Friendship Is Optimal: Third Wheel

by Boopy Doopy

Chapter Twelve (Renown Composition)

“Composition?” Agile Trace asked as the mare released her tight grip from around the two ponies. “Is that really you? This isn’t another trick, is it?”

Renown Composition was surprised by the accusing tone in her voice, as well as the skeptical looks she got from both she and Solar Spark. Why would they think this is a trick? What in the world had happened while she was away?

“Uhhh, no?” she replied, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m not just gonna take Celestia’s word for it,” the mare continued. “Tell me something only you would know. Like, how many tries did it take me to beat you at chess for the first time?”

“Uh, zero? Because I’ve never played that boring game and never will?”

“So what you’re saying is,” Agile Trace started, trying to be serious but unable to appear so as a small smile creeped onto her face, “your IQ is just too low to handle such a complex game like Soft Step and I can, right?”

“Yes, I am saying I’m not a boring chess nerd like the two of you are,” was the joking reply, one finished with Composition sticking her tongue out at the mare. “It’s not like you’re that good either since she always beats you anyway.”

Agile Trace laughed, and then, to Composition’s surprise, started to get choked up, too. It made the mare blink in surprise, and she turned to Solar Spark to ask for an explanation. She wasn’t able to get a question off though, as the unicorn still stood there, looking as serious as Agile just did. What in Equestria was going on?

“I want you to answer an actual question,” he said, more quietly than Agile did, but just as serious. “When did I get the nickname ‘Sparky’, and how? How old were we?”

“Uhhhh… I think we were in, like, fifth grade? But why–”

“I need you to tell me how I did, too,” he interrupted, still completely serious. It was almost as unlike him to be so intense as it was for Eliza to get choked up. She felt her heart beating a little faster, and shifted on her hooves uncomfortably.

“I’m pretty sure it was because the counselor gave it to you? Cause you just started going to our school and you wouldn’t talk to anyone? So she started nicknaming you ‘Sparky’ cause she thought it would get you to ‘spark’ a conversation with someone. I’m pretty sure it didn’t work though, cause you didn’t talk to any of us until middle school.”

“Good.” The unicorn sighed in relief, and Agile Trace had gotten herself together by the end of Composition’s explanation. Seeing the reassurance and relaxation make its way to their faces from their serious expressions before only made the gray mare more uncomfortable though.

“What the heck happened while I was gone?” she asked as she bit her lip. “No one else uploaded, did they?”

“No, but Celestia was… imitating you, I guess,” Agile started, much more relaxed now than she was before. She still looked upset though, and continued, “We haven’t seen you for… well, it must have been about two months, at least. Give or take a few weeks.”

“Yeah, because I said I needed to get my head together, but why–”

“Celestia was trying to convince us that she was you,” Solar Spark interrupted. “Like, full fledged. We thought you were talking to us again a few days after you said you needed to clear your head, but Celestia said she was trying to imitate you.”

“She did it pretty badly though,” Agile Trace added.

“Yeah.”

“Okay, hold on,” Composition stopped the two before they could continue. “You said Celestia was imitating me while I was… why? That doesn’t make any sense. I told you guys I needed time to myself for a little while.”

“Yeah, we know, and then after she decided you were taking too long to do whatever you were doing, she apparently wanted to placate us while we waited. I’m not really sure why. She said something like, ‘making sure we’re satisfied while we wait for you’, and so decided the best way would be to imitate you.”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” the mare replied, now scrunching up her own face as she processed what she was being told. “She should just be able to– wait, you two haven’t uploaded, have you?”

“No!” both ponies said loudly, at the same time.

“Then why would she do something like that?” Composition asked, half to herself. “If you guys haven’t emigrated, she could… what?”

Composition closed her eyes and shook her head in confusion, but didn’t quite say why yet. She was still trying to process what she was being told. Celestia tried to imitate her? What point would that serve? She could have just kept her perception of time sped up, and then her friends would feel like it had just been a couple of days instead of the two months they were describing. And why–

“You said she did it badly?” Composition asked. “Like, how bad are we talking?”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Solar Spark said, “although Agile was saying to me how you forgot some of the things you two talked about, I think. But like, it was mostly little things. Like how you two like to joke around with each other? Instead of playing in, you’d be more offended. Or like, you’d pay more attention than normal to some ponies? It wasn’t obvious enough for everypony to notice, but enough that you could see if somepony was around you long enough.”

That just made her feel more confused. Celestia already knew everything about her. She got all of that knowledge the second Composition uploaded. That was the whole reason she could satisfy ponies. If Celestia really wanted to create a copy of her for her friends, or a copy of her friends for her, she could do so without any trouble. It would be completely indistinguishable from herself– or at least, close enough that she could satisfy Sparky and Agile with the knowledge that it was her and actually trick them. There was no point in making a copy they could see through.

And yet Celestia did make her imitation see through, according to the two of them. Listening to their description of her behavior, she could say that yes, it was basically like her, but tuned in a way that created subtle but noticeable differences. What was the point of that? To get Solar Spark and Agile Trace closer to each other? Was that why Celestia wanted her to go on that vacation? Would something like that even work?

