once “He hadn't even a single scratch on his body, but was basically deaf a month! Kept asking, why I was mute all of a sudden!?” almost like a broken record “... and then, he thought he was mute too!” It laughed hard, with joy fading away rapidly to end on a sorrowful “What a guy.”

At least his parents weren't mad, when they found him next door, eating cookies.

Tenet almost had forgotten about that... how his best friend had blown up their home, in order to take some work out of his father's hooves, just so he could spend more time with him and his mom...

“I guess, he got what he wanted. They never left him alone after that...” he had to wonder, why he hadn't cherished his own parents more. Obviously, he had loved them, but since been home so often... he might have taken them for granted.

“... you see? There is so much more going on around you... if you just... could-” the mare huffed “- look around for once and take some interest... - anything!” at one side, she would love to simply shout at him -and on the other, she felt awful for thinking about it. Incredible frustrating. “... if this isn't too much asked for. Otherwise put this thing back together, cause I want to make it move; if you are around or not” with that she tried to stomp angry out of the room, but hold in just one more time “... even if I'd like to have all my friends with me... good night”.

Author's Note:

Arg, i missed yesterdays upload >.< having friends over ain't easy!
Welp, figure everyone deserves to have a day off, right? ... right?

*suddenly stands on moon*

............................... right :/