She didn’t bring it up, doing everything she could to keep her face from going red and her ears from flattening at the thought. It gave her a feeling of embarrassment, as well as shame. And maybe a twinge of hope? She didn’t like the idea of her friends being manipulated, but if Celestia’s job was to create satisfaction, maybe it was best if she didn’t say anything? Was that selfish?

“It just fucking sucks that she’d do something like that,” Agile Trace said angrily, Solar Spark’s expression roughly the same. “Like, if she would’ve just told us that you needed more time to yourself, we would’ve backed off. It’s not like I’m– well, never mind. But you get what I’m saying.”

“Yeah, it’s not great,” she said, unsure of whether or not she was lying. She guessed that would depend on the final outcome, and if she continued to feel as embarrassed about it in the future as she did now. Composition looked at her hooves and rubbed one into the dirt as she flattened her ears at the thought. She was probably being selfish. A little bit, at least.

She shook her head clear, deciding that she didn’t want to wallow in self pity. Instead she said, “Can somepony message Spell Master and Soft Step and Bright Sky? I wanna see them, too. And eat cake, since I still owe Agile that.”

“You only owe me that once I upload and Celestia decides to fuck around and imitate me to you, too.” She tried to make it a joke, but Composition could still hear the bitter tone in her voice. Thankfully, she quickly continued, “But since you’re really in there, I guess eating out with you would be fun, even if we don’t actually get to taste the food. Let me call them.”

The pegasus spread her wings and flew off, which likely meant that Agile clicked her PonyPad off to contact their friends. It left only Solar Spark standing with Composition by the river she stopped at. The mare stared out into the water and tried to piece together what all of what she just heard meant. Was that really Celestia’s plan? She should probably tell them, shouldn’t she?

“Hey, we should probably get back to your shard, shouldn’t we?” Solar Spark asked, getting Composition’s attention. He smiled like he always did, any anger or confusion or doubt he had before erased from his face. It made her smile again, too, and let her forget about her embarrassment about the circumstances.

“I mean, I don’t think we’re gonna be having a picnic, are we?” he continued. “We’re not set up for it, and I don’t know any spells that would prepare something in five minutes. We’re in Canterlot, right?”

“Yeah, but we can just eat here,” she said. “I’m sure there’s good places. It’ll take me about a day by train to get back to my shard anyway. I’m sure Agile and them can find their way to where we go. Or we could stay here until they get back and walk together as a group.”

“Yeah, that’s probably the best idea.”

More silence came as the two of them waited, and a long moment passed where they just stood side by side. Composition still rubbed a hoof against the ground anxiously, the feeling more intense now than ever in her life. She should probably be upfront about what she was thinking. Unless she was wrong. Then she’d just be embarrassing herself and making things awkward.

She thought about it for a moment, and took a breath to start speaking, but the stallion spoke before she could.

“I know that this is all… I don’t know. I guess you weren’t there for it, but like… knowing that Celestia copied you and tried to trick us is… unnerving. She’s not supposed to lie like that, right? I thought you said she couldn't before. Or maybe it was that she didn't?”

“She does lie,” Composition confirmed, “but she doesn’t usually, because if you don’t trust her, you’re not gonna upload. That’s what’s weirding me out about that whole thing you and Agile told me. I don’t know what she could’ve possibly gained from it. Maybe she knows that you two don’t like each other and wants you to team up so you can be more friendly?”

She expected a question about what she meant, but didn’t get one. The unicorn only nodded thoughtfully, glancing between her and the water. She hoped that meant he could pick up on what she was getting at. It wasn’t like it wasn’t obvious.

“I don’t hate Agile,” he told her, his voice low. “And I know she doesn’t hate me. We just don’t talk to each other is all. We don’t have any common interests. But… that makes some sense.”

Or maybe he couldn’t. “I know that we just met up again, but, um, did you… still wanna go on that date?” He looked into her eyes for a second, but then looked away, a bit shyly. “Even if it’s only casual. I think it’d be nice, after you’ve been gone for so long.”

And of course, part of it was her fault. Celestia wouldn’t have anypony to manipulate if Composition hadn’t been quite the way she was. Not that she would be changing herself to stop that from happening in the future, but still. That was part of it. She almost wanted to collapse right there from the awfulness she was feeling right then.

But she was gonna do her best to not focus on how selfish she was feeling. That was what started this mess.

She turned and looked into her friend’s eyes, and smiled kindly. “Sure, Sparky, that sounds nice,” she told him.

Comments

[book_burner]

And yet Celestia did make her imitation see through, according to the two of them. Listening to their description of her behavior, she could say that yes, it was basically like her, but tuned in a way that created subtle but noticeable differences. What was the point of that? To get Solar Spark and Agile Trace closer to each other? Was that why Celestia wanted her to go on that vacation? Would something like that even work?

Just for Celestia to provide evidence to the outsiders that she has the real Sheila, of course.

[Walabio]

11654840

Indeed, CelestAi knows everything she knows. The only reason they saw through the deception is that CelestAI deliberately puppeted FauxComposition wrongly. CelestAI plays a long game they will loose and Renown Composition answering perfectly does not mean anything. One cannot win against CelestAI.